The Prince’s Priest by V.C. Willis

Dante is a Daemon and the Prince of Bloodeater’s. And on the night when he was supposed to undergo the ceremony that changes him from an ordinary Daemon to a Bloodeater Daemon, he takes the cursed dagger that is needed for the ceremony and leaves the palace. He wants to end the curse that changes his kind and created what is known as “the madness,” but underestimates Viceroy Falco’s desire for power. Dante retreated to a farm in the middle of nowhere, falling for the young nephew of the knight who owns the farm. John’s intent is to travel to the capital, where he will train to become a priest, seeking to unite all people in peace, and helping to end “the madness.” But given who each of them is and who they are meant to become, can they succeed?

I received a review copy of this book. This one is the first book in the Traibon Family series. (I had reviewed the prequel to this series and enjoyed it.) I enjoyed reading this book as well. This one focuses on Dante and his desire to break the curse and to live a life away from what was intended for him, and while he did escape with a plan to live on the farm, as you might guess, it soon becomes apparent that such is not meant to be. His past will find him eventually, and he will have to deal with the responsibilities of being the heir, while seeking to remain near the man he loves, but knows he cannot have without causing John to break his vows to the church. Dante refuses to allow that to happen, despite the clear attraction each has for the other.

I enjoyed reading this book. The story is very engaging and kept me wanting to read far too late into the night. I do need to warn readers that this book does contain some graphic male/male sexual encounters. So it is not recommended for younger readers. The sexual tension between the two men is very clear, and their story made my heart ache for them. There is quite a bit of danger that must be faced, especially once they must return to the town and Dante must once again face the fact that he is the king’s heir. 

Ms. Willis is a very talented writer, and anyone who has read her other books will enjoy this one. Anyone who enjoys M/M romance novels that do include some graphic sexual encounters as an important part of the story will also enjoy this book. There is romance, danger and all that might be expected when dealing with forbidden relationships. So if any of that interests you, I think you will enjoy this book as much as I did. (And yes, I do intend to also review the next book in this series.)

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 Deadly Veil by Nelson Mckeeby

Princess Nazira is meant to rule the country with her husband after they have an heir. But her family has been conspiring her whole life to keep her from what is rightfully hers, and she knows that once her child is born, unless she has succeeded in maneuvering enough of the pieces in this game of politics in her favor, she will be killed and her father will continue as the Dominar, denying her child their rights. Things appear to be stacked against her in this game of political intrigue, but if she plays the game right, she may yet manage to survive and see herself on her rightful throne.

I received a review copy of this book and enjoyed reading it. This book is a sequel to On other Shores, and while the first book told the story of her husband, this book is her story. She begins as a young girl, who is too soon forced to grow up if she intends to survive this political landscape and have the life she both wants and deserves. She must learn the game of politics and finding allies quickly, or else will soon find herself dead once her child is born.

I enjoyed seeing her grow and learn. She is a strong, independent character in a world where it was intended to be nothing more than a means to an end. Instead, she is attempting to change the game in her favor. And watching her try to outsmart those who have been at the same game far longer was quite interesting. I think anyone who enjoys stories with strong female characters, foreign cultures and religions, as well as fantasy political intrigue will enjoy reading this book.

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.

Hunting for the Lamb of God by Jamey O’Donnell

When enemy nations execute a plan to destroy the United States, the population is completely unprepared. Multiple EMP blasts are set off over the main continent, causing everything electronic that was not kept either below ground or in a Faraday cage to be rendered useless. In the early days, many people die, and only those who are lucky, prepared for any emergency, willing to help others, or who prey upon other survivors seem to find ways to survive. But for how long?

This book begins by painting a grim picture for humanity. But there is always hope if you know where to look for it. In this book, for many people much of that hope comes from religion. (The title of the book should suggest that religion is a big part of this story.)

I received a review copy of this book, and I had a little trouble getting into the story. It begins with what felt to me like partisan politics. Had the author used a fictional current and previous president, it likely wouldn't have bothered me, but I disliked the representations used of the actual people. (And to be fair, it would have bothered me no matter which way the apparent political leanings went.)

That being said, once I got past the opening set-up, the story became more interesting and entertaining, and mostly without the political aspects that I found so distracting. At that point, the characters and their survival took center stage and captured my interest. While much of it is a bit dark, it also contains a great deal of hope. And watching the two main families come together as one extended family, helping each other to survive, and coming up with a plan together did hold my interest through to the end. 

This book ends with a bit of a cliffhanger that clearly leads into a sequel.  If you enjoy post-apocalyptic novels with a strong religious theme, once you get past the political opening background (Or if you don't mind the apparent partisan politics), then you'll likely enjoy this book. 

Rating this one for Amazon was difficult for me. I would consider it a solid 3.5 stars, but Amazon only allows reviewers to give full stars, so I had to spend some time considering whether to post it as a three or a four star book. After a great deal of thought, I decided that I had to give it three stars. My reason as to why being that when comparing the enjoyment this book gave me with the many other books that I chose to give four stars to, while I did enjoy this book (once I got past the opening setup), that opening setup made it less enjoyable for me than the four star books that I have reviewed. It was a good book, but had it used entirely fictional characters rather than the actual people who were elected, I don’t believe that it would have contained the issues I found distracting, and I would have given it four stars instead.

https://amzn.to/3T39vzb (Amazon link)

https://books2read.com/u/mZY6vy (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.

"Brigid of Ireland" by Cindy Thomson

Born the daughter of a slave, and separated at a very young age from her mother, Brigid was herself a slave in her father's household. But her life would take her beyond what she was born as, and her faith and kindness would help bring many into the Christian faith in Ireland.

This was a historical fiction novel about the life of a woman who would come to be known as Saint Brigid. It's an interesting tale and one that I enjoyed reading. It gives great insight into the life of a Christian woman living in what was at the time still as much a pagan country as it was becoming more and more Christian. 

I enjoyed reading this, and I think anyone curious about Saint Brigid or what life was like for Christians in a pagan country long ago would enjoy this book. Be aware that religion is, of necessity, a very large part of this book. (You can't really separate religion from the life of someone who was declared a Saint, now can you?) So if you do not enjoy books that are heavy on religion then this book may not be for you. But if you enjoy historical fiction, or books involving someone with a strong religious faith, then you will likely enjoy this book.

This book may also be available through:

https://books2read.com/u/3yQQzJ

"The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood

This was a tale that takes place in the country of Gilead, though that wasn't what it had always been called. The country had started out as a democracy, but over time many in power had turned to extreme religion, turning the country into a theocracy where women had no rights, their possessions were taken from them and turned over to male relatives, they were no longer allowed to hold any job outside the home, and many other changes began to take place as well.  It started out as a slow decline that many didn’t see coming in the beginning, but soon spiraled out of control as the religious extremists took control.

In the end, women who were capable of bearing children were forced to become surrogates & bear children for those who could not get pregnant to raise as their own. Little choice was given to these women, and the other options should they continue to refuse were far worse.

I decided to read this book because of the many parallels between this fictional story and much of what is happening in the real world today. It is a story that seems as if it should be impossible, but there are many women who have just been stripped of some of their rights by those in power, and there is a clear path from that to many other rights being stripped away as well in the name of religion. For a fictional story, the parallels between what happened in this book and the world today are uncomfortably real and painfully clear.

I believe that this is a book that should be read at least once in your life, especially now, though I'm sure many will not agree. Beyond that, I will only say that I found this to be a very powerful cautionary tale of what can potentially happen even in a world where so many are still fighting to hold on their rights and to improve their lives and the lives of others. It may be a fictional tale, but I could see it could very easily become reality under the right circumstances.