A Criminal Magic by Lee Kelly (Epub)

Description

Magic is powerful, dangerous and addictive – and after passage of the 18th Amendment, it is finally illegal.

It’s 1926 in Washington, DC, and while Anti-Sorcery activists have achievedthe Prohibition of sorcery, the city’s magic underworld is booming.Sorcerers cast illusions to aid mobsters’ crime sprees. Smugglersfunnel magic contraband in from overseas. Gangs have established secret performance venues where patrons can lose themselves in magic, and take a mind-bending, intoxicating elixir known as the sorcerer’s shine.

Joan Kendrick, a young sorcerer from Norfolk County, Virginia accepts anoffer to work for DC’s most notorious crime syndicate, the Shaw Gang,when her family’s home is repossessed. Alex Danfrey, a first-yearFederal Prohibition Unit trainee with a complicated past and talents ofhis own, becomes tapped to go undercover and infiltrate the Shaws.

Through different paths, Joan and Alex tread deep into the violent, dangerousworld of criminal magic – and when their paths cross at the Shaws’performance venue, despite their orders, and despite themselves, Joanand Alex become enchanted with one another. But when gang alliancesbegin to shift, the two sorcerers are forced to question their ultimateallegiances and motivations. And soon, Joan and Alex find themselvespitted against each other in a treacherous, heady game of cat-and-mouse.

A CRIMINAL MAGIC casts a spell of magic, high stakes and intrigue against the backdrop of a very different Roaring Twenties.

User’s Reviews

From School Library Journal In this alternate 1926, the Feds aren’t fighting the demon alcohol; instead, the great danger made illegal via the Eighteenth Amendment is magic. The illusions gifted sorcerers can conjure are but a window into this forbidden magic. Patrons of illegal magic joints consume “Shine,” water transmuted into a potion by magical power, for an altered state—a trip that many want to take again and again. Inside the Red Den, one establishment where patrons use Shine, Joan Kendrick, a country girl using her astonishing magical gifts to save her family, and Alex Danfrey, undercover agent and son of an indicted trafficker in magic, fall under a different sort of spell. If Joan can help the Washington, DC, gangster running the Den find a way to keep Shine from turning back into water after 24 hours, the consumption of magic and the criminal power structure will be forever altered. Few of the trappings of the 1920s get much play, but the allure and grimy glamour of the speakeasy provide the perfect vehicle for a magically made drug and criminal commodity. VERDICT As both Joan and Alex are only a bit older than high school students, their powers and dilemmas will interest the sort of strong teen readers who might enjoy a fantastical version of the era.—Suzanne Gordon, Lanier High School, Gwinnett County, GA Review This is a solid, suspenseful, Prohibition-era crime story, with one rather large twist: in this version of the U.S., it’s not liquor that’s been made illegal, it’s magic. . . . This is a clever and very imaginative variant on a tried-and-true theme. (Booklist)”This urban fantasy, always electric, reads like jazz itself.” (Publisher’s Weekly)”Kelly’s enchanting novel takes place during the roaring 20s and is slightly reminiscent of The Night Circus with a splash of The Great Gatsby. Readers will be enamored by this sci-fi, magical, New Adult story which is guaranteed to provoke bursts of excitement and surges in ones imagination thanks to the creative and descriptive non-stop flow throughout.” (RT Book Reviews)”A Criminal Magic is a solid, well-written tale . . . but it’s the ending that is going to have everyone talking. The final plot twist is a punch in the gut.” (Tor.com)”It sucks you in and doesn’t let go.” (SF Signal)

Reviews from Amazon users, collected at the time the book is getting published on UniedVRG. It can be related to shiping or paper quality instead of the book content:

⭐ Really enjoyed this book. Love the fantasy of magic being a normal part of the fabric of our earth. Can see why they might have criminalized it! Seems it could be very dark and deadly as the tale unfolds. Well written and a page turner. Enjoyed the characters and would like to see/hear more of them.The descriptions of doing the magic are really elegant and give great mental visuals. The story line is also very unique. Never have read anything much like this book. One of the reasons I liked it so much. Makes me think of Ray Bradbury’s “Something Wicked This Way Comes”. The reader can see how Joan gets slowly sucked into what Gunn is making her do with the magic and he is a marvelous villain . Be fun to see this written where she does fall for Gunn as opposed to Alex.Although a bit dark , all in all, a delightfully well written “fairy” tale. I hope to see more in this genre from this author.

⭐ 4.5 StarsThis was one of my most anticipated books of the year. You see, I’ve always been interested in the Prohibition Era, and I love urban fantasy, so…Prohibition Era + Magic/Urban Fantasy = Very Happy KristenAnd I was not disappointed by that combination! So many aspects of this book blew me away.First of all, the writing did an *amazing* job of capturing the alternate 1920s vibe.There was also the world building, which added even more to the amazing 20s feel. It had all the right details and in the perfect amount—everything from the gangsters to the settings to backstories about the characters/society/gangs to the way the magic worked to the plot itself.Then there were these specific things that I just loved and found really fascinating. For a while, Alex’s POV was my favorite because the gangster side of things was so intriguing. I guess I read about magic a lot, but I never read about gangsters. And every single little thing about the gangsters, the two different gangs, the history, the bosses and underbosses, the drugs, the deals being made, etc. was so detailed and well thought-out without being confusing once you got all the information.But then I also started to enjoy Joan’s POV just as much because everything about the Red Den where she worked was just as incredible. The whole performance—*MILD SPOILER ALERT* starting with the sorcerers on their individual stages while the patrons sipped cocktails, then the intermission during which they flirted and interacted one-on-one with audience members, then the big, immersive finale (not to mention all the different finales they created), then making the shine on stage *END SPOILER ALERT*—was so creative. Even the way they had the schedule for practice… it was that attention to detail that just made everything so realistic and made me feel like I was there, surrounded by the story.Yet another amazing, realistic thing was the characterization. They weren’t my favorite characters ever, but *d*mn* if they weren’t ridiculously well-written. The two main characters grew and developed in a really natural way, even if it wasn’t always for the better.And for anyone wondering about the romance, it was there, but it wasn’t mushy, and it never overpowered the story.Last but not least, there was a great build up of tension throughout the entire book as things got worse and more complicated and more tangled and more dangerous. The book was a little slow-paced at times, but that tension kept me hooked. I just kept waiting for everything to come crashing down and explode. I didn’t get quite the massive explosion I wanted since things kind of crashed down in parts instead of all at once, but there was still a good resolution to all the anticipation.As for the ending, my immediate, subjective reaction was that I didn’t like it. But now that I’ve had some time to think, I realize that it was the only right way for the story to end.So overall, this book had a unique magic-filled Prohibition Era world, attention to detail that really made things come alive, and incredibly realistic characterization. Rarely have I come across writing and storytelling this intricate and superbly well done!Original Review @ Metaphors and Moonlight (link in profile)

⭐ This was an entertaining novel about rival crime mobs in DC during Prohibition, only in this case Shine has mystical power, just as the sorcerers the Mob hires to produce it. It is also a love story about the two main protagonists whose stories unfold alternately chapter by chapter.Not the book I was hoping for, but well worth reading.

⭐ Magic is illegal in this world. That makes it irresistible of course. People born with the magic are faced with choices. The blood ruby effervescent pull of magic is manic ecstasy. Who can resist that power to create the forbidden pleasure? She is faced with raising her family. He is trying to survive his. I hope this is a series. Prohibition was a great time for those who dare. The rule breakers. Something wicked this way comes. Thank you Ray Bradbury.

⭐ I loved this book and twist on the 1920s. Magic instead of alcohol is outlawed, a competition to be the next in a new discovered magic, and gangsters. The writing is exceptional. The love story was good but it was dimmed by the story events more than it was put front and center. Which was ok by me. I would say read it, snd i hope theres a sequel.

⭐ I ADORED this. The world was enticing and air-tight, the characters were compelling and believable and the way they grew was so exciting to watch. I loved that they didn’t fall into the motivations you might expect. They were their own people, not stock figures. Plus – and here’s the big big big thing for me – the magic managed to both captivate and make sense, which is so unbelievably rare. I felt like if I had the magic touch I might be able to start learning the basics from reading this, which is the first step toward me wanting to live in a book world. And I really want to live in this book world, dangerous though it may be. But I’ll settle for a sequel??? PRETTY PLEASE?!?!

⭐ As in her first book, City of Savages, Lee Kelly’s prose shines. A Criminal Magic is an alternate 1920s world where instead of alcohol being banned, magic is. Vivid description of the world and the magical spells make this book a must for those who love all things fantastical and yet the gangsters and the underworld make it appeal to those who love a good mystery/detective story. With a slow build of a love story between the two main characters, fans of a touch of romance in their books will also be satisfied. Basically there is no one who won’t love this book!

⭐ This was a fun to read book. Not too serious but full of twists and character development to get you interested in the story. It was also not predictable which left me guessing what would happen next. Some early surprise twists ensured that I kept an open mind. Highly recommended.

⭐ for the most part i really enjoyed the book – great concept and worldbuilding and interesting, exciting plot. characterization, especially of the leads, was a little inconsistent and hard to pin down. the ending felt rushed and incomplete, like the author got caught up without a way to finish things neatly. i hope that means there is a sequel in the works; as written the ending left me feeling let down and cheated.

⭐ This story was utterly unique, mesmerizing, and gripping. The magical system pulled me in–a world where magic is feared because of its use as a drug, so feared that it was entirely outlawed in 1919. The 1920s setting is fabulous, and the characters are wonderfully crafted, imperfect, and complex. Kelly’s writing was the perfect mix of suspenseful and lavish, and though its a tad dense to finish in a sitting, I stopped only to sleep for the night.

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