Tag Archives: fantasy

VAMPIRE KING’S CONSORT by MJ Sweets-a review

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VAMPIRE KING’S CONSORT by MJ Sweets-a review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date September 17, 2024

With loved ones exiled to memory, the three species were left with strained relations and an ever-growing hatred. For over a century, Humans, Vampires, and Lycans remained isolated from one another. Only the occasional meeting of the three leaders brought any sort of interaction between the species. That was, until one night…

With the horrors of her past descending upon her, Livia finds herself face-to-face with the castle of the vampire king, Orion. Despite the king’s desire to rid his castle of this human intruder, something compels him to keep her close, no matter what. Unfortunately, whereas fate can bring two souls together, it can also force them apart, but a forbidden love will not be broken so easily.

••••••

REVIEW: VAMPIRE KING’S CONSORT is the first instalment in MJ Sweets’ adult, paranormal, fantasy series focusing on the three kingdoms- Humans, Vampires, and Lycan. This is vampire King Orion, and human Livia’s story line.

Told from dual omniscient third person perspectives (Orion and Livia) VAMPIRE KING’S CONSORT follows the building relationship between our story line couple as Livia struggles to survive as human in a world dominated by lycans and vampires. Livia lived most of her life within the lycan compound but was forced to run to save her own life. Tossed between the vampire kingdom and the human kingdom. On the run from the lycans who have targeted our story line heroine, Livia found herself the consort to the vampire king, the soulmate of a man who spent most of his time staving off war and the advancement of his enemies.

The relationship between Orion and Livia is one of fated mated. Livia is a human living in a world of the supernatural but a world in which she grew. Orion knows immediately that Livia is his soulmate but Orion takes his time claiming the woman with whom he will fall in love. The $ex scenes are passionate and intense without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

The secondary and supporting characters are numerous including vampires, lycans, humans, elves,fairies and pixies. From royalty (King Reon, , Crown Prince Cesteil, Prince William, King Darian) to merchants, security and specialities ( Caelestis the healer), and the mundane, everyone becomes suspect in the wake of the number of threats and attempts against our heroine’s life.

VAMPIRE KING’S CONSORT is a slow building story, with a few familiar plot-points similar to a now famous trilogy made into a four-part movie series. There is some redundancy; and some aspects that I have questioned including whether or not the worlds had experienced an industrial revolution; there is a mention of only one motor vehicle on the road, and a clock, yet everyone else rides horses, in carriages, carry swords and daggers etc. There is no worldly reference to any other automation or timeframe. The villages and towns have no names other then the kingdom of lycans, kingdom of vampires, yet the human kingdom where the Elves have now laid claim to land, were once filled with electronics and technology, yet no history is revealed as to the loss of available automation and machinery.

VAMPIRE KING’S CONSORT is a story of secrets and lies, betrayal and vengeance, racism and speciesism, acceptance and love. The premise is detailed and dramatic but did suffer with some issues; the romance struggles with time spent apart; the characters are determined and dynamic.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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Crystal Iris (Crystal Iris) by Blair M Shadows-review & interview

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Crystal Iris (Crystal Iris 1) by Blair M  Shadows -review and interview

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date December 1, 2024

Get ready to lose yourself in a world where art and magic intertwine with a blistering hot romance.

Crystal Iris: Book I is the beginning of a tantalizing magical romance series brimming with mystery, modern conflicts, and a love story that will leave you aching for more. A sexy, addictive mystical fantasy with a strong female lead, swoon-worthy book boyfriends, and plenty of spice—perfect for fans of books featured on BookTok.

Professor Iris De Loughery’s life changes on the night of her thirtieth birthday. The gift she receives from her distant father defies reality as she knows it, launching her on a journey of self-discovery alongside a dive into the spectral unknown. Shaken by her relationships, the Harvard art history professor’s struggles intensify when she meets Hoyt, another prism possessor. Controlling her feelings will be her first challenge in this wicked spicy series.

•••••••••••••

REVIEW:

“Life beats down and crushes the soul and art reminds you that you have one.” – Stella Adler”

I love the cover. Definitely in my discreet era 😜

I wasn’t to enamoured by the blurb if I’m honest. And maybe I should have gone in blind. Sometime you are pleasantly surprised.

“The greater the artist, the greater the doubt. Perfect confidence is granted to the less talented as a consolation prize.” – Robert Hughes”

But the book, the book had a few issues, but I couldn’t put it down until the last page was done. It was a little slow in places, and a few discrepancies, but it didn’t take away from the drama and storytelling.

I also liked the little quotes at the beginning of each chapter, I’m not a big lover of history (although I do read historical romance 😉) but I found the snippets the author gave us really fascinating, I felt it added something extra to the story. The MFC is a history professor, so it was a good idea that she could actually tell us a little a little it.)

“One can have no smaller or greater mastery than mastery of oneself.” – Leonardo da Vinci”

MFC is an older character (which I always like, love isn’t just for the young you know 😉) and with an established career and life already. But life isn’t always played out the way you plan it……

Iris is given a gift from an absent father (we get to find out more through the book.) At first Iris wants nothing to with her father or the gift, but curiosity wins out…..

“The artist’s world is limitless. It can be found anywhere, far from where he lives or a few feet away. It is always on his doorstep.” – Paul Strand”

What I liked was this book didn’t info dump on you, it gave it in easy segments, so that it didn’t overwhelm or confuse the reader. (I don’t need confusing thanks 😉)

Hoyt is also a prism holder. And that’s what connects them at first. The friendship grows and venues something more….

But we also have mystery and drama. And that’s the bit I loved. It keeps you wondering how this will turn out

There are so many questions that need answering in the book …..

What’s a prism? What’s its purpose? How does it involve Iris and Hoyt?

And do her mother’s letters hold more clues or questions?

You will have to read the book to find out if my questions are answered.

And the ending!! What a way to leave it open for the next book (which i hope is soon 🤞)

SO if you ignore the blurb and dive straight in I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. Plenty of intrigue and mystery. A puzzle that needs solving (I did guess a few things pretty quick, but others completely surprised me.) it says a spicy romance, and then someone describes it as a slow burn 🤷🏻‍♀️ I’ll leave that for you to decide.

Copy supplied for review

🦋 Reviewed by Julie

TRC: .Hi Blair and welcome to The Reading Cafe. Congratulations on the release of Crystal Iris. We would like to start with some background information. Would you please tell us something about yourself? 

Blair: I’m a mom first and foremost, and a nostalgic at heart. I love researching and reading about history and art. Having lived in a few exciting places and traveled extensively for work, I’ve gained a broad perspective on the world.

TRC: Who or what influenced your career in writing? 

Blair: My background is in film and TV, and from a young age, I knew I wanted to be involved in telling stories. Coming from a creative family, I was always encouraged to pursue this path.

TRC: What challenges or difficulties did you encounter writing and publishing this story?

Blair: I wish I could say the path has been smooth, but I’ve had to battle self-doubt on a daily basis—something that’s probably common when writing a debut novel. Publishing is an entirely different beast, one I’m still navigating. My mantra has always been: ‘One day at a time.

TRC: Would you please tell us something about the premise of   CRYSTAL IRIS?

Blair: Crystal Iris is a story about love—primarily self-love. It weaves in magical elements, spice, betrayals, and art, but at its core, it’s about discovering who we truly are when faced with life’s challenges.

TRC: What kind of research/plotting did you do, and how long did you spend researching /plotting before beginning CRYSTAL IRIS

BLAIR: I started writing Crystal Iris about seven years ago, and the research has been my favorite part. I loved diving deeper into art history, which was my minor in college.

TRC: Is CRYSTAL IRIS part of a series? A stand alone?

Blair: It’s the first book of a series.

TRC: Do you have plans for a series/ or story for any of the secondary characters?

Blair: All the characters play an important role in the overall story, but as of now, there isn’t a specific book planned for any of them.

TRC: Do you have any interest in writing, or have you ever written for another genre?

Blair: I can see myself writing something in the horror genre.

TRC: Believability is an important factor in writing story lines .How do you keep the fantasy  story line believable? Where do you think some author’s fail?

Blair: Since Crystal Iris isn’t high fantasy, I was careful about how I introduced magical elements, especially since the story is set in the real world. I wanted to bring in the supernatural gradually, building on it with each book. I think it could lose its impact if those elements were revealed too quickly or out of context.”

TRC: Do you believe the cover image plays a deciding factor for many readers in the process of selecting a book or new series to read?

Blair: Yes, packaging matters in all products, and books are no exception.

TRC: When writing a storyline, do the characters direct the writing or do you direct the characters?

Blair: In my case, the characters make their own choices—I’m just along for the ride.

TRC: The mark of a good writer is to pull the reader into the storyline so that they experience the emotions along with the characters. What do you believe a writer must do to make this happen?  Where do you believe writer’s fail in this endeavor?

Blair: I think when the character drives the story, it’s much easier to connect with their emotions. When an author tries to restrain the narrative, things can feel forced.

TRC:Do you listen to music while writing? If so, does the style of music influence the storyline direction? Characters?

Blair: I need complete silence when writing, but I love listening to music while going for walks and thinking about the story. I see my characters as real people—they have hobbies, tastes in food, and, of course, their own music preferences. There’s a playlist on Spotify for Crystal Iris Book One, in case anyone’s curious about the music vibes.

TRC: What do you believe is the biggest misconception people have about authors?

Blair: People often think being an author must be very relaxing, but I’ve found the opposite to be true.

TRC: What is something that few, if anyone, know about you?

Blair: I’m a bit of a neat freak—things only bring me stress if they’re not in the way I think they should be.

TRC: Who or what influenced your path towards a young adult, paranormal story line.

Blair: I write what I want to read; I’m basically my own audience.

TRC: On what are you currently working?

Blair: Crystal Iris book two.

TRC: Would you like to add anything else?

Blair: Thank you so much for this opportunity, I really appreciate the support.

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food- Italian

Favorite Dessert– Ice cream

Favorite TV Show -Lost

Last Movie You Saw- Home alone (my son’s first time)

Dark or Milk Chocolate– Milk chocolate 

Secret Celebrity Crush -Justin Timberlake 

Last Vacation –Destination Rio, Brazil summer 2024

Do you have any pets? -Not currently 

Last book you read -Slow Productivity: The Lost Art of Accomplishment Without Burnout by Carl Newport

TRC: Thank you Blair for taking the time to answer our questions. We wish you all the best.

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CHRISTMAS WITH THE REAPER (Apocalyptic Love 1) by Rose Wulf

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CHRISTMAS WITH THE REAPER (Apocalyptic Love 1) by Rose Wulf-review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date December 20, 2024

Death was never supposed to fall in love…

Fenn had long given up on knowing the warmth of another by the day he met her.
Sienna Jacobsen.

A woman who was somehow immune to the touch of Death.

With Christmas just around the corner, Sienna was once again desperate to find someone she could bring home for the weekend.

Talk about the perfect time to finally meet the very literal man of her dreams.

He was supposed to be investigating Sienna’s death-touch immunity, but the only touch on either of their minds was the kind he’d so long been denied. And he couldn’t keep his hands off.

Her sisters had their reservations about Fenn, but it was his personal stalker that threatened to ruin the holiday

••••••

REVIEW: CHRISTMAS WITH THE REAPER is the first instalment in Rose Wulf’s contemporary, adult APOCALYPTIC LOVE erotic, paranormal, fantasy, mythology series. This is Death aka Fenn, and Sienna Jacobsen’s story line.

Told from dual omniscient third person perspectives (Sienna and Fenn) CHRISTMAS WITH THE REAPER focuses on the building relationship between Sienna Jacobsen, a woman with the ability to see the future, and Fenn, one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Fenn has never known human touch or otherwise, and as one of the Four Horsemen, never expected to fall in love but the touch of a woman with powers of her own gives Fenn thoughts for a future even if only for a limited time. Sienna Jacobsen is a clairvoyant, one of three sisters with supernatural powers, and thought to be blessed by the gods, the Jacobsen sisters try to keep to themselves but a Christmas reunion forces Sienna to look for a plus-one, and Fenn is perfect for the time. Meanwhile Fenn has a stalker, a stalker who takes aim at our story line heroine, using her sisters as collateral damage.

The world building reveals some of Fenn’s history, and the introduction of the other Horsemen, as well as the deities and demi-gods seeking revenge or the ultimate prize.

The relationship between Fenn and Sienna begins by accident when Sienna touches a man who has never been touched.For years, Sienna, as a clairvoyant, has witnessed a stranger in her dreams, a stranger who is about to become her happily ever after. Falling in love was never meant to be, Sienna suspects her relationship with Fenn comes with an expiry date. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

We are introduced to Sienna’s ‘magical’ sisters: Maya and Piper, and her best friend Sherri; as well as the other Horsemen: Cassian aka Famine, Sulien aka War, Rajan aka Famine; Florence Dossit; and Moirai Lauryn, aka Fate, and a demi-god with ulterior motives.

CHRISTMAS WITH THE REAPER is a story of power and control, betrayal and vengeance,obsession and madness, acceptance and love. The premise is enchanting and intriguing; the romance is provocative; the characters are magical and determined.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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Bellevue by Robin Cook – a Review

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Bellevue by Robin Cook – a Review

 

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Description:
Twenty-four-year-old Michael “Mitt” Fuller starts his surgical residency with great anticipation at the nearly 300-year-old, iconic BELLEVUE HOSPITAL, following in the footsteps of four previous, celebrated Fuller generations. The pressure is on for this newly minted doctor, and to his advantage he’s always had a secret sixth sense, a sensitivity to the nonphysical which gradually plays a progressive role, especially as one patient after another assigned to his care begin to die from mysterious causes. At first he thinks it is just the ‘luck of the draw’, but as the numbers mount, he’s forced to think otherwise. As he struggles to find out why these people are dying while simultaneously having to deal with the unreasonable demands of being first-year resident, things rapidly spiral out of control.

Between fatigue, stress, and nerves, it’s no wonder that these first few days and nights of his surgical residency are tough ones. What is surprising, though, are the visions that begin to plague Mitt – visions of a little girl in a blood-stained dress, hearing bloodcurdling screams in the distance, and worse. As bodies mount and Mitt’s stress level rises, he finds himself drawn into the secrets of the abandoned Bellevue Psychopathic Hospital building, which to his astonishment still exists, defying demolition a few doors north of the modern Bellevue Hospital high-rise. Forcing an unauthorized entry into this storied but scary structure, Mitt discovers he’s more closely tied to the sins of the past than he ever thought possible.

 

 

 

Review:

Bellevue by Robin Cook is a suspense, horror, gripping medical thriller with a supernatural twist. We meet Michael (Mitt) Fuller, who starts his surgical residency with Bellevue Hospital; a three-hundred-year-old famous hospital in New York City.   He follows his earlier ancestors from many years ago; Mitt is a first-year intern; being sleep-deprived. The pressure brings upon fatigue, stress, and nerves, with the first few days being tough ones.

Mitt also has a secret sixth sense, and though he has done well working with the other residents, he begins to worry that all of his patients that he was assigned to, begin to die from mysterious causes. From the start, Mitt began to see visions from the past, such as a young girl in a blood-stained dress, as well as others who show up out of nowhere.  Things begin to spiral out of control, especially with all his patients ending up dead; as well finding himself drawn to the long-closed Bellevue Psychopathic Hospital. With this leading to a supernatural ghost element and Mitt finding himself anxious and stressed. Mitt tries to explain to his friend, who is also just starting out, and worries that he is being affected by his so-called visions.

Mitt will meet someone who also has visions, and learns more about what his ancestor did all those years ago.  Mitt will discover that he be more closely tied to the terrible scary things done by his ancestors.  Two of his ancestors were controversial; such as being opposed using anesthesia after it was widely accepted, and other also causing serious pain. Bellevue was a suspenseful, scary, thought-provoking, and tragical medical thriller. The last third of the book was very intense, with a number tragic events.  I will say that I was shocked with the way things ended in this book. Bellevue was well written by Robin Cook, but again, I did not like how this did end.  Overall, this was a good book, but the supernatural element changed drastically.  If you are a fan of medical thrillers, then you should read this book.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

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Legacy of Chaos (Demonica Birthright) by Larissa Ione-review tour

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Legacy of Chaos (Demonica Birthright 2) by Larissa Ione-review & excerpt tour

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date December 3, 2024

The legacy continues…

It’s a gritty new world.

Three decades after the events of REAPER, the world is a different place. The secret is out. The existence of demons, vampires, shapeshifters, and angels has been revealed, and humans are struggling to adapt. Out of the chaos, The Aegis has risen to global power on the promise of containing or exterminating all underworlders, even if that means ushering in the End of Days.

Standing in their way is the next generation of warriors, the children of demons and angels and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

See how they become legends in their own right.

Legacy of Chaos

Stryke, son of Shade and Runa, grew up a happy, well-adjusted incubus alongside his four brothers. A supergenius, he took an interest in science and technology at an early age, with a dream of joining NASA…until a moment of carelessness resulted in the death of his little brother. Unable to forgive himself and desperate to prevent a similar tragedy from happening to others, he started up his own anti-demon tech company and sequestered himself behind its walls. Now he’s a household name and one of the wealthiest people on the planet.

Cyan, a technomancer who works as a cybersecurity expert for DART, lost her best friend to a weapon designed by Stryke’s company. She’s hurt, angry, and wants revenge. So when an opportunity to work with Stryke on a project arises, she jumps at the chance to help DART and make Stryke’s life miserable.

At first, Cyan and Stryke butt heads about everything. But she soon finds that deep down, he’s desperately wounded and willing to sacrifice everything, including his family, to achieve his goals. Can she help him heal before he destroys himself—and everyone around him?

•••

REVIEW:What an amazing world! Legacy of Chaos is book two in the Demonica Birthright series, a spin off/second generation continuation of the original Demonica/Deliverance series. If you haven’t read the original series, I would definitely recommend doing so before dipping your toes into the Birthright series. There are many, many characters and storylines from the OG series that come into play, and a new reader may find themselves a little lost.

Onto the juicy parts! Our story focuses on Stryke (Shade and Runa’s son from the previous book) and Cyan. Stryke is a tech genius billionaire, living with the pain and guilt over the death of his youngest brother. He believes it is his fault and because of that has cut himself off from friends, family and love, throwing himself into his work determined to make things that will protect people and not harm them. When Cyan joins the team that has commissioned his company to make, he is less than happy, but what DART wants, they get.

Cyan is less than thrilled when she is assigned to work next to Stryke. She used to worship the ground the man walked on, and would have loved to be working side by side with him then. Now? Now all she wants is to get the job done and get as far away from him as she can. He builds weapons afterall, and one of those weapons took someone very important away from her. As a technomancer Cyan becomes a vital part of the building process and the two work together to build said weapon. During this time Cyan slowly starts to see another part of Stryke, one that has been questioning how she feels about him. She sees the pain and regret that he lives with, and all that he has done to try and redeem himself.

I was a little surprised with how much I really clicked with this book, although I shouldn’t be surprised. Stryke and Cyan gave me such grumpy/sunshine vibes, even though I wouldn’t call Cyan a sunshine character, she does have a much more positive outlook and tried to use that to help Stryke with his PTSD. The plot and story were easy to follow, but had a great intrigue and intensity that kept me engaged and ready for the next page. Cyan healed a part of Stryke that I think his character really needed, his vulnerability and fear mixed with his guilt about his brother was weighing him down so much, and with Cyan that was lifted. I can’t wait to see what the rest of the series has in store for us next!

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sarah

 

 

“Let’s go inside where it’s safe,” Cyan said, turning back to Stryke.
“You go. I’ll catch up.”
She stared at him through the dense tendrils of fog that swirled in the space between them. “I’m not leaving you here alone.”
He didn’t look at her, but she swore he said something like, “I couldn’t save him.”
Not so distantly, a sound like something wet slithering on metal sent a chill up her spine.
“Stryke,” she said with growing urgency. “Let’s go.”
His head swung around, and she drew a sharp breath at the gleaming gold burning in his eyes.
“I can’t,” he growled. “It’s not safe.”
A warm wave of arousal washed over her, and instantly, she understood. “Did you bring your medicine?”
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a crushed injector pen. “This contained four doses.” He closed his eyes. “Blade was right. I’m an arrogant asshole. I couldn’t save him.”
“Er…yeah.” He wasn’t making sense. None of this made sense. Maybe he was experiencing a nervous breakdown. Too much stress or something.
“You did everything you could for Ubundi,” she said calmly, but his eyes popped open, and he looked at her like he didn’t understand.
“Not Ubundi.”
Not Ubundi? What was he talking about?
Something in the fog snarled, and closer, something hissed. She decided to worry about whatever was wrong with Stryke later.
“Okay, we’ll deal with it inside.” He didn’t move, but he did open his eyes. Somehow, they glowed even brighter, a molten gold that made her feel like whiskey flowed through her veins. She burned in the best way. “Stryke.” She extended her hand. “We really have to go inside.”
The wrench clattered to the deck, but he still didn’t move. Fiery turmoil as violent as the stormy sea filled his expression, drawing her in with a sense of almost morbid fascination. She wanted to touch that fire. See how badly it would scorch her.
She stepped closer, her heart pumping so hard she could hear it over the roar of the wind. Desire fluttered in her belly, even as her brain screamed that they were in danger. Screamed that he was the danger.
“Come on,” she whispered, taking his hand.
His grip snapped closed on her wrist, and he wheeled them both around lightning-fast, slamming her against a huge tank. He pinned her wrists above her head and pressed his big, warm body against hers.
Teeth bared, his face inches from hers, he growled, a sound that relaxed her muscles and turned her core liquid. Oh, wow. So, this was why lust demons were so dangerous. Here they were in a situation that could get them killed, and all she wanted to do was strip off her clothes and let him do whatever he wanted to her. Right here. In the cold rain. Likely with demons stalking them.
“Go…inside,” he gritted, even as he pushed his pelvis into hers, the hard ridge of his erection making her instinctively roll her hips against it. He sucked in a harsh breath, and the gold in his eyes swirled.
“I’m not going in without you,” she said, her voice sounding more breathless than she’d like.
“Yes, you are.”
Did he understand what he was saying? Did he really want to send her away? What the hell was wrong with him?
Her lust turned to instant fury, something she was far more comfortable with around him. She jerked angrily out of his grip. “What is your deal? If you stay out here, you’ll get killed!”
“I know. But I won’t make it easy on them, and I’ll take out as many of those bastards as I can.”
Oh, gods. He was serious. He really was prepared to fight to the death. And he wasn’t even bothered by the idea. It was all just very ho-hum.
“Stryke, you don’t have to die. Come inside.”


 

Air Force veteran Larissa Ione traded in a career in meteorology to pursue her passion of writing. She has since published dozens of books, hit several bestseller lists, including the New York Times and USA Today, and has been nominated for a RITA award. She now spends her days in pajamas with her computer, strong coffee, and supernatural worlds. She believes in celebrating everything, and would never be caught without a bottle of Champagne chilling in the fridge…just in case. She currently lives in Wisconsin with her retired U.S. Coast Guard husband, her son, a rescue cat named Vegas, and her very own hellhounds, a King Shepherd named Hexe and a Belgian Malinois named Duvel.

Follow: Website / Facebook  / Goodreads / Pinterest

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Born of Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout – a Review

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Born of Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout – a Review

 

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Description:
The line between love and obsession has never been wider.

While Sera is finally free of Kolis and back with those she loves, not everything is calm. Memories of all she’s endured still haunt her, but Sera finally has hope for a future with the other half of her heart and soul. Nyktos desires, loves, and accepts every part of her—even the monstrous bits she still battles.

More than ever, Sera and Ash have everything under the realms to fight for, and Nyktos has no doubt Sera is fit to be the Queen of the Gods. But she must find that faith within herself if they hope to convince the other Courts to support them against Kolis and make Iliseeum and the mortal realm better, safer places for all.

But as Sera begins to piece together the importance of her bloodline and the true meaning behind the foreboding prophecy, it becomes clear that everything that has happened and is yet to come is much bigger than Kolis and his dark obsessions.

They cannot help but wonder exactly how much influence the Fates have had and what their ultimate goal is. What Sera does know for sure is that they can trust very few—including her.

A battle between the gods is brewing, and heartbreaking losses are imminent with the true Primal of Death strengthening. With a family of the heart willing to battle by their side, can Sera and Nyktos stop Kolis before he destroys the realms, or will it all disappear in a fiery inferno of blood and ash?

And the line between justice and vengeance has never been so thin.

 

 

Review:

Born of Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout is the conclusion of her Flesh and Fire series. Refresher: Born of Blood and Ash is a prequel to her wonderful Blood and Ash series, taking place thousands of years prior to that series. Seraphena (Sera) Mierel, our heroine, was born to be an assassin, fulfilling her part in a deal made by her ancestor all those years before, as she has trained to be a powerful weapon. Nyktos (Ash) saves her life, and he takes her to his home, to become his Consort. Sera and Nyktos/Ash were so great together, with their chemistry off the wall, and in time, all of his people cared about Sera and her abilities.

As Sera reaches her Ascension, she will develop new skills, such as intuitions; as she returns to her family becoming the True Primal of Life. Sera, as the Queen, begins to put pieces together, especially what is behind the foreboding prophecy; with both Sera and Ash trying to convince the other courts to help stop Kolis. We learn quickly that Sera is now pregnant, with two boys; and Ash is happy and thrilled to be able to have children.  But first they need to find a way to get Kolis to entombed.

Kolis plans to take control Sera and Ash, which leads him to kill Sera’s entire family and her town. Everyone is dead, and Sera mourns the loss of her stepsister, wife, mother; leading Sera to lose control and destroy others.  Sera finds solace from Ash, who together will eliminate those close to Kolis.  She kills Veses, and Attes kills his brother, Kyn, as they needed to die.  The final battle to lock, and entomb Kolis away for centuries, was deeply intense. The Star that was intended to free Sotoria was stolen, as Calum hid it away, to be used centuries into the future.

We did get to see how Sera and Ash helped the ones they trusted to become new primals of those in other courts.  Attes plans to go into stasis to rest, passes his court to Lailah. Aios and Belle were great together, with Belle having her own court. Penellaphe also ascended.  I loved Reaver and Jadis, as they were cute; but I loved Nektas from the start to finish.  We also got hints leading into Poppy and Cas, with Sotoria being reborn.

 What follows is an exciting, emotional, sexy, intense, and romantic adventure, that had a number of reveals giving us clues of what is yet to come.   Sera is a fantastic and amazing heroine, being powerful, strong, courageous, determined and fierce. I also loved how much Ash loved Sera. Jennifer L. Armentrout gives us another very good story, with a bit slow early on, but the last third was awesome.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy purchased

 

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BAD DEMON (Hell on Wheels 1) by Sherliee Gray-review

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🧡BAD DEMON (Hell on Wheels 1) by Sherliee Gray-a review🧡

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Google Play /  Apple Books​

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date November 21, 2024

It was Fern Honeycutt’s eyes that gave her away. Not witch. All demon.

Her coven saw her as an abomination, handing her over to pure evil.

She escaped, but a lone female is an easy target. When breeder scouts start hanging around her store, the only way to protect herself is to break the rules she swore to uphold—adding a whole new problem.

Relic, an emotionless and arrogant hellhound, witnessed those crimes and now he’s stalking her. But the unpredictable beast is the only thing standing between her and mortal danger, so Fern chooses the lesser of two evils and plays dirty, forcing him to protect her.

However, the sinfully handsome Relic isn’t easily controlled. He surrounds her with a quiet dominance and easy affection that’s breaking through her pain—and as hard as she tries to protect her heart, he’s even more determined to claim it…

•••••••

REVIEW: BAD DEMON is the first instalment in Sherilee Gray’s contemporary, adult HELL ON WHEELS, dark, erotic, paranormal, fantasy series-a spin off from the author’s THE THORNHEART TRIALS series. This is six hundred year old, Hellhound Relic, and witch/ demon Fern Honeycutt’s story line.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Fern and Relic) using present day and memories from the past, BAD DEMON follows the building relationship between Hellhound Relic, and witch/ demon Fern Honeycutt. Fern Honeycutt has spend most of her life imprisoned, tortured and experimented upon but in an effort to discover the truth about her family and her past, Fern finds herself ‘paying’ someone else to find the information. Hellhound Relic is struggling with the woman who claims to be a witch, a witch who is more than she appears to be but someone is targeting our story line heroine, and Relic has proclaimed himself guardian and protector of the woman with whom he will fall in love. When the past refuses to let go, Fern is once again pulled into the nightmare that was once her life, a nightmare that refuses to stop.

The world building focuses on the building relationship between Fern and Relic. Relic knows Fern is his mate but he suspects Fern is not ready to accept a Hellhound as her happily ever after. As Relic slowly seduces our story line heroine, Fern struggles with the possibility everything about Relic is a fabricated lie.

The relationship between Fern and Relic is that of fated mated but Relic bides his time with the woman that calls to his soul. Fern believes she has magically seduced the man that calls to her heart therefore everything they shared is based upon a lie. The $ex scenes are intimate and provocative without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

The secondary and supporting characters are magical and powerful . Several characters and couples cross over from the author’s THE THORNHEART TRIALS series, as well as the introduction of a number of witch/ demon hybrids: Fern’s great grandmother Agatheena, Phoebe, Sutton, and Hellhounds Lothar, and Jagger. The requisite evil has many faces.

BAD DEMON is a story of power and control, betrayal and vengeance, magic and madness, acceptance and love. The action packed premise is dark, dramatic and twisted; the characters are dynamic, sensitive and determined; the romance is fated and spicy.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Follow: Website / Goodreads  / Facebook / Instagram / Amazon Author

Sherilee’s always had a big (some say warped) imagination, and as a kid scared herself conjuring up horror stories full of ghosts and other terrifying creatures. She never dreamed of actually writing down any of those wonderful imaginary people or places, not until many years later when her sister introduced her to the wondrous world of romance novels, and her very large book collection.

She’s pleased to say, she still has the big imagination… only now her characters are chasing their happily ever after.

Sherilee Gray is a kiwi girl and lives in beautiful New Zealand with her husband and their two children. When she isn’t writing sexy, edgy contemporary and paranormal romance, searching for her next alpha hero on Pinterest, or fueling her voracious book addiction, she can be found dreaming of far off places with a mug of tea in one hand and a bar of Cadburys Rocky Road chocolate in the other.

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The Shadows Rule All by Abigail Owen – a Review

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The Shadows Rule All by Abigail Owen – a Review

 

Amazon / B&N / Kobo / Google Play / Apple / BAM / Bookbub

 

Description:
King Eidolon has taken everything.

My throne, my Shadowraith, and even my kingdom. I am a queen with no one to rule, and a tattered army that’s not even mine. And hope is fading fast.

Now the shadows who once tormented Reven live within me, hissing and wheedling—and enticing me to betray my friends. Which could be deadly for us all. Because without the wraith I fell for, without Reven, I am all shadows…and no light.

And the Alignment is almost upon us—the culmination of centuries that have fueled a vengeful king’s festering rage.

We’re outnumbered. We’re underpowered. And even if we could unleash the trapped goddesses, they could destroy the kingdom and everything in it.

 

 

Review:

The Shadows Rule All by Abigail Owen is the final book in her Dominions series. Oh my…. Final book in this trilogy, and I’m going to miss it 😞 

I loved reading the storylines, watching Meren grow into a real kicka$$ character. Faced with challenge after challenge, she never gave up, although it did come close a few times!! 

This book picks up from book two. Can you read this one without reading the first two? You could, but I think you’d be missing out on two fantastic books, and there is information that I felt pertinent to the story (but that’s just my opinion.) 

So many characters have come and gone in this trilogy, some I’ve cried over, some I shrugged and moved on…. But all were integral to the story, one was a filler, everyone had their role to play. 

Meren and Reven have become one of my favourite couples. Their relationship hasn’t been easy, they’ve fought one another and against this world to be together. And in this book, it’s still no easy task! 

Eidolon is still a force to be reckoned with! Although on the ropes, I still wouldn’t count him out just yet! (And I did feel a little sad for him in the prologue 🤫) 

The action is nonstop, the pictures in my head were painted so clearly due to the details given by this author. She creates a world you just want to live in, sights and sounds play like a movie in my head. (In fact at some point I’m going to grab the audios.)

Betrayal/suspense/mystery and battles will have you hard pressed to put this book down until the last page! Friends can’t always be trusted! Allies can turn against you, and even family needs to be watched! 

There are lots of loose ends that need tying up. There are moments that need to be explained. And there are still loved ones to be rescued! And the author does all that and more! 

I don’t want to give too much away, but be prepared for 🤧 and 😱 moments. I’d also say that this book is a little darker than the previous two, there is a warning at the beginning of the book. 

I really enjoyed reading this book. I highly recommend it and the previous two. It’s definitely an adventure I’ll be revisiting at some point. 

Reviewed by Julie 

Copy supplied by Author

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