Unraveling Words: Unraveling: Dirty Magic by Jaye Wells

Title: Dirty Magic

Series: The Prospero's War Book One

Publication Date: January 21, 2014

The last thing patrol cop Kate Prospero expected to find on her nightly rounds was a werewolf covered in the blood of his latest victim. But then, she also didn't expect that shooting him would land her in the crosshairs of a Magic Enforcement Agency task force, who wants to know why she killed their lead snitch.

The more Prospero learns about the dangerous new potion the MEA is investigating, the more she's convinced that earning a spot on their task force is the career break she's been wanting. But getting the assignment proves much easier than solving the case. Especially once the investigation reveals their lead suspect is the man she walked away from ten years earlier—on the same day she swore she'd never use dirty magic again.

Kate Prospero's about to learn the hard way that crossing a wizard will always get you burned, and that when it comes to magic, you should be never say never.

***

My Thoughts

Dirty Magic started out great. I loved the magic system and how Wells made magic a drug. Adepts, who are left handed, can cook the potions and not get addicted but instead they'd get addicted to the power. While understandable I don't think it's anywhere as bad as the addiction that it caused on the Mundanes and if you are smart you'd be able to work around the feeling of power cooking magic gave, and that was my main problem with the whole book.

Kate is supposed to be an incredible Adept. She got cocky after a while and didn't test her potion so obviously someone very important to her ended up dead. From then on she has banned and avoided ANYTHING that involves magic. I'd understand maybe taking a break after that of course, but it's been 10 years later and she still has her head stuck in the sand. My problem isn't only that she is just running away from magic, it's that she gives an attitude to everyone who tries to help her with it and god forbid someone tell her she suck it and use magic to save herself and her brother, how dare they say something so rational?! I get you should have some principles but to me she just came off as judgy bitch looking down her nose at everyone who used magic.

Her attitude over all was grating. At first I thought it was great, she could her own and didn't let people take advantage of her, but she crossed the line. She was so damn immature, and not in the funny/cute way. She knew she was being a bitch and taking out her shortcomings on everyone else but she kept doing it anyway and when they called her out on it, she had the gall to get even more pissed at them. I can't stand people like that. Kate's neighbor, Baba, puts it very well:

“I don’t trust myself around any magic.”

The words tumbled out before I’d realized I was going to say them. And in the wake of the confession, the two women both went utterly still and silent.

“Kate,” Pen said, “that was really brave of you.” Her tone didn’t hold any judgment.

“You’re a moron,” Baba said.

I pulled back in shock. “Excuse me?”

She waved a hand, finally getting animated. “You two with your recovery meetings and your ‘one day at a time.’” She made a disgusted sound. “You sound like children afraid of shadows. Magic is a gift from God. A divine tool given to us to make life easier. But you act like it’s your master. That’s farkakte!”

I blinked at her. I didn’t speak Yiddish, but I got the idea. “No offense, Baba, but those homespun poultices and tinctures you brew are nothing like dirty magic. You can’t begin to understand the power it holds over people.”

Baba made another disgusted noise and waved a hand through the air.
“People allow things to have power over them. You want to get your head right, girlie?” She snapped her fingers together as if she were grabbing something from the air. “You gotta snatch that power back!”

As far as the plot went it was fine I guess. There weren't any surprises for me at least. It was obvious what was going on and just a bit frustrating having to watch them run around to get the answers and evidence needed for the case. Not to mention the requisite villain's monologue at the end was a tad over the top.

Oh and did I mention I see a love triangle coming along for later books? Needless to say this is a series I will not be continuing.

So...