The first in a new fantasy series, The Insanity of Reincarnated Mages and Amorous Vampires is a highly entertaining and fast paced fantasy adventure. Itās got reincarnated lovers, a sentient library, a found family of vampire warriors, and so much more.
All in all, a world of fun and magical action adventure, interwoven with love remembered and born again.
Sherwoodās characters are engaging, easily crossing time periods and a magical landscape to emerge in the modern world, embracing the cultural and technological aspects of the era, including even manga comics.
One of my favorite elements is the sentient library herself, Kassandra. A vibrant personality and key figure, even without a voice, I adored her. Master Declan, Ivy and the rest of the found family that defends and inhabits the library are amazing. Then thereās Kit, the one who was left behind, and Gun, the one who died and was reincarnated.
What a story and couple.
I was snared by the tragedy, pulled into the world by the adventures and hope of the future for the couple, and then just had a fabulous time with them along the way with the battles, the magic, and the ever enlarging foundation.
I canāt wait for the next in the series to come.
Iām highly recommending this to fans of this trope and author!
Reborn love. Unleashed magic. We wonāt fail twice.
Hi, Iām Kit. Immortal vampire and technomage extraordinaire. You know how it goes.
For the record, I am absolutely not stalking my reincarnated husband.
Okay, I am, but it’s for his own good. And mine. Er, assuming I can somehow figure out how to tell him heās reincarnated and a mage, and we all live in a sentient library.
Any thoughts on that? Iām currently taking suggestions.
One thingās for sure. Heās not dying on me again. Never again.
Tags:
The fluffiest fluff to ever fluff, that yāknow includes violence, magic, reincarnated lovers, vampires, sassy library, Kassandra the library has OPINIONS, found family, all the magical shenanigans, Kit and Gun are part time soulmates full time problem, authors have lost all discretion in this, Kit is a walking green flag, the crack ship armada is sailing at full speed here, master should never have access to a credit card, or a bookstore, no book is off-limits with that man, triggers involve too much sap and cuteness, occasionally blowing shit up, violence is not the question but it is the answer, Sentient Library Tells All, Iām absolutely a library book check me out.
With Zachary, the wonderful Demons-In-Law trilogy comes to a heartwarming conclusion and for me, itās way too early for this series to end.
I feel like we are just getting to know the extraordinary mountain enclosed village of Hortplatz, the most demon inhabitants, and run by an imperious demon grandmother whoās a remarkable figure. Plus we barely explored the mysterious dragon hoard , hidden behind a 12,000 ish year old puzzle door, that had been built into the mountain above the village by a long ago dragon, and it now the scientific find of the world. Oh, Hortplatz, we hardly knew you!
Masters finishes with the heartbreak couple. Ronan Draco, Steffenās twin brother, who is burdened by their horrific past, and his self inflicted āprisonā of guilt, doubts, and inability to connect with others. Ronan is selected by Brandt to catalog the items and help identify them as them come out of the vault. Itās terrifying to him.
On the other side, thereās Zachary, grandson to the formidable grandmother ,Damaris Bailey , who rules the family, town Council and everyone else with a steely voice and gaze to match. Zachary is the townās forester, well, go to demon, depending on the job, despite having his own hopes and dreams. Heās continually sacrificed for the sake of the family and the community, letting family obligations and responsibilities become an invisible prison for himself. Until the bitterness is threatening to swallow him.
This is the setup that Masters introduces the reader to the situation and these haunted beings to each other. It is not a meet cute.
But the journey to redemption and love for both is a fabulous and heartwarming story to read. Ronanās as he realizes his need to connect with the Hortplatz community and learn how to make friends. Thatās a truly remarkable, funny, and joyful stumbling path he had to take, one that included pastries, group text sessions, and a box from the World of Wangs makes an important appearance. Ronan finds he can become part of a community, have a home, with a loving partner, leaving the past behind.
And Zachary? In Ronan, he finds someone to stand with him, support his passions, explore new experiences, even if it means staying in Hortplatz. For now.
Masters doesnāt forget Damaris, the stern, unyielding grandmother, whose actions and character become fully revealed in a wonderful, memorable scene.
So many great characters are brought in to help Ronan and Zachary achieve their dreams and HEA, from Steffen to all the many demon cousins and their families.
As I said, three books is barely breaking the surface of this villageās stories and what the future now holds for them.
Itās my wish that Masters might come up with another series that will find its way back into this world and town , so we can get an update on everyone there and the new couples to arrive.
In the meantime, Iām highly recommending this series and book. Itās fantastic and a grand bit of fantasy!
A dragon with endless secrets meets a demon with nothing to hideā¦
Iām the easygoing one. The fun one. The rare member of my family who gets along with anyone. Except thereās a chance I may have got off on the wrong foot with our new dragon liaison, Ronan. In my defense, he rubs everyone the wrong way. The only thing heās got going for him is his looksā¦ if the miserable frown werenāt there to mar them. But he seems to be trying harder to connect, and I guess I should do the same. Even if his arrival here was the beginning of all my problems.
When I cross the line and guilt compels me to apologize, I get my first glimpse of a different Ronan. Someone who enjoys baking, thinks glitter is amazing, and wants people to like him. Someone I could be friends with. And when that frown disappears? I want more than just friendship.
But thereās something going on with him, something heās been carrying for a long time. Heās been hurt before, and the secrets heās keeping are the kind that eat you inside. How can we take things to the next step if he canāt be open with me?
Itās only when he steps up to make all my dreams come true that I realize some secrets need to stay that wayā¦ and that loving Ronan means accepting him for who he really is.
The time has come, the wizard says, for all great adventures to come to an end and all the fabulous adventurers to tend to their wounds, gather their treasures, and head back home.
Necromancer Lawton, Half Orc Berklak, and the rest of the Beefcake Brigade are still on their quest to find the reason for the dreaded miasma thatās spreading over the lands, causing the females of various species to turn on the males in a murderous frenzy.
Now they are headed into the frozen southern landscape of Gwafellaw. There awaits such wondrous things as dragons, a crazy wood elf, and the solution to the murderous rage thatās seeping over the continent.
Codyās final chapter in this fabulous adventure is a doozy. She gives us a bit of fatherly acceptance for Lawton, forest love for Berklak and new magical powers, some wildly inspired battles, and an ancient, devastating origin tale that is the beginnings of all the woe here.
Yes, that does contain mention in an ancient poem of multiple SA to a woman long dead. Be warned.
Cody pulls together all the pieces of the journey, the events of carnage, and magical scenarios to create one monumental experience as a cap to the adventure and a final chapter in this epic tale. Loved it.
What a strange and glorious romp this has been! I shall miss this motley, powerful, magical crew. And hopefully, one day, Cody will decide to send them forth to adventure once more.
Until then, Iām highly recommending all five chapters of this excellent adventure. Make sure to read them in order.
I honestly thought passing through the ward to the freezing land of Gwafellaw would be more miserable than it turns out to be. Who has time to be miserable when everything in the land wants to kill you? No one, thatās who.
Between fighting dragons, finding a new species, and saving a crazy druid, Berklak and I are learning exactly what it means to be anchored, tied together, bonded, and in love. Weāre going to defeat the aelysou hurting Fasgard no matter what it takes, because Iām the high sorcerer of Fasgard and the most powerful necromancer alive. I wonāt let anything separate me from the love of my lifeānot my father, not a goddess, not even death.
Berklak:
Iāve been adventuring for over fifty years, and Iāve adventured in Gwafellaw before, but Iāve never seen so much hostility. The only good thing walking this land is Lawton, and Iād follow him to the portals of death herself if thatās where he wanted to go.
I might not be sure exactly what weāre going to find in this frozen wasteland, but if itās not my happily ever after, I wonāt have done my job right. Iām proficient in weapons, and Iām confident weāll prevail, but itās a good thing we have Lawton to keep us from permanently making the ultimate sacrifice. Iād hate for him to lose me before we even figure out where weāre going to live after this.
I Went on an Adventure and All I Got Was This Barbarian Orc is a five chapter serial fantasy adventure with a light-hearted, fun TTRPG vibe. Expect big magic, lots of cuddles, plenty of steam, and a team of characters that might not get a natural 20 on every roll, but they make up for it with creative solutions to both magical and mundane problems.
The Grim Adventures of Death and Chan: Vol. 1 (a Dead Serious Companion novella) by Vawn Cassidy is a story available at the authorās website. There was a mention of it at the end of Dead Serious Case #4 Professor Prometheus Plume, a book I just loved that was a recent release. So of course when the author drops this side story into the series list at the end of that novel, Iām on it like itās a hunk of chocolate. Donāt judge.
Chan has been such a special, strong character throughout the series, evolving as relationships and the shattering events have altered this characterās perceptions about himself and the life around him. I say him now but as Chan explains here, the journey to understanding himself has been a long process, one that included Dusty, their past, and, surprisingly, the Grim Reaper too.
The Reaperās presence has been a constant source of fascination and continued curiosity for me in the series, especially recently with the Reaperās interactions with Chan.
This is Cassidyās answer, Iām sure, to the overwhelming number of people asking for more Reaper/Chan relationship content. Itās fabulous.
These are thoughtful, well developed characters, and Chanās journey to a new awareness of himself and the next chapter in his life is a great read. The reader is able to see certain events from a new perspective, watch as Grim woos Chan (a wonder in itself), and a new found paranormal family gets formed.
Plus the author has promised more adventures to come. Be still my narrative yearning heart.
Yes, The Grim Adventures of Death and Chan: Vol. 1 (a Dead Serious Companion novella) by Vawn Cassidy is a must read. However, itās not a standalone, but a novella that is a significant part of a fabulous series. Iām highly recommending them all.
Crawshanks Guide to the Recently Departed:
ā Dead Serious Case #1 Miz Dusty Le Frey #1
ā Dead Serious Case #2 Mrs Delores Abernathy #2
ā Dead Serious Case #3 Mr Bruce Reyes #3
ā Dead Serious Case #4 Professor Prometheus Plume #4
ā The Grim Adventures of Death and Chan: Vol. 1 (a Dead Serious Companion novella) – Side story
ā¦ Dead Serious Case #5 Madame Vivienne: Schedule 2024
The Grim Adventures of Death and Chan is set in the Dead Serious Universe. It is a compilation of bonus shorts told in chronological order and documenting the hilarious and sweet beginnings of the relationship between the drag queen known as Chan and the supernatural entity known as Death.
This volume includes Death goes on a Date, Death goes Shopping, Death goes on Holiday and Death gets a Puppy!
Donāt miss out! Itās a must have for all Dead Serious fans!
Elric Shaw is a new author for me and I found Shawās new fantasy novel a wonderful story and enjoyable start to a new series.
Several elements drew me immediately to this story. A misunderstood necromancer, a Paladin with a mission, and a magical mystery. Yes, please.
Itās actually more complicated than that, the two men, Alistair, Knight of the Church, and Ignatius, necromancer, both has painful, emotionally traumatic wounds from their respective childhoods. Each tragic event that ended up causing the deaths of the otherās parents, while the men not being actually responsible, the Church and magic was.
Shaws made Alistair and Iggie so relatable with their own doubts about the lives they are living, building such depths into their characters. For Alistair, itās living the life his father and the Church wanted for him without any real introspection. Until the mission, Iggie, and a snowstorm intervened.
The same for Necromancer Iggie, alone, almost starving in his temporary home with his animated skeletons as companions, hating the Church, its Knights for his tragic past and what they represent. Until Alistair charges into his life bringing light and a huge change.
Thereās a mystery that needs investigating. A village known for its magical crystals at its heart and a relationship between two men thatās uncertain to resolve until the end.
Just a couple of elements I wish were fully explored. The magic itself here. I loved the crystal elements, and thereās one amazing scene where Iggie sings to a dull solitary crystal bringing it to unbelievable splendor. There was poignancy and wonder. Why? What happened? I wanted more of that.
Alistair was someone whose actions as an indoctrinated Knight of the Church made sense but also frustrating from a narrative standpoint. Poor Iggie.
Shaw just pulls it all together in a smashing (literally) battle and has a satisfying ending, with a touch of the sadness. As it should.
Iām looking forward to the next book and more from this author. Itās a definite recommendation.
Alistair’s first solo mission as a paladin sounded simple enough: purge the undead terrorizing a remote mountain village and bring the wicked necromancer controlling them to justice. But when he’s captured, he begins to suspect that the village faces a far greater threat than a few skeletonsā¦and that his strange captor might need protecting just as badly.
Paladins have hunted Ignatius his entire life. His crimeādaring to be born with the wrong kind of magic. The mountains seemed like the perfect place to seek refuge for the winterā¦until an obnoxiously handsome paladin arrives on his doorstep. Ignatius expects to loathe Alistair like the rest of his arrogant kin; however, when a harsh winter storm forces them together, he finds himself opening up to the paladin in ways heād never dreamed possible.
Alistair and Ignatius both have every reason not to trust the other. Yet, as mysterious magic threatens to eradicate the nearby village, they have little choice except to combine forces if they hope to survive.
Can a paladin and a necromancer set aside their differences for the greater goodā¦or will the rift between them prove impossible to ever bridge?
A slow burn, fade-to-black M/M fantasy romance featuring forced proximity, hurt/comfort, enemies-to-lovers, and a hard-won HEA. Every book in Hearts of Allaria is standalone and can be read in any order. Perfect for fans of K. D. Edwards, Tavia Lark, and Ben Alderson.
The first in Fieldingās new Wings over Albion series, The Red Dragon of Oxford is a great intro to this author while diving into a favorite trope and subject matter of mine. Iām talking dragons! And librarians. As well as romance and mystery.
I love the setting and the imaginary Mortimer College in Oxford where the events take place. Fielding builds on Oxfordās tradition and history when creating the riches of architecture and atmosphere thatās Mortimer College and its library. Itās alive, full of students in every emotional state, and two very special and impressive librarians, one of which is a dragon.
A dragon into whose life comes a doctorate student of immense determination and courage.
I love the way Fielding unfolds the tale of Mark Stevens, post doc German theology student who happens to see a red dragon in the early morning hours to his utter delight and disbelief . Markās life is one of constant doubt about himself and continuous study and stress to get through his first year. The author paints a realistic picture of a the struggles and stresses that are present under this situation. Mark is definitely relatable.
Rufus Mortimer, the Liberian whoās so much more than a librarian is also not the normal idea of a powerful, confident dragon. His is a complex, intelligent, and layered character with a background that has just enough foundation to give his issues believability but also left the series and family history room to enlarge for future books. Adore Rufus.
The plot includes multiple characters, storylines, and the potential for dragon history and mythology to explore as the series continues to develop.
Fielding starts with a dragon who is on the edge of his own familyās power and outside of the inner circle and knowledge. Rufus by his color is an outlier . Thatās exciting, satisfying, and starting to change by the end.
This, so far, isnāt a soul mate romance. But the relationship between Mark and Rufus evolves slowly and is so lovely to read. Itās a HFN.
The next picks up with another dragon, Rufusās big brother who we met in this book. I wish I had my hands on it now. Unfortunately, no information as of yet.
Until then, Im highly recommending The Red Dragon of Oxford (Wings over Albion, #1) by Joy Lynn Fielding for lovers of paranormal romance, dragons, mythical tales, and mystery.
Oxford isn’t exactly what I’d imagined. Sure, the colleges are romantic, and everyone is brilliant enough to trigger my impostor syndrome. I expected that.
The dragon, however, was a big surprise.
I saw him on my first day. The beautiful beast spoke to me, then disappeared. Iāve been looking for him ever since.
When Iām not on a wild dragon chase, I spend my time in the library. Iād like to think Iām only there to study, but who am I kidding?
Iām there for him.
Rufus Mortimer is the worldās hottest librarian. Heās strict, enigmatic, and sexy. He makes me feel things Iāve never felt before.
But he has a secret. One that could destroy everything.
So now, all I have to do is find a dragon, earn my doctorate, and try to not to let my new romance burn my life to the ground. Easy, right?
I wishā¦
The Red Dragon of Oxford, book 1 in the Wings over Albion series, is a sweet and spicy paranormal m/m romance. Download today, and get ready to fall in love with Mark and Rufus.
It was the amazing cover that drew me to Teeth and Tarot: A MM Paranormal Romcom (le Fay Romances Book 1) by A.A. Fairview. Iām also a huge fan of paranormal/fantasy fiction and ready to read something by an author new to me, like A. A. Fairview.
This is their first series and it has some nice elements to it. The premise of a male witch, a twin, from a wealthy criminal family whoās now estranged from their father. Lance le Fay is clashing with a human being, Reagan, over his familyās deadly illegal activities.
Thatās only some of the storylines that author A.A. Fairview has at the center of this novel but those are interesting ones, and the initial chapters are good ones.
However, Fairviewās characters and plots also work against themselves in letting whatever potential they showed early on slowly be pulled away. As the plot develops, the narrative makes less and less sense and the main characters themselves seem powerless (literally ) and of the STTL variety.
A witch, Lance le Fay, whoās backstory is never really filled in, with minimal exceptions of an appearance by his āevil twinā and with no real magical abilities (or explanation of the magic in this world). However , as Fairview will tell us, heās done ābad thingsā for his family. Why and how he was made to do them is never clear.
Lance hides in plain sight, keeps his real name, stays in the same town as his notorious family, is estranged from them, but expects them to show up any moment to drag him back into their nefarious schemes. He could actually leave town but that would spoil the story. And maybe make sense.
Next he meets and is suspicious about a gorgeous stranger he hooks up with in a bar. Naturally he has sex with him after taking him home (which he never does). Yes, this is an incredibly stupid idea.
But thatās Lance le Fay. The entire story all he does is react without thinking. He runs off, puts others in danger. Runs here, runs there. Never has a plan about anything. Leaves bar alone at night to walk home after his friends tell him itās the idiotic thing to do because thereās been a bunch of people showing an interest in him. Every scene is Lance demonstrating heās basically a STTL character. Thatās To Stupid To Live character if you didnāt know.
And for a witch, you canāt imagine why, because thereās no foundation for this aspect of his character. Thereās one scene with him using magic that isnāt even remotely close to being impressive. A fizzle instead of an explosion. And thatās it. That and he reads tarot cards.
The other main character, Reagan (named after Ronald), is a hot mess, albeit a bit more interesting. But a hash is eventually made of him as well.
Here be more spoilers.
Reagan, the gorgeous hookup turns out to be a FBI agent, one specifically hired as a āhoney potā someone who lures in suspects with sex. Cause z, which absolutely makes no sense in law enforcement terms. But that aspect of his character and this story is weak and illogical in every way possible as written to start. Heās straight , but then has no issues with gay sex. Heās been selfish and self absorbed in his previous married relationship but shows no signs of changing until forced into a new relationship by means of becoming a werewolf.
Furthermore, towards the end, naturally his FBI phone rings, his bosses/colleagues calling to check on their errant agent. Reaganās response isnāt to answer the call but hand it over to another werewolf/friend of Lanceās. That being, then at Reaganās request destroys the unanswered phone, with Reagan saying he will be fired anyway.
Right. Because the unanswered call from an FBI agent will make that agency automatically assume that agent has quit and will be living another life , with a suspect in that suspectās apartment where they had him under surveillance. No paperwork, turning in equipment, badges, etc. No following protocol. Sigh.
And yes, Lance takes the newly turned Reagan right back to the exact same apartment thatās seen Lance abducted from (various bad guys) , under surveillance ( his criminal family and the FBI), but no problem, why move?
From a potentially good start to a story that went downhill with ever increasingly outrageous plot lines and silly elements to a HFN that just made one shake their head.
The second book in this strange series is a different couple, female/male relationship, but no matter, Iām stopping here.
Too bad. A lovely cover and potentially nice elements that just never got the treatment they deserve.
Trigger warnings, here referred to as Content Warnings, are listed at the beginning by the author.
Cover Art:Sophie Zuckerman
Cover design: A.A. Fairview
le Fay Romance:
ā Teeth and Tarot #1 (m/m )
ā¦ Crystal and Contracts #2 (m/f-different couple)
tās not my fault, I remind myself. Daily affirmation.
Unfortunately.
Lance fled the comforts of his wealthy witch family a decade ago and has settled into a human existence. But the nightmares remain and drowning out the memories with clubs, hookups, and early morning coffee runs only helps so much. When he spots a hot stud as his favorite coffee spot, things seem too good to be true. His gut tells him itās too good to be true and to not trust the man who calls himself Adam.
But a one-night stand canāt hurt. Right?
Like a curse he canāt escape, Lance is pulled back into the world of witches, werewolves, and gangs. For every person he has in his corner there is another working against him. Never mind his stud hookup– who went and got himself bit by a werewolf. Forgetting things has never been easy and Lance isn’t ready to just forget this man… even if keeping him close puts them both in danger.
Teeth and Tarot is the first book in the le Fay Romance series following a family of witches, though the books can be read as stand alone. Teeth and Tarot features a witch and werewolf relationship between two men.
A crossover with Charlotte Briceās ShiftARS series, Kraken Klaus has some interesting ideas and mythology woven into the romance storyline of a young mershifter in his first job aboard a ocean liner and the kraken, God of the Sea, he awakens.
The character of Moshe is very appealing. Young, impressionable, and good hearted, the author gives Moshe an equally interesting history and background to accompany his endearing personality.
Brice skimps on the information about his immediate family life, his mother and imposing, often absent , famous Captain of a father. Those details are needed to understand why Moshe is so underrated and ignorant of Mer history.
Also a good plot line but not fully explored was the toxic dumping. There was more structure that needed to be laid down for this story line. Itās a major part of the book but at the end, the reader is still left with a number of questions about why no one notices on board ship that this is going on at sea , what ever happens to Mosheās father, the toxic investigation results, etc. Thatās all discarded in favor of the romance.
The romance is the main plot, of course. Lots of tentacles and tentacles sex, with a bit of kink. FYI. The newly awakened Kraken is detailed in his looks and lack of current knowledge of the status quo between humans , shifters and such. That made total sense. But oddly not as powerful as one might expect for a God of the Sea. Seemed more Kraken Lite.
Ryuu does a narrative service here by revealing much of the backstory behind the Mermaid/Mer shifters and why they have been so land removed, rarely being able to shift into their original forms. Itās a mixture of myths, sort of paying the price for wanting legs.
The siren aspect is unclear as itās brought in very late in the story.
However, how Brice describes and handles it, makes me want so much more. And have it brought in earlier on so it felt more like an overall part of the story than an add on. It was one of my favorite things about the story and Mosheās character. Over way too soon.
Spoilers.The ending, nicely dramatic, had too many loose ends and odd moments. Moshe just forgot about his family and ran off to live in an underwater palace with Ryuu the Kraken, complete with a kitchen and tea kettle of sorts. And lots of edible moss . Forever.
All in all, Kraken Klaus: A winter Holiday MM Tentacle Romance by Charlotte Brice has some interesting elements and some really sexy moments. A grab bag of fun and tentacles under the sea. But it didnāt quite gel for me. It might for you.
You read the description and decide for yourself.
Tinsel and Tentacles (11 books)
ā¦ Jingle Bells and Elder Gods by Kiernan Kelly
ā All I Want for Christmas is Tentacles by Chloe Archer ā¤ļøš«¶
ā¦ Tentacles and Other Stocking Stuffers by Delaney Rain
ā¦ Tentacles Rock by K.C. Carmine
ā A Sucker for Christmas by J.P. Sayle
ā Kraken Klaus by Charlotte Brice
ā¦ Twelve Days of Squidmas by H.L. Hiers
ā¦ Itās a Tenta-ful Life by Amanda Muewissen
ā Rebel without a Claus by L Eveland
ā Cthulhu for Christmas by Meghan Maslow ā¤ļøš«¶
ā¦ Tentacle Wonderland by Reese Morrison – Jan 1,2024
This is not your typical Christmas story. Sure, it’s set on a Christmas holiday cruise liner. Of course there is a roast turkey dinner with all the trimmings. Yes, there are presents, chocolate and tinselā¦
ā¦but there are also tentacles. And we all know that is what you came for.
When Moshe realises his fellow mer crew are dumping toxic chemicals into the sea, under the guise of holiday cruises, he is horrified.
When the only song he can ever remember lures up a giant sea octopus, he can finally stop his own people from polluting the sea.
But Ryuu has other things on his mind. He responded to the song of his mate. Sure, he’ll destroy the boat for his love, but Moshe demands the passengers be unharmed.
Thank goodness the ShiftARS are there to do the actual work, these two are very easily distracted by all the wonderful Christmas things Moshe will leave behind when he joins Ryuu out at sea.
Ryuu couldn’t deny his boy a final experience of Christmas, even if he doesn’t understand stuff like the forest of chocolate trees, or the Christmas Daddy.
Kraken Klaus is part of the Tinsel and Tentacles multi-author collaboration and a complete standalone.
Want more tantalizingly tentacular winter holiday romances? Grab the whole series!
J P Sayleās A Sucker for Christmas is a fun, sweet addition to the Winter Holiday Tentacle collection.
A best friends to lovers story with an added twist of one of them being an octopus shifter, thereās not a lot a universe building or exploration of the octopus shifter culture here. Itās a soulmate relationship, where the shifter recognizes his mate early on in life, in this case, at the age 4, but again no real background is known other than Fitchās parents revealing their own human/octopus courtship.
However, even without a shifter framework, this does cutely work on the misunderstandings/doubts that occur between two established best friends who are afraid to take the next step into a romance.
Thereās the sister Mandy to assist with this, and the madcap events that follow.
There are many questions about the relationship, the culture, that never really get answered. But the characters are adorable and the Australian location perfect for the romance.
Christmas down under style with octopus tentacles . Very cute.
Tinsel and Tentacles (11 books)
ā¦ Jingle Bells and Elder Gods by Kiernan Kelly
ā All I Want for Christmas is Tentacles by Chloe Archer ā¤ļøš«¶
ā¦ Tentacles and Other Stocking Stuffers by Delaney Rain
ā¦ Tentacles Rock by K.C. Carmine
ā A Sucker for Christmas by J.P. Sayle
ā Kraken Klaus by Charlotte Brice
ā¦ Twelve Days of Squidmas by H.L. Hiers
ā¦ Itās a Tenta-ful Life by Amanda Muewissen
ā Rebel without a Claus by L Eveland
ā Cthulhu for Christmas by Meghan Maslow ā¤ļøš«¶
ā¦ Tentacle Wonderland by Reese Morrison – Jan 1,2024
An annual Christmas vacation to Australia gives two long-term friends more than they bargained forālove. But one of them has a secret that could suck in more ways than one.
Fitch found his soulmate, Shaun, when they were both four years old, but they were separated by two things, a couple of oceans and their age. Not to mention the secret Fitch has been keeping. The fact you can turn into an octopus at will isnāt the kind of thing to be sprung on anyone, especially a soul mate.
Every winter, Shaun heads down under to spend Christmas with his family. For the last twenty years, heās spent his favorite holiday surfing and lazing around on golden beaches with his best friend, Fitch. Shaun wants more than friendship, however, but has no clue how to get the man of his dreams to see him as more than a friend. Enter Mandy, Shaunās sister, and Christmas is all set to become an adventure with hilarious consequences.
Fitch and Shaun are about to find out how to deal with the discovery that true love comes with suckers.
A Sucker for Christmas: A Winter Holiday MM Tentacle Romance is part of the Tinsel and Tentacles multi-author collaboration and a complete standalone. Expect to find steam worthy of an Olympian swimmer and laugh out loud moments that will make your ribs ache. Want more tantalizingly tentacular winter holiday romances? Grab the whole series!
I enjoy a high fantasy fiction even if the descriptions arenāt exactly in alignment with my tastes. Like that of The Royal Curse (Twilight Mages Book 1) by Eliot Grayson.
Graysonās storyline revolves around a cursed Prince of a small Kingdom , a winter trip he desperately wants to take to a magical gathering , and the soldier his mother, the Queen, has assigned as his guardian and the leader of their traveling expedition.
While I thought that there were some interesting things and nice moments here, overall, Graysonās story missed the narrative mark.
I had issues with this book on multiple narrative levels, which made Greysonās fantasy story , one that had some interesting plot lines , a bit of a muddle. And one that needs more of a trigger warning about sexual assault, and more.
First is the lack of any world building. Thereās no real understanding of how this world works. Grayson delivers up that vague mythology explanation for Prince Nikolaās cursed magic but nothing more about the other magic present.
And its origin and the extent of its use in this world, not just in Nikolaās Kingdom.
Mages and their status is unclear but they appear to be esteemed. But how widespread they are isnāt known because, even after hundreds of years, thereās no real written record of Nikolaās cursed magic and any kind of magical ability to restore him.
All of this is just odd. Itās just not logical. But thatās the way the author has it folded into the story. A beloved and coddled Prince with cursed magic and a powerful Queen as a mother but she hasnāt been trying to find a cure or an appropriate remedy all these years?
Because then he wouldnāt need to go over the mountains in winter to go to some magical gathering to seek out a solution for his own curse? Carrying only a few bottles of his precious potion in a saddlebag of all things?
Sigh.
The author has a focus but isnāt laying down enough foundation for the various plot lines and characters to rest upon.
That brings me to the characters. Prince Nikola isnāt very likable at the beginning, at least for me. Heās very picture of entitled,childish, whiny to the point his siblings have had enough of him. Even his mother has stopped talking to him. I wanted to muzzle him. He has a cursed type of magic. Got it. But heās been castrating himself chemically rather than looking for other solutions and thatās his choice. But he strikes at other people who love him for this.
Nope not getting his character. He makes this an almost DNF early on.
Andreas, the soldier whoās assigned to be his bodyguard/boss by the Queen, is a better character. Heās solid, more competent. But the very late (98 %) in the book explanation for his āloveā for Nikola, his Prince, is brief and without any context. So is the constant fear of their sexual relationship being one of treason.
Thats another aspect of the story that makes no sense whatsoever.
Nikolaās magic makes him go through a rut-like, mindless lust process that makes him feel like he has to have sex (be the one to be on the receiving end, as though thatās a bad thing) as the magic eats him up inside. Otherwise he dies. Who it is Nikola has sex with doesnāt matter , so he drugs himself limp. Ok yes, lots of questions here that are never answered. He knows enough about the magic to chemically castrate himself but after hundreds of years of this magic existence, nothing more important to positively improve his life?
But having to have sex with Andreas, because choices are very limited, death or sex, how does this become treasonous? Not sure the author worked it out throughly. And the subject carries with it, no matter what the author tries to overlay it with, an atmosphere of non consent because either way, Nikola has no choice.
Finally,another spoiler of sorts. The author has in the description that āThere is an attempted on-page sexual assault that is not between the main characters.ā However, while itās not between the main characters, thereās a very graphic on page attempted sexual assault on one of the main characters later in the story that is unexpected. This follows a kidnapping scene and one of physical violence on the main character. All of these scenes should come with a trigger warning.
So for those readers, please take note.
Final thoughts on The Royal Curse (Twilight Mages Book 1) by Eliot Grayson.
I like cohesive storytelling and structure and just think this was missing a strong sense of both.
Itās the first in a series but Iām not sure Iāll be going forward. You decide if this sounds likes itās right for you.
Dawn mage. Twilight mage. Cursed, useless, damaged, dangerousā¦
His birth magic leaves Prince Nikola with nothing but bad choices: live as another manās possession, subject to his whims and his desires, or remain dependent on a potion that stunts his powers and prevents him from knowing love.
Andreas vows to protect the prince with his lifeāwhether Nikola wants him to or not. After all, the queen pays his soldierās wage. Nikolaās nothing but a job to do.
But when they find themselves stranded, with Nikolaās potion running out, Andreas has toā¦improvise. Because what Prince Nikola needs to survive is the opposite of a lowly guardās respectful protection.
It shouldāve been only one night. Just until the potionās refilled. But now that Nikolaās had Andreasās touch, he craves Andreas again and again. He shouldnāt. But heāand his magicācanāt live without itā¦
The Royal Curse is a high-heat MM fantasy romance with a stubborn prince, an even more stubborn soldier, and cursed magic that canāt be denied. There is an on-page attempted sexual assault that is not between the main characters. HEA guaranteed.
The Royal Curse is a high-heat MM fantasy romance with a stubborn prince, an even more stubborn soldier, and cursed magic that canāt be denied. There is an attempted on-page sexual assault that is not between the main characters. HEA guaranteed.ā
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 