Category: Fantasy

A Paul B Review: Crash (Demon Elite #1) by April Kelley

Rating: 3.75 stars out of 5

CrashElijah Spade’s life got complicated after his mother’s death.  Having had virtually no contact with his mother’s relatives due to their criminal activities, Elijah is now caught up unwillingly in their plans.  Forced to help kidnap another gay man at a club, Elijah decides that is one man is going to die do to his actions, it should be him for helping out his relatives.  However, the attempted escape fails and Elijah and the victim are both captured.  Not knowing what happened to the mark, Elijah is thrown into the family dungeon where he lingers for weeks on end.  Hope comes when a fellow prisoner escapes and sends in help to rescue Elijah.

Crash Morgan is an assassin for the Demon Elite team.  His job is to kill the worst of the worst in society.  Those who die by his hand need to die.  So when his boss tell him that his next assignment is to watch and question a young man who is in the hospital, Crash initially objects.  When goes to the hospital room to watch over Elijah, Crash feels instantly protective of him.  Crash realizes that the man in the hospital bed may have to go to jail so any feelings are inappropriate.  Besides, it is against company policy.  As Crash gets to hear Elijah’s story, he cannot help but feel sorry for the guy.  His feelings for him start to grow also.  So when a pair of dirty cops sent by Elijah’s family show up, Crash takes matters into his own hands and escapes the hospital with Elijah.  Now can he keep them both alive to see if what both men are beginning to feel will grow?

This is the first book in the Demon Elite series by April Kelley.  The story revolves around an elite squad of men who contract out their services to right injustices in the world.  I thought her portrayal of what would be symptoms of PTSD in Elijah was well written.  Elijah’s anxiety attacks and his fear of Crash leaving him were realistic given the circumstances of his imprisonment.  Crash’s mother, who seems to act as a mother to the team, immediately bonds with Elijah after she learns what has happened to him.  The author also sets up future books with a twist that puts the integrity of the Demon Elite team in question.   It will be interesting to see how Crash and company takes on “the big bad.”

Sales Links:   eXtasy Press |  Amazon

Book Details

Kindle Edition, 122 pages
Published January 8th 2016 by eXtasy Books
ASINB01A2O3KZU
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesDemon Elite #1

Series:  Demon Elite

A Free Dreamer Review: Coyote’s Creed (Broken Mirrors #1) by Vaughn R. Demont

Rating: 5 stars out of 5    ★★★★★

Always have an ace up your sleeve.

Broken Mirrors, Book 1

Coyote's CreedIf con games were taught in high school, Spencer Crain would be on the honor roll. As it is, he’ll be riding the edge of failure to graduation next month. Then Spence gets the news that his long-gone father is not only dead, but was a Coyote, one of three clans of tricksters in the City.

With a near-catatonic mother on his hands, Spence couldn’t care less about the Coyotes’ ongoing feud with the Phouka and the Kitsune—until it lands on his doorstep. Suddenly he’s thrown headfirst into a dangerous world he knows next-to-nothing about. His only guide is Rourke, dashing King of the Phouka, plus a growing pack of half-siblings, a god, and Fate herself.

As Spence embarks on a journey to learn the Coyote’s creed, the truth about his heritage, and how to handle his growing attraction to Rourke, he wonders when his life turned from TV sitcom to real-life danger zone. And what price must he pay to survive the next roll of the dice…

Warning: Contains PG-13 rated violence, R-rated language and X-rated hotel scenes. Meta-humor, pop-culture humor, utter disregard for the 4th wall abound.

This is one of those books I picked up a while ago and never got around to read. When I finally did find the time to start it, I’d forgotten what it was about. So I essentially started this without any expectations whatsoever, because I never read a blurb right before starting the book. Now that I’ve read both blurb and book, I can only say: Hell yeah! Coyote’s Creed definitely delivers what the blurb promises.

Spencer’s long-absent father dies and Spencer is apparently the designated Speaker. He couldn’t care less about the death of his father. In fact, he decides to attend the wake just so he can spit on his father’s grave or “accidentally” knock over his ashes. But then he learns that his father was a Coyote, one of three paranormal trickster clans in the City and that his uncle Rourke is a Phouka. He also finds himself very attracted to Rourke (don’t worry, no incest, he’s not his real uncle, Spencer just called Rourke “uncle” when growing up). And that’s only the beginning of what turns into a truly insane adventure, full of secrets and lies and intrigues.

I absolutely loved Spencer. He’s funny, he’s witty and he’s definitely not your typical romance hero. He’s a trickster and a bit of a pick pocket and doesn’t care too much that it’s illegal. His knowledge of TV tropes is truly awe-inspiring and he always knows just what a TV hero would do to avoid getting killed. Naturally, real life isn’t all that simple, but his ideas on the matter are epic. It was easy to fall for his charms and to just get sucked into his world full of crazy.

Spencer is bi and unlike in many other books of the genre, it’s not just an excuse so he can have kids or only mentioned in passing. He flirts openly with men and women and is very obviously attracted to both. There’s some kissing and quite a bit of talk about boobs. Sex only happens between Spencer and Rourke, so no on-screen naked girly bits. 😉 It’s something I liked about this book, though. I always like my MCs to be diverse and Spencer definitely fits the bill.

The author obviously put a lot of thought into this world. There are three different races, each with their own individual traits, there are gods, there’s Fate, and countless “knacks”. Those knacks make for some really interesting characters.

The plot was incredibly fast-paced and you can do nothing but hurtle along at break-neck speed till the very unpredictable ending. I loved it. It was so very addicting.

The sex was plentiful and hot, and yet didn’t take anything away from the plot. But don’t expect a real love story. Spencer and Rourke aren’t really a couple, it’s more of a friends with benefits kind of relationship.

Long story short: I absolutely loved this book and can’t wait to read part two. This was so much fun.

Cover: The cover by Angela Waters doesn’t really fit the mood of the story. It looks much more serious and almost angsty. Still, Spencer looks good on there and the Ace on his pocket fits.

Sales Links:  Samhain Publishing | All Romance (ARe) | Amazon | Buy It Here

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 273 pages
Published October 11th 2011 by Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
ASINB005BSMXDS
Edition Language English
Series Broken Mirrors #1
Characters James Black, Spencer Crain
Literary Awards Rainbow Award for Best Gay Paranormal/Horror (2012)

A Paul B Review: Broken Prince, Mismatched Eyes (The Mauritanian Saga Book 1) by Layla Dorine

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars       ★★★★★

Broken Prince Mismatched EyesCaden DeMott might be the son of a noble but he clearly is not treated as such.  Born with two different colored eyes, many people in the area believe that he must be evil according to their traditional beliefs.  His stepmother makes his life miserable and effectively keeps him away from his stepbrothers.  Even his father can be distant at times to keep peace with his wife.  The only companionship Caden can rely on is his two dogs.  Because of all of this, Caden is withdrawn.  One morning, his father informs him that due to a business arrangement made by his stepmother several years ago, he is to be married to the prince of the family’s most important trading partner, the country of Mauritania.

Prince Rhys Gwyther was supposed to be married three years ago.  However, an accident while he was touring a mine left him almost a paraplegic.  But with determination and a lot of hard work, Rhys has learned to walk again, albeit with a limp.  While there are some in the kingdom calling for him to be bypassed as heir, Rhys is bound to live up to his birthright.  He makes the week voyage by boat from his country to the DeMott estate to meet his future husband.

When Rhys arrives, things go from bad to worse for the two of them.  Rhys takes an immediate dislike to Caden’s family.  But in Caden he finds potential for a mate.  However, both young men are waiting for the other to fall along long established patterns of abuse that they have suffered due to their “deformities.”    This will continue to shape the beginnings of their relationship.  Outside factors also contribute to drive the young couple apart.  Rhys’s father adds to the problem unintentionally making a decision meant to help them but only makes matters worse.  Will they find their happily ever after?

I really enjoyed this novel.  Caden and Rhys each have had their own problems over the years and have dealt with them as best they could.  These problems almost doom the relationship before it even starts.  Only after they agree to forget what others say and concentrate on just themselves do things begin to turn around.  But Caden’s family and past, along with those who do not feel Rhys should be the next king continue to threaten the princes.  The conclusion of the book wraps up the causes of the problems for both men, with the villains getting their just comeuppance.

The cover art by Kellie Dennis is just stunning.  Our two heroes are standing with shirts partially opened exposing well-formed chests above a picture of a boat sailing toward the land of Mauritania.  It fits the book really well.

Sales Links:  Wayward Ink Press | All Romance (ARe) | Amazon | Buy It Here

Book Details

Kindle Edition, 328 pages
Published December 4th 2015 by Wayward Ink Publishing
(first published January 1st 2013)
ASINB017WXGBM8
Edition LanguageEnglish

Series:  The Mauritanian Saga

A Free Dreamer Review: Stalking Darkness (Nightrunner #2) by Lynn Flewelling

Rating: 5 stars out of 5              ★★★★★

Stalking DarknessWith the Leran threat laid to rest, Alec and Seregil are now able to turn their attention to the ancient evil which threatens their land. The Plenimarans, at war with Skalans, have decided to defeat their ancient enemy by raising up the Dead God, Seriamaius. The early attempts at this reincarnation—masterminded by the sinister Duke Mardus and his sorcerous minion Vargul Ashnazai—once left Seregil in a sorcerous coma. Now, an ancient prophecy points to his continuing role in the quest to stop Mardus in his dread purpose.

Seregil’s friend and Mentor, the wizard Nysander, has long been the guardian of a deadly secret. In a secret, silver-lined room hidden well beneath the Oreska, he has served for most of his 300 years as the keeper of a nondescript clay cup. But this cup, combined with a crystal crown and some wooden disks, forms the Helm of Seriamaius, and any mortal donning the reconstructed Helm will become the incarnation of the god on earth.

Nysander holds the cup and Mardus the wooden disks—one of which was responsible for Seregil’s coma—but the crown must still be located. Threatened under pain of death by Nysander to keep his quest a secret even from his loyal companion, Alec, Seregil is dispatched to find the last missing piece of the Helm so that he and Nysander can destroy it. But this is only the beginning of one of his deadliest journeys ever, for the prophecy also holds that four will come together in a time of darkness, and gradually all that Seregil values is placed at risk as he, Alec, Nysander and Micum are drawn into a deadly web of terror and intrigue.

After absolutely loving part one of this series, I of course had high expectations for this book, too. And I can honestly say that I was not disappointed. This might even have been a tad better than part one.

I read part one a while ago, so I did have some trouble with all the names in the beginning. It’s probably best to not take too big breaks between the individual parts. This way you won’t have so much trouble remembering names and events of the previous book(s).

At times, this did get actually rather gory. It fit the plot and it wasn’t overdone, but if that’s not your thing, be careful.

I continued to fall in love with Alec and Seregil. They really grew and changed throughout this book, especially Alec. His life has changed so much in such a short time and it really affected his development.

All main characters really grew on me and my heart went out to them whenever they were faced with difficulties. It was easy to relate to their feelings and they felt very realistic to me.

I loved that the author introduced a new main character with Micum’s daughter Beka. Her pov was really interesting.

The plot was absolutely amazing. So very addictive. I often found myself reading till the early morning hours, because I just couldn’t stop. There was so much going on, but it never got confusing. The ending just about broke my heart. It was so completely unexpected, I could only gape in horror for a few minutes.

There’s a bit more romance here than in part one, but only in the second half and still very low-key. But the little bit that was there was absolutely wonderful.

Once again, the world building was very impressive. Lots of descriptions about religious and cultural rites made it very easy to really feel at home in the world the author created.

Overall, I just absolutely loved “Stalking Darkness” and I’m delighted I already own part three. I absolutely can’t wait to find out what adventures Alec and Seregil will face next.

This is a series for all those fantasy lovers out there, who are craving awesome world building with a hint of gay romance.

The cover by Gary Ruddell shows a scene toward the end of the book. Just like the first cover, it definitely fits the story. Well done.

Buy the Book Here:  Amazon Paperback |  Kindle

Book details:

Paperback, 501 pages, first published 1997 by Bantam Spectra

Kindle Edition, Reissue, 513 pages
Published November 17th 2010 by Spectra (first published February 3rd 1997)
Original TitleStalking Darkness
ASINB004AM5R4S
Edition Language English

Series: Part 2 of the Nightrunner series

In the Book Spotlight: ‘Curse of Salar’ by Alexis Duran‏ (excerpt and giveaway)

CurseOfSalarFinal

Curse of Salar (Masters and Mages #3) by Alexis Duran
 Release Date: January 5, 2016

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Loose ID
Cover Artist: Fiona Jayde

Blurb

In the kingdom of Jahar, the rule of mages has been overthrown. Prince Dezra Luzan is held prisoners in the ancestral palace. In order to stay alive, he pretends to be a drug-addicted wastrel, trusting no one, not even his lovers.

Into his lonely existence comes a man who should be his sworn enemy; Captain Rayn Nevar. Dezra is irresistibly drawn to the rough soldier and his longing for a simple sexual encounter quickly builds into a dangerous obsession.

Captain Rayn Nevar knows he should stay away from Prince Dezra, but his desire for the beautiful young man overrides all common sense. Rayn soon finds himself protecting the prince from a plot to destroy the last of the mages.

When treachery leads to Dezra’s escape, he is at last free to unlock his long repressed powers. Only the arrival of a mysterious monk with powers greater than Dezra’s stops the prince from using sorcery to destroy all who stand in his way, including Rayn.

As Jahar edges toward another war between masters and mages, Rayn must question his devotion to his increasingly deadly lover while Dezra must decide if ultimate power is worth the ultimate sacrifice.

 

Pages or Words: 82,000 words
Book can be read as a standalone
 Categories: Fantasy, Fiction, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance

Excerpt

“Kneel.”

“What?” Dezra asked, incredulous.

“You heard me.”

Nevar stripped off his silk shirt and tossed it aside. The sight of his finely sculpted chest arrested the biting retorts that leaped to Dezra’s tongue. The captain’s skin was smooth and slicked with sweat. A fine trail of curly black hair began at his sternum and disappeared beneath the line of his belt.

Dezra forced his gaze up to discover to Nevar smirking at him. Before Nevar could summon an insult to put the captain in his place, Nevar sat on the bed.

“Help me with my boots. Or is that beneath you, Prince?”

Nevar leaned back with his arms behind him, weight resting on his palms. He stuck one foot out. The languid expanse of his body beckoned.

Buy the book: Loose id LLC

 

 

Meet the Author

Alexis Duran was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest. At the University of Oregon, her fascination with people and relationships led her to major in Sociology, but her main love has always been creative writing. She’s worked in museums, fashion, finance and film production. Her favorite job so far was inventorying the collection in a haunted Victorian Mansion. She is the author of the Masters and Mages and Edge of Night erotic m/m fantasy series. Her fiction has won several awards including the Rupert Hughes Award from the Maui Writers Conference. She lives with one dog and four and a half cats. She is currently working on the next Edge of Night novel and several other erotic novellas.

Where to find the author:

 


Tour Dates & Stops:

Parker Williams, Havan Fellows, Full Moon Dreaming, Bayou Book Junkie, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, The Hat Party, Book Lovers 4Ever, BFD Book Blog, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Divine Magazine, Jessie G. Books, Wake Up Your Wild Side, Nephy Hart, MM Good Book Reviews, Dawn’s Reading Nook, Inked Rainbow Reads, A.M. Leibowitz, Alpha Book Club, Andrew Q. Gordon, My Fiction Nook, Velvet Panic, Charley Descoteaux

 

Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: eBook copy of first two books in the Masters and Mages series, Touch of Salar and Blood of Salar.  Must be  18 years of age or older to enter. Link and prize provided by the author and Pride Promotions.

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A MelanieM Review: Dragon Consultant (Supernatural Consultant #1) by Mell Eight

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Dragon ConsultantThe FAA has been struggling with dragons attacking their planes, and hire Dane, a supernatural consultant, to look into the matter. What Dane finds in the woods is not quite the problem he expected: a group of dragon kits and their sick father.

When he learns the real reason the family was in the woods, his case only grows more dangerous, and while Dane is plenty experienced at watching his own back, taking care of baby dragons and their handsome, distracting father almost makes danger look easy.

I love Mell Eight.  This author’s imagination never fails to take me places guaranteed to hold my attention and make me wonder about the boundless possibilities that could exist if magic were let loose.  And of course, there would be dragons.  All sorts of dragons and in this case dragon kits.

Dragon Consultant is really one set of mysteries after another.  A mystery of identities, a mystery of espionage and government coverup plus so much more.  Unbelievably so, it all takes place in 101 pages.  This story is crammed full of things that cry out of fuller explanations and more details.  But what the author delivers is so wonderful, so compelling, that all I can do is beg for a prequel to go along with the sequel that I know is coming.

Most of that has to do with the character of Dane, the supernatural consultant hired to deal with the dragons attacking the planes at the airport.  Of course, he is much more than that, as are the dragons attacking the airport and the situation they are in.  Nothing is as it seems, including Dane.  It takes a while for some of who he is to come out and then it only makes him more intriguing because of the gaps its leaves. Oh, the layers Mell Eight has in store for the readers here.  Peal one back, and there are five more waiting to be discovered.

I think I feel that way about the characters.  There is a mystery about them that we are still waiting to uncover, their backstories are missing  and I think the author has done that purposely so. The father?  His background still spotty. The kits?  They too have histories waiting to be filled in and I am hoping that means that this will be a long and satisfying series.  I am so eager to settle in for the long haul to find out what each kit and/or new egg will mean to the story and universe the author is building.

There is action, suspense, and plenty of drama.  Some of those scenes towards the end?  White knuckle indeed.  But I can’t give out  details because its such a short book it will go into spoiler territory.  The tale moves so quickly, you will fall in love with the individual dragon kits with a swiftness that will make you blink,  and then the you are moving towards an alarming conclusion, then its over…for now.

That one of those layers I was talking about.  You see from the cover, its seem like this might be a goofy, sort of humorous tale of dragon children and their foster father.  Not really.  That aspect is there, of course.  But things are chillingly scary,  there are evil loose ends flapping about at the end of the story (why else would you need sequels), so remember those layers when opening these pages and be prepared for a darned wonderful story!

Its one I definitely recommend, along with its author.  Now I just have to wait for the next book to arrive.  Grab this one up, catch up with me and lets see what the next one has in store for us, the dragon kits and…oh that would be telling.

Cover art by Aisha Akeju is unexpected.  Cute, whimsical but lacking just that touch of dragon magic I have come to expect from this artist.

Sales Links:  Less Than Three Press | All Romance (ARe) | Amazon | Buy It Here

Book Details:

ebook, 101 pages
Published December 9th 2015 by Less Than Three Press
ISBN139781620046777
Edition LanguageEnglish

Series: Supernatural Consultant 

A Free Dreamer Review: Luck in the Shadows (Nightrunner #1) by Lynn Flewelling

Rating: 5 stars out of 5  ★★★★★

Luck in the Shadows cover“A new star is rising in the fantasy firmament…teems with magic and spine-chilling amounts of skullduggery.”–Dave Duncan, author of The Great Game

When young Alec of Kerry is taken prisoner for a crime he didn’t commit, he is certain that his life is at an end. But one thing he never expected was his cellmate. Spy, rogue, thief, and noble, Seregil of Rhiminee is many things–none of them predictable. And when he offers to take on Alec as his apprentice, things may never be the same for either of them. Soon Alec is traveling roads he never knew existed, toward a war he never suspected was brewing. Before long he and Seregil are embroiled in a sinister plot that runs deeper than either can imagine, and that may cost them far more than their lives if they fail. But fortune is as unpredictable as Alec’s new mentor, and this time there just might be…Luck in the Shadows.

I absolutely loved this. I’m always looking for great fantasy novels with very low key romance and this had the added bonus of Seregil enjoying the company of men as well as women.


The romance was as good as non-existent, really, but there’s definitely hope for Alec and Seregil. I loved both of them. Seregil the ever mysterious spy/thief who won’t talk about his past and Alec, who starts out so naive and then turns out to be so very clever.


The world building was excellent. Religion, language, history, culture, politics – it was all there. The map could have been a little more detailed, though. There were a lot of places I couldn’t find that were mentioned in the book. Or maybe I just seriously suck at map reading.


The plot had me hooked from page one, with lots of unexpected twists and turns. Very addicting and definitely not boring!

There was always some new intrigue to uncover or some new mystery to solve, while still having an underlying ultimate goal.

Usually, I read my m/m romance on my Kindle, but I decided to go with the paperback version for “Luck in the Shadows”. And I’m glad I did. I’m of the very firm opinion that any halfway decent fantasy novel deserves to be read in paperback and I just love my old, battered copy that I got off the internet for very little money. I’m old fashioned like that. And skipping back and forth between map and story is definitely easier with a paperback than with the Kindle.


If you’re looking for a great love story with decent fantasy, then you’d better keep looking. There is no love story here. If, however, you find yourself craving amazing fantasy with a hint of romance, then this is just the book for you.

The cover by Gary Ruddell looks like so many other 90s fantasy covers. Nothing mind-blowing, but definitely fitting.

Sales Link:  Amazon Paperback   | Amazon Kindle

Book Details:

ebook, paperback, both versions available in both languages

ebook, 476 pages
Published November 3rd 2010 by Spectra (first published September 1996)
Original TitleLuck in the Shadows
ISBN 0307774996 (ISBN13: 9780307774996)
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesNightrunner #1
CharactersAlec í Amasa of Kerry, Seregil í Korit Solun Meringil Bôkthersa