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Magical Mysterious Romantasies: Voyage of the Damned & Rise and Divine

21 Aug

Voyage of the Damned
by Frances White
I enjoyed this new book from Frances White. Voyage of the Damned has a bit of everything, an interesting mystery with limited suspects (in this case a group of magically gifted “blessed” from the different parts of a magical kingdom represented by a variety of animals), a sweet romance, and of course an exciting fantasy adventure with a bit of horror mixed in. White created a diverse and interesting group of characters and I enjoyed that the main protagonist was pale, chubby and often thought of himself as cowardly and awkward despite in the end being brave. I kind of predicted what I think was meant to be a bit of a twist, but I still found it a satisfying plotline. It was a fast paced read and for those who are looking for a great stand-alone fantasy that won’t require committing to a long series before a resolution, than you will enjoy this work.

Rise and Divine
by Lana Harper
Rise and Divine is the fifth and final novel in Lana Harper’s Witches of Thistle Grove Series. I had previously read and reviewed several of them and enjoyed them all. They each feature a romance centered around a woman who is part of one of the four witch family’s that settled Thistle Grove and draw power from the magical lake that is found there. The books can be enjoyed individually, but since there are parts of the overall back story revealed over time, I would recommend reading them in order. The books feature many LGBTQ characters and in this case focuses on the relationship between two women one, Ivy, from the Thorn family whose magic comes from nature and life and the other Dasha, who is a “devil eater” from the necromancing Avramov family. The novel picks up after a previous romance between the two failed after Dasha’s depression led her to pull away into a limbo other realm. Now an ancient menace is growing in strength and Dasha may be the only one to be able to save Thistle Grove, but who will save Dasha?

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager

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Books of a Feather: The Ornithologist’s Field Guide to Love & Between a Flock and a Hard Place

7 Aug

The Ornithologist’s Field Guide to Love
by India Holton
In The Ornithologist’s Field Guide to Love, Beth Pickering is one of many rival ornithologist on the hunt for a rare and mythical bird whose capture will lead to the title of Birder of the Year. Beth sees this as her chance at getting tenure and making her name for herself in this world where ornithology is a cutthroat endeavor. She use her wits and charms to help her move ahead in the quest despite stiff competition by fellow bird enthusiasts. In particular there is her handsome rival Professor Devon Lockley who seems likely to capture her heart as well as the endangered magical cladrius bird. Fans of Gail Carriger’s Parasolverse will find a lot to love in this clever historical fantasy filled with whimsy and featuring a strong heroine. There were also some fun little metafiction moments throughout, which I enjoyed. This the first in Holton’s Love’s Academic Series. New Zealander, India Holton, is also the author of the Dangerous Damsels trilogy. I found the novel a joy to read and highly recommend it. Perfect for a day at the beach or to spend sometime with on a long plane journey.

Between a Flock and a Hard Place
by Donna Andrews
Between a Flock and a Hard Place is the thirty-fifth in Donna Andew’s Meg Langslow Mystery Series. I’ve blogged about several of them in the past, but if you have missed them till now you are in for a treat. These are cozies with fun family and friends reoccurring characters that you will enjoy catching up with as much as the story. The books progress forward so you may want to enjoy them in chronological order, however, the mysteries are all self contained. Meg Langslow is a blacksmith, but also has a part-time position assisting the Mayor with odd jobs, this time it is helping out with a reality home makeover show set that has become a disaster with not only angry neighbors but also a menacing flock of wild turkeys that have taken up residence; the source of the turkeys and how to remove them is the first mystery Meg most solve but the morning of a planned round up they find the owner of the house, Mrs. Smetkamp has been murdered and not by a turkey. I find myself solving a lot of mysteries ahead of the conclusion, but with several clever red herrings this one surprised me.

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager

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