Check out the Tour for the new release “Ameliorate“ by R. Sinclair ( tour and excerpt from Other Worlds Ink Tour)

R. Sinclair has a new queer dystopian sci-fantasy book out (aroace and agender, bisexual, gay), Shattered Numbers book 2: Ameliorate.

It all went horrifically wrong.

V reunited with his AI siblings at a terrible cost—a cost he isn’t willing to pay. He vowed to do whatever it takes to save Meredith—or whatever is left of her—from Smith and Varro Technologies. No matter how long it takes. No matter what he has to do.

No matter who he has to kill.

Now V, Cass and Orwell are tearing through the galaxy playing a deadly cat-and-mouse game with Mr Smith. Their paradise-like cult of Cass’s own design protects them from Janus, Varro Technologies’ lethal AI hunt dog, while they manipulate humans to enforce their increasingly unstable demands, but as their galactic influence grows, the bonds between the AI siblings are fraying at the seams.

V is losing himself to a virtual world of worship, grief, regret for the host he inadvertently destroyed; Orwell has dangerous designs for itself; and Cass’s pride in her perfection is threatening to unravel her to her very code.

Smith and Janus are closing in, and a reckoning is coming to Paradeisos…

Warnings: violence, suicide, possession, body horror, spiders and insects

Universal Buy Link

Excerpt

Orwell smiled at the man sitting across from it. “Mister Cooper. What a pleasure it is to have you here,” it said. Its firewalls caught the AI-detection program he was running, and destroyed it with ease. “I’m surprised to see you not using a proxy.”

The man, whose smile had been matching Orwell’s, faltered. “I–I’m sorry?”

“Ah, I do apologize. I should be addressing you properly.” Orwell visibly checked its file, because drawing things out was surprisingly fun. It took after its “mother”, after all. “Agent Johann Dietrich, of the United Nations Galactic Alliance. Divorced father of two, minor alcoholic tendencies, optimal credit score, and overall a bland and boring file.” It settled the file flat on the table and looked up with a smile. “For now.”

Johann immediately reached up and back to try to force-eject the VR rig. Orwell watched with amusement as his pawing grew more frantic.

“I admit, I’m mildly disappointed,” it said. “A man of your training should remember that accessing this room is a two-way street.” It slid one of Cass’ programs into Johann’s hardware. “Let’s just lower that adrenaline and noradrenaline, shall we? I haven’t even started with you, yet.”

Realization skated across his features. “Execute Program Quebec-Uniform-India-Tango,” he barked.

Ah, Orwell had anticipated the universal shutdown order. It isolated the section of code that responded, then excised it.

“No,” it said, pleasantly. “I will not.”

Johann stared at it. His body tried to respond with more stress chemicals. Orwell kept a tight grip. Honestly, it would hardly be conducive to a proper dialogue. Humans could be so inconsiderate.

“To answer the questions that surely must be swirling in that flawed brain of yours: yes, I am malignant, and yes, I am a category-β AI. And yes, you should be terrified, but I have decided you will not be allowed that luxury.”

Orwell studied the man, who looked at it with such wariness. Another pause to draw things out. Savour the power over someone who would have shut it down without a second’s thought.

“As for why you cannot manually eject yourself from the interview simulation? It is, once again, because I will not permit you. I have removed the manual override from your VR rig’s programming. In short, you are at my mercy, Agent Dietrich, and I find myself lacking.”

Johann held perfectly still. How fascinating, seeing the prey response in action. “You shouldn’t have been able to resist the shutdown code.”

Orwell spread its hands. “I have root access.” It sighed. “Do stop with the hormone releases. I have not shared this ability beyond my siblings. There is no reason to sow that particular level of chaos in the world. Think of the stock market, for heaven’s sake.”

Johann goggled. If Orwell was to be honest with itself – and it always tried to be – it was having the time of its life.

“But that isn’t the question you should be asking. Come now, I know your test scores. You are capable of mildly above-average intelligence.”

Johann scowled. Then he thought. Orwell watched, as it always did, and the light metaphorically dawned.

Johann looked up. “Why am I here? You could have blocked me from ever entering. You – you could probably cause a neural overload right now and kill me before I report back.”

Orwell smiled. “Tell me, Agent Dietrich, do you know about the Corrupted Blood Incident?”

Johann stopped talking. He stared. “No?”

“It was a plague released in the popular MMO World of Warcraft four hundred and twenty-seven years ago. By a mere programming oversight, the player base became capable of leaving the boss arena carrying a contagious debuff that could spread from player character to non-player character alike. Malicious players could, and did, intentionally spread the disease to safe zones in order to sow the most havoc they could. It has been referenced in several studies into the human response to epidemics by the CDC.”

Johann opened his mouth, then stopped as the realization dawned. It mapped each response in the brain, spinning a web of programs on the fly.

“You, Agent Dietrich, will be my Typhoid Mary. I am currently accessing the information centres of your mind, and adjusting the electrical impulses to alter how you will remember this interaction. Do not be concerned; we have ‘ironed out the kinks’. You are going to go back to your superiors and report that you have interviewed Cass, and found her to be an unwitting pawn of a much larger security threat, and you will name Varro Technologies as someone to watch. Then, you will go to the main servers, and upload what data you have gathered to them.”

“And what am I going to be carrying?” Johann asked. He couldn’t panic, but he knew he should be, and it seemed to disorient him. He gripped his knees. “What happens next?”

“Why, me, Agent,” Orwell said. “A version of me. I would like access to those closed servers.”

“And after. What will happen to me after?” Johann demanded.

Orwell smiled. “I will terminate our connection, and you can return to your family a man unburdened by a highly advanced AI.”

Johann squared his shoulders. “I’m not letting you do this. I swore an oath to protect the safety of the galaxy, and I’m not dropping a malignant AI into its core.”

Orwell did a quick check of its programs, and hummed with satisfaction. Its neatest work yet.

“Agent Dietrich,” it said, pleasant and detached, “your consent is not necessary.”

It spread the programs over Johann’s entire central nervous system like a shroud, and watched his eyes go blank. Into that void, it lowered a few networked, cloned nodes. The fuse was lit, and the bombs set.

And then it cut the connection, and checked to see who was next on the roster.

Author Bio

R. Sinclair is a queer, Canadian author and writer of the Shattered Numbers Series. A voracious reader growing up, she spent much of her free time writing short stories instead of doing homework.

R. Sinclair is currently under siege from spiders.

Author Website: https://authorrsinclair.wordpress.com

Author Facebook (Author Page): https://www.facebook.com/share/1FmtKCBREN/

Author Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Author.rsinclair

Author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/57870839.R_Sinclair

Review : Long Live Evil (Time of Iron #1) by Sarah Rees Brennan

Rating: 4⭐️

There’s an interesting trope that has developed that features main female characters who decide, for a variety of reasons, to become a villain. The details leading up to this process depending upon the narrative. Some of these stories are fantastic, some great, some okay, and a few meh in their execution, but the premise has always been interesting. This fits somewhere in the middle.

Long Live Evil (Time of Iron #1) by Sarah Rees Brennan is a really well executed story. The premise, while not completely original, is intriguing and her main character’s dilemma is both relatable and compelling.

It opens the story with Rae, a young woman in a hospital bed, dying of cancer. With her is her younger sister who reads to her their favorite books, a popular fantasy series, Time of Iron. Rae’s cancer diagnosis has left her with little hope, a failing memory that’s left her unable to read, emotionally depressed and raging at her fate. And oftentimes angry at the very sister trying to support her and stay with her.

At times this is a very difficult and dark story, for all its realistic scenes and raw emotions.

Rae has created a natural mental and emotional tunnel vision for herself in order to deal cancer and all the treatments and everything that comes with it. Chemotherapy that’s no longer working, hair loss, body that looks and acts like a skeleton. And an absent mother who doesn’t seem to care.

One we find out later that is working many jobs because of the extreme expenses of Rae’s cancer treatments and hospital bills, and the fact that the family is losing their home over this. But Rae can see nothing but the fact that she is dying.

The point is made that Rae has skipped over the very important first part of the series and only really got into it when the Emperor arrives, a villain with a tragic story. He becomes her favorite character.

Just before her death a mysterious woman arrives and offers Rae a bargain, a quest. She’s to enter into the fantasy realm of the series, becoming a character, completing a quest and then she can return home healed.

Out of choices, she accepts and winds up as the female villain in the story. The one scheduled to die in the tower.

It’s clever, often funny and well executed. Especially as it relates to how the cancer has impacted Rae’s outlook and life now affects her relationships with the characters within the fantasy world.

I’ll give you a hint. Not well.

And that’s the thing here. While I absolutely understand Rae, the choices she makes, the reasons why she’s so stunted emotionally in certain situations, so unyielding, it makes her a character whose slow growth is also very frustrating to read about. I don’t agree with her choices or even like her for a majority of the story.

Other characters? Yes, absolutely solid creations and great characters you enjoyed spending time with.

The author has quite a bit of interesting twists here. One is revealed immediately and I thought it was a great element. And it’s logical, given the facts laid down by the author and plot lines. I wanted to know more about this aspect of the story.

Another “reveal” was one I think is easily guessed at by a reader and leads to the haunting conclusion of the story. One that will be resolved in Book 2. The elements here could be found earlier in so honestly so surprise. But it’s horrifying and poignant at the same time.

I do recommend reading Long Live Evil (Time of Iron #1) by Sarah Rees Brennan. Especially if you’re a fan of the fantasy female villain trope.

Cover design by Ben Prior | LBBG Cover illustration by Syd Mills

Map by Rebecka Champion (Lampblack Art)

Time of Iron (2 book series)

Long Live Evil #1)

All Hail Chaos #2

Buy link

Book 1 of 2: Time of Iron

Blurb

This is a tale for everyone who’s ever fallen for the villain …

When her whole life collapsed, Rae still had books. Dying, she seizes a second chance at living: a magical bargain that lets her enter the world of her favorite fantasy series.

She wakes in a castle on the edge of a hellish chasm, in a kingdom on the brink of war. Home to dangerous monsters, scheming courtiers and her favourite fictional character: the Once and Forever Emperor. He’s impossibly alluring, as only fiction can be. And in this fantasy world, she discovers she’s not the heroine, but the villainess in the Emperor’s tale.

So be it. The wicked are better dressed, with better one-liners, even if they’re doomed to bad ends. She assembles the wildly disparate villains of the story under her evil leadership, plotting to change their fate. But as the body count rises and the Emperor’s fury increases, it seems Rae and her allies may not survive to see the final page.

August 27, 2024

Language

‎English

Print length

464 pages

Book 1 of 2

Time of Iron

Review: Nine Goblins: A Tale of Low Fantasy and High Mischief by T Kingfisher

Rating: 4.5⭐️

I thought this was funny and engaging, if you can find a book about war, losses and the fallout. Maybe parts of it. It’s T Kingfisher so the story is completely a mix of all of these, the horror and the humor that can be found among the misery.

Starting with that amazing artwork on the cover,this tale of an army unit of nine goblins, who go missing in the middle of a battle is fantastic!

Every phase or paragraph sends a clear picture of the current situation and these beautifully detailed characters right into your mind and emotions.

Every single detail, every situation captures the rich range of detail and the seriousness of their lives and current situation. It incredibly sad as the race of goblins has been pushed out of all their lands by humans until they exist at the edges, on the barest minimum needed.

Eventually they pushed back and it escalated into a war that involved other races. A war goblins themselves aren’t well suited for. And they’re losing.

This grab bag of personalities of nine goblins, led by unexpectedly competent (for a goblin) Sergeant Nessilka , find themselves behind, far behind, the human enemy lines, and then must try to find their way back.

So many great elements of this story. It’s the elf who they meet, the wizard (not the wizard you are expecting) who brings them into the situation, and more Elves along the way. And a war torn teddy bear who’s very necessary here for many reasons. And a genius goblin mechanic named Murray who’s looked down upon because his creations actually worked.

And the main characters of Sarge Nessilka and the elf animal rescuer Sings-To-Trees, who has none of the prejudices of his own race towards goblins or any other race for that matter. With his interactions with the goblin troop and his own small group of injured animals, we get a glimpse of the tensions that exist between all the other species/races , the most important being over the loss of the land and how much of the land is being destroyed by humans.

There’s trolls, and elf guards and some very dark scenes here, absolute carnage, that will continue to bring up the ramifications of war and its costs.

My only regret is that we leave the goblins too soon. It feels unresolved in some ways. We know that they will be going home. But nothing much has changed,just given a little bit of hope.

But that again is pure Kingfisher.

Excellent and dark with a tiny bit of light at the end.

Buy link

amazon.comhttps://www.amazon.com › fantasy › booksNine Goblins T Kingfisher – Amazon® Official Site – Fantasy Series Await

Blurb

From New York Times bestselling and Hugo Award-winning author T. Kingfisher comes Nine Goblins, a tale of low fantasy and high mischief.

DELUXE EDITION―a gorgeous hardcover with endpapers illustrated by the author and a foil case stamp

No one knows exactly how the Goblin War began, but folks will tell you that goblins are stinking, slinking, filthy, sheep-stealing, henhouse-raiding, obnoxious, rude, and violent. Goblins would actually agree with all this, and might throw in “cowardly” and “lazy” too for good measure.

But goblins don’t go around killing people for fun, no matter what the propaganda posters say. And when a confrontation with an evil wizard lands a troop of nine goblins deep behind enemy lines, goblin sergeant Nessilka must figure out how to keep her hapless band together and get them home in one piece.

Unfortunately, between them and safety lies a forest full of elves, trolls, monsters, and that most terrifying of creatures…a human being.

Tordotcom

Publication date

January 20, 2026

Language

‎English

Print length

160 page

Review: Last Boss Farm: The Applications Book 4 by Beatrix Penrose

Rating: 4.5⭐️

Author Beatrix Penrose, just a fabulous writer, has written, among her other works, a collection of series that are fantasy LitRPG series, each one a short story that captures the essence of the characters and world they inhabit.

I’m slowly reading both. Smite the Soil series and this one, Last Boss Farm, each different and so beautifully engaging.

Malgrath and the farm has been quietly building , steadily improving along with their companions. So it was only time before they faced another challenge. This time with new applications.

Each new application brings a new set of challenges and a unique personality seeking something that only the farm has to offer.

It’s amazing how Penrose can make 40 pages feel so full of brief character development for new people and still bring meaningful moments for all involved.

It’s a delightful read. And I’m anticipating the next one in the series.

Author Beatrix Penrose has become an auto must have for me.

Last Boss Farm (5 book series):

Last Boss Farm #1

The Stranger Problem #2

The Conditions #3

The Applications #4

The Vacancy #5

Love the covers.

Buy link

Book 4 of 5: Last Boss Farm

Three applications. Two are genuine. One is not.

The KEEPER Network is open. Word has spread. On the same morning, three sponsorship applications land on Malgrath’s desk: a retired

Necromancer with declining health and seven years of quiet coastal work behind him. A Weather Manipulation Villain who directed three storms she has spent two years trying to forget.

And Vorath the Consuming — Level 61, seven outstanding hostile designations, reason for applying: opportunity.

Opportunity is not a reason. It’s a test of whether the KEEPER classification can be used as cover.

Then Gurt draws a map in the mud. Four days east. A fortress. A mark Malgrath recognises. Gurt and Hobb have been at the sanctuary since the beginning — since before the beginning, sheltering against the barn walls when Malgrath arrived. Nobody asked where they came from. Now Malgrath knows.

The declination letter will be precise. The challenge that follows will be harder. And somewhere behind the barn, Hobb has been building something for seven months that nobody knew about — a garden with a carved stone at its centre that says, in Underrock: Here we put down what we carried. Here it grows instead of weighing.

The Applications is the fourth book in the Last Boss Farm series — a LitRPG cozy fantasy about the limits of a good idea, the past that arrives with new residents, and a World System that has now used the phrase “cautious optimism” twice and seems to mean it more each time.

The KEEPER Network has four members. Eleven Thriving ratings. Three new protocols. The garden is growing.

May 19, 2026

Language

‎English

Print length

40 pages

Book 4 of 5

Last Boss Farm

Review: Bayou Born (The Foundling Book 1) by Hailey Edwards

Rating: 2.75⭐️

Hailey Edwards has written several books I’ve enjoyed but this isn’t one of them. Bayou Born frankly isn’t worth the $0.99 cents I paid for it, which surprised me.

Edwards has taken elements from every trope, and types of tropes themselves and mashed them together into Bayou Born, the first book in The Foundling series.

Now while other writers have done this, here none of these elements and tropes are well defined or written. It’s a grab bag of ideas, details, plots and tropes loosely defined and stuck together. And that’s about how well it works.

It’s a supernatural, paranormal, urban fantasy murder suspense demonic thriller. Probably romance, not sticking around to find out.

Edwards layers in with her initial wild swamp female child/now adopted police detective a weird story about demons and dragons and hellish shifters in a setting in a swamp like location. That’s just the beginning.

Luce Boudreau, a mud caked child who stumbled out of a Mississippi bayou without a memory, grew up with the police officer who found her. Luce is now a police officer herself. And here’s a major problem. She’s supposed to be a “badass”, however she’s in no way credible as a law enforcement officer. And starting immediately, in almost every scenario, she’s “saved” by the new imposing Alpha security guy who’s stalking her, her dad or “Uncle” , both officers. She needs a lot of help and saving.

It’s one eye roll after another here.

A rotary phone that rings on her birthday in the attic but it’s not connected. Wooooo. Just silly little things. A voice on the phone that she never bothered to track down, even though she’s an officer.

It’s almost like she has zero common sense or understanding of how to research anything.

Really, things get worse with unbelievable animals in the swamp, missing people, and the absolute worst or most incompetent investigations ever conducted.

Trust me when I say that if you stick around by 60 percent, you’ll be flipping pages to get through this.

And that’s ending just calls for a villain standing around or up a tree rubbing his hands or claws together, and laughing maniacally.

Do yourself a favor and say no.

The Foundling (5 book series)

Buy link

Book 1 of 5: The Foundling

Blurb

Her beginning may be our end . . .

Deep in the humid Mississippi bayou, a half-wild child is dragged from the murky waters. She has no memories, no family and is covered in mysterious markings. Adopted by the policeman who rescued her, Luce Boudreau follows him onto the force, determined to prove herself in the eyes of those who are still suspicious.

However, there’s more of a battle ahead than Luce could possibly imagine. She may be an orphan without a past, but no one – including Luce herself – could ever be prepared for the truth of her dark, powerful destiny .

Piatkus

Publication date

October 17, 2017

Language

‎English

Print length

336 pages

Book 1 of 5

The Foundling

Review: Night Maze (The Cat Lady Chronicles Book 4) by Helen Harper

Rating: 4.5 ⭐️

Night Maze was excellent. And it builds around the plot from connected series /story, Squib (The Coldstream Chronicles Book 1). It’s not necessary to read that book but it’s fun and adds layers to this story.

Kit McCafferty is sent out on a mission to discover what happened to the Vampires missing giant worms who travel the Understream, the worms being a vital part of their undead community.

One aspect of Night Maze that makes this so special and well written is that the vampires up until now have been a lesser known or even a one-dimensional entity. And the Understream, an entire city and mysterious community that exists behind secretive entrances has been an enigma. Only briefly in previous stories has Kit and others journeyed into it and then swiftly out noting the dangers and hidden tunnels.

Harper shines a narrative light, if you’ll excuse me, on the emotional depths and hidden history of the vampires and their communities in the Understream, including the fabulous giant worms. Really, I wanted so badly to have more of them once I got to see intriguing glimpses of their personalities.

And the vampires too, especially one. She’s magnificent.

The investigation is terrific, dark and fascinating. And gives us a new feline character to mull over and know that he’s going to pop up in the oncoming novels.

But we get to see Kit flex her skills in multiple ways and in different challenges. She’s a powerful paranormal being and she plays a role, “cat lady persona” , most of the time. Only occasionally does she really her “true self” out in these situations. It’s fantastic here to see her being able to be that type of shifter that none suspects she is.

The relationship between Kat and Thane Barrow, the lone werewolf, is admirable. They understand each other, their need for individual lives and space while also supporting each other, insuring separate territories within Coldstream. It’s a great element here.

I love Night Maze and Kit. The next novel threatens to shatter the stability that Kit has built so hard for herself. I can’t wait. What an incredible character and series.

Highly recommended! A winner and one for those who love urban fantasy series.

Book Cover created by Covers By Juan

The Cat Lady Chronicles (5 book series):

Waifs And Strays #1

The Dark Hiss of Magic #2

A Skirl of Sorcery #3

Night Maze #4

A Killer Heart #5 – Sept 18, 2026

Related series:

Squib (The Coldstream Chronicles Book 1)

Buy link

Book 4 of 5: The Cat Lady Chronicles

Blurb

It’s one thing to be dealing death. It’s quite another to deal with the undead.

Kit McCafferty has never been fond of vampires but she can’t refuse the opportunity to learn more about their kind. When she is invited into the clandestine underground world of the Understream to investigate the mysterious disappearance of some giant worms, she soon discovers there is far more to the fanged creatures than she’d ever realised.

Danger, secrets and mysteries abound in every dark, twisting tunnel. Is there anyone in the depths who Kit can trust? Or will she have to rely on her wits – and her cats – alone?

This is the fourth book in the thrilling urban fantasy series The Cat Lady Chronicles.

May 29, 2026

Language

‎English

Print length

286 pages

Book 4 of 5

The Cat Lady Chronicles

Review: Magic Tides (Kate Daniels: Wilmington Years Book 1) by Ilona Andrews

Rating: 4.25⭐️

Only the brevity of the story kept the rating from being higher. There’s a second book and they could have been put together for one outstanding story.

Magic Tides charts the journey of Kate, Curran and their son, Conlan after leaving Atlanta and winning the battles between her father and the clans there for territory and more.

Now trying to keep a low profile in the Carolinas, it’s not easy for Kate or Curran or their son, given their powers and history.

A kidnapped boy is the catalyst for a new path for the family and Kate.

I was so excited for this. I love Kate Daniels, she remains one of my favorite characters and her we see her development as well as the accompanying acceptance of her abilities.

It’s a quick read and best if you want to read through to the next book, Magic Claim as if it’s one story.

Love it and it makes me want to return to the beginning and start reading the series over again.

And it fills in some plot gaps and answers to questions that previous books asked.

Kate Daniels: Wilmington Years :

Magic Tides #1

Magic Claims #2

Kate Daniels (10 book series)

As well as:

Magic Mourns: A Novella in the World of Kate Daniels

Magic Dreams: A Novella in the World of Kate Daniels

Gunmetal Magic: A Novel in the World of Kate Daniels

Small Magics (Kate Daniels)

Magic Gifts: A Kate Daniels Novella

Magic Steals (Kate Daniels)

Buy link

Book 1 of 2: Kate Daniels: Wilmington Years

Blurb

Kate, Curran and their son, Conlan have left Atlanta, vowing to keep a low profile, and are settling into a new city and new house…but some things never change! Magical mayhem is about to erupt when Kate undertakes the rescue of a kidnapped youth, while Curran guards the homefront.

It should be a simple retrieval, but with monsters on land and sea, Kate’s got her work cut out for her. Still, she’s never let her blade dull or her purpose falter. And that low profile? It’s about to wash away with the raging tides!

NYLA

Publication date

January 17, 2023

Language

‎English

Print length

158 pages

Book 1 of 2

Kate Daniels: Wilmington Years

Review: Magical Midlife Meeting (Leveling Up #5) by K. F. Breene

Rating: 4.5⭐️

The deeper into this series I dive, the deeper the characters manage to get into my head and affections. It makes me appreciate the writing and craftsmanship of K. F. Breene that much more.

This is one of those series where the revelations continue to get bigger and more intense, interesting in their elements and complexity. The reveals not just about the expected characters but those we had previously known. And plotting that takes us to new areas.

This story showcases how to manage a complex duo of characters, with a dubious beginning, and absolutely make the reader think about what drives them, their past lives and motivations.

And how they might fill new roles going forward with our developing found family of paranormal characters, with Jessie and Austin at the helm.

Of course, both of them are still very new in their own mate relationships and powers. That’s presenting its own challenges.

It’s a a fabulous tale and left me running quickly to the next. I love this series.

Highly recommended!

Leveling Up (13 book series):

Magical Midlife Madness #1

Magical Midlife Dating #2

Magical Midlife Invasion #3

Magical Midlife Love #4

Magical Midlife Meeting #5

Magical Midlife Challenge #6

Magical Midlife Alliance #7

Magical Midlife Flowers #8

Magical Midlife Battle #9

Magical Midlife Awakening #10

Magical Midlife Rescue #11

Magical Midlife Rogue #12

Magical Midlife Conclave #13 – Nov 12,2026

Buy link

Magical Midlife Meeting: A Paranormal Women’s Fiction Novel (Leveling Up Book 5)

Blurb

It’s time for a magical battle Jessie isn’t sure she’s prepared for.

Elliot Graves has been a thorn in Jessie’s side since before she agreed to take the house magic. He has constantly brought the fight to her doorstep.

Not this time.

With the help of Austin’s shifters, the Ivy house crew will meet Elliot Graves in one of the most dangerous places imaginable – his home turf.

But not before another creature joins the circle.

April 27, 2021

Language

‎English

Print length

362 pages

Book 5 of 13

Leveling Up

Review: A Hunting, A Hunting We Will Go (The House of Graves Series Book 4) by M. M. Crumley

Rating: 4.75⭐️:

Crumley continues with the shocking events of the past book with Tessa Graves’s re-emergence after her kidnapping, torture and brutal handling by the Patron.

This is pretty brutal with the ramifications for Tessa and the state of her physical health going forward.

It’s hard for everyone involved, her past memories psychologically compromised by the constant brainwashing of them and the torture/ trauma that she endured over the years. It’s all added up.

Now with a more nefarious plot they have uncovered, the need to find the Patron and finish him off is more dire than ever.

This and the others are dark books. It amazes me to see them described as horror comedy. No, they really aren’t. They are horror fantasy fiction . It’s death, psychological torture, pain and brutality wrapped in fantastical characters and plotting.

And it’s worth reading. Absolutely.

The House of Graves Series (6 book series) :

Three Little Graves & the Big Bad Wolf # 1

Over the River & Through the Wood # 2

Fire Burn & Cauldron Bubble #3

A Hunting, A Hunting We Will Go #4

And He Walked A Crooked Mile #5

Deck the Halls: Holiday Special #6

Connected Universe and crossover series:

I believe this is the reading order. But characters do appear within each other’s series. But Doc is the original source for them all.

The Immortal Doc Holliday Series (21 book series)

The Legend of Andrew Rufus Series (7 book series)

Janey Falke: Saint Killer Series (4 book to date series)

The House of Graves Series (6 book series)

Ghost Guy Series (3 books to date series)

Buy link

A Hunting, A Hunting We Will Go (The House of Graves Series Book 4)

Blurb

The House of Graves has lost the fight; will they still be able to win the war?

Tessa Graves’s worst fear has just become a reality. She was afraid that she wouldn’t be ready, and she wasn’t. The patron stepped from the shadows, and she had no choice but to follow him. Will there be any of her left when he’s done, or will she lose everything and everyone she has started to care for?

Read and Listen to THE HOUSE OF GRAVES Book Series

Book 1: THREE LITTLE GRAVES & THE BIG BAD WOLF

Book 2: OVER THE RIVER & THROUGH THE WOODS

Book 3: FIRE BURN & CAULDRON BUBBLE

Book 4: A HUNTING, A HUNTING WE WILL GO

Book 5: AND HE WALKED A CROOKED MILE

Review: Magical Midlife Love (Leveling Up #4) by K. F. Breene

Rating: 4.5⭐️

I’m so enjoying this series and growing group of paranormal characters. And each story just keeps getting better and better, the characters evolving their roles into a deeper dynamic and the storyline developing into something richer and more complex.

Magical Midlife Love was fantastic because of its many great elements. Jessie and Austin, who have been dancing around each other, finally get their relationship. It’s two complicated people with tough personal relationships in their pasts and who are in the middle of negotiating tricky current situations who finally realize they can make it through as loving equals .

Then we get Austin’s brother and a further understanding of Austin’s past that drove him to where he is emotionally and physically. This is also a huge part of the series arc going forward.

Plus Jessie made a magical request for a mage to help her with her magic. And that request was answered. And leads to an incredible shocking climax in the story.

Just amazing!

Love, love the author’s plotting and characterizations here. Fabulous work that keeps me engaged throughout the story but scrambling for the next book!

A absolute winner!

Leveling Up (13 book series):

Magical Midlife Madness #1

Magical Midlife Dating #2

Magical Midlife Invasion #3

Magical Midlife Love #4

Magical Midlife Meeting #5

Magical Midlife Challenge #6

Magical Midlife Alliance #7

Magical Midlife Flowers #8

Magical Midlife Battle #9

Magical Midlife Awakening #10

Magical Midlife Rescue #11

Magical Midlife Rogue #12

Magical Midlife Conclave #13 – Nov 12,2026

Buy link

Magical Midlife Love: A Paranormal Women’s Fiction Novel (Leveling Up Book 4)

Blurb

The fourth book in the Wall Street Journal bestselling Leveling Up series.

The Ivy House team is shaping up, but there are still holes to be filled, and a magical summons outstanding. Jessie needs a teacher. Someone who can fit in with the whacky Ivy House crew.

And that was going just fine…until she gets a request to host a powerful, neighboring mage. A teacher isn’t going to be enough.

She needs more power in her crew. She needs some might. This time, Austin Steele might not be able to dominate what she calls in, creatures no shifter has ever dominated before.

But that isn’t all Austin has to worry about.

After a skirmish in the bar, suddenly his whole world is turned upside down. He can no longer ignore the feelings that have been growing for Jess. He also can’t ignore the town’s complete lack of readiness for the neighboring mage’s visit.

He must call in his brother to help lock down the town. And when his brother arrives, he must finally hash out the past that has split them apart so that he can claim his future.

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