Dream Magic ~ Michelle Mankin ~ COMING SOON and REVIEW

The dreamscape is a place of magic and mystery and meaning. In that nocturnal realm, ideas, images, sensations and emotions drift on the currents of the unconscious mind. Morpheus the Dream Falcon is most at home in that domain. By night, the one of a kind winged immortal soars on those winds, observing and sometimes even entering the slumbering thoughts of another. By day, he is a highly sought after mercenary feared by his immortal kin for both his unmatched ferocity and his wicked obsidian talons. None of his prey escapes him. 

Cecilia Ramirez y Aguilera is the one he truly wants. But the striking oracle of the Court of the Light Immortals is closed to the handsome outlaw, even in her dreams. Broken by unimaginable losses, the seer is but a slave, subject to the whims of a master who is mad and without mercy. Drawn together by fate, their impossible passion ignites. But will that be enough given the dangerous secrets each keeps from the other? Or will mistrust and the desire for revenge threaten to unravel the powerful magic that binds them?

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Elizabeth's Review

3.5 Stars - Worth a Reader's Time

Review Copy Provided by Author

I am struggling with this review a little bit. First off - let me tell you that if you have not read Strange Magic, STOP - go back and make sure you read it first.
I enjoyed reading Dream Magic, but I think some of that is because of enjoying the series as a whole. This installment is heavier on the mythology and involves world building in even greater detail and that makes it a little bit harder to get invested into the story. We also spend most of the first half of the book with our heroine and learning the background of her story before we even see our hero. Once Morpheus does appear, the pace of the story picks up.
One of the things I struggled with a little bit is that I went into this book expecting it to be Morpheus' story with Billy and Thyme from Book 1 being tangential characters and that's not really what happened. The romance in this book is that of Morpheus' and Cecilia, but their romance is almost a secondary story line for the majority of the book.
I would have called Strange Magic a romance in a paranormal setting. This installment strikes me more as a paranormal read with a romance in it. If you enjoyed Strange Magic and want to see what happens next, Dream Magic is a good read with interesting characters and lots of suspense, but be prepared to want to know what happens next as you are left with more questions than answers at the end of the journey.

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Strange Magic ~ Michelle Mankin ~ Review

Billy Blade is a hardworking, hard living, razor sharp musical force. Mysterious behind his dark shades, the rough around the edges Texan mesmerizes with his haunting harmonica and tantalizes with his dangerous looks and smooth country charm. His latest album is topping the charts. He’s the newly crowned King of the Bacchus Krewe. He’s definitely living the rock star dream.

Exotic Creole beauty Thyme Bellerose couldn’t be more content. She has it all. An adoring grandmother. A handsome Tulane medical student beau. A satisfying job in the heart of New Orleans’ French Quarter. Her life is as rich as the ice cream she creates. She’s got everything under control.

But control is an illusion. Dreams can turn into nightmares. And now during Mardi Gras, otherworldly powers stand ready to shape their destinies in ways they could never imagine. Shadow and light. Magic and mystery. Reality and myth. All come together in a place where rules bend and lines blur. Even those between life and death.
~ Part One and Part Two. The full and complete novel.

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Elizabeth's Review

My rating: 4 of 5 stars - Worth a Reader's Time

Review Copy gifted by Author

I met the author of Strange Magic at a signing and was intrigued by the way she described the book. "A singer who can summon the dead with his harmonica." Paranormal romance is not my "go to" genre, but I do enjoy it and was definitely willing to try a new to me author.

SO GLAD I DID!

Ms. Mankin does a fantastic job of world building, weaving together several mythologies around the vibrant culture of New Orleans. Her characters are colorful and entertaining and it's incredibly fun to go on the journey of discovery with them.

Strange Magic focuses on Billy and Thyme. Both of who have emotional wounds to battle and histories they know nothing about. Their meeting and early relationship are definitely different, but it works and is a pleasure to watch. You can't help but root for them as the story moves forward.

One challenge for stories like this can be building the "world" while also keeping the story moving. This story is definitely one of the better examples of how it can be done well. The reader learns the details and mythology at the same time as Thyme then Billy do. That keeps you on your toes as you read and I have to admit that I really feared a cliffhanger when I was about 80% into the book! But, everything gets wrapped up well without feeling rushed.

This was my first book by this author, but it definitely won't be my last. Ms. Mankin has joined Dianne Duvall as paranormal authors I really look forward to reading.

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