Sorcery Reborn

I was fortunate enough to be able to read this book ahead of release! As a huge fan of the world Steve has created, I didn't think I'd read another Nate book that I enjoyed more than Scorched Shadows,  but this did it. Sorcery Reborn was just fantastic! Answered some questions I've had since book one, left some more questions that I am sure will be answered in the next couple of books and I just cannot wait to read the next installment!

I love where the Rebellion Chronicles is headed, and within the first few chapters it was like I hadn't had to wait any time between installments and it just flowed straight into the story.

If you've read both Hellequinn, and Avalon Chronicles before this, the book contains all your favourite characters, some magnificent swears, and even some feels I was not expecting. All in all this is my new favourite book Steve has written.

This was one hell of an action-packed adventure and my first introduction to Nate. I enjoyed this so much that I now feel the need to go back and read the other books featuring him, starting with the Hellequin Chronicles.

I have been waiting for this one for awhile and it was awesome. Another great addition to the Nate Garrett story line.

Good to see older characters and newer ones. Looking forward to learning about Nate's new powers and what the future holds for him and his friends.

Keep putting out great stories.

John Wick with magic. Alive and magicless, Nate has hidden away in a small town to await the return of his magic that would take a year at least, to emerge again. Fighting skills never leave you, and Nate uses them all when Avalon groupies descend on the town not knowing Nate is alive and living there. The fights are epic, the magic spectacular, and the deaths of the villains glorious. Great start to the new story arc. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book from Netgalley.

I was excited to be able to read an advanced copy of the newest series in the Nate Garrett, Avalon world....not really sure what the over arching world is called now. This is book 1 in the Rebellion Chronicle series, but its truly just bringing back our boy Nate. I will have to admit, I was very glad for the cheat sheet at the beginning with the names of the characters, their powers and who they were, along with their relation to each other - It has been a while and I’m thinking I would have been lost without it.

Without spoiling anything, suffice it to say that this was another action packed addition that keeps us moving forward in the story arc with the fight against Avalon. It was really nice to get back to Nate’s POV, he is truly such a powerful character - whether he’s a human or a sorcerer - and he’s been missed. Not that it wasn’t good to hear from Layla, or Mordred or any of the others that we’ve been hearing from recently, but I felt like this was the first step back to the beginning, if that makes any sense?

If you have been along for the ride from the beginning, you won’t be disappointed. This is not a book to start with though - even though it says its the first book in a series - because this world has already been built, the realms established, the characters have tightly formed relationships that while you might follow the top line of the story, you won’t truly understand the dynamics unless you’ve started from the beginning. Maybe that’s just my opinion, but even I get confused with all the different pantheons and who likes who and who wants to kill whom. But, regardless of all of that - you will not be bored.

Having stopped reading Mr M's books when, in my opinion, the quality dropped into the abyss, I am very happy to report that Book 1 of this new series has him solidly back on track.

Nat Garrett is back on track with all of his friends and all of his enemies. The book is fast-paced from beginning to end and his world is as fantastic as it has ever been - and long may that continue.

If you have enjoyed Mr M's earlier books and, like me, wondered what happened recently, go buy this book and expect to read it in one gulp! You will be so pleased you did.

We finally have the return of Nate and he was awesome to have him back, but we got to see him at 3 key points of power. The human part, the return of magic and the epilog.

In this book, there is a POV shift, so it's not all Nate, which I was disappointed about, as I wanted to read about Nate going postal on Avalon. We finally find out some key aspects about Nate's history and who BOTH his parents are, which came utterly left of field for me.

Just like with the original Harlequin books, this is a slow burn, but it didn't feel padded to keep the page count up. Steve McHugh has always been very good at building the wider world around a protagonist, but still keeping everything from the previous books tied to the current plot. Other than a couple of time skips, the book really is about Nate returning to his magic and what is happening in that moment.

One thing I would strongly advise to people, is to totally reread all of the previous books, just because the world is so complex and if I hadn't done so, I would have gotten lost on some aspects of this book.

All in all this book keeps up the high standard from the previous Nate books and I am happy we are back to reading about him

A fun and action packed book with an interesting twist on classic mythology. I have loved the previous instalments of this series (both Nate and Layla!) and this one was no exception. Every character is interesting and each new twist was a delight to read. I can't wait to read what happens next.

Another great book by Steve McHugh following in the footsteps of the Hellequin chronicles. In fact for me this is the only downside to the book which is you really need to have read the Hellequin chronicles to make sense of this book (Fortunately I have).
The book is full of figures from Legends around the world Fighting against or for Avalon to determine the fate of Humankind.

It's the first book I read in this series and won't surely be the last.
It's engrossing and entertaining, with a well thought cast of characters and an excellent world building.
I will surely read the other books in this series.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

I picked up this book believing it was the first in a series. I had read a couple of books in the author’s Avalon Chronicles, but I haven’t finished it yet. I really enjoyed the ones I read. When I went into reading this book, I was surprised there was a list of characters for the readers at the beginning. As I continued reading, I felt I was missing something, so I did a little research and found this was the first in a series, but it actually continued the series I had read a couple books of and the series before that. I went ahead and continued anyway. I really liked the expert way the author weaved the story, and he also tried to keep new readers in the loop if they were new (the list at the beginning is a great help!). The author does have a great way with words, and I loved all the characters. I really did enjoy this well-written book, but I do feel that I would have enjoyed it even more if I had read the books that came before. I’ll read the others before continuing on. If you have read the others, you will love this one. If you haven’t, you can still read this book and really enjoy it, but I’d recommend reading the others to get the full effect. Recommend this book, and I received a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.

Humans, Norse gods, Hades, Giants and Asgard all mixed with magic and war.

Nate is human, his magic lost in an earlier battle and believed dead…..but the battles against evil are still ongoing. So, Nate tries to find another way to stop Avalon. But will his magic return?

Wow, what an incredible world Steve McHugh has created, it has everything you could wish for in a tale of war between good and evil. Heroes, Gods, Magic and enough fights to make Nate the Jason Bourne of the fantasy world …..there’s even a werewolf. Great, likeable well developed characters with a detailed plot and some emotional moments too. A fantastic, action packed read.

Thank you to The publishers and NetGalley for a free ecopy of the book. This is my honest, unbiased review.

If you liked the helliquin series, then you'll love this!

Finally Nate returned and many of the questions left in the air from the last book were answered. The pace and action was spot on and the character interactions well thought out.

This book worked well because of the previous books in the world, and although this is technically the start of a new series it is a mistake reading this first, as you will miss out on the significance of some of the events and potentially be lost with so many different characters to track.

To be honest, if you like an easy read full of magic, a twist on mythology and more magic, I suggest you pick up the set starting with Crimes Against Magic.

Sorcery Reborn is the first installment in author Steve McHugh's The Rebellion Chronicles. This story marks the official return of Nathan Garrett, but it doesn't ignore Layla Cassidy or the rest of the cast of characters who readers have followed via The Avalon Chronicles. If you are a fan of the authors, then you've probably already read the Hellequin Chronicles featuring Nate and many of the same characters. So, as a summary of sorts, Nate was presumed dead thanks to Mordred (See Scorched Shadows). When he awakens, Nate no longer has his powers as a sorcerer.

Nate has come back at the right or wrong time depending on who you ask. The world is at war. Arthur has told the world of the existence of non-humans and has set out to exterminate anyone who disagrees with him. That includes Nate, Selene, Tommy, Olivia, Mordred, Hades, Diana, & Remy. Nate is told that since he is human now, he can't let anyone know that he is alive and has no powers. If you've read the previous series, you know that a blood ritual was created preventing anyone from leaking the fact that he is alive to the wrong people, namely Arthur and Hera who both want him dead permanently.

So, Nate moves to Clockwork, Oregon where he hopes that his powers will return sooner, rather than later. Nate has a pretty boring life until Nazi's, because of course we have to have Nazi's, appear and upturn the apple cart. Nate can't stay away from trouble for long. The so called Knights of Avalon are led by a thug named Robert who is upset that his ex left him and embarrassed him. It's risky for Nate to get involved since he's supposed to be keeping a low profile. It's even worse than he thinks when it's revealed they actually work for Avalon, Arthur's group that is intent on controlling every known realm including Earth.

The world has progressed quite significantly in the two years Nate was in hiding. Now that he is back, I think we can be assured that the rebellion against Arthur, Hera and their allies will be taken up in earnest. Thanks to his "friend" Chris Hopkins (not his real name), Nate has to figure out who his father is thus discovering why his powers haven't returned. For readers of the Hellequin series, this is a major point but also a let down since it's pretty apparent who Nate's father is. Nate, Chris, Medusa, Isis, and others battle to save Portland from Avalon and send a loud message to Arthur.

Meanwhile, Layla has embraced her abilities and accepted her role as a leader to an eclectic team - a werewolf, a human, a shadow elf, a dwarf, a Titan and a sabre-toothed panther. Her team already helped defeat Arthur's allies in Helheim, but the search for shadow elves and dwarves continues in earnest. After a tip from Seshat, the teams heads to Jotunheim, a realm inhabited by giants. Unlike many of her friends (minus Harry) Layla wasn't born into this world. She was thrust into this life and it will be interesting to see what the long-term effects of her extraordinary experiences will be.

This series is set in a world already well built in Hellequin books as well as the Avalon Chronicles. It is complex, rich and brilliant and you definitely not be bored with the fight scenes, or the action in both Nate and Layla's worlds.

Thanks to netgalley for giving me a chance to review this book.
Sorcery reborn sees the return of Nate garett. Those who have read Hellequin and The Avalon chronicles will be familiar with the characters ( and there are loads of them ). The glossary at the beginning was a big help in identifying n recalling the various characters .
Nate is once again seen trying to fight the evil of Avalon with the help of his friends Tommy, Remy, Daina, Medusa , etc. And then there is Layla Cassidy fighting other battles in other realms with the helps of Gaints , dwarves and elves.
This book marks the beginning of The rebellion. I am excited to see what the next one has in store for Nate garett fans.

To my complete and utter lack of surprise, Steve McHugh has done it again.

I’ve been looking forward to this book for MONTHS. I love The Hellequin and Avalon Chronicles so was desperate to find out what happened to these wonderful characters next.

Having post a spoiler filled review on Goodreads, I won’t repeat it here, but I’ll give my overall thoughts.

I worried that the story would feel a little slow or disjointed as we join the lead character, Nate, 2 years after the end of The Hellequin Chronicles, powerless and human while he awaits the return of his magic. My worry was totally misplaced however as McHugh is such a talented writer. He manages to keep the story interesting and cohesive, even when the main character doesn’t have access to the powers that form a rather large chunk of the storylines. Human Nate is the same hero as sorcery Nate, he still fights for the vulnerable and those who need him, even when he is technically outmatched in power. He’s a truly great protagonist, with buckets of humour and bravery, but never falling prey to the Superman character danger, where someone becomes a bland cliche ridden caricature - he isn’t a boring, purely good hero, he has his darkness and has made mistakes, but he always tries to own his s*** and keeps fighting for what he believes in.

The story starts to come back into line with Hellequin and Avalon at around 64% in, but it doesn’t feel like a slog to get there, and the remainder of the book doesn’t feel rushed. Lots of threads are woven together, including a small amount of split perspective, but even that doesn’t really affect the flow and pace. With such character heavy books it would be easy for it to feel too busy, but McHugh never allows himself to be bogged down. He has created wonderfully rich characters, who, even when only briefly appearing in a book, still manage to shine and steal scenes - Remy, Mordred, Tommy, Diana are some of these beloved characters, that, yes ok, I’d love more of, but their scarcity doesn’t hurt too much as the rest is so well done.

McHugh is definitely a ‘show not tell’ author which I greatly appreciate, and he is descriptive without becoming too flowery and over the top. I can’t stand writers who repeatedly wallop their readers over the head with descriptive passages, and I appreciate the fact that descriptions of characters aren’t repeated ad nauseum, which a lot of writers seem to do, not just in each new book in a series, but several times in a book. McHugh only briefly references Nate’s appearance, same with other characters that have been described in the previous books, and it makes for a much more pleasant experience. I also appreciate that he can actually write female characters, without reducing them to their cup size or their other sexual attributes, of which far too many writers seem incapable. His female characters are not weak, they don’t need to be rescued by their menfolk and his male characters (at least the good guys) treat women with respect. It never reads like tokenism, and he is very inclusive, there are plenty of LGBT characters, and none are used cheaply, nor is their sexuality used to labour a point.

Another of McHugh’s talents is social commentary, without crossing into preaching. A theme I see him repeat is history being written by the winners, or propaganda being used to smear people for ulterior motives. In this political era that’s all too relevant. The progressiveness never feels forced. His attitude towards racism and all discrimination is pretty clear without ever entering the ‘snowflake’ (gods I hate that term) territory, his points are valid and well stated.

This universe is truly one that I’ve fallen in love with. I’ve got my husband, father, and potentially, my aunt reading McHugh and they all love what they see. These books would make great TV or film, if in the right hands (Whedon I’m looking at you), but hopefully anyone who does choose to pick it up loves the universe as much as McHugh so they can do it justice.

To sum up, read it. Read all of The Hellequin Chronicles. Read all of The Avalon Chronicles. Read the novellas. Follow McHugh on social media (lovely man, very nice to his readers) and support him by preordering his upcoming works. You won’t regret it.

Well this was one wild ride. Nate Garret has awoken from a battle with all his power drained. He’s been forced to live off grid in Clockwork as a human while awaiting the return of what he’s lost. He’s there longer than anyone expected and grown fond of the community he’s been integrated into.

Ohh that beginning
I’ve got to admit I struggled at the beginning. There was so much information and although this was the first of the series I felt like I’d missed a massive part of the story. That was because I had! This is a continuation of events that have happened in previous series set in the same world. Once I realised that I just went with the flow and settled into the story.

The Characters
The story is told from two points of view (POV), Nate and Layla. The chapters from Layla’s POV follow her and her team through other realms as they try and find the missing Dwarfs. I loved her and her team, a fab band of characters and it’s through them that we learn what is going on away from the realm of Earth. She’s the one that’s made me want to go back and read the other books. I need to know her back story and find out more about her ‘cat’.

Nate’s an easy person to like. Determined, a bit of a rebel and sticks his neck out for his friends. Even trapped as a human he gets involved to save his friends from people who wish to do them harm.

All of the side characters (there are so many) are also well written. There are a lot of characters here from myth and legend but not as you know them. Some of their interactions caused some laugh out loud moments for me.

Final Thoughts
The story progresses rapidly, the pace intense and the action heated. I read this in two sittings, no mean feat with two demanding kiddies. The magic is explained as you go along, so if you are a first time reader like me you will not feel left behind. Important as there are some epic magical battles involving complex branches of sorcery.

I really enjoyed the world that Steve has created. It’s so detailed and has real depth. I really appreciate that in my fantasy novels. This is my first book by Steve but it most certainly will not be my last, I have a whole back catalogue to investigate.

Love love love this book!! I read the whole first series super quick and though I'm a little lost on this one due to the two year gap, I loved seeing these characters again!

This is the first book in what looks to be a great new series by the Author - one I initially found hard to get into - but I am glad I persevered . The book incorporates characters from his previous Avalon Chronicles and it was nice to see them again .

This book is told from two POVs - Nate and Layla
Having lost his powers , Nate Garret is living off the grid in Clockwork , Oregon - living life as a human he has made friends in his new life . But living as a human comes with problems , he cannot let anyone from his past know he is alive and well , whilst he waits for his powers to hopefully return .
The world is at war. Arthur has told the world of the existence of non-humans and has set out to exterminate anyone who disagrees with him - and that includes Nate and his allies .
Trouble however follows Nate to Clockwork , Oregon - his battle against evil must continue , even without his powers .
Laya having now accepted her abilities , is fighting her own battle in other realms , with the help of Elves , Dwarves and Giants and others . Her search for the shadow elves and dwarves continues .

The book is full of characters from myth and legend , with battles fought on more than one front and realm ,
a thoroughly entertaining read .
I look forward to the next book in the series .

I was given an arc of the book by the Publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review