Cornered Magic

The Void Series, Book 1

By: Charissa Dufour

Narrated by: Janelle Tedesco

Length: 2 hrs and 41 mins

Publisher's summary

Sam, a half-fae Void, is ostracized by her own people, much less the humans who control her home - the Illinois Mystical Reservation. Packed into the Reservation with vampires, werewolves, faes, and mages alike, Sam does her best to travel below the radar, but when her only friend asks for her help, she can’t say no. Her work to solve a fae’s murder brings her to the forefront of vampire politics, and changes her life forever.

©2015 Charissa Dufour (P)2018 Charissa Dufour

Interesting beginning

This is an interesting beginning to a series. I love almost all vampire books, and this is no exception. You dont just get vamps, you also have other types of mystics, and that is a winner from the get go! Can't wait to see where this goes.

*I requested this book and am voluntarily leaving this review

Very enjoyable

This book isn't typically what I'd choose for myself, but after being given a review copy of one of Charissa Dufour's other books, I thought I'd try her other series.

I'm really glad that I did! The characters are quite well defined and relatable. I normally don't go for books this short, but the length really didn't bother me. In fact, I think it was actually the perfect length for the story she was trying to tell.

Cornered Audio Book

so I love the story but the narrator isn't all that great. still I love it.

Great world building!!

The first book in a series is always a challenge, especially in a fantasy book. Not only must the characters be relatable, the world-building has to make sense. This book scored on both counts!!

In less than three hours, the main character is sympathetic, fearless, and definitely cornered. The story builds to a confrontation that gets resolved but just lends itself into more intrigue. Well-played Dufour!!

The narrator completes the story and sets up things nicely for book two!!

Wild ride

I asked for this book for free but the review is of my own. Sam is half fairy and half human but the true problem of this in her community is being a void were one can take and even kill another magical creature by taking their powers. Sam tries avoiding using her gift until one day there seems to be no choice and than her life is changed forever. This story definitely leaves you with an open ending and a wild ride.

Short but good

A different take on the fae. Great start but short to be considered a book. It does however have a complete story without the cliffhanger ending

Cornered Magic

If you were feared for something that you were born with, how would you react? If you walked down the street and those who saw you backed up or ran away…would that offend you? Attempting to live your life in a small community that despises you for what you are instead of who you are is lonely. Dufour has a beloved character who fights every day of her life to be somebody worth looking at twice. Even though this is a short story, readers will be pulled into a full action-packed dilemma of sorts where being taken advantage of feels better at first than having no one.

Sam is a Void. That means that she is a half-fae and she is the only one of her kind within the community. Voids are somewhat of a nuisance for everyone, according to well…everyone! They are takers and drain the power out of other supernatural forces, leaving the victim either really weak or dead. Sam isn’t like that though. She knows what the people in her community say behind her back. She knows that everyone fears she will lose control and cause mass destruction. But they don’t care that she is trying…they don’t care that she is a person too. They only see what she can do to them and that is terrifying. When a friend goes missing, she gets entangled with the Vampires within the community, but doesn’t realize exactly what their rules entail. Before she knows it, they are blackmailing her into doing things that she doesn’t want to do. What mess did her friend get her into and how can she get out with her dignity and life intact?

Dufour has wonderful story-line, filled with creativity, originality and fascinating characters. The pace is very quick, but easy to follow. There are several decisions that the main character must make in the impossible situations that she is dealt, making the story spellbinding. The story appears to be written fairly well, although it is a bit short. This narrator seems to have a little trouble with some voice differentiation, but others were captivating. If you are a reader of paranormal or urban fantasy, this may be something to pick up the next time you are looking for a book to read. This is the first installment in the Void Series; therefore, the reader can dive right in without missing a thing.

An audiobook was provided to Turning Another Page by Audiobookworm Promotions and in no way affects the honesty of this review. We provide a four-star rating to Cornered Magic by Charissa Dufour.

New twist to the Fae!

Cornered Magic takes the old story of the Fae and puts a twist that is new to me. The Fae have been collected and put on a reservation much like the American Indians were so long ago. They have been oppressed and they can see no way out. Sam is half-Fae and is unique in a way that scares others of the 'magical' world.
I listened to the audio book version of the book and Janelle Tedesco does a really good job of narrating. She has a way of narrating that draws you into the story and captures the essence of each character.
I really enjoyed listening to this story and would definitely want to listen to book 2.

Exciting and Clever

The reservation is a walled area designed to hold individuals with mystical abilities. Sam is a Fae in the res, with very different abilities from her people and is shunned for it. However, her strange ability to absorb anyone's mystical power is coveted by the vampire leadership. Sam desires to protect her friend, one of only two people who do not shun and fear her taking their power, from the vampire's threats.

The palpable tension in this impressive book is quite entertaining. It was not easy to pause for any reason. The deep concern I had for Sam anchors the story, a concern for a girl who tries hard not to stir up any more fear within her people. She does not want to be seen even talking to a vampire, let alone help them with some unknown scheme. I also enjoyed the world Dufour created and the interesting supporting characters. Sam's best friend, Amber is an empath who is so innocent and caring. There is a very powerful warlock who has successfully hidden his mystical powers and is not forced to live in the res but only enters it to support his employer for a building project. I marvel at his kindness towards Sam, he knows she is a Void, able to take his powers, but he takes interest in her and helps her; she is baffled by this. This book, though short, is an excellent read with great narration.

I was given this audiobook at my request for an unbiased review.

a great start

I was given this free review copy audio book at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

This was an urban fantasy story that had a great premise and really interesting characters. I thought the world building and character development were great. The narration is also done very well. This is definitely the START of a series. At 2 hours and 41 minutes, it gave just enough of a taste to hook me. Now I have to wait for the next book to come out. It also had a bit of a cliffhanger, which kind of sucks when the next book isn't available yet. Anyway, I would still recommend this to any urban fantasy fan.