Thirty years ago, a young woman was murdered, a family was lynched, and New Orleans saw the greatest magical massacre in its history. In the days that followed, a throne was stolen from a queen.
On the anniversary of these brutal events, Clement and Cristina Trudeau—the sixteen-year-old twin heirs to the powerful, magical, dethroned family—are mourning their father and caring for their sick mother. Until, by chance, they discover their mother isn’t sick—she’s cursed. Cursed by someone on the very magic council their family used to rule. Someone who will come for them next.
Cristina, once a talented and dedicated practitioner of Generational magic, has given up magic for good. An ancient spell is what killed their father and she was the one who cast it. For Clement, magic is his lifeline. A distraction from his anger and pain. Even better than the random guys he hooks up with.
Cristina and Clement used to be each other’s most trusted confidant and friend, now they barely speak. But if they have any hope of discovering who is coming after their family, they’ll have to find a way to trust each other and their family’s magic, all while solving the decades-old murder that sparked the still-rising tensions between the city’s magical and non-magical communities. And if they don’t succeed, New Orleans may see another massacre. Or worse.
The intriguing title and that stunning cover first caught my attention. I was completely sold with an atmospheric New Orleans setting.
Speaking of that stunning cover – from its design I expected a historical fantasy. That’s not the case. The setting is modern day New Orleans thirty years after a magical massacre. With the anniversary of that massacre coming up, tensions are on the rise again between the magical and non-magical communities, with the latter group calling for regulations.
Clem and Cris are the twin heir grandchildren of the deceased queen whose throne was stolen. Rightfully, it should still belong to their family, and they believe their grandmother was falsely accused of murder and intend to set things right. Their numerous family members – their mother, her four sisters, and several cousins – are hiding secrets and holding onto grudges. Although warned to stay out of it and leave the adults to handle things, the twins nose around (we’re talking serious invasions of privacy) until they discover the truth.
The ups and downs of family dynamics are on display here – old grievances, secrets, misunderstandings, misplaced guilt. They may dislike each other, but the love is there. You just have to dig deep for it sometimes. The guilty party behind all this isn’t really a mystery. The plot is more of the reader watching the characters find the proof that’s been there all those years. With a family this large, the character roster is extensive, and several POVs are included.
The concept of generational magic is intriguing, and the cast of characters diverse. Some plot points are wrapped up by the end, but a few threads remain to carry into the sequel. If you’re a fan of urban fantasy, magic and hexes, and dysfunctional (but loving in their own way) family dynamics, this may be the novel for you.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Books and Such 
Oh wow, this one looks great!
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Mention a New Orleans setting, and my interest is piqued, Caro. The author also utilized the setting in authentic ways.
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The setting alone would be enough to send me scrambling for this one, Teri. I love New Orleans! Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I’m definitely interested!
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Right? It’s one of my favorite settings, Jan. I think I started loving it when reading Anne Rice books (so many are set in NOLA) and then saw the actual streets and places she’d mentioned when we visited the city.
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Generational magic sounds interesting. Great review as usual, Teri!
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Thanks, Priscilla! That was a term I can’t remember coming across, but it’s more powerful than other types.
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Teri, I agree — that cover really is stunning. I love the unusual font too. The cover would have been enough to make me pick it up. Thanks for your review. Since your WWW post, I’ve been wondering what you would think about it. Hugs.
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I adore the cover, but was surprised it wasn’t a historical fantasy. It wasn’t exactly what I’d expected, but still a very enjoyable read, Teagan. Hugs!
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Always good to get your read on a book, Teri. Thanks.
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Glad you could make it, John – have a great weekend!
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You too, Teri.
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Magic and dysfunctional family is interesting combination. Great review!
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Lots of love in this family, but also some long-held grudges, Yesha. Sure adds some more conflict to the story, lol.
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I love the setting of this story. Sounds very intriguing. Excellent review!
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New Orleans is always a great setting – especially when the author makes use of it. Thanks, Tessa!
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I also would have expected historical fantasy! Once more, don’t judge a book by its cover LOL
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Exactly, Sophie – you’d think I’d have learned that lesson by now.
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Great review, Teri. I like dysfunctional magical families, as long as there’s that underlying love to keep my rooting for the MCs. Sounds like an excellent read. 🙂 Thanks for the recommendation.
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“We can hate on each other, but no one outside the family messes with us” seemed to be their family motto, Diana, lol. But dysfunctional families make for great reads.
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That works for me actually. I like the loyalty layered on top of conflict. 🙂
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This sounds a bit different. A nice review.
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Generational magic was a new one for me, Robbie.
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