Review: The Dog in the Alley (Beyond the Veil Book 4) by K. M. Avery

Rating: 4.5🌈

The Dog in the Alley switches over from focusing on the relationship between medium/warlock Edward Campion and his partner Dr Mason Manning, orc, witch and respected historian and Edward’s magical growth. That’s was the primary theme of books one to three.

Now the focus turns to Detective Valentine Hart a great character and personal favorite. Hart, an important element in all the prior stories, was changed by the Arcanavirus into a 6’5” violet eyed gorgeous elf who presents himself as a coldly effective, wry, snarky personality who barely tolerates the bureaucracy of the political system and police department he works within. He’s gruff, unbearably rough while being one of the few types of Nids the human population can tolerate simply because he’s beautiful, a elf Fairy Prince of the folklore made a breathing being. Unlike the ghouls, vampires, death witches, shifters and other beings once formerly human who are hated, protested against, and even killed.

Here K. M. Avery explores Hart’s surprising history, reveals the true nature underneath the “sarcastic , cold“ persona Hart uses as a shield,

and brings in a shatteringly horrific case that both ties into the previous stories and yet adds another layer of the growing abuse that the Nid population is suffering under.

Avery also introduces several characters that are just fascinating. One is the dog of the title. I have a slight issue in that we only get partial foundation for what is a major character. Most of that is in his dog form which, admittedly, is utterly adorable. But the man? Remains a bit of a mystery.

The other is a Tiger shifter. He too is a main character who appears to have a journey in the series but is this the last book? I don’t know.

The ending is somewhat abrupt. Both in terms of what has happened in terms of our detective in his life, professionally. We get a here’s where he is now . And the same hint of a surprise in another direction.

After everything that’s gone on, it’s a light ending for a very serious, heavier narrative.

The Dog in the Alley (Beyond the Veil Book 4) by K. M. Avery is about one of my favorite characters, Detective Hart. It does a excellent job in making a fascinating character even more richly layered. My only issue is that the author just didn’t completely stick the ending. It didn’t quite live up to the complex, well plotted , parts that went before.

I certainly hope the author intends to go on. It’s a great series and is full of characters and elements that haven’t been fully explored yet.

I’m definitely recommending. This and the series.

Beyond The Veil series:

✓ The Ghost in the Hall #1

✓ The Boy in the Locked Room #2

✓ The Skeleton Under the Stairs #3

◦ The Dog in the Alley (Beyond the Veil Book 4) m

Goodreadshttps://www.goodreads.com › showThe Dog in the Alley (Beyond the Veil, #4) by K.M. Avery

Description:

Some days, an elf can’t get a break.

I’m overworked, underpaid and underappreciated, and up to my lavender eyeballs in missing and murdered shifters. To make matters worse, I’ve acquired a dog.

Sort of.

He’s not actually a dog. I don’t know his name or anything about him other than the fact that he’s mostly hairless and is blind in one eye—and he’s a witness to one of the unsolved shifter murders that’s keeping me up at night. We found him at a crime scene, injured and scared, and I just can’t make myself lock him up for obstruction of justice, even though I probably should.

He won’t shift back, so here I am with a dog that isn’t a dog following me everywhere and eating off my plate every time I turn around.

The weirdest part is that I’m not sure I want to go back to living without him constantly underfoot.

A slow-burn M/M Paranormal Shifter Romance
Book 4 in the Beyond the Veil Series

———-

Unless it’s noted, all books reviewed have been purchased by the reviewer.

Review: The Tank (The Spell Saga Book 3) by Cari Z

Rating: 4.5 🌈

The Tank, third novel in Cari Z’s terrific steampunk romance adventure series is perhaps the best conceptualized, best written of the three stories so far.

It brings her characters great emotional growth, allowing for betrayals, thought provoking moments of ambivalence of the nature of the work that a Master of Thaumaturge finds himself and his associates engaged in for the services of war. And the cost to relationships of all kinds.

The histories of the war, the Enemies, and even main characters are filled in and given fuller dimension.

The series and the growing relationship between Anton Seiber and Imperial Investigator Camille Lumière becomes deeply layered within the restrictions of their service and the growing demands of an enlarging war.

I was absolutely engaged by the drama and poignant moments of the storylines here. The war that overtakes the needs and loyalties of many.

There’s another book to come. I can’t wait to read it .

I highly recommend this story and series but start with The Train and read through as they were written.

The Spell Saga series:

✓ The Train #1

✓ The Tower #2

✓ The Tank #3

◦ The Trials #4 – Nov 8, 2022

Amazon.comhttps://www.amazon.com › Tank-S…The Tank: The Spell Saga: Book Three – Kindle edition by Z, Cari. Romance …

Description:

All Anton Seiber, newly-minted Master Thaumaturge, wants is to use his training to support himself out in the world. Well, that and to see the man he loves, Imperial Investigator Camille Lumière, more than once every six months.

What he gets instead is an invitation to visit L’Institut D’Ingénierie Technologique in Paris, the foremost research institution for thaumaturgy and the arts of war in the world. It’s an offer he can’t turn down…quite literally.

Getting to the Institute is a mess that Anton barely survives, and that’s just the beginning of his troubles. Drawn into a web of lies and betrayals, Anton will have to use every trick he can conjure to survive—and perhaps hand over the most diabolical spell in the world in exchange for saving the life of someone he loves.

Unless it’s noted, all books reviewed have been purchased by the reviewer.

Review: I Kid You Not (Magical Mates Book 3) by Macy Blake

Rating: 3.5🌈

I Kid You Not , third in the Magical Mates series by Macy Blake, is a sweet romance that’s jammed full of characters and events from previous novels and series.

Spoilers Ahead beware!

If you’re not familiar with The Chosen One universe and connected series, then the characters you meet and events that occur or are mentioned here will not make any sense. There’s simply too many names, types of beings, relationships, and hugely important events that impact this story to keep track of , even for those of us that have read all those books.

It’s one of the reasons I liked this story but wasn’t exactly crazy about it. I felt there was a lot more exposition that was either missing from the main romance or piled on too heavy from the universe storylines around it.

The romance between the guardian of the woods Roan and dietitian Zachary Perry is a sweet one in itself. But we never got any background of what a Guardian of the Wood was, how he got his power, why he was charged up, any of the important particulars left out of the story because it was taken up by Alpha Nick, the kids, the compound etc. I do love them all btw but here they seem to overpower the central romance.

Same goes for Zachary . He’s a terrific guy with aspects to his personality and physical ailments that eventually leads into the discovery he’s got a bit of magical abilities. That’s a major factor, especially in a relationship with a being that’s long-lived or immortal (something else not brought up). But that aspect is never further explored other than identifying it vaguely. A real miss because, again, the storyline went elsewhere.

Towards Nick and the kids and how they choose their own families.

Which, more spoilers, brings me to another odd thing about this story. All the other books have been about couples and these magical children finding each other. Forming families.

Roan and Zachary break that pattern . No kids in a story about kids. Yes, it’s in the title. It’s understandable but weirdly not satisfying given this series and that the kids are everywhere here.

So it’s a sweet romance but overwhelmed by storylines and characters from other books so that for me important elements of these characters are left out.

It’s not unexpected for this universe. Sometimes it works and sometimes it’s less successful.

Read it and see where you stand.

Magical Mates series:

✓ All Kidding Aside #1

✓ Stop Kidding Around #2

✓ I Kid You Not #3

◦ With Kid Gloves #4 – Aug 1, 2023

Goodreadshttps://www.goodreads.com › showI Kid You Not (Magical Mates #3) by Macy Blake

Description:

Zachary Perry is willing to do whatever it takes to win the heart of his mysterious, gruff, and oh-so-gorgeous forest ranger neighbor, even if it means transforming his very bookish, nerdy self into someone (gulp!) outdoorsy so he can fit into Roan’s world.

But when Roan saves him from a seduction plan gone awry, Zachary quickly learns that a fondness for woodland fun is the very least of their differences, for Roan is no mere forest ranger, he’s a forest guardian – a magical creature duty-bound to guard both the land and an entire population of supernatural creatures Zachary never knew existed.

Meanwhile, Zachary… well. He’s very, very human. And that’s something he cannot change, no matter how powerful and intense the connection between them may be.

When something dark and dangerous looms deep in the forest, threatening a pack of children, Zachary insists on leaving the safety of his home and fighting alongside the man he loves.

But when the danger is past, will he be able to find his place in the supernatural world he’s discovered, and to trust that Roan wants him exactly as he is?

———-

Unless it’s noted, all books reviewed have been purchased by the reviewer.

The Chosen One universe by reading order can be found at Macy Blake’s website.

https://macyblake.com › booksBooks By Series ~ Macy Blake | Where Love Meets Magic

Review: Without A Trace (Shadows of London #5) by Ariana Nash

Rating: 4.25:🌈

Ariana Nash’s Shadows of London series comes to a close with Without A Trace. It’s a finale story that’s got the complexity and character surprises we’ve come to expect from this author and series but it’s also has some of the flaws that have kept it from fulfilling the promise it’s showed from the very beginning.

First the elements that made Without A Trace a moving, complex story. At the close of Truth or Dare #4, Alexander Kempthorne and Dom have been “presumed dead” and are now happily living new lives together under new identities.

They are powerful with their matching “tricks”, yet Alexander is determined not to tell Dom the complete truth about their shared past history. That lack of communication and transparency has haunted their relationship and will shatter their current one.

The rigid character personalities that Nash has built for both Alex and Dom are the best aspects of this story. Each man with his rich, tortured past, has their reasons for a lack of clarity and trust while still being deeply, painfully in love with each other. They have depth.

The magic, the latents, the horrors lurking under London. All extremely well done. The torture and bigotry that’s shown towards latency. Believable.

But for all the terrific descriptions, horrifying scenes, and chilling dialogues, there’s the whole frustrating , frankly unrealistic Kage Mitchell element to factor in as well as a couple of villains so blatant that they might as well as worn a sign.

But it’s the Kage Mitchell element that’s the most bothersome. He of the “let me commit many betrayals, atrocities, actually kidnappings and murder attempts “ and is then let walk away time and again because “awww, soft spot”. He’s really only there for one reason. To make a certain reappearance at the end and then boom. If you list everything about this character and his actions and story appearance, it’s complete nonsense. Kage Mitchell is a narrative tool and not an especially good one. More an annoying, one note replaceable one.

Given what Dom’s background is and then how Kage’s actions impact Dom, Alex and the other, it’s not only unbelievable but frankly a storyline that disconnects one from the events happening because it’s so implausible.

Kage is that ill conceived narrative subject that just kept popping up and stomping over all the lovely complex proceedings. Right to up to his laughable unreal last words at the end.

Too bad.

Still , it’s a good fantasy series. With many exciting things and aspects to it, including a strong couple at its heart.

For that I’m recommending it.

Series reading order:

Twisted Pretty Things

Tide of Tricks

Trial by Fire

Truth or Dare

Without a Trace

Goodreadshttps://www.goodreads.com › showWithout a Trace (Shadows of London #5) by Ariana Nash

Alexander Kempthorne has one more secret to tell, but it could cost him everything. Including Dom.

The windswept Scottish Highlands.

Everything has changed.

With new names and new lives, Dom and Kempthorne should be living their happy ending, but it’s not over yet.

Kage Mitchell knows they’re alive and he’s discovered the single most devastating secret Kempthorne has yet to tell Dom.

There is no other option. Kage Mitchell must die.

But he’s the least of Kempthorne’s concerns. With their identities revealed, and a war brewing between latents and normals, the shadows are on the rise once again, and an old threat awakens beneath London. A threat that could change latents, and the world, forever.

Kempthorne has spent his whole life running from his past. But now, the past is back, and alone, Kempthorne’s not strong enough to win this fight. When the terrible truth is revealed, will Dom forgive him enough to fight with him?

The Shadows of London series comes to its climatic finale in Without a Trace.

***

Please note, the Shadows of London series is set in London and the characters are all British (so is the author). Although the series has been edited in US English for the US market, to include US spelling and grammar, many English slang words and spelling remain as part of the character of the work.

Review: How I Stole The Princess’s White Knight and Turned Him To Villainy: Miracle 3 By A.J. Sherwood

Rating: 4.5🌈

A.J. Sherwood’s serial fantasy story continues with Miracle 3 as Tan and Devan ride off together on the back of Dan the Stallion to search for the thieving rapscallion adventurers who stole the powerful, magical Sword of the Sea from a mage friend of Tan’s who was its keeper.

Devan is needed, not just because Tan would have him with the Black Sorcerer 24/7 as he would, but because the Mighty Sword of the Sea can only be wielded by a Knight who’s heart is bright and true. That’s definitely Devante Salvino, First Knight of Goodwine. The Sword, which is a tad naughty, would actually consider Tan a enemy and number one target.

The journey to recover the Sword also leads to increased closeness between Tan and Devan as well as launching considerable introspection about Devan’s occupation and his happiness.

I love how this slow burn romance is starting to heat up through Devan’s realizing how much Tan has become a part of his life.

It makes my need for the next installment and step forward in their relationship even greater.

Plus we got a new look at the King, and a hint he’s as bad as the Princess.

All the stories are called the same , only the number of the Miracle changes.

What else changes? Subtle changes to the cover! Love this aspect too!

Yes, I’m highly recommending the series. Yes, they must be read in the order they are written.

It’s a quick, highly entertaining fantasy series! Start in and get caught up with us heading into Miracle 4 today!

Goodreadshttps://www.goodreads.com › showHow I Stole the Princess’s White Knight and Turned Him to Villainy: Miracle 3

Description:

What’s Tan to do when he has to reclaim a holy sword he can’t touch? Call upon his White Knight to save him.

What’s Devan to do when he learns the sword was stolen in order to defeat Tan? Save the poor fools from utter annihilation.

Tan is not amused by this quest line. Devan can’t stop laughing.

Tags:

Tan’s turn to need help, what are they teaching these adventurers?, I’m not saying baby adventurers are stupid, but if you put a candle next to their ears their eyes will shine, Tan has all the plans, Devan laughs for the first time, Tan loves it, even if it’s at his expense, Tan is banned from Osedon Conclave, for reasons, Tan disguises himself as a girl, also for reasons, no one likes to be drowned, no one, even magic swords knows who’s boss

———-

Unless it’s noted, all books reviewed have been purchased by the reviewer.

Review: The Tower (The Spell Saga: Book 2) by Cari Z

Rating: 4🌈

The Spell Saga continues with the The Tower, a book that , unlike The Train, starts to show how little or how flawed the world building is here.

While The Train’s plot and tight storylines were held to the constraints of a moving train, and the exposition was used to move forward the mystery there. Here the series arc, the characters background, even the very foundation of the nation’s rulers are highlighted and the lack of information is apparent.

Now whether this is by flaw or author’s choice I don’t know but it makes for a oddly murky, disconnected story because we keep trying to pull pieces of a puzzle together that just won’t fit.

Even the timeline seems off.

It appears to pickup weeks after the events on the train. Anton Seiber is soon to finish his Doctorate of Thaumaturgy, even though he just got there. That feels inordinately fast given his work to get there. And the high stature of the College and the students around him.

Anton is still got the highly dangerous , one of a kind, magical palimpsest that was used in making spells for the gun that never missed and knife that always killed.

Having Anton keep that never made sense but otherwise we wouldn’t have this book where he’s clearly the target of a killer who’s victims have all been young men who have resemblances to Anton.

Enter Lord Camille Lumière, the French Emperor’s spy. A man of rare talents, including that of missing a soul, he’s assigned to the murders and Anton.

Several issues should be addressed. If you haven’t read the first book (it’s a must for this), his soulless condition isn’t explained here. But it’s important arc element . His background is a mystery, is further enlarged with only the smallest of hints.

But it’s his relationship to Anton that is. They go from first attraction to full on sexual relationship here. But without the depth of partnership we saw and got to explore with them in The Train.

There’s so much narrative “traffic “ here that their partnership in investigating the crimes gets lost midway through. That’s the real heft here . The how’s, the why’s, the neat tools of thaumaturgy in investigating the murders and their minds working it out, that’s the fascination.

But it’s a criminal we could spot immediately, side characters we didn’t connect with, and more storylines added in that took us away from what I initially thought was the couple that we were focused on.

That’s a shame because there’s so many terrific ideas and themes here.

I’m definitely awaiting the next in the series The Tank. But I do wish this had lived up to the first book promise.

Still I’m recommending it. Read The Train and then The Tower before moving forward.

The Spell Saga series:

✓ The Train #1

✓ The Tower #2

◦ The Tank #3-October 25, 2022

The Tower: The Spell Saga: Book Two

Description:

Anton Seiber is on the cusp of finishing his Doctorate of Thaumaturgy, ready to leave university life behind and set out to make his own way in the world. His careful plans are interrupted by the arrival of Camille Lumière, the emperor’s investigator—and Anton’s lover.

Camille is in pursuit of a murderer, and needs Anton’s special talents to help track him down. Worse yet, the killer is targeting foreigners with magical abilities—men like Anton himself. If he and Camille don’t find him before he find Anton, his every plan for the future could be in jeopardy…not to mention his life.

Unless it’s noted, all books reviewed have been purchased by the reviewer.

Review: The Dragon Prince’s Necromancer (The Dragons of Serai Book 2) by Amy Sumida

Rating: 4.5🌈

The Dragon Prince’s Necromancer starts where The Dragon King’s Assassin ends, as Crown Prince Racmar Marresh’du of Zaru , ( a friend of King Taroc ) and the necromancer Daha, (a friend of the assassin/mate , Loch) leave the Kingdom of Racul for that of Zaru.

It seems that the dead are refusing to stay dead there and the other Necromancers they hired haven’t solved a problem that’s only gets worse.

Both the reader and Daha glean key pieces of information from the voyage to Zaru. Daha’s race , the Raltven , are despised to such a degree that Daha faces actual harm against a ingrained national loathing. Daha’s beauty and high intelligence has caused the Prince to change his own personal bigotry, at least towards Daha, and Daha has a long range plan that has nothing to do with his current mission.

It’s delicious and definitely engaging element.

Their arrival and the meeting with King Saric, and Daha’s first confrontation with the risen dead.

Sumida’s previous use of purple prose is missing here. So we can focus on the richness of the cultural aspects of the story and the mysteries at hand.

There’s a continuing look at the arrogance of Dragon rule, the class separation of race and speciesism . And while their relationship and King Saric’s rule take a closer in-depth exploration behind the intensity of hatred and racial bigotry towards the Raltven, it leaves it (probably realistically) at the starting point of disassembling old hatred’s.

The real mystery and culprit (s) is a element that might see some readers divided as to how they feel. As I was initially .

Because no one is punished. Not really. As the reader will find out, the crime (s) has many different origins and many different evils behind it.

After much thought, I found that to be painfully honest, no matter how frustrating and bleak. It’s a standing that’s rather pertinent at the moment.

The romance between Daha and Prince Racmar runs an entirely different course than that of the other couple. Here one , Racmar, still has bigoted views on the race of the one, he’s courting. Daha. That’s not acceptable for Daha.

How that plays out amidst the awakening dead, conspiracy, bigotry, and more makes for excellent and emotional reading. Especially when there’s a inner Dragon who’s acceptance is required for any permanent future. So many fascinating relationship elements to this couple that were missing in the first one.

I could see another story here. Because it’s really so politically unstable at the end, the King himself (un-mated) is a fantastic character, that it calls for a sequel.

Until then, there’s another one coming. The Dragon King’s Philosopher about one of the secondary characters who appears here. I’m anticipating his story.

This series just keeps getting better. Grab up The Dragon Prince’s Necromancer (The Dragons of Serai Book 2) by Amy Sumida and settle in for a wild, thoughtful story about race, bigotry, and relationships.

And dragons.

I’m highly recommending it. Read the series in the order they are written for character development, series foundation, and information.

The Dragons of Serai series:

✓ The Dragon King’s Assassin #1

✓ The Dragon Prince’s Necromancer #2

◦ The Dragon King’s Philosopher #3 – TBD release date

https://www.amazon.com › Dragon-…A Gay Fantasy Romance (The Dragons of Serai Book 2) – Kindle edition

Description:

Death walks beside me.

Two weeks ago, I was hired by the Dragon Prince of Zaru to help his brother, the King, deal with their dead. Not that there is an abundance of corpses in their kingdom, but those who die aren’t staying in their graves. As a necromancer, I’m one of the few people on Serai who can put the dead to rest and discover why they are rising. As a Raltven, I’m particularly good at it. Good enough that the King of Zaru sent his brother across the sea to find someone like me.

At first sight, desire sparked between Prince Racmar and me. On the way to Zaru, our attraction for each other had grown. Now it’s reached the point of combustion, but I want more than a single night of pleasure from the Prince. To win him, I must play a dangerous game, tantalizing the man without riling the beast inside him. Between Racmar and the dead, I have some serious work to do, and both are presenting unforeseen complications. The reanimated corpses aren’t talking, something both unusual and unfortunate for my investigation. Then there is Prince Racmar who speaks too much, and his words are clawing at my resistance. I don’t know who will break first—the unknown power behind the dead, the Dragon Prince, or me.

Death walks beside us Raltven, in our shadow form we are akin to spirits, but if I’m not careful, a spirit is exactly what I will become.

———-

Unless it’s noted, all books reviewed have been purchased by the reviewer.

Review: The Dragon King’s Assassin (The Dragons of Serai Book 1) by Amy Sumida

Rating: 4🌈

Amy Sumida is a new author for me. My introduction to her writing is the first book in her series, The Dragons of Serai. I found many things here to recommend and some aspects that are just a bit much.

Sumida gives us a world where dragons are the apex being and humanity is among the lowest. Magic is taken for granted and the form of government among the various kingdoms is the Dragon Kings, a title hard fought for in a tournament.

The first story begins in the Kingdom of Racul where assassin Locrian Mahvis has been hired to kill dragon King Tarocvar Verres.

The characters and descriptions are lush and well defined. You can picture each immediately. Loch the King is all self assured power and amusement.

Everything the failed assassin is not. Except that he’s incredibly attracted to the King.

Instant lust , not love, but lust, is understandable here. The author makes a good case for Locrian’s feelings.

But this is the first instance in the book where the author’s leaning towards a certain type of purple prose starts to appear.

“Speaking of thrusting, that piece of man-flesh between those thighs would fill me as I’d never been filled before.”

— The Dragon King’s Assassin: An MM Fantasy Romance (The Dragons of Serai Book 1) by Amy Sumida

Shouldn’t that be dragon flesh? And why do those florid statements make me want to giggle instead of sigh?

There will be other instances where “he painted me with his hot desire.” So you see a pattern here.

Luckily, the fast paced action, terrific characters, magical storylines, and charisma between the leads overcome the tendency towards purple prose. Or maybe just make you accept that’s the world where that’s a statement would flourish!

I almost wish this had been a two being pov because I’d love to have had the King’s perspective on his “little mouse” throughout the relationship as it built. As it is, we only get Locrian’s and I think by not including the Dragon it lessens the impact.

There’s a great guardian hound, Ran. A group of pirates, and a setup for the next novel with a Necromancer sailing to help out a friend of the King, another Royal Dragon.

I found this and the couple entertaining so I’m onto the next. Honestly, it’s Dragons. I find them hard to resist.

I’m recommending it!

The Dragons of Serai series:

✓ The Dragon King’s Assassin #1

◦ The Dragon Prince’s Necromancer #2

Goodreadshttps://www.goodreads.com › showThe Dragon King’s Assassin by Amy Sumida

Description:

My life changed the day I tried to take his.

Mhavenna is a glorious city but, like every city on the face of Serai, it’s run by Dragons. As a human, I’m on the lowest rung of the racial ladder here, as far from an illustrious Dragon as I could be, and I’ve made me peace with that. I don’t like Dragons much, but like or dislike has nothing to do with my work. So when my broker offered me the task of killing the Dragon King, I took it. It was the sort of kill that could make an assassin’s career, and I was certain that I had the skills for it.

I was wrong, nearly dead wrong.

The King caught me before I could finish the job, but instead of killing me, he made me his. I’m now the Dragon King’s assassin. A warning and a weapon. A way for him to bypass his own laws without personally breaking them. But that’s not all. He’s tasked me with guarding him against future attacks. Who better to stop an assassin than another assassin? And who better to find the one who hired us? If only the King didn’t have a body that made me salivate, a face that made my knees weak, and a pair of teal eyes that made me whimper. If only he didn’t stare at me with those stunning eyes as if I could be more than property to him. Maybe then I could do my job, find the person who wants him dead, and save my own life. But I don’t believe in miracles.

———-

Unless it’s noted, all books reviewed have been purchased by the reviewer.

Review: The Train (The Spell Saga: Book 1) by Cari Z

Rating: 4.5🌈

What a exciting and suspenseful story! From the moment we dive into the harried life of young Anton Seiber, journeyman thaumaturge, we are plunged into a world of murder, spies, Royal espionage, and magical weaponry! On a train!

The Train (The Spell Saga: Book 1) by Cari Z has a nonstop fast action plot that’s rich with excellent characters, a multitude of themes, from those peoples wishing freedom from Royalty to dangerously magical weaponry and spells to imminent continental war. With a the hint of a romance as well.

Mystery, murder, and magic!

I’ll go ahead and throw in the mayhem that occurs when Anton Seiber misses his train to Zurich from a Paris layover. He’s got a hard earned scholarship to the Masters of Thaumaturgy program at the prestigious Universität Zürich and he must be there precisely on time or all will be lost.

So when the occasion arises where he assumes the identity of a man that will be traveling on the last train to get him there? He takes it.

Anton Seiber is such a fabulous character. He’s worked hard to become the best thaumaturge he can and you absolutely believe in his pursuit of knowledge and his magical abilities. He’s a vivid personality that makes you wonder what’s happening within his head, and heart!

The person to bring out the most confusing emotions and the best of his abilities is the French Emperor’s spy ,Lord Camille Lumière . It’s their joint investigations aboard the train, the murders and murderous attempts that keep this story rocking along at a fast pace . It also keeps us guessing as to who the next target is and where the danger is coming from. And are they ever going to kiss?

The Train and our heroes work through all the investigations to a highly satisfying ending that starts a hint of a romance for the series.

The Train leaves me in great anticipation for The Tower, coming out soon.

Until then, I’m highly recommending The Train, the first in this new series by Cari Z. It’s magical, suspenseful, murderous, and more entertaining then you can imagine!

The Spell Saga series:

✓ The Train #1

◦ The Tower #2 -October 11, 2022

◦ The Tank #3-October 25, 2022

The Train: The Spell Saga: Book Oneby Cari Z

Description:

Anton Seiber, journeyman thaumaturge, has finally escaped his dead-end job identifying bodies in the morgues of London. He’s off to seek a brighter future…or he would be, if he hadn’t just been robbed, mugged, and turned away from the only train that will help him reach that future on time.

A random meeting turns into a fight for his life and gifts Anton with two things: a knife that always kills whatever it stabs, and the chance to assume the identity of the man who just tried to kill him and board the train in his place.

He wasn’t counting on being found out by a lumière, one of the French emperor’s most powerful and intriguing spies. He wasn’t betting on a murder being committed on the train, or on being asked for his help identifying the culprits. He wasn’t asking to be drawn into a web of simmering insurrection, and he certainly didn’t want to find Lord Lumière so irresistible, but there’s no denying it.

Perhaps Anton will even tell him so…if he survives to the end of this journey.

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Unless it’s noted, all books reviewed have been purchased by the reviewer.

Review: Prince of Flowers (Wild Hearts #1) by Nazri Noor

Rating: 2.25🌈

I really like this author’s other stories but this is a real miss on so many levels. Frankly I’m astonished.

This was a almost DNF for me. Only the fact that I always hope for a turn for the better keeps me from stopping at my real “I’m done “ point in each book this happens at.

Here it was at about 62% when the Goddess Aphrodite appeared, smug , and making all sorts of declarations about the situation the incompetent summoner has entwined the poor Princely Elf and himself in.

It came at a poor place in the narrative. After a series of tasks the idiot Summoner has forced the elf to accomplish, getting him hurt in the process.

It starts with student Lochlann Wilde, someone who’s less than studious nature has caused him to be one the the college’s oldest students and one who’s so far behind in his levels that he hasn’t earned his Crest.

The story goes on about how fabulous a summoner his father is and what enormous stress it is to live up to that. But you know what? Loch hasn’t memorized his spells, hasn’t put in the work.

So nope. No connection here. And Noor is going with the golden, gorgeous, lazy boy main character first person point of view. So you automatically must forgive his faults and sloppy behavior, because golden boy. This smacks regrettably close to a Gary Stu.

It’s a little bit much.

He decides to summon a eidolon without knowing what he’s summoning. Instead of a animal to be his familiar he summons a actual person, a being. A elf.

Which then becomes his basic captive/slave. Unable to fight back or return home due to the summoning. Instead of breaking the spell like a reasonable, rational human would when confronted with having a living sentient being accidentally enslaved, Loch takes advantage and decides he’s going to get his Crest and extra credits at College by treating the Elf like a specimen/slave/forced eidolon. As well as telling the College it’s their chance to see what a elf is all about.

Right.

So. This whole storyline has a definite bad taste to it.

If you flip the characters. Say have the Fae be the one to enslave the summoner/student by accident, then immediately, the Elf is always dark or evil because they have taken away consent. It’s entrapment. All sorts of flags.

But here, it’s supposed to be ok, because it’s a human. He has needs.

And don’t get me started on the sexual aspect that starts on Loch’s part almost immediately. That on top of the non consensual aspect of this story that gets overlooked is mind boggling.

So no. The Fae isn’t some cute pet to be treated as something to be “tamed”. Another narrative theme that is tired and is sorely overdue to be retired.

Along with the entire story.

So done.

I’m extremely disappointed with so many old, distasteful, or poorly executed elements and characters here.

◦ Main Character that’s selfish, lazy, and vain.

◦ That another race needs to be “tamed”

◦ That another sentient being can be enslaved and that’s fine by both a MC, a college, and apparently a Goddess.

◦ Old themes and thoughts on racism and sex. Especially when one has the power over another.

I’m definitely not continuing further. It’s doesn’t matter how it’s resolved because excuses are made for all of the above.

For me, those are things that shouldn’t be excused.

Any of these things sound appealing, maybe none of this will bother you, then investigate the story for yourself.

Amazon.comhttps://www.amazon.com › Prince-F…Prince of Flowers (Wild Hearts Book 1) eBook : Noor, Nazri: Kindle Store

He captured a fae prince. But can he capture his heart?

Lochlann Wilde walks in the shadow of his father, a legendary summoner who commanded mythical beasts in battle. But Locke isn’t legendary. He’s barely a summoner, never passing his academy’s trial of the elements.

And then he accidentally summons a fae prince with a beautiful body and a bad attitude.

Sylvain is fiery and ferocious, stronger than anything Locke has ever encountered. And hotter, too. But time is running out. Locke must tame the prince’s wild heart. If he fails his trial, he’ll lose his inheritance and ruin his family’s name.

Without Sylvain, Locke could lose his chance to become a true summoner… along with his shot at true love.

Prince of Flowers is a contemporary fantasy romance with an HFN ending. Can a snarky summoner and a fickle fae prince endure mythical creatures, meddling goddesses, the fury of the elements, and each other? Only one way to find out. If you like sorcery, spice, and everything nice, you’ve come to the right place. Start the Wild Hearts series today.

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