We’re at the penultimate book, the real villain has been identified, and the scramble is on to stay alive, find a way to stop her and save Wild , her family and friends and the world magical order as it is.
And things aren’t looking so good.
Shannon Mayer’s storylines are flowing into one another fluidly at this point, so this is picking up where the previous book ends.
Helped by not just her own close knit group of paranormal friends, but the ghosts of her brother and mother, Wild is desperately looking for the magical instrument or instruction to help her defeat their enemies.
The author has plenty of revelations about Wild, her family, as well as the history of the school to unlock as part of this highly suspenseful, action packed, and emotional storyline.
Wally (a fantastic character who has had tremendous character development here), Johnson, and the rest of Wild’s crew get a lot of attention from the narrative as they are separated from Wild. Each striving for the same end before they reunite.
It’s a great story, and the characters are so amazing with their own storylines and growth.
Of course, as everyone heads towards the final battle, it ends in a cliffhanger.
Fantastic work. Highly recommended.
FYI. The academy has been pretty much left behind.
You Don’t Choose The Academy. The Academy Chooses You.
The Shadowkiller is back.
And he is hunting me down like a dog in the streets of New York City using every tool and ally he has—including people I once trusted.
I have never been so alone in my life, and yet if I turn to my friends that puts a target on their backs too. Which means I have to keep running.
So, I do what I know, and I set myself to finding the trail of breadcrumbs that will lead me to the one who is still pulling the strings.
Frost. A Chameleon just like me. Just like the Shadowkiller. Worse, she’s seeking out my friends to pick them off, one by one. To drain their lives in order to feed hers.
To stop her, I have to find her—a task easier said than done in a city this size.
What I don’t expect to find is a truth that this world and its secrets run far deeper, and far darker than I could have ever suspected.
I’m not sure how each of these stories manages to get increasingly complex and more devastating by the book but with Shifting Allegiance, Shifter Lords Book 11, Moira’s journey takes a truly dark, intensely horrifying turn of events which ends with a terrifying cliffhanger.
Babin has created for her Shifter Lords series a case of remarkable characters, including a group of women , goddesses, faes, vampire, otherworldly beings who have close ties to each other through family bonds or friendships that are now so tightly woven together that they are a force of nature and magic. Each woman comes with her own unique identity, often traumatized past and depths of character. The series may have begun with Evie’s journey but these same women have grown and developed over time and as events has changed them all.
Now they circle and surround Moira as her evil witch mother returns to reclaim her daughter and seed her revenge against her own daughter who escaped from her mother and the tortured life she inflicted upon her.
I’ve loved Moira from the beginning of the series. She’s been a great character, true friend, one who not only told Evie the truth about her relationship as the toxicity with Caelan was increasing but stayed true to support her. Even though her own issues.
My heart breaks for Moira here over and over. Especially when Ethan’s past is revealed in the harshest, most tragic way. And let’s not for Cerunnos’ and his own personal reasons for being in Moira’s life.
Layer upon layer, Babin builds a narrative that is dramatic, deeply rooted in family, trauma, love and devastation. There’s past child abuse mentioned as well as torture. Truly tragic and dark.
But for all the characters who aren’t redeemable, Babin gives us those who are. Like the goddess Cliome, Evie’s mother, who started off the series in the role of villain and now is a permanent part of the inner circle that surrounds her daughter and friends. And, even Caelan, who I absolutely despised, has made a tremendous turnaround here.
That’s why this is so incredible and the writing so fascinating and well executed.
But now I have to wait, probably for another cliffhanger too. It’s just the way this series is rolling.
Moira has spent years outrunning her past. Now it’s finally caught up with her.
What should have been a routine job with Soren goes disastrously wrong, forcing Moira to come face-to-face with the one person she never wanted to see again. As old wounds reopen and long-buried secrets claw their way to the surface, the vampire hybrid must confront the darkness she’s spent a lifetime trying to escape.
Then Ethan becomes the target of a devastating spell.
Overnight, every memory of the connection growing between them vanishes, leaving Moira as little more than a stranger in his eyes. Worse, the magic continues to spread, twisting Ethan’s thoughts and reshaping his reality one lie at a time.
Determined to save him, Moira hunts for the source of the dark magic before it consumes him completely. But the deeper she digs, the more she uncovers a conspiracy tied to her own past—one that threatens not only Ethan’s future, but her very existence.
With time running out and enemies closing in from every side, Moira faces an impossible choice: walk away and save herself, or sacrifice everything for the man who no longer remembers her.
Unpredictable Magic by Faith Hunter brings us back into the lives of witches Angelina and Evan Everhart-Trueblood, characters who were children in Faith Hunter’s fantastic Jane Yellowrock series.
Aunt Jane, the Dark Queen, is a solid character and continuing presence in their lives now that both Angie and Evan are adults with pasts that haunt each of them.
For Angie, it’s an abusive marriage and a ex-vampire husband that has ramifications throughout this story. For Evan, it’s his past black ops service in the Vampire/Demon wars that’s giving him unrelenting nightmares of his battles then. For both of them, Everhart Investigations, a PI firm in Chattanooga, has been a way to reunite as siblings and to try to find a new path separate from their families and the Royal family.
A case puts everything they’ve struggled for into jeopardy, including those they love.
This story is just fabulous. Highly suspenseful, full of twists, and great storytelling. Some crossover characters from the Jane Yellowrock series occur as these two are tied tightly together with that other series. That’s just another great reason to read this.
But the characters, Angie and Evan, as well as those who they gather around them, exhibit their own growth and development here.
It was interesting to see them as adults because my memories are of them as children. And they have gone through some traumatic experiences and events that we hear about through memories or scenes that past history is brought up.
If I had a wish? It’s that Angie was more realistic about their “freedom “ from her family and the Dark Queen. She goes on about losing her freedom while not mentioning once that her ties with her family and aunt are the ones that have saved her repeatedly. Over and over. And over.
Were there times I wanted to say grow TFU? Why yes there was. Maybe future stories will see that happen. I do look forward to those.
I’ve seen elsewhere that this is the first book in a Everhart Investigations series and I really hope that it’s true.
This was a fabulous wild ride. The side characters are just incredible. Cousin Wacko? Love her. And their vampire bodyguard with his own complicated past. Amazing stuff!
Witches Angelina and Evan Everhart-Trueblood take a case that spirals out of control until the whole city is at risk in this exciting new novel from New York Timesbestselling author Faith Hunter.
Angelina Everhart-Trueblood and her brother Evan run Everhart Investigations, a PI firm in Chattanooga that solves paranormal crimes committed by supernatural beings. When their new client wants help finding her friend, who supposedly disappeared during a reception at Angie’s aunt Jane’s winter residence, things get . . . complicated.
The client is not who she appears to be, and demons strike the city for the first time since the Witch War. On top of that, evidence is pointing toward the involvement of an overly ambitious vampire—who just happens to be Angie’s ex-husband.
As Angie and Evan team up with CPD, they will have to dig deep into their magical reserves—and rely on some friends in high places—to rid Chattanooga of the danger creeping into their city.
Bitten Shifter, the first book in Brogan Thomas’ Bitten Chronicles, has a woman in her late thirties walking away from her marriage and life after finding her husband in bed with her older sister.
It’s the early scenes, where a shattered Lark Emerson realizes just how much of her life has been not only lost but also false to begin with. It is raw, her emotional state real and reflects a woman in shock.
I was all in. Because Thomas not only made me believe in Lark, but her betrayal felt authentic and genuine.
It’s wasn’t until she had a plan that the fact this was a paranormal story starts to show up. And take another twist.
Lark throughout this tale is my favorite character. Her growth, her struggles with her new life and surroundings, every event that she encounters, she meets as an adult.
The Alpha? Not so much. I actually liked his best friend, Riker, far better than the MMC, who I thought was controlling, didn’t consider Lark’s opinions despite her wishes and continued forward with his own personal goals. Because, fated mates, whether she felt it or not.
The storylines were interesting. The Human Rights group and the Mage group were both intriguing enough to have more exploration here. Same goes for a certain vampire aspect of the story. The setup was there, just needed some more layering.
If you can guess, wasn’t a fan of the ending. I’m not sure how the author could have done it differently. But for me, Lark started out so much stronger than she finished.
Others might have a better opinion.
Cover design by Melony Paradise of Paradise Cover Design
Betrayed, shattered, and transformed. Sick of everyone’s crap, can this snarky lone wolf find a place to belong—and maybe even love?
Lark Emerson vaguely remembers being happy. After catching her husband and her sister in the sack, the IT professional walks away from twenty-seven years of marriage and takes a job on the border of a shifter community. But when a rogue wolf pack storms her office, she’s captured and mauled.
Badly wounded, the forty-something limps home and is shocked when her injuries rapidly heal, her eyesight sharpens, and every sound becomes painfully clear. Taken to a facility to ease her transition from human to supernatural, she’s completely thrown when wolf magic reshapes her body into something no longer entirely human.
Struggling with instincts as fierce as the wolf inside her, can Lark learn to trust when the handsome packmaster comes calling?
Bitten Shifter is the enthralling first standalone book in The Bitten Chronicles urban fantasy series. If you love resilient heroines, slow-burn romance, and action-packed suspense, you’ll adore Brogan Thomas’s rollercoaster ride.
Buy Bitten Shifter and sink your teeth into a thrilling new adventure today!
The second boxed set, 11 books, are set after Bethany Anne and her group take flight through the gate to space and start their own adventures with aliens and their own galactic empire.
It’s space exploration and Buck Rogers action adventure with vampires, werewolves and AI companion spaceships. Unlike the more innocent Buck Rogers and his arch nemesis. the Emperor Ming, Queen Bitch Bethany Anne and her troops often use their own powers and enormous weapons to attack their enemies in the hundreds or thousands. It’s a bloody but still often bloodless battles she wages in book after book with only one or two characters actually being lost.
Bethany Anne and her friends and family are, for the most part, immortal, and the time frame of the series jumps forward decades then hundreds of years later, without significant changes in their lives or personalities. Without any real development or depth of growth in the relationships or dynamics here, it all becomes very one note action driven.
For me, it lessens any real tension or connection and let me treat these characters and their storylines as a fun romp through space. Which I did
Another thing that happens is the acquisition of more and more characters, especially as the original characters have families (we don’t know when it happens sometimes). Suddenly there’s grandchildren and adults who belong to, I don’t know, someone. And the cast is muddy with people who honestly we have no clue who they are.
It’s bang, weapons, where’s the enemy, what’s Bethany Anne up to now sort of plot and high stakes energy. Fun space entertainment.
I recommend it as such. But don’t expect anything else from it.
Bethany Anne has been notified there is a spaceship inside the system…but they can’t find it. Is it Kurtherian, someone else?
The governments have to be told about aliens, which sparks a worldwide effort by Governments to find what TQB has…
Oh, and Eric wants to date Gabrielle but he wants her to know he can protect her if need be. But his idea on how? Well, let’s just say it might not be the best solution.
Continue the story with the last 10 books in The Kurtherian Gambit series and step off into the continuing series, The Kurtherian Endgame, with this massive boxed set.
Included in this boxed set:
WE HAVE CONTACT
My Ride is a Bitch
Don’t Cross This Line
Never Submit
Never Surrender
Forever Defend
Might Makes Right
Ahead Full
Capture Death
Life Goes On
Payback Is A Bitch (The Kurtherian Endgame #1)
NOTE: This boxed set contains cursing. Perhaps humorous cursing, but cursing nevertheless. If this offends you, I don’t suggest reading this book.
Academy tropes aren’t really my favorite books but they’re hard to avoid as they’re so many out there. But Shadowspell Academy series written by by K. F. Breene and Shannon Mayer for the first mini-trilogy and now solely by Shannon Mayer for the final three stories, is an excellent read and why I’ll continue to pick up a great series.
Yes, I’ve blown through the final trilogy and loved it.
Wild and her mixed crew of paranormals have been sorted into their “expected” Houses and now they are expected to spend their next years there, training with their own “magical” counterparts.
But it doesn’t work out like that as events force everyone together in one place. A House of Wonder that seems to have it in for all of them, old and new enemies everywhere and Wild’s the target of her greatest enemy.
This is the start of a incredible journey, part horror story, outstanding paranormal adventure, that sees not only Wild but her small group of friends/family growing tighter, developing new powers and showing immense strength and resilience.
Heartbreak, betrayal and high suspense. It’s all here. And it’s amazing. I love Wild so much. And everyone else in her group.
Highly recommended! Fantastic work in every way by the author.
Shadowspell Academy (6 book series)
The Culling Trials #1 through 3
Year of the Chameleon #4 through 6 written by Shannon Mayer
You Don’t Choose The Academy. The Academy Chooses You.
“This book is Harry Potter meets the Hunger Games in a bold twist on a classic magical young adult adventure.” Jaymin Eve, Bestselling Author of Supernatural Academy
I’ve made it through the Culling Trials, the test that proved my mettle against every possible challenge.
I assumed that meant things would settle down and I’d start truly learning.
MNo more danger.
No more death threats.
No more wondering who was out to get me.
Apparently, that was not to be.
I am what this supernatural world calls a Chameleon—a rarity even amongst all these monsters. And rare things are coveted and feared by the most powerful of all—The House Of Wonder.
It’s a good thing I have my crew at my back, because this Academy?
It’s about to get seriously ugly.
Which means this farm girl is ready to play by only one set of rules.
The third novel in this portion of this series is excellent. Divided into two trilogies, the three books of The Culling Trials are coauthored by K. F. Breene and Shannon Mayer while the last trilogy is written solely by Mayer.
So this completes the co-authored mini series, The Culling Trials, and it’s exciting, full of intrigue, surprises, really excellent twists, and leaves our mixed found family of paranormal friends graduating into their respective Houses , ala Harry Potter, and ready for their next chapter as first years.
Wild and her small crew are headed into the final trials before they are sorted out by their magical abilities into their Houses. If they survive because someone is trying to kill them or just Wild before they can finish.
And the mystery of their disappearing companions hasn’t been solved yet as a few more teenagers vanish from campus and the authorities have no answers.
Wild and every other person in her group shows realistic personal development as they face growing dangers and a killer that has targeted them.
I really enjoyed this book, even as I debate going forward without Breene as a coauthor. Her influence in the writing here is clear.
I recommend reading this book as part of the mini-trilogy. Read them in the order they are written.
Shadowspell Academy (6 book series)
The Culling Trials #1 through 3
Year of the Chameleon #4 through 6 written by Shannon Mayer
You Don’t Choose The Academy. The Academy Chooses You.
Being accepted into an elite school of magic, monsters, and assassins was not my idea of higher education. But here I am, fighting my way through the Culling Trials to claim my right to be taught.
As if the gauntlet-type physical and mental tests aren’t enough, people are going missing.
People that are my friends.
In a dangerous world where no one is as they seem, the golden rule is simple: Trust no one. They think we should just look out for ourselves. That we should leave the fallen behind and ask no questions.
They clearly think we’re idiots. I got this far by trusting my instincts, and I’m not going to back down now.
Shift Happens takes S. E. Babin’s fantastic Shifter Lords urban fantasy series into its second section with Moira taking the lead as the main character for the last (I think) group of stories.
And honestly, Moira’s journey looks to be dark, emotionally devastating and absolutely heartbreaking in many of its major elements. Things only hinted about in Evie’s storyline are peeled back, starting here.
Dark, horrifying, damaging abuse done to Moira as a child by her mother. Mental, emotional and overwhelmingly physical trauma that made her who she is today. Then there’s the recent magical extras that being god touched has given her and the devastating events that occurred during Evie’s finale.
Moira’s development has been linked with Evie’s journey to Evie becoming the Queen of Fae. It’s folded in her complex relationship with Evan, one of the Lords that now plays a key role in her life.
Moira’s called on by the Lords, including Evan, to investigate a mysterious case of dark magic happening on the territory that is now being run by Soren, an ex of Moira’s .
Shift Happens is a dark and fabulous tale. It reveals much about the past of the main characters and sets in motion some terrifying storylines for the books going forward.
I didn’t think anything would be able to top Evie’s finale but Moira’s arc might just do it.
Amazing narrative storytelling and fabulous character development. Highly recommended.
Moira is a new power player in a world of hungry paranormals, but she’d rather be curled up with a blanket, ignoring the world.
Unfortunately, the Shifter Lords have other plans for her.
Moira still works at her best friend’s flower shop but also serves part-time as a magical consultant for both the fae and the Lords. Her cases run the gamut from investigating petty crimes all the way to working in close proximity to the Lords as they track down rogue shifters.
But when she’s asked to take a case working with Soren, an infuriating Lord she has history with, Moira refuses, only to find out the case they’re investigating involves someone from her past. Reluctantly, she accepts the gig, only to start sabotaging Soren around every corner.
She holds no loyalty to anyone these days, and certainly not to someone who’d stab her in the back with the least provocation. But when the case proves more difficult than she anticipated, and she and Soren get in way over their heads, they must find a way to work together or die.
When it turns out Soren is hiding a very unique talent—one that ensures they could survive what’s coming after them—Moira must learn to trust her enemy and hope he’s not still mad about that teeny tiny time she stabbed him in the back…
A slow-burn paranormal romance, with sharp banter, and high-stakes supernatural intrigue.
I have reviewed books 1-4 and then said, I am just going to binge it the easiest way possible. That’s a collection of books, and luckily with such an extensive series of novels that Michael Anderle put out 3 collections but he also wrote a 4-book series that is a necessity for Collection 2 as their events are of utmost significance to each other.
That’s the series that focuses on vampire Michael and his adventures on earth as he attempts to make his way to Bethany Anne. Those four books happen within the same time line as the second Collection.
That author is a busy writer as this goes from 2014 to 2024, maybe even past that.
Here it’s centered around Bethany Anne, her journey to becoming the Queen Bitch, the organization she establishes and the battle to escape to space.
The novels are all quick reads, flowing naturally one into the next with all the high stakes and adventure energy of the early Buck Rogers movies. Or maybe the Adam West Batman tv series.
There’s werewolves, vampires, secret societies, government agencies, crazy space ships and AI beings along with genetically modified humans doing battle with magic and robots and aliens. Bloodshed, deaths, sometimes by the thousands, but it’s removed from any real emotion or connection with those events as we don’t know or haven’t built up any foundation for a real cause to be engaged with anything happening here. It’s all very one dimensional. All actions sequence scenarios. Which is fine because that’s what you are expecting.
All framed out by an action packed, fast paced adventure narrative that’s just short of a “KAPOW” and a “BAM” and an Emperor Ming.
Highly entertaining, and I find myself blowing through them like narrative Bon bons.
Space exploration that’s fun, not taking too seriously but highly enjoyable.
Her time is running out. His reign is coming to an end.
The UnknownWorld is on the cusp of gaining a new Queen, one who sees humanity in shades of gray. But will this world accept her? With her special-ops team and a legacy of secrets, Bethany Anne must untangle the web Michael leaves behind.
As she steps into her new role, the question isn’t just whether she will survive but whether the UnknownWorld will splinter under her reign or unite in unforeseen harmony?
Dive into The Kurtherian Saga with the first 11 books of the bestselling urban fantasy-meets-scifi series!
—
Die young or live forever. What’s your choice?
Bethany Anne Reynolds isn’t your typical government cold case investigator. Known for her fiery temper and creative cursing that would make even the battle-hardened blush, her pursuit of justice is borderline obsessive…
And now, with her own life ticking away due to the same rare blood disorder that claimed her mother, her fight for the defenseless becomes even more urgent.
Her last hope? A world-weary vampire. Michael, bound by his legendary inflexible honor, has ruled the UnknownWorld with an iron fist for over a millennium. Exhausted and on the brink, he finds in Bethany Anne a fire that could reignite the supernatural world—or destroy it.
As Michael prepares to pass his mantle, he wonders: in choosing Bethany Anne, is he saving his world or thrusting it into deeper chaos?
The UnknownWorld is on the cusp of gaining a new Queen, one who sees humanity in shades of gray. But will this world accept her? With her special-ops team and a legacy of secrets, Bethany Anne must untangle the web Michael leaves behind.
As she steps into her new role, the question isn’t just whether she will survive but whether the UnknownWorld will splinter under her reign or unite in unforeseen harmony?
Unleash the power of choice and change humanity’s destiny.
Included in this boxed set:
Death Becomes Her
Queen Bitch
Love Lost
Bite This
Never Forsaken
Under My Heel
Kneel Or Die
We Will Build
It’s Hell To Choose
Release The Dogs of War
Sued For Peace
Unleash the power of choice and change humanity’s destiny. Click ‘Buy Now’ or ‘Read for Free’ to join Bethany Anne’s epic journey!
NOTE: This boxed set contains cursing. Perhaps humorous cursing, but cursing nevertheless. If this offends you, I don’t suggest reading these books.
This was a book I saw advertised on FB, maybe that was a clue. I have had some good finds that way but by 55% of the story, I’ll admit I was struggling to continue reading. Each chapter, especially from the middle on when I saw Jax’s character development stays basically where it was at the beginning, I’m wavering between a DnF and keep page flipping.
It comes down to the main character, Jax, a magical woman whose powers are channeled through her emotions, primarily from her pain.
Rated Magus 10, a scale from her first Council kidnapping, she’s been crafted by Lawrence as an unappealing mess of a paranormal being. A private investigator of paranormal cases, once hired, by her methods, she doesn’t actually investigate anything. Instead she accepts intense, highly charged case after case, then without actually sitting down and thinking about each one of them and prioritizing the work, she just runs off.
No research into her cases or investigative work that would make her credible. Instead plunging into dangerous situations, often turning things worse instead of better. The people who have hired her end up worse off in every instance. She ends up constantly being caught, beaten up, losing objects or breaking things she was supposed to find. And is always surprised when things go sideways. Or that people she trusted are not trustworthy. Every single scenario is full of TSTL moments where, at least me, starts flipping pages even faster.
“I don’t understand,” I said again”
That’s a constant refrain from Jax. And I’m on Chapter 37. I’m thinking I don’t understand why I’m still reading this book.
Honestly I kept thinking surely she has some plausible plan in mind, nope. Or backup. Again no. She’s the mindless equivalent of the ball in a pin-ball machine, endlessly ricocheting around the table. As it is, I’m sympathizing with Jax’s client’s when they look at the unmitigated disaster she’s made of their lives and cases, threatening her when the damage she’s left by not paying attention or getting things done or even making the right decisions, have left death in her wake. And theirs.
Are we supposed to be on her side? Really? I have run into several authors who craft their characters in this manner and it always leaves me astonished. Give me a well written competent, ingenious , intelligent person, no matter what gender, who is capable of researching and investigating their cases, with or without any magical abilities. And I’m happy. In other words, a well thought out, multi dimensional, intelligent person.
And giving them a ghostly companion (who they often berate for cleaning their apartment, oh no, and a magical albino ferret, neither of which has any background history or foundation to them), doesn’t enhance her character. It’s empty layering for her the most part.
There’s some interesting aspects to this story. Outside of how she wields her powers, there’s also the facts that the world’s magical and non-magical realms are divided into floors accessible by a elevator, humanity is one floor, otherworldly beings and creatures and their realms are on others. I guess the world is flat? Idk It’s a neat idea , although not exactly new, that needs further exploration here. And all the magic is done with Latin words. And wands. “Illumino”.
Btw, going back, at Chapter 26, Jax has just now remembered she’s got two prior important cases to be solved, one of which is for her best friend about the death of that friend’s neighbor who just happened to Look Oh no. SMH
So , I’m not going further here. I just can’t with characters like this. I have zero tolerance for them and their stories.
If you do, here’s a series for you.
Blood Magic: An Urban Fantasy Action Adventure (Complete 6-Book Series) (6 book series):
Meet Jacqueline Denna Knight, the best wizard detective in the city.
Jax turns vampires to ash and pain into magic. She also has a knack for finding things. So when a distraught—and obscenely wealthy—elf calls Jax at midnight to hire her for an intriguing job, she grabs the opportunity with both hands…
But what Jax doesn’t know is that this case is going to unravel her life. She’ll get tangled up with a host of intriguing characters, most of whom are not who they appear to be.
As Jax speeds down a path toward the most powerful vampire clan in the country, she’ll have to put everything on the line.
Will she be able to use her unique brand of magic to save the Realm?
This complete Blood Magic series contains the following books:
