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Uncaged Review: By Blood and Magic by Jamie A. Waters

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

By Blood and Magic
Jamie A. Waters
Urban Fantasy

A priceless treasure is hidden within the ocean’s depths…

Sabine barely managed to escape from Akros with her life.

But the ocean isn’t safe for someone whose power stems from the forests.

When their ship is attacked on the high seas and one of Sabine’s companions is taken hostage, only an agreement forged by blood and magic may save her friend’s life.

The pearl of the sea is also the key to the gods’ revenge…

With the dragon portal failing and the gods’ magic threatening to destroy their world, Sabine must choose between following her heart or upholding a sacred oath.

The cost of ending a centuries-old feud may be higher than anyone expected.

All magic demands a sacrifice–even if it’s hers.

Uncaged Review: In the second book in this series, Sabine and Malek are going after another of the artifacts needed to seal the portal between worlds and keep the dragons in their own world to prevent war. This time, their ship is attacked by Merfolk, and some of their crew is taken hostage. Only with Sabine’s negotiating a deal, can they save their people, including Esme and Levin. But they will need to find a Merfolk that went to land and was kidnapped – and bring her back alive to get their people back, and they don’t have long to do it.

This series is so multi-faceted. As soon as you discover and get through one layer, another develops. This book is even more riveting than the first book in the series. Blossom, the resident Pixie is a hoot, and of the demons, I really like Bane – even though I didn’t care much for Dax in the first book. The relationship between Malek and Sabine continues to develop and we see more and more of Sabine’s past and her powers. This series is a fun set that is easily recommended. Reviewed by Cyrene

5 Stars

Uncaged Review: To Kill a Fae by Jamie A. Waters

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

To Kill a Fae
Jamie A. Waters
Urban Fantasy

The darkness holds more than just secrets…

Marked for death, Sabine escaped from her home more than ten years ago. 

But the Wild Hunt will never give up.

It should have been easy to stay hidden. All Sabine had to do was keep her head down, avoid telling anyone about her past, and above all else — not let her glamour drop.

Even the best-laid plans eventually fall apart.

When a charismatic stranger arrives in the city, Sabine finds herself unwittingly drawn to the power she can sense hidden within him. Keeping her distance is nearly impossible, especially after a life debt is called due and she’s tasked into helping steal a rare artifact.

Sabine is the only one who can break the magical barriers protecting the item, but that means revealing the truth about her identity and exposing her darkest secrets. 

Unfortunately, the Fae aren’t the only ones hunting her.

And the most dangerous monsters aren’t always confined to the dark.

Uncaged Review: The first book in this series is one of those books that starts strong, and continues to get better as you read. Several secrets are revealed as you read – a few I guessed, a couple I didn’t. Sabine has been living in Akros for over 10 years, hiding from the people that want to destroy her, her own family. With two demons, a witch, a pixie, a beastmaster and a dragon shifter as her allies, she will need them all and their special abilities to get out alive.

Sabine is a character that is powerful, but cares about the few people she’s let into her inner sanctum. There are many facets to this book, the brewing romance between her and Malek, the bonds between herself and the demons and Balkin, between herself and the witch and pixie and even the orphans and children. The action sequences are flashy and the main arc within this series has my interest. Looking forward to book two. Reviewed by Cyrene

5 Stars

Uncaged Review: Graveyard Rose by Ginny Clyde

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Graveyard Rose
Ginny Clyde
YA/Paranormal

Stay out of the woods at night- An easy rule for the people of Maldorfina, but not for seventeen-year-old Lenara Gerrickson. In fact, she’s been sneaking out on dark New Moon nights on her own secret missions.

Handpicked by the beautiful vampiress, Annabelle, Lena carries on her family legacy to protect the people from the scourge of the nulan– the mindless undead creatures that plague the land.

She is sent to investigate a looming threat from a new breed of werewolves along with the other elite warriors of her rank, but the company falls into unseen calamity. Fate puts her in the path of a mysterious masked hunter who saves her life. He has his own secrets to protect but Lena can’t help her feelings towards the stranger.

She is soon forced to choose between duty and freedom, but if she makes the wrong choice, she could lose everything. Here begins the incredible tale of a lost maiden and a mysterious gentleman who calls himself a beast…

Uncaged Review: The first book in this series is more of an introduction to the characters and this world. Set as a historical, it’s a cleverly written world that is very original, but does lack depth that longer novels have. Lenara is a strong lead character and is a Guardian – an elite group of warriors that get rid of threats, especially of the paranormal type. On a mission gone bad, Lenara is rescued by a mysterious hunter, who cares for her wounds and heals her, but reveals little of himself. I have my own ideas of who he is, and even though we don’t meet the royal vampires in this book, I’m looking forward to the next book and to peel back more layers of this world. Reviewed by Cyrene

4 Stars

Uncaged Review: Kiss of Fury by Deborah Cooke

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Kiss of Fury
Deborah Cooke
Fantasy Romance

One act of passion can save the world…

Scientist Alexandra Madison was on the verge of unveiling an invention that would change the world. Then her partner was murdered, their lab was burned, and their prototype was destroyed. While Alex is in the hospital recovering from burns suffered in the fire, recurring dragon-haunted nightmares threaten to land her in the psychiatric ward, but she knows she has to escape to her lab to rebuild the Green Machine.

Handsome, daring, and impulsive, Donovan Shea is more than willing to do his part in the Pyr/Slayer war. Assigned to protect Alex, Donovan is shocked when her presence ignites his firestorm. He has no desire for a destined mate, but Alex’s intelligence and determination inspire him to join the fight to save her invention. With the Slayers closing in, Donovan knows he would surrender his life for Alex…and lose his heart to possess her.

Uncaged Review: I decided to give the 2nd book in the series a try, and I did like it better than the first one. One of the things I do like about this series is the dragons along with their descriptions and the fact that they are in dragon form often, unlike other shifter books where the shifters are human 90% of the time. I also think the battles are well described and exciting. This book brings us the 2nd prophecy of Warrior and Wizard. Donovan is taken aback that his firestorm begins when he gets close to Alex, a human he needs to protect because of her huge contribution to the Earth and mankind, of a car that runs on salt water and is prophesized as the Wizard in the Pyr prophecy.

I really enjoyed Donovan more than Alex, especially at first. I honestly can’t believe that Alex even survived the first part of the book, she should have been taken out by stupidity. All in all, the book was better than the first, but since I’ve read this book, the series has been pulled from KU, and for me personally, that probably ended my reading, they aren’t strong enough in the first two books of the series to keep going. Reviewed by Cyrene

4 Stars

Uncaged Review: Shadows & Surrender by Deborah Wilde

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Shadows & Surrender
Deborah Wilde
Urban Fantasy

Ash wanted a career filled with challenging mysteries.

She should have specified she didn’t mean her family.

When a murder scene reveals a connection to Ash’s father who abandoned her when she was thirteen, she’s stunned. He may be the key to stopping Chariot from achieving immortality.

The catch? He could be hiding anywhere in the world.

To make matters worse, Levi, Ash’s romantic entanglement and brand-new boss, has his first official case for her: helping his ex-girlfriend, a.k.a. Ash’s childhood tormentor.

No one ever said adulting was easy.

As secrets multiply and alliances get deadlier, Ash’s investigation takes her back into Hedon and into her own past. Cracking this case could reunite her family… or cost her everyone she holds dear.

Actual ghosts have nothing on the ghosts of her past.

Uncaged Review: The third book in this series is definitely ramping up the storyline with some twists and turns that I did not expect. I think this is the best book in the series so far, but for the ending. I won’t give anything away, but the ending was uncool, and out of character. The world is coming into more clarity and the characters in this series are more and more defined in who they are. Levi and Ash are navigating their relationship while still finding their way professionally.

This series should not be read as standalones as the reader wouldn’t get the full series arc and would probably be a bit lost. I would recommend starting at the beginning. If this book’s ending had been better, it would have been my favorite of the series so far. The action is non-stop and the snark and witty remarks is a lot of fun. Reviewed by Cyrene

4 Stars

Uncaged Review: Death & Desire by Deborah Wilde

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Death & Desire
Deborah Wilde
Urban Fantasy

Angel of Death.

Black market magic.

When you’re Ashira Cohen, smart is the new kickass.

When Ash is hired to solve her first murder, it seems like a perfectly normal, open-and-shut case of family feuds and bad blood. Until Ash discovers an evil magical artifact and her lead suspect is of the winged, white-robed, celestial variety. As if that weren’t bad enough, if she can’t find the perpetrator quickly, fourteen vials of lethal, ghostly magic will be sold to the highest bidder.

Her quest to figure out her Jezebel powers and find the shadowy organization responsible for stripping teens of their magic isn’t going any smoother, either. Can’t a girl just pursue her dream career without getting caught up in a mysterious destiny or playing a dangerous Sherlock-Moriarty game with her annoyingly hot nemesis?

But when Ash accidentally crosses the cunning and deadly Queen of Hearts, ruler of the magic black market, all those cases may go unresolved.

Permanently.

With the clock ticking, it’ll take all of Ash’s intelligence to survive with her moral center–and her head–intact. The game is afoot and failure is not an option.

Uncaged Review: Ash is coming to terms with her Jezebel magic, and to being the Private Investigator she’s always dreamed of. When she gets a hold of a magical artifact during a case, it’s siren song is hard to resist. On top of all of that, her deal with the Queen of Hedon to get the vials of smudge back is becoming more and more twisted.

This book has this story coming along nicely, and the romance between Ash and Levi continues to slowly climb in intensity. This author is known for her snarky bad-ass characters and Ashira is no shrinking violet, but the author doesn’t make the character over the top and hard to like, Ash is definitely a character that grabs hold of the reader. Along with the mish mash of a supporting cast, this series is one to cozy up to and be ready for a fun ride. Reviewed by Cyrene

5 Stars

Uncaged Review: The Summoning by Linda Nightingale

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

The Summoning
Linda Nightingale
Fantasy Romance

Heather Morique is a witch–problem is she doesn’t know it. Her husband Jahill was a refugee from an obscure branch of the Arawak Indians. After his death, mysterious whispers lure her to his home in Jamaica. Soon, she finds herself in a web of secrets, lies and illusions.
Jahill’s people worship Eyrael, the God of Wind and Sea, and his brother Sofiel, the God of Fire and Earth. The new Shaman has pitted brother against brother, and these two powerful spirits are at war to become the tribe’s ruling deity.
When Heather unwittingly summons Eyrael, she is embroiled in this dangerous game.
The irresistible chemistry between these two unlikely soul mates is more disturbing than the long-buried secrets.

Uncaged Review: Heather is distraught from losing her son and her husband in an accident. Also having learned that her husband was not the man she thought he was – she goes to the ocean, trying to find a way to end the whispers in her mind and the constant pain of grief. In her agony, she summons a god, Eyrael – who then saves her from drowning. The scenes in this book are epic, the author takes you right to Jamaica, and the characters are well developed.

This is a shorter book, about novella length, and the author does a great job in the space. There is so much more to this story and I can’t give it away, but if you like books with witches, gods, demons and shifters with a soul mate destined romance, then you will enjoy this book. Reviewed by Cyrene

4 Stars

Uncaged Review: Second Chance Marquess by Jessica Jefferson

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Second Chance Marquess
Jessica Jefferson
Historical Regency

A beautifully told Regency tale about second chances for love….

When Wilhelmina Turner’s younger sister runs off with a young Lothario, she has no choice but to turn to the notorious rake who broke his promise and her heart, for assistance. George Bartlett, the Marquess of Chesterton, hasn’t forgotten the woman who hurt him so many years ago, but can’t deny her request, knowing that his brother’s reputation and fortune is at risk. A series of misfortunes leave the straight-laced widow and committed bachelor stranded, sharing both close quarters and old secrets. But when morning comes, will this unlikely pair find a second chance at love?

Uncaged Review: This is a nice second chance at love story that was nicely entertaining. Research could have been better – for instance, when they are going to have to ride one of the horses back to an inn after a carriage accident, Willie remarks on how large the horse is – thinking it had to be at least 14 hands – a very LARGE beast. Well, 14 hands is a pony. Horse’s height begin at 14.2 and would definitely not warrant 2 people riding it back to an inn. But I let that go. I did like the characters, when they go after their siblings who are running off together, Willie and George both are doing the same thing that happened to them years ago, so I would have thought they would have recognized the same controlling nature in themselves, but it took a long time for them to awaken to that issue.

All in all, it’s a nice regency with a touch of humor, but it seemed like it wrapped up pretty rushed at the end, but all in all, it was a fun interlude. Reviewed by Cyrene

4 Stars

Uncaged Review: Undercover Magic by Linsey Hall

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Undercover Magic
Linsey Hall
Urban Fantasy

I’ve got two choices. Join the Undercover Protectorate. Or die.

In a world of controlled magic, I’m an Unknown. Deadly power, little control. I’m only alive because I pay a Blood Sorcerer to keep me hidden. But when he comes to collect on the debt I can’t pay, one of his goons slams me with a deadly curse. Suddenly, I’m out of options and out of time.

When I’m given a rare chance to join the elite Undercover Protectorate and train at their academy to become an investigator, I have a way to hunt the cure for the curse. They have resources I don’t. Easy, since I’m broke.

Seems like a good plan, right? At least, until they tell me Cade will be joining me on my hunt for the Blood Sorcerer. He’s an actual Celtic war god–and the hottest guy I’ve ever seen. The catch? I can’t let him know that I’m an Unknown, or I’m out on my ass and deader than Hades.

Uncaged Review: This author is a prolific author, and follows a formula for most of her books, and it works. Again, we are seeing a spin-off series from The Dragon’s Gift World and Magic Bend is back here also, although it’s not the primary focus here. This series follows two sisters, Bree and Ana whose magic is considered “Unknown,” but I have an inkling what it may be – I’ll see if I’m right as we go. Bree’s love interest here is Cade, a very powerful earth walking god. The slices of mythology is woven into this book and the character development is off to a good beginning. As with most of this author’s works, each book you will peel back layers of the characters and learn more and more. I saw the growth in the sisters as the book went on and am looking forward to more. This book is full of action, strong characters with a bit of sass and some fun magic that kept me up reading a bit too late. Reviewed by Cyrene

5 Stars

Uncaged Review: Magnolia Mystic by Lisa Kessler

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Magnolia Mystic
Lisa Kessler
Fantasy

Skye Olson is a psychic like her mother, and her grandmother before her, but a bad break up with the man she thought was her soulmate has left her confidence in her abilities shaken. While she’s in crisis, a real estate tycoon from Atlanta swoops in with his eyes on her shop.

Colton Hayes spent his mortal life plundering royal ships with his pirate crew, but one holy relic changed everything. Now he and the rest of the crew protect the port of Savannah from their captain who traded his cutlass for a fountain pen.

When Colton discovers the captain wants to build a hotel in the heart of historic Savannah, he sets out to stop him, but nothing could prepare him for the sexy smile and violet eyes of the Magnolia Mystic.

Uncaged Review: This novella is such a fun book. I have a soft spot for anything with pirates, and this one takes it on a little different than most, and it was a nice read. I don’t know why this is sitting in the sub-genre of Occult/Horror – it’s a big misrepresentation of the book, and may be deterring readers. But this is a good introduction and starter to a series. Colton is part of the immortal crew of pirates that drank from the Holy Grail cup. Now faced with immortality until recently when an old tale from a witch came true and Colton met Skye, the lady with the violet eyes. Now it seems the immortality is wearing off and someone has stolen the cup.

The characters are well thought out, even in this shorter book. This book focuses on Colton and Skye as the beginning, and I’m sure we will learn more about the rest of the group as this series progresses, although each book is marketed as a standalone. I’m ready to run up the rat lines myself. Reviewed by Cyrene

4 Stars
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