​Dr. Catherine Coldbridge marries soldier Frank Humble in Montana Territory, 1879.  Two weeks after their wedding, Frank sets out for the frontier and is killed in a Sioux attack.  Consumed by grief, Catherine sets out with Frank's friend, Falling Bird, to find Frank's body.  Catherine, however, is not only trained in medicine, but has also trained in the occult.  After finding Frank, she pieces his body back together and begins a resurrection ceremony.  The resurrection is a success, but Frank is no longer himself, imbued with magick strength, he goes on a killing spree and Catherine flees.  Twenty five years later, Catherine is ready to right her wrong.  With the help from hired assassins, brothers Frank and Aubrey, Catherine sets forth to find Frank who is now travelling with a Wild West show as the Unkillable Frank Lightning.  

The Unkillable Frank Lightning is an imaginative and heartfelt Frankenstein retelling in the Wild West.  Catherine's character is impressive and driven, becoming a female doctor while studying the occult and taking on caring for soldiers in the field.  The narrative skillfully interweaves timelines, revealing details of Frank's death, reanimation, and subsequent life as Catherine tracks him down. Her journey highlights the profound impact of her past decision on her conscience. Frank's life has significantly changed, and he has found a new family within the Wild West show, demonstrating his inherent goodness even in his altered state. I particularly enjoyed the wonderful characters among Frank's show mates and would have loved to learn more about them. The eventual reunion of Frank and Catherine prompts them to re-evaluate their perceptions and rediscover one another, ultimately leading to self-acceptance and redemption.


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

​Lacrimosa Arriscane returns to her home in Verse, recently expelled from her school, she is disgraced to return to her brother's home and failing salt mine.  Upon returning home, her brother's rejoice, but tell Lacrimosa that they may have to sell their home and mines to their neighbor, Alastair Felimeth to repay a debt.  Lacrimosa was once good friends with Alistair and his sister, Camille, but was pushed away by Alastair.  Lacrimosa goes to the salt mines to pray to her god, Therion, only to find her brothers in discussion with him.  Lacrimosa learns that she has been promised to marry Therion and join him in his world every salt season.  In return, Therion will restore the salt harvest.  Lacrimosa decides that she will marry Therion, but their ceremony is interrupted and Therion is bound to a world in between his and Lacrimosa where Therion is quickly fading.   Despite their crumbling relationship, Lacrimosa enlists Alistair and Camille to help her unravel the mistake from the botched ceremony. 

Tenderly, I am Devoured is an immersive Gothic Fantasy. Loosely based on the mythology of Hades and Persephone, but with unexpected twists and interesting character interactions. I found myself drawn into Lacrimosa and her world that was driven by salt mining and her god, Therion.  Lacrimosa is passionate, determined and feels everything deeply.  The writing bounces back and forth between the present and Lacrimosa's time in school as we slowly Iearn why she was expelled, leading to a deeper understanding of her wounds and why she has made the decisions that lead her to Therion. I would love to know more about the world that Verse is part of and how all of their gods fit in. Poetic writing surrounded descriptions of the ocean, homes and Lacrimosa's inner thoughts.  I wish Therion himself was a larger character or had some chapters from his perspective to understand his need for Lacrimosa.  The suspense unfolds slowly after Lacrimosa's botched betrothal leading Lacrimosa down several paths with her brothers, Alistair and Camille and the mysterious Salt Monks.  The romantic tensions layered during this time and added to the drama surrounding the characters. Finishing with an appropriate flourish for all of the characters involved, Tenderly, I am Devoured shows the desire, honesty and darkness in us all. 

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

Orson Fletcher Is  often considered an outsider at school due to his unique ability to discern truth and understand how things work. His father, a trillionaire tech CEO, invites Orson on an extraordinary work trip: a journey to an alternate timeline in 2077 Massachusetts. His father's goal is to extract advanced technology from this future and bring it back to their own time. Believing Orson will thrive in this technologically advanced society, where people are divided into classes like the Thinking Class and Pebbler Class, his father thinks Orson will fit right in.  Orson quickly befriends students at the local university, learning their transportation methods, games, and societal norms. However, law enforcement in this timeline soon detects the anomalies caused by the timeline jumpers, thrusting Orson into the heart of a conspiracy.


The Frequency of Long Shadows is a speculative fiction adventure with plenty of action, conspiracy and mystery.  While Orson is the central character, the narrative unfolds through multiple perspectives. These include his father; his university friends Aurelia, Myka, and Bowen; other time travelers; an assassin; and Special Detective Pinto and his Artificial Partner 8008. These diverse viewpoints contribute to rich world-building, offering insights into the daily lives, leadership structures, transactions, friendships, education, and leisure activities of different classes within this timeline. The narrative gradually reveals information, encouraging trust that details will unfold naturally. The story builds with numerous twists and turns, and Orson's personality and deductive reasoning truly shine as he unravels the conspiracy. I particularly enjoyed witnessing Orson's personal growth and his realization of his true potential.
 
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.