Tag: fantasy

Alpha’s Heir (Bear Shifter Billionaire: Book 1) by A.J. Tipton

Alpha's Heir: A BBW Paranormal Romance (Bear Shifter Billionaire Book 1) by [Tipton, AJ]

4 Stars

Publisher: Savvy Storytelling LLC

Date of publication: February 12th, 2015

Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Erotica

Series: Bear Shifter Billionaire

Alpha’s Heir – Book 1

Alpha’s Mates – Book 2

Alpha’s Domain – Book 3

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis:

A sexy billionaire controlled by his clan. A voluptuous chef who’s never felt good enough. Will they find the freedom that only love can bring?

Handsome billionaire shifter Orson has everything a man could want — money, looks, respect — except the power to control his own life. His father, the clan’s alpha, has arranged for Orson to marry a woman from another clan for strategic purposes, leaving him trapped in a life without passion. That is until he meets the curvy woman of his dreams…

Casey is a talented chef who dreams of having her own catering business. But the only real passion she’s been able to find is in giving people pleasure through the food she cooks.

When Orson invites Casey to his home, a misunderstanding gives way to a life-changing passion that could change both their lives. His freedom comes at a high price… but has Orson finally found a love that’s worth the cost?

Alpha’s Heir is a BBW paranormal romance novella in the “Bear Shifter Billionaire” series, a set of stand-alone stories that sizzle and satisfy. If you like steamy romance, drool-worthy cooking, and harrowing shifter battles, then you’ll love AJ Tipton’s breathtaking book.

My review:

Alpha’s Heir starts with Orson’s father, Nikolai, trashing his house after finding Orson in bed with a human woman. Nikolai looks down on Orson because, while he has padded the coffers for the clan. Nikolai keeps telling Orson that he had defeated the Alpha of the clan at his age and seems to think he is weak because he sells computer software. Nikolai is just waiting for the day that Orson breaks and challenges him, which Orson refuses to do.

Nikolai is also dead set on keeping the arranged marriage between Orson and Cleo, the Alpha of another clan. Both Cleo and Nikolai are dead set against marrying each other but cannot find a way out. That is until Orson meets Casey.

Casey works at a supernatural bar called Audrey’s as a waitress and has become friends with Audrey, the proprietor, and Lola, another waitress. Casey meets Orson one night after he wins the Shift Challenge (think of a Tough Mudder competition but for shifters). She talked to Lola and Audrey about the truck full of food that she has parked outside because someone canceled on her. Orson, overhearing her with his keen shifter hearing, follows her out and pays for the food.

Orson has always been attracted to Casey and was excited to find out that she doesn’t date. He starts fantasizing about her and well, starts pleasuring himself. Which is excellent but with a greasy fried chicken hand? All I can think of is the smell. Just think, cum and greasy chicken. Yum.

Anyways, Cleo walks in and talks to him about making a move on Casey and ending the engagement. Cleo thinks that he should challenge his father for Alpha, in two weeks. She also feels that he should make a move Casey.

Which he does.

The sex was hot, hot, hot. Orson and Casey were all over each other from the minute they were both undressed in Orson’s bedroom, and it just didn’t stop.

I couldn’t stand Nikolai. He came off as an abusive jerk who was a very sore loser. What I couldn’t understand was why he felt the need to trash Orson’s place every time he was there (mainly to break up sex and scare the humans). I felt, at the beginning of the book, that he was the ultimate cockblocker.

For a short story, this packed a lot of punch and I liked that there were really no other storylines except the Orson/Casey/Nikolai one. The one between Orson and Cleo was wrapped up rather early. I do have to say that I liked Cleo.

The end of the story was cute and perfect for the book.

I would give Alpha’s Heir an Adult rating. There is sex. There is language. There is mild violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Alpha’s Heir. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

The Hobgoblin Queen (Tales of Dovewood: Book 1) by Anna B. Madrise

5 Stars

Publisher: Black Quill Enterprises

Date of publication: August 21st, 2015

Genre: Fantasy

Series: Tales of Dovewood

The Hobgoblin Queen – Book 1

Wrath of the King – Book 2

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis:

Mundane Bergamot is just a simple Kitchen Witch from Whistlestoppe Village who thinks that there is more to life than gardening and cooking up spells with her Aunt Dovie. While traveling to Bettelburghal she meets Javen, a mysterious Book Mage from Nettlespire, who gifts to her a most unusual magic book which triggers a visit from two very extraordinary adventurers. She learns from her newfound friends that they need her help to save them and their kind from a terrible fate. Through Javen’s gift, clues begin to reveal themselves that sets them on their quest. But the evil King Vezzen of New Taleggia has plans of his own for the elusive creatures that inhabit the mountains beyond Dovewood Forest. Where previous kings have failed, King Vezzen is determined to succeed and impatient for a new war that could elevate his name above all others. Now Mundane must see if she has what it takes to out-smart the wicked king, save her friends from the brink of extinction, and quite possibly lift the curse that binds them all to Dovewood Island.

My review:

The Hobgoblin Queen starts in the village of Whistlestoppe. Whistlestoppe is a village of Kitchen Witches, and the village is getting ready to celebrate Yule. They celebrated with a feast and with a bonfire in which they burn a large timber bird and call out to the four corners (North, South, East, and West). After flames consume the bird, the party begins.

At this party, Mundane Bergamot is sitting with her best friend, Absidee Valerian, and Absidee’s baby sister, Lottie. They are taking in the Yule feast and talking about crushes (mainly Absidee’s crush, Brason Vervain) and Mundane’s upcoming trip to the town of Bettelburghal to help her aunt’s friends sell their wares.

Mundane feels that something is missing from her life, and she can’t figure out what. While she loves Whistlestoppe, she is restless and wants to travel. She gets her chance when Henley and Gittel Lovage go to Bettelburghal. She would never move away from home. Her Aunt Dovie, who has raised her since she was 8, lives there plus all of her friends. Her mother died giving birth to her and her father died in a horrible accident at sea. Everything she knows and loves is in Whistlestoppe, and she could never leave for good.

The next day, she is getting ready to travel with the Lovages when Aunt Dovie gives her a beautiful green cloak for Yule. After saying goodbye to Aunt Dovie and traveling a little while, the Lovages decide to take a break and then take a different path to Bettelburghal. The way that they are going to take takes them to The Crossway (where all the roads to all the different areas meet). This is where Javen the Book Mage lives. Javen is one of the few survivors of war in the Book Mages ranks that happened at Nettlespire. That war almost wiped them out. Mundane is excited because she is going to meet a Book Mage finally.

By the time they reach The Crossway, it is night, and Javen is waiting for them. As Mundane is admiring Javen’s books, he gifts her with a blue, leather-bound book with the letter B on the cover. She doesn’t get to read right away. She fell asleep the first night, traveled through a snowstorm, and then was helping the Lovages unload their cart.

She notices chickens out at the stable and thinks that it is odd for them to be outside in a snowstorm. After a bath and her musing about how the seas around Dovewood were not allowing the residents to cross that she opened the book. And oh, boy, she was in for a surprise.

The book was full of blank pages that all of a sudden started to fill. A map of Dovewood appeared with all the cities drawn in extreme detail. Mundane is surprised to see that her treehouse is prominently featured, along with other features in other cities. On the map itself, there are X’s and arrows but no words. After taking her fill of the map, she turns the page, and a riddle appears on the next page. About the riddle, Mundane has no clue, but she does know one thing, she has a Goblin book. Goblins are creatures of myth in Dovewood, and no one in recent years has seen one.

The next day, Mundane puts in morning work. While working, she notices that the chickens from last night seem to follow her. Telling Gittel that she is tired, Mundane goes to her room to nap. As she approaches her room, the same two chickens run into her room and morph into two small men. They introduce themselves as Fickle and Frazzle, hobgoblins.

After getting over her shock of seeing hobgoblins up close, Mundane shows them the magic book that Javen gave her, and they reveal something significant. She is chosen to find the gems that were scattered by two brave hobgoblins, Guile and Grouse. She needs to put them in a necklace called the Simulacrum, and save the hobgoblins that were turned into Trow by their anger over being hunted by King Vezzen. The magic book that Javen gave Mundane was written for her and could be only for her. It is a lot for Mundane to take in, and she asks until before she leaves town to make up her mind if she is going to help them or not.

While Mundane is being told everything, King Vezzen is on an obsessive hunt to exterminate all hobgoblins and find their city. He believes that destroying the hobgoblins will lift the curse that keeps the island isolated, and he also wants the treasures that are in their mountains. He has become consumed by his obsession. He has a secret in the dungeon of his castle, a secret that could be the undoing of the hobgoblins. He also has enlisted the help of the only other Book Mage alive. That Book Mage is Lorcan, Javen’s brother.

Mundane makes up her mind to help the hobgoblins after reading a letter from her long-dead father. Her father was instrumental in making the Simulacrum and the gems that go with it.  After she arrives home, she discovers that her Aunt Dovie is also part of the plot to help the hobgoblins. Dovie sheds even more light on the hobgoblin saga. They come up with a plan to send Mundane out-of-town on an apprenticeship. That way, her going missing wouldn’t raise the suspicion of a mysterious spy in their midst.

With those plans in place, Mundane is off on her grand and dangerous adventure. Meanwhile, King Vezzen is getting more bloodthirsty and more obsessed with having enormous power over Dovewood. Will Mundane be able to gather all the gems in time? Or will King Vezzen succeed in getting what he wants?

I wasn’t expecting to like this book as much as I did. From the names (Absidee gave me a big laugh) to the people to the adventure, it sucked me in. I couldn’t read enough of it. I also love that I can be very comfortable with my 11-year-old reading it!!

I felt a connection with Mundane. I loved how she looked for the positive in everything, even when she falls out of towers. Her commitment to the hobgoblins was impressive and touching.

I also connected to Fickle and Frazzle. They were fighting for their people’s lives, and they were willing to follow Mundane on her quest and help her with it. Plus, they could shapeshift into anything.

I am still on the fence about Javen. While he is coming across as a good guy in this book, I have my doubts about how good he is and what his agenda is.

The end of the book does end in a cliffhanger, and it made me crazy. I wanted some closure on individual storylines. I guess I will have to read book 2 to find out what happens.

I would give The Hobgoblin Queen a Young Teen rating. There is no sex. There is no language. There is mild violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 13 read this book.

I would reread The Hobgoblin Queen. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

The Aureate Spectacles by Eliott McKay

The Aureate Spectacles: A Vampire Romance Novel by [McKay, Eliott]

4 Stars

Publisher: Inkitt

Publication date: December 31st, 2016

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Paranormal, Romance

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis:

Michaela was a seemingly normal high school senior, hiding behind a pair of hideous spectacles that masked her true identity. When she’s abducted by an intriguing werewolf, she learns that her father was a powerful vampire, and she has been chosen to protect his city from her predatory kin.

As the situation grows dire, the fate of the city rests in her hands, and she must choose between peace for her people or the man she’s growing to love.

My review:

Michaela has lived with her Aunt Hazel for as long as she could remember. Her parents were killed in a hiking accident when she was three years old, and Hazel had raised her since. Hazel was an icy, uncaring person who ignored Michaela unless she had to pay attention to her. It was a lonely existence made even more so because Michaela had to wear hideous, rhinestone-encrusted, yellow lens spectacles.

The glasses were a bane of her existence. The older she got, the more hideous the glasses got. She was bullied relentlessly and had no friends. By the time Michaela was almost 18, she had somewhat resigned herself to her life until she found a pocket watch with a miniature portrait of a beautiful dark-haired woman in it.

The portrait made her feel loved and filled by looking at it. During this time, she started having dreams of a mossy pond in a courtyard of stone and a voice that called her name, Kayla. She would also hear a song that she couldn’t quite catch and would hum the melody. But once she realized what she was doing, the song would disappear.

Then there came the night that Aunt Hazel woke Michaela from a nightmare. One where she was talking French and calling for Conrad. During Aunt Hazel’s interrogation, the pocket watch was discovered and Aunt Hazel went nuts.

Aunt Hazel freaked out. She fitted Michaela with what she considered a dog muzzle with straps coming out of it. That apparatus was to hold the glasses in place while Michaela slept. Aunt Hazel upped up security around the house to an almost wild pitch. She went as far as to board up Michaela’s windows, made it so the door locked from the outside only and was outfitted with a triple lock. Michaela had no idea why, but she believed that it had something to do with why she had to wear those ugly glasses all the time.

She ends up making a break for freedom after Hazel takes to locking her in her room. Getting rid of the spectacles, she is a hit at school. After school, as she is walking down the street, she runs into a mysterious young man whom Michaela feels that she knows and who knows more than he is letting on.

Returning home, she has a confrontation with Hazel that was a long time coming. She learns that her mother had sent her to Hazel. Her mother believed that she would be safer with Hazel. The man who delivered Michaela to Hazel told her that she would be safer if her eyes were hidden and faked Michaela’s death. Michaela was able to pry out her mother’s name and her father’s name from Hazel. Hazel also told her that her last name was fake. Instead of Morley, it was Mohrlock. Hazel also implies that Julian is still alive.

The next day Michaela was whisked away by a mysterious man. After being out of commission for four days, Michaela wakes up to find herself on a boat in the middle of the Black Sea. What the man tells her, stuns her.

She is the heir to a land called Mons Maledictio Ruwa (rough translation: Cursed Mountain of Thunder), and her name is Michaela Alandria de Mohrlock Comptesse. She is the daughter to Julian Philip Benoit de Mohrlock and Marguerite Emmaline Fitzwallis…both deceased.

It is after she arrives at the castle that her adventures begin. After attempting to escape the castle by climbing down the side (and getting stuck), she is put right away into intrigue. Every year, she is supposed to go to a summit with the people who live on the other side of the mountain. They are called the Sylva, and they have a shaky treaty with Michaela’s people.

Michaela was a hoot to read, and I loved her character. She was loyal, loves deeply, and is willing to do anything to protect her people from the Sylva. I loved her misadventures.

Conrad was such a mystery, and I liked how the author drew out Conrad’s secrets. He was also perfect for Michaela.

The romance between Michaela and Conrad was cute to read. Painful in some parts but very cute.

The secondary characters are what made this book. They were well written and didn’t fizzle off into the background once their storylines ended. The author kept them in the story. When the bad things happened in the book, and yes, some pretty upsetting things happened, these same secondary characters were right there with Michaela and Conrad.

The end of the book was bittersweet. I wish that there was an epilogue that followed up with the characters. Some of the storylines were not wrapped up, including the V and W storylines. I wonder if there will be a second book. I have questions about certain characters that I would like to see answered.

I would give The Aureate Spectacles an Older Teen rating. There is sex. There is language. There is mild violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 16 read this book.

I would reread The Aureate Spectacles. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Deadlight Jack (The Faceless One: Book 2) by Mark Onspaugh

Deadlight Jack (The Raven and the Canary Book 2) by [Onspaugh, Mark]

4 Stars

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Hydra, Hydra

Date of Publication: January 3rd, 2017

Genre: Horror, Fantasy, Paranormal

Series: The Faceless One

The Faceless One – Book 1

Deadlight Jack – Book 2

Where you can find this book – Amazon

Book synopsis:

Worse things than gators lurk in the Louisiana swamp. . . . The author of The Faceless One fuses the twisted imagination of Fritz Leiber with the razor-sharp plotting of Joe Hill in this rollicking horror thriller.
 
Appearances can be deceiving. Take Jimmy Kalmaku. Anyone passing him on the streets of Lake Nisqually, Washington, would merely see an elderly man. But Jimmy is actually a powerful Tlingit shaman, with a link to the god Raven and a résumé that includes saving the world.
 
Or take his friend and roommate, George Watters. Another ordinary retiree, right? Wrong. Like Jimmy, George is more than he seems to be. He too has a link to the supernatural. He too has saved the world.
 
Then there’s Professor Foxfire—also known as Deadlight Jack. Dressed in the garb of a stage magician, he seems a figure of magic and fun. But he isn’t fun at all. He isn’t even human. And his magic is of the darkest and bloodiest kind.
 
When George’s grandson vanishes on a family vacation to the Louisiana bayou, George and Jimmy fly across the country to aid in the search. Once they arrive, family feuds and buried secrets bring George face-to-face with the ghosts of a forgotten past; Jimmy finds his powers wilting under the humid Southern sun; and deep in the swamp, Deadlight Jack prepares his long-awaited revenge.

My review:

Deadlight Jack is not a book to read at night.

Repeat.

Deadlight Jack is not a book to read at night.

I generally don’t scared of books but this one, well it scared me, big time. Take the cover, for instance. The one orange eye and the salamander are creepy. Then add the swamp, and the creepiness factor goes up.

Deadlight Jack starts after the events of The Faceless One. Jimmy and George are living together, but not together if you know what I mean. After saving the world in the first book, they are expecting to be left alone and live out the rest of their lives together.

Life (and the Gods) have other plans.

Jimmy is visited by Dabo Muu, a giant albino alligator that tells Jimmy that he needs to get down to Louisiana. It was more of an order, and Jimmy feels that there is more going on than what Dabo Muu is letting on.

George gets a phone call from one of his sons. His grandson, Donny, has gone missing while on a camping trip with his moms and older brother in Louisiana. He and Jimmy decide to head on down to help and offer Mel and her wife moral support while they search for Donny.

When George tells Jimmy that Donny is missing, Jimmy immediately cancels plans that were taking him to Boston to visit his son, daughter in law and granddaughter to go with George. During the flight down to LA, George tells Jimmy about his tragic past. All about his kids, his wife, and the tragedies that happened. He warned Jimmy that his daughter, Delphine, will be there, and it will not be pleasant when she finds out George is there. Delphine is holding on to the hurt and resentment from the past, and she will make things very difficult for George.

And she does. She had to have been the most self-centered secondary character that I have ever read, and I wanted someone to put her in her place sooner than they did. I understand that she had issues with George, but there is a time and a place for everything and to be a rude asshole to him, and making an already tense situation even tenser wasn’t cool.

I loved how George had to come into his own during the book. He had to accept his past to save his grandson and the other children.

I wish that I had read the first book. That would have helped me connect with Jimmy a little more and would have helped me understand his character a bit better. I would have loved to read more about shamanism and the indigenous people of Alaska.

The paranormal/horror aspect was fantastic. Like I said above, this is a book that you really shouldn’t read at night. Not only did it feature a swamp (which is creepy in its own right), but Professor Foxfire was genuinely scary. I mean, anyone who has tattoos that come alive and off their face has a special place in the creepy hall of fame. But add that he can make children into ghosts and he kidnaps even more kids to turn them into either food/more ghost children, he is vile.

The end of the book was excellent, and I loved the showdown. I was expecting something to happen, just not on that scale. I also liked that the author set up for book 3.

I would give Deadlight Jack an Adult rating. There is sex. There is language. There is mild violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Deadlight Jack. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Blood Divine by Greg Howard

Blood Divine by [Howard, Greg]

4 Stars

Publisher: Anakim Press

Date of publication: November 28th, 2017

Genre: LGBTQIA, Horror, Fantasy, Paranormal

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis:

Cooper Causey spent a lifetime eluding the demons of his youth and suppressing the destructive power inside him. But a disconcerting voicemail lures Cooper back home to the coast of South Carolina and to Warfield—the deserted plantation where his darkness first awakened. While searching for his missing grandmother, Cooper uncovers the truth about his ancestry and becomes a pawn in an ancient war between two supernatural races. In order to protect the only man he’s ever loved, Cooper must embrace the dark power threatening to consume him and choose sides in a deadly war between the righteous and the fallen.

My review:

Cooper Causey is a love them and leave them type of guy. He is unable to form any long-lasting relationship after a disastrous one in high school that ended with the guy in a coma and Cooper blaming himself. So he took off and eventually landed in Nashville, where the story begins.

Well, it began 20 years previously, when Cooper was 8. On a dare, his older brother, his brother’s friends, and Cooper go to an abandoned, haunted manor called Warfield. While they were there, the boys get spooked, and all leave. Well, all but Cooper, who ends up crashing his bicycle into a tree and loses his glasses. He ends up seeing a ghost called Blue. Blue corners Cooper when he falls on top of his bike, holds his head and shoots energy into Cooper’s head. Then Cooper passes out.

When Cooper was with his latest one-night stand, his grandmother, Lillie Mae, calls him and leaves a cryptic voice mail. Panicking (like anyone would when their grandmother doesn’t answer the phone), he heads back to Georgetown, SC, to check on her.

What ends up happening once he gets there is something he doesn’t expect. He calls the police to report Lillie Mae missing, and the officer that shows up is none other than his deceased brother’s best friend and Cooper’s old crush, Randy. After filing the report and Randy leaves, Cooper decides to head to the one place that terrifies him. Warfield.

It is there that his world kind of gets turned upside down, and I am not going to get into it.

I loved the fantasy and paranormal aspect of this book. The author put a great spin on Biblical stories which I enjoyed reading. I also really liked the spin on vampires/witches. He didn’t release all the information on either of them at once. Instead, it was leaked, slowly, throughout the book, and that was more than enough to keep my attention.

The ending was excellent, and I loved that Cooper finally found happiness. The way it ended, though, suggested at a book 2. If so, I will be eagerly awaiting it!!

I would give Blood Divine an Adult rating. There are sexual situations. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Blood Divine. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Resurrection (The Chronicles Of The Dragonoid: Book 1) by Brian Rankin

Resurrection: Book One of Chronicles Of The Dragonoid by [Rankin, Brian]

5 Stars

Publisher: Page Publishing Inc

Date of Publication: December 7th, 2015

Genre: Fantasy

Series: Chronicles Of The Dragonoid

Resurrection – Book 1

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis:

Since the sacrifice of their greatest hero centuries ago, Valat’s four nations have been at peace. Atticus and his friends worked hard to prepare to compete in the annual games that commemorated their ancient hero’s sacrifice. Their victories are soon forgotten when the games come under attack by the same ancient force that they fought so long ago. Atticus, his friends Ryder and Erin, and newcomer Syler are the only survivors of the brutal attack. They embark on a perilous journey to the Firelands to warn the Lords and raise their armies before it is too late. When Atticus is wounded from a weapon they had never seen before, true friendship is tested and Atticus must discover who he really is and find the key to resurrection before all is lost. Enter a world where elements can be controlled in the palm of your hand, where myths and legends become reality, and where good and evil control the fate of the entire world.

My review:

This book was a well-written fantasy. The world and character building were impressive. The author explains the history of Valat. He explains about the Elementalists who wield the powers of Water, Ice, and Fire. He explains how the nations of Fireland, Woodland, Wetlands, and Icelands were formed. He explains how the infighting decimated the nations until it was decreed that a tournament will be held and the best Elementalists of each land will be the Lords. He explains how that tournament brought about peace and unity and stopped the infighting. Then the Selsians, an empire from the East and who hated magic of any form, invaded Valat and started purging that country of the Elementalists. The Lords started fighting between themselves, leaving the people to be slaughtered. After the fighting stopped, they withdrew into the mountains to rebuild and plan on how to overcome the Selsians.

The war waged on for 3 years and hope was dwindling. Then, a miracle happened. An Elementalist with a power that was vast. He took over leading the people and he alone defeated the Selsian empire, bringing them to their knees and destroying them.

His name? Alcadias and he wielded a sword called Llachar. After the war entered he was given the title of Dragonoid. He eventually married, had a child and moved to a hidden village deep within Valat. His wife’s name was unknown but they had a child. Alcadias also did have an older child, who was called Aris.

His power became a burden and soon he began to fear and hate it. He, somehow, poured his power into the sword, separate it and sent it to 3 locations in Valat that were only known to him. After that, Aris and Alcadias disappeared into a golden light.

It ends up that the story is being read to a young boy called Atticus by his unnamed father. There is a lot of foreshadowing during young Atticus’s conversation with his father.

I love books that have so much backstory. It makes it so much more interesting to read when you know what comes before!!

The story starts 18 years later. Atticus is maybe 20 (I couldn’t exactly place his age) and he is in training to compete in the annual tournament. He is a Master Elementalist and a renowned swordsman. He is summoned to meet with his father, the Lord of the Firelands, Cedric. They discuss the tournament and Atticus takes his leave after an argument involving Lord Cedric’s desire for Atticus to marry. Of course, Atticus is like “No way” (as any normal 20-year-old would be) and it causes them to quarrel. On the way out, Atticus is met by his father’s best friend and advisor, Bacchus, who gives him a cryptic warning. That night, Atticus has a nightmare that seems almost prophetic.

The next day, he meets up with his best friend, Ryder and they head towards Champion Island, where the Tournament is held. The journey there is unremarkable but once they get there, someone seems to have it out for Atticus. He is roomed and then paired in battle with two Icelandic warriors. One he defeated and the other one he was in a battle with when the unthinkable happens, the Selsians attack.

The only ones who survive the massacre at Champion Island are Ryder, Atticus, Lady Erin and Sylor, the Icelandic warrior that Atticus was fighting when the Selsians attacked. Atticus is critically injured during that attack.

I enjoyed reading this book. It had everything. Intrigue, a possible romance (or two), tons of action and of course, fantasy. It is a long book, almost 600 pages, but it definitely doesn’t feel like you are reading a 600-page book.

Atticus and Ryder were definitely my favorite characters in the book. Atticus because he had such strong moral codes and it seemed like he could see beneath people (I am thinking of Sylor) and Ryder because he is so loyal. Plus, they are pretty awesome fighters too.

Erin, I didn’t care for. She absolutely rubbed me the wrong way from the time she was introduced to when she and Atticus were in the cave. After that, I started to develop some respect for her but we’ll see how she is in the second book.

Sylor was a mystery. His hatred of Atticus was unreal but Ryder put him in his place. When he finally did reveal some of his background, it was tragic and I got tears in my eyes reading it.

The end of the book was great and it is totally left open for a book 2.

I would give Resurrection an Older Teen rating. There are no sexual situations. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 16 read this book.

I would reread Resurrection. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

King’s Lament by Lilia Blanc

King's Lament by [Blanc, Lilia]

4 Stars

Publisher: Inkitt

Date of publication: December 10th, 2016

Genre: Fantasy, Romance, LGBT

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis:

Betrayed by his advisors, only the love of two mysterious men can rescue Inea and save his kingdom.

After the death of his father, Inea finds himself the unprepared king of a country at war. When his council forsakes him, and he’s thrown into the dungeons of his own castle, the young man manages to escape only with the help of the intriguing stranger Ansyn.

After one year in hiding, Inea, driven by desire, seeks out Ansyn and discovers that there is more to his savior than he could have ever hoped for. Joined by their new ally Kaedon, passion builds, and they find themselves in a romance that helps fuel their plan to reclaim the throne.

My review:

This book was fantastic and I loved reading it. I usually read at night, after the kids go to bed, but this book got escalated to daytime reading.

I am going, to be honest, I couldn’t stand Inea. He came across as a sheltered, spoiled kid who had no clue how to take care of himself. He was always crying over something. I wanted to reach through the book, smack him, tell him to stop crying and start working on how he was going to get his kingdom back – which he eventually did. He also was constantly getting hurt, which baffled me. You would think, with the experienced men/women around him, that he would have been better at defending himself (because they would have had some sort of lessons with him) or that they would be better at keeping him from getting hurt. But, he wasn’t. I mean, Ansym and Kaedon did eventually teach him to defend himself but still.

He did have some good, redeeming qualities. He cared about his people and wanted to get his throne back from the Queen. He loved with all of his heart. He had to have been the most kind-hearted main characters that I have read in a while. But like I said above, I couldn’t get past how he acted in the first half of the book. Drove me crazy go nuts.

I loved Ansym. He is a badass. He could play the violin like a pro and used that talent to stir up a small amount of civil unrest about the Queen’s rule He was also a trained assassin and I wouldn’t want to be on his bad side. Nope, no way. What he does to his enemies (thinking about the boy, Dae, here) is something I wouldn’t wish on my most hated enemy.

He doesn’t show a soft side in the book until he meets Kaedon. At first, what was between them was just sex but you could just see Ansym falling in love with him. I loved watching his walls come down and seeing him fall for someone. Then Inea was added into the mix and seeing him try to battle his feelings for Kaedon and Inea was heartbreaking. When you find out why then you can understand why he was afraid of falling in love.

I do wish that Kaedon did come clean to Inea and Ansym a little earlier in the book. It could have saved Inea an injury/heartbreak and Ansym heartbreak if he did. But on the other hand, I can see why he didn’t.

The sex between all three men was crazy hot. I thought the first time between Kaedon and Ansym was hot but the threesome between Inea, Ansym, and Kaedon was burning and every sex scene after that was just as hot.

Ansym and Kaedon’s ages were a big surprise. For some reason, my mental image of Ansym was of an older man. It was fueled by how he talked about himself and how the others in the party treated him. So, yeah, I was surprised when he finally revealed his age.

The end of the book was pretty routine and the main storyline (plus the other storylines) got wrapped up in a pretty dramatic way. Giving away a small spoiler here but the last battle scene was fantastic and the way it ended. Let’s just say that I felt very, very satisfied after reading it. I like it when a book makes me feel like that.

I would give King’s Lament an Adult rating. There are explicit sexual situations. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread King’s Lament. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Can’t Forget (Solum: Book 2) by Colleen S. Myers

Can't Forget: If she can't forget her past, she won't have a future. (Solum Series Book 2) by [Myers, Colleen S.]

3 Stars

Publisher: Champagne Books

Date of publication: June 6th, 2016

Genre: Romance, Fantasy

Series: Solum

Must Remember – Book 1

Can’t Forget – Book 2

Distant Memory—Book 3

Before the Fall—Book 4

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis:

Like Roswell meets Lost in Space.

Four months have passed since the E’mani—those pale alien freaks—destroyed the Earth and scooped up the remains. Elizabeth “Beta” Camden was one of those taken. But she escapes and confronts her prior captors successfully with the help of their enemies. Yet she knows the E’mani won’t forget about her. She should stay vigilant and ready. Her heart refuses to listen. Beta falls in love with Marin—he of the hot hands and slit eyes.

Too bad she was right.

This time the E’mani don’t come in force. This time the E’mani slip in silently. And any hope she had of a peaceful life is lost. Beta knows what she has to do and it isn’t playing house. She leaves in the dead of night to find the E’mani stronghold and end them once and for all. But love is a tricky bitch. And Marin refuses to let her throw her life away. It takes a threat to his safety to make her realize, if she can’t forget her past, she won’t have a future.

My review:

I have been spoiled lately. Up until this book, all of the books that I have gotten that have been second books in a series have been standalone. I could read those books and not have to worry about the back story. Then I read this book and broke my streak.

From what I can gather, Elizabeth Camden (aka Beata) was involved in an attack against the E’mani (creepy pale aliens). Her allies are the Fost, long-time enemies of the E’mani. I am going to go out on a limb and say that this book starts a few weeks after that attack.

I could not connect with Beata and actually disliked her during a good part of the book. She came across as abrasive and insecure. My feelings did change towards her but I had to struggle not to let them slide back into the dislike category.

I did feel bad for her during her flashbacks. Back to when she was with the E’mani. I actually shuddered when reading those scenes, they were bad. I wouldn’t wish what she went through on my worse enemy.

The middle of the book is when I started changing my feelings towards Beata. To suffer such a tragedy was unthinkable and I cried with her. But to go off and not tell her husband, not the best decision she made. Then all of the assumptions that she was making about Marin and the other Fost woman were immature. I could see that nothing was happening with Marin. I wanted to reach through the book, slap her and say “Stop being silly before you lose him for good.”

The end of the book was fantastic, with a ton of action and one heck of an ending.

I would give Can’t Forget an Adult rating. There are sexual situations. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I am on the fence if I would reread Can’t Forget. I am on the fence if I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

Throne of Novoxos (Van Laven Chronicles: Book 1) by Tyler Chase

THRONE OF NOVOXOS: VAN LAVEN CHRONICLES (Book 1) by [Chase, Tyler]

4 Stars

Publisher: Tyler Chase

Date of publication: July 15th, 2014

Genre: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Romance

Series: Van Laven Chronicles

Throne of Novoxos – Book 1

Shadow Reign – Book 2

Where you can find this book: Amazon

Book synopsis:

All she wanted was to save a life, even if he was her sworn enemy. She didn’t mean to make him fall in love. She didn’t mean to make him break his vow to his people. And sparking a war was the absolute last thing she ever wanted. But all this and more confronts Vaush as she embarks on an epic journey to restore order to the Empire and to take her rightful place with him by her side.

My review:

Another example of me judging a book by its cover/blurb. I really need to stop doing that because I always end up making a fool out of myself when writing the review.

This is a Romeo and Juliet type love story coupled with some good old-fashioned science fiction and fantasy elements mixed in. The only way that it differs from Romeo and Juliet is that Comron and Vaush do not die a star crossed lovers’ death. They come close a few times but they don’t die.

Comron and his father, Crausin, have one of the most complex and disgusting relationships that I have read. They are telepathic, which was fascinating. Especially something major was revealed to Vaush from Comron towards the end of the story. They didn’t use their telepathy to always talk to each other. Crausin used it to take over while Comron is having sex. So, a telepathic threesome. They also shared their women in the physical sense too.

Vaush is the youngest daughter of Larrs Bastionli, the Duke of Tir-Laros. She is also Comron and Crausin’s mortal enemy. Vaush is a woman who loves nothing more than to stay out of her father’s path and do what she loves, which is helping others less fortunate than her.

Vaush and Comron’s paths cross when the transport that she is on is attacked by a terrorist. A bomb explodes, causing the transport to crash. Vaush is largely uninjured but Comron is gravely injured. Vaush finds him in the wreckage, discovers who he is and decides to save him. Comron returns the favor after a panther attacks Vaush in the jungle.

While they are trekking towards the east coast, and hopefully rescue, Vaush and Comron fall in love and do the dirty. They vow to keep seeing each other, on the down-low, after they are rescued.

Once they are rescued, a huge secret about Vaush comes to light. She is the legal heir of the Emperor’s throne. The Emperor took her mother as his first wife, much to the dismay of his ex-wife and their children. When her mother got pregnant, she disappeared and was assumed to have died and her child along with her. Which wasn’t the case. Her transport was waylaid by Larrs Bastionli, her mother severely injured but kept alive to deliver Vaush and then were either killed or died after her birth. Larrs kept Vaush and raised her as his own child. But with the plan that when she old enough, that she will become the Empress and Tir-Laros will have the backing of the Empress.

Only, it didn’t quite turn out that way. There is murder and mayhem once her secret is leaked. The only true ally that Vaush has is Comron but even that is questioned when huge secrets from his past are revealed to her.

I never thought that I would ever say this in a science fiction/fantasy but the sex scenes are insanely good. Each sex scene was better than the next. I loved it!!

The ending of the book threw me for a loop and made me question Comron and his loyalty to Vaush. There were other instances that made me go “Eh” but when I read what I read at the end, I went “Ooooooo….no he didn’t!!” I am actually going to buy the 2nd book because I want to know what happens next.

I would give Throne of Novoxos an Adult rating. There are sexual situations. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Throne of Novoxos. I would recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**

The Argent Star (The Monarchy: Book 1) by Emerson Fray

The Argent Star (The Monarchy Book 1) by [Fray, Emerson]

2 Stars

Publisher: D L Miles

Date of Publication: June 7th, 2015

Genre: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Young Adult

The Argent Star – Book 1

The Howling Jade – Book 2

Where you can find this book: Amazon |Barnes & Noble

Book synopsis:

What happens when your decisions affect an entire universe?

Ren Argent wanted to be an archeologist and spend her life exploring the lost cities of Earth. But when a new planet is discovered and her father is appointed King, she has to leave behind everything she knows to rule over a place she’s only heard of in legends.

Not long after her arrival, she discovers there are insurgents hiding in the darkened forests and the planet is on the brink of civil war. It won’t be long until the Monarchy steps in to “neutralize” the threat.

Will she be able to stop the hostile takeover? Or will her actions ignite a rebellion across the universe?

My review:

I wanted to like this book. I mean, the storyline is great:

Girl goes to another plant and saves its inhabitants from an evil reign set on wiping them out.

Unfortunately, even a great storyline can’t help awful characters.

I could not stand Ren. She came across as whiny in some parts of the story and childish in other parts. Her relationship with her father was nonexistent because she was still carrying a grudge over something that happened over seven years earlier. The only person that actually likes her is her brother Elian, and she treated him like a child half the time. Two people call her out on her BS: Sheridan, her Sotarian bodyguard, and Abetha, her Guide (a servant). Those scenes I liked.

She did because almost bearable during the last half of the book but, she acted like a child and it drove me nuts. Definitely not my favorite character of all times.

The substory of the rebels was good and I enjoyed the twist that happened midway through the book. It changed my view of one character.

The ending was really good (and this is where Ren almost redeemed herself) and the substory lines were tied up in a very satisfactory way. But it ended in a cliffhanger, which again, drove me nuts. I can’t stand them.

There is a 2nd book in the series but I am not sure if I want to read it or not. Like I said above, Ren grated on my nerves and I couldn’t read another book with her in it.

I would give The Argent Star an Older Teen rating. There are no sexual situations. There is language. There is violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 10 read this book.

I would not reread The Argent Star. I would not recommend it to family and friends.

**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**