Wicked Enchantment (Dark Magick, Book 1)

This book was a little slow going for me at first, mainly just describing the world, conficts, what the seelie and unseeli are like and a history lesson of the Sidhe. Once the story started rolling I enjoyed the book. I really enjoyed Gabriel and Aislinn's story. Aislinn is the Seelie Queens favorite subject, Gabriel is a powerful Unseelie petitioning for residency in the Seelie court. Aislinn is asigned as his guide for the week. Gabriel being half incubus is stunned by the fact Aislinn can resist his charm, which makes him fascinated by her, even more so when he learns of her dark magic she hides from the seelie court. Gabriels plot thickens as he has a plan behind the plan. Aislinn and Gabriel fall in love, which frightens them both, but inevitably they must embrace it if they are to survive and save both the Seelie and Unseelie courts. There is magical creatures, magical Sidhe, Love, betrayal, twists and turns in this book, I look forward to the second.

The first book in Anya Bast's Dark Magic series is a detailed, fascinating, sensual delight. Well-plotted and perfectly cast with characters that are strong and fully formed, Wicked Enchantment is ripe with tense and dangerous antagonists in a world already fraught with the beautiful deceptions inherent in the lives of the Seelie and Unseelie courts of the Tuatha Dé Danann. A throughly enjoyable read that was impossible to put down. Wicked Enchantment starts with the arrival of Unseelie half-incubus Gabriel to the Rose Tower of the Summer Court under the guise of petitioning the Summer Queen for admittance to her court. The queen commands her subject Aislinn, a high ranking Seelie, to be his helpmeet, showing him around for the week while the queen debates the merits of Gabriel's petition. But Aislinn is wary of the Unseelie who commands the attention of every female who sees him, especially when Gabriel's attention seems fixed solely on her. She protecting a few potentially devastating secrets about herself and doesn't trust that Gabriel isn't hiding a fair share of his own. And after the recent and devastating blow of a public breakup with her former partner, she sure doesn't trust her body or her heart to the seductive Unseelie. But once forced into his presence she comes to realize that there are just as many layers to Gabriel as their are potential secrets, and trust - and attraction - slowly starts to build between them. That attraction could ultimately lead to the end of the world as they know it. There is depth and richness in the fae mythos of the first book of the Dark Magic series and it certainly doesn't read like a first book. Instead of being overburdened by extensive exposition and world building at the sacrifice of story, or being heavy on story but leaving the world encapsulating it largely undefined, Wicked Enchantment strikes the perfect balance and hits all the right chords. The world building is delicately interlaced with a seductive romance, realistic main characters, intriguing secondary and ancillary characters that I'd love to read more about, and insidious threats from without and within. Very well thought out and tightly paced, it spans a satisfying arc of development for the main characters and culminates in two very different sort of conflicts - one that threatens the lives of Aislinn and Gabriel...and one that threatens their hearts and souls. Wicked Enchantment was ultimately satisfying in every way. Truly a fun, fantastic read. I can say with all seriousness that I can not WAIT for Cruel Enchantment, book two of the Dark Magic series, which is due out in September of 2010. I will definitely be continuing and recommending this series.

Wicked Enchantment finds Unseelie (dark Fae) incubus Gabriel petitioning for entry into the Seelie (light Fae) world. Aislinn is prominent member of the light fae court esteemed for the purity of her family's Seelie blood line. Having sworn off men after a suffering a humiliating breakup, Aislinn is less than thrilled when she is the one designated to show Gabriel around. Gabriel's magic has kept his bed easily filled so he is intrigued that Aislinn seems to be resistant to his charms. Aislinn's apparent aversion to him will make the true purpose behind Gabe's visit more difficult - Gabe will have to actually invest more of himself than is required for seduction in order to achieve his goal of luring Aislinn to the dark court - for Aislinn has somehow drawn the interest of the Unseelie king. Wicked Enchantment returns to the world of light and dark Fae which Bast introduced in her short, "Sweet Enchantment" in the anthology Hot for the Holidays. If you've missed Ronin and Bella's story you might want to check it out before reading Wicked Enchantment since they get a bit of screen time here, but you can actually get by without having read the short (I just think it's more fun when you know the characters). I really liked Wicked Enchantment. I absolutely loved Bast's introductory descriptions of incubus Gabriel. Gabe is so dark and sexy with an aura of danger that hits those around him at a visceral level - what a great leading man. I also really enjoy the rest of Bast's story telling here. Bast does a great job of fleshing out both the leads and of developing the relationship between Gabe and Aislinn. Bast makes the pair really work for their happily ever after, as Gabriel has to overcome his detachment in order to fall for Aislinn, and even harder he has to overcome Aislinn's preconceptions that his being an incubus means he lacks the capacity to love and is therefore not a long term option. And Aislinn has to risk her already bruised heart in order to actually heal said heart. Adding to the romance, Bast has brought to life some interesting elements of her magic Fae world, including some fleshing out some familiar myths and woven threads that will carry throughout the rest of the series. The saga continues with Cruel Enchantment due out September of 2010.

The Seelie Summer Queen Caoilainn Muirgheal orders Aislinn Finvarra to serve as guide to Unseelie visitor, half-incubus Gabriel Mac Braire. The High Royal makes it clear to the unhappy Aislinn that Gabriel is to get the royal treatment as the Seelie queen mulls over granting him the asylum he has requested after he defected from the dark court. Aislinn distrusts Gabriel whom she believes has a secret agenda and who oozes sexual appeal every moment. She is also worried that he or others at court will realize she has Unseelie blood as her dark magick skills grow. However, worried about her Fae people caught between the Unseelie, the Phaendir Druids and the humans, Aislinn risks her life to find the three ancient bosca fadh artifacts that together make up the legendary Book of Bindings; the key to the Fae's freedom. Wicked Enchantment is a superb romantic fantasy starring a brave heroine whose bloodline is not totally Seelie pure and an Unseelie whose bloodline is too pure with the Dark Magick. Their relationship is filled with distrust and attraction that surprises him but not her as he is a half incubus. With a terrific late twist, sub-genre fans will relish this wickedly enchanting thriller Harriet Klausner

I absolutely loved this book. Although do yourself a favor, don't start it right before you go to sleep because you won't be able to put it down. I didn't get much rest last night, but I guess that's okay if you spend your time with a great book, right? Aislinn Finvarra has lived all her life in the Seelie Court of Piefferburg. Piefferburg is this big area of the United States that's been cordoned off to imprison all the fae. They're kept there by a group of druids called the Phaendir through the use of powerful wardings. Anyway, she's a member of the Rose Tower, the Seelie, but she's keeping a secret about the magic she can do, magic that might get her thrown out because it's too dark. Enter the hero, Gabriel Mac Braire. He's from the Unseelie Court, the Black Tower. He's incredibly hot and is a half incubus, able to charm women with his magic to the point of addiction to him. He's there ostensibly to join the Seelie Court and Aislinn is appointed by the Summer Queen to be his guide while she's deciding whether or not to accept him. Aislinn detests this job and detests Gabriel. Right now a charming man is not what she wants. Even so, sparks fly between these two from page one. Gabriel is not at the Rose Tower for anything like what he's told everyone. His purpose is much darker. Once he achieves his task, chaos is completely unleashed and it's non-stop action until the end. There are lots of surprises in this book, so I can't really say anything more without giving stuff away. Anyway, loved it. I even bought copies for my friends. Not only does it have an incredibly hot romance, it has a wonderfully unpredictable plot, and it's set in an intriguing world. I'm really looking forward to this new series!