Book Review: "The Begotten and Blessed" by Stella Hope

 

The monsters of legend are returning and magic may be the only hope.

Slinging drinks, breaking up bar fights with smelly conjured trolls, spying—it’s all in a day’s work for Esme Turner.

But finding out that the bloodthirsty creatures of legend were returning wasn’t what Esme anticipated during her interrogation of a fiery-tempered leprechaun.

​In over her head against the burgeoning threat, Esme faces buried secrets, a leprechaun with too many tricks, and an alluring doctor who just might be a thousand-year-old Welsh demigod.

​When a man-eating pishacha captures her friends, Esme is pushed to her breaking point, awakening infernal powers and a new source of fear equal to the malevolent threat: herself.

​Failure is not an option. If she can’t learn to control her inner demon, those she loves will be the next casualties amidst the surge of monsters. - from Booksirens.com

This eARC was provided by Booksirens.com and I am giving an unbiased review.

This is the first book of a series called" Revival of the Fall" by this author. Set in a  modern day Seattle, we find our main character as a bartender in a society that does have magic. She is able to conjure trolls and animate them. Some of her friends are attacked, and she finds herself working for a secret society that is trying to keep Malevolents (bad creatures of myth) from killing innocents. She pairs up with a leprechaun who has Ifrit fire magic, and a one handed doctor, who may be  100 years old. Let's throw in, one of the bad guys that they meet is possibly his son... and oh boy...

I wasn't really into the story as much as I wanted to be. Our alpha female just seemed a bit ditzy and needy to me, compared to many other alpha female stories. I do like the story line, and the soft romance going on. The magic rules in this story world are pretty cool, and some mixtures of myth and stories of lore was interesting.

Book Review: "Mirror Reader" by Karen Duvall

 

When a god abducts her daughter, she’ll risk everything, including love, to get her child back.

Long ago, the real Alice in Wonderland used a spell to imprison Hawaii’s gods. Over a hundred years later, the gods are free and vowing revenge on her descendant and namesake, Alice Dodgson. One of them kidnaps Alice’s little girl.

Alice’s mirror magic is no match for the angry gods. She must ask for help from Keoki, the man who broke her heart… the man who unknowingly fathered her child.

Keoki is mirror-world royalty and is entitled by law to have sole custody of his little girl. As much as Alice still loves him, she can’t fathom a life without her daughter.

Alice and Keoki team up to search for the child, and face danger at every turn. They’ll encounter a lethal demigod, doppelgangers, ghostly night marchers, the Hawaiian pantheon, and maybe Alice in Wonderland herself.

But even if they survive the obstacles in their path, will their love prevail? Or will their secrets be too much to overcome? - from Booksirens.com

This eARC was provided by Booksirens.com and I am giving an unbiased review.

This was an interesting re-telling of the classic Alice in Wonderland story. It is set in a current time and of the regular world in the location of Hawaii. The main character, Alice, is a descendant of the original one, and is a mirror traveler - able to step into a mirror world of our time, which happens to be a Hawaii set back closer to the late 1800s. 

Without getting into too much detail, Alice is thrust into a 160 year old issue of the Hawaiian gods being entrapped by her great-removed ancestor, and their recent escape. One god in particular kidnaps her daughter, whose father is of the mirror-world, and our adventure takes off. There is a bit of lost-love being reunited, discovery of parentage, and family history throughout the storyline.

Overall the story was well thought out, though at times I felt the details of what was around them needed more description. This was a good tale, and is able to be read as a stand-alone.

Book Review: "Hell's Acre" by Lilith Saintcrow

 

New Rome perches upon the shores of the Thamis River, and in its soot-stained depths a teeming mass of humanity lives under the iron fist of an Empire that never fell to Vandals or Christianity. In the shadows, assassins congregate and secret societies bloom—the Priory, dedicated to worship of the criminal Dead God, and the Hellions, thieves and murderers whose aim is mere freedom.

Or so they say.

Gemma Dove arrives in New Rome with a small independence and a burning desire: to gain revenge upon those who murdered her parents and drove her beloved aunt to a premature death. The city is a dangerous place, but Gemma has her own secret skills and isn't afraid to use them. She longs to complete her vengeance and return to her safe, beautiful estate across the Channel, but fate has other ideas.

His name for now is Avery Black, but they call him the Rook. The young Hellion has sunk himself in vice and treachery, and he knows there's more to Miss Dove than meets the eye. He also knows she's playing a dangerous game, one which will end in her death—unless he takes a hand in matters. It might even be connected to his own vengeance against the Priory, but that's fast becoming a secondary consideration.

Under soot-stained skies and flickering gaslamps, from the crowd of thieves and gin-soaked tenements to the glittering whirl of Society, plans, treachery, and counter-betrayal are afoot. Gemma and Avery can deal the Priory a stinging defeat, but that ancient organization has its own plans for Miss Dove, and the Rook might be her only defense… - from Netgalley.com

This eARC was provided by Netgalley.com and I am giving an unbiased review.

Saintcrow has done a wonderful job in creating this new world scenario. It is like modern Europe, but kind of like if the Romans had actually conquered it all, and held sway for hundreds of years. The story is a bit historical, as many names that are somewhat recognized have a 'Latin-ish' sound to them, and they use wood/coal for fires with no autos in the story. So like the 1800s I guess.

This brings us to our two main characters: Miss Dove, a pseudonym for the rich daughter of some married bureaucrats who seeks revenge, and Avery Black, the Rook, a local sort-of Crime boss of the area of London called Hell's Acre. The Rook is actually a man of morals, and is trying to help the Acre, even if violence is necessary. Miss Dove, who has an "uncle" at a type of monastery in the Acre, manages with his help to get a job as a school mistress for an orphanage. I know I am skipping some parts (for you to enjoy) but the interest between Dove and Rook build throughout the story, which leaves us hanging a bit for a future installment.

The world-building in this novel is spectacular. I really liked the idea of a conquered Roman'ish Europe, and love how the names have that Latin quality. My history may not be the best, but there are several religions and deities Romans worshipped, and they have their part in the tale as well. The intrigue as to what is really going on keeps one reading. Dove does find the man responsible for her parents deaths (per the information she had received) but is that really the one. And how is it Rook's interests and Dove's coincide with each other, without the other knowing? Really looking forward to more in this series!

Book Review: "Midnight Black" by Mark Greaney

 

With his lover imprisoned in a Russian gulag, the Gray Man will stop at nothing to free her in this latest entry in the #1 New York Times bestselling series.

A winter sunrise over the great plains of Russia is no cause for celebration. The temperature barely rises above zero, and the guards at Penal Colony IK22 are determined to take their misery out on the prisoners--chief among them, one Zoya Zakharova. Once a master spy for Russian foreign intelligence, then the partner and lover of the Gray Man, she has information the Kremlin wants, and they don't care what they have to do to get it.

But if they think a thousand miles of frozen wasteland and the combined power of the Russian police state is enough to protect them, they don't know the Gray Man. He's coming, and no one's safe. - from Netgalley.com

This eARC was provided by NEtgalley.com and I giving an unbiased review.

This is the fourteenth novel in the 'Gray Man' series by this author, and continues the story a short time after the last novel. Zoya has been "traded" off to the Russians, and is in a  prison facility, and Court wants to get her out, but has no idea where in Russia she is. Original reports were that she was killed, but he holds out with hope. Not knowing where she might be (if she lives) Court is trying anyway he can to get into the country, often making some messes while doing so. Finally, proof is found by the US Gov't, that Zoya is alive, and where she is being held, which happens to be near yet another prison facility that is holding a Russian that can help overthrow the current regime. With the help of the US, and the renegades that stand for a free Russia, Court is able to get in-country.

During all this, Matt Hanley, our lowly CIA guy that was delegated from his lofty position, now in Brazil, gets involved, and brings in Hightower. With a large favor owed to his higher-up replacement, Matt and Hightower end up in the Ukraine, who is launching an attack to cover, and rescue the Russian delegate in the prison. The trick is to get him out, but Court, Zoya, and the delegates wife have to escape the women's prison 17 kilos away, and get to their location before they, too, are able to leave.

Written in the classic 'Gray Man' style, there is plenty of killing going on, and espionage-type things happening at every corner. Greaney brings back into play three of the main characters that have lasted these several novels, and makes it sound convincing. Not sure how much further this series will go, but Greaney does have another series starting that looks pretty good as well.

Book Review: "Shadows of Olympus" by Deric Wagner

 

Modern renditions of epic legends.

As the lines between myth and reality blur, the ultimate test of heroism awaits those who challenge fate. In this modern retelling of the Hercules myth, New Illion becomes a battleground where ancient legends and contemporary life collide. Roland, a former ruler turned shapeshifting were-lion detective, prowls the dark streets of the city, burdened by the murder of his family and the loss of his throne. His quest for justice is driven by profound grief, and he is determined to uncover the truth behind his family's killer. His partner, Damaldi, a gunslinger cursed with divine luck, provides an unpredictable edge as they navigate a city where the supernatural is ever-present.

Their investigation into a series of gruesome murders at Yamamoto Industries reveals troubling connections. Executives are being killed in increasingly horrifying ways, each death hinting at a deeper, more sinister threat. As Roland and Damaldi dig deeper, they discover that gods and demons are manipulating mortal affairs, their ancient powers threatening chaos.

Facing both human and supernatural adversaries, Roland and Damaldi must prevent a catastrophe of mythic proportions. With the fate of New Illion—and potentially the world—at stake, they must confront the ultimate challenge and stop the impending disaster. - from Booksirens.com

This eArc was provided by Booksirens.com and I am giving an unbiased review.

When I started reading this requested book, I had quite a few mixed feelings. A ruler of a large city of mixed population (shifter, human, etc) is arrested for murder (of his own family), claims it was magic-induced control of his mind, avoids a sentencing - other than you have to serve as a Warden (special police) in the same city he ruled, for an undetermined length of time. Conflict of interest much? Well, let's add in that as the story flows, we find out gods are involved, and doing their own manipulations, as well as the daemons. So everything is flipping nuts, and this guy is feeling guilt and remorse, as he was trapped in his body when he killed his family, yet has not gotten a chance to try to find the one who manipulated him. Oh, and let's hook him up in this Warden department, as more ofa detective, than a street patrol, because, hey - who needs training? His partner, oh, this guy is all Wyatt Earp with his two six-shooter handguns on the hips, and ensemble like Bat Masterson with an Earp mustache. 

But, once I got into the story, it was easy to overlook all this (it is fiction we are reading, right). There are always parts of hero stories that we know will happen: heroes almost never die, always win in the end, etc. This tale is not much different. His partner is a, for better terms, a "Luck" creature, and there are so many others that just happen to have a particular 'skill' or magic when the hero needs it. Overall, the tale was a good read, and since it is labeled as a chronicle, I am sure to be watching for the next one.

Book Review: "The Cartographer's Return" by Lisa Maria Koenig

 

Years have passed since the cartographer Soread from Greenwood has left Snowcreek. Now he returns, driven by trust towards the Lord and the Lady of Eridris and accompanied with secrets he wishes to keep. - from Booksirens.com

This eARC was provided by Booksirens.com and I giving an unbiased review.

This is the second novella in 'The Cartographer's Travels" series, and is also a fairly quick read. The tale takes place approximately 17 years after the first tale, and starts with our traveling map-making elf returning to the neighboring lands of his home after all this time. Again, he is wounded physically, though not as bad as the first time. Makes one wonder how clumsy this elf must be.

Either way, this one was a bit slower to read than the first one, as it delves more into the elf's inner turmoil and feelings (ewww, feelings). Obviously there is loads of guilt, anger, resentment, pride... the list just goes on, and flips around each paragraph. I tried to step back from the directness of it all, and saw that this seemed more of a tale of reuniting friends, one full of angst, etc, and one that is just open and loving, that share their burdens with each other.

Not sharing the ending, but from what I read, I don't see any future novellas about Soread coming in the future, though I admit, I always could be wrong.

Book Review: "The Cartographer from Greenwood" by Lisa Maria Koenig

 

In a stormy night, a strange elf stumbles through the doors of Lord Aeglas' manor in Snowcreek. He is injured and it is not his love for drawing maps that has driven him out of his home for many years. Will he learn that he has to fight for what is dear to him or will he continue his travels and avoid the arguments awaiting him at home? - from Booksirens.com

This eARC was provided by Booksirens.com and I am giving an unbiased review.

I actually came across the second novella of this small series (two books) prior to this one, but saw this one was available to be read and reviewed so requested it as well. Thankfully, both came, so I did not have to read out of order. Though each could be a stand-alone (I believe enough information is given in the second one to cover any possible missing plot).

I really liked the synopsis of the storyline: a wondering elf into neighboring lands, harboring inner feelings that prevent him from returning home to family. Here in this land he finds compassion and friendship, which erodes at his inner feelings, but in the end, we find it is not enough. Let's add in that this elf draws maps, very exquisite maps, and regardless of his wounds received, thus bringing him here, takes little time to recover. It is a novella, and some parts (to me) dragged on a bit longer than needed. I did find myself occasionally wishing this could be fleshed out into a longer tale, maybe including some of his traveling background. Overall well-written, easy to read, and looking forward to the second novella.