Category Archives: Thriller

Fantasy, Short story/novella, Thriller

Gray, Scott Fitzgerald: A Space Between (The Endlands) (2011)

Leave a comment
A Space Between 2
Cover design by (studio)Effigy, from an image by Jose A.S. Reyes.
The background to the main image is the cover art for A Prayer for Dead Kings and Other Tales
(in which the story first appeared), which is an illustration by Alex Tooth

I love it when I get such detailed information on the cover art. The knife is very appropriate to A Space Between.

Scott Fitzgerald is a demanding name to give your child. Talk about pressure. Fortunately Scott Fitzgerald Gray manages to live up to the expectations of his name.

A Space Between is a dark short story. Talk about dysfunctional family. Love, secrets, betrayal, ambition and murder are all part of the game.

Charan and Jalina make an interesting set of siblings. Their love/hate relationship is what drives A Space Between. Add to that the accidental death of their father and we have the recipe for an interesting tale.

I found myself liking Charan and Jalina. Their love and the murder are very much against societal mores, but society is a fluid thing shaped by its members. Their discovery of two magical artifacts changes their ability to see each other.

It was strange reading A Space Between. Gray’s writing was so beautiful I forgot to pay attention to what I was reading. I got caught up in the flow of the words. I have said this before and probably will again: There are some advantages to being within the autism spectrum. Because my “thing” is words I get the pleasure of finding myself lost in them. A Space Between was a word autists/aspergian dream.

For those of you who aren’t that lucky rest assured that the quality of Gray’s writing is high.

You can catch Scott Fitzgerald Gray at facebook / twitter / google.

  • Print Length: 35 pages
  • Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
  • Publisher: Insane Angel Studios (May 18, 2011)
  • Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
  • Language: English
  • ASIN: B0051OR1FM

 

Fantasy, Mystery, Short story/novella, Thriller

Forbeck, Matt: Goblintown Justice (Shotguns and Sorcery) (2011)

Leave a comment
Goblintown justice
Cover design by Matt Forbeck
with use of stock photo

Info: You can get Goblintown Justice for free at Matt Forbeck’s website.

Goblintown Justice first appeared in 2011 in the Carnage & Consequences Anthology. It is the second story in the Shotguns and Sorcery series.

Goblintown Justice is definitely a mystery with Max Gibson as its investigator. Max Gibson is one of the main characters of the Shotguns and Sorcery series. He is a pretty tough guy who just happens to be a sorcerer.

Max lives in Dragon City. Dragon City is like any rough city in the world. It is divided between the powerful and the ones not so powerful. Rich and poor are as usual placed in different parts of the city and the various races also tend to congregate among their own. So, nothing unusual there. Even our capital Oslo is like this – and we are a puny country.

We find the police looking for easy answers because they want some body to blame. This time they blame Sig, one of Max’ acquaintances. Since the victim is one of their own Dragon Guard the police are especially keen on getting their perpetrator. But Max does not think that Sig did it and he is given a short space of time to prove it.

Power and corruption, fear and power, rich and poor are all found in this short story. In an amazingly short time Matt Forbeck manages to show the helplessness of the weak. But the weak have Max Gibson to bat for them and that is not such a bad thing. He fights well, takes a beating without giving up and manages to give as well as get. I like Max Gibson’s character – this hard-shelled adventurer.

I had great fun reading Goblintown Justice and wouldn’t mind reading more of Matt Forbeck’s work.

 

Fantasy, Mystery, Short story/novella, Thriller, Young Adult

Cheney, Kathleen J.: A Hand For Each (2011)

Leave a comment
a hand for each
Cover photograph by Robert Glen Fogarty
Cover design by Kathleen J. Cheney

Three short stories are presented in A Hand for Each. The stories are: A Hand for Each, Masks of War and Fleurs du Mal.

A Hand for Each was published in 2007 in Shimmer’s Pirate Issue. From it we learn that if your ship is conquered by natives of some island and all of its crew left dead except yourself, you had better get off that ship as soon as possible. Otherwise you are going to be in serious trouble.

I guess you could say that A Hand for Each is reminiscent of The Flying Dutchman. That would make this a semi-horror story, although with the ending it might be more appropriate to call it a horror story. I like stories like these. I just know how it is has to end but I keep on hoping that I am wrong. (It probably doesn’t help that I often read the ending before I get there).

Masks of War was published in 2008 in Fantasy Magazine. It is obviously a story about masks of some kind, in this case a literal one. Sergeant Grey is given the job of tagging along with a German soldier who has had his face disfigured. Once the soldier puts on a mask to hide his disfigurement something strange happens and off the both of them go.

Masks of War is a story about hope and change. Sometimes it is possible to right a wrong, to change your path in life by acknowledging what has gone forever. I found it fascinating to follow along with the two ex-soldiers as they watched the amazing unfold.

Fleurs du Mal was published in 2010 in Beneath Ceaseless Skies. I think you could probably call Fleurs du Mal a horror story. We have here a story about possession, a really strange type of possession. Good thing I have the opposite of a green thumb. Any plant that comes near me had better run for its life.

Fleurs du Mal was fun. It’s story has all of the ingredients that a mild horror should have. I am unable to read anything harder than that. The oh, oh feeling came back again and again and I kept a running commentary on the characters of the story. (I do this with movies as well.)

So, all in all A Hand for Each was fun to read and I definitely kept reading through all three stories. Good job Kathleen J. Cheney.

Fantasy, Thriller, Young Adult

Ficks, J.L. / Dugue, J.E.: Waiting Game (The Shade Chronicles) (2012)

5 Comments
Cover artist Thom Scott
Logo by James Gilks

First things first. You really ought to take a look at the website Chronicles of Covent. It is full of great art and loads of information about characters and storylines. The cover artist, Thom Scott, is responsible for the artwork done on the website. From what I can see on their website Ficks and Dugue aim to create a world that functions as the Forgotten Realm does – with an abundance of authors dealing with the eight continents of Covent.

The Shade Chronicles are about Shade the assassin, probably the best in his field. He is an Unseen (the best of the best) gone rogue and knows to stay away from the forest surrounding his school. Shade is also a dark elf and are exposed to prejudice just like the ones in the Forgotten Realms. 

The Waiting Game is the first book of this series. It has a proper ending and that makes it a series. I prefer stand-alone novels to the serial type. Serials can be annoying.

Shade is bored. He has been trained to utilise his killing abilities to the fullest and is beginning to run out of challenging kills. Anything will do as long as the hit is difficult. He gets what he wants and from there on there is action galore.

There were two scenes that I really liked. One was in the underground while fighting his challenger. The other was in the bar when Lewd’s hench(wo)men kept coming.

It was refreshing meeting someone who wasn’t out to save the world or make it a better place. Instead we find a dark elf who strikes fear into the hearts of all who realise just who they are dealing with. Only idiots mess with Shade but despite the fear he engenders, Shade is not a bully.

Shade was an interesting character, maybe even some one I would like to meet again. What did I think of the writing? Well, Ficks and Dugue kept me reading. They are above average but fall out of the flow at times. That just gives them room for improvement and I expect we shall see that as time passes.

Reblogged, Science Fiction, Thriller

Almenningen, Mikkel Adrian: Den perfekte familien (liksom) (8th grade)

Link Leave a comment

Dette er en fortelling min sønn skrev i 8. klasse på Steinerskolen.

mikkeladrian's avatarDesigning my US life

This is a story I wrote in 8th grade, for school. I’m currently trying to translate it. So exclusive contese for Norwegian readers. 

 

”DEN PERFEKTE FAMILIE” (LIKSOM)

STIL

 

Jeg løp som en perfekt sprinter for jeg visste at jeg skulle vært hjemme for 15 minutter siden. Kommer jeg mer enn 16 minutter for sent, så får jeg tv, PC, ute og venneforbud. Jeg måtte forte meg nedover den bratte, glatte nedoverbakken, før jeg måtte løpe opp den sandete, bratte oppoverbakken, før jeg måtte løpe ned den strie, brede elven og opp den høye spiraltrappen som er pyntet med sølv, gull og edelstener. Likevel kom jeg inn hele 19 minutter for sent, så da ble det 3 uker uten venner, PC, tv og ute forbud. En ting som gjør det verre er at jeg må sitte igjen på hjemmeskole i 50 minutter i 8 uker. Da jeg kom hjem…

View original post 1,206 more words

Fantasy, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller

Gay, Kelly: Shadows Before the Sun (Charlie Madigan) (2012)

1 Comment
Cover art by Christian McGrath

Shadows Before the Sun is the 4th installment of the Charlie Madigan series. Whether it is the final one remains to be seen but it did represent an ending to me.

Charlie needs to go to Elysia to find Hank. She did promise him that at the end of The Hour of Dust and Ashes. Their friendship is too important to leave anything to chance and the words of ambassadors. Right now Hank needs a friend who is willing to break the rules to get to him. Charlie and Allessandra, the Oracle, end up as travelling companions. They both consider the other a severe test of patience.

The world of Elysia turns out to be as bad as the Earth Charlie is from. There is plenty of political maneuvering, power-plays and mayhem. But there is also help from unexpected quarters.

Charlie’s character has grown during her trip through these four novels. With her growth has come a better understanding of other people and perhaps even an ability to see them as individuals and not just part of some great mass that she has to keep safe.

We get action with plenty of fighting and some sex. I guess both could be considered somewhat adult in content.

My journey with the Charlie Madigan series has been a pleasant one. Shadows Before the Sun is easy to read, difficult to put down and fits the other three novels well.

Announcement from Kelly Gay: “8/1/12 — There’s been some talk about SHADOWS BEFORE THE SUN being the final book in the series. Guys, nothing like this has been decided or announced. Official news will come straight from me. I’m usually contracted 2 books at a time. Shadows completed my second two-book contract. This does not mean I’m done writing the series or that I won’t go back to contract.”

My reviews on books 1 (The Better Part of Darkness), 2 (The Darkest Edge of Dawn), 3 (The Hour of Dust and Ashes), and 4 (Shadows Before the Sun)

Fantasy, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller

Gay, Kelly: The Hour of Dust and Ashes (Charlie Madigan) (2011)

2 Comments
Cover art by Christian McGrath

Does Kelly Gay keep up her good work in The Hour of Dust and Ashes? Yes, she most definitely does. She has that rare ability of being able to keep her writing tight, very tight. That and her spelling and grammar helps the reader keep from being distracted. Add to that a pretty good plot, fun characters and talent and you have the flow.

Charlie Madigan is an interesting character. She is a believable woman in a fantastic yet believable world. Yes, this is all science fiction and fantasy, but the plot is about recognisable problems and her characters are flawed and gifted like the rest of us. Fanatics are fanatics and greed is greed.

Charlie suffers from a save-the-world-all-on-her-own syndrome. That makes it easy for her to take the blame for her sister’s ash addiction. It is true that Bryn got addicted to ash while helping Charlie out, but Charlie tends to forget that Bryn has her own will and this is creating trouble between the sisters.

When ash addicts begin taking their own lives, Charlie becomes desperate to make certain Bryn stays alive. Thus far the hunt for a cure has led nowhere. When Charlie goes to the oracle, Allessandra for help, she is told that she will need sylphs. On to Charbydon she must go and Hank and Rex get to go along with her.

Rex (the ex-jinn now revenant), Brimstone (the hellhound) and Hank (the Adonai) make themselves better known to us. We also get to see Charbydon at its best and worst. No wonder the people there think of Earth as a vacation spot.

We get tons of action and some of the fighting is explicit. If you don’t like that, consider yourself warned.

—————————

My reviews on books 1 (The Better Part of Darkness), 2 (The Darkest Edge of Dawn), 3 (The Hour of Dust and Ashes), and 4 (Shadows Before the Sun)

Fantasy, Mystery, Romance, Science Fiction, Thriller

Gay, Kelly: The Darkest Edge of Dawn (Charlie Madigan) (2010)

1 Comment
Cover art by Christian McGrath

Christian McGrath’s portrayal of Charlie Madigan is gritty and strong complementing the writing of Kelly Gay. Gay’s writing continues to engage me as a reader. She maintains the balance between too much and too little keeping her novel tight and well-written.

The Darkest Edge of Dawn begins where The Better Part of Darkness left off. Atlanta became more in tune with the Charbydons living there. Charlie feels responsible for the “accidental darkening” and in a sense that is true. So, being the kind of person she is, Charlie sets a goal of saving Atlanta.

 As we all know, the world is full of nutters. Being from Charbydon or Elysia makes no difference. Crazy people are found among all races. Sadly, some of the crazies go serial. In The Darkest Edge of Dawn Charlie and Hank investigate a warehouse where a dead body was found. Both find the place creepy and for good reason. In this lovely warehouse a pile of dead bodies and a pregnant hellhound is discovered. Something is off about the mound of bodies.

That was the second problem Charlie feels the need to save the world from. On a more personal level, the changes in her DNA are worrisome. What is she turning into and how is she supposed to control the powers she seems to have gained?

Trying to deceive your own daughter works like a charm unless she is psychic. And guess what, Emma is psychic. When Will died and his body was taken over by Rex, Charlie decided that they had to wait until Emma was ready before she could be told. Talk about messed up life. But Charlie also has the pleasure of having a hellhound living at her home, a hellhound that Emma has a mysterious link to.

That’s not all that is going on in Charlie’s life. Her sister Bryn was affected by the drug Ash while trying to help Charlie. Now she has to take regular doses of the drug in order to stay alive.

Charlie’s partner, Hank, still has his voice modifier fused to his neck – joy of joy – hindering his ability to be a proper Elysian.

One of the things Charlie has trouble with is accepting help from others. She is going to need help in The Darkest Edge of Dawn just as she did in The Better Part of Darkness. I get that. Asking for help is difficult even when it is obvious assistance is needed. Just because you are adult age, does not necessarily mean that you are able to act maturely. I guess that is part of the reason why I like Charlie so much. She is vulnerable and strong, prejudiced and willing to look beyond those prejudices.

I think Charlie Madigan could a be a good role model for young women out there.

My reviews on books 1 (The Better Part of Darkness), 2 (The Darkest Edge of Dawn), 3 (The Hour of Dust and Ashes), and 4 (Shadows Before the Sun)

Fantasy, Romance, Thriller, Young Adult

Angell, Lorena (co-authored by Joshua Angell): The Diamond of Freedom (The Unaltered III) (2013)

4 Comments
Cover design by Lorena Angell

Great cover. You will find each item in the novel.

Thanks again to Lorena Angell for providing me with a reviewer’s copy. Does receiving a copy influence the review I write? I would hope not, but knowing human nature it probably does to some extent. I try to be aware of this possibility. Hopefully that does not make me harder on the author than I need to be.

A Diamond in my Heart is my favorite of the three novels. Brand is probably part of the reason. I like him a lot more than Chris.

Chris is difficult to get a handle on. I’m sure that is Angell’s intention. Is he for Mathea’s work or is he against? How does he tackle the whole situation with Calli? It is obvious he at least lusts for her and he has previously seemed to love her (according to surface thoughts). But loving a person does not necessarily mean that we look out for their best interests.

Calli is even more confounded by Chris’ behavior than I am. It must be weird having a person change their behavior toward you almost from day to day. Realising the seriousness of having a shard of diamond lodged in her heart is a process. Coming to accept that protecting her heart also means keeping a distance between herself and Chris would also be difficult.

Freedom craves having Calli’s shard in his possession. He will go to any length to get it. Killing her is only part of it.

Brand’s ability to repeat comes in quite handy in The Diamond of Freedom. Life would be a whole lot more difficult without him.

There was plenty of action in The Diamond of Freedom. At the beginning of the novel Chris and Calli are on the run after Brand saved their lives. They are trying to stay off-radar but are finding that a challenge. From there on we go from one adventure to the other. Some of it is kind of funny (like the biker gang) and Chris’ uncle was adorable (yes I mean that). Kind of cute in his own way.

We are told a bit more about the world of Mathea and meet some of the other Diamond-bearers. I’m left wondering what sort of person I would be after 5000 years. How would it be possible to keep up her motivation for keeping the world in balance for all that time? Is it even possible to retain all of the flighty emotions we short-lived people have? Thankfully I will never find out.

How do I know Lorena Angell (and her son Joshua) have created a well-written fantasy novel? I am left wondering and pondering the characters and their future. That really is the sign of a good series/serial. The author has to keep her readers interested in the story-line and characters that live in it. Good job Lorena. I certainly want to read the next addition to The Unaltered series.

My reviews of books no. 1 (A Diamond in my Pocket) and 2 (A Diamond in my Heart).

Science Fiction, Thriller, Young Adult

Carlon, Lee: The Godslayers’ Legacy (The Bastard Cadre II) (2013)

1 Comment
Cover design by Lee Carlon

First of all I want to say thank you to Lee Carlon for sending me a reviewer’s copy of The Godslayers’ Legacy.

I liked book no. 1 of the series: A God-Blasted Land and had hopes for the rest of the series. I wonder what it must be like to be an author writing a series/serial??? I imagine the pressure you put on yourself to perform well the second time around must add to the stress whenever you feel lost in your own work. The excellent writer is like any excellent performer out there. We as a public aren’t supposed to guess how much work goes into their art. They get the tears. We get the pleasure.

Lee Carlon is turning out to be such a writer. To me he writes in minor key and plays those black tangents on his keyboard like an expert.

When Avril Ethanson decided he would fight Lord Obdurin’s bond, he did not know it would be so difficult. His reins are not as tight as those of the other cadres living up on Frake’s Peak, but they are nevertheless reins. Ronara enjoys being able to live there but she does not have to fight the bond that Lord Obdurin has tied between himself and Avril.

Not only Ronara and Obdurin add to Avril’s conflicted feelings. He is first sworn of his cadre and feels the need to seek out his other cadre members. For some reason Lord Obdurin wanted a semi-independent cadre to play his games with, and Avril’s is it.

We get to meet four of the other cadre members in this novel. Telling all of their names would only be a spoiler, but one of them is safe to share. Dune d’Turintar is on a mission to kill Lord Obdurin. Doing so is bound to bring her within reach of Avril.

Newterra is a bleak place. The world has been left in ruins by the Gods and the Gods pretty much rule the world. Who and what the gods are will probably be revealed later on, but I’m guessing Gods aren’t it.

Fantasy, Romance, Thriller, Young Adult

Angell, Lorena: A Diamond in my Heart (The Unaltered II) (2012)

1 Comment
Cover design by Lorena Angell

First of all, I would like to thank Lorena Angell for sending me a review copy of A Diamond in my Heart.

While each novel is a stand-alone, they are part of a series and as such are best read in order.

Now we’re talking. A Diamond in my Heart is a much tighter book than A Diamond in my Pocket. Angell has cracked the code to the flow. Flowing demands a lot of an author and is probably not always a fun process. As with A Diamond in my Pocket I like the cover of A Diamond in my Heart. I don’t know if it was intentional, but the print in my copy was a little strange at times. It would change type and parts of it was highlighted.

Calli still has the shard of diamond lodged in her heart. That shard enables her to do things like read minds when she concentrates, read emotions, heal, run fast and hunt. For her abilities to blossom completely Calli will need to have the whole diamond lodged in her heart. I found that Callie had grown as a person. There is less angst and more acceptance of life as it is.

Calli’s side-kick is Brand. Brand is a horny senior whose main goal in life seems to be to have sex with every girl on the planet – at least every girl he encounters. He is the quarterback so that should help. But you would think not all girls would fall for whatever lines he uses. Strangely enough they do and the other guys at school are not happy with. Calli doesn’t get it and when she doesn’t fall for Brand’s lines they end up becoming friends. For some bizarre reason I loved him. I hope he turns up in the next novel as well.

Calli’s mentor is Mathea (from A Diamond in my Pocket). Mathea helps Calli understand the responsibilities that come with being a diamond bearer. Turns out they are supposed to keep the world in balance. We get some background information on Mathea. She sure is one strange cookie.

Calli’s enemy is Freedom. Freedom is a previous follower of Mathea who is now out to get Calli’s diamond for himself. He is a diamond bearer but no longer a follower of Mathea’s circle of diamond bearers. This is one seriously messed up dude. His sociopathic traits are fairly strong.

This time I thought the novel was too short. Angell kept me reading and her twists and take on her world was interesting. I like the fact that she has little or no previous experience with fantasy before writing these two novels. It doesn’t show, but then fantasy is about so much more than the flashy stuff. For those of you who worry about anything explicit be it violence or sex you can safely read these two novels.

Fantasy, Mystery, Romance, Thriller

Alexander, Cassie: Moonshifted (Edie Spence) (2012)

1 Comment

Moonshifted is as delightful as Nightshifted. Moonshifted remains as dark and gory as Nightshifted and keeps on being just as fun to read.

Edie’s life has changed after all of the happenings in Nightshifted. Her perspective has widened and her prejudices have been challenged.

Due to an accident Edie witnessed during her lunch-break, she becomes involved in a battle between two were-wolf clans. Little does she know where her instincts will lead her.

Her vampire connections keep on popping up, and not in a pleasant manner. In a sense Edie seems rather self-destructive. However, once we get to know her, we find that it isn’t so. Yes, she is attracted to rather “interesting” men. Yes, she tends to run towards danger. But her motives are anything but self-destructive.

Like I said about Nightshifted: Edie is a wonderful character and someone I would have liked to have met.

Good job Cassie Alexander. You have done it once again!

Fantasy, Mystery, Romance, Thriller

Monk, Devon: Magic Without Mercy (Allie Beckstrom) (2012)

1 Comment
Cover art by Larry Rostant

I think this is my favorite Allie Beckstrom cover thus far. There is something about the atmosphere in it.

Devon Monk keeps on writing well. As a reader, following Allie’s journey from lonerhood to a leadership position among her friends has been a fun ride. Monk has managed to keep her characters alive without slowing down the pace of the novels.

Things are really moving along now. The Authority has officially decided to go for Allie. All of her friends and near-friends have to make a choice as to who to follow. Because they are rebels, we know what the choice will be. But their fight to overcome the opposition while at the same time figuring out how to battle the magic plague is going to challenge all of their abilities.

Allie is affected by the magic plague. Whenever she pulls it in she gets sick and ghosts turn up. Ghost magnet is what she is. She and her father have come to an arrangement – that sounds really weird considering their co-habitation. Anyways. Zayvion still loves her and Shame is her best friend. Shame and Terric still haven’t come to terms with what they are, or rather Shame hasn’t quite. He would go down fighting.

Jingo-Jingo is his same old creepy self. Mwah, hah, hah. A regular old Dracula is what he is. Eli is/was a bad guy – or maybe we could say a guy with very special interests. But he is important to the game, so Shame and Zayvion are stuck with him.

I look forward to reading the conclusion. As long as Devon Monk keeps the quality of her work at the level that it has been, then I have something to look forward to.

My reviews for books 1 (Magic to the Bone), 2 (Magic in the Blood), 3 (Magic in the Shadows), 4 (Magic on the Storm), 5 (Magic at the Gate), 6 (Magic on the Hunt) and 7 (Magic on the Line)

Fantasy, Mystery, Romance, Thriller

Monk, Devon: Magic on the Line (Allie Beckstrom) (2011)

2 Comments
Cover art by Larry Rostant

I wonder if they used the same method for Devon Monk’s covers as they have for Jean Johnson. Jean Johnson was kind enough to explain that her publishers had gotten the photographer and model together for a session and taken tons of pictures. Pictures from this session are what the publisher uses to design the covers. I know Devon Monk has some say in the design of her covers. You will usually find some kind of reference to Portland on the cover.

It really is too bad, but we are getting closer to an ending. Two more books to go and there we will be. I’ve grown to care about our Allie. She knows that what she does has consequences, yet she goes ahead anyway. I guess paying the price for magic for so long has made her willing to pay the price for other choices as well.

There are two other characters that I have enjoyed thoroughly. These are Shame and strangely enough Stone. Stone the gargoyle.

The new leader of the Authority, Bartholemew Wray, is not a fan of Allie and her gang of followers. If he could get away with closing the lot of them, he would. Allie certainly does not trust Bartholemew. This makes for a conflict-filled situation for Allie, and some of her choices will affect those she cares most for.

Her Hounds are loyal to Allie to an extent that she had not expected of such loners. They are doing their best to protect her because they see a good thing they simply cannot lose in Allie.

I think this is part of what I’ve really enjoyed about the Beckstrom series. These characters are a gang of rebels (with the exception of Zayvion). In the end, he, too, will have to make some incredibly difficult choices. These rebels seem to be more in touch with reality than the Authority and as such they reflect the way I see the world in general. But the Authority had better watch out, because choosing a fight with this gang might not go as they wish.

My reviews for books 1 (Magic to the Bone), 2 (Magic in the Blood), 3 (Magic in the Shadows), 4 (Magic on the Storm), 5 (Magic at the Gate) and 6 (Magic on the Hunt).

Fantasy, Mystery, Romance, Thriller

Monk, Devon: Magic on the Hunt (Allie Beckstrom) (2011)

2 Comments
Cover art by Larry Rostant

I think these covers by Larry Rostant are beginning to grow on me. Part of it is the swirling lights of magic. The other part probably has to do with how Allie is portrayed. She is all about business and I like that in a cover.

As the series about Allie Beckstrom has continued so to has Devon Monk’s writing grown. I expect that in a writer but do not always see it. Kudos to you Devon for growing as an author.

Zayvion and Allie’s relationship has changed. Their strength, closeness and abilities is making the Authority wary of them. Fortunately, the couple does have friends within the Authority. Two of their closest are Shame and Terric (who are also soul complements).

Given her unique relationship with her father, Allie is doing an excellent job of coming to terms with the situation. Monk has given the term father/daughter relationship a new dimension.

The division within the Authority is widening. Allie and her friends are discovering unpleasant truths about the regulation of magic and the leadership of the regulators. We begin to see the contours of decision-making that might not have the well-being of everyone as its goal after all.

As the Allie series grows in complexity, so do the characters. They are filling out quite well and the world we get a look at is both strange and familiar in the art that is Devon’s writing.

My reviews for books 1 (Magic to the Bone), 2 (Magic in the Blood), 3 (Magic in the Shadows), 4 (Magic on the Storm) and 5 (Magic at the Gate).