Stolen Magic (Guardians)

En los oscuros bosques de la Inglaterra del siglo XVIII se libra un combate oculto alos ojos de los hombres.Simon,miembro de la estirpe de magos conocida como los Guardianes,se enfrenta al renegado Drayton.Pero el poder de este ultimo es demasiado grande y solo la intervencion de una extrana muchacha,Meg,salva a Simon de una muerte cierta.Meg no tiene conciencia de su pasado ni de su autentica naturaleza,ya que sus poderes,su personalidad e incluso su belleza han sido reprimidos durante anos mediante un hechizo para servir los oscuros intereses de Drayton.Cuando esta junto a ella,Simon descubre por primera vez la magia mas antigua y poderosa que existe: la pasion.Pero para poder disfrutar de su inesperado amor,antes han de detener las maquinaciones del mago oscuro, en una apasionante aventura donde se conjugan el misterio,la magia y el romance....

Simon Malmain is a Guardian who protects against rogue mages and errant magic. The Guardians have special magical powers that are from nature. He is sent by the Council to deal with a rogue Guardian, Lord Drayton. But something goes terribly wrong. Caught by surprise, Simon is trapped by a transformation spell. Only Drayton can release him. With no hopes of returning to his human form, all seems lost until he meets an interesting and mysterious woman. Meg is a simple young woman in Drayton's care. After unwittingly causing Simon to be captured, she helps him escape before Drayton can kill him. With Meg's help, Simon is able to return to his human form. He realizes that Meg is a victim of Drayton's magical manipulations as well. As he begins to heal her, Simon sees she is a beautiful woman full of powerful and wild magic. No wonder Drayton was so strong. He was tapping into Meg's energy. Because he is still vulnerable to the transformation spell, Simon needs to have Meg close to his side. What better way than to pretend that they are married? Together, they must find a way to break the spell and find out Drayton's plans before it is too late. Stolen Magic is a multi-layered paranormal romance. For the first time in years, Meg is truly herself. Without Drayton's influence, she is a vibrant young woman who is eager to experience life. She is attracted to Simon, but in many ways she is still a child. He is the first man who doesn't covet her for her abilities. As they get to know each other better, Meg begins to see the differences between a girlhood crush and love. When she gains confidence in herself and her magic, she truly will be Simon's equal. Simon leads a solitary life as an enforcer for the Guardians. His ethics and commitment have made him few friends. When he meets Meg, she opens up his emotions. He experiences jealousy, rage, pride and love. His first instinct is to protect Meg even at his own expense. She becomes his weakest link. Meg makes him believe that there is life outside of just being an enforcer, a future with the woman he loves. That is something he never thought could happen to him. The secondary characters open up a larger canvas to the magical world. I even think that the magic is a character. It's influence is far reaching and stirs up things that are unexpected. Each time I think I understand the story, Ms. Putney introduces another character or magic that adds yet more layers to the story. It kept me glued to the pages. Stolen Magic is an absorbing story of love, power and magic that I very much recommend. Lee Reveiwed for Joyfully Reviewed

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I thought Simon and Meg were great characters. One of my favorite parts is at the beginning of the book just after Simon escapes as a unicorn and found that even though he would prefer a bucket of oats, the grass beneath him was good, too. The book was a great combination of magic and romance. That and a touch of humor made this story quite sweet.

I was extremely pleased by this book. I was thrilled to know that it was out on the shelves, so I went to Barnes & Noble. Incidentally, I almost never buy hardcover books; I prefer to wait until the book is published in paperback. Because of this, I was in Barnes & Noble nearly every day until I was finished with it. You can't put the book down. It just doesn't work that way. In "A Kiss of Fate," we become acquainted with Lord Simon Falconer, the chief enforcer of the Guardian Council. In this story, we share Simon's despair as he is temporarily overthrown by a particularly stubborn and maddeningly clever rouge mage (Drayton). We also meet the lovely maiden with whom Simon becomes acquainted, and whom he also frees from a spell of enthrallment. Because of this action, they are bound together to defeat Drayton. As their relationship develops, Drayton's power increases. Because of this, we become more acquainted with the other Guardian Council members. Very interesting character developments. This story is one that keeps you on the edge of your seat; I had to keep coming back to read it. The characters were well-developed, the general plotline was very clever and made you smile several times throughout, and it forever kept one guessing where the plot would twist and leave you clutching the arm rest. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and found it pleasantly reminiscient of her other romance books. However, instead of contrasting, the science fiction/fantasy element compliments her style very well. I'd reccommend this book to anyone who enjoys science fiction/fantasy, and to anyone who is looking for a good read. Keep in mind that it isn't necessarily a floaty, light read; in fact, it has a large dose of dark undertones, and a heart-felt wish that the antagonist suffers a long, painful death.

This is a wonderfully and imaginatively written novel. Putney does not disappoint in her sequel to A Kiss of Fate (also highly recommended). In this book, we have Guardians of magic, and we have Simon, enforcer of the Guardian Council, who becomes snared in a net of black magic which transforms him into a unicorn. And thus the tale begins. Simon's struggles to regain and maintain his human form, save the innocent, and defeat evil are aided by Meg, a magical woman who has been hidden in plain sight. They also manage to make England safe for the industrial revolution. Trust me: All of this weaves together wonderfully for a most satisfying read, with strong characterizations and plot. Those who are looking for more a plain vanilla romantic tale may not enjoy Putney's foray into the realm of fantasy and magic; personally, I can't wait for the next installment.