Month: April 2020

Review: The Honest Knight (Knight Trilogy #1) by Annie Lindwurm

Needed good beta readers. DNF at 40%

3 out of 5 stars

DNF 40%

E-book. 85 pages. Published March 31st 2020

Blurb:

More than jousting will determine whether love and loyalty wins…

Brien is a proud knight of Fenton castle, but his brash nature and say-it-as-it-is attitude push most people away. When his princess Eleanor returns with her wife, the festival preparations are almost ready when they receive news that their foreign in-laws insisted on a gift of more knights – will Brien make new friends or enemies? With a menial job to keep him in line, Brien is brought closer to a man who is out of his reach.

Devon is the stable master, but his confidence is only with the animals in his care. With the new faces arriving at the castle his anxieties rise when he finds out firsthand their opinions on half-Fae mingling with humans, let alone other knights. While trying to deny his feelings for Brien, will Devon be able to assert his rightful place in the castle?

The two of them work together for the festival’s success but the more time they spend together, Brien and Devon can’t deny their growing attraction. With the new knights proving troublesome, will the festival be a success? Or will the fun and games take a darker turn?

This series is intended for mature readers. It is a Steamy MM Fantasy Romance featuring explicit scenes and adult themes. 

Likes:

  • Medieval/fantasy theme.
  • The base idea is good.

Dislikes:

  • Descriptions weren’t as good as they could have been.
  • Could use a line editor.
  • Could use beta readers.
  • Needs more work to convey everything to the reader.
  • Hard to keep all the Knights straight.

DNF 40%

Despite the fact that I didn’t finish the book, it wasn’t bad. I’m just used to better quality. After I found myself putting the book down for the umpteenth time, I decided to cut my losses.

The overall plot is interesting. A knight and the stable master, one fully human, the other half-Fey. The book has a lot of medieval flair along with a dash of high fantasy, which is normally right up my alley.

Unfortunately, the writing needs work. I do feel like the author knows what’s going on and has a solid idea of what the story is about. However, there can be a loss of information when the story gets translated from idea to written words, and it feels like that’s what happened here. The bones of the story are there, it just needs to be fleshed out.

A lack of description is probably the thing this book’s biggest problem. A little of that is physical description, but it’s more than that. I need a book to paint a picture in my mind. Use all five senses and ground the story firmly in a place. I got a good idea of the stables and the palace walls, but not of the bigger picture. I needed even a brief glimpse of the ecosystem existing within the castle, even if that ecosystem isn’t important to the story.

That bigger picture would have let me get closer to Brien. I feel like I don’t know him at all. He’s a knight, and kind, but I only see him when he’s around Devon, which is mostly in the stables. I can’t help being annoyed at how small a window I have into the world of the story, given that I know there’s so much more I’m not being shown.

To this end, I think a few good beta readers would help this story immensely. That could have pointed out that people might have trouble remembering which knight is which, since there are a lot of them. A good line editor would come in handy as well, to smooth out the clunky sentences and remove extra punctuation.

I’m giving the book 3 stars because it’s definitely not the worst self-published book I’ve tried to read, and I am more lenient with self-published stuff. But with so many better books out there, it simply wasn’t worth finishing.

Series Review: The Knight and the Necromancer by A.H. Lee

A fantastic series that made me remember why I love high fantasy so much.

5 out of 5 stars

Books include:

Plus two short stories:

  • Putting the Romance in Necromancy
  • Spring in the Haunted Forest

Likes:

  • Everything about the story and characters.
  • That all three parts were published at the same time.

Dislikes:

  • That the second epilogue was not included in the book.

I loved this series. Hands down the best thing I’ve read recently.

I am so glad that all three parts were published at the same time, because I binged them. I literally read the first two parts in one day, and got started reading the third as soon as I could the next day. The story flows so well from one book to the other, while also having a very reasonable ending points. I didn’t mind the cliffhangers at all because I was able to get the next book right away.

This was my first introduction to A.H. Lee. I’ve never read anything by her in any of her pen names, and I will definitely be going back for more. High fantasy books that balance plot, world building, and romance are like catnip for me. Reading this book made me realize once again why I love high fantasy.

High fantasy allows an author to build whatever kind of world they want. I’m used to books about magic, but not about necromancy. And A.H. Lee managed to make Sairis not only an interesting character but a genuinely good guy. The same with Roland. Knights are usually presented as metaphorically clean and shiny, but she showed the rougher side as well.

I am a fan of ‘opposites attract’ themed stories, and this series pulled it off beautifully. Sairis and Roland’s relationship wasn’t easy, but they ended up with something really great. I am glad that the series allowed them the time and space for their feelings to develop naturally.

One of the biggest compliments I can give to any book is wanting more, even when everything was wrapped up well. I definitely wanted more of Sairis and Roland. I want more of the entire kingdom. I love the world that the story is set in and want to read many more books set in it. Which is why I signed up for A.H. Lee’s email list and got access to the two extra short stories.

Putting the Romance in Necromancy is a prequel story about Sairis leaving for the capital. I never even considered how he found his way to the Tipsy Knave, but it’s a nice story. I don’t think it adds a lot to the overall plot, unlike the second epilogue story, Spring in the Haunted Forest. This story was important. Not for big plot things, but for rounding out the story’s ending. You don’t have to read it, but it filled in some of my lingering questions, as well as showing how things had changed after a year had passed.

I am looking forward to more MM books from A.H. Lee in the future. Hopefully she will keep writing for a long time!

Review: Broken (Cursed #1) by X. Aratare

A disappointing retelling of Beauty and the Beast.

1.5 out of 5 stars

DNF 19%

Ebook. Kindle Unlimited. 250 pages. Published June 1st 2016 by Raythe Reign

Blurb:

Nick Fairfax vows to do whatever Lord Bane Dunsaney desires for one year. In exchange, Nick’s family gets a chance to regain their fortune. Is this the worst mistake of Nick’s life, or will it lead to a love only found in fairy tales? A modern, M/M retelling of Beauty & The Beast.

Sensitive, aspiring photographer Nick Fairfax wants nothing to do with his family’s corporate business, or their vicious, cold-blooded lifestyle. Intending to give up his inheritance and pursue his art, he arrives at his father’s office, only to find that Fairfax Industries has fallen to a scarred man in a hooded cloak.

The man is the reclusive billionaire Lord Bane Dunsaney, and he is bent on destroying the Fairfaxes. But when he sees Nick, everything changes. Bane offers the Fairfaxes the chance to regain their fortune if Nick will reside at Moon Shadow, his secluded mansion, and do whatever the billionaire wants for a whole year. Nick has no real choice other than to agree to Bane’s terms.

At Moon Shadow, Bane lords his power over Nick, going even so far as to take Nick’s phone, computer and beloved camera away. The billionaire claims such measures are to protect his privacy, but Nick is convinced they are so Bane can control him.

Each is determined to see the worst in each other. But as time passes, Nick glimpses a Bane that is much more than the cold-hearted figure that he met in his father’s office. He discovers that Bane is a man betrayed by love and no longer believes in it.

But what Nick comes to know about Bane is nothing compared to the man’s true secret. Bane is cursed. He is a tiger-shifter who has no control over his beast. And that beast wants Nick. 

Likes:

  • That no one is named Beau.
  • The introductory chapter was intriguing.
  • The overall setup wasn’t bad.
  • Jade was a breath of fresh air.

Dislikes:

  • I never connected with Nick.
  • The characters didn’t feel realistic or authentic.
  • It felt like the author was forcing the characters to fit the ‘Beauty and the Beast’ mold.
  • Clichés abound.

I should probably stop reading fairytale retellings. Most, like this one, don’t live up to my expectations. But it’s the few that do that give me hope for the whole genre.

Props where it’s due, the overall setup of this book wasn’t bad. The introductory chapter piqued my interest. The way Nick ended up in Bane’s house was unique. And I was incredibly happy that no one was named ‘Beau’, which is the male version of Belle.

That being said, nothing about this book hooked me. Nick’s personality turned me off right away. He’s a 21 year old photographer who still relies entirely on his father’s money, despite detesting the work his father does. And, in all fairness, his father is an asshole. He’s basically a business shark, hunting down struggling companies, buying them up only to tear them apart and fire all the employees.

The fact that Nick is finally going to walk away from his family – family he “never fit into” – is made significantly less impactful by the fact that it was his father’s ultimatum that set everything into motion. To me, Nick came across as someone who talked a big game about how shitty his father’s work ethics were, but who liked his cushy life paid for by the fruits of that business.

Nick is essentially a spoiled rich boy. He’s a college student living in his parent’s multi-million dollar house. He rides a motorcycle and has lots of expensive camera gear, plus the free time to travel and take pictures of old ruins. Sure, he’s got an artist’s sensitive soul. “Nick thought imagination was the closest one could get to the sublime.”

That’s great and all. But Nick also deliberately turned a blind eye to all the suffering his father’s business practices caused other people. “He had tried not to know the cost of his family’s business practices. He wouldn’t even look at the news about jobs lost, lives ruined, and pensions disappeared by keeping his gaze on the horizon and the time when he would be free of them.”

When I think of the story of Beauty and the Beast, it’s not just about their physical appearances. It’s about who they are on the inside. A beautiful soul, versus one that’s been twisted by its experiences. Nick might be physically attractive, but there’s nothing special about his soul.

Knowing this, I was at least hoping that Bane would be an interesting character. I actually liked that he gave the Nick’s father a taste of his own dirty business practices. I had hoped that he had a reason to demand Nick work for him for a year. Or at least, a reason other than to punish the Fairfax family. I was incredibly disappointed to realize that Bane didn’t have a plan. Not only that, but having Nick in his home was dangerous to him.

This is one of my main problems with fairytale retellings – heavy handed author manipulation. Because the book must follow a specific pattern, the characters aren’t free to grow however they want. The author must keep a tight leash on them, to keep them on the chosen path, and it shows. From Nick’s willingness to do anything to help the family he was about to turn his back on, to his assumptions about Bane’s character minutes after their meeting. It felt forced, unrealistic, and clichéd.

At the end of the day, there was nothing about this book that made it worth finishing.

Review: The Sea (The Knight and the Necromancer #3) by A.H. Lee

A truly fantastic ending to the series! I couldn’t have asked for more.

5 out of 5 stars

Ebook. Kindle Unlimited. 180 pages. Published March 23rd 2020 by Pavonine Books

Blurb:

Knights and necromancers are never on the same side… are they?

Sairis has known all his life that knights are not his friends…until the last few weeks, when he somehow forgot, and tumbled into bed with one. He told Roland to leave, hurt him badly, used as many cruel words as possible. And yet Roland stubbornly refuses to leave Sairis alone, half-naked and friendless in the wilderness.

After a surreal week of shared secrets beneath the stars, they’re about to rejoin Mistala’s army as it prepares for a desperate battle with a deadly sorcerer. Sairis’s help might make the difference, but he is deeply conflicted, afraid of being trapped and stripped of his magic by Mistala’s unfriendly magicians. He’s not sure whether he’s the prince’s lover or his prize. He feels like an outlaw, trussed up across Roland’s saddle. If he could just leave them all their deaths, things would be so much easier. 

Likes:

  • Fantastic conclusion.
  • Kept me on the edge of my seat.
  • Lord of the Rings vibe.
  • Hope for the future.

Dislikes:

  • I want more.
  • The tangential series is set hundreds of years in the future.
  • You have to sign up for the author’s newsletter to get the second epilogue.

You know a series is good when you don’t want it to end.

This book wrapped up the series in the best possible way. I have no complaints about the story, characters, or outcome.

I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. Even though I knew everything was going to be okay because this is a romance, I was still worried about Roland and Saris. Both had their own trials and tribulations to overcome. The way Saris used his necromancy at the end was amazing. It gave me strong Lord of the Rings vibes, which was great.

I always love fantasy books that have a generally hopeful feel about the future in the end. While the main aspects of the book were settled, there were still things that happened that prove that the world will keep on turning. Stories yet to be told. I would happily read much more about Saris and Roland or about people tangential to them. And while Mal apparently has his own series, it’s set hundreds of years in the future, which means no glimpses of Saris and Roland. Boo.

There is a “exclusive second epilogue” you can get by signing up for the author’s newsletter, which I forgot about almost immediately. I don’t tend to go for those kinds of things, but I might this time. Unless I forget again, which is completely possible.

Review: The Border (The Knight and the Necromancer #2) by A.H. Lee

Story picked up right where the first book ended and took off like a rocket. Loved it!

5 out of 5 stars

E-book. Kindle Unlimited. 167 pages. Published March 23rd 2020

Blurb:                                     

Roland thought necromancers were inhuman monsters. Until he met Sairis.

Roland and Sairis have escaped from a traumatic assassination attempt, solved the mystery of their attacker, and enjoyed plenty of heavy petting along the way. Roland knows that it’s too soon for love, but he feels like he’s falling head over heels.

However, in the final moments when their attacker is revealed, Sairis does something unthinkable. He transfers a brutal spell to Roland, nearly killing him, and disappears.

Roland is left reeling, struggling to cope with his injuries, and wondering whether everything Sairis said and did was a lie. Did Sairis seduce Roland only to use him as a hostage? And if not, what has happened to Sairis? 

Likes:

  • Story picked up right after where the first book left off.
  • Political intrigue.
  • Change of location.
  • Mystery.
  • The characters.
  • The romance.
  • New allies.
  • Backstory that filled in some of the pieces.
  • Inclusion of other LGBTQ+ characters.

Dislikes:

  • I was genuinely worried about Sairis’s wellbeing at one point.
  • The plot slows down in a few places.

This book flows directly from the first book with no time lapse or need for repetition. That was great, especially since all three books were published at the same time. The plot sped along right from the start, introducing new political machinations and new characters.

I was genuinely worried whether Sairis would be physically harmed at one point. The story could have gone very dark. Luckily, it didn’t. I’m not used to being worried about the health and safety of main characters in a romance, so it threw me for a loop, but it fit with the story.

New characters and allies are introduces, and other characters move to the forefront. I enjoyed that there were other nonconforming and LGBTQ+ characters. I also enjoyed how well everyone was interconnected.

We got backstory that filled in a lot of pieces. It slowed the pace a little, but I do think the information was necessary. And the pace picked up again soon enough.

The main characters were still great. They have a lot more push and pull in this book. Their attraction is stronger but so are the forces that are trying to pull them apart. I appreciated that their relationship is still very much in flux.

The way the characters are travelling in this story is nice. The plot is literally moving along as they head towards the final battlefield. There’s still a lot of mystery surrounding who is trying to pull what strings. It adds tension and drama.

Overall, I am very happy with this book. Everything about it makes me want to keep reading. I am looking forward to the ending with high hopes and anticipation.

Review: The Capital (The Knight and the Necromancer #1) by A.H. Lee

Great start to a series, but I wasn’t expecting the sudden cliffhanger.

5 out of 5 stars

E-book. Kindle Unlimited. 162 pages. Published March 23rd 2020

Blurb:

It’s a classic fairytale: Knight meets necromancer. They argue. They fight. They…make out?

Prince Roland comes home from the war to bury his father and see his sister on the throne. He sneaks out to his favorite tavern for nostalgia’s sake. It’s the place where he kissed a man for the first time, the place where he used to carouse with the lover he buried on a battlefield.

Roland expects to enjoy some anonymity and perhaps flirt with a few strangers for old time’s sake. He does not expect to find a fascinating scholar from out of town—a lonely young man with beautiful eyes and an obvious longing to be touched, buried beneath a prickly demeanor. The man clearly has his secrets, but so does Roland, and their unexpected chemistry makes him feel alive for the first time in months.

Roland exerts all his knightly charm and is rewarded by the promise of a second date. He figures he’ll need something to look forward to tomorrow, since he must spend the day in council with his family’s sworn enemy—a necromancer whom his sister has rashly invited to consult about the war.

Sairis is a necromancer with a price on his head. He knows that he will have to bargain for his life tomorrow. He’s never been this far from his tower. He’s good with magic, not people. He’s frightened, although he doesn’t want to admit it.

Sairis knows he’s doing something foolish by visiting a tavern the evening before his meeting with the royals—a tavern that caters to men of certain tastes. But Sairis wants things. Things a hunted outlaw can never have.

He tells himself that he’ll just watch—see what ordinary people enjoy every day. Sairis is confident in his ability to intimidate anyone who comes too close.

He’s shocked when a dazzling mountain of a man is not intimidated in the slightest. Sairis knows a knight when he sees one. He has killed plenty of knights. But this knight is funny and kind. Sairis finds his defenses melting in spite of his best efforts. Maybe he could go on a second date with this person.

Of course, he’ll have to get through tomorrow first…when he must bargain with the hated royals who have persecuted him all his life.

Likes:

  • Quick read.
  • Hooked me right from the start.
  • World building.
  • Characters.
  • Romance.
  • Mystery element.

Dislikes:

  • Abrupt ending with a cliffhanger.

I loved this book. I was looking for a high fantasy gay romance, and it delivered. The book is probably closer to a novella in length, but the plot moved at such a good pace that it doesn’t feel like anything has been left out. I actually enjoyed the short length, because I finished reading in record time.

That could be because I didn’t want to put the book down. I was hooked from the very start. The characters and their situation were so compelling. The instant attraction between Saris and Roland got the romance moving right from the start, while their respective positions kept them at odds. Both were great characters in their own rights. They came from different places, had different opinions, and had different life experiences, but they fit together well.

I was rooting for them the whole way through. The romance is paced really well, so that they get to know and trust each other while never forgetting that the kingdom is in danger. It was a perfect balance.

The non-romantic plot was well structured. There were traitors, a massive threat to the kingdom, and plenty of people working to promote their own agenda. That brought in a mystery element as everyone tried to figure out who was plotting what.

I loved that Daphne was not just a figurehead but a strong woman. Her being the kingdom’s first ever queen was a nice touch. It showed how much things had changed over the past few decades. I always appreciate when authors are able to tell me things about the world without resorting to info dumps, and this book handled that perfectly.

The cliffhanger caught me off guard. It happens at a good time, but it did make me worried about whether or not the next book was out yet. Happily, all three books in the series were published at the same time, so I was able to instantly download the second book and get reading. This series is truly a series, with the plot continuing seamlessly from one book to the next. If you like the first book, you’ll want to get the second immediately.