Friday Review: Touched by Magic by Doranna Durgin

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Reandn is a King’s Wolf, a patrol leader in the elite force of ranger-like soldiers. He is put in charge of the investigation when children start disappearing with no trace. He also has dizzy spells, with headaches and vertigo that he tries to hide from everyone around him. His own adopted son becomes a victim, and when he confronts the person he believes responsible, he finds that his wife is the latest victim, and Reandn himself is transported to a town hundreds of miles away- by a magic that is not supposed to exist in this land anymore. He is determined to return and take his revenge on the wizard who killed his wife, son, and the other missing people, but he keeps bumping up against the idea of magic returning. Something Reandn absolutely does not want to see happen.

This was a decent book. The plot is somewhat similar to other magical fantasy tales, although it does have its own twists. The characters are fine, although Reandn did get on my nerves a bit, with his constant despondence over his wife’s death. Yes, he loved her and losing her had to be a blow, but the depths he sank to emotionally seemed too much of a contrast to the tough, somewhat cynical Wolf he is described as. But this is something of a light romance as well as magic fantasy and that’s not usually my thing, so maybe it’s me being cynical and jaded! At any rate, there is a good mix of characters here, including the typical enigmatic mentor who has an agenda of his own that he would involve Reandn in, and a capable, tough healer woman character who is not perfect and beautiful. The parts of the book dealing with the horses are nice, since the author knows horses and writes realistically about them. It can read a little slow in spots, but there is a fair bit of action throughout to balance that. The ending is resolved well, without a cliffhanger (although there is a second book).

I enjoyed the book, and for those who like fantasy, magic, unicorns (though they only make a small appearance they are a factor in the plot), and a decent story, this might just fit the bill.

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“Crossed Wires and Other Very Short Stories”. Twelve scifi and twelve fantasy short stories that can each be read in minutes. Available now Amazon, Apple, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Smashwords, and most other e-book retailers. More information here

I have written science fiction, fantasy, and urban fantasy stories. There are novels, novellas, and shorter pieces to fit everyone’s reading time. There are even some free stories, both here on the site and in other places. You can go here to find out more about the books I have published. They are available at Amazon, Smashwords, and most ebook retailers. Thank You