Review: The Things Gods Break (The Crucible Book 2) by Abigail Owens

Rating: 4.5🔥

The Things Gods Break , a follow up to The Games Gods Play, is the book in The Crucible series that will make a reader want to absolutely scream at the author at the end. Especially knowing they have to wait for the next book to be released.

Yes, major cliffhangers happen here.

No I’m not going to make any spoilers.

The Things Gods Break is excellently written, has so many fantastic twists and unexpected plot surprises that no one should spoil it for another reader.

At the end of the first book, our main female protagonist, Lyra and her best friend Boone are trapped behind locked doors in the underworld prison of Tartarus. That left Hades on the other side, threatening to burn the entire world to the ground to free her.

In Tartarus with Lyra and Boone? The Titans. And Lyra is the key to their success in leaving the prison. It’s a succession of seven ancient locks that are that major elements here. The key to freedom for both the Titans and Lyra and Boone.

So many great aspects of the story. Here Hades and Lyra are kept apart, so we get their development and storylines separated. It’s powerful and will contribute to that ending.

Owens’ use of Greek mythology and its gods within her series, tweaking it for her own narrative is imaginative and interesting. They continue to remain compelling figures.

Here the author really dives hard into the characters (and our emotions). As the events and heart wrenching experiences continue to unfold, and the characters become more complex, the unexpected twists pop up. That ending!

The Things Gods Break will read unlike the first, but it’s just as compelling. And now I can’t wait for the next one to come out.

Highly recommended.

Cover design by LJ Anderson and Bree Archer

Interior map design by Elizabeth Turner Stokes

Interior map images by Nadia Murash/Shutterstock,

The Crucible series

Book #1 The Games Gods Play

Book #2 The Things Gods Break

Buy link

Book 2 of 2: The Crucible

Blurb

The gods want her dead…Hades will bury them.

You’d think I’d have learned by now:

Don’t mouth off to deities.

Don’t fall for the King of the Underworld.

And definitely don’t get dragged into a divine death match where I’m the cursed mortal prize.

But here I am—trapped in Tartarus, humanity’s worst pit stop, squaring off against monsters who make the gods look merciful. Titans, twisted by centuries of rage and ruin, are sealed behind seven ancient locks.

And guess what?

I’m the key.

To escape, I’ll have to survive every horrifying trial they throw at me.

To win, I might have to become something the gods never saw coming.

Oh, and Hades?

He’s about to break every rule the gods ever wrote.

Because to save me…the god of death will burn the world.

But if I break free? So do the Titans.

And the world won’t just suffer—it’ll beg for the end.

The Crucible series is best enjoyed in order.

Reading Order:

Book #1 The Games Gods Play

Book #2 The Things Gods Break

Publisher: Entangled: Red Tower Books
Publication date: October 21, 2025
Language: English
Print length: 673 pages
Book 2 of 2: The Crucible

Review: Unleashing Mayhem (Demon Bound Book 4) by Grae Bryan

Rating: 4.5🌈

While Inviting Bedlam #2 (Nix and Ivan) remains the highlight of this series for me, Unleashing Mayhem is a terrific way in which to wrap up the Demon Bound quartet.

As each book has had as its main focus one of the four demons sealed away together, repeatedly summoned until finally they find themselves getting with their mates who summoned them. From a book that ends up in the hands of a Russian American mafia family.

Here in the finale, it’s an emotionally and physically damaged Matty, a young man rescued by the Koslovs and their mates, escaping from his barbarically disturbed own criminal family. Matty has been living (hiding) in Sascha’s and Kai’s home.

But he’s plagued by his past , PTSD and nightmares. Until the demon Nightmare comes to view him. And makes plans of his own.

This was a wild, incredibly satisfying story and great way to end the series. By bringing the final demon into the world and giving him his own mate, Matty, in a highly unusual and unique manner, it gives Matty and the reader the resolution to the story we were waiting for. And in a way that’s emotionally powerful and satisfying.

Everyone gets their HEA, the real villains are foiled in a manner that is befitting their crimes, and we get to see Matty in a new perspective, and supported. By his demon, Nightmare.

And while, Ivan and Nix will remain my favorite characters here, this is a fantastic ending to a demonic quartet and their mates!

Definitely a winner.

Cover designed by MiblArt.

Demon Bound:

🔹Wrecking Havoc #1 (Kai and Sascha)

🔹Inviting Bedlam #2 (Nix and Ivan)

🔹Calling Chaos #3 (Chaos and Cooper)

🔹Unleashing Mayhem #4 – finale (Matty and Nightmare)

Buy link

Unleashing Mayhem (Demon Bound Book 4)

Blurb

Matteo’s been running scared for so long he’s forgotten what it’s like to feel safe. Or maybe he never knew in the first place. Raised by a cruel man, tormented by an even crueler one, and recently rescued by a demon, Matty’s still jumping at shadows around every corner. When he sees a familiar face from the past and realizes his ghosts really have come back to haunt him, Matty does the only reasonable thing he can think of.

He summons someone even worse.

Nightmare is a solitary demon by nature. He’s never needed a companion or a lover or a friend, and he’s never minded being feared by others of his kind. But one taste of Matteo’s sweet, terrified soul and Nightmare needs more. When he’s finally summoned to Matteo’s side, Nightmare finds himself exactly where he wants to be. Now it’s only a matter of patience, seduction, and convincing his little human that one contract isn’t enough.

What they really need is an eternity.

UNLEASHING MAYHEM IS A HEATED MM PARANORMAL ROMANCE WITH A HEA AND NO CLIFFHANGER. IT CONTAINS A SWEET HUMAN AFRAID OF EVERYONE BUT THE MONSTER AT HIS SIDE, A DEMON SO POSSESSIVE EVEN OTHER DEMONS RUN SCARED, A FOUND FAMILY MADE OF MOBSTERS AND MONSTERS, AND A SUMMONING GONE RIGHT (FOR ONCE). WHILE EACH BOOK FOCUSES ON A DIFFERENT COUPLE, THE SERIES IS BEST ENJOYED IN ORDER.

Publication date: July 17, 2025
Language: English
Print length: 249 pages
Book 4 of 4: Demon Bound

Review : Enchantra (Wicked Games #2) by Kaylie Smith

Rating: 4.5⭐️

What initially appeared to be a duology, Wicked Games is clearly expanding into a full series with this novel and the addition of the paranormal Silver family to a universe that had focused solely on the Grimm sisters, Ophelia and Genevieve Grimm, and Ophelia’s love Salem.

Enchantra picks up from the events in Phantasma, a novel where Ophelia Grimm , recipient of the Grimm matriarchal necromancer powers, enters a gothic mansion looking for her sister, Genevieve Grimm , and ends up having to play a sinister deadly game, Phantasma.

It’s a fantastic story and horrifying game , which ends with Ophelia leaving with a romantic demon love, Salem, and her sister safely out of the mansion. This couple and Salem himself have a great impact on Genevieve’s reasons for her trip.

Enchantra is a new devilish game, a location, as well as being Genevieve Grimm’s story, all taking place in Italy. Genevieve or Vivi is a complex, layered character. The younger sister born into a matriarchal family of necromancers, Genevieve always felt like an outsider in her world of magical women. The one left to her own devices, the one not given any real affection or sense of belonging.

Smith builds into her character all the emotional aspects of a person wounded by her childhood and events in her adolescence. When a reader gets frustrated ,as i did, by her impulsive actions, it’s easy to think about the situation and reason behind her reactions.

This is also a marriage of convenience, forced proximity, enemies to lovers, dark fantasy romance. With deadly games and demonic monsters.

The Silver family, starting with Rowen Silver the person who greets her at the door and immediately tells her to go, are an intriguing bunch. With each new stage of the game, both the reader and Genevieve will have a better understanding of each of them.

The world building and supernatural elements are frightening, violent and full of twists. The Silver family, all the many siblings and familiars are violent, terrifying and magical.

The only member who didn’t have much of a role or well defined character is the father, a surprising aspect of the story. This factor and one other thing makes me think that the author is waiting for another book to bring him back into this series.

The ending is fantastic. Emotionally powerful and extremely satisfying. But it also has one strange twist, a element that is a pivotal part of book one and is mentioned a couple of times at the start here, and that’s the fact that Salem’s true name was forgotten by all by terms of agreement.

And yet there’s this ending. I can’t imagine that the author doesn’t keep track of her own notes on important series elements or aspects of characters . So it would seem this too is a big part of the series going forward.

Either way, it makes for delicious suspense and fun for the next novel in Wicked Games.

Highly recommended.

Great covers.

Cover design Alexandra Purtan/ Fenix Cover Designs

Wicked Games series:

Phantasma # 1

Enchantra #2

Buy link

Enchantra: A spicy fantasy romance (Wicked Games Book 2)

Blurb

Welcome to Enchantra. There’s only one rule: Never, ever trust your heart.

When Genevieve Grimm’s mother is killed, Genevieve wants answers nobody can give… until she receives an invitation to Enchantra, a cursed palace filled with temptations and illusions.

Arrogant and dangerously handsome, Rowin Silver meets her at the door and refuses to let her inside. But Genevieve finds her own way in… And soon realizes her mistake.

Enchantra is a twisted labyrinth of marble and thorns, where Rowin’s family are trapped forever in a deadly game. Now, Genevieve must win or die.

Rowin offers her a deal. They can compete together… if they convince everyone watching that they’re desperately in love.

Genevieve knows she can’t trust Rowin, but she’ll do whatever it takes to survive. As they hunt and hide together, Genevieve tries to ignore the desire burning between them. She absolutely cannot fall for this man. Cannot forget that she’s only pretending to be in love.

After all, it was Rowin who taught her Enchantra’s first rule… Never, ever trust your heart.

Packed with deadly intrigue and spicy romance, Enchantra will transport you to a world of feisty heroines and morally gray love interests, fake dating, forbidden desire and family secrets. If you love books by Kerri Maniscalco, Carissa Broadbent and Lauren Roberts, prepare to discover your new romantasy obsession.

Publisher: Second Sky (April 8, 2025)
Publication date: April 8, 2025
Language: English
Print length: 443 pages

Review: Phantasma: A dark fantasy romance (Wicked Games Book 1) by Kaylie Smith

Rating: 4⭐️

Phantasma by Kaylie Smith is the first book in her dark fantasy romance duology, Wicked Games. It’s interesting in that each book is a contained story about a paranormal sister of the Grimm family of New Orleans. Definitely helps to read them together though as I will.

It’s a completed duology, which is fantastic, so a reader can explore both stories, one right after the other.

I really enjoyed reading Phantasma, from the characters to the setting of the Devil’s Mansion itself and the trials of the Phantasma. The storyline pulled me along with the characters, and Smith crafted an interesting complex personality with the oldest sister, Ophelia and one of surprising depth with the younger sister, Genevieve. The developing relationship and dialogue between Ophelia and ghost Blackwell is all hot chemistry and dry wit. And that, for its time, Ophelia and her sister have a “modern “ view on sexuality in a time of corsets, albeit one that accepts magic as a reality.

The other details and characters are ones that I would have liked to have seen more closely in the story because of their own relationship with Blackwell, and what appeared to be knowledge of the sisters. Jasper, for one. And most definitely “Sin” for another.

And this is where I feel the book falls short. The author has created the framework for the supernatural foundation of the characters, the tragic histories, even the fact that there’s a multitude, generations, of Grimm women who pass their magic through death and become Necromancers and we never see any real indication of that particular element outside of the mansion. Yes, she can see Blackwell and there’s other things of note. But this felt aspect felt less defined. As did much about her life and family.

Her sister, Genevieve, is the best thing here. But the family backstory is used as needed for the book, effectively as a really good plot twist, but leaves too many questions, especially at the end, to be effective as a whole.

Same goes for the main owner and mystery behind the mansion. It’s easily guessed at although the reason behind it needs the explanation the author provided. That’s muddled too.

So there were aspects of the narrative that I feel needed more clarification or exploration in order for the story and characters to have real depth and all the storylines feel grounded.

Did it keep me from engaging in the story and characters relationship? No. I really enjoyed it and will go onto Genevieve’s story. Her adventures complete the duology.

Great covers.

Cover design Alexandra Purtan/ Fenix Cover Designs”

Wicked Games:

Phantasma #1

Enchantra #2

Buy link

Phantasma: A dark fantasy romance (Wicked Games Book 1)

Blurb

Welcome to Phantasma.

There are only two rules to the game. Stay alive. And don’t fall in love.

When Ophelia’s sister disappears, there is only one way to save her. Ophelia must enter Phantasma, a deadly contest inside a haunted mansion, and claim its prize—a single wish.

Phantasma is a maze of twisting corridors and lavish ballrooms, of demons and temptations. Ophelia will face nine challenges, each more dangerous than the last. There can only be one winner, and the other contestants will stop at nothing to eliminate their rivals.

Every day the house creates new monsters. But just as Ophelia’s fears threaten to overwhelm her, a mysterious stranger offers her a bargain.

Charming, arrogant and infuriatingly attractive, Blackwell claims he can guide her through the lethal trials ahead. All he asks in return is ten years of her life.

Ophelia knows she shouldn’t trust him. Blackwell doesn’t seem dangerous, but appearances can be deceptive. Worse still, she feels a dark and irresistible attraction drawing them closer and closer.

Her life is on the line. But in Phantasma, the only thing deadlier than losing the game is losing your heart…

The instant top ten bestseller and TikTok sensation!

A Court of Thorns and Roses meets Caraval in this seductive fantasy adventure. With steamy romance, a sexy morally gray love interest, OCD rep and jaw-dropping twists, Phantasma is perfect for fans of Rebecca Yarros, Nisha J. Tuli and Carissa Broadbent.

Publisher: Second Sky (September 3, 2024)
Publication date: September 3, 2024
Language: English
Print length: 428 pages

Review: Quicksilver (Fae & Alchemy, #1) by Callie Hart

Rating: 4.5 ⭐️

The world building by Callie Hart in Quicksilver is truly astonishing. Incredibly detailed and rich in imagery, Hart’s worlds, yes multiple connected ones, so well crafted that each feels absolutely unique. Fundamentally different from their species of beings, mythological perspectives, life spans even their suns in the sky .

Hart’s female main character is a stunning figure. Saeris Fane is a thief, a fierce fighter, a resourceful woman. She’s had to do what it takes to survive and protect herself and her irresponsible younger brother in a walled off section of the City where the worst of their kingdom is concentrated by authority of the Queen.

Saeris’ sad history and that of dangerous diseased slum , The Third Ward, of Zilvaren City, are heavily intertwined. How will be slowly revealed throughout this story with great impact. It’s enough that we see how living in such conditions has formed her, including the fact she’s able to work a forge. And it introduces other great characters that have been important figures in her life.

How dramatically the Fae and the figure of The Kingfisher is brought into this narrative is something I’ll leave to the story but it’s a fantastic one. So is the creation of the element of quicksilver and all the unusual aspects of this magical material. It’s one astounding revelation after another, and I absolutely loved it because it was so unexpected.

The relationship between Saeris and Fisher is complex and uneasy. I liked the way there’s a fated mate storyline but it’s not automatically acceptable. Given the circumstances and, a lack of communication, it shouldn’t be.

Main characters who don’t communicate are an issue for me but here the rationale and the foundation laid for any such actions are part of the beautifully crafted storytelling.

There’s passion, mythology, battles, magical horrifying creatures, and a cliffhanger.

Did I have a quibble? Yes. Fisher calls Saeris “Little Osha”, a shorter version of the name of a short lived butterfly. He uses that instead of Saeris for most of the story. Why he does this is explained in the story, however, I’m generally, and certainly not here, a fan of male characters calling female characters “little” anything. It’s intentionally dismissive (as it is here) and turning it into some kind of weird cute nickname doesn’t work.

The ending is stunning and unexpected. It’s a cliffhanger that leaves a reader wondering how the next book will go forward from these events. I can’t wait.

Highly recommended. And what a gorgeous cover.

Fae & Alchemy:

Quicksilver #1

Brimstone #2 – Nov 18, 2025

Buy link

Quicksilver (Fae & Alchemy Book 1)

Blurb

An instant #1 New York Times bestseller!

The global phenomenon by Callie Hart–a highly addicting enemies-to-lovers Romantasy with razor-sharp banter, heart-stopping action, and blistering hot romance.

Do not touch the sword. Do not turn the key. Do not open the gate.

Twenty-four-year-old Saeris Fane is good at keeping secrets. No one knows about the strange powers she possesses, or the fact that she has been picking pockets and stealing from the Undying Queen’s reservoirs for as long as she can remember. In the land of the unforgiving desert, there isn’t much a girl wouldn’t do for a glass of water. But a secret is like a knot. Sooner or later, it is bound to come undone.

When Saeris comes face-to-face with Death himself, she inadvertently reopens a gateway between realms and is transported to a land of ice and snow. The Fae have always been the stuff of myth, of legend, of nightmares…but it turns out they’re real, and Saeris has landed right in the middle of a centuries-long conflict that might just get her killed.

The first of her kind to tread the frozen mountains of Yvelia in over a thousand years, Saeris mistakenly binds herself to Kingfisher, a handsome Fae warrior, who has secrets and nefarious agendas of his own. He will use her Alchemist’s magic to protect his people, no matter what it costs him… or her. Death has a name. It is Kingfisher of the Ajun Gate. His past is murky. His attitude stinks. And he’s the only way Saeris is going to make it home.

Be careful of the deals you make, dear child. The devil is in the details…

Review: Two Twisted Crowns (The Shepherd King Book 2) by Rachel Gillig

Rating: 5⭐️

“The girl, the King… and the monster they became.”

That whispered haunting refrain still has a hold on me. So does that ending and Gillig’s memorable cast of characters.

Two Twisted Crowns brings Rachel Gillig’s dark fantasy duology, The Shepherd King, to a heartbreaking emotional (in certain ways), and fabulously dramatic conclusion. Gillig began creating her compelling dark gothic immersive world in One Dark Window, with Elspeth Spindle and her Nightmare , the dark magical being that’s sharing her mind, Rayvn Yew who’s out to save his infected brother from being sacrificed , as well as a internal conflict between royals against the evil King . Gillig ‘s then gave us an ending that left everyone emotionally shattered, including the reader. Sobbing. And wondering how Two Twisted Crowns could possibly make things right.

Two Twisted Crowns is everything I want in a sequel and finale. It’s darker, it’s richly textured in scope as when the author is developing her storytelling, and the magic is more complex, more powerful than previously understood. And the back stories coming to light far more tragic.

Gillig adds another powerful story, that of Ione and Elm, each one a complex character with intimate connections to Elspeth and Ravyn. The multiple POV’s are skillfully executed, depicting the evolution of relationships and developments in events in the story as to enhance the forward dramatic moments and our emotional connection to all of them and the horrors that’s happening.

Gillig’s writing is poetic, the imagery haunting, and her storytelling so strong and compelling that this duology made me go buy hardcover copies for my already groaning bookshelves. These novels are must reads.

I’ll save my last words for the Nightmare. How I love him.

ɪ ᴡᴀs ᴛᴏᴏ ʟᴏɴɢ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴀʀᴋ. ᴀɴᴅ ɪ ᴀᴍ sᴏʀʀʏ ғᴏʀ ᴛʜᴀᴛ, ᴛᴏᴏ. ғᴏʀ ɪ ᴅʀᴀɢɢᴇᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ɪɴ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴍᴇ

Don’t miss out on him and this beautifully written series, The Shepherd King.

A new auto recommend and thrilled to have found another auto buy author.

Love these covers.

Cover design by Lisa Marie Pompilio.

The Shepherd King Duology-complete:

🔹One Dark Window #1

🔹Two Twisted Crowns #2

Buy link:

Two Twisted Crowns (The Shepherd King Book 2)

Blurb

In the New York Times bestselling sequel to One Dark Window, Elspeth must confront the weight of her actions as she and Ravyn embark on a perilous quest to save the kingdom—perfect for readers of Hannah Whitten’s For the Wolf and Alexis Henderson’s The Year of the Witching.

Gripped by a tyrant king and in the thrall of dark magic, the kingdom is in peril. Elspeth and Ravyn have gathered most of the twelve Providence Cards, but the last—and most important—one remains to be found: the Twin Alders. If they’re going to find the card before Solstice and set free the kingdom, they will need to journey through the dangerous mist-cloaked forest. The only one who can lead them through is the monster that shares Elspeth’s head: the Nightmare.

And he’s not eager to share any longer.

Praise for One Dark Window:

“Enthralling from beginning to shocking end.” —Hannah Whitten, New York Times bestselling author of For the Wolf

“Pulse pounding, darkly whimsical, and aglow with treacherous magic.” —Allison Saft, New York Times bestselling author of A Far Wilder Magic

The Shepherd King

One Dark Window

Two Twisted Crowns

Publication date: October 17, 2023
Language: English
Print length: 458 pages

Dark fantasy, sword and sorcery, dark gothic, Gothic horror, dark fantasy fiction,

Review: Blood of Hercules: Villains of Lore Book 1) by Jasmine Mas

Rating: 5

While this is found under the popular label romantasy, in my mind, Blood of Hercules: Villains of Lore Book 1) by Jasmine Mas represents the finest aspects of dark fantasy fiction.

I haven’t read this author’s work before but found myself unable to put this book down once I started reading. Mas has created many imaginative, thrilling and, yes, startlingly twisted ways of looking at Greek mythology and the Greek pantheon, both of which serve as foundation and universal elements of the series.

Using this as a foundation to establish a dystopian world where Fate still meddles in the internecine politics of the gods , and humans who have borne the brunt of both the actions of themselves and the gods. And not fared well for it.

Mas’ main character is a girl. Alexis, a incredibly detailed, believable, and heart wrenching character. She’s also when we meet her a very young, damaged one, currently in an extremely abusive foster home, if you could call a broken trailer that. A younger boy, a toddler, will be added to this group.

This story is full of trauma and triggers. Read them and take note. Among them child abuse. Starvation, physical abuse, violence, and death. And once Alexis is taken, there’s more for her to endure. This is dark, dark, fiction. She’s considered a mutt, along with others.

Romance? Mas actually refers to the fact that the Greek gods don’t have much in the way of real romance. Or monogamous pairs. Hades and Persephone being the outliers. It’s a free for all in terms of gender and sexuality and numbers. The love seen here is saved for brutality and violence. Death and destruction.

There’s obsession, acquisition, and power. Romance? Not so much. So don’t expect any.

This is a brilliantly written piece about a young woman’s ability for to survive. To be betrayed, torn down to near death , and forced into new plans for her future.

There’s multiple POV’s (importantly placed) but luckily, Mas keeps the primary voice to Alexis’, our strong hero of the story. She’s funny, acerbic , brilliant, deeply traumatized, scarred, violent about not being touched. And has a hidden goal of her own. She’s mesmerizing, tragic, persistent. And constantly on the brink of either utter success or failure. The reader is never sure which.

I found it impossible to remove myself from her horrifying journey to the Spartan War Academy where she struggles through the terrifying physical and mental challenges and courses that the gods have given her and the rest of the applicants.

Its layer upon layer of excellently constructed vividly described world building and intensely complex relationship dynamics. The characters involved, mostly her god mentors and Professors, present hidden dangers and dangerous narrative twists.

Like Alexis, the reader learns quickly that any scene that’s seemingly funny or perilously entertaining is very temporary. That’s not a world where easy, casual or enjoyable is to be trusted.

It ends on a note that’s just shy of being called a cliffhanger. If so, it’s ending that makes that next book even more greatly anticipated and thrilling.

I’m headed back to reread this immediately. I’m certain I missed key elements as layered with images and important information as it relates to the gods and history.

I highly recommend reading this but keep in mind that it’s dark fantasy fiction. If you’re looking for romance and high fantasy, this isn’t for you.

Villains of Lore:

Blood of Hercules #1

Bonds of Hercules #2 – October 28,2025

Buy link

Blood of Hercules: A Dark Romantasy of Myth and Power, Perfect for Fans of Greek Mythology and Spicy BookTok Reads: The Best Fantasy Romance of 2024 (Villains of Lore Book 1)

Blurb

The overnight viral sensation everyone is talking about, Blood of Hercules, is a sarcastically funny, dark fantasy romance reimagining of Hercules from bestselling author Jasmine Mas—now available in paperback with full color character art, bonus content, and embossed lettering.

I’m just a girl. And it turns out, I’m Hercules.

I’m struggling to survive in a Titan infested world where Spartans, immortals from twelve royal families who have god-like powers and obscene wealth, rule over all. A shy-stammering foster child with nothing, I keep my head down, cover my scars, and focus on excelling in school. At least, I try to. Then it happens.

My blood test reveals I’m part of the powerful elite. I’m one of them. A Spartan.

Forced to attend the Spartan War Academy, I undergo the most harrowing test of all time to see if I have what it takes to be an immortal. There’s just a few problems. Achilles and Patro are my scary mentors. Kharon, the ferryman of death, and Augustus, the son of war, are my terrifying professors. Also, I’m pretty sure either someone’s stalking me everywhere I go, or my sanity’s slipping––I have a bad feeling both are true.

I’m surrounded by Villains and they’re smothering me with their hate, obsession, and dark possessiveness. Too bad for them, they have no clue just who they’re messing with.

A Dark Romantasy for readers who love:

“Who did this to you?”
Why Choose Romance
Extreme Enemies to Lovers
Morally Gray Alpha Heroes
Zodiac Academy, Quicksilver and When the Moon Hatched

Publisher: Canary Street Press (October 1, 2024)
Publication date: October 1, 2024
Language: English
Print length: 498 pages

Review: How to Hack a Hellhound (Hellhounds of Paradise Falls #2) by Shannon Mae

Rating: 4.5🌈

I’m so enjoying this series, a sequel to Mae’s fantastic Demonic Disasters and Afterlife Adventures (8 book series). Same location, many crossover characters and fascinating interactions between them that make this series a great read.

It’s dark and violent but without being graphic, sexy with fated mates and magical otherworldly characters. Many of the characters have tragic or otherwise damaged pasts that still currently haunt their lives. And that factors into the narrative of their stories and romantic relationships.

Yes, I’m throughly invested here.

Mae’s done a fantastic job in creating the new interlocking cast of characters that’s launched the series. A found family of Hellhounds that’s moved to Paradise Falls and will start to find their mates.

First , they ended up moving next door to human horror author, Toby, and HellhoundDexter ended up helping Toby with his writing but saving him too from a trafficking ring.

That storyline continues with two of the survivors , Quinton and Aiden, who’ve been adopted into the small group of otherworldly friends, including the Hellhounds.

While this is Quinton and Liam’s story, it’s also Aiden’s because Aiden’s trauma and Quinton’s is linked by their captivity and now survivor closeness, a deep relatable friendship. I love how Mae handles this aspect of the story as well as the different facets that’s introduced to the relationships that exist within the group that’s developing here. There room for so many types of relationships and understanding of each other and how they relate to various dynamics within the group.

It’s lovely. And I look forward to more of this and these types of conversations happening.

The other thing is that the Hellhounds, a well defined and diverse group of individuals, have been created as distinctly non human entities. They come across completely, in their language and actions as otherworldly beings. And we’re still learning about them and their history.

I love this story, the world and the characters. Shannon Mae ties up the trafficking storylines here satisfactorily and sets up the narrative for the next couple to come. It should be fascinating , and full of emotions.

I can’t wait.

I’m highly recommended this series and book. Read them in the order written for plot and characters development.

Hellhounds of Paradise Falls:

How to Flirt with a Hellhound #1
How to Hack a Hellhound #2
How to Tame a Hellhound #3 – May 1,2025

Related series, same universe:

🔹Demonic Disasters and Afterlife Adventures (8 book series)

Buy link

How to Hack a Hellhound (Hellhounds of Paradise Falls Book 2)

Blurb

Quinton

Getting kidnapped and held hostage in a human trafficker’s basement was not on my bingo card. Getting rescued by a paranormal being was also not on my bingo card. (Apparently I needed to trade in bingo cards.) The guy who took me may be dead, but I know there are more people behind the operation, and I plan to shut it down. If I need to get the help of one of the creepy glowing eyed dudes to do it, I will. It turns out Liam is incredibly sexy and really good with technology, too. He may be great at hacking into computers, but I’m determined to hack my way into his life.

Liam

Ever since I looked into the feisty human that Dexter rescued from a basement, I’ve been a little… obsessed. Is it wrong that I watch him all the time and hack into all his technology? I’m just trying to keep him safe. After all, he’s sticking his nose into some troubling areas, and I can’t deal with the thought of him getting taken again. Of course I offer to help him when I discover his mission to take down a trafficking ring, although my motives aren’t exactly pure. The little human attracts me in a way that I can’t explain, and my hellhound thinks he’s mine, whether he wants to be or not.

Tags: Emotionally traumatized, feisty vigilante and hacker hellhound fall in love; Liam has Quinton under surveillance 24/7 and will protect him; Quinton doesn’t mind being watched if the dude with the glowing eyes will keep him safe; there’s torture and death (but only of really bad people); hellhounds have tails, and they know how to use them.

Publication date: January 2, 2025
Language: English
Print length: 240 pages

Review: Contested Crown (The Empty Throne Trilogy #2) by Kai Butler

Rating: 4.75🌈

Contested Crown, the second novel in The Empty Throne Trilogy, hits so many high marks. It easily overcomes the usual second book syndrome in a series, by ramping up the multiple storylines Butler has already established in the first book. The author does a great job introducing new characters whose meaning and connections to the men on the run are clouded by the new dark mysteries forming. Some of these new storylines include elements that are of a wildly magical nature while others are deeply rooted within the supernatural drug-related crime world.

It picks up right after the shocking events of Exiled Heir, with mage Cade and werewolf Miles on the run after Cade , Prince of House Bartlett, was betrayed by those closest to him m, stealing his throne and his heritage. But Miles, whose real name is Miles Castillo, is also a dethroned Prince in hiding from the very man he’s on the run with.

Butler’s narrative explores this tangled relationship that’s full of potential conflict between two cruelly connected pasts , pasts with dangerous secrets . The author’s dramatic choice to make the suspenseful , angst filled , hunted run the driving force behind the story is a fantastic narrative springboard.

Emotionally, the forced intimacy, their continued dependency under these circumstances, the constant peril, and the growing affection/attachment towards each other that this trip is allowing them to feel, it’s everything the reader wants and the author’s storytelling is beautifully achieving. It packs a darkly magical, sexual punch.

Butler’s writing simultaneously moves into new areas here with Cade and Miles, especially with regard to their magic, the use of tattoos, and the return of a old friend. The new creativity here giving their world more depth and diversity in its magical history as well as using it in the current criminal scene.

There’s so many great twists and shocks here, ones to delight and horrify. This is a book once you get started it’s impossible to put down.

That ending especially is a killer.

Now everything is in place for the dramatic events and tumultuous times to come in Ascendant King. That can’t be here quickly enough.

One last note, Contested Crown, as magnificent as it is, is definitely a bridge novel. It doesn’t exist without the first book . Nor the one to come. As a reader you must have read that first book, and have the knowledge to go along with it to understand and appreciate the events and stories that happen here.

I’m highly recommending you read both because both are outstanding.

The Empty Throne Trilogy:

✓ Exiled Heir #1

✓ Contested Crown #2

◦ Ascendant King #3 – June 17,2024

Buy Link:

Contested Crown (The Empty Throne Trilogy)

Blurb:

I can’t give him up, even if it costs me my life…

Miles and Cade are on the run. Without money, protection, or allies they have only each other to rely on as they flee the most powerful mage house in the country. Unfortunately, the outside world is even more dangerous than the lion’s den they just escaped from.

No matter how right it feels to have the mage prince relying on him, Miles knows the closer they get to each other the more dangerous it is for both of them.

A new mage house is Cade’s only chance to survive the magical war he started. With House Morrison exclusively interested in Cade, Miles will be left out in the cold. And can he stay with Cade when every moment together risks revealing Miles’s deepest secret?

• Publisher: (February 26, 2024)

• Publication date: February 26, 2024

• Print length: 468 pages

Book Blast for NoX by Adrienne Wilder (excerpt and giveaway)

BOOK BLAST

Book Title: NOX

Author: Adrienne Wilder

Publisher: Self-Published

Cover Artist: Adrienne Wilder

Genre/s: Science fiction, M/M Romance, dark fantasy

Length: 138 000 words/514 pages

Heat Rating: 5 flames

Add on Goodreads

One is a dying man. The other died to live.

Blurb

A nude man invades Luca Suarez’s home and protects him from creatures who cannot exist.

Creatures hunting him.

The stranger can’t tell Luca why. He can’t even tell Luca his name.

He remembers nothing until the moment he sees Luca.

The only hint Luca has to the stranger’s identity is a tattoo on his wrist: N o X

Nox doesn’t know who he is, but he’s sure of three things, his memory loss is temporary, the monsters chasing Luca are called Anubis, and his Alpha, Koda, sent Nox to protect him.

There’s just one problem… Koda is Luca’s brother who was murdered five years ago.

With each passing hour, Nox fills in the pieces painting an impossible truth. And with each passing hour, both men find themselves unexplainably attracted to each other.

Something Luca is willing to embrace because he has nothing left to lose.

And one Nox can’t let happen because it could get Luca killed.

Buy Links – Available on Kindle Unlimited

Amazon US | Amazon UK

Excerpt

Fifteen minutes under a stream of hot water sounded perfect.

A basket wrapped in translucent cellophane sat on the pink countertop of the exterior vanity. Other than lubricant, Luca had no idea what the other tiny bottles could be, but the little foil squares were self-explanatory.

He stepped into the bathroom off to the right and braced as he turned on the lights. White tile, white tub, plain white toilet, pink towels with red hearts, pink shower curtain. At least they spared the room any permanent scars.

Luca closed the door and gripped the hem of his shirt.

Nox’s voice came from the other side of the door. “I called for pizza, it should be here by the time you’re out.” Then the door opened. Luca spun around.

Nox wore nothing, leaving every curve of muscle, every ripple of perfection, every inch of intimidating cock, bare.

God, that hooker had been right.

There were only so many things a guy standing around naked could mean. Would Nox expect something like that? He’d saved Luca’s life. And with that kind of debt could Luca even tell him no?

Worse, did he want to?

Did he want to know what it felt like to be touched, to be kissed, to be tasted and do all those things to another person in equal amounts?

The idea teased his insides until his balls pulled tight and his cock threatened to swell.

Luca jerked his gaze back up.

“Your clothes.” Nox held out a hand.

Luca pulled the edge of his shirt lower. “What about them?”

“Give them to me so I can lay them on the heater to dry.”

“It’s okay, they can just hang in here.”

“They won’t dry in here.” Nox was right. Luca knew he was right. And since these were the only clothes he had….

Luca gave Nox his back and peeled off his shirt. He set it on the sink and kicked off his shoes, then unbuttoned his pants. He froze with his hands on the waist of his jeans.

Nox pulled Luca around. The man’s presence, the rich musk and spice of his skin, the heat radiating from his body rushed over Luca, sucking the air from his lungs. Nox lowered his head, parted his lips and inhaled, carrying away Luca’s exhale. Nox moved to Luca’s cheek, his neck. There his breath heated Luca’s skin. Nox tilted Luca’s head back and followed the column of his neck with another deep inhale.

Luca’s heart skittered in his chest. “What…what are you doing?”

“Smelling you.”

Smelling him.

“Why?” Luca leaned away only to have Nox move closer. So close his cock brushed Luca’s hip.

Nox swallowed, and his Adam’s apple bobbed up and down. He made another lap, huffing in quick short breaths rather than long slow ones. Nox loosened his grip. He cupped the back of Luca’s head and made circles on his arm with his thumb.

For several long moments, Nox stood there, then slowly he raised his gaze. “You’re sick.”

Luca’s stomach dropped.

Nox seemed to catch himself. He let Luca go and retreated. “I’m sorry, that was…” He turned.

“Leukemia.” Luca had no idea why he said it. Nox was right, it was none of his business. Even if he could smell the disease.

Could other people smell Luca’s cancer? He’d never even considered the idea.

Nox turned back around but stayed at the door. “Are you getting treatment?”

“Not this time.”

The muscles across Nox’s shoulders tensed, and he balled up his hands.

Luca shrugged. “I’ve had it twice before. Treatment isn’t an option this time.” Luca gave Nox his back again and stripped off the rest of his clothes. He left them on the sink, climbed in the tub, and closed the curtain.

Nox was a momentary blur behind the sheet of gaudy pink plastic, then he closed the door.

About the Author

I am a writer of contemporary and speculative fiction and artist of all things monster. I live to create new worlds and the people in them. Several of my books have been best sellers both nationally and internationally. I have also been a finalist in the LAMDA awards, the “Oscars” of gay literary works.

I do my best to write original stories with powerful characters and emotion as well as a fast-paced plot. My goal isn’t just to deliver a good story but to take the reader into the story and let them experience the characters as if they are right there with them.

While almost all my books have a romantic element, I will be the first to admit, they are not traditional romance. In fact, I’d like to think there is nothing traditional about them. And the stories I paint are done so way outside the lines of traditional genres.

One of my favorite things to do as a writer is push the boundaries of what makes a story and to deliver the unexpected and maybe even change the perspective of the reader.

My characters are more often than not, beautifully flawed, not always the good guy, and make mistakes. Their stories will take dark turns which, in the end, make the light at the end of the tunnel all the brighter.

If you’re looking for something different, exciting, and unique, my books are for you.

Check out my website for updates and how to contact me. I love hearing from fans.

Author Links

Blog/Website | Facebook | Facebook group | Twitter

Newsletter Sign-up | Patreon

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