The Magpie Lord

By: KJ Charles

Narrated by: Cornell Collins

Length: 6 hrs and 25 mins

Publisher's summary

A lord in danger. A magician in turmoil. A snowball in hell.

Exiled to China for 20 years, Lucien Vaudrey never planned to return to England. But with the mysterious deaths of his father and brother, it seems the new Lord Crane has inherited an earldom. He's also inherited his family's enemies. He needs magical assistance, fast. He doesn't expect it to turn up angry.

Magician Stephen Day has good reason to hate Crane's family. Unfortunately, it's his job to deal with supernatural threats. Besides, the earl is unlike any aristocrat he's ever met, with the tattoos, the attitude...and the way Crane seems determined to get him into bed. That's definitely unusual.

Soon Stephen is falling hard for the worst possible man, at the worst possible time. But Crane's dangerous appeal isn't the only thing rendering Stephen powerless. Evil pervades the house, a web of plots is closing round Crane, and if Stephen can't find a way through it - they're both going to die.

Warning: Contains hot M/M sex between a deeply inappropriate earl and a very confused magician, dark plots in a magical version of Victorian England, family values (not the good kind), and a lot of swearing.

A Charm of Magpies, Book 1

©2013 K. J. Charles (P)2017 Audible, Inc.

end was better than the beginning

OVERALL — 4 stars
As I listen to Audible books now I am mindful of my resolve to rate/review every audiobook I listen to when I am done. As I do so, I often find myself in an internal debate over how many stars I would give it. Usually I just know "This is a ____ star read", with the only question being whether it might be a star higher or a star lower than that. In the case of THE MAGPIE LORD it was a toss between 3 or 4 stars in the beginning, but by the last chapter it was a toss between 4 or 5. And then, after the book, there is a short story that, essentially, serves as an Epilogue since it basically picks up where there book ended. And it is terrific!

PERFORMANCE — 5 stars
From beginning to end the performance was a question of 4 stars or 5. But since it was basically flawless and you could tell the characters apart by their distinct voices coming through in the reading, I give it a 5.
Very well done, Cornell Collins.

STORY — 4 stars
I am not a regular reader of fiction from this time period or genre but wanted to give it shot due to the gay aspect. I was pleasantly surprised. I expected I might not get into it, but I did. Granted I got lost a few times, but it still held my interest. I didn't drift as I had on previous attempts at taking a go with different stories/authors of this sort of fiction. So I'm sure readers who do get into and regularly read stories of this era/genre will love it more than me because it is so well done.

Picking up from where I left off above (where I commented on my OVERALL rating)...
I'd say that if the whole book THE MAGPIE LORD had been like the final chapter and the post-book Epilogue (both of which themselves had great endings) I would be giving 5 stars here instead of 4. They definitely held my attention and had me riveted throughout. They are a treat!

I definitely recommend this!

My rating scale:
1= Garbage // 2= Below Average // 3= Average // 4= Above Average // 5=Award Worthy

Brilliantly written mystery full of magic

The richness of language and twisting plot is done beautifully, this book is just the kind of historical I like to read and when it's a KJ Charles book you know it's guaranteed to be amazing! KJ weaves intricate mysteries and unique characters into works of fiction that are just mind blowing. Her Sins of the Cities is one such perfection and this book is a promising start to another series.
The setting is just the right amount of raw and gut punching with the flair and sophistication of the upper class. The magical supernatural elements were fascinating and seemed completely natural in this world. Lucien is probably the wittiest, most charming, rakish, wonderfully horrible man I have had the pleasure of reading about. I absolutely adored him, he is seductive and controlling yet vulnerable at the same time. Stephen is as much a contradiction as Lucien is, and TO Lucian as well. He is such a fiery, compassionate man and I loved his level of control and knowledge in his respective field. He is so competent and never backs down even when all hope is lost.

The way the plot unfolded and slowly revealed more of the sordid history of the Crane household and family was suspenseful and I found myself wishing for more time to keep reading when I inevitably had to put it down and once I was done reading I was anxious to get the next one and keep reading. I am so excited for the next books and how the story will continue for this couple.

***The NARRATION***
Mr Cornell Collins, my oh my, he nailed this book so thoroughly I feel like I cant get it out of my head. I enjoyed his narration of KJ's other book series, Sins of the Cities and the way he managed to infuse every character with life. This book was even better! The richness of the writing is emphasized by Cornell's wonderful voice and talent for accents. He put so much emotion into the performance, using pitch and breath with an artists touch and for me, made this book an exceptional listening experience.

fun!

this was an enjoyable ride. I'm not actually that big into magical novels typically, but this one got me hooked right away. it's different than anything I've listened to before. Silly in a way, and yet surprisingly dark too. loved the way it was performed. it really made it come alive. I look forward to listening to more of the series.

A Fun M/M Historical Romance

I loved the supernatural elements. The romance was great, wished it were more fleshed out.

Stellar writing!

Fantastic characterization, deep pov, expertly crafted! I've read and listened to this soory at lest 10 times. :)

Delightful!

A thrilling adventure, involving Victorian England, magic powers, and a lot of sexual tension. The story was enjoyable and entertaining, and the narration is superb. One of the few instances where I felt like the audio is the best format for this kind of book.

Fun & engaging series

I've already listened to all five books. They were charming, lite, fun. I liked the characters & enjoyed hearing how their relationships progressed. I also enjoyed the cameo appearances of the main characters from the first three books in the last two. Paranormal, gay, a romance & a mystery - well that checks all my boxes.

K.J. Charles sure can write!!

If your looking for a good fantasy mystery read with a dash of good (read: HOT) romance this is the book for you. I loved our the main characters and Charles did a great job on the fantasy side (I am really intrigued about the magic and it’s rules). Can’t wait to see where this series goes.

best purchase ever

What a story, what a performance! An absolutely intricate and well-plotted story that immediately gets off to an engaging start from word #1. And such a joy to listen to, with multi-dimensional, authentic characters, spectacularly performed. Not to mention the extremely hot sex scenes, but not sex for the sake of sex, and not at the price of a really well-woven story. I bought all three books and listened to them twice in one weekend. Download now, and clear your schedule.

Fantastic Story, Cornell Collins is Flawless

Ooooh, there was so much to love about this one! I was in such a mood for magic, mystic, historical, it this one was just perfect. Great mystery and nicely unpredictable ending. The characters were wonderful too.

Did the audiobook, and Cornell Collins was fantastic. His upper class British accent is so rich and charming, but his forte is definitely in the varieties he's able to create - no two are ever alike. Truly an absolute pleasure to listen to this one - and it's funny as well.