“You will find as you look back upon your life that the moments when you have really lived are the moments when you have done things in the spirit of love.” –Henry Drummond
While Wild Magic is the fourth book in Poppy Dennison’s popular Triad series, it is great as a standalone. I didn’t read the previous three books, and this one made perfect sense to me. There were several vague references to prior events which I assumed happened in books one through three, but it didn’t detract from the story being told in Wild Magic.
I am not generally a fan of supernatural fiction. Sometimes it’s ok, but definitely not my first choice. I had the opportunity to read and review Wild Magic. With the success of the series and getting to know Poppy a little bit on Facebook, I wanted to give it a try. I am glad I did! I learned a valuable lesson. Never rule out an entire genre. If I had declined Wild Magic on the grounds that I don’t like paranormal books, I would have missed out on a fun read.
Joseph Anderson and Dominic Levent were childhood friends for years. Dominic’s younger sister Krista often tagged along. The boys both had crushes on each other, but neither knew it. Dominic was born a mountain lion shifter. As his sexual desire for Joseph began to grow, Dominic found it increasingly difficult to control his urge to shift. The shifter pack had been taught early and often that humans must never find out about their existence. Because of this Dominic told Joseph he couldn’t see him any more and disappeared from his life, taking his secret feelings with him.
Fifteen years later Joseph is a successful real estate agent and Dominic is a U.S. Marshal. Joseph is hiking in the mountain trails behind his childhood home and hears children yelling for their mother. He prepares to face what he believes is a mountain lion. The boys are yelling at their mother, not to her. She has been gravely injured and is dying. All Joseph sees is an injured mountain lion and two small boys close to it. When he tells the boys to get away, they refuse. The lion turns into Krista before Joseph’s eyes. She says it is too late for her but that Joseph must take her two sons and find Dominic. The boys are in danger and Dominic will know what to do. As Krista dies, Joseph realizes that he has no choice but to take the boys, ages four and six, to his home in the city and try to contact their Uncle.
As soon as Dominic arrives, he is stunned by his sister’s death, scared for his nephews who he was rarely allowed to see because the pack Alpha saw him as a threat and didn’t want him around, and immediately reminded of his attraction to Joseph. Poor, confused Joseph. He still has no idea why Dominic left him when they were teens or what is happening now. Dominic has no choice but to tell him, and show him.
Joseph is blown away by Dominic’s beauty in his cat form. Just as he is wondering if he can make Dom purr like a cat, the boys come in and Dom does start to purr. Joseph thinks it is one of the most beautiful sounds he has ever heard. After changing back to his human form, Dom begins to answer Joseph’s questions. His attraction to Joseph comes out, but Joseph keeps his mutual attraction to himself for now.
Dom needs to find out what happened to his sister and their pack. He finds the entire pack has been killed and somehow Krista got the boys out in time to save them. Dom receives help from his Marshals partner and they begin to investigate. Enter a Wolf-shifting bartender and a Mage who is Dom’s current case. They lead to the local wolf pack where the Alpha is also gay and assures Dominic that the one responsible for the massacre of the mountain lion pack has been killed.
While at the wolves’ compound, Dom senses an Alpha mountain lion shifter. A little boy, the son of the previous Alpha has also survived. He is friends with Dom’s nephews and the three have been communicating through the mind link that the Alpha shares with all his pack members.
Dominic and Joseph begin to explore their feeling for each other and try to find a way to make a “pack of their own” with Dom’s nephews. Difficult and painful decisions have to be made based on what is best for the children. As is usually the case (thankfully for the readers!) the best choice for the children is the best choice for everyone involved.
I am a sucker for a long lost love given a second chance story. That is really what this book was at its heart. It was a comfort to Joseph, who thought he had done something wrong, or perhaps given away his attraction to Dom and driven him away when they were younger. It was more than comforting to Dom to learn of Joseph’s mutual desire for him.
Wild Magic is a light, sweet story about lost love rediscovered. It just happens to be complicated by shifters, children and a job that requires Dom to travel a lot. Since when, in the world of romance, have those things been too big to overcome? This time they aren’t, either.
Highly recommended.
You can buy Wild Magic (Triad #4) here:
The Novel Approach Reviews 
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