#Review - Savage Son by Jack Carr #Suspense #Thriller

Series: Terminal List # 3
Format: Hardcover, 432 pages
Release Date: April 14, 2020
Publisher: Atria/Emily Bestler Books
Source: Library
Genre: Thrillers / Political

In this third high-octane thriller in the “seriously good” (Lee Child, #1 New York Times bestselling author) Terminal List series, former Navy SEAL James Reece must infiltrate the Russian mafia and turn the hunters into the hunted.

Deep in the wilds of Siberia, a woman is on the run, pursued by a man harboring secrets—a man intent on killing her.

A traitorous CIA officer has found refuge with the Russian mafia with designs on ensuring a certain former Navy SEAL sniper is put in the ground.

Half a world away, James Reece is recovering from brain surgery in the Montana wilderness, slowly putting his life back together with the help of investigative journalist Katie Buranek and his longtime friend and SEAL teammate Raife Hastings. Unbeknownst to them, the Russian mafia has set their sights on Reece in a deadly game of cat and mouse.

As Jack Carr’s most visceral and heart-pounding thriller yet, Savage Son explores the darkest instincts of humanity through the eyes of a man who has seen both the best and the worst of it.  

Savage Son is the third installment in author Jack Carr's The Terminal List series. The book takes place 2 years after former Navy Seal Commander James Reese lost his entire squad, as well as his wife, & daughter, and went on a revenge trip to make those responsible. Savage Son starts off with Reece recovering in Montana after his successful brain surgery. Slowly putting his life back together, he still hasn’t committed to the CIA as they want him to, but he also hasn’t quit either. 

He trains daily, he lives off the grid, but those out there that James wants to kill know he will be coming after them, so they try to turn the hunter into the hunted. Meanwhile, CIA traitor Oliver Grey, who had a hand in the killing of Reece's father, and tried to kill Reece, seeks refuge with the Russian Mafia and attempts to use their vast resources to put James Reece down for good. But, even in Russia, those in power are cutthroat. Willing to expose those making power moves in order to capitalize on their failure and absorb their power.  

Gray works with Ivan Zharkov, to secure the attack, one that will require stealth, as Reece has proven elusive. Ivan approves an attack on Reece in Montana, but wasn't aware that reporter Katie Buranek, or Raife Hastings and his family would be in the area. But Ivan may not be a dangerous or a sociopath like his son Aleksandr. On an island off the coast of Siberia, Aleksander, who works for the Russian SVR, has captured a young woman he kidnapped and hunted her for sport. This is not the first, nor will it be the last time this happens. 

In fact, he hopes to lure either Reece, or his best friend Raife to the island so that he can find out who is the better hunter, and whether or not two former SEALS has what it takes to beat him. After the strike goes awry, Reece knows that he is in big trouble and will not be able to hide for much longer. So, while Raife is off trying to find out what happened to his sister, Reece must show how sharp he can be without being prepared with everything he might need.  

The novel itself was quite well paced, even as the reader must leap over some of the redaction pits placed throughout by the US Department of Defense which Carr is not a fan of. Apparently, as a former member of the military, Carr signed an agreement that he must go through the USDOD to make sure he isn't revealing classified information. He literally tells the reader that if you paid attention, you can figure out what was redacted. 

Savage Son explores the darkest impulses of the human psyche. Do they live in all of us, repressed by the comforts and technology of the day? Have we advanced beyond those more primal instincts and if so, who will provide for and defend the tribe? Civilized society tends to keep warriors at arm’s length, only turning to them in times of national emergency. Break glass in case of war. If you are a fan of writer Brad Thor, you should be reading this series.

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#Review - Fortress of Snow by Melanie Dickerson #Romance #Historical #YA

Series: A Dericott Tale # 4
Format: Hardcover, 352 pages
Release Date: December 6, 2022
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Source: Publisher
Genre: Young Adult / Romance / Historical

From New York Times bestselling author Melanie Dickerson comes a reimagining of the beloved "Snow Queen" tale.

Mazy dreams of independence. Sir Berenger longs to play the hero. But in each other, they may find the secret to happily ever after.

Mazelina of Wexcombe has always dreamed of traveling with her father to lands beyond the confining walls of their castle. But his sudden death deprives her of the future she imagined. Abandoned by her eldest brother, Mazy is soon forced to seek help from her beloved brother Sir John at the great estate of Strachleigh.

Her visit leads to a friendship with the dashing and noble Sir Berenger of Dericott. He has notions of rescuing a damsel in distress. But Mazy is brave enough to defend herself—and has proven that her skills in archery and knife throwing rival that of a knight’s. So when he is called away to Prussian lands, Sir Berenger looks to distinguish himself in battle.

When Sir Berenger returns, he and Mazy meet again on the streets of London, where she is making a living selling goods in the market. Meanwhile, he has been summoned by the king to receive a reward for his service. But the recognition comes with a price: He must marry a wealthy, titled widow to please the king. But when Mazy begins to suspect treachery, she embarks on a journey to the fortress of snow to warn the brave knight—and secure her own fairy-tale ending.

Fortress of Snow, by author Melanie Dickerson, is the fourth installment in the authors Dericott series. This story allegedly is the reimagining of the Snow Queen tale. The story beings in the year 1383, but jumps ahead several years to 1385. After Mazelina of Wexcombe loses her beloved father, who she was very close to and had plans to travel beyond the walls of her castle, her world seemingly comes to an end. Her half brother Warin inherits her fathers castle, and he's eager to dump Mazy on someone much, much older than she is.

When her brother Sir John transfers to London to work for the King Richard, Mazy makes her way to London and is summarily dismissed by both Warin and John for traveling alone thus destroying her reputation. John treats her like something you might step in if you had a dog who you allow to take care of his business in your backyard. But she does seem to have a friend in Sir Berenger, as well as his sister Lady Delia who you would have met in the first installment in this series.

Mazy finds a friend in Roesia (Ro) Sadler who helps her find housing, as well as helping with Mazy's idea of selling bread on the market. Mazy isn't a Mary Sue. She knows archery, she knows tracking, and hunting, and she carries knives to protect herself from anyone trying to harm her. For 2 years, Mazy pretty much does what she needs to do to survive. She's made friends among the downtrodden, as well as women who have been widowed. She doesn't hesitate to call out her brother for his abandonment of her, yet there is one man who seems almost too good. 

 

Sir Berenger of Dericott is Lady Delia's brother, one of 7 who was charged with treason, sent to the Tower of London, but was found innocent of all charges thanks to the efforts of Delia and her now husband, Sir Geoffrey. With orders from King Richard, Berenger travels to Prussia where he will spend the next 2 years fighting against Teutonic Knights. When he gets back, Richard offers him a token of his appreciation and that comes with a marriage opportunity for a woman who was recently widowed: Lady Catherine aka Lady Bristow.

 

Berenger knows that he can't say no to Richard. He knows that Richard wants loyalty from everyone around him, including the man who he just made Captain of his Guards. So, Berenger travels with Lady Catherine to Bristow. When something feels off about the lady in question, Berenger decides to hang around and see what is really happening here, and if he can save a young girl named Juliana who seems to be scared to death of Catherine. 

 

Mazy soon learns that the Lady Bristow is a Black Widow from her brother. The more Mazy learns, the more she realizes that she must travel to help Berenger before he is caught up in a trap that will only lead to bad things happening to him, as well as the young girl, Juliana. This book ends as predictably as one might expect if you've read the rest of this series. There is very clean aspects of a romance that quickly grows between the couple. This book can be read as a standalone, yet characters from previous books always seem to make an appearance like Delia.

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#Review - Nightingale by Helen Harper #Fantasy

Series: A Charade of Magic # 2
Format: Kindle, 288 pages
Release Date: November 28, 2022
Publisher: Helen Harper
Source: Kindle Unlimited
Genre: Urban Fantasy

All across Scotland, the resistance movement is growing in both strength and numbers. For the first time in five generations, the Mages are afraid - and it’s all because of one woman.

But Mairi knows where the real power lies and that it is the Mages who maintain control of the country. She has become the poster girl for the resistance and her magic is growing stronger by the day. That doesn’t mean, however, that she has any real chance of succeeding against the might of the Mages.

And yet strange things are afoot. Crude runes are appearing all over the country while the Afflicted seem to be changing - and not for the better. The very soul of Scotland may soon be up for grabs.

If ever there is a time for a true hero to step forward, this is it.  Nightingale is the second thrilling book in A Charade of Magic and ends on a cliffhanger. The fight for freedom continues.

‘When the martyr dies, her power begins.’

 

Nightingale, by author Helen Harper, is the second installment in the authors A Charade of Magic series. Mairi Wallace, once a nobody who is now caught up in a rebellion, finds herself in Scotland where the land is ruled by Mages and Ascendants, and run over by the Afflicted. Mairi who has found her voice, literally, as well as her own magic after the events of Hummingbird, now stands as the face of the rebellion against the Mages. 

 

Mages have been using females to boost their own magical power, while blaming female mages for creating the Afflicted. Mairi also has a price on her head after she, with help from a demon (Laoch) she is now bound to, killed the previous Ascendant of Glasgow 3 weeks ago. This is an awful world to make my point. Female mages have been blamed for creating the Afflicted who are basically zombies. Almost every child born to a female mage is murdered. Mairi's circle now includes Belle, Farris, Gowk, and of course, Nicholas aka Laoch.

 

When Mairi proves that she isn't going to stand down or bow to anyone, including Noah or Lord Aspen, she is invited to a tournament where the newest Ascendant of Glasgow will be chosen in the City of Edinburgh. To top it off, it seems as though a strange rune has been appearing in places, and things in Scotland are going to go from bad, to worse if Mairi and her friends can't find a way to win the competition and stand for the innocents who have been brutalized by the Mages for centuries. 

 

The Glasgow Ascendant Challenge starts with 23 mages, plus Mairi. In the Gauntlet, she will be attacked by other mages, fireballs, magical traps, and monsters. In another challenge, she will need to face a puzzle in order to advance, and in yet another challenge, she will have to fight another mage in order to advance to the next round. There are also 5 Daemons here to prevent Mairi from using Laoch to aid her in getting past individual challenges. 

 

Then things get dangerous when Noah, who was attacked by an Afflicted, starts mumbling about someone coming. Someone who will arrive just as the challenge is reaching its climax. Thus, you will get a highly entertaining cliffhanger ending leaving you to wonder what the Eff just happened?!?!?! I enjoy the fact that this story takes place in Scotland where I was way back in the 80's while in the Navy. I love Scotland, almost as much as I love Italy! 

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#Review - The Poison Season by Mara Rutherford #YA #Fantasy

Series: Standalone
Format: Hardcover, 400 pages
Release Date: December 6, 2022
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Source: Publisher
Genre: Young Adult / Fantasy 

One choice could change everything.

Leelo has spent her whole life on Endla, coexisting with the bloodthirsty forest and respecting the poisonous lake that protects her island from outsiders who seek to destroy it. But as much as Leelo cares for her community, she struggles with the knowledge that her brother will be exiled and forced to live with the outsiders unless he gains enchantment powers before his next birthday.

Then comes the day that Leelo sees a young outsider on the verge of drowning in the lake. She knows she is supposed to leave him to his fate, but, instead, she betrays her family, her best friend, and her whole community by helping nurse the young man, Jaren, back to health, understanding that discovery could lead to unthinkable consequences for both of them.

As they grow closer, Leelo and Jaren discover that not all danger comes from beyond the lake—and they can only survive if Leelo is willing to question the very fabric of her society, her people, and herself. 

The Grace Year meets The Devouring Gray in Mara Rutherford’s atmospheric new fantasy The Poison Season, which follows a girl named Leelo Hart who unintentionally draws a stranger to her island with her magic, leaving her with a choice—rescue him from the lake, or risk betraying her insulated community’s safety and customs. Is everything the elders taught her of outsiders true, or is there something more sinister surrounding their island than its poisonous waters?

 

The story actually revolves around two characters: Leelo Hart, and Jaren, a boy who lives on the other side of the poisoned lake that seems to be immune to the singing coming from Endla. Leelo has spent her whole life on Endla, isolated from outsiders and protected by the poisonous lake and magical forest that surrounds it, with her mother Fiona, her aunt Ketty, and her cousin Sage, coexisting with the bloodthirsty forest and respecting the poisonous lake that protects her island from outsiders who seek to destroy it. As a Watcher in training, she must spend one year protecting her home from outsiders.

 

The Endlans are an isolated people who are cared for by the forest and care for it in turn - offering it blood sacrifices by singing magical songs that lure animals to them. In this world, nothing happens until it does. Outsiders caught on Endla are given the choice of the Forest or the Lake. Neither choice is a good one. As much as Leelo cares for her community, she struggles with the knowledge that her brother Tate, who has no magic of his own, will be exiled and forced to live with the outsiders unless he gains enchantment powers before his birthday.  

 

Most people on the island have the gift of enchanted singing, but those who don’t gain this gift by their twelfth birthday are exiled from the island. Then comes the day that Leelo sees a young outsider on the verge of drowning in the lake after being chased there by a rather large wolf. She knows she is supposed to leave him to his fate, but, instead, she betrays her family, her best friend, and her whole community by helping nurse Jaren back to health, understanding that discovery could lead to unthinkable consequences for both of them. 

 

As they grow closer, Leelo and Jaren discover that not all danger comes from beyond the lake—and they can only survive if Leelo is willing to question the very fabric of her society, her people, and herself. This accessible fantasy world is filled with magic, evil forests, and haunting revelations. It will perfectly satisfy your spooky cottage-core dreams. This story is a standalone. The story wraps up nicely so that a sequel should not be necessary. 

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#Review - A Hard Day for a Hangover by Darynda Jones #Mystery

Series: Sunshine Vicram Series (#3)
Format: Hardcover, 352 pages
Release Date: December 6, 2022
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Source: Publisher
Genre: Mystery / Police Procedural

"Laugh-out-loud funny, intensely suspenseful, page-turning fun." —New York Times Bestselling author Allison Brennan

Some people greet the day with open arms. Sheriff Sunshine Vicram would rather give it a hearty shove and get back into bed, because there’s just too much going on right now. There’s a series of women going missing, and Sunny feels powerless to stop it. There’s her persistent and awesomely-rebellious daughter Auri, who’s out to single-handedly become Del Sol’s youngest and fiercest investigator. And then there’s drama with Levi Ravinder—the guy she’s loved and lusted after for years. The guy who might just be her one and only. The guy who comes from a family of disingenuous vipers looking to oust him—and Sunshine—for good.

Like we said, the new day can take a hike.

The blockbuster conclusion to the bestselling Sunshine Vicram trilogy, A Hard Day for a Hangover will have readers laughing and cheering to the very last page.

A Hard Day for a Hangover, by author Darynda Jones, is the third, and final installment in the authors Sunshine Vicram's trilogy. Let me start out by saying that I encourage folks to please read A Good Day for Chardonnay first before jumping this book. There was an event that happened in the final chapter that has lasting implications for things that are going to take place in this story. Del Sol, New Mexico's Sheriff Sunshine Vicram day begins with a massive hangover from way too much tequila which ties into what I just said.

From there, things get worse. A hunter spots a seriously injured and sexually assaulted young girl at Copper Canyon. The girl is barely alive when she is rescued and taken to hospital. As Sun awaits news at the hospital, a prisoner suffering from a heart attack is brought in, only for chaos to ensue when he manages to escape. He is no stranger to Sun, it is Wynn Ravinder, she had been responsible for facilitating his move to the local prison. Of course, a certain US Marshal arrives just in time to tell Sun that she is going to be investigated for her role in his escape.

To make things worse, her Deputy Quince Cooper now wants to put Levi Ravinder in the back of his squad car after Levi did something funny, and Levi is trying to avoid Clay Ravinder who is out to kill him and take over his business. Thankfully, along with Cooper, Sunny has Tricia Salazar, Sniper Zee, Poetry Rojas with his super power of recognizing those have spent time in prison and her newest recruit, Keith Seabright, who has now in the process of settling in the area. Too bad the Dangerous women and Sinister sons have to get involved.

Then comes the real meat of this story. Meanwhile, Sunshine’s 15-year old daughter Auri, who apparently wants to go to the FBI, becomes aware of a missing girl who possibly may have been en route to the area. Could Jane Doe be the missing woman? And if so, who put her there? Auri and her best friend Sybil, who has already seen way too much, decide that yes, they are going to ignore Sunny's warnings and charge ahead. Auri reminds me of Cookie's daugher Amber from the Charley Davidson series. Auri also has to deal with her friend Cruz de los Santos who was hurt badly saving her life. Cruz and Auri are wonderful together. 

And, of course, we can't ignore Sunny's frustration when it comes to Levi Ravinder and what really happened to her 16 years ago that caused her to leave Del Sol and ended up in Santa Fe where she would eventually become a Detective before a certain group of people helped her to become Sheriff of Del Sol. ::slight spoiler:: Levi has known about what happened to Sunny for years, and even knows about Auri, but now it is time for not only he, but the rest of us to learn as well even though we got a bit of an awakening at the end of the previous installment. 

It's always sad when a series comes to an ending. But I have no regrets when it comes to reading this series, or finishing this book so that I could find out whether or not all the loose ends would be wrapped up. Jones once again does an excellent job of balancing the light-hearted humor with darker, more suspenseful scenes which sees a real life scene that probably wasn't necessary but likely put in to send a message to gun owners. The result is a page-turner that is both laugh-out-loud funny and compulsively readable.

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#Review - Frost by C.N. Crawford #Fantasy #Romance

Series: Frost and Nectar # 1
Format: Kindle, 326 pages
Release Date: October 3, 2022
Publisher: C.N. Crawford
Source: Kindle Unlimited
Genre: Fantasy / Romance

On the worst birthday of my life, I come home to find my boyfriend in bed with another woman. Within hours, I’m drunk, homeless, and pledging to stay single forever. And that is when the dangerously sexy Seelie King rolls through town, looking for fae like me.

Every generation, the king holds a competition for Seelie queen. But for reasons he won’t explain, Torin is looking for a charade, not a real marriage. So when I drunkenly sling insults his way, I have his attention.

When Torin offers me fifty million to participate, I think, “What have I got to lose?” The answer turns out to be “my life,” because my competition will literally kill for the crown.

And the more time I spend with the seductive king, the harder it becomes to remember it’s all supposed to be fake. Now, my life—and my heart—are one the line.

Frost, by author C.N. Crawford, is the first installment in the authors Frost and Nectar trilogy. 30 years ago, the Fae came out into the open and things changed forever. Fae are the controlling body for all activity on the Human realm. For 26-year old Ava Jones, she was born Fae, but she's not actually allowed in the Fae World. After discovering that her not so happy boyfriend has been in love with a human girl for years, Ava finds herself in between a rock and a hard place. 

After all, she pretty much gave up her life in order to provide for the cheating loser ex-boyfriend, and now she's out on the street, or living on the couch at her best friend Shalini's apartment. To make matters even more twisted, Torin, King of the High Fae, makes an impromptu visit to the Human world where he just happens to stop in the same bar as Ava who is getting drunker than your uncle on Christmas eve. After insulting Torin in front of reporters, Ava finds that she has been chosen to become one of the 101 contestants, 94 from the common fae, and 6 princesses from the 6 clans of Fae, to participate in a contest to become the next Queen of Fae.

While Ava is learning how to survive against brutal competition from the 6 princesses of Fae, she also has to come to grasp that the reality is that she's fae, not human, and she belongs in this world whether she likes it or not. She also has to make a deal with Torin that she will do whatever it takes to win the contest, but there will be no love between the two thanks to a curse that has been placed on Torin. As Torin helps her maneuver through the bride trials, she is met with snarky rivals and a mysterious assassin intent on plucking off the competition.  

The more Ava is in this world, the more she realizes that she belongs here in the wild, and the more she feels for Torin and what he needs to do to save Fae from extinction. Luckily she brings her best friend Shalini with her who provides moral support and comedic relief. Can one compare this story to the Bachelor meets the Hunter Games? Why, yes, yes you can. So, you can expect enemies to possible lovers, a curse hanging dangerously over head, a world that is as dangerous as those living in it, and a banter between characters that will keep you entertained while watching out for twists.

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#Review - A Fate of Wrath & Flame by K.A. Tucker #Fantasy #Romance

Series: Fate & Flame # 1
Format: Kindle, 547 pages
Release Date: May 25, 2021
Publisher: K.A. Tucker
Source: Kindle Unlimited
Genre: Fantasy / Romance

She would know the world of vengeful gods and monsters, and the lengths one would go for love. And nothing would ever be the same for her again.

Gifted thief Romeria has flourished from her days as a street kid pilfering wallets to survive. Now she thrives, stealing jewels from the rich under the involuntary employ of New York City’s most notorious crime boss. But when an enigmatic woman secures her services at swordpoint, Romeria is plunged into a startling realm of opposing thrones, warring elven, and elemental magic she cannot begin to fathom.

Her quest is straightforward: Steal a stone from Islor’s sacred garden without anyone discovering her true identity, which would earn her certain death. But the identity she has inexplicably assumed is that of the captured Ybarisan princess—an enemy to Islor after she poisoned their beloved king and queen on the day she was to marry the prince.

Her betrothed, the newly crowned King Zander, detests her with every grain of his handsome being. Fortunately for Romeria, she is more valuable to him alive than dead. Zander gives her a choice: life in a cell, or an acquittal of all charges in exchange for her help in exposing the growing plot against him.

Romeria sees no other option and embraces the tricky role of smitten queen-to-be until she can escape, a ruse that brings her far closer to the king than she anticipated and threatens more than her safety. As she digs deeper into this sacred garden and the ancient feud between Ybaris and Islor, she discovers monstrous truths that could spell ruin for all.

A Fate of Wrath & Flame is the first installment in author K.A. Tucker's Fate & Flame trilogy. First, this story starts in 1739 with a key character named Sofie and her husband Elijah being separated thanks to a God named Malachi and trapped in a place called Nulling. Flash forward to the year 2020, where we find a woman named Romeria. As a Gifted thief, Romeria has flourished from her days as a street kid pilfering wallets to survive. Her father, who is basically homeless, warns her of a Demon with Flaming Hair and warns that her mother is searching for her after she was abandoned for monsters.

She normally thrives, stealing jewels from the rich under the involuntary employ of New York City’s most notorious crime boss. But when an enigmatic woman (Sofie) secures her services at swordpoint, she finds herself in a pickle with no way out. Sofie claims she needs Romy to save her husband Elijah who has been not quite dead for 300 years. Her quest is straightforward: Steal a stone from Islor’s sacred garden without anyone discovering her true identity, which would earn her certain death. 

But the identity she has inexplicably assumed is that of the captured Ybarisan princess Romeria; an enemy to Islor after she poisoned their beloved king and queen on the day she was to marry the prince. Romeria is plunged into a startling realm of opposing thrones, warring elven, and elemental magic she cannot begin to fathom. Her betrothed, the newly crowned King Zander, detests her with every grain of his handsome being. Fortunately for Romeria, she is more valuable to him alive than dead. 

Declared a killer and a traitor, she is thrown into prison, but her claims of innocence are helped by the fact that she remembers absolutely nothing of her life before waking up from what was most definitely a fatal wound, and she is clearly very different from the woman she once was. Romeria sees no other option and embraces the tricky role of smitten queen-to-be until she can escape, a ruse that brings her far closer to the king than she anticipated and threatens more than her safety. 

As she digs deeper into this sacred garden and the ancient feud between Ybaris and Islor, she discovers monstrous truths that could spell ruin for all and she becomes closer with people like Elisaf. There is a conspiracy and an army is raising to take the Islorian throne and Zander has plenty of enemies that don't see eye to eye. Being thrown in a completely different world where Romy's lack of finesse and unusual colloquialisms was frowned upon, you can imagine it also was quite funny at times.  

A Fate of Wrath & Flame is a slow burn, enemies to lovers fantasy romance with a riveting storyline, filled with politics and intrigues, and a stunning cliffhanger ending. As I would love to see what happens next, I'll hope that the sequel drops in price so that I can buy it, or request it from my library.

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