The Magpie Lord - Review

Author: KJ Charles

Genre:  Romance / Paranormal

Format: ebook

Pages: 222

Books like this are why I like doing the BINGO challenge with my friends every year. While we share common interests in our reading habits, we also read things completely apart. Thanks to that this little gem was brought into my life. And, while there are many genres I don't read a lot of somehow I ended up with a romance book thanks to another friend who was convinced I'd enjoy this. Clearly, she knows me better than I thought.

Honestly, I wasn't sure what to expect when I was downloading The Magpie Lord. Reviews of it were really good, and I wasn't honestly a little interested or I wouldn't have agreed to read it. What I hadn't been expecting was what I got through. Yes, at the end of the day this is definitely a romance novel. Crane, one of the main characters, is very much what you expect from the Rogue archetype, kind of. Just like Stephen is kind of that damsel in distress when you first meet him, only he's really not.

All the characters you meet are well thought out even the more cliched ones because they work inside the plot. You can easily picture them in your head and know exactly what to expect as the story goes. Only with our three main characters, but your butt I'm counting Merrick, are always more than seem. I loved the Stephen was small but so much bigger than he seemed, that Crane was just the scoundrel he could have easily been, and the friendship between Merrick and Crane is amazing. They've been through hell together. They got to be more than their station, more than a cliche, and it was nice to see.

What really kept me reading was Charles' writing style. The plot moved quickly without time for lagging because Crane was borrowed time since page one. The banter between the characters was also brilliant, and I found myself laughing through the night as I read. I really liked the fact that we learned a bit about Crane's past as the story unfolded, and about what exactly Stephen is as well. So their backstories didn't pull away from the plot but were in fact a part of it. 

And, the story was really good! Yes, at the heart of the book it is a romance, but The Magpie Lord is more than that. It's also a mystery with a bit of a Gothic flair, and I was honestly surprised by the fact there was a good story and plot behind it. I was also really surprised that despite the hinting, there wasn't anything hot and heavy until the end of the book.

So yeah I was pleasantly surprised with this book, and I'm glad it was put in my path. I really enjoyed the story and the cast of characters. I've even already put the second book on hold through my local library.

Buy, Borrow, or Skip: While highly enjoyable books, I doubt I'll ever ready them again. So, I say borrow from your local library!

HAPPY READING!!