Tag: fantasy

A New Lease on Death (Supernatural Mysteries: Book 1) by Olivia Blacke

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books

Date of publication: October 29th, 2024

Genre: Mystery, Paranormal, Cozy Mystery, Mystery Thriller, Ghosts, Fiction, Thriller, Fantasy, Contemporary, Adult

Series: Supernatural Mysteries

A New Lease on Death—Book 1

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

In this darkly funny supernatural mystery about an unlikely crime-solving duo that launches a commercial, unique, and genre-blending series, death is only the beginning.

Ruby Young’s new Boston apartment comes with all the usual perks. Windows facing the brick wall of the next-door building. Heat that barely works. A malfunctioning buzzer. Noisy neighbors. A dead body on the sidewalk outside. And of course, a ghost.

Since Cordelia Graves died in her apartment a few months ago, she’s kept up her residency, despite being bored out of her (non-tangible) skull and frustrated by her new roommate. When her across-the-hall neighbor, Jake Macintyre, is shot and killed in an apparent mugging gone wrong outside their building, Cordelia is convinced there’s more to it and is determined to bring his killer to justice.

Unfortunately, Cordelia, being dead herself, can’t solve the mystery alone. She has to enlist the help of the obnoxiously perky, living tenant of her apartment. Ruby is twenty, annoying, and has never met a houseplant she couldn’t kill. But she also can do everything Cordelia can’t, from interviewing suspects to researching Jake on the library computers that go up in a puff of smoke if Cordelia gets too close. The roommates form an unlikely friendship as they get closer to the truth about Jake’s death…and maybe other dangerous secrets as well.

First Line:

I didn’t know how long I saw cross-legged in the snow, waiting for the dead man crumpled on the ground in front of my building to wake up.

Important details about A New Lease on Death

Pace: Fast

POV: 1st person (Cordelia and Ruby)

Content/Trigger Guidance: A New Lease on Death contains themes that include suicide, cheating, infidelity, domestic abuse, domestic violence, alcohol consumption, alcohol abuse, blood, body horror, dead bodies, physical injuries, death, grief, loss depiction, gun violence, murder, attempted murder, and physical assault. Please read carefully if you are triggered by any of these.

Language: A New Lease on Death contains mild swearing and language that might offend some people.

Sexual Content: There is mild sexual content in A New Lease on Death.

Setting: A New Lease on Death is set in Boston, Massachusetts.

My Review

The main storyline of A New Lease on Death was exciting and well-written. It is split into two POVs (Cordelia and Ruby) and then further divided into two separate storylines (Jake’s murder and Cordelia’s suicide).

The storyline of Jake’s murder was interesting. First off, I liked how Cordelia was first on the scene and waited for Jake to wake up (for lack of a better word). When that goes sideways, Cordelia returns to her apartment and Ruby. I liked how Cordelia revealed herself to Ruby (she was worried about her last living plant) and how they started investigating Jake’s death together. Ruby had me chuckling throughout the book as she struggled to communicate with a ghost and not look insane.

The storyline that involved Cordelia and her death was sad. The author deliberately kept the facts of her suicide few and far between. There was an acknowledgment that her drinking was a little much and that it could have been a factor in her death. Then, the author puts a neat spin on that angle and sends the storyline in a different direction.

Both mystery angles were well written. I was shocked at who killed Jake and the reason why. Everything said about the guy up until the reveal contradicted it. I also want to give Ruby kudos for bravery because I know I would have freaked out. As mentioned in the previous paragraph, I was surprised by the twist the author put on Cordelia’s death.

The end of A New Lease on Death was mixed for me. I loved that the author could wrap up the storyline with Jake. However, she left Cordelia’s storyline open, and I was slightly frustrated at how it was left. That frustration made me want to read the second book, so it worked.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin, NetGalley, and Kristyn J. Miller for allowing me to read and review this ARC of Given Our History. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

A Dark and Drowning Tide by Allison Saft

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Del Rey

Date of publication: September 17th, 2024

Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Lesbian, Queer, LGBT, Adult, Gothic, Fiction, Mystery, Young Adult

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | Kobo | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

A sharp-tongued folklorist must pair up with her academic rival to solve their mentor’s murder in this lush and enthralling sapphic fantasy romance from the New York Times bestselling author of A Far Wilder Magic.

Lorelei Kaskel, a folklorist with a quick temper and an even quicker wit, is on an expedition with six eccentric nobles in search of a fabled spring. The magical spring promises untold power, which the king wants to harness to secure his reign of the embattled country of Brunnestaad. Lorelei is determined to use this opportunity to prove herself and make her wildest, most impossible dream come true: to become a naturalist, able to travel freely to lands she’s only ever read about.

The expedition gets off to a harrowing start when its leader—Lorelei’s beloved mentor—is murdered in her quarters aboard their ship. The suspects are her five remaining expedition mates, each with their own motive. The only person Lorelei knows must be innocent is her longtime academic rival, the insufferably gallant and maddeningly beautiful Sylvia von Wolff. Now in charge of the expedition, Lorelei must find the spring before the murderer strikes again—and a coup begins in earnest.

But there are other dangers lurking in the dark: forests that rearrange themselves at night, rivers with slumbering dragons waiting beneath the water, and shapeshifting beasts out for blood.

As Lorelei and Sylvia grudgingly work together to uncover the truth—and resist their growing feelings for one another—they discover that their professor had secrets of her own. Secrets that make Lorelei question whether justice is worth pursuing, or if this kingdom is worth saving at all.

First Line:

Sylvia was in the river again. Lorelei didn’t need to see her to be certain of it.

A Dark and Drowning Tide by Alison Saft

Important things you need to know about the book:

Pace: The pace of A Dark and Drowning Tide alternated between slow and medium.

POV: A Dark and Drowning Tide is told from Lorelei’s 3rd person POV.

Trigger/Content Warning: A Dark and Drowning Tide has trigger and content warnings. If any of these triggers you, I suggest not reading the book. They are:

  • Death
  • Murder
  • Antisemitism
  • Eugenics
  • Colonization
  • Grief
  • Loss of Sibling
  • Blood & Gore
  • Violence
  • Dead Body
  • Injury Detail
  • Drowning
  • Drugging
  • Fire
  • Vomit
  • Alcohol Consumption

Sexual Content: There are sexual situations in A Dark and Drowning Tide. They are not graphic.

Language: There is mild swearing in A Dark and Drowning Tide. There is also language used that could be considered offensive to people.

Setting:  A Dark and Drowning Tide is set in Brunnestaad, Albe, Ebul, and The Vanishing Isle.

Age Range: I recommend A Dark and Drowning Tide to anyone over 21.

Plot Synopsis (as spoiler-free as I can get):

Lorelei is a folklorist who is the cohead of an expedition to find a fabled spring for the king of her wartorn country. As the expedition starts, her beloved mentor is killed, leaving her in charge. That enrages other party members until they are reminded why they are there. Lorelei is desperate to find the spring before her fellow expedition members make good on their threats to kill her. But she soon discovers there is more to the expedition than finding the spring. And that includes the tentative partnership with Sylvia von Wolff. Can Lorelei find the spring before they decide to kill her? Will she be able to prove herself to the king?

Main Characters:

Lorelei Kaskel (folklorist)—Lorelei was a tough character to like. She presented as very defensive and had an acid tongue on her. But, as the book went on, I began to see why Lorelei was the way she was. The hatred that she dealt with from certain party members was awful. She was on edge the entire time. However, her character started softening when Ludwig got cursed, and I liked her by the end of the book.

Sylvia von Wolff (naturalist)—I liked Sylvia but found her almost too naive. She acknowledged her friends’ faults, but at the same time, she protected them. I got very frustrated with her during the last half of the book. Even in danger, she still believed that her friends would do no harm. But, she did rise to the occasion during the critical battle scene.

Johann zu Wittelsbach (medic)—II couldn’t stand Johann, but at the same time, I pitied him. He was molded into what he was by his abusive father. In some parts of the book, the author conveyed that a part of him hated what he became. His death was one of the more gruesome ones in the book.

Heike van der Kaas (astronomer and navigator)—Heike came across as someone you didn’t want to mess with. But, as the book went on, she mellowed out. I figured out that she was all bark and no bite.

Adelheid de Mohl (thaumatologist)—Besides Ludwig, she was the kindest on the boat to Lorelei. So, when things went sideways, I was shocked at her role.

Ludwig von Meyer (botanist)—I liked him and wished he had more page time. But, the author took him out fairly early in the book.

My review:

A Dark and Drowning Tide is a wonderfully dark fantasy lesbian romance. When I read the synopsis on NetGalley, I knew I needed to read this book. So, I wished for it and was thrilled when I got the email that my wish was granted.

The main storyline of A Dark and Drowning Tide centers entirely on Lorelei and the journey to find the Ursprung. This storyline was wonderfully written. Lorelei and the team have to make trips that are intense and strange. They have to contend with dragons, mermaid-like creatures, forests that move, curses, and other obstacles. Those obstacles also include what they feel towards each other, whether hate or love.

The fantasy angle of the book was perfect. I enjoyed reading about how the magic works in this work, the different magical beings portrayed, and the various lands that they traveled through. I enjoyed that the magic wasn’t all sunshine and roses but had a darker element.

The romance angle was all right. It may be overshadowed by everything else that is going on in the book. It also seemed forced in some sections. But, overall, I enjoyed seeing Lorelei and Sylvia fall in love.

The mystery angle was interesting. I thought I had figured out who killed Ziegler. I wasn’t wrong; there was more to that than what the author initially let on. I was shocked when Lorelei figured it out in the middle of the book.

The end of A Dark and Drowning Tide was heartbreaking but enlightening. I liked that there was a HEA for Lorelei and Sylvia. The last chapters, detailing life after the expedition, were what I thought they would be. I was surprised by what was asked and the reaction it got.

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Del Rey, NetGalley, and Allison Saft for allowing me to read this ARC of A Dark and Drowning Tide. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoy reading books similar to A Dark and Drowning Tide, then you will enjoy these books:

Other books by Allison Saft

Lucy Undying by Kiersten White

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Del Rey

Date of publication: September 10th, 2024

Genre: Fantasy, Vampires, Horror, Gothic, Retellings, LGBT, Adult, Paranormal, Romance, Lesbian

Publication Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | AbeBooks | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

In this epic and seductive gothic fantasy, a vampire escapes the thrall of Dracula and embarks on her own search for self-discovery and true love.

Her name was written in the pages of someone else’s story: Lucy Westenra was one of Dracula’s first victims.

But her death was only the beginning. Lucy rose from the grave a vampire, and has spent her immortal life trying to escape from Dracula’s clutches–and trying to discover who she really is and what she truly wants.

Her undead life takes an unexpected turn when, in twenty-first-century London, she meets another woman who is also yearning to break free from her past. Iris’s family has built a health empire based on a sinister secret, and they’ll do anything to stay in power.

Lucy has long believed she would never love again. But she finds herself compelled by the charming Iris, while Iris is mesmerized by the confident and glamorous Lucy. But their intense connection and blossoming love is threatened by forces from without. Iris’s mother won’t let go of her without a fight, and Lucy’s past still has fangs: Dracula is on the prowl again.

Lucy Westenra has been a tragically murdered teen, a lonesome adventurer, and a fearsome hunter, but happiness always eluded her. Can she find the strength to destroy Dracula once and for all, or will her heart once again be her undoing?

First Line:

It starts the moment you look out the window.

Important details about Lucy Undying

Pace: Medium

POV: 2nd person (Dracula, Lucy (Client Transcript)). 1st person (Iris, Lucy, Lucy (her journal), Mina), 3rd person (Dracula)

Content/Trigger Guidance: Lucy Undying contains themes that include violence, blood, murder, gore, misogyny, emotional abuse, death, stalking, death of a parent, body horror, sexual assault, self-harm, suicidal thoughts, toxic relationship, forced institutionalization, medical trauma, child death, homophobia, mental illness, medical content, gas lighting, sexual harassment, anxiety, anxiety attacks, depression, alcohol consumption, dead bodies, grief, blackmail, cults, attempted murder, torture, and war themes. Please read carefully if any of these triggers you.

Language: Lucy Undying contains explicit swearing and language that might offend some people.

Sexual Content: There is moderately graphic sexual content in Lucy Undying.

Setting: Lucy Undying is set in various locations: United States, England, France, Transylvania, Nigeria, and China.

My Review:

When the invite for Lucy Undying showed up in my email inbox, I almost deleted it. I have read enough takes on Dracula to not want another one. But, after reading the blurb, I decided to change my mind. I am glad I did because this was one of the best books I have read this year.

There are two main storylines in Lucy Undying. One revolves around Lucy and is told through diaries and voice transcripts and is mainly told in the past. The other storyline revolves around Iris, her mother’s company/cult, and the secret that Iris has and is told in the present. Both storylines were well-written and were able to keep my attention. The author added secondary storylines (with Mina and Dracula) in various parts of the book. Those storylines help explain certain events that happened in the past and present.

The storyline with Lucy was fascinating. It was told in the first person but through a journal/voice transcript. The storyline details Lucy’s life, which includes her unrequited love for Mina (her governess). The storyline also details Lucy’s travels and her eventual meetings with other vampires (or Brides of Dracula, as one of her earlier companions called them). Each interaction with the other vampires adds a different element to the book and depth to Lucy’s character.

The storyline with Iris was interesting. The author deliberately kept Iris’s background under wraps until about halfway through the book. I admit I skimmed over some of Iris’s chapters at first. I don’t recommend doing that. I ended up having to go back and reread those chapters because of what is foreshadowed.

Usually, I wouldn’t say I like it when a book flips from past to present and back again. But, in this book, it worked. I liked seeing Lucy in the present day versus what she was like in the past. The author also did that for Iris but on a smaller scale. Also, Iris’s forays into the past show how she was shaped into the person she was.

Lucy was my favorite person in the book. She did much growing throughout the book, but she remained the shy, sweet girl who trusted and loved the wrong person (sorry for the minor spoiler). Even when she was with Iris, you could see her naiveness showing through.

I liked Iris, too, even if she got on my nerves during parts of the book. She also did a lot of growing during the book. The Iris at the beginning of the book was not the Iris at the end. I found her a little headstrong and impulsive (going after Dracula alone wasn’t exactly the smart thing to do).

The romance between Iris and Lucy wasn’t a slow burn, even if it felt like it. I loved their connection from the minute they met (Iris was almost run over in London). There was a moment when I thought that Lucy’s unresolved feelings for Mina would cost them everything.

The horror angle of Lucy Undying was well-written and gave me chills. The author didn’t hold back on the violence, sex, or blood involved with being a vampire. Just a heads up: There is a lot of gore and blood.

The end of Lucy Undying was action-packed, and a couple of twists took me by surprise. I loved seeing justice served, but I was surprised by who was behind everything (including Lucy becoming a vampire). I was also shocked by the very end of the book. There was an exciting memo and reveal that made me smile.

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Del Rey, NetGalley, and Kiersten White for allowing me to read and review this ARC of Lucy Undying. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

The Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki, Translated by Jessie Kirkwood

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Ballantine Books

Date of publication: August 20th, 2024

Genre: Fantasy, Fiction, Magical Realism, Japan, Japanese Literature, Cats, Asia, Asian Literature, Animals, Novels

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | AbeBooks | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

Translated from the Japanese bestseller, this charming and magical novel, inspired by the myth of cats returning favors to those who care for them, reminds us that it’s never too late to follow our stars.

In Japan, cats are a symbol of good luck. As the myth goes, if you are kind to them, they’ll one day return the favor. And if you are kind to the right cat, you might just find yourself invited to a mysterious coffee shop under a glittering Kyoto moon.

This particular coffee shop is like no other. It has no fixed location, no fixed hours, and seemingly appears at random to adrift young people at crucial junctions in their lives.

It’s also run by talking cats.

While customers at the Full Moon Coffee Shop partake in cakes and coffees and teas, the cats also consult them on their star charts, offer cryptic wisdom, and let them know where their lives veered off course.

Because every person who visits the shop has been feeling more than a little lost. And for a down-on-her-luck screenwriter, a romantically stuck movie director, a hopeful hairstylist and a technologically challenged website designer, the coffee shop’s feline guides will set them back on their fated paths. For there is a very special reason the shop appeared to each of them…

First Line:

It was early April and my apartment windows were wide open.

Important details about The Full Moon Coffee Shop

Pace: Medium

POV: 1st person (Mizuki, Akari), 3rd person (Takashi, Satsuki)

Content/Trigger Guidance: The Full Moon Coffee Shop contains themes of infidelity and death.

Language: The Full Moon Coffee Shop contains no swearing and language that might offend some people.

Sexual Content: There is mild sexual content in The Full Moon Coffee Shop.

Setting: The Full Moon Coffee Shop is set in Kyoto, Japan.

My Review

I am a sucker for books that contain cats. Recently, I have also become very interested in reading Japanese literature. So, when I read the blurb for The Full Moon Coffee Shop and saw that it contained cats and Japanese literature, I knew I wanted to read it. And I am glad I did because this book was a cute read and a little strange.

The Full Moon Coffee Shop’s synopsis centers around four individuals (Mizuki, Akari, Satsuki, and Takashi), their current lives, and how they ended up at the coffee shop. The book was very well written, and I had zero issues following the storyline.

I warn that you might wonder how everything is connected (I certainly did wonder). The author does a beautiful job of gradually explaining the connections between the people. The connection between the cafe and the main characters isn’t fully explained until the end of the book.

The main characters were flawed, but not in a way that would ruin the book. The author did have each character have an awakening of sorts, which carried over into the other storylines.

The cats and the astrology made the book. I liked that the cats were named after the planets. I also liked that the author included drawings of each person’s astrology chart. It was nice to see a layout of what each cat (and there were four that gave the main characters TED talks) was talking about. I was able to visualize it. Also, I liked that the author didn’t fundamentally change the cats. Instead, they were furry creatures who stood on their hind legs, did astrology, and served up custom-made coffee/tea/desserts to the shop patrons.

The end of The Full Moon Coffee Shop was interesting. The author shows how the main characters changed because of their interactions at the coffee shop. In addition, the way the main characters met and the good deeds that they did together were explained. I was in tears reading that. They weren’t sad tears but happy tears. I wish I could tell you all more!!

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Ballantine Books, NetGalley, and Mai Mochizuki for allowing me to read and review The Full Moon Coffee Shop. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoy reading books similar to The Full Moon Coffee Shop, then you will enjoy these books:

Other books by Mai Mochizuki

The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Ballantine Books

Date of publication: July 16th, 2024

Genre: Fantasy, Fiction, Magical Realism, Adult, Books about Books, Mystery, Contemporary, Magic, Adult Fiction, LGBT

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

Inspired by C. S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia, this wild and wondrous novel is a fairy tale for grown-ups who still knock on the back of wardrobes—just in case—from the author of The Wishing Game.

As boys, best friends Jeremy Cox and Rafe Howell went missing in a vast West Virginia state forest, only to mysteriously reappear six months later with no explanation for where they’d gone or how they’d survived.

Fifteen years after their miraculous homecoming, Rafe is a reclusive artist who still bears scars inside and out but has no memory of what happened during those months. Meanwhile, Jeremy has become a famed missing persons’ investigator. With his uncanny abilities, he is the one person who can help vet tech Emilie Wendell find her sister, who vanished in the very same forest as Rafe and Jeremy.

Jeremy alone knows the fantastical truth about the disappearances, for while the rest of the world was searching for them, the two missing boys were in a magical realm filled with impossible beauty and terrible danger. He believes it is there that they will find Emilie’s sister. However, Jeremy has kept Rafe in the dark since their return for his own inscrutable reasons. But the time for burying secrets comes to an end as the quest for Emilie’s sister begins. The former lost boys must confront their shared past, no matter how traumatic the memories.

Alongside the headstrong Emilie, Rafe and Jeremy must return to the enchanted world they called home for six months—for only then can they get back everything and everyone they’ve lost.

First Line:

The drive from Emilie Wendall’s house in Milton, Ohio, to Bernhelm Forest outside Louisville took a good two and a half hours.

Important details about The Lost Story

Pace: Fast

POV: 1st person (The Narrator), 3rd person (Emilie, Rafe, Jeremy)

Content/Trigger Guidance: The Lost Story contains themes that include homophobia, child abuse, physical abuse, domestic abuse, kidnapping, violence, alcoholism, death of parent, death, emotional abuse, hate crime, mental illness, physical abuse, abandonment, violence, injury, injury detail, panic attack/disorders, grief, medical content, suicide, bullying, drug use, addiction, terminal illness, blood, war, cancer, and trafficking.

Language: The Lost Story contains mild swearing and language that might offend some people.

Sexual Content: There is mild sexual content in The Lost Story.

Setting: Dead Tired is set in West Virginia and the fictional country of Shanandoah.

My Review

I was very excited when I saw that Meg Shaffer had a new book coming out. I loved The Wishing Game and was very curious about The Lost Story. So, when Random House sent me a widget, I jumped on it. I didn’t even read the synopsis. I hit accept and then downloaded so fast that I think it might have confused my computer (there was a pause).

Because I was so excited about this book, I went into reading it with a little trepidation. I have been burned in the past by being excited and then the book not living up to my expectations. Well, The Lost Story did live up to my expectations and then some.

The main storyline of The Lost Story follows Emilie, Jeremy, and Rafe on their quest to find out what happened fifteen years earlier and what happened to Emilie’s older sister (she disappeared in the same forest a couple of years before the boys went missing). The storyline was well-written and well-fleshed out. But, I was getting frustrated by what I thought at the time was a lack of information or insight into Jeremy and Rafe’s past. That frustration lasted until they found Shanandoah again and Jeremy could explain everything to Rafe. And when I say everything, I mean everything. I’m not going to say much past that because of spoilers.

Every so often (usually when things get serious), the Narrator interrupts and explains situations or gives humorous outtakes of what is happening. Usually, I wouldn’t say I like the shift in POV or character, but in this case, it worked. I giggled over some of the things the Narrator said or alluded to. Of course, the Narrator’s identity is revealed at the end of the book; honestly, I wasn’t shocked at who it was. I had my suspicions, and the reveal confirmed them.

The Lost Story touches upon some heavy topics (suicide, drug use, child abuse) throughout the book. The author handled those topics with grace. I was also very thankful that only a little detail (other than what happened the night Jeremy and Rafe disappeared) was given.

The main characters brought so much to this book—Emilie, with her determination to hire Jeremy to look for her sister. Jeremy was the stable one whose line of work exposed him to the horrors of missing children, teens, and adults. And Rafe, well, he was damaged, and the author wasn’t afraid to show it.

The fantasy angle of the book was terrific. This book was inspired by The Chronicles of Narnia, and it showed. Everything in Shanandoah was vivid and looked like a child had created it. Because of how vividly the author described it, I would have been happy with just a book set in Shanandoah.

The romance/LGBTQ angle was perfect. I won’t go into it except to say that I loved how the author wrote the love story. It was heartbreaking, poignant, and heartwarming all at once.

The end of The Lost Story brought tears to my eyes. The author brought closure to many of the storylines but left some open. It made me wonder if another book would be written in this world, and the end certainly made it seem that way.

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Ballantine Books, NetGalley, and Meg Shaffer for allowing me to read and review this ARC of The Lost Story. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoy reading books similar to The Lost Story, then you will enjoy these books:

Other books by Meg Shaffer

Bless Your Heart (Bless Your Heart: Book 1) by Lindy Ryan

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books

Date of publication: April 9th, 2024

Genre: Horror, Mystery, Vampires, Paranormal, Fantasy, Fiction, Adult, Thriller, Mystery Thriller,

Series: Bless Your Heart

Bless Your Heart—Book 1

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | AbeBooks | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

Rise and shine. The Evans women have some undead to kill.

It’s 1999 in Southeast Texas and the Evans women, owners of the only funeral parlor in town, are keeping steady with…normal business. The dead die, you bury them. End of story. That’s how Ducey Evans has done it for the last eighty years, and her progeny―Lenore the experimenter and Grace, Lenore’s soft-hearted daughter, have run Evans Funeral Parlor for the last fifteen years without drama. Ever since That Godawful Mess that left two bodies in the ground and Grace raising her infant daughter Luna, alone.

But when town gossip Mina Jean Murphy’s body is brought in for a regular burial and she rises from the dead instead, it’s clear that the Strigoi―the original vampire―are back. And the Evans women are the ones who need to fight back to protect their town.

As more folks in town turn up dead and Deputy Roger Taylor begins asking way too many questions, Ducey, Lenore, Grace, and now Luna, must take up their blades and figure out who is behind the Strigoi’s return. As the saying goes, what rises up, must go back down. But as unspoken secrets and revelations spill from the past into the present, the Evans family must face that sometimes, the dead aren’t the only things you want to keep buried.

A crackling mystery-horror novel with big-hearted characters and Southern charm with a bite, Bless Your Heart is a gasp-worthy delight from start to finish.

First Line

Edwin Boone was not the kind of man to be intimidated by a walk in the dark.

Important details about Bless Your Heart

Pace: Fast (the entire book takes place within a week of the first death)

POV: 3rd person (Ducey, Lenore, Grace, Luna, Deputy Roger Taylor, Sherriff Johnson, Crane, Snow Ledger, and Edwin Boone (the last two being victims of the vampire))

Series: 1st book in the Bless Your Heart series

Content/Trigger Warnings: Bless Your Heart contains themes of death, gore, violence, blood, body horror, child death, murder, animal cruelty, vomit, medical content, death of a parent, injury and injury detail, homophobia, grief, alcoholism, eating disorder, toxic relationship, mass/school shootings*, and bullying. Please read carefully if any of these triggers you.

  • Mass/School Shootings—Bless Your Heart takes place the summer after the Columbine school shooting. While Crane didn’t attend Columbine, he was bullied because he wore a trenchcoat and Goth attire.

Language: Bless Your Heart contains moderate swearing and language that might offend some people.

Sexual Content: There is no sexual content in Bless Your Heart.

Setting: Bless Your Heart is set in a small town (the name was never given) in Southeast Texas.

My Review:

In a previous review, I mentioned that books containing vampires are some of my favorites. I also mentioned that I very rarely review them. That was until last week when I read two ARCs that included vampires and vampire hunters.

The cover and the blurb attracted me to Bless Your Heart. I was interested to see how a book about women funeral parlor owners and vampire hunters would read, if I could connect to any of the characters, and if the storyline was good. I am happy to report that it was a yes to all of those.

The main storyline of Bless Your Heart was interesting, and it kept me glued to the book. The storyline centers on the Evans women (Ducey, Lenore, Grace, and Luna), their family life, The God Awful Mess-which took place fifteen years earlier, and their history with vampire hunting. Bless Your Heart was a well-written and gut-wrenching book that had me up reading late.

The author did a fascinating job of telling the storyline. She chose a different family member/law enforcement/victim and had the chapter revolve around what they were feeling/doing. The chapters containing Ducey, Lenore, and Grace were self-explanatory (with the funeral parlor business and killing the vampires). Those chapters also gave insight into how The God Awful Incident affected each woman. Luna’s chapters were a little different. In the beginning, it showcased how she was an ordinary teen. But, once she learned about the family’s side gig (the vampire killing), her chapters got dark, fast. The law enforcement chapters showed the confusion and the different theories floated around. And lastly, the victim’s chapters were the most heartbreaking to read, mainly because the people who were killed and turned were doing nothing but going about their daily (or nightly) chores.

The Evans women were unlike any characters I have read. They each had their own personality, and the author allowed those personalities to shine. At the same time, I saw how dysfunctional they had become after The God Awful Incident. But even with that, I liked how they banded together to protect each other and Luna.

The horror angle was on point. There was a point where I started to dread when a new body was found. Each scene was worse than the last. I don’t get grossed out easily by stuff like that, but I got close in this book. Blood and gore spread across the pages; by the book’s end, it was one bloody scene after another.

The mystery angle of the book was good. I was taken by surprise by who the master vampire was and how Luna figured into it. While that was going on, The God Awful Incident was revealed, and it indeed was A God Awful Incident. It was the revelation that led to a shocking revelation about Luna. Both of those revelations took me by surprise. I did have the master vampire pegged on someone else and was happy that I was proven wrong.

The end of Bless Your Heart was heartbreaking. I’m not too fond of it when there are deaths involving main characters. But the ending scene gave a glimmer of hope. Because of what was shown, I am super curious to read book two.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books, NetGalley, and Lindy Ryan for allowing me to read and review this ARC of Bless Your Heart. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoy reading books similar to Bless Your Heart, then you will enjoy these books:

Other books by Lindy Ryan

To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods (To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods: Book 1) by Molly X. Chang

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Del Rey

Date of publication: April 16, 2024

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance, Young Adult Fantasy, Fiction, Science Fiction, Asian Literature, High Fantasy, Adult, Magic

Series: To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods

To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods—Book 1

To Kill a Monstrous Prince—Book 2 (expected publication date: January 1st, 2025)

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | AbeBooks | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

She has power over death. He has power over her. When two enemies strike a dangerous bargain, will they end a war . . . or ignite one?

Heroes die, cowards live. Daughter of a conquered world, Ruying hates the invaders who descended from the heavens long before she was born and defeated the magic of her people with technologies unlike anything her world had ever seen.

Blessed by Death, born with the ability to pull the life right out of mortal bodies, Ruying shouldn’t have to fear these foreign invaders, but she does. Especially because she wants to keep herself and her family safe.

When Ruying’s Gift is discovered by an enemy prince, he offers her an impossible deal: If she becomes his private assassin and eliminates his political rivals—whose deaths he swears would be for the good of both their worlds and would protect her people from further brutalization—her family will never starve or suffer harm again. But to accept this bargain, she must use the powers she has always feared, powers that will shave years off her own existence.

Can Ruying trust this prince, whose promises of a better world make her heart ache and whose smiles make her pulse beat faster? Are the evils of this agreement really in the service of a much greater good? Or will she betray her entire nation by protecting those she loves the most?

First Line:

The sky was crying again.

To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods by Molly X. Chang

Important details about To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods

Pace: Alternates between medium and fast

POV: 1st person (Ruying), 3rd person (Antony for a chapter), 2nd person (following Ruying on a mission for a chapter)

Content/Trigger: To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods contains themes of colonization, death, addiction, violence, drug abuse, toxic relationship, xenophobia, murder, genocide, torture, war, kidnapping, racism, blood, confinement, physical abuse, gaslighting, injury & injury detail, child abuse, child death, drug use, emotional abuse, gun violence, sexism, slavery, death of a parent, misogyny, grief, medical trauma, classism, gore, trafficking, toxic friendship, sexual harassment, pandemic/epidemic, bullying, self-harm, police brutality, medical content, suicide attempt, abandonment, racial slurs, rape, suicidal thoughts, and alcohol. Please read carefully if any of these triggers you.

Language: To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods contains mild swearing and language that might offend some people.

Series: To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods is the first book in the To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods series.

Sexual Content: There is mild consensual sexual content* in To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods.

  • It is implied that Ruying has sex with Antony after they escape from Donghai.

Setting: To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods is set in the world of Pangu. Most of the book is set in Jing-City (in Er-Lang). Ruying and Antony travel to Donghai (in Sihai) in several chapters.

My Review:

To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods has been on my wishlist since I saw it appear on several blogs last year. I love books that are based on Chinese mythology/culture. So, when I saw that Random House had it wish only, I decided to take the chance and wish for it. I was delighted when I got the email saying my wish had been granted. But I was also cautious because I have a habit of hyping books up and being disappointed when I read them. Happily, this wasn’t the case with To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods. I loved the book!!

To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods is the first book in the series with the same name. Since this is the first book, you can read it as a standalone. But I will go on a limb and say that the rest of the series will not be standalone. There was so much world and character-building that it would be hard to jump right in if you started reading later in the series.

The main storyline of To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods centers around Ruying. It was well-crafted and well-written. Add in the more minor, secondary storylines (with Ruying’s family, Antony’s family, and the resistance), and I couldn’t put the book down. I devoured this book in one sitting.

Ruying was not a likable character when the book began. Was she sympathetic? Yes. But, likable, no. She hated the Romans with a passion. She witnessed her father and sister get addicted to a drug that they introduced to the population. She also chafed under the rules that they imposed. So, I wasn’t surprised when she did something stupid and got caught by the Romans. There was a change in her after the Romans caught her, which saddened me. But, again, I understood. Everything she did, she did to protect her grandmother and sister.

I did not like Antony. He used terror and psychological tactics to tear down Ruying and build her up to what he wanted. He was a master manipulator who said all the right things to Ruying to gain her trust and confidence. But I couldn’t help but pity Antony in a way. He, too, was shaped into what he was by a cruel adoptive grandfather and father. I wasn’t surprised when a huge secret of his was revealed. I did see it coming, but I wasn’t prepared for what it did to Ruying.

The magic in To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods was fascinating. People were either born with or without magic. But, since the Romans arrived and after they destroyed the temples (where people learned to control their magic), magic was disappearing. The author showcased different levels of magic, going from common to rare. Ruying’s magic fascinates me because of what is tied to it (every life she takes shaves years off her life). But I also wondered if that was true (something Antony said to Ruying made my antenna go up). I also wondered if her sister’s magic (life) would come into play later in the series.

The book had a romance angle, but it made me slightly sick to read. I understand that Ruying was developing something akin to Stockholm Syndrome, and her feelings came from that. But still. Her other romance choice, a childhood friend turned drug kingpin, wasn’t much better. But I would have chosen him over Antony.

The end of To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods only raised more questions than it answered. Nothing was resolved, but a lot was revealed. Given how the last chapter ende, I look forward to what will happen in book 2.

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Del Rey, NetGalley, and Molly X. Chang for allowing me to read and review the ARC of To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoy reading books similar to To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods, then you will enjoy these books:

A Sweet Sting of Salt by Rose Sutherland

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Dell

Date of publication: April 9, 2024

Genre: Fantasy, Historical Fiction, LGBT, Retellings, Historical, Fiction, Queer, Romance, Lesbian, Adult

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | AbeBooks | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

Once a young woman uncovers a dark secret about her neighbor and his mysterious new wife, she’ll have to fight to keep herself—and the woman she loves—safe in this stunning queer reimagining of the classic folktale The Selkie Wife.

When a sharp cry wakes Jean in the middle of the night during a terrible tempest, she’s convinced it must have been a dream. But when the cry comes again, Jean ventures outside and is shocked by what she discovers—a young woman in labor, already drenched to the bone in the freezing cold and barely able to speak a word of English.

Although Jean is the only midwife in the village and for miles around, she’s at a loss as to who this woman is or where she’s from; Jean can only assume she must be the new wife of the neighbor up the road, Tobias. And when Tobias does indeed arrive at her cabin in search of his wife, Muirin, Jean’s questions continue to grow. Why has he kept his wife’s pregnancy a secret? And why does Muirin’s open demeanor change completely the moment she’s in his presence?

Though Jean learned long ago that she should stay out of other people’s business, her growing concern—and growing feelings—for Muirin mean she can’t simply set her worries aside. But when the answers she finds are more harrowing than she ever could have imagined, she fears she may have endangered herself, Muirin, and the baby. Will she be able to put things right and save the woman she loves before it’s too late, or will someone have to pay for Jean’s actions with their life?

First Line:

The ship was burning.

A Sweet Sting of Salt by Rose Sutherland

Important details about A Sweet Sting of Salt

Pace: Medium

POV: 3rd person (Jean)

Content/Trigger: A Sweet Sting of Salt contains themes of animal death, homophobia, kidnapping, confinement, murder, pregnancy, animal cruelty, death, emotional abuse, infidelity, blood, medical content, stalking, lesbophobia, fire and fire injury, outing, gaslighting, domestic abuse, suicide*, death of a parent, rape*, sexual assault*, and sexual violence*. Please read carefully if any of these triggers you.

  • Suicide—Jean’s mother commits suicide off-page, with a very brief description of how she was found.
  • Rape, sexual assault, and sexual violence—These all happened to Muirin off page. The author does not go into detail.

Language: A Sweet Sting of Salt contains mild swearing and language that might offend some people.

Sexual Content: There is mild consensual sexual content in A Sweet Sting of Salt. The nonconsensual sexual content is alluded to, and the author gave no details other than it happened.

Setting: A Sweet Sting of Salt is set in Barquer’s Bay, Nova Scotia. 

My Review:

A Sweet Sting of Salt is the second book in a series of four books that have made my April must-read list. I was initially caught by the cover (isn’t it gorgeous?). But when I read the blurb, I was captivated. I haven’t read many retellings of The Selkie Wife and was curious how this retelling was. Well, I am happy to say that I loved this book.

The main storyline of A Sweet Sting of Salt centers around Jean (a young midwife), Muirin (the mysterious wife of her neighbor), their developing relationship, and the mystery of how Muirin came to be with Tobias (the neighbor). This well-written, gut-wrenching, and engaging storyline kept me glued to the story.

Jean was quickly one of my favorite characters in the book. As a midwife, she assisted women in the town and outlying areas with their pregnancies. But she didn’t have many friends due to her forced outing as a lesbian by her lover/best friend’s mother five years earlier. Her loneliness, discomfort, and sadness was palpable. After helping Muirin give birth and keeping her at her house, I could see Jean getting attached. And the struggle to keep away from Muirin was real, even when Tobias started threatening her on her land. But Jean wouldn’t let Tobias get the best of her and was determined to help Muirin.

Muirin was my other favorite character in the book. Despite her language barrier (she spoke Gaelic), she could communicate enough with Jean to let her know something was wrong at home. She didn’t bother hiding her feelings for Jean (they were apparent from the beginning). She was sweet, sassy, and very protective. Her love for Jean and her baby and her yearning for freedom was also palpable.

I want to mention Tobias since he is a significant character in the book. I had mixed feelings about him. On one hand, I was disgusted by what he did to Muirin and Jean. But on the other hand, I couldn’t help but pity him. His upbringing (which was chaotic and abusive) directly contributed to his capturing Muirin. He had this fantasy of having the perfect family. But the cracks started when Jean visited and spread after Jean’s ex’s mother told Tobias about Jean. The state of his mental health slowly deteriorated after that. His stalking of Jean and killing of her goat, Honey, was a small glimpse into his mind. What broke him was when Jean found Muirin’s pelt, and they left the house (after it caught on fire). I do not doubt in my mind that he would have killed Jean by the pond if Muirin hadn’t done what she did.

The LGBT angle was interesting. I liked seeing Jean, Muirin, and Lauri have so much love and support from their family and friends. Heck, before Jean met Muirin and after her ex left, Lauri’s mother tried to set her up with her Native relatives. It was refreshing.

The fantasy angle is kept in the background until the end of the book (when Muirin gets her pelt back). I liked that Muirin, through her uncle, explained everything. I also loved that Jean wasn’t as freaked out as I thought she would be.

The epilogue of A Sweet Sting of Salt made this book. I liked seeing what everyone was doing five years in the future. It was a HEA that made me smile.

Many thanks to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Dell, NetGalley, and Rose Sutherland for allowing me to read and review this ARC of a Sweet Sting of Salt. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoy reading books similar to A Sweet Sting of Salt, then you will enjoy these books:

Draw Down the Moon (Moonstruck: Book 1) by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books

Date of publication: April 2nd, 2024

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance, Magic, Young Adult Fantasy, Fiction, Witches, Fantasy Romance, Paranormal

Series: Moonstruck

Draw Down the Moon—Book 1

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N | AbeBooks | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

New York Times bestsellers P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast return with a new duology set in a dark and magickal world filled with incredible danger and irresistible romance.

Wren Nightingale isn’t supposed to have any powers. Born of magickal parents but not under a moon sign, she was destined for life as a Mundane—right up until she starts glowing on her eighteenth birthday. In a heartbeat, Wren’s life is turned upside down, and she’s suddenly leaving her home for the mystical Academia de la Luna—a secret magickal school on a hidden island off the Seattle coast.

Lee Young has always known about his future at the Academia. He has one goal: pass the trials, impress the Moon Council, and uphold his family’s reputation. But he wasn’t expecting to be attending alongside the girl he’s been secretly in love with for as long as he can remember.

As Wren and Lee are thrown into the Academie’s gruelling trials, they quickly learn there’s something different–and dangerous–about the school this year. Wren will have to navigate a web of secrets, prophecies–and murder. And Lee will have to decide who to protect–his family’s legacy, or the girl he loves.

First Line:

I’m pretty sure that, at any moment, blue and red lights will flash and the local sheriff will tear down the street and stop me. Again.

Draw Down the Moon by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

Important details about Draw Down the Moon

Pace: Medium

POV: 1st person (Wren and Lee)

Content/Trigger Warnings: Draw Down the Moon contains themes of death, violence, blood, grief, death of a parent, murder, gaslighting, toxic friendship, injury & injury detail, bullying, classism, misgendering, *anxiety & anxiety attacks, death of a sibling, boating accidents, and knife violence. Please read carefully if any of these triggers you.

  • Anxiety & Anxiety Attack—Lee remembers anxiety attacks that plagued him as a child while talking with Wren.

Language: Lost & Hound contains mild swearing and language that might offend some people.

Series: Draw Down the Moon is the first book in the Moonstruck series.

Sexual Content: There is very mild sexual content in Draw Down the Moon.

Setting: Draw Down the Moon is set in Oregon (Fern Valley and Seattle) and on an island in the Pacific Northwest (Moon Isle).

My Review:

I have been a big fan of P.C. Cast, having read her Tales of a New World series and loved it. So, when I saw that she had a new book, Draw Down the Moon, I knew I needed to read it, and I was thrilled when I got the widget from St. Martin’s Press in my email. Having read the book, I think it was an excellent start to this series.

The main storyline of Draw Down the Moon centers around Wren and Lee. Wren is born a Mundane in a world where magic is powerful. On the other hand, her best friend, Lee, is a potent healer and is going to the highly sought-after Moon Isle to learn how to harness his magic. But everything changes when, on the night of her eighteenth birthday, Wren suddenly develops magic. At a loss of how it happened, Wren soon finds herself on a ferry to Moon Isle. Once on the island, Wren is plunged into a treasure trove of secrets and lore. With the secretive head of the school seemingly watching her, the elemental assigned to her house protecting her, and her feelings for Lee growing daily, Wren must figure out what is going on. But the truth will have a cost, either breaking Wren or setting her on a path to right old wrongs.

The main storyline of Draw Down the Moon was well written. Even the fact that it was a dual POV didn’t bother me. The author could seamlessly go between Wren and Lee’s POV without disrupting the storyline. I also liked that while I figured out what was happening (around when Wren had the 2nd trial), I was still surprised at what happened and the fallout.

I did get some strong Harry Potter vibes during the chapters where the other students were assigned to their houses. But I did like how they were assigned (it was better than the Sorting Hat, and yes, I am prepared for backlash on that). The Harry Potter vibe got stronger when they entered the dorms. But, as soon as Wren got her room, those vibes stopped, and the book started to take shape. I will warn you, there is no kindly headmaster (actually, just the opposite) or teachers with an agenda (well, not that I saw). The only magical creatures are the elementals that allowed the school to be on the island, and they are dangerous.

I liked Wren. She was mischievous and not afraid to stand up for herself. She was also out of her element during the first few days in school. Her lack of magic did set her apart. But it was during the first trial that I noticed something about her power. That thought grew when the elementals started approaching and talking to her. I did wish that she and Lee weren’t so tight. I would have loved to see her interact with Sam or any other students she befriended more.

Lee was all right, and I felt terrible for him. The poor kid was under so much pressure to live up to the family name that he suffered panic attacks. Add in that his older sister was killed while at the school, and he was barely keeping it together. At times, I could see almost two different sides of Lee. There was one side where he was this carefree boy man who just wanted to hang with his girl, and there was the other side where he was this anxiety-ridden mess who couldn’t/wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize his family name. I wasn’t surprised by any of his decisions. They were all done to further his family name. The only thing he couldn’t control was Wren or his feelings for her.

The fantasy angle of Draw Down the Moon was amazing. I loved that the author chose the magic system based on astrology. At first, there wasn’t much information about the different signs and magic. But, as the book went on, the author did start explaining the origin story of the Moonstruck and the other magic. I also liked that the author used elementals instead of the usual creatures featured in these books. The fact that the elementals were aware of Wren and were protecting her, but no reason was given, was frightening.

The fantasy angle also included a book Wren could not read (the writing was messed up). How she got the book was pretty funny, but she needed to decode it once she got it. All she knew was that Lee’s older sister wrote it, and it was something explosive. I wasn’t prepared for what it was and the fallout that happened. But I did like seeing the lore and the island’s past brought into better focus. It explained a lot.

The last couple of chapters of Draw Down the Moon were heartbreaking. While I like it when an author kills off major secondary characters, I was very heartbroken and surprised by who the author chose. While I had figured out Wren’s magic, I was not prepared for what happened at the end of the book. The revelations that were revealed were earth-shattering, as was the fight that went along with them. I also didn’t blame Lee for what he did.

The author ended Draw Down the Moon on a cliffhanger. There were so many questions that needed to be answered. And when I say so many questions, I mean it. I cannot wait to read book two and see what the fallout from the death and Wren and Lee’s actions have on the island.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books, NetGalley, P.C. Cast, and Kristin Cast for allowing me to read and review this ARC of Draw Down the Moon. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoy reading books similar to Draw Down the Moon, then you will enjoy these books:

Other books by P.C. Cast

The Taste of Storm and Brine (The Talisman Series: Book 5.5) by Brett Salter

Publisher:

Date of publication: February 26th, 2024

Genre: Middle Grade, Fantasy

Series: The Talisman Series

The Search for Synergy—Book 1 (review here)

Riders of Fire and Ice—Book 2 (review here)

Windy City Ruins—Book 3 (review here)

The Battle for Verdana—Book 4 (review here)

Slumber of Silence—Book 4.5 (review here)

Desperate Tides, Desperate Measures—Book 5 (review here)

The Taste of Storm and Brine—Book 5.5

A Dragon’s Dyne—Book 6 (review here)

Purchase Links: Kindle

Goodreads Synopsis:

The inevitable, all-out war for Earth is inching ever closer, and luckily, we have The Alliance to defend us from the Darkbrand army. But what about other parts of the world? The Alliance, as talented as they are, can’t be everywhere all at once. And the Darkbrands don’t just pop up in the most convenient places. They are indiscriminate and random, as well as dangerous and smelly. So, expanding The Alliance’s circle of allies seems like a good idea, right? Well, one certain water dragon seems to think so, anyway. Starboard, The Sentry of the South, is a loyal and stout defender of The Den of Oceania. He’s even met most of The Alliance members face to face. But after a brush with death, can he convince his fellow water dragons to join The Alliance’s claws… Um, I mean cause? Will The Den of Oceania ever be able to trust the humans completely? Or arrrrrr their hopes for survival destined to be swept out to sea by the coming storm?

First Line

“Aaaargh, stand still ye bleedin’ stink-faced mongrel!” shouted Starboard as he swiped furiously at a dodging Garm.

The Taste of Storm and Brine by Brett Salter

Important details about The Taste of Storm and Brine

Pace: Fast

POV: 3rd person (Starboard, Tampa, Driftwood, Bismark, Captain Delroy, Mrs. Case, Mr. Rider)

Series: Can be read as a standalone, but I highly recommend reading books 1-5 first.

Trigger Warnings: The Taste of Storm and Brine contains themes of violence and boating accidents.

Language: The Taste of Storm and Brine contains no swearing or language that might offend some people.

Sexual Content: There is no sexual content in The Taste of Storm and Brine

Setting: The Taste of Storm and Bride is set in Oceania and Man-o-War Island.

My Review

I was excited when the author contacted me with a review request. I have reviewed this series since the beginning and thought it was fantastic. So, when Brett mentioned that he would be doing novellas cannon to the series, I couldn’t wait. My internal hype did not let me down this time. The Taste of Storm and Brine was an excellent (and quick) read.

The Taste of Storm and Brine occurs between Desperate Tides, Desperate Measures, and A Dragon’s Dyne. Readers can read this book as a standalone, but if they want to understand what is going on and who certain people are, I highly recommend reading books 1-5 first.

The storyline in The Taste of Storm and Brine focuses on Starboard and the other sentries: Tampa, Driftwood, and Bismark. The book explains why the dragons in the Den of Oceania hesitate to join the Alliance. This storyline was well-written and humorous.

Each sentry had their personality. Starboard talked like a Cockney Englishman, Tampa couldn’t be bothered to remember the names of her other sentries and people, Driftwood had the personality and spoke like a surfer, and Bismark was important in his own mind. Out of the four sentries, I liked Starboard and Driftwood the most.

There is a lot of action in The Taste of Storm and Brine. The book starts with Starboard fighting three Garms and escalates from there.

I liked that Mrs. Case and Mr. Rider appeared in The Taste of Storm and Brine. Their interactions were funny. I still didn’t trust Mr. Rider, but it was nice seeing him doing good instead of causing mischief and mayhem.

The end of The Taste of Storm and Brine was interesting. I can’t get much into it without spoiling book 6. But I will say this: It made sense why things happened as they did.

Many thanks to Brett Salter for allowing me to read and review The Taste of Storm and Brine. All opinions stated in this review are mine.

If you enjoy reading books similar to The Taste of Storm and Brine, then you will enjoy these books:

Other books by Brett Salter