Echoes and Empires by Morgan Rhodes
Synopsis:
Josslyn Drake knows only three things about magic: it’s rare, illegal, and always deadly.
So when she’s caught up in a robbery gone wrong at the Queen’s Gala and infected by a dangerous piece of magic—one that allows her to step into the memories of an infamously evil warlock—she finds herself living her worst nightmare. Joss needs the magic removed before it corrupts her soul and kills her. But in Ironport, the cost of doing magic is death, and seeking help might mean scheduling her own execution. There’s nobody she can trust.
Nobody, that is, except wanted criminal Jericho Nox, who offers her a deal: his help extracting the magic in exchange for the magic itself. And though she’s not thrilled to be working with a thief, especially one as infuriating (and infuriatingly handsome) as Jericho, Joss is desperate enough to accept.
But Jericho is nothing like Joss expects. The closer she grows to Jericho and the more she sees of the world outside her pampered life in the city, the more Joss begins to question the beliefs she’s always taken for granted—beliefs about right and wrong, about power and magic, and even about herself.
In an empire built on lies, the truth may be her greatest weapon.
Review:
Wow, this book was fantastic. And while I own other books written by Rhodes, I’m sorry to say that I haven’t read any until now. I will certainly be picking up those other series now. Joss isn’t terribly relatable to me at first. She’s spoiled, bold, and self-involved. But when her whole world is turned upside down, she has to do more than a little soul searching. And Jericho is, of course, much more than a simple thief. I just loved these characters and their chemistry.
Echoes and Empires is the first in a new series. Full of mystery, suspense, magic, and many surprises – this book was so captivating that it was nearly impossible to put down. I was quickly swept up in the journey of Joss slowly learning the truth behind magic and the past she thinks she knows. While I wanted to shake her at times, it was well-paced with plenty of drama and a bit of romance as well. The danger and intrigue builds to an exciting conclusion that left me wanting more. So, I will just have to bide my time until the sequel releases by consuming the author’s other series this year.