#Review - Lies and Illusion by L.R. Braden #Fantasy #Paranormal

Series: The Magicsmith #7
Format: EBook, 347 pages
Release Date: June 28, 2024
Publisher: Bell Bridge Books
Source: Publisher
Genre: Urban Fantasy

Diplomacy has never been Alex’s strong suit…

When the vampire council puts Alex and James on trial for exposing the species’ existence to the world, Alex's freedom and James's life hang in the balance, though Alex suspects James’s new daywalking ability is the real aim of their inquisition.

Any hope of talking their way out of hot water evaporates when one of the council members is found murdered…with James standing over the smoldering corpse. With every vampire looking to claim Alex’s power for themselves, she will have to team up with an unlikely ally, push her magic to its limits, and match wits against a powerful new foe if she hopes to come out unscathed.

Lies and Illusion is the 7th installment in author L.R. Braden's The Magicsmith series. Alyssandra (Alex) Blackwood, who is part practitioner and fae, has her work cut out for her in this installment thanks to events that happened in Chaos Song. Thanks to an oath she made with the Master Vampire of Denver, and also because James so publicly was seen walking in the sunlight during a pivotal battle, they are now summoned to appear before the Vampire Council somewhere in Canada to face a trial that may determine whether they live, or not.

But things get off to a rocky start after one of the council members is found dead, and the prime suspect is James who was last seen outside of Hanzo's room. Alex, who has been trying her best to get a group of paranatural's to work together in order to prevent the fae from starting another war, now has to prove that James is not a killer, while also dealing with powerful vampires who will decide whether or not the vampires will join Alex's group. 

Even though Victoria betrayed Alex, she is the one who is given the mantle to discover who was responsible for Hanzo's death. This, however, doesn't stop Alex. She's dealt with the vampires before. She almost became a thrall to a powerful former vampire of Denver. She's dealt with the werewolves before, and now counts several Alpha's as friends. She's also faced the Fae of the Court of Enchantment, as well as the Water Fae. As she gets closer to finding the truth, it appears that someone is going to try again to control Alex and her ability to create day walkers. 

Here's some slight spoilers. Be prepared for a twisted ending. Just when you thought you had things figured out, the author will get you good. I don't know where the series goes from here with what happens to James, and the fact that his fate is now clearly in the hands of Alex who hasn't been able to duplicate what she did to help James daywalk. I am saddened that more people haven't read this series, but am happy that Braden continues to write books. There's a whole lot more that Alex has to deal with including the PTF, the Church, the Paranatural Alliance, and the impending war with her grandfather's fae.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

#Review - The Unwedding by Ally Condie #Thrillers #Suspense

Series: Standalone
Format: Hardcover, 352 pages
Release Date: June 4, 2024
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Source: Publisher
Genre: Thrillers / Suspense

Ellery Wainwright is alone at the edge of the world.
 
She and her husband, Luke, were supposed to spend their twentieth wedding anniversary together at the luxurious Resort at Broken Point in Big Sur, California. Where better to celebrate a marriage, a family, and a life together than at one of the most stunning places on earth?
 
But now she’s traveling solo.
 
To add insult to injury, there’s a wedding at Broken Point scheduled during her stay. Ellery remembers how it felt to be on the cusp of everything new and wonderful, with a loved and certain future glimmering just ahead. Now, she isn’t certain of anything except for her love for her kids and her growing realization that this place, though beautiful, is unsettling.
 
When Ellery discovers the body of the groom floating in the pool in the rain, she realizes that she is not the only one whose future is no longer guaranteed. Before the police can reach Broken Point, a mudslide takes out the road to the resort, leaving the guests trapped. When another guest dies, it’s clear something horrible is brewing.

Everyone at Broken Point has a secret. And everyone has a shadow. Including Ellery. 

Ally Condie's The Unwedding is a mix of Agatha Christie and The White Lotus. It is also the authors adult debut. 42-year-old Ellery Wainwright is a recently divorced teacher who is taking a planned vacation to celebrate 20 years of marriage without her bastard of a husband who left her to reinvent himself with someone not her. After arriving at Broken Point, Ellery finds the one thing she really wouldn’t have wanted at all, a wedding taking place while she mourns her own marriage. 

Trying to make the best of it all though Ellery continues her solo trip doing her best to avoid the wedding until the night Ellery discovers the body of the groom floating in the pool and finds a mudslide has cut off any chance of help arriving to find the murderer. Determined to discover the truth behind the groom's death, she and some new acquaintances (Ravi and Nina) begin an unsanctioned investigation. Before the police can reach Broken Point, a mudslide takes out the road to the resort, leaving the guests trapped. 

When another guest attached the the wedding dies, it’s clear something horrible is brewing. Everyone at Broken Point has a secret. And everyone has a shadow. Including Ellery. Ellery soon teams up with Ravi and Nina, wedding party crashers, to find out who might be up to no good. Her anxiety is made even worse by the fact that this isn't her first dealing with someone dying. As she tries to make everything right by helping calm down the bride and do some sleuthing she could find herself even closer to danger. 

As the mystery grows more layered and the situation, more dire, Ellery wonders if she will make it back home to her children. To make things more interesting, there is a collection of priceless works at the resort. Priceless works that someone seems to want as their own. Could the theft of the priceless works and the death of two members of the wedding party be connected? And, what happened several years ago that has Ellery's anxiety ratcheting up past ten? So, along with the constant rain, the flood roads, a bridge that is no longer accessible, Ellery finds herself wondering when the next shoe is going to drop. 

*Condie is apparently pivoting from YA dystopian romance to mystery/thriller, a la Ruth Ware and Lucy Foley. She is moving in a new direction for her brand, one that taps into a commercial sweet spot that will resonate with and diversify her readership. My only negative was that I had wished that the author had spent just a few pages more with Ellery's backstory which is a bit on the heartbreaking side. I can't imagine anyone going through what she did and surviving. 

Amazon | Audible | Barnes & Noble | Kobo