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  • Familiar Magic - An Uncanny Kingdom Urban Fantasy

  • The London Coven Series, Book 1
  • By: Matthew Stott, David Bussell
  • Narrated by: Heather Tracy
  • Length: 4 hrs and 51 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (15 ratings)
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Familiar Magic - An Uncanny Kingdom Urban Fantasy cover art

Familiar Magic - An Uncanny Kingdom Urban Fantasy

By: Matthew Stott, David Bussell
Narrated by: Heather Tracy
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Summary

Three butchered witches. An unknown killer. One big mistake: they left the familiar alive. 

Stella Familiar was created by the London Coven to protect the city from the monsters that lurk in the shadows. 

She’s fought against the darkness for decades, but now something new has come to town. Something that’s torn her world apart. 

This monster did the impossible: it murdered the three most powerful witches in London, putting the city in peril, and leaving Stella alone for the first time to fight back against a power she doesn’t understand. 

An evil beyond anything she can imagine is loose; something with the power to crush her like a bug...and it’s back to finish what it started. 

Does Stella have what it takes to defeat a threat this powerful, or will the creature of her nightmares snuff out the Coven for good? 

Mystery, scares, and fast-paced action collide in this thrilling urban fantasy series. Listen to Familiar Magic now for an addictive tale of magic and mayhem you cannot pause.

©2017 Matthew Stott & David Bussell (P)2019 Matthew Stott & David Bussell

What listeners say about Familiar Magic - An Uncanny Kingdom Urban Fantasy

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Good read. Great performance.

Heather Tracy's narration makes this book very listenable. A talented voice actor always gives an audiobook that extra edge. It was a pleasure to meet and come to know the witches' familiar, Stella Familiar, and her side-kick, the affable David. If book 1 is anything to go by then I'm really looking forward to book 2.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Very enjoyable

This book was very enjoyable. The characters built up well and the storyline was gripping. A great performance from Heather, very passionate. I hope there’s more from this world as all the groundwork has been laid in this book.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Listener received this title free

Strong female lead narrative

So often with urban fantasy stories like this one, especially those by male writers, the idea that how a female character looks equates to her personality making the lead character hollow. This is not the case with this book, there is very little physical description of Stella familiar, with a great deal of character building and development, which is a real breath of fresh air in this genre.

I really love the character of Stella familiar, she tries to convince us from the start that she is nothing but a tool made for a particular purpose by her witches to do the jobs they don't want to do and that she has followed those orders unquestioningly from the moment of her creation. However withing the first couple of paragraphs we see a very emotional, very human side to Stella, she is not the automotive she's tried to tell us she is.

The loss of her witches creates a very human need in Stella, the need for revenge, to make the killer pay, which in turn has another very human side affect, which is to lose sight of the larger picture, to see how all the pieces fit together to tell a wider narrative.

In a strange turn of fate she meets David, a human detective who considers himself completely normal, despite it taking very little effort to convince him of the truth of Stella's story of magic and monsters and even less for him to offer help.

Once again there is very little physical description of David, the focus is more oh his personality and the feeling he gives off, of just being a good guy, with strong morals and open to ideas outside of his own understanding or belief system. His laid back acceptance of the truth of Stella's world, after a tiny bit of persuasion, makes us instablntly warm to him, his little snarky comments that have no meanness behind them make him an instantly likeable character, seeing the development of understanding and trust between himself and Stella is one of the best things in this book.

Stella often walks a thin line between doing the right thing and doing anything she can to get to the truth, all the while David is simply trying to do the right thing, but who is along with Stella unwittingly manipulated throughout the story by the baddest of bad guys, Mr Trick. Mr Trick is genuinely creepy, the idea that he can manipulate people and perception of reality the way he can is incredibly unnerving.

I also need to add that the narrator is fantastic. So yeah, this is a great, fun book with likeable, emotional characters and I cannot sing the praises enough of the fact that a male author has not confused the identity and personality of the lead female character with physical description of her.



"I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review."

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
Listener received this title free

Good start to a series

I admit, I was pulled in entirely by the cover - I love London, and books set there. Obviously the genre appealed to me, too. This urban fantasy book was a great listen. The story is fast-paced, intriguing and fun, but what really set it apart for me was the narration. Heather Tracy did a fantastic job, particularly of the voices, and her enthusiasm pulled me right along for the ride. I'll definitely be checking out the next book in the series, and can recommend this audiobook to fans of urban fantasy.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
Listener received this title free

Gripping and action packed

After listening to Other London and didn't liking much, I thought I wouldn't like this, but I was wrong.

The story follows in a linear order and it's easy to follow. There were a couple of times I had to suspend my disbelief, characters suddenly appearing in weird places in the middle of the fight and a non-magical human, David, accepting everything pretty fast. But that's where my pet peeves ended, the rest of the story is well done, everything comes in a full circle at the end. The characters are likable and I like, specially, how Stella is such a strong character, but doesn't shy away of help when needing it.

David is the best. I thought I was gonna miss Carlisle, but nope, David is an amazing human guy with a great sense of humor that makes you like him instantly.

The narration is spot on. So far, I like all choices of narration for the Uncanny Kingdom series. I like how she can do some creepy voices. I also had no problems differentiating the characters.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

BOOK 1


An exciting urban fantasy It jumps right into the action with Stella finding her coven dead, though it should have been impossible. Trying to find the killer, as a lowly familiar, seems to be an insurmountable task.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Urban Fantasy

This book has two ingredients that I love. A mystery and fantasy mixed together. I liked the fact that we don't have to wait for any actions since the book jumps right into it. The main character Stella finds her coven dead and she sets out to find who the killer is.
Looking forward to the next book in the series.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Spellbinding

I really enjoyed this story and was captivated within the first couple of words, it was though a spell had been cast and I couldn't stop until the end, yes I listened to it all in one sitting. The book took you on so many twists that you had no idea where it was going to take you next in this fantasy action adventure. I loved the characters, especially David with his witty humour as he tried to tough out whatever was thrown at him. There was plenty of action and intrigue as the magic flew, as well bodies. On to book two to see what happens next.
Stella a witches familiar returns home to find her coven in tatters. With the three mutilated bodies of her coven left beaten and battered left for her to find, she barely makes it out of the place she once called home. She finds help in the form of a human, Detective David Tyler. He has no idea that magic existed but is about to take a very quick course In the subject, as the Canny Mr Trick targets them to play his games with. Can Stella get the revenge she so desperately seeks over the death of her witches or is the treat to powerful for just a familiar to handle.
I loved the narrator of this story, she has such a wide range of voices that it made the story an enjoyable experience. I especially like the changing voice of the baddie. I hope she sticks with the series because I think she was a big part of why I enjoyed it so much.
I was given this free review copy Audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Amazing

Amazing storyline written was done wonderful the narrater bought it to life
More please enjoyed from start to finish

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Uncanny

Applaud! Good book, well written, preformed excellent! I do feel something, was missing though I can't quite put my finger on it. Well done, over all! To both author and narrator! Can't wait to listen to book 2!

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