Dragon Spring & Other Things is a short story collection of fantasy, steampunk and speculative fiction stories by author Raven Oak.  Like all short story collections, there were stories that I liked better than others and stories that I wish I could see fleshed out as full books.  I really appreciated the stories that dove into some of the side characters from the author's Boahim series.  I loved being able to dive back into that world and reconnect with the characters. 

Some of my favorite stories from the collection are:
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Mirror Me: A very immersive and strong start to the collection.  A young detective has been passed a strange skill to see his face mirrored in other people and pick up on their feelings and emotions.  In his job, the mirror promotes empathy, but when the victim is the detective's own father, the Mirror must extend his empathy more than usual.

Water the Fire: What if what you believed was a curse was actually protecting you?  A cute and unexpected story of fire and water demons and how the things that frustrate us the most in life also have a purpose.

Alive: The tragic backstory of Ida from Amaskan's Blood.  A nice trip back into the Amaskan's world and see Ida in a new light.

The Ringers: A magical story of a village that is plagued by the Ringers, the undead who come to take away those who do not follow the rules of the magistrate.  Luckily, young Elise has studied her magic and is prepared to help the people of Dekwood come out from under the magistrate's spell. 

Peace Be With You: A sweet and touching story of the end of the world and it's last two living inhabitants, a starving dragon and a young girl.  I loved their conversations and interactions down to the very end. 
 

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Elle has lived in a locked house in the sky for as long as she can remember.  Her caretaker tells her that the rest of the world has been ravaged and overcome by demons.  Elle escapes and falls to the Earth, determined to regain her memories from before the house in the sky and regain her magic.  Elle finds help in a strange group, Adair, Leslie and Honeycutt, that all seem to have a connection to Elle.  Elle believes that she needs to find a castle in the sky with a vengeful god, however, she must figure out the secrets of her past before being able to fight.

Where the Lightning Goes is an exciting and unique fantasy.  I was hooked on the story from the moment of Elle escaping the house in the sky.  As Elle falls, she has no memory except for living in the house and no knowledge of the world she has landed on. She must accept things as they happen, as does the reader.  The pacing of the story moves quickly as Elle is faced with decisions.  I loved the journey into the painting to find Adair's heart as well as Leslie, the heart itself.  Through the characters, there is an overwhelming feeling of loss, but also one of hope.  I enjoyed watching as Adair taught Elle magic and the Impossible markets. Honeycutt's character was an amazing addition to the group and began to give some hints as to how the four might be connected.  I even appreciated the demon character and it's unexpected actions. Elle's final battle with the god was amazingly written and offered a satisfying and dramatic ending. 

 

​For 15 generations, an ancient curse has caused early deaths for all of the women in Stella Avery's family.  However, Stella has been shielded from the knowledge of the curse and all of the supernatural beings attached to it.  Stella lives what she believes in a quiet life in Portland with her aging grandfather and is close to her Romany family and grandmother.  Now, close to her 18th birthday, Stella begins to show signs of having power passed down from her ancestor, Lila.  This set in motion protection from The Lion, the enforcer for the King of the Primati, all of the supernatural beings on Earth.  The more time Alaric, the Lion spends with Stella, the more they are drawn together.  Alaric knows that his brother, the King, will lay his claim on Stella in an elaborate plan to break the curse.

Everwish is a Young Adult Paranormal romance with a fairy tale twist.  Told from alternating points of view of Stella and Alaric, there is a slow and suspenseful unraveling of the secrets that have been kept from Stella, her long, cursed family tree, and just how Alaric and his brother, Murad came to be who they are.  I like that Stella was not at all a damsel in distress, even though that is what she was pretty much forced to be in Portland.  Stella was determined to use what powers she had and make her own choices.   Alaric's creation was amazing as well, I was really interested in how he was an angel and demon hybrid.   There are so many supernatural beings that I enjoyed watching them interact and learning how their powers worked, there are witches, vampires, mermaids, druids and celestial beings.  The danger for Stella and her family grew throughout the story as a powerful sorcerer stalked Stella and wreaked havoc within the Primati.  The romance between Stella and Alaric was explosive and passionate, yet guarded as Alaric knew things that Stella did not.  I can't wait to see what is in store for Stella and Alaric next. 

This book was received for free in return for an honest review.

Wicked Crown: 
​Vori is a world renowned supermodel and a goblin princess. She has been stuck in the human realm ever since the Wicked Crown took its toll on her father and he went on a murderous rampage killing every other goblin royal. Vori's mother, a fae, sacrificed herself by pushing Vori into the human realm before her father reached her.  Now, Vori is in a time crunch to fulfill a blow vow to Baba Yaga if she ever wants to return to the goblin realm.  Vori needs all of the amethysts once part of the crown along with a consort. She is working on the amethysts, but her planned consort, Perry, a male witch is currently in jail. Once she busts Perry out and returns to her realm, Vori finds a world in trouble and is faced with a decision of taking the crown that she never wanted in order to save her home. 

Wicked Crown is a fun, adventurous and unexpected paranormal romance.  I was wondering how goblins were supposed to be sexy, and these goblins definitely were!  The writing dives right into the action as Vori tracks down an amethyst and attempts to retrieve it.  Vori's second challenge was breaking Perry out of jail. I did feel momentarily lost with Perry's past involvement with the  Witch Senate and why he had been captured, tortured and given powers.  I was captivated by the goblin realm and the origin of the crown.  I loved the descriptions of the realm, the castle, the other goblins and their royalty.  The suspense only heightened as Vori and Perry entered the Goblin world and were faced with problem after problem that they relied on one another to solve.  The gradual build of the romance between Perry and Vori was also exciting; from Perry being repulsed by Vori's goblin form, to accepting, to seeing that as her true self.  I was glad to see that through Vori's time within the Goblin realm, she realizes and embraces her fate on her own terms.

Wicked Match: 
Prys Bane is a witch Princess; with her Royal Bloodline she has privilege, money and powers to emotionally manipulate and predict outcomes.  Prys focuses on using her power for good, working as a witch magistrate and matchmaker.  Prys has been contracted to find a Legacy match for the male Donovan heir, but when she arrives in Los Angeles, Prys finds a murdered witch Senator. Now, with a murdered Senator, Prys finds out that the Legacy heir she must find a match for is the hunky Guard she kissed the night before, John Donovan.  As Prys investigates further, she receives threats of her own, driving her further into John's arms.  

Wicked Match is the second book in the Wicked series.  While it can be read as a stand alone, the previous book offers some insight into how the supernatural world interacts with humans.  Wicked Match offers a slow burn paranormal romance that turns hot and spicy.  The romance combined with a murder mystery and magic created a fast-paced exciting read.  Prys and John are wonderful characters.  Prys was painted as an Ice Queen by the supernatural media, but is deeply connected to emotions and never wants to hurt anyone.  She is a perfect match for John with his rough exterior and dominant needs. The murder mystery is compelling along with the constant threats on Prys' life keeping the suspense and danger high.  I had the villain figured out pretty early on, but the motivations behind their treachery were interesting to see unravel. 
This book was received for free in return for an honest review. 

Wicked Grace: 
Alexi is a Demon Prince in control of the Los Angeles territory.  He is recruited on a mission to rescue a woman held by the Order, a dangerous group of humans set on destroying anything supernatural.  As Alexi completes his mission and rescues Joelle, he recognizes the girl he rescued once in his childhood, a girl he believed to be his match.   Now, Alexi feels like he must protect Joelle, the supernatural that is not a demon or a witch, but something amazing and good, the opposite of himself. Joelle is determined to find out what she is and find love, but Alexi won't claim her as his mate, even though they can both feel it.  Meanwhile, the Order is determined to get their prisoner back while finding new ways to torture supernaturals. 

Wicked Grace is the third book in The Wicked series and picks up on the tail end of book two.  From Alexi and Joelle's point of view, the demon side of the supernaturals are revealed along with a whole new supernatural entity.  As always, the characters are very well developed and immensely interesting.  I was entranced by the mystery of what Joelle is, her origins and her powers.  I was amazed that Joelle was still kind, forgiving and caring after the years of torture she endured by the Order.  Through Alexi, it was interesting to see how the demons kept order and controlled chaos as well as their immense powers that they could hold.  I was also excited to check in with Vori from book one and see how she was doing in the Goblin Realm.  Alexi and Joelle's relationship kept me in suspense as they went back and forth with their feelings.  When they finally sparked, the romance went quickly from sweet to heat.  The story was sustained at a fast pace as the Order seemed to be ahead of their plans, the origins of Joelle unraveled and Alexi and Joelle accepted their fate. ​

​Ever since he can remember, Thomas has had a magical relationship with music.  When he plays, magical creatures appear and keep him company.  At eighteen, Thomas is suffering the loss of his parents; his music and the magical creatures his only friends. Thomas enjoys playing his guitar in the square of  São Paulo, Brazil.  One fateful day, his music captivates several people around him, some friends and some foe.  Maruli, an Indigenous  Guarani, is attending school in the city and can also see  Thomas' magical beings around him.  Young brothers,  André and Miguel can also see the magical creatures and recreate them out of toys to bring to Thomas.  Dr. Alonso, a college professor and his daughter, Dora, an influencer, want Thomas for his talents and lure him to their compound. Thankfully, Thomas' new friends realize he is in danger and come up with a plan to help him out of Dr. Alonso's grip. 


The Musician is a unique story of magical realism, music and friendship that is craftily blended together. I really liked the idea of this story, a group of people bound together by a higher connection of music, fully using our senses and connecting to nature.  All of the characters were very interesting and had different backgrounds.   Told mostly through Thomas, we get to know him the best.  I was very intrigued by Maruli, a Guarani native and her ways of life.  One of the other themes within the story was Indigenous, natural living in alignment with the world and how to combine those principles with the modern world.  The writing dives right into the action with Thomas' talents, a chance meeting with others in the town square and then him being taken by Dr. Alonso and Dora.  I felt like I just needed to know more about each of the characters, their backstories and motivations before they jumped in to help or harm a man they had just met.  Thomas' time at Dr. Alonso's was disorienting, as I'm sure it was for his character.  I was very interested in the Orphics and their origins.  Every part of the story was meaningful and well written, I just kept feeling like it was a little rushed and needed more context.  I would have loved to be immersed in the fantastic world of music, magical creatures, the Brazilian forest and even the Orphics. 


This book was received for free in return for an honest review. 

​Starr Weatherby's dream is to be an actress.  Instead, she is waitressing while waiting for her big break.  Unbeknownst to her, Starr is being watched from beyond the Veil to star in a series especially for mythic beings. Jason, the director for a mythic show, Tune in Tomorrow finally approaches Starr to offer her a gig.  However, Starr must be brought through the Veil and accepted by the show's star and resident diva, Fiona.  Starr is amazed by everything on the other side of the Veil and after the shock passes, the hard part begins.  Fiona is not open to another female star on the show.  Fiona accepts Starr only to scheme to have her quit or get thrown out of the show.  Starr wizens up to Fiona's antics, but has made an enemy out of the diva.  Other than Fiona's stunts, Starr quickly falls in love with magic and beings on the other side.  Starr needs to figure out how to work with Fiona and the mystery of her predecessor, Amelia, before its too late.

Tune in Tomorrow is a zany, entertaining mythical soap opera.  Starr's passion and drive for performing is evident from the beginning, I was taken in by her willingness to sacrifice for her dream.  A television show about humans in another realm was definitely an interesting twist and I was as amazed as Starr when she went beyond the Veil for the first time to witness a dragon security guard, camera dryads, brownie personal assistants and werepanter writers.  As Starr enters the mythical world beyond the Veil for the first time, there is a lot of information to be processed and the pacing slows a bit as Starr gets to know everyone and begin filming the show.  Suspense builds as Fiona attempts to boot Starr from the show intensify and Starr continues to play into her strategies.  I did love exploring some of the mythical areas beyond the Tune In Tomorrow set including the alternate Central Park, the Brownie doors and their strike and the Mythic award show.  

About the Book:
Rachel comes from a dimension that exists adjacent to ours. The people there have structured their society around daemon collecting: they locate, catch, and repair malfunctioning daemons (creatures out of phase with our world that tempt people to do good or evil). 


While introducing Leda Morley, last of an ancient line of gatekeepers, to the ins and outs of her daemon-collecting work, Rachel Wilde encounters something far more dangerous than any daemon: a young boy who stands alone against an unseen yet terrifying enemy that has invaded his home—an inhuman creature who, hellbent on revenge for a minor slight, intends to harm the boy’s oblivious family. Meanwhile, Leda’s brother, Simon, is feeling left out of his maternal family legacy but is coping partly by helping Rachel’s friend Bach—a previously homeless man with unusual mental abilities—get his life back on track.

In the midst of all of this, Bach unintentionally but serendipitously makes contact with a capable otherworldly being who, with great reluctance, agrees to help Bach and his friends take on the dangerous creature that’s just become their problem to solve. Together, this group of unlikely allies must put aside their differences to save an innocent child, and his family, from a monster—before it’s too late.

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Review: 
Rachel Wilde is a daemon hunter from the Arcana dimension.  On her last mission, she found the last gatekeeper, Leda and tried to stop a person from breaking down interdimensional barriers.  Along the way Rachel also acquired Bach, a human oracle whose insights had driven him to the brink of madness and a defective daemon who now roams her home.  Rachel's new assignments should be easy, she is showing Leda the ropes of what being a gatekeeper means and taking her on some fact finding missions.  However, one of Rachel's fact finding missions turns out to be something more than the typical daemon where a maligned being is torturing a local family for a mistake that a young boy made while discovering his new powers.  Meanwhile, Bach and Leda's brother, Simon are trying to get Bach's life together when they figure out that Bach may be able to help with Rachel's situation.  

Blue Flame is another wonderful installment in the Daemon Collecting series.  I would highly recommend reading book one, Gatekeeper first to understand the dimensions and the characters.  I was so glad to continue with many of the characters' stories from the first book and go deeper into their backstories.  Rachel continues to be strong and fierce, with Leda's help she begins to break down her unyielding personality.  Through Leda's human eyes, a better understanding of the Arcana and it's social structure is shown.  Leda's thirst for knowledge and gentle nature unravels some of the mysteries of the Arcana and smooths some of Rachel's edges. I was elated to learn more about Bach's history, see him move forward with his life, get a grip on his gift as well as learn of its origins. The being that Rachel and Leda discover in Blue Flame is surprising and interesting to learn about.  I loved that the point of view switched to these special beings and they were very interesting to read, written in a prose style.  The solution to help the being and the family that is being tortured by it was creative and lends itself towards better relationships in the future.  Blue Flame is an action packed, fast paced urban fantasy adventure that I can't wait to read more of. 

Alongside our world is another dimension, the Arcana, whose people live and work with ours in order to keep our dimension working properly.  Rachel Wilde is one of those Arcanans who works as a demon collector.  Rachel catches malfunctioning daemons and brings them back for repair.  Rachel's latest caseload involves a bunch of unusual assignments:  first, a riot daemon who no longer wants to affect humans negatively and is assigned to live with Rachel since it is unable to be repaired at this time; second, a human man who is trying to break down the inter-dimensional barrier to bring back the daemon Apep and lastly, the woman who is the last gatekeeper for Apep, keeping the daemon locked in the wasteland.  Rachel's assignments turn sour as the two human marks cross paths, but she may finish her assignment with the help of some new friends. 


Gatekeeper is a fun daemonic adventure through alternative dimensions and a diversity of daemons.  The prologue sucked me in as a mysterious murderer brutally kills off what he believes is the last of the gatekeeper line.  Rachel's character is strong, edgy and impulsive.  I was very interested in the other dimensions and Rachel's dimension of Arcana.  Arcana seems similar to ours, but with a better social structure.  I would love to explore more of Arcana and how the people there came to be in charge of the daemons in the different dimensions.  I also really enjoyed the human Oracle, Bach.  I know that he probably has a great backstory, but it hasn't been explored yet.  The riot daemon is a wonderful addition and I hope it doesn't get sent away just yet.  I have a lot of questions about Apep and why a human would kill to have the daemon back on Earth.  The ending was suspenseful and kept my interest up right until the end.  There is definitely a lot more to explore in the series and I want to know what happens next!

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. 

The Goddess danced the world into existence and with it, she made three tribes: the Minca, Carroo and Dute.  Each tribe has a special talent and connection to the Goddess.  Each tribe has a Mother that feels the connection with the Goddess and fosters that connection with their tribe.  For years there was peace, until one Mincan, Vestor, murders his sister the Mother Minca and sets the tribes against one another, seeking power for himself.  Cora, the current Mother Minca, has a vision of peace between the tribes.  However, all three tribes must reunite at the Heart Stone at the Winter Solstice for a chance at peace and Vestor is watching their every move.  

Journey to the Heart Stone is a fantasy set in a matrilineal world.  The beginning scene as the Goddess danced the world into existence was beautiful and grabbed my attention.  I wish there were a few more scenes of the Goddess or of the world during peace.  For a fantasy, the book is on the shorter side and everything moves quickly.  The writing goes directly into Cora's dilemma with Vestor and her vision for peace.  From there, the point of view splits between the points of view from each tribe's representative on their journey to the Heart Stone.  Each journey focused on building trust, having an open mind and finding friendship.  I actually would have liked more of Vestor and his agent's point of view to understand his motives better.  The ending brought tension and suspense, but wrapped up rather quickly.  I would have loved an extended battle scene and more in depth struggle.  Overall, a fast paced fantasy with great messaging and interesting characters.  

​Vika Hale has grown up on the struggling planet of Philomenus.  Dirty air from pollution fills the air, there is no reliable energy resource, and most of the residents live paycheck to paycheck and are uneducated, serving as the working class for the nearby planet, Ploutos.  Vika, however, was given an exceptional education by an unknown benefactor. Now, the unknown benefactor has passed and he has named Vika as the wife for his son in his will.  In order for Leo Cashin to inherit his father's legacy, he must marry the girl his father wants.  Vika's life is turned upside down as she imagines a life of luxury on Plutonius, but she must decide if she wants to give up her life for a stranger.  Although, just before Vika and Leo meet a tragedy strikes that will change Vika's path once again. 

The Stars Between Us is a sci-fi romance that hits on economic disparity.  I was really interested in Philomenus and Ploutus, how they were colonized and how they became so disparate.  The information about the planets is dispersed throughout the story, but I could have used a little more background. Vika's character is very interesting, she is not exactly the most likable person, but her strong-willed, stubborn nature and tendency to go after what she wanted were the traits that her benefactor admired.  Vika's feelings about potentially being rich and having the life she has always dreamed of were understandable; however, it seemed that she was ungrateful when the opportunity was handed to her. Vika's relationship with Sky also seemed unbalanced, I was rooting for them, but wasn't sure why Sky was so entranced.  Overall, an interesting science fiction romance with a lot of drama and some twists that shows the impact of money, greed and choosing your own destiny.  

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. 

​Cassie Walker is dreading her approaching 25th birthday as it brings back memories of the accident that caused her family's  death.  Now, at the insistence of a therapist, Cassie returns to her home town of Elliot, Indiana and her family's home.  She hopes that confronting the past will help with her ability to sleep and the shadows that have been creeping in.  What Cassie finds, however, is a book left by her mother telling her that she is a demon and will begin growing horns and feeling a hunger for things.  On the upside, Cassie reconnects with her friend Josh and he encourages her to enter the annual Demon Run in Woodland Creek.  While dealing with all of her changes, Cassie realizes that things are amiss in Woodland Creek, especially with her friend, Jenn.  As Cassie finds out more about her demon lineage and the benefits, she must fight the other powers in Woodland Creek. 

The Good Girl's Guide to Being a Demon is a fun novella with wonderful characters in a fun setting.  I felt an immediate connection with Cassie as a totally normal woman with everyday problems and trying to fight off her demons, only her demons are real.  For a novella, the writing pulled me into the story quickly.  I had a good sense of who Cassie was, where she came from and the setting.  The story took off quickly as Cassie entered Woodland Creek.  I enjoyed her journey to becoming a demon and uncovering her mother's letters and her supernatural history.  The drama between Cassie and her friends Josh and Jenn was compelling and suspenseful and Cassie attempted to figure out what was happening in Woodland Creek along with what was happening in her own body.  The ending wrapped up a little suddenly for me with a time jump, but was still satisfying.  The Good Girl's Guide to Being a Demon is part of a series all taking place in Woodland Creek, so I might have to check some of those out!