Summer's Opus

Title: The Space Between Author: Susan Rooke Genre: Adult Fantasy | Supernatural | Christian Fiction Rating: Five Stars! The definition of the term “plot twist” typically goes along the lines of “a literary technique that introduces a radical change in the direction or expected outcome of the plot in a work of fiction.” In my experience, plot twists can go in one of two ways. In some instances, foreshadowing can make a plot twist so obvious that it almost isn’t worth mentioning when it finally comes up,  or  the plot twist can be so cliché and overdone that it turns you off—as a reader, that is. In other cases, though—and when done correctly—a plot twist can be an awesome, amazing device! It keeps the reader engaged, on the edge of his or her prospective seats, if you will, because no one can guess what’s coming next. In the case of  The Space Between,  the plot twists definitely fall in the latter category, with lots of surprising, twisty moments an...

  Title: God's Forsaken (The Guilty Ones – Book 1) Author: David Brevik Genre: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Paranormal Fiction Rating: Four Stars! Michel is the Angel of Death, but he’s no match for Vipa, a huntress on a mission to destroy the forsaken god, Tragun. From the moment their paths cross, Vipa is a major thorn in his side — and her reckless approach to fighting manages to land him in jail! Just when he thinks his day can’t get any worse, Vipa shows up again, this time to break him out of prison. Naturally, there’s a price to pay for her efforts: he must help her find Tragun. Reluctant, Michel agrees, but he instantly regrets his decision when Vipa seals the deal with a bonding curse! Now forced to comply, Michel must learn to get along with Vipa and her team: a vampire and a humanoid lizard, so that they can attempt to accomplish the impossible.   God's Forsaken is a fun read. There’s lots of action and some amazing world building, and I really en...

Title: What The Cat Dragged In (The Celtic Witch Mysteries – Book 1) Author: Molly Milligan Genre: Adult Supernatural Cozy Rating: Five Stars! The body that turns up in Bron's garden has been there for decades, and he died of natural causes, so she should just rebury him and carry on as normal, right? But resuming the status quo isn’t easy when the ghost of the dead man wants attention — and he’s going about it in the most comical of ways! It's down to Bron, a traditional hedge witch, to find out what the ghosts wants, which is all well and good since she’s currently teaching Maddie, her cousin from America, the ropes about their family history and all of the magical fun that it entails. Soon, the girls are up to their knees in faery folk (don't trust 'em), druids (keen on trees), wild animals (Bron's a healer), the obligatory smoldering blacksmith (sorry, he prefers men), and the maddest Mad Great Aunt of all. Trust me; it’s well worth the...

Title: Still Author: Camilla Monk Genre: Adult Fantasy Rating: Five Stars! On a whim, twenty-year-old Emma books a vacation to Rome, intent on finding her absent father, who she hasn’t seen since one-long-ago day on Coney Island. It really isn’t the best time in her life to pick up and travel halfway across the world, especially because Emma has a unique problem — she can stop time — so she’s a bit leery of traveling. She’s never been able to control her ability and worries about what could happen if time stops while she’s overseas. Despite her fears though, she goes ahead with her vacation, deciding that if she never works up the courage to confront her father, she’ll still make the most of her trip anyway. Rome is everything she imagines it to be: touristy, ancient, and full of old stuff. It’s nice though, and just as she starts to get excited about her newfound journey, she unexpectedly bumps into her stepsister. It’s a bit of a shocker, really, since she h...

  Title: Keeper of the Dragon’s Tears — Book 3 of the Knights of Kismera Series Author: Tamara H. Hartl Genre: Adult Fantasy Romance Rating: Four Stars! Egyptologist Maggie Shaffer finds more than antiquities when she discovers a mysterious tomb in a hillside excavation site on the edges of the Giza Plateau. Tomb raiders have since pillaged all of the artifacts, but Maggie can’t shake the nagging feeling that there’s something there worth discovering — the problem, of course, is that time is money, and the museum that’s partially invested in her journey is growing impatient. So, to make sure that she’s truly staying on task, the museum sends in Ted Maxwell, a fellow Egyptologist who just so happens to be Maggie’s abusive ex-boyfriend. At first, all seems well; Maggie keeps things professional while Ted keeps his temper in check, but as time drags on with no discoveries, tensions begin to flare, and when Maggie sneaks off to the dig site in the middle of the...

Title: That Old Witch Magic — Book 2 of the Wicked in Moonhaven series Author: J. D. Winters and Dakota Kahn Genre: Adult Fantasy Rating: Five Stars! Haley Greco still doesn’t know much about her past, but she does know one thing: Bentley St. Ames isn’t guilty of murder. Sure he’s a vampire. Sure he was seen threatening the victim. Sure he broke out of jail. As far as Haley is concerned though, that’s all speculation, and even though Bentley doesn’t seem inclined to proclaim his innocence, she’s certain he is — even when evidence starts to mount against him. Still, Haley — in her classic stubborn form — is willing to confront a gremlin wrangler, evil hunters, her major crush Deputy Sheriff Shane, and her own sorceress grandmother to prove it. It’s all a bit adventurous and as always, the authors deliver a fun and cozy mystery chock-full of wit and humor. My only issue, which revolves around Haley’s incessant stubbornness and brattiness, is truly a non-issue because...

Title: Realms of Ghosts and Magic: Fae Witch Chronicles Book 2 Author: J. S. Malcom Genre: Adult Urban Fantasy Rating: Four Stars In Book 2 of the Fae Witch Chronicles, we jump in right where we left off — with Cassie trying to figure out how to save her recently abducted friend. To do that, she must enter Faerie, which is a risky endeavor to begin with, and an undoubtedly harder venture when she’s trying to free a changeling. That’s never been done before, but that’s exactly what has to happen if she plans on rescuing her best friend. So when she runs into Cade, a half-blood thief who offers to help, Cassie couldn’t be more relieved. As the two begin to dig deeper into the labyrinthine fae city kingdom, Cade schools Cassie on all things fae. Namely, how it came to be that just a few fae now control all of the magic in their realm and how several missing humans have been spotted around town. Unfortunately, her best friend isn’t one of them, but just as Cassie and Cad...

Title: Even Witches Get the Blues Authors: J. D. Winters and Dakota Kahn Genre: Adult Fantasy Rating: Five Stars! Haley Greco wakes up in a strange motel room with no memories of her prior life, and with only one very odd clue to help unlock her identity: the deed to a property in Moonhaven, California, where everyone seems to know her. Back for less than a day, she quickly discovers that most of her family is missing, she has a reputation for being a wild child, and her eccentric grandmother seems to know more about her amnesia than she’s willing to admit. Naturally, Haley’s already bad day only gets worse when she stumbles upon a crime scene and manages to land herself on the top of the suspect list. She’s apparently no stranger to dealing with the cops though, and she’s instantly drawn to Shane McAllister, a tall, dark, and handsome, deputy sheriff who knows a lot more about her than he should — and seemingly in all the right ways. Yet, with nothing but gut feelin...