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If you stop running, you fall.
Jonah Pastern is a magician, a liar, a windwalker, a professional thief…and for six months, he was the love of police constable Ben Spenser’s life. Until his betrayal left Ben jailed, ruined, alone, and looking for revenge.
Ben is determined to make Jonah pay. But he can’t seem to forget what they once shared, and Jonah refuses to let him. Soon Ben is entangled in Jonah’s chaotic existence all over again, and they’re running together—from the police, the justiciary, and some dangerous people with a lethal grudge against them.
Threatened on all sides by betrayals, secrets, and the laws of the land, can they find a way to live and love before the past catches up with them?
Warning: Contains a policeman who should know better, a thief who may never learn, Victorian morals, heated encounters, and a very annoyed Stephen Day.
Jonah Pastern is a magician, a liar, a windwalker, a professional thief…and for six months, he was the love of police constable Ben Spenser’s life. Until his betrayal left Ben jailed, ruined, alone, and looking for revenge.
Ben is determined to make Jonah pay. But he can’t seem to forget what they once shared, and Jonah refuses to let him. Soon Ben is entangled in Jonah’s chaotic existence all over again, and they’re running together—from the police, the justiciary, and some dangerous people with a lethal grudge against them.
Threatened on all sides by betrayals, secrets, and the laws of the land, can they find a way to live and love before the past catches up with them?
Warning: Contains a policeman who should know better, a thief who may never learn, Victorian morals, heated encounters, and a very annoyed Stephen Day.
239 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 13, 2015
126 people are currently reading
3308 people want to read
About the author
K.J. Charles
65 books12.1k followersKJ is a writer of romance, mostly m/m, historical or fantasy or both. She blogs about writing and editing at http://kjcharleswriter.com.
She lives in London, UK, with her husband, two kids, and a cat of absolute night.
Bluesky @kj_charleswriter.com
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She lives in London, UK, with her husband, two kids, and a cat of absolute night.
Bluesky @kj_charleswriter.com
Join the lively Discord group at https://discord.gg/fmPTWSZfT6
Sign up to the (infrequent) newsletter at http://kjcharleswriter.com/newsletter
Please **do not** message me on Goodreads as I no longer check the inbox due to unwanted messages.
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April 15, 2017Here's what happened.
I wrote Flight of Magpies, book 3 of Stephen and Crane's story, and in it, a young villain named Jonah Pastern emerged as a key player. Jonah does some pretty reprehensible things in Flight. He's reckless, amoral, self-serving. I don't know if you'll like him much. Stephen certainly doesn't. But.
You see, I don't believe that anyone's a villain in their own head. I think you can tell any story from the other side. And I never write a bad guy without ten minutes' thinking time to get their backstory and motivations nailed. I might not use a word of it in the book, but I know damn well why they do what they do.
And once I knew why Jonah did what he did, I had to tell his story. Because if you look closely enough, it turns out that even villains might deserve a chance at a happy ending.
This book is set in the Charm of Magpies world (The Magpie Lord, A Case of Possession, Flight of Magpies). It makes sense read on its own (we checked!) but comes chronologically after Flight and features some of the key characters of the trilogy. I hope you enjoy it!
I wrote Flight of Magpies, book 3 of Stephen and Crane's story, and in it, a young villain named Jonah Pastern emerged as a key player. Jonah does some pretty reprehensible things in Flight. He's reckless, amoral, self-serving. I don't know if you'll like him much. Stephen certainly doesn't. But.
You see, I don't believe that anyone's a villain in their own head. I think you can tell any story from the other side. And I never write a bad guy without ten minutes' thinking time to get their backstory and motivations nailed. I might not use a word of it in the book, but I know damn well why they do what they do.
And once I knew why Jonah did what he did, I had to tell his story. Because if you look closely enough, it turns out that even villains might deserve a chance at a happy ending.
This book is set in the Charm of Magpies world (The Magpie Lord, A Case of Possession, Flight of Magpies). It makes sense read on its own (we checked!) but comes chronologically after Flight and features some of the key characters of the trilogy. I hope you enjoy it!
February 27, 2015
A thief, a windwalker, an imp: Jonah has been used and shattered. He is the man holding Crane's picture at the end of Flight of Magpies.
He is the one who rips it and runs.
Jonah always runs. It's what he does best.
He leaves his lover, Constable Ben Spenser, to deal with the fallout. Ben loses everything: his job, his family, his respect.
Ben is serious and broody, the earth to Jonah's air. He's bitter and resentful, understandably so.
But Jonah had reasons, and he'll tell Ben if only Ben will listen.
This book is set in the magical, complex, whimsical world of Crane and Day and will make much more sense if you read the A Charm of Magpies series first. After all, I couldn't even write this review without mentioning Stephen and Lucien.
Stephen Day has not forgotten the torn picture of his lover. When Day finds Jonah, a very much reformed Jonah, mellowed and held by Ben's steady presence, he wants to carry out an appropriate punishment. And he has Crane and Merrick, or as Jonah puts it:
There's loads of angst here, REAL heartrending angst: Jonah's betrayal, Ben's boundless anger, Jonah's pleading, Ben's stubbornness, two men saving themselves and their future.
This is all hard to take, because there is no RIGHT. Jonah did lie, and Ben WAS betrayed. But nothing was ever done without love.
It was near impossible not to feel sorry for Jonah in this book; he is flawed and reckless but so full of energy and life, and his adoration for Ben knows no bounds:
You see? This book has all the feels, and I cried ALL the tears.
But there's comfort too, and lightness and laughter, and PASSION with moans and kisses and tender touches in the dark.
Charles's writing is exceptional, bar none: the sharp dialogue, the humor, the vivid descriptions, the three-dimensional, imperfect characters.
There's an inn keeper who sees all, a feisty 8-year-old, a drunk who'll vouch for his bucca, a near tragic ship wreck, sweet love making on a cliff, and a rather forgiving Mrs. Merrick.
Ultimately, Ben stands by his man. Jonah flies. Stephen Day relents. Crane buys everyone ale. Merrick reminisces about China.
And all is right with the world.
He is the one who rips it and runs.
Jonah always runs. It's what he does best.
He leaves his lover, Constable Ben Spenser, to deal with the fallout. Ben loses everything: his job, his family, his respect.
Ben is serious and broody, the earth to Jonah's air. He's bitter and resentful, understandably so.
But Jonah had reasons, and he'll tell Ben if only Ben will listen.
"I don't want to know . . . I don't want to know what was more important than me."
This book is set in the magical, complex, whimsical world of Crane and Day and will make much more sense if you read the A Charm of Magpies series first. After all, I couldn't even write this review without mentioning Stephen and Lucien.
Stephen Day has not forgotten the torn picture of his lover. When Day finds Jonah, a very much reformed Jonah, mellowed and held by Ben's steady presence, he wants to carry out an appropriate punishment. And he has Crane and Merrick, or as Jonah puts it:
The right noble earl of Crane. Six foot three of money, mouth and cock. And his pet murderer.
There's loads of angst here, REAL heartrending angst: Jonah's betrayal, Ben's boundless anger, Jonah's pleading, Ben's stubbornness, two men saving themselves and their future.
This is all hard to take, because there is no RIGHT. Jonah did lie, and Ben WAS betrayed. But nothing was ever done without love.
It was near impossible not to feel sorry for Jonah in this book; he is flawed and reckless but so full of energy and life, and his adoration for Ben knows no bounds:
"All I want to do is be with you. I want to walk the wind with you and come home to our bed. I want you to read to me and play rugby. I want to make you proud of me. I don't need anything else . . . I don't see why that's so much to ask, that I could just be with you. If you loved me. And I want you to love me again. I want that, Ben."
"I can't love you again," Ben said . . . "How can I when I never stopped?"
You see? This book has all the feels, and I cried ALL the tears.
But there's comfort too, and lightness and laughter, and PASSION with moans and kisses and tender touches in the dark.
Charles's writing is exceptional, bar none: the sharp dialogue, the humor, the vivid descriptions, the three-dimensional, imperfect characters.
There's an inn keeper who sees all, a feisty 8-year-old, a drunk who'll vouch for his bucca, a near tragic ship wreck, sweet love making on a cliff, and a rather forgiving Mrs. Merrick.
Ultimately, Ben stands by his man. Jonah flies. Stephen Day relents. Crane buys everyone ale. Merrick reminisces about China.
And all is right with the world.
"I've stopped running."
"You fell?
"I landed."
August 9, 2018
Warning: Though this is billed as a standalone, it really is an offshoot of The Magpie Lord series. It works best if you read it after reading Flight of Magpies because, honestly, many plot points of that book are spoiled in Jackdaw. Read with caution if you aren't caught up on your Lord Crane/Stephen hotness!
I'm not a huge fan of established couple stories but I really enjoyed this one. Maybe I'm being a little misleading: Jonah and Ben aren't an established couple, not exactly, but rather a couple that gets back together after a time apart. Jonah was the slippery man that I wanted to strangle in Flight of Magpies, and I was curious to see how he would be redeemed. I shouldn't have had any doubts: K.J. Charles is a magician.
I loved the level of intensity between Ben and Jonah. Their relationship felt so charged, so important. There were sky-high highs and crushing lows, and I was on the roller-coaster with them all the way. I thought that these two men felt like a perfect match, and I was rooting for them hard.
This story, again, has a good amount of action. I was breathless in anticipation of what would happen next, and hoping against all hopes that these two men would catch a freakin' break! I also loved when Jonah got to play around with his wind-walking skills, and we got to see his huge personality come through. It felt dangerous and exhilarating, which I adored.
I did miss seeing the start of Jonah and Ben's relationship, other than in flashback. Flashbacks always feel "blah" to me, and the starts of a love story tend to be my favorite parts. Also, this book was a little less erotic than her other works. However, I was very satisfied with this one and I think all fans of The Magpie Lord series will be too.
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I'm not a huge fan of established couple stories but I really enjoyed this one. Maybe I'm being a little misleading: Jonah and Ben aren't an established couple, not exactly, but rather a couple that gets back together after a time apart. Jonah was the slippery man that I wanted to strangle in Flight of Magpies, and I was curious to see how he would be redeemed. I shouldn't have had any doubts: K.J. Charles is a magician.
I loved the level of intensity between Ben and Jonah. Their relationship felt so charged, so important. There were sky-high highs and crushing lows, and I was on the roller-coaster with them all the way. I thought that these two men felt like a perfect match, and I was rooting for them hard.
This story, again, has a good amount of action. I was breathless in anticipation of what would happen next, and hoping against all hopes that these two men would catch a freakin' break! I also loved when Jonah got to play around with his wind-walking skills, and we got to see his huge personality come through. It felt dangerous and exhilarating, which I adored.
I did miss seeing the start of Jonah and Ben's relationship, other than in flashback. Flashbacks always feel "blah" to me, and the starts of a love story tend to be my favorite parts. Also, this book was a little less erotic than her other works. However, I was very satisfied with this one and I think all fans of The Magpie Lord series will be too.
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August 15, 2021
4 Magpie Universe Stars!
It’s safe to say that I will and would read anything from the wonderful world of A Charm of Magpies, and this certainly didn’t disappoint. Taking place shortly after Flight of Magpies ends, this focuses on the wiley criminal (but not evil) windwalker Jonah Pastern, and how he became a person of interest for justiciar Stephan and the formidable Lord Crane.
Though Jonah aided and abetted some terrible awful magical adversaries, he was basically coerced into doing so, and this goes back and forth in time showing how Jonah got blackmailed. He had good intentions and that reason was saving his lover, policeman Ben from being murdered. Jonah unknowingly betrayed Ben, causing him to lose everything, and now Ben is driven to bring Jonah to justice, quickly learning that things are not simply black and white, good and bad, innocent and guilty.
This is a story about redemption and forgiveness and starting over. This is a harsh world that barely tolerates magic, let alone MM, which makes Jonah and Ben’s journey that much more difficult.
Overall, engagingly angsty and so fulfilling. For me, Charles can basically do no wrong with her Magpie universe, and it was the proverbial icing on the cake revisiting Stephan and Crane along with faithful Merrick and fiesty Jenny. Though this broke my heart several times over, it ultimately filled me with a lot of happiness. If you don’t know about this series, I urge you to start with The Magpie Lord. This is fantastic gritty historical magical swoony stuff!
It’s safe to say that I will and would read anything from the wonderful world of A Charm of Magpies, and this certainly didn’t disappoint. Taking place shortly after Flight of Magpies ends, this focuses on the wiley criminal (but not evil) windwalker Jonah Pastern, and how he became a person of interest for justiciar Stephan and the formidable Lord Crane.
Though Jonah aided and abetted some terrible awful magical adversaries, he was basically coerced into doing so, and this goes back and forth in time showing how Jonah got blackmailed. He had good intentions and that reason was saving his lover, policeman Ben from being murdered. Jonah unknowingly betrayed Ben, causing him to lose everything, and now Ben is driven to bring Jonah to justice, quickly learning that things are not simply black and white, good and bad, innocent and guilty.
This is a story about redemption and forgiveness and starting over. This is a harsh world that barely tolerates magic, let alone MM, which makes Jonah and Ben’s journey that much more difficult.
Overall, engagingly angsty and so fulfilling. For me, Charles can basically do no wrong with her Magpie universe, and it was the proverbial icing on the cake revisiting Stephan and Crane along with faithful Merrick and fiesty Jenny. Though this broke my heart several times over, it ultimately filled me with a lot of happiness. If you don’t know about this series, I urge you to start with The Magpie Lord. This is fantastic gritty historical magical swoony stuff!
January 2, 2015
Okay, I need to explain something first. Bear with me.
I LOVE reunited lovers story – most especially when the lovers are not parting amicably and there's still anger, hurt, and pain but they still love each other. Then when the ex-lovers meet, the feelings are still there and there's strong tension ... oh, for me that is just so delicious.
Now, when it comes to reunited story, Adrien/Jake from Adrien English series is the best and my most favorite. Especially in book 4 (Death of a Pirate King) when the pain was still raw before they found their way back to love. That particular book has every single thing I want in a reunited story trope, which is why they're my TOP reunited couple. I can read that book over and over again; and this come from someone who doesn’t exactly re-read books! Every single reunited couple I will compare with them. So far, nothing even comes close to the vicinity of Adrien and Jake.
Until Jackdaw .
Yes, this story is a strong competition for Adrien English. Because it had EVERYTHING I ever wanted from a reunited story as well. The story was taken from Ben Spenser's perspective. Here was a man, whose life was completely ruined by his lover, Jonah Pastern, when Jonah ran away after the police found out that Jonah was a thief. Not only professionally but also personally. Ben was jailed. He suffered from the thing police officers suffered when they entered gallows. His colleagues shunned him. His family as well. Ben had every right for revenge!
And that what happened in the beginning – we had the raw, revenge sex when the ex-lovers met again (it was hot, slightly almost like dub-con, but with OH ALL. THE. GLORIOUS. FEELINGS!). However, Ben realized he still loved Jonah, and everything after that was SO F*CKING delicious for me to read.
See, it was all about the *feel* and everything was so sharp and vivid and OMG so gripping. I already have K.J. Charles firmly sit in a position of being one of my favorite MM authors and she just makes me come undone with this story. I'm feeling all of the Ben and Jonah’s turbulent relationship even now, months after I finish it (I first read this few months ago).
What I also loved from Jackdaw was that it was basically a classic story of redemption. We found out more about Jonah and why he did what he did, why he betrayed Ben that way. Jonah and Ben are the kind of couple that are so right for each other, despite the hurt and betrayal. They totally make the other person's better. For Jonah, he finds reasons to stay on the ground; Ben is his home. And for Ben, his feeling for Jonah shapes him to be someone more well-rounded, who sees things beyond the surface. Jonah is Ben’s source of heartbreak --- but he is also the love of Ben’s life. The one scene where Jonah and Ben finally acknowledge their feeling with words just choked me up – and yes, I had tears *damn it*
As always, K.J. Charles also wrote riveting action sequence – if you are familiar with her works in A Charm of Magpie series that is – one in particular was quite movie worthy that I was dying to see in a big screen. I could just picture it in my mind’s eye. It would be an absolute cinematic experience!
In the end, let me just say this... Adrien and Jake, meet Jonah and Ben. They are currently residing with you on the top position of reunited romance story. Their story will be a beloved reread just like yours are. And I love all four of you so very much!
PS: We have Lucien Crane and Stephen Day as cameos :)
The ARC is provided by the publisher via Netgalley for an exchange of fair and honest review. No high rating is required for any ARC received.
I LOVE reunited lovers story – most especially when the lovers are not parting amicably and there's still anger, hurt, and pain but they still love each other. Then when the ex-lovers meet, the feelings are still there and there's strong tension ... oh, for me that is just so delicious.
Now, when it comes to reunited story, Adrien/Jake from Adrien English series is the best and my most favorite. Especially in book 4 (Death of a Pirate King) when the pain was still raw before they found their way back to love. That particular book has every single thing I want in a reunited story trope, which is why they're my TOP reunited couple. I can read that book over and over again; and this come from someone who doesn’t exactly re-read books! Every single reunited couple I will compare with them. So far, nothing even comes close to the vicinity of Adrien and Jake.
Until Jackdaw .
Yes, this story is a strong competition for Adrien English. Because it had EVERYTHING I ever wanted from a reunited story as well. The story was taken from Ben Spenser's perspective. Here was a man, whose life was completely ruined by his lover, Jonah Pastern, when Jonah ran away after the police found out that Jonah was a thief. Not only professionally but also personally. Ben was jailed. He suffered from the thing police officers suffered when they entered gallows. His colleagues shunned him. His family as well. Ben had every right for revenge!
And that what happened in the beginning – we had the raw, revenge sex when the ex-lovers met again (it was hot, slightly almost like dub-con, but with OH ALL. THE. GLORIOUS. FEELINGS!). However, Ben realized he still loved Jonah, and everything after that was SO F*CKING delicious for me to read.
See, it was all about the *feel* and everything was so sharp and vivid and OMG so gripping. I already have K.J. Charles firmly sit in a position of being one of my favorite MM authors and she just makes me come undone with this story. I'm feeling all of the Ben and Jonah’s turbulent relationship even now, months after I finish it (I first read this few months ago).
What I also loved from Jackdaw was that it was basically a classic story of redemption. We found out more about Jonah and why he did what he did, why he betrayed Ben that way. Jonah and Ben are the kind of couple that are so right for each other, despite the hurt and betrayal. They totally make the other person's better. For Jonah, he finds reasons to stay on the ground; Ben is his home. And for Ben, his feeling for Jonah shapes him to be someone more well-rounded, who sees things beyond the surface. Jonah is Ben’s source of heartbreak --- but he is also the love of Ben’s life. The one scene where Jonah and Ben finally acknowledge their feeling with words just choked me up – and yes, I had tears *damn it*
As always, K.J. Charles also wrote riveting action sequence – if you are familiar with her works in A Charm of Magpie series that is – one in particular was quite movie worthy that I was dying to see in a big screen. I could just picture it in my mind’s eye. It would be an absolute cinematic experience!
In the end, let me just say this... Adrien and Jake, meet Jonah and Ben. They are currently residing with you on the top position of reunited romance story. Their story will be a beloved reread just like yours are. And I love all four of you so very much!
PS: We have Lucien Crane and Stephen Day as cameos :)
The ARC is provided by the publisher via Netgalley for an exchange of fair and honest review. No high rating is required for any ARC received.
March 24, 2015
Written February 19, 2015
4 1/2 Stars - Heartbreaking, amusing, spellbinding, funny, lovely romantic....OMG I LOVE this one
Woot! - A new adventure from a favorite M/M writer!!
Big hopes and high expectations...
And they are all pleased and fulfilled. I L.O.V.E this story, I admire this author and the character has a place in my heart between the rest of the gang from this 'world'.
***********************************************************
Jackdaw is supposed to be read after book-part #3 in K.J. Charles' 'Magpies' series. This is a standalone story with two new main characters (lovebirds) even if we know one of them (as a nasty scoundrel) a tiny bit already but it better be read after those other books.
Jonah Pastern is a magician, a liar, a windwalker, a professional thief…and for six months, he was the love of police constable Ben Spenser’s life. Until his betrayal left Ben jailed, ruined, alone, and looking for revenge.
***********************************************************
Jackdaw starts in a kind of 'dark' way. We meet a 'knocked', man in grief. Ben is angry and in a mood for a hurtful revenge. ~ I can really understand Ben's feelings and to begin with is it hard to see how this ruined love-story between Ben and Jonah is going to have any chance to end well.
Jonah seems to be that flying, running, irresponsible young magican they all talk ill about. But of course isn't it as easy and one sided predictable as first presented.
(Good for the story is that it is told from Ben's point of view and we have to wait for answers to a lot of questions about why, when, etc as well as Jonah's secrets.)
Nevertheless pretty soon am I totally captivated by this grand very romantic story. My feelings was on a kind of exciting roller coaster. This was freaking heartbreaking. So touching emotional at times. My heart needed that calmer, sunnier, sweeter part in the middle. (...and that nice family feeling)
Add to that a love, my love, for second chances romances. Even better when the books are set in an historical (lightly paranormal) time.
***********************************************************
This book isn't as much a para-crime adventure that the Magpies books. Jackdaw feels more like a heartfelt romantic historical adventure with two lost souls who just needed some stability and tranquility.
...I know I'm repeating myself right now. Yes, yes, but I don't have time or the ability to write any good proper review analysis of the story itself today. You understand that I liked, haha.
As an extra sweet good-feels prize, we meet all our old friends as well. Love them all and I'm glad to now also know a tiny little about their plans for the future as well.
***********************************************************
Higly recommended to all admirers of Magpies, Jackdaws, Windwalkers, Magic, Men Who Loves Men, and most of all; Grand Romantic Historical Romances.
I'm not sure this is a five-star romance but my feelings gives the highest star rating anyway.
I LIKE - everything from K.J. Charles talented pen
4 1/2 Stars - Heartbreaking, amusing, spellbinding, funny, lovely romantic....OMG I LOVE this one
Woot! - A new adventure from a favorite M/M writer!!
“If you stop running, you fall.”•
“I’ve stopped running.”
“You fell?”
“I landed.” Jonah’s smile was springtime,...’
Big hopes and high expectations...
And they are all pleased and fulfilled. I L.O.V.E this story, I admire this author and the character has a place in my heart between the rest of the gang from this 'world'.
***********************************************************
Jackdaw is supposed to be read after book-part #3 in K.J. Charles' 'Magpies' series. This is a standalone story with two new main characters (lovebirds) even if we know one of them (as a nasty scoundrel) a tiny bit already but it better be read after those other books.
Jonah Pastern is a magician, a liar, a windwalker, a professional thief…and for six months, he was the love of police constable Ben Spenser’s life. Until his betrayal left Ben jailed, ruined, alone, and looking for revenge.
***********************************************************
Jackdaw starts in a kind of 'dark' way. We meet a 'knocked', man in grief. Ben is angry and in a mood for a hurtful revenge. ~ I can really understand Ben's feelings and to begin with is it hard to see how this ruined love-story between Ben and Jonah is going to have any chance to end well.
‘He had saved Ben this evening because he could, but he had left him when he could not, and Ben knew, with a sullen weight on his heart, that the explanation Jonah promised would be no more than that bare, sad truth of self-preservation at all costs, dressed in fine words. A jackdaw in peacock’s feathers.’
Jonah seems to be that flying, running, irresponsible young magican they all talk ill about. But of course isn't it as easy and one sided predictable as first presented.
(Good for the story is that it is told from Ben's point of view and we have to wait for answers to a lot of questions about why, when, etc as well as Jonah's secrets.)
‘Had he changed Ben’s thoughts? Ben had loved him so hard, so fast, falling into his arms and his life as though Jonah had been the missing piece of his existence. Had Jonah made him believe that? Was it all a lie?’
Nevertheless pretty soon am I totally captivated by this grand very romantic story. My feelings was on a kind of exciting roller coaster. This was freaking heartbreaking. So touching emotional at times. My heart needed that calmer, sunnier, sweeter part in the middle. (...and that nice family feeling)
Add to that a love, my love, for second chances romances. Even better when the books are set in an historical (lightly paranormal) time.
***********************************************************
This book isn't as much a para-crime adventure that the Magpies books. Jackdaw feels more like a heartfelt romantic historical adventure with two lost souls who just needed some stability and tranquility.
...I know I'm repeating myself right now. Yes, yes, but I don't have time or the ability to write any good proper review analysis of the story itself today. You understand that I liked, haha.
As an extra sweet good-feels prize, we meet all our old friends as well. Love them all and I'm glad to now also know a tiny little about their plans for the future as well.
“There should be a law.”
Day looked up at him with a quick grin. “There really should. ‘Impeding the rational action of others by the use of charm, good looks and irresistibility— ’”
“‘A sentence not less than six months’,” Ben completed. “With hard.”
***********************************************************
Higly recommended to all admirers of Magpies, Jackdaws, Windwalkers, Magic, Men Who Loves Men, and most of all; Grand Romantic Historical Romances.
I'm not sure this is a five-star romance but my feelings gives the highest star rating anyway.
I LIKE - everything from K.J. Charles talented pen
June 22, 2018
***5 Stars***
I just knew it!!! A certain windwalker brought me into full-on mommabear-mode...
For me, Jonah Pastern is one of the most intriguing secondary characters ever who got his own book and KJ Charles brought him to life in such a vibrant fashion that the joy he feels when he walks the wind radiated from the pages and not only infected Ben...
... but also me and made me feel it. In these moments I had a constant big - more like huge - smile on my face.
This book was quieter than the original Magpie Lord series. More heartbreaking. More... romantic. Don't get me wrong, there's still some paranormal activity going on, but no oversized rodents, no renegade body parts, no practitioners with delusional disorder.
Just a sweet and sometimes heart-wrenching second-chance love story between two adorable guys who so deserved their hard-earned HEA.
Umm, that doesn't mean I sometimes didn't want to seize them by the collar and clash their heads together, though...
I was also happy to see the guys from the original series again, although I have to admit that there were times I didn't particularly liked them here, especially Stephen, but leave it to Crane to charm me again with his typical lord-ish humor...
Oh, Crane, you are really something else... I would really love to meet the whole bunch again, but there are more books in this universe for me to read, so who knows? ;-)
I just knew it!!! A certain windwalker brought me into full-on mommabear-mode...
For me, Jonah Pastern is one of the most intriguing secondary characters ever who got his own book and KJ Charles brought him to life in such a vibrant fashion that the joy he feels when he walks the wind radiated from the pages and not only infected Ben...
"No hesitating. If you stop, you fall."
Jonah made him fly. Jonah danced with the wind. Jonah was looking at him with an expectation that he would join the dance, and Ben might be on a terrifying edge but with Jonah's eyes on him it was impossible to step back.
... but also me and made me feel it. In these moments I had a constant big - more like huge - smile on my face.
This book was quieter than the original Magpie Lord series. More heartbreaking. More... romantic. Don't get me wrong, there's still some paranormal activity going on, but no oversized rodents, no renegade body parts, no practitioners with delusional disorder.
Just a sweet and sometimes heart-wrenching second-chance love story between two adorable guys who so deserved their hard-earned HEA.
"I've stopped running."
"You fell?"
"I landed." Jonah's smile was springtime, and Ben reached for his hand and held it.
Umm, that doesn't mean I sometimes didn't want to seize them by the collar and clash their heads together, though...
I was also happy to see the guys from the original series again, although I have to admit that there were times I didn't particularly liked them here, especially Stephen, but leave it to Crane to charm me again with his typical lord-ish humor...
"We only heard of him via the pawn shop," Crane observed. "And we wouldn't even have been in the country to hear that if Mrs. Gold didn't have the gestational period of a pachyderm. I thought those babies would never appear. It was like waiting for the Second Coming."
Oh, Crane, you are really something else... I would really love to meet the whole bunch again, but there are more books in this universe for me to read, so who knows? ;-)
July 4, 2018
Ben Spenser has an obsession: capture his ex, the wind walker Jonah Pastern, and make his life as miserable as possible. He will do damn near everything to accomplish just that, even if it means lying his way into the offices of the Justiciary. Still, when confronted with his "prey", Ben realizes that he's not quite over the guy after all. And then Jonah has the audacity to even save him prince-charming-style. Dunno 'bout you, but Ben's fate is certainly sealed.
I was going to stop my K.J. Charles obsession, with Feast of Stephen, but when the book gets advertised as "contain[ing] a very annoyed Stephen Day", I'm there. With bells on.
Although everyone's favorite Sr. Justiciar is only a secondary character, as far as "screen time" goes, Stephen is definitely the most prominently featured... secondary character. And I loved every single second of it.
The change in perspective, compared to the Charm of Magpie series, gave us an awesome professional kick-ass Stephen, as opposed to the miniature sex-bomb with the magic hands. I think he may have even grown taller in my mind's eye. Possibly because Ben didn't feel the constant need to keep mentioning the guy's diminutive height.
And then, there is of course Ben and Jonah's relationship, that tugged at every single romantic string in my body. Every minute of it was so utterly heart-breakingly hopeless, and yet I couldn't help but wish for a happy-ending... as implausible as it may have seemed. And then the author goes and manages to work in a quite plausible happy ending. That just deserves a big round of tearful applause.
What's up with the constant threat of Merrick-the-husband, which never quite materializes? All through the book, Jonah is constantly reminding Ben about the evil that is Jenny's husband, thanks to Ben's accidental murder attempt on Jenny. So, obviously, I was expecting some sort of big showdown... that ends up taking place off screen. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! I should sue...
Score: 4/5 stars
Come for the scintillating treat of Stephen Day, stay for a truly heart-breaking love story, and get rewarded with a satisfying HEA.
======================
Review of prequel comic strip: Jackdaw: Valentine's Day
I was going to stop my K.J. Charles obsession, with Feast of Stephen, but when the book gets advertised as "contain[ing] a very annoyed Stephen Day", I'm there. With bells on.
Although everyone's favorite Sr. Justiciar is only a secondary character, as far as "screen time" goes, Stephen is definitely the most prominently featured... secondary character. And I loved every single second of it.
The change in perspective, compared to the Charm of Magpie series, gave us an awesome professional kick-ass Stephen, as opposed to the miniature sex-bomb with the magic hands. I think he may have even grown taller in my mind's eye. Possibly because Ben didn't feel the constant need to keep mentioning the guy's diminutive height.
And then, there is of course Ben and Jonah's relationship, that tugged at every single romantic string in my body. Every minute of it was so utterly heart-breakingly hopeless, and yet I couldn't help but wish for a happy-ending... as implausible as it may have seemed. And then the author goes and manages to work in a quite plausible happy ending. That just deserves a big round of tearful applause.
What's up with the constant threat of Merrick-the-husband, which never quite materializes? All through the book, Jonah is constantly reminding Ben about the evil that is Jenny's husband, thanks to Ben's accidental murder attempt on Jenny. So, obviously, I was expecting some sort of big showdown... that ends up taking place off screen. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! I should sue...
Score: 4/5 stars
Come for the scintillating treat of Stephen Day, stay for a truly heart-breaking love story, and get rewarded with a satisfying HEA.
======================
Review of prequel comic strip: Jackdaw: Valentine's Day
December 21, 2022
They are a police constable and a thief. They were supposed to be enemies. They fell in love instead. But now the masks are off and there are no excuses left to explain why they can’t stop thinking about the other.
Jonah Paster is a charming, beautiful windwalker who earns his living stealing. There is nothing Jonah cares about except himself… until Ben. But that’s over now: Jonah has destroyed it with all his lies. After being forced to work for a powerful warlock, he’s on the run. Nobody can stop him from dodging prison. Nobody but Ben.
Ben’s life started when he found what he had never dreamt of: a man to cherish, to share a cottage with and read him books before going to sleep. A man who went to his rugby games and shared his bed at the end of the day. A man who loved him. Until Ben discovers everything was fake. There was never a ‘we’.
They threw him in prison due to Jonah. He lost his job, his home, his family, his reputation. The only thing left in Ben is the anger that feeds his last wish: finding the man he loves and making him pay.
I adored every single second of this wonderful second chance/relationship crisis romance. Why? Because the whole conflict is that they are in love with someone they shouldn’t be, they are so far away that they don't know how to bend to reach common ground. It was an impossible dilemma, a Romeo-and-Juliet forbidden romance that wasn’t meant to be. On top of that, Jonah is a criminal with an arrest warrant whose only hope to escape is forgetting about Ben. But he can’t. Not when Ben hates him, refuses to listen to his explanations why. Why Jonah left him, why he wasn’t waiting for him when Ben was released from prison, why he failed him over and over again. Jonah is not looking for forgiveness, he just needs Ben to listen.
“I’m tired of being the villain in the story. I never meant to be, and I don’t want to do it any more.”
But there is no time left for Jonah to earn back Ben’s trust. Ben is going to deliver his lover to the justiciary, Jonah is going to pay for what he did. There is no other way. Why is it so damn difficult to betray someone who has betrayed you in every possible way?
Ben and Jonah should be complete opposites, they should hate each other, yet they are each other’s home. And that broke my entire cold heart in pieces and left me hanging in every word to see them living happily ever after. Everything was such a mess, the running away, the constant fear of being discovered, the having to hide not only their love, but also their entire identity. They can’t go back to what they had, they have to learn to love again without secrets between them.
Ben was a golden retriever: loyal, caring and moral. He didn’t deserve anything of what Jonah did. But it’s okay, because Jonah is determined to show Ben he deserves having his lover back. Whichever the price, Jonah will pay. Even if he loses his freedom, even if he can’t windwalk again. Because life would lose its sense if he ever loses Ben again.
"I can't love you again," Ben said, his heart aching on the words. "How can I, when I never stopped? I couldn't stop loving you when I hated you so much it made me sick to think about you. I used to dream about killing you and wake up crying because I thought you were dead. I can't not love you. I don't know how." 💔
Sorry, this was a bit sappy but I was so invested in their romance that I spent the last two hours of the audiobook just lying in bed, unable to wait a second longer to see whether they were going to be alright. I know it is a romance book, but when you are so in love with the MCs, you don’t care about HEAs being a must; you need to see it by yourself. My only two small problems were, again, the predictability of the structure when it comes to the conflict with Jonah’s freedom, and that I’d rather not have the first two smut scenes. The last one is a personal preference, I know other people didn’t mind or even loved them.
Note: I would recommend reading the original trilogy, A Charm of Magpies, before reading this one, since Jonah is part of the bad guys on the last book and you can see the whole battle that made him a fugitive and how he earned the hatred of Stephen Day, hero in A Charm of Magpies and one of the most powerful practitioners. However, everything was explained in this book so it could be read as a standalone. There is nothing of their romance in previous books, you just won’t know with the same detail the magic and secondary characters, especially at the beginning.
*Rating: 4.5/5
Jonah Paster is a charming, beautiful windwalker who earns his living stealing. There is nothing Jonah cares about except himself… until Ben. But that’s over now: Jonah has destroyed it with all his lies. After being forced to work for a powerful warlock, he’s on the run. Nobody can stop him from dodging prison. Nobody but Ben.
Ben’s life started when he found what he had never dreamt of: a man to cherish, to share a cottage with and read him books before going to sleep. A man who went to his rugby games and shared his bed at the end of the day. A man who loved him. Until Ben discovers everything was fake. There was never a ‘we’.
They threw him in prison due to Jonah. He lost his job, his home, his family, his reputation. The only thing left in Ben is the anger that feeds his last wish: finding the man he loves and making him pay.
I adored every single second of this wonderful second chance/relationship crisis romance. Why? Because the whole conflict is that they are in love with someone they shouldn’t be, they are so far away that they don't know how to bend to reach common ground. It was an impossible dilemma, a Romeo-and-Juliet forbidden romance that wasn’t meant to be. On top of that, Jonah is a criminal with an arrest warrant whose only hope to escape is forgetting about Ben. But he can’t. Not when Ben hates him, refuses to listen to his explanations why. Why Jonah left him, why he wasn’t waiting for him when Ben was released from prison, why he failed him over and over again. Jonah is not looking for forgiveness, he just needs Ben to listen.
“I’m tired of being the villain in the story. I never meant to be, and I don’t want to do it any more.”
But there is no time left for Jonah to earn back Ben’s trust. Ben is going to deliver his lover to the justiciary, Jonah is going to pay for what he did. There is no other way. Why is it so damn difficult to betray someone who has betrayed you in every possible way?
Ben and Jonah should be complete opposites, they should hate each other, yet they are each other’s home. And that broke my entire cold heart in pieces and left me hanging in every word to see them living happily ever after. Everything was such a mess, the running away, the constant fear of being discovered, the having to hide not only their love, but also their entire identity. They can’t go back to what they had, they have to learn to love again without secrets between them.
Ben was a golden retriever: loyal, caring and moral. He didn’t deserve anything of what Jonah did. But it’s okay, because Jonah is determined to show Ben he deserves having his lover back. Whichever the price, Jonah will pay. Even if he loses his freedom, even if he can’t windwalk again. Because life would lose its sense if he ever loses Ben again.
"I can't love you again," Ben said, his heart aching on the words. "How can I, when I never stopped? I couldn't stop loving you when I hated you so much it made me sick to think about you. I used to dream about killing you and wake up crying because I thought you were dead. I can't not love you. I don't know how." 💔
Sorry, this was a bit sappy but I was so invested in their romance that I spent the last two hours of the audiobook just lying in bed, unable to wait a second longer to see whether they were going to be alright. I know it is a romance book, but when you are so in love with the MCs, you don’t care about HEAs being a must; you need to see it by yourself. My only two small problems were, again, the predictability of the structure when it comes to the conflict with Jonah’s freedom, and that I’d rather not have the first two smut scenes. The last one is a personal preference, I know other people didn’t mind or even loved them.
Note: I would recommend reading the original trilogy, A Charm of Magpies, before reading this one, since Jonah is part of the bad guys on the last book and you can see the whole battle that made him a fugitive and how he earned the hatred of Stephen Day, hero in A Charm of Magpies and one of the most powerful practitioners. However, everything was explained in this book so it could be read as a standalone. There is nothing of their romance in previous books, you just won’t know with the same detail the magic and secondary characters, especially at the beginning.
*Rating: 4.5/5
December 20, 2014
Wooo...^^
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Sweet anticipation, what else?
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Sweet anticipation, what else?
Read
February 18, 2015I'm a huge fan of KJ Charles, and I think this was a well-written book full of her typical charm and wit.
PLOT spoilers under the spoiler tag, along with my reasons I think this book should be read and thoroughly discussed. Also, big fat trigger warning for everything under the spoiler tag.
PLOT spoilers under the spoiler tag, along with my reasons I think this book should be read and thoroughly discussed. Also, big fat trigger warning for everything under the spoiler tag.
February 25, 2015
Anything K.J. Charles cares to write, I'll read. This story is definitely best when read after
A Charm of Magpies
series. Events in book 3 of that wonderful, exciting, sexy (go read it now!!) series are important for understanding this book, and will be spoilered if you read this story first. **This review may also contain spoilers for that series.**
In Jackdaw , we see Jonah, after he has fled the scene of his crimes at the end of Flight of Magpies. Jonah is a practitioner, a windwalker, petty thief, and liar, one of those mercurial characters who fly high and burn bright, and like others of his kind, there's a darkness behind that. Jonah has been rejected and mistreated and he's determined to rip from life whatever he needs, because that's what he's good at. Of course, it was a big mistake for him to fall for a solid, honest, honourable policeman like Ben.
It was an even bigger mistake for Ben to fall in love with Jonah.
Ben has suffered in many ways, body, heart and soul, for the sin of loving a man with a poor moral compass. After getting out of prison, where he served time for Jonah's crimes, he tracks Jonah down, with the intention of returning that hurt on the cause of his pain. Unfortunately, he still loves the man he lived with, shared a home and a bed and a hundred moments with. They fight and explain and accommodate, until they find that staying together and protecting each other is more important than the habits and ideas of either's previous lifetime. The outside world, however, holds a grudge.
I adored Ben. He was imperfectly perfect, as the moral man who loves not wisely but too well. His emotions, his choices, all stemmed from who he was.
I liked and understood Jonah. His choices came from the way adults had failed him, failed to protect or train or care for or love him. And he grew through the story, as he tried so hard to be the man Ben deserved. But his growth felt like it came from his need for Ben, not from some well-spring of true integrity inside him. One thing was lacking to make me love him, or to believe he might not, some day, unintentionally and simply through moral blindness, break Ben's heart again.
Although Lord Crane is probably the more amoral character on some levels, he hurts for the pain of innocents, with fire and anger. I never saw that at Jonah's heart. And perhaps that was my misreading, but that's where I kept my distance from him, and took a star.
Still an excellent book, in an amazing series, and one more confirmation that K.J. Charles is another auto-buy author for me.
In Jackdaw , we see Jonah, after he has fled the scene of his crimes at the end of Flight of Magpies. Jonah is a practitioner, a windwalker, petty thief, and liar, one of those mercurial characters who fly high and burn bright, and like others of his kind, there's a darkness behind that. Jonah has been rejected and mistreated and he's determined to rip from life whatever he needs, because that's what he's good at. Of course, it was a big mistake for him to fall for a solid, honest, honourable policeman like Ben.
It was an even bigger mistake for Ben to fall in love with Jonah.
Ben has suffered in many ways, body, heart and soul, for the sin of loving a man with a poor moral compass. After getting out of prison, where he served time for Jonah's crimes, he tracks Jonah down, with the intention of returning that hurt on the cause of his pain. Unfortunately, he still loves the man he lived with, shared a home and a bed and a hundred moments with. They fight and explain and accommodate, until they find that staying together and protecting each other is more important than the habits and ideas of either's previous lifetime. The outside world, however, holds a grudge.
I adored Ben. He was imperfectly perfect, as the moral man who loves not wisely but too well. His emotions, his choices, all stemmed from who he was.
I liked and understood Jonah. His choices came from the way adults had failed him, failed to protect or train or care for or love him. And he grew through the story, as he tried so hard to be the man Ben deserved. But his growth felt like it came from his need for Ben, not from some well-spring of true integrity inside him. One thing was lacking to make me love him, or to believe he might not, some day, unintentionally and simply through moral blindness, break Ben's heart again.
Although Lord Crane is probably the more amoral character on some levels, he hurts for the pain of innocents, with fire and anger. I never saw that at Jonah's heart. And perhaps that was my misreading, but that's where I kept my distance from him, and took a star.
Still an excellent book, in an amazing series, and one more confirmation that K.J. Charles is another auto-buy author for me.
June 5, 2023
AUDIOBOOK June 2023 - Still LOVE this one!!
Original review July 2018
****4.5 Soaring Stars****
What an incredible addition to the Charm of Magpies,World! Jonah, the air/wind-walker we met in the previous book was a character that I loved to hate and hated to love when I first met him.
Ben was a man full of bitter bile and hurtful resentment towards Jonah. When he two meet up again, it’s explosive! The feels are sooo powerful, but neither man can communicate. Ben can’t trust Jonah; Jonah feels he deserves Ben’s pain.
Slowly, their story comes out. Slowly, trust builds, but I was never really sure of Jonah. Never sure that he would run again. I wasn’t sure that Ben would stick with Jonah, and neither was Jonah.
These boys ran me ragged as they ran across England escaping the reach of the justiciars and the police for Jonah’s past crimes and for Ben’s aide in his escape.
Well, the boys find their ground, so to speak, in a Cornish fishing village. Jonah agrees to play it straight—no more stealing. Watching these two re-acknowledge their love is a thing of glory!
But all is not safe yet for our lovers, no. Cameos by Stephen and Crane livened up the book, but for once, I was rooting for the other side—sorry Stephen! There is a heated debate between Stephen and Ben about crime and punishment that was very engaging and made very good points.
So, our lovers get a hard fought HFN/HEA, and as a reader, it was well worth it. Both of these characters had huge arcs and I loved how much growth they each experienced. Their change rang true and not forced—character growth rather than a major plot lay at the heart of this book.
If you’re and audiobook listener, you’ll love this one with its delightful and crazy Cornish accents!
Highly recommended!
Original review July 2018
****4.5 Soaring Stars****
What an incredible addition to the Charm of Magpies,World! Jonah, the air/wind-walker we met in the previous book was a character that I loved to hate and hated to love when I first met him.
Ben was a man full of bitter bile and hurtful resentment towards Jonah. When he two meet up again, it’s explosive! The feels are sooo powerful, but neither man can communicate. Ben can’t trust Jonah; Jonah feels he deserves Ben’s pain.
Slowly, their story comes out. Slowly, trust builds, but I was never really sure of Jonah. Never sure that he would run again. I wasn’t sure that Ben would stick with Jonah, and neither was Jonah.
These boys ran me ragged as they ran across England escaping the reach of the justiciars and the police for Jonah’s past crimes and for Ben’s aide in his escape.
Well, the boys find their ground, so to speak, in a Cornish fishing village. Jonah agrees to play it straight—no more stealing. Watching these two re-acknowledge their love is a thing of glory!
But all is not safe yet for our lovers, no. Cameos by Stephen and Crane livened up the book, but for once, I was rooting for the other side—sorry Stephen! There is a heated debate between Stephen and Ben about crime and punishment that was very engaging and made very good points.
So, our lovers get a hard fought HFN/HEA, and as a reader, it was well worth it. Both of these characters had huge arcs and I loved how much growth they each experienced. Their change rang true and not forced—character growth rather than a major plot lay at the heart of this book.
If you’re and audiobook listener, you’ll love this one with its delightful and crazy Cornish accents!
Highly recommended!
March 17, 2015
Moral compass, everybody needs one.
And for Jonah that's Ben. This is a slippery story that really evokes a lot of anger at one of the MCs. We first met Jonah in relation to Crane and Day in a magpie story. Here Jonah's story is spun out to give us how he came to be involved and explain his scurrilous decisions. They reunite and unexpected events happen, for all involved. Their changes while they're on the lam is how I got from Ben, you're a patsy to Ben, you're a generous soul.
Overall, either you believe people are capable of redemption and deserve a chance or not--you decide.
Favorite quote:
And for Jonah that's Ben. This is a slippery story that really evokes a lot of anger at one of the MCs. We first met Jonah in relation to Crane and Day in a magpie story. Here Jonah's story is spun out to give us how he came to be involved and explain his scurrilous decisions. They reunite and unexpected events happen, for all involved. Their changes while they're on the lam is how I got from Ben, you're a patsy to Ben, you're a generous soul.
Overall, either you believe people are capable of redemption and deserve a chance or not--you decide.
Favorite quote:
“So, we’re now on the run from the justiciary, the Metropolitan Police, a rich and ruthless man that you tried to kill, and the extremely dangerous fiancé of the woman that I tried to kill. Is that right?”
February 23, 2015
Jonah our fallen hero and Ben slightly fallen as well, both dealing with bad choices, sad, angry, hurt and lonely and so, so sure that they should be together.
I doubted how a good outcome could come about. Charles proved me wrong of course. Delightfully wrong. I loved the story of these two plebeian fellows and happy to know
Seeing old friends through the eyes of new friends, I like that, even though I ended up feeling angry at the old friends because of the new friends.
Cornwall – cliffs
October 27, 2021
We’re not good for each other,”
Perhaps not,” Jonah said. “But we’re not doing very well apart.”
There is angst and then there is angst by KJ Charles. Even before I started this book, I had the feeling that this one was going to be angsty. Because even though this book is not part of, The Charm of Magpie series, it's a continuation of the story from the last book of the series, The flight of Magpie.
Our MC Jonah Preston is a well established side character in the previous book and we already know what to expect from an MC who is a liar and a thief and has very few moral qualms.
Summary
As stated before, this book is not standalone. So, the book started with Jonah Preston's story, a practitioner and a Windwalker who is a lone wolf is on the run from both the Police and Justiciary.
But then we meet Ben, the beat cop who fell in love with beautiful Jonah without knowing anything about him.
"The door opened. Ben looked up, and the foundations of his life began to crumble."
Their romance was insta and all-consuming. Ben had never imagined with his preferences, he could ever experience love. so, he accepted Jonah as a gift.
But, his lovely dream was shattered when beautiful Jonah turned out to be a magically gifted thief and when Ben lost his family, job, reputation, everything because of Jonah.
Now, Ben is searching for Jonah to seek out revenge.
Romance
The thing I love most about romance in KJ Charles's books is the genuine angst. The differences between MCs are not superficial, most of the issues stem from the conflict in MC's belief system or their moral compass.
In this book too Ben is a cop and we have Jonah, who has no understanding of right or wrong. There is no doubt they love each other but they have a complicated past, messy present and no future.
Ben lost everything because of Jonah, including Jonah. And, he has plenty of opportunities to be nasty and vengeful and he even tried to hate Jonah but his love was too strong to be overcome by hatred.
Characterisation
On the surface, Ben is quite a straightforward character. But, he did change throughout the book mostly because of his love for Jonah. And, end up changing Jonah too.
Jonah...I don't know, judging by Jonah in the previous book, I expected someone who needed redemption. But, after a while I understood, you can't blame someone for being a liar and thief if they are never taught to be something else.
Things I love most about this book
1. The setting of Cornwall. Even after reading so many HR books, I have found very few with this setting. The sea, cliff, stormy winds and weather and a lovely language that I couldn't understand if not narrated by Cornell Collins.
2. Ben, yes we get only his POV, so it's easy to sympathize with him but his inability to despise or even dislike Jonah was so precious.
3. Yes Jonah was catastrophic and Ben always gets swept away in the storm but their inability to let each other go is the main highlight of the book. It's not an unhealthy relationship, it's the situation, the whole fucking, hateful world.
4. The found family. After the angsty first half, I found the setting of the small fishing port of Cornwall, the Innkeepers family and villagers very soothing.
And, there is no doubt that I always adore KJ Charles's writing but I found it glorious when she is describing Cornish beauty.
Don't even ask, of course, I am going to start reading the Rag and Bone series.
I can’t love you again,” Ben said, his heart aching on the words. “How can I, when I never stopped? I couldn’t stop loving you when I hated you so much it made me sick to think about you. I used to dream about killing you and wake up crying because I thought you were dead. I can’t not you. I don’t know-how.
Perhaps not,” Jonah said. “But we’re not doing very well apart.”
There is angst and then there is angst by KJ Charles. Even before I started this book, I had the feeling that this one was going to be angsty. Because even though this book is not part of, The Charm of Magpie series, it's a continuation of the story from the last book of the series, The flight of Magpie.
Our MC Jonah Preston is a well established side character in the previous book and we already know what to expect from an MC who is a liar and a thief and has very few moral qualms.
Summary
As stated before, this book is not standalone. So, the book started with Jonah Preston's story, a practitioner and a Windwalker who is a lone wolf is on the run from both the Police and Justiciary.
But then we meet Ben, the beat cop who fell in love with beautiful Jonah without knowing anything about him.
"The door opened. Ben looked up, and the foundations of his life began to crumble."
Their romance was insta and all-consuming. Ben had never imagined with his preferences, he could ever experience love. so, he accepted Jonah as a gift.
But, his lovely dream was shattered when beautiful Jonah turned out to be a magically gifted thief and when Ben lost his family, job, reputation, everything because of Jonah.
Now, Ben is searching for Jonah to seek out revenge.
Romance
The thing I love most about romance in KJ Charles's books is the genuine angst. The differences between MCs are not superficial, most of the issues stem from the conflict in MC's belief system or their moral compass.
In this book too Ben is a cop and we have Jonah, who has no understanding of right or wrong. There is no doubt they love each other but they have a complicated past, messy present and no future.
Ben lost everything because of Jonah, including Jonah. And, he has plenty of opportunities to be nasty and vengeful and he even tried to hate Jonah but his love was too strong to be overcome by hatred.
Characterisation
On the surface, Ben is quite a straightforward character. But, he did change throughout the book mostly because of his love for Jonah. And, end up changing Jonah too.
Jonah...I don't know, judging by Jonah in the previous book, I expected someone who needed redemption. But, after a while I understood, you can't blame someone for being a liar and thief if they are never taught to be something else.
Things I love most about this book
1. The setting of Cornwall. Even after reading so many HR books, I have found very few with this setting. The sea, cliff, stormy winds and weather and a lovely language that I couldn't understand if not narrated by Cornell Collins.
2. Ben, yes we get only his POV, so it's easy to sympathize with him but his inability to despise or even dislike Jonah was so precious.
3. Yes Jonah was catastrophic and Ben always gets swept away in the storm but their inability to let each other go is the main highlight of the book. It's not an unhealthy relationship, it's the situation, the whole fucking, hateful world.
4. The found family. After the angsty first half, I found the setting of the small fishing port of Cornwall, the Innkeepers family and villagers very soothing.
And, there is no doubt that I always adore KJ Charles's writing but I found it glorious when she is describing Cornish beauty.
Don't even ask, of course, I am going to start reading the Rag and Bone series.
I can’t love you again,” Ben said, his heart aching on the words. “How can I, when I never stopped? I couldn’t stop loving you when I hated you so much it made me sick to think about you. I used to dream about killing you and wake up crying because I thought you were dead. I can’t not you. I don’t know-how.
December 5, 2023
✰ 3.75 stars ✰
“But why would I not? Of course I love you.”
“Because you’re perfect. You’re extraordinary. I’m so ordinary.”
“But you aren’t ordinary. You’re Benedict Spenser. There’s only one of you in the world, and you love me. Nobody’s ever been less ordinary than you.”
A second chance at love and life, Jackdaw is the continuation of K.J Charles' charming magpie series, where we reunite with one of the key players of the third installment, Jonah Pastern - a wind-walker who walks through air and a thief, who steals more than just precious jewels and prized possessions. For at the forefront of this narrative is Ben - the man who fell in love with him and paid the price for that love cruelly and most unkindly. For when he walked away from Ben at the most critical and dire moment, he stole something even more precious - Ben's heart and his love for him. And in order for him to win back a piece of his heart, the story unfolds on their ill-fated romance and the lengths one takes to right the wrong that they had committed - in the affairs of the law and the affairs of the heart, as well. ❤️🩹❤️🩹
“Nothing had changed, nothing to remedy his pain and anger and hate. Jonah was a thief, a liar, an accessory to murder.
But he had said “Score me a try”, and the words had stabbed Ben’s heart with sweetness.”
A heart-breaking start, a bittersweet middle, and an emotional yet uplifting conclusion - I can't describe it better. For no matter the many months Ben toiled away as punishment for his acts, for how long Ben has sworn to himself he'll never forgive Jonah, 'a jackdaw in peacock’s feathers' - that a fitful burst of passion is nothing more than hateful vengeance for a broken heart - the times he finds himself drawn back to Jonah - more than he would like to admit - more than he's able to deny. 'I am Jonah, therefore I love Ben. And the converse would be true, Ben recalled from distant memories of arithmetical logic. I am Ben, therefore I love Jonah.' 💔💔 I loved how their relationship was portrayed - treasured flashbacks with enough detail that showed how smitten and devoted and happy their time together was, till it was ripped so cruelly from them.
Ben's hurt and betrayal of trust was so palpable - the shame that clung to him like a second skin; but so too, was the guilt and shame for how he treated Jonah upon their reunion. But, when he learns the reason behind his actions - it's heart-breaking. Heart-breaking enough that even though he's heart-broken, he'll still sacrifice himself once again to protect Jonah - to stay by his side, riddled with this guilty conscience that he is at fault for Jonah being targeted by the justiciary - secret policemen, bringing law to secret people. It's such a beautiful example of how we can't shed our love for others, even when we convince ourselves that we never will forgive them - for seeing how much Ben would still follow Jonah - through thick or thin - protect him - without accepting why. 💘💘
“I’m tired of being the villain in the story. I never meant to be, and I don’t want to do it any more. I just—God, all I want to do is to be with you.”
If I think about it, there isn't really any specific conflict that existed; rather, it was a love story between 'a copper and a thief, a liar and a dupe, and their idyllic few months had only been possible because of Jonah’s deceit and Ben’s wilful blindness', and how they would finally learn to love each other again, even when they never stopped. The obstacles thrown in their path, inadvertently bring them together and I liked how determined and contrite Jonah was about wanting to earn Ben's forgiveness - how earnest, and not self-deprecating, but just willingly honest to change. To change for him - and earn back his love again. I wish that the story could have included his POV, as well. 'I didn’t want that to be true. I wanted to be someone else. With you.' 😢 I would have liked to have known his thoughts at certain moments - his reaction to their first meeting again - how Ben rushed to warn him - the moment on the ship - the chase through air - their first time together - not as enemies, but as kindred souls.
There is such a natural progression to them falling back into step with one another that you start to root for them to succeed - to achieve happiness in their attempts at a second opportunity to be together - the way they clung to one another - determined to make it count, not to let each other go without proving to each other that their love was so strong between them - that it had never faded away. I really got a kick out of the fact that I disliked Stephen and Crane so much here - no joke! 😅 They were the 'villains' of their romance - determined to bring Jonah to justice; it hurt me to think what would happen to him if he got in their clutches; his fear ripped through my core and Ben's restraints, too. But it's that triumph of love and dedication - the willful stubbornness of those who have seen the good in the two of them - who can vouch for their staunch characters - that shows people can be loyal and true in the face of adversity and through time how love really does overcome all, in the end. 👌🏻👌🏻
“I missed you when you weren’t there, and now you are here and I can’t touch you and I miss you even more.”
“I miss you too,” Ben whispered.”
Gah, the writing is still so lovely - KJC's writing just moves you - and moves fluently, too. She writes with such heart and pulls out all these swaying emotions and angst, and still gives the right amount of spice and passion that sends a ripple up my spine, leaving me breathless at how entwined they are with each other! 🤌🏻🤌🏻 'Ben hadn’t known much kissing before, hadn’t met many men he’d wanted to kiss, but Jonah was made for it. Everything about his mouth was perfect, whether smiling or sucking, kissing or chattering, and Ben lost himself more deeply in wonder every moment.' 🥹 I could share so much of how she captures so poignantly the acts of forgiveness and change and Jonah's desire to earn his trust and be so reticent and open about his feelings. 'I wish you still loved me.' It sucker-punched me every time, because he truly was apologetic and so earnestly sweet in expressing how sorry he was.
It was also very sweet to see that as hard-boiled as Ben was, his armor had already been cracked so much earlier than he would ever openly admit, and just seeing that Jonah's trying to change through his flaws - to learn to be better for him... 'And then I met you. And I stopped running. And I fell.' 🥺 It wasn't an immediate forgiveness, but a gradual one of trust and understanding and committing themselves that they could finally make this work - build a life for themselves. Ah, there were so many displays of affection and tenderness that melted my core; even when Ben was demanding an explanation for Jonah's actions, it came from his heart at how much he wanted to have him back. And that, to me, is such a beautiful depiction of getting a second chance at love that I can't help but agree that it was truly a worthwhile read. 🤍
“You’re not ordinary, Ben, but…you make me feel ordinary.”
“You? What do you mean?”
“I don’t mean boring. I mean… You make me feel as though there’s nothing different about me. I’m just an ordinary man quietly getting on with his quiet life, and I’m doing it with you.”
Jonah smiled up at him. “It’s wonderful.”
“But why would I not? Of course I love you.”
“Because you’re perfect. You’re extraordinary. I’m so ordinary.”
“But you aren’t ordinary. You’re Benedict Spenser. There’s only one of you in the world, and you love me. Nobody’s ever been less ordinary than you.”
A second chance at love and life, Jackdaw is the continuation of K.J Charles' charming magpie series, where we reunite with one of the key players of the third installment, Jonah Pastern - a wind-walker who walks through air and a thief, who steals more than just precious jewels and prized possessions. For at the forefront of this narrative is Ben - the man who fell in love with him and paid the price for that love cruelly and most unkindly. For when he walked away from Ben at the most critical and dire moment, he stole something even more precious - Ben's heart and his love for him. And in order for him to win back a piece of his heart, the story unfolds on their ill-fated romance and the lengths one takes to right the wrong that they had committed - in the affairs of the law and the affairs of the heart, as well. ❤️🩹❤️🩹
“Nothing had changed, nothing to remedy his pain and anger and hate. Jonah was a thief, a liar, an accessory to murder.
But he had said “Score me a try”, and the words had stabbed Ben’s heart with sweetness.”
A heart-breaking start, a bittersweet middle, and an emotional yet uplifting conclusion - I can't describe it better. For no matter the many months Ben toiled away as punishment for his acts, for how long Ben has sworn to himself he'll never forgive Jonah, 'a jackdaw in peacock’s feathers' - that a fitful burst of passion is nothing more than hateful vengeance for a broken heart - the times he finds himself drawn back to Jonah - more than he would like to admit - more than he's able to deny. 'I am Jonah, therefore I love Ben. And the converse would be true, Ben recalled from distant memories of arithmetical logic. I am Ben, therefore I love Jonah.' 💔💔 I loved how their relationship was portrayed - treasured flashbacks with enough detail that showed how smitten and devoted and happy their time together was, till it was ripped so cruelly from them.
Ben's hurt and betrayal of trust was so palpable - the shame that clung to him like a second skin; but so too, was the guilt and shame for how he treated Jonah upon their reunion. But, when he learns the reason behind his actions - it's heart-breaking. Heart-breaking enough that even though he's heart-broken, he'll still sacrifice himself once again to protect Jonah - to stay by his side, riddled with this guilty conscience that he is at fault for Jonah being targeted by the justiciary - secret policemen, bringing law to secret people. It's such a beautiful example of how we can't shed our love for others, even when we convince ourselves that we never will forgive them - for seeing how much Ben would still follow Jonah - through thick or thin - protect him - without accepting why. 💘💘
“I’m tired of being the villain in the story. I never meant to be, and I don’t want to do it any more. I just—God, all I want to do is to be with you.”
If I think about it, there isn't really any specific conflict that existed; rather, it was a love story between 'a copper and a thief, a liar and a dupe, and their idyllic few months had only been possible because of Jonah’s deceit and Ben’s wilful blindness', and how they would finally learn to love each other again, even when they never stopped. The obstacles thrown in their path, inadvertently bring them together and I liked how determined and contrite Jonah was about wanting to earn Ben's forgiveness - how earnest, and not self-deprecating, but just willingly honest to change. To change for him - and earn back his love again. I wish that the story could have included his POV, as well. 'I didn’t want that to be true. I wanted to be someone else. With you.' 😢 I would have liked to have known his thoughts at certain moments - his reaction to their first meeting again - how Ben rushed to warn him - the moment on the ship - the chase through air - their first time together - not as enemies, but as kindred souls.
There is such a natural progression to them falling back into step with one another that you start to root for them to succeed - to achieve happiness in their attempts at a second opportunity to be together - the way they clung to one another - determined to make it count, not to let each other go without proving to each other that their love was so strong between them - that it had never faded away. I really got a kick out of the fact that I disliked Stephen and Crane so much here - no joke! 😅 They were the 'villains' of their romance - determined to bring Jonah to justice; it hurt me to think what would happen to him if he got in their clutches; his fear ripped through my core and Ben's restraints, too. But it's that triumph of love and dedication - the willful stubbornness of those who have seen the good in the two of them - who can vouch for their staunch characters - that shows people can be loyal and true in the face of adversity and through time how love really does overcome all, in the end. 👌🏻👌🏻
“I missed you when you weren’t there, and now you are here and I can’t touch you and I miss you even more.”
“I miss you too,” Ben whispered.”
Gah, the writing is still so lovely - KJC's writing just moves you - and moves fluently, too. She writes with such heart and pulls out all these swaying emotions and angst, and still gives the right amount of spice and passion that sends a ripple up my spine, leaving me breathless at how entwined they are with each other! 🤌🏻🤌🏻 'Ben hadn’t known much kissing before, hadn’t met many men he’d wanted to kiss, but Jonah was made for it. Everything about his mouth was perfect, whether smiling or sucking, kissing or chattering, and Ben lost himself more deeply in wonder every moment.' 🥹 I could share so much of how she captures so poignantly the acts of forgiveness and change and Jonah's desire to earn his trust and be so reticent and open about his feelings. 'I wish you still loved me.' It sucker-punched me every time, because he truly was apologetic and so earnestly sweet in expressing how sorry he was.
It was also very sweet to see that as hard-boiled as Ben was, his armor had already been cracked so much earlier than he would ever openly admit, and just seeing that Jonah's trying to change through his flaws - to learn to be better for him... 'And then I met you. And I stopped running. And I fell.' 🥺 It wasn't an immediate forgiveness, but a gradual one of trust and understanding and committing themselves that they could finally make this work - build a life for themselves. Ah, there were so many displays of affection and tenderness that melted my core; even when Ben was demanding an explanation for Jonah's actions, it came from his heart at how much he wanted to have him back. And that, to me, is such a beautiful depiction of getting a second chance at love that I can't help but agree that it was truly a worthwhile read. 🤍
“You’re not ordinary, Ben, but…you make me feel ordinary.”
“You? What do you mean?”
“I don’t mean boring. I mean… You make me feel as though there’s nothing different about me. I’m just an ordinary man quietly getting on with his quiet life, and I’m doing it with you.”
Jonah smiled up at him. “It’s wonderful.”
April 21, 2020
1st read - 15 July to 16 July 2015
2nd read - 19 April to 20 April 2020
Caution: I may have veered off topic. Sorry about that.
When I was very, very young I was introduced to a genius. That introduction is probably one of the most special that I have ever had. The reason it is special and will always be so is because that introduction was given by my dad and the genius in question was Oscar Wilde.
Some of my earliest memories are of my dad reading to me. I remember sitting on his lap while he read me whatever book it was that he was reading and you know it’s highly possible that I can actually claim to have read ‘War and Peace’ or ‘Ulysses’ after all, I just did the audio version. There is no doubt at all that my love of reading comes from my father. He has introduced me to many authors throughout my life but the one who has stayed with me always is Wilde. There isn’t a time I can recall not knowing him, that’s just occurred to me as I write this, and that’s kind of wonderful. I started with just his words and as I grew older I began to learn of the man. And the story of the man still absolutely breaks my heart. There is no doubt that Oscar Wilde wasn’t an arrogant man, that arrogance most definitely led to the tragedy that was the end of his life but I think that arrogance also helped to fuel his creativity.
It was my dad who explained to me about the end of Wilde’s life, I remember being absolutely distraught, I don’t think I was much older than 11 or 12, and I just couldn’t understand how the world could treat someone I loved so dearly in such a way. ‘They ruined a man who was before his time, because they didn’t understand him. Remember bigots are usually the people who don’t try to learn about the things they don’t understand’ was my dad’s reply to my question as to why Wilde was arrested and imprisoned. I know that it is a very simplistic view but it was the answer given to a child and the most important thing I took from it was the word ‘try’. I still try to get all the information and the facts about something before I pass personal judgement, I still try to learn as much as I can about something I don’t understand before I form an opinion and by doing so I think, and I hope, it makes me a better, more compassionate and a more understanding person.
For that (and many other things) I thank my dad and I thank Oscar. Much of the world is still not very tolerant of the things they don’t understand but little pockets are improving and as long as we keep moving forward maybe one day all of it will. My own little pocket has come a hell of long way and as my little pocket is the birth place of Wilde that change feels even sweeter. A memory I hope to carry with me always is my dad, because he was so overjoyed that Marriage Equality had passed, reciting ‘The Ballad of Reading Gaol’ on the 23 May 2015 to a large group of people at a family party some of whom (unbeknownst to him) were people who had voted ‘No’. My dad is what we call eccentric and others call a bit crazy but on that day I felt utter pride for a man who has thought me to question everything and that love is a gift and can be hard to come by so who are we to dictate who gets to receive it.
“And all men kill the thing they love,
By all let this be heard,
Some do it with a bitter look,
Some with a flattering word,
The coward does it with a kiss,
The brave man with a sword!”
What has all this got to do with ‘Jackdaw’? Well it does all tie in, sort of, as soon as I understood what it was that had happened to Ben I could not get Oscar Wilde out of my head. The injustice and the terror Ben went through. The humiliation, the bigotry and the fear he endured was heart breaking and I know that from a social stand point Oscar Wilde and Ben were worlds apart, even though Wilde would likely have put himself in Ben’s social class after he served his sentence, I just couldn’t separate them while reading this. Ben and Wilde’s punishment for their ‘crime’ absolutely slays me. My heart felt heavy for the entirety of this book, everything Ben went through felt grossly unfair, a life destroyed because people didn’t understand that he was in love with a man. I could totally understand his anger at the start of this, in actual fact I thought his ability to forgive was amazing. It’s very clear that he never stopped loving Jonah but his world was turned up-side down and he was left to deal with the consequences on his own, the anger and resentment he felt were totally justified. He was terribly cruel to Jonah at times but it made perfect sense, it never felt like angst for the sake of angst, it felt like that was where they needed to go to get past this awful thing that happened, that the poison had to come out before the healing could begin.
My most favourite thing about his book was Jonah. I both loved and hated him in ‘Flight of the Magpies’ but I adored him in this. He is so very flawed, so very damaged, so very human and he was a joy to read. Every time he talked about not being very good at planning I was close to tears. There was something very childlike about him and as his story unfolded the reasons for that became clearer and made me love all the more.
‘Jackdaw’ is not an easy read and while there is a thread of the ‘Charm of the Magpie’ humour throughout, it is also a story of two damaged and flawed men trying to find their way back to each other because apart they are barely existing.
“I’ve stopped running.”
“You fell?”
“I landed.”
2nd read - 19 April to 20 April 2020
Caution: I may have veered off topic. Sorry about that.
When I was very, very young I was introduced to a genius. That introduction is probably one of the most special that I have ever had. The reason it is special and will always be so is because that introduction was given by my dad and the genius in question was Oscar Wilde.
Some of my earliest memories are of my dad reading to me. I remember sitting on his lap while he read me whatever book it was that he was reading and you know it’s highly possible that I can actually claim to have read ‘War and Peace’ or ‘Ulysses’ after all, I just did the audio version. There is no doubt at all that my love of reading comes from my father. He has introduced me to many authors throughout my life but the one who has stayed with me always is Wilde. There isn’t a time I can recall not knowing him, that’s just occurred to me as I write this, and that’s kind of wonderful. I started with just his words and as I grew older I began to learn of the man. And the story of the man still absolutely breaks my heart. There is no doubt that Oscar Wilde wasn’t an arrogant man, that arrogance most definitely led to the tragedy that was the end of his life but I think that arrogance also helped to fuel his creativity.
It was my dad who explained to me about the end of Wilde’s life, I remember being absolutely distraught, I don’t think I was much older than 11 or 12, and I just couldn’t understand how the world could treat someone I loved so dearly in such a way. ‘They ruined a man who was before his time, because they didn’t understand him. Remember bigots are usually the people who don’t try to learn about the things they don’t understand’ was my dad’s reply to my question as to why Wilde was arrested and imprisoned. I know that it is a very simplistic view but it was the answer given to a child and the most important thing I took from it was the word ‘try’. I still try to get all the information and the facts about something before I pass personal judgement, I still try to learn as much as I can about something I don’t understand before I form an opinion and by doing so I think, and I hope, it makes me a better, more compassionate and a more understanding person.
For that (and many other things) I thank my dad and I thank Oscar. Much of the world is still not very tolerant of the things they don’t understand but little pockets are improving and as long as we keep moving forward maybe one day all of it will. My own little pocket has come a hell of long way and as my little pocket is the birth place of Wilde that change feels even sweeter. A memory I hope to carry with me always is my dad, because he was so overjoyed that Marriage Equality had passed, reciting ‘The Ballad of Reading Gaol’ on the 23 May 2015 to a large group of people at a family party some of whom (unbeknownst to him) were people who had voted ‘No’. My dad is what we call eccentric and others call a bit crazy but on that day I felt utter pride for a man who has thought me to question everything and that love is a gift and can be hard to come by so who are we to dictate who gets to receive it.
“And all men kill the thing they love,
By all let this be heard,
Some do it with a bitter look,
Some with a flattering word,
The coward does it with a kiss,
The brave man with a sword!”
What has all this got to do with ‘Jackdaw’? Well it does all tie in, sort of, as soon as I understood what it was that had happened to Ben I could not get Oscar Wilde out of my head. The injustice and the terror Ben went through. The humiliation, the bigotry and the fear he endured was heart breaking and I know that from a social stand point Oscar Wilde and Ben were worlds apart, even though Wilde would likely have put himself in Ben’s social class after he served his sentence, I just couldn’t separate them while reading this. Ben and Wilde’s punishment for their ‘crime’ absolutely slays me. My heart felt heavy for the entirety of this book, everything Ben went through felt grossly unfair, a life destroyed because people didn’t understand that he was in love with a man. I could totally understand his anger at the start of this, in actual fact I thought his ability to forgive was amazing. It’s very clear that he never stopped loving Jonah but his world was turned up-side down and he was left to deal with the consequences on his own, the anger and resentment he felt were totally justified. He was terribly cruel to Jonah at times but it made perfect sense, it never felt like angst for the sake of angst, it felt like that was where they needed to go to get past this awful thing that happened, that the poison had to come out before the healing could begin.
My most favourite thing about his book was Jonah. I both loved and hated him in ‘Flight of the Magpies’ but I adored him in this. He is so very flawed, so very damaged, so very human and he was a joy to read. Every time he talked about not being very good at planning I was close to tears. There was something very childlike about him and as his story unfolded the reasons for that became clearer and made me love all the more.
‘Jackdaw’ is not an easy read and while there is a thread of the ‘Charm of the Magpie’ humour throughout, it is also a story of two damaged and flawed men trying to find their way back to each other because apart they are barely existing.
“I’ve stopped running.”
“You fell?”
“I landed.”
September 2, 2024
Won't be waffling on about this one too much. Yes, my mind has been completely blown by Jonah Pastern, Ben Spenser and their romantic tryst in Cornwall. Even up to halfway in this story, I was encouraging Ben to give the little s**t up to the Justiciary...and I think Ben was going to, but then things changed [in Reading actually], and I was rooting for the two guys instead of hating one of them. This is a true love story, and yes, the lovely Lucien and his little sidekick Stephen make an appearance towards the end together with .
Must just mention some choice quotes, and there are plenty...as per usual.
Jonah to Ben "You never snore. Rare and precious...and sadly underrated in a bed partner"
and my absolute favourite...
Ben to Jonah "I can't love you again," his heart aching on the words. "How can I, when I never stopped? I couldn't stop loving you when I hated you so much it made me sick to think about you. I used to dream about killing you and wake up crying because I thought you were dead. I can't not love you. I don't know how."
A Big Puddle of Goo!! 5 Stargazy Pie stars from me (for the Cornish amongst us).
***Thanks to Samhain for the ARC via Netgalley***
Must just mention some choice quotes, and there are plenty...as per usual.
Jonah to Ben "You never snore. Rare and precious...and sadly underrated in a bed partner"
and my absolute favourite...
Ben to Jonah "I can't love you again," his heart aching on the words. "How can I, when I never stopped? I couldn't stop loving you when I hated you so much it made me sick to think about you. I used to dream about killing you and wake up crying because I thought you were dead. I can't not love you. I don't know how."
A Big Puddle of Goo!! 5 Stargazy Pie stars from me (for the Cornish amongst us).
***Thanks to Samhain for the ARC via Netgalley***
August 15, 2018
Real Rating: 4.75* of five
Truly a journey with a crew of startling intensity. More later.
Truly a journey with a crew of startling intensity. More later.
June 20, 2023
Re-Read: June 2023
Original Read: Feb 2022
This is perfection! Every single word is perfect and following my re-read, I've decided that this is my favorite KJ Charles book to date, surpassing A Seditious Affair and overall, this book is in my top 5 favorite books ever. The entire time I was reading, I had a smile on my face because I loved every single word, even when I was too busy crying or laughing to read them properly. Everything about this story is a masterclass in storytelling: the romance, the pacing, the character development, the use of side characters, the writing style, the setting and the incorporation of fantasy elements and the historical time period.
Side note - you can absolutely read this as a standalone. Ben is just as much an outsider as a standalone reader would be and the author makes sure everything relevant is explained to Ben so readers who aren't familiar with the Magpie series wouldn't have any issues understanding what's going on.
I loved Ben and Jonah so, so, so much! They were an amazing couple and I loved how the author used a handful of flashbacks to showcase what their first romance was like because it was the perfect, jarring counterpart to what Ben is like in the present when they reunite and how their breakup has impacted both of them.
I also loved that the breakup was a result of complex situations all colliding. Most of the fault lay with Jonah, . But on the other hand, . This was understandable and some of the blame for the situation also lay with Ben, who saw some red flags with Jonah's behavior but decided to use the 'ignorance is bliss' approach.
This is what makes their second chance romance so special because they're both different people from who they were the first time around. Jonah is now fully exposed as a person who has wonderful attributes but also has severe flaws and Ben has to figure out how to fit this whole version of Jonah into his heart and into his life. Ben has lost a lot of his naïve innocence due to his traumatic time in prison doing hard labor and putting up with constant assault by other prisoners and guards. Ben is a lot more jaded, bitter and harder than he was before and it takes Jonah a while to figure out how to help this new Ben while also being the person who caused a lot of Ben's trauma in the first place. They might still deeply love each other but they're dealing with a lot when they come back together and I love that it took a while for Ben to forgive Jonah and for the two of them to figure out what their new relationship would be like.
I also adored the character development that both MCs went through. They started out viewing the world in a very black and white way due to their life circumstances.
Ben and Jonah's life circumstances have shaped the way they view the world around them and when they realize the person they love has completely different views from them, it's something they have to deal with. I loved that it took time for them to figure out how to compromise, how to communicate their feelings about the topic but even when they got frustrated, they never gave up and they were determined not to let this issue tear them apart. Throughout the book, both of them are constantly learning that the world is made out of shades of grey and that listening to the other person is more helpful and productive than constantly arguing or stubbornly clinging to their own opinion.
Connected to this - Jonah's character development was one of the best parts of the story. This is a man who is the villain in the Magpie trilogy and some of the things he did during those books seem unforgiveable so the author had their work cut out for this book. The author did such a incredibly good job adding nuance and context to Jonah's actions in those books that it's easy for him to turn from villain to a hesitant hero in this book.
But the author goes further than that by having Jonah use his second chance with Ben as also being a second chance at having a decent life. The first time he was with Ben, Jonah was happy but he was still stealing, lying to Ben and running as soon as things got difficult, which didn't make him happy but he thought it was his only option. When he and Ben reunite .
Another thing I adored was how every single detail matters and how the author makes everything come full circle by the end, which is one of the reasons KJC is such a master storyteller. There are certain themes that are carried throughout the entire story, like Jonah running away from problems and defaulting to theft as an easy option which continuously appear in the story to emphasize how much Jonah has changed and how much his circumstances have changed.
The most obvious example of this was near the end when .
But there was an even smaller full circle moment that had equal weight: when it's revealed that .
Another thing I loved was how the author created different and unique settings throughout the story. We start out in London after Ben is released from prison and he has no money, no prospects, he's sleeping in a filthy, overcrowded dosshouse on a dirty straw pallet and he spends his days wandering around, starving, desperately looking for work and being angry at Jonah. This pattern continues and everything that happens in London to the MCs is dark, bleak and filled with anger, desperation and fear. It doesn't matter if Ben's out on the street, in a prison cell, in a whorehouse or anywhere else - it's a depressing, dirty and hopeless setting where everything's grey and filthy and everybody is full of hate and selfishness. Of course, most of this is a result of Ben's emotional perspective at the time and having him be the sole POV in the story, but it has a very strong impact on readers.
This is why it's a jarring but highly enjoyable change when the boys randomly end up in .
Connected to that, I loved how the author had the boys end up . Everything about their new lives was so perfect and it was a wonderful contrast to the struggles that had plagued both Ben and Jonah up to that point.
Lastly, I loved how well the author paced this book. It would have been easy for the story to become boring once the boys are back together and have settled into their routines but the author did an amazing job (as always) of maintaining a good balance between light and heavy plotlines. After having things go well for a while, the author would introduce an exciting, tense and nail biting scenario that would alter the trajectory of the story and force the characters to readjust until they found a happy medium again. Rinse and repeat in an enjoyable, perfectly done pattern until the end. It was amazing
Side note - I really appreciate the fact that the author didn't shy away from having the MCs from the Magpie trilogy be the villains in this story. Jonah was absolutely portrayed as the villain in the previous books and neither Stephen nor Crane had any desire to see him redeemed or to understand the context behind his actions. In this book, they continue that pattern but because readers are firmly on Ben and Jonah's sides in this one, it creates an interesting dynamic where readers end up hating Crane, Stephen and the whole Magpie crew just as much as Jonah and Ben do. There's zero love between any of these characters and the author never attempts to bridge that gap, which I was grateful for. The two groups part at the end of the story , which was a realistic and really nice way to end things. Too many MM romance authors create absurd scenarios where it seems all gay people living in a specific area end up being best friends and one big, happy family together. I understand the appeal of this but it's a ridiculous fantasy that doesn't happen in real life so I loved that Crane/Stephen and Jonah/Ben end up , despite both couples being gay and having other things in common. It was a refreshing choice and it's one that adds to my enjoyment of the book because I personally can't stand Stephen anyway.
Overall, this book is one of my all time favorites. While I adore A Seditious Affair as well, if I had to pick just one of them to read for the rest of my life, I would absolutely pick Jackdaw. This book had everything I want in a romance and it's one of the best written and best plotted books I've ever read.
Original Read: Feb 2022
This is perfection! Every single word is perfect and following my re-read, I've decided that this is my favorite KJ Charles book to date, surpassing A Seditious Affair and overall, this book is in my top 5 favorite books ever. The entire time I was reading, I had a smile on my face because I loved every single word, even when I was too busy crying or laughing to read them properly. Everything about this story is a masterclass in storytelling: the romance, the pacing, the character development, the use of side characters, the writing style, the setting and the incorporation of fantasy elements and the historical time period.
Side note - you can absolutely read this as a standalone. Ben is just as much an outsider as a standalone reader would be and the author makes sure everything relevant is explained to Ben so readers who aren't familiar with the Magpie series wouldn't have any issues understanding what's going on.
I loved Ben and Jonah so, so, so much! They were an amazing couple and I loved how the author used a handful of flashbacks to showcase what their first romance was like because it was the perfect, jarring counterpart to what Ben is like in the present when they reunite and how their breakup has impacted both of them.
I also loved that the breakup was a result of complex situations all colliding. Most of the fault lay with Jonah, . But on the other hand, . This was understandable and some of the blame for the situation also lay with Ben, who saw some red flags with Jonah's behavior but decided to use the 'ignorance is bliss' approach.
This is what makes their second chance romance so special because they're both different people from who they were the first time around. Jonah is now fully exposed as a person who has wonderful attributes but also has severe flaws and Ben has to figure out how to fit this whole version of Jonah into his heart and into his life. Ben has lost a lot of his naïve innocence due to his traumatic time in prison doing hard labor and putting up with constant assault by other prisoners and guards. Ben is a lot more jaded, bitter and harder than he was before and it takes Jonah a while to figure out how to help this new Ben while also being the person who caused a lot of Ben's trauma in the first place. They might still deeply love each other but they're dealing with a lot when they come back together and I love that it took a while for Ben to forgive Jonah and for the two of them to figure out what their new relationship would be like.
I also adored the character development that both MCs went through. They started out viewing the world in a very black and white way due to their life circumstances.
Ben and Jonah's life circumstances have shaped the way they view the world around them and when they realize the person they love has completely different views from them, it's something they have to deal with. I loved that it took time for them to figure out how to compromise, how to communicate their feelings about the topic but even when they got frustrated, they never gave up and they were determined not to let this issue tear them apart. Throughout the book, both of them are constantly learning that the world is made out of shades of grey and that listening to the other person is more helpful and productive than constantly arguing or stubbornly clinging to their own opinion.
Connected to this - Jonah's character development was one of the best parts of the story. This is a man who is the villain in the Magpie trilogy and some of the things he did during those books seem unforgiveable so the author had their work cut out for this book. The author did such a incredibly good job adding nuance and context to Jonah's actions in those books that it's easy for him to turn from villain to a hesitant hero in this book.
But the author goes further than that by having Jonah use his second chance with Ben as also being a second chance at having a decent life. The first time he was with Ben, Jonah was happy but he was still stealing, lying to Ben and running as soon as things got difficult, which didn't make him happy but he thought it was his only option. When he and Ben reunite .
Another thing I adored was how every single detail matters and how the author makes everything come full circle by the end, which is one of the reasons KJC is such a master storyteller. There are certain themes that are carried throughout the entire story, like Jonah running away from problems and defaulting to theft as an easy option which continuously appear in the story to emphasize how much Jonah has changed and how much his circumstances have changed.
The most obvious example of this was near the end when .
But there was an even smaller full circle moment that had equal weight: when it's revealed that .
Another thing I loved was how the author created different and unique settings throughout the story. We start out in London after Ben is released from prison and he has no money, no prospects, he's sleeping in a filthy, overcrowded dosshouse on a dirty straw pallet and he spends his days wandering around, starving, desperately looking for work and being angry at Jonah. This pattern continues and everything that happens in London to the MCs is dark, bleak and filled with anger, desperation and fear. It doesn't matter if Ben's out on the street, in a prison cell, in a whorehouse or anywhere else - it's a depressing, dirty and hopeless setting where everything's grey and filthy and everybody is full of hate and selfishness. Of course, most of this is a result of Ben's emotional perspective at the time and having him be the sole POV in the story, but it has a very strong impact on readers.
This is why it's a jarring but highly enjoyable change when the boys randomly end up in .
Connected to that, I loved how the author had the boys end up . Everything about their new lives was so perfect and it was a wonderful contrast to the struggles that had plagued both Ben and Jonah up to that point.
Lastly, I loved how well the author paced this book. It would have been easy for the story to become boring once the boys are back together and have settled into their routines but the author did an amazing job (as always) of maintaining a good balance between light and heavy plotlines. After having things go well for a while, the author would introduce an exciting, tense and nail biting scenario that would alter the trajectory of the story and force the characters to readjust until they found a happy medium again. Rinse and repeat in an enjoyable, perfectly done pattern until the end. It was amazing
Side note - I really appreciate the fact that the author didn't shy away from having the MCs from the Magpie trilogy be the villains in this story. Jonah was absolutely portrayed as the villain in the previous books and neither Stephen nor Crane had any desire to see him redeemed or to understand the context behind his actions. In this book, they continue that pattern but because readers are firmly on Ben and Jonah's sides in this one, it creates an interesting dynamic where readers end up hating Crane, Stephen and the whole Magpie crew just as much as Jonah and Ben do. There's zero love between any of these characters and the author never attempts to bridge that gap, which I was grateful for. The two groups part at the end of the story , which was a realistic and really nice way to end things. Too many MM romance authors create absurd scenarios where it seems all gay people living in a specific area end up being best friends and one big, happy family together. I understand the appeal of this but it's a ridiculous fantasy that doesn't happen in real life so I loved that Crane/Stephen and Jonah/Ben end up , despite both couples being gay and having other things in common. It was a refreshing choice and it's one that adds to my enjoyment of the book because I personally can't stand Stephen anyway.
Overall, this book is one of my all time favorites. While I adore A Seditious Affair as well, if I had to pick just one of them to read for the rest of my life, I would absolutely pick Jackdaw. This book had everything I want in a romance and it's one of the best written and best plotted books I've ever read.
August 18, 2019
18/8/19 Re-read/listen on Audible
Story ⭐️4.5⭐️
Narration ⭐️5⭐️
Story ⭐️4.5⭐️
Narration ⭐️5⭐️
January 27, 2020
I enjoyed this more than I did the main series! I read it in one sitting. Loved!
March 8, 2015
“Really, is there not another man in all England you could have loved?”
“I don’t think so. There was never anyone else. And he made me laugh.”
Jackdaw has a more serious tone than the Magpies books. Yes, Lucien and Stephen went through a lot but not once did I doubt they’d overcome the challenges they faced. I got this confidence both from the joined power Stephen and Lucien had and Lucien’s character, and wealth.
Here, we have Ben who is just an ordinary man and Jonah - an untrained practitioner who doesn’t even recognize the full extent of his powers and the consequences from using them. Together Ben and Jonah have nothing but love and hurt.
They stared at each other, lost in hurt, the three feet between them a chasm.
Love is not a power to be underestimated but they had to fight for it too. So I feared not only that Jonah’s pursuers might win but also that the pain of the betrayals from the past might be too much to overcome. I didn’t know if they could ever be safe. And that made their journey so precious.
I loved that Ben was the narrator of this story – I don’t know if I would have trusted Jonah. And, I think this was the reason why Jonah redeemed himself so quickly for me as a reader. Ben showed me the worst things Jonah had done but also the best and quite early in the story I was rooting for Jonah.
“I’m tired of being the villain in the story. I never meant to be, and I don’t want to do it any more. I just—God, all I want to do is to be with you. I want to walk the wind with you and come home to our bed. I want you to read to me and play rugby. I want to make you proud of me. I don’t need anything else. I don’t see why that’s so much to ask, that I could just be with you.”
I had, however, some difficulties forgiving Ben. When we meet him in the first chapter he is extremely angry (he had good reasons for that) and also very confused. He is on a path of personal revenge and things happen early in the story that, frankly, disturbed me. Then again, I felt KJ Charles meant for them to disturb me. Also, this added guilt and despair to Ben’s already troubled state and I felt he had to reach his lowest before things could get better.
Jackdaw was a great read for me – complex characters, amazing chemistry and dialogue, moments of intimacy that brought me to tears, action and magic.
And I can’t not mention how much I enjoyed seeing Stephen and Lucien from a completely different perspective here. It made me smile in some of the most intense moments - just when I needed.
December 1, 2015
3.5
I held off a couple of days writing this review because I truly am not sure what to make of this story. I found the first half seriously depressing--enough that I actually contemplated quitting. In general, the story lacked the humor and what I'll call effervescence that has characterized everything else I've read by KJ Charles. I had expected something more along the lines of a mad-cap caper, and instead I got the world from the POV of a singularly dour, at times suicidal, undoubtedly broken Ben, who also happens to be the only character in the Magpie world to bear the full legal and social punishment for being gay--fired, disgraced, jailed, subjected to hard labor, and rejected by his family. It's not like I can object to the depiction of that miserable social reality, but for the lover of Jonah Pastern-- windwalker, unapologetically gay dandy, morally challenged art thief--the effect was dissonant in the extreme. The result was that the most enjoyable scenes were those with characters from the earlier books. I did like the ending, so I'm glad I kept reading, but I can't really see rereading this, and I can't help wishing that Jonah had a book more in keeping with the rest of the Magpie stories--hilarious, sexy, witty, madcap, and full of magic.
I held off a couple of days writing this review because I truly am not sure what to make of this story. I found the first half seriously depressing--enough that I actually contemplated quitting. In general, the story lacked the humor and what I'll call effervescence that has characterized everything else I've read by KJ Charles. I had expected something more along the lines of a mad-cap caper, and instead I got the world from the POV of a singularly dour, at times suicidal, undoubtedly broken Ben, who also happens to be the only character in the Magpie world to bear the full legal and social punishment for being gay--fired, disgraced, jailed, subjected to hard labor, and rejected by his family. It's not like I can object to the depiction of that miserable social reality, but for the lover of Jonah Pastern-- windwalker, unapologetically gay dandy, morally challenged art thief--the effect was dissonant in the extreme. The result was that the most enjoyable scenes were those with characters from the earlier books. I did like the ending, so I'm glad I kept reading, but I can't really see rereading this, and I can't help wishing that Jonah had a book more in keeping with the rest of the Magpie stories--hilarious, sexy, witty, madcap, and full of magic.
November 8, 2023
I fell in love so hard with Jonah and Ben. This second chance romance is full of pain, betrayal, and broken hearts, and love and light and air.
“I can’t love you again,” Ben said, his heart aching on the words. “How can I, when I never stopped? I couldn’t stop loving you when I hated you so much it made me sick to think about you. I used to dream about killing you and wake up crying because I thought you were dead. I can’t not love you. I don’t know how.”
This is not really a standalone, and should be read after the Magpie Lord series.
“I can’t love you again,” Ben said, his heart aching on the words. “How can I, when I never stopped? I couldn’t stop loving you when I hated you so much it made me sick to think about you. I used to dream about killing you and wake up crying because I thought you were dead. I can’t not love you. I don’t know how.”
This is not really a standalone, and should be read after the Magpie Lord series.
Want to read
February 23, 2015My body is ready. Yesss.
Ohhhhh.
Ohhhhh.
Read
July 10, 2025Another winner by KJC, this time with magic (!!!). Jackdaw is an m/m historical fantasy romance that follows Ben Spenser (single POV), a former policeman whose life fell apart after his affair with a thief named Jonah Pastern. Jonah (talented magician and master of deception) betrayed Ben for reasons that seem unforgivable, leaving him broken and furious.
The first half of the book is done in a dual timeline, with then and now sections. I've said it before: I don't love dual timelines. I know they serve a purpose and I know it's sometimes better for the author just to show us the past rather than illuding to it (for character building purposes), but as a reader, I never like having to jump back and forth. Just tell me what's happening now. Better yet, start at the beginning, and give us the entire story in order. I'm good with that. Plenty of people are good with that. We don't need spoilers to keep us hooked. Anyway, that's my preference, but if it has to be done, it has to be done, and in this case, it's done well.
Picking back up, Ben and Jonah's paths cross again. Ben is out for revenge and Jonah is on the run, and as Ben gets pulled back into Jonah’s chaos, there are **feelings**. The two have to decide if they can trust each other. When we finally discover the real reason Jonah had to betray Ben, it's gut wrenching.
KJC is a master of characters. And the chemistry. Gosh, does she know how to write chemistry. Even when the plot meanders (it does do that sometimes), the characters keep me hooked. Overall, this is an emotional read set against a backdrop of Victorian London with messy characters and a redemption arc, and I'm all about it.
The first half of the book is done in a dual timeline, with then and now sections. I've said it before: I don't love dual timelines. I know they serve a purpose and I know it's sometimes better for the author just to show us the past rather than illuding to it (for character building purposes), but as a reader, I never like having to jump back and forth. Just tell me what's happening now. Better yet, start at the beginning, and give us the entire story in order. I'm good with that. Plenty of people are good with that. We don't need spoilers to keep us hooked. Anyway, that's my preference, but if it has to be done, it has to be done, and in this case, it's done well.
Picking back up, Ben and Jonah's paths cross again. Ben is out for revenge and Jonah is on the run, and as Ben gets pulled back into Jonah’s chaos, there are **feelings**. The two have to decide if they can trust each other. When we finally discover the real reason Jonah had to betray Ben, it's gut wrenching.
KJC is a master of characters. And the chemistry. Gosh, does she know how to write chemistry. Even when the plot meanders (it does do that sometimes), the characters keep me hooked. Overall, this is an emotional read set against a backdrop of Victorian London with messy characters and a redemption arc, and I'm all about it.
February 17, 2015
If this book was published this year it would go straight onto my top 5 reads.
For me it is the best she's written.
When I read Flight of Magpies, and Jonah was portrayed as one of the bad guys, I was a little miffed. As in my mind he clearly had his reasons for being he way he was, and I was curious to know what they were.
Then KJ revealed that she was going to write his story and I was so pleased, she was also worried that Jonah wouldn't be received very well, as he was rather unpleasant to Stephen Day in FoM.
I can only speak for myself but this was a magical book (no pun intended).
Perhaps it was that the magic and the thrills and spills weren't quite so prevalent in Jackdaw, perhaps it was the lovely romance, perhaps it was the very well matched characters or perhaps it was because it reminded me of The Railway Children (more later); I suspect that it was a combination of all of them, but I adored this book.
Ben and Jonah met and fell in love, then moved in together, to the outside world sharing a house, and were gloriously happily in love. However while emotions may have been true, circumstances were misleading, when it all comes to a head Jonah does what he always does, and runs.
Jonah is, of course, far more than the selfish criminal, and desperately wants to prove it to Ben, there is a scene where he allows Ben to vent his anger on him, where with his magic he could easily subdue him; that sets the tone for their relationship, and was so moving. Jonah wanted to be loved so very much, and when we find out why, it made me cry a little.
Initially Ben is the strong stoic hero, but then we see that this is just a facade as well, he feels that his life was ruined by Jonah, but can't seem to betray him.
What KJ does so well is twist what convention would have us believe, and this is carried out so very well here.
When I was growing up I loved the Railway Children, and in part Jackdaw reminds me of it, that the big events in life that change our course are important, but how we live after, how we react in the small details of life, how we respond to others that is what makes us better.
I can't recommend this enough
For me it is the best she's written.
When I read Flight of Magpies, and Jonah was portrayed as one of the bad guys, I was a little miffed. As in my mind he clearly had his reasons for being he way he was, and I was curious to know what they were.
Then KJ revealed that she was going to write his story and I was so pleased, she was also worried that Jonah wouldn't be received very well, as he was rather unpleasant to Stephen Day in FoM.
I can only speak for myself but this was a magical book (no pun intended).
Perhaps it was that the magic and the thrills and spills weren't quite so prevalent in Jackdaw, perhaps it was the lovely romance, perhaps it was the very well matched characters or perhaps it was because it reminded me of The Railway Children (more later); I suspect that it was a combination of all of them, but I adored this book.
Ben and Jonah met and fell in love, then moved in together, to the outside world sharing a house, and were gloriously happily in love. However while emotions may have been true, circumstances were misleading, when it all comes to a head Jonah does what he always does, and runs.
Jonah is, of course, far more than the selfish criminal, and desperately wants to prove it to Ben, there is a scene where he allows Ben to vent his anger on him, where with his magic he could easily subdue him; that sets the tone for their relationship, and was so moving. Jonah wanted to be loved so very much, and when we find out why, it made me cry a little.
Initially Ben is the strong stoic hero, but then we see that this is just a facade as well, he feels that his life was ruined by Jonah, but can't seem to betray him.
What KJ does so well is twist what convention would have us believe, and this is carried out so very well here.
When I was growing up I loved the Railway Children, and in part Jackdaw reminds me of it, that the big events in life that change our course are important, but how we live after, how we react in the small details of life, how we respond to others that is what makes us better.
I can't recommend this enough
January 8, 2018
4.75 stars
"I used to dream about killing you and wake up crying because I thought you were dead. I can't not love you. I don't know how."
I loved this second chance romance. Jonah, the charming wind walker, was so wonderfully flawed and Ben, the ex-copper, was oh so solid and dependable.
This may not be a popular opinion, but I'm pretty sure I liked this better than the Stephen and Crane books. It shares the same world Ms. Charles created for the Magpie books, but I could actually enjoy this one without being constantly terrified about what was going to happen next!
"I used to dream about killing you and wake up crying because I thought you were dead. I can't not love you. I don't know how."
I loved this second chance romance. Jonah, the charming wind walker, was so wonderfully flawed and Ben, the ex-copper, was oh so solid and dependable.
This may not be a popular opinion, but I'm pretty sure I liked this better than the Stephen and Crane books. It shares the same world Ms. Charles created for the Magpie books, but I could actually enjoy this one without being constantly terrified about what was going to happen next!
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