Magic Unleashed (Venators, #1)

Six years ago, Grey Malteer was attacked by creatures he thought couldn’t possibly exist. They repeated a word, calling him a name he’d never heard before…Venator. Since then, his life has been a hellhole of secrecy—hiding old pain alongside strange new abilities.
Rune Jenkins has an itch, as she calls it, but it’s more than that. It's an anger that builds up like the inside of a boiler whenever she’s around anything remotely supernatural. The pressure is growing steadily worse and she can’t understand why. All she knows is—her control is slipping.
By order of an unknown council Grey and Rune are pulled through a portal in the St. Louis arch, landing them in an alternate dimension where creatures of myth and legend exist. A realm that calls them, Venators.
Made up of centuries old fae, vampires, werewolves, elves and succubi the council’s corrupt nature becomes obvious as they seek to wield the newly returned Venators as weapons. Wedged in an impossible position, Grey and Rune must decide their fate—do they go against the council’s wishes and help the innocents of this unforgiving land, or face the possibility of execution by the council.

Rating:

Many thanks to TheWriteReads and Devri Walls for a finished copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

I was basically told I had to read this book, under pain of … well, I don’t actually know, but they used or else, and you know that New Yorkers mean business when they say that, so I took notice.

I mean, this might have also come from someone whose opinion I respect and trust, especially when it comes to bookish matters, so I was obviously going to pick it up. And the threat might have been more implied than actually stated. But that’s not quite as fun to say, obviously. And I knew what she really meant.

Magic Unleashed is a portal fantasy to a dark, unforgiving world where danger lurks around every turn … so, you know, my kind of place.

I’m not for sure I’d want to live there, but visit? Heck yes! Spoiler alert: there’s even dragons. If I were a Venator, that’s all you’d have to say to convince me. Yes, please.

❧ This book is just chock full of relatable characters, and I can see parts of myself in all of them.

Which was both interesting and terrifying, because I’m not sure what that says about me? I’m thinking probably nothing good. But you know what? I’m just going to chalk this one up to Walls’ skill in making characters.

Grey: Super introvert who’s also socially awkward, is totally self-conscious and self-deprecating, and whose best friends are books. (Sound like anyone you know? *cough*) Also has a pretty strong moral compass, for all the right reasons.

Rune: Perfectionist, whose perfectionism was forced upon her by her parents. Feels trapped by her family and not allowed to be who she wants. Is constantly told that what she wants doesn’t matter, as long as she’s perfect and lives up to her parents’ expectations and takes care of her twin brother. Has a strong moral compass, for all the wrong reasons.

Tate: Just wants to see his family again, which wow, yeah, talk about motivation. But also is surrounded by children who refuse to listen and constantly put his life in danger, and if that’s not a mood, I don’t know what is.

❧ The other world (Eon) is dark and foreboding, and it’s absolutely glorious.

Be still, my dark, withered heart. Oh how I just absolutely loved this world. Would I die in 30 seconds? Pffft, probably wouldn’t even take that long, if I’m honest. But that is soooo not the point.

If you’ve heard of it, it probably exists. It’s a pretty big generalization, but also, imagine the possibilities. Terrifying, right? I love it. There’s a great juxtaposition between the wonder and beauty of this world and the downright deadliness of it. Because ha, yeah, it’s brutal. Make no mistake about that.

The world-building here is a little bit of a double-edged sword, because it felt both wonderful and also a bit vague.

I suppose what I mean is there were parts of the world where I had a really freaking good picture of things (like the forest they first land in), and then other times, it was a bit foggy and I really wanted some more grounding. This was partly about the description of the world itself and partly about the cultures. There are so many different types of beings that I didn’t get a good sense of what their interactions with one another are like … except, you know, strained.

❧ There’s a bit of a political game hinted at here from all the powerful parties, and I’m really hoping book two explores it more, because gosh was it fun.

I am all for underhandedness, betrayal, and playing the politics game to win. Right now, the Council is in control of the world, but … their control is tenuous, at best. At worst, they hate all the people beneath them and care not a whit about their well-being or lives … or deaths. I mean, they’re pretty cold, and I’m sort of just fine with this because I won’t have to feel bad if something happens to them.

I actually really enjoyed the councils’ interactions with each other, as strained as they were, and all the little hints that things may not be quite as they seem.

Everyone in this book has an ulterior motive. Just expect that going in. Nothing is going to be exactly as it seems, and no one does anything out of the “goodness” of their heart. Ha! As if.

Even more exciting was watching Grey and Rune learn how to play the game, little by little, to further their own purposes. Because, you know, if there’s nothing I love more, it’s watching the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw become just a bit more Slytherin. It does my heart good.

The only big problem I had with this was that in this political tug-of-war, there were so many characters introduced that I had a hard time keeping them all straight, especially when they were all on a page together. I sometimes had to flip back and remind myself who a character was (and what species, because that’s important) before continuing on with a scene.

❧ This book pulls absolutely no punches when it comes to the ugliness of this world.

Because it ain’t pretty, folks. I mean, okay, parts of it are, absolutely, and I loved the juxtaposition there, as Grey and Rune wonder at the gorgeous scenery and then five minutes later are facing yet another potentially lethal danger. Just another reminder that things aren’t quite as they seem here.

There are quite a few scenes that are absolutely brutal when it comes to how callous the world is, and it really highlights what a dangerous journey our intrepid heroes are on.

Mortal peril is one thing, and certainly there’s that, too, but there are so many other things that can happen to them that dying is probably the least of their concerns at this point.

❧ Once the main characters cross over into Eon, there’s not a lot of downtime, and it’s just one thing after another, keeping things moving at a pretty fast pace.

So if you’re into action and fast-paced stories, this one’s for you. I thought the beginning was a little slow, but also sort of out of necessity, as the scene was set and everything was introduced. It definitely didn’t stay that way for very long. Once the action got going, it got going. I had a hard time putting it down, because I wanted to know what was going to happen next or what new creature might be lurking in the next chapter.

❧ I really enjoyed Walls’ writing style, which was easy to fall into, but also lovely and descriptive.

I’m not going to lie: sometimes the descriptions tripped me up a little with the metaphors that were used, but for the most part? I just loved it. There were some really stunning passages that were so poignant I had to read them twice.

❧ Sorry, ladies, but I’ve decided that I get to marry Beltran, so y’all will just have to find someone else.

Now, who wants to break the news to hubby for me, hm?

You had to know there’d be a shapeshifter, right? You had to know I’d love the shapeshifter, right? There are no plot twists here. This is just pure, hard logic.

Beltran is just my kind of guy. He’s undecided about where he stands as far as “sides,” except that he’s thoroughly and completely on his own side, to whatever end. His allegiance seems … wavering, at best. At worst, he’s a liability, which makes him all the more interesting. I can’t wait to find out more about his character in the next books.

About Devri Walls

Devri Walls is a US and international bestselling author. Having released five novels to date, she specializes in all things fantasy and paranormal. She is best known for her uncanny world-building skills and her intricate storylines, and her ability to present this all in an easy-to-digest voice. Now gearing up for her first national release, Devri is excited to introduce her sixth novel, book one in the Venators series. She loves to engage with her loyal following through social media and online sessions she organizes for her readers. Devri lives in Meridian, Idaho with her husband and two kids. When not writing she can be found teaching voice lessons, reading, cooking or binge watching whatever show catches her fancy.

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If you fell into a world where pretty much anything you could imagine really exists, what’s the first type of creature you would immediately seek out?