Book Review: The Temptation of Magic (Empyreal #1) by Megan Scott

Rating: ★★★
Audience: NA Fantasy Romance
Length: 384 pages
Author: Megan Scott
Publisher: Harper Collins
Release Date: August 27th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Nicole Palmer has needed to study the supernatural art in a local Cornish manor for years. Encoded in it is the last message from her mother on how to stay safe from The Wake—the organization that governs all supernaturals. As an Empyreal, Nicole has the ability to hunt and kill dangerous creatures, making her invaluable. But if her power was ever triggered, they would find her, use her, and then kill her.

Like they did her mother.

Securing an undergraduate research role to study the collection, Nicole discovers her greatest enemy—one of The Wake’s Empyreals. Kyan McCarter is their best hunter, stationed at the manor to track and kill a deadly creature, but when they realise a painting’s been stolen by his prey, Nicole and Kyan are forced to work together to find it.

As the creature threatens to expose Nicole’s power, her tenuous alliance with Kyan threatens her heart. If Kyan finds out what she is, he’ll hunt her next—or risk execution. No one disobeys The Wake and survives. Especially not when the art they’re seeking holds the key to a conspiracy that could get them both killed, and change the lives of creatures, and humans, forever.

SERPENT AND DOVE meets A DISCOVERY OF WITCHES, in this luxurious, forbidden romance.

NEVER FULLY ENGAGED.

I kept waiting for this book to really GRAB me and the further I got into the audiobook the more I realized, I just didn’t care. There was nothing inherently wrong with the plot, I thought the characters were fine, but it was missing something that I could not nail down yet desperately needed.

The romance left me wanting too. I had heard that there was a fated mates trope in here (which I love, but lets me down too often) and the let down was more present here. It was fine. Though, FYI, this is NOT young adult — it seems tagged that way on Goodreads — it’s NA for the sexual content, but more YA in writing style.

And while I loved the dark academia x monster fae concept, I am realizing I was still confused by the magic and world building. There were a lot of crisscrossing names and terms that I got lost in the shuffle.

I’m not sure I’ll continue the series.

Overall audience notes: