Storm & Shield

Mages of the Wheel, Book 2

By: J.D. Evans

Narrated by: Tim Campbell, Caren Naess

Length: 13 hrs and 53 mins

Publisher's summary

“All you see is that I run. Why haven’t you realized I always come back?”

She is lightning and storm. A spy, driven out of her home by a tyrant ruler. He is granite and earth. A guard, ordered to keep her contained.

To protect herself and her family, she’s learned to go unnoticed, unseen. Suddenly, a refugee in a land that once was enemy and now must be home, she isn’t certain where she belongs, or what her duty is beyond her family. She can’t protect them alone this time, but the only man who can help her is the only one she cannot ask.

He’s sworn his loyalty to the Sultana since she lifted him out of the gutter that made him. The arrival of a foreign spy loyal to the new prince makes him question himself and his orders, and his mistakes threaten the life of the ruler he swore to serve.

War will force choices of them both. She—to remain a spy, or stand and lend her powerful, untamed magic to the Sultana of Tamar. He—to remain a loyal, unquestioning guard, or learn to trust his instincts, and his heart.

They are magic in opposition, earth and sky, steady and mutable. One immovable as stone, the other fast as the wind. Balance, sometimes, is chaos.

He needed the storm and wildness of her, he needed the way she broke him apart.

©2020 J.D. Evans (P)2022 Podium Audio

opposites atrack

This was such a fun read and listen in tandem. The characters played off of each other in such an entertaining way.

Bashir, your slow, solid, steadfast, strong, stubborn Earth mage.

Aysel is a quick, quirky, chaotic, sneaky, spying Air mage.

Complete opposites that could balance the wheel and themselves if they stop fighting their feeling.

Trust plays a big part in this story Naime needs to trust Makram to do what needs to be done. Bashir must learn to trust himself and his instincts especially where Aysel is concerned. They are all on the same side.

This is shaping up to be one of my favorite series.

New Characters, Who Dis?

Well, to start, it really threw me for a loop that it was through new perspectives than book 1. This is not a bad thing, I just went into it blind. That being said, I still thoroughly enjoyed this story. I loved the exploration of the magic system, the tension between the MFC and MMC, and the return to court intrigue. This book shines in the smaller moments, the budding love and the character growth. I will say, parts are very “corny” but in the best possible ways. I found myself laughing openly at the humor and getting hit in the feels at some of the more… electric parts. All up, a fantastic book two to what it swiftly becoming one of my favorite series of 2024!

Another Amazing Work by J.D. Evans

I positively loved this second installment in the series. Evans paints a lush world with intriguing characters that pull on your heartstrings. I cannot wait to start the third book!