Even with a nice twist at the end, Fractured Doors and Forgotten Gods (Hidden Realms #1) by Alice Winters was a story that just didnāt connect with me.
Thereās many stories from this author Iāve found absolutely entertaining and some are in my reread piles, but the main characters, their dynamics between themselves and even those who they are forced into working with are such that I donāt enjoy reading their scenes or didnāt think their relationships felt believable.
Issues like a lack of communication of major issues, especially when Rileyās āsecretā heās not telling anyone/has told anyone smacks of martyrdom. The other issue is that Torin, the god swings emotionally from irritating arrogance to impulsive toddler to sexual being to instant love partner, all without a credible relationship built between the couple.
The story has some interesting mythical creatures, fantasy familiars and the twist plays into another mythology that will play out into the second book.
But Iām not sure Winters has made me care enough about the characters to go further with the series.
Trying to keep my familiar out of the meat display while shopping is the hardest part of my dayā¦ until someone drops a god right into my humdrum existence.
Torin, a massive man claiming to be a god, is unlike anyone Iāve ever met. He insists on learning English through adult graphic novels, believes the pizza delivery guy is an assassin, and thinks he can kick a subway into submission (talk about adding a bit of spice to my life, which has been sadly lacking since I left the Magical Interference Unit).
The handsome and strangely charismatic god drags me (literally) right into his problems, starting with a creature who wants to tear my head off, yet I find myself following along with his whims.
He knows something is wrong when Doors to another realm begin to open up, allowing an ominous power to get a foothold in our worldā¦ but Iām afraid this quirky god and I might be the only ones keeping this world from ending.
Oh joy.
Torin
I never expected that simply stepping through a Door into Rileyās world would introduce me to so many amazing curiosities, like pizza and burritos! Oh, and a pesky human who really should recognize that Iām a god of war and loveāemphasis on the love.
But thereās more to Riley than meets the eye; why else would their special forces place me with a man who can borrow magic from others? My attempts to woo this mystifying human are thwarted at every turn (I doubt that has anything to do with me tossing him on a horse or taking over his bed).
As Riley and I grow closer, I realize that he might be the very person needed to save this realmā¦ because what is coming for them is beyond anything they can comprehendā¦ one even worse than the atrocity called an āescalator.ā
Fractured Doors and Forgotten Gods is the first book in a series that has a continuing storyline.
I donāt read much romance books lately but this one totally grabbed my attention, starting with the description.
By the way, thereās a long list of trigger warnings by the author who put them at the beginning of the book and Iāve listed them below for you to read. This is a dark fantasy novel, FYI.
Every part of me wants to say āIn fair Verona there lived two familiesā¦ā. So close.
Mastersonās world is narrowed down to two small completely walled-in towns, twenty miles away from each other. Separated by a grim woods and landscape. Those woods are filled with monsters, the Drained, who attack the city walls with increasing frequency.
Each city/town is ruled by one family. The city of Lunameade is ruled by the Carrenwells, of which Harlow Carrenwell is the youngest of nine siblings in powerful political magical family.
The other, Mountain Haven, is ruled by the Havenwood family. Its surviving heir, after a Drained massacre nearly destroyed everything and everyone, is Henry Havenwood. Now theyāve rebuilt. And they have new goals.
When the story opens, Harlow is already a widow, having poisoned her husband, per her familyās request, and has been ordered to attend the familyās dinner.
Each family member has its own personal power, but they act as a team unit, ordered by their father. For the āgoodā of the town. Harlow also has her own plans sheās been acting on.
Of all her siblings, only one does she care about, her sister Aidia. The one who is almost her twin, and as we learn, is in a severely abusive DV relationship with her mayor husband. That no one is doing anything about in the family.
Violence, stark physical horrific abuse is a constant thread here. And there is a real danger of mental abuse/non consensual abuse as well, as one of the powers is the ability to control people against their will.
Harlow uses her poisonous powers against those who she sees as abusive, especially when she feels helpless to aid her sister.
This narrative starts dark and then turns violently darker as Masterson introduces Henry with his competing abilities and agendas to Harlow, who has her own secret plans and aspirations. Two houses, a forced political marriage with so many hidden agendas.
Itās instant hate, passion, murderous rages, and the start of the authorās taking Harlow and Henry on a journey through a complexity of storylines of about heinous abuse, abject pain, deep loss , despair and suffering.
And yes, lots of blood and death. And sex. With a wolf thrown in. If that feels random, it feels like it in the story too.
Thereās so much I feel is fantastic here and well done. The religious and magical system is entwined with the cityās history and culture in a powerful role.
The Seven Divine, their gods of Pleasure, Fortune, Stars & Darkness, Endings, Malice, Protection, and Strength, are the ones that provide the families and others with their magical powers. How thatās achieved is a defining feature of the story, and an extremely dark element. If you look at the maps, and really you should, you will see that Blood Well in the middle of the city of Lunameade and realize things arenāt quite right there. Take a clue.
Still wonāt prepare you for whatās coming.
And thatās the other thing, the author has some wonderful/shocking revelations towards the end of the book, twists that come out of nowhere. Perfect! One especially outstanding!
What keeps me from raising my rating is the lack of foundation for certain plot lines in the last quarter of the book, that mostly centered around Henry and his actions.
One is that I donāt believe that the author allowed her story enough time to explain the Drained history and recent events to develop it into the aspect that emerged. That needs further exploration. Trying hard for zero spoilers here.
The other thing that bothers me is about Gaven. I wonāt go into detail. I just thought it was handled in a way that was unnecessary in the story (for me at least) or underwhelming, especially for Harlow.
My overall experience with this story is that itās fantastic. I love the dark atmosphere, Harlow is a memorable character and the magical system is so well crafted that I wanted to explore it further. The weaker, lesser known elements are the Havenwoods. They donāt have enough page time or orcas well defined.
The stronger, best defined elements are the most heinous , the Carrenwells. We get to know them and see how they operate together. Usually for the worst.
I recommend spending time with them both. But definitely read the trigger warnings first.
Cover: Charlotte Sloggers
Case Cover: Alice Blake
Maps: Shepengul . Great maps!
From the author:
THE POISON DAUGHTER deals with some difficult subjects including ableism, violence, murder, blood, references to sexual assault, poisoning, death, references to domestic violence, child abuse and neglect (historical), grief, depression, PTSD, brief suicide ideation (historical), primal play, voyeurism, and explicit consensual sex. Iāve attempted to treat all sensitive topics with the utmost care, but this content might still be challenging for some readers. Please take care of yourself.
Every person Harlow Carrenwell kisses dies immediately, and thatās the way she likes it. The poison-lipped youngest daughter of Lunameadeās magical founding family has used her power to annihilate their opposition.
Her first husband is in the ground. Her new betrothed is next.
But the merry widow has a secret. When sheās not acting as an assassin at her parents’ whims, she moonlights as a vigilante for abused women in their walled-off city.
Meet a man. Lure him in. Kill him with a kiss. Until one night Harlow kisses a mark and he doesnāt die.
Worse, her invincible partner in passion is her new betrothed, Henry Havenwood, and now he knows about her double life. Instead of selling her out and bringing the rival families to blows, he does something much more sinisterāwhisks her away to wed in his wild mountain fort.
Harlow doesnāt trust Henry, but the only way to protect her family and the city of Lunameade is to figure out what his family is planning.
Cursed with a husband she canāt kill and trapped in a fort miles of vampire-infested woods from home, Harlowās survival requires her to do the impossible: Make the man who knows sheās a killer fall in love with her anyway.
The Poison Daughter is a standalone dark fantasy romance that combines the vigilante justice for abusive men of Promising Young Woman with a romantasy arranged marriage and a dash of vampires.
Dragon Blood Curse was an exciting, immersive experience all around, as Butlerās penultimate story brings more mythical characters and magical regions into play with this fantasy action adventure.
Prince AirĆ³n and King Tallu have multiple schemes at work and not all are going according to their intended intentions. With their enemies bringing larger powers and armies against them, AirĆ³n and Tallu race to find a cure for the deadly curse that affects both brothers. And their own council falls into chaos and loyalties are divided as the enemy attacks.
Itās high politics, subterfuge, magical terrorists, and wars between enemies being waged across their borders and territories, and everything and everyone suffering.
Of course, thereās a prophecy or two, sacrifices that figures mightily in the coming novel, angst and some really great layering of information and people (look to the North) that just ups the stakes here.
No spoilers but this just grabs the reader from start to finish. For me, the relationship between AirĆ³n and Tallu is the least compelling element here. So many other great aspects of the series and story to focus on.
Great job. And I love the Spider. Awesome.
Cover by Hannah Latham at oexasart Lettering by Laura at Covers by Aura
The generals that once served Emperor Tallu now pursue us across the continent. General Bemishu and Kacha have made their move and we find ourselves trapped by the role Tallu has been playing his entire life. As we search for allies, the rules of imperial politics force Tallu to act more and more like his deranged father.
Still, we have a hint of hope: somewhere in the dangerous Tavornai swamps, another animalia spins her webs and rearranges fate to her own desires. Can she change ours?
We have one chance to save our lives, one hope at a future that we both so desperately want. With new allies and old nemeses, we have to risk our lives to create a world for our love.
A Broken Blade, the first book in the completed The Halfling Saga by Melissa Blair, an indigenous writer from Canada, is a fascinating read.
Itās Blairās first published novel and itās a dark fantasy that features a bisexual woman protagonist, a Halfing, whoās as layered and realistic as I have read recently.
Starting from the very first paragraph, the reader is drawn into a dark narrative because Keera, the Kingās Blade or assassin is also a drunk who is losing her edge.
Sheās become a guilt ridden alcoholic, all the deaths of innocents sheās taken on the Kingās orders, most her own people, Halflings who only wanted freedom from slavery haunting her in a very specific way. Sheās self harming, a cutter.
Sheās also in charge of the Shades, a group of assassins of Halfling women, stolen as children and raised to become the monsters they are.
In a dying fantasy world of humans who hate the Fae and Halfings (those who have Fae blood), all of the Halfings physically are owned by the King.
Blair creates a realistic world where the poor are starving, lining the streets with their corpses while the King and his sadistic son live extremely well, shored up by his powerful assassins.
Until an enemy known as the Shadow strikes against the King, and he sends his Blade to find him.
This is a enemy to lovers dark fantasy with the main character having a strong tragic sapphic romantic backstory. The main male character isnāt as well written as she is, and that impacts their dynamics. Heās always a lesser character and while heās still a good one, this aspect of the story reduces the power of the relationship.
I found Keera a trapped and emotionally haunted character. Sheās constantly trying to escape her surroundings only to find that those around her havenāt been truthful.
Whether you as a reader find that is a betrayal to her or not is up to you.
Who and what she actually is remains part of the series mystery. It seems that it isnāt really revealed until the end.
As the series is finished, I did skim over the descriptions of the next stories (I know, bad me), and Keeraās journey is anguished, filled with deep tragedy, and relapse. Some people werenāt happy with the ending.
Was it dark? That would make sense because Keera actually said she should pay for the deaths of the innocent victims.
I donāt know. But as tough a read as this might be, Iāll probably continue reading. The main character is real and damaged by her choices. Iāll see her out.
Is this a series for you? Thereās trigger warnings plenty. SA, torture, self harm, violence, alcohol abuse, and other issues. So only you can make the decision.
Keera is a killer. As the King’s Blade, she is the most talented spy in the kingdom. And the kingās favored assassin. When a mysterious figure moves against the Crown, Keera is called upon to hunt down the so-called Shadow. She tracks her target into the magical lands of the Fae, but Faeland is not what it seems . . . and neither is the Shadow. Keera is shocked by what she learns, and can’t help but wonder who her enemy truly is: the King that destroyed her people or the Shadow that threatens the peace?
As she searches for answers, Keera is haunted by a promise she made long ago, one that will test her in every way. To keep her word, Keera must not only save herself, but an entire kingdom.
Fans of fast-paced high fantasy such as A Court of Thorns and Roses series, The Inadequate Heir, and From Blood and Ash author Jennifer L. Armentrout, will enjoy the fierce female characters, sapphic representation, and fantasy romance of A Broken Blade.
Be warned of many Triggers: graphic violence, past childhood abuse/trauma, torture, and more.
The violently complex , and ultimately successful sequel to Blood of Hercules, Mas continues the bloodbath saga of the deeply damaged young woman, Alexis ,who discovered she was actually Hercules, daughter of Persephone and Hades, god of the Underworld.
Weaving mythology with a powerful new world vision of the Greek pantheon and humanity, Mas has been telling the tortured story of Alexisā journey from abused orphan to Hercules, daughter of the Gods, one still fighting for her life and finding her own way towards destiny and new life.
This story picks up from the violence acts of the ending of the Blood of Hercules, where Alexis was trapped into marriage by both Augustus and Kharon. From the horror of waking up married to plans for revenge, and the hidden agenda that seeks her ruination, Alexis is fighting not just for survival but for her right as the daughter of Hades.
Achilles and Patro,her mentors are both equally responsible for her new battles and their own struggles.
A layered, enormously complex, violent and kinky tale, I enjoyed it immensely. Thereās things that I wish were better explored or handled by the author in greater depth, but itās a big story and it sets up the next book and chapter in this saga to come.
Alexis, Augustus and Kharon seem to have a resolution of sorts to their own relationship. Although the main āvillainā isnāt necessarily held accountable. Mas has left several storylines hanging and Iām sure thatās because they carry over into the next book which features Achilles and Patro. And one more new character from this book to make another tormented third.
Mas has a thing for twisted dynamics and damaging relationships. And weāre definitely headed back in that territory next. Look for trigger warnings for this book as well.
If you enjoyed the Blood of Hercules, then you will love this sequel.
I’m Hercules, but my powers are not what they seem.
I’m trapped in a marriage with my two enemies and I’ve accidentally joined a cult. To make matters worse, Augustus and Kharon are trying to seduce me. It doesn’t help that my mentors, Achilles and Patro, are acting really strange.
Now, a dangerous prisoner has escaped from the Underworld, and things are spiraling out of control.
Men are fighting over me.
Mysteries are unfolding left and right.
And Iāve had enough.
Everybody better beware because Iām fighting in the Gladiator Competition and seizing my power.
Things are about to get very messy.
For Sparta.
A Dark Romantasy for readers who love:
“Who did this to you?”
Kickass heroine
Extreme Enemies to Lovers
Morally Gray Alpha Heroes
Greek Myths and Gladiator competitions
Zodiac Academy, Quicksilver and Shield of Sparrows
Are you Team Professors or Team Mentors? Choose a side.
Shadow Throne King is the third novel in Kai Butlerās Emperor’s Assassin series and I thought this is where the series would be wrapped up.
But thereās more to come and Iāll be honest, Iām struggling a bit here.
Butler has written about a complex political situation, with an equally strong layered world upon which the author made its foundation. Kingdoms at war, subtly and magically. Ice and fire, ancient blood magicians, and monstrosities abound.
And dragons as well as things that lurk in the dark.
Thatās all pretty exciting. Love the ravens. And the characters are, individually, intriguing and given strong backgrounds.
Based on its elements alone, itās a 4.5, as a series and story. Solidly crafted and executed so well that I really enjoyed it.
Especially that last section of dramatic fights and flight from the mountain. So excellent and moving. I was with those mountain badgers and their families every single step. And that song at that moment? Heartbreaking.
What Iām struggling with? And shouldnāt be is the relationship between the two main characters. I feel absolutely no connection with them. Individually yes. Together no.
I just donāt find them credible as a pair. No real chemistry between them. And Kai Butler can write chemistry like crazy. Just read Butlerās The Empty Throne Trilogy. But, at least for me, Iām not feeling it here.
I enjoy Airon, the northern assassin/Prince Consort, although at times I feel that heās not consistent enough in his character for me here. Heās a trained assassin. Yet he doesnāt know to trust his instincts here in the story? Particularly regarding a certain character whose actions are screaming donāt trust me?
Things like that in a character and storyline just will take a reader right out of a narrative quickly. As it did me several times here.
For me, it just highlights that you can have all the āpretty things ā like great world building and details but you need to get the actual substance, the core , the relationship right for a story to feel complete. And at book three itās not happening.
But could be thatās itās just me. So for all the great execution of the plot and characters, 4 stars.
As the Imperium crumbles beneath our feet, will I be able to keep hold of Tallu?
The imperial generals who so loyally served Tallu’s monstrous father have declared war on us and fled the capital. The enemy nation of Krustau claims to have Empress Koque and Prince Hallu, the second son of Emperor Millu. If that is true, Krustau would have claim to the Imperium’s throne.
Unable to risk the possibility that Tallu’s brother could fall into the wrong hands, Tallu and I must confront a greater threat than either of us could dream of. Will Tallu’s secrets lead to our loss or will he finally trust me with the truth he can barely whisper in the dark?
Deals & Dream Spells, the second book in The Charmed Leaf Legacy series by Rachel Morgan, is very good, but doesnāt quite have the depth of character development and completion of plot that the marvelous introductory story has.
Here in Deals & Dream Spells, Morgan has feuding magical families, two main characters each dealing with various types of personal problems, and one overall story of a dream park waiting to be revived.
However, the issues of these characters are very different, and emotionally unbalanced. While Evryn Rowanwood is hiding his āscandalous pen nameā and sarcastic society novels from his loving family, his enemy/partner in bond/fake engagement, Mariselle Brightcrest has far more serious issues to contend with.
Her family is frankly abusive, from terrifying parents to horrible, cruel sister, exactly how awful they are is a fact Mariselle has been avoiding for years. Even her grandmother hasnāt wanted to confront the truth about them and their treatment of Mariselle.
So to protect herself, sheās gone along with her sister and mother in their cruelty and abuse of others, to her detriment.
Especially when she and Evryn have to convince his family of their āloveā and engagement. No one wants her in this situation and their family, especially considering Mariselleās shameful treatment of Iris Starspun in the first book.
The development of Evryn and Mariselleās relationship is very emotional, often funny and well written. Itās easy to imagine them finding themselves together in the end.
But the story doesnāt really go into depth when addressing their individual issues and pulling together a coherent narrative end to each personās problem. Evrynās drops out of the story, and Mariselleās years of abuse and damage is left to one unsatisfying scene, which really doesnāt resolve much of anything.
Itās a Happy for the Moment ending unlike the first book.
Very puzzling because there is much to admire and really love here.
Thereās a third book releasing soon and Iāll be there to see waits on the agenda for this family and the magical regency world.
Regency romance meets cozy fantasy in this entertaining tale of rivals to lovers, a fake engagement, spit-your-tea-out banter, and endless magical shenanigans.
Step 1: Accidentally bind yourself to your sworn rival. Step 2: Fake an engagement so no one knows about the accidental binding. Step 3: Try to outdo each other with increasingly ridiculous magical pranks. Step 4: Definitely don’t fall in love.
When notorious rivals Evryn Rowanwood and Mariselle Brightcrest accidentally bind themselves to a decades-old enchanted contract laying out the restoration of the failed magical attraction known as Dreamland, they must transform from bitter enemies to reluctant allies, staging the Season’s most shocking romance while secretly working together to resurrect the magical legacy that once tore their families apart.
Let the banter-laced warfare, magically assisted sabotage, and dangerously simmering slowburn commence!
āāYou seem to be under the impression I work for you and you can give me orders. Let me fix that.ā I hung up.ā
Finished one Andrewās series and immediately dive into two more simply because I canāt get enough of what these authors turn out in terms of worlds, characters and just fantastic storytelling.
Although on a current hiatus with one new release (and series) and another soon to come, luckily the married writer couple known as Ilona Andrews has a huge group of published books to explore.
Burn For Me establishes the universe in which this complicated urban fantasy story begins. In the 1800ās a chemical known as the Osiris formula was developed/found and used by humans to change their genetic composition magically. For some it was good, some great, and some horrific. It varied by individuals and family lines. And that changed the world.
Before anyone could control who got the formula, governments fell , and over time, power and control organized themselves by genetic Houses of Magical Power. Itās a deeply complex and well thought out system Andrews has created for the Hidden Legacy series. Both magical and political.
The foundation is the Baylor family and those who are connected to it, genetically and by relationships. The first trilogy is focused on Nevada Baylor and her relationship with āMad Roganā, Connor Rogan.
Iām actually close to completing all the novels and love this series and universe. The development and design of the growth of the Baylor family is incredible.
Nevada Baylor is a detective here in a transformed Houston. Her family is a small detective agency that scrambling to get by after the bills and debts that the long term care and eventual death of her father left them in. By their choice.
The Baylor family are outstanding characters, disabled sniper mother, vet mechanic Gran, two cousins and two sisters who are among those who will develop/reveal their own skills and powers as the storylines continue. Each one so perfectly defined and unique that they jump vividly off the page.
Connor “Mad” Rogan had to grow on me. His background was slowly revealed by the plot which helped to turn him into a more connectable character. In fact, his becomes more of a horror story than upbringing.
But Nevada is a powerhouse from the beginning. Relatable, stressed, trying to make the right choices for the family and keep the tenants that her father set down for her and the family.
I found the action sequences amazing, the magical battles suspenseful, and the plots full of political scheming and layering for future storylines.
Live for these stories! And highly recommend them!
Cover art by Gene Mollica
Hidden Legacy series : complete as of now
Divided into 2 sections, each with a different sibling as main character and her own trilogy.
Nevada Baylor and Connorās arc, beginning trilogy:
Burn for Me #1
White Hot #2
Wildfire #3
Diamond Fire (wedding novella)
2nd Trilogy arc: sister Catalina Baylor and Alessandro Sagredo
In this spellbinding first novel in #1 New York Timesbestselling author Ilona Andrewsās urban fantasy Hidden Legacy series, private detective Nevada Baylor navigates her way through an alternate world where dynasties, built on inherited wealth and magic, guide the course of humanity.
Nevada Baylor runs a small-time detective agency in Houston, Texas, busting scammers, exposing cheaters, and dealing with petty criminals. Sheās very good at her jobāhelped by a magical ability to sense when someone tells the truth or lies. But when sheās forced into accepting a case to find a radical pyrotechnic who can conjure heat and fire at will, Nevada knows sheās out of her league. To bring him to justice, sheāll have to join forces with someone who wields an even more dangerous power.
Connor āMadā Rogan is a former combat mage, a telekinetic singularly responsible for mass destruction in war-torn countries, and a member of one of the most powerful magic families in the world. His nephew has been kidnapped by the fugitive pyromaniac, and Nevada is his best chance at finding them both. But unlike Nevada, Connor could care less about societal law and order, and has no qualms about extinguishing his familyās enemy.
Bound by their mission, Nevada and Connor clash over their tactics and moral beliefs, even as things undeniably heat up between them. But the man theyāre chasing is involved in a darker conspiracy that threatens to destroy the cityāand destabilize the balance of power the elite magical families use to influence every nation on Earth
This series is seriously combustible. And addictive. My biggest regret is the long release lag time in waiting for the next book to arrive. Otherwise, mwah, hot, and *fans self* so in love with these mated couples.
This one takes it to the next level.
Itās a kinky air powerful witch and even kinkier arty werewolf assassin in mate love. In a forced marriage and suspense filled thriller of a story.
More of Rocco and Emmy! I honestly need them in more than this one book. They are fantastic!
Emilioās brutal family history has been played out over the previous storylines but itās damage to his character is front row here. Its meshes beautifully with the shaky history and past of Rocco, so when the magical power of the mate bond begins, itās also powered by their shared trauma and kinks. Itās sexy, raw, hot and believable for them and the reader.
Both the Lunetti Pack as led by Alpha Marco and the Elemental Mayhem MCās, who are led by Blaze, President of the MC (witches), are in well written and impactful roles. I canāt wait to see what the author has in store for them going forward. Silas too.
The vampires were curiously absent this time. Iām betting they will be a huge factor in the next book.
Thereās so many great elements here. From the side families, to the ongoing mystery and drama to that artwork. I want more.
Highly recommended and fabulous.
Cover by Camberion
Lunettti Pack:
His Mate By Vengeance (Angelo & Vin) #1
His Mate By Resistance #2 (Cal and Luca)
His Mate By Allegiance #3 (Rocco and Emilio)
His Mate By Defiance #4 (Rafe and Adri) – June 12, 2026
The wild in you calls to the wild in me, and if you let me, I will answer. I will always answer.ā
Rocco is being punished and he doesn’t like it. He probably shouldn’t have seduced and stalked the police chief’s son, but he’d been bored and no one ever should’ve noticed. His powers as an air witch skilled in illusion are too valuable for the Elemental Mayhem MC to let him go, so they’ve forced him into this sham of a wedding. They’re lucky the wolf shifter is so hot or he’d never go along with it. All bets are off once he can prove he was betrayed.
His Mate By Allegiance is an MM mafia shifter paranormal romance. It features arranged marriage, fated mates, shadow hands, and other paranormal play, including knotting. There is no mpreg in this world.
Deborah Wilde writes such wonderful books and great unusual main female characters that once I found her itās been hard not to just binge her entire catalog.
Elements that Wilde includes into her storylines and universes as well as character designs are those of Jewish history, culture, and religious traditions. From the names of the characters to their stories and even the agencies they serve, what it is to be a Jewish person is part of their identity and this book.
And her stories are mostly urban fantasy. So how she continues to fold Jewish mythology, history and religious beliefs and traditions into her urban fantasy worlds and series is smooth, unique, and fascinating.
Aviva Fleischer is an agent for the Maccabees, a government agency that regulates and deals with otherworldly events and beings. This includes having a team of diverse individuals, including vampires.
Whatās not so inclusive is anyone or being thatās identified as a demon. Or part demon. Which is what Aviva is hiding, sheās part demon. And the daughter of a high ranking official in the Maccabee organization.
Wilde excellently crafts both an alternative world where vampires and humans now exist, although not exactly in harmony. Otherworldly realms can be visited but itās a dangerous place to go if youāre a human, and thereās hidden secrets and agendas everywhere waiting to be revealed.
Aviva is a complicated character, with mother issues. An ex-boyfriend whoās come into play again and a murder mystery thatās as complicated as she is.
Just a fabulous story and it lays the groundwork for the next story to come.
Sheās just a demon, standing in front of a vampire, trying not to punch him.
Aviva Fleischer hides a dangerous secret. Sheās carefully concealing her infernal heritage, a.k.a. Cherry Bomb. Maybe itās weird naming her demon side and referring to her in the third person, but guys do the same with their junk, and unlike most of them, Avi isnāt deluded about Cherryās prowess.
Aviās been working her ass off, climbing the ranks of a supernatural policing organization to enact change and empower those like her forced to hide their true nature. Sure, sheās bent the rules now and then, but her arrest record speaks for itself. Her promotion is in the bag.
Instead, the director strikes a deal with Avi: spy on the operative sent in to work a rash of bizarre murders and prove she can be a team player, or kiss that new rank goodbye.
No problem.
Okay, maybe just one.
Her co-leader, Ezra Cardoso, is a charming, ruthless vampire with his own agenda, whom she fantasizes about: mostly staking him then vacuuming up his remains.
But when the killer sets Avivaās team firmly in their sights, sheāll have to decide whether to keep playing by the rules or show everyone exactly what sheāand Cherry Bombāare capable ofā¦
Featuring a smart, funny heroine and a banter-fueled vampire romance, this wickedly addictive urban fantasy will keep you reading way past bedtime.
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 