Assassin by Accident Carnival of Mysteries Anthology
Magic, Anthology, LGBTQ Fantasy, Gay Romance, Romantic Fantasy
Reality Optional Press
August 16, 223
Kindle,
200
Amazon
If a megalomaniacal earth mage kidnaps your little sister, do you:
A) Kill him
B) Kill him
C) Kill him
D) Magically indenture yourself to him to ensure her safe return
Welsh water horse Nevan Quirke would have happily opted for A, B, or C, but had no idea where his sister was hidden—so, option D it is. He’s not a fool, though. He made sure to limit his obligation to a single task.
Unfortunately, he neglected to nail down a few tiny details before the geas brand was seared into his skin, and now:
A) He can’t shift
B) He can’t swim
C) He can’t drink
D) If he fails, he’ll be bound to the mage for eternity
Oh, and that task? Assist in an assassination.
If only he weren’t so thirsty.
And if only his partner for the heinous job weren’t the most appealing man Nevan has seen in his entire thousand-year life.
Assassin by Accident takes place in E.J. Russell’s Mythmatched universe and is part of the multi-author Carnival of Mysteries series. Each book stands alone, but each one includes at least one visit to Errante Ame’s Carnival of Mysteries, a magical, multiverse traveling show full of unusual acts, games, and rides. The Carnival changes to suit the world it’s on, so each visit is unique and special. This book features grumpy/sunshiny, hurt/comfort, mistaken identity, opposites attract, unexpected derring-do, and of course an HEA—no matter how little the men in question think they deserve it.
Review by Ulysses Dietz
Member of The Paranormal Romance Guild Review Team
I am familiar with and fond of E.J. Russell’s Mythmatched universe, through the Quest Investigations series. I loved this mash-up between the Carnival of Mysteries and Russell’s world, in which the Carnival moves to Portland. The connection was not clear right away, but once Doop appeared (if you don’t know him, be prepared to be charmed), everything aligned nicely.
Our heroes in this magical romance are Nevan Quirke, a Welsh water-horse, who has lived a solitary life until recently; and Seb Ardelean, a professional nanny with Romanian roots. They would never have met, if not for Seb’s ineffable penchant for fumbling.
In Russell’s magical world, much like JK Rowling’s world, normal humans don’t know about magic, and must not know. There are magical laws in place making it illegal to reveal magical creatures (or mages, who are humans with magical powers) to humans. That adds a nice frisson of anxiety to this largely light-hearted story.
But Nevan is a lonely water-horse, having lived alone in a lake for most of his many many years. When he decides to adopt a little girl (a magical creature, but looking like a girl—an important detail) as his sister, he is more or less dragged into the larger world (which means the intersection between the magical and human worlds). When his little sister Lulu is kidnapped by a power-hungry mage, Nevan finds himself trapped in a no-win bargain: he must assist an assassin with a hit, and bring home grisly proof that he did so, if he wants his sister back.
It is a convoluted plot on the part of the nasty mage, which does get explained. However, we are distracted by the fact that the assassin Nevan meets is not at all what he expected. Of course, Seb is tagged as the assassin, thus sending the whole plot down a rabbit hole of unintended consequences. Delightfully, I might add.
Quest Investigations does get brought into it, and while the plot is surprisingly high-tension, it never becomes too dark. Plus, it is the unlikely connection between the solitary magical creature and the dedicated young childcare provider that really drives the narrative.
As always, Russell’s characters are amusing and interesting. The ones that dominated the earlier series become more background players, but the whole flavor of the Quest business model infuses the story with fond comedy, and (of course) introduces the loner Nevan to a world he’d never imagined. SebArdelean is adorable and admirable, and his ready acceptance of a world that he didn’t know existed is oddly believable, making him even more appealing.
