Bright Blaze of Magic by Jennifer Estep

Bad Things Always Come In Threes…

As a thief, I'm good at three things: hiding in the shadows, getting in and out unseen, and uncovering secrets. I put these skills to work for the Sinclair Family, one of the magical mobs that run the tourist town of Cloudburst Falls.

Everyone knows Victor Draconi wants to take over all the other Families--and kill every last Sinclair. What they don't know is that I'm on to him, and no way will I let the man who murdered my mom get away with hurting all the other people I care about. Especially when I've got places to break into, stuff to steal, and Devon Sinclair fighting right by my side…

Book 3
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Erica – ☆☆☆☆☆
First, I won't give a plot play-by-play, because there is too much to cover and I don't wish to spoil the experience by giving a book report. This is a spoiler-free review, sticking to characterization and writing style.

I've never hid the fact that I was an Estep fangirl after finding her years ago. The Elemental Assassins series is unique and Gin is...Gin. (Now I want to do a reread) With that series, I developed a taste for Jennifer Estep's writing style. The women are strong characters, not thinking themselves strong in their own heads while putting themselves in sticky situations they can't get out of, expecting help from their love interest. The girls get the job done themselves. They take the lead. So, needless to say, when I began the journey of the Black Blade series, I fell in love with Lila because she was flawed with perfectly crafted human traits. Over the past three books, I've watched the characters grow, the story evolve, and Victor get more villainous.

The final installment of the Black Blade series has arrived. Knowing this at the start of the book made the journey bittersweet as I said goodbye to the characters.

There's an addictive quality to the story, thrilling and exciting – adventurous but a little bit brutal with unexpected humor to soften the blow. It was a nonstop action thrill ride to close out the series. After the previous books, Lila and Devon are together, so the romance is underlying to the main story, which I appreciated the fact that it didn't overshadow what had been built.

Yes, some of the obvious outcomes were predictable, but this is a young adult book designed for young adults, and I'm an adult who enjoyed in nonetheless. And yes, that is my fangirl bias showing in the form of common sense. To make it so ‘I’ couldn't reason out the conclusions, would mean children wouldn't be able to read it...just saying. Nevertheless, the flow was so rapid, it's not like the reader had any filler to wade through while contemplating the plot.

I recommend this series to young adults and the young at heart who enjoy the fantasy genres, who need a thread of romance but want a developed story more.

Will I read more by this author? I look forward to whatever Estep brings us next.

Young adult rating: 14+ due to violence set in a fantasy world.

Also Available in the Black Blade Series

Book 1
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca

Book 2
Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca

For reviews & more info, check out our Dark Heart post.

Jennifer Estep is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of urban fantasy and paranormal romance.

Her Elemental Assassin series follows the life and times of Gin “the Spider” Blanco, a barbecue restaurant owner who also happens to be an assassin with magical control over the elements of Ice and Stone.

The Mythos Academy series focuses on Gwen Frost, a 17-year-old Gypsy girl who has the ability to know an object’s history just by touching it. She studies at Mythos Academy, a school for the descendants of ancient warriors.

Her Bigtime paranormal romance books feature sexy superheroes, evil ubervillains, and smart, sassy gals looking for love.

Estep’s new Black Blade series is about 17-year-old thief Lila Merriweather, who has a Talent for sight, along with the ability to take magic others used against her to boost her own powers. She tries not to get involved with the Families who control much of the town, but ends up in the middle of a potential turf war.

Connect with Jennifer

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Bright Blaze of Magic (Black Blade #3) by Jennifer Estep to read and review.