Category: Vampires

Review:  Veiled Justice (The Other Detective Series Book 1) by Heather G Harris

Rating: 4.75⭐️

I have read all the preceding series as well as the prequel for this book but I was still very surprised and throughly thrilled by how great this series looks to be.  

It might be my favorite of them all. 

It’s not just that the author has done a fantastic job with creating horrifying murder mysteries with accompanying emotional effects and deeply poignant moments but how it brings the quietly powerful Det. Stacy back together with the ogre High King Krieg is incredibly well written. 

Those familiar with the prequel story know why Krieg is so intensely focused on Stacy even though she’s unaware of his agenda. It’s the investigations and murders, as well as keeping her family safe, that’s her goal.  Both of them are credible, powerful characters getting to know each other and their respective lives, while dealing with a dangerous and unpredictable investigation. 

This makes for a fast paced, entertaining and just plain fabulous piece of storytelling. 

I love that feathered snarky caladrius, Loki. Just hilarious. And the cameo appearances from other series.  Plus you can see the beginning of a foundation of the group that will form around Stacy and Krieg here. 

Just a great story and I can’t wait to read the next in the series. 

Highly recommend this and dive into this universe if you’re not familiar with it already.  I’ve listed the reading order below. 

Cover design by Christian Bentulan. Published by Hellhound Press Limited.

The Other Realm Universe: Should be read in order to understand the world and characters .Events and relationships build upon each other.

The Other Realm series 

⭐️Glimmer of Dragons- Book 0.5 (a prequel story), 

Glimmer of The Other- Book 1, Glimmer of Hope- Book 2, 

Glimmer of Christmas – Book 2.5 (a Christmas tale), 

Glimmer of Death – Book 3, 

Glimmer of Deception – Book 4, 

*It is recommended that you read The Other Wolf books 1 to 3 before continuing with

Challenge of the Court– Book 5, 

Betrayal of the Court– Book 6

 Revival of the Court– Book 7. 

⭐️The Other Wolf Series 

Defender of The Pack– Book 0.5 (a prequel story), 

Protection of the Pack– Book 1, Guardians of the Pack– Book 2, Saviour of The Pack– Book 3, Awakening of the Pack – Book 4, Resurgence of the Pack – Book 5; and Ascension of the Pack – Book 6. 

⭐️The Other Witch Series 

Rune of the Witch – Book 0.5 (a prequel story), 

Hex of the Witch– Book 1, 

Coven of the Witch;– Book 2,

Familiar of the Witch– Book 3; and Destiny of the Witch – Book 4.

⭐️The Other Detective Series

 Frustrated Justice – Book 0.5 (a prequel story), 

Veiled Justice – Book 1

Mystic Justice – Book 2-Oct 2,2025

Arcane Justice – Book 3 TBD

Savage Justice – Book 4 TBD

Buy link

 Book 1 of 2: The Other Detective Series 

Blurb 

Murder has crashed the party, so justice won’t wait for an invitation.

Champagne, caviar… and a corpse. This high-society party wasn’t meant to end in murder. When my brother calls me to investigate the brutal stabbing of a female ogre at the charity ball of the season, the glittering magical elite quickly become a sea of suspects.

Everyone who’s anyone was there, but glamour has given way to something far darker. Someone’s playing a deadly game, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. It’s my job to cut through the beauty and lies to find a killer hiding among the rich and powerful.

As a police inspector with the Connection, I’ve seen plenty of strange things, but this case reeks of entitlement, secrets, and old money with something to hide. Then the King of the Ogres storms in. Furious and formidable, he demands justice. Stopping him from tearing through the guest list is almost as hard as keeping my mind on the case, because rage and power look annoyingly good on him.

But when a dryad turns up dead at another elite event, I realise I’m chasing a serial killer who thinks they’re too rich to face consequences… and they’re setting my brother up to take the fall.

With a rookie partner finding his feet and my talking-bird sidekick offering sharp advice (and sharper insults), I’m racing against the clock to solve the case before my brother faces the lethal justice of the Other realm…

Immerse yourself in The Other Detective Series – perfect for fans of supernatural crime, complete with a fierce heroine, gritty murder investigations, and a slow-burn romance.

Written in British English.

The Other Detective Series

Frustrated Justice, a prequel story,

Veiled Justice – Book 1

Mystic Justice – Book 2-Oct 2,2025

Arcane Justice – Book 3 TBD

Savage Justice – Book 4 TBD

  • Publisher: Hellhound Press limited
  • Accessibility: Learn more
  • Publication date: August 28, 2025
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 342 pages
  • Book 1 of 2: The Other Detective Series

Review:  Perfectly Petite Shorts (Short Stories From The Perfect Pixie Series) by M. J. May

Rating: 4.5🌈✨

Stories Include:

 Lighting the Darkness 

Magic’s Sight 

Phil’s Gift 

A Scuttlebutt’s Loyalty 

Cherry Blossoms & Fairy Blushes

Side characters are often everything. And they, when fantastically crafted as they are in this series, make such an impact that you can’t help but wonder what happens to them afterwards. How did their characters go forward?

Author May supplies us with 5 short stories that focus on some of our favorites from this series and gives them their own HEA or something similar.

Did I have a favorite? No. I just adore each one. So totally satisfying and a wonderful reminder why I love and highly recommend this series so much. 

Cover design by cheriefox.

Perfect Pixie Series 

Perfectly Imperfect Pixie 

Perfectly Perfect Pixie: Peaches’s Story 

Perfectly Charmed Pixie: Parsnip’s Story 

Perfectly Perplexing Zombie: Wendall’s Story 

Purrfectly Peculiar Pixie: Phlox’s Story—finale 

Perfectly Petite Shorts: Short Stories from the Perfect Pixie Series M/M 

Necromancer Tales Series: Spin-Off from the Perfect Pixie Series

Deadly Lineage: Book I 

Deadly Deception: Book II 

Deadly Avarice: Book III 

Necromancer Tales Book IV–Coming Fall/Winter 2025 

Buy link 

Related to: Perfect Pixie Series

Blurb 

Ever wonder if our favorite ancient vampire, Nirgal, found his happily ever after? What about our morally ambiguous fairy, Hamish McIntyre? How exactly did Warlock Vander Kines meet Georgiana and why did she leave her daughter, Byx, in his questionable care? What Scuttlebutts think and how Trinket views her tribe? What about the perfect gift for a pixie who already believes he has it all? Hopefully the following short stories answer those burning questions.

Lighting the Darkness

Older than memory, vampire Nirgal is often simply referred to as ancient one. Help from his new friends across the pond, along with a desperate home-and-hearth pixie, might finally give Nirgal his own HEA, Lighting the Darkness invading his soul.

Magic’s Sight

Vander is near his breaking point. Thankfully, Magic has a plan and sends aid in the form of a precocious brownie child named Byx and her mother, Georgianna. Will Magic’s Sight be the answer that saves Vander’s life?

Phil’s Gift

Dillon and Ruthie set out on a quest to find the best present ever. Deciding Phil’s friends know him best, the children embark on their mission. Turns out dwarves, pixie best friends, fauns, and fairies have some interesting ideas regarding Phil’s Gift.

A Scuttlebutt’s Loyalty

Trinket will do whatever it takes to keep her tribe safe, even if that means tearing Dusk apart to do so. Too bad it just so happens to be during Wendall and Ray’s bonding celebration. Party be damned, a Scuttlebutt’s Loyalty is too important. 

Cherry Blossom’s and Fairy Blushes

Why is Hamish so distracted by the dryad who walked through his office door? Why can’t Hamish seem to dismiss his new client, and why is he so concerned for his safety? More importantly, why is this dryad’s Cherry Blossoms causing his Fairy Blushes?

Perfectly Petite Shorts is a collection of five stories revolving around side characters from the Perfect Pixie Series. For optimum enjoyment, the previous books in the series should be read prior. Perfectly Petite Shorts contains questionable gifting ideas, protective scuttlebutt violence, magenta colored pixie dust, mischievously motivated sprites, trolls with questionable fashion sense, randomly sprouting cherry blossoms, and so much more.

  • Publication date: August 23, 2025
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 286 pages

Review:  Magic Stars (A Kate Daniels universe story) by Ilona Andrews 

Rating: 4.75⭐️

I put a reading order for this and the titles of all the collected books below because while there’s a main series list of novels, the side stories factor greatly into this highly elaborate, incredibly detailed character driven narrative. 

Think of the books more like one of those detective white boards, with pictures, notes and strings running through them, attaching to each other, like an enormous tapestry of characters , stories and unusual mysteries that will eventually come together in one whole.  But you need all the pieces first. 

This short story, 4 chapters, featuring Julie and Derek, provides important information and background for the upcoming drama and storytelling for events that will happen in forthcoming novels. 

It also contains some emotional moments and new insights into these characters relationship, especially as Julie’s growing up and Derek’s role in her life and that with her adopted parents is changing too. 

Julie is 16. Derek 20. Neither is an accurate reflection of what their lives have been like, some of which is recounted here. 

Both will be seen again in Blood Heir, another step in their journey together. I can’t wait to see what the authors have in mind for them both. 

Fantastic. 

Reading Order : Kate Daniels Universe series:

Kate Daniels Series 

MAGIC BITES 

MAGIC BLEEDS 

MAGIC BURNS 

MAGIC STRIKES 

MAGIC MOURNS 

MAGIC BLEEDS 

MAGIC DREAMS 

MAGIC SLAYS 

GUNMETAL MAGIC (Andrea and Raphael)

MAGIC GIFTS 

MAGIC RISES 

MAGIC BREAKS 

MAGIC STEALS 

MAGIC SHIFTS 

MAGIC STARS (Julie and Derek)

MAGIC BINDS 

IRON AND MAGIC #1 (The Iron Covenant /Hugh d’Ambray  & Elara Harper) a must before the finale 

MAGIC TRIUMPHS – OG finale

Kate Daniels World 

BLOOD HEIR (Julie and Derek)

Roman’s Chronicles SANCTUARY Kate Daniels: Wilmington Years MAGIC TIDES 

MAGIC CLAIMS 

UNTITLED IRON AND MAGIC (The Iron Covenant /Hugh d’Ambray  & Elara Harper #2) -NRD

Buy link 

Amazon.comhttps://www.amazon.comMagic Stars (Grey Wolf Book 1) eBook : Andrews, Ilona

Blurb 

Scarred, solitary Derek Gaunt has separated from his Pack, and is truly a lone wolf. With no family he answers to no one; but is fiercely loyal to a chosen few. So, when several of those close to him are murdered, he’ll stop at nothing to hunt their killer through the magic-drenched streets of Atlanta.

Never one to be left on the sidelines, equally determined—some might say stubborn—Julie Lennart-Olsen soon joins in his pursuit; and what began as revenge turns into a race to save the city. Their search pits them against powers they never imagined and magic so old, it predates history. It may cost Derek his life, but there are things for which even he would risk everything.

  • Publisher: NYLA
  • Accessibility: Learn more
  • Publication date: December 8, 2015
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 89 pages
  • Book 1 of 1: Grey Wolf

Review: Clean Sweep (Innkeeper Chronicles Book 1) by Ilona Andrews 

Rating: 4.5 ✨

Here’s another fantastic magical science fiction series from the married authors (Ilona and Andrew Gordon) known as Ilona Andrews. They have quickly become my favorite authors and a must read, with my bookshelf full of great books and series of theirs.

The Innkeeper Chronicles is a complete series,a true delight of worlds and characters.  It starts with Clean Sweep, a sentient inn in a small town in Texas where The Innkeeper, a actual galactic title associated with the house and its current owner is still getting herself established with her own Inn and her clients.

Dina Demille is the daughter of Innkeepers, her parents and their famous Inn mysteriously disappeared without a trace while Dina was in college and her siblings were away from home,far far away from home on other worlds.  After years of searching and no clues, Dina has followed in their footsteps and become an Innkeeper herself. 

Dina Demille is such a fabulously written character. She really stands out from the other characters in this genre of strong female characters in that she has her own unique history and challenges that she’s been working with.  She’s incredibly strong, quietly intelligent and able to be flexible with multiple personalities and situations while still being a relatable person. Full of emotions, a width and depth of experience that is only slowly revealed, Dina is a whole new level of main female character energy!

She’s also got a very strange monster tiny dog that is her companion, a sentient Inn that’s home and more, and a current client who’s a lifetime resident and galactic criminal. And a favorite character!

We get to know the backgrounds and histories for Dina and those around her through the drama that descends on the town. Monsters are killing the townspeople’s pets. 

It’s a fantastic storyline, we meet many important characters such as alpha werewolves and vampire royals. All beautifully crafted and supplied with a great history and dramatic backstory to tell.

This particular storyline is wrapped up completely and in a very satisfying way. But leaves the ending open for more adventures and further development for the three main characters and the group that is forming. 

Honestly, it’s enormously difficult to hold myself back from binging this all the way through like I did with the fabulous Kate Daniels series. 

Highly recommended!

Art by Doris Mantair 

Innkeeper Chronicles:

Clean Sweep #1

Sweep in Peace #2

One Fell Sweep #3

Sweep of the Blade #4

Sweep with Me #5

Sweep of the Heart #6

Buy link

        Clean Sweep (Innkeeper Chronicles)

    

Blurb 

This is a short novel, about 60,000 words.

On the outside, Dina Demille is the epitome of normal. She runs a quaint Victorian Bed and Breakfast in a small Texas town, owns a Shih Tzu named Beast, and is a perfect neighbor, whose biggest problem should be what to serve her guests for breakfast. But Dina is…different: Her broom is a deadly weapon; her Inn is magic and thinks for itself. Meant to be a lodging for otherworldly visitors, the only permanent guest is a retired Galactic aristocrat who can’t leave the grounds because she’s responsible for the deaths of millions and someone might shoot her on sight. Under the circumstances, “normal” is a bit of a stretch for Dina.

And now, something with wicked claws and deepwater teeth has begun to hunt at night…Feeling responsible for her neighbors, Dina decides to get involved. Before long, she has to juggle dealing with the annoyingly attractive, ex-military, new neighbor, Sean Evans—an alpha-strain werewolf—and the equally arresting cosmic vampire soldier, Arland, while trying to keep her inn and its guests safe. But the enemy she’s facing is unlike anything she’s ever encountered before. It’s smart, vicious, and lethal, and putting herself between this creature and her neighbors might just cost her everything.

  • Publisher: NYLA
  • Publication date: December 2, 2013
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 250 pages
  • Book 1 of 6: Innkeeper Chronicles

Review:  The Demon’s Due: An Enemies-to-Lovers Urban Fantasy (Bedeviled Book 5) by Deborah Wilde

Rating: 4.5✨⭐️

The Demon’s Due is the finale to Deborah Wilde’s Bedeviled series about a Jewish half demon supernatural agent and her Vampire Prince boyfriend who have to save the world, deal with their , admittedly extremely serious father issues, and a sort of shady government agency that Aviva and her mother work for. 

And her identity problems and self acceptance, which finally happens here at the end.

There’s so much to unpack here, starting with how that cliffhanger at the end of book 4 is resolved. Luckily Demon’s Due picks up right away, an almost seamless transition from that narrative to this, so those binging can follow through.

Without any spoilers, Wilde doesn’t disappoint.  This is a highly entertaining, great dialogue, fast paced novel. 

Tons of moments that involve scenes of intimate moving moments, bloody action battle sequences, and plenty more of investigative work and plot twists that are satisfying and surprising. 

The various fathers issues between Ezra and his father, then Aviva and hers are handled differently. Ezra and his father’s history and their relationship is a far more complex and tormented one. As is the outcome. Their dynamic was one of the most powerful emotional moments here.  Aviva’s relationship never gets that same level of attention. And is left open for the most part. Unlike her relationship with her mother. 

There’s always been that aspect of her personality where she’s separated her demon self into another “character “, Cherry Bomb, to keep from integrating with it as part of her. Finally, it’s acceptance time. An overdue moment actually. I thought it would come in book 4. Here it’s almost too late in this storyline. 

There’s a great many action scenes towards end as everyone works to save the world.  The magic was interesting and imaginative. I wish there was more of a follow up to this to  see the aftermath. 

The Demon’s Due: An Enemies-to-Lovers Urban Fantasy (Bedeviled Book 5) by Deborah Wilde is an excellent book. A fantastic way to finish the series and see these great characters off. 

Highly recommended, the author too!

Cover by: Covers By Christian.

Bedeviled:

Big Demon Energy #1

Demon on Deck #2

Better the Demon You Know #3

Demon in Disguise #4

The Demon’s Due #5 – series finale 

Buy link 

        The Demon’s Due: An Enemies-to-Lovers Urban Fantasy (Bedeviled Book 5)

    

Blurb 

Magic has a price, and Aviva’s running out of ways to pay.

When an ancient healing ritual goes nuclear and vampires start short-circuiting, the supernatural world begins unraveling faster than you can say “apocalypse now.” Aviva isn’t just investigating a disaster—she’s living in the blast zone.

Meantime, with demon magic threatening her boyfriend’s life, Aviva makes a desperate choice: she forges a magic bond with him. Nice idea. Too bad it complicates everything. Now tethered to each other and racing against time, they must find a way to contain the chaos unleashed by the ritual—assuming their connection doesn’t destroy them first.

Time to fight fire with fire. Literally.

To save the world, Aviva must embrace both sides of herself: the dedicated operative and the demon who’s done playing nice.

Enter Cherry Bomb. The world better brace for impact.

Featuring a smart, funny heroine and a banter-fueled vampire romance, this wickedly addictive urban fantasy will keep you reading way past bedtime.

Binge the complete series now!

  • Publisher: Te Da Media Inc.
  • Publication date: August 18, 2025
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 353 pages

Review :  THE BANNING OF THE BATH BOMBS (A Ross Young, Unholy Trifecta, and Spellbound Crossover) by AJ Sherwood and Devon Vesper 

Rating: 4.25🌈

Short, adorable and great way to mesh these three series and zany group of characters. 

Will you be lost if you don’t know the characters or their respective relationships? Pretty much. It’s still an entertaining read but having all the background information on who’s who and what series they came from makes those scenes and characters more enjoyable.

Definitely a gift to the authors fans. And I love every sentence. 

Cover by Katie Griffin

Series and Characters Involved:

The Tribulations of Ross Young, Supernat PA (multiple shorts/crossovers)

Unholy Trifecta (3 book series)

Spellbound (1 book series)

Buy link

Amazon.comhttps://www.amazon.comThe Banning of Bath Bombs (The Tribulations of Ross Young, Supernat PA) eBook

Blurb

Turns out bath bombs are actually magical portals. Or at least, in the hands of Master Mage Declan, they became portals. Even he’s not sure why.

Said magical portal connects to Ross’s bath tub.

Which means this is also now the Unholy Trifecta’s problem because Ross absolutely refuses to deal with portal magic by himself. Thanks muchly.

Tags:

Crossover time!, Unholy Trifecta, Supernat PA, Insanity of Reincarnated Mages, bath bombs gone wild, lots of bath tub hopping, I treat Canon like a Buffet but in a Gentle Way, Canon-Typical Poor Decision-Making, brain cells assemble, it’s just mindless fluff and shenanigans, Declan use your brain challenge: failed, crack treated like crack, neither author is sorry.

  • Publication date: August 7, 2025
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 42 pages

Review:  Demon in Disguise: An Enemies-to-Lovers Urban Fantasy (Bedeviled Book 4) by Deborah Wilde

Rating: 4.5✨⭐️

In the series penultimate story, author Deborah Wilde really kicks things up into the  anticipated narrative high gear as the characters and storylines head towards the end.

Yes, this finishes on an agonizing climax and cliffhanger. Just a FYI. 

Wilde does excellent work in continuing to make the Jewish faith, culture and religion, as well as history a major factor and foundation for the world building and characters. It’s seamless storytelling while still being able to create a compelling paranormal universe that has vampires and demons, half demons and other otherworldly beings as a part of the plot and as citizens.

This is a rich tapestry of beings that inhabit a complex layered universe of political magical powers, scheming, racial dynamics, and horrors.  To go along with the typical vices of greed, overwhelming need for power and revenge. 

Agent Aviva, her Maccabee director mother, Michael, hopefully bf Vampire Crimson Prince Ezra, and team are fighting multiple battles and investigating each crimes. Her demon father and his vampire mob boss father are both threatening each of them in various ways. 

And a new , more complicated villain has appeared. 

Aviva has yet to totally accept her demon self, still referring to herself as Cherry Bomb, a separate entity rather than herself.  Hiding her true nature is getting to be a bigger part of her story and the overall theme here.   It’s so important and well done. 

Each character has depth and damage in their background. Issues they are very much still working through as events unfold. It’s challenging and a realistic growth in a paranormal world. 

Highly recommended, the author too!

Cover by: Covers By Christian.

Bedeviled:

Big Demon Energy #1

Demon on Deck #2

Better the Demon You Know #3

Demon in Disguise #4

The Demon’s Due #5 – series finale 

Buy link 

        Demon in Disguise: An Enemies-to-Lovers Urban Fantasy (Bedeviled Book 4)

    

Blurb 

Welcome to Vancouver, where the coffee’s strong, the magic’s stronger, and the murders are getting personal.

With tensions between the magic and non-magic communities already at a breaking point, Aviva goes undercover on a murder case that could shatter the city’s fragile peace. As if that weren’t enough pressure, she uncovers a deadly connection to demons—and her own past.

But why have one code red crisis when you could have two? Enter the Ashbishop: a shadowy figure convinced a vampire breeding ritual is a good idea.

Spoiler alert: it’s not.

And forget juggling stolen moments with Ezra between supernatural smackdowns. Fed up with her work-life chaos, Aviva realizes that sometimes, the best disguise is no disguise at all.

Cherry Bomb is ready for her close-up.

Featuring a smart, funny heroine and a banter-fueled vampire romance, this wickedly addictive urban fantasy will keep you reading way past bedtime.

Binge the complete series now

  • Publisher: Te Da Media Inc.
  • Publication date: January 20, 2025
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 348 pages

Review: Two Necromancers, a Bureaucrat, and an Elf (The Unconventional Heroes Book 1) by L. G. Estrella

Rating: 4✨

This was a well written and imaginative fantasy story.  The first in a new series , The Unconventional Heroes by L. G. Estrella, Two Necromancers, a Bureaucrat, and an Elf at first glance sounds more like a bar joke than a plot of a story.

But that’s exactly what it is. The beginning of a formation of the group of Unconventional Heroes, starting with an infamous Necromancer and his very young, very capable intern, who have decided that the life they are living needs a total change. But to do that they need the approval of their Kingdom’s council.

Luckily, a war approaches. And a special army of highly skilled criminals is required by the Kingdom. Pardons, getting to keep their own castles and goodies if they work together for the Kingdom? A definite plus. 

 

This novel launches the series so we meet Timmy, the world renowned infamous Necromancer and his scarily powerful but adorable preteen intern, Katie, and her squad of Ninja rats. Then it’s the intriguing bureaucrat, Gerald, with amazing bureaucratic skills and powers who go on a quest to get the very terrifying elf witch Avraniel (and enemy of Timmy) to join them. And kill a dragon along the way. 

At only 81 pages, this has the feel of a much larger and wider range story. The characters and world is well written and the challenges as well as battles are exciting and vividly detailed. 

This series is a great read. One I’m excited to share and recommend.  High adventure! Fun, and great storytelling. A complete series. 

Love the covers, simple and eye catching. 

Cover by L. G. Estrella.

The Unconventional Heroes Series (5 book series)

Two Necromancers, a Bureaucrat, and an Elf #1

Two Necromancers, an Army of Golems, and a Demon Lord #2

Two Necromancers, a Dragon, and a Vampire #3

Two Necromancers, a Dwarf Kingdom, and a Sky City #4

Two Necromancers, a Fortress, and a Titan #5 

Buy link:

        Two Necromancers, a Bureaucrat, and an Elf (The Unconventional Heroes Series Book 1)

    

Blurb 

Two necromancers, a bureaucrat, and an elf – it sounds like the start of a bad joke, only the joke is on Timmy.

Timothy Walter Bolton – better known as Timmy – has spent most of his life as a necromancer. When he isn’t terrorising his enemies, he’s plotting inside his castle, which is built on top of lightless chasms filled with nameless horrors and beings of a generally malevolent and megalomaniacal nature. But after one of his latest creations, a zombie hydra-dragon-bear, tries to eat him, he decides that maybe it’s time to find a new, less dangerous, career.

But that’s easier said than done. He’s a wanted criminal with no shortage of powerful (and crazy) enemies, and he has a bone or two to pick with the Everton Council of Mages.

Hope arrives in the form of a new law. War is coming to Everton, and the Council is desperate. In exchange for providing some help, Timmy might just earn that pardon he’s been looking for. Of course, just because it’s possible to earn a pardon doesn’t mean that it’s going to be easy.

To earn his pardon, Timmy is going to have to take down some of Everton’s most dangerous enemies and put together a quirky group of unconventional heroes, most of whom want nothing more than to mangle him and/or the Council in as vicious a way as possible. It’s a good thing that he’s got some help: an obnoxious ten-year-old apprentice who thinks that pink glasses are appropriate for a budding necromancer and a bumbling bureaucrat who may or may not make it through their first real fight without puking his guts up.

Wonderful.

Still, Timmy’s never been one to back down from a challenge even if their first recruit is basically the elf version of the bogeyman.

Review:  Smokescreen (Knight & Daywalker Book 1) by Sam Burns 

Rating: 4.5🌈

Set in the same universe as the marvelous Fantastic Fluke series, Sam Burns has a new fantastic paranormal series out, Knight and Daywalker. 

The first book, Smokescreen, which ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, is an excellent read and start up. 

It’s got murder mysteries, a paranormal universe with magical characters, including two main characters who are somewhat enigmatic in their precise nature and history as well as a black kitten with a bottomless appetite. It’s also just as intriguing as the other main characters. 

Flynn Knight, has a very scary ,Morticia coded in looks, mother who rules the vampires of their city. Is Flynn a vampire? No, he talks to animals. That’s one of the puzzles in the story. What is Flynn? Other than absolutely engaging.

Then there’s Davin, the Irish vampire who, courtesy of Flynn’s mother, ends up being Flynn’s business partner. But the idea of another agenda seems possible. He’s got his own troubles and backstory to revealed. 

The pace is quick. We meet many new and exciting characters. All incredible and with their own stories to explore. 

And Smokescreen finishes with a startling dramatic flourish and cliffhanger.  Which I’m not unhappy about. 

I’m excited about the next story, even if it’s months away from release.

Sam Burns is an auto buy for this very reason. Definitely recommend this book.

Cover art © 2025 by Natasha Snow 

Knight and Daywalker – a planned trilogy:

Smokescreen #1

Façade #2 –  Jan 1,2026

Masquerade #3 – TBD

Same universe as 

THE FANTASTIC FLUKE-complete ❤️

The Fantastic Fluke 

Fluke and the Faithless Father

 Fluke and the Faultline Fiasco

 Fluke and the Frontier Farce 

Fluke and the Fantastic Finale

Buy link

 Book 1 of 2: Knight & Daywalker 

Blurb 

Flynn Knight is the only (and frankly, impossible) child of the leader of the vampires in Los Angeles. He’s also a bit of a scatterbrain, a thirty-something manchild, and a private investigator. When one of his mother’s political frenemies gets killed and she asks him to investigate, he’s put between a rock—her—and a hard place—the fact that not a single vampire in the city will believe the answers he finds without impressive proof to back him up.

Combine that with an eighty-thousand-dollar bill he has no idea how he’s going to pay, a hit and run that has landed him a victim of the cat distribution system, and his mother trying to foist a new business partner off on him, and his life is way more complicated than he likes.

At least his new partner is nice to look at, even if he’s the weirdest vampire ever, who doesn’t seem to follow any of the usual vampire rules.

Also, why won’t this kitten stop eating?

Smokescreen is set in the Fantastic Fluke universe, starring never before seen characters and a new setting. It begins to explore Flynn Knight’s relationships, and while it contains a complete story, it does not reach the slow burn romance plot, and the main overarching plot will continue in book two, Façade.

  • Publication date: September 4, 2025
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 259 pages
  • Book 1 of 2: Knight & Daywalker

Content Warning: multiple gruesome deaths described in detail, injured (but NEVER killed) animals, ableist attitudes from non-MCs, violence, fraught parental relationships.

Review:  Fangs and Front Pages (Ravens Hollow Investigations Book 1) by Ella Stone 

Rating: 2/ DNF

Just no. Couldn’t get past a preposterous female lead character. The more I read the worse this characterization got. 

Elodie Evergreen is a newly turned vampire, a former investigative reporter back in London, now forced to start over in a new job and paranormal community in the USA. She’s severely unprepared for everything that she does, although the author both lets the reader know that and yet thinks that Elodie’s approach is one we’ll find engaging. 

She’s an investigative journalist. Does she research her new life? What paranormal species there are, and their lives or culture? No. Her mystery friend, Donna, helped obtain her the new job and move. But does she go with any kind of knowledge or groundwork? No. Instead she holds up the plane in an act of amazing stupidity.

Then once, before she’s even settled, she forces herself on the editor to go against his wishes before knowing the community or townsfolk. Makes quick decisions/judgements about everything without having any sort of understanding or knowledge of the community or situation or paranormal anything. And has an immediate argument with the Sheriff while announcing she has a hidden, or not so hidden mission . 

Honestly? TSTL rides high here. 

She’s not very likable. The idea that she was ever a respectable professional journalist isn’t realistic or credible either. But the author is trying hard to get the reader to believe that. Actions to the contrary.

Nor do we get any world building. 

I was done. There’s far better similar novels and female characters than this. 

Poorly conceived, poorly crafted characters. 

DNF.

Read if you’re a fan of the author. 

Paper Cat Publishing

Cover by Christian Bentulan

The Ravens Hollow Investigations :

Bylines and Bloodsuckers -prequel 

Fangs and Front Pages 

Hexes and Headlines 

Demons and Deadlines

Buy link

        Fangs and Front Pages: A thrilling urban fantasy story (Ravens Hollow Investigations Book 1)

    

Blurb 

Is this the scoop of a lifetime, or something far deadlier?

Starting over in Ravens Hollow was meant to be simple – a chance to adjust to my new, nocturnal existence. No men. No complications. Just a bit of light investigative journalism in a quaint magical town by the sea.

Then Pongo the pup trotted into my life, and normalcy bled away faster than my resistance to a fresh pint of blood. I’d barely set up my desk at the Ravens Hollow Oracle before a renowned sculptor turned up dead at the town’s annual art exhibition.

What better way to get to know a place than by investigating its most suspicious residents? The only snag was Chief Whip – the infuriatingly handsome local lawman who’d rather I kept my fangs and my nose out of his murder investigation.

Too bad. The body count is rising, and whether he likes it or not, he needs me—Elodie Evergreen, investigative reporter. My instincts are razor-sharp. My fangs? Even sharper.

Perfect for fans of resourceful heroines, cute animal sidekicks, and exhilarating urban fantasy, Fangs and Front Pages delivers action, mystery, and supernatural surprises. Series includes: stand-alone mysteries, snarky humour, and a slow-burn romance.

Ravens Hollow Investigations Series:
Bylines and Bloodsuckers – Prequel
Fangs and Front Pages – Book 1
Hexes and Headlines – Book 2
Demons and Deadlines – Book 3