In an alternate England there is a story about a Queen who escaped from the clutches of King Henry XII at midnight with her baby daughter, the Princess in tow.   The Queen was never seen again...

Meanwhile, at Oxford's Merlin College for those that are magically inclined, student Gray Marshall finds himself in a bit of trouble after he is sent out on a midnight errand that ends with a death.  Gray is taken away to Professor Callender's home and is told that he is being kept safe there.  Gray feels an ominous presence about the Callender's home, and he has been unable to use his magic there.  He has been assigned the task of a gardener and feel's more like a prisoner than a guest.  The one good thing about the Callender's is the Professor's awkward but endearing daughter, Sophie.  When Sophie and Gray realize that Professor Callender might be involved in a dangerous plot, they escape in the night with plans to stop him. 

The Midnight Queen was a good story, but had a slow start that I didn't see where it was going until about a third of the way in; after that this book was everything that I love.  I think it would have helped if the prologue was the escaped Queen's story rather than Gray getting into a fight.  Anyway, I love that it was set in an alternate England where some people had a talent for magic and where a King Henry XII existed.  I ended up loving Gray and Sophie, but it took a while.  They are both a little strange, but that just makes them perfect for one another.  Sophie also ended up being a stronger character than I thought, so it wasn't just a story of a rescued girl, but a girl helping to rescue herself.   The intrigue in the story grows once all the plot points are set out and schemes are set into motion, then there is a good story of trying to prevent a murder, a lost princess and  magic being found.

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

Fifteen year-old Halen knows that something is different about her; she has enough magic sparking in her fingers to burn down a building, her hearing is good enough that she wears earplugs throughout her day and she can still hear whispers, lately she has been drawing detailed pictures of a boy who she has never seen. Recently, Halen and her mom have moved back to Rockaway Beach, the place where Halen watched her father drown and Halen is having trouble keeping her powers at bay. When a mysterious boy shows up at Halen's door one night, Halen jumps into the ocean to escape him and is transported to the realm of Elosia, a land of sirens. In Elosia Halen finds out that she has been lied to all her life and that those closest to her have kept secrets from her about her destiny and the fate of Elosia. 

First of all, I have a huge case of cover love for this book! I wasn't quite sure what exactly I was getting into with Coral and Bone, but I was pleased to find out that it is a young adult paranormal with a darker side. I haven't read many YA books where mermaids and sirens are characters and I was happy to read about something a little different. The mermaids and sirens aren't what I would have thought, they are uniquely done in a thoughtful, creative and surprising way. I just wanted to give Halen's character a hug, for having been lied to her whole life she handles all of the situations that she has been thrown into pretty well. It was nice that there was a touch of a romance, but it was not overdone, was not the driving factor and actually fit well into the plot line. There was a really interesting twist with the villain, Astair, also. I'm still not quite sure how much of a villain he is. I do wish that Elosia was explored a little more, that realm seemed awesome!

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

This is an episodic steampunk-fantasy novella series that the author is planning to release bi-weekly. 

Episode 1 is an introduction to Raven and her world.  Raven is trained as a reaper; one who assassinates people, but must save a life for every one taken.  She lives in a world with steam-powered horses and other devices.  Raven is on her way into town to fulfill her debt and ask the man she loves to marry her.  When out-of-control steam horses fly by her carrying a young boy, Raven springs to action saving his life.  The young boy ends up being a baron, Darius,  but one that is cursed.  Now Raven will have to protect the Darius or find a way to lift the curse. 

For a 59 page novella, there is a lot of action and plot packed in here.  I also felt that there was a complete story arc.  Raven's character is awesome, her training as a reaper makes her fierce and independent.  In this episode, a lot of her skill is showcased as she is running from the guard.  I am also intrigued by Darius' condition.  It will be interesting to see what exactly is it and how it will be fixed.  Looking forward to the next one!

Episode 2 is exciting and fast-paced.  Raven and Darius along with his Great Dane, Nikki,  are on the run from the Captain of the Guard and trying to find the Woods Witch.  There is a lot more suspense in this episode, since Raven is just always one step ahead of the Guard.  I liked learning more about Raven's back story and her skills.  More Reapers are also introduced in this episode along with more mystery that these Reapers bring about Raven's past.  Raven's and Darius' escape to the Wood's Witch include a ride in a dirigible and a train along with the use of an oculus and some night vision goggles to give it a good steam-punk vibe. At 71 pages, this episode is also another complete story arc, but one that leaves Raven and Darius at a turning point in their journey. 

Episode 3 is filled with suspense and danger.  Raven is now traveling with the members of the Guard that she was running from and another Reaper.  They are desperately trying to save Darius from the Wood's Witch that was supposed to help him with his curse.  We see more of Raven in action as the group tracks down the Witch, she pulls out more awesome tricks and shows her strength.  Raven's more vulnerable side also begins to show in this episode and we see more of a relationship grow with the Captain of the Guard.  Another mystery is introduced with the appearance of life-like automatons in the southern part of the country and danger as everyone discovers just how the Wood's Witch plans to eradicate the curse from Darius.  I can't wait to see how it ends!



Episode 4 wraps up the series with more danger and a touch of romance. It was nice to see the relationship between Raven and Darius grow as Raven shows a softer side as a caretaker.  Danger still lurks, even after Darius is returned home and Raven refused to leave Darius' side.  The mystery of the life-like automatons in unraveled revealing deadly consequences. The romance between Raven and Captain Jack is just right. As Raven's story ends there are still questions to be answered and more stories to be told, I hope that the journey continues in Chronicles of Steele: Darius!


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