Review: Stealing Summer - Lexi Blake

From New York Times and USA Today bestseller Lexi Blake comes a new epic-length story in her Thieves/Hunter world… 

A daughter lost 

Summer has spent her whole life wondering about the family she left behind. On the night she came into being she only had a few moments with them. In that brief time, she reached out to her father, looking deep into his soul, and gifted him the will to go on. But now she is the one in need. Once a child made of pure magic, she is forced to live as a mortal. Her power caused great harm, and she has sworn never to let it happen again. With her friends beside her, she tries her best to help those she can. If that requires her to do a little thievery, well, she is her mother’s daughter, after all.

Everything changes when a woman falls from the sky and Summer meets the handsome vampire named Marcus Vorenus. Just as her past begins to catch up with her, she might have finally met her future.

A mother discovered

Kelsey Owens went searching for Dev and Marcus but all she found was a trap. She was pulled through a magical painting and thrown smack into the middle of a battle on a foreign plane of existence. Luckily she’s good in a fight. Saving the woman targeted by the horde of brutal soldiers, Kelsey is shocked by her resemblance to her queen. As Kelsey investigates the mystery surrounding Summer Donovan-Quinn, she also hunts for a way back to the husbands and son she just claimed.

A queen exiled

Zoey Donovan-Quinn is not happy. The wizard Myrddin is back, her marriage is troubled, and she is sure those two problems are connected. But nothing is more worrying than Dev’s sudden disappearance. When she and Daniel go looking for him, they are drawn into a world thought lost to the Earth plane. Danger awaits them there, but so does the daughter they thought they would never see again. She hopes they survive their reunion.

Three heroines. One mystery. And an ending that will change the Thieves world forever…

Thieves Series:
Steal the Light
You Will Call Me Master (Free short story via the author's newsletter)
She Will Be My Goddess (Free short story via the author's newsletter)
Steal the Day
Steal the Moon
Steal the Sun
Steal the Night
Ripper (Hunter book 1)
Addict (Hunter book 2)
Sleeper (Hunter book 3)
Outcast (Hunter book 4)

Stealing Summer (Hunter book 5)

Visit Lexi Blake's website for more information

Review:
I love Lexi Blake's Thieves series and always hoped that we'd find out what happened to Summer as well as that we'd see Marcus get his own romance so I was thrilled when I heard about Stealing Summer. While a lot of this author's books work as stand alone stories (you can pretty much read the Masters & Mercenaries series in any order for example) I really recommend reading this book after the rest of the Thieves and Hunter books because there is so much going on here that it would be confusing for a first time reader.

We have three different points of view for the book, Zoey from the original books in the series, Kelsey whose story was told in the Hunter spin off and also Summer who we saw briefly as a baby but never as a POV character before. Sometimes I find stories confusing when they're told from multiple points of view but these three characters were distinctive enough that it was easy to keep track of who we were reading about.

It's really hard to say too much about the plot of this book without giving spoilers but trust me if you had questions at the end of the previous books then you'll get most of the answers here. As well as Zoey and Kelsey we get to catch up with other series favourites like Daniel, Dev and Marcus, we also get to explore a few new realms and if you're fans of Lexi's other books you'll spot cameos from characters from both the Masters and Mercenaries and the Faery story series. I loved getting to meet Summer and see how her life had turned out since she was taken to Faerie and I really loved seeing Marcus finally get his own happily ever after that he's waited thousands of years for. 

The only other thing I'm going to tell to is that this is a total game changer for this series and whole world. Lots of revelations are made and while I expected something like what happened at the end it was still a jaw dropping moment and a HUGE cliffhanger. I honestly can't wait for the next book in the series and I'm really glad that Lexi Blake is writing in this world again!

Source: Purchased

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Review: The Vampire Book Club - Nancy Warren

I was a divorced, middle-aged witch banished to Ireland.
My life could be summed up in a limerick...

There once was a misguided witch
Who tried a man’s fate to switch
Her punishment set
To Ireland she must get
But better than feathers and pitch!

With a name like Quinn Calahan I sounded as Irish as a leprechaun dancing a jig on a four leafed clover, but the truth was, I’d never been closer to the emerald isle than drinking green beer at the St Patrick’s day street party in Boston until I messed up so badly I had to leave the US. I was offered a job in a tiny village in Ireland that no one’s ever heard of. And I think that was the point in sending me there. How much trouble could a divorced, middle-aged witch get into in a village that boasted very few residents, one crumbling castle that attracted no tourists, and a post office that was only open Mondays and Thursdays?

You’d be surprised.

You will fall in love with this series about second chances, magical mayhem, and book club unlike any other. From the author of the best-selling Vampire Knitting Club series.

The Vampire Book Club Series:
The Vampire Book Club
Chapter and Curse (July 2020)
A Spelling Mistake (October 2020)

Visit Nancy Warren's website for more information

Review:
Quinn knew it was wrong using her magic to try and save the life of her ex-husband but she never expected the consequences to be quite so harsh. Banished from her coven she is given 2 weeks to pack up her entire life in America before being shipped off to a small village in Ireland where she's due to take charge of the local book shop. It's a total culture shock for her when she first arrives but what really throws her for a loop is the dead body she finds behind the counter the first time she enters the shop. It's not in Quinn's nature to sit back and wait for someone else to solve this mystery but when you're new in town it's hard to tell friends from potential foes.

The Vampire Book Club was a fun start to Nancy Warren's new series. I liked Quinn's character and found it made a change to read about a slightly older character than most books, Quinn is in her 40s and pretty confident in herself which was great. Her life has been turned upside down but she's determined to make a go of things and throws herself into making new friends and meeting the other villagers. I would have liked to have seen a little more of her magic so I hope that comes out to play more in future books.

I love the idea of the Vampire Book Club and the members seemed quite fun so I'm looking forward to spending more time with them. I also enjoyed meeting the residents of Ballydehag, there were lots of colourful characters and plenty of them are keeping secrets too. I'm really curious to find out what happened to the owner of the book shop, it appears she was also sent away after doing something she shouldn't have but we've not been given any information about what she did or where she's gone. I think there's definitely more to learn about there so it'll be interesting to see what we discover in the next book.

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

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Review: Of Flame and Fury - Cecy Robson

Taran Wird, the loudmouth mistress of flame and lightning, didn’t want to attend the formal gathering of the supernatural elite. She did so only to help to unite the supreme beings in attendance in one common goal: protecting Taran’s sister, Celia.

Celia is pregnant with alpha werewolf Aric Connor’s child, the same child prophesized to save the world from uprising evil. Evil wants this child dead before he is born and, more importantly, before he can grow strong enough to stop it.

Taran and her werewolf lover, Gemini, put plans in place to protect Celia. Master Vampire Misha Aleksandr and his clan also swear their allegiance to Celia and vow to keep her from harm. The witches even cast protection spells around the manor to curse anyone with malintent who enters. Nothing was supposed to go wrong, except everything did.

Creatures that shouldn’t exist stalk the grounds and invade the premises, and every curse meant to shield the guests turns against them. No one counted on the powerful being who arrived uninvited. But he’s here, manipulating the magic enclosing the estate to work in his favor.

As body counts rise and allies become enemies, chances are Celia won’t survive the night. But evil never counted on how hard Taran Wird would fight, even at the expense of her life.

Weird Girls Series:
Gone Hunting
A Curse Awakened (Novella)
The Weird Girls (Novella)
Sealed with a Curse
A Cursed Embrace
A Cursed Moon (Novella)
Cursed by Destiny
A Cursed Bloodline
A Curse Unbroken
Of Flame and Promise
Of Flame and Light
Of Flame and Fate
Of Flame and Fury

Visit Cecy Robson's website for more information.

Review:
With Celia heavily pregnant with the child that is supposed to save the world the whole supernatural community, from the Pack to the vampires and even the witches, have come together to keep her safe. Their enemies are converging though and they are equally determined to kill Celia before the child is born. This battle will be the fiercest one yet and Taran will do anything to protect her sister, even if it means making the ultimate sacrifice.

Of Flame and Fury is the final book of the Weird Girls series told from Taryn's point of view but I don't believe it will be the last book in the series. I'm not sure which sister will be up next but I'm already looking forward to continuing the adventures! This book was pretty much non stop action from beginning to end, their enemies are out in force and its going to take everyone working together if they want to save Celia. Taran has to make some difficult decisions but alongside Gemini, Aric, Shayna and Emme they will never give up.

While I loved the battle scenes in this book I have to admit I would have liked some more quieter moments where we just got to spend time with the characters we know and love. There was less humour in this book because there was so much danger and I missed that a little here. It was still a fab instalment though and I'm more eager than ever to get to Emme and Shayna's stories so I hope we don't have to wait too long for the next one!

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

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Review: Baker's Coven - Nancy Warren

Can she bake a winning cake without getting iced?

Competition is hotter than the pre-heated ovens as The Great British Baking Competition moves into cake week. Amateur baker Poppy Wilkinson has a lot to deal with, from learning she has talents she never knew about, to trying to keep cool and bake under pressure.

She’s also trying to track down the secrets of her parentage. Meanwhile, she’s saved from death by a local Border collie who seems to think she’s part of his flock and herds her out of danger. Was it an accident or does someone want her out of the baking competition permanently?

With witches, an energy vortex, an ancient manor house that holds it’s secrets tight, Poppy’s barely got time to practice her fondant icing, never mind escape from a killer.

Taste this culinary cozy mystery series from USA Today Bestselling author Nancy Warren. Each book is a stand-alone mystery, though the books are linked. They offer good, clean fun, and, naturally, recipes.

Great Witches Baking Show Series:
The Great Witches Baking Show
Baker's Coven
A Rolling Scone (May 2020)

Visit Nancy Warren's website for more information

Review:
It's week two of the Great British Baking Competition so Poppy and her fellow contestants are back in the tent preparing to bake their favourite cakes. Poppy is still hoping to find out more about the parents who gave her up but she needs to do as well in the contest as possible so that she has an excuse to spend time at Broomewold Manor. Arriving early in the hope of finding local ingredients for her recipes Poppy soon finds herself caught up in mysterious events at a neighbouring farm and it looks like she'll have to put her newfound detective skills to use again.

Baker's Coven is the second book in Nancy Warren's Great Witches Baking Show cosy mystery series and while each story contains a different mystery to solve I'd still recommend reading the books in order so you can get to know the characters. This book gives us the chance to start getting to know some of the other contestants a little better as well as the local residents.

I love the Bake Off inspired format of the story and am enjoying seeing Poppy start to learn more about her witchy heritage and the powers that she has. We're also starting to explore more of the area around Broomewold Manor and learn a little about the Earl his family. It's obvious the family has plenty of secrets so it's going to be really interesting to see what else we uncover as the series continues. I'm looking forward to reading about more of Poppy's adventures.

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

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Review: The Last Wish - Andrzej Sapkowski

Geralt the Witcher — revered and hated — holds the line against the monsters plaguing humanity in this collection of adventures in the NYT bestselling series that inspired the blockbuster video games.

Geralt is a Witcher, a man whose magic powers, enhanced by long training and a mysterious elixir, have made him a brilliant fighter and a merciless assassin. Yet he is no ordinary murderer: his targets are the multifarious monsters and vile fiends that ravage the land and attack the innocent.

But not everything monstrous-looking is evil and not everything fair is good…and in every fairy tale there is a grain of truth.

The Witcher Series:
The Last Wish (Short Story Collection)
Sword of Destiny (Short Story Collection)
Blood of Elves
The Time of Contempt
Baptism of Fire
The Tower of Swallows
The Lady of the Lake
Season of Storms

Visit Andrzej Sapkowski's publisher page for more information

Review:
I'm going to preface this review by saying I was really unwell when I read this book and that may have affected my opinion of it. It took me much longer to read than it should have done and there were parts I listened to multiple times because my brain was too fuzzy to properly pay attention so it's very possible that I missed major details and that's why I didn't fully connect to the story.

I didn't know much about the Witcher series before I went into this book, I knew my brother was obsessed with the games when he was younger (but I'd never played them myself) and I also knew that it was being made into a series by Netflix (which was the main reason I wanted to read it, I mean come on, did you see the pictures of Henry Cavill as Geralt?!). Apart from that, and the fact it was high fantasy, I didn't know what else to expect so I was somewhat surprised when I realised that The Last Wish is actually a collection of short stories rather than a full length novel. I usually find short stories work better as an addition to series I'm already familiar with rather than an introduction to a new world but it was actually pretty well done in this case and allowed us to find out a decent amount about Geralt's background and some of the main characters I assume we'll see throughout the series.

The book starts with Geralt getting injured in a fight, he is taken to a temple to recover and while there he proceeds to recount stories of some of the other monsters he's come across over the years. These stories are interspersed with short updates on his recovery and what is happening in the current timeline. I really liked the huge variety of different monsters that are included, everything from vampires and werewolves through to djinn and gnomes. I loved that we get so many hints of familiar fairytales included in the stories, it makes the world feel familiar and I was always trying to guess what fairytale creature would pop up next.

As a Witcher Geralt has trained both physically and mentally to protect humans from monsters, even going so far as taking a potion that makes him not quite human himself and gives him extra speed, strength and healing abilities. Witchers provide an important service but it isn't always appreciated so he's always a little on the outside looking in no matter how far he travels. I'm really curious to find out more about Geralt but I don't feel like I know him that well yet and that made it a little harder to connect with the story. While there was a lot I enjoyed about the book I don't think I've been fully sucked into this world yet. My friends have assured me that I can start the TV series now though so I'm looking forward to that and I'm hoping I'll enjoy it so much that it'll make me want to continue reading the books.

Source: Purchased

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Updated cover for the Netflix Show

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Review: The Great Witches Baking Show - Nancy Warren

A baker with secrets
Witches in trouble
The cameras are rolling
Ready, set, die.

Poppy Wilkinson is thrilled to be chosen as a contestant on The Great British Baking Contest. As an American with English roots, winning the crown as Britain’s Best Baker would open doors she’s dreamed of. In more ways than one. Appearing on the reality show is her chance to get into Broomewode Hall and uncover the secrets of her past.

But strange things are happening on the show’s set: accusations of sabotage, a black cat that shadows Poppy, suspiciously unsociable residents at Broomewode Hall—and the judges can be real witches.

There are murmurs that Broomewode is an energy vortex. It certainly makes Poppy see and do things that aren’t exactly normal, and seems to draw interesting characters to the neighborhood.

When a fellow contestant dies in mysterious circumstances, Poppy has more to worry about than burned pies and cakes that won’t rise. There’s a murderer on the loose and it’s up to Poppy and her new friends to solve the crime before it becomes a real show-stopper.

From USA Today Bestselling Author Nancy Warren, this delicious series of cozy paranormal mysteries will have you guessing until the end. Includes recipes.

Great Witches Baking Show Series:
The Great Witches Baking Show
Baker's Coven
A Rolling Scone (May 2020)

Visit Nancy Warren's website for more information

Review:
Poppy is thrilled when she is chosen as a contestant for The Great British Baking Contest for two reasons, not only does she love to bake but she's also hoping that returning to the area she was born in will give her the chance to try and trace the family that gave her away when she was just a baby. Taking part in the show is both nerve wracking and great fun but it goes downhill fast when one of the other contestants is murdered. Now Poppy finds herself with more than one mystery on her hands and she's determined to solve them both.

I've heard great things about Nancy Warren's Vampire Knitting Club series but as soon as I heard about The Great Witches Baking Show I knew I had to start here. The Great British Bake Off is a show that most Brits are obsessed with, it's one of those comforts that always makes you smile no matter how bad the world is and this story is the same but in book form. As the first book in the series we're only just starting to get to know the characters but I really liked Poppy and the other contestants mostly seem like a supportive group. The judges were fun and I'm particularly curious about Poppy's search for her birth family.

As a cozy mystery this book is light hearted and humorous in spite of the murder and I found it a very fast and fun read. I think there is a lot more to uncover about Poppy and her newly discovered abilities and I'm glad that the next two books are being released so quickly (Baker's Coven in March & A Rolling Scone in May) so I won't have to wait too long to find out what happens next.

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

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Review: Magic for Liars - Sarah Gailey

Sharp, mainstream fantasy meets compelling thrills of investigative noir in this fantasy debut by rising star Sarah Gailey.

Ivy Gamble has never wanted to be magic. She is perfectly happy with her life—she has an almost-sustainable career as a private investigator, and an empty apartment, and a slight drinking problem. It's a great life and she doesn't wish she was like her estranged sister, the magically gifted professor Tabitha.

But when Ivy is hired to investigate the gruesome murder of a faculty member at Tabitha’s private academy, the stalwart detective starts to lose herself in the case, the life she could have had, and the answer to the mystery that seems just out of her reach.

Visit Sarah Gailey's website for more information



Review:
I've heard such fantastic things about Sarah Gailey's American Hippo that I jumped at the chance to read their latest novel Magic for Liars. This is the story of PI Ivy Gamble who is hired to investigate a murder at an exclusive school for magic users. One slight problem is that her estranged sister twin Tabitha is one of the teachers there. Ivy and Tabitha haven't been on speaking terms for years ever since it was discovered that Tabitha had magic and she was whisked away to a special school leaving un-magical Ivy home on her own. There's a lot of jealousy and resentment built up between them with them both blaming each other for their rift.

While it's going to be hard working a job and having to deal with her sister Ivy needs the money and she's also desperately curious about the school and magic in general so she accepts the job but it isn't going to be easy when she has to try and keep her identity, and her lack of magic, a secret.

I had such high hopes for this story so it pains me to say this but I ended up finding it a little on the boring side. For a story set in a school for magic users there is surprisingly little magic and more of the focus of the story is on Ivy and her resentment towards her sister. Ivy is a borderline alcoholic who spends most of her time feeling sorry for herself and complaining about her life which made it very difficult to enjoy spending time with her. The magic we did see was really well done and I was kept on hook by the mystery surrounding the murder but some clues were so obvious I couldn't understand why none of the teachers suspected anything until Ivy came along. I did enjoy some of the side characters and I still really want to try reading American Hippo but if this turns into a series I think it's very unlikely that I'd be interested in reading any more of Ivy's adventures.

Source: Received from Tor Books in exchange for an honest review

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Review: Rise of the Fire Witch - Lisa Carlisle

Is she dangerous? Or is she in danger?

A steamy forbidden romance trilogy between a shifter and a cop!

Roman, Commander of the Stone Sentries, is on high alert as he patrols from a Boston rooftop. The eclipse of the red Supermoon bodes danger. When a blast of dark magic soars past him, he tracks a beautiful, mysterious woman.

Larissa has spent her entire life trying to be normal--even if it's given her insight as a police officer. But, she’s different--she can sense things before they happen. It doesn't help her the night she meets Roman, however. A harmless fling turns into something much more dangerous.

What she discovers about Roman is shocking enough. But, when she learns the secrets of her past, she's blindsided by the truth.

If you enjoy reading
- Steamy paranormal romance and urban fantasy
- Shifters and witches, gargoyles and demons
- Fated mates and forbidden love

Get three action-packed, steamy romantic adventures in this hot new collection! Don't miss the Rise of the Fire Witch trilogy featuring Larissa and Roman's story in:

Tempted by the Gargoyle
Enticed by the Gargoyle
Captivated by the Gargoyle

Stone Sentries Boston Series:
Tempted by the Gargoyle
Enticed by the Gargoyle
Captivated by the Gargoyle
Rise of the Fire Witch (Stone Sentries Boston books 1-3)

Visit Lisa Carlisle's website for more information

Review:
Rise of the Fire Witch is a bind up collection containing the first three books in the Stone Sentries Boston series by Lisa Carlisle. I'm going to review each of these stories separately below but this was a fun paranormal romance series that you should definitely check out if you're curious about gargoyles!

Tempted by the Gargoyle:

Tempted by the Gargoyle is our introduction to this world and both of the main characters Larissa and Roman. Larissa is a police officer who has been suffering with PTSD ever since the Boston Marathon bombing, she loves her job but feels guilt over the people she couldn't save that day, especially her best friend Janie, a fellow officer who was badly injured in the explosion. Larissa has always been sensitive and long ago learnt to trust her gut instincts but while her ability may warn her trouble is coming it doesn't always give her enough information to stop it from happening.

Roman is the Commander of the Stone Sentries in Boston, they are a group of gargoyle shifters who do their best to watch over the city and protect the innocent humans living there. The eclipse of the red supermoon has them on high alert, they sense danger is coming but are still trying to tract down the source. Roman senses something about Larissa and he's not sure if she's involved with what's about to go down or an innocent bystander so he decides to follow her.

This was a really fun introduction to this series, I really liked both of the main characters and what we've seen of this world is really interesting so far. I've not read many books with gargoyle main characters so that was a bonus and I found Roman's abilities really intriguing. I hope we'll find out a lot more about him and the rest of the Stone Sentries as the series continues. I thought they had great chemistry from the minute they met and I was totally on board with Larissa's idea to take a walk on the wild side and have a one night stand, the night they spent together was hot and I could easily see them wanting to spend more time together.

If I have one complaint it was that some things felt a little rushed. I get that this is a relatively short instalment but since there are three books about these two characters I would have liked their romance to have been drawn out a little longer, things are quite serious between them already and that didn't feel realistic with them knowing each other less than 24 hours. I also felt like Larissa accepted what she learned about herself and her heritage a bit too easily and I definitely struggled to believe the way she was able to gain control of abilities she didn't even know she had pretty much instantly. In spite of those issues I do have high hopes for this series and I'm definitely looking forward to spending more time with Larissa and Roman in the next two stories.

Enticed by the Gargoyle:

Enticed by the Gargoyle picks up Larissa's story as she tries to explain a demon attack to her bosses, it goes down about as well as you can expect and she quickly finds herself placed on leave until further notice. It's not like she doesn't have plenty of other things to deal with though, she's just found out that she comes from a long line of witches but has no training on how to use her abilities, and she's still got to try and figure out a way to save her best friend Janie from the incubus induced coma she's currently in.

Roman and the rest of the gargoyles are also on high alert as they're still sensing demon activity in the city even though the portal has been closed. He is determined to keep his mate safe but when Larissa starts pushing him away he's forced to watch over her from a distance.

This is another action packed instalment of the Stone Sentries Boston series, there is plenty of danger from demons and we also get to learn more about Larissa's family background and see her start to embrace her abilities.

The one thing I didn't like so much was the way Larissa and Roman's relationship seemed to take a step backwards. They lost the chemistry from the first book and spent most of this one bickering which was disappointing since you'd really expect them to be in that honeymoon period. I was really annoyed by Larissa, she says some incredibly hurtful things to Roman when she was under the influence of dark magic that left him questioning everything about their relationship. That was completely out of her control but when she starts to come back to herself and realise what she'd done her first move should have been to immediately call Roman and apologise. Instead she just ignores it leaving him heartbroken for longer than necessary.

I do want to see them work things out though so I'm hoping the next story will be the best one yet.

Captivated by the Gargoyle:

There's only one demon left on this side of the portal and it's clear that Janie is it's main target. Larissa doesn't know why it is so determined to take her friend but when the worst happens she is determined to do whatever it takes to save Janie's life. Luckily Roman and the other Stone Sentries are willing to help but this is one battle that won't be easy to win.

Captivated by the Gargoyle is the final instalment in Larissa and Roman's trilogy and it was just as action packed as you'd expect. The stakes are higher than ever here when Janie is abducted by the demon king and trying to save her could end up costing Larissa and her friends everything.

I've really enjoyed seeing Larissa come into her powers, she's still learning exactly what she's capable of but she's come a long way and is getting stronger all the time. I was also pleased with the way the romance has developed between Larissa and Roman, they've both made mistakes along the way, and Larissa in particular had a lot of growing up to do but by the end of the book it felt like they were in a great place relationship wise. It was fun seeing the beginnings of a romance start to blossom between Janie and Arto, Roman's second in command. I think they are really cute together and I'd love to read a book about them both!

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

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Rise of the Fire Witch is only available on kindle but you can purchase the stories separately as paperbacks:

Review: The Harp of Kings - Juliet Marillier

A young woman is both a bard--and a warrior--in this thrilling historical fantasy from the author of the Sevenwaters novels.

Eighteen-year-old Liobhan is a powerful singer and an expert whistle player. Her brother has a voice to melt the hardest heart, and is a rare talent on the harp. But Liobhan's burning ambition is to join the elite warrior band on Swan Island. She and her brother train there to compete for places, and find themselves joining a mission while still candidates. Their unusual blend of skills makes them ideal for this particular job, which requires going undercover as traveling minstrels. For Swan Island trains both warriors and spies.

Their mission: to find and retrieve a precious harp, an ancient symbol of kingship, which has gone missing. If the instrument is not played at the upcoming coronation, the candidate will not be accepted and the kingdom will be thrown into disarray. Faced with plotting courtiers and tight-lipped druids, an insightful storyteller, and a boorish Crown Prince, Liobhan soon realizes an Otherworld power may be meddling in the affairs of the kingdom. When ambition clashes with conscience, Liobhan must make a bold decision--and the consequences may break her heart.

Blackthorn & Grim:
Dreamer's Pool
Tower of Thorns
Den of Wolves

Warrior Bards:
(This series can be read completely separately but it stars Blackthorn & Grim's children)
The Harp of Kings
A Dance with Fate (2020)

Visit Juliet Marillier's website for more information

Review:
I've been a fan of Juliet Marillier ever since I first started reading her Blackthorn and Grim series a few years ago so I was absolutely thrilled to find out that she was returning to this world with The Harp of Kings. Although the new Warrior Bards series can easily be read without reading the previous books the story is set in the same world but many years later and it stars Blackthorn and Grim's grown up children Liobhan and Brocc.

Liobhan is a skilled musician and singer but the one thing she wants more than anything is to become a warrior. Brocc is more interested in his music than fighting but he chose to accompany Liobhan to Swan Island, where elite warriors are trained, to keep his sister safe. Dau is another member of their class and he is in fierce competition with Liobhan to be the top student. The three are still in training when they are selected for an important mission. They'll need to take on new identities for the duration of the challenge with Liobhan and Brocc as travelling bards while Dau works as an apprentice blacksmith.

Their mission is to find a missing harp. The Harp of Kings is an ancient artefact that has been used at the coronation of all the previous kings, it has been stolen from the Druids and unless it's found in time the crown prince will not be accepted by his people as their rightful king. They need to find answers but that is made very difficult by the fact that nobody can know who they really are or that the harp is even missing in the first place. Add in the way the local fae seem to have taken an interest in both the harp and the siblings who are looking for it and things are going to get complicated fast.

I absolutely love Juliet Marillier's writing style, her books are very character driven and they read just like an old fashioned fairytale. I love the way she weaves folklore and fae creatures into her work and the blend of mystery and magic is just seamless. The story is told in alternating points of view from Liobhan, Brocc and Dau, all three were distinctive characters with very different outlooks on life. I love the strong bond between Liobhan and Brocc, they always have each other's backs and they are willing to risk a great deal to protect each other. I wasn't a fan of Dau's at first, he had some very old fashioned ideas about women wanting to be warriors and to be honest he came across as a bit of an idiot but he really grew a lot throughout the story and I enjoyed seeing him and Liobhan go from fierce enemies to grudging allies.

This story has a lot of heart and it was totally captivating from the first page to the last. I'm already desperately waiting for the sequel and I can't wait to spend more time with these characters.

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

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Review: The Journals of Octavia Hollows: Books 1-6 - Stacey Rourke

With a touch of her hand, Octavia Hollows can restore life. Yet, she couldn’t save the man she loved from the horrific accident that stole him from her. Octavia thought she could outrun the pain, but ghosts from the past refuse to be silenced. Out of options, she chooses to retrace her wayward journey across the country in search of answers. Surrounded by baffling mysteries of the undead, what she learns about herself along the way might become her greatest weapon.

This six novella series chronicles Octavia's adventures in:
Wake the Dead
Dead Man's Hand
Caught Dead
Drop Dead Gorgeous
Dead Ringer
Dead as a Doornail

"This is Rourke at her finest: sassy and completely unapologetic. Proving again why she's a powerhouse in this industry."
-USA Today Best Selling Author Rue Volley

"This book has it all: a kickass heroine, loads of action... and a pig named Bacon."
-NYT & USA Today Best Selling Author Karen Lynch

The Journals of Octavia Hollows Series:
How the Dead Lie (Prequel novella, this is also part of the Havenwood Falls multi-author series)
Wake the Dead
Dead Man's Hand
Caught Dead
Drop Dead Gorgeous
Dead Ringer
Dead as a Doornail
The Journals of Octavia Hollows: Books 1-6 (Bind Up Collection Containing the first 6 novellas)

Visit Stacey Rourke's website for more information

Review:
This book is actually a collection of the first 6 novellas in the Octavia Hollows series by Stacey Rourke. I listened to the audiobook which narrated by Brenda Scott Wlazlo who I thought did a brilliant job with the different character voices. I often find my mind drifts when I'm listening to audiobooks but she did a great job of holding my attention and I ended up devouring the whole series far faster than I usually listen to audiobooks.

I'll talk about each one separately below but lets start with a brief overview of the series. Octavia is a necromancer with a rather unusual ability. Rather than raising a zombie like creature she is actually able to restore a dead body to its original healthy state and the person she raises is effectively given a whole new chance at life. Her life was turned upside down by the death of her fiancé Elba, that wouldn't usually be a big problem for her but when someone steals his body before she can reanimate him it all goes to hell. Now Octavia's only focus in life is to try and figure out where Elba's body is so that she can bring him back from the dead.

This was a fun and light hearted urban fantasy series that I couldn't read fast enough and I really, really hope that Stacey Rourke decides to write more stories set in this world.

Wake the Dead

This is a great introduction to Octavia and this world. We get to find out about her ability to raise the dead and meet the most adorable sidekick in her pet pig called Bacon. The story starts with Octavia retracing her steps to Seattle looking for clues about Elba's missing body. While there she is asked for help by a desperate family whose children both seem to be dying. Add in a dead nurse, a visit to the morgue and a dangerous curse and Octavia is going to need to keep her wits about her if she wants to survive this adventure.

We only find out a little about Octavia's past here but we start to understand how alone she has been since falling out with the Coven who raised her until she was 16.

Dead Man's Hand

The second story sees Octavia retrace her steps to Las Vegas where she's hoping her old boss might have some answers for her about the man who is stalking her. We get to see Bacon cause chaos on a construction site before Octavia gets herself caught up in a new supernatural case after she reanimates an ex gambler who was burned alive. She's trying to stay under the radar of her Coven, dodge the police and a mob hitman while trying to figure out who is behind the murders so it's probably no surprise that things get a little crazy.

I'm really enjoying getting to know Octavia, she may be on a mission but that never stops her from trying to help others along the way.

Caught Dead

The next stop of Octavia's journey sees her in Galveston, Texas. She's still searching for Elba's body but at the same time she's also trying to find out more about the mysterious stalker who seems to be shadowing her every move. While here she witnesses a body being recovered from a fishing net but he's too far gone even for her magic abilities. Unable to ask the victim directly about his murder she has to do a bit more digging on her own here and soon gets caught up in a tale of sea monsters.

This story gives us a lot more information about Octavia's past as she uncovers things about herself and her family that she'd never heard of before. She was an orphan before the Coven took her in but this gives her a chance to find out about the parents she doesn't even remember. It ends on quite a cliffhanger so I was really pleased that I had the entire series on hand ready to continue!

Drop Dead Gorgeous

After her abduction in the previous story Octavia is still at the mercy of a cold blooded siren who would happily see her dead. With Bacon and her new friend Squidface being held hostage and used against her Octavia didn't have much choice but to agree to travel to meet the rest of the siren pod. The last thing she's expecting is to find them running a travelling beauty pageant where they target pervy old men to feed from but it's actually a pretty perfect way for the sirens to feed without going on a killing spree.

Octavia finds herself caught up in siren politics after stumbling across a double homicide and she'll have to keep her wits about her if she wants to save her friends in time. This ends in another cliffhanger so again I was ready to dive straight into the next story.

Dead Ringer

Knowing that her stalker has abducted her entire coven has put Octavia's hunt for Elba's body on hold. She will do anything to save the women who raised her and her search for them begins in New Orleans. Retracing her steps seems to be working well for her so far so she heads back to the boxing gym she used to work at. When she realises her old boss and one of the new fighters Reid have got themselves in some kind of trouble with an underground fight club she knows she has to step in and help but she's definitely going to end up with more than she bargained for this time.

All the way through this series I've been rooting for Octavia to track down Elba and bring him back to life but for the first time I'm starting to wonder whether that's actually the best option for her. She had some great chemistry going on with Reid so although nothing has really happened there so far I find myself almost hoping that will change in the future. We're definitely getting closer to a resolution one way or the other when it comes to Elba though so I couldn't dive into the final book fast enough.

Dead as a Doornail

Her journey has come full circle and now Octavia is back in Tallahassee, Florida, the place where Elba died and where her stalker is now holding her coven captive. Reid has travelled with her wanting to help her and pay back the debt he feels he owes her but her focus remains on finding Elba's body and rescuing her coven.

I'm not going to say too much about this final instalment because I don't want to give spoilers but I will say I was really happy with the way this series ended (although I'm still hoping for more in the future!). This was an intense part of Octavia's journey, she has to face some terrible choices and is forced to face up to both her past and what she wants from her future.

I had so much fun reading this series, I ended up devouring all 6 novellas in less than 24 hours because they kept me totally hooked from beginning to end. I loved the colourful characters and the humour and while this may have been my first Stacey Rourke series it definitely won't be the last!

Source: Received audiobook for review

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Review: How the Dead Lie - Stacey Rourke

A necromancer in a butcher shop. What could possibly go wrong?

Haunted by a horrifying past, Octavia Hollows has lived her life on the move. Like all supernatural beings, when she crosses into Havenwood Falls, she sets off the town’s protective wards. Unlike with most, the officials take immediate action, recognizing her as the powerful necromancer who, as a child, raised the dead in a gruesome public spectacle.

Still, they give Octavia a chance. Ninety days probation. No dark magic. Achieve that, and she will be granted residency. They even secure employment for her at Pyntz’s Butcher Shoppe.

A necromancer working in a butcher shop. What could possibly go wrong?

Just when she settles in and begins opening up to the possibility of a forever home, Octavia discovers a dead body stuffed in the shop’s meat freezer. He’s nude. He looks like a cover model. And now, thanks to Octavia momentarily losing control of her abilities, he’s alive … again.

Fearing someone would go so far as to kill to drive her out of Havenwood Falls, Octavia teams up with Willie, the resurrected hottie, to solve the mystery of his murder. They must work fast, though, before more corpses appear. Otherwise, Octavia could find herself booted from town along with an army of raised undead.

_____________________________

Welcome to the secluded mountain town of Havenwood Falls, home to sexy men, strong women, and neighbors who bite. Discover supernatural mystery, thrills, and romance in a place where everyone has a deep, dark, and often deadly secret.

This is a stand-alone paranormal murder mystery in the world of Havenwood Falls, a collaborative series in the fantasy genre featuring a variety of supernatural creatures. Each author writes a stand-alone story, so they can be read in any order.

The Journals of Octavia Hollows Series:
How the Dead Lie (Prequel novella, this is also part of the Havenwood Falls multi-author series)
Wake the Dead
Dead Man's Hand
Caught Dead
Drop Dead Gorgeous
Dead Ringer
Dead as a Doornail
The Journals of Octavia Hollows: Books 1-6 (Bind Up Collection Containing the first 6 novellas)

Visit Stacey Rourke's website for more information

Review:
How the Dead Lie is an introduction to Stacey Rourke's Journals of Octavia Hollows series, if you've already read the other novellas this gives you the chance to see first hand how she met her adorable sidekick Bacon and learn more about her journey started. It's also part of the Havenwood Falls series, I have to admit I've not read any of the other books in that series but as far as I can tell it's a multi-author series linked by a common location. From the characters we meet in this book it seems like Havenwood Falls is populated by a large range of supernatural creatures from werewolves and witches through to goblins and vampires and beyond. I'd actually be interested to try some other books in the series, it seems like a great way to find some new to me authors.

Anyway, I picked this up because I love Octavia Hollows and I spotted this additional story listed on Stacey Rourke's website. Octavia's story is one of those fun, quirky urban fantasy series that has you giggling your way through as Octavia stumbles from one disastrous situation to the next. This introduction to her world is no difference, I mean what else do you expect when you give a necromancer a job in a butchers shop? Hopefully this story will introduce some Havenwood Falls fans to a new series just like it's helped me discover Havenwood Falls.

Source: Purchased

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Review: The Lunatics: Volume One - Navessa Allen

Layla Fitzpatrick lives a simple life, for a werewolf. And that's just how she likes it. Her childhood was less than ideal. She'd like to spend her adult years flying under the radar of more powerful preternatural creatures. Because she knows from experience what happens when they notice you.

Everything changes one early summer night when she attends a ritual bonding ceremony meant to join two werewolves together for life. Midway through, the spell becomes corrupted and she finds herself unexpectedly mated to the stuffiest shifter she's ever laid eyes on.

Michael Kolbeck is more man than wolf. He spends his days in a skyscraper, building his family's empire. At night, he prowls the streets of Boston, a city where shifters, witches, and vampires walk a delicate tightrope of ceasefire masquerading as peace.

Little do they know that Layla's arrival will act as the spark that ignites the fire, and that thin veneer of peace is about to vanish.

Visit Navessa Allen's website for more information

Review:
I'm a huge paranormal romance and urban fantasy fan so I knew going in that this was going to be just my kind of story but it's like Navessa Allen has been rooting around inside my head and plucked out every single item on my wish list for this kind of book then meshed it all together into The Lunatics. We have a strong, independent, intelligent heroine who knows what she wants from life and isn't afraid to go looking for it. Then there's a hero who is alpha without being over the top about it, he's sexy but in a more subtle way than a lot of heroes you read about and he doesn't mind when a woman is physically stronger than him. Throw in fantastic world building, a society where race, sexuality and gender seem to matter very little and a great cast of side characters and I'm hooked.

Layla and Michael are thrown together by circumstance, having a mate is not something either of them was ready for but they both accept the situation when they're accidentally bonded in a ceremony gone wrong. Neither of them is willing to rush into a relationship no matter how attracted they are to each other or how much their new bond is messing with their emotions but they're not pushing each other away or fighting it either. Instead they take time to get to know each other, they gradually build trust between them and they discuss the possibilities for their future like adults so that they're both fully on board with every choice they make. I love the slow build of their relationship, the chemistry is simmering along nicely in the background pretty much from first sight but it takes a long time before they're willing to take that step into a physical relationship.

Layla is really laid back and much more relaxed than Michael, she fully accepts her werewolf side and is happy to spend time both as a wolf and as a human. She enjoys spending time with her family and her pack and is happy to live a fairly simple life. Michael on the other hand has grown up learning how to suppress his wolf instincts, his family live in the city and they spend nearly all their time as humans. It's a careful balancing act in Boston with territory split between the werewolves, vampires and witches while the human population is completely oblivious to their very existence. For Layla living in the city is a real test, the sights, sounds and scents are completely overwhelming to her senses and she's walking on a tightrope over a field full of political landmines having no idea what wrong move could set off an explosion. Michael tries hard to help her fit in but it's fair to say his family are a nightmare and I think things are only going to get worse before they get better.

While the story doesn't end on a cliffhanger it did leave me desperate to get my hands on Volume Two so I'll be eagerly awaiting the next instalment. I have a feeling this is going to become one of my favourite series!

In interests of full disclosure I have to point out that Navessa is a very close friend of mine, however that hasn't affected this review or my rating. I purchased this book myself and these are my honest opinions of the story.

Source: Purchased

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Review: Shadows - Kristen Proby

From New York Times Bestselling Author, Kristen Proby, comes an all new paranormal romance set in the mystical city of New Orleans…
​
I am never alone. Not even when I am alone.

I see the unquiet dead, the souls that wander through the French Quarter.

They can’t move on, and I can’t stop seeing them.

I wear malachite for protection, and I control what I let in. It’s the only way to stay sane. Everything changes the day Cassian Winslow joins my ghost walking tour and knocks my world off its axis with green eyes the color of the stone around my neck.

An unspeakable evil is loose in New Orleans, taking young women and leaving a bloodbath in his wake. More shadows lurking for me. More unhappy dead. There might be a way to stop it.

Open myself up to Cassian.

If I do, it could spell his death.

But if I don’t, it’s mine.

Bayou Magic Series:
Shadows
Further titles and release dates to be confirmed

Visit Kristen Proby's website for more information

Review:
Brielle and her sisters Millie and Daphne have always had strange abilities but it was only when they were older and able to escape the abusive home that they grew up in that they were able to find another witch to teach them how to use them. Living in New Orleans Brielle's connection to the dead has caused her no end of trouble and she sees the shadows of ghosts wherever she goes. It's only recently that these shadows have started to appear as real people that are able to communicate though and, with a serial killer targeting young women who look just like her, now they're reaching out to Brielle for help.

FBI profiler Cash is only in the city on forced vacation after working a difficult case but he's enjoying spending time with his brother and he finds himself drawn to Brielle from the minute they meet. He's not sure what to make of it when she mentions her abilities but when a young woman they've both met goes missing he agrees to help her liaise with the local police to try and help with their investigation. The two quickly find themselves drawn into a dark and disturbing case and it looks like Brielle may be a target for the killer.

Shadows is my first Kristen Proby book but it won't be the last and I'm already looking forward to getting to know Brielle's sisters better as this series continues. I found all three of them really interesting characters and I loved the different abilities they all have. They had a really tough upbringing but it just brought them closer together and there's a really strong bond between them. Since leaving their home they've built a supportive community around them and found other like minded people to learn from.

Cash was a nice guy and I liked how supportive he was of both Brielle and her sisters but if I have one complaint about this book it was that the connection between them was a little too fast. I found it hard to believe he would be so quick to believe Brielle about her abilities and thought he would have been much more suspicious of her claims, at least in the beginning. I think a slower build on their connection would have made their relationship that bit more believable but I liked the two of them together so that only bothered me in the very beginning.

One thing I will say is that Shadows was far more creepy than I expected it to be. We see parts of the story through the eyes of both the serial killer and his victims so considering how much he loved to torture people that did get quite dark and hard to read in places. I'm not knocking it because it was very interesting to read but I just think you should know going in that this isn't a light and fluffy paranormal romance so you're prepared. The mystery was good and I like the way things were left off ready for the next book in the series, it wasn't a cliffhanger though, more of a winning the battle but still having the rest of the war to fight kind of situation. The rest of this series is definitely on my wish list but I think I'm going to have to check out some of Kristen Proby's other books while I wait for the next one to be released.

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

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Review: Blood Engines - T.A. Pratt

Meet Marla Mason--smart, saucy, slightly wicked witch of the East Coast. . . .

Sorcerer Marla Mason, small-time guardian of the city of Felport, has a big problem. A rival is preparing a powerful spell that could end Marla's life--and, even worse, wreck her city. Marla's only chance of survival is to boost her powers with the Cornerstone, a magical artifact hidden somewhere in San Francisco. But when she arrives there, Marla finds that the quest isn't going to be quite as cut-and-dried as she expected . . . and that some of the people she needs to talk to are dead. It seems that San Francisco's top sorcerers are having troubles of their own--a mysterious assailant has the city's magical community in a panic, and the local talent is being (gruesomely) picked off one by one.

With her partner-in-crime, Rondeau, Marla is soon racing against time through San Francisco's alien streets, dodging poisonous frogs, murderous hummingbirds, cannibals, and a nasty vibe from the local witchery, who suspect that Marla herself may be behind the recent murders. And if Marla doesn't figure out who is killing the city's finest in time, she'll be in danger of becoming a magical statistic herself. . . .

Marla Mason Series:
Blood Engines
Poison Sleep
Dead Reign
Spell Games
Broken Mirrors
Grim Tides
Bride of Death
Lady of Misrule
Queen of Nothing
Closing Doors
Do Better (Collection of over 20 Short Stories set in this world)

Visit T.A. Pratt's website for more information

Review:
Marla is the guardian of Felport, the city is her territory and she will do whatever it takes to protect it from danger. She will also defend it ruthlessly from anyone who wants to take it from her which is how she finds herself in her current position. Rather than come at her head on a rival has instead chosen to place a magical curse on Marla and unless she finds a way to counter it quickly it won't only be her city that she looses. She has travelled to San Francisco looking for a magical artefact that she believes could help her break the death spell but it looks like San Francisco is in the middle of a power struggle of its own and now Marla is caught up in an even bigger fight.

Blood Engines was a fun intro to T.A Pratt's Marla Mason series, it does suffer a little with first book info dumping but I'm always willing to forgive that in my fantasy books as long as the characters and story hold my attention and in this case they definitely did. I liked Marla's character, unlike so many other urban fantasy heroines she is already at the top of her game, she knows exactly what she's capable of and she's not afraid to use her abilities to get what she wants. She is also a bit morally grey which makes her much more interesting, she crosses lines to get things done because she's focused on the good of the many rather than the good of the few. Marla knows Felport needs her, she knows her rival wouldn't be capable of protecting the city like she does and therefore she knows that her rival can't be allowed to take control.

I also really liked Marla's partner Rondeau, he's a great sidekick who I think we've only begun to touch the surface of. I definitely want to know more about his background and how he came to be working alongside Marla. Then there's also the seer B who I think has a lot more story to tell too so hopefully he'll be popping up again in future instalments. Either way I'm looking forward to reading about more of Marla's adventures.

Source: Borrowed from a friend

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