Tag Archives: fantasy

Still of the Night (Skye Druids 5) by Donna Grant-review

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💙Still of the Night (Skye Druids 5) by Donna Grant-review💙

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date September

Forest child they call me. It is within the woods that I find solace and feel the magic of my ancestors. For I am a Druid. One who can trace her roots from the very first to call the Isle of Skye home.

The isle draws many to its magical shores. It drew him. Imposing, bold, and handsome. We fell hard and fast that summer. Then he left with the tide to the city.

I learned to live with the cracks and fissures on my pieced-together heart, the scars only I can feel.

Until the day he walks back into my life asking for a second chance. I yearn to give it to him. How can I not? He’s the only one I’ve ever loved.

The only one I will ever love.

But there is a darkness growing on the isle—a treacherous evil that has targeted him. I’ve lost him once.

I won’t lose him again.

A Druid with a secret past. A man looking for a second chance.

•••••

REVIEW:STILL OF THE NIGHT is the fifth instalment in Donna Grant’s contemporary, adult SKYE DRUIDS paranormal, fantasy romance series -a spin off from the author’s REAPER series which in turn is a spin off from the author’s many interconnected series and stories. This is Druid Ariah, and attorney Killian Flanaghan’s story line. STILL OF THE NIGHT should not be read as a stand alone- I recommend reading the series in order, as well as DARK ALPHA’S COMMAND (Reaper 15) for back story and cohesion as many of the events of the current time line are as of a direct result of the events in Dark Alpha’s Command. Several characters from the other series including Reaper Balladyn and Druid Rhona (Dark Alpha’s Command)appear as secondary characters.

SOME BACKGROUND: Months earlier, betrayal and vengeance forced a take-over of power on the Isle of Skye but someone or something is killing the Druids, not only on the Isle of Skye, but around the world including Edinburgh Scotland. With the focus on the death of the Druids on the Isle of Skye, Balladyn and Rhona (Dark Alpha’s Command/Reaper 15) begin an investigation that reveals a danger targeting the Druids and the MacLean family, in particular.

Told from several omniscient third person perspectives including Ariah and Killian STILL OF THE NIGHT follows several paths including the second chance relationship between our story line couple. Approximately ten years earlier, Ariah and Killian were sweethearts but Killian’s family had plans for his future, and Ariah refused to leave the Isle of Skye. Fast forward to present day, Killian returns to Skye in search of the woman he has always loved but someone is targeting our story line hero, and Ariah must come to terms what is happening and why. A bombing, a dark and evil entity, a car accident, and an abduction find Killian struggling to survive but Killian is human, and begins to question the happenings and the people on the Isle of Skye.

The world building is complex and intricate focusing on the shadow, an evil entity that is taking aim at the Druids of Skye. There is more than one person on the hunt for power, and some believe the ancients are directing the fight for control.

The relationship between Ariah and Killian is once of second chances; a rekindling romance in the face of Killian’s need to reconnect but Ariah is no longer the woman Killian once knew, and in this, Killian is about to come face to face with magic, mayhem, murder and mists. The $ex scenes are limited but passionate.

Once again, there is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including Druids, Reapers, Esther The TruthSeeker and Henry the JusticeBringer, Elodie and Scott, Edie and Trevor; Rhona and Balladyn; Mason, Krisi, and Callum. The requisite evil has many faces.

STILL OF THE NIGHT is a story of power and control, secrets and lies, betrayal and vengeance, jealousy and madness, forgiveness and love. The character driven premise is detailed, intriguing and multi-layered; the romance is provocative; the characters are powerful, determined and dynamic.

 

Reading Order and Previous reviews
Iron Ember
Shoulder the Skye
Heart of Glass
Endless Skye

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Donna Grant is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the sizzling Dark King series featuring dragons, immortal Highlanders, and the Fae.

She was born and raised in Texas but loves to travel. Her adventures have taken her throughout the United States as well as to Jamaica, Mexico, and Scotland. Growing up on the Texas/Louisiana border, Donna’s Cajun side of the family taught her the “spicy” side of life while her Texas roots gave her two-steppin’ and bareback riding.

Despite deadlines and voracious reading, Donna still manages to keep up with her two children, four cats, and one long haired Chihuahua.

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK |  NEWSLETTER SIGNUP / TUMBLR / PINTEREST / GOODREADS

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The Games Gods Play by Abigail Owen – a Review

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The Games Gods Play by Abigail Owen – a Review

 

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Description:

The gods love to play with us mere mortals. And every hundred years, we let them…

I have never been favored by the gods. Far from it, thanks to Zeus.

Living as a cursed office clerk for the Order of Thieves, I just keep my head down and hope the capricious beings who rule from Olympus won’t notice me. Not an easy feat, given San Francisco is Zeus’ patron city, but I make do. I survive. Until the night I tangle with a different god.

The worst god. Hades.

For the first time ever, the ruthless, mercurial King of the Underworld has entered the Crucible–the deadly contest the gods hold to determine a new ruler to sit on the throne of Olympus. But instead of fighting their own battles, the gods name mortals to compete in their stead.

So why in the Underworld did Hades choose me–a sarcastic nobody with a curse on her shoulders–as his champion? And why does my heart trip every time he says I’m his?

I don’t know if I’m a pawn, bait, or something else entirely to this dangerously tempting god. 

How can I, when he has more secrets than stars in the sky?

Because Hades is playing by his own rules…and Death will win at any cost.

 

 

Review :

The Games Gods Play by Abigail Owen is the 1st book in her new Crucible series. Can’t tell you how much I was looking forward to reading this book. It’s from one of my favourite authors, and it’s a brand new (no spin off or rerelease) series. I love her Dominion series (that’s a YA read) and adore her Fire’s Edge and Inferno Series (Paranormal/shifter series).

But this book, has them beaten, this has the makings of an awesome series (well I hope it’s a new series, but I’ll take a trilogy/duet/or whatever the author throws my way) 

Myth with a modern day twist, can sometimes come off a stilled or weird! But not this author, she knows how to play the story out, give you just enough information without overload or boring page fillers! 

Characters are finished off to a tee. They jump off the page and into your heart. I read (no, inhaled the book) then sat and read it again, noting all the details that I might have missed. If a movie (true to the book) ever came out, then I’d be first in the queue. 

Details about the world had me clearly visualising it. You could almost smell and hear the story pan out with such great descriptions. 

Gods can be cruel and fickle beings, playing with mortals like dolls. Messing around with their lives, meddling and then watching with fascination. The Crucible is a game held every one hundred years , and the gods get to pick a mortal to be their champion. The mortal gets a prize, (and it’s an amazing prize 🤐) but the winning god gets to rule Olympus! So the gloves come off, cheating/rule breaking/ bending the rules, all in the name of winning!

I loved the games aspect of the story. (No Percy Jackson or Harry Potter challenges I’m afraid, it’s way better than that.) The champions have to do trials set by the gods, and they aren’t easy. The champions can 💀 and some do 😱 it is a little harrowing in places…. But the excitement and anticipation had me on the edge of my kindle 😜 

This isn’t a retelling of Hades and Persephone (which at first I wasn’t too keen on, theirs is a story I love reading) but of Hades and Lyra. Persephone is in here, along with many familiar gods, but we mix them up a little. (Which kept it fresh.) 

Morally grey hero/villain/or just misunderstood? Hades is the god of the Underworld, no surprise there. He’s devious, he’s cold, unfeeling and a total bast@rd!! Lyra maybe his champion, but to him (at first) she’s just a pawn, a tool to get him his prize…. The crown and throne of Olympus! He needs her to stay alive, so his investment of her training is just that, well that’s how it starts 😉

The main female character Lyra, took me a little while to warm up too. She’s a thief, but she doesn’t actively steal, she’s more of a watcher (she watches and helps the Den she comes from to navigate and avoid detection) The character came across too wishy washy, but with most of the author’s characters, they grow, they adapt, and they become one of your favourites. 

And what exactly happened to make Zeus curse her? 🤫 

The story is told by Lyra (which had me missing what Hades thought of his little star) and in one way it makes it a little one sided. (My opinion)  

A slow burn romance has to balance the chemistry with the eventual moment taking place… The sparks, the banter and the pure chemistry these two had, made me a little giddy! I giggled like a schoolgirl, I blushed and I had a nervous cough when things got heated. (Well that’s my fault for reading it on the train 😜) 

Additional characters are many!! Too many some would say. I would love a glossary maybe of the characters, but that’s my wish 😉 but none of them seem superfluous, even the champions of the gods. So as numerous as there are, they all seem to fit into the book. 

So why would Hades pick a regular mortal to be his “champion”? He’s got his pick of anyone! 

Cliffhanger warning for anyone who thought it was going to be easy 😝 a one and done read. Oh no! It’s not going to be that easy. There is also twists, turns, treachery, and betrayal! This isn’t a short read, at over 500 pages long, you’d think it would get bogged down. It doesn’t, the pages seemed to fly by, and I was wishing for more pages! 😆 I’m now hoping the next book is soon (though probably not 😔) 

Would I recommend this? In a heartbeat … open this new world … you won’t be sorry 😍

Reviewed by Julie

Copy supplied for review.

 

 

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THE DEVIL HIMSELF (The Devil of Dublin 2) by BB Easton-review

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THE DEVIL HIMSELF (The Devil of Dublin 2) by BB Easton-review tour

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 29, 2024

Growing up, I spent every night tucked under my mother’s arm, dreamily listening to tales from her favorite book series—Legend Has It by Darby Donovan, a collection of spooky folklore about a town called Glenshire and the lonely, gray-eyed fairy prince who haunted the woods there. I knew they were just stories, but when my mother died and left me in the care of my cold, abusive father, that fictional fairy prince suddenly became very, very real to me. It was as if he was always there, hiding in the shadows, offering me his silent comfort. I turned him into an imaginary friend when I needed one most.

And thirteen years later, I’m doing it again.

When my coastal Irish town is bombed by the new Russian president, a Bratva leader seeking revenge on the United Irish Brotherhood, those missiles destroy everything I’ve ever known—my home, my family, and evidently my sanity—because when I pull an injured Russian Navy officer out of the sea, a man who led the charge against my town, I can’t bring myself to let him die.

Secluded together in my secret hiding spot, we’re safe from the Mafia war raging outside, but the overwhelming connection I feel to this stranger is a battle I fight every single day. I hate him with everything that I am, but when he looks at me with those smoky gray eyes, all I see is my friend. When he touches me, all I feel is desire. And when he wraps his lips around the sustenance I offer him, all I want is to feel them pressed against mine, loving me, putting me back together.

But no one can live in a fantasy world forever, and when reality finally finds us, the truth about him is worse than anything I could have imagined.

The man I rescued is no fairy prince.

He’s the goddamn Devil himself.

••••••

REVIEW: THE DEVIL HIMSELF is the second instalment in BB Easton’s contemporary, adult THE DEVIL OF DUBLIN dark, erotic, Mafia, slight fantasy/slight lyparanormal, romance series. This is Damien Hughes, and Clover Doyle’s story line. THE DEVIL HIMSELF should not be read as a stand alone as much of the current time line is a direct result of book one DEVIL OF DUBLIN.

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

Told from dual first person perspectives (Clover and Damien) THE DEVIL HIMSELF follows several years after the end of book one DEVIL OF DUBLIN. The head of the Russian Bratva turned Russian President Alexi Abramov is determined to seek revenge against the United Irish Brotherhood of Ireland for sins of the past but one Russian sailor was seeking a passage home, a home he would find on the shores of Ireland. Rescued by Clover Doyle amongst a barrage of gunfire and bombings, Damien Hughes would discover a familiarity and family with our story line heroine but all was not as it appeared to be, and Damien would surrender in an effort to take down the man in charge. What ensues is the building relationship between Damien and Clover, and the fall-out as the invading Russian military takes aim at our story line hero.

The world building focuses on both the present and the past, a past that was all too familiar to our story line couple. As the Russian invasion of Ireland was met with little resistance, Damien and Clover would find help from the ghosts of the past.

The relationship between Clover and Damien is one of second chances, of a sorts. Clover would rescue and help heal an injured soldier, and Damien would come face to face with his future in the guise of our story line heroine but their time together would reveal a familiarity and mutual recognition, one that the locals recognized from afar. The $ex scenes are intimate and provocative.

There is a large ensemble cast of interesting and dangerous secondary and supporting characters including Russian President Alexi Abramov, several military personnel, and any number of Irish people our couple meets along the way.

THE DEVIL HIMSELF is a dark, dramatic, heart breaking and emotional story set within a fictionalized war between Russia and Ireland; between the Russian Bratva and the UIB; between the past and the present. The slightly paranormal premise is intriguing and entertaining; the romance is fated; the characters are desperate, determined and interesting.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one THE DEVIL OF DUBLIN.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

->Haven’t started the series? Book one-THE DEVIL OF DUBLIN is only 99¢ for a limited time  Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au

FOLLOW: Goodreads / Amazon Author page / Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Pinterest

BB Easton is the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of 44 CHAPTERS ABOUT 4 MEN, the hilarious, steamy, tell-all memoir that inspired the Netflix Original Series, SEX/LIFE. Within the first month, SEX/LIFE was viewed by 67 million households worldwide, making it the 3rd Most-Watched Netflix Original Series of all time.

BB was a stressed-out school psychologist and mother of two when the inspiration to write 44 CHAPTERS ABOUT 4 MEN struck. Through that process, she rediscovered her passion for writing, became dangerously sleep-deprived, and finally mustered enough courage to quit her job and become a full-time author.

BB went on to publish four more wickedly funny, shockingly steamy, and heartwarmingly autobiographical books in the 44 CHAPTERS series: SKIN, SPEED, STAR, and SUIT. Since then, she’s been hard at work writing fictional stories that appeal to her love for us-against-the-world romance, including a dystopian trilogy (PRAYING FOR RAIN), a psychologist-client romantic comedy (GROUP THERAPY), and a dark mafia romance (DEVIL OF DUBLIN).

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Warrior Princess (Blood Weaver 3) by Karina Espinosa-review tour

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🧡 Warrior Princess (Blood Weaver 3) by Karina Espinosa-review tour 🧡

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 16, 2024

In the fantastical realm of Asteria, where ancient bloodlines and magical allegiances govern the land, Leila, a blood mage with a complicated past, finds her fate intertwined with Ronan, the fierce warrior from the Crimson Clan. When an insidious plot by Prince Caelan of Eldwain threatens to destabilize all of Asteria, Leila must harness her formidable powers and confront secrets that could shatter the very foundations of her world.

Together, Leila and Ronan embark on a perilous journey through treacherous territories, from the Grasslands, Keldara, the Central Plains, to the deceptive courts of Eldwain, to safeguard their people and uphold ancient alliances. As battles rage and loyalties are tested, the pair must navigate a tapestry of intrigue and betrayal, where love may be their most powerful weapon or their ultimate undoing.

With the fate of Asteria hanging in the balance, Leila must decide if she can go against the man she once considered her best friend. In this epic tale of magic, love, and rebellion, only the strongest will survive to tell the tale of their victory—or their defeat.

•••••

REVIEW:Book three starts, where book two ended. And from then on, it’s a fast paced story of betrayal and action. Suitors descend upon Leila to pursue/force/persuade her to marry them! There is no love matches! It’s all to gain power over the Demon Fox. That character grants one wish. But to obtain that wish Leila has to 💀! All but Ronan are happy to sacrifice the princess in order to gain that wish! I did like the prologue in this book, it explains the story/legend of the Demon Fox.

The connection is still strong between Ronan and Leila (even though he did betray her!) I think her faith and trust actually helped him to become a better person.

Leila is growing into her power more and more. Which is why her blood is so sought after! But I also liked that each book Leila had so much to contend with, and with each book she just grows in confidence and experience.

You definitely need to read this trilogy in order, skipping a book won’t make much sense. The story grips you from the first page, and I must admit I did reread the first two books (a refresh and just because I loved the books.)

I also liked the fact we got different points of view. I didn’t warm to Ronan at first, but with each book he proves himself to be a worth companion to Leila. (But his father is definitely a piece of work!)

What a way to end this trilogy. I loved every minute of it. And will go back and read all three again at some point. The fight/battle scenes are intense. Might be a little triggering for a few people. The descriptions are on point, you can easily imagine yourself travelling through different landscapes, and meeting new allies and battling adversaries.

Highly recommended read 👍🏻

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Blood Weaver
Lost Heir

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Julie B🦋

Follow: Website / Goodreads / Facebook/ Instagram /Twitter / Bookbub / Amazon Author Page /

Karina Espinosa is the Urban Fantasy Author of the Mackenzie Grey novels and The Last Valkyrie series. An avid reader throughout her life, the world of Urban Fantasy easily became an obsession that turned into a passion for writing strong leading characters with authentic story arcs. When she isn’t writing badass heroines, you can find this self-proclaimed nomad in her South Florida home binge watching the latest series on Netflix or traveling far and wide for the latest inspiration for her books.

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Everything We Never Knew by Julianne Hough/Ellen Goodlett -Review

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Everything We Never Knew by Julianne Hough/Ellen Goodlett -Review

 

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Description:
When the stars align, anything can happen. On stage at an awards banquet is the last place Lexi Cole expected to drown. But as she accepts the award for top-seller at her realty firm, something unusual catches Lexi’s a man surrounded by a dark haze. Then she hears a woman screaming for help, and the taste of saltwater overwhelms her. Just as Lexi’s throat begins to close, the man leaves the room and the sensation of drowning abruptly stops. Later that night, the man dies of an overdose, and Lexi learns about the traumatic boating accident that killed his sons and tore his family apart. Lexi wants to believe it’s a bizarre coincidence. Any other explanation would disrupt the normal, comfortable life she’s worked so hard to build. Lexi is an expert at denial, a pro at fitting in. But as more strange events unfold, Lexi can’t deny the something is changing inside her. She feels other people’s emotions, sometimes even glimpses their private memories. By embracing her new abilities, Lexi can help heal people―though not until she confronts the past she’s spent a lifetime burying. But when a vision reveals her husband is in danger, Lexi must face her inner demons or lose the person she loves most. Atmospheric and emotional, Everything We Never Knew is the gripping story of one woman embracing her power, no matter what the world thinks.

 

 

Review:

Everything We Never Knew by Julianne Hough and Ellen Goodlett is a standalone novel. We meet Alexis (Lexi) when she is accepting an award for being the top-seller at her real estate firm. Suddenly, she sees a man, and hears a woman screaming for help’, and Lexi begins to taste saltwater, and just as she feels like she is drowning, everything clears up. Later that night, she learns that the man died of an overdose, as the family was torn apart when an accident killed his sons. Lexi begins to feel things changing inside of her, with glimpses of other people’s emotions, including private memories.

Lexi and Shane are married and seem to have it all; he is a firefighter and she surprisingly quits her job.  She begins to explore the emotional and spiritual journey, and finds herself at Bea’s Odd and Ends Store, with Bea, who is a reputed witch.  Bea will take Lexi under her wing, teaching her about sensing energies, as she navigates in her quest for self-discovery. Lexi slowly embraces her new abilities, and learning how she can heal people; as well as her own past (the loss of her baby and issues with her own family). I did like how Lexi opened up to Bea, and vice versa; as their friendship bond brought them together.  Shane and Lexi had problems, due to Lexi always working closely to Bea; her friends Tanya and Chloe also did not approve of Bea.  

As Lexi began her journey of healing others, as well as finding a way to heal herself from her past; it is Bea who was always helping her move forward, and when Lexi needed help, her friends, including Bea   they will be there to help her get past her family issues.  In time, Shane will open up and together their bond will heal both of them. 

Everything We Never Knew was an emotional and gripping story of energies and psychic abilities with human spirits.  I did like the story, but thought it was a bit slow early on. Everything We Never Knew was very well written by Julianne Hough and Ellen Goodlett.  If you enjoy spiritual stories, you should give this book a try.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

 

 

 

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Broken by Kaitlyn Legaspi – a Review

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Broken by Kaitlyn Legaspi – a Review

 

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Description
The world of the fifty-two domains finds itself fractured.

After the awakening of the rogue leader’s powers and the invasion of the dark creatures known as Vain, Neela answers the summons of the Card Holder of the Ace of Spades. He seeks to rigorously hone and strengthen her powers for the arduous battles to come as she plays her part in the prophecy of sibling gods.

Neela is put through a series of trials that not only challenge her physical abilities, but push her to an emotional limit. Doubts of past decisions fester as her morals are tested. Her fears of becoming someone unrecognizable grow with each passing day. As she reflects on her unsettling changes and increasing isolation, she can’t help but think…

Just one small push could send her plummeting over the edge.

 

 

Review

Broken by Kaitlyn Legaspi is the 4th book in her Card Holders series.  It’s been a while since I read the previous books. But once I dived into Neela’s world, I soon became engrossed…You definitely need to read in order as it’s an ongoing story.

It’s paced pretty well, we get a little back history, but not too much (that’s why I recommend reading in order.) Action is written really well, and we have the side characters that just add to the story. We have our love interest, but it’s not at the forefront, the story is Neela’s up and coming battle (with herself and what lies ahead.)

It’s really hard not to just spill out the story, but that ruins it for others, so I’ll just give my thoughts on the book and try really hard not to give away anything 😃

Neela is still fighting, surviving and trying to live as normal a life as possible. But losing loved ones take its toll, it takes a piece of you that you never get back 😔 she has people she cares about, but through the books Neela has lost people she truly loved. Her powers grow ever stronger, and a side that we don’t expect appears 🤐 and Neela finds herself scared and worried for the people around her!

And the ending…. Although not a cliffhanger in anyway, it does make me sad for Neela!

What a great addition to this series. I’m thinking of going back to the beginning to reacquaint myself with it all, as I’d forgotten how good they were. A highly recommended read. I’m fact I’d recommend the whole series. And at the end of the book, we find out there is another one to look forward to 😁

Reviewed by Julie

Copy supplied for Review

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Sanctuary by Ilona Andrews – a Review

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Sanctuary by Ilona Andrews – a Review

 

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Description:
It’s not easy serving the Chernobog, the God of Destruction, Darkness and Death…especially during the holidays; and especially when you’re out of eggnog and one of your pesky, freeloading mythic creatures has eaten your last cookie.

Roman would like nothing more than to be left alone, but when a wounded boy stumbles into his yard and begs for sanctuary, Roman takes him in. Now elite mercenaries are camped out on his property, combat mages are dousing the house with fire, and strange priests are unleashing arcane magic. They thought Roman was easy pickings, just a hermit in the woods, but they chose the wrong dark priest to annoy. For while Roman might be patient, he is the Black Volhv, filled with the love of his terrible god. For his adversaries, it’s a fight to the death, but for him, it’s just another day in the neighborhood.

 

 

Review:

Sanctuary by Ilona Andrews is a standalone novel in the World of Kate Daniels. We did meet Roman (hero), in previous Kate Daniels books. Roman is the priest of Chernobog, who is the God of Destruction, Darkness and Death, and in Sanctuary, we learn more about his backstory, which includes his chaotic family, as well as becoming Chernobog’s Black Volhv.   Roman is depressed, wanting no company during the winter holiday, and to his surprise, a boy races to his house and begs for Sanctuary.

Almost immediately, elite mercenaries appear on his property, wanting the boy and his puppy; with them thinking this was going to be easy, with the hermit in the house.  Of course, little did they know he was a powerful dark priest.  Besides the mercenaries, they are also attacked by mages, strange priests, unleashing magic and trying to douse the house with fire. Roman collects a hoard of witchy pets and demonic beasties, which he manages to bring out in the fight to death against those who want the boy at any cost.  While the attacks continue, Roman teaches Finn what not to use and what is safe.

We learn a lot about Roman in his early years, especially with his perfect older brother. His father was Volhv with Chernobog, during those years, and always pushed for the older son to follow him.  Roman was lonely and felts ostracized from his family.  But when he got older, the choice to replace the father, was a complete surprise as to who Chernobog chose. In the current time, Roman’s dreams show him dragging a tree to give to Morena (Chernobog’s wife), where he sees Andora, a girl he knew when they were very young; he also sees Farhang (the mage) who is in the dream and Finn, who is in for the ride.

What follows is an exciting and intriguing story, with Roman tied to the Slavic gods in this world, with magical siblings; not to mention his wonderful menagerie. Finn was a very good addition, and Andora, a childhood friend, who may become a potential romance.  It was fun to learn about his younger years, being lonely with his meddling family.  I look forward to seeing the possibility of a full novel upcoming. Once again, Ilona Andrews, our illustrious duo, gives us another wonderful masterpiece.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy supplied for review

 

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A BOND IN FLAMES (The Thornheart Trials 6) by Sherilee Gray-tour

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🔥 A BOND IN FLAMES (The Thornheart Trials 6) by Sherilee Gray 🔥

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date July 26, 2024

Zinnia

No one escapes Death. Especially when you’re his consort.

Thankfully, the powerful god has mostly ignored me; we struck a bargain that allows me to travel between home and Limbo, then I’m his for eternity. I thought I had more time…except I just returned to find him without the cloak he always wears, and now everything has changed. I was forced to served him. Now, I burn for him.

Death sees all and demands my attention. But the unpredictable god cannot decide if he desires or despises me, and soon we’re forced to journey to the Night Realm to save his brother. I’m swarmed with visions I can’t explain and must uncover secrets that Death won’t share. The longer I take, the angrier he becomes…yet my soul comes alive when he touches me.

However, the shadows are gathering and it’s a race to uncover the truth. I must fight my way back to Death—or face a terrible evil that could tear my world apart.

•••••

REVIEW: A BOND IN FLAMES is the sixth and final instalment in Sherilee Gray’s contemporary adult THE THORNHEART TRIALS erotic, paranormal, fantasy series focusing on the Thornheart females. This is twenty-eight year old witch Zinnia Thornheart, and Mors aka Death’s story line. A BOND IN FLAMES can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.

NOTE: Some of the events of A BOND IN FLAMES crosses over with some of the events of book three A TRIAL BY BLOOD.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Death and Zinnia) A BOND IN FLAMES follows the building but acrimonious relationship between our story line couple. Approximately thirteen years earlier, the god Death appeared to Zinnia in a dream, claiming our heroine as his consort, his intended mate but Zinnia refused his proclamations and in doing so, damned her life for all eternity. Fast forward to present day, Death comes to collect Zinnia’s cousin Rose, believing Rose is his intended mate until Zinnia reveals the sacrifice she made to protect herself. Agreeing to go with Death, albeit with some caveats, bargains and exceptions, Zinnia enters the Underworld to be forever bound to a man known as Death but someone else is working behind the scene s to ensure Death is alone for all eternity, and with it, the secrets reveal Zinnia’s true connections to our story line hero. What ensues is the building relationship between Zinnia and Death, and the potential fall-out as Death’s past refuses to let go, threatening our heroine in the process.

The world building is complex, detailed and dramatic. Zinnia must uncover the truth about her connection to Death, and in doing so, release the pain and suffering for the man with whom she is falling in love.

The relationship between Death and Zinnia is one of fated mates although Zinnia has the option of walking away but walking away would curse Death to a lifetime of pain and suffering, cursed by someone else. As Death and Zinnia’s relationship slowly turns into something more, Death must come to terms with his past, the potential loss of his brother, and the woman that has the ability to destroy his heart. The $ex scenes are erotic and provocative.

There is a large ensemble cast of powerful and sometimes questionable secondary and supporting characters. Most of Zinnia’s sisters and cousins return, as well as introduction of Death’s brother Somnus (god of dreams), their mother Nox, Death’s servant Egon, and Zinnia’s familiar Hemlock. The requisite evil has many faces.

A BOND IN FLAMES is a story of power and control, secrets and lies, betrayal and vengeance, magic and mayhem, gods and goddesses, acceptance and love. The character driven premise is haunting, twisted and edgy yet I easily guessed the who, what, how and why; the characters are enchanting, impassioned and magical; the romance is fated and seductive.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
A Curse in Darkness
A Vow of Ruin
A Trial by Blood
An Oath at Midnight
A Promise of Ashes

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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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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