Magic Forged: Hall of Blood and Mercy, Book 1

I loved it! Just wish it was longer, haha. I loved the interactions between Hazel and Killian, although I wish we could see more of what Killian is thinking and learn more about his background (for instance, how old is he?? And why is he in the Midwest?). I would also like to know more about how vampires and werewolves are made in this world--maybe shed some light on why it's more difficult to create them? But the story was entertaining and I enjoyed Hazel's character development.

When I heard K.M. Shea was making a return to urban fantasy, I was beyond excited. She's been one of my favorite authors since I first read My Life at the MBRC (the first book in her only other urban fantasy series. It has now been titled Vampires Drink Tomato Juice). Urban fantasy is where I became a fan of her writing, and after all this time, it was awesome to be able to step back into that kind of world with her again.If you're looking for an exact repeat of MBRC, Magic Forged isn't it. It is darker, more adult-feeling than MBRC (which should be the case since MBRC features a high school heroine and Magic Forged has someone who is an adult). But it is still funny, still clean, and still classic K.M. Shea. There's just something about this author's writing style and sense of humor that hits my reading preferences just right.In the first chapter, I was worried I wasn't going to like the book. A LOT of characters are introduced in short succession and a major tragedy makes the beginning of the book lack humor (as it probably should, but it made me worry there for a moment). But, I shouldn't have worried. The book quickly picks up pace and picks up the humor. Once Killian is introduced, the book really flies.If you loved W.R. Gingell's City Between series, you'll adore this book! If you like books with snarky, suit-wearing vampires and tough, short heroines, this is the book for you!

"Two households, both alike in dignity, In fair Verona, where we lay our scene, From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean."No, wait. It's the twenty-first century somewhere in the Midwest. And not Romeo and Juliet, but Killian and Hazel. Having said that, the two great households, both alike in dignity, are Wizard House Medeis and Vampire Family Drake.Wizards are, of course, human, but unlike other humans, vampires never feed from them as they find their blood completely unpalatable. Even the smell of it is disgusting to them. It seems to be a byproduct of the magic in their veins. Yet circumstances bring these diverse houses together when a young, newly-orphaned wizard begs sanctuary of the most powerful vampire in the Midwest.It is a disturbing time for the vampire community. Someone or something is killing both vampires and members of their household, despite spells, charms, and security guards to keep trespassers out. How unlikely is it that in such dangerous times, the Drake House would agree to take in the Adept of a household which trains its wizards to avoid conflict at all costs? Yet, it is exactly what Killian does.Together, Killian and Hazel must discover whose is the civil blood that makes civil hands unclean.

If you enjoy urban fantasy, werewolves/vampires/wizards, and a reliably snarky sense of humor, you will probably enjoy this book. It's lighthearted and the characters are very enjoyable. It ties up some of the main elements while leaving questions for the next two books. A few unpredicted twists and turns.I don't read most urban fantasy/paranormal fiction because it can get so dark and overly dramatic. There's tension, drama, and some great themes in "Magic Forged" without all of the whining from the MC and the ridiculous never ending romantic tension that you often see in other books.I love books that make me laugh out loud! This is one of them. It's clean, it's uplifting, and it's really hard to put down. I could not do it. I HAD to finish it! I will read this book again and again.

I’d probably give this book 4.5 ⭐️ if I could.This first book in a new series is by a new to me author. I read the same of her follow up series and realised that I’d missed this first series and decided to start from the beginning instead of the middle.Hazel is a young wizard and the heir to her House. However, she is seriously underpowered and bullied as a result. When her parents are killed in a car accident it sets into action a series of events that leads her running for her life and finding no help in the supernatural community. It’s a great shock to her and almost everyone else that the vampire head of the Midwest, Killian, decides to step in and take her one as a servant to his House, thus providing her with protection against her enemies.The reason it is so surprising is because the supernatural races are divided as magic seems to be fading from the world. Everyone is turning inwards as a way of protecting their own race rather than supernaturals as a whole. For a vampire to choose to protect a wizard, especially one with no real magic, is unfathomable to most of the rest of the community because what real benefit would she provide to such a powerful vampire.Hazel finds herself being trained in sword fighting, strength and stamina in ways that aren’t affected by her meagre spark of magic. Her House is a pacifist one and it goes against everything she was raised to believe but finds herself strangely enjoying it. Even more strange is that she finds herself enjoying the company of vampires, especially the elusive Killian Drake.I really enjoyed the world building in this book. It’s not all rammed down your throat at once, but done with a sure hand and subtly. There is a distinct structure to the supernatural world and this author lays it out succinctly.Hazel is a really interesting character. She is shoved into an unenviable position on the death of her parents. She has had no training in running her House and she has to lead because of the magic binding the House together which passes from parent to child even if the child has little magic as Hazel does.The book is almost entirely told from Hazel’s point of view and we see how events change her, along with exposure to vampires and a different viewpoint from her own family. She begins to come into her own as she grows physically stronger. We get to know the vampires through her eyes as they grow more familiar to her and she becomes fond of some of them. Killian is an enigmatic character and seeing him learn to smile through Hazel’s antics reveals hints of a slightly softer side that he keeps buried deep.This is an excellent start to a new series with a murder to solve alongside all that pesky personal growth malarkey. There also seems to be a greater underlying threat to the supernatural world in general and Hazel more specifically. It definitely makes me interested in reading the next book.

I bought this series by accident because of the 1 click buy purchase so i thought well i might as well read it, It was extremely boring and predictable and I had no surprises. I dont want to read the next 2 books as i clicked on the buy thing by accident. Is there away to get my money back?

Enjoyed reading this. There is a strong story, characters and dialog. The book is well written plenty of flowing drama all fully described leaving no holes in the imagery.

I bought this as I have enjoyed the other books by this author. She wrote this while taking a break from her other series. The quality is so high you would never know. I have already become attached to the characters and preordered the next book as soon as I finished reading.

.... to a new series. I enjoyed this book so much that I bought the rest of the series. In fact it made me subscribe to Kindle Unlimited!