Having recently discovered she is half fae, a whole new world has opened up to Alex. Her grandfather is requesting her presence at the fae court, which she wants no part of. Unfortunately, Alex has no choice but to attend so now she is basically being tutored on all things fae. As if she doesn't have enough on her plate, Alex is having boyfriend troubles.

When Alex's boyfriend, James', enemy, Marek, kidnaps her to get back at him, Alex finds herself in a world of hurt. James comes to the rescue, but soon finds himself switching places with Alex as Marek's hostage. Although things are uncertain between Alex and James, she is not about to leave him behind.

COURTING DARKNESS is the second installment in author L.R. Braden's MAGICSMITH series. It didn't take long for me to lose myself in it's compelling storyline. Taking up pretty much where book one, A DROP OF MAGIC, left off, COURTING DARKNESS takes the reader on an exciting adventure. Alex is having fae info hurriedly crammed down her throat for her upcoming presentation at court. On top of that, she's dealing with her new relationship with James and discovering that he's a vampire. Forget James, LOL, I cannot wait to see more of Galen. New characters are introduced that are integral to the plot. Urban fantasy fans are sure to enjoy Alex and her motley crew's escapades.

Courting Darkness is the second installment in author L.R. Braden's The Magicsmith series. The story picks up where A Drop of Magic left off. Protagonist Alex Blackwood is a metalsmith whose works are often inspired by the mood that she is in thanks to her magic. Oh, yes, she's also part fae, but without all the worry about metals burning her like full blooded Fae. Alex's Grandfather gave her a magical boost to her powers, but it also marked her as kin. To make matters worse, she's been summoned to the Court of Enchantment which meets in only a few short weeks!


That means it's time for Alex's life to be turned upside down by Faerie protocol lessons, as well as unwanted guests like Hortense who don't believe Alex has any hope of surviving her visit. Thanks to her roommate and protector Kai, Alex is getting the hang of Fae politics, but she is no where near ready for having everyone in Faerie test her. But, before we get there, Alex first has to deal with her supposed beau, James, and his issues which include being accused of murder and an arrival of a lunatic Vampire Master who intends to bring upheaval to Colorado.

Alex learns that James nemesis, Merak, is in town making his life a living hell. To make matters worse, this antagonist knows that James has feelings for Alex, and he will use her to take down James as well as making Alex's life a living hell. Alex has other worries as well. The ever present Paranatural Task Force, especially Agent O'Connell, is keeping a close eye on Alex as well as Kai. He doesn't trust her...at all. She knows that if it is exposed that she's a hybrid, she will be sent to the Fae reservation.

To matters even more twisted, there's a new governor of Colorado who belongs to a racist group known as Purity. Purity preaches the wholesale eradication of magical beings like Alex and her friends James, Kai, Marc, Kayla, Sarah, Jynx, and Chase. Alex needs to be very careful drawing the wrong kind of attention to her or she won't have to worry about getting read to visit Faerie. My worry is that someone close to Alex, maybe a co-worker, will be the one to spill the beans. But, we shall see! I also worry that this series will drag on past the third installment before Alex ends up in Faerie, but again, we shall see!

A good continuation.

Alex is thrust deeper into the paranormal world. New species and characters are introduced, and we learn a lot more about the fae.

I enjoyed Alex's struggle of reconciling her new paranormal life and friends with her old human normal one. The further she's pushed into the new world, the more she loses from her old. And the secrets keep piling up.

I did not like her boyfriend's secrets, once they were unveiled. I really really hate that cliche. (Not going into detail to avoid spoilers.) But I did appreciate that Alex had appropriate reservations about continuing the relationship for those reasons too. Her reactions felt realistic and logical.

This book had a lot of new ideas and content that kept it as fresh and interesting as the first. It was a great continuation.

I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book offers a world of action, magic and pain. Alex faces all of them. Always managing to come out alive if battered. What an amazing and often brutal world this author has created. I often got chilled reading the descriptions of events. The initial meeting with Merak and his "throne of bones" will most likely feature in my dreams . Well written, intense and twisted this is a book you will remember.

I didn’t take long to become totally engrossed in the second book in this riveting series. Ms. Braden is an exceptional writer in her characters, her plot, and her interesting world building. In fact, I really loathe one of her characters, and I really want to yell at him so very much, a mark of a great writer to get the reader so invested. One thing though is that this book took a darker turn than the previous one which I didn’t mind at all. Anyway, this is a great urban fantasy with a myriad of characters to keep the reader entertained. I stayed up past my bedtime to finish, something I don’t do very often. I can’t wait for the next book; maybe we’ll go see her grandfather! Give this author and this series a try; you’ll love them! Highly recommend and I received a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.

Unfortunately I wasn't aware that this was the second book in a series when I asked to review it so it didn't make a lot of sense to me. It sounds like it would be an excellent book but I would definitely need to read the series in order.

I received a free copy from Netgalley for an honest review.

Overall, I think this was a good second installment in what hopefully, will be a longer series. This book covers mostly the relationships she was, as well as gives Alex a little breather after the stress of the last book, for a few chapters at least. I liked that this was not centered entirely on the Fae, and that the vampire mythology is handled in a totally new and different way than any others I’ve ever read.
Although I’m starting to get irritated that she hasn’t fessed up to her best friend/ boss, I understand the reticence she displays. I look forward to the third book as it looks to resolve the unresolved conflicts from this, and bring the werewolves more into the mix. I liked that we saw Sophie, and hope to see her progress. What I really like was that the ending includes a completely emotionally adult and honest conclusion about her romantic stance. Though I hope she finds someone, I don’t know if we have seen them yet in the series.

I received a free copy of COURTING DARKNESS (The Magicsmith Book 2) by L.R. Braden in exchange for an honest review. Alex’s debut into the paranatural community caused quite a splash and brought her some notoriety. As a result, her grandfather has summoned her to the fae court and has set the date for her presentation; it’s soon, too soon. Burdened with tutors force-feeding her libraries of information needing to be digested in a few short weeks, Alex is, of course, pushed into devoting most of her time to resolving vampire political disputes. Vampire shenanigans make Alex’s boyfriend a prime suspect in a murder investigation. Apparently ignorant of or immune to the threat of fae retaliation, those same vampires repeatedly attempt to kill or capture Alex because of her relationship with her boyfriend. Meanwhile, no one in the supernatural community wants to help Alex or her boyfriend because it’s not their business or their problem. Alex is determined to remove this distraction from her studies even if she has to do it all by herself.

I liked both this book and the first in the series. I rejoice in the return to urban fantasy without having to wade through all of the harem/reverse harem/polyamory/other kinkiness erotica garbage. I recommend this book and this series to all fans of good urban fantasy.

I just received book 2 Courting Darkness by L.R. Braden which Netgalley provided me for a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This series definitely was not what I was expecting. Alex is still dealing with the aftermath of being drawn into a new world- specifically being part fae. Alex is still in the dark about how to control her magic and the expectations of her own skills. Alex's magic is quickly being amplified therefore the need for her to acquire knowledge is imperative. Alex is a magnet for friends and trouble. Alex is continuing to be drawn into a new world- one that is much larger than she expected.

I continue to be intrigued by Alex's new and old friends. The author keeps the plot moving so it is very hard to anticipate what will happen next. The author also continues to leave small questions in the back of my mind as I journey with Alex.

Overall, I would rate this book a 3 out of 5. I would like to see Alex get some more romance action but I definitely would purchase book three to see where this adventure lands.

The second book in this series does not disappoint. Alex is struggling with her fae heritage as the time narrows where she will have to go to court in faerie. When a murder hits close to home, she becomes embroiled in werewolf and evil vampire dealings. Loyalty is everything. Alex can't catch a break in this book. Action packed and bloody gory, new characters and old flesh out this ride. And a ride it is. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book from Netgalley

This novel was a great sequel to the firs novel in the series! More action, more secrets revealed, more trouble, more mystery. Alex Blackwood needs to prepare for her visit with the fae and uncover more of her magical abilities, but it is not going that well and that is the least of her problems. The man she thinks she might love has cancelled dates and now is in trouble, for a dead body was found at the gallery. Her trust in others is waning and she has kept secrets from people she has known for years. New potential allies approach and more enemies arise. Alex is loyal to those she cares about and will risk her life for them. Kai, her fae housemate, has sworn to protect Alex and get her ready for the fae court. But with enemies on all sides, both human and supernatural, Alex will need everything at her disposal to protect herself and her friends. Alex's choices will have repercussions and lead her deeper into the supernatural world. Looking forward to the next novel in the series!

**I was provided with an electronic ARC by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for honest review.**

Vampires and werewolves and fae folk- oh my! The second book in the Magicsmith series did not at all disappoint. This was another one day read, and had all of the features I enjoyed so much about the first book.

In the interest of not having spoilers in this review, suffice it to say that our protagonist Alex can't catch a break this entire novel. Every time she thinks she's making progress, there comes another obstacle. The pacing is good throughout, the solutions to the problems are feasible and logical, and I really haven't got complaints. Is Alex loyal to the point of stupidity, absolutely, but that's just the way she rolls.

I enjoyed learning more about old characters and getting to know new characters. Hortense is a particularly charming addition, and I enjoyed being able to get to know Chase (and Jynx). I still want to explore these characters, and this universe.

I'm definitely eager to read the third installment in this series and whatever LR Braden writes in this vein in the future.