The Magpie Lord
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The Magpie Lord Audible Audiobook – Original recording

KJ Charles (Author), Cornell Collins (Narrator), Audible Studios (Publisher)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 4,666 ratings
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A lord in danger. A magician in turmoil. A snowball in hell.

Exiled to China for 20 years, Lucien Vaudrey never planned to return to England. But with the mysterious deaths of his father and brother, it seems the new Lord Crane has inherited an earldom. He's also inherited his family's enemies. He needs magical assistance, fast. He doesn't expect it to turn up angry.

Magician Stephen Day has good reason to hate Crane's family. Unfortunately, it's his job to deal with supernatural threats. Besides, the earl is unlike any aristocrat he's ever met, with the tattoos, the attitude...and the way Crane seems determined to get him into bed. That's definitely unusual.

Soon Stephen is falling hard for the worst possible man, at the worst possible time. But Crane's dangerous appeal isn't the only thing rendering Stephen powerless. Evil pervades the house, a web of plots is closing round Crane, and if Stephen can't find a way through it - they're both going to die.

Warning: Contains hot M/M sex between a deeply inappropriate earl and a very confused magician, dark plots in a magical version of Victorian England, family values (not the good kind), and a lot of swearing.

A Charm of Magpies, Book 1

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  1. Listening Length
    6 hours and 25 minutes
  2. Author
    KJ Charles
  3. Narrator
    Cornell Collins
  4. Audible release date
    January 26, 2018
  5. Language
    English
  6. Publisher
    Audible Studios
  7. ASIN
    B0798X4CB3
  8. Version
    Original recording
  9. Program Type
    Audiobook
  10. See all details
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Product details

Listening Length 6 hours and 25 minutes
Author KJ Charles
Narrator Cornell Collins
Whispersync for Voice Ready
Audible.com Release Date January 26, 2018
Publisher Audible Studios
Program Type Audiobook
Version Original recording
Language English
ASIN B0798X4CB3
Best Sellers Rank #31,446 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
#81 in Victorian Romance
#2,029 in Historical Fiction (Audible Books & Originals)
#5,302 in LGBTQ+ Romance (Books)

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
4,666 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

BookwormBlues
5.0 out of 5 stars This was so much fun!
Reviewed in the United States on April 1, 2021
Verified Purchase
The other day I got my second COVID shot, and I was up all night with a fever and the chills. I had someone recommend this book to me, and I decided to pick it up while I was miserable and feeling sicker than a dog. I ended up reading the entire thing in a night. It was just the charming diversion I needed to see me through the worst of it.

The Magpie Lord tells the story of one Lucien Vaudrey, who was exiled to Shanghai by his father and older brother. Upon learning that his father and older brother died, and he inherited their vast empire (they were earls), he returns to England to see to their estate. However, thoughts of suicide keep overwhelming him, which he knows are not his thoughts. Someone is putting them there. Desperate to see his way through this fog, he calls upon a magician, Stephen, to see if there is something interfering in his state of mind. They learn that Lucien, like his father and brother, are the target of ill will. Together Stephen and Lucien must work together to find out who is killing off Lucien’s family before it’s too late.

So, it’s a lot, right?

There’s never a dull moment. The book isn’t long, and there is a lot going on throughout the book. However, I was delighted at how well-paced the book was. While there never was a dull moment, there was also never a time when I felt overwhelmed by action. Like, I never once sat back and thought, “My god, when do these people breathe?”

There were two things that instantly pulled me into The Magpie Lord. One was Lucien’s voice, and his wry, self-depreciating humor. He had a horrible relationship with his family, and while that’s evident in every part of the book, and it’s why he ended up in China for so many years, it never overwhelms things, though it is a huge part of why everything is happening and why Lucien is suddenly the focus of such malice. His voice is caustic with a sharp edge, and once you understand his family you know why, but my god, I loved that man’s voice.

The other thing that really attracted me was the magic. The idea of someone murdering people by using cursed items to influence their mood and thus, play upon their darkest thoughts is really haunting. I also loved how this was completely Stephen’s thing that no one could understand quite as well as he did. The magic itself was just unique enough to catch my attention. While there is the whole waving hands in the air, incantations thing, there was a lot more to it than that, and I just really enjoyed how it was used throughout the book for good or evil.

Stephen, on the other hand, is everything that Lucien is not. He is small, and poor, and he’s got every reason to hate Lucien’s family. They come from very different backgrounds, and while Stephen is small and appears weak and ill-fed and all that, his power rests in his magic. He is a formidable magician. He’s also a quiet, if knowing presence throughout the book, and balances out Lucien’s voice perfectly. In fact, these two POVs are perfect opposites, each one adding something to the book that the other needs, making the entire book feel perfectly balanced.

There’s a lot happening here, from magical manipulation (in numerous forms), family mysteries, ghosts, cursed objects, murder through suicide… so there are a lot of darker elements, but I never once felt like this was a dark book, and it was probably because Lucien’s humor mixed with Stephen’s calm control really kept all these darker elements in the book roped in and controlled. While things keep rolling at a nice clip, there are private moments, and the simmering romance between the two protagonists is always present, and while it is steamy (at times there is kissing, sex and the like) it also functions to keep everything hopeful. Things might be dark now, but the silver lining is in two men from opposite worlds finding each other.

The historical elements of the book were just enough to make this feel mid 1800s without making it feel overdone. I got a good sense of time and place which added an intoxicating sense of regency to the entire romance that I really enjoyed.

The Magpie Lord is not a complicated book. It’s simple and straightforward, and it’s predictable. This isn’t the kind of book you want to read if you’re into something serious that you need to spend a lot of time thinking about. It’s popcorn. Really, really good popcorn, full of magic, historical detail, romance, and characters you can’t help but love.

The Magpie Lord got me through a really rough night. It was exactly what I needed, and I will absolutely read more of this author’s work.

I cannot wait to see what happens to Lucien and Stephen next.
7 people found this helpful
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susana
4.0 out of 5 stars Really good
Reviewed in the United States on February 3, 2014
Verified Purchase
Lucien Vaudrey has a problem. He seems to have developed a sudden death wish. He has tried to commit suicide on several occasions since he came back to England to take charge of his family estate. Following the advice of his trusted manservant Merrik, Lord Crane decides to hire a Shaman, or the English equivalent, a practitioner, to find out the reasons this unnatural behaviour. But Stephen Day does not want to help Lord Crane. His family has suffered a lot in the hands of the Lord’s cruel family, and he despises what he represents. Expecting to find a snobbish nobleman, he is really surprised when he is faced with a strong a resolute man who swears like a sailor and can be really rude… and sexy as hell. Together, they move to Piper, the family estate in the countryside, where they find themselves unexpectedly fighting to survive a deadly danger… and the unequivocal attraction they feel for each other.
Wow! I must admit that I was postponing reading the book because the critics were so good that I expected to be somehow disappointed by it. No way. The book is great. The story is engaging, the characters interesting and attractive, and the plot develops so fast that there is no respite… I like the mixture of adventure, history, terror, fantasy and love story… though the love story is only hinted, there is the basis of a future relationship between Lucien and Stephen. I love the way they interact. They are so different, both so powerful in their own way. The balance is a difficult one. Lucien is strong and dominant, physically no match for small Stephen. But Stephen holds a different power; he can control the minds of those around him, and kill with a single gesture… And he craves submission in bed. Something Lucien can give him, even though he knows that domineering the young magician is a dangerous game, because he can strike back and kill any time he wants. Their relationship unfolds slowly, somehow subdued by the main story of family grudges, misdeeds and treason. It is an absorbing story, well written and action packed. It has everything you look for in a good book. There is no drawback to this book: Only the fact that is leaves you wanting more, much more.
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Top reviews from other countries

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J. Fletcher
5.0 out of 5 stars a rollicking good read
Reviewed in Canada on January 4, 2023
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Some of the nay sayers really missed the point of this story. Its light weight, fun and is a different approach to the genre. Thoroughly enjoyed the writing, I had to check the dictionary several times! I like the two main characters and Merrick. Looking forward to reading book 2.
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morganarosana
5.0 out of 5 stars Maravilha
Reviewed in Brazil on April 7, 2023
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KJ não pode errar nunca
One person found this helpful
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Sofia Boquist
2.0 out of 5 stars Not my type of book
Reviewed in Sweden on December 24, 2023
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This book really wasn’t for me. Don’t get me wrong the story and writing was good and if you like stories about magicians you should try it out. But for me there was something lacking, I found the story dull and didn’t vibe with the characters. I didn’t enjoy the romance between the MCs because I don’t think it was written in such a good way. There was no time given to their relationship since so much of this 200 page book was focused on the plot. I didn’t find their relationship interesting and it didn’t feel real. I would probably had enjoyed it more if they had just been friends.
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SebFox
5.0 out of 5 stars A period piece of perfection
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 20, 2023
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This was my first book by this author and the first period book I’ve read outside of some of the weighty tomes I studied at school, and what a delight it was. It was so refreshing to read a book set during the 19th century and in a writing style which felt both apt for the times and contemporary too.

The story follows a Lord who, on returning to England having spent 20 years in China, finds his life under threat from some mystical curse. Employing the help of a magician, they work to uncover who is behind this threat and in the process unearth some dark family secrets, against the backdrop of their blossoming romance.

Having just read a fantasy series that was so epic and action packed that it made the Marvel movies seem like kitchen sink dramas, I was worried I might find this smaller scale book somewhat lacking. I was so wrong. Although both books deal with a world where magic is common place, this more intimate, smaller scale book gives it real feeling of authenticity and chance to explore characters in a much deeper way.

It has a beautiful, almost lyrical style, where spoken words are carefully chosen due to the power they wield in a class based society. By choosing two leads who were polar opposites, both in society and the world of magic, we really get to explore issues around status and class, as well prejudices that often lay hidden when unchecked. You would think books dealing with a class based society might have little to say in our modern lives but the author still manages to provide a spin on this that makes you see it in a more contemporary light.

What the book also has at the heart of it is an intriguing mystery, as we follow Lord Crane and Stephen Day as they try to unearth who is behind this murderous plot, and why. As we explore the town around Lord Crane’s country estate we are treated to all manner of townsfolk written with a light touch of caricature that wouldn’t make them feel out of place in a Dickens’s novel. But scratch beneath the surface and we start to see something dark and twisted threading it’s way through Lychdale, which starts to make for an exciting read.

This book has been an absolute joy. Written with clever humour, excellent characters and a real page turning plot. I cannot recommend this book enough. I can also recommend the audio version of this book too. I don’t normally listen to audio books but heard this one for free and I have to say it was perfect. Cornell Collins was definitely the best choice to narrate this story as he brought the characters to life and completely nailed their voices and characterisation. I am so glad I took a chance on this book as I’ve found a new author and a new genre to explore.
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rahul kumar badaik
3.0 out of 5 stars Fast paced
Reviewed in India on February 1, 2023
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A good simple read. If you are craving for some MM romance in the background of a fantastical British aristocratic days this can satisfy that.

Not a very plot heavy story although the dialogues, especially when coming from the flirtatious Lord Crane is yum although they are few in number.

There are some scenes where I laughed out loud where I was not to. I mean I have read my share of the S scenes and this book is not even that explicitly written but I LOLed hard not for good reason. It just had one really ridiculous Smut scene and that I guess was not really quite upto my taste. Maybe it was just me that I lose interest the moment our two characters finally get together. I was alright throughout the flirting and the hidden promises of goods up until the actual goods happening. Haha, sorry.

Anyway, the magic system draws from "Qi" system of China. It is not very well explored in the first book but there are a lot of it to get the grasp. There are the magic system where people are born with magic and some of them are able to draw the magic from the life forces around them. There are Justiciaries who guard this hidden world and Warlocks who rampage drawing life forces from the living unwilling people or dead. This is at least the gest of magic system.

However, the book centre's around just two main characters. One magician trying to protect An Earl.
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