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BOOK TOUR: Hollow Magic by Mars Lauderbaugh
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BOOK TOUR: Take It To Your Grave by Louangie Bou-Montes
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REVIEW: Bright Dead Things by Hailey Turner
Bitter Legacies: Bright Dead Things – Hailey Turner
If the forest stares back at you, you’re already prey.
Bran Gallagher grew up with three rules passed down through his coven: beware forest paths that lead to dangerous mounds, always keep iron close, and never speak of magic.
Cillian Dunne grew up with his mother’s love, his father’s absence, and secret warnings to never trust a witch.
In Pelham’s forest, where bright lights haunt the trees and hunt the lost, there are traditions kept for survival and others out of habit, none of which should be broken.
Bran and Cillian unknowingly broke tradition and ruined each other in the aftermath of a kiss years ago. Reunited in the wake of a family tragedy, they cross paths with something old, something terrifying—something that wants them dead. When Bran’s younger sister is stolen away by a nightmare into the Otherworld, they can only follow and try to keep each other alive in a strange and haunting land.
Trapped in a dangerous Fae Court, Bran learns being a witch comes with a death sentence. To save him, Cillian must fight against those who seek power from a past he has no memory of, and the only person he can trust is the witch who broke his heart.
But it might be too late.
For the Fae have never been kind, and they have always hungered, and this time, what they hunger for is revenge.
Bright Dead Things is the first book of Bitter Legacies, a fantasy series by Hailey Turner, bringing us into the chilling world of witches and fae.
The story begins with two deaths and a missing girl, Aisling Gallagher, sister to Bran, a Pelham witch now living in Boston and childhood friend of forest ranger Cillian Dunne. Estranged since Cillian rejected Bran’s kiss as a teen, the two are reluctantly reunited when Aisling disappears.
Forced to work together, they uncover dark truths in the Otherworld, where fae seek to destroy witches. Bran sacrifices himself to protect Cillian, who in turn discovers a secret that could destroy them both. And they have yet to find Aisling.
Bran, inheriting his mother’s mantle after her murder, is the last witch of his coven. He must guard the forest against grotesque fae-born monsters that lure mortals with lights. The warning often repeated in Pelham is stay away from the lights. These creatures haunt the Weirding, the shifting boundary between human lands and the Otherworld.
I loved the concept of these monsters. They are insidious creations of the fae, heartless predators feeding on mortals. The fae themselves are divided into four seasonal courts, with Summer and Winter at odds with each other. Their elemental magic contrasts with witches’ sigils and witchmarks. The witches are overseen by the Council.
The feud between witches and fae goes back centuries with the fae claiming Pelham forest as their former homeland and the witches keeping them at bay. In the Otherworld, Cillian and Bran experiences the atrocities of the fae. I think in the second book, we’ll see how cold witches can be when the Council makes their demands of Bran.
Trust is a major theme here, Bran was taught never to trust fae, while Cillian was warned against witches. He repeatedly distrusts his supposed allies, thinking only of protecting Bran and Aisling. As things became more dangerous, they learn to rely on each other again.
Their bond is tender and I loved how they became each other’s rock. Bran nearly sacrifices his identity to keep Cillian alive, while Cillian didn’t even think twice to abandon his legacy to remain with Bran and Aisling. They have the makings of a cozy boyfriends dynamic if their world weren’t so perilous.
The part where they were held prisoner by a fae lord gave me mixed feelings. While it’s admirable Bran would do anything to protect Cillian, I felt he capitulated too quickly to the fae lord’s demands. I didn’t feel the threat the fae posed, he just repeated the same one again and again and I thought Bran could have stood his ground more firmly.
Compared to the author’s other books, this is not as action-packed as I would have liked. The action scenes are far in between but they were still fantastic displays of magic. I thought the witchmarks were cool and Aisling’s big reveal was spectacular!
The vibe is wonderfully eerie evoking the desperation of being lost in endless woods. However, the sluggish pacing made the writing feel heavy. I suggest audiobooking this because Gary Furlong’s compelling narration saved this book for me. TBH, I’m not looking forward to experiencing this slowness again in the sequel.
Bright Dead Things is a story of family secrets, ancient feuds, and unlikely alliances. Atmospheric, twisty if slow-paced, overall it’s a dark and deadly unraveling of eldritich lights, secret identities, and the elusive hold of trust.
Rating:
3.5 Stars – that place between like and loveSoundtrack: Trick Of The Light
Artist: Charming Disaster
Album: The Double
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BRIGHT DEAD THINGS: Amazon UK
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SERIES REVIEW: Signs and Wonders & Cursed (Witchbane Books 7 & 8) by Morgan Brice
Witchbane: Signs and Wonders – Morgan Brice
When a coven of dark warlocks killed Seth Tanner’s brother, Seth became a man driven by vengeance, sworn to stop the cycle of ritual killings, willing to die for the cause. He never expected to fall head over heels in love with the witches’ next intended victim. Evan Malone didn’t believe the supernatural was real until Seth swept in with his magic and motorcycle to save him from being the next sacrifice.
Now they’ve gone on the road together, hunting the rest of the coven while they figure out how to keep the white-hot, once-in-a-lifetime bond between them. Days are filled tracking their paranormal quarry, honing their monster hunting skills, and gaining control of the small magics that have made a life-or-death difference. Nights are spent together, entangled in adrenaline-fueled passion, learning how to make this love last forever despite the odds. Seth fears that if they don’t eliminate the rest of the coven, they’ll be on the run forever, and more people will die. Evan is afraid that Seth’s obsession with revenge means they might not survive to get a happily ever after.
Seth and Evan head to West Virginia to confront one of the dark warlocks, a master con man running a cybercrime empire. Can Seth and Evan save the warlock’s next target, bring down his crime syndicate, and live to tell the tale?
Signs and Wonders is a thrill-packed supernatural thrill ride with plenty of paranormal suspense, hurt/comfort, hot nights, found family, deadly magic, immortal witches, determined hunters, haunted places, creepy ghosts, impressive explosions, spooky chills, and sexy thrills, and features an evolving, established romantic relationship with all the feels.
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Vigil
Artist: The Mars Volta
Album: The Mars Volta
Witchbane: Cursed – Morgan Brice
Seth Tanner and Evan Malone head to Savannah, Georgia, to hunt the seventh of the coven members responsible for the death of Seth’s brother and so many other victims over the past hundred years.
Seth and Evan fell in love when Seth rescued Evan from one of the dark witches, and they went on the road together to stop the murders. Their relationship is new and intense, growing deeper with the danger, giving them both a reason to survive and gain vengeance.
Sterling Vernon is a prominent restaurateur with a thriving array of businesses, and he’s also the seventh witch-disciple with a new victim in his sights. His reputation and wealth protect him, and his dark magic enables him to evade consequences. Vernon needs to work his ritual to replenish his power soon, and that requires a new sacrifice.
Paxton Miller is Vernon’s next intended victim. When Vernon puts a killing curse on Evan to force a confrontation with Seth, it’s going to take all of Seth’s courage and cleverness, as well as help from their friends with supernatural abilities, to save Evan and Paxton and stop Vernon once and for all.
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: The Curse of the Fold
Artist: Shawn James
Album: The Dark & The Light
Witchbane by Morgan Brice has become my comfort read, and by now it’s easy to see how the series has evolve while still delivering everything we love about Seth and Evan’s scenic paranormal quest.
Signs and Wonders, the 7th book and possibly the shortest installment so far, takes our boys to West Virginia’s National Radio Quiet Zone (NRQZ), where radio transmissions are heavily restricted due to scientific and military reasons. What started as a mission for two now involves a network of friends across states, with delightful cameos from the author’s other series.
This time, the witch they’re hunting runs a wellness retreat inside the zone and taking him down is tricky as magic and technology don’t mesh well. Seth and their hacker allies target the witches’ cybercrime empire while Evan infiltrates the wellness orientation seminars.
While the plot is straightforward, the writing is fast-paced and there’s plenty of tactics and action to keep things exciting. I loved going over the how-tos of the mission and Seth and Evan collaborating with the secondary characters made it even more dynamic.
There’s also a change in internal dialogue, Seth and Evan think less of revenge and more about life after the mission. Despite lingering fears, they remain rock solid, comfortable and settled yet always passionate. I enjoyed their cozy boyfriends dynamics and how they’re still as endearing as ever.
Cursed, the 8th book, took our boys to the food havens of Savannah, Georgia which seriously made me hungry. The witch is a prominent restaurateur mentoring his next victim, a food truck owner. This is another tricky setup because how would Seth and Evan convince him of the danger? Also, Evan was hit by a curse which left him in the sidelines.
Like in the previous book, our boys had help from friends and the local good witches. The culinary angle has a gruesome aspect with monster meat being sneaked in. The victim’s boyfriend is a musician and I loved the neat musical spell he and Evan used in the end to power up the good guys.
There’s a change in Seth and Evan’s hectic pace, our boys finished dealing with the bad guys early and took some downtime. They went on a proper date, sight seeing around Savannah and enjoying the food. There’s more talk about dreams of a life after the mission and while I’m rooting hard for a happy ending for our boys, I couldn’t help but feel a pang that the series might be ending soon.
Witchbane is my tour guide across America, taking us to real life weird and wonderful places. I hope the author could give us a map of Seth and Evan’s roadtrip because if ever I could afford a trip to the US, I want to trace their journey.
Overall, I’m happily tagging along till the end!
P.S.
Witchbane should be read in order. Follow the map below:
Burn
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SIGNS AND WONDERS: Amazon UK | Audiobook
CURSED: Amazon UK | AudiobookIf 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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REVIEW: Alliance by Cari Z
The Triad: Alliance – Cari Z.
One wedding. Two grooms. Three lovers, preparing to fight for themselves, and their kingdoms.
Symon Parador is a prince in name only until the day he’s bartered away to the neighboring kingdom, to marry their queen’s brother, Petur. A mage in a nation full of shifters who distrust his magic is bad enough, but even worse is the fact that Petur is already as good as married—to an assassin from the north named Deyvid, who’s immune to all magic.
He doesn’t expect to love either of them, but Deyvid’s surprising kindness is too addictive to run from, and even Petur’s ferocity is lightened by his sly sense of humor. Sy could see himself falling for them…if any of them survive the sudden onslaught of attacks against the royal family.
Entwined in a dangerous game of survival, love, and loyalty, the cost of saving his lovers may be Sy’s own life.
Alliance is a polyamorous M/M/M fantasy with enemies to lovers, graphic violence, snarky humor, and explicit sexual content.
Alliance is the series opener of the polyamorous fantasy series, The Triad by Cari Z. It’s been a while since I read MMM romance so I grabbed this book immediately.
Prince Symon, one of the realm’s most powerful mages, is suddenly arranged to wed Prince Petur, a shifter from a neighboring kingdom. Everyone knows Petur already has a long-time lover, Deyvid, a magically immune assassin who doubles as his bodyguard.
Wedding day arrives and Symon and Petur already got off on the wrong foot. Alone in a foreign court, Sy finds unexpected friendship with Deyvid, who is determined to keep the marriage intact even as the royals become a target of an assassination plot.
Symon isn’t just a mage, he’s also a skilled herbalist from humble roots. His late mother was an herbalist, his father a city guard who married the queen. While only 22 years old. he entered his marriage with open eyes, but Petur almost dumping him on their wedding night was still a cruel blow. His easy companionship with Deyvid stands in sharp contrast to his antagonistic dynamic with Petur.
Deyvid, a 40-something high harrier from the Northern land of people immune to magic, is the sensible one in the relationship. Bleached of color, his skin is grey, his eyes silver and his hair salt and pepper. It was pretty obvious that he and Petur have a deep connection and their affection for each other leap off the page. His growing fondness for Sy was palpable from their first meeting.
Petur is a 37-year old shifter who can shift to four forms, a rare ability. I think every reader is frustrated with how he treated Sy, but he later came around. I was glad when the three men finally cemented their alliance, it’s just that Petur’s turn-around was too abrupt.
The story is from the POVs of the three man. The plot is mostly romance with an assassination subplot which was sadly not well-developed. There was palace intrigue that felt surface level. Even the world-building, which would have been fascinating, didn’t feel exciting which is the main issue with the book.
This has all the right ingredients for an epic fantasy series but sadly the execution was dull. I was audiobooking this and even the great Michael Ferraiuolo couldn’t keep my attention from wandering. I wanted so much to like this book more.
Alliance is a story of magic, marriage, and murder. Overall, the delivery was lack-luster yet the premise intrigued me enough to continue with Book 2.
Rating:
2.5 Stars – far from hate but not quite a likeSoundtrack: Allies
Artist: Stranded Mermaid
Album: Allies
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ALLIANCE: Amazon UK | Audiobook
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BOOK TOUR: Strange Familiars by Keshe Chow
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REVIEW: Stolen Magic by Ava Marie Salinger
The Mage and His Brute: Stolen Magic – Ava Marie Salinger
Magic defines who they are. But what happens when that power can be stolen?
In a Victorian London where magical privilege divides society, Duke Evander Ravenwood and Viggo Stonewall have forged more than just an alliance—they’ve fallen in love. But their happiness is short-lived when a new threat emerges from the shadows of London’s magical society.
A renowned professor from the Royal Institute for the Arcane has vanished, leaving behind whispers of forbidden magic and mysterious experiments. As Evander begins to investigate, complications arise with the arrival of his enigmatic former lover from Paris. An expert called in to help, Leon Beaulieu brings old emotions and new secrets to light and soon becomes a source of jealousy for Viggo.
Meanwhile, troubling rumours reach the Nightshade network: thralls linked to noble families are disappearing across London. Determined to track down the perpetrator, Viggo and his friends are drawn into a perilous hunt for an elusive adversary working from the shadows.
Realising their cases are intertwined, Evander and Viggo join forces to unravel the mysteries behind the professor’s disappearance and the missing thralls. But their search soon plunges them into a web of conspiracies rooted in decades-old betrayals and ambition—where nothing, and no one, is quite as it seems.
As allies become adversaries and the true mastermind closes in, Evander and Viggo will need their wits—and their trust in each other—if they’re to survive the darkness gathering around them.
Stolen Magic is a spellbinding tale of magic, mystery, and romance that will captivate readers from the first page to the last. Perfect for fans of historical fantasy and LGBT romance, this second instalment in The Mage and His Brute series promises an unforgettable journey through a London where love and magic intertwine in the most unexpected ways.
Stolen Magic is the second book of the historical fantasy series The Mage and His Brute by Ava Marie Salinger. It picks up where Arcane Entanglement left off, with dark mages exploiting magicless thralls for nefarious reasons.
Scotland Yard’s Special Arcane Investigator Duke Evander Ravenwood and his team are tasked with finding missing professors from the Royal Institute for the Arcane. Meanwhile, his lover Viggo Stonewall and Nightshade investigate the disappearance of thralls, only to discover the two cases are connected.
I’m glad the main case isn’t a murder mystery, which is a nice change from the usual police procedural. Viggo and Evander initially pursue separate leads until the overlap becomes clear.
Just to spice things up, Evander’s ex and fellow Special Arcane Investigator, Comte Leon Beaulieu, enters the scene to assist, as one of the missing professors was from France. This got Viggo’s hackles up.
Viggo and Evander were refreshingly drama-free despite Leon’s efforts to rekindle old flames. Amid frantic investigations, it’s super sweet how they always make time to be together at the end of their busy day. They’re total relationship goals!
The only sour note is Jasper, Evander’s manservant, who is creepily invested in his master’s sex life. His salacious comments quickly turned from gag to grating
The atrocities done to the downtrodden thralls were even more horrific in this installment. They were used as experimental human conduits to transfer magic, which led to agonizing deaths.
While the villains and twists are somewhat predictable and the fight scenes less intense than in book one, the case itself is compelling. And Evander unleashing his archmage powers to their fullest was glorious!
The unexpected teamwork between Viggo and Leon was a fun bonus. They might actually become friends if they keep this up.
Stolen Magic continues the fight for justice against overprivileged mages. Though lighter on surprises and action, overall, it still delivers heart, thrills, and magic.
Rating:
3.5 Stars – that place between like and loveSoundtrack: Conduit
Artist: The Spill Canvas
Album: ConduitP.S.
The Mage and His Brute is best read in order.
Watch a kungfu-fighting archmage and a trainstopping brute get twisted up in each other in Arcane Entanglement
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STOLEN MAGIC: Amazon UK | 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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NEW RELEASE BLITZ: Wild Ride by Will Okati (Excerpt)
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NEW RELEASE BLITZ: Devil’s Man by Kira Stone (Excerpt)
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BOOK TOUR: The Wicked Sea by Jordan Stephanie Gray
