Dark Wizard - Book Review (2021 Pearl)

 I'm reposting the reviews of some of my favorite reads of 2021 this week.

First up: Dark Wizard

Dark Wizard (Bonds of Magic #1) 

by Jeffe Kennedy 

What is it about:

Lord Gabriel Phel wants one thing: to restore his shattered House to its former station in the Convocation’s complex and arcane society. Fortunately, through a wild chance of birth, he was born with the magic of a powerful wizard, the first in his family in generations. If he can obtain a familiar to supplement his skills, ideally one who is a highborn daughter who can also be his lady wife, then he’ll be that much closer to restoring House Phel. And to exacting his ultimate revenge on the Convocation that destroyed his family.

Lady Veronica Elal doesn’t have many choices. To her bitter disappointment, she will never be the powerful wizard she and her father hoped she’d be. Instead Nic is doomed to be a familiar like her mother, a second-class citizen in the Convocation, and one destined to be bonded to a wizard, serving his purposes for the rest of her life. Her one hope lies in entering the Betrothal Trials—and choosing a wizard from the Convocation candidates that she can manipulate. Whichever one of her suitors impregnates her will claim her as familiar and wife, and she can use her wiles to rule her wizard master, and the House she marries into.

But Gabriel throws a wrench into Nic’s careful scheming, by seducing and fascinating her. When she finds she’s pregnant by the rogue wizard she can never hope to control, Nic does the unthinkable: she runs.

What did I think of it:

This book is amazing!

The world Jeffe creates in this book is intriguing and twisted. I loved learning about the Convocation rules and what they mean for those who have to follow them.

Veronica/Nic grew up with these rules and takes them for granted. Gabriel however is new to them and it was fun to see how different both react to the rules.

The two of them also have very different ideas about a possible future together, and when Nic realizes Gabriel won't ever be the gullible and malleable wizard she was hoping him to be, she runs. Gabriel however won't let her disappear that easily.

I loved both Nic and Gabriel. Nic is a product of her highborn upbringing and once she's on her own has to learn a lot about both herself and the world around her. Gabriel is new to the world of the Convocation and he has to be careful he doesn't break the rules he only recently learned about.

I read this book in almost one sitting and rooted for the both of them. The ending of this book is very satisfying, but there's so much coming for these two, and there's so much yet to explore within this fascinating world that I'm eager for the next book. I want more! 

Why should you read it:

It's a wonderful dark Fantasy Romance

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