Audio: Binding Magick by Debbie Cassidy @amoscassidy @Zehrajane @TantorAudio

Posted February 28, 2018 by Robin in Book Review / 5 Comments

Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.


Audio: Binding Magick by Debbie Cassidy @amoscassidy @Zehrajane @TantorAudio Binding Magick by Debbie Cassidy
Narrator: Zehra Jane Naqvi
Series: Witch Blood Chronicles #1
Published by Tantor Audio on February 20, 2018
Genres: Urban Fantasy
Length: 7 hours, 19 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: Publisher
Goodreads
AmazonAudibleLibro.fm
two-flames
One StarOne StarOne StarOne Star

For Carmella Hunter, a witch blood with practically no magick, being surrounded by powerful friends has taken its toll. For once it would be nice to be the one doing the saving. Stuck in a dead end job in Piccadilly’s favourite bakery, Carmella spends her days making cinnamon rolls and her evenings feeding the homeless, all the while dreaming of making a difference.

One huge pastry order for the Covens annual meet and an attack of flu germs leaves Carmella delirious with a fever—too delirious to avoid a fateful bargain with a djinn named Paimon. Bound to do his bidding, his seductive voice in her head and his infuriating arrogance make the partnership a trying one. With Paimon, Carmella gets her first taste of power. A power she must use to track down the monsters hunting Paimon’s people. Suddenly Carmella isn’t so helpless anymore.

Things get complicated when her boss, and close friend, goes missing, and the enforcement agencies don’t seem too bothered about looking for a celestial dancer who likes to sleep around. With the help of Mal Banner, the Piccadilly Coven Elder Witch and self professed playboy, Carmella finally has the opportunity to be the hero she’s always wanted to be.

But someone doesn’t want Carmella digging. Someone will go to any lengths to make her stop.

 

With the first chapter of Binding Magick,  I knew a few things:  

1 – I totally loved the main character Carmella because I got her instantly as soon as she opened with “Nights out sucked. When had that happened? When had I become the comfy pants and slippers woman? Nah, clubbing just didn’t do it for me anymore. The loud music, the flirting, the excessive drinking … no longer fun. Love the getting dressed up bit, but an hour into the night and my slippers would be calling.”  I hear you girl.  I am you.

2 –  This is not your standard Urban Fantasy with vampires and werewolves.  There are things that act a little like them, but it’s so much more with Angel like creatures, Demi-gods and goddesses, Djinn (genies to lay folk)  AND witching families, just to name a few of the interesting facets to the story.  I love it when authors think outside of the box and add in interesting lore.

And 3 – This is the first book in a series but not the first book in this world.  That always is a good thing for me especially if I enjoy the world I always want to spend more time in it later.  Even though there are other books in this world, I think it read fine as the first of a series and I never felt like I was missing much from the other books.

Carmella is the nice girl, the one that will help you out when you are in a bind and the one who gets left behind as her friends go on to fight big fights and the man she loves dumped her to go after a powerful witch.  Carmella isn’t powerful; she might be a witch but she hasn’t really ever been able to do anything with her power.  So when something comes along and wants to hide in her consciousness to figure out why some of his people are being kidnapped she of coarse wants to help in exchange for some power.  Well, that isn’t entirely true; Carmella might have been a little out of her head when she initially agreed to the bargain and she is a bit resistant at first but after some fun shenanigans she gets on board with it.

I loved that Carmella is a little lost in her life at the moment.  The man she thought she wanted is in love with someone else, the job she worked really hard for didn’t really pan out and her family is completely absent because a witch with no magic isn’t exactly valuable to a witching family.  She is a little down on her luck and at a perfect point in her life to flip the switch and change everything.  With a Djinn in her head, she is picking up a little more confidence all the time.  Which is good because I thought Carmella kicked ass.

This is a great introductory story.  There are a few potential love interests for the series.  One of them completely forbidden so you know that is the one I’m rooting for.  A few extra special bad guys and potential bad guys.  One big bad fought against but I don’t think it was the bad at the top of the food chain. And just a great introduction to Carmella and some of her friends and allies that I’m sure will fight all the forces of evil in the near future.

Just an FYI.  I’m never bothered by language but the F-word is thrown around here and there in this.  If you are super sensitive to stuff like that it might bother you.  For the most part it was endearing to me, since it was like Bridget Jones swearing and so most of the time I laughed.

I’m excited to continue on with the series.

 

Audio Note:  This is written by an English author and so most of the narration done by Zehra Jane Naqvi is very English accented.  I totally thought made Carmella more adorable but I’m completely American and all accents are cool.  I think she did most of the voices in this very well and I completely liked the narration.  

 

Notable Quotables:

“There are killers, there are saviors, and then there are saviors willing to kill. You’re a savior Carmella. You’ll always look for ways to save lives, good or bad, and in the heat of battle, when on mission, hesitation will get you killed.”

— Melody Parker

 

He sighed. He has a piece of you, and you must claim it back.

A piece of me? “Yeah? And how do I do that?”

By giving it to someone else.

Sod it. I’m not giving anything to anyone ever again.

— Carmella and Paimon

 

Listen to a clip here.

About Debbie Cassidy

Debbie Cassidy is a 39 year old multi-tasking ninja who lives in England, Bedfordshire, with her three kids and very supportive husband. Coffee and chocolate biscuits are her writing fuels of choice, and she is still working on getting that perfect tower of solitude built in her back garden. Debbie has been writing for eight years under the pen name Amos Cassidy with her best friend, Richard Amos, but Forest of Demons is her first solo venture, and the first book in a four book high fantasy saga.

You can connect with Debbie via her website at amoscassidyauthor.com. Check out her personal page and her other books under the pen name Amos Cassidy. You won’t be left without a great read while you wait for the next installment in the Forest of Demons saga.

Rating Breakdown
Plot
One StarOne StarOne StarOne Star
Writing
One StarOne StarOne StarOne Star
Characters
One StarOne StarOne StarOne Star
Dialogue
One StarOne StarOne StarOne StarHalf a Star
Narration (Audio)
One StarOne StarOne StarOne Star
Overall: One StarOne StarOne StarOne Star
Robin
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Posted February 28, 2018 by Robin in Book Review / 5 Comments


5 responses to “Audio: Binding Magick by Debbie Cassidy

  1. This sounds quite interesting. I’ll have to check this one out. I like that it features other supernaturals. I’m always on the look out for great UF or PNR that features those unique kind of sups. Thank’s for sharing and wonderful review.

    • It’s horrible when I read all these reviews and then I want to read or listen to them also. AAARgh. It’s so hard, when you want to read / listen full-time. lol

    • Me too. Don’t get me wrong sometime a vampire/warewolf book is great but I really like it when UF thinks outside of the box and tries out other Lore cultures. This seemed to have some Indian and middle eastern culture inspired lore which I really appreciated.

      • I don’t have even half the time I want to have to dedicate to reading/listening so I have that problem all the time to. but at least I know there are so many good books out there when I have some time to get to them.