Title: The Night Realm (Spell Weaver #1)
Author: Annette Marie
Rating: ★★★★☆
Release Date: October 20, 2017
Synopsis
Clio is good at all sorts of things. As a nymph, she’s great at outdoorsy nature stuff. As a nymph living in exile, she’s got the “blending in with humans” thing down pat. As a nymph living in exile because she has the rare ability to mimic magic, she’s had to pick up some unique survival skills.
But stealing from the most dangerous spell weavers in the Underworld? Not so much.
Unfortunately, that’s exactly what she has to do to earn a ticket back home. Conning her way into the night realm may have gone pretty well, but now she’s got a new problem. His name is Lyre and he’s a sinfully alluring incubus, a dangerously skilled spell weaver, and the only thing standing between her and stealing some damn magic.
Maneuvering around him without blowing her cover shouldn’t be that difficult, but chaos has been dogging her every step, monsters hide behind beautiful faces, and Lyre keeps saving her neck even though they’re enemies. Kind of enemies? Either way, her mission is getting complicated fast, and in the Underworld, even one mistake could prove fatal.
Review
I have a soft spot in my heart for urban fantasy – it’s always so alluring and addicting. The Night Realm by Annette Marie is no different. We follow Clio, a nymph with a rare ability to mimic magic, as she goes to the Underworld to steal secrets from their master wavers. Clio must face all kinds of monsters and mayhem – including dealing with an Incubi master weaver named Lyre – so she can prevent a war and go home
Things I Liked
I really liked the worldbuilding and the setting in the story! I liked learning about the different castes of daemons and what their powers are, I liked learning about how Underworlders and Overworlders are different and the same (I would have liked to learn more about Overworlders, hopefully in book 2!), and I really liked Asphodel as a setting. It was kinda eerie, but really raw. I really loved that there was mythology elements blended into the story – mythology is always a win from me.
I really loved all the magic and spell weaving. I loved seeing so much magic being practiced and used. It was all really vivid and provided some nice fight scenes. I liked that we got to explore the difference between casting and weaving spells.
I liked the relationship that develops between Clio and Lyre. While there is obviously sexual tension and you can tell they are heading down a romantic path, I loved Clio and Lyre working together and studying spell weaving. It really showed both as powerful equals who can help and teach the other.
I loved seeing Lyre and Ash meet and getting to see the beginnings of their friendship. It was so great to see their reluctant partnership.
Things I Didn’t Like
Bastain was pretty awful and Clio was a little naive about it. I really understand where Clio is coming from and her trust in his as a loving brother, but he was so manipulative. He really didn’t have much of a presence in the story, so it wasn’t that big of a gripe for me.
Duclet got a little unhinged villain for me, and while it works with his character, I would like a little more depth.
This was a fun return to the Steel & Stone Universe for me, and it definitely made me want to re-read the series. I loved the little easter eggs too – like seeing Zwi, Ash’s dragonet, and going to the Consulate. But you do not need to have read the Steel and Stone series to enjoy this book! The Night Realm is a solid paranormal fantasy filled with daemons, magic, and action.
Trigger warning for attempted rape
About the Author
Annette Marie is the author of the Amazon best-selling YA urban fantasy series Steel & Stone, which includes the 2015 Goodreads Choice Award nominee Yield the Night. Her first love is fantasy, a limitless realm of creativity where she can break all the boring rules of real life, but fast-paced urban fantasy, bold heroines, and tantalizing forbidden romances are her guilty pleasures. She proudly admits she has a thing for dragons, and her editor has politely inquired as to whether she intends to include them in every book.
Annette lives in the frozen winter wasteland of northern Alberta, Canada (okay, it’s not quite that bad). She shares her life with her remarkably patient, comparatively sensible husband and their furry minion of darkness—sorry, cat—Caesar. When not writing, she can be found elbow-deep in one art project or another while blissfully ignoring all adult responsibilities.
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I received a copy of the book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Life of a Literary Nerd 
Great review, Danielle! This sounds like a fun read and the magic and world building sounds very well done! Glad you liked it! 🙂
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