San Francisco, California; Otherworld; and the Drow Realm - Present Day

During a nationally televised baseball game, the D’Anu witches and the D’Danann warriors battled the demon goddess, Ceithlenn, and the Fomorii demons...and lost. While they were able to keep Ceithlenn from reuniting with her husband, Balor, there was live coverage of the D’Anu and the D’Danann, and now they must hide in Otherworld and regroup before rejoining the battle.

In her scrying mirror, D’Anu witch Hannah Wentworth sees the dragons that she has always felt a connection with turning on the good and siding with Ceithlenn in the upcoming battle. If what she has envisioned is true, they will need the help of the Drow more than ever. The Drow, or Dark Elves, earned banishment millennia ago thanks to their use of dark magic and their way of life, and now they do nothing without a price. Since Hannah’s coven sister, Rhiannon, is the daughter of the Drow King, the coven hopes that the Drow will be willing to help. Then, the Great Guardian offers to grant the greatest wish of the Drow in return for their help in the war. Hannah has little trust in the Drow, but for some reason she finds herself inexplicably drawn to their king.

Garran, King of the Drow, would like nothing better than to help his daughter and her friends. But, as king, he has to think first of his people. They feel that their banishment was unjust, and they would like nothing better than to walk again in the sunlight. He’s surprised by the pull he feels towards Hannah, something he hasn’t felt since his ill-fated affair with Rhiannon’s mother, but Garran knows that Hannah will be his. However, the Great Guardian’s help comes with a condition, one that will affect Garran and the desire he feels for Hannah.

SHADOW MAGIC picks up right where WICKED MAGIC left off, with the gray witches of the D’Anu, and the Tuatha D’Danann (Fae warriors), fleeing the city of San Francisco. While each of the books in the Magic series features a different couple, the battle between the Fomorii demons and the newly named Alliance, which consists of the D’Anu, the D’Danann, and the Paranormal Special Forces team (human police officers with no powers, but special equipment to help them in the battle) has been going on since the beginning of the series. I would highly recommend reading the books in order so that you have a better idea of what is going on. Several of the characters from the earlier books play important parts in this one, so readers get a chance to catch up with them, not to mention there are a few hints about the future of a few of the members of the Alliance.

The ongoing battle is evenly balanced with the growing relationship between Garran and Hannah. While Garran easily accepts the connection between them, Hannah has difficulty even trusting the Drow King; the desire she feels for him is a little too much to handle. She too feels the pull between them, but Hannah is too accustomed to being on her own and enjoys her life in San Francisco too much to consider falling for someone who lives, literally, in another world. As always, magical forces are at work, and what Hannah and Garran want may not matter much in the end.

A sensual tale full of danger and magic, SHADOW MAGIC should not be missed.

Jennifer Bishop