Games of Fire by Airicka Phoenix Blog Tour: Review & Excerpt

Games of Fire
by Airicka Phoenix
Published: February 14, 2013
Formats Available: eBook ~475 pages
Format Reviewed: eARC
Tour Host: Lady Amber's Tours
Buy Link: Amazon 

Book Blurb:
Sophie has enough problems in her life without Spencer turning her blood to fire, without his eyes freezing and burning her, without his hatred of her. Since his migration into the house next to hers, Sophia Valdez isn’t sure whether she wants to toss him under a bus or kiss that smirking mouth of his. But even as the temperature rises around them, leaping flames of passion, want and desire,everything either has ever known will be shattered by the lurking shadow hounding their every step, wanting revenge.

Spencer Rowth moves to the sleepy town of River Port with his mother and twelve year old sister, Suzy, to escape a deceitful father, an unfaithful girlfriend and a life crumbling much too fast for him to grapple onto only to be smacked upside the head by the last thing he wanted again. Sophie was everything he refused to want. Her temper, her wit, her laugh, her smile, the way her entire body goes up in flames under his hands are things he would rather slam a lid on and forget. Instead, he finds himself falling for the smart-mouth next door. But how long will he have before the evil chasing them catches up? How long before the very thing he never wanted becomes his only thread to sanity? And who is after them? What do they want and why do they want Spencer and Sophie dead?

    

This is my first book by Airicka Phoenix and I have to say I am impressed. When I started Games of Fire I thought it was going to be a paranormal romance type book, but it wasn't and that was a good thing because it was different, but no less exciting. The beginning, while it hooked me was very similar to Twilight and I'll tell you why. Girl meets boy, boy is a jerk. Girl is almost killed by a car, boy saves her. Girl tells boy, "You regret saving me, don't you?" But thankfully, this is where the similarities with Edward and Bella end and Spencer and Sophie's story begins. This is a love story with kick. Sparks fly every time Spencer and Sophie are together, no matter if they are arguing or kissing. Then add in a psycho stalker who wants to possess Sophie for himself and will stop at nothing to get her. Definitely a book I didn't want to put down!

The characters are well drawn and dynamic. Even creepy little Suzy who gives me the heebie-jeebies every time she was around. Can you say Children of the Corn? Actually, Spencer's whole family is broken in one way or another. Spencer is complex and has so many layers to get through to see the real boy hiding underneath. What I love is that nothing happens instantly and Sophie takes her time getting to know Spencer. My favorite statement by Sophie is, "You can have all of me or none of me," meaning that if they are going to be together it is mind and body and nothing in between. No insta-love here, only a real mature relationship that takes time and effort for it to work. Sophie is great and realistic character too. She has friends who are hilarious (the point system!) and does not ditch them at the first sight of a boyfriend. She has real parents and a regular family dynamic; meaning parents are in charge and not the other way around.

Ms. Phoenix's writing style is perfect for the Young Adult/New Adult genre. This is for those over 16/17 due to some seriously hot scenes. She is witty, funny, and can make a scene pop off the page. She also has a knack for creating suspense. The way the book is written is genius. Not only do we get to see the aftermath of the stalker's threats and attacks, but we get cut-aways into the head of the stalker, and the workings of the mind of the stalker gave me serious chills. And while I kinda thought I knew who the stalker was, I had to keep reading to find out if I was right!

The copy-editing was near flawless and I read an ARC. I was very impressed with the story that she wove. Each character had a story and everything happened for a reason - even the smallest of conversations or glances. My only pet peeve was the ending, it was so abrupt. With the book being almost 500 pages, the ending was condensed into about 7% of the book. I wanted more explanations and more 'what happens nexts' but, overall I was extremely happy with Games of Fire. I shall be reading all her books as soon as my TBR pile allows!

Smoking hot read! Almost breathless.

FTC Advisory: I was given a copy of this book from the author for an honest review as part of a blog tour. No backroom deals or whispered promises were made.

“I won’t bite,” he said, probably meaning it as a joke.

“Oh if only that were my only problem,” she sighed under her breath.
“What?”
She shook her head. “Nothing.”

She took his hand, slipping her icy fingers through his. The electric sparks tore a fiery path down the length of her arms, nearly melting the ice beneath their feet. She shivered involuntarily and felt his fingers flex.

“All right?” Had his voice always been so husky?
She dampened her lips. “Yeah…” The single word died in her throat as she was pulled towards him. Her heart tripped. Her lungs stilled. The heat of his body rushed over her with the subtle scent peppermint, leather, spices and smoke.

A soft mist blew around them. Raindrops glistened in his hair, shimmering under the pale glow of the light post. His eyes were shadowed beneath wispy fringes, but the silver in them glinted like pools of liquid mercury. Her breath caught. It must have made a sound because his fingers tightened. His shaky exhale caressed her flushed face.
“This,” he whispered so quietly she almost didn’t hear him. “Is why you are so bad for me.”

Airicka Phoenix is the best-selling author of the Touch Series with short stories in Whispered Beginnings: A Clever Fiction Anthology and Midnight Surrender Anthology. When she's not hammering away at the keyboard, she can be found banishing pirates or crawling through the attic looking for lost treasure with her kids. She loves baking, gardening and reading. She also likes to travel and take pictures of everything she comes across. When asked, Airicka describes herself as a sarcastic basket case that has an unhealthy addiction to chocolate, old movies and really bad jokes. She loves to laugh, make friends and write. If she could have one wish granted, it would be to spend one day as a fly-on-the-wall inside Stephen King's mind. If she could have two wishes granted, she would ask for a castle dedicated entirely to her overwhelming collection of books.
For more about Airicka, also on how to win giveaways, read author interviews and reviews, visit her on all her sites.

Website  -  Twitter - Facebook - FB Airicka's Mystical Creations - Goodreads - Pinterest

The Sundering Blog Tour

Thank you for visiting my stop on The Sundering Tour hosted by The Bookish Brunette. Check out a preview of the first two books and my review of the final book in the Swarm Trilogy. Also, make sure to enter the giveaway at the end!

The Swarm Trilogy consists of three books: Sleepers, Afterlife, and The Sundering. This trilogy along with The Cloud Prophet Trilogy plus a novella combine to make the The Song of Eloh Saga.

Sleepers

Book One in The Swarm Trilogy

by Megg Jensen

Synopsis:

An adoptee raised in a foreign land, sixteen-year-old Lianne was content with her life as handmaiden to the queen, until a spell cast on her at birth activated. Now she's filled with uncontrollable rage and access to magic she thought had been bled from her people years ago. Even her years of secret training in elite hand-to-hand combat and meditation can’t calm the fires raging inside her.

Her heart is torn between two boys, the one she’s always loved and the one who always ignored her. But when the kingdom threatens to tear itself apart due to rumors surrounding the queen’s alleged affair, who will Lianne protect and who will she destroy?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Afterlife

Book Two in The Swarm Trilogy

by Megg Jensen

Synopsis:

The fire inside Lianne threatened to consume her, but she fought back and won. Unfortunately the collateral damage of her decisions won’t stop haunting her. She embarks on a secret trip to find Mags and return her son, but her search leads her into another nest of lies.

Everyone’s safety is in Lianne’s hands as the Malborn, an enemy more fearsome than her own people, looms over them. Will Lianne be able to unravel the secrets in time to save the ones she loves the most? Or will her lack of faith in her own decisions lead to disaster?

Afterlife weaves some of the favorite characters from the Cloud Prophet Trilogy (Anathema, Oubliette, and Severed) into The Swarm Trilogy as Lianne comes face-to-face with a character introduced at the end of Severed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Sundering
Book Three in The Swarm Trilogy
by Megg Jensen
Published October 1, 2012
Published by: 80 Pages
Format Reviewed: eBook (provided by author)

Synopsis:
After defeating the Malborn and losing the person she loved most, Lianne escapes to Chase's homeland. With her appearance forever marked by death, Lianne feels like a monster both on the outside and the inside. She retreats into herself, fearful of what she's become.

But she can't hide forever.

The Malborn, damaged but not broken, send a deadly message to Lianne. They are coming for her and now she's brought danger to a peaceful land that believed they'd driven the Malborn from their shores forever. Lianne must force herself to trust again and make the ultimate sacrifice to save everyone she loves. In a world ruled by whoever harnesses the most powerful magic, no one can be trusted – no one is safe.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My Thoughts:

After picking up right where Afterlife left off, Lianne is devistated from losing Bryden. He was the single most important thing in her life and losing him has left her bereft of all emotion. Not only was he killed defending her, he was killed by Lianne's mother! Her world has become colorless, just like her eyes and hair. She is empty. However, she has a job to do and though it pains her to move on, she knows that she must. Enter Chase, the new potential love. Chase is a nice guy. He tries to help Lianne in any way he can and supports her, but he isn't Bryden and never will be. But, he does help her come out of her shell so that she can learn to live again. I like Chase, he is that great guy friend that is always there waiting for the girl.

The Malborn are still on the warpath, and Lianne wants to find a way to stop them from even attemting a come back. She finds hidden secrets and realizes that she must make sacrifices and difficult decisions. Lianne is a strong female heroine that does not back down for anything. I love that no matter what is happening to her personally and emotionally, she fights for what she believes in and never stops. Lianne has grown from the first book Sleepers to now. She is stronger and though she is still stubborn and impulsive, the things she does aren't as illogical as before. I wasn't sure if I was going to like her or not, but after finishing the trilogy, I can relate to her more. 

Overall, I liked the series. Megg Jensen is talented at world building, which is what makes her novels so interesting. The characters are not always easy to relate to or even understand sometimes, but I was so intrigued by the whole of the series that I had to keep reading. The Sundering closed the series nicely. While I would have loved certain aspects to be elaborated upon, I am happy with the way things turned out. If you haven't read the series, get on it! Also, make sure to read the rest of the books in The Song of Eloh Saga.

★ ★ ★ ★ ½

FTC Advisory: I was given a copy of these books from the author for an honest review as part of a blog tour. No backroom deals or whispered promises were made.

**Purchace links for this book and all other books written by Megg Jensen**

Barnes & Noble   Amazon   Smashwords

About the Author:

Twitter Website Goodreads Facebook

I’ve been a freelance parenting journalist since 2003 and began writing YA novels in 2009. I co-run DarkSide Publishing, am a member of SCBWI, and I blog about writing while juggling freelancing, volunteering, and family life. I live in the Chicago suburbs with my husband, two kids, and our miniature schnauzer, Ace.

~~~~~~~~~~~Giveaway~~~~~~~~~~~

A medieval prize pack:

• A hand-stitched pillow made from a tapestry fragment. I actually watched the owner of RavenStone Castle put it together!
• A handmade pouch from Idiorhythmic Designs. The owner, Raechel, lives in my town so I was able to select the perfect bag (and if you read The Sundering, you know why this bag is important).
• A set of postcards and a bookmark from Mystic Moon Media.A copy of the entire Song of Eloh Saga in your choice of ebook format (contains: The Initiate, Anathema, Oubliette, Severed, Sleepers, Afterlife, The Sundering)
  
  A $25 gift card to Amazon
  
  

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Crimson Groves by Ashley Robertson + Giveaway!!

Crimson Groves
(The Crimson series, #1)
by Ashley Robertson
Pubication Date: November 9, 2011
Formats: Paperback, eBook ~282 pages

Synopsis:
Abigail Tate was a normal human girl—until the day Bronx the vampire barges into her life and turns her against her will. Held captive while forced to deal with never-ending cravings for blood, Abby prays for a way to escape. Only when an opportunity arises, it’s with the aid of an innocent human named Tyler—except vampires are forbidden to interact with the unbitten. But Abby quickly learns this human has secrets of his own...secrets that can either help her or get her killed. Only Abby soon discovers that she is the one with the biggest secret of all. 
***June 2012 Extras added to the e-book version only (including the first chapter of the sequel Crimson Flames (book #2 of The Crimson Series)***

Cover: The cover is what caught my eye first. The girl on the front’s gaze pierces through you. I l also love the deep blues set against the oranges and deep crimson red. The cover was created by Phat Puppy Art and I have yet to see a cover from them that I don’t like.

My Thoughts:
Abigail Tate has been having a rough time seeing as her ex-boyfriend and her former BFF are canoodling, not to mention she was the one that caught them in the act. She is constantly walking around with a giant black cloud above her head. Things couldn’t get much worse for her, or so she thinks. After an encounter with the deceitful couple, Abby gets a crazed phone call from her father that left her when she was a child telling her that she is in danger. Baffled and a bit ticked off, she ignores his warnings. Enter Bronx, a smoldering hot guy that lures Abby back to his place where he then turns her into a vampire. Not only does he force immortality upon her, he is hell bent on holder her captive and making her love him.

Abby now is a prisoner and refuses Bronx’s advances. But when the chance comes up for her to leave, even if it is will him, she takes the chance to get some much needed air. They go to a bar called Pulse (nice name); a bar for vampires to drink blood from donors who get a rush in return. Here she meets Tyler and he helps her escape Bronx’s clutches and teaches her about abilities that she didn’t know she had. Abby is befriended by donor Lilly and bar owner, Stone; both of whom she may or may not be able to trust fully. But when both Tyler and Stone are falling for her and Bronx is still trying to find her Abby has to use all her wits and guile to keep herself safe. But betrayal is around every bend and Abby doesn’t know who she can trust, but can’t get by on her own.

This is Ashley Robertson’s first published book and a great introduction to her writing. I found her characters to be believable and likeable, well most of them, but I don’t’ want to give anything away… Abby is a realistic heroine, one that is unsure of herself, yes she whines a bit, but she learns and adapts along the way. I really like that there was no getting through to her by Bronx. I am kinda sick of the whole Stockholm Syndrome thing and Abby holds her ground. There is a love triangle between Abby, Tyler and Stone, but I am reserving judgment until the next book. Until then, I am just Team Abby. The one thing that I would have liked to see was just a bit more insight/backstory - whatever you want to call it. I also want to know more about the new world she has been thrust into, but I will have to wait until Crimson Rain.

Vampire lovers should definitely check out Crimson Groves. Ashley Robertson is great at giving readers imaginative stories, strong characters, and keeps you on your toes until the very end. What I like most about Ashley’s writing is that she gives characters real depth. I want to reach in and stake Bronx myself and not every writer can elicit such strong emotions. Bravo! Crimson Groves ended in a way to lead into a sequel, hopefully a series, where we can read more about Abby and her transformation. A captivating read which I could not put down!

Favorite Quote:
“My eyes were hot, dry, like Vegas heat in the summertime. The pressure got more intense. The heat grew thicker, hotter, suffocating. I couldn’t take it anymore. I screamed. I screamed again. Loud – so loud, my voice shrieked with raw fear.”

★ ★ ★ ★ ½

FTC Advisory: I was given a copy of this book from the author for an honest review. No backroom deals or whispered promises were made.

Where to Buy:

Amazon

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Book Trailer: 

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Dominion Blog Tour: Review

A big Thank You to Melody for choosing Breathe In BooKs to read and review Dominion and to YAReads for letting me participate in the Dominion Tour.

Dominion
(Guardian Angels, #1)
by Melody Manful
Published by Authorhouse
Format: eBook - Kindle August 25, 2012

Synopsis:

I Dare You.
Look Over Your Shoulders.
Do You See Them?
They are behind you...
They are always behind you.

Abigail Cells had a nightmare the day before she met Gideon, the new guy in school who has every girl drooling just to be near him. In her nightmare, she was murdered by a magical creature. As she gets to know Gideon, she begins to remember pieces of her nightmare, and was shocked when Gideon turned out to be the creature from her nightmare. Who is Gideon really, should Abby allow herself to fall completely for him, or is he the next disaster waiting to happen?

My Review:
I know, you are reading the synopsis and looking at the cover you are thinking "Not another angel book!" But let me tell you this isn't like everything that is out there, and I have read a lot of the speculative romance genre. There are two races of angels/demons called Grandinians and Grantinians. What is different is that they are not just angels, but guardian angels. Melody has created creatures that are invariably different, but have to work together - one trying to keep their charge alive, and the other hell bent on putting their charge in harm's way.

Abigail is a girl who lives inside her head. She is constantly trying to guess at what steps she should take and what exactly she desires. She does do a slight 'damsel in distress' act by putting herself into danger, but she is still a strong character. I understand her inner struggle and that she is a teenager and sees only what is in front of her, but she could have looked a little more at the bigger picture. Abigail isn't just a normal teenager either. She has abilities that are inexplicable, ones she shouldn't have. She hasn't really lived a normal life either with a mom who is a designer and a famous father, she is always being watched by somebody - she even has her own bodyguards.

Enter Abigail's guardians, Gideon and Tristan. Gideon is the bad boy; the guy you want to hate because he is the bad, exciting guy that makes life and love adventurous. Tristan is the good guy; the angel who does right always, and makes it look easy, as if no other choice exists. Tristan is the golden boy, the one who should be the love interest, and should be the easy choice. However, I tend to root for the bad guys, the demons, the fallen ones, even though I know I shouldn't, and Abigail does too. And Gideon makes it hard to guess if he is really who you think he is, or if there is more to the story.

The story has many twists and surprises that will keep you turning pages into the night trying to find out what is happening. The world that the author created was interesting and imaginative. The story was well-written and there weren't any dull points - a big plus! The ending was frustrating!! I would love a book to have an ending that is wrapped in a pretty bow, but this isn't the case. Questions are left unanswered and links between people are never quite connected, but I am hopeful that Melody will give her readers the answers in the sequel. Right, Melody, right?!

★ ★ ★ ★ ½
 I recommend this book to any lover of YA, paranormal and speculative romance.

FTC Advisory: I was given a copy of this book from the author for an honest review. No backroom deals or whispered promises were made. *I reviewed an unedited copy of Dominion.

Where to Buy:

Purchase on Kindle August 25th!

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My Immortal The Vampires of Berlin Tour: Review & Excerpt

A big Thank You to Lee Rudnicki and Bewitching Book Tours for the opportunity to read and review My Immortal and be a part of the tour. Click on the picture above to see all the other stops on the tour.

My Immortal The Vampires of Berlin
By Lee Rudnicki

Genre:  Horror

Publisher:  23 House

Date of Publication:  March 9, 2012

ISBN-10: 0984645810

ISBN-13: 978-0984645817

Number of pages: 306

Synopsis:

A supernatural adventure set in present day and 1945 Berlin. Our heroine is Eva, a shell-shocked young vampire who is found wandering around in the ruins of Berlin Cathedral on the last day of the war by soldiers.

BARNES AND NOBLE     AMAZON    AMAZON KINDLE   

VAMPIRE BLOG – (SIGNED COPIES) 

Excerpt:

Eva sat on the riverbank as the sounds of battle resounded in the distance. She didn't say anything when Sebastian sat down next to her. Nor did he expect her to.

“Guten Abend,” he said. “Not the best time for a picnic on the riverbank, is it?”

Eva didn't respond.

Sebastian didn’t believe in vampires until he met one. Until one bit him. Now, the sight of blood excited him and his strength was growing by the hour. He knew what the other men only suspected. Eva was a vampire and he was turning into one himself. He also instinctively knew that their survival depended on Eva, for reasons known only to God—assuming that God was still in Berlin. Somehow, he needed to get through to her. He tried again.

“Eva. Do you understand me? Do you know where you are? Please, talk to me.”

If Eva heard him, she didn't show it. Opening the lines of communication with the young vampire was going to be far more difficult than Sebastian had anticipated. Discouraged, he turned her towards him. “Look at me. That Luftwaffe pilot over there...”

“Axel,” Eva said softly.

“Yes. Axel is about to die from burns he got when a vampire torched his face. He got hurt saving you.”

Eva blinked hard and then pointed to the sky. “It’s in the stars, Sebastian.”

Sebastian looked up. There were no stars, only a dark gloom lit by the flash of sporadic explosions. Before he could ask another question, an artillery shell exploded in the river. The freezing water that cascaded over them brought him crashing back to reality.

Sebastian got up and took Eva’s hand. It was time to go.

My Review:

I have been dying (no pun intended) to get my hands on My Immortal for a long time so I jumped at the chance to be a part of this tour. I have to say, it was not what I expected...in a good way. I expected the book to be about vampires - but it was so much more. My Immortal crosses many genres from Historical WWII Fiction to Horror to Fantasy to Mystery. Vampires are a part of the book no doubt, but I would say that it is a book about war with vampires as opposed to a vampire book set during the war.

We start in present day Berlin with a "Professor" known for his books on conspiracy theories. However, what he has in his brief case is so much more than what the pyramids represent or UFOs. What he carries is a dossier on Operation Tristan; Hitler's secret weapon. When a fan of the professor's hacks into his computer to find what he is working on, he is shocked by what he finds and alerts the United States government to the situation. No one can know what is inside the briefcase; in fact, the president doesn't even know what it entails. The CIA attempts to thwart the professor's plan to release the information publicly and a set of events occurs that has you wondering what is so important. What is Operation Tristan? The scene then changes to Berlin, 1945. The German army is losing the war and Hitler will do anything -anything- to stop the Red Army from taking over. 

Lee's writing is superb. He details the atrocities of the war in horrific detail without being overly gory. The interaction between the soldiers was realistic and reminds the reader that not everyone was an automaton; that people did what they had to in order to survive.  Hitler is portrayed as a manic, unstable man who wants nothing more than to see the world burn. The glimpse into his mind is frightening. The vampires were created in the traditional form: they had fangs, no reflection, and incredible speed and strength. And even though they looked human, they were anything but. The story is told from many points of view, which I am generally not a fan of, but Lee's transitions were clearer than some.

Overall, My Immortal was a suspenseful, thrilling read that will keep you on the edge of your seat, and if you are like me biting off all your fingernails in the process! Through war ravaged Germany, the story unfolds and you will find yourself immersed in Sebastian and Eva's plight. I recommend to history buffs, conspiracy theorists and horror fans alike. 

★ ★ ★ ★ ½ 

FTC Advisory: I received this book from BBT in exchange for an honest review. I am never paid or compensated in any way for my reviews. No backroom deals or whispered promises are made.

About the Author:

Lee Rudnicki is an entertainment lawyer, producer, and writer in Los Angeles. Lee has a law degree from the University of San Francisco, a music degree from San Jose State, a Certificate in Screenwriting from UCLA and studied international law at Trinity College, Ireland and Charles University, Prague. Before law school, Lee was a world-class rudimental drummer and drum corps instructor.

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Review: Inside Evil

Inside Evil
(Inside Evil Series #1)
by Geoffrey Wakeling
Publication Date: March 12, 2012
Formats Available: eBook ~176 pages

Synopsis: Roberta Arlington lives in Ridgewood, a small and sleepy town on the Scottish border, where she is completely content with her life. That is, until she stumbles upon a corpse at the local boarding school and finds that her world starts to unravel into chaos.
As questions begin to emerge as to just how the victim died, Roberta discovers herself caught in a world which she never knew existed. Like a shadow hanging behind Roberta’s own life, another world hovers in the background, waiting silently until trying to break through. Roberta soon discovers that she’ll have to find all the strength she has to survive the path laid before her. -from Goodreads

Cover: I’m not quite sure what it is about the color green that evokes feelings of evil, but it does. It is usually shown through a person’s eyes, but on the cover of Inside Evil the green encompasses the entire page. The picture is of a black cat sitting the woods, not scary by itself, but when you add the bright, glowing green the woods seem ominous. Very cool trick.

 

My Thoughts:

“It’s happening again…”

The small town of Ridgewood has a secret, one that only a select group of people know about. There is a curse, one that has been handed down from generation to generation. Every ten years there will be deaths unless a riddle is solved and to find the riddle is its own adventure. I was completely enthralled with this book. From the moment I began reading I could not tear myself away. What I first thought was a horror novel is actually a fantasy within a mystery.

Roberta, a teacher at the local boarding school, finds one of her students, Vanessa, dead in the hallway. Vanessa - a local girl who lived on campus, but her parents live in town. Her mother even runs a popular book shop. But ever since Vanessa moved to campus, things haven’t been right. Vanessa’s teachers think it may be drugs, but in reality it is something so much worse. When Vanessa is found dead strange things start to happen. Roberta isn’t quite feeling like herself anymore. She is quick to anger and at times violent, but she hasn’t any idea why. There is something inside of her. Whatever killed Vanessa is making its way into Roberta and sending her into a descending spiral of madness.

“For just the smallest second, the smile on her daughter’s face vanished and was replaced with a snarl. Lips drawn into the face of the devil, eyes hollowed and black…”

While I am not usually a fan of so many viewpoints being shown, the author Geoff Wakeling does a good job of making the transitions from one character to the next. His descriptions of the small town of Ridgewood were well written and I could imagine exactly what it looked like without him being overly verbose. The entire cast of characters made this book great. From Sam the reluctant believer to Detective Karl who has been investigating the unusual deaths for over 10 years to Martha whose husband was one of the lost; we see a web spinning them all together. Each character is well-rounded and thought out. The fantastical parts of the book, while not trying to give anything away, were imaginative, original and strange.

There is a big difference between American English and British English and for those who aren’t used to reading the latter will need to be aware of the variances. For example, the spelling is different: favorite is favourite, meter is metre. The punctuation is also different; as to where I would use a period after Mr. or Mrs., British English does not, so Mrs. Peacock is Mrs Peacock. In addition, there are a few British colloquialisms that are used, but nothing that can’t be understood.

Aside from the language variations, I really enjoyed reading Inside Evil and cannot wait until he writes the second installment in the series. Anyone looking for a good mystery/fantasy to cozy up to the fire with a cup of tea or to even sit and read on the beach, Inside Evil is a great choice.

Favorite Quote: “Black shining gems bored down onto her. It was like looking directly into hell where all things were evil.”

★ ★ ★ ★ ½

FTC Advisory: I was given a copy of this book from the author for an honest review. No backroom deals or whispered promises were made. 

Where to Buy:

Amazon

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Stalk the Author:

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