A Completely Magical Box Set
Over the past five years, author Maya Tyler has enchanted readers with her Magicals series of paranormal romances and now they are all available in a box set. From the very first book Tyler makes is clear that these are not your typical romance novels. While the romance is there, Tyler also weaves in a vivid cast of characters and situation that are as relatable as they are fantastical.
“A Vampire’s Tale” tells the story of Corgan Halton, a supposedly fictional character who turns up in the flesh in the author’s apartment. What Marisa Clements soon becomes aware of is that what she always though to be a myth is in fact real. Once the pair meet, the stage is set for mystery, drama, treachery, and more.
The second book in the series “A Wizard’s Choice” continues the basic theme of A Vampire’s tale as more of the Magical population of Chicago is introduced. Kurtis Warde is an apprentice wizard, who must decide to either devote his life to the brotherhood or live outside of the circle. The choice is not simple, however, as each choice comes with consequences that cannot be undone. While “A Wizard’s Choice” works well as an an independent story, there are a few strategic cameos to tie the timeline and the world together.
In “A Fairy’s Quest” the focus shifts from Chicago to Paris as the heir to the Fairy throne must travel back home to stake her family’s claim to the title. But with an assassin at her heels, Alina will be lucky to accomplish her mission. “A Fairy’s Quest” takes the series in a slightly different direction as while the settings are initially the same, the reader is introduced to a new cast of characters and situations. With “A Fairy’s Quest“, Tyler expands the Magicals world and provides additional history regarding the overall dynamic of the Fairy and Wizard populations.
With “A Fairy Godmother’s Redemption“, the dynamic shifts again as the reader is introduced to three lovely ladies who run a coffee shop. But there is more to Faye, Rainy and Ginger that meets the eye as these sweet nurturing grandmotherly types moonlight as matchmaking Fairy Godmothers. Posing a representative from a PR company is the perfect cover to facilitating this task, especially when your target is an ice-cold pop princess who has landed in the middle of the worst scandal of her career. The main timeline for “A Fairy Godmother’s Redemption” is set in the mid-nineties, allowing for a flash back of sorts and what appears to be a break in the overall flow of the previous books. In fact, this is such a shift that at first it seems that this book may have been a “one off” to continue the world, but not include any of the main characters, however, the Fairy Godmothers are major players in their own rights as the reader soon finds out in this heartwarming tale.
In the final book, “A Magical’s Gift“, the timeline travels even further back to the 1960s. In essence with the final book being the beginning of the entire saga, “A Magical’s Gift” lays the framework that serves to tie up all the loose ends as well as connect the dots to tie the previous installments together. Being one of the longer books in the series, clocking in at a little over 200 pages, the overall timeline encompasses several decades, eras and locales. Including flashbacks, Tyler uses this method to really give the reader a detailed history of the centuries long feud between Fairy and Wizard that was only briefly touched on in “A Fairy’s Quest”. While packing so much content onto so few pages, some would think this would make the plot line scattered, however this is not the case and only serves to enhance the story.
When the last page is turned, what initially started as a seemingly one-off vampire romance or a throw off book about fairy godmothers has turned onto pieces of a much larger puzzle where all pieces fall seamlessly in place to end this magical journey of the last few years.
Back in 2017 when I first read “A Vampire’s Tale” I went into the series very skeptically. As a one-time romance enthusiast, I had shunned the genre for many decades for being too formulaic and ultra-cheesy. I gave Maya Tyler’s books a chance mainly because of the paranormal aspect and I was not disappointed. If you are a long-time romance reader or someone who is more into fantasy novels whose main characters are vampires, wizards, fairies (including fairy godmothers) hiding in plain sight and coexisting among the mortal population, this definitely checks the boxes. Add in relatable characters and situations that will have you laughing, crying, and even getting angry at their antics and this series is “Magical” indeed.
You can read my initial stand-alone reviews for the entire series of books at the links below
Jennly Reads 