Tag: Novel

The Magician’s Lie

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The Magician’s Lie by Greer Macallister
Genres: Abuse, Fantasy, Historical, Magic, Mystery, Romance
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-4926-2899-6
Rating: 3.75/5
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Description from the Book

The Amazing Arden saws a man in half every night. The crowds pay good money to watch: she’s perhaps the most notorious illusionist in the country. But when one show goes terribly wrong, she finds herself in a one-room police station with a desperate officer determined to discover the truth. Even handcuffed and alone, Arden is far from powerless—and what she reveals is as unbelievable as it is spellbinding. Over the course of one eerie, endless night, the magician will need to pull off one final act—this time with her own life at stake.

Personal & Info

My main reason for reading this is that it’s apparently recommended for people who like Water for Elephants and The Night Circus. I like both of those, so I think it’s worth trying. After reading it, I think the recommendation is accurate. The book has similar vibes to both of those novels. It has more magic than Water for Elephants, but less than The Night Circus.

Content Warnings

-Abuse
-Animal Abuse
-Attempted Rape
-Self Harm

Characters

Ada, also known as Vivi, or the Amazing Arden, is the main character. She is a stage magician specializing in illusions. Her most notable feature is her unique eyes. They are blue, but her left eye is half brown as if cut through the middle.

Ray is Ada’s cousin by marriage. He is the son of Ada’s step father’s brother, and he is four years older than her. Ray is effectively the villain of the story.

Clyde is Ada’s first love. He is two years older than Ada and has a talent with plants.

Adelaide is the wife of a recently deceased magician who owns an entire company. She takes it upon herself to complete his obligations and step into the spotlight as a magician herself. Adelaide is also Ada’s mentor and kind of a surrogate mother.

Officer Virgil Holt is a main character in the sense that he is the police officer to whom Ada is telling her story. He is the only officer in a small Iowa town called Janesville, and he doesn’t expect to have his job much longer due to medical reasons.

Story & Thoughts

I think the most important thing to know about this book is the plot has an overarching abuse theme. Spoiler or not, it’s also important to know it has a good ending. So, while the book can be a bit dark, it’s not horribly depressing. The balance between the abuse, romance, and tension is good. No one aspect lingers too long, but they last long enough to keep the story interesting and stir the right feelings

The story covers about thirteen years of Ada’s life, from age twelve to approximately twenty-five. Suspected of murder, her life story is supposed to prove her innocence. Her tale is full of abuse, tragedy, hope, and love. Her life has been both ordinary and anything but.

Normally I don’t resonate well with historical fiction. They’re usually dull and boring. However, I think this is one of the better ones. I tag it loosely as fantasy, because Ada has real magic in a debatable sense. She can heal herself, but it’s not instant. Her injuries heal remarkably faster than the norm, which can only be explained as magic. It adds a tiny fantastical element to the book, but the story and writing themselves are good enough without it. During the long sections when her ability doesn’t come up, it still holds my interest.

I think the only reason I’m not giving this book a four is because there are a few places that montage the passing of time. Those parts are fine, but I find them less interesting. More actual magic would appeal to me more, too. None of the magic in Ada’s show is real. They emphasize many times it’s all an illusion. I like it well enough the way it is, though.

The Centaur’s Bride

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The Centaur’s Bride by Tamsin Ley
Series Name: Mates for Monsters
Volume Number: 4
Genres: Contemporary, Erotica, Fantasy, Horses, Paranormal Romance, Romance, Shifters
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: Twin Leaf
Edition: Kindle
ISBN: 978-1-950027-05-7
Rating: 2.5/5
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Description

Renee’s shunned and recently deceased grandfather left her his ranch in Montana, along with a riddle in the form of a poem. There is treasure to be found at the ranch, but what kind? Renee hopes the sexy farmhand can help her find it, but she wants him to show her a good time, too.

Black Sevens is a defective shifter in the eyes of his herd, and a creature of myth to humans who see him. His incomplete shift has given him nothing but problems. When attraction and the herd’s wishes align, he might be able to earn the acceptance in the herd he’s always wanted.

Personal & Info

The Centaur’s Bride is volume four of a series, but it is a stand alone story, so no other Mates for Monsters volumes are necessary.

As much as I don’t like the idea of posting a review of something without all of the previous volumes, I feel like I should, because Mates for Monsters volumes can be read as stand alone stories. The three books before this one are about merpeople, two mermen and one mermaid to be exact. Those ones interconnect a little by sharing a continuity, but can still be read as stand-alones. Their titles are The Merman’s Kiss, The Merman’s Quest, and A Mermaid’s Heart.

I did read them a few years ago. I just don’t have enough information to post reviews for them without rereading them. At this moment, I have no plans to reread them any time soon, if at all. I do have ratings for them, though, so I will include them here.

The Merman’s Kiss: 3.5/5

The Merman’s Quest: 3/5

A Mermaid’s heart: 4/5

The books for the series seem to be exclusively available as digital books. Some of them have physical paperback copies available. Based on how they are listed, it looks like they might be a print on demand situation through Amazon.

Characters

Renee, the leading lady, is twenty-five and approximately 5’1″. She is estranged from her father, and hasn’t been to her grandfather’s ranch since she was eight. Her life as an adult consists of following her best friend around on expensive adrenaline seeking trips and expeditions.

Steph is Renee’s best friend. She’s some kind of influencer who makes music videos and shares every aspect of her life online. It’s pretty clear she is also an adrenaline junkie.

Black, the leading man, is closer to thirty and 6’3″. He is a trained veterinarian in order to assist the shifter herd in one of the few ways he can as a member who is looked down upon for being different. His inability to fully shift into a horse is what makes him seem to be a centaur.

Lori is the herd’s Lead Mare. Black describes her as a bully. She bosses people around and favors dealing out harsh punishments while tolerating zero resistance.

Millie is a member of the herd who has just recently given birth. She is getting on in years and has a submissive attitude, likely due to Lori’s bullying.

Ivy-Jane is Millie’s newborn foal. She won’t be able to shift into a human form for a few years.

Saul is Black’s uncle and the leader of the Bachelor Herd. They share relation through Black’s grandmother Gloryanna.

Story & Thoughts

This is a novella, so it’s pretty short. I read it leisurely in a single day. I think the first thing I should say is this is an instant attraction story. It’s not love at first sight, more like lust at first sight. However, it becomes a soul bond or mate bond and love after sex. If that’s not the style of erotica you enjoy, then this book might not be for you.

The story itself is simple. Renee goes to the ranch intending to see it one last time before selling it off in order to keep up with Steph’s expensive lifestyle. Various romance and fantastical things happen, and then she must decide if she still wants to sell. As a true romance, there is a happily ever after. I’m leaving out some details to avoid spoiling the whole thing, of course.

As a standard romance novella, I think it’s fine. I probably wouldn’t read it by choice. As a monster themed erotic novella…it’s not great. The story is lacking the most important aspects of the style of story it’s trying to be. If you read other monster novels, you probably know what I’m referring to.

As a whole, the merpeople volumes of this series are far better. I expected more than just falling for a guy who happened to secretly be a centaur. It doesn’t really add anything. He doesn’t even do any cool centaur things or have any special equipment to use while in his centaur form to help protect the herd. I can’t say I recommend this one, but I didn’t hate it.

The Clockwork Three

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The Clockwork Three by Matthew J. Kirby
Genres: Adventure, Fantasy, Historical, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Steampunk, Urban
Intended Age Group: Middle Grade
Publisher: Scholastic
Edition: Hardcover
ISBN: 978-0-545-20339-5
Rating: 1.75/5
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Description from the Book

Giuseppe is an orphaned street musician who sees no way to escape from his ruthless master, until the day he finds an enchanted green violin.

Frederick is an apprentice clockmaker with a past he cannot remember, who secretly works to build the most magnificent clockwork man the world has ever seen.

Hannah is a maid in a grand hotel, whose life is one of endless drudgery, until she encounters a mystifying new guest and learns of a hidden treasure.

As mysterious circumstances bring them together, the lives of these three children soon interlock, like the turning gears of a clock, and they realize that each one holds the key to the others’ puzzles. The trios’ adventures sweep them through the winding alleyways and glittering plazas of their city, and along the way Giuseppe, Hannah, and Frederick must learn to trust in one another — and in themselves — for they risk losing the things they hold most and dear, as the dangers they face quickly become all too real.

Personal & Info

This is from a fill a basket pre-owned book sale. My only reason for grabbing it, is that it is a stand alone novel. I like to just grab some stand alone novels to try something different.

Interestingly, this book is in multiple perspectives, which consistently alternate in the same order. It’s always Giuseppe, then Frederick, and then Hannah. This is the first book I’ve seen like that, but oddly, it works.

I went into this blind. I didn’t look at the description until after I finished the whole book. It’s pretty clear that the description embellishes a bit.

The Barnes & Noble shop link only has the ebook and audiobook versions.

Content Warnings

-Child Abuse
-Death
-Guns
-Human Trafficking
-Kidnapping

Characters

Giuseppe, one of the main characters, is eleven. His parents died and he and his siblings were sent to live with his uncle, who sold him to Stephano at age five. Giuseppe is a gifted musician with a kind heart. All he wants is to go home to Italy and be reunited with his brother and sister.

Stephano is a Padrone. He kidnaps and purchases children to work for him as slave labor. All the kids work on street corners playing instruments to collect money on his behalf.

Paolo & Ezio are two of the meaner kids working for Stephano. They bully the younger kids and steal their money, which guarantees they get punished by Stephano for not bringing home their quota. Paolo and Ezio also function as enforcers, because they seem to like inflicting violence.

Pietro is a new kid working for Stephano, who was abducted from his family’s yard back in Italy. He never seems to be able to make enough money on his own to avoid punishment.

Reverend Grey is the elderly Priest of the Old Rock Church, and a good friend to Giuseppe.

Frederick, one of the main characters, is thirteen. He is an orphan apprentice clockmaker with a traumatic past that he would rather not remember. All he wants is to qualify for Journeyman with the clockmaker’s guild so he can gain more independence.

Master Isaiah Branch is Frederick’s guardian and master. He is the one who took Frederick out of the orphanage.

Hannah, one of the main characters, is twelve. Her father is not well, so she quit school to be able to work while her mother takes care of him. Hanna works at the Gilbert Hotel as a maid.

Miss Wool is a mean woman who manages the maids at the Gilbert Hotel.

Mister Hans Grunholdt is the Gilbert Hotel manager. He’s not the best person, but apparently does his job well.

Mister Twine owns the Gilbert Hotel. He is also sort of a friend of Hannah’s family. Her father used to work for him, and he gave her a job when requested.

Madame Constance Bernadette Pomeroy is a wealthy spiritualist currently residing on the top floor of the Gilbert Hotel.

Yakov is Madam Pomeroy’s bodyguard. He is a former Russian soldier with the ability to predict the future via dreams and visions. Madam Pomeroy refers to him as her golem.

Alice is the Gilberta Hotel’s gardener. As far as anyone can remember, she’s always been there, and has always been old.

Pullman is the McCauley Park warden. His family has fulfilled the job for generations.

Mister Reginald Diamond is the current owner of the Archer Museum. He doesn’t seem like a good or kind person.

Story & Thoughts

So, first things first, I chose to read this at this particular time, because various labeling claimed it is lighthearted. It is definitely not. I don’t know what peoples’ definition of lighthearted is, but all the main characters are in depressing or traumatic situations.

Giuseppe is basically enslaved. His own uncle sold him when he was only five. He works day in and day out to make money for Stephano, and he doesn’t get to keep any of it, nor does he get to eat enough to be content. It specifically says the kids only get fed enough to keep them half starved. On top of that, if the kids don’t make a daily quota, they get a beating or are thrown into the rat cellar. Giuseppe clearly states kids have died in that room.

Frederick is traumatized from his mother abandoning him at the orphanage when he was about six. The orphanage made him do dangerous slave labor working with machines. Punishment for mistakes or bad behavior was basically flogging. He had to endure this environment for four years, and now the memories haunt him.

Hanna’s father had a stroke and lost the use of his speech and legs. Her mother has to take care of him, and her sisters are too young to contribute anything to the family. Hannah had to drop out of school to work and support her whole family by herself. She’s only twelve. Part of the story involves her father’s condition worsening.

All of this is very depressing. On top of their situations, their city sounds like a huge disgusting mess. This is not the kind of book I would choose for something lighthearted.

As for the rest, the story is slow. Despite the depressing subject matter, it does have a happy ending. Well, sort of, it feels bittersweet. The kids achieve their goals, but it feels like they didn’t really have anything to do with the result. When I read a children’s book, or a book about kids, I want it to feel like the kids are the heroes, like they really did something. I don’t get that feeling from this book. It feels like the adults in their lives conveniently remedy all their problems for them. It’s like the kids show up to deal with the issue, but the adults involved swoop in and save the day.

I can’t say I liked it, but I didn’t hate it, either. The characters were enjoyable, but the story was weak. I think people who like this might also enjoy Liesl & Po. That one was also lackluster to me, but I kind of get similar vibes.

Dahlia

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Dahlia by Tabitha Barret
Series Name: Spell Library
Volume Number: 5
Genres: Contemporary, Fantasy, Magic, Paranormal Romance, Psychics, Reverse Harem, Romance, Shifters, Supernatural, Vampires, Witches, Wolves, zombies
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: Independent
Edition: Kindle
ASIN: B086GP3XTD
Rating: 3/5
Amazon

Description

Dahlia has just about given up on love. Her psychic powers to see into the lives of those she touches make it nearly impossible to maintain a relationship. However, they do make her a damn good tattoo artist.

When three men suddenly enter her life, she’s in for a world of change. Dahlia is more powerful than she knows, and a recurring nightmare is more than just a dream. Can these three hunks help her learn to use her mysterious powers and track down a hidden villain?

Personal & Info

This book, like many of the others in Spell Library, seems to only be available on Amazon. I read it on kindle, but it looks like paperback is available. If I had to guess, they are probably a print on demand type thing.

Like the previous books in the series, there are sequel volumes to Dahlia’s story. I don’t have those, yet, nor do I plan on getting them any time soon. They all seem to take place a significant amount of time after the initial books, so I’m not worried about reading them immediately after.

Characters

Dahlia, the main character, is a psychic tattoo artist who owns Lady Blue Tattoo. She’s thirty-two, and she is the one who handles the tattoos at the end of Calluna.

Charlie is Dahlia’s best friend. She co-owns O’Malley’s Pub with her twin brother James,

Gray and Milo are siblings who work at Lady Blue Tattoo, and are therefore good friends of Dahlia’s.

Daire is a necromancer. He can see spirits and raise the dead. Daire runs a security business called Charmed Security, which can install security systems that can detect the use of magic in addition to all the usual things.

Doug is Daire’s business partner. We don’t see him much.

Aiden is a newly turned vampire who is new to the Silver Springs area.

Ian is the High Priest of the Black Dawn Conjurers coven. He is going through a divorce.

Story & Thoughts

Dahlia isn’t as explicit as Juniper, but it is one of the more sexual volumes of Spell Library. The story is blatantly lusty. I thought it was overdoing it a bit, until it gave an explanation. Apparently, Dahlia has the ability to amplify people’s feelings and put them in the same mood as herself. So, basically, she wants to get laid so bad, that she amplifies both her own arousal and that of whichever guy is involved. It gives the story a little bit of an erotica feel to it, without it actually being erotica.

The story itself is simple. Three guys crash into Dahlia’s life in unexpected ways and romance ensues. In the background, something more sinister is going on, but that doesn’t get pointed out until later. Her recurring nightmare is relevant to the big problem for the plot. The nightmare’s location isn’t surprising. As soon as it said a wall was made of, I think it was marble, I already knew where the dream setting was.

The climax of the story has a big fight scene in it. Most of the books are like that. They save a mystery until the end, and then there’s a final battle. Honestly, it seems anticlimactic to me. It should be really cool and awesome, but it seems too summarized for me to get any thrill out of it.

I don’t think the ending climax is the point of these books, though. The enjoyable parts are the romance along the way. The issues resolved at the end are all kind of a background setting bonus. They add something to the story for the plot, but they don’t feel necessary. I enjoy these books, but I don’t read them for what happens at the end. I read them for the love story.

Dahlia’s ability to use her psychic powers to come up with amazing tattoo designs for her clients is really cool. She’s obviously a talented artist already, but it’s neat that her powers amplify that and can actually help with her job. There are cool ideas hidden in all of the Spell Library books, and it makes them charming to read.

Unfortunately, I don’t really care much for the love interests this time around. They seem a bit too normal for my tastes. Two of them are wizards, but they come off as basically human. Aside from that, I feel like only one of them has any kind of memorable personality. I still enjoyed the book. It’s just not one of the best in the series.

Black Ice

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Black Ice by Becca Fitzpatrick
Genres: Mystery, Romance, Survival, Thriller
Intended Age Group: YA
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Edition: Hardcover
ISBN: 978-1-4424-7426-0
Rating: 4/5
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Description from the Book

Britt Pfeiffer has trained to backpack the Teton Range, but she isn’t prepared when her ex-boyfriend, who still haunts her every thought, wants to join her. Before Britt can explore her feelings for Calvin, an unexpected blizzard forces her to seek shelter in a remote cabin and accept the hospitality of its two very handsome occupants—but these men are fugitives, and they take her hostage.

In exchange for her life, Britt agrees to guide the men off the mountain. As they set off, Britt knows she must stay alive long enough for Calvin to find her. Things get even more complicated when Britt finds chilling evidence of a series of murders that took place on that very mountain—a discovery that may make her the killer’s next target.

But nothing is as it seems in the mountains, and everyone is keeping secrets, including Mason, one of her kidnappers. His kindness is confusing Britt. Is he an enemy or an ally?

Personal & Info

For my first read, I went into this blind. I had read the Hush, Hush Saga, and wanted to try something else by the same author. Honestly, the description kind of spoils chunks of the drama, so I’m glad I did it that way.

At the time I’m typing this review, it’s been approximately ten years since I first read the book. This is my second time reading it. Due to various circumstances, like getting sick for two weeks, it took far longer than I would have liked to get through it. To be fair, I will be using my original rating of four out of five from my first time through. The review itself will be a combination of my original thoughts combined with any new ones.

Content Warnings

-Abuse
-Guns
-Kidnapping
-Murder
-Suicide Attempt
-Violence

Characters

I think learning about the characters naturally throughout the story is the best and least spoilery way to learn who everyone is and what they are like, especially if you don’t read the book description. Because of this, I will keep the character descriptions as vague as possible.

Britt is the main character. The story is in her perspective. She is a senior in high school, and is still hung up on her ex-boyfriend who dumped her eight months ago. Britt has an older brother (Ian) and a single father. At the start of the story, Britt is known for heavily relying on the men in her life.

Korbie is Britt’s best friend. She comes from a rich family due to her mother being a divorce lawyer and her father a CPA.

Calvin is Korbie’s older brother, and Britt’s ex-boyfriend. He is supposed to chaperone their trip to the mountains.

Mason and Shaun are two guys Britt and Korbie encounter in an isolated cabin in the wilderness.

Story & Thoughts

This is a survival kidnapping story with a murder mystery going on in the background. There’s also a focus on romance with a constant debate on whether or not it’s Stockholm syndrome, while also pining after a romanticized ex. All of the characters are far from perfect, so don’t expect them to make the wisest decisions. Everything is overall messy as far as the social interactions and decisions go, but the main characters experience significant growth.

Originally, going into this book completely in the dark, I was hooked at the beginning. I still feel that way. There’s something about the gas station scene that I absolutely love. Maybe it’s the fact a stranger flawlessly plays along with Britt’s shenanigans? I can’t really explain it, but it’s my favorite and most memorable scene in the whole book.

The writing is good. It feels like you’re right there with Britt the whole time. Becca has a way of hiding what is really important until things come together at the end. It leaves me with a smile every time i finish one of her books.

If the book ended on the last numbered chapter, I would have been so sad. I’m glad there is a one year later epilogue. It gives the story the closure it needs.

While I like the journey of the story, there are some things that bug me. The most notable that I remember is the use of the term “Subway sandwich shop.” We all know they are referring to the Subway restaurant chain, and everybody I’ve ever met just says “Subway.” I don’t know if the extra clarification is there to make sure the reader understands it was a restaurant and not a train station or what. That terminology sounds unnatural and rubs me the wrong way.

The other thing, which is very minor, is that someone left Korbie a canteen of water. I swear they said the cabin has running water. Why leave her a canteen if there is running water? I could be misremembering, but that detail bugs me.

Also, Korbie’s boyfriend is supposed to be going on this trip with them. His name is Bear, and he’s supposed to meet them at the family cabin. Nothing about him is ever mentioned after the drive up to the mountains. That feels like a bit of a loose end. I guess we’re supposed to assume he turned around and went home when the snow started.

The book is by no means perfect, but I like it. It’s one of the few non-fantasy books I actually enjoy, and that speaks volumes. It is a rare occurrence for me to read a standard fiction novel and not get bored with it.

Grand Passion

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Grand Passion by Jayne Ann Krentz
Genres: Mystery, Romance
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: Pocket Books/ Simon & Schuster
Edition: Hardcover
ISBN: 0-671-77870-6
Rating: 2/5
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Description from the Book

Cleopatra Robbins believes she’ll know when she meets the man of her dreams, a man worth the risk of trusting and loving again. She’s imagined the moment: a jolt of emotion, butterflies in her stomach, an intoxicating feeling. She’s even described her fantasy lover—under a pseudonym, of course—in a book of erotica called The Mirror. But when drop-dead handsome Max Fortune strides into the Robbins’ Nest Inn, a devastating sensation sweeps through her. She knows it’s him. And he’s all wrong!

Exuding a ruthlessness barely disguised by his polished manner, Max is a stark contrast to casual, sneaker-clad Cleo. The driving force behind the giant Curzon Hotel chain, a man whose only passion in life—so far—has been for rare works of art, Max is looking for the inheritance left to him by his mentor, Jason Curzon. Jason had bequeathed to Max five priceless paintings, and he made Max promise to go to the Robbins’ Nest Inn to claim the pictures and “everything else with them” that are his legacy—and his secret gift—to the hard-edged young man he viewed as a son.

For openhearted Cleo, nothing is more transparent than Max’s snobbish exterior. He may drive a Jaguar, but she decides that the man is emotionally starved. Max takes one long look at Cleo Robbins and feels desire, fierce and unexpected, sweep through him…a feeling so powerful that he almost forgets his search for the paintings Cleo claims she’s never seen. With his defenses down, Max lends a hand at fixing everything from the plumbing to the fractured lives of the inn’s quirky denizens: helping Trisha, the pregnant and ever-hopeful maid, to search for her errant lover; winning the trust of Daystar and Andromeda, chefs and New Age divorcées; and easing the loneliness of fatherless little Sammy, who idolizes Max on sight.

While Cleo is tempted to confide in Max about the tragedy that led her to seek shelter with this odd surrogate family, even to choose him to make the lush sensual fantasies of The Mirror come true, she senses that he doesn’t quite trust her. Max knows she’s hiding something—and by the time he realizes it’s not the paintings, it’s almost too late to save her form the danger rising out of her past.

Personal & Info

I’m pretty sure I got this book from a second hand sale as part of a large pile of novels. It’s been hard to decide what I’m in the mood to read lately, so I chose this one at random from my shelf of stand alone stories.

Content Warnings

-Death of a parent/family member

-Death

-Guns

Characters

Max Fortune is the male main character. He is about thirty-four, going on thirty-five. Max likes to collect things, such as books and art, and he has a special eye for judging the authenticity and value of paintings. His general background is that he grew up as an orphan since approximately six-years-old.

Cleopatra Robbins is the female main character. She is about twenty-seven, and she runs a hotel that she purchased with her inheritance. Her parents both died horrifically, and she’s been building a new found family for herself ever since.

Sylvia Gordon is part of Cleo’s family residing at the inn. She usually assists with people checking in or out or just watching the counter. Sylvia is also Sammy’s mother.

Sammy Gordon is Sylvia’s five-year-old son. He carries around a rubber duck by the name Lucky Ducky, and he idolizes Max.

Andromeda and Daystar are part of Cleo’s family, and the primary chefs for Robbins’ Nest Inn. Both have been though divorces and are now members of the Cosmic Harmony Women’s Retreat, which is about a mile and a half down the road from the hotel.

Trisha Briggs is part of Cleo’s family. She works as a maid, and she’s in a relationship with Benjy Atkins.

Benjy Atkins is part of Cleo’s family. He is similar in age to Trisha at around twenty-three. He is the general handyman and plumber for Robbin’s Nest Inn.

George is part of Cleo’s family. He works as the night man for Robbin’s Nest Inn, but he is not great at his job. George is usually sleeping whenever anyone checks on him. While he is part of the staff, which makes him part of Cleo’s family, he is never included in any important discussions or activities.

Nolan Hildebrand is the part-time mayor of Harmony Cove. He is casually dating Cleo, and has his eye on a future in higher politics.

Herbert T. Valence is a motivational speaker who frequently hosts his seminars at the Robbin’s Nest Inn. He’s a rather strange and neurotic man, but supposedly his seminars are successful and his methods work.

Jason Curzon is practically part of Cleo’s found family. He was also Max’s employer, and he thought of Max as the son he never had. Before Jason died, he was in charge of running Curzon International, which is a very successful hotel chain.

Dennison Curzon is Jason’s brother. He is less business savvy than Jason, but now that Jason is dead, Dennison is running the company.

Kimberly Curzon-Winston is Max’s ex-fiancee, and Jason Curzon’s niece.

Roark Winston is Kimberly’s husband. He comes from old money and has a successful business empire of his own as well as a seat on the board of Curzon International.

Compton O’Reilly is Max’s private investigator friend.

Adrian Forrester is a local unpublished writer who despises novels with women main characters or romantic themes.

Garrison Spark is a shady art dealer, who formerly employed Max about twelve years ago.

Story & Thoughts

I have to say, this book is a bit of a let down. Compared to the majority of the other books I’ve read by this author, this one is lackluster. I knew where the paintings were the whole time, but that didn’t bother me. I don’t care if parts of a story are predictable, as long as the journey is good. The journey in this case is not great.

My main issue is the writing feels lazy. Max has the right to claim five specific paintings, because they are given to him in a will. Right. Good. But what does he not bring with him at any point? A copy of the will or any physical proof that he has any right to them aside from the words out of his mouth. What kind of successful business person…It just seems like such an idiotic oversight. He would know he should have something to prove his legitimacy.

That’s just what bugs me at the beginning. The biggest problem with the plot is how dramatic information is delivered. People, mostly Kimberly, keep showing up out of the blue, just to drop dramatic info dumps that are supposed to make Cleo gasp and reconsider her interest in Max. There has to be a better way to handle inserting this information. I honestly got sick of it. The characters had basically no real reason to be there. They might have a question for a two second conversation, but they drag it out into what’s supposed to be a, “you should know who you’re getting involved with,” scene that has nothing to do with anything going on.

One more small thing on the negative side, why would Cleo publish a book she claims is so highly personal, even if it’s anonymous, if she didn’t want people to read it? Most pen names get found out eventually, so if she thought nobody would ever know, she is incredibly naive. This is one of the more minor things that bugged me, and might just be one of her character flaws. There are more things I could list, but they’re fairly minor.

Despite the negatives, the overall story itself is not bad. It follows a similar formula to other Castle/Krentz/Quick books. Reading this still feels comforting to me, like it does whenever I read anything by this author. The characters that matter are also enjoyable and engaging. It’s an instant attraction story, so if you don’t like those, it might not be for you.

Liesl & Po

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Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver
Genres: Adventure, Alchemy, Fantasy, Ghosts, Magic, Paranormal, Supernatural
Intended Age Group: 8-12
Publisher: Harper/ HarperCollins
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-06-201452-8
Rating: 2/5
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Description from the Book

Liesl lives in a tiny attic bedroom, locked away by her cruel stepmother. Her only friends are the shadows and the mice—until one night a ghost named Po appears from the darkness.

That same evening, an alchemist’s apprentice named Will makes an innocent mistake that has tremendous consequences for Liesl and Po, and it draws the three of them together on an extraordinary journey.

Personal & Info

I don’t remember where I got this. It might have been Ollie’s. Anyway, it’s one of many books I grabbed at one point or another for something to try. It’s the same author as The Spindlers, and I think I like that one better. Don’t get me wrong, this one is not bad, it’s just a bit less fantasy in comparison.

Content Warnings

-Death
-Death of a parent
-Child abuse

Characters

Liesl Morbower is one of the main characters. I think, going by the information throughout the novel, she’s about eleven. Liesl lives locked away in the attic. She spends most of her time drawing near her window. Her mother died four or so years ago, and her father remarried in hopes of giving Liesl a good female role model.

Po is one of the main cahracters, and a ghost who likes seeing Liesl’s lamplight from the Other Side. Po has no gender, because it can’t remember who it was before, and its form is mostly shapeless with no visual details.

Bundle is Po’s pet who goes wherever Po goes. It is unclear whether Bundle is a cat or a dog and the difference ceases to matter to ghosts.

Augusta Hortense Varice Morbower is Liesl’s cruel stepmother. She was previously Liesl’s teacher, and even then, she did not like her.

Will is one of the main characters. He is the adopted assistant/apprentice to the alchemist, Merv. Will often sees Liesl drawing from his view on the street while running errands in the middle of the night.

Merv is the old, grouchy alchemist, who adopted WIll to be his assistant and apprentice. He seeks power and glory for his work.

Mo, short for Molasses, which is a nickname, is a guard for The Lady Pemiere. He is a big man, with a big heart, not known for his intelligence.

Lefty is Mo’s cat. Mo carries Lefty around in a sling, so they are always together.

The Lady Premiere is supposedly a princess in her home country of which nobody seems to know. She is considered beautiful, and a favorite of the Mayor.

Henry Morbower is Liesl’s father. He is dead from the start of the book.

Story & Thoughts

This is basically a story about a girl who escapes her evil stepmother to spread her father’s ashes at his preferred location. Various meetings, accidents, and motivations lead to a more convoluted adventure than necessary. All those things make it more book-worthy, though, because a normal story along those lines would be boring.

It’s pretty simple, despite having ghosts and alchemy, but I like how it all ties together. Several people end up pursuing the children, some to a ridiculous extent. Like, why would anyone chase a little girl across the countryside for being a little nutty? And why would a police officer bother to humor those demands when no crime has been committed?

Most of the characters are terrible. Almost every adult hates children and has no problem abusing them. There’s even a casual mention of kicking animals. I’m sure all of this is meant to drive home the point of how despicable these people are. There’s something about the setting with the world being generally gray and depressing with terrible people that reminds me of The Series of Unfortunate Events.

Overall, I find the book a bit lackluster. There’s nothing wrong with the story. I just think it’s a little bland for me, personally. There aren’t enough fantastical elements. The Alice in Wonderland-esque story for The Spindlers is much more interesting to me. This one is too close to normal to stand out, but it’s okay.

Half Bad

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Half Bad by Sally Green
Series Name: Half Bad
Volume Number: 1
Genres: Fantasy, Magic, Paranormal, Romance, Supernatural, Urban, Witches
Intended Age Group: YA
Publisher: Viking/ Penguin
Edition: Hardcover
ISBN: 978-0-670-01678-5
Rating: 3.75/5
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Description from the Book

Sixteen-year-old Nathan lives in a cage: beaten, shackled, trained to kill. In a modern-day England where two warring factions of witches live amongst humans, Nathan is an abomination, the illegitimate son of the world’s most terrifying and violent witch, Marcus. Nathan’s only hope for survival is to escape his captors, track down Marcus, and receive the three gifts that will bring him into his own magical powers—before it’s too late. But how can Nathan find his father when his every action is monitored, when there is no one safe to trust, not even family, not even the girl he loves?

Personal & Info

This book is a three-year-old gift from a friend. My copy originally came from a dollar store. I don’t know the exact price, but I’m pretty sure everything online is more expensive than what she paid. Anyway, it’s something for me to try that has been on my shelf for a while, and I’m going into it completely blind.

Apparently there is a Netflix series inspired by this. It’s called The Bastard Son and The Devil Himself, but from the title alone, it sounds like the content was drastically changed. I have no plans to watch it.

For those interested in the rest of the trilogy, the second one is Half Wild, and the third is Half Lost. There are also two prequel volumes in available in digital format that appear to be fairly short. It looks like they both follow Gabriel’s time before we meet him in Half Bad. They are Half Lies and Half Truths. If I like the rest of the trilogy, I will probably try to read those.

Content Warnings

-abuse
-Bullying
-Death
-Guns
-Hate Crime
-Self Harm
-Suicidal Themes
-Torture
-Violence

Characters

Nathan is the main character. The story covers essentially his entire childhood, and it’s written in his perspective. He is half white witch and half black witch, from a different father than his siblings, and he lives among white witches.

Jessica is Nathan’s oldest sister. She is approximately eight years older than Nathan, and she has a generally mean personality. Her spitefulness is mostly directed at Nathan. She’s nice to pretty much everyone else. Jessica wants to be a Hunter, which is a white witch who hunts black witches.

Debora is Nathans other sister. She is approximately five years older than him. Nathan considers her to be one of the cleverest people he knows. Debora, unlike Jessica, is kind to Nathan and actually cares about him.

Arran is Nathan’s only brother. He is approximately two years older than Nathan. Arran is Nathan’s best friend throughout his childhood. He is a kind person, who dislikes violence, but will stand up for those he cares about.

Mrs. Ashworth is Nathan’s maternal grandmother. She is raising all four of her grandchildren, and she doesn’t judge Nathan for having a black witch father. Her witch talent is potions.

Marcus is Nathan’s infamous and mysterious black witch father. He is supposedly the most evil and most powerful black witch alive.

Annalise O’Brien is a white witch around Nathan’s age. Her uncle is on the council, and most of her family consists of Hunters. Many of her relatives also appear throughout the book, such as: Connor, Niall, Clay, and Kieran. Annalise is the main love interest for the book. She is kind to Nathan, and seems to disagree with the rest of her family’s views and ideals.

Nikita, also named Ellen, is half fain, which means she’s half witch and half normal human. Her witch parent is a white witch. Nikita helps a guy named Bob with errands and meetings.

Celia is a brawny white witch, whom the council trusts to handle raising a black witch according to their dictated rules. Her witch talent involves sound.

Gabriel is a black witch currently working as part of Mercury’s contact chain. People who want to meet her have to earn his trust to be able to see her. His witch power is shapeshifting into other people.

Rose is Mercury’s assistant. She is a white witch, but she was raised by Mercury, so she does not think or act like a normal white witch.

Mercury is a witch who steals from the white witch council as a means to assist orphaned or troubled witches. Her business makes her similar to Rumpelstiltskin. She operates in trades where she names the price or favor.

Story & Thoughts

In Regards to Content Warnings

I think the most important thing to start with is that this book is definitely not for everyone. It is dark and it has several easy-to-spot content triggers. I did my best to list them above, but I’ll give you a better idea of what is actually in the book.

Nathan’s existence as a half white and half black witch results in people treating him like he is a disgusting thing and not an actual person. White witches take any and all opportunities to insult or physically harm him. And I don’t mean just your usual school yard beat-up. People will beat him to the brink of death and actually torture him. It is generally horrifying. At no point has he ever done anything wrong, and for the duration of the book, he’s a child.

Black witches have no rights as far as white witches are concerned, and a half is no better. Any black witches caught by the whites are tortured until they eventually die or kill themselves. Nathan is half, and therefore has potential to be either. There is a whole process in which they try to categorize him.

You’d think this means he would be fine until he is eventually categorized, but you’re wrong. He is treated like dirt just because he is half black witch. As far as the story is concerned, he might as well be just a pure black witch that was born in the custody of the white witches. All that matters to them is how they can use him in regards to capturing Marcus.

I can see parallels to real life racism and horrific historical events. If you’re sensitive to these subjects, don’t read this book. These themes did not even begin to let up until more than half way through the novel.

General Review

There’s a lot to unpack about this book. White witches calling themselves the good guys is way messed up. They are horrible at even bothering to try to convince Nathan that they are good. I get the impression they really don’t care if he thinks they are good or not, because his existence gives them an outlet for their cruelty, and lets them get creative about how to try to control him.

The only way I can describe the majority of the book is, it feels like when you’re watching a car accident and you just can’t look away. The way Jessica and everyone outside Nathan’s family treats him is so appalling and horrifying that it’s riveting. I found myself devouring large chunks of the book before realizing how many pages had gone by. And by the time all the appalling stuff had died down, the story was getting more interesting.

The story itself is nothing special. The person we see at the end, for example, is no surprise at all. What the book seems to do well is the journey. From start to finish, despite the terrible things that happen, it’s enjoyable to read. I’m curious to see where it goes, but I don’t plan on spending any money on it, unless it gets better. Thankfully, I found the series on a library resource where I’ll be able to read it for free whenever I’m ready to circle back.

It doesn’t feel right to rate the book a four, because there are a few things about it that bug me. Most of it is really good. The chapters are even super short, some only being a single page.

The romance is lacking. I think it’s trying to be a romance, but the plot hasn’t had time to build one, yet. I see openings for the second book to try to build on one or two relationships for potentially deepening romance. Annalise is not my choice. That’s all I’ll say on the matter.

What bugs me the most is the random writing style change that occurs, I think, twice. It starts off with a perspective that says “you” a lot, as if it’s trying to do a reader insert. That feels very strange since it’s not a choose your own adventure book. It’s used for the entirety of Part One, and then Part Two changes into a first person “I” perspective. The “you” comes back briefly in Part Three, though. I absolutely hate this. It feels unnatural. This is probably the only reason I didn’t give the book a four.

Turning Point

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Turning Point by Lisanne Norman
Series Name: Sholan Alliance
Volume Number: 1
Genres: Adventure, Aliens, Fantasy, Romance, Sci-Fi, Space Opera
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: DAW
Edition: Paperback 
ISBN: 0-88677-575-2
Rating: 2.5/5
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Description from the Book

Cut off from Earth by alien conquerors, the human colony on Keiss was slowly building an underground resistance movement to stand against the Valtegan invaders. But for many of the colonists, it was already too late.

Her twin sister Elise captured by Valtegan soldiers, Carrie, telepathically and empathically linked with Elise, experienced all the pain and terror that her sister was suffering. Only her twin’s death freed Carrie from torment, though it also left her completely alone in her own mind for the first time in her life. But this mental void was unexpectedly filled when Kusac, a felinoid crewman of a crashed starship, touched her thoughts. Drawn to him by their shared Talent, Carrie hid the injured Kusac from the Valtegans, and in so doing found a friend and an invaluable ally.

Yet though the trust and understanding between Carrie and Kusac was soon unshakable, it would prove far more difficult to convince each of their races that their only hope of overthrowing the Valtegans was to band together against the common foe. And even such an alliance offered no guarantee of success, for no one on any of the settled worlds had yet found a way to defeat this warrior race ready to lay waste to any civilization they could conquer.

Personal & Info

One of my friends recommended this to me a few years ago. It took me a while to get around to getting a copy and then actually read it. I’m sorry to say, it sat on my shelf for a couple years after I got it. I always meant to read it sooner rather than later.

Turning Point released in 1993, and appears to be rather obscure, so finding affordable copies might pose a small challenge. It’s not super old, but it’s old enough that the cover art makes it look stereotypically retro. I’m pretty sure most of the series is out of print, but they all seem to be available on kindle.

This volume is less than 300 pages long, but don’t let that fool you. The other volumes are all in the 600+ range, so don’t think this will be some convenient short, easy to read, series. I’ve also been told this one is the most docile volume. The romance is supposed to really take off and get more convoluted later.

Characters

Carrie is the female main character. She is twenty-three, and lives in Valleytown with her father(Peter) and her brother(Richard). Carrie has no interest in marrying and settling down to raise a family. She has telepathic abilities, and wants something more exciting out of life.

Peter Hamilton is Carrie and Richard’s father. He leads the Passive Resistance movement in Valleytown.

Richard is Carrie’s brother. Unlike their overbearing father, Richard cares about Carrie’s happiness. He seems like the kind of brother who is a good friend as well as family.

Kusac is the other main character and male love interest. He is a feline alien from the planet Shola. Kusac is a telepath serving as a scout officer in the Sholan military.

Vanna is the medic of Kusac’s military squad. She wants to study xenobiology.

Guynor is a technical scientist in Kusac’s squadron. He’s more brawn than brain, but knows his way around certain types of technlology.

Mito is a tech specialist in Kusac’s squadron. She’s also an opportunistic dater, who wants to be with whomever is the strongest or most interesting. Her current boyfriend is Guynor.

Garras is the Captain of Kusac’s squad. He is the oldest and wisest in the group.

Skai is the ex-boyfriend of Carrie’s deceased twin sister, Elise. His perspective on Elise and Carrie is skewed and inaccurate.

Skinner is one of the Captains in the rebellion against the Valtegans.

Anders is a tech specialist in Skinner’s chosen team.

Jo is a member of the resistance against the Valtegans, who previously worked with Carrie’s twin sister, Elise.

Story & Thoughts

As the first volume of a series, the book is okay. The story is decent and the important characters are well defined. The lore and descriptions are clear enough to be engaging and easy to understand, especially the ones involving the telepathy Link.

However, there is a lot of room for improvement. Some of the word choices are a little strange. Kusac gets hurt way too frequently throughout the story. He’s wounded more often than not. And my biggest issue, I think the book is too short to portray the story as well as it could.

There isn’t a cliffhanger, but the story feels incomplete. It ends rather abruptly. The primary issue gets resolved, but throughout the book, people are constantly talking about a court appearance that Kusac and Carrie are going to have to attend. Ideally, this constantly mentioned event would happen in this volume, because that’s what usually happens when a plot builds something up like that. Well, it doesn’t. That event is likely in the second volume, while this one just kind of drops off after the climactic event concludes. There should probably be one more chapter for the story to wind down for a smooth transition.

It’s not good enough to make me want to spend money on a second volume. However, I am mildly curious to see where it goes and how this can be a series. If I don’t have to pay money to read it, I’ll probably give the second volume try, but don’t get your hopes up on that happening. If it does, I only hope the second book picks up almost exactly where this one leaves off.

The Wolves of London

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The Wolves of London by Mark Morris
Series Name: Obsidian Heart
Volume Number: 1
Genres: Adventure, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Paranormal, Time Travel, Urban
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: Titan
Edition: Mass Market paperback
ISBN: 978-1781168684
Rating: 2.75/5
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Description from the Book

Alex Locke is a reformed ex-con, forced back into London’s criminal underworld for one more job. He agrees to steal a priceless artifact — a human heart carved from blackest obsidian — but when the burglary goes horribly wrong, Alex is plunged into the nightmarish world of the Wolves of London, unearthly assassins who will stop at nothing to reclaim the heart. As he races to unlock the secrets of the mysterious object, Alex must learn to wield its dark power — or be destroyed by it.

Personal & Info

This book looked and sounded spooky, so I grabbed it during a big pre-owned book sale as something to try during spooky season. I know spooky season is already over, but I extend it all the way until Christmas. I never have any Christmas or New Years themed books to read, anyway.

Obsidian Heart is a trilogy. I have no plans at this time to read more of the series. For those interested, volumes two and three are The Society of Blood, and The Wraiths of War

Content Warnings

-Self harm

-violence

-animal violence

-body horror

-kidnapping

-mutilation of children

Characters

Alex Locke is the main character. He is an ex-con who turned his life around. Alex is in his mid thirties and works as a Psychology lecturer. He has two daughters, Candice (18) and Kate (5). Candice lives with her mother (Michelle) and step-father (Glenn), while Alex is raising Kate alone.

Benny Magee is a criminal contact from Alex’s prison days. He’s essentially like a mafia boss, and he provided protection for Alex during his stay in prison. Benny also provided Alex with a number to call if he ever needed help or got into trouble.

Clover Monroe is the owner of the night club Incognito. She has connections to Benny and provides the job involving the obsidian heart in hopes of making some quick and easy cash. Clover has a good code of morals and loyalty.

Barnaby McCallum is a rich, wheelchair bound, old man presumed to be around ninety. He is the owner of the obsidian heart before Alex gets his hands on it.

Lyn is Kate’s mother. She is currently living in Darby Hall Psychiatric Hospital due to an unusual onset of insanity that occurred while she was pregnant with Kate.

Private Frank Martin is a twenty-year-old man who served in World War I. Due to various events involving the obsidian heart, Frank is alive and well in 2012 to assist Alex.

Story & Thoughts

This book has a lot going on. It is absolutely jam packed with various fantasy themes. There are people with weird powers, possible Erdrich creatures, monstrosities, time travel, and people coming back from the dead. Normally, I wouldn’t think all these different elements would fit together for a good story, but surprisingly they mix well here. It does feel like a bit too much smushed together sometimes, though.

The story itself is interesting, but I’m not fond of the writing style. I like all the details, but some of the more complex monstrosities and body horrors are hard to picture based on the description. The book also does this thing at the start of chapters. It tells you where they are and then jumps backward to tell you how they got there before continuing onward from where they presently are. I don’t like this writing method. I can get through it, but it rubs me the wrong way.

Alex isn’t very smart in regards to his actions. The story takes place in 2012. He lacks caution in choosing babysitters. Apparently he has never done a background check on the people he trusts to watch Kate. I’m pretty sure background checks were not difficult to do in 2012, so that’s just pure carelessness on his part.

It bugs me to no end early in the book when Alex is trying to figure out how to get money to help Candice. He has a matter of days based on her estimate. He goes to a contact he knows is a criminal and then gets upset when the only means provided to make enough money is illegal. Like, come on, what was he expecting? And he has the nerve to turn it down and waste everyone’s time just because it’s illegal as if there is any other way he could possibly make thousands of dollars within a few days.

I only have one or two questions about the story I have any interest in getting answers for, so I’ll likely just google those. The book is interesting enough. It’s not like anything I’ve read before, so I enjoyed the experience, but I have no interest in continuing the series.

If I already had more of the books, I would probably read more, but I don’t, and I don’t have enough interest to want to get them. Some of the plot points are how I expect, so I won’t be surprised if the answers I find are what I’m guessing. Overall, the story isn’t bad, but it’s not great, either. Based on the content, it’s definitely not for the faint of heart.