Category: Action and adventure fantasy

Review:  A Guide to Mermaids and Mountain Trolls (Dragons of Safe Haven #4) by Julia Huni

Rating: 3.75⭐️

A Guide to Mermaids and Mountain Trolls, the fourth book in the Dragons of Safe Haven, is another sweet cozy fantasy romance. 

I’m not sure that it adds all that much to the series other than it’s sweet and explores the world of the mer folk more than previously known.

This is a storyline that involves the trope of a forced marriage pact between two people. How it’s going to play out in the narrative is easily seen by the reader. The end point is clear but it’s how they are going to get there that’s the main theme and romance.

I’m not sure that I really bought into the idea of the mer king, the weaving (which to be honest wasn’t really explored very well), and that aspect of the story.

The couple is cute and I could see them being together. I wish they’d had more time together and Tug the dragon.  More stars for them. 

This series has its depths and then stories that are just sweet and cozy. This is one of the latter. Nothing wrong with that. 

Cover design by David Drummond

Dragons of Safe Haven (4 book series to date):

A Dragon Rider’s Guide to Retirement #1

A Blacksmith’s Guide to Dragon-Rearing #2

A Rider’s Guide to Dragon Healing #3

A Guide to Mermaids and Mountain Trolls #4 

Buy link

        A Dragon’s Guide to Mermaids and Mountain Trolls (Dragons of Safe Haven Book 4)

    

Blurb 

Coral Thistlewick can mix the perfect cup of tea for anyone in Safe Haven. Anyone except herself. And, lately, anyone standing near Oswin Boulden.

Eight years ago, Coral broke the mermaid’s first rule to fish a man out of a storm. She tucked his memory away, dropped him safely ashore, and settled into her cozy tea shop, where the biggest excitement is whether Goodwife Terman will complain about the scones.

But now that man is mayor of Valebra–and the reluctant groom in a marriage contract his father signed years ago. He’s spent a decade trying to wriggle out of it, since breaking the contract would sink his flax farm that employs half the village. When a helpful sea dragon brings him face to face with the tea shop owner who feels strangely familiar, their unexpected attraction starts to grow.

With one meddling dragon, a mer king who mistakes charisma for wisdom, a grandmother with a devious sense of humor, and a half-troll mother-in-law whose stew pot has been bubbling steadily since roughly the dawn of time, Coral and Oswin might discover that the best matches are the ones that were arranged all along.

Grab a cup of tea and settle in for this heartwarming, no-spice arranged-marriage romance filled with found family, magical mayhem, and cozy fantasy charm. The fourth Dragons of Safe Haven can be read stand-alone–and make you want to read the others.

The Dragons of Safe Haven

  • A Dragon Rider’s Guide to Retirement
  • A Blacksmith’s Guide to Dragon Rearing
  • A Rider’s Guide to Dragon Healing
  • A Dragon’s Guide to Mermaids and Mountain Trolls

IPH Media, LLC

Publication date

October 29, 2026

Language

‎English

Print length

352 pages

Book 4 of 4

Dragons of Safe Haven

Review:  Ashwalker (The Emberfall Trilogy #1) by S. M. Gaither

Rating: 4.5⭐️

Ashwalker, the first book in The Emberfall Trilogy by S. M. Gaither, is an excellent fantasy adventure story.  It is a standout in a field filled with enemies to lovers plot lines about fierce, damaged women, and sentient dragons who have an enormous role in their future and on their magical abilities. 

While there were certain aspects of this narrative that were easily figured out, how the author was going to reach there or bring them into the story was interesting throughout the book.

The characters kept my attention, especially Arowyn Vale, the ashwalker who survived the massacre of her family and fiancée years ago by dragons, and now runs the desolate Ashlands on missions. 

Scarred, full of trauma and secrets, Arowyn is a terrific character, one whose development is steady and believable as she faces grief and unforeseen events that bring her new strength and magical powers. And a dragon. 

The way Gaither grows this relationship between the two characters is very different from other dynamics that I’ve read. It certainly incorporates the tragedy that’s fallen into both of these characters lives. 

And there’s other parties too. The enemies to lovers aspect. King Reave Callahan,someone who ends up very much a multidimensional man, who has his own demons to fight. Add in  the intrigue of the vicious kingdom politics that he is trying to control. And this story is highly compelling reading, filled with magical details, fighting dragons and more mythological world building that grows as the story develops. 

The only thing that I was sorry about was having to wait for the next installment to be published. Sometime next year. 

If you like to read series, one book after another, you might want to check until the trilogy is complete. 

Well written and beautifully crafted characters. Just a fantastic book and I think it will be a great series. Highly recommended. 

The Emberfall Trilogy:

Ashwalker #1

Flamebound #2 – March 25,2027

Buy

amazon.comhttps://www.amazon.comAshwalker (The Emberfall Trilogy) on Amazon.com – Read Ashwalker on Amazon

Blurb 

Long ago, dragons were unleashed as weapons of mass destruction, igniting a war that shattered the Empire of Kaldra. Now, the survivors of that once-great realm cower behind fortified walls, while the beasts terrorize the wilds between the broken kingdoms.

Arowyn Vale survives as an ashwalker—one of the few reckless enough to brave the burned-out roads between the walled cities, smuggling everything from supplies to secrets. But when she reluctantly saves a dying dragon hatchling on a routine run, she draws the eye of the ruler of Mouren, a brutal realm directly in the heart of dragon territory.

Once upon a time, King Reave Callahan’s people wielded powerful magic, bonding with dragons in order to crush their enemies with wing and flame. But now, that magic is fading, and law decrees that anyone who manages to bond with a dragon must serve the Mouren crown—even a gutter-born, half-feral ashwalker from the slums of an enemy kingdom.

Dragged into Reave’s glittering but cutthroat court, Arowyn must navigate a treacherous new life built upon secrets, ancient magic, and shifting alliances. As her connection to the hatchling deepens—and with the Mouren king watching her with a gaze full of both danger and desire—she will have to make a decision:

To become a weapon of the kingdom that broke her world…

Or to burn it all down from within.

Review: Hammered (Legacy of Magic #1) by Lindsey Buroker

Rating: 4⭐️

This author is a favorite of mine so when I saw this series, I automatically grabbed up the first story in this urban fantasy series.

The draw for me? The main character, a magical hammer-swinging half dwarf, Matti Puletasi, a Seattle native who runs a house renovation company. She’s unique in her personality and characteristics. No swords or lithe body. Instead she’s got an extremely strong, sturdy body, one that swings both that huge magical dwarf weapon or a heavy construction tool with ease. 

Shes happy flipping houses with her other paranormal besties until the latest project house comes with a dead body, a mysterious object in the basement and new enemies. 

Matti is interesting in her background and,definitely her character makeup. The design that the author gifted her with separates her from so many other fae or otherworldly main characters I’ve read lately. 

But this is missing something. Chemistry or energy from the narrative. There’s no real spark between Matti and the elf assassin, who I really had trouble getting into. 

And the story dragged, feeling more “as told to “ than an actual action adventure plot thread. 

This book and series take place within the Death Before Dragons universe and the characters from that series have roles here.

Have I read it? No, maybe it would have made a difference. Because I didn’t connect with those characters either or know what their agenda was. It felt as though they were strong arming Matty unfairly here. 

The And there’s multiple storylines that popped up out of nowhere. And without much grounding laid out for it, it was just one more thing that was missing layers here.

Best part of this? Definitely Matti Puletasi. Loved the idea of her being a house flipper in Seattle, as well as a part powerlifting dwarf who wields a hammer (extremely proficiently) instead of the usual sword and spells. 

More like her please! And great cover!

Legacy of Magic (8 book series)

Hammered #1

Betrayed #2

Trolled #3

Tested #4

Wrenched #5

Fused #6

Wanted #7

Cursed #8

Buy link

        Hammered (Legacy of Magic Book 1)

    

Blurb 

Seattle native Matti Puletasi has the strength of a bear, the stamina of an ox, and a magical hammer inherited from her dwarven mother.

She’s happy renovating homes and occasionally thumping bad guys until she learns of a mysterious artifact hidden under the house she’s working on. Everybody from humans to orcs to werewolves wants it, and they’re willing to kill to get it. Things go from bad to worse when someone frames her for murder.

The only person interested in helping her is a haughty elf assassin from another realm. He’s handsome, powerful, and deadly, but he’s got an agenda of his own. She dare not trust him—or be attracted to him.

But if she can’t clear her name, the assassin will be the least of her worries.

~

Set in the same world as Death Before Dragons, the Legacy of Magic series is perfect for urban fantasy fans who enjoy adventure, snarky humor, and slow-burn romance with badass elves who should not be trusted. Pick up Book 1, Hammered, today!

Lindsay Buroker

Publication date

November 9, 2022

Language

‎English

Book 1 of 8

Legacy of Magic

Review: Spark The Flames (Secret of the Syphon Book 1) by Ivy Asher

Rating: 4.5⭐️

Spark the Flames begins with the main character of Ever Tenebrae on the run, having just escaped from a long imprisonment and horrific captivity.  

The situation is dire, recapture is imminent and I’m hooked. The writing is so good that we’re right there in this scene with her. 

I’m not going further. Read the book. But this sort of storytelling is what makes Spark the Flames such a compelling and entertaining read. 

The character of Ever is a great one. Traumatized, cursed, scarred, yet determined to survive and save her people by any means necessary, her narrative is a compelling one.  It’s a plot line that the more that’s revealed about her, her painful past history and damaged character, the more engaged the reader becomes in her and her dangerous journey. 

Especially as she lands in the hands of The Horde and their dragon kingdom of powerful species, where there’s an enormous danger to her. In ways she can’t control or anticipate. 

One of them is the King’s second son, Aeson, whose interest in Ever goes beyond the political into something more. They’re dynamic and all the other characters and plot lines that figure around hidden agendas, mysteries, and the curse affecting Ever’s people. 

This is a fabulous story, layered, fast paced, full of action, adventure, mystery and dragons. 

And that cliffhanger ending! Wonderful. Plus the second book is out so the reader can immediately see how it plays out. 

Highly recommended. 

Cover Design: David Gardias, Best Selling Covers Editing: Polished Perfection 

Map Design: Fictive Designs

Secret of the Syphon: 

Spark the Flames #1

Ignite the Inferno #2

Buy link

 Book 1 of 2: Secret of the Syphon 

Blurb 

When it comes to dragons, there’s no such thing as safe.

I learned that the hard way when my kith and kindred were slaughtered right before my eyes.

Everyone thinks the wyverns and the sorcai did it, but I know the truth.

I’ve been hiding from The Horde ever since, existing under their radar, surviving.

And then one day, they find me…he finds me. Aeson Noctis, the king’s second son and my new captor.

Aeson thinks he can force me back to Paragon City. He thinks he can use me and claim my power for his own.

But the dragons should’ve been more careful about who they let inside their city. I’m not some weak little pawn. I’m here looking for answers.

I’m here looking for revenge.

When it comes to dragons, there’s no such thing as safe. I know because I am one, and now I’m going to make The Horde pay for what they’ve done.

They thought they killed all the Syphons.

They thought they hunted down every one.

They thought wrong.

March 21, 2025

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Secret of the Syphon

Review: Web of Vows and Vengeance: (The Hirathean Path Book 1) by Aria Ashbrook

Rating: 4.5⭐️

I believe this was a BookTok read that went viral when it first appeared. It’s Aria Ashbrook’s first series and story and it’s actually a very terrific story. 

Novels one through three are released, so it’s easy to binge read right through all the events that happen to the main characters and the magical foundation that the author is creating. 

A word of caution, Ashbrook crafts meaningful relationships between her characters that come to mean something to the reader. That will also bring about some heartbreaking moments and scenarios because she’s also not afraid to do away with important characters if she thinks that the narrative calls for it. 

That’s a clue. 

People who the reader has come to care about won’t make it through to the end of the story. This one or the next. And it will break your heart. 

The types of magic is a major storyline that continues throughout the series, even the mystery of the lack of is part of it. There’s even a found family aspect to this that I love even more. 

I wasn’t prepared for this to get as complicated as Ashbrook builds it into as it develops, something I appreciated. 

The relationship I feel worked against that was with both her sister and the prince. In both cases, an aspect of naïveté from Rose, someone who dealt in the slums and survived being stripped of her magic, felt unrealistic. 

For Rose, a person who has suffered unimaginable loss, physical deprivation, been orphaned, there’s instances during the trials where her personality seems stripped of those experiences. It robs her of character reasonable depth and gives her less credibility. 

But then again there’s moments where she’s fighting for herself and her new friends, trying to figure out how to win without any powers, and it’s fantastic. 

Prince Kyor? He’s the lesser well written character here. It does get somewhat better.However, he’s the standard over jealous, over protective, over everything male figure who wants to control everything, including not letting her make her own decisions. So over these types of MMC . 

There’s LGBT characters/couples here. But , with spoilers for this, each couple ends badly, starting with one here. I found this aspect of the series surprising. I wonder if there’s a longer path forward for them. 

I’m highly recommending this. I’ve read through the series and am having to wait for book 4 next spring. 

Cover design by Christian Bentulan.

The Hirathean Path:

Veil of Web and Ruin – prequel 

Web of Vows and Vengeance #1

Vows of Blood and Deception #2

Blood of Truth and Traitors #3

Truth of Fate and Destiny #4 – May 5,2027

Buy link

 Book 1 of 4: The Hirathean Path 

Blurb 

THE BOOKTOK ROMANTASY READERS CAN’T STOP TALKING ABOUT

A viral BookTok sensation featuring deadly trials, divine magic, a bonded dire wolf, and an unforgettable enemies-to-lovers romance.

Perfect for fans of Fourth Wing, The Serpent and the Wings of Night, and Throne of Glass.

“They say vengeance is a blade best kept sharp, and my dagger has been honed with every betrayal.”

BOOKTOK IS OBSESSED:
“This will be the next book to blow up on BookTok. I don’t say that lightly.” — Miranda @Probably Off Reading
“For the BookTok girlies in a reading slump, I raise you Web of Vows and Vengeance.” — Jaimee Johnson @thtgrlreads
“Giving Fourth Wing vibes… I could not put this book down.” — Kaila Anttila @Kaila.books

TROPES:

  • Enemies to Lovers
  • Deadly Trials
  • Slow-Burn Romance
  • Underdog Heroine
  • Brooding Royal MMC
  • Forced Proximity
  • Gods & Goddesses

STRIPPED OF POWER. FUELLED BY VENGEANCE.

She lost everything because of his lie. Now the only way to save her sister is to win a deadly competition that could cost her the only thing she has left: her life.

When Prince Kyor twisted the truth about his mother’s death, Rose paid the price. Her family was stripped of their magic, cast into the slums, and abandoned by the kingdom they once served. Now her parents are gone, and her younger sister’s future hangs in the balance.

Rose’s only hope is the Tournament of the Gifting, a brutal competition held once a century, where the victor earns a blessing from the Goddess of Life. The catch? Every other contender wields the very power she was robbed of.

And Prince Kyor is among them. Commander of the armies. Rider of a bonded dire wolf. Wielder of lightning. He doesn’t just want to win for vanity – he wants the gift for himself. But what could a man who has it all possibly want?

Thrown into a world of magic, monsters, and merciless trials, Rose must fight not only for survival but for the chance to reclaim her future. Along the way, she’ll find unlikely allies, ruthless rivals, and a dangerous connection with her greatest enemy – one that could ruin or remake her.

Web of Vows and Vengeance is a dark, slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romantasy, set in a Nordic-inspired world, featuring deadly trials, found family, gods and goddesses, political intrigue, and an underdog heroine who refuses to stay broken.

This is a story of heartbreak, vengeance, and the kind of power that can never be taken.

AWARD-WINNING ROMANTASY:

Best Fantasy — Independent Publisher Book Awards 2026

Best Fantasy Romance — BookFest Awards 2026

Best Fantasy Read — Pascify Con Awards 2026

Hellhound Press Limited

Publication date

February 27, 2026

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‎English

File size

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542 pages

ISBN-13

978-1916833630

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Book 1 of 4

The Hirathean Path

Review: The Rising Wave (The Rising Wave #0.5) by Michelle Diener

Rating: 3.75⭐️

The Rising Wave is the prequel story to the first book of this series, setting out the characters and the series arc. 

Ava is a princess of unusual magical abilities who’s been imprisoned for years in a castle and now seems destined to die shortly because of her captor’s agenda. A new prisoner, Luc, changes her plans for escape to include himself and together they flee the prison and that kingdom.

That’s the short story. 

The more in depth version goes into their backgrounds, growing relationship, her magical powers which are highly sought after by multiple kingdoms, and the wars that are going on which Luc is a major part of. 

I liked several aspects of this story. The unusual magical system is interesting, although after thinking about it overnight it also raises many questions about its uses. Part of this is that I just don’t sew. The idea of using thread and sewing patterns into fabric as vehicles for magical powers is unusual. I don’t think I’ve read this before the way it’s used here. However, afterwards, I did find myself wondering how useful this would be in instances where the mage or witch doesn’t have time to stop and stitch whatever pattern is needed. Even the simplest item takes time with needles and threads. As in “oh no, I need to stop and sew a dog(s) on fabric “. Yes, indeed. That happened. 

I can’t imagine it. Standing still, let alone on the run. Or is that just me? Too subtle ? Give me a kaboom spell? Stitch a kaboom? Idk many questions.

The other thing is the rushed romantic aspect of the story. They meet up as brutalized prisoners, each hiding their own secrets. They’re on the run. And it’s instant love? 

Made zero sense to me. As well as the author not building a relationship or solid foundation for this. There’s books to come so any instant love could happen later as well. 

So some parts work. Others not so much. 

I’ll be interested in seeing what the magic system does in different events and how Ava is going to handle it. 

The Rising Wave (4 book series)

The Rising Wave #0.5 prequel 

The Turncoat King: (Includes The Rising Wave Prequel Novella

The Threadbare Queen #2

Fate’s Arrow #3

Truth’s Blade #4

Buy link 

 Related to: The Rising Wave 

Blurb 

A princess intent on escape . . . Ava has everything ready for her last chance at escape from her years’ long imprisonment. She knows if she doesn’t succeed this time, she will die. When an injured warlord is thrown into her cell with her, upsetting her plans, she faces a dilemma . . . leave him to die or try to take him with her.

A warlord intent on rebellion . . . Luc may lead a rebel army, but now he’s at the mercy of his enemies, and they have no mercy to give. All except the woman imprisoned with him. She not only has mercy, she has a plan to escape. He just has to convince her to let him come along . . .

A partnership forged in adversity . . . Unable to leave him behind, Ava includes Luc in her plans, but escaping the castle where her cousin has imprisoned her is only the first step. Hunted by their enemies, she and Luc will have to trust each other, no matter how many secrets they’re keeping.

NOTE: THE RISING WAVE was first published as part of Warlords, Witches & Wolves: A Fantasy Realms Anthology in November 2020. It is the prequel novella to the Rising Wave series and is followed by THE TURNCOAT KING.

Eclipse

Publication date

March 10, 2021

Language

‎English

Print length

111 pages

Review: Resting Witch Face (Journals of Forbidden Witchery #1) by Maya Daniels 

Rating: 4⭐️

I picked this up because I thought the title was clever. The rest of the series are also terrific word plays. 

Maya Daniels’ book introduces Hazel Byrne, a witch from the prestigious Byrnes family, the only one who doesn’t have any powers. Maya is the last of her powerful line, her parents deceased, and she’s been brought up by her grandmother, the head of the political magical coven in charge. 

Hazel is a tough character to connect with. She’s young, quick to act and quicker to anger. Impulsive, clothed in the latest high fashion, the author wants the reader to see her as an engaging personality but often portrays her in scene after scene whining and acting like an entitled child. So just the opposite happens. 

We’re told she and her best friend Sissily, were bullied horrendously as children by others in the coven, which resulted in Hazel’s current attitude. But we don’t see enough evidence or any of the dynamics to make it real. 

The grandmother’s relationship with Hazel doesn’t ground the reader either. 

There’s enough fast paced drama and action that the story moves quickly. And new elements are layered in to keep the reader’s attention going.  

The character development will be key here in this series. Hazel is going to have to grow past this stage she’s in here to remain a relatable character imo. 

Check it out if you like urban fantasy mystery and young woman main characters with witchcraft elements. 

Chronicles of Forbidden Witchery (4 book series)

Resting Witch Face #1

Pitch A Witch #

Witch Please #3

Payback is a Witch #4

Buy link

 

        Resting Witch Face: An Urban Fantasy with a snarky witch too powerful to hide (Chronicles of Forbidden Witchery Book 1)

    

Blurb 

I didn’t mean to unleash hell. But here we are.

I was born into the Byrne bloodline—pure witch royalty. Too bad the universe skipped me when it handed out actual powers. No spells. No spark. Just attitude, fists, and a resting witch face sharp enough to cut glass.

With zero spells to my name, I became the coven’s best demon-slayer just to prove I wasn’t useless. Spoiler: no one was impressed.

My grandmother looked at me like I was a broken heirloom. The other witches either pitied me or wanted me gone. Only Sissily—my loud, loyal, batcrap best friend—stuck by me.

I’m Hazel Byrne, and magical disappointment was kind of my thing.
Right up until I blew up the coven library.

That little disaster woke something inside me. Turns out I wasn’t powerless—I was sealed. Bound by blood pacts and buried secrets. And now that my magic’s out, every supernatural creep with a grudge wants a piece of me.

Now demons are circling, the coven’s in chaos, and I’m not sure if the magic inside me will save us—or tear everything apart.

If fierce witches, feral magic, and unhinged best friends are your thing, you’ll love Resting Witch Face. It’s the explosive first book in the Chronicles of Forbidden Witchery, a paranormal women’s fiction and urban fantasy series packed with chaos, heart, and hexed high drama.

Vinci Books

Publication date

June 9, 2021

Edition

1st

Language

‎English

Print length

236 pages

Book 1 of 4

Chronicles of Forbidden Witchery

Review: Magick For Hire: The Complete First Trilogy: An Urban Fantasy PI Thriller (Knightstorm Arcane Investigations) by G. J. Ogden and Sabrina Vale

Rating: 3.5⭐️

I thought this would be a complete trilogy but it’s not. It’s just the first 3 part section to a longer multi sectional storyline arc. 

The three books included here are

Shadowed Relics #1

Twisted Fae #2

Infernal Gate #3

Astrid Knightstorm is a powerful earth mage who is called on to solve paranormal mysteries around the world. Her familiar is a brain of an ancient dark sorcereress in a jar and her assistant is a Fae who does her researches and handles all inquiries for her small business. 

It’s a good premise and works well for the most part. The beginning novel is terrific, has interesting characters and gives you a good idea of what Astrid’s life is like. 

But it starts to go off by the second novel. The issue primarily falls into the relationship between Ember, her Fae assistant, who takes zero responsibility for her own actions in and out the Fae Realm, and Astrid. Astrid seems to feel she is responsible for everyone’s problems and actions, even though they are not only adults but perhaps beings older than she is.  Accountably exists nowhere really here and that’s extremely difficult to accept as a reader. 

This carries over to her unpleasant brother who remains a character who is someone who is underwhelming and one-dimensional. 

That’s the biggest issue with the trilogy. It’s a fast paced action adventure urban fantasy. But low on character development and any real believable character growth and interactions. 

Elements thrown in for plot twists but given little narrative depth or explanation. 

So read it for the action sequences and adventure scenes. Not for the characters. Or if you follow the authors. 

Buy link

 Collects books from: Knightstorm Arcane Investigations 

Blurb 

Astrid Knightstorm is a wizard private investigator who handles the cases no one else will touch. Her clients include fae, werewolves, vampires, and creatures that slip between worlds. Being a tough Texan helps, but it’s her wits and command of Earth Magick that keep her alive in a world where supernatural threats lurk in every shadow.

When ancient artifacts fall into the wrong hands, demonic forces tear at the edges of reality, and fae politics ignite dangerous rivalries, Astrid is pulled into conflicts that reach from Austin to the Vatican to realms most mortals never survive. Each case draws her deeper into a hidden war involving dark alchemy, unstable boundaries between worlds, and a power determined to unravel time itself.

With unlikely allies at her side, including a fae assistant, a werewolf, and the family she thought she lost, Astrid must confront monsters, destiny, and the secrets of her own past.

Some cases test your skills. Some threaten the world. And some force you to face the truth about who you are.

Magick For Hire: The Complete First Trilogy brings together the first three novels of the Knightstorm Arcane Investigations series, this action packed urban fantasy saga delivers a snarky wizard detective, supernatural mysteries, and a world where Magick hides in plain sight.

Ogden Media Ltd

Publication date

January 6, 2026

Language

‎English

Print length

807 pages

Review: The Dusk Reapers (Cursebreaker #1) by J. T. Lawrence 

Rating: 4⭐️

The Dusk Reapers (Cursebreaker #1) by J. T. Lawrence is the first book in her urban fantasy mystery series about a witch assassin in South Africa.

The location is one of the better elements, an unusual one that I don’t run into often. This first book is also features amnesia storyline around the main character. It’s resolved here by the end of the novel.

Asha Rook wakes up in a hospital. She’s been the victim of a horrific attack, suffered a significant brain injury and has amnesia. No idea who she is other than her identity from her identifications and driver’s license. 

And the idea she’s in danger as well as the fact that she’s implicated in a murder, has her fleeing the hospital for answers. 

Lawrence does an excellent job building the character of Asta, a woman scrambling to discover who she is in the middle of a murder investigation, and layout the structure of a urban fantasy world of witches, mages and spirits and dark realms existing within the city of Johannesburg.

A fluctuating pov that didn’t always work because the reader wasn’t sure whose perspective we were in made things confusing or complicated. Nicola or Asta? Sometimes we had no clue. 

I don’t mind unresolved plot lines, especially in a first book. Usually they will carry over through the series. Here it’s the case of missing children left hanging as well as who was behind the original attack. 

The character of Sam, the police officer, the maybe romantic interest, is ok. Perhaps he will be more fully developed as the series progresses. 

Overall, a good start with some interesting elements. 

If you are interested in something new, give it a try. 

Cursebreaker: An Epic Urban Fantasy Action Adventure (6 book series)

The Dusk Reapers #1

The Haunted Portal #2

The EverShade Ring #3

The Obsidian Castle #4

The Pick Pocket’s Curse #5

The Eternal Betrayal #6

Buy Link

Source: Amazon.com The Dusk Reapers: An Urban Fantasy Action Adventure (The Cursebreaker) – Amazon.com

Blurb 

Her heart was flatlining. Her magic wasn’t.

Asha wakes up in the hospital with thirty-six stitches in her head and no memory of the attack that put her there. The damage to her skull was catastrophic, but she surprises the medical team with her lightning-quick healing—and by inexplicably sending their equipment flying across the room.

She soon learns that she is Asha Rook—The Cursebreaker—and she’s just become the prime target of every ruthless bounty hunter wizard in the Realm of Magic & Mayhem.

To add to the high stakes, a curse has landed an innocent woman in a terrifying asylum, and it’s Asha’s job to save her.

Asha must rely on her eccentric found family, finding belonging and banter with allies who accept her complex and dangerous nature. This includes an unnervingly attractive and steadfast cop (an epic slow burn), a sassy goblin who trades portal magic for tacos and lime milkshakes, and her beloved steampunk dwarf godmother, who is equally talented at roasting perfect potatoes as she is at creating magitech weapons.

Join Asha and her ragtag team as she embraces her destiny, navigating pocket realms and battling evil to break the ultimate curse. With more twists and turns than you can shake a wand at, this is a dark magic mystery with humor, adventure, and a whole lot of heart.

Fans of Patricia Briggs, Jim Butcher, and Ilona Andrews will burn through this totally addictive urban fantasy series.

Read the complete 6-book series now!

TROPES:

• Curses and curse-breaking

• Kick-ass female protagonist

• Amnesia

• Hidden Magical World

• Gritty Urban Setting

• Diverse Supernatural Creatures

• Haunted houses; ghost children

• Secret Societies and Organizations

• Found Family: banter and belonging

• Slow burn deep connection romance

• Huge, satisfying happy ever after

Fire Finch Press

Publication date

August 28, 2024

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‎English

File size

2.9 MB

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468 pages

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Book 1 of 6

Cursebreaker: An Epic Urban Fantasy Action Adventure

Review:  Fire Marked by (Alchemy of Witches Book 1) by L.A. McBride

Rating: 4.25⭐️

I really enjoyed this urban fantasy story. There’s apparently a prequel out there that fills in the background for the main characters here and how she arrived at her current situation. As well as all the other secondary characters interacting with her that come from that prequel.

However , the author gives us enough information about that time period so we’re not at a disadvantage here as the story goes forward. 

Olivia “Liv” is a retired fire elemental assassin who at the age of 16 was framed for a crime she didn’t commit. As a result Liv was forced to work for as a Shadow for the Conclave (magical ruling body) for a decade.

Now she’s free, name cleared and she’s back in Kansas City where she’s opening a magic shop. Until her old life comes back to interrupt her new start. 

I love so many of the characters that McBride has created for her book and series. The older group of witches, including Liv’s aunt are fabulous and among my favorites. From their environmental battles with toxic gardeners to their hula hoop classes, every scene memorable and often hilarious. They’re real, intelligent people who care about Liv, going about things in their own ways. 

Rafe, a werewolf black op who is the enemy to lovers maybe aspect of the story and series, is suitably flawed, and mysterious in his own ways. Where he fits in is left open-ended, which works. 

There’s an ongoing storyline that starts with the reason Liv was framed, but eventually moves on into a much larger, more complicated plot that involves demons, hell fire, and prophecy at the end. 

The end book leaves the reader immediately wanting the next story to see what happens with the characters and their lives. I am thoroughly hooked. 

I had certain reservations about why Liv was so determined to do something on her own but later on, she answered that during a heartfelt conversation with Rafe. It was the answer that I wanted to see her grounded in the reality of the dangers of her situation.  That one scene made all the difference. 

I now need to track down Inferno Bound for the history of this series and main character while waiting for the next one to be released.

New author discovery and series unlocked. Fantastic!  A winner!

This is set in the same universe as another of L.A. McBride’s series but as it’s the first book I’ve read of hers, that’s a series for another time. But the characters do crossover.

Cover and Illustrations by NMT Design Studio

Alchemy of Witches (2 book series)

Inferno Bound #0.5 prequel 

Fire Marked #1

Blaze Born #2 – Jan 27, 2027

Buy link

        Fire Marked (Alchemy of Witches Book 1)

    

Blurb 

Ten years as a supernatural assassin did not prepare me for customer service.

Once I was called the strongest fire elemental in a generation. All that got me was sentenced to serve as a supernatural assassin for a crime I didn’t commit. Now that my name’s been cleared, the powers-that-be cut me loose.

Their only rule? Keep my head down and leave missions to other Shadows.

Sinking my blood money into a magic shop, I try to be a good little witch. I run my shop, join a geriatric coven, teach fire hula hooping classes on the side, and adopt a klepto packrat as my familiar. Avoiding Rafe Blackwell, the golden-eyed lone wolf charged with keeping me in line, is harder. And ignoring the vampires attacking witches in Kansas City? Impossible.

When bodies turn up with veins full of the same blood additive that landed me that ten-year sentence, I can’t afford to sit on the sidelines. Going rogue risks my newfound freedom, but the alternative is a city overrun with demons and Nectar-addicted vampires in a feeding frenzy. When my fire magic fails, it’ll take every skill I earned as a Shadow to take down the Nectar ring despite the enforcer determined to keep me out of it.

But if running a witch shop has taught me one lesson, it’s how to face anything with a potion bomb and a smile.

Fire Marked is the first book in the Alchemy of Witches series. If you love fast-paced urban fantasy with a witch ready to burn down the establishment, quirky found family, and a slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers romance, this series is for you.

September 10, 2026

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Language

‎English

File size

5.8 MB

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Print length

302 pages

ISBN-13

978-1957445328

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Book 1 of 2

Alchemy of Witches