The Guild Codex Spellbound Series by Annette Marie was the first series of her books that I read. I immediately gobbled up the rest of her series in that world, and then those in other worlds. Now I have read all her books. For the reasons why, watch the video. https://youtu.be/eDOwPWgOhMk Buy now on Amazon The Guild Codex: Spellbound (8 book series) by Annette Marie (Author) From Book 1: Broke, almost homeless, and recently fired. Those are my official reasons for answering a wanted ad for a skeevy-looking bartender gig.It went downhill the moment they asked for a trial shift instead of an interview—to see if I'd mesh with their "special" clientele. I think that part went great. Their customers were complete jerks, and I was an asshole right back. That's the definition of fitting in, right?I expected to get thrown out on my ass. Instead, they ... offered me the job?It turns out this place isn't a bar. It's a guild. And the three cocky guys I drenched with a … [Read more...]
Sci fi Review: The Alien Element (Translocator Trilogy 2) by MG Herron
The Alien Element, book two in the Translocator Trilogy, is as good as the first in the series (The Auriga Project), a fast paced intriguing mystery set on two worlds millions of light worlds apart but accessible via a translocator (but only if used with the black diamond.) It deepens the mystery on earth and answers the primary questions regarding the mysterious god on the planet Eliana found herself on. Now back on earth Eliana is in the jungles of Mexico searching for links to the Mayan civilisation on the other planet. She has no desire to go back to the planet, until she finds something in the Mexican jungle that she simply has to compare with something in the abandoned stone city on Rakulo’s world. Her husband, Amon refuses to send her, however, and by the time he realises that he should have said yes, it’s too late to do it in a controlled fashion because she’s leapt through the rift that appeared in his lab and got there herself. In this book we have three … [Read more...]
Literary Fiction Review: The Ribs and Thigh Bones of Desire b y Sandra Hutchinson – highly recommended
A coming-of-age novel set in America in the late 70s, Sandra Hutchison's The Ribs and Thigh Bones of Desire centers on the relationship between David, a physics professor in his 30s, and Molly, the teenage girl who used to babysit his daughter. Molly doesn't babysit for David anymore because his wife and daughter recently perished in a plane crash. He is too overwhelmed by grief to take care of himself, so his estranged sister hires Molly to keep house for him. Molly has problems of her own. Her parents are divorced. Her father loves her but now has another wife and children, a family where she has a marginal place. She mostly lives with her mother, a notorious and uninhibited artist who commemorates Molly's first period by constructing the figure of a girl with tampons and, of course, exhibiting it publicly. Molly's schoolmates call her Tampon Girl. The physics professor doesn't seduce or become obsessed with the teenager, nor does she have a girlish crush on him. While David … [Read more...]
A 5 star Diamond Peak series review
The following full Diamond Peak series review comes from http://nayspinkbookshelf.blogspot.com.au/2014/12/blog-tour-diamond-peak-series-by-tahlia.html Lethal Inheritance Review This is my first book by Tahlia Newland and I must say this was absolutely stunning! From beginning to end I was hooked on the world, the characters and the action. Not to mention the plot twists and turns that take place. Ariel is a typical teen living with her mom until she is introduced to demons. They break and enter AND kidnap her mother -- that alone blew my mind! It's the opener for so much action and adventure for Ariel. Ariel is stunned at first but with the help of Maya, Nick and Walnut she begins to learn her true self and becomes a kick ass character. This totally rocked my socks more than I expected it to and I highly suggest if you're looking for a YA Urban Fantasy to pick this beauty up! Purchase: Kindle US | Kindle UK | Kobo | iTunes | B&N | Sony Stalking Shadows Review The second book … [Read more...]
Delightfully unusual metaphysical fiction: Review
‘The Commons: The Journeyman’ is a delightfully unusual book that spans multiple genres. It takes place in the Commons, a place between life and death, something like purgatory for Christians and the Bardo of Becoming for Buddhists. On the surface it’s fantasy, but, like my own work, it’s also metaphysical fiction and, because of the psychological symbolism, magical realism. “We are the stories we tell ourselves,” is one of the metaphysical gems. This is an example of the best of indie fiction; it’s a bold, brilliant work at the forefront of an exciting new direction in contemporary fiction that is so far out of the box that mainstream publishers would likely see it only as a risk. Books with this mix of metaphysics, fantasy and magical realism are becoming more prevalent—the indies are way ahead of the mainstream here—but few of these books are as well executed as this one. The story follows Paul, a teen, Zach, an autistic five year old and his mother, Annie, after their deaths in a … [Read more...]
Excellent YA urban fantasy: ‘Sacrifice’ by Jennifer Quintenz
'Sacrifice’ by Jennifer Quintenz is the third in the young adult Daughters of Lilith Series and it is every bit as good as the previous books. Quintenz knows how to hold a reader and keep them turning the pages to find out what will happen next. It’s a hard book to put down. The story revolves around a girl who though a succubus herself (a daughter of Lilith) she stands on the side of the sons of Adam in an age-old battle that, unknown by most humans, has been raging since the beginning of human history. She loves a boy that she cannot have without risk of draining his life-force, and this adds a bittersweet touch to a powerful story. This series has the vitality that makes the characters and the world they inhabit as real as our own. There’s plenty of action, but there’s also plenty of character development and growth that together deliver a very satisfying whole. The plot is gripping and often surprising, and the characters face moral dilemmas and terrible challenges that … [Read more...]
Thought-provoking and entertaining: Review of ‘Thump’ by Avraham Azrieli
'Thump' by Avraham Azrieli is a thought-provoking and entertaining novel about gender and racial stereotyping and prejudice. Thump, an Afro-American working in a predominately white business, thumps his female boss and any female client his boss sends his way. In return, she supports his career. When Thump asks his girlfriend to marry him, she asks him for a vow of exclusivity and he agrees, but when he says ‘no’ and ‘not any more’ to his boss, things start to unravel. The more I reflect on it, the more wonderful the book seems. The author boldly raises a number of questions. At what point does exchanging sex for steps up the corporate ladder become sexual abuse? Can sex ever be truly consensual when one member holds power over the other? Can a woman rape a man? Does stereotyping encourage the negative behaviours they describe? Does the fact that someone is unaware that they're being abused make it any the less abuse. These are just some of the issues we encounter in this story. It’s … [Read more...]
An Awesome Historical Fantasy: ‘Cliff of the Ruin’ by Bonnie McKernan
Cliff of the Ruin by Bonnie McKernan is an awesome historical fantasy with complex undercurrents, spiritual depth and many surprises. It takes us from post revolution America, across the ocean to Ireland and into the lair of the Shee (the Sidhe). The story begins like a straight historical novel. Mae lives with her aunt and uncle, and their children, Aaron, a young man, and Charlotte, still a child. All of them are keen to find a husband for twenty six year old Mae, but after a broken engagement, she isn't particularly interested in taking the risk of opening up again. Until she meets the man on the riverbank. Kieran the fisherman was so beautiful, that I suspected some other worldly intervention, but the full truth of what was to become a mystery around this man only became clear at the end. The influence of the Shee grew as the story progressed, and I found myself gradually drawn deeper and deeper into a world where spaces dwelled within spaces and time had a different … [Read more...]
Brilliant, thrilling & heart-breaking: Corridor of Darkness: A Novel of Nazi Germany
I didn't plan on reading this book, because it's not really my kind of thing, but the author offered it to the Awesome Indies reviewers free in return for an honest review and when I heard that it was pretty good, I thought I'd take a look. Before I knew it, I was almost half way though the book and I didn't stop until the first bit of torture. That reminded me why I don't like to read thrillers. And the brutality and prejudice growing in the German population reminded me why I don't like to read about the rise of Nazi Germany. I decided to stop reading at that point, knowing there would be worse to come, but the next day, I realised that I couldn’t bear not knowing what happens to the characters, so I picked the book up again and read until I'd finished. The fact that I did that is a tribute to the skill of the author. Given my general predjudice against thrillers, it wouldn't have taken much for me to set it aside, but I didn't. The book hooked me and didn't let go. Even at the end … [Read more...]
Diamond Peak Series Book Tour: An awesome review of Stalking Shadows.
Here's a review of Stalking Shadows that really made my heart sing. This is the best reward for an author; readers who love what you write. Not everyone does, but those that do make the struggle worth while. Kayla says, among other things: 'Wow! I have to say that although I really, really enjoyed reading Lethal Inheritance, book one in this series, I think I enjoyed the sequel even more. That isn’t something that really happens for me that often and it only makes me wonder what more could come in the rest of the series.' Pop over and see Kayla's wonderful book blog and read the rest of the series. http://caughtbetweenthepages.wordpress.com/2013/12/07/blog-tour-stalking-shadows-by-tahlia-newland/ Don't forget the Special Series Seal If you buy book one, Lethal Inheritance, and send the receipt to tahlia.newland@yahoo.com before the 15th of December, I will send you book 2, Stalking Shadows, for free and enter you in a draw to win the rest of the series. You can also pick up two … [Read more...]
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