Today is my stop on an another exciting tour with The Write Reads for The KC Warlock Weekly: Accused by M. N. Jolley. This book won 3rd place in BBNYA 2021, and it deserves it too. Thanks to all for my copy of the book to take part.
My name is Levi. I’m a journalist, I’m autistic, I’m bad at magic, and I swear I didn’t kill her.
Research for the paper usually falls into a few basic patterns. Someone in the city says there’s a troll under Buck O’Neil Bridge, or they’ll call just so a friendly ear will listen to them complain about a pixie infestation.
That sort of content carries me through slow news weeks. It’s rare that I uncover a murder.
Being framed for murder, though? That’s a first.
With the Wizard’s Council hunting me for a crime I didn’t commit, I’ve got no choice but to solve the murder and clear my name. If I don’t unravel this case, nobody will, and I’ll go down for it so hard I might never see the light of day again
M.N Jolley has successfully blended urban fantasy with crime and the supernatural together with so much skill that this is a joy to read. The inclusion of an autistic character and the LGBTQ+ representation just brings more brilliance to this book.
The representation of Autism within fiction books is few and very far between still. The way M.N Jolley has brought Levi, the main character into the story is sublime. He doesn’t over do the fact he is Autistic, he doesn’t scream autistic, it’s just little things that some people may not even recognise as autism. I fully embraced Levi, and think he is the best character I have read for a while.
The fact that N.M Jolley created Levi as gay and there is a Non-Binary character as well is another plus for me. Again, this is needed in more fiction of today’s world. Being the mother of a Trans teen myself, it would be great if the LGBTQ+ community could be treated more as everyday and not different. This is how I felt reading this book and I tell you now, it was a nice feeling.
The story itself entertained me so well with the magical elements, mysteries and the irreverent humour all the way. Such a unique book with the world building being great too. This helped my immersion into the book. The story is told with plenty of flashback moments which were so good as they held my attention and I felt like I was with Levi as he told his story and I saw it play out as he told it.
I must say I was in my element with a magical universe and a mystery to solve too. They easily became one to create such an entertaining read. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys urban fantasy, mysteries or even just a great book that entertains right from the start.
About the Author
M N Jolley is a creative professional born and raised in Kansas City, where he still lives. Working with a background in film and cinematography, he began writing seriously in 2016 and has recently completed “The Stone Warrior”, the first book in “The Sacrosanct Records”.
What Is BBNYA
BBNYA is a yearly competition where Book Bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors. If you are an author and wish to learn more about the BBNYA competition, you can visit the official website http://www.bbnya.com or twitter @bbnya_official.
The sign-ups will soon be open for the 2022 BBNYA competition, be it for authors to enter their books, or for bloggers wanting to be part of the new panel, so keep your eyes peeled.
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