A Charm of Magpies Series by KJ Charles
- Reed
- Jan 22
- 3 min read
Author: KJ Charles
Rating: B+
Vibe: Smart, fun, romantic fantasy with spectacular dialogue, effortless world-building, and chemistry that absolutely delivers.
Sometimes you just want some books that are fun—and the A Charm of Magpies series delivers that in spades. Set in a magical Victorian England, this trilogy follows Lord Crane (Lucien Vaudrey), a disillusioned aristocrat, and Stephen Day, a practical magician trying to make an honest living.
In The Magpie Lord, Lucien has just returned to England after years of exile, reluctantly stepping into his role as Lord Crane after his father and brother's deaths. Almost immediately, he's targeted by a series of magical attacks—someone wants him dead, and they're using powerful, dark magic to make it happen. Enter Stephen Day, a no-nonsense practitioner hired to protect Lucien and figure out who's behind the attempts on his life. The two couldn't be more different: Lucien is flamboyant, sharp-tongued, and deeply jaded about both his aristocratic life and his own dangerous magical abilities, while Stephen is grounded, practical, and wary of getting tangled up with a lord who seems determined to make his job harder. But as the threats escalate and the mystery deepens, they're forced to work together—and what starts as mutual suspicion slowly shifts into something neither of them expected.
What I loved most about this series is how easy it all feels. The magic system is woven seamlessly into the world without endless exposition or clunky explanations. You're shown how magic works through action and dialogue, not lectured about it. It's elegant world-building that never gets in the way of the story, and it gives the plot room to breathe.
The dynamic between Lucien and Stephen is where this series really shines. The enemies-to-lovers setup works beautifully because both characters are genuinely likable, and both are convinced the other is out of their league. Watching them dismantle their own walls—awkwardly, earnestly, with plenty of sharp banter along the way—felt authentic and sweet. There's real chemistry here, and the spice level is solid without overwhelming the emotional arc.
And Lucien is delightful. He's witty, charming, a little bit ridiculous, and utterly captivating—imagine Captain Jack Sparrow's chaotic energy filtered through an elegant English gentleman, and you're halfway there. His dialogue is spectacular. The banter between him and Stephen crackles with wit and timing, and he's exactly the kind of character who makes a book impossible to put down.
The mystery elements across all three books are well-done—nothing groundbreaking, but engaging enough to keep the pages turning. The balance between romance and plot is nearly perfect; neither overshadows the other, and both feel necessary to the story. Book one (The Magpie Lord) felt the freshest to me, simply because the world and characters were new, but books two and three (A Case of Possession and Flight of Magpies) maintain the same quality and energy. If you enjoy the first, you're going to enjoy the series.
This isn't a series trying to reinvent the wheel, and it doesn't need to. It's smart, romantic, funny, and incredibly well-executed. The world-building is effortless, the characters are charming, and the dialogue is some of the best I've encountered in this genre. It's the kind of series that reminds you why you love reading in the first place—because sometimes, a well-told story with great characters and spectacular banter is exactly what you need.