MISFIT ANGEL

Misfit Angel by Stephanie Foxe
Book 2 of the Misfit Pack series
Narrated by Amanda Dolan
Genre: urban fantasy
Format: ebook & audiobook

About Misfit Angel:

Demons are tricksters. Never forget that.

Amber made it through the Trials and is trying to rebuild her life alongside her new pack. She just wants peace.

But once you make a deal with a demon, peace is no longer an option.

As the lines between good and evil become blurred, Amber will find herself facing an impossible choice and a terrible battle. With the werewolf council breathing down her neck and a sorcerer threatening everyone she loves, she will have to depend on her pack more than ever.

And find the strength to fight back.

Source: Info in the About Misfit Angel was taken from GoodReads at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42643929-misfit-angel on 03/10/2019.

Buy Link(s):
 

[Image Credit: Wes-Talbott]

My Thoughts:

This time around, the author has added the "war of angels and demons" of the Christian faith angle to the story, which is interesting! It spiced things up! And Woggy is kinda growing on me... While still aligning the story with the series' main story arch, this book actually has a plot of it's own. Something I trully appreciated after having read a few urban fantasy books that did not. It's not thick and it's not twisty, but it is there! Kudos to this urban fantasy author!! This series is starting to really get its hooks in me! And I am happy to recommend it to all urban fantasy readers!!

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 4.5
Character development = 4.5
Story itself = 4
Writing Style = 4.5
Ending = 3.5
World building = 5
Cover art = 4.5
Pace = 4
Plot = 4
Narration = 5

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 cherries

Meet The Author

About Stephanie Foxe:

Stephanie Foxe was born and raised near Houston, TX. She grew up playing in the pond and woods in her backyard, and devouring every book she could get her hands on.

Her teen years were spent transitioning slowly from reader, to writer. She spent most evenings on the phone with her cousin writing the first few pages to many books that would never be finished.

Her adult years were spent toiling away at a corporate job until one fateful day when she heard about a little writing project called NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). From there, the idea of writing a book went from a fanciful dream to a finished manuscript. The first book in the Witch’s Bite series was written, and Stephanie was addicted.

Now, she has plans to publish everything from paranormal fantasy to science fiction.

One book at a time.

Join the Newsletter to be kept updated on any new releases. Sign up today to receive Unsteady Magic, the short story prequel to the Witch’s Bite series, for free!

stephaniefoxe.com | twitter | facebook | pinterest | amazon | goodreads

The Narrator

About Amanda Dolan:

Amanda is a New York City based actor, improvisor and voiceover artist, who has recorded over 100 audiobooks. She has an MFA in acting from Brown University, and is a member of Actors’ Equity.

Born in Astoria, New York, but lucky enough to have been transplanted to sunny Orange County, CA, Amanda’s upbringing was a perfect mix of East meets West (And by East she means bagels, not sushi).

Amanda loves to develop new plays and musicals. She has workshopped new work with Trinity Rep, Pipeline Theater Company, Soho Rep, Marginal Man Theater Company, The Lark Play Development Center, Playwrights Rep, Brown University and many more.

In addition to stage and film work, Amanda can be heard voicing hundreds of characters in over 100 audiobooks for Audible, Inc., AudioGo (BBC Audiobooks America), Blackstone Audio, John Marshall Media, HarperCollins, and Tantor Media.

www.amanda-dolan.com | facebook | youtube | pinterest | goodreads

FTC Disclosure:
The different formats of this book were purchased with private funds.
No money received for this review.

SWEEP WITH ME

The Book

Sweep With Me by Ilona Andrews
Book 4.5 of the Innkeeper Chronicles series
Read by Natalie Naudus
Genre: urban fantasy
Format: ebook & audiobook

About Sweep With Me:

A charming, short novella in the Innkeeper Chronicles, from #1 New York Times bestselling author, Ilona Andrews.

Thank you for joining us at Gertrude Hunt, the nicest Bed and Breakfast in Red Deer, Texas, during the Treaty Stay. As you know, we are honor-bound to accept all guests during this oldest of innkeeper holidays and we are expecting a dangerous guest. Or several. But have no fear. Your safety and comfort is our first priority. The inn and your hosts, Dina Demille and Sean Evans, will defend you at all costs. [But we hope we don’t have to.]

Every winter, Innkeepers look forward to celebrating their own special holiday, which commemorates the ancient treaty that united the very first Inns and established the rules that protect them, their intergalactic guests, and the very unaware/oblivious people of [planet] Earth. By tradition, the Innkeepers welcomed three guests: a warrior, a sage, and a pilgrim, but during the holiday, Innkeepers must open their doors to anyone who seeks lodging. Anyone.

All Dina hopes is that the guests and conduct themselves in a polite manner. But what’s a holiday without at least one disaster?

Source: Info in the "About Sweep With Me" was taken from GoodReads at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/49353950-sweep-with-me on 09/08/2020.

Buy Link(s):
 

Books In The Innkeeper Chronicles:

Amazon

Amazon

Amazon

Amazon

Amazon

(TBA)

Review

Koo-Ko

My Thoughts:

I was kind of hoping that the Mukama's uncontrollable need to eat children will be explained in this book after reading Sweep Of The Blade. Unfortunately this book is no longer about Maud and Helen but centered around Dina and Sean instead. So no more Mukama mentions. I am still hopeful that the mystery of the Mukama will be revealed in subsequent books in this series.

For such a short story (a novella), this book managed to fit in Koo-kos, Drifen, Medamoth, and Mr. Preston and his ninjas! That is an impressive plot building for such a small space. But then again this is Ilona Andrews we are talking about here, so it shouldn't be too surprising. And of course, masterful story telling quality that made reading this novella too fast! I wanted it to last, but no such luck!

I am an old fan of this series and this author, so this review might just be one big fan rave. However, fan rave or not, it is never-the-less true that this book is a wonderful read!!

Not recommended to be read as an introduction to this series because you will miss out on the start of Dina and Sean and an understanding of the events and characters mentioned in the book.

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 5
Character development = 5
Story itself = 5
Writing Style = 5
Ending = 5
World building = 5
Cover art = 5
Pace = 5
Plot = 5
Narration = 5

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5 cherries



FTC Disclosure:
Copies of the book were purchased with private funds.
No money received for this review.

MAGIC IN MY BONES

Magic In My Bones by Kellie Sheridan
Book 1 of the Lesser Magicks series
Genre: urban fantasy
Format: ebook

About Magic In My Bones:

My name is Melanie Sinclair, and as far as anyone knows, I've been dead since the day I was born.

More than twenty years ago, I was smuggled into Ireland to be raised where the magical community would never find me. Two decades of hiding. Two decades of pretending to be less than I am, blending in with the lesser magicks--those whose abilities are of little interest to the beings in power.

My true fate may not remain a secret much longer.

Humanity is getting too close to learning about a world they may not be ready to handle. In order to fight the growing threat of exposure, the supernatural world will be hosting a summit in Galway, in my city, bringing all of the people my family died to protect me from right to my doorstep.

So much for the luck of the Irish.

Source: Info in the About Magic In My Bones was taken from GoodReads at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35904631-magic-in-my-bones on 20/01/2019.

My Thoughts:

Promising start to a new-to-me series.

I don't know if the author have read the Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs or not, but the story arc with this series, as surmised from this book, is awfully similar to that of the Mercy Thompson series. Of course there are a few deviations like the heroine is not a coyote but a "combination of all magics"... la di bla... But, close enough that it was what made me continue reading this book in the first place. It feed my Mercy Thompson fix craving. So the theme has been around the block a few times too many, however, I do not mind non-originality. What I want is "how the story is told" quality and this book is good. Good enough to make me want to continue reading into this series. Having said that, it wasn't really that which made me buy the second book in this series but because this book ended in a cliffhanger. While it ended the plot in this book, it also left a lot of threads hanging for the next book to get bought. I usually do not like this strategy, but I understand that the publishing industry is a business.  

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 4
Character development = 4
Story itself = 3.5
Writing Style = 4
Ending = 3
World building = 4.5
Cover art = 2.5
Pace = 3.5
Plot = 3

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 cherries


Books In The Lesser Magicks Series:

Amazon

Amazon

Amazon

Meet The Author

About Kellie Sheridan:

Kellie has been in love with stories in all of their forms for as long as she can remember. Admittedly, sometimes that means falling into places like Stars Hollow and Sunnydale, but books have always been her true love.

Kellie spent part of her twenties living in Galway, Ireland and swooning after various lilting accents but is now back home in Ontario, Canada.

www.kelliesheridan.com | twitter | facebook | google+ | instagram | pinterest | youtube | amazon | goodreads

FTC Disclosure:
This book was purchased with private funds.
No money received for this review.

BULLY 4 LOVE: A Rather Odd Love Story

BULLY 4 LOVE: A Rather Odd Love Story by Steven Paul Leiva
Genre: love story

About BULLY 4 LOVE: A Rather Odd Love Story:

"She walked into my classroom ten minutes early on the first day of the Fall 1990 semester at South Pasadena Adult Education. I sat at my desk with my head down, going over notes and a sheet of mandatory announcements.

It was not hard to hear the entrance, which came with a slight swish to it. I raised my head to greet my first adult education student.

She stood just in from the door: a person — a woman — a person, unlike any person I had ever seen or, indeed, have ever seen since, for she was radiant. Radiant — a not unusual adjective and often a metaphor — but at that moment, as she stood there, and as I possibly held my breath, the word was an utterly accurate adjective that was just barely a metaphor."

Thus begins a very odd love story.

Adolphus. Lavinia. Eugene. Peggy. Who loves who?

Love rejected. Love ignored. Love found. And pizza.

"Steven Leiva not only promises he delivers. Bravo!" -- Ray Bradbury, Author of "The Laurel & Hardy Love Affair." Off-beat

Source: Info in the About BULLY 4 LOVE: A Rather Odd Love Story was from the press kit from the publicity team.

Buy Link(s):

Meet The Author

About Steven Paul Leiva:

A refugee from the silly fields of Hollywood where he cavorted with such luminaries as Bugs Bunny and Betty Boop (although the latter was but a brief affair), Steven Paul Leiva has authored nine novels and one novella since 2003. His work has been praised by literary great Ray Bradbury, Oscar-winning film producer Richard Zanuck, NY Times bestselling author and Pulitzer Prize finalist Diane Ackerman, and Star Trek actor John Billingsley, the greatest bookworm in Hollywood. He has received the Scribe Award from the International Association of Media Tie-in Writers. A traveler among several genres, his books include his witty Hollywood thrillers, BLOOD IS PRETTY and HOLLYWOOD IS AN ALL-VOLUNTEER ARMY, his novelization of the indie family film; the Scribe Award-winning 12 DOGS OF CHRISTMAS; his Sci-Fi satire of first-contact told from the point-of-view of the aliens, TRAVELING IN SPACE; his comic look at happy-ever-afters, BY THE SEA; his surreal political fantasia, IMP; his bizarre, possibly audacious, somewhat Sci-Fi novella, MADE ON THE MOON; JOURNEY TO WHERE, a contemporary "scientific romance" written in the tradition of H.G. Wells and Jules Vern; CREATURE FEATURE: A HORRID COMEDY; and his latest, BULLY 4 LOVE, a rather odd love story

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LTP: w | t | f

MM: w | t | f | gr

TEMPT THE STARS

Tempt The Stars by Karen Chance
Book 6 of the Cassandra Palmer series
Narrated by Tara Sands and Allyson Ryan
Genre: urban fantasy
Format: paperback & audiobook

About Tempt The Stars:

Being a goddess is a lot less fun than you might think. Especially when you’re only a half goddess, and you only found out about it recently, and you still don’t know what you’re doing half the time. And when you’ve just used your not-so-reliable powers to burglarize the booby-trapped office of a vampire mob boss.

Yeah, that part sucks.

But that’s just the tip of the iceberg for Cassandra Palmer, aka the Pythia, the freshly minted chief seer of the supernatural world. After all, Cassie still has to save a friend from a fate worse than death, deal with an increasingly possessive master vampire, and prevent a party of her own acolytes from unleashing a storm of fury upon the world. Totally just your average day at the office, right?

Source: Info in the About Tempt The Stars was taken from GoodReads at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12528745-tempt-the-stars on 29/11/2018.

Pritkin

My Thoughts:

It was hard getting into this book. I am an old fan of this series but my following of this series stopped with this book. Well, not really stopped but hit a considerable snag. So much so that it'd been donkeys' years since I read the book preceding this one and I have forgotten what happened in the story already. However I did remember that Pritkin got sucked back home. The force of that premise alone was the reason that this book got read at all! I wanted to know if there would still be a Pritkin in the subsequent books in this series. If not, I don't think I would be following this series still... Which is sad because some books in this series that I have read so far did gave me some laugh-out-loud moments. A rare thing in a lot of books I read. The pace did pick up about three quarters into the book, which is something. The plot is quite straightforward. Heroine is going from A to B, and that is exactly what happened. How she got there is the interesting part. Still, not much of a plot. The world building just got a little bit crazier. Opened up new angles into the story never before hitherto heard of and interesting possibilities blooms... And the ending while it closed the current story, it is also a cliffhanger and a titillation for the next book.

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 4
Character development = 4
Story itself = 3.5
Writing Style = 4
Ending = 3
World building = 4.5
Cover art = 4
Pace = 1.5
Plot = 2
Narration = 4.5

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 cherries

FTC Disclosure:
This book was purchased with private funds.
No money received for this review.