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Early Review: Deadly Spells by Jaye Wells (Prospero’s War #3)

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Deadly Spells by Jaye Wells // VBC ReviewDeadly Spells (Prosperos War #3)
Jaye Wells
Published: Feb. 10, 2015 (Orbit)
Purchase: Book Depository or Amazon
Review Source: copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Reviewed by: Amy

Rating (out of 5): 5 stars

Note: While this review will be spoiler free, it may reference previous books in the series. If you haven’t started it yet, check out VBC’s review of Dirty Magic.

It’s been about five months since Kate and the MEA took down the Babylon Bomber/Dionysus. Things are relatively quiet until Kate and Morales are called in by the BPS on a murder. On scene they discover the current leader of the Votary coven (the position that was vacated by Kate’s Uncle Abe upon his incarceration) has been brutally murdered. All signs point to a rival coven being behind the murder, but to all present, that seems a little bit too convenient.

Once the MEA is officially handed the case, they not only have to find the murderer but also keep an all-out war from happening between the covens. When the killer is pinpointed as a member of the Brazilian cartel A Morte, the case starts to ring personal for members of the MEA, and lo and behold who else but John Volos (now mayor and Kate’s former flame) is in deep with the cartel. Just how he’s connected is just another mystery in which Kate doesn’t want to become involved.

I was happy that a lot of the heavy emotional clouds hanging over Cursed Moon had been dealt with. Leaving more room for other emotional whammies right? Seriously though, as siblings of course Kate and Danny are going to squabble, but it didn’t feel as weighted down as in Cursed Moon. I can only take high emotion like that for so long before I have to put a book down because it’s too depressing. Jaye Wells gave us a respite just in time.

Not to say that Kate’s got things easy. It’s the fact that the tough situations aren’t piled on top of personal emotional issues in this one. Gardner, Kate’s boss at the MEA, is effected on a personal level by A Morte. Kate is able to step back and keep a more level head in this case. Deadly Spells makes a case for the diatribe of sacrificing one for the good of many. In this case, its Kates morals that are the one and what shes willing to give up in order to save many in the long run. On a personal level these are the same things that cause Kate to close herself off from being happy in her life outside the force. Kate’s morals are one of the big things I like about her character. That’s not to say that I’m against her learning to balance the scales between doing something that would make her happy and upholding the law.

This segues to the part about the ever increasing tension between Kate and Morales. Kate continues to hold herself off from going down that road with him, and it’s the one thing that makes me crazy about her character. There’s no doubt she finds Morales attractive, but by holding herself to the highest standards in order to uphold the law, going down that road would break a code of conduct in her mind despite the fact that it would make her happy.

So with all the conjecture Deadly Spells brings up about doing things for the good of the whole even when it may border on illegal, does Kate’s resolve waiver? I’ll just let you read and figure it out for yourself. For me, Deadly Spells is the best in the bunch so far.

Sexual content: references to sex, references to rape

2 Responses to “Early Review: Deadly Spells by Jaye Wells (Prospero’s War #3)”

  1. I still need to start this series. I read the Red-Headed Stepchild series by Wells and really enjoyed them. I’ve been meaning to try these since I saw book one, but just haven’t found the time.

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