Book Review – The Witches of Bone Hill by Ava Morgyn

I received an E-Arc by the publisher and marketing assistant Kejana Ayala (thank you!) and the author, Ava Morgyn and Netgalley for an honest review.

Author: Ava Morgyn
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Date: September 26, 2023
Pages: 416
Website
Instagram

SUMMARY:
Cordelia Bone’s meticulously crafted life and career in Dallas are crashing down around her thanks to a philandering husband with criminal debts. When her older, carefree sister, Eustace―a cannabis grower in Boulder―calls to inform her that the great aunt they never met has died and they must travel to a small town in Connecticut to deal with the estate, she sees an opportunity to unload the house and save herself.

But once there, the sisters learn they are getting much more than they bargained for. The Victorian mansion they stand to inherit is bound in a dynasty trust controlled by their late aunt’s aging attorney, who insists they retain and inhabit the house but keeps them in the dark about the peculiar rituals of their ancestors. Not to mention a sexy, tattooed groundskeeper with a shrouded past who refuses to leave the carriage house and a crypt full of dead relatives looming at the property line.

As both women grapple with their current predicament, they come face to face with a haunting family secret, the truth of what happened to their mother, and the enemy that’s been stalking them from the shadows for generations. In a twisting torrent of terror and blood, the sisters must uncover the power within them to heal their fractured relationship, reverse their mysteriously declining health, and claim the lineage they wanted to escape but now must embrace if they are to survive at Bone Hill.

REVIEW
I could not stop reading this book. I literally was hooked on the story from the beginning to the end! I had to know what was going to happen next with the sisters!

I got this ebook from the publisher which was so nice. It was an awesome surprise! Thank you Kejana Ayala and author, Ava Morgyn.

Like I said this book had me hooked! Each chapter had me wanting to know what was going to happen next for Cordelia and Eustace. The two sisters inherit a house from an aunt they never knew and things happen!! Weird things happen! So many mysteries…so many things!

At first I thought the book would be a whimsical book but it’s a bit dark with a tiny bit of horror. So if you are looking a dark but quick paced story about witches with some creepy bits in it, then this book is for you. Just to warn you if you don’t like creepy things then maybe not read this book, ok? Creepy bits meaning: history is a bit creepy, death is mentioned, an animal is hurt badly (so animal lovers just heads up!), and there is someone who dies. I could all the creepy things happening because I kept focusing on what was Cordelia and Eustace’s next move ? Will they survive this? What will they uncover next? What is so special about this house? I had tons of questions that I wanted to know.

I love how both sisters got each other’s backs. I love Eustace’s quirky moments which made me giggle. I love Cordelia going into investigation mode. The sisters made a great team and I loved how they learned more about their family history. The sisters both have secrets of their own and eventually they are told. Are they still sisters?

There was some romance happening with Cordelia and the groundkeeper which was nice!!! I liked how the romance slowly was incorporated in the story. I loved the groundkeeper’s background story too. Do they get their happy ever after? You’ll have to find out.

I will point one thing. Eustace did cook a nice meal for her sister and invited the groundkeeper to join them. While eating Cordelia and the groundkeeper who is named Gordon ends up saying some funny things. Why is that? Blame it on Eustace, hahaha! It was funny. I wished the book had a few more of these moments.

Who’s the villain in the story? It had me guessing and you’ll have to read it to find out.

Go pick this up when it comes out because it’ll be a great autumn/Halloween read! If you like witches with a bit of spookiness and creepy elements here and there then this is the one for you. I may pick this up since the cover is so pretty too!

Review: House of Primal Witches by Raven More

I received a free e-Arc for an honest review. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this e-ARC.

Author: Raven More
Pages; 253
Date :May 2023
Publisher:Flyaway Publishing

SUMMARY:
Impure touch is a great sin, almost as blasphemous as practicing witchcraft. The lust between my beloved and myself risks eternal damnation, so we must marry soon.

I’ve waited so long, traveled the Dead Zone, and lost my brother to Raiders, all to escape the condemned witches to live in the pious nation of Luminous.

Today is my day to marry my betrothed, the son of the great Pontiff, ruler of the light, to take my position as the Chosen One.

But this morning I awoke to discover one problem…I’m a witch.

REVIEW:
The story took me off guard! There were twists that I never saw coming. Ibis is the main character who is caught in a web of who to trust and what to do. She is turned left and right and in the middle things as she tries to find who she is along the way. On top of this her love dies and yet comes back in dark way. She is torn of what to do for him, Acheron. Does she give him a chance? Does he die? Does she figure out who she is? What happens?

Since there is quite a bit going on, it can be a bit repetitive. I wished it had a bit more depth in it. I will say the story is interesting in its twists. There was some spice to this book which I was not expecting. There are some dark parts in it which was okay to me but to others it might not. I would be interested to see what happens in book 2.

I’m glad I read the story because it was a different take on vampires and witches.

Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ St. Martin’s Press
• Date ‏ : ‎ September 14, 2021
• Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 752 pages
• Author: Jay Kristoff
• Twitter
• Instagram

SUMMARY:

From holy cup comes holy light;
The faithful hand sets world aright.
And in the Seven Martyrs’ sight,
Mere man shall end this endless night.

It has been twenty-seven long years since the last sunrise. For nearly three decades, vampires have waged war against humanity; building their eternal empire even as they tear down our own. Now, only a few tiny sparks of light endure in a sea of darkness.

Gabriel de León is a silversaint: a member of a holy brotherhood dedicated to defending realm and church from the creatures of the night. But even the Silver Order could not stem the tide once daylight failed us, and now, only Gabriel remains.

Imprisoned by the very monsters he vowed to destroy, the last silversaint is forced to tell his story. A story of legendary battles and forbidden love, of faith lost and friendships won, of the Wars of the Blood and the Forever King and the quest for humanity’s last remaining hope:

The Holy Grail.

REVIEW:
This book took me time to read because there so much was going on. It is not a fast read. I wanted to be sure what was going in the story. This is a very dark book. It’s not like “Twilight” or “Crave” or even like “From the Blood and Ash.” To me it’s a combination of Anne Rice vampire books along with “The Witcher” style. It’s calamitous how Jay spins the tale of Gabriel. This book is not for children.

There is fighting, darkness, swearing, death and blood and more. If this is not your genre, then don’t read it. I’m not giving it all away. If you have seen Jay Kristoff instagram or Twitter or the trending of the book itself, you know people have mentioned this. I don’t mind the dark side because it fits with the story and the atmosphere. I was captivated by the storyline. I wanted to know what was going to happen to Gabriel. I will admit some points in the story gave me a little discomfort.

For me it took a moment to understand that Gabriel is telling his story from two different points in his life. That’s how Gabriel wanted to tell it. So be on task if you read this book.

I could totally see the story in my head of what was happening, probably not exactly like how Jay writes it but it was there. Darkness, medieval feel atmosphere like fantasy wrapped around it and adventure of fighting. Gruesome vampires and other baddies! I kept seeing cliffs, cathedrals and forests along with death surrounding in some of the cities that Gabriel goes to. (I blame movies for these concepts and my love for old architecture). I saw certain themes from Gabriel’s telling of his story: family life, coping skills, anger, dealing with who he is (coming of age), what his purpose in life is and surviving. You may see some of that or not. (This I blame for taking a literature class back in my college days, it’s find to find quirks and themes in stories.)

The ending left me wanting to know if Gabriel is going to continue the damn story or will he do something naughty? So much happened in Gabriel’s life that I’m surprised he’s still going. What keeps him going? I want to know.

I will say this, the beginning of the story had me questioning how the hell did Gabriel get himself in that position to tell it? I hope Jay can keep track of his own story because it’s a lot going on.

I rarely read books that bring such sorrow and mischief. I will admit I have read Jay Kristoff’s “Nevernight” which was hard for me to read.

But I will say I do look forward to the next book.

Review of Honorable Rogue

I received an e-Arc from Netgalley and publisher for an honest review!

Publisher ‏ : ‎ City Owl Press
Date: July 2, 2021
Author: Linda J. Parisi

As a Roman gladiator and slave, vampire Hunter Pierce only knew death and destruction. Never love.

Dr. Victoria Roberts only knew love and safety, never fear or death, until the day her life was shattered with a home invasion that destroyed her world.

Now Hunter and Tori’s worlds collide, with Blood Rogues continuing to menace both human and vampire alike.

Tori is in danger and it’s all Hunter’s fault. To keep watch over the clever scientist, the vampire enlists her to aid in finding a cure for Nirvana, the dangerous poison rogue vampires are using to kill.

When Tori is kidnapped, Hunter faces his corrupt former master and a race against the clock to save his own life.

But can a vampire who has only watched out for himself risk his life, and his immortality, for the love of a human?

Can a woman who has lost everything rebuild her shattered heart with a man who thinks he hasn’t got one?

Only love, trust, and an Honorable Rogue can save them all.

REVIEW

Well this book held my attention! I could not put it down. The story, the history, the characters and how they all interacted with each other. It was good.

The beginning caught my attention as I continued to read and thought this was going to be a typical vibe that I have read before. Boy I was wrong! I have read tons of vampire paranormal romance books and let me tell you that the feeling of reading them for me is always fun! That feeling will always be with me. This book brought that feeling back so yay! Anyways back to the story, Hunter closed himself off because that how he thinks he should be. When Tori comes into the picture, does she break Hunter’s wall down?

Now Tori on the hand is a woman of guts and living life to the fullest but she also has a wall too. She’s a great character. She can hold her ground too. I love that. So you can imagine how Tori felt when she finds out Hunter is an actual vampire.

The two characters do have chemistry with each other. It’s instant lust at first but then further along I think it becomes something more. They compliment each other. They are for each other.

While the story goes there is a danger involved. Someone from Hunter’s past targets Tori. There is a lot of history from Hunter’s past which is not pleasant. I felt bad for Hunter and what he went through. I can understand how he is from that past.

There were some other characters that came into play such as Stacy and Charles which Tori knew. Charles is also a vampire while Stacy is not. Plus some other vampires show up which were pretty cool. I loved how one of the vampires interacted with Tori. Stacy and Tori chatting was so fun too. It was nice to see a variety of characters.

The plot was great — fast paced, exciting, adventure, steamy scenes, dialogue that keeps you entertained and the ending took me by surprise! I thought the author did a great job with this story. I look forward to reading more from her.

Just a Warning: Hunter’s past is dark. Back in the day of Roman Gladiator times things happened

Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan

• Publisher : Wednesday Books;
• Date: April 7, 2020
• Paperback : 416 pages
• Author: Emily A. Duncan

Summary:

A girl who can speak to gods must save her people without destroying herself.

A prince in danger must decide who to trust.

A boy with a monstrous secret waits in the wings.

Together, they must assassinate the king and stop the war.

In a centuries-long war where beauty and brutality meet, their three paths entwine in a shadowy world of spilled blood and mysterious saints, where a forbidden romance threatens to tip the scales between dark and light. Wicked Saints is the thrilling start to Emily A. Duncan’s devastatingly Gothic Something Dark and Holy trilogy.

My Review:

I have mixed feelings about this book. The beginning caught my attention really well. Nadya Lapteva to me seemed to be main character but the story would switch back and forth between viewpoints of Nadya and Serefin, who was the prince. This took me a while to figure out in the story as I then started to look at the chapter pages.

Basically there is a war going on along with other things which Nadya wants to end and so does Serefin. Enters: Malachiasz Czechowicz who is a bit strange to me but as I kept on reading I couldn’t figure him out. At first I thought he was the enemy then he wasn’t and then he is? Which one is it? I am so confused on that character. There are some other characters that pop up in the book that are side characters. I think some of them help move the story along. The witch caught my attention. Anyways Nadya, Serefin and Malachiasz eventually agree a plan to end the war together along with stopping the king but does it happen? Cue the drama!!

There is content of violence, murder, self-harm for blood magic. Some parts of it was a tad gory for me as I read through those parts rather quickly. The whole blood magic and creepy Vultures were creeeepy!

I just do not know how I feel about this book. Maybe I need another day to think on it?

There is a sequel because the book did leave it open for a cliffhanger. I do not know if I am going to read the next book yet. I have to think on this.

Anyone else read this book and liked it? Thoughts??

Update on Nevernight by Jay Kristoff

I am still reading….

So far… in NeverNight by Jay Kristoff has been quite adventurous and dark.
The story flips between Mia’s past and present which is interesting to me.
I am at the part of the book where Mia enters the quest for the Church–we shall see what happens.
It’s a competition.

Books I spy at the library

Books I spy at the library.   The book covers and titles caught my eye.  So I figured to pass it out and along to those who would be interested.

Current song playing in my head is: Evanscence – What You Want

Perfect Neighbor
By Sarah  Pekkanen
352 pages
Publisher: Washington Square Press (July 5, 2016)
WEBSITE

Bucolic Newport Cove, where spontaneous block parties occur on balmy nights and all of the streets are named for flowers, is proud of its distinction of being named one the top twenty safest neighborhoods in the US. It’s also one of the most secret-filled.

Kellie Scott has just returned to work after a decade of being a stay-at-home mom. She’s adjusting to high heels, scrambling to cook dinner for her family after a day at the office—and soaking in the dangerous attention of a very handsome, very married male colleague. Kellie’s neighbor Susan Barrett begins every day with fresh resolutions: she won’t eat any carbs, she’ll go to bed at a reasonable hour, and she’ll stop stalking her ex-husband and his new girlfriend. Gigi Kennedy seems to have it all together—except her teenage daughter has turned into a hostile stranger and her husband is running for Congress, which means her old skeletons are in danger of being brought into the light.

Then a new family moves to this quiet, tree-lined cul-de-sac. Tessa Campbell seems friendly enough to the other mothers, if a bit reserved. Then the neighbors notice that no one is ever invited to Tessa’s house. And soon, it becomes clear that Tessa is.

 

Every Ugly Word
By Aimee Salter
Paperback: 295
Publisher: Alloy Entertainment – Powered by Amazon (June 16, 2015)
WEBSITE

When seventeen-year-old Ashley Watson walks through the halls of her high school, bullies taunt and shove her. She can’t go a day without fighting with her mother. And no matter how hard she tries, she can’t make her best friend, Matt, fall in love with her. But Ashley also has something no one else does: a literal glimpse into the future. When Ashley looks into the mirror, she can see her twenty-three-year-old self.

Her older self has been through it all already–she endured the bullying, survived the heartbreak, and heard every ugly word her classmates threw at her. But her older self is also keeping a dark secret: Something terrible is about to happen to Ashley. Something that will change her life forever. Something even her older self is powerless to stop.

Perfect for fans of Thirteen Reasons Why and The List, Every Ugly Word is a gripping and emotional story about the devastating consequences of bullying.

This is a new release of the previously self-published title Breakable.

 

With No regrets
By Julie N. Ford
340 Pages
Publisher: White Star Press; 1 edition (May 26, 2015)
WEBSITE

Finley isn’t exactly sure when her life began to feel unfamiliar. She suspects the transformation started long before she caught her husband and fellow garden club member doing the white-trash-two-step on her new Bernhardt sofa. Now free from the shackles of a loveless marriage, and with her children off to college, she’s finally able to go searching for the missing pieces of her heart. Finley’s best friend, Cathyanne, is already working hard to ensure that Finley finds true love this time around. But when Finley is unwittingly tossed into the arms of two men—their sexy trainer and her neighbor, a popular country star—Cathyanne fears finding the right guy will be more complicated than she ever could have imagined.

For Finley, building a new life feels as impossible as flying a paper airplane to the moon. But maybe, just maybe, with the right help, she will find her whole heart—even if it’s in the very last place she thinks to look.