Review: Envy (The Deadly Seven Series Book 1) by Lana Pecherczyk

Envy by Lana Pecherczyk
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Really Good Superhero Romance

I really enjoyed this book. Lana Pecherczyk knows how to write a good story. Not only does she know how to write a good story, she knows how to write good characters.

It’s the hottest day in UK history when I read this book and it was good enough to distract me from melting into the sofa. I think that speaks volumes about how good the plot is!

This book is the first in a series about the 7 Deadly Sins. There are 7 siblings who were bio-engineered in a lab to epitomise their individual sin and be able to trace it.

The Deadly 7 had been fighting crime in Cardinal City until a family rift tore them apart and left only Envy working alone to help the public. Envy was the youngest of the Sins and as his alter ego Evan is an artist and owner of a tattoo parlour. When he is injured he meets Grace, an ER doctor and he instantly falls for her. He found his perfect balance and his abilities increased because of it.

I love the relationship that Grace and Evan fall into. It is supportive, loving and kind straightaway. Grace is a gentle soul, who has been through hell over the last few years and has learnt how to forgive. She tries to pass that on to Evan and he wants to learn. I also love that she has doubts, about loving a superhero, because who wouldn’t? Evan has always tried his best but blames himself for the family split. He is seeking redemption and Grace helps him get it.

I love the potential for this series. There is an ongoing enemy and each sibling brings a different set of problems to the table. Plus there is the ongoing interaction between the siblings that is interesting.

I will definitely be reading the next in the series.

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Review: Sinner (A Deadly Seven Series Origins Novella) by Lana Pecherczyk

Sinner by Lana Pecherczyk
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Excellent Introduction To A New Series

I’m not usually a huge fan of novellas but this one was crafted brilliantly. This book is a prequel to a new series and explains the set up for the series really well.

Flint works for a big firm working on innovative ideas that are supposed to make the world a better place. He is very intelligent and is an inventor using electronics and computer science to make robotics and other such wonders. He has also fallen for Sister Mary a young nun who works on a secret project, and despite not acting on his feelings, he can't seem to help himself.

Sister Mary isn’t really nun, she’s a designated Sinner for her Order which wants to fight misogyny and uses her skills to do so. She is in place to watch over a secret project that has bio-engineered children to be weapons against the 7 deadly sins.

This book is about what the future of those children looks like. The book is very well crafted and the characters are great. I really liked both Flint and Mary and the characters of the children were shown briefly. We are made to understand the nature of the world, that these characters exist in, and the sense of a failing society is outlined clearly. The children are pivotal to the future of this world, and this period of a couple of days, that the book recounts, determines their future.

The author has a great ability to create tension, without going overboard, and quickly induces empathy for the characters. I am really looking forward to the series, if this brief taste is an example of what is to come.

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Review: Blazing Petals (The Anomaly Series Book 2) by Aster North

Blazing Petals by Aster North
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was given this book as an Advance Reader Copy, by the author, but all opinions are my own.

After the great first book in this series, I was really hoping I wouldn’t be disappointed with the second book. I’m so relieved that I’m not. In fact I would say that this book is even better. Aster North has an incredibly creative mind that crafts plots and hones them like a sharp blade. Everything is carefully constructed and nothing is carelessly placed.

In my review of the first book, I stated that I wished there had been more about Cassie, but now I am pretty sure that the omission of information about her past was done on purpose. I don’t know what that purpose is yet, but there are mysterious hints in this book about what it might be. This is just one example of the careful construction of the plot in this series.

This second book in the series is all about how the relationship between Everly and the guys is working. It’s about them learning to communicate, understanding each other’s weaknesses and catering to them. The heat level is also elevated in this book, with several more scenes to charge the blood! I really like how the heat levels have slowly built through the two books, in tandem with the emotions, in a way that feels believable

In this book we also learn a little bit more about Everly and her powers, as she learns about them. In the last book Mr Li explained about how he’d witnessed her existence at the dawn of the Earth, but there is still so much to learn about Everly, both for us and for her.

We also get to see the action levels elevated in this book.  There are battles to fight and bad guys to squish and learning to do it as a team is paramount. It’s a lesson that Everly has to decide whether she is prepared to learn or not, because if she wants to keep the guys around, she’s going to have to change some things.

This really is a very good book. It’s excellently written and well edited and the style of writing is easy to read and flows beautifully. I love the characters that Aster North has created and as each book progresses they flesh out more and more, slowly taking shape as they open up to each other and the reader. I’ve already stated my appreciation for the author’s plot creation, but it bears repeating because it really is very good.

Read this book, but only after you’ve read the first one or you won’t have a clue about what is going on. I can’t wait for the third book in the series, I just know it’s going to be a corker!

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Review: Fallen Elemental (Elemental Series Book 1) by Tamara White

Fallen Elemental by Tamara White
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Interesting Story

I really liked the story, but the execution is a little clunky in places. The narrative is a little stilted at times, which is frustrating, because much of the time it flows well. This makes the stilted chunks stand out much more sharply.

I liked the world building a lot, with the idea of fallen angels having children with humans and creating elementals. I like the idea of heaven versus hell and the struggle for the waning power of the elementals leading to corruption of the race.

Much of the focus on this book is on Evie’s life and history. This means there is less time spent on the four men in her life. I’m hoping that the next book will address that imbalance because whilst I really like Evie’s character I want to know about the guys and why they are the way they are. I also want to know more about the elementals’ society and culture.

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Review: The Complete Lion Mistress Collection

The Complete Lion Mistress Collection by R.A. Steffan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Excellent Follow Up To The Horse Mistress

This trilogy is a continuation of the first four books in the Eburosi Series. The trilogy is self contained but the first four books give a great deal of background and world building, plus we are introduced to many of the main characters in this book when they were younger.

The story focuses on three individuals Favian, a young novice priest, Ithric, a lion shifter and Kathrael, an ex-slave/prostitute. Favian and Ithric have known each other for years and have a very difficult relationship. They have feelings for each other but Favian ran away from it because it scared him and felt it took him away from his need to serve the gods. Favian is a Seer and has true dreams, one of the main reasons he wants to be a priest.

We first met Kathrael in The Horse Mistress books when Carivel, Andoc and Senovo travelled to Rythe. Senovo stopped Kathrael getting a severe beating and allowed her to escape her slave master. Ending up alone she became a prostitute to stay alive. She hates Senovo who was prophesied to rescue Rythe and lead a slave uprising. He never returned to save her and her loved ones and believes that he turned away from his fate. Her hatred leads her to travel far North, to confront and kill Senovo, who she believed destroyed her life.

These three very different people end up working together towards helping the North, by helping the South free themselves.

It’s a really good story and the three main characters are well written and believable. The sex scenes are steamy and this is a true polyamorous relationship, with equality between the people involved, both in the relationship and in bed.

I enjoyed the world building in The Horse Mistress and my enjoyment continues in this trilogy as we get to know more about the various gods that are worshiped in Eburosa and how the societies of the various parts of the country have altered the way those gods are worshipped.

Some parts of the story are not easy to read because they are about slavery and the reckless disregard for life shown by those in power in Rythe. These horrors add to the story and show the strength that those fighting against their oppressors have.

As this is a trilogy there is space for the story to grow and we are shown really interesting supporting characters that enrich the story. Showing the environment in which the three lead characters exist gives their relationship depth.

A very enjoyable read. I’m sure I’ll read more in this series.

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