#Review - Wilde Magic (Immortal Vegas #1) by Jenn Stark #Fantasy #Romance

Series: Immortal Vegas # 1
Format: E-Galley, 291 pages
Release Date: May 31, 2022
Publisher: Elewyn Publishing
Source: Publisher
Genre: Urban Fantasy

Off the grid and on the run since she was a teen, Sara Wilde has made a name for herself as an artifact hunter with an edge—finding the most magical treasures on the planet with the flip of a Tarot card.

But when she’s hired to steal a powerful fertility idol on the last night of Carnival, Sara discovers her rough-and-tumble skills are no match for the new, mysterious buyer she’s attracted. Rich, demanding, and sexy as sin, this Magician promises to be nothing but trouble. Yet, for what he’s willing to shell out for her services, Sara can afford the risk.

Or so she thinks.

As the danger—and the payoffs—mount, the power of Tarot leads Sara from the rollicking party of Rio de Janeiro to the grand historical cemeteries of Savannah, then on to the ostentatious museum halls of New York City. Meanwhile, the relentless Magician weaves an ever more seductive spell, hinting at a world she’s barely glimpsed.

To keep from getting burned by passion, power, or betrayal, Sara’s going to need some Wilde Magic.

Jenn Stark's Wilde Magic is the new series starter for the Immortal Vegas Series, which continues next with Getting Wilde. The opening adventure of Wilde Magic was previously published as the novella One Wilde Night. That story has been changed and expanded here, and leads Sara to all-new adventures. Sara Wilde is an artifact hunter with an edge in finding the most magical treasures on the planet thanks to her trust Tarot Cards. 

Sara's first stop in this action packed adventure begins during Carnival Week in Rio de Janeiro where she attempts to get a jade stone necklace with powers of fertility, powers of luck, health, and abundance of long life. During the assignment, Sara catches the attention of  a powerful member of the Arcana Council, who hires her for an assignment and the pay is just too much for her to pass up. From Rio, Sara travels to Miami, Florida where she finds out that there are powerful people on her trail, and the only one who seems to be able to keep her safe, is a dangerous and sexy man named Armaes Bertrand aka the Magician who seems to make Sara's heart flutter.

Sara's next stop is Savannah where she must find another artifact, as well as finding a girl who was taken for her blood. Lastly, Sara ends up in New York City where she comes face to face with a powerful man who needs certain artifacts in order to allow the Gods to return to this realm. One of the things I've always loved about Sara is her heart. Sara's in the business to save the children which are referred to as connected in that they have unusual abilities. These children are being abused and even killed for their blood and their abilities. 

Along with Father Jerome, she's always been on the lookout for the next big score to keep the children safe from the dangerous black market. The story does a really good job of getting inside of Sara's head when it comes to her unusual powers, her ability to connect on a different level with the Magician, as well as her next steps in what's she supposed to do next. One could say that this story is a glimpse into the future for Sara and her globe traveling to find dangerous artifacts.

As a reviewer who has read every single installment in Sara Wilde's series, I can honestly say that this is an interesting new twist on the original story. Because I am one of the original readers, I attempted to keep spoilers from leaking into this review. I can't emphasize this enough. If you have not yet read this series, now would be the perfect time to jump and and enjoy the world of Sara Wilde and the Arcana Council.  

 

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#Review - The Shattered Tower (Wilde Justice #8) by Jenn Stark #Fantasy

Series: Wilde Justice # 8
Format: Kindle, 319 pages
Release Date: December 3, 2021
Publisher: Elewyn Publishing
Source: Publisher
Genre: Urban Fantasy

Where there is magic...there will always be war.

Justice of the Arcana Council Sara Wilde has dedicated her life to protecting the world’s most vulnerable members of the psychic community. But as an ancient enemy of the Council closes in, inciting the Shadow Court and its followers around to deadly action, there’s no way to avoid a world-changing war.

Worse, this final battle not only threatens millions of innocent Connecteds, it has the potential to destroy everyone close to Sara. The Magician, the Devil, the Fool, Death, the Moon, Judgment—no one is safe. Even as Sara realizes how much she has come to love her found family, she knows she could lose them in a blink of an eye.

But Sara hasn’t fought this hard, for this long, to give up now. And when she combines the full limit of her abilities with her trusty Tarot cards…the game will never be the same.

Except the cards can no longer save you when you climb THE SHATTERED TOWER.

The Shattered Tower, by author Jenn Stark, is the 8th installment in the authors Wilde Justice series which was spun-off from Immortal Vegas series. We've known since The Shadow Court book was released that Sara and the Arcane Council were going to have their hands full and that a major war was brewing. This, however, was not what I was expected. One could legitimately say that every member of the Arcane Council, including Sara, will need to stand and deliver or fall and let a powerful nemesis take over the world and terrorize the most innocent of all; young Connecteds.

Sara's life as the Justice of the Arcana Council hasn't exactly been easy. At every single stop along the way, she's been pushed, and pushed, and pushed harder. She's become a powerful, perhaps the most powerful member of the Arcane Council, and she knows that without her around, the most innocent will be run over and forgotten. That's why she spent many years as a tarot card reading relic hunter. That's why she gave away her money to save the kids.

Thankfully, she's had the support of the Magician, as well as her best friend Nikki Dawes, and I think Simon and the Devil as well. After the previous installment when the author revealed perhaps the most dangerous character yet, a missing member of the Arcane Council who hasn't been sine in thousands of years, I felt like something bad was going to happen. When the truth behind one of the Arcane members finally comes out (even though I say his betrayal coming), it becomes abundantly clear that things are already in motion, and that no matter what Sara and her friends did, they would fail.

Truth in reviewing. At one point in this book, I actually started crying. Why? Who knows? Maybe I knew the end was coming and there's nothing I can do. Just like life. We all know that we are not immortal. I adore Sara, Sariah, Nikki, the Magician, and yes, even Death and the Devil. I got used to Eshe and her strangeness, and yes, I cried during the last chapters hoping that the Sara would find a way to stop the Shadow Court. This was perhaps the hardest review for me to write. 

You see, I've read all TEN books in the Immortal Vegas series. I trusted the author to keep her mojo going when she decided to write the Wilde Justice series. She did. Now that it's coming to an end, you're damn right I'm sad. But I am also hopeful that the author will continue to focus on some of the secondary characters like Sariah, the Devil, Death, and the Syx demon enforcers. I think Sariah and the Devil's story would be exciting. There is one minor Easter egg in this book which I won't spoil. I kind of wish there were more "guest" appearances.

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#Review - The Untamed Moon by Jenn Stark #Fantasy #Romance

Series: Wilde Justice # 7
Format: E-Galley
Release Date:  June 23rd 2021
Publisher: Elewyn Publishing
Source: Publisher
Genre: Urban Fantasy / Romance

“Swear not by the Moon, the inconstant Moon…”

Night is falling on the world of the Arcana Council, and the darkest corners of the psychic community are stirring, eager for war no matter the cost.

In a last-ditch effort to maintain the balance of magic, Justice Sara Wilde launches an all-out search for the Moon, one of the Council’s most powerful missing members. With a team that includes the darkly formidable Magician, the tech-savant Fool and the incomparable Nikki Dawes…Sara likes her odds for finding her quarry in time.

Unfortunately, she’s not alone in the hunt.

A cry for help from the depths of South America triggers Sara’s oldest enemies, the cutthroat artifact hunters of the arcane black market. In a race to find the deeply secretive, elusive Moon, the winner is promised power beyond their wildest imagination. Are these claims pure lies and moonlit fantasy? Or a sign that when the Moon is in play, nothing is ever as it seems?

The truth is deadlier than anyone expects.

Even your shadow will betray you when you hunt The Untamed Moon.

 

The Untamed Moon is the Seventh installment in author Jenn Stark's Wilde Justice series. Summary: Sara Wilde who once was a tarot card wielding treasure hunter, is now Justice of the Arcana Council. The Arcana Council is a group of sorcerers, some actual demigods, who are supposed to keep the magic balanced. Sara, in her position that she took over at the beginning of this spin-off series, is supposed to right wrongs perpetrated against connecteds by other connecteds. Spoiler alert: there's a whole lot of wrongs to deal with.

At the end of The Night Witch, Sariah Pelter has become Sara's right hand doing things Sara won't do. Which is where we begin the story. Sara and Sariah find themselves in Pennsauken, New Jersey which is said to be a gateway to Hell. Since Sariah and Sara both know a thing or two about Hell, both spent time there, they also know that what is happening here might be a key to what happens later in the story. Joining them there is Krieos, the Devil of the Arcana Council and its leader. It's interesting that Sariah has an ability that comes in handy more times than not. 

Sara once again proves that we, as readers, need to know what abilities her parents have since she appears to get stronger, and stronger every single time out. I am not bloviating here. She is able to do things that no other member of the Council is able to do. Especially when it comes to her connection with Armaeus, the Magician of the Arcana Council. Now, Sara and her immediate allies like Nikki Dawes, Simon the Fool, Armaeus, and yes, even Krieos have enemies at every turn. They have the Shadow Council which has been itching for a war. 

They have others who may be closer than they think whose loyalties to the Council may be more questionable than not. The story's main focus is on finding the missing Moon and the Star before their enemies do. When a ring sent by a long time artifact hunter arrives on Sara's door, she's positively sure that trouble awaits. The search for Roland Franklin begins with Sara, Simon, Nikki, and Nigel Friedman, a Brit artifact hunter and once adversary of Sara's, traveling to Peru where other groups of artifact hunters have been drawn to. Where ever Sara goes, trouble isn't that far behind. 

With the Moon not being seen for a thousand years, and enemies biting at their heels, time may be running out. Sara and her allies will fight demons, get a visit from the Syx who have become series regulars, and get introduced to a new Council member, while wondering if any of them will survive the war that is closing in on them.  I'm going to stop here as what happens in this story will rock your block off if you've read this series from the beginning. There is a shocking revelation, although it really will make sense once you've read about it.  

Alas, the author gives readers welcome news about when the next installment, The Shattered Dawn, is going to be released. Thus, we don't have to wait that long before the 8th installment is released and it should be a doozy!

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#Review - The Night Witch (Wilde Justice #6) by Jenn Stark #Fantasy #Romance

Series: Wilde Justice #6
Format: Kindle
Release Date: August 3rd 2020
Publisher: Elewyn Publishing
Source: Author
Genre: Urban Fantasy / Romance

Be careful what you wish for.

Tarot-reading Justice of the Arcana Council Sara Wilde has an avalanche of oppressed psychics crying out for her aid. How can she help them all? Despite the support of the formidable Magician, she’s only one woman.

Worse, the Council’s biggest rival, the Shadow Court, taunts her at every turn, defying her efforts to discover the power behind their elite operation.

Frustrated by the Council’s unwillingness to act, Sara is tempted to take matters into her own hands. Especially when she uncovers ancient, mysterious references to a vigilante-style enforcer, the night witch, who does what Justice can’t…or won’t.

Then a new, mysterious ally emerges, a reclusive sheikh with tales of captured genies and impossible wishes who offers Sara his assistance—for a price. A price that may prove to be more than Sara ever expected to pay…

Shadows dance and demons howl when The Night Witch comes to call.

"Darkness draws down, and the night witch stirs."

The Night Witch is the sixth installment in author Jenn Stark's Wilde Justice series. Sara Wilde is a Tarot Card reading Justice of the Arcana Council. She's the cosmic cop of the connected world. Tracking down the outlaws of the psychic community and delivering them to Judgment is Sara Wilde’s business and business has been good ever since the appearance of the Shadow Court and their obsession with Sara. As the story opens, Sara and Eshe, the High Priestess of the Arcana Council who was once an Oracle of Delphi, are in Pompeii, Italy attending a techno psychic music festival where things quickly go from bad to worse as what appears to be pterodactyls attack Sara.


The Shadow Court has been pushing the envelope on magic, using arcane powers to advance their position in society. The Shadow Court seeks to impose their own brand of justice, restricting magic to only the richest and most influential psychics, while stripping power from all the undesirables. The cries of help from the connected are growing louder by the day. More and more requests for help are showing up at the Justice Hall overwhelming Sara and her staff. An instability is growing in the world because of the Shadow Court and its past time to take the gloves off and strike back. You are wondering about the name The Night Witch. I can only tell you this.


Once upon a time, there was a Night Witch who could do things that the Justice of the Arcana Council couldn't or wouldn't do. This person could cross lines that Sara has been unwilling to cross. Where this person went, death and destruction followed. This person has received special requests for help since Justice disappeared for 150 years before Sara took the job. For several books now, Sara has been the main target of the Shadow Court. Sara knows that Jarvis Fuggerson and his colleagues will stop at nothing until either Sara chooses to join them, or they eliminate her from the playing field. When they go after someone close to Sara, the gloves do come off. But how far will Sara go to get Justice? 


Sara's powers are above anything anyone else has seen and they are rapidly growing. There is literally nobody, well maybe the Magician, who can stop her. Time and time again the Shadow Courts comes after Sara. Time and time again they fail spectacularly. They want Sara to make a mistake that will cost her the support of those she's sworn to protect as well as a piece of her humanity. But, how much more patience does Sara have to stand back and restrain herself while friends and allies are being targeted? The author does introduce new council members and members who are either in hiding, or perhaps joined the Shadow Court. Of those is the Sun. But there is also the Moon and the Star and may others who are out there either waiting to be found, or unwilling to help Sara and her allies. We shall see where the author goes from here.


Here is my recommendation, read the books in the order as they are released. There is lots of information that will be lost in translation if you don't know who the main characters are in this series or what has happened. The usual suspects appear: Simon, Sariah, Nikki Dawes, Aleksander Kreios, Armaeus Bertrand, Death, Danae, as well as some crossover characters from the authors Demon Enforcer series including Warrick of the Syx, leader of a demon special ops team with a brutal reputation for efficiency, along with Finn, Stefan, Gregori & Raum. 


The Demon Enforcers are those fallen angels who agreed to become an enforcer for a chance to be redeemed. The redemption is held in Archangel Michael’s aka Hierophant hands and he makes them work thousands of years to get it. Only demons can kill demons, so their participation tells you that there is a whole lot of stuff that the author adds to make the story even more action packed. I am glad for one point in this book and it happens right at the end. I would be as happy as a clam at high tide if this is the way the author has chosen to go with her series. It makes total sense for Sara and this character to work closely together in the battle and war to come. 

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#Review - The Wayward Star by Jenn Stark #Fantasy #Romance

Series: Wilde Justice # 5
Format: Kindle, 320 pages
Release Date: December 30, 2019
Publisher: Elewyn Publishing
Source: Author
Genre: Fantasy / Romance

Only in darkness can you see the stars...
 
As the Tarot incarnation of Justice, tracking down the outlaws of the psychic community and delivering them to Judgment is Sara Wilde’s business...and business is good. 

Now a rival syndicate known as The Shadow Court seeks to impose their own brand of justice, restricting magic to only the richest and most influential psychics, while stripping power from all the “undesirables” along the way. Their top priority? Hit Sara Wilde, guiding light of psychics everywhere, where it hurts…

Right in the heart.  

From the crackling fires of Burning Man to Sara’s even more incendiary high school reunion, the path is never more twisted than when you follow The Wayward Star.

Jenn Stark's The Shadow Court, is the Fifth installment in the authors Wilde Justice series. One should have some familiarity of The Shadow Court before jumping into this book since they are connected. Tarot Card reading, artifact hunting, Justice of the Arcana Council, Sara Wilde is tasked with taking out the most dangerous magic-wielding criminals on the planet. But, since the discovery of The Shadow Court, Sara and the Arcana Council are now playing 150 years worth of catch-up. Which means that Sara is as busy as a porta potty at a chili eating contest trying to find answers.

Other Key Characters: Nikki Dawes, Sara's BFF, Fashionista, ex-cop; LVMPD Detective Brody Rooks who has known Sara for over 10 years; Eshe, High Priestess of the Arcana Council; Lainie Grant blinded by pure magic, apprentice seer to Eshe; Armaeus Bertrand, Magician of the Arcana Council who lost all memories of Sara; Simon, tech wizard & Fool of the Arcana Council; Aleksander Kreios, The Devil of the Council; Viktor Dal, Emperor of the Council who nobody is sure if they can trust him or not considering his past history.

As the story opens, Sara and Nigel Friedman are briefly back together after Sara accepts an invitation from an excessively rich psychic power couple Count Augustine Odermatts and his wife. Sara & Nigel are here searching for two things: Nazi artifact cubes that are radioactive. If triggered, they could create a metaphysical blast that would see untold numbers of Contecteds loose their abilities. According to Simon, a high number of connecteds are assembling storehouses of magical gadgets.

Plus, there's a virtual who's who of connected glitterati at this party which means the Shadow Court may be here as well. If Sara can suss out the Shadow Courts allies, rivals, and nemesis, then maybe the Arcane Council has a fighting chance of taking them down. If Sara, as the face of the Council, can find allies from secretive ancient families who have been targeted by the Shadow Court for elimination but are now reaching out to the Arcane Council for help, they could stop their diabolical attempt at ridding the world of those who the Court believes are insignificant to hold magic. 

This story also spotlights Burning Man. For those like me who didn't know, Burning Man is an event held annually in the western US at Black Rock City, a temporary city erected in the Black Rock Desert of northwest Nevada, approximately 100 miles north-northeast of Reno. Sara is temporarily reunited with someone who she met as a 17-year old runaway after her foster mother was killed. It's all part of a larger, much grander scheme that the Shadow Court apparently has for Sara which goes back to when Sara helped find missing people with her tarot cards. 

If that weren't enough stress, Sara receives an invitation to her 10 year H.S. reunion. This feels like the perfect storm for Sara since none of her former classmates know anything about this new Sara who once was Sariah Pelter. Sara knows that if she doesn't attend, innocent people will be killed. It's clear as day that the Shadow Court is playing a game with Sara. They are showing off all the cards they are holding in an attempt to bring her down, or bring her to their side. 

As some of you might remember, most of this current trouble began when Sara awakened old, dormant magic while fighting the Gods who tried to break through the barrier keeping them from entering Earth. Although it hasn't been mentioned much lately, demons still causing a huge problem on Earth, including in this reunion. In a surprise move which I 100% support, the author brings in Warrick, Sebastian, Finn and Hugh who are Demon enforcers. These men appear in the authors Demon Enforcers series. 

Maybe that's a sign of things to come in upcoming sequels? We shall see. Now, as a matter of this thing that is happening between Sara and Armaeus, let's just say that they might have had a break through of sorts. Yes, he still has no memories of her, but there is definitely a high octane sizzle going on whenever they kiss or are around each other. After a book without any kissing, this book has its fair share of it.

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#Review - The Shadow Court by Jenn Stark #Urban #Fantasy

Series: Wilde Justice #4
Format: Mobi, 233 pages
Release Date: September 30, 2019
Publisher: Elewyn Publishing
Source: Publisher
Genre: Urban Fantasy

Don’t you forget about me…

She’s a Tarot-reading artifact hunter finally willing to own her supernatural abilities. He’s the all-powerful Magician of the Arcana Council who once loved her…but now doesn’t remember her, the result of a battle to defeat a terrifying enemy.

Isolated and alone, Sara must race time to help the Magician uncover his ancient knowledge, but can she live with what she finds? Will his dark past destroy them both?

Worse, a rival council, known only as the Shadow Court, has emerged to wage battle against the Arcana Council. And if Sara can’t help the Magician recall how to combat this insidious, mind-bending threat, the world will descend into devastating war.

Love could be your last, best weapon when you confront The Shadow Court.

Jenn Stark's The Shadow Court, is the Fourth installment in the authors Wilde Justice series. One should have some familiarity of The Hallowed Knight before jumping into this book since everything is connected. Well, almost everything. Tarot Card reading/artifact hunter/Justice of the Arcana Council Sara Wilde is the first Justice in two hundred years. She is tasked with taking out the most dangerous magic-wielding criminals on the planet. But, this mission might be her most dangerous yet.

Sara is on a desperate mission to find answers as to why the Magician lost all of his memories of Sara. Sara's journey takes her from French Guiana (Devil's Island) where she has to face her own Indiana Jones like adventure, to Paris, France where she discovers that she is being followed, to Barcelona, Spain, London, UK, and Hamburg, Germany before ending in Vegas. On top of everything that is happening with searching for answers to help Armaeus, Sara encounters difficult challenges where ever she goes. It seems that someone has been keeping secrets. 

Secrets about The Shadow Court and the fact that they are at war with the Arcana Council and could be the one thing to bring the entire stack of cards down in one fell swoop. Some secrets go back as far as the previous incarnation of Justice of the Arcana Council. Sara feels as though she is being herded by mysterious and invisible forces which is bad since she doesn't have any real back-up. Especially from Armaeus. Oh sure, she has Nikki, Death, Kreios, and Simon along for the ride, but they can do only so much. Plus, every time someone wants to stop Sara, all they have to do is go after Nikki. 

I liked the fact that Sara went back to her roots, as it were. She was a brilliant artifact hunter before giving all of her money to protect the most innocent Connecteds; the children. She was pushed into working for Armaeus finding dangerous artifacts before she ascended to the Council. She still is learning her job and her abilities but manages to save the world one step at a time. Sometimes I wonder if someone is finally going to give her a manual of sorts to help her discover what she is really capable of. Then I shake my head and say, what's the point after 14 books? Let her figure her own conundrums out while we enjoy the ride.

My heart broke for Sara in this book. Truth be told, I have no clue how she is able to do what she does without melting into the background and saying Go To Hell You Bloody Sods! She puts her life on the line literally every time she takes a job. Whenever there is a cry for help, Sara rushes in without any thoughts to her own welfare. Villains pop up out of the woodwork frequently with desires of removing Sara from the equation. I think we are finally getting to the point where Sara's abilities have far outmatched what she believes she is capable of. The question needs to be asked if she is really the most powerful person in the world, if not, who could match what she's shown she's capable of doing?

Stark has a brilliant ability to pack a story filled with action, suspense, twists and turns, surprises, as well as some romance kicked in. However, this book is light on romance and heavy with hi-octane action and adventure. I am absolutely OK with that. This book isn't self contained. There are way too many questions that need to be answered. So, I definitely am eager to read the next installment to see what happens next.

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