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Deadly Sommer (Nora Sommer Caribbean Suspense Book 1) by Nicholas Harvey – Review by Santana Hicks

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Deadly Sommer (Nora Sommer #1)Deadly Sommer by Nicholas Harvey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Nora Sommer is only a few weeks into her new career as a police officer on the normally pretty quiet Cayman Islands. Her first case is definitely one for the books. A young woman named Skylar, daughter of a rich businessman, is kidnapped. Nora is the first on the scene. Once getting there, a video pops up of a man congratulating Nora for being chosen to compete in 4 challenges to potentially save Skylar’s life. If Nora beats all 4 challenges, both women will be set free. If Nora fails said challenges, Skylar has a chance of being killed.

I really enjoyed this book. It kept me on my toes trying to guess what is going to happen next. Everything was so unpredictable. I also really liked how the author wrote the antagonist, he had a reason for everything which made him much more relatable and I could sympathize with him.

Meanwhile Nora is amazing. She had a hard life already in her 19 years of life and she is just trying to make the best of it. She is witty and sarcastic. Although she didn’t know Skylar, she was still willing to throw her life away to save this young girl.

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The Curse of a Faeblood by MK Lorber – Review by Santana Hicks

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The Curse of a FaebloodThe Curse of a Faeblood by M.K. Lorber
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Ember grew up on the run all her life. Once Ember and her mother settled down under the simple pretense of a single mother with her child, she died sending Ember back on the run. All she has wanted was to find people the same as her, even since childhood. She goes to steal food one day when she is stopped by Gavyn.

Gavyn is a cold but protective guy. He had a hard childhood resulting in him not trusting easily. When he spots a beautiful girl trying to steal food from a cart, he is quick to stop her. He thought that would be that until the cart owner decides to let Ember have food in exchange for labour. Gavyn decides to keep an eye on this beautiful thief.

Instantly there were some sparks between the two even though they are complete opposites. Together they set off on an adventure to save their loved ones while a Faeblood appears outside of the kingdom and puts everything in danger.

This book had a little bit of everything, magic, fighting, action, romance. I also really enjoyed how the author didn’t solely focus on one main character. The author split the chapters into different point of views but in third person. Written with much detail I was able to fully immerse in the story as the author did wonderfully to build the world and the people within it.

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Flame and Crystal Thorns (Fae and Crystal Thorns Book 1) by Kay L. Moody – Review by Santana Hicks

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Flame and Crystal Thorns (Fae and Crystal Thorns, #1)Flame and Crystal Thorns by Kay L. Moody
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Chloe, a human, is content with her life. She has a nice little life with quite a few customers as an apothecary. At least she thinks she is content with her life, then a lot of the townsfolk started getting sick with an illness Chloe thought was a Fae only illness. Turns out the sickness is seeping into the human realm.

A fae, whom was once Chloe’s lover, shows up out of the blue asking for Chloe’s help to save all of the Fae from humans who have been using iron against them and taken over the castle.

Chloe is stretched thin as it is, focusing on healing pretty much the whole town, now she needs to save another species as well? Chloe’s sister is Fae so she doesn’t know where to go. She never wanted to return to Faerie, now it seems she doesn’t have a choice.

I could not put this book down as soon as I started reading it. Filled to the brim with action from the very start. I loved Chloe’s sass and determination. There was also a big character growth as Chloe realizes she can’t save everyone. The author was able to tap into all of those emotions making it easy to relate to Chloe as a fellow woman.

Finishing on a cliffhanger, I cannot wait until the next book is out!!

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Manipulator’s War (Ruarnon Trilogy Book 1) by Elise Carlson – Review by Santana Hicks

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Manipulator's War (Ruarnon Trilogy, #1)Manipulator’s War by Elise Carlson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ruarnon is the heir of Tarlah, the first non-binary heir as well. They have to work a lot harder because of this. Others believe they will not do well as the next heir as they have only ever been ruled by Kings. The current king, Ruarnon’s father, believes they can be the next ruler as long as they try their best. Another king had a peace treaty with the kingdom of Tarlah but as the king of that kingdom died and his son took over, there were people against keeping the treaty alive. Resulting in going behind the current king’s back to take out the royals of Tarlah. One day, Ruarnon’s parents are abducted in the middle of the night.

Ruarnon has to take the throne of their kingdom with the help of their uncle. They have to make a lot of decisions and trust no one as people don’t like that a non-binary has taken the throne.

Meanwhile 4 teenagers are on a school trip. As they are walking along the beach, they see a trail in the woods that would make walking back so much faster. Once they enter the forest they are literally teleported to another place and time. The teens try to backtrack, only realizing the beach is completely gone. With no way back, they venture further into this new place.

Can Ruarnon find their parents and prove to everyone that they can be ruler with no problem?

Can the teenagers make it back home?

The book itself had all the elements to be something extremely interesting to me but it was kind of hard to keep track of who, what, where and when. Because of this I had trouble completely immersing myself in the words.

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Taming of the Few (Guardians of the PHAE Book 1) by Rowan Dillon – Review by Santana Hicks

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Taming of the FewTaming of the Few by Christy Nicholas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book was not at all what I expected it to be when I read the synopsis but it did not disappoint. There is a percentage of humans who have manifested powers which people are calling them the “Unhidden”. Since there is a higher percentage of the Unhidden manifesting in Ireland, that country is self dubbed as a safe haven for those who have powers.

The author writes from the point of view of each Unhidden who is staying in the same place on a farm. Though we do see the point of views of Anna and Max more often.

Anna is a quiet gym teacher who lives alone and keeps to herself. She has manifested water powers. A student discovered her powers by accident one day so the town ran Anna out. She saw a pamphlet of a place for her kind in Ireland and didn’t think twice about going. She is extremely anxious but with the help of others she starts getting more comfortable in her own skin.

Max, who is a war vet and functioning alcoholic can control the wind. He is a bitter old man who is used to being alone and it shows in how he talks to the others.

The group of Unhidden staying at the farm barely had time to even unpack when they are called to war. Normal humans want to eradicate the Unhidden.

What surprised me was the amount of racism and politics in this book, making this a unique point of view of magical beings. I was intrigued from the beginning of the book to the end and then some. I NEED to read the next installment when available!

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A Veil of Gods and Kings (Apollo Ascending Book 1) by Nicole Bailey – Review by Santana Hicks

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A Veil of Gods and Kings (Apollo Ascending, #1)A Veil of Gods and Kings by Nicole Bailey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I decided to read this book because I love Greek Mythology. It is a retelling of the story of Apollo and his lover Hyacinth. It starts off with Apollo living on Earth with his mortal sister named Temi, not wanting to ascend to Olympus.

Apollo’s father, Zeus, wants him to ascend now that he is older and to force his hand, gives him a choice. Ascend now, or mentor under Prince Hyacinth. Zeus gives him a year to live on Earth as a human but has to spend the whole year in Nirnia under the mentorship of Hyacinth

Things are tense between Apollo and Hyacinth. They dislike each other but there is a will they/won’t they tension throughout most of their interactions.

I enjoyed how the author wrote from different points of view, including some of the more minor characters of the book.

I honestly don’t know why this book has gotten a lot of low ratings on goodreads. A lot of other reviewers are rating her writing based on Greek Mythology itself when the author herself in the beginning of the book wrote that it was a retelling in her own spin of things. For what it is, it’s very well written.

The only downfall is the romance factor. I was expecting more romance between the two men especially since they had some sexual tension going on.

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Sashimi (Evil Sushi Book 2) by C.A. King – Review by Santana Hicks

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Sashimi (Evil Sushi #2)Sashimi by C.A. King
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book is the second in the Evil Sushi series and it was much better than the first. I found Evil Sushi just to be an introduction to the series while this book is much more action packed and more information included.

The people in the book now have some idea with what they are dealing with and the town that was once called “Treacle” is now a military base with the goal of ending this apocalypse that fish have caused.

We once again follow Rod, Ned and Sally along with Aileen, the head of the military team to find out information on the fish creatures. That is until another military base got attacked and the general takes over the Treacle base.

The military enlists Rod, Ned and Sally to help out with their mission. Rod as the tech person, Ned as captain of the ship and Sally as Aileen’s helper. I recommend reading this book. It is different than anything I have read before making it unique and enjoyable!

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Nite Fire: Exit Strategy by C. L. Schneider – Review by Santana Hicks

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Exit Strategy (Nite Fire #5)Exit Strategy by C.L. Schneider
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was the last book of the Nite Fire series and it was AMAZING! I loved the whole series but this one was by far my favorite.

The book starts with Dahlia fighting supernatural creatures in the sentinel. The start of the end is here. Everything that Dahlia is fighting to avoid finally came. She had run out of time. Now Dahlia is on damage control. With half of her team missing, she is trying to protect the humans while still trying to figure out how to close the exits.

Oren has made things much more difficult for everyone by destroying the police force and bringing his own force into the mix. Dahlia, Casey and the balaur have a lot to do with very little time left to do.

I highly suggest you read this series! The author is now one of my favorites. Everything I have read by them has captured my interest from start to finish.

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Evil Sushi (Evil Sushi Book 1) by C.A. King – Review by Santana Hicks

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Evil Sushi (Evil Sushi #1)Evil Sushi by C.A. King
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

One day Rod and Ned go fishing and come across a new species they have never seen before. Rod’s camera also picked up some footage of something big, real big. They bring the fish home and realize that this could solve all their money problems. Little do they know that the fish are off. Once consumed, people start to mutate. It seems like they are turning into ocean creatures.

Rod assumed that it is the work of the big creature he saw on his camera. He also named her Evil Sushi. The three of them (Rod, Ned, and Ned’s daughter Sally) team up with the help of the government to take down this Evil Sushi while trying to figure out the mutations.

After reading this book, I immediately started the next one in the series! I’m hooked!

This book was such a fun little read. It had all the elements, mystery, suspense, romance, you name it! I loved how each character was written to have their own flaws and personality. A trio you wouldn’t think would get along let alone work together as one. Rod the quiet tech geek, Ned the bitter old man who has a big mouth, and Sally the shy old fashioned romantic.

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The Hunted (Vampire Navy SEAL: Sam & Layla) by S.B. Alexander – Review by Santana Hicks

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The Hunted (Vampire Navy SEAL: Sam & Layla, #1)The Hunted by S.B. Alexander
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sam is a vampire who is part of an elite team of vampire Navy SEALS. Each vampire of this team is strong in their own way but especially Sam and his family the Masons.

Another vampire by the name of Roman is known for selling vampire DNA to the highest bidder. Sam and his team go to a nightclub on a mission to scout Roman but all hell breaks loose when 3 beautiful women show up and vampires start to drop all around them.

Layla and her two sisters are struggling vampire hunters. They were hired to do one simple job. Get a vampire by the name of Sam Mason. The “easy” job was anything but. Sam was stronger than they were prepared for.

Instantly Sam and Layla have a connection, unsure if it is love, lust or even blood thirst. All Layla knows is she should get away from this man before anything happens but destiny has other plans for this couple. Things happen causing Layla to get closer to Sam for help.

This book was sexy and steamy. Both characters were lovable bad asses. I loved how they interacted with each other, constantly teasing and tormenting. Layla is snarky and brave while Sam is cocky with a big ego. I would highly recommend reading this sexy romance story unfold.

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Shamrock & Clover: Field’s Apart by C.A. King – Review by Santana Hicks

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Shamrock & Clover: Fields ApartShamrock & Clover: Fields Apart by C.A. King
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Clover, a woman whose life seems to be falling apart around her, is on the search for something that is missing in her life. Her grandmother used to always tell her a saying about the four leaf clover that said the fourth leaf is luck and ties all the other leaves together. Not knowing what she is searching for, she turns to that saying and is determined to find a four leaf clover.

Shamrock, a party play-boy, is getting tired of his party life. With all of his friends settling down around him, he is left to look at his life, alone and drunk. No woman has captured his attention for more than one night, that is until he sees a woman who looks like a mess searching for something in the grass…

This was a very cute and quick read. I am a big fan of this author but this is the first one I have read in her romance genre and I enjoyed it. Both characters were lovable in their own way. I would love to look into more of the author’s romance books after getting a taste of her writing.

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The Prisoner of the Dead (Dead World Book 1) by Megan Mackie – Review by Santana Hicks

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The Prisoner of the Dead: Zombie Thriller Dystopia (Dead World Book 1)The Prisoner of the Dead: Zombie Thriller Dystopia by Megan Mackie
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Baron, a wildman who is used to a fight or flight life, enters a town one day because his bike needed repairs. While in town, he notices a zombie and his survival instincts kick in. In doing so it triggers a domino effect and a strange man steps in to fight with Baron. Baron ends up killing the man whose name was Mickey.

Once Baron comes to, he realizes that he is being held prisoner by the woman that was with the man he had murdered. The town fell with very few survivors from the zombie plague. Turns out the woman, named Thalia, was an immortal immune to the zombie plague. She was part of a group called the ARK that was basically like a zombie resistance group. Mickey had been her protector and Baron was now to take up the role.

Baron used to being a loner has a hard time trusting Thalia meanwhile she doesn’t trust the murderer. Thalia is stubborn and gets into a lot of trouble bringing Baron down with her.

This book was really interesting to read. The author took the classic zombie apocalypse genre and gave it their own unique spin of things. I could not put it down. I loved the characters and watching them grow into their own. I can’t wait to read the next instalment!

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Nite Fire: Slash & Burn (Book 4) by C.L. Schneider – Review by Santana Hicks

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Slash & Burn (Nite Fire, #4)Slash & Burn by C.L. Schneider
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book is really different from the other three in the series and is by far my favorite. Dahlia is back to her normal night time life after being trapped on Drimera for a while.The Queen is still after her so Dahlia is constantly running from and fighting the Queens forces. The blight that has been affecting all of the other worlds seems to have made its way to Earth. Dahlia is determined to eradicate the blight before it gets worse with the help of her friends of course.

On top of that, creatures that normally would not enter the portals to Earth are making their way through. Dahlia is overworked and overtired. She feels like she is running out of time.

Murders are once again happening and the clues are showing supernatural reasons. Creed asks Dahlia for her help but she already is doing too much. Can she solve the murders and destroy the blight before she herself is destroyed? You will have to read this book and if you haven’t read the other three, I would highly suggest doing so as well!

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Cosplay Worthy by Quiana Glide – Review by Santana Hicks

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Cosplay WorthyCosplay Worthy by Quiana Glide
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book was so adorkable to read! (yes I know I spelt it wrong) The main character is so cute. Layla is nerdy, introverted and shy. When she gets a chance to meet her favorite comic book writer Vic, she is over the moon. At the comic con, dressed as her favorite character from Vic’s comic, she approaches Vic’s signing booth with a bundle of nerves. They commented on her cosplay and she was at a loss for words.

Later that evening at a party, she once again comes across Vic. They had a nice evening full of easy conversation. That was the end of that. Or so she thought.

After posting online the images from the comic con, Vic commented on some of them and sent her a friend request. Layla could not believe it. Time goes on and they continue talking online forming a relationship. I really like how the author got the characters to get to know each other before jumping in like a lot of other romance novels.

Everything seems to be against them, they live across the country from each other, there is an age gap, different race, he’s famous and she’s not. All of this causes Layla to second guess everything especially herself.

Throughout the book, Layla battles with low self esteem. I loved the way the author wrote Layla as a character. She was flawed which made her more real. I also resonated with a lot of Layla’s personality traits which made the book that much more interesting to me. Honestly, if the author wrote Layla based on themselves, I could see us being best friends in real life.

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Divine Vintage by Sandra L. Young – Review by Santana Hicks

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Divine VintageDivine Vintage by Sandra L Young
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Tess loves vintage clothing, so much so that she spent most of her savings to open up a vintage clothing store in a small town. One day, a woman by the name of Esther, comes into the store and invites Tess to model some of her relatives vintage clothing. Once Tess was wearing the gown, she was flung back into time VIA a vision of the previous owner, Phoebe. The tale is said that the husband killed his wife and then himself. Tess feels as if there is more to the story.

Trey, who is a relative of Edward (Phoebe’s husband), is skeptical of the whole thing. After some convincing he joins Tess on her mission to clear his relatives name. As more visions surface, more suspects surface as well.

Tess and Trey spend more and more time together and as time goes on, they start to develop feelings but with everything else that is going on, they can’t tell if the feelings are real or somehow influenced by the visions.

Join the couple in discovering the truth of a century old murder. The author had a wonderful idea when they thought of this book. I loved the concept. My only issue is the way people conversed in this book. It was stiff in my opinion. Other than that, it’s a great book.

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Kiss of the Swan by Natalina Reis – Review by Santana Hicks

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Kiss of the SwanKiss of the Swan by Natalina Reis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Cathal spent the majority of his life taking the fall for his younger brother. Years of taking the blame and the punishments and the cruelty never got any better. One day Cathal’s brother decided to hunt the royal swans that were forbidden to be hunted. When Cathal caught wind of what his brother was thinking he went after him. Cathal was afraid of finding an injured Swan. Unfortunately that is exactly what he found. Cathal nursed the swan back to health and set her free.

Years later, Cathal’s brother decided to finish what he started and made his way to Swan Island. Cathal of course followed. Once on the island Cathal is attacked by a hoard of swans and when he awakens he meets the Queen of the Swans named Eala.

Eala is a prisoner on the island, enslaved by the King. Her passion to protect her people is what keeps her there. After meeting Cathal she starts to rethink the future of both herself and her people. Is there a way to get off this island and live freely like they so deserve.

Meanwhile there are a few secrets that can make or break everything Eala and Cathal are building towards said future.

The author took two classic fairy tales and put their own spin on things. It was very exciting to read. As a child I loved fairy tales and this was an adult version of two mashed together! I would highly recommend reading this fairy tale!

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Class Clown (Ghost Girl Series) by Allan Evans – Review by Santana Hicks

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Class ClownClass Clown by Allan Evans
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When I was younger, I was scared of clowns. I figured as an adult, that fear dissipated. I guessed wrong and this book scared me. I started reading it one night and literally had to stop and continue the next day when the sun was out. It seems as if a lot of people are afraid of clowns and this book digs deep into the stereotypical fear of clowns and turns it into something more sinister. My heart pounded in my chest hard during most of the reading of this book.

You follow a 14 year old girl named Abbey. Abbey is different from other teenagers. She can see and interact with spirits. She starts at a new school thinking her life will be different. A couple days before her new school year starts, her family attends a circus. After that evening, Abbey starts seeing clowns everywhere. She thinks something has followed her home from the circus. On top of all that, a couple of her friends go missing and all signs point to the clown ghosts. Abbey tries to figure out what is going on while trying to find her friends before it is too late.

I felt like this book was rushed. It seemed like everything conveniently fell into place. Abbey mentions that she has lost friends in the past due to her abilities yet everyone just accepts it and moves on like it’s no problem. Plus there were a lot of references to 80’s music which got annoying after a while.

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Depending On You by Jessica Aiken-Hall – Review by Santana Hicks

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Depending On YouDepending On You by Jessica Aiken-Hall
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Cate and Patti have been best friends since childhood. They went through everything together. All of their past memories have included each other, both the good AND the bad. Twenty years later, the two are still friends but they have drifted apart until the past gets dredged up causing Patti to come back to their childhood town to deal with it.

Twenty years ago, Cate killed a man. They thought she got away with it but it is what also caused the girls to drift apart. Turns out the case is being reopened and Cate is scared that she will be caught this time around. It turns out that Cate isn’t the only one with secrets in this town. Around every corner something else happens to test the friendship of both Cate and Patti.

Both characters were loveable in their own ways. Patti is a strong woman who takes care of everyone else which causes her to be independent and take everything on herself. Cate is an anxious mess, well that’s what she sees herself as, in reality she is just tired and scared from the traumatic life she led.

This book was a really interesting read. I can usually guess a lot of times what is going to happen. Turns out I was right but then a twist appears making me only a little right. The twist and turns of this book had me on the edge of my seat trying to guess what else is going to happen.

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(UN)Loved (Mixed Emotions Series) by Katy Hunter – Review by Santana Hicks

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(Un)Loved (Mixed Emotions, #1)(Un)Loved by Katy Hunter
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sophie has it all. She is considered pretty, she is an actor, she’s rich and famous. The only thing missing in her life is love. Even growing up, love was limited. Being on her own since the age of only 14 years old, does she even know how to love?

Gil, Sophie’s co-star in her latest movie, quickly becomes a constant in Sophie’s life. Spending all their time on set and even off set will do that. What started out as friendship quickly turned into a relationship. After the movie was finished being filmed, Sophie went to Gil’s family farm in France. City girl had to become a country girl overnight.

As time goes on, Sophie realizes that Gil has huge commitment issues which causes a lot of strain in their relationship and in her self confidence. Her self confidence is low as it is.

This book was really realistic, which is a breath of fresh air. I find a lot of times books in the romance genre are very unrealistic on how humans actually feel and socialize. The author took two people with their own flaws and built on that. Growing each character into their own person. The relationship is actually slowly growing instead of all at once like most romance.

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The Ghastly Gumball by Naomi Valkyrie – Review by Santana Hicks

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The Ghastly GumballThe Ghastly Gumball by Naomi Valkyrie
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Lockwood, a mere mortal, ends up eating a gumball after work one day not knowing that this simple thing would turn his whole world upside down. The day after the gumball incident, weird and inexplicable things start happening to Lock. With the help of his best friend, they try to figure out what is happening to him. On top of all that, a cigar smoking octopus appears in Locks life.

One day, a handsome man named Rex comes in where Lockwood works and there are instant fireworks. Lockwood tries to live a normal life while all of these weird magical things are happening around him.

I honestly love this author. Their writing is so entertaining and out there that I am never bored. I have read a few books from this author and each time I have not been disappointed. The book is no exception. The authors ideas are always so original and magical. Not to mention LGBTQ positive.

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Lost Soul (War of Destiny Book 1) by Theresa Van Spankeren – Review by Santana Hicks

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Lost Soul (War of Destiny # 1)Lost Soul by Theresa Van Spankeren
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

At only 15 Julia was forced into an arranged marriage with an abusive man. Julia being as head strong as he is, endures it all for years, watching herself slip away bit by bit. After an event that is basically the final straw, she is done.

A man named Samuel approaches her and tells her that he can help her escape her miserable life and heal her physically if she joins him as a vampire. With no hesitation she says yes thinking this is the answer to her happiness. She doesn’t realize that emotional scars follow you everywhere even into the undead life.

This book was powerfully written and the concept itself is unique. It was written so powerfully morbid and sad but I could not put it down. I loved watching Julia grow into her own and slowly heal from her traumatic life. The author delved deeply into the emotional damage that can be caused by being abused. Julia battles depression and anxiety with the help of Samuel.

I would recommend this book to anyone who isn’t soft. It was amazing. I will be immediately looking for the 2nd book in the series!

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The Worry Knot by Mary Bleckwehl – Review by Santana Hicks

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The Worry KnotThe Worry Knot by Mary Evanson Bleckwehl
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Rourke starts his first year of middle school already preparing for the worst. It will be the first time in a couple years that he is once again attending the same school as his autistic older brother, Carson. Rourke sees himself as his brother’s caretaker when his parents are not around. His whole life revolves around what ifs causing unnecessary stress in his life.

I decided to read this book because my son just started middle school this year. The synopsis made it seem like it would help me get a glimpse of the awkward middle school years. The synopsis did not do this book justice. It was not at all what I expected it to be. It was better and quite powerfully written. This book also hit close to home for me. My brother in law is autistic and my husband was his self appointed care taker when they were in school. The author wrote Rourke’s thoughts and feelings with clear experience on the subject. It was almost word for word how my husband used to feel when he was younger.

This book is a must read for all ages. It gives a glimpse into what it is like to have autism in a family. Knowledge that a lot of people have no idea about. There is so much stigmatism associated with the word Autism. Kudos to the author.

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The Clockwork Solution (The Clockwork Chronicles Book 2) by Michelle D. Sonnier – Review by Santana Hicks

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The Clockwork Solution (The Clockwork Chronicles Book 2)The Clockwork Solution by Michelle D. Sonnier
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the second book in The Clockwork Chronicles series. Since it leads off directly after the first one, I would suggest reading the first book before this one.

I must say, I enjoyed this book a lot more than the first one. The author delves into the concept of the main characters powers more and has the writing is more theirs this time around. More experience went into this book.

We once again follow Arabella, a witch of technomancy, a power no witch has possessed before now. The rest of the witch community is divided. Some see Arabella as hope for the future while others see her as an abomination. Before now, witches and technology did not mix.

In order to protect Arabella from those who wish her harm, her mother sent her and her sister, Rowena, to Ireland to help find a solution to the blight that is affecting crops causing starving families. Witches in the past have tried to no avail. Can Arabella bring a new light to this blight?

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The Clockwork Witch (The Clockwork Chronicles Book 1) by Michelle D. Sonnier – Review by Santana Hicks

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The Clockwork WitchThe Clockwork Witch by Michelle D. Sonnier
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Arabella is the 7th daughter of the most powerful witch in the UK. So because of this, everyone was expecting her to be a powerful witch as well. As it turns out, Arabella has shown no signs of any kind of powers.

Arabella and her family attended an event where they were introduced to a big machine that can do calculations on its own. As soon as Arabella sees this machine, her magic kicks in. She sees magic in the machines.

Usually magic and technology do not mix but somehow Arabella can make it work.

This book hit all of the witch tropes with a splash of historical steampunk. The author took two popular topics and mashed them together. There were too many tropes. It was like the author purposely tried to hit them all right down to the names. The concept was great on it’s own so all the tropes were kind of overkill.

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Journeys Through Collection: Volumes 1-3 by James Talisman – Review by Santana Hicks

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Journeys Through Collection: Volume 1-3Journeys Through Collection: Volume 1-3 by James Talisman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Journeys Through SpaceTime is the first novel in the Journeys Through series. At first it was a little bit confusing when trying to keep track on who is who. The author introduced too many different people all at once. As time went on and more things were written, it got easier.

The book is about a multiverse with several different peoples point of view. They were all written so differently that it held on to my interest even in the initial confusion. As time went on, I fell in love with most of the characters.

I have heard about multiverse before, especially through The Flash from DC but this novel took it to a whole new level in a good way! It took the classic good vs evil and threw in different species, different types of environments all mixed together in this universe.

I am not a sci-fi fan when it comes to space or things of a similar genre so when a few characters were from Earth, it made it more enjoyable for me. If you are a huge fan of sci-fi then this is the book for you! Even if you are not a sci-fi fan, I still recommend this novel.

 

Journeys Through TimeSpace is the second book in the Journeys Through series. The book is split across multiple worlds in a Multiverse, just like the first book in the series. I have to say I enjoyed this book much more than the first one. I found the first one a bit confusing to keep track of all the characters and places. In the second one, there are less characters to keep track of which made it easier for me to connect to the characters.

My favorite characters were the three friends from college. Their friendship was strong and could hold up to any challenge thrown their way. Matt and Julia’s relationship as a couple was very cute and romantic. When the third friend was around, he was not treated as a third wheel, they were all just close friends.

This book once again had everything you look for in a sci-fi genre, space, adventure, multiverse, time travel. The author’s writing is very descriptive and it makes you feel like you could be there. I would recommend this book to any sci-fi lover.

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A Spider in the Garden by Courtney Davis – Review By Santana Hicks

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A Spider in the GardenA Spider in the Garden by Courtney Davis
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Aranha is the last of her kind, a Webmaker, which is basically a spider shifter. She hides in the darkness hunting only those who have done wrong. She is lonely and filled with dark thoughts until one of her hunts turns into a rescue mission for a young werewolf. After she rescues the werewolf, Jonah, he immediately imprints on her causing her dark and dreary life to be less so.

Dag, a Daywalker, is one of few of his kind left. Years ago both the Daywalkers and the Webmakers were eradicated by other supernatural species. Thinking Webmakers were extinct, he was shocked when he saw one waltz into his bar. Dag is immediately interested in Aranha’s existence. At the same time, vampires are up to something and it is up to Dag, Aranha and Jonah to find out exactly what.

I really enjoyed this book, the other took a really interesting concept and turned it into an incredible adventure.

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Nite Fire: Smoke & Mirrors by C. L. Schneider – Review by Santana Hicks

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Smoke & Mirrors (Nite Fire #3)Smoke & Mirrors by C.L. Schneider
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book is the third instalment of the ‘Nite Fire’ series and so far the best. The author’s writing is getting more and more intense with each book and I am here for it!

This time, we once again follow Dahlia, a dragon shifter, who is still undercover as a consultant for the police. Dahlia and her partner, Alex Creed, have taken on a new case after finding a pile of severed body parts both human and not. Dahlia is finding it too hard to keep all the secrets from Creed so she lets him in a little. Meanwhile, Dahlia and Casey are still trying to find his sister but with no luck.

Dahlia is in over her head. Along with the case she has her own problems. Her dreams are starting to become different, more like visions so she tries to get to the bottom of that while trying to figure out this case.

Things are pointing in the direction of non-human activity. Dahlia has to try to solve the case while trying to cover up involvement from supernatural species.

This is not a stand alone book. It takes place shortly after the other two in the series thus far.

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Nite Fire: Chain Reaction by C. L. Schneider – Review by Santana Hicks

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Chain Reaction (Nite Fire #2)Chain Reaction by C.L. Schneider
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the second book of the Nite Fire series. I find it was much more intense and action packed than the first book. Which I loved!

We once again follow the adventures of Dahlia Nite who is a half human half dragon who has the power of empathy. Still taking it upon herself to try to save humanity from the secrets of other species. This time things seem to be spiralling too far and too fast for her to keep up. Humans are suddenly transforming into grotesque creatures and combusting.

Dahlia with the help of a few human police officers are trying to solve this case all while she is trying to cover it up. The bodies are piling up with no hint as to why or how. The humans are starting to ask too many questions causing more stress on Dahlia than ever.

After reading a few of the authors’ books, I think it is safe to say that they are now one of my favourite recent authors! I cannot wait to read the 3rd book in the series!

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Nite Fire: Flash Point by C. L. Schneider – Review by Santana Hicks

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Flash Point (Nite Fire, #1)Flash Point by C.L. Schneider
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book was really interesting to immerse myself in. I used to love dragons when I was younger. This is the first dragon themed book I have read in years and I was not disappointed.

The main character, Dahlia Nite, is a half human half dragon shifter. She left her home on Drimera almost 100 years ago, taking up residence on Earth. Taking it upon herself to protect the humans from species like herself while also covering the tracks of the creatures, she works alongside the police as a consultant.

These newest cases are harder to cover up since the creatures are no longer trying to hide. Dahlia is working in overdrive to try to cover it up from the humans as a few detectives have too many questions about the circumstances that these humans are in. Burnt to a crisp.

Dahlia uses her dragon powers to solve crimes. She has the power of empathy which allows her to see pain and sorrow which the dead produce a lot of. More and more creatures are appearing on Earth and Dahlia is trying to find out why all while hiding who she truly is.

The concept was very interesting. This power is unique all in it’s own. Which made me intrigued right from the beginning to the end.

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The Mesmerist by Claire Luana – Review by Santana Hicks

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The MesmeristThe Mesmerist by Claire Luana
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The concept of this book was very interesting. The main character, Adrijana, lived a poor life with her father longing to live in the city where the royal family lived. Little did she know her wish would be granted but not in the way she thought. Adrijana was always able to see peoples emotions but she didn’t really think anything of it. When her and her father went into the city to deliver a herb to the queen, she is found to be an undeclared Mesmerist. Her powers were suppressed and she had no idea. The two royal Mesmers take her in to train her. Overnight, Adrijana’s life is turned upside down.

Someone is killing the royal family one by one and Adrijana is trying to get to the bottom of it with the help of the other two Mesmers in the royal court. Nothing is as it seems and no one can be trusted.

This book was filled with suspense and mystery with a splash of romance. I would love to look into some more works from this author. This book has for sure been my favourite read thus far in 2022.

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