Category: Fantasy

Review: In Despair (Princes of the Blood #3) by Megan Derr

Rating 5 stars out of 5

In Despair coverSixteen year old Prince Telmé Guldbrandsen has been groomed to become a Prince of the Blood and take over as Commander of the Legion.  Equally young Korin is heir to the Reach of the House and the Temple of the Sacred Three. Expectations run high for him as well since it has been foretold that he will be the next High Priest.  Telme’ and Korin are also engaged to each other, an unfortunate affair since neither boy can stand the other.  Between the constant fighting and endless quarreling, the Halls of Castle Guldbrandsen have been ringing with shouts of anger and  fists hitting flesh instead of calm and the silence of boys at their studies to the displeasure of the royal family and all the others around them.

Monsters and dark mages left over from the last war lurk all around the kingdoms.  Princes of the Blood, and their fellow supernatural beings are the only things that stand between them and the remainder of humankind.  But humans that will allow their children to be tested to see if they have the right percentage of Demon blood are few as are pure blooded humans.  When found, they are brought to the Castle Guldbrandsen for testing and to strengthen ties through marriage.  Just such an happening at Castle Guldbrandsen ends in a devastating and unthinkable event, leaving those still standing awash in grief and anger.  Telme’ and Korin are Castle Guldbrandsen’s last hope but can they put aside their distrust and personal hatred long enough to save the kingdom and each other in the bargain?

In Despair marks the end of the Princes of the Blood trilogy by Megan Derr and I am so sad to get to the end of this marvelous tale of love, loss, and magic.  From the beginning, Megan Derr made the fascinating and quirky decision to write this trilogy backwards.  The first book, Of Last Resort (Princes of the Blood #1) takes place towards the end of the trilogy’s timeline, and each book thereafter moves the story back towards the beginning years and the history that is only hinted at in the first book.  It’s a challenging and imaginative format and its has worked beautifully here.

In Despair starts out with the characters in deep despair, a state that will follow them into the past.  Telme’ stands at the bedside of Koren who is terribly wounded from his fight with an angel from Of Last Resort.  That momentous battle came at the end of the first story and it left Koren in a coma.  Now as the trilogy comes to an end, Derr puts us down at Castle Guldbreandsen to get at glimpse at the lives of those impacted by that battle.  While Telme’ waits at Koren’s bedside, he remembers back to when they were teenagers and at odds with each other.  And from that time on, In Despair  starts its own tale of war, black magic, loss and love.

Megan Derr is one of my favorite fantasy authors.  In the Princes of the Blood trilogy she weaves together romance, action, adventure, fantasy and magic into stories that both the YA and adult readers will love.  As with all her stories, we start off with some amazing world building.  From Castle Guldbrandsen whose rulers have a very close connection to demons as well as all the fantasy beings that make up the incredible magic protectors of the realm,  the army of mixed-blood beings known as the King’s Legion: dragoons, shadowmarch, sorcerers, titans…and of course, the Princes of the Blood.  Derr has folded so many rich details and layers into this world.  The trilogy starts after a cataclysmic war has occurred that brought forth all sorts of demons and set them loose in the world almost destroying it.    While the war ended centuries ago, the aftermath has left demons scattered throughout the kingdoms, the human population with varying degrees of demon blood in them due to intermarriage, and necromancers others still trying to reopen the door’s to hell and start the war all over again. And with each story, Derr reveals more about the past through the characters battles in the present time and their interactions with each other.

In Despair is a standout from the other two stories in the trilogy in a number of ways.  First, the characters here are the youngest of all the main characters whose tales and romance unfold in these three books.  Telme’ and Koren are but sixteen (with Koren slightly younger than Telme’).  Telme’ and Koren exhibit all the stubbornness, impetuousness, and capriciousness of youth.   Quick to anger, unable to communicate, and equally quick to assume hurt and humiliation, these two young boys yet have the weight of the kingdom on their shoulders.  Both are expected to assume two of the highest positions in Castle Guldbrandsen and neither has the maturity or knowledge needed to make that leap to power and responsibility.  Sullenness and fights are the rule for both as are misunderstandings and punishment.  Derr makes both boys come across so real, so human in their insecurities, pain, and anger.  It is easy for the reader to see both sides of the picture for each teenager because it is such a recognizable stage of human growth.  Between hormones and pushing back against parental expectations, Telme  appears not only “bratty” as the adults term him but overwhelmed by the responsibilities he doesn’t want to assume.  And the reader gets that too, particularly as becoming a Prince of the Blood means turning into a demon or half demon at a young age.  By his behavior Telme has delayed the test but time is running out.  Derr makes both boys so young in their mental and emotional development that we connect with them easily.  Then she jerks their foundations out from under them and the tale really gets underway.

As with all marvelous coming of age stories that include high adventure and fantasy, it must also include the darkness of evil and absolute loss.  As Castle Guldbrandsen falls under the destructive powers of both, Telme’ and Koren must pull together, grow up (somewhat) and assume the duties they have been avoiding.  It’s a timeless, dramatic concept and Derr’s treatment of it and her characters growth is as compelling as they come.   That’s possible because no matter what challenges these boys face or hurdles they must overcome, they remain the teenagers they are.  They still make poor judgement calls, make assumptions about each other and the events that occur that adults with more experience would disregard, and suffer from the lack of practical knowledge and maturity that age would have given them.  I love that there is no “instant adult” changeover in persona.  No, these are still kids trying to fill adult shoes and mostly succeeding  to mixed reviews from the grownups around them.  How can you not empathize with a sixteen year old who has just kind of “saved the day” only to come back to adults who don’t like the way he did it?  As an adult, you can see both sides but the teenager in you will be just as dumbfounded and angry as Telme’ is. That’s one of the real beauties of this story and this trilogy,  Megan Derr tells it in such a way that we believe so deeply in these characters and their lives that we can see all sides to every argument and still come down on the side of youth and fragility no matter our own age.

At the end, Megan Derr brings the story back around to the time of the first story, Of Last Resort, with Telme’ still waiting to see if Koren lives.  Her circle is complete, and her trilogy is almost over.  All the characters from all three stories appear and their stories resolved in scenes and mentions of events happening inside the castle.  Did I love the way In Despair ended?  Absolutely.  Do I recommend In Despair and the entire Princes of the Blood trilogy?  Without question.

Of Last Resort, With Pride and In Despair will all be at the top of ScatteredThoughtsandRogueWords Best of 2014 lists this year.  Check them all out but read them in the order that Derr wrote them.  It will make for some magical reading and leave you sighing for more at the end.  Just like me.

Cover art by Aisha Akeju who is quickly becoming a new favorite artist of mine.

Buy Links:           Less Than Three Press              ARe                 Amazon               In Despair

 

Book Details:

ebook
Published July 9th 2014 by Less Than Three Press
original titleIn Despair
ISBN139781620043233
edition languageEnglish
seriesPrinces of the Blood #3

Princes of the Blood Series include (written in reverse sequence)

Of Last Resort (Princes of the Blood #1)
With Pride (Princes of the Blood #2)
In Despair (Princes of the Blood #3)

June 2014 Summary of Reviews and June’s Best Covers

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June header

flowers June

 

 

 

 

 

 

June 2014 Book Review Summary

*Key:
S series
C contemporary
F-fantasy
SF-science fiction
PN-paranormal
SP-supernatural
H-historical
HR-horror
N-Nonfiction
YA-young adult

Rating Scale: 1 to 5, 5 stars is outstanding

5 Star Rating:

Blackbird Knitting in a Bunny’s Lair by Amy Lane C,S
Cold Feet by Lee Brazil C, S*
Diego (Endangered Fae #2) by Angel Martinez F, S
Isle of Waves by Sue Brown C, S*
Swords, Sorcery and Sundry by Mina MacLeod, F, S*

4 to 4.75 Star Rating:

Apollo’s Curse by Brad Vance (4.25) F, SN
Cross & Crown by Abigail Roux (4.5) C, S
Duty to the Crown by Rebecca Cohen (4.25) H, S
Finn (Endangered Fae) by Angel Martinez (4.5) F, S
Let It Ride by L.C. Chase (4) C, S
Miles and the Magic Flute by Heidi Cullinan (4.25) F
Nothing But Smoke by Daisy Harris (4) C, S
Stranger on the Shore by Josh Lanyon (4.25), C
The Actor and the Earl by Rebecca Cohen (4) H, S
The Dog Trainer by Owen Keehnen (4) C
Voodoo ‘n’ Vice by K.C. Burn (4.25) SF, S

 

3 to 3.75 Star Rating:

Dinner At Home by Rick R. Reed, (3.75) C, S
Out of the Gate by E. M. Lynley (3.75) C

2 to 2.75 Star Rating:

None

*rounded up to 5 stars

Best Covers of April 2014

 

GranbyKnittingMenagerie[The]LGBlackbird Knitting in a Bunny's Lair coverCover_NothingButSmoke

Miles and the Magic Flute

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Isle of Waves coverDinner at Home coverOutoftheGateLGLet It Ride cover

 

 

 

 

 

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Photographic Covers and Non Photographic Covers:

Dinner At Home, cover by Reese Dante
Blackbird Knitting in a Bunny’s Lair, cover by Catt Ford
Granby Knitting Menagerie, cover by Catt Ford
Isle of Waves, cover by L.C. Chase
Let Ir Ride, cover by L.C. Chase
Miles and the Magic Flute, cover by Wilde City Press
Out of the Gate, cover by Reese Dante
Nothing But Smoke, cover by Kanaxa

 

 

In the Author Spotlight: Madeleine Ribbon on Faire Protector release (contest)

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spotlight on booksIn the Author Spotlight Today –MR_FaireProector__coverin

Madeleine Ribbon, author of the Ren Faire series

 

 

 

 

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I encountered Madeleine Ribbon through her first story, Faire Fugitive almost a year ago.  Recently I sort of ran into her again and asked about how the series was doing, where the idea came from…those sorts of questions.  My answer from Madeleine was that the sequel, Faire Protector, was getting ready for release shortly.  That news prompted all kinds of anticipation and ideas, including having Madeleine Ribbon here to talk about the series inspiration behind Faire Fugitive and Faire Protector.

To help celebrate the release of Faire Protector,  Madeleine has brought a book giveaway with her, a choice of either book to one lucky reader.  To enter to win, leave your email address and a comment at the end of the post.  As usual, must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Contest ends July 8 at midnight, Winner to be announced on July 9th!

The Maryland Renaissance Festival starts August 23, Chances are you can find both myself and Madeleine in attendance at some point in time.  Wave a turkey drumstick or pint at us if we happen to walk on by….

 

 

A Trip to the Faire by Madeleine Ribbon 

When I first started writing the Faire series, my entire goal was finding an excuse to get my ass into costume and flounce around any and every Renaissance festival I could manage to get my grubby little hands on. Luckily, all that Ren faire visiting (and subsequent note taking, because I had to justify ticket prices somehow) led to some perfectly reasonable ideas, and Devin and Max’s stories were born while I was in the midst of half-hour Shakespeare skits, jousting tournaments, bagpipe concerts, corsets, steak on a stake, and copious amounts of ale and mead.

A Renaissance faire is like the bastard child of a seventh-grade world history book and the most amazing circus ever. The festivals all try to recreate a romanticized version of history, and in doing so, they create a place that’s almost magical in its other-worldliness. At the faire, you can get lost in a new world for a day. You have a chance to marinade yourself in everyone else’s weirdness—and just about every sort of weird is acceptable there. My Faire takes these bits and kind of pushes them to the next level by making the magic real.

I gave the main characters for both Faire Fugitive and Faire Protector rather unfortunate histories, and since I didn’t want to go full-on angsty in this series, I needed something to balance the darker sides of the story out. Using the Ren faire has been a great way to create a peppy, wacky, unique, can’t-take-yourself-seriously environment to balance out the harsh realities of my characters’ lives.

BLURB:

MR_FaireProector__coverinMax’s soul has become a virtual slave to the magical Renaissance Faire, and he can’t leave the grounds. He’s very, very attracted to the Faire’s brewmaster, but Shepherd wants nothing to do with him. Shepherd thinks Max is the reason his cousin got back into drugs, and Max has a bad history—dealing, a prison term, and last but not least, a little four-year stint as the personal assassin of a drug kingpin. For once, Max didn’t do it, but Shepherd isn’t about to believe him.

When Max’s old boss becomes a threat, the Faire that had been his prison becomes his protection. Max hides out at the brewery. As he deals with Shepherd’s bad attitude, the physical and mental side effects of having his soul imprisoned, and guilt over the people he’s killed, he finds himself falling for the sexiest man to ever hate him. But the only way he can keep Shepherd is if he can find some sort of magical redemption for his past.

Buy Link:   Loose id

Book Details:
Author: Madeleine Ribbon
Book 2 of the Faire series
Length: Novel, 90,000 words
ISBN: 978-1-62300-406-4
Cover Artist: Fiona Jayde

Contact Madeleine Ribbon:

Website: http://www.madeleineribbon.com
Twitter: @muddyribbon
Email: madeleine.ribbon@gmail.com
Goodreads author page: https://www.goodreads.com/MadeleineRibbon

 

In the Author Spotlight: Mina MacLeod on Swords, Sorcery and Writing!

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spotlight on booksSSS Edges & Embers - coverSTRW Welcomes Mina MacLeod, author of

Swords, Sorcery and Sundry into the 

Author Spotlight!

 

 

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I found Mina MacLeod through her latest story, Swords, Sorcery and Sundry.  This was a wonderful story that I felt crossed not only generational lines but genres as well and I wanted to know more about this author and her plans for these characters and storyline.

Contest: Mina MacLeod graciously accepted my invite for an interview and brought along an eBook copy of Swords Sorcery and Sundry as a giveaway.  To enter to win, leave a comment and an email address where you can be reached.  Let us know if you have a favorite fantasy character(s) or duo!  Must be 18 years of age to enter.  Contest ends 7/7.

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Now on with our interview:

STRW• Why fantasy?  What about this genre appeals to you?

MM: Fantasy has always been my home base—my genre of choice. I like fantasy counterpart cultures, swords, and playing with the mechanics of magic. I’ve always preferred twists on the old ideas: male-identifying wizards, and female-identifying knights. For the longest time, fantasy doorstoppers were the only novels I would read. Eventually I did branch out, but fantasy remains the genre closest to my heart and I’m always happy to return to it.

STRW• Same goes for writing in the M/M genre?

MM:   Every time someone asks me this question, I always toy with the idea of trying to sound intellectual or profound—maybe there’s a deep, hidden meaning to why M/M intrigues me so much! But the fact is that there is no reason beyond the fact that I love it. I love men; I love homosocial and homosexual relationships with all matter of complexities. Whenever I start up a new RPG, I always create/play as a man, and romance other men if the option is at all available. This doesn’t mean I don’t love all types of women; I adore well-rounded ladies—but male/male is my jam.

STRW• All three main people are wonderful characters.   They have diverse set of talents and an equality among them that works beautifully. How did you come up with the idea of a tightly knit group that had a M/M couple and a strong female presence as well?

MM:  Two Guys & A Girl has always been a group dynamic I’ve loved. I tend to prefer the friendship aspects of the trope as opposed to the potential romantic tension. Often, one of the guys and the girl hook up—which is fine, but just as I enjoy female knights and male wizards, I like going the other way with this group. In my work, the men tend to end up romantically involved, and the girl plays the strong supporting role.

As you may have guessed, I’m a gamer—mostly console, but occasional tabletop. I like having a balanced party wherein everyone has a job and no one comes off as a hanger-on or filler. On the battlefield, the trio each have a role to play (Ashe being the fighter, Sylvain the mage, and Niklas the thief) but I wanted them to complement each other out of battle, too.

As much as I adore M/M, I love stories about BFFs even more. Friendship is very important to me; I’ve had the same best friends for over twenty years, and we wouldn’t trade each other for the world. They’re the kind of friends who just barge into your house and raid your fridge without asking, the kind who can call or pop over at any time, day or night—and you can do the same to them. You can tell them anything, and they won’t turn their back on you. Those kinds of bonds are forged over years of sticking together. You have to help your friends when they screw up just as when they’re screwed over. That’s the kind of relationship I wanted Sylvain, Ashe, and Niklas to have.

STRW• Your world building is terrific from the inns and innkeepers to the “red light” districts that vary from Duchy to Duchy.  Where did you get your inspiration for them?  Do you travel and do you work that into your stories?

MM:  Why, thank you! Funnily enough, my goal with the world-building was simplicity. Don’t get me wrong; I love a fantasy world detailed from the ground up as much as the next SFF fan, but because it’s the sort of thing done so often, I purposefully went in the opposite direction. The world of SSS is revealed to the reader in bits and pieces, some of it mundane and some of it extraordinary—like that necropolis just across the way.

I try to travel whenever time/funds permit; I spent two weeks in Japan a few years back, and the love hotels and host clubs of the country fascinate me. I’m a fan of organized structure and big cities having defined districts, like Tokyo and New York. My childhood was divided between a small town and a large, diverse city, so I love exploring juxtapositions between the two. The places our heroes visit in the sequel are a far cry from the hustle and bustle of Abelia.

STRW• I was thrilled to see that this is a series.  What do you have planned for our heroes and when can we expect the next book to be released?

MM:  The first adventure of the next book is actually the original finale of SSS. It’s going to kick off a large portion of the plot in the second book. Sylvain continues to grow and discover that he doesn’t fit in Muscari Aucheri as well as he used to; Niklas and Sylvain have to get used to the idea that they are lovers who happen to work together—and sometimes that work is very dangerous. While the first book was mostly episodic, the second focuses on a larger overarching plot. It might involve the necropolis from the first book … someone really should have done something about that thing by now.

I still haven’t finalized the outline, so I won’t give anything else away. However, I can say that I planned for a duology, so this will be the last book. The title will be Border Fires.

Border Fires is moving along very slowly at the moment. We are expecting our first child in the fall and are busy preparing for that. Between all that work and the day job, there isn’t much spare time these days. I hope to really dive into it on my much-anticipated year off.

STRW• I think SSS works equally well as a YA story or a M/M Romance.  Was that planned?

MM:  It was meticulously planned. I love both YA and M/M, and desperately wish there was more adventurous YA with queer relationships on the market. I’m acquainted with a lot of people who grew up knowing they didn’t fall into the heteronormative crowd; I grew up knowing I wasn’t heteronormative. I want more novels to which queer teens can better relate. The characters in SSS are all adults—mostly for the freedom of movement and backstory this gives them—but I wanted the story to be accessible for younger readers, as well.

STRW• What do you like best about writing?

MM:  Character/location sketches are the most fun jobs out of the entire process. And names. I spend a lot of time thinking about names. Sometimes I end up with an overall theme; in SSS’s world, all city names take their cues from flowers. Sometimes I go for camp, absurdity, or jokes that are (sadly) usually only funny to me. Ah, well. Can’t win ‘em all.

STRW•  What is the least favorite thing about writing for you?

MM:  The soul-crushing realization that you’ve written yourself into a corner, and you have to backtrack considerably to fix it. I also hate it when inspiration strikes and you’re powerless to act upon it, like in the middle of your workday. By the time you get to your desk/pen/paper, the drive has faded and you feel as though you’ve wasted an opportunity.

STRW•  Any favorite books that started you on the path as an author?

MM:  My very first piece of creative writing was a piece of Legend of Zelda fanfiction when I was six years old. It was pretty much exactly as you’re probably imagining it. So I can’t say any one book in particular ignited my passion for creative writing. I’ve always loved making up stories and immersing myself in other people’s stories. Some of my favorite books include Bridge of Birds, The Gentleman Bastard, Snow Crash, The Dresden Files, the Hurog duology, and probably a thousand others I’m forgetting. Five minutes from now, I am going to think of 50 other titles I should have included here.

Thank you so much for having me! It was a pleasure to answer your questions. And if anyone decides to give SSS a chance, thank you so much! I’m humbled and grateful.

STRW• Thank you, Mina, for stopping by.  Readers, I have the book details and blurb below.  My review can be found here.  If you love fantasy, no matter your age, you will want to pick this story up!  I highly recommend it to all no matter your age!  High adventure awaits inside!

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Bio:
Mina MacLeod is a bilingual, bisexual Canadian living with her husband in Montreal. A geek at heart, she drives fast and plays with knives, balancing a career with a love for queer media. She has a thing for men who have a thing for men.

You can follow Mina MacLeod at:

Website: http://www.minamacleod.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/minamacleod
Tumblr: http://minamacleod.tumblr.com

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SSS Edges & Embers - coverBook Details:

ebook, 330 pages, m/m for YA or Adults, friendship only m/f
Published May 21st 2014 by Less Than Three Press LLC
original titleSwords, Sorcery, and Sundry
ISBN139781620043639
edition languageEnglish

Buy Links:      Less Than Three Press      Amazon         ARe

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Blurb:
Wizard Sylvain just wants to sit down and have a drink, after days of walking when a shortage of funds forced him to sell his horse. Soldier Ashe would like to enjoy her evening, and not have it ruined by trouble. Assassin Niklas wishes they had both minded their own business and not made his bad night worse.

The bar they accidentally burn down is only the beginning, and they quickly learn that if they are to survive their penchant for trouble, teamwork will get them farther than standing alone.

Amazon

 

 

Review: Swords, Sorcery, and Sundry (Edges & Embers #1) by Mina MacLeod

Rating: 4.75 stars out of 5

 A wizard, a soldier, and an assassin walk into a bar … 

SSS Edges & Embers - coverWizard Sylvain has just recently arrived in Abelia, the large capital of the Firmiana Duchy.  He’s hot, tired and just wants a drink before going up to his rooms.  Soldier Ashe is at a table nearby wanting to enjoy her food and  friendly banter with the bar owner.  Assassin Niklas is situated right in the middle, with an agenda of his own and hopes not to be interfered with.  Alas, once the trouble starts and it seems that Niklas has been ganged up on, then Sylvain and Ashe just naturally jump into the fray with sword and sorcery at hand.

But quickly things go awry as Sylvain accidentally sets the bar on fire and the culprits escape.  No one has any money to pay for the damages they caused.  With the Duchy’s guards at the door, and gold needed to repair the damage to the hotel and bar, the wizard, the assassin, and the warrior team up (it was their fault after all) to earn the money they required to keep them out of the jail and maybe make them even solvent.  But the mission they were hired for will take them into the Deadlands and in order to survive, the three will have to become a team to contend with.  What happens when a wizard, an assassin and a soldier combine and become something much more than any of them expected….

 When a story opens with a tongue in cheek reference to a long-standing bar joke, I just knew I was in for a rollicking great time and Mina MacLeod’s Swords, Sorcery & Sundry delighted me at every turn.  How I loved this story and MacLeod’s characters! From the very premise,three disparate people meet in a bar and bonding over a combined debt, I was hooked. And I stayed that way to the end of this adventure and the possibility of a series.  But I am getting ahead of myself.

Swords, Sorcery and Sundry is that wonderful and rare story that be listed either as a YA book or M/M Romance, an element that was intentional on the author’s part.  That is due largely because it is a story about the tight bonds of friendship first, and then the beginnings of a m/m romance between two of the friends secondly.  But always it is the ties of friendship that guides them and forms them into a family of sorts as well as a business.

Mina MacLeod has created some very charismatic characters for her story.  At first we are as much of a stranger to them as they are to each other.  Then believably that changes as a financial debt none can pay forces them to work together. I love watching the characters open up and reveal parts of themselves and their stories as the mission continues.  It felt both fantastical and realistic.  As the story progresses so does the friendship go from one of expediency to one of choice and close fellowship, the bonds shifting from the shallow need of a combined debt to  deep sense of comradeship and closeness.

All of the characters are both strong, equal in their own powers and talents, and open about their chances of success and pasts.  This turns out to be a close-knit group of friends.  Ashe, the women, is an amazing swords person and warrior.  Trust me, she needs no champion here, she is the champion.  She is sarcastic, smart, easy in her own skin, and doesn’t need a man to make her life fulfilling (although she doesn’t mind one on the side).  Nor does she fall in love with either of her friends.  What a relief!  A marvelous character you will connect with immediately no matter what manner of adventures or goings on she is involved in. Sylvain is a wizard, from the Muscari Aucheri kingdom of wizardry.  He is the first of the trio we meet as he forlornly enters Abelia on foot, having sold his precious mare to get the funds needed to eat and find room.  No longer in good standing at the Wizard Academy (no spoilers zone), he is at loose ends when he arrives at The Beckoning Siren Inn.  Disheveled, tired and thirty, it is still easy to see that Sylvain is a good compassionate man, haunted by his past but ready to move forward but where?  I loved Sylvain because while he has power, he is not a powerful presence and doesn’t dominate the proceedings or the other friends.  And then there is Niklas Valconaire, an assassin of great skill and little desire to be an assassin.  The dichotomy that is Niklas continues throughout the story. A tender killer, a shadow of death that covets life.  And Niklas is well aware of  the handsome wizard he is traveling with.   Niklas is the one character whose past is still waiting to be revealed whereas Ashe and Sylvain’s histories will become known by the end of their story.

There is a m/m romance here.  It’s sweet and gentle, even given the participants.  A first true relationship for both,and neither wants it to impede their friendship. So a dance begins between them that lasts the journey and the end of this tale.  But as I stated, their romance is a side issue, its the friendship that blossoms between them as they learn they can counter on each other to have their backs and support when needed.  Also a good joke, a flagon of wine, and perhaps even a lovely replacement mare, these are friends at ease with one another no matter the setting or situation they find themselves in.  That’s the best element of this story and reason alone to buy this book.

MacLeod has created a vivid, magical landscape for her friends to journey through.  It’s fraught full with the living dead, familiars, evil rulers and yes, corrupt businessman.  Not even fantasy can let us escape those.  And along for the journey is the new company born out of need and finalized in camaraderie. Swords, Sorcery & Sundry, a name picked by Ashe to Sylvain’s disgruntlement and  Niklas’ amusement as a way to sell their talents as a group.  As Sylvain is quick to point out time and again, he is not a sorcerer but a wizard.  But as Ashe remarks that doesn’t make a snappy title for their business and so a new venture is born.  And a series as well.

At the end of 330 pages, I still wanted their adventures together to continue.  I wanted more of their snark and funny dialogs, more of the surprises that are revealed along with new talents, and more of the marvelous friendship exhibited by all three.  Luckily for us all, Mina MacLeod is turning this story and characters into a series, Edges & Embers.   I can’t wait to see what new escapades and dangers will befall them.   All I know is that my expectations are as high as my excitement over this series and a new author to love.  Consider Swords, Sorcery and Sundry (well you can’t very well advertise Assassinations can you?) a must read and highly recommended story. I think you will love it as much as I do.

Happy Reading!

Cover art by Le Burden Design.  I am a fan of the old cover design favored here.  Lovely job.

Buy Links:          ARe        LT3   Amazon  

Book Details:

ebook, 330 pages
Published May 21st 2014 by Less Than Three Press LLC
original titleSwords, Sorcery, and Sundry
ISBN139781620043639
edition languageEnglish

Review: Miles and the Magic Flute by Heidi Cullinan

Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5

Miles and the Magic FluteMiles Larson believes the world has turned against him.  The poor economy cost him his cushy job and lifestyle, now Miles lives in considerably reduced circumstances back in his hometown in Minnesota. At least that’s how he sees it.  He works in a friend’s pawn shop fixing broken down appliances while living in his friend’s trailer behind the shop.  And all the time, he is thinking “why me, why did this happen to me?”  As Miles begrudgingly goes to work and then home, the only thing that lifts his spirits is a walk in the woods nearby, a place of solice and adventure when little,  now a blessed respite from the disappointment that is his life.   Little does he know that as he bemoans his life, the wood have ears and are listening.

One day at the pawn shop, a box of personal goods to be sold revealed an intricately carved silver flute to be pawned.  When asked to research its origin, Miles’s investigation opens up an enchanted world where one can have all he wants if only he asks the right question.  Before he realizes it his reality becomes one of two worlds vying for his body and soul.  An ethereally gorgeous fae wants Miles to choose him and his world but is everything there exactly as it seems?  Who is the beast he encounters along with the Fae Lord in the Otherworld?  For each choice that Miles might make, a price is to be paid.  But what is the price of being given everything you desire?  What if what you desire wars with true love and happiness? What price will you pay then? Only Miles can answer those questions…now if only he knew what those answers are….

Miles and the Magic Flute is less a romance and more of Heidi Cullinan’s LGBTQ version of Aesop’s Fables.  Or should that be Cullinan’s Fae Fables?  An intricately layered cautionary tale, Miles and the Magic Flute starts with one character whose sense of entitlement and displeasure with his current status starts the games of enchantment to follow.

From the beginning Cullinan builds two very realistic and opposite worlds to vy for Mile’s body and soul.  One is the small town in Minnesota that Miles has returned to after losing his job and condo in the big city.  A sense of desperation covers the town like a layer of dust.  A factory has closed putting much of the town’s population out of work, and sometimes only the largesse of his friend Patty of Patty’s Pawn shop keeps some of them from going without food or a home.  A cluttered store filled with the bits and pieces of peoples lives, the pawn store has been passed from father to daughter as has the trailer behind it.  Into the shop flow various sundry folk, from a hispanic family seriously weighing how they will spend their strictly budgeted dollars to an antagonistic bully who learns that homophobic slurs will cost him big time from the lesbian pawnbroker.   Cullinan paints these small town characters with the same brush as her main ones, and they are as realistically detailed and human as they could be.  You can feel the paint peeling and the cars falling apart from neglect from the author’s descriptions of a small town barely surviving and the people who remain behind while others have left.

The second world starts off as nothing more than a shivery feeling as Miles walks through the woods nearby.  A feeling of being watched, a ripple in the air, the appearance of a small white flower in winter, and little by little Cullinan’s Otherworld, the Fae Dream world arrives to encroach on Miles’ reality and the well being of all.  I loved how the author built up not only Miles anticipation and sense of alarm but the readers as well.  Layer by layer the magic comes and at first its wondrous and enchanting….and then it deepens to something more.  And as we begin to  get a true sense of exactly what and who the Fae Lord represents, Cullinan continues to pivot us and Miles back and forth between reality and desire, human and Fae until the contrasting images and worlds start to blend eerily into each other. The author’s locations and world building is superb and each feels as real as the other.

Heidi Cullinan has also provided the readers with one of the most realistic and wonderful lesbian couples that I can remember. Patty with her blunt ways and mannerisms that cover a depth of personality just waiting to be revealed.  And  Julie whose perceptions and world views are startling and compelling.  I loved this couple and they provide the anchor that the story and Miles requires.  Patty and her long time lover, Julie, have slowly been pulling Miles out of his depression over losing his job and successful life in Atlanta at Fetterman Financial.  Patty gave him a job fixing the appliances she pulls out of trashcans or brought into the store.  Julie feeds him vegan food she cooks from her amazing garden out back and items she has traded for.  Cullinan does an exemplary job of conveying how grey and small this world appears to Miles in his current  emotional state, the businesslike and frank manner in which Patty deals with her customers and Miles, and the generous, compassionate nature that is Julie’s answer to everything she confronts in life.  And while we see their trailer, business and partnership only from Miles’ viewpoint, it is clear that Miles’  self-absorbed outlook keeps him from seeing his friends  and their lives in a clear and realistic way.

And that is part of what I feel is a real issue for the reader here.  The story is told from Miles’ point of view.  And he is whiney, complaining, and his sense of entitlement is hard to take after a while.  I get that we need to see Miles at his worst in order to get a base line from which we can chart his growth but that doesn’t make his selfishness and self centeredness any easier to take.   Even as Miles realizes that he sees everything now through his “Atlanta filter”, comparing and contrasting his current life against that which he lost, his musings become a Greek chorus of want, hate, and envy.  “I hate this, I hate my life, I hate what I’ve become, I hate what I lost, I hate realizing that I never really had it.” and finally “I hate my life and I would do anything and give anything to change it.”    Heartfelt worlds that the woods, or someone in the woods is listening to and geting ready to answer with an offer.

But the most damning words here are probably the ones that the readers will recognize, if not understand.  How the readers feels about hearing Miles utter them will reflect in how much the reader will like this story.  Those words are the ones that will propel Miles to accept an offer too good to be…well good.  And they are “I’m better than this.  I deserve so much better than this.”  What an all too human phrase…one that probably propels many a person into actions that they will regret later on.  How readers feel about Miles’ sense of entitlement will be the lens through which they view this story.  For many, I think it will mean they look at Miles and his predicament with a sense of detachment.  And no matter what befalls Miles, that lack of emotional investment in his problems and terrors will keep readers disconnected from the story and Miles.  I will admit I came perilously close to that detachment myself.  It took me much longer to connect with Miles than I anticipated and by then the story was almost over.

As I said this is a story of lessons and morality.  “Beware of what you wish for, as you just might get it”, “Be happy with what you have,” actually Miles and the Magic Flute is a roll call of lessons from Aesop’s Fables among others.  Whether it is about appearances being deceiving or giving one’s enemies the means for your own destruction, Cullinan lines them up and marches Miles through them on his way to  enlightenment, redemption, and finally love.

Yes, there is several love stories here, although no romances.  I wish I had a better understanding of “the Beast” here, he is the one character without much substance.  There is so much about Miles and the Magic Flute that is as wondrous as its plot.  From Terris and Murali to Patty and Julie and the worlds they all inhabit, Cullinan’s ability to bring both the magical and the mundane to life is amazing.  I just wished I had more of a connection to Miles, that I had wept when he did but ultimately that didn’t happen here.    Other readers might find themselves incredibly moved by Miles’ story and the terrific ending that Heidi Cullinan has crafted for them all.  Pick up this book and decide for yourself.  I am still so very happy that I read it and journeyed for a while in their shoes.

Cover art by Wilde City Press.  What a beautiful, magical cover.  Loved it.

Publisher’s Note: This title has been previously published and has been revised from its original release

 

Buy Links:    Wilde City Press       Miles and the Magic Flute ” Amazon          ARe

 

Book Details:

ebook, 2nd Edition
Published May 27th 2014 by Wilde City Press (first published June 7th 2010)
original titleMiles and the Magic Flute
edition languageEnglish
urlhttp://www.heidicullinan.

Review: Diego (Endangered Fae #2) by Angel Martinez

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Diego Endangered Fae coverDiego Sandoval’s life changed utterly the day he rescued an ailing Fae under the Brooklyn Bridge.  From dumped lover and struggling author, Diego’s life is now filled with the love of Finn, his Pookie lover and the book Finn inspired has gotten Diego a league of fans and followers.  Now relocated to a remote area of Montana, life is good but change is in the wind once more….

A misunderstanding between Finn and Diego shatters their happy lives when in a fit of jealous rage, Diego’s uncontrolled power rips a hole in the Veil which seals his universe away from the Otherworld.  The Otherworld is the place where all Fae fled in the face of humankind proliferation and despoiling of the Earth.  Pulled unwittingly into the Otherworld, Diego must learn how to use his powers, find Finn and make their way back home.

But so many obstacles stand in their way, including a mysterious disease that is slowly killing all the Fae, a disease that all Fae are sure Diego can cure.  And if that is not enough to contend with, then the appearance of the US Army with its own assumptions might be the biggest problem of all….

When a book and characters are able to pull me into their story to the point that I forget the time and other things I need to be doing then I know that the author has accomplished their mission as a craftsman of tales, a first rate storyteller that would be welcomed at any fire or table around.  That’s how I felt about Diego (Endangered Fae #2) when I finally put down the Kindle and looked at the clock.  I couldn’t believe how late it was or how absorbed I had been in Diego, the second book in the Endangered Fae series by Angel Martinez.  I loved the first story, but this one built on that and became so much better….

This is a complex story with numerous characters, locations and worlds involved. Once again, Martinez pulls from a number of mythologies to build her two universes and multitude of Fae species.  Diego follows months, perhaps a year, after the events of Finn.  They have moved into a cabin in the wilds of Montana,  and Diego has become a successful author based on his first published story about a fictionalized Finn.  But a state of happiness is an unknown territory for both man and Fae and Martinez is wise to include the points of view of both Diego and Finn here to highlight their feelings and insecurities about their relationship and each other.

Finn, while long lived or even immortal, has not had a happy history with relationships, especially his last one which ended in his dismemberment and his lover’s torture and burning.  And lurking underneath a traumatic history with love or because of it, is a case of poor self image and enough insecuritiesto fill a canyon.  He wants to be worthy of Diego, but is not sure exactly how to accomplish that.  He fears that Diego will abandon him even as Diego tries to reinforce the depth of his own feelings towards the Fae.  Diego too has a bad history of romance behind him.  Two insecure new lovers must balance their new relationship with the needs of each other, different species included.  That’s a heavy task that Martinez has placed in front of her two main characters and that is only the beginning as well as the foundation for most of their issues.  A stable, loving relationship is so new to both that neither understands how to communicate their fears or feel secure enough in their love for each other to question the firmness of the foundation upon which they base their feelings.  That an impressive fracture to overcome for any new couple, let alone a human and a Fae.  Plus both have a history with Diego’s prior self, Taliesin and the power that Diego has yet to harness.  More issues still for the couple.  I mean Martinez has these two on such shaky emotional ground (believably so) that its a wonder each gets out of the bed they are so fond of.

But an emotional jealous rage shatters a barrier raised by a Fae Queen and both are drawn into an ancient feud that has dire consequences for all.  Here Martinez delves deep into Fae mythology and comes up with some astonishing characters.  From Dana to Balor, ancient enemies with a common sorrow between them, and Lugh, half kin, ex lover and soldier, such amazing characters of immense gravitas and magic await the reader on the other side of the Veil.  And none of them even remotely come across as human.  This element of the story is incredibly compelling and magnetic in its pull.  I loved Martinez’ ability to continue with her relationship dynamics between Finn and Diego while building on Finn’s history and complex relationships with others in the Otherworld.  This will just add to the problems they face, trust me.

One aspect of this story will be the arrival (I won’t say where) of a top secret US Army detachment.  Their impact upon our beloved characters and story isn’t for the squeamish.  While Martinez is not as graphic as she might have been, my imagination supplied far too many details on top of the ones the author already delivered.  Vivid, traumatic, scary….just what you might expect from such an encounter.  The detachment fills much the same role as the Wendig0 did for the first story.  It shakes everything up, provides a enemy to thwart, and makes the ending of the story that much more satisfactory for all everyone went through to get to the resolution.  Not a easy element to read but so worthwhile once you get to the other side.  Don’t flinch…move smartly forward.  Trust me, its worth it.

So many wonders to be found here in this story and series.  I loved the Fae, all of them, and the Otherworld. I loved that Diego’s cultural identity is as important as Finn’s Fae one, a lovely touch that adds spice to the Endangered Fae melting pot of a series.  I absolutely fell in love over and over again with character after character, no matter the species and how much fun is that?

I am getting ready for the third book in the series, Semper Fae (great title).  It deals with the romance between a soldier who plays a major role in this story and another great chacracter found here too.  No spoilers as yet.  It won’t be out for several months.  Until then, get started on this series.  Start with Finn, and then go on to Diego.  I will meet you back here for Semper Fae.

Consider Diego (and Finn) definite recommendations from ScatteredThoughtsandRogueWords.  Such happy findings….I can’t wait to see where Angel Martinez takes us all next….

 

 

Cover art by Winterheart Designs.  Nice  cover, love the models standing in for both characters.

Buy Links:              MLR Press        Diego: Endangered Fae Series ” title=”Amazon buy link”> Amazon            ARe

Book Details:

book, 3rd, 296 pages
Published June 6th 2014 by MLR Press (first published September 16th 2010)
original titleDiego
ISBN 1608209342 (ISBN13: 9781608209347)
urlhttp://www.mlrbooks.com/ShowBook.php?book=AM_DIEGO
seriesEndangered Fae #2
charactersDanu, Finn Shannon, Diego Sandoval, Lugh, Balor
settingMontana (United States)
Otherworld ,Tearman Island

Books in the series include:

Finn (Endangered Fae #1)
Finn’s Christmas (Endangered Fae #1.5) (note: this was folded into Finn as the last chapter in the latest edition)
Diego (Endangered Fae #2)
Semper Fae (Endangered Fae #3)