Bad Magic

What would you do when you were the apprentice of an evil witch? Life with it! At least that's what young sorcerer Regis Teller learned since he was stolen from his mother's home at nine years of age. Now an adult he is send on a quest to summon a hero and trick him into waking a queen from her magic slumber. Too bad that his mission includes killing the hero afterwards. Jonathan White is everything you would expect from a story-book do-gooder. He's brave, handsom, slightly naive and just a touch recless in his self-proclaimed goal to fight evil. Regis knows for a fact that fighting Jonathan will be hard - not at least because he may or may not be in love with him. But even between an evil witch, his teenage crush and a world full of danger can they find a way to make tings last?
I really,really liked that book. The main characters are fundamentally different. Where Regis is a pragmatical and cynical liar with mediocre magical powers, Jonathan is the hero every child dreams to be - but lonely, too trusting and narrow-minded nevertheless. Both men are complex and learn a lot from each other on their journey. And then there is Crow. The son of the witch, shape-shifter, Regis's friend and occasional lover. His actions are unpredictable and add a very nice twist to the story.
Overall the book gives the impression of a light-hearted yet profound adventure/love story.

Book – Bad Magic (Spell Slave #1)
Author – Evelyn Elliott
Star rating - ★★★★★
No. of Pages – 161
Cover – Love it!
POV – 3rd person, multiple POV
Would I read it again – Are you kidding? Of course!
Genre – Fantasy, Adventure, Magic, LGBT, Gay, Bisexual
** I WAS GIVEN THIS BOOK, BY THE AUTHOR, IN RETURN FOR AN HONEST REVIEW **
Reviewed for Divine Magazine

I knew months ago, when I first saw the cover and blurb for this book, that I had to have it. I wasn't disappointed.
I'll admit that, while the story is predominantly about Regis and Jonathan, I spent about 50% of the time wanting them to get together and the other 50% happily waiting for them to include Crow in their little romance. Which would have been wonderful.
I loved that we were given just enough flashbacks to allow for a clear understanding of what Regis and Crow had felt, growing up under the horrible witch Myra's thumb. Being raised by her and used by her, for their magic and their cleaning abilities, sounded truly horrible. But, at the same time, I fell in love with Crow, because of how he treated Regis, for the love he had for him and how he took care of him. It was all so beautiful.
Having the multiple POV meant that we got to see the story from Regis, Crow and sometimes Jonathan's POV (though this was less often). Primarily, it's Regis' story. He's the real MC; the one with all the drama, the chaos and the pain.
But, equally, I loved all three. I even loved Chartreuse, the dragon. She added a little levity to high impact moments, when it was most needed.
I won't talk about the plot, as it would ruin it for anyone who hasn't read it yet, but I will say that it was brilliantly written, with an exquisite attention to detail and world building. This author has just become a new favourite of mine and I can't wait to delve right into book 2.
Overall, a fantastic, high octane ride. Full of adventure, danger and heart-stopping emotion, I couldn't put it down. I devoured the book like Chartreuse would devour an enemy. One bite.
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Favourite Quote
“As a rule, he was not polite. There was only so much space in his head, after all, and he preferred to fill it with useful information, not trite nonsense like social skills.”
“Survival was a thousand small tasks: dusting, cooking, organizing books and notes. Escape... well, that was a matter of patience.”