Review – Demon Magic and a Martini (The Guild Codex: Spellbound Book 4) by Annette Marie (5/5 Stars)
Reading Level: Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Length: 314 pages
Publisher: Dark Owl Fantasy Inc.
Release Date: April 12, 2019
ASIN: B07NC9N863
Stand Alone or Series: 4th book in the Guild Codex: Spellbound series
Source: Borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Rating: 5/5 stars
“When I first landed a bartending job at the local guild, I didn’t know a thing about magic. These days, I’m practically an expert on the different magical classes, but there’s one nobody ever talks about: Demonica.
Turns out they have a good reason for that.
My guild is strictly hellion-free, but some people will risk life and soul to control the biggest bullies on the mythic playground. And now a demon has been loosed in the city.
My three best friends are determined to slay it, but even badass combat mages are critically out-magicked. And that’s not all. The monster they’re tracking–it’s not hiding. It’s not fleeing. It’s not leaving a trail of corpses everywhere it goes.
The demon is hunting too. And in a city full of mythics, it’s searching for deadlier prey.
If we can’t unravel the demon’s sinister motivations, more innocent people will die, but finding the answers means digging into dark secrets…and learning truths I never wanted to know.”
Series Info/Source: This is the third book in the Guild Codex: Spellbound series. I borrowed this through Kindle Unlimited. There are going to be seven books total in this series. There is also a sister series to this called Guild Codex: Demonized that weaves in and out of the Spellbound timeline but features different characters. Previous to reading this I have read and enjoyed all of Annette Marie’s other series.
Story (5/5): I really continue to love this series. In this book demons enter the story in a big way. When Tori’s guild gets notified that a demon is on the loose in the city, things go into a near wartime-like status as all guilds work to hunt the demon down. Ezra and Tori end up stuck at guild headquarters trying to coordinate efforts from there, but as things worsen they are forced to take to the field with Kai and Aaron. What follows are some serious revelations both about demons and about Ezra’s past.
Characters (5/5): This continues to be a very character driven series and I absolutely love all of the characters here. This book really features Ezra, as we start to unlock his mysterious past. While I did miss our mischievous druid and Tori’s fae housemate, I did enjoy the addition of some new characters.. One of the new characters introduced is Page who is featured in The Guild Codex: Demonized series, from what little I saw here I think I am really going to like her!
Setting (4/5): The setting in this book was a bit weaker than others. Almost the whole book takes place in the Guild, this was fine but not as exciting as some of the settings in the previous books. Marie does continue to do a great job expanding this world, it has a lot of depth and complexity which I feel like we are still only scratching the surface of.
Writing Style (5/5): I am a huge fan of Marie’s writing style and continue to enjoy it here. The story is fast-paced, very easy to read and engage with and impossible to put down. Marie does an amazing job with both characterization and fight scenes. I am also really enjoying the magic system in this series too. Absolutely no complaints, I love it!
My Summary (5/5): Overall this continues to be an amazing urban fantasy series. It is full of fast-paced action, wonderful magic, and amazing characters. I also really enjoy the humor throughout. I would recommend if you are a fan of fun, fast-paced urban fantasies with a lot of magic.
