Review of The Mage in Black by Jaye Wells

Title: Mage in Black (Sabina Kane, #2)
Authors: Jaye Wells
Pages: 326 Pages, Paperback
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Standalone/Series: Series
Release:  Already Out
Publisher: Orbit
Received from publisher
Author info: Jaye Wells website
Spoiler Alert: Spoilers for book 1 - Red Headed Step Child (see review here)
Goodreads Blurb: Sabina Kane doesn't have the best track record when it comes to family. After all, her own grandmother, leader of the vampire race, wants her dead. So when she arrives in New York to meet her mage relatives, the reunion puts the fun in dysfunctional. Not only is mage culture completely bizarre, but everyone seems to think she's some kind of 'Chosen' who'll unite the dark races. Sabina doesn't care who chose her, she's not into destiny. But the mages aren't Sabina's only problem. In New York's Black Light District, she has run-ins with fighting demons, hostile werewolves and an opportunistic old flame. Sabina thought she'd take a bite out of the Big Apple - but it looks like it wants to bite back.

How can you go wrong with a book that has a Demon Fight Club in it – I mean really? This second entry into the Sabina Kane series is, dare I say it, even better than the first – Red-Headed Step Child. In Mage in Black, Sabina is recovering from the betrayal of her grandmother, the head of the vampire race, and is going to New York City to meet the twin sister that she just learned she had who is also the leader of the mages. Sabina’s life has been thrown into real upheaval and she faces all these problems with her same type of sarcastic and stubborn demeanor that has earned her so many friends in the past (not really). Soon upon her arrival to the city, Sabina faces new attempts on her life though the person behind these attempts still remains a mystery. Sabina also has to learn how to deal with family, her twin sister Maise, who is genuinely happy to meet her – which is not something Sabina is used to dealing with.

Sabina doesn’t just have family to deal with but also a potential heating up of her relationship with the sexy mancy Adam. Sabina is still struggling with her prejudices against mages and having any type of romantic relationship with a mage, even one as sexy as Adam, makes the situation pretty complicated. Especially considering the ill-fated love affair her mother (a vampire) and father (a mage) had. Add in her reconnection with an old “friend” and she has a lot to contemplate. Thank goodness Sabina faces all these crazy upheavals in her life with her trusty demon minion Gighul. I love Gighul! He is such an awesome demon minion/ comedic sidekick and always says the most inappropriate comments at the perfect moment. And leave it to Gighul to get tied up with a Demon Fight Club ring (guess what the first rule is..hehe..) and spend all his earnings with some sexy nymph playmates.

There are many plot developments in this story and you start to see some developments in Sabina beyond the constant tough girl attitude. Although there is less mythology in this book about the development of the Dark Races we do learn a little more about the Caste of Nod and about Sabina’s destiny. Though as you can guess with Sabina she is not a fan of following her destiny.

This book was a 4.5 out of 5 stars for me, Sabina Kane and her demon minion Gighul make an awesome comedic and ass-kicking team.