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Review: Charm Wars

9/17/2021

1 Comment

 
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Charm Wars
By Dan Lutts
Genre: Young Adult--Fantasy, Dystopian
 
About the Book
 
Welcome to Caldon, a land of mages and magic, where the noblesse possess massive political and magical power and destroy anyone who threatens the noblesse way of life—especially the commoners.

Rill Larkin, the son of a commoner blacksmith, has high ambitions. To be a mage, join the exalted ranks of the ruling noblesse, and establish his own noblesse family. Defying both the system and his family, Rill becomes the apprentice of Deuth Estati, a powerful archmage. But appearances deceive. As training progresses, Rill learns of decades-long secrets and manipulations that threaten his dream. And Deuth might not be as benevolent as Rill thought.

Alyse Dejune despises magic, even if she does belong to one of the oldest and most powerful noblesse families in Caldon. The deceits and treacheries of noblesse life and the loveless marriage alliances among the noblesse families disgust her. Her family however has high expectations: that she fulfill her role as a noblesse girl by marrying Troy Estati, an arrogant, selfish noblesse boy she does not love. And Alyse harbors a secret—the potential to become one of the most powerful mages in generations and wield forbidden magic—that, if revealed, could mean her death.
​

In this deadly game of ever-shifting alliances, where the state wages perpetual war against an ancient enemy, Rill and Alyse are thrown together in a land where magic is failing. And as greedy noblesse families raid surrounding family compounds for powerful charms, Rill and Alyse are left standing at a terrible crossroads.

Review

Charm Wars by Dan Lutts is a young adult fantasy book about political intrigue and two young protagonists stuck on two very different sides of a coin. Rill and Alyse each have their roles in life: one is a commoner who hopes for more in life and the other is a noble who wants the simple life. 

Charm Wars is.a good start up to what is setting out to be an intriguing fantasy series. I find that first books in series are perceived to be long and heavy on the information. This definitely isn’t wrong, but it is so for a good reason. In order to create a detailed and worthwhile story, it is necessary for the first book to set this up for the reader. This is what Lutts has given us in Charm Wars, a story that is rich with an intricate magic system and two main characters that grow to know and enjoy. 

One thing is for sure, Lutts knows how to write an intriguing book and I for one am looking forward to the next book!


 
 
About the Author
Dan Lutts, the author of Charm Wars, was brought up in Quincy, Massachusetts, and began addictively reading Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman comic books at an early age, much to his mother's distress. In junior high school, he switched to reading science fiction novels. While in high school and college, he wrote science fiction short stories.
 
Dan taught history and archaeology in high school for ten years. After being laid off because of budget cuts, he used his love of writing to retrain and became a software technical editor and writer. He worked for several computer companies, taught technical writing at the college level, and worked as a freelance writer. Now, combining his love of history and writing, he works at a World War II museum doing research and writing.
 
Dan loves to read and has varied tastes, including Young Adult, historical fiction, mysteries, 18th-century sea epics, and history. He especially enjoys Young Adult fiction and decided to try his hand at it. Charm Wars, Dan’s first novel, is the result.
 
Dan lives in rural Maine with his wife, Lisa. When he’s not working or writing, Dan can be found reading, making and shooting medieval arrows with his longbow, or playing with his two dogs and two cats—all rescue animals.
 
Book Links
Goodreads: https://bit.ly/GoodreadsCharmWars
Amazon: https://bit.ly/CharmWarsKindle
https://twitter.com/DanLuttsAuthor
https://www.facebook.com/DanLuttsAuthor
 ​
Excerpt from Charm Wars

Chapter 1
​

Cougar’s Lair
“If a charm seeker did open this tomb, why did she take the charm from that one Old Mage but not his staff? And why did she leave all the other charms and staffs behind? I wonder—” 
“How fortunate for me she did,” a voice said behind them. “And how unfortunate for you.” 
Rill and Jedd whirled around. 

Just inside the entrance stood a skinny, middle-aged man of medium height. His gray tunic and tan pants were dirty and patched and his boots old and scuffed. Oily, unkempt hair framed his pockmarked face. In his right hand, he held a staff. The light from Rill's and Jedd’s torches danced shadows across his face, making his malevolent grin appear even more evil. 

A blacksmith’s vise clamped Rill’s chest making it hard for him to breathe. A rohan! A backwatcher or protector—either a mage or a bladeswoman or bladesman—who had been expelled by a noblesse matriarch for breaking her oath to serve and protect the matriarch’s family. An outcast from society no other noblesse First or Lesser Family would touch. A woman or man who was lower even than the criminals, dagger women, and prostitutes living in Caldon’s most dangerous neighborhood, The Slums. 

Rill’s gaze fastened on the rohan’s left hand that clutched something beneath his grimy tunic. 

A charm. 

“Actus,” the rohan mage said, his sinister smile showing he’d deliberately spoken the word loud enough for Rill and Jedd to hear. 

Rill eyed the staff, his stomach paining him. The rohan had activated his charm. All he had to do now was point the staff at a target and cast a spell. Rill’s gaze slid to Jedd, who appeared as rigid as a marble statue. 

With exaggerated slowness, the rohan aimed the staff at the gap between Rill and Jedd, then deliberately moved it from one to the other. His lips drew up into a cruel smile, making Rill feel like a mouse being toyed with by a cat. 

Rill choked on a lump of regret. Why didn’t I listen to Jedd and leave the coffins alone? We could of been partway home by now. I could of been a mage. But now I never will be.

Slowly and deliberately, the rohan inhaled a mouthful of air and said, “Luco!” 

Rill’s frightened breath blended with Jedd’s when the crystal burst into life, and white mage light flooded the tomb. 

The rohan laughed as if he’d just watched a first-rate comedy routine as he stepped several paces forward. “Scared of a little light, boys?” 

Rill’s gaze jumped to Jedd. His cousin was glowering at the man, his hands balled into fists. 
The rohan smirked at Jedd. 

Slowly, keeping his eyes on the rohan, Rill moved his hand toward his sword’s brown leather grip. 

The rohan must have had invisible eyes in the side of his head. With a chuckle, he casually pointed the staff at Rill. “Foolish boy. I can kill you before your sword’s half out of its scabbard.” 
Rill let his hand drop to his side. 

“Tsk-tsk,” the rohan said, drawing closer. “Naughty boys charm seeking. That’s a death offense. Unless you’re mages, of course. Are you mages, naughty boys?” 

“You know we ain’t,” Rill said through clenched teeth. 

The rohan stepped forward a few more paces until only a staff’s length separated them. “When I came across your well-fed and groomed horses a while ago, I thought that maybe their owners came from good families. Families with money. So I went looking for you. My goodness, you weren’t hard to find. Not with all that racket you made in here with the cougar. Boys with horses and swords. And purses hanging from their belts.” His gaze riveted itself to Rill. “And with such interesting things inside.” 

Rill’s heart froze into a lump of ice as he forced himself to return the rohan’s stare. He saw me take the charm.

The rohan flashed them both an evil smile. “So I said to myself, ‘Self, I bet those naughty little boys are carrying some nice shiny gildas in their purses. Or maybe even a goldie.’ You got any?” 
“Why don’t you come closer and find out?” Rill said. He’d tried to sound cocky, but his voice broke halfway through the question. 

The rohan grinned, obviously enjoying himself. He pointed the staff at Rill. “Naughty boy. I hope you don’t melt.” 

Terror ripped through Rill like a barbed arrowhead. 
​
He had only moments to live. 
1 Comment

Book Spotlight: It Happened on Thunder Road

5/18/2021

1 Comment

 
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​It Happened on Thunder Road
By Susan Antony
Genre: YA Fantasy Romance
 
Brief description
 
When Emmy Russo returns to high school in Moncks Corner, South Carolina after summer break, she discovers some changes. First: Mom has a boyfriend. Second: the cute new student, Charlie Fields, is a Rockabilly greaser with a gang who obeys his every command. Third: attractive Keir Harper wants to be more than just her best friend. And fourth: a perplexed Emmy soon finds herself drawn to two extremely different boys. How do you choose between sweet and smoldering? Then tragedy strikes on desolate Thunder Road. Strange things start happening, with Emmy in the middle of it all. Intent on finding the truth, she must fight for her heart, her life, maybe even her soul. Because someone wants to possess all of Emmy. And they will be together, no matter what the cost. For eternity.

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​About the Author
 
Susan Antony is an aspiring Renaissance woman who never shies from a challenge. Not only does she have a degree in the Liberal Arts, she has a degree in Automotive Technology. She currently works in the IT department at a local Charleston hospital. Susan lives with her teenaged son and two behaviorally-challenged Cairn Terriers. To maintain her sanity, she cherishes her Friday evenings dancing the night away!
 
FB: https://www.facebook.com/SusanAntonyCS
Twitter :https://twitter.com/SusanAntonyCS
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Happened-Thunder-Road-Susan-Antony/dp/1509235329
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/57309229-it-happened-on-thunder-road
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/it-happened-on-thunder-road-susan-antony/1139026607
 
 
Excerpt
We faced each other for a beat or two. Then he placed his arm around my shoulder and took my hand in his, positioning his body a respectable distance away. We danced, slow and reserved at first, but as the singer’s wails intensified, so did Charlie’s moves. His hips swayed from side to side, and he inched closer to me, smidgen by smidgen, until his pelvis ground against my hipbones.
Our bodies melded, moving together in perfect synchronicity. Side to side. Back and forth. He moved his hand to my lower back and pulled me closer. I took in a quick, sharp breath. He
“You know, baby,” he murmured, “You and me have more than chemistry. We have fire. Not the easy kind of fire you can make from a box of matches, but the kind of fire you get when you rub two sticks together. I’m all yours if you want me.”
The world around me blurred as if I were watching it through thick lenses. I imagined Charlie’s lips against mine. I imagined him shirtless, propped above me, his triceps bulging as he slowly lowered his chest—mine rising toward his, beckoning him closer. He groaned a low animal-like sound. It drew me to him.
And I wanted him bad.
I wanted our bodies to burn in Hell together for all eternity.
What was happening? Had I lost my mind? I wasn’t ready. Was I?
No.
Spasms of panic surged from my loins to the deepest recesses in my brain. In a sharp snap, the imaginary lenses cracked, and through the broken glass was a clear image of a boy with kind eyes and a halo of yellow hair.
Keir was my angel, and I was dancing with the devil. A devil who would betray his brother. A devil who would convince me to betray him as well.
I shuddered and pressed my free hand, fiercely against his shoulder. He clutched me tighter.
“Charlie, please. We can’t do this.”
“Why not?” he demanded.
I took in a long, ragged breath. “Because I don’t want to hurt Keir. He likes me.”
He forced a laugh and loosened his grip. My hand  slipped from his, and he leaned toward me. His chin brushed against my cheek, and flesh bumps shimmied down my spine.
“That was the right answer, New Jersey,” he whispered in a throaty voice. “Welcome to the gang.”

1 Comment

Book Spotlight: The Kingdom Under Siege

1/11/2021

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The Kingdom Under Siege
By Steven Szmyt
Genre: Sci Fi/Fantasy 
 
About the Book
 
The pieces have fallen after the battle at Elm Hills and the Kingdom’s two biggest foes, the Prominent Order and the Wanderers, have regrouped to plan their retaliation.  With help from unlikely sources, the Kingdom’s hierarchy is threatened as it also uncovers one of the boldest coups it has ever faced.
 
Meanwhile, a key young potential has fled from the Kingdom which has created a ripple effect of dangerous events that the Wolf King must navigate through. As Anne learns more about werewolf lore an unusual ally is revealed. She must also overcome the greatest deception she has ever encountered, a deception that will have every Kingdom member questioning its own.
 
This powerful lycan syndicate must unleash all of its might to survive or the future of the Kingdom will finally lie in the hands of its enemies. Even if the Wolf King and his soldiers can endure, these historic events could change the future of the Kingdom as they know it.
 
Author Steven Szmyt blends the modern era and familiar locations with ancient legends and warm characters to make you wonder, “What if werewolves existed?” Follow the continuing tale of the Wolf King as he defends his Kingdom against rival wolf packs while keeping his ancient society hidden from human civilization.
 

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About the Author
 
A native New Englander, author Steven Szmyt lives in Portsmouth New Hampshire with his wife and two daughters.
 
Inspired by the writings of Stephen King, J.R.R Tolkien and Clive Cussler, he attended Notre Dame College then transferred to the Maine College of Art where he honed his artistic creativeness.  
 
After a few other ventures, Szmyt focused on writing. Starting many stories but never completing, he became frustrated. One cold winter evening, he experienced a brief but vivid dream. He got out of bed, fired up his computer and started typing.  His wife woke up a few hours later to find him working feverishly over a growing manuscript. During the next several weeks, he wrote tirelessly before and after work.  
 
“The story just wrote itself, I was compulsive, I wanted to know where it was going to lead me,” he says. The work he was doing would become his first novel, “The Kingdom.”
 
Steven is an avid cyclist and is frequently found on the roads surrounding Portsmouth.  He plays piano and drums, and is learning guitar along with his youngest daughter.  His passion is rescuing Doberman Pinschers. 
 
Book Two: The Kingdom Under Siege, promises to give readers an intriguing re-entry, a dramatic delve into darker areas of the story, and breathtaking ending to Book One: The Kingdom.  
 
Links
 
Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08Q6SVN1P?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860
FB: https://www.facebook.com/steven.szmyt.1
Twitter: https://twitter.com/molyoy
Website: http://www.stevenszmyt.com/about.html
B & N:  https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-kingdom-steven-szmyt/1126122012
​​

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Review: Heat

1/30/2018

0 Comments

 
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Heat
Dark Kings #12
by Donna Grant

Synopsis

Nikolai is a dragon shapeshifter who knows well the meaning of loss. Orphaned and raised to be a Dragon King, he never accepts defeat. Now, Nikolai prefers his solitude . . .until a beautiful, irresistible woman calls upon him for help—and Nikola’s whole word goes up in flames.

Ever since MI5 agent Esther woke to discover her mind taken over with magic, she feels like stranger to herself. She looks to a notorious dragon, one who has the power to help her find her memory. But as she and Nikolai come closer to discovering what really happened to her, a dangerous passion ignites between them. Can this lone Dragon King help the woman he’s grown to love to uncover the truth about her past—or will a deep and fiery danger tear them both apart?


Review

This review is going to be a bit strange.

I was given the opportunity to review Heat (unsolicited), and I did because - uh, hello? DRAGONS. What I was unaware of at the time was that Heat ​is #12 in the Dark Kings series.  I usually do not review books in a series where I have not read the previous books. What can I say? I am a completist. 

​With that said, I can review what I know from what I did read of this book. I enjoyed learning what I could of the dragon clans. It reminded me of J.R. Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood series because of the connection each of the "brothers" has with the other. 

There is definite chemistry between Esther and Nikolai that is steamy off the pages. However, there is obvious background on both of these characters that must have been discussed in the previous books. In the reviews I've read from other readers, it seems that this book is in perfect conjunction with the others in the series. 

​I will definitely add this series to my TBR list, but I believe that anyone wanting to take it on will definitely be pleased. 
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Cover Reveal! Bring Me Their Hearts by Sara Wolf

1/29/2018

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In a new series Publishers Weekly has listed as “one of the most anticipated YA's of 2018”, we're excited to share the cover for Bring Me Their Hearts! NYT bestselling author Sara Wolf delivers a fast-paced, gritty fantasy sure to thrill fans of Holly Black, Sabba Tahir, and Sarah J. Maas.
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About the Book...

Zera is a Heartless—the immortal, unaging soldier of a witch. Bound to the witch Nightsinger ever since she saved her from the bandits who murdered her family, Zera longs for freedom from the woods they hide in. With her heart in a jar under Nightsinger’s control, she serves the witch unquestioningly.

Until Nightsinger asks Zera for a prince’s heart in exchange for her own, with one addendum: if she’s discovered infiltrating the court, Nightsinger will destroy Zera’s heart rather than see her tortured by the witch-hating nobles.

Crown Prince Lucien d’Malvane hates the royal court as much as it loves him—every tutor too afraid to correct him and every girl jockeying for a place at his darkly handsome side. No one can challenge him—until the arrival of Lady Zera. She’s inelegant, smart-mouthed, carefree, and out for his blood. The prince’s honor has him quickly aiming for her throat.

So begins a game of cat and mouse between a girl with nothing to lose and a boy who has it all.

Winner takes the loser’s heart.

Literally.
 
--
Entangled Publishing: https://entangledpublishing.com/bring-me-their-hearts.html
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07232WZBF
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bring-me-their-hearts-sara-wolf/1126358416
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/bring-me-their-hearts/id1237042410
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/bring-me-their-hearts
Goodreads Link:  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35144326-bring-me-their-hearts
 
Release Date: June 5th, 2018
 
--
 
About Sara Wolf:
 
Sara Wolf is a twenty-something author who adores baking, screaming at her cats, and screaming at herself while she types hilarious things. When she was a kid, she was too busy eating dirt to write her first terrible book. Twenty years later, she picked up a keyboard and started mashing her fists on it and created the monster known as the Lovely Vicious series. She lives in San Diego with two cats, a crippling-yet-refreshing sense of self-doubt, and not enough fruit tarts ever.

 
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