Silence that Sizzles Author: Ivy Sinclair Title: Silence that Sizzles Series: Urban Dwellers 1 Genre: Paranormal Fantasy Pairing: M/F Rating: One Petal On the Author's Website: It's not on the author's website. Summary: Although he has the outward appearance of a successful businessman as part owner of the hottest nightclub in Copper City, the Urban Dwellers, bear shifter Kyle Frost hides a secret. A secret that killed his career with the army and sent him into an emotional tailspin. Doctor Kelly Malone knew Kyle at his lowest and, after quitting her high-profile job with a leading pharmaceutical company, needs his help. She needs him to protect her while she exposes the truth about her research. As Kyle tracks down the clues to the answer that will keep Kelly safe, he lowers his carefully guarded emotional walls to the attractive doctor. But will he be able to claim her as his forever before it’s too late? Maggie's Review:
Kyle spends his nights running a nightclub. He makes sure everything runs smoothly, but he knows he only got the job because he wasn't good at anything else. Luckily, he likes his job because it helps suppress the demons hiding in his past. Then Kelly shows up asking for his help and his past is suddenly his future, especially since his heart gets involved. The premise for this book was very interesting, but not fully fleshed out. I liked the idea of shifters being part of the human world, but I felt like I was missing out on a lot of world building. I found out later that the Urban Dwellers series overlaps with the Greyelf Grizzlies series and can't help wondering if Sinclair did a lot of that world building in the other series and then forgot that it was necessary to include in the new series. Without that background I found that I couldn't connect with Kyle as a character. He comes off as one dimensional because there wasn't enough detail given about the world around him to allow me to understand how his issues were really issues. I also had a big problem with the emotions in this book. Kyle says "he's very excited" and then moves on. That telling instead of showing was consistent throughout the book. I needed more description to be able to believe that he was very excited. "His heart beat a quick staccato in his chest and his palms began to sweat" or anything along those lines was completely absent. This definitely increased my feeling that Kyle and Kelly were both very one dimensional and ruined the book for me. Maggie's Recommendation: Everything that was needed to make this a good book was present. An interesting world, flawed characters learning to lean on each other, and the potential for a dynamic plot, but there was so much missing that this book was almost unreadable. The characters were one dimensional and the emotion lacked description and depth, and I therefore cannot recommend this book.
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HellhoundAuthor: Rose Burnhouse Title: Hellhound Series: Hellhound 1 Genre: Paranormal Pairing: M/M Rating: Two Petals On the Author's Website: Author does not appear to have a website. Summary: When a strange diary written by what seems to be a tormented, terrified child turns up in a bar in Idaho, detailing the grisly atrocities committed by the diarist's 'master', Special Agent Sylvester thinks he may finally have a lead on his killer. The diary also brings in Tristan Lau, Walker's colleague with benefits and a man with a stubborn case of his own. As their cases prove connected in ways they never could have anticipated, Walker finds himself guiding Lau through a secret world of magic even as their own connection deepens. Maggie's Review:
I received this book via the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Walker and Lau are work partners trying to solve a series of brutal murders and disappearances. They travel together to a town where their case suddenly gets weird. There's a giant, red-eyed dog running around and tearing people's throats out. Figuring out who is kidnapping children and stopping them, all while dealing with the dog, gave this story a nice balance of different plot lines that I enjoyed. This story is utterly lacking in description, but that appears to be a stylistic choice. The reader is thrust into what appears to be a mundane world, except every once in a while tidbits of magic are suddenly introduced. How magic is used, how Walker came to learn about the magic, and even the particular spells in use in the story are never given any depth. I felt like I was floundering and lost, trying to catch up with what was happening, yet that seems to be the point. The world in this book is the normal world and I should already know it; learning as I go along is the stylistic choice I believe Burnhouse made here for the readers. It was definitely a difficult way to get into the book and it made it hard to follow the plot, but it wasn't bad overall. Maggie's Recommendation: This book was definitely difficult to read. There wasn't enough description anywhere for me to feel like I fully understood what was happening or to have an appreciation for the plot, characters, or the world itself. I feel like this might have been a stylistic choice made by the author since it's so blatant, but I still can't recommend this book. Jeweled Fire Author: Sharon Shinn Title: Jeweled Fire Series: Elemental Blessings 3 Genre: High Fantasy Pairing: M/F, F/F Rating: Three Petals On the Author's Website: http://www.sharonshinn.net/jeweledfire.shtml Summary: As one of the four princesses of Welce, Corene always thought she might one day become queen. Only circumstances changed, leaving fiery Corene with nothing to show for a life spent playing the game of court intrigue—until a chance arises to become the ruler of a nearby country. After stowing away on a ship bound for Malinqua with her loyal bodyguard, Foley, Corene must try to win the throne by making a play to marry one of the empress’s three nephews. But Corene is not the only foreign princess in search of a crown. Unaccustomed to being anyone’s friend, Corene is surprised to find companionship among her fellow competitors. But behind Malinqua’s beautiful facade lie many secrets. The visiting princesses are more hostages than guests. And as the deadly nature of the court is revealed, Corene must rely on both her new allies and Foley’s unwavering protection—for the game she has entered is far more perilous than she ever imagined… Maggie's Review:
There were parts of this book I liked the most so far in the series, and equally there were parts of this book that had me gritting my teeth through it. Corene was my least favorite of the princesses. She's really smart, but so blatantly spoiled that everything she does is selfish and self centered. In most books, a character like that would be on a quest for redemption, and this is that sort of quest for Corene, however her fiery personality doesn't allow for her to step away from the brink. Of course, her personality was ordained by the blessings she received at her birth, so she has to be fiery and close-minded regardless of whatever personal growth she's supposed to be going through. It was painful to read, especially when the easy answer was blatantly in front of her, but she instead chose to be a stubborn brat and missed it. The romance...I can't say rushed, because it was a slow burn to the end, but for some reason it still felt rushed. I think it might be caused because in the previous two books Corene's love interest was supposed to be pining after someone else, yet he's suddenly Corene's. It felt a little abrupt. I do like the slow burn relationship that developed between them as they both settle into their relationship and what it entails. He's a good match for Corene, with his head firmly planted on his shoulders where hers is off in la-la land. I also thought it was interesting how the author weaved in other sexualities into the book. Not everyone has to be in a heterosexual relationship. Gay, straight, bi, even ace, were all mentioned as an acceptable type of relationship. It was nice to see from a mainstream author and the way it was used only enhanced the world-building of the series as a whole. Maggie's Recommendation: Corene's personality was a little bit over the top for me in this book, but I've been having issues with personality for the entire series and I'm still reading it. The world-building and the relationships make up for the characterization issues, and that's why I recommend this book. Blood in the Water Author: Tami Veldura Title: Blood in the Water Series: An Act of Piracy 1 Genre: High Fantasy Pairing: M/M Rating: Three Petals On the Author's Website: http://www.tamiveldura.com/books-for-sale/series-an-act-of-piracy/ Summary: Kyros Vindex, treasure-hunter, has a problem. He's carrying a torch for a fellow pirate with the sexual awareness of a teaspoon. Rumors say the man has killed hundreds. He's determined to knock some sense into the work-a-holic that captains the Midnight Sun, but damned if he knows how. Eric Deumont has more pressing concerns than the treasure-obsessed Kyros. There's a creature inked into his chest that no witch in the seas will lay hands on for all the gold in the world. He knows it gives the Midnight Sun a cursed reputation and that doesn't make living any easier. He has heard stories of spirits trapped for lifetimes inside spelled puzzle jars. Eric tracked down three of the pieces for such a jar with a lead number four. The fifth is still out there. Even then, the spirit of vengeance that lives in Eric's skin has no intention of giving up such easy access to the mortal realm. It craves blood and the light of the moon allows it to wreak unchecked havoc. Cursed is an insult. This is madness. Maggie's Review:
I received this book via the author in exchange for an honest review. Eric and Kyros are pirates. They pillage the high seas and occasionally run into each other at port, where Kyros quickly falls in love with Eric. The only problem is that Eric has some sort of demon or spirit trapped in his chest. Whenever moonlight hits the creature, it escapes and starts killing everyone around it until Eric can get it back under control. The spirit is slowly killing Eric, so the quest to find a way to free him takes over. Kyros knows he can't have Eric's full heart until the spirit is gone. My favorite part of the book was how seamlessly the world flows. At first it feels like it's a fictional book about pirates, set historically in the time when pirates ruled the Atlantic Ocean. They pillage and attack other ships, and then trade their stolen goods in various pirate havens. The magic of the spirits fits so naturally into the story I couldn't help wondering whether such magics might have existed at that time anyway. It felt like voodoo might have felt if it were in use on pirate ships. Unfortunately, I found the rest of the story to be very choppy. The romance bounced from emotion to emotion with very little to connect the various bits together. The plot bounced the same way. I know that giving every detail of every voyage would have been redundant and boring, but I felt that there was a lot missing that would have helped the plot gel better. Maggie's Recommendation: I thought the world building with the balance between the real-world pirating and the fantasy spirit magic was excellent. I wish the romance and the plot had a bit more flow because it felt choppy, but overall I did enjoy reading this book and I do recommend it. HexmakerAuthor: Jordan L. Hawk Title: Hexmaker Series: Hexworld 2 Genre: Paranormal (Historical) Pairing: M/M Rating: Five Petals On the Author's Website: http://jordanlhawk.com/books/hexworld-series/ Summary: A straight-laced policeman. A lighthearted thief. A murdered millionaire. Fox shifter Malachi steals for one of the biggest crime rings in New York City. But when he witnesses the murder of a millionaire, the only person who can keep him safe is Dr. Owen Yates, forensic hexman for the Metropolitan Witch Police—and Malachi’s witch. Owen is horrified to discover his familiar is an uneducated thief. Even worse, Malachi threatens to unleash Owen’s deepest desires…desires Owen can’t act upon, as he’s destined for an arranged marriage to secure the Yates family fortune Their agreement: Malachi will be Owen’s lover as well as his partner, until the day of the wedding. But as their hunt for the murderer carries them from teeming slums to Fifth Avenue mansions, Owens begins to realize Malachi commands his heart as well as his body. With dark forces drawing ever closer around them, Owen must decide whether to bow to the demands of duty, or to risk everything for the man he loves. Maggie's Review:
I received this book as an ARC via the author in exchange for an honest review. Malachi is a thief. He knows he's low class and uncultured, but in his world of crime he fits right in. Then he's accused of murdering a prominent millionaire and only Owen's timely interference keeps Malachi from the hangman's noose. It turns out, Owen is Malachi's witch. Except, Owen is as high class as they come and bonding with Malachi is the exact opposite of what Owen's family expects of him. Finding the real murderer and bridging the differences in their backgrounds might seem insurmountable, but the way Hawk weaves the plot of the story together is so well done that their differences are quickly turned to strengths. I enjoyed reading the romance the most in this book. Owen is sweet, if struggling with his needs, while Malachi knows what he wants and how to provide for Owen. Their relationship just worked. Trying to balance what they were building together with Owen's pending marriage added an extra dimension of plot and depth to the book and to their relationship, which only had me rooting even more for them to succeed. The magic in this story is also very well constructed. I probably said this about the first book in the series, but the familiar/witch symbiotic relationship is so unique and so interesting that every new tidbit of information I learn has me begging for more. The magic is also intrinsic to the world building. The story is historical, set in New York, but with the added twist of the existence of magic to really make it interesting. There are two police departments, for example, one for regular criminals and one for magical crimes. Malachi dodging and dealing around both departments and the way those departments work together in a quasi-rivalry provided the perfect amount of depth. There were so many more examples of perfect world building that I could give, and each one served to increase how much I enjoyed this story. I loved every minute of this book and can't wait for more. Maggie's Recommendation: I have zero complaints about this book. The romance, the magic, the world building, and everything else was so well crafted. I loved every minute of reading this story and can't wait not only to re-read, but for the next book in the series to arrive. I highly recommend it, although it would be best to begin with the first book in the series: Hexbreaker. Unfinished Business Authors: Carlo Angelo, Cassandra Pierce, Megan Derr, and Stephanie Rabig Title: Unfinished Business Series: An Anthology Genre: Paranormal Pairing: M/M, F/F, Bi Rating: Four Petals On the Publisher's Website: https://lessthanthreepress.com/books... Summary: REBORN by Carlo Angelo—Several days ago Ilya confessed his feelings to Ridley, and since then matters between the two men have been strained. With Ridley sick and their case about disappearing men still unsolved, Ilya is almost relieved to take on an easy case of dispelling a rogue at the Netherworld estate. But the more of the estate he sees, the more he realizes the easy case might just leave him dead. YOU MAY NOW KISS THE (CORPSE) BRIDE by Stephanie Rabig—Nora is at her wit's end. She died several months ago, and knows she should move on, but can't get thoughts of her husband out of her mind. Though ghosts technically aren't allowed to contact the living, she finds a Private Investigator, Sanaa, who's willing to bend the rules for her. Sanaa's willing to help, but she has shadows in her past, including a vengeful former client. Just because she's dead doesn't mean she won't need her .38. THE THRILL OF THE CASE by Cassandra Pierce—At first, Geordie thinks his case will be run-of-the-mill: an aging millionaire wants him to tail his sexy young boytoy to see if he's been cheating. Expecting to be bored even more than on most surveillance missions, Geordie follows his target to a private nightclub and manages to slip inside. What he finds turns his whole world upside down. But he's got a job to do, even if it's not nearly as routine as he'd anticipated, and being discovered as a detective will get him killed fast. The attraction to the club's owner isn't helping matters. GODFREY AND THE DETECTIVE by Megan Derr—Godfrey makes a point to live a quiet, unassuming life—'mostly because vampires are a lot less likely to get dead that way. Finding a dead body in his yard is very much the last thing he wanted, though he can't be entirely upset about the hot, scruffy detective assigned the case. The problem with humans, however, is that they don't know when to quit... Maggie's Review:
I received this book as an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Overall I enjoyed reading this paranormal detective themed anthology. Each story was unique enough to hold its own amid a group of some very well written and interesting stories. I've given short reviews for each individual story and my overall rating for the anthology is the average of those reviews. Reborn by Carlo Angelo -- Three Petals This was a good start to the anthology. Ilya and Ridley are investigating a case of missing people and the case takes them from the human world where they battle vampires to the underworld where ghosts and other ghouls are causing an equal amount of problems. The plot was the best part of this story. It kept my interest from start to finish with interesting twists and dynamics. However, it felt like Angelo was trying too hard; the language was overly formal and sometimes came across as stiff. For example, Angelo kept using "whence" when "where" would more than suffice. It pulled me out of the story, which was unfortunate because the rest was well done. You May Now Kiss The (Corpse) Bride by Stephanie Rabig -- Four Petals Nora is dead and is starting her new "life" in the underworld. She's not sure how she fits in, but she remembers that she left her husband behind when she died. Desperate to know how he's doing, she enlists the help of Sanaa, a private detective who can help Nora find closure. The world building was amazing. The fact that Rabig was able to squeeze so many little tidbits into such a short story to provide the depth was definitely a strength. My only complaint was the plot itself was too compact. While there were twists and turns, each one felt rushed; there wasn't enough build up or impact to really convey what was happening. I wish the story was longer because with just a little more detail this could have been amazing. The Thrill of the Case by Cassandra Pierce -- Four Petals Geordie is a private detective hired to figure out if a millionaire's boy-toy is cheating, so Geordie follows the boy-toy to a strange club where only members can enter and Geordie is definitely not welcome. I thought this story was also a little fast-paced. The details of the vampires and their society are tossed in too quickly and the romance is basically insta-love. That said, the characterizations were very well done. Each person in the story was distinct and they brought an interesting and unique dynamic to the plot that really kept my interest. Godfrey and the Detective by Megan Derr -- Five Petals This was my favorite story in the anthology. When Godfrey finds a dead body in his bushes, he knows his evening isn't going to go as planned, still the very hot detective that takes the case makes up for that. Finding the murderer while keeping the detective at bay turns out to be the most interesting thing to happen to Godfrey in centuries. It was the fact that Godfrey was interested in the mystery that got me interested. I could relate to the characters and was therefore immediately pulled into Godfrey's world. The story was too short for the romance to have the depth it needed, so it did feel a little like insta-love, but it still worked because I believed in the characters. The story also read like it was a side-story to a larger work with references to other characters and plots that provided a lot of depth to the world building. I can't help hoping that the twins and Paisley's mysterious human do have a story of their own in the works. Maggie's Recommendation: I really enjoyed reading all the stories in this short, paranormal detective themed anthology. Each had a unique take on the theme and were very well written. I definitely recommend this anthology. Murder of Crows Author: Annie Bellet Title: Murder of Crows Series: Twenty Sided Sorceress 2 Genre: Paranormal Pairing: M/F Rating: One Petal On the Author's Website: http://anniebellet.com/books/murder-of-crows/ Summary: They say you can never go home again. If only that were true… Game store owner and nerd sorceress extraordinaire Jade Crow knows death stalks her in the form of her murderous ex-lover, Samir, a sorcerer who wants to eat her heart and take her power. With the help of her friends, and sexy tiger-shifter Alek, Jade trains for the inevitable confrontation. Until her estranged father shows up begging for help. Someone or something is murdering the crow shifters of Three Feathers ranch and her father believes sorcery is the only way to stop the killings. Faced with an unknown foe, a family that exiled her decades before, a deepening relationship with Alek, and Samir’s ever-present threat, Jade will need all the power she’s gained and then some to stop the Murder of Crows. Maggie's Review:
I do remember writing my review of the first book in this series, where I said that the book wasn't written well at all and I couldn't recommend it. So, what the heck am I doing reading the second book in the series? Trust me, I have absolutely no idea. All I can say is I was bored, this story was very short, and I'm still regretting it. Jade has to return to her childhood home to help them solve a series of murders. She doesn't want to go, but decides to anyway, at which point we're treated to every stereotype of isolated cult existence. Her family lives under the rule of a megalomaniac who dictates every aspect of their life. He threw Jade out of the village when she didn't transform into a crow like the rest of them, and she hasn't looked back since. The entire set-up is utterly ridiculous, which only made what should have been a serious plot focused on solving the murders almost laughable. Is it wrong to cheer for the bad guy? There characterizations were all very one note as well. The good guys are good, the bad guys are evil, and Jade is struggling to figure out which one she is. There's no depth to any personality, which goes along with the lacking depth in the plot and the world-building. Jade has some sort of magic, but how she uses it is never explained. She's in a relationship with a gary stu (a male mary sue) who loves her despite the fact that she treats him like crap. I can go on, but this review is starting to turn into a rant. Maggie's Recommendation: I never should have read this book, given how bad the first one in the series was, and I absolutely regret picking this one up. There was zero depth to the book, Jade is a terrible Mary Sue, and overall this was just a bad read. I cannot recommend it. Too Many Cases Author: Julia Rancourt Title: Too Many Cases Series: None Genre: Paranormal Pairing: M/F, Trans Rating: Two Petals On the Author's Website: The author doesn't have a website. Summary: Jo is a man of multiple worlds. He was born in the mundane world, but while working as a private detective, he inadvertently chased his quarry into Otheropolis, a parallel world filled with magic. Deciding to stay, Jo is joined by Simone Of Hecate, his partner in more ways than one, and resumes his private detective work in his strange new home. But when his private life in the mundane world comes under assault, on top of three new cases, and multiple attempts on his life, Jo starts to wonder if maybe mundane was better than magical after all. Maggie's Review:
I received this book as an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Jo is a private detective in the paranormal world known as Otheropolis, but this weekend he must return to the non-magical world to attend his mother's wedding. His partner, Simone Of Hecate joins him and they have to work together to solve a number of mysteries. There was a lot going on in the story, too much for such a short book. First, the fact that Jo is trans, which is the cause of some drama with Jo's family. Then there's someone out to hurt Jo and leaving graffiti on his business in Otheropolis. Plus, he's got a case of a man who got locked out of Otheropolis. And, of course, the wedding. It's way too much happening at once. Every single one of those plot lines start out really interesting with depth to each that got me interested, but then they ended easily and without drama. The end of each didn't hold up to the promise of the beginning. Had the book been longer with more time to completely flesh out the plot all the way to the end, this story could have been wonderful. It's a real shame the book ended so quickly. Overall, this book felt like a vignette pulled from a larger story. The world was really interesting, but we're only given bare glimpses into Otheropolis. There's politics and customs that are hinted at, but never given any depth. The magic was the same: lots of potential, but never fully explained. I did enjoy reading the story, but there was so much missing that I kept wondering if there was a prequel I hadn't read. Maggie's Recommendation: I liked this book. It was fun, but it needed work. Nothing was fully fleshed out, from the descriptions of the world and magic to the plot itself. This story needed at least twenty thousand more words to handle all the plot that was squeezed in. There was so much potential there, but since it wasn't realized I unfortunately can't recommend this book. |
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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