Empyreals are strong supernatural hunters who function as arms of the Wake, an organisation that killed Nicole's mother years ago. To keep her and her siblings safe, her father fled to a small town which they've made their home, safe as long as Nicole and her brother do not activate their Empyreal powers.

Nicole begins to study a collection of supernatural art where she is convinced that her mother has hidden a final message. However on the death of the collector, she is forced to work with one of the very beings that she has spent her life hiding from. As she and Kyan work closer together, they unravel a deeper more sinister plot than they expected, and a thread that pulls them closer to each other.

The story starts slowly and builds to a crescendo that has you holding your breath and then eagerly awaiting the sequel.

This is an excellent debut that blends elements of mythological creatures, a murderer that's using innocents to bend Nicole to his will, forbidden romance, a organisation which controls and manipulates, strong family bonds and Nicole's desire to understand her mother's last thoughts.

I love books that focus on familial bonds and this was beautifully done with the siblings having the sweetest relationship. The use of art to convey deeper hidden messages is rarely used in fantasy and this was well done - I loved the references to famous artwork as well, which encouraged me to look at these as reference. The tension between Nicole and Kyan was delightful and the development of their relationship superb. I love how Kyan slowly comes to question what has formed the basis of his entire existence . The characters are well-developed and believable and I also loved Remi's relationship with Nicole. I did struggle a little with the pacing however the story did keep me enticed enough to overlook this and I flew threw it. The Celtic aspects that were interwoven into the storyline as well as the flashbacks complemented the storyline perfectly.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins UK for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

Nicole is an art history student, she also happens to be a supernatural being called an Empyreal that has the ability to transform into and kill any deadly supernatural. Except Nicole has never let her power awaken. If she does, the Wake - the organisations that governs supernaturals - would force her to be their hunter or kill her, like they did her mother.

Nicole and her family have been hiding in a small university town where she’s convinced a mythological art collection contains her mother’s final message - a message that could change the lives of supernaturals and humans forever. But it all goes a little bit topsy turvy when Kyan McCarter, the Wake’s best hunter, arrives hunting a creature that just may have stolen a painting containing her mother’s message forcing the pair to work together.

Sparks start to fly between the pair, but as the hunt progresses Nicole’s true nature risks exposure…

————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————

Now that that’s out of the way, I had great time reading The Temptation of Magic. It has forbidden romance, tension, mythological art history, supernatural beings, a mystery, and even a shady organisation.

From the get go you are instantly drawn into the world that Scott has created. World building, history and lore are interwoven throughout the book, and Scott’s use of mythological art to help us understand the world as well as being a central part to the plot is done impeccably well. It’s also a rather unique plot point, I can’t think of a book off the top of my head that uses art history in this way. It’s a very unique element of the book. Each character is well crafted, I didn’t feel like any character’s development was neglected or pushed to the side.

One element I really loved of the book was Nicole’s protectiveness of her family. Quite often in fantasy books family can get pushed aside, neglected, or demonised to further the plot so it was quite refreshing to have a book where that doesn’t happen. Nicole talks and communicates with her family concerning what’s happening, which relates back to one the important points we learn early one that they are hiding from the Wake. Another refreshing part was the relationship between Nicole and her best friend Remi (also a supernatural) - her best friend was never neglected. It’s often frustrating when the relationship between the main character and the best friend suffers due to secrets being kept or the plot of the book, there’s something just really sad about it, so it was a delight to have a strong consistent relationship.

I haven’t said much about Kyan yet, but I adore him. He is sweet, caring, and non-possessive - which can be a rarity these days. Honestly if I say anymore I’ll start giving away spoilers!

There is just something about this book that I feel drawn too, I really want to reread it which is rare for me. I want to be back in the world with the characters.

4.25 ⭐️
thank you netgalley and harper colins for a review copy
I found this book so hard to put down! Whenever I stopped reading I was desperate to start again to find out what would happen next! I thought the plot was really interesting throughout and the characters were also great. At times the writing wasn’t the best which is why its a slightly lower rating. I found the world building amazing and the magic system of Empyreal super interesting. Overall, this was a super fantasy book!

The Temptation of Magic
Fantasy
Megan Scott
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

• ᴍᴀᴛᴇꜱ • ʀᴇᴠᴇʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴꜱ • ꜱᴇᴄʀᴇᴛꜱ •

I really liked the map at the beginning of the book. It helped me to understand the layout of Estwood better.

The pacing was slow and I found myself skimming paragraphs because it felt like so many unnecessary details were added. It gave me the impression that some of the descriptions and actions were just filler, to make the chapters longer. It made it difficult to read at times.

I didn't really connect with Nicole. At first it was interesting learning about her past, what she is etc but I found her constant battle with herself and the internal monologues a little annoying.

I loved the idea of the Empyreals and how they change depending on what they're hunting in order to become the perfect predator for that specific prey. The other supernaturals were interesting, too.

I liked the dual POVs but I have to say that I actually preferred Kyan's more. There was more action from him, even in his first chapter. There was also an additional POV from Nicole's father but it was only a single chapter so it didn't really help the plot progress that much.

This book grew on me the more I read it. I very nearly DNF'd it by 25% but things started to get better at around 30% or so.

The ending was good and the cliffhanger was just enough to keep me curious about the next book.

*Thank you to @Netgalley, the author, and the publishers for providing this ARC. This is my own opinion and an honest review, which I am leaving voluntarily*

*Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction | Magpie for providing this book in exchange for an honest review*

The Temptation of Magic is a first book in a series, and it seems that it's a first book. It felt that sometimes it was too short and some other times it dragged. The narrative was okay, at least for me, but it'd need something...more. The magic system was really unique though and I've given it a solid 4 stars.

Thank you to the publisher for my arc!


I was really excited to read this but I feel like due to the writing style it just wasn’t for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC.

I went into this book with pretty low expectations - I hadn't seen much about it and was mostly interested in it since it is a book box pick, and on top of that, I've been in the worst slump of my life and hadn't finished a book in over a month.

Well, I was very pleasantly surprised because I ended up loving it!

Even though I usually don't enjoy urban fantasy, I liked this setting because it felt mystical, and the way that modern life and technology was woven into the story just worked for me.
The atmosphere and writing were great, I felt truly immersed into the story and setting.
I also always love a world that has many different mythical beings, and this one was brimming with them without feeling convoluted!

The plot and story progression were great, it kept building very nicely and did a great job at setting the series up.
I like that we had a rather "small" villain, while it was also clear that the "big" villain organization was looming in the background and would become a problem later on.

The way art was woven into the plot was so cool, I haven't really read anything like it! It gave me a bit of Dan Brown vibes, whose books I have always loved!

I also really loved the romance, though it got quite spicy at the end which is why I think the book should be classified as NA rather than YA.
The romance came with some tropes but I felt like they were pulled off nicely and weren't just there for the sake of checking boxes.

Overall, I truly loved this book and I'm very glad it ended up breaking my slump!

'When I was a girl, my mother tried to explain how vicious I’d become.’

One thing I’d advise anyone reading this review to do is to take this rating ‘with a pinch of salt’. If I’m being brutally honest then in terms of enjoyment I really should have given this a lower star rating yet at the same time I don’t feel like there’s any glaringly obvious reason for me to do so. Hence my belief that this is one of those unfortunate ‘it’s not you, it’s me’ books that you sometimes stumble across and my hope that other readers will get along with this read a lot better than I did.

Starting with the positives though I can honestly say that I love the concept that this book is based upon. It’s intriguing to pick up a book that invents it own kind of supernatural entity; especially when it also comes with the potential to explore the myths and legends of various cultures. The depth of possibilities within the world of the Empyreals is endless and it seems as if there’s a lot of potentially fascinating information that could be uncovered with time too. The general direction of the mysterious hidden truths of the Wake leave a lot of room for future intrigue within the sequel too.

Personally the romance didn’t really work for me – and I honestly don’t know why – but I’m sure that it will be a draw for many readers, especially given the ever increasing popularity of ‘romantasy’ books. There’s certainly a lot of heat and tension involved throughout after all. Admittedly the overall impression that it left me with was of lust rather than love but this could simply be due to my struggles to connect with the narrative in general.

Similarly I do wonder whether several of my other issues stem from that lack of connection that I felt whilst reading. Several moments throughout felt melodramatic but if I’d been lost in the story maybe they wouldn’t have. The main villain never truly convinced me and Kyan didn’t really feel like a character who’d lived for anywhere near as long as was stated. All of these issues may boil down to that connection aspect though.

One thing that I do know would have bothered me whether I’d felt engulfed in the story or not though is Nicole’s odd reaction to her secret Empyreal nature on one occasion. Throughout it’s obvious that it’s calamitous for the truth of her supernatural nature to come out. Yet there’s a moment when she seems okay for someone with knowledge of this very fact to be taken by those she most fears learning of it. Surely to anyone that particular segment isn’t going to feel quite right (although I’ve tried to keep the details vague due to the spoiler risk).

So in all honesty I can’t say that I would or wouldn’t recommend ’The Temptation Of Magic’. There were definitely the bones of a highly intriguing tale there but personally I couldn’t connect to it. Sometimes that experience is a case of timing, mood or simply just one of those ‘it’s not you, it’s me’ moments. So my honest advice would be to look into some other reviews or simply trust your own judgment before picking this book up. Personally I won’t be continuing with this series but I could see a narrative there that other readers may well love.

The Temptation of Magic is a beautifully written, paranormal romance fantasy novel which exceeded my expectations.
I found myself totally immersed in this magical world, deeply inspired by Celtic mythology, folklore, and so many other wonderful backgrounds. The world building and history was thorough and well explained, while still leaving you wanting more. I loved all the characters - except for our resident baddies. Nicole and Kyans forbidden romance had me swooning. I can't wait to see where the rest of this series goes!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really loved this new fantasy romance. Based on supernatural creatures, art, art history and mythology.
I really enjoyed the FMC and MMC dynamic, but also loved the bonds of the FMC and her family. A strong theme from this book is how far you will go to protect your family and the people you love.

What to expect:

Forbidden romance
Supernatural creatures
Academia vibes
Strong family bonds
A little spice

I was so intrigued by the Wake and the mystery behind these secret overlords of the supernatural community. You discover more about them as the book goes on, and the secrets they are keeping. I can't wait for the next book to see how this develops.

It did drag a little in places but overall an amazing original story and I'll definitely be continuing the series. I believe this will be a big hit this summer!

4.25 ⭐️

My review will be posted on my Instagram in the next week @blonde.reads.fiction

This was an amazing read for me! The plot kept me interested, I was very invested in the romance, and I loved the side characters. Truly just an amazing all around read for me. I loved the world building and the action sequences had me at the edge of my seat.

I loved the art aspects of this book. I know very little about paintings and art but I was able to keep up with stuff because of how well things were explained. Just in general obsessed with the vibes of this book. The little college town??? Obsessed. Also… do I sense a little romance potential between some of the side characters? IM INVESTED!!!

Loved Nicole as our lead, honestly found her really compelling and easy to root for. She kicks some serious ass too, love that for her. Kyan was an amazing love interest too. His povs were very interesting for me. Also…I blushed a few times reading how he was with Nicole. WHERE CAN I FIND A KYAN FOR MYSELF???

The last few chapters with the mystery starting to come together kept me engaged and I couldn’t put it down. I’m definitely looking forward to the next book! 5 stars from me.

Thanks to HarperCollins UK and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to HarperCollins UK, Netgalley and Megan Scott for providing me with an eARC in exchange of an honest review!

When I saw the comp titles to TTOM (Serpent and Dove meets A Study in Drowning) I immediately requested a copy as those are some of my favorite books across the fantasy romance genre with the addition of dark academia.
I can see how they compare, but I will admit I struggled a bit with this story.

Not because it wasn't interesting -- I thought the magic system was really unique and well thought-out -- but it took me longer than I would have liked to get into the rhythm of the narration. I couldn't connect to our mains, Nicole and Kyan, until around the 50% mark; I ended up enjoying both them and their relationship more as the stakes rose and the emotional level deepened, but I wish there was something that made them stand apart more from other characters in similar books. I wish the worldbuilding had been a bit more organic, as lots of information was presented in the beginning and it wasn't super easy to keep track of everything.

Apart from this, I loved the family aspect of the story, which is something romantasy usually tends to overlook. The settings were charming and well described, which helped immerse myself more.

All in all, I'll definitely be reading the sequel as I feel it has potential to exceed the first installment given that ending!

This book is packed with Celtic folklore, mythology, dark academia and neoclassical elements so if you're a fan of these things you'll love this book!
The relationships were built up well and the characters nicely distinguished from each other. I was so pleased to see a likeable FMC, and there weren't any frustrating, long drawn out misunderstandings between her and the MMC which I was relieved about. Really looking forward to the next book!
I would recommend this to fantasy lovers. The book contains some violence and sexual scenes which wouldn't be suitable for younger readers.

eARC provided by HarperCollins UK via NetGalley.

[ARC provided by NetGalley and Magpie. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review The Temptation of Magic.]

Rating: 4.5/5

When it comes to bookish joys, is there anything better than starting a new series and falling in love? It’s a feeling I chase constantly because nothing beats sinking into a new setting with new characters that end up worming their way into your heart. And with comparisons to books such as A Discovery of Witches and A Study in Drowning, my expectations were pretty high going into this. When fantasy and academia collide, you can bet that I’ll be first in line to check it out, and in this case I’m so happy that A Temptation of Magic went above and beyond what I was hoping for. I’ve no doubt that this will become a favourite for many, and I’m so excited to see how the series will continue.

Set in an atmospheric little university town, A Temptation of Magic is led by Nicole, a student on the hunt for the final message left from her mother that may be hidden in a mythological art collection at a local manor. As an Empyreal – a being with the ability to kill deadly supernaturals – Nicole must remain vigilant and cautious at every turn, because delving further into the supernatural world puts her at risk of awakening the enormous power within her which would lead to her being discovered by the Wake, the organisation that governs supernaturals and who would have her serve as their deadly huntress.

I absolutely loved this perfect hybrid of supernatural academia that focusses on the history of art and how it’s been adapted to sit alongside human history but also serve those that remain in charge of this mysterious, hidden world. As someone who loves art in all of its forms, I especially enjoyed reading about all of the paintings mentioned – especially The Wild Hunt which has some interesting folklore motifs associated to it. Seeing how the author merges the history we know with a supernatural world was really fascinating, and although I enjoyed the plot, this element genuinely interested me enough to make me go on some online art digging of my own.

There’s also the romance in this story which was such a joy to read. There’s not much I enjoy more than a well-executed forbidden romance with tension that goes through the roof and that’s absolutely what you get here. Nicole and Kyan had sparks flying from their first meeting and their attraction grows to steamy levels as time goes on. Although I’ve seen this book mentioned in the YA space, I’d say it verges more into new adult as there are some spicy scenes that are more descriptive than your standard YA book.

My only small issue with this book was that the climax comes a little early and so the ending drags on a little. This didn’t ruin my enjoyment of the overall story but it does mess with the pacing to a certain degree; you’re left waiting for something big to happen but the story just kind of fizzles out.

Considering this is a debut, I’m very impressed with how this story played out and I’ll definitely be keeping an eye on this author for future books. If you love reading about supernatural beings, dark academia and forbidden romance, along with secret organisations and conspiracies, this is a book you definitely need to add to your list.

thank you netgalley and harpercollins UK for the arc!

unfortunately, this book didn't work for me. It felt more like a pinterest page, filled with aesthetically pleasing images but lacking in substantial content or depth. while there were certain concepts that i found intriguing, such as the empyrals and their instinctual transformation into natural predators of other creatures, the idea that there are real paintings that show depictions of mythological beings, etc... the execution felt underwhelming. i struggled to connect with the characters, and the plot points weren't very clear to me. rather than feeling immersed in the story and its characters, I felt like i was navigating with the author on how to get from point A to point B. it doesn't help at all that this had the fated mates trope and I didn't know until about halfway through, because it just isn't something I typically enjoy reading about.

overall, I can see why this would work for other people, especially in the romantasy genre, but it wasn't for me.

The Temptation of Magic by Megan Scott is the first book in the Empyreal Trilogy.
 
This story is about Nicole who is an art student and she studies paintings with mythological references and that was truly fascinating. With this she also wants to find a message from her mother. In addition, she is also an Empyreal, which is a hunter that can kill supernaturals. I loved how the lines between the human and supernatural world were blurred and she hides from the supernatural world. Nicole is an intelligent and fierce protagonist and I absolutely love her.
 
The supernatural world is governed by an organization called the Wake. And while Nicole wants nothing to do with them because she suspects that they killed her mother, Kyan is one of their best hunters. His newest hunt leads him to Nicole’s university and the two are forced to work together. At the back of your mind, you always question if Kyan is actually trustworthy and that adds so much suspense.
 
Kyan and Nicole are very different, but they become such a great team and I really liked that. Their banter is top tier, and the sparks are real. I can’t wait to see how their romance progresses in the next books.
 
The book is described as Serpent and Dove meets A Discovery of Witches and I totally see this, and it gave the perfect magical vibes. The plot is captivating, action packed, magical and romantic and that was the perfect combination. I practically inhaled this story from the first to the last page and I’m counting down the days until the next book comes out.
 
Overall, The Temptation of Magic is a fantastic debut and perfect for all romantasy lovers. 5 stars.
 
(ARC kindly provided in exchange for a review.)

Thank you so much to the publisher for the eARC!

After reading the synopsis I had a feeling I’ll love this book and luckily I was right. It was a dark(er) story filled with art, secrets and loyalty.

Nicole’s mother was killed over 10 years ago. Ever since they are hiding from the Wake, a powerful organization, because they would recruit her and her brother to hunt other supernaturals. Their mother left them hidden messages and the final one is waiting for Niclole at a local art collector. This last one could change everything they knew, so after the collector’s death she must team up with an Empyreal to get back the stolen painting.

I loved that Nicole had a loving and supportive family. I haven’t seen such a positive family dynamic in a while. It was refreshing to see a father who’s actually invested in his children’s lives and helps them as much as he can. I also loved the siblings, Bells and Dylan. They were there for each other no matter what.

Kyan was an interesting character for sure. It was fantastic to see his character development throughout the story. He went from doing everything he was told to a person who questions everything he believed in the past 2000 years. Love can change a lot in a person, isn’t it?

Speaking of love, I loved the romance! Though I think we’re throwing around the term enemies-to-lovers too freely these days. Would I call this enemies–to-lovers? No, I don’t think so, Nicole hates him that’s sure ( at least in the beginning), but Kyan had no reason to do so, as he didn’t know what she was. Nonetheless I loved the romance, even if it was a bit too quick for my taste.

The magic was unique and really interesting. I hope we’ll get to see more in the next books, because I’m left with a lot of questions. I’m really excited to learn more about the Wake and those mysterious leaders. Who are they? It might be too early for guesses, but I do have a few ideas (I’m probably very wrong). I loved the Irish and Celtic vibes, I think it was a great addition to the world-building.

The only reason this book isn’t a 5-star for me, it had a lot of sentences that made no sense. It could be partly because English is my second language and after 20+ years I’m still not as fluent as a native speaker, and I’m used to a few sentences in books to be above my knowledge, but this book had way too many for my liking. I wish it had another round of editing to correct them. After a while I just ignored them if I didn’t understand them at the first time, but it broke the story’s dynamic.

Overall, I think it was a very good start for the series, and I cannot wait for the next book!

Was thrilled and thankful to HarperCollins UK and HarperFiction for approving me to read this arc!

Overall: 4 stars

Pros:
-Love the art focus!
-The world that was created and the magic system with in it.
-Greyness was explored, rather than being just about clear wrong or right.
-The slow burn relation between main leads. -The language the author used was beautiful and yet not overly flowery either.
-The POV from both male and female characters. This is starting to become a trend (crimson moth, divine rivals)

Con:
-Was a bit slow in the middle. -Structure felt a bit off as the climax came a bit sooner and the action dropped off and lingered.

I read this is going to be a series and I can say that I will be reading the next installment for sure!

The Temptation of Magic

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

💫 enemies to lovers turns into forbidden love
💫 unique supernatural creatures
💫 modern setting ( feels like the early 2000')
💫 unique magic system and potions
💫 alliance of convenience
💫 dual POV
💫 Upper YA/NA Fantasy
🌶 contains spicy scenes


This book was absolutely amazing!! I believe it will be a big hit and I hope it will get all the love it deserves! 🖤

Megan Scott's writing style is like a breath of fresh air. I loved the setting and that the world building was not overcomplicated. The supernatural creatures and the magic system is unlike anything I've read before and the plot was keeping me on my toes throughout the book.
The heroine, Nicole, was badass, clever and just a right amount of reckless. I liked how close she was with her family and best friend and I hope we will learn more about them in the upcoming books.
Kyan is a huge green flag. This man had everything I want to see in a love interest: he is intelligent, strong, caring and there was no cringy possessiveness. He and Nicole had amazing chemistry; the tension was palpable and I adored how their romance developed. They quickly became one of my favourite fantasy book couples. The spicy scenes were well written and I would actually say that this is more like a NA book rather than a YA.
Also, I was relieved to see that the story didn't end with a huge cliffhanger. The ending set up everything nicely for the next book and I can't wait to see how their journey continues!

Thank you to Megan Scott, HarperCollinsUk and Netgalley to the eARC ♥️

I didn’t finish this book, I gave it a good go but I was just immensely confused at what was going on the whole time? There are far too many characters who serve no purpose.
I feel like every time something about the main characters was revealed, there was no explanation, it was just very matter of fact like we should already know their backstory.

Definitely not for me this one