Category: Fantasy

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

Rating: 4.5⭐️

“Here is your campus map. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Zodiac Academy (12 book series):

The Awakening #1

Ruthless Fae #2

The Reckoning #3

Shadow Princess #4

Cursed Fates #5

Fated Throne #6

Heartless Sky #7

Sorrow and Starlight #8

Beyond the Veil #9

Restless Stars #10

The Awakening As Told By The Boys #11

Live and Let Lionel #12

Buy link

        Zodiac Academy: The Awakening

    

Blurb 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Review:  The Hidden God of Open Doors by Tavia Lark

Rating: 3🌈

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cute. 

Buy link 

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

Blurb 

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

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

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

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

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

And Raider doesn’t believe in impossible.

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

Previously published in the Heart2Heart Volume 7 Paranormal Anthology 

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

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

Rating:  4.5 ⭐️

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Highly recommended. And what a gorgeous cover.

Fae & Alchemy:

Quicksilver #1

Brimstone #2 – Nov 18, 2025

Buy link

        Quicksilver (Fae & Alchemy Book 1)

    

Blurb 

An instant #1 New York Times bestseller!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rating: 5⭐️

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Love these covers.

Cover design by Lisa Marie Pompilio.

The Shepherd King Duology-complete:

🔹One Dark Window #1

🔹Two Twisted Crowns #2

Buy link:

        Two Twisted Crowns (The Shepherd King Book 2)

    

Blurb 

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

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

And he’s not eager to share any longer.

Praise for One Dark Window:

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

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

The Shepherd King 

One Dark Window 

Two Twisted Crowns

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

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

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

Rating: 4.75⭐️

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Highly recommended and thrilled to have found this author. 

Cover design by Lisa Marie Pompilio.

The Shepherd King Duology-complete:

🔹One Dark Window #1

🔹Two Twisted Crowns #2

Buy link:

        One Dark Window (The Shepherd King Book 1)

    

Blurb 

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

Elspeth needs a monster. The monster might be her.

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

But nothing comes for free, especially magic. 

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

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

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

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

Lady Grace and Her Knights - M.D. Grimm

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

Two knights are better than one…

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

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

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

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

Samuel doesn’t stand a chance.

Universal Buy Link

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

QueeRomance Ink: https://www.queeromanceink.com/book/lady-grace-and-her-knights/

Giveaway

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

a Rafflecopter giveawayhttps://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js

Direct Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/b60e8d47312/

Excerpt

Lady Grace and Her Knights meme - M.D. Grimm

She ran.

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

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

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

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

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

He froze.

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

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

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

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

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

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

He flinched.

She frowned.

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

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

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

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

“Watch—”

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

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

“Masked coward!”

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

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

He raised his axe.

She screamed and raised her knife.

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

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

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

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

“Samuel,” he said, still panting.

Author Bio

M.D. Grimm Logo

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

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

Author Website: https://mdgrimmwrites.com/

Author Facebook (Personal): http://www.facebook.com/mdgrimmwrites

Author Facebook (Author Page): https://www.facebook.com/mdgrimmbooks

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

Author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/mdgrimm

Author Liminal Fiction (LimFic.com): https://www.limfic.com/mbm-book-author/m-d-grimm/

Author QueeRomance Ink: https://www.queeromanceink.com/mbm-book-author/m-d-grimm/

Other Worlds Ink logo

Review:  Daughter of No Worlds (The War of Lost Hearts, #1) by Carissa Broadbent

Rating: 5⭐️

I’ve recently started reading what’s called romantasy, a broad term that covers a range of tropes that, honestly, don’t involve my interpretation of romanticism. 

The War of Lost Hearts, a fantastically well written complete fantasy trilogy, is an excellent example of a that. 

Daughter of No Worlds is the first novel in the series and introduces Carissa Broadbent’s fantasy world and incredible characters.  The author dumps the reader immediately into chaos, a war torn world and the most horrifying of choices forced upon the two main characters at moments that inflicts severe pain, deep damage, and forever changes the course of their lives. 

For Tisaanah, a child who becomes a slave, her distinctive appearance and “touch of magic “ identifying her to the slavers as a Fragmented one, not a true Valtain

Too young for to be sold as a prostitute, her ability to use magic,  be a Wielder, sees her sold away from the mines and as a slave to a Master in a city. 

That’s just the end of the Prologue. And where our story begins. Tisaanah is a character so beautifully written with complex layers that slowly reveal themselves throughout the storyline. We able to feel her rage, her endless well of determination and endurance as she struggles through unbelievable humiliation and crushing cruelty to obtain her goals. 

Broadbent doesn’t shy away from the violence but while the storyline and Tisaanah refer to her own life as a woman who was assaulted by her master and as a part of her life as a slave, it’s not a on page act or memory. She very clearly has taken charge of how she’s views the path she’d having to take, and vocal about how her actions have impacted it. 

The other main character is Max, a former member of The Order and a person who, unwillingly at first, becomes Tisaanah’s teacher and mentor.   He’s not as compelling as Tisaanah at first because she’s so powerful and magnetic a personality that it takes a little bit to find the balance between them.

But the author’s writing, vividly capturing Tisaanah’s learning process when it comes to languages as well as magic, and both of them awkward in their respective roles, it just works. 

This is an epic fantasy story, one of revenge, monsters, magic and triumph over extreme tragedy.  It really doesn’t need romance, and here the slow burn romance barely gets under way. 

The potential for greatness and for even greater evil is built in every where here. That’s a fantastic element of the story and series. A character that appears to be a true friend could easily become a force for the villain. Or the villain itself.  

Broadbent is building an imaginative immersive world, one that continues to expand and evolve as the story develops.   I couldn’t put this book down. 

The cast of characters is just as powerful and fascinating as the main characters they surround. It helps sustain the beliefs that this universe exists and that our connection to it has deep believability. 

I’m immediately onto the next book . But I highly recommend reading this. BookTok has jumped all over this and I absolutely agree. I love it. 

Now a word about that cover . If I was going on covers alone, I wouldn’t have picked up the book.  It’s not as good portrayal of the character, imo, based on the author’s description. Tisaanah is a striking character. A Fragmented person, whose appearance reflects that:

“her skin and hair that was totally white, completely sapped of color, while splotches of what would have been her natural deeper coloring crawled across her skin. One green eye, one white. Streaks of dark mingling in silver hair.”

Her body is also heavily covered in scars, front and back.  That’s a person who has many unique features.The cover just doesn’t do her justice. My opinion.

Cover art by Ina Wong doesn’t work for me for very specific reasons. 

The War of Lost Hearts:

Daughter of No Worlds #1

Children of Fallen Gods #2

Mother of Death and Dawn #3

Buy link

        Daughter of No Worlds (The War of Lost Hearts Book 1)

    

Blurb 

A former slave fighting for justice. A reclusive warrior who no longer believes it exists. And a dark magic that will entangle their fates.

Ripped from a forgotten homeland as a child, Tisaanah learned how to survive with nothing but a sharp wit and a touch of magic. But the night she tries to buy her freedom, she barely escapes with her life.

Desperate to save the best friend she left behind, Tisaanah journeys to the Orders, the most powerful organizations of magic Wielders in the world. But to join their ranks, she must complete an apprenticeship with Maxantarius Farlione, a handsome and reclusive fire wielder who despises the Orders.

The Orders’ intentions are cryptic, and Tisaanah must prove herself under the threat of looming war. But even more dangerous are her growing feelings for Maxantarius. The bloody past he wants to forget may be the key to her future… or the downfall of them both.

But Tisaanah will stop at nothing to save those she abandoned. Even if it means gambling in the Orders’ deadly games. Even if it means sacrificing her heart.

Even if it means wielding death itself.

Fans of epic romantic fantasy like Sarah J. Maas and Raven Kennedy will devour this tale of dark magic, passionate romance, vengeance, and redemption.

(Note: This book contains adult material.)

  • Publisher: (January 7, 2020)
  • Publication date: January 7, 2020
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 520 pages

Review:  Blood of Hercules: Villains of Lore Book 1) by Jasmine Mas 

Rating: 5

While this is found under the popular label romantasy, in my mind, Blood of Hercules: Villains of Lore Book 1) by Jasmine Mas represents the finest aspects of dark fantasy fiction.

I haven’t read this author’s work before but found myself unable to put this book down once I started reading.  Mas has created many imaginative, thrilling and, yes, startlingly twisted ways of looking at Greek mythology and the Greek pantheon, both of which serve as foundation and universal elements of the series. 

Using this as a foundation to establish a dystopian world where Fate still meddles in the internecine politics of the gods , and humans who have borne the brunt of both the actions of themselves and the gods. And not fared well for it. 

Mas’ main character is a girl. Alexis, a incredibly detailed, believable, and heart wrenching character. She’s also when we meet her a very young, damaged one, currently in an extremely abusive foster home, if you could call a broken trailer that. A younger boy, a toddler, will be added to this group. 

This story is full of trauma and triggers. Read them and take note. Among them child abuse. Starvation, physical abuse, violence, and death. And once Alexis is taken, there’s more for her to endure. This is dark, dark, fiction. She’s considered a mutt, along with others. 

Romance? Mas actually refers to the fact that the Greek gods don’t have much in the way of real romance. Or monogamous pairs. Hades and Persephone being the outliers. It’s a free for all in terms of gender and sexuality and numbers.  The love seen here is saved for brutality and violence. Death and destruction.

There’s obsession, acquisition, and power. Romance? Not so much. So don’t expect any.

This is a brilliantly written piece about a young woman’s ability for to survive. To be betrayed, torn down to near death , and forced into new plans for her future. 

There’s multiple POV’s (importantly placed) but luckily, Mas keeps the primary voice to Alexis’, our strong hero of the story. She’s funny, acerbic , brilliant, deeply traumatized, scarred, violent about not being touched. And has a hidden goal of her own. She’s mesmerizing, tragic, persistent. And constantly on the brink of either utter success or failure. The reader is never sure which. 

I found it impossible to remove myself from her horrifying journey to the Spartan War Academy where she struggles through the terrifying physical and mental challenges and courses that the gods have given her and the rest of the applicants. 

Its layer upon layer of excellently constructed vividly described world building and intensely complex relationship dynamics. The characters involved, mostly her god mentors and Professors, present hidden dangers and dangerous narrative twists. 

Like Alexis, the reader learns quickly that any scene that’s seemingly funny or perilously entertaining is very temporary. That’s not a world where easy, casual or enjoyable is to be trusted.  

It ends on a note that’s just shy of being called a cliffhanger. If so, it’s ending that makes that next book even more greatly anticipated and thrilling. 

I’m headed back to reread this immediately.  I’m certain I missed key elements as layered with images and important information as it relates to the gods and history.

I highly recommend reading this but keep in mind that it’s dark fantasy fiction. If you’re looking for romance and high fantasy, this isn’t for you. 

Villains of Lore:

Blood of Hercules #1

Bonds of Hercules #2 – October 28,2025

Buy link

        Blood of Hercules: A Dark Romantasy of Myth and Power, Perfect for Fans of Greek Mythology and Spicy BookTok Reads: The Best Fantasy Romance of 2024 (Villains of Lore Book 1)

    

Blurb 

The overnight viral sensation everyone is talking about, Blood of Hercules, is a sarcastically funny, dark fantasy romance reimagining of Hercules from bestselling author Jasmine Mas—now available in paperback with full color character art, bonus content, and embossed lettering.

I’m just a girl. And it turns out, I’m Hercules.

I’m struggling to survive in a Titan infested world where Spartans, immortals from twelve royal families who have god-like powers and obscene wealth, rule over all. A shy-stammering foster child with nothing, I keep my head down, cover my scars, and focus on excelling in school. At least, I try to. Then it happens.

My blood test reveals I’m part of the powerful elite. I’m one of them. A Spartan.

Forced to attend the Spartan War Academy, I undergo the most harrowing test of all time to see if I have what it takes to be an immortal. There’s just a few problems. Achilles and Patro are my scary mentors. Kharon, the ferryman of death, and Augustus, the son of war, are my terrifying professors. Also, I’m pretty sure either someone’s stalking me everywhere I go, or my sanity’s slipping––I have a bad feeling both are true.

I’m surrounded by Villains and they’re smothering me with their hate, obsession, and dark possessiveness. Too bad for them, they have no clue just who they’re messing with.

A Dark Romantasy for readers who love:

  • “Who did this to you?”
  • Why Choose Romance
  • Extreme Enemies to Lovers
  • Morally Gray Alpha Heroes
  • Zodiac Academy, Quicksilver and When the Moon Hatched
  • Publisher: Canary Street Press (October 1, 2024)
  • Publication date: October 1, 2024
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 498 pages

Review: Coil of Boughs (The Underforest Duology Book 1) by Penny Moss

Rating: 4.5🌈

Once again, it’s a stunning cover that had drawn my attention to a book and author I hadn’t known about. Coil of Boughs, is the first in a two book dark fantasy series The Underforest by Penny Moss. It’s a fantastic read, full of complex, well written characters and great world building. 

The gorgeous cover gives the reader images of the characters and world inside but the imagery and fantasy elements that Moss creates are ones that make the story and themes of morality, redemption and love compelling and intriguing.

The description doesn’t really convey the breadth of this book.  It’s an epic dark fantasy adventure which starts with a world where the worst has already happened.  We work backwards, through memories, challenges , and conversations with others to explore the events that lead up to the current horrific situation.

It’s a fascinating approach, one where the reader isn’t always sure what to expect from Ryurikov, the complex, morally ambiguous main character whose redemption arc became the driving force for the narrative. Beside him is the magical, wonderful woods demon Awimak, who feeds on dreams. There’s a crafty, mysterious notorious witch who lives in a hut in a walking tree.  And so much more.  A endlessly burning land, terrifying creatures, and a world that needs saving. 

Also this is a dark fantasy so yes, there’s horror and bloodshed and death everywhere. Be warned. 

It ends not exactly on a cliffhanger but on the idea that another quest is about to start.  I can’t wait for this final book to be released.

Highly recommended for all lovers of dark fantasy.

“Cover Art by: Penny Moss”

Buy link

        Coil of Boughs (The Underforest Duology Book 1)

    

Blurb 

Skilled archer Ryurikov enjoys an unfettered life of thieving and debauchery. He wasn’t expecting to die at the hands of a witch while trying to steal from her. Neither did he expect to be revived by spirits with morally stringent demands. Or to be followed by a demon, hungry for his dreams. Luckily, Ryurikov has plenty of good dreams to trade in exchange for the demon’s help. He also possesses a wealth of denial about his past, his growing feelings for the demon, and the creatures slowly burning kingdoms to ashes. Too bad for Ryurikov, since he has no choice but to face all three.

  • Publisher: Penny Moss (June 1, 2024)
  • Publication date: June 1, 2024
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 312 pages

Review:  Deadly Deception : Necromancer Tales Book 2 by MJ May

Rating: 5🌈

Superlative. Once again May is building a suspenseful, dynamic, thrilling new series by introducing a villain that’s truly horrifying by its  truly threatening but yet unknown nature.  But first, a fantastic well crafted, compelling murder mystery, full of secrets, bodies, ghosts, another necromancer , more world building, and just a outstanding story. 

Have to wait until the end but by the scenes described, the reader can imagine the scope of its plotting. One so immense that’s been unknown,  whose power and potential to harm this series’  world and characters will hang over each story.

Fabulous.

It starts with May taking her Erasmus Boone and Franklin O’Hare out of their homes and comfort zone, away from their jobs, family, friends and the warmth of the Mississippi , back to Chicago and the Midwest where Detective Franklin O’Hare came from and still has ties. 

It’s a great way to start. It’s cold. The Chicago PD murder case is fraught with danger, both in terms of emotional distress and the likelihood of prejudice against Boone. And then there’s the question of Franklin’s family who wants to meet Boone for the first time as well since they became a couple. 

The characters May creates for the Chicago PD and at every other aspect of the story are just as well defined, beautifully executed as any that’s come before. Their personalities develop and grow as the cases and investigations become more complex, just as you would imagine. 

Series characters are also evolving. Aurelia the djinn is finding new facets to her personality, possible emotions to figure out, and those are her struggle with her increasing unpredictability.  May’s strength in writing otherworldly beings that are absolutely at their core non human make her books magical, powerful, and often terrifying.  For the reader and the characters in the stories.

I can’t wait for this series to continue. What an amazing, scary journey lies ahead.  Highly recommended!  And I love seeing crossover characters from the Pixie series make connections here!

This is a must read, as it the series before it. 

Another excellent cover design by cheriefox

Related/Preceding Series:

Perfect Pixie Series 

🔹Perfectly Imperfect Pixie 

🔹Perfectly Perfect Pixie: Peaches’s Story 

🔹Perfectly Charmed Pixie: Parsnip’s Story 

🔹Perfectly Perplexing Zombie: Wendall’s Story 

🔹Purrfectly Peculiar Pixie: Phlox’s Story—End

Necromancer Tales:

Deadly Lineage #1

Deadly Deception #2

Buy Link:

        Deadly Deception: Necromancer Tales Book II

    

Blurb 

Necromancer Erasmus Boone’s life is better than he ever imagined. Bucking the typical necromancer storyline, Erasmus has managed to carve out a life filled with love and purpose. With Halloween fast approaching, Erasmus is ready to enjoy his favorite time of year. Unfortunately, Detective Franklin O’Hare’s Midwestern past has other ideas.

Covered in blood and found wandering the streets surrounding Chicago, a necromancer is being accused of murder—the victim and circumstances unknown. Mentally unstable, this unfortunate necromancer is in jeopardy of being railroaded for a crime he may or may not have been involved in. Franklin O’Hare’s former captain doesn’t want to witness another victimized necromancer. Aware of Franklin’s association with Erasmus, he calls on them for help.

Now headed for chillier climes, Erasmus and Franklin need to figure out if a crime has been committed, and if there’s one thing Erasmus excels at, it’s finding where the bodies are buried. Only Erasmus doesn’t just fine one victim; he finds several. When the souls of the departed blame their deaths on a long dead bogeyman, it becomes clear the local sheriff has a problem and a necromancer accused of murder is just the tip of the iceberg.

Between bringing back the dead, dealing with local prejudices, and meeting Franklin’s family, Erasmus has his plate full. Add on a worried warlock father and more than one attempted assassination, and Erasmus is more than ready to pack it up and head back to the warm Mississippi breeze. 

Deadly Deception is the second book in the Necromancer Tales series and should be read in order. This series is a spin-off of the Perfect Pixie series and takes place in the same world but can be read as a stand-alone series. Deadly Deception is a m/m romantic fantasy mystery with an unusually sane necromancer just trying to make a living, a humble human detective attempting to keep his necromancer boyfriend alive, an arrogant but redeemably overprotective warlock father, a deceptive killer, a questionably moral all-powerful djinn, a kitten who can’t figure out how it wound up in a backpack, let alone staring through a plastic bubble, humans—some redeemable and some not, a chilly Chicago fall, and a playfully bloodthirsty vampire. Deadly Deception has a HFN ending as it is part of an ongoing series. 

Mentions of violence, murder, souls brought back from the beyond, spaciest bigotry, and a few characters of questionable morals and sanity.

  • Publication date: January 21, 2025
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 335 pages