Wild Magic (The Veil Chronicles, #1) (2024)

3.5 Stars. I loved Dawney’s book Survival Instincts, so I was excited to read more from her. I thought this book was good, but it wasn’t as great as I was hoping for. It is currently available for free if you have Kindle Unlimited.

In a world where magic secretly exists, there are two sides fighting for control. Ania, a young woman who didn’t even know magic was real, finds herself right in the middle of that battle. Ania’s magic is special and she might be the key to either side winning the war. The only person she can trust is a mage named Noah. Can Noah and Ania work together to keep each other safe?

I enjoyed both characters. You have the beautiful, strong woman from Africa named Noah and the younger, tattooed, Polish woman Ania. But talk about an age-gap! I think it was around 30 year’s age difference. I know magic can slow down the aging process, but that is still a big difference.

When it came to the romance, I thought it was okay. It is very quick, too quick to say I love you for my personal tastes. I thought the characters coupled up more because of their magic’s than actually being in love. The story is under 200 pages so I understand having to be quick; it was just a bit too quick for me.

The other issue is I don’t feel like I know enough about this different world. Almost the whole book is just about the two main characters. We see Ania’s boss and a customer in the first few pages, and a voice on a telephone, but there are no secondary characters. I want to know about these two warring sides. The kind of people involved in magic. My hope is that this book was just setting the table and we will enter this magical world in book 2.

Book 2 will be out shortly and I will read it. It does center on two new main characters, so I’m a little disappointed in that. As long as the series comes back around to Ania and Noah, I’ll be happy. Ania is supposed to be rare and special and I want to see more of what that means.

This was a quite good, even quite riveting story. Certain issue, though, as to why I ended up giving this 4.5 instead of something higher (I didn't deduct or anything, I just didn't feel like giving a higher rating): the book is more a deep dive into two people and their coming together in strange and magical circ*mstances . . . while mostly never leaving one apartment, and very little outside action going on. There was tension, and there was bits of 'oh no! they might find us!', but that wasn't really a huge part of the story. No, this really was a 'build a universe', and a 'character study', than an action filled fantasy book.

The book, I do not know if 'despite' works, heck a book without much action can be great so no not 'despite' - this book was good. It just left me wanting more. And there were some plot lines that weren't wrapped up. On the other hand there's, like, at least 3 more (or was it four?) books in this series coming out each month through the rest of 2018. So I don't have to wait a lot of time to find out more (on other hand, the description indicates the main characters change . . . so . . .).

Bah.

Right, so - this is a book set in Poland. Kraków to be exact (as in the second largest city in Poland). Starring a Polish woman. Who is helped by a British speaking Kenyan woman. Helped? Well, ever get one of those pounding headaches like some get? Where it builds and builds and it feels like your entire body, or at least your head, is going to explode? And, quite frankly, you don't care if that happens because the pain would, at least, be gone afterwards? Well, Noah Otieno helps Ania Zaleska with that.

Or, more accurately, helps Ania after her head/body does, in fact, explode (okay, that makes things sound wrong – Ania’s body didn’t actually explode, it was the magic in her she didn’t know she had in her that exploded).

The vast majority of the book takes place, after some moving around at the start of the book, with Noah trying to help Ania ‘control’ her ‘wild’ magic.

Reading it like that – it sound vaguely boring, eh? Well it isn’t boring. It’s quite exciting and fun. But, eh, I can’t make it sound fun and exciting in a review. Apparently.

For those that care about such things: sex does in fact occur in this book. I do not recall it being graphic. Was it? Hmm. *thinks* Nooo I don’t think it was.

I look forward to book two in this series.

Rating: 4.50

April 24 2018

I was really disappointed in this. Cause it ended. lol. Ania and Noah are fantastic in this. Pure magic fantasy. Absolutely loved it.

Looks like books 2-3 are other pairings in the same verse that will culminate in a book 4 with everyone coming together for the series climax. At least that's what the back of the book leads me to believe. Which is good, cause I'd be seriously bummed if it's the last we see of Ania/Noah.

They look to be released fairly soon so that's something to look forward to.

Wild Magic begins a four part series with a rip roaring bang.

In the Polish city of Krakow, Ania Zaleska works at a shop selling trinkets to tourists. At twenty-two, she lives in humble circ*mstances. On an average day at work, something completely extraordinary happens. Her last customer inspires a rage fuelled by an incredible and tangible energy. Ania is overcome and her boss kindly drives her home. The energy coursing through her body magnifies until her small apartment explodes. Her next memory involves the voice of a woman who is speaking to someone on her phone. Noah Otieno assumes that the wild mage surrounded by rubble is dead. As Ania quietly asks for water, Noah coaxes her trust as she uses shadow magic to get them to a Society for Psychical Defense safe house. Noah works for the Society which is dedicated to protecting The Veil between the world and the Otherworld. A ruthless organization called Inquisitio has already dispatched hunters to capture Ania. They would use her magic to seal The Veil, stopping magic from entering the world. Within the protective confines of their safe house and following the writings of Morgaine le Fay, Ania and Noah undertake the ultimate magical journey to The Veil itself.

Wild Magic builds a firm foundation under the four part series of The Veil Chronicles. May Dawney plans to continue the story in Death Magic, Stolen Magic and Magic Destroyed. Wild Magic is an enchanting paranormal lesbian romance and focuses entirely on the bond between the main characters. The book is short, but filled with both substantial world building and a mystical romance. The Morgaine le Fay quotes that begin every chapter add a solid dimension to the storyline. Having read the Mists of Avalon so many years ago, Morgaine le Fay remains a beloved character to me. I can easily imagine reading the complete Veil Chronicles and recommend Wild Magic to begin the adventure.

This is a story about a woman who literally explodes, the relationship that develops between her and the person who found her exploded body, and her slight introduction into what really is occurring around her, the fantasy realm that she did not even know existed.

And yes, I do mean literally. Exploded. Her apartment was blown apart. The street is in shambles. Everyone thinks she's dead. She is not, though, because, well the person who finds her is not even sure why she is still alive. She should be dead.

Magic, I as the reader learn early on, is real and taught to those with skills. Those magic users who are alive, at least, go through that process. There's wild magic but those people tend to die, to explode, when their power comes to them.

It does not seem to really matter to this story, since so much of it is spent in the rescuers hide-away, but there is also another force in this world who knows about the magic users. The Inquisitio. I know because I just reminded myself by looking at the book description - again, it doesn't really matter in this book here that they exist. Just - they do.

This book is mostly a romance trapped in a small apartment, with brief moments outside type of book. The fantasy is there, of course, it would have to be considering the people involved, but again, this is more of a romance than anything else. The plot does not really move much, is what getting at. Ah, character - this is more of a character book. I think that is what I might mean.

Whatever I mean, an entertaining brief work. I shall read the next work which should be available shortly, judging by the date on the book saying it will be.

3.25

A solid read. But the whole book is slow, a build up for something that never comes around. I found the long “quotes” to be distracting. And although it is supposed to very hard to control the wild magic the MC is so good she manages it in no time at all. And with relatively little effort.
The two main characters need to bond, and they do, emotionally and sexually very fast. Insta-magic-love. To me, this reads more like a romance than I’d expected, at least lustful, even if fade to black.
I would have liked to see more action, practical situations that develop the characters and bind them more closely than that given. I kept expecting the Shadow Mage, Noah, to turn and do something unpleasant (cynical me).
I liked much of it. But definitely short in action and I am not a fan of fantasy which invests in the chosen or special one.

This was an okay book, not great.

The beginning was exciting but it soon fizzled out and the rest of the story had no action, no plot, and the entire story was them staying in one room, having lunch, reading stuff on Noah's phone, figuring out how to "bond" (one guess how they do that!) and eventually missing a train before catching the next train and the story is over.

There are multiple things that take away from the story. First is the MCs super-speshulness. She is the ONLY one of her kind and NOBODY has ever done what she has done. Then, Noah, her guide and provider of all the helpful exposition (and there is a lot of that) right off the bat teaches Ania an illegal hack that basically allows them to never age, also people with their abilities can eat as many carbs and as much sugar as they want without gaining weight. There are also references to Harry Potter (which is fiction in this world) and the Mists of Avalon (which apparently is not). We spend an inordinate amount of time in some vague mental place doing vague mental stuff. The one fade-to-black scene was the fastest I ever read and I didn't actually think anything happened until there is a mention of "really good sex" the next day. And there is also uncomfortable African cultural appropriation, which is even lampshaded in the book. Overall, this entire thing feels like the prologue to a story where stuff actually happens. I know this is the first in a series, but it doesn't appear they are the MCs in the other books so I guess this is where it ends with them.

I'm still giving this three stars because I feel this story has a good premise and it could be a freaking great read if tweaked a bit. Just because nobody asked me, I'm giving my unsolicited opinion about how this novel could kick butt.

Cut the first bit with Ania's headache and telling off the customer and her boss. Start from Noah's POV as she is unwillingly dragged into damage-control to save the long setup and explanation. Ania is not the only one of her kind, but she is exceedingly rare which would explain HOW they know exactly why she is so important. Then instead of hanging out for several days in a smelly, moldy room, Ania and Noah go on a wild adventure through several major areas of Poland (which I think is a really cool location for this book and wasn't used nearly enough) as they evade the baddies and try to control Ania's burgeoning magical abilities by any means necessary. They can still have lunch and "bond" but it's not the main event. Along the way we meet key players in the magical underground and it all culminates in a massive showdown where Ania and Noah become a big huge team of badassery.

I would totally read that book.

I didn't find this book exciting - it didn't make we want to turn the pages and not stop till I got to the end. There is so much potential in the book, but the fizz was unfortunately lacking.

I think part of that comes from being stuck in a small room with Ania and Noah for most of the book - we don't really see much of the outside world, or meet people from the 'Society' that Noah keeps talking about. I couldn't really believe the chemistry between Ania and Noah given that Ania had just found out she was a mage, and destroyed her house and injured other people - and I couldn't believe the trust she so willingly puts in Noah.

The other thing that I wish had not been included in the book were the everyday mundane details - She wiped herself, pulled her underwear and pants up again and tied the cord in its waistband firmly around her hips. She flushed and washed her hands. - sometimes too much detail can detract from the story.

I hope the author develops the world further and gives us more secondary characters, and more details of the Veil and the Magic - this has the potential to be a corking fantasy series.

RATING: 3.5 Stars

PAIRINGS: F/F

IDENTITIES: Lesbian, Cisgender

GENRE: Fantasy (contemporary)

This is a palatable, short novel with plenty of promise. I can certainly see why it's so popular (and looking at those amazing rankings on Amazon - popular it is!). I love the premise of the story and I suspect that, as the series goes on, the author will become increasingly confident with the world she's building and pull us into an ever-more intriguing universe full of wonder. With this first novel, though, it's not quite there yet. But geez is it close!

Characters

There are really only two characters in this book, Ania and Noah. They develop a mentor/novitiate style of relationship as Noah, who is probably about thirty years older than Ania (though magic allows her to appear younger), guides Ania through a magical journey to develop and control her newly discovered abilities as a mage. Both characters are likeable, offering an opposites-attract romantic plot, but given that we rarely see anyone else in the story, I did find myself wanting the occasional break from the two of them as their interactions became mildly repetitive.

I should point out that this is an "insta-love" book. I think the two women kiss and spoon after knowing each other for less than twelve hours. It's a legitimate trope that plenty of readers enjoy, though I personally would have liked a slightly slower development of their romantic connection. You can't possibly please everyone though and the Ania/Noah romance will certainly delight plenty of people.

I was really glad this book was fade-to-black, by the way. There are enough stories out there with explicit scenes that it was refreshing to see the fantasy elements of Wild Magic were given more attention and detail than what went on between the sheets.

Plot

You can't go wrong with a plot like the one underpinning Wild Magic. Two opposing forces that seek to control magic for their own devices, with a previously neutral woman unwillingly at the centre of their machinations? It's good stuff! The only issue is, that fundamental aspect of the plot was somewhat muted. It was there in the background, and the Inquisitio and Society are mentioned enough times that we don't forget those threats exist, but the tension attached to these groups was a little dull because, for most of the book, they're exploring Ania's magic rather than genuinely needing to run from either side of the magical divide.

I really empathise with Dawney here, because I've struggled with pacing myself -- it isn't easy to explore the relationships between characters and highlight their unique abilities and connections whilst also incorporating movement with those large forces at play. Having only published one full length novel myself, I have already learned so much, and I'm betting that if I were to read the second book in the Veil series, I'd be able to see development in the pacing and suspense. She's a good writer, but like everyone, there were some areas that were stronger than others.

Overall

Full of vivid, beautiful descriptions of magic, this is a sweet fantasy that will engage most readers. The opening chapter is particularly thrilling, especially the magnificent depiction of Ania's core ability when it is out-of-control. I like Dawney's style enough to want to stick with her and read more of what she's published, that's for sure.

Recommendation

By the way, if you're a fan of the Veil Chronicles, I'd recommend Effie Calvin's new Ieflaria series, you'll love it! It's another F/F fantasy gem. The opposite is true, if you've read Ieflaria, take a look at Dawney's series.

Recensione su Books Serial

Avevo alte aspettative per questo libro, se non altro perché di questa autrice avevo già letto Survival Instincts e lo avevo amato.
Wild Magic è molto diverso, anche se con un buon potenziale.

Ania vive una vita ordinaria, lavora in un negozio di souvenires in Polonia e nulla di strano le è mai successo. Finché un giorno sta così male da dover tornare a casa e qualcosa di strabiliante e pericoloso fa esploredere il suo appartamento. Qualcosa che viene da dentro di lei.
Quando Ania si risveglia, trova una donna ad osservarla. Questa è Noah, che la fa entrare in un mondo completamente diverso, fatto di magia. E di persone, i membri della Inquisitio, che vogliono ucciderla proprio perché che lei ha dentro di se una magia "selvaggia", incontrollabile.

Ci sono due aspetti, a mio avviso, molto importanti della trama: il primo, ovviamente, è la magia. Il secondo aspetto invece è l'evoluzione della relazione tra Ania e Noah.
Per quanto riguarda il primo, ho trovato davvero interessante il legame tra magia e Velo, un legame imprescindibile che però è diverso per quanto riguarda i portatori di magia selvaggia, in quanto quelli come Ania prendono la magia direttamente dal Velo.
Interessanti sono anche i brevi testi attribuiti alla maga Morgane, che personalmente penso completino la storia e ci diano alcune informazione necessarie sul worldbuilding. Spero compaiano anche nei prossimi volumi della serie.
Ecco, forse avrei voluto un pochino più conoscenza di questo mondo, perché visto lo svolgimento della storia non ne abbiamo molto.
Per quanto riguarda invece la relazione tra Ania e Noah, mi è piaciuto molto come è stata gestita e la graduale crescita del loro legame.
Questo è una storia portata avanti dai personaggi, quindi era assolutamente fondamentale conoscere di più su loro due.
Una cosa che non mi è piaciuta molto è che i "cattivi", l'Inquisitio, non si vedono per niente: c'è il pericolo che le scoprano, le inseguono, ma non compaiono mai davvero. La parte fantasy del romanzo è quasi un corredo alla storia d'amore tra Noah e Ania. Non è esattamente quello che mi aspettavo.

Parliamo ora di Noah e Ania, due donne molto diverse sia culturalmente che caratterialmente.
Noah è più seria e composta, e in generale molto più forte. La sua magia è legata all'ombra, e devo dire che non le attribuirei nessun altro tipo di magia.
Ania è più ingenua e per controllarsi ci mette abbastanza, è come una bomba che sta per esplodere, proprio come la sua magia.
Come ho detto, mi è piaciuta molto l'evoluzione della loro relazione, anche se a tratti mi sembrava un po' troppo veloce.
Le due donne si completano a vicenda, così diverse come sono, e nel complesso mi è piaciuto seguire la loro storia.

Per quanto riguarda lo stile di scrittura, non ho nulla da dire. Il libro si legge bene e scorrevolemente.

Nel complesso non c'è molto da dire, sono tre stelline solide.

I received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a fantastic introduction to May’s new Veil Chronicles Series and has me intrigued as to what else lays in store for Ania and Noah. She has built a fascinating magical presence in the characters, set in an urban world.

I adored how well developed Ania’s character was throughout this story, especially given all she has to deal with. The connection and relationship with Noah is built upon and nicely explored in vivid imagery and description.

A captivating read that has left me with an urge to see what more this series will bring! Fascinating insights into a very imaginative world and I adored discovering with the main characters, especially Ania as she learned about her magic.

Looking forward to more!

I have enjoyed so much May Downey’s books and this one isn’t the exception, Wild Magic it’s an urban fantasy novella and the first book of the Veil Chronicles, was a great read and an excellent, striking way to start the series. Begins with the introduction of Ania and her powerful magical awakening, and an explosive one for that matter, impossible to miss and drawing attention from the both sides that try to rule the magic world, the Society for Physical Defence and the Inquisito, after her violent magical manifestation, both know she’s probably the most powerful magical mage that can access the Veil and now they’re trying to possess and control that power for their own purposes. But before any of them could even get close to her, Noah a shadow mage arrives and now must help Ania to control her magic and elude any of the sides to access her power. Each chapter starts with a little excerpt of Morgaine le Fey’s essays; she is the only one that has written anything so deep about the true nature of magic, its nature and the Veil, this essays help Ania and Noah through the beginning of their journey.

Dawney brought us a very well written master piece, the descriptions are so lively that is easy to feel part of their world and feel the experience, discovering Ania and Noah’s journey along with them, showing interesting character growing and a different approach on how any other new mage welcome their magic. A must read that once you start you won’t be able to drop the book until the end. I had a very intense, wonderful reading experience and I am more that eager looking forward for the next books in the series. Described in one word…Brilliant

ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

This was pretty cool.

It was a really short read though... and as much as I did like the book, I don't know if I'm willing to read the other books yet.

Short, but it seems to be a good series. :)

Wild Magic (The Veil Chronicles Book 1)

This was an entertaining introduction to The Veil Chronicles. The story quite literally starts with a bang as Ania Zaleska is quickly thrust into a world of magic, uncertainty and danger when she suddenly explodes in a violent magical manifestation. The eruption, which levels her apartment building, draws the attention of both the Society for Psychical Defense and the Inquisitio. Both institutions are now after Ania, seeking to possess the most powerful magical weapon, a mage that can access the Veil. Cue the arrival of shadow mage, Noah Otieno who must help Ania control her magic and protect her from the warring factions. Drawn together by circ*mstance, a bond quickly (maybe a little too quickly) forms between the two women.

Once again, I am stricken by Dawney’s mastery of descriptive language. She writes extremely vivid and full sensory experiences. Visual, audio and tactile, descriptions are completely engaging and draw the reader into the scene. It is not difficult to form a mental picture of the world Dawney has created whether it in its physical, psychological or magical manifestation.

Each chapter begins with an excerpt from one of Morgaine le Fey’s essays that are used by the mages as a sort of mantra. These works describe magic as a gift of the Goddess, neither good nor evil, simply power. The wielder determines the nature of the magic. Thus, we witness another of Dawney’s explorations of human behavior in fantastical circ*mstances. I thoroughly enjoy this aspect of the story and anticipate the theme will span across the series. I enjoyed this story immensely and look forward to reading the next book in the series.

Ania is involved in something so surprising and dangerous that she can’t fathom what on Earth is happening to her. Noah appears to help her and guide her through what is to come . Is magic real? Ania didn’t think so but she soon finds out there is so much more going on than she was ever aware. This story is the first in a series by May Dawney and certainly piqued my interest. Although it is about dealing with magic and how it affects Ania, it is more about the relationship between the women. It begins to tell the reader about a wider story that is to come in later books. I think as it unfolds there will be even more to keep me wanting to read on. I liked the references to old magic and folklore at the beginning of each chapter. The writing is very good and descriptive and vivid. This feels like the beginning of something big and I am looking forward to reading the whole series together. ‘Wild Magic’ is a good intro to this particular world of magic.

I was given this ARC by the publisher.

The story was OK. I think that I read it during a time when real life was hectic and the story simply did not hold my attention as much as I'd like one to. While there are conflicts to resolve and dangers to address, I didn't feel as though I knew enough about the conflicts and dangers to have any real feelings about the peril involved. Even the burgeoning romance highlighted in the story happens with so few hiccups as to destroy any sense of reality. I mean, two perfectly decent women perfectly fall into a perfect love with no speed bumps at all. And the mysterious organizations between which our perfectly perfect couple are squeezed are simply still too mysterious to generate any foreboding.

I think that I will likely move on to book two, because I kind of like the blurb, but not today. Today, I need a story to grab me and refuse to let go. This was not it.

This was a fun read. It has an interesting magic system. A groggy Ania is rescued by Noah after a strong magical awakening. For me, the most intriguing thread in this novel is Ania’s reaction to her magic, which is refreshingly different from that of characters in most books.

I would like to have had more of Ania’s backstory. Although we meet her in Krakow, she doesn’t seem to be Polish. I was curious about how she ended up there. Otherwise, this is a fine novella that builds dramatically from Ania’s first magic experience to meeting Noah and the rest of the story, which I won’t spoil. The world building is solid and necessary. Highly entertaining, I read this straight through. I can’t wait for the next book in the series.

I once again find myself with a similar complaint. This book is designed to be a four part series. The first three introduce new characters to focus on and the fourth has them all come together in a daring climax, or so I assume it will. As of right now only this and book two are out. The complaint is the book is woefully short. I love how in depth the magic is. It's well explained without feeling overly padded, but nothing about this book is padded. While I think the four books could probably be combined into one to its strength I also think that this one should have been greatly expanded upon. Negativity aside I actually really liked what was there and look forward to the rest of the series.

Love story with a touch of magic

The author created a fantasy world with only two characters and full of wild magic, yet she kept the reader’s interest going. The majority takes place in a dark safe house like a theatrical play, perhaps a tragedy since the main character tries to cope with the magic that invaded her body and mind. Ania is not a believer thus her inability to accept her gift which one day may save the world. This is the first book of a series so there is a lot of explanation about the two main characters and their bonding. This series has the potential to be explosive like Ania but we are going to have to wait for the next installment to find out. Well done.

This story is the opener of the Veil Chronicles written by May Dawney and it is a really great book, kinda short but oh so great.

It's the story fo Ania and Noah and their strong bond. It all begins with the awakening of Anias magical powers - something so new and frightening for her. Then there's Noah to help Ania. The Reader gets to know them both really good and witness how their bond gets stronger and stronger during the pages - which just fly away so suddenly! I really like both women and I love fanatasy so I can hardly wait for the following books in this series! The final showdown promises to be BIG!

As part of May’s ARC Angel team:

I’ve never read a fantasy lesfic before!

This first instalment of The Veil series is a good introduction, but also a small story in its own right, including a quickly-built and intense romance between the two main characters.

The story is fast-paced and well thought out, with the struggle of the lead character being the main focus. Danger lurks. The tension is palpable. May’s use of language is, as always, descriptive and makes the magic swirl around you as you read.

I’m really looking forward to reading the next instalment!

Intriguing start to a new series

Wild Magic is an entertaining urban fantasy novella, well written and backed by some solid world building.

Dawney has the ability to evoke powerful imagery with just a few words. This makes for an immersive reading experience, whether she's taking us for a walk on the cobblestone streets of Kraków, on a night flight over the Serengeti, or letting us discover the inner workings of magic.

I will definitely be reading more from this talented author.

I loved this story it started with a bang and ended peacefully by a fire in the Serengeti. So much happened in between and I really loved the connection with Ania and Noah and I particularly loved Noah. Clearly there more is to come as the pair run for their lives.
I really enjoyed May Dawney’s writing style and story telling and can’t wait for Book 2

I thought I had out grown fantasy but this book rekindled that part of my imagination. I would like to say this is almost a Harry Potter for grown ups but it is so much more than that. The visuals that Dawney creates with her descriptions are amazing. It was what an epic fantasy should be.

Good read

I liked the basics of the story and plot but I feel like there could have been a lot more to it. There were a lot of details left out and the characters could have been given more personality. There just wasn't much to hang on to.

Good book

I enjoyed reading this story and I liked the fantasy world that she created. I found the women's journey together to be fascinating.

Not my usual type of read, but I found it on KU and thought I would would give it a go.
The novella has me ready and waiting for the next in the series.

I really enjoyed this first book of the series. Great fantasy genre but also I bit of a love story added in. Hoping to learn a little more of the 2 characters back stories as we continue on their journey in the series. I’m looking forward to reading more in this world.