Author: Jenn Stark
Publisher: Elewyn Publishing
Publication Date: 2015
Pages: 251
Format: eBook - EPUB
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Source: Free from Kobo
Using her well-worn Tarot deck, magical-artifacts hunter Sara Wilde can find anything—for a price. And the price had better be right, since she needs to finance her own personal mission to rescue several young psychics recently sold on the paranormal black market. Enter Sara’s most mysterious client and occasional lover, the wickedly sexy Magician, with a job that could yield the ultimate payday. All she’ll have to do is get behind Vatican walls… and steal the Devil himself. But play with the Devil and you’re bound to get burned. Pressure mounts for Sara to join the Magician’s ancient and mysterious Arcana Council, as militant forces unleashed by even darker powers seek to destroy all magic—including the young psychics Sara is desperate to keep safe. The Council may be their only hope. . . but it could also expose Sara’s own dark past. From the twisting catacombs of Rome to the neon streets of Vegas, Sara confronts ancient enemies, powerful demigods, a roiling magical underworld about to explode… and immortal passions that might require the ultimate sacrifice. But oh, what a way to go. No matter how the cards play out, things are about to get Wilde. (Goodreads Synopsis)
Getting Wilde had an interesting premise, which is what drew me to read it. However, I never felt it fully reached its potential. I enjoyed Sara as a character, and her gifts were interesting, but the world in which she lived was never explained in enough detail. What exactly is the Arcana Council, and what are its members? Where do they get their powers? How does it all work? None of this was elaborated on. Granted, this is a series, so additional information may come in later books, but I felt we needed a little more here at the start. In addition, I had a slight issue with the men in the tale, all of whom spent the majority of their time trying to get Sara into bed, often through aggression and manipulation, which made them all come across as misogynistic rapists. The story also lacked cohesion. Yes, there was a main plot point of looking for the two missing girls, but in some ways it read more like vignettes of Sara's different heists. I am still giving this book 3.5 stars, because I loved the idea and Sara was a good heroine, but for me the lack of cohesion, lack of explanations, and negative portrayal of all the potential love interests let it down.
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