Touched by Magic: Asian Urban Fantasy

Celine Jeanjean

Feb 2021 · Razor's Edge Chronicles Book 1 · Celine Jeanjean

About this eBook

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

I’m Apiya. No, I’m not a badass magical assassin. I’m a barber to the supernatural.

My magic is very weak and very niche—it works best with keeping things clean.

I know. I can sense your awe at my power already.

And I’m sure you can see why barbering suits me well.

Although now that I’ve mastered the art of trimming a weretiger’s regrowth, my biggest challenge is fielding the insults of the shop’s cat. Sometimes I wish I had enough magic to go deeper into the city’s magical underbelly.

You know what they say—be careful what you wish for.

Everything changes when a pair of forest fae come into the shop one night, asking for help to protect their youngling. Something’s got them properly spooked, but they won’t say what.

If it’s big and bad enough to scare the fae, it’s most definitely powerful enough to make a mouthful of me—probably a small mouthful, at that. And now that the fae have come to me, whatever’s after them is also after me.

My weak magic and a sarcastic cat for backup are unlikely to be enough to keep me alive and save the fae youngling. How the hell am I going to get out of this mess? 

Grab Touched by Magic to see if I make it. Oh, and don’t get offended if the cat insults you…

An urban fantasy book with weird magic, a sarcastic cat, and snappy banter.

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, paranormal books free, vampire fantasy, supernatural books, fun urban fantasy, free full length urban fantasy, humorous urban fantasy books, supernatural thrillers books, supernatural powers, magic, come into powers, contemporary fantasy

Ratings and reviews

I will admit that I am a little resistant to change. Having been a follower of Celine Jeanjean’s Viper and the Urchin series for several years, I was sad to see it come to an earlier this year, even as I was excited to see what Celine would write next. It’s going to be nigh impossible for me to not compare this new series to the former, so please bear with me. This one did not grab me quite the same way the first Viper book did, but it was still a fun ride. I’ve been careful to be reading fairly light-hearted books lately since a few heavy stories left me in a reading slump for most of February, and this was exactly the type of story I was looking for. It does feel like a series opener, with lots of explanations and a big set-up towards the end for future books, rather than standing too much on its own. But Apiya is a fun lead character (I think she and Rory from the Viper… series would get on famously). I really adored the relationship between Apiya and her parents, her dad especially. He’s such a nerd! I think my favourite part of this book was towards the end when Apiya had to face the most powerful magical beings and defend herself and her actions throughout the book. It really felt like we had left the real world behind for something entirely different, and this was where I felt things really started to take off. This scene is where the setup for the second book really started, too, so I’m looking forward reading book two and seeing more of this new magical world.

This is a unique magical world, filled with beings that may be unfamiliar to North Americans. The story is interesting and funny and while the ending does leave some unanswered questions, it is not a cliffhanger.

Something new from Celine. As UF are supposed to be it's a world of magic hidden in current times. This is the first of a series and does tell a complete story but is also open ended so to lead to the next book. The characters and story are interesting enough that I'm looking forward to the next installment and seeing where things go. This book is a little different, being written in the first person it took some getting used to. The magical world needs some building out and I hope the author works on that in the next book, as I'm still confused how things work. It's hinted that the main character has greater abilities than she displays and of course there is a series conflict to be worked on which will carry through. Overall a good written book worth giving a try. I rated it 4 stars because the magic is not well explained/confusing. Perhaps in following books that will be corrected and I may add a star. I will definitely be getting the next book in the series.

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.