Dark Arts and a Daiquiri by Annette Marie – That’s What I’m Talking About…

Audiobook review: Dark Arts and a Daiquiri by Annette Marie

Picking up about two months after Tori discovers magic and mythics, Dark Arts and a Daiquiri follows the guild bartender as she and her trio of mages try to track down a missing human teenager who most likely has a bit of magic in her. It appears that a dangerous mythic known as The Ghost is collecting young people with powers, so the gang decides to use Tori as bait to lure him out of hiding. 

Dark Arts and a Daiquiri is the third book in the Guild Codex universe. For the read-along, we are following the author’s recommended reading order, found HERE https://www.guildcodex.ca/readingorder/. 

I really enjoy Tori, a human holding her own in the world of dangerous magic. Unfortunately, this time around Tori makes some really bad choices, including going it alone against an unknown adversary. The story starts a little slowly after Tori splits from her support. I didn’t enjoy the story as much when Tori wasn’t with her friends. However, as Tori started learning more about The Ghost, the story picked up for me. 

That said I liked Tori’s quick thinking and her ability to stand up for herself. I like that she has a big heart and cares for others. Her temper and moral compass give her bravadoes, and I appreciate that she sees the errors of her actions and how they hurt those she cares about. I hope that she’ll be a bit more thoughtful in the next book.

Narration: the story is shared via the first person POV of Tori Dawson. Dukehart uses a perky, upbeat feminine voice for Tori. She captives the whip smart, takes-no-crap attitude of the twenty-one year old. Dukehart alters character dialogue based on gender and age with moderate success, making each character fairly distinguishable. Dukehart keeps the story moving forward in a lively manner. 

Dark Arts and a Daiquiri is a solid second story in the Spellbound series. I find the magic mythology interesting, albeit a bit complex. The book expands the world and my understanding of magic. It also introduces a few new interesting characters that I hope we will see again. I still have so many questions and look forward to more.

My Ratings
Story: B
Narration: B+

Jen

About the Book:

When I found myself facing down the scariest black-magic felon in the city, practically daring him to abduct me, I had to wonder exactly how I ended up here.

It all started when I accidentally landed a job as a bartender–but not at a bar. At a guild, populated by mages, sorcerers, alchemists, witches, and psychics. Good thing this lame-o human is adaptable, right?

Then my favorite guild members–three sexy, powerful, and intermittently charming mages–asked for my help. Did they want access to my encyclopedic knowledge of cocktails? Oh no. They wanted to wrap me up in a pretty ribbon and plunk me in the crosshairs of a murderous rogue to lure him out of hiding.

So that’s what we did. And that’s why I’m here. About to be kidnapped. Oh, and our grand plan for safely capturing said murderous rogue? Yeah, that completely fell apart about two minutes ago.

Why did I agree to this again?

Author: Annette Marie
Narrator: Cris Dukehart
Series: The Guild Codex: Spellbound #2; Guild Codex Universe #3
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Audiobook Release Date: November 16, 2018
Publisher: Tantor Audio
Length: 7 hours; 39 mins
Source: Library
Audio Speed: 1.25x