The Demon’s Queen by Katee Robert

November 13, 2024 By Leave a Comment


The Demon’s Queen by Katee Robert
Publisher: Trinkets and Tales LLC (Self-Published)
Genre: Erotic Romance, Paranormal
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Dicentra

Eve’s life might not be perfect, but it’s hers. She has money, freedom, and a client list that she’s handpicked over the years. If sometimes she gets a little too attached to those clients? Well, that’s her problem. After a stressful day, she’s looking forward to dinner and a long night with Azazel…until he asks her to sign a contract under the guise of roleplay—and then kidnaps her to another realm.

Azazel has been in love with Eve for years, but he knows his place. The window to offer her a contract has long since closed, so he takes her in the only way he can—as her client. Until one of his enemies realizes exactly how much Eve means to him…forcing him to lie to her to protect her.

Unfortunately for Azazel, Eve isn’t thankful for the protection. She may be stuck in the demon realm with her new captor, but she’s going to make him choke on every moment they spend together.

Too bad her heart is more in the mix than she’d ever admit…

“In my heart of hearts, I simply want someone to choose me, to love me above all others. I’m too old for fairy tales – I have been since I was a child – but some fantasies persist even when you know better.”

Informed consent is a big thing in the world of Katee Robert’s A Deal with a Demon series, and bargainer demon leader Azazel commits one of the biggest no-no’s ever in tricking Eve (an escort who he’s been seeing for months) into a lifelong contract. Determined to make him pay for it, a lot of frustration and angst ensues as each side tries their best to understand the other.

I’ve been waiting for this book ever since the first official one (The Dragon’s Bride) came out, and I have to say it did not disappoint. I’m really impressed with how the author has managed to write essentially 6 books that are happening almost simultaneously. Eve is the final ‘human’ that was put up to auction, but her deal was unique in that it wasn’t for seven years, and she didn’t really get anything out of it like the others. After seeing Azazel so calm and collected in previous installments, it was interesting to see him frazzled and bent out of shape in an effort to keep his territory together and keep Eve safe.

Azazel and Eve have an interesting dynamic. They go from casual lovers, to hating each other, and back to lovers again. Eve (understandably) makes Azazel grovel for forgiveness and it was quite fun to watch. It was also quite satisfying as a fan of the series to get more in depth as to Azazel’s motivation for holding the auctions in the first place.

Overall, a great read and a great ‘end’ to the series (since all of Ms. Robert’s books are interconnected in some way). If you enjoy short paranormal romance books with a monster flair, a guaranteed happily ever after ending, and a bit of drama, this would be a great choice. I highly recommend reading the series in order (starting with The Demon’s Bargain, which is set in the same world), as that will provide the best reading experience in my opinion.

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

The Crossroads Hotel by Karen Avizur

October 22, 2024 By 1 Comment


The Crossroads Hotel by Karen Avizur
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Paranormal, Contemporary
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Voted BoM by LASR Readers 2013 copy

Welcome to the crossroads, where hospitality reigns supreme for the guests who are anything but human.

Marjorie has spent the last two years managing the Crossroads Hotel and Diner, a roadside stop in rural Missouri with a guest list that’s anything but ordinary. The locals are one thing, but it’s the visitors from other dimensions that keep her on her toes. Now, as she trains her new assistant, Josh, he’s quickly learning that dealing with shapeshifters and ageless little girls is just part of the job. But when an unexpected earthquake shakes more than the ground beneath them, Marjorie and Josh discover something far stranger is at play, and it’s no mere anomaly. At a hotel where the bizarre is business as usual, handling the changes might just be the toughest check-in yet.

The customer is always right in supernatural matters.

One of my favorite aspects of this tale involved the backstories of the human characters. It takes a special sort of person to work at The Crossroads Hotel, especially on days when paranormal activity is much higher than usual. Some visitors can do and say alarming things, for example, and not everyone who stays at this hotel is necessarily who or what they appear to be. It made sense, then, that so many of the human employees had good reasons for wanting to work at such an unpredictable place instead of a nice, quiet hotel in another city.

The ending was what convinced me to select a full five-star rating for this piece. Looking back, there were a few clues I hadn’t fully understood at the time that could nudge a reader in this direction, but they could have also been interpreted in wildly different ways, too. I adored the surprise waiting for me in the last few scenes and thought it was executed beautifully. It fit the storyline and character development nicely, and it was also just plain fun to read.

The world building was strong and intriguing. Ms. Avizur created a comfortable but unusual setting where humans coexisted with all sorts of other sentient creatures. The rhythms of hotel life were sometimes interrupted by otherworldly conflicts, but I was honestly just as interested in the ordinary aspects of keeping guests from such a wide variety of backgrounds happy. Customer service remains the same everywhere even if one’s customers happen to be furry or immortal.

The Crossroads Hotel made me yearn for more. The sequel can’t appear quickly enough for my tastes!

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

The Recesses of Darkness Anthology by R L Schumacher

October 15, 2024 By Leave a Comment


The Recesses of Darkness Anthology by R L Schumacher
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Paranormal, Contemporary, Historical
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Horror is an intense emotional response characterized by an overwhelming and painful feeling. It arises when one encounters something that is frightfully shocking, terrifying, or revolting. This profound emotion can lead to a visceral reaction, often causing a person to shudder with fear. It grips the mind and body, paralyzing them with a deep sense of dread and repulsion.

Horror comes in all shapes and sizes.

Two old, broke prospectors named Regan and Barlow decided to pan for gold in a new spot at the recommendation of a friend in “Teamwork.” There were some fun plot twists in this tale involving their search for treasure that made me wonder what might happen next but that I don’t want to spoil for others by going into detail about. I also appreciated the way the author played around with the audience’s expectations and made me wonder if he really was going to go in the direction I thought he might.

Some of the tales in this collection had abrupt endings that I wish had been given more time to develop. “Cellar Door” was one example of it. Ron’s troubled relationship with Cheryl was hinted at briefly before the story switched to describing why he decided to sign up as a medical test subject to make some extra money. It was never quite clear to me why he was so eager to do this or what was going on with him and Cheryl. This was a pattern that repeated itself in other instalments and was an impediment to a higher rating in my opinion.

Artie woke up from a mysterious surgery in “The Prototypical Soldier” and needed to piece together his past. As he recovered and began regaining both physical and mental strength, more clues about his mysterious past and the reasons why he had surgery began to emerge. I was pleasantly surprised by several of the plot twists and thought he was a well-written protagonist. This would have made a great full-length novel, although I was content with how things ended in the final scene.

The Recesses of Darkness Anthology put a shiver down my spine.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Crustaceans by William Meikle

October 14, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Crustaceans by William Meikle
Publisher: Severed Press
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Horror
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Fern

Killer Crabs Take Manhattan!

A welcome return to those tomes of pure enjoyment that we read with guilt in our early teens, in the tradition of James Herbert’s THE RATS and Guy N. Smith’s NIGHT OF THE CRABS.

It begins with a dead whale on a Boston shoreline–not in itself an unusual occurrence. But the things that claw their way out of the blubber are very unusual indeed.

Giant crabs descend on a small coastal town and, having feasted, make their way to Manhattan, hunted and harried by a SWAT team tasked with ridding the city of the menace…before the menace gets big enough to rid itself of the city.

When flesh eating crabs chew their way out of a dead, beached whale, it’s enough to draw some very serious attention. A number of unusual events revolving around a new found species of crabs soon has the Armed forces sitting up and taking notice, especially when some of their own are taken. It soon becomes clear the crabs are growing – and converging on Manhattan. A small team race to answer why – and how large will these things grow to?

I have been a huge fan of William Meikle’s for a number of years now and this story did not disappoint. A republishing of a previous novel of his I found this was everything about his writing that I love. Giant, monstrous beasties eating everyone in sight. A small and dedicated team hunting them down. Plenty of action, monsters and a rollicking good pace.

Readers who enjoy B grade horror movies and books along the same lines – ones that are here for a good time with plenty of fun – should find this a thoroughly enjoyable tale. I love this author’s S-Squad series and while this isn’t one of that series he admits it was where some of his earlier ideas for that did germinate. Sit back with a large cold drink, switch off your brain and be prepared for a fun, fast paced and excellently written tall tale. With just enough reality to make you think this is a wonderful monster story and one I will happily reread again soon.

With some memorable and enjoyable characters, giant monster crabs that are determined to take over everything and some exceptional fire power, this is a fun and rambunctious story and a brilliant addition to my Meikle library. Recommended.

Filed Under: Horror, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Eternal by Mychael Black

October 8, 2024 By 1 Comment


Eternal by Mychael Black
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, Paranormal, LGBTQ
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Sam McIntosh knows he doesn’t need to be in the closet with his friends, but his family is another matter entirely. He keeps his sex life under wraps and never lets on to anyone that he enjoys any gender. So far, that’s worked just fine — until his father hires a new guy to work on the family farm.

Cole England has far more secrets than the average man, the least of which is his vampiric nature. He’s on the run from hunters sent by his father, and they are closing in on him. The last thing he needs is to fall for the son of the humans who hired him on their farm.

Between Sam’s bigoted family and Cole’s hunters, it’ll be a miracle if they can manage to explore the blazing attraction neither of them can deny.

Sam is in the closet to his family due to their bigoted ways. He’s out and proud with his friends, but his family – no way. This has worked just fine until his family hire Cole to work on their farm. The attraction is instant and Sam struggles to hide his growing desire. Cole has a bunch of his own problems – a vampire on the run from the hunters sent by his father, the last thing he wants is to drag the handsome Sam into his eternity and issues. Can the two men explore their blazing attraction without everything falling down around them?

I enjoyed this quick steamy read. Sam and Cole are well written and very realistic characters. It was quite easy for me to become attached to them both and they are quite relatable. I was pleased with both of their introductions and found their chemistry and instant attraction believable. This set me up very well for my enjoyment of this book, and for them to both have a mutual conflict with Sam’s bigoted parents and the hunters sent by Cole’s father helped solidify their working together as a team – even without the sexual tension and attraction between them.

It’s been quite some time since I’ve read a paranormal story and I found this one to be quite refreshing. There is some world-building which I enjoyed since I don’t recall reading anything similar from this author before. I also thought the slower pace of Sam learning about Cole and his heritage was a good way to ease readers into the various complexities of the authors paranormal world. I was pleased there wasn’t a massive info-dump and it was Sam and Cole chatting and getting to know each other where most of the vampire side of things was explored. I enjoyed this.

Readers who like a strongly paranormal but still steamy erotic story should find this short novel a good blend of the two. I thought it was a well written and fairly refreshing story and would be happy to try more books like this by the author.

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , ,

The Island by Brian Conte

October 4, 2024 By Leave a Comment


The Island by Brian Conte
Publisher: Page Publishing
Genre: Middle Grade (8 – 12 y.o.), Young Adult (14 – 18 y.o.), Paranormal, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Contemporary
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

The Island is a coming-of-age story about the real-life adventure that the author’s son, Zeb, had. The story is about Zeb washing ashore as a castaway on a desert island and all the ways he must learn to survive and get off it.

Survival is the goal.

Some of the best scenes were the ones that described how Zeb figured out how to meet his basic needs on the island. He needed the basics like food, water, and shelter, of course, but he also had emotional needs to fulfill in order to remain hopeful that he was going to figure out a way to go home again. I cheered him on every time he made a new discovery that took care of one or more of these needs.

I was never entirely sure who this was written for, so clarity would have been helpful there. Some portions sounded like they were for adults who enjoy magical realism or blending fiction with fact while other ones felt more appealing to middle grade readers who like lighthearted castaway stories or teens who prefer a grittier and more realistic description of what it takes to survive by oneself on an island. Of course there can be more than one target audience, but when something is written for such a large range of ages and reading styles it can make it tricky for me as a reviewer to know who to recommend such a tale to. Some of the whimsical sections would probably fly over the heads of the average preteen while other scenes might feel too playful for anyone who knows how hard it is to catch your own food or keep a fire going on a damp, tropical island. Then again, there is something to be said for rereading an old favorite years later only to discover a deeper layer of meaning to it. This is a minor criticism of something I thought was otherwise engaging and well done.

It’s hard to talk about the magical realism and paranormal elements of the storyline without giving away spoilers, but it was such an important part of the plot that I must try. There’s something so emotionally satisfying about being allowed to make up one’s own mind about what was going on in the scenes that could be interpreted in multiple ways, including ones that are only possible in fiction. I have my own theories about how to interpret them, but there are equally valid explanations other readers might prefer about what the causes of these events were and if Zeb’s descriptions of them were what actually happened.

The Island kept me guessing until the final sentences.

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

Obliteration Circle by Tommy B. Smith

September 20, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Obliteration Circle by Tommy B. Smith
Black Carmenia #3
Publisher: Raven Tale Publishing
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Paranormal, Historical
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

When the black-bound journal of Claude de la Cour fell into Chloe’s possession, the secret passages and hidden signposts of the world became revealed to her. With these discoveries, entities from beyond have marked her for destruction.

While investigating a series of ghastly deaths on the south Louisiana bayou, she is targeted by a terror she cannot fight. The burning circles in the dark intend to obliterate her and everyone around her. Fleeing for her life, Chloe’s days have become a desperate battle for survival.

Against such forces, is any escape or means of defense even possible?

Beware the bayou.

One of the things I’ve enjoyed the most about this world so far has to do with the characters’ realistic reactions to supernatural experiences that they don’t understand. They generally had a mixture of disbelief, curiosity, and deep fear that made it difficult for them to decide what to do in the heat of the moment. Some ran away as fast as they could while others made the courageous – if also sometimes foolish – decision to investigate further. In my experience, this is exactly how people tend to react in real life to unexpected and frightening events, so it was refreshing to see it play out in fiction the same way. Each character was still an individual, but human nature tended to guide all of them along similar paths as they attempted to figure out what was really going on.

I struggled a little with keeping track of the large cast of characters in this book. Some of them were people mentioned in the first two instalments of this series, but many more were new to the universe and therefore needed to be introduced during a fast-paced plot. It would have been helpful to have some more guidance about who all of the new folks were and what their personalities were like as that’s something that plays a big role in how someone reacts to things that they cannot yet explain.

The horror elements of the plot had a nice mixture of psychological, supernatural, and physical causes. Yes, there were a few gory scenes, but many more were about building tension for characters who were fumbling around with a few clues and didn’t always know if they were on the right track. That’s exactly what I like to see in this genre.

This is the third book in a series that I’d recommend reading in order for plot and character development reasons.

Obliteration Circle was wonderfully scary.

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

The Sunhammer and the Infinite Cold: Village Monsters by George L. Soriano

September 11, 2024 By Leave a Comment


The Sunhammer and the Infinite Cold: Village Monsters by George L. Soriano
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Young Adult (14 – 18 y.o.), Sci-Fi/Fantasy, LGBTQ, Paranormal, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

The denizens of Nercaza Rajh call themselves Nercazans, and they have a peculiar life cycle. A Nercazan does not die of old age. Upon reaching a certain point in their lives, their bodies are reborn as they return to their youth. This is known as New Star.

It is also possible for them to switch genders during New Star. This is known as New Cycle.

Follow the adventures of two adopted brothers, Zhuri and Malkavek. They are Nercazan Knights who have pledged to help any who summon them. Having gone through New Star and also New Cycle, they are now sisters.

As well as facing monstrous enemies, they must also face the challenges of their new identities in their new bodies.

Nothing lasts forever.

Some of the most memorable scenes were the ones describing the monsters that the protagonists were fighting. Wow, those were some scary beasts! I shuddered as I imagined what it would be like to face one in person and wondered how these sisters were going to fight back against such powerful creatures. They certainly had their work cut out for them, but I was sure Malkavek and Zhuri could figure out a way to tip the scales in their favor.

While I understand that this was the introduction to a new series, I still would have liked to see more world building in it. There were so many different aspects of this world that were not explained well to the audience, especially when it came to how the cycle of reincarnation worked and why Zhuri and Malkavek were remarkably similar to their previous selves in certain ways while being wildly different in other ones. I was also surprised by how others reacted to them in their current female forms and wished I had more information about what the average person knows about reincarnation in this universe.

I adored Zhuri and Malkavek’s sibling bond. They could switch from arguing about something silly in one scene to protecting each other from violent monsters in the next. There’s something special about growing up together and knowing a brother or sister so well that all it takes is one wordless glance to immediately know what they’re thinking. Mr. Soriano did a good job expressing that here.

The Sunhammer and The Infinite Cold: Village Monsters intrigued me.

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

Surreal Escapes – 7 Speculative Stories by Kelli A. Wilkins

September 9, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Surreal Escapes – 7 Speculative Stories by Kelli A. Wilkins
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Paranormal, Holiday, Historical, Contemporary
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Are you ready to take a journey into the unexpected?

In these 7 speculative stories, ordinary people start off having an average, normal day… until they encounter the world of the surreal. They quickly realize they’re in another realm where anything can—and does—happen.

Some of these unusual tales include:

“Holiday Havoc” – The night shift in a retail store hosts the ultimate Halloween vs. Christmas showdown

“Little Boy Lost” – After several strange incidents, Beverly suspects her son’s imaginary friend isn’t so imaginary

“The Man in Apt. 3-A” – What do you do when you discover your neighbor is a vampire?

“Whispers from the Past” – Not all ghosts are scary… or strangers

This collection of short fiction will unnerve you, spark your imagination, and make you wonder what else is possible in the world of the surreal.

What makes life ordinary depends on who is describing it.

“Holiday Havoc” was a playful take on the drudgery of working in retail and how Christmas overshadows every other holiday between August and December in many stores. I empathized with Kira and was so curious to find out how her complaints about moving all of the Halloween merchandise to the clearance section weeks before the last day of October even arrived. This was a cathartic tale that I’d recommend to anyone who has ever been overwhelmed by the appearance of Christmas merchandise or music months before December actually arrives.

There were a few times when I wished more details had been added to these tales. For example, “Little Boy Lost” foreshadowed a much darker cause of death for Michael that was later explained. I found myself wondering if I’d misunderstood that scene or if the cause of death that Beverly found when she looked into the history of her haunted house might not have been entirely accurate. This was a pattern that I also noticed in “The Ape” when Billy described how mean his stepfather was and another character came just short of revealing something much more sinister about the stepdad. As much as I would have loved to give this a full five-star rating, these questions popped up just often enough for me to wish they’d been explored and explained better.

With that being said, “The Man in Apt. 3-A” was perfect. It was deliciously scary and humorous at the same time. So many of Albec’s quirks about not wanting to go outdoors during the day or have anyone visit his apartment for any reason could be explained away as cultural or personality differences, and yet there was still something unnerving about him that Charlie could never quite brush away. The commentary about how people in apartment buildings learn to ignore the sounds and scents they notice coming from other folks’ homes was a nice touch, too! Etiquette can cover up all sorts of things that might be more easily noticed in a different setting. The ending was what really endeared me to this piece, though, due to how it tied everything together and gave an explanation for why the bartender was so interested in Charlie’s life, too.

Be sure to read the short explanations of how Ms. Wilkins came up with each story as well. I love it when authors share these details and wish it were commonplace! There are so many moments in life that could have a supernatural explanation if they were fiction or if the facts were altered just slightly.

Surreal Escapes – 7 Speculative Stories was a nice blend of spookiness and gentle humor.

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

Island Dreamin’ by Kate Douglas

September 5, 2024 By Leave a Comment


Island Dreamin’ by Kate Douglas
Escape!, book 7
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, Paranormal
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Teri’s had it! She’s tired of fighting for accounts in her job with the city’s largest advertising firm, but Brad and Steve are making her life miserable. After a frustrating day, she takes her drink and her disappointment into the bath for a long soak. A quiet vacation on a desert island. That’s what she needs…

The dream that follows is anything but frustrating. Brad and Steve, both bound and under her control, and does Teri ever take control! But is it all a dream? And what is it with those two guys? She had no idea they lusted after one another as much as they want her.

Teri is tired of the constant competition and struggle with her city job at an advertising firm. Brad and Steve in particular make her days miserable. Only the calm of a hot bath and a very cold drink at home at the end of the day can help her get up and do it all over again. For in those quiet, relaxing hours in her bath at home she can escape in her dreams and finally be the one in control.

I thoroughly enjoyed this very short but highly relatable and deeply sensual quick read. Having to constantly do battle with idiots at work and wondering if the rat race is really worth it is a situation I feel the majority of people can really feel compassion for. A delicious boozy drink- or three – and a hot bath at the end of the day is also something I can feel down in my soul. So, I thought this book easily grabbed me right from the first few pages.

What followed was a sizzling hot but equally enjoyable island getaway dream. Readers who enjoy M/M/F style threesome stories should definitely find this short story fits the bill. Teri, Steve and Brad quickly jump into their sexy shenanigans and readers will likely find themselves scorched with the outcome the threesome find themselves in.

Disconnect from a hard day, grab a big cold drink and enjoy this quick and sexy read.

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,
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