Rating: 5 stars
Buy Link: Amazon | iBooks | Amazon UK
Length: Novel

The dangers that the extended Blackmoor family face have reached a pinnacle, with not only them under threat, but the whole magical community. The mysterious Icarian is one step ahead of the warlocks, scheming to steal the five crests to give him enough power to bring about the Spell Fall.

Since the beginning of his relationship with Mason Blackmoor, Drake Carpenter has fought vampyren, witches, and sorcerers. Drake remains an anomaly with his immunity to even the most powerful magic. It is the spell bound love between Drake and Mason that has given them both strength and comfort in the darkest of times. When Drake is given a warning that is past will threaten his present, he begins to be plagued by menacing dreams in which his and Mason’s love is seriously questioned. Whether or not these dreams are premonitions is unclear, but Drake is unprepared for the information he is about to discover that will jeopardize everything which now means so much to him.

Spell Fall is the fourth book in Jacob Z. Flores’ The Warlock Brothers of Havenbridge series. It is essential that these books be read in order because each story is a continuation of the drama before. We first met Drake in book one of the series, Spell Bound, and he has played an important role in each novel since then. The difference with Spell Fall is that Drake is the first person narrator – and a human – when previously the Blackmoor brothers, Mason, Thad, and Pierce have narrated their own respective stories. The fact that Drake is non-magical does not make Spell Fall any less compelling. Flores’ series is one that I have followed, without fail, and I know the vital part Drake has played. Spell Fall gives Flores an opportunity to expand on Drake’s story, giving him a past and a questionable future.

Drake has always been the calm to Mason’s storm and we have never been given any doubtd about their romance – until now. Flores successfully fills his reader with apprehension and concern. I was shocked by the revelations we learn about Drake – apparently gasping out loud whilst reading Spell Fall in public earns strange looks!

Spell Fall has clearly been well planned and I love the fact that we may be four books into a series, but there are no inconsistencies in the storytelling. Perhaps the most important thing, for me as a reader, is that Flores’ characters have remained solid and unique. Despite all that Drake has encountered, he still has the same warmth and unselfishness that we witnessed in Spell Bound. However, in Spell Fall Drake is stronger, more resilient and resolute. He has developed as a character, but remains likable and trustworthy. This makes it easier for the reader to sympathize with Drake throughout Spell Fall, whilst hoping for the happy for now ending we expect from The Warlocks of Havenbridge series.

Whether or not it was Flores’ intention to use Spell Fall as social commentary, I certainly felt there was something deeper to Flint’s protests about the magical community and Drake’s counter-arguments:

“You take the lives of people whose only crime is bein’ born different from the rest of us. How can you possibly think that’s the right thing to do?”

Even if Flores did not write words like this with an ulterior motive, they definitely struck a chord with me, making me consider the contemporary world and its struggles.

Love is a really important theme within Spell Fall and Flores explores the relationship between Drake and Mason in more detail than before, particularly the idea of being “spell bound,” cleverly bringing The Warlocks of Havenbridge stories full circle and tying this book to the first in the series. Yet, Flores also shows how much Drake and Mason’s romance has progressed, especially as far as their physical relationship is concerned. Flores is very careful in his use of sex between the pair and these scenes are full of not only passion and intensity, but obvious love.

Having Mason inside me and hearing the whimpers and moans my mouth and tongue ripped from his body filled the chasm that had briefly opened in my stomach. The gnawing fear subsided, replaced by the overpowering love and desire that filled the room with heavy breathing and the musky cloud of sex.

I really liked the fact that Flores uses this physicality to reinforce Mason and Drake’s feelings for one another and, at the same time, allowing the story to cross over from a young adult readership to a wider audience.

Spell Fall is an excellent addition to The Warlocks of Havenbridge series. It has danger, intrigue, and a heartfelt romance that readers will love.

A review copy of this book was provided by Dreamspinner Press.