Sunday, November 17, 2024
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Uncaged Review: Chosen by Adam Dark & Matthew Thrush

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Chosen
Adam Dark & Matthew Thrush
Urban Fantasy

A haunting past. A book of secrets. A demon looking for revenge.

Eleven years ago, Ben Robinson burned down a house with a demon inside, only to watch his best friend die in the fire. Now he’s haunted by nightmares of his dead friend warning him of impending doom. 

So when Ben’s closest living friend discovers a mysterious ancient book that can open the barrier to the demon realm to reach Ben’s dead best friend for answers, Ben can’t help but take the risk. 

Soon after, a mysterious girl with a strange power turns up at the location of their friend’s murder, claiming to be able to see fragmented pieces of the future. But can she be trusted…or is she nothing more than a demon in disguise?

To save the day, Ben must accept responsibility for the evil he’s unknowingly unleashed in the world, but dark and deadly things have already been set into motion, and time to abate the damage is running out.

Uncaged Review: This story was pretty good, after you get past the 50% mark. It started a tad slow for me, it had one good action sequence in the beginning, and then sorta stalled out, although I won’t get to critical as it’s the first in a series – so we are getting to know the world. The three main characters, or maybe I should say four, but that would give too much away, Ben, Pete and April sort of fall into this demon hunting thing. When Ben and Pete were kids, they witnessed 4 of their friends murdered in a haunted house, barely escaping. For years, doctors thought Ben was crazy, hearing voices, having realistic nightmares. Finally learning to cover it up, he got out from under doctors and made it to college. But then the voices start again…Ben and April attend a frat party that has a demon possessing a guy’s body, and lights the house on fire – with Ben doing his best to the voice in his head trying to help – by getting the drunk kids out. When he tells Pete he’s hearing voices again and having dreams that their friend Ian is still alive, they decide they need to go back to that house.

There is some good action once it gets moving, and some good dialog with enough humor to break up the horror of the demons and to keep it interesting. I think it’s a good start to a series and a good introduction to this world and characters. Reviewed by Cyrene

4 Stars

Uncaged Review: Shadow City by Anna Mocikat

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Shadow City
Anna Mocikat
SciFi/Dystopian

Los Angeles is an apocalyptic wasteland.

Without orientation, Colton stumbles through the vast, deserted city. He doesn’t remember who he is and where he came from. Scavengers save his life from mutants and bring him to the only remaining inhabited area and safe Zone in former Hollywood.

There he learns that after a devastating catastrophe called The Glitch, reality shifted, allowing nightmarish creatures from another dimension to enter our world. These co-called Dark Ones feed on suffering and violence, wanting nothing less than the complete annihilation of humanity.

Colton discovers that he has extraordinary abilities and joins a league of unusual defenders: ex-cop Eric, female cyborg Bombshell and Vincent, a mighty entity from another world, disguised as a human soldier.

But the Dark Ones are evil beyond imagination and with their ice-cold enforcer, the traitor Eurydice, they are a threat nearly impossible to overcome. Cunning and ruthless, Eurydice sets a ploy in action, which leads to the destruction of the Zone’s defenses weakening the tiny community from within. It’s up to Colton and his friends to take a desperate stand against the superior enemy and save what is left of humanity from extinction.

Uncaged Review: Most of the time when I read a dystopian future novel, we have a good idea what happened to the Earth to become that way, whether it be human fault, a virus, a meteor, aliens, etc. There always seems to be a “plausible” explanation that turns the world into a “Walking Dead” or “Mad Max” scenario. The world that is created here is a little more vague, which is one of the negatives for me. Although the world is crafted in detail, the events leading to it (The Glitch) wants us to suspend belief and try to wrap our heads around a rift in a parallel dimension or world. Out of this rift, comes the Dark Ones and monsters of human hungry proportions. Set in the city of Los Angeles, the only thing protecting what’s left of humanity in this city is in the Zone, protected by the Force. Vampires in this book are protectors of humans, since the extinction of humans would be the end of their long lives.

Many characters are multi-faceted and will be interesting to see who they are in upcoming books. Vincent – is definitely not human and taken over a body for a mission. Eurydice is a rogue vampire who is an enforcer for the Dark Ones and is taken with Vincent – and who gets prominent attention on the cover of the book, although at this point, she is no hero. Colton, who has no memory of who or what he is, is also an interesting mystery along with Bombshell, a female Robocop of sorts.

This book is dark, and well described, and borderlines on horror. But it’s well worth the read if you are looking for a dystopian book that is not all about zombies, although those seem to make their way into this series as well, just a bit different than most. Reviewed by Cyrene

4 Stars

Uncaged Review: Jinn’s Dominion by Shannon Mayer

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Jinn’s Dominion
Shannon Mayer
Urban Fantasy

There was nothing that could have prepared me for Dragon’s Ground. And I thought that nothing could be worse than what I faced there.

Just my black cat bad luck, the world is set to prove me wrong.

South lies the Jinn’s Dominion and within it the members of my Pride who need my help. The further south we go, the more danger comes not only from outside our group but from within.

Ishtar’s new hunters.
Marsurm leader of the Jinn.
And the Emperor himself.

All three want something from me. All three claim they can give me the world on a silver platter, to give me my deepest desires.

Color me cautious, but I think all three are lying. Or so it seems until I reach the Jinn’s Dominion and discover the truth…

About who I really am.
And what that means for my fate and the fate of those I love.

Uncaged Review: The action and the plot is ramping up for Zam and her group. As they begin to make their way to Jinn’s Dominion, Marsum takes over Maks mind, and he seems lost to Zamira, but his few moments of clarity prove that Maks is still there, and she will need to break free without him. We find out more about both Zamira and Maks, and their pasts – some of it a bit surprising, some I sorta guessed, but still huge revelations. And Zamira needs to rescue her pack from Marsum, and she will add to her pack as she goes and receives aid from unexpected places…

This book is nonstop and there is some heartbreaking moments that I hope will resolve in future books – a highly recommended series. Reviewed by Cyrene

5 Stars

Uncaged Review: Fall of the Lyon by Chasity Bowlin

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Fall of the Lyon
Chasity Bowlin
Historical Victorian

Enter the world of the most notorious gambling den in London, where matches are made… unusually. Welcome to the world of THE LYON’S DEN: The Black Widow of Whitehall Connected World, where the underground of Regency London thrives… and loves.

Faced with the devastating and impending loss of her stepfather and the all too real threat of unscrupulous relatives who would have her inheritance at any cost, Miss Margaret Upshaw flees to London. Her stepfather has tasked her to make her way to the Lyon’s Den to seek the assistance of Mrs. Bessie Dove-Lyon, the most scandalous matchmaker in all of London. Her matches aren’t made in the ballrooms of Mayfair, but over the faro tables and a notorious betting book in the gaming hell she rules with an iron fist in a velvet glove.

Leander Thurston-Hunter, Viscount Amberley, or Leo as he prefers, is a man with a very particular problem that can only be solved with money. And as a nobleman, there’s only one way to get a lot of cash and get it quickly—you have to marry it. When Mrs. Dove-Lyon informs him that she’s made the perfect match for him, he’s not exactly thrilled, but certainly willing to do his duty to preserve his family’s standing. But then he meets Meg Upshaw. Beautiful, vulnerable, terribly alone… and she makes him question for the first time whether a marriage born out of duty and necessity has to be an unhappy one.

But there’s one terrible catch… Meg’s family, the relatives who would have her fortune by any means, are the very ones responsible for the brutal events that nearly ended his life and left him permanently scarred. But that isn’t the only secret they’re keeping, and those secrets are worth dying for and worth killing for. Leo and his new bride find themselves in danger of far more than simply falling inconveniently in love.

Uncaged Review: This is the first book I’ve read from this author, and it definitely won’t be my last. The book is part of a connected world of the Lyon’s Den, and the matchmaker Mrs. Bessie Dove-Lyon, who is a notorious matchmaker from a gaming hell in London – and is the connection to all the books in the series from different authors. In this book, describing words can be danger, deceit, suspense, villians, loyalty and love. When Meg is pushed to marry Leo, a Viscount who needs a wealthy match, by her ailing stepfather, Meg travels to the gaming hell to meet with the matchmaker.

This book has horrible villians – and as the mystery unravels, and they are exposed – all will come crashing down in a hurry. The characters were easy to connect with and worth cheering on. This is a standalone book in this series with a HEA and a nice epilogue to wrap it up. Reviewed by Cyrene

5 Stars

Uncaged Review: A Laird to Remember by Tammy Andresen

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

A Laird to Remember
Tammy Andresen
Scottish Historical

She’s picked the perfect husband…

Lady Daisy Morningstar knows exactly who she wants, Lord Price. The problem? A burly laird goes out of his way to ruin her reunion with Price. She should hate the Scot. He’s strong and willful and forever inserting himself in her business. But he’s also… well frankly he’s simply… unforgettable.

He’s trying to prove himself…

Laird Blake Abbot was never his father’s first choice to take over the lairdship but he’s in the position now and determined to do better than anyone ever gave him credit for. Except for a little blonde minx keeps dancing into his thoughts and stealing his concentration. He should forget her entirely and continue with his life.

One kiss will change everything…

But as the sparks fly between them, they might both be forced to admit that they’d both picked the wrong path. Can they change course now or are they doomed to just be a memory?

Uncaged Review: Out of this series, I think this was my favorite. This story brings us to Daisy, the youngest and the spitfire of the group. Lord Price is coming to Scotland, and Daisy is positive he is the one for her after one meeting several years ago. But a Laird also coming over to do business with Colin seems to be getting in the way. First his horse knocks her into the mud and bruises her shoulder, and now she can’t get him off her mind.

This shorter story has a lot going for it, two people need to get past what happened to them long ago, and move on and learn to trust, and to see that some people aren’t who they appear. This was a sweet story that I actually had wished was longer. Reviewed by Cyrene

4 Stars

Uncaged Review: A Scot to Keep by Tammy Andresen

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

A Scot to Keep
Tammy Andresen
Scottish Historical

She’s sworn never to marry…

Lady Lily Morningstar has learned the hard way that men often let a woman down. She’ll make her own future, thank you very much. She’s trained to be a midwife, a career that will allow her to provide for herself. Except for when Lily is travelling on the road late one night after attending a patient, she is attacked by thieves. When a lone man rescues her, she begins to question the validity of her plan to brave life alone. Are there good men out there after all? Or is she only thinking that because her rescuer is tall, dark, and dangerously handsome?

He needs a bride…

Ewan McDonald is a new laird and a man who has clawed his way from crofter to landowner. His every move is methodically plotted to place him at the best advantage possible. Ewan’s planned for the perfect bride and Lily Morningstar is not that woman. So why can’t he stop thinking about her? Picturing the delicate beauty so desperate for his protection?

Uncaged Review: Lily is practicing as a healer – never wanting to be in the position that she can’t take care of herself in the future because of what happened to her and her sisters. When she’s walking home from aiding a birth, she’s attacked on the dark road, and Ewan, a Laird to the adjoining land, rescues her and suffers and injury. Colin arrives and gets him back home where Lily continues to oversee his recovery.

This is a nice shorter read, and falls in line with the series nicely. Lily is determined not to marry, and Ewan is smitten with her. This book was a tad too short, and the HEA comes a bit too fast, but it’s still an easy read that was endearing. Reviewed by Cyrene

4 Stars

Uncaged Review: A Highlander to Have and to Hold by Tammy Andresen

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

A Highlander to Have and to Hold
Tammy Andresen
Scottish Historical

She’s desperate for help…

Rose Morningstar has sunk as deep as any woman could without selling her body and her soul. After the death of her father, she’s been tossed out of her home and barely surviving with her sisters in a cheap Dockland’s inn. When a sea captain finally agrees to transport them to Scotland, she doesn’t know quite how to thank him. Never mind, he’s irritated by her very presence. She’s determined to let him know just how much she appreciates his help. Unfortunately, her tongue ties every and her heartbeat quickens every time the man even steps near her. If only they’d met under different circumstances.

He’s no one’s knight in shining armor…

Colin MacFarland doesn’t need the adoration of a fallen English miss. He’s got a business to run and a life to live out and he’s learned the hard way that sea captains don’t mix with marriage. Not successfully, anyhow. Which is why he attempts to stay far away from Rose. She’s too tempting by half. But a boat is a difficult place to put distance between two people. And those English rose lips are so very enticing.

One kiss changes both their minds…

Though feelings explode between them, the moment their lips touch, the circumstance haven’t. Is there any chance for them to find a future?

Uncaged Review: We begin the story with Rose and her two sisters, Lily and Daisy, staying at a seedy hotel, having secured a passage by ship to Scotland, to their Aunt’s home. After their father died, and a horrible cousin far removed, took over the inheritance, he tossed them out to fend for themselves. With the help of her friend Fiona, they hurry to leave England behind. What they weren’t prepared for was the Captain of the ship, Colin, who has his own past heartaches to attend with. As they both contend with their pasts and their growing attraction, Colin isn’t sure he’s what is best for Rose. But don’t underestimate Rose.

This is a fun story, and I love the spunk and determination of Rose and the sisters are fun characters and I look forward to reading their stories in this series. Reviewed by Cyrene

4 Stars

Uncaged Review: Destiny of a Warrior by Mary Morgan

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Destiny of a Warrior
Mary Morgan
Fantasy Romance

As leader of the Fenian Warriors, Aidan Kerrigan’s accolades are many and his loyalty to the Fae unwavering. When an unexpected mission sends him to the human world and a chance encounter with Rose MacLaren, he’s tempted for the first time in his existence to discard duty and claim what is forbidden.

Rose MacLaren, a Society of the Thistle member, yearns to expand her botanical knowledge with her love of history. After her rescue by a handsome stranger, she is compelled to look beyond what her rational mind comprehends and unravel the secret of the standing stones, as well as the man who captivates her.

In a mystical world ruled by ancient laws and edicts, can a fierce warrior choose a path destined for love? And will a woman honoring the ways of the land believe in a myth only spoken of in legends? If they do, will their love be enough to defy death’s punishment?

Uncaged Review: It’s been a while since I’ve read about the Fenian Warriors and it was nice to return to their world. The author gives us Aidan and Rose’s story, and to do it, she takes us back in time when Aidan was still leader of the warriors. Aidan’s story is as intense as the man himself, and his love story is one for the ages. Aidan’s story could easily be read before the others – as things that happen in this book affect the other warriors, so even though it’s the 4th book in the series, it could easily be the first. Rose MacLaren is a strong, smart and beautiful heroine, well matched to Aidan.

The author writes an intricate world, full of detail and you feel like you are standing in the Fae realm as she pulls you into this story along with her characters. It’s hard to forget these warriors, and if you haven’t read any of this series, then I really believe you are missing out. Highly recommended. Reviewed by Cyrene

5 Stars

Uncaged Review: Blood Born by Rayanne Haines

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

Blood Born
Rayanne Haines
Paranormal Romance

The week before Olivia Dawson died, everything changed. Her little publishing house that could started pumping out best-sellers. A mysterious uncle passed away, leaving her a penthouse loft looking over Central Park. And her experimental cancer treatments finally seemed to be working. Who could’ve known that after her death life would literally suck.

She could do without craving her sexy new sire’s blood and the fact that her death had been rather brutal, thank you very much. Now, the shadows that go bump in the night were calling her the Vessel, bowing at her feet, expecting her to fulfill a prophecy. And wasn’t that a lot to live up to. Still, Olivia had a bad feeling that if she didn’t take them up on the offer, she’d soon find herself deader than dead.

Rhys Callas has ambitions. He’d been raised to rule. Had plans to free his people from living in the shadows. He wasn’t called the King of New York because he played nice. Now with the help of the guardians and the vessel he’d soon be the leader of the North American vampires. All he had to do was find an assassin, keep the other vampire factions at bay, keep the guardian Domhall Taleisin out of his hair, and keep Miss Olivia Dawson undead long enough to woo her. Best laid plans, right?

Soon enough Rhys and Olivia find out fighting for her undead life could mean the difference between a real future or oblivion for the entire vampire race.

Uncaged Review: Book 4 of the Guardian series gives us the story of Rhys and Olivia. Olivia is prophesized to be the Queen of the Vampires, by being a Vessel and born as half human, half vampire – and Rhys is the one who is protecting her. Owning a publishing company with her sister, Olivia has cancer and is trying her hardest to get her affairs in order for her younger sister, and little does she know, the trial that she’s in really has her being infused with synthetic blood and Rhys blood. It won’t cure the cancer, but it will help her stay alive a bit longer in her human life and mask her from other vampires. But all doesn’t go well, and she attacked by rogue vampires and left to die. Rhys gets to her and takes her home to watch over her while she turns to full vampire upon her human death.

This is a fantastic addition to this series and we see a few of the characters from the past return, and honestly, it took me awhile to really like Olivia. I thought she was overly brash, but when she finally came to accept who and what she was, she became the strong leader she was meant to be. Betrayal, romance and some very fun dialog keeps this a true page turner. I had actually been a bit sad when this book ended, as I love this series. Keep writing Ms. Haines. Reviewed by Cyrene

5 Stars

Uncaged Review: How to Wake an Undead City by Hailey Edwards

By
Cyrene Olson
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0

How to Wake an Undead City
Hailey Edwards
Urban Fantasy

Savannah has fallen to the vampires, and it’s up to Grier to take out their leader, Gaspard Lacroix, and restore peace. Lacroix might be more powerful and immune to her magic, but she’s got a plan. Too bad it’s got holes big enough for a new threat to waltz through while the city is on her knees.

Now Grier must risk her very soul if she hopes to slay her enemies and prevent her world from going up in flames. But salvation comes at a steep price, and she’s not the only one who will pay. The cost just might break her, and the man who owns her heart.

Uncaged Review: The main arc of this series finally comes together with this addition, and many holes and mysteries are filled in, and some may have been guessed, and some definitely not. With Savannah on fire, and the vampires taking over, to restore peace, Grier, Linus and their group will need to take out Lacroix, an ancient vampire and Grier’s grandfather. But he is immune to Grier’s magic from a charm he wears. So they all come up with a dangerous plan.

Most of the things are wrapped up nicely in this final book in the series. The friendship with Lethe and Hood, how Grier and Linus are going to work their romance when Linus is still tied to Atlanta, the culmination of the friendship journey that Grier has with Amelie and Boaz comes full circle. The author does a great job satisfying most of the plot – but there were a few loose ends (minor) that will be tied up in the novellas that have been released. I am happy with the ending, and look forward to the novellas for more with Linus and Grier. This is an addicting series and well worth the time. Reviewed by Cyrene

5 Stars
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