Meriel Owen knows she does things a little differently than her mom, the current leader of the most powerful clan of witches in the country, and she's okay with that. In fact, she's more than okay with that because she thinks when she takes over, interacting with different clans and out-clan witches will be necessary to give all witches the best defenses they can have against "stuck" witches and mages (addicted to stealing others' power because the Earth no longer recognizes them). When she goes on a minor mission to warn the owner of club that he cannot dip into the clan's font without giving something back, she's delighted to learn that sexy Dominic Bright is her bondmate.

His whole life, Dominic has been warned away from clan witches and their "us-first" ways. However, he's bowled over by how pushy Meriel not only won't back down, but that she also doesn't intend to drag him off into the clan ranks immediately: she's willing to give him time to understand her and her ways. However, waiting to get to know each other causes more frustration than they know how to deal with! In addition, Dominic must come to terms with revelations about his past and his family that threatens their relationship.

In addition to their personal challenges, Meriel has to track down some mages who have been leaving drained witch bodies across the country. As powerful as she is, she makes a delicious target for the magically-addicted.

This is a great new series, and I'm ready for the next book! The interactions between characters are great, and the world-building provides a lot of interesting twists and turns to explore for future books. I also really just liked the characters, particularly the depictions of Meriel's mom and dad and how they work together.

Book Summary

Someone is illegally siphoning magic from the font of the Clan. When Meriel Owen, next in line to control the largest organization of witches in the country, discovers that it's the hot owner of a notorious underground club, she strokes an unusual deal that may plunge them all into the heart of darkness.