Review: Jeffe Kennedy's ROGUE FAMILIAR

 

ROGUE FAMILIAR

Fantasy Romance

AUTHOR:
Jeffe Kennedy

RELEASE DATE:
April 24, 2023

PUBLISHER:
Brightlynx Publishing

ISBN/ ASIN NUMBER :
 B0BGMN4NZB

RATING:
5

AUTHOR LINK:
https://jeffekennedy.com/home

 

 

Seliah (Phel) El-Adrel cannot help but feel betrayed by her wizard’s abandonment. She intends to find Jadren and reason with the cynically jaded man. But first, Seliah needs to arm herself with some necessary and useful familiar tricks. Her expedition quickly turns into a rescue. She and Jadren must evade new and old threats intent on capturing them. Can Seliah convince her stubborn wizard that they are stronger together than apart? And will she help Jadren learn more about his warped capabilities?

Jadren El-Adrel feels he is doing the right thing by walking away from Seliah. He wants to protect her from the voracious monster lying within himself. Jadren’s aimless journey takes a dangerous turn when he encounters a new enemy. His fears double when he learns that Seliah compromises her safety by rescuing him. Will Jadren finally accept his bond with Seliah. What new discoveries will he learn about himself? And will it be enough to protect Seliah from their enemies?

Seliah continues to impress me. She is quickly adapting and learning how to navigate in a dark world that favors only wizards, without losing her sense of self. I admire Seliah for refusing to give up on Jadren. She knows that he never once experienced acceptance nor love from his birth House. What I love the most about Seliah is how Jadren’s behaviorism is rubbing off on her. She realizes his acerbic demeanor hides a vulnerability he does not want anyone else to know about. Seliah also understands the only way to get through to Jadren is to match him with for wit.

Snarky and satirical heroes have always been my weakness. Now add in the wounded/tortured aspect… This book made me fall for Jadren all over again! I am glad that he never lost his sardonic edge in this story. Sometimes authors downplay such characters’ personalities in further books. It disappoints me when they do that. Thankfully, Jeffe Kennedy did not do this to Jadren. He is the same cynically warped and sarcastic wizard I came to love and adore! Jadren also shows some remarkable personal growth in this adventure. He is finally ready to learn more about himself and his capabilities.

ROGUE FAMILIAR is the second book in Jeffe Kennedy’s dark fantasy romance series, RENEGADES OF MAGIC, a spinoff from her BONDS OF MAGIC series. I strongly suggest starting the prior series before this one. It sets up the unique wizard/familiar world the author so cleverly created. They also show how Jadren and Seliah first met. I like how the author is continuously delving into the other High Houses in the Convocation. In this latest book, she introduces House Refoel and (briefly) House Hanneil.

Gabriel, Nic, and others still play important roles in the background. I like how the author alludes to the prior House Phel’s mysterious demise, and who the possible (yes, plural) are. I cannot wait for the next installment!

I also want to note just how much I LOVE this cover!