Bumpy Oak Books

4 stars

**I was provided an electronic ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**

LR Braden’s debut novel, A Drop of Magic, is part murder mystery, part preternatural fantasy, and one solid good time.

The reader follows the perspective of metalsmith Alex Blackwood as she learns about the recent murder of her friend, Aiden. Alex is quickly drawn into a tangled web of secrets about Aiden himself and how the fae may or may not be involved in how he died. In the process, she learns some shocking truths about herself and has to adapt quickly to avoid death herself as she seeks justice for Aiden.

While the pacing of the story seemed a little disjointed to start, the approach that Braden took to magical artifacts, magical beings, and the overall world was one that I really enjoyed. Alex was an accessible main character whose naivete and ignorance about the fae realm gave Braden opportunities to educate the reader on the world as well. That being said, I found myself more invested in the “side” characters (Malakai, Marcus, James) than I was in Alex herself. Shout out for a glimmer of LGBTQ rep in David as well! I think Cat might be my favorite 🙂

I liked that Braden had a couple twists thrown into the story, and that not everything flowed perfectly for Alex and Malakai as they completed their investigation. Braden’s writing style lends itself toward an authentic vibe that made it easy to lose yourself in the story. Was this a unique take on the concepts or creatures in this novel? Maybe not, but certainly Braden’s version of preternatural mystery was done well and was an absolutely respectable debut.

Overall, I found A Drop of Magic to be an entertaining read that left me smiling. I will definitely be on the lookout for more from Braden, and would absolutely recommend this book to Laurell K Hamilton fans or anyone else looking for a fast paced fun read.