It’s time for something new! I am familiar with author Dan Fitzgerald’s fantasy series: the Maer Cycle is unique and wonderfully written and Dan shows that the joy is in the journey with his beautiful and thoughtful prose.
Well, Dan is tackling a new type of book: fantasy romance. While I am inexperienced in this subgenre, I know that those of you who like your books on the steamy side are in for a treat! Unpainted is a standalone romance that takes place in the universe of the Weirdwater Confluence. While there are cameos from previous books, you don’t need to have read them to dive right into Unpainted.
Would you like to see the amazing cover, also created by the author (seriously, what can’t he do)?
WOW!
About Unpainted:
In the hermetic society of the Painted Faces, pale, unblemished skin is rewarded with station, wealth, and power.
Tera would almost rather go unpainted than enter into an arranged marriage with a total stranger, but that would mean giving up the only life she’s ever known. Not to mention her share of her family’s Pureline fortune.
She’d always thought love was a fairy tale and sex a joyless chore, but the alternative might be worse.
Enter Aven, a soft buttercup of a man, the kindest and most considerate person she’s ever met. A tropical honeymoon awaits, and with the help of her intimacy consultant, Tera is determined to make the best of this awkward ritual. Amid the island breezes, she and her new spouse form a bond neither of them knew they were capable of.
But trouble stirs beneath the polite veneer of the Painted Faces’ society, threatening to tear them—and their entire world—apart.
Unpainted is a queer arranged marriage fantasy romance, a standalone in the Weirdwater Confluence universe. It features a dual POV, magical currency shenanigans, and inordinate amounts of steamy, fluffy goodness with a soft femdom dynamic. Coming June 30, 2023.
About the author:
About the author
I am a fantasy and romance author living in Washington, DC with my wife, twin boys, and two cats. When I am not writing, I might be gardening, doing yoga, cooking, or listening to French music.
I write fantasy in part because the state of the world demands an escape, but also because fantasy provides another lens through which to view what we are living now. Part mirror, part magnifying glass, part prism.
I write romance because we need more love in the world, and sometimes we need to know things will work out in the end.
What you will find in my books: Mystery. Darkness. Wonder. Action. Romance. Otherness examined and deconstructed. Queer and straight characters living and fighting side by side. Imaginary creatures and magic with a realistic touch.
What you won’t find: Pointless violence. Sexual assault. Unquestioned sexism or discrimination. Evil races. Irredeemable villains. Predestined heroes. An ancient darkness that threatens to overspread the land.
A grandmotherly necromancer seeking resolution for her past with the help of her loyal entourage: an undead cat and a spectral knight.
A girl on the run from the Eternal Empire for the mysterious power she possesses.
When a chance encounter pulls them together, Gam Gam will do what it takes to protect Mina from the rogue sergeant hounding her–including raising the dead. As long as they’re dressed for the occasion.
Thank you to the author for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest opinion. A NecromancerCalled Gam Gam will be available on May 30th.
I can honestly say that I’ve never had a favorite necromancer character. It’s not like necromancers are dead to me or anything (I’ll stop with the ill-advised jokes from here on out), I’ve just never felt strongly about one before. That has changed with A Necromancer CalledGam Gam. I now have a favorite necromancer. A necromancer who not only raises the dead but makes sure they’re bundled up in the warmest of knitted goods can’t help but endear herself to me.
This novella starts with a desperate race through the woods. Mina, a twelve-year-old girl, finds herself being pursued by a sergeant and his men. She has an ability that he wants-I’ll leave it to the reader to discover what it is. When Mina stumbles across Gam Gam’s camping spot, we are introduced to an indomitable grandmotherly type. The sergeant gets more than he bargained for in Gam Gam and Mina.
A Necromancer Called Gam Gam is fabulous. The characters are all wonderful, well-written, and utterly unique. Mina is the anchor of the story, driving the emotion and plot forward. She develops quickly, a nuanced character experiencing loss and uncertainty, flavored by strong feelings of guilt. Through her eyes, the reader will experience a journey from regret and grief to sorrow tempered by gratitude and peace.
Gam Gam is flat-out fantastic! Yes, she raises the dead and her carriage is pulled by a pair of very dead horses, but she also bakes delicious cookies and knits colorful scarves and hats for each shambling corpse (even though they really don’t need them). It almost made me want to attempt knitting again, despite my disastrous last attempt. She could have become a caricature, underdeveloped and there solely for smiles. However, she is so much more. Her story arc is touching and elevates this novella from good to great.
Add in some memorable side characters, including an undead cat named Nugget, and you’ve got a wildly entertaining tale. The ending was perfect, satisfying, and a bit of a tear-jerker. I’m looking forward to reading more from author Adam Holcombe.
A Necromancer Called Gam Gam will take you a short amount of time to read, but it’ll stay with you for much longer. This isn’t one to miss.
Mystic Reborn is the continuation of Paladin Unbound, the award-winning start of the Archives of Evelium.
After embracing his destiny as the last of the Paladins, Umhra the Peacebreaker is granted ancient powers by the gods. When he returns to the ruins of Antiikin to fulfill a promise, he embarks on a journey that will push the limits of his abilities.
As the Grey Queen’s arrival heralds the fulfillment of a prophecy that could mean the end of humanity, the kingdom of Evelium desperately needs a hero. Can Umhra once more rise to the challenge and save mankind from annihilation? (Taken from Amazon)
Thank you to the author for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Mystic Reborn will be available on April 1st.
Mystic Reborn is a sequel to Paladin Unbound so there might be some light spoilers. You really should read Paladin Unbound if you haven’t yet, but I’ll do my best to keep any spoilers to a minimum.
I loved Paladin Unbound and the world Jeffrey Speight had created, so I went into the sequel with ridiculously high expectations. I was not disappointed. Mystic Reborn continues a series that is a masterpiece of epic fantasy. As with Paladin Unbound, I found myself completely drawn in by the story and characters.
The group has been split (I know all TTRPG players are yelling “Never split the party!” at this point), and this decision allowed for both interesting character development and an expansion on both the lore and world itself, without ever becoming an info dump. Seeing the seemingly disparate threads of narrative eventually weave into one was a pleasure.
In this book, Umhra goes where the others can’t follow, in search of the last mystic and knowledge regarding his new powers. As is often the case with heroes, he gets far more than he bargained for. A truth-seeking journey becomes a desperate attempt to save Evelium. I was wondering how on earth he would manage it and if it was even possible, which is always a good place to be in a fantasy novel. The way his character grows and the decisions he makes are both smart and believable. The fact that he’s also encountering some of the most unique (and in some cases, skin-shivering) creatures I’ve come across just makes his parts of the book even more compelling.
While the others deal with far different challenges, they were no less dangerous or engrossing. In fact, they were in just as much danger both physically and morally. One of the characters (I won’t say who for fear of spoiling anything) discovered that someone they trusted had taken deplorable actions. I really felt for this character as he tried to come to terms with his newfound knowledge. Seeing his choices despite (or maybe because) of this letdown was a fascinating experience.
Different characters took center stage throughout the book. Shadow was a favorite in Paladin Unbound, but in Mystic Reborn it was Talus who stole the show for me. The things he dealt with and the way his character developed because of them were astounding. He found himself in several sticky situations (to say the least), but they drove the narrative. In fact, in some ways Umhra’s story arc opened up the world more, while the others served to further the events of this sequel. I guess you could say that Umhra’s storyline is playing the long game.
When the separate storylines became a whole, the book ramped up even more, racing with breathtaking speed into a climax that I couldn’t see coming. There were revelations that shook me and the stakes became ever higher. I have no idea what’s coming in the next book but I know it’s going to be even more epic.
I’ve read a lot of fantasy over the year. I mean a lot. The Archives of Evelium continues to stand above many others. Mystic Reborn floored me with a storyline vast in scope and a world fraught with peril. The characters’ narratives are extremely personal despite the roles they play in a prophecy much bigger than themselves. Every choice has the fate of the world hanging in the balance, yet it’s the small things about these characters- their relationships, faith, and even worries- that brings this series to a higher level. They are the beating heart in a book of monsters and gods.
These books deserve to be mentioned among the greats of the genre. I can’t recommend Mystic Reborn enough.
There is no magic on Prospect Hill—or anywhere else, for that matter. But just on the other side of the veil is the world of the Fae. Generations ago, the first farmers on Prospect Hill learned to bargain small trades to make their lives a little easier—a bit of glass to find something lost, a cup of milk for better layers in the chicken coop.
Much of that old wisdom was lost as the riverboats gave way to the rail lines and the farmers took work at mills and factories. Alaine Fairborn’s family, however, was always superstitious, and she still hums the rhymes to find a lost shoe and to ensure dry weather on her sister’s wedding day.
When Delphine confides her new husband is not the man she thought he was, Alaine will stop at nothing to help her sister escape him. Small bargains buy them time, but a major one is needed. Yet, the price for true freedom may be more than they’re willing to pay. (Taken from Amazon)
Thank you to Redhook and Angela Man for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest opinion. The Fairy Bargains of Prospect Hill will be available on March 28th.
The Fairy Bargains of Prospect Hill was not at all what I expected. The book starts with a fairy bargain. One of the things that I love about faeries in books is their capriciousess. You never know what you’re going to get. Well, at the beginning, a fairy bargain yields a farm, one that is passed down from generation to generation. Each new family member learns the right way to bargain. You can make little bargains to tweak situations in a favorable way, but beware large ones. You have to be willing to pay the price.
Alaine and Delphine are two sisters with very different ways of trying to make their mark on the world. Alaine now runs the farm that was won in a fairy bargain and wants it to flourish. However, she is rapidly running out of money and banks aren’t known to be patient. Meanwhile her sister, Delphine, wanted to be the wife of a businessman and make her way in society. Both want to be seen as successful, knowledgable, and important, they just have different ideas on how to make that happen. Alaine starts making more bargains than she should, forgetting the rules. Delphine finds out that her husband is an atrocious excuse for a human and has to get out of the relationship.
I expected a book filled with magic. I must admit that the first half of the book or so didn’t really keep my attention. There is a lot of buildup, some of which probably could have been condensed a little. The pacing was odd because of this and I found myself struggling to stay focused. I kept waiting for things to start, eventually noticing that I was almost halfway through the book and nothing much had happened yet. There were a few times that I contemplated setting the book down entirely, but the characters of Alaine and Delphine kept me reading.
This isn’t because they are particularly likeable. They aren’t. They are, however, supremely and believably flawed, which was better. I felt for them. I could see that, despite being selfish or making (really!) bad choices, their reasons made sense in regards to their characters. I felt bad for Delphine in particular, because of her situation with her horrible husband but also because her insecurities were heartbreaking. It was hard to read at times.
The relationship between the two sisters was interesting to watch unfold. They loved each other, but it was a love tempered by misunderstandings and little jealousies. Both saw the other as supremely confident and not needing anyone else. It took a while for either of them to really open up. It was aggravating to read at times because it was also understandable. There may have been some teeth gnashing on my part.
Once things got going, I was a little more interested. Sadly, I saw a lot of what happened coming from pretty early on. That doesn’t mean that it didn’t entertain me, but the fact that so much of it had already been forecast made it a little less gasp-worthy. I liked it, but I didn’t love it. In fact, that unfortunately sums up my feelings for this book: I liked it but I didn’t love it. The writing was solid and the historical aspect of it was intriguing, but the first half was slow enough that my attention wandered. The second half was more exciting, but it was almost a “too little, too late” situation. Ultimately, The Fairy Bargains of Prospect Hill wasn’t the book for me.
This would be a good read for people who want good, slower paced historical fiction and don’t mind a small splattering of fairy magic.
“Christmas won’t be Christmas without any corpses.”
The dear, sweet March sisters are back, and Marmee has told them to be good little women. Good little vampire women, that is. That’s right: Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy have grown up since you last read their tale, and now they have (much) longer lives and (much) more ravenous appetites.
Marmee has taught them well, and so they live by an unprecedented moral code of abstinence . . . from human blood. Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy must learn to get along with one another, help make society a better place, and avoid the vampire hunters who pose a constant threat to their existence. Plus, Laurie is dying to become a part of the March family, at any cost. Some things never change.
This horrifying—and hilarious—retelling of a timeless American classic will leave readers craving the bloodthirsty drama on each and every page. (Taken from Amazon)
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest opinion. Little Vampire Women is available now.
I’m afraid this review will be a little on the shorter side because I find myself in the strange position of feeling as though I’m almost having to review the original book. I’ve read several of these monster mash-up books (my favorite being Grave Expectations by Charles Dickens and Sherri Browning Erwin being my favorite) and this is the first one that felt so incredibly similar to its source material.
Everyone knows the plot of Little Women. But what if Marmee and Co. were vampires? That should change things more than it really did, which is where I’m getting a little stymied. While the idea is a fun and clever one, the main storyline changed very little, instead having small asides that added a vampiric touch. I would have loved to see the author do more than add in an extra sentence here and there.
The extra bits added served to twist the story ever-so-slightly. For example, the family that the Marches bring Christmas food to are human, so there are an added few sentences about the March women needing to suggest that their gift of raw animals be made into a stew. See what I mean about small bits being added? On a few occasions, it was entertaining, but at other times it threw the pacing off a little.
I feel that the author would have done much better writing her own original book instead of going for a mash-up. Then she would not have had such restrictions on her creativity. She has written several other books and I am 100% sure that her wholly original books are much much better. As it was, I found myself disappointed in Little Vampire Women.
Everyone in my family has killed someone. Some of us, the high achievers, have killed more than once. I’m not trying to be dramatic, but it is the truth. Some of us are good, others are bad, and some just unfortunate. I’m Ernest Cunningham. Call me Ern or Ernie. I wish I’d killed whoever decided our family reunion should be at a ski resort, but it’s a little more complicated than that. Have I killed someone? Yes. I have. Who was it? Let’s get started. EVERYONE IN MY FAMILY HAS KILLED SOMEONE My brother My stepsister My wife My father My mother My sister-in-law My uncle My stepfather My aunt Me (Taken from Amazon)
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest opinion. Everyone in My FamilyHas Killed Someone will be available on January 17th.
How can you see a title like this and not be immediately intrigued? The book blurb hinted at intrigue and some wacky secrets waiting to be revealed, and the book more than delivered. The story starts with a murder and the body count piles up as the pages turn. The twists had twists and the narration was a delight.
Ernie is on his way to the most awkward family reunion he’s ever attended and that’s saying something. He prefers to avoid them, but this one is different: his brother, just released from prison, will be there. And that’s the awkward part. Ernie is the one who cemented his brother’s conviction. Ernie expects a long, uncomfortable weekend. He just didn’t expect the dead body. As far as family drama goes, the drama in this book is a doozy.
Ernie’s narration guides the reader through a morass of secrets and mysterious happenings. He isn’t an unreliable narrator (as he mentions multiple times), but he manipulates the information he gives, leaving you guessing. Okay, maybe he is a bit unreliable. He was a fantastic character. Oh- and he happens to be a writer. Can you guess what he writes? Books on how to write mysteries! He talks to the readers, even guiding us through the hows and whats of mystery writing. I loved when he admitted that something happening was stereotypical of a murder mystery (he had a lot to say about phone batteries). He was fully aware that he wasn’t any less guilty of deception than any of the other characters in the book, he just felt a little bit worse about it.
His tone was wry and more than a little snarky. And the chapter titles cracked me up! There was one chapter that consisted solely of an “I don’t want to talk about that”. Genius.
A book like this relies on strong characters to keep it interesting. If the characters are boring, then the mystery becomes stagnant. Ernie’s family members were all shifty and dishonest, with their own agendas. It was awesome. They were more than just caricatures, instead being fully developed, shady people. Relationships and alliances shifted throughout, adding an extra layer to this already complex story.
Some of the twists were overly convoluted, but the majority landed and added fogginess and fun. I did call the final “whodunnit” (I have a knack for that in books, for some reason), but I missed a million other things and I had the motive way wrong. Going back through, the clues were all there. Mysteries like that are the best.
Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone is smart, bloody, and darkly funny. This is my first book by Benjamin Stevenson, but I guarantee it won’t be my last. I loved it.
In a city filled with dangerous yet heavily regulated alchemical magic, a man from the slums discovers he may be its only hope to survive certain destruction in this wickedly entertaining fantasy. Welcome to Bezim, where sword-slinging bravi race through the night and rich and idle alchemists make magic out of mixing and measuring the four planes of reality.
Siyon Velo, Dockside brat turned petty alchemist, scrapes a living hopping between the planes to harvest ingredients for the city’s alchemists. But when Siyon accidentally commits an act of impossible magic, he’s catapulted into the limelight—which is a bad place to be when the planes start lurching out of alignment, threatening to send Bezim into the sea.
It will take a miracle to save the city. Good thing Siyon has pulled off the impossible before. Now he just has to master it. (Taken from Amazon)
Thank you to Orbit Books and Angela Man for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. Notorious Sorcerer is available now.
Well, buckle my swash! Notorious Sorcerer is an entertaining adventure that kept me guessing. There is action almost from the get-go, as the reader is treated to a world peopled with ambitious characters, crime, and madcap escapades.
Bezim is the only place where it’s possible to perform alchemy. It’s illegal, but a little illegality doesn’t stop everyone. Siyon, the main character (although not the only point of view used) is desperate to learn a little magic, although only the rich can afford lessons. Siyon is far from rich, leading him to travel to other planes to collect sorcerous ingredients to sell in an attempt to finally afford lessons.
Things go south and suddenly Siyon has eyes focused on him-not necessarily a good thing. Then all heck breaks loose and he has to somehow save the day, a feat which may well be impossible. These stakes kept me interested, wondering what on earth would happen next.
There was a bit of uncertainty for me at first, with the author chucking you into things head-first. This is always risky, since I tend to end up distanced from books that leave me confused for too long (real life is confusing enough). In this case, it paid off, as curiosity hooked me. I was able to pick things up as I went along, and all was made clear relatively quickly.
The characters were an intriguing mix of poor and desperate, and privileged (although sometimes equally desperate, just for different things). I liked this switching between perspectives. It made the story seem fuller and added a layer of social unrest which I found fascinating.
Siyon was my favorite. His derring-do and rather careless way of risking life and limb was both endearing and exciting. I also enjoyed Zagiri, especially her desperation to prove that she was more than just a bank account and social status. All of the characters were great, but Siyon stole the show.
I wasn’t huge on the romance angle, but I rarely am. This is a me thing and has absolutely nothing to do with the skill of the author or the character dynamics. Fans of romantic entanglements will more than likely be drawn in by the complicated nature of the relationship.
The world was complex, but also felt a little underdeveloped to me. There was just so much teeming under the surface and I wish more of it had been fully explained. I loved what we did get to see, though, although it took a while to really understand the nuances of it.
There was so much happening that it was a race to turn pages and see what would happen next. This breakneck pace made for a massively enjoyable book. Notorious Sorcerer was a rollicking dash through pages, with roguery and mishaps aplenty.
Today I’m excited to be joining Bewitching Books Tours in sharing the cover for D.H. Willison’s new book, Midnight on the Manatee. D.H. Willison’s new release will feature adventure, romance, and a whole lot of humor.
Book Description:
How does the steamship Manatee navigate sea-monster infested waters? What sacrifices do her grand profits demand? The only certainty, is that the Manatee casts a dark shadow everywhere she makes port.
Brianna, a tough, no-nonsense human, yearns to escape stifling big city rules and a troubled past. A quaint seaside town seems perfect to start a new life—until she wakes up aboard the Manatee. As cargo.
Shard, nekojin feline of the forest, dreams of sailing to distant lands—to the horror of his friends. When his intriguing new neighbor, Brianna, disappears and all signs point to the mysterious Manatee, he’s certain this is his moment for high seas adventure. Yet with skills tailored to the forest canopy, his rescue goes disastrously awry.
Their only chance of freedom is to work together, but can their budding relationship overcome ruthless smugglers, corrupt officials, and a slew of ravenous monsters? Or are they destined to take the secret of the Manatee to a watery grave?
Midnight on the Manatee blends life-and-death adventures on a creepy fantasy world with wit, whimsy, and a generous dash of romance.
Are you ready to see the cover? Here it is!
Wow!
Genre: Fantasy adventure/fantasy romance Date of Publication: October 28, 2022 ISBN: 9798823112536 Number of pages: 182 Word Count: 33K Cover Artist: Papaya-style
Life-and-death adventures on a creepy fantasy world blend with wit, whimsy, and a generous dash of romance.
Excerpt:
Brianna
I’ve always struggled picking out clothes. It doesn’t matter if it’s for travel, work, or a special event, I seem to hit a point where I regret my choices.
Like today.
Late afternoon sun glared in my eyes, the wide brim of my slouch hat unable to shield me. Mostly because it was on the ground a dozen paces distant. It was hot, and this close to the marsh, humid too. My linen blouse was drenched in sweat, though a breeze provided a modicum of relief from the heat—that part, I’d gotten right. The leather traveling vest was well-vented, my padded breeches also a good compromise between comfort and protection. But my boots were clearly wrong. Light beige leather with flexible soles prioritizing comfort over armor seemed a good idea for the long trek between Halamar and Barricayde.
But the bog toad with its jaws locked around my right ankle seemed intent on demonstrating the error of my ways.
It was half the size of a coach, with an underbite and stubby tusks thick as my legs. I kicked it with my free foot as it shambled backwards, dragging me toward the marsh. Vision blurry from sweat streaming into my eyes, I squinted, trying to sight along the barrel of my single shot pistol.
One shot. At this range I can’t miss.
I fired, the pistol belching gray smoke and a dull wumm.
The toad lurched back, blood oozing from an apparently non-critical wound. It blinked a pair of fist-sized ruby eyes, lunged at me again, this time snapping both legs up to my knees in a maw as broad as my arm span.
How did I let a minor predator ambush me? Along a marked path! Big city’s making me soft.
No! I will not die to an oversized frog. I shoved the pistol in its holster, unfolded my collapsible spear with a metallic klink, jabbed it at the creature’s head. A head which seemed to comprise half its mass. The third strike to its thick hide found a sensitive spot: it spat out my legs, sneezed a blob of mucus and blood on me, and shambled back into the marsh.
“Oww. Filthy beast. That hurt.”
I stood, yelped in pain, collapsing to my knees again.
Those critters might not have sharp teeth, but they bite hard.
First things first: I reloaded my pistol. It may have been as effective as poking a troll with a toothpick, but it was my toothpick, and it was gonna be loaded.
I pulled off boots caked with blood and saliva to reveal a souvenir of the encounter: bruises from ankle to mid thigh.
Should have worn armored boots. Blood or mucus colored armored boots would have been ideal. But on the bright side, none of the blood was mine.
“It’s a well-traveled path. You can wear comfortable traveling clothes, no need for armor.
Owww. You’re an idiot, Brianna,” I muttered, managing to stay up on the next attempt.
“Hope they have a decent healer in Barricayde. Not to mention a laundry.”
Shard
Murky water burned my eyes as my feet sank into the mud. The caprid in my arms flailed and kicked, I could feel its chest heave in panicked breaths. “Juro, a little help?” I called.
“I am helping. I’m watching out for predators.” Juro crouched atop a low branch of a live oak tree, gaze darting between trees and clumps of reeds. He grinned. “None here. You’re welcome.”
“I meant, could you grab the other two trapped caprids.”
“Theoretically, I could.”
I waded ashore, set the waist-high, hoofed creature next to its flockmates, hoping the presence of the herd would calm it.
“At least keep the flock from panicking while I get the other two.”
Juro bounded from branch to branch, finally settling on the ground beside me. He had auburn fur, stood a tad shorter than me, his tail shorter as well, and lacking the white puffy tip he made fun of when we were growing up.
“If we leave them out here,” he said, “our neighbors might learn a valuable lesson about the merits of proper animal husbandry.”
“The creatures horns are blunted, they cannot defend themselves against predators and would most likely be devoured by bog toads before the humans were able to recover them all.”
“Which would certainly be a valuable lesson, Shard. Hurt what they value most.”
Juro didn’t need to complete the thought. We all knew what that was. “It would indeed hurt their coin purse, but caprids shouldn’t pay the price to do so. The creatures are innocent.”
“Didn’t you want to visit the bookseller this afternoon? New volume of that pirate series you’re always talking about.”
I dove back into the stagnant green-brown murk at the edge of the marsh, swam around the last two stragglers, managing to shoo them toward the herd without having to carry them.
I spat, trying to clear the taste of marsh water from my mouth. Mud, slimy strands of algae, and decaying vegetation plugged my nose, clung to my ears, obscured my normally keen senses. But I wasn’t worried, Juro was a rascal, but he’d have my back at the first hint of danger.
“Yes. It’s supposed to be out today. But after all that effort, we can’t leave the task unfinished.”
Juro shrugged, but helped guide the flock toward the shepherd’s day shed.
We encountered the herder’s daughter a few minutes later, sprinting toward us, a wooden crook in her hands, single shot rifle slung across her back.
“You’ve found them, thank you!” She huffed heavily, her armor and gear sized more for an adult human than an early teen.
“That’s the third time this month,” said Juro.
She mumbled, pointed at the creatures with an index finger as she counted. “All here. My stupid little brother needed help with…” She shook her head. “It’s not important. I’d like to thank you, but I don’t have my coin purse with me. Come with me to the day shed, maybe there’s something there.”
“It’s OK,” I said. “I’m still hoping to make it to the bookseller today.” Juro snorked. “Looking like that? The humans won’t even let you through the city gate! You’ll be lucky if they don’t mistake you for a swamp monster and hunt you.”
“Good point.” I turned to the girl. “How about a few buckets of fresh water, some rags, and a brush?”
She smiled. “Deal.” She moved to clap me on the shoulder, hesitated, backed off half a step. “Maybe after a bath.”
About the Author:
D.H. Willison is a reader, writer, game enthusiast and developer, engineer, and history buff. He’s lived or worked in over a dozen countries, learning different cultures, viewpoints, and attitudes, which have influenced his writing, contributing to one of his major themes: alternate and creative conflict resolution. The same situations can be viewed by different cultures quite differently. Sometimes it leads to conflict, sometimes to hilarity. Both make for a great story.
He’s also never missed a chance to visit historic sites, from castle dungeons, to catacombs, to the holds of tall ships, to the tunnels of the Maginot Line. It might be considered research, except for the minor fact that his tales are all set on the whimsical and terrifying world of Arvia. Where giant mythic monsters are often more easily overcome with empathy than explosions.
Subscribe to his newsletter for art, stories, and humorous articles (some of which are actually intended to be humorous).
How does the steamship Manatee navigate sea-monster infested waters? Brianna and Shard find out, but will they take the secret to a watery grave? Life-and-death adventures on a creepy, monster infested world blend with wit, whimsy and romance. https://dhwillisoncreates.com/
In every person’s story, there is something to hide… The tranquility is shattered by a woman’s terrified scream. Security guards take charge immediately, instructing everyone inside to stay put until the threat is identified and contained. While they wait for the all-clear, four strangers, who’d happened to sit at the same table, pass the time in conversation and friendships are struck. Each has his or her own reasons for being in the reading room that morning—it just happens that one is a murderer. Sulari Gentill delivers a sharply thrilling read with The Woman in the Library, an unexpectedly twisty literary adventure that examines the complicated nature of friendship and shows us that words can be the most treacherous weapons of all.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest opinion. The Woman in the Library is available now.
The thing that grabbed me and immediately interested me in reading this book was that it featured the word “library” in the title. That’s it. If there is an angle that features words, libraries, or bookstores, I’ll be almost immediately intrigued. The writing and storyline kept me reading, happily drawn into a fun mystery involving four new-found friends.
Author Sulari Gentill plays off the new-friend dynamic incredibly well. When people first hit it off, it’s easier to ignore (or not even notice) things about the other person which will either begin to annoy over time or, in the worst of cases, turn out to be major red flags. These four people met in a library reading room, brought together by a stressful event. That’s enough to form the beginnings of friendship right there, although of course someone is not who they seem.
The book’s storytelling tricks were my favorite thing about it. The Woman in the Library features an author named Hannah Tigone who is writing a novel that starts in a library. The novel is about a writer (named Freddie) who gets sucked into a murder while researching for her own book. It sounds a lot more confusing than it is. For the purpose of this review, I’ll refer to the character writing the book about the writer as the author, and the character who happens to be in the library at the time of a murder as the writer. It’s actually a ton of fun, despite my lousy attempt to explain it.
While the writer in the book builds new friendships, the author begins to be disturbed by the unhealthy relationship forming with her Beta reader. Now, that was a character that was easy to hate. Holy cow, everything he “wrote” in his letters to Hannah was absolutely awful. That it degenerated in nature from horrible to dangerous was an unexpected progression that made a sick sort of sense. The continuation of the story wavered from distracting to adding an extra layer of suspense. I’m still not sure how I feel about that whole thing, although I can’t deny that it ratcheted up the tension level of The Woman in the Library.
There were four main characters in the author’s book: the writer, Freddie, in the U.S. from Australia with the purpose of working on her own book; Whit, the laze-about whose aspirations don’t match those of his overbearing mother; Marigold, a tattooed free spirit who is also something of a genius (according to her); and Cain, an enigma who has written a bestselling book of his own. One of them is also a coldblooded killer, of course. It’s up to Freddie to figure out who.
I will admit that I figured out the whodunnit before it was revealed, although the motive escaped me. The characters were all fun to read, although I had a soft spot for nosy, stalkerish Marigold. The book raised the stakes as it went along and by the end it was hurtling at breakneck speed toward its conclusion. I liked the way the book’s pacing sped up as the mystery got closer to being solved.
There was some brief mention of attempted sexual assault, which I feel I should warn readers about. It was not detailed, but it’s always best (in my opinion) to be aware if something like that will pop up. I’m sensitive to that subject and it was vague and short enough that I was able to skip over the paragraph or so mentioning it without any issue. So, there’s that.
The Woman in the Library was a highly entertaining mystery filled with twists and unexpected reveals. I enjoyed it quite a bit and recommend it to people who want a fun suspense-ridden novel.
When there is something you can’t or won’t do yourself, you get a bastard to do it for you. They are thieves, cheats, and murderers, loyal to nothing but the coin. Everyone knows that. Yet in war, payment in blood is more likely than payment in coin. Staegrim knows coins better than he knows people, and he isn’t giving his life away for free. Not to the rebels, not for the lords, and not for all the bloody coins in Rengas. But then…everyone has a price.
Thank you to the author for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest opinion. The Battle that was Lost is a novella that takes place in the world of the Ringlander series.
Novellas are an intriguing medium. Sometimes I find them to be too short, choppy in their attempts to fit more within their pages than the length can hold. Other times, they can feel superfluous. In the case of The Battle that was Lost, however, the length was perfect. The writing was skillful, each word placed to further a story that packed a punch.
Brutal and smart, The Battle that was Lost wasted no time in establishing an atmosphere that pulsed with desperation. The line between life and death could be crossed at any moment, and the characters knew it. The stakes were high, and tension dripped from each word. This isn’t a happy-ending sort of book. In fact, the ending is more of a beginning, the novella serving as a cutthroat introduction.
Qor and Staegrim are mercenaries, doing anything they can to survive and hopefully somehow come out ahead. Their relationship is a brilliant one. It’s the sort of complicated mix of annoyance and something akin to affection that is fascinating to read. Of course, the book is about higher stakes than the fates of two thugs, although they are the pieces that make TheBattle that was Lost so compelling.
I’ve always been a little lost when it comes to tactical decisions in fantasy books, but I was able to follow along well here. When you have two armies going at each other, knowing that the entire fate of the continent hangs in the balance, I like to see a personal aspect. It gives me a reason to be invested in the outcome. The judicious use of flashbacks provided this personal aspect, fleshing out characters and backstories and expanding the world even more.
I’m gob smacked at how much was packed into such a short novella. The Battle that was Lost was fantastic. I highly recommend picking it up.
About the Author:
Witty and Sarcastic Bookclub 