Tag Archives: fantasy
Review – Angel of Shadow by D H Nevins @dhnevins
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Monday Mini Review – Angel Fall by Susan Ee @Susan_Ee
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Angelfall by Susan Ee is one heavenly story I won from Toi Thomas.
MY REVIEW
I am so glad I won this book because I loved it and I probably never would have found it on my own. The angels brought death, destruction and the apocalypse. Sixteen year old Penryn will team up with Raffe, an angel warrior caught up in angel politics. They will save each other again and again, as they struggle to find a way through the new world they live in. Forbidden love, complex characters and world building full of desperation and danger make me want to now who will be left standing. I was immediately drawn into this dark and desperate world of angel against angel, angel against human, human against angel and human against human, as Penryn and Raffe try to change what’s left of the world they live in.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
It’s been six weeks since angels of the apocalypse descended to demolish the modern world. Street gangs rule the day while fear and superstition rule the night. When warrior angels fly away with a helpless little girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penryn will do anything to get her back.
Anything, including making a deal with an enemy angel.
Raffe is a warrior who lies broken and wingless on the street. After eons of fighting his own battles, he finds himself being rescued from a desperate situation by a half-starved teenage girl.
Traveling through a dark and twisted Northern California, they have only each other to rely on for survival. Together, they journey toward the angels’ stronghold in San Francisco where she’ll risk everything to rescue her sister and he’ll put himself at the mercy of his greatest enemies for the chance to be made whole again.
Crimson Dahlia by Abigail Owen @AOwenBooks
Crimson Dahlia is Book III of the Svatura Series by Abigail Owen.
Filled with magic and supernatural beings in a world fraught with danger.
The covers of the series are done by Debbie Taylor. Fabulous job, Debbie.
MY REVIEW
The battle continues from Hyacinth into Crimson Dahlia, Book III of the Svatura Series by Abigail Owen. This is Lila and Ramsey’s story, and I am eager to hear it.
Lila is locked up, half dressed, being kept in a cold dark pit, yet her snark shines through her chattering teeth. Now that is some great writing, Abigail. Lila’s personality is big and bold and I love it.
How long can she survive? Why is she not able to use her magic to escape…or at least send a telepathic message for help.
Ramsey is a firestarter and he has a special connection to her. He will stop at nothing to find her. She just has to hang on until he can get there.
The characters are not immortal, but can live for thousands of years. The one hundred year old kids go to school, playing at normal. I wonder…do they ever get bored?
All hell breaks loose…people are going missing and cannot be found. They know who is at fault, they just don’t know why. And can they destroy him, before he destroys them?
If sheer stubbornness were a successful strategy, no one would ever mess with this family. Especially the women.
I loved the battles, filled with magics of every type you can imagine. I can hardly wait to see the conclusion.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Crimson Dahlia by Abigail Owen.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Book #3 of the Svatura Series
When Lila Jenner leaves her family and friends to start a new life for herself, Ramsey Pierce lets her go. Determined that the fire raging inside him will never harm her, he denies the magical bond that could be theirs alone.
When an old enemy resurfaces and Lila suddenly disappears, Ramsey realizes that he’ll do anything to win her back and keep her safe beside him. But Maddox, driven by a centuries-old quest for revenge, is stronger than they ever imagined. And Lila could be the key to his ultimate power.
Friends and enemies must band together against this shared threat if any of them are to survive. Even then, they may all discover too late that one dragon is not always enough…
ABOUT ABIGAIL OWEN
Award-winning paranormal and contemporary romance author, Abigail Owen was born in Greeley, Colorado, and raised in Austin, Texas. She now resides in Northern California with her husband and two adorable children who are the center of her universe.
Abigail grew up consuming books and exploring the world through her writing. A fourth generation graduate of Texas A&M University, she attempted to find a practical career related to her favorite pastime by earning a degree in English Rhetoric (Technical Writing). However, she swiftly discovered that writing without imagination is not nearly as fun as writing with it.
Monday Mini – The Gift by Tegon Maus @TegonMaus
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MY REVIEW
I have seen Tegon Maus’ books around and heard such good things that I had to find out for myself. I was not disappointed.
The story is about Enon, a Jonda and mind reader, and Elisabeth, kidnapped royalty.
Enon would either be a hero or a dead man. The fighting is fierce, but he makes a good showing, even managing to hook up with a woman who has his number. Their verbal banter is more often funny than hurtful.
Would betrayal take the king’s life? Isn’t there always someone hiding in the shadows wanting the kingdom?
The world created is fraught with danger and enemies at every turn. Will the frightened little man become an unwilling hero? Well, all I can say is the journey is long and arduous, and not all will return.
Tegon Maus can sure spin a tale, drawing me in, making me crave more.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Gift by Tegon Maus.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Transformed by a primitive magic beyond a civilized man’s understanding, I was given a horrible gift that no man should possess… It held me, twisted me, turning me at its bidding. I was enslaved by its power, compelled to devour the souls of the dead until I became the monster of my fears. I have seen things I wish never to see again. I have done things of which I wish never to speak. Yet I must if I am to find the answers to fulfill my hope. I have walked upon blue ribbons of molten stone to peer into the depth of a man’s soul. I watched as a promise made at birth brought my friend Enon to sacrifice everything to become whole again – all in an effort to save the life of his child. I have cried without shame for the loss of all I hold dear and for fear that the future will hold more than I can bear. I am Tucker Littlefield. Know all that I say now is true-spoken.
One Sentence Review – Angels & Demons – The Devil’s Daughter by Jill Cooper @jillybug
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I won a copy of The Devil’s Daughter by Jill Cooper from Toi Thomas, a love story filled with Angels & Demons.
Way to go Jill. I loved it.
MY REVIEW
I won a copy of The Devil’s Daughter by Jill Cooper and I am so glad I did, because I would have missed this fabulous story filled with characters to die for, romance, demon, angels, and the great battle that was waged to save her soul and give her the freedom from Lucifer that she so desired.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
The beauty of an Angel. The Heart of the Devil. A war is about to be waged for her soul. Can love prove to be the one saving grace that Lucifer cannot master?
Reckless. Impetuous and arrogant. Amara is Lucifer’s daughter in every way. In the high court of hell, no one has captured more angels than she has. But she has never felt anything for them. Not until him.
The high counsel of Heaven sent their mightiest warrior, Cathal, to kill Amara and snuff out the danger she presents. But her beauty causes him pause. He senses the tremble. A flicker of goodness buried deep inside of her.
If Cathal can kindle the spark and allow that goodness to grow, he can save her from herself and from inheriting the flame of hell.
As the gladiator games for her hand in marriage heat up, can Amara find the strength to come out of the dark and stand in the light?
Alien Alligators are in the Aquifer by Gary A Barnes #GaryABarnes
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I love the cover for Aquifer by Gary A Barnes. That alone would have had me grabbing this, but add alien alligators…I love a good creature feature and we have one here.
Goodreads / Amazon US / Amazon UK / Amazon CA
MY REVIEW
I was looking for a Q for my reading challenge and this popped up. An alien alligator? Oh yeah.
In the Ozark Mountains, in the 1950s, in the hillbilly town of Ellington, Doc was enjoying the slow pace, after life in the busy city. Life is just what you would think, live off the land, uneducated people, no money, but they lived their life to the fullest.
Dr. Thomas Clayton came from there and was back as a herpetologist to do an ecological study. What are the ramifications of pollution on the frog population?
Amidst the croaks of the frogs and the song of the cicadas, a blinding flash, a sonic boom, and…we’re off.
Tina’s home life is comfy cozy, with all the characters sharing, eating, playing. I remember catching fireflies and putting them in a jar with holes punched in the top. Do you? It’s always fun to read a book that brings back pleasant memories. Makes the book seem real…sorta. If you believe in aliens and mutant creatures.
I love how two collegiate city slickers meet the Ozark hillbillies and learn they have more in common that they could have possibly believed.
I was freaking when tina and Larry were sitting n the rock at the lagoon.
The slow building suspense allowed me to get to know and love the characters. To get the feel of the terror that is coming, feel IT coming now…NOW? I do wonder how many of them will survive.
Of course, we gotta have one lizard lover. Don’t hurt ’em. Let’s coexist. Well, maybe they don’t want to. Maybe we are their breakfast, lunch and dinner. MMM…hungry.
I love these B type creature features.
Plenty of time was spent in world building and character development. It was great to watch them grow and change, as they spend more time together, learning from each other.
I knew the ending and loved it anyway. If you are looking for a great alien, creature feature, look no further. We have all the requirements here. All the gory, grisly deaths, mixed with loss, love and romance.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Dr. Thomas Clayton was born to an unwed teenage daughter of an Ozark share-cropper. He was adopted at birth without ever knowing the identity of his biological mother or of his backwoods roots. He now unwittingly arrives in the Ozark community of Eminence as part of an environmental research team studying the pollution affects of the logging industry. Clayton has nothing but contempt for the hillbillies of the area, while they in turn suspect that he is part of a Federal conspiracy to take over their land.
Shot down by the military, an alien spaceship crashes into the Ozark Mountains. The alien crew is killed, but the destruction of the spacecraft allows an aggressive alligator-sized amphibian to escape into the continental aquifer which extends from Canada to Mexico. The amphibians quickly multiply and begin devouring the livestock and ultimately the citizens of Eminence. A military unit from Ft. Leonard Wood attempts to eradicate the aliens only to be destroyed themselves by the aggressive creatures.
With the destruction of the military and the impending destruction of the citizenry, Clayton and the town folk join together to obliterate the creatures using only the resources available to a backwoods farming community. Failure would doom the entire nation as the amphibians could travel through the aquifer to wreck havoc throughout the country.
With the annihilation of humanity in the balance, Clayton discovers the key to destroying the aliens. But using it would require him to intentionally spread the pollution he has sworn to prevent. In an explosive pyrotechnic battle with the creatures, Clayton wrestles with the morality of blatantly destroying a new species or somehow capturing it for preservation before it destroys mankind. Does he prevent the spread of pollution or proliferate its spread to save the world? In the process, Clayton makes a stunning discovery that brings him full-circle to his Ozark roots and the family he never knew.
Myths and Magic: An Epic Fantasy and Speculative Fiction Boxed Set @_TerriBruce
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Myths and Magic has16 Science Fiction and Fantasy Novels by 16 New York Times, USA Today, and Award-winning and Break Out Authors!
With there being 16 stories by 16 authors, it will take me some time to work my way through them all, so I wanted to give you a taste of what is in store for you.
MY REVIEW FOR IRENE BY TERRI BRUCE
Irene and the Witch – Afterlife Book 3.5
Irene is dead, stuck in Purgatory, trying to return to Earth as a guardian angel.
Her traveling companion, Andras, is a 12th century Spanish knight, dead since 1911. Most of the time he is invisible. It takes tremendous effort for him to appear in ghostly form. Makes me think of when Bobby was a ghost in the Supernatural TV show.
They have a psychic link.
Are there things worse than death? You betcha.
Ya want to know what it’s like being in a crystal ball? Ask Irene. Even dead, her impatient recklessness has her in trouble.
Can a ghost burn, feel pain, be tortured, die again?
Irene worked through her fear, knowing they would all die if she didn’t persevere, push through, overcome.
I have been loving this series ever since I read Hereafter. I knew it would be a different kind of ghost story and Terri Bruce’s imagination and creativity have taken me into a world both wondrous and frightening, and I am so happy I am only here as a visitor.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Irene, which is included in the Myths and Magic: An Epic Fantasy and Speculative Fiction Boxed Set. I will be reviewing more of the books, so keep in touch and we’ll talk more.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
16 Science Fiction and Fantasy Novels by 16 New York Times, USA Today, and Award-winning and Break Out Authors!
There is adventure out there … if you’re brave enough to risk it.
Explore worlds of darkness, danger, and magic in sixteen exclusive fantasy and science fiction novels, available for a limited time. There are tough choices to be made and dastardly villains to outwit in this breath-taking collection that will have you at the edge of your seat.
Plucky heroes and devastating anti-heroes face off against demons, spirits, shifters, witches, and more in this limited-edition arrangement that features a satisfying combination of epic fantasy, science fiction, romance, urban fantasy, sword and sorcery, and more!
This killer deal won’t last forever, so grab your copy today!
ABOUT TERRI BRUCE
Terri Bruce has been making up adventure stories for as long as she can remember and won her first writing award when she was twelve. Like Anne Shirley, she prefers to make people cry rather than laugh, but is happy if she can do either. She produces fantasy and adventure stories from a haunted house in New England where she lives with her husband and three cats. Her second novel, Thereafter (Afterlife #2), will be released May 1, 2014.
Website/Blog / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter
MY REVIEWS FOR TERRI BRUCE
Magical Realism – Blood and Ashes by Marilyn Peake @marilynpeake
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Marilyn Peake’s latest release, Blood and Ashes, is a fabulous paranormal/supernatural, fantasy novel with a touch of realism, except for the magical part…
I love the colorful color and the red makes it pop off the pages. Very pretty and spills some of the secrets inside.
Cover by Phatpuppy.com
MY REVIEW
Miracles and magic are happening from the opening pages, and Kaelin’s acting like it’s an every day occurrence in these desperate times.
The financial situation the characters find themselves in, makes me think of current events, with businesses closing, people being deported, people losing everything, and those with hope struggling to survive.
When Kaelin found the baby, I really woke up, became hooked and knew I would have trouble putting the book down, even long enough for a bathroom break.
Her mother has a heart so big, so open and giving, I wish more for her. No one deserves a break more than she does. Some characters…and people…amaze me with their ability to give, and the depths of love that is freely given.
First an abandoned baby, then a kitty with itty bitty legs, Kaelin takes them home and makes them her own.
And Devin, the new guy across the hall. What’s up with him? Why doesn’t she question his sudden appearances? Almost as if he knows something. I know he’s going to be special.
Kaelin has friends, people looking out for her and her family, like Mrs Santiago, who owns the grocery store and Gwendolyn Griffin, a healer who offers to work with her to develop her healing abilities. If you ever want candy, be sure and visit Mrs Santiago’s store.
Kaelin is very resourceful, and even though she dumpster dives for additional food for the family, you would never know it by her attitude. She knows where to find apples and blueberries, ripe for the picking. She has a green thumb, and her touch can be like Miracle Gro.
She does everything she can to make it to college, wanting a better life for them all. But, even though she is accepted, due to cutbacks of the governmental kind, there is no money available to help her. She chooses an alternative, Gwendolyn Griffin’s traditional healing of the witchy kind.
I can see the kids with bags of Halloween costumes, as they are tossed willy nilly, while they each choose the perfect costume. Kaelin goes to the thrift store and creates a mish mash costume that makes her beauty bloom.
The book is divided into three parts.
Part I is Kaelin’s story that takes place in the human world.
Part II is Liliana’s Story that takes place in the fairie world. Liliana is a fairy that crosses into the human world. A romance goes wrong. But the world is not what it appears to be.
Part III brings them all together, exposing secrets and Kaelin’s true calling.
Human, Seelie, Unseelie, good fairies, bad fairies…Magic, danger, romance, love and loss.
Blood and Ashes is written for the young at heart, with easy reading and a quick pace. I love the imaginative world and characters Marilyn Peake has created. Such a great story. I found myself smiling at the simplest things. Her ability to spin a tale keeps her high on my reading list…no matter what genre she writes in.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
With blood and magic, civilization rises from the ash.
Worlds are falling apart in two realms: human and faerie. After the factories close and her father dies of alcoholism, Kaelin helps her family survive by foraging for food. Her world is thrown into chaos as she comes to realize she has incredible power as both blood and hedge witch. When a handsome stranger enters her life, it’s clear that he’s not from her neck of the woods. Although he and his family appear perfect in so many ways, they desperately need her help.
Blood and Ashes is a Paranormal Romance novel with some adult content.
ABOUT MARILYN PEAKE
From Goodreads:
Awards: Silver Award, two Honorable Mentions and eight Finalist placements in the ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year Awards, two Winner and two Finalist placements in the EPPIE Awards, Winner of the Dream Realm Awards, and eight Top Ten Finisher Awards in the Preditors and Editors Readers Poll.
MY REVIEWS FOR MARILYN PEAKE
Monday Mini – Strange The Dreamer by Laini Taylor @lainitaylor
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I was so excited when I found I had won a hard copy of Strange The Dreamer by Laini Taylor.
I love the gorgeous cover. How about you?
MY REVIEW
I was awed and amazed with the excellent world building and the romance that crosses all barriers. The characters are richly developed and complex, each one vital to the story in their own way. I loved everything about this unputdownable fantasy, so I will warn you to start Strange The Dreamer on the weekend, lock all the doors, pull the curtains, and put up the DO NOT DISTURB sign. My only complaint…There is another book and you will need to read it to get all the answers.
“Life won’t just happen to you, boy,” he said. “You have to happen to it.”
I was super excited that I won a copy of Strange The Dreamer by Laini Taylor.
5 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
The dream chooses the dreamer, not the other way around—and Lazlo Strange, war orphan and junior librarian, has always feared that his dream chose poorly. Since he was five years old he’s been obsessed with the mythic lost city of Weep, but it would take someone bolder than he to cross half the world in search of it. Then a stunning opportunity presents itself, in the person of a hero called the Godslayer and a band of legendary warriors, and he has to seize his chance or lose his dream forever.
What happened in Weep two hundred years ago to cut it off from the rest of the world? What exactly did the Godslayer slay that went by the name of god? And what is the mysterious problem he now seeks help in solving?
laini. How did he dream her before he knew she existed? And if all the gods are dead, why does she seem so real?
Welcome to Weep.