Category: 5 star Rating

Review:  Astray (The Adventures of a Xeno-Archaeologist Book 1) by Jenny Schwartz

Rating: 4.5✨

What a fantastic read. I found everything about this book (and series) mesmerizing. From the planets, the political systems and current fragile climate, the galaxies and the science behind the unique found powers, foundations the universe here.  Schwartz builds out, book by book on the societies , cultures, and scientific knowledge and theories she establishes in Astray. 

Schwartz had me, honestly, at the sheer magnitude of world building she’s done here. And things that normally don’t appeal to me such as a space age political system that’s along the lines of an Earth monarchy has been created by a history that’s as compelling as it is historically complicated in human space exploration. 

The central figure is Captain Nora Devi, a solitary xeno-archaeologist ,widowed in the recent galactic wars. Nora is a complicated character. She escaped from a tenement, crime ridden slum world where she’d been raised to owning her own ship and business. Her pilot husband died in the twelve year war between Capitoline and Palantine. And she’s still grieving. 

Other figures in the story and series are Capitolines’s Captain Liam Kimani of the RC battlecruiser RC Genghis Khan, an orphan Aria, for starters.  

I really don’t want to give any more details because it’s a fantastic read and journey for everyone exploring the world along with Nora .  So many surprises, decisions, and twists. 

There is no romance here.  When it comes , it’s books later. 

This is about power, people, galactic energy, politics and survival. 

Absolutely enthralling and entertaining. 

Did I rush from book to book? Why yes I did. And you will too if strong woman characters, terrific storylines and imaginative world building is what you want!

“Cover designed by MiblArt”

The Adventures of a Xeno-Archaeologist:

Astray #1

Doubt #2

Rebel #3

Cajole #4

Resolve#5

Buy link

 Book 1 of 5: The Adventures of a Xeno-Archaeologist 

Blurb 

Nora Devi is a xeno-archaeologist with a complicated past. She has buried more secrets than she’s dug up. Widowed in the recently ended twelve year war between Capitoline and Palantine, she now makes a living as an independent tagger in border space.

Captain Liam Kimani could be credited with ending the latest royal war. Instead, he’s blamed for it. Dirty commoners aren’t meant to lay their hands on royalty.

He has no regrets.

When Liam and his crew of the battlecruiser RC Genghis Khan are exiled to Capitoline’s border they discover that life in unexplored space can be more dangerous than war, and that their best chance of survival lies with a mysterious, elusive tagger.

The only problem is that Nora’s secrets might destroy the precarious stability of the entire Human Sector.

Astray is a fast-paced, enthralling space opera of lost societies, ancient aliens, rugged warriors and semi-legal pirates perfect for fans of Lois McMaster Bujold, Becky Chambers, and Lindsay Buroker.

Space exploration science fiction, first contact science fiction, science fiction adventure, 

Review:  For Whom The Belle Tolls by Jaysea Lynn 

Rating:  5✨⭐️

It’s taking me a while to review this as I adore it so much.  I’m not familiar with Jaysea Lynn’s TikTok comedy/drama skits that launched these characters prior to the Covid lockdown but I’ll have to seek it out because these beautifully realized characters, especially Lily in her journey through the afterlife and Hell, are ones that make a memorable impression on the reader.  

For Whom The Belle Tolls by Jaysea Lynn is incredibly moving in its depiction of one woman’s journey through trauma to healing, recovery and the discovery of love, self worth and a found family. All in the afterlife. 

I can’t even begin to describe how powerful and inspiring this book is. It’s also funny, dark, sexy, and truly beautiful. 

Lily dies of cancer. Then her story begins. But what her life was like when she was alive, that a slow reveal throughout the narrative. In bits of memory flashing into her mind as she navigates her new journey through her afterlife and adventures in Hell. Which is another outstanding element here. 

Everything, the mythological world and religions are represented differently than typically imagined. It’s one I think is incredibly rich and unique in its variety and depth of knowledge. 

The characters of Lily and Bel, as well as Sharky, how they develop and grow, as individuals and as a family is stunning. It’s written so emotionally and powerfully that these are characters that will just inhabit my heart . As will so many others here. 

Yes, I’ve ordered the special hard back edition already. It’s that book for me. 

Highly recommended. There’s some trigger warnings. Read them. This does deal with some traumatic situations and events, though they are mentioned throughout as memories. 

Interior design by Meryll Preposi

Maps: Jamie Noble Frier at The Noble Artist

Buy link

For Whom the Belle Tolls (Hell’s Belles, 1)$16.48Amazon.com

Blurb 

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES AND USA TODAYBESTSELLER!

From Hell’s Belles BookTok sensation Jaysea Lynn comes a hotter-than-hell romantasy about love, magic, and found family in the Afterlife, perfect for fans of Sarah A. Parker and Callie Hart.

They told her to go to Hell.

She went, but on her own terms.

Lily isn’t exactly thrilled with her arrival in the Afterlife, but what awaits her there is more fantastical than she ever could have imagined: Deities wait in line at the coffee shop. Fae flit between realms. Souls find ways to make death a beginning.

As she explores the many corners of the Afterlife, Lily finds herself surprisingly drawn to a place most people would avoid at all costs: Hell. Armed with years of customer service experience and pent-up sarcasm, Lily carves a job out for herself amongst Hell’s demons, sending souls to their rightful circles with more than a hint of sass.

Lily’s expectations are subverted every day in Hell—especially by Bel, a demon general with a distractingly sexy voice. The two meet by chance and form an immediate, deeply healing friendship, but the undeniable heat between them threatens to combust.

Meanwhile, something stirs beyond the boundaries of their world, threatening to destroy everything they’ve known and everything that could be…unless they fight like Hell to stop it.

This debut novel from BookTok sensation Jaysea Lynn invites you to lose yourself in a world where love ignites in the unlikeliest of places, magic defies the rules, and the Afterlife proves more thrilling than anyone could imagine.

  • Publisher: S&S/Saga Press
  • Publication date: January 28, 2025
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 640 pages
  • Book 1 of 1: Hell’s Belles

Review:  The Retired Assassin’s Guide to Country Gardening: A New Zealand Paranormal Cozy Mystery by Naomi Kuttner

Rating: 4.5 🔍⭐️

Another great new to me author, another new book and series that I found absolutely fascinating and thoroughly entertaining.

Naomi Kuttner’s new paranormal cozy mystery is unusual in its use of multiple main character voices to provide the story. It took me a while to get the feel for the flow and framing of how these three highly detailed, yet very different characters would be pulled together to form a compelling trio of unlikely friends who solve a mystery. Or mysteries. 

The town of Te Kohe, New Zealand exhibits plenty of main character energy on its own, due to its unique community and character, including its citizens who have a tendency to reveal unexpected sides to themselves. 

It starts with Dante, a retired assassin, who’s moved to Te Kohe, New Zealand and now, mostly due to his choice of homes, finds himself living with a life he never anticipated. He expected isolation, and instead he gets a nonstop flow of visitors, and then a gardener. 

That arrival of Charlie Wilson, a lovely gardener with his own secrets, sets off an entire ripple of events and murder mysteries to solve. The redoubtable Eleanor is right there , to help them, especially Dante, navigate through the town in their investigations. 

Each is such a fantastic character. Dante has been focused on his work as an assassin so now adjusting to being an actual person who’s a part of a team and community is a challenging process. As written by Kuttner, Dante’s personality is realistically chilling in places, hilariously lacking in social skills, and his growth is a result of his own decisions to act on Charlie’s behalf. Eleanor is one revelation after another, a woman of strengths, ingenuity, and a hidden past. And then there’s Charlie, a young man whose story is the basis for the mystery. 

Set in New Zealand, the story and characters are well defined by their location and their respective nationality. From the nature, plants and fauna ( I had to look up several of the birds and trees Charlie referenced to my delight), to the languages and foods, I absolutely knew I was in a small town community in New Zealand. That dynamic of the real nature of a type of place where everyone knows everyone is a prerequisite of a cozy and Kuttner has it down. 

The small trio of strangers that becomes friends through mystery investigations is a fascinating and great storyline.  It fit perfectly into the classic cozy format albeit with a paranormal addition of ghosts here. 

There’s no romantic element between the three main characters. They are, at least here, firmly in the friend zone.  Eleanor appears to have the promise of one in the future with a great side character.

The Retired Assassin’s Guide to Country Gardening: A New Zealand Paranormal Cozy Mystery by Naomi Kuttner is just terrific. Self published, it’s full of amazing twists, great storylines, wonderful characters, and a fascinating town of citizens to explore. 

I can’t wait for the next book to be released. 

Highly recommended for lovers of cozy mysteries and fantastic stories.

Retired Assassin’s Guide (2 book series)

The Retired Assassin’s Guide to Country Gardening #1

The Retired Assassin’s Guide to Orchid Hunting #2 – Dec 16,2025

Buy link 

        The Retired Assassin’s Guide to Country Gardening: A New Zealand Paranormal Cozy Mystery

    

Blurb 

Dante has come to the small coastal town of Te Kohe, New Zealand, for a fresh start in life. But he doesn’t want to open a BnB, or save a charming bookshop, or start a romance with a single mother in need of rescuing.

He just wants to forget about his past career (which involved a lot of dead bodies) and have everyone leave him the heck alone. Unfortunately for Dante, life has other plans…

  • Publication date: January 25, 2025
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 471 pages

Review:  Dead End (Crossroads Queen Book 9) by Annabel Chase

Rating: 5⭐️

We’ve come to the conclusion of Crossroads Queen. What a remarkable finale.

From fighting her way out of the clutches of The Corporation to final freeing Kane from Lucifer, not to mention tying up all the multiple storylines from the 8 books and journeys she’s had to make to get here, well what a great show it’s been.

Chase brings back so many fascinating side characters that were part of important mythological stories and now play impactful roles in Lorelei’s final journey to her own HEA and a happy family life.  I loved seeing these beings again and in their own new situations. It put a finale ending to their journeys as well for the readers too. 

If I was sorry that ghosts Ray and Nana found a new situation for each of them, well, it made perfect sense and for an emotionally mature ending. 

I absolutely love the characters and this series. Beautifully written, the mythology, the imagery and the storylines were all extremely well developed and executed. 

I’ll miss it while adventuring onto other Chase stories. 

Highly recommended!

Great cover art and design. 

Cover by Trif Designs, which has changed to reflect the fact that the word has gotten out that Lorelei Clay is a demigod. So great touch with that head halo/crown addition. Love the castle in the background. 

Crossroads Queen – series complete :

Dead to the World #1

Dead of Night #2

Dead Last #3

Dead Wrong #4

Dead Weight #5

Play Dead #6

Dead Heat #7

Half Dead #8

Dead End #9 – series finale 

Buy link

        Dead End (Crossroads Queen Book 9)

    

Blurb 

Queen of the Crossroads Lorelei Clay has the fight of her life ahead of her in this final, must-read installment of the bestselling urban fantasy series.

Lorelei never believed she would have a place to call home. She’d grown accustomed to hiding, to putting up walls and avoiding interaction with the world around her.

Until Fairhaven.

Lorelei has grown to love the small town with its multirealm crossroads and the residents who welcomed her with open arms, as well as those who were slow to warm up. She’s fallen in love with a demon prince, and befriended ghosts, a cursed vampire, the werewolf pack, and the Assassins Guild. She’s overcome her grudge against witches, and brought the local police into the fold. Now those residents are under threat, and Lorelei is the only one who can save them.

But first she has to save herself.

The stakes have never been higher. If she fails, she’ll have played a pivotal role in destroying the very place she swore to protect. 

Good thing Lorelei is no stranger to sacrifice. Whatever the price, she’s ready and willing to pay it.

Don’t miss Dead End, the ninth and final book in the Crossroads Queen cozy urban fantasyseries.

If you’re in the mood for feel-good vibes, found family, a power couple, and small town charm, then this COMPLETE SERIES is for you!

  • Publisher: Red Palm Press LLC
  • Accessibility: Learn more
  • Publication date: April 17, 2025
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 290 pages

Review:  Heart of Chaos (Chaosborn Book 1) by Madeleine Eliot

Rating: 4.75✨⭐️

As a reader who discovered dragons and dragonriders by way of Anne McCaffrey’s magical Dragonriders of Pern series, I’ve been on a never ending journey to find more stories to fall in love with.  New authors who have just as much imaginative pull and creative depth as those tales of Pern, those dragons , their Weyrs , and of course, Lessa, the young woman who became the first dragonrider I fell in love with. 

Let’s be honest, dragons will always rock!

Nothing can capture me , on every level, like a beautifully imagined dragon. Or dragon shifter. Or the duo-spirit dragon shifter that Madeleine Eliot has created for her Chaosborn series. Stunning work. 

I fell hard for this series in one book. 

 Thankfully, there’s no academy or school format here. There’s a rescue of a young woman who has the ability to bond with a dragon. 

But then how the dragons bond differs wildly from the other books from there. 

It’s mystery upon mystery. The dragons are powerfully portrayed, as are the Drage they bond with.   There is a darkness that is hidden and a threat to both dragons and earthly realm. That’s just begun to be explored. 

In fact much of this is history foundation being laid down, a lot of it based on Norse mythology which is fascinating. 

And even more moving and emotional, it’s Elsa’s life from abused indentured slave to bonded Drage. That’s a thrilling story and it’s one I will absolutely reread every so often. Especially before the next novel comes out. 

Very imaginative, extremely engaging characters and fascinating stories. 

A wonderful find and winner. 

Cover clipart by Viktoriia Ihnatovets @ArtCreationsDesign 

Map design by Lindsey Staton

Chaosborn trilogy:

Heart of Chaos #1

Soul of Fire #2 – Dec 12,2025

Buy link 

        Heart of Chaos (Chaosborn Book 1)

    

Blurb 

To master Chaos, she must first survive it.

Eisa’s life is one of pain and cruelty. Living in servitude, she grapples daily with an illness for which there is no cure and abuse at the hands of the man who has owned her since she was a child.

When Arik, the silver-eyed second-in-command of the king’s dragon-bonded warriors, makes her a deal she can’t refuse, Eisa finds herself hurtling toward a destiny she never would have chosen.

Desperate to free her loved ones, Eisa agrees to travel to the desolate wasteland in the south, to bond a dragon to her soul, and to become one of the legendary Drage.

As long as the Chaos doesn’t kill her first.

Heart of Chaos is the first book in the Chaosborn trilogy, an adult romantasy filled with dragon shifters, Norse lore, and spicy romance.

  • Publication date: May 1, 2025
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 399 pages
  • Book 1 of 2: Chaosborn

Review:  Jingle Stars (Shamans & Shifters Space Opera Book 4) by Jenny Schwartz 

Rating: 4.75✨

Jingle Stars (Shamans & Shifters Space Opera Book 4) is a holiday themed book and a highly important part of the series narrative tapestry.  While it contains a lovely story that could be read simply as a Christmas gift by the author that’s really not it’s true worth. This book is a beautifully crafted piece of writing. 

Its main character starts off with Ahab, is a mLa’an AI who’s a partner with Vulf and Jaya on the spaceship Orion.  The galactic political system is in the process of determining whether artificial intelligence is or can be considered “real beings “, and recognized as full citizens of Galaxy Proper.  

This argument should hit home as we are currently in the midst of early stages of the exact same process. And robotics. 

Ahab is piloting the Orion on a solo mission when Ahab picks up a distressing transmission. A letter to Santa from a young boy asking Santa to save a group of kids, where there shouldn’t be any. 

What follows is a discourse on what it means to be a person. The questions that arise from multiple perspectives and sources. And finally, those answers that matter the most. 

And yes, grab a box of tissues and have it handy.

This isn’t a fun or easy read. There’s children in horrifying situations, traumatic events in their backgrounds.  And all play huge roles in the story and series. 

Jingle Stars (Shamans & Shifters Space Opera Book 4) by Jenny Schwartz  is an amazing read, capturing so many different perspectives and emotional moments. A fun lighthearted holiday story? No, but a great book that will make you think about families and love in all its faces.  At Christmas. 

Highly recommended. Love this author and series. 

Loving the covers.  Highly recommended. 

Shamans & Shifters Space Opera series: 

Her Robot Wolf 

Cosmic Catalyst 

Shattered Earth 

Jingle Stars 

The Ceph Sector 

Buy link 

        Jingle Stars (Shamans & Shifters Space Opera Book 4)

    

Blurb 

When a starship decides to play Santa Claus… 

Ahab is a mLa’an artificial intelligence embedded in the starship, Orion. The campaign for AIs to be recognized as full citizens of Galaxy Proper is within reach of its extraordinary goal. The only thing that could stop it now is if an AI did something foolish…like take a space station hostage to save eight orphaned children.

And this is the letter to Santa that starts it all:

Dear Santa

I don’t know if your reindeers work in space. But if you have room in your sleigh after you finish delivering presents to the lucky kids with parents and homes, can you come and get me and my friends? Please? We’ve been good. Well, we haven’t been really bad. We’re on Station Elphame, in the junkyard, and Zoe is sick. She’s bad sick. I think she’d be better on a planet. We don’t need presents. We just need a way out of here. Ollie tried to sneak onto a trampship…he died. Please, Santa, I don’t want any more of my friends to die.

Aiden.

  • Publisher: Amazon Digital Services
  • Accessibility: Learn more
  • Publication date: December 4, 2017
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 75 pages

Review:  Stars Die (Caldryn Parliament Book 1) by Jenny Schwartz

Rating: 4.5⭐️

Jenny Schwartz is a new author for me but after this book she’s immediately on my must read list. Stars Die, the first book in the Caldryn Parliament series, is a fabulous read.  

The world building is layered and intriguing, yet so vivid and large that you can see how she will be exploring it further in the series. And even farther. 

The characters themselves are incredibly complex. Each has their own histories that are only partially revealed here, multiple agendas, and completely diverse backgrounds. 

This is magic, science fiction and realism all combined into a compelling narrative. 

And Schwartz has beautifully crafted even more fascinating storylines that work together to create a fascinating tale of dynastic power, intrigue, galactic politics, mystery and chaos. All with an overlay of magic. 

It begins with the incredible character of Vanda Kavanagh, whose powerful grandmother has recalled her from her duty on a frontier planet to become new Warden of Caldryn Parliament.

Such a simple sentence that is so powerful a statement of a woman’s heart and journey to her own path.  Vanda is an incredible character. And she is accompanied by a very special companion, Giddy. 

Giddy is part of the murder mystery that Vanda sets out to solve, as part of her plan and as part of a larger underlying problem. 

There’s an entire excellent cast of equally important and well defined characters. Many of which I expect to develop and expand as the series continues. 

This is a complex, emotional, exciting novel. There’s a potential for a romance but it’s not a romance story. It’s a political thriller, albeit one that is a magical science fiction novel. 

So highly recommended and I’m extremely excited for the next book to be released. 

And can I say how much I love these covers?

Caldryn Parliament:

Stars Die #1

Hexes Fly #2 – July 26, 2025

Rogues Lie #3 – November 29,2025

Buy link

        Stars Die (Caldryn Parliament Book 1)

    

Blurb 

Welcome to Caldryn Parliament. Golden Age mysteries in the Realm of science fiction and fantasy.

Recalled from the frontier, the new Warden of Caldryn Parliament is well aware she’s not a popular choice, but she never expected to portal into a murder scene.

Nor did she anticipate acquiring such a unique partner.

Now, Vanda Kavanagh must discover the truth of a politician’s death, unravel the mystery of her sabotaged wards, and survive her family.

***

Stars Die is a magic parliament mystery. If you’ve ever wished that Agatha Christie included magic or that Sherlock Holmes fought space pirates, this is the series for you!

  • Publication date: February 27, 2025
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 340 pages
  • Book 1 of 3: Caldryn Parliament

Review:  The Past in the Present (Beyond the Veil Book 9) by KM Avery

Rating: 5🌈

The Past in the Present (Beyond the Veil Book 9) by KM Avery is an outstanding piece of work by Avery in a series full of great novels.  

The Past in the Present, Beyond the Veil book 9, finishes Seth and Elliot’s journey and inter-series trilogy. 

Seth Mays and Elliot Crane have slowly made themselves into a couple, with Seth just now moving into Elliot’s home on the reservation and Seth working on his firefighter credentials in Shawano, Wisconsin.

Then a shattering phone call from a Sheriff’s Office in Staunton, Virginia , involving his estranged parents, saying his mother has been murdered , and his father is missing, presumably dead.  Noah, Seth’s young brother has been held for questioning in connection with the deaths. The nightmare of Seth’s past is back and he’s got to go back to a place where he promised himself and Noah  he would never have to return. Home. 

The Past in the Present is a haunting, complex, and deeply moving story. It’s dark, layered with the characters past, horrific damaged history, fully immersed in their current tumultuous lives and relationships, and folded into the twisted ways the Arcanavirus settled into certain parts of the country and communities. 

It brings Seth and Elliott’s relationship into a more intimate and complete sense of balance between them, letting Elliott see firsthand what Seth (as well Noah) traumatic adolescent upbringing was like and what they endured before they escaped their father and family. It’s a horror story at times and the author’s note of trigger warnings at the beginning should be read. 

This is also an excellent labyrinthine mystery about the current murder investigation, Seth’s family, wills, and an extreme religious sect. This aspect of The Past in the Present brings in our favorite elf agent, Val Hart (Elliot’s best friend) and his new FBI boss, Tiger shifter, Raj, who will figure in the next series group. 

It’s both a psychological mystery and action horror thriller. A well thought out story of two individuals who have overcome their differences and fears to become a true couple and have a stronger relationship. And it’s one man’s story to work through his personal demons and struggles with self worth and find peace in himself and his own new life. 

I can’t imagine a better story or journey for Seth than the one Avery had written here. It’s just that exceptional. 

Each story often sends me back to reread a certain moment in the series that made me realize how amazing the characters and each element is. 

And now to wait on Rayn’s voice. Highly recommended. 

Series couples to date (not standalone):

Ward’s story (1-3): 

The Ghost in the Hall 

The Boy in the Locked Room 

The Skeleton Under the Stairs. 

Hart’s story (4-6): 

The Dog in the Alley 

The Bones in the Yard 

The Elf Beside Himself 

Seth’s story (7-9): 

The Turning of the Tables 

The Badger in his Burrow 

The Past in the Present 

Rayn’s Story (10 +) (coming 2025-2026) 

Buy Link

        The Past in the Present (Beyond the Veil Book 9)

    

Blurb 

Everything was finally going well. I had a job I liked, a man I loved, and a future we were building together.

And then the past came back to haunt me—and now I have to go back to the house in Appalachia where my parents had made my childhood a living hell. Where Noah and I had been broken, over and over, as the people who were supposed to love and protect us tried to turn us into something we weren’t and would never be.

It was a place I’d never wanted to go again.

But I now I have to. Because the parents I never meant to speak to again are dead, and Noah’s fingerprints were found all over the kitchen.

I didn’t know why Noah went back, what had happened to my parents, or whether my psyche was going to make it through a trip back to middle-of-nowhere rural Virginia. Or my relationship. I’d finally managed to convince Elliot to give me a chance, and he was about to find out about a lot of skeletons in a very deep, very dark closet.

I could only hope that he’d be willing to help me bury the bones.

Book 3 in Seth’s Story

  • Publication date: June 27, 2025
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 370 pages
  • Book 9 of 9: Beyond the Veil

Review:  Magic & Misfortune (Starry Hollow Witches Book 14) by Annabel Chase 

Rating: 4.75⭐️

This was a really terrific story, a more emotional one, using the missing ring to move Ember’s narrative forward through this harrowing time in her life. 

Aunt Hyacinth is still using Ember’s decision to make Ember and Marley’s life miserable, as Hyacinth’s vendetta against her continues. Now jobless, Ember turns to becoming her own boss and starts a private investigator business with Raoul. And the missing ring investigation becomes a case of theirs. 

Ember’s breakup with Alec, who fired her, sees her reconnecting with Granger, but as friends, as she tries to find her way through her romantic relationships. 

It’s multiple threads but all will eventually have a common theme and emotional connection. It takes time and some wonderful moments but Chase never fails to amaze me with how thoughtfully and consistently these stories pull together. And how Ember and her found family grows stronger and develops deeper than when they start. 

It sends me happily through to the next book and stage in the series. 

Ember’s life is magically transforming as is Marley’s. The Rose family itself is undergoing a new phase. 

It makes for great storytelling and memorable characters.   Love this!

Starry Hollow Witches series:

Box set 1-10:

Magic & Murder, Book 1

Magic & Mystery, Book 2

Magic & Mischief, Book 3

Magic & Mayhem, Book 4

Magic & Mercy, Book 5

Magic & Madness, Book 6

Magic & Malice, Book 7

Magic & Mythos, Book 8

Magic & Mishaps, Book 9

Magic & Maladies, Book 10

—-

Magic & Misdeeds (Book 11)

Magic & Monsters (Book 12)

Magic & Misfits (Book 13)

Magic & Misfortune (Book 14)

Magic & Marriage (Book 15)

Magic & Midnight (Book 16)

Magic & Mirrors (Book 17)

Magic & Mistletoe (Book 18)

Magic & Mutiny (Book 19) – finale 

Buy link

 Book 14 of 19: Starry Hollow Witches 

Blurb 

Welcome to Starry Hollow, where spells were made to be broken.

Misfortunes never come alone. When a valuable jewel goes missing, Ember Rose is tasked with tracking it down. She quickly learns that the jewel wasn’t hidden away for its monetary worth but for safety because the jewel has the power to bring misfortune to its possessor. When the negative consequences start piling up, throwing one obstacle after another in her way, Ember turns to magic to find the jewel before it can wreak havoc on the entire town of Starry Hollow.

Will Ember locate the jewel in time or will the wheel of misfortune roll through town and crush the hopes and dreams of everyone she holds dear—including her own?

Magic & Misfortune is the fourteenth book in the Starry Hollow Witches humorous paranormal cozy mystery series.

  • Publisher: Red Palm Press LLC
  • Accessibility: Learn more
  • Publication date: July 1, 2021
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 212 pages

Review:  Dungeon Crawler Carl: Dungeon Crawler Carl Book 1 by Matt Dinniman

Rating:  4.75⭐️

What inspired, insane fiction! Dungeon Crawler Carl: Dungeon Crawler Carl Book 1 by Matt Dinniman just about defies being categorized into a trope. It’s too wild, too murderously funny, thrilling, outrageous, and alien to be put into a box.   

Coast Guard veteran, Carl, is living in an apartment with his ex-girlfriend’s Champion Persian cat, Princess Donut, when she takes a runner out his window.  It’s late, so he follows in only his boxers, pink crocs, and a coat to capture her from the tree. 

Then the aliens arrive. 

What happens next is bedlam. Death, destruction, and alien gamers galore as a galactic corporation sets up a massive network game called Dungeon Crawler on what is left of Earth. 

If you have played any type of game, then you will be familiar with the main elements of the story. Leveling up, winning points, getting gift boxes, fighting bosses etc, that you would in most games. If you haven’t, you can pick it up. 

But the characters, the monsters, the interactions and sheer intensity of the game and situations are believable and gripping.  It’s fast paced and over the top murderous lunacy at times.  And just when it’s veering off into the ultimate craziness, author Dinniman brings us and Carl back into the terrifying, devastating reality of what happened to the world Carl knew. Everything’s occurring so quickly, he’s having to react to survive, crisis after crisis, that he’s not been able to properly process his emotions or the reality of his own situation. Or Princess Donut’s.  

The shattering heartbreak of the callousness of this situation will fleetingly make it known but, at least in this story, they can’t stop and reflect on what happened.  They must keep moving. 

There’s so many great moments and inventive characters. Carl and Donut, who both acts like a cat and a highly intelligent leader, are incredibly believable and relatable personalities. 

I’m quickly headed to the next book, there’s seven released at the moment, and it’s not completely finished yet.

Can’t imagine not wanting to read such a well written, highly entertaining, imaginative novel. Yes, it’s extremely violent, tons of deaths, heartbreaking but also funny. Fascinating, and thoughtful. Great for those who like to game and those who don’t. 

A urban fantasy adventure/science fiction alien crossover? Either way, highly recommended. 

These are, book by book, the most incredible, on point illustrations for covers. Colors are popping, the characters are spot on! Amazing artwork!

Cover Illustration by Luciano Fleitas

Cover Design by Toby Dinniman

 Interior Illustrations by Erik Wilson

Series not complete/Dungeon Crawler Carl:

Dungeon Crawler Carl #1

Carl’s Doomsday Scenario #2

The Dungeon Anarchist’s Cookbook #3

The Gate of the Feral Gods #4

The Butcher’s Masquerade #5

The Eye of the Bedlam Bride #6

This Inevitable Ruin #7

Buy link

        Dungeon Crawler Carl: Dungeon Crawler Carl Book 1

    

Blurb 

The apocalypse will be televised! 

You know what’s worse than breaking up with your girlfriend? Being stuck with her prize-winning show cat. And you know what’s worse than that? An alien invasion, the destruction of all man-made structures on Earth, and the systematic exploitation of all the survivors for a sadistic intergalactic game show. That’s what.

Join Coast Guard vet Carl and his ex-girlfriend’s cat, Princess Donut, as they try to survive the end of the world—or just get to the next level—in a video game–like, trap-filled fantasy dungeon. A dungeon that’s actually the set of a reality television show with countless viewers across the galaxy. Exploding goblins. Magical potions. Deadly, drug-dealing llamas. This ain’t your ordinary game show.

Welcome, Crawler. Welcome to the Dungeon. Survival is optional. Keeping the viewers entertained is not.

  • Publication date: October 2, 2020
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 446 pages