August Reviews
Blood Truth by J.R. Ward
Paranormal Romance -August 27th, 2019
4 ½ stars
Boone comes from a line of aristocratic vampires. But he and his strict father had a huge rift. This was because Boone refused an arranged marriage to a female aristocrat when she confessed she loved another. His father never forgave him. Although his father never showed him affection, when Boone discovered that he was part of a conspiracy to dethrone the current vampire King he tried to save his father. But Boone was unsuccessful. Heart sore Boone becomes reckless and is taken off his work as a trainee for the Black Dagger Brotherhood for his own safety. Without anything to do Boone feels restless and useless. Thankfully, another vampire named Butch takes pity on him and asks him to help with an investigation concerning a series of vampire murders. When he and Butch start their investigation they find another young vampire named Helaina. Helaina’s vibrant sister was one of the victims. She is determined to find the killer and have them punished. Boone is captivated by the beautiful and intelligent Helaina. He soon finds himself wanting to play her knight in shining armor. But even as they become close, the killer is closer than either of them realizes….
J.R. Ward knows how to grab hold of the reader and keep them enraptured. Boone is a vampire with noble heart but with a very cold hearted father. His father never showed him any affection and even plotted to over throw the vampire King but Boone still loved him. When his father is killed Boone becomes reckless and is taken out of the Black Brotherhood training. But finds an unexpected love and salvation with female vampire named Helaine. Boone is a character that has suffered so much. Even though he comes from a family with prestige and money it is not until he breaks free from his father that he is able to find the beginnings of happiness. Helaina is a strong-willed female who puts her life in danger to discover her sister’s killer. Her courage and warm heart make her the perfect foil for Boone. I loved how these two lonely and worthy souls found each other! As with all of her novels J.R. Ward, also shows the inner turmoil and conflict of other Brothers and secondary characters which I hope to read in future books. I particularly like to learn more about the heart broken Rochelle and violently troubled Syn.
Two lost souls find each other in this poignant yet deadly paranormal romance.
Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholic Romance Book
July Reviews
Brave the Tempest by Karen Chance
4 ½ stars -July 30th, 2019
Urban Fantasy
As the latest in the Cassie Palmer series, Brave the Tempest, shows no end in sight. Cassie is up to her neck in trauma, magical attacks and saving the world (again). To those uninitiated to the series, you must start from the beginning if you want to have any hope of following the intrigues in the endlessly fascinating series.
Cassie is the ultimate seer or Pythia. However, her leadership is shaky as she has had no formal training and must protect her young charges. (Who should normally be supporting her.) Cassie spends most of her time trying to stay alive and keep ahead of a murderous and power hungry adversary. Adding to her stress, her vampire guardians are being removed by less experienced ones when she needs them the most! In addition, Cassie finds herself traveling back in time to try to correct the timeline without causing more catastrophes. Thankfully, on part of her journey she is accompanied by her love interest the war mage, Pritkin. He has secrets of his own. Ones that he and Cassie want to keep under wraps. Aa an outcast to his own colleagues Pritkin still fights his own demons while helping those in need. But soon he is being pulled into another dangerous mission. Can Cassie figure out who is behind the monstrous attacks in her world and stop the perpetrator before it is too late?
Chaotic and inventive this series never disappoints. The characters the author paints are always vibrant and a joy to read. There is so much action and drama that in many cases I felt I needed a breather! This novel includes a whole new world of witches and expands upon the relationship between Cassie and Pritkin. As a new ‘couple,’ they have some funny and smoldering scenes where they try to figure out what exactly they are to each other. I also liked that Cassie is beginning to have better control of her powers and is finally finding help to use them. This novel also includes sections with Cassie’s sexy vampire guardian, Mircea and his dangerous daughter Dorina. We also see peeks into each of their private lives which readers of Karen Chance Midnight’s Daughter series will love! Plus glimpses of a younger Pythia who happens to be Cassie’s predecessor are interesting as they relate to Cassie’s loyal friend Rhea. Karen Chance keeps readers on their toes. While Cassie may dispatch one enemy another crops up which may be even more deadly. I always look forward to reading this series with high anticipation. All the characters seem like old friends and I hope this series never ends.
Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club b
Beneath the Twisted Trees by Bradley P. Beaulieu
Fantasy-July 2nd, 2019
4 stars
Beneath the Twisted Trees is part of a sweeping epic saga with deep characterization and complex plotting. As the forth book in the series it cannot be read as a stand alone -even though the author does give a introductory prologue to update the reader.
Ceda is a Blade Maiden, a soldier for the feared Kings of Sharakhai. She is bound by them but soon discovers her secret heritage. A heritage of oppression that states that everything the revered Kings have stood for has been nothing but lies and betrayals. For the Kings have sacrificed an entire tribe as slaves to do their terrible bidding. Ceda discovers her bloodline traces back to that sacrificed thirteenth tribe. She feels she must right the injustice of their imprisonment. She vows to free the asirim. But each of the Kings are deviousness and powerful with their own magic that can easily kill or maim any who dare to stand in their way. Ceda must fight an uphill battle to free her lost tribe and convince potential allies of the real truth. Although some of the Kings have been successfully murdered, Ceda must still contend with the most crafty as well at the power hungry Queen Meryam. Can Ceda recruit a tribe what has lost its faith and rescue a leader that may be impossible to save?
This book is very thick and filled with intricate story telling. Many of the players are back stabbing and playing a long game which the author cleverly hides. While this book prominently features Ceda (my favorite character), it also features her enemies. I do enjoy reading the machinations behind the scenes and the clever plots twists. But I often wished the author had solely focused on the Ceda. Or at least concentrated on her more than fifty percent of the time. The villains are appropriately nasty -so much so I felt myself skipping their areas to just glean what they were up to. Most of the more worthy characters seem down trodden and a bit hopeless. While I do enjoy reading about the underdogs so much focus on the evil characters and how they impacted the more heroic characters impaired my enjoyment of the story line.
Ceda is still strong, stubborn and driven. She carries the novel and makes it worthwhile reading. I also enjoy the deep history of the desert that makes me feel like I am exploring a new world. I just don't care for many of the other characters or their on going suffering. I would also like to know more of the history of some of the individual asirim. I can't but help feel that the asirim have more potential that the author is keeping under wraps.
Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club
June Reviews
A Sword Named Truth by Sherwood Smith
Fantasy June 11th, 2019
2 1/2 stars
Senrid is a young king bent on proving himself. He knows he needs to wrest power from his brutal uncle. A man who happens to be the real power in his kingdom. Senrid soon finds himself allying himself with other young teens who are leaders in their different countries. They hope to save their world from an unknown dark power.
I read Crown Duel, by Sherwood Smith and rank it among my favorite books. I was looking forward to reading another rousing tale of fantasy and magic. However, I soon found this book difficult to involve myself in. It states that this is book one of the series but I felt like there was a huge chunk of information I was missing before reading this novel. It also has several characters and often switches back and forth between them. Each characters had a complex background which made it hard to keep them straight. I think I would enjoyed reading this story more if the author had concentrated on only one or two characters. Then it would have felt more focused and easy to follow. In addition, the story was slow moving and seemed to meander unnecessarily. I could appreciate that the author spent a great deal of time with her world building and the intricate politics.
In addition, when I first begin this book the prologue inferred that the author would focus on Liere and Senrid but only Senrid was prominent. I liked the short segments when Liere and Senrid were together and wished the author had spent more time with them. I also enjoyed reading about the young mage, Hibern and hope the author will consider writing a book about her life with only her point of view. However, these bright spots were not enough to keep me from skimming the book.
If you like world building and history this book is for you. But I found this novel often confusing, moved achingly slow, and ultimately could not get invested in most of the characters.
Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club
Blood of the Key by Kayla Mansur and Amanda Murtoff
Paranormal Romance -June 10th 2019
4 stars
Blood of the Key is the second book in Berylian Key series. The authors have created a complex and wonderous land of romance and magic. As a side note, readers should not attempt to read this second book in the series unless they have read the first otherwise they will not be able to fully appreciate the characters and understand the intricate world building.
Amarie is clever, beautiful and magical. Her heritage is something she protects and seeks to understand. Unfortunately, it makes her a big target. Kin is the man she loves. But he has betrayed her with another woman. In a fit of heartbreak, she leaves Kin and finds herself being accompanied by mysterious and beautiful man named Talon. Talon descends from the legendary Aueric race. His long lived race often shuns the fragile human race. But as an outcast, he sees human differently and Amarie fascinates him. Soon Talon finds himself falling under her spell just like his friend Kin. But Amarie’s secrets are coveted by the elusive and dangerous Master. As a result, she is being hunted. Can Talon save her or will he have to rely on the traitorous Kin?
This story is even more immersing than the first book in the Berylian Key series. The authors have outdone themselves with surprising plot twists and fast paced action. Amarie at first seemed merely like a pretty faced swindler but she is so much more. Her life has actually been bent to one purpose. When Kin distracts her and she finds herself falling for him she is heartbroken when he betrays her. Thankfully there is the kind and handsomely alluring Talon. A man who seems intent on protecting her! The plot thickens as new characters are introduced and Kin becomes both more sinister and vulnerable. Amarie’s heart is torn between the two men. As she journeys to find a safe haven from the insidious Master, she encounters hardship and finds a new well of strength. While this book does not leave off with a shocking cliffhanger like the first book. It does leave Amarie at a new crossroad that is filled with uncertainty.
I like how the authors have created a world that has many avenues to explore and expand upon. The magical Art that the main character possess is particularly fascinating and I wish they would explain it more fully. My main issue is that Amarie’s behavior does not always seem consistent with her character. She is at times overly emotional and sometimes irrational in her actions. As Kin betrayed her, she seems abnormally quick to forgive him and there were moments when she seemed to make decisions which I could not coincide with her strong and clever character. However, the dreamy Talon and the revelations concerning the Berylian Key make this book well worth the read. I can’t wait to find out what happens in the authors’ next book!!
Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club
Brief Cases by Jim Butcher
Urban Fantasy -June 4th, 2019
4 ½ stars
Brief Cases is a compilation of shorts from the Dresden universe. All are well written well and not all the stories include Harry as the main character. While I have read most of the stories there were a few that I not read. It was a fun surprise into the lighter side of Harry’s investigative work.
Characters that have their own stories include Molly, Harry’s young apprentice and her difficult journey into the realities of the cold, Winter Court. Another story concerns the Warden Anastasia as she travels to the old west to hunt down a malicious warlock and meets a famous lawman. However, my favorite of the guest stars is the surprising crime lord, John Marcone. As he seems to help a helpless child from a powerful and scary creature. Other stories include why the Chicago Cubs are always on a losing streak and Harry’s intervention into the Bigfoot family. All told with the wit and humor of our implacable and indomitable hero.
The last story is the only one which has not been previously printed. It is called Zoo Day as Harry takes his previously unknown daughter Maggie and her guardian ‘dog,’ Mouse on a fun afternoon to the zoo only to find danger where they least expect it. Told from different point of views, it made me want the author to write more so these characters might have their own adventure series, too! (Maybe a YA version/series as Maggie in the starring role?)
This book was a delight to read from beginning to end. The new short, Zoo Day was a approximately fifty or so pages long. However, the reason I am not giving a full five stars is that while I enjoyed it and greatly appreciate having all the stories in one book.... Well, this hardcover seems rather expensive for stories that have already come out for the most part. I think it would have been more reasonable to print as an over sized paperback instead. But for fans of urban fantasy this book is a must read!
Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club
The Beyond by Chloe Neill
Urban Fantasy June 4th, 2019
4 ½ stars
The Beyond is the forth installment in the Devil’s Isle series and it is only getting better!
It is a futuristic, alternative New Orleans and aliens have invaded earth. This new species has caused a shift, infecting humans and granting some magical powers. These humans are called Sensitives. But these powers come with a price. For human bodies are not meant to contain such powers and if they cannot learn to control and release the pent up magic they become dangerous. As a result, Sensitives live in fear of being discovered and caged by normal humans who view them as a danger.
Claire is one such Sensitive. But she is able to control her powers better and now welds them to help save a war torn New Orleans. Thankfully, Sensitives are no longer ostracized and they are even used to help battle against the alien invaders who threaten to destroy her city. In this book, a new group of deadly Seelies with extraordinary elemental powers are terrorizing New Orleans. But even with Sensitive powers and allied aliens, they are not enough to control the Seelies destructive might. In a desperate bid, Claie and her friends attempt to build a machine that could strip magic but it means going in the heart of the unknown, alien world….
The Beyond journeys into a new and exciting world of Devil’s Isle. As Claire and her team must face dangers in the unknown alien world. Here we see that even the ‘perfect’ alien world with magic has it’s own share of inequity. I enjoyed reading Claire now teaching other Sensitives how to control their powers. From the first book she was afraid to use them and living in fear of being discovered. She has come a long way into accepting herself and even being afraid of losing the powers that she once thought a curse. In this story the aliens are become more sympathetic characters. I loved how the author explores the angel, Malachi’s character. He has always been an enigma. I liked learning bits about his past and those of the other aliens who choose to stay in New Orleans to battle the aliens who came to take over New Orleans even though they could easily could back to a life of ease in their home world. The alien home world was fascinating and I feel the author has so much she can explore and new characters that could be expanded into the Devil’s Isle series. For those who enjoy a bit of romance, Claire and Liam are and even stronger couple and super hot together! This book taps into a many new aspects that I can’t wait to read more about.
Fantastic characters and thrilling world building what more could you want?!!
Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club
A Debutante in Disguise by Eleanor Webster
Historical Romance –June 1st 2019
4 stars
Lettuce Barton has never fit in. Too tall and too much of a blue stocking. She is the horror of her matchmaking mother's world. For Letty does not want to get married and has no interest in men -except to further her interest in science. Letty's most heart-felt wish is to become a medical doctor. With the help of her supportive brother and sister-in-law she is able to take classes in London. From there she learns from midwives and is able to buy two residences. One where she lives simply and the other she rents out to a mysterious Dr. Hatfield. However, the second residence is actually where Letty secretly masquerades as Dr. Hatfield! Letty may be barely scraping but she enjoys the purpose in her life. That is until her world is thrown into turmoil when her identity is discovered by Lord Anthony Ashcroft!
Lord Anthony was the younger son. But when his father and brother suddenly died he found himself with responsibilities he never wanted. Scarred from the wars he also has demons from his past. Namely the death of his best friend. Now his younger sister is having a difficult pregnancy. But when he discovers the good doctor administrating her care is a female and one he is frustratingly attracted to Tony isn't sure what to do! Or if he can trust her.
The plot in this charming story is totally improbable but completely fun to read. The characters have a depth that had me rooting for them. (I hope that Tony's widowed sister finds love in a future book?!) Letty is very logical and I enjoyed reading her finally feel attraction to a man. Since she has observed the phenomena of sexual attraction in others but never understood or experienced it herself. Letty's courage and her understanding of her own moral character were also admirable. Even though she loves Tony she knows she cannot suppress who she is. Being the typical, ‘lady,’ to make his life easier would deny the part of her that makes her feel alive. She refuses to compromise her integrity. Tony has had to grow up fast. Although he has found solace in the bottle during his mourning, he finally realizes that as a lord he does have power to help others. I liked reading him transform and Letty's introduction into his life changed him into a stronger and more compassionate person.
A strong will heroine with a heart of gold makes this story well worth reading.
Reviewed by Steph from the Bookaholics Romance Book Club