A Case of Possession (A Charm of Magpies #2) by K.J. Charles
- Elizabeth Slaughter
- Jan 4, 2016
- 3 min read
A Case of Possession (A Charm of Magpies #2)
by K.J. Charles
Introduction
In A Case of Possession, we return to the fantasy Victorian world K.J. Charles introduced in The Magpie Lord with only a short amount of time having passed. If you enjoyed the first book, you are sure to be delighted with this sequel.
Genre
Historical Fantasy Romance
Narration
Third person limited POV, usually from Lucien’s POV, but occasionally Stephen’s.
Characters
Lucien Vaudrey - Lord Crane, recently made Earl after the death of his father and brother
Stephen Day - Practitioner (witch) and justiciar (agent in charge of bringing rogue magic users to justice)
Merrick - Lucien’s manservant
Esther Gold - Justiciar, Stephen’s partner
Theo Rachham - an acquaintance of Lucien, moderately powerful practitioner
Leonora Hart - a widow with a checkered past, a friend of Lucien
Setting
Victorian England, mostly London
Theme
Accepting oneself and believing in happy endings
Intended audience
M/M romance readers. For mature audiences; contains explicit sex.
Plot
Stephen investigates tales of giant rats in London and faces accusations of magical malfeasance; a blackmailer threatens to expose his relationship with Lord Crane; and Lord Crane’s history comes back to haunt him when he reacquaints himself with some old friends.
About the Author
KJ Charles writes fantasy and historical romance. Find out more on Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/KJCharles or the author’s website http://kjcharleswriter.com/.
My Opinion
I enjoyed this sequel even more than the first book! The story is a bit more interesting, and it is wonderful to see Lucien and Stephan as a couple of sorts now. “Of sorts” because neither wants to talk about where their relationship will go, and both are assuming it is temporary.
Stephan is constantly aware of the world in which he lives, where his sexuality is illegal and his relationship with Lord Crane puts him at risk. It is a risk he is willing to take, but there is tension in their relationship as Lucien is not about to be put “back in the closet” as they say. Lucien also has the option and the intention of leaving England and returning to China where his lifestyle raises no eyebrows. But where does that leave his lover? Lucien constantly makes excuses for not leaving, but must eventually own up to being in love.
Their relationship is the constant backdrop to a new mystery involving giant rats of Sumatra, and this time the mystery comes from Crane’s past, as his friends are falling prey to something evil. Getting some backstory about Lucian was very entertaining.
Meanwhile, Stephan must fend off accusations of being a Warlock — a difficult task as he is drawing power from Lord Crane every time they have sex and can’t really explain how it works or why it is different from the forbidden practice of cannibalizing a person’s energy. It is revealing that he is more afraid of revealing his sexual relationship with Lucien than of being accused of being a Warlock. He has internalized the vilification of homosexuality to the extent that he cannot believe his closest friend and fellow justiciar will accept him.
There is hot sex aplenty as well as clueless socialites, parties, murder, blackmail, and — as the title implies — a case of possession. I was left even more in love with this pair and all the side characters as well. I’m anticipating the third installment with great eagerness. I give it 4 out of 5 stars and recommend the entire series to fans of M/M romance.
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