“Praesidium” by McKinley Aspen

Praesidium

McKinley Aspen
Muse Literary (2022)
ISBN: 978-1958714027
Reviewed by Kathy Stickles for Reader Views (01/2023)

Praesidium is the first book in the new Shadows of the Wind series by McKinley Aspen.

I absolutely loved Praesidium and I think that anyone who likes an adventurous, fast, and exciting story will love it too. The book has a little bit of everything in it… some supernatural elements, some crime fighting, a lot of action, fun characters, and a little romance. I finished it in one sitting and cannot wait for the next installment.

This is the story of Kathryn Bek, or Kate, as she is known. Kate has just graduated from college and meets Raphael, a mysterious man who offers her the perfect job in New York City. While Kate thinks that she is being hired for her degree in marketing, it turns out that Raphael is hiring her for a different reason. Instead of sitting behind a desk, this wonderful character finds out that she has special powers she did not know about and is plunged, along with the rest of the new team, into a world of mystery, magic, and outright mayhem as she discovers these new talents. In addition, Kate’s past comes front and center, since the key to saving herself and the world apparently lies in the secrets of her past and her family.

As this group runs around the world trying to fix wrongs and stop a very large crime family, the team learns so much about themselves and each other and the reader is on the edge of their seat to see if the future can be saved and if Kate, her new husband, and the rest of the team will survive and stop the evil that needs to be stopped.

McKinley Aspen has successfully become one of my favorite authors in these 250 pages. The characters, all very different, are so well-written and they really complement each other in all the best ways…. of course, what more can you expect from a group of people out to save the world? The plot of the story is fast-paced and exciting and keeps you completely riveted from the first page to the last. I think that a huge part of this captivation is the fact that it is different from what is out there now and that alone makes it well worth the time to read it. Finally, there are so many other messages in the story, other than simply defeating the bad guys, like acceptance of others, faith, and learning to believe in yourself. 

Did I already mention that I simply love this book? It is completely captivating and I really believe that everyone out there, young and old, will love it as much as I do… at least I hope they will. Thank you McKinley Aspen. I will be waiting as patiently as possible for book two. 5 Stars!!