Rating: 10/10 Synopsis: CLAWS, BLADES, GUNS, AND FIRE! Benedict Shade, a were-cat and collector of exotic and potentially lethal magical artifacts, arrives in Yerba City with his good buddy, Dwayne, to “collect” (some would say “steal”) an unusual dagger that is much more than it seems. Little does Shade realize that the dagger was involved […]
Book Review
Review: The Godsblood Tragedy by Bill Adams
Synopsis An orphan, without a trueborn name, returns to the city of her birth to uncover her past. Hounded by the servants of the Dark God and dying from the poisonous mist that covers the land, her path leads to one of the magical seals protecting the holy ruin of Eminence. A father, murdered and […]
The Last to Drown by Lorraine Wilson
Drown your Sorrows Synopsis People from this house go down to the sea at night, and drown. Tinna cannot remember the last words she said to her husband. Three whole months of her memories were stolen in the crash that killed him and left her scarred and suffering from chronic pain. Adrift and struggling to […]
Book Review: Inferno’s Heir by Tiffany Wang
TL;DR Review: A morally gray heroine, a psychopathic King-to-be, and a twisty-turny rebellion story with a lovely heist flavor. Synopsis: Fearing for her life, an outcast princess joins the rebellion against her own kingdom and family . . . but when playing with fire, someone always gets burned. Teia Carthan abandoned her morals long ago, and now […]
Book Review: An Unexpected Hero by Rhett C. Bruno and Jaime Castle
TL;DR Review: Ridiculous and hilarious, action-packed and heartfelt. Synopsis: A magical new world. An ancient power. A chance to be a Hero. Danny Kendrick was a down-on-his luck performer who always struggled to find his place. He certainly never wanted to be a hero. He just hoped to earn a living doing what he loved. […]
New York Minute by Stephen Aryan
Synopsis A noir story, set in an alternate New York City. After years of being a cop, and now a private investigator, there’s little that surprises Cole Blackstone. But when someone working for Karl Dolman, the most notorious crime boss in the city asks for his help, Cole is caught off guard, and more than […]
Book Review: The Envoys of War (The Envoys of Chaos #1) by Dave Lawson
Synopsis: Don’t kill the messengers. As a bodyguard for the King’s Envoys, Gen is content with her life of traveling, drinking wine, and hitting things with her sword. It’s the perfect job. Until the King sends her and her friend Cordyn into war-torn enemy territory on a mission to deliver vital military intelligence to an […]
Book Review: And the Sky Bled by S. Hati
TL;DR Review: Fascinating worldbuilding, high-stakes adventure, and a subtly, well-crafted message about climate change. Synopsis: Amid the chaos of a dying city ruled by colonizers, three rivals—a thief, a slumlord, and an heiress—race to find a hidden cache of magic that will decide the city’s fate. In the occupied city of Tejomaya, calor—a magical fossil […]
FLASHBACK REVIEW: Dragon Mage (Rivenworld #1) by M.L. Spencer
SYNOPSIS Aram Raythe has the power to challenge the gods. He just doesn’t know it yet. Aram thinks he’s nothing but a misfit from a small fishing village in a dark corner of the world. As far as Aram knows, he has nothing, with hardly a possession to his name other than a desire to […]
Review: The Alchemy of Sorrow edited by Sarah Chorn and Virginia McClain
Synopsis Here be dragons and sorcery, time travel and sorrow. Vicious garden gnomes. A grounded phoenix rider. A new mother consumed with vengeance. A dying god. Soul magic. These stories wrestle with the experience of loss—of loved ones, of relationships, of a sense of self, of health—and forge a path to hope as characters fight […]
Review: The Jaguar Mask by Michael J. De Luca
Synopsis Felipe K’icab doesn’t know who he is. He only knows he was born different than his human family, and he can’t relax unless he’s blasting reggaeton in his cab weaving through the streets of Guatemala City. The jaguar mask and his other human faces keep him safe–until El Bufo, a corrupt ex-cop, commandeers his […]
Book Review: A Pocket of Lies (Amefyre #1) by R.A. Sandpiper
TL;DR Review: A beautiful balance of magic and intrigue, action and romance, underscored by a lovely “Persephone and Hades” flavor. Synopsis: BLOOD BOUND AND PENNILESS. EXILED INTO CURSED LANDS. HUNTED BY DEATH. When the thief Suri suffers a humiliating robbery, she has one day to pay off an ugly debt. Her solution: abduct and impersonate […]