Review: Magic Forged (Hall of Blood and Mercy Book 1) by K.M. Shea

About the Book
I'm one scrappy wizard.
As someone with barely a flicker of magic, I've spent my life being mocked and surviving fights with bullies. But when my parents die in an accident, and I find myself responsible for our whole wizard house and family, I know my usual tactics aren't going to cut it.

The situation veers from bad to catastrophic when my backstabbing cousin stages a coup and takes my family hostage.

I barely manage to flee, but the only supernatural willing to help me is Killian Drake--the most feared vampire in the region, and a far more deadly villain than the jerk threatening my family.

Is Killian sexy and charismatic? Heck yeah.

He's also so powerful that my flight or fight instincts kick in every time our eyes meet. And he's definitely using me as his personal magic detector in his feud against the local fae.

But Killian is also the first person to believe I might have more than just a scrap of magic. And if I can convince him to train me, I might get strong enough to free my family and get my house back.

I'm not sure what happens when a scrappy wizard is taught how to fight by a hall of deadly vampires, but I'm about to find out.

Magic Forged is the first book in the Hall of Blood and Mercy trilogy, which features vampires, wizards, fae, and werewolves. It's packed with humor, adventure, and a sweet, slow burn romance between a vertically challenged wizard and the most lethal vampire in town.

Amazon / Goodreads

My Thoughts

This book was so much fun! A couple of my favorite authors were talking about how excited they were for it so I decided to pick up a copy and give it a try. I'm so glad I did. I hadn't read anything by K.M Shea before, but this book has made me an insta-fan. It's clean urban fantasy, which isn't always easy to find, so I loved that. The world building was fantastic. It was unique, but not so far out there that it was hard to grasp.

Told mostly from wizard Hazel Medeis's point of view, with the exception of one chapter, she was a likable and scrappy narrator. In fear for her life, Hazel makes a hasty deal with Killian Drake, the head vampire of the Midwest. A deal she's hoping doesn't come back and bite her. This book is loaded with lots of great characters, endearing and nefarious alike.

I was glued to the pages and didn't want it to end. I'm glad I don't have to wait too long until the next book is released. If you're a fan of urban fantasy, I definitely recommend it.

4.5 Stars