I just finished the 6th book of this series, and the 7th is due out in August. This is my second series by Mayer. I loved the premise of this series: middle aged witch finding her way, group of friends helping her battle evil, and potential love interests scattered throughout. In this book, they must travel to France at the Council’s request, and save a witch from being sacrificed for a vampire army. I really enjoyed this story in the first few books, but it seems to have stalled. I love the idea of Bree, but she hasn’t seen any growth as a person in six books and her hot and cold relationships with the love interests of this series. Her episode with Crash kind of ruined this for me. The magical side of this book was great but the relationship side of this left a lot to be desired and this may be the last book I read for a while. I really wanted to love this the same way I loved KF Breane’s similar midlife series, but Mayer has made that impossible. (3/5 rating)
Tag: magic
Book Review – The Raven Spell (Conspiracy of Magic #1) by Luanne G. Smith
This was my first read novel by Luanne G. Smith, which is interesting since I already have her earlier novel, The Vine Witch title on my kindle, but I haven’t read it yet. I snagged this title as an Amazon first reads for January. Her cover of The Raven Spell was enough to draw me into the story behind it. This story was set in Victorian England and revolved around a series of missing people and murders. Private detective, Ian Cameron awakes along a London River without his memories and stumbles into local witches, the Blackwood sisters. Edwina Blackwood teams up with Ian to find his lost timeline, but they uncover secrets Mary will wish had been left hidden. The first in a new series, this is an intoxicating blend of magic and history and murder. The ending was a dynamite cliff hanger. I will be adding the sequels to my TBR! (4/5 rating)
Favorite Books for 2021
I was trying hard to single my read list for 2021 down to 1 book and realized how impossible that was to accomplish. For that reason, I have narrowed it down to my top 5 of the year. Please note that my list does not comprise of what came out this year, merely what I read this year.
1 – A Clash of Fates by Philip C. Quaintrell.
This series I fell in love with last year and the final installment was published this Spring. This is a self-published author that is a must read if you enjoy high fantasy, epic fantasy tales. It also has dragons and dragon riders and no romance. I do enjoy romance novels but sometimes I need something epic and this filled that hole.
2 – The Queen of All that Lives by Laura Thalassa.
This book is the third of a dystopian trilogy. It has a wonderful blend of romance, war, intrigue, technology advances, and betrayal. I love that the main character is this bad ass, fighting chic that becomes queen. I discovered Laura Thalassa this year and have worked my way through many of her novels.
3 – Vinyl by Sophia Elaine Hanson
This was another self published series with a dystopian setting. While it is a young adult, it was no high school drama. This book was a unique plot around subjugating the population to control measures by those in control. You need to read this right now.
4 – For the Wolf by Hannah F. Whitten.
I fell in love with the unique magic system and who could say no to a setting within a magical forest.
5 – A Ruin of Roses by K.F. Breene.
This was a new series this year by Breene based on Beauty and the Beast. Meant to a three part tale, I also fell in love with her woven drama and magic aspects. While it is definitely filled with romance, Breene is my favorite author for balancing both romance and the plot and she delivered here.
What were your favorites this year?
Word of the Week – Sept 27 – Goetic
Here is my’word of the week’, to learn new words and give myself writing prompt opportunities This week is ‘Goetic’.
Complicit Coven
Tendrils of her fire wafted through the tree limbs,
But this goetic magic won’t set them alight.
Tucked deep in the forest to uncover their schemes,
Her travel pouch glittered in the starlight.
She was sure one of her coven was false,
She could feel the spidery lines of a curse on her skin,
And prayed it was only one and not a full blown cabal,
This spell would make it certain.
She released purple leaves and rose dust into the embers,
The red flames scorched away by a black wave,
A viscous wave climbed along her skin, to her shoulders,
The wave exploded into dust and her world was clave.
The imprint on her skin was the confirmation,
Her sister had betrayed her to become their Priestess.
Destroying what was left of their shared extraction,
In her broken heart she knew she should justice,
This deception will be the last grievance,
She will have her vengeance…
BOOK REVIEW – My Luck (Twisted Luck Book 1) – BY Mel Todd
This was first Mel Todd book. This was set in an urban fantasy world. This was a delight to read and did have me fully vested in the story after the first chapter. The main character, Cori, was a wonderful story focus. The remaining characters were great additions. At this time, this is the first book of a four book series. This is packed with zigzags throughout and I will be reading the next installment soon. I gave this a 4/5 rating. You should give this a try, you won’t regret it.
**Spoiler Alert**
We meet our main character, Cori, in a small Georgia town, where she works as at a coffee shop. She isn’t magical, though 50% of the population is, but she does have a horrible knack for finding dead bodies. Her latest one, happens to have a piece of paper is his pocket with her name on it. Ostracized from her parents after the freak death of her brother, she’s in school to become an EMT. So soon, she can help save the people that keep dying around her. Cori Catastrophe.
Working through her EMT education requires her to be internships at various hospitals but she also manages one with the local police department to help pay for school costs. Eventually, her best friend Jo emergences into an Arch Mage nd her family cuts ties for good, selling their house. Despite her family’s departure, she has been adopted by Jo’s family for the last 8 years. Her and Jo have an inseparable bond of friendship and plan to attend college together after the current semester.
Tori receives all of her certifications with the highest score in her class. This will make her journey to follow Jo to a Atlanta possible. She will be able to obtain a job that pays the bills. I really love the main system for this book and the intricate weaves of the various orders and classifications. On to book 2…
Book Review – The Way of Shadows – Brent Weeks
This was my first Brent Weeks novel and I have to say I was more than pleasantly surprised, I loved it. The world of Azoth and his Master Blint was a wonderful adventure. The plot lines were well woven and I quite enjoyed the ending His world building was slightly confusing with so many different governments happening at once . It did take me about 100 pages to become vested in Azoth as a character but after that, the pace picked up nicely.
I gave this book a 3/5 stars. There are abuse and rape mentioned in this book, FYI, in case it’s not your thing.
**Spoiler’s Below**
The book begins with our main character, Azoth, a drifter within the Warrens Cenaria City. He is in a guild and looks after a younger girl, Doll Girl, and a slightly older Jarl. Abused by one of the Guild Fists, and through several twists, has the chance to become an assassin’s apprentice to Durzo Blint, if he manages to kill the Fist, Rat, before the night is over. Rat mutilated Doll Girl’s face and agrees if Durzo promises to save her.
Durzo saves Doll Girl and Azoth kills Rat eventually, becoming the wanted apprenticeship, but Durzo refuses to let him see Doll Girl or any girl for that matter as they are denied loving relationships. They can be used against assassins as a weak spot. Azoth gets paid by Durzo and soon becomes Doll Girls unknown benefactor so she may join a family and grow up within a normal family. Azoth trains to be a killer, but is never able to summon his hidden magical ability. Eventually, Durzo stages Azoth’s death so everyone thinks he is dead, after the King attempts to blackmail Durzo into his service. He becomes Kylar.
Kylar leaves Durzo’s house to stay with Count Rimbold Drake, an old dear friend of Durzo’s. He also learns to read from Mamma K, the sister of Durzo’s long lost love, Vonda. Momma K is also a member of the Sa’kage, and manages every brothel in the city. Kylar is never. At Drake’s he learns to behave in society, hanging out with the young Logan Gure, they become good friends. Around this time, Jarl also make a come back and eventually works himself up to be Momma K’s right hand man.
While both Durzo and Kylar are searching for ways that might let him use his talent, rumor has it one exists, hidden within the City. Momma K tells them, there may be one within the palace walls. Without telling each other they were going, Kylar discovers the ka’kari first, and after touching it, it bonds with him. Only one bond can happen per ka’kar, until they die. Kylar is now able to summon his magical power. In the palace scuffle, the King’s prince is murdered by his mistress but she tries to blame both Durzo and Kylar.
About this time, Roth, a previous Guild Fist is making politicalk moves, with aimes to joinSa’kage. It requires a vote, leading him to Momma K’s establishment. He knows she has a daughter, fathered by Durzo that she never told anyone about. He blackmails her into helping him. He ultimately uses this fact to blackmail Durzo as well. Durzo is called upon the murder every living heir and member of the royal family. Roth ultimately brings war upon the City by allowing Khalidor troops through security gates and over bridges, into the city and palace. The entire Gyre family is killed except for his father, who was already assigned to a certain battle zone, while Logan is unwillingly forced to marry the King’s daughter, Jenine, for the good of the kingdom.
That night in the palace, through Roth, Durzo poisons the meat that everyone eats for dinner. Shortly after the remaining royal members die, Logan and Jenine are all that’s left. Roth hunts them down, murders Jenine, but leaves Logan alive so he can be fed to the Maw, a cannibalistic pit of the prisons. After Roth’s departure, Neph, his witch, secretly save Jenine with plans to add her to the GodKing’s already large collection of wives.
With Kylar’s help, Jarl attempts to hire a guard that would locate Logan and help him escape the palace. The shear number of witches, he is killed and Logan with no where else to hide and witches searching for him, chooses to enter the cannibal den. armed only with a knife and the key to the door. Kylar and Durzo are fiorced to fight each other, Kylar must kills Durzo for his own Black Kakari, it must go to Roth to save Durzo’s duaghter. After quite the battle, Kylar finally bests him, fully assuming the roll of the Night Angel,, the Avatar of Justice, which had been
With Kylar’s help, Jarl attempts to hire a guard that would locate Logan and help him escape the palace. The shear number of witches, he is killed and Logan with no where else to hide and witches searching for him, chooses to enter the cannibal den. armed only with a knife and the key to the door. Kylar and Durzo are forced to fight each other, Kylar must kills Durzo for his own Black Kakari, it must go to Roth to save Durzo’s daughter. After quite the battle, Kylar finally bests him, fully assuming the roll of the Night Angel,, the Avatar of Justice, which had been Durzo.
He returns to the palace to find Logan and kill Roth. Unfortunately, within the Maw ,all he finds at the prison is blood and assumes Logan is dead. He does find Elene and Uly (Durzo and Momma K’s daughter), and releases them to escape. Killing Roth proves to be a difficult task as he is guarded by a room with plenty of soldiers and witches. Eventually, he kills them all and Roth but dies himself as well. IN death, he meets a figure called the Wolf. He is given the choice of heaven or hell OR an Immortal life. He chooses to return to life and escapes the palace. The Godking still took control of the country, forcing Elene, Kylar and Uly to flee together.