I struggled a bit at the beginning of the book and wasn't sure it was going to be one that held my interest, but it picked up about a third of the way in and got much more interesting and fast paced after that. Line has created a very interesting world, and Spark is an interesting character, as are the people he interacts with. It's not your usual urban fantasy. It's grittier and darker and has an fascinating magic system. When I started I didn't think I'd be reading more than this book, but now I have to admit that it's gotten into my head and I am curious to see more of this strange and interesting world. Will definitely look for book 2. ( )

Black Spark
Dark Magic Enforcer Series, Book 1
By: Al K. Line
Narrated by: Gildart Jackson
This was hard to get through, at least the first third of the way. I almost stopped and quit many times. Once I got half way, it picked up and went much better and was a pretty good book. I am going to get the next book because I am hoping it will be better idea behind the story sounds good.
The narrator has such a thick British accent that it was frustrating at times. It is hard to do humor and I think another narrator might have been a better pick. Some very good lines were not funny when they should have been. It is not easy to do...just saying. ( )

What I liked
The author has some really interesting ideas; this is not the kind of cookie-cutter urban fantasy where you could be reading anybody. This is definitely Al K. Line and nobody else.

I also kind of liked the narrator's voice; humorous and slightly self-deprecating, like a less irritating and more mature Harry Dresden (don't get me wrong, I love the Dresden Files, but early-books Harry has too much testosterone and not nearly enough brain).

Supporting characters, too, are given some interesting directions. There are definite indications here that these are real people who will make an appearance in subsequent books; groundwork is being laid. Hooray, because I've noticed a lack of good supporting characters can really damage the entertainment factor.

The Other Bits
I know They always say to start with action, but They also say that you should give the reader some kind of context to hang on to, like a piece of driftwood, or they drown. Al K. Line comes perilously close to drowning the reader, because there's all these people dying and running around and threatening each other, with no explanation about who the £^(% they all are. Luckily, I'm kind of cool with that (good swimmer) so I managed to splash my way through to the part where we get given some context. Other readers may not be so lucky, and their rotting corpses are probably having the eyes eaten by fishes.

Editing. There needed to be more. There were repetitive bits. There was exposition.

While there was an awful lot of action and running around, in the end, the plot sort of folded up a bit too easily. Honestly, I think it would have been a much better book if it had started at Chapter -2, and then we'd get the exciting bit that we've just missed when the book actually does start. The scene that gets described when the MC finally remembers it sounds like it would have been a great read.

Conclusion
This is a book with potential. The author has set up an interesting world with some potentially great characters; I'm hoping that Book 2 ([b:Evil Spark|29985795|Evil Spark (Dark Magic Enforcer #2)|Al K. Line|https://d2arxad8u2l0g7.cloudfront.net/books/1461455561s/29985795.jpg|50386800]) will have ironed out the plot and editing difficulties. On the whole, I'd recommend it. ( )

Spark is the magic enforcer for the Hidden, a group of people that where either born of magic or people who have learned to use magic. They live in the world with us, some are people and some are creatures of myths. Magic enforcers must take care of those who use magic in the wrong manner or make it where it could too easily be noticed by normal humans. Sparks best friend is a new vampire, only 3 years into her vampire life. Kate is his whole world but hes too chicken to let her know. He has spent the majority of his adult life or over 100 years as an enforcer and knows no other life. After his parents were killed by vampires it takes everything he is to work with them in an manner so saving, Kate has been a new thing to both him and his grandma. Kate is a beauty both inside and out. So out of Sparks normal ways and if it were up to him Kate and he would be a couple but he is a bit of a chicken when it comes to relationships and woman that don't just need a lil something something, now hes been sent to destroy one of the most powerful woman on earth and hes just not sure how it will work out. From the beginning of the story he finds himself with a day or so of amnesia, he kills a grand master chess player in the middle of a park for the whole world to see. He has broken the Hidden laws. Now if he can keep himself out of trouble, haha, him staying out of trouble is like him confronting Kate for a real date almost impossible. Good read kept me reading and kept it to where you can believe this is truly a guy telling his own story! ( )