I read the blurb for 'Smoke & MirrorZ' when Ms. Lucas started promoting it & thought that it might be an interesting book, as I've adored Ms. Lucas's work in the past, so I added it to my list... I'm so glad I did! Wow! This book captivated me from start to finish! I was immediately drawn in when I read the foreword that Ms Lucas added to the book, reminding people of how rampant domestic violence is in the world today.. It touched my soul, as I've dealt with such violence in my past so I knew I just had to read this book.. And read it, I did.. Actually, 'reading' is putting it mildly.. I felt more like I was getting lost in a world that I not only related to but also one where a knight in shining armor was rushing to save the damsel in distress from the nightmares of her past... even though it was a reluctant 'knight' who just happened to be a Jinn and a 'damsel' who wasn't about to let him into her world or her heart.. The "Arabian Nights" theme was captivating & enthralling! Scheri went through so much pain & my heart wept for this beautiful, yet damaged woman.. Z had an ulterior motive for offering his help to her originally, but then even his jaded defenses eased up & slowly started letting Scheri into his heart, even when he didn't realize it was happening.. The mystical background was incredibly thorough & Ms Lucas clearly put a lot of time into researching her story, adding all sorts of fascinating info about the Jinn (genies). She wrote the characters with true heart & soul.. The horror that Scheri went through was so well-described & heart-breaking.. And when it came to all the 'Smoke & MirrorZ' in Z's unique life, nothing was missed.. Especially the true terror that wan through my heart when reading that no matter how much Scheri & Z ended up letting each other in & changed their lives for each other, the abuser in Scheri's life still found her again.. Will Z & Scheri be able to get through a new nightmare when there is a sadistic killer involved, one who has no plans of letting Scheri escape? Will Z's magic be enough to save her from the demented mind of a madman? You absolutely MUST read this book & find out!
Not only was this book well-written, it was absolutely a perfect mix of breath-taking & heart-breaking and I, for one, cannot wait til Ms Lucas's next novel to hit the shelves! Also, I do have to mention that the trailer for this book was absolutely fantastic! It stars Cynthia & the gorgeous Grigoris Drakakis (who is also the cover model on the book) and was truly one of the best book trailers I've seen from an indie author in.. well.. forever! Don't miss out on the book or the trailer!
Platinum Reviews gives "Smoke & MirrorZ" and Cynthia Lucas:
5 Platinum Rings!
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Blurb:
A woman on the run....in fear for her life
A down on his luck genie with an attitude working as a carnival magician. With limited powers and his own existence in serious danger, can he find the love in his heart and the power in his soul to save her?
Scheharazade ‘Scheri’ Bloom is on the run after marrying the man of her dreams...a wealthy lawyer who turns out to be more like a monster from her nightmares. Abused physically and emotionally and forced to be a prisoner in her own home, no matter how many times she tries to escape, he has the money, power and connections to have her tracked down and brought back to suffer the wrath of his anger at her leaving.
After finally finding a way to escape, she takes to the road and with the little bit of money she’d saved up running out fast, she soon finds herself drawn to a small-town carnival, where she hopes to make a few untraceable dollars working a ride or concession stand. Instead she meets the enigmatic and egotistical magician known as ‘Z’.
Amazed by Z’s skills in illusions, like the audiences who come to see him day in and day out, she soon finds herself in danger again...not so much from her abusive husband as from everything she doesn’t want to feel from the moment she lays eyes on the handsome entertainer who looks like an Arabian Knight come to life and seems to sense every secret she can’t tell him about herself.
What Scheri doesn’t know is that that Azizi ab’d al Jadu, the man known as ‘Z’ is harboring a few secrets himself. Magic is real, and not all illusions are ‘smoke and mirrors’. Z is no mortal man, but a half-breed Ifrit Jinn....a down on his luck genie, living as a carny here in the world of man. Born out of the forbidden love of a Jinn and a disobedient Angel, he is on the run from his own kind for refusing to abide the laws of both Jinn and Allah’s Watchers. And after breaking The Law and taking human form of his own free will to come through the large gold mirror that is his portal into the world of humans....he finds his once vast powers limited by the mortal realm and all the wondrous and distracting sensations of a human body.
Z has little interest in being anyone's savior...but when Scheri’s husband finally tracks her down with the help of one of Z's most dangerous enemies, Z soon finds that it's going to take more than magic to protect the woman who has stolen the heart he didn't know he had. Can he somehow regain the power he needs to save her?
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