Review: Immortal Sentry by Eden Winters

Rating: 3.25🌈

While I’m a huge fan of this author, unfortunately Immortal Sentry doesn’t seem to have the same energy or narrative features as this author’s many other books.

The story of a lone survivor, Prince Eron, of his royal family’s betrayal and demise and subsequent struggles to regain the throne, are densely worded and dull “as told to” scenarios instead of being lively, vividly illustrated with memorable scenes, and emotional moments.

It was indeed a struggle to connect with the characters and storylines. The language and dialogue was stiff and uninteresting. It lacked emotional overtones and saps any semblance of life from the characters and storylines.

It’s a huge difference from the author’s other novels I adore and rec. Those have a highly satisfying narrative, vastly better dynamics between characters that are relevant and believable on paper. Everyone here is dry and one dimensional. The plot is well written, as it’s definitely had many characters and storylines woven together to create a wider story. But the couple and its main action sequences didn’t really work well. That’s my main issue.

I enjoyed Winters previous novels, contemporary or fantasy driven, but this turned out to be not my cup of coffee.

Check it out if you’re a fan of the author, maybe it will be yours.

Buy link

Amazon.comhttps://www.amazon.com › Immor…Immortal Sentry – Kindle edition by Winters, Eden. Romance …

Blurb

Honor, redemption, destiny, and magic.

As captain of the king’s guard, Kerric should have laid down his life for the royal family. Now, the king and his heirs lie dead. Kerric deserves death, too, yet the court mage has another punishment in mind. For their failure on the fateful day an enemy invasion killed the king, Captain Kerric and his men will forever guard the castle as gargoyles, both as a curse and as a warning. His one chance for redemption is to put a rightful heir on the throne. How can that happen when there are no living heirs, and he’s encased in stone?

Eron doesn’t remember much about his time before being rescued by notorious highwayman Lord Night and taught to live the life of a noble by day and brigand by night. There’s much more to Lord Night than meets the eye and much more to Eron’s destiny than purses of gold and nightly conquests.

A mysterious mage appears, saying it’s time for Eron to return home, overthrow an evil usurper, and take his rightful place.

As king.

Publication date: October 19, 2024
Language: English
Print length: 259 pages

Review: Lighting The Darkness (Carnival of Mysteries 2) by Eden Winters

Rating: 4.5🌈

Lighting The Darkness , a novel in the second Carnival of Mysteries collection, is a sequel to Eden Winters’ marvelous supernatural science fiction thriller, Darkness.

That book wasn’t a part of this series, and that’s very complex universe is the basis for this story and that cast of characters is central to the journey of Lio and Bel here.

Lio and Bel mirror the roles somewhat of the first couple in Darkness, that of Atlanta PD Det. Morrisey James and Farren Austin, all from the dying realm Domus who came to Earth by way of inhabiting the human bodies of those in the process of dying.

Unlike the first couple, for Bel and Lio, this is a separate and highly tragic/traumatic experience. FYI for readers because it happens with Lio on the page.

Winters does an excellent job of weaving in the background information for those who haven’t read the preceding novel. But the characters from that book and the agency they work for is such a substantial part of Lighting the Darkness, I highly suggest you read it.

The author throws in some interesting twists and a great turn with respect to the origin of the world and mystery. Wonderful work.

One of my favorite aspects of the story is how Winters used the Carnival of Mysteries to not only be a central element of the story but to continue to be an emotional component that moves the story forward. Truly one of the best uses of the theme in this collection.

Lighting the Darkness is a terrific story, situated within a complex universe, beautifully plotted, full of fascinating characters and layered storylines. Don’t miss out on it or it’s connected novel, Darkness.

Beautiful covers.

Carnival of Mysteries 2 -2024

🔹Rook’s Time by Kim Fielding (sequel to Crow’s Fate-2023)

🔹The Wrong Familiar by Megan Derr✅

🔹The Villain Who Wasn’t by Liv Rancourt

🔹Blue Lightning by BL Maxwell

🔹Magic Escaping by Kaje Harper (sequel to Magic Burning 2023)

🔹Lighting the Darkness by Eden Winters – sequel to Darkness

🔹You Can Save Me by R L Merrill-Aug 21,2024

🔹Airs Above the Ground by Rachel Langella-Sept 10,2024

🔹Go for the Climate by Ander C. Lark

🔹 Flames of the Arcane by Nicole Dennis

🔹Midnight on the Midway by Morgan Brice

🔹Dust Bowl Magic by Zam Maxfield 🔹Dragonspark by Elizabeth Silver

Buy link

Lighting the Darkness: Carnival of Mysteries

Blurb

Only Light can balance Darkness.

Lio wakes in someone else’s battered body with plenty of questions but no answers. Who is he? Who are the strangers who rescued him? Why do they call him Tenebris and Darkness? And why does everyone treat him like a feral dog about to attack?

Bel Am’I’s home world of Domus died moments after his escape, trapping him in the human realm with a clear mission. As Light, he must prevent Darkness from destroying Terra and the Domusians who’ve escaped there. Failure will doom billions to certain death, but how can he locate and balance a single, hidden being who doesn’t want to be found?

A mysterious carnival unites Lio and Bel, who must work together to uncover Lio’s true identity and stop him from accidentally annihilating the world. Yet someone doesn’t want them to succeed, someone who will stop at nothing to achieve the total destruction of both realms—even pitting Light against Darkness.

The battle for the end begins…

Lighting the Darkness is part of the multi-author Carnival of Mysteries Series and a side story to Eden Winters’ Darkness. Each book includes at least one visit to Errante Ame’s Carnival of Mysteries, a magical, multiverse traveling show full of unusual acts, games, and rides. The Carnival changes to suit the world it’s on, so each visit is unique and special. This book contains characters from Darkness as well as new ones, alternate realms, a twist on soul mates, and bad guys. I mean, evil, horrible, terrible guys. Definitely the type you wouldn’t bring home to Mother. And one cookie-baking demon.

Publication date: August 14, 2024
Language: English
Print length: 295 pages

Carnival of Mysteries series. 2023 and 2024:

Crow’s Fate by Kim Fielding❤️
Step Right Up by L.A. Witt
Magic Burning by Kaje Harper ❤️
Night-blooming Hearts by Megan Derr
Go For The Company by Ander C. Lark❤️
Roustabout by Morgan Brice❤️
Assassin by Accident by E.J. Russell❤️
Dryad on Fire by Nicole Dennis ❤️
The Extraordinary Locket of Elijah Gray by Kayleigh Sky
Smoke and Mirrors by Elizabeth Silver
You Can Do Magic by R.L. Merrill
Sting in the Tail by TA Moore
Gods and Monsters by Rachel Langella
The Black Robes of Flanders by Sara Ellis

Carnival of Mysteries 2 -2024

🔹Rook’s Time by Kim Fielding (sequel to Crow’s Fate-2023)

🔹The Wrong Familiar by Megan Derr

🔹The Villain Who Wasn’t by Liv Rancourt

🔹Blue Lightning by BL Maxwell

🔹Magic Escaping by Kaje Harper (sequel to Magic Burning 2023)

🔹Lighting the Darkness by Eden Winters – Aug 14,2024

🔹You Can Save Me by R L Merrill-Aug 21,2024

🔹Airs Above the Ground by Rachel Langella-Sept 10,2024

🔹Go for the Climate by Ander C.Lark

🔹Flames of the Arcane by Nicole Dennis

🔹Midnight on the Midway by Morgan Brice

🔹Dust Bowl Magic by Zam Maxfield 🔹Dragonspark by Elizabeth Silver

Review: Darkness by Eden Winters

Rating: 4.75🌈

Eden Winters new release, Darkness, is a superb supernatural thriller. Winters’ beautifully written narrative combines elements of horror, murder mystery, political conspiracy, as well as a deeply intriguing romance to create a dark, suspenseful, and gripping story.

It starts with Atlanta PD Det. Morrisey James. He’s a wounded, broken man, with a disturbing talent that allows him to sense what the newly deceased felt, a gift he keeps hidden in his job investigating violent crimes.

That’s where Winters drops the reader into the narrative. James and his partner have just arrived at the scene of a truly horrific crime, one that will have ramifications for the rest of the story. We immediately get a feel for Morrisey’s battered emotional state, the close dynamic between himself and his deeply depressed partner. And the author is able to portray, just from the remarks of the other crime scene officers, a city under siege as waves of high crime just overwhelm the police and all departments.

When tragedy strikes again and loss hits Morrisey, its help from Farren Austin that turns his life upside down.

The characters of Morrisey and Farren, the darkness and the light, are so thoughtfully and beautifully crafted. Winters builds believable people who we have real empathy for , but leaves them with so much more room to expand their characters into increasingly larger and complex roles.

I couldn’t stop reading. I was so caught up in Morrisey’s story, Farren’s role in it, each new revelation about all the various travelers and their tumultuous journeys from a dying world. Winters has enough elements for a series should she want to continue exploring the world and characters she has created and set in motion.

I wasn’t really ready for Darkness to be over as I felt the characters were just getting started with their own new beginning. There were also other characters I had grown fond of and needed to see more of them.

Whether this is a standalone or the beginning of an extraordinary series, it’s a great story and one I’m excited to share.

Buy link

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CY9ZJR45

Blurb

Darkness follows Lieutenant Morrisey James.

As an Atlanta PD detective, Morrisey understands the worst atrocities the city has to offer—or believes he does. His recent cases present something new: a killer who unleashes unbridled terror in victims before moving in for the kill. Morrisey has an edge, though, the terrifying ability to gain flashes of insight from each victim.

Most people assume Farren Austin is a shallow, pretty boy, but he’s so much more. Agent Austin keeps secrets as part of the FBI’s Alternate Entities Task Force, a unit created to monitor travelers from another realm. Although they might look human, they’re anything but.

And they’ve taken a special interest in Morrisey.

Partnered with Farren, Morrisey finds himself in the middle of demons trying to possess his body, a succubus sidekick who wants to cook him breakfast, accusations of being a powerful destructive force, and a growing number of people calling him “Darkness.” Not to mention a sudden overwhelming attraction to his new partner.

It’s going to take the mysterious Farren’s help to keep the latest case from being Morrisey’s last.

• Publication date: June 1, 2024

• Language: English

• Print length: 442 pages

Review: Petty Crimes by Eden Winters

Rating: 5🌈

Petty Crimes returns us to Eden Winters’ outstanding world of the Southeastern Narcotics Bureau in Georgia, it’s Directors, Management and undercover agents that we got to know so intimately in her outstanding series Diversion.

That series is a must read for lovers of contemporary romance and Petty Crimes sees a return of some of our most beloved characters from those stories.

We get them now happily married, with kids, Bo and Lucky Schollenberger. Bo has become the Director of SNB department of Diversion Prevention and Control , with Richmond Eugene Schollenberger aka Lucky, currently Undercover Ops Manager .

Watching them in their new careers and status in life as settled highly respected professionals is everything. Well, with Lucky it’s mostly. He is still ,after all , one of the most fascinating characters I’ve ever had the pleasure to read.

But the story belongs to one SNB agent Jerry Wilkerson, who’s undercover persona is “Brody Jensen “. Jerry first appears in Lucky and Bo’s series, Corruption #3, as a high teenage biker headed to a dead end.

His was a poignant moment and Jeremy, aka Jerry , a memorable character.

The story opens with Jerry in character as Brody Jensen, a petty crimes criminal and drug dealer. Jerry’s been in character for several years and he’s having a harder time separating Brody from who he truly is these days.

He’s also still very much working through his issues that started when he met and fell for biker Cyrus Cooper when he was a teenager. Only to find out that Cyrus was a construct, a undercover personality for Bo Schollenberger, a very much committed and in love Bo.

Winters does amazingly well when getting into the minds and hearts of men like Jerry. The complicated emotions , the isolation he feels, the loss of something he’s not willing to identify. It’s painful, and utterly believable. As is Jerry.

And both worlds he moves through. The battered, swill, bottom rung places that Brody feels comfortable in and the nicest clothes , clean condo Jerry inhabits.

The pharmaceutical industry, the opiates and those that are using it to their monetary advantage are on display here. Winters certainly familiar with this business and demonstrates it in the clarity and precision with which it’s portrayed.

The romance element with Nico is as you would have expected in a story that’s as convoluted and emotionally complicated as this one. Nico has as many aspects to his personality and history as everyone else here. As well as a few hot kinks. It’s a great story within a story.

It was splendid to see Rett and others here from Diversion. Honestly it gave me hope that Winters is gearing up for a whole new series here with a new undercover team at its heart.

I’ve missed this fantastic group of incredible people and this brought them all back. And new ones as well.

I’m highly recommending Petty Crime and the Diversion series too.

Check them all out for some outstanding reading!

Goodreadshttps://www.goodreads.com › showPetty Crimes by Eden Winters

Goodreadshttps://www.goodreads.com › seriesDiversion Series by Eden Winters

Description:

Why can’t life give him a break?

Five years ago, Jerry Wilkerson was running with a biker gang, making mistake after mistake, till he ended up in the hospital with a gunshot wound, facing criminal charges for drug distribution. On top of everything, he’d fallen in love with the narcotics agent who took them all down. Or rather, with Cyrus Cooper, the man that agent pretended to be.

Making a deal with the Southeastern Narcotics Bureau kept Jerry out of jail, sending him undercover as Brody Jenson, a petty criminal able to get into places other agents can’t. He’s satisfied with his life—or would be if he wasn’t still longing for someone who never existed.

Then a man steps out of his dreams and into his life, who’s everything Jerry ever wanted.

Except for the part where Jerry might have to arrest him.

While this book features characters from the Diversion series, it is a standalone.

———-

Unless it’s noted, all books reviewed have been purchased by the reviewer.

Review: Mage Bond by Eden Winters

Rating:4🌈

Mage Bond is Eden Winters’ new fantasy romance that expands into what could be the beginnings of a epic fantasy series.

The novel’s first chapters are also the characters upheavals out of their familiar lives, putting them ,as well as the reader , on their own personal journeys to bring them together.

We’re introduced to two boys, initially so different in backgrounds and families. Arkenn’s small family life is one of secrets, hiding high in the mountains, and, his fleeing in pain and loss.

The other? Petran’s lives aboard a pirate ship, the Seabird, with his Captain father, and a host of seafaring mates.

The energy and sense of a fantastic adventure is here with the youth at the beginning of their journeys. You get a real idea of mystery, and the fate pulling them towards each other.

Each will realize great personal loss, and achieve enormous growth through challenges they undertake, but it’s on paths they take separately away from each other for a while.

And this is where Winters lost me momentarily.

While the young men are together and exploring their backgrounds, powers, and sexuality, Mage Bond has a real chemistry and dynamic energy.

But as soon as a brown cloaked priest can say , “you’ll see each other again one day” , and pushes each away towards different “journey “, the story starts to loose something.

Now as Arkenn becomes Martin and Petran becomes Peter, each needs their own book in a way. In trying to insure that the main characters acquire all the necessary elements for their powers to be believable, Mage Bond ‘s middle section’s overly packed exposition reads more as a told to which slows down the momentum of the narrative.

For me, at least, it’s not until, Martin and Peter are brought back together that we regain the original energy and the storylines their strengths.

From that moment on, it just starts pouring on the narrative speed as we learn more about all the monsters, the Grand Evil that’s plagued the world, and the real identities of some of the characters who have been playing major roles in everyone’s lives.

The resolution to the end of all the battles is one that’s left me thinking. I can’t exactly roll out doubts here without giving away major spoilers. But while the battles were splendid, the final solution had a few patchy tears in it . Logically speaking. If that’s all it took to take “care” of the villain at the end, then why not just do it at the beginning? It doesn’t follow all the arguments for the reasons it starts at all. I don’t know. Just wasn’t satisfying as a logical, thoughtful ending.

It does set up the possibility for a series of stories with quite a few characters from this book going forward.

I really liked Martin/Arkenn and Peter/ Petran. They have the potential to continue to grow into a even more powerful couple. There’s several other people and beings that helped make this a enjoyable experience.

I found Mage Bond entertaining and it’s lead couple easy to connect with. If you’re a lover of fantasy and this author, this is a story you’re sure to want to pick up.

Synopsis:

A long-ago meeting sets fate into motion…

As captain of the city guards, Martin protects E’Skaara by day. At night, he creeps in shadows to defend the citizens from predators most cannot see. He’s escaped from his past as a mage-born lad who’d nearly destroyed a village in self-defense. The three things he can’t so easily elude? Rage at a deity who condemns mages to death, memories of a pirate who saved him, and the magic he must conceal.

Tavernkeeper Peter keeps secrets. Secrets that can get him killed: his desire for men, a pirate past, and magical abilities. He should run from the one place mages cannot be safe, but yearning for a lost love binds him to where they shared their last kiss, waiting for one more glimpse of a dear face.

When dark forces reunite them, the magic both men try so hard to hide might just be their salvation.

Mage Bond is now available for preorder on Amazon

This reviewer was given a copy to review by the author.

Review: The Prince’s Frog by Eden Winter

Rating: 4.5🌈

The Prince’s Frog by Eden Winter is such a great take on the old fairytale of the princess who kisses a frog who then turns back into a Prince.

No princess here but a randy Prince being forced, against his very gay wishes, to marry the nasty princess next door.

Who better to advise him how to navigate these tricky matrimonial waters then the frog from the Royal Bog?

In a smutty, fun filled, bibbity bobbity, boozey, gay twist on this fairytale, Prince Bob, finds his frog, (actually his frog finds him) , saves a bunch of kingdoms, and gets a very, oh so satisfying HEA! All in 82 great pages!

There’s magic wands too!

Eden Winters must have had a splendid time laughing as she wrote this. It’s so much fun to read. I could easily visualize the antics as they occur on the page.

Need a quick read and some terrific giggles? Pick up The Prince’s Frog by Eden Winter for a new twist on a old standard!

I’m highly recommending it.

https://www.amazon.com › Princes-…The Prince’s Frog – Kindle edition – Amazon.com

Description:

His Royal Highness Prince Rocky Jude Maxwell Bill Robert Chuck—let’s just call him Bob, shall we?—has a problem. Namely, royal parents set on marrying him off to a princess from the neighboring kingdom. Only, Bob doesn’t want to get married, would rather ogle Sir Blacksmith than fair maidens, and has a sneaking suspicion that his intended bride is not what she seems. So, where is a desperate prince with commitment issues supposed to turn?

Speaking of “not what they seem,” Sir Ribbit has been cooling his heels, literally, in the local bog with his disgraced fairy godmother and thousands of other frogs, waiting for the opportunity to break a three-year-old curse and return to his human form of Prince Evan Chuck Leo—Oh, heck, let’s call him Dave—hopefully, before maxing out a frog’s limited lifetime.

When a royal snit lands Bob in the muck of Dave’s front yard, plans are made to help each other. Inept plans, but still. Oh, and someone has to kiss a frog because everyone knows you have to kiss a few frogs before you land a handsome prince.

This story delightfully features talking frogs, inebriated fairies, awkward heroes, two princes in love, a deceptively innocent cover, and a solid HEA.

Review: Never Underestimate An Omega by Eden Winters

Rating: 3🌈

Eden Winters’ Diversion series is one of my favorites. It’s so well written, highly complex, and the characters beyond amazing, with lives so layered , so thick with nuance , humor and peril that each book was a showstopper.

Never Underestimate an Omega sees Winters venturing into supernatural territory and for me the results are just a pleasant ok story.

Shifters romances, especially wolf shifters are plentiful. To stand out you need to add a new twist to the wolf shifter lexicon or give us a superb story that builds on the wolf shifter canon we already know.

This doesn’t do either , if anything it works against known canon in the worst way. It’s just a nice romance about a pack that needs rescuing, an omega included, and a alpha returning to exact revenge and take over the pack. We’ve seen this scenario before, multiple times. Including the fact that the omega turns out to be a stronger, more intricate part of pack dynamics then the old pack structure will acknowledge.

Again, nothing new. Although I enjoyed the omega Logan.

Alpha Grey, also sexy . And their relationship? What we see if it, which isn’t much until the very end of the story, is superficial. That doesn’t work or help to connect us to them as a couple.

What was confusing here was the whole mate recognition element. For one pair the mate factor/bond was immediate, although “off stage” so we don’t see it happening. Weird.

For our all important main couple? The alpha seemed clueless which was incredibly odd when Logan knew Grey was it for him. However, that recognition was not the all powerful element you’d expect it to be. That could be any instant love story tbh.

Wolves mate for life, something not even mentioned here.

Within this universe, the mate bond almost seems to be a “take it or leave it” thing which diminishes the impact of any mating/bonding. At least for me. It feels all sorts of muddy here as a part of the shifter biology and that actually dilutes the importance of their relationship and impact within the pack structure.

In my opinion . At one part Logan debated even “returning”… which assumed that the entire mate aspect holds little physical or emotional sway. But for another pair it’s the direct opposite. But again for them it comes across as more of a “we’re in love” than a deep spiritual/physical imperative.

So is this in fact something the author intended or a continuity problem? I don’t know. Either way it was extremely confusing and deflating.

It’s not until the very end that they act or have any type of relationship that veers towards romance. Then it’s really too late. Much of the story is spent on other issues and them apart, physically and emotionally.

While there are certainly some interesting characters here they aren’t necessarily the main ones.

Overall, as I said, it’s a nice story. But not what I was expecting from this author who’s other stories are so extraordinary and complex.

If you ask me what I recommend? I recommend you read the entire Diversions series. Those are just great reads.

Synopsis:An alpha leader must have an alpha mate, but Gray wants only one man.

And that man is an omega.

Wolf shifter Gray Collins returns to his home pack to avenge his father’s murder, never expecting to take on the role of leader. Gray is a loner with no desire to tackle the politics of being Pack Alpha. Worse yet, he falls for the man he’s come to depend on—omega Logan Richardson.

According to pack lore, omegas are inferior, nothing more than lowly servants. Or are they? Logan is far too cunning, fierce, and bold to be a low-ranking wolf. While he keeps his head down in public, when they’re alone, Logan stands toe-to-toe with Gray like no one else dares. Mutual respect grows into friendship, friendship into a white-hot desire neither can fight.

Despite the law and the odds, the two wolves form a tentative bond. Together they lead the pack through strife and threats, all while keeping a secret—a secret that could get them both killed, and plunge the pack back into the savage dark ages.

The entire Lycan world is on the brink of a hard-won lesson: Never underestimate the relentless force of an omega.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58329516-never-underestimate-an-omega

A MelanieM Review: Consorts of the Red King by Eden Winters

Rating: 4.25 stars out of 5

In deepest space the ruthless Federation lays waste to one rebel colony after another, leaving comrades-in-arms Van Orskey and Tayn Kassik without family, without a home, and without hope.

With nothing left but each other, they run contraband and smuggle fugitives from the safety of their ship, the Cormorant—with the occasional clandestine mission for the rival Coalition thrown in. Their heists have not gone unnoticed, though even the bounty on their heads doesn’t prevent them from being a thorn in the enemy’s side at every opportunity.

Pissing them off? Big mistake.

From the day of his birth Prince Jorvik of Akiak learned duty, wisdom, and honor from his father, leaving him ill-equipped to withstand betrayal by his Federation-puppet uncle. He has no love for the greedy off-worlders who plunder his world’s natural resources and enslave his people. To defeat his foe, he needs the cunning, fearlessness, and touch of treachery only outlaws can offer.

Two off-world mercenaries make unlikely partners in Jorvik’s quest for vengeance, but the more he learns of them, the more common ground he discovers. In each other’s arms they find passion, heat, and maybe, a reason for living—until their common enemy threatens to tear them apart.

To survive, they must take on the corrupt Federation.

And win.

I am such a fan of both science fiction and this author so I really enjoyed the Consorts of the Red King by Eden Winters. A fast paced novel of political intrigue, intergalactic piracy and interplanetary takeovers, this novel also comes complete with hot sex, even hotter men, aliens, and an intriguing concept of a triad. All in one story.

The beginning is startling, with an event the reader is not exactly prepared for (and not one I am willing to give away). But it sets off the series of emotional maneuverings and dynamics to follow between long time partners Van Orskey and Tayn Kassik. As with all of Winters books, her universe building and back histories are complex and often are revealed in stages. Here we gradually learn about Van and Tayn, their past, about the ship they inhabit, and the organization they now work for.

It’s a convoluted structure that all starts to unravel for the pair from the first desperate job they take. Consorts of the Red King is one of those stories that any details mentioned end up being spoilery so none given here. In fact, the opposite, I wished for more. Although I could clearly see the world of the Red King, I wanted more of it because from the elements revealed, they enticed mental pictures that craved more definition.

There is a roaring climax here to satisfy anyone. Powerful, emotional, and yes, so worthwhile. Loved it. The perspective of the story is told through the eyes of the three men/beings you see pictured on the cover. Yes, it works. It’s needed to pull them together emotionally as a triad, and for you as a reader to accept them as such.

The author states that it took her four years to write this story and it shows it in the details. It’s a wonderful, well written, rousing tale.

My only quibble is that ending. It feels as though you aren’t exactly done. That you read that last sentence, and expect to turn the page and continue on. It even sort of states that their journey isn’t complete (I can’t tell you why). But at the end, the story feels that way too.

According to the author, it might be some time before we see any sequel, so we, and these characters will be waiting on the ending they deserve. Until then its a HFN.

If you love Eden Winter and scify, don’t hesitate to pick up Consorts of the Red King! Hot men, fast paced action and love among the stars! Oh my!

Cover art works perfectly for the story.

Sales Links: Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 364 pages
Published October 26th 2019 by Rocky Ridge Books
ASINB07Y7NKFB3

Looking For Your Next Romance Story? Check Out the Blog Tour with Excerpt for Consorts of the Red King by Eden Winters

Consorts of the Red King

Eden Winters

Gay Romance/Sci-fi/Menage

Release Date: 10.26.19

Cover artist: Perie Wolford

_Kindle

Blurb

In deepest space the ruthless Federation lays waste to one rebel colony after another, leaving comrades-in-arms Van Orskey and Tayn Kassik without family, without a home, and without hope.

Pissing them off? Big mistake.

To survive, they must take on the corrupt Federation.

And win.

Excerpt

How dare they assault the king’s son! Where were Father’s advisors? He demanded answers.

Jorvik’s anger crumbled when a familiar figure swept through the door. His heart seized.

His uncle? A moment of relief hit. Uncle would help him.

He stopped himself from stepping from the closet.

What was… The guards turned toward his uncle.

Why was Uncle smiling? He looked so… satisfied, patting a blood-spattered guard’s shoulder. What…

Dear Queen of the Stars. Cold fear captured him in an icy grasp.

Jorvik grabbed the wall to keep from falling, and bent double, struggling to breathe. Air. He needed air.

No help. All alone. Six armed guards.

One Jorvik.

He must get to his father.

What could he use as a weapon? As quietly as possible, he rifled through his clothes, tossing away a belt. No, wouldn’t do. A pin? A boot? His eyes fell to the sex toy he’d dropped on the floor. One kick hid the object beneath a pile of silk.

He’d been taught to fight, more for exercise than self-defense, with a staff, knives, but mostly with his hands. While he’d bested his teacher a few times, he’d not fare well against so many well-trained guards.

Knives! The blade of his dagger glinted from the pile of clothing he’d left on the floor. A grinning man picked up the gleaming blade and slipped it into his waistband. What? No! His father gave him the dagger.

Why hadn’t he hidden more weapons in his room?

His blood boiled, instincts screaming, “Attack! Attack!” He nearly added his own scream, of frustration. No. To do so meant sure death.

He crept away from the door, though not far enough to escape the sight of Sika and Gris, mouths open and eyes staring in his direction.

Just a few moments ago they’d been alive, loving…

His uncle spat on the robed body on the floor. Please let him not see me, please let him not see me. All the while Jorvik’s brain accused, “Coward!”

The dim greenish glow of the crystals gave his uncle an eerie, monstrous look as he crouched down by Gris’s body. “He’s just a whore, but a pretty one. Such a shame he chose the wrong bed to come to.”

One of the guards laughed.

Whore? How dare the traitor call sweet Gris an off-worlder insult! Jorvik’s hard swallow didn’t lessen the burning in this throat. These were his father’s own guards. What were they about? And what were they doing with his uncle?

Worst still, what was his uncle doing?

“Take them! Burn their bodies!” his uncle barked.

The men split up, one each at their victims’ heads and feet, lifting them from the floor, with two trailing behind.

Burning their bodies? No. They must be taken to the caves to join Akiak’s cycle of life, amidst chanting and prayers to the queen of the stars. To be burned…

One guard stopped, glancing toward the closet door. The breath caught in Jorvik’s throat. Please don’t see me. Please don’t see me.

“Come! Now!” his uncle ordered from the hallway.

With one last sweep of the room, the guard spun on his heel and followed the carnage, leaving the door ajar.

A trail of red followed the procession out the door.

Jorvik collapsed against the wall, head in his hands. His heart still pounded. Try as he might he couldn’t get his breathing under control. Nothing made sense. Surely, he slept and wine-induced dreams haunted him.

More cries sounded from the hallway.

He couldn’t cower here. Father! He had to find his father.

Countless lessons drove his actions. At the time he’d thought the caution ridiculous. Who would dare challenge the king?

Yet, his father insisted he train for battle, an ancient art practiced by rulers and guards.

Though he wanted to run to his father straightaway, he’d do as he’d been told and plan for the worse.

Jorvik closed his eyes, opening them again a moment later when visions of two dead men appeared on his eyelids.

Choking down his horror, he forced himself to stand and grabbed a travel case. His hands shook. He must pack quickly, but taking too much might slow him down. These were his things, by the mother. He’d every right to them.

The urge to forget all else and run straight to his father nearly overwhelmed him, but with a threat to the family, his father would send him into hiding. They’d been through the drill. Someone might plot to harm the heir, but who would dare move against the king?

His guards would keep him safe. Wouldn’t they?

Jorvik’s chest ached at the thought of the two dead men. He couldn’t help them now, but he could help others.

If he lived. Living meant taking only what he truly needed.

You will know Eden Winters by her distinctive white plumage and exuberant cry of “Hey, y’all!” in a Southern US drawl so thick it renders even the simplest of words unrecognizable. Watch out, she hugs!

Driven by insatiable curiosity, she possibly holds the world’s record for curriculum changes to the point that she’s never quite earned a degree but is a force to be reckoned with at Trivial Pursuit. She’s trudged down hallways with police detectives, learned to disarm knife-wielding bad guys, and witnessed the correct way to blow doors off buildings. Her e-mail contains various snippets of forensic wisdom, such as “What would a dead body left in a Mexican drug tunnel look like after six months?” In the process of her adventures she has written twenty gay romance novels, has won several Rainbow Awards, was a Lambda Awards Finalist, and lives in terror of authorities showing up at her door to question her Internet searches.

When not putting characters in dangerous situations she’s a mild-mannered business executive, mother, grandmother, vegetarian, and PFLAG activist. Her natural habitats are airports, coffee shops, and the backs of motorcycles.

Website: edenwinters.com

Email: edenwinter@gmail.com

Twitter: edenwinters1

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EdenWinters

A MelanieM Review: Suspicion (Diversion Book 7) by Eden Winters

Rating: 5 stars out of 5

Lucky “Simon Harrison” Lucklighter left behind his criminal past to become one of the best agents in the Southeastern Narcotics Bureau. He’s found a committed partner in fellow agent Bo Schollenberger and built a life.

Now, enemies within the SNB and a friend’s betrayal leave him nowhere to turn—not even to his mentor.

His boss’s life, the future of the SNB, and Lucky’s career depend on him. With the help of his lover, an old enemy turned ally, and a man Lucky thought he’d seen the last of, he must stand and fight for what he believes in.

Even if he has to step outside the law.

Suspicion picks up after the events in Reunion, the sixth book in Eden Winters’ fabulously entertaining and complex Diversion series. There Lucky “Simon Harrison” Lucklighter had quite the reunion with his father as well as old lover. Bo Schollenberger too had his emotional travails and sorrows that almost broke him and them. Now with Lucky recovered, the focus shifts back to their shared office and enemies at the Southeastern Narcotics Bureau’s Department of Diversion Prevention and Control. And that also means danger for Walter, Lucky’s boss, mentor, and unspoken “father” stand-in.

Through six books, we have been through incredible growth with these characters. Emotional and great personal development as they matured and endured great upheavals in every sector of their lives. Near death experiences, addiction, great loves lost and reunited, unbelievable angst, and yes, betrayal, laughter and joy. This is quite the saga.

At this point, Lucky and Bo have settled into an established relationship, out at work as a couple,live in nephews, pets and all. It’s been hard won, and we’ve been with them every step of the way. Lucky and Bo, along with all the supporting cast of characters either from their work or from outside (Lucky’s sister, people from their pasts…) are all so well constructed. Flawed, vivid, ornery at times, and all so real that you often forget they don’t exist outside this series. They feel that authentic as do their situations and everyday complex realities of the pharmaceutical business.

Winters plot is tightly laid out, dense layers threaded through with both an overall series arc as well as a singular storyline plot makes for a complex, adventurous tale. A monkey box puzzle sort of feel at times, not sure if it’s going to be scary or fun or both. So many twists and turns for us and our main characters to fight through, one hurdle, one barrier or more at a time. At its heart is Lucky, scrabbling with everything in him for the people he loves, Bo, Walter, his extended family, trying to figure out who to trust while coming out ahead.

How I love this man and the man he loves.

Eden Winters has said she has two more books planned for this series. That both distresses me because it means the end is in sight for this series I love and that it not over yet. Something to celebrate.

If you haven’t had the pleasure of meeting both Lucky and Bo, please don’t start here. Do these great characters and their series justice by starting at the beginning. I’ve listed them all for you below. Watch that first inauspicious meeting, then that wild ride of a road to romance, love and a settled relationship you will find here. It’s one hell of a rocky road and should be read in the order they were written. Don’t miss a book. I highly recommend them all, including this one, Suspicion (Diversion Book 7) by Eden Winters.

It’s one of my favorites this year!

Cover art: LC Chase. It’s always hard for me to really get into these headless torso covers. They are overdone these days, especially those with a gun. I’d at least like to a Lucky the Cat or another element special to this story or series included.

Sales Links: Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 281 pages
Expected publication: January 5th 2019 by Rocky Ridge Books
ASINB07LDYVBTV
Edition Language English
Series Diversion – add to Goodreads here.