Shanora Williams has a way of sucking you into romances that seem inevitable but are also tinged with darkness. When Mayhem and the Mortal was announced, I went on a personal mission to get an ARC because Viscous Bonds had me caught up—and made me want to watch Peaky Blinders. After that, who could resist a teaser like this:
Zaira doesn’t want a hero. She needs a weapon.
To save her sister from a soul-devouring curse, she has to cross The Shallows―a nightmare landscape of ruined magic, shifting paths, and vicious creatures that eat people alive.
So yeah, I came in ready for another immersive ride.
Here’s the setup: Zaira Quinlocke is a mortal baker on a mission to save her sister from a soul-stealing curse. She hires Thane Valkor, a sorcerer-assassin with a reputation and big shadow daddy energy. Of course, I couldn’t resist the spicy magical “shadow hand,” but the pink bunny-sized dragon, Zephra, was obviously my fave. You have to love a crew of irreverent misfits, too. Their quest? Cross The Shallows, dodge monsters, and hunt down the Prosperity Stone before time runs out and Zaira’s sister gets dead—the permanent kind. Which isn’t always a given in this world.
Zaira’s optimism bounces off Thane’s brooding, and the banter, the danger, and the shenanigans to keep things moving. The humor lands, the pace is quick, and the spice is more playful than in The Tether Series, but it flows.
The only thing is, while the writing is solid and the action is high, nothing caught me in my feelings. I liked everyone and everything, but my nails never dug into the book’s spine. Part of that is, I’m not quite sure Zaira and Thane are actually in love or if they’re only crushing—and lying to themselves. Mayhem and the Mortal also has a youthful aura, almost as if it started as YA and spice was added to flip it to adult. The heat is there, but you don’t feel the blaze of the attraction. So, while the adventure is fun and the characters are well-defined, the romance doesn’t fully bloom. I wanted to be immersed, but I stayed on the outside looking in. Even so, a few plot twists announced themselves early, and the big reveals didn’t hit as hard as they could have.
Have no doubts, though, Shanora Williams is a fabulous writer. I’m not going anywhere—her prose is smooth, her world-building is vivid, and the humor will make you giggle. This one just sits a tier below her best. But, if you’re looking for a quick, entertaining quest with sass, an assassin shadow daddy, and a dragon you can cuddle, you’ll have a good time with Mayhem and the Mortal. And after the twisty events of the epilogue, I’ll definitely be back for Book 2.
Mayhem and the Mortal is available now from Red Tower Books and We Expect a Sequel Announcement Soon
