Seven Tales From King Arthur’s Court by John Erskine, Albert Seligman (editor)

June 5, 2023 By 1 Comment


Seven Tales From King Arthur’s Court by John Erskine, Albert Seligman (editor)
Publisher: Markosia Enterprises Ltd.
Genre: Young Adult (14 – 18 y.o.), Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Romance, Action/Adventure, Historical
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Voted BoM by LASR Readers 2013 copy

These “Seven Tales” were published in 1940 in The American Weekly Sunday magazine and have never been seen since. They showcase watercolors by English artist Edmund Dulac, who was one of the Golden Age illustrators. The texts were written by noted American author and musician John Erskine.

Chivalry never goes out of fashion.

The first half of this book included background information on the social history of King Arthur, a short explanation of how fantasy writing styles have changed over the last eighty years, and some brief biographies of the people who were involved in the original publication of these adventures. I was impressed by how much effort the author put into this section and grateful to have it. These details brought so much depth to what came after them, and they made certain scenes stand out to me as a reader in ways that I might not have fully understood if I hadn’t been made aware of certain facts ahead of time. While it wasn’t the only reason why I chose a full five-star rating, it was definitely a contributing factor.

Accolon stole King Arthur’s famous sword, the ‘Excalibur,’ in “The Tale of The Enchantress and the Magic Scabbard.” How that theft took place is best left for others to find out for themselves, but I was fascinated by Accolon’s gumption and King Arthur’s reaction when he realized that the sword in his scabbard wasn’t the one he usually used. This was an exciting adventure that made me wish to keep reading it.

None of the other King Arthur tales I’ve ever read were about the blood of Christ, so I was intrigued by the premise of “The Tale of Sir Galahad and his Quest for the Sangreal.” I liked the way the narrator plainly shared what happened to Galahad on his quest without leaping into the emotions of those moments no matter how much danger the characters might be in. It was quite unlike anything I’ve written from contemporary authors, and it often made me pause to reread certain sentences again.

After an uninvited guest was kidnapped during a dinner at the round table, Pellinore went to save her in “The Tale of Merlin and One of the Ladies of the Lake.” Merlin’s involvement in all of this is something that new readers should discover for themselves. I found it delightfully surprising and smiled at every plot twist along the way. The creative final scene fit the theme perfectly, and I only wish I could go into detail about it without giving away spoilers. What I can say is that it was a humorous way to end things.

Seven Tales From King Arthur’s Court was a thrilling read from beginning to end.

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Dragon Springs & Other Things by Raven Oak

June 1, 2023 By 1 Comment


Dragon Springs & Other Things by Raven Oak
Publisher: Grey Sun Press
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Paranormal, Contemporary, Historical
Rating: 4 Stars
Review by: Astilbe

This debut collection by multi-award-winning author and artist Raven Oak brings together fantastical stories from the past ten years of her career, ranging from gothic and urban fantasy to post-apocalyptic and steampunk tales.

You’ll find coffee-drinking ghosts, ever-changing faces, elemental spirits who both protect and harm, assassins, magical pockets, and snarky creatures in these ELEVEN fanciful fictions. Dragon Springs & Other Things contains SIX never-before seen stories for your enjoyment, including two stories featuring fan favorite character, Ida, from Oak’s Boahim Trilogy.

STORIES INCLUDED: Mirror Me, Water the Fire, Alive, Learning to Fly, The Drive to Work, The Ringers, Cookie Man, Amaskan, Peace Be With You, Friend, The Snark, and Dragon Springs & Other Things.

Magic is everywhere.

A young couple wondered why they kept having kitchen, bathroom, and pipe leaks in “Water the Fire.” Were the water demons attacking them? I loved the clever progression of this storyline, especially once the main characters began to notice more clues about what was going on in their home. It surprised me more than once, and I couldn’t wait to find out how they might fix their wet and sometimes very stinky problem.

While I enjoyed all of the stories in this collection, I thought a few of them would have been better with a bit more development. “The Snark” was one of them. It followed the life of an snarky and unrepentant Internet troll named Elizabeta who would never believe you if you told her what was about to happen to her. The premise was fantastic, but the plot was wrapped up so quickly that I never found time to settle in and anticipate her reaction to her big surprise.

The town of Dekwood was enveloped in a thick, eerie silence in “The Ringers.” I enjoyed getting to know Elise and her family as they moved to this area without realizing that magic was forbidden there. The narrator gave me exactly the right amount of information for me to know when these characters were in trouble and what might happen to them if they couldn’t find a way to clear their debts and get away before anyone realized that Elise had special abilities. Every new plot twist only pulled me further into her world. I wish I could say more without giving away spoilers, but this is something that works best for readers who only know a little about it when they begin.

Be sure to read the author’s notes about where their ideas came from at the end of each tale. I love it when writers take the time to do this, and all of these explanations were fabulous.

Dragon Springs & Other Things makes me eager to read more from Ms. Oak.

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The Babel Apocalypse by Vyvyan Evans

May 8, 2023 By 3 Comments

The Babel Apocalypse by Vyvyan Evans
Publisher: Nephilim Publishing
Genre: Science Fiction
Rated: 5 stars
Review by Rose

Language is no longer learned, but streamed to neural implants regulated by lang-laws. Those who can’t afford language streaming services are feral, living on the fringes of society. Big tech corporations control language, the world’s most valuable commodity.

But when a massive cyberattack causes a global language outage, catastrophe looms.

Europol detective Emyr Morgan is assigned to the case. His prime suspect is Professor Ebba Black, the last native speaker of language in the automated world, and leader of the Babel cyberterrorist organization. But Emyr soon learns that in a world of corporate power, where those who control language control everything, all is not as it seems.

As he and Ebba collide, Emyr faces an existential dilemma between loyalty and betrayal, when everything he once believed in is called into question. To prevent the imminent collapse of civilization and a global war between the great federations, he must figure out friend from foe—his life depends on it. And with the odds stacked against him, he must find a way to stop the Babel Apocalypse.

This is an intriguing book with an all-too-real feel to the premise of technology gone wrong. I’ve often daydreamed about the ability to learn a new language without having to study…kind of a built-in universal translator, if you will. The thing about advancements is that sometimes they lead to a slippery slope.

In this case, that slippery slope leads to a world in which it is mandated that babies be implanted with a chip at birth that forms language for them. And, for a price, you can add on all kinds of services to your streaming language.

With only one person left in the world who has never been chipped, the stage is set for this story. And, what a character she is. Ebba Black is the leader of a group that is trying to reclaim, in a sense, what has been lost. And Emyr Morgan, a Europol detective, has been assigned to discover who is behind a massive cyberattack that makes many unable to talk or understand language.

I really liked both of these characters. I enjoyed the way they interacted and the relationship between them. This book had me turning pages as fast as I could read and had so many twists and turns, I was never sure what was going to happen next.

It’s the first book in the Songs of the Saga series, and I’m looking forward to reading the upcoming books. Be aware, The Babel Apocalypse ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, but don’t let that stand in your way. This book is very much worth it! 5 stars

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Salt Water by Eugenia Triantafyllou

April 28, 2023 By Leave a Comment


Salt Water by Eugenia Triantafyllou
Publisher: Tor Books
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, LGBTQ
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

While all her friends’ fish are changing into mermaids, is 12-year-old Anissa’s fish becoming something else?

Change isn’t always easy, especially when you don’t have any control over how or when it happens.

Anissa was a likeable and thoughtful main character. There were times when I wished she’d go into more detail about her physiology, but it made sense for someone her age to assume the audience was already familiar with the idea of various aquatic animals developing in people’s bodies. Of course, she didn’t know any differently! She barely even knew herself yet, much less had time to envision what life might be like on other worlds.

I loved the fact that Ms. Triantafyllou expected her audience to put some effort into understanding the analogy she was making. It was only after rereading this tale that I fully understood what she was saying, but I relished the opportunity to spend more time with the characters as I looked for more clues about Anissa’s relationship with her fish and what might happen to them after she became an adult.

Some of my favorite scenes were the ones that gently encouraged readers to make the connection between this symbiotic society and what it can be like for LGBTQ people to grow up in a world that isn’t always welcoming or kind to them by any means. There were other analogies that could work well here, too, and I applaud the author for leaving space for them, but I kept coming back to how different Anissa felt from her classmates and how desperately she wanted to be accepted no matter who she grew up to be.

Salt Water was brilliant, and I’m crossing my fingers that we might get a sequel to it someday.

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The Ordinary Princess by M. M. Kaye

April 17, 2023 By Leave a Comment


The Ordinary Princess by M. M. Kaye
Publisher: Puffin Books
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Children’s (0 – 6 y.o.), Middle Grade (8 – 12 y.o.) (6-11 yrs.)
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Xeranthemum

Along with Wit, Charm, Health, and Courage, Princess Amy of Phantasmorania receives a special fairy christening gift: Ordinariness. Unlike her six beautiful sisters, she has brown hair and freckles, and would rather have adventures than play the harp, embroider tapestries . . . or become a Queen. When her royal parents try to marry her off, Amy runs away and, because she’s so ordinary, easily becomes the fourteenth assistant kitchen maid at a neighboring palace. And there . . . much to everyone’s surprise . . . she meets a prince just as ordinary (and special) as she is!

What a delightful story! It’s quirky, enchanting, entertaining and a wonderful fairy tale that was a true pleasure to read.

The style is third person narrative and Princess Amy is most often referred to as The Ordinary Princess for most of the book. It’s very reminiscent of Cinderella but it has a mixture of Snow White as well, what with the addition of Mr. Pemberthy and Peter Aurelious; they act as the prerequisite forest friends to the princess.

As in Sleeping Beauty, there is the one fairy that uses her magic to gift the baby Princess Amy with a very unexpected, unique and shock-worthy gift. It causes the Queen to have fits, and the King basically crowing “I told you so!” because he just knew something ghastly was going to happen. Everyone in the castle believed that it was a horrible thing, and that belief lasts until the very day the princess gets her happy ever after.

What I liked about this story was its easy style. It had an innocence to it that was refreshing, from the dialogue, the choices the princess makes and her relationship with Peregrine, the man-of-all-work. I enjoyed watching as they escaped the drudgery of their lives by visiting the forest when they had time off – a place they could be themselves without anyone telling them nay, or reprimanding them if they wanted to climb trees, get muddy or lay back among the flowers and watch the clouds drift by. I even thought the creation of The Birches was romantic in and of itself. It was a commitment of sorts, a foretelling of what could be because of how it was built. A romantic idea crossed my mind and the happy ever after wrap-up proved it true. It was sweet and adorable, and I could believe in the fairy tale – they lived happily ever after.

I found humor in the most unlikely places. The king and his flamboyant reactions to when he was pleased or displeased was one example. The wild and wacky dragon idea was worthy of an eye roll.

The one thing I noticed was the author’s clear descriptions about the environment, the jewels, the castle, how people dressed, descriptions of rooms – it’s quite easy to envision the scenes. The illustrations helped get some perspective on some of it, but there weren’t that many of them to classify this as a picture book. This is a story of words and ideas. It’s not flashy, loud or full of adrenaline. It’s a nicely written and well-told story of a girl meeting her forever sweetheart in a most unlikely fashion; of princesses, princes, kings and a crusty old fairy named Crustacea (kids will probably need help pronouncing that name plus some others in the story) who has a well-guarded marshmallow heart hiding inside all those shells and seaweed.

The Ordinary Princess is a treasure of a story and should be on anyone’s reading list who likes Cinderella, Snow White, any princess story you can name, or just fairy tales in general. Princess Amy is no ordinary princess. She’s special and readers will enjoy finding that out for themselves when they read it too.

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Magic & Home by Alexa Piper

April 13, 2023 By 1 Comment


Magic & Home by Alexa Piper
Monster Apocalypse 2
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Futuristic, LGBTQ, Erotic Romance, Action/Adventure
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

Over the past two years, Rory has learned that other people aren’t the best of company, that the guilt of causing the Apocalypse is a heavy burden, and that monsters only see him as a meal. Until Rory met Inkiri, who sees Rory as his mate.

Now, Rory has to navigate what it means to be with someone who not only isn’t human but who also is from another world altogether… and since Rory finds himself in that otherworld all of a sudden, he has to adapt fast. Inkiri definitely has no intention of slowing down in his quest to make his human mate happy.

While Rory is beginning to wrap his head around liking the new place and the new customs, he can’t relax into a peaceful happily ever after because whatever connection Rory has to the magic that unleashed the Apocalypse, people want that, meaning they want him. Where Rory and his newfound family ran to may not have been far enough to escape their pursuers’ clutches.

More magic, more intrigue and more love.

I liked book one in this series and I’m glad I picked up book two. This one is set in Ink’s world, and I really felt like I was there with the characters. I liked the pacing and the way this book is set up. The story moves so fast, but it’s a great clip. I was right there with the characters and liked how they grew through this book.

Ink and Rory are good together and I liked seeing how they grew together. Rory is starting to come into his magic a bit more and Ink has welcomed Rory into his world. They’re a great pairing.

This isn’t a simple story. Ink has found family with him, and they add their own complications. Plus, Rory seems to be a magnet for trouble. These added layers to the story and I liked it. I liked how things never really slowed down.

If you’re looking for a monster romance that’s not the usual, then this might be the one you’re looking for. Check this one out!

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The Third Earth by Wesley Britton

April 12, 2023 By 3 Comments


The Third Earth by Wesley Britton
Publisher: Alien Vision
Genre: Science Fiction
Rated:
Review by Rose

For twenty years, Dr. Malcolm Renbourn and Tribe Renbourn faced adventure after adventure, struggle after struggle on Beta-Earth.

Now, Renbourn and five of his Betan wives are forced to cross the multi-verse once again, this time to the strange world called Cerapin-Earth. After startling and frightening physical transformations, the altered Renbourns meet two new kinds of humanity. One is the dominant pairs who are able to share thoughts and sensations at the same time. The other are the nams, single-bodied people the pairs deem defective mono-minds. As a result, nams are exiled from the overpopulated cities of pyramid hives.

Tribe Renbourn must join the outcasts and teach them they are as worthy of love and acceptance as any unkind pair. But helping the nams learn how to stand up for themselves ultimately leads to a catastrophic war. At the same time, Cerapin scientists plan another multi-versal jump that must also end in a costly disaster. Along the way, two sexy spies complicate everything.

On a world where technology is worshiped like a religion, how can the nam rebels overcome the superior armaments of the pairs using primitive weaponry? While this conflict brews, Tribe Renbourn explores what it means to be human in ways they never expected. Will their epic end like it began, forced to sacrifice themselves to save a doomed city?

This is the fifth book in the series and while, technically, it can be read on its own (the author did a wonderful job in the introduction telling what came before), I still feel like I missed out by not reading the four books that came before. A lack I plan to address in the near future and then rereading this book.

THE THIRD EARTH, while being a bit slow in the beginning, soon grabbed my attention and wouldn’t let it go until I finished the book.

There are a lot of characters and a lot of concepts to wrap my mind around, but I completely enjoyed the ride. I loved the wives and the bond they had.

With being told in the first person, of necessity we only learn about the other characters what Malcolm shares, and I wish there were a way to know the wives better… especially Elsbeth. I’m hoping that I’ll gain new insights into the wives as I read the earlier book in the series.

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Biological Compatibility by MA Freeman

April 10, 2023 By Leave a Comment


Biological Compatibility by MA Freeman
Aleka Chronicles 4
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Erotic Romance
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

Phoebe Walden finally has it all. She’s met the love of her life, and she has a family she can tolerate, who accept her and love her no matter what. But there’s a darkness shadowing her, waiting to destroy her chance at happiness. Not on Phoebe’s watch. However it’s not just her happiness at stake, but all of theirs if she makes even one mistake.

Scott Quinn has done the best he could, floating under the radar. Hard choices have made it difficult for him even to face himself in the mirror. But things finally looking up. He’s found the perfect woman, who seems to be into him as much as he’s into her. Yet Scott has secrets. He knows who he is and what he’s done will cause friction. And always in the shadows lurks the harsh reality that his freedom has been an illusion all along.

A cute story with great characters.

I wasn’t sure what to think when I picked up this book. It’s different and I wanted to like it. I did! The writing flowed well and kept my interest immediately. I liked the chemistry between the characters, too. The pacing is great as well.

Phoebe and Scott are good together. I liked that there were layers to them and that they didn’t put everything out there right away. I also liked that Phoebe isn’t your average woman. She’s complicated and unabashed in her complication. That’s refreshing. She’s not making excuses for herself. I liked that a lot.

Then there’s the romance. Whew!!! This really sizzled. I haven’t read the other books in this series, but I am off to check them out now. If they’re like this one, I’m in for a treat and you will be, too.

Check this one out!

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , ,

International Kittens of Mystery by Chris Dolley

April 10, 2023 By Leave a Comment


International Kittens of Mystery by Chris Dolley
Publisher: Book View Cafe
Genre: Contemporary, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Children’s (0 – 6 y.o.)
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Xerantheumum

In an uncertain world there is one organization that stands head and small furry shoulders above the rest. Whenever the planet is in danger – be it from giant balls of wool or bands of renegade squirrels – only one group is guaranteed to answer the call.

The International Kittens of Mystery!

This is a journal of their stories. For the first time, cameras have been allowed into one of their top secret training camps – Training Camp Alpha. A camp where, under the supervision of pet humans, recruits are shown not only how to save the world but also how to manage their secret identities.

If you like a fun story with pictures of cute kittens saving the planet, this is the book for you.

The first few pages introduce a reader to the goal of the international kittens and their technology, like wickerbowl personal transporters, the orbiting kitten command center, and the stars of the book, Kai (Persian/Tabby), Xena (Tabby) and The Tribbles (Five Bright Orange Gingers). I was immediately charmed, enchanted and hilariously entertained.

The book is illustrated with actual photos of kittens, so this really appealed to the cat lover inside me. The imagined secret agent talents of kittens is a joyous hoot. I was tickled pink about the explanation as to why the kitten’s eyes were a funny color after flying practice and the application of the “Power of Cute”.

I cracked up about the alien death ray device and aliens from the planet, Sheep. Seriously, there are a lot of veiled pop culture references young kids may not get but their parents certainly will, making this little book a hit with kids and adults alike.

There’s even a short plot of mystery that the international kittens of mystery must solve – the president’s wife has been kidnapped! Who would do such a thing? How are they going to save the president’s wife?

This little book is too cute for words. Thank goodness for great kitten shots, secret agents and amazing feline ‘technology’ to save the day. International Kittens of Mystery was a fun read.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Luke Blackmon’s Rose by Mary Patterson Thornburg

April 3, 2023 By Leave a Comment


Luke Blackmon’s Rose by Mary Patterson Thornburg
Publisher: Uncial Press
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Romance, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

To guard herself from the perils of her own sensuality, Rose married a man she didn’t love. Now, two years after his death, she’s not sure she can really love anyone. She’s not even sure she cares…

To achieve what he’d always known was his birthright, Luke had to struggle against tremendous odds. But when science discovered a way to access the past, a powerful bureaucracy found a way to use Luke. Now, torn from his own time, everything and everyone he knew, he can see no reason to go on living…

An instant of attraction, uninvited but inescapable, brings Luke and Rose together. Together, they discover the strength to love, the will to trust and hope. But will these things be enough to carry them over walls of suspicion, guilt, bigotry, and hate?

Soul mates aren’t a myth. They’re very real.

The romance made me smile. This was a good example of how to write instant attraction in a realistic but still romantic way. I found myself silently cheering Luke and Rose on long before I could cohesively explain why I wanted them to end up together so much. All I knew was that their personalities appeared to be a perfect match and I wanted them to live happily ever after together. Yes, additional reasons why they were well suited to each other did show up, but I was pleased by how quickly the author made it clear that these two had something special and rare together.

After I’d read the first few chapters, I found myself searching for this title online to see if I’d accidentally requested a later book in a series because of how often the narrator shared facts about the characters and storyline without explaining why they had occurred. From what I could tell, it was not part of a series. To give an example of the sort of plot twist that made me wonder this, the two main characters ended up escalating the physical side of their relationship rapidly after they met. That isn’t an inherently negative thing, of course, but it was something I found surprising based on the conservative era Luke came from and how cautious Rose was about sensual matters in general. I would have happily gone with a much higher rating if this sort of stuff had been explained better as the plot itself was well paced and had all sorts of interesting ideas about time travel embedded in it.

Speaking of time travel, I loved the way this book explained how it worked. I can’t go into a lot of detail about the actual mechanics of it without giving away spoilers, but Ms. Patterson Thornburg came up with clever answers to some of the most common pitfalls of dragging a character of their time period and into a different one. I especially liked her answer to how someone is supposed to accomplish everything they need to in their original lifetime if they’re whisked away to a new one. It’s always nice to read stories that take the practicalities of such things seriously and give the audience logical explanations of why they don’t necessarily have to be a problem.

Luke Blackmon’s Rose was a quick and breezy read.

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