Category: Urban fantasy series,urban fantasy mystery

Review: The HighFire Crown: (Blood Magic Book 1 ) An Urban Fantasy Action Adventure by J.T. Lawrence 

Rating: 3⭐️

This was a book I saw advertised on FB, maybe that was a clue. I have had some good finds that way but by 55% of the story, I’ll admit I was struggling to continue reading. Each chapter, especially from the middle on when I saw Jax’s character development stays basically where it was at the beginning, I’m wavering between a DnF and keep page flipping. 

It comes down to the main character, Jax, a magical woman whose powers are channeled through her emotions, primarily from her pain. 

Rated Magus 10, a scale from her first Council kidnapping, she’s been crafted by Lawrence as an unappealing mess of a paranormal being. A private investigator of paranormal cases, once hired, by her methods, she doesn’t actually investigate anything. Instead she accepts intense, highly charged case after case, then without actually sitting down and thinking about each one of them and prioritizing the work, she just runs off. 

No research into her cases or investigative work that would make her credible. Instead plunging into dangerous situations, often turning things worse instead of better. The people who have hired her end up worse off in every instance. She ends up constantly being caught, beaten up, losing objects or breaking things she was supposed to find. And is always surprised when things go sideways. Or that people she trusted are not trustworthy. Every single scenario is full of TSTL moments where, at least me, starts flipping pages even faster. 

“I don’t understand,” I said again”

That’s a constant refrain from Jax. And I’m on Chapter 37. I’m thinking I don’t understand why I’m still reading this book. 

Honestly I kept thinking surely she has some plausible plan in mind, nope. Or backup. Again no. She’s the mindless equivalent of the ball in a pin-ball machine, endlessly ricocheting around the table. As it is, I’m sympathizing with Jax’s client’s when they look at the unmitigated disaster she’s made of their lives and cases, threatening her when the damage she’s left by not paying attention or getting things done or even making the right decisions, have left death in her wake. And theirs. 

Are we supposed to be on her side? Really? I have run into several authors who craft their characters in this manner and it always leaves me astonished. Give me a well written competent, ingenious , intelligent person, no matter what gender, who is capable of researching and investigating their cases, with or without any magical abilities. And I’m happy. In other words, a well thought out, multi dimensional, intelligent person. 

And giving them a ghostly companion (who they often berate for cleaning their apartment, oh no, and a magical albino ferret, neither of which has any background history or foundation to them), doesn’t enhance her character. It’s empty layering for her the most part.

There’s some interesting aspects to this story. Outside of how she wields her powers, there’s also the facts that the world’s magical and non-magical realms are divided into floors accessible by a elevator, humanity is one floor, otherworldly beings and creatures and their realms are on others.  I guess the world is flat? Idk It’s a neat idea , although not exactly new, that needs further exploration here. And all the magic is done with Latin words. And wands. “Illumino”.

Btw, going back, at Chapter 26, Jax has just now remembered she’s got two prior important cases to be solved, one of which is for her best friend about the death of that friend’s neighbor who just happened to Look Oh no. SMH

So , I’m not going further here. I just can’t with characters like this. I have zero tolerance for them and their stories. 

If you do, here’s a series for you. 

Blood Magic: An Urban Fantasy Action Adventure (Complete 6-Book Series) (6 book series):

The HighFire Crown (Book 1)

The Dream Drinker (Book 2)

The Witch Hunter (Book 3)

The Ember Isles (Book 4)

The Chaos Jar (Book 5)

The New Dawn Throne (Book 6)

Buy links:

Single book – see below 

        The HighFire Crown: An Urban Fantasy Action Adventure

    

 Book 1 of 6: Blood Magic: An Urban Fantasy Action Adventure (Complete 6-Book Series) 

Blurb 

It’s a case she can’t refuse.

Spell-slinger. Vampire-slayer. Magical albino ferret-rescuer.

Meet Jacqueline Denna Knight, the best wizard detective in the city.

Jax turns vampires to ash and pain into magic. She also has a knack for finding things. So when a distraught—and obscenely wealthy—elf calls Jax at midnight to hire her for an intriguing job, she grabs the opportunity with both hands…

But what Jax doesn’t know is that this case is going to unravel her life. She’ll get tangled up with a host of intriguing characters, most of whom are not who they appear to be.

As Jax speeds down a path toward the most powerful vampire clan in the country, she’ll have to put everything on the line.

Will she be able to use her unique brand of magic to save the Realm?

This complete Blood Magic series contains the following books:

The HighFire Crown (Book 1)

The Dream Drinker (Book 2)

The Witch Hunter (Book 3)

The Ember Isles (Book 4)

The Chaos Jar (Book 5)

The New Dawn Throne (Book 6)

Fire Finch Press

Publication date

August 28, 2024

Language

‎English

Print length

288 pages

Book 1 of 6

Blood Magic: An Urban Fantasy Action Adventure (Complete 6-Book Series)

Review: Training My Human (The Dragocracy Chronicles Book 1) by Eve Langlais 

Rating: 3⭐️

Training My Human (The Dragocracy Chronicles Book 1) by Eve Langlais was a cute read that went by very quickly. 

There’s some nice elements here that have way more potential than in actual execution of the story. The native peoples of the region aspect, including the main female character, which isn’t given nearly enough attention. I wanted more details about the history and culture behind her story.

The baby dragon, who comes off as a bit of a jerk for 2/3’s of the book before the hunters appear to put him into a precarious situation, is ok. Again, its personality vs any detailed description. 

The main characters don’t have much depth to either of them. Which makes their instant love romance hard to connect with. 

It’s a sea of one or two dimensional characters and similar relationships in a quick paced storyline about an arrogant dragon baby who is hunted by mysterious human group. 

There’s a nice twist but the ending doesn’t really resolve anything and leaves the villain in good shape. To my mind, that’s unsatisfying. And what deaths there are feels very unreal. Like tiny toddler comic books where there’s no real expectations of any sort of real life experiences and emotions involved. 

It’s odd in a book that wants to be grownup but not too much. Not YA but not yet ready for the adult stuff. We used to call that PG-13. 

If you want a dragon story, here’s another.  

 Cover by Alex of Addictive 

Covers Produced in Canada

The Dragocracy Chronicles (6 book series):

Training My Human #1

Serving My Dragon #2

Taming My Human #3

Rescuing My Dragon #4

Protecting My Human #5

Escaping My Dragon #6

Q

Buy link

 Book 1 of 6: The Dragocracy Chronicles 

Blurb 

So it turns out dragons are real.

I never suspected the lava rock I threw into the firepit was actually an egg. I’m blown away when it hatches to reveal a reptile with a voracious appetite. Cute little bugger, until it learns to talk.

The bossy critter thinks he can order me around. Claims he’s a dragon. Says when he grows strong enough, he wants to rule the world. I say go ahead. He can’t do any worse than our current politicians.

However, his plans for planetary domination have hit a slight snag. Seems my little fella—who grumbles that I’m not honoring him properly—is wanted by the government. Or so the goons that show up on my property claim. I have my doubts as to their identities. Even if they’re telling the truth, I’m not about to hand over my new pet, but how’s a woman who inks tattoos for a living supposed to keep a dragon safe? The local pet shop owner—hunky, plaid-wearing Maddox—has a few ideas, but my little dragon isn’t keen on running.

Can I keep my dragon out of the clutches of those who’d steal him for personal gain? And if we do have to flee, will Maddox come too? I need all the help I can get with figuring out life with the lizard.

*

Humans. Bah. They’ve gotten uppity since my maternal progenitor conceived my egg. It will take much training before the female I’ve commandeered is suitable for service.

So much for her to learn, starting with proper meals. She tried to feed me bugs as if I were a simple lizard! Then she dared to abandon me so she could work—incentive for me to build my hoard so she can devote her time fully to me. I’ve allowed her distraction with the male, but only because he will serve me too, and sooner than he thinks, since my enemies are already closing in.

But they’ll learn a dragon, even one newly hatched, is a force to be reckoned with, and if you mess with those I’ve claimed, you will face my wrath!

May 15, 2025

Language

‎English

Print length

214 pages

Book 1 of 6

The Dragocracy Chronicles

Review: Shadowspell Academy: The Culling Trials (Book 1) by K. F. Breene and Shannon Mayer

Rating: 4⭐️

I’m pretty much done with certain tropes because I feel they’ve been overdone by authors recently in many genres. It’s the academy or trial settings or trials taking place in academia settings, throw in a romance, shifters , vampires and magic and you can probably find or name over 50 books that fit that category alone, maybe more if you consider series. 

But I adore Breene and while I am waiting for her next book (Magical Midlife series) to be released, I thought I’d give this one a try. 

The setup is compelling. A farm family that’s worn down by its losses of their mother and older brother, a broken father barely making it, with debts piling up and plenty of mouths to feed. 

We meet the oldest daughter, Wild, who’s really running the farm as her father is physically in a bad state and her siblings are much younger. Her mother is dead as is her oldest brother, Tommy, who left for an academy but was killed in a mysterious accident there.

Now that same academy is demanding that her younger brother attend and Wild is equally determined that they not lose any more children to a school they don’t know about. 

Of course, it’s never that simple. There’s plenty of secrets and things that have been hidden from her. 

I absolutely adore the character of Wild, a brave and intelligent young woman, determined to save her family from another loss.

The found family aspect of the academic life and group that’s formed isn’t anything new but still very interesting and entertaining. 

It’s the first book. She’s hiding her gender and lack of knowledge in a group of misfits. And the authors don’t seem to draw this out very far with a cliffhanger ending. 

It’s got a terrific main character, predictable elements and an entertaining plot. 

Recommended for those who love the authors and this type of storytelling. It’s a good read. 

Shadowspell Academy (6 book series)

The Culling Trials #1 through 3

Year of the Chameleon #4 through 6

Buy link 

 Book 1 of 6: Shadowspell Academy 

Blurb 

You Don’t Choose The Academy. The Academy Chooses You.

I had no idea how those words would change my life. Or how they’d changed my life already…

Until the day the most dangerous man I’ve ever met waltzed onto my farm and left us a death sentence.

In an invitation.

My younger brother has been chosen for the prestigious, secret magical school hidden within the folds of our mundane world. A place so dangerous, they don’t guarantee you’ll make it out alive.If he doesn’t go our entire family will be killed.

It’s the same invitation my older brother received three years ago—the same place he mysteriously died.

The academy has already killed one sibling. I’ll be damned if they take another.

 

Hijinks Ink Publishing

Publication date

April 9, 2019

Edition

1st

Language

‎English

Print length

238 pages

Book 1 of 6

Shadowspell Academy

Review:  Stir Crazy: Maya’s Blogs: Book 6 by Lara McKenzie 

Rating: 4⭐️

Stir Crazy is book 6 is Maya’s Blog, one of my all time favorite series. 

Lara McKenzie has taken her main character on a tremendous personal journey of self discovery and growth. She’s gone from someone who fled a strict religious home environment that was destroying her sense of self and wellbeing to finding a new place where she slowly became a woman who through a new life, barista job and found family of paranormals, who she is today.

Someone who has undergone an enormous transformation into a paranormal herself, found a mate in a battle demon, and now has a family, that includes a demon merchild, Sabine, and a ghost mantis shrimp, Genevieve. And a blog of millions of followers.

It’s been a great journey.And it’s not over yet. 

After Little Bean, the birth of her baby, the battle with the Project Purity people who threatened their lives, now comes the fallout. 

And how she, Scorpion (her husband and mate) , Sabine the baby, and the rest of the household are doing after the fighting is over and the ramifications is setting in.

Not well. Especially for Scorpion as Dax, his best friend and co-hort in the field, left for the Rift over his own actions. And nothing has been the same. Tension is high and effecting everyone around him.  Leaving Maya to try and figure things out.

I thought this was a good book but not the strongest one in the series. Several things I found works against it for me. 

Genevieve, the ghost mantis shrimp, is a unique character and voice. But here  McKenzie makes the decision to give Genevieve a larger audience and role in Maya’s blog. Which is the book’s format. So we get Maya’s perspective and her story about what she’s going through with trying to fix the torn dynamic between Scorpion and Dax. 

Then it’s switched to Genevieve and her new sidekick Myrtle the Turtle, and her new PI business she’s setting up. Then the cases she and Myrtle actually take. 

Then we start to see alternating blogs for Maya and Genevieve, which I found a less interesting and enjoyable format. Genevieve is fine in small doses but doesn’t work for me here in a larger capacity. Unlike Charlotte who got her own story, and it was outstanding. 

There’s a few things left open, like the sentient car who left Maya because she felt unappreciated/unheard. This was another element that I found underwhelming. It came out of nowhere.

Maya was quick to blame herself for not listening but the prior circumstances, a desperate battle, constant fighting and threats, a demolition of her home, none of which seemed to be taken into account by the car. Was no one else around her who could have intervened (friends/family) or even the car talking to someone about it? To say an intervention was needed? To a mother overwhelmed with her current circumstances? 

Seems like a bit unfair to me. That Maya is the only one able to hold everything together. New mom to a child whose very vocal cords can shatter buildings who’s starting preschool ? And a husband who is having trouble with his rage and frustration that he’s scaring people? And a ghost shrimp who wants to start a business and bring in a turtle? So let’s add an unhappy car to that. 

So yes, I found that Stir Crazy was good but not fantastic. I’ll be looking forward to seeing what happens next. 

Absolutely don’t miss out on Charlotte’s book Kiss My Ash, it’s incredible. 

I listed them all below.,

The series is highly recommended!

Maya’s Blogs (6 book series):

Espresso Yourself #1

Brew Diligence #2

Uncharted Grounds #3

Flat White Flag #4

Little Bean #5

Stir Crazy #6

Kiss My Ash: An Umbrafore Standalone Novel

Buy link 

 Book 6 of 6: Maya’s Blogs 

Blurb 

After Scorpion and Dax’s devastating fallout over Project Purity, Maya finds herself walking on eggshells around the shadow demon she loves. The bond between them is strained, and Ashvale Nocturn is feeling less like a sanctuary and more like a pressure cooker.

Meanwhile, Dax is carrying secrets, guilt, and enough emotional damage to destabilise the realms, while Genevieve launches Claw & Order into full investigative chaos with ghost shrimp professionalism and no ethical restraint.

Packed with brutal honesty, dark humor, and the messy reality of forgiveness, Stir Crazy is the sixth instalment in the Maya’s Blogs series about love, loyalty, rebuilding trust, and what happens when emotionally repressed warlords finally start talking.

May 29, 2026

Language

‎English

Print length

327 pages

Book 6 of 6

Maya’s Blogs

Review: Bear Many Hats (Wicked Witches of Cauldron Hollow Book 5) by Sara Bourgeois 

Rating: 4⭐️

The author sets many different plots in motion with Bear Many Hats, the fifth book in the fantastic Wicked Witches of Cauldron Hollow series.

One storyline, the main plot that centers around the wandering bear in the town, is the one that carries the most interesting elements while also being the most easily solved mysteries of the story.  It’s a carryover from the previous book and you could pretty much see it even then.

What keeps the reader engaged is the new characters, the dry, layered dialogue between Blythe Fairfield and her familiar, Pippin, either when commenting on customers in her shop or events in their community. It’s warm, well written, and even the smallest interaction is beautifully executed.

The mystery, who shot the sheriff, is more emotional than much of a mystery. The author introduces a ex-girlfriend who I expect to add further drama and the ending is a bit of a shock for all. A definite cliffhanger of sorts. That’s extremely well done.

Love the author and series. Can’t wait to read the next book.

Wicked Witches of Cauldron Hollow (4 book series)

If the Hat Fits #1

Under The Hat #2

Hat Out of Spell #3

Hat Trick #4 

Bear Many Hats #5

Drop of a Hat #6 – Sept 22,2026

Buy link

        Bear Many Hats (Wicked Witches of Cauldron Hollow Book 5)

    

Blurb 

Blythe Fairfield was just starting to settle in.

She has a tea shop on Main Street. A talking cat who critiques her blends. A boyfriend who runs a fever nobody can explain but kisses her like he means it. And a town that’s almost stopped whispering about her.

Then someone shoots the sheriff.

Paine is found on the side of a country road with a bullet wound and no explanation for how he got there. The town is terrified. Deputy Dewey is in over his head. And Blythe is not going to sit in a hospital waiting room while whoever did this walks free.

Between an ex-girlfriend who keeps calling the hospital, a parolee who won’t explain where he was that night, and an elderly woman loudly telling everyone at the post office that the sheriff had it coming, Blythe has too many suspects and not enough answers.

But something about the case doesn’t fit. The evidence points in too many directions. And Paine, when he’s awake long enough to talk, keeps mentioning dreams he’s been having. Vivid ones. The kind that feel real.

Pippin says the dreams mean something. Pippin says a lot of things. And Baba Grimm has started showing up with gifts that aren’t entirely safe and advice that isn’t entirely free.

Some mysteries are about who did it. Some are about what’s been hiding in plain sight. And some answers change everything, including the person you thought you knew best.

date

June 7, 2026

Language

‎English

Print length

216 pages

Book 5 of 6

Wicked Witches of Cauldron Hollow

Review:  Bayou Born (The Foundling Book 1) by Hailey Edwards 

Rating: 2.75⭐️

Hailey Edwards has written several books I’ve enjoyed but this isn’t one of them. Bayou Born frankly isn’t worth the $0.99 cents I paid for it, which surprised me.

Edwards has taken elements from every trope, and types of tropes themselves and mashed them together into Bayou Born, the first book in The Foundling series. 

Now while other writers have done this, here none of these elements and tropes are well defined or written. It’s a grab bag of ideas, details, plots and tropes loosely defined and stuck together. And that’s about how well it works. 

It’s a supernatural, paranormal, urban fantasy murder suspense demonic thriller. Probably romance, not sticking around to find out.

Edwards layers in with her initial wild swamp female child/now adopted police detective a weird story about demons and dragons and hellish shifters in a setting in a swamp like location. That’s just the beginning.

Luce Boudreau, a mud caked child who stumbled out of a Mississippi bayou without a memory, grew up with the police officer who found her. Luce is now a police officer herself. And here’s a major problem. She’s supposed to be a “badass”, however she’s in no way credible as a law enforcement officer. And starting immediately, in almost every scenario, she’s “saved” by the new imposing Alpha security guy who’s stalking her, her dad or “Uncle” , both officers. She needs a lot of help and saving. 

It’s one eye roll after another here. 

A rotary phone that rings on her birthday in the attic but it’s not connected. Wooooo.  Just silly little things. A voice on the phone that she never bothered to track down, even though she’s an officer. 

It’s almost like she has zero common sense or understanding of how to research anything. 

Really, things get worse with unbelievable animals in the swamp, missing people, and the absolute worst or most incompetent investigations ever conducted. 

Trust me when I say that if you stick around by 60 percent, you’ll be flipping pages to get through this. 

And that’s ending just calls for a villain standing around or up a tree rubbing his hands or claws together, and laughing maniacally. 

Do yourself a favor and say no. 

The Foundling (5 book series)

Buy link

 Book 1 of 5: The Foundling 

Blurb 

Her beginning may be our end . . . 

Deep in the humid Mississippi bayou, a half-wild child is dragged from the murky waters. She has no memories, no family and is covered in mysterious markings. Adopted by the policeman who rescued her, Luce Boudreau follows him onto the force, determined to prove herself in the eyes of those who are still suspicious.

However, there’s more of a battle ahead than Luce could possibly imagine. She may be an orphan without a past, but no one – including Luce herself – could ever be prepared for the truth of her dark, powerful destiny .

Piatkus

Publication date

October 17, 2017

Language

‎English

Print length

336 pages

Book 1 of 5

The Foundling

Review:  Night Maze (The Cat Lady Chronicles Book 4) by Helen Harper

Rating: 4.5 ⭐️

Night Maze was excellent. And it builds around the plot from connected series /story, Squib (The Coldstream Chronicles Book 1). It’s not necessary to read that book but it’s fun and adds layers to this story.

Kit McCafferty is sent out on a mission to discover what happened to the Vampires missing giant worms who travel the Understream, the worms being a vital part of their undead community. 

One aspect of Night Maze that makes this so special and well written is that the vampires up until now have been a lesser known or even a one-dimensional entity. And the Understream, an entire city and mysterious community that exists behind secretive entrances has been an enigma. Only briefly in previous stories has Kit and others journeyed into it and then swiftly out noting the dangers and hidden tunnels. 

Harper shines a narrative light, if you’ll excuse me, on the emotional depths and hidden history of the vampires and their communities in the Understream, including the fabulous giant worms. Really, I wanted so badly to have more of them once I got to see intriguing glimpses of their personalities. 

And the vampires too, especially one. She’s magnificent.

The investigation is terrific, dark and fascinating. And gives us a new feline character to mull over and know that he’s going to pop up in the oncoming novels. 

But we get to see Kit flex her skills in multiple ways and in different challenges. She’s a powerful paranormal being and she plays a role,  “cat lady persona” , most of the time. Only occasionally does she really her “true self” out in these situations. It’s fantastic here to see her being able to be that type of shifter that none suspects she is. 

The relationship between Kat and  Thane Barrow, the lone werewolf, is admirable. They understand each other, their need for individual lives and space while also supporting each other,  insuring separate territories within Coldstream.  It’s a great element here. 

I love Night Maze and Kit. The next novel threatens to shatter the stability that Kit has built so hard for herself. I can’t wait. What an incredible character and series. 

Highly recommended! A winner and one for those who love urban fantasy series. 

Book Cover created by Covers By Juan

The Cat Lady Chronicles (5 book series):

Waifs And Strays #1

The Dark Hiss of Magic #2

A Skirl of Sorcery #3

Night Maze #4

A Killer Heart #5 – Sept 18, 2026

Related series:

Squib (The Coldstream Chronicles Book 1)

Buy link 

 Book 4 of 5: The Cat Lady Chronicles 

Blurb 

It’s one thing to be dealing death. It’s quite another to deal with the undead.

Kit McCafferty has never been fond of vampires but she can’t refuse the opportunity to learn more about their kind. When she is invited into the clandestine underground world of the Understream to investigate the mysterious disappearance of some giant worms, she soon discovers there is far more to the fanged creatures than she’d ever realised.

Danger, secrets and mysteries abound in every dark, twisting tunnel. Is there anyone in the depths who Kit can trust? Or will she have to rely on her wits – and her cats – alone?

This is the fourth book in the thrilling urban fantasy series The Cat Lady Chronicles.

May 29, 2026

Language

‎English

Print length

286 pages

Book 4 of 5

The Cat Lady Chronicles

Review: Magic Tides (Kate Daniels: Wilmington Years Book 1)  by Ilona Andrews 

Rating: 4.25⭐️

Only the brevity of the story kept the rating from being higher. There’s a second book and they could have been put together for one outstanding story. 

Magic Tides charts the journey of Kate, Curran and their son, Conlan after leaving Atlanta and winning the battles between her father and the clans there for territory and more. 

Now trying to keep a low profile in the Carolinas, it’s not easy for Kate or Curran or their son, given their powers and history. 

A kidnapped boy is the catalyst for a new path for the family and Kate. 

I was so excited for this. I love Kate Daniels, she remains one of my favorite characters and her we see her development as well as the accompanying acceptance of her abilities. 

It’s a quick read and best if you want to read through to the next book, Magic Claim as if it’s one story. 

Love it and it makes me want to return to the beginning and start reading the series over again. 

And it fills in some plot gaps and answers to questions that previous books asked. 

Kate Daniels: Wilmington Years :

Magic Tides #1

Magic Claims #2

Kate Daniels (10 book series)

As well as:

Magic Mourns: A Novella in the World of Kate Daniels

Magic Dreams: A Novella in the World of Kate Daniels

Gunmetal Magic: A Novel in the World of Kate Daniels

Small Magics (Kate Daniels)

Magic Gifts: A Kate Daniels Novella

Magic Steals (Kate Daniels)

Buy link

 Book 1 of 2: Kate Daniels: Wilmington Years 

Blurb 

Kate, Curran and their son, Conlan have left Atlanta, vowing to keep a low profile, and are settling into a new city and new house…but some things never change! Magical mayhem is about to erupt when Kate undertakes the rescue of a kidnapped youth, while Curran guards the homefront.

It should be a simple retrieval, but with monsters on land and sea, Kate’s got her work cut out for her. Still, she’s never let her blade dull or her purpose falter. And that low profile? It’s about to wash away with the raging tides!

NYLA

Publication date

January 17, 2023

Language

‎English

Print length

158 pages

Book 1 of 2

Kate Daniels: Wilmington Years

Review:  Nick’s No Good Very Bad Day  (San Amaro Investigations story) by Kai Butler

Rating: 4.75🌈

Nick’s No Good Very Bad Day is a very great novel in the San Amaro Investigations series by Kai Butler. It follows on the last novel,Cypress Ashes, the Sun God battles and its ramifications for Nick and Parker. 

This is an excellent story, we get to see where both men are after the battle at the World Tree. Nick in his professional career as a paranormal police officer and Parker as a PI and in his complicated role in the Fae community. 

Butler’s ability to bring multiple perspectives, some of which are hostile towards the main characters, and still present a balance between all the different groups and their roles makes this a realistic portrayal of how the world works. 

It’s a harrowing murder investigation with implications towards a bigger impact on the current situation and horrifying consequences for the community . And the dramatic scenes are emotionally charged so that we feel that impact along with the characters. 

I thought it was exciting, suspense filled and the ending was very satisfying and perfect. 

This was one of my favorite series of the Authors and I was so glad to see a new chapter in the universe. 

Highly recommended. But also not a standalone. You need to have read the series. 

Cover by Natasha Snow

Content Warning: past child neglect, torture, violence.

San Amaro Investigations :

A Haunting at Midwinter (audio by Greg Tremblay) 

A Debt Unpaid (audio by Greg Tremblay) 

Wormwood Summer (audio by Greg Tremblay) 

The Oak Wood Throne (audio by Greg Tremblay) 

A Belated Burial (audio by Greg Tremblay) 

A Gilded Iron Blade (audio by Greg Tremblay) 

A Shattered Silver Crown (audio by Greg Tremblay) 

The Heart’s Blood Arrow (audio by Greg Tremblay) 

Saffron Wilds (audio by Greg Tremblay) 

Cypress Ashes (audio by Greg Tremblay) 

Nick’s No Good Very Bad Day (audio by Sean Crisden)

Buy link

Blurb 

Nicholas King has three problems:

1: Someone just turned into red goo in the middle of San Amaro.

2: The police don’t have a murder weapon or a motive.

3: Their only suspect is Parker Ferro.

Nick’s No Good Very Bad Day is a 48,000 word novella set after the events of the main series.

June 1, 2026

Language

‎English

Print length

182 pages

Review: Magical Midlife Meeting (Leveling Up #5) by K. F. Breene

Rating: 4.5⭐️

The deeper into this series I dive, the deeper the characters manage to get into my head and affections. It makes me appreciate the writing and craftsmanship of K. F. Breene that much more. 

This is one of those series where the revelations continue to get bigger and more intense, interesting in their elements and complexity. The reveals not just about the expected characters but those we had previously known. And plotting that takes us to new areas.

This story showcases how to manage a complex duo of characters, with a dubious beginning, and absolutely make the reader think about what drives them, their past lives and motivations. 

And how they might fill new roles going forward with our developing found family of paranormal characters, with Jessie and Austin at the helm. 

Of course, both of them are still very new in their own mate relationships and powers. That’s presenting its own challenges.

It’s a a fabulous tale and left me running quickly to the next. I love this series. 

Highly recommended! 

Leveling Up (13 book series):

Magical Midlife Madness #1

Magical Midlife Dating #2

Magical Midlife Invasion #3

Magical Midlife Love #4

Magical Midlife Meeting #5

Magical Midlife Challenge #6

Magical Midlife Alliance #7

Magical Midlife Flowers #8

Magical Midlife Battle #9

Magical Midlife Awakening #10

Magical Midlife Rescue #11

Magical Midlife Rogue #12

Magical Midlife Conclave #13 – Nov 12,2026

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        Magical Midlife Meeting: A Paranormal Women’s Fiction Novel (Leveling Up Book 5)

    

Blurb 

It’s time for a magical battle Jessie isn’t sure she’s prepared for.

Elliot Graves has been a thorn in Jessie’s side since before she agreed to take the house magic. He has constantly brought the fight to her doorstep.

Not this time.

With the help of Austin’s shifters, the Ivy house crew will meet Elliot Graves in one of the most dangerous places imaginable – his home turf.

But not before another creature joins the circle.

April 27, 2021

Language

‎English

Print length

362 pages

Book 5 of 13

Leveling Up