A Little Too Familiar

A Little Too Familiar (2022) Lish McBride (Uncanny Romance)

Declan needs to get away. His sister has fallen in love with his ex-girlfriend, and since they were all living together, it’s mighty uncomfortable. So he’s leaving Portland for Seattle.

Even after a century and a half of being in the open, the Uncanny still made some humans nervous.

The invention of the camera pretty much did us in. Magic users showed up funny in the first photographs. Turns out you can see our auras. Imagine expecting a sepia-tinted photo with stiff-looking people and getting a wash of color instead. Digital cameras don’t have the same issue, but I’ve seen some of the old photos online and they’re pretty wild.

Lou is working hard to put her gifts as an animal mage to the best use she can imagine–helping mages and familiars bond. She’s also having a rough day.

I reached out with my magic, making sure to inject soothing warmth into my mental voice. Hello, little one. What’s your name?

The phoenix perked up, proudly ruffling its baby feathers, making him look like a little fluff-ball of fire. As he got older, he’d shift into a mix of blues and purples, only staying red on the edges. I am called Dammit.

So she isn’t up to dealing with the new housemate–who completely freaks out when she comes into the house.

But they get things straightened out, and the house settles down.

By the time I heard Trick’s boots clumping up the stairs, I was two seconds away from chewing on the furniture. Metaphorically. Technically, I could shift and chew on the coffee table, but I had manners.

Until Declan’s past shows up to disrupt everything–and to try and kill Declan.

This story was darker than I was expecting. Declan and his siblings escaped an abusive family (so abusive that the adults ended up in jail) and this affects everything Declan thinks and feels.

He knows when he is reacting rather than acting, but that doesn’t mean those bits aren’t difficult.

The fun thing about trauma was that sometimes you thought it had gone away, only to hit a little road bump and have it punch you right in the face.

Despite the darkness (or perhaps because of it) this book perfectly fit the mood I’ve been in, and since I was able to completely skip all the boinking bits, I quite enjoyed it.

Publisher: Devo-Lish. Cover design & illustration: Jenny Zemanek

Rating: 8.5/10

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