Author: K.J. Charles
Series: Rag and Bone 0.5
Genres: Historical, LGBT
Publisher: KJ Charles
Release: February 2nd 2016
Source: ebook
Pages: 59
// Goodreads // Amazon //
BLURB:
Apprentice magician Crispin Tredarloe returns to London to find his master dead, and his papers sold. Papers with secrets that could spell death. Crispin needs to get them back before anyone finds out what he's been doing, or what his magic can do.
Crispin tracks his quarry down to waste paper dealer Ned Hall. He needs help, and Ned can’t resist Crispin’s pleading—and appealing—looks. But can the waste-man and the magician prevent a disaster and save Crispin’s skin?
A 16,000 word story set in the Charm of Magpies world, and a prequel to the novel Rag and Bone (March 2016). This story was first published as part of the Charmed & Dangerous anthology.
Cover design by Catherine Dair.
EXPECTATIONS: I was told and I have read that this book is set in the same world as the Magpie Lord, and that it even has characters appear from those books. I also really love KJC, and intend to go through whole of her bibliography, so I expected all of the things. All of them. Even ducks. (points for you if you got the reference)
THE WORLD: London doesn't just have coppers. It has magical coppers too. They're there to capture and deal with people like Crispin, a warlock, a warlock's apprentice. It would have been fine, for he hurt nobody, but his master died, and the family went ahead and emptied his house in a great hurry to make a profit. Including selling off the scribbled papers on the floor to waste vendor. Who then proceeded to sell sheets to produce sellers in the market... To paint the image, imagine a spell that is meant to give life. Imagine you bought, say, fish. And the vendor put your meat into a paper that gave life. Yes. Chaos erupts and Crispin is in A LOT of trouble.
CHARACTERS: Crispin is a young man from a good family, with pretty decent magical abilities. It were those that landed him an apprenticeship with his master, who taught him all of his trade, including the dread for magical police. He's clumsy, slim, but strong of character and will. So Ned, the waste seller, feels almost compelled to help this strapping fella, seeing the despair and dread. Ned was from a good family too, but they were not having a gay son. Net thus chose his own path, and hadn't had real reasons to regret it just yet.
ROMANCE: Crispin and Ned have a connection off the bat, but it takes that one messy day with spells, reanimated and burning things to really get their bond going. This is a very light and beautiful piece.
GOOD: I had a bad feeling this will be a paper-chaser, like one of those movies where a video is made, then someone tries to stop it, and instead makes it worse, for copies start spreading, and they desperately chase each one. The good thing is, this wasn't it. It felt like it for a while, but KJC really knows how to trick you, and pull her plot a better way.
BAD: It was very short.
OVERALL: It was a humorous short and intense little adventure with a flip of events. I really enjoyed it a lot, and am looking forwards to reading the full-length book next that'll continue the story of these two sweethearts.
What do you think about A QUEER TRADE?
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