Rating: 4/5
Disclaimer: I received a free ecopy via Goodreads Giveaways in exchange for an honest review.
Mayhem & Magic is part of the Reliquary series by Sarah Fine. It seems to be a trend with Jet City books that they are connected to a series of novels. I found this one to be developed a bit better than some of the others. As a result, I enjoyed it a bit more too.
This is set in an alternate version of our world where magic exists. Not a new concept by any means, but it does distinguish itself in a couple ways. There are four types of magic and each one allows the user to affect the world in a different way. It is also possible to imbue some of that magic into items or people. There are also some interesting roles based around magic. Some people can use one of the four types of magic, while others are able to see the connections that people and objects have to magic.
Asa Ward is one of the latter type of people, and he uses his ability to track down items imbued with magic, which he then sells. He tries to live below the radar to protect himself and those around him. After crossing a gangster, he is pulled into a battle between different crime factions.
The exciting thing about this book is how Ward interacts with the world around him. His position lets the reader get a glimpse of all four types of magic in action. We see his capabilities, something he cares about, and something he fears. Taken as a whole, these elements give life to the character.
I didn't care much for the art though. Like some of the other Jet City books, there is too much shading used. The characters don't stand out very much. However, this is contrasted nicely by the colors used for the magic. Each type has a different color and it becomes easy to identify which one is being employed by color alone.
I like the setting that Fine created. Ward is a great character to introduce the reader to that world.
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