Review: The Courtship of Julian St Albans (Consulting Magic Book 1) by Amy Crook

Rating: 4.5🌈

The Courtship of Julian St Albans (Consulting Magic Book 1) by Amy Crook is this author’s first published novel and it’s an absolute delight. A steampunk murder mystery romance, it’s got a grand cast of characters, an intriguing system of magic, and a combination of historical and cultural influences in the narrative that make the atmosphere and situations so different.

The ritual around courtship and Suitors is given its own special treatment here when Julian St Albans’ longtime Suitor is found dead. It restarts the process of finding Julian, the heir to substantial lands and fortunes, a new Suitor to run the family and take over the titles.

Alexander Benedict is a magical investigator and consultant to the police, especially in high profile cases or where magic is used. Julian’s case involves both.

Crook’s take on an historical murder mystery and romance is a cleverly crafted story. Steampunk narrative is threaded throughout with fantasy characters and elements to my absolute delight. The author dives into the details of her magical world, from the magical bespoke clothing worn to balls to the dangerous and fascinating crafted instruments used by the villain to threaten and destroy.

The slowly developing relationship between Julian and Alex is lovely. Determined by the rituals of Courtship and the fact that Alex realizes he’s falling for Julian, not just because he’s involved in the case, draws out the romantic tension.

How it ends , for Julian and Alex, and sets up the next step in their relationship is so satisfying. I’m thrilled to have found a new author and series to recommend and read.

Check it out. Series is complete!

Consulting Magic series:

The Courtship of Julian St Albans #1

The Apprenticeship of Julian St. Albans #2

The Guardianship of Julian St. Albans #3

A Flutter of Fae #4

I love the simplicity of design of these covers. Beautiful, important to the story (that’s Horace) and elegant.

Buy link

The Courtship of Julian St. Albans (Consulting Magic)

Blurb

Alexander Benedict is a misanthropic thirtysomething magical consultant, working with the Agency’s top homicide detective, and perfectly content with his life, thank you very much.

Julian St. Albans is the youthful heir to his family’s fortune and affiancéd to his beloved Cecil Mandeville, a family friend as well as Julian’s lover.

When Mandeville is murdered using magical means, Alex is brought in on the case. It’s the worst day of Julian’s life, but until they meet, it’s just another case for Alex. Neither of them have any idea how their lives are about to change.

Alex has to disentangle the magical threads until he can catch the murderer, and to do that he has to put himself right in the thick of things. His long-denied family connections get him invited to participate in Julian’s Courtship as a Suitor, where he can observe the suspects firsthand. He just has to stay alive long enough to figure out which of the competition thinks Julian is a prize worth killing for.

Publisher: Amazon Digital Services, Inc. (June 25, 2013)
Publication date: June 25, 2013
Language: English
Print length: 361 pages

Review: Blood & Steel (The Legends of Thezmarr Book 1) by Helen B. Scheuerer

Rating: 4.75⭐️

YOU DO NOT BECOME A LEGEND OVERNIGHT

HE TOLD HER QUIETLY “A LEGEND IS FORGED WITH

BLOOD AND STEEL”

Another new author, another great series and strong heroic female character. Albeit one with a highly tragic twist to launch her story and goals.

Althea Zoltaire knows that she will die at the age of 27. It’s a fate she’s always known will happen. Now she’s got just 3 years to become the legend she needs to be. A Legendary Warsword. In a land that’s forbidden women to hold weaponry.

That’s the dynamic theme and the epic storytelling that takes Thea forward towards her goals along with her sisters is such a compelling emotional journey. Thea Zoltaire is rapidly becoming one of my favorite characters of the season. Tragic background that’s she’s used to push her towards a forbidden goal of becoming a female Warsword. And not just a powerful Warsword but a legendary warrior in the time left to her is a a woman of strength and character.

The trials, the challenges and battles she faces, from family to those of royal legality are ones that the reader is so emotionally invested in, right along with her.

Scheuerer brings in a cast of equally diverse and interesting characters to surround and support Thea here. The first being Wilder Hawthorne, a Warsword whose role varies from frenemies to reluctant mentor to more. There’s the other people trying to become Warswords and facing the same trials, and her Alchemist sisters.

The world building is great and will be expanded upon in the next books as Thea’s story continues.

Highly recommended as a favorite of mine this season. Plus it’s a complete trilogy. Another plus.

The Legends of Thezmarr – 4 books completed:

Blood & Steel #1

Vows & Ruins #2

Fate & Furies #3

Shadow & Storms #4

Buy link

Blood & Steel: An epic romantic fantasy (The Legends of Thezmarr Book 1)

Blurb

Perfect for fans of The Bridge Kingdom, From Blood and Ash and The Witcher, BLOOD & STEEL is an epic romantic fantasy with enemies-to-lovers, slow-burn spice, found family, and a sprawling world of magic and monsters.

With her death foretold, Althea Zoltaire only has three years to become what she’s always dreamed of being: a warrior legend.

Women are forbidden to wield blades, so she has trained in secret her entire life. Now racing against the clock, she fights to secure her place in the elite guild charged with the protection of the five kingdoms.

The sparring and hazing of the new trainees border on deadly, but even more dangerous is her growing attraction to Wilder Hawthorne, her unwilling warrior chaperone.

All around them, schemes are afoot and darkness looms.

Will Althea pass the perilous initiation test and take her place as a champion of Thezmarr – or will the invading evil snatch away her dream before it starts?

If you like fierce sword-wielding heroines and brooding, tortured heroes, you will devour this sexy, addictive fantasy adventure.

Blood & Steel is the gripping first book in the heart-pounding, epic romantic fantasy series, The Legends of Thezmarr.

Publisher: Alchemy (February 16, 2023)
Publication date: February 16, 2023
Language: English
Print length: 550 pages

Review: Mother of Death and Dawn (The War of Lost Hearts, #3) by Carissa Broadbent

Rating: 4.5⭐️

Mother of Death and Dawn is the final story of Carissa Broadbent’s fantastic dark fantasy series, The War of Lost Hearts.

Broadbent’s epic series has crossed oceans, venturing into various worlds and reaching beyond into many magical realms. She’s created a multitude of cultures, mythologies, and monsters who both have helped,hindered, and destroyed the many paths that the main characters Tisaanah, Max, and Aefe are on to the final tumultuous battle.

There’s no question that the author has done a superlative job in this book. The sheer number of storylines and characters that have been created throughout in the series, then had their roles and personalities developed fully for greater purpose, is astounding. It comes to a fruition here as plot lines are gathered in, explanations given, actions held accountable, and the characters are all there , as needed, for that final memorable battles and emotional drama.

There are some characters I never could throughly understand. Ones who I felt never really got the consequences of their actions, as heinous as they were. Nor were the characters who were sorely affected and damaged over time as deeply explored as I had hoped. Aefe is such a unique character that I would have liked to have a different arc for her.

That finale and those battles were rich in detail and magically dark. Fantastic action sequences!

I loved how the story ended and this series is one that I am highly recommending for fantasy readers and great characters.

The War of Lost Hearts:

Daughter of No Worlds #1

Children of Fallen Gods #2

Mother of Death and Dawn #3

Buy link

Mother of Death and Dawn (The War of Lost Hearts Book 3)

Blurb

Tell me, little butterfly, what would you do for love?

In the wake of a crushing defeat, Tisaanah and Maxatarius have been ripped apart. Tisaanah is desperate to rescue Max from his imprisonment, even as her people’s fight for freedom grows more treacherous. But within the walls of Ilyzath, Max’s mind is a shadow of what it once was… leaving his past a mystery and his future at the mercy of Ara’s new, ruthless queen.

Meanwhile, in the Fey lands, Aefe has been dragged back into this world by a king who vows to destroy civilizations in her name. But even as her past returns to claim her, her former self is a stranger.

Tisaanah, Max, and Aefe are thrust into the center of a cataclysm between the human and Fey worlds. The unique magic they share is key to either winning the war, or ending it.

But that power demands sacrifice. Tisaanah may be forced to choose between love and duty. Max cannot forge his future without confronting his past. And Aefe must decide between reclaiming who she was, or embracing who she has become.

The choices they make will either reshape this world forever…or end it..

In the harrowing finale of the War of Lost Hearts trilogy, a tale of romance, magic, vengeance, and redemption comes to a close — perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Raven Kennedy.

Review: Zodiac Academy: The Awakening by Caroline Peckham, Susanne Valenti

Rating: 4.5⭐️

“Here is your campus map.

Note to all students: Vampire bites, loss of limbs or getting lost in the wailing wood will not count as a valid excuse for being late to class.”

— Zodiac Academy: The Awakening by Caroline Peckham, Susanne Valenti

This series has been out for a while now but it’s only recently that I’ve been made aware of the multiple series universe and the authors behind it.

Zodiac Academy turned out to be a fantastic read. A darker urban fantasy series that tilts towards the type of storytelling of magical schools and mythological creatures and enormously powerful barriers to overcome for the main characters. In this case female twin sisters and the school, Zodiac Academy, is far more brutal, abusive , and deeply damaging than Hogwarts could have imagined.

Multiple points of view, primarily Darcy and Tory Vega, the Gemini twins, yanked from one world into another. I found these two voices so compelling, different from each other and yet they are still so similar in their foundational core. At least for now.

Because as a reader, you’re getting a glimpse that this Academy is going to pull each one apart almost to their cellular level and rebuild them before the end. It’s that brutal. And they are that unprepared.

The Academy is magical, is separated in factions and the basics. The map helps to reinforce the magical system and the power structure in place. It’s also overlaid with the typical clique behavior and favoritism found in any school district anywhere, only hopped up to the inth degree by power and control. Never a good thing.

The young women are determined, resilient, and as strong as their background has made them. I immediately connected with Darcy and Tory, impulsively raging or fighting or whatever they were doing.

This ends on a bit of a challenge for them and I can’t wait to read Ruthless Fae to see what happens next.

Highly recommended for lovers of dark urban fantasy and strong women characters.

Zodiac Academy (12 book series):

The Awakening #1

Ruthless Fae #2

The Reckoning #3

Shadow Princess #4

Cursed Fates #5

Fated Throne #6

Heartless Sky #7

Sorrow and Starlight #8

Beyond the Veil #9

Restless Stars #10

The Awakening As Told By The Boys #11

Live and Let Lionel #12

Buy link

Zodiac Academy: The Awakening

Blurb

Amazon.com and Wall Street Journal #1 bestselling dark fantasy romance series from authors Caroline Peckham & Susanne Valenti – a Booktok sensation!

I’m a Gemini. Impulsive. Curious. Headstrong. A twin. Heir to a throne I know nothing about. And it turns out, I’m Fae.

But of course there’s a catch – all I have to do to claim my birth right is prove that I’m the most powerful supernatural in the whole of Solaria. And sure, technically that’s true as I’m the daughter of the Savage King. But the bit they didn’t put in the brochure was that every single Fae in this Kingdom would claim my throne if they could.

The school they’ve sent me to is both dangerous as sh*t and one helluva party. Vampires bite weaker students in the corridors, the Werewolf pack has orgies in the Wailing Wood at every full moon and don’t even get me started on the dark and twisted ways the Sirens use their powers on people’s emotions, or how my sinfully tempting Cardinal Magic teacher hosts detentions that leave people needing therapy.

Classes are totally interesting if you manage to live through them. And that Gemini star sign I mentioned? It now determines my elemental magic and affects my destiny, so learning astrology is essential if I’m going to beat down my classmates – which is actively encouraged by the way.

My biggest problem is the drool worthy Dragon shifter who has his eyes on my throne. He and his three psycho friends are determined to make my time here hell.

All I’ve got to do is survive. But fate might have other ideas.

Dammit, why couldn’t I have gotten a letter to Hogwarts?

***This is a enemies to lovers romantasy – don’t go expecting a sweet school for magic with friends around every corner. Fae fight for everything they own and Zodiac Academy is a cutthroat school for students aged 18+ where only the strongest prevail. There’s no Dumbledore here to save anyone’s ass and Lionel Acrux will give Voldemort a run for his money in the evil dictator category. So hold onto your stardust (broomsticks not required) and get ready for a bumpy ride***

Publisher: King’s Hollow (August 2, 2019)
Publication date: August 2, 2019
Language: English
Print length: 420 pages

Review: The Hidden God of Open Doors by Tavia Lark

Rating: 3🌈

It didn’t immediately register but I had read this before as a short story in the Heart2Heart Valentine Day’s Anthology. It worked there, surrounded by other like stories and given a foundation by the Anthology basis of the Heart2Heart matchmaking process, a well established tradition and built upon by each story.

As a standalone? Removed from that structure and foundation? Unfortunately, without a solid narrative support, it doesn’t really make the type of satisfying story you would expect from Tavia Lark.

I love the premise and the potential of this story. That someone has been imprisoned for an indefinite amount of time within a small room for a unknown reason is horrifying. Especially as we get glimpses into his tiny room and his personality. Then Lark flips over to Raider, who, along with his sister Val, owns and runs a shop for magic items and are newly immortal.

Ruin finally gets to communicate with someone else when mysteriously they are hooked up via the Heart2Heart dating app.

I can’t see where this was expanded from the original version. The story is still a good concept but given the trauma of being held prisoner for thousands of years and then having a relationship, albeit a verbal one? I would have thought Rune’s reactions to have been considerably more intense and internalized.

The backgrounds of the locals or location need further explanation, especially as that’s where Rune was imprisoned. As it was there is so many unanswered questions.

The Hidden God of Open Doors by Tavia Lark is a sweet paranormal short story. A quick read that needs more attention to detail and depth of character.

Cute.

Buy link

Amazon.comhttps://www.amazon.comThe Hidden God of Open Doors – Kindle edition by Lark, Tavia. …

Blurb

Forget finding his perfect match. Rune is just desperate to talk to someone.

Rune is lonely, immortal, and trapped in a mysterious prison. Objects appear and disappear as the decades pass, and his only companions are the books and television. He hasn’t spoken to a real, live person in over two hundred years.

Until one day a phone appears, with a magical dating app already installed.

The app promises to find Rune’s perfect match for Valentine’s Day. Rune is tempted, even though he knows that’s impossible. Nobody wants a perfect match they can’t meet.

Then he matches with Raider—a confident ex-treasure hunter who shamelessly flirts past Rune’s loneliness.

And Raider doesn’t believe in impossible.

The Hidden God of Open Doors is a short Valentine’s Day MM romance about a trapped immortal, the flirty treasure hunter who wants to discover everything about him, and the dating app magic that brings them together.

Previously published in the Heart2Heart Volume 7 Paranormal Anthology

Publication date: January 24, 2025
Language: English
Print length: 62 pages

Review: Quicksilver (Fae & Alchemy, #1) by Callie Hart

Rating: 4.5 ⭐️

The world building by Callie Hart in Quicksilver is truly astonishing. Incredibly detailed and rich in imagery, Hart’s worlds, yes multiple connected ones, so well crafted that each feels absolutely unique. Fundamentally different from their species of beings, mythological perspectives, life spans even their suns in the sky .

Hart’s female main character is a stunning figure. Saeris Fane is a thief, a fierce fighter, a resourceful woman. She’s had to do what it takes to survive and protect herself and her irresponsible younger brother in a walled off section of the City where the worst of their kingdom is concentrated by authority of the Queen.

Saeris’ sad history and that of dangerous diseased slum , The Third Ward, of Zilvaren City, are heavily intertwined. How will be slowly revealed throughout this story with great impact. It’s enough that we see how living in such conditions has formed her, including the fact she’s able to work a forge. And it introduces other great characters that have been important figures in her life.

How dramatically the Fae and the figure of The Kingfisher is brought into this narrative is something I’ll leave to the story but it’s a fantastic one. So is the creation of the element of quicksilver and all the unusual aspects of this magical material. It’s one astounding revelation after another, and I absolutely loved it because it was so unexpected.

The relationship between Saeris and Fisher is complex and uneasy. I liked the way there’s a fated mate storyline but it’s not automatically acceptable. Given the circumstances and, a lack of communication, it shouldn’t be.

Main characters who don’t communicate are an issue for me but here the rationale and the foundation laid for any such actions are part of the beautifully crafted storytelling.

There’s passion, mythology, battles, magical horrifying creatures, and a cliffhanger.

Did I have a quibble? Yes. Fisher calls Saeris “Little Osha”, a shorter version of the name of a short lived butterfly. He uses that instead of Saeris for most of the story. Why he does this is explained in the story, however, I’m generally, and certainly not here, a fan of male characters calling female characters “little” anything. It’s intentionally dismissive (as it is here) and turning it into some kind of weird cute nickname doesn’t work.

The ending is stunning and unexpected. It’s a cliffhanger that leaves a reader wondering how the next book will go forward from these events. I can’t wait.

Highly recommended. And what a gorgeous cover.

Fae & Alchemy:

Quicksilver #1

Brimstone #2 – Nov 18, 2025

Buy link

Quicksilver (Fae & Alchemy Book 1)

Blurb

An instant #1 New York Times bestseller!

The global phenomenon by Callie Hart–a highly addicting enemies-to-lovers Romantasy with razor-sharp banter, heart-stopping action, and blistering hot romance.

Do not touch the sword. Do not turn the key. Do not open the gate.

Twenty-four-year-old Saeris Fane is good at keeping secrets. No one knows about the strange powers she possesses, or the fact that she has been picking pockets and stealing from the Undying Queen’s reservoirs for as long as she can remember. In the land of the unforgiving desert, there isn’t much a girl wouldn’t do for a glass of water. But a secret is like a knot. Sooner or later, it is bound to come undone.

When Saeris comes face-to-face with Death himself, she inadvertently reopens a gateway between realms and is transported to a land of ice and snow. The Fae have always been the stuff of myth, of legend, of nightmares…but it turns out they’re real, and Saeris has landed right in the middle of a centuries-long conflict that might just get her killed.

The first of her kind to tread the frozen mountains of Yvelia in over a thousand years, Saeris mistakenly binds herself to Kingfisher, a handsome Fae warrior, who has secrets and nefarious agendas of his own. He will use her Alchemist’s magic to protect his people, no matter what it costs him… or her. Death has a name. It is Kingfisher of the Ajun Gate. His past is murky. His attitude stinks. And he’s the only way Saeris is going to make it home.

Be careful of the deals you make, dear child. The devil is in the details…

Review: Two Twisted Crowns (The Shepherd King Book 2) by Rachel Gillig

Rating: 5⭐️

“The girl, the King… and the monster they became.”

That whispered haunting refrain still has a hold on me. So does that ending and Gillig’s memorable cast of characters.

Two Twisted Crowns brings Rachel Gillig’s dark fantasy duology, The Shepherd King, to a heartbreaking emotional (in certain ways), and fabulously dramatic conclusion. Gillig began creating her compelling dark gothic immersive world in One Dark Window, with Elspeth Spindle and her Nightmare , the dark magical being that’s sharing her mind, Rayvn Yew who’s out to save his infected brother from being sacrificed , as well as a internal conflict between royals against the evil King . Gillig ‘s then gave us an ending that left everyone emotionally shattered, including the reader. Sobbing. And wondering how Two Twisted Crowns could possibly make things right.

Two Twisted Crowns is everything I want in a sequel and finale. It’s darker, it’s richly textured in scope as when the author is developing her storytelling, and the magic is more complex, more powerful than previously understood. And the back stories coming to light far more tragic.

Gillig adds another powerful story, that of Ione and Elm, each one a complex character with intimate connections to Elspeth and Ravyn. The multiple POV’s are skillfully executed, depicting the evolution of relationships and developments in events in the story as to enhance the forward dramatic moments and our emotional connection to all of them and the horrors that’s happening.

Gillig’s writing is poetic, the imagery haunting, and her storytelling so strong and compelling that this duology made me go buy hardcover copies for my already groaning bookshelves. These novels are must reads.

I’ll save my last words for the Nightmare. How I love him.

ɪ ᴡᴀs ᴛᴏᴏ ʟᴏɴɢ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴀʀᴋ. ᴀɴᴅ ɪ ᴀᴍ sᴏʀʀʏ ғᴏʀ ᴛʜᴀᴛ, ᴛᴏᴏ. ғᴏʀ ɪ ᴅʀᴀɢɢᴇᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ɪɴ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴍᴇ

Don’t miss out on him and this beautifully written series, The Shepherd King.

A new auto recommend and thrilled to have found another auto buy author.

Love these covers.

Cover design by Lisa Marie Pompilio.

The Shepherd King Duology-complete:

🔹One Dark Window #1

🔹Two Twisted Crowns #2

Buy link:

Two Twisted Crowns (The Shepherd King Book 2)

Blurb

In the New York Times bestselling sequel to One Dark Window, Elspeth must confront the weight of her actions as she and Ravyn embark on a perilous quest to save the kingdom—perfect for readers of Hannah Whitten’s For the Wolf and Alexis Henderson’s The Year of the Witching.

Gripped by a tyrant king and in the thrall of dark magic, the kingdom is in peril. Elspeth and Ravyn have gathered most of the twelve Providence Cards, but the last—and most important—one remains to be found: the Twin Alders. If they’re going to find the card before Solstice and set free the kingdom, they will need to journey through the dangerous mist-cloaked forest. The only one who can lead them through is the monster that shares Elspeth’s head: the Nightmare.

And he’s not eager to share any longer.

Praise for One Dark Window:

“Enthralling from beginning to shocking end.” —Hannah Whitten, New York Times bestselling author of For the Wolf

“Pulse pounding, darkly whimsical, and aglow with treacherous magic.” —Allison Saft, New York Times bestselling author of A Far Wilder Magic

The Shepherd King

One Dark Window

Two Twisted Crowns

Publication date: October 17, 2023
Language: English
Print length: 458 pages

Dark fantasy, sword and sorcery, dark gothic, Gothic horror, dark fantasy fiction,

Review: The Royal Rogue (Tales of Lilleforth, #3) by Sarah Honey

Rating: 4🌈

The third book in Sarah Honey’s historical romance series, The Royal Rogue is a very entertaining romantic comedy with a threads of action and royal intrigue running through the pages.

The castle and universe of King Leopold of Lilleforth (The King’s Delight #1), The Royal Rogue can easily be read as a standalone novel about the Duke of Ravenport,

Evan Devere, and Thomas Malone, Captain of the Royal Guards. Both reoccurring characters in the previous stories.

The characters are well written, the story has wonderful dialogue and charm, and Evan it definitely a rogue to take to heart. Thomas is his match in every aspect, from intelligence to his ability to be flexible.

I skipped over the second book, why the author named the male main character Mother I’ll never understand.Just no. But I really enjoyed The Royal Rogue (Tales of Lilleforth, #3) by Sarah Honey and it’s a recommendation from me.

Tales of Lilleforth series:

The King’s Delight #1

The Stablemaster’s Heart #2

The Royal Rogue #3

Buy link

The Royal Rogue (Tales of Lilleforth Book 3)

Blurb

Thomas Malone is the new Captain of the Guard at Lilleforth Castle. He loves his job, but it leaves him no time for himself. It’s been way too long since he’s had anyone share his bed, let alone his life. To say he’s frustrated is an understatement.

To make matters worse, the King’s disreputable cousin Evan Devere, the Duke of Ravenport, is back from his travels. Evan is as scatterbrained as he is attractive, which is a shame—if Evan had even half a brain, he’d be exactly Thomas’s type. As it is, Thomas has resigned himself to spending his days keeping Evan out of trouble

But when a threat emerges against the crown, Thomas and Evan have to work together to find who’s behind the plot, and Thomas discovers there’s more to Evan than meets the eye. So when Evan suggests that they act on their mutual attraction, Thomas throws caution to the wind and agrees. After all, it is just a fling, right? There’s no way Thomas is actually going to fall for the sexy, infuriating cousin of the king.

No way at all.

Review: One Dark Window (The Shepherd King Book 1) by Rachel Gillig

Rating: 4.75⭐️

Another new author, another absolutely amazing novel. This one actually had me sobbing, shattered at the end, even though the author’s story and characters said it was coming.

I’m was and am so immersed in this dark world that Rachel Gillig has created, full of mystical elements, mythical beings, and sheer terror lurking in the shadows. Literally a magical vindictive mist that’s slowly enveloping all the woods around the town and its people , able to infect them with an sickness that turns their blood black with a magic that will eventually kill them. By immediate discovery by the cruel King’ magic hunters or by a slow disintegration by the magic itself.

Our main protagonist is young Elspeth Spindle. Infected and hidden from the hunters by her ex hunter Father himself in his brother’s house and raised with her uncle’s family, Elspeth immediately grabs our minds and hearts. One of my favorite characters of late.

She’s got plenty of secrets, reason to keep them and herself hidden and emotionally isolated, resourceful and, naturally mistrusting. In Elspeth, Gilleg has crafted a stunning character. She’s quietly brilliant in her unexpected qualities, so vastly multi dimensional in the depths of her needs , that an accompanying darkness feels even more terrifying. And shattering.

The highly complex and imaginative use of a magical Deck of Cards as a base element in the series arc and storyline is so satisfying and powerful. There’s a number of interesting aspects to this facet of the series and it’s beautifully written.

So is the many “historical poems “ or repeated quotes from the important texts that appear throughout this book and, I imagine the next. They contain the clues to the story and the characters dramatic moments and quests.

That said, it in no way lessens the impact of each scene and moment as it occurs.

These are fantastic characters and impactful storylines. They are filled with pain, horror, tragedy, and death. While Gillig has included some very funny bits of conversation and humorous moments to lighten the tone, the main themes and plots are consistently dark and gothic.

The names the author has chosen are intriguing and greatly tied into the story. I always wonder what the author is thinking when creating the characters names and towns like Blunder. The main character of Ravyn Yew, a layered well defined character and great balance for Elspeth, is one who has a meaningful name that makes sense the more the story unfolds. I love this aspect of this book.

There’s multiple points of view but it’s absolutely necessary and well written. Three main ones to be exact. Instead of being distracting, it becomes an integral component of the characters and their journey.

I absolutely adore this cover and would have been drawn to it even if I didn’t love the description already.

I love One Dark Window (The Shepherd King Book 1) by Rachel Gillig even if it left me sobbing at the end of the book. Now I’m on to see how this aspect of the story is handled in Two Twisted Crowns, the finale.

Highly recommended and thrilled to have found this author.

Cover design by Lisa Marie Pompilio.

The Shepherd King Duology-complete:

🔹One Dark Window #1

🔹Two Twisted Crowns #2

Buy link:

One Dark Window (The Shepherd King Book 1)

Blurb

For fans of Uprooted and For the Wolf comes a dark, lushly gothic fantasy about a maiden who must unleash the monster within to save her kingdom—but the monster in her head isn’t the only threat lurking.

Elspeth needs a monster. The monster might be her.

Elspeth Spindle needs more than luck to stay safe in the eerie, mist-locked kingdom she calls home—she needs a monster. She calls him the Nightmare, an ancient, mercurial spirit trapped in her head. He protects her. He keeps her secrets.

But nothing comes for free, especially magic.

When Elspeth meets a mysterious highwayman on the forest road, her life takes a drastic turn. Thrust into a world of shadow and deception, she joins a dangerous quest to cure the kingdom of the dark magic infecting it. Except the highwayman just so happens to be the King’s own nephew, Captain of the Destriers…and guilty of high treason.

He and Elspeth have until Solstice to gather twelve Providence Cards—the keys to the cure. But as the stakes heighten and their undeniable attraction intensifies, Elspeth is forced to face her darkest secret yet: the Nightmare is slowly, darkly, taking over her mind. And she might not be able to stop him.

Publication date: September 27, 2022
Language: English
Print length: 423 pages

Check out the new tour for “Lady Grace and Her Knights“ by M.D. Grimm (Other Worlds Ink tour and excerpt)

M.D. Grimm has a new MMF fantasy romance out: Lady Grace and Her Knights. And there’s a giveaway.

Two knights are better than one…

Lady Grace never expected to be kidnapped. Why would she? She’s a duke’s daughter and about to marry her beloved white knight, Prince Isaac. Although Grace manages to escape the bandits… she doesn’t do it alone. A masked man sweeps her off her feet, and from their first encounter, she knows he’s something special. Thankfully, her betrothed is of a similar mind to her own.

Prince Isaac is equal parts delighted to be reunited with his bride and intrigued by her rescuer, a courteous, quiet man named Samuel. He and Grace always wanted a special third on their wedding night—and in their marriage bed—and Samuel might be the one they’ve been looking for. They simply need to seduce him into believing it as well.

Samuel can’t help but be enraptured by Grace’s beauty and spirit and Isaac’s strength and charm. Hiding behind a mask, he knows they will reject him if they see his devastating scars, but their playful coaxing and suggestive smiles force him to wonder if they are as sincere as they seem.

Convincing Samuel to join them might prove to be their greatest challenge yet. Good thing Grace is a woman who gets what she wants, and Isaac has a royal’s stubbornness.

Samuel doesn’t stand a chance.

Universal Buy Link

Liminal Fiction: https://www.limfic.com/book/lady-grace-and-her-knights/

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Giveaway

M.D. is giving away a $10 Amazon gift card with this tour:

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Excerpt

She ran.

Her torn skirt allowed her legs full movement, and she ran despite the lack of light and her questionable balance. She dodged around trees and leapt over roots, praying she wouldn’t trip again. But she didn’t get far before she heard the thunder of hooves behind her, and her balance failed her completely. She collapsed onto the moss and gasped for air, shivering and sick.

Palm sweaty, she gripped the dagger tighter and rolled over, scooting backward to press against a tree. She held the blade in a trembling hand and faced her pursuer. She could handle one easier than a dozen.

A gorgeous black stallion stood a few feet from her. He stamped his hoof and tossed his head, gnawing at the bit. His rider was like a shadow in the dark. Dressed all in black, the hooded, lean figure dismounted, revealing his height and rangy limbs.

He wore a mask. It was also black and though tailored to the shape of his face, it didn’t have features, giving him an eerie, otherworldly visage. It was more like a solid shield of onyx. Dark eyes with an inner brightness stared at her, and as he came closer, she realized the mask also had a cutout for his mouth.

She gritted her teeth and raised her dagger. “One step closer, and I will cut you from navel to nose. I swear to The Three.”

He froze.

As her vision adjusted to the dimness, she peered at his eyes. Though she searched for the same cruelty as was in the bandit’s leader’s gaze, she didn’t find it.

He slowly raised his hands palm out before dropping to one knee in front of her. He bowed his head after pushing back his hood, revealing straight black hair that brushed his shoulders.

She blinked. She’d grown up around knights and realized he moved as one. Who was he?

“I am at your service, my lady,” he said, his deep voice low and calm. “I swear to The Three, I mean you no harm. One of my friends spotted you with the bandits, and I knew we needed to rescue you. We have been after the bandits since they started terrorizing this forest months ago. We cannot stay here long. I need to get back to my friends, and we need to retreat. Unfortunately, we don’t have the means to take them on and win.”

Grace swallowed, wanting to believe him with everything inside her. But her life depended on trusting the right person.

“Take off your mask and let me see your face.”

He flinched.

She frowned.

“Forgive me, my lady. I… cannot. My face is damaged you see, and it wouldn’t be proper for a lady of your standing to see it.”

His words thickened as if emotion was clogging his throat. Sir Alexander—may he rest safely in the bosoms of The Three—had sounded like that when he’d spoken about his two sons. Barely more than lads, they’d died in a war years ago. He’d also take on a solemn, choking tone when he’d mention his own time fighting enemies as a younger man.

Grief and bad memories. His sorrow touched her, and she let her hand drop.

Movement and hurried footsteps had her squinting over his shoulder. She gasped when three bandits rushed them, startling the stallion into a whinny.

“Watch—”

The man in black rose to his feet, and in one fluid motion, spun and unsheathed his sword. Without hesitation, he engaged the bandits, acting as a shield. Her shield. His skill with a sword was enviable, as was his fearlessness as axes sliced down at him. He was quick on his feet and bold in his moves. Entranced by his prowess, Grace momentarily forgot her predicament and remembered the times she’d watched Isaac on the training fields with his knights.

“You bloody devil!” One bandit yelled before taking a slice to the chest.

“Masked coward!”

The masked man said nothing as he fought with the fury of ten men.

As one bandit went down with a grunt, bleeding out, another slipped past Samuel and leapt toward her. “Noble bitch. Better you die now. You’re not worth the trouble.”

He raised his axe.

She screamed and raised her knife.

Gleaming steel erupted from the bandit’s chest, blood spraying, a few drops landing on her face. Then the masked man yanked out his sword and tossed the bandit away like refuse.

Shocked, Grace stared past him and noticed the third bandit was already twitching on the ground, groaning as he died. The skirmish hadn’t lasted very long, the brutes not standing a chance against someone with training.

Panting, the masked man wiped his sword on his cloak before sheathing it. He glanced at their surroundings before kneeling once more at her feet. She dropped her hand again and swallowed hard, shaken by what she’d witnessed. The man’s eyes had changed during the battle, a raw battle fury she’d seen in many a knight. But now they returned to their compassionate, concerned gleam.

She cleared her throat. “What is your name?”

“Samuel,” he said, still panting.

Author Bio

M.D. Grimm has wanted to write stories since second grade (kind of young to make life decisions, but whatever) and nothing has changed since then (well, plenty of things actually, but not that!). Thankfully, she has indulgent parents who let her dream, but also made sure she understood she’d need a steady job to pay the bills (they never let her forget it!).

After graduating from the University of Oregon and majoring in English, (let’s be honest: useless degree, what else was she going to do with it?) she started on her writing career and couldn’t be happier. Working by day and writing by night (or any spare time she can carve out), she enjoys embarking on romantic quests and daring adventures (living vicariously, you could say) and creating characters that always triumph against the villain, (or else what’s the point?) finding their soul mate in the process.

Author Website: https://mdgrimmwrites.com/

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