McKenzie Hunter

Magick of the Damned Series #1

A Touch of Brimstone

Actual rating: 3.5

I love when a book includes a reader! Luna's story starts off with a sad touch... recently having lost her important people in her life, Luna finds comfort in the bookshop where she works as a seller. During her daily routines she is immersed in the "what if's" of magic, which she isnt too convinced about. 

From one moment to the next Luna finds herself in a world with a mixture of all sorts of supernatural creatures (vampires -yum *wiggle eyebrow*, witches, and even demonic beings). She slowly starts to realize that the life that she is a part of has secret dimensions which leads her to a sexy demon hottie and a mission like no other. The world building is heavy, the author is very detailed on giving us an idea of what we've walked into. I enjoyed learning about the side characters for sure, they complimented the story!

Loved seeing the engagement between Luna and the characters, her character development takes sometime to show, definitely hoping to see more of her evolution in book 2. The dynamic and the layout of the characters definitely brought the story to life, with the exception of her love interest. Dominic was a little bit standoffish with her in the beginning and somewhat disconnected, but the banter was there from time to time and I am here for the evolution of their romance! Of course we have to remember this is a slow-burn and we see the unraveling in a much slower manner. 

Hoping to see more banter and connection in the second book! I truly loved Luna's character though, a typical bookworm that wanted to learn more and more as the story evolved. 

Thanks so much to the author for gifting me a copy! Looking forward to learning more of the Magic of the Damned series!

Shelby Goodwin

Firstly, a massive thanks to the author for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! All thoughts and opinions expressed below are entirely my own. 

Right from the start, one aspect became increasingly apparent: the vibes are IMMACULATE. I freaking loved the atmospheric library/magical bookish aesthetic of A Touch of Brimstone! The first few chapters deeply spoke to the English literature teacher in me, especially the moment where my favorite American novel (Beloved) got a special little shoutout! It was one of those unexpected “made for me” moments you find every now and again in books, and I appreciated the hell out of it!

The story begins with Luna discovering her boyfriend in bed with her best friend—needless to say, I was immediately invested in this heroine’s journey! After a series of peculiar paranormal events, she finds herself working with Dominic—a sexy, broody Prince of the Underworld. The author has crafted such intricate world building and supernatural lore to ground this story and it made for such a fun read overall!

One of the most notable things about this book is Luna’s strength of character, her ability to maintain her identity and entire notion of selfhood despite the nonstop mystery and action. This quote in particular stuck out to me:

"𝙄 𝙙𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙘, 𝙫𝙞𝙤𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚, 𝙘𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙢𝙚𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨, 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙥𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙨. 𝙄 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙢𝙮 𝙝𝙪𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙚𝙭𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚."

This is definitely a characteristic not often found in a paranormal fantasy protagonist and I found it super refreshing. I’m super interested to see how Luna and Dominic’s relationship develops from here after that ending, so. I’m definitely going to continue with this series!

Tatiana Alvarez 

Thank you so much to the author for sending me an advanced copy! Actual rating 3.5ish!

I am a big PNR fan; I read these books like there is no tomorrow. Prince of the Underworld? Forced proximity? Yes, please! That is definitely a recipe for a good book. It definitely kept me entertained.

Luna, love that name by the way, is our main protagonist. The book starts off with a flashback of her boyfriend cheating on her with her best friend, Ava. Clearly Luna's attraction to men is questionable, but isn't that a universal problem? Lol. She is a pretty average girl, working at a bookstore and occasionally dabbling in readings of magic. But, of course, it is not something she truly believes in.

Until she is literally thrown into a world of vampires, demons, and witches, and has to literally face everything she once knew as fiction, as the truth. Plus the hot demon prince seems very protective over her. Not because he likes her, no, because he needs her in order to figure out who the dark caster is. The person who let all the underworld prisoners escape.

I loved reading about the dynamic between the two main characters. Neither of them really wanted to be together or admit their attraction to one another, but both knew how badly they need each other.

Hunter is a fantastic writer and relies heavily on world building. If you are a big world building person, than this is exactly the kind of book you'd love. I wanted a little more character development, but only because I am character focused! Other than that, it is a fun and enjoyable read. Definitely ends on a bang!

Chiara Vitale Zelaia

Actual rating: 3.5/5 stars

A TOUCH OF BRIMSTONE has all the elements of a compelling story: a relatable protagonist (who gets extra points for being a book lover), a smoldering dark prince (with tattoos!) and an enticing mystery that needs solving. Let me tell you a little bit more.

The story follows Luna, a bookstore clerk with a passion for fantasy trying to get over her recent breakup with her unfaithful bastard of an ex-boyfriend. Luna has always been fascinated by magic, though she’s never believed it to be real until a book bites her and sets off a spell. Suddenly, Luna is thrust into a supernatural world of vampires, witches and werewolves, all of them trying to understand why a human was used as a catalyst for a spell that opened the gates to the Underworld’s prison. Lording over all of them is Dominic, the Guardian of the prison who is more determined than all of them to see the spell reversed. He and Luna strike a deal: he will protect her from those hunting her down and she will help him find a way to return the prisoners. Will they succeed? Well, you’ll have to read the book to find out!

The world-building of A Touch of Brimstone was possibly my favorite element. It’s such a vast world with a plethora of supernatural creatures to choose from, all of them united by a thick web of alliances, rivalries and tricky history. We got small doses of what it means to be a vampire, a werewolf or a witch in this world, but it was enough to paint a picture of the strengths and weaknesses of each of these species and catapult you into the world, at the same time always leaving you hungry to find out more.

I also really enjoyed the characters! As mentioned before, Luna found a quick place in my heart because of her love of books—and fantasy book, in particular. I also saw myself a lot in her fake-it-til-you-make-it attitude, which I often find myself adopting during my own everyday struggles until I find a way to rationalize and process. Her human experience was never put on the sidelines in favor of the supernatural thrill. We get to see a lot of Luna’s daily life, which revealed various aspects of her character and her relationships. I did, however, have a harder time warming up to Dominic. I sometimes found him too be a bit too aloof, and it limited my enjoyment of the ship, though there were moments of great banter between him and Luna. However, this is only the first book and I’m curious to see the developments of this relationship. 

I won’t lie…my eye got a bit distracted by another character, Anand, one of the residents of the Underworld tasked to be Luna’s shadow on various occasions. If you know my love for Sarah J. Maas, you also know my love of a certain Shadowsinger. Well, Anand falls into that sort of character: quiet, but always observant and present, with moments where he steals the attention. What will his role be in the future? I’m not sure, but I’m very curious to find out!

Though the pacing was a bit slower than I normally like, I loved the mystery element of the plot and hope that it will stay a constant in the series! Overall, it was a great read that I recommend to fans of paranormal novels with a dash of mystery and a slow-burn romance sub-plot.

Thank you to the author for gifting me a copy to review! All opinions are my own.

Maria Elena Vitale Zelaia

Ever imagined traveling into a different dimension when you got a papercut? Just me?

Let’s proceed. 

A Touch of Brimstone follows Luna, a bookseller who recently lost her boyfriend and her best friend. Shall I paint a picture of why that is? Yeah, horrible people. While she tries to navigate life by playing it cool, Luna finds herself thrust into a world of magic after getting bitten by a book. Suddenly Luna is the catalyst of a spell that opened the gates of the Underworld’s prison. Dominic, the Guardian of the prison, is very interested to know how a mere human could have achieved such a feat. Luna, who has only known of magic through books and never thought it to be real, would like to know the same thing. They strike a deal: he will protect her from those hunting her, and she will help return the escapees to the prison. As that happens, sparks begin to fly. 

I adored Luna’s characters. She’s very relatable and human, therefore it was easy to see myself in her shoes. (I wish. I mean…Dominic!) Speaking of Dominic, though he often can come across as cool and distant, I couldn’t help but have a small crush on him. He’s very protective of Luna, and though they both liked to pretend it was because they were a means to each other’s ends, the connection between them was undeniable. I loved their slow-burn attraction. 

I also loved the worldbuilding. This book had it all. Witches, demons, vampires, werewolves. Navigating their world was fascinating, and it certainly enriched the mystery underlying the plot. As I’ve mentioned often, I love mystery, and I’m finding out that I especially love it in these paranormal settings, of which A Touch of Brimstone was an excellent addition. 

I recommend this book to all lovers of slow-burn paranormal romance and mystery!

Thank you to the author for sending me a copy. Opinions are my own.

A Touch of Brimstone Magick of the Damned Series #1

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