Magic

Ensnared by the Stone Freak by Vala Stone

Posted on by DragonSusie

We Want More!!

So, we have two drastically different people, meeting in colourful circumstances, but neither are who they seem from the outset.

We have Camryn “Cammy” Mayfield, a top-tier lawyer, who’s a workaholic but secretly fed up with her job.

Then we have Halvard the “Stone Freak”; no surname, but has Gargoyle* lineage.

And with a host of side characters, including a Seer, Cammy’s friend who she doesn’t know is a Siren, a Warlock stalker ex, and the absolutely fabulously wonderful and cute Wild Boar Hogzy!

So, Halvard is cursed to turn everyone he gazes upon to stone. Yet he’s told that his curse will be lifted with one glance. He doesn’t believe it one bit but, considering who the two main characters are, we know who it has to be… And she pushes his belief to the limit, just as he pushes hers, she having never known that magical creatures really existed.

And, with them together, she finally has the courage to face up to her stalker ex, whose powers have made him overly obsessive and on the edge of sanity.

I suppose there’s a little bit of adventure in here (perhaps I don’t see it completely so, as I’m so used to fantasy). But it’s romance with an edge of danger, really, overcoming themselves plus adversity, with a little nudge and help now and then.

Of course, the adult part was fun, too, and once they started they had to push all the way… But it felt a little unfinished, missing a couple of descriptors, going from all guns blazing, to just… Ending. I expected as much fire to end the second scene as the first.

Additional notes:
* Gargoyles are a pretty specific type of Grotesque, Grotesques being the statues you find on ancient buildings, and Gargoyles being the water features found at the end of guttering (think “gargle”, which has the same root). It’s a common misconception, so I thought it best to educate everyone at the same time.

All that aside, it took me time in the beginning to get used to the author’s voice but, once I had, the words just flew by! I was fully entranced and captivated, apart from the couple of niggles mentioned above, but I still thoroughly enjoyed it. Ms. Stone has a new fan.

Final rating: ★★★★☆ – Really liked

*I received a free digital ARC via the author and am voluntarily leaving a review.*

Wicked Steel by Harper Lynn

Posted on by DragonSusie

An Interesting Start

There is a warning about the world right from the start, but I’d just come out of reading a different steampunk novel, so it’s pretty much run of the mill for me. There are steampunk elements throughout, including manpowered cabs, and driverless shuttles.

So, saying that – this is an interesting world, with magic based on eleven elements. In this story, the element is steel.

So, steel is absolutely everywhere, used in almost everything, giving the advanced users, the Heirs, much to play with.

The two main characters are Cara, Heir and daughter to one of the most powerful magnates in the city, and Derron, an odd-job guy who takes his money from whoever pays the most, currently Cara’s father.

And so the two meet, Derron learning that Cara isn’t a stuck-up good-for-nothing heiress, and Cara learning that Derron may not just be out for himself and may have a heart overall.

It is a story of love, loss, and betrayal. The betrayals were somewhat expectant, as there was clever foreshadowing. But, yes, they’re completely blind to it, and we see them get out of a few scrapes because of it.

All in all, not a bad read, but it definitely needed extra editing before it reached the ARC stage, as there were huge chunks of repeated text.

Final rating: ★★★★☆ – Really liked

*I received a free digital ARC via the author and am voluntarily leaving a review.*

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The Tea Witch’s Promise by Laura Greenwood and Arizona Tape

Posted on by DragonSusie

Somewhat Disappointing

I absolutely hated the start, and I’m unsure why. There was something missing, that I couldn’t quite put my finger on.

The romance was also a too-slow build up for me, with all the “will they, won’t they?”, which is known to annoy me somewhat. It just felt like they kept recircling around the same ideas, not asking the right questions, before finally deciding all was OK. Once they got to that point, the flow was better, until it came to the issue of Oliver…

Banjo is a fun character, and I would have liked to have seen him fleshed out a bit more. Hopefully we’ll get more of other familiars, including Howie, quite soon. They’re magically-bonded familiars, but what that actually means, apart from a tattoo (no spoilers), and whether there are actually any magical properties there outside of that, I’m not too sure right now.

And I was a little confused about how the magic works, but hopefully that will come along, too.

This doesn’t mean that I will just dump the series. But I will just see it all as an introduction, and hope that the next book finds me better. We are all different in our likes, after all!

Final rating: ★★★☆☆ – Sort of liked/OK

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The Goblets Immortal by Beth Overmyer

Posted on by DragonSusie

Just shut up already!

First thing to note here – this is the start of a series and ends on a cliffhanger, with no sequel mention as of yet, nor a series for it to be based in. Although, I assume, it will be based around these Goblets Immortal.
[Edit: Just noticed on Amazon that the sequel is due to come out next week and that the series is, indeed, entitled “The Goblets Immortal”]

Now next, to explain my title. Our MC, Aidan, you could pity him in the beginning. He lost his parents in some freak accident, where he is charged and outlawed for making them disappear. Then his only friend in the world turns on him, apparently for money, greed making him want more. But that is where the sympathy stops.

Once Aidan chances upon Slaine, he takes turns in treating her terribly and then regretting his actions, even minor actions, with a lot of his thoughts being riddled with remorse. This, of course, confuses Slaine, who is quite used to abuse, as she can’t make head nor tail of him. Neither can I. I mean, at one point he’s close to going too far, in a strange drugged state, then spends another page full of remorseful thoughts.

Then there’s the magic. We’re led full tilt into all the magical terms, without a single explanation of what they mean until one or two chapters later. It’s just confusing as hell.

The general storyline was OK, with the usual hijinks that come with an adventure fantasy (I don’t even want to call it “epic”), and the “hero” being able to get them out of trouble quite easily. But, I just don’t know. With all the annoying elements of Aidan, I just wanted to step into the book and punch him most of the time. Reading other reviews, it turns out that I wasn’t the only one.

Final rating: ★★★☆☆ – Sort of liked/OK

*I received a free digital ARC via NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

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Infamous by Arizona Tape

Posted on by DragonSusie

Good start

This book was still in Beta when I received it, so the author is now currently busy with amendments based on my and other reader’s suggestions. But, from the beginning, we already have a great story going on here!

We have Rie, with her sentient deck of cards (or, at least, the “character” cards), who regularly talk to her and give her advice. She’s also very good at pickpocketing, noticing targets with high-value items or money. It’s her only means of survival. Until she pickpockets the wrong target…

Oh, but her mistake only ends up working in her favour, as she is forced to repay her debt by joining a gang of hustlers, who only want to rob the richest man in the city!

There is a great list of side characters here, but unfortunately we don’t get to know them enough in depth. A few months on and I can’t remember all of their names and don’t have access anymore. Yet what I can say is this – there’s already a great storyline, but I would love to see some more background. And, of course, there’s a nice ending, where Rie manages to realise one of her dreams. And, I believe, there’s another story to be had in that, too.

Final rating: ★★★★☆ – Really liked

*I received a free digital Beta copy via the author in exchange for an honest review*

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Feline The Heat by Lacey Carter Andersen, L.A. Boruff, and Laura Greenwood

Posted on by DragonSusie

Too much fun!

Ooooh, now this one happened to hit me in just the right way. I mean, naked firemen? Who don’t notice you ogling because you’ve shapeshifted into a cat? Ha! And best of all, because your changing into a cat is part of a curse, they don’t even notice that you’re a shifter!

This was extremely fun, funny, with definite laugh-out-loud moments, but also with a bit of seriousness. And of course, Callie wanting to find out the source of her curse and if someone can fix it is most definitely going to get her into trouble, whether she’s in cat or human form. Let alone the firemen who have taken a very definite liking to her, in both forms!

With an interesting little mini cliffhanger, this is definitely going to be a series to follow.

Final rating: ★★★★☆ – Really liked

*I received a free digital ARC via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.*

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Death’s Choice by Laura Greenwood

Posted on by DragonSusie

Another great Paranormal Council standalone.

This is another standalone set within the greater Paranormal Council universe. It’s quite an interesting universe, as the magic within it works in a specific way, whether they be necromancers, witches, or shifters. Living within the human realm comes with its many dangers, but the characters here manage to adapt and find their place within it.

Kali is a necromancer whose job is to kill whoever her guild assigns her to. Unlike some of her peers, she doesn’t actually relish in the killing part at all. So when she receives an assignment to protect instead of kill, she is all for it, especially when it brings certain men into her sphere who turn out to be far more than they seem. Kali adapts well to the new situation, loving the fact that she doesn’t have to kill. Well, not on order, anyway – only to protect. She makes some good friends, and even stronger enemies, in her new life.

The characters have interesting dimensions to themselves, and some are more accepting of the unchangeable situation than others. Most notably, jealousy, until it becomes obvious that the emotion is completely pointless. The dynamic once she has found all three of her mates becomes really interesting, although one of them should have been expected, really.

I was actually slightly disappointed that the “clause” wasn’t used to protect Kali, like expected, instead of the more extreme setting, but all works out well in the end.

Final rating: ★★★★☆ – Really liked

*I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.*

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