*Book Review* Hope and Red by Jon Skovron

Title: Hope and Red (The Empire of Storms #1)

Format: Arc Paperback

Pages: 598

Published: 30th June 2016

Publisher: Orbit

Source: Publisher for Review

Genre: Fantasy

Shelfability: Covet

Buy:  Amazon UK / Amazon US / Book Depo / Wordery

ONE SEEKS POWER. THE OTHER VENGEANCE. TOGETHER THEY ARE REBELLION.
 

HOPE, the lone survivor of a village massacred by the emperor's forces, is secretly trained as a warrior and instrument of vengeance.

RED, an orphan adopted by a notorious matriarch of the criminal underworld, learns to be an expert thief and con artist.

Together they will take down an empire.

Perfect for fans of Brent Weeks, Brandon Sanderson and Peter V. Brett, HOPE AND RED is destined to be the next fantasy blockbuster.

Oh My Freaking Gawd!!!!! I went into this not expecting too much. Adult fantasy novels tend to be a hit or miss for me. So if I don't have expectations I don't get too disappointed when it's not good. However, on the flip side it also means I get to be pleasantly surprised from time to time. And let me tell you, Hope and Red blew my socks off. It was absolutely outstanding. It was quite simply freaking epic!!

Hope and Red are both orphaned at a young age. Hope vows to seek revenge on the  biomancer who destroyed get entire village. Red finds himself being taken under the wings of Sadie, and becomes an expect thief. Their stories run parallel to each other until they finally meet and together the set of take down the biomancers and the empire.

I absolutely love Hope and Red. Both have such tragic stories. Hope loses her entire village and ends up being taken in by monks where she trains to become a lethal warrior. She can hold her own and doesn't need a man to come to her rescue like a lot of other female protagonists. Hope is kickass and feisty. I love her. Now Red, oh sweet, cocky and charming Red. He loses both parents at a young age forcing him onto the streets of The Circle. He doesn't let losing his parents define him. Instead he becomes smart, charming and proves himself to be a valuable asset to The Circle even if he is forever getting himself into sticky situations. When Hope and Red meet there is an instant connection between them. It's not instalove (thank god) but they just bond.

There is a whole host of secondary characters that you can't help but fall in love with and of course hate! But I won't go into details of that or I will end up spoiling the book for you. However, I will mention Sadie!! OK Sadie is bloody brilliant!! She takes Red under her wing and takes care of him growing up. She isn't motherly exactly but you can tell that she loves that boy like he was her own. The bond between them is unbreakable. Red loves Sadie. Around other people Red is this self assured smart arse but around Sadie is shows his softer side and it's pure love.

The author managed to create a breathtaking and thrilling tale with just the right mix of character interaction and back story without driveling on for pages about pointless descriptions that I see in a lot of fantasy novels which tends to put me off them. Now the book is a bit of a beast at nearly 600 pages but it's flows perfectly making it seem a lot shorter because it just plays like movie in your head. You can feel everything these characters are feeling. You feel like you are in the story with the characters and experiencing everything they are.

Hope and Red is the first installment in The Empire of Storm series. It's an epic fantasy with pirates, sword fights and magic! So if you like fantasy reads that are just freaking amazing and leave you begging for more then please give them a go. You will not be disappointed!!

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Ghost of a Chance (One Night Stand #44) by Deena Remiel

Format: Kindle ebook
Published: October 11, 2011
Publisher: Decadent Publishing
Genre: Adult Fantasy, Paranormal Romance

Description:

Susannah’s married to her career. And she’s about ready for a divorce. Drowning in grief over the loss of her husband years ago, she initially immersed herself in a high-powered position at her marketing firm. But recently, she’s lost that loving feeling. Is she finally able to accept that her need for a man, for love in her life is stronger than her desire to bury it? Remy, once a high-profile building magnate, is a ghost of a man, literally. Cursed by a vengeful ex-wife he neglected, he’s relegated to shadows of his former world. She meant for him to spend the rest of his life without the chance of normalcy ever again, and he believed she succeeded. But could there be a way out? Susannah and Remy, two people ghosting through life, until they are brought together by a fateful One Night Stand. Both are seeking re-entry to the land of the living and loving. Can they fulfill each other’s deepest desires and learn what it means to live again?

Review:

Deena Remiel wrote another winning read with Ghost of a Chance!! The story is centered around Susannah, a young widow who decides to jet off to Vegas for the weekend and indulge in a one-night stand. To do so, she enlists the help of matchmaker Madame Evangeline, who pairs her with Remy Charles, who has been cursed by his ex-wife and her voodoo loving friend to be a ghost of a man until he can find love.

This was a rather short book, but Deena Remiel made the most of each page. The first line drew me in and I literally read the book in one sitting. The characters were incredibly likeable and easy to relate to and I found myself rooting for them to find a way to break the curse so they could find love!

As a part of Decadent Publishing's One Night Stand series, this book is a little heavy on the romance and is quite sensual at times. Deena Remiel writes those scenes in a way that will make any woman swoon and want the same for herself!!

Deena Remiel's writing is once again spectacular, the plot is unique, well-executed, and this is a book I would highly recommend to any lover of paranormal romance!

Rate: 5/5

*** Also be watching the blog for a special appearance celebrating Ghost of a Chance on November 3, 2011***

Purchase your own copy of Ghost of a Chance: Amazon, AmazonUK, Decadent Publishing

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Bloodstone (Rebel Angels #2) by Gillian Philip

Format: ARC Paperback
Pages: 384
Published: 16th Aug 2011
Publisher: Strident Publishing Limited
Genre: YA/Adult Fantasy

Description:
For centuries, Sithe warriors Seth and Conal MacGregor have hunted for the Bloodstone demanded by their Queen. Homesick, and determined to protect their clann, they have also made secret forays across the Veil. One of these illicit crossings has violent consequences that will devastate both their close family, and their entire clann. In the Otherworld, Jed Cameron a feral, full-mortal young thief becomes entangled with the strange and dangerous Finn MacAngus and her shadowy uncles. When he is dragged into the world of the Sithe, it s nothing he can t handle until time warps around him, and menacing forces reach out to threaten his infant brother In the collision of two worlds, war and tragedy are inevitable especially when treachery comes from the most shocking of quarters.

Review:
Gillian Philip has did it again!! I adore this series. The first book Firebrand (my review) was such a breath of fresh air in a genre that is over populated with vampires, and werewolves. It grabbed me from the start and I was eagerly awaiting the sequel. So when I contacted the publisher I was super excited when they allowed me to read and review Bloodstone. It was just as explosive as book 1.

Bloodstone is set in the present day Scotland. Sithe Brothers Seth and Conal have been in the Mortal world for 500 years searching for The Bloodstone. Soon they are catapulated back into the own world along with Finn, Conal Neice, Jed a mortal boy who cares for Finn and Jed's infant brother. Together they are fighting to stay alive.

Trying to describe this book is hard. It one of those book that takes your breath away.  I truely love it. Seth is one of those self centred, arogant character that you do fall for when you see his sweet side. He is an arse most of the time but he is one of the most Loyal characters I have ever came across in a book. His love for his brother and the fact he would do almost anything for him it what makes him Seth.  Conal is one of those men who on the outside is a tough strong man but underneath is a big softy and that comes across when he is with Jed's baby brother.

We are introduced to some new characters, Finn and Jed. Finn is Conal neice and has been brought but unaware of her Sithe heritage. She is a loner and doesn't have any friends she meets Jed. Jed is one of those characters I am on the fence with. On one hand, he is a thief and a cheeky little bugger but on the other hand he really cares for Finn and his llittle brother. The chemistry between all the characters I think is what makes this book so addictive and engaging.

The story itself is amazing! The plot is explosive, epic and freaking awesome. It fast paced anf full of action you will be sitting reading with you heart in your mouth waiting to see what was going to happen next. There is never a dull moment. Gillian has created a fantastic sequel to Firebrand that will be enjoyed adults and older teen.

Bloodstone, personally wasn't as good as Firebrand just because I loved the fact the Firebrand was set in 1600s. As you can tell with the review I did still love it and the story is just as good but just for me I prefered book one. However, I am super excited to see what instore in the next.





Rate: 4/5

Buy your Copy:

Amazon: {UK} {US}

The Book Depository

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Second Grave on the Left (Charley Davidson #2) by Darynda Jones

Format: ARC Paperback
Published: August 16, 2011
Publisher: St. Martin's
Genre: Paranormal, Adult Fantasy

Description:

Charley Davidson, Grim Reaper Extraordinaire, is back in this sexy, suspenseful novel of supernatural shenanigans
When Charley is rudely awakened in the middle of the night by her best friend who tells her to get dressed quickly and tosses clothes out of the closet at her, she can’t help but wonder what Cookie’s up to. Leather scrunch boots with a floral miniskirt? Together? Seriously? Cookie explains that a friend of hers named Mimi disappeared five days earlier and that she just got a text from her setting up a meet at a coffee shop downtown. They show up at the coffee shop, but no Mimi. But Charley finds a message on the bathroom wall. Mimi left a clue, a woman’s name. Mimi’s husband explains that his wife had been acting strange since she found out an old friend of hers from high school had been found murdered a couple weeks prior. The same woman Mimi had named in her message.
Meanwhile, Reyes Alexander Farrow (otherwise known as the Son of Satan. Yes. Literally) has left his corporeal body and is haunting Charley. He’s left his body because he’s being tortured by demons who want to lure Charley closer. But Reyes can’t let that happen. Because if the demons get to Charley, they’ll have a portal to heaven. And if they have a portal to heaven…well, let’s just say it wouldn’t be pretty. Can Charley handle hot nights with Reyes and even hotter days tracking down a missing woman? Will Cookie ever get a true fashion sense? And is there enough coffee and chocolate in the world to fuel them as they do?
Here is your signpost for the most hilarious read of the summer: Second Grave On The Left

Review:
Darynda Jones has done it again!! Another fabulous novel starring Grim Reaper and Private Investigator, Charley Davidson. This time around Charley has a case involving a missing woman, Mimi, an old friend of her sidekick, Cookie's. This case grows more complex with each new clue because Mimi isn't the only person missing. Several people who were associated with Mimi in the past are missing...or worse.

Then adding insult to injury, sexy Reyes Farrow, is back to inform Charley that as the Son of Satan, he has decided to leave his corporeal body because he cannot let the demons that are torturing him get to Charley. If they do, they will have a portal to Heaven. Refusing to let this happen, Charley takes on another case: she must find Reyes' body before he lets himself die.

Charley has more on her plate than ever before and the action is non-stop from the first page to the last. No matter what is thrown at Charley, she tackles it with her usual coffee and snark, with only a few minor glitches (and emergency room trips) in the process.

Darynda's writing was flawless. Even as someone who loved First Grave on the Right, I have to say, this sequel knocked it right out of the water. She has out done herself with this one. Readers will be on the edges of their seats rooting for Charley, waiting for the clues to unlock even more of the mystery of Reyes, then at the last page, wishing they had the next book in their hands!!

Rate: 5/5

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For I Have Sinned (Charley Davidson Series #1.5) by Darynda Jones

Format: Kindle ebook
Published: July 12, 2011
Publisher: St. Martin's
Genre: Paranormal, Adult Fantasy

Description:

What happens when the world falls out from under you? When everything around you is strange, unfamiliar, and you have a sneaking suspicion you’ve died? You go toward the light, right? Unfortunately for one young woman, that light is not what she expected.

Enter Charley Davidson. Aka, the grim reaper. Aka, the light.

While the woman doesn’t know what happened—or even who she is for that matter—putting her faith in a quirky PI with ADD seems like a bad idea. But Charley is the only one who can help. She’s also the only one who can see her, so there’s that. Together they set out to solve the mystery of her death. But when memories of her past resurface, the woman starts to suspect she has done the unthinkable: Committed suicide. Can Charley prove to her that she didn’t throw her life away? That she didn’t die needlessly? With her world crumbling, she places the fate of her eternity in the hands of one extraordinary PI, despite the fact that she is trying to get coffee declared a food group...

Review:

For I Have Sinned is unique to the Charley Davidson series in that it is told from the client's point of view. Charley is still the Grim Reaper assisting the dead with their unfinished business so they can cross over; however, this time the tale is narrated by the ghost herself. This young woman has no clue who she is, let alone how she died. All she knows is that she feels she has committed an unforgivable sin.

As Charley and her new companion client begin their investigation, clues lead them to discover more about this woman's life and her past. Did she commit an unforgivable sin and commit suicide and die needlessly or did she perhaps, have a life with meaning?

I LOVED this story so much I wished it had been a full length novel. We see a side of Charley that is rarely seen. The emotion and compassion she shows for this client is so endearing. Charley retained her usual wit and snark throughout this short story, but she also managed to tug at the heart strings too. Even more, Darynda ended the story with an ending that left me breathless!

Rate: 5/5

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Me and My Ghoulfriends by Rose Pressey

Format: Kindle ebook
Published: April 10, 2011
Publisher: Rose Pressey
Genre: Adult Fantasy, Paranormal

Description:
There's always fun to be had on a ghoul's night out.

By day, Larue Donovan is a down-to-earth bookstore owner. But by night, she's a world reknowned psychic investigator dedicated to helping lost spirits find peace. Dead people won't leave her alone and Abraham Lincoln thinks he's in charge of her lovelife.


Larue can handle ghosts and undead presidents. Its the living that drive her crazy. When Callahan Weiss moves to town, the handsome newcomer opens a coffee shop right next door. She's smitten right from the start, but she's not the only one -- The boutique owner across the street has her eye on Callahan too, and uses witchcraft to fight dirty. When Callahan gets hit by a love spell, Larue will need more than a little help from her ghoulfriends to save the day...


Review:
Me and My Ghoulfriends was a wonderfully entertaining read! Main character, Larue, runs a bookstore, but she can also see ghosts and assist them in crossing over. This creates a hilarious backdrop as dead President Abraham Lincoln, amongst others emerges as one of her matchmakers for her currently non-existent love life.

Soon things pick up when a new coffee shop opens up next to her store and as Larue (and her
tag-along "ghoulfriends") begin dating the coffee chop owner, Callahan. Larue encounters several adventures on her dates and picks up many more undead friends that kept me laughing the whole way. The numerous ghosts each had such a unique personalitiy that I found myself looking forward to the introduction to each new spirit!

The novel is extremely cute and funny but Rose Pressey leaves something brewing with o ne supporting character that just leaves a bad taste in your mouth and I couldn't read fast enough to figure out what was going on with this scenario. It was just enough mystery to keep the story interesting and keep me on the edge of my seat, but not so much that it lost its humor or cuteness.

All of the characters, main and supporting, are very well developed, the plot is excellent, and the ending, while well done, left me wanting a sequel because it was so good! Bravo to Rose Pressey for a fabulous novel!

Rate: 5/5

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Guest Review: First Grave on the Right (Charley Davidson #1) by Darynda Jones

Format: Hardcover
Published: February 1, 2011
Publisher: St. Martin's Presss
Genre: Adult Fantasy, Paranormal

Description:
A smashing, award-winning debut novel that introduces Charley Davidson: part-time private investigator and full-time Grim Reaper.
Charley sees dead people. That’s right, she sees dead people. And it’s her job to convince them to go into the light. But when these very dead people have died under less than ideal circumstances (i.e. murder), sometimes they want Charley to bring the bad guys to justice. Complicating matters are the intensely hot dreams she’s been having about an Entity who has been following her all her life...and it turns out he might not be dead after all. In fact, he might be something else entirely.
This is a thrilling debut novel from an exciting newcomer to the world of paranormal romantic suspense.

Review:
I was initially drawn to this book by it's GORGEOUS cover, then I read the synopsis and I knew I had to have it. Darynda Jones tells a fast-paced story about Grim Reaper Charley, who helps the dead with unfinished business so they can cross over, and manages to find herslef in the middle of solving a triple murder along the way. Charley is a snarky, smart, strong woman that you just instantly relate to and yet want to be--even if she's constantly almost getting herself killed. Combine this with her sidekick detective uncle, a bounty hunter, a Child Demon ghost, a mysterious sexy figure who visits her in her dreams, a friend who is beyond loyal, and a handful of other supporting characters and you have a winning mix! I couldn't put this book down. The writing is wonderful and I found myself more and more engrossed with Charley and trying to figure out who (or what) Reyes really is. This is one book I highly recommend buying because you won't regret it!!

Rate: 5/5

Visit Darynda: [Website][Facebook][Twitter]

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Guest Review: Trinity (Brethren, #1) by Deena Remiel

Format: Kindle ebook
Published: March 20, 2011
Publisher: Decadent Publishing
Genre: Adult Fantasy, Paranormal

Description:
One way or another, terror will reign tonight...

School teacher and single mom, Emma Livingston, has been through hell—and back so she thinks. While dealing with the night terrors and active imagination of her five-year old daughter, Hannah, she attempts to lead a normal life. That is, until the demon from those nightmares pays her a visit, too, and threatens both of their lives. Desperate, she reaches out for help—and finds Michael waiting.

Michael D’Angelo is known to everyone in Prophet’s Point, Arizona, as their loving elementary school principal. But to The Brethren, he is the most powerful Protector. Immortal and angelic does not mean he’s without doubts or fears, as protecting Emma and Hannah from Evil tests his ability to fight his tortured past.

As the Trinity is formed, ancient secrets are revealed and faith is tested. When a prophecy is exposed, Hannah becomes the main target and Emma wonders if a normal life will ever be possible again. Hope is like an anchor, but can a mother, her daughter, and an angel overcome the evil determined to annihilate the world?

Review: 
Deena Remiel weaves an interesting tale revolving around the ultimate battle of good versus evil. In this novel, we are introduced to the three main characters, Emma, Hannah, and Michael; however, unlike most authors, Remiel does not give in depth histories of each person at the beginning of the story. Instead she opts to let the readers get to know her characters as the plot progresses which really builds suspense and seems to let the characters tell the story themselves. The mother, Emma has to face the harsh reality that her daughter is about to fulfill an ancient prophecy, angels do exist, and she may be in love with the angel? Or is she losing her mind? These are the questions she asks herself and we get to follow along on the adventure.

The novel starts off with a bang with an amazing prologue explaining the prophecies of good and evil and transitions us into the story. Deena Remiel's take on the "Trinity" is a brilliant and ingenious new spin on the formation and revelation of the battle of good and evil. The suspense never falls short and the dialogue is very well-written. Fans of J.R. Ward's Fallen Angels' and Black Dagger Brotherhood series will fall in love with this series as will any lover of paranormal romance!

The supporting Fallen Angels characters are also very well set up for another novel and I am eagerly awaiting another installment. Deena Remiel is definitely an author to watch!!

Rate: 5/5

Visit Deena: [Blog][Facebook][Goodreads]

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