Crimes Against Magic (The Hellequin Chronicles Book 1)

I didn't like this. I read about 50 pages and couldn't go further. It was too gory and too many illicit scenes, I mean the character had no loyalties. He slept around a lot and I didn't want to read about it!

I've been picking up, putting down, starting and leaving partly read books for couple months. I get irritated with all the 5 star rated crap on the store. To me, 5 stars means I have a hard time putting the book down, and I hope the author has other, equally good books written so that I can devour them too. I'm sure there are great reviews ABOUT the story, and I suck at writing those, but if you like a kickass hero, a little romance to keep him human, and a proper ending then you should enjoy his book.

i am really excited about this series! I got it thru my kindle unlimited & am telling everyone what a awesome trip it is!! It combines all my favorite things mythology & paranormal creatures & artifacts otherworlds etc. hope it goes on strong for a long long time time for Born of hate

Liked this book. Twist on old tales, fables and myths. Good characters, gritty and dark . Nathan is a unique character. I like his no nonsense way of sizing up situations and handling them. Lot of action.

I love the mystery and suspense in this book. It keeps you reading the other books to unravel the mystery of who Nate is. I was a little sad he JD to end things with one of the characters but it was understandable. Hopefully I'll see her again in one of the other books in this series.

This book has everything a teenage boy could want, adults, not so much. Fast cars, multiple women who can't wait to sleep with you and they're all hotties, magic (but not too much or you'll go crazy), legends (sort of) and history (altered to fit the story of course). Lets not forget the main character's memory loss. His memory returned when the editor realized his character needed to speak another language to converse with the next bad guy so a hasty sentence was added. Might have been helpful to research the great literary works that were referenced here.

Pretty fun story and plot. Magic powers are always fun and thought the author did a great job setting the scene. In the beginning had some pervy moments that i thought didn't do anything for the story. But after that it picked up a bit and was interesting till the end.

I'm really glad I got this book for free, because I'd be pretty mad otherwise. About halfway through I wanted to stop reading it, and I put it away for a few days, but I finished it up tonight and I mostly wish I hadn't.

The protagonist is a super powerful magician, an amazing physical combatant (complete with cool Asian weapons), and basically a sex god. He's ruthless and violent and unattached, except when it's more convenient for the plot that he isn't. It's enough to make me gag.

The author's treatment of women was pretty bad, too. Plenty of damsels in distress, women sacrificing themselves for him, him proclaiming himself the ultimate protector of any woman he's ever met, basically. Not to mention all the rape, both outright mentioned and implied.

The plot was okay. There were definitely the bones for something interesting, and maybe if it had been written by (or about) somebody else, I would've genuinely enjoyed it. I thought the author was going to take more advantage of the possibilities for moral quandries for his protagonist - a former mage/assassin who's spent the last decade completely unaware of what he used to do - but instead Nate delved directly back into his previous lifestyle with barely more than two paragraphs of being concerned about his newfound penchant for serious violence.

The writing itself wasn't bad; it could've used some more thorough editing, but I didn't have a huge problem with it. It's the content and the characters that convinced me to not continue reading the series - a decision I rarely make.

fun and intriguing! This series manages to stick many of my favorite characters together with some new aspects. I think Nathan Garrett's character is a perfect combination of a$$hole and perfect guy all together. It's interesting to see how many mythological creatures can be jammed together. Might not be life changing literature but sure is entertaining!!!

This is not the type of book I normally read, but it was quite enjoyable. A good main character can really drive a story and Nate surely does that. Looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

Fans of the Dresden files and other similar books will likely enjoy this series very much. A sorcerer trying to unlock the memories of his past, after waking up ten years ago with no recollection of his past, or his true powers. Likeable hero, great plot lines that go back and forth in time in all three books. A solid plot line, and lots of fighting and action. Definitely worth a read!

This was a good book. The world is well-developed, many of the characters reasonably developed, and the plot-line is interesting. An excellent submission for a first-time writer.

In terms of the magic system, the early part of the book sets the tone for it to be quite interesting, but it is never really explored from that point on. You would that that characters with so many centuries of experience would have developed their abilities to be a little more creative, but they generally just use generic hack-and-slash. An entire branch of magic is mentioned and then ignored throughout the entire book, despite the protagonist seeming to fit the criteria for his memory-restored version to utilize it.

The protagonist also faces multiple dire false dilemmas, which are frustrating, particularly given that his immense age should give him the perspective to calmly address such situations rather than behaving so stupidly.

I didn't like this. I read about 50 pages and couldn't go further. It was too gory and too many illicit scenes, I mean the character had no loyalties. He slept around a lot and I didn't want to read about it!

I've been picking up, putting down, starting and leaving partly read books for couple months. I get irritated with all the 5 star rated crap on the store. To me, 5 stars means I have a hard time putting the book down, and I hope the author has other, equally good books written so that I can devour them too. I'm sure there are great reviews ABOUT the story, and I suck at writing those, but if you like a kickass hero, a little romance to keep him human, and a proper ending then you should enjoy his book.

i am really excited about this series! I got it thru my kindle unlimited & am telling everyone what a awesome trip it is!! It combines all my favorite things mythology & paranormal creatures & artifacts otherworlds etc. hope it goes on strong for a long long time time for Born of hate

Liked this book. Twist on old tales, fables and myths. Good characters, gritty and dark . Nathan is a unique character. I like his no nonsense way of sizing up situations and handling them. Lot of action.

There's monsters, magic, vampires and werewolves, Greek gods, guns and cars. To say the least there's a lot happening in this story but it was a fun read to say the least. Good humor, lots of action. Storyline gets a little busy but I'd recommend it to someone who loves adventure and action.

A great start for the Author’s first book. It grasped my interest within the first few pages. Then it became hard to put it down at all. If you enjoy the fantasy genre, then I suggest you give this a shot. I am sure you’ll enjoy it. I am looking forward to reading the next novel already!

I love the mystery and suspense in this book. It keeps you reading the other books to unravel the mystery of who Nate is. I was a little sad he JD to end things with one of the characters but it was understandable. Hopefully I'll see her again in one of the other books in this series.

This book has everything a teenage boy could want, adults, not so much. Fast cars, multiple women who can't wait to sleep with you and they're all hotties, magic (but not too much or you'll go crazy), legends (sort of) and history (altered to fit the story of course). Lets not forget the main character's memory loss. His memory returned when the editor realized his character needed to speak another language to converse with the next bad guy so a hasty sentence was added. Might have been helpful to research the great literary works that were referenced here.

Pretty fun story and plot. Magic powers are always fun and thought the author did a great job setting the scene. In the beginning had some pervy moments that i thought didn't do anything for the story. But after that it picked up a bit and was interesting till the end.

I'm really glad I got this book for free, because I'd be pretty mad otherwise. About halfway through I wanted to stop reading it, and I put it away for a few days, but I finished it up tonight and I mostly wish I hadn't.

The protagonist is a super powerful magician, an amazing physical combatant (complete with cool Asian weapons), and basically a sex god. He's ruthless and violent and unattached, except when it's more convenient for the plot that he isn't. It's enough to make me gag.

The author's treatment of women was pretty bad, too. Plenty of damsels in distress, women sacrificing themselves for him, him proclaiming himself the ultimate protector of any woman he's ever met, basically. Not to mention all the rape, both outright mentioned and implied.

The plot was okay. There were definitely the bones for something interesting, and maybe if it had been written by (or about) somebody else, I would've genuinely enjoyed it. I thought the author was going to take more advantage of the possibilities for moral quandries for his protagonist - a former mage/assassin who's spent the last decade completely unaware of what he used to do - but instead Nate delved directly back into his previous lifestyle with barely more than two paragraphs of being concerned about his newfound penchant for serious violence.

The writing itself wasn't bad; it could've used some more thorough editing, but I didn't have a huge problem with it. It's the content and the characters that convinced me to not continue reading the series - a decision I rarely make.

fun and intriguing! This series manages to stick many of my favorite characters together with some new aspects. I think Nathan Garrett's character is a perfect combination of a$$hole and perfect guy all together. It's interesting to see how many mythological creatures can be jammed together. Might not be life changing literature but sure is entertaining!!!

This is not the type of book I normally read, but it was quite enjoyable. A good main character can really drive a story and Nate surely does that. Looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

This is not a genre I normally choose but despite the start this story is well woven, compelling, very satisfying, and complete. I highly recommend and am looking forward to the next book by this author

I'm a huge fan of D.B. Reynolds, and when I learned that McHugh was a critique partner of hers, I decided to take a chance on Crimes Against Magic. I should have done it sooner.
I really enjoyed the world building and character development. Looking forward to future installments.

I found this book by luck and, have not regretted it once. I recently re-read this and the next three books, to refresh my mind for the fifth story. It was just as good, if not better, the second time around. I can't recommend this enough.

Good story, action and characters. First book so the next in the series will be much improved. Needs a little more editing and some of the sentences are muddy. I must admit, I read the second book as soon as I finished this one and really enjoyed it, much improved editing, still needs a little work, but that won't keep me from reading the third.

This book is basically a train wreck you can't stop looking at. Like others have said, the universe that McHugh's Hellequin Chronicles is set in is genuinely intriguing but I cannot get past the writing. It's painful. The usage of swearing is distracting. The conversational tone and style is so shallow it reminds me of some B-level movie released on the scifi channel à la Sharknado. I found myself shaking my head at the dialogue virtually every other page. I won't even bother mentioning on the editing issues because, frankly, the writing is so basic it's frustrating. If one more person gets hit in the 'solar plexus' I might have to burn my kindle.

I took the time to write this review (something I've never done before) because the potential in this story universe is wonderful. And I hate to just trash some authors writing but the story deserves so much more.

I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about an amnesiac protag but I really enjoyed this read. Imagine if you had an enemy and yourd disagreements lasted thousands of years - you've got an idea how you might sell the leaps in 'coincidence' as well as tying two different stories (then/now) together.

I enjoyed this book. My biggest problem is that the main character, while likable, becomes insanely powerful and blows through the last third of the book without breaking a sweat. Yes he loses a person or two along the way, but those losses seem impersonal. When people die there's no sense of me wanting to shout "NOOOOO!" at the "screen". I don't have any investment in the characters. If you're going to write a mega-powerful good guy you've got to give him some flaws or someone who can beat him up a little. Or both.

I don't normally do reviews but I would not have read this book without the reviews of others so will add my voice. This was a great book...kept me reading almost nonstop from the first to the last page. I'm a huge fan of the Dresden series and have always lamented having to wait 18 months for my favorite author to crank out another in the series. This book has now started me on another series that is just as good in my opinion. I'm hoping Steve McHugh keeps writing....

This book was a fun read, a bit dark, but that's ok. The main characters are highly developed, the plot is energetic, and he doesn't bore you with needless detail on transient characters and locations. This book isn't LOTR quality writing, but it is well worth the few dollars for the Kindle version.

it is a high chance that people that love this stuff would die for this. yes it is true some people say it has weird sentences and it does but if you ignore them the book is truly fantastic if you like ths kind of stuff i would suggest that the book is for people 10 and up

I honestly didn't know what to think when I chose this book. I was searching for something to listen to on my commute to/from work. Turns out I couldn't stop listening. It was great at capturing my attention. I would get to work, sit in my vehicle, and dread having to stop. I'm looking forward to reading the others in this series.

Purchased with Kindle Unlimited. Since I wasn't sure I'd like the book, I could simply return without explanation. But I really liked it! It was violent, but there was a reason for the violence. And I like how this tough guy has a soft spot for those he cares about. There is an interesting take on the world of Avalon. I've read book 2, Born of Hatred, and I've started book 3, With Silent Screams. No complaints from me.

This is one of those books that instantiated out knowing I wasn't going to like. Strangely enough something compelled me to keep going and after inward about a quarter of the way through injustice couldn't stop reading.

Without giving away too much, this is a strange story about a thief who loses his memories. What really threw me was the strange mix of Arthurian legend and Greek mythology....it was a turn off at first, but somehow McHugh really pulled it off. I will keep reading the series and see where it goes.

I don't normally do reviews but I would not have read this book without the reviews of others so will add my voice. This was a great book...kept me reading almost nonstop from the first to the last page. I'm a huge fan of the Dresden series and have always lamented having to wait 18 months for my favorite author to crank out another in the series. This book has now started me on another series that is just as good in my opinion. I'm hoping Steve McHugh keeps writing....

This book was a fun read, a bit dark, but that's ok. The main characters are highly developed, the plot is energetic, and he doesn't bore you with needless detail on transient characters and locations. This book isn't LOTR quality writing, but it is well worth the few dollars for the Kindle version.

it is a high chance that people that love this stuff would die for this. yes it is true some people say it has weird sentences and it does but if you ignore them the book is truly fantastic if you like ths kind of stuff i would suggest that the book is for people 10 and up

I honestly didn't know what to think when I chose this book. I was searching for something to listen to on my commute to/from work. Turns out I couldn't stop listening. It was great at capturing my attention. I would get to work, sit in my vehicle, and dread having to stop. I'm looking forward to reading the others in this series.

Purchased with Kindle Unlimited. Since I wasn't sure I'd like the book, I could simply return without explanation. But I really liked it! It was violent, but there was a reason for the violence. And I like how this tough guy has a soft spot for those he cares about. There is an interesting take on the world of Avalon. I've read book 2, Born of Hatred, and I've started book 3, With Silent Screams. No complaints from me.

This is one of those books that instantiated out knowing I wasn't going to like. Strangely enough something compelled me to keep going and after inward about a quarter of the way through injustice couldn't stop reading.

Without giving away too much, this is a strange story about a thief who loses his memories. What really threw me was the strange mix of Arthurian legend and Greek mythology....it was a turn off at first, but somehow McHugh really pulled it off. I will keep reading the series and see where it goes.

The only thing stopping a 5 star review for this book is the redundancy of the descriptions of Nate's fights. While there are many, they all seem to be the same style, same result, same verbage. Other than that minor annoyance, I enjoyed the story immensely. It held my interest from page one. So much so, I immediately purchased the 2nd book in the series and have started that one straight away.

Steve McHugh weaves a great story taking you through the journey Nate makes. I wont give the story away, suffice to say if you're a fan of Dresden or Atticus, you will feel right at home in this book. The action is tight and the writing is polished. I look forward to more books from McHugh.

Based on the strong reviews, and my interest in urban fantasy I read through the "look inside" sample before purchasing this book. As I got further into the book however, I was disappointed by the increasingly foul language and the gratuitous sex scenes, neither of which were apparent from the sample. From what little I read before returning it, I suspect you'll enjoy the book if that kind of content doesn't bother you, but I wish I had known ahead of time that it would get fairly graphic.

I couldn't get enough of this book it is a page Turner for sure can't wait to read all of his books never thought I would love reading about magic killing and the such but good I can't read fast enough lol

Money is low, but I had to buy this after reading the sample. What can I say, it grabbed me. I am generally not fond of flashbacks, but these worked. I especially liked that the first flashback set up the modern story. I liked Nathan. From what I've read so far, he seems to be a decent kinda guy...with quite a few rough edges. Another reviewer said that s/he found no typos, which is a miracle these days! So I'm off to read this, a little bit poorer, but much happier.

It is true that this not the most polished or well edited story. But it is a very well thought out play on historical and mythological themes. It is a fast paced engaging story with likeable character's. Looking forward to to see if Mr. McHugh can maintain the series without becoming predictable. A good editor and he will be well on his way to reaching Jim Butcher status as an Urban Fantasy must read.

I really enjoyed the plot and the slow unveiling of the main characters history. Once I finished this book, I had to get Born of Hatred right away. An excellent new series and I intend to read them all.

I selected this book without knowing anything about the author or the series and am glad I did. It was great read from start to finish. Modern sword and sorcery with enough old school mythos to keep it fun

I enjoyed this story so far. It goes back and forth from ancient times and modern times. I still don't get why Arthur Pentagon is pissed at the main character. It'll probably be explained later in the series.

I love Nate Garrett, what a hoot. The story line was a little shaky, to start, but I got into it by third chapter. I have now read all of the Hellequin Chronicles and the novella, enjoyed each one. Waiting for your next adventure with Nate, Tommy and the gang.

Good enough that I downloaded the rest. It's no Lord of the Rings, of course, but it's still a fun little story and much better than most of the KU selections out there. Read this book like you would watch a Sylvester Stallone movie (let your mind go numb and just go with it) and I think you'll really enjoy it.

It is true that this not the most polished or well edited story. But it is a very well thought out play on historical and mythological themes. It is a fast paced engaging story with likeable character's. Looking forward to to see if Mr. McHugh can maintain the series without becoming predictable. A good editor and he will be well on his way to reaching Jim Butcher status as an Urban Fantasy must read.

I really enjoyed the plot and the slow unveiling of the main characters history. Once I finished this book, I had to get Born of Hatred right away. An excellent new series and I intend to read them all.

I selected this book without knowing anything about the author or the series and am glad I did. It was great read from start to finish. Modern sword and sorcery with enough old school mythos to keep it fun

I am so very glad I decided to check this out. It's rate I find such a well written and interesting new series that's escaped my notice long enough to get more than 2-3 books out. This one has 5-6 all ready! Yes!
Can't wait to see what's next! Highly recommend this.

The story develops quickly both in the past and present day. The nonhuman characters fit smoothly and are totally believable within the story line that you are surprised that you have accepted them with out pause.

I took a chance on this new author and thoroughly enjoyed my time spent in his world so much so that I went on to purchase Book 2 which I have just completed. This is an author I'll be keeping on my radar.

It's refreshing to read a paranormal book with vampires & werewolves that isn't completely about vampires & werewolves. The new take on sorcery & power adds to the refreshing part I mentioned previously. I will be buying the next book momentarily. Looking forward to more from this author.

I bought this book thanks to an the store coupon. It was cheap, so there's that. Unfortunately, despite the interesting dust-jacket plot summary, the subject is completely mishandled by the author.

The entire book is written in the first person, despite skipping back and forth in time, and the author frequently mixes tenses in ways that don't make grammatical sense. I kept expecting for him to use some kind of first-person literary device to explain the time travel (there are obviously two separate plot lines involving the same main character), but he doesn't. I also kept waiting for the protagonist to actually face a challenge, but he basically walks through everything in his path and destroys it. Halfway through the book I just had to put it down.

Deus ex machina is a really gimmicky literary vehicle and when it's the solution to every single problem, you no longer really wonder what's going to happen next; you know that the hero will simply remember some novel way of defeating a horde of 10 men in hand to hand combat, or suddenly become an amazing marksman, and use his centuries-old skills to escape the situation. But he doesn't feel like Rice's Lestat or any other example of a good immortal character -- he's just a 1000% badass that mows down enemies while doing what he wants.

If you think "interesting plot" and then think "Rambo," this book is probably for you. If you're looking for even a little meat in your brain candy, it probably isn't.

I saw this book as one of my screensavers and it looked interesting so I bought it. After I started to read it I couldn't put it down and finished it in 7 hours. A great book and an even better author which is something that I don't say very often.

I found myself getting lost in the authors world. The previous books of this type I have read were all written by women. It's nice to read a well written paranormal novel written from a man's point of view. I would definitely read more of his stories.

I was a little confused initially with the twin story lines in this book, but really got into it as the book played out. Hellequin is an excellent character and how he discovers his magic is a great plot.

Very engaging,but not predictable. Would highly
recommend! Not my usual genre, so couldn't say I loved
it, hence the 3 stars. However, it was very well
written, and keeps you on the edge of your seat.

Anything I could say about why I gave the review the title I did would be spoilers for the plot. Let's just say that a protagonist that happens to be a bad-ass, amnesiac, killing machine can make for an ending that is a tad underwhelming. Still a fun read, though, and I'm glad I checked it out from the Kindle library.

I highly encourage this book to all epic fantasy & science fiction readers. The lead character reminds me of "Harry Dresden" from his phenomenal series written by Jim Butcher. Bottom line.....give this book a shot. It will surprise you, just as it did me.

Pretty decent modern fantasy book riffing on the Arthur legend. If you're a modern fantasy fan then go for it. If not then I'd take a pass because the writing is decent and the story is alright but it's not Dresden files good or iron druid cronicles good.

A well written story that catches you up and hurtles you along. Nate is a true hero, and although there is some pretty graphic killing scenes, which made me cringe, his integrity to protect the innocent wins through.

I'd liken this novel to the first "Harry Dresden" novel but with a more violence prone protagonist. It was a good little quick read, and I expect the subsequent novels to get better as the author hones his craft and gets more comfortable with the characters.

After the shining reviews I bought this book. What can I say... Maybe ought to be one and a half but no halfs here. Yes, some action descriptions were good. But otherwise just boring and not so well written. I read a lot, but this was just plain hard to crawl thru.

This is an easy "men's adventure" style of urban fantasy. The characters are a bit broadly drawn, they all seemed like archetypes... The Handsome Super Sorcerer, the Ancient Favor Trading Vampire, the Super Assassin Tough Woman with a katana, etc. It's a fun read, but don't expect anything to weighty.

In the same vein as the Dresden Files and the Iron Druid, the series contains a flawed protagonist, which makes for the possibility of interesting character development. I will reserve further judgement until the series continues to see how the characters develop.

This definitely isn't my normal type of book, however I was pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed pretty much everything about it, from the characters and settings to the storyline. I can't wait to start book 2

Pretty decent modern fantasy book riffing on the Arthur legend. If you're a modern fantasy fan then go for it. If not then I'd take a pass because the writing is decent and the story is alright but it's not Dresden files good or iron druid cronicles good.

A well written story that catches you up and hurtles you along. Nate is a true hero, and although there is some pretty graphic killing scenes, which made me cringe, his integrity to protect the innocent wins through.

I'd liken this novel to the first "Harry Dresden" novel but with a more violence prone protagonist. It was a good little quick read, and I expect the subsequent novels to get better as the author hones his craft and gets more comfortable with the characters.

I just finished Crimes Against Magic and really enjoyed it. Purchased books 2 & 3 of the series and can't wait to dive in. I am a single dad with three kids adn a high pressure job and reading is my escape! Thanks for a great read. I am always excited when I find a new writer as I read so much!

After the shining reviews I bought this book. What can I say... Maybe ought to be one and a half but no halfs here. Yes, some action descriptions were good. But otherwise just boring and not so well written. I read a lot, but this was just plain hard to crawl thru.

This is an easy "men's adventure" style of urban fantasy. The characters are a bit broadly drawn, they all seemed like archetypes... The Handsome Super Sorcerer, the Ancient Favor Trading Vampire, the Super Assassin Tough Woman with a katana, etc. It's a fun read, but don't expect anything to weighty.

In the same vein as the Dresden Files and the Iron Druid, the series contains a flawed protagonist, which makes for the possibility of interesting character development. I will reserve further judgement until the series continues to see how the characters develop.

This definitely isn't my normal type of book, however I was pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed pretty much everything about it, from the characters and settings to the storyline. I can't wait to start book 2

The book is pretty good. The plot is awesome, and you almost get two stories in one. The problem with that is you can get confused sometimes, when it switches back and forth between the past and the present, it can get hard to follow along. Other than that, it was an enjoyable read.

Because this is some really great, page turning, fantasy/mystery stuff and I need to know what happens next!

I like the character development, the plot and suspense. McHugh does a great job writing his fight sequences and the way he interweaves the past and the present is done splendidly.

I am a huge fan of the urban fantasy novels and the authors who do it right are diamonds in the rough. I'm not going to give anything about the book away but if you are a fan of urban fantasy this is a must read. Well done Mr. McHugh, I look forward to your future works.