Review: Wickedly Powerful

Wickedly Powerful by Deborah Blake

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars


A fire elemental witch in the middle of a dry forest sounds like a really bad idea. This third in the Baga Yaga series can be easily read as a standalone. There are some references to secondary characters from the previous two books. Still, Ms. Blake does a nice job of summarizing for a reader to easily catch on. Bella Young is the third in the States holding the title of Baba Yaga. Her specialty is fire. Her power is a bit more dangerous than both Barbara's and Beka's, the other two Baba Yagas.

I really liked Bella. She is the one Baba Yaga whom I could connect with because of her attitude. She is clever and she wears her heart on her sleeve. Bella also has the best dragon companion, Koshka, because he is disguised as a thirty pound Norwegian Forest cat. How cool is this? A dragon cat mix who breathes fire and catches mice for an orphan owl is the best. Seriously, this series could have fun novella of the dragon companions and I would buy and read all of them. I digress.

This tale is a bit of a carryover in that the Riders, three immortal support team for the Baga Yaga are missing. This has never happened in all the centuries before. This is a concern and when it seems their disappearance is tied to the unexplainable wildfires in Wyoming. Bella is tasked with finding the Riders by the Otherworld queen whilst the humans in the Black Hills formally request her help to stop the supernatural fires.

There are three main threads going on in this book. There is a mystery to be solved, a lover to be convinced and a child to be saved. The three plots work well together as they are pieces of a bigger whole. The mystery is a bit weak and the lover is frustrating so it is good that the child ties it all together. The interesting part for me is the child, Jazz. Jazz is one who may be a new Baba Yaga. Her determination and survival skills are admirable. Her interaction with Bella brings a human element to this series which has been a bit lacking. Jazz is a much needed influx of talent, heart and enthusiasm.

This tale sets up the next three book arc, featuring the Riders. This will be interesting as handsome mortals dragons let loose in the human world could spell some fun times. Recommended to paranormal romance readers who enjoy a bit of grim fantasy and an awesome dragon masquerading as a snarky cat.

*provided by NetGalley