This book provides a mix of The Da Vinci Code with dark academia meets romantasy. Intrigued? I sure was! Nicole is an Empyreal - but secretly. What’s an Empyreal? Have you seen the toddler show Morphle? Empyreals can morph into any other type of supernatural being. Nicole’s world is full of regular people but also a mix of all sorts of supernaturals- vampires, faeries, you name it.

Nicole has started university, where she is studying art in the gorgeous sleepy seaside town of Cornwall. She believes art holds the power to unlock her family’s tragic past. All goes upside down when proper, out and about Empyreal Kyan McCarter arrives to her little town. Why would an Empyreal be in her neck of the woods to have a look at her lovely art?

I really enjoyed the world building in this book. I found it fairly easy to get my head around and I found Nicole a really sympathetic character. Her cast of siblings, her dad and her friends were really well drawn. Learning from about Kyan was fascinating and the big reveal in the denouement was unintentionally hilarious as an Irish reader of the book. I would absolutely encourage you to read if you enjoy ancient Irish history.

I thought the art aspect was a great addition to this and it felt very Tom Hanks racing around Rome in parts. I was very taken with the idea of art being a method of communication, as someone who knows nothing about it. Thanks so much to HarperCollins for the advance copy on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars!

The Temptation of Magic is the beginning of a new fantasy trilogy that weaves the ideas of magical creatures, art, and conspiracies by debut author Megan Scott.

I read this book in only two sittings because not only was I sucked in by the art-related plotline, but I also became increasingly invested in the romance. Kyan and Nicole are two of my new favorite characters, Bells needs to be protected with my whole heart, and I felt that the family aspect and the found family created was so compelling.

I was also super interested in the world created by Megan Scott. There were numerous familiar magical species mentioned, but the titular creature (an empyreal) was new and very interesting. It was also great to see a contrast between an empyreal who knew what was going on and familiar with their powers contrasted with someone who was a complete novice.

I also thought it was really fun to use art as a vehicle for secrets. I found the plot really compelling, and there was enough revealed in this book to keep me satisfied while still excited for book two.

I think my biggest issue unfortunately was in the pacing, which kept it from being a full five star for me. The middle third is very slow with not much going on, which was okay because I was invested in the characters, but I do think we could've gotten to the final action a bit sooner.

Thank you so much HarperCollins UK and Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!!

The Temptation Of Magic was a great story but lacked some depth. The setting was unique and had elements of urban fanatsy which I enjoyed. The mystery and mythological aspects were interesting.

This fantasy romance was simply stunning!

Gorgeous, easy to follow world building and magic systems meant I could really connect to the characters instantly!

I adored the dual POV and loved the delicious slow burn tension between them. It gave me academia but also high stakes fantasy vibes.

Honestly couldn't stop reading this once I started. It was an Enemies to Lovers that was gentle in its approach (he didn't know she was a supernatural being, he's supposed to hunt and kill so it's not a knife to throat situation) but also was so addictive and gripping.

Looking forward to the entire trilogy based on book 1!!

The Temptation of Magic is a intriguing and magical fantasy, which I absolutely fell in love with. I absolutely love dark academia books but this one took it to another level. The world building was insanely well done and the writing style was absolutely gorgeous. Nicole and Kyan were both intricate, well crafted characters and made me absolutely love the romance aspect of the story. I found the overall premise to be very unique and very exciting. I definitely plan on reading more books by Megan Scott in the future.

I've had a hard time getting through this. Twice I laid it down at about 25% in, because to me it got boring after a strong beginning. A lot of people told me that it picks up again, so I pushed through.
The premise is great: (dark) academia, a magic system including painting, the concept of Empyreals who on the one hand are protectors, but on the other hand seem to treat their own badly. And a FMC trying to avoid her fate, but drawn into this nonetheless out of care for her family.
It did pick up again in the last quarter, but sadly it was too late for me to truly get into the story again and root for the characters.
I think with a different pacing this could be a really cool story, but as it is, it's not for me.

3/5 stars

Thank you @netgalley and @harpervoyager_uk for the eARC!

#TemptationOfMagic #Netgalley #Bookstagram

“Mum talked about divino artista, the divine artist, for years. Humans think it has a religious meaning: God –the Divine Artist that created the world. But for us, for supernaturals, it explains why some artists have an intimate relationship with the supernatural world.”

On paper, The Temptation of Magic ticked many boxes for me. In reality… not only these expectations were (highly) met, but that story triggered a new obsession. That book is almost everything I want to read and hit me as hard as Divine Rivals did last year, though completely differently. The story is so intricate, complex, and multi-layered that revealing it here would cause spoilers, so I’ll just write about how the book made me feel, and I’m sorry because I know it will be messy and I won’t give it justice. For the exact same reason, I won’t elaborate much about the romance part, though I truly adored how the characters interacted.

The world building is not only original but mind-blowing, and enhanced by the deeply immersive writing. I love dark-academia set ups, I feel a deep connection with UK and with “Celtic Culture”. That book made me travel just there. But it also made me dive into some pieces of art in an experience I would never have imagined (honestly, read this book instead of going into one of these “immersive exhibitions”, your experience will be so much better!). The role and “meaning” of arts (mostly painting but not only) in the story is absolutely extraordinary and I can’t tell how emotional it made me to see one of my favourite 19th century paintings among the ones the author chose as support for her novel. I loved how M. Scott used a lot of folkloreS, even if she focused a bit more on the Vampires (in such an original way!) and Celtic Mythology (which is one of my fav’), allowing –among others– the themes of memory, manipulation and propaganda to weave between each other.

The characters are intense, and just like the rest, complex in the best of ways. I absolutely adored how fragile Nicole and Kylan are, despite their statute of “top hunters''. I know the main metaphor is the passage to adulthood and how Nicole accepts and welcomes the change. However, as an autistic person, for whom diagnostic came late in life, this echoes also differently. How difficult is it to mask but also feels indispensable to feel safe. How the world can be hard to deal with (the way transformation into Empyreal –and its aftermath– is written was such a mirror of how meltdown, shutdown and burnout can impact body and mind). How unmasking can be both liberating and terrifying. (The way Nicole two facets can represent both strength and weakness is another point (I call my autism the alliage of a unicorn and a dragon)
I know it wasn’t the main message –and that the unmasking metaphor can be used for many other situations– but I felt seen anyway. And it’s not so frequent.

All that makes The Temptation of Magic a breath-taking coming of age story, a true page turner, in which the relationship between the main characters has a great tension (in all the possible ways) but is also weaved with a lot of mystery, action, twists, turns and myths,and wrapped into a deeply immersive writing. I wish I could write more about them both, and all the wonderful side characters, there is so much to say. I loved them deeply, but I don’t want to spoil.
That book is a debut novel, but Megan Scott definitely became one of my auto-read with this one, especially knowing that it is the first book of a trilogy. I can’t wait to know what will happen next because I found one of my unicorns here!
See you again in one year and one day!


Thank you NetGalley, Megan Scott and HarperCollins/Magpie for this ARC. My opinions are my own.

I LOVED this book! It was interesting and intriguing. The world had me hooked from the very beginning. I will 100% be recommending this to everyone.

✧.* Art history mixed with magic and supernatural beings ♡

The plot follows Nicole, a supernatural being called an Empyreal with the ability to kill every other supernatural thing in existence, who is currently hiding from the Wake, a secret organization that will do anything in their power to force Nicole and all other Empyreals to become their hunters. If they catch her, she would either face an eternity doing their bidding, or be killed just like her mother. Dedicated to find out what her mother had been working on before her death, Nicole narrows the missing piece down to an art collection in a local manor. But right before she starts her research, Kyan, the Wake’s best Empyreal, is sent on a hunt in her small town. And when things start to take a turn, Nicole and Kyan must work together to uncover buried truths.

TROPES:
» unlikely allies
» forbidden love
» art history
» supernatural lore & mythology
» conspiracy theories
» questionable organizations

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ THE WORLD BUILDING is cozy and not overwhelming whatsoever. The description of the settings are straight to the point but with just enough detail to help paint the scene and set an atmosphere. I loved the incorporation of a small university town and how it really helped bring the art history research aspect of the novel. And speaking of art history I absolutely adored how art is used as common ground to help bring the supernatural world and the real world together ♡

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ THE PLOT in the beginning was a little bit slow in the beginning for me but it definitely picked up in the middle. And did I mention that the story is told from two povs? Anywho, once the plot picked up I absolutely could not put it down and the cliffhanger at the end should be illegal!

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ THE CHARACTERS are absolutely enthralling and well developed and I just adore them. Nicole is smart and clever but her biggest challenge (with herself) is her fear for her safety and her family’s safety and this made her feel so real to me. Her relationship with her family is one of my favorite things about this book and I loved seeing such a wholesome and heartwarming family! And where do I even start with Kyan? His character’s past runs so deep and with so much baggage but he hides it behind a mask but Nicole bringing out the softer side of him is so wholesome and cute ♡

This book is such a wonderful read and I highly recommend checking it out if you enjoyed reading Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin ♡

Thank you so much to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for an ARC of The Temptation of Magic in exchange for an honest review! ♡

This book had so many things going for it! It had a gorgeous misty coastal-town setting that made me think of Curious Tides but some of the mind/vision fantasy aspects woven in with all the art history which made me think of Call Down the Hawk.

As someone interested in folk and British mythology, there was so much to get excited about. The story kept all the beauty and magic found in traditional tales, but also gave the whole plot a sharp edge with the viciousness of the world of the Empyreals.

This was also one of the best slow-burns I've read in a while, a perfect combination of 'I don't trust you' and 'there actually is so much plot going on that it would be impractical for us to get together now' which only made the eventual relationship more potent.

I was really impressed by this over all and think it makes for a fantastic debut. I will definitely be keeping an eye out for future books in this series!

Great debut!

This year, I had the luck of picking up books with a great, sweep-you-off-your-feet romance, and after The Crimson Moth, it was The Temptation of Magic's turn. I love virtually everything about this romance. Nicole and Kyan had amazing chemistry! The setting felt also very dark academia, and the prose was sublime.

Amazing vibes and story, I need the next book!!

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for this eCopy to review

I absolutely loved The Temptation of Magic and did not want it to end. I was completely swept up by Nicole and Kyan, their secrets, their tasks and their relationship. The characters and settings are well described, I felt like I was there with them. I can not wait to see where the series goes and Megan Scott has become one of my must read immediately authors.

This is such a fantastic example of well-written, upper-YA fantasy and I LOVED IT! ✨

The story follows Nicole, an “Empereal” in hiding in a world that would punish her for having her powers. Laying low in Cornwall with her family, she runs into the most powerful hunter in the Wake, the very organisation that is seeking her kind out to force her to take an oath and join them 😱

Between the unique magic system, the forbidden romance and the gorgeous setting Eastwood, I literally couldn’t put the book down! 🥹The novel has a really interesting mystery vibe that had me hooked and I flew through the last 1/4 of the book. I’m so glad that this is only book one of the series because I can’t wait for the next! 📖

Also shoutout to the stunning cover! When my physical book-buying ban ends this will be one I’ll be grabbing in hardback 😍

Thank you so much to @netgalley @meganscott_writer and @harpercollinsuk for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!


#bookstagram #bookreview #bookrecommendation #whatimreading #bookstagramuk #thetemptationofmagic #beautifulbooks

4.5 ☆
The Temptation of Magic by Megan Scott , a contemporary fantasy with a forbidden romance, enemies to lovers, paranormal academia vibes and a lot of creatures, magic and powers!
•
The story is set in a small university town in Cornwall and follows Nicole, a supernatural who is fighting against the urge to become who she truly is, a powerful huntress with the ability to hunt and kill other deadly creatures and she’s also an art student.
Once she goes through her first transformation, she risks herself and her family being discovered by the Wake, a mysterious and powerful organisation that governs supernatural creatures. The organisation that claims to protect the peace in the world. The organisation that killed Nicole’s mother, and will inevitably kill Nicole and her family if they know who she truly is.
Everything changes the day another supernatural creature comes to their small town, followed by a deadly Empyreal called Kyan, who is there on Wake’s orders.
•
Can I say that I loved EVERYTHING?? Megan Scott’s debut was truly amazing! The plot was delicious and was keeping me on my toes throughout the book. I loved the writing style A LOT!! But also the setting and the world building… chef’s kiss!!!
I loved the whole cast of characters and the MCs Kyan and Nicole are very different, but they became such a great team together. Their banter was top tier, and the sparks were real. I can’t wait to see how their romance progresses in the next books!
I also really liked the overall vibes! I felt like I was reading an old school paranormal romance combined with vibes from Da Vinci Code and a Study in Drowning!! And the fact that the book revolves around art and mythology in an academic context was an added value!
•
Thanks to Netgalley, Harper Voyager UK, Magpie and Megan Scott for providing me with this ARC!

I loved the characters and the vibes they give off. The magic system's uniqueness caught my attention and kept me hooked. It started off really strong and kept me intrigued, but I felt that in the middle it sort of dragged. However, it picked up again towards the end.

I was so very pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book as I am not a huge fan of the genre. But I could literally not put it down! The worldbuilding is fantastic and I loved the idea of this quaint little cornish village where the whole story takes place, it felt very real. In terms of main characters I felt there was enough character development to maintain my interest and make me feel invested to find out how it all ends (spoiler alert, this book is the first in a trilogy). But there is something special about how the relationship between Nicole and Kyan develops and even though you can't relate due to the supernatural nature of things, you definitely join them on their journey. The supporting characters also felt well presented and real and actually they all work very well as an ensemble. The plot is fast paced and the mythological/historical elements& creatures mentioned, I personally found very interesting.
I will admit, I have not read The Fourth Wing or ACOTAR, so I don't know how similar or not this type of story is but I definitely got Twilight (there is even a mention!) and Vampire Diaries vibes, which I quite enjoyed. My only consideration is that it's placed as upper YA and there is some explicit content, but again, I have not read enough to comment on that.

Overall a highly entertaining read. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my review copy, all opinions are my own.

I DNF'd
There wasn't anything wrong with this I just got 20% in and didn't want to pick it up again. It's probably more my problem than the book

I enjoyed this book so much, it was definitely a page tuner. It really fit the vibe of the books I usually gravitate towards. Firstly, the concept of Empyreals was so unique and brilliant, the world building as a whole, the mix of myths and facts. the detailed descriptions pulled me. The characters were so likeable, I did not feel bored with their characterization, the dialogue, their motives that moved the plot along.

The novel had all the promising elements I usually enjoy, such as dark academia, a school setting, and forbidden romance in a supernatural world. However, despite its intriguing premise, the execution and writing left much to be desired.

From the outset, I struggled to fully immerse myself in the story. The characters and dialogue felt like they were plucked straight from the early 2008 era of books, which made the narrative feel dated and out of touch. The logic of certain scenes and the behaviors of the characters were often baffling and inconsistent, making it difficult to connect with or care about their character.
There were moments where I found myself putting the book down for days at a time, struggling to muster the enthusiasm to pick it back up. The story had potential, but the lack of coherence and the dated character portrayals significantly hindered my enjoyment.

Overall, while I appreciate the opportunity to read and review this book, it ultimately did not meet my expectations.
Thank you once again to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction, for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the eARC!

The Temptation of Magic doesn't do anything revolutionary, but it did satisfy my craving for an easy-to-read fantasy with supernatural creatures and our two protagonists working together for their own interests The protagonists were likable and I was well-invested in their story enough to finish it within the span of a few days. Looking forward to the sequel!!