Honestly, I didn't love this one. (And, if we are being honest, I didn't completely finish it--around halfway through I decided that boredom and outright avoiding the book was probably a good indication that I should give up, lest I put myself into a slump.) I wanted to like it--the concept was cool, and scientist main characters are always a plus in my book, especially when they're female--but it just fell flat in the execution, unfortunately.

Per my personal policy, this review will not be posted on my blog, nor will I put a star rating up for it on Goodreads, as I do not like to put full ratings for books I have not finished. Perhaps someday I'll give it another go--maybe it picks up later?--but that seems unlikely.

I had a hard time with this book. It was very hard to follow the plot for a lot of the book. The world building was a little lacking.

The redeeming point - the main female character Jordan, a take charge scientist and fighter. She was very likable as she actually had to fight against the current incarnation of Hercules and others of his line as well as legendary monsters. Jordan was smart and forceful and was able to ferret out spies and took charge of all the action. But one character is not enough to salvage the other flaws.

But there are better books out there

Most sensible people avoid fire-breathing carnivores that prey on humans. Most.Enter Jordan. Jordan studies legendary animals (which is where we get our Percy Jackson meets Newt Scamander vibes). Trundling quickly through your general legendary creatures tropes, Ermakova introduces the concept of legamals. Get it, legendary animals? Okay, you get it. Enter Plot-Device. A massive re-awakening (or power play if you will) by the families of the demi-gods or past legends, a massive divide between them, and the humans who now have to face a broken worlds (one full of magical brokenness too). Jordan, our resident scientist of legendary animals, goes into the danger zone, to see if he can investigate a sighting of a legamal (huh, I can't get used to it). After stumbling head-long into magic, and fighting for their lives they know that one of the legend families is trying to kill them. Ermakova triapses through boundaries of conventional and stereotypical legendary creature vibes. By intricatley weaving magic with over-arching character shifts, and astounding world-building, Ermakova builds a novel which leaves you riveted through every turn.

I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Overall, this wasn’t an enjoyable read. It took me a while to finish and I put it down a few times, but knowing that I would eventually finish it.

Overall Premise:
Jordan is a zoologist who studies legimals - legendary animals. She lives in Rome at some point in the future, 30 years after The Boom. The Boom is when the legimals appeared and wrought havoc on modern day society, allowing for legends (people with powers) to come out of hiding. Jordan and her team reside in Rome, in a Safety Zone. These are human controlled areas that are safe from legimals and legends, however to do their research, Jordan and her team must leave the safety zones and venture outside to study and collect data on the legimals. One day, while out collecting data, an unknown legend(s) try to kill Jordan and her team. The book focuses on identifying the culprit(s) and finding a resolution so they can continue to do their jobs without having to worry about assassination attempts.

The good:
Ermakova has created a unique world that takes an interesting and new twist on Greek and Roman Mythology. The legends are named after ancient, well, legends - such as Remus and Hercules. However, the legends are not actually those individuals, simply named after them. Each legend has a house and each house has a leader who takes on the name of the legend. For example, the House of Remus’s leader is the Remus. The Remus isn’t the Remus, however, he simply holds the title of the original. Their powers stem from their namesake, with House of Hercules typically displaying extreme strength, for example. Ermakova has created an interesting world that definitely deserves more exploring.

The Rough:
I didn’t feel like the characters or the world itself was flushed out as much or as well as it could be. The legends weren’t fully explained - what are all the houses? What are their powers? What ARE legends? Do they have a normal lifespan? What were doing/where were they before the boom? Did they interact with humans before the boom?

I finished the book feeling like someone put a really tantalizing meal in front of me, that looked delicious, but when tasted, it lacked any seasoning.

Additionally, I couldn’t get past the usage of legends and legimals. To be honest, that’s a huge part of why the first few chapters didn’t hook me and why it took nearly a month to get to chapter 3. The writing and naming just seemed really juvenile. By the end of the book, I didn’t cringe every time a legend or legimals is mentioned in the book, but I think that was also because Jordan actually met some legends. I think if the book had started with legends vs. talking about legends it wouldn’t have been as cringe-y. (I just kept picturing Barney from HIMYM saying “legen - wait for it! - dary!”)

Also, this isn’t so much a critique of the book/writing, but more of a personal issue with the plot (and a warning to fellow readers) - [there wasn’t ANY romance! Some of you might prefer that, but personally I enjoy a side of romance to my urban fantasy. There were hints at a romance, but literally nothing to follow through on it. I was definitely distracted for the first ~ 70% of the book wondering who Jordan would end up with - Luca? Carter? The Remus? It definitely distracted from the book and I think it would have been more effective to set it up so that Jordan isn’t even interested rather than tease a bit of romance and have the reader distracted by that when there was no follow through. (hide spoiler)]

Overall, I gave the book 3 stars, because it did set up an interesting world that I would continue to explore in future books if any are written.

Interesting and well written characters. But, the story development is a bit slow. Interesting topic but so far our there that I had trouble sticking with the slow plot.

This is the first in a new series and has great descriptions of sites around Rome a city I have often been go, so it had a lot I like about with just that. Fortunately the story is also a good read, as you would expect there is a lot of information presented about this new world but it is balanced by plenty of action. I can’t wait to read the next one.
three-stars

I quite liked the book. It is well written and It took me only one day to read it even if english isn't my native language. The subject is interesting, plus the setting is Rome and I am Italian so I was pleased about this.
The main character, Jordan, is an american cryptozoologist working in Italy with a team that studies mythological animals that appeared on earth 30 years ago after an apocalyptic event called the Boom. Now humans have to share the planet with those legendary animals and also powerful clans of supernatural people who descended from mythical heroes. During a trip outside Rome to study one of these animals things go wrong and they have to face a lot of new dangerous situations. I think this story has a lot of potential and I hope that the author will explane in the next book more things like how the life was before the Boom(where did the legends live?) and what exactly happened during the event. Also I would like to know more about the characters that are now just a little sketchy. And of course there is all the romance to explore yet so I will definitely read the next book of the series. the only thing I didn't like at all was the cover

Dnf at 34 percent. Sorry
This book didn't deliver what it promised. I was promised a great story which sounded so great.
The book started pretty good
But after some time , the book turned into a political thriller which made me lose my interest.

The world building is really strong, and I really enjoyed the start with the mythical animals. However, after the initial interaction and fabulous escape, we never saw them again. It then became a book about political magic and non-magic fractions, and I have read that many times before. The original idea was lost, and I wanted it back. I had a hard time connecting with some of the characters and the romance seemed really strained. This book felt rushed, like it should have been much longer so the reader could be more involved with the conflict and more critters. All in all, the ending completes the main plot but leaves open lots of future direction and feels like the set up to another book, even though now it does not indicate that it is a series.

DNF at 31 %. Not a bad book by any means, but it spends too much time setting the stage, telling things instead of showing them and as a result it looses punch. At 31% I asked myself if I liked it and the answer was yessish. That said I just wasn't interested at all to see what happens next, not at this pace.

I'm sorry but I won't force myself to finish the book.

Terrestrial Magic is one of those good books that you can just sit down for a day and read. A very nostalgic experience. The characters are relatable. The pace was okay. It was slow at some points, BUT the story was great.

My first ARC from NetGalley, and it was such a fun read! I really enjoyed the setting (in and around Rome) and the new mythology surrounding it. Usually post-apocalyptic stories have their basis in sci-fi – something technological goes wrong – so having a fantastical apocalypse is actually pretty original. Which is impressive. You don’t see that many original ideas anymore. It was also nice to see the mix of the fantasy and the science, as Jordan and her team are scientists studying these creatures. Also a cool concept.

I enjoyed the “legendary animals” that have made their come back, although we don’t get to spend as much time with them as I would like. In the beginning of the book, we see them deal with a basilisk and a chimera, and later we get to see a pegasus, but other than that, we don’t see them much. I thought there would have been a bit more than that. I also wasn’t a fan of the term used for these creatures – “legimals.” I don’t, as a rule, like when people make these kinds of contractions, but this one just felt a bit too cutsey.

We do get to spend a fair amount of time meeting and talking about the legends, descendants and heirs (of a sort) to the legends of the area, like Remus, Hercules, and Aeneas to name a few. These people have powers of their original hero (for example, the people of the House of Hercules are unnaturally strong) and have taken over part of the world. There is a very tenuous truce between the legends and the regular humans, and this book is about the attempt at blowing that truce apart. The legends are also very interesting and it was cool how it all tied back into the ancient mythology that has magically come back to life in a way.

This book has a great hook at the beginning and a good, adventurous pace throughout. Jordan and her team of scientists are a really good bunch that have a good camaraderie, but also have some secrets. This book does not list itself as part of a series, and the author has only written one other book that does not look related to this one, but I definitely see series potential. The story was tied together at the end, but there were still plenty of questions that were left open, just in case. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading urban fantasy and enjoys a new take on mythology.

I had such a hard time finishing this book, I literally had to force myself to finish it, come on one more page you can do it. My mantra this entire book. And this is the worst part of the book, that is was just so forgetful to me.
The main character Jordan, I really felt like I had no connection to her whilst reading. And truly I cannot remember any other of the characters, maybe one...

I do feel that there could have been more backstory, more about these legends and how they came to be in our world, I just felt confused whilst reading. This book had so much potential what with all the Greek mythology woven into it and I am a big sucker for mythology. This book just fell flat for me and the mythology felt really out of place.

TERRESTRIAL MAGIC has a very detailed Sherlock Holmes-ish mystery with a world that reminds me a cross between the InCryptid series meets Percy Jackson. I know it’s a lot to take in but somehow Ermakova takes all my favorites in my choice novels and mashes them into a something completely fresh and new.

First, there is Jordan who studies legendary animals, which they call a total awesome name of “legamals”. Then there is a reawakening or power play by the of families from the mythical demigods or past people with mythical powers called “legends” and a divide between them and the humans now facing a broken magical infused world.

The story starts out with Jordan and a crew of field scientist going out to a dangerous zone, outside of Rome, to see if they can find and study a reported legamal sighting. During this trip, they find themselves trapped by “something” magical and after a brief time fighting for their lives they know that one of the legend families is trying to kill them. Now its up to them to figure out what legend family is behind the attacks and why.

This story was everything I should love but something kept me from loving it. It was very detailed in some ways but then there were some major holes that were where I wanted to understand more. I liked the story. I would want to see more of this really original take on modern day myths come to life but I think too much was presented without enough to back up a character and/or plot connection. In the end, it was 3.5 stars.

I received this ARC copy of TERRESTRIAL MAGIC from Marina Ermakova. This is my honest and voluntary review. TERRESTRIAL MAGIC is set for publication Jan. 17, 2019.

My Rating: 3.5 stars
Written by: Marina Ermakova
Series: Jordan Sanders
Sequence in Series: Book 1
Paperback: 358 pages
Publisher: Independently published
Publication Date: December 5, 2018
ISBN-10: 1790491592
ISBN-13: 978-1790491599
Genre: Mystery | Scifi | Fantasy

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Terrestrial-Ma...
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/terr...
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I received a copy of Terrestrial Magic by Marina Ermakova from the publisher through NetGalley.

I absolutely enjoyed this fast paced, action filled fantasy book. Fantasy is my favourite ganre so I am always on the lookout for new books. And when the story has some mythological aspect, all the more reason to read it.

The main character is Jordan. She is a scientist, a zoologist. She want to find out everything about the so-called legimals - mythical creatures, e.g. chimera- that reappereard after The Boom some 30 decades before. I am sorry that almost nothing is said about what exactly the Boom is. What we know is that after that happened legimals and legends - people who are descended from mythical heroes e.g. Hercules - reappeared.

The team she is leading goes on a trip outside Rome. But the field trip goes horribly wrong and they are almost killed. So there begins a frantic investigation into who tried to kill them and why.

I highly recommend it to anyone who is into post-apocalyptic stories topped off with magic and winged horses.

I received a free copy of TERRESTRIAL MAGIC by Marina Ermakova in exchange for an honest review. Jordan is a zoologist, a cryptozoologist. Jordan is living in a world where, following the Boom, magical people of old, legends, and legendary animals, legimals, have reappeared. The legimals are so dangerous that the humans have ceded most of the land to them. On an expedition to unprotected territory to examine a reported fire-breathing animal, Jordan and her crew face an unexpected challenge; it appears one or more legends is trying to kill them. In order to be safe again, Jordan must discover who was behind the attempted assassination and stop them. In doing so, she might just change the world.

I enjoyed this novel. I like post-magical-apocalypse books, and this definitely fit within the genre. I liked the world established and the relationships between the characters. I especially liked that, though hints of romantic potential were given, the author refused to warp the story to fit in mushy folderol when the characters were entirely absorbed in surviving their crises. The storyline was interesting and fast paced.

#TerrestrialMagic #NetGalley