Touched by Magic: Asian Urban Fantasy

· Razor's Edge Chronicles Book 1 · Celine Jeanjean
4.6
89 reviews
Ebook
182
Pages
Eligible

About this ebook

Dive into this fun and quirky Urban Fantasy novel that draws from Asian mythology!

I’m Apiya. No, I’m not a badass magical assassin. I’m a barber to the supernatural.

My magic is very weak and very niche—it works best with keeping things clean.

I know. I can sense your awe at my power already.

And I’m sure you can see why barbering suits me well.

Although now that I’ve mastered the art of trimming a weretiger’s regrowth, my biggest challenge is fielding the insults of the shop’s cat. Sometimes I wish I had enough magic to go deeper into the city’s magical underbelly.

You know what they say—be careful what you wish for.

Everything changes when a pair of forest fae come into the shop one night, asking for help to protect their youngling. Something’s got them properly spooked, but they won’t say what.

If it’s big and bad enough to scare the fae, it’s most definitely powerful enough to make a mouthful of me—probably a small mouthful, at that. And now that the fae have come to me, whatever’s after them is also after me.

My weak magic and a sarcastic cat for backup are unlikely to be enough to keep me alive and save the fae youngling. How the hell am I going to get out of this mess? 

Grab Touched by Magic to see if I make it. Oh, and don’t get offended if the cat insults you…

An urban fantasy book with weird magic, a sarcastic cat, and snappy banter.


Fans of the following authors are known to enjoy this urban fantasy series:

Lindsay Buroker, Leanne Leads, Kelly St. Clare, Emma Scott, Rebecca Hamilton, Elizabeth Briggs, Caroline Peckham, Susanne Valenti, Harley Laroux, Jaymin Eve, Deborah Wilde, Shannon Mayer, Michelle Madow, Kate Danley, P.C. James, Janet Butler Male, Bobbi Holmes, Anna J. McIntrye


Keywords: urban fantasy, UF, urban fantasy series, Asian urban fantasy, Asian magical creatures, werewolves, dragons, vampires, fairies, fae, shapeshifters, paranormal, snarky urban fantasy, snappy banter, funny urban fantasy, urban fantasy with strong female lead, magic, asian mythology, original world-building, contemporary fantasy, paranormal books, paranormal books free, vampire fantasy, supernatural books, fun urban fantasy, free full length urban fantasy, humorous urban fantasy books, supernatural thrillers books, supernatural powers, magic, come into powers, contemporary fantasy

Ratings and reviews

4.6
89 reviews
Emma Reddy
March 18, 2021
This is a great start to the new series. The strength is in the characters and the dialogue much like in The Viper and the Urchin series but the world it is set in was also detailed and fascinating without lots of boring description. I liked that the main character was a female barber and she does not have lots of magical powers but just a touch of magic so she has to rely on friends and pets and her brains to get by when she finds herself in trouble. Two of the main characters have names starting with the same letter her boss, Mr Sangong, and Sarroch, the powerful businessman, these names are not otherwise similar and the characters are not at all alike but I did have to slow my reading down to get which was which established in my head. As the book went on I got better at it - Sarroch definitely has some of the best lines. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
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Lauri Shaw
February 13, 2021
Where do the magical, the Mayak, dwell among the Mundane on the Asian island of Panong? In the nooks and crannies found round old stores and shops “where gloom and secrecy still reign”. In one of those nooks is a barbershop owned by Mr. Sangong. The barbershop is where a kitsune, a shapeshifter, or any other of the Mayak can get a shave, a trim, or a haircut from Apiya. Apiya is a bit of a rebel, with her combat boots, ripped fishnet stockings, and pink hair, but for all her outward appearance, she takes great pride in being able to send her magical clients out the barbershop door looking their very best. And not just any barber can faultlessly trim the feathers on a customer with the head of an eagle. Apiya is a Touched. Among the magical, it’s not certain who or what is at the top of the food chain, but the bottom is clearly The Touched, those with just a smidgen of magical ability. Apiya is lucky to have Mr. Sangong as her patron. His powerful magic protects her from others who have no qualms about seeing the Touched or the Mundane as a food source or a plaything. One evening, Mr. Sangong is away from the shop, and a pari-pari couple come through the door, distressed and afraid. They have arrived to request his help. They have something precious that must make it safely off the island and to Europe. On his behalf, Apiya says it will be done. In exchange for Apiya’s promise to keep the precious item safe, the pari-pari will owe a favor which can be called on whenever she has need, and because she is Mr. Sangong’s protégé, she can pass the favor on to him. But where is Mr. Sangong? Apiya doesn’t know and trying to reach him by phone, she finds he is unavailable and won’t be coming back soon. A text message from him indicates that he is putting her in charge of “Precious” and tells her she should talk to Sarroch. Who is Sarroch? How can this Sarroch help her? And the bigger question: how does she, a lowly Touched, do what is required to keep “Precious” safe? Apiya’s life is about to become much more dangerous, much scarier, and much more complicated. I know you will enjoy every page of Apiya’s adventure right up to the last moment. I liked it so much, I have read it twice.
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Aleasha Matthews
March 2, 2021
I knew I was hooked after laughing out loud on the first page. I had a good time getting to know Apiya and her homies ❤ this being the first book, there was a lot of world building taking place....and I'm dying to know whether one of the characters introduced will develop into a love interest for Apiya. This isn't your typical fae book. Not even a little. It's heavily rooted in other cultures and I love that. Oh, and if you havent read Celine's first series yet, do that asap! Thank me later 🙂--Aleasha I'm thankful to have received an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review
2 people found this review helpful
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About the author

Celine is a nomadic writer who roams the world laptop in hand, having adventures and then telling stories inspired by those adventures. Kind of like a digital storytelling wanderer.

Her stories feature complex but flawed characters, lots of quirkiness, snappy banter, and richly imagined worlds.

If you’re ready to escape to new worlds and make new book friends, go to http://celinejeanjean.com/freebook/ to grab yourself some exclusive, free novellas.

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