Category: Supernatural

Review: Review: Uncharted Grounds (Maya’s Blog’s Book 3) by Lara McKenzie

Rating: 4.75⭐️

Uncharted Grounds, the third book in Maya’s Blog’s series is indeed uncharted territory for the characters here. 

Lara McKenzie’s format of having her character, Maya, chart her growth and  life events through a Blog that’s grown substantially from 5 readers to a inter species paranormal readership of millions , including ones she now includes as friends and found family, has become a stunning journey of inspiring personal growth and self discovery. 

But it’s a realistic one, full of painful and awful moments of despair and even death. Those have been equally terrifying and tragic for Maya and those around her. 

And this deals with the consequences of that event, the aftermath, and the unexpected repercussions that it will bring upon Maya’s relationship with her shadow demon warrior fiancée. 

There are hilarious scenes, terrifying moments, utter heartbreak, and solemn moments of thoughtful reflection upon her own experiences and past history that make her look at her current situation and how she feels about going forward. 

I can’t say enough about how much I love this beautifully written series about Maya and her journey through her new life , her friends and how she has grown up and dealt with each new challenge she’s faced.

While this is a fantasy/science fiction universe, the parallels to a contemporary world are very real and heartfelt. And often heartbreaking. 

Keep your tissues close by. 

This is a deeply personal and emotional story that connects with each reader in differently. 

Highly recommended. 

Love these covers with their specific topics, this one being Genevieve who had a big role here. 

Cover Illustration Main image by Manuka Madushan, Digital Illustrator.

MAYA’S BLOGS:

Espresso Yourself #1

Brew Diligence #2

Uncharted Grounds #3

Flat White Flag #4

Little Bean #5 (coming soon)

Buy link

        Uncharted Grounds: A Paranormal Comedy with Heart (Maya’s Blogs Book 3)

    

Blurb 

Life hasn’t been normal since a mermaid resurrected Maya Rivers.

Between supernatural side effects, the terrifying mermaid mafia who wants more than she’s prepared to give, and a shadow demon who would raze realms to keep her safe, Maya is trying to figure out who she is—and where she truly belongs.

In a world of chaotic friendship and found family, one thing’s certain: Maya isn’t just surviving anymore.

She’s ready to stand her ground.

  • Publication date: July 21, 2025
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 310 pages
  • Book 3 of 5: Maya’s Blogs

Review: Brew Diligence (Maya’s Blog’s Book 2) by Lara McKenzie

Rating: 5⭐️+

“I’ve had some revelations since moving into my own place: 

-Living alone means no witnesses to my weirdness, which is empowering until you accidentally flood the kitchen while making noodles.  Fairy lights are an emotional support infrastructure.  -There is no middle ground between I am thriving and I just organised my socks by emotional damage level.  -There is no such thing as too many mugs.”

From Maya’s Blog, readership is now climbing up to the millions. 

When we last saw Maya, she’d left her abusive family and finally gotten the one room apartment that she had wanted, decorated with fairy lights and a coffee mug. Safe. But Gary the Grim Reaper who had helped saved her from the serial killer was missing, presumably because he violated his own laws. 

Brew Diligence, a book of endless quotable sentences and incredibly moving moments, follows the same perfect format and flow of the first book. Maya, our brave woman barista continues to blog about her experiences to her followers who became her friends and family. 

From 5 to millions, chapters of her moving forward, overcoming some huge challenges with hilarious stories and enormous amounts of pain and anxiety. And bravery. 

Now she and her friends who are also her colleagues are in the midst of the fight to free Gary the Grim Reaper from his prison sentence for helping her escape from the serial killer. 

Gary, another fabulous character, is missing not from the story but from the hole he left behind in the close relationships he formed. Plus his ghost cat, too, who left behind, is ruling the apartment at Maya’s. 

There’s so much trauma and emotional scars here in this story. It’s balanced by the author’s carefully crafted humor and sensitivity to the subject matter and scenes.  Hilarity and horror. Love and hate. Death and rebirth.  

Despair and hope.  It’s brilliant and brutal that all these things exist within this universe, these characters and their stories. 

Is this really only the second book? Surely not.  I’m astonished at the fact that this is so amazing on every level of excellence. 

Yes, highly recommended. If I had more stars in the rating, they’d be there. So many stars!

Love this so much! Including the covers. 

Cover Illustration Main image by Manuka Madushan, Digital Illustrator.

MAYA’S BLOGS:

Espresso Yourself #1

Brew Diligence #2

Uncharted Grounds #3

Flat White Flag #4

Little Bean #5 (coming soon)

Buy link

        Brew Diligence: A Paranormal Comedy with Heart (Maya’s Blogs Book 2)

    

Blurb 

Just as Maya thinks she can relax into recovery and a budding romance with a demon general, the afterlife throws her a curveball.

The Grim Reaper who saved her wasn’t just locked away—he was erased from existence.

What starts as a rescue mission quickly becomes a masterclass in magical bureaucracy, inter-realm politics, and one seriously unhinged plot twist.

Join Maya as she blogs her way through enough supernatural shenanigans to short-circuit reality.

  • Publication date: June 23, 2025
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 304 pages
  • Book 2 of 4: Maya’s Blogs

Review: License to Curse (The Merlin Mysteries, Book One) by Kim Richardson 

Rating: 3⭐️

I have written and rewritten this review several times.  And finally decided to try and keep it as concise as possible. 

This was a DNF multiple times for me for many reasons but ultimately I finished it and enjoyed it. But I won’t be going further with this series. 

Main issues revolve around the characterization and plot issues. Things and elements that repeatedly occur throughout the story or seem to be a part of the main character makeup which makes any credibility of a magical law enforcement officer impossible. 

Arcane witch Rhea Morven is a newly credited Merlin. That’s a Magical Enforcement Response League Intelligence Network. Basically they’re the magical law enforcement agents who police the paranormal world. Rhea’s got a sketchy family history and wildcard powers. And she’s a newbie. But still an agent with a badge. 

And she’s sent out to an equally sketchy town, Gallows Gate, where a fellow agent disappeared and 3 teenagers have gone missing. 

Should be a great mystery and law enforcement storyline. 

However, author Kim Richardson gives little insight or foundation into the political structure or powers here. So instead of the Merlin coming into town as a powerful magical force or police officer, there’s nothing to this aspect of the plot. 

The agency has given no resources and dumped her. Might as well be a civilian. And she’s whiny. When the Council (and parents) blame her for certain crimes/events that have happened in her absence and without an investigation, she immediately agrees she’s a failure. She’s been there one day. 

People refuse to listen or talk to her. Fine. Off she goes. No procedure. What training? Zero credibility as a Merlin for me as a reader. 

Rhea’s personality too is lacking. Absolutely gullible as written, especially for a trained agent and magically powerful person. Rhea who listens to the person who’s got “big bad Villain“ stamped on their forehead while suspecting the person who’s saved her repeatedly and reeks of ancient great being.  Let’s do that. 

While there are some funny moments and engaging characters, like the ghost who’s attached to the dilapidated house that called the local Merlin office/ home, they’re swamped by scenarios and situations that are frankly eye-rolling. 

The narrative continues to grow less credible as events unfold that the reader recognizes aren’t well developed mysteries but rather easily explained events.  But the author keeps insisting that Morven can’t have the intelligence to guess immediately who and what is going on. 

Example: The previous Merlin who was investigating several cases disappeared ten days ago. Now a new body of a man has been discovered. Looks like he’s been there a while. Week, maybe ten days . Oh no! Whoever could it be? Not like there’s a missing person or something. SMH. 

Then in the dramatic climax and battle, a character turns into a well used trope. Why not. No foundation laid but ok. 

For me this became a kitchen sink paranormal narrative, with little cohesion thrown together with some likable characters but not enough to make me go forward. 

Read it if you’re a fan of this author. 

Cover design by Kim Richardson

The Merlin Mysteries:

License to Curse #1

Witch on Probation #2 – Oct 31,2025

Magical Misconduct #3 – Nov 30,2025

Buy link:

 Book 1 of 3: The Merlin Mysteries 

Blurb 

First day on the job? Missing teens. Dangerous magic. Zero backup.

I’m Rhea Morven, rookie Merlin agent, walking magical anomaly, and proud owner of a cursed bloodline no one trusts.

My first case dumps me in Gallows Gate, a hidden town full of secrets, politics, and creatures that bite. The assignment? Find three missing paranormals before the town tears itself apart. The twist? They’re not just anyone. They’re the children of the ruling council.

Now I’m stuck navigating vampire egos, witch rivalries, and suspicious council members who’d rather see me fail.

Good thing I’ve got a sharp tongue, a dangerous kind of magic, and a very low tolerance for bullsh*t.

Also, there’s a broody shifter with eyes like gold and a tendency to save my life. Not helpful for focus.

They sent me here to fail, but I’m not leaving without a fight.

Love found-family, magical suspense, and snarky witches who bite back? Welcome to The Merlin Mysteries, where a cursed bloodline meets a case from hell.

  • Publication date: July 22, 2025
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 281 pages
  • Book 1 of 3: The Merlin Mysteries

Review:  Espresso Yourself (Maya’s Blog’s Book 1) by Lara McKenzie

Rating: 5⭐️+

“Follow Maya Rivers, an anxious human barista with a gift for latte art and a blog full of chaos, as she navigates life in the Umbrafore Complex: part supernatural stronghold, part magical mayhem zone.”

That’s the hook, along with a great cover, that pulled me into this brilliantly written series by Lara McKenzie.  A supernatural/paranormal universe that incorporates both human and otherworldly elements and characters, author McKenzie writes it from the standpoint of a very human Maya Rose Rivers, a barista in a new job who has decided to blog about her life and work adventures. 

As McKenzie puts it “ADHD in my family, which often comes with concentration struggles. I wanted to create something for people who still love to read and want to disappear into a world, but need shorter bursts and the freedom to jump in and out without losing the thread. Whether you’re neurodivergent, suffer from brain fog, or prefer things served with fewer info dumps, this one is for you.”

So each chapter is a blog post. You can read it and watch as Maya struggles through her journey, with laughter, tears and coffee foam art. Gaining followers, friends of every species, and growing into new strengths and abilities. 

I was really not prepared for the depths of the topics and challenges Maya faces. And how the author weaves these issues into her story. They are hardly noticeable at first, but as Maya grows and explores her own personal struggles through her blog, the revelations are both heartbreaking and then become a beacon of hope for many. 

When I say you can laugh/cry here, yes, you can do exactly that. And write down sentences to savor. 

Another book to buy for my bookshelf and to give as gifts. 

Yes, highly recommended. If I had more stars in the rating, they’d be there. 

Love this so much! 

Why have I just found this author?

Cover Illustration Main image by Manuka Madushan, Digital Illustrator.

MAYA’S BLOGS:

Espresso Yourself #1

Brew Diligence #2

Uncharted Grounds #3

Flat White Flag #4

Little Bean #5 (coming soon)

Buy link

        Espresso Yourself: A Paranormal Comedy with Heart (Maya’s Blogs Book 1)

    

Blurb 

Follow Maya Rivers, an anxious human barista with a gift for latte art and a blog full of chaos, as she navigates life in the Umbrafore Complex: part supernatural stronghold, part magical mayhem zone.

——

One human barista. One supernatural fortress.

When Maya Rivers takes a job at Pulse, a coffee shop in the heart of the Umbrafore Complex, she expects busy shifts and maybe the occasional grumpy vampire.

What she doesn’t expect is accidentally stumbling into supernatural fame or being targeted by a serial killer with a flair for theatrics.

It’s hard to keep a low profile when you work alongside supernatural warriors who protect humanity from magical threats.

Join Maya as she blogs her way through the ups and downs as a human in a supernatural world.

  • Publication date: May 23, 2025
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 294 pages
  • Part of Series: Maya’s Blogs

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: Dead Air: A Nelson & MacIlwraith Mystery (Moon Murder Mysteries) by K. Sterling 

Rating: 3.25🌈

While I’m really enjoying this subset of paranormal fantasy novels in the Nelson & MacIlwraith Mystery universe, this book doesn’t have the same level of complexity and depth for all the main characters as previous stories. And that lack hurts my connection to the narrative. 

K Sterling is a fantastic author. Her ability to weave together a coherent and compelling narrative is a huge factor in her success. She uses her unique background of investigations, murders then adds more layers of natural history, geography, multicultural history, and mythology to create a unique world and experiences. 

This is where I recommend readers not to forget to include reading all Sterling’s author’s notes at the beginning of this book. On this being a love note to our parks and its Rangers, but also to their own complex, oppressive history with our indigenous people and communities over lands that were confiscated by the government.

And, there’s a dictionary for those who want to know how to pronounce some of these Irish Gaelic words seen throughout the novel and series.  Honestly, I loved this. 

Now to the pluses and minuses of the book. 

The plot is excellent but almost too removed from actual action and its deep roots in a nefarious bargain. We should have seen more of that. And perhaps less sex, more detailed work on a real relationship.

It’s framed in that the Oracle has seen that an innocent, a Park Ranger in the Shenandoah’s, will be in danger from a demon. 

That’s more than enough for the crew of Demi Sun god MacIlwraith, Nelson, Merlin, the two hellhounds and their mates to make the trip to investigate and save him. This group is always a great source for the story and dialogue. And we see Nox MacIlwraith’s powers growing.

However, thing is , the main story revolves around the Ranger, Niall, and the demon, Cenn, aka Lord Smoak.  Of the two, we get one fascinating character and one bland one dimensional character. Guess who is the one note person? Niall the human.

He’s got a great background story, but that not well represented in his actual personality. The dark damage he fled from wouldn’t be the same as someone who really just comes across as an introvert from a conservative background. It’s not believable as written.

Who is on point is Cenn, the demon Lord Smoak. First of all demons, arguably murderous, arrogant, dark and complex. And flexible in his ways and character to show the ability to make choices and changes as he sees fit. 

Silas, a Sheriff and new character has the next book in the series and it’s already an interesting one from the small excerpt included here. 

This left one aspect of Cenn and Niall’s relationship open as well as what happened to the first villain, an ongoing conflict. 

So my take on Dead Air: A Nelson & MacIlwraith Mystery (Moon Murder Mysteries) by K. Sterling is that it’s interesting but doesn’t hold up well next to the preceding stories. 

Read it as a bridge between the books, for the new characters and to see how the group is evolving. Nox especially. 

Exquisite covers.

Cover art by @KillerLaurent

Moon Mysteries 1 – 3 (first series)

Nelson & MacIlwraith Mystery (Moon Murder Mysteries sequel series)

Back in the Hunt #1

The Tides of March #2

Dead Air #3 

Buy link

Amazon.comhttps://www.amazon.comDead Air: A Nelson & MacIlwraith Mystery (Moon Murder Mysteries)

Blurb 

He hid in the woods to escape a monster but found a demon in his bed.

Six years ago, rising political star Niall Gilpatrick was living a lie. A fearless and vocal activist, he hid that he was himself a victim. After a brush with death, Niall ran, starting over as a park ranger in the Shenandoah Mountains.

But now, strange dreams and an impossibly dashing biologist have upended his tranquil existence.

And that was the point.

An ancient Irish demon, Chance Curn was sent to tempt this surprisingly wholesome mortal into selling his soul. 

He’s haunting Niall’s dreams and playing with his heart, but it is Chance who finds himself in a dangerous trap.

Since when did demons have feelings?

Now, Chance has to decide if he’s willing to risk it all for a mortal and Niall must face his fears to trust a demon with his heart and his life. Can they save each other or will they become dead air?

Dead Air is a paranormal MM romance set in the mountains of rural Virginia. There’s Celtic mythology, an evil plot to foil, and an isolated cabin where no one can hear you scream. Dead Air is set in the world of Nelson & MacIlwraith, but can be read as a standalone.

  • Publisher: Bawdy Books
  • Publication date: August 19, 2025
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 247 pages

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:  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: Obsidian Magic (Legacy Series Book 2) by McKenzie Hunter 

Rating: 3.5⭐️

“He once made the comment that behind every good fighter was a tragic past.”

“The turgid muscles of his arm contracted and then relaxed.”

Those two sentences embody the best and worst examples of the writing found in this book and series.  That sort of whiplash of concise emotional expression versus one of excessive florid language is mirrored by the characters in their respective relationships and their own personal actions. Towards each other and in moments of conflict.

Levy, the main character has lovely scenes with her friends, antiques dealer Kalen and roommate Savannah, that ring true. She’s a more believable person in her trust issues, snarky humor, and energy than when dealing with the “romantic tension “ of Gareth, or the “villainous ways” of Connor. Both of them, their scenes with Levy, have the same oddly similar toxicity and certain aspects of narcissistic behavior. 

The secondary characters, once again, have the most interesting and fascinating roles that draw a reader’s attention. Blu, the witch , Lucas the Vampire Master, and the other two characters that are both great, Kalen and Savannah. 

I’m enjoying the journey and series enough to see it through but not really emotionally invested in the characters. It makes it easy to stop the series, read another book, and then pick it up again. Something I wouldn’t do if I’m throughly focused and engaged with the characters and universe. 

Much like I am with other similar stories such as the Kate Daniels series/universe by Ilona Andrews for example.

So for readers who enjoy urban fantasy and complete series I think this is a good read and fun series. That’s my take. 

Cover Artist: Yocla Designs

Legacy Series (4 book series)

Double-Sided Magic #1

Obsidian Magic #2

Renegade Magic #3

Rogue Magic #4 – finale 

Buy link

        Obsidian Magic (Legacy Series Book 2)

    

Blurb 

The only thing standing between me and death is my secret.

I’m a Legacy—a secret I’d planned on taking to my grave. Gareth, the enigmatic leader of the Supernatural Guild, knows it, but can I trust him to keep it? When mysterious deaths occur as a result of magic that mimics my own, I no longer have to worry about Gareth exposing me – it will be one of my own that does.

Another Legacy is causing the chaos, and I’m forced to hunt my own kind. It seems simple, but we’ve existed for as long as we have because we’re better hunters than prey. I’m forced to work with Gareth to clear my name and find the Legacy responsible. Not only is my secret about to be revealed—so is his. Gareth is much more dangerous than I expected. Is he my friend or my enemy?

  • Publisher: Sky Publishing
  • Accessibility: Learn more
  • Publication date: March 17, 2017
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 254 pages
  • Book 2 of 4: Legacy Series