Ancient Magic – Meg Cowley & Victoria DeLuis

Can a cursed relic be saved from the clutches of evil before it is used to wreak devastation?
Kukulkan’s Skull should never have existed; nothing more than a legendary relic with the death powers of a god. Deep in the ancient Mexican jungles, it has been found… and stolen.
Zoe Stark, witch and magical relic hunter, must discover who the true enemy is in time to save the skull from being used for great evil.
Time is running out, for the Day of the Dead fast approaches, when the skull will be at the zenith of its devastating power. Zoe finds much more is at stake as she chases a cold trail of murder and magic.
Her own life is in danger as the mastermind behind the theft silences those who get too close, but she cannot give up, for to fail, would be to doom millions of innocent lives.
If Zoe fails, the skull’s first victim will be her…

Rogue Magic is the first in a new series by fantasy authors Meg Cowley and Victoria DeLuis. It’s a short, snappy thrill ride through the jungles of Mexico on the trail of an ancient relic which should never have existed. It’s also great fun – I loved the character of Zoe Stark, who comes across as a mixture of Lara Croft and Indiana Jones, but with more sass, a sprinkle of sarcasm and rather more ass-kicking. There’s globe-trotting galore, seedy underworlds, evil villains and, of course, magic… What more could you want?

It’s always refreshing to see a strong female lead, and Zoe Stark is just that – taking no nonsense from anyone (well, maybe apart from her boss, sometimes!). If I had any complaint it was that the book was a little on the short side – it’s an intriguing glimpse into a new magic-infused world – the focus here is firmly on the adventure which zips along at quite a pace, but I want to find out more about the Magicai and Zoe’s next adventures! I’m sure there’ll be plenty of those to come.

Ancient Magic is out now – you can get the ebook or paperback on Amazon. Meg can be found on twitter < href=”https://twitter.com/megcowley”>@megcowley and Victoria is @DeLuisWrites. Go say hello, but go get the book first!