A Dance with Waves and Flame by. M.B. Reese| Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice: 🌶️

Title: A Dance with Waves and Flame ( The Circle of Stars, #1)

Author: M.B. Reese

Format: ebook (gifted)

Pages: 450

Publication Date: 10/29/25

Categories: Fantasy, Romance

In a world where the power of the zodiac signs shapes one’s destiny, Amanda is named Princess of the Water Realm.

As the supreme Cancer, she must prove her abilities and earn her place among the Circle of Twelve. But when her latent powers fail to manifest, she becomes a liability. Secrets, intrigue, and dangerous rivals threaten to shatter her fragile new world.

The rulers of the Fire Realm seize the opportunity, publicly questioning Amanda’s right to the throne.

Forced to navigate a maze of political tension and betrayal, Amanda must embark on a perilous journey to uncover her true identity. She will discover that courage isn’t just facing your destiny; it’s finding friends and love where she least expects them.

A Dance with Waves and Flames is the first volume in The Circle of Stars series, a thrilling new Fantasy adventure filled with elemental magic, thrilling secrets, and a central quest for truth and belonging.

Content Warning: violence

Thank you to the author for gifting me this ebook and here are my thoughts on it:

+ I really liked the world-building about the Zodiac signs. Each sign has a leader. Cassandra, is a Scorpio (my sign), and she kind of comes off as the villain – which is understandable! Her sister, Amanda, is a Cancer, or that is what Cassy is hoping for so she can rule beside her. But Amanda doesn’t feel any powers yet.

+ The story revolves around Amanda, who is trying to make her sister happy by lying about receiving Cancer powers, but in essence she doesn’t know what she feels. She feels like a Cancer but there are other powers that are emerging in her. There is political intrigue because everyone wants to find out what powers she has, and her sister insists she go with her plan and say she’s a Cancer.

+ There is a little bit of romance between Amanda and the Leo, Kilian. She goes to his land to spend time with him and there is an attraction between them, mostly coming from Kilian. Amanda eventually develops feelings for him. He’s a Leo, basically like a lion, and kind of possessive.

+ I also loved all the character profiles at the back of the book! It helps because there is such a big cast.

~ Though I like the Zodiac signs, I kind of didn’t understand the role of the Jurors. Also there are a lot of characters in this book, a few for each sign that Amanda meets and it was a little hard to keep up with who was who and why they were important. There is a lot of repetition also maybe because Amanda is trying to find her place, but she just doesn’t know what she is.

~ I didn’t connect to the characters as I would have liked. I think I just want more depth from Amanda and some of the other characters as well. I think Cassandra feels very true to herself. For me, the story didn’t flow well, but the second half did have much more action than the first half.

Final Thoughts:

I really like how this story is built around the Zodiac signs. This is a story about Amanda and how she’s trying to find where she belongs and what sign she rules. It has political intrigue, romance and an action filled ending but for some reason I couldn’t quite connect to the story as I would have liked. Overall, I think this story has a lot of potential though especially because of the unique world-building.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Spindleheart: Trail of Shadow and Spool by. T.I. Avens | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Spindleheart – Trail of Shadow and Spool

Author: T.I. Avens

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages:

Publication Date: 4/26/24

Publisher: Over The Tall Shelf LLC

Categories: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Adventure

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Thank you to T.I. Avens for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

A perilous quest. A missing mythical chest. And one very wayward tale.

After failing her duty as the newly appointed Guardian of TallStalks, Wynn, a young intrepid swirlear, journeys far beyond the tangled stalks of her home to retrieve the very thing she was appointed to protect. A gilded chest passed down in her family for countless generations. As she races to find the magic-wielding culprit responsible for the chest’s disappearance, she finds herself haunted not only by failure, but by the possible peril that would be unleashed if the chest were ever opened.

Eager to leave her village and past behind, Calla, a brash flower-elf, trains for a chance to enroll in an academy for gifted young casters. But when an unearthed family secret brings her sister and her into the most vicious part of the Agrestal lands, she not only questions her future, but the murkier parts of her past.

As each step draws them further into dangerous lands of the Agrestal, Wynn and Calla may find that survival may lie within confronting what they’re trying to escape.

Content Warning:

I don’t usually read middle grade books, but when the author of this book asked me to read and review their book and I saw the cover, my curiosity was peaked. I love the book cover because it’s colorful and whimsical plus the synopsis was intriguing.

This story is full of adventure and I thought the world-building was fantastic. The story takes us to a world of creatures and little elves that live in a magical land. We follow two main characters, first one is Wynn who is a swirl-ear and she is searching for the person who stole a special chest she was guarding. Wynn’s story is filled with harrowing adventure and she meets some interesting characters along the way. I love how Wynn has never left her home until now – it reminded me a big of Frodo Baggins from Lord of the Rings, leaving the shire! She learns a lot on her journey about herself and what she is capable of.

The other storyline follows Calla, a flower-elf who is not on good terms with her sister, Saffron but they meet up when she is called to Runnelloom to help with a mission – or that’s what she assumes. When Calla and Saffron are together, we get a sense of their tense relationship and that’s really too bad for two sisters that just lost their mother. But I feel like it’s something that will be worked out, I hope, in the next books of this series.

I did feel more invested in Wynn’s adventure, mostly because her traveling companions Lance and Beryl are such great characters! They made me laugh and I love that Wynn seems to have fallen into a found family situation.

I do wish each chapter told us which character we were following. Also because it’s such a fantasy world full of creatures we’ve never heard of, it took me some time to acclimate myself to the names and phrases they used but there is a glossary which was helpful! For some reason, I was reading this whole thing in my head with a British accent (I’m not British! lol) but I just felt like that’s how these characters would sound.

My Thoughts:

This is a full of adventure, new friendships, quests and magic but also one that deals with some tough issues like strained family relationships, and believing in one’s self and worth. If you are in the mood for a middle grade book that takes you on a fantastical journey, you just might enjoy this one.

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Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

About the Author:

T.I. Avens is an author from North California who specializes in writing middle-grade fantasy books full of odd creatures, unexpected heroes, and untamed magic. She’s currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in communication studies, as well as starting her indie-publishing company, Over TheTall Shelf LLC.

When she’s not writing, Avens enjoys yoga, taking care of her plants, and baking tasty treats.

Moon Claimed | Book Review

My Rating: 3/5 Stars

Title: Moon Claimed (Werewolf Dens, #2)

Author: Kelly St. Clare

Format: eBook (Kindle Unlimited)

Pages: 344

Categories: New Adult, Urban Fantasy, Werewolves, Romance

The pack of lies continues.

My mother isn’t my mother.
A werewolf wants me for his one-and-only baby mama
Oh! And I’m the new leader of a tribe I joined weeks ago.

Messed up doesn’t begin to explain it.

I’m more desperate than ever to uncover an explanation for Mum’s mounting betrayals. Because this time, I’m not sure forgiveness is possible.

But the mating meets with Sascha must continue if I want to escape our bond for good. An entire tribe is relying on me to win a centuries-old game against freakin’ shifters. And at this point, well… I have a few secrets of my own.

Keeping them is the new game.

Would you confess the truth and risk forfeiting the one person you have left?

Andie embracing her wolf is the best part of this book, because it was inevitable and we know she’s going to end up with Sascha, it’s just too many things are so complicated. But she can’t fight it much longer.
Sascha is so patient with Andie – like seriously. He wants her but he will let her decide in the end and I’m glad. Andie has a lot of issues to work through and she has no choice but to deal with now after the ending of this sequel.
Wade is ride or die for Andie and she’s lucky to have him. He really listens and has her back.

This is supposed to be a quick read but it took me days to finish because I wasn’t feeling it, so it was more like a 2 star read for me but I know Andie needs to go through some challenges to break through her wall so she definitely grows in this one. The first book was much more intriguing, but now I don’t even care why they have to play this game. It seems pointless to me right now.
Rhona has a right to be seriously mad at Andie. Andie is lying (wayyyy to much) to protect Rhona but she just lost her dad, she’s going through a tough time on top of her sister lying to her. I just wish she confessed earlier, but the drama was dragged on until her relationship with Rhona broke. Sad. I was tired of Andie in this one.
This one made me question if I was more team vampire than team werewolves haha. Like…I don’t think I’m enjoying this wolf story as much as the vampire story she did previously. So…🤷🏻‍♀️.

I’m bummed this one didn’t hold my attention but I’m still going to read book three just to see how things pan out with Rhona and Andie. It’s obvious Andie and Sascha are fated mates so I’m not worried about that. But for me the story is Rhona and Andie. They are family and I hope things can be fixed between them.

🖤 ~ Yolanda

Uncaged | Book Review

My Rating: 3/5 Stars

Title: Uncaged (Unspoken, #2)

Author: Celia McMahon

Format: eBook (own)

Pages: 402

Categories: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance

Review for Unspoken (Book #1)

Not every queen needs a crown.

After escaping Stormwall, Izzy and Fray have finally crossed through the Archway and into The Old Kingdom in search of allies. But finding a place within Fray’s former pack is harder than they imagined. When Izzy’s father warred with the Gwylis, it made a lifelong enemy of the Rowan name. Fray’s betrayal of siding with Aquarius in the war makes him no less an enemy to the pack.

Izzy struggles to understand her newfound magic and build a relationship with her new family, but when the new king’s soldiers arrive in The Old Kingdom, Izzy must fight to secure the protection of her new home. With war looming once again, Izzy is thrust back into the life she tried to leave behind.

As danger mounts, past, present, and future collide between kingdoms, and the lines of allegiances are drawn. Izzy must decide who she is willing to fight for, and where her loyalties truly lie.

UNCAGED is the stunning sequel to Celia McMahon’s debut UNSPOKEN, the first in her fantasy trilogy set in a world of curses, wolves, and war.

Aesthetics ~ the covers for the whole series are so good! I love the color scheme and the cover art is just so beautiful.
World Building ~ Izzy and Fray have left Stormwall and now they are in The Old Kingdom which is very detailed. I enjoyed learning about this land of Gwylis who aren’t voiceless, the Gwylis history and their way of life. We get a lot more wolves in this book as Izzy meets Fray’s old pack.
Characters ~ I like meeting the new characters like Olio (he’s my fave). Sonia is tough as nails too and we learn a little about her. Branch is cool too since he comes off scary in the beginning but starts to train Izzy and she needs training.
There is a darkness to Izzy now and I’m sure it will be explored more in the final book of the series. Whatever powers she inherited from the Gwylis, Aquarius, has come with some consequences that she has to figure out.

This one was slower than the first one because Izzy is new to the Gwylis and finding where she belongs. She is also busy training and learning her powers. I know Izzy is a strong female and now even more powerful with her Gwylis form but at times I feel like she doesn’t listen to anyone and I wish she would.
I’m not sure why Ashe is trailing her and what his role is? To remind Izzy of what she once was? Human? 🤔 I guess we shall see in book three.
Speaking about feelings – what is happening with her and Fray? They were tight and now unravelling. They do not communicate very well even though they can communicate through sign and with voice! 🤦🏻‍♀️ I know she’s going through some things though.
Triggers: grief, violence

This felt like a second book because how slow the story became and we spent time just watching Izzy trying to find where she belongs and learning all about her new powers. I think it definitely sets up some things to go down in book three where she has to go back and figure out what to do with her home Stormwall. This was a solid sequel but not my favorite of the series so far – but I do enjoy this world of wolves this author has created.

🐺 ~ Yolanda

The Hunter and the Mage | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Title: The Hunter and the Mage (The Raven and the Dove, #2)

Author: Kaitlyn Davis

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 525

Publication Date: 9/21/20

Publisher: Kaitlyn Davis

Categories: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from the author in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

A mage written in prophecy…

When Lyana wakes in the Sea of Mist, adventure is the first thing on her mind. But between her unruly new magic and an unyielding young king, the world below comes with more responsibility than she ever dreamed. An entire civilization exists within the fog, and its survival depends entirely on her.

A hunter forged in blood…

Adrift at sea on a ship full of strangers, Rafe fights to cope with his new reality. He’ll do anything to return to the sky and the people he left behind. When a surprising offer comes his way, he instantly accepts, sparing no time to consider the consequences.

Loyalties are tested and an ancient war begins anew…

With rebellion in her heart, Cassi defies her king and befriends the prince she’s been ordered to kill. Oblivious to the threat, Xander welcomes her into his inner circle, determined to rescue his mate. As one works to help and the other to hinder, an ancient enemy stirs, forcing Cassi to choose between trusting the man who broke her heart and turning her back on everything she’s ever known.

Thank you to Kaitlyn Davis for giving me a chance to read a copy of this book for an honest review.

Let’s break it down:

My Attention: intrigue by the world in the mist

World Building: love the world building of these two worlds separated by mist and lore…but two different versions

Writing Style: easy to digest, flows nicely

Bringing the Heat: 🔥

Crazy in Love: Rafe and Lyana will always be…but the other couple? We shall see…

Creativity: I enjoyed learning more about this world of magic and winged people

Mood: curious

Triggers: violence, betrayal

My Takeaway: Forgiveness.

We get more of Xander and Cassi. Yes I wanted more of Cassi and honestly, but wow…Cassi. Oh Cassi. She fascinated me in book one, especially after that cliffhanger ending. I wanted to know her motivations and how far she would go…and how she could put aside her love and friendship with Lyana. She almost went too far for her to be redeemed in my eyes…but Lyana has a bigger heart than I do!
The world building is as lush as ever. I love this innovative story of bird people, it’s so different.
Since this is mostly Xander and Cassi’s story, we get a few chapters on Rafe and Lyana. They are going through their own challenges and hardships but it’s a trial they have to go through.
The twist was unexpected! It came at the end and made me wish book three was out.

The are many perspectives in the story and this time around for some reason there were times I felt like I was zoning out of the story. There is Xander, Cassi, Rafe, Lyana, Malek and even Brighty (a new character), gets a chapter. So there was a lot going on.
This is a light fantasy and for me the second half of the book was better than the first half because it had so much more action with people finally coming together after being apart for most of the book.
Malek is an interesting character because he’s training Lyana to use her real magic and comes off as maybe someone who isn’t conniving and scheming – he even made me forget for a moment that he sent Cassi to infiltrate Lyana’s world. But he really is a villain…ugh…

There is a lot to like in this sequel, especially if you were waiting for Xander and Cassi to get some page time. You get it in this book! We get to venture into the mist with Rafe and Lyana. Also, we get to learn more about Malek. It makes me wonder what book three will be like…what will Malek do? How will everyone react to Lyana and Rafe? Will Cassi ever find happiness? And will Brighty’s role be in all of this?! So many more questions to answer and I look forward to reading book three.

💕 ~ Yolanda

The author, Kaitlyn Davis is having a giveaway! Go to this link to check out the details:

https://www.kaitlyndavisbooks.com/p/pre-order-giveaway.html

Winds of Fate (Fated Hearts Book One) | Book Review

My Ratings: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Title: Winds of Fate ( Fated Hearts Book One)

Author: Lucia Omonobi

Format: eBook (own)

Pages: 224

Categories: Historical Romance

Disclaimer: **I was asked by author to read and review her book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Leah…
After being duped by her intended, kicked out of her home, and left on the streets of Black Valley, twenty-three-year-old seamstress, Leah Karin signs her life over to her country, Aghi, to relocate to and populate its fledging colony, Luctown. Too late Leah realizes the scheme is filled with lies and injustice. Beaten, bruised and without hope, Leah is prepared to die… but fate has other plans.

Andrew…
All he wanted was freedom. So willingly, Andrew Code trades slavery for exile to the new town. As his team uncovers the lies and deceit of the new town, Andrew remains determined to carve out a life worth living for himself.

In an untamed forest filled with ex-convicts, starving residents, schemers, and murderers, will love and hope conquer all?

I was asked by the author to read and review her debut novel, so as always, all thoughts and opinions are my own. I’m always looking for new historical romance novels to read but I admit I read less of them these days since fantasy is my preferred read. But I was very surprised by Winds of Fate.

My Reactions:

My Attention: curious

World Building: fascinating world-building, it is fiction, with different country and town names but it is based on the Louisiana French colonization experiment in the 1700’s.

Writing Style: the story moves quick with a few format issues

Bringing the Heat: 🔥🔥🔥 – it’s a romance novel so it has many steamy parts but between two people that love each other

Crazy in Love: growing, strong relationship and a happy ending

Creativity: very creative use with the historical background of Louisiana

Mood: surprised

Triggers: sexual harassment, rape, abuse, slavery, death

My Takeaway: Andrew and Leah overcome a lot in their lives and still find a way to fall in love.

This is not your run of the mill historical romance set in Britain regaling tales of the gentry class. No, no, no…Andrew is a slave and Leah was once a shopkeeper but both of them took a chance to relocate to Luctown with promises of wealth which turned out to be all lies. Their beginning is not pretty.
After the events of how they met, I wondered how these two would even find romance with one another. But quiet Andrew shows day by day that he is a provider and a protector. It helps that he is handsome also. Leah finds herself very much attracted to him as she gets to know him. As for Andrew, Leah helps him in any way she can, rather than let him do all the work. He falls for her too but they basically only have each other.
The world-building of Luctown was very detailed. It starts with how the relocated people start off in the town, with their limited amount of money and resources – we see how they either succeed or fail with their new life. Andrew and Leah, succeed by working hard, making friends and being honest, good people.
In any romance you want a happily ever after and there is much strife in Andrew and Leah’s lives, especially when the Sheriff propositions Leah to be his whore (hateful man!). It is the main drama in the book, but eventually there is a happily ever after.

In the beginning when Andrew and Leah meet, it is gritty and horrifying. They signed up with a bunch of criminals, prostitutes and deserters to relocate to a new town. You can only imagine the things that happen. Is it realistic? Yes and the author added in a note in the back that she was inspired by the French colonization experiment in Louisiana. I did not even know about that so I definitely learned something.
I had to remind myself this took place in the 1700’s because some of these mens behaviors are atrocious! I’m just glad Andrew was a good guy!
This is a formatting issue with the ebook (at least for me) but there is a space between each paragraph that made my reading experience seem choppy. It threw me off at times. Also there were some dialogue parts towards the end that seemed it was missing some character actions? For example, I didn’t know who was talking. Or that might be part of the paragraph formatting again? I’m not sure.

This is a solid debut novel by an indie author! I thought the world-building was fascinating and I learned something about Louisiana’s history even though the places in the book were fictional. The characters in Luctown all showed some survival skills, they had to because they relocated to a place with less resources than they are used to. I knew Andrew would succeed from the start though! It’s a gritty romance story, but Andrew and Leah show us through hard times, love can flourish.

Book Review | The Relic Spell

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Relic Spell (The Phyrian War Chronicles Book 1)

Author: Jimena L. Novaro

Format: eBook (provided by author for review)

Pages: 346

Categories: Fantasy, Young Adult

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from the author in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Magic rolls through Orion Tamura’s history classroom like a tidal wave of golden light that only he can see. The spell is deadly, and Orion has no idea who cast it or what they want.

Answers are scarce—all of Port Monica’s sorcerers vanished fourteen years before, including Orion’s father. Armed with his limited knowledge of magic, Orion is the only one left in the city who is strong enough to investigate the origins of the spell.

But the city’s leaders will stop at nothing to censor and sabotage anyone who gets close to the truth. Invisible otherworlders watch every move Orion and his friends make, and a mysterious sorcerer who knows the answers haunts Orion’s dreams.

Thank you to author, Jimena I. Novaro, for providing me a copy of this book for review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Orion Tamura is Port Monica’s most powerful sorcerer since all the other ones vanished during the Phyrian War. But Orion is also just a teenager with big responsibilities on his shoulders. He is protecting a town from evil and trying to help keep his family afloat and that is a lot for one kid to take on. He has his best friend Max who is a warrior in his own right and he makes other friends along the way as they try to get to the bottom of who sent out a huge, deadly spell throughout the town. Can Orion be everywhere at once and make sure everyone he cares about is protected or will he fail?

The world building in this story is really well done! We have some history about a Phyrian War which was a big event that involved sorcery, magic, demons and then some. Not many who lived through it want to remember it though. There are all types of demons and other creatures with magic. As for Orion, his dad, Daisuke, was well known in the community as a powerful sorcerer but there is bad history there and he’s been gone for as long as Orion can remember.
Speaking of Orion’s missing dad – Orion’s character is dealing with a lot on his plate. He’s a sorcery and feels obligated to keep the town safe, well obviously because a safe town means his family stays safe. His mom is trying to move on without his dad, his younger sister and brother are going through some things too and Orion’s trying to be there for everyone but burning his candle on both ends. On top of that he’s dealing with feelings for his best friend Max and trying to find out who released this dangerous spell in their town. Orion makes mistakes but the best thing about him is he keeps trying to do what he can with what power he has.
Two characters that I thought are interesting were Briar and Elsa – maybe because I just gravitate more towards strong females but Briar’s demon lineage is fascinating. I loved that Elsa was always kicking butt too! 💪🏾 Orion was pretty lucky to have her watching his back even though she had her own mission to accomplish.
There is a lot of racial and sexual diversity represented in this book, which is always refreshing.
This story keeps moving, meaning there is a lot of action! From the get go Orion and Max are involved with fighting a creature and it doesn’t stop there. There is downtime here and there in the story but it has a lot of action to keep one entertained.

Orion at times didn’t come off as a physically strong character. Like Max, his best friend was definitely more of the warrior, but at times Orion couldn’t meet his eyes. I know it was due to personal/longing stuff but I just wished at times he could assert more of his power when it was needed. But maybe that’s just a personality thing.

Some things in the story isn’t resolved by the end which makes sense since this is going to be a series. I look forward to reading book two and finding out what happened with Briar and her demon family. This is an urban fantasy story with a wholly constructed magic system and detailed world building. If you like fantasy, then The Relic Spell would interest you!

Book Review | The Delinquent Crown

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Title: The Delinquent Crown (Olexia Legends #1)

Purchase Link: Amazon

Author: Sydney Faith

Format: eBook (from author)

Pages: 263

Categories: Fantasy, Young Adult, Adventure, Family

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from the author, Sydney Faith, in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Olexia is a wild and dangerous world filled with magic.

Miri and Nick find Olexia by chance but choose their fate when they step through the portal. A shard of glass and a hastily-written letter from their mother are all they have to solve their puzzling past.

In Olexia Miri and Nick find danger and unlikely allies, and with their help, they learn to wield their newfound powers and find out the truth about Olexia’s buried secrets.

When the ruthless Council leader learns the siblings harbor a powerful artifact, he sends his bloodthirsty LaKaio soldiers to hunt them down at any cost.

With time running out and secrets about their past being revealed around every corner, Miri and Nick must decide if they’re going to hide away or rise up against the sinister leaders of Olexia.

Thank you to Sydney Faith for giving me a copy of her book to review.

Miri and Nick are siblings living somewhat normal lives on Earth. I say somewhat because Miri, experiences painful episodes that the doctors diagnosed as epilepsy. But her episodes are more than just a medical condition. When they find out about a new magical world called Olexia everything strange about their lives makes so much more sense.

Once these siblings are in Olexia the adventure never ends as Miri and Nick learn about this world full of magic, a different language and way of life.

This is the first book of the series and already I am immersed in this world of Olexia. When Miri and Nick steps through portal it reminds me of Narnia, where everything is just so different from Earth. In Olexia they know about “Earth” and call it Terra. But the world building is great, there are different types of people with their owl languages and customs. Also I feel like this book only scratched the surface of Olexia and there is more to learn.
There are some strong side characters like Kayta and Siymin who stumbles into Nick and Miri right away. I like Kayta and her attitude, she’s feisty. Siymin is calm, clever and smart. Siymin and Miri’s relationship grows throughout the story and there is a hint of a romance coming between them but I’m sure that will be explored more as the series goes on.
The magic system was explained really well too. Not only Miri and Nick both have their own unique powers. Where Miri thought it was a hindrance on Earth, her powers to see the future in Olexia is super useful as well as Nick’s power as a jumper. And I like that they take the time to learn their craft with Tuko also. Being new to this world and magic, it was nice that they didn’t know how to use their powers right away and had to do some actual training.
The sibling bond between Miri and Nick is tight and it has to be, for years it has only been the two of them. They were raised in foster care but they always wondered about their past and parents, more so with Miri. Nick has been Miri’s caretaker and he’s done a fine job at it, he’s an awesome big brother. When secrets are revealed in Olexia, it’s a lot for the siblings to take in but I’m sure we’ll see them deal with the information they have more in the next book.
The action keeps going in this book which kept it fun. There is a quest for Miri and Nick to find pieces of a magic mirror and they are also trying to find their parents. They encounter LaKaio (basically the bad guys) and have to get out of many dicey situations.

I’ve learned that in YA, there can be such an age spectrum when thinking about what audience would love this book. I’m an older adult reading YA and this book felt a little younger compared to some of the YA I’ve been reading lately…seriously, some YA at times can be considered adult reading…or at least New Adult. But this one is definitely for teens and I’d even say middle grade could enjoy this!
There are a lot of characters we meet when Miri and Nick jump into Olexia – especially when they meet Siymin’s large family and you would think because their names are so unique, I could follow – but at times I got a little lost. Maybe because I was getting used to the different sounding names.
It has a cliffhanger ending! That’s a warning if you don’t like cliffhangers haha…but yeah I read that last sentence and I was like…ohhhh. 🤭

Overall, I really enjoyed getting to know Miri and Nick and this new imaginative world of Olexia. As the series continues I’m sure there will be so much more to learn about Olexia and the people that populate such a magical world. Also the cliffhanger ending makes me want to find out what other secrets will be revealed in the sequel! This is a very solid first book for the start of a young adult fantasy series.

About the Author:

SYDNEY FAITH is a YA author who, after a lifetime of living in her make-believe worlds, decided to start sharing them at 17 in the form of books.
When she’s not writing, Sydney enjoys creating YouTube videos, baking and eating chocolate chip cookies, and thinking about writing.
As a Midwesterner, you’ll find Sydney pointing out cows on road trips, enjoying the state fair, and complaining about the snow.

You can find her at:
Instagram: @sydfaithauthor
Website: sydneyfaith.com

Book Review | The Echoing Green and Other Stories

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Echoing Green and Other Stories

Author: David Jordan

Format: eBook (provided by author for an honest review)

Pages: 113

Categories: Short Stories, Irish Mythology, Adult Fiction

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from the author in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

From a quest to find the Starbucks mermaid, to a god’s dream of saving the planet, this collection of short stories has an abundance of imagination as well as ingenuity and style. In serene and sparkling prose, David Jordan will introduce you to places and people that you have never encountered before, with a unique voice and vision that will satisfy story lovers everywhere.

Thank you to David Jordan, for providing me a copy of his new book, The Echoing Green and Other Stories.

I don’t read or feature many short story collections on my blog but I am always open to reading works by indie authors. And who would have thought that this book, The Echoing Green and Other Stories would pique my growing interest in Irish mythology. I’ve read a few books set in Ireland and featured Irish mythology lately, so what a coincidence that these short stories fit in with what I’ve been reading lately.

In this short story collection the stories are contemporary yet mixed with fantasy, psychology and mythology elements. In whole it felt like I was I was sucked into a dreamscape atmosphere, which I enjoyed!

The infusion of Irish mythology in a modern day setting is fantastic because I’m from somewhere so far away from Ireland, I don’t know a lot about Irish mythology. In this collection I learned new words and names like Fomorian and Goibhniu. I definitely googled a few of these names and words. I did recognize a few names so I wasn’t totally lost.
The writing is wonderful, it drew me in right away. I got a sense of the setting, and the characters which just a few lines.
My favorites of the collection are The Echoing Green and Dreamer’s Eve because it’s fluid and strange like how real dreams are. I mean, searching for the Starbucks mermaid? It’s clever and why not? I’m always searching for the Starbucks mermaid myself, almost daily haha! Gods and Monsters was another story I enjoyed for it’s psychological twist.

Nothing really…maybe that a few of these would make really good full stories? 🙂

The Echoing Green and Other Stories is a really quick read as it’s just only a little over hundred pages. I enjoyed the Irish mythology that is infused in the contemporary settings of each story. Overall this is a wonderful, creative collection of short stories and I’m glad I had a chance to read it. If you like short stories and mythology, definitely get a copy of this book!

Get your eBook copy here: Amazon

Get your hardcover copy here: Shadow of the Glen

Author Bio: David Jordan lives in Cork Ireland, where he was born and bred. He has an MA in English. He loves music, coffee and peace.

Book Review | This Time

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Title: This Time (Nadira Holden, Demon Hunter Book 1)

Author: Azaaa Davis

Format: eBook (Kindle Unlimited)

Pages: 250

Categories: Urban Fantasy, Demon Hunter, Adult Fiction

Legendary demon hunter Nadira Holden paid the ultimate price to end the war between demons and hunters.

Resurrected in present-day New York, many years have passed, everyone moved on without her, and the demons she once battled have made peace with humans. Nadira no longer has a purpose here. Dying again might be her ticket back to that “next life” she experienced.

Except humans are disappearing, and Nadira’s father is one of the missing. Feeling a strong obligation to find him before sorting out her own fate, she begins investigating.

She won’t rest in peace unless she can prove the demons are behind the disappearances. But Nadira is running out of time. The darkness within her is causing her to lose her humanity while the rest of mankind is on the verge of enslavement to the demons they now worship.

Fight with Nadira in a new urban fantasy series that combines monster-slaying action, family drama, and simmering romance. Experience why not even death can stop her.

Fans of Vampire Hunter Anita Blake, Succubus Georgina Kincaid, Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Vampire Death Dealer Selene are possessed and eagerly awaiting the next book by fantasy author Azaaa Davis.

I was asked to review this book by indie urban fantasy author Azaaa Davis and all opinions are my own.

This Time is about Nadira Holden, a demon hunter. The book starts off fast-paced and exciting. We learn about Nadira’s upbringing and belonging to the Children of Orion, a sect of demon hunters. She had a reputation as a top notch demon hunter but something happens, she dies, and then she is resurrected in present day, and things have definitely changed in the world the live in.

When the blurb of this book compares it to Anita Blake, I can see why, except Nadira is much more level-headed than Anita Blake. And there is way less sex in This Time. There is some heat and sexy scenes in this book but like I said, not Anita Blake level sex, and I actually appreciate that.

As a character, Nadira is a fearsome fighter and was trained to be. It was interesting to see the choice she makes concerning the Children of Orion, but I totally get where she is coming from. Secrets are revealed, and it just makes Nadira question everything. The middle of the book I felt slowed down a bit until we meet a character named Roquelle. Things start to get very interesting with this twist.

What I loved most about the novel is the diversity among the cast of characters. 👏🏼 I didn’t connect much to the characters, maybe because it’s the first book and I’m learning Nadira’s voice and everyone else’s. Like I said, she’s pretty even-keeled until Roquelle comes around. Then her personality shall we say, flourishes? I think her relationship with Jaime was nice, I liked their budding friendship after a suspicious first meeting. And of course, there is Derek, who is a hottie demon duke and their relationship sizzles. The world-building is creative and detailed but I can tell there is much more to learn about the Children of Orion and her family. The book ends strongly with a lot of action, because Nadira Holden can fight.

I think fans of urban fantasy will really like this series. This Time is an enjoyable, promising debut and I look forward to following Nadira Holden’s journey.

Azaaa Davis

Writer of urban fantasy novels

She fell in love with reading as a high school freshman and continues to read, write, and draw today.Her background in social work helps her portray realistic characters in otherworldly—and sometimes terrifying—situations.

A New York native, Azaaa currently lives in New Hampshire (USA) with her husband and daughter.

Azaaa debuts with This Time, A Nadira Holden Novel, about demon hunters, family ties and the magic of love.

Azaaa is working diligently to finish writing more fantasy novels while raising her daughter. Thank you for showing an interest in her stories!