Category: Fantasy

A Paul B Review: The Last Dragonet (Dragon Prophecies #1) by Shannon West and Susan E. Scott

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

the-last-dragonetLuca Wessex is a dragon spawn.  Born of a Red dragon and human mother who died in childbirth, Luca belongs to the lowest class of dragon society.  Keeping away from the gangs that most of the spawn seem to form, Luca just wants to get by in life.  He works a few hours a week at a corner market run by an elderly man who has been more of a father to him than his own abusive one.   His troubles begin when a couple of Golden dragons, the ruling class of dragons, ask him about the local gang leader.  Full blooded dragons look down on spawn so it looks like he is screwed no matter what happens.

Dmitri and his brother have been sent to get information from Luca.  Trying to convince the little spawn to cooperate is not easy.  Even being attacked by the gang of spawn is not enough to convince Luca that Dmitri is his best option.  The one thing he does know is that Luca does not know the true secret to his heritage and just how valuable he is to dragon society.  And one thing that a dragon knows about is treasure.  Dmitri knows that he must move quickly if he wants to have Luca not only as part of his horde but also in his life.

Dmitri takes Luca to his home in remote Russia.  If he thought fighting spawn in the United States was bad, Dmitri runs into more problems at home.  Dmitri’s parents are not thrilled to have the half breed staying in the mansion.  Dmitri’s neighbor, who happens to be Luca’s grandfather, wants Luca to stay with him, no matter what it takes.  And Dmitri must also convince Luca that he is not just part of his horde but wants something meaningful with him. 

This is a great start to the new Dragon Prophecies series by West and Scott.  Poor Luca has had a rough life and things in the beginning do not seem to improve for him.  Being attacked and then virtually kidnapped for his own protection, he doesn’t really trust anybody.  He falls for Dmitri but only wants to pursue things if he is more than just a treasure to be hoarded.  The prophecy at the end of the book needs to be explored more in future books in this series.  I cannot wait for the next book to come out.

E Connor’s cover design is gorgeous.  A built man with his shirt open stands in front of a Russian mountain with a dragon circling the mountain.  It fits the book perfectly. 

Sales Links

Dark Hollows Press

Buy It at Amazon

Book Details

Ebook, 147 pages

Edition Language:  English

Published:  December 20, 2016 by Dark Hollows Press

ISBN:  978-1-946379-03-0

Series:  Dragon Prophecies

The Last Dragonet (Dragon Prophecies #1)

BLOG TOUR: People Fish by Medella Kingston (excerpt and giveaway)

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PeopleFish by Medella Kingston

Publisher:  NineStar Press
Release Date: January 23rd

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Purchase Links

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Synopsis

 

Her Cree grandmother called it the gift of seeing, but for Petra “Pete” Orvatch, knowing things in ways that defy explanation has made reality and fantasy blur in a world where the clocks literally go backward. Her fascinating and clairvoyant mind is a riddle that many doctors have tried to solve with medication. Love comes her way unexpectedly when she meets Fiona Angeli, a stunningly beautiful single mother. A risk-taker by nature, Fiona is not scared off by her new lover’s psychic abilities and eccentricities.

 

The two of them share passion and secrets on a magical and surprising journey, and their torrid love affair takes them to thrilling new places until betrayal divides them. Both these women fight battles within themselves; Fiona must gain control of her dangerous compulsions, and Pete’s onerous gift ultimately puts her at risk of losing herself in the gap between delusions and the real world.

 

Title:  PeopleFish
Author: Medella Kingston

 

Heat Level: 3 – Some Sex
Pairing: Female/Female
Length: 118000

Genre: Romance, lesbian, bisexual, paranormal, Addiction, psychic ability, romance

Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/33546115

Excerpt

PeopleFish

Medella Kingston © 2017

All Rights Reserved

 

 

Pete looked up from the mystery she was reading and scanned the faces in the waiting room. There was Tired Pinched Mom, with faded blond ponytail and dark roots coming in. She had one kid under control and was now quietly negotiating with the other. Next to this trio sat Man Too Large for His Seat, who seemed to be staring at his shoes or sleeping with his eyes open. In the corner was someone so nondescript she couldn’t instantly name her—then it came to her: Any Woman. This woman was neither thin nor large, short nor tall, and had a slightly exotic yet familiar face. She looked as if she could be from many different places, like Greece, Morocco, Central America, or New Jersey. She was text-messaging so quickly, Pete half expected her thumbs to spark and set fire to her phone.

 

Doesn’t anyone people-watch anymore? Was she the only person left who liked to read faces and create narratives? Maybe so. She’d never stop doing it. She’d been spinning this stuff since she was little—much to the annoyance of her mother. Instead of acknowledging the creative gifts of her child, or at the very least being entertained by them, she’d say, “God will punish you, Petra Marie, for thinking bad thoughts about people and making up lies.”

 

Some traits must skip generations, because Grandma Sweets had the right attitude. She’d join right in and embellish her granddaughter’s rough outlines of strangers’ lives with additions that could only come from a seasoned mind. If Pete said a passenger on the bus looked guilty, Gram Sweets would say, “Of course he looks guilty, he ought to! Instead of cooking a turkey for Thanksgiving, he cooked his wife!”

 

Her reminiscing was perforated by the staccato ring of a telephone.

 

“Cambridge Holistic Health and Wellness Center, please hold.”

 

Please hold? No one else is on the line; is this receptionista just fucking with the caller? Pete dog-eared the page in her paperback, closed it, slipped it into her bag, and decided to devote all of her energy to observing. She was just about to make up a story about the receptionist when her eyes landed on something strange. She hadn’t noticed the cheap plastic clock on the wallpapered wall before, but now she couldn’t take her eyes off it because the second hand was moving backward.

 

At first she thought she was seeing things, since her imagination was such a well-developed muscle. So she did something that made her feel seven instead of thirty-seven. She closed her eyes to reset, inhaled a long, slow breath, and then opened them, hoping this simple act could alter what she saw, or make things feel right again. She didn’t return her gaze to the clock right away, but rather avoided its face like you would dodge direct eye contact in a volley of flirt-and-stare with a stranger who’d caught you looking.

 

She panned her eyes evenly over all she had just taken in. Now the previously obedient child of the two was acting petulant, Man Too Large for His Seat actually was asleep, and Any Woman had stopped texting and was staring back at Pete. This startled her a bit. She looked away and then forced herself to look at the clock again. The red second hand was still moving backward and now instead of 2:27, it was 2:26, and the room seemed brighter to her than it had been just a minute ago.

 

“Petra Orvatch?”

 

She heard the automaton call her but she couldn’t move—she felt obligated to monitor the clock and confirm that it was in fact going backward, but knew she shouldn’t say anything about it. It was one of those times when she couldn’t expect people to understand her. These occurrences had happened ever since she could remember and could be confusing, amusing, or even downright dangerous.

Meet the Author

 

About the Author

Medella Kingston fell in love with writing at an early age and published articles, poems, and stories when she was growing up. She wrote, performed, and sold songs for movie soundtracks, and continued writing short stories for her own pleasure. She currently sings in the band Omnesia, which has aired locally on UC Berkeley’s radio station and been heard as far east as Goa and the Mumbai University. She lives with her partner and their two dogs in the East Bay. PeopleFish is Medella’s first novel, and she is currently working on a new book.

Author Links

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Tour Schedule

1/23 – On Top Down Under – http://ontopdownunderbookreviews.com/

1/23 – Scatteredt Thoughts And Rogue Words – https://scatteredthoughtsandroguewords.com/

1/24 – Molly Lolly; Reader, Reviewer, Lover of Words – https://mollylollyauthor.wordpress.com

1/24 – Stories That Make You Smile – https://authoraddisonalbright.com

1/25 – Erotica For All  http://eroticaforall.co.uk

1/25 – Divine Magazine – http://divinemagazine.biz

1/26 – MM Good Book Reviews – https://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com/

1/26 – Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents – http://fangirlmomentsandmytwocents.blogspot.com

1/26 – Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews – http://wickedfaeriesreviews.blogspot.com

1/26 – Boy Meets Boy Reviews – boymeetsboyreviews.blogspot.com

1/27 – Happily Ever Chapter – https://www.facebook.com/happilyeverchapter

1/27 – Sharing Links and Wisdom – http://sharinglinksandwisdom.blogspot.com

1/27 – Love Bytes – www.lovebytesreviews.com

Giveaway

One lucky winner will receive an ebook of their choice from NineStar Press
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A MelanieM Review: The Prince of the Moon by Megan Derr

Rating:  3.5 stars out of 5

a-melaniem-review-the-prince-of-the-moon-by-megan-derrAll Solae wants is to be accepted and loved by the family that has always rejected him. But given it was his late mother who cursed the kingdom to eternal winter, the chances of that happening are minimal. If he can find a way to break the curse, however, surely that would be enough to change their minds regarding him.

But Solae is forbidden to practice magic because of his mother, which limits his ability to pursue solutions. Desperate for advice and new ideas, he contacts a famous curse breaker—and has no idea what to do when the unexpectedly shows up, handsome and friendly and dangerously intriguing.

Megan Derr give us another M/M fairy tale in The Prince of the Moon.  Here its a frozen prince in a cursed kingdom.  The one that turned the kingdom into ice?  His mother burned for witchcraft and for being a false second Queen.  Solae is the cursed son of the witch, he’s the son the golden King wants to forget as he has his golden sons from his beloved first Queen.

The setting is ripe for love.  The lonely, gorgeous prince in his tower and the mysterious stranger who comes to town to break the evil curse.

Of course, nothing is ever quite so simple in a Megan Derr story.  There’s the curse itself and its interpretation.  Derr has a lovely twist in store for her readers here.  I wanted more on Solae’s mother’s history, of course.  She’s an intriguing character even by the hole she makes in the story and Solae’s life.  I wanted to know more about such a powerful figure.  There the interaction between Solae and Millio which  feels so natural despite being rushed.  There’s a deadline, and you can feel the pressure each is under to break the curse.  Is it love or the knowledge that it will lead to something deeper if given the chance…either way, I believed in them together.

The ending left me a little frustrated.  I don’t feel that those who did ill to our heroes had anything happen to them.  Instead, they were rewarded in a way.  I can’t go into specifics here because of spoilers but I feel that certain characters should have had repercussions for their actions past and present. That didn’t occur.  That lead to the rating above.

But did I love this couple and most of the story? Absolutely.  The world building  and fantasy surrounding them was marvelous.  Solae was a prince I’m so happy I got to meet.

Cover art by Aisha Akeju is beautiful and perfect for the story.

Sales Links

Less Than Three Press

Book Details:

Publisher Note: This story was previously released in Fairytales Slashed Volume 4

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Expected publication: January 25th 2017 by Less Than Three Press
ISBN139781620049730
Edition LanguageEnglish

An Ali Audiobook Review: Winter Oranges by Marie Sexton and Nick J. Russo (Narrator)

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
winteroranges_audiobookJason Walker is a child star turned teen heartthrob turned reluctant B-movie regular who’s sick of his failing career. So he gives up Hollywood for northern Idaho, far away from the press, the drama of LA, and the best friend he’s secretly been in love with for years.

There’s only one problem with his new life: a strange young man only he can see is haunting his guesthouse. Except Benjamin Ward isn’t a ghost. He’s a man caught out of time, trapped since the Civil War in a magical prison where he can only watch the lives of those around him. He’s also sweet, funny, and cute as hell, with an affinity for cheesy ’80s TV shows. And he’s thrilled to finally have someone to talk to.

But Jason quickly discovers that spending all his time with a man nobody else can see or hear isn’t without its problems—especially when the tabloids find him again and make him front-page news. The local sheriff thinks he’s on drugs, and his best friend thinks he’s crazy. But Jason knows he hasn’t lost his mind. Too bad he can’t say the same thing about his heart.

This book takes a certain level of dispensing with reality. I mean…..person trapped in a snow globe. Once you get past that though this is a sweet tale of friendship and then romance. The two men are both extremely lonely in their own ways. Neither has had anyone to love them in a long time and they’re both in serious need of that. Of course things don’t go smoothly. (People generally think you’re crazy when you carry a snow globe with you everywhere and talk to someone no one else can see.) True love wins in the end though.

I thought the story was well written. The pacing was good and both of the main characters were enjoyable. I found myself rooting for them both and was happy when they got their happily ever after. This was creatively done story and while part of it takes place at Christmas I wouldn’t necessarily consider it a Christmas story. It’s a read you could enjoy year round.
This was narrated by Nick J Russo and I thought it was done very well.  I typically enjoy this author a lot and this was no exception.  He did all of the voices well and I never had a hard time telling the difference between the two MC’s.
Cover by L.C. Chase:  I like the cover.  It is nicely done and captures the essence of the story very well.
Sales Links

Audible, Amazon, iTunes

Book Details:

Audio release: December 7, 2016

Twenty percent of the proceeds from this title will be donated to the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender (GLBT) National Help Center.

Founded in 1996, the GLBT National Help Center is a non-profit organization that provides vital peer-support, community connections and resource information to people with questions regarding sexual orientation and/or gender identity. Utilizing a diverse group of GLBT volunteers, they operate two national hotlines, the GLBT National Hotline and the GLBT National Youth Talkline, as well as private, volunteer one-to-one online chat, that help both youth and adults with coming-out issues, safer-sex information, school bullying, family concerns, relationship problems and a lot more.

To learn more about this charity or to donate directly, please visit their website: http://www.glbthotline.org/

A MelanieM Review: Lord of Ravens (Inheritance #3) by Amelia Faulkner

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

lord-of-ravensLover. Predator. Killer.

Laurence Riley’s inheritance comes with a price – one he’s not at all sure he can pay. When his urge to hunt grows out of control, he sends a desperate prayer to his ancestor for guidance. But he never expected that Herne the Hunter would answer.

Scion. Target. Victim.

There are horrors lurking in Quentin d’Arcy’s past, but they won’t hide there forever. Something ancient is coming to take him home: a creature of nightmare who feasts on the flesh of children. When the choice is between his own life and the lives of innocents, there is no choice at all.

Honesty is the worst policy.

A legendary horror comes to San Diego, but it’s merely an emissary. Laurence has seen the real monster, and it’s a darkness which will destroy everything he loves – especially if Quentin ever finds out what it did to him as a child.

It’s down to Laurence to prepare for war against a force which far outmatches him. The enemy has the most powerful weapon of all at his disposal, and if they’re to stand a chance, Laurence must master the same power.

He must learn magic.

Lord of Ravens is the third book in the Rainbow Award winning Inheritance series and contains mature themes and events which may be distressing to some readers. It has a moderate heat rating and an HFN ending.

Lord of Ravens (Inheritance #3) by Amelia Faulkner is another spectacular new author find for me as is her series Inheritance.  Lord of Ravens is the third book in the series and the one I read first (the other reviews for the previous books will follow soon).  It didn’t do anything but wet my appetite for the other stories.  I could follow some of the history the author provided of their pasts together but clearly I missed out on a wealth of feeling and relationship building that I will now go back and pickup.

Even having said that?  This story is still a 5 plus star rating.  Faulkner clearly loves and knows her mythology.  From Herne, the Lord of the Forest to other gods and goddesses, we travel through a myriad of plains of existence, from modern times to the magical forests and beyond in search of answers and the instruments of revenge for our couple, Quentin and Laurence.

In Lord of Ravens, Quentin and Laurence are still working on a relationship that’s very shaky.  One is prone to running, the other? Well, he has other outlets that he has used in the past and both are trying to overcome their urges to do both to stay together instead.  They are also trying to find their way to a sexual relationship.  The reasons to that slow build to sex lies in their past but we get a horrifying, gut wrenching answer in this story to one of the character’s rejection of all things sexual.  I will have to read the first books to see if there is  even a clue lurking in either of those stories to the revelation here.  But if anything, it just cemented my desire to know more about Quentin, Laurence and pulled me further into their universe and damnable journey together.

So deep did the author pull me into these characters lives, that I was sometimes shaking with fear, frustration, anger..all the emotions that they were feeling as the story moved forward.  Trust me, the glimmers of humor are scarce here.  But when Laurence goes running through the old woods, you feel the rush of the wind, and smell the leaves and rotting wood as he runs on his way, the descriptions are so vivid.   Equally, so when evil comes calling.  As it does several times in more than one form.  Then it becomes by turns chilling and surprising.

Quentin, oh poor scarred Quentin.  How your fear for him will grow.  I had no idea I would love him so.  By the end of the story I was reaching for book 4 only to realize its not there yet.  I wanted to wail in anguish!

Lord of Ravens?  Yes, there is a reason for that title and I won’t spoil the surprise for you.  Let’s just say its just the beginning of another element in this superb series, one I just loved.

There are people, a small group, mystical and otherwise, being pulled into the circle, that will help them do battle.  At least it seems that way.  But against what?  We still don’t exactly know but the vague picture that’s coming together is horrifying enough.

Amelia Faulkner has written a series that’s truly incredible.  Magical, suspenseful, frightening, richly layered, and yet still full of love.  Look for my reviews of Jack of Thorns (Inheritance, #1)  and Knight of Flames (Inheritance, #2) to follow shortly.  I can’t get enough of this author’s imagination, characters, and fantastic world building.  Please, bring on book 4 now!

Cover art is just perfect, with Herne standing outlined in the background as he is all through this story.

Sales Links:

Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2iLjlUM

Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2iiZRWj

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 327 pages
Published January 5th 2017 by LoveLight Press
ASINB01N4LAAY5
Edition LanguageEnglish
Series: Inheritance

A Free Dreamer Review: The Little Crow (Heart of Darkness #1) by Caitlin Ricci

Rating: 2.5 stars out of 5

the-little-crowDetective Jamison Landry’s job isn’t easy. He’s dealt with the worst criminals imaginable and believes in his work and the community he serves. But he’s never met someone quite like Mal before.

The mysterious man, rescued from a basement in which he was chained by cultists, keeps Jamison guessing. He both confuses and excites him, and Jamison isn’t sure how he feels about that. Plus, things turn from unusual to downright strange when people start insisting Mal isn’t quite human. And Jamison’s creepy dreams of crows and graveyards don’t make things any better for him.

Will Mal stay around long enough for Jamison to figure out his secrets, or will this stranger leave him aching for more?

This is my third book by Caitlin Ricci, and the first fantasy book I read by her. Since I really liked the first two contemporary books, I figured this was a safe bet. Well, unfortunately “The Little Crow” left me rather disappointed.

I never understood the attraction between Jamison and Mal. Mal is annoying and stalkerish and Jamison repeatedly tells him to get lost – which Mal ignores. At one point, Mal is forced to do some pretty awful things to Jamison. Jamison is understandably pissed and feels betrayed. Mal does feel guilty, but instead of explaining why he did what he did and giving a proper apology for it, he was just annoyed that Jamison was once again telling him to stay away. The apology that came eventually was too late and too little for me to believe Jamison’s forgiveness.

Jamison was difficult to connect to. I just don’t know what to think of him. He seemed oddly naïve and innocent for a policeman. Mal repeatedly says, “You shouldn’t have freed me.” And Jamison never wonders why. I could never quite get a handle on his emotions. He was very difficult to read, even when I was reading his POV.

Mal was much easier to read. I didn’t necessarily like him, but he was simple. He had some funny ideas how to deal with people he didn’t like and he was extremely protective of Jamison.

The plot felt very unfinished. All we learned was that Mal is a weird guy. Subplots are introduced and then left hanging, going nowhere. This is only part 1 of the series, but it still felt rather unfinished.

The general idea was interesting and certainly had potential, which the author sadly never quite fully realized. The world was rather lacking, too.

The one thing I found truly fascinating was Mal’s second form, the crow. I wish there’d been more about that.

All in all, this book just wasn’t for me. Too little everything, really. I won’t continue this series.

Cover: The cover by Natasha Snow is absolutely gorgeous. That crow looks amazing and the background colours are perfect.

Sales Links

NineStar Press

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Book details:

Kindle Edition, 252 pages
Published September 12th 2016 by NineStar Press (first published November 29th 2012)
ASINB01LGPNL12
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesHeart of Darkness #1