Bound by Silver: A Funny Asian Urban Fantasy Novel

Celine Jeanjean

Razor's Edge Chronicles Book 2 · Celine Jeanjean

About this ebook

Dive into this fun and quirky Urban Fantasy series that draws from Asian mythology!

I’m still only a barber to the supernatural, and I still have super weak magic, but I’ve somehow been tasked with essentially saving the world.

Yeah, I know. And if I don’t deliver, it’s my neck on the line.

So far, it’s not going too well. In fact, it’s not going at all, frankly. I have no idea where to start, no power to make anything happen, and yes, Tim the cat continues to be a sarcastic pain in the ass that’s no help whatsoever.

As if I didn’t have enough on my plate, there’s also a weird, recent increase in human suicides that definitely feels like it’s linked to something magical.

And then to top it all off, a Mundane holding an amulet manages to enter the barbershop, which should be impossible, given all the spells in place to keep them out.

I’m going to need to figure out what’s going on pretty damn quick before the Mayak decide I’m not up to the job and get rid of me. I’m up the proverbial creek without the proverbial paddle.

Grab Bound by Silver to find out if I manage to produce that pesky paddle and live to shave another day.  

Please note that this is book 2 of a continuous series. The author recommends that you start with book 1, Touched by Magic. 

Fans of the following authors are known to enjoy this urban fantasy series:

Lindsay Buroker, Leanne Leads, Kelly St. Clare, Emma Scott, Rebecca Hamilton, Elizabeth Briggs, Caroline Peckham, Susanne Valenti, Harley Laroux, Jaymin Eve, Deborah Wilde, Shannon Mayer, Michelle Madow, Kate Danley, P.C. James, Janet Butler Male, Bobbi Holmes, Anna J. McIntrye

Keywords: Urban fantasy, UF, urban fantasy series, Asian urban fantasy, Asian magical creatures, werewolves, dragons, vampires, fairies, fae, shapeshifters, paranormal, snarky urban fantasy, snappy banter, funny urban fantasy, urban fantasy with strong female lead, magic, asian mythology, original world-building, contemporary fantasy, paranormal books, vampire fantasy, fun urban fantasy, humorous urban fantasy books, supernatural thrillers books, supernatural powers, magic, come into powers.

Ratings and reviews

What we know when our story begins is the Mundanes (humanity)are destroying Mayak (magical beings) habitat by tearing down old buildings. So, some of the Mayak want to go to war in order to cull the Mundane population and stop their modern sprawl. It is a lowly Touched, Apiya, who has been given the task of making sure the war doesn’t happen. She must find a solution within one year or she will be killed. She and Chai (remember Chai?) have been brainstorming unsuccessfully on how to solve the problem. On the way to talk with him again, Apiya sees a suicide and feels a strange cold sensation. Perhaps a ghost urged her to jump. She and Chai go to the closest cemetery to see if they can find out more information about ghosts. They find tombstones and graves are being uprooted to create room for new graves. Maybe ghosts have been disturbed and are angry with the living? Who can tell them about ghosts? Apiya knows that baku are Mayak who take the memories of those who about to die and they store them. Ilmu is a very old baku and has years and years of memories stored. She tells Apiya that Mundane ghosts are a world unto themselves, having their own kind of magic which is not linked to the Mayak. After speaking with Ilmu, Apiya returns to the barbershop, puts in her day of work, and at closing time, she is sweeping the floor when a human – without magic – walks through the spells and wards she always puts in place and enters the shop. The Mundane is surprised and excited by what he sees. Apiya thinks this can’t be happening! After she puts a freeze spell on the Mundane, she searches his pockets and finds a small amulet of green jade. She can feel the magic coming from the stone and calls Chai who comes right over. When she removes the spell from the Mundane, he is just as surprised as when he first walks in the door. She puts him under the spell again and takes him out again, and he acts exactly the same way he does the first time he come in the shop. Perhaps something is wrong with his memory. She calls Ilmu who comes to the shop. Ilmu tells them another baku has stolen the Mundane’s memories. She thinks the other baku is probably crazy. Apiya has been looking at the amulet and wonders how it has caused all this chaos. When she “nudges” the stone with her magic, Ilmu’s true form is suddenly revealed. Oh, dear. Whoever holds this amulet would be able to see every being in its true form. The Mayak would no longer be able to hide behind a glamour. Time to speak to Sarroch. (Remember Sarroch?) What follows the visit to Sarroch’s home is a convoluted, yet logical series, of events. As the state of affairs unfold, piece by piece, all is revealed. The circumstances that she is thrown into and the things Apiya discovers are more than any Touched could possibly handle. So, why do they keep happening to her? Here’s hoping you have already read “Touched by Magic” because it explains so much about the characters that inhabit the world of “Bound in Silver.” Apiya is a character you can’t help but fall in lo

This book continues the story of Apiya who lives in the island city of Panyong where Mundanes like you and me are unaware of the other residents, those who have magical powers, the Mayaks. Apriya stands between those two worlds. She is familiar with both but is different because she has been “touched” with a little magic. This is why she has been given the task of preventing war between the Mundanes and the Mayaks. Luckily, she has the assistance of the fascinating Sarroch, a Mayak whom she has only seen shifted into the body of a handsome Mundane. While trying to work out how to carry out her mission, Apiya notices another problem. Several young Mundanes have committed suicide for no reason and she senses the presence of something supernatural which is not a Mayak. Soon she is entangled in extreme danger and no-one is going to help her. Apriya is coming of age, learning to rely on her own abilities and to protect those who are vulnerable. The gripping story of this brave young woman also includes an intriguing question. Where did she come from and how is she able to solve problems so effectively? I was very disappointed that the story suddenly ends just when she is about to follow up a lead about her past but of course that means I will need to read the third volume of the Razor’s Edge Chronicles.

A good little story in an obviously larger series. A great read with enough action to be exciting and enough details to be interesting. This book, as are the others in the series, is written a bit odd. It feels a bit like the main character is working their story in a journal so there's a lot of her explaining situations and describing people. As in the first book the magic still isn't explained well, I'm not sure if that's on purpose but at this point in a series I feel I should have a better grasp on things. Many other secrets/mysteries have been revealed and of course new ones brought up to be revealed in future books but the magic is still vague so I think it's just an oversight of the author's. Or perhaps the main character, who is telling the story, doesn't know how the magic works. I don't quite get that feeling but maybe that's it. We'll see if future books enlighten me as I will be reading them. A quick read in a fun world.

About the author

Celine is a nomadic writer who roams the world laptop in hand, having adventures and then telling stories inspired by those adventures. Kind of like a digital storytelling wanderer.

Her stories feature complex but flawed characters, lots of quirkiness, snappy banter, and richly imagined worlds.

If you’re ready to escape to new worlds and make new book friends, go to http://celinejeanjean.com/freebook/ to grab yourself some exclusive, free novellas.