Oh my god? I need everyone to read this book. So good! Magical creatures living in the human world undetected, a whole population under the humans noses.

Nicole Palmer and her family have been in hiding for years from the Wake. If her secret is discovered, they’ll force her to join them or kill her for resisting. Nicole is close to uncovering a secret message hidden in a supernatural art collection but when the collector is murdered and a key painting stolen, the Wake sends their best assassin to track it down. Kyan McCarter is handsome, perceptive, and the last person Nicole wants to work with to find the stolen painting. Their search sparks a powerful connection between them, but if Kyan finds out that Nicole is a rogue Empyreal, he’ll have no choice but to hunt her next. After all, no one disobeys the Wake and survives.

The tension is high, the stakes are higher. This will certainly be a fun series to follow!

Thanks to HarperCollins for the eARC of this title.

I loved a lot of things about this, the atmosphere (so fall, spooky and cozy!!) the magic system (incredibly unique - magical art! magical creatures), the plot (mysterious and kept me guessing), the characters (friendships, family dynamic were really fun).

Where it felt lacking was the romance IMO and also the characters’ being naive lol. They were way too trusting and missing really obvious clues. I had a hard time believing they were these ancient hunters because the MMC in particular was not being critical or suspicious of very obviously suspicious things!! I also didn't find the romance to have too much tension??? It was very insta-lust and towards the end it was interesting but for most of the book the MC interactions felt very meh??

However, despite those few critiques I had a really fun time with this and am really looking forward to the rest of the series!

Thank you so much Harper Collins Canada for the ARC!

This is DEFINITELY giving A Discovery of Witches and Daughter of Smoke and Bone, both of which I love. I did however feel confused about the magic system/history of it all I found myself going back to reread some things. BUT that could be a me thing. I'm interested to see what Megan Scott writes next!

I loved this book. For some reason, I put off reading it, and the only reason I'm glad that I did is because now the wait until the sequel isn't as long.
Thank you to HarperCollins and Netgalley for the advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review!

A very promising start to a new series. While there are moments where the story lags a bit, the song characters and world made me want to read more. Hopefully the series will just keep getting stronger and stronger.

4.5 ⭐️

LOVED this book! Especially for a YA/NA novel, I tend to keep my expectations low because I’m in my 30’s 😂 and it’s not geared toward me but I still love YA! So YA can be a hit or miss for me. But this had everything that I needed.

The storytelling and writing was so phenomenal! I got sucked in easily. The characters early chemistry was off the wall. And the plot was A++. I did feel like there was something missing that kept me from being 100% obsessed with this book but honestly can’t put my finger on it.

If you’re a fan of academia settings, fantasy worlds/creatures fighting against the good (actual bad) guy world organization, enemies to lovers, magical mysteries & cosy writing that makes you want to bundle up and read on a rainy day.. I’d say this book is for you.

Thank you Netgalley and HarperCollins for an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review. This book was everything I wanted it to be AND MORE! I have been in such a paranormal academia vibe with different creatures and magic that I devoured this story. We follow Nicole who is a rare shapeshifter who is being hunted by the Wake, an organization who governs supernatural's. Nicole's mother left a message in which Nicole is trying to decipher without trying to draw the attention of the Wake. However, in comes Kyan who is a Wake assassin and forms an alliance with Nicole. I absolutely devoured this story and it was a wonderful debut! I can't wait to read the next.

This definitely felt, at times, like an outline for the story rather than a fleshed out story. The romance was undercooked and too rushed, I wanted a bit more build and a little more tension. I was underwhelmed by the main character, we just didn't mesh. I thought that the setting and the art aspect of the story was really interesting and I would have loved more of that. Overall, I just wished that this story was fleshed out more and the romance had more of a chance to burn and grow.

I really wanted to like this book and there are definitely parts of it that I enjoyed but overall the plot was not well conceived and I desired so much more from it.

Interesting idea, but I think it needs to be fleshed out much more. I was surprised at the insta love, to be honest. While they don’t outright love each other from the get go, the lust and intrigue were there obviously so. It would have been nice to have it a bit more subtle and gradually appear, but some people like that as well.

I think this book will definitely be enjoyed by those who love dark academia and art, with a fantasy twist.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

This was so lush. I loved the way it was written, the prose drew me in and kept me there conversationally. This was such a strong debut!

This is a romantasy so the character developments in regard to the forbidden pairing was front and center and didn't disappoint. The only disappointment will be waiting for more.

My favorite aspect of this was the art and world. The worldbuilding was super solid and introduced a dark academia, but museum? Dark museum aspect that made it stand out from the rest. I would highly recommend this book to any romantasy fan.

Can't wait for the rest of the series!

I am definitely intrigued by "The Temptation of Magic". The most interesting parts of this book was learning about the Empyreal's history through art. What made me want to continue though was Nicole & Kyan's chemistry. I am a sucker for some romance. One thing that did annoy me was how our main characters kept getting bested by Lynch (the villain). It took me a little while to get into the world building, but I think this series has potential to be something good.

This digital ARC was obtainable via NetGalley for an honest review.

A beautifully written debut! I loved the atmosphere and the world building. The relationship kept me wanting more, and I can't wait for book two!

An amazing and unique debut! Totally wasn't expecting how good this one was (and I knew it would be good from the summary), and was pleasantly surprised!

✨ " He was an Empyreal, her greatest threat and her greatest fascination. Everything she's been warned against".✨

SCREAMING!!!! This story was just so beautifully decadent. This was just sooo good !

Enemies to Lovers, Forbidden Romance, Fated Mates, Forced Proximity and a badass, brilliant FMC ready to do anything to protect the ones she loves.

Nicole is a wonderful character. She's brilliant, loves her family and she has a secret. She has to hide who she truly is so she won't be taken.

But when one of her teachers is murdered. The Wake sends an Empyreal to hunt the murderer. Kyan.

Even if he can't learn about her, she's attracted to him.

✨ " Not thinking about anything but my body and yours and the pleasure I can give you. Then I'll make sure your legs are so weak you can't walk straight". ✨

Thank you so much HarperColllins Canada for the digital ARC for an honest review.

The quotes are verified in my finished copy.

Read this if you love :

✨ Enemies to Lovers ;
✨ Forbidden Romances ;
✨ Touch Him and Die ;
✨ Fated Mates ;
✨ Magic system ;
✨ Paranormal ;
✨ Dark Academia.

4.5⭐️

This was a great debut novel! Classified as a contemporary fantasy/paranormal romance with dark academic vibes and forbidden romance, fated mates, mythical creatures, and mystery, this book kept me hooked. It took a lot of well known paranormal creatures and mixed in some new ones. I really enjoyed this one and I am looking forward to this being a trilogy!

In this world, the supernatural creatures live alongside humans (who are none the wiser) with a corrupt overseeing body known as The Wake tracking them and keeping them in line. They are also the reason that Nicole and her family have been hiding for years, never staying in one place for too long, trying to uncover their supposedly deceased mother’s secrets. Nicole and her brother are Empyreals - all of whom are supposed to register with The Wake and take an oath to do their bidding, which their mother warned them to avoid at all costs. When another Empyreal, Kyan, shows up in town under orders from The Wake to take out another supernatural being tormenting the town, Kyan and Nicole’s lives become quickly intertwined, while Nicole walks a fine line of keeping her secret identity and helping Kyan catch the murderer.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

A big thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollin's for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

You sold me on the comp of Serpent and Dove.

The Temptation of Magic by Megan Scott is a YA fantasy novel that is filled with supernatural and dark academia vibes. Nicole Palmer and her family have been in hiding for years from the Wake—a shadowy organization that governs all supernatural creatures. If the Wake discovers that Nicole is an Empyreal—a rare kind of creature that can shapeshift into any creature’s natural predator—they’ll force her to join them or kill her for resisting. Like they did her mother. Nicole is close to uncovering a secret message hidden in a supernatural art collection—a message from her mother about how to destroy the Wake for good. But when the collector is murdered and a key painting stolen, the Wake sends their best Empyreal assassin to track down the dangerous creature on the loose. Kyan McCarter is handsome, perceptive, and the last person Nicole wants to work with to find the stolen painting. Their search sparks a powerful connection between them, but if Kyan finds out that Nicole is a rogue Empyreal, he’ll have no choice but to hunt her next. After all, no one disobeys the Wake and survives.

*Chefs kiss* no regrets. Except the steam. I could have done without that.

4 stars
——————

This was such a fun book and I could not out it down.

Through this dual POV, we follow Kyan and Nicole’s exploration of an alternative world where creatures lay in waiting. This book put a really cool spin on mythology and art, particularly pulling a lot of Celtic mythology to highlight Kyan’s background (and Nicole’s to a lesser extent.) It has all the vibes of a great dark academia book and I really enjoyed it. I would have rated this as an adult or new adult book though, not YA.

I found that I wish there was more world building. Set in an alternate reality, it relies on the reader to know what’s going on in the real world. But adding in this supernatural overlay, I wanted to spend more time learning about these supernatural beings and their motivations. You get it as you go along, but not enough for me. I lacked enough understanding of what an Empyreal was for much of the book because the explanation just wasn’t clear enough. At least to me. You know Remi is a Siren, but what is a Siren in this context? Why are some beings good and others are malicious? I just wanted more.

Our characters are well written and their missions and motives are clear. I loved the dynamic and relationship Kyan and Nicole have through the book and the evolution was good, but a bit quickly done. I feel like there were several moments the author wrote that should have revealed Nicole’s identity but didn’t. I get drawing suspense, but it’s hard to believe the Wake’s big assassin couldn’t figure it out quickly.

I’ll definitely be continuing with this series.

4.75 stars
This felt like watching The Vampire Diaries with all of the supernaturals and the teamwork to take down enemies. I have rewatched TVD maybe 20+ times because I love it so much and so I obviously loved this book. I loved the art, clues, and secrets, and how the main character uses a guide to supernaturals written by her dead mother for her empyreal children. The magic system was really cool, where they change into the creatures they hunt and are hiding from a secret society that killed their mother. My only issues were that the empyreals and creatures were a bit confusing at times and this was slow in some parts, but overall I really enjoyed it. I loved the romance, but I wish the publisher didn’t use spice as a selling point because there’s only one scene with half spice if you know what I mean. This would’ve been better marketed with the banter and tension (and lots of steamy kisses) than a promise that wasn’t fulfilled. This ended nicely and I’m looking forward to the next book in the series!

This was a really neat concept that combines mythology and art with a hidden supernatural world. I loved the academic vibes, the mystery, and the art history.

The inclusion of the Celtic mythology was really interesting, but I’m not sure how it connected to the overall Empyrean world. The story specifically highlights the Wild Hunt multiple times and how its return would usher in another dark age. In mythology, the wild hunt is a folktale about a ghostly creature who calls other supernatural (dead) creatures to his band of hunters. Other than Empyreans being the ultimate hunter, I’m failing to understand how this relates.

For me, the world building was ultimately lacking, and while I can go all in on a fantasy romance, I still want some understanding of the world and dynamics at play. It’s like the author tried to mimic themes and plot points from Crescent City, but without including the larger political mechanisms of The Wake, it made the world extremely hard to imagine.

I think the story has some promise and would love to see how the mythology is more incorporated into the general world building in future books.

Thank you to Netgalley and HarperCollins Children’s Books for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.