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The Blade Mage by Phillip Drayer Duncan
Reviewed: December 12th, 2025
The sword chooses its wielder.
I never asked to be Blade Mage. My fellow wizards weren’t thrilled, either. Unfortunately, those weird old druids have a strict no returns policy.
So I left, and for the past few years, I’ve hidden from my responsibilities. But I always knew one day the Cabal would come looking for its precious sword.
And so they have, but only because a heinous crime has occurred…
A sorcerer has used forbidden magic to slay a fellow wizard. It’s an open and shut case. The killer admitted it. He also stands accused of kidnapping a child, who is still missing, but they say that isn’t my problem. No, as Blade Mage, I’m not supposed to play paranormal detective. The Cabal only expects one thing of me—they want me to play executioner.
Problem is…
The accused is my best friend.
And before I chop off his head, I want to know the truth. But the path is filled with shifty wizards, fearsome witches, insidious demons, and supernatural conspirators at every turn.
It ain’t easy being the Blade Mage. Read My thoughts…
The Butterfly Witch by E.L Williams
Reviewed: November 27th, 2025
She survived witch hunts and world wars, but can love save her from time itself?
1612 – Born into a powerful line of witches, Gwen has always been a disappointment, a girl without magic in a community that reveres it. When news of the Pendle witch trials reaches Gwen’s coven, they cast a desperate spell to shelter orphaned magic. But a cruel twist of fate leaves Gwen to bear the burden alone, cursed to carry magic she cannot wield and hunted by those who would claim it.
1939 – For centuries, Gwen has been running. Always alone. Always afraid. Until she meets Walt, a world-weary spy who asks for nothing but her friendship. As war looms and shadows deepen, Gwen wonders if Walt’s secrets run even deeper than her own.
1976 – Haunted by his service in Vietnam, private investigator Dan is barely scraping by. When a wealthy client hires him to find a missing woman, he almost refuses – until he witnesses a murder that changes everything.
The deeper he digs, the more he realises that Gwen is the woman time forgot. And if his client finds her first, the magic she has guarded for centuries, and Gwen herself, may be lost forever.
A sweeping tale of love, friendship and the fragile threads that bind us across lifetimes. Read my Thoughts…
The Crane Maiden by MH Woodscourt
Reviewed: November 23rd, 2025
War has reached her doorstep.
She will answer with a sword.
When her little sister dies during an enemy raid, Jenai prays to Holy Afallon seeking protection for her village. What she doesn’t expect is to hear a Voice telling her that she must personally lead the armies of Fraelin against the growing threat.
Joined by a gentle unicorn and a few brave allies, Jenai sets out to liberate Fraelin—even at the risk of her own freedom.
However, the road to war isn’t straightforward. Jenai must first gain the trust of the Crane Prince by convincing him she’s not a fraud. Will the Church of Afallon accept her calling or will they condemn her as a heretic? Read My Thoughts…
The Shattered King by Charlie N. Holmberg
Reviewed: November 15th, 2025
A captive healer and a mysterious prince are drawn to each other in the midst of war and magic in a beguiling dark fantasy by Wall Street Journal bestselling author Charlie N. Holmberg.
The kingdom of Cansere is on the brink of war. Young men are conscripted from their homes, and a royal decree from the queen has made healing the only legal form of craftlock. Nym, a healer and beekeeper, is the sole provider for her family of seven now that her younger brother has been sent to the war front. But when a letter comes from the queen, summoning Nym to the palace to heal Prince Renn, the kingdom’s ailing shut-in, Nym finds herself making the tumultuous journey from her family’s apiary to the capital city. Nym is determined to fail the queen’s mission and return to her younger siblings as soon as she can.
But escaping the castle’s hold isn’t as easy as failing a simple test. Prince Renn is cold and distant, and his illness is like nothing Nym has ever seen before, nothing she could ever imagine treating. In a moment of connection with Prince Renn, Nym manages to remedy the faintest symptom of his ailment—only to discover that no healer before has made such progress. Forced to become the prince’s official healer and a ward of the castle, and with her only hope of returning to her family hinging on the prince’s recovery, Nym must navigate the castle’s cruel and twisted court and uncover the haunting truth behind Prince Renn’s illness—even as she finds herself irrevocably drawn to him. Read my Thoughts…
Glimmer of the Other by Heather G. Harris
Reviewed: November 9th, 2025
I can tell when you’re lying. Every. Single. Time.
I’m Jinx. As a private investigator, being a walking, talking lie detector is a useful skill – but let’s face it, it’s not normal. You’d think it would make my job way too easy, but even with my weird skills, I still haven’t been able to track down my parent’s killers.
When I’m hired to find a missing university student, I hope to find her propped up at a bar – yet my gut tells me there’s more to this case than a party girl gone wild. Firstly, she’s a bookish soul who’s as likely to go off the rails as Mother Theresa. Secondly, I’m not the only one on her trail; she’s also being tracked by the implacable and oh-so-sexy Inspector Stone.
Stone and I team up, and he shoves me into a realm where magic is real – a place where there are vampyrs and werewolves, dragons and trolls. And where my skills are more than just detecting lies…
Oh, and my dog? He’s a freaking hellhound who can manipulate the magical realms themselves.
I need to find the girl. I need to discover who killed my parents. And I need to find out more about the attractive but mysterious Zachary Stone… Read my Thoughts …
Of Spindles & Nightfall by J.Ann Curtis
Reviewed: November 7th, 2025
Rumpelstiltskin meets The Serpent and the Wings of Night in this spicy, fairy tale retelling.
Never make a deal with a demon—especially the demon arch king.
Aryana, the vampire princess, has spent her life as a weapon in her uncle’s cruel kingdom. But when the demon arch king, Zarathos, steals her away, she is thrust into a world more treacherous than anything she could have imagined.
Zarathos’s presence is suffocating, his dark power intoxicating. He claims she has the ability to turn straw into gold—a lie. But the real truth is far more terrifying. He needs her for the deadly demon trials, and he’ll stop at nothing to bend her to his will.
Bound together by a bargain neither can escape, Aryana must fight for Zarathos in the trials, even while the magnetic pull between them grows with each passing moment. The more time they spend together, the deeper she’s pulled into a world of lust, power, and ruthless peril.
Zarathos will never let her survive the trials. She’s nothing more than a pawn in his plans. But as the fire between them burns hotter, Aryana wonders if the demon king has claimed more than her life—has he taken her heart as well? Read my Thoughts …
Storms and Schemes by Sky Sommers
Reviewed: October 27th, 2025 (ARC)
What if you had to give up your divine powers—and no worthy goddess candidate to take them? Tartie, the Goddess of Small Things, is stuck. To help a friend in need, she has to pawn off her Storms ability – the one that shorts out every electronic gadget in range. With no qualified candidates in sight, Tartie resorts to a temporary fix.
It backfires. Badly.
Now there’s a new God of Storms—unhappy, destructive, and definitely not Zeus material—running around London. One of Piccadilly Circus Tube entrances has already tasted his accidental wrath. Tartie’s left holding the thundercloud, wondering if this disaster was exactly what the ever-meddling Ancient Goddess of Fate planned all along. Read My thoughts…
A Force of Nature by Janna Ruth
Reviewed: October 16th, 2025
I’ve trusted nature spirits with my life, until the storm king decided I had to die.
Did you ever wonder what living on the streets of Berlin is like? My name is Rika and I’ve been homeless for eight years. It’s not too bad, since I’ve got salamanders to warm me in winter and dryads to protect me from stragglers. People say I’m crazy, because to everyone else, those nature spirits are invisible. But they’re real. Real and dangerous, as I learn when I accidentally cross the plans of the Erlking, an ancient and hate-filled spirit. Now he and his deadly storm are after me.
My only chance are the Spirit Seekers, an elite group of soldiers trained to battle nature’s wrath. Since their precious commander is missing in action, they need me to be their eyes. Signing up with the Spirit Seekers is the opposite of run and hide, but they offer me protection and the tools to fight for my survival. All I have to do is betray my old spirit friends and try not to die. Read My Thoughts…
At The Door by M.J.Glenn
Reviewed: October 6th, 2025 (ARC)
The Mother. The Sister. The Daughter of the Forest.
When Ebony wakes in the realm of the Fae, she learns she’s the final link in a bloodline bound by prophecy. But with the Shadow’s mark burned into her skin, darkness creeps into her mind and threatens everything she loves.
With the help of her long-lost aunt, Ebony must confront a haunting legacy and face the fears she’s spent a lifetime running from – because the fight is no longer about her own survival. It’s about saving a world on the brink of falling into shadow. Read My Thoughts…
Order of the Shadow Dragon by Steven McKinnon
Reviewed: September 27th, 2025
Magic is the enemy. When he discovers all is not what it seems, can a young knight survive long enough to protect the world from the forces of darkness?
Adrian Navarro burns for revenge. The lone member of a defunct military sect, the nineteen-year-old can’t shake the horrific nightmare of witnessing his father’s murder by shadowy fiends.
So when a cataclysm devastates a neighbouring kingdom and his superiors blame a powerful sorceress, he gladly agrees to assassinate her to settle the score.
Striking out across another realm’s border, the relentless soldier tracks the evil wielder of the dark arts. But after he’s ambushed by magic-users and captured, he’s shocked to discover his crusade for vengeance could be built on a stunning lie – and now the fate of the world is at stake.
As he’s confronted by soul shattering truths, can Adrian overcome his greatest fear and save the world? Read My Thoughts…
Guard in the Garden by Z.S Diamanti
Reviewed: September 6th, 2025
Embark on a wholesome journey of healing and self-discovery. A cozy fantasy tale of forging new friendships and overcoming fears. A quiet quest of family bonds and budding romance.
From dragon fire to garden flowers …
Felton Holdum spent his entire life training to become one of Galium’s elite dwarven warriors. When a bloody battle leaves him injured, he has no choice but to move into his eccentric twin aunts’ quaint home in the town’s quiet Garome District.
With his life of military service seemingly over, the captain of the city guard gives Felton his only chance at a fresh start in the new life he never wanted.
But when a human woman barges through his front door, the grumpy dwarf starts to wonder if there is more to life than war. The sunshine woman invites him to visit her garden, where Felton gains a new nemesis and a new purpose in life.
Take a walk through the garden and see what magic awaits.
Come enjoy the hospitality of the whimsical Garome District. Meet new friends as you sample new breads at the bakery, play a game of Castle Brick at the tavern, and taste homemade pies during the annual pie baking contest at the Fall Festival. Read my Thoughts …
The Quiet Side by Casey Blair
Reviewed: July 31st, 2025
She’s always flying toward the next shiny idea. He’s resolve incarnate—literally.
Now they’re stuck together in an isolated mountain cottage with only one bed.
When Kovan, the strongest living avatar of a god, is tasked with removing a magical field preventing priests from wreaking destruction unchecked, he defects, leaving behind everything he knew for the sanctuary of the Quiet side.
Alone for the first time and unable to work the magic that has defined his life, Kovan finds Tasa, who has made her home on the mountain at the Quiet’s heart and knows about everything—unlike Kovan, who no longer knows how to do anything that matters, from baking bread to protecting her, let alone the Quiet side.
Tasa takes Kovan in despite the risk to her safe haven because no matter how his belief in her makes her feel, Kovan isn’t staying. No one ever does, and he’ll have more important places to be once he learns to stand on his own.
But when the priests come looking for Kovan, the sanctuary they’re creating one loaf of bread at a time is at risk… unless they can discover their real strength together. Read my Thoughts…
Ties of Death by Constance Lopez
Reviewed: June 26th, 2025
A cursed king. A stolen bride. A desperate quest.
Emana hasn’t seen her best friend Daenn since she left their gryphon rider clan for an arranged marriage eight years ago. She doesn’t believe the rumors that he’s become a ruthless tyrant since ascending the throne… not until the warm, kind boy she once knew hunts her down, kills her husband, and steals her back to the clan.
This new Daenn is cold, driven, and harder than the steel he wields with bloody efficiency, yet he claims to need her. Or at least, he needs her magic to temper his own chaotic, deadly power—through the shackles of marriage. But when Emana tampers with the new bond between them, their magic begins lashing out on its own, striking down innocents in alarming numbers.
Now, to save her clan and free herself from Daenn, Emana must journey deep into the heart of the jungle with him in search of a way to destroy his magic for good. But the more they are together, the more she sees echoes of warmth beneath his icy exterior that hint that maybe he hasn’t changed as much as she thought. Except the search to sever their bond is filled with horrors, and destroying Daenn’s magic might require a heavy cost—his very life. Read My Thoughts…
When Darkness Hunts the Dawn by M.H Woodscourt
Reviewed: June 22nd, 2025
Rebel. Captive. Dragon.
Condemned for leading a rebellion against a petty tyrant, Mikoneh and his twin sister resign themselves to a fiery death. But when the stake is lit, the flames answer to Mikoneh—and he and his sister escape amid the ensuing chaos.
On the run, they discover they’re being chased by worse than the tyrant’s knights. From deep underground, Dark Mages hunt them for a birthright they never knew. With unexpected help from a magic box and a peculiar woodelf, the twins race for foreign lands to seek refuge from the legendary Dragon King.
But their relentless pursuers will stop at nothing to use Mikoneh’s blood to stir the embers of an ancient war against humans, elves, and dragons.
Soar into the first book of a dragon-centric adventure rife with political intrigue, fierce duels, and deep lore set in a complex fantasy world! Read my Thoughts…
Until All Curses Are Lifted by Tim Frankovich
Reviewed: June 18th, 2025
Phenomenal power. Cursed for his father’s sins.
Marshal lives in magically-enforced silence, unable to communicate with those around him. When he discovers he’s also heir to immense magical power, he sets out on a quest to escape his curse, and maybe find a way to end the corrupt system that gave it to him.
But his half-brother, wanting the power for himself, dispatches a leper assassin to kill Marshal and those he loves.
Seri wants to use the system to become the most powerful mage in history. But her ambitions are disrupted when the earth itself begins to shake. The magic that holds the world together is failing, and the combined power of all the mages is not enough to save it. And then someone begins murdering mages.
Manipulated by outside forces, stalked by murderous foes and monsters, Marshal and Seri each must learn how to use their unique abilities before it’s too late. Dark powers from another realm are watching them. Watching and planning… Read My Thoughts…
Steering the Craft by Ursula K. Le Guin
Reviewed: June 17th, 2025
Revised and updated for the twenty-first century, Steering the Craft is Ursula K. Le Guin’s carrier bag of the essentials of a writer’s craft, a generous gift from one of the great thinkers about how – and why – to write.
This handbook is an accessible and profound guide to the craft of writing and editing. Le Guin lays out ten chapters that address the most fundamental components of narrative, from the sound of language to sentence construction to point of view. Drawing on the global canon, Le Guin offers her inimitably witty commentary and incisive dissection, developing into an exercise that the writer can do solo or in a group. No other writing guide offers such a comprehensive, experienced and kind approach to “steering the craft” as a writing crew.
Steering the Craft deserves a place on every writer’s shelf.
Woods of the Raven by Mary Calmes
Reviewed: June 10th, 2025
Something wicked this way comes…and it might be too late to stop it.
Xander Corey lives simply, sustainably, on the outskirts of Osprey, a small, quaint town in Upstate New York. He’s a librarian when the town’s budget can afford him, a good friend, kind neighbor, and also, a witch. And while that’s of no concern to anyone around him, there are others, non-humans, who have a vested interest in Xander’s family land. Xander knows something dark and dangerous is brewing. He’s just not quite sure what.
And that’s not the only mystery he’s dealing with. The new chief of police is, by turns, giving him heart palpitations and homicidal thoughts. Xander can’t decide if the gorgeous yet infuriating Lorne MacBain is on his side, or trying to drive him insane. Added to that, the man doesn’t believe in magic, and since that’s who Xander is, their future looks anything but bright.
But Lorne is not the unimaginative, stick-in-the-mud Xander thinks he is. And a rock to anchor him as his life is turning upside down is just the thing Xander needs. Now if only the two of them can stay alive….Read My Thoughts…
Dream of the Sphere by Jay S. Willis
Reviewed June 8th, 2025
Three thousand years of tradition torn asunder. When the truth comes out, will a hero emerge to pick up the pieces?
Dashira Eisenheart takes ultimate comfort in her community. So she’s thrilled when her brother ascends to the coveted order chosen to protect the world from safely sealed-away, millennia-old, dangerous magic. But her faith in her beloved parents’ loyalty cracks after she spies her mother sneaking about town to meet with the enemy.
Striving to stay focused on her own academic studies, Dashira becomes caught in family tensions that soon reach a boiling point. And as her father’s Brotherhood and her mother’s rebel group head toward a cataclysmic clash, the young seeker finds herself trapped by conflicting choices.
Will she face her fears and accept her role in a grand destiny? Read My Thoughts…
The Last Dragon Knight by Tim Akers
Reviewed: June 4th, 2025
Betrayed by his friends. Driven from the land he swore to protect. Hunted by the legions of Hell. Cursed to carry the Dragon’s fury in his soul. Determined to survive.
Corem Holt was once an assassin, before he was a warrior. Before he was a cataclysm in the shape of a man. Blessed by the Crow and cursed by the Dragon, he fled the destruction of his homeland. It was a destruction for which he was responsible.
To his friends, he is a traitor. To his enemies, he is the last real threat in their endless war. Both will hunt him to the ends of the earth. And so he hides. He tries to live a simple life, to survive, to be happy. But mostly, he tries to forget what he has done.
All that comes undone when his past catches up to him. What starts as a chance encounter with an old enemy rapidly devolves into a battle for life and death, not just for Corem, but for the people he’s come to love while in hiding. To save them, he must make one last stand far from home, far from the throne he was sworn to protect, far from the memories that brand him a traitor. For anyone else, it would be impossible. For Corem, it’s inevitable.
Because he’s not just a hero. He’s the last Dragon Knight. Read My Thoughts…
Sunflowers in the Snow By Dawn Bonanno
Reviewed: June 2nd, 2025
Do you believe in magic?
Can you imagine how it might exist all around us in everyday life? Perhaps hidden in trees and sunflowers, slipping into view when needed, and leaving gifts when all hope has abandoned us. Why does a young woman caring for her elderly grandfather find a secret sunflower patch in the snowy hills of Wisconsin? What happens when a demon woken from sleep happens upon a grieving cat dad? How will a sentient house end its long loneliness? Can the smallest water fairy find her missing sister? What does a bride even do with an enchanted wedding veil? Who will save a city cat from a haunted country bridge?
A collection of fourteen fantasy stories about magic in the real world, Sunflowers in the Snow explores friendship and family bonds through sentient houses, magical taverns, secret gardens, and people from other realms who are more like us than we could ever dream. Featured stories include: Sunflowers in the Snow, Cara’s Heartsong, Voices Heard Within Heartbreak House, Never Say Never, The Legacy of Kalila Arquette, Sarah’s Little Monster Hunter, and more. Read my Thoughts…
The Last Ranger by JDL Rosell
Reviewed: May 29th, 2025
BETRAYED. HUNTED. LEFT FOR DEAD. BUT NOT EVEN DEATH ITSELF CAN KEEP THE LAST RANGER FROM VENGEANCE…
Leiyn “Firebrand” is no stranger to a fight. A brash ranger of the Titan Wilds, she takes up her bow to ward against the colossal spirit creatures known as titans, ever a threat to the colonies she has sworn to protect.
But no amount of skill can guard against treachery.
When tragedy strikes the rangers’ lodge, Leiyn vows to avenge the fallen. But if she is to succeed, she must embrace a power within her she has long denied.
Power to move mountains and rivers.
Power over life and death.
She did not choose this path, but Leiyn knows her duty. For if she fails, the legacy of the rangers dies with her—and all the Titan Wilds will fall into shadow. Read My Thoughts…
A Coup of Tea by Casey Blair
Reviewed: May 23rd, 2025
“There will always be work for those who know how to listen.”
When the fourth princess of Istalam is due to dedicate herself to a path serving the crown, she makes a choice that shocks everyone, herself most of all: She leaves.
In hiding and exiled from power, Miyara finds her place running a tea shop in a struggling community that sits on the edge of a magical disaster zone. But there’s more brewing under the surface of this city—hidden magic, and hidden machinations—that threaten all the people who’ve helped her make her own way.
Miyara may not be a princess anymore, but with a teapot in hand she’ll risk her newfound freedom to discover a more meaningful kind of power. Read My Thoughts…
Grave Situation by Louisa Masters
Reviewed: May 11th, 2025
He’s not the hero they deserve, but he’s the hero they’ve got.
No, seriously. Talon wants to know what he did to deserve this. What would make a sentient rock decide that he of all people should be the one to save the world from zombies? That’s right. Zombies. Because apparently a higher power decided that teaching magic to teenagers wasn’t enough of a challenge.
With a ridiculously attractive healer (who may or may not hate him), his sister (who he miiiight have a forbidden telepathic link with), a sentient god-like rock (that can only communicate via yes/no vibes), a disdainful dragon, and a rude matchmaking horse by his side, he just might be able to save the world.
Or die trying.
Meet Talon Silverbright. He’ll save the world, but only because a rock said he has to. Read my thoughts…
Voyage of the Damned by Frances White
Reviewed: April 19th, 2025
For a thousand years, Concordia has maintained peace between its provinces. To mark this incredible feat, the Emperor’s ship embarks upon a twelve-day voyage to the sacred Goddess’s Mountain.
Aboard are the heirs of the twelve provinces of Concordia, each graced with a unique and secret magical ability known as a Blessing. Except one: Ganymedes Piscero – class clown, slacker, and all-round disappointment.
But when a beloved heir is murdered, every one of these powerful people becomes a suspect.
Now Ganymedes – alone and vulnerable without a Blessing – must become the hero he was never born to be.
With the body-count rising, can he unmask the killer before they reach the shore? Read my Thoughts…
Retrieve by Sarah Addison-Fox
Reviewed: April 3rd, 2025
What if the job you took to stay alive might be what kills you?
Kade knows what it is to suffer. He knows what it’s like to lose everything and everyone around him.His job in a Stormer Unit guarantees not just his survival in the decimated country of Azetaria, but his sister Meg’s. Even if it means facing the Numachi warriors baying for his blood, he’ll do what it takes to keep her safe.
Hadley is alone and surviving the only way she knows how. By hiding where predators won’t find her and scavenging enough just to keep her alive. When desperation drives Hadley to search for her missing brother, she mistakenly accepts the offer of recruitment into the Stormer’s camp, only to be partnered with Kade and sent as a scout into Numachi territory.
The intimidating young Stormer may just know where her brother has gone. But can they stay alive long enough to find him? Read my thoughts…
Remedial Magic by Nathan Gregg
Reviewed: March 28th, 2025
A broken man finds a new life teaching magic. But can he keep it?
As a washed-up and forgotten sorcerer, Aldric’s only goal in life is to get drunk enough to forget his tragic past. That is, until his friends coerce him into a teaching position at one of the most prestigious magic academies in the world. Now he’s saddled with the responsibility of teaching four new pupils, all of whom wonder who this brilliant yet unorthodox man truly is.
But Aldric’s past demons aren’t gone. They’ve only been lying in wait. As wars, rulers and politics of the past all begin to catch up with him, Aldric’s newfound place to belong is threatened by the very things he’s been trying to escape.
It’s time for Aldric to finally confront his history. And learn some new lessons himself. Read My Thoughts…
Dragon Ever After by Louisa Masters
Reviewed: March 3rd, 2025
Note to self: You can’t teach an old dragon new tricks… he likes to invent his own.
After half a century of chaos, my retirement from leading the Community of Species Government has been bliss. No more hellhounds playing pranks. No more snippy demons demanding my attention. No more cajoling money from the wealthy to support the community. Just peace while I avoid my overbearing father and try to work out what my next steps will be.
Although… maybe three years of peace is enough. It might even be starting to get… boring. In fact, an adolescent dragon crash-landing on my landlord’s shed is just the kind of excitement I need—especially when he brings his species leader to my door.
Brandt. Wing leader of all dragons, suave, sexy, and… slightly unhinged. It doesn’t take much for him to convince me to give up my solitude and spend some time getting to know him. It’s hard to care about the future when I’ve got a dragon of my own to “play” with. Naked dragon rides for the win, right? Read My Thoughts …
Where the Heart is by L.S Pullen
Reviewed: February 26th, 2025
Felicity Jamison could never have imagined how one fateful night would change her life. Compelled to stay away from the only place she’s ever felt at home, has meant losing her best friend and first love, Nate Davenport.
Fate now intervenes leaving her with no other choice but to return. Not only does she harbour demons of her own, she carries with her a secret that threatens to destroy an entire family.
Nate has experienced his fair share of grief, what he didn’t expect was for Felicity to walk back into his life, a mere shadow of the girl he used to know.
Angry and hurt, the last thing he is willing to admit is how much he needs her.
Will he risk turning to her for comfort?
Together, can they move past a heart-breaking revelation or are they destined to be apart forever? Read My Thoughts…
Soul Cage by L.R. Schulz
Reviewed: January 10th, 2025
Murder Breeds Magic
All power comes with a price. In a world where magic is transferred by the act of killing another, Myddrin stands above the rest. Having accidentally killed the most powerful mage in all of existence, Myddrin now lives a peaceful life in isolation. But there is no such thing as peace in the land of Otor. War calls. The voices of the dead haunt him, and there is nowhere to hide.
Cursed with the deathly taint of magic, young Will must seek acceptance among the Knights of Aen. There, he must learn to touch the otherside, control his abilities, and decide for himself what is right, and what is wrong.
Tvora’s soul is broken. The price of vengeance was her sanity. Her companions help her keep a tenuous grasp on herself, but with the urgent need to absorb enough magic to sustain them, she is pushed to choose a side in the upcoming war. The question remains, will she choose the right one? Read My Thoughts …
The Crown Tower by Michael J. Sullivan
Reviewed: December 14th, 2024
Two men who hate each other. One impossible mission. A legend in the making.
Hadrian Blackwater, a warrior with nothing to fight for is paired with Royce Melborn, a thieving assassin with nothing to lose. Together they must steal a treasure that no one can reach. The Crown Tower is the impregnable remains of the grandest fortress ever built and home to the realm’s most prized possessions. But it isn’t gold or jewels that the old wizard is after, and if he can keep them from killing each other they become a legendary team.
This is the first book in the new series, The Riyria Chronicles, from best-selling author Michael J. Sullivan. It takes place twelve years before the events of The Riyria Revelations and no prior knowledge of those books is required. You can read in either chronological order or order of publication, although the author suggests reading in publication order. Read My Thoughts…
Ascendant by Michael R. Miller
Reviewed: November 22nd, 2024
Holt Cook was never meant to be a dragon rider. He has always served the Order Hall of the Crag dutifully, keeping their kitchen pots clean.
Until he discovers a dark secret: dragons do not tolerate weakness among their kin, killing the young they deem flawed. Moved by pity, Holt defies the Order, rescues a doomed egg and vows to protect the blind dragon within.
But the Scourge is rising. Undead hordes roam the land, spreading the blight and leaving destruction in their wake. The dragon riders are being slaughtered and betrayal lurks in the shadows.
Holt has one chance to survive. He must cultivate the mysterious power of his dragon’s magical core. A unique energy which may tip the balance in the battles to come and prove to the world that a servant is worthy after all. Read my Thoughts…
A Testament of Steel by Davis Ashura
Reviewed: November 17th, 2024
A young man with no past must progress into a warrior out of legend.
Cinder Shade’s life begins on a fateful afternoon at the bottom of a well where he awakens, bruised, battered, and bereft of all memory. His only understanding is a driving imperative—to protect those who can’t defend themselves and become a warrior worthy of the name.
He discovers within himself a peculiar gift, one in which the codes of combat are made evident and the language of steel is made clear. When he earns a place at a prestigious elven warrior academy, Cinder fights to enhance his knowledge and perhaps even humble the proud elves who believe no human is their equal.
His hard-earned skills are put to the test when strange rumblings emanate from deep in the Dagger Mountains. Monsters out of myth emerge. And so does something far worse . . .
An ancient god. The world believes this deity long dead, but he is very much alive. And he remembers his enemies all too well. Even if they don’t remember themselves. Read More…
Murder Creek by Jeff Kerr
Reviewed: November 13th, 2024
When secrets are buried, bodies are next.
Texas stalwart author, Jeff Kerr, delivers the hardest-hitting Adam Cash story yet, a barn burner of a crime thriller that fans of Craig Johnson and C.J. Box won’t want to miss.
When a man from Dieter Bergheim’s past shows up at an assisted living facility, demanding retribution for a decades-old betrayal, Dieter refuses to make amends. Days later, a break-in at his brother Emil’s ranch leaves one man dead and a hidden stash of cash exposed. Noble County sheriff’s deputy Adam Cash, a veteran of two tours in Afghanistan and a former high school football hero, is pulled headfirst into the investigation, grappling with smalltown loyalties and his own haunting memories of war as he uncovers a dark and tangled web of secrets as big and bold as the Lone Star state itself. Read my Thoughts…
The Scars That Bind Us by Michele Notaro
What kind of mage would be crazy enough to crush on a shifter? Me. Apparently me.
The world is a messed-up place. Especially for those of us who have magic, and I know just how terrible it can be firsthand. Which is one of the reasons I try to stay away from people… humans and shifters especially.
Unfortunately, the NHSO forces magi to work alongside shifters to help protect the humans from taragorians—scary beasts from another realm. Which means I’m thrown onto a new team and forced to work with Cosmo Ono-Nai, a lion shifter.
And for some reason, I can’t keep my eyes off him. Read more…
Amethyst Dragon by Eileen Mueller
Reviewed: November 2nd, 2024
Lars vows he’ll be a dragon rider one day, but the choices he’ll face could break his heart.
When Lars is chosen to be the harpist for Master Mage Giddi’s wedding at Dragon’s Hold, he’s honored to play for the mages, dragon riders and the mighty dragons who rule the realm. He vows one day he’ll also be a dragon rider and soar through the skies to protect Dragons’ Realm — and Lydia, the girl he loves.
Then strange new monsters attack Spanglewood Settlement. Lars must fight the village council to ensure their people are defended. Frustrated when the leaders won’t listen, Lars takes matters into his own hands.
But when he imprints with an amethyst dragon deep in Great Spanglewood Forest, Lars never suspects his actions could cost him the woman he loves. And as he’s drawn deeper into danger, Lars is faced with choices that will shred his heart. Read my Thoughts…
Soar by AJ Sherwood and Jocelynn Drake
Reviewed: October 19th, 2024
Salem’s guide to making a dragon break up with him:
Step 1: Don’t sleep with him. (No, seriously, don’t.) And definitely don’t let him into your apartment, he won’t leave.
Step 2: Deny being mates and don’t fall in love with him.
…Step one and two failed. Gregori is too stubborn and irresistable.
Salem is currently taking suggestions that don’t involve giving in to his feelings.
(Please note, do not try making the dragon jealous. Jealousy sex is too much fun and cannot be resisted. This will backfire.) Read my thoughts…
May Day by Joise Jaffrey
Reviewed: September 23rd, 2024
If the murderer you’re tracking is a vampire, then you want a vampire detective. Just maybe not this one. It’s not that Jack Valentine is bad at her job. The youngest member of Oxford’s Seekers has an impressive track record, but she also has an impressive grudge against the local baron, Killian Drake.
When a human turns up dead on May Morning, she’s determined to pin the murder on Drake. The problem is that none of the evidence points to him. Instead, it leads Jack into a web of conspiracy involving the most powerful people in the country, people to whom Jack has no access. But she knows someone who does.
To get to the truth, Jack will have to partner up with her worst enemy. As long as she can keep her cool, Drake will point her to the ringleaders, she’ll find the murderer and no one else will have to die.
Body bags on standby.
May Day is the first book in Josie Jaffrey’s Seekers series, an urban fantasy series set in Oxford, England. Read My Thoughts…
Shards of Hope by BL Jones
Reviewed September 22nd, 2024
Hope can be a prism of scars from which light shines. Twenty years ago, an infamous scientist created Liquid Onyx, a world-changing chemical which led to the rise of superheroes and supervillains.
Jack Roth is not a superhero. He’s an assassin, a killer, a lethal weapon forged and controlled by the evil organisation Obsidian Inc. Leo Snow isn’t a superhero either. He’s a British secret agent who spends his life protecting the world and saving everyone he can.
When these two men’s lives collide on the streets of Danger City just as Obsidian Inc is gearing up for another cataclysmic scientific discovery, they’ll both need to reckon with their dark past, messy present and potentially hopeful future. Read My Thoughts…
The Others by Evette Davis
Reviewed: Septemebr 15th, 2024
True Blood meets Supernatural in the kickoff of this urban paranormal fantasy series from an acclaimed author. Readers enter a dystopian San Francisco filled with empaths and vampires embroiled in political unrest—and Book 1 is just the beginning.
Much as she wishes otherwise, superstar political consultant Olivia Shepherd was born a powerful empath. It’s a legacy she walked away from long ago—but when she wakes up one morning to find Elsa, a tenacious time-walker, standing in her kitchen, she realizes she can no longer ignore her gifts. She is quickly plunged into the hidden world of powerful “Others” and drafted to work for the Council, a shadowy organization that summons the fog to San Francisco to obscure their involvement in human affairs.
Complicating matters further is Olivia’s new love interest, William. A centuries-old vampire, William is far too jaded to take an interest in human affairs—but Olivia no longer has the luxury of remaining impartial. As shocking details from Olivia’s own past emerge and her role in the Council begins to take shape, will she rise to the challenge of her destiny? Read My Thoughts…
The Haunted Hotel by Vawn Cassidy
Reveiwed: September 10th, 2024
Have a frightfully good stay…Morgan Ashton-Drake hasn’t given his ancestral home in Yorkshire a second thought in decades. He has a great life in the States, running his stepfathers hotel empire with his brother. So what if he’s all work and no play. He’s not missing out on anything important.
But when a suspicious death and rather public scandal at his childhood home forces Morgan to return to England for the first time in years, he’s not keen to confront his past. What he didn’t count on was the seriously cute little blonde disaster who seems to be single-handedly running his eccentric grandfather’s hotel.
Ellis Sparks has worked at the Ashton-Drake Manor House Hotel since he was sixteen and he loves it from the bottom of his soul. Always the eternal optimist, he’s never met a frown he can’t turn upside down; that is, until he meets Morgan Ashton-Drake, the grumpy grandson of his employer.
With the hotel in danger of closing, and convinced Morgan is the only one who can help to save it, the resident ghosts decide to try their ghostly hand at a little matchmaking as an incentive to get him to stay. After all, how hard can it be to get a grumpy workaholic to fall in love with a twinky ray of sunshine? Read My Thoughts…
The First Ethereal by E.L Williams
Reviewed Septemebr 7th, 2024
Lost magic, buried secrets, love, and found family. Can Lilly and Storm find the First Ethereal before all is lost?
Super empath Lilly is almost relieved to be living her last human life. With only her spirit guide, Jack, for company and the world unravelling around them, she longs for the peace of the Eternal Forest.
When catastrophic floods force Lilly from her home, fate intervenes, and she finds refuge with Storm, a widowed ex-witch who has mysteriously lost her magic.
As Lilly falls in love with life and finally finds the family and community she has always dreamed of, the two become entwined in a desperate mission to find the First Ethereal – the one being prophesied to save the world from imminent destruction.
But they’re not the only ones seeking this mythical being. Dark forces, driven by fear and greed, are closing in, determined to seize the Ethereal’s power at any cost – and they’ll destroy anyone who stands in their way.
As the clock ticks down, Storm must unlock the secret of her missing magic, while Lilly confronts the devastating truth about who Jack really is. Are some truths better left buried? Read My Thoughts…
The Bookworm and the Cat’s Meow by Jeanine Lauren
Reviewed: September 5th, 2024
When life gives you a second chance, sometimes it comes with claws.
Recently divorced and looking for a fresh start, Lance Reed swaps his business in the city for the cozy charm of a bookstore in the heart of Sunshine Bay. What he doesn’t expect is the slew of community commitments that come with it—especially the agreement to display cats from the local pet shelter in his store.
There’s just one problem: Lance hates cats.
Enter Raven Johnson, the spirited, cat-loving woman behind the pet shelter. Also, in her mid-fifties and divorced, Raven has dedicated her life to her daughter and her feline friends, leaving little room for romance or other personal ambitions.
To her chagrin, her cat sanctuary is now linked to the bookstore, where her cats, the cat-hating Lance, and his books must somehow coexist.
Will Lance learn to open his heart to the furry friends he never wanted, and can Raven find room for a new chapter in her own story? Read My Thoughts…
Apprentice’s Luck by K.L Noone
Reviewed: August 25th, 2024
Apprentice magician Talisman Morning has always been lucky. It’s a problem.
Talis knows his luck is a magical talent — but he can’t control it. And good luck for him can mean bad luck for other people, and a lot of trouble. He’s beginning to wonder whether he belongs with the magicians at all, or whether he should give up and run away … until he meets a royal guard who asks for his help.
King’s guard Jeryn de Machaut could use a magician. He thinks he’s overheard a plot against the king, but he has no evidence and no support. But a wayward apprentice with a knack for being in the right place — and stumbling over hidden objects — might be exactly the luck Jer needs.
Together, Jer and Talis will uncover a palace conspiracy, save a king, and find their own best chance at love. Read My Thoughts…
The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood
Reviewed: August 15th, 2024
Ten days after the war ended, my sister Laura drove a car off a bridge. These words are spoken by Iris Chase Griffen, married at eighteen to a wealthy industrialist but now poor and eighty-two. Iris recalls her far from exemplary life, and the events leading up to her sisters death, gradually revealing the carefully guarded Chase family secrets. Among these is The Blind Assassin, a novel that earned the dead Laura Chase not only notoriety but also a devoted cult following. Sexually explicit for its time, it was a pulp fantasy improvised by two unnamed lovers who meet secretly in rented rooms and seedy cafés. As this novel-within-a-novel twists and turns through love and jealousy, self-sacrifice and betrayal, so does the real narrative, as both move closer to war and catastrophe. Margaret Atwoods Booker Prize-winning sensation combines elements of gothic drama, romantic suspense, and science fiction fantasy in a spellbinding tale. Read My Thoughts…
Scarlett Legacy by Shelli Rosewarne
Reviewed: July 26th, 2024
Natalia doesn’t believe in fairytales. Until she’s thrown headfirst into one. Now she has to trust a big bad wolf with both her life and her heart.
Natalia is done with men. Her cheating scumbag of an ex-boyfriend just the latest in a line of disappointments. She’s definitely not going to be taken in by a sexy Scotsman with an honest-to-God castle, a disturbing affect on her libido, and a shit-ton of secrets.
Damian knows she’s his fated mate. He’s waited his whole life for her after all. But Natalia doesn’t believe in destiny, or wolf shifters, and she sure as hell won’t trust him to keep her safe. But if she doesn’t then her life and his whole pack are in danger.
Scarlett Legacy is the first in the Highland Wolves series, a set of stand-alone but interconnected paranormal romance stories. If you like fairytale retellings and sexy Scotsmen in kilts, then you’ll love this fast-paced shifter romance. Read my Thoughts…
Solomon’s Compass by Carol Kilgore
Reviewed: 26th July, 2024
One USCG Commander + One Veteran Navy SEAL = Fireworks from Stem to Stern
When Coast Guard Commander Taylor Campbell returns to Rock Harbor, Texas, to tend to her uncle’s estate, she meets a veteran Navy SEAL, Jake Solomon, and learns her uncle didn’t drown accidentally. His murder was one in a string of murders of a group of Vietnam veterans who called themselves the Compass Points.
Before her uncle died, he sent Taylor a message with the location of his buried treasure. Unearthing it will place her squarely in the killer’s crosshairs, but she’s determined to fulfill her uncle’s last wish.
Jake, sent to protect her and find the killer, has other plans. Despite the fact she’s a feisty dynamo in a pint-sized package, his mission would be much easier to accomplish if he could forget how good she’d tasted when he kissed her. Read my Thoughts…
Unexpected Witness by M.J Blehart
Reviewed: 18th July. 2024
When a high-ranking businessman and two clones are murdered, Marshal Onima Gwok of the Confederation Bureau of Investigation (CBI) gets assigned the case. But nothing quite adds up. Is there something more insidious going on? There is just one witness – a clone. When the war ended ten years ago, the clones who had fought it were discarded, forgotten, and became second-class citizens of the new confederation. Jace Rojas, designated AC J7-2247, is an infantry clone. When he proves to be more helpful than just being a witness to a murder, Onima decides to bring Jace along to join her team as they look for answers across multiple solar systems. But every question seems to produce no answers – only more questions. Will this be the start of a new war – or something worse?Read My Thoughts …
Ribbon Dance by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller
Reviewed: July 8th, 2024
On a world where cake is a necessity, it takes the Grid to protect the civilized and the deaf from the dire influences of the ambient and to keep the chaotic Haosa at bay.
Having arrived at recently Dust-bound Colemeno, Trader Padi yos’Galan is essential to Master Trader Shan yos’Galan’s plan to recoup Clan Korval’s fortunes by establishing new routes for the clan’s tradeship. Shan’s inner Healer insists Padi come to terms with her as-yet unplumbed psychic abilities, which might place her in the top tier of dramliz, if she can learn control.
Padi yearns to concentrate on trade, but Colemeno’s fey ambient and deadly long-term politics combine to bring her face-to-face with the Haosa, and in particular with the mysterious and untouchable Tekelia, as Korval’s trade mission’s necessity of a port audit collide with a cruel history of murder, deception, and brutality. Amid the dangers, Padi unexpectedly finds herself eagerly exploring her dramliz side when faced with the unspoken powers of the ambient, the sky-filling energy of the ribbon dance, and Tekelia’s mutable eyes. Read My Thoughts…
The Winter Prince by Constance Lopez
Reviewed: June 7th, 2024
A beastly prince. A cursed land. One last hope.
Breaking his bargain with another fae has earned Revi, Prince of the Winter Court, a terrible curse: he lives as a beast and must watch his people suffer under a withering blight. The only cure? A heart freely given.
When a human patrol steals one of Revi’s magical roses, a sliver of opportunity strikes. He agrees to spare their lives in return for a woman who must live in his castle for a year and a day. But could such a beauty learn to love a beast like him?
Although Kienna was warned of conniving fae before her arrival at the Winter Court, the Winter Prince, while beastly, is not the monster she expected. Her dreams plague her—or more specifically, the enigmatic silvery man who walks them does. She’s determined to find him in the waking world and free him from his imprisonment.
Her dream prince begs her not to trust her eyes. But… can she trust her heart?
The Winter Prince, a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, is book 12 of Once Upon A Prince, a multi-author series of clean fairy tale retellings. Each standalone story features a swoony prince fighting for his happily ever after. Read My Thoughts…
The Fate in the Flames by Sierra Knoxley
Reviewed: May 31st, 2024
Fate wants me dead. I won’t allow that.
Sakura:
When the hateful shogun murders my family, I flee through the mysterious Ancestors Portal. But instead of reuniting with my loved ones, I’m dragged into a realm inhabited by vicious shapeshifter clans locked in endless feuds. Bloody competitions have replaced outright war, but death haunts me at every turn.
I must survive at all costs. My childhood love needs to know what became of us, and I want revenge, but I never expected to fall in love with the hellhound who hunted me.
Or to be a prime candidate for the great lords’ barbaric, ritualized sacrifice.
If I survive, it will only be to watch my lover compete in the champions’ death-match. He’ll be torn apart if I can’t save him, but what price will a powerful lord of the fox clan ask me to pay?
Surviving fate seems impossible. Or maybe I misunderstood my fate in the first place. Read my thoughts…
The House Witch and the Charming of Austice by Delemach
Reviewed: May 22nd, 2024
THERE’S A NEW SPY IN THE KITCHEN – AND IT TURNS OUT TO BE THE COOK . . .
Between his work for the King and Queen of Daxaria and a new (secret) relationship with Lady Annika Jenoure, Fin the cook’s life is anything but tidy.
Annika is being forced from the castle after there are threats to her safety. All the while tension is brewing with the kingdom of Troivack and war seems to draw ever closer.
As if he doesn’t have enough on his plate, Fin is soon promoted from cook to spy and sent into the city of Austice where he must sleuth out the plans of the Troivackian troops allegedly hidden there.
However, an unwelcome visitor is about to knock on his door, and Fin’s world starts to unravel even more . . .Read My Thoughts…
A Song for Kitty by Angela Cairns
Reviewed: May 15th, 2024
Lily Matthews had always known Aiden Donnelly, but nothing prepared her for the way their childhood friendship deepens into something more. Set in the turbulent years before World War I, and with preparations for the Coronation of King George and the suffragist movement in full swing, Lily and Aiden’s lives are about to change forever.
A chance encounter with Music Hall star and suffragette activist, Kitty Marion opens a world of possibilities. Lily, apprentice dressmaker, has dreams of designing theatrical costumes, Aiden, talented pianist and songwriter is waiting for his career break. One of them is left behind with a promise, the other is drawn into suffragette activism in the hope of creating a better world for them both. But will this opportunity bring them closer together or be the source of a devastating separation?
A Song for Kitty blends fictional and real-life characters to transport readers to a captivating time in history. If you love romantic historical fiction, you’ll be enthralled by this gripping story full of powerful emotions, strong characters, and a dangerous conflict. Read My Thoughts…
Oops I Ate a Vengeance Demon by Lauretta Hignett
Reviewed: May 11th 2024
Getting possessed by a demon wasn’t on my to-do list. I was just too busy for that sort of thing.
I had a fifty-hour work week, a hellraiser of a toddler, debilitating morning sickness and a husband who thought his only job was taking out the trash. I was at breaking point.
I don’t remember being possessed, or attacking Terry, or my local priest pulling the demon out of me and trapping her in a banana (with the help of a stranger, a badass girl who apparently wrangled supernatural creatures for a living.)
But the aftermath was wild. Terry promised he’d try harder, and give me more support.
He lied. And I broke.
So… I ate the banana. I absorbed the vengeance demon.
She’s a part of me now, sharing my body; we’re like two people in a car. Most of the time, I’m driving. Sometimes, I let her take the wheel. Read My Thoughts…
The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman
Reviewed: May 4th, 2024
One spy. One dangerous book. One deadly mission. The first in a delightful fantasy mystery series, The Invisible Library is the astounding debut from Genevieve Cogman.
Irene must be at the top of her game or she’ll be off the case – permanently . . .
Irene is a professional spy for the mysterious Library, which harvests fiction from different realities. Along with her new assistant Kai, she’s posted to an alternative London. Their mission – to retrieve a dangerous book. But lo and behold, when they arrive, it’s already been stolen. London’s underground factions seem prepared to fight to the very death to find her book.
In this world teeming with supernatural creatures and unpredictable magic, Irene soon finds herself up to her eyebrows in a heady mix of danger, clues and secret societies. And Kai is also hiding secrets of his own. Yet failure is not an option – the nature of reality itself is at stake. Read My Thoughts…
Revelations by Nikole Knight
Reviewed: April 14th, 2024
Released: February 7th, 2020
Genre: Paranormal Fantasy
Riley thought he knew what to expect from college, but he never planned for angels, demons, or a team of attractive, overprotective Guardians.
When one fateful night opens his eyes to a world he never knew existed, Riley Shepard must navigate a host of supernatural dangers, all while struggling with new and confusing feelings for his guardian angels. With the promise of friends, family, and freedom finally within his grasp, he fears not only for his heart but for his life as well.
Lucky for him, some things are worth dying for. Read My Thoughts…
The Iron Crown by L.L Macrae
Reviewed: April 7th, 2024
Released: May 28th 2021
Genre: Epic Fantasy.
Fenn’s first and only memory is finding himself in the middle of a forest, face to face with a dragon spirit mocking him, all knowledge gone apart from his own name.
Lost and confused, his only hope for answers is Calidra—a woman living on the edge of the world with her partner. Forced to return home when her father dies, Calidra has put off facing her estranged mother for seven years, and she begrudgingly helps Fenn, forging papers for him so he can avoid the Queen’s Inquisitors.
But her mother is the least of her worries when they discover an ancient enemy is rising again. It should be impossible with the Iron Crown in power—and Fenn is terrified he might unwittingly be playing a part in the war’s resurgence.
Surrounded by vengeful spirits and powerful magic, Fenn’s desperate attempt to find his way home might well alter the fate of Tassar, and every power in it. Read my Thoughts ….
Shadow of the Sword by C.J.R Isely
Reviewed: April 4th, 2024
Released: October 31st, 2022
Genre: YA/Epic Fantasy
He is imprisoned and bound for death. But could his captor be his savior?
Laster has always wanted to prove himself to his father by becoming a knight of Alamore. Only months away from the end of his training, he has his chance when his own mentor, Sir Dasroch, gives him the honor of riding in place of a knight on a borderland patrol.
But the perfect dream he has lived is shattered with the strike of a single lethal arrow.After a nightmarish attack, Laster finds himself captured by the enemy, chained and imprisoned.
As his plans to escape are thwarted one after the next, Laster knows time is running out. It seems there is only one hope left. But can he really trust his life to the very Prince who put him in chains? Read my thoughts…
Legend of Tal: A King’s Bargain by J.D.L Rosell
Reviewed: March 28th, 2024
Released: June 1st, 2020
Genre: Epic Fantasy
The legend of Tal Harrenfel is sung across the Westreach—and with each telling, the tales grow taller. But though his king declares him a hero, Tal has never claimed to be more than a man…
After three decades of fighting warlocks, killing mythical beasts, and hunting enchanted treasure, Tal has had enough. Running from the deeds of his past, he retreats to his home village under a different name and meets an unlikely companion: Garin, a village boy who dreams of making a name for himself and seeing the world beyond their sleepy town.
When Tal receives a mysterious visitor, both he and Garin are thrown into a journey across the kingdom. Soon, they become embroiled in the plots of monarchs, on the frontlines of an ancient war, and at the mercy of a fabled sorcerer.
Now Tal must live up to his legend, and Garin discover his own power, to survive the forces pitted against them… Read my Thoughts…
A Dowry of Blood by S.T Gibson
Reviewed: March 19th, 2024
Released: February 23rd, 2022
Genre: Gothic Fantasy
This is my last love letter to you, though some would call it a confession. . .
S.T. Gibson’s sensational novel is the darkly seductive tale of Dracula’s first bride, Constanta.
Saved from the brink of death by a mysterious stranger, Constanta is transformed from a medieval peasant into a bride fit for an undying king. But when Dracula draws a cunning aristocrat and a starving artist into his web of passion and deceit, Constanta realizes that her beloved is capable of terrible things.
Finding comfort in the arms of her rival consorts, she begins to unravel their husband’s dark secrets. With the lives of everyone she loves on the line, Constanta will have to choose between her own freedom and her love for her husband. But bonds forged by blood can only be broken by death. Read my Thoughts…
Crescent City: House of Blood and Earth by Sarah J Maas
Reviewed: March 16th, 2024
Released: March 3rd, 2020
Genre: Fantasy
BOUND BY BLOOD.
TEMPTED BY DESIRE.
UNLEASHED BY DESTINY.
Bryce Quinlan loves her life. Every night is a party, and Bryce is going to savour all the pleasures Lunathion – also known as Crescent City – has to offer. But when a brutal murder shakes the very foundations of the city, Bryce’s world comes crashing down.
Two years later, Bryce still haunts the city’s most notorious nightclubs – but seeking only oblivion now. Then the murderer attacks again. And when an infamous Fallen angel, Hunt Athalar, is assigned to watch her every footstep, Bryce knows she can’t forget any longer.
As Bryce and Hunt fight to unravel the mystery and their own dark pasts, the threads they tug ripple through the underbelly of the city, across warring continents and down to the deepest levels of Hel, where things that have been sleeping for millennia are beginning to stir … Read My Thoughts…
Lady Avely’s Guide to Truth and Magic by Rosalie Oaks
Reviewed: March 10th, 2024
Released: February 16th, 2024
Genre: Magical Cosy Mystery
Regency widow shouldn’t be hunting spectres all night.
Lady Judith Avely’s magical gift for divining the truth makes her prodigiously good at lying. To absolve a guilty secret, she travels to the exiled Duke of Sargen’s estate, but the last thing she expects is to run into the duke himself, who is lamentably now even more attractive than in his volatile youth.
The duke has his own concerns: he has returned home to a haunted house, with skulls floating about and a footman apparently bashed by a book. Such vulgar circumstances are best avoided, but the duke needs Judith’s unique talents to help uncover the culprit – even if it might put her in the sights of a killer.
With the help of a tiny vampiric acquaintance and a continuous supply of drinking chocolate, Judith should be able to solve the uncanny mystery…if only the duke will stop making improper remarks about her mobcaps.
A lady who can discern lies, the duke who lied to her, and a gothic cosy mystery full of bats, skulls, and cocoa.
Lady Avely’s Guide to Truth and Magic features a mid-life heroine, a slow-burn second-chance romance, and a magical version of Regency England. Read My Thoughts…
Legends of Astraea by Sophia Alessandrini
Can the power of love save the world?
Ailie, a gutsy girl who possesses a sharp wit and a playful, irreverent voice that pairs well with that of her best friend’s, a werewolf; embarks on a quest for revenge with the help of her psychotic, warmongering, and good-hearted legal guardian. She alone can open the gates of hell just like Pandora did when she opened the jar that contained all evils.
And evil wants those doors open.
Fallen Angels conspire to help her with Cupid’s Golden Arrow.
She finds herself in a whimsical world of myths, legends, glittering gowns, priceless jewels, life threatening enemies, and eccentric immortals that call themselves Strzyga. However, there are side effects to the arrow. What’s not to like about a gorgeous, two-hundred-year old Strzyga prince who is totally and completely head over heels for her?
But things never go as planned, do they? Will Ailie manage to save the world, or will she accidentally open the gates of hell? Read My Thoughts…
Tombyards & Butterflies by Orlando A. Sanchez
Reviewed: February 25th, 2024
Released: February 16th, 2017
Genre: Paranormal Fantasy
A Missing Ferryman. An Undead Dilemma. An Immortal Detective.
An emissary from the Dark Council has just materialized in the office of the Montague & Strong Detective Agency, and makes Simon Strong an offer he can’t refuse. Charon is missing. The legendary ferryman responsible for transporting sorcerer souls across the river Styx hasn’t been seen in days. And with each passing hour, those unable to cross the river are left to walk among the living, tilting the world further out of balance.
Meet Simon Strong, an immortal, who is also the best private detective in New York City. Together with his surly partner-Tristan Montague, a mage of indeterminate age, they must find the Ferryman and get him back to work before another Supernatural War ravages the earth, destroys humanity, and Simon’s local coffee shop. Time is running out. His landlord wants the rent and Karma with a capital K is paying him a visit, and she can be a real…
Join the Montague & Strong Detective Agency and help them locate Charon, so he can restore balance to the universe, put the dead sorcerers to rest, and maybe solve the age old conundrum-coffee or tea? Read my Thoughts…
The Doorway by Jesse L. Watson
Reviewed: February 11th, 2024
Released: October 24th, 2023
Genre: Science Fiction
FBI Agent Gene Wyke is the best of the best. But can he find a girl missing in another world?
High in the mountains of Colorado, veteran FBI agent Gene Wyke is tasked with locating ten-year-old Marigold Riley, an assignment he hopes will be the last of his career. But the investigation goes sideways when Marigold’s twin sister Katie vanishes as well. Literally.
In the middle of a forest clearing, Gene watches her dissolve into thin air.
To follow, Gene must leave his training behind and step through a doorway to another world—one filled with wonders, as well as dangers real enough to kill him. In the end, saving the two girls will take more than Gene’s cunning and skill; it will take his heart, and change it forever. Read My Thoughts…
Tea, Cake and Murder! by K.J Heritage
Reviewed: February 8th, 2024
Released: February 7th, 2024
Genre: Cosy Mystery
A talented spell-weaving witch on the run is forced to find magical refuge in a mystery novel, playing the role of Emily Crookshanks, amateur sleuth and professional flirt.
Waking up with no idea who or where she is, Emily finds herself in the quaint 1920s English countryside village of Little Pucklewick, uncomfortably sharing tea and cakes with the not so Reverend Wilson-Smallsey, the village’s rather pompous womanising vicar. After a series of shocking murders, Emily hooks up with the village doctor, a rather dashing ex-RAF fighter pilot known to his chums as ‘Ceddars’. Working together, they uncover clues and interrogate suspects.
Add an inept inspector, various pompous ladies from the regular vicarage get-togethers, a dashing explorer recently returned from the Orient, his very attractive career-minded secretary, and a whole host of motives and clues, including a series of nasty accusatory posters, and Emily finds herself in the middle of a most confusing and frustrating mystery.
But more than the murders, Emily suffers from terrifying visions of attack and desperate escape. And just what are wands and spell-weavery, and the smartphones and hi-def televisions she occasionally glimpses in her mind? Despite everything, Emily knows that to survive, she must solve the mystery and, to do that, she must keep going to The End. Read My Thoughts…
Archer 887 by Anna Schroeder
Reviewed: January 30th, 2024
Released: July 1st, 2022
Genre: Science Fiction
An unknown invader. A devastating attack. And the system’s uneasy peace is broken.
Decimated, the Caprician Empire teeters on the brink of defeat. Her detractors, restive colonies and rapacious rivals alike, must come together to protect their system from invasion and domination.
Arsaces Wood is a man most wished had been killed the day he halted a doomed rebellion. Resented by the ruling Capricians and shunned by his kin, he now commands a Sentient, the AI warship Westerland.
Yet even as they join the system’s desperate defense, he discovers those he trusts most have been lying to him. Hiding secrets that threaten not only his life, but the very worlds he is fighting to save. Read my thoughts…
Divine Guidance by Shari T. Mitchell
Reviewed: January 25th, 2024
Released: October 10th, 2014
Genre: Paranormal Murder Mystery
Psychic psychologist Marnie Reilly battles inner demons every day. But when the “demon” is flesh and blood, will the final analysis be murder?
Marnie Reilly is a hot-headed counselor with a difficult past; a dead mother, father, brother and an abusive ex-boyfriend. She has publicly taken on “The Collective,” a group of psychics and charlatans who sell hope at top dollar to troubled people looking for answers. They have threatened her, but she hasn’t taken their “hoodoo voodoo” nonsense seriously – until now.
When the police find Marnie’s ex-boyfriend’s dead body in her shed, she finds herself in the middle of a murder inquiry. Serious questions arise about her involvement in the murder and Marnie is certain The Collective has framed her.
Marnie, her Border Collie, a childhood friend and a cranky detective battle thunder, rain, ice and blizzards to end a rash of murders in the sleepy city of Creekwood. Will the ghosts of her past help too? Read My Thoughts…
Followers of the Owl by M. G Hernandez
Reviewed: January 21st, 2024
Released: August 18th, 2022
Genre: Mystery Suspense
A girl and a boy, haunted by their past, must battle their personal demons to fight the evil hiding in plain sight.
Eighteen-year-old Dee Bailey works hard on her personal brand. She’s intelligent and passionate about her community. To her peers, she’s a great friend and everyone’s favorite social butterfly.
But when alone, she’s terrorized by a secret that leaves her cowering to the floor. Until one night, a mysterious girl in white appears on the manicured lawn of her family’s vacation home. She follows the robed figure into the woods with no clue that she’s about to change the course of her future.
Meanwhile, Brandon Cuenca is drowning in the weight of his self-sabotage. Mourning the death of his girlfriend, he throws himself deep into a world of drug binges and questionable life choices—until the news of another disappearance of a Wakefield teenager forces him to set his problems aside. The victim was the third girl abducted in their social circle.
But when a chance encounter lands him in her path, he learns that bringing her home is more complicated than finding her. What happens when the missing doesn’t want to be found?
Followers of the Owl explores greed, avarice and the human need to find light in the darkness. See Review for trigger warnings. Read my Thoughts…
Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maerher
Reviewed: January 20th, 2024
Released: September 14th, 2023
Genre: Romantic Fantasy
ASSISTANT WANTED: Notorious, high-ranking villain seeks loyal, level-headed assistant for unspecified office duties, supporting staff for random mayhem, terror, and other Dark Things in General. Discretion a must. Excellent benefits.
With ailing family to support, Evie Sage’s employment status isn’t just important, it’s vital. So when a mishap with Rennedawn’s most infamous Villain results in a job offer-naturally, she says yes. No job is perfect, of course, but even less so when you develop a teeny crush on your terrifying, temperamental, and undeniably hot boss. Don’t find evil so attractive, Evie.
But just when she’s getting used to severed heads suspended from the ceiling and the odd squish of an errant eyeball beneath her heel, Evie suspects this dungeon has a huge rat…and not just the literal kind. Because something rotten is growing in the kingdom of Rennedawn, and someone wants to take the Villain-and his entire nefarious empire-out.
Now Evie must not only resist drooling over her boss but also figure out exactly who is sabotaging his work… and ensure he makes them pay.
After all, a good job is hard to find…. Read my Thoughts…
Shards of Glass by Michelle Sagara
Reviewed: January 13th, 2023
Released: November 23rd, 2023
Genre: Epic Fantasy
The Academia, once an elite proving ground for the rulers of the world, has been frozen for centuries. Now its strange slumber has ended, and a new Chancellor, an orange-eyed dragon, has reopened its lecture halls and readied its dorms. In order to thrive once more, however, the Academia needs fresh blood—new students with a passion and talent for learning.
One such student, Robin, has the perfect recruit in mind: his friend Raven, an orphan who lives in the dangerous Warrens. Robin grew up in the Warrens, and he wouldn’t have made it if not for Raven. He knows she’ll be safe at the Academia, where her unusual gifts can be appreciated.
But when students start turning up dead, the campus threatens to collapse completely. Raven and Robin will not let that happen to their new home…if they can survive long enough to figure out who—or what—is trying to kill them. Read my Thoughts …
Dead Serious Case #4 Professor Prometheus Plume
Reviewed: January 5th, 2024
Released: December 31st, 2023
Genre: MM Paranormal Fantasy
Inspector Danny Hayes has something very important to ask his boyfriend Tristan Everett. Over the past six months they’ve survived reapers, chaos monsters, and biblical storms, not to mention averting an apocalypse. So, what’s left to do but pop the big question?
Tristan is ready for a break from world-saving, spectral crises, and most definitely from ghosts. He wants some one-on-one time with his boyfriend, preferably horizontally. So when their Boxing Day celebrations result in a drunken booking of a romantic New Year’s getaway at a quiet little hotel near the wilds of the north Yorkshire moors, Tristan can’t wait.
But as usual nothing ever goes according to plan. Snowed in during an unexpected murder mystery weekend at what turns out to be one of the most haunted hotels in Northern England is not what they had in mind, but when one of the actors turns up really dead not just fake dead, they once again find themselves caught up in another investigation.
With only one night to figure out who the killer is while wrangling a multitude of overly helpful ghosts, Tristan begins to wonder if romance really is dead… Read My Thoughts…
Helen Garraway 