Boundary Broken

Boundary Magic, Book 4

By: Melissa F. Olson

Narrated by: Kate Rudd

Length: 10 hrs and 37 mins

Publisher's summary

Years ago, boundary witch Allison “Lex” Luther made a promise to an alpha werewolf. Now, just when the supernatural community in Colorado is enjoying a period of hard-won peace, the alpha turns up at Lex’s door to call in his marker. Two of his pack members have disappeared in the Colorado sand dunes, and he needs safe passage to hunt for them.

With her friend Simon Pellar along for backup, Lex ventures into the dunes to search for the missing couple…but what they find is only the opening move in an ambitious assault against those who hold power in the Colorado Old World. An old enemy has returned to tear their peace apart, and Lex is soon embroiled in politics she doesn’t understand, from a time before she had magic.

To save her friends and her way of life, Lex will have to cross every line she’s drawn since learning what she is—and it may still be too late.

©2019 Melissa F. Olson (P)2019 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Heroine too frustrating for 4th book

There will be spoilers!!!

I'm trying to be fair here. The writing and overall story-line is great. The narration is good. The last book was frustrating for me because at what point does Lex realize she is in a supernatural world and supposedly has supernatural abilities? Typically, at the point of peak frustration the author will throw something out there that acknowledges the frustration that she is giving the reader - and you think, is this part of the design?

Lex is either supremely incompetent or just too set in her ways. I understand she was a soldier and may approach problems differently, but since when do soldiers NOT use the tools they have at hand. How long must she train before she thinks to reach for a supernatural tool-set to address a supernatural problem? Why is her first instincts to freeze up and do nothing when she encounters ghosts, especially when she's supposedly been laying them for 6 months? Why is her first instinct to always leave her hero and call the guy that always gets injured? For this to be a book that's moved 3 years into the future the lack of development in the heroine has become ridiculous and too frustrating for me to know if I even want to continue with the series.

I know the author is trying to limit the solutions that Lex can apply with her type of magic, but seriously - it is not a big leap from a military mindset that if Lex can see life essences its a similar concept as using a heat scope. This is just ONE thing I can think of off the top of my head that would show even a little growth in Lex as she adapts to the Old World. There is a fine line between building tension in a story and making the main character reek of incompetence. If that is supposed to be part of the charm of this series, I'm not buying it.

I was waiting to see how this story went to see if I wanted to branch out into other series this author writes since this is my first, but IDK if the hero/heroine relationships follow this pattern, I think I am going to save myself some frustration.

Ok listen

This was my least favorite of the series but I plan to read the next one.

SPOILER BELOW






What really bothered me was by the 4th book (and per timeline a few years) I expected Lex to have more of a handle on her talent and to act more like the soldier she had been. This book had Lex stumbling thru the story unsure of herself and it put me off.

Read Midnight Curse before reading this book

I really enjoyed these books and loved the characters. However, they talk about stuff that leaves you a little confused. after I read this series I read Midnight Curse and it filled in the holes for me. I strongly recommend reading it before this one.

sucked me in again

as usual, I loved this book and the characters! can't wait to see how the seeds that we're planted unfold

Lex!!

I have to say this is M. Olsen's best "universe", which I say bc both Scarlett and Lex's series are both fantastic!!!
This book was excellent and a fast read, it just sucks you right in (no pun intented!).
I am bummed about having to wait for the next book. There are so many great open story lines, the triumvirate of power, Katya and Lily, new witch clan, etc.
This is definitely worth the buy!!
As always Kate Rudd was excellent!

Really enjoyable

This was entertaining and set future things in motion without ending on a cliff hanger. Lex and her associates are all growing and changing and new characters are woven in.

Also there are walkie talkie code names which are great.

Really hoping we get more books in this series.

Always enjoyable

I’m so glad I found this author. Her characters are funny and unique, and the storylines are great.

amazing!

Omg Olson just keeps amazing me every time. Can't recommend enough!! read it right now! The performance was also excellent.

Fantastic

Really glad Melissa wrote another book in this series. Also enjoy the narrator. Would like another with Both series.

more of the same...

so what are you waiting for ;)
this is quite possibly the best book in the series...
it's a lot less self-contained and draws on the previous books as well as set up the following ones very nicely...
and I look forward to more like it ..

Kate Rudd does a great job voicing the characters and giving them heart...
always look forward to hearing from her

Boundary Broken

This is a great forth book in the series, excellent story with danger and plotting going on in the back ground. Read with great feeling by Kate Rudd.

Witches Werewolves and Vampires whats not to like

Good follow on book for our Boundary Witch Lex and her pals - I wont give the plot away but obviously Lex has to act to avert disastrous consequences of enemy action.

I found it quite enjoyable for the most part - though there is the odd sad part to it.

Narration was good

Its a complete story on its own but would be appreciated more if the books have been read in sequence. There is certainly scope for the story to continue into a next book

Excellent Urban Fantasy

I really enjoy these novels. They are really enjoyable as an audio book and the narrator, Kate Rudd, is an excellent choice for stories with Allison ‘Lex’ Luther. Lex has a mature voice. She is a woman with combat and command experience and having a voice with depth and conviction is necessary for the novel to be read with the right degree of authority. Kate Rudd has that kind of voice and acting ability.

This is the fourth book in this particular series but there are other story strands to the ‘Old World’. You really do need to read at least the other books in this particular series for this book to make much sense.

Lex has been working for Maven, the Cardinal Vampire for Colorado, for a while now and is happily settled with Quinn, her vampire boyfriend, who also happens to be Maven’s right hand man. Maven has been pretty busy of late and not really using Lex for anything particularly useful that utilises her skill set. She is also a little worried that if Quinn was forced to lie to Lex because Maven told him to, he would be force to, due to the magic of his oath. She knows he loves her but it is a nagging worry.

When Lex gets a call from a werewolf alpha from the next state asking for help, as she owed him a favour, Lex doesn’t hesitate to help, because: 1. She owes him a favour, 2. It’s the right thing to do and 3. She’s bored. Two wolves have gone missing and the alpha suspects foul play. It turns out he’s right.

This is the start of some very complex and political plot writing, interwoven with great use of magic based on a huge resource of a ready built universe that has been created over quite a few books. It also helps that Lex is a great character as are her friends and family. In particular I love the relationship she has with Charlie and hearing about their cute video calls reminds me so much of chatting to my own niece when she was four the same way.

I like that Lex has a difficult past but has forged a present that works for her, surrounded by her loved ones. She’s incredibly moral but at the same time she is pretty practical when she needs to be.

This author writes well rounded characters, based in a complex and real feeling universe with clever, interesting and entertaining plot lines. I always enjoy her books, and this one is a particularly good one.

Great listen

great love the characters great set of books could be a little smoother sometimes sounds a little robotic but I really enjoyed not having to read, I suffer from headaches a lot so audio is a real help, I will buy more from this author

Great

Excellent addition to the series. lots of action, strong story, not afraid to kill off characters.

Brilliant

Loved this book Boundary magic series keeps getting better can’t wait for the next book.

Ok - but not as good as the rest of the series

Lex just seemed to bumble about completely clueless and useless throughout the whole book. It was still an ok listen but it was really lacking the extra spark I’ve grown to expect from Melissa F. Olson. I’ll still get more books from the author though.