This Week's Reads

Ireland Abandoned
by Elementalist (DeviantArt)

**Haven't done one of these in awhile. Have been sick a lot lately. Mostly sinuses, which causes pain all around my eyes, making difficult to read. Finally getting back to normal.

Wild Country by Anne Bishop
The Others #7 (Goodreads)
**Just finished this one. This wasn't my favorite but it's still one of my favorite series. I'll also probably reread this one again to pick up on things I might have missed.

Off Planet by Aileen Erin
Aunare Chronicles #1 (Goodreads)
**Received this from the publisher, Ink Monster, via NetGalley. I liked the author's supernatural series so I was willing to give this one a try. I'm hit or miss with sci-fi. Not far into this one but so far I like it.

Cast in Oblivion by Michelle Sagara
Chronicles of Elantra #14 (Goodreads)
**Another favorite series. This one seems to be getting better. It might be that I was happier with Kaylin in this one. She seemed to finally be getting that she actually needs to learn something about the symbols on her body and what she is able to do with them.

This Week's Reads

Star Drop
by Jade Merien (DeviantArt)

A couple of NetGalley books this week

Ghosts of Gotham by Craig Schaefer
(Goodreads)
**Based on the blurb I thought this book was going to be going in one direction, then looking it up on Goodreads, it seems to go into a very different direction. One that I enjoy (witches) just not sure how it's all going to work out.

What Doesn't Kill Her by  Christina Dodd
Cape Charade #2 (Goodreads)
**Didn't realize when I requested this that it was the 2nd in the series so had to hurry and read Dead Girl Running. I really enjoyed both and they started the 2019 reading year off on the right note.

Mirror Gate by Jeff Wheeler
Harbinger #2 (Goodreads)
**Picked this up at the library. Storm Glass was one of my favorite reads in 2018 and I've been looking forward to reading more in this series.

Book Review ~ Sugar Spells

Sugar Spells (The Spellwork Syndicate #2)

by Lola Dodge
published by Ink Monster
expected release date: October 30, 2018
genre: YA, Supernatural, Paranormal

**Received e-book from NetGalley and publisher in exchange for an honest review and has no monetary value.

Summary (Goodreads): After her run-in with a jealous warlock, apprentice baker Anise Wise can’t wait to get back the kitchen where she belongs. But thanks to her brush with death, the land of the living isn’t all cupcakes and marshmallows.
Anise’s magical mojo is way out of whack and her evolving powers are stirring up trouble. As the town buzzes with news that Anise can bake deathly spells, unsavory characters start lining up for a taste. They’ll stop at nothing for the chance to use Anise and her witchcraft to further their own plots.
She plans to hole up researching magic recipes until the attention dies down, but then she discovers the horrifying terms of her bodyguard’s contract. Wynn has saved her life so many times, she can’t leave him trapped. But doing the right thing will mean risking death or worse—being cast out of her dream job.
For this witch, justice might not be as sweet as advertised.

My Thoughts: I love the covers for this series. They look magical and match the story inside.
Book 2 finds Anise unable to do any magical baking without ruining everything. It turns out she has some residual death magic in her system. Anise chooses to bake the death magic out by making macaroons, a lot of macaroons. She's able to put these to good use, selling to a mannikan, and getting the funds needed to get Wynn out of his contract.
I really enjoyed most of the story. In order not to ruin the bakery again Anise ends up in different places while trying to get back to just her normal fire magic. My favorite had to be Gabi's family home and the cryptozoo where her family does their vet work. I would love to have a story that focuses just on the animals. They also end up in a strange cave system that brings more bad things but also some new friends. Carrot could end up being a very fun character, especially compared to others in the same role.
Overall, I liked the story and where it ended up. I'm still not sure about the alternate dimensions so soon into the series but it worked out. Even though Wynn is not my favorite character I'm glad something good happened for him and that we got to know him a bit more. Can't say I want to see a romance between him and Anise but he's growing on me.
Looking forward to more baking, magic and vampires in Wicked Tasty.

Rating: 4

Book Review ~ Magic Harvest

Magic Harvest (Fairy Trafficking #1)

by Mary Karlik
published by Ink Monster
expected release date: September 18, 2018
genre: Fantasy, 

**Received egalley from netGalley and publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Summary (Goodreads): Layla was three when the dragon Fauth attacked the fairy festival, murdering her mum and stepfather. Some fairies think she should’ve been eaten too. They call her fuman because of her mixed blood, but being half human isn’t all bad. Even though she lacks magic, Layla is immune to iron sickness, and she can wield a sword with the skill of an elf.

Sixteen years later, when Layla’s half-sister is kidnapped and taken through a portal to the forbidden human realm, Layla rushes to the rescue. She’s older and stronger, and she’s not about to let her last living family member be taken from her without a fight. But the portal spits her out in Old Town Edinburgh where neither her sister or the kidnapper are anywhere to be found.

Stuck in a world she only knows from school books, Layla joins forces with unlikely allies to find her sister. But as she challenges magical creatures and becomes tangled in the dark world of fairy trafficking, magic harvesting, and murder, Layla will have to find the strength within if she is to survive and save her sister.

My Thoughts: There was a lot I liked and disliked about this book. The main problem I had was with Layla herself. Yes, she's a kickass female who is willing to do anything to protect/save her little sister. Unfortunately, she also doesn't always stop to think before she does something. Everything has to be her way even if her way is wrong. I did like that when Ian's team called her out on rushing into things and causing problems she seemed to take the criticism and grow. I could see liking her character in future books.
The setting mostly takes place in Edinburgh with a bit at the beginning in Fairy. While it would have been nice to see more of Fairy, the author did a good job with the real world as well. My favorite had to be the underground tunnels. I just wish most of the story hadn't taken place in the same three-ish places. It made parts of the story static and repetitive.
The only problem I had with the writing was with some of the bigger fight/action teams. Even after reading it a few times I'm not really sure what happened in the last bit other than the good guys won.
Overall, there was enough of a story and interesting characters that I can see myself reading book 2.

Rating: 4

This Week's Reads

Cernunnos
by Develv (DeviantArt)

Haunted by Kelley Armstrong
Otherworld #5 (Goodreads)
**Trying to get back into these books. Even though this is the next book I needed to read may not have been the best choice. Not sure why but I just don't seem to like Eve at the moment (at least in this story).

Being Alpha by Aileen Erin
Alpha Girl #7 (Goodreads)
**I received this book from the publisher (Ink Monster) but had not read any of the previous books when I got it. Since this weekend, I've already read Becoming Alpha and Avoiding Alpha. I find it easy to read and fall into the world the author has created. I'm hoping to trend of Tessa not thinking before doing or not listening to people who have so much more experience lessens. It could make the character unreadable very quick.

Deadly Sweet by Lola Dodge
The Spellwork Syndicate #1 (Goodreads)
**This showed up as a recommendation on my Hoopla app, it was already on my radar so I went ahead and downloaded it. The mix of witchcraft, baking, and some witchy mayhem really sound like a fun summer read. 

Book Review ~ The Bone Witch

The Bone Witch (The Bone Witch #1)

by Rin Chupeco
published by Sourcebooks Fire
release date: March 7, 2017
genre:  YA, Fantasy, Paranormal, 

**Received arc from publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Summary (Goodreads): Tea is different from the other witches in her family. Her gift for necromancy makes her a bone witch, who are feared and ostracized in the kingdom. For theirs is a powerful, elemental magic that can reach beyond the boundaries of the living—and of the human.

Great power comes at a price, forcing Tea to leave her homeland to train under the guidance of an older, wiser bone witch. There, Tea puts all of her energy into becoming an asha, learning to control her elemental magic and those beasts who will submit by no other force. And Tea must be strong—stronger than she even believes possible. Because war is brewing in the eight kingdoms, war that will threaten the sovereignty of her homeland…and threaten the very survival of those she loves.

My Thoughts: I've had a hard time reviewing this. I was initially drawn in by the gorgeous cover. Then I was intrigued by the world the author created. It kind of reminds me of geisha's magic. I even liked the characters. Tea and her mentor Mykaela along with Tea's newly risen from the dead brother take us on quite a journey.
Unfortunately, It couldn't keep my attention for any length of time.  I don't know if it was the jumping back and forth between Tea's story of how she trained as a bone witch and her current life that caused it but they never mixed for me. Also, while some books are under-descriptive, this one may have been too descriptive.
That said, I still liked the overall story and want to know more. I want to know why Tea ended up on that road marching with her beasts and a surprising friend(?) ready for war. That could also be part of the problem, I seemed to miss why she is going to war and what happened to her friends that she had throughout the whole book until this point. I will probably be reading book 2 when it comes out just to try and get some answers.

Rating: 4

Children's Review ~ The Adventure of Thomas the Turtle

The Adventure of Thomas the Turtle

by Stuart Samuel
illustrated by Nathaniel Dailey
published by Jupiter Scientific
expected release date: July 18, 2017
genre: children's, picture book

Summary (Goodreads): Thomas the Turtle lives with his family on a picturesque pond. He is told by his mother not to go to a forbidden region of the pond. But Thomas's curiosity gets the better of him and one day he ventures too close and is swept away. What follows is a battle with nature as Thomas struggles to reunite with his family.

**Received from netgalley/publisher in exchange for an honest review.

My Thoughts:  This is a cute story about a young turtle who one day, decides to go against his mother's rules, going to the forbidden region. Thomas' father was lost in the forbidden region of the pond and never seen again. Thomas goes on a wild ride and ends up far from home and struggles to find a way back. Fortunately, two children are there to assist him.
The illustrations made this book for me. They were very well done and do a great job showing Thomas' story from home, to the forbidden region, and back again.

Rating: 4

Early Review ~ Spectacle

Spectacle (Menagerie #2)

by Rachel Vincent
published by Harlequin MIRA
expected release date: May 30, 2017
genre: Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal

**E-Galley received from publisher and netGalley in exchange for an honest review

Summary (Goodreads): When their coup of Metzger's Menagerie is discovered, Delilah and her fellow cryptids find their newly won freedom brutally stripped away as they are sold into The Savage Spectacle, a private collection of "exotic wildlife." Specializing in ruthless cryptid cage matches, safari-style creature hunts and living party favors, the Spectacle's owner, Willem Vandekamp, caters to the forbidden fetishes of the wealthy and powerful. At the Spectacle, any wish can be granted—for the right price.

But Vandekamp's closely guarded client list isn't the only secret being kept at the Spectacle. Beneath the beauty and brutality of life in the collection lie much darker truths, and no one is more determined than Delilah to strip the masks from the human monsters and drag all dark things into the light.

My Thoughts: I had a hard time reviewing this one. I liked the first one so much and could not wait to read this one. I wanted to know what the menagerie group would do with their freedom and what would cause them to end up at the Spectacle. Unfortunately, that was not to be found. We know from the summary that they get captured but it happened so fast and the reason that "they were found out" was just an excuse to get to the Spectacle.
Delilah is as she was in Menagerie, worried about everyone else and doing everything she can to try and free them all. There is a lot more mental torture in this one based on Vandekamp's technology that leads to many of horrible things that are done to the cryptids.
Speaking of horrible, the things that the clients pay for are as bad as you think they would be. Most you are told or hinted at and are (thankfully) not actually detailed, but some are. We usually just get the aftermath of preparing the cryptids for the next client, party, or sporting event.
Overall, this was a well written book but had too much of the same theme/storyline as book one. I'm not sure how I feel about where Delilah ends up at the end or how she got there. It kind of ruined a relationship that I liked the aspects of in Menagerie. Also, am I the only one that wanted to know what happened to the two little girls in the "secret hallway"? Delilah was the only one that could have remembered them and saved them but she doesn't do this. Are they still there locked in their cages? Will probably read the next book just to see what happens but not as enthusiastically waiting for it.

Rating: 4 

Book Review ~ Lord of The Abyss

Lord of The Abyss (Royal House of Shadows #4)

by Nalini Singh
published by Harlequin Nocturne
Released: November 22, 2011
genre: Adult, Romance, PNR,

**Originally received from NetGalley and publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Summary (Goodreads): Once upon a time…the Blood Sorcerer vanquished the kingdom of Elden. To save their children, the queen scattered them to safety and the king filled them with vengeance. Only a magical timepiece connects the four royal heirs…and time is running out.…

As the dark Lord who condemns souls to damnation in the Abyss, Micah is nothing but a feared monster wrapped in impenetrable black armor. He has no idea he is the last heir of Elden, its last hope. Only one woman knows—the daughter of his enemy.

Liliana is nothing like her father, the Blood Sorcerer who’d cursed Micah. She sees past Micah’s armor to the prince inside. A prince whose sinful touch she craves. But first she has to brave his dark, dangerous lair and help him remember. Because they only have till midnight to save Elden.

***Book 1: Lord of The Vampires by Gena Showalter, Book 2: Lord of Rage by Jill Monroe, Book 3: Lord of The Wolfyn by Jessica Anderson.

My Thoughts: I rated this book based on it being a Harlequin couple book rather than the final book in a PNR/UF series. As a couple book I really liked and enjoyed Lily and Micah's story. I'll get into why this didn't work as a final in a series book later.
We start with the last and youngest of the King and Queen's children. Micah was sent to the abyss where he was kept in a kind of sleep/stasis until he was old enough to learn how to be the Lord of The Abyss.
Lily grew up with her father, the Blood Sorcerer, and though her mother was around she didn't know she was Lily's mother. We find out how horrible her younger years were and the things that her father did to try and break her and bring her more fully to his side. Instead she endured the beatings and other things and when she was able ran away to try and find the last one needed to defeat her father.
Due to the way both Lily and Micah were raised there was a very naive innocence to them at times and no real social skills. At one point this did cause me to pause during one of the couple parts because the way it was worded sound more childish than naive. Luckily it was just one line/part in one scene but still gave me pause.
Throughout their story I kept waiting for them to start on their way back Elden to meet up with the other three siblings and spouses to face off with the Blood Sorcerer. This is the part that did not work for me. We spent 3 3/4 books hearing about how horrible and powerful this man is and when Micah and Lily finally make it to Elden it takes them longer to cross the moat with people eating fish than it did to finish off the Blood Sorcerer. Not only was he dead within a couple of sentences it took only one person to kill him. None of the other siblings or their spouses were even needed to defeat this all powerful man that we had been lead to believe was so powerful he destroyed the King and Queen and decimated their kingdom.
As I said this completely worked as a couple book. Watching Lily and Micah grow both as people and as a couple learning how to love someone for the first time was done very well in this book. For me, this series should have been five books, four for the couples and then a final to have them all come together to save their kingdom and defeat the Blood Sorcerer.

Rating: 4 (based only on it as a couple book)

Arc Review ~ Gilded Cage

Gilded Cage (Dark Gifts #1)

by Vic James
published by Del Ray Books
release date: February 14, 2017
genre: YA, Fantasy, Dystopia

**e-galley received from netGalley and publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Summary (Goodreads): Not all are free. Not all are equal. Not all will be saved.
Our world belongs to the Equals — aristocrats with magical gifts — and all commoners must serve them for ten years. But behind the gates of England's grandest estate lies a power that could break the world.
A girl thirsts for love and knowledge.
Abi is a servant to England's most powerful family, but her spirit is free. So when she falls for one of the noble-born sons, Abi faces a terrible choice. Uncovering the family's secrets might win her liberty, but will her heart pay the price?
A boy dreams of revolution.
Abi's brother, Luke, is enslaved in a brutal factory town. Far from his family and cruelly oppressed, he makes friends whose ideals could cost him everything. Now Luke has discovered there may be a power even greater than magic: revolution.
And an aristocrat will remake the world with his dark gifts.
He is a shadow in the glittering world of the Equals, with mysterious powers no one else understands. But will he liberate—or destroy?

My Thoughts: I didn't think I would like this book after the first few chapters due to all the different POVs. Ended up really enjoying the world the author created along and their stories. Unfortunately, the happy feelings and looking forward to book 2 ended with the last two pages. I'll start with the things I did like.
Luke, he started as a typical teenage boy doing typical teenage boy things. This ended quickly when he is separated from his family and sent to a factory slave town. Luke had the most evolution as a character and you could really believe he had become the person he was at the end of the book. All the decisions he made fit into his character, even when the outcome was not what he expected.
The Jardine brothers. Even as evil as they can seem, well at least one seems evil, one crazy, and one not like the others, I still liked them. I wanted to know more, especially about Silyen, crazy and powerful, definitely an interesting combination. Gavar seems to be more than what you see on the surface. His care for his child and even for Daisy in his own way. Granted it's only because she takes care of the baby but still it shows there is more there.
Bouda, she's another that I should hate (and mostly do) but I want to see what she does going forward. She clearly is willing to do anything that gives her more power including marrying Gavar and possibly being in league with his dad. I'm most interested in her mystery contact that seems to have info that is counter to everything that we learn in this book.
Abi, the character that ruined the whole book for me. It's necessarily her but where the author took her in the last two pages. Throughout the whole book Abi is kinda forgettable even as a main character. She's smart, book smart but too much of a fairytale daydreamer. She would think about the fact that she needed to find a way to get Luke out of the slave town and then 2 seconds later she would be dreaming about Jenner and how great it would be if they could only be together. This is pretty much how all her chapters go with some variation here or there but she never actually does anything. Then all of the sudden the story is over, the servant and master are in love and sharing a kiss, then Abi does something that is so far out of character that it made no sense to me. It literally ruined everything for me, I was so looking forward to reading book two and finding out what happens next. But if these last pages are an indication of where the author is going then I don't know if I'll be reading. Continuation is a big part of any series and it fell apart for this character in one book. With Luke it was easy to believe that he became the man he was at the end because of what happened to him throughout the book both in the slave town and when he ended up at the Jardine's. Abi on the other hand had no growth but suddenly we are supposed to believe she went from a smart daydreamer to a UF kick-ass heroine. It just doesn't fit. Most won't have a problem with this but for me it just didn't make sense.
I don't usually read preview chapters but if there are any released for book two (Tarnished City) I may give them a try to see where the author goes with the book and Abi's character. Something will have to happen to Abi and her sudden plans to make me want to read the whole book.

Rating: 4 based on the book as a whole and not the part that bothered me at the end.

Book Review ~ The Ghoul Vendetta

The Ghoul Vendetta

by Lisa Shearin
published by Berkley Publishing Group/Ace Books
expected release date: January 31, 2017
genre: Adult, Urban Fantasy, Supernatural

**Received e-arc from netGalley and publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Summary (Goodreads): 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.

My Thoughts: This was my favorite book, so far, in this series. We see both professional and personal growth in Mac.
We start with another date for Mac and Rake and of course it is interrupted by another weird attack. This time by a kraken and creatures from the black lagoon kidnapping a prominent member of vampire society. These two just need to be allowed to have a real date with nothing happening. We do see their relationship go a few steps forward by the end of this book but it is seeming like a very slow process.
This book sees the return of Ian's stalking, many faced ghoul. He's gone back to robbing places like when he and Ian first came in contact with each other (sort of). Only this time he is leaving presents that awaken something in Ian. I liked the progress of Ian's character and the reasoning behind the ghoul's obsession with him.
This obsession leads to Mac doing everything she can to save her partner. While finding out just what she is capable of on her own. We also find out just how many people outside of SPI care about these two characters. I liked how everyone came together to help out even if it wasn't to take part in the battle.
I'm hoping that we get to see more of Rake's friends. I'm definitely interested in the dragons and their riders. They seemed to be an fun group and I want more.
Overall, this was a fun book.  I wish there had been more resolution to the conflict at the end but it did help move the series forward while giving new characters and reuniting old friends. Cannot wait to read more from this world.

Rating: 4

Book Review ~ The Book Club Murders

The Book Club Murders (Oakwood Mystery #1)

by Leslie Nagel
published by Alibi
released: September 27, 2016
genre: Adult, Mystery, Cozy

**Received from NetGalley and publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Summary (Goodreads): In a charming cozy mystery series debut, Leslie Nagel’s irrepressible small-town heroine finds that her fellow mystery book club members may be taking their Agatha Christie a bit too literally—and murder a bit too lightly.

Charley Carpenter has poured heart and soul into her clothing store, Old Hat Vintage Fashions. She’ll do anything to make it a success—even join the stuffy Agathas Book Club in order to cultivate customers among Oakwood, Ohio’s wealthy elite.

Although mixing with the most influential women in town has its advantages, Charley finds the endless gossip a high price to pay. But after two women with close ties to the Agathas are brutally murdered, everyone falls under threat—and suspicion. When key evidence indicates that both murders are the work of the same hand, Charley realizes that the killer has arranged each corpse in perfect imitation of crime scenes from the Club’s murder mystery reading list. She uses her membership in the Club to convince Detective Marcus Trenault to use her as an inside informant. Not that he could stop her anyway.

Intelligent, fearless, and every bit as stubborn as Marc is, Charley soon learns the Agathas aren’t the only ones with secrets to protect. Passions explode as she and Marc must race against time to prevent another murder. And if Charley’s not careful, she may find herself becoming the killer’s next plot twist.

My Thoughts: There are two reasons this went down to 3.5 stars. First, I felt lost right from the start. I had to look up the book to make sure it was the first in the series. It felt like I should already know who all the characters were. Especially the members of the Agathas. It could just be me but I had trouble trying to keep them all straight and since they were all very much involved in the murders and the resulting mystery surrounding them, it was confusing.
The second was the ending. This is more of a personal thing but it felt more like an ending for either a stand alone or the last book in a series not the first. After one too many twists, the author made sure to give the characters all HEAs and tell you where they all were as one would if closing out a series. There was nothing there that would lead to book two or make you even feel that there was going to be a book two. If this had been a stand alone I would have been more than okay with this and it wouldn't have bothered me as much.
Fortunately, I really enjoyed the middle 75% of the book. I really liked Charley and her group of friends, Frankie, Dimitri, and Lawrence made this book. Following along as Charley and Frankie (very much against Marc's wishes) tried to solve who would want to kill their "friends". This is the part where not being sure which Agatha was which played a part. I ended up just enjoying the story despite not always knowing who was who.
Overall, while I enjoyed most of the book there were just too many things that added up and made me lower the rating on this one. I did like the main characters and the author's writing style and can see myself giving the second book in this series a try.

Rating: 3.5

This Week's Reads

Gilded Cage by Vic James
Dark Gifts #1 (Goodreads) release date: Feb. 2017
**Received from NetGalley. It's a new fantasy series where magic rules. Really looking forward to reading this one.

Steeplejack by A.J. Hartley
Alternative Detective #1 (Goodreads)
**Something about the cover and blurb for this one just made me bring it home. Kind of Steampunk and Alt History mixed with mysteries. All genres that I enjoy.

This Week's Reads

The Book Club Murders by Leslie Nagel
(Goodreads)
**I've been really into cozy mysteries lately and liked that this one included a book club. Had to request it when I saw it on NetGalley.

The Masked City by Genevieve Cogman
The Invisible Library #2 (Goodreads)
**I really enjoyed the story, characters, and world that the author created in book 1. Cannot wait to find out where it goes next.

Assassin's Apprentice by SR Vaught, JB Redmond
Oathbreaker #1 (Goodreads)
**I had not heard of this book before I saw it as the library and don't really know if it's good but the cover grabbed my attention. Hoping the story does as well.

Arc Review ~ An Untimely Frost

An Untimely Frost (Lilly Long #1)

by Penny Richards
published by Kensington
expected release date: July 26, 2016
genre: Adult, Mystery, Historical Fiction

**Received e-galley from netGalley and publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Summary (Goodreads): In 1881 Chicago, the idea of a female detective is virtually unheard of. But when famed crime buster Allan Pinkerton opens his agency's doors to a handful of women, one intrepid actress with her own troubled past is driven to defy convention and take on a new and dangerous role. . .

Since the age of eleven, when her mother was murdered, the life of the theater is all Lilly Long has known. Now twenty-two, she has blossomed into an accomplished Shakespearean actress. But after her innocence--and her savings--are taken from her by a seductive scoundrel, Lilly vows to leave the stage, enter the real world, and save others from a similar fate. Following in the footsteps of the country's first female detective, Lilly persuades Allan Pinkerton to take her on.

Lilly's acting skills are a perfect fit for her real-life role as a Pinkerton operative. But her first case is a baptism by fire as she is sent to the small town of Vandalia to solve the mystery of a pastor who disappeared with his family--and the church's funds. When Lilly arrives, she finds the mere mention of the reverend's name provokes enmity or suspicious silence. Shadowed by a second Pinkerton agent with an agenda of his own, Lilly begins to uncover Vandalia's sordid secrets. But she'll have to deliver the performance of a lifetime to survive the final act of this drama.

My Thoughts: This is our introduction to Lilly Long. The newest agent for the famous Pinkerton Agency. Lilly decides to pursue this job after her husband's true nature is thrown in her face.  Using her acting skills, she convinces (sorta) the Pinkerton brothers that she is the one they want.
The first assignment in Vandalia is not as easy as it would appear. Stories about a pastor with ulterior motives, missing money, and a haunted house greet Lilly once she arrives in town. I liked Lilly's ability to kept moving forward with her inquiries not matter how off putting the locals are. This did lead to some rather uncomfortable situations where Lilly ended up needing rescuing, usually by the mysterious boxer that Lilly keeps running into.
There were enough surprises and twists to keep you reading to find out what was going to happen next. Added into the mix is Lilly's memories of her mother's murder that tied in to the current story while also setting up for future books. I'm definitely looking forward to reading more.

Rating: 4 

Book Review ~ Age of Myth

Age of Myth (Legends of The First Empire #1)

by Michael J Sullivan
published by Del Ray
expected release date: June 28, 2016
genre: Adult, Fantasy, 

**Received e-galley from NetGalley/publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Summary (Goodreads): Michael J. Sullivan's trailblazing career began with the breakout success of his Riyria series: full-bodied, spellbinding fantasy adventures whose imaginative scope and sympathetic characters won a devoted readership. Now, Sullivan's stunning hardcover debut, Age of Myth, inaugurates an original five-book series, and one of fantasy's finest next-generation storytellers continues to break new ground.

Since time immemorial, humans have worshipped the gods they call Fhrey, truly a race apart: invincible in battle, masters of magic, and seemingly immortal. But when a god falls to a human blade, the balance of power between men and those they thought were gods changes forever. Now, only a few stand between humankind and annihilation: Raithe, reluctant to embrace his destiny as the God Killer, Suri, a young seer burdened by signs of impending doom, and Persephone, who must overcome personal tragedy to lead her people. The Age of Myth is over; the time of rebellion has begun.

My Thoughts: I decided  to read this after seeing that I did not need to read the Riyria series in order to follow the story. We start with Raithe and his father coming in contact with a Fhrey who is not happy that they are hunting on the wrong side of the river. Through a series of events involving the Fhrey, his servants, Raithe, and his father, the Fhrey ends up dead and Raithe ends up as the god killer. While Raithe and one of the servants are around for the rest of the story this is really his biggest part of the book. I did like him and Persephone together and can't wait to see what happens with them next.
While trying to outrun the Fhreys that are hunting them down, Raithe ends up at Persephone's clans home. This is when everyone comes together in one place. Persephone and her friends, Raithe, a rogue group of Fhreys, and Suri. Suri was definitely my favorite and I hope we get more of her in the books to come.
The only thing I did not like was the showdown between the new clan chieftain and his group against Persephone and her friends/ allies. The only reason I didn't like it was where it took place. Up in the mountain away from the rest of the clan. Persephone got to find out what happened to her husband but no one else really does. They know what they are told by Persephone but, for me, it's convenient that they all just believe everything she tells them when just the day before they were fully behind the new chieftain and his group.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I'm looking forward to finding out the ramifications of the final battle. I feel like I should be wary of the conversation between the rogue Fhrey and the servant but I find myself more curious than disappointed. Unfortunately, even though all the books are written, we still have to wait a year for the next book to come out.

Rating: 4

Book Review ~ Hidden Huntress

Hidden Huntress (Malediction Trilogy #2)

by Danielle L Jensen
publisher Angry Robot
genre: YA, Fantasy, 

**Received egalley from netgalley and publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Summary (Goodreads): Sometimes, one must accomplish the impossible.
Beneath the mountain, the king’s reign of tyranny is absolute; the one troll with the capacity to challenge him is imprisoned for treason. Cécile has escaped the darkness of Trollus, but she learns all too quickly that she is not beyond the reach of the king’s power. Or his manipulation.
Recovered from her injuries, she now lives with her mother in Trianon and graces the opera stage every night. But by day she searches for the witch who has eluded the trolls for five hundred years. Whether she succeeds or fails, the costs to those she cares about will be high.
To find Anushka, she must delve into magic that is both dark and deadly. But the witch is a clever creature. And Cécile might not just be the hunter. She might also be the hunted…

My Thoughts: Stolen Songbird, the first book of the series, was a 5 star read for me unfortunately this one didn't quite reach that high. I'm not sure if this fell into middle book syndrome or because I thought I knew who the witch was at the end of book one and after the first couple chapters of this one I was sure.
Watching Cecile struggle with something that was so obvious did not make for an interesting read. Add in how horrible her mother, brother, and best friend were (whether it was to her or Tristan) and it was a struggle reading her POVs at times. Tristan was better, trying to repair things with his friends and figure out all the different power plays that had been put into motion while he was locked away.
I still like the magic and history of this world. Which was an even bigger factor in this book. Not just Anushka but Cecile and another witch she meets along her hunt. Cecile makes some choices that are questionable and could have an impact later on.
Overall, there were a lot of ups and downs in this one. I'm hoping that Cecile is not as conflicted and can move forward with what needs to be done. There's a battle brewing on three different fronts and I'm interested to see what sides Cecile and Tristan end up on in Warrior Witch.

Rating: 4

Book Review ~ Shaman Rises

Shaman Rises (Walker Papers #9)

by C.E. Murphy
published by Harlequin Luna
Genre: Adult, Supernatural, Urban Fantasy, 

**Received egalley from publisher and netgalley in exchange for my honest opinions.

Summary (Goodreads): Joanne Walker has two choices:

Defeat the enemy…or lose her soul trying

For over a year, Joanne has been fighting the Master—the world's most abiding evil entity. She's sacrificed family, friendships, even watched potential futures fade away…and now the Master is bringing the final battle to Joanne's beloved Seattle.

Lives will be lost as the repercussions of all Joanne's final transformation into her full Shamanic abilities come to her doorstep. Before the end, she'll mourn, rejoice—and surrender everything for the hope of the world's survival. She'll be a warrior and a healer. Because she is finally a Shaman Rising.

My Thoughts: I did my usual procrastination on reading this, being the last book of the series. I'm still not sure how I feel about it after finishing. I enjoyed the book and was mostly happy with where everything ended up but there was still a feeling of something being off.
The main thing that threw me off was a death of a character. It wasn't something that happened in the middle of battle or at any time that would makes sense. We don't even see it happen.  Joanne turns around and looks and this person is dead. It comes up in another twist later in the story but still just felt like it was more for shock value than furthering the story in any way.
There was also too much going on at times. Trying to fit in every character that ever appeared in the series took up time that could have been more focused on Joanne's and the Master's stories. I wanted more of Joanne and Morrison, more of Morrison, more depth to the characters that we have come to love over the course of this series. Instead we have one epic battle after another. This isn't always a bad thing. There was plenty of action but not a lot of connection. When you thought they were done there was another tragedy happening that Joanne had to run off to fix.
This all sounds like I should have hated this book but I didn't. I still really enjoyed reading it just wanted more since it was the last time we were going to be with this group as it is. I'm happy for those that got their HEAs just wish it hadn't felt so rushed and chaotic.

Rating: 4

Book (graphic) Review ~ I Hate Fairyland Vol. 1

I Hate Fairyland Vol. 1, Madly Ever After

by Skottie Young
published by Image Comics
genre: Graphic Novel, Adult, Fairytales

**received e galley from netgalley as a free read in exchange for an honest review.

Summary (Goodreads): From superstar writer and artist Skottie Young (Rocket Raccoon, Wizard of OZ, Fortunately, The Milk), comes the first volume of an all-new series of adventure and mayhem. An Adventure Time/Alice in Wonderland-style epic that smashes it's cute little face against grown-up, Tank Girl/Deadpool-esque violent madness. Follow Gert, a forty year old woman stuck in a six year olds body who has been stuck in the magical world of Fairyland for nearly thirty years. Join her and her giant battle-axe on a delightfully blood soaked journey to see who will survive the girl who HATES FAIRYLAND.

My Thoughts: This volume was as disturbingly cute as the cover looks. Gert wished to go somewhere and ended up in fairyland. All she had to do to leave was finish a simple quest and find the key. 27 yrs later Gert and her guide Larry, along with her trusty battle axe, are no closer than when they started. Mainly due to Gert not being the brightest anything anywhere.
The violence and humor is over the top and very fitting to the story. Felt very sorry for the narrator's, not a job anyone wanted.
The two best parts are the final confrontation with the queen of Fairyland and the artwork. The final page is a culmination of both these things. The cover is what made me want to read this and every page was filled with the same type of art. I've never seen/read any of Young's work before this but will definitely be looking out for more of it.

Rating: 4 

Some more of Gert and her battle axe 

Book Review ~ Night Study

Night Study (Soulfinders #2)

by Maria V Snyder
published by Mira Ink
release date: January  26, 2016
genre: Fantasy, Adult, 

**E-galley received via Netgalley and publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Summary (Goodreads): Ever since being kidnapped from the Illiais Jungle as a child, Yelena Zaltana's has been fraught with peril. But the recent loss of her Soulfinding abilities has endangered her more than ever before. As she desperately searches for a way to reclaim her magic, her enemies are closing in, and neither Ixia nor Sitia are safe for her anymore. Especially since the growing discord between the two countries and the possibility of a war threatens everything Yelena holds dear.

Valek is determined to protect Yelena, but he's quickly running out of options. The Commander suspects that his loyalties are divided, and he's been keeping secrets from Valek...secrets that put him, Yelena and all their friends in terrible danger. As they uncover the various layers of the Commander's mysterious plans, they realize it's far more sinister that they could have ever imagined.

My Thoughts: Another great addition to this series/world that Snyder has created. I had a few problems but not enough to take me out of the story. We'll start with the good.
This may sound weird but I was glad when Yelena and Valek went their separate ways. I love them as a couple and was happy with the family, commitment stuff but was ready the action/trouble that I'm used to from this series.
There was a definite focus on Valek in this book. A lot happens with the magicians but there didn't seem to be enough of a focus on it all. It seemed as if every step Yelena, Ari, and Janco took there was some bad thing waiting to take them more than two steps back. I was also glad to start and get some small explanation as to what has been going on with Yelena's magic. Which takes us back to Valek.
My favorite parts of this book revolved around Valek. Always moving forward trying to find his way back to Yelena  but still being able to get things done and scare a few people along the way. Figuring out who and where the storm thieves were. Finding the twins, taking them home before sneaking them into Sitia, and learning that they are family. I will say Valek's mother did not leave me with a good impression, I definitely liked his dad better.  I also liked how his immunity to magic and new abilities worked. Every part that took place made sense to both the character and this world.
The biggest problem with this book was that it felt like a middle book of a trilogy. There were a 100 pages left and it felt like nothing had happened and there wasn't much time left. At 40 pages, some things had happened (everyone was in one place) but it still felt like there was no way there was going to be any resolution in this book.  When the book ended and our heroes were not out of danger but at least together it worked, sorta.
This book definitely set up book three. Cannot wait for the battle/confrontation with the commander and Owen, Bruns and company. I'm really hoping for a resolution to everything we learned in this book without it turning into a sappy cop out. I want everyone to have an HEA (at least the good guys) but I want it to be believable. Now for the long wait...

Rating: 4