-
Review: On the Subject of Griffons by Lindsey Byrd
Disclaimer: I am an acquaintance of the author; however, I purchased this ebook for the full price. The only pseudo-complaint I have about this novel is that it could have been a tiny bit shorter. However, shortening the text would have involved cutting much of the hero’s internal narrative, which is a delightful mixture of…
-
Review: Emerald Blaze (Hidden Legacy #5) by Ilona Andrews
Read my review of Hidden Legacy Book 1, Burn For Me. Read my review of Hidden Legacy Book 2, White Hot. Read my review of Hidden Legacy Book 3, Wildfire. Read my review of Hidden Legacy Book 3.5 Diamond Fire. Read my review of Hidden Legacy Book 4, Sapphire Flames. At one point, while enjoying…
-
Review: The Old Guard #1: Opening Fire by Greg Rucka & Leandro Fernandez
By the time I could read this graphic novel, which collects the first five issues of The Old Guard, I’d already seen the movie on Netflix twice. If you followed me on social media last August, you know I was pretty obsessed. So, it’s difficult for me to talk about the graphic novel in isolation,…
-
Review: Unhallowed (Rath & Rune #1) by Jordan L. Hawk
I was delighted to return to the world of Widdershins, eight years beyond the original series, and check in on my favorite fictional town. The librarians of the Ladysmith Museum were always a source of amused befuddlement for me during the original series, so I was excited that one of those librarians was a hero…
-
Review: Magic in Manhattan Series by Allie Therin
Spellbound (Book 1) Paranormal queer romance in early twentieth-century New York City seems to be a trope I’m particularly fond of, so I didn’t hesitate to purchase this book when at least two authors I follow raved about it on Twitter. The story itself did not disappoint in any measure, from the romance to the…
-
Review: Horns, Hugs, and Hunger (Gods & Demons #3) by Kaye Draper
Read my review of Gods & Demons book 1, Fates, Fins, and Fangs. Read my review of Gods & Demons book 2, Wishes, Wings, and Woes. Events pick up steam in the latest installment to this serial epic, which I appreciated. Action, adventure, and sexiness galore, which is what we’ve come to love and expect…
-
Review: Dark Orchid Trilogy by Auryn Hadley
Power of Lies (Book 1) The easiest way to include a lot of erotica in a fantasy novel is to toss in some lust magic. But Hadley doesn’t keep things quite so simple, by layering in other elements of magic to her excellent world-building. The erotica always makes sense, based on the rules of the…
-
Review: Demons’ Muse Series by Auryn Hadley
The Kiss of Death (Book 1) The “angels are bad, demons are good” trope is not unfamiliar in paranormal romance, but this series puts a different spin on things by including a unique magic system, multiple dimensions, and a new way to look at how angels and demons affected religion on Earth. The heroine’s power…
-
Review: Arranging Paradise Series by L. Rowyn
A Rational Arrangement (Book 1) There’s a diamond in this book, but it’s smothered by the occasional downside to self-publishing. On the surface, the author did everything right. Great cover, no blatant typos, solid plot, well-developed characters, unique world building elements. Unfortunately, this is where I plug the need for an impartial substantive or developmental…
-
Review: Spirits Trilogy by Jordan L. Hawk
Restless Spirits (Book 1) I’m diving into another series by Hawk, and I couldn’t be happier. He’s proven time and time again to be a storyteller I know I will enjoy, so I was excited to start fresh with a new batch of characters in another historical paranormal romance setting. I enjoyed the early interactions…
-
Review: Hexworld Stories by Jordan L. Hawk
“A Christmas Hex” (Book 2.5) This is one of those stories that could have worked any time of year — but the fact that it occurred around Christmas made it all the sweeter. After reading the full-length novels in this series, it was easy to forget that witches and familiars in New York City did…
-
Review: Not Quite Hunter (Not Quite #3) by Kaye Draper
Plenty of things happened in this installment to the Not Quite series, but in the end, nothing changed. I didn’t see much character development, and though Sam had a sexy interlude with a new character, nothing about the conclusion hinted that there might be more to the relationship. I got the feeling that Draper doesn’t…
-
Review: Hexhunter (Hexworld #4) by Jordan L. Hawk
Now that Hawk has thoroughly established the rules of the Hexworld series, it was time to start breaking them. The events of this book took elements of familiars and witches to new levels, in intriguing ways that made for a mystery that acted as the perfect backdrop for the burgeoning relationship between Isaac and Bill.…
-
Review: Hexslayer (Hexworld #3) by Jordan L. Hawk
Every book in this series gets better on multiple levels. Hawk continues to pull threads on the over-arching plot, making it more intriguing and convoluted without losing any of the believability of such events in the world he has created. In tandem, each romance both supports and is affected by the greater events. I was…
-
Review: Dragon Precinct by Keith R.A. DeCandido
Disclaimer: I am friends with the author; however, I purchased this book for full price. Once again, DeCandido has blown me away with his knowledge of genre tropes and how to bend them to his will to create a fantastic story. This time, he combines the magic of police procedurals with high fantasy (via table-top…
-
Review: Eye Spy (Family Spies #2) by Mercedes Lackey
Overall, this was probably the best new Valdemar book I’ve read and enjoyed in years. That’s not to say that it has no flaws, but overall, Abi is a great, solid character with some truly excellent and original adventures. I’m not going to lie: Part of my enjoyment might be because this is the first…
-
Review: Wishes, Wings, and Woes (Gods and Demons #2) by Kaye Draper
As usual, I devoured the latest installment of this series as soon as possible and enjoyed every moment of it. Troya continues to grow as a character as she regains more memories of her previous lives and Derek White’s connection to it. Her relationships with her boyfriends grow deeper and more solid. And Draper’s world-building…
-
Review: Hexmaker (Hexworld #2) by Jordan L. Hawk
As usual, Hawk excels in crafting unique characters that you can’t help but fall in love with and root for. On the surface, this book is a typical tale of two people from different social strata falling in love and dealing with the barriers between them. But there’s also a bonus police procedural plot and…
-
Review: “The 13th Hex” (Hexworld #0.5) by Jordan L. Hawk
This delicious short story, packed with adventure and romance, can be read at any point during the Hexworld series. I enjoyed this look into how Rook and Dominic became working (and more) partners, and as an added bonus, Cicero (from Hexbreaker) is a prominent character. Hawk packs a solid bit of worldbuilding into this fantasy…
-
Review: Seeker of Truth (SPECTR #3.3) by Jordan L. Hawk
For the first time this series, the dream team is splitting up of their own accord. Caleb stays in New Orleans to assist Zahira on a case for SPECTR while John heads out of town in search of clues to his own identity. Both separate plots of this novella are satisfying, and Hawk gives those…
