The Temptation of Magic

by Megan Scott

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

The start of an exciting romantasy trilogy that packs an enemies-to-lovers romance and dark academia vibes into a paranormal storyline.

An International Bestseller!

Perfect for fans of A Discovery of Witches and Serpent & Dove, this mesmerizing dark academia romantasy debut delves into a dangerous supernatural society hidden within our own—where forbidden love and immortal hunters collide, and a dark truth may unravel the entire world.

Nicole Palmer and her family have been in hiding for years from the Wake—a shadowy organization that governs all supernatural creatures. If the Wake discovers that Nicole is an Empyreal—a rare kind of creature that can shapeshift into any creature’s natural predator—they’ll force her to join them or kill her for resisting.

Like they did her mother.

Nicole is close to uncovering a secret message hidden in a supernatural art collection—a message from her mother about how to destroy the Wake for good. But when the collector is murdered and a key painting stolen, the Wake sends their best Empyreal assassin to track down the dangerous creature on the loose.

Kyan McCarter is handsome, perceptive, and the last person Nicole wants to work with to find the stolen painting. Their search sparks a powerful connection between them, but if Kyan finds out that Nicole is a rogue Empyreal, he’ll have no choice but to hunt her next. After all, no one disobeys the Wake and survives.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781335006950
Publisher:	Harlequin
Publication date:	08/27/2024
Edition description:	Original
Pages:	480
Sales rank:	13,422
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.20(h) x 1.60(d)
Age Range:	14 - 17 Years

About the Author

Megan Scott is twenty-six-years-old, from the North West of England and a lover of art and the ancient world. She received her BA and MA in Art History and Classical Civilization, and both subjects inspired her debut novel, The Temptation of Magic. When she’s not writing or on Pinterest, she’s trying to read as much as her nana, or paint something she doesn’t want to ceremoniously burn in the garden.

Editorial Reviews

A dark jewel of a book, glinting with adventure, a gorgeous dark academia setting, and spellbinding romance.” —NATASHA J. HASTINGS, author of How to Charm a Viscount

“An intoxicating blend of the supernatural, Celtic mythology and an atmospheric Cornish town, Scott weaves an enthralling tale of desire and temptation. I was lured in by the gorgeous descriptions of art and the coastal setting, and ensnared by the characters and thrilling plot as it unfurled.”—RACHEL GREENLAW, author of Compass and Blade

“Simmering romance melds with dark academia in this lush, immersive tale—I was completely spellbound from the very first pages.” —LYNDALL CLIPSTONE, author of Lakesedge and Tenderly, I Am Devoured


“Lush and glittering.” –Booklist


“Filled with intriguing worldbuilding, a swoony forbidden romance, and a diverse collection of fascinating mythological creatures who coexist in the human and supernatural worlds, this series opener is ideal for fans of Holly Black, Cassandra Clare, and Sally Green… A promising, page-turning romantasy.”
—Kirkus Reviews

From the Publisher

2024-07-04
An 18-year-old girl’s days of hiding her true supernatural identity are tested when she’s embroiled in the mystery surrounding a prominent professor’s death.

The Palmers are a secretive supernatural family in Cornwall, England. Nicole and her brother, Dylan, pretend to only be Seers like their father and younger sister, Bells, but they’re actually Empyreals—rare, powerful hunters who can shape-shift into any being’s deadliest predator. Nicole knows that if she and Dylan ever transform, the Wake, or shadowy organization that controls the paranormal world and killed their Empyreal mother, will force them to join their ranks or die. Nicole believes she can decode a final message from her mother hidden inThe Wild Hunt of Odin, a famous folkloric painting, but after Diana Westmoore, the professor and art collector who owns the painting, dies suddenly, the Wake send their best Empyreal assassin, Kyan McCarter, to retrieve the painting and hunt the supernatural killer. Kyan and Nicole are immediately drawn to each other, even though he’s lived monastically for centuries, and she’s been taught to avoid the Wake at all costs. Their forced proximity causes proverbial sparks to fly. Filled with intriguing worldbuilding, a swoony forbidden romance, and a diverse collection of fascinating mythological creatures who coexist in the human and supernatural worlds, this series opener is ideal for fans of Holly Black, Cassandra Clare, and Sally Green. Main characters are cued white, Dylan is queer, and the supporting cast includes diversity in race and sexual orientation.

A promising, page-turning romantasy.(Fantasy romance. 14-18)

Kirkus Reviews