Review: Marked by Magic (The Baine Chronicles Book 4) by Jasmine Walt

Marked by Magic by Jasmine Walt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another Great Installment

This series goes from strength to strength. I love Sunaya’s character and how she is conflicted about her heritage, but still tries to help those that reject her because of it.

Tensions in the city have ramped up significantly, and Sunaya has to return to the palace for her own safety. Her life has been threatened, but she wants to know what’s happening in her beloved city, so goes out under magical disguise. Her encounters with humans, shifters and mages, whilst in disguise, reveal a lot of secrets that help her work with the Chief Mage. She is trying to fight for the rights of humans and shifters against the entrenched opinions of the Mage Council.

At the same time as trying to protect the city, she is trying to control herself. She is in heat and is desperate to avoid having sex with anyone other than Iannis, but at the same time is unwilling to settle for something other than a full relationship with him. It’s a difficult path to tread for a shifter in heat, but it seems she might be getting some help from a mystical source.

This is such a good series, with well rounded and fascinating characters. It’s got a well paced plot, with fun twists along the way. The romance is not the main focus of the series, or even this book, but it is more significant in this particular book after the tension has climbed slowly over the last few books between Sunaya and Iannis. The sex is not overly explicit and the romance aspect is the focus of the relationship.

I highly recommend you read this series if you enjoy either fantasy or urban fantasy. If you do, then this could well be a series you would enjoy.

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Review: Torture (Terraway Series Book 3) by Mary E Twomey

Torture by Mary E. Twomey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Aptly Named Book

The book starts out with the torture of October in Terraway. After she is freed through the efforts of the council, she returns Topside to recover, with her equally tortured Von and Mason. Throughout the whole book we are shown the aftermath of October’s trip to Terraway and the impact of isolation and starvation on her psyche.

The relationship she has with those around her seem very shaky in this book. They seem to teeter between growing close or being blasted further apart. Of course it doesn’t help that both Mason and Von were also tortured and that they weren’t the most stable of souls to start off with. These shaky relationships dredge up some difficult feelings from the past as well as the present and October’s emotions are hit hard. Being stuck for the rest of her life, with her two Reapers, makes it hard to find an even keel when they upset her.

It also doesn’t help that October is being visited in her dreams by a beautiful man who seems to be more than a figment of her imagination, if only she could recognise it.

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Review: Hunted by Magic (The Baine Chronicles Book 3) by Jasmine Walt

Hunted by Magic by Jasmine Walt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Excellent Plot

The third book in this series builds seamlessly on to the first two. The tension is ratcheted higher between all three races with the disappearance of the Chief Mage. Iannis didn’t reach the Convention being held in the capital and there is no trace of how and where he disappeared in a vast area that was flown over by dirigible.

After his disappearance his council decide to take the opportunity to take advantage of his absence. Sonaya is threatened with arrest and forbidden from seeking out Iannis. Of course this does not stop her, especially with the charm that links them to help her find him. She calls on help from her allies and sets off to find her Master.

There is a lot of action in this book, as there was in previous ones, but it also covers some character progression and history. In particular we find out more about Fenris and Iannis, their friendship and their history. We also look at Iannis’ deeper motivations and feelings. There are tidbits of hints about Mage history and culture that are dropped casually through this book too, which is always of interest.

I really enjoyed this book and the tension has been cranked exponentially for what comes next in a city that has been betrayed by it’s ruling class.

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Review: Weakened Mountains (Artemis University Series Book 4) by Erin R Flynn

Weakened Mountains by Erin R Flynn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Enjoyable and Entertaining Read

Tamsin is due to start her second semester at Artemis Academy and she has a lot to get through before it starts. Her responsibilities seem to increase every time she turns around and trying to do it all whilst trying to hide her nature isn’t easy.

When she returns to Artemis she is attacked by someone she thought was a friend and carries the wound of that misjudgement as well as the attack.

Tamsin faces many challenges in this book but there is no ‘great big bad’ that she has to deal with. It’s lots of little issues that crop up, that are important just not a single driving impetuous to the plot. However all these little things add up to show who Tamsin is and the challenges she faces as she learns more about herself as the last fae.

This series is tremendously enjoyable and I love how Tamsin fights against injustice and prejudiced behaviour, whilst rewarding the good guys. She’s an unusual character and I love how she finds out that some of her more interesting character traits are due to her fae nature.

A highly entertaining and enjoyable book, but you need to read the rest of the series first.

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Review: Surviving Plagues (Artemis University Series Book 3) by Erin R Flynn

Surviving Plagues by Erin R. Flynn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Fun and Easy Reading

This author is very good at giving her female lead characters something to fight against. With Tamsin she is fighting against the corruption inherent in system that does not hold the rich and the powerful accountable, whilst suppressing those without wealth or power, by giving them no avenue to hold their leaders to account.

Since day one in the supernatural world, Tamsin has been fighting a battle for fairness, that seems to be part of her fairy nature. With all the leaders of the supernatural world wanting to have Tamsin declare her race so they can have her power for themselves, she is fighting on multiple fronts to protect herself and the people she cares about, especially when someone decides to launch the biblical plagues against the school until she reveals her race.

At the same time as dealing with serious subjects such as racial and sexual equality and fighting against corruption, Tamsin still gets to have fun, going on dates and getting hot and bothered with her lovers.

This book also sees Tamsin’s secret opened to more and more people, making her fearful for her safety, but she hasn’t been let down yet.

This book is a fun read and despite it’s sometimes serious topics it’s not angsty in any way. I recommend this series, but you need to start at the beginning to understand this book at all.

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Review: From the Ashes (The Phoenix Project Series Book 1) by Candice M Wright

From the Ashes: The Phoenix Project by Candice M. Wright
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wonderfully Dark

Cameron is dying. She has terminal breast cancer and as a way to help her family after she is gone she has signed up to a secret government project as a test subject. On her death her medical bills will be taken care of and her family will get $1m. She doesn’t have the best relationship with her mother but she adores her 6 year old half brother Charlie with all her heart and she wants him to have a good life.

She’s on a coach in a convoy of several thousand terminal patients like her. They turn up at a small town built to house the subjects and she is place in an apartment with a group of men, due to confusion over her name. She’s had a double mastectomy and is bald due to chemo so she can pass as a sick young man so she hides her identity and finds out she’s been housed with a bunch of criminals.

This wonderfully dark and twisted tale is filled with fascinating characters and a complex plot. It’s filled with hot scenes between Cam and her men, but there is also a great deal of tenderness, friendship and love, amidst the fear of pain and death. You get sucked into the story and wish for Cameron’s happiness because with her life she deserves some.

The end of the book has all sort of information dumped on the reader and I could feel my eyes popping out as the story completely changed direction. I hate cliff hangers but the second book in the duet is due out in April 2020, so I’m not worried about waiting too long. This book also may have ended on a cliff hanger but it was also a very natural break in the story as the plot veered towards something different.

As always, this author captivates and compels the reader to keep on reading just one more page. She creates incredible characters and places them in extraordinary situations and all we have to do is watch with our jaws wide open. Every book I’ve read by this author is outstanding. This book is no exception. I highly recommend you read it!

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Review: Reorganized Wolf (Seraphine Thomas Series Book 12) by Erin R Flynn

Reorganized Wolf by Erin R Flynn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

So Many Plot Strands

This book is complex to say the least. It’s not got the breakneck speed of some of the books in the series, but it has lots of different strands all moving quite quickly.

Sera has been sent to Russia to deal with the aftermath of dealing with the Russian Mob in New York. Whilst she’s there she confronts a Wolf Alpha who confirms that the Elders on the Shifters Council are playing their manipulative games again by spreading rumours about Sera.

When she gets back home things end up changing radically both at work and personally. She has a new boss and an old enemy emerges causing fear for the safety of her and her loved ones. There are politics aplenty in this book and it sets up future problems for Sera and the other supernaturals of Chicago to deal with.

In her fear, Sera calls in a favour of someone she would normally run away from, and sets other things into motion. She juggles the personal, the profession and the political like a master acrobat and I have to watch in awe how this very clever character deals with her problems with honesty, integrity and strength.

I’m not sure if there are any more books in this series, but I really hope so, because I’ve enjoyed every single one.

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Review: Provoked Wolf (Seraphine Thomas Series Book 11) by Erin R Flynn

Provoked Wolf by Erin R. Flynn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Dealing With the Fallout

This book is less action packed than Book 10, and it spends most of the time dealing with the fallout. Sera has to deal with the aftermath of all the arrests made in New York with attacks from the cartel.

Sera spends more time getting back up to full strength after her ordeal as she also has to deal with the Shifter Council who still treat women like second class citizens. This is a recurring theme in this book, as Sera has to deal with students at the local college harassing some young female shifters because of their race. It seems it’s time to educate the world about how the Shifter Council works, enforce the laws and protect those she loves. She also has to face someone from her past, that could have a massive impact on her future.

There are a lot of political messages in this book, which I don’t mind, but others might do. I don’t mind because I believe that politics affect everyone’s day to day existence and to ignore them means to ignore things that have a massive impact on everything in your life. Ignoring the laws of the land and how they affect the citizens of that nation is ignoring a big part of how plots can affect a character. However, some people don’t enjoy politics with their paranormal romances. It’s not overdone, but it’s definitely noticeable.


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Review: Recovering the Siren (Seraphine Thomas Series Book 10) by Erin R Flynn

Recovering the Siren by Erin R. Flynn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Playing Politics

This book is all about recovering Sera from her kidnappers, and her recovery from that ordeal. After getting out of hospital she heads back home and starts the long road back to full health, but that doesn’t stop her being involved in paranormal politics once she catches up.

Most of this book is paranormal politics, even including the presidents of two different countries! Sera wants to make things better for all people, not just the shifters, but do that she needs the paranormal game playing to take a back seat for once, and it’s not easy trying to make it happen.

It’s interesting to watch Sera being fragile physically and being low on power, because from the very first book, even when human, she has been strong and confident and capable. Whilst she is recovering, Sera is frail, in pain and unable to defend herself. It’s a radical change from being the all powerful alpha she had been, but it proves to her how much people care, as they rally around and provide protection and support.

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Review: Flames of Truth (The Lost Fae Series Book 1) by AC Pontone

Flames of Truth by A.C. Pontone
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Interesting Idea But A Bit Clunky In Places

I’d probably give this book 3.5 ⭐️ if I could.

This book had some great ingredients but it seemed to a lack a little on execution.

Emma is 17 years old and holds down two jobs as well as going to school. Her life is hard and unhappy. Her Dad has Parkinson’s and her mother died when she was so little she can’t remember her. In order to keep the family business going Emma works as a mechanic in her father’s garage. In order to make ends meet and pay his medical bills she gets paid under the table working in a nightclub that also expects her to pole dance. She hates this job but it pays well.

At school she is bullied relentlessly by someone who used to be her best friend, who is the daughter of the town’s mayor, so she manages to draw the rest of the school into her bullying. On top of this she has visions of the future that are so debilitating she has nosebleeds. Oh and she’s had a stalker for the last four years, she hasn’t told anyone about.

Into all this unhappiness steps four brothers, two who are her teachers and two who are students and she is drawn to them.

These bones are great and the concept of what the brothers are to Emma is interesting. However, the relationship with the brothers starts out shaky and ends well, but how they transition is done in a very choppy way. One days she resents them, the next everything is fine and there seems to be little to demonstrate how that happens. There is no gradual change in emotions it just happens because ‘magic’.

I really wanted to like this book because it has lots of things I enjoy in it, but there was just something lacking and I can’t put my finger on it, except to say it was clunky and that lack of subtlety annoyed me, because it could have been so much more with a little bit more finesse.

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Review: Bounty (Kaliya Sahni Series Book 1) by KN Banet

Bounty by Kristen Banet (K.N. Banet)
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Superb Spin Off Urban Fantasy

This book is set in the same universe as the Jacky Leon books that I have enjoyed so much, by this author. KN Banet is the pen name Kristen Banet is using for her Urban Fantasy books.

Kaliya is a Tribunal Executioner. The Tribunal is the only ruling body the supernatural world has and the are set up to prevent the exposure of the supernatural to humans, beyond what little is already known. They mainly enforce the various treaties in place between the species as the species usually deal with problems within their own race without getting the Tribunal involved.

Kaliya is the last female naga alive and as such is one of the two leaders of her race. She is a loner and is often bad tempered and unpleasant to deal with, but I loved her character, despite her many and various flaws. She has very few friends, but one of them reaches out to her to find out about a bounty that has been raised to capture a human, which is pretty unusual for a supernatural bounty. Her curiosity is piqued and she agrees to look into the matter, and she finds much more than she bargained for.

This book is to be the first in a series of 6 books and the set up of this first one is exceptional. This author proves time and again with each knew book that she is the master of the set up. She grabs hold of your attention from page one of a book and doesn’t let up until the last page of the last book in the series is read. With using The Tribunal universe again, there is already a lot of work in place for her to draw on when setting up this series, but you don’t need to read the Jacky Leon books to understand the set up.

I liked that Kaliya is prickly and has many enemies. She is defensive and sharp when prodded. However, she is strong, loyal, intelligent and determined. Her character as well as all others in the book are well thought out and have depth. I love hearing all about them.

This book does not end on a cliff hanger but there are lots of questions left unanswered, which is why it’s unsurprising that this is intended to be the first book of six. This book is such a great set up that I can’t wait to read what this author has in store for us next.

This book is definitely worth a read, and if you haven’t read the Jacky Leon books, I’d recommend those books too.

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Review: Invading Alpha (Seraphine Thomas Series Book 9) by Erin R Flynn

Invading Alpha by Erin R. Flynn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Dealing With New York

This book has Sera and the FBI finally coming to deal with the problem that is New York. The New York Alpha put a hit out on Sera when she first became Alpha which means she can deal with him without going through all the normal fights for the position with lower ranking wolves. They have been fighting to stay afloat since this happened and now they finally are going to deal with it.

To help her, her adopted mother has sent her eldest daughter to take control of the New York pack once it’s been cleaned up. Their first meeting does not go well. When they finally get to New York they find help from the fae and the vampires as well as the shifter council. Glad to see Apollo, that happiness is soon turned upside down with the other councilman he brought with him shows his darkness to Sera.

With all the paranormal stuff going on, you’d think there wouldn’t be much time for anything else, but you’d be surprised who bad wolves get involved with in New York.

This book is very plot heavy and is back to how the series started with lots of crime fighting, whilst still trying to do her best for other people. It’s face paced and gripping. I highly recommend this book.

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Review: Rebuilding the Wolf (Seraphine Thomas Series Book 8) by Erin R Flynn

Rebuilding the Wolf by Erin R. Flynn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Valentine’s Fun

This book starts in the wind up to Valentine’s Day. Obviously it’s a big weekend at Siren’s Kiss, but it seems that all of Sera’s lovers are going all out to woo her in the manner to which she wants to become accustomed.

It’s nice hearing a bit more about Sera’s past, which we get in this book, and we hear that she’s never really been on a proper date and will the fall out from the spell cast on her lovers in the previous book, all her lovers want to spoil her by dating her slowly and proving their feelings for her, as she continues to create a foundation on which to deal with all her chaos.

Into all the romance is thrown problems with other packs, vampires and a paranormal coup in Iran. It seems that that Sera’s problem solving skills are essential in many situations.

It’s another good book in the series that I just can’t seem to stop reading. I do recommend it, but you need to start at the beginning, rather than jumping in with this book as the first one. It’s worth it!

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Review: Aryana's Journey (Excalibur's Decision Series Book 1) by Aspen Black

Aryana's Journey by Aspen Black
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Merlin is Fae!

This was an enjoyable fantasy where Merlin and the knights of the round table are fae, though King Arthur was human. It’s now the 23rd Century and the human race has largely fallen back to the dark ages. Merlin is on the hunt for the next king of the fae, using Excalibur to see if anyone can pull the sword from the stone.

Aryana is a normal human girl who was orphaned young and raised by the cook and stable master of the richest man in town. Despite being orphaned young, she seems pretty happy with her lot. Her adopted family are really lovely people and they treat her well. Her job in the kennels is something she loves doing and everything is good except for her recurring nightmares.

When Aryana pulls Excalibur from the stone on a dare she is stunned to be proclaimed the new monarch.

This book is a fairly straight forward slow burn reverse harem fantasy book. I felt there wasn’t a lot of character development sadly, as I really believed that would have been very interesting. The plot was pretty straight forward until the last chapter when everything took a bit of unexpected turn. It made me want to read the next book, I just wish the rest of the book could have had as many twists.

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Review: The Queen's Bargain (The Black Jewels Series Book 10) by Anne Bishop

The Queen's Bargain by Anne Bishop
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Continues The Series Beautifully

This series is a firm favourite of mine and I was worried about the direction this book might go. The blurb seems to point towards the main character of the story being Jillian, but though she is a pivot point around which the plot hangs, she is only part of the story.

As well as dealing with Jillian’s first love and the problems that arise because of her choice of man, the story also covers Sadi’s marriage and the problems that can arise through lack of communication. It also covers the way the courts of Lucivar’s territory have changed over the years since Jaenelle’s passing, of which Jillian’s problems are a part.

This author is capable of writing characters that step off the page and move into your heart and mind. This author always delves deep into the character’s emotions and history in a way that rings true and makes them more real. Her worlds are crafted with integrity and commitment. The magic systems and social constructs are incredibly well thought out and are always consistent.

This story is complex and powerfully told. The characters are deep and interwoven with the history of centuries tying them together. It’s at times sad and other times beautiful and I really hope that there will be more in this series, because with a races that live for thousands of years, there is no reason for them to stop learning and growing enough to fill many more books to come.

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Review: Deck of Shadows (Beautiful Secrets Series Book 2) by Marie Robinson

Deck of Shadows by Marie Robinson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

World on Fire

I’d probably give this book 4.5 ⭐️ if I could.

This book starts where the last left off, with the bay on fire and metal boats burning. Ella’s powers have been let off the leash finally, after years of taking abuse and she wants the world to burn. It’s only the intervention of Romulus, submitting to her that brings her back to herself and prevents her from setting fire to the city.

She has two choices now, she can claim her inheritance or she can run. She decides to stay and fight and the men decide to stay and fight with her, even if it means turning against their own families.

The plot picks up in this book as the characters get thrown from one perilous situation to another. At the same time as working to keep Ella free, they all grow a tighter bond. Their friendship is tempered by the situation and their feelings for Ella. Never before has a warlock, shifter and vampire in positions of such power been friends. Is this how Ella is to burn down the world of the syndicates, or will it take a more literal flame to reduce it to ash?

This is an excellent follow up book, and I can’t wait to see how this second cliff-hanger plays out. Ms Robinson, you are an evil author!

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Review: House of Secrets (Beautiful Secrets Series Book 1) by Marie Robinson

House of Secrets by Marie Robinson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Clever, Dark and Passionate

This was a free book and I wasn’t really expecting much from it, as I’d never heard of the author. To my surprise it was superb. This book was dark and sexy, with clever allusions to fairy tales and myths. It starts off as a Cinderella inspired paranormal reverse harem romance and turns into something a little darker with clever plot twists and a hell of a cliff hanger.

Eleanora is an orphan who’s father died when she was 9. Her mother had disappeared mysteriously years earlier. Her father re-married a woman with two daughters and after the death of her father she was transformed into an unpaid servant, hidden by veils from the wealthy and powerful warlock society that she should be a part of.

The story starts the night of a masquerade ball, held to unite different syndicates within the magical world; shifters, vampires and warlocks. Eleanora needs to find someone powerful enough to help her gain her freedom from her stepmother and access her magical heritage.

It’s a very captivating book and the sex scenes are hot, but not too graphic. The scenes convey the passion and desire of four people coming together for the first time in way that pulls you into their emotions.

Eleanora is strong and proud of her heritage, despite being little more than a slave who is hated for her scars and her inheritance, but people who are supposed to look after her. Her strength shows in the way she fights to gain her freedom despite her well founded fears. She knows the risks, fears the consequences of her actions, but still continues with her plans, because she can’t see any other way of escaping her situation, which she can no longer bear.

Thankfully the second book already seems to be available, otherwise I’d be very disappointed. I really want to read the next book, as this one sucked me in completely, not letting me go until the last page was turned.

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Review: Shattered Alpha (Seraphine Thomas Series Book 7) by Erin R Flynn

Shattered Alpha by Erin R. Flynn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Slowing Down and Taking Stock

In this series there are a lots of times that Sera is overwhelmed and worked to exhaustion, she goes through traumatic events and people she loves let her down. Through it all she keeps on going, until one day, the final straw breaks and she needs to stop. Just get off the merry go round and deal with everything.

There is a build up to this breaking point and though Sera has been through things that seem worse sometimes its a cumulative thing that causes the snap. One of the things I like abut this series is that it acknowledges the effect trauma can have and who it effects each person differently, sometimes the same person differently at different times.

I love that Sera is a this badass alpha/FBI agent who can fight crime and the bad guys of the paranormal world, but still gets hurt by a careless word or phrase from a boyfriend. I like that can compartmentalise like nobody’s business but we see the aftermath of that shoving aside of the bad stuff. I also like that Sera has strong female friends and adopted family and support her and help her work through her problems and protect her to the best of their ability.

This is slower on the plot front than previous books, but emotionally it is still satisfying.

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Review: Hunted Wolf (Seraphine Thomas Series Book 6) by Erin R Flynn

Hunted Wolf by Erin R. Flynn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Helping Others

This book covers Sera and her FBI team heading out to Memphis to try and help the supernatural community after Virgil asks for help. Their pack is being persecuted, mainly by local churches, and their businesses are suffering.

Once again Sera has to walk through the minefield that is local politics and shifter culture. It seems like Virgil hasn’t given the full story.

Once again, in this book, we see Sera work herself into the ground for other people, though other people seem determined to take care of her as well.

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Review: Siren's Kiss (Seraphine Thomas Series Book 5) by Erin R Flynn

Siren's Kiss by Erin R. Flynn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Getting The Help You Need

This story didn’t have such an actively crime fighting plot to it. It was all about Sera, her feelings and learning to come to terms with her wolf and her siren. It was also about letting go of everything that she’d been blocking out and finally starting to get some help with everything she’d been burdened with.

This story, whilst not overly full of complex plot, was a necessary one for the progression of the series as a whole. It may not have been a particularly exciting book, but it was full of emotion and the warmth of Sera’s family helping an loving her.

One character I particularly loved in this book was Eva, Sera’s adopted grand-mother a wolf/siren who was over a 1000 years old. She was crazy fun and protective of her adopted grand daughter. I loved her ruthless practicality and so did Sera.

There were lots of little passages about the setting up of Siren’s Kiss the new club that Sera and Simone were opening, and the little details were incredibly thought out. It seemed like all the clever and detail orientated plot crafting went into things like how the kids were educated and how each man felt about Sera and how she felt about them in return. There were men from her past and new men met during the course of the book, not all of them are to be permanent lovers, but they all brought some sense of enjoyment of life back to her, which is something that Sera had been sadly missing.

I’m looking forward to see where this series heads next, now Sera is starting to feel more like herself again.

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Review: Achieve (Project Adapt Series Book 2) by Jade Waltz

Achieve by Jade Waltz
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

More Weird and Wonderful Alien Reverse Harem Goings On

I’d probably give this book 4.5 ⭐️ if I could.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series and this second part builds well on the first instalment. In this book we get to see how Selena adapts to life amongst many more races. Her ability to adapt and procreate successfully with every kind species she encounters makes her a valuable asset and other races seem determined to access her in some way, either through negotiation or through enslavement.

In a short space of time Selena has given birth, bonded to her nest mates and had to face many dangers, whilst trying to deal with post-partum hormones and lack of understanding of the cultures she is encountering for the first time. It leaves her erratic and unsettled, in a way that is completely understandable. She also has to nurture the feelings of her nest-mates so they don’t feel ignored or abandoned, whilst she is overwhelmed by outside forces.

I love that Selena is coming into her own and discovering her inner strength in this book. She is asserting her will on others and dealing with the consequences. I also enjoy hearing about all the other aliens cultures and biology. This author has an amazing imagination and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.

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Review: Gypsy King (Tin Gypsy Series Book 1) by Devney Perry

Gypsy King by Devney Perry
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

An Interesting Take on an MC Book

I’ve read a few of Devney Perry’s books, and have enjoyed them. When this book came out I thought the blurb was interesting and because I liked this author’s style I decided to try it out. I’m glad I did.

This book is more of an EX-MC book, rather a traditional MC book. This is because the MC no longer exists. The MC was disbanded a year before the start of the book. The book starts with Bryce Ryan, a reporter who has moved to a quiet town in Montana to share in her Dad’s dream of running the local paper. One thing that has piqued her interest is the story of a notorious MC, which suddenly disbanded, for no discernible reason. She is determined to ferret out the story behind the clubs closure, and she is sure the old club president, Dash Slater can tell her what it is.

Dash is reluctant to talk to a reporter, but is definitely attracted to Bryce and all their verbal interactions are fiery and lust filled. Things take a turn for the better for Bryce, and the worst for Dash, when Dash’s father Draven is arrested for murder. Bryce knows this is the story of the decade around their small town, but Bryce is determined to foil her attempts to convict his father in the press.

I loved that this story was about life for the characters after the MC was disbanded. It’s a point of view that I’ve never seen told. There is plenty in the book about how the characters felt about the activities they carried out during their past. They are still not Boy Scouts, but they do seem to have learned their lessons and tried to move on, away from illegal activities.

Bryce is a great character. She is strong, determined and also vulnerable. She wants a fresh start after spending years working in television and feeling like she’d got nowhere. She loves and admires her parents and wants to do the right thing, even if she gets carried away occasionally.

Dash is also interesting. He is someone trying to work free of his past and live life clean from illegal activities. He has many regrets and fears for the safety of his Dad. He is drawn to Bryce, but doesn’t want to become too embroiled in a relationship.

One thing about this book that drove me mad is that we sort of got a HEA epilogue, but the case with Draven is not closed by the end of the book and no one seems to know what happened to the victim and why. It means I’m going to have to buy the next book, because I need to know what happens.

Overall the book is well written and the characters are well rounded. I enjoyed reading this book and really want to know what happens next.

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Review: Bound by Magic (The Baine Chronicles Book 2) by Jasmine Walt

Bound by Magic by Jasmine Walt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Plot Thickens

I’d probably give this 4.5 ⭐️ if I could.

This second book of the series continues strongly with Sunaya trying to follow up with the Enforcer case into the death of her mentor. In fact she’d settle for any Enforcer case as she’s getting low on funds and would like to continue to live outside the Mage’s Palace and away from the very temping, and forbidden, Head Mage.

When she accidentally comes across Lakin, the shifter who took over for her mentor after his death, she finds him working on the file that seemed related to her mentor’s murder. Together they start to look into the case and find a slew of problems for the shifter community.

This book is heavily plot based and doesn’t focus much on the emotions or history of the characters. With a longer series you tend to have different focuses within each book, as the overall series is the driving factor in content. As such it’s sometimes hard to rate a book as an individual rather than an element of the whole. However, this lack of emotional content is the reason for the lower rating. I hope that the next book ups that part of the content.

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Review: Burned by Magic (The Baine Chronicles Book 1) by Jasmine Walt

Burned by Magic by Jasmine Walt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Interesting Alternate World Urban Fantasty

I really enjoyed this first book of the series, set in an alternate world where there are three main races, humans, shifters and the mages that rule them all. Mages are not particularly liked the other two races because they treat them like the dirt beneath their feet. Mages have all the power and they are happy to keep it.

Sunaya Baine, is a hybrid shifter/mage and has kept that secret her entire life. She doesn’t know who her father is and her mother died when she was 10 years old and took the secret with her. Sunaya doesn’t have a good relationship with the rest of her family and was pretty much raised by an enforcer, which is why Sunaya is one too. She’s worked hard to keep her magic a secret because in this world hybrid magic users are either killed or stripped of their magic, which often leaves them mentally damaged.

Sunaya is hot headed, passionate and determined to do the right thing. She’s an interesting character and I enjoyed reading about her antics. Her difficulties once her magic is discovered do not stop her trying to get justice for the dead, even if it means going head to head with the Chief Mage of the state, a mage that is cold, logical and still manages to have flashes of compassion. His character is even more fascinating that Sunaya, because we know so little about him, as we only see him through Sunaya’s eyes.

This is an ongoing series, and I’m interested to see how the story continues, as though the short term problems are resolved, the long term problems are still left dangling. There aren’t any cliffhangers, but there is definitely incentive to read the next book in the series, just to see what happens next.

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Review: Boundary Haunted (Boundary Magic Series Book 5) by Melissa F. Olson

Boundary Haunted by Melissa F. Olson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Excellent Book and Superb Performance

This review is based on listening to the audio book available through Audible. The narrator is Kate Rudd.

I have become a great admirer of Kate Rudd’s narration and this series has been part of that. She is an incredibly skilled actor who clearly differentiates between characters at the flip of a switch, which is not an easy task. It’s easy to forget that it is only one person reading the book sometimes. I found it difficult to stop listening to this audio book because her performance was so engaging.

The book itself was superbly constructed. This author never fails to deliver an excellent piece of fiction. Her world building is always fascinating and her characters are wonderfully engaging. I really love Allison ‘Lex’ Luther, a former Sargent in the Army. She is also a Boundary Witch, a witch who’s magic relates to the boundary between the living and the dead. It’s a very specialised type of magic and the witches who perform it were hunted down and killed over the centuries because of the nature of their magic being distasteful and because they have the ability to control vampires in the same way vampires control humans. This magic also means that Lex is someone who can see ghosts and help them move on to where they were originally supposed to go when they died. This is why she is called in to help the Cardinal Vampire of Atlanta, Beau. Beau is well known for eccentricities and he requests help to find his ‘missing’ ghosts. This have disappeared from all over Atlanta and Beau doesn’t want them to be gone as he is able to see them, unlike most vampires.

Lex is reticent to travel to a city packed full of ghosts after her recent run in with a tunnel filled with aggressive wraiths. However, her sister tells her to go to help her get over her fear. When Lex arrives she finds a much more complex situation than some missing ghosts, and she digs her heels in to find out who is stealing the ghosts and why..

There were several points during this book that I was sure I knew what was going on, only to change my mind a chapter later. This author is very good at dropping breadcrumbs that lead to a dead end, only to reveal a trap door hidden under the rug. The reader is kept on their toes all the way through as the plot is a complicated dance through vampire and witch culture in Atlanta. Lex is on her own as an investigator because her normal partner in these sorts of matters, Quinn, was unable to go with her. It meant that Lex’s character had a chance to grow and challenge her own capabilities.

One of the things I love about these books is that Lex is not an all powerful magical being. She has very real limitations and her magic is incredibly specific. In a narrow set of circumstances she is extremely powerful, but nudge one of those circumstances out of alignment and she’s forced to rely on her training as a soldier and her friends and allies. Lex nearly always works with a team and I love that, because her limitations force the author to plot creatively. It also adds extra dimension to her relationships with other characters.

I really hope that this author continues to write about Lex, because I think it will be a very long time before I get bored of this character and the wonderful world in which she lives.

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Review: Broken and Hunted (Echoes of Sol Series Book 2) by Charissa Dufour

Broken and Hunted by Charissa Dufour
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Perils in Space

This second book in the series, Echoes of Sol, is as much fun as the first. However, it’s built on the characters and it makes for a more rounded read.

Bit and the crew are trying to deliver a precious cargo to a company on Mars, the crew’s home planet. However, the cargo seems to have attracted far too much attention. On top of that, Blaine is acting strangely possessive of Bit. Bit is also scared that she is being followed. It could all be linked together, but no one knows.

This book has Bit and the crew dashing around the city on Mars, fighting for their lives, whilst revealing something of their past with each encounter.

It’s a fun read, but in addition the characters are well rounded, the plot is well paced and the writing is articulate and fluid. It’s definitely a good distraction read.

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Review: Trust and Treachery (Echoes of Sol Series Book 1) by Charissa Dufour

Trust and Treachery by Charissa Dufour
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Fun Space Opera Romance

I’d probably give this 3.5 ⭐️ if I could.

I’d not come across this author before but when the free book offer came up I read the description and thought I’d give it a go. I’m glad I did because it was a fun read.

Bit is an indentured servant, who was sold to pay off her father’s debts when she was 5 years old. Now at age 22, she still owes 1,000,000 credits on her debt and never expects to pay it off. She’s already had six owners but she’s never been passed over as a gambling debt before.

She is taken by an young and attractive man to a space freighter. Space travel is not something undertaken lightly by the public, though there are colonies. The man who won her is a pilot on his brother’s freighter and Bit will be the only woman with a crew of 16 men.

I like that Bit is sort of naive about things that would normally involve free will, such as relationships, but wary and cynical about things such as personal safety and the tempers of powerful men.

The men on the ship are interesting and there is a good mix of attitudes towards Bit, which gives balance.

The book is a short enjoyable read, and I’ll probably pick up the next book in the series, to see what happens next.

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Review: Tremble (Terraway Series Book 2) by Mary E Twomey

Tremble by Mary E. Twomey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This Is Such A Good Book

This series is drawing me in so quickly, I can barely stop for breath to write this review, before downloading the next in the series. (Thank you Kindle Unlimited for saving my bank balance!)

In this book we get to see a lot more about October’s troubled past. We still don’t know why her sister left and slowly withdrew from all contact, but we do hear about Judge, which is revealing.

October is starting to catch up on the backlog of souls required to keep the suns fed in Terraway. She’s trying to catch up and then get ahead for a few days so they can make a trip to Terraway in order to try and set things in place to help Omens in the future to not get so overwhelmed.

In addition to all the souls she’s collecting, October is becoming more comfortable with Von and Mason. They sleep together every night and whilst she sleeps the guys pull her negative emotions away, to keep her on an even keel. The problems seem to start when emotions start to become involved, especially when Mason seems to be clinging to his dead wife’s memory.

We see more of Terraway in this book and what the inhabitants are like and what they have been suffering through famine. We see their bravery and their loyalty and their hope that October can help them. I’m looking forward to seeing what the other lands are like.

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Review: The Melier: Home World (The Women of The Dor Nye Series Book 2) by Poppy Rhys

The Melier: Home World by Poppy Rhys
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Loving An Alien Isn’t Easy

Lucia and her mate Soren are returning to his home world Melier, with their new baby. Soren now has his memories restored and as a prince of Melier he needs to return to his duties, as well as his family. They know it’s not going to be easy for the Melians to accept Lucia because, as far as they are concerned, all humans are weak and backwards.

Despite expecting the worst, it’s still hard for Lucia and her mate to deal with the constant grinding disgust and hate for their relationship. Even Soren’s brother has been acting strange towards Lucia, and she doesn’t quite understand the way that matings work on Melier.

This is a good follow up book and rounds out the duet nicely.

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Review: Just Drop Out (Hannaford Prep Series Book 1) by J Bree

Just Drop Out by J. Bree
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Violence and Evil Deeds at Prep School

I’d probably give this book 4.5 ⭐️ if I could.

This book is an unusual blend of bully/academy/mafia. I’m not sure I like any of the characters but I couldn’t stop reading about them.

Eclipse or ‘Lips’ is a scholarship student at one of the best prep schools in the country. She never knew her father and her mother died of a drug overdose at the age of 9. She went into foster care and met some very dangerous people, who saw her potential and decided to test it. When she was given the opportunity for the scholarship she applied for emancipation and left her old life behind, only it doesn’t want to let go. In the mean time she’s got on the wrong side of the meanest and most ruthless family in the school and is alienated from Day 1.

This book has so many layers, you never know what’s going to crop up with the turn of the page. Who is going to be applying pressure, which member of staff is going to fold, or what outside forces will come to bear. It’s fascinating. But, like I said, I really don’t like any of the characters. Maybe I’ll be won over in the next book, because I think I need to know what happens next.

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