Tag: #newbookreleases

Review: Mack’s Horribly Hellacious Ghost Town (Mack’s Marvelous Manifestations #5 by AJ Sherwood 

Rating: 4🌈

Mack’s Horribly Hellacious Ghost Town  is the finale story in the Mack’s Marvelous Manifestations paranormal series by A. J. Sherwood and it’s a really good read.

I’m sorry to see this series and set of characters go, especially since Sherwood actually introduces some new and engaging characters here in the finale novel. Maybe, as the author writes in the notes, they might speak to her sometime in the future.

Brandon and Mack , new apprentice Gwyn who’s part of the story, and all the Paranormal Activity Division, FBI friends they’ve worked, all engage in two big spooky battles in Black Rock, Arizona, a mining ghost town. 

“a coal mining town in Arizona—or a former coal mining town, I should say—that’s haunted as hell.”* 

I’ll come back to this. 

Lachlan and Seiji, chaos magician and fabulous new character as well as new romantic/paranormal partner for Lochlan, were a wonderful surprise couple. They got a small amount of narrative time and  a chapter’s perspective here. Honestly they were both a lovely team and a frustrating element of the story because they were great together and then it ends. So why do it at all? 

Mack and Brandon are ready to get married and settle down, a running thread here. This is the case just before they get married and are into their next adventure. 

The town in Arizona, Black Rock, which is an actual copper mining town, here is a ghost town full of ghosts and things that go bump into the night. Tons of them. And the Mayor has asked for help.

There’s also a haunted coal mine outside of town with something down deep in the deserted mine shafts to deal with as well.  That’s the second issue.  The town’s ghosts and the thing in the mine.

Added to that is a young girl, a medium, Gywn, who needs saving from her family and the dark ghosts attacking her. 

So there’s a lot of storytelling and elements that the narrative needs to handle. Which it does by bringing back multiple characters from books to help Mack and Brandon deal with the situation. And Gywn’s, who turns out to be a great delight here. She needs to be factored into Lachlan and Seiji stories.

The actual battles seemed to be more Seiji’s than anyone else’s, fierce as they were, with Lachlan and Dor’s fighting too. 

Mack and Brandon took care of the rest of the ghosts, surprisingly easy as this is their story. 

 

The locations of the mines and areas of interest, Clifton, an actual great historical copper mining town in Arizona , about 3.5 hours east of Phoenix. Check it out! The real historical coal mining sites were northeastern parts of the state in Navajo Nation and Hopi Reservation lands, like the Kayenta Mine. 

There’s more than one Black Mesa too.  That’s directly east of Phoenix. 

So in the story and town it’s a bit different than what you might expect to see historically correct sites. 

But it’s a finale book, they’re headed off to get married, which they quickly do in the epilogue. Short and sweet. 

I was disappointed not to see the characters who were in the story not to be mentioned in the wedding section but it’s so hurried that hardly anyone is. 

This book starts out great but is rushed towards the end. Still a wonderful series. 

Cover by Katie Griffin

Mack’s Marvelous Manifestations (4 book series)

Brandon’s Very Merry Haunted Christmas #1

Mack’s Perfectly Ghastly Homecoming #2

Mack’s Rousing Ghoulish Highland Adventure #3

Mack’s Horribly Hellacious Ghost Town #4

Crossover series:

Jon’s Mysteries Case (6 book series)

Buy link

 Book 4 of 4: Mack’s Marvelous Manifestations 

Blurb 

Apprentices, and two ghost towns, and almost-demons oh…no.

Mack doesn’t mind the apprentice part of this job; in fact, finding Gwyn is delightful, though he hates she grew up in such a haunted town with parents who don’t believe she’s a Medium.

Mack really hates the old mining ghost town is locked down with weird energy and none of the ghosts can see them, which makes passing them difficult.

Mack especially hates that in Black Rock there’s an almost-demon ghost inciting other ghosts to cause a mob, how is that allowed to be a thing?!

Who you gonna call for help when you’re the experts? Mack wants to know for a friend. (Him. He’s the friend.)

Tags: 

Mack has found hell on earth, this was not on his bucket list, Accidental apprentice acquisition, Lachlan is back!, ghost gangs, chaos magician, Seiji is a new bonk bro, wedding, almost demons lurking, too much water and limestone for a medium’s peace of mind, uncharted haunted mines make Lachlan’s day, Eli is her usual scary self, Mack goes Wild West, Brandon can see ghosts here, that’s not a good thing, Brandon gets to have an apprentice too and can’t be happier, ghost pranks, Mack has picked too many battles, he’s putting some back, Ghost-hunting squad–assemble!

Tropes: MM Romance, Multicultural Romance, Ghost Town, Ghost Medium, Age Gap, Apprentices, Wedding, HEA

This is the fifth and final book in the series following a plot crossover with the Jon’s Mysteries Series. While it would be best to read the books listed in the below order, you can read Mack’s Horribly Hellacious Ghost Town without having read “Book 4” with minimal confusion. To read in series order, Book 1 – Brandon’s Very Merry Haunted Christmas, Book 2 – Mack’s Perfectly Ghastly Homecoming, Book 3 – Mack’s Rousing Ghoulish Highland Adventure, Book 4 – Jon & Mack’s Terrifying Tree Troubles, and Book 5 – This title.

June 12, 2026

Language

‎English

Print length

338 pages

Book 4 of 4

Mack’s Marvelous Manifestations

Review:  Stir Crazy: Maya’s Blogs: Book 6 by Lara McKenzie 

Rating: 4⭐️

Stir Crazy is book 6 is Maya’s Blog, one of my all time favorite series. 

Lara McKenzie has taken her main character on a tremendous personal journey of self discovery and growth. She’s gone from someone who fled a strict religious home environment that was destroying her sense of self and wellbeing to finding a new place where she slowly became a woman who through a new life, barista job and found family of paranormals, who she is today.

Someone who has undergone an enormous transformation into a paranormal herself, found a mate in a battle demon, and now has a family, that includes a demon merchild, Sabine, and a ghost mantis shrimp, Genevieve. And a blog of millions of followers.

It’s been a great journey.And it’s not over yet. 

After Little Bean, the birth of her baby, the battle with the Project Purity people who threatened their lives, now comes the fallout. 

And how she, Scorpion (her husband and mate) , Sabine the baby, and the rest of the household are doing after the fighting is over and the ramifications is setting in.

Not well. Especially for Scorpion as Dax, his best friend and co-hort in the field, left for the Rift over his own actions. And nothing has been the same. Tension is high and effecting everyone around him.  Leaving Maya to try and figure things out.

I thought this was a good book but not the strongest one in the series. Several things I found works against it for me. 

Genevieve, the ghost mantis shrimp, is a unique character and voice. But here  McKenzie makes the decision to give Genevieve a larger audience and role in Maya’s blog. Which is the book’s format. So we get Maya’s perspective and her story about what she’s going through with trying to fix the torn dynamic between Scorpion and Dax. 

Then it’s switched to Genevieve and her new sidekick Myrtle the Turtle, and her new PI business she’s setting up. Then the cases she and Myrtle actually take. 

Then we start to see alternating blogs for Maya and Genevieve, which I found a less interesting and enjoyable format. Genevieve is fine in small doses but doesn’t work for me here in a larger capacity. Unlike Charlotte who got her own story, and it was outstanding. 

There’s a few things left open, like the sentient car who left Maya because she felt unappreciated/unheard. This was another element that I found underwhelming. It came out of nowhere.

Maya was quick to blame herself for not listening but the prior circumstances, a desperate battle, constant fighting and threats, a demolition of her home, none of which seemed to be taken into account by the car. Was no one else around her who could have intervened (friends/family) or even the car talking to someone about it? To say an intervention was needed? To a mother overwhelmed with her current circumstances? 

Seems like a bit unfair to me. That Maya is the only one able to hold everything together. New mom to a child whose very vocal cords can shatter buildings who’s starting preschool ? And a husband who is having trouble with his rage and frustration that he’s scaring people? And a ghost shrimp who wants to start a business and bring in a turtle? So let’s add an unhappy car to that. 

So yes, I found that Stir Crazy was good but not fantastic. I’ll be looking forward to seeing what happens next. 

Absolutely don’t miss out on Charlotte’s book Kiss My Ash, it’s incredible. 

I listed them all below.,

The series is highly recommended!

Maya’s Blogs (6 book series):

Espresso Yourself #1

Brew Diligence #2

Uncharted Grounds #3

Flat White Flag #4

Little Bean #5

Stir Crazy #6

Kiss My Ash: An Umbrafore Standalone Novel

Buy link 

 Book 6 of 6: Maya’s Blogs 

Blurb 

After Scorpion and Dax’s devastating fallout over Project Purity, Maya finds herself walking on eggshells around the shadow demon she loves. The bond between them is strained, and Ashvale Nocturn is feeling less like a sanctuary and more like a pressure cooker.

Meanwhile, Dax is carrying secrets, guilt, and enough emotional damage to destabilise the realms, while Genevieve launches Claw & Order into full investigative chaos with ghost shrimp professionalism and no ethical restraint.

Packed with brutal honesty, dark humor, and the messy reality of forgiveness, Stir Crazy is the sixth instalment in the Maya’s Blogs series about love, loyalty, rebuilding trust, and what happens when emotionally repressed warlords finally start talking.

May 29, 2026

Language

‎English

Print length

327 pages

Book 6 of 6

Maya’s Blogs

Review: Bear Many Hats (Wicked Witches of Cauldron Hollow Book 5) by Sara Bourgeois 

Rating: 4⭐️

The author sets many different plots in motion with Bear Many Hats, the fifth book in the fantastic Wicked Witches of Cauldron Hollow series.

One storyline, the main plot that centers around the wandering bear in the town, is the one that carries the most interesting elements while also being the most easily solved mysteries of the story.  It’s a carryover from the previous book and you could pretty much see it even then.

What keeps the reader engaged is the new characters, the dry, layered dialogue between Blythe Fairfield and her familiar, Pippin, either when commenting on customers in her shop or events in their community. It’s warm, well written, and even the smallest interaction is beautifully executed.

The mystery, who shot the sheriff, is more emotional than much of a mystery. The author introduces a ex-girlfriend who I expect to add further drama and the ending is a bit of a shock for all. A definite cliffhanger of sorts. That’s extremely well done.

Love the author and series. Can’t wait to read the next book.

Wicked Witches of Cauldron Hollow (4 book series)

If the Hat Fits #1

Under The Hat #2

Hat Out of Spell #3

Hat Trick #4 

Bear Many Hats #5

Drop of a Hat #6 – Sept 22,2026

Buy link

        Bear Many Hats (Wicked Witches of Cauldron Hollow Book 5)

    

Blurb 

Blythe Fairfield was just starting to settle in.

She has a tea shop on Main Street. A talking cat who critiques her blends. A boyfriend who runs a fever nobody can explain but kisses her like he means it. And a town that’s almost stopped whispering about her.

Then someone shoots the sheriff.

Paine is found on the side of a country road with a bullet wound and no explanation for how he got there. The town is terrified. Deputy Dewey is in over his head. And Blythe is not going to sit in a hospital waiting room while whoever did this walks free.

Between an ex-girlfriend who keeps calling the hospital, a parolee who won’t explain where he was that night, and an elderly woman loudly telling everyone at the post office that the sheriff had it coming, Blythe has too many suspects and not enough answers.

But something about the case doesn’t fit. The evidence points in too many directions. And Paine, when he’s awake long enough to talk, keeps mentioning dreams he’s been having. Vivid ones. The kind that feel real.

Pippin says the dreams mean something. Pippin says a lot of things. And Baba Grimm has started showing up with gifts that aren’t entirely safe and advice that isn’t entirely free.

Some mysteries are about who did it. Some are about what’s been hiding in plain sight. And some answers change everything, including the person you thought you knew best.

date

June 7, 2026

Language

‎English

Print length

216 pages

Book 5 of 6

Wicked Witches of Cauldron Hollow

Review: We Are Legion (We Are Bob) (Bobiverse #1) by Dennis E. Taylor

Rating: 4.75⭐️

 I don’t remember how I stumbled across this book and author but I’m thrilled that I did. 

Taylor’s story asks a great many thoughtful questions, the first being if you are still considering being cryogenically frozen, will you want to after reading this? My answer is no.

I remember when the first person was cryogenically frozen back in 1967, and yes, there are quite a few facilities around the world still operating and with wait lists, several in the USA. 

A perfect cautionary tale for anyone who has considered or is planning to use cryogenics, as Bob Johansson, the genius software designer who has sold his business for billions in the story, is set himself up to be frozen once he dies. He’s fabulously wealthy, he can sustain himself while frozen and once he’s revived, he’s set. 

Ah, the assumptions that everyone makes about the world they will reenter into. If they do. 

Because Taylor has written an entirely plausible world and narrative here that scarily doesn’t seem too out of line with extrapolating alongside current events. 

Bob is awakened ,after being hit by a car , over a hundred years later to a vastly different world. A theocracy rules .There’s new centralized mass governments and national borders have shifted dramatically. And his status also has undergone enormous changes. 

Frozen as just his head (and brain obviously), it’s been used as a AI tool, he’s not seen as human anymore (thank you, Theocracy) and all his wealth has been “transferred” to the hands of God/government. He’s owned by scientists to do with whatever they choose. He’s a program.

Bob has to figure out what it means to exist in this form, and work through the various aspects and agendas of those in charge. Meanwhile, the world is in turmoil, turbulent political instability has it on the verge of collapse. 

Eventually we see a fight to flee and the narrative will divide into sections between multiple Bobs, who will have different opinions, personalities, names and journeys. 

While it sounds confusing, it’s not. It’s harrowing as space exploration can be, frustrating, exhilarating and full of surprises. And odd and funny cultural references, which I loved. 

It’s got suspense and action too. And lots of science, but for those who find that overwhelming, it won’t be a dense read in that sense. 

I’m looking forward to reading the second book and picking up the action there. 

Fantastic storytelling. And nothing will ever make me decide to be cryogenically frozen . No. 

Cover design by Jeff Brown

Bobiverse (5 book series):

We Are Legion (We Are Bob) #1

For We Are Many #2

All These Worlds #3

Heaven’s River #4

Not Til We Are Lost #5

Buy link 

 Book 1 of 5: Bobiverse 

Blurb 

Bob Johansson has just sold his software company and is looking forward to a life of leisure. There are places to go, books to read, and movies to watch. So it’s a little unfair when he gets himself killed crossing the street. Bob wakes up a century later to find that corpsicles have been declared to be without rights, and he is now the property of the state. He has been uploaded into computer hardware and is slated to be the controlling AI in an interstellar probe looking for habitable planets. The stakes are high: no less than the first claim to entire worlds. If he declines the honor, he’ll be switched off, and they’ll try again with someone else. If he accepts, he becomes a prime target. There are at least three other countries trying to get their own probes launched first, and they play dirty. The safest place for Bob is in space, heading away from Earth at top speed. Or so he thinks. Because the universe is full of nasties, and trespassers make them mad – very mad.

Worldbuilders Press

Publication date

September 20, 2016

Language

‎English

Print length

322 pages

Book 1 of 5

Bobiverse

Review:  Night Maze (The Cat Lady Chronicles Book 4) by Helen Harper

Rating: 4.5 ⭐️

Night Maze was excellent. And it builds around the plot from connected series /story, Squib (The Coldstream Chronicles Book 1). It’s not necessary to read that book but it’s fun and adds layers to this story.

Kit McCafferty is sent out on a mission to discover what happened to the Vampires missing giant worms who travel the Understream, the worms being a vital part of their undead community. 

One aspect of Night Maze that makes this so special and well written is that the vampires up until now have been a lesser known or even a one-dimensional entity. And the Understream, an entire city and mysterious community that exists behind secretive entrances has been an enigma. Only briefly in previous stories has Kit and others journeyed into it and then swiftly out noting the dangers and hidden tunnels. 

Harper shines a narrative light, if you’ll excuse me, on the emotional depths and hidden history of the vampires and their communities in the Understream, including the fabulous giant worms. Really, I wanted so badly to have more of them once I got to see intriguing glimpses of their personalities. 

And the vampires too, especially one. She’s magnificent.

The investigation is terrific, dark and fascinating. And gives us a new feline character to mull over and know that he’s going to pop up in the oncoming novels. 

But we get to see Kit flex her skills in multiple ways and in different challenges. She’s a powerful paranormal being and she plays a role,  “cat lady persona” , most of the time. Only occasionally does she really her “true self” out in these situations. It’s fantastic here to see her being able to be that type of shifter that none suspects she is. 

The relationship between Kat and  Thane Barrow, the lone werewolf, is admirable. They understand each other, their need for individual lives and space while also supporting each other,  insuring separate territories within Coldstream.  It’s a great element here. 

I love Night Maze and Kit. The next novel threatens to shatter the stability that Kit has built so hard for herself. I can’t wait. What an incredible character and series. 

Highly recommended! A winner and one for those who love urban fantasy series. 

Book Cover created by Covers By Juan

The Cat Lady Chronicles (5 book series):

Waifs And Strays #1

The Dark Hiss of Magic #2

A Skirl of Sorcery #3

Night Maze #4

A Killer Heart #5 – Sept 18, 2026

Related series:

Squib (The Coldstream Chronicles Book 1)

Buy link 

 Book 4 of 5: The Cat Lady Chronicles 

Blurb 

It’s one thing to be dealing death. It’s quite another to deal with the undead.

Kit McCafferty has never been fond of vampires but she can’t refuse the opportunity to learn more about their kind. When she is invited into the clandestine underground world of the Understream to investigate the mysterious disappearance of some giant worms, she soon discovers there is far more to the fanged creatures than she’d ever realised.

Danger, secrets and mysteries abound in every dark, twisting tunnel. Is there anyone in the depths who Kit can trust? Or will she have to rely on her wits – and her cats – alone?

This is the fourth book in the thrilling urban fantasy series The Cat Lady Chronicles.

May 29, 2026

Language

‎English

Print length

286 pages

Book 4 of 5

The Cat Lady Chronicles

Review:  Nick’s No Good Very Bad Day  (San Amaro Investigations story) by Kai Butler

Rating: 4.75🌈

Nick’s No Good Very Bad Day is a very great novel in the San Amaro Investigations series by Kai Butler. It follows on the last novel,Cypress Ashes, the Sun God battles and its ramifications for Nick and Parker. 

This is an excellent story, we get to see where both men are after the battle at the World Tree. Nick in his professional career as a paranormal police officer and Parker as a PI and in his complicated role in the Fae community. 

Butler’s ability to bring multiple perspectives, some of which are hostile towards the main characters, and still present a balance between all the different groups and their roles makes this a realistic portrayal of how the world works. 

It’s a harrowing murder investigation with implications towards a bigger impact on the current situation and horrifying consequences for the community . And the dramatic scenes are emotionally charged so that we feel that impact along with the characters. 

I thought it was exciting, suspense filled and the ending was very satisfying and perfect. 

This was one of my favorite series of the Authors and I was so glad to see a new chapter in the universe. 

Highly recommended. But also not a standalone. You need to have read the series. 

Cover by Natasha Snow

Content Warning: past child neglect, torture, violence.

San Amaro Investigations :

A Haunting at Midwinter (audio by Greg Tremblay) 

A Debt Unpaid (audio by Greg Tremblay) 

Wormwood Summer (audio by Greg Tremblay) 

The Oak Wood Throne (audio by Greg Tremblay) 

A Belated Burial (audio by Greg Tremblay) 

A Gilded Iron Blade (audio by Greg Tremblay) 

A Shattered Silver Crown (audio by Greg Tremblay) 

The Heart’s Blood Arrow (audio by Greg Tremblay) 

Saffron Wilds (audio by Greg Tremblay) 

Cypress Ashes (audio by Greg Tremblay) 

Nick’s No Good Very Bad Day (audio by Sean Crisden)

Buy link

Blurb 

Nicholas King has three problems:

1: Someone just turned into red goo in the middle of San Amaro.

2: The police don’t have a murder weapon or a motive.

3: Their only suspect is Parker Ferro.

Nick’s No Good Very Bad Day is a 48,000 word novella set after the events of the main series.

June 1, 2026

Language

‎English

Print length

182 pages

Review:  Final Shift (Shifter Lords Book 9) by S. E. Babin

Rating: 5⭐️

Incredible. Just a stunningly fabulous way to end Evie’s storyline!  With a heartbreaking twist and then fantastic finish for her and family. 

Sort of. 

Babin has 11 books planned for the series but it looks as though the final 2 novels will be about Moira, the fae/ vampire and her journey through her new powers and to her own HEA. 

This finishes up Evie’s journey. And I’ll say I wasn’t expecting how the author would bring this journey to the conclusion. Brilliant and heart stopping.

It’s always been about Evie using her powers.  And here she absolutely does in a way that’s shocking!

This is a final battle between Queen Evie and King Rowan, the Lords, those who, including Caelan who has made peace with Evie, and a group of Fae who believe that they are entitled to the land and rights to all . And have been using poison and other means to obtain it.

It’s ferocious, terrifying, there’s losses, and the ultimate battle is one I wasn’t prepared for. 

The end of the story, includes the ramifications of this war. Some people are still “missing “ from the story, alive but not heard from. The trauma of that final scene still lingers. 

I’ll be interested in seeing how this series plays forward. Moira is seriously changed and the next section is hers.

Again, amazing writing and excellent storytelling. This was edge of my seat, white knuckle scenario stuff and I loved every minute of it.

I loved Evie’s journey and I’ll be so sad when the series eventually ends . But this one was an incredible ride! Highly recommended.

Cover design by Covers by Christian

Shifter Lords (11 book series):

Shift of Heart #1

Shift of Morals #2

Power Shift #3

Shifting Winds #4

Shifting Resolve #5

Shift of Rule #6

Shift of the Wild #7 

Goddess Shifting #8

Final Shift #9 – finale to Evie’s story 

Shift Happens #10 – 8/26

Shifting Allegiance #11 – Oct 6,2026

Buy link 

 Book 9 of 11: Shifter Lords 

Blurb 

Caelan, the Shifter Lord of Texas, is living on borrowed time. 

As the fae seek to spread their influence, Caelan’s land and his people are suffering. Stubbornly refusing to accept Evie’s help, Caelan doubles down to continue fighting a battle he cannot hope to win.

As the other Lords unite, Evie is torn between her duty to her people and doing what is right. But Evie is a child born of gods, raised by humans, and changed by fate. If there is ever a hope to unite everyone, she will have to stand up and command it.

This time, the entire world’s fate hangs in the balance, and Evie can no longer deny who she is.

As she rises to power for one final, cataclysmic battle, one of her found family will rise with her and become either a threat no one saw coming or the hope that will unite them all.

Evie’s journey of heartache and hope finally comes to an end. But the question remains, will she go out with a world-rattling roar or will she succumb to the force that threatens them all?

Review:  Calculated Whisk (Tales from the Dragon Diner #1) by Lindsay Buroker

Rating:  4 ⭐️

It was the description the got me. 

Rylana is a mercenary who, along with her elf warrior friend, a complicated being herself, returns home after the long war is over. She’s done, retired and looking for a new career as a bookkeeper. 

The only place hiring? The Dragon Diner. Owned and run by, Jildarin, the same dragon she successfully attacked during the war. But he needs her skills to get him out of debt and organized and she needs the money and job. 

And he wants to win the Golden Whisk cooking contest to show that dragons can do more than just be good at terrifying and at war. 

It’s a fun, entertaining read and recipe for a story about enemies to friends. There’s a mystery left unsolved and Rylana is left with a new start, partner and just getting reacquainted with her formidable father.  It’s a story about beginnings and new friends and community.

There’s also a fair amount of talk about sexual activity as some of the recipes have an unintentional impact on certain species with their ingredients. 

The relationship between Rylana and Jildarin, the dragon chef, develops gradually, which is a very natural process between former enemies. I thought that was terrific here. 

The other intriguing character is her elf mercenary who accompanied her home. The reader and Rylana is never quite sure what she’s doing or how she is working there in the town. I’d love to see more of her. 

This is an entertaining story and a definite winner. 

Tales from the Dragon Diner (2 book series)

Calculated Whisk #1

Knead for Speed #2 – June 30,2026

Buy link 

Calculated Whisk (Tales from the Dragon Diner #1) by Lindsay Buroker

Blurb 

The Dragon Diner: Bookkeeper Wanted.

After a lifetime as a mercenary and years of war, Rylana seeks a peaceful new career, and this job looks perfect. What could be calmer and more relaxing than crunching numbers while delightful scents waft from a professional kitchen? 

There’s just one problem. The Dragon Diner is run by a realdragon, one she shot with an arrow during the war. And, oh yes, he remembers her. 

This might not be the relaxing new start to life that Rylana envisioned. 

~

The Tales from the Dragon Diner are perfect for those seeking light-hearted, low-stakes fantasy with quirky heroes. Each story stands alone. Pick up the first today!

Lindsay Buroker

Publication date

May 19, 2026

Language

‎English

Print length

298 pages

Book 1 of 2

Tales from the Dragon Diner

Review: The Troll Bridge by Jenny Schwartz 

Rating: 3⭐️

I usually like the writing of Jenny Schwartz but a story like The Troll Bridge highlights the aspects of her storytelling that I think are well done and the elements that I think make her stories underwhelming or perhaps problematic. 

First the positive. This is a story about a young girl, a 6 yr old whose father runs a bar in a small village in a fantasy kingdom . They are unaware of magic until a sorcerer arrives and decides that their bridge should have a troll. Which he “makes “ with his magic and leaves there with certain instructions. 

Turns out Morgana befriends the small stone troll as soon does the village, giving him a name and making him part of their family and community. Even though he’s essentially a slave to the bridge and the sorcerer. 

The description calls them children. No. There’s one human child and a stone boy who’s basically a slave to a mage here. 

When the mage returns, he tells her and her father and villagers that because Morgana has magical powers, she going away to a school where she can be taught to use the power of her powers. Threats ensue. Including those around Peter. 

There’s a whole section about Morgana at the school, being pushed by the scholars towards studying the war mage powers and the long military battles and war that follow. She grows up among losses and the fears of losing Peter whose evolution and manipulation is a major part of the story. 

The battles, the deathly impacts upon her and those fighting, the emotional trauma which is only briefly mentioned, but the physical pain is often accounted for on the page by both sides. 

That I believe is strangely true but the author cannot decide whether to write a fairy tale about a girl who loves a troll or a realistic twisted fairy tale version about war, slavery, its impact on the children they conscript and then consume as battle fodder, then the ramifications after it’s over. 

Instead Schwartz settles on an unrealistic narrative that leaves so many questions unanswered and gives Morgana and Peter an unreasonable HEA.

Spoilers: The King’s sorcerer who sees his creations, bridge trolls, as his slaves to do as he pleases continues on. That he sees Morgana as the most powerful mage next to him in the kingdom would make it unlikely that he would leave her alone. Especially since she “tinkers” with his possession. 

And  Peter treated as a slave such throughout the entire story. Morgana recognized his status as such. When he is made to “disappear “ and is replaced by another, who needs help, does she help him? No. She’s focused on Peter. 

That’s an entire species left behind here that Morgana and Peter have no interest in helping. Sentient beings who have the same potential as Peter .

But the story ends with Morgana and Peter happily married and back in the very village where they began. No serious questions asked about war, or heinous sorcerers, or magic or the other trolls who are still locked under their bridges. 

Yes, i wasn’t happy with this. It wants to include tough subject matter but not examine those subjects too closely. I guess fairy tales aren’t very satisfying anymore. Not when you look closely at  them. 

Three stars for Morgana’s schoolmate who was pulled out of school to go to sea and ended up bitter and in the navy, calling herself Vengeance. 

Buy link

  Amazon.comhttps://www.amazon.comThe Troll Bridge – Schwartz, Jenny: Kindle Store

Blurb 

Magic is her birthright, but she’s fated for war.

Morgana is a witchling child from the Sighaway Forest. Taken to the School of Magic, she is taught healing and charms. As her power reveals itself, she is forced to learn battle magic.

Her best friend, Peter, lives outside the school, under a bridge. The troll boy was created to guard the kingdom.

War is coming.

To those in power, the two children are weapons. But children grow up. A Witch and a Guardian Troll will challenge the Emperor himself – and pay the price.

***

The Troll Bridge is an all-new fairy tale. Those who fight for justice never fight alone.

February 15, 2018

Language

‎English

Print length

215 pages

Review:  Devils and Deadly Deals (Hunters Hollow Book 4) by Arden Steele 

Rating: 4.5🌈

Of the three series in Arden Steele’s connected universe, I find Hunter’s Hollow to be the most interesting. The characters have complex histories, and often dangerous pasts that follow them into their new lives here. 

Much like the original series, each has a fated mate, instant connection relationship story between the two main characters. What I appreciated here was that there wasn’t an instant love or in heat sort of connection. More an acknowledgment of its existence and let’s see what happens type of thing. A very different kind of story from previous books and it makes sense given the dramatic circumstances under which both Sammy and Dominic Rivas are operating. Each has their own individual investigations that need to be conducted, highly dangerous ones with short time frames.

The suspense and emotional moments are well written and the drama is ramped up to new levels as each character becomes more invested in each other’s lives and the outcome of their quests.

I think this is one of the best of the series. A excellent story and another recommendation. 

Cover Art by Poisoned Ink Studios

Another recommendation!

Check out the full list of same universe connected/crossover series and stories below.

Blackhaven Manor (14 book series):

  • Purrfect Harmony #1
  • Night and Fae #2
  • Dragon It Out #3
  • Grin and Bear It #4
  • Pixie Little Liar #5
  • Dead Over Heals #6
  • Silent Knight #7
  • Pain in the Ice #8
  • Walking a Tight Rope #9
  • Royally Flocked #10
  • What The Hex? #11
  • Dewitched #12
  • Draken the Rules #13
  • Bitten in Stone #14

Sequel/adjacent  series:

Hunter’s Hollow:

  • Angels and Anarchy #1
  • Beauty and Bad Blood #2
  • Curses and Casualties #3
  • Devils and Deadly Deals #4
  •  

Happily Ever Afterlife (3 book series):

Definitely Dead #1

Dead Ringer #2

Dead to Rights #3

Buy link

 Book 4 of 4: Hunters Hollow 

Blurb 

Everyone in Hunters Hollow has a story. Some are running from a past that won’t stay buried. Others are searching for a new beginning. For Sammy Leeds, the truth resides somewhere in between.

Opening a bakery in the bayou was supposed to be the first chapter of his happily ever after, and for a while, it worked. Until a single phone call reminds him that family is complicated and his freedom is only a temporary reprieve. 

Maybe trying to start a new life on the smoldering ashes of his old one hadn’t been the best idea. 

Dominic Rivas doesn’t make promises, and he damn sure doesn’t make mistakes. Yet the moment Sammy enters his life, he’s suddenly in danger of doing both. Alpha to a pack of hardened outcasts, he’s built a reputation on a foundation of bad ideas, but falling for a changeling with trusting eyes and a sweet smile might be his worst one yet. 

Callous. Remorseless. Savage. He knows what people say about him, and frankly, they aren’t wrong. While gentleness and mercy don’t come naturally, things like loyalty and integrity run as deep as his magical roots. Nobody messes with the people he loves and lives to talk about it.

Sammy needed a hero. Instead, he got a wolf with trust issues and violent tendencies. 

But with fear mounting and time running out, he’s just desperate enough to make a deal with the devil.

Peccavi Press

Publication date

May 16, 2026

Language

‎English

Print length

241 pages

Book 4 of 4

Hunters Hollow