#Review - The Dagger and the Flame by Catherine Doyle #YA #Fantasy

Series: The City of Fantome # 1
Format: Hardcover, 512 pages
Release Date: October 1, 2024
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Source: Publisher
Genre: Young Adult / Dark Fantasy

In Fantome, a kingdom of cobbled streets, flickering lamplight, beautiful buildings, and secret catacombs, Shade-magic is a scarce and deadly commodity controlled by two enemy guilds: the Cloaks and the Daggers—the thieves and the assassins. On the night of her mother’s murder, eighteen-year-old Seraphine runs for her life. Seeking sanctuary with the Cloaks, Sera’s heart is set on revenge. But are her secret abilities a match for the dark-haired boy whose quicksilver eyes follow her around the city?

Nothing can prepare Sera for the moment she finally comes face-to-face with Ransom, heir to the Order of Daggers. And Ransom is shocked to discover that this unassuming farm girl wields a strange and blazing magic he has never seen before. As the Cloaks and the Daggers grapple for control of Fantome’s underworld, Sera and Ransom are consumed by the push and pull of their magic…and the deadly spark and terrible vengeance that keeps drawing them back together.  

The Dagger and the Flame, by Catherine Doyle, is the first installment in the author's City of Fantome series. In the dark underbelly of a beautiful city, two rival assassins are pitted against each other in a deadly game of revenge, where the most dangerous mistake of all is falling in love. Key Characters: Seraphine Marchant, and Ransom Hale. On the night of her mother’s murder by an assassin, Seraphine runs for her life. Seeking sanctuary within House Armand & the Cloaks, Sera’s heart is set on revenge. But are her secret abilities a match for the dark-haired boy whose quicksilver eyes follow her around the city?

In Fantome, a kingdom of cobbled streets, flickering lamplight, beautiful buildings, and secret catacombs, Shade-magic is a scarce and deadly commodity controlled by two enemy guilds: the Cloaks and the Daggers; the thieves and the assassins. The Daggers consumed shade magic turning bodies into deadly weapons. Daggers are lead by Gaspard Dufort who, for some reason, wanted Sera and her mother, who was a smuggler, dead. Cloaks wear shade magic to blend in with the night. Cloaks are led by Madame Cordelia. 

Cordelia grudgingly agrees to allow Sera to stay until she can learn how to be a Cloak. What Sera doesn't know is that Ransom, heir to the Order of Daggers, has been told that he must kill Sera. Nothing can prepare Sera for the moment she finally comes face-to-face with Ransom and she stabs him. Ransom is shocked to discover that this unassuming farm girl wields a strange and blazing magic he has never seen before and soon begins a game of cat and mouse with Sera. As the Cloaks and the Daggers grapple for control of Fantome’s underworld, there is trouble brewing when people start turning up dead, and it appears the city is being overrun by monsters of some sort. 

There are, obviously, issues that I had while reading this book thus the rating like the discombobulated pacing. There was a particular scene where they are battling monsters who have been infected with corrupted shade and instead of focusing on the battle, Sera and Ransom waste time doing other things. One of the other things is that Sera joins the Cloaks and then does basically nothing for them despite getting paid to be there. What's that all about? Also, there is a surprise which you can pretty much figure out yourself once a certain character is told that he must kill Sera if Ransom can't. This book is obviously setting the stage for what is to come next. 

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#Review - A Fire in the Sky by Sophie Jordan #Fantasy

Series: A Fire in the Sky # 1
Format: Hardcover, 336 pages
Release Date: September 24, 2024
Publisher: Avon & Harper Voyager
Source: Publisher
Genre: Fantasy / Dragons & Mythical Creatures

New York Times bestselling author Sophie Jordan returns to the high-stakes, sweeping world of dragons, romance, and drama first evoked in her bestselling young adult Firelight series, in a brand-new epic adult romantasy series.

Dragons are extinct. Witches are outcast. Magic is dying.

But human lust for power is immortal.

Dragon fire no longer blisters the skies over Penterra, but inside the lavish palace, life is still perilous…especially for Tamsyn. Raised in the glittering court alongside the princesses, it's her duty to be punished for their misdeeds. Treated as part of the royal family but also as the lowliest servant, Tamsyn fits nowhere. Her only friend is Stig, Captain of the Guard...though sometimes she thinks he wants more than friendship.

When Fell, the Beast of the Borderlands, descends on her home, Tamsyn’s world becomes even more dangerous. To save the pampered princesses from a fate worse than death, she is commanded to don a veil and marry the brutal warrior. She agrees to the deception even though it means leaving Stig, and the only life she’s ever known, behind.

The wedding night begins with unexpected passion—and ends in near violence when her trickery is exposed. Rather than start a war, Fell accepts Tamsyn as his bride...but can he accept the dark secrets she harbors—secrets buried so deep even she doesn’t know they exist? For Tamsyn is more than a royal whipping girl, more than the false wife of a man who now sees her as his enemy. And when those secrets emerge, they will ignite a flame bright enough to burn the entire kingdom to the bone. 

Magic is not dead...it is only sleeping. And it will take one ordinary girl with an extraordinary destiny to awaken it.

A Fire in the Sky, by Sophie Jordan, is the first installment in a brand new series. Set thousands of years before Firelight, A Fire in the Sky kicks off a brand-new series featuring dragons, witches, and deadly warriors. Between Fourth Wing and A Court of Thorn and Roses, fantasy and romantasy are all the rage. This is the perfect moment to return to the world of Firelight, a popular HarperTeen series Jordan released over ten years ago. 

The story is set in a place called Panterra where Dragons no longer are seen in the sky. The key characters of this story are 21-year-old Tamsyn, Lord Fell Dryhten, and Sig, Captain of the guard and Tamsyn's only real friend. Tamsyn is called the royal whipping girl because any time the princesses of Panterra do something wrong, Tamsyn gets their punished. Fell, aka the Beast of the Borderlands, it is his responsibility to keep the country safe from border incursions.

Left behind in a bassinet when she was a baby, Tamsyn was taken in by the King and Queen as their own. She was raised in the glittering court alongside princesses Feena, Sybilia & Alise. Treated as part of the royal family but also as the lowliest servant, Tamsyn fits nowhere. Her only friend is Stig, Captain of the Guard, though sometimes she thinks he wants more than friendship. But things are going to change quickly for Tamsyn because of the arrival of the Beast of the Borderlands and his demands for a seat at the table and a marriage.

When Fell arrives in the capital, he has a plan. He needs to find a wife to marry and who better than one of the King's precious daughters? To save the pampered princesses from a fate worse than death, Tamsyn is commanded by the Queen to don a veil and gloves to hide her identity. She agrees to the deception even though it means leaving Stig, and the only life she’s ever known, behind. The wedding night begins with unexpected passion and ends in near violence when her trickery is exposed. 

Rather than start a war, Fell accepts Tamsyn as his bride but can he accept the dark secrets she harbors? Secrets buried so deep even she doesn’t know they exist? For Tamsyn is more than a royal whipping girl, more than the false wife of a man who now sees her as his enemy. And when those secrets emerge, they will ignite a flame bright enough to burn the entire kingdom to the bone. Magic is not dead...it is only sleeping. And it will take one ordinary girl with an extraordinary destiny to awaken it.

This is definitely a enemy to lovers story. The more they spend together, the more they lean on, and get closer. As they make their way back to her new rough home both of them will realize that nothing has prepared them for the spark between them that they ignore but will soon burn out of control. The final chapters of this book were, honestly, the best. Forget one particular scene when one of Fell's men tries to kill her and she does something that leads people to believe that something bad happened to her. 

The story itself ends on a whopping cliffhanger that will leave you gasping because it's apparent that both characters have been lied to about who they were, or where they came from for the entirety of their lives. I find it interesting that 12 years ago, the author wrote a young adult series called Firelight about dragons. A decade later, she was encouraged to write an adult fantasy romance series featuring dragons. The ending is probably the best part of this story. The almost love triangle seems to have gone down in flames. Of course, the book ends on a cliffhanger. Allegedly, the second book in this series, tentatively titled A Scar in the Bone, will be released in the first half of 2025.

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#Review - Amber Gambler by Hailey Edwards #Fantasy

Series: The Body Shop # 2
Format: Kindle, 339 pages
Release Date: September 19, 2024
Publisher: Black Dog Books, LLC.
Source: Kindle Unlimited
Genre: Fantasy

The other family business at The Body Shop is slow after word gets out that Frankie had clients die—cease to exist?—on her watch. Considering they were dead to begin with, she understands why the news shook the spirit community’s faith in her, but it’s a hard hit to her bottom line.

When a spirit appears in her office, ready to sign a contract, she’s eager to please. Until she learns why he wants to hire her. He heard about her clients’ deaths, yes, but he also learned Frankie was instrumental in bringing their killer to justice.

The spirit’s human granddaughter has gone missing, and he wants Frankie to find her before it’s too late. Frankie’s no detective, but her schedule is wide open. The job is to save the girl, but with so many gods and monsters prowling the streets of Thunderbolt these days, she’ll be lucky if she can save herself.

Amber Gambler, by Hailey Edwards, is the second installment in the authors The Body Shop series. Frankie's business has dwindled since her last case. Most prospective clients have learned that there were deaths and they are going elsewhere for their needs. However, an elderly dead grandfather come to Frankie for assistance in locating his teenage granddaughter. She is missing and he is afraid for her safety. Frankie takes on the case not knowing what she is fully getting herself into.

Having grown up as street kids, Frankie’s childhood experiences play a pivotal role in this installment, particularly when she takes on a case involving a missing child for her ghostly client. Especially when it appears that someone is preying on the weak and innocent, and not necessarily human girls. The gritty realities of her past give her unique insight and empathy, allowing her to navigate the darker aspects of her investigation with both determination and a nuanced sense of right and wrong.

Frankie’s bond with her siblings (Matty & Josie, who is struggling with her own guilt after finding out her former boyfriend was none other than the God Anku and he was using her all along to get to Frankie) is shaped by their shared history, and this background of survival and loyalty is a key theme throughout the book. Their values, though sometimes morally grey, are clear, shaped by the exploitation and harsh experiences they faced as children. 

This adds a layer of emotional complexity to the story, especially as Frankie works to track down the missing child, tapping into her own painful past to aid her search, while also accepting that she has powers that she hasn't fully embraced. Alongside the mystery, Frankie’s relationship with Kierce continues to develop, building on the connection hinted at in the first book. Though interrupted by Kierce’s injury, their bond deepens in this sequel, as does Frankie’s growth in her friendships and personal choices. 

Adding to the complexity of Frankie’s life is the reappearance of Harrow, her ex who not only broke her heart but is now a police officer. His return, which began in Book 1, complicates her journey in this installment. Harrow’s unraveling serves as a cautionary tale, showing how one morally corrupt decision can lead to many more. His choices highlight the twisted paths people take when they mistake obsession or control for love, offering a stark contrast to Frankie’s own growth and emotional clarity. His downfall adds another layer of moral exploration to the story. The story is a mixture of paranormal, mystery, and character driven storytelling with Frankie's past and present colliding in ways that are unseen at this point. 

Not my favorite story. It meandered round and round before finally coming to the truth about Frankie and the author decided to leave the ending on a cliffhanger.  

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#Review - Rewitched by Lucy Jane Wood #Fantasy #Contemporary

Series: Standalone
Format: Paperback, 384 pages
Release Date: September 17, 2024
Publisher: Ace
Source: Publisher
Genre: Fantasy / Contemporary

In this spellbinding warm and cozy debut novel, a burned-out witch will need to turn to her friends and trust in herself to find the magic in her own life again.

Belladonna Blackthorn hasn’t lost her magical spark, precisely . . . but she hasn’t seen it in a while either.

With her witchcraft under wraps and a toxic boss making her days miserable, Belle is struggling to keep her beloved Lunar Books afloat and just make it through the day. The last thing she has time for is perfecting her magic. 

So when her thirtieth birthday brings a summons from her coven and a trial that tests her worthiness as a witch, Belle fears the worst. With only the month of October left to prove herself or risk losing her magic forever, Belle will need all the help she can get—from the women in her life, from an unlikely mentor figure and even from an infuriating coven watchman who’s sworn to protect her...

Lucy Jane Wood's Rewitched is a love letter to those who grew up watching Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Buffy and Charmed, and more broadly, to anyone who wishes adult life had a little less stress, and a little more magic in it. Belladona (Belle) Blackthorn has spent the past 29 years, 363 days ignoring the fact that she comes from a long line of Blackthorn witches. 15 years ago, Belle was visited by the Selcouth Coven to begin what's called the Endarkenment where a witch is tested on their magical abilities. 15 years later, the Coven has returned with an ultimatum. 

Growing up with her mother's peaceful, softhearted spells as part of the everyday meant that an intrinsic sense of magic was always nearby. There was no great moment of recognition, because it always was. The rush of magic that flowed from Bonnie and washed over Belle whenever she was around her mother was so normal, she barely even noticed the hit anymore. Belle had long since stopped anticipating such a meeting with another witch. Their kind was rare these days, getting rarer with every generation apparently, and she had no intention of seeking them out for herself and inviting any trouble. 

 

She lived her life quietly amongst the non-wicche world, and that was more than fine with her. She pretty much runs Lunar Books, except for the daily interruptions of the owners grandson who is a piece of work. In fact, Belle has been told by the owner that she is willing to sell the store to her. Even though she isn't a full witch like her mother, Belle does occasionally enjoy using magic to put things back where the belong at the book store. Now, however, Belle has no choice but to answer the coven's call.

 

So when her 30th birthday brings a summons from her coven and a trial called Endarkenment that tests her worthiness as a witch, Belle fears the worst. With only the month of October left to prove herself or risk losing her magic forever, Belle will need all the help she can get—from the women in her life, from an unlikely mentor figure with a twisted past who has been cast out of the coven, and even from an infuriating coven watchman who’s sworn to protect her even from herself in necessary. Belle also finds that there is a clear fight happening. One path leads to Belle keeping her magic, the other means Belle will forever be stripped of her magic. 

 

One of the negatives of the book is the pacing. The story takes time to get established, and then you have to figure out if you really like Belle, or not. It's supposed to be a cozy, but there is a true darkness to the story from a duo of villains. I think Belle is a conflicted character, and there's nothing wrong with that. She loves Lunar Book, but is it really worth the trouble to keep your powers that you are only occasionally using? I loved Belle's cat familiar Jinx, as well as her mother's wolfhound called Wolfie. Belle's new mentor was definitely a highlight, but Belle's friend Ariadne, her mother Bonnie and her Watchman, Rune, were all great characters.

A witch will always sense that she is in the presence of another born of magical persuasion. Before any introductions are made, before any actual magic is displayed, she will subconsciously register their arrival for herself. First a witch will feel it on her skin. The tingles kick in, like sherbet and static, dragging up the gooseflesh of her arms to a shiver. She'll taste a shift in the air as it becomes sharper, sweeter, almost coppery. Then comes the smell, distinct like earth and embers and crisp toffee apples, combining to a heady, rich scent of what can only be described as warmth and home. And above all else, the pricking of her ears, as well as her thumbs, will strike a match and fire up the coals of intuition. The very sound of a witch's footsteps will whisper that something is coming her way.

Unfortunately for Belle, such valuable insight into how things worked had proved largely redundant, because at 29 years, 363 days and a handful of hours old, she had yet to encounter another witch at all. Aside from her own mother, of course, and grandmother, who had passed beyond the veil a handful of years ago. There had been a brief, surprising and somewhat awkward visit from a pair of coven leaders, too, who had stopped by on her fifteenth birthday to begin the long process of her endarkenment. But Belle had limited recollection of that, as she had found the whole thing entirely mortifying and hid behind her hair, blushing and willing it to end, for the majority of the ceremony. She had shared no contact with the coven at all since her powers were first instated and had been left to her own devices to explore the possibilities of magic, as was custom.

Growing up with her mother's peaceful, softhearted spells as part of the everyday meant that an intrinsic sense of magic was always nearby. There was no great moment of recognition, because it always was. The rush of magic that flowed from Bonnie and washed over Belle whenever she was around her mother was so normal, she barely even noticed the hit anymore.

Belle had long since stopped anticipating such a meeting with another witch. Their kind was rare these days, getting rarer with every generation apparently, and she had no intention of seeking them out for herself and inviting any trouble. She lived her life quietly amongst the non-wicche world, and that was more than fine with her.

"Belle, what have I told you about these loyalty cards? You dish out stamps willy-nilly, you're costing me a fortune."

Violet was an immaculate businesswoman. Her expensive suits were always a soft shade of blue or purple (a lifelong habit that came with a colourful name), her silver hair set and sprayed freshly twice a week. These days, she walked slowly but with purpose on an elegant silver cane and had always been the holder of an impressive vintage scarf collection. In all her years of working at Lunar Books, Belle was almost certain she'd never seen Violet wear the same one twice. Although still overseeing the goings-on, Vi had slowed down her appearances at the shop a while ago, popping in only once or twice a week to slide a finger across the dust, pinch everybody's cheeks and check that Belle wasn't doing anything as foolish as giving out two loyalty stamps instead of one.

"Vi," Belle called over her shoulder as she slid a stack of new releases into their temporary home, "it's two p.m. on a Thursday, and the place is packed. I don't think you need to worry about me handing out paper bookmarks." She reached up on her tiptoes to the top shelf with a particularly chunky mythology collection, then politely shouldered her way back through the sea of customers towards her boss.

Violet gave her a slightly sheepish look as she handed over a couple of stray hardbacks. "Well, you know I don't mind, really. I rather liked how you used to put them inside every book as a little treat. But Christopher does say if we count the pennies, then the pounds will-"

"Christopher says a lot of things," Belle said. Violet's eyebrows shot up and Belle carefully reined herself back in. "Which is great, always love his input. Obviously." She cleared her throat. "Still just adjusting to him being around the place and making his changes."

"Changes that he says we should have made a long time ago," Violet reasoned.

"Right. It's just that his suggestions . . . Well, they don't necessarily add up to the Lunar Books experience that everybody has always come here for."

"I am well aware that you two have differing ideas about the future of this place. But you also know that if it were up to me, I would never have had to bring my son into the picture in the first place. What choice did you leave me with?" Violet shot her a loaded look from under a poised eyebrow.

Belle sighed. "Come on, Vi. We've been over this. Several hundred times."

"If only you'd stop being so selfish and grant the wish of a feeble old woman . . ." Violet wore a forlorn look but smiled as she leafed through a children's title about a boarding school with her exquisite red manicure.

Belle squinted in her boss's direction. "Nothing about you is feeble. You're a menace to society."

"I don't know what you're talking about. I am an innocent, ailing old lady who simply wishes she could leave her cherished shop in the hands of she who loves it most," Violet said. "You could run things as you wish, I could spend my afternoons at the theatre instead of nagging you about dwindling stock levels-"

"Are you ever going to give this up?" Belle interrupted with affectionate annoyance. She was secretly touched by how keen Violet still was to sell her the shop, having begun the crusade years ago to hand over the reins of her pride and joy.

"Not until we sign the papers. Which we will," Violet said with a knowing nod, now examining the table of Autumn Reads and adjusting a book by millimetres to the exact angle.

"Which we won't," Belle corrected her. "I've told you a million times, there's no way I could run this place on my own." She passed the oak desk, tidying the greetings cards and small selection of seasonal bouquets that lined the till area as she went. They were loaded with miniature pumpkins and dusky bunny tails to mark the incoming start of October, a subtle Floresco Bellus incantation lacing the stems and keeping them remarkably fresh.

"Oh, how many times, Belle? You wouldn't be on your own." Violet audibly tutted this time. "You've got Jim and Monica here through the week and that new girl with the unfortunate nose ring at the weekends."

"You know what I mean. I'm talking about taking the reins. Generally not my speciality. I sort of just . . . float around?"

"I haven't done a damn useful thing around here since the printing press was considered modern technology. Every good idea for years has been yours."

"But it's still your baby. I'm just here making sure books come in, books go out, customers are happy-that's about the long and the short of it."

"And what more is there to it? You and I both know that you practically run the place single-handedly. I'm too old for all of this now, I have better things to do than recommend thrillers to the unwashed masses."

"There's nothing wrong with thrillers. You're a snob, Vi. And you know what I'm like, I'd probably run it into the ground within a few months."

"Less of the self-deprecation, please. I can't stand it. You're a highly capable, knowledgeable woman who I trust implicitly. You've worked your magic here for longer than I care to remember"-at this, Belle choked on the air and spluttered out a coughing fit, earning a thump on the back from Violet-"mostly because it ages me dreadfully. You're just too scared to take a risk, and you care too much about what might go wrong." She pointed a sharp shining nail at Belle.

"You're very good at complimenting and insulting me all at once." Belle frowned, returning to her spot behind the till.

Violet leaned against the green marble countertop and pulled out a pocket mirror to move a single hair back into place. "It is a fine art." She smacked her lips together. "But if you continue to refuse to take up my brilliant offer, then you know I have no choice but to leave Christopher in charge of things. I don't trust outsiders for the job. If I'm to properly enjoy a retirement of luxury cruises and personal shopping, then Lunar needs to be in capable hands. And Christopher is capable hands."

"Of course," Belle said placidly, taking a breath to swallow her pride. "The man might not know a paperback from a pumpkin, but he does know his profits and losses."

Belle hoped that the music she'd chosen that morning was enough to hide the not-so-muffled sounds coming from the back office, where Christopher was taking it in turns to either roar expletives or guffaw pretentiously down the phone to an associate. She winced as she spotted a distracted customer turn their head towards the noise.

Profits and losses were seemingly all that Christopher knew, leading to decisions that broke Belle's heart a fraction more every day. In the two years since Violet had decided to step down and, albeit reluctantly, hand over the reins to her corporate son, he had been gradually chipping away at the ideas that Belle herself had implemented at Lunar since she had started working there almost ten years ago. Their precious small baked goods and coffee cart had been the first to go, with Christopher declaring that cappuccinos "turned the place into a mothers' meeting." Her annual harvest book festival with other local businesses had him laughing so profoundly that he'd genuinely slapped his knee. More worryingly, just a few days ago, she had overheard him discussing at volume how the younger members of staff were hanging on to the payroll by a thread. This being the final straw, Belle had brought his questionable decisions to Violet's attention. But Christopher had quickly interjected, insisting that Belle was being dramatic, laughing it off, wrapping Violet around his finger as usual. Belle kept the reality of just how bad things had got to herself, like a cold hard pebble to carry around in her pocket.

"Somehow, I blinked and it's a modern world out there now, Belle," Violet said. "I sure as hell can't keep up with the times, but he will make sure this place does just that."

"This place isn't supposed to keep up with the times," Belle said. "It's supposed to exist in its own little bubble of cosiness that's entirely separate from the real world."

"If only," Violet said wistfully. "See you next week. I'll call you about those figures from August." She leaned across to offer Belle a kiss on the cheek, leaving her usual little smear of magenta lipstick behind, a brush of ever-so-slight whiskers and a waft of sugared perfume.

"See you, Vi," Belle said fondly, waving her off as she headed out to the shiny black car waiting to drive her home to her equally perfect townhouse. She was impossibly wealthy after a life spent on-stage as a theatre star of days gone by, before a vocal injury put a stop to things and recovery sent her to the healing world of books. Belle sunk her hands into the pockets of her denim apron embroidered with Lunar moons across the front, and her mind wandered back to its usual battlefield.

Taking Violet up on her offer, to actually buy Lunar Books from her, was a dream that always felt far too big. And every time that Violet broached the conversation and reminded her of the chance she was letting slip through her fingers like sand, she felt herself flinching away even farther.

There was so much that could go wrong. She was clueless as to what the process would even look like, and her meagre savings were too precious to throw at something that wasn't a guaranteed success, even though Violet had made her an overly generous, sentimental offer. Plus, there was the small matter of risking the job that she adored and had worked for, all the way up from Saturday girl to store manager.

Still, she dared to think about it all the time. Dared to imagine herself really doing it, rewarding herself with the bravery that had once been at the root of all her decisions. But she could never find quite enough courage to light the taper, to find out whether the explosion would be a controlled one or a wildfire. And so life continued. The wheel stayed in hands that weren't her own, and she continued watching out the window as the road sped past.

A woman in a salmon pink cardigan reached the till, juggling an armful of picture books with a roll of rainbow wrapping paper and a toddler attached to her right hand.

"This is a lovely one, it might be my favourite," Belle told the little girl as she wrapped up the book on top of the pile in brown paper. "Did you choose this? You did so well." The girl nodded shyly, then promptly buried her face in her mum's skirt.

"Thanks for all of your help with finding the right ones. Should keep her busy for a while." The lady smiled gratefully.

"Of course." Belle rang up the total. "Sorry I couldn't stay with you longer. It's a bit crazy in here today. This weather makes everyone want to curl up with a book."

On perfect cue, a flash of bright lightning split through the bruised evening sky, cracking through the soft lighting that kept Lunar feeling warm and welcoming no matter the conditions outside. A loud thunderclap followed quickly behind, so intense that it rattled the top floor's stained-glass windows. The woman gathered up her shopping, stowed the books underneath her jumper and pulled up her child's hood before reluctantly heading out into the rain.


A busy evening unfolded. Life at Lunar, locally loved for its charm and indefinable specialness, swung chaotically from calm and quiet to unstoppably busy. Belle would often receive a call on her days off from a frantic Jim, tearing out what remained of his halo of fluffy hair while attempting to simultaneously refill shelves and man the till. Their tiny team had been struggling to keep up with Christopher’s schedules, each day understaffed and overcommitted.

Ringing up another customer, she glanced over at the kids' section. As always, it had been completely ransacked, despite Belle setting up a neat little Libri Liberi Ordino incantation for the soft books and toys to return themselves to their boxes when nobody was looking. It was safe enough magic to pepper about the place amongst the other incantations she had strung around. Children didn't question it if the odd picture book tidied itself away and, of course, adults never noticed.

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#Review - Gone Too Far by Debra Webb #Mystery #Suspense #Thriller

Series: Devlin & Falco # 2
Format: Kindle, 382 pages
Release Date: April 27, 2021
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Source: Publisher
Genre: Mystery / Suspense / Thriller

This second entry in USA Today bestselling author Debra Webb’s Devlin & Falco series proves that sometimes the past is best left forgotten.

As veteran detectives of the Birmingham Police Department, Kerri Devlin and Luke Falco have seen it all. So when the city’s new hotshot deputy district attorney turns up dead as part of a double homicide, the partners immediately get to work.

But this is no ordinary case. Devlin and Falco quickly link the murdered DDA to one of their own: former BPD detective Sadie Cross. But Sadie’s fractured memory is yet another puzzle to decipher, as she only recalls bits and pieces of her violent past…a past that may hold clues to the motive behind the murders.

As the group slowly begins to unearth the truth, they soon discover that the more secrets are revealed, the more fatal the consequences.

Gone Too Far, by Debra Webb, is the second installment in the authors Devlin & Falco series. This series is set to the backdrop of Birmingham, Alabama. Key Characters: Major Investigations Division Detective Kerri Devlin and Detective Luke Falco, former BPD detective and now private investigator Sadie Cross, and Devlin's daughter Kerri. I would like to start out by saying this story is very twisted. Devlin and Falco are given the case of two men murdered in a Tobacco shop. One of the men is the new Deputy District Attorney who may have gotten involved in something dangerous.

Meanwhile, 14-year-old Tori finds herself at the center of a bizarre incident when a bully at her school falls down a flight of stairs and ends up dead. Tori becomes a prime suspect because of the machinations of a new student who seems to have the unwavering ability to push innocent girls to do something they never even dreamed of. To make matters worse, not only do the cops make her feel as though she is guilty, and her fellow students think she's guilty, but she's still mourning the loss of her cousin and best friend from the previous installment.

As this is all happening, Sadie's background is finally revealed after it is revealed that she had contact with the dead ADA. Once upon a time, Sadie went undercover to infiltrate the Osorio Mexican drug cartel. She got in so deep, that she fell in love with the son of the Cartel's leader and vanished. Unfortunately for Sadie, she has huge gaps in her memory after ‘losing’ a period of months from her life before being abandoned, injured and emaciated under a railway bridge. She is still trying to work out what exactly happened to her but agrees to help the detectives through her contacts. Now, Sadie has a chance to find out what happened to her thanks Devlin and Falco looking at curious connections to her past.

While Devlin is being forced to the sidelines because of her daughter being investigated by her fellow detectives, it seems things have changed between Devlin and Falco. The duo have gone from Devlin thinking new partner, Falco, will never work out because of their extreme differences to the duo being best friends, excellent work partners and spending the off time together as a little platonic family for Devlin's daughter, Tori. Things are also better between Tori and her mother since last years debacle of wanting to be with her father who has stared a new family.

The author does a good job with the mystery and tying the story together as in fitting pieces of a puzzle together with some surprise components. The story once again asks the question who has all the power and money and who is connected to the Mexican cartel's who are sending dangerous drugs into the country and causing thousands of deaths every year. The time spent with Sadie was worthwhile because now that she know what happened to her, she can move on with her life and become part of her unique relationship with Devlin and Falco.

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#Review - A Killer’s Game by Isabella Maldonado #Thriller #Suspense

Series: Daniela Vega #1
Format: Kindle, 368 pages
Release Date: June 1, 2023
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Source: Kindle Unlimited
Genre: Mystery / Suspense

An FBI agent with a background in cryptography. A brilliant game maker bent on revenge. A deadly battle of wits and wills. An ingenious thriller from the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Cipher.

FBI agent and former military codebreaker Daniela “Dani” Vega witnesses a murder on a Manhattan sidewalk. The victim is chief of staff for a powerful New York senator. The assassin turned informant is Gustavo Toro. His code: hit the target and don’t ask questions. When Dani suspects a complex conspiracy, the only way to take down the mastermind is from the inside, forcing her to partner with Toro. Together they must infiltrate the inner circle at a remote facility.

Except it’s a trap. For all of them.

Locked in a subterranean labyrinth and held captive by an unseen host, Dani, Toro, and others must fight for their lives. Now Dani must stay undercover, unravel a bizarre conspiracy, and survive lethal puzzles. But will Toro be friend or foe? Because in this killer’s game, everything is real: the paranoia, the desperation, and the body count. And only one person can make it out alive.

A Killer's Game, by Isabella Maldonado, is the first installment in the author's Daniela Vega series. FBI Special Agent Daniela Vega works as part of the New York Counter-terrorism Division in New York City. As a former US Army Ranger, she's had elite military training in pattern recognition, crypto analysis, and counterintelligence. On the way to work, Dani witnesses a murder right out in the open. The victim is chief of staff for a powerful New York senator. 

After a brief chase, it turns out that the assassin is a man named Gustavo Toro. His code: hit the target and don’t ask questions. When Dani suspects a complex conspiracy, the only way to take down the mastermind is from the inside, forcing her to partner with Toro. Toro works for a man named Xavier Treadway who just happens to be a retired Colonel. Treadway doesn't exactly trust people, and the next thing you know, Dani, Toro, and others are flying secretly to an unknown location after losing all communication with Dani's boss.

When Dani and the 12 arrive, they learn they are in an underground bunker, and they are about to play the deadliest game they've ever faced because of the machinations of a brilliant game designer with revenge on their mind. Held captive by an unseen host, Dani must fight for her life while trusting Toro not to kill her first. Dani somehow managed to find herself right in the middle of a plot that has been in the works for years. 

A revenge plot to ensure that nobody remains alive. Dani, who is brilliant when it comes to solving difficult games, must stay undercover, unravel a bizarre conspiracy, and survive lethal puzzles. Things between Dani and Toro get even more complicated when “the Nemesis” (the wacko who created the competition and has been sabotaging the players survival) outs Dani as an FBI agent and places a million-dollar bounty on her head. This killer’s game, everything is real: the paranoia, the desperation, and the body count. And only one person can make it out alive. 

This is one of those thrillers that pulls you in and keeps you focused until the final pages. Dani is a strong, intelligent, competent, and yet vulnerable main character who joined the military because of her father who she looked up to. All the secondary characters were believable, from her siblings to her FBI colleagues. As Dani is struggling to survive, her boss and others like Detective Flint, and her brilliant younger brother, are doing whatever they can to find her. This story had me on the edge of my seat wondering what else was coming my way. I am looking forward to the next book in the series to see what's next for Dani and her siblings.

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#Review - A Song of Ash and Moonlight by Claire Legrand #Fantasy #Romance

Series: The Middlemist Trilogy (#2)
Format: Hardcover, 592 pages
Release Date: September 17, 2024
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Source: Publisher
Genre: Fantasy / Romance

Second in the enchanting, sexy romantasy series from New York Times bestselling author Claire Legrand, perfect for readers of Sarah J. Maas and Jennifer Armentrout. The old war is over. A new one is just beginning.

The curse plaguing the Ashbourne and Bask families has finally been broken, but Farrin, the eldest Ashbourne daughter, still struggles to find peace. Unflappable and tireless, her composure masks a seething sorrow. Since her mother abandoned the family, Farrin has been their rock—managing her father’s temper, running the estate, keeping tight control over her dangerous musical power, and ignoring her own need for rest, distraction, and most of all, love.

In Ryder Bask, Farrin’s stubborn strength has met its match. The man infuriates her. He’s coarse, arrogant, annoyingly handsome. He’s as tired of their feuding parents as she is, and he brims with some secret anger that mirrors Farrin’s frustrated rage.

But Farrin must work with every ally she can—even the man she has been raised to hate. With every rising dawn, the Middlemist weakens further. Anointed magicians are disappearing. A fiery Olden creature is stalking Farrin. Strange visions haunt the High Queen Yvaine. And as Farrin and Ryder race to find stolen loved ones, they begin to realize a horrifying truth:

The gods are not dead. They’re waking up. And someone is hunting them.

A Song of Ash and Moonlight, by Claire Legrand, is the second installment in the authors Middlemist trilogy. This story takes place in a world known as Edyn. Three sisters (Farrin, Gemma, and Mara) in a noble magic family must fight to protect their home from invasion by the creatures of the Old Country—the realm of the gods and the birthplace of magic—before the weakening Middlemist, the boundary dividing the two worlds, disappears forever. This story revolves around Farrin Ashbourne, the older of three sisters, and Ryder Bask, the son of Lord Alastair Bask. The two families have been at war for many years. 

Farrin has a musical ability that can sway people to do as she pleases, or become obsessed with her and she has previously used that ability to sing and help her sister save her lover from the last book. Unfortunately she feels that her gift is a curse more than a blessing, and she tries to seclude herself in the running of the family estate but her father has become more and more derange and possibly harmful. The one person she finds she can turn to is actually someone who has been her families enemy for most of her life, Ryder. 

Ryder is tired of the feud that has kept their families apart for years and just wants to make things right between the two and overcome the dangers that are trying to effect the kingdom they live in. He finds he can relate to Farrin and that he wants to spend more and more time with her and as they both look to find what is harming the Middlemist and the queen herself they find themselves together more and more. Will Farrin let Ryder in fully, and does Ryder truly love her for who she is or is it the fact that he has heard her magical ability multiple times and that is what lures him in. 

In this world, there are people who were anointed with magical abilities from the Gods. Farrin's younger sister, Mara, was taken away from the family to become a member of the Order of the Rose. She guards against the old country and wild magic, but she can literally transform into something wild that gives her awesome abilities to be faster, stronger, more dangerous than her sisters. Farrin's father is anointed by the Gods as a Sentinel, but nothing can stop the pending death of the Mist, a magical entity that separates humans from Gods. Gemma and Talan have found love, but Talan is still weary of the return of Kilraith who has gone silent. 

Farrin was first introduced as the cold, unapproachable sister in the first book. As the oldest, she barely survived the burning of her home (Ivyhill) by her families enemies. Farrin is the one that keeps the family together. After what happened to their mother and what happened to her sister when she was taken away at 10-years old, she now has to face an enemy she doesn’t know anything about, with the help of a boy she doesn’t want as friends but soon enough will realize is so much more. Her insecurities and doubts and fears are real, and so is her love for her sisters.

I think that there are a whole lot of enemies to lovers readers out there, and this will definitely satisfy that hunger. In this book, readers will see even more of the Citadel, the Old Country, the Wardwell, and Moonhollow too. The good thing about taking notes while reading, is that you know who the important characters are, and where certain events take place. Otherwise, it can be tiring trying to figure out where they are and why it's important to the story. It is pretty obvious that Mara is going to be the next featured character since the first book was Gemma. I would encourage readers to try to read this as close to back to back as you can since everything is connected. 

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