The Mage in Black

Hilarious book!

In addition to vampires, mages, demons and fairies, this book adds in werewolves and a secret society who's intentions aren't clear.

Sabina meets the mage half of her family, and doesn't seem to really get along with them any better than she did with the vampire half. She also meets the twin sister she never knew she had.

The demon-cat/minion/familiar Gighul has moved on from home shopping and Oprah to 24-hour porn and demon fight club. And he gains a demon girlfriend. Gighul is the best character in this series - full-on comic relief in an already funny book.

I listened to this on audio, which really made the demon parts come alive. So many puns that jumped out with the audio narration.

This book ends on a cliff hanger....so show more I'll be starting book 3 soon. show less

Sabina is half vampire/half mage and the two are bitter enemies. So being a half breed raised by vampires, even though her maternal grandmother, Lavinia, is the head of the Dominae (vampire council) doesn't help her status. Trained as an assassin, she'd been taught obedience and loyalty was not only expected, but the only thing she has to offer. She'd also been taught to tamp down her mage side.

She learns in the last book that she has a twin sister who was raised by their paternal grandmother to be the spiritual leader of the Hekate Council and sent a mage to find her. After learning what Lavinia's true goal was, Sabina betrays her brethren to save some mages and vows to stop her grandmother. She agrees at the end of the first book to show more travel cross country to meet her sister and learn how to use magic.

The world is full of vampires, mages, the fey, werewolves and demons. The humans have no clue and most would like to keep it that way. Sabina is forced to face a number of truths about herself as she's learning how to use magic and the behavior expected of her. And along for the ride is her demon familiar Giguhl who had a more comedic role in the first book. He's got more face time in this book and he surprisingly pulls his weight. We're also introduced to Slade, a vampire from Sabina's past who now heads up the local area and keeps peace between the different species. We also meet a pack of werewolves.

There's plenty of action as not only are the Dominae assassins on Sabina's tail, but someone else is trying to get her killed to prevent her from fulfilling a prophecy. The who is kind of predictable as is some of the why, but the tentacles are much more far reaching than I anticipated.

I like the main characters and this story made me feel for Sabina and the situation she finds herself in. I can't wait to see where this goes. show less

Shockingly I am progressing through this series rather quickly and I have to say that I am glad I finally found this series. There is something about then general tone of the books that appeal to me. I think it's the author voice in general, she seems like the kind of smart ass girl I would love to be friends with, mainly because I think she would get my sense of humor too. She writes her books pretty intelligently but she does so in a way that remains pretty quirky, while being very true to the character of Sabina that she has created.

Now if you have not read the first book please do not proceed with this review because I am going to ruin the first book for you in the span of a couple of paragraphs. First off to say Sabina got screwed show more in the last book would probably be the understatement of the year. Sabina got the short end of the stick her entire life, being raised by vampires, a race that seriously resented her for being born. So I guess it wasn't that much of a stretch for them to betray her in the end, turned out she was just a pawn the entire time in her, let's face it evil, grandmother's plan.

So book two basically picks up right where we left off in book one, Sabina going to meet her long lost twin sister that she never knew existed, and really having to put her life in the hands of mages, a race she had been taught to hate, after being betrayed by the race who raised her. Sabina doesn't have it easy, and the first hard blow for her, and for me as a reader was that Adam was sent away as soon as they make it to NYC. I don't know about ya'll but for me Adam is an awesome character, and I really wanted to see where that whole thing was going, so when I saw that Adam was being removed from the situation I have to say I was a tad bit on the annoyed side. But I should have trusted the author.

Wells brings in a lot of new characters in this book, because well lets face it the people Sabina didn't leave behind are dead, so there was a lot of room open for new characters. I think the really interesting thing about this book is that book one was more vampire than anything else, told from Sabina's point of view. But since Sabina was an outsider basically, you as a reader felt like you had the basic information about how vampire society works but never really felt like you were a part of it. Book two is basically all mages all the time, but this time you are learning along side with Sabina, and it's a totally different feel. You really get to go along with Sabina through her journey to figure out who she really is and what she really wants (and that is not to say she has it figured out by the end of this book).

So with the new found mage cast of characters, I have to say I like a lot of them. I enjoyed the introduction of Slade, the vampire Sabina clearly has a past with, who has this great cocky personality throughout the entire book. Then you have Rhea who is really Sabina's main teacher of all things mage. She seems like the wise woman who takes crap from no one. And then of course when you back her into a corner you realize "wow shouldn't have done that", she can hold her own like nobodies business. Although there is one scene where she literally wears a helmet while training Sabina which was just too cute for words. And of course then you have Maisie, who in my opinion is a great sister. She really wants to do the right thing by her people as well as by her family. She just seems genuine in every sense of the word. That being said I think I wish I had gotten to know her a little bit better. She had a couple of surprising moments within the book, but for the most part I feel like I want to know more.

Overall this book ends with just a big of an "omg what next" as the first book does. So needless to say I am already working my way through book three. I love this series. It's just a fun ride. I think a lot of it comes from tone like I mentioned earlier. But the story is good, and it's a fun ride from beginning to end. And if you don't think mages are you thing, I seriously urge you to reconsider. This series kind of has it all, all of the awesome supernatural races can be found her, and I have a feeling that is not going to change as the series progresses. So if you are an urban fantasy fan I urge you to pick up this series I think just about everyone will enjoy it. show less

The Mage in Black picks up where the story concluded in The Red Headed Step-child. Sabina has accepted her grandmothers betrayal and goes to New York to meet her twin sister. It's unusual in the genre for the story to change location (and it does so again in [b:Green Eyed Demon|7757683|Green Eyed Demon (Sabina Kane, #3)|Jaye Wells|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1266633441s/7757683.jpg|10617568]), it's an original idea that allows Wells to naturally introduce new characters and increase the appeal of the world. Plus cue the symbolism (New York = Big Apple (vampire poison)Meeting her sister for the first time is almost scarier for Sabina than facing down her grandmother. Rather predictably, Maisie is the almost the opposite of her twin show more and, out of her element, Sabina reverts to her default position of aggression, stumbling into a fight with the local werewolf pack, butting heads with the Mage council and finally is accused of murdering the Fae Queens council representative. Sabina's flaws make her an interesting character but I feel the balance wasn't quite right in The Mage in Black. It's convenient to have a character whose lack of impulse control puts her in trouble repeatedly but it's a fine line between self defence and self defeating behaviour. Learning to wield her magic should be a priority for Sabina given that her goals yet Sabina sulks and sabotages her attempts to learn. I think that Wells could have worked this idea differently to show Sabina's strengths (determination, focus etc) but have it not work so well, because of Sabina's lack of control for example, to still fit within the storyline. That being said I like that we see Sabina struggling with the new relationships she is forming - her attraction to Adam, her affection for Maisie and her concern for Giguhl. Sabina's encounter with Slade fits Sabina's character but of course I am hoping Adam will be her true love (awww). Giguhl continues to provide comic relief and the Demon Fight Club adds something unusual.There are distinct advantages and disadvantages to being able to read the second installment on the heels of the debut. Since I was already immersed in the world it was easy to be excited at continuing the story. However it also means that its much easier to compare the elements of the book. I enjoyed the The Mage In Black but I did feel it was slightly weaker in plot than the first in the series. Happily though I get to continue the story with and ARC of [b:Green Eyed Demon|7757683|Green Eyed Demon (Sabina Kane, #3)|Jaye Wells|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1266633441s/7757683.jpg|10617568] show less

Publisher: Orbit
Purchased: Bought on Amazon

What I Loved: The whole cast of characters used in this book. Maisie, Adam, Sabina, G, and V were all fantastic. Though, I have to say Rhea is my favorite! I also really loved Micheal and Slade, they stepped it up when they needed too. I can't really say what I loved most about this book without spoilers but I want to make sure that you understand this is one of the best Urban Fantasy Series that I have read. Jaye does a fantastic job of weaving all elements: good plot, great pacing, humor, kick *ss but tortured heroin, and an amazing supporting cast that you love almost more than the lead. It was one of those books that you can read cover to cover and not want to put down.

What I Liked: Demon show more Fight Club! This was a much needed humor break and to be honest, anything that puts G in the drivers seat is fun. Plus, his last fight was classic!

Complaints: Next book already please---you can't just leave me hanging :)

Why I gave it a 5: This was just such a good read. I laughed, had fun, got frustrated, wanted to strangle some characters, and felt like we got to know all the characters for exactly who they are.

Who I would recommend it too: UF readers and even PNR readers (though this is a bit more gritty and there is no HEA).

Author Website: http://www.jayewells.com/ show less

Sabina Kane has had one wild ride recently. She learned that all she ever knew, all she ever believed in was a lie. She will do anything to bring Lavenia the alpha of the Domniae and her grandmother down. She has been lied to since birth and nothing would be a bigger betrayal to her grandmother than to explore the mage side of her heritage. With the help of Adam, Gighoul, and long lost mage family members she hopes to learn to use her magic and beat Lavenia. She wasn't counting on an ancient prophesy getting thrown into the mix. Sabina's complicated life just became more complicated and more deadly.
If you liked Red-Headed Stepchild, then you will love The Mage in Black! Sabina and her pack of friends pick up right where the last book show more left off. From the beginning the action is nonstop. Despite Sabina ditching the Dominae it's harder for her to ditch her kill first never look back ways. They get her into a few scrapes in this installment. Her growth as a character is more subtle in this book. The little things like how she treats Gighoul, her feelings for certain male characters, and a protective streak she develops all demonstrate her gradual change. I love how her change isn't over night, but a slow build up. Speaking of Gighoul...I wish he was my familiar. He is a combination of ugly-cute sarcastic cat and kind of naughty bad ass demon. He is much more present in this book, for which I am very thankful for. I was a little disappointed by the lack of page time Adam got. I really wanted to see how things between him and Sabina would play out, but he was really only in the very beginning and the very end of the book. Hopefully in the next installment we get to read more about his sexy mageness.
The Mage in Black reveals some of Sabina's mysterious past and adds a little more spice to the mix as an old flame resurfaces. Add to that all of the new mage characters and readers have a whole host of new people to love or hate. That said, I didn't really like many of them; most of the mages were kind of snotty and the "bad guy" was easy to guess. Sabina's awesomeness makes up for it in the end. The big finish was a little abrupt and a past bout of arrogance from the previous book comes to haunt Sabina. I can't wait to read the next installment. Last but not least is the narrator. As usual Cynthia Holloway does an excellent job of voicing the right amount of snark and kick ass in our heroine. show less

Red-Headed Stepchild wasn’t a book that impressed me much, so I went into this one with a degree of trepidation. Since the end of the first hit the main character, Sabina, over the head with a revelation hammer, it’s possible that she will at least shake loose one of the annoying traits that turned me off so badly before: blind devotion. Now, let’s see if she was able to improve in other ways as well…

Story-wise, the plot was a worthy continuation, picking off where RHS leaves off. Since Sabina finally had to face reality, she goes a bit more with the flow here and the interesting storyline stays interesting. New characters help inject charm. She’s forced out of her natural element and into new situations and completely show more different sorts of people than what she’s used to interacting with.

Action and pacing are held evenly throughout, and usually something’s going on. I do hold a little grief with the ending, though, as it’s one of those cliffhanger types that resemble TV show season finale endings. Leaving questions unanswered is fine, but having it cut off in an obvious ploy to want the reader to grab the next book for the opening chapter is a pet peeve of mine. Most of the book takes place in the mage area, so we get to see a lot of that unusual world.

As before there was mucho humor in the book, and it seems to blend in more naturally than the first book’s attempts. Unfortunately I still don’t like Sabina. She’s better without the blind loyalty but she’s still ridiculously abrasive and badly tempered. She’s a trained fighter who seeks to hurt everyone and ask questions later, not caring about much besides herself.

There is a new lust interest but he was a major turnoff to me too. He turned me off mainly and majorly by participating and organizing demon ring fights (against their will), which with its gratuitous violence reminded me of pit bull fights. Yuck. Accompanied with that and then his smirking, smug actions at the beginning, I am definitely not team Sade yet.

Adam’s barely in the book at all, only at the very beginning and the very end. Maise was a good character, fun and bubbly, but Rhea comes across much too controlling and superior.

An improvement to the first in storyline and protagonist growth (a little), and it’s clear the writer knows how to rock the humor mode. Sabina is still overly abrasive, mindless and thuggish in behavior to me, and the cliffhanger ending again strikes right when they’re on their way to do something. I am curious how much the series improves with book three. show less