Dark Arts and a Daiquiri

not as fun as the first one, but still enjoyable! there were some great one liners that had me cackling. i liked learning more about the world and the new characters introduced. i need to stop myself from marathoning the series because i don't want the fun to end!

A magic user called The Ghost has been abducting teenagers from the magical community. When Aaron, Kai, and Ezra begin to investigate and find no leads they ask Tori for help. Dressed up as a tarot card reading runaway, Tori becomes the Ghosts’ newest bait. But before the boys can capture him, she’s teleported away. Finding herself on a farm in the middle of nowhere, with no backup and no way for the boys to find her, Tori has to find her own way home. But not before she rescues the girl she promised to help.

Now that book one developed the world and Tori’s character, Dark Arts and a Daiquiri dives into what it’s like to take on a guild mission. And true to Tori’s style, she ends up in the middle of it all. But this time there is a deliciously morally gray character called The Ghost. A figure most mage guilds back away from the minute they find out he’s involved in a job. Given the choice to turn tail and run, or take a chance to save someone, Tori walks headfirst into danger and finds herself abducted.

Survival with The Ghost is nothing Tori imagined it to be. He may be a powerful caster, but he has his own moral code. One that does not allow harm to come to those he deems innocent and under his protection. Yet with one wrong move, he’ll have no problem adding Tori to his victim count. And of course, he is an extremely attractive man. One whose pretty face can cause the perfect distraction in order to gain the upper hand.

As Tori navigates how to deal with The Ghost, readers are given a glimpse into her past. While hints were dropped during book one, readers will experience full flashbacks of Tori’s not-so-happy home life growing up. And it will fit the pieces together of who she has become as a person, and why she is so set on saving the girl abducted by The Ghost.

Dark Arts and a Daiquiri is another fast-paced ride with a great blend of characters. Adding in The Ghost upped the ante and forced Tori to meet a host of new magical creatures. And witnessing Tori navigate the dangers of magical battle as a human never grows old. She has to be quick on her feet and intuitive. I’m looking forward to the next adventure!Review on the way!

I really really hated the middle part and had to skip a lot.

It almost became a twisted Belle story with a even worse ending. 

Hope the third book's a lot better than this one. 

This originally appeared at The Irresponsible Reader as part of a quick takes post, the point of which is to catch up on my “To Write About” stack—emphasizing pithiness, not thoroughness..
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For book 2 to remove our non-magical bartender to a guild of Magic Users from the Guild Members for the majority of the book is a pretty gutsy move. I'm not sure it was the right way to go, and I'm not sure it was successful. But it was gutsy.

The story was...okay, I guess. It really didn't do a lot for me, but the last few chapters—pretty much when Tori reunites with her friends made the whole thing worth it. And the Dresden File hat-tip was fantastic.

I'm still in on this series/group of series, but I bet when all is said and done, this'll be the one to forget.

Another win for me. I actually liked this book a little better than the first. The action and the characters weren't clear cut. So you are trying to figure out who the good and bad guys are. I love that.

And, you get to know Tori a lot better and see her grow.

This series is pure fun and excitement with genuine laugh out loud dialogue.

Zak!!! He's one of my favorites. Honestly, they might all be favorites??? I'm loving this series.

~Follow my blog at The Bent Bookworm!~Dark Arts and a Daiquiri picks up just a few weeks after the events of Three Mages and a Margarita, and we jump right into the action as Tori and the guys set up an exorcism for a faery spirit haunting the apartment she wants to rent. Much hilarity ensues, and then sadly the apartment and the faery are abandoned while they all become involved in hunting down this big-huge-black-magic-bad-guy that is stealing magically inclined youngsters. And by hunting down, we mean using Tori as bait. Things do not go as planned. Things – and people – are not what they seem.I loved this one just as much as the first, even if some things I was hoping for didn't happen. I snickered and giggled my way all the way through, as well as having a few moments where I simply couldn't read fast enough.CharactersI planted my feet, hands clenched as I glared at him, silently daring him to blast me into Tori goo.Tori is the same smart-mouthed chick we met in the first book. We learn a very little bit more about her past, but mostly the story was moving along so quickly there wasn't a whole lot of time for reflection. There are some new characters, Nadine, Echo (I don't care what anyone says, I am INTRIGUED), and perhaps most interestingly, Zac. Oh! And Harry. Can't forget Harry. Yes, I am being intentionally vague because this book is VERY easy to spoil.“Sorcery,” he interrupted irritably. “Not sorcerer-y.”In Tori's words:“You are a supreme dickhead and I haven't forgiven you for anything.”Actually, you know what? I just want to be able to come up with this smart-mouthed retorts like Tori. My daily life would be so entertaining.“I don't think you're as bad as you think you are.”“I told you not to get the wrong idea.”“Oh, sorry. What I meant to say was you're an evil bastard and I can't wait to see you burnt at the stake for your evil crimes of evil.”I don't know exactly why this particular exchange struck me as so funny, but I laughed until I had tears running down my cheeks.Also, I am in awe of the author's ability to make me care about ALL these characters. Usually when I read a book I'm only really invested in one or two. Not so with these. Which is why I was very disappointed that we didn't see much of the three mages in this book. They were there, but just not nearly as much, and I reeeeeeally wanted to find out more about their backstories!PlotIf you're hoping for some resolution of previous things, forget it. This book is an entirely new can of worms, and we only barely see the house-haunting faery that appear in the very first chapter! It does seem like it will play a larger part maybe in a later book, but damn.Also, there are now dragons – including baby dragons – and I want to see more of them.“For the blood of my blood's life, I will aid you again – but only once.”With so many loose ends, this seems like it could be a fantastic series of at least five or six books. Can we please go back to Ezra's story? I want to know why everyone seems to be afraid of him when he really seems like such a nice guy.Oh, and Zac. I really want to know more about him too.Flame RatingMore sexual tension, but not as much as in the first. Come oooooon, girlfriend. Tori's obviously got the hots for Aaron but I'm still Team Ezra.Minor ComplaintsAs already mentioned, lack of screen time for the three mages. Also the unfair teasing with the house faery. Then...does Tori have to immediately get into a confrontation with every other woman she meets? I thought she and the witch from the first book were going to be friends, but she only appeared in passing in this one...does it have to be all guys?4.5/5 stars. Great second book, can't wait for more!Blog Twitter Bloglovin Instagram Google+________OMG WTF...this is why it is SO HARD to start a series when it's still being written, the wait is SO HARD. ducks flying tomatoes from all the Game of Thrones fans________squee Downloaded!_________After the first one, I absolutely cannot WAIT for this one! And please don't let that November 2018 publish date be a typo...!