Review:  Where Fools Have Tread (Tales From The Tarot novel) by Jennifer Cody

Rating: 4.5🌈 

Jennifer Cody’s new book, Where Fools Have Tread, is featured in the new multi author series, Tales From The Tarot.  

Situated in the author’s Murder Sprees and Mute Degrees universe with crossover characters, this is an absolutely engaging story that promises to bring the reader additional books about this world and gargoyle guardians. 

Cody weaves magic, science fiction, romance and the mystical powers of the Tarot cards into a narrative where a lonely young man of indecision finds his path, his origins, a fated mate,  and a family. All with a little magical charm and assistance.

I’m a longtime fan of Cody’s, especially her ability to create beautifully realized characters and then deliver a highly imaginative, engaging storyline for them to explore and journey to their own endpoint, whatever that means.

Here Dec Scion, an aimless young man,  still mourning the loss of his uncle who raised him, ends up a butler working for the unusual wealthy Staiano family. Who happen to be guardian gargoyles. 

Dec, a great character who continues to reveal depths of personality and strengths of his own, meets Thoren, and the attraction sets off an highly snarky, fun relationship that allows each to learn about each other as it turns into a fated mates relationship. 

There’s other gargoyle brothers and uncle, Maxime, who clearly need further exploration and stories.  And great housekeeping staff equally well developed and crying for more details.

I was thoroughly entertained and delighted with this couple and new beginnings.  I look forward to more novels, both in this series and from Cody.

Love love this cover!

Cover art: Fae Quin 

Cover design: Amanda Meuwissen

Murder Sprees and Mute Decrees (4 book series)

Buy Link:

        Where Fools Have Tread

    

Blurb

Dec:

I’ve never really had much in the way of direction in my life, until I walk into an eerie shop where a strange man charges me more than I should pay for a tarot reading of one card. Next thing I know, I’m graduating school to be a domestic servant and find myself employed by someone else’s weird uncle in the strangest mansion. Everyone is great even if they’re all a little… off. Except Thoren. He’s a thorn in my side, and I’m not sure how I feel about him dropping his cards all the time just to make me pick them up for him. (My ass is not what he’s looking at because… what?)

Thoren:

I’ve known since I was a child the path I would take in life. I’m a guardian, one of the Trustworthy, and I am excellent at my job. I take my pleasure wherever I can find it, because I’ve earned every second of my leisure with the hours, days, and weeks of work I put in on every mission. Finding pleasure in teasing the new butler is new, but Dec seems to like it just as much as I do, no matter how often he tries to hide in the cleaning closet. (I’m definitely looking at dat ass because… yum.)

Where Fools Have Tread is an MM paranormal romance set in the Murder Sprees and Mute Decrees universe with a human butler who finds his calling serving a household full of paranormal protectors and a gargoyle with resting bitch face who takes delight in teasing him.

Where Fools Have Tread is a standalone MM romance novel as part of the multi-author collaboration Tales from the Tarot. This book is based on the major arcana card The Fool.

  • Publication date: August 19, 2024
  • Language: English
  • Print length: 179 pages

Tales from the Tarot is a massive multi-author paranormal & fantasy MM romance collaboration. These 22 books, each by a different author, highlight the Major Arcana cards in a traditional Tarot deck – with some liberties taken, such as The Empress card being The Consort, for an all MM or gay romance focus.

Tales from the Tarot- 22 books 

🔷 Where Fools Have Tread by Jennifer Cody

🔷The Magician’s Heart by J.P. Jackson

🔷Cleric of Desire by Amanda Meuwissen

🔷The Nephilim’s Touch by Morgan Lysand

🔷King of Hollywood by Fae Quin

🔷My Minotaur Daddy: An MM Romantasy by Laura Lascarso

🔷Across Space and Time by Kit Barrie

🔷Chariot of Souls by Morgan Mason

🔷By Rude Strength by K.L. Hiers

🔷Found in Obscurity by A. M. Rose

🔷Twisted Fates by Adam J. Ridley

🔷No Justice for the Damned by Hellie Heat

🔷The Angel’s Kiss by Nicholas Bella

🔷Death Song by B. Ripley 

🔷Arcanum by Ashlyn Drewek

🔷The Devil’s Dilemma by Alex J. Adams

🔷Camelot’s Tower by Brooke Matthews

🔷A Highland Gargoyle’s Lucky Star

by Chloe Archer

🔷Trust in the Moon by Delaney Rain

🔷Raising the Sun by Eryn Hawk

🔷Zero Judgment by Kota Quinn

🔷The End of the World by Drake LaMarque

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

Rating: 4.5🌈

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Beautiful covers.

Carnival of Mysteries 2 -2024

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

🔹The Wrong Familiar by Megan Derr✅

🔹The Villain Who Wasn’t by Liv Rancourt 

🔹Blue Lightning by BL Maxwell 

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

🔹Lighting the Darkness by Eden Winters – sequel to Darkness 

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

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

🔹Go for the Climate by Ander C. Lark

🔹 Flames of the Arcane by Nicole Dennis 

🔹Midnight on the Midway by Morgan Brice 

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

Buy link 

        Lighting the Darkness: Carnival of Mysteries

    

Blurb

Only Light can balance Darkness.

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

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

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

The battle for the end begins…

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

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

Carnival of Mysteries series. 2023 and 2024:

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

Carnival of Mysteries 2 -2024

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

🔹The Wrong Familiar by Megan Derr

🔹The Villain Who Wasn’t by Liv Rancourt 

🔹Blue Lightning by BL Maxwell 

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

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

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

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

🔹Go for the Climate by Ander C.Lark 

🔹Flames of the Arcane by Nicole Dennis 

🔹Midnight on the Midway by Morgan Brice 

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