Dark Whispers is one of the longest books in the series and a little drawn out for the investigation and cases involved. But it’s ultimately, an entertaining story that makes a statement about bigotry, prejudice and intolerance and its impact , on a large and more personal scale.
Parts of this book aren’t as believable, especially as it’s the fifth in the series, so the actions, both of the police officers and actually the other supernaturals should have been more “tightly” controlled or just better suited for their roles than was otherwise written here in the dramatic scenes.
And some supporting characters like Emma’s new DC is little more than a cardboard image at the moment but with the potential for more.
The Supernatural Summit is about to start at the DeVane Hotel in London. Vampires and werewolves, ghouls and gremlins, and pixies and druids have all come together to find better ways to get along with the human community and address the strict laws which govern their existence. It’s a real opportunity to change the world for the better and I’m proud to be a part of it.
But there are protestors camped outside the hotel and dangerous rumours circling about one of the delegates. When a dead body is discovered, I know it’s only a matter of time before all hell breaks loose.
I have to find the murderer. And I have to find them quickly.
Dark Whispers is the fifth book in the action-packed urban fantasy Firebrand series.
Scorched Heart is a terrific story in that the author answers the reader and main female character’s questions about her phoenix origins. Harper’s best elements here are those dealing with Emma’s emotional return to the small village of her parents brutal murdered and the beginnings of her own life of traumatic experiences.
The small details of that community and how, years later, that tragedy still lingers was so vivid portrayed that it was remarkably raw.
The investigation and true “evil” character behind the events here was imaginative and horrifying. It would have been better if there had been some foundation laid out for this aspect of the story somewhere in the series but as it was it revealed as a complete surprise twist.
Same goes for exactly how Emma became a Phoenix. New powers, brand new characters that have entered into the story with enormous impact on Emma and her past. But they’re without any magical legs or previous knowledge to make them a real force here.
Scorched Heart (The Firebrand Series Book 4) by Helen Harper is a terrific read but the writing and character development is beginning to show some strange signs of having issues being solved by “surprise elements “ rather than well written and well conceived aspects of a deeply rooted framework.
Still recommended but each is a short read which is helps when deciding whether to read or not.
My parents were brutally murdered when I was five years old. Their killer has spent the last twenty five years in prison for his terrible crimes – but I still have unanswered questions. After all, I am the phoenix. When I die, I am reborn in fire and brimstone. It happens again and again and again.
I have no idea where my strange ability came from and nobody to ask. Now another shocking murder has been committed in the small village where my parents died and there is evidence which suggests the killer is supernatural. The crime gives me the perfect reason to return to my childhood home. I can offer my expertise as a Supe Squad detective – and seek the truth behind what I really am.
The trouble is that I might not like what I find.
Scorched Heart is the fourth book in the action-packed urban fantasy Firebrand series. Events occur at the same time as The Noose Of A New Moon in the Wolfbrand series, although the books do not have to be read together to be enjoyed.
There are things that I really like about this book and elements that are starting to feel a bit drawn out.
Aviva’s hidden infernal identity is a huge factor in her life, from her own personal experiences with her mother, a high ranking officer of the Maccabees, to her complicated, often rancorous relationships between herself and members of the organization that she works for, including her team.
Now her struggles involve her demon father and vampire ex-boyfriend, both of which are powerful in their own right and with their own agendas.
How all these various conflicts and constantly changing dynamics work within their respective storylines are some of my favorite aspects of Aviva’s character and journey. Especially the dangers of the having a father such as demon lord, Delacroix constantly inferring into her life, the real reasons why he’s so insistent are hidden. And that Ezra, who’s co running The Copper Hell with Delacroix, still had his own plans in place for himself.
Sachi, the best friend and agency teammate is character who has been, if not one dimensional, then maybe formatted. Aggressive, childish, and often with little thoughtful thinking to her personality, she’s been more a reactive individual than not.
Here, towards the end, Wilde appears to allow her some emotional growth. I’m not sure it’s believable given the strength of her personality, and absolute beliefs about demons and where she falls as a Maccabee agent.
And then there’s Michael, Aviva’s mother. Their strained relationship and odd working relationship finally got a change in their pattern. That was a good aspect of the story.
But it’s Aviva’s belief in ,as well as that of others like Silas, the agency of the Maccabees which is straining my belief in their characters , both as agents of extraordinary experience and as people who have seen the extent to which this organization has become a morally grey authority.
It’s an interesting concept but having these characters either so naive or blind to their own agency’s agendas takes away from their credibility.
At least for me. I’m sure it will make for great drama scenes later on but it’s not an enough of a well written element here.
The entire manner in which the Jewish community, their religious beliefs and culture is woven into this series and characters is a huge factor and great reason to read this author and series.
It was supposed to be a routine drug bust. Arrest some magic jerks and move on, but then a fellow operative is murdered, and Aviva is thrust into a perilous black ops mission to disprove corruption charges.
Meanwhile, her half-sister is being blackmailed for being an infernal, and as Avi struggles to protect her, she’s set on a collision course with the one person she hoped to never meet.
And just when she thought things couldn’t get any crazier, her ex drops a bomb about second chances.
Aviva must navigate a minefield of love, betrayal, and powerful Maccabees gunning for her, to expose her enemies—and keep her secrets hidden. But hey, running for your life is good cardio, right?
Featuring a smart, funny heroine and a banter-fueled vampire romance, this wickedly addictive urban fantasy will keep you reading way past bedtime.
Well , what an unexpected surprise! Part murder mystery, part Groundhog Day twists, and all around suspense adventure, this was a fantastic read.
Harper expertly weaves an important element from Infernal Enchantment (book 2) into the narrative here, one that sees Emma racing through time to prevent the worst possible scenario from happening.
It’s clever, moments of heartbreak, and stupefying humor. New characters make impactful entrances, and Emma’s romantic relationship with her vampire lord moves forward, eventually.
I was sure that this was my favorite, then I read Scorched Heart. But this is definitely among my top books of the series. Fabulous.
Supernatural Squad might be small, but we’re growing in power. The vampires and werewolves of London are beginning to respect me more and I feel like I know what I’m doing – even if I don’t yet understand what I truly am.
Unfortunately, there might be a few snags to deal with. I’m trying to avoid Lord Horvath, the black-eyed vampire leader who seems intent on a more intimate relationship. There’s also Devereau Webb, who runs a small criminal syndicate and has offered me a mysterious gift that I’m certain I don’t want. And across the span of one single day, supernatural hell breaks loose across the city of London.
A suicidal vampire has climbed up the London Eye.
Three werewolves have hijacked a tourist bus.
This might prove to be the longest day of my life.
Midnight Smoke is the third book in the thrilling Firebrand urban fantasy series.
Another great story in The Portlock Paranormal Detective series! Bunny and her found family of supernatural characters in this small town in Alaska are getting closer to the end of the series. And the authors still have plenty of mysteries, drama, and dark cases to unravel before that happens.
There’s an emotional case of missing teenagers that’s hitting the small town police department of supernaturals hard, especially since it looks like both girls are from the supernatural world.
Bunny is dealing with the investigation, while Connor is facing his father threatening to come to town. With all the drama and fear that comes with it.
And always their friend, mer Sidnee kidnapped boyfriend is on their minds. As well as Reggie, who spends most of his time as Fluffy.
Just amazing with an incredible plot or multiple plots, tons of suspense and the potential for heartbreak. And my fav hag, Matilda’s role is growing.
So hard to wait for that penultimate book to come this winter. Another fantastic book and recommendation.
Cover design by Christian Bentulan. Published by Hellhound Press Limited.
The Portlock Paranormal Detective series:
The Vampire and the Case of her Dastardly Death, a prequel.
The Vampire and the Case of the Wayward Werewolf, Book 1.
The Vampire and the Case of the Secretive Siren, Book 2.
The Vampire and the Case of the Baleful Banshee, Book 3.
The Vampire and the Case of the Cursed Canine, Book 4.
The Vampire and the Case of the Perilous Poltergiest, Book 5
The Vampire and the Case of the Cozy Christmas, Book #5.5
The Vampire and the Case of the Hellacious Hag #6
The Vampire and the Case of the Malevolent Mermaid #7
The Vampire and the Case of the Ghastly Golem #8 – Jan 29,2026
After everything that went down in Chrome Mine, I’m starting to fear that I may never see my Sidnee again because the Sidnee I’ve been left with – well, she’s downright scary.
Just as we try to catch our breath, calamity strikes again: the mayor’s son-in-law is murdered. Suspicion is being thrown around like confetti, and those in the frame include the mayor himself and the usually mild-mannered Sidnee.
To make matters worse, a couple of teenage girls have vanished – no clues, no witnesses and no explanation. And it appears they might not be the first to be snatched.
As if I needed one more thing to juggle, Connor’s father, the Vampire King of America, sends a team to interfere in our investigation. One of the girls is a rare, born vampire and the king has given us an ultimatum: find her … or he’ll come knocking. I am absolutely not ready to meet the in-laws, especially not the terrifying, homicidal sort who sees hybrids like me as something to exterminate.
Connor is falling apart, the case is slipping through my fingers, and our happily-ever-after is looking further away than ever…
Dive into this fast-paced urban fantasy series if you love mystery, humour, found family, and a slow-burn romance.
I’m a real fan of author Helen Harper and her female main characters. She writes layered fully realized women who often have painful pasts and trauma to work through. And often, whether it’s naturally occurring or something that happens within the story, they become magical, for most of Harper’s series are paranormal or urban fantasy thrillers with some slow burn romance elements.
Brimstone Bound, the first in the 7-book complete The Firebrand Series by Helen Harper, is a splendid example exactly why I enjoy this author’s style and writing so.
Emma is a young police officer in the UK just completing the course work to become a Detective when she’s assigned to the Supernatural Squad for her final assignment.
Emma’s a character who will grow exponentially as each book and story see different challenges and new revelations about her and those characters around her.
But this is the beginning. Where she dies. And wakes up soon after. And doesn’t understand why.
There’s mystery. Plenty of world history and building going on. And foundation is laid for her new journey here.
Each story is about 20 or so chapters, a great length to easily binge which is what I’m doing.
Highly recommended! Have fun meeting a new character and series!
A werewolf killer. A paranormal murder. How many times can Emma Bellamy cheat death?
I’m one placement away from becoming a fully fledged London detective. It’s bad enough that my last assignment before I qualify is with Supernatural Squad. But that’s nothing compared to what happens next.
Brutally murdered by an unknown assailant, I wake up twelve hours later in the morgue – and I’m very much alive. I don’t know how or why it happened. I don’t know who killed me. All I know is that they might try again.
Werewolves are disappearing right, left and centre.
A mysterious vampire seems intent on following me everywhere I go.
And I have to solve my own vicious killing. Preferably before death comes for me again.
Brimstone Bound is the first book in the thrilling Firebrand urban fantasy series. If you like dark twisty mysteries, smart heroines, and the faintest touch of slow burn romance, then you’ll love Helen Harper’s mystical whodunnit.
Ideal for fans of Annabel Chase, K.F. Breene, Shannon Mayer, C.N. Crawford and BR Kingsolver.
“Readers will quickly come to adore the quirky characters, sharp dialogue, and exquisite world building. Combining the urban fantasy stylings of Ilona Andrews with tense British mystery that will put readers in mind of Agatha Christie, this spellbinding series opener promises good things to come.”
Debra Castaneda is another new to me author I’ve discovered via her Maddy Madrigal Mysteries series. Based in the Chavez Ravine area of Los Angeles, it’s a location the author has a personal and familial connection with.
As the description suggests, it’s monsters, mayhem, and Mexican food. But it’s much more. It’s about Mexican culture, mythology, and the politics of the past that allows certain ethnic groups to be seen as less important or even less visible so their presence and property can be considered up for grabs.
It’s scare tactics but the monsters are real.
Barely Magic (Maddy Madrigal Mysteries Book 1) by Debra Castaneda is a story I feel got better, scenario wise. The character of Maddy Madrigal finds herself back in a home where she and her family have history. Quite by accident, or so it seems.
As Maddy becomes more assertive about her own personal relationship to the place where she’s living in and working, the character’s growth and story development will continue to work to strengthen the plot and the connection between them.
By the end I was thoroughly engaged and rooting for the character and her new community of friends.
I’m really excited to see where this character and series will go. So I’m onto the next in the series.
It’s a definite hit for me. And a recommendation for those who enjoy strong female characters, mysteries with a cultural element.
Maddy Madrigal doesn’t believe she’s magic. If she were, she wouldn’t be busting her butt every day working for the Los Angeles Police Department’s Occult Affairs division, rounding up the strange and nasty entities unleashed by the last earthquake. At forty, if she were magic, she’d have less aggravation and more money.
So, when a security job opens up in an exclusive gated community, she takes it. Better money, great perks, and best of all, no entities.
At first, her problems are solved—the job’s great, she’s made new friends, and a good-looking man has caught her eye. She even has time to cook her favorite Mexican dishes while her new cat watches, though there’s something not quite right about him.
But the fancy neighborhood she was hired to protect hides a secret: something supernatural is attacking the residents, and as Maddy tries to unravel the mystery, she discovers a secret of her own: she may have inherited magical abilities from her famous great aunt, a Mexican witch.
With monsters roaming the hilly streets, residents up in arms, and her boss breathing down her neck, Maddy must decide how far she’s willing to go to preserve her new life.
Barely Magic is the first book in Maddy Madrigal Mysteries, a new urban fantasy series from Debra Castaneda, the award-winning author of The Monsters of Chavez Ravine and the Dark Earth Rising series including The Root Witch and A Dark and Rising Tide.
Deborah Wilde writes such wonderful books and great unusual main female characters that once I found her it’s been hard not to just binge her entire catalog.
Elements that Wilde includes into her storylines and universes as well as character designs are those of Jewish history, culture, and religious traditions. From the names of the characters to their stories and even the agencies they serve, what it is to be a Jewish person is part of their identity and this book.
And her stories are mostly urban fantasy. So how she continues to fold Jewish mythology, history and religious beliefs and traditions into her urban fantasy worlds and series is smooth, unique, and fascinating.
Aviva Fleischer is an agent for the Maccabees, a government agency that regulates and deals with otherworldly events and beings. This includes having a team of diverse individuals, including vampires.
What’s not so inclusive is anyone or being that’s identified as a demon. Or part demon. Which is what Aviva is hiding, she’s part demon. And the daughter of a high ranking official in the Maccabee organization.
Wilde excellently crafts both an alternative world where vampires and humans now exist, although not exactly in harmony. Otherworldly realms can be visited but it’s a dangerous place to go if you’re a human, and there’s hidden secrets and agendas everywhere waiting to be revealed.
Aviva is a complicated character, with mother issues. An ex-boyfriend who’s come into play again and a murder mystery that’s as complicated as she is.
Just a fabulous story and it lays the groundwork for the next story to come.
She’s just a demon, standing in front of a vampire, trying not to punch him.
Aviva Fleischer hides a dangerous secret. She’s carefully concealing her infernal heritage, a.k.a. Cherry Bomb. Maybe it’s weird naming her demon side and referring to her in the third person, but guys do the same with their junk, and unlike most of them, Avi isn’t deluded about Cherry’s prowess.
Avi’s been working her ass off, climbing the ranks of a supernatural policing organization to enact change and empower those like her forced to hide their true nature. Sure, she’s bent the rules now and then, but her arrest record speaks for itself. Her promotion is in the bag.
Instead, the director strikes a deal with Avi: spy on the operative sent in to work a rash of bizarre murders and prove she can be a team player, or kiss that new rank goodbye.
No problem.
Okay, maybe just one.
Her co-leader, Ezra Cardoso, is a charming, ruthless vampire with his own agenda, whom she fantasizes about: mostly staking him then vacuuming up his remains.
But when the killer sets Aviva’s team firmly in their sights, she’ll have to decide whether to keep playing by the rules or show everyone exactly what she—and Cherry Bomb—are capable of…
Featuring a smart, funny heroine and a banter-fueled vampire romance, this wickedly addictive urban fantasy will keep you reading way past bedtime.
While exploring other series with strong FMC’s, a reviewer suggested author Patricia Briggs. Specifically her Mercy Thompson series about a Native American skin shifter, auto mechanic Mercy Thompson.
Mercy Thompson series has so many well developed elements and characters. Set in the tri-Cities area of Washington state, Briggs gives the reader the real feel for the geography as well as the various types of societal levels found within the region. From trailers to gated mansions, it’s written about realistically and descriptively well executed.
Narratively, Briggs gives this same focus to her characters and backgrounds, starting with Mercy Thompson. A auto mechanic who deal primarily with certain types of cars and engines, she’s got a one-woman shop, and as a skin-walker who can change into a coyote, her status, without a pack, within the local paranormal community is a shaky one.
I was quick to invest in the story and the depths of character and hidden community dynamics . Mercy and her skin walker powers, which I believe more will be revealed in the coming stories, is extremely well written and exciting.
So is her changing relationships with the local werewolf pack and its Alpha, Adam Hauptman.
There’s a mystery, several murders to solve, and while this book seems to end as everything is resolved, there’s another mystery coming.
So after reading an excellent book, with a fascinating strong female protagonist, with a highly unusual story, why do I not feel the need to scramble for the next novel in the series? Especially in one where there’s 14 available?
It has to do with how one character, a hugely sympathetic young man, was treated within the story. Basically he’s a throwaway element. And yes, that’s absolutely the author’s right.
But his role here, the reactions to him , the characters and yes, the readers, seem to be at two different levels. How he ended, the characters reacted to his storyline differs greatly from how he impacted on how I felt about him.
Or perhaps how I perceived his character’s role in the story would be, going forward. That’s on me.
But this entire aspect of Moon Called felt so cold emotionally that even with a well written book, I felt disconnected from the rest of the universe and characters at the end.
It’s doubtful that I will go into it further. Might change my mind. But for now. I’m leaving it here.
if this sounds as intriguing as it’s actually written, check it out. It’s a very popular series.
Moon Called is the novel that introduced Patricia Briggs’s Mercy Thompson to the world and launched a #1 bestselling phenomenon…
Mercy Thompson is a shapeshifter, and while she was raised by werewolves, she can never be one of them, especially after the pack ran her off for having a forbidden love affair. So she’s turned her talent for fixing cars into a business and now runs a one-woman mechanic shop in the Tri-Cities area of Washington State.
But Mercy’s two worlds are colliding. A half-starved teenage boy arrives at her shop looking for work, only to reveal that he’s a newly changed werewolf—on the run and desperately trying to control his animal instincts. Mercy asks her neighbor Adam Hauptman, the Alpha of the local werewolf pack, for assistance.
But Mercy’s act of kindness has unexpected consequences that leave her no choice but to seek help from those she once considered family—the werewolves who abandoned her…
“In the increasingly crowded field of kick-ass supernatural heroines, Mercy stands out as one of the best.”—Locus
Magic & Mutiny (Starry Hollow Witches Book 19) is the finale book of this series by Annabel Chase. And while it started out great, I think it ran on a bit too long.
The characters and themes got repetitive and some of their growth was handled poorly. Or halted altogether.
It ends happily, and there’s an epilogue where we see the characters a couple of years later, and what’s happened in their lives. That’s satisfying.
The ending is fine, with some issues. There’s a murder investigation, which is tied to how will the town of Starry Hollow deal with the return of the very much alive Ivy Rose.
Ivy is the best element here, she’s a sympathetic character and how her situation is resolved is wonderful.
But the person and people responsible and their actions aren’t well written. It fluctuates from a stand of firmness of position (she’s evil) to immediate change in opinion (my bad, she’s not) in seconds. There’s no reason or real constructive character or foundation for any of this. And it undermines the entire storyline.
Then it’s let’s say we understand her motivations. Slap on the wrist. Sigh. It took how many books and this is how Ivy’s story is resolved?
Way too long. A wedding and done.
So it’s nice that each book was a quick read but I’m not sure I’d invest my time reading 19 books again with this outcome. It’s a ok read.
For fans of Annabel Chase I’m sure you’ll be fine.
Welcome to Starry Hollow, where spells were made to be broken.
Ever since the moment her trio of magical cousins whisked her away to Starry Hollow, the town has served as a safe haven for Ember Rose, descendant of the One True Witch. Even the bumps in the roads have smoothed—she’s reconciled with her formidable aunt and is about to marry the love of her life, Sheriff Nash.
All the bumps except the Ivy-shaped one, that is.
Now the entire town is under threat because of a mistake Ember made. Granted, she wasn’t the one who mistreated her ancestor centuries ago, but she was the one who resurrected her.
And now Ivy is ready to exact revenge on the coven that wronged her.
Can Ember stop the mutiny and save her beloved hometown, or will the one-witch rebellion destroy Starry Hollow forever?
Magic & Mutiny is the 19th and final book in the Starry Hollow Witches series, so be sure not to miss how it all ends
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 