wolves

Review: Bewitched Shadows by Autumn Blake

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I received a copy of e-arc from Netgalley and the publisher for an honest review!

Author: Autumn Blake
Publisher: Autumn Blake
Publishing Date: April 2023
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SUMMARY:
A fiery witch…
Ember Belle is a total mess. When she’s not partying with the local shifter pack or causing mayhem around New Orleans with her three sisters, she does anything to avoid confronting her out-of-control fire magick and the grief from losing her parents. However, when an opportunity arises to obtain a magical item that could solve all her problems, she decides to take her life into her own hands.

A cold-as-ice demon…
Killian Inferno’s only desire is to spend his final weeks of freedom in New Orleans, away from his duties as the future Lord of Pride. What he doesn’t expect, is to be summoned by the amateur witch who has been haunting his dreams. A seductress who needs his expertise to solve a recent murder by any means necessary. Even sorcery.

Ember now has no choice but to enter a demon pact with Killian. The terms are simple: remove the spell she may have cast on him before Samhain, or return to Hell with him, kicking and screaming. Can the two enemies set aside their animosity to uncover the city’s secrets and unlock Ember’s true magical potential, or will they be undone by the enemies they didn’t see coming?

REVIEW:
I could not stop reading this book. It was so good and so many things happening!! If you like vampires, witches, demons, wolves and more, then this book is for you. The story mainly focuses on Ember and Killian.

The story is told from Ember and Killian’s view point. The author switches back and forth between the two which is easy to understand how each character is feeling, thinking and doing.

The summary up above tells you what the book is about. It definitely ticked all the boxes off for me. This kind of stories are so fun to read.

The moment Ember and Killiam meet is epic. The banter between them is awesome. I loved it. You could sense they have something going on there. Could it be lust? Could it be love? Could it be from the spell? What will ever happen?

They eventually work together to solve the murders that are going on. Plus Ember wants to get that magical item to help herself. Killian has his own plans as well. Will all the plans go the way they want them to or will they be thrown all over the place?

There’s passion, there’s pretending, there’s drama, there’s heartfelt moments and then there is spicy parts happening. Whooo! A great combination between Killian and Ember.

I love Ember’s sisters: Jade, Audra and Isla. They are all unique sisters and they look out for each other. Best ever. A nice family touch in the story is great! The sisters even somewhat warm up to Killian in time. I will say I love movie night moment. Oh my gosh. Movie nights are the best aren’t they?

I did mention other supernaturals that pop up in this book like vampires, wolves, demons, faes, and witches. The vibes I got off off of the wolves: being cocky, vampires: snobbish, faes: evil, witches: keeping everyone on task, and demons: having their own agenda. I love having the supernatural elements in this book. It gave off the feel of an urban fantasy genre.

I will say that I did like Killian’s friend: Taliah. She is pretty bad-ass.

I will point out there is one part in the book that could be scary regarding to the fae party. So to those who may have triggers, you might want to skip that part? Also there is murder mentioned and fighting between supernaturals.

For some reason I wanted to point out that the places that you are immersed into is great.. The library, the underworld area, the houses, the areas of the parties and so much more, you could literally picture yourself there. I know I did! Ember’s favorite place was the hedge maze. I wanted to go there and explore that place. Then for some reason I kept thinking of Bram Stoker’s Dracula movie scene of the hedge maze. It popped into my head.

Isn’t the cover so pretty???

Go pick it up today!

I just really liked this story. The adventure, the drama, the spice, the family, the magic, the everything!

I believe the author may have another book after this one and I want to read it!!

I just absolutely loved the story and writing!

This amazing world is epic!

Some Spooky Graphic Novels

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Check out these Spooky Graphic Novels to read!

leven-year-old Grey lives in the legend-haunted New England town of Ander’s Landing, and he can’t help but feel like a pair of eyes is watching his every move.

He discovers odd, gruesome bits and pieces from the graveyard that are left for him as gifts like art carved from bones or jewelry made from (hopefully not human) remains. Soon Grey is caught up in something bigger than he could ever have imagined.

He finds himself drawn into a strange mystery involving a race of reclusive subterranean creatures—ghouls, the eaters of the dead! Turns out, his secret admirer is a ghoul named Lavinia. An unlikely friendship forms between them. The only problem is, their friendship breaks traditions—and the punishment is a fate worse than death.

Ever wake up in the middle of the night to awful nightmares about vampires?

When a mysterious blood bank rolls into town, Grey can’t help but get an eerie feeling. Could it be linked to his nightmares about vampires? After some investigating, Grey learns it’s something more sinister than he could ever imagine . . . and there’s only one creature who can help him—Lavinia.

Despite the fact they are forbidden to talk to one another again, this spooky mystery is bigger than any promises between the ghouls and humans.

This fun, lightly spooky adventure is a good Halloween read but is also the perfect graphic novel read all year round. It’s a wonderful escape from everyday life, providing readers with a good scare and plenty of laughter.

Emily Hunter loves hanging out with her new neighbors. From their decked-out rec room to their almost-professional guitar playing, Drew and Vicky Strig are super cool.

Since Drew and Vicky are homeschooled, Emily’s other friends haven’t gotten to know them yet. So Emily comes up with a plan for everyone to meet—a big party and sleepover at her house! But as Emily gets ready for the party, she begins to wonder about Drew and Vicky. They won’t let Emily into certain rooms in their house. And a wolf howls on their lawn every night. Is it only Emily’s overactive imagination or are the new neighbors more than just a little strange?

When Dani and Dorian missed the bus to magic school, they never thought they’d wind up declared traitors to their own kind! Now, thanks to a series of mishaps, they are being chased by powerful magic families seeking the prophesied King of Witches and royals searching for missing princes.

But they aren’t alone. With a local troublemaker, a princess, and a teacher who can see the future on their side, they might just be able to clear their names…but can they heal their torn kingdom?

Dani and Dorian Wytte have been through everything together—including joining forces with trouble maker Nico, Princess Monica, and golden boy Mark to sneak into the witch’s sabbath, spring hostages from prison, and defend the castle when it was attacked by witches.

With witches like their parents out for power and blood and non-magical people increasingly threatened by them, Dani and Dorian don’t know whose side they’re on . . .or if anyone’s on their side. That includes their brother, Damien, who disappeared after being crowned King of Witches. But since Monica’s father, the king, and her fiancé, Prince William disappeared, too, Dani and Dorian know they must set out to find their lost allies. Luckily, they aren’t alone.

In this graphic novel adaptation of master horror storyteller Mary Downing Hahn’s spookiest and most popular tale, two siblings must save their stepsister from the clutches of a vengeful ghost.

When their mom remarries, Molly and her brother, Michael, try to make friends with their new stepsister, Heather. But Heather only wants to make trouble for them. She lies and tattles and misbehaves, and somehow they always get the blame. They know she’s trying to drive a wedge between her father and their mother so she can have her father all to herself—and it seems to be working.

Then, Heather starts playing in the graveyard behind their new house. She claims she can talk to a ghost named Helen, and her behavior gets even stranger. Michael doesn’t believe in ghosts and thinks their new little sister is just looking for more attention. But Molly isn’t so certain, especially when Heather threatens that Helen is going to come for them and make them sorry.

It seems as though things can’t get any worse—but they do.

When Helen comes.

Review – Triology of From Blood and Ash

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A Maiden…

Chosen from birth to usher in a new era, Poppy’s life has never been her own. The life of the Maiden is solitary. Never to be touched. Never to be looked upon. Never to be spoken to. Never to experience pleasure. Waiting for the day of her Ascension, she would rather be with the guards, fighting back the evil that took her family, than preparing to be found worthy by the gods. But the choice has never been hers.

A Duty…

The entire kingdom’s future rests on Poppy’s shoulders, something she’s not even quite sure she wants for herself. Because a Maiden has a heart. And a soul. And longing. And when Hawke, a golden-eyed guard honor bound to ensure her Ascension, enters her life, destiny and duty become tangled with desire and need. He incites her anger, makes her question everything she believes in, and tempts her with the forbidden.

A Kingdom…

Forsaken by the gods and feared by mortals, a fallen kingdom is rising once more, determined to take back what they believe is theirs through violence and vengeance. And as the shadow of those cursed draws closer, the line between what is forbidden and what is right becomes blurred. Poppy is not only on the verge of losing her heart and being found unworthy by the gods, but also her life when every blood-soaked thread that holds her world together begins to unravel.

A Betrayal…Everything Poppy has ever believed in is a lie, including the man she was falling in love with. Thrust among those who see her as a symbol of a monstrous kingdom, she barely knows who she is without the veil of the Maiden. But what she does know is that nothing is as dangerous to her as him. The Dark One. The Prince of Atlantia. He wants her to fight him, and that’s one order she’s more than happy to obey. He may have taken her, but he will never have her.

A Choice….Casteel Da’Neer is known by many names and many faces. His lies are as seductive as his touch. His truths as sensual as his bite. Poppy knows better than to trust him. He needs her alive, healthy, and whole to achieve his goals. But he’s the only way for her to get what she wants—to find her brother Ian and see for herself if he has become a soulless Ascended. Working with Casteel instead of against him presents its own risks. He still tempts her with every breath, offering up all she’s ever wanted. Casteel has plans for her. Ones that could expose her to unimaginable pleasure and unfathomable pain. Plans that will force her to look beyond everything she thought she knew about herself—about him. Plans that could bind their lives together in unexpected ways that neither kingdom is prepared for. And she’s far too reckless, too hungry, to resist the temptation.

A Secret…But unrest has grown in Atlantia as they await the return of their Prince. Whispers of war have become stronger, and Poppy is at the very heart of it all. The King wants to use her to send a message. The Descenters want her dead. The wolven are growing more unpredictable. And as her abilities to feel pain and emotion begin to grow and strengthen, the Atlantians start to fear her. Dark secrets are at play, ones steeped in the blood-drenched sins of two kingdoms that would do anything to keep the truth hidden. But when the earth begins to shake, and the skies start to bleed, it may already be too late.

She’s been the victim and the survivor…

Poppy never dreamed she would find the love she’s found with Prince Casteel. She wants to revel in her happiness but first they must free his brother and find hers. It’s a dangerous mission and one with far-reaching consequences neither dreamed of. Because Poppy is the Chosen, the Blessed. The true ruler of Atlantia. She carries the blood of the King of Gods within her. By right the crown and the kingdom are hers.

The enemy and the warrior…

Poppy has only ever wanted to control her own life, not the lives of others, but now she must choose to either forsake her birthright or seize the gilded crown and become the Queen of Flesh and Fire. But as the kingdoms’ dark sins and blood-drenched secrets finally unravel, a long-forgotten power rises to pose a genuine threat. And they will stop at nothing to ensure that the crown never sits upon Poppy’s head.

A lover and heartmate…

But the greatest threat to them and to Atlantia is what awaits in the far west, where the Queen of Blood and Ash has her own plans, ones she has waited hundreds of years to carry out. Poppy and Casteel must consider the impossible—travel to the Lands of the Gods and wake the King himself. And as shocking secrets and the harshest betrayals come to light, and enemies emerge to threaten everything Poppy and Casteel have fought for, they will discover just how far they are willing to go for their people—and each other.

And now she will become Queen…

My Review
Holy adventure!! I literally could not put the first book down. I was interested in Poppy and had to know what was going to happen. What was she going to do next? How could she live that life? What was her power all about? Will she get what she wanted? All these questions went on and on. The story was filled with adventure, fantasy and beautiful imagery. I could literally picture everything happening while reading it. When Hawke comes into the picture I could not figure him out. I knew he was bad ass in fighting but that was all I got. I kept reading and hoping something would connect Poppy and Hawke somehow. Eventually they did. Towards the end of the book, chaos erupts and I assumed it was your normal type chaos. I was wrong so wrong! And the author reveals a secret that I did not even see coming! Oh my gosh! I was like “whaaaaaaaat!” It was in a good way but I surprised. Then the ending was a cliffhanger. I was like it can’t end like this.

Second book went by fast too! I had it on hand after I finished the first one. I liked how Poppy eventually learns more about Hawke – Casteel. They connect more along the way. Poppy does see a dark side to Casteel due to his past as she learns more about it. Other than Casteel, Poppy learns more about the history and the other people in the lands. The ending of this book is pretty powerful.

Third book – there were parts I did not even see coming. I was in shock and gasping and hooked onto the story. I needed to know what was going to happen. I love how Cas teases her as she returns the favor. They are a match. Few things I will point out: snakes, skeltons, cave cats, gods and power. Look for those things when you read this book because those concepts stayed with me. The ending of this book I yelled at it. (Hahahaha anyone else do this?)

Every book I’ve read from this series is leaving me yelling at the book “NOOOOOOOO!” Why does it end like this? Cliffhangers! Holy cow. Now I have to wait again. I could go into tons of details about each book but I think that would take forever to do.

Each book has brought something new to the story. I can see the whole story as a movie in my head. The history, the lands, the people, the powers and yes even the saucy parts! All of it connects to each other which is important. I do notice there are parts that are repeated but that does not bother me. I am enjoying each book. It’s so fun. The author is one of my favorites!

Now I have to wait….how much longer?

Although the author does have a story about Nyktos and his Consort called “A Shadow in the Ember” which comes out October 21, 2021.