Lacuna Author: A.M. Daily Title: Lacuna Series: Lacuna Chronicles 1 Genre: Sci-Fi Pairing: M/M Rating: Four Petals On the Author's Website: https://amdailybooks.com/lacuna/ Summary: The ascension of the Terah has ravaged the Earth and plunged humanity into a horrifying existence. Humans struggle to survive in the few remaining cities beside Mechi, artificially intelligent beings whose most recent models are indistinguishable from their human creators, and the Ezri, a race of humanoid alien life whose descent to Earth changed the future of humankind forever. Caden is number 508349, and has lived a comfortable and privileged life as the son of a wealthy corporate bigwig, kept safe from the dangers of life outside of Belen. An inexplicable restlessness leads Caden to pursue Earth's lost past in cities other than his own and in the dusty words of suppressed history books. Together with his streetwise friends, Mikas and Blue, Caden learns to navigate the shadowed world of the Underground Streets as he searches for answers to the questions left by his recurring nightmares. When a series of catastrophic events leads to an encounter with a mysterious stranger, Caden is drawn unwittingly into a decades long war for freedom. As he struggles to accept his place in his rapidly changing reality, Caden is given insight into his true nature, allowing him to finally take the leap of faith he needs to reclaim his identity and freedom. Maggie's Review:
I received this book via the author in exchange for an honest review. The world ended when the Ezri arrived, but it was saved by the Terah. At least, that's what the Terah want you to think. Caden knows better, but there is still so much history that has been lost. His search for the truth inadvertently brings Caden into the war for freedom and into his own personal history, but this isn't a war he thinks he can survive. The best part of this book was the world building, which caught me on page one and pulled me in. The descriptions of the fires burning outside Caden's train windows was so detailed that I could practically taste the smoke myself. As the set up for the rest of the book, that scene was wonderful. What made the world building even more dynamic was the way it was tied into Caden's emotions. The descriptions of the masks, for example, and the utter revulsion he feels whenever he sees one made me associate the world with the people living in it in a way that only made it feel more alive. Caden himself was difficult to identify with, which is why this book only received four petals. In comparison to the world building, his personality feels very one note. I liked him overall, but it was difficult to want to root for him. That said, as the plot progresses and you learn more about what makes Caden the way he is, I did grow to like him more. Maggie's Recommendation: The world building and the emotions tied to it in this story were amazing and that is why I absolutely recommend this story. I thought the characterizations were a little weak in comparison to the rest, but overall this was a good read.
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Love Tokens Author: Megan Derr Title: Love Tokens Series: None Genre: High Fantasy Pairing: M/M Rating: Four Petals On the Author's Website: http://maderr.com/?page_id=31 Summary: Chanda is the Lord of Honey Flower House, which caters to those who have a taste for the paranormal between the sheets. Being an incubus makes him all the better at the job, even if it also leaves him lonely. Then a demon appears on his doorstep in search of a missing person, and Chanda is quickly reminded why he prefers the relatively quiet life as master of a pleasure house—but is also reminded of a bitter past he's tried to leave behind and dreams he gave up on a long time ago. Maggie's Review:
I received this book as an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This story was originally published in LT3's Halloween Rentboys collection, but this is my first time reading it. Chanda runs a prostitution house where those interested in the paranormal can find the best night of their lives. As an incubus, the work fits with Chandra well, however he can't help wanting a little more than just sex. Then a demon appears on Chandra's doorstep and his careful life is immediately thrown into disarray. Derr has two ways of telling stories. Her longer stories are rich in detail and plot, circling around drama and love until finally coming to a perfect conclusion. Her short stories generally lack detail and depth, but have a sweetness to them that I can't help enjoying. Love Tokens is a perfect example of Derr's short story style. Chandra's life and his interactions with Azar the demon made me smile. The focus was entirely on their story, with just a hint of a missing betrothed and other demons to give their relationship a touch more flare. Because of their relationship, I started the book smiling and I finished it smiling, which was a wonderful way to spend my afternoon. That said, there is clearly a world outside of Chandra and Azar's relationship. The few glimpses I got showed that there are different societies of humans and magical creatures, kingdoms, and strange magic all around Chandra. The small glimpse was enough to settle this short story into the world and therefore provide it some much needed depth, but this story really needed more to push it to the next level. It felt like a short story set in the world of a longer book rather than a stand alone story. Maggie's Recommendation: This story fit perfectly into Derr's usual short story writing style. It had a wonderful plot focused on the romance, but it lacked description in the world building. Overall I definitely enjoyed reading it and therefore absolutely recommend it. Tris's Book Author: Tamora Pierce Title: Tris's Book Series: Circle of Magic 2 Genre: High Fantasy Pairing: None Rating: Three Petals On the Author's Website: http://www.tamora-pierce.net/books/triss-book/ Summary: Earthquake damage leaves Winding Circle vulnerable to pirate attack, so everyone - including the young mages-in-training Tris, Briar, Daja, and Sandry - is working to strengthen the community's defenses. When Tris's cousin Aymery comes to visit, he advises the "weather witch" to return to the family that exiled her, but she doesn't wish to leave her friends to face the threat without her. As the onslaught begins, two things become terribly clear: The pirates have a powerful new weapon, and they have an accomplice within Winding Circle. But the attackers have failed to reckon with the fury of a young mage betrayed once too often and her very stubborn, very loyal friends... Maggie's Review:
In the wake of a devastating earthquake, the Winding Circle is hoping to rebuild without any further issues, but everyone knows a weak coastal city is perfect prey for pirates. Inevitably, pirates do appear and begin to threaten the only safe home Tris, Sandry, Briar, and Daja have ever known. With their magics they can try to fight against the overwhelming power of the pirates, yet the children know that failure is only one exploded boom-stone away. I liked the plot of this book better than the previous one in the series. There was a bit more depth to it and an attempt at adding twists and turns. It was still completely predictable, but I liked the improvements I saw. However, while all the books in this series jump between Tris, Sandry, Briar, and Daja's points of view, I found this book to be particularly jumpy. I had a difficult time keeping the four disparate plots separate in my head, particularly since they overlapped so heavily. After being introduced to the characters and the amazing world building in the previous book, I wasn't sure how Pierce could add even more depth, but she managed it beautifully. In Tris's Book we're introduced to the magic each child has including specifics on how they begin to learn to control their abilities on a personal scale. Tris, in particular, has a lot of control to learn because of how wild her magic is, but each lesson she learns is so interesting I can't help wanting to learn more. Maggie's Recommendation: I do recommend this book. I liked the improvements in the intricacy of the plot between the previous book in the series and this one and the depth given to the magic the children are learning in this book was very interesting to read. Half Author: Eli Lang Title: Half Series: None Genre: Paranormal Fantasy Pairing: M/M Rating: Four Petals On the Author's Website: https://leftoversushi.com/half/ Summary: Living between worlds has never been comfortable, but it’s where I’ve always fit: between human and fey, illness and health, magic and reality. I’ve spent the last six years looking for a cure for the nameless sickness eating me up. If I believed there was one out there, I would keep searching. But there isn’t, so I’ve come back home, where my past and present tangle. Come home to live . . . and to die. But my father insists I meet Kin. He’s a healer, and determined to help, even though I’m not so hopeful anymore. But Kin isn’t what I expected, in any way. He sees me, not my illness. He reminds me of what it’s like to be alive. And I can’t help falling for him, even though I know it isn’t fair to either of us. Kin thinks he has the cure I’ve been looking for, but it’s a cure that will change everything: me, my life, my heart. If I refuse, I could lose Kin. But if I take it, I might lose myself. Maggie's Review:
I received this book as an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Luca is very sick and he knows he doesn't have long to live. After spending the last few years searching the world for a cure, he returns home without an answer and without hope. Just as depression is fully settling in, Kin walks into Luca's life and everything is set on its head. The interesting plot, the dynamic romance, and the wonderful world building, while perfectly written, did not matter in any way in this book. Emotion and the pull between hate and love, depression and happiness, and every other feeling in between, were the stars of this book. Luca and Kin's pain, their love, and their sorrow leapt out of the pages and yanked me firmly into their lives and their stories. This is a book that will alternatively have you laughing and crying as the emotion firmly overwhelms you, and that was a truly beautiful thing to read. My only complaint with this book was it was a bit too long. It dragged in places. Luca spends most of the book stumbling around, trying to overcome the current bombshell that just dropped on his head, which quickly became repetitive. I found that I needed to put this book down and walk away for a bit--I even stopped to read another book for a few days midway through Half--so I could muster up the energy to read Luca's latest round of depression. Yes, some of the emotion was so heavy on my shoulders that I needed to back away to give myself time to breathe and process, but mostly I stepped away to regain my interest in what was overall a very well written story. If I didn't like the book, or if I didn't think it was worthwhile, I wouldn't have returned to it, let alone finished reading it. This book was definitely worth my while. Maggie's Recommendation: The emotion in this book was amazingly written with so many beautiful facets to each bit of drama that cropped up. The story did feel a little repetitive at times, which made it drag a little, but overall this was absolutely a beautifully written book. I do recommend it, however I recommend you read it in privacy because you will start laughing or crying out loud as the emotion begins to seep into you. Peter Darling Author: Austin Chant Title: Peter Darling Series: None Genre: Paranormal Fantasy Pairing: M/M, Trans Rating: Five Petals On the Author's Website: https://austinchant.com/peterdarling/ Summary: Ten years ago, Peter Pan left Neverland to grow up, leaving behind his adolescent dreams of boyhood and resigning himself to life as Wendy Darling. Growing up, however, has only made him realize how inescapable his identity as a man is. But when he returns to Neverland, everything has changed: the Lost Boys have become men, and the war games they once played are now real and deadly. Even more shocking is the attraction Peter never knew he could feel for his old rival, Captain Hook—and the realization that he no longer knows which of them is the real villain. Maggie's Review:
I received this book as an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Born as Wendy, Peter always knew he was a boy. His family, however, refused to see him as anything but a little girl to the extent that they belittled and hurt Peter at every turn. Afraid for his life, Peter runs back to Neverland where he can be Peter Pan and have grand adventures as only a boy is allowed to do. Except, Peter is older now and the adventures of a little boy are no longer as much fun. That is, until Captain Hook starts playing. I didn't expect this story. Peter Pan is a theme that has been written and rewritten dozens of different ways, so I was prepared for something ordinary. I was so unbelievably glad when that wasn't what I found. The plot was so vivid and unique that in my wildest imaginings I could never have come up with something so wonderful. The dynamic of Wendy versus Peter and the impact Neverland provided to allow Peter to figure out who he was as a boy was beautifully written with twists and turns I couldn't foresee that had me completely unable to put this book down. This story was part of Less Than Three Press' "My Dearest Enemy" collection which pitted two enemies against each other until hate eventually became love. Peter's enemy has always been Captain Hook, and that is no different in this story, but the way their relationship weaves from hate, to respect, to love, is beautifully written. I couldn't help thinking back on every other Peter Pan book and movie and wondering if there might have been something in those other stories between them that I missed. Maggie's Recommendation: This story is wonderful. I was surprised to find something so unique that still fits into the trope of Peter Pan. The way it was written with the plot twists and the love story had me completed hooked all the way through. I absolutely recommend this book. Behind Bars Author: Meredith Katz Title: Behind Bars Series: Pandemonium 2 Genre: High Fantasy Pairing: M/M, Bi, Genderqueer Rating: Three Petals On the Author's Website: https://meredithakatz.wordpress.com/books/ Summary: The city of Dolana has kept itself free from demonic rule the hard way: by interrogating its citizens and sending anyone who could possibly be under demonic influence to the Inquisition. City innkeeper Pelerin is happy to help out however he can—after all, he lost his beloved wife to demons many years earlier, leaving him to raise their son on his own. If anyone deserves to have a grudge against demons, it's him. But when his now-adult son disagrees with his actions, he is forced to reexamine the past. Is he doing the right thing, when it could lead—has led—to the deaths of innocents? Why is his son skulking about, and what secrets is he keeping? And while Pel's hands are full with this, a stranger comes to stay at his inn... a stranger who makes the question more relevant than Pel ever imagined would be possible. Maggie's Review:
I received this book as an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Pel is a simple innkeeper most of the time, but in the city of Dolana where demons and those under the influence of demons aren't allowed, Pel does his duty by reporting anyone he suspects. Then Tari shows up, asking for a room and acting strange. Except, Tari is the least of Pel's worries when his son starts acting odd in a city where oddness is always punished. I didn't know whether it was worth requesting this book, given how much I disliked the first in the series, but I have to honestly say I'm very glad I took the chance. There was a lot of growth in writing ability between book one and this story. What I did like about the prequel was how interesting the world building was, which was again the best part of this book. Humans and demons live together after some sort of event--which was still never explained--brought demons into the world. The town Pel lives in has managed to stay demon free by capturing and interrogating anyone suspicious. I liked the amount of detail the world was given and the demons versus human mentality was very interesting to read. Pel as a character was interesting. His tragic back story allowed the almost extreme hatred he had for demons feel believable and I liked the way he interacted with his son. I did think it was a bit of a stretch for him to go from so vehemently hating demons to suddenly supporting them, but again it still worked overall. I didn't like Tari as much. Their character was a bit too freewheeling and I feel like it didn't mesh well with some of the more serious themes of the book. Maggie's Recommendation: This story is considerably better than the prequel, which is why I do recommend it. I liked the world building and the characterizations were interesting, albeit a tad weak. Overall I enjoyed reading this story. Ruin and Will Author: Tami Veldura Title: Ruin and Will Series: An Act of Piracy 2 Genre: High Fantasy Pairing: M/M, F/F Rating: Three Petals On the Author's Website: http://www.tamiveldura.com/books-for-sale/series-an-act-of-piracy/ Summary: To change his fate, Kyros Vindex made a deal with witches: Eric’s heart for anything in the world. But the cost of love was too high. His quartermaster and best friend Araceli Cross is trapped with the spirit Ghalil. Driven by his guilt, Kyros becomes obsessed with the impossible. To get Araceli back, he’ll have to renege on the witches’ blood pact. Finally free of the demon that possessed him for seven years, Eric Deumont is ready to chase the horizon. Try as he might, he can’t convince his lover Kyros to move on. And Kyros expects him to return to the plantation, and the man, where it all started; as if there was a chance Philippe could pull Araceli out of the jar. But Eric won’t risk unleashing Ghalil, not for anyone. It’s time to cut and run. Araceli fights Ghalil with everything she has but when the demon merges their souls, they break the seal of their cage. However, physical freedom doesn’t change the fight for dominance. Ghalil’s demand for blood shackles her, and Araceli is nobody’s slave. With Ghalil free, time is a luxury that no one has. And all the while, the witch crows watch... Maggie's Review:
I received this book via the author in exchange for an honest review. After the cliffhanger of the previous book, starting this one directly from where we left off was nice. Araceli is trapped in a jar, fighting tooth and nail against the demon Ghalil. Outside of the jar, part of Kyros is reveling in his freedom while the other part is drowning in guilt for getting Araceli hurt. Eric just wants what's best for Kyros, but with guilt and pain tearing apart all three of them from the inside, happiness might be impossible. Everything I liked about the previous book in the series was present in this one. The world with its mix of historical realness and fantasy magic continued to evolve. Learning how magical spirits come into being and why Ghalil is so violent brought an additional layer of depth to the story. I almost found myself sympathizing with Ghalil, which is amazing considering he's a heartless killer that revels in violence and blood. I had a mixed reaction to the rest of the characterizations. I liked Kyros and Eric and I felt their relationship's rockiness given what happened to Araceli worked perfectly. The character I didn't like was Araceli. She's a strong woman and I respect her for that, but something about her felt very cliched. Adding in the drama will Ghalil sharing her body was definitely interesting, but for some reason I had trouble believing in Araceli's pain. Maggie's Recommendation: The world building was very well-written with the mix of historical piracy and magic. I also liked the depth given to the magic in this book, however I thought some of the characterizations were a little weak. Overall, I liked this story and I do recommend it. Rogue Magic Author: Kit Brisby Title: Rogue Magic Series: None Genre: Paranormal Fantasy Pairing: M/M, F/F Rating: Four Petals On the Author's Website: http://www.kitbrisby.com/books Summary: While trapped in a stalled subway train on his morning commute, PR rep Byron Cole flirts with Levi, a young waiter with adorable curls. But Byron's hopes for romance crash and burn when Levi saves him from a brutal explosion—with outlawed magic. When Levi is imprisoned, Byron begins to question everything he's ever believed. How can magic be evil when Levi used it to save dozens of lives? So Byron hatches a plan to save Levi that will cost him his job and probably his life. If he doesn't pull it off, Levi will be put to death. Byron discovers that he isn't the only one questioning America's stance on magic. And he learns that Levi is stubborn, angry, and utterly enchanting. Time is running out, though. Byron must convince Levi to trust him, to trust his own magic, and to fight against the hatred that’s forced him to hide his true nature his entire life. The more Levi opens up, the harder Byron falls. And the more they have to lose. Maggie's Review:
I received this book as an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Byron is trapped underground on the subway as a terrorist group's explosions go off overhead. He's trying to stay calm and wait for rescue, but as he's pulled free of the underground another explosion hits. Instead of dying, Byron and the dozens of people with him are saved by Levi using magic to shield them from the fire. The only problem is that magic is illegal and Levi is immediately arrested for being the terrorist that set off the explosions in the first place. Byron had never thought about the lives those with magic are forced to endure before, but watching the man that just saved his life beaten and carted away in chains for a crime Levi didn't commit is too much for Byron. Hatching a plan to reveal the truth about magic in a world that reviles magic is dangerous, so dangerous that Byron and Levi know they probably aren't going to survive this. This story really makes a reader think about hate and fear and prejudice. In this case its against those that use magic. Given the current political climate in our real world, I couldn't help feeling particularly pained by how much those with magic are forced to endure. I could see the parallels with the antisemitism of Nazi Germany and even the anti-immigrant/anti-Muslim stance of the current U.S. administration. This book clearly and painfully outlines the worst that could happen if one group of people are systematically maligned in today's modern world. Any book that makes me think so very deeply about such difficult topics is one that I can definitively state is well written and a damned good book. Of course, I did find this book difficult to read. The build up to the actual plot to try to save those with magic is very slow and a lot of the extra scenes beforehand felt a little pointless. Yet, Byron changing a lifetime's belief that magic is evil isn't something he can come to quickly. The length of time is therefore necessary, but because it reads so slowly I had some trouble getting into this book. Maggie's Recommendation: This book made me think about fear and hatred and the world we live in today, and any book that makes me think so deeply is one I know is well written. The plot itself was slow to begin, which made the book difficult to get into, but overall I liked this book and I definitely recommend it. |
Magnolia's Reviews
Maggie reviews paranormal and fantasy novels and novellas. She also interviews authors and hosts giveaways. Archives
April 2018
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