"There was something desolate about them. They showed a melancholy sky bleeding into a grey, formless sea. Eternal and unpeopled."
'The First Wife' by Jill Childs, a journalist turned author who lives in London, is a shadowy thriller about a woman who's life has sort of crumbled.. leaving her alone and adrift. When her childhood friend asks her to visit, she accepts.. but when she gets there, her arrival seems unexpected. Her friend has changed greatly from what she remembers and her little girl is withdrawn and silent, prone to terrors and seemingly isolated from her family in the home.. and Sophie's presence sets off a chain of events she never sees coming. To be fair, I'm typically really intuitive and adept at seeing plot threads as they emerge, so I did have some inklings as to what was happening and where the story might end up. BUT.. that being said, the threads were far from blatant. "We had treats and outings, paying final visits to the places in Hong Kong she knew, without her even realizing she was saying goodbye to them." Childs is a skilled writer, with a knack for subtle foreshadowing. She doesn't overuse that skill and allow you to grow too accustomed to it either. Occasionally, she might clue you in a bit heavy-handedly, I suspect as a way to draw you in and help you feel secure. However, the most important glimpses of that foreshadowing are handled with all the expertise of a surgeon. Carefully placing them in the least obvious spot, she diverts your attention with other things. Each time I saw it happen, it was enough to rouse my suspicion, but then I'd read on before focusing on it and it would become more of a nagging buzz at the back of my thoughts. I was engrossed enough that I just wanted to keep reading.. to keep discovering.. rather than giving that buzz any real attention. As the story developed and new things would come to light, I'd find myself thinking.. 'I did notice that' or 'I considered that possibility'.. but I never dwelt on it long enough to become so certain in my suspicions that I lost interest and didn't want to read any further. And I think that's a gift. To welcome the reader in enough as to let them feel as if they're in on the secret, without ruining the discoveries. I wasn't positive I was correct in my assumptions until I was nearly two-thirds of the way through the book and that's saying a lot for the author's ability. The twists aren't really shocking, in fact.. there are one or two too many of them for my liking, but I still enjoyed the book immensely. "The sea, out there in the darkness, indifferent to us all, ebbed and flowed, its waves breaking and retreating in a rumble of stones. As invisible as death and just as certain." My only complaint came after the climax in the final pages of the novel. I just thing.. considering how the person felt.. and the situation they found themselves in.. it didn't ring true. The words laid down as you get closer and closer to the end.. are actually rather cruel and it felt like they existed solely for the purpose of some sweeping drama which the story didn't need. Granted, it worked. Out of the blue, this story left me bawling my eyes out.. and thrillers are never particularly emotional. But, well.. they're something to be said for relating to a feeling for someone. Definitely a worthwhile read and I highly suggest it to anyone who's a fan of thrillers or mysteries.
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Night Hunt
-- EXCERPT: Setting the wards is more than a walk around the perimeter, calling out to the elements. They’re keyed into the very being and require blood to take. Cutting my palm, I bring forth fire in the other hand and allow my blood to drip onto the ground. By Fire I ward thee: Guard this space from all ill will, And those who wish me harm. Heat engulfs me, blowing back the longish strands of my hair, and drawing a line of sweat onto my forehead. I’d never had manifestations like this. My stickh was with the dead. I continue on, ignoring the newly-formed desert in my mouth. By Wind I ward thee: Guard this space from all ill will, And those who wish me harm. Droplets of blood disappear into the earth as if the land itself is making a personal contract. The incense burning on the ground releases a thick puff of sage and cedarwood laden smoke. Maybe it is. A gust of wind threatens to knock me off my feet as its snags at my jacket with hungry hands. I stumble, swaying like a drunkard. The intensity fades to a gentle breeze, and I right myself. By Earth I ward thee: Guard this space from all ill will, And those who wish me harm. Rumbling from deep beneath my feet shakes the earth, pitching me back like a horse unexpectedly bucking its rider. Blinking, I find myself ass over kettle. I scramble up, and ride the undulating ground like a surfer on a longboard. Feet planted, I try to flow with the vibrations, instinctively knowing participation is required. This is my time to prove myself worthy to inherit. Old magic such as this can be nearly sentient. Everything stops abruptly. I fall forward. A mound of dirt piles up beside me. I tense, readying to defend myself from a nocturnal rodent. A tree sapling emerges. By water I ward thee: Guard this space from all ill will And those who wish me harm. A streak of lightning slashes through the night angrily. A loud clap of thunder vibrates the ground, and the sky opens above me. Cool rain splatters against my clothes, soaking me to the skin. I finish the walk, completing the circuit. Heaviness slams into my chest. I hit the ground, dazed. My vision darkens, and I feel it. The house is built upon a ley line. The wards take their energy from the source in exchange for protection. Storm clouds crowd in as rain continues to come in sideways. Thunder booms, performing a duet with the crackling lightning streaking across the night sky. I can taste the magic in the air. Mother’s succession of power has begun. Sitting in the mud, I tilt my head back and open my mouth, swallowing down water to quench my thirst as I try to adjust to the drastic changes my magic has undergone. Energy races inside of me, stretching and reshaping. My skin feels too tight. 
GIVEAWAY!
"The hand in my hair was cruel, yanking on the sweat soaked strands while shoving my face toward a collision with the cold wall in front of me. I gasped, resisting the forward momentum working against me, but the force was too strong. I sucked in a breath and prepared myself for the coming impact. This was going to hurt."
'Judas Kiss (Murphy's Law #2)' by K.A. Fox starts off with a bang. Course, from the quote above you can see that bang just might be the main character's head striking the wall, but volatile as it is.. the opening scene is just for training. It made me wonder just how severe the actual battles might be as I continued ahead. This story is about Laney, the daughter of the Devil and a very human woman. Apparently, some of his followers are not happy about the changes wrought in him by his feelings for the weaker species, and all Hells are about to break loose.. literally. Working with a small group of friends, Callum--her teacher with the fiery sword, Torren--the male learning to fight beside her, and Moose--the cutest shapeshifting Hound of Hell I've ever seen.. Laney is thrust into the middle of what seems to be an attack on her father's "kinder, gentler" way of doing things. "He was steady and strong. Like before, I knew he wouldn't leave me, even if I tried to send him away. He'd claimed me long before I realized I'd made him mine." If I have anything to complain about, it's trying to get accustomed to the Devil being referred to as Angus. Admittedly, I always enjoy alternate Lucifer stories.. so that's just me sulking. There's absolutely a motive for the writer's direction, personally it was distracting and made it difficult for me to take him too seriously at first. However, that serves the author's serves the author's needs and makes contrasting scenes all the more dramatic in the moment. Throughout the beginning, it's clear that Laney's power seems to be growing, as well as her mastery of it. But eventually a tragedy severs her connection with the source and with the abilities she's grown to count on.. gone.. she has to find other ways to manage. Meanwhile, an encroaching darkness threatens to push her to do things she wouldn't normally do. "Devil save me from those who want to protect me." There are some interesting supporting characters, in addition to her group.. though they're either completely decorative or they exist to explain certain things to the reader and provide fixes to a couple of weaker plot points. All in all, they're small weaknesses that are handled well enough by Fox. Action sequences are plentiful, but not overdone. Sometimes they run and sometimes they fight, so there's a reasonable balance of realistic decision making. Depending on your level of awareness while reading, there may be a surprise or two there for you along the way as well.. and the author doesn't focus too heavily on a love connection. There are certainly indications of something more here and there, but the book is far more story driven. "Midnight in the garden, I handed you my heart No hint of the cost, how it would tear us apart The gift of forever, a promise I could keep Not knowing the path, the souls it would reap" It's a fun book and if you're looking for a quick page-turner that doesn't view itself as overly self-important, this is a good choice.
Judas Kiss
-- EXCERPT: I closed my eyes once again, envisioning the shield I held in place around us. Keeping that visual firm in my mind, I pulled up my power, letting it build layer by layer as it spilled out of a well deep within me. The screams of the demons were louder. I felt the shield shudder under their repeated blows. Still, I waited. I needed every demon as close as possible before I struck out at them. The power continued to build in answer to my call. I felt stretched from within, my skin burning with the strain of holding the energy tight inside. The shield shook around us. Large cracks spiderwebbed across it, the apparent success of their onslaught whipping the demons up into a frenzy. A claw cut through, swiping across my ankle. Moose growled, lunging forward but I pulled him back with my hand tight in his fur. He had to stay next to me. A hot river of pain flared along the back of my leg, a second demon sneaking a hand through and reaching for me. I held tight, forcing the magic to wait a little longer, promising it would be free soon. Another claw sunk in and I fought against the agony, my body trembling with power. I felt it when the shield finally gave. The energy I’d siphoned into it bounced back and joined with the magic I’d gathered into my core. Moose yelped next to me, his body going rigid under my hand as a scream escaped me. I dropped to my knees, wrapped my arms around him and held on tight.
GIVEAWAY!
I was eager to explore the sampler for 'Igniting Darkness,' the final novel in the 'Courting Darkness' duology by Robin LaFevers.
I've seen the first book around quite a lot in the review and bookstagram communities and wanted to see what it was all about. I was certain I was missing something. The story summaries both sound really good and the covers are beautiful. Unfortunately, this read was very underwhelming for me. Those who are familiar with me, know I talk about this all the time. Multiple POV storytelling is tough. When it's done well, it broadens the scope of understanding, helps the reader connect solidly with the story, and provides more room to maneuver character path outcomes. While this novel is structurally sound, it's also a good example of an author who shouldn't be writing multiple POV. At least, not yet. As LaFevers skills go, that one is woefully underdeveloped. Though each of the characters is saying different things, conveying different experiences.. the author fails to distinguish between their narratives. They all speak in the same 'voice' and the result is uninspired. When pairs of them come together for an exchange, there are times you have to work to recognize which character is speaking. It's just one uninteresting, monotonous line of text after the other and it shouldn't be that way. Honestly, there is palace intrigue, betrayals, subterfuge, hidden machinations.. all around. There are secret sects and talk of poisonings! These are not the types of things that should be lackluster plot points, but there is no draw to any of it. Likewise, there's no pull to any of the characters themselves. They are paper thin, not only lacking distinctive voices, but also a sense of earnestness. If they're feeling things, that's not making it off the pages. We're told they're having emotions.. but the author fails to make us experience them. Excuses and explanations for past actions fall from their lips without any expression of passion beyond an appropriately placed bit of punctuation. What a disappointment. 
'I: The Dark Stalkers (The Dead Chronicles of Martha Railer #1)' by Henry Bassett is an incredibly unusual story and not simply for the most obvious reason.. that there's absolutely zero dialogue.
Told from a sort of.. drifting point of view between a handful of characters, some human.. and some shadows, it seems to lack any specific direction. Though in this case, that's also not a bad thing. Rather than a story with any discernible plot, it reads more like a glimpse in the lives of these characters. There's no indication of a purpose and much of the circumstances actually appear to be outside the reader's range of observation. Initially, the story begins by following the main character.. Martha, as she rides a train through the city. There's emphasis put on the darkness and isolation she feels, as well as the reality of it around her. The shadows are somehow both menacing and almost sympathetic, simultaneously. Throughout the days, we get peeks of Martha with her friends, more sightings of the shadows, and even a bit of drama. We learn a bit about the shadows.. but just enough to leave us with a lot of questions. And by the end, we almost wonder how much of it was real.. if not for.. certain remnants of evidence along the way. It feels very metaphorical, but even if that's the case.. who's to say what's being philosophized? How much theoretically could just be manifest of the mind? The collapse beneath the weight of all that lonely isolation.. or a uniquely literal, yet wholly unbelievable experience? There are a couple of minor issues where the author uses two divergent ideas together, the combination of which seems to make no sense. But after reading it in its entirety, I have to wonder if they're intentional. I'll tell you, I enjoyed the book and I certainly have my own theories, but perception is everything. It's a short read, that will leave you pondering it longer than it takes to reach that final page. Hours later, that's exactly what I'm doing.. and that.. if anything.. is a sign of skill. I do believe this is going to be a very niche book. It's stylistic and unlikely to appeal to the average reader, but I know there are others like me out there. Others who will read it.. and find themselves fascinated.
PURCHASE LINK:
AMAZON 
"When the barriers were weak, they came in. They were smoke and mirrors. They were dust and mist. They stole into our minds as smoke under a door. They slid through our thoughts as oil in water. We welcomed them. We wanted them. We were them.
- Tales of the Faewald" 'Fae Hunter (Tangled Fae #1)' by Sarah K.L. Wilson was a really nice surprise. After a sea of reads last month that were often less than stellar, authors like her have really improved my outlook going into March. The story is about a girl trained to be a hunter, named Allie and the twin she loses to the 'Star Stones.' Basically, the stones are a take on the faerie circles of lore and in the event where her sister is lost, the main character also loses her sight. "It was the eyes. It was those dark, magnificent eyes that seemed to see all your secrets at once. They dreamed the dreams of devils and angels, suggesting that rays of sunshine could kiss the shadows and create something utterly new." With the fae sneaking into town and beginning to take anything they want, bit by bit, Allie struggles to find a way to stop them while the townsfolk blame her for the danger they're in to begin with. What really caught me off guard in this story is how likable I find the young huntress. Like any solid character she wrestles with blame (both internal and external), self-doubt, and personal setbacks. She's young and sometimes she wants to give up, but she's never whiny about it.. and whining is something I can't stand in an MC. She has few supporters in town. Hulanna, her sister, was the pretty, popular one. She's the plain one, which of course is a pretty typical trope.. but she's also the pragmatic one. She's the type who just shoves down what's getting to her and pushes on.. and you can't help but root for her. "You're the thorns, Hunter. I'm light as a feather." I rolled my eyes to his laughter. "This is funny to you." "Like you wouldn't believe." His eyes widened innocently, and his smile became angelic. Enter in the evil, yet amusing.. fae protagonist who tells Allie to call him 'Scouvrel.' His visage slipping back and forth between the usual beautiful fae appearance and something rotten and broken, I'm actually still uncertain which is true. I don't know if one represents who he really is and one his image, or if it's as simple as the glamor vs actual appearance. But he's intriguing.. and even though you know better.. you can't help but feel drawn to him and his wicked mouth. There are many betrayals here and there throughout the story, both big and small. Also, there are lots of actions being taken that cause more issues by people who could have avoided them with just a little patience or faith in others. I found some brief, albeit unexpected brutality coupled with moments of beautiful imagery. "Truth or lie?" I asked grumpily as I packed up my flint and knife. "You are cold without your shirt on in this icy wind." "Lie." His tone was playful. "Only my heart is cold." Definitely give this title a try. It's a really fun bit of dark fantasy and I'm pretty certain there's more to Scouvrel we haven't discovered yet. I suspect he's glamored me a bit.. because I'm determined to find out.. and that means I'll be off looking for the next book too, 'Fae Captive,' in hopes I can find the answers I seek.
Fae Hunter
-- EXCERPT: I opened the door of the cottage, frustrated to find the fire down to nothing but embers and not a single candle lit. I’d finished my work in town, returned the goats to their pens, and I was head-to-toe in mud and soaked to the skin – not to mention that my arms hurt like anything and my fever was getting worse. I built up the fire, lit a candle, and set to stripping off my wet clothing. It wasn’t easy to do with my broken arm splinted and bandaged. It couldn’t bend, and the fingers on that hand were swollen and thick. It needed rest, but I didn’t have time to rest it. I was down to my underthings when my blindfold slipped off as I was tugging my shirt over my head. I bent to recover it and then gasped. The cage I’d set beside the sewing kit was the only thing I could really see without the blindfold. It still glowed a bright but eerie greenish-blue. Dripping from the cage out onto the worn wooden floor of our cottage was black tar-like blood. And in the center of the cage, the Fae leader stood with black blood smeared across his clothing, a sewing needle streaked in black in one hand and a growl bubbling up from his throat. Under his feet, lay his fallen comrades, pins and needles scattered in their blood and sticking up from their backs. “I see I have a pair of new pincushions. What have you been doing while I was gone?” I asked, aghast. “Slaying my enemies,” he said with a fearsome curl to his lip. “What did you expect?” I leaned down so my face was level with the cage, and I could feel my eyes widening as his glamour showed the full effect of perfect immortal features as he sneered at me. “Not this,” I said, swallowing. My heart was sinking. I’d counted on having three of them. Three Fae to put back into the Star Stone circle. One to bring back each of the humans within. I hadn’t counted on them killing each other. Fuel, Allie! Use that disappointment as fuel! My eyes were stinging with frustrated tears despite my reminder as I reached into the cage. He jabbed my hand with the needle. “Ouch!” Again, and again. His movements were too quick for me to guess in that strange almost stilted and yet fluid way the Fae had. It was as if they were just jumping over little bits of time and space. I pulled my hand out as fast as I could, cursing. “Fine. They can rot in there with you. Enjoy the smell of putrefaction!” I sucked the wounds on my fingers. “Let me out of the cage,” he said grimly. “Let me out and I will not slay you, too.” I snorted. “You’re holding a sewing needle. You’re going to slay me with that?” He waggled his eyebrows. “It’s not the size that counts.” “Keep telling yourself that,” I muttered. 
GIVEAWAY
"Fuck this shit."
"Fuck everything." "And fuck that squirrel in particular." Normally I don't include much cussing in my reviews, it just isn't necessary.. but the above pretty much sums up my favorite character in 'The Hollow Gods (The Chaos Cycle Duology #1)' by A.J. Vrana. Kai Donovan's so surly it's hilarious, but he's still capable of caring.. it just comes in the most prickly, aggressive, physical package possible.. and I am crazy about him. Did I mention he's an ass.. but also hot as hell? Yeah. That's in his wheelhouse too. This story is about an old town, harboring a very dark legend and a lot of secrets. Miya, the main character, is a university student who's struggling to get by.. and beginning to think she might actually be in serious danger. Along the way she meets Kai.. a stranger.. who's more than a little rough around the edges and just happens to wake up next to a dead body to start his day. Told from multiple points of view by Miya, Kai, and Mason.. an oncologist who's dealing with some demons of his own, the three end up on similar paths. Attempting to get to the truth behind the legend of the Dreamwalker and a history of girls who go missing only to return, then turn up dead later, it's a question as to whether or not they can figure out what's happening and make it stop before it's too late. "Time to lose your way, she trilled. The Hollow's still got hell to pay." Honestly, this book was such a pleasure to read. It's common for authors, especially debuting authors, to bite off a little more than they can chew.. and multiple POV is especially difficult to execute well. There are plenty of seasoned bestselling writers out there who can't manage it, but that is not the case with Vrana. She shifts seamlessly between characters, successfully gifting each of them with distinctively individual voices. The same can be said for her transitions from chapter to chapter. Her foreshadowing is handled with all the control of a master like King.. elegant allusions and glimpses of things just beyond sight. Miya, Kai, and Mason all begin their stories at very specific points, vastly distant from one another, and are deftly drawn toward each other in gradually tightening circles. "Once upon a time, when the earth was formless and empty, and darkness stretched over the surface of the deep, we plunged one another into the abyss, and the world has trembled ever since." As for the plot itself, it's beautifully dark. It's the kind of story you find in age old fairy tales full of things that go bump in the night and absolutely mean you harm. The worlds they inhabit are fraught with dangerous things and not all of them as we might expect. There's sort of an 'in-between' and a place of 'otherness'.. both of which are as unique as the characters she introduces to us. I loved the way the 'in-between' often felt almost gauzy.. as if it was sort of a filter between the two. And the 'other' place.. wow. Talk about a nightmare. "Cut the seams of reality, and chaos is bound to spill out." Even her supporting characters, of which there are several we get to know, have very developed backstories.. making them feel all the more tangible and crucial to the tale she tells. Initially, I had been a little uncomfortable with the dialogue style between Kai and his nemesis, but that was largely due to the fact it seemed as if something else was happening. As soon as I understood.. it made sense and I realized it was absolutely the right choice. Truly, I can't say enough good things about this novel or this author. I'm so glad there's going to be more to this story.. and I look forward to seeing what Vrana has planned for us. I highly recommend grabbing this book when it releases in July 2020.
Dark Prince
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