Hunting Ground Author: Patricia Briggs Title: Hunting Ground Series: Alpha and Omega 2 Genre: Paranormal Pairing: M/F Rating: Three Petals On the Author's Website: http://hurog.com/books/ Summary: Anna Latham didn’t know how complicated life could be until she became a werewolf. And until she was mated to Charles Cornick, the son — and enforcer — of Bran, the leader of the North American werewolves, she didn’t know how dangerous it could be either... Anna and Charles have just been enlisted to attend a summit to present Bran’s controversial proposition: that the wolves should finally reveal themselves to humans. But the most feared Alpha in Europe is dead set against the plan — and it seems like someone else might be too. When Anna is attacked by vampires using pack magic, the kind of power only werewolves should be able to draw on, Charles and Anna must combine their talents to hunt down whoever is behind it all — or risk losing everything... Maggie's Review:
Anna settled into her new life with Charles just in time for the werewolf world to go into upheaval. Bran is planning to reveal the existence of werewolves to the world, but first must reassure the foreign wolves that he can help them too. Except, wolves start dying at the conference and Anna is pretty certain she and Charles are next. The best part of this story is how it worked to expand the world building. All the previous books in this series were focused on specific towns within the US, which worked, but was very narrow in terms of understanding how magic effected the entire world. Briggs brought European wolves into this story from the beginning and explained why wolves in other parts of the world weren't participating in the conference. This broader view of the world allowed me to better see the big picture and therefore understand Anna and Charles' place within it all. I have to admit there are places where the story did drag a bit, but I found even the slower bits to still be interesting to read. I also thought the plot was predictable. I had the bad guy(s) figured out fairly early on, which could be why the story dragged for me as I didn't need all the foreshadowing and build up to the big reveal. Maggie's Recommendation: Despite the fact that I figured out the ending too quickly, I really liked the expanded world building in this story. I do recommend it and the entire series.
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Darkest Wings Author: Helena Maeve Title: Darkest Wings Series: Part of LT3's For the Hoard collection Genre: Paranormal Pairing: M/M Rating: Two Petals On the Author's Website: Author's website is blocked Summary: Since washing out of the LAPD, PI Creighton has made a name for himself as a bounty hunter. For a price, he'll recover any missing artifact or person, solve any crime—provided it involves the supernatural. When his latest case forces him to face the man who destroyed his career and very nearly took his mind, Creighton soon finds himself in over his head. Dragons are not vampires, to be distracted by a pulsing vein, nor as easily tempted as leprechauns. Rumors of their greed and vicious tempers abound, and becoming their prisoner was never Creighton's aim. Now trapped in the dragon netherworld known as the Sanctum, Creighton has little choice but to join forces with the very creature that holds him captive in hopes of defeating a larger threat and, in so doing, solving his missing persons case. Maggie's Review:
I received this book as an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Creighton accepts a missing persons case, not because he thinks he can find the girl, but because he desperately wants to find the man that allegedly kidnapped her. It's the same man that traumatized Creighton all those years ago and he wants revenge, except that revenge just might lead to Creighton's death instead. I spent a lot of time scratching my head with absolutely no idea what was going on in this story. I think there was a plot, although the missing person's case vanished quickly and the revenge idea never quite panned out. There definitely wasn't a romance despite this story being released by an exclusively romance publisher. There was something about dragons and eggs and how all the dragons had to die and start over, but by that point I was so confused that even had that plot idea been fully explained I don't think I could have understood it anyway. I do admit this story had potential. The idea of a separate world for the dragons filled with lava and strange castles was intriguing and the way Creighton is pulled into that world kept my interest. Unfortunately, without anything else providing depth, description, or plot, that potential was never even partially realized. Maggie's Recommendation: While this story had potential in the world building, the descriptions, plot, and romance were confusing and almost non-existent. I therefore cannot recommend this story. Etched in Bone Author: Anne Bishop Title: Etched in Bone Series: The Others 5 Genre: Paranormal Fantasy Pairing: M/F Rating: Three Petals On the Author's Website: https://www.annebishop.com/b.etched.bone.html Summary: After a human uprising was brutally put down by the Elders—a primitive and lethal form of the Others—the few cities left under human control are far-flung. And the people within them now know to fear the no-man’s-land beyond their borders—and the darkness… As some communities struggle to rebuild, Lakeside Courtyard has emerged relatively unscathed, though Simon Wolfgard, its wolf shifter leader, and blood prophet Meg Corbyn must work with the human pack to maintain the fragile peace. But all their efforts are threatened when Lieutenant Montgomery’s shady brother arrives, looking for a free ride and easy pickings. With the humans on guard against one of their own, tensions rise, drawing the attention of the Elders, who are curious about the effect such an insignificant predator can have on a pack. But Meg knows the dangers, for she has seen in the cards how it will all end—with her standing beside a grave. Maggie's Review:
In the aftermath of the Elders killing the humans trying to destroy the world, Meg and Simon are left picking up the pieces. Those pieces are often jagged and trying to get them to fit back into a steady life is proving difficult, especially as remnants of the bad humans that managed to survive the killing appear to shake them up yet again. As always, I was incredibly impressed with the world building in this series. The dynamic between humans and others, especially after so many humans died, was on full display. I particularly enjoyed the changes in the world now that the others have reasserted their dominance. I also liked how the potential romance Meg and Simon have been flirting around through all the previous books was finally resolved. My biggest complaint about this story is that it read like a filler novel, when in fact it was the final book in the series. It felt like a bridging story that would provide conclusion to the previous story of the Elders and then open up new potential for the next book to come. The problem was that there isn't a next book. Meg and Simon's story ended and the Lakeside Courtyard will not feature in any future books (as of right now, at least), which means all that potential for the next story was unnecessary and instead only served to clutter and distract from the main plot. Maggie's Recommendation: I absolutely recommend this book and this series, but with my usual warning that this is dark fantasy and is not for everyone. I loved the world building, but thought this book felt more like a filler story building up to the next book in the series rather than the final story it actually was. Heart of the Dragon Author: Jamie Sullivan Title: Heart of the Dragon Series: Part of LT3's For the Hoard collection Genre: High Fantasy Pairing: M/M Rating: Three Petals On the Author's Website: https://jamiesullivanbooks.wordpress.com/my-books/ Summary: When the dragon Madfall steals a basket from the castle, he expects it to contain gold—not a baby. Seventeen years later, Richard of Benfro expects to meet certain death when he sets out to slay the dragon—but instead he finds himself face to face with a cute boy. When the two worlds collide, Oenyn is caught between the loving parent who raised him and the human world to which he rightfully belongs. Luckily, being raised by a dragon means he's plenty stubborn. He won't give up what he loves without a fight. Maggie's Review:
I received this book as an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. When Madfall sees a basket he's certain is filled with treasure, he steals it and flies back to his cave, only to discover the treasure is actually a human baby. Madfall decides to raise Oenyn as his own, which works out well until a knight arrives looking to kill Madfall for his crimes. I did enjoy reading this story. It was cute and short with enough depth to give it real meat. I particularly liked the interactions between Madfall and Oenyn as Oenyn grows up and Madfall figures out how to handle a human child. I laughed out loud at some of their quirkier moments. This story did come together a little too easily. The conflicts never quite escalated to a real fight and were always solved with a few easy words. The ending, in particular, was too neat. Madfall is introduced to the humans he's been terrorizing and they forgive him and welcome him into their home with nothing more than a few sharp words from Oenyn. It just didn't seem realistic. Maggie's Recommendation: Overall I found this to be cute and sweet with just enough depth and characterizations to satisfy. That said, the conflicts in this story were consistently disappointing, so while I recommend this story, I still wish there was more substance there to actually recommend. Magic Runs Deep Author: Alex Whitehall Title: Magic Runs Deep Series: None Genre: High Fantasy Pairing: M/M Rating: Four Petals On the Author's Website: http://alexwhitehall.blogspot.com/p/my-works.html Summary: For the last five years, Veier has been chained to a king’s throne in his bear form. When a neighboring kingdom overthrows the crown, Veier’s imprisonment ends, but true freedom is not so easily earned. With blood on his hands, he needs someone with patience, strength, and trust to help him become the person he was before and prove to the invaders that he isn’t the monstrous king’s loyal pet. Elrid, the invading king's brother and a powerful mage, is everything Veier despises. He’s also the only thing between Veier and execution, because he thinks he can help Veier change from an aggressive bear shifter into a reasonable man. While the pair have a rough start, with long talks and mutual leaps of faith, they begin to care for each other. However, the closer Veier gets to his freedom, the closer he is to losing Elrid. He must find balance in his heart and his life if he wishes to truly claim the freedom he’s been given—and the man he loves. Maggie's Review:
I received this book as an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Veier is a bear shifter that has been forced to stay in his bear form while being tortured for years. Then the king he served is killed and a new one takes his place. Veier isn't certain anything will be better until he meets Elrid, who makes him hope, except Elrid's king wants to kill Veier and that death might spill over to kill Elrid too. Veier's characterization is very well written. He's been tortured and caught under a spell that made him forget himself. That isn't something he can overcome lightly, even with Elrid's patient help, and that process of finding himself again was descriptive and provided a lot of depth to both Veier and Elrid. It also allowed their relationship to form slowly with a lot of trust between them. I particularly enjoyed the world building in this story. The different customs between the kingdoms and between Veier's people and Elrid's was interesting. If I had one complaint about this story, it's that the change from the bad kingdom, to Veier's home, to Elrid's kingdom was very abrupt, particularly at the end of the story. I could have used a bit more time spent on the transitions between those scenes. Maggie's Recommendation: I really liked the characterizations in this story, which were in depth and descriptive. I also liked the world building, although the transitions between scenes at different locations could have used a bit more time. Overall I did enjoy reading this story and I do recommend it. Consorting with Dragons Author: Sera Trevor Title: Consorting with Dragons Series: None Genre: High Fantasy Pairing: M/M Rating: Four Petals On the Author's Website: http://www.seratrevor.com/consorting-with-dragons.html Summary: Lord Jasen of Grumhul, an impoverished young nobleman, has come to the Draelands to find a rich husband to help pay his father's debts. To the shock of everyone, he ends up attracting the attention of King Rilvor himself, and the dragons who control the magic in the land. Becoming royalty wasn’t something Jasen either expected or wanted, but he can’t control his growing feelings for kind and handsome king. Scheming factions at Court conspire to keep him from Rilvor’s side, and now Jasen has to decide if the chance at true love with Rilvor is worth the burden of being the husband of a king. Maggie's Review:
I received this book as an ARC via the author in exchange for an honest review. Jasen's father won a bet, which provided Jasen with the opportunity to be presented at the castle as a marriage prospect to wealthy lords and ladies who would hopefully be able to pay off his father's debts. Jasen never expects to actually fall in love, let alone meet the king, but when political machinations start pulling them apart, Jasen knows he must sacrifice everything for the kingdom, even if it means destroying his chance of happiness. I did read the original short story this is an expanded version of. I enjoyed it, but wished it were longer and had some of the stickier parts smoothed out. This new version fixed a lot of that for me. The expanded length allowed the story to flow better with more opportunities for Jasen and Rilvor to meet and for their relationship to blossom. It also allowed for considerably more depth to the world building, including how the current arrangement with the dragons came into being and the politics of the court that influenced the entire marriage process. I also liked the new aspects included in the story, particularly the extended visit to Grumhul, which gave much more insight into Jasen's character. However, despite this being the expanded version of a short story, there were still a lot of places where it came across as stilted and confined, much like the original version. There were spots where more expansion was necessary, particularly the back history of Grumhul's queen--which felt like it was thrown in just to put words on the paper--and the history of why the dragons had so much involvement in the human world--which was told to us rather than shown. It didn't detract from how much I enjoyed reading this story, but that little bit more would have catapulted the story into the next level. Maggie's Recommendation: I really enjoyed the original short story this was expanded from and I have to say this expansion was even better. It gave new insight to the characters and provided added depth to the plot and world building. Overall, the story could have used some more expanding to fully realize the potential in the original short, but I definitely recommend this story and am secretly hoping for a sequel. Ghost Slayer Author: Majanka Verstraete Title: Ghost Slayer Series: Ghostslayer 1 Genre: Paranormal Pairing: M/F Rating: Two Petals On the Author's Website: http://majankaverstraete.com/new-adult-novels/ghostslayer-series/ Summary: Twenty-one-year-old Kaelyn has spent half her life hunting ghosts and killing them. But she's not like the other ghost hunters who have to rely on spells and curses to banish ghosts back to where they came from, hoping that they don't come back. When Kaelyn kills a ghost, they stay dead. But in Mortimer Hall, a behemoth of a house, Kaelyn is about to face the most powerful Twenty-one-year-old Kaelyn has spent half her life hunting ghosts and killing them. But she's not like the other ghost hunters who have to rely on spells and curses to banish ghosts back to where they came from, hoping that they don't come back. When Kaelyn kills a ghost, they stay dead. But in Mortimer Hall, a behemoth of a house, Kaelyn is about to face the most powerful and life-threatening ghost she ever met, and what she doesn't know is that the ghost has been waiting just for her... Maggie's Review:
I received this book as an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Kaelyn has a special ability to kill ghosts, which she uses to support herself. Then her college class goes on a field trip to Mortimer Hall, which is purportedly haunted, and suddenly all of Kaelyn's skills might not be enough to fight against these ghosts. This story had a lot of potential. I liked the idea of Kaelyn's powers and watching her fight off ghosts and send them on was interesting. I also liked that she didn't have to kill every ghost that she came across. The distinction between good and bad ghosts provided even before she gets to Mortimer Hall really helped put the ghosts she meets there into perspective. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy the characterizations in this story. Kaelyn is described as being sheltered and ignorant of the world. She reads as very young and very naive, and had she been in high school I might have believed it, but she's in college and spends a lot of time in the seedier parts of the world fighting ghosts. In fact, this story felt like it was written by a high school student imagining what college would be like if they were attending right then. Because Kaelyn's characterization did not work for me, the rest of the story suffered. Maggie's Recommendation: While I liked Kaelyn's powers and the descriptions of the ghosts, I didn't like how Kaelyn was written. She comes across as younger than she's supposed to be, which hurt my overall enjoyment of this story and is why I don't recommend it. Blood of the Wolf Author: Holly Evans Title: Blood of the Wolf Series: Forged in Blood 1 Genre: Paranormal Fantasy Pairing: M/M, Bi Rating: Four Petals On the Author's Website: https://chaosfoxwriting.wordpress.com/ Summary: Eight years ago, my world changed. Little did I know the rest of the world had changed with me. My name’s Niko, and I’m a made wolf shifter. Eight years ago, I endured a blood ritual that took me from a pretty normal guy and turned me into what I am today. Ever since then, I’ve been looking for ways to make the world a better place. I want to save people, to make sure they never suffer like I did. Someone has been murdering born wolf shifters and using them in brutal rituals. I was given the opportunity to stop them and save lives. I leapt at the chance to make a real difference, but of course it came with a catch. I have to work with a Guardian, one of the goddess’s chosen wolves. On one hand, he’s everything I look for in a man. On the other, if he finds out who and what I am, then death will be a sweet release from the torture I’ll endure. I have no choice but to hope the goddess is on my side as I rush to save the lives of the born wolf shifters, all the while praying I don’t lose my own life in the process. Maggie's Review:
I received this book as an ARC via the author in exchange for an honest review. Niko struggles to get by day-to-day. His boss refuses to pay him, he lives in a terrible neighborhood, and as a made wolf shifter he isn't given any respect. That all changes when Alasdair claims Niko for the Goddess, and just maybe for himself, except it also causes the murderer to focus on them too. Overall I enjoyed reading this story. The world building was amazing. The differences between made and born shifters, including how they handle the abilities and how society views them, was very well written. I particularly liked how Niko fit into that world, and yet as a reader I still got the impression that he was something more. However, what that something more could be was never fully explained. My only complaint about this story was that lack of overall description, which is an issue I see a lot in Evans' writing. In this story, the lack of description kept me from fully understanding the plot. I didn't know what Niko's powers really were, why Alasdair picked Niko or even why Alasdair was watching Niko in the first place. There also needed to be a bit more depth as to where the gods and goddesses came from and why working for them is relevant to the story. That said, given this was the first book in the story, I have chosen to believe that all of that missing information was instead foreshadowing for what is to come in a future book. Maggie's Recommendation: I really liked the world building in this story and how it served to enhance the characterizations. The descriptions in the story were lacking, but this time it didn't take away from my overall enjoyment so I do recommend this book and I am looking forward to the next book in the series. Dragon Fire, Angel Light Author: Shara Godwinson Title: Dragon Fire, Angel Light Series: None Genre: Paranormal Fantasy Pairing: M/M Rating: One Petal On the Author's Website: https://sharagambit924.wordpress.com/ Summary: William is a dragon shifter who, despite having lived for over two thousand years, has never found a true love. When he meets Evyn, a quirky musician/journalist who wants to be a real photographer, he immediately finds him irresistible. But Evyn's a little supernatural too, and an evil brotherhood and a band of soul reavers are after him to destroy his pure soul. Can William protect his love from evil? Maggie's Review:
I received this book as an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. William is on the run from his own demons, but when he finds Evyn, he realizes that there's something even worse. Still, he can't leave Evyn behind, which might end badly for them both. I never want to call a book bad, because for an author just writing a complete book is an accomplishment to be lauded, but this book was almost completely unreadable. The main issue was the utter lack of description. The entire book was filled with telling rather than showing, ie. saying William was scared rather than providing the details needed via emotions or physical responses. He's literally chained to a wall by a dragon that will abuse him, and William has zero reaction except for thinking he ought to try to escape at some point. The lack of description continued the rest of the book. There was absolutely no world building, so the reader is forced to figure out what the heck William means by the meandering and random statement about dragons having taken him in. There's nothing provided as the setting as well, so I couldn't tell you where he is or why, and why any of that is important to William is left out too. Maggie's Recommendation: This book was entirely comprised of telling rather than showing, completely lacked needed descriptions in every aspect of the story, and was therefore almost completely unreadable. I do not recommend it at all. Contemporary Draconic Hoarding Practices Author: Dae Richards Title: Contemporary Draconic Hoarding Practices Series: Part of LT3's For the Hoard collection Genre: Paranormal Fantasy Pairing: M/M Rating: Four Petals On the Author's Website: https://www.daerichards.com/ Summary: While researching his thesis, Clayton's work leads him to Syralis the wise, a dragon and professor at the university where he studies. Syralis' hoard contains original manuscripts which are invaluable to Clayton's research. Clayton soon finds himself one of the few students to ever study under Syralis, and during their lessons Clayton learns not only about medieval art, but his own history and his unusual magical sensitivity as well. Clayton also finds himself enamored of Syralis, but when that attraction proves mutual, not everybody is pleased... Maggie's Review:
I received this book as an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Clayton wants to study a particular artist, but the only way to get access to their work is by talking to Syralis the dragon. Unfortunately, seeing something that is part of a dragon's hoard is almost impossible, until he realizes that love might overrule all of that. Except, falling in love with a dragon can't end well for either of them. I really liked this story, but the best part was Clayton himself. He's used to magic, so his crazy roommate and brother don't bother him, yet the way he still reacts to Syralis' magic felt so organic. His annoyance over his roommate destroying the kitchen, balanced with the way he swooned around Syralis provided a good look into what he was thinking and feeling, as well as gave a good contrast to the different types of magic he was experiencing. The only complaint I have about the book isn't really a complaint at all. I really wish there was more world building. The bits we've been given about the school, the different types of magic, the different territories, and even about Clayton's sensitivity were all so interesting. I wanted to see more of the world and to be provided with a better understanding of why the world works the way it does. Basically, I'm hoping Richards is thinking about using this story as a prequel or introduction, and is planning to write another story set in this same wonderful land. Maggie's Recommendation: I really enjoyed reading this story. In particular, I liked Clayton's characterization and the balance he had with everything going on around him. I do wish the world building had overall been bigger, but it was just enough for this book. I definitely recommend this story. |
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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