• book,  Uncategorized

    SERIES REVIEW: Spellbound & Edge Lines by Ava Marie Salinger

    The thing with most urban fantasy/paranormal series is that the premise pique my interest, but actually putting in the work to read them or finish them, well, most of the time, I never see the end. It happened with Whyborne & Griffin (the last book! gah!) and Soulbound. It gets to the point where so many things are happening for a prolonged period that it becomes a toss-up between laziness and boredom.

    So far, Fallen Messengers is doing a great job of keeping me riveted. If this keeps up and hopefully wraps up soon, I can complete the series. I’m giving major props to narrator Alex Kydd. My first impression was he spoke too slowly. It turned out to be an advantage because his slow even delivery helps me through the info-dumps without brain overload. And he gave the million and one cast their distinct voices and personalities, which is impressive given that there are numerous female characters.

    This is a review of Books 2 and 3.


    Fallen Messengers: Spellbound by Ava Marie Salinger

    Can Cassius and Morgan overcome an elusive enemy and save a young girl’s life?

    Eden Monroe has spent her entire existence believing she has no magic. Shunned by her mother Brianna and the magical bureau Hexa, she runs away from home when she is forced to embrace a future she never chose, only to fall into the hands of ghastly monsters from the Nine Hells. After being rescued by a mysterious Dryad with secrets of his own, Eden realizes there is more to her past and future than she could ever have imagined.

    When San Francisco PD asks Argonaut to assist them in solving a series of strange bank robberies, Cassius Black and Morgan King uncover a disturbing plot that points to an unknown artifact hidden somewhere in the city. Their investigation soon has them crossing paths with a desperate Brianna, who seeks their help in finding her missing daughter. When the witch reveals the shocking circumstances surrounding her daughter’s birth as well as the deadly magic sealed inside the young girl’s body, the Argonaut agents realize their case is linked to Eden and the weapon of devastating power the bank robbers are after.

    Can Cassius and Morgan defeat the malevolent organization behind it all and save Eden from her cursed fate? Or will the young girl suffer a destiny worse than death itself?

    Spellbound is the second novel in the gay urban fantasy romance series Fallen Messengers. This is an MM paranormal adventure full of action, magic, snark, and a host of steamy angels and demons.


    Spellbound is the second book, introducing new characters and multiple POVs. I’m assuming each book will focus on one supernatural agency. Book 1, Fractured Souls, has the MC, Cassius the imperial, joining the Argonauts, the agency overseeing otherworldlies. This book features Brianna Monroe, head of Hexa, the organization of witches. She has a rather complicated relationship with her daughter Eden. The teen ran away after having had enough of her mother’s controlling ways.

    What I love most about this series is that whenever people use magic, they go BIG! Even those who just discovered they have the ability don’t start small, which makes the fight scenes super mind-blowing. Although here, it’s a tad bit less intense than in Book 1, but still awesome. Possibly because a chunk of the plot is Eden struggling to survive the streets while being hunted by monsters. Reading about people on the run isn’t my favorite thing. Also, I had to wait for events to connect to Cassius, Morgan and their team. It’s a me problem because, objectively, this sequel rocks!

    Rating:

    4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bits

    Soundtrack: Bound Together
    Artist: Kate York feat. Vanyo
    Album:


    Fallen Messengers: Edge Lines – Ava Marie Salinger

    The Gods have come to San Francisco…

    Cassius Black and Morgan King’s trip to Ivory Peaks to uncover clues about their past takes an unexpected turn when a rift materializes and war demons attack the capital. Having saved one world by the skin of their teeth, they return to Earth, only to find it has been rocked by ominous quakes bearing a close resemblance to the phenomenon that nearly destroyed the Dryad kingdom.

    After defeating demons that emerge from a crevasse in San Francisco, Cassius and Morgan rescue the Wild God Pan from the bottom of a rift with the help of Victor Sloan and the city’s otherwordly. But instead of thanking them, Pan makes a startling demand: rescue his lover and prevent the Spirit Realm from being destroyed, and he will reveal the truth about who Cassius and Morgan are.

    Help comes from an unexpected source when a pair of Reapers visit the city and Cassius, Morgan, and Victor soon go hunting for a missing deity who may hold the key to saving all the realms. Can they free the immortals from their prisons and find the powerful artefact that can bend the mind and will of even a God? Or will the enemy who has long manipulated them from the shadows win this war and destroy everything they have come to care for?

    Edge Lines is the third novel in the gay urban fantasy romance series Fallen Messengers. If you like your paranormal adventures full of action, magic, snark, and a host of steamy angels and demons, then you’re not going to want to miss this enthralling, fun-filled ride!


    Edge Lines is the highly anticipated 3rd book because Victor Sloane!!!

    The story also has multiple POVs but the majority is from Cass and his angel boyfriend, Morgan. This is where gods and demi-gods make themselves known. The team, along with Victor, has to deal with rifts and war demons appearing in various realms. It has something to do with the disappearance of the winter god and Pan’s lover, the winter god’s nephew.

    As mentioned in my review of Fractured Souls, I’m not a fan of Morgan. His brand of assholery doesn’t appeal to me. Here, I go back and forth because, yeah, he’s super protective of Cass, but also an inconsiderate horndog who wouldn’t let his perpetually sleep-deprived boyfriend get proper sleep.

    I am team Victor. Cass’ demon ex is a nicer guy than Morgan. That teeny tiny glimpse inside Victor’s thoughts revealed dark possessive desires of owning Cass, mind, body, heart, and soul. I suppose this was meant to show Morgan as the better man but Victor has the goodness in him to know doing so would kill the light in Cass that he loves. If Morgan has to stay go poly, please! Love triangles are never ever fun and tiresome as fuck! This could kill the series for me if it continues.

    I’m wondering how much more epic the series could get because this one brought it up another notch! There are the crazy level-ups we love, long-awaited identity reveals that got me hyped for future events, and of course, the action scenes that always go nuclear. The writing strikes a great balance between info dumps, character progression, plot, imagery, and fight scene choreography. And with a talented narrator, this tale of the fallen and the otherworldly continues to be a spellbinding experience that kept me enthralled.

    Rating:
    4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bits

    Soundtrack: The Curse
    Artist: Agnes Obel
    Album:

    P.S.

    Fallen Messengers has a cute custom of giving many supporting characters their little happy endings. Cheesy but fun! So Victor might get one too, if he doesn’t end up throupling with Cass and Morgan. Can the angel and the demon share the imperial, please?

    Fallen Messengers should be read in order. The adventure stars with Fractured Souls.



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    Fractured Souls: US | UK
    Spellbound: US | UK
    Edge Lines: US | UK
    Oath Breaker: US | UK

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    FRACTURED SOULS | SPELLBOUND | EDGE LINES | OATH BREAKER

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  • song,  Uncategorized

    SOUNDTRACK: Bound Together by Kate York feat. Vanyo & The Curse by Agnes Obel

    Soundtrack to Fallen Messengers: Spellbound by Ava Marie Salinger

    Bound Together by Kate York for a book about a teenage runaway and the ties that bind her.

    We’ll find a way home
    ‘Cause we’re bound together
    Looking up at the ceiling
    Holding onto a feeling
    That won’t seem to let go
    Every day falls behind us
    The shadows just remind us
    That we keep forgetting
    Take it all away
    We’ll stay, we’ll stay the same

    Soundtrack Fallen Messengers: Edge Lines by Ava Marie Salinger

    The Curse by Agnes Obel for a book about monsters who attack the various realms and the fallen who fought again them.

    It was swift, it was just, another wave of a miracle
    But no one, nothing at all would go for the kill
    If they called on every soul in the land on the move

    Only then would they know a blessing in disguise

    The curse ruled from the underground down by the shore
    And their hope grew with a hunger to live unlike before

  • quote,  Uncategorized

    Living in a darker season
    It’s hard to keep believing
    That there is an ending
    We know the light will always find us
    The shadows just remind us

    That we keep forgetting
    Take it all away
    We’ll stay, we’ll stay the same
    Try try to shake us
    Try try to break us
    We’ll find a way up ‘cause we’re bound together

    High higher we’ll go Fight fire with hope
    We’ll find our way home
    ‘Cause we’re bound together We’re bound together (x2)
    We’ll find a way home
    ‘Cause we’re bound together
    Looking up at the ceiling
    Holding onto a feeling
    That won’t seem to let go
    Every day falls behind us
    The shadows just remind us
    That we keep forgetting
    Take it all away
    We’ll stay, we’ll stay the same
    Chorus
    we’re bound together (x2)
    we’ll find our way home ‘
    cause we’re bound together
    we’re bound together (x2)
    we’ll find our way home
    ‘cause we’re bound together

    And the people went into their hide, they oh
    From the start they didn’t know exactly why, why
    Winter came and made it so all look alike, look alike
    Underneath the grass would grow, aiming at the sky

    It was swift, it was just, another wave of a miracle
    But no one, nothing at all would go for the kill
    If they called on every soul in the land on the move

    Only then would they know a blessing in disguise

    The curse ruled from the underground down by the shore
    And their hope grew with a hunger to live unlike before
    The curse ruled from the underground down by the shore
    And their hope grew with a hunger to live unlike before

    Tell me now of the very souls that look alike, look alike
    Do you know the stranglehold covering their eyes?
    If I call on every soul in the land on the move
    Tell me if I’ll ever know a blessing in disguise

    The curse ruled from the underground down by the shore
    And their hope grew with a hunger to live unlike before
    And the curse ruled from the underground down by the shore
    And their hope grew with a hunger to live unlike before