Howdy there bibliophiles!

I hope you’ve had a great week of reading and are getting some summer plans in order. I plan on having my nose in a book most of the summer, that and perhaps some margaritas by the pool. Can’t beat that!

Today I’m sharing a book review. This time I read Summoned (Magus Malefica #1)  by J.P. Jackson.

J.P. is a newer addition to my personal scribe tribe, and I became a big fan of his after reading Magic or Die (my book review here) and loving it. J.P. is about to release the second book in this series, so when he asked for some ARC readers you know I had to get in on it!

So, did I enjoy this read? Keep on reading, bookworms!

Blurb

Devid Khandelwal desperately wants to experience the supernatural. After years of studying everything from crystals to tarot to spellcasting, nothing has happened that would tell him the Shadow Realm is real. And that kills Dev. As a last-ditch resort, he purchases a summoning board, an occult tool that will grant him his ultimate desires.

Cameron Habersham is Dev’s best friend. Cam loves Dev like a brother and will do anything for him, as long as he looks good doing it. So when Dev asks him to perform the summoning board’s ritual, he reluctantly agrees, but he knows nothing will come of it. Nothing ever does.

However, within a day, Dev and Cam’s lives are turned upside down as wishes begin to come true. They discover the existence of a supernatural world beyond their imagination, but peace between the species is tenuous at best.

Dev finally gets to see the Shadow Realm, meets the man of his dreams, and is inducted into the local male coven. But for all the desires that were summoned into existence, Dev soon realizes the magical community dances the line between good and evil, and Cam ends up on the wrong side of everything.

The old adage is true: Be careful what you wish for.

GoodReads

Amazon

***Brief disclosure***

I am an Amazon affiliate and earn a tiny commission for purchases made through the Amazon links in this post at no cost to you. It’s a great way to help me keep things running on my blog if you’re already intrigued enough to make a purchase. 

The Review

I’ve been a fan of J.P. Jackson ever since reading his novel Magic or Die.

I enjoyed reading this book, but some elements were a mixed bag for me.

This novel centers on a university student named Devid. He’s spent years studying the occult, desperately hoping for some way to prove that magic is real and that he can wield it. All of his efforts have been in vain, until one fateful day when he purchases a summoning board and convinces his best friend Cam to participate. Devid and Cam embark on a journey of magic and peril as they struggle to make sense of the new world around them.

Going in, I was expecting something like a gay version of Charmed, but that’s not quite what this book is. This novel was more character focused on Devid and his being brought into the world of magic via a local all-male coven. From there, he meets Tully and sparks fly, causing him to delve even deeper into the world of the occult. I liked Devid and Tully’s interactions, and their connection made sense.

I liked the assortment of other characters, especially Amna, and all the dialogue felt very real to me.

There are plenty of sex scenes, so be prepared for that. It didn’t bug me at all personally, but I did feel that there was a bit too much focus on the sex and relationship part of things and not enough focus on the plot. I’m not a huge romance person, so I think someone more used to reading romance would appreciate it a bit more than I did.

The first half of the book tended to drag a little bit for me, though I did enjoy the journey. I just wanted there to be more action, stuff like magic battles between covens or the coven defending themselves against supernatural creatures left and right.

Don’t get me wrong, there is plenty of magic, it just wasn’t as fast-paced as I was hoping for. There were some really fun scenes throughout and enough magic present for me to try out the next book. If you’re looking for a fantasy read with lots of LGBT heat, I think you’ll really enjoy this one. Give it a go!

That’s A Wrap!

Well that’s it for this book review. I hope you enjoyed it!

Have you read this book? Are there other similar books you’ve read that you simply have to gush about? Feel free to leave a comment. I’d love to start a conversation!

Have a great day!

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