Reading Fanatic Reviews
All Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Paranormal Reviews
The Lady Warriors of Barony by Elise Marion
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Google Play, Scribd, 24 Symbols, Mondadori, Angus & Robertson, and Indigo (Chapters)
The Lady Warriors of Barony*
Trio of Strong Women Find Their HEAs
This book is a collection of three novellas about three very different female warriors who helped change the tides of history in Barony. Each novella shows the background of each woman as well as her present circumstance before their worlds go awry in very different ways. But each is also a romance, with heroes that are very appropriate for these strong women.
This is the first book that I have read of this series, so I don’t have the whole background, but I can say you don’t need to have read the previous books to appreciate this one. All three women who starred in these novellas have an incredible strength of character as well as of body. Their histories are complex, and the very first story about Ava pulled me right in with the horrific description of the rebels coming through her town when she was a child. The author did a brilliant job of showing this pivotal moment that changed this young girl in more ways than one. This very first scene pulled me into this set of books emotionally so I couldn’t help but want to continue. I appreciate the racial diversity of these women. The stories are so very different, which is a delight in the collection, as they often contain stories that are too similar. The heroes were the perfect matches and compliments to the heroines, and the HEAs were very satisfying and wholly appropriate for the circumstances of each story.
The author has the ability to describe with such depth that you feel like you can see what’s going on or the surroundings and feel the emotions of the characters, yet it doesn’t feel like too much narrative or description. Not an easy thing to do! She literally draws you into the story with an ease that I rarely see in fiction, and I read a lot! She has developed plots that play up the heroine’s strengths but also show their vulnerabilities. If you like well-written, engaging fantasy with strong female leads that feels moored in reality, you may very well enjoy this set of novellas.
Shift of Destiny by Carol Van Natta
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Google Play, Mondadori, Angus & Robertson, and Indigo (Chapters)
Shift of Destiny*
Danger for Woman Newly Coming into Her Power
Heroine Moira is on the run from a man who believes she has magical powers and wants to harness them. She doesn’t believe she has these powers. She chooses a small town in Wyoming as her destination. This little tourist town has secrets of its own; it is home to all manner of magical creatures who are able to hide themselves from the tourists by wearing a special charmed pendant that only shows what the wearer wants the non-magical person to see. Moira meets Chance on her first night, and the shifter handyman sees her to the place she will be staying. The book follows their blossoming romance and the attempts by more than one person to capture her.
I enjoyed the quirky little town that Moira ended up in. In fact, I wish more time was spent there as it was such a fun place to hang out with all the different types of magical beings present. I thought Chance was a good hero. He is a decent and kind person/shifter who is protective of those he cares about even if he has been a loner for much of his existence.
I was surprised at the level of profanity and crude words in this book, especially as the book went on. I just personally find this off-putting and distracting from a story. The book was mostly well edited, but I did find one peculiar fault, given that it was professionally edited—commas were used with compound predicates (verb phrases), and they don’t need to be.
If you enjoy shifter romance, you will most likely enjoy this book with a well-imagined world and well-drawn and sympathetic characters.
In the Land of the Vultures by Paula Scardamalia
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Google Play, Scribd, Mondadori, Angus & Robinson, and Indigo (Chapters)
In the Land of the Vultures*
Beautifully Written Tale of Love and Death
Samara is the priestess of the goddess of death in her small community, which is now on the move after no rains and the river drying up. Her people seek a better land that can sustain them after many of their numbers have died. When a child appears to be at death’s door, the head of their village asks her to do her duty and take the child’s spirit to the land of the dead while they continue forward. Samara knows that this most likely will mean her own death, as survival in the desert in a group is hard enough, let alone on your own. After performing her duty, Samara is rescued and brought to a palace to be healed by the queen. The queen herself has suffered a significant loss and is grieving, and Samara’s rescuer believes that Samara will be a good distraction and may perhaps help bring the queen back to herself.
I quite enjoyed this story. The author’s description of Samara’s difficult journey through the desert was palpable; you can sense her thirst and feel the burning soles of her feet. Her time at the palace was fascinating. She never expected, as the priestess of the goddess of death, to fall in love, but she does with her rescuer. But all is not simple. I love how Samara could see the dead child’s spirit still hanging around his mother. It sounds morbid, but it was actually beautifully done. There is a truly evil villain in the story in the form of the king’s illegitimate brother. The road to true love was not easy either, as the hero had issues with a very essence of what Samara was and represented.
The only things that I didn’t like about this book were some sexual aspects. The king’s half-brother was particularly vile in this area, and perhaps this is one instance where more could have been told than shown (and the “told” parts done so in less detail). I thought, too, especially considering that Samara is a maiden, that things progressed rather quickly with Samara and the hero in their sensual scenes. Especially in the one after she deals with the villain; I don’t think she truly would have been ready for consummation after that.
The author’s description of the palace settings is vivid so that they can be easily imagined. The queen’s grief is very real, and the resolution of it gave me great satisfaction. Part of what Samara sees in her last crossing (in the book) of the bridge between life and death was a surprise, but looking back, I could see hints of how this could be. So the author did an excellent job of delivering an expected and fitting end but with an element of surprise.
A New Witch in Town by Jenny Bankhead
Available at Amazon
Free with Kindle Unlimited
A New Witch in Town*
Paranormal Cozy is Missing Some Pieces
Lorna has inherited an English cottage from an old aunt. She decides to give up her job and no-good fiance in Tennessee and start a new life in England. The cast of quirky characters starts coming around the new place and introducing themselves. Lorna has barely settled in when a murder rocks the sleepy town of Tweed-upon-Slumber. Lorna’s inquisitive nature makes her want to help figure it out.
I was intrigued by the concept of the book. I love a good witchy paranormal cozy mystery. However, I was put off by several elements. There was quite a bit of head hopping, even just for brief moments. Occasionally, the author switched to an omniscient viewpoint, telling us things that the character couldn’t know or wouldn’t know yet. At the very outset, several things just didn’t ring true to me. They are tiny details, but enough to affect my suspension of disbelief. For instance, her aunt has only recently died, but the house is in total disarray with cobwebs, lots of dust everywhere, and rotting furniture. Even if it took Lorna a while to settle her affairs in the States and get to England, this doesn’t seem like it would be accurate; could the place get so bad so quickly. Another tiny quibble was that the author stated that Lorna only was given a small snack on her transatlantic flight; having just done one not too long ago, you usually do get a proper meal.
The book started with a bit of an informational dump about Lorna’s past and all that brought her to claim her inheritance in England. The parade of neighbors didn’t feel quite right either. Cozy mysteries definitely need to have a cast of quirky characters, but we’re not usually introduced to them one right after the other in one setting. Typically, the protagonist will meet someone around town or at an event. It almost felt like an information dump for characters!
Inexplicably, this cozy mystery takes place in the 1990s. I’m not sure why the author felt the need to make it happen that long ago. It was simply jarring when I first read the word “nineties” in relation to time. Before that, I had assumed it was contemporary, so I had to read that line more than once to understand the context of the word and that it’s a story that supposedly takes place twenty years ago.
Because of the odd setup on several points, I can’t fully recommend this book.
The Shadow Falls by K. S. Marsden
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Scribd, Mondadori, Angus & Robertson, and Indigo (Chapters)
The Shadow Falls*
Not Alone in the World
After the decimation of the witch hunters at the end of the last book, Hunter is on his own and trying to learn more about his unique skills. He has vivid, detailed dreams of what his life with Sophie might have been or could possibly be. Hunter isn’t as alone as he thinks.
I read the three books in this trilogy in rapid succession. I found this book to be better paced than the last one. Hunter was much more active as opposed to being in waiting mode as he was in much of the previous book. I like the addition of the dream sequences; not only were they so different from what was actually going on, but it made you wonder if they were what could have been or what may yet come. I’m not sure if I’m 100% satisfied with the end. I do like some new characters that were added to this book; they had to be added after so many were lost in the last one. This book had some issues with grammar and punctuation, especially in the later part of the book. I also thought the text was strangely formatted, making it hard to read. Most fiction books are formatted with the first line of a paragraph indented while non-fiction books often have block paragraphs with visual space between them. Unfortunately, this book had block paragraphs with no spaces between them, making them appear to run all together, which was hard to read.
If you enjoyed the other books in this series, you would most likely appreciate the culmination of it.
Alice is Not Lost by Isadora Brown
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
Alice is Not Lost*
Alice in Once-Upon-a-Time Wonderland
Alice’s sister has been missing for three years. She has not given up hope, and she checks in with the detective every day to see if there is any news. Soon, however, Alice finds herself not in her small town of Bayside but in the Wonderland Forest. Who will she meet here? Who are potential allies? What are the potential dangers? Why is she here?
I was drawn to this book because of the cover, which definitely reminded me of the last season of Once Upon a Time; I was a fan of the show for a long time. This book has elements of that TV show as well as the original Alice in Wonderland—the White Rabbit even makes an appearance. The author also did a good job of showing how disoriented a person would be when thrust into an unknown world. At times, the book did feel a little derivative, but interesting things kept happening to Alice, and new opportunities arose for her which were fascinating to follow.
I believe this is meant to be a prequel to a series, and I look forward to seeing what the author might do next with this interesting cast of characters and very different world.
Burned by J. K. Harper
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
Burned*
Dragon Shifter Beauty and the Beast
I’ll admit that I love stories that are new takes on classic tales, so I was intrigued by this dragon-shifter adaptation of Beauty and the Beast. We meet the heroine, Teagan, as she’s bumbling her way through a swordplay class. She meets the hero, Ash, in the parking lot when she mistakenly thinks that he might be ready to attack her. Even though she only has a practice sword, she approaches him like a fiery warrior goddess protecting herself. Ash calms her down, and they start to have an interesting discussion, but when the wind blows his hood from his face, she sees his scars. She gasps, and he thinks that she’s just another one who can’t or won’t be able to see past his physical deformity.
What a delightful reimagining of Beauty and the Beast! Both Teagan and Ash have wounds, some interior and some exterior. I love how both of them were able to see past the physical right away. Poor Teagan has such self-esteem issues that she couldn’t see her unusual features as anything but ugly, but Ash could only see beauty. Teagan is smart, nerdy, and a little bit clumsy… and really quite endearing in her awkwardness, both verbal and physical. How can you not love a character who is so enamored with Queen Boadicea and ancient Ireland? And Ash, he truly believes himself to be unlovable, and I adored how the author had him wrestle with his inner dragon when confronted with this woman who could mean so much to them both.
If you enjoy retellings of classic stories with lots of heartfelt emotion and realistic, wounded characters, you might find this book a compelling, sweet (but steamy) read.
Thrilled by J. K. Harper
Available at Amazon only
Free with Kindle Unlimited
Thrilled*
Rollicking Good Writing Style
We first meet Gabi, intrepid undersea explorer, who has found a wreck that promises to be a treasure find. Kai is a water dragon shifter who has been cursed by his dying mate: he’s not been able to touch their combined hoard until he finds true love again. Is this what Gabi has found? How can she see it and him, when she shouldn’t be able to do either?
The author’s writing style is delightful and easy to read. She has made two such clearly defined characters that their thoughts and actions leap off the page as being authentic. Gabi is full of life, exuberant, and dedicated to her job and her grandmother. At times, the book feels light and airy, while at other times we can understand and feel the pressures that both Gabi and Kai live under. There are humor and good banter, which I always love in any sort of romance.
This book is a part of a series, but it could be appreciated as a standalone. If you enjoy shifter romance with a strong heroine, a little steam, humor, and heart, you might find this a satisfying read.
The Shadow Reigns by K. S. Marsden
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Scribd, Mondadori, Angus & Robertson, and Indigo (Chapters)
The Shadow Reigns*
Recovery and Retribution
Hunter is recovering in the days after the conflagration that ended the last book. He’s made his manor house a place where the MMC and the military can gather as they figure out their next move against the Shadow Witch.
I thought that that first part moved a bit slowly. It would seem to me that the MMC and the military would want to be more proactive in going after the Shadow Witch. I think it might have been interesting to have some chapters that were based in Sophie’s world. She was such a great character in the previous book that only grew more intriguing. Alternating between Hunter’s world and Sophie’s world could have been a great point-counterpoint that could have sharpened the tension and the conflict in the book. The book does have some surprises; we do lose at least one person who we’ve come to respect as a character.
While this book has slightly improved from the last, this book has a fair number of issues with grammar, punctuation, and usage. And I’m not talking about British English vs. American English. There are more than a few comma splices as well as other places where commas are not used correctly. Capitalization seems to be inconsistent in places.
This is definitely not a stand-alone book. The series should be read in sequence if you are interested in it. While this installment is a little slow, if you enjoyed the world that was set up in the previous book, you’re most likely be interested to see where it goes next. After this one, I’m definitely wanting to see what will be happening in book three.
Blaize and the Maven by Ellen Bard
Available at Amazon only
NOT with Kindle Unlimited
Blaize and the Maven*
Chakras Bedrock of This Magical World
We meet Blaize, the heroine of the story, as she is undergoing trials after five years as an Adherent training to use her primary chakra, the navel, which signifies fire. The trials are grueling and have the potential to kill the person being tested. We meet Cuinn as he is being asked to take on a new Adherent. He is a Maven, one who is well skilled in using the power of their two chakras, the dominant and the auxiliary. He doesn’t want to take one on for a variety of reasons, the main one being that he has a lot going on with a dire prophecy that he is accessing during his dream walking. Blaize passes her test, and she does become Cuinn’s new Adherent.
I’ve actually studied chakras for a long time, so I found the bedrock idea of this book to be a fascinating one. I don’t think I’ve ever seen the chakra system used in such a way as the basis for a magical world. The author has clearly given this much thought, as the concepts are sophisticated but accessible. I wouldn’t say you need to know about chakras to appreciate this book, but if you do, you will find the way the author plays with them to add to your enjoyment of reading it.
This book is about the prophecy mentioned above, which is slowly being revealed, as well as the initially slow burn romance between Blaize and Cuinn. The prophecy does take away some of the conflict and tension in the book because it gives us such a glimpse of what’s going to happen, even if we don’t know all the details or what they’ll be able to do to counteract what has been foreseen. But there’s still enough going on to keep your interest. I thought the relationship between Blaize and Cuinn wasn’t quite as natural and organic as I like in stories with an element of romance. He was so dead set against having an Adherent, yet almost as soon as he meets her, this shifts quickly. Blaize can be unlikable, impetuous, proud, and sometimes a little rude, so it doesn’t quite seem that this person who has lived for so long would have an attraction so quickly to such a relatively immature young woman.
Weighing up the pluses and minuses of this book, I find that I like the chakra background so much that it outweighs what I might not like about it. So, if you like books about magical worlds—and perhaps an especially interesting one in that isn’t about witches and warlocks—you might find this a fascinating read.
Used To Build My Websites
NetGalley Badges