Tag: indie author

Book Review: Charting Stars (The Nine Realms Tales #1) by Micheline Ryckman

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Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 325 pages
Author: Micheline Ryckman
Publisher: Whimsical Publishing
Release Date: May 21st, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Talia Benson would consider herself fairly ordinary. Anyone would. Diligent student, only child to a single mother, protector of three cats—nothing crazy has ever happened to her. And Talia wants it to stay that way: stable. Her knack for making friends, along with her obsession with the stars and her love for skirt pockets, coffee, and art, is more than enough to keep Talia happy for the rest of her days—that is, until a single evening in front of a blank canvas becomes the adventure she never dreamed she wanted.

Now, Talia finds herself lost in a world completely unlike her own, a land where monsters roam and magic thrives, where wars are born then die at the wave of a hand, and where strange entities decide the fate of those who live among the Nine Realms. The guardians of these foreign lands have seen a great shift in the heavens. Something has changed, a prophecy has been spoken—a darkness is coming. But maybe, just maybe, an ordinary girl thrown between worlds could be the key to saving it all.

Charting Stars is the first book in a spirited, heartfelt young adult fantasy series by Micheline Ryckman that will appeal to the minds of those who’ve always felt, well, ordinary. Talia’s adventures prove that even an average everyday girl can have skills enough to be a hero. And she’s joined on her journey by a lovable cast of characters—some human, some furry, some covered in ivy vines—who will steal your heart away.

ADORED.

This was such a good read!! It’s a super short fantasy (under 300 pages) and I felt wrapped up in it and loving all of the characters. It’s wholesome and whimsical. All the things I could have hoped for when I picked it up.

It’s a pretty classic YA fantasy (but the characters felt older, so probably closer to NA). Our heroine lands in an unknown land and finds herself on an adventure with a rag-tag group of people while she learns about everything around her. I adored the sweetly paced romance that for fast-paced didn’t bother me for a moment. Jarrett and Talia were just precious.

I liked the plot line and outer story of the magic system and world building. It could have been even further expanded, but I didn’t feel that was the nature of this book which led me to just want to devour it and anxiously await the next installment. I love the way Ryckman writes her stories and I’ve enjoyed everyone I’ve read!

Overall audience notes:

  • NA Fantasy
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: physical and magical altercations, near death experiences

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Book Review: A Memory of Light (Until the Stars Are Dead #1) by Allyson S. Barkley

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Rating: ★★★☆
Genre: NA Fantasy
Length: 330 pages
Author: Allyson S. Barkley
Publisher: Atmosphere Press
Release Date: January 1st, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

An exceptionally-skilled thief, Ari lives deep in the forest with no one but her bobcat Jagger for company. She is determined to keep to herself as civil war drags on around her, but when a mysterious stranger appears with an unexpected job offer, she has no choice but to leave her quiet life behind.

Unwillingly paired with chatty, optimistic magician Ely, Ari finds her patience, wits, and skill tested when the journey quickly proves to be far from what either of them bargained for. Ari must face one of the greatest tests of her thieving career – and come to terms with the many secrets she has been hiding.

With an exciting heroine and a diverse cast of characters, A Memory of Light is the first title in the fantasy series Until the Stars Are Dead, which follows Ari and Ely’s adventures navigating the dangers of their complicated, quickly-changing world.

Thank you to the author for sending along a copy.

I SEE THE POTENTIAL.

This kind of got off to a rough start, there was an extreme lack of dialogue which (for me) is hard to get drawn in by. I like the connection the characters and needed more of that.

Once Ari FINALLY started feeling like talking a bit to Ely and others things got better. I liked the dynamic between them and see maaaybe a potential love interest? If not, totally cool, I like the bond they have going. The closeness between them is starting to show and I think that’s why I can see potential. Now that they have a bit of a bond I hope to see it more in book two.

One of my least favorite fantasy tropes is the adventure/traveling plotline. This dragged out for me too. The entire book is one quest without any home base for me to get a feeling of anything else then some woods and running for your lives.

In the end, I did truly enjoy the base of the writing. I wasn’t turned from wanting to continue and I look forward to seeing how book two further expounds on the world building and the character development.

Overall audience notes:

  • NA Fantasy
  • Language: none
  • Romance: none
  • Violence: mild
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: small scale skirmish scenes, physical and weaponry altercations, recounting of losing loved ones

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Book Review: Girls of Salt and Sea by Natalia Macias Lucia

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Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.5)
Genre: Thriller + Romance
Length: 484 pages
Author: Natalia Macias Lucia
Publisher: Lightkeeper Press LLC
Release Date: August 26th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

“Don’t go back to Halcyon Bay.”

24-year-old Dell Costa knows nothing of the island where she was born, nor of the distant family that calls it home. For years, she’s lived a world away from Halcyon Bay, fiercely protected from the secrets of her past. But when Dell receives notice that her estranged grandmother has died, and her mother falls into a sudden downward spiral, she is determined to figure out why.

Returning to the island one stormy night, Dell resides at her grandparents’ seaside estate over a long weekend of funeral proceedings, learning of her family’s tragic history and the strange local folklore concerning drowned girls. With the help of a captivating young fisherman, Dell discovers that her childhood home teems with dangers at every turn—some even lurk beneath the crashing waves.

Nothing on Halcyon Bay is as it seems on the surface, and when small town whispers prove to be more than hearsay, Dell finds herself at the center of a dangerous plot with deadly repercussions.

In Girls of Salt and Sea, debut author Natalia Macias Lucia weaves a sultry, atmospheric tale dripping with haunting secrets, electrifying romance, and dark loyalties. Readers will be swept away on a thrilling wave of suspense into a story as intoxicating and mysterious as the sea itself.

___

Note: Girls of Salt and Sea is a new adult contemporary fantasy with some dark content. Please refer to the author’s website for a list of content warnings. 

READ THIS.

I’m not generally a thriller gal. But a friend gave this such a good recommendation I couldn’t help but download it. I actually went in thinking it was a romance (whoops, though there is a romance!!), and after a few chapters and realizing my mistake I was loving it enough that I kept going and I’m glad I did!

The writing was incredible. A debut author who knows how to write and I love it. The only issue I had was some minor pacing things where I thought it slowed down a touch too much here and there.

I loved the murder mystery. It really kept me guessing. And even at the end I was looking like a fish out of water when even more things kept being brought to life. I LOVED IT. I love the way this story was woven. How you had to double check each character wondering who was on what side.

I enjoyed the romance too (and would have loved even more of them). I thought it fit well into the story and they were a couple I wanted to root for. Also meaning, I better get more of them in the next book!!

Any who, really loved this. Highly recommend.

Overall audience notes:

  • Thriller
  • Language: some strong
  • Romance: brief/vague fade to black
  • Violence: high
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: drowning, suicide, mental illness, physical and weapons violence, physical and emotional abuse, brief remarks about a rumored sexual assault against a child, grief, alcohol and drug use, cults, murder

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ARC Book Review: Scrooge and the Girls Next Door by Melanie Jacobson

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Rating: ★★★☆
Audience: Contemporary Holiday Romance
Length: 336 pages
Author: Melanie Jacobson
Publisher: Self-Published
Release Date: November 8th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

When the sunniest woman in Creekville buys the house next to the grumpiest man on the street, sparks fly . . . and not just because she keep blowing his fuses…

Paige Redmond has done everything the hard way, from her wild child past to being a single mother raising her own delightful wild child now. But since landing in Creekville, she’s turned it all around. With her newly-inked college degree and her shiny new job title, nothing can get in her way, not even the fixer upper cottage she bought on a whim. It’s the worst house on the best street in town, and she can’t wait to give Evie the Christmas of her dreams in their very own home.

Paige tackles the holiday with a Clark Griswold-level of Christmas spirit, amusing the entire town who cheer her on–everyone except for her humbug neighbor, the reclusive, grumpy, and deliciously handsome professor next door.

Can Paige and Ellie win over the town’s biggest Scrooge? Or will he pull the plug on their first solo Christmas?

Experience the laughter and magic of a Creekville Christmas from USA Today bestselling author Melanie Jacobson today!

Thank you to the author for an eARC.

THOUGHTS.

I started out really enjoying this. Easily a holiday read, I liked the grump and sunshine set up (with easy nods to The Christmas Carol). Single mom trope is here too and I love a great kid in a book too.

There’s some good humor and I loved the slow burn romance. It was a well accomplished age gap and I was head over heels for Henry. He reminded me of Temperance Brennan (Bones from Bones). A very dry sense of humor and the way he viewed the world. I thought this was spot on and his growth was solid too.

Paige grew on me but we had some learning curves too. I struggled with her absolute inability to let others help her even though they’ve literally been helping her for years. It was a stubborn clash that made me shrug my shoulders a bunch.

Some of the trauma felt like it was approached with a bit of insensitivity. I think I got what the author was trying to do, but it was a miss for me.

It does have the perfect amount of holiday cheer and I thought the ending was really sweet. There’s a good combination of things here even if some of the stuff wasn’t clicking for me.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Holiday Romance
  • Language: very little
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: low
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of a grandparent (recounted), brief mentions of substance abuse, grief

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