The Fantastic Fluke

This is a relatively quick read in a world where mages are the norm and they are separated into classes (by element) with specific powers for each class. Sage is a low-level “social mage” meaning he's supposed to be able to use powers to manipulate emotions on various levels but also has the more uncommon ability to see ghosts. His recently passed away father is now one and haunting the book store he owned and had Sage work at, and their relationship was never good but is even worse now that one's dead. One day, however, after a weird event where he now has a fox as a familiar (though he'll deny it because of his low power) a ghost stranger from the 1800s dressed in cowboy gear turns up and tells Sage that Sage is actually a lot more than he's been told all his life and that the cowboy was sent to guide him. It sounds a little ridiculous because it is but it's fun to read, if a little slow in parts. I thought the world built here was interesting but, besides some of the rules surrounding mages and a paranormal-run government bureau, it's basically the same exact book as [b:Silence of Winter 43225966 Silence of Winter (Cromwell Chronicles, #1) Avery Blake https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1544729158l/43225966.SX50.jpg 66772501] - including the quirky girl best friend, using lay lines for power, and a ghost boyfriend from 100s of years ago. I liked that this book has them all as adults but have a feeling it was just for the sex component. The fox familiar was also a fun addition. The two books are just too similar and since Silence was written two years earlier and I'd read it before this, this is just going to feel like the cheap knockoff even if I liked them just about the same.

This series by a new-to-me author shows promise, but there was too much left unexplained and a lot that didn't make sense to me (If Gideon is a 200-year old "gunslinger," why does he seem completely at home in the 21st century? How does having a familiar help Sage work the arcane magic?. Fluke the fox was pretty adorable, and I'm always a sucker for the “lonely MC finds a family” trope. Maybe future installments will provide more depth and answer my questions, so I'll probably spring for at least one more book in the series.