Trials of Hallion, Two of Swords #1 By Maria Greene, A Book Review

This was a complex story that took you from real New York to Scotland and then to other dimensional realms. The scenes were described with a detailed eye, but it was truly difficult for me to follow and absorb them from a simplistic view of what was happening. I don’t know if it was the new world that I couldn’t understand, or the plot. What exactly was happening to whom or why, maybe more importantly, was elusive to me.

This is a fantastical, magical story that leaves nothing common, boring or untouched with mystical fantasy from another level of experience. An animal becomes a person, a land becomes an evil and oppressive existence, but the emotions of the people fighting to survive and mend the tragedy are real, raw, and felt by the reader.

The story is long as they traverse the continents, fighting to save the light and good from being overcome by the dark. It is an interesting and colorful story that keeps you wondering how it came about and how it was going to end. Authors can be so creative that you wonder how they thought it up and developed it into a story. This story is just that.

I enjoyed the story even with my silly difficulties. If you like Science Fiction and Fantasy, you will like the story and its explicit delivery, creating a magical world you won’t forget. I gave this 5 stars mostly for creativity.

 

About Hana (The Hana Du Rose Mysteries #1) By K.T. Bowes, A Book Review

This was an interesting and somewhat complex story, which I had a difficult time immersing myself in the whole plot. I couldn’t figure out where the story was going, and felt the immensely descriptive and detailed writing was fluff covering an undefined picture. Wordy. Verbose overkill, and yet I couldn’t stop reading, page after page. Something about that very writing I was questioning kept me intrigued, excited, and stuck to the story I was trying to figure out.

I’m sure glad I did, too. Even with the rough beginning for me, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and want to read the sequel. The characters were real, giving me the exasperation and exhilaration any other person would feel at the different times in the story. Hana was complex and yet simply sweet in living with and addressing her demons and life-changing experiences. Logan was a puzzle. Only some things were revealed about him in this book, so there are a lot of questions you would love to have answered, hence the sequel and its appeal.

I have enjoyed other books by this author, and this was no exception. I was surprised by my complications at the beginning of this book, but not surprised by the artistry of her writing in creating such a great story. This is a great read, and you will want to read the sequel, too.

 

Cyborg Spell Shop: A Harkon Colony Short Story By James Chalk, A Book Review

 

A very short story, and fast paced. It was interesting and could have been expanded for a longer book, but entertaining just the same.

The story can't really be told here without giving it all away, but it was a surprise ending and kept you turning the pages.

It's a good, quick read for fun.

Girl In The Castle By Lizzie Lamb, A Book Review

 

Another great romance story, fun to read, and engaging all the way to the end. I haven’t read a story by Lizzie Lamb that wasn’t fantastic.

Henri, short for Henriette, is a professor and a romantic. Although she has denied herself the love marriage, kids path as she sought her academic goals, this new interim job changes everything. Henri is not impressed with the heir to the dilapidated castle, so just doing her work of cataloging the library is her avoidance tactic, and it works. Right?

Keir, the heir, isn’t so impressed with Dr. Bruar either. That is, until he gets to know her, and a lot happens in between it all. The story keeps going, one event, or emotion, or person to another, keeping you engaged and entertained. Waiting for these two to recognize their attraction is fun. There were laughs, surprises, and even sorrow in a great story, so very fun to read.

If you like romances, you will really enjoy this book. I gave it 5 out of 5 stars.

 

The Errant Flock-The Flock Trilogy #1 By Jana Petken, A Book Review

 

This story is a dark, mysterious telling, consistent with times as portrayed by historians. I love stories in this timeline. The story sparks truth and entices the reader to seek comfort for the characters, the only way they can, by turning to the next page. Page after page.

Written with character depth and intrigue, Jana didn’t skip sordid details or gut-wrenching emotions, which gave the characters broad, eventful lives. She also kept to the beliefs of the time, grounding them in their reality, as difficult and crazy as it was at the time.

Stories of this era are fraught with power plays and control of the people, which seem to always be present even today. In this case, however, the good guys suffering don’t end up the sole victors, which keeps it interesting. The emotional and physical impact of the events is felt by all and carried on by those who survive.

The ending left me wanting to read the next book, even though the trauma in some of it was hard to read. Light overpowers dark, and I want to make sure that happens, one page at a time.

If you enjoy historical tales that accurately depict the past, then you may like this book. The story is not a faint-of-heart, whimsical tale. It stays in the realm of what times were like then, so be prepared, and enjoy the tale. The book was worth reading. It was written well, and I gave it 5 stars out of 5.

Harper’s Highland Fling By Lizzie Lamb, A Book Review

 

Another fun and enjoyable romance story. I have not been disappointed with any of Lizzie Lamb’s books ever. This story is entertaining from start to finish.

The characters are great! I loved all of them and would be friends with them if they were real and in my orbit. They all developed through the story, and surprises were had at many turns. Revelations were not just unexpected at times; they were welcomed accomplishments of character growth as well. It was so lovely to read a romance that made you feel like you were a part of the group, and rooting for them all.

Romance stories can be intimate in detail or intimate in the telling of each character’s emotions, thoughts, and actions of vulnerabilities or perseverance. This had a telling of the latter, which kept you reading, and turning the pages, waiting for love to win the dance. The character creations of Harper and Rocco were woven into an imaginative and inspiring love story, showing that you never know what can happen in life. Realizing the gifts given and taking action in time, though, is the trick. I thank Lizzie for creating them so uniquely and writing this story with such an engaging quality. It is a story very worth reading.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story, if you couldn’t tell, and recommend it to anyone wanting an entertaining romance story that leaves plenty of intimate details to the imagination. I had to give this 5 out of 5 stars.

Tagged: The Apocalypse" by Joseph M. Chiron, A Book Review

 

A zombie apocalypse with subtle biblical references and prophecy, written with moving scenes of death and horror, keeps the story moving at a fast pace. I don’t really like zombies; they seem too unbelievable to me. In this story, however, they are quite a bit different, moving faster, having some intellect, and posing a little more difficult to kill because of it. Yet they don’t like light, so that creates a way to defeat them also.

The zombies I can get used to, but the debauchery of the people is disturbing to me. I get that it is most likely to happen, at least all the stories generally present that scenario, but it does not entertain me to read about it, so I could have done without that. I also had a hard time following where the characters were going and how they really escaped some situations. I couldn’t form a clear picture in my brain of the setup or the movement in a lot of cases.

The story was unique, though, and held its own. I would want to read the next book, to continue following the characters and what happens, to the end. I would just have to skip over any more wickedness or horror, but I don't see a book 2 available, so if you read this, don't be disappointed with no real ending. I had to give this a 3 out of 5 stars.