Tag Archives: Juli D. Revezzo

So Much for Treaties! (About the Stewards War Series) By Juli D. Revezzo – Guest Post

01 Monday Feb 2021

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Today I welcome Juli D. Revezzo.  Her series based on Irish myth continues with the newest release, Druid Defiance.


What if the gods of the Tuatha dé Danann and their foes, the evil Fomorii, hadn’t settled their differences and how can humans make them stop spurs the action in Druid Defiance the final book in my Stewards War series. The series mixes paranormal romance (and in some titles, historical fantasy romance) with Irish mythology, particularly influenced by the tale of the Second Battle of Mag Tuired from the Irish Medieval manuscript the “Book of Invasions”.

That story sparked my imagination and I thought what if those battles didn’t really end with the Second Battle spoken of in the Irish myths? What if part of their treaty included a stipulation that the sides would pick a specific meeting place to battle again, every five hundred years, until the end of time?

So that was the jumping off point in the series: The specific time has come again in present day, but the owner of the battleground in question has built her own business on the site and is none-too-happy about it, even though, deep down, she expects it. And even though she wins her battle (no spoilers) with the help of a Guardian (a member of an elite force of wizard warriors sent by the Tuatha dé Danann called harshad warriors*)—with whom she falls in love the trouble didn’t end with the conclusion of their battle.

Trouble carries on into this new book in the series, Druid Defiance, where she (and the warrior to whom she’s now engaged) decides to “go home” so to speak, to her ancestral Irish homeland and hopefully find a way to convince the two sets of warring gods to end their bickering once and for all. The winner… takes control of the world for the next 500 years.

Or, worst case scenario—forever, this time! So, you see why our heroine might want to stop the fighting altogether! Can she convince them to make peace once and for all? If you’d like to see how it all plays out, the earlier books in the series are available now and Druid Defiance releases February 2, 2021.

*The name of the band of warriors comes from the fact that they fight this battle every 500 years, that number being a mathematical concept of a harshad number which is a number divisible by the sum of its digits. (https://www.ria.ie/leabhar-gabhala-book-invasions)

Thank you, Riley, for hosting me today!

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About Druid Defiance

Destined for War…

As Steward, Stacy Macken travels to her ancestral home in Ireland to wed. When she is granted access to the family’s sacred site, her presence opens a magical portal that brings her into a new version of the world. Does this mean the gods approve and her wedding can move forward or will the evil Balor object and end the world once and for all?

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Add books in the Stewards War series to your Goodreads shelf.

Druid Defiance is available for the special pre-order price of $.99, through February 2 at Amazon.  Purchase books in the Stewards War series:

You may also be interested in the related series Celtic Stewards Chronicles:

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About the Author

Juli D. Revezzo has long been in love with writing, a love built by devouring everything from the Arthurian legends, to the works of Michael Moorcock, and the classics and has a soft spot for classic the “Goths” of the 19th century. She writes fantasy and romance and dabbles in other genres, and is the author of is the author of the Stewards War series and the related Celtic Stewards Chronicles, as well as the paranormal urban fantasy series, Antique Magic, and historical romances including the Camden Girls series, Watchmaker’s Heart, and Vesta’s Clockwork Companions, among many others. Her non-fiction has been included in The Scarlet Letter. She has also, on occasion, edited the popular e-zine Nolan’s Pop Culture Review… But her heart lies in the storytelling. She is a member of The Indie Authors Network and the Magic Appreciation Tour.

Find Juli here:

Engaging the Heiress (Camden Girls, #2) by Juli D. Revezzo – Review

27 Wednesday Jan 2021

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About Engaging the Heiress by Juli D. Revezzo

Mr. Edwin Hetherington needs a fiancée he will never have to marry.  Years ago, his family lost everything to an unscrupulous Irish landlord. Now, the fellow offers to make amends by reinstating Edwin’s family title and properties forfeited during the famine, if he weds Miss Jera Camden, a young woman Edwin pines for but has never approached with more than polite conversation.

As far as Jera is concerned, so long as she manages to avoid an unwanted Scottish-born suitor of her mother’s choosing, the bluestocking is happy to play the part of Edwin’s blushing bride-to-be.

Can Edwin and Jera dupe the crafty landlord into making good on his promise before the wedding date arrives … or will their best-laid plans result in disaster?

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Review of Engaging the Heiress

It was easy to like the main characters Edwin Hetherington and Jera Camden.  They are friends and both would like more, but social circumstances make that possibility seem farfetched.   That is until Miles Vassyr comes along.  Vassyr makes an offer to help Edwin, in exchange for Edwin’s help.  There are two aspects to the deal.  Vassyr wants an architect and he wants to retore Edwin’s family title.  Vassyr’s motivation is confusing.  He wants an architect, but his heath is failing and may never live to see the the complete project.  He wants to make amends for what happened in Ireland, but why?  I never really figured Vassyr out.  

The Hetherington family history is only vaguely explained.  Which means I also did not understand how a title would be restored.  The subtleties of British titles and how they are bestowed is often lost on this American.

Regardless, I still enjoyed the story.  Like I say, Edwin and Jera are lovely characters whose lives end up taking a turn they did  not expect.  Dealing with the unscrupulous Mr. Vassyr and his creepy nephew challenge the pair.  Almost as challenging is treading among society (including an aggrieved former suitor) and Jera’s family.  The title is a bit of a giveaway regarding certain events, however those events are not evident until they happen.

Engaging the Heiress is the second book in the Camden Girls series.  The books have overlapping characters and some aspects of the plot are interconnected.  It might help to read book 1 first, but it is not necessary.

The author provided a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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Vesta’s Clockwork Companions by Juli D. Revezzo – Review

09 Tuesday Oct 2018

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About Vesta’s Clockwork Companions

When Vesta Bartlett, a wealthy alchemist and inventor, arrives in England to finalize an arranged marriage and help overhaul a family friend’s outdated ironworks, she never expects to find the family so secretive, nor to develop feelings for her fiancé’s younger brother, Henry.

But the growing attraction between Vesta and Henry is just the beginning of their troubles. Things really heat up when they’re drawn into a secret project for Queen Victoria’s military, one that requires Vesta’s knowledge of clockwork and Henry’s iron.

An epidemic has wiped out all the dogs in Britain, and beyond. If the military fail in their effort to restore the species, a clockwork creation may be all that stands in the way of a world without canine companionship.

Are Vesta and Henry up to the challenge?

 

Review of Vesta’s Clockwork Companions

Vesta is a young women, trained by her father in metallurgy and alchemy. She needs more practice to develop her skills, but thanks to her very talented father, Vesta is on her way to becoming one of the best. She is not only skilled, but also quite inventive. Vesta creates clockwork pieces. She is also curious, compassionate and highly intelligent. Everything you want in a heroine.

Henry is the younger son of the Colchester family. It is obvious he has a thing for Vesta from the beginning, but she is betrothed to his older brother Percy. Henry is smart, book smart and street smart, and is the only one in the family that can make sense of the family business. Henry and Vesta share the traits of both common sense and a sense of adventure. They get along just fine if you know what I mean!

I would have liked more background on Vesta’s father, Jonathon Bartlett. There were quite a few hints about his past, but the details were not really filled in. And I think he is potentially a cool character, since he is such a talented alchemist and all round good father.

I would also like more background on the relationship between the two families – the Colchesters and the Bartletts. Yes, they knew each other before, but again, the details are vague. The Bartletts are from America and the Colchesters reside in England. More history would really add to the character development. Exactly how did Vesta and Percy come to be betrothed? It is obvious the two are not suited for each other. Considering the American culture, it does not make sense that Vesta would be forced to marry someone she not at all suited for. (Thank heavens, they all come to the same realization by the end of the book.)

Henry’s friend Acton is an interesting figure. He seems a bit of a gangster, but maybe that is a role he plays. He also seems a bit of a bleeding heart. So what, exactly, is he? Like I said, interesting. It is Acton that leads Henry and Vesta into their clockwork adventure with the upper echelon of England.

It took quite a while to get to the actual “clockwork companions” part of the story. You may call it build up. I’m not sure it was all necessary. There was a whole secondary plot line in addition to Vesta’s clockwork creations. The story of the Colchesters and their ironworks and the story of Vesta’s clockwork creations do overlap a bit, but the connections existed pretty much due to Henry. That is, he is in the Colchester family and he is involved in the clockwork aspect of the story.

The cover image for this book shows a man with a mechanical arm. Vesta is not the arm creator, nor is the man with the metal arm Vesta’s love interest Henry. The man is an incidental minor character. So the cover is a bit deceptive. Still, it is a cool cover.

I don’t know if a series is intended. Vesta’s Clockwork Companions is a standalone novel. But there is potential for more, since there is a dramatic scene near the end. There is plenty of room for character growth and there may be some conflict coming from the Queen of England. So….. I’d like to see more of Vesta and Henry and the fate of the clockwork companions.

Family matters, steampunk, national security and romance make up the tale of Vesta’s Clockwork Companions. I found this book to be sometime humorous, always engaging and entirely entertaining.

The author provided a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

 

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