¡Buenos días,
arrebatadores! ¿Os apetece que hablemos de magia? A mí me entusiasma leer libros que
incluyan magia de todo tipo. La novela de hoy, SYPHON'S SONG, de Anise Rae, es una fantasía moderna que trata de una
mujer que ha ocultado durante toda su vida el poder prohibido con el que nació.
Es capaz de absorber los poderes mágicos de los magos, en especial aquél con el
que está místicamente conectada. Su familia la exilió a vivir con los humanos
exentos de magia, es decir, nosotros. Allí intenta dedicarse a la música, lo
que más adora, y pasar desapercibida. Claro que no habría historia si lo
consiguiera, ¿no? ;o)
Su horrible familia la obliga a viajar al territorio de otra
familia fundadora para recuperar el cadáver de su abuelo, encontrado allí con
una nota sospechosa. Desde ese momento, su anonimato se romperá como una
burbuja delicada. El hombre al que conoció trece años atrás, y a cuyos poderes
está vinculada, decide divulgar su secreto, reclamarla para su familia y
conquistarla. Ella, por supuesto, lucha con todas sus fuerzas por escapar y se
mete en líos tremendos porque todo el mundo quiere matarla.
Me han gustado muchos elementos de esta novela. Tiene un
romance pasional, lo que siempre ayuda, pero lo mejor de todo son dos cosas. Primero,
la magia. Luego, el misterio del asesinato como fondo de todas las
conspiraciones, estrategias y manipulaciones políticas de las familias.
La magia afecta a todas las situaciones diarias como conducir
un coche, cerrar puertas, peinarse. Es divertidísimo. Y tan original como su
uso más tradicional, es decir, el origen de la magia, sus centros de poder, su
jerarquía. Bronte, la syphon, es muy independiente, con lo que está intentando
escapar a todas horas del destino que le impone su familia o la del coronel, su
cabezota enamorado. Como consecuencia, acaba en medio de secuestros, reyertas,
conspiraciones terroristas... Así que la novela no para de producir escenas de
enfrentamientos sociales, duelos de poder y acción en las que los personajes
son muy variados y vienen cargados de sorpresas. Vamos, ha sido de lo más
entretenida y original.
Syphon’s Song
Mayflower Mages
Book One
Anise Rae
Genre:
Paranormal Romance
Publisher:
Lyrical Press/Kensington
Date
of Publication: March 3, 2014
Number
of pages: 359
Word
Count: 98,000
Cover
Artist: Renee Rocco
Legends say a syphon can drain a mage dry. He’ll brave
the danger. Will she?
Someone’s playing pranks. The body of the late Casteel
patriarch has been stolen and gifted to the family’s enemy, the powerful
Rallises. As far as Bronte Casteel is concerned, they can keep it. She hasn’t
spoken to her family in thirteen years, not since they exiled her from society
for her lack of mage power. But she’s a syphon mage, able drain another mage’s
power. Syphons’ destinies are always the same: death by fiery stake. She hides
her secret by living among the Nons--powerless humans and the lowest class in
the Republic. When her family orders her to go plead for the body’s return, she
comes face to face with the one man who knows her secret.
Colonel Vincent Rallis isn’t letting his syphon get
away this time. Not when she’s under suspicion of body-napping and aiding anti-mage
terrorists. He’ll prove her innocence whether she wants him to or not, and then
convince her they belong together...forever.
Vincent’s help comes with a steep price: Bronte must
reveal her power. The inevitable ensuing witch-hunt and trial would be bad
enough, but even a tough girl might buckle if her prosecutors are her own
parents.
CONTENT WARNING:
Hot, steamy nights with the colonel’s magic touch
A Lyrical Press Paranormal Romance
MY OPINION OF SYPHON'S SONG
Dangerous
magic, forbidden passion, and tyranny? Yes, please! The first thing that
grabbed my attention was the line from the synopsis that reminded me of witches
being branded and killed for their power. Of course, sultry nights with a
certain colonel didn't exactly deter me from reading ;o)
Legend has it
that a syphon could suck a mage's power dry. That's why they were persecuted
and burnt at the stake. Nowadays, Bronte lives in exile in the Southern
territories among people with no magical powers. Rejected by her kin, one of
the founding families, she's been struggling against prejudice, solitude, and a
dangerous knowledge that can mean her doom.
Until she's
summoned to the Rallis family's territory to act as messenger in a grisly
matter. Face to face with the man she met thirteen years ago, legend is about
to become reality. Colonel Vicent Rallis is bent on revealing her secret to the
world and claiming her for his own.
Loved it!
From the first page of solid writing and exciting premise, this novel has won
me over with all kinds of wonderful elements. The magic that runs in each
family has many possibilities ranging from deflecting spells to talking to a
single person without anybody hearing the conversation or blasting whole
landscapes away. It was very interesting to see how magic affects all sorts of
daily things such as locking doors or driving cars.
Not all is
fancy though. Life in these lands is harsh and tightly ruled by the powerful families.
Sponsorship and permits are essential to travel, work and exist without
breaking the law. My favourite part of the novel is its worldbuiling. The
powers and how their wielders react to its effects, the territories where magic
is marked, the music that is reserved to mages, all contribute to a highly
detailed context for the plot. Politics and strategy are wonderfully
exemplified by Vincent's family. They support him in every way and rally to his
cause without remorse or hesitancy. I liked that trait of theirs. As I
appreciated Vincent's loyalty and determination to protect Bronte, even against
her instincts. She is fiercely independent, but she's always been so scared
that she's living half a life. Through many trials will she free herself.
I was just hoping she'd get an extra
reward in Vincent's feelings for her. I do love a man in love!
Bronte is a
damsel in much distress, always fighting to the last consequences but finding
herself in even more dire circumstances due to her desperate desire to be free.
Manipulated, betrayed, hated, this syphon is in the middle of brutal political
and magical schemes that push her to the brink of death. That made for very
good scenes. It's a very geared-up plot with lots of scheming, espionage,
terrorism, and maneuvering. And a romance with a sexy night in too.
A fantastic
read, this is a thrilling, fast-paced adventure full of plot twists and
action-packed magic that never stops entertaining.
**
About the Author...
Anise Rae grew up among the cornfields and soybeans of
Ohio, dreaming of being a ballerina, an astronaut, and a romance writer. Thanks
to her soul deep love of chocolate and a lack of natural grace, her ballerina
dreams floated away as high as the moon, equidistant with the astronaut
aspiration. She stuck with writing.
Now transplanted to the south, Anise lives in the
suburbs of Atlanta with her kids and a dog gifted with the power of finding
dirty socks.
Syphon’s Song, a 2012 Maggie Award of Excellence
finalist, is the first book in the Mayflower Mages series.
Author
photo by www.surianiphoto.com
GIVEAWAY TIME
¿Os gustaría protagonizar una novela en la que sois una heroína perseguida por su poder? Resulta inquietante, pero da para mucho argumento ;o)
Babel soplando para apagar la pira.