I am starting a new “thing” on the blog this month. Once a month, I will recommend a particularly good book or series. I don’t want to do reviews, because I would prefer to be positive about my fellow authors as much as possible. When I reference negative things, like my pet peeves, I try not to mention specific authors or books except for really huge authors (like Janet Evanovich) who are not going to care much what I think. Although sometimes they should–I would really like Stephanie to finally pick someone!!

So this series is all about being positive. That is not to say that the things I recommend are without flaws–just that I won’t talk about them here except as possible triggers, if relevant. But I also believe that it’s OK to love flawed things–after all, none of us are perfect; if you love someone, you already love a flawed thing–so I don’t hesitate to recommend these books.

First up is the Charm of Magpies series by K.J. Charles. This world is similar to The Fay of Skye in that it’s set in Victorian England with acknowledged magic. But beyond that, everything changes. This is a much darker world, and magic power is not easily obtained. Charles deals in the darker side of society and magic, giving her series a touch of supernatural horror as well as fantasy and romance.

And there is definitely romance. The relationship between Stephen and Crane is magnificent. Everything about them is raw and real, and conflicts are completely character-driven and natural. I haven’t yet started the spin-offs as they are unavailable at the moment (they were published through Samhain and have not yet been re-released), but I am very much looking forward to getting them onto my Kindle the moment they reappear. I’d already read Charles’ Society of Gentlemen series prior to these, and I wish I’d read these first as I would have been able to get them all at the time!

If you’re a fan of magic, sex, well-developed characters, fraught relationships, dark deeds, questionable morality, and fully-fleshed out worlds, give the Charm of Magpies series a try, starting with The Magpie Lord.