Tag Archives: Scifi

Treoir Dragon Chronicles of the Belador World 5 by Dianna Love

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Treoir Dragon Chronicles of the Belador World 5 by Dianna Love

 

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Description:
Book 5 in New York Times Bestseller Dianna Love’s new Treoir Dragon Chronicles of the Belador™ World continues an epic fantasy adventure with shocking surprises and twists.

Faced with losing the only grimoire volume Daegan has or turning his back on Casidhe, he makes a surprising choice. Time is literally running out of an hourglass for Casidhe to prove her value to Queen Maeve or face never leaving TÅμr Medb, but to hand the crazy queen a grimoire volume would destroy humans and nonhumans. Reese finds a place to stay away from those she cares for in Atlanta while hunting the origin of demons flooding the city, but she’s not as adept at hiding as she thinks.
Brynhild made a tactical mistake in underestimating humans with weapons and will not do so again. To destroy the red dragon, she needs a partner who understands this world and the one she selects has his own agenda.

In a bid to free Casidhe, Daegan agrees to enter a ghost castle where every step is a deadly trap set specifically to kill him.

*This is a 9-book spinoff series for first-time readers as well as current Belador fans.
All 9 books will release within a year and be available in e-book, print, and audiobooks.

 

 

Review:

Treoir Dragon Chronicles of the Belador World by Dianna Love is the 5th book in this 9-book arc.  As a big fan of Dianna Love, as I have read all of her series. Refresher: Daegan and his team are attacked by Immortiks, who were supposed dead many years ago. Many of his Belador team are being held prisoners, with the threat of death if Daegan can’t find the missing ‘grimoire’ volumes. The information on the Immortiks and the grimoire is difficult to find, as it dates back thousands of years ago.

As the story continues, Daegan with the help of Tristan and the entity he promised to help, together they were able to find a way to rescue Casidhe away from the hands of Queen Maeve. Casidhe at first believed the bad things said about Daegan, but after hearing how he was in dire straits, and showed how much he cared for her, she realizes the truth.  Knowing she was safe, Casidhe allows Daegan to go with the entity to complete his promise and she would wait for him

Daegen and Tristan find themselves in dangerous situation, as the entity did not tell all the truth, putting their lives in danger.  But in a short time, they manage to get what was needed, and escape back home to Casidhe, but they needed to find the hidden Grimore box.  While Casidhe and Tristan go off to find her friend, Daegan goes to visit Brina, as she is about to give birth.  Daegan also discovers some secrets and revelations from Lanna, that will affect their future.

Evalle, who is acting in charge for Quinn, finds herself, Adrianna and Reese being attacked by many demons, who mainly want Reese.  When things settle, Quinn finally finds Reese to tell her how he feels and wants the baby; and to keep her safe.  

It is always great to see all of our favorites throughout each book. What follows is a non-stop action filled, pulse pounding story, with each chapter wild and exciting.  I am not going to tell too much more, since I do not want to give spoilers, as these are short stories and saying too much would be too revealing. As normal, this book ends with an amazing multiple cliffhanger; involving Evalle, with Adrianna; Casidhe discovering that she had been betrayed long ago and Daegan and Tristan in trouble again. As I have said previously, this is a 9-book series arc and you truly do need to read these books in cohesion.  If you are  love paranormal, urban fantasy, suspense, romance, great characters, you should be reading Dianna Love.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy supplied for review

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The Dark Archive by Genevieve Cogman – a Review

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The Dark Archive by Genevieve Cogman – a Review

 

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Description:
A professional spy for a mysterious Library which harvests fiction from different realities, Irene faces a series of assassination attempts that threaten to destroy her and everything she has worked for.

Irene is teaching her new assistant the fundamentals of a Librarian’s job, and finding that training a young Fae is more difficult than she expected. But when they both narrowly avoid getting killed in an assassination attempt, she decides that learning by doing is the only option they have left – especially when the assassins keep coming for them, and for Irene’s other friends as well…

In order to protect themselves, Irene and her friends must do what they do best: search for information to defeat the overwhelming threat they face and identify their unseen enemy. To do that, Irene will have to delve deeper into her own history than she ever has before, face an ancient foe, and uncover secrets that will change her life and the course of the Library forever.

 

 

Review:

The Dark Archive by Genevieve Cogman is the 7th book in her The Invisible Library series.  I accidentally downloaded this book, and decided to read it anyway; and I am happy to say that even though this is the 7th book, I enjoyed it very much.  Cogman manages to give you information early on about Irene, our heroine, learning much more about her along the way.  Now if time allows, I will need to go back and read the first book, as I found this series looks like something I should be reading.

Irene Winters, our heroine, is a Librarian and a professional spy for the mysterious Library; which collects all kinds of important works of fictions from different realities.  I learned quickly that Irene is one of the best there is, having very powerful abilities as a librarian to use to protect and defend.  I loved how Irene was able to use her voice to do amazing things, such as open or lock doors, make people do what she says, drop books down on attackers, disable bombs, etc.  I really did get a kick out of all of that, as well as meeting the different species that are friends or enemies of Irene, such as Kai, her assistant and now lover (Dragon), Vale (best detective in world), Catherine (new and Fae) and the villians, Alberich and Lady Guantes.

The excitement begins almost immediately, when Irene and Vale fall into a trap, putting their lives in danger, which becomes a shocker when a man she killed awhile back is alive and threatening to kill her.  Irene uses her skills to free them, and quickly goes to find Kai and Catherine, knowing they will be probably be attacked too.  She does get there in time, to save them from being poisoned; and together with Vale, they learn that Lady Guantes is behind the attacks, and working with someone who is helping bring her dead husband back. Irene is determined to protect Catherine, who is new and in training, but Catherine wants to stay with them.

What follows is an exciting, intense, action filled adventure that pits Irene and her friends in danger quite often. She suspects that her nemesis, Alberich is behind everything, and working with Lady Guantes. The group try to find clues, but walk into a trap, as everything falls apart, and Irene is unable to break the spells, fearing her friends will all be killed. From start to finish, the action was nonstop all the way.  To say too much more would be spoilers, and that would ruin it for you, especially if you are like me, starting on this book.

The Dark Archive was an amazing, fun, tense and exciting story, that was very well written by Genevieve Cogman. Irene Winters was a wonderful fantastic heroine, smart, savvy, brave, and loyal.   The end was a wild climax to a great story, and the epilogue promises more exciting things to come in the next book.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

 

 

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Give Way to Night by Cass Morris – a Review

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Give Way to Night by Cass Morris – a Review

 

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Description:
The second book of the Aven Cycle explores a magical Rome-inspired empire, where senators, generals, and elemental mages vie for power.

Latona of the Vitelliae, mage of Spirit and Fire, is eager to wield her newfound empowerment on behalf of the citizens of Aven–but societal forces conspire to keep her from exercising her gifts, even when the resurgence of a banished cult plots the city’s ruin. To combat this threat, Latona must ally with Fracture mage Vibia, the distrustful sister of Sempronius Tarren.

While Latona struggles to defend their home, Sempronius leads soldiers through wartorn provinces to lift the siege of Toletum, where Latona’s brother Gaius is hemmed in by supernatural forces. Sempronius must contend not only with the war-king Ekialde and his sorcerers, but with the machinations of political rivals and the temptations of his own soul, ever-susceptible to the darker side of ambition.

Though separated by many miles soon after their love affair began, Latona and Sempronius are united by passion as they strive to protect Aven and build its glorious future

 

 

Review:

Give Way to Night by Cass Morris is the 2nd book in her Aven Cycle series.  This is an epic fantasy that takes place in Aven, with an Ancient Rome background, where they worship the Roman Deity.  The story is filled with magic, intrigue, history and romance.  Give Way To Night was a good story, but I did have mixed feelings, which I will note later in my review.

Latona, our heroine in the first book, continues to be the main character in this story. Lataona is the middle sister of the Vitelliae family that is highly respected in Aven. She continues to learn more about her mage Spirit and Fire powers.  Latona is in a loveless marriage forced by her father, but she is loyal & very close to her sisters.  I really loved Latona, and her two sisters, Aula and Alhena, and how strong all three women truly were. It was great when Latona was able to work with Vibia and Merula, who I thought were also great.

Sempronius Tarren, continues to be our hero, and is out in the field with his men to try and find out who is trying to destroy Aven, especially with strange supernatural attacks. Tarren is a very powerful shadow mage.

What follows is an exciting adventure that will put Latona and the other ladies in dangerous situations a number of number times.   Tarren will also have his hands full trying fight the unknown enemy and save his soldiers.  There were a number of villians that both Latona & Vibia came up against, as well as Tarren’s soldiers fight against.   I loved everything about Latona, Vibia, Aula, Merula and their chapters. I thought Tarren’s chapters were good, but all the other chapters were tedious, with too much details and slow reading, causing me to lose interest, pushing along to get back to Latona and the ladies.

As much as I enjoyed the story revolving around Aven, Latona, her family, Tarren, supporters, I did have some feelings about the rest.  I thought the other chapters with various villians/political members over done with so much details, I ended up skipping much of it. Overall, Give Way to Night was a good story, with some very good characters.   There is a cliffhanger, which makes me want to read the final book; however, I am still on the fence, as this was a huge book, with so many details and characters, I did get lost a number of times along the way.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

 

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Daughter of the Serpentine by E.E. Knight – a Review

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Daughter of the Serpentine by E.E. Knight – a Review

 

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Description:
As a young dragoneer moves through the ranks of the prestigious Serpentine Academy, her challenges grow greater and her time grows short to draw out a series of deadly threats, in this thrilling coming-of-age fantasy novel.

Sixteen-year-old Ileth is now an Apprentice Dragoneer, with all of the benefits and pitfalls that her elevation in rank entails. But her advancement becomes less certain after a she’s attacked by an unknown enemy, and Ileth begins to suspect that someone deadly may be hiding within the walls of the academy.

Outside of the walls there is a different challenge. The Rari Pirates are strangling the Vale Republic. What they lack in dragon firepower, they make up for in the brutality of their ever-expanding raids, making hostages or slaves of the Republic’s citizens. Surrounded by enemies, Ileth will need to learn what kind of dragoneer she wants to be. And as she makes decisions about her future, Ileth will have the chance to uncover the secrets of her past. Both will irrevocably change the course of her life.

 

 

Review:

Daughter of the Serpentine by E.E. Knight is the second book in his fantasy Dragoneer Academy series.  Daughter of the Serpentine picks up shortly after the last book left off, and continues to follow our heroine, Ileth’s,  journey into this magical world of dragons.  Ileth’s earned the respect of her peers in the last book, and is now an apprentice to a dragoneer, which has some pitfalls; she also continues to help with her dancing group. 

Ileth finds herself meeting new friends, as well as keeping her old ones.  When a request comes from a Lord claiming to be her father, she is forced to leave the academy and spend time with her powerful and wealthy father and his wife, which changes things for her (having grown up poor). But in time, her friend Santeel will visit, and together they work on the father to allow Ileth to return to her training to become a dragoneer.   

Ileth continues to be a wonderful heroine, who is smart, savvy, loyal and always willing to go beyond. I loved how she made friends with Aurue, a young Dragon, who befriended her.  I hope in future books, perhaps in time she will become his dragoneer.  But it was great to follow her journey, meeting new friends and dragons, as well as riding one of the dragons back home.   With a war on the horizon, Ileth will have to step up to help, proving how good she has become, even at the age of 17.

Daughter of the Serpentine was an excellent story line, with a wonderful heroine, very good secondary characters, dragons, exciting and action packed.  As I had said in my previous review, I thought there was a bit too much details that slowed down the story a bit. I did enjoy the book and look forward to finding out where EE Knight is going to take us in the next book.  If you enjoy fantasy, dragons, training, and a wonderful young heroine, I suggest you read this series.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by  Publisher

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The Eagle Claw Legend by M.A. Abraham – a Review

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The Eagle Claw Legend by M.A. Abraham – a Review

 

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Description:
The moment Gabriel’s father, Tyrian, looks upon his son he knows the child is destined for greatness. It is something he is determined to train him well for, as he knows the Fates never give gifts of this magnitude without a reason.

Danaë, Gabriel’s mother knows her mate well enough to fear for the way he will teach their son. Tyrian isn’t the only one aware of the heavy hand of the Fates. She does as well and is determined to shield him from the harsh road he will be forced to travel. It is a dream that will be denied when she is killed in battle when Gabriel is only six.

It is the beginning of Gabriel’s climb to power and how he comes to be known as the fiercest warrior in the Elven lands. He is both feared and respected by friend and foe alike. In war Elven Warriors shout their battle cry, ‘Eagle Claw’ as they race to attack their enemies. Their enemies quake at the sound as they know who they will soon face. He is Gabriel, High Lord General of the Combined Elven and Fae Armed forces, and he has no equal in the land.

 

 

Review:

The Eagle Claw Legend by M.A. Abraham is a novella set in her wonderful Elven Legends world. As we recognize by the title, this is about our illustrious hero, Gabriel and how he became the High Lord General of the Combined Elven and Fae Armed Forces.  The story begins with the birth of Gabriel to Danae and Tyrian, and his wife’s determination to allow her son to enjoy the early years of his life.  Tyrian begins immediately to slowly train Gabriel on basic things, as he knows the fates plan is to make his son into the ultimate warrior..bar none.

Danae is killed in a battle when Gabriel was only 6 years old, and despite his grief, he cannot show his father any emotions, as the father will begin to push for more strict training.  Gabriel has a brother, whom he has not seen for hundreds of years, and when Tyrian lies on his death bed, the older son is called home. Lorenth senses the life Gabriel has had all these years, and in a short time, they do become closer, as he plays pranks, and forces Gabriel to enjoy a little and have fun.

With the Demon war on the horizon, Gabriel proves his uncanny ability to sense where the enemy is, as well as training his warriors fiercely; which leads to the utmost respect and loyalty not only from his warriors, but from the Kings and leaders. Nothing gets done without the approval of Gabriel, who continues to be the best leader/warrior there ever will be.

With the help from other Kings and the Fae, they learn about the Dragons, and with their help, the tide changes in their favor.  It was nice to see some of our favorites from where it all began, King Daroth, Serenity, C’Liandra, Marious, Aren, Liessen, and in the last chapter, we hear the name of Eden (our ultimate heroine), whom Gabriel has not met yet.

This was a fun, as well as interesting story showing us how Gabriel grew up with a dominant father, and started as a child to learn to be what was expected of him by the Fates.  The Eagle Claw Legend was fast paced read, and brought back many memories.  If you are a big Elven Chronicles fan, you need to read this novella; very well done by M.A. Abraham.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy supplied for review

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Power Divided by S. Behr – a Review

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Power Divided by S. Behr – a Review

 

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Description:
Violet is the princess of Neyr, the third of the Nine Realms of Amera. At least, she was until the day came when Violet was to demonstrate her abilities to the people and solidify her place in Ameran Society.
The citizens of Amera have extraordinary abilities, from living on the ocean floor to flying in the air.
But no one can turn back time.
When the unthinkable happens, tearing her heart and her family in two, Violet flees and is unable to escape a tidal wave of events that brings her face to face with forgotten truths buried for millennia.
Only the discovery of a thousand lifetimes may provide the key to her return home.
When old enemies arrive on the shores of Neyr, distrust and prejudice resurface. Secrets begin to explode all around Violet, setting her world on fire, and those she loves fall into the sights of a terrorists’ plan to eradicate their enemies. But Amera stands in their way, and with no mercy, the enemy is willing to go through the innocent to get what they want.
Violet turns to her best friend Lily, and a few unexpected new friends,
who band together to save what they can of her realm, and the rest of Amera.
But in the storm that has turned her world upside down, will Violet be able to overcome the nightmare of her past in order to save the future of everyone in Amera, and perhaps the world?

 

 

Review:

Power Divided by S. Behr is the first book in her new YA fantasy The Evolutionaries series. This is a new author for me, and I was pleasantly surprised how much I did enjoy Power Divided.   The story starts with a bang, as our heroine, Violet, who is the princess of Neyr (part of the Nine Realms of Amera), has to show her unique abilties, when everything goes haywire and her father lies mortally wounded. Amerans have many extraordinary abilities, such as flying in air, able to live under water, absorb energy, etc.

A distraught Violet runs away only to find herself in the middle of nowhere, with no food or water, and a cute adorable baby fox to help her find her way.  In a cave, she comes across a wall/door, and as she presses her hand on the wall, it automatically opens up for her and her fox companion, who is injured.  It is here we meet one of the best characters in this story, Hailey, a holographic (AI), who will help the injured fox (named Jane), and explain that she is in the “Ark”, a treasure of history locked up, with information of everything before the ice age destroyed the world.  Once she is in this Ark, the storyline does slow down a bit, as with all first books in fantasy, there is a lot world building.  But less then a quarter of the way into the story, it begins to pick up and become very exciting.

Violet is in her glory for a few weeks, having always loved history, as Hailey helps show her how the world evolved, until she knows something is wrong, and she needs to go home; especially with a new group of people trying to access the Ark.

When Violet arrives back home, she is happy to find her father still alive; but she will also learn why she has never been able to master an ability; which not only angers her, but causes a rift between her family.  But Violet has to be strong, and step up as the princess she is, now that Amera has been visited by a group (Hg-1) who have come to get help, as they are being threatened by another group that is determined to destroy them.

The best part of this story is the wonderful secondary characters that Behr has created.  We meet the group who have arrived for help, such as twins Kai and Lance, and young Penelope.  We also get to know more about the Amerans, which include Violet’s friends, such as Lily, Rall and princes from other Ameran realms, such as Leo & Siri.   I really liked all the characters, which always makes the story so much more enjoyable.  Of course, I absolutely loved Hailey, who was so much fun, and Jane, the baby fox.

What follows is an exciting action filled suspenseful adventure that will have us holding our breaths in the last third of the book, with a surprise attack, destruction, death and the amazing abilities by those we began to care about to survive.  I loved Violet, who became such a great heroine, as well as bringing everyone together as a team. 

I really enjoyed Power Divided, and amazed how well S. Behr wrote this story, being her debut novel; especially being Fantasy and all the world building. I for one, cannot wait to read the next book in this series.  If you love fantasy, then I suggest you read  Power Divided.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy supplied for review

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Alpha and Omega by Carol T. Luna – a Review

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Alpha and Omega by Carol T. Luna – a Review

 

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Description:
Ao never believed in monsters—not after being branded one since childhood. Exiled, he lives with his adoptive guardian, Kaisei Aizawa, amidst verdant valleys surrounded by desolation. 

Humanity only had themselves to blame for the wretched landscape. Their war poisoned the seas. Their greed coveted the fertile and the green.  

Their ambition set it ablaze. 
One hundred years had passed since the war banished Talus to the skies. Doomed to chase the sun, the once proud nation survives as a floating city. But the fallen always hunger for more. 

When the Talarians descend to claim the earth as their own, Ao escapes capture—but nothing is without its price. The only man he ever saw as family, Kaisei, is imprisoned instead.  

Ao vows to rescue him, no matter the cost—even if it means taking a stand against the most powerful nation left on earth. He knows of the risks. He knows of the dangers. But never would he know that someday, somehow, he would finally believe in monsters. 

 

Review: 

Alpha and Omega by Carol T. Luna is the first book in her Project Blue series.  After killing his sister, Ao was banished, he would have died if it hadn’t been for the Doc, he took him, and began to teach him trapping and showed Ao how to fight, how to put that restless energy into something else. They live a simple life, going to the outpost to trade. It’s Ao’s highlight, and he has managed to get a gift for his friend and guardian. 

Not quite sure how old Ao is, I’m thinking late teens maybe. 

They are trading when it all goes horribly wrong for Ao. Talarians are seen in the distance, this land they live in isn’t to be invaded. But that’s not what happens, Ao goes to fight, and in the ensuing commotion, his beloved friend and guardian Kaisei is taken!! 

Reading the back cover, I got the distinct impression that Ao was either disfigured or looked like a monster. So are we talking metaphorically? Because he killed his sister?He’s an outcast in his village, so maybe he sees himself a monster. 

Ao needs to find and rescue Kaisei, if not for his friend, Ao would have been lost. He’s been like a father to him, but Ao has no idea where to go, so he follows the slave train in the hopes of seeing and maybe freeing Kaisei….. 

Ao is captured by the Talarian’s, but he manages to escape. Still hoping to find Kaisei, Ao never gives up hope, and there are a lot of things he has to do in order to survive…..

Ao is found and cared for by a group of freedom fighters known as the Silver Legion. He joins them in his bid to find and rescue Kaisei. There are plenty of battles to keep the bloodthirsty happy. Monsters that hunt them as well as the Talarian guards. Ao gets himself into a few scrapes, and a few close moments to dying. But his will to survive is stronger than his will to give up, he knows Doc is alive, and would be searching for him if he could. 

So does Ao find Kaisei? Will he be persuaded to join the Silver Legion? And what are the Talarian’s up to? And why do they only want the young people? A few questions that I’m hoping the next book will answer ?

Wow, that was really good. A post apocalyptic world. The author had really captured it well. The fight scenes were pretty well graphic, but brief. The characters were really well thought out, and I could picture them really easily. Daru was one of my favourite’s the trader and friend, some of his witty comebacks had me chuckling. Gen a silver legion fighter, her dry sense of humour is a good companion for Ao as they search for his guardian. The scenes flow from one chapter to another (you get some that seem to jump around too much). I’m definitely ready to read book 2. 

Reviewed by Julie B

Copy supplied for review

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An Elven Love Song by M.A. Abraham – a Review

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An Elven Love Song by M.A. Abraham – a Review

 

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Description:
Well after the Drazon Wars, in the Valley gifted to the humans that once rode at the side of the Elves…

Matrium, the only child of Segreth and Larieth of the Valley is a lonely Elven Princess despite the love of all the people surrounding her. She yearns for her Life Mate, although she is not aware of doing so, or of his existence.

Gaylon is a musician in the lands of his ancestors of the Elven Empire and he can feel the lure of his Life Mate. In his heart there is only love and a song, one he will only play to one. He rides to seek her out and win her heart.

With one glance the two lovers know they were meant to be. Yet, true to her Light Elven heritage, Matrium will fight the attraction, while Gaylon plays their song to guide her to his side.

This is their song.

 

 

 

 

Review:

An Elven Love Song by M.A. Abraham is a novella from her Guardians of the Empire series. An Elven Love Song is very difficult to write a review, since not only being a novella, but also saying too much would reveal the entire story line.

Gaydon, our hero, is an ancient elf and musician; he begins to have visions that he needs to leave the Empire and travel to the valley, where something awaits him. He trusts those visions are being sent by the Fates.  Gaydon has been around a long time and has given up on finding his mate.

Matrium, is an Elven princess, who loves the Valley, and she too gets vibes that something or someone is coming to their land.  As she senses the person coming is in bad shape due to the bitter cold in their land, and she rushes out to save him.

What follows is Gaydon, once recovered, sings his love songs to Matruim, showing her his feelings, and only she can hear him.  She enjoys spending time with Gaydon, and the wonderful things he does for everyone in the Valley.  But she worries, as she knows nothing about having a lifemate.  Matruim will learn more from her mother, and see Gaydon as she was meant to see…her Lifemate.

An Elven Love Song was a short sweet romance between two people that were chosen by the fates to find true love.  This was a fun, sweet story line that was also a fast read. 

Reviewed by Barb

Copy supplied for review

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