Thank you to Netgalley, Harper Collins Australia and Megan Scott for an advanced copy of this book for a review!

I have settled on a rating of this book of 3.5 stars.

I honestly feel acadamia books are not for me, so reading the first half of this book did feel like a little bit of a drag for me. I do like art, art history and restoration which is what drew me to this book in the first place. I enjoyed the 2nd half of this book, the pacing was good and scenes between characters kept my attention a lot more.
Nicole as a character did feel a bit juvenile which makes sense she is young and probably why this book was marked as young adult, but some scenes especially towards the end felt very...mature.
The premise of the magic system in this book felt a little predictable, the Empyreans while interesting (I've never heard of those powers before and I'm intrigued to learn more) the Wakes code for the hunt was a little clumsy and hard to get behind.
The setup for the 2nd book has me excited to read the next instalment though!

3.5/5
I thought that this was a very interesting and overall enjoyable debut novel. I really liked the magic system, the world and creatures, the idea of Empyreals/supernaturals and hunting, and the nod to mythology/academia. The world-building and setting was good, and found that enough information/context was given without being too info-dumpy.

Although I thought the first 75% was engaging, there were times that the pacing was a bit slow and where it felt like there was too many details. Additionally I didn't really connect too strongly to Nicole - I found her a tiny bit annoying/stubborn at times and questioned some of the choices made.

I wasn't over the moon about the fated mates trope, and I think that is somewhat where my interest dropped (But that's a personal taste of mine I suppose!). I think further developing the relationships and characters (some secondary characters felt lacking) and improving the pacing for future instalments would be ideal, as The Temptation of Magic was generally enjoyable and has potential!

Thank you for allowing me to review this book.
I love the premise and the writing style of this book.
I love the journey we go on and how things unfold.
Thanks once again and I hope we can work together again in the future.

Rating: 6 Stars | Spice: 1 Star

Okay, prepare yourself for a lengthy review as I am thrilled to share that I have discovered a strong contender for my book of the year; "The Temptation of Magic" by Megan Scott, receiving my second 6-star rating this year.

If you enjoy:
Forbidden Love
Secret Powers and Magic
Immortal and Supernatural Beings
Conspiracies
Unique and Rich Lore
Celtic Mythology
Hidden Secrets and Messages in Artwork
Multiple POV
LGBTQI Characters
Add this immediately to your TBR or better yet, buy a copy immediately.

Blurb: Nicole, an Empyreal, possesses a lethal power to eliminate supernatural beings. She conceals this ability to keep her family safe from the Wake, an organization governing Supernaturals. Hiding in a small university town, they study a Mythological art collection, seeking the final message from Nicole's late mother. When Kyan McCarter, the Wake's skilled Empyreal, arrives on a hunt, an uneasy alliance forms as they work together to retrieve a stolen painting. Nicole's hidden powers and her bond with Kyan pose threats. If discovered, she faces being hunted by Kyan, a fate no one has survived to speak of.

Thoughts: I am completely in love with this book. Megan Scott's debut novel encompasses all the elements for a 5-6 star read for me with the characters, world-building, plot, and the mysteries concealed in art are skilfully intertwined. I honestly cannot believe that this is a debut! Following this, I will read absolutely anything Megan writes.

World Building: Scott constructs a mysterious town where the Immortal and Supernatural beings live in secret, however, coexist among humans. Alongside familiar creatures like sirens, vampires and druids, the introduction of the Empyrean adds an intriguing layer. Their hunting abilities and power adaptation provide an extra layer of depth to the familiar supernatural narrative. Reading through the Empyreal’s POV while they undergo this transformation was one of my favourite aspects of this book. The exploration of the Wake leaves room for further discovery in upcoming books, something I cannot wait to learn more about in the upcoming sequels.

Characters: The characters, from main to secondary, quickly captured my heart. Despite the book's length, we get a good painted picture of multiple secondary characters, a feat not easily achieved. I look forward to delving deeper into characters like Nicole's father, her siblings, and Kyan's friend Callum, and their ties to Nicole's late mother (and all the intrigue that surrounds this!). The anticipation of unfolding mysteries keeps me hooked, even now as I write this review. Nicole's character shines from the outset, showcasing a blend of strength and vulnerability. Her bond with her family is both heartwarming and touching, especially amidst the looming threat of the Wake.

I feel like every time I read a new fantasy novel with a MMC that steals my heart, I claim him to be the new Love of my Book Life. Kyan. My god. I don’t even know where to start. When I started this book I was expecting a big, tough, no-nonsense man with little to offer considering he is labeled as the Wake’s number one hunter. None of that could be more further from the truth. Kyan's feelings and complexity as a result of his 2,000 years add layers to his character that I truly didn’t expect to find. Although he works for the Wake, as you read his chapters you see quite quickly he wants nothing more than to bring justice against the innocent victims of evil Supernaturals. Did I mention he is Celtic??? SUPER important, very important. Kyan wanting and yearning for Nicole to open up and trust him was an incredibly welcomed surprise for me, something that I believe is wrapped up perfectly by the end of book one.

Plot: There wasn’t a single thing I disliked about the plot of this book. Secret messages regarding conspiracies hidden in artwork, a families’ struggle to hide themselves away from a ruling government that want to harm them, and a tender forbidden romance - this checks all of my boxes of an amazing story.

Thank you Megan Scott, I worship you and cannot wait to read more of this beautiful world!

The Temptation of Magic started strongly with an interesting premise and an engaging heroine. Overall, it did entertain me until the end; however, there were times when I questioned the choices characters made, especially in the second half of the book, and I began to lose interest in the romance when it became a matter of fated mates, which has never really been a favourite trope of mine. There were also quite a few secondary characters, but due to lack of time spent with them, they often felt a bit two dimensional and lacked impact in the story. Nonetheless, the world building was generally good and the story struck a decent balance of enough context without info dumping. I perhaps wouldn't rush to grab book two, but I would read it if the opportunity to do so presents itself. I am giving this first book 3.5 stars.