Book: A Magic So Deadly by Vasilisa Drake
Reviewed by Your_bookish_fantasy
Rating: 4/5
๐๐ ๐ข๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ข
โ๏ธ๐ป๐๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฃ๐๐ง๐๐๐จ ๐ ๐- A Magic so deadly
๐ ๐๐ฆ ๐ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ญ ๐ซ๐๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฐ๐๐ซ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฒ๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ซ ๐ค๐ข๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐๐ง ๐๐๐ ๐๐จ๐ฉ๐ฒ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ซ๐๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ฐ, ๐ข๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ค๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฌ๐๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ง๐ค ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐ฌ ๐ข ๐ฉ๐ฎ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ฌ๐ก ๐ฆ๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐ก๐จ๐ง๐๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ฎ๐ ๐ก๐ญ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐จ๐ค.
โ๏ธโ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ค-
(out of 5 stars, my rating scale is at the end)
๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ.25 / 5
๐ก๏ธ ๐ฆ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ถ๐ซ/ 5 -๐โ๐๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ก ๐๐ฆ ๐บ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ โ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ค ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ก๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐๐๐
Which books have I also given this same rating? (๐ ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ข ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ฆ ๐ ๐ก๐ฆ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ ๐ก๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐ค๐)
5โญ๏ธ Fourth wing / Bound by inked flame / Anathama / The Lies of Lena / Of silver and Curses
4.5โญ๏ธ Bitten / The Female / Quicksilver / Bride / Lights Out / A Bargain so Bloody
4โญ๏ธ Spellcaster / One Dark Window / From Blood and Ash / Phantasma / Butcher & Blackbird
3โญ๏ธWe Who Will Die / The Wolf King / Daughter of No Worlds / The Ex Hex
โ๏ธ๐๐๐ช ๐๐๐๐ :
Genre- Fantasy Romance
๐ 479 ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ๐
๐โ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ multi ๐ฃ๐ข๐ฉ
๐ฅ๐ฒ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ- June 30, 2026
๐ฃ๐น๐ผ๐ or ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ driven? ๐๐ฝ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ธ๐โฏ๐
๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ ๐ก๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ & ๐๐ผ๐ผ๐ธ ๐ป๐ผ- Kingdom of Dark Magic, book 2
๐๐๐ฎ๐ถ๐น๐ฎ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ on ๐๐จ? โ ๐ดโฏ๐
๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ- ๐๐โด๐
๐ ๐ฒ๐บ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ? โ๐ฎ๐ถ๐น๐๐, ๐โด.
๐๐ง๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง? (Disability, plus size, mental health etc...)โ
๐๐พ๐น ๐พ โฏ๐๐ฟโด๐ ๐๐ฝ๐พ๐?โ
๐ฒ๐พ๐๐ ๐พ ๐โฏ๐ถ๐น ๐๐ฝโฏ ๐โฏ๐๐ ๐ทโดโด๐ ๐พ๐ ๐๐ฝ๐พ๐ ๐โฏ๐๐พโฏ๐?โ
๐ฒโด๐๐๐น ๐พ ๐โฏ๐ถ๐น ๐ถ๐๐๐๐ฝ๐พ๐๐ โฏ๐๐โฏ ๐ท๐ ๐๐ฝ๐พ๐ ๐ถ๐๐๐ฝโด๐?โ
โ๏ธ๐โ๐ผโ๐๐ผ๐ ๐โ ๐๐๐โ๐:
โฐ๏ธ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
๐งโโ๏ธ๐๐ฆ๐ฑ๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฐ
๐งโโ๏ธ๐ฝ๐๐
โ๏ธ๐๐ก๐๐๐ ๐ฝ๐๐๐ฅ๐ค:
๐ค๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐น๐๐ถ
๐ฅ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ฐ ๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐ง
๐ฅต๐๐พ๐๐๐ ๐ฏ๐ถ๐๐
๐๐ป๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ก
๐๐๐ง๐ ๐๐๐
๐ก ๐๐๐ก๐ช๐๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐๐ก๐๐๐จ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐ค๐ซ๐๐ง๐จ
๐๐๐ฌ๐ฏ๐๐ฆ๐ก๐ก๐ข๐ซ ๐ฏ๐ฌ๐ช๐๐ซ๐ ๐ข
๐๐ฎ๐
๐พ๐ธโฏ ๐พ๐๐ธ๐โฏ๐ถ๐โฏ๐ ๐๐พ๐๐ฝ โฏ๐ถ๐ธ๐ฝ ๐ทโดโด๐
๐ก๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐
๐ฉธBlood-sharing intimacy
โ๏ธ๐โ๐โ๐ผ๐
๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ฅ๐ค & ๐น๐๐ฅ๐ฃ๐๐ช๐๐๐ค
๐งญโ๐ฆ๐๐ค๐ฅ๐ค
๐๐ก๐ธ๐๐ช๐ต ๐ฒ๐ท๐ฝ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฐ๐พ๐ฎ
โฏ๏ธโ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐/๐ป๐๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ค
๐งฌ ๐๐ง๐ค๐ง๐จ๐ฐ๐ง ๐๐จ๐ฐ๐๐ซ ๐๐๐๐ซ๐ง๐ข๐ง๐
๐งฉ๐ญ๐๐๐๐๐
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
โ ๏ธ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฃ ๐๐๐...
๐งจ๐๐๐ค๐ค๐ช ๐ฝ๐โ
๐ฅ Revenge
๐ Bridge-book syndrome
๐ ๐๐ ๐ฃ๐๐ ๐๐ฆ๐๐๐๐๐๐, ๐จ๐ฃ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐๐๐:
The world building was brilliant yet again, we got travelling time and 2 new places to explore. We were treated to more lore sprinkled about the story and many more types of characters.
I really enjoy the authors writing style, it pulls you in and holds you close. We get age and theme appropriate terms and a wide array of โbig wordsโ (3 of which I had to look up!)
The beginning of the book threw up even more questions, it was steady pacing but stalled out come the middle of the book.
so much of the middle felt like it was just the characters planning and chatting about the plot instead of anything actually being done and the plot moving forward. The political intrigue was good, it kept me alert and reading but it stayed there, standing still, slowing the pace for far too long without actually adding anything to the story or increasing the stakes .
Although I enjoyed the book, I feel that now itโs ended we actually got a very low stakes plot until the end. It felt very much like issues were created to seem enticing but were quite invalid- like the ones Sam made up/ created in her own mind, plus there was very little tension, no mystery, and looking back the book was just a kind of quest and side quest while Sam repeatedly teased Raphael for him to get a look of hope in his eyes before she then turned around and said "wait, no, we can'tโ
The end of the book was the best part, it was fast paced and exhilarating, filled with- acceptance, honest conversations, emotional vulnerability, higher stakes, understanding and answers, relationship progression, huge political drama, and so many consequences that I just didnโt see coming! And that final twist at the endโฆ. Noooooooo! No way! I donโt believe it!
๐งโโ๏ธ โ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ฃ๐ค:
The MMC
This male is green flag energy, he spends the entire book tending to her smallest wants and needs and proving devotion isnโt always coupled with obsession.
I loved his jealous side, but I also loved his caring and patient sides too.
But, Raphael is like a lovesick golden retriever at the FMC's every beck and call. It got a bit irritating because he wasnโt clear with his desires, presumably to not scare her but he could have made her at least feel secure. This annoyance wasnโt exactly miscommunication, but it would have been a nice simple fix with a little chat or two.
What I appreciated most was that his love for her never felt manipulative or controlling. He was always pushing Samara to become independent, to learn new skills, own her body and her mind and to be free and have fun - even when wanted to do was to lock her up and never let her leave.
The FMC
I really enjoyed seeing Samara's worldview challenged and start to grow. There was some character growth here but not nearly enough as many opportunities for understanding and simple acceptance were glossed over.
After everything she has been brought up to โknowโ, it made sense that accepting her new reality wouldn't happen easily. Watching her start to question her prejudices, beliefs, and education while also struggling with her new identity and grappling with what she believes she has lost was one of the best parts of the book. I truly enjoyed how she started to realise the world wasn't as black and white as she'd been taught but I didnโt enjoy how little this side of her was pushed.
She is supposed to be โanalyticalโ and takes great pleasure in tinkering an working things out, yet her master plan consists of only โget awayโ and she never explains why she wants to or why itโs the only option. I get she has grown up believing vampires are all monsters, but when confronted with so much evidence against that thought she still couldnโt ease off her opinion even just a little. Itโs like the FMC was dumbed down so much, because when her world view widened to see that it was her king that ordered her mothers death, her king that imprisoned and starved a vampire and her king that makes the rules and controls the knowledge, she still wouldnโt budge. This annoyed me! Greatly. Why would she feel the desperate need to fight for her kin when they are the ones tt treated her so badly, the locked her up, they ordered her mothers death, this goes beyond believably stubborn and right into willful ignorance.
๐ฅ ๐๐๐ช ๐๐ ๐๐๐ง๐ ๐ค๐ฅ๐๐ฃ๐ค?
Because someone decided to turn a solid Duology into a trilogy and that spread this middle instalment to thin and slow.
โณ ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ ๐ ๐ฃ๐-๐ฃ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ฃ ๐ฃ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐?
Yes and yes
๐ชง๐ฝ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ฅ๐ค:
I really did enjoy this book. However I wanted to love it.
A good middle installment with a great mmc, slow burn payoff, we get answers but we also get more intrigue and a cliff hanger to shock and blindside even the most seasoned reader.
The steamy moments and devotion made this book for me!
๐น๐๐๐๐๐ค ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ค๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ข๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐๐ ;
๐๐๐๐๐ ๐
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*
๐๐ช โ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ ๐๐ช๐ค๐ฅ๐๐๐ค:
โญ๏ธ DNF
โญ๏ธโญ๏ธ
I managed to finish it but it was rubbish. I won't keep a physical copy and won't recommend it, but it's a shame as the plot could have made a good book in another author's hands
โญ๏ธโญ๏ธ.5
It was OK. I wish I didn't start this one as it didn't do it for me as I struggled to read it. It had an interesting premise that fell flat but I had to see what happened in the end.
โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ
I don't regret reading it, and I will read the next one, but this one did have a few flaws. [These could be repetitive writing, gaps or plot holes, better character growth or world building, areas needing more detail]
Generally, the book lacked depth and became confusing. The plot resonated with me even though it annoyed me on the whole.
โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ.5
I'm glad I read it. I enjoyed it and would recommend it to the right people, but I wanted more! Sadly, it's easily forgettable with a few issues I just couldn't overlook/get past.
โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ
Good book! I loved it, but... I needed more! I really did enjoy it, but it had a few parts that needed more detail or added history/background or lore. But that's because the story or characters were memorable, and the plot was strong with brilliant twists. I would re-read if I needed to catch up for the next book and would recommend.
โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ.5
Great book! I truly wish the story had been thought about more, or the author had been given more time as this book is so close to brilliance! I will likely read again and will definitely be recommending it to all!
โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ
WOW! Absolutely amazing book! Well written with great characters and a plot so memorable that it will stay with me. I will definitely read this again, I will be recommending it and sharing it with the whole world! Also- I NEED A PHYSICAL COPY!
๐ฅโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ๐ฅ
This is my God level tier. The book must be perfectly memorable. Even after reading 50+ more books, I will remember character names and emotions along with the plot. If there is a special edition, then I need to own it! If there is a conversation on books- I'm talking about this!
SPICE SCALE:
๐ถ๏ธโ segsual language and a little on-page action
๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธโ a lot of segsual language and some on-page open door action, may be occurring a couple of times
๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธโ a lot of explicit action and dirty talk, occurring frequently with 2/3 lurvers
๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ โ super graphic and explicit, occurring 4 or more times, can be more grey and taboo themed.
๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ โ Kinks and Fet!shism, explicit and super graphic. It is likely to be tushy play, toys, playrooms, and more dark / taboo fantasies and realities.