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AUDIO RELEASE: Loren by Crea Reitan
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NEW RELEASE BLITZ: The Prince by Mell Eight (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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COVER REVEAL: Pumped by Linden Bell
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REVIEW: Bump in the Night by Nikole Knight & Lily Mayne
Black Oasis: Bump in the Night – Nikole Knight & Lily Mayne
You never know what’s hiding in your closet…At twenty-six, Ivy has their life figured out. They have a decent paying job at the London office of Somnus Entertainment–the gaming company behind the wildly popular game Black Oasis–a draughty flat they inherited from their wild great aunt, and a few select friends to pass the time. They’re a responsible adult, thank you very much, and while they might get lonely at times, they know better than to put too much stock into that fanciful notion known as love.
But when a skeevy encounter during a fun night at the pub devolves into a violent hate crime, their life changes forever.
Waking up in a demon dimension, beaten within an inch of their life, is bad enough. But add a snarky, haughty healer with the universe’s worst bedside manner, and Ivy knows they’re in for a long, excruciating recovery. Lau the Dreamwraith is prickly, arrogant, and entirely infuriating, but for some strange reason, he seems hellbent on nursing Ivy back to health. Despite Lau’s whinging over their “inferior human qualities,” there is a heat building between them that neither are able to fight. Like a match meeting kerosine, their chemistry ignites, but Ivy’s stay in the demon world is temporary and fire always burns out eventually.
Love is a dream, after all; it has no business in nightmares. Right?
Join Ivy and Lau as they nurture the sparks between them until they explode into an unexpected passion that crosses dimensions in Bump in the Night, the second book in Knight and Mayne’s co-authored queer, monster romance series, Black Oasis.
Bump in the Night is an M/X monster romance full of hurt/comfort, angst, humor, and a sweet, spicy love between a fiery Brit and their arrogant sleep demon. This love story contains explicit content and is not suitable for young readers. Be sure to check the Trigger Warnings at the beginning of the book for more details
Black Oasis, the dark and humorous monster romance series by Nikole Knight and Lily Mayne, is also the name of the MMORPG game about monsters. The first book, Whispers In The Dark, gave us the cinnamon roll Texan gamer, Cody, and his adoring monster boyfriend, Nor.
I recalled the hilarious scene in Whispers In The Dark when Nor’s best friend, the then shit-faced Lau, made cryptic complaints about humans. I was thrilled to find out why in this sequel!
Bump in the Night stars computer programmer Ivy, who works for Somnus Entertainment, the developer of Black Oasis. Ivy is non-binary and wears either pants or a dress. One night, on their way home from a club, they were targeted by haters and left for dead in an alley.
Then they woke up to find themselves in another dimension with a broken leg and more, under the care of an arrogant lilac-skinned sleep demon, Lau. The demon, who’s also the town healer, complains about how inferior humans are while tenderly nursing Ivy’s injuries, even gently shampooing their hair while they bathe.
I lived for the scenes where Lau would fuss and get all annoyed because Ivy was around. The next day, Ivy would find Lau had made him some crutches or retrieved a book from the human world because of a casual comment Ivy had made. The demon is always so careful about Ivy’s broken leg, even during passionate moments.
There was also the scene that tickled me pink, where Ivy found Lau sneaking back to bed and being super cagey. By morning, they discovered Lau secretly changed the tea can labels from demon language to English because he learned Ivy was trying to make tea the day before but didn’t know which can was which.
Also, secretly repairing Ivy’s torn dress that they wore during that fateful night.
And true to his tsundere form, our dorky Lau had apparently been stalking Ivy for months before their attack, then became skittish as a cat when Ivy turned around and returned his very loud unsaid feelings.
So far, the first two books have not delved deeply into the world-building. However, the first book had a darker, angstier tone while the second had a lighter, cozier vibe.
The opening and later chapters focus on Ivy’s mundane life in London. The story employs the forced proximity trope, with most scenes taking place inside Lau’s house as Ivy recuperates. This setting felt somewhat claustrophobic, as I wished to explore more of Lau’s world.
The plot is mostly domesticity, comfort, and healing, with the authors weaving their monster romance magic in the amusing and squee-tastic antagonistic dynamics between the clearly besotted demon and the quickly-falling-for-that-demon human.
The banter was made me chuckle and Lau’s bold declarations of his superiority as a demon were hilarious. My heart, along with Ivy’s, melted at the easy way he accepted Ivy’s non-binary identity, which of course, came with him declaring he is a he as in “He is Lau, the fearsome sleep demon!”
And this is why Ivy and Lau gave Cody and Nor a serious run for their money! If you ask me which couple is my favorite, I loved them both so much!
Lau, our favorite tsundere demon, is a grumpy grump who grumbles, but inside, his heart is as mushy as our sweet sleep demon Nor! I highly recommend audiobooking this because Michael Ferraiuolo’s performance of Lau was spot-on, capturing the bravado and vulnerability so convincingly!
Another favorite part is Vary, Lau’s himbo brother, who frequently crosses over to the human world. Why? It’s a happy surprise! I hope Vary’s book is next.
Bump in the Night is a story where a whole lot of grumpiness delivered the tenderest care. Funny and heartwarming, the deep connection and the poignant moments between two delightful characters is a reminder that even in the dark, there’s always room for love, sass, and a cup of tea.
Rating:
4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step awaySoundtrack: Bump In The Night
Artist: Skittish
Album: The Perfect Shade of Green IIP.S.
Black Oasis should be read in order. Befriend that lonely monster under the bed in Whispers In The Dark.
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BUMP IN THE NIGHT: Kindle | Audiobook
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NEW RELEASE BLITZ: Brothers of the Sea by Larry Mellman (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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RELEASE TOUR: The Best of Times by Kristian Parker
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RELEASE BLITZ: Just Jack by Christina Lee
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NEW RELEASE BLITZ: Icarus Rising by Stephanie Burke & Areana Senoj (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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REVIEW: Elixir of Strife by Nazri Noor
Stolen Hearts: Elixir of Strife – Nazri Noor
Water, water, everywhere.
Leon Alcantara and Maximilian Drake have barely caught their breath after saving the city from an untimely fate. Now the Jade Spider has a new assignment. A local magical plant shop has requested a strange elixir, the liquid essence of purest water.
In pursuit of the ocean potion, Max stumbles upon a tormentor from his past. Leon faces the challenge of hosting a second dragon, a legend much closer to home. And the mysterious Masques are more watchful than ever, shadowing the boys at every turn.
But strangest of all is a fresh spate of elemental anomalies in Dos Lunas. Life or death, sink or swim, Leon and Max must rise to the challenge — or drown under a tide of wicked magic.
Nazri Noor’s stories are full of cocky but lovable magical boys and their misadventures. Stolen Hearts is another urban fantasy series featuring two witches, Max Drake of the prominent Brilliante clan and Leon Alcantara, son of a Filipino immigrant and last of the long line of Alcantara bruhas. They partnered to work as finders of magical artifacts in Dos Lunas.
In the second book, Elixir of Strife, the two witches were commissioned to find the Essence of Water. This magical elixir can be added to a potion, making it more potent while multiplying it infinite times. Their clients were Daniel de Lion from the de Lion clan and a demon hag who called herself Edelweiss. The two were agriculturists or, in Edel’s case, “hagriculturist.”
Dan de Lion is the more difficult of the two, arrogant and impatient. I thought he might be connected to Leon since their names are too similar. Edel turned out to be a potential ally. She’s growing the “evil olive,” a magical olive so potent that a drop of its oil could have some interesting, if dire, results.
This part piqued my interest, and I really thought the evil olive would have a more significant effect on the proceedings. Sadly, it was underutilized. I’m hoping it will reappear in future books because some events and characters from the first book were referenced or made their reappearance.
The humor is one of my favorite aspect of the writing. The internal dialogues, particularly Leon’s, amused me to no end. Leon, like many Filipinos, is extra scrappy and resourceful, able to repurpose any handy material for his magic. Most of his education came from his late bruha mother and, not born with a silver spoon, learned to be exceptionally creative with limited magical ingredients.
I loved how the author incorporated Filipino culture and lore into the story. There were moments when Leon would be reminded of his native country, and his reflections were often both nostalgic and humorous. It was also fitting for him to finally acquire a water dragon from the Philippines.
In the original Filipino lore, Bakunawa is a dragon who swallows the sun or moon, causing the eclipse. In this context, he becomes a powerful water dragon who swallowed the ocean. I’m excited to see more dragons in future books! I’m living for the anime vibes!
Max is no slouch either with his badass diamond-based magic. So far, he relies on his tried-and-tested spells, but I’d love to see his magic evolve. This rich boy knows he has looks, power, and resources, and while he’s not pretending to be humble, he isn’t one to brag unnecessarily. As one of the old magical families, Max has connections and friends he shares with Leon.
Guillotina is Max’s bodyguard and best friend. She packs one heck of a punch! Johnny Slivers is a bar owner and music geek. Loved his powers! He can manifest deadly pins, hence the name. Roscoe is Johnny’s boyfriend and is equally powerful, able to create hexes.
The most intriguing characters will always be the Jade Spider and the Mask. Spiders are information mongers, and there are several kinds. The ones we know are the Quartz Spider, who was a bad guy, and the Jade Spider, who is currently a sort of handler for Max and Leon. She may be allied to them now, but she pinged my “spidey senses.”
The Masks are magical police, seemingly omniscient and always mysterious. Their masks have a crescent design, and they appear and disappear like the Cheshire Cat in Alice in Wonderland. They have taken a particular interest in our boys. I want a book about the Masks!
I have always loved that the author’s works are action-packed, as they remind me of anime fight scenes. This installment is more subdued in terms of action and the plot was a bit too expected, but there was enough spells and sass to satisfy my otaku self.
Elixir of Strife explores the intriguing world of liquids, encompassing everything from water manipulation to perfumes, potions, cocktails, salt water, and even urine. While the author’s style is already recognizable, leading to a sense of predictability, one thing’s for sure: it’s hella fun and solidly entertaining!
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Something in the Water
Artist: Kami Kehoe
Album: Something in the WaterP.S.
Even if each book has a different mission, Stolen Hearts should be read in order. Dos Lunas is where it’s at and Max and Leon’s (mis)adventures start in Hex and the City.
If you like my content, please consider using my Amazon affiliate links below to buy your copy of Elixir of Strife. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying Amazon purchases at no additional cost to you.
ELIXIR OF STRIFE: Kindle | Audiobook
If you like my content, please consider supporting me on Ko-fi or PayPal. Your donations will help keep this website going. Thank you so much!
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RELEASE TOUR: For Fake’s Sake and Other Stories by J.J. Harper (Excerpt)
