She is a void, the empty balance of magic.
He is a mage broken, whose power has been warped.
I’m proud and excited to help out with the cover reveal for Ice & Ivy, the fourth book in what’s easily my favorite Fantasy Romance series: Mages of the Wheel, by J.D. Evans.
For anyone not yet familiar with the series, it’s a story of political intrigue, scheming, backstabbing, and (of course) romance. Rather than your traditional fantasy setting, Mages of the Wheel plays out in a world heavily influenced by the middle east, and that adds a little extra depth to the stories.
You can find my review of the first book in the seriesย here.
There are two things I particularly like about Mages of the Wheel. The first is the world building and how the magic ties in with the story. Each book has its own couple, and each couple represent a pairing of different magical elements – the spokes of the wheel. It helps shape the characters, which in turn helps shape the story.
The second thing is that, just like the couples and their magical elements, the theme changes from book to book. It’s not just about the romance, even if that’s a big part of it. The first book is all about political intrigue and high-stakes power plays. The second book is more light-hearted and upbeat, but carries a lot of serious undertones. In the third book, the focus is on personal struggles and internal conflict, and on accepting who you are.
After reading the blurb and seeing the cover, I’m very excited to see what book four will bring. “Wait, what blurb?” you might ask. Well, this one:
She is a void, the empty balance of magic.
When the Grand Vizier seeks to humiliate a man who has crossed him, a woman of the humblest origins is entangled in political webs far beyond her understanding, and bound into a marriage she cannot escape. She does not know who is an ally, and who is an enemy. But she does know she is drawn to the man whose dreams and heart seem made of ice.
He is a mage broken, whose power has been warped.
The Blight ravages both Tamar and Sarkum, and their people, and armies, are starving. Violence and protests in Narfour have the city on the brink of rebellion. When Ihsan sees a chance to gain an ally with the only productive land left in Tamar for his cousin, the Sultana, he takes it. But nothing is as it seems when Behram Kadir is involved. Ihsan knows he should not trust the woman who has upended his life, even if she is the first warmth he has felt since fire stole everything from him.
Tropes: Mistaken Identity, arranged marriage, ice magic, Beauty and the Beast meets Everafter vibes, grumpy/sunshine
And then, of course, there is the cover, and if you’ve read the previous books, the image alone will give some hints of what’s to come…
Well, I’m excited, are you?
You can pre-order the book here. Release date is August 19.
