Urban fantasy with a touch of romance

Over the last few years urban fantasy has become my drug of choice. More specifically M/M urban fantasy. This is my first book by Nazri Noor and first audiobook by Zachary Johnson. And I loved the whole package.
Best friend's who have drifted almost to the point of enemies, certainly to mutual animosity. A great bunch of friends. Tragic backstory. Excellent world-building. And a solid mystery.
Highly recommended.
Now the quandary. Do I read the next book or wait for the audio to come out?

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What is magic?

An interesting exploration of what magic really is. Is it an art or does it also reside in objects made by a master craftsman? Harks back to the debates about fine art versus craft from a magical perspective. What Jackson and Xander discover is that both have their uses and watching them learn to work together and see where their skills complement each other makes for interesting reading. The world building is excellent, and the fight against the fever hits a bit close to home these days. Zachary Johnson gives a great performance in this one. He captures the action as well as the philosophical debates.

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New to me author and narrator

First time reading/listening to a book from this author, and I wasn't sure what to expect, but I enjoyed this story and the characters.

Excellent world-building, and the characters were well-formed, Jacksons and Xanders relationship had a lot of angst, to begin with, but we get our HEA. I will definitely look for more books by this author.

Zachery Johnson, again a new to me narrator, was a pleasure to listen to, clean and concise. I did speed up this narration which is usual for me.

A Touch of Fever
Arcane Hearts, Book 1
By: Nazri Noor
Narrated by: Zachary Johnson
Series: Arcane Hearts, Book 1
Length: 7 hrs and 18 mins

❤❤❤❤ Overall
🎧🎧🎧🎧 Narration
📚📚📚📚 Story
Read at 1.25 speed on Audible

I received this audiobook for free from GRR at my request. My review is my opinion and an honest review - neither the author nor GRR influenced my opinion.

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Interesting story

This was a fun story. I loved the world building. The characters were fun. Xander and Jackson were a great pair. They complimented each other well. The only downside I found was the ending of the story. It was a little anticlimactic.

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3 people found this helpful

A Great New Urban Fantasy Series

A Touch of Fever is the first book in the Arcane Hearts series—and what a fantastic start to a new series! Urban fantasies can be hit or miss, but A Touch of Fever was definitely a hit for me immediately. Jackson was a hilarious and likable main character who’s wit and sass had me rooting for him. I loved the romantic tension between him and Xander—there’s something so satisfying about a well written enemies-to-lovers trope. I instantly wanted the next book in the series once I finished listening to this one.

Zachary Johnson was the perfect choice of narrator to perform this book. I loved how he voiced the characters and kept the narration dynamic.

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Excellent start

This is my first book from Nazri Noor and I really enjoyed it . The narration was perfect and I can’t wait for more in this series.

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Incredible!!!

Amazing, witty and so clever. I was totally hooked from the first sentence! I loved Nazri's quick witted writing style in first person but with witty quips and "breaking the forth wall" comments that had me literally laughing out loud. I loved everything that made up Jackson. He's so funny, quick witted, smart, a little cocky but so fun to follow and what an adventure!!
This is not like anything else I've read. it's a whole new world and I'm so excited for more stories! I loved Jackson and Xander and the collection of other characters are perfectly attuned for just the right amount of comedy and snark.
I really can't rave about this one enough and Zachary's narration is fantastic!! So much in each voice expression. Each character has its own voice and nuance, this was a performance and added to the adventure and thrill of the story! I hope Zachary will be narrating the rest!!!
Amazing!!!!

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A Touch of Fever

Both the author and narrator were new to me. I'm so glad I gave this a chance. The story was layered, and the characters, main and side, were beautifully nuanced with depth. I felt emotions as I was transported to this new world. I absolutely want more and would recommend it for both the writing and performance.

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Great world building

Fantastic world building! The characters pulled me in instantly: they were witty, funny and entertaining.

Great narration! Highly recommend!

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Awesome new UF audiobook

Story: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Narration: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Overall: ⭐⭐⭐⭐


This multifaceted urban fantasy had my attention from the first chapter. Right off, Noor lets the reader know that we're not just going to be dealing with measly humans, or Mages and Artificers, to be more precise. We get mythological creatures, and other beings thrown in for good measure.

Jackson is an aspiring artificer, but it's a dying art, and when his parents passed, he lost his greatest teacher. He has created a gauntlet, but it's not ready and needs more practice. It uses the tiny spark of magic Jack has for its power source. For now, though, he has to eat and get supplies for his craft, and that takes coin. So, Jack hunts for objects or ingredients the magic users need in exchange for money. He has a small, group... Okay, two... Friends that he is close with, and as secondary characters, they have their own roles to play as the author weaves the many subplots together.

Xander is an accomplished mage and lives across the street from Jack. They were friends in their youth, but when Xander returned from the prestigious magic school, their friendship turned sour. Xander and Jackson are hired for the same job, and they must work together, along with some help, to reach the goal. Even as the two bicker and sass each other, the author is slowly bringing the friendship back and allowing a romance to build. But Xander has a devastating secret he's holding close to the vest.

The main plot of this book, the mystery and suspense of the fever, is settled in A Touch of Fever. However, the author has left plenty of questions for the last two books. Noor is a new-to-me author, and I am happily impressed. The world building is done in such a way that I could picture the scenes. The Black Market is ingenious, and much more than what it implies. Some things are quite obvious, while others might throw you for a loop. As for Jack and Xander, I'd say it's a HFN in the romance department.

Zachary Johnson is also a new-to-me narrator, and I really enjoyed his performance. The characters have their own voices and emotions, the pacing is done well, and his voice was a smooth and easy listen. Bravo!

* I received a free copy of this audiobook at my request from GRR and this review is my own personal opinion without any outside influence of any kind. *

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