ARC Review: The Faraway Inn by Sarah Beth Durst

The Faraway Inn
Author: Sarah Beth Durst
Publication: Delacorte (March 31, 2026)

Description: A teen girl decides to spend her summer helping her eccentric great aunt manage her quaint Vermont inn—only to discover that the fixer-upper is hiding a magical secret—in this cozy and irresistible new young adult fantasy from the New York Times bestselling author of The Spellshop.

This stunning first edition of The Faraway Inn features gorgeous designed edges!

“Frosted with whimsy and sprinkled with joy, The Faraway Inn is a testament to why Sarah Beth Durst is the queen of cozy fantasy!”—Tricia Levenseller, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Darkness Within Us

When sixteen-year-old Calisa arrives at her great-aunt’s B&B in rural Vermont for the summer, she’s shocked to find a rundown inn rather than the cozy bed-and-breakfast she was expecting. Grumpy and eccentric, Auntie Zee is determined to keep anyone from messing with her beloved inn . . . even though she clearly needs the help.

To convince her great-aunt to keep her around, Calisa sets to work fixing up the inn, enlisting extra help from the groundskeeper’s (handsome) son. But the longer she stays, the surer she is that there’s something strange about the B&B—and its guests. Something almost . . . otherworldly.

The inn is keeping a magical secret—but to protect the place she’s come to love, Calisa must unravel the truth before it’s too late.

My Thoughts: This Young Adult fantasy takes place in Vermont at the Faraway Inn. Brooklynite Calisa is eager to get away from her broken heart caused by her boyfriend's betrayal by joining her great-aunt at her inn in Vermont.

Calisa arrives to find an inn that looks to be on its last days and a great-aunt who isn't eager to see her. However, she is eager to make a place for herself at this strange inn. She meets Jack who is the groundskeeper's son and who is worried about his dad's disappearance. The strange things begin almost immediately when Calisa opens a broom closet and sees only black, has a wind blow in her face, and hears a howling scream. Her aunt quickly slams the door and tries to convince her it wasn't real.

That is only the first strange thing that happens. She is determined to make a place for herself at the inn since she isn't ready to face things back in Brooklyn. She finds herself cleaning, making pancakes, and learning to bake cakes to go along with the teapot that seems to make tea without human intervention. 

She meets the quirky guests and is adopted by a small lizard that one of them inadvertently brought along with them. Then there's the statue that keeps moving around...

When her great-aunt disappears, Calisa and Jack need to find her and find themselves visiting many worlds through the various doors at the inn. Calisa manages to find herself along the way and learn what is really important to her. 

This was a sweet, adventurous story with wonderful characters and great worldbuilding. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: Books & Bewitchment by Isla Jewell

Books & Bewitchment
Author: Isla Jewell
Series: Arcadia Falls (Book 1)
Publication: Del Rey (February 6, 2026)

Description: In this cozy, witchy romcom, a young woman works to turn a run-down small-town video store into the bookshop of her dreams, only to discover a powerful magic that’s been lying dormant—and a forbidden love she can’t resist.

Dutiful and hard-working, Rhea Wolfe lives a simple, if mundane, life with her pet parrot in small-town Alabama. Sure, she may not love her desk job working for an insurance agency. And her on-again-off-again relationship with the local mechanic may not have the fiery passion she’s read about in her favorite books. Still, things are stable, which is more than she can say about the two hopelessly immature younger sisters who rely on her.

But when Rhea’s estranged grandmother dies, leaving her everything—including a magical heritage Rhea never knew she carried—she finds herself in Arcadia Falls, the quaint mountain town her mother made her swear to avoid at all costs. While the defunct video store she’s also inherited needs a serious upgrade, Rhea’s lucky that resident handyman Hunter Blakely is more than happy to help—and more than easy on the eyes. If only he wasn’t the grandson of her grandmother’s sworn enemy in witchcraft.

Yet as Rhea makes plans for the bookstore of her dreams, she learns that her grandmother made a terrible choice, one that could ruin her own chance at happiness. As she gets ever closer to solving the mystery of what exactly is happening, each clue points to Arcadia Falls’s magic hanging in the balance. To keep her new home safe, Rhea must step into her enchanted birthright and harness her newfound powers . . . before it’s too late.

My Thoughts: This story was a cozy paranormal romance. Rhea Wolfe finds her life changed when she inherits from the grandmother she never met. The inheritance comes at a good time. Rhea has just lost her clerical job. She also wants to get away from her off-again-on-again boyfriend and the small town where she lives. Rhea packs us her belongings including a cockatoo and heads off to a new, hopefully better, life.

Rhea finds herself in Arcadia Falls, Georgia, where her first task as the inheritor of her grandmother's property is to pour her ashes into the local waterfall. Things don't go particularly well. She finds herself covered in her grandmother's cremains and soaking wet with a cockatoo who has apparently been taken over by her grandmother's ghost.

Her grandmother isn't happy about this nor is Rhea. The two try to learn to live with each other but the two butt heads since both are very stubborn. Rhea needs to learn about her family's magic and the secrets her grandmother is keeping. 

There's also a guy who just happens to be the grandson of her grandmother's greatest enemy. Rhea and the guy are attracted and spend a lot of time together since he is the contractor hired to change Rhea's grandmother's failing video store into the bookstore of Rhea's dreams. They need to get rid of a poltergeist first though. 

This was a cute romance with a lot of heart. Rhea is a woman with lots of weight on her shoulders. She has two younger sisters that she loves but who are both conditioned to lean on her for emotional and financial support. 

I enjoyed the hopefulness of this story. It was good to see Rhea grow and change. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: Hounded by Kevin Hearne

Hounded
Author: Kevin Hearne
Narrator: Luke Daniels
Series: The Iron Druid Chronicles (Book 1)
Publication: Brilliance Audio (April 19, 2011)
Length: 8 hours and 6 minutes

Description: The first novel in the Iron Druid Chronicles - introducing a cool, new, funny urban fantasy hero

Atticus O’Sullivan, last of the Druids, lives peacefully in Arizona, running an occult bookshop and shape-shifting in his spare time to hunt with his Irish wolfhound. His neighbors and customers think that this handsome, tattooed Irish dude is about twenty-one years old - when in actuality, he’s twenty-one centuries old. Not to mention: He draws his power from the earth, possesses a sharp wit, and wields an even sharper magical sword known as Fragarach, the Answerer.

Unfortunately, a very angry Celtic god wants that sword, and he’s hounded Atticus for centuries. Now the determined deity has tracked him down, and Atticus will need all his power - plus the help of a seductive goddess of death, his vampire and werewolf team of attorneys, a bartender possessed by a Hindu witch, and some good old-fashioned luck of the Irish - to kick some Celtic arse and deliver himself from evil.

My Thoughts: HOUNDED begins the Iron Druid series of urban fantasy novels. Atticus O'Sullivan is laying low in the desert Southwest. He's the last Druid and over 21 centuries old despite looking 21. He'd be happy quietly running his adult bookstore and tea shop and roaming the desert with his wolfhound. But he also holds a magic sword, and an ancient Celtic deity has been looking for it and for Atticus for centuries.

With the help of some witches, the deity has tracked Atticus down. Atticus will need the help of the friends he has gathered if he wants to survive. Luckily, his lawyers are a werewolf and a vampire. He also has the aid of a couple of goddesses and a Hindi witch inhabiting the body of his favorite bartender. 

The story has great worldbuilding and a wonderful snarky main character and his even snarkier canine companion. It was packed with action and with humor. 

I bought this one June 27, 2022. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

The House in the Cerulean Sea
Author: TJ Klune

Narrator: Daniel Henning
Series: Cerulean Chronicles (Book 1)
Publication: Tor Books (December 29, 2020); Macmillan Audio (March 17, 2020)

Length: 12 hours and 12 minutes

Description: A magical island. A dangerous task. A burning secret.

Linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life. At forty, he lives in a tiny house with a devious cat and his old records. As a Case Worker at the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth, he spends his days overseeing the well-being of children in government-sanctioned orphanages.

When Linus is unexpectedly summoned by Extremely Upper Management he's given a curious and highly classified assignment: travel to Marsyas Island Orphanage, where six dangerous children reside: a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist. Linus must set aside his fears and determine whether or not they’re likely to bring about the end of days.

But the children aren’t the only secret the island keeps. Their caretaker is the charming and enigmatic Arthur Parnassus, who will do anything to keep his wards safe. As Arthur and Linus grow closer, long-held secrets are exposed, and Linus must make a choice: destroy a home or watch the world burn.

An enchanting story, masterfully told, The House in the Cerulean Sea is about the profound experience of discovering an unlikely family in an unexpected place―and realizing that family is yours.

My Thoughts: Linus Baker works for the Department in Charge of Magical Youth. He is sent by Extremely Upper Management to report on one isolated orphanage. The orphanage is on Marsyas Island - a spot at the end of the train line. 

When Linus arrives, he meets Arthur Parnassus who is in charge of six very unusual and potentially dangerous children. The children include a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, a were-Pomeranian, a green blog, and the Antichrist. 

Linus begins the story as a rule bound man but gradually comes to see that the rules don't always work. As he gets to know the children, he begins to see them as children and not their superficial identity tag. And he longs to get to know Arthur Parnassus who is hiding a large number of secrets of his own.

The story is all about changes. Linus expands his horizons greatly as he gets to know Arthur and the children. He goes from aching loneliness to becoming a member of a most unusual found family. And he discovers courage within himself to use his voice to help others. 

This was an engaging tale. 

I bought the Kindle copy September 18, 2025, and used an Audible credit for the audiobook November 7, 2025. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

 Happy Friday!

Book Beginnings is hosted by Gillion at Rose City Reader. She asks that the first sentence is posted along with the author and title of the book and the reader's initial thoughts on the sentence, the book, or anything else it inspires. 

Carrie at Reading Is My Superpower.org also provides a linky for sharing first lines and connecting with others. This meme asks that the chosen books be PG or marked as Mature if they are not. 

Beginning:

"Oh dear," Linus Baker said, wiping the sweat from his brow. "This is most unusual."

Friday 56:

Well. They looked as if they were suffering from red-eye effect, the flash happening too quickly for the pupils to react. There was a ring of blue around the red. It was certainly chilling, but Linus had seen it many times before. Just a trick of the light. That's all it was.

This week I am spotlighting The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune. This has been on my radar for a while, but I was pushed to buy it when I saw so many booktubers singing its praises. Here is the description from Amazon:

A magical island. A dangerous task. A burning secret.

Linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life. At forty, he lives in a tiny house with a devious cat and his old records. As a Case Worker at the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth, he spends his days overseeing the well-being of children in government-sanctioned orphanages.

When Linus is unexpectedly summoned by Extremely Upper Management he's given a curious and highly classified assignment: travel to Marsyas Island Orphanage, where six dangerous children reside: a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist. Linus must set aside his fears and determine whether or not they’re likely to bring about the end of days.

But the children aren’t the only secret the island keeps. Their caretaker is the charming and enigmatic Arthur Parnassus, who will do anything to keep his wards safe. As Arthur and Linus grow closer, long-held secrets are exposed, and Linus must make a choice: destroy a home or watch the world burn.

An enchanting story, masterfully told, The House in the Cerulean Sea is about the profound experience of discovering an unlikely family in an unexpected place―and realizing that family is yours.

Audiobook Review: The Black Wolves of Boston by Wen Spencer

The Black Wolves of Boston
Author: Wen Spencer 
Narrator: Ian Allen Carlsen et al.
Series: The Black Wolves of Boston
Publication: Audible Studios (February 21, 2017)
Length: 18 hours and 15 minutes

Description: Rebuild a life, save a city

Silas Decker had his world destroyed when he was attacked by vampires outside of New Amsterdam. He has rebuilt his life a dozen times in the last 300 years - each time less and less successfully. Now he lives alone, buried under a hoarding habit, struggling to find some reason to wake up with the setting of the sun.

Eloise is a Virtue, pledged to hunting evil. What she doesn't know is how to live alone in a city full of strangers who know nothing about monsters.

Seth is the 16-year old Prince of Boston, ward of the Wolf King. Now he is left in a city that desperately needs his protection with enemies gathering all around.

Joshua believes he is a normal, college-bound high school senior. His life is shattered when he wakes up in a field, covered with blood, and the prom committee scattered in pieces about him like broken dolls.

These four must now come together to unravel a plot by Wickers, witches who gain power from human sacrifices and have the power to turn any human into their puppet. Four people who lost everything struggle to save Boston by saving each other.

My Thoughts: This was a great story about love, friendship and accepting yourself for yourself. Of course, it was also urban fantasy so we had evil Wickers who wanted to take over the werewolf Prince of Boston and make him their puppet.

The story starts with brand new werewolf Joshua being rescued by Decker who is a depressed vampire who is hundreds of years old. Decker has been getting more and more isolated and has been hoarding things to combat his loneliness. He takes Joshua home and they two form a firm friendship.

The story is told from Decker's viewpoint and Joshua's. It is also told from the viewpoint of Seth who is the 16-year-old Prince of Boston who has been in the care of the Wolf King in New York City since his whole family was massacred when a Breach let evil into the world when Seth was thirteen. He wants very much to return to Boston along with his older cousin Jack who is one of the Wolf King's Thanes.

Elise is also a viewpoint character. She is a Virtue whose purpose in life is to live among humans and seek out evil and destroy it. Elise has known Decker all of her life but is so focused on being a Virtue that she only uses him as a tool. Elise, too, is alone and lonely.

The four characters come together to find and defeat the Wickers before they can succeed at their evil plan. Along the way there are a lot of funny moments in this story. Joshua has a tendency to turn into a small wolf pup when he's frightened or when he sneezes. It also has some touching moments as we learn that Seth has been longing for more family and really wants Joshua to be the older brother he thought was lost forever. 

This is a wonderful story filled with characters real enough to step off the page. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

I bought this one July 19, 2021. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: The Black Wolves of Boston by Wen Spencer

 Happy Friday!

Book Beginnings is hosted by Gillion at Rose City Reader. She asks that the first sentence is posted along with the author and title of the book and the reader's initial thoughts on the sentence, the book, or anything else it inspires. 

Carrie at Reading Is My Superpower.org also provides a linky for sharing first lines and connecting with others. This meme asks that the chosen books be PG or marked as Mature if they are not. 

Beginning:

Joshua really thought it would be easier to catch a rabbit; he was a werewolf, after all. The stupid things, though, could turn on a dime and kept zigging while his body zagged.

Friday 56:

The house had three bathrooms total. Ewan found and used all three without realizing that he was marking his territory.

This week I am spotlighting a reread. I first read The Black Wolves of Boston by Wen Spencer back in 2020. I wanted to refresh my memory before I read the sequel which was recently published. I am choosing the audiobook for this reread. Here's the description from Amazon:

REBUILD A LIFE, SAVE A CITY

Silas Decker had his world destroyed when he was attacked by vampires outside of New Amsterdam. He has rebuilt his life a dozen times in the last three hundred years—each time less and less successfully. Now he lives alone, buried under a hoarding habit, struggling to find some reason to wake up with the setting of the sun.

Eloise is a Virtue, pledged to hunting evil. What she doesn’t know is how to live alone in a city full of strangers who know nothing about monsters.

Seth is the sixteen-year old Prince of Boston, ward of the Wolf King. Now he is left in a city that desperately needs his protection with enemies gathering all around.

Joshua believes he is a normal, college-bound high school senior. His life is shattered when he wakes up in a field, covered with blood, and the prom committee scattered in pieces about him like broken dolls.

These four must now come together to unravel a plot by Wickers, witches who gain power from human sacrifices and have the power to turn any human into their puppet. Four people who lost everything struggle to save Boston by saving each other.

Audiobook Review: Thunderbird Falls by C. E. Murphy

Thunderbird Falls
Author: C. E. Murphy
Narrator: Gabra Zackman
Series: The Walker Papers (Book 2)
Publication: Harlequin Books (May 31, 2006)
Length: 9 hours and 50 minutes

Description: For all the bodies she's encountering, you'd think beat cop Joanne Walker works in Homicide. But no, Joanne's a reluctant shaman who last saved mankind three months ago; surely she deserves more of a break! Yet, incredibly, "Armageddon, Take Two" is mere days away.

There's not a minute to waste. But when her spirit guide inexplicably disappears, Joanne needs help from other sources. Especially after she accidentally unleashes Lower World demons on Seattle. Damn. With the mother of all showdowns gathering force, it's the worst possible moment for Joanne to realize she should have learned more about controlling her powers.

My Thoughts: Former police department mechanic and reluctant shaman Joane Walker finds herself in the middle of another plot that will unleash Lower World demons on a Seattle already experiencing a heat wave. 

Joanne is recruited into a coven which plans to bring an ancient savior back to the world. But first they have to bring back all sorts of demons. Joanne hasn't learned much about her shaman magic since she first discovered she had it and doesn't feel ready to take on new challenges.

But when her friend Gary has a heart attack and her spirit guide disappears, Joanne is left on her own to deal with Seattle's magical problems. 

I liked this urban fantasy story which draws a lot from Native American mythology. Joanne is an interesting character and powerful if reluctant hero. 

This is either the second or the third book in The Walker Papers depending on if you believe Amazon or Fantastic Fiction. In any case, it is part of a nine-book series. The story is packed with action and adventure. 

I bought this one October 28, 2021. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: The Last Hamilton by Jenn Bregman

The Last Hamilton
Author: Jenn Bregman
Narrator: Leanne Woodward
Publication: Dreamscape Media (February 11, 2025)
Length: 7 hours and 38 minutes

Description: After the last heir of Alexander Hamilton’s line is murdered, her heartbroken husband and best friend team up in this twisty thriller where a mysterious death uncovers not just an ancient secret society, but the treasures it holds—perfect for fans of Dan Brown and Sarah Penner.

The more they know, the more danger they’re in.

When Elizabeth Walker, the last heir of the Alexander Hamilton line, is tragically killed by a subway train in New York, foul play is immediately suspected. Elizabeth had been terrified, frantic, and manic during her last days, running mysterious errands, searching for a strange antique key, and sending cryptic messages to her best friend, Sarah Brockman.

The morning after Elizabeth’s death, a box of tattered documents lands on Sarah’s doorstep, confirming her suspicions about Elizabeth’s strange behavior and shocking death. She brings the box to Elizabeth’s grieving husband, Ralph. Working together, they are stunned to discover that Elizabeth was part of a secret society established by Hamilton himself to keep the United States just and free, its influence woven into every corner of the country’s history. As Sarah and Ralph race through the streets of New York to uncover the truth behind Elizabeth’s death, they must stop an ingenious and sinister plot before someone else catches up to them–and the secrets of Hamilton’s society are lost forever.

With fascinating details from the shadows of American history, The Last Hamilton is a sweeping and fast-paced thriller reminiscent of The Da Vinci Code.

My Thoughts: This recent release is a thriller filled with a 200-year conspiracy. When Alexander Hamilton died, his wife and children formed a secret society to further his goals of a just and free United States. His descendants continued the secret society and worked for the goals. 

Now, it is the present day, and the secret society has dwindled to only one woman, Elizabeth Hamilton Warren - the last Hamilton - at a time when the society is most needed. The United States is being threatened by a plot of the Russians and Chinese to destabilize the dollar by buying up all the world's gold and converting to a gold standard currency. They know, because they have recruited various financial leaders, that the US has a lot less gold than they say they have. 

Elizabeth has a plan but dies before she can execute it. She leaves her notes and her goals to her best friend Sarah Brockman and her husband Ralph Warren. Reeling with grief at Elizabeth's death, Sarah and Ralph band together to try to find out what Elizabeth knew and what she had planned to do about it. They have to scramble to figure out and stop the plans which are very near completion. 

We get Sarah's viewpoint, the viewpoint of one of Sarah's co-workers Pierce who is unknowingly working for the enemy, a Russian mobster, and Detective Schwartz who is investigating Elizabeth's death.

I listened to this one which really highlighted how implausible and over-the-top this story was. I almost strained my eyes from all the eye-rolling I did as I listened to the stilted dialog. If you can turn off any part of an analytical brain and just go for the adventure, this was an enjoyable romp. 

I bought this one from Chirp June 25, 2025, for $2.99. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: The Last Hamilton by Jenn Bregman

 Happy Friday!

Book Beginnings is hosted by Gillion at Rose City Reader. She asks that the first sentence is posted along with the author and title of the book and the reader's initial thoughts on the sentence, the book, or anything else it inspires. 

Carrie at Reading Is My Superpower.org also provides a linky for sharing first lines and connecting with others. This meme asks that the chosen books be PG or marked as Mature if they are not. 

Beginning:

She knows it's there. She runs, skirting the barren bushes, weaving her way to the cellar door of The Grange. White and imposing, the colonnades rise in silent homage to the home's creator, Alexander Hamilton, a man of destiny who helped save a nation, but who, in the end, couldn't save himself.

Friday 56:

It was time. She tore a piece of paper from her notepad an wrote to Sarah. Her signature, a heartbreaking scribble at the end, fulfilling her destiny in the only way she knew how.

This week I am spotlighting The Last Hamilton by Jenn Bregman. I bought this audiobook when it was on sale at Chirp mainly because I had the review copy but didn't read it because it was missing the first three chapters. Here's the description from Amazon:

After the last heir of Alexander Hamilton’s line is murdered, her heartbroken husband and best friend team up in this twisty thriller where a mysterious death uncovers not just an ancient secret society, but the treasures it holds—perfect for fans of Dan Brown and Sarah Penner.

The more they know, the more danger they’re in.

    When Elizabeth Walker, the last heir of the Alexander Hamilton line, is tragically killed by a subway train in New York, foul play is immediately suspected. Elizabeth had been terrified, frantic, and manic during her last days, running mysterious errands, searching for a strange antique key, and sending cryptic messages to her best friend, Sarah Brockman.  

     The morning after Elizabeth’s death, a box of tattered documents lands on Sarah’s doorstep, confirming her suspicions about Elizabeth’s strange behavior and shocking death. She brings the box to Elizabeth’s grieving husband, Ralph. Working together, they are stunned to discover that Elizabeth was part of a secret society established by Hamilton himself to keep the United States just and free, its influence woven into every  corner of the country’s history. As Sarah and Ralph race through the streets of New York to uncover the truth behind Elizabeth’s death, they must stop an ingenious and sinister plot before someone else catches up to them–and the secrets of Hamilton’s society are lost forever. 

     With fascinating details from the shadows of American history, The Last Hamilton is a sweeping and fast-paced thriller reminiscent of The Da Vinci Code.

Audiobook Review: Shadows in the Water by Kory M. Shrum

Shadows in the Water
Author: Kory M. Shrum
Narrator: Hollie Jackson
Series: Shadows in the Water (Book 1)
Publication: Timberlane Press
Length: 9 hours and 11 minutes

Description: An original new series, with heart-pounding suspense and surprising twists. Meet Louie Thorne. They didn't kill her--and they'll soon regret it.

When DEA agent Jack Thorne's house is stormed by vengeful drug lords, both he and his wife are shot dead. Only his daughter Louie survives--by using a terrifying power that defies reason. Piecing together a life in his absence, Louie embraces her gift and her rage under the force of a single need: revenge. She will destroy the men that took her family. No matter the cost, no matter how many bullets, she won't stop until justice has been well and truly served.

My Thoughts: SHADOWS IN THE WATER was a story of vigilante justice. Louie Thorne was only a child when her parents were murdered in their home. Her DEA agent father was targeted by some criminals he had brought to justice. Louie idolized her father and was determined to get justice for him.

Luckily, Louie had a secret power. She was able to slip between places as long as there were shadows in the places and she could visualize the place or person she wanted to go to. 

When this story begins, Louie has been exacting her own brand of justice for more than ten years and has finally eliminated all of the family of the person she blames for her father's death. All except one that is. 

A young Roman criminal who was the illegitimate son of a Martinelli has inherited the criminal organization. He has his own reasons for also wanting revenge against the Martinelli family. Not only did his father never acknowledge him, but he had his mother murdered and buried in an unknown location. 

Louie's Aunt Lucy who raised her after her parents' deaths is dying but before she does, she wants to help Louie find a new purpose in life. Lucy introduces Louie to a man who was a mentor to Louie's father. He is retired but still does a few investigations. This time he's been asked by an old colleague to locate a witness who has disappeared. Louie could be useful. 

The only problem is that the investigation brings new information and new villains to light who really want Louie dead.

This was an interesting story with lots of action.

I bought this one from Chirp April 6, 2025. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: Sanctuary by Ilona Andrews

Sanctuary
Author: Ilona Andrews
Series: Roman's Chronicles (Book 1)
Publication: NYLA (July 30, 2024)

Description: From #1 New York Times bestselling author Ilona Andrews comes a novella featuring Roman, our favorite Volhv wizard in the always intriguing, colorful, volatile Kate Daniels world.

It’s not easy serving Chernobog, the God of Destruction, Darkness and Death…especially during the holidays; and especially when you’re out of eggnog and one of your pesky, freeloading mythic creatures has eaten your last cookie.

Roman would like nothing more than to be left alone, but when a wounded boy stumbles into his yard and begs for sanctuary, Roman takes him in. Now elite mercenaries are camped out on his property, combat mages are dousing the house with fire, and strange priests are unleashing arcane magic. They thought Roman was easy pickings, just a hermit in the woods, but they chose the wrong dark priest to annoy. For while Roman might be patient, he is the Black Volhv, filled with the love of his terrible god. For his adversaries, it's a fight to the death, but for him, it's just another day in the neighborhood.

My Thoughts: Roman is trying to get through another holiday season when he finds a runaway boy in his yard. The boy begs for sanctuary, and Roman finds himself battling a mercenary crew and a variety of magicians to keep him safe. 

The story was filled with Ilona Andrews' take on Russian mythology. Magical creatures abound as Roman tries to figure out who wants the boy. 

This story was filled with great worldbuilding and gives us more about a side character in Kate Daniels' world. The descriptions were vivid, and the action was fast. I also liked that Roman was finally able to resolve some guilt he has felt with the help of his dark god Chernobog. 

Fans of the Kate Daniels novels will enjoy this novella. 

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: Sacred Ground by Mercedes Lackey

Sacred Ground
Author: Mercedes Lackey
Narrator: Katie Anvil Rich
Publication: Tantor Audio (August 22, 2023)
Length: 11 hours

Description: From the New York Times bestselling author Mercedes Lackey comes contemporary fantasy Sacred Ground.

Jennifer Talldeer is Osage and Cherokee, granddaughter of a powerful Medicine Man. She walks a difficult path: contrary to tribal custom, she is learning a warrior's magics. A freelance private investigator, Jennifer tracks down stolen Native American artifacts.

The construction of a new shopping mall uncovers fragments of human bone, revealing possible desecration of an ancient burial ground. Meanwhile, the sabotage of construction equipment at the site implicates many activists—particularly Jennifer's old flame, who is more attractive and dangerous than ever. Worst of all, the grave of Jennifer's legendary Medicine Man ancestor has been destroyed, his tools of power scattered, and a great evil freed to walk the land.

Jennifer must make peace with the many factions and solve the mystery of her ancestor's grave before the world falls into oblivion.

My Thoughts: This story stars Jennifer Talldeer who is a private investigator and the granddaughter and apprentice of her grandfather who is a powerful medicine man. She's Osage and Cherokee. While she has many of the usual PI cases, her real joy comes from locating Native American artifacts and returning them to their tribes.

She is hired by an insurance company to determine whether the contractor for a new mall is hiding things that would make him uninsurable. Rod Calligan has a reputation for doing shoddy work. But problems at his latest site which include the explosion of one of his machines the killed four seems to be a step up. And when Native artifacts are discovered on the site, many of his Native American crew are refusing to continue work. 

Neither Jennifer nor her grandfather were aware of any Native burial site at that location and think that it was a cache that was discovered - a cache Calligan was planning to sell to the highest bidder. But things quickly take a turn to the paranormal when strange things begin to happen. Calligan had discovered the burial place and medicine bag of an evil spirit and the evil lives on and is trying to find a new place in the world. 

Meanwhile, Calligan is trying to accomplish an insurance scam by staging a series of "accidents" that will allow him to declare bankruptcy and get out from under a project he knows will be unsuccessful since he's already skimmed all the profit he can. He wants to cast blame for the failure on his Native American crew which brings in Jennifer's old boyfriend David Spotted Horse who has become an Indian Activist. 

This was a suspenseful mystery combined with lots of Native American mythology. I enjoyed it a lot. 

I bought this one from Chirp August 21. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: Amongst Our Weapons by Ben Aaronovitch

Amongst Our Weapons
Author: Ben Aaronovitch
Series: Rivers of London (Book 9)
Publication: DAW (April 12, 2022)

Description: The ninth novel of the bestselling Rivers of London urban fantasy series returns to the adventures of Peter Grant, detective and apprentice wizard, as he solves magical crimes in the city of London.

There is a world hidden underneath this great city.

The London Silver Vaults—for well over a century, the largest collection of silver for sale in the world. It has more locks than the Bank of England and more cameras than a paparazzi convention.

Not somewhere you can murder someone and vanish without a trace—only that’s what happened.

The disappearing act, the reports of a blinding flash of light, and memory loss amongst the witnesses all make this a case for Detective Constable Peter Grant and the Special Assessment Unit.

Alongside their boss DCI Thomas Nightingale, the SAU find themselves embroiled in a mystery that encompasses London’s tangled history, foreign lands and, most terrifying of all, the North!

And Peter must solve this case soon, because back home his partner Beverley is expecting twins any day now. But what he doesn’t know is that he’s about to encounter something—and somebody—that nobody ever expects…

Effortlessly original, endlessly inventive and hugely entertaining—step into the world of the much-loved, bestselling Rivers of London series.

My Thoughts: The ninth Rivers of London contemporary fantasy begins with a murder in the London Silver Vaults. Detective Peter Grant and the SAU are called in because the man died with a hole in his chest and no weapon or killer has been found. 

Investigating the victim leads to a group of college students back in 1989 who formed a religious group complete with mystical rings. The first victim was looking for his ring when he was murdered. Now the team has to track down the other ring bearers before the killer who has been described and an angel complete with wings finds them first. 

Peter's rival Lesley also has a contract with someone to find the rings first. 

Meanwhile back at home, Peter's wife Beverley is getting ready to deliver twins any day. She wants Peter to get the case wrapped up before the babies are born. 

I enjoyed this story which I half-read and half-listened to. I like all the history that the author manages to include in the story and I love all the fantasy elements too. 

Favorite Quote:

The government were in their sixth year of trying to cut crime bu reducing the number of active police officers. So management were getting shirty about expenses. 

I bought this one April 13, 2022. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: First Truth by Dawn Cook

First Truth
Author: Dawn Cook
Narrator: Marguerite Gavin
Series: Truth (Book 1)
Publication: Ace; Reissue edition (May 28, 2002); Blackstone Audio (April 23, 2010)
Length: 356 p.; 13 hours and 21 minutes

Description: Alissa doesn't believe in magic. Her father's stories about the Hold, a legendary fortress where human Keepers learn magic from the enigmatic Masters, are just that stories. But her mother insists Alissa has inherited her father's magical ability, so she must go to the Hold to be trained. On her way, she crosses paths with Strell, a wandering musician from the plains. Though Alissa is not sure she can trust a plainsman, Strell has something Alissa needs one of her father's old maps. Traveling together, they can reach the Hold before the snow sets in. But they don't know that the Hold is nearly empty. The Keeper Bailic has sent the Masters on a fool's errand and systematically killed the other Keepers in his search for the First Truth, a book of magic that will give him ultimate power. And he believes that Alissa and Strell hold the secret of the book's hiding place.

My Thoughts: This epic fantasy/coming of age novel follows the adventure of Alissa and Strell. Alissa is the daughter of a Keeper but her father has been missing for years. She is also a half-breed. She's not accepted by the local villagers. When her mother determines that she has inherited her father's magic, she insists that Alissa travel to the Hold for training. 

Along the way she meets Strell who is a Plainsman who has been sent away from his family to work as a bard. He has just learned that his whole family was lost in a flood and is wondering what to do with the rest of his life. He was given a map by Alissa's mother in a trade. Alissa wants that map since she knows it was made by her father and she is able to read it. 

The two team up to find their way to the Hold before winter overtakes them. There they learn that the sole inhabitant is Bailic who has killed or imprisoned the rest of the Keepers and has been searching for a magical book for many years. Alissa's father had the book but hid it before entering the Hold and being murdered by Bailic. Now Alissa wants to find his book at least as much a Bailic wants it.

This was an entertaining story with lots of magic and adventure. I liked the growing relationship between Strell and Alissa. I liked the worldbuilding. My only complaint is that this is the first of four books and thus leaves all sorts of plot threads hanging. 

I bought this one as a paperback July 5, 2009. The Audible copy was available to me as a part of my subscription. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: Undone by Rachel Caine

Undone
Author: Rachel Caine
Series: Outcast Season (Book 1)
Publication: Ace; Original edition (December 17, 2008)

Description: Once she was Cassiel, a Djinn of limitless power. Now, she has been reshaped in human flesh as punishment for defying her master—and living among the Weather Wardens, whose power she must tap into regularly or she will die. And as she copes with the emotions and frailties of her human condition, a malevolent entity threatens her new existence...

My Thoughts: Cassiel has defied the ruler of the Old Djinn and been turned into a human dependent on the Wardens for her survival. She's assigned to Earth Warden Manny Rocha and sent to My New Mexico. 

Cassiel has a lot of adjustments to make. From being an all-powerful Djinn to a human dependent on others is quite a change. She also finds herself in a time of change for the Wardens and the Djinn and with an unknown enemy threatening. 

When Manny and his wife are gunned down and his five-year-old daughter Isabel kidnapped, Cassiel has to team up with Manny's brother Luis, a powerful Earth Warden, to find the missing child. That leads them to a much larger conspiracy than either of them had imagined and an old enemy with stunning new plans.

Cassiel is an intriguing character. I enjoyed watching her adjust to life as a human and come to appreciate humans. I liked her strong relationship with Isabel who pours out love and acceptance. I liked the worldbuilding in this new series set in the same universe as the Weather Wardens series. 

I enjoyed this urban fantasy story. My only complaint is that it is the first book of four and has a cliffhanger ending and tons of unresolved plot threads. 

Favorite Quote:

I slept very little, tormented by the memories of Manny and Angela lying dead, by the haunting sounds of Isabel's tears, by the touch of Luis's hands as they healed my injuries. These things were anchors, weighing me down. As a Djinn, I had been weightless, and without ties or cares, and that seemed far away now. Unreachable. All around me, the sounds of the human world roared on, and I found no peace within or without.

I bought this one February 6, 2009. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire

Rosemary and Rue
Author: Seanan McGuire
Narrator: Mary Robinette Kowal
Series: An October Daye Novel (Book 1)
Publication: DAW (August 29, 2009); Brilliance Audio (June 8, 2010)
Length: 346 p.; 11 hours and 16 minutes

Description: The world of Faerie never disappeared: it merely went into hiding, continuing to exist parallel to our own. Secrecy is the key to Faerie’s survival―but no secret can be kept forever, and when the fae and mortal worlds collide, changelings are born. Half-human, half-fae, outsiders from birth, these second-class children of Faerie spend their lives fighting for the respect of their immortal relations. Or, in the case of October “Toby” Daye, rejecting it completely. After getting burned by both sides of her heritage, Toby has denied the fae world, retreating into a “normal” life. Unfortunately for her, Faerie has other ideas.

The murder of Countess Evening Winterrose, one of the secret regents of the San Francisco Bay Area, pulls Toby back into the fae world. Unable to resist Evening’s dying curse, which binds her to investigate, Toby is forced to resume her old position as knight errant to the Duke of Shadowed Hills and begin renewing old alliances that may prove her only hope of solving the mystery…before the curse catches up with her.

My Thoughts: This urban fantasy story introduces October "Toby" Daye who is a changeling fae in San Francisco. Toby had turned her back on the fae world and was making her living as a private investigator. She married a human man and had a daughter. When the fae world catches up to her and turns her into a koi living in a botanical garden, that life is destroyed. 

When the story begins, Toby has come back from being a koi but has lost 11 years of her life. She's lost her license, her husband, and her daughter, and is working as a night clerk in an all-night convenience store. But faerie isn't finished with her.

Calls on the answering machine she's been ignoring are from Countess Evening Winterrose pull her back in. The first calls just ask for help, the later calls demand it, and the last call curses her to find Evening's killer or die herself. 

Toby is forced to return to faerie where she meets old friends and old enemies as she tries to solve the murder of Evening in time to save her own life. 

This story had very intriguing worldbuilding. I liked all the various fae creatures and characters. I liked Toby and enjoyed seeing her return to life after all she had gone through. This story had a nicely twisty plot. Mary Robinette Kowal did a good job narrating and bringing all the various characters to life. 

Favorite Quote:

"You should have screamed by now. It doesn't taste as good when you don't scream. Why won't you scream for me?"

"Sorry, but we only serve diet agony here," I whispered through gritted teeth. "No artificial colors or flavors."

I bought this one. I got the Kindle copy in 2009 but only recently got the audiobook. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: Harbinger by Wen Spencer

Harbinger
Author: Wen Spencer
Narrator: Tanya Eby
Series: Elfhome (Book 5)
Publication: Audible Studios (October 18, 2022)
Length: 15 hours and 29 minutes

Description: The long-awaited new entry in Wen Spencer’s popular Tinker series.

The war against the oni heats to a flashpoint even as Tinker learns that the enemy has a dangerous new weapon, the nactka. What’s more, the Stone Clan has sent its most famous warlords, the Harbingers, to take control of the allied war effort. Are these elves friends or foes? Tinker’s newfound baby siblings are up for grabs. The babies, though, are wood sprites and aren’t going to take things lying down. Team Mischief go!

My Thoughts: This audiobook is filled with the preparations for battle with the oni and an enemy who has been waiting for his chance at revenge for thousands of years. 

We get a chance to catch up with most of the players from the earlier books in the Elfhome series including both Tinker and Oilcan, Law, Jane, Tommy, Olivia, and Wolf Who Rules as they are all in various locations preparing for battle with the enemy. Not to mention Tinker's nine-year-old twin sisters and the four siblings who are yet to be born but have been taught to dream walk by the dragon Joy. 

I like the way all of the various plot threads are wound together as each group is doing their own thing to keep Pittsburgh out of the hands of the oni. 

My only complaint is that the story ends on a cliffhanger leaving the fates of most of the characters unresolved. 

I bought this one using and Audible Credit. You can buy your copy here.

Book & Audio Review: Something from the Nightside by Simon R. Green

Something from the Nightside
Author: Simon R. Green
Narrator: Dan Calley
Series: Nightside (Book 1)
Publication: Ace (May 27, 2003); Tantor Audio (January 18, 2022)
Length: 238 p,; 4 hours and 55 minutes

Description: Taylor is the name, John Taylor. My card says I’m a detective, but what I really am is an expert on finding lost things. It’s part of the gift I was born with as a child of the Nightside.

I left there a long time ago, with my skin and sanity barely intact. Now I make my living in the sunlit streets of London. But business has been slow lately, so when Joanna Barrett showed up at my door, reeking of wealth, asking me to find her runaway teenage daughter, I didn’t say no.

Then I found out exactly where the girl had gone.

The Nightside. That square mile of Hell in the middle of the city, where it’s always three A.M. Where you can walk beside myths and drink with monsters. Where nothing is what it seems and everything is possible.

I swore I’d never return. But there’s a kid in danger and a woman depending on me. So I have no choice—I’m going home.

My Thoughts: This first book in the Nightside series begins like a noir hard-boiled detective story. John Taylor is scraping a living as a private investigator in London. Then a woman walks in with a problem. She's offering big bucks to Taylor to find her runaway daughter. Intrigued by the case and the woman, Taylor agrees. But there is a problem - the case will take him back to the Nightside he left six years earlier.

From that point the book shifts to a dark urban fantasy with more than a touch of horror as Taylor travels the Nightside with his client meeting old friends and old enemies in his quest to find the missing teenager. 

The worldbuilding was intriguing and, frankly, horrifying. A house that eats people and dead zones that transport people to other times were intriguing. The characters and dialog seemed ripped from a 1940s mystery. 

While I enjoyed this story, the horror aspects will keep me from continuing on with the series. Fans of horror and noir mysteries will likely want to continue. 

Favorite Quote:

There's a certain comfort to be had in finding the answers to other people's problems, if you can't solve your own.

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

Book & Audio Review: On the Edge by Ilona Andrews

On the Edge
Author: Ilona Andrews
Narrator: Renee Raudman
Series: A Novel of the Edge (Book 1)
Publication: Ace; Original edition (August 28, 2009); Tantor Audio (January 7, 2010)
Length: 247 p.; 12 hours and 8 minutes

Description: Step into a whole new world in the first Novel of the Edge from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Kate Daniels series.

The Edge lies between worlds, on the border between the Broken, where people shop at Wal-Mart and magic is a fairy tale—and the Weird, where blueblood aristocrats rule, changelings roam, and the strength of your magic can change your destiny...

Rose Drayton thought if she practiced her magic, she could build a better life for herself. But things didn’t turn out the way she’d planned, and now she works an off-the-books job in the Broken just to survive. Then Declan Camarine, a blueblood noble straight out of the deepest part of the Weird, comes into her life, determined to have Rose (and her power).

But when a flood of creatures hungry for magic invade the Edge, Declan and Rose must overcome their differences and work together to destroy them—or the beasts will devour the Edge and everyone in it...

My Thoughts: The first book in Andrews' Edge series introduces a land caught between the Broken with Walmart and technology and the Weird with magic. Rose Drayton is also caught between worlds. She works on off-the-books job in the Broken so that she can feed and clothe her two young brothers. Her mother is dead and her father has abandoned the family. 

Rose has magic. In fact, she has such powerful magic that she has become a target for those who want to exploit her. She's been betrayed by the boyfriend who wanted to sell her to the highest bidder and a man from the Weird who courted her but was outed as a slaver who also just wanted to use her. Her trust in men is nonexistent.

When Declan Camarine comes to her from the Weird, her first comment is that she has no intention of marrying her. This intrigues Declan who has come to the Edge for a far different reason. A man from the Weird has goals of conquering the Edge and eating all the magic. Rose and her brothers George and Jack are brimming with magic. Declan decides that he'll find his target if he keeps close to Rose and her family.

Neither is expecting to fall in love with the other. But, as they work together to find and defeat the villain, their emotions get involved. 

I enjoyed the worldbuilding in this story. The characters were also interesting and well-rounded people. I liked that Rose was a strong woman with a deep love for her family and the determination needed to keep them safe. I liked that Declan was an honorable man who had a chance to convince Rose that all men weren't scum. 

This was an entertaining, fast-paced story with lots of action and just enough romance. 

Favorite Quote:

"A young girl is a creature of dreams, my lord. A woman with one foot in the world of fantasy, searching for the face of true love in every handsome boy she sees. Rose has no fantasies. One would expect a woman who has gone through her trials to be bitter and angry, but she isn't. She's kind, sweet, selfless, and generous, and I thank my lucky stars for this every day."

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.