Title: Unfinished Business: A Hidden Magic Story (Sentinels #1.5)
Author: Angela Benedetti
Publisher: Torquere
Genre: Paranormal M/M, Magic
Length: Sip (19 pages / 4200 words)
Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5
A Guest Review by Cole
Review Summary: A sweet and sexy story about Aubrey and Cal, the master mage and his apprentice, two of my favorite characters from the Hidden Magic ‘verse.
BLURB
After a morning of saving the world, apprentice mage Cal Toscani heads down and works a full day in his busy restaurant, because foiling the bad guy doesn’t pay the bills. After midnight, bruised and aching from the aforementioned foiling, and exhausted from a long day of work, Cal goes home hoping for a hot bath, a nice massage and some sex, not necessarily in that order.
His lover and master, Aubrey Fletcher, unfortunately remembers that he gave Cal a lesson that morning before everything got exciting, and he’s determined to finish that lesson before anything else happens — yes, right now. Cal finds himself naked in bed, trying to figure out how to remove Aubrey’s spell, while a naked Aubrey does his best to be distracting. Cal’s pretty sure he’s going to explode long before he figures the damn thing out!
REVIEW
This Torquere Sip is a short story based on two characters from the novel A Hidden Magic, by Angela Benedetti, reviewed here last week.
If you read my review last week of A Hidden Magic, by Angela Benedetti, you’ll know just how much I loved this world that she has built. I loved the main characters in that novel, Paul and Rory, but Ms. Benedetti has a knack for filling out all of her characters into real people. Two of those were my favorites — Cal and Aubrey. Aubrey is a master mage and over two hundred years old, while Cal is his apprentice in his thirties. They are also lovers and it is very easy to see how much they love each other — in their looks, little touches, and the banter they throw back and forth like old lovers who have been together a lifetime. It is an extreme May-December relationship in terms of age, yet the issues that usually come to light in such a relationship, especially an inbalance of power, are dealt with humor between the two of them. In short, Aubrey likes to brag about his grandiose power and Cal loves to poke the beast.
There is a specific scene in the novel that sets up this short story. In this scene, Aubrey admonishes Cal for not noticing someone doing magic in his vicinity by placing a spell on him that gives him six sets of rainbow colored asses ears. His job is to remove them, yet their game is interrupted. This story starts at the end of the novel, as Cal finishes up closing his restaurant. He looks forward to getting home, getting a shower, and having sex with his sexy master. Yet, true to Aubrey’s personality, not only will he not let his apprentice get out of work that easily, but he has come up with a delicious torture to impede his progress.
This story was such a delight. Not only did I get to revisit a world that I love and two characters who make me laugh, but for the first time, we get to see Aubrey and Cal in private. We see them from Cal’s POV and we get a pure voyueristic treat: magical sex between the two men. The story stayed true to their characters as humor and the little games they play shone throughout the dialogue. Also, though not as proficient, Cal is a mage as well, and as highly magical mortals, I knew that their sex had to be interesting. It didn’t dissapoint.
This is a wonderful little story and though it focuses on two different characters than the novel (and the novel length sequels coming in the near future), it stayed true to the main story. It can be read as a standalone, though you would get more from it if you had already been introduced to the characters. However, if you are considering reading A Hidden Magic but aren’t completely sure if it is right for you, this story is a good indication of the style of prose, the content (magic, mages, etc.), and the types of characters and how well they’re written. This story can also be read in any order with the other short stories that are set in the Hidden Magic world, as they are not set chronologically. Highly Recommended for all readers, but especially those who are fans of the series.
This is the first of four short stories set in this world that I will be reviewing. The next review is “Reach Out and Touch” (seen here) — another story about Cal and Aubrey. I can’t wait and I hope you will come back next Wednesday, January 19 for the review.
I read another story by this author a day or so ago and enjoyed it. Generally I’m not a fan of mage (maybe it’s the word?) stories but you make it sound interesting. I’ll definitely keep it in mind.
Hi Tam! Which one did you read?
I really like stories about mages, so I’m probably biased 🙂
It was Hell is in the Details. About the Demon of Laziness who gets reamed out for not filling his quota of new souls so sets out to corrupt a young man to the way of the buttsecks. It’s got quite a humorous bent to the story. I have to review it on BE soon.
I really want to read that one. It isn’t part of this series, so I don’t have it yet. It sounds great though!
I have to get started on these books. You make them sound as if they’re a lot of fun, Cole. How my TBR mountain increases! 😉
They are fun, Patty! A Hidden Magic might be a novel, but these four stories I’m reviewing over the next few weeks are quick and fun reads. I hope you enjoy them!
I love mages, so I put A Hidden Magic on my to-read list when I saw the original review. I also love it when authors revisit with characters in shorts, so this series just moved to the top of my list!
Thanks for the review Cole!
You’re welcome Diane! I love these stories, and I love visiting characters that I love as well. I hope you like these as much as I do!
Your review of A Hidden Magic marked a beginning of a fantasy week for me – during the last week I’ve read both A Hidden Magic and Unfinished Business, Carole Cummings’ Aisling 1: Guardian (awesome book – I hope someone here will review it!) and Astrid Amara’s Archer’s Heart. While I liked this story, what I really want is a sequel to A Hidden Magic. I liked Cal and Aubrey (mage geek, lol!), but I loved Paul and Rory (and Azzy).
Thank you for both reviews, because like Tam, I’m not exactly a fan of mage stories and I might have skipped these books otherwise. ^^
I’m so glad that you liked these! I just bought The Archer’s Heart, which I’ve been wanting to read for a long time. I am actually reviewing Aisling Book One: Guardian next week. I’m glad to hear that you liked it, because I haven’t started reading it yet. I’m looking forward to it even more now!
I appreciate your thanks…I’m really happy to know that I helped bring a book to your attention that you might not have read otherwise. That makes my day! Thanks 🙂
This was a fun story — I’ve enjoyed all of Angela’s stories in this universe, and want more.
Whoot, Lady M, didn’t Aisling *rock*? Cole, you’re gonna love it.
Yes, I love all of these stories as well. Like I told LadyM, I’m reviewing Aisling next week so I’m glad to hear it getting so much praise! Now I’m looking forward to reading it even more 🙂
It absolutely did. ^^ I just can’t wait for the two other books to be published.
Cole
I must find the time to read this series. It’s just – so many books … so little time. 🙁 It sounds like fun. Thank you for this review.
Hey Wave,
As for this story (and I’m pretty sure the others too) you really don’t have to have read A Hidden Magic to understand them. That way, if you like the stories, especially the tone and the characters, as they’re very indicative of the novel, you could find time to pick up the novel. Although both “Candy Courage” and “Chasing Fear” are about different characters than those in the novel, though they’re set in the same world.
That might help you decide if you want to try to read them sooner or later. If you do, I hope you like them as much as I did. Its really a very quirky and funny paranormal 🙂
This sounds right up my alley. I’ve had A Hidden Magic on my TBR list for awhile. Looks like I need to get to it, and pick this one up.
Its pretty great, Eden. I love all of the characters, which is what makes this universe so wonderful. I hope you enjoy them!