Genre/Tags: Romantasy, Bloody, Violent, King, Queen, Goddesses, War, Fantasy, PNR **TW Blood. Death. Grief. Dark Elements.

Author: Carissa Broadbent 

Story Rating: 5 Stars

Narrator: Amanda Leigh Cobb & Aiden Snow

Narrator Rating: 5 Stars

Length: 19 hours & 27 minutes

Audiobook Buy Links: Audible or Amazon

Review: 

**THIS IS BOOK TWO OF WHAT IS CURRENTY A DUOLOGY FOR ORAYA AND RAIHN. THERE WILL BE SPOILERS.  I ALSO USE ONE VISUAL DARKER QUOTE. 

Did you really think, Vincent whispered in the back of my mind, that I wouldn’t account for you, too, my little serpent? I flinched. Once, I’d craved his voice so fiercely. Now, it brought with it a wave of complicated emotions.

**There is a TLDR section at the bottom of this review with an overview.

So, I always knew this book would get off to a rocky start. Because Raihn, the vampire Oraya grew feelings for during the Kejari, and feelings are not something Oraya likes having, and the man she’s loved as her father for sixteen years, Vincent the Nightborn King, hmm, let’s just say they did not mesh well at the end of book #1, The Serpent & the Wings of Night.

This book picks up post Kejari, the vampire trial. Oraya is vacillating between sadness and anger, which can happen with grief, but then you add a layer of betrayal and you have a complex cocktail of feelings – sorry, Oraya, there’s that word again. The depressive grief wins out over betrayal for a while. Totally understandable.

My father lived in the hazy moments before I opened my eyes every day, caught between waking and dreaming. I treasured those moments, when my nightmares had faded but they’d yet to be replaced with the grim shadow of reality.

I know what it’s like to have people die. Family. Those you love easily, and those you’ve had a complex relationship with. It all hurts. However, a while after losing that person you had a complex relationship with can allow you to grow into your full potential. Not always, but often. I understood Oraya’s start to this book. The relational complications. All Vincent was to her and also wasn’t. The potential of Raihn who, understandably to her in the beginning, did not potentiate in the way she thought. Trusting someone when you have never allowed trust to form a part of your vocabulary, then feeling like that backflipped on you. I understand why some readers felt she needed to avenge Vincent. But Oraya is half vampire and that side understands the violent past and present of that nature. She is also half human and she has hurt for sometime about that, but had never been allowed to grieve it prior. She’s been lied to about it. Now, bit by bit, she has her emotional reins loosened about what that fully, holistically means for her. And you can’t keep a stabby gal down.

As Raihn is wont to say when Oraya gets pissed-off face or fires up, “There she is.” I know it annoyed some readers but I liked it. What it stood for. It was Raihn recognising what Oraya was feeling. That she was coming back into herself. Like at the Kejari when Oraya fought against almighty odds. Every time Raihn says “there she is,” Oraya was getting her dander up, at Raihn or someone or something else she didn’t like. It wasn’t always for the right reasons but, equally, it was also for the right reasons. It meant Oraya was on the journey to be who and what she is meant to be. Not who or what someone is telling her she could or could not be. Oraya is a fighter. She’s bloodthirsty. She’s a motherfucking queen and I was ready for her to shine.

Meanwhile, Raihn is dealing with a wife that is angry with him and hurt by him. He thinks about another woman in the past who showed him kindness when there was no other. Now, with Oraya’s pain, he is drawn back to that difficult time once again, and all because of another Kejari.

I got into bed, but didn’t sleep. Nessanyn’s words floated through my mind, this time with a cynical tinge that was distinctly mine.
Who wins?
Well, Nessanyn sure as fuck didn’t.
And Oraya didn’t, either.

Then there are the vampires who resent his newly found power and status as King after Nyaxia’s Heir Mark gift – Shadowborn, Hiaj, even his original house, Rishan, they’re predominantly gunning for him. The vampires who don’t want him in power can take a ticket and stand in (a very, very loooong) line. How dare a lowly Turned slave come out on top. How dare he become the Nightborn King. To add to all of this, he has residual trauma from over seventy-years spent as a slave under Neculai, then his time under Vincent’s and Hiaj rule. And the same goddammed nobles are still swanning around, being pricks. Raihn wears a smile, a sneer, gives occasional speeches like Neculai once did, but he does not get the same respect from the nobles. He married Oraya after the Kejari because she saved him – he loves her and wants her safe in return – but it seemed shady at the time. Oraya is the previous Hiaj Nightborn King’s daughter. In the Rishan’s minds she’s the enemy and he should have killed her. And as much as Raihn feels he puts on a good show, no matter if he pretends publicly to show cruelty toward Oraya, something these vampires all respect, it’s pretty unmistakable he has feelings for her. His crown is shaky as fuck for multiple reasons.

There are several attempts at easing into vampire society and none of them go well. Ballgowns and blood. On the first occasion, Raihn calls all the nobles to the Nightborn Palace in Sivrinaj to bow before him. It’s the norm but also risky. Things don’t go two thumbs up well. It’s not that he didn’t expect it, he did. He punishes one of the nobles, someone Raihn already loathes, when he calls Oraya a whore. Meaning he rips Marta’s head off, something I found extremely satisfying. However, Marta’s cousin and equally noble prick, Simon, won’t see it Raihn’s way. There’s going to become further support problems. And, my god, Simon turns into the freaking Terminator. Enjoy that! Anyway, in a shock move, Vale, one of the most respected Rishan vampire nobles, sweeps in and bows before Raihn, taking the offered position as his general. Vale has a newly Turned  wife as well. All in all, the first ballgowns and blood night scares a few, while mostly slapping a Band-Aid over the sharp edges of the vampire Houses. It’s simply buying time. Raihn has a few people behind him. Apart from Mische, his best friend, everyone else is somewhat sketchy. Including the most dodgy of them all, Septimus – he who likes to bet on outcomes and is all about self.

To make Raihn’s early fraught rein – cough cough – better, Septimus speculates that Vincent used seers when he was in power to give him an edge. There have been rumours. This could be valuable to Raihn if he can find those god blood pieces used by Vincent. Sure, it’s not the usual for vampires to use seers, but Vincent was incredibly powerful for his two-hundred-year reign. Searching the Nightborn Palace doesn’t yield much so there’s a push to find these items that Vincent probably would have hidden. He was nothing if not secretive. The directive is for Raihn to travel to Vincent’s original home town, Lahor. While it’s not realistically the best time, his shaky reign and all, Raihn wants Septimus off his back. If they do find some god blood items that’s a bonus for them, not him. Raihn, rightly, presumes Oraya will be interested in visiting Lahor to discover more about her father. Vincent shut down talk about his family as well. Road trip it is. Although they literally fly there.

Lahor is a remote city of the House of Night, and to put it mildly, a creepy shithole. This part of the story was extremely gory and giving Children of the Corn: Dystopian Vampire Edition vibes. We have Vincent’s crazed sister, Lady Eveleana, ruling a decrepit castle like it’s something out of Home Castle Beautiful, with her little army of vampiric Turned and bonded blondes who are way too young, giving it massive ick factor. And Eveleana is a traditionalist around humans – they’re prey and livestock. She’s also not shy about using a bit of vampire taxidermic lepidoptery as well. Runs in the family. Anyway….You just know there’s nothing good coming out of Eveleana’s backstory. In book #1 we learn what happens to the family line of a new King. Seeing the aftermath was something extra.

The Narrators: I was so, SO happy to have a male narrating alongside a female. I love it when authors do that. It makes the book better. There are romantasy books out there I refuse to buy in audio because they lack male narration for the MMC. I’m not alone in this as I talk to other readers. I already know and enjoy listening to Aiden Snow. He has a lovely deep-timbred voice. I must admit he wasn’t how I expected Raihn to sound but he was really, really good in his narration. Clear and strong and heartfelt. I’ve never heard Amanda Leigh Cobb previously but she has a good voice. Clear. I felt she truly embraced Oraya’s personality. My recommendation if you like a bit more of a visceral experience, go the audiobook version. The story lends itself beautifully to audio, and Cobb and Snow deliver.

Raihn: There was some wonderful growth for Raihn. I wasn’t Raihn’s biggest fan in The Serpent & the Wings of Night. Like the Hiaj’s head guard, Jesmine, once told Oraya about Raihn, ‘he’s pretty trouble’. I appreciated that. The whole Kejari ending was problematic and Raihn didn’t handle it well. I now know more about that. He didn’t have much of a choice once Oraya threw him for a loop with her decision to save him. He also knew what lay ahead. He would have to be somewhat leashed otherwise his sponsor, for want of another word, would pull support and much needed troops after Raihn’s bit of regicide. It left him in an untenable position and the last book ended badly for Oraya. Not quite Nessanyn bad, Neculai’s wife, she died, but Oraya has been left deeply hurt. No one is more aware of this than Raihn. But, man. He really let Oraya soar in this book. He let her come into her own and helped her step out from under Vincent’s shadow. I thought Vincent was an incredible character in book #1, and even though he’s dead, he gets poignant air time here. I enjoyed that. There is still that ruthlessness but also melancholy and the full understanding that love was something he just wasn’t able to fully connect to in a way  humans need. The author did an incredible job of delving into multiple complex relationships and doing them justice.

I stopped short.
I couldn’t help it. I needed to just take a minute to look at her. Her wings were out now, the red shockingly vibrant even under the moonlight. Her gown glittered like the night sky itself. And her posture– she held herself like such a queen.
Sometimes I found it impossible to imagine how Oraya had ever thought of herself as helpless. She was the most powerful person I’d ever met.

Oraya: I loved her in the first book, I loved her even more here. She can still hear Vincent in her head. Not quite as much, but often enough to help her fight. Not enough, though, to stop missing him. She’s mad at him for keeping pertinent details from her, both emotionally and from the standpoint of being the heir to the Hiaj crown. If she had become his Coriatis, as was planned, would he have shared it all then? She can use his sword, the Taker of Hearts, as it responds to Vincent’s blood within her. Her blood. She wields that sword well. She takes no shit from anyone once she gets her legs back underneath her. There is the justified hurt and anger toward Raihn, he killed Vincent. Toward Vincent for making her believe he was her only family. So yes, Oraya had some hurdles to overcome, but she did. She had to work out how to make the Hiaj vampire guards work with the Rishan’s. Rival Houses = no easy feat. Raihn was always there to nudge her but she was the one who took the steps. Then ran. She didn’t stop loving Vincent. Sadly, though, he never told her anything about her deceased mother, which she desperately wanted to know, and he absolutely could have given her that. But things took a turn. And even though she is dead, her mother came through for Oraya, and Raihn, too. A nice touch.

  All this time, I had been trying so desperately to decode my father’s past, my father’s secrets, to find the power I needed to reclaim my kingdom. How fitting that in the end, it was my mother who gave me the answer.

I cannot begin to plumb the depths of all the events in this book. It’s a lengthy read at 626 pages or a tick under 20 hours of audiobook listening. I actually started out reading then switched over to audiobook. There’s a lot going on. Multiple battles on multiple fronts, both personal and physical.  Multiple times when Raihn saves Oraya and vice versa. The Hiaj and Rishan guards working together is a first. Others join as well. Oraya and Raihn have a protective love of humans. Not something other vampires share with them. Humans are considered food. Oraya, though the Hiaj Queen, remains half human, Raihn remembers his time as a human and has always liked to mingle in amongst them, drinking their “piss beer.” While Oraya was healing her heart, Raihn had already put steps in place around the human districts. Together, the future looks bright.

TLDR: The Ashes & the Star-Cursed King offers plenty. Action. Bloodshed. Violence. Power struggles. My god, Simon becomes the freaking Terminator. I just kept thinking those iconic words –  ‘I’ll be back.’ Wow. Dude would not freaking die! There is the right balance of sex. Excellent world building. Multilayered character development. Excellent romance. Carissa Broadbent really poured her heart and soul into the MCs. Where I had doubts in book #1, I had none – z e r o  d o u b t s – here that Raihn and Oraya are meant to be anything but together. Forever. I hope she writes another book with this pair, and there’s certainly an untied thread or two she could delve into with them. There are other books in this series but Mische, as lovely as she is, isn’t what I’m looking for in a FMC. I might read Lilith and Vale’s story, Six Scorched Roses.

Overall: 

If you like bloody vampires. Some nasty vampires. Vampires who bite. A kickarse female lead. Some excellent romantasy. Second chances. Plenty of action. A fantastic fantasy world. A MMC who supports and lifts up his partner, it doesn’t have to be about him, no putting her down to make him feel better. And if, like me, you enjoy some good payback and are fine with the ensuing bloodshed, then here’s your book. Loved. It. 5 Stars!

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: 1 Star

Publisher: MMP

Genre:  —

Tags: Not for me.

Length: 272 Pages 

Reviewer: John

Purchase At:  amazon

Synopsis:

Review: 

Solaris Seethes – Like me, you too could share this feeling.

I suffered through sixty-six percent of this novel before finally “giving up” because I didn’t want to waste any more of my precious reading time. I do not give up on books but this one beat me.

Solaris Seethes is not science fiction, from the two thirds that I’ve read, I would define it as neurotic fantasy. It’s like the book is being used to work through issues and I, the reader, was left to feel emotionally conflicted during this process;

 “I do not have an attitude,” Solaris said into Rynah’s ear, “but the weasel is right. She must produce the proper sounds to levitate the stones.”

The quote above is the vessel Solaris speaking, one that is portrayed as a grandmotherly type, “but the weasel is right” was a put down of Brie, a 16 year-old. Describing the timid and young girl as a “weasel” was just one of the many flaws of characterisation and the twisted values of this book, and I object to many things in this book.

The science is so lacking that I refuse to give it a sci-fi genre tag because, to me, it is unstable fantasy. It doesn’t sit well with me that overwrought and unpleasant emotions are everywhere and all over the place.

Also, the scenario of four people at four different time periods on Earth, all light years away, are able to be brought to the same transporter platform on the vessel stretches credulity to breaking point. You have to find four simultaneous wormholes to four different time periods on the Earth, locate the exact position of these individuals, then beam them simultaneously to the same platform of that vessel. It’s lacking plausibility.

If you are prepared to waste part of your limited life’s total reading time upon this rubbish, then, be my guest. I am not prepared to invest any more of my time and effort to reviewing this book. I have generously rated it at one star because, after all, it does contain words. That’s the only positive I can find.

Thank the Lord, at the time I downloaded it, it was free.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Publisher: NineStar Press

Tags: Futuristic, Lesbian MC, Private Investigator, Tech Shifters, Background Romance, Series 

Length: 223 Pages

Reviewer: Karen

Purchase At: amazon, NineStar Press

Synopsis:

Review: 

The well named LV48 is another interesting story from the world of PI Cassie Tam. This time there’s a Tech Shifter “vampire” who has wreaked a bit of havoc on several people… so far. The police are calling the recent attacks muggings so as not to cause alarm. After Cassie is attacked one night on her way home from a night out with girlfriend Lori, things change. Cassie is strongly, uh, persuaded into being on the team of the New Hopeland Police Department to help crack this case.

My head drops, and I rub my eyes. “I can’t believe this.”
“Believe it, Caz. Right now, if we want to prevent more attacks, you’re the best shot we have.”

Cassie remembers more than some of the others who have been attacked before her. Being a PI means she’s used to focusing on all the details of an event, even one as difficult as this. So, Cassie joins Captain Hoover, Corporal Devereaux and Lt. Hanson, and, now, Donal O’Brien – the Marshal of the Tech Shifter Division – who happens to be a hybrid wolf. None of this is easy for Cassie because the TS Murders Files placed a strong fear of Tech Shifters into her psyche, and this vampire attack has ratcheted it up.

Cassie is going to be used as bait by the NHPD to see whether there is something more they need to know about why this is happening. A phial of blood was left at the scene where Cassie was attacked when the LV was interrupted. It also appears a tracker is left in the victims. The priority is obviously to stop this TS, and to do what they need to find out if the attacks are opportunistic or something more organised. Cassie doesn’t do a lot of the same things on any given day, but what about the other people who have been targeted by the LV? Is the type of work they do something they have in common? Is there a possible link to the underground and Fuerza? Which means there could be another link in there to the Kings of Utah. All roads in this series seem to lead to The Four Kings, but the Tech Shifter world is an integral part of New Hopeland as well. Much like the underground and synth drugs. It will be very interesting to see where this eventually ends up.

Bert also has some interesting personality traits developing that has Cassie going to Familiar Enterprises. She wants to work out why he’s behaved or is behaving the way he has been on a few recent cases. The story of how Cassie came to have such a rare, expensive, and protective familiar was also given some page time. I’m all for anything to do with Cassie’s AI gargoyle. From the first time Bert appeared on page in book #1, Addict, I loved him. Here, he is Bert the ever vigilant sentinel, looking out Cassie’s window on her behalf, or Burt taking on a vampire, biting off a chunk of an ear, even a bit of handy plumbing is nothing for her gargoyle. Caw, Bert. You continue to be awesome.

Lori wasn’t in this book much, but the connection between Cassie and her girlfriend is given some more depth, a bit more warmth.  Cassie made some major inroads in accepting Ink, Lori’s panther Tech Shifter persona. This case makes her think more intently about why she’s been so apprehensive to accept Ink previously rather than just rolling with it. It’s something that has been in the way of their growing relationship. I liked this aspect of Cassie –  her vulnerability, along with her feelings of affection toward Lori that she usually shuts down. But this is not a romance series, it’s very much in the background, it’s about the detective/PI work.

The Cassie Tam Files is a different series to a lot of others in queer fiction. This is a futuristic tech world with a strong, intelligent (lesbian) female lead, a working PI, who is never portrayed as anything more than capable and ethical in both her actions and words. She also doesn’t back down from trouble and she rolls her sleeves up in a fight. She is still developing further as a character, the most thus far is seen in LV48.

I find Charlie, Cassie’s ex-girlfriend, interesting. She’s an Elite, a synth dealer. It was nice to catch up with her and to see Cassie meet Jody, Charlie’s new girlfriend. In the beginning I felt Cassie had more feelings for Charlie than for Lori but that’s now put to bed in LV48. Charlie is helpful to Cassie, she understands her job because she’s very much a part of the New Hopeland underground herself, and Cassie deals with the underground regularly. I also really like how adult everyone is in this series. It’s nice to read.

In book #2,  The Fox, the Dog, and the King, there’s fantastically detailed information on Tech Shifters at the end, including diagrams. Likewise at the end of LV48, there’s the ‘initial report of the LV Tech’ by Lt. Devereaux’, a thorough look at this specific TS. Once again Matt Doyle writes afterword details that are comprehensive, vibrant, and show a love of this world – it’s awesome. The Cassie Tam Files is a different world and series, one where I’m feeling increasingly at home. 4.5 Stars.

Rating: 5 Stars

Publisher: Indie

Genre:  Sci-Fi

Tags: Series

Length: 355 Pages

Reviewer: John 

Purchase At:  amazon

Synopsis:

Eight months after the astounding discoveries made at Fermilab… 

Particle physics was always an unlikely path to the stars, but with the discovery that space could be compressed, the entire galaxy had come within reach. The technology was astonishing, yet nothing compared to what humans encountered four thousand light-years from home. Now, with an invitation from a mysterious gatekeeper, the people of Earth must decide if they’re ready to participate in the galactic conversation.

The world anxiously watches as a team of four katanauts suit up to visit an alien civilization. What they learn on a watery planet hundreds of light-years away could catapult human comprehension of the natural world to new heights. But one team member must overcome crippling fear to cope with an alien gift she barely understands.

Back at Fermilab, strange instabilities are beginning to show up in experiments, leading physicists to wonder if they ever really had control over the quantum dimensions of space.

The second book of the Quantum series rejoins familiar characters and adds several more as it explores the frontiers of human knowledge and wisdom. Of course, it wouldn’t be part of the series if it didn’t have a few twists along the way!

Review:

This book is the ultimate mind trip and the story takes up eight months from where  Quantum Space left off (remember that experimental program called Diastasi being conducted at Fermilab in the USA to do with the compression of three-dimensional space?) We see the return of the main characters, Daniel, Nala and Marie, and what this trio gets up to, especially the girls, will really blow your mind. I hope Schrodinger’s Cat doesn’t mind the company in that box, because, it’s just about to get a little bit crowded. And remember, every cloud has a silver lining, even when it’s one composed of toxic and noxious fumes, if you read the book, you’ll understand.

Just like in the first novel, the pace of the second novel is well measured and the science behind the story continues to be made quite believable. The world building and character development, likewise, continues to be flawless with nothing feeling either out of place or incomplete. Again, I greatly appreciated the afterword provided by the author at the end of the novel, explaining the factual vs fictional science. Included is information about data returned by space probes that lend support to some very radical theories about the structure of the universe. Trust me, the “factual” in this novel’s afterword is really, really out there, and, let’s face it, who doesn’t enjoy reading about the results of a good probe every now and then?

Like Quantum Space, I found Quantum Void to be very good value and I highly recommended that you, like myself, also add this novel to your SciFi collection. To get the most out of Quantum Void I feel it’s probably best to have read Quantum Space first but, at a pinch, you don’t have to. While I enjoyed it because I believe I’m the demographic to do so, as a general warning, don’t try to fully comprehend the Quantum Physics behind the work, because, IMO, if you succeed, you run the very real risk of being mentally discombobulated.

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: 4.5 Stars

Publisher: Indie 

Genre:  Sci-Fi

Tags: Series

Length: 364 Pages

Reviewer: John

Purchase At:  amazon

Synopsis: