Rating: 3.75 Stars

Publisher: Nazri Noor

Genre:  Urban Fantasy 

Tags: Nephilim, Demons & Angels, Series

Length: 266 Pages

Reviewer: Karen

Purchase At:  amazon

Blurb:

Half human, half angel, 100% pissed off.

My next review will be False Gods (Sins of the Father #2). Let’s see what Mason, Florian, Raziel – and Artemis – get up to.

Rating: 5 Stars 

Publisher: Self Published 

Genre: UF

Tags: Magic, Mythology, Paranormal, Gay MC, Action, Horror, Humour  

Length: 276 Pages 

Reviewer: Karen

Purchase At:  amazon

Blurb:

Rating: 4 Stars

Publisher: Self Published 

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Tags: Magic, Necromancy, Mythology, Entities/Dieties, Action, Gay MC, Series

Length: 273 Pages 

Reviewer: Karen 

Purchase At:  amazon, Nazri Noor

Blurb:

Review:

It’s carnival time in Valero and the Boneyard boys are out enjoying themselves. Dustin is sucking at winning prizes, Sterling doesn’t let him off the hook about it either, and before they know it, their ongoing motto of carpe noctem turns into a shit sandwich. These guys need to learn to stay in.

The Eldest, those pesky and powerful beings that want to control/destroy the earth as we know it, who don’t give one hoot about the veil between the arcane and humans, also don’t care about downtime or fun for anyone.

Right at the outset it’s all hands on deck to keep the shrikes and their overlords from creating havoc, and they do some damage before the Boneyard fight back and the Lorica join in, then comes the obligatory and difficult clean-up, but you know they’re coming back for Dustin. He can’t be let off too easily.

There are some thick and fast attacks by the Eldest. Dustin gets to meet some more entities and supernatural beings like Baba Yaga and Izanami.

  “I fear that terrible things are coming your way, boy,” Baba Yaga said.
“Tell me something I don’t already know. The Eldest are coming, and they mean business this time.” I raised my chin. “And my name is Dustin Graves.”
Baba Yaga scoffed.

In his search for gifts to those who ask for it, for the knowledge Dustin needs, there are some rather specifically disturbing requirements.

Madam Chien was right. Even a bazaar as diverse and – well, bizarre as the Black Market didn’t trade in things like the breath of the dying, or the screams of those in truest pain.

There is also another of the Eldest’s finest coming Dustin’s way.

“The hell is that?” I muttered.
“This one is named Shtuttasht,” Izanami said, her voice laced with both fear and reverence. “The Overthroat.”

Plenty of the regulars are in Last Rites. I always love Sterling, but now I have this massive soft spot for Asher. He has a sweet disposition and he’s also a fierce necromancer, all in the one non-jaded package. Keeping doing you, Asher.

**Personal rant: I’ve noticed a couple of reviews noting a problem with Dustin being gay. No, it isn’t mentioned previously, but why should it be? Newsflash, people of all sexual identities or orientations exist and they’re allowed to get into relationships, and they’re allowed to exist in the UF and fantasy mainstream genres. I’m glad that feelings aren’t completely neglected in any book, but if you’re worried, it’s way off in the background and the action is to the fore. I agree with my sci-fi/sci-fantasy reviewing colleague John’s sentiments – ‘books where there is no personal connection or sentiments, even some sex to relieve tension, are not real, and sexual orientation should never matter, good content should’. The content in this book, this series, is good. Just for fellow readers who want to know, there is absolutely no sex in this series, not even close. There is no fuss about Dustin and Herald in the writing either. Dustin and Herald have feelings for one another. Big deal. Logically, given the number of characters, someone in this series being LGBTQ is on target for the population. I didn’t hear shock or horror about Gil being heterosexual, and a werewolf, and being in a relationship with Prudence, an arcane human. One more thing. Dustin goes to a bar and the Fuck-Tons are the drag queen owners – Imperial and Metric, loved their names. It was a small part of one chapter of thirty-five chapters, and Dustin had been sent there like the Black Market or the Midnight Convocation. It was fun and it was what it was, part of the series that fit the book. Viva diversity in writing and reading! Hopefully it fuels more openness in UF/fantasy writing and reading. To homophobic readers, grow up is my overall sentiment to you. **Personal rant over. 

Dustin definitely has a lot on his plate and sacrifices are made, very painful ones. Ones that make me unsure how certain skill-sets can be compensated for, or if it’s a temporary situation. I can’t say anymore without spoiling the book. The Boneyard has Dustin’s back, and Dustin has grown a big pair along the way, too. The Lorica are proving to be a help and a hindrance as the series progresses, depending on who it is within that organisation we’re talking about. Some of the entities/dieties prove to be frustratingly apathetic in a situation that affects them as well.

Another good addition to the Darkling Mage series, Last Rites leads into a difficult arcane time ahead for Dustin… some interesting connections with those around him as well, and I know it will be painful for Dustin before it (hopefully) gets better, mwahahaha. Run, Dust. Ruuun…. 

Bring on the rest of the series. 4 Stars.

Rating: 5 Stars

Publisher: Self Published 

Genre: Urban Fantasy 

Tags: Action, Gore, Mythology, Series, YA/NA Up 

Length: 171 Pages

Reviewer: Karen

Purchase At:  amazon, Nazri Noor

Synopsis:

The walls of our world have shattered. The Eldest are coming.

Mad angels and demon princes were once the worst of Dustin Graves’s problems. Now rifts are tearing open in the fabric of reality. Eldritch abominations are slipping through, plunging the world into peril.

All signs point to the awakening of the cosmic horrors known only as the Eldest, and Dustin desperately needs immense arcane power to stop them. The quickest way is to offer himself to the Midnight Convocation, a grand assembly of the entities of night and shadow. The only question… who gets to claim his soul?

If you like snarky heroes, snappy dialogue, and a bit of grit and gore, you’ll love the fifth book in Nazri Noor’s series of urban fantasy novels. Explore the Darkling Mage universe and discover Midnight’s Son today.

POSSIBLY BEST TO HAVE READ THE PRIOR BOOKS BEFORE THIS REVIEW

Review:

Carver is big on downtime for his crew at the Boneyard, they certainly earn it, hence a BBQ at Heinsite Park where the lich cooks with his hands, literally putting them in the fire or on the hotplate. Freaky finger burgers anyone? He also makes sure to invite the friendlies from the Lorica to join in. Of course they can never have a moment without something happening, makes life good for us readers, and when a rift appears, a tear in the universe, and shrikes find their way into this world, it’s all hands on deck.

The others were still hacking and blasting away at the shrikes, but they had their limits, too. I wasn’t looking forward to resorting to bleeding myself.
“Push them towards the portal,” Carver called out, his voice thick with resolve and authority. “Take the fight to the rift.”

Royce, the annoying Lorica Scion from book #4, turns up at the BBQ and tells Dustin he has to leave town. The Boneyard see this is as a threat when in fact it’s not actually animus driving Royce. The Heart, the upper echelon of the Lorica, the primary (and bureaucratic) protectors of the arcane and the Veil, want Dustin dead. Royce senses there is more to Dustin, and his loyal friends from the Lorica already know this. So it’s game on.

When Hecate tells Dustin he can ask for patronage, or matrongage – a god or entity can have a soul-offering from someone in the arcane world in return for major magical mojo and a long lifespan – Dustin rules it out. Then he discovers one of his friends from the Lorica, Romira, has the patronage of Cerberus, she is powerful with multi-magical abilities of the highest order and also seems happy with her deal. Perhaps it isn’t so bad. Perhaps to save this planet and all who inhabit it, no matter which side of the Veil, it’s worth it. With the Heart after him and the Eldest on the move, maybe patronage is worth thinking about.

I’m glad Arachne killjoyed the Three Sisters, even if she requested payment of a debt. She’s fun and they’re her antithesis. She has a soft spot for her sweetling but there is always a price to pay – a lock of Nyx’s hair, the Greek deity of the night. It’s not like anyone connected to the supernatural world is going to be saying ‘sure, take a lock of my hair’. Right?  So that’s just another something extra to add to the list of things Dustin has to do. However, she does tell Dustin how to find what he needs. If Dustin is to thwart the Eldest and the Heart he needs to access the Crown of Stars and that can only be done through the Midnight Convocation, and Arachne knows their whereabouts.

Quite a few of the arcane underground come out to play in Midnight’s Son. Even Mama Rosa, who owns the restaurant they live behind in a weird non-space space, is a surprise player. The Viridian Dawn think they can regroup with spells from grimoires left at their old compound. Yep. Well. Sucks to be them. The usual suspects are here in this instalment– Sterling, Gil, Asher, getting stronger, Carver, getting more intense about the Eldest, Prudence, Bastion, thankfully quieter, Herald, I’m calling bromance, Odessa, Romira, a more pleasant Royce, Scrimshaw the imp who will work for food… and blood… and is surprisingly good with a butter knife, who knew? And my favourite telepathic sword, Vanitas. I also loved Artemis and that wicked sense of humour. Give me more Artemis anytime.

“Don’t worry. None of us have mentioned to Nyx that you’re supposed to bring back a lock of her hair.” Artemis slapped me on the back, so hard that I jerked from the impact. “Good luck with that one.”

.

Meanwhile, the Heart is sending Eyes out as well as orbital strikes against Dustin, yet they aren’t as invested in the Eldest as Carver and others believe they should be. They have met and hypothesised that the ritual sacrifice by Thea Morgana on Dustin, the one that contained the ancient and Eldest star-metal, is the reason the Eldest can tether to this world from theirs – a tether is what’s needed to allow them through. Hence the Eldest are becoming more frequent and problematic. While they’re on the lookout for Dustin, his friends, and oddly Royce, are on his side, protecting him. Carver sends Sterling and Gil to help Dustin, and Herald joins them as they head off to Silveropolis, the Switzerland of arcanelandia, to gain some sanctuary from everyone breathing down Dustin’s neck, and to find the Convocation together.

This is hands down the best book of the Dark Mage series thus far. It was like Nazri Noor has found the perfect groove of every character and where they’re going, what they’re doing, where they fit, and what they mean to one another. The humour was also on point. Artemis added extra depth and I enjoyed Nyx. Most of all, Dustin Graves has a lot more power and darkness in him and I am loving it. His friends were the right amount of supportive and didn’t detract from the plot. The action was superbly paced, the world building was stellar, developing further on previous books. From the earthly but interesting Twilight Tavern, with the All-Father and Valkyries running a B&B when the ennui of eternity is wearing thin, to the Lunar Palace and the Midnight Convocation, it was all so vivid. Then there was the Trial that Dustin had to undertake if he was to be worthy of the Crown of Stars, it was just so bloody satisfying. Tsukukomi was a new player but his siblings are already known to the readers of this series – Amarterasu and Susanoo. Some Entities never learn. In the End: 

I absolutely loved this book. It’s a great story and I already know it will be a re-reader for me. There wasn’t one thing I could fault. If you are looking for a well written urban fantasy series, one with some fun as well as gore, action, mythology, good world building, and a core group of characters who are like family and grow as the series develops, grab yourself a copy of this book. Start with the prequel – Penumbra – it’s free at Nazri Noor’s author site. Midnight’s Son is thrilling. Fun. Bloodthirsty. Dark. Action-packed and riveting, everything a good urban fantasy story should be this book is. 5 Stars.  

Rating: 4 Stars

Publisher: NineStar Press

Genre: Genre Fiction 

Tags: Mythology, War, Male Valkyrie

Length:  17,600 Words

Reviewer: Karen

Purchase At:  amazon, NineStar Press

Synopsis:

Review:

This is a twist on Norse mythology as Sakuma is a male Valkyrie. The world has grown and with it conflict, requiring more Valkyries than ever before. In this Valhalla there are actually two males, that we are aware of, but the story concentrates on Sakuma who returns to earth multiple times for one soldier, Ishii Hiroshi.

From the first time Sakuma attempts to take Ishii up to Valhalla, because he’s seriously injured in battle, Ishii refuses, preferring to stay and tough out his particular injury. Not something that’s ever happened to Sakuma before.

“You know when most men see something celestial they don’t hesitate to ride along.” He shifted weight onto one leg. “You could at least have the decency to act surprised.”
The soldier’s lip pinched in at the corner. “You could at least have the decency to realize death is a big deal for a human.”

Sakuma can’t understand why Ishii is so stubborn, why he’s allowing the war to take a toll on his physical and emotional being and spirit. Why the number of refusals mount up. If Ishii dies anywhere other than the battlefield Sakuma won’t be able to collect and transport him to Valhalla, something he feels befits both Ishii’s valour and strength of character. But Ishii has doubts, what started as defence of his country, his patriotism, fighting alongside fellow combatants, morphs into something else.

.

Sakuma believes in Ishii from their first meeting. As the war continues to be waged, and they meet over and over, Sakuma is convinced even more that Ishii deserves his place in Valhalla – Ishii, not so much. Hildr, Sakuma’s superior, is not terribly impressed that Sakuma spends a lot of time and effort trying to keep tabs on Ishii’s energy levels. For the reader, however, it’s very moving that Sakuma worries he could lose Ishii completely, to illness, to a final refusal.

Over the years that Sakuma visits Ishii, something more transpires between them, but this is not a romance, not in my eyes. It’s about respect and a bond – the Samurai Valkyrie and the human soldier – something that transcends a solely human understanding of feelings and connection.

In the End: 

Valhalla is a moving tale. For a short story it manages to pack a fair punch as you wonder just what Ishii will decide, if he even gets the chance to decide. Having a support like Sakuma watching you prior and then waiting for you in the afterlife would also be pretty special. 4 Stars.   

Rating: 4 Stars

Publisher: Indie

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Tags: Magic, Paranormal – Vampire, Werewolves, Other. Mythology, YA+, Series

Length: 181 Pages

Reviewer: Karen

Purchase At: amazon.com

Synopsis:

Dustin Graves goes on a rare night out with the boys from the Boneyard, but things go horribly wrong. Over a hundred revelers drop dead at a pop diva’s concert, bleeding from their eyes and their ears. Miraculously, Dustin and his undead associates survive.

But the troubles have just begun. Soon Dust is dealing with a bloodthirsty imp, a grizzled Scion, and a strange man covered in even stranger tattoos. Then Mammon, the demon prince of greed, comes knocking, eager to collect on Dustin’s end of the bargain…

If you like snarky heroes, snappy dialogue, and a bit of grit and gore, you’ll love the fourth book in Nazri Noor’s series of urban fantasy novels. Explore the Darkling Mage universe and discover Oblivion Heart today.

Review:

After a pretty full schedule for the boys of the Boneyard of late, Sterling’s love of Mona, a bubblegum pop princess, has their boss, Carver, telling them to have a night out at her concert in Valero. While Sterling’s choice of music fandom shocks Dustin, Sterling is a vampire in black leather with attitude, Dustin and Asher join him for the concert.

I looked over at Sterling, who was pumping his fists, accurately singing every lyric right back to Mona, and actually crying. Like, full tears, streaming down his face. I realized then that I hadn’t had so much fun in ages.

Dustin finds himself sucked in by Mona’s music as well, but wherever they go some mayhem’s going to happen. Honestly, Valero is like Eerie, Indiana, “the centre of weirdness for the universe,” and when Mona hits the high notes and the stage and her eyes turn silver, bleeding from the human fan’s ears and orifices is not a happy ending. But why would Mona kill her own fans? Is she a mage? If so, why didn’t Sterling know? Of course the Lorica turns up to investigate and take action, the Veil has to be protected at all costs and this is an epic flag for them. There are new faces at the Lorica, like Royce, a Scion – a powerful magical multi-tasker – who’s also a power-tripping a-hole and is less than pleasant or caring from the moment he meets Dustin after the deadly concert.

Dustin makes some new and unusual friends in Oblivion Heart, including Scrimshaw, a little imp (demon) who’s partial to some fries… and a dram of blood. He can’t be seen by humans. and it makes for a couple of interesting ‘is he okay?‘ conversations when Scrimshaw pops up and Dustin appears to be talking to himself. But that’s nothing new as Vanitas is an enchanted and telepathic sword that only Dustin can hear, a sentient instrument who is very loyal. Vanitas has his heroic moments but also seems to have been upgraded with a newer, gleeful menace about him courtesy of a demon’s do-over. There’s also Sam, the tattooed…. supernatural who happens to turn up where Dustin is, in libraries or at the Black Market, a new place Dustin discovers when he’s searching for the Tome of Annihilation.

Mammon, the Prince of Greed, also reappears. He’s come to call in his favour from Dustin for helping restore Vanitas. He wants the Tome as payment, not so easy as it’s flighty and doesn’t stay in any one place for any length of time. Mammon may want Dustin to retrieve it but it’s already on the hit list of a few other powerful parties. But Mammon adds a whole new dimension to what happens if Dustin doesn’t succeed on Mammon’s behalf –

Then there’s the mysterious silver light and malevolent voice threatening humans with ‘the culling’ which is not something the human race wants happening.

A shout out to the Esthers. It’s a long story, the short version is the name and the implication equals a fond memory for me.

A lot of the regular characters take a backseat in this addition and I missed Sterling, and Sterling and Dustin’s bicker-banter.

Dustin is developing his special powers further. His shadowstepping is more readily accessible and considered. The Dark Room is getting more powerful, his fire skill set is coming along nicely… but his scar? His heart? They potentially hold a lot of dark, powerful secrets.

This book is slightly darker once again than the previous books. Dustin’s entry into the arcane underground was murderous and the being who brought him through represents the darker side of this world. Having said that, there is also the familiar series humour, and the group camaraderie and necessary connection between the Boneyard and certain people in the Lorica is deepening further. I was so glad of the direction that Bastion’s character took in this book – even if it was via something pretty epic.

Niggles:

The three Sisters didn’t work for me, the other entities thus far have been far more interesting and far more important to the overall story than the Sisters were. Maybe there’s something more in relation to them later, they are the Fates, but I can only go off this book. There’s also quite a bit of cameo catch-up. I guess it’s working on a reminder of characters for readers, or maybe a reader drops in at book #4, I do get it, but in a 188 page book it does slow the flow down.

In the End: 

Although Oblivion Heart is book #4 this is the 5th book I’ve read in the Darkling Mage series – I started at Penumbra, the prequel, which is a freebie at the author’s site. I’m still enjoying the series a great deal. There’s always plenty of well paced action, and the world building continues to grow in every book, and not at ridiculous levels. It’s not always easy for me to find UF series that are well written, well edited, and don’t have at least some romance in the background – and this doesn’t – that are riveting, with characters I have an emotional investment in. and this series ticks all the boxes every time, it’s why I keep coming back. 4 Stars.

Rating: 4 Stars 

Publisher: Indie

Genre: Urban Fantasy.

Tags: Mythology, Contemporary Times Mixed With Historical.

Length: 288 Pages

Reviewer: Karen

Purchase At: amazon.com

Synopsis:

Wyatt Sinclair has been afraid of the dark his whole life because he sees monsters in the shadows. Labeled as crazy, his fear has isolated him from the rest of the world. He lives alone with two cats, works 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at a 24-hour diner, and his best and only friend is his sister.

Stranded and in trouble one night, Wyatt encounters Silas Delano, and the carefully crafted world he has been hiding in falls apart. Silas is brave and strong and he’s not afraid of the things that live in the dark; they are afraid of him.

Wyatt doesn’t know how to be like Silas, but a terrible, ancient monster is rising, and it threatens everything and everyone he loves. He can’t run away and hide this time. Can he overcome his fears and embrace who he truly is before it’s too late?

Review:

This was not what I was expecting going in. I don’t actually know what I was expecting but it wasn’t this storyline. Still, it’s a very interesting UF read.

Wyatt Sinclair is a fry cook at a truck stop in a Seattle town, and he (thinks he) sees things that go bump in the night, although he isn’t sure. He’s been like this since a child and no one believes him.  When Wyatt leaves his home he always has some form of light with him, mostly torches. At the beginning of the story he’s scared witless of being late off his shift because someone is running late for theirs. There are things either lurking out there or he’s as unstable as they think he is – ‘they’ being his family and his psychiatrist. Either way, life is not comfortable for Wyatt. He never goes out anywhere, other than work. He has no friends, and his sister Kat is a somewhat questionable friend. His family care but they get exhausted with his behaviour. He lives in an apartment with two cats, Benson and Hedges (love their names), both of which he inherited from his aunt Tallulah who now lives and works elsewhere.

One night he’s late from work, his fear, and the worst possible thing that can happen does, his car breaks down on a detour driving home. He’s stuck in the dark on the edge of a forest, panicking. Kat is out of town and when he calls her she makes it clear she’s over having to worry about her brother and his ‘moments,’ hanging up on him. Suddenly a guy wielding a sword comes out of the darkness and a whole new world opens up to Wyatt. Can he accept it, or is it just a further tumbling down the rabbit hole of anxiety, phobias, delusions?

I felt for Wyatt, seeing something no one else believes in and being patronised about it, well- meaning or not, is difficult. Having constant psychiatric intervention, having no friends, is enough to make you isolated and vulnerable, completely uncertain of life, of the dark where a lot of the things you fear come out to play. Being scared of what you see night after night would take a huge toll. However, when Wyatt meets the sword bearer, Silas Delano, he becomes a tad annoying as more and more about the world he lives in opens up to him. He starts off somewhat whiny, but he really does develop as a character over the course of the book. I thought he was in his early twenties, his voice seems no older, but some math puts him at twenty-eight. Anyway, it’s pretty real if you think about it. Who would leap head first into something like this? Especially when you’re not sure of yourself or what you think you see. Silas is older, in his late thirties, and one tough and enigmatic man. He has no doubts that what he sees is real and he faces it head on, but is there more to Silas than meets the eye?

This world can be gory sometimes. Creatures get killed. *Reader advisory/Also Spoiler – If you love cats/pets then this could be problematic as Benson and Hedges are killed. I didn’t like that at all as I’m not good with animals dying in anything I read or watch, and it was unexpected.     

There are two worlds in this book, one contemporary and one set in the early 1600s. Wyatt is now the keeper of a journal written by a man named John Bledsoe. It was given to him by his Aunt Tallulah, a professor with antiquarian tastes who also writes unusual anthropology papers. The things that are happening now seem to be mirroring events in the book around John Bledsoe and the time frame of 1610, as are the dreams Wyatt is increasingly having about a snake, the Midgard Serpent.

The world building in this book is good. Even though this doesn’t have series next to its title it really has to be the start of more. There is a slow development of some arcs and Wyatt’s character, the primary narrator, although occasionally John Bledsoe is the epistolary narrator via his journal entries.

Wyatt is gay, he has a crush on Silas, but that’s it. It isn’t a romance it just is what it is. Wyatt does throw his feelings out there in a causal way so Silas is aware, but there is no discussion of any reciprocation of feelings.

The ending is either meant to be abstract, it can be left as is but I hope it isn’t, or maybe it’s the beginning of a series. J L Aarne isn’t  either conventional or prolific as a writer, so who knows? Optimistically, I’m voting for more because there is much that could be extrapolated, and there are some potentially great characters who need extra page time. Especially Thorn, the literal monster under the bed, who is gentle and anything but monstrous, although it seems Thorn is very old and reticently knowledgeable. Yep, Thorn is definitely at the top of my list of something I want to know more about. Then there’s gnomes Carl and Louie who hold such a respectful and touching funeral for Benson and Hedges. 

Other characters include Amarok the wolf and Herschel the Minotaur. Plus there’s the vanguard, the warriors who are the first defence against the Night, which is only just being explored. The goings on in 2018 mimicking John Bledsoe’s experiences in the 1600s continues to build as the plot moves forward, and timelines oddly and interestingly intersect. There’s also the black-eyed ‘children of the corn’ thing happening, and they aren’t restricted to the night. I can’t talk about it but there is quite the unexpected twist, I seriously did not see it coming. All of it just makes me want to know what’s going to happen next, so a book #2 would be good news.

In the End:

J. L. Aarne is a good writer, especially for people who want something a bit darker, a bit different, and sometimes on the queer side. Night People is good UF reading for anyone who’s looking. 4 Stars.