Customer Reviews

Merely Magic (Magic (Sourcebooks Casablanca))

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The minute I started MERELY MAGIC I knew I held one heck of a compelling story in my hands. Having been a fan of Ms. Rice's for years I knew her storytelling abilities were phenomenal whether in the contemporary or historical genres. Her characters are deep, sensual and have a humorous side too to give you a full-bodied tale you don't soon forget.

I love the magical theme of MERELY MAGIC. Ninian Malcolm Siddons is a witch with the art of healing those in the village of Wystan beneath the Castle belonging to Earl Drogo Ives, newely returned to the area. Lord Ives doesn't realize all the local folklore about the Malcolm witches and Ives devils. All the Ives' are dark, handsome and extremely virile and always sire males. The Malcolm witches are all women, fair of face with golden locks and they always birth females. They have a bad history that Drogo knows nothing about between the families. It's rumored if the two families intermarry the town will be destroyed. Guess what happens? You'll love the chaos!

There is so much love, magic, and crazy family situations to sort out that I know you are going to love being a part of this magical novel of two extraordinary people who through the magic of love and working together make this an unforgettable story to cherish. I'm hoping to hear more of the Malcolms and Ives' in the future. They are unbelievably fascinating characters that I know Ms. Rice can bring to life with verve.

In Merely Magic, Patricia Rice delivers a merely average tale. The lead characters lack the magic, for want of a more appropriate word, to create a truly spellbinding story. This is disappointing, given her considerable talent as an author.

The back of the book reads " Bestselling author Patricia Rice will touch your heart as never before in this enchanting historical romance that offers wit, sensuality and a delightful depth of emotion that will leave you soaring"; to put it bluntly, there is no depths of emotion or otherwise in this book, and not only does it not leave you soaring, but only with a deep sense of relief that you've finished reading it.

I believe the reviewers above were so interested in the secondary characters in the book - as I was myself, particularly the mysterious Adonis - simply because they were more fascinating than the lead characters themselves. So all in all, readers, this one's definitely not a keeper!

Having accidentally read book # 4 first, let me encourage any reader to read this series in order. This one, Merely Magic, is the first and does a splendid job of setting up Rice's remarkable magical world and the two families that gird the series.

The magic of the Malcolm women is unusual, and each one has her own special talent and unique way of looking at the world. Each Ives man is stubborn, arrogant, and scientifically-minded -- what could they possibly have in common? The two families are consistently intriguing and their individual antics, much less the inevitable combustion when they meet, are vastly entertaining. Add an excellent romance, and there is much to enjoy in this delightful book.

There are occasions when Drogo's arrogance is irritating and Ninian's submission is annoying, but these character flaws make them more realistic, and one can appreciate the difficulty in making a realtionship between opposites work. The superstition of the villagers and their resulting snubbing plays honestly. There are some historical gaffes, but all in all, it's a great read.

Ms. Price has written a compelling tale that's sure to enchant the reader as much as her heroine, Ninian Malcom Siddons, enchants her hero, Drogo Ives. Local legend declares that when a Malcolm and an Ives come together, disaster will strike the village. However, the only real disaster that strikes when Ninian and Drogo act upon their attraction is the shattering of Drogo's heretofore tenacious hold on logic and science as the only explanations for all mysteries of the universe.

Ms. Price combines plenty of humor, sizziling sensuality, and mystery as she weaves a magical story full of twists and turns and compelling characters. Ninian and Drogo captured my heart but the mysterious "Adonis" and Drogo's tormented brother, Dunstan, have captured my curiosity so intensely I'm crossing my fingers that it won't be long before we Patricia Rice fans are turning the pages of books starring "Adonis" and Dunstan--and what of all those wondrous, beautiful and "magical" Malcolm cousins? I'm clearing a shelf in eager anticipation for sequels to MERELY MAGIC.

Setting - England 1750 --- Ninian Malcolm lived in a cottage on the outskirts of the village of Wystan, and that one word - outskirts - more or less described her life up to that point. When her grandmother had been alive she hadn't been quite so lonely. Ninian didn't mind so much the feeling of being kept at a distance, especially where it was a well-known fact that she was a witch -a witch whose healing talents were gladly accepted, even if she was not. As a healer, she had the ability to `read' or `empathize' with a person's innermost feelings, so it was disconcerting, to say the least when the newly arrived Drago, Earl of Ives could completely block both his feelings and presence from her. Dark, mysterious, and totally logical, Drago did not accept the unexplainable- nor was he about to believe in witches or anything that reeked of the supernatural.

Meeting this `moonchild' on the feast of Beltane, would forever change both their lives as they were both inexplicitly drawn together into an attraction that according to legend should end in disaster, should the Ives and Malcolms mate. With the interference of Drago's cousin Sarah, who dabbled in matchmaking and aphrodisiacs the die would be cast and whether it was Sarah's interference, or pure unadulterated lust -- the passionate mating of these two polar opposites would forever change the course of their lives into one fantastic and `merely magical' event.

I truly loved this story. The historical significance of the Malcolm/Ives mating, Drago and Ninian's contrasting personalities and especially their totally mesmerizing families consisting of Ninian's witchy aunts, and cousins, and Drago's assortment of brothers, both legitimate and not - what a circus! This was such a distinctive and unusual read - even if Drago's stubbornness made me want to slap him along the side of his head to wake him up to other possibilities! Whew! Unfortunately, I have rated this a trifle lower based on the historical aspect, only because of the references made to helium which was not discovered until 1895 and seemed out of place in the 1750 setting of the book. Nonetheless, I am very much looking forward to reading more from this author on how this odd assortment of relatives (Dunstan, Adonis, Ewan, etc.) get on with the sequels in this planned series. --- Marilyn Rondeau, Official Reviewer for www.historicromancewriters.com ---

Magic rules over the hearts of lovers and friends once again, as romance author Patricia Rice presents her fans with another charming fairy tale of love and passion. Ninian Malcom Siddons has always known she was a witch. After all, she is a Malcom woman and all Malcom women are witches. But Ninian uses her "gifts" as a healer to help the village where she grew up. But her life was solitary and lonely, that is until Lord Ives appears on the scene determined to turn her life upside-down.

Drogo Ives is more interested in the stars and planets than everyday life, that is until he spies upon a pretty peasant girl who reminds him of moonbeams. The devilishly handsome lord finds himself entranced with the lady who claims she's a witch. With his thoughts turning towards having a family of his own, Drogo soon realizes that Ninian has cast a spell on his heart that can't be broken. A prolific author who is known for her contemporary and historical romances, Patricia Rice makes another stop in the realm of the magical and fantastical with her new novel, "Merely Magic." Rice sprinkles a generous dose of humor throughout her charming story of love and enchantment.

Sharon Galligar Chance - Times Record News

Merely Magic by Patricia Rice post this one!!
Historical Romance - March 1st, 2011
3 stars

Ninian is a witch, the last Malcolm to stay in the village Wystan. Even though she has watched over the villagers and healed those who were sick, Ninian has never been one of them. Instead she's an outsider as the people will never forget that she's a Malcolm - a witch. After generations of neglect, Lord Drogo Ives, the earl who owned the land, shows up out of the blue to stay at the castle. Drogo wants to leave London and his crazy family behind for a few days and enjoy some peace and quiet. However, when Drogo sees Ninian, he can't help but be attracted to her. But, legend says that whenever an Ives mates with a Malcolm, disaster strikes. Can that possibly be true?

A charming story populated by unconventional characters, Merely Magic is a light, fun read. The only problem is that Ninian is a little too quirky for me. The chemistry between Ninian and Drogo is a little unbelievable as Drogo is a practical, straightforward person and Ninian is the complete opposite. Still, Merely Magic is an interesting story with fascinating twists and turns.

Fans of Patricia Rice and new readers alike will be delighted by Ninian's eccentric personality.

Reviewed by Pauline from the Bookaholics Romance Club

Great story! Ninian and Drogo(The witch and the stargazer)and both of their family characters are very entertaining and full of personality. I truly hope Paticia Rice writes a few sequels around Drogo's brothers.This is the first book by the author I've read. I will definitely be looking forward to reading all her other books. If you like romance, you won't be disappoint with this one.

This being my first Patricia Rice novel, I have mixed feelings about her talents as a Romance novelist. Very interesting take on the game of love with some original ideas on relationships. The Malcom/Ives mythology is ingenious! However, I feel that the hero, Drogo was still too unaccepting and blind to Ninian's "gift" for comfort...that does not bode for a happily ever after...Other than the continued reinforcement of Drogo's inability to "listen" as Ninian put it, the book was a unique read, that has me waiting for a development of the different members of Drogo's family. Such as the mysterious Adonis, Dunstan and even meddlesome, manipulative Sarah.

Some might enjoy this book but it didn't do much for me. The beginning happened too fast and then the story became very...very slow paced.

Drogo was intolerable for me as well as those women who follow him. Ninian was too submissive and didn't do anything to defend herself. She didn't want to be an outcast but made no effort at all. When someone constantly doesn't listen, you would think they would do something about it. Ninian just kept repeating herself and Drogo just never listened. I also didn't like the fact that Drogo treated Ninian, even when he found out she was prego with his baby. The relationship was just too forced. There was no attraction build up. It was just too flat and too many characters to follow.

I only read a third of the book and skipped to the end. The end wasn't anything special either. Overall, eh...