Category: Fantasy

Review: The Enchanter’s Flame (The Ellwood Chronicles #1) by Michele Notaro

Rating: 4.5 🌈

It was a gorgeous cover that drew me to another new fantasy series and new author. It’s glorious colors and outstanding design had me stopping and grabbing the synopsis.

Never underestimate the power of a great cover!

Michele Notaro’s first installment absolutely lives up to that cover! Full of magical characters, a plot full of mystery and murders, and a universe that has a foundation that expands to embrace each new revelation as the story continues.

And it starts so mundanely. With a series of murders and a detective looking for clues to the identity to the serial killer.

That’s our introduction to Det. Sebastian Fitz, ex Special Forces, now a recently transferred Detective who’s been assigned a murder investigation that soon turns into that of multiple murders, with the same weird MO.

Drained blood, tortured victims, and symbolic markings bring Ailin Ellwood, a specialist, into Seb’s case and life.

The story and characters start off slow but as the author builds more of her universe and the characters get more involved in both the investigation and each other, then it starts to come together.

The further I read , the more the characters revealed about themselves, the more I connected with everyone and this story until at parts I was sobbing.

The ending sets up the plots and major conflicts coming for the next story. I’m headed that way.

I’m definitely recommending The Enchanter’s Flame (The Ellwood Chronicles #1) by Michele Notaro. What terrific characters!

The Ellwood Chronicles series:

✓ The Enchanter’s Flame #1

◦ The Witch’s Seal

◦ The Enchanter’s Soul #3

◦ The Witch’s Blood #4

◦ The Enchanter’s Heart #5

◦ The Enchanters New Kids #6

https://www.goodreads.com › showThe Enchanter’s Flame by Michele Notaro – Goodreads

Synopsis:

Strange things are happening all around Brinnswick. Things that remind me of a piece of my past I’d rather forget. Girls are being killed, drained of blood, and left with strange markings on their bodies. When I finally connect the cases together, a specialist is called in—though, what he’s a specialist of is beyond me.

When the chief assigns him as my new partner for the case, I can’t help but groan on the inside. Why of all people would I be assigned to Ailin Ellwood? The man is a disaster waiting to happen and a jerk to boot. A sexy jerk, but a jerk nonetheless.

What will Sebastian think when he discovers Ailin’s specialty? Will he make a run for it or will he stick around and discover a world of magic hidden beneath the city’s surface?

***The Enchanter’s Flame is the first book in the Ellwood Chronicles. It’s a paranormal romance that contains explicit material and is intended for mature adults 18 and over.***

Review: Fluke and the Faultline Fiasco (Fantastic Fluke #3) by Sam Burns

Rating: 5🌈💫

Fluke and the Faultline Fiasco is the penultimate novel in Sam Burns four book Fantastic Fluke series and it’s terrific.

As the author starts to do the arduous task of both ramping up the expectations for the expected magical thrown down and accompanying revelations she also has to start , however slowly, pulling together all the loose plot threads and tidying up her narrative house as it were.

The weight carried by the penultimate story is much like that of the second novel. It’s subtle, often without the shine and glory of the finale, but with huge responsibilities for the characters and plot.

Fluke and the Faultline Fiasco Carrie’s that weight with ease, bringing new information on our main characters magical abilities to light as well as delving deep into the past that created both their ancestry and the dire issues they all face currently.

It does so through action packed scenes, quiet moments of reflection, and quirky communal times spent eating pizza amidst laughter and love. It shows us found family at its most supportive and it’s ability to continue to grow and connect to allow others within its warm embrace.

I’ve come to absolutely love this group of beings, people, familiars, mages, what have you. What a remarkable family of well defined individuals Burns has created for us to love and connect with.

And a plot that seems to want to transcend both time and realities, if the Convergence has anything to say about it.

It’s hard to believe the author has chosen to end this series at four novel. I could easily have spent a shelf of stories here.

The next will be out in February 2022. Until then I absolutely recommend reading this entire series in the order they are written for characters growth and plot development.

That cover like all the rest is astonishing.

The Fantastic Fluke Series -4 of 4:

✓ The Fantastic Fluke #1

✓ Fluke and the Failthless Father #2

✓ Fluke and the Faultline Fiasco #3

◦ Fluke and the Frontier Farce #4 – coming in February 2022

https://www.goodreads.com › showFluke and the Faultline Fiasco by Sam Burns – Goodreads

Synopsis:

When an earthquake shakes up Sage’s night, his instinct is to forget about it. They live in California—quakes happen. But this one sends the consciousness that lives in the ley lines running to him in fear, so he and his gunslinger boyfriend set out to investigate. What they uncover is a century-old plot to destroy not only the ley lines, but the city of Junction itself.

Now, they’re in a race against an unknown adversary who wants to annihilate everything they love, and the only man with the answers is Sage’s long-dead Uncle Jonathon. Good thing they only have to read his journals, not deal with the insufferable jerk in person.

Between a heist to steal a magic artifact, Uncle Jonathon’s bigoted ramblings, and one surprise after another from his allies, can Sage find what he needs to save Junction?

Fluke and the Faultline Fiasco is third in its series, so if you haven’t read a Fluke book before, you should definitely start with book one, The Fantastic Fluke. The Faultline Fiasco is a 65k word novel that follows the continuing adventures of Sage, Fluke, Gideon, and their whole family, as they try to save the world. Or at least Southern California..

Review: Blood(Scales ‘n’ Spells (#4) by A.J. Sherwood and Jocelynn Drake

Rating: 4 🌈✨

Blood, book 4 in A.J. Sherwood and Jocelynn Drake’s Scales ‘n’ Spells series, feels like the first story that brings both sides of the mage/dragon union into the tale as equal partners.

Here we get Sora’s full background and family history that folds in with mages as a whole. It’s interesting and a perspective the reader is well familiar with.

Along side the mage pov, is Ravi, the blue Wind Dragon that was adopted during the War by the Burkhard Clan. In the previous stories, the dragons have had or told less about themselves in each book versus the amount of space given their mates.

In Blood , both Sora and Ravi have equal time, narratively speaking. Probably because Ravi’s unusual past makes him a more noteworthy subject for a bigger share of the story. And he does well by it.

This is also a bigger book dramatically in terms of widening the scope of the themes and arc storytelling. Let’s just say the cast gets much bigger almost overnight!

I adore the impulsive Ravi and find the more responsible Sora a treat as well as a great compliment to him. The chemistry works.

I enjoy this series and story for its entertainment value. Plus dragons!

However, the new big plot elements also left a few equally noticeable plot holes. Ones at least large enough I thought several small dragons could fly through.

It’s hard to explain without giving the entire plot and storyline revelations away but the use of the impulsive (and young) Ravi to go chase after, boo hisss, the bad guys?

It’s something that strikes me as merely the authors ploy to raise the drama quotient from point A to point W, not because it makes any logical sense when looking at all the characters and story components the authors just laid down.

That’s frustrating because surely another way could have been found around all that. Sigh. Plot caverns make me crazy.

What this story does right? A gorgeous bonding ceremony that again was lacking in previous novels. It was moving and magical. Lovely.

I found Blood and Ravi and Sora to be a winner. Might be my favorite yet of the series.

I’m recommending it to all those who enjoy dragons and fantasy.

Scales ‘n’ Spells series:

✓ Origins

✓ Breath

✓ Wish: a Novella

◦ Blood

◦ Embers

https://www.goodreads.com › showBlood (Scales ‘N’ Spells, #3) by A.J. Sherwood | Goodreads

Synopsis:

Secret identities are hard to keep.

Sora finds this to be doubly true after meeting the struggling Burkhard Clan and the mischievous Ravi. The wind dragon has stolen his breath, and heart, away. Sora suspects he might have found his mate. 

But his inability to be truthful with Ravi eats at Sora. When the Jaeggi attack, Sora can’t keep his secrets any longer. Not when Ravi is in the center of the war raging around them.

He has to reveal who he really is. It’s the only way to be with Ravi and give the Burkhards the help they need.

Sora’s secret could tip the scales to save them all. 

Tags: 

There’s tropes, and then there’s this book, Ravi has impulse issues, in Ravi’s defense he was left unsupervised, you’re only in trouble if you get caught, secret identity, only Ravi could have a meet-cute like this, Ravi attempts romance, it’s bad, no its really really bad, thank god for it, bored mages get into stuff, mothers with an agenda, hurt/comfort, somehow the comfort part involves tacos, Ravi is a corruptive influence, Sora is a willing corruptee, chaos incarnate, protective mate, bad guys ramp it up to the next level, Sora has an ace up his sleeve, and is not afraid to use it, Bat-Ravi

Review: Fluke and the Faithless Father (Fantastic Fluke #2) by Sam Burns

Rating: 5 🌈💫

After reading The Fantastic Fluke I had to immediately go to the next in the series to see what happens next. Imagine how surprised I was to find this (and probably all the other books) flow seamlessly from one to another.

The beginning here is exactly the last paragraphs of the ending of the first book so the narrative continues perfectly, picking up where the events left everyone evaluating how to go forward.

All the characters I have gotten to love, and a few I despise, are back. The interpersonal relationships are deepening. And the character growth and magical revelations just connect me even more closely with mage Sage McKinley, and his incredible found family that includes his cowboy mage (former ghost) boyfriend Gideon, his fabulous mage grandmother Iris McKinley and her staff/family as well as Rufus her familiar, Sage’s BFF and store partner Beez, Freddy, and last but never ever least … the amazing familiar Fluke the fox! Unfortunately there’s still Sage’s dads who are both a huge part of this story.

Both of them had enormous roles in damaging and traumatizing Sage, a element that has continued into the present. His biological father has remained in the bookstore Sage inherited, albeit in ghostly form, to taunt him daily, not content to have been just a miserable, horrible father to Sage while living.

The man Sage had loved and thought of as his real father and family, until he watched him murder his mother, is behind bars, convicted of the same murder that almost took Sage’s life too. And left him traumatized.

Both men and Sage’s past return here with real emotional impact.

I love found family stories and Burns is building a remarkable one while crafting a urban fantasy arc full of magic and mystery and quite a few murders.

Throw in how much damage a parent can inflict on a child’s personality by abuse, neglect, or, stunningly, unforeseen betrayal and murder, as Burns gives us a heartbreaking portrait of damaged adolescence and survival. And not just Sage’s.

Fluke and The Faithless Father is such a great story because of perseverance and strength and even grace shown by those under such awful conditions here. And the way in which they all triumph as they head to the next challenges.

It made me want to go back to the beginning and meet them all again, to see what I may have missed, recapture their wonderful spirits, before we head onto the next step.

I can already tell this is a journey I’ll want to take again with this remarkable family.

I’m highly recommending this book and series.

Again, a glorious cover.

The Fantastic Fluke Series:

✓ The Fantastic Fluke #1

✓ Fluke and the Faithless Father #2

◦ Fluke and the Faultline Fiasco #3

◦ Fluke and the Frontier Farce #4 – coming in 2022

https://www.goodreads.com › showFluke and the Faithless Father by Sam Burns – Goodreads

Synopsis:

After escaping a murderer and resurrecting his boyfriend, Sage figures he deserves a little time to recover.

Unfortunately, life is rarely fair.

So instead of a break, he gets to deal with a magical law enforcement rookie asking uncomfortable questions about his brush with death. The quaesitor is acting downright suspicious. Or is it suspiciously?

Things go from awkward to dangerous when the man who murdered Sage’s mother is released from prison, and soon after there’s a break-in at the bookstore. The situation escalates so fast that Sage is afraid he’s going to end up with whiplash. Or worse, end up dead. He wanted a break, but not a permanent one.

Fluke and the Faithless Father is a direct sequel to The Fantastic Fluke, and should not be read first. It is an ~85k word novel that follows the continuing adventures of Sage, Fluke, Gideon, and their whole family, found and otherwise.

Review: The Fantastic Fluke by Sam Burns

Rating: 5🌈💫

The first in a series, The Fantastic Fluke is another one of those magical tales that author Sam Burns writes so beautifully.

From the opening sentence and our introduction to mage Sage McKinley, we have an immediate understanding of this man’s current situation, his thoughts on his past, his present predicament, even his self image. It’s intimate and concise. And it serves as both a foundation and way to connect the reader emotionally to Sage.

How could it not? Then we get thrown further afterwards as it gets more evidenced that this story is firmly bound to the magical world by ghosts, mages, familiars and murders most supernatural!

Not all the great characters are human, some are delightfully foxy! Or ghostly! Burns has built this story around multiple magical murder mysteries (alliteration is not a key), fantastic layered characters, and a romance.

The story is so well plotted that it moves along smoothly, all the elements coming together at the end for a perfect “aha” revelation or two!

I was just captivated the entire story. Whether it was Sage’s ghastly adolescence, the trauma he endured, or his future path that was happening , whether he wanted it or not. Magic was coming for him.

The Fantastic Fluke is just the first of The Fantastic Fluke series by Sam Burns. I can’t wait to read on and see where this journey takes Sage and his companions.

I’m highly recommending this. And the author, Sam Burns.

And btw? That cover is gorgeous! Love it.

The Fantastic Fluke Series:

✓ The Fantastic Fluke #1

◦ Fluke and the Failthless Father #2

◦ Fluke and the Faultline Fiasco #3

◦ Fluke and the Frontier Farce #4 – coming in 2022

https://www.goodreads.com › showThe Fantastic Fluke #1 – Goodreads

Synopsis:

A lost fox. A gorgeous ghost. And an unlikely partnership to stop a murderer.

Since his mother’s murder, Sage McKinley doesn’t live, he exists. His weak magic has made him an outcast, shadowing his life with self-doubt. All that changes when the spirit of a gunslinger appears in his bookstore with a message that will flip Sage’s world upside down. According to the mesmerizing apparition, a powerful magic lies within Sage… if he can find a way to tap into it.

But dastardly threats accompany this untapped power. Bodies are piling high as a killer hunts for the secrets of the mage that now course through Sage’s veins. Can Sage find the confidence to embrace all he’s capable of? Or will the next life snuffed out be his own?

Review: Breath (Scales ‘n’ Spells (#2) by A.J. Sherwood and Jocelynn Drake

Rating: 4 🌈

Breath is the second book in Sherwood and Drake’s fantasy series and it takes the series off to Finland, Poland..a tiny travelogue of countries really, in search of new mages and Dragon mates for the Burkhard Fire Clan. The path taken through Riga, then Wrocław is so descriptive and charming that you scramble to Google it. Locations are always a plus here.

However with both Origin and now Breath, there was an underlying element that tugged at me when I finished both stories and it took this book to figure out what it was.

I like the fantasy arc the authors have established and the mystery of the enemy mages to overcome. Nor have I mislaid the aspect of the Lost Clans the authors only mentioned in the beginning. All good.

I do like that the story concentrates on the mage for most of the novel. Here it’s Tori Taavi. He’s lived a miserable life in a hidden village that’s pretty much a matriarchal homophobic society where only the females who test out magically are valued, males who do are valued solely as mates to procreate and anyone else is considered worthless. Tori fell in the later as gay and someone who did work magic under their rigid guidelines.

Both Sherwood and Drake do a fantastic job in creating a sympathetic and relatable personality in Tori. He’s so easy to connect with, that making him our window into the story and his personal journey into a new world of hope is amazing. I’m with him and his tale of love and growth all the way.

In fact Tori’s emotional tale overpowers everything here. Baldewin, the sweet giant of a red fire dragon, definitely comes in second as a narrator instead of on equal standing. Same for Baldewin’s story. It’s Tori’s book really, not that I mind. He’s a great character. Much like the first book belonged to Cameron, Cassie, and Ha Na instead of King Alric.

But shouldn’t it be at least more uh… dragon sided too?

Right now it’s all about the mages but we learn very little about dragons here.

That’s part of the issue that’s been troubling me. Dragons, for all the castles and verbiage given to them here, have, little natural history or foundation. So there’s a magical incubator. Great! How does it work?why, other than the war basics, don’t we really know much about dragons here?

The mate ceremony is over before you know it . Which considering that it’s what all the drama and wars were/are fought over, wouldn’t you expect something more uh noteworthy? Here that’s the section that feels the most incomplete. When it should be the most uplifting and important.

And it was that way for both stories. So I see a pattern emerging here.

Great mage characters and their storyline. Lesser dragons characters with a rushed ending.

Thankfully Tori was so great that I really enjoyed his journey and thought Baldewin made a lovely mate for him.

Now onto the novella, Wish.

I’m recommending this because the characters are terrific and fantasy is always my jam.

Read them in the order they are written.

Scales ‘n’ Spells series:

✓ Origins

✓ Breath

◦ Wish: a Novella

◦ Blood

◦ Embers

https://www.goodreads.com › showBreath (Scales ‘N’ Spells #2) by A.J. Sherwood – Goodreads

A Mage’s List for Freedom:

1. Escape his evil, controlling clan.

2. Get a job.

3. Work magic on HIS terms.

4. Avoid all dragons.

Tori was doing great until sexy dragon Baldewin interfered.

Between the little gifts, constant protection, and the steadfast confidence from the overgrown lizard, Tori wonders if maybe that last step needs revising. He has no chance to consider it.

Not before trouble called Jaeggi REALLY hits. Now he’s on the road trip from hell to the one place he’d never thought would be a safe haven. A clan of dragons.

Assuming they make it, that is.

Tags:

Dragon shifters, mages, fated mates, hurt/comfort, enemies to lovers, not mpreg, interracial couple, road trip, No Flying, nope not even with a dragon, dwarf hunting in Poland, Tori needs allll the hugs, Baldewin is happy to supply them, dragons are ninjas, attempted kidnapping, mages being BAMF, insecurity, trust issues, Tori is an arse, Baldewin is adorable, Cassie is over it, virgin character, but not for long fufufufu, dysfunctional family, family of choice, magical realism, cuuuuudles, the authors regret nothing.

Review: Origin (Scales ‘n’ Spells #1) by A.J. Sherwood and Jocelynn Drake

Rating: 4🌈

When I saw that two of my go to authors had co-writtten a series together, I needed to check it out. Especially a fantasy series.

Origin, the first in A.J. Sherwood and Jocelynn Drake’s Scales ‘n’ Spells series is a terrific story. It overflows with dragons, magic, and romance.

The world building is straight forward and, unless the authors intend to throw substantial twists into the upcoming novels, without the multiple complexities and overall murkiness I’ve had in my other sagas. This contributes to a lighter narrative, that moves the plot swiftly along. Germany makes for a rich location in terms of language and culture and both are put to excellent use by the authors.

The Park Twins, both Cameron and his sister Cassie are charming and well conceived. In fact, the entire all the Noh family, including the wonderful grandmother are such a plus! I gravitated to them all. More so then any of the other characters. Hopefully we will see more of them in the upcoming novels.

The arc story threads is set forth almost immediately as are the stakes for all the beings involved. The action scenes are well done but I want more of the dragons. Balancing mage and dragons here isn’t a easy task.

Alric and Cameron make a relatable couple. I think his sister Cassie and her mate make an even more adorable one, and wanted to see more of them too.

Origins was a very good start to a new series and I look forward towards the rest of the series.

As a lover of fantasy, I’m recommending it.

Scales ‘n’ Spells series:

Origins

Breathe

Wish: a Novella

Blood

Embers

https://www.goodreads.com › showOrigin (Scales ‘N’ Spells, #1) by A.J. Sherwood – Goodreads

Synopsis:

Cameron wants to make it clear that he did not go into the festival to find a dragon mate.

Germany is supposed to be an escape. With a new mechanical engineering degree, a new job looming, and a whole life planned out that isn’t his, Germany seems like the best place to find himself.

So, how does he end up discovering his lost magic heritage, running from bad guys with a secret agenda, and being adopted by the not-so-extinct Fire Dragon clan?

Cameron blames tall, dark, and sexy Alric, King of the Fire Dragons. His fated mate. Because of course he is, and mates are meant to take the blame, right?

It may take a hot second, but as Cameron learns more about the scarred Alric and the life he’s landed in, Cameron realizes that perhaps this is where he’s meant to be, magic and mates and kidnapping and all.

Turns out coming to Germany wasn’t an escape but his awakening.

Tags: Not-so-extinct, Shifter dragons, mages, fated mates, secret clans, epic libraries, hurt/comfort, not mpreg, age gap, not that Alric cares, magical heritage, mechanical engineers being BAMF, grumpy dragon kings being protective of their cute mates, really the cuteness is downright criminal, we might need a firehose for these two, or not, sass, so much sass, Ravi and Cameron are no longer allowed to be alone together, for reasons, dragons hoarding, when you live long enough statistics will get you, bats named Cheryl, beheadings, no damsels in distress here, just very unhappy mages, with trigger fingers, anyone have life hacks on how to get rid of kidnappers, Cameron is open to suggestions.

Review: Wake The Dead (Godstones Saga #3) by Jocelynn Drake

Rating: 5🌈

Well that was wonderfully unexpected!

So many twists and wild turns in this installment to keep my brain in a whirl until the fourth book is released in January. So many I honestly did not see coming, and I’m a very suspicious person.

Love when that happens.

Wake the Dead is such a huge book in a variety of ways, not just because of the wild revelations at the end. As much as I found those thrilling and wildly entertaining…

No, it’s the layers peeled back off from familiar characters, revealing hidden depths to their personalities and letting us see them both as people capable of acts of great ruthlessness and cruelty. Or as people too easily swayed by surface actions when I expected them to be more discerning. Hidden depths, differences in agendas, and potential for even more revelations to come the more we get to know these men.

These are the quiet turns in the narrative that balances the larger, more explosive surprises the author lays out for all (characters and readers alike) throughout the amazing journey here.

I have come to look forward to all the characters I meet along the paths our quartet must take to achieve their god quests. This book is full of fully realized, memorable beings that come across as absolutely believable, sometimes poignant, often larger than life itself. Ones I hope to see somehow at the end of the series if at all possible.

Drake is creating such a fantastic fantasy series, a gift really. One that pulls at your heart, mind, and imagination.

Now to wait until January 22,2022 for the fourth in the series. She has six planned overall.

We are halfway there on our journey. It’s a magnificent one.

If you’re a lover of fantasy romance and fiction, grab up and read the books along with me. Read them in the order they are written to understand the sequence of events and characters growth and changes in relationships.

I’m highly recommending them all.

https://www.goodreads.com › showWake the Dead (Godstone Saga, #3) by Jocelynn Drake – Goodreads

Godstone Saga Series:

✓ Steal The Wind #1

✓ Breathe of Life #2

✓ Wake the Dead #3

◦ Wings of Fire #4 – coming January 22, 2022

Synopsis:

The dead wait for Caelan.

The Goddess of Life has sent Caelan to wake her brother, the Dead God.

But crossing the reclusive country of Zastrad is even more treacherous when Caelan and his friends aren’t sure they can trust their guide.

The four friends will be tested by violence, death, political intrigue, and secrets better left in the dark.

When Caelan finally reaches the fractured godstone, he may have to give up everything to save the family he’s cobbled together.

Wake the Dead is the third book in the six-book Godstone Saga fantasy series and is not a standalone. The story contains danger, secrets, bossy gods, stolen kisses, a new king finding his way, a possessive boyfriend, magic, and lots of delicious angst..

Review: Breathe of Life (Godstones Saga #2) by Jocelynn Drake

Rating: 5🌈

As I’ve said before, it’s always the second book in a series that cements the foundation and really establishes the pillars the author’s is resting their epic fantasy storylines upon.

Breathe of Life, the second novel in the Godstones Saga by Jocelynn Drake does all that and more beautifully. It’s here the author lays out the fantasy themes and storylines the main group of characters must strive for. The epic goals and the unbelievable obstacles that lie ahead of them all become clear as well.

All while our intrepid group fights gallantly through enemy battalions, encountering unexpected dangers within and without, and dealing with gods. Who have their own agendas.

To say my time with this book just flew would be an understatement.

I’m so committed to these people and each new event and obstacle raises each man to find within himself some new flaws as well as strengths. The characters develop deeper relationship dynamics between each other that just adds such amazing interest and brings us closer to them. Individually and as they find attractions towards each other.

Drake has such great skills when writing fantasy. It shows in the imaginative Godstones/gods as well as extends towards the battles and internal emotions that Caelan fights within him. Plus the rotating 4-man pov strengthens the narrative and our commitment to each character and their role in this epic journey.

This series has quickly become a must read and I’m hot onto the next book in the series Wake the Dead.

Then I’ll have to wait like every one for the January release. Sigh.

Until then, if you love fantasy romance and fiction, grab up this series. Read it straight through and meet me at the next story!

I’m loving this! And highly recommending it!

https://www.goodreads.com › showBreath of Life (Godstone Saga, #2) by Jocelynn Drake – Goodreads

Godstone Saga Series:

✓ Steal The Wind #1

✓ Breathe of Life #2

◦ Wake the Dead #3

◦ Wings of Fire #4 – coming January 22, 2022

Synopsis:

Caelan wants his throne back.

The bargain has been struck, and it’s time to return home.

But the situation is worse in Erya than he previously suspected. Betrayal runs deep in the streets of Stormbreak, and finding people he can trust will be treacherous.

He has no choice, though. He’s fighting for his birthright, and maybe even a little revenge if he can get it.

Will the gods come between him and the crown?

Or worse, him and Drayce?

Breath of Life is the second book in the six-book Godstone Saga fantasy series and is not a standalone. The story contains explosions, gods with secret plans, hidden romance, a prince set on revenge, magic, and lots of delicious angst..

Review: Steal The Wind (Godstone Saga #1) by Jocelynn Drake

Rating: 4.5 🌈

Again I’ve fallen into a new fantasy epic and new author with Steal The Wind (Godstone Saga #1) by Jocelyn Drake. I’m so happy with both new additions to my reading and author lists.

We meet our important quartet of main characters immediately

Prince Carlen of the Kingdom of Erya, with his royal companion and best friend, Drayce. Also there Royal advisor Lord Rayne Laurent and Royal Bodyguard Lord Eno Bevyn

With Caelan at the pivotal narrative point and the others as his important support, Drake builds a epic fantasy tale, full of tragedy, magic, gods, misfortune, kingdoms lost… and waiting to be won once more. With romance and love woven throughout.

I was absolutely pulled into the first installment and Caelan’s journey. Drake’s ability to make even the smallest of characters memorable as well as the briefest of scenes made me stay connected to the group’s struggles to battle through heartbreak, weariness, deception, and shattering revelations.

Each character is given their own pov which works given each man’s importance to each other and the developing saga storylines.

While it ends on a cliffhanger, it feels right and I’m eagerly moving forward to the next book.

The author intends this to be a six book series. There’s three currently released with the fourth out next month.

I’m happily anticipating some busy nights ahead.

In the meantime, if you love fantasy fiction and romance, put Steal The Wind (Godstone Saga #1) by Jocelyn Drake on your TBR list. It’s a winner!

https://www.goodreads.com › showSteal the Wind (Godstone Saga, #1) by Jocelynn Drake – Goodreads

Godstone Saga Series:

✓ Steal The Wind #1

◦ Breathe of Life #2

◦ Wake the Dead #3

◦ Wings of Fire #4 – coming January 22, 2022

Synopsis:

Everything Caelan knows about his world is a lie.

A war is brewing. As the crown prince of Erya, it’s only natural that Caelan is sent on a secret diplomatic mission to support one of the kingdom’s allies. With his advisor, his bodyguard, and his best friend as traveling companions, what could go wrong?

Everything.

Everything goes wrong.

Now they are on the run, dodging assassins, setting secret meetings, and even making deals with a sleeping god.

So, this is probably a really bad time to cave to feelings he’s been fighting for his best friend. But Drayce has owned his heart for more years than he can count and if he’s going to die, shouldn’t he have just one kiss?

The fate of the world is on the line, and only Caelan holds the power to save them all.

Steal the Wind is the first book in the six-book Godstone Saga fantasy series and is not a standalone. The story contains explosions, secrets, cranky gods, hidden romance, a prince on the run, a possessive ex-boyfriend, magic, and lots of delicious angst.