Category: LGBTQ YA Fiction

A Free Dreamer Release Day Review: I’m Not Who You Think I Am by Felicitas Ivey

 

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

Mykayla’s parents’ marriage is in trouble, but they’re working on it. Unfortunately for Mykayla, that means she’s getting shipped off to Boston to spend her summer with Uncle Yushua while they work out their issues. Mykayla has issues of her own-like her confusion about her sexuality, or apparent lack of it-that she’d like to explore alongside her best friend, Xiu. The situation at her uncle’s house is weird to say the least. There’s something off about his coworkers-aside from the fact that they won’t go away. Things go from strange to stranger when a supernatural being shows up to protect Mykayla from someone he calls the Shadow Pharaoh. Sutekhgen is a sorcerer who never made it to the afterlife, with a huge Set Beast as a companion… and the mistaken assumption that Mykayla is the reincarnation of his lost romantic partner. She doesn’t know what’s worse: being caught in a metaphysical conflict between ancient gods or being stuck with a pushy jerk who doesn’t know the meaning of personal boundaries.

“I’m Not Who You Think I Am” was a bit of a mixed bag for me. There were some elements I really enjoyed and others I didn’t really care for.

I haven’t seen a lot of books that mix old Egyptian mythology and urban fantasy, so this was a nice change. While I’m not completely ignorant of Egyptian history and religion, I’m hardly an expert and I did feel a little bit lost at times. Sometimes the in-depth on page research actually bordered on info-dump for me and it was hard to keep track of all the facts.

Mykayla is a girl after my tastes. She thinks museums are just as interesting as bookshops and can easily spend hours there without getting bored. That made me like her immediately. She’s also obsessed with knitting and still struggling a bit with her asexuality. Or rather, how and who to tell about it. She did get a little bit annoying toward the end, with her seemingly endless internal rants about sexism and how she was very much NOT attracted to anybody.

Her best friend Xiu was kind of annoying from the beginning. She never shuts up and kind of refuses to accept Mykayla’s asexuality. She’s the only person who knows about it and yet she keeps going on about how she wants to date Mykayla. It seemed quite insensitive to me, even if it was passed off as a sort of running gag. Plus, she acted awfully mature for a 15-year-old and not at all how I think a normal teenager would behave.

The adults were also very lenient towards the two teenagers. Who allows two 15-year-olds to go out alone at 11pm to have a coffee at the train station of a big city? And Mykayla’s parents were extremely neglectful. They weren’t abusive or anything, but they just seemed to not be as concerned about her as I’d expect. They’re actually somewhat important to the story, even if they don’t get all that much on-page time. That was actually a nice change from the usually absent parents of the YA genre.

I did like the fantasy elements and the scenes with Sutekhgen and his adorable Set Beast. Kudos to the author for creating two truly unique animal characters in this story. I’m still halfway convinced Yushua’s cat is secretly not a cat at all, but a shapeshifter or something like that. I think the animals were my favourite characters of the entire book.

Not a lot actually happens here. There’s one big event pretty early on, followed by lots of talking and research, and then there’s another big event toward the end. I didn’t quite understand the big reveal at the end, tbh.

Overall, I did find “ I’m Not Who You Think I Am” a mostly rather entertaining read. It does have its ups and downs, though, and it was far from a “great read” for me. I do believe there’s going to be a part two, the overall story arc definitely isn’t done just yet, even if there was no horrible cliffhanger at the end. I’m not sure if I want to read the sequel, yet.

I’m not a huge fan of the cover by Tiferet Design. While the cover model definitely has the right hair and skin tone, she just doesn’t look like she’s 15. Plus, I’m fairly sure Mykayla didn’t wear make up. I do like the font that was used for the title, though.

Sales Links:   Harmony Ink Press | Barnes & Noble | Amazon

Book details:

eBook, 200 pages

Expected publication: March 19th 2019 by Dreamspinner Press LLC

A MelanieM Review: No Big Deal (#lovehim #1.5) by S.M. James

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Angus Reid has always hoped for a roommate. As the only openly gay student at Pinebrook Private, he’s never had the kind of friendship everyone else in his year does, until Tyler shows up. Tyler is sweet, thoughtful, and absolutely adorkable—and better still, he couldn’t care less that Angus is gay.

Unfortunately, falling for your straight roommate is never a good idea, and during a snowed-in weekend, Angus learns this lesson the hard way.

A YA contemporary short story, No Big Deal is the prequel to To Be Honest and will show you where it all began for Angus and Tyler

No Big Deal is as the blurb says the prequel to the marvelous YA road story romance, To Be Honest, second novel in S.M. James’ outstanding YA #lovehim series.  And yes, yet another story I’ve read out of sequence.  I just can’t seem to read this series in order which is really doing it, the author, and me a disservice.

Because had I read this before To Be Honest, I would have had so much more insight into the characters and the issues they faced going into that story.  It would have made an already layered and moving reading experience that much richer.

No Big Deal is the story of Angus and Tyler’s first introduction, our look into their first steps as roommates and friends, and some hidden clues into each person’s back histories and personalities, especially when it comes to the LGBT community.  All of which have important roles to play in the next story.

This is a short story of 38 pages so it does just fly by but the writing is smooth and so beautifully done.  The characters as bright, funny, thoughtful, and engaging as I remembered.  They act their age, with so much depth to their emotions and mental acuity that its a pleasure to watch them grow as individuals and in their relationship.  In this story and in the series.

Told you, I read the other story first.

Don’t you do that.  Read all these amazing book in the order they were written.  Each and every one is a treasure.   More to come that, yes, I read out of order too. Sign.

Oh, and no sex, no heat, definitely YA all the way, this is also just meeting for a first time story.

Cover Artist: Story Styling Cover Designs. The cover art is so simple yet appealing, and perfect for the characters.

Sales Links:  Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 38 pages
Published October 23rd 2018 by May Books
ASINB07FX69TTC
Edition Language English
Series#lovehim #1.5

Series #lovehim

That Feeling When

No Big Deal
No Big Deal

A MelanieM Review: Magic Triumphed (The Mages’ Guild Trilogy #3) by Andi Van

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

The Mages’ Guild Trilogy: Book Three

Zaree Muna’s loyalty to her brother Tasis has taken her to some strange places, but she never could’ve predicted ending up where she now finds herself. The victims of a spell, Tasis and his familiar are unable to wake, leaving Zaree and her allies to face the mad king of Archai on their own. Their quest brings them face-to-face with the Maker herself, and she offers a dire prophecy: they’ll suffer three deaths as they fight for the fate of their world. They’ll lose two people close to them before the final death threatens their chance of victory.

But Zaree isn’t planning to give up—not on Tasis’s dream and not on their future. If that means staring down death, she’s ready. A thousand years is too long to let their struggles end in anything but triumph.

Magic Triumphed (The Mages’ Guild Trilogy #3) by Andi Van is the exactly the right conclusion I was hoping for.  It’s soaring in its imaginative qualities, full of adventure and suspense.  All the characters we have come to know and love are present and fully involved in saving the world in a manner that has us cheering for more.  And Andi Van gives us additional characters barely hinted at but now fully fleshed out, complete with their own relationships, and roles to play.

The only thing missing?  I really wanted to see those giant dogs!

I love a saga that gives me a origin mythology and dragons too.  Be still my heart.  Plus Van leaves room at the end for further, if not sequels, then connected stories and hopefully more series because the world building here is exceptional.  From the Grey Forest elves to the gryphons, to the Maker and all the dragons and Guilds, the continued expansion of the universe that the author is creating throughout the trilogy just cries out for more.

That goes for the relationships here too.  The triad of Emlynn,Jorget, and Nabiha (with baby brother Malik of course) need their story along with Zaree and Reikos, should that be who she ends up with, you never know.  There are so many powerfully conceived characters here who deserve stories all their own in this marvelous universe, empty Guilds that need to live again and a world that still needs so much healing.

Andi Van brought all these beings and this world alive to me.  I sank into it for three stories.  Magic Triumphed was an emotional high, It brought a complicated magically gorgeous saga to a great ending yet made me feel as though another journey could yet still be ready to start.  I hope that Andi Van is listening….

Love fantasy?  Here is a trilogy to dive into and become a part of.  Beautifully written, fantastical creatures and wonderful characters, it will leave you both satisfied and wanting more.  How great is that?

I highly recommend the entire trilogy which should be read in the order is was written.

Cover Art: Tiferet Designs.  Gorgeous cover with the beautiful rendering of Zaree on the cover.  Love it.

Sales Links:  Harmony Ink Press | Amazon | Dreamspinner Press

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 214 pages
Published March 5th 2019 by Harmony Ink Press
ASIN B07LH1CWFM
Edition Language English
Series The Mages’ Guild Trilogy #3
Magic Fell
Magic Wept
Magic Triumphed

A MelanieM Review: Magic Wept (The Mages’ Guild Trilogy #2) by Andi Van

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

The Mages’ Guild Trilogy: Book 2

Jorget wants desperately to hone his magical abilities, but it’s almost impossible in Archai Castle, where the mad king would kill him if he caught him using his forbidden talents. But a chance presents itself when Jorget’s mentor, the royal priest Denekk, sends him on a quest in search of a magical weapon. While it seems his opportunity to make a name for himself has finally arrived, Jorget has no idea what he’s really getting himself into.

 

In the Mages’ Guild of the Dragon’s Claw, Kelwin Tiovolk and his beloved, guild leader Tasis Kadara, are finally enjoying a peaceful life. Unfortunately, it can’t last—the king has designs on a weapon that can destroy the guild, and in order to protect his home, Kelwin will have to leave it.

 

Saving the guild seems impossible with so many determined to stop them, but if Kelwin and Jorget stand together, they might find the strength to defy the odds and preserve all they hold dear.

The middle book in the trilogy is often the hardest story for the author, and perhaps the reader.  It has to act as a bridge between the first story that launches the saga, where lies the power of introducing us to the characters and universe and then it has to carry us over to a third tale that will triumphantly bring all the many story threads together, answering our questions and, hopefully, giving our characters a HEA they all deserve. That’s quite a story load for any bridge to carry.    Plus it has its own narrative chores to carry out.  It must move a complicated plot forward, expand on existing characterizations, and, even do a little more revelations in the foundation/universe creations (here it’s in the mythology world building here that Van is creating).

Yes, that middle novel can make or break a trilogy.  So I’m so happy to tell you that I was just as enthralled with Magic Wept as I was with Magic Fell.  With everything this story had to accomplish, it did that and more as a compelling fantasy tale I couldn’t put down.  Van enlarged on the mythology started in the first story,  gave the reader many stunning twists here, introduced new characters and expanded on ones we barely met in the first novel, Magic Fell, by bringing them into the main group here.  I’m loving Emlynn the giant who never grew too tall,Jorget who’s mouth runs faster than his brilliant mind,  and many more.  Toddlers, butterflies, and dandelions, oh my!

Andi Van is able to balance the magical, the fantastical, with the ability to horrify in a split second.  And then go back again.

The characters that you find here, all of them, no matter the gender, or gender fluid, or gender identity, are all complicated, living beings.  That they might happen to be dragons, magical cats of a thousand years or a baby who can make butterflies dance about your heads, you take them all into your hearts and embrace them fully.  Which means you are fully invested about what happens every second of every page.

Which is a lot.

There is more world building, action and suspense, and, yes, its setting us up for the final story Magic Triumphed..

For those of you seeking heat in your fantasy, this is not the trilogy for you.  This is a true YA story with no heat at all.  Love, romance perhaps, but no sex.  It’s a wonderfully imagined, deeply satisfying fantasy adventure with great characters and world building.

I definitely recommend Magic Wept (The Mages’ Guild Trilogy #2) by Andi Van and Magic Fell.  Now onto the trilogy finale.

Cover Artist: AngstyG.  These are just gorgeous covers, and work not only for the trilogy but for the characters as well.

Sales links:  Harmony Ink | Amazon | 

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 180 pages
Published September 18th 2018 by Harmony Ink Press
ASIN B07DKX7TC6
Edition Language English
Series The Mages’ Guild Trilogy #2

A MelanieM Review: Magic Fell (The Mages’ Guild Trilogy #1) by Andi Van

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Past and present are about to collide, and the world will never be the same.

Magic has been missing from the world for a millennium, and it’s needed now more than ever. It falls to young Tasis Kadara to revive the fabled Mages’ Guild of the Dragon’s Claw. But in a culture where arcane power is forbidden and practitioners are executed, Tasis will have to keep his own aptitude for magic secret. With nothing to direct them besides bizarre dreams and a mysterious cat, Tasis and his sister Zaree undertake a quest to discover the hidden island that was once home to the guild.

Kelwin Tiovolk departs his village following his mentor’s suggestion. As an elf wandering into human civilization, he’s in danger simply for being who he is. A brawl at an inn leads him straight into the path of the young man he’s been dreaming about, and he’s compelled to help Tasis and his sister any way he can. Together, the trio might have a chance of accomplishing their mission—or the attempt might kill them.

I walked backwards into this series with a call to review the final story in this trilogy.  One look at that blurb and I was hooked!  You see I have loved high fantasy and dragons since I can remember, reading the books of Anne McCaffrey and her Dragonriders of Pern or Ursula K. LeGuin and her Wizard of Earthsea.  And there were so many more that started me for my craving for high fantasy and elves, and magic, and lands so wondrous that I wanted to live there and never leave.

Well, Andi Van has written another trilogy that I would have adored finding at that age and actually any age.  This YA high fantasy novel is beautifully written, with great world building and characters that continue to show growth and depth as the story moves through the trilogy arc.  It’s also just fast paced enough that you can feel as though you’ve had a chance to “look around” and enjoy the highlights and jewels of each scene and new character while never fretting that the story is lagging about the need to drive to the all important final narrative destination.

In other words, the plot is beautifully balanced between the need for speed/action and the love of story and character.  Both are looked after and flourish here.

I love, love all the characters here.  The three main characters of half elf Tasis Kadara, his sister Zaree Muna, and full elf Kelwin Tiovolk  each get their own assignments in this trilogy of saving the world.  Tasis has the first installment, when the wait of one thousand years is over and he has a role to play.

We are giving the heartbreaking beginning and the devastation that begins the wait.  Then we go forward in time to Tasis and his sister Zaree.  I won’t go into  spoilers here.  But as I said the world building is gorgeous and so well done.  And the author will continue to expand on it as the story and trilogy continues.  The relationship dynamics between brother and sister,  brother and Kelwin, Kelwyn and the siblings are realistic, connectable, and scenes so remarkable in the interactions with each other that I  just thoroughly enjoyed it.

With regard to any romance or sexual relationship?  Not really. This is truly a YA story, a young YA story because the only romance is an acknowledgement of tender feelings between Kelwin and Tallis, and finally a kiss. And a lovely chaste kiss at that.  One to make you laugh and cheer a bit.  But that’s it.

No here the fantasy story about magic, the search for knowledge and something bigger ….that’s the focus and oh, how it works.

Here be Dragons!  Here’s a story not to be missed!  A trilogy in fact.  Two more reviews to come.  I highly recommend this to all ages and lovers of dragons, magic, elves, and all that includes, magical cats included.  How could I forget him?

Cover Artist: AngstyG.  Beautiful cover.  I adore it.

Sales Links: Barnes & Noble |  Harmony Ink Press | Amazon

Book Details:

ebook, 190 pages
Published May 19th 2016 by Harmony Ink Press
ISBN 1634768817 (ISBN13: 9781634768818)
Edition Language English
Series The Mages’ Guild Trilogy

Magic Fell

Magic Wept

Magic Triumphed

A MelanieM Review: To Be Honest (#lovehim #2) by S.M. James

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5

Angus Reid is pretty sure he’s being catfished.

After spending the last half of junior year talking online to the guy of his dreams, Angus wants to meet. In person. So when Scotty brushes it off with excuses of not being ready, red flags go up.

Determined to either catch Scotty out, or take a shot at real love, Angus embarks on a summer road trip with his adorkable roommate, Tyler. But as summer stretches on, and mixed messages fly between them, Angus finds his heart torn.

His potential catfisher?

Or his straight best friend?

And while their road trip takes them across the country, Angus is headed for one destination.

Either a happily ever after … or a broken heart.

Continuing that outstanding YA series #lovehim is To Be Honest (#lovehim #2) by S.M. James.  To be all fangyrl here, I heart them so much.

Angus Reid was mentioned in the first story, That Feeling When, as the only out person that  Archie Corrigan knew at the boarding school they both went too.  Angus is well liked,popular with every crowd and clique, masculine yet “gay” within Archie’s definitions at that time.  And it just added to Archie’s confusion.  Angus seemed to be everything Archie was not.  And  yes, Archie makes a couple of appearances here.

True to form and the writing of this amazing author, we find out that what you see is not what is laying deep underneath the surface.  Especially with teenagers.

I have never been much for YA stories until the last couple of years or so then a splendid number of just beautifully written coming of age, coming out stories brought me firmly back to this genre.  It takes such skill to bring out the hormonal, on the edge of….something…, the need to be more, to know more, part bravery, part fear and ignorance…it’s such a trying time to be a young human.  Being LGBT even more so. What a road of self discovery lies ahead.  S.M. James has proven themselves a master at giving their readers  deeply layered characters at that crucial stage of development and then pushing them off onto the path or in this case road of self discovery and love.

Angus and friend/roommate, Tyler, are poised on the brink of changes in their lives as their junior year is ending and summer approaches.  Angus will be moving into his own room at school as a senior, leaving Tyler behind, a profound change in their relationship neither has addressed.  Angus’ other bbf has broken up with her boyfriend again, seemingly for the last time, although Angus has his doubts.  And the person he has been chatting with online and wants to meet, won’t commit to meeting him.  Everything is topsy turvey….emotionally and mentally.

The story rolls out through the points of view of Angus,  as well as the texts between himself and Scotty, his online infatuation/love.

James makes Angus and Tyler so real, along with everything each of them is going through personally.  I felt as though I knew them both.  And that road trip that they take (the Maryland Hospitality House I can vouch for) turns out to be not only  a moving journey of self discovery but a great sightseeing tour of several states and locations.  Trust me I will never think of envelopes of dirt without wanting to add a sniffle or two.  The journey ends up profoundly changing both Angus, Tyler, and the readers.

The question of course as to who Scotty is will be quickly answered by most of you.  No, it was how everything was going to play out, what was going to be the overall picture here. What happens, not only to Angus and Tyler but to several others in the picture as well.

S.M. James pulls you into life at this school and the young people living there.  It’s the Community  Boards that pop up and the people that use them.  It’s the entire universe this author is creating and then populating that has me addicted.

I still have a couple of books to go.  But those that i have read?  I highly recommend them all.  They are moving, gorgeously written, and tremendous characters and great plots. Pick them all up today.

Cover art is amazing.  Bright and perfect down to the sneakers propped up on the dashboard as the car goes down the road.

Sales Links: Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 386 pages
Published November 15th 2018 by May Books
ASINB07GKF8H22
Edition Language English
Series #lovehim #2

That Feeling When

No Big Deal
No Big Deal

Andi Van on Writing, Dragons, and their new release Magic Triumphed (The Mages’ Guild Trilogy #3) (author guest post)

Magic Triumphed (The Mages’ Guild Trilogy #3)  by Andi Van

Harmony Ink Press
Cover Artist: Tiferet Design

Sales Links:  Harmony Ink Press | Amazon | Dreamspinner Press

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to host Andi  Van here today to talk about writing, and dragons and their new release Magic Triumphed, Welcome, Andi.

 

 

“Write me a story with a dragon.”

You never think that a single sentence could change things so drastically. Or at least I don’t. But in 2007, when I decided to participate in this thing I’d heard of called NaNoWriMo, that’s exactly what my grandmother told me when I called her to tell her I had no idea what kind of story to write.

So I wrote her a story with a dragon. That was in 2007, mind you, and the original iteration of Tasis’ story was only one book long and badly written in places. Especially the ending. The ending was horrible. But I was lucky enough to have a chance to fix that, to expand my fictional world into an entire universe.

It’s been almost twelve years, and  I never thought I’d be so incredibly sad about having a book released, because Magic Triumphed being released into the world means it’s over. Done. The thing I poured my heart into as a tribute to my late grandmother is complete, and it’s kind of like losing a piece of my soul.

(When I said this to my mother, her immediate reaction was to ask me when I’m writing the fourth book. I pointed out that a trilogy is only three books long, and her response was “That didn’t stop Douglas Adams.” I mean, she has a point, but…)

It’s been a labor of love, for sure. I wrote Magic Wept and Magic Triumphed back-to-back, without a break. I lost Koi, my much-loved feline companion and deleter of chapters (via sitting on my keyboard), in the middle of the process due to old age. My roommate was pretty sure she was going to have to take me to the hospital before I ended up dead from lack of sleep (I’m not even joking about that, sadly). The characters weren’t cooperating. I had to have deadlines extended. And I had to write something near the end (don’t worry, no spoilers) that pretty much destroyed me, even if I knew how it was going to turn out. On the final day, I was up until 5 in the morning, with another author friend keeping me company until I hit send on my submission email. (Then I promptly fell into bed and stayed there for a week.)

We all know how I am by now, though. There’s a baby who can do magic he shouldn’t be able to do, and we have to know why he can do that, right? He should be getting his own story, shouldn’t he? Plus I’ve already been talking with friends about doing some crossover stories. So chances are, this isn’t the last you’ll be seeing of The Mages’ Guild.

But hey… I wrote a story with a dragon for you. I hope you like it.

You can follow along with the blog tour at http://andivan.com/magic-triumphed-blog-tour. Since the dragons are what started this whole mess (both in reality and in the story), it’s the dragons I’ll be talking about for most of the tour. Keep your eyes peeled for a random giveaway or two!

 

 

 

Blurb:

Zaree Muna would follow her brother Tasis anywhere, but she never imagined that path to lead where it has. After Tasis and his familiar fall under a magical sleep from which no one can wake them, she and her party prepare to face the mad king of Archai without him. They don’t expect the journey to lead to the Maker herself, who predicts three deaths will occur as the battle to save their world from Archai and a jealous god nears. Two of those deaths will be loved ones, and if things go wrong, the third death could spell the end of everything.

But no one ever accused Zaree of being a coward, and as she and the others go into battle to save what Tasis has rebuilt, she is ready to laugh in the face of death. The thousand-year wait is over, and none of them will accept anything less than triumph.

***  Excerpt

Vashk was waiting for them when they made their way into the cavernous dock, and Zaree, with Yldost riding on her shoulder, couldn’t help but wonder just how much the water dragon knew. She respected and trusted him, certainly, but she didn’t kid herself. He was hiding something from them. Multiple somethings, likely, and all of them important.

Yldost leaped from her shoulder and would have landed on the ground in a small heap if Zaree hadn’t caught them. Clearly the dragon wasn’t used to not having all of their feathers in place. Instead, Zaree very gently set Yldost on their brother’s snout, which was likely the place Yldost had been aiming for in the first place. They gave Zaree a grateful chirrup before turning their attention to their sibling. “Vashk. Seri na.”

“Seri na,” Vashk replied, his clear voice rolling through the grotto.

“Diisen var?”

“If you would speak a language we could understand, it would be appreciated,” Zaree said, catching Jorget’s nod from the corner of her eye.

“Seri na is a greeting between family members,” Vashk told her.

“There isn’t really a translation for it, but it signifies family ties as well as affection. You would use it when greeting Tasis, but not when greeting Sireti.”

Zaree tilted her head slightly to one side without thinking about it, and groaned inwardly when she realized what she’d done. She’d been spending far too much time with Yldost if she was picking up their mannerisms. “I wouldn’t use it with Sireti even though he’s blood family?”

“You dislike him,” Yldost piped up. “Seri na is for loved ones. And blood does not make families.”

About the Author


Andi Van is a foul-mouthed troublemaker who lives near San Diego with a baseball bat that’s forever being used for things other than baseball, and a fondness for rum and caffeine (though not necessarily together).

Andi is fluent in three languages (English, sarcasm, and profanity), and takes pride in a highly developed—if somewhat bizarre—sense of humor.

Social media info:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DefiantAndi
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/defiantandi