Genre: Paranormal, Fantasy, Romance
LGBTQ+ Category: Gay
Reviewer: Tony
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About The Series
Lucifer Fireborn is a high magic user with a taste for the high life. He spends his days, along with his anchor brother Darwin, chasing the rogue magic users who don’t follow the rules all magic users live by. When his brother claims his own fated mate, and can’t anchor for Lucifer anymore, Lucifer has to find someone else to anchor for him, or risk setting everything and everyone around him on fire. But there’s a problem… Lucifer really doesn’t want anyone drooling over him, because that’s what people do.
Stefan de Marco is homeless again. Ranking as one of the highest scoring anchors in the country doesn’t count for anything when a man leaves his employ just so he can keep his pants on. It’s not the first time he’s been in that situation, and with his familiar Garrick, Stefan gets by. He was raised in the Trades Sector and he knows the value of hard work. When his path crosses with a desperate Lucifer, sparks fly, but not the ones Lucifer was hoping for.
Underneath it all is the insidious Brethren who believe high magic users should be able to use their magic without the grounding effects of an anchor. They seek to enslave or kill anchors in their bid to gain attention. Lucifer and Stefan have to find a way to work together to bring down the organization, but it’s not an easy thing to do when the two men come from different sides of the track.
The Magic Users of Greenford Trilogy should be read in order. It follows the one couple, Lucifer and Stefan, as they learn to manage their magic, and their love for each other in the face of adversity.
Warnings: Some violence.
The Review
The Magic Users of Greenford is a trilogy set in a world full of magic users, ranging from those without any magic to those with so much magic they can’t control it – they are a danger to everyone and everything if they don’t have a dedicated anchor to help control the release of their magic. The fact that these anchors have magic of their own seems to have no importance to the powers that be. They are seen as no more than necessary tools that have no rights of their own.
The society has a number of different levels, the top one being the entitled and including the top-ranking magic wielders. The lower level of interest here is the trade sector, which includes craftspeople. And at the very bottom are the anchors, even though they seem to be the most important magic users.
The trilogy follows Lucifer, a high magic user, and Stefan, his anchor and a powerful magic user in his own right. They’re on a mission to rid the world of dark magicians and their ilk, while addressing the unfairness of the system towards anchors. And unfairness is an understatement.
Stefan has had it tough since his magic became evident and his first ‘tutor’ died, but then Lucifer came into his life and, while things didn’t get 100% better, there are some good moments. Of course, those don’t include the numerous times when they nearly die.
The only people they can really depend on are each other. They need to talk and, as Stefan’s familiar tells them more than once, sort themselves out and come to a working understanding. There were times when Lucifer had me cringing but he manages to come back from the edge, with Stefan’s help. Lots of issues are dealt with sensitively and the good do finally come out on top.
Illuminate
Book one introduces the two main characters to us and to each other. They’re both magic users; one a high magic user and the other an anchor. The beginning of their relationship is definitely rocky. Lucifer (Lucy) Fireborn is a spoilt, over-entitled mage and celebrity who can do what he likes when and with whom he wants. He is so swallowed up by his own hype that he ignores what those around him need. He is only where he is because of his powerful magic, his family name and the fact that his brother was his anchor who allows him to use his magic safely and effectively. Yet he’s been ignoring his brother’s need to bond with his mate, as it would interfere with his self aggrandising missions for the Magical Council.
Stefan De Marco, on the other hand, is an out-of-work, out-of-funds, homeless anchor from the trade class, the son of a clock-maker. All he has are the clothes on his back; a hat that belonged to Gaston, the first magic user he anchored for; Garrick, his familiar; and his carpet bag. It is immaterial that he is a powerful mage in his own right, as he can be an anchor to those who cannot restrain their magic when they need to use it. He is persuaded to apply to be Lucifer’s new anchor but is met at first with animosity and disdain. Not a good start for them, but brilliant for this reader.
What saves the situation is the attraction they feel for one another that goes beyond the norm. They soon realise they are fated mates. The first book charts their relationship from this rocky start to their less rocky life together as they work on a mission to bring a murderous mage to justice. I say less rocky beciase the only time things go smoothly are during their ‘matings’. At other times Lucifer’s habit of taking control, not speaking to Stefan, and not considering consequences or hidden agendas lead him to making rash decisions which put both of them in danger, which seems to be lurking around every corner. No one can be trusted.
This story is both a thriller and a paranormal romance with a happy-for-now ending. It covers the issues around social standing, and deals with lies, loss, death and love. It also charts the growth of the couple’s relationship. That’s not to say all their issues are resolved by the end. That is going to take awhile, with Lucifer being such a control freak.
Eradicate
Book two starts book one left off. This story follows Lucifer and Stefan as they begin to realise nothing is as it appears. Every one Lucifer knows seems to be on the enemy’s side – and who is the enemy really? The Brethren or his own colleagues? His boss cannot be trusted, but Lucy does not want to see it even though Stefan tries to convince him. Lucifer is not one to sit and discuss anything. He’s a man of action. He’s also a trusting and dependable friend who will put his life on the line if needed and he expects the same from his colleagues. But he is unforgiving when he is let dow,n much to the chagrin of those around him, which is where this story begins and ends – with some of those disgruntled friends striking back at him.
Lucifer and Stefan are now supposed to be working for Monty and Darwin to support and protect magical anchors, but Lucifer has a problem letting anything go, so there’s always something he’s hiding from Stefan, until his anchor either finds out or Lucifer comes clean.
They confront the Brethren when they go to New York for Monty to investigate a case brought by Agent Foster of the New York office of the Magical Council. It’s there that they begin to realise that the Brethren may be more than just cranks. When they return to Greenford, they encounter Stefan’s new familiar and finally the twins, ex-friends of Lucy who are now enraged and mad adherents of the Brethren.
Validate
Book three again follows right on from the previous book, with Lucifer and Stefan about to take a vacation, only to be convinced to carry out an investigation for the Brethren. The only one really convinced to take on the job is Lucifer – he’s like a child at times. He wants to do what he wants to do, no matter what. In this case, that’s aligning himself with the very people who want to see anchors lose the few meagre rights they have.
Stefan works hard to convince him, and he does finally listen, but they’re now in danger of going their own ways.
Validate finally answers some of the burning questions concerning Stefan, and addresses anchors’ position in society.
There were a few things that still felt unresolved – for instance, Lucifer’s old boss Ben, who is to be nowhere to be seen. And with agent Foster and his anchor Ethan, we do get something about them, but I can’t say it was satisfactory. Introducing new characters right at the end just to give us some sort of resolution doesn’t do it for me – even if they bring a smile or two to the proceedings.
As a series, “The Magic Users of Greenford” gets better as it goes on – the main characters show real growth and overcome the dastardly plots against their lives. While not perfect, this series is always entertaining.
The Reviewer
Tony is an Englishman living amongst the Welsh and the Other Folk in the mountains of Wales. He lives with his partner of thirty-six years, four dogs, two ponies, various birds, and his bees. He is a retired lecturer and a writer of no renown but that doesn’t stop him enjoying what he used to think of as ‘sensible’ fantasy and sf. He’s surprised to find that if the story is well written and has likeable characters undergoing the trails of life, i.e. falling in love, falling out of love, having a bit of nooky (but not all the time), fending off foes, aliens and monsters, etc., he’ll be happy as a sandperson who has just offloaded a wagon of sand at the going market price. As long as there’s a story, he’s in. He aims to write fair and honest reviews. If he finds he is not the target reader he’ll move on.