Jem's review of Shadow Born by Jasmine Walt and Rebecca Hamilton

Chicago Police Detective Brooke Chandler is keeping a secret… and if she’s not careful, it could get her killed. 

Brooke is no stranger to the supernatural. In Chicago, vampires are just as prevalent as drug lords, and infinitely more bloodthirsty. So when her partner and fiancé dies in a mysterious fire while chasing down a lead in Salem, she suspects something dark and otherworldly is at play. 

Blessed with the ability to see into the past by touching inanimate objects, Brooke transfers to the Salem PD, hoping her talent will help her get to the bottom of things. Between dodging assassination attempts and being stonewalled at every turn, the going is tough. Add in a mysterious fae club owner with secrets of his own and a personal grudge against her, and it becomes nearly impossible. 

If Brooke wants to play in the supernatural sandbox, she’s going to have to roll up her sleeves and get dirty. But how many people will have to die for Brooke to discover the truth about her fiance? And is she even ready to know?

Wow did I enjoy this book. I wasn't quite sure that I would when I started reading it. I'm a big paranormal and urban fantasy fan and the very first chapter did not contain a lot of what you would usually find in one of those books so I was starting to think, oh no am I actually going to enjoy this? I needn't have worried at all as boy did this book draw me in and I consumed it like I do chocolate (which is in copious amounts as chocolate is  my blood)

Brooke, our main character, is a police detective who has transferred from Chicago to Salem as that is where her fiancé Tom was murdered and Brooke wants to investigate into his murder more. Brooke is already aware of some of the supernatural world, knowing that there are vampires out there and making sure she hunts them down, however she does not know what else is out there until she moves to Salem. Brooke is also hiding a secret about what she is capable of doing, but there are many secrets and mysteries about herself that are being hidden from her which we discover some of in this book, and will hopefully discover many more in books to come. She is also a spunky, sarcastic character and is not afraid to drop the f-bomb throughout the book, which doesn't bother me one bit as I am known to drop more of those than most people,  but be warned if you don't like to read books with swearing in.

Now one of my favourite supernatural beings are in this book, the Fae. There is one very hot, yummy, dark and brooding Scottish fae in this book that I myself would love to meet and I love the play between him and Brooke and hope that there is plenty more scenes with the two of them to come as they are hot together, but both are fighting what is undeniably an attraction between them which is one of my favourite kind of romances.

I really enjoyed this book and give it a full 5 stars out of 5. If I didn't already know that this book was written by two authors then I would never have been able to tell as the book flowed seamlessly. I'm already a huge fan of Jasmine Walt, which is how I discovered this book, and will now be looking up books by Rebecca Hamilton and definitely be giving those a read too.

If you're a fan of urban fantasy books then I recommend you give this book a try. I now have to sit and impatiently await for the next book in the series, which hopefully won't be too long dear authors as I'm dying to know what happens next.

Jem's review of Hunted By Magic by Jasmine Walt

With the sudden disappearance of Iannis, the Chief Mage, Solantha has erupted into pandemonium. Citizens are rioting in the streets, the Mages Guild is on a misguided warpath, and shifters and humans are fleeing the city in droves. Ridden with guilt, Sunaya defies the Mages Guild and goes off in search of Iannis, trekking into dangerous, uncivilized territory to try and make things right. But Sunaya's relationship with Iannis isn't the only thing at stake -- if she doesn't find him soon, the Resistance might just succeed in plunging the Northia Federation into a devastating and bloody civil war.

I'm in love with the series again. Let's just say that this book has found it's way back and is running with the story again as the first book did. It didn't drag at all and kept me entertained through the book, in fact I had to tell my other half to shut up several times as he kept trying to talk to me whilst reading. Note to all non book nerds everywhere, do not talk to someone who is deeply into a book as the reply may not be pretty! I promise I've made it up to him though ;)

I think that Naya has started to grow and mature in this book, I have to admit that I was starting to get a bit irritated with her in Bound by Magic, she was running off on her own, not really working as a team and forgetting some pretty important things. She has redeemed herself in my eyes though & I'm loving her again just as I did in the first book. I also loved that Fenris had a bigger role to play in this book and that learnt his secret, or at least one of them as I think he may have a few more in the Dark cupboard.

Annia also had a much bigger role in this book and I do like her, but my only criticism would be that I'm not loving her yet as I feel that I'm not connecting with her completely. I am hoping though that she still has a big part to play in the next book, and hopefully some of that will be kicking her sisters butt as that really needs to be done.

We're also starting to get somewhere with the feelings between Naya and Iannis, although not completely there yet. There was one very hot scene in this book, which I'm hoping we may see more of in future books. They language also got more colourful in this book, but that doesn't bother me at all, I don't really have the sweetest of tongues myself.

I'm so glad that this series has got its pizzazz back, and will just take the second book as hopefully a very small blip in what is looking to be a great series. I'm looking forward to the next book, I'm just hoping it comes soon, and hopefully it'll be a longer book too.

Jem's review of Bound By Magic by Jasmine Walt

With the silver murders solved and her training as a mage underway, Sunaya figured her life would get easier. But between the Chief Mage's packed schedule and the grunt work demanded of her as an apprentice mage, magic lessons are few and far between. Worse, her apprenticeship leaves little time for her job as an Enforcer, and without bounties Sunaya’s money pouch is drying up -- fast. 

Even so, when Shiftertown Inspector Boon Lakin asks for Sunaya’s help digging deeper into the murder of a fellow Enforcer, Sunaya has no trouble making room in her life to help him. The trail leads them to a series of crimes victimizing shifters for the entertainment of vicious humans. Sunaya and her friends race to identify the perpetrators and free the survivors, and the stakes are heightened when she discovers one of the victims has a connection to her. But if Sunaya is not careful, she may end up a very dead shifter herself... 

This is the second book in The Baine chronicles by Jasmine Walt and yes, I did read this in only a few hours, but it is a shorter book than the first one and looking at the third book which is currently out that's even shorter, only 82 pages!!! Now that makes me feel a bit cheated as it seems that we're getting into novella books rather than full books with them.

Anyway, I've digressed from my review. Whilst I still enjoyed this book, I didn't enjoy it as much as the first. I felt that it dragged a bit in places and wasn't as action packed, even though the book was shorter than the first the story just felt that it was missing something to keep me entertained. There also weren't as many scenes between Naya & Iannis, which I missed or as much of Fenris, who I definitely think is a great character and has a great story to tell. I did enjoy though that Boon Lakin had a presence in this book and even though I'm shipping Naya & Iannis as a couple, liked the flirtation between Boon & Naya.

I'm giving this book 4 stars as even though I'm still enjoying the series, I felt that this story was rushed and didn't hold the same capture for me as the first one did. There was not as much interaction between any of the characters and some of the characters who played important & entertaining parts in the first book only had very small appearances in this one. I feel that Jasmine has lost a bit of the pizzazz that was evident in the first book and I'm not sure if she decided to cut back or was made to cut back and cut scenes out but I do hope that she comes back in the rest of the series as it has a great story line and some interesting character potential. Nevertheless I'm looking forward to reading the next in the series.

Jem's review of Burned By Magic by Jasmine Walt

In the city of Solantha, mages rule absolute, with shifters considered second-class citizens and humans something in between. No one outside the mage families are allowed to have magic, and anyone born with it must agree to have it stripped from them to avoid execution. 

Sunaya Baine, a shifter-mage hybrid, has managed to keep her unruly magic under wraps for the last twenty-four years. But while chasing down a shifter-hunting serial killer, she loses control of her magic in front of witnesses, drawing the attention of the dangerous and enigmatic Chief Mage. 

Locked up in the Chief Mage’s castle and reduced to little more than a lab rat, Sunaya resists his attempts to analyze and control her at every turn. But she soon realizes that to regain her freedom and catch the killer, she must overcome her hatred of mages and win the most powerful mage in the city to her side. 

Let me start of this review by saying how difficult I can find it to write a review when I've really enjoyed a book and just want to jump into the next one in the series and forget everything else. This is one of those books and as soon as I've finished writing this I am diving straight into the next and everything else will have to go do one until I've finished that!

I really enjoyed this book. It contains all my favourite things, shifters, magic, a steampunk feel to the setting, a spunky, kick ass female lead and a hot, mystery male where you can just feel the sexual tension between the two characters sparking off the page.

This book was recommended to me on Amazon as it's similar to other books I've read. The great news is that it's also available on Kindle Unlimited, which I think is a great lending service that Amazon runs (and also helps to curb my terrible buying habit when it comes to books)

The main character in this book is a shifter called Sunaya, or Naya which is the nickname she goes by. She is a hybrid, not a full blooded shifter and her form is a Jaguar, or a Panther as she prefers to be called. She's working as an enforcer in a world where humans, shifters & mages coexist, albeit not necessarily happily. The action and the mystery, which is the main theme running through the series, kicks of straight away and dragged me straight into the story that I didn't want to put it down. The side characters in the book, be they friend or for, also have substance to them and help to drive this story in a direction which keeps you engaged throughout.

The enter the hot, powerful but brooding male lead, and possible love interest, Iannis. What I loved about the book is that love is not the main theme of the story, but we are getting a slow build up of sexual tension between the two characters. It contains those kind of scenes between the two where you feel your own cheeks staring to warm up with the intense attraction between them but just when you think something might happen they get interrupted. I actually love that kind of romance where theyre not immediately jumping on each other and are both fighting the attraction between them, but it's so strong that they keep finding themselves in situations where they're drawn to each other. So far nothing has happened between the two, but for me that makes the anticipation of something you feel for sure will happen so much sweeter, I just hope it's not drawn out too long over the series as that can start to get boring.

For me this first book in the series contained just the right amount of intrigue, mystery and romance. The female lead epitomises my favourite type of heroine in a book in that she is capable of defending herself and has a sometimes too snarky tongue (this is my favourite kind of character as I can't stand a simpering female who doesn't stand up for herself).

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and it gets the full five stars from me. If you also love these types of books then I recommend picking it up. If you've never read a book like this before then I recommend this as the first one for you to pick up and try as I can guarantee you'll love it. Now I'm off to read the next book in the series be sure to look out for my review on that next.

Britt's Review of Elementals: Blood of the Hydra by Michelle Madow

Starting this review not even 24 hours after my last. And there's a good reason for that! I have a tad bit of an addictive personality, and once I get into a good book I am a bottomless pit of gluttony! So pull up a seat I have A LOT more to say this time! 

After posting my review of Elementals: Prophecy of Shadow I immediately went to Amazon and used up one of my SwagBucks gift cards I earned for browsing with their search bar, polls, and surveys. (I'm cheap lol, read for free, still pay the Author! It doesn't get better than that. You can join to: HERE)

Anyways back to the brain drug that is Michelle Madow's Elementals series. Book Two is called " Elementals: Blood of the Hydra" and, it's equally as amazeballs as Book One! Now because I posted Prophecy of Shadows Review yesterday, I'm not going to summarize. If your reading this review to see if you will like Blood of the Hydra, trust me. You will. But if you read any further spoilers may burn into your eyebibbles. You have been warned ;). If you have read it and are just enjoying a fellow bloggers nonsense then you don't need my summarization anyways, eh?

Before my ramblings start (And, to give the rebels who shouldn't be reading this far another chance to turn around) I'll post the blurb.

"A demigod who can kill with a touch. It's an ability that must be kept secret, even from those trusted most.

Finding out that she was a witch was strange enough, but now Nicole must face the realization that she has the rare power to kill with just a touch. No one can know her secret -- not even Blake, who she's had undeniable chemistry with since first moving to town. 

Now Nicole, Blake, and the three others with elemental powers must stop a series of monsters that they previously believed to be dead from rising once again and destroying the mortal world. The creatures they face on this journey will be more dangerous than anything they've encountered yet. Will they all survive the quest? And how long will it be until Nicole is forced to use her ability to kill in front of everyone, revealing the true darkness of her powers? 

Find out in The Blood of the Hydra, and join the Elementals on their quest to save the world -- or die trying"

We start off this story in the training room, where we get to see our Elementals honing their skills. When Blake walks in I get exactly what I want. We find out that between books Blake actually keeps his word and ends things with Danielle. But, our heroine still keeps her distance. Why? Because she's an amazing person and even though Danielle was horrible to her, she doesn't want to flaunt a relationship with Blake in her face. As we learned in book one, these 5 are a group that's going to have to get used to each other.

The character growth in Blood of the Hydra is PARFAIT. :3 Everything is moving along flawlessly. All of our favorite crew has explored and discovered new parts of their magic. Although I think Nicole has so much more potential then she knows. She explores her 'witch' magic completely, she's got that in the bag. But her Demigod powers? She hasn't even realised she can probably do any number of super frawsome things that the other more diluted witches wouldn't even think to try. 

I'm hoping in Book Three -Elementals: The Head of Medusa we will get so see that growth for Nicole. I would love to see her surpass Blake and Danielle in the 'cool shit I can do' category. Now she does have one new power that causes her some stress and turmoil, one she keeps a secret. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about if you've read book one. However so much unfolds to that part of the story, and without giving anything away I'm rather disappointed in our heroine for not figuring it out before the Head Elder in Greece had to spell it out to her. She has got to stop thinking of herself as a witch, she is a Demigod, but without demi-gods around to teach her will it ever happen?

We do get to meet more Demi-gods in Book Two, and it is pure roller coaster as long as they're around. Ethan and Rachel are the children of Zeus, who we also get to meet. 

One of my favorite things about Blood of the Hydra is the sneaky deaky way Apollo reaches out to Nicole. It's done well, he providers her with communication to him, but doesn't tell her. When she can't figure out her book, or her necklace, he leave a very straight forward note. Just like in any traditional Greek myth the God has love for its children but refuse to dote on them. They must work for what they want. I just abso-love it <3.

Bad boy Blake never gives up. And good on him, that's how you get the girl! I am very happy with the progression of Nicole and Blake's relationship. Michelle doesn't make you wait around for ever to get results. Once again her fast paced reputation is true. But not so fast that you feel there was no story, she's found a perfect medium.

And excuse me Mrs Madow, but when are we going to see straight-laced, reserved Kate throw caution to the wind and muckle hold of Chris's face and lay one on him? Lol, I know it's unlikely but I'd just love to see her explode after holding it all in and not hold ANYTHING back. I know there's a strong woman in her. And, Chris! OPEN YOUR LOOKERS, she may not be Rachael stunning, but Kate if so mad for you under Rule 164 Section 3 Line 34(b) "Opposites attract. Yin to her Yang, the Better part of you, don't ignore it"

See! Right there in PRINT. So it must be true right? It's been permanently posted into cyber space on the internet. That give it credit right? :P But then again is Michelle gave me everything I wanted now, there would be no story left for Books 3, 4, & 5! Yeeeehaw! Yes I said 5. If you're part of Michelle Madows newsletter you will already know but for those of you in the dark, let me she'd some light!

Michelle decided while writing book four that she wrote the perfect ending in the MIDDLE of the story, so she breaking them up! And because of that random writers premonition we get a whole 5th book. The Book Gods work in miraculous ways, don't you think?

Anywhoooo (it wouldn't be a Brittaini review without that word I feel ;).) The Elementals has earned Another 5 STAR review from this chickie boo boo #Booknerd right here! Much love to Ms. Madow, May you write long and prosper! I'll see you just around the bend for The Head of Medusa! <3

Brittaini Over & Out

Britt's Review of Elementals: Prophecy of Shadows by Michelle Madow

Howdy doodlie Luvbugs!

I haven't been reading a ton lately as real life has gotten all complicated! But, our very own JemDazzle motivated me to read Michelle Meadows Elementals Series :).

I'm part of an amazing Facebook group called Myth 101, full of AMAZING readers and authors. Michelle happens to be one of them. I've had her book for awhile and have been intrigued just as long; there's just not enough time in life to read all the books I want too. Thankfully, I made time because this book was awesome.

I've often seen Michelle describe her writing as "fast". And it's true, it's a solid, well written fast paced story. I feel that the time spent on character building and imagery is perfect. You forge a connection to each character, and really get to know them.

" Witches are real. They're descendants of the Greek gods.

Nicole Cassidy is a witch descended from the Greek gods... but she doesn't know it until she moves to a new town and discovers a dangerous world of magic and monsters that she never knew existed.

When the Olympian Comet shoots through the sky for the first time in three thousand years, Nicole and four others -- including mysterious bad-boy Blake -- are gifted with elemental powers. But the comet has another effect -- it opens the portal to another dimension that has imprisoned the Titans for centuries. After an ancient monster escapes, it's up to Nicole and the others to follow a cryptic prophecy in time to save the town... and possibly the world."

The story flows well, and any time jumps in the plot are perfectly placed. Writing unnecessary filler would have completely ruined the way this book is written. I love Michelle's take on the mythology of demi gods, and the dilution of blood creating witches as it gets weaker. It's a fresh spin, with traditional history; a blend of amazing proportions <3. 

I'm in a hurry to get to Amazon and buy book 2, so let's get on with the details, eh? If you don't want spoilers, your best bet is just to take what I've already said and go buy the book. The rest of this review isn't for you ;).

I compared this books romance sections a lot to the romance in the Dragonian Series. Well at least in the beginning. And, not because both male leads are named Blake >.< the fact that Blake has a girlfriend, and she's a T total bitch. That Nicole is the shiny new girl in town and turns out to be special. That both Blake's are bad boys with good hidden beneath their outward reputations. 

The similarities don't bother me. I loved both stories, and they were told differently enough to establish a completely different train of thought in the Authors :D!

Blake seriously needs to shit or get off the pot. Don't say you plan to do something and then wait.. Ugh! I could kick his perfectly scultpted ass. (No Michelle doesn't provide pictures.. I just imagine it would be amazing!) But other than his avoidance to do what he knows he has to, he's an amazing male lead :). They all have to have at least one flaw right? His girlfriend doesn't get a name.. She is here to for known as Crotch-cricket. Anyways she's spiteful, and definitely enjoying being on the wrong path. Michelle done a good job of writing a bitch you love to hate.

Our heroine Nicole goes through some crazy amazing things, and takes them on the chin & keeps on trudging. Ya know what I mean? She's got the resilience, and the open mind not to break. She's stronger then she knows.

I have my theories about their Professor. He just has a shady undertone to me. My heart was screaming for Nicole to take the book of shadows home with her. I was so disappointed when it was left with Darius.

Anyways like I said.. Drooling for Book 2 so keep your eyes open to see what I think tomorrow!

Britt's Review of Demon King (Book 2) by Kassandra Lynn

Demon King

Whooohooo! Book Two of the Demon Kingdom Fairy Tales Series. Yesssss!

Okay now that I have that out of the way I can get serious. As in I seriously love this series so far!

 Let's get you a blurb so I can continue to gush about what I liked.

"Adriana has returned to her kingdom and ascended the throne as the rightful Demon King. However, she finds her home on the brink of war. Heartbroken and drained from a forbidden love, Adriana must find a way to assume her responsibilities, stop a war, and somehow unravel the family secrets that threaten to destroy her world. It’s a tremendous feat, but one she may be destined for."

I'm going to start with what I didn't like because the list is short.

- I enjoy the flow of the story so I wouldn't want just filler, but the story just isn't long enough for me. I like a longer read. But that definitely doesn't detract from anything.

Now on to what I did like:

- Adri fell down... Like A LOT. She tripped over things, and was pushed down many times in the first books, but it just keeps happening! Now you maybe saying doesn't that get annoying?! And you would think so, but I found it endearing as a clutz myself. It becomes something to expect from her, and worth a chuckle..Oh Adri...

- She is the perfect definition of a Good Ruler. She does what she has to do, but she doesn't like any of it, and her morals are clear on innocents.

" Im glad they halted the attack. I don’t think I can stomach seeing another lifeless body or severed limb without throwing up. More than once, I wanted to call a stop to it, but Demon Kings don’t have the right to back out or display fear. We are the very definition of fear. If I can’t do that, I might as well give up my family’s throne and my life to the usurper. If I don’t succeed today, then the usurper will be the Demon King and I will forever be hunted down until I die. This is the way of demons and the price we pay for the throne."

-Aldric, the mage the tried to make Adri his summon beast is NO WHERE to be found. W00T, take that looooserr.

-. “Princess Salvene gets to see first hand Keldrin's love, and NOT for her!

-Finally getting a look into "Sadi". And Drake ;)

-And can we take a second to admire the cover. All her art is just beautifully done!

- Fairyland. Nuff said :).

Kassandra Lynn  knocks another one out of the park. I cannot wait for book three. Will Adri and Keldrin get that HEA I want them too?! Who is going to end up on which frigging throne! Also, I'm looking forward to finding Adri's dad! Where is he?!

The book is well written. I woill say I saw growth in the areas I wanted to see it. The characters development, and plot twists are intruiging and satisfying.

If you haven't checked out this series, and you want a GOOD read, that won't take long I'm recommending this to you. If you would like to read my review for the first book in the series, you can find it here:

Demon Princess Review

5 stars Kassandra!