“Henley and Kit are unstoppable together. A chance to reconnect is all they need, but as the peace of the Between frays, old secrets and new enemies will fight to keep the pair apart.”
Christina K. Glover goes above, beyond and everything in between in The Mage-Killer, the delightfully hectic and exhilarating second instalment in the Connections trilogy. Expect more danger, more mystery, more emotions, and even more chaos as Kit and Hen fight to reconnect and save their world(s) from total collapse.
With the diabolical and brutally bittersweet way that The Switchboard left off (ouch, still hurts), I have to admit that I was equally nervous and excited to dive into The Mage-Killer. However, as soon as I started reading, I was quickly reminded of why I fell in love with this unique world and these quirky characters in the first place. Glover’s imagination is just on an entirely different plane of existence, and the way that this sequel unfolded surprised me in all the most unexpected ways.
Similarly to my experience of reading The Switchboard, it took me a few chapters to find my footing and get fully invested (again), but at some point I just fell into the story and then ended up ripping through the last 250 pages in one go. The Mage-Killer quickly enters into proper fantasy mystery territory as the barrier that holds the magical worlds in balance is inexplicably dysfunctioning and complex schemes come to light, and the addictive air of intrigue, danger, and mystery kept me turning the pages despite the slow-burn first half of the book.
It was a true joy to be reunited with my favourite chaos demons Kit and Hen, and seeing them having to deal with the bittersweet fallout of their actions in book 1 had me feeling all the feels. I loved seeing how they were fighting tooth and nail for each other here, and I really appreciated how their wildly unexpected journeys ended up giving me answers to questions I didn’t even know I had. We almost get a little ‘The Between 101’ as Hen enters the Order as a Shield (you know, the Order that tried to kill him last book, no worries), which in combination with the addition of a glossary at the back really helped me understand the world and the stakes better. But my favourite way that the world expanded and deepened in this sequel was probably through the trips into the Ethereal plane and meeting its enigmatic inhabitants, which all intrigued, fascinated and slightly terrified me to no end.
All that said, I do have to admit that the hectic and intricate mystery investigation plotline didn’t totally work for me. See, while reading The Mage-Killer, I realised that I am more here for the characters than anything else, and this sequel did not fully deliver on the character-/relationship development for both the main and the side characters that I was personally hoping for. Moreover, as impressed as I am with Glover’s wild imagination and inventive world building, I personally have a hard time visualising a lot of the unique concepts/settings, which ultimately made it frustratingly hard to follow the clues of the mystery investigation and caused a lot of the revelations to go over my head or fall flat.
Yet despite my little quibbles, I think there is no denying that The Mage-Killer is technically a step up from its predecessor in every single way, and the bold ending honestly set up the finale in the most exciting and enticing way possible. While this sequel maybe had a bit less of that Good Omens–esque quirkiness than book 1, I still found it to be an inexplicably fun wild ride full of irresistible heart and charm. So, if you like the sound of an unconventional and fast-paced yet character-driven urban fantasy with sky-high stakes, endearingly messy characters, mind-bogglingly inventive world building, riveting mystery, and the slowest of sloooow burn queer pining, then please do yourself a favour and pick up The Connections series already!
Thank you to the author for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. The Mage-Killer is scheduled for release on 10 December, 2024.
