Excellent book, loved it! Looking forward to more from this author! Apologies for the lateness of my review

This is a book that I desperately wanted to love and I know that I will, but for now I need to put it aside.

I’ve been in a reading slump and while I tried (and tried) to give this one a go, I really struggled to focus because it’s simply not what my brain needs right now. I couldn’t connect with the characters and the plot just wasn’t doing it for me.

I can tell the author put in the work and Scott deserves an honest review when I’ve put in the work and actually read this one. For now, I can’t help but appreciate all the amazing reviews.

🌟 4.5/5

This was such a fun book that I read in one sitting because I could not put it down.

The story follows Nicole who is trying to survive in a world that hunts her kind to exploit them. There is romance between Nicole and Kyan which is placed nicely throughout the story and does not overshadow the plot. I enjoyed how the character’s emotions were intertwined with the storyline. I thought the magical system and creatures were fascinating.

The book had an interesting storyline that was easy to follow and flourished nicely. The character development contributed to the strong storyline and overall enjoyment.

In terms of why I gave this read a 4.5 and not 5, comes down to certain scenes that I believe could have been lengthened. Approaching the end of the book, certain parts felt rushed and moved slightly too quickly leaving a few ambiguities. However, this was only very minor.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book and I have been recommending it to all my friends.

I was immediately hooked with the two POVs! I liked how it was written overall, the magic, lore, and inclusion of art was really fascinating. The overall premise of the female main character, Nicole hiding her super natural abilities while trying to uncover a hidden truth had me interested. But, I found it a bit hard to get into at the beginning, only becoming more interested at the half way mark.

Thank you to Harper Collins Australia, Net Galley and Megan Scott for the opportunity to read The Temptation of Magic.

This book was the first request I made upon signing up for Net Galley. The Opening line in the details of ‘Serpent and Dove meets A discovery of witches’ had me sold. Whilst I normally don’t read a lot in the fantasy genre, it doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy it!

We are quickly introduced to our two main characters, Nicole and Kyan. Whilst initially, it is a little unclear as to what this world is, where the fantasy lies, and how their world works, once past the first few chapters, you start feeling that familiar tug, that pulls you in and envelops you whole, living and breathing everything our characters do.

He is an Empyreal, with a sworn oath to the ‘Wake’, she should be everything he hunts, but he’s not sure what exactly she is. Nicole, herself, is not sure exactly what she is, but she can feel it brewing.
She’s in danger.
He is the danger.
Somehow though, they are deeply drawn to each other in a way neither of them can explain.

This book delves into the histories of supernatural’s, through the eyes of an art history student, Nicole, who is on a mission to find out more from and about her mother, who has long since passed. The art works we know and love today, apparently telling the stories of the supernatural and hiding messages from her mother, who seems to be the only person to know what might come next for Nicole and her family. As an Art teacher, this part of the story was a stroke of genius.

For those that enjoy the guilty pleasures of books such as Twilight, Vampire Academy or the Fever series, then this is for you. Pitched a little lower (age wise) than A discovery of witches, A temptation of magic is an atmospheric young adult read, delving into the bonds of friendship, the hidden nature of the supernatural world, the importance of family and how far we will go to protect them, forbidden love and desires, along with some moral questions around good versus evil and everything that lies between.

Overall, a great start to a new series! Written as a dual perspective, and with relatively short chapters, it is an enticing and captivating read. I will admit to reading this in a very short sitting, an hour or so one day, and another one or two the next. I am keen to see what comes next in the second book!

Thank you Netgalley, HarperCollins Publishers Australia and Megan Scott for this arc!

This book had such a strong dark academia feel, I loved it! It was set in a small town, in a majestic university, in a forest at times, and even a beautiful manor. So the aesthetic and vibes alone were amazing.

I really gelled with the writing, although the beginning of the book did feel quite slow, but then the plot started to pick up, mainly because the story was told in dual POVs, meaning we got some action or revelations in every chapter. For a debut novel, you can tell the author has really developed her ideas and researched into the mythologies, just making this a great book overall. There were some heavy world building parts, which connected to the paintings, and it was sometimes a bit hard to follow, especially in the first parts of the book, but other than that, I really enjoyed the concept of art history and the mysteries behind these supernatural artworks.

The magic system of this book was original and I like how it connected to Irish and Celtic mythology, which made a clear path for these supernaturals' magical history. Although this book is said to be a romantasy, which it is, there was still strong mystery elements with the secrets, the missing paintings and our FMC, Nicole's, mother, which led to Nicole teaming up with our MMC, Kyan. The constant clue breakdowns were really fun, making me want to continue reading.

The author did a very good job of balancing the story and plotline with multiple characters, not just our two MCs. That meant there was a strong sense of family and friendship which I loved, making this book feel more calming, instead of your constant high-stakes fantasy.

Of course, there are many of this book's mysteries that have been left unsolved and it's such a shame that I probably have to wait years for the second book in this trilogy, but I can't wait! I'm looking forward to what else Megan Scott will be writing in the future!

*Thank you to NetGalley & HarperCollins Publishers Australia for sending me a digital copy to review*

I loved the TV adaptation of A Discovery of Witches so when I saw it was used to describe this book I had high hopes. Nicole is an Empyreal, a powerful shapeshifter The Wake uses to control the supernatural population. The Wake is a mysterious and dangerous organisation that hunts down any Empyreal not under their control. As a result, Nicole and her family are in hiding and Nicole takes it upon herself to decipher clues left behind by her mother.

This book has two main POV - Nicole & Kyan. Kyan is an Empyreal under The Wakes command and gets assigned to take out a supernatural who has stolen a painting that is tied to her mother’s clues as well as her dissertation. As a former Art History student I loved the inclusion of art in the story and I felt quickly connected with Nicole. I also loved the academic setting. Estwood, the small university town, felt so real and I just wanted to live there. There is a map at the beginning of the book so that gets bonus points.

This book has mystery & romance. Nicole kind of forces Kyan to team up to investigate the stolen painting and we see their relationship slowly develop. They find themselves able to open up to one another and bring up things that they’ve kept buried for years. I also loved the supporting characters - Nicole’s family & best friend add so much to the story and you feel invested in them trying to find a way to free themselves from The Wake.

This is the first book of the series and the end just left me wanting more. I am so excited for the next book.

If you asked be to describe this book in 3 words, it would be: "supernatural art conspiracy".

In this YA romantasy debut, Megan Scott (our author) has flawlessly blended the relationship of Nicole (FMC and shapeshifter!!) and Kyan (MMC and assassin) into the secrets of family, art and a shady organisation governing supernaturals.

The world building is amazing, the character development is spot on and honest I felt I loved the side characters more 😆 So easily relateable!

Not one to miss for lovers of fantasy and romance!!

I was unable to read this book unfortunately as the formatting made it really difficult to read on my phone and there was no option to send to kindle. I would’ve really loved to read this book!

This was so much fun and such a wonderful reading experience! I felt like this book had everything which kept me so entertained and engaged the whole time! Forbidden romance, mystery elements so many fantasy elements!

I really loved our main female character nicole and found her relatable which I just love especially within a fantasy book. The tension between our main characters was top tier and I just absolutely adored this book! I definitely will be continuing with this series and I’m excited to see where this story continues to go!

4 ⭐️

The vibes of this book are just immaculate ✨️ I knew this was gonna be a 5 star read from the moment I started reading it.
The way this book is so beautifully written... The language and articulation perfectly match the themes of the book based on historical pieces of art and the stories they tell.

The tension between Kyan and Nicole was so good! Knowing Nicole was Kyan's enemy, but he didn't know it yet... and then seeing that tension turn into feelings for each other was so good.

Also, the mystery of Nicole's mother and the messages she hid behind the paintings had me so invested. I kept reading because I wanted to know what it all meant...

Such a great read!

The Temptation of Magic tickled that part of me that grew up reading the Twilight and Vampire Diaries series and watching Buffy The Vampire Slayer. The writing, the atmosphere, the characters and the plot were all reminiscent of the tropes of those stories - a hidden supernatural world, strong familial and friendship bonds, forbidden desires, conspiracies and secrets and the fight of good versus evil.

I thought the novel started off strong, and the author certainly draws you into the mysterious world of Empyreals as the protectors of the supernatural world, who's rich history is captured in a tapestry of ancient art works. Our main characters realize that not everything is as it seems, and begin to question the narratives they've been given, all while battling a supernatural assasin and playing a cat and mouse game with each other to prevent secrets from being uncovered.

Where I think it missed the mark for me was in the execution of the varying complexities in the interaction of the plot and characters as the story was building to its climax and ending. I felt that there were several characters who we are told have significant importance for the events of the plot, however they seemed to conveniently appear when needed. I think there is some room for improvement in terms of their development so that they feel more integrated and therefore convincing as to their importance in moving the plot along.

I would have also liked to have seen more tension and subterfuge between our main characters, as I feel that they fell into their romance quite easily despite the varying circumstances that kept them apart.

Overall, a great debut novel with an intriguing take on supernaturals, one that I am keen to learn more about in the sequel.

Thank you Hachette Australia, Netgalley and the author for providing me with an advanced reader copy. All thoughts are my own.

Thank you to Harper Collins Australia and Net Galley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

I had such high hopes for this book as it was compared to other books I loved, and it had all the genres I enjoy: romance, fantasy, and a hint of dark academia. However, I found it challenging to get through, as it often felt confusing, and I got lost in the narrative. While the story had potential, especially with its various supernatural creatures and references to Irish mythology, I felt it wasn't executed as well as it could have been.

The romance lacked buildup, which made it difficult to connect with the characters' relationships. Additionally, the writing could benefit from editing, as some sentences were overly lengthy and descriptive. For instance, "Normally the beach was flooded with people, but at ten thirty on a rainy morning, students were in classes and Estwood was quiet, save for the caw and swoop of seagulls like quick pencil sketches, their echoey song coming from somewhere above." This level of detail felt unnecessary at times and took away from the overall flow of the story.

As a believer that books labeled under the Teen & YA genre should avoid graphic sexual content, I found this aspect of the book inappropriate for its intended audience. I appreciate the opportunity to read and review this ARC, but unfortunately, it wasn't a good fit for me.

[I understand that it was noted by the publisher that this is an uncorrected advance edition and errors will be corrected in the final copy]

She has the ability to kill any deadly supernatural. But if her power ever awakens, the organisation that governs supernaturals, would force her to be their loyal huntress. Or kill her, like they did her mother. Nicole hides in a small university town with her family to stay safe, she’s convinced the mythological art collection at a local manor contains a final message from her mother. Before she can begin her study of the art another Empyreal, Kyan, arrives on the scene. When they discover his prey has stolen a painting for leverage, they’re forced to work together.

As the creature threatens to expose her powers, her tenuous alliance with Kyan threaten her heart. If her true identity is revealed, she will be hunted next. No one disobeys the governing body of supernaturals and survives. Especially when the art they’re seeking unveils a conspiracy that would change the lives of creatures and human forever. After a life of hiding her true nature, who could resist the temptation of magic.

A forbidden romance steeped in mythology and magic that will leave you wanting more. This may be the first in a series but it takes the fantasy world by storm: magical creatures, forbidden alliances and supernatural creatures are prowling across the pages. There isn’t anything about this book to to like cause it has it all. There is a magic in reading something that entices you from he very first page and magical creatures existing alongside humans is one of them. Imagine is this was real.

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘊𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘷𝘪𝘢 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘛𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘔𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤 𝘣𝘺 𝘔𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘯 𝘚𝘤𝘰𝘵𝘵

Enchanting in form, temptingly seductive and absolutely magical from start to finish!

Megan Scott, you have nailed this debut novel. "The Temptation of Magic" has everything the start of a good romantasy series should have - characters who you become invested in, a mystery that intrigues you and a love to span the ages. Yet, it is also refreshingly unique to every other romantasy novel I have read. I loved the setting, the family dynamics, the friendships and of course the magic!

Scott's use of creatures which are known from mythology- Seers, Vampires, Fae and Spectres - is beautifully blended with the creation of a new magical species, the Empyreal, a species with an innate need to protect the innocent, and kill other deadly supernatural beings. It was evident throughout the novel how much research and knowledge Scott has of mythology - something I truly appreciate in a fantasy!

The artwork throughout the novel serves as a profound vehicle of discovery, and helps transport readers into Scott's magical world. It creates context for the realm, using it as a means to illustrate the past and contextualise the present within the story. I found it an innovative means of doing so for the genre. The artworks within the book, which are actual masterpieces which you can look up and view for yourself, were also the main driver of the plot, and full of symbolism, codes and the hidden knowledge which is the key to the underlying mystery of the series.

There was so much to love in this book, and I am so excited to find out what the next installment brings! Thanks NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers Australia for the ARC in exchange for this review!

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.