Tag: paranormal romance

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands

** I received an ARC for an honest review **

Publisher’s Description

Emily Wilde is a genius scholar of faerie folklore who just wrote the world’s first comprehensive encyclopaedia of faeries. She’s learned many of the secrets of the Hidden Ones on her adventures . . . and also from her fellow scholar and former rival Wendell Bambleby. 

Because Bambleby is more than infuriatingly charming. He’s an exiled faerie king on the run from his murderous mother and in search of a door back to his realm. And despite Emily’s feelings for Bambleby, she’s not ready to accept his proposal of marriage: Loving one of the Fair Folk comes with secrets and dangers. 

She also has a new project to focus on: a map of the realms of faerie. While she is preparing her research, Bambleby lands her in trouble yet again, when assassins sent by his mother invade Cambridge. Now Bambleby and Emily are on another adventure, this time to the picturesque Austrian Alps, where Emily believes they may find the door to Bambleby’s realm and the key to freeing him from his family’s dark plans.

But with new relationships for the prickly Emily to navigate and dangerous Folk lurking in every forest and hollow, Emily must unravel the mysterious workings of faerie doors and of her own heart.

Summary

One of my most anticipated reads was Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands (Emily Wilde, #2), new adventure in the fantasy series from Canadian author Heather Fawcett.

Review

Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands is a fantastic melding of Fae folklore, magical realism with a unique take on the dark academia sub genre. Fawcett again meets the challenge of crafting intriguing and multifaceted characters, a strong feminism fantasy that has the hallmarks of dark academia while avoiding the stereotypical aspects. This is a beautifully written and compelling fantasy series that defies a being placed into a single genre but spans a variety to give depth and complexity to a truly unique series.

This is an intriguing fantasy Fawcett’s world-building is to be praised with the incorporation of folklore, fairy tales and history to spin a new and exciting alternate history where Faerie exists alongside late Victorian era society. A compelling read that shouldn’t be missed.

Conclusion

A highly recommend read. This is perfect for fans of Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, fairy tale reimagining and folklore-infused fantasy. A great new addition to the genres of dark academia and alternate history. I cannot wait for the Emily Wilde’s next adventure in this series!

** This is my personal opinion and does not reflect any judging decisions **

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Scissor Sisters

** I received an ARC for an honest review **

Publisher’s Description

21 tales of sapphic villains, curated by April Yates and Rae Knowles.

Summary

One of my recent reads included Scissor Sisters is a sapphic anthology edited by Rae Knowles and April Yates.

Review

Scissor Sisters was a particularly diverse dark fiction and horror anthology. Although united by a common theme of sapphic horror vengeful or defiant lovers, there was a good selection of interpretations in the stories.

Those stories that really stood out among this anthology were “Gladys Glows at Night” by Hatteras Mange, “Modern Art Curse, Mixed Media” by Hailey Piper, “Conversations with Roe” by Alex Luceli Jimenez”, “You Oughta Be in Pictures” by Anastasia Dziekan, “Our Lady of Devouring Violence” by Cheyanne Brabo and “This Flesh Grows Fonder” by T.O. King.

Among this anthology are lovers defiant of societal norms, scorned and angry, vengeful or embracing a darkness. The range of settings spans historical Victorian eras, scandalous 1920s, modern eras and realms in between realities. A strongly written anthology that holds the reflection of sapphic horror to the audience in an unflinching and deeply honest portal. Although not all stories carried the same weight and impact, the essence of the theme was represented throughout.

Conclusion

A recommend read for fans of dark fiction, paranormal romance, body horror and queer horror. A sapphic horror anthology well worth reading and a great new addition to queer fiction and the horror and dark fiction genres.

** This is my personal opinion and does not reflect any judging decisions **

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Shanghai Immortal

Publisher’s Description

Half vampire. Half fox-spirit. All trouble.

Pawned by her mother to the King of Hell as a child, Lady Jing is half-vampire, half-hulijing fox-spirit and all sasshole. As the King’s ward, she has spent the past ninety years running errands, dodging the taunts of the spiteful hulijing courtiers, and trying to control her explosive temper – with varying levels of success.

So when Jing overhears the courtiers plotting to steal a priceless dragon pearl from the King, she seizes her chance to expose them, once and for all.

With the help of a gentle mortal tasked with setting up the Central Bank of Hell, Jing embarks on a wild chase for intel, first through Hell and then mortal Shanghai. But when her hijinks put the mortal in danger, she must decide which is more important: avenging her loss of face, or letting go of her half-empty approach to life for a chance to experience tenderness – and maybe even love.

Summary

I read the alternate history and dark fantasy Shanghai Immortal by UK based author A.Y. Chao.

Lady Jing is the protagonist, a half-vampire, half-hulijing fox -spirit and heir to the throne of the Hulijing Court. Disliked for her irreverence, feistiness and half-vampire/ half-hulijing, her place in the immortal realm is secured only by her mother placing her as the ward of the formidable Lord of the Hell in exchange for a rare, precious and powerful Dragon Pearl.

Jing wants more from life than the constrains and proprietary of the Hulijing Court ruled by her grandmother. Attempts by the hulijing to remove Jing from Hell and the protection of the Lord of Hell are a constant threat and annoyance.

After discovering her grandmother sndvtgr Court of the hulijing intend to steal the precious Dragon Pearl her mother traded to the Lord of Hell, Jing takes chance to finally bring down the Court of the Hulijing and expose their treachery.

To solve the mystery of her own fate and the Dragon Pearl, Jing falls in love with a mortal the Lord of Hell has recruited to set up the Central Bank of Hell in keeping with mortal 1930s Shanghai and currencies. Jing’s plans to use the mortal to learn the secrets of her past are threatened when the chance of love forces her to decide between vengeance against her grandmother and the Hulijing Court and the mortal she loves.

Review

A.Y. Chao has written a spell-binding novel. Shanghai Immortal is a witty and irreverent in its exploration of 1930s Shanghai and Chinese mythology. Written in a fresh and engaging style, this is a fascinating adventure through the Chinese Immortal realms and massive social changes in 1930s Shanghai. Utterly magical!

Conclusion

An adventure-packed, dark fantasy with unique 1930s Shanghai alternate history. Great for fans of urban fantasy, myths and legends, paranormal romance. Highly recommend!

** This is my personal opinion and does not reflect any judging decisions **

Posted on by — Leave a comment

The Void

Publisher’s Description

A dark tale of self-discovery that will sweep you into a world of swords, secrets, snark, and sapphic love.

Kiera never fit in. Not on her aunt’s farm, not at her boring job, not with her ex-girlfriends. But she hasn’t given up hope of finding that elusive place to belong.

A freak storm leaves her stranded, alone in the office.

When something flashes past the upstairs window, the sarcastic voice in her head, Jiminy, insists it’s a figment of her imagination. But Kiera knows she didn’t imagine the flying pirate ship.

Or the dragon.

If she jumps on board—into a hidden world above the clouds—there’ll be no coming back. Is she ready for the quest of a lifetime, and the dark secrets beginning to unfurl?

Void is the first book in a dark steampunk fantasy series that skillfully blends thrilling adventure, snarky humour, and a sapphic slow-burn romance.

Summary

I recently read The Void (The Fang Ripper Series, #1) a steampunk fantasy novella by Australian author Neen Cohen.

The Void follows protagonist Kiera who lives in present-day Brisbane with allusions made early to her mental instability or repressed memories and self. Kiera lives a ‘normal’ life but the arrival of an otherworldly storm pulls Kiera from what she’d imagined was reality and into a new one of Skyan. Is this the strange connection she’d always felt was wrong with her?

Kiera’s journey into learning her true past begins when Blue crashes his sky ship to earth and the attractive but feminine Zarzy is injured battling an earth-magic dragon. To save Zarzy and prevent the darkly powerful Void from drvouring everything, Kiera must learn quickly as Blue takes the sky ship into Skyran with its floating cities, war and dangerous political machinations that threaten not just Blue and Zarzy who Kiera is undeniably attracted to. Into this complex battles of dragons and opposing invested interests, Kiera begins to learns her own truth.

Review

Cohen introduces a new take on urban fantasy with energetic prose and a mild sapphic romance. There’s a lot to unpack in this first novella and the word-building is fascinating and much more detail to follow. This is a genre-blending series of urban fantasy, steampunk and adventure. Cohen keeps it fast-paced with intriguing characters and innovative concepts.

Conclusion

A recommended new dark fantasy with mild sapphic romance, dragons, airships in a fresh take on urban fantasy!

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Diversity Grants & Awards

I’m really excited to announce I’ve been nominated for the Ditmar Awards for Best New Talent and Best Novella for Bluebells – an LGBTQI, disability dystopian alternate history horror.

I’m a recipient of the 2023 Horror Writers Association Diversity Grants to allow me to continue research for my HWA mentorship project with Lee Murray. The final piece will be an alternate history, gothic horror, GBTQI, disability with Fae versus gangsters in 1920s Sydney.

It’s a great time to be writing with my heart, soul and passion. Very excited to see where diversity in horror and dark fantasy can take us!

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Ditmar Award Nominations!!

I’m thrilled to announce I’m included in the 2022 Ditmar Awards Nominations. There is such a fabulous variety of works nominated this year.

Presentations will be held at Conflux Convention in September/October.

I’m nominated for Best New Talent and my LGBTQI dystopian alternate history novella Bluebells is nominated in Best Novella or Novelette.

Congratulations to all the nominees and can’t wait to celebrate everything Australian speculative fiction at Conflux.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

The Salt-Black Tree

** I received an ARC for an honest review **

Publisher’s Description

Nat Drozdova has crossed half the continent in search of the stolen Dead God’s Heart, the only thing powerful enough to trade for her beautiful, voracious, dying mother’s life. Yet now she knows the secret of her own birth—and that she’s been lied to all her young life.

The road to the Heart ends at the Salt-Black Tree, but to find it Nat must pay a deadly price. Pursued by mouthless shadows hungry for the blood of new divinity as well as the razor-wielding god of thieves, Nat is on her own. Her journey leads through a wilderness of gods old and new, across a country as restless as its mortal inhabitants, and it’s too late to back out now.

…or accept the consequences of her own.

Summary

Blood may not always prevail. Magic might not always work. And the young Drozdova is faced with an impossible choice: Save her mother’s very existence…

I recently read The Salt-Black Tree(Dead God’s Heart, #2) by US dark fantasy and urban fantasy author Lilith Saintcrow.

The journey of Nat Drozdova continues but she now possesses Spring’s Arcana and is coming into her own Divinity. While she battles internally with the reality her mother has lied to her throughout her entire life, and that she was born simply to allow her mother to assume to divinity on American soil, Nat comes into her own power and makes her own decisions as she travels towards the Salt-Black Tree and whatever ending awaits her there.

She seeks the Dead God’s Heart but what she intends to do with it once she possesses it, she is yet to be sure. One thing she does know-Nat Drozdova is her own Divinity, and if that means battling her mother and Baba Yaga, she will do so.

Review

The Salt-Black Tree is the final instalment in the Dead God’s Heart duology.

Saintcrow’s writing is superb and she provides a thrilling and satisfying ending to her series. The plot is fast-paced while still being insightful to characters development and the detailed world-building. The comparisons to Neil Gaiman‘s American Gods, while relevant on the surface, Saintcrow’s duology blows them away with a darkness and ruthlessness in development and immigration of divinities and human belief which is fresh and bold. This finale is a masterpiece of talented writing while maintaining the integrity of the characters and the world building at the core of in this urban fantasy duology.

Conclusion

A highly recommended read for fans of urban fantasy, Russian folklore and world mythology. A thriller of an urban fantasy and a read!

** This is my personal opinion and does not reflect any judging decisions **

Posted on by — Leave a comment

A Master of Djinn

Publisher’s Description

Cairo, 1912: Though Fatma el-Sha’arawi is the youngest woman working for the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities, she’s certainly not a rookie, especially after preventing the destruction of the universe last summer.

So when someone murders a secret brotherhood dedicated to one of the most famous men in history, Al-Jahiz, Agent Fatma is called onto the case. Al-Jahiz transformed the world fifty years ago when he opened up the veil between the magical and mundane realms, before vanishing into the unknown. This murderer claims to be Al-Jahiz, returned to condemn the modern age for its social oppressions. His dangerous magical abilities instigate unrest in the streets of Cairo that threaten to spill over onto the global stage.

Alongside her Ministry colleagues and a familiar person from her past, Agent Fatma must unravel the mystery behind this imposter to restore peace to the city – or face the possibility he could be exactly who he seems . . .

Summary

I recently read A Master of Djinn (The Dead Djinn Universe, #1) by US fantasy author P. Djéli Clark.

A Master of Djinn follows from events of the novella A Dead Djinn in Cairo with the protagonist again being Agent Fatma and joined now by next female agent in Cairo Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments and Supernatural Entities, an initially unwanted partner in Agent Haida.

The case the two women are tested against is a deaths of a group of English society men worshipping the semi-legendary magician called Al-Jahiz – famous for allowing the djinn back into the world. But why holy man and supernatural leader would burn a group of socialites to death seems unfathomable. Agent Fatma and Haida don’t believe this returned Al-Jahiz is anything but imposter stirring chaos and resentment in Cairo against the English.

As Fatima and Haida investigate deeper, the dangers around them continue to mount until they must join with the supernatural entity Sitii to face the incredibly powerful Al-Jahiz who commands real power to force all djinn to his will.

Review

P. Djéli Clark delivers a fascinating alternate history of Egypt and European nations circa 1912. The storytelling feels fresh and invigorating and the degree of detail in the complex communities of Cairo and all those who have migrated to earn their fortunes. Sometimes the plot felt as though it had wandered off track into extraneous details and others it didn’t quite seem to answer key questions clearly. Despite that, Clark writes a fabulous and highly unique story with some truly individual characters.

Conclusion

A fast-paced supernatural thriller, alternate history and steampunk read. Highly recommended!!

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Staying Dead

Publisher’s Description

Welcome to the world of the Cosa Nostradamus, where magic crackles on every corner, and not every person you meet is human….

If you’ve lost something of value, and you can’t go to the police, you need a Retriever. And if that item is magical?

You need Wren Valere. An exceptional thief – with exceptional Talent.

Normally, Wren loves her job. But some clients are worse than others, and some jobs just scream trouble from the start. And with this one, involving a real estate mogul and a stolen spell, she and her business partner Sergei may have gotten into more than can handle alone…

But some secrets shouldn’t stay buried. No matter the cost.

Summary

I read Staying Dead (The Retrievers, #1) by US urban fantasy author Laura Anne Gilman.

Wren – a self-proclaimed thief with a high level of magical abilities and a distrust of the Mage Council, the organisation she rightfully belongs because of her unique and strong Talent. Wren prefers to work with her partner Sergei who negotiates jobs that require Wren’s particular level of skill and keeps the distance between Wren and her clients.

When a magical-infused protection stone is stolen from a wealthy and commanding businessman, Sergei and Wren take the job to determine how the stone was stolen and steal it back. To this end, Wren and Sergei quickly become embroiled in the dealings of the Mage Council and the mysterious group known as the Silence.

Wren successfully finds and steals back the protection stone but finds a darker side to the magic, how it serves to protect the building and the businessman which makes her question her own morality.

Review

Staying Dead was an intriguing urban fantasy with a mystery at its heart. Gillman creates unique and strong characters which are human and engaging. A solid first novel to a series.

Conclusion

A unique urban fantasy that’s sure to please fans of paranormal, supernatural urban fantasies and dark fantasy. Highly recommended!

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Foxglove Summer

Publisher’s Description

When two young girls go missing in rural Herefordshire, police constable and wizard-in-training Peter Grant is sent out of London to check that nothing supernatural is involved.

It’s purely routine—Nightingale, Peter’s superior, thinks he’ll be done in less than a day. But Peter’s never been one to walk away from someone in trouble, so when nothing overtly magical turns up he volunteers his services to the local police, who need all the help they can get.

But because the universe likes a joke as much as the next sadistic megalomaniac, Peter soon comes to realize that dark secrets underlie the picturesque fields and villages of the countryside and there might just be work for Britain’s most junior wizard after all.

Soon Peter’s in a vicious race against time, in a world where the boundaries between reality and fairy have never been less clear….

Review

I’ve been reading this series for years now and I absolutely love it. Foxglove Summer (Rivers of London, #5) by UK author Ben Arronavitch was as classy, funny, scary, and at times, as gory the others in the series.

Foxglove Summer follows London special branch (spooky stuff) constable Peter Grant when he’s sent out of his comfort zone and into the herodfordshire countryside. He’s there to help determine if there is any magical or unnatural forces behind the sudden disappearance of two pre-teen girls. What he finds is the country is potentially more dangerous than London and semi-visible unicorns with malicious intent are rampaging about the forests at night. Into such danger Peter Grant wades and questions begin to rise over the sudden reappearance of the girls, their odd behaviour and which one might be a fairy changeling? Or both?

Final Thoughts

Foxglove Summer was an unusual departure for Arronovitch and the Peter Grant books which has been squarely set in London. I enjoyed the new secondary characters and the involvement of the Fae in the storyline. A refreshing novel in the Rivers of London series.

Conclusion

Highly recommended for fans of urban fantasy, mystery, paranormal, alternate history, crime and dark fantasy. As always delivered with Aaronovitch’s superb craftsmanship. A great, fun read!