Heart of Night by Angelina Steffort

After watching the man she loves die, Anya is kidnapped by the traitorous crow faerie who had secretly allied with the flame faeries and is taking her to them, to eventually be sold to the King who originally gave her as a bride to the Crow King. It seems her life has now come full circle back to where she began, as he prisoner of the King who wants her to suffer for her father’s crimes. She is almost ready for it all to be over, for what is there left worth fighting for without Myron? But what she doesn’t know is that Myron is alive and hunting for her, determined to get her back. She is the love of his life, and the one who broke the curse that all crow faeries have lived under for centuries. He is not willing to give her up, but first he needs to find her and rescue her from whatever horrible fate is being planned for her,

I received a review copy of this and enjoyed it as much as I did the previous book in the series. I enjoyed the multiple twists that took place along the way. This story definitely tugs at the heartstrings quite a bit for a number of reasons that aren’t all related to only Anya and Myron, but I do not want to spoil any of the surprises in this book for you, and there are more than a few.

The roughest part about the ending of this book is the fact that it ends where fans of the series are left waiting desperately for the third book in this series to see what will happen next, and I can assure you that I will be waiting just as impatiently as everyone else for book three to be released. I do recommend reading book one in this series before this one as you may feel a bit lost if you try to jump right into the middle of the series. But I do think this series is worth reading if you’re looking for an entertaining, magical story that tugs at the heartstrings periodically along the way. 

But do be warned that there is violence in this story. Several of the characters are tortured at times throughout the book, though the worst of it is behind the scenes. It is pretty obvious that it happens, and the after-effects of it aren’t hidden from the readers. Still, for most, I think you will probably enjoy this book. Especially if you have enjoyed any of the other books in this world/setting. Recommended.

https://amzn.to/3SgI7xL (Amazon Link)

https://books2read.com/u/mByXLO (Books2Read link to other vendors)

Mannigan: A speck of Light by L Ross Coulter

Will has just been released from incarceration after a very long time. While he was there, most of his organs had been harvested, and the doctors have told him that he has very little time left. He is bitter and angry with the world, for when his wife was judged not worth the cost of fighting her cancer, she  was left to suffer and die. After that, things fell apart for him and left him with nothing save his anger and bitterness toward the world. That was what had led to his becoming incarcerated in a modern facility, where those who survive long enough to be released rarely live more than a week or two beyond their release, usually dying alone and in a great deal of pain. But the doctor who oversees his final days, believes that he can offer him a chance for something more. A life that won’t end, as a part of a group called Legion.

I received a review copy of this book, and when I began reading this story, I thought it was primarily a dystopian novel, though it also seems to be a bit of a story about humanity. But it does also paint a very bleak future for mankind. Will was a very angry and bitter man, and achieving an inability to die or be killed doesn't seem to change that throughout the book. While he does still possess some kindness, especially towards those who are also suffering for various reasons, he still wants his revenge on those in charge who had allowed his wife to be declared not worth saving, and who had used his body to save others who were deemed worthy without his permission while incarcerated.

I must warn readers that this book does contain a great deal of violence. It paints a very dark picture of the future, and while I don’t want to spoil the ending, from what I can see, the only real sign of hope for the world comes at the end of the book, and even in that moment, I am uncertain as to whether it truly is a hopeful ending or not. And that possibility, I find a bit of a depressing thought, because either possibility is equally possible in my mind. But it is clearly something meant for readers to decide for themselves.

It was interesting, but I’m not entirely sure if anyone actually grew or changed in any positive way or not. I don’t know what we were supposed to learn from what Will went through, though I have a few ideas. I believe that perhaps this book was trying to teach a lesson about what the future may hold that comes with an implied warning about repeating the mistakes others have made rather than learning from them.. And honestly, I think that for me, not being able to decide whether the ending was meant to be positive or negative is what disturbs me the most. I’m not sure if that was the point of the story, but this one just didn’t really resonate with me for some reason, though it has stuck with me. (There is more that I would like to say about the ending, but I am trying to avoid spoilers for those who decide to read this book for themselves. As I said, it does make you think about quite a few things.)

If you’re looking for a book that will truly make you think about the ending, then you will likely enjoy this one. It may paint a somewhat bleak picture for the future, but it also does seem to show that despite everything, hope always survives. For despite all the bad things that happen to quite a few people, most of them still manage to be kind and have hope, even Will.

I'm engaged to Mothman by Paige Lavoie

Heather and Moth are very happy with the life they are building in their cabin in the woods. But when a portal suddenly opens and takes them back to Moth's home in the Faerie realm, will he still want to remain in a cramped cabin with Heather? Or will he want to stay in his home realm and become the king he was once meant to be?

I enjoyed reading this book. I have visited both the Mothman statue and the Mothman Museum, so naturally both this book and the previous one in the series. (If you haven't yet read it, I highly recommend reading I'm in Love with Mothman before reading this one.) You'll likely be a bit confused about a few things if you haven't.)

Moth is a very interesting character with quite a few surprising layers to him, but his family history is quite a lot for a girl born in the human lands. And honestly, I believe that Heather is even more fascinating. She has Hashimoto's Disease, making their time in the Faerie lands a bit of a challenge without her medication, and is also a former social media influencer. So if anyone can win over Moth’s family, it should be her … even if she isn’t royalty herself. And this is not the only difficulty she and Moth will have to face. But are they capable of facing those challenges together, or will it drive them apart.

If you like fantasy stories involving a variety of creatures, multiple realms, and stories that tug at your heartstrings, then you will likely enjoy this book. I know that I did, and I’m looking forward to reading the next book in this series. I’d recommend giving this fun series a try.

https://amzn.to/4bktdNK (Amazon Link)

https://books2read.com/u/3n9d8e (Books2Go link to other vendors)

https://4horsemenpublications.com/product/im-engaged-to-mothman-mothman-in-love-2/ (link to book on publisher's website)

Amazon requires me to state that I have an Amazon Associates account that I use to generate the links to the books on their website. Purchasing something after following those links will earn a few pennies for me off the sale, though as of yet I have not earned anything from my Amazon Associate links.

2040 by Robert Albo

Michael Knightsbridge was going nowhere in life. He lived off of government assistance programs and felt no drive to achieve anything more in his life. Then, after his twin brother sells their parents’ house and convinces Michael to move to California and move into his family's home. He even gives Michael a job at the lab where he works. But after an accident happens while Michael is working, his life takes a very different turn, and everything changes.

This was an interesting story set in the near future, where technology and Artificial intelligence plays an integral part in everyone's lives. In this story, we see both positive and negative possibilities for both. We also see how emotional intuition and responses can sometimes be as or more beneficial in the long run to simple logic. This story has a number of hidden (and not so hidden) themes running through it. Some of them deal with politics, technology, emotions, logic, kindness, cruelty, right and wrong, as well as a few others. All of this combined to create a story that turned out to be something quite different than I had expected.

I don't know if this is meant to be the first book in a series or a stand alone novel, but if it does ever have a sequel, I would be interested in seeing what happens to the characters next. If you enjoy speculative fiction, science fiction, stories involving Artificial intelligence, aliens, and humanity, then I think you should give this book a try. It may not have been what I was expecting, but it was something that I did enjoy reading.

https://amzn.to/3RIiO7H (Amazon Link)

https://books2read.com/u/bP8PYr (Books2Go link to other Vendors)

Amazon requires me to state that I have an Amazon Associates account that I use to generate the links to the books on their website. Purchasing something after following those links will earn a few pennies for me off the sale, though as of yet I have not earned anything from my Amazon Associate links.

Blood Thirsty by Chelsea Burton Dunn

Vampires and Werewolves have long been at war, each determined to wipe the others out. Witches have aligned with the Werewolves, While Chenja are allies with the Vampires, though due to their low population, the Chenja tend to stay out of the fighting as much as possible.  Ace is a vampire and has been monitoring Werewolf activity, as they are clearly up to something, but what it is, is something that no one was truly prepared for. Can they learn enough to prevent the planned ritual before it begins, or to stop it from being completed before it is too late?

The characters in this book are different from the Werewolves in Ms. Dunn’s Werewolf series (By Moonlight). I am uncertain If this series takes place in the same universe as the other or not, as this series takes place primarily in London rather than the United States, and may also be set in a slightly different time period. (I wasn't able to tell.)

This series is a bit darker than the By Moonlight series, but that should be expected when it appears to center around a Vampire/Werewolf war. Still, I did enjoy reading this book, even if my preference, at the moment, is for the By Moonlight series. But that won't keep me from continuing to read and enjoy this series as well.

I received a review copy of this book, and I did enjoy reading it. As I said above, it does seem a bit darker than the other books that I have read from this author, and it does include a fair amount of violence and some torture (though not graphic, it is clearly what is happening), and also includes some instances of abuse and sacrifice.

If you've enjoyed other books from this author, enjoy reading Vampire, Shifter, and Werewolf stories, then you are likely to enjoy this book as well.

https://amzn.to/4exIiyn (Amazon link)

https://4horsemenpublications.com/product/blood-thirsty-dead-mans-hand-1/ (link to book on publisher's website)

https://books2read.com/u/mgDqoD (Books2Go link for other Vendors)

Amazon requires me to state that I have an Amazon Associates account that I use to generate the links to the books on their website. Purchasing something after following those links will earn a few pennies for me off the sale, though as of yet I have not earned anything from my Amazon Associate links.

Purrs and Peril Written by Jinty James Narrated by Devon Sorvari

The Norwegian Cat Cafe is a licensed cat cafe, run by Lauren and Zoey, however unlike most cat cafes, they do not have cats available for adoption. The only cat in the cafe is Annie, who acts as a hostess, greeting the customers as they enter and guiding them to their tables. The regulars all love Annie, and she truly is the heart of the cafe. So when one of the regulars is murdered, the three of them can't help but try to figure out who killed him and why.

I listened to the audiobook version of this book. I enjoyed the story, and loved how important Annie was throughout the story. She may not have left the cafe, but without her help, Lauren and Zoey would have had a much more difficult time finding the clues needed to figure out what happened.

I will admit that the ending felt a little rushed in that the murder outed themself and provided the details that had not previously been found during the story. But despite that, it was pretty clear to me before that point who was the most likely to be the killer and I had a decent guess as to why, so despite the ending coming sooner than I had expected, I still enjoyed listening to this one. (It was a fairly short book, which is likely why the ending came sooner than I had expected. Had I been reading it rather than listening, I would say it was a very quick read.)

The narrator did a wonderful job keeping the voices of each of the characters distinct from one another, making it easy to tell who was speaking. And the portrayal of Annie was enjoyable as well. The narrator did a very good job in differentiating her vocalizations to show what the cat was trying to say to the humans.

If you enjoy cozy mysteries, especially ones where a cat plays such a large and integral part of the story, then I believe you will enjoy this one, whether you read or listen to this book.

https://amzn.to/4bHL0zA (Amazon book link)

https://books2read.com/u/3JgZKP (Books2Go link to other vendors)

https://amzn.to/458EBLh (Amazon audiobook/audible link)

Amazon requires me to state that I have an Amazon Associates account that I use to generate the links to the books on their website. Purchasing something after following those links will earn a few pennies for me off the sale, though as of yet I have not earned anything from my Amazon Associate links.

Firefax by A. M. Vergara

During the Revolutionary War, there are rumors of a city of gold that is hidden on an island whose location is known only to the Firefax family. The riches on this island could finance the entire war … if it could be found. But the Firefax family are actually a family of trained assassins for hire, so convincing them to disclose the island's location is next to impossible. However, a rival assassin just might know how to get Murdock, the eldest Firefax, to disclose the island's location.

I read a review copy of this book, and the first thing I can say about it is that it was not what I expected. Yes, the family this book follows are assassins, but it is an interesting story that is not actually about their profession or their intended victims. It is about the family themselves. The characters are ones that you find yourself wanting to know more about. There is more to them than their being merely paid killers. They are actually quite a fascinating extended farming family ... who also happen to be highly skilled assassins.

In a lot of ways, this is more of a story about family interactions and what they are willing to do to protect each other. Yes, there is actually a city of gold and rival assassins hunting for it, but it is the Firefax family that is the larger story, both in the American colonies, and in the city of gold, which just happens to be the home of a rather unusual religious cult. 

Reading it, it may seem to have a bit slow of a start to the story, but once you truly get into it, it quickly picks up steam. I can only assume that there will be a sequel to this story as it seems to end rather abruptly, leaving me with some unanswered questions. And so, I will be watching for a book two to be released to find out what happens next. I did enjoy reading this book. And if you enjoy historical fiction with a twist, I think you probably will too.

https://amzn.to/4caf06N (Amazon link)

https://books2read.com/u/bpn6L6 (Books2Go link to other vendors)

Amazon requires me to state that I have an Amazon Associates account that I use to generate the links to the books on their website. Purchasing something after following those links will earn a few pennies for me off the sale, though as of yet I have not earned anything from my Amazon Associate links.