Wandfasted by Laurie Forest

 

Book Blurb

Magic, romance and adventure collide in WANDFASTED, the irresistible ebook prequel to THE BLACK WITCH.

Twenty years before Elloren Gardner enrolled at the illustrious Verpax University, Erthia was rent asunder during the devastating Realm War. When Tessla Harrow is driven from her home by the fighting, she discovers a depth of power she never knew she had...and an irresistible draw towards Vale Gardner, the son of the most powerful mage her people have ever known – the Black Witch.

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Review

Wandfasted started fast and furiously, throwing readers into a violent world where mages have been at war and losing ground for far too long. We follow Tessla Harrow, a young mage that kind of reminds me of Katniss Everdeen in the way that she's forced to care for her younger brother and sickly grandfather. 

The soldiers open the gate, and I'm pushed forward, my palms slapping down onto the cold, muddied ground.

While the story was intriguing and I was thoroughly invested in the plot, there were a few elements that I found lacking. There were bits and parts of this that were repetitive. Ideas that were stated and restated, phrases that were used and then used again, and clichés that were too commonly repeated. Add to that a dash of poor editing and the ineffective writing was enough to pull me from the plot every few pages. 

"They're going to fast them all, in two days' time--you know that, don't you?"

Tessla doesn't hold much control in this world. She's a hardened girl with a defiant mind. Her ideas and beliefs don't fit in with what is expected of her, and she doesn't care. You'd assume this would mean she's built to withstand anything, but, at times, it almost seemed as though she fell out of character to collapse in a heap of tears unexpectedly. It felt a bit off, like an oxymoron. On one hand, she doesn't care who knows that she's this defiant, but on the other, she can't handle the bullies. It was a strange combination.

Vale's heat is straining to get at me, and mine is just as bad. "I'm not afraid of Vale," I tell Fain.

For a book littered with inconsistencies and grammatical errors, it was a decent enough plot to hold my attention. I can't say I'd pick it up to read again though. It really did have a Hunger Games feel to it, with Tessla being too poor to eat, responsible for her guardian and younger sibling, and in a war-torn world with seemingly insurmountable odds. This was just the prequel, and I've already purchased the collection, so onwards I will read!

Recommendation

This book is recommended to the patient reader who isn't too hung up on the finer details, who enjoys fantasy and magical stories, and who enjoy awkward romances.

Teasers

 

Love at Frost Sight by Kitty Gallant

 

Book Blurb

Can Christmas magic help them learn to love again?

When Juniper almost burns down Bourbon’s finest condo complex with her latest crafty venture, Wicks Before Dicks, she finds herself saved by her smoking hot—albeit grumpy— firefighter neighbor, Leo.

Turns out Leo needs a nanny and Juniper needs direction.

The rules are simple: take care of his daughter, follow his instructions, and don’t get in each other’s way.

But Juniper has a problem.

She’s falling hard and fast.

Love at Frost Sight is a hot standalone with enough spice to keep you toasty this holiday season.

Grab a cup of your favorite drink and dive headfirst into this HEA.

Curves for Christmas

Santa's sleigh is loaded with a dozen sexy treats for twelve of his curviest sweethearts! Curves for Christmas is a collaboration of short holiday love stories from twelve of your favorite authors. Grab a cup of hot cocoa, and cozy up to these steaming hot book boyfriends.

This holiday season, escape to Fitzpatrick Place in Bourbon, Texas where great friendships, sexy men and a crazy landlady make life more fun.

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Review

Gallant has a spectacular talent of bringing words to life on a page. From the first few paragraphs, I was already hooked. There's always an element of sass thrown into every romance, and I'm here for that! From the first words, I knew this was going to be a read I could sink into and thoroughly enjoy no matter where it took me.

Funny how I had spent most of my life running away from the one-eyed monster, only now to be praying that someone would like these pecker candles.

While called Love at Frost Sight, this story doesn't start with an instant romance. It does, however, start with instant attraction, a whole lot of sass, and a ton of conflict lying beneath each of the main characters' skin. From Juniper to Leo to Maya, each of these characters are packing heavy emotional punches. I couldn't stop racing for that promised happily ever after moment.

“Oh, they won’t bring her up until the next time she comes home with her tail between her legs.” Betty’s nose crinkled. “And believe me, she’ll come back. Which is why you should be sweet on Leo.”

Just as the romance starts to build and build, in enters some conflict, and this conflict is coming at Juniper from all sides. By now, readers should love Juniper, her pure heart, and her fierce sense of sass that gives her the strength not to back down from any challenge. 

What was this? Let’s-make-Juniper-pass-out-from-all-the-damn-sexy-things-you-could-say Day? 

The epilogue was super sweet. I love that we got an ending for all of the memorable characters, and how even every single one of them eventually received their happily ever afters as well. This was definitely a sweet and short romantic story.

Recommendation

This novella is recommended to romance readers, happily ever
after seekers, and anyone looking for real characters with honest character traits.

Teasers

 

The Living Dead by George A Romero & Daniel Kraus

 

Book Blurb

It begins with one body. A pair of medical examiners find themselves facing a dead man who won’t stay dead.

It spreads quickly. In a Midwestern trailer park, an African American teenage girl and a Muslim immigrant battle newly-risen friends and family.

On a US aircraft carrier, living sailors hide from dead ones while a fanatic preaches the gospel of a new religion of death.

At a cable news station, a surviving anchor keeps broadcasting, not knowing if anyone is watching, while his undead colleagues try to devour him.

In DC, an autistic federal employee charts the outbreak, preserving data for a future that may never come.

Everywhere, people are targeted by both the living and the dead.

We think we know how this story ends.

We. Are. Wrong.

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Review

I tend to gravitate toward a lot of fantasy based stories in the young adult genre, but I really wanted a good horror book to sink my canines into, which is why I was drawn to this book in the horror section on my last bookstore adventure. In terms of gore and shock, this book delivered. However, I found it lacking... I'm not even sure what. 

Greer pressed her nose flat to look harder. Was someone lying in the leaves near the swingless swing set? She angled her face, trying for a better look.

Romero & Kraus did a phenomenal job with the characters. All of which are dynamic and come to life on the pages perfectly. We spend enough time with each of them before moving onto different scenes or arcs, so they become real enough for the readers to root onward. Not going to lie, Charlie and Greer were definitely my favourites, but then again, they were definitely the badasses of this tale.

"You know how stupid that is? With those things around? And bellowing songs too?"
"Bellowing. Damn. Been a minute since I had a bad review."

What is a horror story without a smidgen of romance mixed in? Perhaps this is what turned me a bit sour toward this book. There are several instances where romance pops into the tale. I don't think it fit into the plot that well, but it was realistic in the sense that none of the romances seemed to have happy endings, which I'd assume is most plausible at the end of the world. Still, there were a few cute moments that made me smirk between the pages and pages of blood and gore.

Zombies. That's what else. It was like 6G replacing 5G, you know? It was our own doing. We created technology we couldn't live without. How dumb was that? We made ourselves into brain-dead bodies.

I did find it interesting how a lot of the themes in this book related to current concerns in today's world. I wouldn't be surprised if one, or both, of these authors were spiritually awakened. There's a lot of talk about how the cure to the plague is to turn their backs on the violence that brought them to this point, there's a ton of debatable conversations regarding religion, and at times, it felt as though the book were from a different time with the concentration on racist themes. All in all, it was a lengthy book that covered many avenues, but the characters are the reason I made it to the end.

Recommendation

I'd recommend this read to anyone looking for gory content, zombie literature lovers, and possibly conspiracy theorists looking for literature connections to the mass awakening.

Delayed Review

I promise I haven't gone dormant again. Ha! The next book on my TBR happened to be nearly 700 pages long. I'm coming to the end of it now, so a review should be posted throughout the week hopefully. Your patience is appreciated.

I'm currently nearing the 500 page mark on this bad boy and let me tell you! I am loving this zombie story. I have a few questions left unanswered, but ultimately, this is definitely worth the read. I picked it up in a bookstore and I've nearly knocked myself out with this beast a few nights while reading after dark, but it's a beautiful book!

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