As war looms on the horizon, Kavio continues to teach Dindi forbidden magics. Dindi’s cohort of fellow Initiates secretly select her to be the target of a vicious prank; an enemy of Kavio has targets her for an even viler crime. Meanwhile, Brena seeks allies hidden among the enemy, which puts her on a collision course with her former captive and husband, Rthan, who is sent to stop her by any means necessary. As powerful magic spins out of control, the fae themselves are in peril, and what started as a tribal war could become the cataclysm that wipes humans from Faearth. For, in Faearth, there is a price to be paid for breaking taboos, and it can only be atoned for with a terrible sacrifice.

 Full Disclosure: Thank you to the lovely Tara Maya for sending a review copy!

Sacrifice is book 3 in a series that just keeps getting better and better. Miss Maya is an excellent storyteller and she really knows how to hook her readers and leave them salivating for the next release. Sacrifice has packed the most emotional punch thus far but if the series keeps going the way it has been, I’m pretty sure Root (Book 4) will exceed all my expectations and become the new favorite in short order. Miss Maya has an incredible talent for drawing you into the story with little to no meandering or self-indulgences.

Sacrifice picks up right where Taboo left off, as has become customary in the series. Dindi, the heroine, has grown so much through these books and, even with so many fascinating side characters vying for attention on every page, she is a heroine that I’ve grown to love so much. She’s the ultimate underdog, a shy and courageous rebel, and she’s finally, finally beginning to come in to her own self worth as well as gain respect from her people that is LONG overdue. I continue to be highly engrossed in the sub plots between Brena and Rthan, and though I was saddened by some decisions Gwenika made, I also feel hopeful that the events of this book will help her to further grow. A lot of questions from the previous books were answered in this one and I’m so excited to see what new ground the rest of the series will uncover.

And I’m so happy I have Root already loaded up into my Kindle!

You can purchase Sacrifice at Amazon, B & N, and Smashwords.

A DEVESTATING SETBACK
Enemy tribesmen attacked the Initiates during the ritual Test to find magic users. Dindi’s dreams are in shambles. In despair, she decides to step into the forbidden faery ring, and dance herself to death with the fae. Then she discovers another choice that saves her life…but breaks the ultimate taboo.

A DESPERATE OUTREACH
After being unfairly exiled from his own people, Kavio may have found a new home, but only if he can protect it from another attack by the enemy. He gathers a small group to venture deep into the heart of enemy territory in search of the ultimate prize…peace.

But by the harsh laws of their land, one cannot both break taboos and keep the peace. They will have to choose, what, or whom, to betray.

Full Disclosure: Thanks to the lovely Tara Maya for the review copy!

Taboo is the second book in The Unfinished Song series and I think it’s a step above Initiate (Book 1), which I enjoyed quite a bit. Miss Maya wasted absolutely no time getting into the meat of the story, so it’s imperative that you read book 1 prior to book 2 because Taboo covers only the barest hints of back story. Which is refreshing, actually.

I had a really hard time putting Taboo down. Tara has such a lovely writing voice, it’s so lyrical and poetic. I found myself highlighting line after line because I was so struck by the beauty of her words and the way in which she phrased them. I swear, these books have some of the best dialogue of the Fantasy Genre that I’ve ever read. More than that though, the strength of the story just grips you right from the first page and builds until the very last. The characters from Book 1 are allowed to grow and adapt naturally but pace is never sacrificed for their growth. I loved the direction she went with Gwenika and Brena, whom I never quite warmed up to in Book 1 but have since grown to respect. Even newly introduced characters are given an opportunity to shine, such as Svego, who I fell in love with nigh instantly.

The story itself is intense, and I love how Miss Maya doesn’t rush anything especially the romances that’ve been building between several different characters throughout both books. She juggled the subplots superbly and I absolutely cannot to see what she has in store for us with Sacrifice.

You can purchase Taboo at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Smashwords

Bone Wires by Michael Shean

In the wasteland of commercial culture that is future America, police are operated not by government but by private companies. In Seattle, that role is filled by Civil Protection, and Daniel Gray is a detective in Homicide Solutions. What used to be considered an important – even glamorous – department for public police is very different for the corporate species, and Gray finds himself stuck in a dead end job.

That is, until the Spine Thief arrives.

Bone Wires is an on going serialized novel by Michael Shean. Updates occur on Thursdays and can be found at Curiosity Quills.

I’ve never reviewed a Serialized Novel before. And, as Bone Wires is not yet a completed piece, I will only be talking about what I have read thus far, and how I think the story is going. So far, I have read Parts One – Seven.

Detective Daniel Gray of Homicide Solutions has only two things on his mind: The Amber Shield, and how hard he’ll have to work to get it. He needs a big case. Of course, in his department,  that means a heavy string of murders. And the Spine Thief is only too happy to oblige.

I’m really digging the sleazy, gritty feel of the world Michael Shean has created. It’s semi-futuristic with a lot of neat gadgets that Cyper Punk fans will appreciate. This world is also littered with interesting, if not like-able, characters. There’s Carter, Gray’s partner, who seems to care more about the victims than being a “Company” man, although he can certainly play the part of the latter. Angie, a stripper and person of interest. (And not just to the case…)  Manson, a Pacifier with serious Anger Management issues. Except, there’s a lot more to them than meets the eye, and I’m thoroughly enjoying watching Mr. Shean pull back the layers of mystery surrounding each character as each new part is written.

You’re all just going to have to read Bone Wires to discover whatever I’ve left out in the name of preserving my No-Spoiler Rule. Be warned, it’s not for the faint of heart.

The Price by Joseph Garraty

For Jimmy Pecatti, joining the mob doesn’t seem so bad. The street tax on his old man’s business drops to zero, he pulls down more cash in a week than he used to see in half a year–and, if he’s gonna learn to channel his innate talent for magic, the underworld is the only place to do it. It seems like everything he could ask for.

Trouble is, Jimmy doesn’t know what he’s getting into. The Mafia isn’t such a big deal in Boston these days, and the Russian mob is gearing up to exterminate them. Worse, the Russians have hired a notoriously out-of-control wizard named Kelsen who is conjuring up unkillable demons and leaving wiseguys in pieces all over town. As the Mafia’s hot new talent and the only one with enough mojo to stop Kelsen, Jimmy might as well be wearing crosshairs.

When the violence escalates into all-out war, Jimmy pulls every trick he can think of to stay alive, protect his family, and keep ahead of the Russian gangsters. Luck and smarts won’t get Jimmy through this–it’s going to take magic. But magic is a dirty back room deal with the universe, and demons mediate the deals, sinking their hooks into Jimmy’s soul a little more with every spell he works.

Jimmy just might be able to protect his folks, take Kelsen out, and bring the war to an end–but he’ll have to take a flamethrower to his own soul to do it.

Joseph Garraty is slowly becoming my favorite male author. He writes the dark, gritty, twisty plots I’m naturally drawn to and he writes them so well that I’m always sad to reach the end. His writing style, while straight-forward, is so packed with a biting sardonic sense of humor that keeps me smirking even when the characters have found themselves up the creek without a paddle.

Sometimes, they even deserve to be there.

That’s a huge draw for me. Characters that aren’t perfect, not even particularly heroic. Instead their so tragically human that it’s their own decisions that end up getting them in trouble in the first place. Because no matter what anyone tells you, you always have a choice. But that doesn’t mean there’s always a “good” choice…

When Jimmy comes home to find his father being bludgeoned to death by Russian Mobsters, he finds himself without any good choices. Fortunately (or not), he’s “rescued” by two wiseguys Benedict and Lazzaro, current members of the Boston Mafia.  Benedict offers Jimmy a chance to take his life into his own hands by joining the Mafia. And considering the alternatives, Jimmy figures it could be a hell of a lot worse. What Jimmy doesn’t realize is that this one action sets him on the path to making all-too-literal deals with demons. Who have their own plans for his life.

I liked Garraty’s portrayal of the crime syndicate. I liked it even more that he blended an incredibly dark magic system into the mix. The title of the novel alone is enough to tell you that this isn’t to be taken lightly. Jimmy’s magic has huge consequences to both himself and the people around him.

Speaking of the people around him, the supporting cast is brimming with rich interesting characters. I loved Benedict, Tink and Kit. I already mentioned Benedict earlier. He plays magical Yoda to Jimmy’s wizard Luke. Tink is a character that comes up near the middle range of the book, and damned if I didn’t like him from the start. Just don’t ask how he got his name, ok? Kit isn’t mentioned in the blurb but she’s an important side character. I’ve already mentioned in my review of Voice how much I appreciate Garraty’s portrayal of women and Kit’s no exception.

But be warned, liking Garraty’s characters can also come with a price. There aren’t always happy endings. But satisfying ones? Oh hell yeah.

The Price is a fantastic read but not for the faint of heart. It can be purchased at Amazon and Smashwords.

Artemis Rising by Cheri Lasota

Torn between her father’s Catholicism and her mother’s Pagan beliefs, Eva finally chooses Paganism. She accepts the name of Arethusa but learns too late that her life will mir­ror the Greek nymph’s tragic fate. When they sail to the Azores Islands, her mother tells her that her des­tiny rests with Diogo, the shipowner’s son. But Eva sees a vision of another . . .

When the ship founders off the Azores, Tristan, a young Azorean, saves her. Destined to be with Diogo yet aching for Tristan’s for­bid­den love, Eva must some­how choose between them, or fate will soon choose for her.

Full Disclosure: Thanks to Mr. Beechinor for sending me a review copy!

In this beautifully written first novel, Cheri Lasota pens an epic tale of romance and fate versus free will with a strong female lead, which, I must say, I find very rare in YA. Lasota’s writing style is gorgeous and poetic, but the plot moves at a generous pacing and never gets bogged down by the narrative.

The novel is set in Portugal in the Azores Islands, and the setting is treated with such respect and reverence that the reader has no choice but to fall in love with it. I was also charmed by the all Portugese cast. It’s refreshing to read about other cultures and have a heroine that doesn’t fit the standard blonde, blue-eyed, white” mold. Being a logophile, I also appreciated the Latin and Portuguese speckled throughout the novel. ( There’s a lovely glossary at the back for like-minded readers.)

The love story between the two main characters is handled with grace, and I appreciated that, as the story went on, it became more about Eva’s fight against destiny. Without spoiling anything, by the end of the novel, Eva is asked to really consider what it is she wants in life, as opposed to just being a pawn on the chessboard of Fate. I appreciated her strong will and gusto through out the novel. I often find myself getting annoyed with YA heroines for one reason or another and some point in the novel but that was never the case with Eva. Which is not to say she isn’t flawed, she is, but I could appreciate her flaws.

Artemis Rising does not read like a first novel, and I would recommend it to any and everyone. Readers of YA, Romance, and Historical Fiction especially.

Artemis Rising can be purchased at SpireHouse Books, Amazon Kindle, B&N Nook, and Apple’s iPad stores.

"You get what you pay for don't mean a damn thing."

Local rock band Ragman is finally taking off. Stephanie Case’s flamboyant performances and scorching guitar work have started attracting crowds, and singer John Tsiboukas–aka Johnny Tango–is delivering the best performances of his life. After months of playing to dead rooms, it looks like success is at hand.

The thing is, there’s something wrong with Johnny’s voice. Until just a few weeks ago, he couldn’t hit the right pitch if you painted a target on it and let him stand real close. Now he sounds amazing. . . and strange things happen every time he sings. Lights burn out. Whole rooms become cold and hushed. People get violent.

For Johnny and Case, Ragman is a ticket out of a life of meaningless, dead-end jobs and one lousy gig after another, but as the weirdness surrounding Johnny begins to turn into outright nightmare, they find that the price of stardom might be higher than either of them could ever have imagined.

Full Disclosure: Many thanks to Joseph Garraty for sending me a review copy! My humblest apologies for the extended wait.

I should not have stayed up late to read this. I’m going to have nightmares for weeks.

Having said that, I think I love this book. Narrative ‘voice’ is something Joseph Garraty has in spades , and his will grip you from page one, paragraph one, sentence one. I think it was the only thing that kept me reading because I? Am a huge scardey cat and Voice is creepy on an epic level.

Actually, that’s not entirely true. I kept reading because I became invested in the characters, another thing that I think Mr. Garraty has a real talent for-getting the reader invested. Get the reader to care, then put your characters through hell. Literally. And I’ll be damned if I didn’t cry for them on multiple occasions, even when “the creepy” wasn’t happening. I never thought I’d be so enthralled reading about a band’s every day activities but Mr. Garraty knows how to draw you in and hook you real good. His intimate knowledge isn’t surprising, he is, after all, a musician himself.

I was thoroughly impressed with his depiction of Case, the female guitarist. I always love it when a male author can pull of such a breath-takingly relate-able female character and make it look effortless. I also really liked Quentin and Danny and even John. Though “Johnny” I didn’t so much like as I was majorly creeped out by and it made him a fantastic antagonist. All of the band go through a transition of sorts and it was riveting to watch their transformation to the people they become at the end of the novel-for better or worse.

HEA crowd? This book is so not for you. Everyone else? HAVE AT!

This is an above average debut novel and I personally can’t wait to read more from this author. Now excuse me while I go contact Mr. Garraty as I see he has a new book out and I’m just dying to get my hands on it.

You can purchase Voice at Amazon both in paperback and in the Kindle section, B&N’s Nook section,  or Smashwords!

Zerah's Offering by Isabelle Santiago.

When Amaya wakes, with only the memory of her world’s apocalyptic destruction, she is surprised to find herself alone in a world deceptively similar to her own. But there’s so much about Zerah that’s changed.

The Holy Grounds are gone. The Temple destroyed. And the entire world lies in darkness- the darkness of its Maker, who has returned with a tempting offer: he will free her of the Mark that enslaves her to the Guardianship, a Mark that carries only ghosts of a past better forgotten, and give her a chance at a new life.

All it will cost is her soul.

Full Disclosure: Much thanks to Isabelle Santiago for sending me a review copy! My humblest apologies for the extended wait.

Miss Santiago has outdone herself with this sequel to Zerah’s Chosen. Her elegant style has improved and it packs a powerful emotional punch with every chapter. I remember reading the first book and nearly chocking on all the raw emotions present. The passion only intensifies in Zerah’s Offering, but as always, a few tears are always worth a damn good read. I do believe Zerah’s Offering is a much stronger story but I wouldn’t suggest reading it on it’s own, as it could get very confusing if you don’t know much of the back story.

Amaya wakes to the new Zerah, painfully aware that her actions were the cause of the old world’s destruction. Try as she might, she cannot let go of the past that she and Keiran wrought, nor can she allow herself to make a new life with Pheonix, though that is his heart’s greatest desire. Torn between her past and what she believes she must do to be redeemed, Amaya is asked to take a leap of faith by the one person she never expected to walk back into her life. But she’ll have to deal with everything she’s been running from and refusing to deal with, not to mention the emotions surging like a tidal wave within her at the the though that she might have a second chance with her lost love. But is Keiran even the same person she grew to love all those years ago? And what of Pheonix?

Well, I can tell you one thing, I certainly felt a lot more sympathetic to Pheonix on this go round. Which is not to say that I wasn’t equally sympathetic to Keiran. I feel all the Gaurdians were dealt a really bad set of cards and are just trying to do the best they can to make the most of what they were dealt. But that’s the power of Ms. Santiago’s writing, it’s very affecting and I absolutely cannot wait for the conclusion to this gripping series!  I loved seeing how different the characters had become since the last novel but sadly Hanna wasn’t in this book (although I was happy to see Enki!) and I’m very much wondering how she’s changed since their world dissolved to nothing and rose again from the ashes.

You can purchase a copy of Zerah’s Offering through Drollerie Press.

Middlewitch Mayhem by Heather Parker

Just because Alicia Meldrew is a witch doesn’t mean that everything in her life is double, double, toil and trouble. Then again, trouble does have a way of finding her over and over again, even in the cozy little town of Middlewitch.

Alicia is starting to settle down with her new husband and a baby on the way, but little things like demon possession and mis-cast time spells keep getting in the way. Still, lake monsters, vampires (the bad kind, because you can’t generalize, you know), and vengeful enemies are no match for her, especially with the support of family and friends.

With the community coming together to help her, her cats Domino and Tango dispensing wisdom each in their own way, and her husband James even doing a little bit of magic himself, Alicia can manage just about anything. Except possibly getting along with her mother-in-law…

Full Disclosure: Thanks to the lovely folks at Drollerie Press for sending a review copy of Middlewitch Mayhem my way. My humblest apologies for the extended wait.

Middlewitch Mayhem is a thoroughly charming collection of short stories all revolving around Middlewitch, a town named to honor it’s protector, a sometimes flighty-but never jealous, she’ll have you know-white witch, Alicia Meldrew. The book is very light and full of whimsey, filled with eccentric and ultimately likeable characters that stick with you even after the last page.

I think what charmed me so much about Alicia is just how flawed and human she is, but it’s all played for giggles. Her sporadic thoughts and magic hyjinx had me in stitches as I read. The humor hit all the right notes with me, I think it’s the first book that’s made me laugh all the way through intentionally! I can only imagine Ms. Parker has a fantastic sense of humor, seeing as how skillfully she peppered her novel with it. Because writing humor is damned hard work, let me tell you!

And honestly, how was I not going to like a story with talking cats? I admit to being horribly biased when I say Dom and Tango were my favorite characters.

Each chapter presents a new problem for Alicia to tackle (and sometimes her own magic makes things worse), I loved how Ms. Parker gave our heroine problems from the most mundane to the most horrifying yet still made each story engaging. I had a hard time exiting the PDF screen. I kept wanting to see what other troubles Alicia would get herself into and what clever ways she would think up to get out of them.

Unfortunately I did have one very negative reaction to certain racial terminology…but I found it very off putting considering the theme of the book is one of acceptance. However, when I consider the character that used it, I believe it’s an extension of his (that character’s) own bigotry and not an extension of Ms. Parker’s personal feelings. The character did not use the word as a weapon against anyone, in fact it was aimed at himself, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t forewarn readers about it.

You can purchase Middlewitch Mayhem from Drollerie Press, and Amazon.

Every fairy tale has a dark side…

Elodie Rose has a secret. Any day, she’ll become a wolf and succumb to the violence that’s cursed her family for centuries. For seventeen years she’s hidden who and what she is. But now someone knows the truth and is determined to exterminate her family line. Living on borrowed time in the midst of this dangerous game of hide and seek, the last thing Elodie needs to do is fall in love. But Sawyer is determined to protect her, and the brooding, angry boy is more than what he seems. Can they outsmart a madman? And if they survive, will they find a way to beat the curse for good?

Full disclosure: Thank you to Kait Nolan for sending me the review copy of Red.

Red might be Kait Nolan’s first step into the YA genre pool, but it’s a lot more exciting than the majority of YA’s I’ve had the pleasure to review.

Elodie is the descendant of Little Red Riding Hood, or rather, the girl who inspired the folktale. And as we all know, there’s a lot more going on in folktales than the text is often willing to share. Elodie’s tragic family history, heavily documented by the women who endured it, is no different. Because of the letters left by her mother after her tragic death, Elodie believes she is cursed…but is she really?

Well, I’m not a fan of Great Big Misunderstanding plots, but I was still charmed by the concept and by Elodie. Especially after she “grew a backbone” as one character commented.I liked that she was a practical, independent heroine, and that there is a reason for her to be as practical and independent as she is.

Sawyer was a perfectly adequate YA hero. I actually thought he was a lot more “together” than the vast majority of YA heroes. However, I did not read him as a particularly angry or brooding character that he is portrayed to be in the synopsis. Actually there’s a very refreshing lack of brood in Red, if you discount the first chapter.

My only real complaint about the book is the antagonists. They fell flat for me. Because of the spoiler-ish nature of one of them, I can’t go into great detail about this. However, I will say that I wasn’t willing to go with Elodie’s declaration that “stereotypes exist for a reason”.

But before the madman was unmasked, I felt Kait handled and built up the Suspense very well. The pacing was on point, and she peppered quite a bit of chuckle-worthy banter in for Elodie and Sawyer. All in all, a good read and I would be interested in reading more YA stuff by Ms. Nolan should she decide to write more. I definitely recommend Red to any YA fans out there looking for something new.

You may purchase Red from Smashwords, Amazon, Amazon UK, Amazon DE, Barnes and Noble, the iBookstore, and All Romance EBooks.

The Eyes Die Last by Teri Riggs

The Las Vegas Mayoral race is heating up, and the incumbent doesn’t have a prayer. Wealthy real estate speculator Nick Campenelli, who wants to legalize prostitution in Clark County, and former pastor Louis. St. Louis, running on a ‘clean-up-Vegas-by-getting-rid-of-the-whores’ platform, are the front runners.

Some of the dialogue, mainly the banter between Kennedy and Wilder, fell flat for me as well.