Minimum Wage Magic by Rachel Aaron

Minimum Wage Magic (DFZ, #1)

by Rachel Aaron

Making a living is hard. In a lawless city where gods are real, dragons are traffic hazards, and buildings move around on their own, it can feel downright impossible.

Good thing freelance mage Opal Yong-ae has never let little things like impossibility stop her. She's found a way to put her overpriced magical art history degree to use as a Cleaner: a contract municipal employee who empties out abandoned apartments and resells the unusual treasures she finds inside for a profit. It's not a pretty job, or a safe one--there's a reason she wears bite-proof gloves--but when you're neck-deep in debt to a very magical, very nasty individual, you can't be picky about where the money comes from.

But even Opal's low standards are put to the test when the only thing of value in her latest apartment is the body of the previous tenant. Dealing with the dead isn't technically part of her job, but this mage died hiding a secret that could be worth a lot of money, and Opal's the only one who knows. With debts she can't pay due at the end of the week, this could be the big break she's been waiting for, but in a city of runaway magic where getting in over your head generally means losing it, the cost of chasing this opportunity might be more than Opal can survive.

Reviewed by kimbacaffeinate on

4 of 5 stars

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The story takes place in the metropolis formerly known as Detroit. It’s a magical city with over 900 million people. Opal Yong-ae is a Cleaner. A freelance mage with an art history degree employed by the DFZ. When tenants are evicted for nonpayment, she bids on their units. She cleans up for the next tenant and in return she gets to keep the contents. Her goal is to find valuable magical junk people leave behind. I enjoyed looking for treasure as we got to know the characters.

When we meet Opal, she is in a bit of trouble. A series of bad luck has her panicked. She is days away from having to make a ten thousand dollar loan payment. If she defaults, her life is over and she loses her freedom. A fate she won’t allow to happen.

From the getgo, I was all in. I liked Opal and Sybil, her high-pitched, talkative AI. On a job she makes a discovery, that might be the key to her freedom, but it also brings danger to her doorstep. That is when another cleaner, Nikola Kos, steps in and offers her deal. The story that unfolds was intense and magical with suspense, a touch of romance and unique characters.

I knew I was all in and would listen to more of Aaron’s work. I was also kicking myself for having waited so long to dive in. I found the city, the gods, and the alliances fascinating. We have dragons, a living, breathing magical city, spirits and the Empty Wind; the spirit of The Forgotten Dead. The city is run by a powerful spirit known as the DFZ. She manages the city creates buildings, moves the landscape and more.

The world building is exceptional. Aaron weaves information, rules and more into the story rather than giving us large information dumps. All of which allows for a well-paced, suspenseful and addictive tale.

Emily Woo Zeller was perfect for the narration of Opal & Nikola. While I wasn’t fond of Sybil’s voice or Opal’s fathers, I must admit they eventually grew on me. Zellar speaks clearly with a nice pace and I eventually settled in at around 1.3x speed. This review was originally posted at Caffeinated Reviewer

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  • 10 September, 2020: Reviewed