The Cursed Key Miranda Brock & Rebecca Hamilton (The Cursed Key Trilogy #1) Published by: Evershade Publishing Publication date: January 14th 2020 Genres: New Adult, Romance, Urban Fantasy
A forgotten past, a dark mage, and an unyielding curse.
Another team beat free-spirited archaeologist Olivia Perez to the dig of a lifetime, and now she’s left with the choice to wait for scraps or brave a dangerous, dusty tomb in hopes of finding other priceless artifacts. Her reward? A mysterious key she has no idea is cursed. Soon, Olivia realizes she’s brought home more than just an ancient rarity.
Malevolent visions begin to plague her. Unnerved by what they reveal, she casts away the key…unknowingly placing it into the waiting hands of a dark mage bent on destruction. Only when a shifter agent from the Paranormal Intelligence and Tracking Organization arrives searching for the key does Olivia realize what a huge mistake she’s made.
Forced to team up with the ill-tempered shifter, her journey to reclaim the cursed key leads down a twisting path of dark histories, dangerous magic, and deadly obstacles. But Olivia’s efforts to take back the ancient relic before the dark mage can destroy the lives of humans, shifters, witches, and fae alike are thwarted by her own dark past…and a price steeper than what she’s willing to pay.
Fans of Tomb Raider and Ilona Andrews will love the blend of urban fantasy, magical adventure, and paranormal romance in THE CURSED KEY from Miranda Brock and New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Hamilton!
A
quick glance over my shoulder showed the doorway was half the size it had been.
Despite the chill in the air, sweat beaded on my forehead, and I swiped it away
impatiently. Then, it clicked. I had been too caught up in searching for the similarities
that I hadn’t realized the answer was in the differences. Placed throughout the
runes were symbols that held none of the same angles, lines, or curves.
I
twisted the outer circle, matching up symbols that held no relation. Even with
this discovery, there could be any number of combinations, but I had to try.
The grinding stone behind me told me I was rapidly running out of time. I
paired the symbols, closed my eyes, and sent a silent prayer up to every corner
of the universe. With tense muscles, I pushed and nearly cried when the lid
gave way.
Not
wasting a breath, I snatched a cloth-wrapped item from inside. It was like
someone struck me in the chest as my I clutched it in my fist, but I didn’t
have time to dwell on it. I started up the steep path as the stone door
descended above. The moisture in these walls and stones had been no accident of
nature. It was just one more safeguard to keep the unwanted from getting a
treasure that was not meant to leave these depths.
Gritting
my teeth, I used one hand to scrabble at the wall on the left to help pull me
up. My muscles burned as I drew in quick breaths, struggling, eyes locked on
the shrinking gap. A cry left my lips as a foot slid out from under me, earning
me a sharp crack on the knee. Ignoring the pain, I tapped into a reserve of
strength deep within me, pushing my legs until they felt like they would snap
from the pressure.
I
wasn’t going to make it.
Author Bio:
New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Hamilton writes urban fantasy and paranormal romance for Harlequin, Baste Lübbe, and Evershade. A book addict, registered bone marrow donor, and indian food enthusiast, she often takes to fictional worlds to see what perilous situations her characters will find themselves in next.
Represented by Rossano Trentin of TZLA, Rebecca has been published internationally, in three languages: English, German, and Hungarian.
From an early age Miranda Brock has always loved fantasy and adventure everything. Since she doesn’t live in a world of enchanting powers, mythical beasts, and things unbelievable she has decided to write about them. (Although, if you happen to see a dragon flying around, do tell her.) Born in southern Illinois, where she still resides with her husband and two children, she grew up running through the woods, playing in creeks, and riding horses. What started out as writing poetry grew into short stories and eventually led to her first novel, Souls Discovered. Miranda lives in the country where she finds inspiration in the simplicity and beauty around her. With the help of a ridiculous amount of coffee and some good music she writes whenever she gets a chance.
The Devil and Dayna Dalton by Brit Lunden is my fourth story in the Bulwark Anthology. This cover really caught my ‘eye’ and I was excited to return to the small town of Bulwark, George and get the lowdown on Dayna.
WOW, The Devil and Dayna Dalton by Brit Lunden is the best of the Bulwark Anthology…so far.
Dayna Dalton is a small town reporter in love with someone she can never have. She is considered white trash, just like her mother. She is relegated to writing fluff stories for the paper but dreams of that big story that has some meat on its bones.
I love when she ripped off the T shirt….LOL And that was at 10%, so I am really looking forward to reading on.
Don’t tell her not to do something, because that only makes her more determined to do it.
Hmmm…who is that caped man?
Mrs Sweetpea, well I have a weird feeling about her.
There are strange happening in this small town, but no one is sharing the secrets. It’s all hush hush, so when Dayna hears someone calling her, luring her into the woods, she follows. Now…that can’t be bad, can it?
I love Dayna Dalton. I feel she has been treated unfairly and now that some of my questions are answered everything starts to come together and I can see some happiness on the horizon.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Devil and Dayna Dalton by Brit Lunden.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Reporter Dayna Dalton’s reputation has been ruined since birth. The daughter of wild child, Becky Dalton, is expected to follow her mother’s footsteps; never given a chance to prove she’s different. Dana’s been in love with Clay Finnes since she was a teenager. Her unrequited love for Sheriff Finnes leaves her empty. He’s happily married and unavailable. Instead, Dayna finds herself stuck in the revolving door of bad relationships. But this is Bulwark, Georgia, a town where strange things are always happening. Dayna is doomed to this loveless life until she can find someone who will appreciate the depth of her character. Can she overcome her fears and look beyond her own perceptions to accept a greater love?
ABOUT BRIT LUNDEN
Brit Lunden is a prolific author who’s written over 50 books in assorted genres under different pen names. Bulwark was her first effort in adult fiction and was chosen by several of her fellow authors as the basis for a new series, A Bulwark Anthology. Using her characters, they are creating new denizens in spin-off stories to this bizarre town. Brit Lunden lives on Long Island in a house full of helpful ghosts.
Just looking at the colorful, gorgeous cover of Meow, and the title, and Catnip Assassin, how could I possible resist. I devour my Amazon freebies when I travel and do mini reviews to share them.
So many delicious supernaturals abound in this purrfectly exciting, sexy tale of cats, kitties, wolves, and humans, and Meow Investigations tackles many problems that exist in the human world, murder, poisoning children, slavery, making Kat, an assassin, change from working alone to gathering a team that will do whatever is necessary to stop The Pack and I can hardly wait to read more of their adventures.
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
Kat is used to
killing people, but for a blank cheque, she’s willing to do the opposite
and help solve a murder – even though it sounds boring as hell. That
is, until she finds some body parts in her fridge, makes friends with
the neighbourhood cats and realises there may be an assassin better than
her…
Suddenly, things have become purrfectly exciting.
An urban fantasy full of cats, secrets and murders. This is a
slow-burn reverse harem where Kat will find her love interests over
time. Book one in the Catnip Assassins series.
OOOO Savage must be my first freebie from Willow Rose and it has been sitting on my Kindle for a very long time. I downloaded this from Amazon on 9.24.12.
Books from the Backlog is a fun way to feature some of those
neglected books sitting on your bookshelf unread. If you are anything
like me, you might be surprised by some of the unread books hiding in
your stacks.
The year is 1983.
Christian is 22 years old when he leaves his home in Denmark to spend a
year in Florida with a very wealthy family and go to med-school. A
joyful night out with friends is shattered by an encounter with a savage
predator that changes his life forever. Soon he faces challenges he had
never expected. A supernatural gift he has no idea how to embrace. A
haunting family in the house next door. A spirit-filled girl who seems
to carry all the answers. An ancient secret hidden in the swamps of
Florida. One life never the same. One love that becomes an obsession.
Two destinies that will be forever entangled.
Savage is a
paranormal romance with some language, violence, and sexual situations
recommended for ages sixteen and up. The sequel is Broken.
I am super excited to find this sitting on my Kindle, since 9.24.12. Apparently I didn’t realize how fantastic an author Willow Rose was at that time. I sure do now and grab everything I can when I see her name. I can hardly wait to get to the swamps of Florida to see what’s what. I added it to my TBR 8.22.12.
As the year counts down, so does my Alphabet Reading Challenge. I chose Keeper of the Peace by Jennifer Malone Wright for my K. I downloaded this on an Amazon free day on 11.14.17 and I am so glad I did.
David’s back home and once he sets his eyes on Hannah again, he is determined to get her back. He messed up the first time, but he was not going to make that mistake again.
Hannah was devastated when David left the first time. Would she be able to let him back into her life? What about the fact that she is a Keeper, a protector of souls and he is investigating the murder of a Reaper and she is the one that killed him.
I was able to quickly relate to David and his love for his 1968 Chevelle. I had one and boy did I love that car. It was loud, fast and so much fun to drive. Funny the things that catch my attention, especially when Reapers and Keepers are going head to head.
As the real word and the supernatural collide, the story picks up the pace. It is pretty easy to figure out the story, but the journey and getting to know a great cast of characters makes me want to read more and to know what happens to the Chosen One and the Prophecy.
After starting to write this review I found out it was the second book in the series, but I had no problem diving right in, I checked my Kindle and found Keeper vs Reaper sitting there…waiting. I will be going back in time to read it. 🙂
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
The love of her life
left her long ago, shattering her heart into a million pieces. It’s
taken Hannah almost twelve years to push away the hurt and move on with
life. That is, until the death of a Reaper brings Detective David Foster
back to town and their paths cross once again.
With more and
more of the soul-eating Reapers passing through town in search of the
Chosen One, who happens to be her sister Lucy, the Estmond family has
been busy enough. Now, they rally together in hopes of keeping Hannah
out of prison.
With all the trouble lately, being a Keeper, a
protector of souls, has never been more difficult for Hannah. Will she
forgive David and rekindle their relationship? More importantly, will he
find out she is the one responsible for the murder he is investigating?
Sparks fly in more ways than one in the second installment of the Graveyard Guardians.
ABOUT JENNIFER MALONE WRIGHT
Jennifer Malone Wright is best
known for her best selling novella series, The Vampire Hunter’s
Daughter. Other works include the follow up to The Vampire Hunter’s
Daughter series called The Arcadia Falls Chronicles, The Graveyard
Guardians series and her full length vampire novel called Savior (A
Higher Collective Novel).
She resides in the beautiful mountains
of northern Idaho with her husband and five children where she
practices preparing for the zombie apocalypse. Just kidding!
But
seriously, between the craziness of taking care of her children,
Jennifer has little time left for herself. The time she does have left,
usually leading far into the night, is spent working on her beloved
fiction or chatting with her equally crazy friends.
Jennifer also
loves coffee, has a passionate affair with red bull, wishes the sushi
were better where she lives and dances while she cleans.
Books from the Backlog is a fun way to feature some of those
neglected books sitting on your bookshelf unread. If you are anything
like me, you might be surprised by some of the unread books hiding in
your stacks.
I’m dying, I
thought. This was unexpected and not at all how I envisioned my death. I
was supposed to die gardening in a flowerbed as a hundred-year-old
woman, not as a seventeen-year-old trapped in a lake beneath inches of
ice.
Llona Reese is used to living on the run. After the
Vykens killed her parents, she knew they would eventually come for her
too. She can’t take any chances. But when she starts to make friends for
the first time in her life, she gets careless and lets her guard down.
Big mistake.
As an Aura, Llona can manipulate light and harness
its energy. But if she wants to survive, Llona will have to defy the
Auran Council and learn to use her power as a weapon against the Vyken
whose sole desire is to take her light. Now she’s caught in something
even bigger than she can understand, with a power she can’t wield, and
no one she can trust, except, just maybe, a mysterious stranger.
In this breathtaking and romantic adventure, Rachel McClellan delivers a truly mesmerizing story that will keep you guessing to the very end.
I won an ebook and I do have every intention of reading it….eventually. 🙂 I added it to my Goodreads TBR on 7.23.12.
The Brutal Time Christina Bauer (Angelbound Origins #6) Published by: Monster House Books Publication date: October 29th 2019 Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal, Young Adult
“I love the Angelbound Origins world and just can’t seem to get enough of it!” – The Avid Reader
As the Great Scala, Myla Lewis is the only being who can move Purgatory’s souls to Heaven or Hell. It’s a big job. Too bad Myla goes through assistants faster than a hot knife through brownies. Not that it bothers her much; Myla’s always been a solo fighter.
Then comes the problem of the fading angels. Millions of Heavenly residents are dying. According to a prophecy, the only way Myla can save them is by traveling back in time, meeting King Arthur, and creating her own knights of the round table. The catch? Doing so might end the after-realms in a bloody demonpocalypse.
Yipes.
Myla and her main squeeze, Lincoln, aren’t afraid of taking a few chances (in between kisses). But with so much at risk, the stakes may be too high, even for them. And the biggest challenge of all? Finding those knights.
Because Myla Lewis doesn’t play well with others. At all.
“These books don’t just capture your attention, they straight up demand it. Christina Bauer has created a fascinating and unique world that you do not want to miss out on.” – Bookhalolic Brittany
Lacing my fingers with Lincoln’s, I
guide my guy off the Arena floor. The moving spotlights make it easy to slip
off unnoticed into a nearby archway. Then it’s a matter of navigating through
the back corridors until we reach small stone room. There’s not much to speak
of here, outside of some hooks on the walls and a few large wooden trunks.
I step into the center of the space
and twirl. “Here it is. Changing room central.”
Lincoln slips off his jacket and sets
it onto a nearby trunk. “Did you come here after we met?”
There’s a certain predatory gleam in
my guy’s eyes that I’m enjoying very much indeed. “Oh, sure,” I reply. “I had
lots of matches after we first met.”
My gaze lands on a particular trunk.
Memories appear. My face turns eleven shades of red.
Lincoln notices the trunk in question
as well as my blush. He steps up to the trunk and damn, my fantasies were all
correct. The lid comes to just the right height at his waistline.
Lincoln runs his fingers over the
lid. “And what is there about this particular piece of furniture, may I ask?”
“No point telling you that I don’t
know what you’re talking about, huh?”
“None.”
“Well, I might have thought about
you, the trunk and, um, things.”
Lincoln steps closer. “Things?”
“I’d put on my dragonscale suit and wonder
what would happen if you came into the dressing room or something.”
That predatory look returns to
Lincoln’s mismatched eyes. It makes me feel all woozy inside. Not a bad thing.
“I love this story. So you’d be …
what?”
I gesture toward the trunk. “Sitting
here.”
Lincoln scoops me up and sets me
right atop the trunk. “Like this?”
“Uh-huh.”
A knowing grin rounds his mouth. “So
I could stand before you like this.” He rests his hands on my knees. His skin
is all warm and rough at once. Little by little, Lincoln slowly guides my legs
apart and presses my skirt up to my hips. Then he steps between my legs.
“Almost like that,” I say
breathlessly.
At last, Lincoln presses himself
against me. At this angle, his hardness hits all the right places. “Do you mean
this?” he asks.
Fire sparks inside my core.
“Exactly.”
“I can see the appeal.” Lincoln
slowly trails his hands over my body. Wherever he touches me, there’s an
electric zing of desire. Leaning in, he stops when his mouth hovers a breath
above mine. “You know what I want.”
“I do.” I lick along the seam of his
lips. “And I’m calling in my prize.”
Author Bio:
Christina Bauer thinks that fantasy books are like bacon: they just make life better. All of which is why she writes romance novels that feature demons, dragons, wizards, witches, elves, elementals, and a bunch of random stuff that she brainstorms while riding the Boston T. Oh, and she includes lots of humor and kick-ass chicks, too.
Christina graduated from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School with BA’s in English along with Television, Radio, and Film Production. She lives in Newton, MA with her husband, son, and semi-insane golden retriever, Ruby.
Be the first to know about new releases from Christina by signing up for her newsletter: http://tinyurl.com/CBupdates
I have been a collector of all things Unicorn for some time now, so when I saw the opportunity to read The Unicorn Key by J A Culican, I had to jump on it. I’m prancing with joy that this is a series because I want more.
I love a story with unicorns, but there are so many other supernatural and mythical creatures to fear and love, that I barely had a moment to catch my breath as the threesome set off on a dangerous quest to find the Diamond.
An unlikely duo appears at Freya’s door. Opal is a young ‘girl’ with pink and purple hair and a gruff attitude, making it hard to like her. Jet is a young ‘boy’ with blue hair and a lighthearted demeanor, making it easy to like him.
Freya’s grandfather had a stroke and had not spoken in years, but when the duo arrived on their doorstep, he told her she must join them on their quest to find the Diamond and save them from the Darkness that is taking over the land.
River volunteers his services in reading the map, which is in a code they cannot decipher. Can he be trusted…or is he after the Diamond for himself.
Trouble is sure to find them as they enter the woods, travel to distant mountains and come face to face with Baxil. They will encounter many supernatural creatures and have others join in their quest.
Unicorns are not extinct, just very well hidden. Like elephants and rhinos in our world, they are valued for their horns.
I love the Diamond twist.
The action ramps up as their journey nears its end. The characters grow, develop, and show their true colors, while forming a family of sorts, with a little romance thrown in for good measure.
The world building is magical, supernatural, and the more I read, the more I got lost in it, worrying, fretting, and wondering how the Diamond would save their world.
I love this quote:
I would never make the mistake of letting my fear stop me again. Life was too fragile, too uncertain to risk never getting the chance again.
Their quest is over, but there will more to the story and I look forward to being there for it.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of The Unicorn Key by J A Culican and J A Armitage
4 Stars
GOODREADS BLURB
I was born with a secret. The problem was, I didn’t know it…
Not
until two weirdoes turned up at my door asking to speak to my
grandfather. My grandfather that had been mute since a stroke five years
ago. When he uttered his first words in years to them asking us to find
Cassiopeia, I found myself leaving the comfort of the only home I’d
ever known and embarking on a quest with the strangest couple of people
I’d ever met.
As elusive as they are strange, I only followed
in the hope that whoever Cassiopeia was, she would help my grandfather.
However these two are looking for a rare diamond and my own quest means
nothing to them. They are hiding secrets of their own, secrets that
neither is willing to share.
Thankfully, they enlist a
navigator to help them through the perilous terrain, a local bad boy and
money grabber only interested in one thing…and no it isn’t me.
With
the three of them dead set on finding the diamond and me out to find
Cassie, tension is high, and it’s not helping that the dark fae know we
are looking and will stop at nothing to keep hold of the diamond. Add
unicorns, mages, evil gryphons and dragon shifters into the mix and soon
my life takes on a terrifying turn, which nothing has prepared me for.
The
Unicorn key is an electrifying first in series by the USA Today
Bestselling authors who brought you the Dragon Tamer series. Realm of
Light and Fire is guaranteed to have you hiding under your duvet with
your flashlight, turning the pages.
Scroll up and one click now for the adventure of your life.
ABOUT J A CULICAN
J.A. Culican is a teacher by
day and a writer by night. She lives in New Jersey with her husband of
eleven years and their four young children.
J.A. Culican’s inspiration to start writing came from her children and their love for all things magical. Bedtime stories turned to reality after her oldest daughter begged her for the book from which her stories of dragons came from. In turn, the series The Keeper of Dragons was born.
Blood Rose Rachael Vaughn Publication date: November 22nd 2019 Genres: Adult, Urban Fantasy
Fleeing her past and a dark tragedy that haunts her every waking moment, Rose settles for a crummy retail job in a crummy town in the middle of Indiana. Her one solace – the sprawling forest behind her apartment complex – leads her down a dizzying path into a topsy-turvy world where Rose escapes her painful memories…but finds herself at the center of a dangerous plot.
A mysterious (and frequently unconscious) stranger, a technicolor landscape, and a sinister but charismatic leader pull Rose deeper into an unexpected adventure…where nothing is as it seems.
Follow Rose on her journey through this perilous but beautiful land, as she wonders if she can save it…or herself.
The stranger was back before long, and Rose didn’t miss the flash of relief on his face when he saw her standing where he had left her. He carried with him a bowl of water, steam rising in tendrils from the surface, and an assortment of other supplies. When he reached her he continued on past, beckoning her to follow, and Rose turned to see him heading toward a small seating area near the door. A low, backless sofa ran along the wall, each end lifting to curl in a tight spiral. An equally low table stood in front of the sofa, and two matching chairs framed either side.
After a moment of hesitation, Rose took a seat on the sofa, and the stranger placed the bowl and supplies on the table before lowering himself hesitantly to sit beside her. He gave her a questioning glance as if asking for permission, and Rose offered her wounded palm. She kept quiet, not wanting her barrage of questions to break the trance she felt from his calming influence. The man chose a soft cloth from the pile on the table, dipped it in the warm water and began to gently wash the blood from her hand. She winced when the water stung the cut, and the man grimaced in apology.
As he worked, the lace cuff fell back from his left hand and the sleeve of his jacket rode up slightly. Rose caught a glimpse of something thick and dark winding around his arm. It appeared to have the texture of an old scar, thick and ridged, but jet black and stark against his pale blue skin. It grew thinner the further down it reached, tapering out into thin tendrils at his wrist, leaving the skin of his hand smooth and untainted. Rose felt his hands falter in their movements against hers, and she looked up to see him following her gaze to his wrist. He self-consciously pulled the cuff back down into place, covering the black lines, and Rose hastily looked away.
“Sorry,” she mumbled. He didn’t respond, only retrieved the cloth and began wiping blood from her other hand. Once both were clean, he let the cloth fall into the now pink-tinged water, and took a bandage from the table. He paused for a moment, before setting the bandage back down unopened.
“You must have a lot of questions,” he said softly, not quite meeting her eyes.
A startled laugh escaped Rose’s throat. That was the understatement of the century. He gave a soft chuckle and she realized she had voiced the thought aloud.
“Yes, I imagine that must be true.” He turned to face her directly, and his eyes met hers. She was alarmed at the intensity in their purple depths, and his voice was urgent when he spoke again, the words coming fast.
“Listen, I’ll explain everything, I promise. But you’re not safe here, and I need you to trust me.”
Rose opened her mouth, but he continued before she could respond.
“I know we’ve only just met, but I promise I won’t let any harm come to you. There’s so much you need to know, and so little time, and I—” he paused, seeming to exert quite a bit of effort to gather himself. He took a deep breath and lifted his eyes to hers. “Will you trust me?”
His gaze bored into her, and without the slightest idea why, Rose found herself nodding. Anything to get that look of desperation off his face.
He seemed to wilt, relief coloring his features, and he held out his hand for hers again. She placed her wounded hand in his, and he flipped it over, palm up. Lifting his other hand, he gently placed his index finger against the gash in her palm, and without warning, a burst of light emanated out of his fingertip where it met her skin.
Rose felt strangely detached, as if she were watching this happen instead of actually experiencing it. She felt no pain, only a bright, comforting warmth that grew to encompass her whole hand. He traced his finger slowly down the length of the wound, the bright light following the path of his finger, and Rose watched in surprise as the line of her blood began to glow bright, the same iridescent glimmer she had noticed when she’d touched the handle of the door what seemed like ages ago.
Rose watched in wonder as the stranger lifted his hand, the light fading. The shimmer faded from her palm as well, the wound sealing in its wake.
“There,” he said, releasing her hand. His voice sounded faint, its resonance muted. Rose looked up, sensing something was off, and found his face pale, nearly white, the silver lines practically nonexistent.
“Are you okay?” she asked, suddenly worried for this man—creature—she didn’t know, but he simply nodded and waved off her concern. She looked down at her palm again in amazement, a thin faded line all that remained of the red gash.
“What was that?” she asked, “How did you—” But her attention was caught quite suddenly by his hands, which were clutched tightly in his lap. He held his right hand wrapped protectively around the left, but past his grip Rose could see the black lines moving on his skin, creeping slowly beyond the edge of his cuff and onto the back of his hand, tendrils snaking across the pale flesh there.
Author Bio:
Rachael Vaughn is the creative brainchild of husband-and-wife writing duo, Laura Rachael Black and Trenton Vaughn Hockersmith.
Laura is the wordsmith of the pair, and a bona fide dabbler. With interests in everything from mosaics to wood carving and playing the hammered dulcimer, there isn’t much that doesn’t appeal to her insatiable need to create. When she isn’t writing, Laura stays busy as the co-owner of Firefly Tattoo–one of Indianapolis’s premier tattoo studios–where she is also a full-time artist. You can check out her professional tattoo gallery at https://www.fireflytattoo.com/f88479627.
Trent acts as the bookends of the writing process. He serves as the team’s world-builder and plot developer on the front end, and acts as an editor and proofreader (plus the ultimate voice of reason) on the backside. His educational background in English and psychology help him craft vibrant worldscapes and compelling, authentic characters. When not mired in the trenches of world-building, Trent enjoys reading, playing video games, and practicing jiu-jitsu and tai-chi.
The team shares more than a pen name. Their home outside Indianapolis is also inhabited by their daughter, Seva, and Helena, the world’s fluffiest cat.
The eerie cover of Beneath London’s Fog by Ilona Caldwell makes me think of Jack the Ripper and ghosts. Are you creeped out yet?
Jonathon has made himself a prisoner in Raven Hollow Manor, along
with his daughter, Holly. He lost his love, Anna, but her ghostly
presence lingers.
His past is coming back to haunt him when a serial killer goes wild in the foggy nights of London.
He is able to transform himself and I loved it. He becomes a cat, a
Great Dane, or a mist in the night. Being immortal allows him to see
without being seen. He is very protective of Holly and struggles to
allow her some freedom. He is easily able to ‘spy’ on her, assuring her
safety. After all, he knows first hand the monsters that lurk in the
shadows. His oasis is by Anna’s gravesite. He reads Poe and Robert Frost
to her.
Holly knows that he is an immortal. Authors have the freedom to
create the immortal they want to portray, and I love Ilona Caldwell’s
version.
I begin to wish for his happiness, for him to move on and create a new life, without Anna.
Enter…Walter Deverough, a detective on the hunt. I wonder….I feel we’ll be seeing a lot more of him.
Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned and SHE will scorch the earth with her need for revenge.
We, also, have Leland…a hero to the end.
Fast paced. Suspenseful. A vampire of a different color. Great world
building as I pictured him walking the streets of London, damp and
weary. Ilona Caldwell draws pictures with her words.
I voluntarily reviewed and ARC of Beneath London’s Fog by Ilona Caldwell.
4 Stars
Beneath London’s Fog Iona Caldwell Published by: FyreSyde Publishing Publication date: October 30th 2019 Genres: Occult Fiction, Ghost Story, British Literature
Jonathan is the immortal master of Raven Hollow Manor – a decrepit mansion riddled with superstition, murder and restless ghosts. Beneath it lies a restless malice.
Its previous owner driven mad, violently kills his guests with a rusted ax, creating the perfect venue for Jonathan to seclude himself in a prison of his own device.
When the streets of London begin to run red with blood; the bodies exhibiting disturbing signs and baffling wounds, the identity of the killer remains elusive to police.
The bodies are just the beginning of Jonathan’s troubles. A mysterious letter accusing Jonathan of committing the murders appear, raising suspicion in the police. Hidden beneath the mangled bodies, Jonathan soon realizes he is being forced to face demons he thought died in a forlorn past he attempted to escape.
One thing Jonathan knows for certain: He must deal with the demons of his past if he is to survive his future. Not only him but those he has come to love as well.
For fans of Jim Butcher, Stephen King, Darcy Coates and Nick Cutter.
I want it known before this tale begins – I am not a hero but a villain. I want no sympathy from whomever reads this recalling of my story; no mourning for the tragedy that befell my life. I am not an innocent man but a sinner forced to face the ravaging demons and ghosts of his own creation.
My story began as many do – a lie, a fire and murder. One of my kind murdered the woman I loved in the coldest of blood in one of history’s darkest times at the behest of a possessive noble.
After a run in with him in Nottingham, I soon found myself fleeing for my life from hunters, framed for a murder I had not committed.
Forgive me, I am getting ahead of myself.
Let me begin where this part of my story took place.
A bloody civil war ravaged London followed shortly by the Great Fire in 1666. A glorious time for me and those like me to take advantage of the chaos and remain hidden in the shadows.
I managed to pursue the one responsible for nearly getting me killed two centuries prior to the plague which befell London before the fire.
Within the shadows of the flickering flames of St. Peter’s Cathedral, I struck him down and departed the city, thus avoiding my demise.
I had yet to escape him, however, when his vengeful spirit devoured the souls of the innocent in a mad bloodlust.
Though greatly injured, I managed to drive his spirit to my new home Raven Hollow Manor in London, imprisoning him in stone coffin in the crypt beneath it.
Peace resumed in my life and nobles of all kinds enjoyed lavishly hosted parties within the halls of my estate.
Unfortunately, the short lived splendor at the hands of the hauntings filled the ears of the locals and my beloved home decayed into a tangled web of blood-filled rumors and superstition.
My once glorious halls became infested with dust, its crystal chandeliers covered with cobwebs, their spiders fat on the insects buzzing around the decay and mold-covered wallpaper.
Yet, there I remained as it proved a decent place to not only contain my greatest sin but served also as a castle of solitude.
The tides of time swept by in a cacophony of modernization and the movement from superstition to things only mortal science could explain.
I still needed to venture into the city, not only to feed but also to purchase other items needed for everyday living.
It wasn’t until the winter of 1910 that my silence would be disrupted in the form of a girl named Holly, a young street urchin accused of theft. I took her with me after using a bit of “persuasion” on the local officers to let her go.
They did not need to know where I would take her and she soon grew into a wonderful messenger on my behalf. She became a rather attractive young woman with bouncy blonde curls who kept me company with stories of what went on in the city.
I am sure, at one time, she became infatuated with me. It did not surprise me. To mortals, my kind held a certain allure they found difficult to ignore. I ended her infatuation quickly following a stern talking to and dousing with cold water.
One day, while in my labyrinthine garden, Holly came to me in tears.
When the people of London learned where Holly lived, the townsfolk dubbed her a practitioner of black magic.
One day, I found Holly sitting on one of the marble benches in the garden, sobbing. I picked a flower and put it in my daughter’s hair, sitting next to her beneath the statue of a praying angel.
“You need not worry about them, dearest. Mortals are always quick to place labels on what they do not understand.”
Holly sniffled and sobbed, wiping her nose and offering me a smile. “But why do they avoid this place, Jonathan?”
“Mortals fear what they cannot comprehend. Pay them no mind. You are a wonderful young woman,” I purred, brushing a blonde curl from her face.
The words appeared to have placated her as she smiled and joined me in a moonlight stroll through the garden.
***
Around midnight, after dinner with Holly, I dismissed her to bed. Once she departed, I sought out sustenance in the city.
A dense fog rolled in due to the cool winter weather and the recent days of rain.
Combined with the darkness of the streets and alleyways, I managed to meet a young working woman on the corner and wooed her into joining me for a walk to the park. As with other women, I made sure she understood I respected her body with gentle caresses and loving words murmured into her ears.
Once I placed her deep under my spell, I kissed the tender flesh of the woman’s throat and exposed shoulder, thanking her for her gift.
My fangs pierced her flesh, earning a moan of pleasure as her body surrendered its precious life force without any significant damage. Her body pressed against mine, her moans increasing with pleasure at my kiss.
I preferred this method to those of many of my other brethren who tore their victims apart during a feeding, choosing power to subdue instead of sexual allure.
When signs of weakness began manifesting I released my hold, picking her up after licking the small puncture wounds, my saliva healing them, leaving no marks or scars.
To assure she received care, I took her to the nearest hospital and deposited her on the steps without anyone noticing.
As always, I used hypnotic suggestion to erase her memory and leave her with a pleasant dream.
During the wee hours of the morning, I tended to enjoy the calls of the birds and the chirping of the crickets to help relieve the burden on my mind.
Not a soul roamed the streets near the bridge where I liked to sit and write poetry or read a book.
In the midst of the silence, a horrifying shriek caught my attention, almost startling me.
My pupils narrowed to those one might see in a viper or a cat. I let my body dissipate into the form of a black mist, hovering over the city in search of the source of the scream.
I found it in the shape of the body of a mangled man.
The whites of his eyes consumed most of the portion of the glossy orbs in his skull, mouth gaped open mid-scream.
I knelt before him, my own brows furrowed in frustration at the recognition of the familiar puncture wounds on the man’s throat. This cannot be. No other has hunted here in centuries.
The disturbing find made something clear.
Many of my kind preferred not to hunt in one place occupied by another of higher status, or in another’s territory for that matter. We changed due to the growing number of human hunters who would kill any of us they came across.
Despite the city’s size, my reputation often kept others out of my hunting grounds, for which I remained grateful.
This new kill had been malicious.
If I allowed such behavior to continue, it could draw the attention of the hunters or the local police to my home.
Whomever the responsible party, I needed to locate them and have a word with them or kill them if necessary.
My eyes closed, a heavy sigh drawing up from within my lungs. I placed my fingers over the man’s eyes, using a gentle touch to close them. “Forgive whichever of us did this to you. You did not deserve to die in such a horrific manner.”
Searching through the pockets of his trench coat, I located his identification card and vowed to send some money and roses to his family.
Sounds of sirens and the calls of the corner watchmen announced the arrival of the authorities. I left them the man’s wallet so they could inform his family of their loss.
I lurked in the shadows listening to the inspectors scrutinizing the scene.
“Bloody mystery, it is. This is the second mangled body we found this week. One has to wonder if we might be witnessing the birth of another blighter of a serial killer.” One of the inspectors scratched his head beneath the dome shaped hat.
I recognized him as Bertrand Abrams, a well-known officer and one of the only men who aided Holly during her visits to town.
From his looks, one would expect him to hail from Scotland. A bushy mustache and stringy hair with the consistency of sheep’s wool held the color of fire. Dimples set into high cheekbones and a double chin made me smile. A portly belly betrayed his affinity for too many scones and perhaps Scotch.
He had been wrong. This death held no mystery. I merely needed to find the one responsible before it resulted in too much of a personal dilemma.
Following the release of the corpse to the medical examiner, I took the form of black mist and drifted back to Raven Hollow.
The beginnings of my night would be haunted by dreams of a past filled with love, vengeance and pain.
It would be filled with shining auburn locks and eyes the color of the fresh leaves of spring.
Author Bio:
Iona Caldwell is the lover of all things arcane, folklore, nature and magic.
She is the author of the British Occult Fiction, Beneath London’s Fog set to be published by FyreSyde Publishing October 2019. Her second title, Hell’s Warden is forecasted to release in February of 2020. When she’s not busy weaving worlds of the arcane and dark, she’s spending time out in nature. An avid lover of books, Iona claims her biggest inspirations are H.P Lovecraft, Stephen King, Neil Gaiman and Edgar Allen Poe.
She believes storytellers should tell the stories they want to tell. As such, most of her titles are stand-alone novellas she hopes will leave her readers immersed in magical worlds.
She is also an extremely active book blogger who will review primarily horror, suspense, supernatural thriller, mystery, and occult/gothic fiction.
