Did someone say Wyrd and Wonder?

It’s time for my favourite event of the year. WYRD AND WONDER!!!!! The entire month of May raving about all things fantasy. Every type of fantasy. High, low, epic, magical realism, grimdark, urban, paranormal… All of it.

I think the big challenge this year will actually be producing reviews for what I’ve read and what I will be reading. I just counted and I have 15 partially written reviews that I could finish and post during May. All wonderful books, but I haven’t written a review in over a month, so you can see why I would be concerned about my ability to get shit done. Continue reading “Did someone say Wyrd and Wonder?”

Karolina Dalca, Dark Eyes by M.R. Noble

Well, well, well, my first blog tour of the year. And my first review in over a month. Once again Dave @WriteReadsTours has delivered the book goods, serving up another winner.

Fast paced, sexy, Non stop action

Karolina Dalca coverBlurb- Blindsided by an attack that destroys her home and blamed for murder, Karolina Dalca, a half-vampire, escapes, only to plunge into the magical societies from which she was sheltered.

Betrayed by those around her, she abandons her dreams of becoming an investigator and flees, trusting only herself. Her police internship would never prove more useful. Hoofing it through the wilderness, she makes it to her university dorm, dishevelled but delightfully deflowered.

Enter a full vampire: one wielding dark magic and a ride out of Canada. A fugitive from the law, Karo complies with his demands to escape, unsure whether his requests are bewitched. She vows to clear her name and avenge her mother’s death, but Karo’s family secrets aren’t so easily left behind.


What I wanted from this book – A fun adventure with vampires and werewolves.

What I got – A fun, sexy, bloody, adventure with vampires, werewolves, magic and family secrets.

There is a lot of good stuff in Karolina Dalca, Dark Eyes, but first we need to get to something important, the sexual tension… So much sexual tension. I’m not mad, I loved it and there was a certain scene in the woods, that well… Phew… You will know what I’m talking about when you get to it. That in itself makes this book worth reading.

So a big tick for the sexy levels.

And now the less smutty stuff. Dark Eyes weaves magic and myth to bring the fantastical elements to life and gives us an often unseen touch of elemental magic. Tied in with demons, vampire royalty and shady agents, we get to discover all the different aspects of the world as Karo does. Because unfortunately for Karo, she has been deemed to powerful by those who care about her; unable to control her powers, so they keep the majority of her history hidden from her. In usual moronic fashion, they think they know best and think that it will work out for her in the long run.

Side note, it doesn’t matter who you are, friend, family or foe, you don’t get to decide what’s best for other people and keep them in the dark about their abilities or their history. 

As often happens, keeping Karo sheltered doesn’t prepare her for life. She is thrown into situations that cause her to act rashly. Because she is naïve about the consequences, she almost gets everyone killed quite a few times, she is easily manipulated.

It does allow for a decent character arc, because she is definitely a changed woman by the end of the book.

Our two male side characters were somewhat typical of the genre, but that doesn’t change the fact I enjoyed them. I liked the way they interacted, the way their relationships with Karo develop and I just know there is going to be some more love triangle action in the next book.

I did have an issue with the final conflict in the book, everything about it was to easy. I don’t think the suspense was built well, it felt as though it was written at exactly the same pace as the rest of the book and I need more than that. And it felt like it was over way to quickly, like hardly any space on the page was dedicated to it. It could have been so much better.

Overall Dark Eyes is a solid read, it’s fun, easy, sexy and it has definitely set up book two well. There are so many elements that have only been briefly touched on that will hopefully be fleshed out in book two and I’m 100% down with Karo’s attitude at the end and her plans for revenge.


Goodreads  –  Amazon


Author Bio

M. R. Noble has played a tug of war between science and art her whole life, but the rope broke when she wrote the first line of The Dark Eyes Series. Immersed up to her keyboard in paranormal romance and urban fantasy, she enjoys blending the real with the surreal. The only drawback is she misplaces her mug while dreaming up her next scene, and soon finds herself six cups overpoured.

Keeping to her Lake Simcoe roots, she is a member of the Writers Community of York Region (WCYR), where her muse is made not found . . . over a hefty cup of coffee.


TwitterWebsite


Throwback Thursday

Every Thursday I’m going to focus on a book that I’ve read and enjoyed, but for whatever reason I haven’t written a review for it. I would say I only review a third or so of what I read, so I’m glad I’ve finally organised a place to rave about the books I missed and maybe twist someone’s arm into finding their next favourite book..

Black Witch Magic by Mila Nicks

Black Witch Magic by Mila NicksSynopsis – Librarian by day, cursed witch by night:
Selene Blackstone spends her days camped out in library corners with her nose glued to books. In a town like Brimrock, where she’s an outcast, she prefers her book friends to her real-life enemies. They’re a lot less judgmental. The rest of town believes she descends from a family of witches—including her evil witch grandma, Luna. In this case, the truth is stranger than fiction. She is a witch, and she’s cursed for all of eternity. Good thing her to-be-read list is pretty long…
Prickly Paranormal Investigator Aiden O’Hare speaks two languages: sarcasm and more sarcasm. He travels the country—and sometimes even the world—investigating strange phenomena with his best friend, Eddie. Their investigations bring them to a cozy New England town called Brimrock, home to fabled evil witch Luna Blackstone. Armed with his dry wit, his bibliophilic love for books, and far too much free time, he’s determined to find out just what happened to Luna…
When Aiden meets Selene, he decides he must get to know her. When Selene learns Aiden is in town investigating her grandma, she knows she must stop him. He’s out to expose the truth. She’s out to keep it a secret. Neither expects to fall under each other’s spell, but sometimes love is supernatural.


Black Witch Magic is a book that I thoroughly enjoyed and I’m not even sure why I didn’t get a proper review for it out when I read it in October. It was the perfect Christmas read. The characters were adorable, the romance was sweet and fun. But it wasn’t light and fluffy, the mystery throughout kept me on my toes, it was really dark in places and the way Selene is treated by the community is downright horrible.

One of my favourite things about the book is that Selene and Aiden’s relationship is so awkward in places. Like the second hand embarrassment was huge in places. And they get past hard spots with conversation. That is refreshing, I hate when things could be fixed with a conversation but it never happens. It felt a lot more real than many insta love scenarios, even with all the magic thrown in.

Magic – Mystery – Romance – Libraries – Revenge


Book info and clicky bits

Author: Mila Nicks  /  Released: 30th October 2020

Goodreads  –  Amazon


About the authorMila Nicks is an emerging romance author on a mission to pen heartfelt love stories featuring women of color. From the time she was a small girl with crayons and an overactive imagination, she’s had a passion for storytelling. In addition to receiving her Bachelor’s degree in Journalism, she is presently pursuing her MFA in Creative Writing. She has also served her country in the United States Air Force. When she isn’t penning diverse love stories, you can find this imaginative writer traveling across the globe, sampling new cuisines, or spending quality time with her spunky pet Chihuahua, Zayden.

WWW Wednesday

Today I have a super simple post to let the world know what I’m reading. Hosted by Taking on a World of Words, you answer 3 questions and hey presto, you are all done.

What are you currently reading?

What did you recently finish reading?

What do you think you’ll read next? Continue reading “WWW Wednesday”

WWW Wednesday

Today I have a super simple post to let the world know what I’m reading. Hosted by Taking on a World of Words, you answer 3 questions and hey presto, you are all done.

What are you currently reading?

What did you recently finish reading?

What do you think you’ll read next? Continue reading “WWW Wednesday”

An interview with Laurel Gale

For me, this year has been the time of the middle grade reads. The range and depth available blows my mind and one of the books I enjoyed earlier this year was Story Magic by Laurel Gale. It was a tale of hope and it made my heart warm. You can find my review HERE.

To celebrate the release of Story Magic, I’ve been lucky enough to chat with the author, Laurel Gale.

Hi Laurel, thank you for taking the time to join me today. Congratulations on the upcoming release of Story Magic. Can you tell us a little bit about Story Magic and where the idea came from?

Continue reading “An interview with Laurel Gale”

White Trash Warlock by David R. Slayton

White trash Warlock by David R. SlaytonAdam Lee Binder is everything his brother, Robert hates. Robert had him committed as a teen and washed his hands, He was done. But when Robert’s wife starts acting strange and he begins getting glimpses of something other, he realises that maybe Adam wasn’t crazy and he desperately needs his help.

Adam is busy hunting a warlock, he lives with his aunt in a trailer and he is getting by okay. Yet when the message comes from his brother he feels compelled to help. But nothing is as easy as it seems, all the magicians in Denver are dead, there is a giant spirit siphoning the life out of its inhabitants and it’s decided Adam is next. He is going to have to make a deal with someone much stronger than him if he wants to get out of this alive. Continue reading “White Trash Warlock by David R. Slayton”

Hollow Road by Dan Fitzgerald

Brought to us by the kickass ladies at Storytellers on Tour, I have another book to bring to your attention. Yay for blog tours and all the new authors and books they are introducing me to.

Hollow Road by Dan Fitzgerald is available for your reading pleasure on the 17th September, an adult fantasy coming in at 243 pages. You can check it out on Goodreads  –  Amazon Continue reading “Hollow Road by Dan Fitzgerald”

I, Exile by David Samuels

Synopsis – Exiled into a wasteland because of a heist gone wrong, Emelith vows to hunt down the one responsible. Except not all is what it seems in the haunted realm of the Cauldron.

Continue reading “I, Exile by David Samuels”

The Ship of Shadows by Maria Kuzniar

I have had the most amazing run of middle grade fantasy books lately and it continues with The Ship of Shadows. The Write Reads brings us another Ultimate Blog Tour and I had an absolute blast.

“This ship was crafted with the fabric of legends,” Captain Quint had told her when Aleja had asked how it was all possible… “When something is immortalized in stories, it gives it an air of enchantment, I find.” She peered closer at Aleja then, a nearby lantern flashing light on her face in odd patterns. “Every legend you hear about the Ship of Shadows is true. It’s magic is fed by them…”

Pirates, lost treasure, pirate hunters and a kickass sisterhood… Can I get a hell yeah. This book promises adventure and delivers every step of the way. Continue reading “The Ship of Shadows by Maria Kuzniar”