#Review - Secrets at Nightfall by Amanda Bonilla #Fantasy #Contemporary

Series: Shaede Assassin # 6
Format: Kindle, 230 pages
Release Date: July 13th 2022
Publisher: NYLA
Source: Amazon
Genre: Urban Fantasy

For over a year, Darian has lived in the dark.

Between her mysterious memory loss and the constant headaches that plague her, Darian has had enough. And the million-dollar bounty on her head certainly isn’t helping either. It’s tough to maintain her under-the-radar status when every ambitious assassin in the Pacific Northwest has eyes on that sweet payout!

Desperate to reclaim her lost memories—there could be a light at the end of the tunnel in the form of Camden Walsh. But as is custom in the supernatural world, his help offers more questions than it does actual answers. The Alpha Werewolf knows who’s placed the bounty on Darian—and it has to do with a centuries-old secret society that’s determined to save humanity from the greatest paranormal threats, which is supposedly Darian herself!

What’s more, Camden knows about Darian’s memory loss and has been instructed by a mysterious benefactor to help her. As anxious as she is to reclaim her lost memories and rid herself of the debilitating headaches, she fears that the truth might be the biggest threat to her life yet…

Secrets at Nightfall is the sixth installment in author Amanda Bonilla's Shade Assassin series. This is the first book in the series since 2015's Shadows at Midnight which left readers with a shocking and heartbreaking cliffhanger ending. So let's take a stroll down memory lane for those who have, and have not read this series. If you are a fan of Urban Fantasy and you have not tried the Shaede Assassin books, you are really missing out. Yes, I do recommend that you read these books in order as they were released.

Darian, our protagonist, was once human before she was transformed into something else entirely different after meeting the enigmatic and charming Azriel. Darian spent nearly a century alone in her thoughts and working as an assassin ridding humanity of it's worse sort of scum. She truly believed that she was the only one of her kind until she was given a job to eliminate Xander Peck. 

Xander just happened to be the king of the Shaede's and has known about Darian for ages, yet for some reason or the other, never bothered to inform Darian that others existed. As the story opens, Xander, Raif, and Asher are dealing with his traitorous cousins attempt at a coup. (See why you need to read these books in order?) Darian is not only an assassin, but she is also the Guardian of the Faery Realm which you'll to go back a few books and figure out what happened. 

Darian has huge holes in her memory. Every time she tries to remember, she gets painful headaches. Darian is currently working for Misha taking bounties to pay the bills while she looks for another apartment to call home, and not rely on Xander's good graces. Here we meet a new character named Camden Walsh, who just happens to be a high ranked Alpha werewolf.  Camden, it appears, knows about Darian's memory issues. 

He fills her in on the paranormal hate group known as Arx who puts a huge bounty on Darian's head. Arx's leader Mitchell Redmond is a human. So, while Darian is dealing with her memory issues, and the fact that she has assassins coming out of the woodwork to collect the bounty on her head, and the fact that a dangerous entity known as Delash is coming at her from all angles, and the return of Xander, and Raif, she also has to deal with the Synod, a group even more deadlier and dangerous than Arx. 

The final pages of this book will explain a whole lot of missing information to readers who have stayed loyal from the beginning. There is a return of a certain character right when it matters most; when Darian takes a job to eliminate a man named Levi. Since someone from Darian's past is now back in her life, and the Synod, and Arx are still threats to Darian, there is feeling of joy within my bones knowing that the author will have to write another book in this series. 

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#Review - Day Breaker: The Devil of Harrowgate by Katerina Martinez

Series: The Devil of Harrowgate # 4
Format: Kindle, 153 pages
Release Date: April 17th 2022
Publisher:  ‎Supernal Publishing
Source: Kindle Unlimited
Genre: Fantasy Romance

I'm going back to Harrowgate, one last time.

I left him there. To rot. Alone. He hadn't given me a choice, but I should've stayed with him, with the Horseman. There's no telling what condition he's in, or if he's even still alive.

We need to find a cure for his condition, but I'm out of my depth. When Izzy comes back with a lead, even a weak one, I can't help but to throw myself at it. The solution to the Horseman's problem demands that we go back to Harrowgate and face whatever he's become.

I have to go back there. I have to find him. And I have to hurry, because for all I know, Kaimos is already dead.

Day Breaker is the final installment in author Katerina Martinez's The Devil of Harrowgate series. Six escaped from Harrowgate prison but she left her lover Kaimos behind to face his demons. Kaimos created a small packet out of space and Harrowgate for himself and Six, but she escaped to return to the Obsidian Order which had no clue what had happened to Six or why she ended in Harrowgate.

Kaimos issue is that he once went berserker and tried to rip out his Guardian which ended up with him becoming the Devil of Harrowgate. Kaimos without his memories is only an echo so he needs to go back to certain times in his life where events happened that lead to his current state of being. Memory of his parents; memory of the day he killed his professor, etc. Thankfully for Kaimos, he has Azlu and Mother pushing him every chance they get. 

With a little help from Selene, an Angel with white hair who belongs to the Obsidian Order, Isabella, a Wardbreaker, Sanchez, the new Warden of Harrowgate, Cassidy Danvers, a Wardmaker, as well as Azlu, an Arachnon who is pushing Kaimos to save himself and gain back his memories of who he was before his corrupt Guardian took over, Six doesn't have a whole lot of time before Kaimos is lost to her. 

Harrowgate must closed, but without it, powerful crime families would rule the world. There are wards that keep nosy people away, while keeping inmates locked inside. Sanchez left the worst of the worst behind when she fled Harrowgate, including an inmate that killed over a dozen people. But what happened to those who were left behind? Six and her friends quickly find out as well as coming face to face with the Devil who doesn't want Kaimos to be free.

I think it's nice to see the author finally come back to this series and wrap it up in a way that makes sense. I would have liked this story to be a lot longer, but such is life these days. 

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#Review - On Destiny (Aunare Chronicles #4) by Aileen Erin #SyFy

Series: Aunare Chronicles # 4
Format: Paperback, 464 pages
Release Date:  July 19th 2022
Publisher: Ink Monster
Source: Publisher
Genre: Young Adult / Science Fiction / Alien Contact

When Amihanna di Aetes first got to Sel’Ani, she never thought she’d have the full support of the Aunare, but she does. She never thought that she’d fall in love, get married, or become the High Queen, but she did. She never thought that she’d be planning something so stupid as her return to Earth, but that’s exactly what she’s doing.

With the Alliance broken, SpaceTech has fully retreated to their home planet, but the chaos of war will descend again. Amihanna and Lorne know they don’t much time to plan their next move. Everything in their guts tells them to head straight to Earth but going into the heart of SpaceTech’s territory is stupid, reckless, and very likely deadly.

Amihanna and Lorne have one chance to end this war quickly, protect the Aunare, free the Earther’s from SpaceTech’s rule, and save Declan, Ahiga, and the missing ABQ Crew members. Trying to do it all feels impossible, but Amihanna has never been one to back down from a challenge, especially when defeating SpaceTech was never just her mission. It’s her destiny. 

On Destiny is the final installment in author Aileen Erin's Aunare Chronicles. The story revolves around two characters: Amihanna di Aetes, the new High Queen of Aunare and Lorne ni Taure, the High King of the Aunare. It has been 3 weeks since Ami nearly died after being exposed to a bio-weapon created by SpaceTech. Ami is still mourning the loss of her guards who sacrificed themselves to save her. But time moves on, and so doesn't the threat from SpaceTech. 

When Ami first got to Sel’Ani, she never thought she’d have the full support of the Aunare, but she does. She never thought she would forgive her father Rysden for leaving her behind on Earth, but she has. She never thought that she’d fall in love, get married, or become the High Queen, but she did. She never thought that she’d be forced to return to Earth where she was hunted for 13 years, but that’s exactly what she’s doing. 

After a visit from a Bactah dignitary who can control minds, Ami is told that in order to help her in her war on SpaceTech, she needs to find a way to remember the time before she spent on Earth with her mother hiding from SpaceTech. Ami must face her own past before she can deal with the future or she'll constantly feel as though she's not safe anywhere. Even if it forces her to face painful memories. Ami is always prepared to flee in a moments notice. She has go-bags everywhere that will allow her to escape in a moments notice. 

Recently, Lorne and her guards have begun doing the same thing. Unfortunately for Ami and Lorne, their honeymoon ends too soon, and now allies have chosen a different side, which leads to attacks on the planet of Sel'Ani and other colonies which forces Ami to move up her plans on going to Earth. Ami also finds out that Declan and her ABQ crew is in big trouble. Declan has after being captured by his brother Jason who wants to use Declan to lure Ami into an inescapable trap on Earth. 

The rest of the crew is in hiding or on the run. Ami knows the only way to stop her hated enemy, Jason Murtagh and SpaceTech, she needs to find a way to get humans, Aunare, and hybrids on Earth and its colonies to rise up and take back their freedoms. To do so, Ami will have to rely on her ABQ crew to get to places she needs to be. While on Earth, Lorne still has some serious regrets about not being able to find the girl he watched grow up, one who would be his rival in power when she grew up. So, he tends to be overly protective of her, and that often grates on my nerves.

The author ends the series on a pretty nice moment. I won't spoil it for you, but Ami's new Destiny is just beginning! It's also kind of fun watching Ami's best friend Roan, and Lorne's sister Nori, hit it off which makes Lorne's head explode. The only negative commentary I have about this series is Ami's fatalism. She often puts herself in harms way, and that leads to explosive moments with Lorne feeling that he's not strong enough to keep her out of trouble. Technically, this is the 5th installment in the series, but one of the books, In Command, is a novella that should be read between Off Balance and On Mission. 

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#Review - Blue Bloods: After Life by Melissa de la Cruz #YA #Contemporary #Fantasy

Series: Blue Bloods
Format: Hardcover, 352 pages
Release Date: July 26, 2022
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Source: Publisher
Genre: Young Adult / Fantasy / Contemporary

After defeating Lucifer and sacrificing the love of her life, Jack, Schuyler wakes up back in New York safe and sound. Only it’s not quite the New York she knows, and she’s not in her regular body. She looks different and feels different, and so does everyone else. Schuyler soon discovers that in this world, her best friend has a different last name, her parents are both alive and happy, and the love of her life? Not so dead after all. The catch? Jack has no idea who she is.

As it turns out, Schuyler is not in her New York. She’s not even in her universe. This is an alternate reality. One where Lucifer is alive and well, Blue Bloods are hardly benevolent, and Jack may have turned to the dark side. Just when she thinks all is lost, Schuyler is contacted by a familiar friend—a friend from her world who actually remembers the Schuyler she used to be! But the friend also has a theory, and it’s one she doesn’t like: that Schuyler was sent here to defeat Lucifer. Again. And that she’s the only person in this universe—or any universe—who can defeat him.

Back in 2013, the alleged final installment in author Melissa de la Cruz's Blue Bloods ended with Gates of Paradise. 9 years later, the author returns with Blue Bloods: After Life which features some of the same characters like Schuyler Van Alen, Jack Force, Oliver Hazard Perry, and Kingsley Martin. Here's the facts: The story takes place in 2020 which is apparently 10 years from the ending of Gates of Paradise. 

Schuyler Cervantes-Chase is actually younger (15) than she was in the previous series (18), and her actual parents; Stephen Chase, and Aurora Cervantes, are alive and well. In the previous installments, Schuyler's mother was Gabrielle and her father, Chase, was dead. If you know anything at all about this series, you know that Schuyler is a Blue Blood vampire. She's also 1/2 human on her father's side. She still has to feed on human blood which is where Oliver comes in.

In this reality, both parents are apparently human which makes zero sense. I am hoping the author clears up that confusion quickly. Oliver Hazard-Perry is here, but his last name has been changed to Golding-Chang. Jack Force is here as well, but his sister Mimi, is now his twin brother Max Force. Jack is also the fallen Angel known as Abbadon, Max is the Angel of Death. 

The only character who seems to be the same is Kingsley Martin who was soul bound to Mimi now Max. Schuyler had hoped that she would find her happy ending. She thought that the universe isn't done with her. Unfortunately, Schuyler's conscious somehow gets sent to the year 2020 where she wakes up in her doppelganger but she still has her old memories as well.

She quickly learns that Lucifer has somehow managed to travel back in time and change the history. It also appears that he has unleashed a disease that is killing humans. Unlike our pandemic, this disease wasn't created by Chinese scientists. To make things even more disturbing, Blue Bloods are luring humans to clinics to drain their blood, and Jack is Lucifer’s right hand man alongside his brother Max who is working towards the Silver Legacy solution. 

What's worse, Kingsley believes that Schuyler was intentionally sent her to fight Lucifer and defeat him and correct all the wrongs he's set on the universe. So, while Schuyler has joined with Kingsley in stopping Lucifer, Max and Jack are having their own issues dealing with memories that seem to be cropping up. I should also talk about the fact that Schuyler isn't the only narrator, as Max, Jack, and Oliver get some part of this story. 

The problem I have with this series, and I am prepared for the negative commentary, is that Schuyler and Oliver and Mimi were intentionally changed to satisfied certain members of the authors fan club. As an originalist, I don't care for changing character for the sake of change or to impress a core group to get them to purchase my product. The only good part of this new incantation is that there's no high school drama, shopping sprees, parties, and jet setting journeys abroad. Do I think I'll continue to read this series? Maybe when the author figures out what she's doing, and how much more pain and suffering and betrayal Schuyler has to deal with.

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#Review - Blade Breaker by Victoria Aveyard #YA #Fantasy

Series: Realm Breaker # 2
Format: Hardcover, 592 pages
Release Date: June 28, 2022
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: Publisher
Genre: Young Adult / Fantasy / Epic

The sequel to Victoria Aveyard’s instant #1 New York Times bestselling Realm Breaker features more of the breathless action, deadly twists, and gripping magic that makes this series perfect for fans of Garth Nix and J. R. R. Tolkien.

One Spindle has been closed, but the enemy is far from defeated.

Fighting beside her band of unlikely companions, Corayne is learning to embrace the power of her ancient lineage and wield her father’s powerful sword.

But while they successfully sealed the Spindle Taristan opened, they can’t rest easy yet. With his army marching across Allward, opening more portals into terrible alternate worlds as he goes, Corayne has no choice but to rally her own army and become the hero she’s destined to be.

But what Taristan unleashes next might burn the world to the ground before there’s any chance at victory.

Breakneck adventure meets impossible thrills in this nonstop sequel to the instant #1 New York Times bestselling hit Realm Breaker—introducing lethal new challenges and an unstoppable enemy that will push Corayne and her companions, and the world they so love, to the breaking point.

Blade Breaker, by author Victoria Aveyard, is the second installment in the authors Realm Breaker series. The series is set in a world called Allward that, at one time, was the crossroads for travel between other worlds. The portals that were used by travelers are called spindles. Once upon a time, Corayne's ancestors were spindleborn, children of a lost realm who are slowly dying out. One of the repercussions of losing the spindles is that there are groups of people in the Aveyard’s world like Domacridhan who actually came from another world, and are cut off from their ancestral home, who age differently that regular humans. 

This story has all the touchstones like complex worlds, sweeping plots, nonstop action, engaging prose, and relatable characters—but brings the stakes to a whole new level, taking these beloved characters across the breadth of Allward as they rally their world to face the growing threat of Taristan and Erida’s inhuman army. This story picks up immediately after the events of Realm Breaker so please read that book before diving into this story. Possible spoilers are possible. Sorry! Corayne and her Companions have won a battle by closing off one of the portals to a world filled with monsters thanks to Taristan.

But there's more trouble on the horizon including Queen Erida of Galland who wants to control all over Allward. Erida uses Taristan's army of the undead to conquer a neighboring country. While Taristan only cares for finding more Spindles and bringing about the end of all worlds, Erida wants to become an empress of the myriad countries that sprang from Old Cor's once united lands. As Corayne and her companions travel to new lands, encounter new dangers, and build an army to defeat the evil king, it is more essential than ever that they work together to save their world.  

But Taristan, who is working for What Waits, a demonic force that wants to enter the Realm, has unleashed an evil far more wicked than his corpse armies. Something deadly waits in the shadows; something that might consume the world before there's any hope for victory. Something that will either unite or cause Corayne's companions to fall like that of her father's companions while facing this evil. The story alternates between key characters like Corayne, Erida, Sorasa, Andry, Ridha, Princess of Iona, and Dom. This could be classified as an epic fantasy story since there's lot of long traveling and a large world that is slowly being revealed by the author.

It's hard for me not to compare this series to the Lord of the Rings books in that there is a companionship that is supposed to protect Corayne who carries a spindleblade and is said to be the one to stand against darkness. She's also the shortest, and most inexperienced character in the entire book, not unlike Frodo of the Shire was. As this is the middle book of the series, be prepared for everything and everything including a doozy of a cliffhanger. 

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#Review - Eclipse the Moon by Jessie Mihalik #SyFy

Series: Starlight's Shadow # 2
Format: Paperback, 448 pages
Release Date: July 12, 2022
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Source: Publisher
Genre: Science Fiction / Space Opera

Kee Ildez has been many things: hacker, soldier, bounty hunter. She never expected to be a hero, but when a shadowy group of traitors starts trying to goad the galaxy’s two superpowers into instigating an interstellar war, Kee throws herself into the search to find out who is responsible—and stop them.

Digging up hidden information is her job, so hunting traitors should be a piece of cake, but the primary suspect spent years in the military, and someone powerful is still covering his tracks. Disrupting their plans will require the help of her entire team, including Varro Runkow, a Valovian weapons expert who makes her pulse race.

Quiet, grumpy, and incredibly handsome, Varro watches her with hot eyes but ignores all of her flirting, so Kee silently vows to keep her feelings strictly platonic. But that vow will be put to the test when she and Varro are forced to leave the safety of their ship and venture into enemy territory alone.

Cut off from the rest of their team, they must figure out how to work together—and fast—because a single misstep will cost thousands of lives.

Eclipse the Moon, by author Jessie Mihalik, is the second installment in the authors Starlight's Shadow series. This story begins right where Hunt the Stars left off. Kee Ildez is a specialist onboard the Starlight's Shadow. She's been a hacker, a soldier, and a bounty hunter. Varro Runkow is a Valorian weapons expert who came aboard along with Torran Fletcher in the previous installment. After saving the heir to the Valovian Empire, the crew is now hunting for Commodore Frank Morten.

But Kee has unrequited feelings for Varro and decides that she needs to get away from the ship for awhile and put some space between them so she can get over her feelings. Kee knows that if she gets off the Shadow, she might be able to use Bastian space station to track down Morten before he can start another war between the FHP (Federated Human Planets) and Valovian Empire. Varro, however, has other plans and follows Kee to the station.

Digging up hidden information is Kee's job, so hunting traitors should be a piece of cake, but the primary suspect spent years in the military, and someone powerful is still covering his tracks. To make things more interesting, there is a fashion show onboard Bastion which features prime designers from both FHP and Valovian which is sure to lure out all the trouble makers. When Kee is offered a position as a model for an important designer, she says yes which of course leads to chaos. 

A fashion show is that has both Valovian and humans collaborating to create clothing that combines both art and technology together is almost unheard of. This is all in an effort to bring their two races together in peace rather than continue to promote harm and war between the two of them. Varro rarely shows his emotions. He has a powerful ability that forces him to keep a tight leash on his feelings so that he doesn’t impose on other people’s will.

Because of this, he is difficult to read, as Kee learns throughout the story. Even though there are more than a few moments of penned up frustration on Kee's part, Varro really does mean well. So much so that he gets angry when she gets hurt, or someone tries to hurt her. Kee cries easily, loves hard and opens herself to those around her. She's pretty much an open book when it comes to emotions. His most adorable aspects is making cookies for Kee which makes her weak at the knees.

This has been a pretty interesting series so far and the third installment is likely to be even better with two characters stepping into the starring role. While Kee may be the brains onboard, the rest of the crew has formed a unique bond that aims to stop another war from breaking out. The combined crew of humans and Valovian's cooks real food, eats together, and watch videos together. Sometimes they connect with each other like Tavi and Torran. The Starlight crew is determined to help maintain peace and root out the people intent on destroying it. Espionage, kidnappings, daring and dangerous rescue missions at what keeps this series from wandering off target.  

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#Review - Book of Night by Holly Black #Fantasy #Contemporary

Series: Book of Night # 1
Format: Hardcover, 320 pages
Release Date: May 3, 2022
Publisher: Tor Books
Source: Library
Genre: Occult & Supernatural /  Contemporary / Fantasy

Charlie Hall has never found a lock she couldn’t pick, a book she couldn’t steal, or a bad decision she wouldn’t make.

She's spent half her life working for gloamists, magicians who manipulate shadows to peer into locked rooms, strangle people in their beds, or worse. Gloamists guard their secrets greedily, creating an underground economy of grimoires. And to rob their fellow magicians, they need Charlie Hall.

Now, she’s trying to distance herself from past mistakes, but getting out isn’t easy. Bartending at a dive, she’s still entirely too close to the corrupt underbelly of the Berkshires. Not to mention that her sister Posey is desperate for magic, and that Charlie's shadowless, and possibly soulless, boyfriend has been hiding things from her. When a terrible figure from her past returns, Charlie descends into a maelstrom of murder and lies.

Determined to survive, she’s up against a cast of doppelgangers, mercurial billionaires, gloamists, and the people she loves best in the world—all trying to steal a secret that will give them vast and terrible power.

Book of Night, by author Holly Black, is the first of a two part duology that was confirmed by the author. From the danger of Blights to the protective properties of onyx and fire, Book of Night transports us to a place where security is a rare commodity (while shadows have become a hot commodity). The world of Book of Night is one much like ours, but where shadow magicians, called gloamists, manipulate shadows. Gloamists can fly on shadow wings, send their shadows to smother enemies in their beds, and even possess the unwary. 

Not only that, but gloamists can alter the shadows of non-gloamists, imbuing them with minor magic as a result. Politicians can appear taller, daredevils can hover a tiny bit, and actors can carry a particularly striking look onto the red carpet. In this world, 28-year old Charlie Hall is a thief of secrets. She’s an expert at stealing the books in which shadow magicians hide their discoveries from one another. But that’s led her to one disaster after another, burning through countless chances to turn her life around. 

She’s finally trying to quit the game by keeping her head down and staying out of trouble by being a bartender at Rapture Bar and Lounge. She's trying to appreciate her shadowless and maybe soulless boyfriend Vince’s ability to pay half the rent by allegedly being a cleaner of murder scenes. She's trying hard not to lose her job a dive bar with a shadow parlor with operating beneath it. Her magic-obsessed sister Posey is interested in something less destructive and follows in the footsteps of their mother with tarot card readings while itching for her own magic. 

Charlie was really good at taking things apart from puzzles to people. For 10 years, she stole from one gloamist after another which the author sets the stage for with flashbacks to the past. 20 years ago after the Boxford massacre in Massachusetts, the world became aware of the gloamists and their abilities. Symbolically, our shadow selves are the unacknowledged parts of us, the parts we want to shove down into the dark. Our anger, our shame, our desire. After Charlies stumbles across a man being torn asunder, she finds that she can no longer look the other way.

The most Charlie digs, the less she knows about her boy friend, and his past, or what he's actually been doing since the first met. Her decision to go for one last grift that would expose the one magic everyone wants to keep a secret lands her in the cross-hairs of the most powerful of those that wield magic. There are those from Balthazar, to The Cabal, to Lionel Salt who are looking for the Liber Noctem, or Book of Blights, or Book of Nights if you will. This story is dark and violent, full of people down on their luck, lots of sinister bad guys, sex against the walls, an evil Cabal, and scary shadows.

While this is the first part of the duology, readers can expect that there will be a cliffhanger ending that will hopefully push readers to read the sequel. This is Holly Black's first adult fantasy novel and I could easily have raised by rating on this to 4 Gizmos just for the darkness of the book, and the fact that pretty much nobody can be trusted to be who you think they are. Charlie’s life is thrown into chaos, and her future seems at best, unclear—and at worst, non-existent thanks to curious choices she makes towards the end of the book. If you have read Ninth House and The Night Circus you will enjoy this book.

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