Magic Unleashed

Review originally posted on Geeky Galaxy

You didn't think I was going to get my hands on an urban fantasy and not review it did you? I started Venators: Magic Unleashed only a few days before this post is up, because I work best under pressure, apparently. Or, that's what I keep telling myself. From the description, I went in with high expectations. Read the summary above, “fae, vampires, werewolves, elves and succubi”. What more could I want?

The Plot

The introduction was short and action-filled, with only a few chapters before we dive right into the action. The action doesn't really slow from there, and I mean all the way up until the end! Because of that, I felt like the book wasn't really a full book. It's not a standalone story, so much relies on the next book that it feels like book one and book two may have been randomly cut down the middle. The end didn't feel anything like an end and was a bit too abrupt for my liking. Of course, it's making me want to read the next one, which serves its purpose, but I wish there'd been more of an end, rather than a sudden stop.

The Characters

After about 20%, I couldn't help but feel the characters were a little cliché. You've got Grey, the “weird kid” with long, black hair, always wearing a trench coat. Using his long hair to hide from the world. And then Rune. The beautiful girl, mostly achieving straight As, great at sport, and somehow still friends with the weird kid, even though everything says they shouldn't be. It's a trope I've seen a lot, and it's a little bit tiring. Despite that, I did enjoy the relationship Rune and Grey had. And as the book progressed, they grew into their own characters more, stepping a little away from their clichés. Come the end, they'd grown into two defining characters and I'm intrigued to know where the path takes them next.

As well as Rune and Grey, we've got Beltran, Verida and Tate, all very different characters. Again, Tate could fall into the “old warrior mentor” category. Beltran, though, was probably my favourite character of the lot. He's fun and has a sense of humour, but is also calculating and clearly intelligent. I think there's a lot more to come from him, and I can't wait to read it.

The World

So, this is the fun part! In Venators: Magic Unleashed, we've got somewhere called Eon, which is a separate plane from the world we know. The world was filled with every supernatural creature you could probably imagine, and perhaps some you can't. The author did well balancing the world-building so as not to bombard with too much information in one go. It also has similarities to your average fantasy world, elves have a sense of arrogance, vampires are elegant but violent etc. It's all very familiar, but also different. The introduction of the Venators was an added element that really pulled me into this, and I look forward to reading more about them. The political intrigue with the council of supernatural beings could definitely be explored more, and I hope it is in the next book. There's an element there that could really add something to the world if done right!