Review: Six of Crows
Thursday, November 14, 2024

Six of Crows (Six of Crows, #1)Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I absolutely loved this story!
A fast-paced, heart-wrenching heist story with a smattering of magic for flavor. There's nothing I love more than a complex plot that comes together seamlessly, except when that plot is brought to life by characters who could walk off the page. Six of Crows delivered both.

Six of Crows takes place in the Grishaverse after the events of the Shadow and Bone trilogy. While reading the original series would provide some general background to the world, I don't think you'd be lost if you just picked up Six of Crows. Everything you really need to know is laid out in this book. I thinks that's partly because the Grisha magic is used mostly as a backdrop rather than a focal point, despite being the catalyst for the story, and partly because the story takes place in Ketterdam, which is barely touched on in the trilogy and therefore brought fully to life in these pages.

Review: City of Day
Friday, November 1, 2024

City of Day (Nightfall Book 1)City of Day by October K. Santerelli
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a fun adventure that grabbed me from the first page. The world Santerelli created is rich and vibrant, conveyed in delicious details that managed not to detract from the pacing of the story. The island country of Astera suffers from a corrupt ruling class and an ancient curse that causes deadly specters to walk the streets at night. The book's protagonists will have to face both.

Thislen is a street urchin who hides his true identity. He makes a point of not caring about others, but he's not very good at it. From the very first chapter all his efforts go toward helping others. Mila is an apprentice apothecary with a family secret that even she is unaware of. She's spunky yet vulnerable, and she's a bit of an adventure seeker, at least until she actually experiences adventure first hand. Both protagonists are interesting, believable characters who bring a unique perspective to the narrative.

Rifter audio goes wide!
Monday, October 14, 2024

Calling all audiobook listeners!

The audiobook editions for both Demon Riding Shotgun and Personal Demons (originally produced by Bryant Street Publishing and released exclusively on Everand) have now been released widely, meaning you can listen to them on the platform of your choice!

Since most listeners seem to use Audible, I will put the link for that here:

https://www.audible.com/pd/Demon-Riding-Shotgun-A-Magicsmith-Universe-Novel-Audiobook/B0DHT3LXR8

Review: Bane of Giants
Wednesday, October 9, 2024

Bane of Giants: Legacy of Shadows (Eldros Legacy Book 5)Bane of Giants: Legacy of Shadows by Todd Fahnestock
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book is the conclusion of Fahnestock's Legacy of Shadows series in the Eldros shared universe. I've enjoyed the previous installments in this series quite a bit, and I was eager to dive back into Fahnestock's well-imagined world.

Slater remains my favorite character and, if anything, becomes more interesting and pivotal to the plot. My second favorite character, Khyven, finally faces a challenge he can't surpass with his skill alone. Luckily, he isn't alone. Every character that makes up this found family has a vital role to play. Without any one of them, our underdog heroes would surely fail.

New Release: A Demon Faerie Tale
Friday, September 13, 2024

A Demon Faerie Tale, Book 3 in the multi-award-winning RIFTER series, is now available!
It’s always a demon, right? Unless it’s a curse . . .

When a fellow PTF agent dies of unnatural causes, Ty suspects a demon, so who better to help him track down the killer than his demon-possessed partner, Mira? But one wrong turn in the investigation lands Ty in the crosshairs of a deadly curse that turns simple desires into lethal obsessions.

With less than 48 hours until Ty's sanity unravels completely, the partners must track down the culprit and neutralize the magic . . . or Mira will lose the only person she's ever let near her heart.

Review: The Prisoner's Throne
Thursday, August 22, 2024

The Prisoner’s Throne (The Stolen Heir Duology, #2)The Prisoner’s Throne by Holly Black
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This story is all about Oak trying to protect the people he loves. He makes some bad choices, as do the other characters, but their actions, good and bad, are fairly believable (especially when you remember that the characters are teens) and help solidify the characters as multi-dimensional, struggling people. The one exception I found to that is when Hyacinth tells Oak to send Roach away, then immediately tells him to follow him. I understand this series of events from a plot perspective, but it didn't make much sense.

Personal Demons wins CAL Award!
Tuesday, July 23, 2024

The winners of the Colorado Authors League Award for Writing Excellence were announced at a banquet on July 21st, and I'm thrilled to share that Personal Demons took home first place in the Fantasy/Paranormal category!

You can find a list of all the winners and finalists on the CAL website.

Series Starters Sale!
Monday, July 15, 2024

If you haven't yet found your way into my books, you're in for a special treat:

From now until July 31st, the series starters for both of my award-winning urban fantasy series are discounted to just 99¢!

That's hours of entertainment for less than the price of a coffee.

Review: The Stolen Heir
Monday, July 8, 2024

The Stolen Heir (The Stolen Heir Duology, #1)The Stolen Heir by Holly Black
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Holly Black delivers another enchanting read. Masterful character work, beautiful prose, and a fast pace. I can't say I was surprised by the book's twists, having discerned them well in advance, but it was still satisfying when they came to pass. I'm eager to read the second book, but also worried. Because Wren does something so out of character at the end of this first book, I fear where I believe the second book may be going. I love Oak and Wren as characters, and I'm rooting for them. I just hope Wren manages to grow up before she loses herself entirely.

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