This series has exponentially expanded its world building and arc themes with each new book. Itās dramatically improved over the previous stories while making the series consistent.
Body By Mage brings us a very familiar character to focus on. The ex small bit thief, recovering magical magpie of a minor mage, Rob Walters is back.
Snarky, sarcastic, well meaning but just canāt help it if trouble comes along, constantly chattering Rob, is off doing a favor when he runs into a mess.
Thatās heās trying to steal something for a good cause doesnāt help him. Itās in the sex club office of its owner, Orion Lennox. Heās an incubus whoās been looking for Rob. Thereās been a slew of dead bodies and Rob has a hint , whether heās knows or not, as to whoās behind it.
This meeting leads to a story of fantastic proportions. As well as an unexpected romance and so many twists, that I gobbled this story up and was ready for more.
Manning has written a tale that has so many storylines to grab your attention and make you think about all the various characters. The complex relationship dynamics, especially that of the incubus and mage, the balance of power, and other aspects of their lives are so strong that you forget at times the reason they met to begin with.
The dead bodies, the brutal backgrounds, and the monsters that are coming.
Manno Gās take on Hell is interesting and Iām sure will get more fleshed out when the finale is released.
But this story is completely complicated all on its own. It has a remarkable story, great characters, quite a few twists and revelations. And a cliffhanger too.
I actually enjoyed that.
Yes, Iām definitely recommending Body by Mage (Supernatural Affairs #4) by F.N. Manning . The series to date. But read them in the order they were written. Just marvelous!
Supernatural Affairs:
ā The Werewolfās Heart #1
ā Shifter for Brains #2
ā Crazy Like A Fox #3
ā Body By Mage #4
ā¦ The Soul of An Angel #5 – September 24, 2023 series finale
To stop a killer, a mage and an incubus need to get closer magicallyā¦ and sexually. But their hearts are off limits. Right?
Crime doesnāt pay. Not for Rob Walters. Being a petty criminal has only given him lots of enemies and a dwindling supply of magic, so heās trying to turn his life around. But when the mage nearly resorts to his old dirty tricks during a moment of weakness, a gorgeous incubus catches him and gives him an offer he canāt refuseā¦ a job offer.
When a deadly sex demon starts draining people dry and dropping bodies, Orion Lennox will do anything to stop the rogue predator who gives their kind a bad name. Heāll even team up with a loud-mouth mage who drives him crazy. The incubus assumes keeping things professional will be easy, but the growing magical and sexual connection between them is hard to resist.
Catching this monster is Robās best chance to atone for his past mistakes and level up his magic. Learning what makes mysterious, unbelievably sexy Orion tick is a nice incentive too. But his previous encounter with the dangerous demon theyāre hunting nearly destroyed him. Can Rob save the day and get the guy, or will the monster finish him off for good this time around?
Body by Mage is the fourth story in the Supernatural Affairs series of passionate M/M paranormal novels. Each book focuses on a new couple but reading in order is best for those who wish to avoid spoilers.
Rhys Lawless has gotten to be a must read for me so I picked up this latest book not realizing itās part of a much larger world of two , now three , connected series, set in the Cursed Hearts universe.
I havenāt read those but found it didnāt handicap me as much as I expected in terms of background. Lawless fills in much here in terms of foundation for the storyās structure so itās easy to mentally files bits and pieces away as the tale progresses.
And what an entertaining story it is.
Combining various mythologies, particularly Norse, Polish, and adding in twists and mashups to the story narrative makes this fantastic storytelling.
Creating a fantasy landscape of demon gods, witches, and a host of other paranormal beings to use as characters is exciting, imaginative and dangerous while still being a titch familiar for grasping that beingās history. And that works for the reader in every aspect of the storyline.
Especially when the book opens upon a tragedy of immense personal pain and suffering. The loss of one young witchās entire family by a brutal attack.
Tomasz, a young witch whoās never been able to utilize his powers, is filled with the need to find his familyās killers and get his revenge. But how?
Here comes along a central character whoās a bridge between every book. A ancient witch who lives under a bridge with the answers.
Tomasz needs help and gets it in the form of a demon mate. In this case, itās Loki, the master trickster! They are sealed together in a master/slave relationship thatās a complicated forced binding.
Itās explored on several levels here by Lawless. The guilty feeling it causes in Tomasz that heās forcing/must force Loki into the position of having no will, no say , complete servitude. Itās an anathema, especially as their affection grows stronger towards each other.
With Loki, a slave status or that of being forced into a submissive relationship, fills him with rage. Heās a god on a personal mission. It also will turn out that this element will have further philosophical implications, as certain plot points are revealed , that Lawless could but doesnāt fully give narrative voice or space to all the deeper issues it brings up.
Things like if a god has been forced into servitude for all the wrong reasons but it still has ended up being the right thing to do, should it have happened? Does one have the right to take away someoneās freedom for the greater good?
Thatās not sufficiently clear or explored here despite being raised several times by more than one person and in more than one way.
However, thereās so many other plot threads to deal with that things like this get overlooked or handled in a way that doesnāt quite have the necessary support for such heavy questions.
The plot lines converge swiftly towards the end, leaving the climax feeling a bit too rushed for all the characters and great plot twists involved. I hope to have more of the children and a certain ānot cat ā in future stories. They were fantastic.
Lawless sets us up for the next pair and development in this series. I guess Iāll be spending some of the time looking into those preceding series.
Iām recommending Loki and his Master (Demon Gods Book One) by Rhys Lawless for the levels of detail, the mythology, the characters, and the fast paced, highly entertaining story. Oh and the kinky sexy storyline.
The trickster god is free and he’s under my command.
When I asked the old witch under Camden Lock for help with avenging my family’s murder I didn’t expect her solution would be to invoke a powerful god.
Loki is big, strong and pissed!
Thankfully he’s bound to me so he can’t hurt me.
But the only way he’ll ever help me get my revenge is if I help him find someone really important first.
The problem is the more time I spend with him, the less I’m able to resist him.
But I can’t let my guard down.
He might say all he wants from me is to punch my V-card and end the people that killed my family, but I know he wants something more.
And I’m scared it has the potential to destroy everything.
How can a young, meek little witch like me tame a god like him?
Loki and his Master is the first book in the Demon Gods series, a spin-off series set in the Cursed Hearts universe.
Demon Gods is a contemporary fantasy MM romance/urban fantasy MM romance series where mythical gods are re-incarnated into the 21st century and let loose to destroy, avenge and fall in love with young little witches. Written in British English with US spelling and grammar.
Tags:
mythical gods modernized, witches, demons, master/servant, Ds, age gap, punching his v-card, hurt/comfort, forced co-operation, beauty and the beast vibes, alpha protector, tragic past, big/small pairing, lover in peril, trouble magnet, I don’t know if I can trust you, urban fantasy world, morally gray main characters, Polish folklore, Norse mythology
Soul Bound is a moving fantasy tale, a short story that just begs for a sequel because of the intriguing universe and fascinating characters.
Two desperate men, each in need of a magical solution to a horrible fate. They meet on the road to enter The Marvel, where the person chooses to undergo a series of trials to earn the right to a prize of their asking. However, the chances of being awarded the right to enter are limited and even less are those who survive The Marvel and exit to win the prize.
Cari Zās story drew me in for many reasons. She did a wonderful job creating a world where magic had gone, or was disappearing. What was left was a world of the mundane, the suffering, poor people, the powerful and the rich. We understood the characters, especially that of the warrior Caz. A scarred mercenary hiring himself out to help where needed, how he became cursed immediately puts us on his side. As does his actions every day. Heās a good hearted man, weary of being a warrior.
The other one wishing to enter The Marvel is a courtesan, Lias. Lias is traveling with a tiny bird companion on the way to the Marvel when they meet. His history is revealed slowly through out the story and conversations with Cas.
Of the two characters, for me , even when important details are revealed about their lives and reasons for the need Marvel trails, Cas remains the more sympathetic personality. I can see clearly how Cari Zās story will play out, although not the minutiae.
But sheās such an empathetic writer, that, even knowing how it will most likely proceed, Iām still invested in the characters, their emotional state, and their relationships.
I like the world, the people and want them to succeed.
Was I ever fully on board with Lias? Probably not. Was I still satisfied with the ending? Yes. Sometimes thatās the way it happens.
Iām recommending Soul Bound by Cari Z for its sympathetic characters, moving scenes, emotional depth , and fascinating themes.
Magic has faded out of everyday life. Only in the darkest corners of the world, or the richest coffers, does the power of magic endure.
Everyone says itās for the best.
When rogue magic lashes out, though, thereās only one place the afflicted can go to solve their problemsāthe Marvel.
Whoever is chosen to enter the Marvel has to endure a trial unlike any otherāa trial that most people fail, leaving their hopes and their bones behind to feed the wild magic of the place.
When two people are chosen, soul bound, to endure the trial simultaneouslyā¦well, either the gods have a sense of humor or the magic is angling for a feast. Can warrior Caz and courtesan Lias, men with wildly different magical problems, survive the trials if they work together?
Or will the magic feed on two souls instead of one?
Asher, the first in Mastersā new Demons-In-Law series about the fabulously wealthy Bailey clan of demons, see Gideon now mates to Lucifer Sam in the connected Hidden Species/Here Be Dragons series.
It all happens in the very isolated picturesque village of Hortplatz, high in the snowy, very snow mountains of Switzerland, where it has housed an entire settlement of demons.
After a visit by a verified surprises Lucifer Sam , there to meet his bfās family, it becomes a mission to help them understand the world they live in, itās diverse paranormal activity and species.
Enter Garrett Smythe! Masters excels at the instant connection, the chemistry that also brings a personal bond. The sex and the emotional touches that come from that first night between Garrett and Asher set the tone for what follows.
They are magic together. Absolutely believable as a couple bonding and in love.
The formidable Bailey family is led by Damaris, the family matriarch. Warrior, politician, all around scary person who adores her family, I love this character! The many Baileys , all the cousins to grandchildren are beings you want to spend time with. I enjoy the species history and physical biology that Masters has written that makes this and them so fascinating.
The other half is, of course, Hellhound. Thatās Garrett. And his cousin Alastair. His cousin is a well known character, part of several books. As much as I love him exuberance and way out there actions, here Alastair was actually too much. He had lost some of his charm and veered into being a bit of an irritant. Heās just getting used too much without the necessary underlying depths that made him a better person.
Garrett has those qualities and it makes him a fully dimensional Hellhound. And teacher, anthropologist, and loving new husband.
The relationships between the many characters, teachers to students, children to their large families, families to their community, itās real protective, and loving. I smiled through the entire read.
This story is funny, surprising, sexy, and has a great twist at the end to bring in familiar faces and a bridge to the next book.
Iām only sorry I canāt go directly onto the next book. But Iāll wait and perhaps reread some of the stories from the two previous series. Itās a great universe!
When your imaginary boyfriend turns up in your hometown, marriage is the only option.
Iām not anti-relationship, but my life is good right now, and love is not a priority. Too bad my grandmother disagrees. People say sheās scary, and sure, some of her enemies went missing under mysterious circumstances, but she loves me and wants the best for meā¦ which, right now, is marriage. The matchmaking is a lot, and sheās not letting up. Whatās a demon to do except invent a long-distance boyfriend?
That backfires hard when the one-night stand I based my fake boyfriend on arrives in our tiny village. Garrettās here to help our cut-off town assimilate with the rest of the Community of Species. Heās not expecting to find he has a boyfriend he knew nothing about.
It doesnāt take me long to convince him to agree to my new plan. I need the matchmaking to stop; he needs our insular little community to accept and trust him. The perfect solution: marriage. A business agreement with a time limit.
Just business.
Until he demands more. A sexy, nerdy hellhound in my bed isnāt a deal breaker.
But as we get closer to our end date, it gets harder for me to imagine life without him. And when my little cousin goes missing, itās Garrett who saves the dayā¦ and reveals secrets the village didnāt know we had.
In this hilarious spin-off from the Hidden Species series, Gideon’s cousins get their time to shine… beginning with Asher and his brand-new hellhound husband.
The Magic That Binds is the first in a new series by A.J. Sherwood and itās an excellent story. By the authorās own admission, itās been a long time coming. A fact made clear by the detailed nature of the bookās world building and the way in which Sherwood slowly creates this incredible, intimate bond between three unusual, and extremely distinct individuals.
This bond, a threefold relationship that forms from wary friendships and tenuous business/political connections then strengthens through mutual attraction, deepening connections, mysterious events, and ultimately love.
Sherwoodās beautifully plotted tale of a poly romantic journey is founded upon a backdrop of intricate magical intrigue and political power struggles. We are given a prologue as a base for our world knowledge before we jump into the high drama and mysteries that will bring the three men together in a fascinating, satisfying romantic tale.
Itās starts with Dag Gates, rogue healer, on the run in Nova Scotia, a country only recently having found peace and stability under new rule. Dag, an orphaned boy, a powerful healer, and a bit of an enigma, might start off as a favorite character. Heās all damaged soul, PTSD, and yet so bright and caring. A great character. Yet the two men coming into his life shortly after are different, in looks, backgrounds, and power. And will slide into the readerās heart as well. Maegan Stefan Bjorne, powerful mage, of a large loving theatrical family and possessing a heart wary of affection and commitment. Dark, strong and instantly drawn to Dag.
I felt their chemistry immediately.
Then came the bad boy or man. Businessman Mikkel Vinters, with two families, of which one is his chosen found family of a less lustrous reputation. Vinters so layered , his found family so fascinating , his mind so open to the possibilities both men represent to him and the future, that you are all in where heās concerned.
With each perspective, we get to know intimately the way each man thinks and feels, about the others and the increasingly precarious situations they find themselves in .
I just couldnāt put this book down.
They grow together, Dag ās new stable life lets him start to settle down emotionally, and that impacts the others. I really donāt see how Sherwood missed out on the natural progression here with the men and their poly relationship. Even the sexual scenes, which have the added element of one man being a virgin, feel believable , sexy, and loving.
Iām thrilled that Sherwood isnāt done with these men and this universe. I honestly need more . The author teases us with fabulous glimpses of family life, personal history, and castle home life. But we know that thereās so much more happening.
And we want to be a part of it. And them. Whenever we may get it.
The Magic That Binds (Haelan Book 1) by A.J. Sherwood is a fabulous book and one Iām highly recommending!
All Dag Gates wants is a place to call home. (And to practice magic freely.)
All Stefan Bjorne wants is peace in his adoptive country. (And less paperwork.)
All Mikkel Vinters wants is both of them. (No, really, he could do wedding bells.)
So why, pray tell, is half the magical community set on denying them all their wishes?
Tags:
Urban fantasy anyone?, slow burn, Mikkel is dying its so slow, pray for him, age gap, millionaire CEO is loose with no limits, cinnamon roll protection squad assemble!, polyamory at its best, Dag wants to eat all the things, all, magic, healing, childhood trauma, whoās chasing who is the question, Dagās shy, Stefanās a little insecure, thankfully Mikkel is neither, there is far too much food in this book, short but mighty, rules are established, Mikkelās type in men is sexy and dangerous, it hasnāt killed him yet, accidental husband acquisition, magical bindings, shenanigans shall now commence
Ten out of ten. Happily recommend. Isnāt that how itās done? Although for me that not nearly enough for this outstanding work by Sam Burns.
āThe magic filled every cell of my body to bursting, and the scorching, white-hot pressure made me want to scream. Born a fire mage, Iād never been burned before. I could jump into a bonfire naked, and it wouldnāt even feel overly warm.
For the first time in twenty-five years, I truly understood what it meant to burn.ā
So begins , The Elemental Ruins, the second book of Circle The Squareās two – story arc, a tale that involves no less than the dark magic, twisted murderous family histories and labyrinthine secrets, and four brothers whose fates and bonds will save two worlds.
Burnsā first novel was set on Earth on the day it was about to die, the birthday of Blaze Keys, water mage, twin brother to fire mage (and criminal king), River Keyes.
A fabulously detailed, exciting, adventure filled story, it ended on a cliffhanger. Which this book starts out on.
Thereās no way to go into the specifics of this intricately written, fabulously woven, adrenaline rush of a story. The characters are beautifully achieved in terms of their personalities and backgrounds, they have great storylines, and each is memorable in their own right, from the main characters to the supporting cast that have just scenes scattered throughout. They are solid and purposeful.
While I wish we could have spent more time throughout the world here to see how it differs from Earth, if any, what we do get is fascinating, so much so I hope Burns revisits this universe in the future.
The drama, the action, the downright white knuckle suspense? Amazingly well written. Especially racing towards the conclusion, where thereās fast action, shocking moments, and a great ending that awaits!
I love these characters, their journey to each otherās hearts, the race to save the Kingdom and the people. I wanted to linger to get to know them better. Especially the ones who had such an impact in such defining scenes. Grandmother, Iām looking at you.
So to the people left on Earth, thereās a chemistry and appeal to them thatās lasting. Crossover anyone?
Until that occurs, Iām highly recommending Circle The Square two book series. They must be read in order. What an absolute joy! Read them now. Then read them again, savoring the journey.
This blurb contains spoilers for book one, so proceed with caution!
What do you do the day after the world doesnāt end?
If youāre River Keyes (yeah, me), you try to figure out how youāre going to live without the internet. Because we might have kept two worlds from being destroyed, but now Iām trapped in a place with no electricity, no takeout, and no phoning home.
Worse, itās a world where my absent father is not just present, but in power, and even more of a jerk than I remember.
At least if Iāve got to be trapped away from home, thereās Lasya Zarani, hot elven general and best eye-candy ever. Once he decides whether he wants to cut me to ribbons or take me to bed, things might get interesting.
But thatās only if my father doesnāt kill one or both of us first.
The Elemental Ruins is the second of two books featuring travel between two very different worlds, a snarky criminal trapped far from home, the angry elven general heās lusting after, his terrible father, and a few surprises along the way. It concludes the story begun in The Elemental Keyes with happily ever afters all around.
Paranormal Princes: The Complete Series by Charlie Cochet is a fantastic way to binge read the series. Three stories, two bridged by a kingly developing tale of romance of its own which will resolve itself with the third series tale, a culmination of all three storylines.
I happily breezed through them, admittedly the first couple still being my favorite. Cochet really outdid herself with Prince Owin, Prince of the Ocelots. If youāve ever been owned by a cat, known a cat, or just plain observed any, then this character and felid portrayal of an ocelot shifter will ring so true you be laughing. I do every time he makes an appearance here, and in other stories. I heart him so much. Grimmwolf, wolf shifter and bodyguard , as ordered by their king and his advisor, is perfect for him as well.
This is, of course, my favorite story of the three. First and best, imo.
It goes that King Alarick , King (and father) of all Shifters, and the blind immortal Lord Jean Eldritch, kingās adviser , have devised individual quests for the Kingās children, the Princesses and Princes to prove they can rule their kingdoms and their people. Theirs is also a developing romance of over a thousand years, with a mystery included.
First quest and book is:
1. The Prince and His Bedeviled Bodyguard
The tale of a very adorable, spoiled persnickety ocelot prince and his quietly smitten wolfy bodyguard on a quest to prove the ocelot prince deserves his crown. Feline purfection! Feline high handed glam versus a canine werewolf sensibility, with maybe a long-standing crush. How they tackle the quest involves a magical bag, a purple orb, and some great crossover characters from a Macy Blake series!
2. The Prince and his Captivating Carpenter
The Prince this time is a deeply grieving bear shifter. Prince Bernd lost his father up on a mountain when they were hiking and heās never recovered from the tragedy. Heās withdrawn from his people and never leaves his castle. Until time for his quest.
His king and advisor have assigned him a coyote shifter, Saer, who looks very familiar. Itās up to the two of them to survive together and complete a daunting and dangerous task.
Unlike the first story, the second is much less lighthearted, the grim reality of the painful nature of Berndās behavior and withdrawal never far from the surface. Saer also has deep insecurities and fears to overcome. This is a darker journey thatās a trend for the series.
The characters are excellent, and I enjoyed their journey immensely.
3. The King and The Vigilant Valet
This story was both the one that had the most goals, the most themes and plot stories to wrap up. I really enjoyed all the twists and plots turns. Considering itās really the biggest quest of them all , with life and death stakes for all involved, it stands to reason that Cochet has a cast of multitudes here, heroes and villains.
The ending wasnāt entirely satisfying for me as I didnāt feel that the outcome for Jeanās true form did anything but defang him. I kept thinking surely there must have been a more imaginative way to keep him true to his mythical nature while leaving him able to be more himself than before.
Ah well. āāTwas not to be. But it left me with feeling that there could have been more. Especially after the epilogue.
So while I loved the first, really enjoyed the second, the final chapter had issues for me. Still the whole thing was great and a wonderful journey for lovers of Shifter romance and especially those of the feline characters.
Let the good times roar! Enjoy the complete Paranormal Princes series.
THE PRINCE AND HIS BEDEVILED BODYGUARD
Prince Owin
Being a fierce predatorānot at all adorable, despite my graceful statureāthe last thing I needed was a bodyguard. Especially a wolf shifter, whose presence alone was an insult to my princely principles. As Prince of the Ocelot Shifters, I prided myself on my infallible feline instincts, uncompromisable dignity, and flawless fashion sense. If having a canine follow me around at all times wasnāt bad enough, I now faced the most important moment of my entire life. The time had come to prove I was worthy of my crown. If only I could find a way to get rid of the pesky bodyguard.
Grimmwolf
When the King of All Shifters asked me to guard Prince Owin, I admit I had no idea what to expect. Cat shifters tend to be a little intense, not to mention kinda cranky. Owin was no exception, though he seemed crankier than most. Being his bodyguard was proving to be one of the greatest challenges of my lifeābut not nearly as great as convincing him there was something special between us. When Owin is faced with a perilous quest to prove his worth, I was determined to keep him safe, even if the same couldnāt be said of my heart.
THE PRINCE AND HIS CAPTIVATING CARPENTER
Prince Bernd
As Prince of the Bear Shifters, I knew the time would come for me to prove myself worthy of my crown. I expected my quest to be perilous. What I didnāt expect was for it to take me up into Espen Mountain, a place thatās brought me nothing but grief and terrible nightmares. Not only must I find the five magical ingredients, but I have to do so alongside Saer, a mysterious and charming shifter coyote summoned by the king to be my guide. But who is Saer, and why do I feel as if weāve met before?
Saer Crushing on Prince Bernd from afar was one thing. Being given the responsibility of saving the prince and his kingdom was a whole other story. Banished from my kingdom by my own prince years ago, I never imagined I would be summoned to help Bernd. What could I possibly offer a prince? How was I supposed to save him? I was no one. A shifter with no place to call home. What I did know was that I would do everything in my power to help Bernd succeed on his quest. All I had to do was stop crushing on the guy, find the magical ingredients hidden up a dangerous mountain, and save his heart. What could go wrong?
THE KING AND HIS VIGILANT VALET
Jean
The past has a way of catching up with you, even if you are immortal. Iāve spent thousands of years as the valet and companion to the powerful King of All Shifters. It has been my honor and duty to protect, serve, and advise him. I never intended to fall in love with him. My past is filled with death and bloodshed, but I never once regretted keeping Alarick safe. Now an evil I thought long gone has resurfaced, determined to kill Alarick and plunge the world into chaos. Saving Alarick means revealing the truth about myself. I donāt know whatās worse, failing to protect the king I love, or watching him turn away from me when he discovers what I really am.
King Alarick
As King of All Shifters, my powers are connected to the cosmos, and I have been around since the dawn of time. There are few things that can kill me. Unfortunately, one of those things has escaped its prison and is set to destroy me. The only weapon that can defeat this creature is the Scythe of Kronos, which has been missing for nearly as long as I have lived. When Jean and I set out on a quest to find the scythe, questions I had long ignored must now be answered. What is Jeanās connection to this evil? Why will he trust me with his life but not his secrets? As my most trusted valet, and my greatest friend, surely nothing that happens along this perilous journey can change what I feel in my heart for him. Or can it?
Perfectly Imperfect Pixie (Perfect Pixie Series Book 1) by M.J. May is a fantastically imaginative story, filled with characters so vivid and beautifully written that you embrace them immediately.
It helps that May, a new author to me, has created a richly detailed and creative universe into which to place these characters. I wanted to know as much about the world and itās unique history as I did about the found family of beings coming together on the pages before me.
A world now run by fairy law, and these are very different fairies than the ones you might have in mind, our tale starts with a highly unusual pixie.
Philodendron, Phil for short, isnāt your normal pixie. While heās beautiful, has pixie dust and glorious wings, heās far from delicate or tiny. Quite the opposite. Heās big, tall in fact. Which makes it hard for him as a home and hearth pixie to get hired. Who wants a ginormous pixie around when it should be someone small, delicately flitting about bonding and cleaning?
The authorās two person POV invites the reader into the heartbreak of Philās current situation and his insecurities, his despair at ever finding a home .
Concurrently, we meet equally desperate werewolf Alpha Sedrick. Uncle to recently orphaned kids, Dillon and Kelsie, heās got the terrifying family of his deceased brotherās wife to contend with. These are children are so well written, hurting and complicated while just being children and werewolves.
Sedrick, has an formidable fairy lawyer, Ray, and wonderful staff of miners, dwarves, and a need for someone, hearth and home pixie to get his house in order and help the grieving children.
Itās a great theme and May uses it as a framework to build a heartfelt bond between children, and Phil, and Sedrick, and all the others in this community. Like Peaches, the garden pixie, Philās best friend, and a bar owning vampire.
Itās simply a marvelous place to spend time in and grand beings to get to know. Plus thereās a evil grandfather to deal with too!
Iām thrilled this is the first one in a series. I was so impressed with how this story ended and wanted to linger on.
Now I can look forward to seeing this world and characters once more.
Iām highly recommending Perfectly Imperfect Pixie (Perfect Pixie Series Book 1) by M.J. May! Check it out now!
Size matters. Pixies are supposed to be petite, beautifully lithe creatures with gossamer wings. Sporting luscious, ombre pink hair and fluttering pink wings, Phil meets two out of three of those criteria. At over six feet tall, no one would dare call Phil petite. As a home-and-hearth pixie, Phil yearns to find a home and family he can bond to. When no oneās willing to hire a pixie of his stature, Phil is forced to find work elsewhere. Turns out, pixies make terrible bouncers.
The sudden death of Sedrickās brother and sister-in-law left Sedrick Voss a pack of oneāplus two young, traumatized were children. Sedrick needs help. He needs a home-and-hearth pixie. But pixies are small, delicate creatures nowhere near sturdy enough to stand up to a couple of growing werewolves. Phil seems like the perfect answerāa pixie that might be able to physically withstand small werewolf teeth and claws.
Phil is overjoyed, finally able to do a job that speaks to his heart and soul. But peace is a hard-won commodity. Sedrick is in the middle of a nasty custody battle with his niece and nephewās maternal grandfatherāone of the most arrogantly deceitful werewolf alphas to ever lead a pack. If their grandfather gets custody, Sedrickās niece and nephew are in for a lifetime of manipulation.
Between the custody battle, noxiously invasive garden gnomes, and fairy lawyers, Phil and Sedrick struggle to keep their home and family safe. Werewolves and pixies donāt mate. Phil and Sedrick are about to challenge that misconception.
Perfectly Imperfect Pixie is a m/m standalone title with a HEA, a rough but kind werewolf, fairy lawyers, vampire bar owners, dwarf miners, questionably intelligent humans, pesky garden gnomes, and charming pixies.
My one issue this sentence.
āDeep, purple bags rested below his tender brown orbsā
ā Perfectly Imperfect Pixie by MJ May
Pls no orbs ever. Otherwise perfectly imperfectly lovely.
Thereās much to admire and really enjoy in fantasy adventure story, The Black King by Sam Burns and W.E. Fawkes . A good royal family slaughtered, a tiny prince saved and secreted away by a family warrior who raises him.
A dying poor boy given a chance to live if he will find a king and place him back onto a stolen throne.
Be still my heart. Those are some fabulous narrative bones here. And the authors create some equally compelling characters and elements to further flesh out their impact and potential.
It starts with the fact that unlike most other books, the knight saving the child prince from his familyās slaughter isnāt a man, but an extremely strong and capable woman. I loved this aspect of the story. Greer is a formidable figure, a fighter, a protector, a goat herder. But like others I related to, I felt that she and others never fully realized their future, being sort of shunted away at the end by a sentence or two.
Leon, the hidden prince who hears the bells of royalty in his head, has the ability to grow and grab at the readerās heart but he continues to make the same mistakes throughout the book. Any growth is left right up to the very end when thereās no way else to go. Thatās a shame because Iād have preferred a slower change in his personality to a forced transition.
Quentin is really the hero here. The sickly boy destined to die until a witch sets him upon a quest. Heās a wonderful example of this type of fantasy archetype. Perseverance is his name, so handsome he shines (thank you, witchcraft), humble of nature and endearing. Oddly, I kept thinking heād end up in a different role. However, heās in a great position when he gets his HEA. Hard not to immediately connect and invest in his life struggles.
Along the way, Leon, Quentin, Queer, will meet up with others, including an important character, Errol. He comes into the book, grabs at our hearts, and then goes away until a sentence at the end. Itās a choice made with the knight Greer too.
While she starts out as a powerful part of the narrative, as the drama continues, the rush towards the conclusion is so swift that many of the characters are left behind in the pages. And what should be a climatic battle, turns into a shout, a rout, then the finale.
I couldnāt figure out why a book that had such a strong plot outline and potentially great characters didnāt have the book that was up to polishing it all off in a fully realized way. Where all the characters showed realistic growth, the denouement at the end was satisfying, and all the people we kept company with along the journey were there at the end to celebrate the emotional finale of a great quest.
I believe one reason for the rushed, incomplete nature of this story rests at the end of the description. This wasnāt written as a book but rather as a serialized story for the authors Patreon group. That makes sense. The repetitive pattern in Leonās behavior, the lack of build up and foundation work for the Kingdom, and lack of depth and development in the witchās storyline. Expectations are high for a book to see that depth of plotting and multidimensional characters.
Serialized stories? Maybe not so much because of a different style and format.
Either way, it shows here.
Imo, if youāre going to release a serialized story as a book, the authors might want to consider rewriting before publishing it first. Especially one thatās has such great bones!
Prince Revelin was slaughtered beside his family. Now, his cousin King Verlyn holds the throne, and peace reigns in Nenyth.
That is the story peasants tell, huddling before their hearths while the kingdom falls into ruin, afraid to speak the truth even in whispers. There is no peace, only the brutality of the beasts and bandits that roam the countryside while the usurper king sits his throne, blind to our suffering. Iāve felt it every second of my life, held back by illness thatās gripped me since childhood. But a wish and a promise brings me the health and strength I need to set things rightāfind the rightful king and restore Nenyth.
If I fail, my promise will be broken, my life lost alongside it, but word of a rogue knight reaches our hamletāa warrior skilled enough to teach me the ways of the blade. In my fatherās footsteps, Iāll become a knight and restore justice.
My name is Quentin, and if it takes all that I have and all Iāve ever hoped for, I will save my kingdom, my people, and my prince.
The Black King is an MM epic fantasy serial novel. Join Quentin and our knight errant as they fight back the dark. Full of violence, hope, and more than a little swordplay.
The Black King was originally published on Sam Burns & W.M. Fawkes’s Patreon page as our 2022 Epic Fantasy Romance serial.
How To Date A Dragon is a short cute prequel to Louisa Masters Here Be Dragons series. This quick romance between Hagen, a dragon, and real estate agent, the vampire Jaiden is about 88 pages long. That doesnāt allow much time for character or relationship development. It comes with the expectation that the reader is already familiar with the characters and the world building behind it.
The purpose of Hagen and Jaiden meeting is to find the location for what will become in the series Here Be Dragons, the seat and home of the dragons on Earth. They meet hot and heavy, go on a couple of romantic dates, and then the epilogue flashes forward to find them into an established relationship.
Itās sexy, the couple engaging, and the entire thing short. Definitely a story that could benefit from more exposition and length. But itās a cute addition to Louisa Masters series and dragons.
Tip #1 for dealing with dragons: be prepared for anything
My whole life, I thought dragons were majestic, wise, and fearsome creatures. Not to mention fictional. Itās been less than a year since that last belief was debunked. Dragons are real, theyāre now living among us, and Iām the lucky realtor who gets to sell a house to their leader. I just have to impress his representative first. No problemāIām a professional.
Except the dragon rep turns out to be the guy I hooked up with last night, and heās fast disproving everything I believed about dragons. Unless āwiseā actually means āaddicted to glitterā and āmajesticā is a euphemism for āovergrown frat boy.ā
Hagen might actually be the most annoying person Iāve ever met, yet I canāt resist going on a date with him. One thingās for sure, someone needs to write me a how-to guide for dating a dragonā¦ glitter not included.
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 