Trace of Magic (Diamond City Magic, #1) by Diana Pharaoh Francis

Title: Trace of Magic
Series: Diamond City Magic
Classification: Adult Fiction
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Format: Paperback; 252 pages
Publisher: Bell Bridge Books (August 29, 2014)
ISBN-10: 1611945143
ISBN-13: 978-1611945140
Author's Website: http://www.dianapfrancis.com/
Notes: I borrowed a copy from my library.

'Everybody leaves a magical trail of sorts, like an indelible ribbon unrolling behind them. It isn’t actually on this plane, but in a sort of other dimension that only tracers like me can see. It fades pretty quick for most tracers, disappearing in a matter of hours or maybe a week or two if they are really strong. It never fades for me. I can even see dead trace. It can be tricky to follow, and doing it can leave you vulnerable to the spirit world. I try not to follow dead trace if I can help it. Altogether, those talents make me a unicorn, the tooth fairy, the Easter Bunny, and the Loch Ness Monster all rolled into one. In a word, I am unique. A very special snowflake.'

'Here’s my one rule: I try very hard not to be stupid. I don’t take the same path home every night, I sleep with a gun under my pillow, I reinforce my nulls every day, I stay out of the spotlight, and I avoid the cops and the Tyet whenever humanly possible. '

'I wasn’t interested in becoming anybody’s puppet, and as long as I was a relative nobody on the Tyet food chain, I had free rein to find out who’d killed my mother and what had happened to my father. Not that I was making any headway. I had zero clues.'

'In the last decade or so, Diamond City had reverted to something of an Old West/mafia war zone. Way back when diamonds were first discovered here, there’d been a huge rush followed by massive territory wars. Eventually the Tyet had emerged—basically a united consortium of very bad people who ran the diamond trade and the town. Our most lauded town hero, Zachary Kensington, had brokered that pact somehow, bringing order from chaos. But then something happened about ten years ago and all hell broke loose. A lot of it had to do with a changing idea of what the Tyet could or should do and various factions wanting more money, more power, more, more, more. A drug trade had entered the scene as well—Sparkle Dust, or SD.'

This is Riley Hollis' story and her life is about to change irrevocably...

This was a fast paced thrill ride of a read with a lot going on. Riley Hollis is a smart, kind hearted, and loyal person. She also has a magical talent that if word got out about would be highly sought after and her life would no longer be her own. No one can do what she can do. With very few exceptions, she could potentially follow a person's trace from the day they died back to the day they were born and vice versa. The only person's trace she hasn't been able to follow is her father's who went missing several years back.

They say no good deed goes unpunished and Riley's latest case of finding a missing teen puts her on the radar of Clay Price, a cop with known ties to Gregg Touray who is one of the leading crime bosses of the Tyet. What first seems like a problem quickly turns into a blessing when she needs his help finding her sister's ex-fiance, Josh. Josh's apartment shows signs of a struggle and blood. Lots of it. When the FBI starts nosing around and implicating him in all sorts of crimes, Riley knows she's in over her head. She'll need someone with more influence and connections than she has to solve this one and get him out alive.

Riley doesn't know what to make of Clay. He actually seems like a fairly decent cop despite his involvement with Touray, but she doesn't trust him one little bit. To complicate matters, Riley finds herself seriously attracted to the man and the feeling is mutual. The more she's with him the more the attraction seems to grow.

I absolutely loved this one and couldn't help but give it 5 out of 5 roses. It's a wonderful story that grabbed my attention from the get-go and kept it straight through till the end. Riley's talent is reminiscent of that found in the Orson Scott Card's Pathfinder series. The world Ms. Francis created reminded me a little of Jennifer Estep's Elemental Assassin series where crime bosses tend to have their hands in everything and magic is common place. The drama in this one runs high as does the action. On the Lisarenee Romance Rating Scale, this one earned a STEAM rating--too hot for a fan, but you still have a handle on things. You should use extreme caution when reading a book with this rating in public. People may inquire as to why you looked flustered and flushed. This was a well written and highly entertaining read. I HIGHLY recommend it.

Order of the Diamond City Magic series:

Release Day Review of Shades of Memory (Diamond City Magic, #4) by Diana Pharaoh Francis

Title: Shades of Memory (The Diamond City Magic Novels)
Classification: Adult Fiction
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Diamond City Magic, #4
Format: Paperback; 272 pages
Publisher: Bell Bridge Books (November 3, 2017)
ISBN-10: 1611948371
ISBN-13: 978-1611948370
Author's Website: http://www.dianapfrancis.com/
Notes: I received an eARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.


Most of Riley Hollis' life has been spent in the shadows--staying out of trouble, avoiding both the cops and the Tyet (magical mob) whenever humanly possible, and keeping under the radar. There are five major kinds of magic in the world: tracer, maker, binder, dreamer, traveller. Riley is a tracer. Everybody leaves a magical trail of sorts, like an indelible ribbon unrolling behind them. It isn’t actually on this plane, but in a sort of other dimension that only tracers like Riley can see. It fades pretty quick for most tracers, disappearing in a matter of hours or maybe a week or two if they are really strong. For Riley it never fades. She can even track those who have died. This makes her a highly sought after commodity by the Tyet who would love to use and control her skills.

Riley uses her talent to find missing children. Just months ago while working a case she caught the attention of Clay Price. Price was a cop with connections to Gregg Touray. Touray is one of the top Tyet bosses in the city. What Riley didn't realize at the time was that Price is Gregg Touray's brother. To complicate matters even more, she found herself undeniably attracted to Price and the feeling was mutual. Their relationship took off, but eventually her secrets were revealed in front of the biggest Tyet kingpins in Diamond City. Price then struck a bargain with his brother to put Riley under Gregg's protection. 

A lot can and has happened in a short period of time. As Riley realizes a major power struggle is about to go down in Diamond City, she has to figure out a way to keep herself and her family safe. Aligning herself with Touray is looking less and less like the right choice. Her decision on how to handle things will change everything...

This is the fourth book in the Diamond City Magic series. If you haven't read any of the previous books in the series, I strongly encourage you to do so. The books build on one another and if you skip one, you'll miss out on some of the finer nuances of the relationships between the characters, the intricacies of the world, and the complexities of Riley's current situation. Just be aware this series is highly addictive and it's hard to stop with just one. So you may want to set aside some time for yourself to read these. I devoured the series pretty quickly and can't wait for the next book to come out.

One of the things I like about this series is the relationship between Riley and Price. Being a cop and Touray's brother made Riley want absolutely nothing to do with him in the beginning. The attraction between them, however, once they actually got to know one another was intense. All of Price's instincts scream for him to protect Riley and put her somewhere safe where nothing can harm her, but over time he's come to the realization he has to let her spread her wings and fly. If he doesn't, he'll lose her--and that is something he never wants to have happen. In the time the two have known one another, Price has helped Riley grow as an individual and come into her own. This time Riley gets to return the favor.

This book is a real game changer. Riley must make some hard decisions and will need a little help from both her family and friends. Things in Diamond City are about to change in a big way and Riley will be in the middle of it all. Relationships will be tested, lives will be put on the line, and a new threat will enter into the fray making for a highly intense, compelling, and gripping read.   

I couldn't help but give this one 5 out of 5 roses. I love this dynamic duo and the world Ms. Francis has created. The chemistry between Price and Riley is off the charts, and I love the way they banter back and forth. Price gives as good as he gets from Riley which keeps her on her toes. Be forewarned, however, that this one ends abruptly in a huge cliffhanger. Gah! (If you heard someone screaming loudly last night that was probably me shouting, "NOOOOOOoooooooo!" **smirk**) On the Lisarenee Romance Rating Scale this one earned a FAN rating--the temperature in the room seems to have suddenly gone up a couple of degrees and a fan would be nice. I highly recommend this series. This series is destined for my keeper shelf.

Order of the Diamond City Magic series: