Review: The Culling Trials book 3 - Shannon Mayer & K.F. Breene

You Don’t Choose The Academy. The Academy Chooses You.

The last of the Culling Trials is here. I foolishly thought I’d survived the worst.

My team is falling to pieces around me and my heart is shattered for the losses I’ve endured. But I can’t stop when I’m so close to the end. There are too many people depending on me.

I foolishly thought there wasn’t much more I could lose…until the nature of my bloodline comes to light.

I’m not what I thought I was. Not what anyone thought I was. But to tell people the truth would be to kill us all.

To fail the trials will mean death, but to succeed might damn me for life.

Shadowspell Academy Series:
The Culling Trials book 1
The Culling Trials book 2
The Culling Trials book 3

Visit Shannon Mayer's website or K.F. Breene's website for more information

Review:
As Wild and her team continue the trials the danger is greater than ever before and the challenge for the House of Night even sees them facing off against supernatural zombies! The team is still down one member as Gregory and the other missing students still haven't been found so not only is Wild trying to get her group through the last few trials in one piece but she's also determined to find out who is behind the disappearances.

This has been such a fun series to read, lots of fun magic, great characters and plenty of action. We finally start getting some answers about Wild's abilities here and we also see Wally coming into her own as she faces off against another necromancer. I've really enjoyed seeing how the team has come together  and that they always have each other's backs, even Ethan makes some positive improvements here although I'm still not sure he can be completely trusted.

The latest instalment has lots of twists and we finally get to see who survives the trials and which houses they get placed in. I'm really hoping the authors decide to continue the series so we can see how the gang get on inside the Shadowspell Academy.

Source: Received from the author in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle:

Review: The Culling Trials book 2 - Shannon Mayer & K.F. Breene

You Don’t Choose The Academy. The Academy Chooses You.

Being accepted into an elite school of magic, monsters, and assassins was not my idea of higher education. But here I am, fighting my way through the Culling Trials to claim my right to be taught.

As if the gauntlet-type physical and mental tests aren’t enough, people are going missing.

People that are my friends.

In a dangerous world where no one is as they seem, the golden rule is simple: Trust no one. They think we should just look out for ourselves. That we should leave the fallen behind and ask no questions.

They clearly think we’re idiots. I got this far by trusting my instincts, and I’m not going to back down now.

Those kids won’t be left to die.

Not on my watch.

Shadowspell Academy Book 1 and Shadowspell Academy Book 2 end with a cliffhanger

Book 3 will release June 11, 2019

Shadowspell Academy Series:
The Culling Trials book 1
The Culling Trials book 2
The Culling Trials book 3

Visit Shannon Mayer's website or K.F. Breene's website for more information

Review:
The Culling Trials book 2 picks up Wild's story immediately after the ending of the first instalment so please be aware there will be spoilers for the first book in this review. It's turning into a really fun series though so you should definitely check it out if you haven't already.

Picking up immediately from where we left off Pete has just walked into the bathroom and discovered that Wild is really a girl. Although he has a little trouble getting past the whole boob thing before he can even think about how her secret could affect the whole group if she's discovered! There is a very good reason that Wild has been hiding her true identity and her whole family will be in danger if anyone finds out who she really is so she's got to place a lot of trust in Pete to keep her secret.

I'm actually really enjoying seeing the friendship grow between Wild, Pete, Wally, Orin and Gregory, they're all from totally different backgrounds and have very different skills but there seems to be a genuine bond between them. You'll notice that I'm not counting Ethan in that grouping but he's a whole different kettle of fish and it's going to take a lot of work before I'll start trusting him.

Wild's secret is actually the least of their problem as the culling trials continue. There is danger from every direction and even working together is no guarantee of success but if they don't make it through Wild will never discover what happened to her older brother or why they tried to recruit Billy. She also needs to get to the bottom of whats going on with her childhood friend Rory, he's been holding out on her for a long time and it's clear he has information she needs if she's going to survive this experience.

I love how fast paced these stories are, lots of action and fun as they work through the trials but also a strong group of characters who are becoming fast friends. There are secrets galore that I can't wait to uncover and I'm just glad we don't have to wait long for the next book!

Source: Received from the author in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle:

Review: The Culling Trials book 1 - Shannon Mayer & K.F. Breene

You Don’t Choose The Academy. The Academy Chooses You.

I had no idea how those words would change my life. Or how they’d changed my life already…

Until the day the most dangerous man I’ve ever met waltzed onto my farm and left us a death sentence.

In an invitation.

My younger brother has been chosen for the prestigious, secret magical school hidden within the folds of our mundane world. A place so dangerous, they don’t guarantee you’ll make it out alive.

If he doesn't go our entire family will be killed.

It’s the same invitation my older brother received three years ago—the same place he mysteriously died.

The academy has already killed one sibling. I’ll be damned if they take another.

I do the only thing an older sister can: chop off my hair, strap on two bras to flatten the girls, and take my brother’s place.

Magic and monsters are real. Assassins are coming for me, and the dead are prone to rise. What’s a girl faking it as a boy supposed to do? That’s right—beat the academy at its own game.

Or die trying.

Shadowspell Academy Series:
The Culling Trials book 1
The Culling Trials book 2
The Culling Trials book 3

Visit Shannon Mayer's website or K.F. Breene's website for more information

Review:
The Culling Trials is the first book in the new Shadowspell Academy series by Shannon Mayer and K.F. Breene and it's kind of a cross between Harry Potter and Maze Runner with a hint of Mulan thrown in for good measure. We're introduced to main character eighteen year old Wild who has been helping to look after her family since her mother was killed and her father was badly injured. A few years ago her brother received a mysterious invitation to the Shadowspell Academy and although he passed the trials and won himself a scholarship he died in strange circumstances not long after starting school. Now an envelope has arrived for her younger brother Billy, only this time the invitation includes threats that if Billy doesn't attend the Culling Trials the whole family will be killed.

Wild already lost one brother and there is no way she's going to stand by and wait for another to be killed so she decides to go to the trials in Billy's place. After cutting off her hair and disguising herself as a boy she heads off to the Academy but what she finds when she arrives is nothing she could ever have prepared herself for. Magic is real but failing the Culling Trials could be a death sentence, and that's before she even starts taking classes. Joined by a ragtag crew of allies she makes along the way it's going to take everything Wild has to make it through the trials in one piece.

I was already a fan of K.F. Breene's writing but Shannon Mayer is a new author to me so I wasn't too sure what to expect from this story. I'm glad to say it was a very well written, fast paced and had me hooked from the first few pages. I still have a lot of questions about the world that the authors have created but I like the way things are unfolding so far and I'm already looking forward to the next book. Wild is a great character, she's protective of her family and she will do whatever it takes to keep her younger siblings safe but she's also at a complete disadvantage in the trials because her parents haven't prepared her at all for the possibility that magic is real. There are obviously a lot of secrets in the family that I'm sure we will uncover as the series continues but I really want to know more about the circumstances of her mother's death and how her father came to be badly injured.

Wild has already started making a few allies at the trials, some who seem more trustworthy than others, but it will be interesting to see how these friendships develop across the series. These friends are thrown together in dire circumstances and I think it will be the making or breaking of all of them. If the rest of the series is fast paced as the first book then I think we're in for a heck of a ride.

Source: Received from the author in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle:

Review: The Ghoul Vendetta - Lisa Shearin

Men in Black meets Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum in the fourth urban fantasy novel in the series starring seer Makenna Fraser and her fellow agents at Supernatural Protection & Investigation.

The agents of Supernatural Protection & Investigations (SPI) are paid to keep the peace. But that’s not so easy when an endless evil threatens to tear that peace to pieces...

A vampire gangster’s nephew is abducted off his yacht by a bunch of low-rent Creatures from the Black Lagoon. A slew of banks are knocked over by what looks like the cast of Night of the Living Dead. All of this may seem like the movies, but, I promise you, it’s not.

I’m Makenna Fraser, seer for SPI, and I know the culprits aren’t wearing disguises or makeup. They’re real. Deadly real. Especially their leader—an ancient shapeshifter who leaves a trail of chaos and blood in his wake. Now, he’s taken my partner, Ian—and his intentions aren’t pretty.

The worst part? This is only the beginning...

The beginning of the end of the human race.

SPI Files:
Lucky Charms (Novella included in the Night Shift anthology)
The Grendel Affair
The Dragon Conspiracy
The Brimstone Deception
The Ghoul Vendetta

Visit Lisa Shearin's website for more information

Review:
What should have been a fun date for Seer Mac and her Goblin boyfriend Rake quickly turns sour when the yacht they're partying on is attacked by a kraken and a bunch of other weird creatures normally only seen in bad sci-fi movies. Things only get worse when ghouls start carrying out perfect bank jobs and eating any security guards who come anywhere close to catching them in the act. Throw in an old vendetta against her SPI partner Ian and shocking kidnap and Mac realises the stakes have never been higher but can she rescue Ian from the clutches of a madman AND save the world from an ancient enemy or is she destined to fail?

One of the things I love most about this series is the way Lisa Shearin keeps coming up with interesting new creatures to populate her world with. We've had dragons, gorgons, demons and more but The Ghoul Vendetta increases the stakes and introduces a whole new host of monsters for Mac to worry about. We also get to find out a lot more about Ian's background which was fascinating (I wish we'd seen some of the story from his point of view though!). Mac is much more confident than she was at the beginning of the series and while she's not the strongest fighter in the SPI she's definitely willing to stand up when it counts, especially when her partner's life is on the line.

If there is one thing I'm a little disappointed with it's the romance though. Rake has really grown on me as a character but I just don't see any real connection between him and Mac which makes it very hard to believe in them as a couple. Mac spends so much time thinking about Ian that Rake is pretty much an after thought throughout the whole book, even when he's going out of his way to help her. It's probably easy to guess that I'm totally team Ian but I can see that ship has firmly sailed and I'm sure I'll get over it eventually. I just hope the author can actually create half the chemistry between Mac and Rake that she's already done between Mac and Ian. Luckily the romance isn't the main focus of the story though and I'm happy to just roll with the unbelievable relationships because I'm enjoying the rest of the story so much.

The Ghoul Vendetta has plenty of action and some really funny moments to lighten up the dark nature of the ghoul attacks. We're getting a much view of the world now and there are some really interesting revelations that will have a knock on effect as the series continues. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing where things go from here and I'm still not-so-secretly keeping my fingers crossed that Mac and Ian will see sense and stop dating other people when they're both so obviously in love with each other LOL.

Source: Received from Ace in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle:

Review: The Brimstone Deception - Lisa Shearin

The agents of Supernatural Protection & Investigations (SPI) know that fighting evil is a full-time job, especially when a new designer drug - with mind-blowing side effects - hits the streets . . .

It's called Brimstone. After the first few hits, you'll see every supernatural beast sharing the sidewalk, train, or office with you. After that, you'll start seeing the really scary stuff.

I'm Makenna Fraser, seer for the SPI. And the collateral damage caused by Brimstone is something I'd like to unsee: dead drug dealers missing their hearts - and souls. Because your local pusher doesn't stand a chance against the new cartel muscling its way into New York. Plus, since the drug can only be produced with magic and molten brimstone fresh from Hell, a rift to the underworld must be open somewhere in the city.

And when - not if - the cartel loses control of it, well . . .

It's going to be Hell on Earth.

SPI Files:
Lucky Charms (Novella included in the Night Shift anthology)
The Grendel Affair
The Dragon Conspiracy
The Brimstone Deception
The Ghoul Vendetta

Visit Lisa Shearin's website for more information

Review:
There's a new designer drug in town and it has some unfortunate side effects including allowing humans to see through supernatural glamours and realise that there are monsters living among us. As if that wasn't bad enough the drug's main ingredient is brimstone, imported freshly from Hell itself and that means that somewhere hidden in New York is an open portal which could have disastrous consequences if it's not closed before demons start using it as a one way ticket to paradise. SPI Agents Mac and Ian have been tasked with finding out who is behind the drug's creation and also a string of grisly murders amongst the local drug dealers but most importantly they need to find that portal and figure out how to close it before the world is change forever.

This series is going from strength to strength and I really enjoy diving back into this world to spend time with these characters. I love the partnership that is developing between Mac and Ian now that she's starting to find her feet as a Seer. She's still got a lot to learn but it's clear that there is mutual respect between them now and I love the banter between them and their regular driver, werewolf Yasha. I will say that I'm still a bit disappointed that Lisa Shearin seems to have given up on the idea of a romance between Mac and Ian though, they had such brilliant chemistry in the beginning and although I love them as friends I'm still hoping they'll end up being more. I just don't feel the connection between Mac and Rake yet and I'm even less convinced by the Ian and Kylie pairing. Both relationships feel false and they definitely don't have anywhere near the chemistry that Mac and Ian used to. Having said that Rake is growing on me so I'm glad he's still hanging around and perhaps the author will convince me he's a worthy romantic lead eventually.

This series is full of humour so there is lots of witty banter and I enjoy Mac's way of snarking when she's stressed. There is a great cast of side characters too with more being added in every instalment. The Brimstone Deception is full of action and Mac's abilities seem to be heading in an interesting direction, the same goes for the bad guy they're hunting and I'm looking forward to seeing what happens on both counts in future instalments. If you're looking for a lighter funny urban fantasy series you can't go far wrong with this one.

Source: Received from Ace in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle:

Review: The Dragon Conspiracy - Lisa Shearin

After solving The Grendel Affair, the agents have another SPI File to investigate . . .

We’re Supernatural Protection & Investigations, known as SPI. We battle the real monsters of myth and legend, but this Halloween, we’re searching for diamonds . . .

A gala opening at the Metropolitan Museum of Art has attracted the upper crust of Manhattan—and thieves. A trio of vile harpies attacks the crowd and steals the stars of the exhibition: a colorful cluster of seven cursed diamonds known as the Dragon Eggs.

In the right mage’s hands, each stone can pack a magical wallop. Together they have the power to “cure” the supernaturals of the tristate area—but for many of those vampires and werewolves, that means turning into dust.

I’m Makenna Fraser, a seer for SPI. With the help of my partner, Ian, and the other agents, I have twenty-four hours to prevent total global panic, find the diamonds, and save the supernatural community. No biggie . . .

SPI Files:
Lucky Charms (Novella included in the Night Shift anthology)
The Grendel Affair
The Dragon Conspiracy
The Brimstone Deception
The Ghoul Vendetta

Visit Lisa Shearin's website for more information

Review:
When Mak and Ian are tasked with guarding a set of cursed diamonds known as the Dragon Eggs, at a gala night opening for the Metropolitan Museum of Art they should have known they were about to be in trouble. What they couldn't have guessed is that three harpies would show themselves in front of the humans present and escape with the dangerous jewels. Unfortunately the diamonds are dangerous and if SPI aren't able to recover them quickly enough they could be used to cure all of the supernatural creatures in the area and return them to their human selves. That might not sound like a major problem but what do you think would happen to vampires and shapeshifters who are hundreds of years old if time was able to catch up with their bodies? Yes, SPI is looking at a major supernatural disaster!

I absolutely loved the prequel novella Lucky Charms but there were a few teething problems with the first book The Grendel Affair. I like the world that Lisa Shearin has created and how she has included so many different supernatural creatures but the pacing was a little slow in the first book which made the story drag a bit. Luckily that wasn't the case in The Dragon Conspiracy and the story starts with a bang, in fact one of my favourite scenes from the book was the opening night at the museum and I thought it kept a fairly steady pace from there onwards. I really loved the addition of a gorgon to the cast of characters, Helena had a really interesting back story and considering what she has to do to stay alive I was surprised at how much I liked her character. It was also great to see Rake back in the mix again, his character intrigued me in Lucky Charms and I liked him even more here.

While I enjoyed this book more than the first one there were still a few things that bothered me, mainly the ever changing relationship between Mak and Ian. In the prequel there was some fantastic chemistry between them, I loved their banter and I had high hopes of a slow build romance between them. That chemistry fell a little flat in the first book but I was expecting it to pick up again here since Lucky Charms was written after The Grendel Affair but for some reason things seemed to a complete 180 in this book. For most of the story they were acting more like wary strangers than the friends and colleagues they'd been before, the banter was completely missing for a large chunk of the book and the chemistry has vanished too. It seemed like the author was throwing them both in different directions romantically and I found myself really disappointed by that, especially since we'd seen such a great build up between them previously. I know the romance isn't the main focus of the story and I definitely enjoyed the rest of the plot more than the previous book but there was definitely something missing here.

I do still love this world though and I'm hoping everything will come together in the next book. I'm not sure what to expect from the romance but I think I'm going to be going in with much lower expectations on that front, I do hope that we see the friendship and banter back between Mak and Ian though, even if we end up with no romance between them. This series has a lot of potential and I'm very curious to see what kind of supernatural creatures Lisa Shearin will throw at Mak next, she's been on a steep learning curve already but I expect she's in for a few more surprises.

Source: Purchased

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle:

Review: Long Live the Queen - Kate Locke

Xandra Varden thought life would be simpler when she accepted the goblin crown and became their queen, but life has only become more complicated. The vampires, werewolves and humans all want the goblins on their side, because whoever has the goblins - wins.

With human zealots intent on ridding the world of anyone with plagued blood, and supernatural politics taking Britain to the verge of civil war, Xandra's finding out that being queen isn't all it's cracked up to be. And if she doesn't do something fast, hers will be the shortest reign in history.

The fantastic conclusion to the series which started with the undead steampunk debut God Save the Queen.

The Immortal Empire Series:
God Save the Queen
The Queen is Dead
Long Live the Queen

Visit Kate Locke's website for more information

Review:
I have really enjoyed the Immortal Empire series and am actually quite sad to see it come to an end but I would rather Kate Locke ended things on a high note and that's exactly what she has done with Long Live the Queen. As much as I'm hoping she'll change her mind and continue to explore this world and it's fantastic characters I'm happy that she has tied up all the loose ends and given readers a satisfactory ending. Do I think there is room for a spin off series? Absolutely yes, but I won't be upset if there isn't.

Xandra has come a long way since the first book, not only has she accepted her goblin heritage she is now proud of it and she has really come to care for the goblins who fall under her rule. She never wanted to be a queen but she is determined to be the very best one possible and she will do anything in her power to prevent her goblins being taken advantage of by the rest of the supernatural population. The goblins are a powerful force to be reckoned with and even Queen Victoria has come to realise that she will have to work with Xandra if she wants to prevent a war between the humans and the supernatural races. The alliance between the goblins and the werewolves is a natural one considering Xandra's relationship with Vex but they are all much more wary of the vampires and Victoria. Especially when it is clear that someone high up in the vampire hierarchy is behind the missing halfies and the gruesome experiments that are being carried out on them.

There is a lot going on in this book as Kate Locke ties up the various outstanding plots from the series. We finally get to uncover who is behind the experiments but we also see some very interesting and unexpected results from the time Xandra spent in captivity. Xandra is betrayed by people she should be able to trust but she also makes some unexpected allies that are sure to change everything. We get to see her spending time with her siblings which I've always enjoyed and we also see some progression in her relationship with Vex. I've said it before but I'll say it again - I love them together! Most of all I love the fact that Vex sees Xandra as an equal, he may be a powerful alpha and his instincts tell him to protect her but he would never try to stop her fighting for her people, he just stands up and fights right alongside her.

I don't want to say too much more but I'm sure anyone who has enjoyed the previous books will love this final instalment. I am sad it's come to an end but I will definitely be keeping an eye out for more from Kate Locke in the future and she's already on my auto-buy list!

Source: Received Orbit in exchange for an honest review.

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle:

Review: The Queen is Dead - Kate Locke

Xandra Vardan is the newly crowned Goblin Queen of England, But her complicated life is by no means over.

There are the political factions vying for her favour, and she's under the all-too-close scrutiny of Queen Victoria, who for some reason wants her head. Not to mention her werewolf boyfriend with demands of his own, and a mother hell-bent on destroying the monarchy. Now she's the suspect in a murder investigation - and Xandra barely knows which way is up.

What she does know is that nothing lasts forever - and immortality isn't all it's cracked up to be.

The Immortal Empire Series:
God Save the Queen
The Queen is Dead
Long Live the Queen

Visit Kate Locke's website for more information

Review:
God Save the Queen was a fantastic start to Kate Locke's alternate history urban fantasy series so I've been looking forward to getting my hands on The Queen is Dead ever since I first read it. If the stunning covers for this series aren't enough to convince you to read them then the mash up of genres should be, throw in a hint of steampunk, vampires, werewolves and a heroine who has just found out she is the goblin queen and you're definitely onto a winner! Everything I loved about the first book was back again in this 2nd instalment and it's left me desperate to read Long Live the Queen when it publishes in November.

Xandra had quite a shock at the end of the last book when she discovered that she is in fact a goblin rather than the halvie that she always thought she was. The goblins are the most ferocious of the supernatural races and the ones who are most feared by the rest of the population. She has always thought of them as monsters so her world view has taken quite a battering thanks to her newly acquired status as their queen. Not only is she questioning herself and worrying over her new abilities but she also finds that she has become a political pawn that each of the different factions all want to win into their corner, she is going to have to pick her allies wisely though or she'll just end up in an even bigger mess. After everything that Xandra went through in the first book to protect her siblings I have to say I was a bit disappointed in them for abandoning her when she needed their support in return, it's just a good job she had Vex to lean on. Of course the fact that they have been ignoring her for the last few months doesn't stop Xandra diving straight into the investigation when she discovers that her brother Val is missing no matter how much trouble it might get her into. She is the kind of girl who will protect her loved ones at any cost and I can't fault her for that.

I love the way things have developed between Xandra and Vex and I think she sums up my feelings for him perfectly when she says "One of the things I adored about him was he didn't go all chest-thumping on me and treat me like a delicate flower. I knew he'd rip apart anyone who tried to hurt me, but he'd give me first crack at it." I love the fact that although he is an alpha he doesn't try to take charge of every situation. He is supportive and protective of her without being smothering and I like the way he is so calm and centred while Xandra is struggling to come to terms with the revelations of her heritage. Vex obviously loves Xandra for who she is and he is the only one who has always been there for her when she needed him.

Another thing I really enjoyed was getting to learn more about the goblins, we get to see a different side to them as Xandra reluctantly spends more time with the plague and I've come to really like the goblin prince. There have also been a few interesting developments with Vex's werewolf pack and it will be interesting to see how that plays out in the next book. I'm thoroughly enjoying this series and I'm sure anyone who enjoyed the first book is going to love this instalment just as much. I can't wait to see what happens next!

Source: Received from Chrissie at Once Upon a Series in exchange for an honest review (this review will also appear as a guest post on Chrissie's blog).

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle:

Review: Greta and the Goblin King - Chloe Jacobs

While trying to save her brother from a witch’s fire four years ago, Greta was thrown in herself, falling through a portal to Mylena, a dangerous world where humans are the enemy and every ogre, ghoul, and goblin has a dark side that comes out with the eclipse.

To survive, Greta has hidden her humanity and taken the job of bounty hunter—and she’s good at what she does. So good, she’s caught the attention of Mylena’s young goblin king, the darkly enticing Isaac, who invades her dreams and undermines her will to escape.

But Greta’s not the only one looking to get out of Mylena. An ancient evil knows she’s the key to opening the portal, and with the next eclipse mere days away, every bloodthirsty creature in the realm is after her—including Isaac. If Greta fails, she and the lost boys of Mylena will die. If she succeeds, no world will be safe from what follows her back...

Mylena Chronicles:
Greta and the Goblin King
Future titles and release dates to be confirmed

Visit Chloe Jacobs website for more information

Review:
When Greta saved her younger brother from a witch four years ago she ended up falling through a portal into the world of Mylena. Ever since that day Greta has had to keep her humanity a secret knowing that if anyone finds out what she is they will kill her. Luckily she was taken in by a reclusive wood sprite, Luke, who has trained her to be a successful bounty hunter but her abilities have also caught the attention of Isaac, the goblin king, and he isn't exactly the safest person to have around considering he would have to kill her if he discovers her secret. Greta is desperate to find a way back home but she isn't the only one searching for a portal and it seems that she may hold the key to opening the way which has painted a very large target on her back. Can Greta help the other humans who are trapped in Mylena find their way home and is she really ready to leave Isaac behind?

I don't think I've come across another book where you have a goblin as a romantic lead before and that was one of the things that drew me to Greta and the Goblin King. I have to admit that I spent the whole book picturing Isaac as a dark haired version of David Bowie in the movie The Labyrinth (I guess that's probably showing my age!) and I don't think that was a bad thing, it certainly didn't take me long to warm to him! I think Isaac was actually my favourite character, yes he was arrogant, secretive and at times manipulative but at the same time he was protective, caring and incredibly sexy. Some of my favourite Isaac quotes included:

"You can put up walls, Greta, but sooner or later, I'll break down every last one. There won't be any secret you can keep or any part of you I don't know..." He leaned forward, his voice lowering to a whisper. "Intimately."

"Then how about because you challenge me?" he said. "You provoke me, excite me. Make me think about things I shouldn't think about, want things I thought would be impossible once I became king."

I only wished we got to see him and Greta spending more time together but I'm hoping that is something we'll get in future instalments. Greta was a kick ass heroine, she has spent years training to survive in the incredibly inhospitable environment of Mylena and has had to learn to keep her true identity a secret. She has to work harder than anyone else to make up for the fact that she is physically weaker but she does a very good job of not letting that show. As much as Greta is desperate to go home it is only when she gets closer to the possibility of leaving that she starts to realise that Mylena has become like a second home to her. She has spent so long learning to fit in there that in some ways it is more familiar than the world she left behind. It isn't going to be easy for her to decide where she really belongs.

Alongside Greta and Isaac we are also introduced to Wyatt and his gang of Lost Boys, other humans who were unwillingly transported to Mylena by witches. I found myself really liking Wyatt and the others but I have to admit that I wasn't impressed when the obligatory love triangle was introduced. I'm so over love triangles now and unless they are done really well or there is something unique about them I'm just not interested any more. I did enjoy watching Greta fight alongside the boys though and it was interesting to see how she grew as a character when she started feeling responsible for them.

Greta and the Goblin King was a solid start to the Mylena Chronicles and has left me looking forward to future instalments. The story has great action, interesting mythology (although I still have a lot of questions that I'm hoping we start getting answers to!) and a great love interest. I'm looking forward to learning more about the bond between Isaac and Greta and will definitely be keeping my eye out for the next book.

Source: Received from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle:

Review: God Save the Queen - Kate Locke

London, present day - and Queen Victoria still rules with an immortal fist.

She's the undead matriarch of a Britain where the Aristocracy is made up of werewolves and vampires, where goblins live underground and mothers know better than to let their children out after dark. A world where technology lives side by side with magic, where being nobility means being infected with the Plague (side effects include undeath) and Hysteria is the popular affliction of the day.

Xandra Varden is a member of the elite Royal Guard, and it's her duty to protect the Aristocracy. But things get complicated when her sister goes missing. Xandra will not only realise she's the prize in a dangerous power struggle - but she'll also uncover a conspiracy that threatens to topple the empire itself.

The Immortal Empire Series:
God Save the Queen
The Queen is Dead
Long Live the Queen

Visit Kate Locke's website for more information

Review:
As soon as I saw the cover I knew I wanted to read God Save the Queen - it was the combination of the steampunk style outfit with modern London buildings in the background that raised my curiosity. You've got to love a heroine with bright red hair too! Reading the blurb and discovering Kate Locke has created an alternate history where Queen Victoria didn't die - she was actually infected with the plague and became a vampire - just sealed the deal and moved this onto my 'must read' pile of books. Imagine a world where Queen Victoria is celebrating her 175 year on the throne, a world where the British Aristocracy were all infected with a plague that turned them into vampires. The same plague that turned the Scottish Aristocracy into werewolves but didn't really have any effect on the main population. You have a world full of steampunk technology, where women wear corsets and where your heritage dictates your place in society. You also have a story that is a mixture of urban fantasy, alternate history and steampunk - in other words a story that is full of awesome.

Our heroine is Xandra, a 22 year old halvie who was born of a vampire father and a human courtesan and who now works for the Royal Guard protecting the Aristocracy. When her sister Dede goes missing and is presumed dead Xandra is the only one who doesn't believe what she is told, she is convinced that her sister is still out there somewhere and is determined to find out what happened to her. Even Xandra's brother Val and her other sister Avery believe that Dede is dead so she is on her own when it comes to the investigation. The more Xandra starts digging into Dede's disappearance the more she starts to uncover about her own past and the secrets those she is closest to have been keeping from her.

Xandra is the kind of character I find it easy to care for, she is strong and independent but she is also caring and she knows when to accept the help that is offered to her. She has been kept in the dark for her whole life and everything she thinks she knows is completely turned upside down throughout the story. I can't say much more without giving spoilers so I'm just going to say I was impressed with the way she coped with the revelations that were thrown at her. I really found myself liking her family unit, particularly the relationships she has with her siblings but some of the characters I'm most interested in finding out more about are Vex (the Alpha of the British werewolves) and the Goblin Prince. I have a feeling there are a lot more secrets still to uncover and I'll be interested to see how the story develops in the next book.

Considering God Save the Queen was written by an American author it had an authentic British feel to it that I really enjoyed. Add in a great cast of characters, a mystery that kept me guessing and some fabulous world building and this is a book you won't want to miss out on. I can't wait to get my hands on the next instalment and will definitely be adding Kate Locke to my list of authors to watch out for.

Source: Received from Orbit in exchange for an honest review

Other Reviews:
Snowdrop Dreams
If you have reviewed this book on your blog please leave a link to your review in the comments & I'll add the link here.

Paperback / Kindle: