Reading Fanatic Reviews
All Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Paranormal Reviews
Sea of Darkness by Isadora Brown
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Sea of Darkness*
The Enemy of My Enemy is My Friend
Kelia’s in the fight of her life against an Infant Sea Shadow, a newly turned vampire of the seas. Back on land with just a few scrapes after the encounter, she meets her father, who asks that she meet him after she is debriefed. Her handler seems surprised at how well she tackled this difficult mission, coming out relatively unscathed. Kelia’s life is upended when her father is found dead, she is told, from suicide. Something is not quite right, and soon Kelly is teaming up with a most unlikely ally, Drew Knight, one of the leaders of the Sea Shadows. She believes that her father did not commit suicide, and he believes that The Society is keeping dark secrets. So it’s the old “the enemy of my enemy is my friend.” They team up to figure it all out.
What a complex world of The Society and the Sea Shadows! The author has done an excellent job of world-building—all the details about the Slayers, The Society, social structure, and the Sea Shadows. Yet she was able to do this without making it feel like it was an information dump. Seeing the world from both Kelia’s and Drew’s perspectives help to give a fuller picture of what is going on. There are so many layers of secrets, lies, and intrigue. Their world is definitely not what either of them initially believes. I love stories in which characters exist in a bubble world that gets shattered; these characters assume the world is one way because they have been told it is so, and so they are rocked to their very core when they learn it is different. That’s exactly what’s going on here, and the author has done a good job in slowly revealing the lies and deception. And I know there is much more to come!
I so enjoy the relationship between Kelia and Drew. He has that pirate swagger way about him and a sarcastic, humorous way of looking at things. He loves to bait and challenge her, and it is fun to watch. Their interactions make this book so enjoyable.
While this took did have closure on some points, it left much to be explored, I became immersed in this world, and I can’t wait to move on to the next book to see what’s going to happen next.
The Darkness by Brittney Leigh
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The Darkness*
Bulwark from a Teen’s Perspective
This is my third book in the Bulwark anthology, and it is certainly different from the ones by Brit Lunden. This is actually a YA novella. We see Bulwark through the eyes of a teenager keeping a diary. Strange things are afoot at Bulwark’s high school, including a peculiar smell coming out of a locker. What’s going on at the high school?
This book had me for the first 20%, as I thought, finally, I had found an author who could do diary format correctly. I’m always a bit disappointed when authors writing in this style break out into dialogue. As one who has journaled or kept a diary for a significant part of my life, I can say that I never, ever write in dialogue with full quote marks and dialogue tags. So I always hate, hate, hate it when I see it in literature. The first 20% of this book swept me back to when I kept a diary when I was in high school. I love how the author got right into this girl’s head and really give us a sense of her thoughts and emotions. But then at that 20% mark, the dialogue started creeping in. Sigh. I know an author might not want to keep strictly to the diary format for literary purposes, but if you’re going to break into dialogue, why not make the book a mixture of proper scenes and then diary musings?
That personal pet peeve aside, I found this novella to be a fun glimpse into a teenage girl’s mind. It was very creative, and I could completely identify with much of what she thought and experienced. The author did an excellent job conveying how a diary can express the rawness of emotion and thought, as well as shifting moods and beliefs.
The Red Riding Hoods by C. J. Laurence
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The Red Riding Hoods*
Much Ado about the Red Riding Hoods
Katana Kempe is the daughter of a prominent family who hunts and kills wolves and werewolves. We first meet her as a young girl who wants nothing more than to become a hunter like her six brothers. Her father frowns upon this because he believes the duty of the females of the family is to further the family bloodline. Since hunting is so dangerous, he doesn’t want to risk losing a female in such a way. (Although, I have to say, it seems like her brothers, as there is so many of them, would be able to fulfill the task of creating the next generation!) After some difficult years, she eventually gets her way.
The world-building is complex and interesting. The whole background for the Red Riding Hoods is imaginative. There is a fair amount of intrigue in the book as well as some surprises. More is going on than merely hunting wolf creatures.
From the earliest times in the book, I didn’t like Katana. She is rude and physically violent, even with her father. She doesn’t always think before she acts and can be quite cruel. When I first looked at the cover, I assumed it was going to be a story that took place in a timeless fantasy realm. But this is not the case. Instead, the Kempes live in the modern world–with Hello Kitty and cellphones–but they also exist within a secret society that has rules that are more akin to 200 years ago. So it seems an odd mishmash of contemporary world and fantasy world. In this context, I found the language jarring. With so many fantasy and paranormal elements, the use of modern words and phrases just doesn’t feel right, even though this supposedly takes place in modern times.
Parts of the book are written through the eyes of an omniscient narrator, which I don’t personally find to be a good technique for contemporary writing. It lends itself to telling rather than showing and can be distancing, as well, to the reader.
Because I could never entirely sympathize with Katana or reconcile this contemporary yet fantasy-world, I didn’t find this an enjoyable or satisfying read.
An Archmage’s Destiny by Marie-Claude Bourque
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Scribd, Mondadori, Angus & Robertson, and Indigo (Chapters)
An Archmage's Destiny*
Simple Task Becomes Dangerous
Attorney Bryce thinks she has a relatively simple task in front of her. She’s to deliver a message—and possibly a magical dagger—to Knight, part of the magical family that she represents. Knight must simply return home for a visit, she states, to obtain the dagger that his father knows will help him in his quest to keep Seattle safe from evil. Knight has no desire to do his father’s bidding and turns down the dagger. As Bryce is trying to tell him about the clause if he says no, they are attacked by shadow creatures who take a fair amount of life force from her. Now thrown into a situation that neither of them could have foreseen or want, they are placed on a path that puts them repeatedly into further danger.
The author did a fantastic job of pulling me right into the story. It was told in alternating viewpoints between Bryce and Knight. First up is Bryce, and she comes across as an uptight Eastern seaboard lawyer who wants to keep it professional and sees the task as a stepping stone to doing more meaningful work for the family. Knight is much than more his initial appearance, which seems to be that of a bad-boy biker. The author showed skill in having both Bryce and Knight reveal some of their histories right at the start without it feeling like she was doing an information dump.
Along the way, both learn much about themselves and each other. Knight is able to get a deeper understanding of his family. The pacing was tight, and they had to face danger on several fronts. Their chemistry sizzles off the page right from the start. I love how right away he was protective of her even if it wasn’t always in his own best interest. Their relationship, as well as the story, has a few surprising twists and turns.
The story is immediately engaging, and if you enjoy fast-paced paranormal adventures with secrets and dangers, you might enjoy this book.
The Knowing by Brit Lunden
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The Knowing*
Bulwark and Mrs. Muir
In this return to fictional Bulwark, Georgia, we first see JB as a 70-something-year-old man in the present time. He helps a couple who have been injured. While they wait for help to arrive, the woman sees the picture of his wife and accuses her of being a witch. After they leave, this prompts JB to have a reminiscence about their relationship. The novella takes place mostly fifty-plus years ago. JB and Ellie meet on her first day of school in Bulwark. She’s a wealthy northern girl and he’s the son of a poor peanut farmer, but there’s an instant attraction and what JB’s grandmother calls the knowing between them. A secret relationship develops, but when he goes off on a full scholarship to college, she doesn’t reply to his letters.
It’s a very short, sweet, yet poignant novella, depicting a brief period in the early relationship between JB and Ellie. I like the added paranormal elements, both the concept of the knowing, where men especially will know when they meet the woman they are supposed to be with, and the Civil War dreams. The idea of romance across the highs and lows of social strata is not uncommon, of course, but this story had an added resonance with these young people who seemed not only to share this current incarnation but a past one as well. The ending is simply beautiful.
My only quibble with the book is its cover. The story takes place over 50 years ago; I presume this is relative to modern times. The couple’s clothing doesn’t seem to reflect the mid-to-late 1960s nor does it depict their differences in social status.
The Chronicler and Mr. Smith by Angie Martin
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The Chronicler and Mr. Smith*
Mr. Smith’s (and Ms. Shaw’s) Wild Ride
Madison Shaw, a New York Times best-selling romance author, meets a mysterious man when she’s promoting her latest book. He doesn’t appear to be a fan, and when he interviews her like a book blogger, the questions he asks mostly aren’t about the book. He ends with asking her some rather bizarre questions that are intensely personal but meaningful to her. He wants her to come with him for her protection, but she refuses, so he gives her his card and asks her to call if she needs him. Soon, Madison is wrapped up in a paranormal world she had no clue existed beyond the fantasy of books and movies.
What a ride this book is! The author has such a masterfully fluid writing style that she pulled me right in, even though I’m not the greatest fan of first-person perspective writing. The voice of Madison is right on target, wholly unique and seems to belong to a three-dimensional person. Mr. Smith is mysterious, though he is an apt guide through the world that Madison will soon be going through.
If you enjoy paranormal NON romance that’s a bit of a thriller with surprising twists and turns and characters that feel wholly real in an unreal world, you might enjoy this fantastic read.
What Lies Within Us by Gina Kincade and Kiki Howell
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Mondador, Angus & Robertson, and Indigo (Chapters)
What Lies Within Us*
An American Woman with Magical Irish Roots
We meet American Kyna soon after she lands in Ireland. An Irish aunt has summoned her here. Apparently, adopted Kyna is actually descended from a long line of magical people, and Kyna was sent away as an infant and her magic hidden and diffused. Kyna doesn’t know quite what to think of all this at first. Soon, she is immersed in this magical world right in the middle of an ancient feud.
How will Kyna adapt to this new knowledge about herself? What of the two men who have been tasked to protect and train her?
This is the first time I have read either of these authors. I found the language to be excessively overblown to the point of being difficult to read. It was so unnatural, both in the narrative sections and in dialogue. Not every noun, feeling, action, or event has to be described in excruciating detail to be adequately shown and not told; metaphor, simile, and other literary devices may be occasionally left at the wayside. The narrative sections often went on for quite a while without a dialogue break, and I personally find that difficult to read. I’ll do a share a few quotes below to show what I mean.
The book had some surprising problems with grammar, punctuation, and usage. At times, wrong tenses were used. There were some close-but-not-quite-right words like taut versus taunt. At times, there were too many commas.
Here are a few examples of what I think are overwritten prose:
“While she presumed the stone to be a light grey in the light of day, it accosted her with looming shades of smoke, as if old and charred, from her storm-shielded, misty view. The metallic shriek of her door opening sent a wave of panic crashing over her. From her teeth set on a painful edge, to that cold slither of fear down her spine, she forced herself to ignore each physical sensation, each body betrayal.”
“You will be the death of me, enchanted lady, and I will glory in the coming of it. Pardon me for saying so, so soon, but I think I’m in love with you, and it’s the most terrifying thing I’ve ever delighted in.”
Earth Quarantined by D. L. Richardson
Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Mondadori, and Angus & Robertson
Earth Quarantined*
Long Tale of Secrets, Aliens, and Autonomy
This book takes place over 300 years in the future. Back in 2055, the human race was nearly entirely wiped out by a virus and land was laid to waste. An alien culture came to Earth and offered salvation, but at a price. They could help with the virus and promised to share the secrets of space travel with the Earthlings, but humans would have to live under their rulership. They wouldn’t be allowed to travel in space until the virus was completely eradicated. Some 300 years on now, humans are still living a tightly controlled existence, and as one might expect, we aren’t liking that too much. Also, the aliens still haven’t given us the secrets to space travel.
This book is told in alternating third-person viewpoints of key characters in the story. We first meet Kethryn, who is about to become president of State Seven. For a variety of reasons, she isn’t quite happy with this, but it is a hereditary role in her sector. The author has built a complex world where things are not clear-cut, and nothing should be taken at face value. The aliens are relatively benign for what is typically seen in science fiction, but they have quite a grip on their human subjects. The struggles of the humans for their own autonomy ring true.
This is a long book. It could have perhaps been tightened in places to keep the pacing humming along. That said, I found this unique take on the sci-fi virus trope to be a good read.
Someone Else’s Fairytale by Cassandra Moore
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Someone Else's Fairytale*
Fantastic Tale of Intrigue, Romance, and the Paranormal
We meet Hanna just as she is having her #MeToo moment in her position as a nanny. Now out of a job, she crashes with a friend in her haunted house. Soon, they see a strange want ad that could be the solution to Hanna’s problems. Someone is looking for a governess at an English manor. (And, yes, this is a contemporary story!) Though it is strange, the money is good, so she goes to the interview. The elderly grandmother of the owner of the manor house has dementia, and according to the grandson, she believes her dead child is alive but suffering for want of a governess. So to help ease the old lady, the grandson wants to hire a governess for the ghost!
Are there ghosts at this English manor house? What other secrets will be exposed within its walls?
Oh, my! This book had some fantastic twists and turns that I’ll let you discover for yourself. There are subplots galore, and the way they interweave with each other and the main plot is satisfying and surprising at times. The author is a very skilled writer, creating this complex world in such a seamless way that it pulls you in and makes you want to keep reading… no matter what else you need to do in your real life. 🙂 With the opening scene, she made Hanna such a sympathetic character, and she was able to maintain that through the entire text. Greg, the grandson, is a complex but exceedingly kind man, the type to indulge a sweet old lady as her mind slips away. He’s a great hero! And he and Hanna have good chemistry, and I love the way that they look out for each other. The paranormal aspect of the ghosts added a fascinating otherworldly layer to the book.
If you enjoy stories with intrigue, romance, the bad guys getting their due, and the paranormal, you will most likely find this to be a compelling read.
Her Viking by Alice Wilde
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Her Viking*
Focus on Ero
The book starts with a prologue that gives insight into Ero’s past. Back in the shared present, the group seems to be suffering through quite a bit of infighting that is seeming to take precedence over their greater quest. Ero and Roan are always at odds. Damien shows up through his link to Ero, causing havoc. The book ends on a significant cliffhanger.
I found this installment of the series a little frustrating because of all the strife between Roan and Euro and how Annalise was stuck in the uncomfortable middle. It might seem strange to have a preference, but I prefer when the members in an RH group work as a team rather than seeming to be at odds all the time. Yes, of course, there has to be conflict, but I prefer teamwork when a group strives towards an important goal, so I prefer squabbles or disagreements, not such a great chasm between people. The group’s internal conflicts were definitely what this installment was about and not so much the greater picture. I find some of the author’s use of language a little off-putting. For some reason, I expect my fantasy reads to have a certain elevation of language that precludes certain terms that feel more modern. Such words pull me out of the fantasy world and back into the present.
Still, I founded this portion of the series to be an interesting read and am curious to see what happens next.
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