Sigvard the Nameless (Dokiri Brides, #5) by Denali Day – Review

Tags

4 stars, Book Review, Denali Day, fantasy, romance, series, wyverns

About Sigvard the Nameless by Denali Day

Tasked by his chieftain, Sigvard the Nameless will do whatever it takes to save his people, and the whole of Sestoria, from succumbing to darkness. He’ll travel the continent to claim a magess said to be so powerful, she can wake a sleeping mountain. It won’t be a true bonding. One must have a heart for such things, and Sigvard’s went dormant years ago.

Adira Greykeeper has spent her life hidden behind high walls, under the thumb of a man she both despises and depends upon. The only thing she fears more than her prison is the thought of a life without it, a life where her power reigns unchecked—even by her own will.

When a wild man on a legendary mount spirits her away, Adira is determined to return to her gilded cage before she can relive the horror of her youth. The savage is willing to suffer any fate to keep her at his side, a folly Adira knows will herald his doom. Despite his tortured soul, the barbarian lends her a bravery she’s never known, and with it, hope. But it comes with a price, and he’ll demand more from her than she could ever have imagined.

Two hearts. Two wounds. One great love—may the mountain fall.

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Review of Sigvard the Nameless

This last book in the Dokiri Brides series brings together two wounded hearts.  Sigvard and Adira both have pasts that have broken them and they share the knowledge that they are not worthy.  While this may sound like they are now destined for a great love, I found it hard to read about their constant self-doubts and recriminations. 

Luckily, not all the characters in this book share these traits.  The ongoing story of the soul eaters and veligiri rising up from beneath the mountains provides plenty of interest, danger and action to give one a break from the personalities of Sigvard and Adira.  Series readers will be pleased to know that Sigvard’s brothers and their families are all part of the the story in this battle against the soul eaters.  The gegatu (wyverns) are less present, though not forgotten.  The tightly-knit Dokiri community has been spread out to keep them safe.  I missed that aspect of the story, but as the story grew, so did the community of players.  Non-Dokiri became just as important in the war against the soul eaters.

I enjoyed Sigvard the Nameless, but it was my least favorite of the series.  However, as a whole, the Dokiri Brides series is time well-spent reading.  While the history of the Dokiri people was built on abducting brides (which I was not crazy about), the author found other ways to bring people together in perfectly acceptable ways.  Plus the Dokiri treat women very well.  The community evolved and expanded as the story progressed.  I was very happy with the ending of the series. 

Many thanks to the author who provided a copy of her book in exchange for my honest review.

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A Void of Magic (Kennedy Rain, #1) by Sandy Williams – Review

Tags

4 stars, Book Review, cliffhanger, paranormal, Sandy Williams, urban fantasy, vampires, werewolves

About A Void of Magic by Sandy Williams

They trusted her to keep the peace between the paranorms. They made a mistake.

Kennedy escaped the family business when she turned eighteen. Now, an ill-timed vacation pulls her back to The Rain Hotel, the only known null zone on the planet. It’s a place where vampires can see the sun rise and werewolves can avoid the lure of the full moon. And it would be the perfect place for a paranormal wedding…if the bride wasn’t the local alpha’s daughter and the groom the scion of a vicious master vampire.

With a sexy werewolf determined to sabotage the wedding and dark forces threatening The Rain, Kennedy’s life is thrown out of balance when she’s forced to confront a past she swore to avoid. Ultimately she must choose: will she maintain the stability of the supernatural world…or will she destroy it.

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Review of A Void of Magic

Kennedy was born into the Rain family.  Rains have run the Rain Hotel for generations.  The hotel is a refuge for paranormals.  There are rules that govern the hotel, the people that run it and the people that visit it.  The rules created a rift between Kennedy and the hotel when she was younger.  Now, her attempt to stay away from that life has been thwarted by her parents.  And so the stage is set.

Not being much of a YA/NA reader, I was a little worried when I started reading this book since the main character is college aged.  However, Kennedy is a mature character that does not exhibit the angst of youth.  Not that she doesn’t have any problems – she has a million problems.  Between a job, school and covering for her parents while they are on vacation, Kennedy has way more than she can adequately handle at the moment.  Setup for disaster.  Maybe disasters.

Sandy Williams’ heroines tend to be of very strong mind.  Kennedy is no exception.  She has developed the mental ability to stand up against the werewolves and vampires around her – despite her youth and being human.  I love this about her since typical paranormal fiction tends to depict humans as soooo inferior to the paranormals. 

Two of the main paranormal characters are Nora and Blake.  Both are thorns in Kennedy’s side, but both have their moments and could possibly become friends.  Or more, in the case of Blake.  It will probably take more than one book to determine their true natures.  

I loved everything about this book – except for the ending.  Yep, it’s a cliffhanger.  Very few of the plotlines are wrapped up.  The only thing resolved is my need to read the next book as soon as possible.

Thanks to the publisher who provided a copy through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

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The Keepers (Mace Reid K-9 Mystery, #2) by Jeffrey B.Burton – Review

Tags

4 stars, Book Review, dogs, Jeffrey B. Burton, mystery, series, suspense

About The Keepers by Jeffrey B. Burton

Mason “Mace” Reid lives on the outskirts of Chicago and specializes in human remains detection—that is, he trains dogs to hunt for dead bodies. He calls his pack of cadaver dogs The Finders, and his prize pupil is a golden retriever named Vira.

When Mace Reid and Vira are called in to search Washington Park at three o’clock in the morning, what they find has them running for their very lives. The trail of murder and mayhem Mace and CPD Officer Kippy Gimm have been following leads them to uncover treachery and corruption at the highest level, and their discoveries do not bode well for them . . . nor for the Windy City itself.

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Review of The Keepers

Mace Reid is the trainer/handler of the Finders.  In his position he gets into trouble with the bad guys.  Really it is Vira’s (short for Elvira) fault.  She is uncannily able to scent out the bad guys and does so in a loud and aggressive manner.  Which draws attention to Mace.

This time, the bad guys are gangsters with suspicious connections. Events build, dead bodies pile up and eventually, when Mace and Kippy (the cop that Mace has a thing for) are being hunted for a crime they did not commit they will have to go on the run with the dogs.

The overall plot was not terribly clever. Despite the fact that several characters began as nameless actors, it was easy to figure out who was who. There are more than a couple of bad guys that need to be brought down, so there is a lot of action in the story.  Some of it was quite violent.  If The Keepers was a movie, I would not watch it because of the violence.

While the presence of the dogs helps to lighten the mood, there are some very dark themes.  A psychopath along with mafia characters means everybody gets shot at.  Everybody, including the dogs, gets injured.  And the death of a semi-beloved character was heartbreaking. 

On the lighter side, the relationship between Mace and Kippy is cute, and moving along at just the right pace.  Very slowly.  I have high hopes for this couple.

I fell in love with the Finders in the first book of this series.  These dogs are oh so smart.  They are also very protective.  And they are dogs, doing dog things like chasing squirrels and rolling in stinky stuff.  The thing is, they have a terrible job as cadaver dogs, sniffing for dead bodies.  So they should get to dog things.  And get treats.  And get an even bigger role in these books!

Thanks to the publisher who provided a copy through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

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