Quick Summary: Where fantasy and fiction meet humanity

My Review: Magic Heist by Mary Karlik is book 2 of 2 in the Fairy Trafficking series.

About the Book: Being half human and half fae would complicate anyone's life. Layla knows that firsthand. When she is swept into a dark underworld of activity concerning the fae, she is introduced to those who would either help her or harm her. How will she help the rescued fairies get back to where they belong? What will happen between her and the dragon?

My Final Say: Although I didn't read book 1 prior to my exposure to this installment, I can say that it did not negate the fact that this was a captivating read. I really liked the fact that Layla and Ian had layers to who they were. I also liked the tension between these two. I don't recall ever reading a book quite like this one before. I bet it would be amazing to hear the audio version. (Sign me up for that!)

Other: I do plan to read book one and go forward. I prefer to follow installments in sequential order. Still, this had texture and direction, and I could totally get with that.

Rating: 4/5
Recommend: Yes
Audience: YA/T
Re-read: Yes
Status/Level: 💬
Audiobook: Wishlist
Note: The cover should be updated and the book should be re-released.

Thank you to the author, to the publisher (INscribe Digital, Ink Monster, LLC), and to NetGalley for granting access to this book. I am appreciative for the opportunity. Despite the delay in submission, I wanted to honor my commitment to share my thoughts and opinions on this work.

This was the first book I read by this author.

Magic Heist introduces Layla, a powerful fairy with magical abilities.

It was a fun read and I'm looking forward to reading more by this author.

Anything with fae get me immediately and Magic Heist was no different. What was different, was Mary Karlik's Magic Heist was at the top of the list. Her fairies fantasy novel is fantastic in all ways.

Layla rescued fairies that had been kidnapped and brought to the human world. But now they can’t find their way back to the magic realm and time is running out.

Taking the reader on a journey through a world of Far, Magic Heist uses tantalising literary effects to drag the author on a journey of discovery.

DNF at 27%
I didn't know that this was the second book in the series, and i was sorta confused wich made me not enjoy the book as much as i hoped i would. So that's why i DNF'ed it.

I'm loving this series! Fey, Dragon's, all sorts of magic....it is a enticing web of danger. The storyline is pure fantasy with hints of Scotland lore and all types of mystical creatures. The world building is so incredible and so much fun.
I absolutely adore Layla and Ian's characters and how much more the previous book's characters are so much more involved in this book. I'm really looking forward to reading the next installment!

This is book 2 in the Fairy Trafficking series and I think I would have liked Magic Heist if I had read book 1. Mary Karlik does a pretty good job of providing details that are relevant from book 1 but I just thought it was slightly hard to follow the story without the background.Layla is a fairy with some strange powers and she and Ian team up to help save the fairy world. Teens/ young adults who like paranormal stories will probably enjoy this read. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

A fun sequel that moves at a faster pace than the previous novel and picks up right where the previous novel left off, beginning with a light, fun atmosphere before launching into the action and the storytelling.
Keeping the pace of the story moving Magic Heist splits up Layla and Ian, sending Ian to the Fae realm and keeping Layla in the human realm. By separating the two, the story gives the reader new perspectives on the world’s that the characters land in. It keeps the pace moving, keeps the story engaging as the characters explore different aspects of the realms that the characters reside. Magic Heist also brings back characters from the previous novel and introduces new ones with fresh dynamics to keep the story entertaining and bring new life and perspectives about the differing worlds.

The most entertaining aspect of the novel is the turn the plot takes, one that is different from the previous novel. It is very reminiscent of the Ocean's film franchise. It brings the gang together and develops the characters and the story in a way to keep the story engaging. However, more than that, it builds on the fantasy aspect of the novel. It offers up twists and turns to the story and shows readers how everything is not just black and white, how sometimes thing happen that are unfair. For Layla, she sees things in a new way; her perspective is opening, and her sense of justice, her desperate need to right the wrongs of her people make her shine through the pages.

Layla is not the only character to shine thankfully. A dragon has cursed Ian, providing the story and character with a passionate internal struggle. He is battling the dragon within him instead of accepting it, of channeling him. It is a constant battle for him to go against what the dragon wishes, but the journey to him overcoming it is overwhelming. As for the other human, they are still trying to reconcile this fact that magic and fantasy exist, that they are real. For each of them, the journey is overwhelming; it is empowering, and makes for an interesting read, giving dimension to the dynamics and the relationships. For the Fae, their journey is all about overcoming bigotry, and to see almost all of them overcome this is incredible. It serves as a teaching lesson for the reader, as well as for the characters.

It is fun and quirky, and the characters balance each other out perfectly, making for a delightful read.

This is the second book in the series. I didn't read the first one, but the beginning of this book spent a lot of time rehashing the events of the last book so it was pretty easy to figure out everything that led to this point of the adventures. This is a good idea, but the writing was lacking. It wasn't the worst writing, it just wasn't very good. Like constantly using stomach issues to convey stress. Also, this is listed as YA, but the characters seemed grown-up. The lead male is a cop. The story doesn't have any raunchy love scenes, but the characters weren't kids. The world-building was pretty good, and the pacing was ok. It's just that the overall story didn't draw me in. Layla was ok. Ian was ok. I really didn't care if they got together or not. I won't be continuing with this series.

Love reading fairy books? Take a peek at this one!

I didn’t read the first book, and I think it would have been better to have because there was a backstory that took me a chunk of the book to figure out.

But besides that, I think it was a solid book.

We follow the main character as she is on a mission to save her fellow fairies. She’s the typical, strong YA heroine but with a magical twist. It was interesting to see the fantasy take on trafficking and the suspense behind locating and deploying a way to save them.

There is a hint of a romance in this book as well. It is a pretty slow burn and takes almost the entire book to really get to the peak of it. I really liked his ability as a dragon shifter because I LOVE dragons!

I loved the world building, but again, it would have been a little better rounded if I had read the first book.

I gave this one 4 out of 5 stars. If you love fairies, this would be a really good series to pick up next!

Magic Heist picks up where Magic Harvest left off. If you haven't read book one, you may want to do so before trying to tackle book two. Otherwise, a lot of the events may be hard to keep up with.

Also, my review may be kind of spoiler-y if you haven't read book one.

***

Layla, Ian, and the others are back to try and help the fairies they rescued get back to the magic realm, especially now that none of them have magic. Unfortunately, finding the portal to get them back home is proving to be difficult. Add in some nasty dragons, as well as a few other not-so-nice characters, and the gang has their work cut out for them.

Layla is struggling to deal with the fact that fairies are still being trafficked. Ian is struggling with the dragon spirit inside him. And new secrets about Ian's family may just be too much for them to handle.

I thought the sequel was pretty decent. There's a lot more going on in this one, and at times it was a little hard to keep up with. The characters bounce from one location to the next, and it is definitely a bit of a whirlwind.

I enjoyed the introduction of Hamish and Maeban (I think that's how his name was spelled). They were both two new, intriguing characters, and I hope there's more of them in book three. I am also still holding out hope that we get more backstory on Layla and her human side. Who was her father? Is he still alive? And I'm going to hope for more interesting details about Ian and Layla's new twist to their relationship. I won't spoil this, but Ian can now do something he wasn't able to before, and because he's part dragon, I'm curious to know if that affects Layla in any way.

While I did like the story, it didn't have the same excitement or intensity for me as the first book did. Magic Heist may have been a little darker, but I didn't really connect with it in the same way I did with Magic Harvest. That's probably just me, though. I thought it was a little rushed in some spots, and it just didn't light that spark in me the same way book one did. But I would still recommend it to fans of YA fantasy, and fans of the first book.

I'm giving it 3.5 stars.

Book two in the series (and there will be a book three!!!)

Layla and Ian, that chemistry! I couldn’t wait for them to finally be alone. But that didn’t happen until the end, so the buildup was great.

In book two the team tries to find the Magic market place to locate more Fairies in this huge Fairy trafficking ring. Ian, a half dragon now, is trying to control the dragon for most of the book. Buzzard is as funny as ever and Finn can’t seem to take a step back from Layla and makes Ian jealous.

More side characters came up in this book and I can’t wait to read book three in this great series!

I received this ebook copy from the publisher and NetGalley for an honest review.

This is an intriguing series with fey, humans, trolls, goblins, and dragons. This is book two and continues right where book one left off. The fairies have been saved but now how to get them back to the fairy realm. Layla finally has power thanks to the rescued fairies but she also now holds what is deemed as a dark power, the ability to harvest magic. Also she thought that the trafficking had ended with the killing of the dragon Faust but it turns out that was just the tip of the fairy trafficking ring and their a whole market and an auction that centers around stolen fairies. In a race against time Layla and her love Ian must but everything on the line to rescue even more fairies and hopefully take down the whole circle.

The world building is done so well that you really believe you in Scotland on the trail of the fairy thieves. The author does admit that some of the places you come across in the book really do exist and if you can you should definitely go check them out. The characters have grown and become more developed since book one, and the addition of a few new ones really helps to ground and move the story along. This is a well thought out series and will keep you guessing right up tell the end where the story is going. I can not wait to read book three.

After reading the first book in the series a few days ago, this one kicks off right where that one left off. Immediately the reader is dropped into a captivating story, that at times feels a little rushed and chaotic, but altogether was a pretty interesting example of the strength of a great YA novel.

The characters, which I found some to be flat and uninteresting, blossomed into interesting characters in their own right, with many new characters adding to the excitement of the novel. Finn, who appears briefly in the first book, plays a much more critical part in this one and I found his addition to be really interesting. Amelia was also a stand-out character in my opinion.

The plot was much faster than the first novel. I felt like so many things happened in this one and the characters jumped from one huge scene to another. The ending of the book felt rushed and the action scenes were very confusing to get though, but this is characteristic of the authors choice to not have a clearly set out magic system. The action was people throwing spells at one another and I barely grasped what was happening. Some of the action scenes were explained in past tense, like "this just happened to me" even though the current narrating character was literally right there and could easily have seen the action and described it as a first-hand account. It made the action scene go way faster then it should have.

Finally there are quite a few massive revelations that happen at the very end of the book, some predictable, but others not, and there was almost no discussion of those revelations before the end, leaving it feeling unfinished.

Most of my criticisms are just based on the type of book that it is and I feel like this book is really good at being a lite YA fantasy book with a few darker undertones.Overall I enjoyed this sequel more than the original and I can't wait for the final book to be released in early 2020.

4 stars.

I received this ARC for an honest review. This is the second book in the series. IT IS NOT A STAND ALONE. The first book is Magic Harvest (Fairy Trafficking Book 1). In this book, Ian, Layla, and friends are trying to get the rescued fairies home. Of course, fate has other plans. Who can Layla trust? Will Ian and Layla get a chance to be together? I hate to say too much because so much happens in this book, and I hate to post spoilers. I like how the author, Mary Karlik, does a good job of blending our world with Layla’s magic world.
I did enjoy this story. Even though this is labeled YA, I think adults will enjoy this story. I’m glad that I gave this series a try.

I was excited to read Magic Heist. I wanted to read a book that had fairies, elves, trolls, Red Caps, and dragons. Heck, I needed to read a book like that. Lately, I have been reading books that were heavy on the drama, and I needed a break from that. I got that with Magic Heist.

Now, onto the complaint. If you have been following my blog for any length of time, you know how much I dislike starting a series mid-series. 9 out of 10 times, the books are not standalone. I am left wondering what the heck happened in the first book, which was the case in Magic Heist. It took me until the middle of the book to figure out what happened in the first book. And even then, there were some areas that I was still fuzzy on. But that is on me. I shouldn’t have accepted the review without vetting the book first. In plain words, this is NOT a STANDALONE book. You need to read book 1 to understand what is going on in book 2.

Other than that, I enjoyed Magic Heist. It had well-written characters and fast-paced plotlines.

I enjoyed Layla’s character. Even though the fairies from her village mistreated her, she was still willing to go and rescue them. She was ready to find a portal and transport them home, regardless of what was going on. She even risked her life and went to find the fairies who were being sold on the black market. For a 19-year-old, she was one of the more mature characters in the book. I can’t wait to see what other powers she has!!

I liked Ian. He showed terrific strength in fighting the dragon spirit. I wish that I had read the scene where he got infected with the dragon’s poison/spirit. I thought he was terrific when it came to dealing with Finn and the elves. I also thought he was fantastic when he dealt with the troll. I can’t wait to see what he is going to do in the next book!!

Let’s talk about Layla and Ian’s semi-romance. I say semi-romance because while they acknowledged that they had feelings for each other, but they couldn’t do anything about it. They had to concentrate on getting the fairies back to where they came from and rescuing the rest of the fairies who had been kidnapped.

I loved the secondary characters. Finn, Amelia, Andy, Buzzard, and the others added a much-needed depth to the book. I do think that there is more to Buzzard than what is being shown. I liked that the author had that one fairy be a jerk to Layla. I liked it because it showed what she was up against growing up. I will say that I didn’t feel bad for that fairy, and I do think that he got what he deserved.

The end of Magic Heist left me with more questions. It also left me a little angry. I couldn’t believe what happened to Layla!! I wanted to cry for her. I also was surprised at who the golden fairy was and how he was tied to Ian. Of course, something else happened that made me grin from ear to ear. And what was revealed about the staff? I was surprised by that too!! I can’t wait to read book 3.

I would give Magic Heist an Older Teen rating. There is no sex. There is mild language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 16 read this book.

I would reread Magic Heist I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

I was bored with the first book, but this one was such a page-turner. The thrill of not knowing what would happen next to the characters made this book captivating! I was always so eager to find out where they’d go next and how they’d solve each problem.

There were new characters introduced, and the old ones were built upon. I liked Amelia and how she interacted with Buzzard. I especially enjoyed Ian and Layla’s relationship. I also liked Finn, and I thought it was funny how he’d enjoy doing things that annoyed Ian. The characters provided a lot of comedy.

This book was a fun, twisty read which will never let you guess what will happen next. If you enjoyed the first book(or didn’t) get excited because this one is even better!

I recieved a digital arc in exchange for an honest review

I enjoyed this one, but I felt a bit lost throughout most of it since I've realised it was a sequel

I think I might read the first book and see if how I feel about this one then 😊