Postcards from Another World (More in Heaven and Earth) by Katherine Gilbert – Review

Tags

5 stars, Book Review, humor, Katherine Gilbert, magic, paranormal, romance, sasquatch, series, vampires, witches

Review of Postcards from Another World

In Postcards from Another World, Gillian Sternbech, slightly magical parole officer in charge of Fluffy the Dog, is called in to help with a serial murder case. While Gillian is at a loss to understand how she can be of help, when she is partnered withe handsome sorcerer Nassar Farouq, Gillian goes along with the assignment. It doesn’t take long for Gillian and Nassar to figure out that she does have a connection to the culprit. The murderer leaves clues in the form of postcards and dreadful poetry for the pair to follow.

Each murder takes place at the site of some previous socio-political catastrophe/crime. The Whitechapel area of London, where Jack the Ripper victimized prostitutes who had no one to care about them. The 9th ward of New Orleans, devastated by a hurricane and ignored in the recovery. The Outer Banks of North Caroline, where wreckers purposely lured ships to crash on a rocky shore so the ships could be looted. And Lake Murray, South Carolina, where the residents were forced to leave so the area could be flooded to make a lake. As I was reading, I thought the author might just be making her own critical observations of history and felt that there was no purpose for it. Just so you know, I was wrong about that. Gillian will, in her on empathetic manner, make all the connections and use those connections to deal with evil.

Along the way, Gillian and Nassar will meet with Gillian’s grandmother (Baba Yaga), her mother and step-dad. He happens to be a sasquatch. There is also a possessed ventriloquist dummy who proves to be very helpful along with Fluffy the dog, who is helpful and supportive in his own way. Nasser, is the quiet hero in the background, letting Gillian do her own thing, helping when necessary, but knowing that she will get things done.

There are many things to appreciate about this book. The plot is at once straight-forward and chaotic (in a good way). The romance is sweet (no steamy sex scenes). The cast of characters, most of whom are part of the magical world, is extremely diverse. And I so much appreciated the author’s sense of humor.

Postcards from Another World is a part of the More in Heaven and Earth universe. Each book is completely standalone and this book was my delightful introduction to the series. Quirky and charming, this book includes an insecure Alpha heroine, a secure Beta hero, vampires, witches, a sasquatch, magic and a ton of entertainment! Oh, let’s not forget the human doing time in the form of a terrier because he tried to make a deal with a demon. And did I mention he has a thing for a cross-dressing vamp? Read this book only if you like fun! 🙂

Through StoryOrigin, the author provided a copy of this book.  My review is my honest opinion.

*****************************

About Postcards from Another World by Katherine Gilbert

She’s just a girl with a dog-shaped magical parolee. How did she end up having to search for a serial killer?

Gillian Sternbach is used to being overlooked. As the granddaughter of a famous, and dangerously-powerful, witch, she didn’t actually end up with much magic besides the ability to see and interact with ghosts, which often feels more like a curse than a blessing.

Still, she’s fine with her life as a parole officer for the Magical Council, looking after some of the less-dangerous magical miscreants, such as her current full-time charge, George, who’s rather mouthy for a man now trapped in the body of a fluffy Highland terrier. Even with her tendency to be a bit of a cryptid magnet, she doesn’t have any complaints.

Then, out of the blue, the Magical Council puts her on the case of a terrifying serial killer who leaves a Victorian postcard at each of his crime scenes through England and America. They team her up with Nassar Farouq, a sorcerer who’s way too attractive and kind to be good for her timid heart. Why she’s on the case is a mystery, until she learns that all of the killer’s previous victims seem to have connections to her.

Now, instead of her usual quiet life, Gillian and Nassar, with George the dog in tow, are chasing through every odd and supernatural spot on a multi-continent and cross-country trip to find a killer. From a Victorian cemetery in London to America and an abandoned town, a swamp where legends live, a sunken city, a creepy antebellum ruin, a haunted former insane asylum, and finally the wreck-strewn shores of the Graveyard of the Atlantic, she and Nassar will have to try to discover her connection to the killer and stop him before he kills again, especially since–as the murderer’s taunts make clear–his next victim is likely to be her.

*****************************

So, unrelated to this review, but related to a character in the book: do you watch TV shows about hunting for Big Foot? We watch them at our house and more than once, I have suggested to the Big Foot hunters (who can’t hear me) that they should look up! Thank you Katherine Gilbert, for getting this suggestion out there. Now, if we can just get the Big Foot hunters to read this book…..

Also, unrelated to this review, but related to an event in the book. Forcing residents to relocate and then flooding the previously inhabited valleys to create lakes has occurred in many places in this world. Climate change is altering the landscape at one such location. Drought is causing lake waters to recede and revealing the village that lay at the bottom in Northern Italy.

Links

Add Postcards from Another World to your Goodreads shelf:

Purchase Postcards from Another World:

I Believe in Dragons – 3

Tags

5 stars, Book Review, Coreene Callahan, dragons, fae, fantasy, G.A. Aiken, Genevieve Cogman, Isabel Cooper, magic, romance anthology', Savannah, Scotland, Stefan Keller

“5 Signs You’ve Pissed Off a Dragon-Shifter:

1. His eyes start to glow.
2. Twin columns of flame rise from his nostrils, much like mini tornados.
3. The air fogs as steam rolls off his scales.
4. His spiked tail begins to rattle, like a venomous snake’s right before it strikes.
5. He develops a facial tick that pulls the side of his lip up and bares one huge fang.”

― Coreene Callahan, DRAGONFURY SERIES: A Reader’s Companion to the Dragonfury World

Over the years, I’ve read a few of Coreene Callhan’s Dragonfury series and most lately, some of the Dragonfury: Scotland series.  These stories are different from the fantasy books reviewed the last two days because they are set in contemporary times, and actual earth locations.  Day 3 of I Believe in Dragons is a review of a book that releases on February 15. 

Bonuses: Quotes about dragons begin and end each post. Plus, featured art by Stefan Keller, via Pixabay.

Review of Fury of Isolation by Coreene Callahan

The dragons of the Dragonfury series are in-your-face, bad%&&, males that are often described with words such as toxic and lethal.   They all love to trade insults and are always looking for a fight against foe or friend.  Basically, they are dragons that would probably annoy me.  But then, they meet their mate. And….they get all gooey.  Which is kind of delightful.

At the beginning of Fury of Isolation, Rannock has already met Cate who is sister to Nicole (see Fury of Persuasion).  On the phone.  They’ve been talking regularly and have become quite close.  The book does not give the backstory on how they ‘met’, but that does not seem to be important to the story.  They’ve become close enough so that when Cate is in trouble, she calls him rather than the police.  And Rannock is an ocean away.   

I really like this heroine.  Cate has a delightful direct attitude.  Like when she says things like “Ran gives me orgasms.  I’m much nicer to him.”  And when she considers being called “odd” a compliment. 

This book introduces some new supernatural beings.  Fae Shadow Walkers are the ‘Albanian mob’ mentioned in the book blurb.  They are evil, but not really, dragon-like in temperament and make a great adversary in this story.  It seems like they could be part of the ongoing Dragonfury story. 

While Cate’s dad is sort of a background figure, it becomes obvious that there is much more to him than the story reveals.  More possible Dragonfury fodder?  And speaking of unfinished stories, at the beginning of the book, Rannock is hunting rogue dragons in Scotland – but that part of the story never progresses beyond his unsuccessful hunt.    

Readers of the Dragonfury series recognize the long story arcs that are present.  While you can read each book as a standalone, it can be a bit frustrating if you are a stickler for wrapping up loose ends. 

The verdict:  Fury of Isolation is what I call a palate cleanser.  Light and romantic, with just the right among of danger.  Great between heavier novels and always fun to read.

Thanks to the publisher who provided a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

*****************************

About Fury of Isolation

Sometimes the person you need is the last one you expect…

When the Albanian mob shows up at her door, Cate Biscayne knows her father is up to his old tricks. Determined to force him out of hiding, the criminals he conned take her hostage. The clock is ticking and few options remain. She’s forced to decide—risk her life and do what they want, or accept help from a man who might be even more dangerous.

Brutal by nature, Scottish dragon-warrior Rannock has little patience for humans. But when the woman he longs for goes missing, he flies halfway around the world to investigate her disappearance. With few clues to follow, he infiltrates a network in the criminal underworld, only to discover a magic more sinister than his own.

Can he find Cate before time runs out? Or will he lose the woman fated to be his forever?

*****************************

In three days, I’ve barely scratched the surface of dragon fiction available.  There are authors like G.A. Aiken who writes the laugh-out-loud Dragonkin series and Isabel Cooper, who’s centuries old dragons actually seem to be centuries old.  Genevieve Cogman’s Invisible Library series features the serious and orderly Dragon race who are balanced by the chaotic Fae.  Movies like How to Train Your Dragon, Dragonheart, and Eragon bring dragons to readers and non-readers.  Do you have a favorite dragon book or movie?  I’d love to hear about it in the comments. 

*****************************

Links

Add Fury of Isolation to your Goodreads shelf:

Purchase Fury of Isolation:

*****************************

“He had only heard of dragons, and although he had never seen one, he was sure they existed.”

― Dee Marie, Sons of Avalon: Merlin’s Prophecy

A Letter to Three Witches by Elizabeth Bass – Review

Tags

5 stars, Book Review, cats, cupcakes, Elizabeth Bass, humor, magic, mystery, romance, witches

Review of A Letter to Three Witches

Three cousins in a small town.  A fourth ‘cousin’ raised as a sister, but more like The Good Son.  Maybe not as evil.  But definitely an angry troublemaker.  

The Letter is written to all three cousins by the raised-as-a-sister Tannith.  In the letter, she threatens to run off with the significant other of one of the three cousins.  Who will it be?  The letter sets off a zany chain of events in small town Zenobia.

The three cousins all have innate magic, but mostly don’t practice it due to a ban enforced by the magical authorities on an ancestor and his descendants.  But magic happens.  Sometimes accidentally, sometimes on purpose.  Let’s just say that the cousins could use some Hogwarts education.

Without the witch factor, this would be called a farce.  If anything can go wrong, it goes absurdly wrong. 

It is the accidental events that are hilarious.  A man turned into a rabbit.  A cupcake that makes you sleepy or horny.  Each one results in bigger and bigger catastrophes for the three witches.   At the same time, the they are learning more about their heritage and exactly who they are.  And because of Tannith’s letter, the cousins’ relationships go through the ringer.  Hopefully they will come out better than ever. 

Told mostly from cousin Gwen’s point of view, occasionally, the familiar cat, Grizelda, gets to claim center stage. 

A Letter to Three Witches is an enchanting, light-hearted romp.  Charming, likable characters and familiars.  Though….I may not be eating a cupcake for a while.

Through Netgalley, the publisher provided a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

*****************************

About A Letter to Three Witches by Elizabeth Bass

Nearly a century ago, Gwen Engel’s great-great-grandfather cast a spell with catastrophic side-effects. As a result, the Grand Council of Witches forbade his descendants from practicing witchcraft. The Council even planted anonymous snitches called Watchers in the community to report any errant spellcasting…

Yet magic may still be alive and not so well in Zenobia. Gwen and her cousins, Trudy and Milo, receive a letter from Gwen’s adopted sister, Tannith, informing them that she’s bewitched one of their partners and will run away with him at the end of the week. While Gwen frets about whether to trust her scientist boyfriend, currently out of town on a beetle-studying trip, she’s worried that local grad student Jeremy is secretly a Watcher doing his own research.

Cousin Trudy is so stressed that she accidentally enchants her cupcakes, creating havoc among her bakery customers—and in her marriage. Perhaps it’s time the family took back control and figured out how to harness their powers. How else can Gwen decide whether her growing feelings for Jeremy are real—or the result of too many of Trudy’s cupcakes? 

*****************************

Links

Add A Letter to Three Witches to your Goodreads shelf:

Purchase A Letter to Three Witches: