Review: Realms of Magic: A Spellcasters Short Story Collection by Margo Ryerkerk 4 of 5 stars

Realms of Magic: A Spellcasters Short Story Collection by Ashley McLeo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Nice collection of short stories that will whet your appetite to read the series they are connected to.

The Nutcracker Curse Prequel by Margo Ryerkerk

Philip is the guard to Princess Clara and has been warned that he needs to remember his place and keep his distance from her even though they are best friends. This tells of a fantastical tale from when he goe along with Clara on a strange odyssey into a magical realm to help a mermaid via a key and an old trunk.

This story certainly helps me understand the relationship between Philip and Clara in the main series but is also a little off the wall and strange. It is however well written and easy to understand.

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Review: The Valley of Flames by Eva Chase 5 of 5 stars

The Valley of Flames by Eva Chase
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Jemma Moriarty is determined to rid the world of the shrouded folk and rescue her sister even if that means she has to sacrifice everything and everyone dear to her in order to achieve it. However, these guys around her (Sherlock, Watson, Garrett and Bash) are not prepared to leave her alone and are insistent on helping - can this collection of friends/lovers make it out of this dangerous situation alive and save the world from total domination?

This is the last book in this series and neatly wraps up the events and the relationships between all of the members of this unorthodox group of friends. In it, they will come to terms with the relationships between themselves as well as wrap up the story of Jemma, her sister Olivia, Bash and his family background as well as how things will be for them all going forward. A few surprises as well as a lot of conclusions to story segments that had been introduced in earlier books in the series. I loved the ending which was how I would have wanted the series to end. Well written and easy to understand, this contains some sexual content involving multiple partners who may (or may not) be of the seme sex.

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Review: The R.E.M. Precept by J.M. Lanham 5 of 5 stars

The R.E.M. Precept by J.M. Lanham
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the third and final book in the Ocula saga that has kept me gripped since it started. It covers what happened after they think Asteria is finally gone, Ocula is history and the CIA are firmly on the defence with just the outliers trying to bring this to some kind of an acceptable ending. Can they work together to expose the CIA while avoiding the worst of this very dangerous drug? Both old and new questions will be answered as you read this.

This is an incredibly clever book that you absolutely have to have read the previous two first to get the full enjoyment out of this the last one. The final ending is a little surprising and almost feels like a cop-out but I'm also not sure exactly how else it could have ended. Well written and easy to understand and empathise with the characters.

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Review: Mantis by India Millar 4 of 5 stars

Mantis by India Millar
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Keiko's brother and father are dead after being slaughtered by starving peasants she is the last of her line and the ancient house of Hakuseki will die. To try and save it the noble samurai warrior woman is forced to humble herself at the feet of the local daimyo but he just ridicules her and takes the family estate for himself. According to the samurai code of bushido, there is only one thing left for - vengeance. So she plots to take revenge for all the action of the greedy noble lord and revenge against the men who wanted to buy her and keep her as their slave. Just like the praying mantis, she lures her enemies into a sense of safety before taking her revenge.

This was a more dramatic and involved story than the first book in the series as Keiko was busy plotting and doing what she could in order to punish the men she saw as doing her harm. Some of her behaviours were genius and she was very clever, but some of the things that she did were a bit strange. Sadly against she wasn't the nicest person towards her lover even when he was there let alone while he was away working - not sure he will appreciate some of what she has been up to when he returns. I loved the feel of this Japanese world with all the customs and behaviours. An enjoyable read that becomes addictive.

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Review: Vampire CEO (New Orleans After Dark Book 1) by Erin R. Bedford 4 of 5 stars

Vampire CEO (New Orleans After Dark Book 1) by Erin R. Bedford
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Witch Abigail was thrown out of her coven and had to go into the normal human world and get a real job. She has no skills outside of the witch's skills so magics her details slightly so she can get employment as the Secretary of the CEO at Midnight Pharmaceutical. But something strange is going on at the company as her hot boss keeps odd hours with women leaving his office every day. Can she find out what is going on or will her boss work out what she is by taking a bite out of her?

This was a fun story with a building romance between a witch and a vampire - where their attraction to each other overrode the natural instinct for the two races to avoid each other. I grew to like him a lot more than I did her in the end as she seemed to be very flighty and unreliable the way she blew hot and cold with him. It was well told and everything was clear and easy to understand.

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Review: Firefly by India Millar 4 of 5 stars

Firefly by India Millar
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In Japan, a Samurai was the highest level of a warrior and they followed the bushido code of honour. Through the centuries samurai women fought alongside their men but they no longer exist and are considered a myth. Keiko is an exception to that belief and as an ugly younger sister she was tolerated and fated to run errands for her beautiful older sister and obey her father (when he acknowledged her existence). That all changed when her older brother thought it would be funny to teach her the ills and martial-arts of the onna-bugeisha (female samurai). Before long the pupil excelled the master and it became clear the legend of the onna-bugeisha was real.

This was a fascinating story that did its best to explain all the Japanese names, customs and words. Some of the sexual words were a little odd (trunk being an example) but generally, it was a fascinating story. I did find the older sister irritating (which I'm sure was intended), the brother was a typical cocky young male, but Keiko was a weird mixture of determination, foolishness and confidence. Very enjoyable story that opened up a new world to me.

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Review: Free To Love by Maggie Mundy 3 of 5 stars

Free To Love by Maggie Mundy
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

18-year-old Marie and her two younger brothers came to America to live with their aunt however instead of an answer to prayers they found themselves at the hands of an aggressive drunkard of an uncle which came to a head after their aunt dies. In desperation, Marie liberates the car her aunt used to drive and leave. Widow Robert Connor has a small child and believes that love is no longer something he can have - that is until he stumbles across Marie when their lives are going to change forever.

This is a sweet short story which sets the scene for the Connor Clan series of books by the same author as she explains how the grandparents at the head of the Connor Clan met. A pleasant read.

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