Title: Quinn’s Gambit
Series: AURA, #1
Author: Angel Martinez, Bellora Quinn
Genre: Paranormal / Fantasy & Fairytales
Length: Novel (208 pages)
Publisher: Totally Bound Publishing (March 6th, 2015) Early Download February 6th 2015
Heat Level: Moderate
Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ 5 Hearts
Blurb: An unregistered human con wizard and a duty-bound, straight-laced elf cop. As New York explodes with dangerous creatures, their passion goes nuclear.
After a terrible magical accident at Berkeley created unpredictable holes between realities, all manner of non-human creatures started popping into our world. These displacements, called Random Anomalous Reality Events or RARE, have taken magic out of fiction and relocated it firmly in reality, resulting in a great deal of chaos and confusion.
Displaced elf Valerian works with AURA, the Agency of Unnatural Resettlement and Assimilation, to intercept these beings as they appear in the human world, helping the peaceful ones and subduing the violent, malevolent ones. It’s good, satisfying work, and Val would be happy if he wasn’t so lonely.
Quinten is a young mage just trying to get by, but New York isn’t the easiest city to make a living in. If his methods are sometimes morally dubious, his heart is still in the right place. Of course, for Quinn, the right place means firmly locked away, protected at all costs. Living by his wits and sometimes magically induced luck, he works as a ‘freelance magic user’, or unregistered mage and small-time con, according to the authorities.
The last thing Quinn wants is to draw the cops’ attention, but when an Event happens right on top of him, he’s forced to turn to AURA for help. Valerian isn’t at all what he’d expected in an AURA cop, and he certainly wasn’t expecting to join forces with the sexy elf, a snarky drow, and a bitter incubus, when certain individuals in power try to stop the RARE by any means necessary.
Things are not all what they seem at AURA headquarters, and a greater evil lurks at the top than anyone could have imagined.
ISBN: 978-1-78430-442-3
Purchase Link: https://www.totallybound.com/quinns-gambit
Reviewer: Leigh
Review: This is book one in the AURA series.
Quinten is a small time con. It’s not the best living but he does what he must to survive. Quinn has not had the easiest life. Becoming the ward of the state at a young age he finally run away. On the streets he met a man who taught him how to pickpocket and use magic.
When Quinn made a mistake, the man turned on him, raped him, and allowed others to do the same for a price. This has led Quinn to keep people out and close himself off.
Valerian is a misplaced elf who was pulled through one of the events. The human world is strange to him and also lonely. But he has made a life for himself as an AURA officer.
When he first meets Quinn, he is immediately drawn to him. However, Quinn and his issues make it hard for Val to get close to him. Than all hell breaks, loose and it’s a matter of finding the will to stay alive.
The push and pull Quinn had going on with Val was annoying at times, but also when it was explained about his past it also becomes more understandable. I really felt bad for Val. He is not human, so many things humans just for granted he just does not understand. However once they do finally get their act together, they are pretty intense and sensual together.
The world that was created is very lush and well described. There are so many amazing beings and creatures. The MCs as well as the secondary characters are well thought out. The story was fast paced and kept my attention. The interactions between all the characters were interesting at times and pretty funny at others.
There was a lot of information given about the people and the world, but it was never too much to take away from the story and bog it down. Something I very much appreciated.
Overall, this was a very entertaining book. I enjoyed the world created and look forward to reading more about it. Since this is billed as a series, I cannot wait for the next book.
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review through http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com *