Fantasy and SciFi

Fantasy and Science Fiction Book Reviews

Review of Infernal Enchantment by Helen Harper

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Synopsis:
A gruesome case of grave robbing lands on Detective Constable Emma Bellamy’s desk.  But is there more to it than meets the eye?

Being the sole police detective in London’s Supernatural Squad is no easy task. I have to navigate my way through a world teeming with supernatural creatures, from vampires to werewolves and everything else in between. My inexperience might count against me but my own shocking supernatural abilities will stand me in good stead – especially when I’m confronted yet again by the gruesome spectre of death…

A vampire has been mysteriously killed in the centre of the city.

Werewolf graves have been plundered for their bodies.

And I think I might be developing an ill-advised crush on a certain black eyed vampire Lord.

Infernal Enchantment is the second book in the thrilling Firebrand urban fantasy series. If you like dark twisty mysteries, smart heroines, and the faintest touch of slow burn romance, then you’ll love Helen Harper’s mystical adventure.

Review:
I love this world, and I love Emma and Lukas. That being said, I love how deeply developed the characters are, and the depth of the storylines. It’s great seeing Emma come into herself and fight with the imposter syndrome and navigation of a new job/way of life that so many of us face at one point or another. I also love how she and Lukas, despite obviously having other work obligations, try to be there for each other. It will be interesting to see how their working and personal relationship develops in the future.

I quite enjoyed the ending and am looking forward to potentially seeing a certain man and his niece again. I also wonder if Lady Sullivan will figure out exactly what Emma is.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of Brimstone Bound by Helen Harper

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Synopsis:
A werewolf killer. A paranormal murder. How many times can Emma Bellamy cheat death?

I’m one placement away from becoming a fully fledged London detective. It’s bad enough that my last assignment before I qualify is with Supernatural Squad. But that’s nothing compared to what happens next.

Brutally murdered by an unknown assailant, I wake up twelve hours later in the morgue – and I’m very much alive. I don’t know how or why it happened. I don’t know who killed me. All I know is that they might try again.

Werewolves are disappearing right, left and centre.

A mysterious vampire seems intent on following me everywhere I go.

And I have to solve my own vicious killing. Preferably before death comes for me again.

Brimstone Bound is the first book in the thrilling Firebrand urban fantasy series. If you like dark twisty mysteries, smart heroines, and the faintest touch of slow burn romance, then you’ll love Helen Harper’s mystical whodunnit.

Review:
I wasn’t sure how much I’d like this book when I started, as it seemed a bit too tame at the very beginning, but I quickly found myself enamoured with Emma and getting closer to the supernaturals within her world. I quite loved all the characters and the twists and turns of finding out who did such unspeakable acts. I will say I hadn’t much of a notion of whodunnit until it was more or less revealed. Seeing Emma step into herself and trust herself was glorious. I love Harper’s writing style; it very much draws you in and makes you want to know more. Very much looking forward to reading book 2!

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of The Fae King’s Dream by Jamie Schlosser

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Synopsis:
The first time I meet Damon, he rescues me from a nightmare. Literally. I’m stuck in a coma, and my mind is forcing me to relive the horrific accident that put me in this state over and over again. The gorgeous fae king is the only one who can give me peace.

As if the dream can’t get any weirder, he tells me we’re soul mates. He says he can fix my banged-up brain. He wants to be my hero.

Little does he know, I just might end up saving him. Because once I wake up, the real challenge begins. A bunch of vengeful witches want him dead, and they’ll stop at nothing to seal his fate.

But I’ve got plans of my own. The coven has caused too much tragedy, and I’ll defend my newfound love, even if it’s the last thing I do. And it just might be, because if Damon doesn’t survive, neither will I.

The Fae King’s Dream can be read as a standalone novel, though it’s interconnected with the other books in the Between Dawn and Dusk series.

Review:
This book lost me. There was such potential, but no real development and growth for the main characters. Their instant love was very much an excuse to think all sex all the time, which might work in some cases, but this was almost like an explicit movie with very little plot. The main character cared far too little about the life she lost/her parents, and merely fell into the fae life entirely as if she’d never lived a life prior. When we did get some story building and content it was good, but having sex constantly be at the forefront of the main characters mind, with no lead up/anticipation/build up of a relationship between them was frustrating. There was specific mention of a saddle horn stimulating the heroine, which is ridiculous because even riding double you would not be against a saddle’s horn. If you’re looking for pure smut, I’d recommend A Lady of Rooksgrave Manor by Kathryn Moon instead (Amazon link to that here, and my review of that here).

Star rating: ✯✯✯

Review of A Meeting at Corvallis by S. M. Stirling

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Synopsis:
In the tenth year of the Change, the survivors in western Oregon live in a world without technology. Michael Havel’s Bearkillers hold the lands west of Salem in peace and order. To the east, the Clan Mackenzie flourishes under the leadership of Juniper Mackenzie, bard and High Priestess.
           
Together, they have held Norman Arminger—the warlord of Portland—at bay. With his dark fantasies of a neofeudal empire, Arminger rules much of the Pacific Northwest, spreading fear with his knights, castles, and holy inquisition. Even more dangerous, and perhaps Arminger’s most powerful weapon of all, is his ruthlessly cunning consort, Lady Sandra.
           
These factions haven’t met in battle because Arminger’s daughter has fallen into Clan Mackenzie’s hands. But Lady Sandra has a plan to retrieve her—even if it means plunging the entire region into open warfare…

Review:
Long. Long. Long. I felt like it took forever to read this one. The war… was coming, and there was really no way around it. I did enjoy the way the war ramped up and how each side worked together to fight against Arminger. I definitely found myself enjoying this book more than the second, perhaps because I really did like Tiphane once we got to know her a bit better. It was actually really neat getting a glimpse of things from Rudi’s perspective as well. The switch in perspective of getting to see how things were for the people under Arminger’s banner, especially those that weren’t noble showed a lot about the integrity of various characters and how they consider themselves versus others. While I quite agree with the Meeting and stipulations for the truce, I am still heartbroken over a very serious casualty of the war– so for now, I will leave the Emberverse, to return later.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯

Review of The Fae King’s Curse by Jamie Schlosser

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Synopsis:
Kirian and I were just twelve years old when I pulled him from the icy waters of the creek behind my house. As he looked in my direction with unseeing lavender eyes, I quickly realized our age was just about the only thing we had in common. He spoke with an accent, he had pointy ears, and he was so beautiful it made my heart ache. Oh, and he claimed to be a fae prince cursed by witches who stole his sight.

I thought he was crazy from hypothermia. Turns out, he wasn’t, and for some reason he keeps coming back. But a day in my world is a year in his. Every time I see him, he’s older. Wiser. Hotter.

Over the past six years, I’ve tried not to fall in love with him because the terms of the curse are clear: If he doesn’t wait for his fated mate in all ways, including an innocent (or not-so-innocent) kiss, he’ll be blind forever.

So when Kirian kisses me and pulls me through the portal to his realm, I make it my mission to do some damage control. It’d be a whole lot easier if he wasn’t determined to marry me… And if someone wasn’t trying to murder me every step of the way.

The Fae King’s Curse is a full-length novel with no cliffhanger.

Review:
I will say this book has a nice slow burn, though some of the major plot twists were a bit obvious. I actually really loved how Quinn wasn’t your typical heroine; she had faults, and she didn’t think being transported to a magical place was going to make everything and everyone suddenly accept her–far more realistic than what happens in most novels. I loved this book and couldn’t put it down. The other world was brilliant and well described. While I did think there were several well done intimate scenes, the mention of constantly always being in need seemed a bit much and almost like an excuse to bring up sex when there was more pressing plot points going on.

I certainly have some expectations for Damon’s story and I look forward to reading on!

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯

Review of Disowned: A Cinderella and Snow White origin story by M. J. Haag

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Synopsis:
Not all fairy tales are ribbons and roses.

In a world where the measure of a person rarely goes beneath the surface, Margaret Thoning refuses to play by its rules. Unwilling to compromise her ideals, she walks away from everything she’s ever known to risk her heart and her life for the people who matter most.

Welcome to the Tales of Cinder and Snow.

Review:
So I read this after the Cinder trilogy. Oops. I will say that it did not detract from how much I loved the novella, and I will say I think I actually liked it more because it answered a lot of questions that Eloise and Kellen had–answers I would have already known had I read this first. It is a sweet little tale, and it gives us a really nice background on how Margaret got involved in magic, and just what she was willing to do for the royal house, and to have the life of equality that she wanted.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of Damnation: A Cinderella Retelling by M. J. Haag

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Synopsis:
Abused but not beaten, I will break the curse.
With the reason behind her mother’s death revealed, it’s a race for Eloise to exact her revenge and prevent her stepsisters from marrying the prince. However, amidst the glittering jewels and colorful ball gowns, the royal court holds secrets of its own that will devastate Eloise and strike a final blow to her plans. Betrayed by the one person she thought she could trust, Eloise questions how far she’s willing to go for revenge.


After all, in the game of kingdoms, everyone is a pawn.

Review:
Ooo, we had the heat, the romance, and enough twists and turns that I wasn’t sure exactly how it might end. I absolutely loved the twist with Prince Greydon, and I had expected it since the first book so I wasn’t terribly surprised. I loved how drawn to the right thing Eloise stays, and how she has to fight with her heart to consider if the things she has had to do for survival make her bad, or if she is bad to wish the things others have done onto them. There were so many neat twists and turns, and I especially loved the part with her hair. It was never fully explained but lovely all the while.

In the end I am left with a couple of questions: I wonder if Eloise and/or Kellen end up as magic users, if Eloise kept her second promise to Rose, and when Kellen’s book is going to be out! I am impatiently awaiting the continue of this series.

All in all, while I loved this series and thought it was very different and dark but in other ways from The Beastly Tales, I wouldn’t necessarily say you’d like this one because you liked the other. I clearly tend to love fairy tales and retellings, but while these may be in the same universe, the feel, story… everything is quite different. That doesn’t make it better or worse, and I love them both quite a lot, just don’t expect you’re getting the intensity and same level of adult themed content from this series as the last. That being said, this is in no way a clean story; just not as… detailed or sexually oriented.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of Disdain: A Cinderella Retelling by M. J. Haag

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Synopsis:
A single blow shattered my life of glass. They shouldn’t have left me with the shards.

Eloise knows the name of her mother’s murderer, but she cannot speak it. A curse keeps her silent and locked in the tattered remains of her once charming life. Though magic holds her tongue, it doesn’t quell the smoldering spark of her anger or her need to learn the reason behind her mother’s death.

However, games of magic have dire consequences. Desperate to keep those she loves safe from the repercussions of her actions, Eloise must make a bold gamble with her safety that could win her everything or destroy her forever.

Two lives hang in the balance. For, if Cinder fails, Snow will fall, too.

Review:
This book is certainly darker than the first, as promised. Eloise knows more than she should, but she’s proven herself to be quite resourceful. There are so many things left unsaid that you merely will have to read on to learn about. I love her resourcefulness and wit, and cannot wait to see what the third book has in store!

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of Defiant: A Cinderella Retelling by M. J. Haag

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Synopsis:
A dark, twisted Cinderella retelling that fans of Sarah J. Maas and/or Melanie Dickerson are sure to enjoy.

Magic can have deadly consequences.

When the sudden and suspicious death of Eloise’s mother points to forbidden magic, Eloise is determined to bring her mother’s murderer to justice. She will stop at nothing to find the killer…even if the clues lead right to the palace gates and the prince’s manservant, Kaven. He is irrational, volatile, and prone to knocking women off horses. Given his personality, it should be easy to find the proof she needs to place him in irons.

However, when dark magic is used, nothing is as it seems, and Eloise is about to learn that nightmares often hide behind fairy tale lives.

Fans of the Beastly Tales will not want to miss this new addition to the same world. Filled with magic, unexpected foes, and brooding, impossible men, this Tale of Cinder is sure to leave you burning for more!

Review:
I bought this book as soon as I finished The Beastly Tales, but I wasn’t sure I was ready to fall into another world like that one; so in depth and gripping. So I waited, and finally- the time came to crack this open. Without any more preamble, I quite loved it. This story wasn’t all that similar to The Beastly Tales from my perspective. There was a good set up of characters, a nice revolving door, and there was no mention of anything of a particular adult nature in detail until I believe chapter 16. That being said, the set up and landscape are brilliant, and I found myself immersed and enthralled from the start. I had my suspicions about what was going on, and I was pleasantly surprised that I had not managed to figure out exactly what was going on. I quite love how the bookseller knows the difference in taste of books between the two girls, and never judges them or says anything about it, other than “these books are good for you, these are good for your sister”, and nor does he attempt to censure them. Amazing man! There is mention that the next books are darker, and I look forward to seeing what that entails. Off to buy the next…

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯✯

Review of The Protector’s War: A Novel of the Change by S. M. Stirling

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Synopsis:
Rising from the ashes of the computer and industrial ages is a brave new world. Survivors have banded together in tribal communities, committed to rebuilding society.

In Oregon’s Willamette Valley, former pilot Michael Havel’s Bearkillers are warriors of renown. Their closest ally, the mystical Clan MacKenzie, is led by Wiccan folksinger Juniper MacKenzie. Their leadership has saved countless lives.

But not every leader has altruistic aspirations. Norman Arminger, medieval scholar, rules the Protectorate. He has enslaved civilians, built an army, and spread his forces from Portland through most of western Washington State. Now he wants the Willamette Valley farmland, and he’s willing to wage war to conquer it.

Unknown to both factions, however, is the imminent arrival of a ship from Tasmania bearing British soldiers.

Review:
Holy hell did this take me a while to get through! There were points that I was really excited to read on, but there were many that I skimmed or just couldn’t wait to get through. Despite this being about the protector’s war, we didn’t really see the protector or get a great look at anything to do with him. Now, I think it’s great that the protector was being screwed over by the Mackenzies and Bearkillers, but I still just do not particularly like one of the characters, and I certainly don’t like the way Rudi ties the two groups together, especially since it became so well publicized (thanks Mike!). I had expectations for our three Englishmen since the beginning, and while we aren’t sure about the younger yet, I’m a little sad that I believe I got them wrong- however, I didn’t think that when I made the original guesstimate.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯