"Three Kinds of Lucky" caught my interest with its exploration of magic's consequences through magical waste known as Dross. However, the writing style gave off a vibe as if initially tailored for a middle school audience and later adapted for an older readership, resulting in an odd blend of immature writing and adult concepts.

*Fiasco* by Constance Fay is an engaging and dramatic exploration of personal turmoil and the consequences of poor decisions. The story centers around characters whose lives spiral out of control, each facing the fallout of their actions. Fay's writing is sharp and raw, capturing the emotional depth and complexity of her characters. The plot unfolds with unexpected twists and turns, keeping readers hooked as they witness the characters' unraveling. Themes of redemption, failure, and self-realization are thoughtfully explored. *Fiasco* is a compelling read for those who enjoy character-driven stories that delve into human flaws and the messy realities of life.

Right, but, here's the thing: Isn't "tough but troubled woman with dead father who kind of lied about some important aspects of his identity but it's okay because her pluck and somewhat generic sex appeal when navigating a heretofore unknown and entirely unique magical ability that will definitely change the world if she isn't overwhelmed by the ignorant population before said change can be made manifest" a little played out?

Kim Harrison launches a new series with this complicated urban fantasy exploring the intersection of magic and luck. Lots of worldbuilding and status quo establishing, and lots of focus upon the magic system which defines the setting. Still, the addition of a second chance romance between the lead and her estranged best friend offers something for readers to really dig into.

I'm not gonna lie, it took me a little bit to get into this one, but once I did, I was pretty hooked.

But I always hated Ashley.

But anyway - the magical worldbuilding here is fantastic! I loved how creative it was, and how much it really added to the story. I was really hoping the next book would be coming soon so I could get my hands on it, but alas!

This is the first in a new series for Kim Harrison and I really enjoyed reading the world building and explanation on what Petra does with her magic which is sweeping bad luck dross which meant she had hardly any magic power but turns out she actually has a rare talent while trying to figure out what it does ends up sending her and Benedict on the run from the magical authorities and rebels alike. I am excited for the next book and to see where this goes.
Thanks to Ace and Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book. All opinions in this review are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

The first 40% of the book was a slog to get through. Nothing really happened and was mainly world building. The magic system is very scientific and complicated, so I had to read very slowly and sometimes reread parts and really think about them to understand what was going on. It is an interesting magic system unlike any I’ve read about before, but it was very hard to grasp.
The reveals were predictable & the romance made no sense to me. I have no clue why Petra even likes Benedict considering that they were friends for a short time over 14 years ago; his refusal to admit that he may be wrong was irritating, and I just wasn’t feeling the romance vibes between them at all. The last straw for me was the animal death in chapter 19. It was so unnecessary and it seems like the author just did it because they didn’t know what to do with said animal for the rest of the story and needed it gone to move the plot along. There should definitely be a trigger warning at the beginning of the book.
I am mildly curious about the direction this series is heading in, but I don’t think I’ll be continuing.

Kim Harrison has a new series coming out? Cue me screaming! THREE KINDS OF LUCKY is the first book in the new contemporary fantasy series.

As a longtime fan of Kim Harrison, I was thrilled about this news and couldn’t wait to see what this series is all about. The main heroine, Petra Grady, has no talent for magic. However, the world of the SHADOW AGE series puts her at the forefront alongside another intriguing character by the name of Benedict. I cannot wait to see how readers will react to this new duo as I think it’ll spark a lot of new interest for Harrison’s fans.

Harrison has proven that she had write kickass heroines before, so I think readers will be excited about Petra entering the scene. With her wits and skills, it’ll be interesting to see how her character develops throughout the series. As this is only the first book of the series, I guess time will tell.

However, if you enjoy magic and mayhem in your Urban Fantasy novels, then Harrison’s new Shadow Age series just might be the best new series of 2024!

I commend any author for building worlds and magic systems from scratch because that isn't easy. However, good intentions do not often make for a good story. The problem with building new worlds and systems is that you have to explain to your audience what they are and how they work in a way that makes it simple for us to grasp but also keeps it interesting.

Where the book lost me can be tied to this - overlong scenes sometimes try to show/explain the magic system, but not in a way that interests me. This also ties into the fact that I wouldn't say I liked the pacing.

Another factor that I could not get into was the characters - I didn't care for them. It's hard to like and want to continue a book where you don't care for the characters or their world.

I enjoy reading this book! This was a new author for me and I really enjoyed the writing and storyline! I will be checking out what other title the author has out!

Kim Harrison has started another series with Three Kinds of Lucky. Petra Grady is a sweeper first class who collects dross from the magicians' workings and disposes of it. She is not a mage, but is she something more? Magicians make mistakes handling dross, her roommate is a spy, and she has to flee her quarters with a mage and others. Shadow is more than terror; can she handle it? Modern fantasy with intriguing twists and turns.

Three Kinds of Lucky by Kim Harrison- From its picturesque descriptive language to its twisty plot to its wonderful characters, Harrison has penned a beautifully crafted paranormal fantasy with a pinch of romance that will hook you as a fan. Can’t wait for book number 2! Highly recommended.

This is absolutely one of those books where you check to see when the sequel is being published as soon as you turn the final page. Heavily plot drive (there are problems that must be addressed) but we get to see some character growth as they frantically dash from disaster to disaster. Lots of sudden betrayals and very twisty motivations. Honestly, I could have just kept reading about how the magic system worked in this even more.

This book was different than what I expected, in a good way, and the title is kind of clever once you read the story. Dross is like a physical embodiment of bad luck, but only sweepers and spinners and can see it. Mages sometimes can, but really their focus is magic. So essentially it’s a little chaos gremlin that is just running amok wreaking havoc. But since this means that “sweepers” are essentially cleaning up after the mages, they’re looked down upon. However, as the dross and shadows react differently to Petra, there might be something more to it— to her than believed. This guy who she calls her uncle to anyone who asks, has been leaving her money and trying to contact her; Petra sees it as guilt for being responsible for her dad’s death. However, there’s more to it, and Petra realizes that there is more to the past and what is going on around her than she knew. People she thought she could trust betray her, and in the worst way, and someone she thought betrayed her, may become her best ally. Yes I’m looking at you MMC, Benedict. The ending reminded me of an action hero movie where it ends with the tease of a new upcoming mission, and I can’t wait to see how Petra and her new sidekick(s) tackle it!

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for the copy for review!

In Three Kinds of Lucky, the author introduces an unusual magical culture. The depiction of magic draws a bit from science proposing a world where magic produces waste. Otherwise know as dross, it is like dust bunnies, accumulating until they start to cling to you. And when that happens, bad luck follows.

Petra Grady is a sweeper. With supposedly no talent for magic, but able to see the dross, sweepers are an important part of the magical society, cleaning up after everyone else. And just like in the world of mundane trash collection, those with magical talent have no regard for those sweepers who perform such an important task.

When Benedict Strom invents a method for dealing with dross, Petra is called in to help with the research. The research takes a terrible turn compelling Petra and Benedict to flee, seeking solutions. The adventure will bring them together, revealing secrets, hidden talents and possibly a bit of revolution.

This first book in a new series is my introduction to Kim Harrison. Harrison is a fantastic storyteller! The Shadow Age sets up the world, the characters and a long-term story arc. It looks to be a fun and interesting new series.

Through Netgalley, the publisher provided a copy of this book. My review is my honest opinion.

Engaging and entertaining, all at once. Kim Harrison’s THREE KINDS OF LUCKY reels you in from the very start.

In her new book, Three Kinds of Lucky, Kim Harrison has created a compelling new series The Shadow Age with complex worldbuilding and intriguing new characters. As I read the book, I liked the premise and the way the magic is described and the unfolding of how magic works in this new work.
One of the things I especially like is her main character Petra and her abilities. I like how she grows the character and the dynamics of Petra’s powers, including how she slowly discovers that her magic isn’t quite what she thought it was. I also like Benedict, his willingness to be a friend and how their relationship evolves over the course of the book.
While there are some things that could use some clarity at the beginning, the complex worldbuilding helps the book shine. There are some heartbreaking moments, made more so because you fall for Petra and those she cares for. If you like urban fantasy, this is a unique and new world that will make readers fall in love.

I had a fantastic time reading this book! I love her writing, and this book sounded really great! And oh, this world was so interesting, with the way that the magic worked, with the three types of people, and dross, it was so interesting!

I really enjoyed Petra's story! She's in a dead end job where the people who create the mess that she cleans up treats her pretty poorly, and it was pretty frustrating, watching her have to deal with that. And of course things get complicated, between Benedict and his theory and everything that happens!

The magic system was very scientific, and pretty dense, which was pretty interesting, that it took some elements from the element type magic system, and given it scientific principles and explanations. It did take me a minute after things were explained to really get it but once I did, yeah, it was pretty freaking cool!

Oh, but that ending was so fantastic! I loved how the various elements came together, and deal with. And it has me so excited for where the series is going to go, this was a really fantastic jumping off point for this series! I can't wait to see what Petra is going to do next!

This was such a great read and I can't wait to read more in this world!

The first thing I learned as I was putting together this post was that Three Kinds of Lucky was 464 pages long. Surprise! Now recently I have read books that were 200+ pages and thought they were never going to end. Three Kinds of Lucky flew by mainly due to an abundance of thrilling episodes in the midst of some very good world-building. Yep, I was beyond startled to learn that it was 464 pages!

Petra Grady has accepted her position in life as a dross sweeper, the seeming lowest of the low in the magical realm below the spinners and well below the active magical practitioners who are actually the ones responsible for making so much dross that needs to be swept. Dross is the residual energy from magic that can create havoc if left alone. But Petra understands and manipulates dross more than other sweepers, and then there’s the matter of shadow, an energy that feeds off of inert dross but can also destroy. As Three Kinds of Lucky evolves, the reader begins to wonder if Petra Grady is something other than a sweeper.

So, first, I loved this book. It was engrossing and I completely lost myself in the narrative and the constant action. Petra’s character was strong, self-accepting, but her crush on Benedict drove me crazy because I didn’t feel like he was deserving of her (and, you know, I didn’t really like him). I was not enthralled–at all–with Benedict, which is odd because I tend to like the smart nerd characters. Benedict’s obliviousness and arrogant certainty didn’t help.

Kim Harrison threw in a lot of twists that I didn’t see coming but which served the novel well. Unfortunately there’s a lot I also can’t mention because that would give away some of the plot twists–and who would want to do that?!

I will say that if I have one trigger as far as aspects of books that I tend to shy away from, this one had it. If you know me, you may guess what it was. Ugly cry moment. Throw the book against the wall moment (except it was my Kindle, which while emotionally gratifying would not have been wallet gratifying). But Harrison turned the moment into something else, which, while it didn’t fix things, made it somewhat better.

I do like this as the beginning of a series. It was fresh, new, definitely something different, which is always welcome! And, I kind of hope that Petra gets over her crush on Benedict (or is that just me?!).

So many thanks to Ace Books for sending me a copy. I look forward to reading more in the series.