Jimmy and the Crawler by Raymond Feist

Reading this was like stumbling on to an old friend unexpectedly.    I’ve been pretty diligent in reading all of Feist’s work.  Jimmy has been seen before but I’ve not seen a book where he was featured.  Jimmy is still putting his nefarious skills to work for Prince Arutha.  The Crawler’s thugs are infesting Krondor and Jimmy is tasked with thwarting him.

Jimmy is joined in his quest by William and Jazhara, William a soldier, and Jazhara a magician.   The three journey to Durbin to find the source of Krondor’s infestation.  

Feist puts plenty of action in his books and this book is no exception.   The book focuses on Jimmy, and Jazhara with William being more of a sidebar.  The story was entirely too short.

I enjoyed it and recommend it. 

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Dragon Bond by Ruby Lionsdrake aka Lindsay Buroker

This tale is a touch different than your normal sword and sorcery saga.   Fantasy comes to play with dragons and libidos.   Dragons have invaded the planet and razed one continent with plans to conquer the world.   The less powerful dragons from a dragon-ruled planet they fled persecution and became persecutors.

General Zala Shaylinor is the leading general of the oppressed humans.  First Commander “Talon” Arristalonis is the most successful dragon general.  The two meet in on several occasions and are impressed by each other’s skills.

Surprising circumstances throw them together and sparks of a surprising physical arousal result.   Lest your fears of stranger things run amuck, the dragons are shapeshifters and the sparks fly when Talon is in human form.

The book has from my aged perspective, adult content that is no doubt tame to contemporary teens.  I would not recommend the book for pre-teens as it is suitable for a more adult audience.  It was a good story with some overt romanticism. 

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases if you click on a purchasing link below.#CommissionsEarned

Spotlight on Hidden Heir by Rose D. Paturno

DEBUT AUTHOR ROSANNA PATRUNO 

RELEASES NEW ADULT FANTASY SERIES

WITH A MYSTERIOUS ARISTOCRAT AND FORGOTTEN FAMILY SECRETS

 

Perfect for fans of the Off-Campus series, and those who are over the Alpha Male trope

PARIS – Debut author Rosanna Patruno is releasing the first book in her thrilling New Adult fantasy series, “The Hidden Heir” (March 14, 2023), which follows magical Inga through her supernatural lessons with the handsome yet mystifying Biagio, and on an otherworldly journey to protect her family from the sorcerer hunting them.

Despite being one of the less gifted witches in her family, Inga is eager to take advantage of her magical skills. Her mother, however, doesn’t believe women have a place in school, and wants Inga to give up magic and work with her in her tearoom. When Inga meets the gifted yet mysterious magical instructor Biago, who o ers her one-on-one lessons to advance her magical abilities, she is ecstatic. Her mother does not trust the high-status, handsome Biago, for reasons unknown to Inga. But Inga unexpectedly develops feelings for Biago, as he shows her what it is like to live among the aristocrats of London, leading Inga into a world of unexpected euphoria that she did not know existed.

When long-forgotten family secrets begin to resurface, including a millennia-old sorcerer hunting Inga’s family, and young women suddenly disappearing across London, Inga must fight to secure her own fate, and the fate of those around her. Can Inga trust Biago to help her avoid a destiny far worse than death, or is Inga’s mom right to not trust him? Follow Inga on her journey to uncover the truth of her family’s history, and to protect them and society at all costs.

“The Hidden Heir”

Rosanna Patruno | March 14, 2023 | New Adult Fantasy

Paperback: 978-2-9585988-0-8

Rosanna Patruno: From her youth spent in Puglia, a wild region in the south of Italy, Rose has retained a love for the culinary preparation of beautiful natural products. And when still a teen, she decided to become a writer without knowing anything about this world; Rose never imagined for a moment what her path would be. At the age of twenty she defied the path laid out by her patriarchal family and escaped, leaving her family and this region behind, to follow her own passion – that of art and literature to discover Paris. There she took art classes, immersing her creativity between anatomy morphology and the art of watercolor along with Theater, which sharpened her sense of observation and her art of human portraiture – two skills she o ers in her writing. Later, she developed her knowledge of pre-Christian myths, a passion she shares with her husband. Her life as a writer comes from a well of decisions and encounters: “A novel may begin life as an anecdote, but sharing is where it is truly born. It is not something that we premeditate. But the desire to have amusement and excitement can only stem from our original creations for which the inspiration flows from our own memories – the surprises of life”.Follow Rosanna Patruno on social media:

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

 

 

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Kiku's Quest by William G. Bentrim, New review on NetGalley

Another NetGalley review:

William G. Bentrim has a great writing style and I enjoyed reading this. The cover is what drew me in and I was hooked the minute I started to read this. The storyline worked well and it had what I wanted from this type of story. It was a unique concept and I enjoyed the characters within this book. It left me wanting to read more in this universe.

"Jarvan had to come up with a story and think it up swiftly. I can hardly tell my parents I met a girl when she dragged me off the street after I got mugged. Nor can I say that she is an orphan in Dirtside, the major slum in Capital. Boy, this is like threading a minefield. What am I to tell them about Kiku?"

The reviews can be seen at https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/book/281077

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases if you click on a purchasing link below.#CommissionsEarned

Cast Off by R. J. Theodore

Once again, I have to rave about this new series. This is the third book of the trilogy.   The setting is a planet, Peridot, that has suffered some sort of cataclysmic event that has sundered the planet into diverse cultures.   The interaction between sections is primarily a craft that appears to be the marriage between a traditional ocean-going vessel and a hot air balloon.   In the previous books, the alien Yu’Nyun and the homegrown Veritors undercutting each other while pretending support is one of the underpinnings for this book.  Adding to that mix is Onya Bone’s high priestess, a god-touched alchemist, simulas endowed with known personalities and space travel.

 The conflict between the various gods and the simula that is the embodiment of the planet itself leads to further conflict.   Tempest a rebel organization with its own goals adds to the complexity of the plot as well as Captain Hawke and her diverse crew.   Once again though, the plot centers on a crew of misfitting individuals.   Captain Talis, Tisker, Dug, Zella, Kirnal Amos, Skrimshaw, and Sophia provide exceptional depth and color and all have a major role in the tale.  The relationship between captain to crew changes as the story progresses. 

Captain Talis privately exhibits misgivings about her leadership while facing the world with bravado.   Theodore gives the characters flaws and personalities.   I admire the style and thoroughness of her work.

This is an adventure as well as a world-changing experience.  Theodore did an incredible job on this trilogy and I can’t wait to see what is next.

I highly recommend it.

Also, there is a subliminal message about the importance of protecting the environment and respecting Mother Earth.

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases if you click on a purchasing link below.#CommissionsEarned

Salvage by R. J. Theodore

My enthusiasm continues for this new series. This is the second book of the trilogy and….I enjoyed it too.   The setting is a planet, Peridot, that has suffered some sort of cataclysmic event that has sundered the planet into diverse cultures.   The interaction between sections is primarily a craft that appears to be the marriage between a traditional ocean-going vessel and a hot air balloon.   The alien Yu’Nyun and the homegrown Veritors undercutting each other while pretending support is one of the underpinnings for this book.

 The conflict between the various gods and the simula that is the embodiment of the planet itself leads to further conflict.   Tempest a rebel organization with its own goals adds to the complexity of the plot. Once again though, the plot centers on a crew of misfitting individuals.   Captain Talis, Tisker, Dug, and Sophia are provided depth and color and all have a major role in the tale.  The relationship of captain to crew changes as the story progresses. 

Captain Talis privately exhibits misgivings about her leadership while facing the world with bravado.   Theodore gives the characters flaws and personalities.   I admire the style and thoroughness of her work.

This is an adventure as well as a world-changing experience.

I highly recommend it.

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases if you click on a purchasing link below.#CommissionsEarned

Perilous Times by Thomas D. Lee

Arthurian rubbish as described by the author’s brother.  Joe, I disagree, it was Arthurian for sure but rubbish, nope, not at all.  Lee fills his pages with despair and finally with hope.   In a world crashing and burning, the story takes place in the UK and features the likes of Lancelot and Kay, Morgan and Arthur as well as a Einsteinish Merlin.

As far as bit players, I think Barry, the squirrel, was my favorite.  Lee’s take on the protection of the planet leads to an uncomfortable look at fractionalization and greed.  In some ways, it is an uncomfortable reflection of current affairs without the hope of a Round Table resurrection.

I enjoyed the book and the message of hope. 

This book may have been received free of charge from a publisher or a publicist. That will NEVER have a bearing on my recommendations. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases if you click on a purchasing link below.#CommissionsEarned