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  • Dark Mind

  • Fall of Magic, Book 2
  • By: Val Neil
  • Narrated by: Thomas Judd, Reba Buhr
  • Length: 18 hrs and 7 mins
  • 5.0 out of 5 stars (2 ratings)
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Dark Mind

By: Val Neil
Narrated by: Thomas Judd, Reba Buhr
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Summary

Magic is dying out, and the only people who can stop it are a psychopathic wizard and an autistic mage with crippling anxiety.

Nikolai and Medea must work together to discover why magic is declining. Their research takes them to America, where Medea struggles to navigate the Mundane world and teach Nikolai telepathy–a school of magic she despises and fears he’ll use against her.

No longer set on killing his master, Nikolai is intent on finding a way into Medea’s figurative pants. He’s certain it’s the key to winning her heart and learning immortality, but she seems oblivious to his advances.

Medea has sensed the decline of magic for years. Now that she has an apprentice who can help her discover the cause, she finds her own discomfort with an ever-changing society getting in the way. Nikolai thrives in the Mundane world, but she can't trust something this important to an apprentice who cuts corners.

When they stumble on a cluster of Magi in the unlikeliest of places, they must decide whether to postpone their quest, or let the group flounder.

Dark Mind is the second book in the Fall of Magic Series. Fans of The Poppy War and Vicious will enjoy this quirky dark fantasy set in the 1950s, when men were men, and everyone else got screwed.

Contains:

  • Psychopathic protagonist who could be triggering to some.
  • Autistic protagonist whose actions don’t always make sense to neurotypicals.
  • Swearing, murder, violence, gore, and trauma.
  • No sex scenes, but not for lack of Nikolai trying.
  • Graphic depictions of what passed for mental healthcare in 1957.
  • Racism, ableism, and homophobia.
  • Now with more Medea!
©2022 Val Neil (P)2023 Val Neil

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I thoroughly enjoyed this :)

The first book was good, and I felt this one was even better!

The level of detail/insight into autistic and psychopathic character types was super interesting! Like, I felt uncomfortable at many points but also insanely curious, because the characters feel so real, so fleshed out that I can't help but imagine them as real people.

The direction of the story is also amazing and to my liking! the author took their time to flesh out the two main characters but also nicely set the stage for wider developments and new entrants.

I dont want to say anymore lest I spoil it but yes, love ot and looking forward to book 3!

ps the authors notes were *chefs kiss*, love the additional information!

also the narration is 10/10! that part with the grandma in her mind the first time nikolai read her mind made my skin crawl 😆😆😆😆

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

This book builds on the first one and I can't wait for the sequel!

This book fleshes out the world more and Nikoli and Medea start working on why magic is disappearing. I read this via audiobook, and having a male-female narator pair for the characters was much appreciated. This book zigs when I thought it would zag, and while those chapters were quite difficult to get through emotionally, it was a stark reminder of what happened to real neurodiverse people just a few decades ago. Being a woman specifically in 1950s America sounds intolerably frustrating and I'm glad I didn't have the misfortune to experience that, either.

If you want to peak in on how an autistic/anti-social person thinks and like fantasy, this book is for you.

I enjoyed how much of an absolute gobshite Nikoli continues to be and how good he is at manipulation. His plan at the end of the book is intriguing and I wonder whether it will have a noticeable impact on Americanhistory given that the series is heading towards the 1960s.

Madea shows less of herself here than in the previous book, but is always enjoyable. I look forward to her learning that autism is a diagnosis, but that's a few decades away at this point.

I wish I'd been able to get a physical copy of this book, but it can be hard with indie authors not getting the exposure. I hope Dark Whispers comes soon - Neil's website says it was to be released last year so it's probably delayed a bit.

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