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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Double Murder at the Grand Hotel Miramare by Elena and Michaela Martignone

Two people are found murdered in a room at the Luxury Hotel, Miramare. Both both were employed by the countess, making her a suspect in their murder, and while she may have had a motive, Detective Bertᐟe does not think she was the one responsible for their deaths. But if not her, then who?

This novel, while fictional, is set in a historic, and famous, luxury hotel in Lungariva. I received a review copy of this book from the author and enjoyed reading it. The characters were each well developed and entertaining, and I enjoyed reading it. Honestly though, I think I found Detective Bertᐟe himself to be the most interesting part of this novel. His inner monologue and insights into the motives and behaviors of the other characters, as well as his outside relationships and hobbies made him a well rounded character and the largest part of what I enjoyed most about this book. 

For me, this was an interesting story with characters that I found memorable. While I did not see it as intense of a murder mystery as I am used to seeing in the United States, it was still quite enjoyable. The authors are from outside of this country (Italy, I think), and this is the first of their books translated into English, though not the first book in this series. I did enjoy this book, primarily because I enjoyed reading about Inspector Bertᐟe, and would not mind learning more about his adventures. I would rate this book as a solid 3.5 stars

If you enjoy murder mysteries that take place in foreign countries as well as in historic locations, then I believe that you will likely enjoy this book.

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April Hearses and May Curses by Trixie Silvertale

When one of the local shops in Pin Cherry Harbor is ransacked and a magical item stolen, leaving the severely injured owner in the hospital, naturally her son hires Harper-Moon Investigations to solve the mystery of who attacked his mother and to make sure whoever it was winds up behind bars. His mother, being a woman who had held a long-standing mutual animosity with Mitzy’s “ghost-ma” and who was also a purveyor of the mystical arts, makes it doubly important that Mitzy and Eric are involved. Add in a some escaped prisoners and other old enemies/rivals returning, and this is quite a danger-filled adventure for the pair of private investigators.

I received an advance review copy of this book and, as always, Ms. Silvertale does not disappoint. This book kept me interested and reading from the page one, and I finished it within two days of starting it. Both Mitzy and Erick have their hands full solving this crime, and not only are both Mitzy herself and Erick in danger, but so are those closest to the pair. This is not merely a small crime or murder that they are trying to solve; the events unfolding, if not stopped, could have far reaching effects that go well beyond their town if it remains in the wrong hands. If Mitzy and Erick fail, allowing the one behind it all to succeed, there will undoubtedly be quite a few more deaths left in the wake of this evil force.

I apologize for being so vague as to what is happening, but I really do not want to give away any of the multiple twists and turns that take place in this book. If I did, that would spoil your enjoyment from reading and discovering everything yourself, and what fun is that? But trust me, if you enjoy cozy mysteries with a paranormal twist, have read and enjoyed any of the other books by Ms. Silvertale involving Mitzy Moon, former sheriff Erick Harper, their mystical friends and family, as well has the trouble that seems to follow them, then you will definitely enjoy reading this book. I would recommend giving it a try. And while you can likely pick up on much of what has gone before from the contents of this story, it will be much easier to truly understand some of it if you have read some of the previous books in this series first.

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Wings of Ink by Angelina Steffort

Anya, after spending years in a Tavrasian Prison expecting to be killed, is instead given to the Crow Fairies. She is now to become the bride of the Crow King, which as everyone knows is a fate that is usually worse than death. But this is no longer the rule of the old king, where kidnapped brides were forced into marriage, but is it any better? For no crow bride has ever survived even a full year of marriage, but the question remains … why not? King Myron has decided that this will be the last time he will accept another unwilling bride. If Anya dies and the curse that all Crow Fairies live under remains unbroken, he will never try again.

But not all Crows want the curse broken, though they do wish to again be able to take their own brides. Most of them wish to continue in the ways of Myron’s father, back when every crow would steal away a bride at Ret Relah, with each of the women destined to be dead within a year. But others, like the current king, wish for things to change. He wants the curse to be broken, and a new era for the Crow Faeries to begin. Anya is their last hope for that change.

I received a review copy of this book and enjoyed it as much as I did the Quarter Mage series of books. This series takes place in a time after that series, though within the same world and includes a few of the characters that we met in that series. I do not believe it is necessary to have read that series to enjoy this one, though I do believe that it will increase your enjoyment of this book if you are familiar with what used to happen to the women taken as crow brides. 

I greatly enjoyed reading this book. I did correctly guess what was needed to break the curse before the end, but I suspect that since I knew more than Anya did about the curse, (given that I’ve read the other books in this world by the author) that she would have figured it out sooner had she had my knowledge. And yes, there is a reason why she couldn’t simply be told what was needed in order to break the curse, but you’ll have to read the book in order to learn about that for yourself.

This is the type of book that I enjoy and often wish I didn’t need to put it down to sleep or go to work, but alas, life only allows us so much free time to be able to read, right? I enjoyed reading this book, learning about the different factions among the crow fairies, as well as seeing some familiar faces from the other series. Watching each  of the characters grow and learn about each other, discovering that often their assumptions were very wrong, is something that I enjoyed about this book. If you’ve read Ms. Steffort’s other series and enjoyed it, then I can pretty much guarantee that you will enjoy this one too. It is an excellent fantasy book that explores a different side of another type of faerie. Recommended.

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Black Ballad by Rick Heinz

This is an interesting new RPG (Role Playing Game) that can take place in virtually any setting or campaign. How is that possible, you may wonder? Well, as an explanation, have you ever been in a campaign where the entire party was killed? That’s where this campaign comes in. It takes place in the realm between life and a character’s final death. In a realm where the dead are awaiting their passage into either being resurrected or they are ready to pass into their eternal rest.

I read a review copy of this book, and it sounds like a well defined and easily adaptable adventure for players to explore if their characters have died, but they aren’t ready to give up and create new characters and would like to continue playing to see what might happen in the afterworld. It is easily adaptable to be used with whatever campaign or game system you and your group happened to be already playing.

It’s been a few years since I’ve played AD&D, but reading this rules system and adventure, it seemed very well explained and I can see how it can be adapted to other RPG systems. The adventure really sounded like a fun one to me, and there were multiple side quests and options for different outcomes depending on what choices the players make. There is no intended ending for this one. It is entirely up to the players as to who they choose to interact with and what they choose to do or not do. And there are outcomes that are well thought out and planned no matter which path your party chooses to take. There’s even an outcome for if they choose to do nothing at all and simply enjoy their afterlife in this realm that exists between life and death.

All in all, I was impressed by how well thought out it all was by the creators of this adventure/realm. It sounds like a very fun idea, and one that I could see quite a few people enjoying, no matter what types of players are in the group. I’ve played in adventures where everything went according to plan, as well as ones where it feels like the group “took a left turn in Albuquerque” and have gone so far “off-script” from what was planned for them that the Game Master had no idea how to get them back on track. But so far as I could tell, this one allows for that to happen and lets the players determine when and where the story will go.

All in all, if you enjoy playing RPGs, then this is one that I think you should consider giving a try. It definitely sounds like fun to me. Recommended.

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Elixir of Life by Andrew Dulay

This was a  medical thriller dealing with life and death, involving the medical staff in a Saudi Arabian hospital, their patients, the people of the town, a group of men who arrange for the illegal buying and selling of human organs for transplant, as well as those who decide to sell one of their own kidneys.  This book deals with some tough issues, including alcohol addiction, rape, poverty, adultery, accidental death, and murder. For many very obvious reasons, this is not a happy tale, though it ends on a more positive note for some of the characters than it does for others.

I read a review copy of this book, and while I did enjoy parts of the story a great deal, there were other aspects that I had some problems with. It is a complex tale with what feels like four distinct, though often intertwining, plotlines going on. It is also a very, very long book--at the end of the story, my Kindle said I had read about 750 pages.

I also feel that this book could have possibly benefitted with another round of editing and definitely needed a proofreader's expertise as well. While everything was spelled correctly, there were a number of wrong words and incorrect forms of words (example: passed vs past and light casted shadows vs light cast shadows). 

One other item that I felt was a bit problematic for me (though others may feel differently) and that added to my feeling of this book being too long, was that at times it went into great detail on a transplant surgery. While I do understand that some of the plot does revolve around things that happened during surgery, the book often goes into great, specific detail involving the minutiae of the surgery. For me, it was much more detail than I felt like I, as a reader, needed or wanted to know. And in some cases, with me not having a medical background, it meant the involved items were meaningless to me. I felt that much of what I read was unnecessary and that leaving it out would have made the book easier to read and more enjoyable for me overall. 

As I mentioned, there were parts of the story I enjoyed a great deal. The characters were very interesting and their individual stories were often the parts that I truly enjoyed learning about. The author did a good job of interweaving several intertwined, but initially separate plotlines together, and those were some of what I found most enjoyable about the story. But with over 700 pages, I do feel that this book would have overall been better off had it been broken into two or three books, rather than keeping it as one extremely long novel. And as such, I feel that I must rate this one as 2.5 stars, for while I did enjoy parts of it, there was room for improvement, especially when it came to the editing/proofreading.

That being said, I do feel that those who enjoy medical thrillers that clearly contain a great deal of actual medical knowledge and expertise from the author will likely enjoy this book more than I did.

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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.

Witch Of the Red Thorn by Maria DeVivo

In the town of New Haven Harbor, It has been three years since the last of the Salem Witch Trials ended. Reverend Boone is aging, and a new priest will soon be arriving to replace him. While Barbara and her sister are out in the woods collecting flowers to decorate the church, they come across What appears to have been a ritual sacrifice. Hoping that it isn't a sign that Salem's evils are now targeting their town, Barbara sends Tansy back with a warning not to reveal what they had seen. Then she returns to clean the site of the remnants left behind of the evil ritual before the new reverend arrives, hoping it was just someone's idea of a prank. But she will soon learn the truth.

I received a review copy of this book. It is the second book in the series and I enjoyed it a great deal. It is a rather dark tale that takes place in a time when there had been great hysteria over suspected witchcraft and devil worship. In this story, we once again find both. In the beginning, everyone in town appears to be good and godly people. And while many of them may be, there is always something hidden inside that doesn't quite follow the norms of society. And in this case, not only does that prove true, but there are also evil and demonic forces living among them. Some of whom are only beginning to discover their power.

I found this story very interesting. While It is book two in the series, it takes place both well before book one but also directly references some of the events in that book. Be warned, this book does contain a fair amount of graphic sex, violence, Satanic rituals, and gore. It is not a book meant for younger readers. 

But if you have read and enjoyed the previous book in this series, then I believe you will also enjoy this one. If you enjoy stories that, while not about the Salem witch trials themselves but that are similar and do reference them, or if you enjoy horror stories, then this book is one that you will Likely enjoy as well.

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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.

Dusk Walker" by Crystal Wood

Echo's former mentor has gone missing from the realm where the dead souls who have not yet moved on to their final destination reside. No one knows what has happened to him, but Echo is determined to find and help him out of whatever trouble he may be in. Did I mention there seems to be a soul eater on the loose in the realm of the dead as well? So a party of adventurers is gathered to solve this mystery and rescue Echo's missing mentor.

This is the first book in s new series. It also ties to/is set in the world of a new Role Playing Game called Black Ballad. (I will be posting an upcoming review of the RPG as it has not yet been released, so keep your eyes open for both the RPG and my review of it.) I read a review copy of this book, and enjoyed it. It is a complex tale that involves both the realm of the living and the dead, though the majority of the tale takes place in the realm where the dead souls live. Some things may at times seem a bit contradictory, but I promise you that if you keep reading, they are explained in a way that makes complete sense as to why they actually do not contradict what you may have thought was happening. (Sorry that I can’t be clearer here, but I don’t want to include any spoilers in my review.)

I enjoyed this book. It was a fun tale that reminded me of when I was in high school & played a lot of D&D adventures as well as read a lot of the books that tied into those settings. So for me, while the setting was a different realm, the concept had me remembering my high school days & my enjoyment of both the game and the books. 

If you are like me and either both played RPG games & read the books, or if you simply enjoyed the novels associated with the various D&D realms, then you will definitely enjoy this book. And if you've not previously tried either one, but enjoy a good adventure fantasy novel, then give this one a try. I found it fun and entertaining. (And no, you don’t need to have any understanding of the game to enjoy the accompanying novels.

https://amzn.to/3TZbsOL (Link to book on Amazon)

https://4horsemenpublications.com/product/dusk-walker-a-black-ballad-novel-chronicles-of-the-crossing-1/ (Link to the book on the Publisher's website)

https://books2read.com/u/3nMO28 (Books2Read 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.

The Disposable Soma by Zeb Haradon

Centuries from now, politics have changed dramatically. The Democratic Party are Conservatives, The Republican Party are Liberals, and the Empathy Party are Anti-Socialists. There is about to be a robot on the Supreme Court, opium and other drugs are commonly used by most everyone, addiction and withdrawal symptoms are easily removed by taking another readily obtained drug, and cybernetically enhanced intelligent parrots are common companions/pets. They are even among the most popular bands. 

This book is a political satire that seems to be about the absurdity of politics and politicians. It shows the lengths that they are willing to go to in order to try and win an election, knowing that most of them have no interest in trying to change anything or make life better for anyone. One of them is even willing to have an opium addicted parrot who is the lead singer of a famous band as his vice president.

This book has quite a few subplots going on in addition to the main election story, making it a rather busy story. The subplots are so intertwined throughout the story, that it took me a while to realize that they were all meant to show the extremes that each of the characters would go through to achieve their own desires, no matter what the cost.

For a good portion of this book, I thought I was seeing some typos in the format of two words that had dropped a space from between them, but toward the end of the book it was made clear that it was intentional. It was supposed to be an example of how language shifts over time, but for me, it threw me off until the explanation came late in the book.

I received a review copy of this book, and honestly, I'm not really certain what I think of it overall. Parts of it I enjoyed, while parts of it I had some trouble placing within the larger story as a whole. This book was the first book in a series, and I suspect that it will become clearer as the story continues to play out in later books. It’s an interesting story, but I feel like there was so much going on that I almost wished that some of the subplots had been left out, as I’m not entirely certain if they have been wrapped up or if they will be further explored in later books.

For me, I would rate this book rate at 3.5 stars. I did enjoy reading it, but I also feel like I missed more about what was supposed to be going on than I should have. I think that anyone who enjoys fictional tales about the absurdity of modern politics and the lengths that politicians will go to in order to win an election, will likely enjoy this book, as will those who enjoy political satire.

https://amzn.to/3VH3Dyu (link to book on Amazon)

https://books2read.com/u/mgyr1q (Books2read 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.

Witch Of the Black Circle by Maria DeVivo

Josephine (Joephie) is a teenager who was cursed by a witch before she was born. Her mother has moved the two of them often. They never really stay anywhere long enough for them to set down roots, and thus Joephie expects that this town will be no different than any other location where they have lived so far. In each town, her mother sends Joephie to a private school and a church youth group, hoping that evil influences can be kept away from her daughter. But in the 1980s, during the height of the “Satanic Panic” and the “sex, drugs, and rock & roll” era, that’s all but an impossible task, when one was already cursed.

I received a review copy of this book and enjoyed reading it. I was in high school during this time period. And as someone who played Dungeons & Dragons at the time, I can’t tell you how often I had to explain to people that it was just a game; it wasn't going to influence me to go out & kill anyone. Having lived through that time period as a teenager, I couldn't resist seeing this author's representation of a group of teenagers in the 1980s.

I enjoyed reading this book. While I was a little disappointed that there was no mention of the game Dungeons & Dragons, MTV, or a myriad of other 1980s specific items, this story was focused primarily on other aspects of the 1980s Satanic Panic. So I do understand why such things were not included in this book, though I would have like to have seen them mentioned. There was still more than enough of the other parental fears and teenage activities that were common back then; some of which went much farther than most teens did back then when it came to exploring the occult. These teenagers sought to actually open a portal and summon Satan

This is a horror novel with all the sex, drugs, and rock & roll that one might expect from a book set during that time period. Throw in some teenagers learning about the occult, the forces of Satan, and some graphic sex, violence, death, and gore, and you've described this book. Be warned that it is not a book meant for younger readers as it does contain some very graphic sex and a fair amount of violence and bloodshed. But for those who enjoy horror novels set in the 1980s, you should enjoy this one. I certainly did.

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

https://books2read.com/u/m2KGe6 (Books2Go link to other Vendors)

https://4horsemenpublications.com/product/witch-of-the-black-circle-dawn-of-the-blood-witch-book-1/

(Link to the book on the 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.