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: 4.5 Stars

Publisher: Hayden Thorne

Genre: Gay Fiction

Tags: Alternate Universe, Ghosts, Magic, Mystery, Paranormal, Romance, Victorian (mid-19th century)

Length: 199 Pages

Reviewer: Cindi 

Purchase At: Amazon.com

Synopsis –

Blessed with the unique talent of Inscriptive magic, twenty-year-old Mathieu Perrault leaves his old life in France and the orphanage that has been his home since his childhood for work as the new tutor to a five-year-old mute girl. His head filled with dreams and endless possibilities, Mathieu soon finds himself in a great house tucked away in the quiet wooded hills of the northern region of Luxembourg. 

A house occupied by an ailing Dutch artist, one burdened with a terrible secret, and his charming family. A house shadowed by the sudden death of a well-loved servant. A servant, in fact, whose ghost stirs from its dusky world and seeks out Mathieu in terror. Through echoes of past events in unlit hallways, incoherent messages carved into walls, and the eerie vigilance of crows guarding the family, the ghost does what it can to warn Mathieu of a coming danger. 

And in the midst of warmth, laughter, and family, of friendship and magic, of young love blooming against a backdrop of terrible heartache and tragedy, Mathieu searches for answers in a dreamer’s bid to give the ghost the peace long denied it. All the while, a twisted shadow from the past creeps forward, inching closer and closer to him, a vicious hunger that leaves ruin and death in its wake. 

In that isolated great house among the silent trees and the watchful crows, Mathieu will soon learn that the restoration of balance in a world gone awry doesn’t always lie in the sphere of ordinary, mortal men.

Review –

When Mathieu, 20, arrives at the house in the woods he’s eagerly looking forward to tutoring young Aletta. He’s hoping that his special form of magic will flow to his young charge. His first job away from the orphanage he grew up in, he’s desperate to prove himself. He’s not prepared for what he walks into. The journey is an interesting one as he’s surrounded by crows as he slowly makes his way to the large house the first time. The crows play a big part of the story later, but the reader doesn’t know if they’re warning of upcoming evil or are actually evil themselves.

The first person Mathieu meets is Aletta’s uncle, Josef. Josef, 25, is so handsome that Mathieu finds himself tongue-tied and blushing just by being in his presence. Then there’s Aletta’s mother, Saskia. Saskia and Josef are very close, both doting on five-year-old Aletta. There’s Saskia and Josef’s father, an aging artist who spends most of his days locked away in his studio. Then there’s Aletta herself. She was born unable to speak but she can hear fine and communicates very well via her ‘finger movements’ – re: sign language. She and Mathieu have an instant bond. I adored her right off. She’s very intelligent for her age.

Mathieu hasn’t even had time to get comfortable in his new position before strange things start happening. The crows have gotten loud and are hovering outside the window of the classroom where he teaches Aletta. They appear to be waiting for Mathieu to do something, but what? Then he starts seeing things written in places that would be hard for anyone to access. Cryptic messages that make little sense to him, with the exception of a name: Marjam. When he finally works up the courage to ask questions about Marjam, he’s told a story about a young servant who committed suicide in the lake on the property. The lake is dark and foreboding. Mathieu has been ordered to keep Aletta away from it at all costs.

Aletta speaks often about the sad fairy in the woods. At first it appears as if the little girl has an overactive imagination, but then Mathieu begins to question if maybe she really is seeing someone – or some thing.

Then there are the nightly visits…

Each night Mathieu is awakened by sounds outside his bedroom door. There’s shuffling right before somebody stops and attempts to turn the doorknob. To say he’s terrified is an understatement. Then he starts seeing what he believes is the ghost of young Marjam. Suddenly Aletta’s sad fairy talk doesn’t sound quite so far-fetched.

Throughout everything there’s a growing attraction between Mathieu and Josef. Only when Mathieu confides his fears about Marjam to Josef do things really start to come together. There’s still a mystery to be solved – Why did Marjam commit suicide? What or who is she trying to warn Mathieu away from? – but now there’s support from within the household and relief that Mathieu isn’t seeing or experiencing things that simply aren’t there.

A Murder of Crows has a little bit of everything. There’s the large house surrounded by woods and close to the creepy lake where a young woman went to her death. There’s the bad guy who may or may not have had something to do with what happened to the young woman. There are secrets being kept by the patriarch of the family. There are the cryptic messages, the nighttime visits, the ghost of the woman, and even a budding romance between the wealthy uncle and the orphaned tutor. Throw in a unique cast of secondary characters and the story is complete.

I’m not normally a big fan of books that aren’t contemporary. I don’t find myself enjoying stories where characters have to hide who they are and are looked down upon by society. In historical settings that’s almost always the case. Not in this book. This is set in an alternate universe (of sorts) but it’s still not in a contemporary setting. Thankfully Josef and Mathieu being gay isn’t an issue for the family or society. What I do love are books with ghosts, a good mystery, anything with children, and entertaining secondary characters. I’m a sucker for a good romance, so there’s that as well. A Murder of Crows had it all. The romance may not take center until much later – and it shouldn’t, really – but it does play a nice part in the story as a whole.

The mystery is written well and I was happy with the way that was resolved. It was actually the perfect resolution and something I didn’t see coming. The author also wrote an epilogue that I absolutely loved, giving the reader a glimpse into what’s happening a few years down the road.

Overall, a very entertaining read. I’m eager to read more by the author.

This book was provided by the author in exchange for a fair and honest review. 

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: JMS Books

Genre:  Paranormal

Tags: Supernatural, Gothic

Length: 25 Pages 

Reviewer: Karen

Purchase At:  amazon, JMS Books

Synopsis:

A family curse. A lusty midnight visitor. A terror awakened.

Still grieving the death of his lover, Colm returns to the family estate on Christmas Eve to prepare to sell the house. An unexpected visit from Sebastian Lore, his brutish yet handsome neighbor, leads to fireside drinks.

As things heat up between them, Sebastian shares a long-buried secret that sheds a terrifying light on Colm’s father’s prophetic warning: You will never sell this house.

Review: 

Colm, an adjunct professor at a small New York university, is returning to his family’s summer house. It’s been in his family for years, his grandfather owned it before his father and now it’s Colm’s. It never felt inviting or comforting to him in all the years he visited. His parents died a decade ago and he hasn’t been interested in returning. Now older, and after the loss of his partner Stan, his return is with the intent of making some money off the sale of a property that holds no joy for him, much like his life in general these days, and particularly after Stan died two years ago.

There has always been a caretaker of the property, currently it’s Mrs Finch. The Finch family were left a stipend to maintain the property after Colm’s grandfather and father passed. She isn’t there when he arrives but he can’t help feel someone is watching him. It’s odd because no one lives especially close.

The creaking continued, but more slowly. It was a sad sound. His eyes were not adjusting to the blackness. Colm had a terrible sense that someone else was there, someone watching him.

On Christmas Eve, a particularly lonely one, one where Colm is having the dickens of a time keeping the fire lit and the house warm, he falls asleep but when he awakes the house is warm, and a burly, attractive man is there. Sebastian Lore claims to be the neighbour, one who knows his name and Mrs Finch, but is that right? Mrs Finch has left no notes about a neighbour. This man wears a thin, ragged shirt, and marks upon his chest draw Colm’s attention. Sebastian is interested in telling Colm a Christmas tale but does Colm wish to hear it?

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: Dark Void Press

Genre:  Horror

Tags: Creepy Doll, Gory, Graphic Violence, Psychological 

*** See Note At Bottom Of Review. ***

Length: 85 Pages

Reviewer: Cindi

Purchase At: Amazon.com

Synopsis –

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…

Summer ends, Fall comes, and then Winter kills everything with snow, ice, and bitter winds.

The five tales of horror contained within these pages touch upon the worst of the season – from haunted Christmas presents to secrets hidden beneath a frozen forest floor.

So cozy up next to a warm fire, put on your fuzziest robe, and prepare to have your blood chilled.

Review –

The Toy

It all started with a toy; with the toy, my life ended.

That was disturbing.

Mike, Emma, and Teddy are the perfect family. Teddy is four and kind of a mama’s boy. I’m not saying that in a bad way by any means. He just relates more to Emma than Mike. It’s close to Christmas and Emma has to work on the day she’d planned to pick up the bulk of the gifts. Mike agrees to do it and to make a day of it with their son. Everything is going well until young Teddy spots a toy in the window of an old antique shop. This thing is ugly and more than a little creepy. Of course Teddy begs Mike to buy it for him. Anything to make his boy happy, you know? Unfortunately, buying the creepy toy for Teddy turns out to be the worst thing he would do in his life.

The toy obviously isn’t your average toy. When Teddy removes it from the box on Christmas morning weird things start to happen.

I’m huge on books about family. I always have been. Give me a story with a kid in it and I’m usually happy. I can’t say that about this particular story and I can’t say why. I knew from the first page what was going to happen. I just wish I knew in advance how it was going to happen.

This reminded me of the story of Robert, the ‘haunted’ doll in Florida, I think it was? If you’re not familiar with Robert, I suggest checking out his story. I’d add a link but Robert creeps me the hell out, so there you go.

The writing was good. The way the story was told was good. The ending was perfect.

Good horror short. Just take note of tags above and my ‘final thoughts’ at the bottom of this review.

A Few Steps Away

This was a breath of fresh air after The Toy. I can’t say much other than A Few Steps Away tells the story of a boy and his dog. From the time the boy is quite young until he’s twenty-one he and the dog have a special bond. This bond doesn’t disappear when one of them is no longer in this world.

I really enjoyed this.

Armed Insanity

The title for this is so fitting.

Charlie, 35, has just been through a rather bitter divorce after his wife cheated on him. He lost the wife and his young daughter to some guy named Sean.

A couple of months after the divorce is finalized Charlie makes the mistake of going out for a few beers after work with one of his coworkers. One bar turns into several and before he knows it Charlie is pretty wasted. It’s snowing hard but drunk Charlie decides to try to drive home anyway.

He doesn’t quite make it. What happens on the drive home is bad. What happens later is terrifying.

The Fridge

I’ll never look at a refrigerator the same again. Old, new, whatever, it doesn’t matter. I will now have nightmares of possessed refrigerators, gory deaths, and teeth.

Yes, teeth.

Anything I say beyond that will tell the whole, strange story so I’ll stop here.

The Edge of the World

This is an excellent horror story.

A young couple takes a walk through the woods on a cold, cold night. It’s only their third date. The girl is wanting to see a section of the forest known as the Edge of the World. There’s been talk of disappearances for decades involving the Edge of the World but it’s mostly been laughed off.

If ever there were woods foreboding enough not to enter, it was these. But see, I would’ve done anything for her. I would’ve followed her into hell, if she wanted me to.

The young man really doesn’t want to go but you know how it is with young love. He wouldn’t allow himself to show fear. What would she think of him then?

Unfortunately, the Edge of the World turns out to be more than just a section of the forest that warranted being laughed off. It was everything the ‘talk’ had said it was and more.

Excellent short. This is the type of story I look for when I want horror.

~~~

Final thoughts and Slight Spoilers 

This is a nice collection of quickie horror stories, but be prepared if you’re interested in reading this. One has the rather brutal death of a child and another one involves the violent death of a pet. Expect a little bit of gore and know what you’re getting into before picking up the book.

While all the stories were written well (even if parts bugged me), A Few Steps Away and The Edge of the World are my absolute favorites for two totally different reasons. Excellent short stories. As for the others, make note of my warnings if you go to read them.

I’ll be reading more by this author.

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: 5 Stars

Publisher: NineStar Press

Genre: Paranormal 

Tags: Predominantly Werewolves + Vampire, Ghost, Other. Dark & Psychological, Horror, Humour, Ensemble Cast, Subplot Romance, Series

Length: 316 Pages

Reviewer: Karen

Purchase At:  amazon, NineStar Press 

Synopsis:

Outsiders call them False Moons, but Garvey’s kind call themselves Moondogs. Moondogs hunt. Moondogs live free. Moondogs stick together. Moondogs are half-breeds, not completely accepted by those who consider themselves “true wolves.”

Garvey is a Moondog to his bones. He and the unexpected get along just fine. That’s why when Molly, the vampire who should be a mindless eating machine, turns out to be an oddity, Garvey decides to hide her away instead of killing her.

But that leaves him needing another vampire to carry out the schemes of the two powerful werewolf rivals he’s caught between. What’s an improvising Moondog to do other than find some poor sap and create a new one?

Garvey might be a Moondog to his bones, but to defeat his enemies, he must navigate their world and be the stupid, subservient beast they expect. At least on the surface. Behind the scenes, Garvey intends to turn their plans against them and bring the two greater packs to the brink of war.

Review:

**This was my Book of the Year for 2018 at On Top Down Under Book Reviews, so I bought this review across to Dark Hints where I think it suits the blog better. 

I grew up on a diet of vampire books and movies. If werewolves were in the mix, they were generally more primal creatures – we’re talking B&W TV (when it arrived) and early books and movies. While the vampires used their seductive wiles to lure their prey, the werewolves were dark, brooding, shadowy creatures, nothing like the romantic shifters that roam the pages of romance books nowadays. I enjoy a good romance shifter read every now and then, I do, but I prefer darker and bloody paranormal. One of the things that attracted me to The Worst Werewolf, book #1 in this series, was the promise of a darker werewolf based universe. Which it was. They aren’t fuzzy weres, part of alpha/omega shifter verses, with romantic alpha MCs who are more mediators, lovingly using their power for protection of their bonded mate. This series can be harsh. Love, even basic kindness, generally takes a backseat to pack, and even though book #2 definitely has its moments, The Worst Werewolf was a more overall bloody book than The False Moon. It also set up a solid platform for the personalities, events and different packs that don’t like each other but inexorably entwine. The False Moon fleshes and rounds out characters, motivations, and emotion more. And while Garvey and Tovin are absolutely essential characters to the series, and I’m cheering for them, it’s an ensemble cast that fills the pages. At the end of TWW there were some cryptic happenings that promised so much more. That ‘more’ started unfolding in The False Moon.

Once again, this series book is split into parts. During these parts there are different locations and POV shifts to and for corresponding packs and individuals. Whether that be Garvey in relation to what is driving him on behalf of the Moondogs. His wife, a cover for the Moondog pack because Garvey is gay and gay is not something, it appears, the pack likes. Ahhh, the wonderful Mercy. She uses a Southern twang and charm, complete with coiffed hair and nice nails, and she is his co-conspirator in death and mayhem.

“Shoot. If this don’t beat all. I’ll get a tarp in the truck. You, mister—” She poked him in the chest with a short, pudgy finger. “—you owe me cameos at bake sales and competitions. Don’t think I won’t collect.”
“I will be there with bells on, love.”

While Mercy gathered up killing supplies, Garvey briefly wished she were the man he had met out on a Wisconsin lake on a day when the snow made the world white and flat. But the snow had melted, and the land had the curves of a woman.

I mean, the love involved in helping your significant other with all things their job, their life, even if you are best friends and not lovers, is a powerful thing. I can respect that. ‘Hey, honey, let me help you hide the bodies’ – very practical, very loyal.

Garvey’s feelings for Tovin, aka Sweet Treat, the guy he picked up online (book #1) and created a life-changing date from Hell with, were potent from the beginning… but you can’t let sentimentality get in the way. One day Tovin’s working in sales, looking for a little adventure to show his horrid ex he’s not boring, to the next day being a bloodslave in the thick of inter-pack machinations that go off the rails. Adventurous is overrated. Now he’s ensconced, grudgingly for most, in the Isangelous pack. A place where he has to speak as the Alpha Guardian’s pet and socialise with people who have drunk the Kool-Aid about being given immortality after serving as bloodslaves. Tovin is an introverted, geeky human who absolutely hates social interactions, knows the Isangelous lies about immortality for its humans, but now has no choice but to make nice and pretend. He also has a ghost that’s chosen to hang out with him, giving him guidance and support, as cryptic as it is, and he’s not sure why. He’s not even sure for a while if she’s real, but he’s named her Destiny anyway. Destiny is the perfect side kick for my boy Tovin’s dorkiness and humanity. In a sea of apathy to anger, Tovin is suddenly a spreader of moral and shiny. No one in the Isangelous pack believes him about the ghost, they simply believe him to be an even weirder outsider than they already thought; particularly as he now has conversations with someone or something they can’t see. But he’s Eresna’s so they humour him…to a degree. Then there’s the door that whispers for Tovin to touch it and the corresponding death records for people before him who have done just that.

Yuri and Nadine, from the Isangelous pack, have their own issues. Yuri’s a smart wolf. Pack has always, always come first… but then there’s Tovin, a human she has a special attachment to. Pack is pivotal to all the wolves, no matter which pack. Doing her job well has always been of paramount importance to Yuri. She’s been valued for her skills and smarts by Eresna, the Isangelous Alph and Queen, for so long. After Tovin’s ‘extraction’ went badly, and Eresna’s been stuck with him, Yuri has been blamed, ignored, and demoted. No matter that it was Garvey who imploded that ‘extraction’ with all its ripple effects. Nadine is now her boss, and while they have a deep and abiding friendship, something that could have been more, it stings that the reckless and free-spirited Nadine has Yuri’s old position. However, it never gets in the way of their interactions and how they feel about one another. Yuri also knows Tovin has the death records, and this knowledge, her connection to Tovin as well, starts some events in motion that have the ability to create a great deal of havoc.

Amber, another human, and Lavario, werewolf, are at the Varcolac pack, but neither are Varcolac. Both have some highly emotional and challenging moments. Amber’s family were slaughtered by the Varcolac, on Kijo’s command, and the twenty one year old is incredibly hurt and angry. Lavario, who raised Kijo, had no choice but to take Amber in. She’s not happy with Lavario but he’s increasingly hard to to stay mad at. The revenge she has so badly wanted shifts regarding who it is she wants to hurt. Although it’s not particularly simplistic to say her anger has completely shifted. It hasn’t. She thinks of her family every day. Hears her younger sister in her head about where she is and what’s happening to her and what she’d say to Amber if she were still alive. She’s in danger with the Varcolac because Alpha Guardian Mazgan barely tolerates her. While Lavario is intimidating to the pack, and it affords her a degree of protection, it isn’t simple to break down just how Lavario sits within the structure of the Varcolac in a review.

Most wolves who met Lavario slunk away, avoiding eye contact. Those who gave him orders—sweep the floor, drive me here, pick up the dry cleaning—did so in a voice shimmering with hesitation. For good reason. Lavario obeyed patiently, but the look he gave them said, I’ll remember. I’ll collect.

There’s a presence making itself known around Amber as well. Something no one initially understands, but as they do, it increasingly puts an even bigger target on her. Lavario tells her he would kill her if need be, but, in a great and meaningful dichotomy, he also offers her a knife that would kill him if she has to fight for her life. Even with the anger, partly because of that, partly because of daddy issues, Lavario and Amber start a sexual relationship. Their relationship is the most complex of the book. To be honest, anyone Lavario has had any real connection with ends up in a complex relationship with Lavario – Kijo, Garvey, Amber.

He slowly shook his head. “She remembers the woods. You were sloppy.”
All semblance of calm vanished. She transformed. She lifted her lip to show the tips of her fangs. “You don’t understand, Lavario. Amber is very dangerous.”
“Is she now?”

The highly ambitious and aggressive Kijo is now separated from Lavario. She also finds herself being challenged regularly because of Alpha Guardian Mazgan, who has a slash and burn mentality to everything. Either Kijo is by his side and bows to him, something he wants and she won’t do, or she’s taken out by a pack challenger – yeah, good luck with that. Kijo scares Mazgan as she has the brutality and the ambition to take the pack away from him but he fancies her too, but rules are rules when they suit him. Mazgan is a hypocritical coward and I hold a grudge against him. Yes, I do realise he’s fictional – but Hell hath no fury like a reader angered. There are quite a few pack plots occurring and Kijo is involved in numerous situations that are critical. She is power-driven, observant and strategic. Having been raised predominantly within the aggressive Varcolac, she likes the power-plays, always believed she hated the Boo Hag – Isangelous – mentality of pretty and fine things, but learns that nurture can be a bitch. She remains badass throughout both books, usually something I love in female characters, but I find it difficult to like Kijo. While I respect her keen brain and her sheer power and tenacity, she’s too cold for me. However, absolutely anything is possible with her because she’s seriously calculating and enigmatic. She’s also had one interesting father figure and brilliant political and character mentor in Lavario.

Meanwhile, Garvey has several things going on and he’s up to his neck in most dilemmas. In the midst of it all, he cares deeply for Tovin. Maybe there’s a mate connection, maybe it’s just plain old pheromones, lust, and opposites attract. Tovin hasn’t shown his hand exactly, he’s kind of in the middle of new paranormal activity and survival. However, they finally get to be intimate with one another, and I was so happy. And, who knew? Garvey has actual feelings, and for more beings than I thought possible. Occasionally in book #1 his feelings would peek out, but now he’s thinking about Tovin more and more.

“Do you love Tovin?”
Uncomfortable with the personal question, he toyed with a sarcastic response. Typically, Moondogs didn’t share feelings with Boo Hags. In this moment, he wanted to believe they were deathmates if not packmates. “I think so, yes. It’s hard to tell. I want to protect him, and I want to be near him.”
“He’s so moral.” You’re not was heavily implied. 

Yes. Well. Garvey isn’t the most moral and I love him for it. Jerald was such a well deserved, violently loving gift he served up. *Sigh. He also has a vampire on a leash, Molly, that he’s brought through a portal to wreak a little destabilising mojo. His pack, the lesser esteemed Moondogs, or False Moons, are culled every decade – and here comes decade-culling time. Garvey isn’t sitting back waiting. Molly is not your typical scheming and seductive vampire, nope, she is totally ruled by her need to feed. Hungry really is her catchcry. She also says one word only from any sentence Garvey uses, and she’s fond of our Moondog. One Word Molly: I found her adorable, in a totally creepy way. I shouldn’t, she’s a walking death plague, or creator of a lower type of undead, but not one single being is anything less than three dimensional in this series, and Miss Hungry seems to be developing a creeping sentience.

Overall:

I could write a thesis of a review on this book and barely scratch the surface of the world and characters. I’ll finish up by saying that this is a fantastic paranormal series. It’s intelligent, well written, well edited, involved. Each chapter has the best heading, like Dead Asshole Scientists and Annoying, Unless Pets, which always fit the corresponding chapter perfectly. The humour is jaded, noir, hilarious, often youthful. Lavario and Eresna have been around for a while, they’re mature Davis-Crawford pro-level dry and snarky, but they sometimes react in ways that surprise me. The romance aspect of this series is developing nicely but it’s part of a bigger picture. This isn’t MM, it has het sex, for one, as well as gay and fluid moments. It’s paranormal. It’s horror. It’s humour. Romance is a subplot.

Being a character obsessive means I need good, strong characters to enjoy a book. Every character in this series is perfectly nuanced and multifaceted, reflecting lighter and darker aspects of who they are, their very nature as they move through this ‘verse toward their impending and fateful personal and pack intersection. The False Moon is absorbing paranormal reading, adding a progressive and balanced layer upon The Worst Werewolf, which you do need to have read first. I absolutely love this series, so very glad I found it, and I’m sure that whatever comes next will be one hell of a ride. I can’t wait. 5 Stars.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Publisher: Curiosity Quills Press 

Genre: Paranormal/UF. 

Tags: Violence/Gore, Humour, Romance, Sex (Gay) – Including Aggressive BDSM/Violence, Series   

Length: 411 Pages  

Reviewer: Karen

Purchase: amazon.com, Curiosity Quills Press

Synopsis:

Matheus believes that getting Quin back will help him deal with the pressures of a vampiric war, but his hopes crumble after his soulmate fails to remember him.

The tattered remnant of their mystical connection appears to drive Quin’s erratic suicidal behavior, threatening their bond and their very existence. While Matheus pines for his former love, a hurt and betrayed Alastair must watch the man he loves chase another. Feeling inadequate as a leader, Matheus searches for a way to make Quin remember him, no matter the cost.

With Apollonia is closing in on their home, he must act soon. And to make matters worse, his mortal―and pregnant―sister begrudgingly sets aside her contempt for vampires to ask his help to protect her unborn child from their insane father.

Terrified of losing Quin for good and of facing his father, Matheus faces a damning choice: kill the man he loves or attempt an untested ritual that might destroy them both.

Review:

First of all, this cover seems like a graphic novella or some pop culture YA book. The cover concept is far, far removed from the nature of the story being told, it breaks with the theme of the other covers in the series as well. I didn’t think it was the right book at first when looking to buy it. I simply do not like it. It’s disappointing starting with such a strong negative reaction because for me this is the best book in the series.

Once again book #3 starts immediately after the end of book #2. Quin is back but he is not himself. He was effectively lobotomised by the procedure Matheus’ father uses to turn vampires back into humans – the word human being subjective with what Carsten Schneider does to vampire subjects. Near the end of Real Vampires Do It in the Dark, Heaven let Matheus know there is a way he can turn Quin back into a vampire, which Matheus’ went through with Quin. It works but Quin has amnesia after 1960, which means he has no idea of who Matheus is or what he means to him, how he calms him. Definitely no recall of turning and claiming him, and that they share a bond, which is muted and… off.

“What year is it?”
“1960,” said Quin.
“Christ.” Matheus’s mouth dropped open. He closed his eyes, shaking his head. “You’re about fifty years off.”
“I must have been hibernating,” said Quin.
“You weren’t hibernating! You were out killing people and committing heinous acts!”

The Quin that joins them is physical and brutal, with scant regard for anyone but himself, and it’s clear to see why the others are scared of the seventeen-hundred year old vampire. He bickers and banters with Matheus but for a while he’s nasty and physical with it. He puts Matheus in danger on at least one occasion, something the old Quin wouldn’t ever do to his ‘Sunshine’.

The war between covens and factions continues, as does Carsten Schneider’s sadism in the name of his warped ideas of saving the world and Christianity. That his son is now one of the undead has him more crazed and unstable than ever before. Even loyal Fletcher tells Matheus to look out.

“Was it not enough to kill my son? To mock me with his words and his visage? You had to taint my daughter as well? But you failed, dämon, Die Hand Gottes wird überwunden. The pure soul remains. I shall claim him from the darkness and raise him in the light of the Lord.”

Freddie, a werewolf who joined the coven after proving himself in battle in book #2, has an attachment to Alistair and it’s nice to see someone actually think Alistair is special. Alistair still holds a torch for Matheus, but Matheus cannot give him what he wants. Freddie is a distraction but there are definitely some developing feelings from Alistair toward him too.

Fletcher raised her annoying head again. I’m not bothering with her MacGuffin moments.

While he won’t readily admit it, Matheus loves Quin, even when Quin wasn’t the Quin he got to know after his turning. Ordinarily they are a yin and yang pairing – Matheus can whinge, Quin can be a hard-arse, Matheus is stubborn, Quin is amused, they each give as good as they get. They simply go together.

Matheus really does put himself on the line in the third book. He decides on some scientific experimentation of his own, placing himself in the sun during full daylight because he is all bar sleeping now. This creates even more of a buzz in the coven, and further afield, where they think he is the second coming, at least the original vampire –

Milo pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose with his pinky. “You survived a day in the sunlight.”
“I did realize that, Milo,” said Matheus. “I was there.”
“People are saying… Protos.”

When it’s worked out what is wrong with Quin, they sort it, once he gets over wanting Matheus to kill him because of the seeming duality inside his head.  There is a relationship and there is sex in book #3. It is intense and often violent – Matheus loves rough sex and Quin’s not about to dissuade him if that’s what Matheus truly wants. There isn’t a lot of it but it does exist. It’s very rough and violent, and they both like it that way. While there is a consent of sorts, they are vampires and there is dysfunction – for one because of original era born, and for the other it’s family – it’s all relative to this story line. I’m just making it clear for readers who like to know that it isn’t safe or sane, but they’re both pretty redundant words in the overall context of this book.

Once again there was action aplenty in Real Vampires Take No Prisoners. More properties burned down – god, I hope someone had insurance. Crossbows reappeared, some guns this time, assholitry abounded, and the regulars shone quite brightly – Joan is still wonderfully bloodthirsty, and full of revenge, bless her –

“Those bastards put a big-ass hole in my chest. I want some fucking revenge.”
“And you think chainsaws are the way to go,” said Matheus.
“Fuck yeah. I don’t care how immortal your ass is, a chainsaw rips you in half, you’re not getting up in a hurry.”

Milo is as droll as ever, Alistair has deep emotions. Speaking of emotions, I disliked the way this book ended for Alistair, he deserved better. Juliet was her usual intriguing self, is it a compliment? Is it a threat?

“Lenya asks after you, pet. It’s quite troublesome.”
“Oh,” Matheus said in the face of Juliet’s expectant expression. She looked at him as though waiting for the next line in the script. “I’m sorry?”

Quin and Matheus find one another fully when Matheus realises he wants and needs Quin in his undead life. Matheus loving Quin’s calloused hands, hands that always steady him. Quin loving blond, blond hair and someone who won’t just back his ideas no matter what, someone with a stubborn streak a mile wide, and one with a somewhat twisted acceptance –

“Quin?”
“Yes, love?”
“I don’t even care if this is Stockholm Syndrome.”
“I love you too, Sunshine.”

It is all quite romantic. Well, as romantic as this sniping pair can be, and especially as Matheus is more of an ‘I’ll do something for you rather than be romantic’ individual. However, Quin finally explains why he turned and claimed Matheus, and while some of it was quite, uh, random, I won’t explain in a review, the reasons why he called him Sunshine from day one was rather lovely-

The violence and battles, paranormal and UF writing were all appreciated by this reader, I felt satisfied with my well rounded yet bloody fix as it drew to a conclusion, a rather violent one.

I enjoyed spending my time with these characters for over a week as I read over a thousand pages to reach the end. The ending was a tad abrupt but maybe I just wasn’t quite ready to leave this universe. I’m still sticking with Alistair deserved better. Realistically there could be a new adventure for all these characters, but I’m surmising the author wrote this book as a finale for those who waited the three years between books #2 and #3.  I’m very glad Amy Fecteau put the last piece in place for series readers, especially given book #2 ended on a huge cliffhanger, as there’s nothing worse for devoted readers than a series left unfinished.

In the End:  

I enjoyed this series as a whole, I read all three books back-to-back. It wasn’t a cheap series to buy, so you can be sure I was invested. It offered gritty paranormal with bloody vampires, humour, snark, some well written banter – when it wasn’t drawn out – and flawed but infinitely likeable characters, certainly interesting, smattered throughout the ensemble cast. It also provided emotional moments, betrayal, strange family dynamics, and some hard to define camaraderie. That the romance was a subplot made the series stronger. I like the paranormal and UF elements to standout with a balanced relationship ’round and about. The series was finished on the best book. 4.5 Stars.