Seasons of Sorcery Anthology – Review

Tags

5 stars, Amanda Bouchet, curse, fantasy, Grace Draven, Jeffe Kennedy, Jennifer Estep, ocean, paranormal, romance, urban fantasy

About Seasons of Sorcery by Amanda Bouchet, Jeffe Kennedy, Jennifer Estep, Grace Draven

WINTER’S WEB BY JENNIFER ESTEP

An assassin at a renaissance faire. What could possibly go wrong? Everything, if you’re Gin Blanco. This Spider is trapped in someone else’s icy web—and it seems like they don’t want her to leave the faire alive . . .

A CURSE FOR SPRING BY AMANDA BOUCHET

A malevolent spell strangles the kingdom of Leathen in catastrophic drought. Prince Daric must break the curse before his people starve. A once-mighty goddess trapped in a human body might be the key—but saving his kingdom could mean losing all that he loves.

THE DRAGONS OF SUMMER BY JEFFE KENNEDY

As unofficial consort to the High Queen, former mercenary Harlan Konyngrr faces a challenge worse than looming war and fearsome dragons. His long-held secrets threaten what he loves most—and he must make a choice between vows to two women.

A WILDERNESS OF GLASS BY GRACE DRAVEN

The stretch of sea known as The Gray rules the lives of those in the village of Ancilar, including widow Brida Gazi. In the aftermath of an autumn storm, Brida discovers one of the sea’s secrets cast onto the shore—a discovery that will change her world, mend her soul, and put her in the greatest danger she’s ever faced.

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Review of Seasons of Sorcery

What a great collection of stories!

A Curse for Spring by Amanda Bouchet is the emotional story of the trials of a prince and a goddess. It seemed, from the start, that their love was doomed because of the terrible curse put upon Leathen. But we can’t have a doomed romance! The mission that Daric and Rain take upon themselves is full of danger and emotions. Loved this story!

A Wilderness of Glass by Grace Draven takes place in the ocean. Well, not entirely in the ocean, but the sense of the sea was constant in the story. In another story of lovers who cannot possible end up together, the fear of discovery and the intense passion is the constant pull to finish the story. Another great one from Grace Draven.

While all four stories stand alone, the stories by Grace Draven and Amanda Bouchet stand out to me because they are not part of existing series that I have not read (not for lack of interest – just time). If you are followers of Jennifer Estep and Jeffe Kennedy, their stories will certainly please the series junkie in you.

5 stars

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Web of Truth (Dream Weavers and Truth Seekers, #3) by Cecilia Dominic – Review

Tags

5 stars, Cecilia Dominic, dreams, fae, King Arthur legend, paranormal, romance, urban fantasy

About Web of Truth

The final bounty was supposed to be the easiest. So why is she the one being hunted?

Morgan le Fay, once the most promising priestess on Avalon, lost her powers due to her unwitting role in the fall of Camelot. She’s survived by becoming a bounty hunter for Faerie Queen Maeve. After she completes her tenth, and final job, she will be free to live her own life and regain her powers.

The problem – the situation isn’t as simple as it seems. Her final target, the fledgling vampire Philippe, turns out to have ties to her family, and her handler isn’t telling her everything.

The answers Morgan seeks lie with her aunt Margaret the Truth Seeker, who has her own history with Philippe and her own regrets around her part in Morgan’s fall and Philippe’s situation. Nightmare creatures, faerie plots, and murder follow the two women as they navigate their own past hurts and attempt to unravel the truth. Will they be able keep their friends safe and find forgiveness in time to figure out what the faerie queen wants with Philippe? And will Morgan deal with her old wounds and risk her powers – and her heart – to secure her future?

Web of Truth is the third book (but can be read on its own) in the Dream Weavers and Truth Seekers series, which is being hailed as a unique addition to the urban fantasy landscape. If you like tales featuring strong heroines, tricky Fae, and hidden worlds that exist beside our own, then you’ll love Cecilia Dominic’s new series.

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Review of Web of Truth

Web of Truth is the fourth book in the Dream Weavers and Truth Seekers series that I have read and enjoyed (3 in the series as well as a related novella). This may be my favorite one so far. I like how all the characters in previous books are part of this one and their roles are not minor. Morgan le Fay and Philippe may be the main characters and romantic couple of this story, but Morgan’s aunt Margaret (Truth Seeker), Audrey (Dream Weaver), Charlie and Damien are all equally important to the Web of Truth story line.

Web of Truth does build on what happened in previous stories, but enough backstory is given that you do not need to read the first books in the series. Magic and magical beings imbue the story with the sense of both awe and danger. In the wrong hands, magic is dangerous, especially if we are talking about the ever less-than-truthful Fae.

The Fae queen sets Morgan on a final quest that will restore all her powers to her. But, as is typical with Fae deals, Morgan does not get the whole story. I never have liked the Fae in fiction. I mean, how can you trust something that is wrapped in a vision of loveliness and never really shows his or her true self. Morgan quickly realizes she may be in over her head and ends up with auntie Maggie.

Aunt and niece are not exactly friendly due to a falling out in the way-back past, but they both play for the same side. It takes a while for the two to trust each other. I think, deep down, things were okay, else Morgan would not have brought Phillippe to Maggie’s house. But working through the trust issues nicely illustrated the relationship between Morgan and her aunt. They are both really old, so they have a lot of things to work through.

Phillippe is ever the beta character, but unlike in Truth Seeker, this time Phillippe is not falling in love with the wrong woman. In Truth Seeker, poor Philippe got turned into a vampire by a no-good lying super villain vampire – for all the good it did him. And now he is being used as a pawn. Really – he is a good guy. He does not deserve this kind of treatment. Here’s hoping Phillippe gets his happily ever after.

I will say that things do work out better for Phillippe this time. And Morgan. Beyond that, there are still a lot of questions yet to be answered.

• Will Maggie break the curse?
• What is Arthur’s role in the big story? Is he more than a guardian?
• Will they find Merlin?
• Will the Greek Gods and the Fae join together or compete with each other?
• Will Madame Lucia be more than just a psychic neighbor?
• Is Audrey pregnant?
• Is Athena just a cat?

Don’t worry. Despite all my unanswered questions, I enjoyed a complete story that enhanced and complemented the lore of the Dream Weavers and Truth Seekers. Read Web of Truth for an truly unusual take on urban fantasy.

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

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Giveaway

Don’t forget the ongoing giveaway for the audiobook of Phantom Evil by Heather Graham, or the print books of Catherine Cerveny’s The Rule of Luck and The Chaos of Luck.  If you haven’t entered yet, you might be interested to know that commenting on today’s post helps qualify you for an entry – see yesterday’s post for all the details.  Or go straight to the giveaway….

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Perchance to Dream and Truth Seekers (Dream Weaver and Truth Seekers) – Two by Cecilia Dominic – Review

Tags

4 stars, Book Review, Cecilia Dominic, paranormal, series, urban fantasy

About Perchance to Dream

About to embark on a major move with her husband, Emma can’t think about anything but her dreams. It’s not all that surprising given the seductive world she finds in her sleep – parties with Poseidon, Demeter and Persephone in attendance. Even more interesting, powerful gods like the super sexy Triton, son of Poseidon, and ultra-badass Artemis ask her to accomplish different tasks for them each night.

What Emma doesn’t realize until she’s in too deep is that her dreams aren’t figments of her imagination. She becomes part of the Collective Unconscious when asleep and plays a vital role in bridging the waking world and the dream world. But when the gods enact a punishment that affects her waking life, Emma is forced to choose between the C.U. and those she loves.

Review of Perchance to Dream
4 Stars

I rarely remember dreams and when I do, they are not all that remarkable. Maybe that is why I had difficulty sympathizing with Emma.

Of course, I also thought Emma was kind of a wimp in her relationship with her husband and her in-laws. Another reason not to sympathize with the main character. But it gave her fuel for her dreams and a reason to keep slipping back into the Collective Unconscious. Despite my lack of character attachment, I did enjoy the story, of the woman that walks through dreams and is surprised to learn that dreams can be more than what you experience during your sleep. Despite the very short length, I felt it was a complete story and a fun part of this new Dream Weavers & Truth Seekers series by Cecilia Dominic.

About Truth Seeker

A coffee shop dare gone wrong. A stupid childhood decision. A cat-and-mouse hunt that will require a triple strength espresso and a major sacrifice before it’s all over.

Philippe Ormandie can see ghosts, and his special abilities have gotten him into big trouble this time. A dare gone wrong leaves him trapped far away from home in a network of metaphysical tunnels that connects the locations of a large and popular coffee shop chain. Truth Seeker Maggie – formally known as Margaret of Cornwall, lost aunt of King Arthur – needs to find him before the tunnel’s builders do.

When Maggie catches up to Philippe, she whisks him away to what she hopes is a safe place. Unfortunately, the builders of the tunnels won’t be foiled so easily, and she finds herself hunted along with him. Betrayal and old family drama follow Maggie and Philippe no matter where they land.

Maggie needs all the help she can get as the battle ends up being not only for control of the tunnels, but for Philippe’s soul. In the end, the ultimate question is not how Maggie will save the world – and her job – but who will pay the price.

Review of Truth Seeker
4 Stars

I was surprised to find that this first book in the Dream Weavers & Truth Seekers series had little in common with the short story prequel, Perchance to Dream. Truth Seekers does have that ethereal Collective Unconscious feel to it, but the story line is quite different from the prequel.

Philippe seems to be an average human that inadvertently found he can travel the ‘tunnels’. These tunnels connect places that are miles apart by bags of coffee beans in a chain coffee shop. Sound like a strange place to travel from and to? Well, maybe. But in order to avoid the unknown danger, Philippe is getting very little sleep. Hence the coffee shop? It works for me. 🙂

Maggie steps in to help Philippe, not only because he needs help, but also because she needs to know about the tunnels and how they may or may not affect her world.

The adventure that follows leads to old friends and betrayal, capture and rescue. At times, the overall plot seemed a bit disconnected to me, however, reading persistence paid off and I discovered the goals of the Truth Seeker. The tale contains action that is non-stop, romance possibilities and, ultimately, an unexpected conclusion that left me a bit speechless.

Dreamlike and magical qualities flow through Truth Seeker. At the end of the story, I felt like I had awakened from a dream. I suspect that was Ms. Dominic’s goal.

I received a copy of these books from the author so that I could bring you this honest review.

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