Darkest Divine · #1

The Anatomy of Magic

Alexis L. Menard

8.0 / 10
1 expectation

Enter a world of forbidden magic…
Where falling in love could be the last mistake you ever make.

In the city of Valveron, an elite academy seeks to control all magic. But in the darker districts, every kind of power is for sale. If you can pay the price.

Nina Veyr has a dangerous secret—illegal magical abilities she cannot explain. If the city’s enforcers found her, she would be executed… or worse.

For years, Nina has stayed in the shadows, picking pockets and smuggling enchanted relics to get by. Then she steals from the wrong man.

Max Antonin is the most powerful crime boss in the city. Cold, deadly, and breathtakingly attractive, Max has his sights set on Nina, and nothing will stand in his way.

But when Nina is framed for a shocking murder, Max offers to help her find the true killers. She knows she can’t trust him—that deals with a devil always come at a cost. But there’s no way she can survive on her own.

As they follow a trail of bodies into the city’s underworld, Nina feels a dangerous attraction pulling her ever closer to him. Can she trust her life and her heart to Valveron’s most ruthless criminal?

The Anatomy of Magic is a thrilling fantasy romance full of searing chemistry and razor-sharp banter. It’s perfect for fans of Callie Hart, Carissa Broadbent and Elise Kova.

Published
June 30, 2026
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Additional book details

Author

Alexis L. Menard

By day, Alexis L. Menard walks the quiet halls of a Louisiana hospital, caring for patients and chasing calm. By night, she builds worlds where calm rarely exists. Between shifts and motherhood, she writes the kind of stories she used to daydream about, gritty, spellbound tales where love and power are always at odds and no one escapes unscathed. Menard’s background as a registered nurse shapes more than her schedule, it shapes her storytelling. Her characters bleed, heal, and carry invisible scars that feel real because she understands the weight of both pain and recovery. Whether set in a crumbling empire or a post-industrial city pulsing…