An urban fantasy mystery in the vein of Patricia Briggs and Jeaniene Frost!

This was a pretty good read, the writing is good, there is a bit of tension and the story is interesting but without any big wow for me. I would still recommend it to anyone who enjoyed the above mentioned authors.

This story is told in the third person from our two main characters point of view with brief snippet from other important characters.
Our main cast are Peri a powerful mage and Valen our typical alpha vampire. While clearly being presented as an alpha vampire the author is careful of modernising him, avoiding the suffocating vibe we sometime get from those type of character. However, the author is so purposeful in not making in an alphahole that it's sometime a bit too on the nose. As for Peri, she is a powerful, reckless mage but show a certain level of self awareness and sensitivity. Overall the characters are relatively stereotypical of this genre but remain tridimensional.

One of the positive point of this book is that the two MC knew each other from the get go. This way the story manage to not feel like insta love even if it span a short period of time.

Wild Magic by Alexandra Ivy
WOW! This is a fantastic book - Alexandra grabs you and pulls you in and keeps you on the edge of your seat. Peri, a mage and Valen, a vampire must work together to solve the evil mystery. She has lots of baggage and he has been looking to claim an untrained female. The attraction is instant, but there is angst, trust issues, demons, an evil mist, danger, violence, magic, growing love, some laughs, some tears, and steam to get us to their HEA. I am looking forward to ANCIENT MAGIC.

I have been reading books by Alexandra Ivy since 2007 when I read Embrace the Darkness (which I loved), as well as Darkness Everlasting. As such, I was pleasantly surprised to come across Wild Magic after I had taken a long break from reading. The storytelling in Wild Magic was great, as always. Peri Sanguis is a badass female character, and I loved that Valen was able to take a step back to let her do her thing. I love how he sees and respects her strength, and it was nice to see Peri soften towards him.

Ivy’s books are often written in multiple POV which switches from the FMC to the MMC (which I don’t mind at all). However, there are a few instances where the POV switches to other characters (Elias and Destiny) that I didn’t care for. I think the information we learn while reading in Destiny’s POV could have been shared more effectively without needing to switch out of the POV of Peri. I also would have preferred more time between Peri and Valen to develop their relationship. There was so much action and problems to solve that their development together wasn’t as smooth as I have seen in other stories between the FMC and the MMC by Ivy.

However, I was still very entertained by the story! I loved the found-family aspects, which I’m hoping turns into a series with all the ladies of the Witches Brew. The ending is mysterious, which I’m hoping will continue with a book centering around Maya.

Peri uses her wild magic to right wrongs - for a price. When she learns that her mother has been murdered in a ritualistic manner, she reluctantly returns home to investigate - accompanied by the vampire Valen, who rules the territory where she lives. When Peri and Valen discover that her mother unleashed an ancient power that thrives on chaos, the two come together to track and combat the magic before it tears their world apart.

I really enjoyed this novel. Peri and Valen have excellent chemistry. The side characters are interesting too. The plot teases a second novel which I can't wait to read! For fans of Ilona Andrews.

I liked this book. There is a really complex magic system that we have only begun to explore. I loved watching Valen and Peri's relationship grow. I was left with so many questions at the end. What is Peri? Who is Joe? I am hopeful we are not done with this world and there will be a sequel either focusing on Skye or Maya or another about Peri and Valen.

A strong mage with a stubborn streak, a Vampire and a evil that threatens what he desires. What a great read! Lots of suspense! A must read!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own

I thoroughly enjoyed my time with this book. The writing style, coupled with the diverse points of view, including those of the antagonists, was excellent. The unique details and the unconventional magic system set it apart from other paranormal romances, which I found refreshing.
However, the pace felt a bit hurried. Some details were glossed over, and I believe the story could have benefited from a bit more length. Exploring Valen and Peri's connection in greater detail and enhancing the dynamic between them could have added the delightful tension that this romance seemed to lack. Despite these considerations, it was still an enjoyable read, and I'm intrigued to see where the story unfolds.

Paranormal romance is a favorite of mine, add in murder, mystery and suspense and this book had it all. Peri is a mage with powerful wild magic, something others are willing to kill her for. Working with magic wielders, Skye and Maya, Peri has found her safe place with a sense of family. Peri earns a living casting curses on deserving supernaturals. But Peri has attracted the attention of Valen, the ruler of the Vampire Cabal, who rules the Gyre (a pocket of magic) where she lives, and he has a romantic interest in Peri. Once they join forces, they respect each other enough to let each one take the lead when it is necessary. I kept hoping Peri would accept Valen, because I was all for Valen.

Thank you NetGalley and Kensington Books for the e-ARC. This is my honest review.

I just finished this book, and I’m so upset! Why, you ask. Well, with the way it ended, I want the next one now! Anyway, I have been reading this author for over 15 years (I checked), and I hadn’t read one in a while, and I’m so glad I’m back. This is a series opener and while there were a few things that weren’t perfect, especially the beginning of the book where I was a little confused at first, I really enjoyed the last two thirds and was more than able to look past that. I love how this author writes, and I quite enjoyed the characters in this book. I’m hoping that several of the characters get their own series, but I would just take the next book for now. Looking forward to lots more in this universe. Highly recommend. I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.

I was lucky enough to get this ARC and am so glad I did. This short mysterious, magical, slow burn romance really hit the spot for me. It took me right out of a reading slump. A must read!

given my expectations for a fantasy standalone, it was a huge let down but I'll try to be really unbiased from now on. They say "don't judge a book by its cover" but i don't think they realise how cute, fun and sexy glitters are. so I fell for them and guess that was a mistake lol.
Wild Magic is murder mystery fantasy with demons and vampires and mages and witches (yes they're different apparently). Ivy had a different take on all that's supernatural and that was kinda interesting I guess. Anyways the book was fast paced. a little too fast if you ask me. the plot felt like it was all over the place with no time to gather it. We didn't see the relationship development between the characters. The stakes didn't seem as high as they were being said to be. The antagonist seemed more like a disney villian than actually someone who had the power to destroy the world. Also throughout the entire book there are some things that I tried to overlook but I just couldn't even though they might seem trivial. one of them being, Valen, the vampire MC is as old as time itself, even klaus didn't stand a chance. I mean the guy's 2000 years old and yet in his entire existence he hadn't met anyone who "challenged and disobeyed him" until her. Like that's so ridiculous yikes. They didn't even really like each other beyond the physical attraction, but three days is all it took them to fall for each other body mind and soul. Like they had nine years prior to the events in the book but they never acted upon the attraction and yet 3 days is all it took them to decide thats it time to move in together.

All in all this book lacked maturity that should've been present in an adult fantasy and mystery but it was a quick read so thats it.

Perri Sanguis is a unique mage who lives in New Jersey with her newfound family at the Witches Brew. One day her life gets disrupted by the mysterious death of her mother and her entire coven. She inadvertently teams up with Valen, the ruler of the Gyre in New York. As Perri and Valen investigate the witches' mysterious death they find an ancient evil energy that has resurfaced. While working in close proximity, they start seeing each other as more than enemies.

I like to think of this book as an enemies-to-lover, close proximity, and a mystery/paranormal romance. I enjoyed reading the dual povs of both Valen and Perri, along with a few chapters from Maya (one of the mages at the Witches Brew). I do think that the story could have been longer with a bit more world building and some more suspense to the plot. But the overall execution was fantastic! I can't wait to read any future books in the series, learning more about the world, Perri and Valen's relationship, and learn some more about Skye and Maya.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Overall 3.77/5 stars

Wild Magic by Alexandra Ivy is a wonderful first installment in her coming series. It sets up the magical world full of demons, vampires, witches, mages, and more and leaves the reader yearning for what happens next.

The ongoing mystery surrounding main character Peri unfolds with twists and turns that encourages readers to keep going. While I wish we could have spent more time with the romance and that there was more backstory to the MMC, Ivy kept a good balance throughout the novel between action and romance. The use of multiple perspectives throughout the story made the overall plot richer and helped communicate the connections and consequences of the choices our main character made. The use of real settings and adding the layer of a magical world building on top of it I felt elevated the work and allowed the fantasy world to feel a bit more grounded, allowing the author to flush out the details of the different magic and political structures which was a major benefit to the story.

Overall, Wild Magic is an easy and fun read for those of us who love a spicy fantasy to curl up with on a weekend.

So for me this felt more like a murder mystery with fantasy aspects than a fantasy. I was left disappointed in the story and struggled to finish it. This would be the perfect book for someone who loves mysterys with elements from other books however this just wasn't my cup of tea.

Discover a world of Magic🪄

Wild Magic is the beginning of what I’m hoping will be a new multi book series by this author❣️I was completely absorbed and captured in this world from the first chapter and honestly did not want to stop reading. Peri is a unique mage who came into her powers early after experiencing something no child should. Now, she earns a living casting curses on deserving supernaturals. When she receives word about her mother’s deceased coven, she makes the trip to find out what happened., however, she doesn’t account for the vampire that rules their Gyre to follow her and offer help😳

Fantastic and enthralling storytelling and I’m hoping we learn more about Peri’s family…Maya and Skye and the mysterious Joe🙂 I received an advanced copy via Netgalley and voluntarily leave my honest review❤️

This cover caught my extention and the settings of Wyoming and New Jersey. Having lived in both I always love reading stories that take place where I've lived. This was an interesting paranormal mystery romance. I enjoyed the found family and the slow burn relationship growth for Peri and Valen. He was such a besotted protective hero who let her be herself. I loved the journey from state to state to take down this great evil. I did think the magic itself was a little wishy washy. Nothing seemed to have a definitive rule to it. I also didn't feel any strong connection to the characters. I liked them but I wasn't obsessed with them. Ended up giving it 4 stars.

This was a great book. I really enjoyed reading it. It took a couple chapters for me to decide that it was something I wanted to read but once I got through those the book took off and I was starting to enjoy it. I always give books at least 10 chapters before deciding if I want to read it or not.
This is a story about a young girl named Peri. Peri is a young mage who was betrayed and almost killed by her mother when she was younger because her mother and her coven (witches) were against her daughter because of the power that she weilded. When she escaped she found solice with a woman who accepted her in as her own and helped teach her to become this new woman.
When an ancient magic is released, Peri is the one who goes after it to destroy it. At first it is just a red mist but as it grows in power from draining witches it becomes a sentient being. Through all of this Peri meets Valen. A very old vampire. At first they argue like children but it is because, as they can't admit, that they are falling for each other.
This is a very slow burn for romance but once you get there, it is heart melting.
Peri comes face to face with the evil miasma and you will have to read to see what happens!

Truly a good read!

I call Ivy’s writing “adult urban fantasy”. It is always sexy and builds great creative worlds at the same time. She doesn’t pander and I like that the books are not focused on children. This book has a great protagonist who is a bit broken by a terrible early life. She makes friends and has a support group. When she gets pulled into a mystery related to her mother’s coven, the plot speeds along until an excellent climax. The cover art is amazingly good, kudos to the artist for nailing it. A fun fast paced read.

This thrilling combination of a murder mystery and paranormal slow-burn romance was an absolute delight to read. The author's writing style, along with the use of various points of view, including those of the antagonists, evoked shades of JR Ward and her beloved Black Dagger Brotherhood series, which was a welcome touch.

The world-building and magic system in this book set it apart from the typical paranormal romance fare I've encountered, and I found this refreshing and intriguing.

My only qualm with this book was its pacing. It felt a bit rushed at times, with certain details glossed over. I couldn't help but think that the story had the potential for greater depth and enjoyment if it were a bit longer or even split into two books. This would have allowed for a more in-depth exploration of Valen and Peri's connection, adding layers to the push-and-pull dynamic between them that is such a crucial element of this romance.

I appreciate the author's desire to maintain flexibility for the series' future installments, but I couldn't help but yearn for a more immersive and tantalizing development of the central relationship, which could have added more tension and excitement to this already captivating story.

4⭐️ this was wildly entertaining.

Murder mystery/paranormal slow burn romance. Had so much fun reading this. The writing styler and the different POVs, included the bad guys, reminded me a little of JR Ward and the Black Dagger Brotherhood which I kind of liked. The details isn’t this world and magic system was slightly different than any paranormal romance I had read before and I appreciated that as all.

This felt a little too fast though. Some details were skimmed over and I think we could have had so much more fun with this if maybe it was longer and maybe split between 2 books. Valen and Peri’s connection could have been explained in more detail and the push and pull between them could have had all of the fun tension that this romance was missing.

I understand the need to create flexibility and an opening for more in the story for the rest of the series in the future. This was still super fund and to read and I think I’d like to see where this story goes ☺️.