Minimum Wage Magic (DFZ, #1); Rachel Aaron

I am a big fan of blending science fiction and fantasy together in the same book. Even more so when you have a cyberpunk-esque science fiction setting and magic plus some magical creatures for added measure. And boy does this book deliver on all those fronts! The book itself is like Storage Wars but with, you know, magic in a city literally alive with power and gods for pretty much every little thing you can think of. We follow Opal, who is desperate to pay off her debt and does so by basically buying apartments of people who fail to pay their rent. She may be a mage, but she prefers work as a Cleaner; on the hunt for treasure in these foreclosed locations. I really enjoyed the premise of that; Opal may be a magic user, but she is not the most powerful, well, anything and her magic isn’t necessarily unique. It made the world of the DFZ both magical and grounded, with the author taking the reader on an action filled ride from the lowest levels of this magical version of Detroit, to its glittering dragon consulates, because of course there are dragons now.

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I haven’t read or listened to the other books in this authors universe, but the synopsis didn’t lie when it says that’s not necessary in order to enjoy this book. I didn’t have a hard time understanding how the world we know suddenly has magic, which made the presence of spirit-like gods in Detroit make sense as well. Opal is a likeable character, pragmatic and sweet with a soft spot for the lives she rummages through and consequently sells off and the male MC makes a great grumpy foil to Opal's sunshine. The cyber technology was also a fun contrast with (and against) those who are able to use magic. The ending resolution got a bit… odd but over all I enjoyed the ride, hence the 4.5 stars, plus the audiobook narrator was fantastic and made this book even more fun. I’ll definitely be following more of Opal’s stories in the future!