Rise of the Alpha (The Rise series) : Helen Dhanoya

The first book from a new author. A good start to a new PNR series.

This is the first book from new author, Helen Dhanoya. It’s the first of a PNR series focusing on a group of wolf shifter packs in the USA. The book contains scenes of moderate violence and some scenes of a sexual nature. 

The story centres on 20 year old Alpha, Dahlia, who is the first female Alpha in their region. Dahlia’s parents were murdered when she was in her teens and she went to live with her grandparents. Following the kidnapping of her grandmother by the same group that murdered her parents, Dahlia is forced to take on her Alpha role much sooner than planned in order to fight this enemy and rescue her grandmother. 

The story has a good level of complexity with enough action and characters to keep it interesting. The writing improves as the book goes on and the author gains confidence. There is some character growth and development through the book. 

I enjoyed this story. As this is the first in the series, I am hopeful that we will see continued improvement in writing and that this will be reflected in character development and on that assumption, I would read the second book.

Available from Amazon 

Deep Sea Kiss (Norse Sea Dragons Book 1) : Zoe Ashwood

Here be Dragons! 

This is the first in a series of two books set in remote, coastal Norway. The story is PNR with an HEA and there are scenes of a sexual nature.

I really enjoyed this story of sea dragons and witches. It’s a different take on the usual tropes. Zoe Ashwood has a style of writing which flows well and is easy to read. It’s a light-hearted, fun read and I got through the whole book in a couple of hours. Her characters are interesting and believable and I found myself invested in the plight of this single Mum and her potential new love.

Lottie is a human nurse who has come to live in Norway from America. Her life is turned upside down when a one night stand results in a surprise pregnancy with twins. Lottie’s search for their father leads her to his brother, Eiric, who informs her that not only has the man she is looking for died but that his family are not entirely human and nor are her twins.

Lottie has a choice: remain in the human world and try to cope with the changes her children will go through and the knowledge that she and they are vulnerable to attacks from the witches who have been trying to wipe out their kind for centuries, or move to a remote, isolated island where her children can be raised with family and learn about their own supernatural side. Her life is further complicated when she realises that her feelings for Eiric are deeper than expected but are they reciprocated?

This is the first book I’ve read from this author but it won’t be the last. Book two is out. I will be reading it. 

Available from Amazon 

Love’s Goddess - Poppy’s Potions (Haven Hollow, Book 5) : HP Mallory & JR Rain

Chaos and Coercion. Can Poppy save a scared Succubus from her demon family?

This is the third book in the Poppy’s Potions series.  It’s another really enjoyable collaboration between HP Mallory and JR Rain and it’s my favourite in this series so far, giving us a deeper insight into several characters and taking us through a more complex storyline than the previous two books. 

The book falls in the Paranormal Women’s Fiction genre and although there’s a little romance, there are no adult scenes and romance is not the main focus of this book. 

The majority of the book is set in Haven’s Hollow, USA following the increasingly complex and magical life of Poppy, a 40-something year old Gypsy descendant of Scottish Travellers. 

Poppy’s relationship with her Sasquatch boyfriend isn’t going as well as hoped. They are increasingly arguing and there doesn’t seem to be a way to break the cycle. Things are further complicated when the town’s Succubus, Fifi, comes to Poppy desperate for help. Helping Fifi means inviting the attention of Fifi’s demon family, who bring chaos to the small town, forcing a brief and hair raising escape to the sanctuary of the Sasquatch colony in the mountains. 

This book has a darker tone than the previous two; briefly touching on the unpleasant subjects of coercion and the threat of being unwillingly forced into situations. These subjects are integral to the storyline and covered in an appropriate way. 

Poppy was already a well developed and relatable character but I think we get to know her so much better in this book. There are more appearances from the variety of characters which cross between this series and the Wanda’s Witchery series. 

The two series should be read parallel to each other and the reading order so far is:

Gypsy Magic (Poppy’s Potions, Book One) 

Cashmere Curses (Wanda’s Witchery, Book One)

Faery Enchantment (Poppy’s Potions, Book Two)

Spandex Sorcery (Wanda’s Witchery, Book Two)

Love’s Goddess (Poppy’s Potions, Book Three) 

I really enjoy the easy writing style of HP Mallory and JR Rain and I’m looking forward to the next books for both Poppy and Wanda.

Available from Amazon

Rise of the Tobian Princess : D.L. Gardner

An epic tale of war and magic, love and loss, good and evil, family and foe. 

Rise of the Tobian Princess is the first book in the Sword of Cho Nisi trilogy; a planned fantasy saga set in faraway lands in an age before technology. This is a tale of war and magic, love and loss, good and evil, family and foe. 

The Kingdoms of Potamia and Cho Nisi are threatened by a malevolent magical entity. They must ally to fight it but when tragedy befalls the Cho Nisi King before a mission to support Potamian troops, can the alliance hold? 

Erika, youngest of the Potamian princesses, is determined to go into battle alongside her brother to fight for the land of her people but her inexperienced actions trigger political upheaval and jeopardise the fragile alliance. 

Arell, the new King of Cho Nisi, is forced into a role he didn’t want and is unprepared for. Can he get past the untimely death of his Father to rule his island of peaceful magic users fairly while maintaining an alliance with the Kingdom where his Father was slain?

The writing is beautifully descriptive, painting a clear picture for the reader and the world building is wonderful and complex. The array of characters and cultures grow as the story unfolds. I found myself invested in their journeys and lifestyles. I celebrated their successes and felt their losses. 

There are battles, politics, magic, monsters and still within that there is love and family. I am very much looking forward to book two. 

Available from Amazon 

Chosen (Owenson Witches Book 1) : Dreia Wells

First book from a new author. A good base to build upon.

This novella is the first in the Owenson Witches series and falls in the Paranormal Romance (PNR) genre. It is the first offering from new author, Dreia Wells. 

Let me start this review by saying that I liked this story. It has promise. The characters are solid and can be developed further. It’s a good base to build upon and I’m interested to see where she takes it from here. 

That said, it’s not quite polished enough. The story needs to be expanded upon. The framework is there but it needs to be fleshed out more. The characters need more depth. The novella could have done with beta readers and proofreaders. The credits acknowledged an editor but there were several grammar, punctuation and spelling errors which should have been picked up as part of the editorial process. 

All in all, I would give book two a chance and I hope that the author gets a lot more support through the editorial process for that book than they got with this one.

Available from Amazon 

The Year I Left : Christine Brae

A beautifully written tale of bereavement and love, grief and joy, loss and self discovery

This is a beautifully written book about loss, grief, self discovery and love. It’s a standalone book which covers some difficult and adult topics and does it so well.

I was captivated by this story, which really takes you on a complex journey through the eyes of a woman whose sudden loss of her mother triggers a descent into clinical depression. We see the impact that her declining mental state and subsequent withdrawal has on her family and her work. How she finds forbidden love and despite her initial reservations, does something hugely out of character to try and find herself again.

The world building felt so real and was so vividly descriptive that I could almost see myself there. 

It was an incredibly emotional read. I felt her pain and her joy. I felt her loss and her love. The writing style really pulls you in and makes this a real and relatable story. The characters are complex and believable. It’s not often that I get so emotionally invested in fictional characters but I loved them all just a little bit and am sad now that I have finished the book and they are all still within its pages and no longer part of my own journey. 

I wholeheartedly recommend this book. This is the first time I’ve read anything by this author but it definitely won’t be the last.

Available from Amazon

 

The Venetian and the Rum Runner: LA Witt

A forbidden love affair in the time of Gangsters and Prohibition set in 1920s New York

This is a romance with M/M relationship and scenes of sex and gang related violence.

I loved this tale of forbidden love between an Italian gangster and an Irish rum runner during a time when society believed there were few worse evils than being homosexual. 

This book is filled with all the action, secrecy and violence that you’d expect during the time when organised crime ruled the streets and courthouses and the local speakeasy was the only place to get alcohol. When the poor starved to death and for many, a life of crime was the only way to make ends meet.

The writer has clearly researched the language and social structure of that time and the story is well written. The historical tensions between the Italian gangs and the Irish gangs, which frequently led to bloodshed and death, is well documented and comes to life in this book. 

Available from Amazon 

The Mermaid Next Door (Midlife Mermaid, Book 1) : HP Mallory & JR Rain

A daring escape into an unknown world

This Paranormal Women’s Fiction book is the first in the Midlife Mermaid series in another good collaboration between HP Mallory and JR Rain. I originally read this book in February 2021.

The story is set in a coastal town, where the female MC has fled to in order to escape an arranged marriage.  Eva is a 40 year old mermaid whose only option is to leave her ocean and come to the shore if she wants to avoid becoming the property of the new king.

Eva has to get to grips with trying to fit into a human society she knows little about and which knows nothing of her people. This book centres on her building a friendship with Wendy, who takes her in at the start and examining her confusing feelings for Sawyer, her new landlord.

For me, this is the first time reading a novel from the perspective of a mermaid. I imagine there would be a wealth of difficulties adapting from an underwater environment to one on land, let alone adapting to the societal norms of that new environment. 

I enjoyed this book. It laid a good ground for events to come and I’m interested to see how characters develop and whether Eva will be able to fit into a human existence. 

Available from Amazon.

Spandex Sorcery - Wanda’s Witchery (Haven Hollow, Book 4) : HP Mallory & JR Rain

Chaotic magic, murder and mayhem. Can Wanda get to grips with her new life before her old one catches up with her? 

This is the second book in the Wanda’s Witchery series and is a collaboration between HP Mallory and JR Rain. I first read this book in April 2021.

The book falls in the Paranormal Women’s Fiction genre and although there’s the potential for romance, there are no adult scenes and romance is not the main focus of this book. 

We find ourselves back in Haven Hollow, USA following the increasingly complex and magical life of Wanda, a 140 year old witch who has left her coven to seek sanctuary in the hollow after being turned into a blood witch by a vampire. Wanda’s status as blood witch is something which carries a death sentence amongst witches and is not tolerated by vampires. 

Her magic is becoming increasingly unstable and hard to control and after accidentally destroying her home and performing some magic which until then had been thought impossible, she finds herself having to rely on her neighbours and her vampire landlord for help, something witches don’t do.

Things go from bad to worse when a shallow grave is uncovered in the garden of the property Wanda is about to move into. Can she find the murderer and get to grips with her new magic before her either her old coven come for her or the vampires do?

Wanda remains a feisty character who is begrudgingly starting to adapt to life in a community, despite her solitary nature. She even reigns in her traditional dislike of Gypsies and finds herself increasingly drawn to friendship with Poppy, the Hollow’s resident Gypsy. There is crossover with this series and the Poppy’s Potions series and we see several familiar characters appearing throughout the story. 

The Wanda’s Witchery series and the Poppy’s Potions series run in parallel to each other, set in the same town. If you haven’t already read those, start with Gypsy Magic (Poppy’s Potions, Book One) followed by Cashmere Curses (Wanda’s Witchery, Book One), then Faery Enchantment ( Poppy’s Potions, Book Two) before reading this book. 

This is another good collaboration by HP Mallory and JR Rain. They write well together, which makes for a smooth flowing story which is interesting and easy to become immersed in. I’m already looking forward to the next books in both these series.  

Available from Amazon.

Faery Enchantment - Poppy’s Potions (Haven Hollow, Book 3) : HP Mallory & JR Rain

Missing children and an unexpected magical alliance. 

This is the second book in the Poppy’s Potions series.  It’s another really enjoyable collaboration between HP Mallory and JR Rain. I first read this book in February 2021.

The book falls in the Paranormal Women’s Fiction genre and although there’s a little romance, there are no adult scenes and romance is not the main focus of this book. 

We find ourselves back in Haven Hollow, USA following the increasingly complex and magical life of Poppy, a 40-something year old human descendant of Scottish Travellers. Poppy is just settling into small town life with her new boyfriend when a series of mysterious events turns her life upside down. Children are going missing and Poppy must join forces with the town’s resident witch, a traditional adversary of gypsies and travellers, to try and find them.

HP Mallory and JR Rain write well together, which makes for a smooth flowing story which is interesting and easy to become immersed in. The characters are developing well and Poppy is very down to earth and relatable. There is a fairly large cast of characters which cross over between this series and the Wanda’s Witchery series, which run parallel to each other, set in the same town. If you haven’t already read Gypsy Magic (Poppy’s Potions, Book One) and Cashmere Curses (Wanda’s Witchery, Book One), then I’d recommend reading both those books first. 

I read this book in one sitting and really enjoyed it. I’m looking forward to the next books in both series. 

Available from Amazon.

Cashmere Curses - Wanda’s Witchery (Haven Hollow, Book 2) : HP Mallory & JR Rain

A Witch Interrupted. How a gift from a Vampire turned this Witch’s life upside-down and inside-out. 

This is the first book in the Wanda’s Witchery series and is a collaboration between HP Mallory and JR Rain. The book falls in the Paranormal Women’s Fiction genre. I first read this book in December 2020.

The story is set in the small town of Haven Hollow, somewhere in the USA. The town is home both to humans and myriad secretive magical folk. The town may seem familiar to some readers as it’s also the setting for the Poppy’s Potions series. If you haven’t read Gypsy Magic, you really should go and grab yourself a copy of that now. 

Our main character is Wanda, who is a 140 year old Witch, which is roughly middle aged as far as Witches of her kind go. She leads a privileged and pampered life; fabulous home, money, expensive car, interfering Mother who also happens to be the High Priestess of their coven, irritating and arrogant Familiar. What more could a Witch want? 

All of that changes when Wanda is involved in a car crash which should have sent her soul back to the universe to be reborn. Instead, she is rescued by a Vampire, who bestows upon her his Vampire’s Kiss in order to save her life. 

Wanda is furious! A Vampire’s Kiss might gift an ordinary human with immortality but for a Witch, it’s more of a curse. She’s an outcast now. Gone are the home, money, expensive car and her place in her coven. Gone too are the magical skills she took for granted, replaced by a new and unpredictable magic. 

In order to avoid her Mother imprisoning her in a remote cottage, Wanda sells what she can, throws her remaining belongings into her newly bought clapped out old car and heads to Haven Hollow with her Familiar to start life again as a Blood Witch.

As if all that wasn’t enough to contend with, Wanda quickly discovers that her Vampire rescuer is not only resident in the same small town but he has a new found obsession with her, which she does not reciprocate.

In Haven Hollow Wanda will have to learn to control her changed magic, live without privilege, accept other supernatural beings and magic users as part of daily life and find out what it is to trust others and belong to a diverse community. 

Wanda is a feisty and relatable character and I found myself liking her more and more as I progressed through the book. There is crossover with this series and the Poppy’s Potions series and we see several familiar characters appearing throughout the story. 

The story flows beautifully and is well written and engaging. I read it from end to end in one sitting. I’m looking forward to the next book set in Haven Hollow, whichever series it may be. 

Available from Amazon.

Gypsy Magic - Poppy’s Potions (Haven Hollow, Book 1) : HP Mallory & JR Rain

Magic, angry ghosts and mysterious small-town locals. A cracking start to this series. 

This is the first in the Poppy’s Potions series. I originally read this book in October 2020.

I really enjoyed reading this collaboration between HP Mallory and JR Rain. The book falls in the Paranormal Women’s Fiction genre with the potential for some romance thrown in for good measure. 

Our main character is Poppy, a 40-something year old human descendant of Scottish Travellers who now lives in the USA. She’s down to earth, tired and needs to get her life back on track. 

After banishing a poltergeist from her city home, Poppy decides to sell up and move with her son to what she hopes is a quiet little town out in the middle of nowhere, Haven Hollow. Her efforts at opening her new shop selling her magical potions and renovating the very dilapidated house she bought at auction are somewhat hampered by the reappearance of a ghost who hitched a ride when she moved, as well as the discovery that the neighbours in her quiet little town aren’t quite what they first appear to be. Mysteries abound and Poppy is suspicious. 

The story develops at a good pace. Poppy is a very relatable character. There is the potential for romance between her and at least two of the locals. Who will she choose, if anyone? The book ends with the solving of one mystery and Poppy’s introduction to some members of her community whose existence must remain secret, which could potentially have an unwanted impact on her relationship with her son. 

The book is well written and flows beautifully. Although there were enough clues throughout the book for me to correctly guess some of the outcomes, it didn’t spoil my enjoyment of the story. I stayed up reading into the early hours. There are a broad range of characters and I look forward to seeing how they develop over the series. 

Available from Amazon.

Demi-Fae (The Nancarow Saga Book 2) : Molly Storm

This is the second book in the Nancarow saga. I originally read this in July 2020.

In this book we see Malena Nancarow develop and really start to grow into herself, increasingly reflecting her Fae heritage. The decisions she made in book 1 see her drawn into the political intrigue of her adopted home as the threat of war between two factions of Fae grows increasingly near. 

Malena continues to investigate her family history while searching for her former love. She explores her changing feelings as she becomes closer to the Fae who surround her especially towards one Fae in particular. 

The story is filled with politics, the threat of war, magic, imprisonment, rescue and love. There is a third book to come and I’m looking forward to it. 

Available from Amazon.

Nancarow (The Nancarow Saga Book 1) : Molly Storm

Nancarow is the first book in this fantasy saga. I originally read this book in July 2020.

This book is a voyage of self discovery centred around Malena Nancarow, a young woman who ventures into the unfamiliar realm of the Fae to rescue the person who she believes is the love of her life. 

Malena will have to overcome her fear of the Fae, something instilled in her since childhood, to journey through the Fae realm of Arcadia. Along the way she unearths the secrets of her mixed heritage and faces difficult choices which result in an abrupt change to the direction of the path she thought her future would take her down.

This story of magic, Fae, fairies and life in another realm drew me in from the start. It’s well written, the characters are relatable and grow with the story and by the end of this book I was left wanting more.

Available from Amazon.

 

Shadowmark (Raven Cursed Book 4) : McKenzie Hunter

This is the fourth instalment of McKenzie Hunter’s Raven Cursed series and this is turning out to be my favourite of all the work she has done so far.  If you’ve read the previous books, you’ll definitely want to dive headlong into this. Once again, I paused everything else I was reading to immerse myself back into this universe. I originally read this book in January 2021.

I love McKenzie Hunter’s style of writing. It flows well and pulls you along at a pace which matches the scenes being described. I can read these books with confidence, knowing there won’t be any glaring grammatical or continuity errors to break the suspension of my disbelief.

I am fully invested in all the characters and they are so well developed. I read a lot, often around seven books a week and I can honestly say that Erin is one of my favourite female characters. I relate to her so strongly. In terms of character development, there has been a marked growth in her maturity and magical ability over the series and I found myself really rooting for her.

In the last few books we have had the question of #teammephisto or #teamasher. Without spoilers, I can confirm that a decision was finally made and I, for one, was very happy with that decision. Here’s hoping that there are more of these scenes in future books.

I finished the book having had many questions answered as one story arc closed but with many more raised as a new arc began. As ever, the ending was dramatic and brilliantly done. I hadn’t seen it coming and I’m delighted. That big shiny hook has definitely reeled me in and I’m hankering for book five. It can’t come soon enough.

If you read and enjoyed the previous books in this series, you won’t be disappointed. If you haven’t read the previous books, what are you waiting for? Go and get them.

I’m off to nurse my book hangover with a cuppa and a lie down. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did. 

Available from Amazon

Nightsoul (Raven Cursed Book 3) : McKenzie Hunter

This is the third instalment of McKenzie Hunter’s Raven Cursed series and each book is better than the last.  If you’ve read the first two (Fireborne and Silverfall), you’ll definitely want to jump right into this. I paused everything else I was reading to immerse myself back in this universe. This is Urban Fantasy and PNR. I originally read this book in June 2020.

Erin is a well developed character and in this book we find out more about her heritage and see a massive change in her magical abilities.  We finally discover what Mephisto is and a lot more about what makes him tick. The dynamic between these two is intense with a forbidden feel to it and is further complicated by input from other characters. 

We see a continuing development in the relationship between Erin and Asher, the powerful Shifter Alpha and are given more insight into his character and feelings for her. There’s a definite call for #teammephisto or #teamasher here. Not your average paranormal romance. 

The book is well written and flows seamlessly. The characters are complex, relatable and I found myself invested in what happens to them. There is a lot going on in this story. New characters and plot twists abound. Questions are answered but more are asked. As always, the book closes on a dramatic crescendo, leaving us dying to know more and wanting to dive headlong into the next book. 

Available at Amazon

Silverfall (Raven Cursed Book 2) : McKenzie Hunter

This is the second book in the Raven Cursed series. It falls under Urban Fantasy and PNR with a slow burn. I originally read this book in January 2020.

If, like me, you were completely taken with book one (Fireborne) and were waiting with anticipation for this second book, you won’t be disappointed. McKenzie Hunter has outdone herself. It’s packed with action, intrigue, believable world building and well developed characters. 

Erin is the main character. Her inner monologue gives us a fantastic insight into who she is and frequently provides an element of comedy. She remains one of McKenzie Hunter’s most relatable female characters and is definitely one of my favourites. 

The Raven mark which was revealed in book one has signified that she is far more dangerous than anyone had anticipated. Erin doesn’t know how or why but she does know she’s attracting attention from all sides and it’s hard to tell who is friend or foe. There are only a few people she can trust but they might not be able to keep her safe. In an attempt to discover more about her magic and protect her from Mephisto, her friend accidentally unleashes a powerful entity which poses a threat to the shifters. Erin really doesn’t need the shifters and their powerful Alpha as mortal enemies, so she has no choice but to turn to Mephisto for help in order to protect her friend.  

Despite great character development and more insight into his magic, Mephisto‘s background and history remain a mystery. He is willing to help Erin but at what cost to her? 

You can buy the book from Amazon UK

Fireborne (Raven Cursed Book 1) : McKenzie Hunter

This is the first in a new urban fantasy series by McKenzie Hunter. I originally read this book in November 2019.

I’ve read everything else McKenzie Hunter has written and this is by far my favourite yet. What a way to start the new series.

The writing is good and flows well. The world building is solid and believable and the characters are interesting. The story is set in a place where magic users and mundane live alongside each other. Some magic is acceptable. Some is not. 

Erin is our main character and is quite possibly the most relatable of all the female characters I’ve read in a while. Her magic is most definitely not considered acceptable. She struggles in trying to live up to expectations in controlling it and has enough flaws to make her feel real and likeable. She drinks too much, she’s constantly in trouble with authorities, has mandatory court ordered visits with a therapist and can’t seem to keep herself on the straight and narrow. 

Mephisto is our anti-hero. He reveals just enough of himself to intrigue and yet hides enough to leave you wondering just who and what he really is. He’s definitely not human, despite looking like a very well built one. He has magic. He’s got more than a passing interest in Erin and her forbidden magic. However, where he comes from, what he really wants with Erin and how powerful his magic really is, remain mysteries. 

Erin’s job is to retrieve the missing or stolen. Her latest job drags her into a magical underbelly where a spell reveals the mark of the Raven. A mark which identifies her as something deadly and piques the interest of the magical elite, which is something she definitely doesn’t want. 

The main characters are well developed and I was invested in their stories. The secondary characters are interesting and I hope we delve further into their journeys as the series progresses. 

If you like Paranormal Romance (PNR) and Urban Fantasy (UF) then I’m sure you’ll enjoy this book. 

You can buy it from Amazon UK.

Welcome to the Bookdragon’s Den

 

Welcome to my little corner of the internet; a cozy place where putting your feet up with a cuppa and a book to escape into is actively encouraged. 

I decided to start writing this blog after spending the last year reading like it’s going out of fashion and writing more and more reviews of the books I’d read. 

I like to have a small level of organisation amid the chaos of my life, so I thought a blog would be a good way to start storing all my reviews in one place. This does of course mean that I have to reacquaint myself with technology and relearn how to use tags and labels but I’m sure I’ll get the hang of it again.

I’ll start by posting the reviews I’ve done over the past year. Comments and conversations are always welcome, as are recommendations of books you’d like me to read and review.