Review: Seducing the Sorcerer by Lee Welch

Homeless and jobless, Fenn Todd has nearly run out of hope. All he has left is his longing for horses and the strength of his own two hands. But when he’s cheated into accepting a very ugly sackcloth horse, he’s catapulted into a world of magic, politics and desire.

Fenn’s invited to stay at the black tower, home of the most terrifying man in the realm: Morgrim, the court sorcerer. Morgrim has a reputation as a scheming villain, but he seems surprisingly charming—and sexy—and Fenn falls hard for him.

However, nothing is as it seems and everyone at the tower is lying about something. Beset by evil hexes, violent political intrigue and a horse that eats eiderdowns, Fenn must make the hardest choices of his life.

Can a plain man like Fenn ever find true love with a scheming sorcerer?

I think I’m safe to say that I’m not the only one who has been waiting impatiently for Welch’s next creation and overall, I wasn’t disappointed.

What the blurb doesn’t tell you is that this is really rich in world building. As with Salt Magic, Skin Magic, the atmosphere is weighted and full of portent. This realm is steeped in magic (though it’s sadly dwindling), with a history of war, current political machinations, and a drought that is affecting everyone.

Our hero Fenn has not had it easy, and his story is quite heartbreaking. He doesn’t want a handout or anyone’s pity but life has been quite unfair. It has shaped who he has become and of course, every decision and reaction that befalls him for better or for worse is influenced by his past. When Fenn unexpectedly is confronted with the kingdom’s most intimidating, scariest court sorcerer, he doesn’t know whether to run for the hills screaming or at least partake in the small comforts offered before being blasted into oblivion.

Admittedly, this starts off at an extremely unhurried pace, making me wonder often if there would be any more to this tale than the daily goings on of Fenn and Morgrim eyeballing each other and not having conversations. However, at the halfway point (be patient dear reader) things literally take off and revelations abound and lives are endangered and a kingdom hangs on the precipice of annihilation. Well…. mild dramatics aside, the potential for dire consequences is a real threat, and Fenn must believe in himself and in Morgrim, should they ever have the chance of making things right with their country and with each other.

So again, beware of very leisurely beginnings. This also had a lot of self-flagellation from both Fenn and Morgrim, a lot of hurt comfort all intermixed with a bit of D/s kink that may or may not be your thing (it sorta kinda wasn’t for me). On the other hand, be prepared to be charmed by a gruff gentle giant with a tender heart who only wants to believe in hope again, a misunderstood sorcerer with always good intentions, and magically created stubborn silly horses who can fly. Don’t forget lots of subterfuge, spies and bad guys, kidnapping and double crosses, all interspersed with a slow brewing romance with a deeply satisfying conclusion.

Despite having enjoyed Salt Magic, Skin Magic and Mended with Gold just a tad more, there’s no doubt Welch can write. She definitely can create. I would not say no should she deign our presence with more of her imagination and skill. Hopefully, we won’t have to wait long, but I’m okay with being patient no matter what.

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Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK

Length: 78,000 words approx.

Blurb

Lord Thornby has been trapped on his father’s isolated Yorkshire estate for a year. There are no bars or chains; he simply can’t leave. His sanity is starting to fray.


When industrial magician John Blake arrives to investigate a case of witchcraft, he finds the peculiar, arrogant Thornby as alarming as he is attractive. John soon finds himself caught up in a dark fairytale, where all the rules of magic—and love—are changed.


To set Thornby free, both men must face life-changing truths—and John must accept that the brave, witty man who’s winning his heart may also be about to break it. Can they escape a web of magic that’s as perilous as love?


***


“Magic, folklore, dark deeds, and hot romance combine in this wildly enjoyable, inventive story set in a lovely alt-Victorian Gothic world. More please!”


—KJ Charles, RITA™-nominated author of THE MAGPIE LORD and SPECTRED ISLE


"Salt Magic, Skin Magic by Lee Welch is the sort of book you want to read again the moment you reach the end. Beautifully written, with a romance that is by turns sweet and scorching, it belongs on the keeper shelf of any lover of paranormal historical."


—Jordan L. Hawk, author of the WHYBORNE AND GRIFFIN and HEXWORLD series

Excerpt

Thornby was walking along the moorland path, calm as you please, nose in the air, apparently admiring the autumn colours in the distant oaks in the park.


“Stop, Lord Thornby! I want to talk to you.”


Thornby walked faster, slight limp becoming more pronounced.


“Stop, I say!”


John felt in his pockets for his vials and pouches, then changed his mind and simply put on speed. He’d come to this remote part of the grounds in the hope of a rest. He’d not slept much last night with the walls of Raskelf muttering and whispering, and the antiquities from Egypt shrieking muffled curses from the other side of the corridor.


The thought of Thornby had kept him awake as well; so resistant to the Judas Voice—that had given John an unpleasant moment—and so unapproachable, with that aristocratic hauteur you could never breach. And so strange. Why did the man wear such peculiar clothes? Today it was tight black pantaloons and a high stock that would have been fashionable forty years ago. And over this bizarre Regency costume was a rusty black greatcoat with wide cuffs, and a tricorn hat that would have looked well in the previous century.


And, yes, Thornby was handsome—heart-stoppingly so—with arrogant grey eyes, a mane of brown hair that almost reached his collar, and a preposterous red mouth. He was tall and thin and carried himself like a fencer. There was, too, something whip-taut about him, some unbearable tension that made you feel he might lash out. Or suddenly kiss you. Thornby had looked John up and down when he was introduced, finally unbending so far as to give John a slight inclination of the head. And John’s mouth had gone as dry as if Thornby had extended one of those elegant white hands and given his balls a gentle squeeze.


It was tiresome, really. It made it so much harder to concentrate. He must make sure he didn’t allow his attraction to the man to cloud his judgement. Possibly Thornby was using a glamour spell. John couldn’t sense one, but sometimes by their very nature they were difficult to detect.


So, he mustn’t think about how good it would be to slide his fingers inside Thornby’s old black pantaloons, how good it would be to taste his lovely mouth, and wipe that damned snooty expression off his face. If John had been in London, he would have gone to one of the houses that catered to men of his taste, and tried to forget about it. Here in the middle of rural Yorkshire it was far too dangerous to approach anyone, and in any case, farm lads were not his type. He’d simply leave as soon as he could tell Catterall he’d done his best.


They walked in single file for perhaps five minutes. The path smelt of rotting leaves, and a biting wind began to make its presence felt as they crossed into an open piece of moorland. Splashes of muddy water were spotting the back of Thornby’s coat. John used the close proximity to feel for magic. Like last night at dinner, he could sense nothing emanating from Thornby. There was certainly no demon reek, so Thornby probably wasn’t a theurgist, or if he was, he was a very fastidious one.


But then Thornby didn’t feel like a materials man either, and John could generally recognise his own kind. So, how had Thornby broken those charms? Now John was closer, and had longer to concentrate on Thornby alone, he thought there might be something magical, at the very edge of his awareness, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. Most magicians used demons or materials, but there were other ways, so perhaps Thornby used some unfamiliar method.


John charged his ward stone, and put it back in his pocket. He patted his bag of salt and checked his Gelomorous twine and the demon trap, just in case. Whatever spells Thornby cared to throw at him, he was ready. In fact, he was almost looking forward to a fight.


They reached an open place a hundred yards from a small pine spinney. The dark trees were contorted sideways as if fleeing the icy wind. The sun, behind its grey pall of cloud, was beginning to set. Thornby suddenly stopped and swung around.


“Well, Mr Blake? I suppose you’d like to explain yourself?” Thornby’s chin was up, beautiful mouth curved in disdain.

Author Bio

Lee Welch wrote her first book aged seven (a pastiche of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe) and first had an idea for an m/m romance aged twelve. She loves books and comics, and when she’s not writing, she’ll probably be reading. Her favourite authors include Ursula Le Guin, Graham Greene, Linda Medley, Dylan Horrocks and KJ Charles. By day, Lee works as an editor and business communications adviser, mainly persuading people not to say ‘utilise’ when they mean ‘use’. Her job has led her to work in areas as diverse as mental health, nursing, accident prevention and the criminal justice sector.


Lee loves to hear from readers. You can find her at:

www.leewelchwriter.com

Twitter: @leewelchwriter

Facebook: www.facebook.com/leewelchwriter

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Review: Salt Magic, Skin Magic by Lee Welch

Lord Thornby has been trapped on his father’s isolated Yorkshire estate for a year. There are no bars or chains; he simply can’t leave. His sanity is starting to fray. When industrial magician John Blake arrives to investigate a case of witchcraft, he finds the peculiar, arrogant Thornby as alarming as he is attractive. John soon finds himself caught up in a dark fairytale, where all the rules of magic—and love—are changed.

To set Thornby free, both men must face life-changing truths—and John must accept that the brave, witty man who’s winning his heart may also be about to break it. Can they escape a web of magic that’s as perilous as love?

4.5 Duly Impressed Hearts


I must say, this brought the best of historical romance and seamlessly mixed it with a new twist on magic as well as a known fantastical legend.


This starts off with Lord Thornby who is trapped. His father has made it his sole purpose to marry him off for personal greed and until Thornby agrees, he can’t leave the family estate. Literally. Surely that’s not possible right? Is Thornby slowly losing his mind from being confined for so long?


When mysterious guest Mr. Blake arrives, the hope he brings at possibly setting Thornby free is a thought too good to be true! However, his claims that magic is real is preposterous! Or is it?


I admit this started off a bit slow, but soon the tension builds, slowly ratcheting up the psychological suspense for our two protagonists. When things don’t easily fall into place and Blake can’t quite explain how and why Thornby is unable to move beyond the estate’s boundaries, the desperation is hard felt as time starts to run out.


What this exceeds at is the slow progression of the relationship between Thornby and Blake. Each are a lot suspicious of the other but as more and more is revealed, they realize that to have an ally, and an amorous one at that, is definitely a relief, a comfort, and a boon.


I quite enjoyed the subtle nuances of this story and the insecurities and vulnerabilities of these two men who were so used to being on their own, isolated due to their own disparate stations in life and by of course, their sexuality. What they discover in the other was something wonderful and refreshing which was often counterbalanced by the heavy atmospheric feel as the mystery and questions pile up. This all leads to an explosive reveal that had me at the edge of my seat and reading well into the night.


If you want something smart and different and full of weighty emotions, then this is it! Throw in a good dose of paranormal fantasy with nicely done dashes of sexy dirty, and one gets quite the welcome wonderful tale!


My only complaint is that Lee Welch hasn’t written more and that’s a completely unabashed plea to do so in this fascinating historical AU!


Thank you to the author/publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review.