Story Rating: 4.5 stars
Audio Rating: 4.75 stars
Narrator: Greg Boudreaux
Length: 10 hours, 12 minutes
Audiobook Buy Links: Amazon/Audible | iBooks
Book Buy Links: Amazon | iBooks
Private Investigator Twig Starfig and his boyfriend, wizard Quinn Broomsparkle, have been hired by a local professor to find an important artifact. It seems like a straightforward job, but nothing about the case proves easy as they almost lose their lives from the start. From there, the men end up right in the middle of a murder investigation and have to explain to a suspicious EBI why they keep turning up at crime scenes.
On the personal front, Quinn and Twig are still working out some things in their relationship. The men are incredibly happy and still committed to each other for the long haul. But while Twig’s dragon is itching to officially mate, Quinn is more wary. After being stuck in an abusive relationship, he isn’t sure how he feels about another binding partnership, even though he trusts Twig totally. As the only wizard/dragon familiar pair out there, the men are still learning about the intricacies of their connection and what it all means for their magic.
On top of that, Twig has reluctantly agreed to his father’s insistence that he run for local council, a job he doesn’t really want, but will accept to keep the peace with his dad. Then Twig learns that his father has been receiving death threats that he doesn’t appear to be taking very seriously. Add in explosions in the office, their assistant dating a demon, and gnomes who are not the adorable guys they appear to be, and things are pretty much chaos. Fortunately, Quinn and Twig are a team and are committed to solving the case, resolving the crises, and continuing to build their relationship long term.
Be Fairy Game is the second book in Meghan Maslow’s excellent Starfig Investigations series. The books focus on different cases, so this could technically stand alone, but it would enhance your reading enjoyment to be familiar with the different side characters, as well as some of the events of the past book.
One of the things that stands out most for me in these stories is the great world building. The books are a lighthearted fantasy with a lot of humor and fun. Maslow has built a really creative world populated by a wide variety of paranormal creatures. In addition to Quinn’s wizard and Twigs half dragon/half fae, there are demons and unicorns, griffins and gnomes, and a hold host of other magical beings. I love the way Maslow puts a twist on some many of these characters. For example, their assistant Bill is a civilized red fury who wears bow ties, while Quinn’s former master is an evil unicorn. There is so much creativity here, I feel like each page is a new discovery of some clever or interesting take on the fantasy world.
I really enjoy Quinn and Twig together. The first story features the men falling for each other and here they are solidly a couple. But despite that, there are still issues to work out as they are really just finding their way through this wizard/familiar dynamic and what it means for them. I love that while Twig is the big hulking dragon, the one who intimidates most people, it is really Quinn who has the power. Not just in magical ability, but also in the way Twig just adores him and would do anything for Quinn. They are fun together and I enjoy the stubbornness that runs through both of them, but also the way that they are fiercely loyal to one another as well.
The case is fun and twisty throughout the book. There is enough going on here to keep the mystery side of things interesting and to also tie in with various things that are going on with the men in their personal lives. The story also has a variety of side characters, and here Bill gets a big role. I hope that we get to see poor Bill find love as well!
I listened to this in audio with narrator Greg Boudreaux. Once again, he does an excellent job with this series, capturing both the playful and silly moments, as well as the more intense ones. Twig and Quinn’s voices fit them well and remain consistent throughout the series. There are a number of side characters of varying species and Boudreaux does really well with them too. The story has a large ensemble and the voices are unique, consistent, and feel like they fit with the type of being each characters embodies. I found myself thoroughly engaged with this one and couldn’t stop listening.
Overall, I really enjoyed this story. As much as I liked the first one, I think this second book is even better. And the narration is fabulous and a perfect complement to the story. I am excited to see that the third book is releasing soon and I’ll be eager to check out the audio for that one as well.
