Review: Hand of Glory (Arcane Hearts #5) by Nazri Noor

Rating: 4.75🌈

Hand of Glory is the penultimate book in Nazri Noor’s fantastic Arcane Hearts fantasy series. I’ve been sitting here thinking about the story, all the incredibly imaginative elements, and wide range of engaging characters that Hand of Glory alone showcases.

It’s made me realize, not for the first time, how limiting our rating system is. Especially for novel’s outside the contemporary spectrum. I wish I could have a list for rating some truly outstanding aspects of fantasy/Other storytelling. And now for Best IA Characters, Best Use of Loki, Best Special Effects, Best Universe…you get my drift. Just too limited.

Like other marvelous authors of fantasy or genres of fiction that allows a writer create unique universes, build cultures and characters of their own, Noor has built something spectacular with his Arcane Hearts series. And with each new installment, he expands and exponentially gives his readers even more character growth , new imaginative elements and key new characters to think about as the series arc moves forward.

Bees. Candles. Wax. All in a way I’ve never thought about before. I loved that! A major element here . It also brings more depth to a character who’s part of the found family that Jackson Pryde and Xander Wright have been bringing together, friends from the the various Guilds, helping to rebuild the artificers guild hall. Each person within their circle is getting more layers to their personalities and more powerful.

Which is to be expected, as after the disastrous battle in the Black Market, and at the Ball, the new dangers they face from the purple crystal and the Fae becomes even more perilous.

What I look forward to in these stories, is, in between all the battles, the investigations, the sexy scenes, the fantastical mythology lie the heartwarming ones. The small bits , the tiny moments when Jackson, often when Xander is present, is reunited with his deceased parents, through the remarkable capabilities of Lore and his parents foresight to put a series of memories inside Lore for Jackson, to access just when he needs them. It’s unbelievably poignant and emotional.

It’s just one more amazing aspect of this story that makes me happy just when I know everything will be falling apart fast in the next novel. A moment to treasure.

Just like this series. And the bees.

I’m highly recommending this novel and series. Read them in the order they are written for story and characters relationships development.

I’ve listed them below. Now to wait until July for A Clap of Thunder to be released!

Arcane Hearts series, 6 of 6 books:

āœ“ A Touch of Fever #1

āœ“ A Stroke of Brilliance #2

āœ“ An Iron Fist #3

āœ“ A Velvet Glove #4

āœ“ Hand of Glory #5

ā—¦ A Clap of Thunder #6 – July 29, 2022 (finale)

https://www.goodreads.com › seriesArcane Hearts Series by Nazri Noor – Goodreads

Synopsis:

Glamor, glitter, and gold.

Jackson Pryde and the great guilds of the Black Market are recovering in the aftermath of the fae attacks. With Xander Wright at his side, Jackson finds the strength and spellpower to rebuild.

Yet the fae keep coming, infiltrating under cover of illusions and glamor. And then there’s the upcoming Grayhaven gala, a gathering that’s sure to attract their destructive appetites.

Whispers speak of a strange and powerful candle, one that will help Jackson find the source of the fae and stop their attacks forever. Where are the fae coming from? Who is sending them to spread chaos?

And most important of all: where will Jackson find the time and courage to propose?

Hand of Glory is a 77,000-word M/M urban fantasy romance with a HFN ending. Join a fast-talking artificer and a snarky sorcerer, childhood friends who become bitter enemies, then lovers, as they explore a world filled with strange flora, mythical fauna, and magical murders. If you like your urban fantasy with humor, horror, and a whole lot of heart, you’ve come to the right place. Experience Hand of Glory today.

Review: A Velvet Glove (Arcane Hearts #4) by Nazri Noor

Rating: 4.75🌈

Such an outstanding series. Each story sees a increase in danger to the world our heroes live in from the Fae, the originators of the purple poison crystals that started off the series arc with some strange deaths.

But it’s not from the Fae alone that our characters and their deep relationship seem to face new obstacles and trials. Everywhere they turn, there’s daunting challenges to the path forward they are trying to tread.

For Jackson Pryde , it’s the gods and goddesses who have invited/told him to come to a meeting about his identity as a prism. It’s a element that’s still in development as to what it will eventually mean to Jackson’s life and relationship.

It’s a overlaying thread while Jackson deals with trying to rebuild the artificers’ guild, get approval for the plans (a fantastic section that includes Lore and a new character), and get ready to attend a gathering with Xander at Greyhaven, the magical school he was told he was never good enough for.

Nazri Noor has packed a couple of books worth of themes into one here and , while jammed full, it still flows smoothly. It’s incredibly suspenseful, full of so many emotionally laden issues for our main characters that we and them might be unpacking for the next book or three.

Idol/hero worship, adolescent expectations and the pain when reality mades life feel less important, doubts and insecurities. All while fighting a growing enemy bent on complete destruction.

New fascinating characters. Old enemies , the Fae, of Irish lore. Definitely not any friendly to humans, but capable of extraordinary cruelty.

Lore is exhibiting new growth and personality. I love him.

Noor gives us hints of enormous peril, loss, and just the hope of happiness. Have no idea where this is going but I’m on for the whole ride.

Just amazing stories but read them in the order they are written so you can understand the relationships and arc development.

I’m highly recommending them all.

Arcane Hearts series:

āœ“ A Touch of Fever #1

āœ“ A Stroke of Brilliance #2

āœ“ An Iron Fist #3

āœ“ A Velvet Glove #4

ā—¦ Hand of Glory #5

https://www.goodreads.com › seriesArcane Hearts Series by Nazri Noor – Goodreads

Jackson Pryde is too cool for school.

In the middle of shearing talking sheep, Jackson Pryde and Xander Wright are visited by Hecate and Freyja, queens of magical might within their pantheons. The goddesses have summoned Jackson for a meeting among immortals, a convocation of entities who wish to study the strange nature of his prismatic powers.

Jackson’s busy enough already. Work is underway for the rebuilding of the artificers’ guild. Rumors abound that his childhood hero is searching for a suitable assistant. And a chance assignment sees the boys visiting the heart of where their bitter rivalry truly began: the elite academy of Grayhaven.

Good thing a visit to Xander’s alma mater won’t unearth old grudges and ancient insecurities.

Right?

A Velvet Glove is an 85,000-word M/M urban fantasy romance with a HFN ending. Join a fast-talking artificer and a snarky sorcerer, childhood friends who become bitter enemies, then lovers, as they explore a world filled with strange flora, mythical fauna, and magical murders. If you like your urban fantasy with humor, horror, and a whole lot of heart, you’ve come to the right place. Experience A Velvet Glove today.

Review: An Iron Fist (Arcane Hearts #3) by Nazri Noor

Rating: 4.5 🌈

An Iron Fist, third novel in Nazri Noor’s Arcane Hearts series, gives us a greater sense of Jackson Pryde and Xander Wright ā€˜s growing relationship as well as each character’s individual growth.

Jackson continues to learn more about his heritage from hidden vids his deceased parents left within the family’s AI . He’s also growing more determined to rebuild the Hall of Makers, the one who’s explosion killed most artificers, including his folks, a task Xander is supporting him on.

But the deadly purple Chrysanthemysts and the chaos left behind is center here. Noor starts to enlarge the mythology and creates a another layer that’s beginning to encroach on the one our main characters inhabit.

There’s mystery, exciting action, more of our found family, maybe even adding a member of two, but most importantly we get the revelation of who’s coming…The Who behind all the murders, the upheavals, and the chaos.

It sets up the next book and the biggest fight looming in the future.

Noor has a great arc with excellent characters with an extremely fascinating universe to explore.

I’m ready to dive into the next story and see where the author takes his characters and storylines.

In the meantime, I’m recommending this book. But read the series in the order they are written in order to better understand the progression of events and characters relationships.

Arcane Hearts series:

āœ“ A Touch of Fever #1

āœ“ A Stroke of Brilliance #2

āœ“ An Iron Fist #3

ā—¦ A Velvet Glove #4

https://www.goodreads.com › showAn Iron Fist (Arcane Hearts #3) by Nazri Noor – Goodreads

Synopsis:

Might and magic, fist and flame, to send evil back from where it came.

Jackson Pryde and Xander Wright delve into the mountain halls of the dvergar, the dwarven people of Norse myth known for their mining and metalwork. Seeking jewels and ore, they make a deadly discovery instead: a cluster of Chrysanthemysts. How did they grow underground? Where are they from? And who sent them?

The masters of the Black Market’s guilds grudgingly unite to stop the fatal flowers at their source. But digging deeper only reveals another conundrum: a legendary gemstone known as the Heart of Oberon. The fae haven’t walked the earth in forever. Why has the Heart resurfaced now?

And why is the gemstone whispering?

An Iron Fist is a 70,000-word M/M urban fantasy romance with a HFN ending. Join a fast-talking artificer and a snarky sorcerer, childhood friends who become bitter enemies, then lovers, as they explore a world filled with strange flora, mythical fauna, and magical murders. If you like your urban fantasy with humor, horror, and a whole lot of heart, you’ve come to the right place. Experience An Iron Fist today.

Review: Edge Lines (Fallen Messenger #3) by Ava Marie Salinger

Rating: 4 .5🌈

It’s been a while since I read the last book in this series, so it took a bit to get back into this extremely complicated universe with its ever expanding cast of supernatural and mythological characters. This of course includes those characters challenging, complex relationships with each other which is made even more convoluted and clouded because none of The Fallen remember their past lives due to a curse.

Salinger has written not just characters but characters that have characters layered over top of them, with each character layer having a distinct history complete with memories separate from one another. One preFallen and the person they’ve become sans memories after The Fall. Does this make them completely different beings now?

I suspect that’s going to be a question the author will be addressing in her storylines.

Edge Lines sees a return of some of those memories to our characters with haunting ramifications.

The memories have been returning in bits and pieces as Cassius Black and Morgan King find themselves with new powers and titles. In the last book, it became apparent that Morgan had Fae blood and powers that now manifested in a Wind Sword and a Crown of greens. Cassius too remembered names and took on a powerful heavenly shine when he used his powers to blast demons out of the city.

Their new Demi status is only the beginning.

The author is ramping up her series plot and it seems to be a wow of a series arc!

It happens over the course of the book. As Morgan and Cassius seek answers to who they were before The Fall , their enemy is making huge maneuvers to end the world order.

Salinger starts enlarging the cast of characters by bringing on more ā€œ players ā€œ who will have to help bring down the ā€œbig badā€. So we see the enlarging corp of fighters being assembled.

It’s more Gods and it’s fascinating as well as imaginative.

All I’ll say is I adore the Reapers!

And the author must have a huge wall of pinned cards to keep everyone and everything straight in the narrative because this is one labyrinthine series arc!

It’s just keeps getting better with each revelation.

I will say I’m not as heavily invested in Morgan and Cassius’s relationship as I am in the entire plot. Perhaps it’s a lack of chemistry for me that I find in other couples the author has created in this book.

Either way, the fantastic storylines keep me hugely entertained and engaged in the events going forward!

I need to know more! What happens next!

That’s Oathbreaker! I’ll be waiting for that to be released. It’s the series finale!

Until then, get ready. Read all the books in the order they were written and meet me at Oathbreaker!

I’m highly recommending this series and story!

Fallen Messenger series:

ā—¦ Unbound #0.5

āœ“ Fractured Souls #1

āœ“ Spellbound #2

āœ“ Edge Lines #3

ā—¦ Oathbreaker #4

https://www.goodreads.com › showEdge Lines (Fallen Messengers #3) by Ava Marie Salinger – Goodreads

Synopsis:

The Gods have come to San Francisco…

Cassius Black and Morgan King’s trip to Ivory Peaks to uncover clues about their past takes an unexpected turn when a rift materializes and war demons attack the capital. Having saved one world by the skin of their teeth, they return to Earth, only to find it has been rocked by ominous quakes bearing a close resemblance to the phenomenon that nearly destroyed the Dryad kingdom.

After defeating demons that emerge from a crevasse in San Francisco, Cassius and Morgan rescue the Wild God Pan from the bottom of a rift with the help of Victor Sloan and the city’s otherwordly. But instead of thanking them, Pan makes a startling demand: rescue his lover and prevent the Spirit Realm from being destroyed, and he will reveal the truth about who Cassius and Morgan are.

Help comes from an unexpected source when a pair of Reapers visit the city and Cassius, Morgan, and Victor soon go hunting for a missing deity who may hold the key to saving all the realms. Can they free the immortals from their prisons and find the powerful artefact that can bend the mind and will of even a God? Or will the enemy who has long manipulated them from the shadows win this war and destroy everything they have come to care for?

Edge Lines is the third novel in the gay urban fantasy romance series Fallen Messengers. If you like your paranormal adventures full of action, magic, snark, and a host of steamy angels and demons, then you’re not going to want to miss this enthralling, fun-filled ride!

Review: On the Wings of War (Soulbound #5) by Hailey Turner

Rating: 5🌈

On the Wings of War brings us to the fifth installment of Hailey Turner’s Soulbound series and an ever enlarging canvas of mythology, gods, countries and their treasured heritage sites. As the author’s scope of her arc and

individual story storylines expand exponentially, the events are characters are involved in become more clouded with politics, both human and godly, and therefore, more cruel, costly, and painful.

Here the pack must travel to Europe in search of Morrigan’s staff. It’s not merely an artifact of extreme power but a potential element of imbalance. With its owner looking to reclaim it as well.

This story brought more unexpected surprises and shockers then any of the others yet. That’s as it should be as we’re getting closer to the ending. But these surprises range from the humorous to the emotionally devastating and shocking. What a grand ending!

While the London section was terrific and added to Jono’s history as well as moved their entire pack forward as a unit, it’s the Paris journey that’s such an incredible aspect of this book in every way. From the descriptions of the city and citizens to all the actions that follow…literally a tour de force.

Turner’s murky tapestry of supernatural beings, gods of every pantheon and religious affiliation, demons, witches, power mad humans , and hidden agendas continues to captivate even as the author ramps up the anxiety and fear for all we’ve come to care about.

New gods get added each book and possibly to each Alliance too. I’m keeping a sheet , are you?

What a superb series and book! What a absolutely brilliant journey we are on!

This is one more example of why this is one of the best series I’ve read lately in this genre. Read them in the order they are written. A must read!

Highly recommended!

https://www.goodreads.com › showOn the Wings of War (Soulbound, #5) by Hailey Turner – Goodreads

Soulbound series:

āœ“ A Ferry of Bones & Gold #1

āœ“ All Souls Near & Nigh #2

āœ“ A Crown of Iron & Silver #3

āœ“ A Vigil in the Mourning #4

āœ“ On the Wings of War #5

ā—¦ An Echo in the Sorrow #6

ā—¦ A Veiled & Hallowed Eve #7

Synopsis:

Remembering the dead will always give them life.

The coveted MorrĆ­gan’s staff is up for sale on the black market to the highest bidder, and SOA Special Agent Patrick Collins will do whatever it takes to ensure the Dominion Sect doesn’t get their hands on it. Returning the weapon to its rightful owner is another step on the long road toward clearing Patrick’s soul debt, but he won’t walk it alone. Jonothon de Vere won’t let him.

Obeying the gods means Patrick must travel to London. For Jono, it means facing a past he thought he’d left behind forever. His return to England isn’t welcome, and neither is their pack, but Jono and Patrick will face the antagonism together. Politics aside, their priority must be the mission, but the bone-chilling secret they uncover in the London god pack will have far-reaching repercussions no one can ignore.

A race against time takes Patrick and Jono from the streets of London to the bright lights of Paris, where hospitality is thin on the ground, the air is filled with whispered prayers for the missing, and the MorrĆ­gan’s staff will end up in the one place it should never have gone—a graveyard.

For beneath Paris lie the long-forgotten dead, and when they rise to walk again, the living can only hope to die.

Review: A Vigil in the Mourning (Soulbound #4) by Hailey Turner

Rating: 5🌈

A Vigil in the Mourning, fourth in the Soulbound series, sees Patrick pursuing a case and artifact to Chicago as the divide between factions widens to enormous impact.

It’s a division on every level. From gods of various Pantheons choosing sides to the impending godpack were wars of NYC that Jono and Patrick’s pack will have to fight.

But first, Patrick must go to Chicago, on orders from both the gods and his bosses to find Morrigan’s Staff.

Each installment in this series brings us a new group of gods/immortals to become familiar with and in Chicago we find the Norse court,with one remarkable addition.

Odin, Thor, Frigg, the Valkyries and more are fleshed out , and powerful., weaving their mythological god threads substantially through this section of the arc with great consequence.

The city of Chicago is a perfect setting for both this story and the Norse court . Chicago figures heavily throughout the novel as the sites, restaurants, neighborhoods and politicians play an important role in every aspect of this tale.

Jono and Patrick’s relationship is a constant struggle of trust and balance. Between the new small packs coming to Jono and their pack for protection and new alliances needed to be made, the couple deals daily with trying to maintain the needs of their growing pack responsibilities with that of Patrick’s job as well as the overwhelming demands of the gods with claims on their souls.

All that while coming to grips with their own Soulbound, still new relationship, and Patrick’s traumatic history, which is always a part of everything that occurs.

Turner’s characters, no matter whether they be gods, were, mage, or , human, are complex , believable beings, capable of being right for all the wrong reasons as well as the opposite. In other words everything is grey, nothing can be relied upon to be as it seems. A very stressful existence for all.

Turner does include humor, usually in the being of dragon fledging Wade, a favorite of mine. It’s also within the intimate dialogue between the characters who have deep friendships with each other. I’m thinking of the amazing Nadine here. It’s needed when things go south quickly. As they do often.

The fight scenes are over the top incredible, exciting, and heart stopping. Full of nonstop battles , white knuckle worthy and fantastic! Even as all the combatants lay waste to everything around them, well known locations and objects included.

All this makes for a turbulent , fabulously complicated book full of relationships always teetering on the edge of both hope and absolute disaster. It’s definitely a 5 star ride all the way.

None of these stories can be taken out of sequence. They must be read in the order they were written, especially as the group’s path is taking them towards multiple wars.

I’m onto the next, trying not to run through this fantastic series because I know I’ll be bereft at ending it.

I’m highly recommending this book and series. It’s just an incredible journey I’m on with these characters. I can’t wait to see where the author takes us next.

Soulbound series:

āœ“ A Ferry of Bones & Gold #1

āœ“ All Souls Near & Nigh #2

āœ“ A Crown of Iron & Silver #3

āœ“ A Vigil in the Mourning #4

ā—¦ On the Wings of War #5

ā—¦ An Echo in the Sorrow #6

ā—¦ A Veiled & Hallowed Eve #7

A Vigil in the Mourning (Soulbound Book 4)by Hailey Turner4.8 out of 5 stars 490

Synopsis:Special Agent Patrick Collins is dispatched to Chicago, chasing a lead on the MorrĆ­gan’s staff for the joint task force. Needing a cover for his presence in the Windy City, Patrick is ordered to investigate a politician running for mayor. In the lead up to election day, not everything is what it seems in a city where playing to win means appeasing the gods first and the electorate second.

But Chicago brings its own set of problems outside the case: a stand-offish local god pack, a missing immortal, and Patrick’s twin sister. Fighting Hannah and the Dominion Sect provides Patrick with a sinister reminder that some blood ties can never be cut.

Left behind in New York City, Jonothon de Vere finds himself targeted by hunters who will go through anyone to kill him—including the packs under his protection. With a bounty on his head, Jono is forced to make a choice that Patrick would never approve of. Doing so risks breaking the trust he’s built with the man he loves, but not acting will give the rival New York City god pack leverage Jono can’t afford to give up.

When Patrick and Jono reunite in Chicago, Patrick must confront the fraying of a relationship he’s come to rely on for his own sanity. But fixing their personal problems will have to wait—because Niflheim is clawing at the shores of Lake Michigan and the dead are hungry.

Review: A Crown of Iron & Silver ((Soulbound #3) by Hailey Turner

Rating: 5🌈

With A Crown of Iron & Silver, author Hailey Turner continues our journey into the old gods and nigh forgotten pantheons around the world.

It’s an extremely fascinating and often terrifying ride, as these gods are, depending on who they are, turn out to be rage filled, scheming, desperate to hold onto their power and followers. And it’s a weird meshing of countries and Gods that I find I’m absolutely increasingly focused on. Aztec god brothers to ancient Celtic Gods to the more familiar ones of the Greek and Egyptian pantheons to those of Norse and Mexican origin. It’s just incredible the way each is brought vividly to life. And I’m only halfway through.

There’s also werecreatures, vampires, succubus, mages, witches, and of course the Fae.

The last figures largely here as the case that pulls Patrick and therefore Jono away from a quiet Christmas at home is that of a stolen human child and a changeling. The human child that was stolen belongs to a high ranking witch family and that means Patrick is involved.

There is no way to even begin to explain the complicated and many storylines that follow. One plot after another, layering over and through each other until it starts to resemble a painting where the artist has used so much paint that you’re not sure whether to stand back or move closer because you can’t see a subject anymore.

The relationship between Jono and Patrick is moving forward, gaining strength from the very traumatizing events of the last story. Jono’s status a alpha and godhead of his pack is spreading. As is Patrick’s role as co Leader.

As the gods raise their demands on Patrick’s soul and the Dominion Sect as well as Ethan, Patrick’s father continues their drive for godlike power, loyalty, love, and truth seems to be tested at every turn.

Turner does give us humor, usually via Wade, our teenage dragon fledgling. Ever eating, still recovering from the trauma of his abduction and brutal abuse at the hands of a now dead vampire, the safer he feels the younger he feels safer to be. He’s funny, adorable, and for a huge flaming being, very poignant at times. You just want to hug him then turn him loose in a grocery store….on someone else’s credit card of course.

What else surprised me? The great take on the Fae from the Court of the Queen of Air and Darkness. So very imaginative and yes, scary. Love it. I adore it when an author can see the Fae, brings that have been described so many ways in so many media, in a new aspect. Great job.

This story is full of great, relatable characters that you will care about! They have wonderful relationships and storylines within the main book and arc that it’s impossible not to be invested in them and their future.

At the end, we are set up for the next book and job the gods, different ones this time, want Patrick to set out on. That it runs along side one that he’s already pursuing? An occurrence that doesn’t surprise him or Jono.

Everything and everyone is moving closer to a collision.

This series just gets better and more addicting. I recommend them highly. Start at the beginning and work your way through.

Synopsis:

New York City is decked out for the holidays, and Special Agent Patrick Collins is looking forward to a reunion with his old team when he gets assigned a new case. A human child is missing, and the changeling left in her place causes a prominent witch family to demand justice from the fae.

Meanwhile, continued harassment from the New York City god pack forces Jonothon de Vere to formally establish his own with Patrick. Doing so will mean a civil war within the werecreature community—a war they risk losing from the start without alliances. Making bargains with the fae is never wise, but Patrick and Jono have nothing to lose when a fae lord comes asking for their help.

The Summer Lady has been kidnapped from the Seelie Court, and if they can find her, Patrick and Jono will cement an alliance with the fae. But the clues to her disappearance are found in Tƭr na nƓg, and the Otherworld has never been kind to mortals.

Venturing past the veil, Patrick and Jono risk losing territory, time, and their very lives while searching for answers. Because the Queen of Air and Darkness knows they are coming—and the ruler of the Unseelie Court has an offer for them they can’t possibly refuse.

https://www.goodreads.com › showA Crown of Iron & Silver (Soulbound, #3) by Hailey Turner – Goodreads

Soulbound series:

āœ“ A Ferry of Bones & Gold #1

āœ“ All Souls Near & Nigh #2

āœ“ A Crown of Iron & Silver #3

ā—¦ A Vigil in the Mourning #4

ā—¦ On the Wings of War #5

ā—¦ An Echo in the Sorrow #6

ā—¦ A Veiled & Hallowed Eve #7

Review: A Ferry of Bones & Gold (Soulbound #1) by Hailey Turner

Rating: 5🌈

I absolutely love it when I stumble across a book by a new author and become a fan of the writer as well as a reader highly invested in a series and characters after only finishing book one.

That’s what occurred after Hailey Turner’s A Ferry of Bones & Gold got it’s narrative hooks into me. Once I found myself absolutely engaged with the lives of Patrick Collins, Jono, and all the rest of the beings fighting against the Dominion Sect , I was full on part of that universe and fight as well.

Turner has a terrific way with dialogue and descriptions that makes these people. beings, crackle with life, energy, vibrancy or in the case of the vampire s, chilling magnetic power, that flies off the pages.

And the sense of urgency, and suspense is incredible when it comes to the battles and chases. Whether it’s mundane or magical. From great fight scenes to the devastation left behind, the author brings a sense of authenticity to her writing that makes us believe!

The plots here are many and varied. Also as convoluted as the famous Labyrinth of Crete, which is perfect because on top of werecreatures, vampires, elves, dragons and such, the story’s man elements include the gods of various mythologies. Albeit vary much alive.

The first book deals primarily with Greek although the Egyptian Ra and Norse gods are mentioned.

Here they are quite the meddling group, and the layers (as well as god pantheon politics) flow through the story.

That’s a lot to pack into a story and this book holds that weight easily. Along side a beginning relationship with Patrick with a were, and a small group of beings as he starts to find himself a unofficial ā€œteamā€ and circle of friends.

However, the author also allows a continual thread of loss, death, isolation, to run faintly through. It’s in Patrick’s history, and the reader is aware is most likely in the fighting still to come.

A sobering awareness that never leaves, giving this story a severity and somber note you hear over the laughter.

I appreciate that and wonder how this extremely complicated relationship and many layered arc storylines will play out.

I can’t wait to read on and find out.

What an amazing start.

Highly recommend this story and author.

Soulbound series:

āœ“ A Ferry of Bones & Gold #1

ā—¦ All Souls Near & Nigh #2

ā—¦ A Crown of Iron & Silver #3

ā—¦ A Vigil in the Mourning #4

ā—¦ On the Wings of War #5

ā—¦ An Echo in the Sorrow #6

ā—¦ A Veiled & Hallowed Eve #7

Synopsis:

When the gods come calling, you don’t get to say no.

Patrick Collins is three years into a career as a special agent for the Supernatural Operations Agency when the gods come calling to collect a soul debt he owes them. An immortal has gone missing in New York City and bodies are showing up in the wake of demon-led ritual killings that Patrick recognizes all too easily from his nightmares.

Unable to walk away, Patrick finds himself once again facing off against mercenary magic users belonging to the Dominion Sect. Standing his ground alone has never been a winning option in Patrick’s experience, but it’s been years since he’s had a partner he could trust.

Looking for allies in all the wrong places, Patrick discovers the Dominion Sect’s next target is the same werewolf the Fates themselves have thrown into his path. Patrick has been inexplicably attracted to the man from their first meeting, but desire has no place in war. That doesn’t stop Patrick from wanting what he shouldn’t have. Jonothon de Vere is gorgeous, dangerous, and nothing but trouble—to the case, to the fight against every hell, and ultimately, to Patrick’s heart and soul.

In the end, all debts must be paid, and Patrick can only do what he does best—cheat death.

A Ferry of Bones & Gold is a 115k word m/m urban fantasy with a gay romantic subplot and a HFN ending

https://www.goodreads.com › showA Ferry of Bones & Gold (Soulbound, #1) by Hailey Turner – Goodreads

In the Spotlight: Golden by RL Mosswood (excerpt and giveaway)

Title:Ā  Golden

Author: RL Mosswood

Publisher:Ā  NineStar Press

Release Date: September 25, 2017

Heat Level: 3 – Some Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 33500

Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, LGBT, Romance, fantasy, paranormal, gay, captivity, magic users, mythology, sailors, slave

Add to Goodreads

Synopsis

Harem boy might not be the most appropriate role for someone who’s never really seen the appeal of sex, but Elin’s status as dahabi: golden in a land of tan and brown, has marked him for The Dragon’s service since birth. He’s content enough with his life of uncomplicated, if restrictive, luxury, until an unremarkable chore becomes a case of love at first sight.

Mysterious newcomer Hathar, a roguish ā€œmerchant adventurerā€ from far-off lands, ignites an exploration of Elin’s first taste of physical desire, as well as a desire to experience life beyond the palace. Now, they must find a way to escape before Hathar’s ship departs, stranding them forever in The Dragon’s harem.

Excerpt

Golden
R.L. Mosswood Ā© 2017
All Rights Reserved

Chapter One

Elin woke in his usual place on the silken pallet between Nikil and Rian. The haram was dark, and the night sky outside the elegant, grated windows was still inky. He wasn’t sure what had roused him. He couldn’t recall a dream, and the room was quiet but for the usual nighttime chorus of the men’s sighs and snores.

A moment later, he realized he could hear something else. Not in the room, but maybe down the hall or from the floor below, he could make out rough, raised voices. A fight? But who would it be at this hour, and in this part of the palace? He propped himself on his elbows a little and scanned the room—all the beds seemed to be filled. The men of the haram knew better than to fight anyway, at least notĀ thatĀ kind of fighting, with yelling and tussling. The Dragon didn’t take damage to ā€œher boysā€ lightly, and anyone caught inflicting that damage was likely to disappear without notice or explanation.

He listened a little longer, trying to make out words or recognize a voice, but whatever was happening was far enough off to make that impossible. Finally, he heard a door slam, and that seemed to be the end of it.

He rolled over and drifted off, still puzzling over what he had heard.

*****

At breakfast the following morning, everything seemed normal. The hall was filled with the groggy murmur of men beginning their day, the rich aroma of coffee, and the tap of wooden cutlery on fine china.

Elin, as usual, sat on his own, thoughtfully chewing a honeyed pastry. Though it was hard to ever be trulyĀ aloneĀ in the haram, his tendency to quiet contemplation left him out of most of the livelier interactions the other men favored. He wasn’t much for sport, which was one of the main entertainments among his comrades, and his thoughts tended to follow slow and dreamy pathways that didn’t lend themselves to clever banter.

As he was pondering the particular play of light on the grain of the highly polished tabletop, a shadow moved into his peripheral vision. One of the guards, a man named Emun, was approaching. The guards of the haram were in a unique position: They were, in most ways, subordinate to the residents they guarded, so they spoke in polite tones, made requests rather than demands, and would usually do whatever was asked of them. At the same time, they were in charge of keeping the men in their place—generally not a hard job. Who would want to escape the lap of luxury, after all? But it was known that, if pushed, the guards would muster force to keep order, which lent an edge to all their interactions with their charges.

Elin finished his bite and looked up, inviting Emun to address him.

ā€œI’ve got something for you to do after breakfast,ā€ he said. ā€œA new resident who needs some cleaning up.ā€

ā€œA new resident? To our wing?ā€

Elin was used to being assigned chores considered beneath the more favored men of the haram, but this was unusual. His wing was inhabited by the twenty-one- to thirty-year-olds. They had all entered the haram as children, as soon as they’d been found by The Dragon’s collectors, or ceded by their parents. New arrivals had trickled in through their younger years, a few carefully hidden late arrivals into their early teens, but it had been nearly a decade since anyone had joined the group Elin had grown up with.

ā€œYep.ā€ Emun cut his thoughts short. ā€œCity guard found him skulking around the palace walls and assumed he was an escapee, but we’ve never seen him before. He’s The Dragon’s now, of course. Pretty rough around the edges though. Weird accent, needs a scrub and a shave. See what you can do. Jurah will have him waiting for you outside the baths after you’re done here.ā€

ā€œSure. Okay.ā€ Elin wasn’t sure what else to say. How did a fully grownĀ dahabiĀ end up wandering outside the palace? Did he mean to get caught? He supposed he’d have a chance to answer all his questions soon enough, and returned to his breakfast as Emun returned to his post near the door.

*****

Outside the baths, Jurah was waiting as promised. With the guard was a man who could only be the new addition, looking much worse for wear than Elin had anticipated. His hair was so filthy and matted that Elin was surprised the city guard had known him asĀ dahabiĀ at all, and there was blood caked down his cheek and through his stubble from an angry split on his brow. He hadn’t come voluntarily, then. The sturdy rope binding the man’s wrists only reinforced that fact.

ā€œEmun asked me to come down after breakfast,ā€ he said, not quite ready to volunteer what he’d been asked to do. Maybe Jurah had a different understanding of the matter.

No such luck. ā€œYeah! I’ve got quite a job for you here,ā€ the guard replied jovially, indicating the filthy man by tugging lightly on his bindings. The ā€œjobā€ in question scowled slightly, but said nothing.

ā€œDoes he, uh, need to stay bound like that?ā€ Helping with a bath was one thing, but Elin didn’t think he had it in him to wrestle anyone into submission.

ā€œOh, no. Our friend here has settled down quite a bit since last night. He’s going to be on his best behavior for you. Right?ā€ With that, Jurah elbowed the other man for a reply.

He looked up from under his brow, directly at Elin as if the guard wasn’t there, startling him with moonlit-silver eyes. ā€œI’m no threat to you. There was just a…misunderstanding with these other gentlemen earlier, and they don’t quickly forget.ā€

Elin found, thankfully, that he believed the man. ā€œLet him go then. I can’t get him cleaned up with his hands tied together.ā€

The guard did so and then hesitated a moment, as if unsure what do to next. ā€œWould you like me to come in there…with you?ā€ The guards usually gave the men of the haram their privacy in the baths—it was their job to protect, not to ogle—but Jurah clearly didn’t feel the same faith in the stranger’s intentions that Elin did.

Elin looked again into the strange, pale eyes. Seeing no malice there, he said, ā€œWe’ll be fine. You can watch the door to ensure a little privacy for our new guest, and I’ll call out if I have any need of you.ā€

Jurah looked uncertain, but released the man, clearly feeling himself on the subordinate end of the equation in this interaction.

Elin stepped forward and opened the door to the baths, gesturing for the man to follow. ā€œIt’s just a bath, really,ā€ he said to the skeptical Jurah as he closed the door behind them.

Purchase

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Meet the Author

RL Mosswood lurks in the depths of the Pacific Northwest rainforest, where they dabble in queer fiction in an attempt to add a little magic to their otherwise mundane existence.

Website | Facebook | eMail

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9/25 Divine Magazine

9/25 Boy Meets Boy Reviews

9/26 Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews

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What Happens Coal in the Stocking isn’t the Worst that Could Happen? Find out with ‘Nicolas’ by Dianne Hartsock (excerpt and giveaway)

Nicolas9

Nicolas byĀ Dianne Hartsock
Release Date: December 18, 2015

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: AngstyG

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words is happy to have Dianne Hartsock here today. Ā Welcome, Dianne, I understand you have something special to share with our readers this Christmas Day!

~

Merry Christmas! Thank you so much Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words for hosting me on this special day. Last night, Christmas Eve, Nicolas sat wrapped in Jamie’s arms in front of the fire, stealing sweet kisses. Later, after sharing their passion, Nico sprawled on the couch and watched the lights twinkling on the Christmas tree while Jamie read a book, his feet on Nico’s lap. Nico sighed in contentment and quiet joy and made a list of the things he was most grateful for.

  • Jamie, my sweet angel, who has completed my life.
  • The peace I feel in my heart at this moment, knowing the Krampus’s hold on me is gone.
  • God in his mercy has given me a new lease on life.
  • I’m grateful for the friends who have stood by me and the new ones I can now make
  • Every time I can make Jamie smile.
  • That Andy and his father are safe this Christmas.
  • Jamie has forgiven me and I have learned to forgive myself.
  • That I can now spread the word of peace in the world unhindered by the Krampus’s interference.
  • Jamie is safe in my home tonight and I will spend my first Christmas with the man I love.
  • God has forgiven me.

That was beautiful. Ā And it certainly makes me even more intrigued and eager to read their story. Ā Now more aboutĀ Nicolas byĀ Dianne Hartsock:

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Blurb

Betrayed by a lover, Jamie rents an isolated cabin on Lake Huron, wanting only to be left alone. Instead, he is pulled from his solitary existence as an artist and tumbles headlong into the legend of Saint Nicolas.

As a young man, Nicolas accidentally killed a man intent on murdering three children, only to have the man’s malicious spirit rise up against him. Fleeing through the centuries from the Krampus, the evil troll-like creature that dogs his steps, Nico finds refuge with the young artist who takes him into his home and bed. But Jamie has questions. Who is Nicolas, and why does the Krampus want to destroy him?

When the Krampus begins to torment and torture anyone Nico comes in contact with to punish him, Jamie’s life is put in danger. And Jamie isn’t sure whether he can help Nico defeat his nemesis or if he’s merely a pawn in the Krampus’s game.

 

Pages or Words: 200 pages
Categories: Contemporary, Fantasy, Gay Fiction, Mythology, Novel, M/M Romance

Excerpt

Jamie startled awake. ā€œWhat?ā€

He had trouble breathing, the crushing weight on his chest seeming to have followed him up from his dreams. But that couldn’t be right. He’d rented the cabin for its isolation. No one should be there. Did he still dream?

A warm breath brushed against his cheek, sending a shiver of dread and strange anticipation through him. ā€œEasy, baby,ā€ a silky voice whispered in the darkness. Sharp teeth nipped his earlobe and pleasure and pain sparked along his nerves. His eyes adjusted to the moonlight filtering through the sheer curtains, and he stared in amazement at the man gazing at him with wild green eyes, long pale hair, high cheekbones and a slender neck he craved to run his tongue along.

The stranger laid his weight on him, driving the air from his lungs and making Jamie struggle for every breath. Shifting position, the man sealed his full lips over Jamie’s, drawing a long groan from Jamie when an impossibly large cock slid against his. In sudden panic he reached to shove his unknown visitor away and touched hot skin and lean muscles. Of their own volition his hands roamed lower, following the curve of the stranger’s back to the rounded swell of his ass. He drew a quick breath and the man laughed into his mouth, pushed his tongue deep, thrusting inside to match the movement of his hips as he ground against Jamie’s aching dick.

Heat pooled in Jamie’s stomach. God, what was happening? The thing in his bed looked like a man, but his every instinct shouted otherwise. His skin was warm when it should have been cold from being outside. And how had he gotten in? All the windows and doors were locked tight against the winter storm. It was as if he’d just materialized in Jamie’s bed. ā€œWhoā€”ā€

He cried out when a hand pushed between them and grabbed their cocks, stroking them together until he lost the ability to think. So close! He grabbed onto the man’s firm ass and yanked him tighter against him, rising up to shove into his strong grip.

The triumphant hiss in his ear shot ice through his veins. ā€œSo naughty.ā€

ā€œNo!ā€ Jamie struggled to sit up, scrambling back against the headboard. He blinked, finding himself alone in the room, only his ragged breaths disturbing the silence of the cabin. A forgotten anxiety knotted his stomach. Naughty. He hated that word, tossed about by the boys he once knew in school. The ones he’d suck off behind the gym, desperate for a gentle hand in his hair, balm against his loneliness. He’d been terrified his parents would find out he was different, that he liked girl things and found boys much more exciting than he should. They would know he was gay and there would be hell to pay for their freak of a son.

He scrubbed a hand over his face. God, that had been ages ago. The last shreds of the dream dissipated, and he reached for the bedside light, fumbling in the darkness for the switch. Low light stung his eyes and he blinked at the empty bedroom, unable to believe the attack hadn’t been real.

He flung off the heavy quilts and slid to his feet, clinging to the post at the foot of the bed as a wave of dizziness struck him. Laughter from the other room jolted him. Heart pounding, he bolted for the door and it crashed into the wall as he flung it open. The reddish glow from the banked fire on the hearth lit the main room of the cabin, though the kitchen area remained in shadows.

Jamie’s gaze swept the rooms, focusing on the dark corners. No one jumped out at him. Nobody sat on the couch. His coffee cup remained undisturbed where he’d left it on the hearth. Of course. The cabin was isolated, miles from the nearest neighbor. Who would bother to come way out there, especially with the threat of another snowstorm on the way?

He ran a trembling hand through his hair, pushing the sweat-drenched bangs from his forehead. Christ, the dream had seemed so real. The cold of the great room finally registered, creeping up from the hardwood flooring. Shaking, he crossed to the fireplace and stirred up the coals, adding another log.

With a sigh, he sank into the cushions of the worn couch and pulled the woolen afghan around his bare shoulders. The log caught and the fire crackled, sparks dancing up the flue. Recalling his dream and the hard body against his, he shrugged when his cock perked up.

ā€œIt’s been a while,ā€ he acknowledged, watching the flames lick at the oak log. He’d signed a year’s lease on the cabin, right after catching his boyfriend in the stairwell of their apartment building, making out with their neighbor. It hadn’t been the first time, either, though again Patrick had his apologies ready. That had been over six months ago, and since the cabin stood miles over rough terrain from the nearest town, he’d rarely seen another human being in all that time.

ā€œJust the way I like it,ā€ he told the indifferent fire burning its way through the wood. But the stranger’s lips in his dream had been soft, his thrusting tongue sweet in Jamie’s mouth. He hadn’t liked the violent aspect of the dream, but if that had been a lover in his bed? His dick pressed against his thigh, and Jamie reached under the heavy blanket, moaning when he took its heavy weight in his hand. Drawing lazy circles on his balls, he let the pleasure build slowly, lifting his cock while in his mind the stranger licked the glistening head, his pale gold hair a curtain of silk against Jamie’s sensitive skin. He moaned as the man slid his tongue down the thick vein on the underside of his cock.

His mind flitted over the question of whether the guy would fuck him or want it the other way around. Didn’t matter to him. He liked it both ways. Rolling to his back, Jamie continued to stroke himself while he tugged his tight balls, then pressed a finger against his hole. He remembered the lube in the nightstand drawer by the bed, but he wasn’t about to stop, and hissed when he pushed the finger inside. The man’s cock had been huge in his dream. What would it feel like as it stretched him open? Would it be enough to fill all the empty spaces inside him?

It was a moment before the tolling of a bell outside the cabin registered. What the fuck? Jamie sat up, trying to hear past the pounding of his pulse in his ears. His cock throbbed and he groaned in frustration, knowing he couldn’t chase his pleasure until he found out what was going on at the dock. The only one to boat in was the man who dropped off his monthly supplies, and he’d been and gone two days ago. Who else would be using the dock? Jamie had been isolated for months without anything disturbing his peace. But this night he’d had a wildly erotic dream and now this. What made tonight so special?

Buy the book:

AmazonĀ |Ā KOBOĀ  |Ā Barnes and NobleĀ  |Ā Dreamspinner PressĀ E-bookĀ &Ā PrintĀ |Ā AReĀ 

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Meet the Author:

Dianne grew up in one of the older homes in the middle of Los Angeles, a place of hardwood floors and secret closets and back staircases. A house where ghosts lurk in the basement and the faces in the paintings watch you walk up the front stairs. Rooms where you keep the closet doors closed tight at night. It’s where her love of the mysterious and wonderful came from.

Dianne now lives in the beautiful Willamette Valley of Oregon with her incredibly patient husband, who puts up with the endless hours she spends hunched over the keyboard letting her characters play. She says Oregon’s raindrops are the perfect setting in which to write. There’s something about being cooped up in the house with a fire crackling on the hearth and a cup of hot coffee warming her hands, which kindles her imagination.

Currently, Dianne works as a floral designer in a locally-owned gift shop. Which is the perfect job for her. When not writing, she can express herself through the rich colors and textures of flowers and foliage.

 

Where to find the author:

 


Tour Dates & Stops:

21-Dec: Cheekypee Reads and Reviews, Kirsty Loves Books, Full Moon Dreaming

22-Dec: Unquietly Me, Book Reviews, Rants, and Raves, Divine Magazine, The Hat Party, Inked Rainbow Reads

23-Dec: Happily Ever Chapter, Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings, Mikky’s World of Books

24-Dec: BFD Book Blog, Velvet Panic

25-Dec: Joyfully Jay, 3 Chicks After Dark, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words

28-Dec: Love Bytes, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, MM Good Book Reviews, My Fiction Nook

29-Dec: QUEERcentric Books, A.M. Leibowitz, Books A to Z

30-Dec: Prism Book Alliance, Alpha Book Club, Cathy Brockman Romances

31-Dec: Molly Lolly, Bayou Book Junkie

1-Jan: The Novel Approach, Havan Fellows, Dawn’s Reading Nook, The Fuzzy, Fluffy World of Chris T. Kat

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Enter to win aĀ Rafflecopter Prize: $25 Amazon Gift Card. Ā Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Ā Link and prize provided by the author and Pride Promotions. Ā Happy Reading!

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