Title: Hand of Glory
Series: Arcane Hearts: Book Five
Author: Nazri Noor
Publisher: Amazon/Kindle Unlimited
Length: 281 Pages
Category: Fantasy
Rating: 4 Stars
At a Glance: The Arcane Hearts series is a good fit for readers who like Urban Fantasy that includes fun and interesting world building but lacks the darker themes and a story saturated in existential dread. Noor has created such a nice harmony between the serious and the sweet, and the story wouldn’t be the same without Jackson being cheeky from time to time. Or, let’s be honest, most of the time.
Reviewed By: Lisa
Blurb: Glamor, glitter, and gold.
Jackson Pryde and the great guilds of the Black Market are recovering in the aftermath of the fae attacks. With Xander Wright at his side, Jackson finds the strength and spellpower to rebuild.
Yet the fae keep coming, infiltrating under cover of illusions and glamor. And then there’s the upcoming Grayhaven gala, a gathering that’s sure to attract their destructive appetites.
Whispers speak of a strange and powerful candle, one that will help Jackson find the source of the fae and stop their attacks forever. Where are the fae coming from? Who is sending them to spread chaos?
And most important of all: where will Jackson find the time and courage to propose?
Review: Nazri Noor’s Hand of Glory sets out to accomplish several missions in the series arc. Mission one: locating the portal the fae are using to cross into the human realms. Mission two: working to discover who’s embedding invasive crystals under their skin. Mission three: battling an ever more aggressive, sinister and violent version of the crystalized fae. Mission four: beginning the rebuilding of the Halls of Making. Mission five: Jackson finding the perfect ring and then working up the nerve to ask Xander to marry him.
Some missions are accomplished while others are still a work in progress, making this installment a transition book in the series, the bridge that drives Jackson, Xander, Beatrice, Preston, Sedgewick (I love that we get to see him in a different light; who knew he was such a badass???), and Lore, along with their allies, onward into what is sure to be a dangerous and bloody encounter with the fae, who are bent upon returning to the Black Market and the world that humans drove them from. The story makes some statements about the injustice of discriminating against all based on the actions of the few, and, as has been the case all along, it balances the more serious nature of the storyline with the sass and friendships and sweetness of the relationship between Jackson and Xander, as well as the sentimental moments between Jackson and Lore.
The Arcane Hearts series is a good fit for readers who like Urban Fantasy that includes fun and interesting world building but lacks the darker themes and a story saturated in existential dread. Noor has created such a nice harmony between the serious and the sweet, and the story wouldn’t be the same without Jackson being cheeky from time to time. Or, let’s be honest, most of the time. The sense of a healing community coming together for a common cause seems to be building around Jackson, along with the potential of him becoming the new Guild Master of the Halls of Making, but what looms large in Hand of Glory is the anticipation of Jackson proposing to Xander. Of course, there’s not much doubt what the answer will be thanks to their relationship being so unwaveringly solid, and Nazri Noor didn’t disappoint in delivering the big moment.
There’s a sense of anticipation permeating this book, but it also felt a bit like taking a breather to gird ourselves for the battle(s) looming on the horizon. Taking the fight to the fae, if the tide turns, could prove an interesting turn of events.
You can buy Hand of Glory here:
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