Magic & Home by Alexa Piper

April 13, 2023 By 1 Comment


Magic & Home by Alexa Piper
Monster Apocalypse 2
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Futuristic, LGBTQ, Erotic Romance, Action/Adventure
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

Over the past two years, Rory has learned that other people aren’t the best of company, that the guilt of causing the Apocalypse is a heavy burden, and that monsters only see him as a meal. Until Rory met Inkiri, who sees Rory as his mate.

Now, Rory has to navigate what it means to be with someone who not only isn’t human but who also is from another world altogether… and since Rory finds himself in that otherworld all of a sudden, he has to adapt fast. Inkiri definitely has no intention of slowing down in his quest to make his human mate happy.

While Rory is beginning to wrap his head around liking the new place and the new customs, he can’t relax into a peaceful happily ever after because whatever connection Rory has to the magic that unleashed the Apocalypse, people want that, meaning they want him. Where Rory and his newfound family ran to may not have been far enough to escape their pursuers’ clutches.

More magic, more intrigue and more love.

I liked book one in this series and I’m glad I picked up book two. This one is set in Ink’s world, and I really felt like I was there with the characters. I liked the pacing and the way this book is set up. The story moves so fast, but it’s a great clip. I was right there with the characters and liked how they grew through this book.

Ink and Rory are good together and I liked seeing how they grew together. Rory is starting to come into his magic a bit more and Ink has welcomed Rory into his world. They’re a great pairing.

This isn’t a simple story. Ink has found family with him, and they add their own complications. Plus, Rory seems to be a magnet for trouble. These added layers to the story and I liked it. I liked how things never really slowed down.

If you’re looking for a monster romance that’s not the usual, then this might be the one you’re looking for. Check this one out!

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Reviews, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

The Third Earth by Wesley Britton

April 12, 2023 By 3 Comments


The Third Earth by Wesley Britton
Publisher: Alien Vision
Genre: Science Fiction
Rated:
Review by Rose

For twenty years, Dr. Malcolm Renbourn and Tribe Renbourn faced adventure after adventure, struggle after struggle on Beta-Earth.

Now, Renbourn and five of his Betan wives are forced to cross the multi-verse once again, this time to the strange world called Cerapin-Earth. After startling and frightening physical transformations, the altered Renbourns meet two new kinds of humanity. One is the dominant pairs who are able to share thoughts and sensations at the same time. The other are the nams, single-bodied people the pairs deem defective mono-minds. As a result, nams are exiled from the overpopulated cities of pyramid hives.

Tribe Renbourn must join the outcasts and teach them they are as worthy of love and acceptance as any unkind pair. But helping the nams learn how to stand up for themselves ultimately leads to a catastrophic war. At the same time, Cerapin scientists plan another multi-versal jump that must also end in a costly disaster. Along the way, two sexy spies complicate everything.

On a world where technology is worshiped like a religion, how can the nam rebels overcome the superior armaments of the pairs using primitive weaponry? While this conflict brews, Tribe Renbourn explores what it means to be human in ways they never expected. Will their epic end like it began, forced to sacrifice themselves to save a doomed city?

This is the fifth book in the series and while, technically, it can be read on its own (the author did a wonderful job in the introduction telling what came before), I still feel like I missed out by not reading the four books that came before. A lack I plan to address in the near future and then rereading this book.

THE THIRD EARTH, while being a bit slow in the beginning, soon grabbed my attention and wouldn’t let it go until I finished the book.

There are a lot of characters and a lot of concepts to wrap my mind around, but I completely enjoyed the ride. I loved the wives and the bond they had.

With being told in the first person, of necessity we only learn about the other characters what Malcolm shares, and I wish there were a way to know the wives better… especially Elsbeth. I’m hoping that I’ll gain new insights into the wives as I read the earlier book in the series.

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Biological Compatibility by MA Freeman

April 10, 2023 By Leave a Comment


Biological Compatibility by MA Freeman
Aleka Chronicles 4
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Erotic Romance
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

Phoebe Walden finally has it all. She’s met the love of her life, and she has a family she can tolerate, who accept her and love her no matter what. But there’s a darkness shadowing her, waiting to destroy her chance at happiness. Not on Phoebe’s watch. However it’s not just her happiness at stake, but all of theirs if she makes even one mistake.

Scott Quinn has done the best he could, floating under the radar. Hard choices have made it difficult for him even to face himself in the mirror. But things finally looking up. He’s found the perfect woman, who seems to be into him as much as he’s into her. Yet Scott has secrets. He knows who he is and what he’s done will cause friction. And always in the shadows lurks the harsh reality that his freedom has been an illusion all along.

A cute story with great characters.

I wasn’t sure what to think when I picked up this book. It’s different and I wanted to like it. I did! The writing flowed well and kept my interest immediately. I liked the chemistry between the characters, too. The pacing is great as well.

Phoebe and Scott are good together. I liked that there were layers to them and that they didn’t put everything out there right away. I also liked that Phoebe isn’t your average woman. She’s complicated and unabashed in her complication. That’s refreshing. She’s not making excuses for herself. I liked that a lot.

Then there’s the romance. Whew!!! This really sizzled. I haven’t read the other books in this series, but I am off to check them out now. If they’re like this one, I’m in for a treat and you will be, too.

Check this one out!

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , ,

International Kittens of Mystery by Chris Dolley

April 10, 2023 By Leave a Comment


International Kittens of Mystery by Chris Dolley
Publisher: Book View Cafe
Genre: Contemporary, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Mystery/Suspense/Thriller, Children’s (0 – 6 y.o.)
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Xerantheumum

In an uncertain world there is one organization that stands head and small furry shoulders above the rest. Whenever the planet is in danger – be it from giant balls of wool or bands of renegade squirrels – only one group is guaranteed to answer the call.

The International Kittens of Mystery!

This is a journal of their stories. For the first time, cameras have been allowed into one of their top secret training camps – Training Camp Alpha. A camp where, under the supervision of pet humans, recruits are shown not only how to save the world but also how to manage their secret identities.

If you like a fun story with pictures of cute kittens saving the planet, this is the book for you.

The first few pages introduce a reader to the goal of the international kittens and their technology, like wickerbowl personal transporters, the orbiting kitten command center, and the stars of the book, Kai (Persian/Tabby), Xena (Tabby) and The Tribbles (Five Bright Orange Gingers). I was immediately charmed, enchanted and hilariously entertained.

The book is illustrated with actual photos of kittens, so this really appealed to the cat lover inside me. The imagined secret agent talents of kittens is a joyous hoot. I was tickled pink about the explanation as to why the kitten’s eyes were a funny color after flying practice and the application of the “Power of Cute”.

I cracked up about the alien death ray device and aliens from the planet, Sheep. Seriously, there are a lot of veiled pop culture references young kids may not get but their parents certainly will, making this little book a hit with kids and adults alike.

There’s even a short plot of mystery that the international kittens of mystery must solve – the president’s wife has been kidnapped! Who would do such a thing? How are they going to save the president’s wife?

This little book is too cute for words. Thank goodness for great kitten shots, secret agents and amazing feline ‘technology’ to save the day. International Kittens of Mystery was a fun read.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Luke Blackmon’s Rose by Mary Patterson Thornburg

April 3, 2023 By Leave a Comment


Luke Blackmon’s Rose by Mary Patterson Thornburg
Publisher: Uncial Press
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Romance, Contemporary
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

To guard herself from the perils of her own sensuality, Rose married a man she didn’t love. Now, two years after his death, she’s not sure she can really love anyone. She’s not even sure she cares…

To achieve what he’d always known was his birthright, Luke had to struggle against tremendous odds. But when science discovered a way to access the past, a powerful bureaucracy found a way to use Luke. Now, torn from his own time, everything and everyone he knew, he can see no reason to go on living…

An instant of attraction, uninvited but inescapable, brings Luke and Rose together. Together, they discover the strength to love, the will to trust and hope. But will these things be enough to carry them over walls of suspicion, guilt, bigotry, and hate?

Soul mates aren’t a myth. They’re very real.

The romance made me smile. This was a good example of how to write instant attraction in a realistic but still romantic way. I found myself silently cheering Luke and Rose on long before I could cohesively explain why I wanted them to end up together so much. All I knew was that their personalities appeared to be a perfect match and I wanted them to live happily ever after together. Yes, additional reasons why they were well suited to each other did show up, but I was pleased by how quickly the author made it clear that these two had something special and rare together.

After I’d read the first few chapters, I found myself searching for this title online to see if I’d accidentally requested a later book in a series because of how often the narrator shared facts about the characters and storyline without explaining why they had occurred. From what I could tell, it was not part of a series. To give an example of the sort of plot twist that made me wonder this, the two main characters ended up escalating the physical side of their relationship rapidly after they met. That isn’t an inherently negative thing, of course, but it was something I found surprising based on the conservative era Luke came from and how cautious Rose was about sensual matters in general. I would have happily gone with a much higher rating if this sort of stuff had been explained better as the plot itself was well paced and had all sorts of interesting ideas about time travel embedded in it.

Speaking of time travel, I loved the way this book explained how it worked. I can’t go into a lot of detail about the actual mechanics of it without giving away spoilers, but Ms. Patterson Thornburg came up with clever answers to some of the most common pitfalls of dragging a character of their time period and into a different one. I especially liked her answer to how someone is supposed to accomplish everything they need to in their original lifetime if they’re whisked away to a new one. It’s always nice to read stories that take the practicalities of such things seriously and give the audience logical explanations of why they don’t necessarily have to be a problem.

Luke Blackmon’s Rose was a quick and breezy read.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , ,

Synchronicity by Shelby Morgen

March 31, 2023 By 1 Comment


Synchronicity by Shelby Morgen
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, Paranormal, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

Jody’s won the masquerade costume competition for four years running. She should be a shoo-in for first place this year, as well, except that she’s being badly upstaged by a tentacle monster costume. Tara’s got to come to the rescue or it’ll be one miserable drive home. Besides, Jody’s a fantastic costumer, and she deserves all the attention she’s not getting. When Tara springs into action to divert the audience’s attention, the last thing she expects is a chance to experience some real live tentacle play herself!

Only problem is, her Tentacle Monster’s costume doesn’t come off. He’s really a shape shifting alien on the run from some real live alien bounty hunters dressed in what look like leftover eighties costumes from the set of Flash Gordon, and now Tara’s got to help him escape, or she could end up crated off to Zenon to stand trial for aiding and abetting a fugitive.

Where are the Men in Black when you need them, anyway?

An alien quickie? Yes, please!

I love the work of Shelby Morgen and this book didn’t disappoint. It was just as I expected. A little wacky, fun and sexy. There’s a monster, in this case, an alien, and it’s hot. How can you go wrong?

I liked the idea of the story being set at a convention in a costume contest. I’ve often wondered what would happen if an alien or vampire showed up at one of those things. Now I know. It’s hot! Morgen writes the scenes with humor and makes them believable. I loved it.

Tara and ‘Richard’ are a good pairing. I liked the way he swept her off her feet and made the encounter memorable. I certainly won’t be forgetting.

This story is quick, hot and fun. If you’re looking for those things in a short story, then look no further! You’ve found a good one.

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Reviews, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Ash & Stone by Alexa Piper

March 29, 2023 By Leave a Comment


Ash & Stone by Alexa Piper
Monster Apocalypse 1
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Futuristic, Paranormal, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, LGBTQ, Erotic Romance
Rating: 3 stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

Two years ago, the world ended with a wish, and it’s all Rory’s fault. Now, after he’s managed to survive all this time, it looks like karmic justice is finally coming for him. It looks like a monster is going to eat him, and Rory, while he is sorry for what he did, doesn’t want to die.

And he does not, because a stranger saves him from becoming monster food. The stranger features horns, blue skin, and too many swords. He is also really tall and muscular and handsome. In a monstrous way.

Rory might have jumped from the frying pan straight into the fire, because a big blue monster isn’t exactly Rory’s idea of a happily-ever-after. Not that he’s been thinking about that or about any sort of ravishing when the blue monster might still eat him or keep him as a pet.

But while Rory does not get eaten or ravished (sigh), the meeting with his monster mate shakes loose more revelations about what really happened two years ago than Rory is prepared to handle, especially since he was considering the comfortable life of a monster’s pet. He definitely wasn’t considering his monster’s murderous buddy, running so much, and going to another world, but sometimes, you just have to roll with the handsome blue monster the Apocalypse gives you.

Fast-paced and full of heart.

I love finding a new series and this one looks promising. Alexa Piper is a favorite author of mine and I’m glad I found this new series. The writing clipped along well, and I couldn’t get enough of Rory or Inkiri. They’re good together and I rooted for them. I also liked how there wasn’t a ton of world building, but enough to make the story flow well. I knew what was going on.

Rory has been through the wringer and he’s skittish. I liked that he showed the human side of trauma because he’s relatable. I also liked how Inkiri took care of him. He needed that. I liked the two together and for monster romance, this one sizzles. There’s a lot more going on in this story than one book, so I’m glad there will be others.

If you’re looking for a post-apocalyptic story with monsters, humans and a fleshed-out storyline, then this is the one for you. Check it out. I’m off to find book 2.

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Wild Ones by Kira Stone

March 27, 2023 By 1 Comment


Wild Ones by Kira Stone
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Contemporary, Erotic Romance, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Paranormal, LGBTQ
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

Billy has always been a loner, but after being bitten by a ferocious wolf, his need for solitude becomes even greater. He can’t get a handle on the wild forces now running through him. He makes the best of it by carving out a territory in the Canadian wilderness, but he’s far from happy with his lot in this strange, new life.

Luc knows Billy is just the guy he’s looking for. His small pack is made up of men who are special even among weres. Their ability to control the elements — air, earth, fire and water — makes them uniquely qualified to act as spirit guardians. But presently there are only three, and they need Billy to complete them or Luc will lose much more than his position as alpha.

It’ll take a lot of fast talking to convince Billy to join their pack, but first the Wild Ones will have to catch him…

Whoa, baby. This one is hot!

I wasn’t sure what I was in for when I picked up this book. Shifters? Yes! Hot guy on guy action? I’m in. They’re all in this together? Sold!

I liked the writing of this story. It moved along at a great clip and kept me intrigued throughout. I wanted to know how this would play out. I’m glad I kept reading. This one was hot, and I want to know more about this pack.

The pack, The Wild Ones, aren’t an average wolf pack. They each have an element they manipulate and have to come together as four to make things work. I liked the impatience and bit of fighting between them because it made them more real. I also liked that Billy didn’t just roll over and submit to them. The fight was good. I also really liked the way the four came together. I got that there were two main couples, but they all worked together and when they had their foursome…oh man.

If you’re wanting a shifters story that’s a fresh take, then this is the one for you. I recommend it.

Filed Under: Erotic Romance, Reviews, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

The Wasp Child by Rhiannon Rasmussen

March 21, 2023 By 1 Comment


The Wasp Child by Rhiannon Rasmussen
Publisher: Robot Dinosaur Press
Genre: Young Adult (14 – 18 y.o.), LGBTQ, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Voted BoM by LASR Readers 2013 copy

Caught between two worlds. Wanted in neither.

Kesh is afraid—of his classmates, his allergies, his odd sense of smell, and his prospects for the future. Born into Meridian Colony, where corporate values dictate human worth, Kesh longs for escape. He gets what he asks for in the worst possible way when his classmates kidnap and dump him in the middle of an alien rainforest. Alone.

Faced with certain death, Kesh encounters the sansik, giant insects native to the planet. Though the sansik seem to care for him, their pheromones set off a horrific metamorphosis in Kesh. Claws sprout from his fingertips. A monstrous exoskeleton grows beneath his skin. And then the bugs do the unthinkable: trade him back to Meridian, where life as a living scientific curiosity awaits him, a bleak future void of autonomy.

Caught in a tug-of-war between Meridian’s laboratories and a harsh alien world, Kesh has to make a choice: convince his people to accept him, or break free and face an uncertain future alone in an alien world.

Some things are far scarier than death.

This was an excellent example of young adult fiction that transcends its genre and trusts its audience to come up with our own theories about which portions of modern society the author may have been critiquing. I have some pretty firm opinions about the answers to that question, but I appreciated how much space the narrator gave me to reach those conclusions on my own. Growing fond of Kesh was all I needed to begin to understand the flaws of the rigid society he’d been born into. As much as I want to share specific examples of some of those ideas, it’s really best for other readers to slowly understand the unjust and dangerous side of his world for themselves.

Body horror is one of the scariest sub-genres of horror in my opinion, and it was handled beautifully in this novella. I shuddered while I read Kesh’s descriptions of the bizarre and frightening changes happening to his body that he could neither control nor predict. The blurb gave just a taste of what was to come, and I was glad to see how many plot twists it left for me to discover on my own.

Speaking of plot twists, this was one of the most creative things I’ve read so far this year. I kept assuming I knew what the author might have up their sleeves only to be once again surprised by their vivid imagination. Based on how much I loved this tale, I will definitely be keeping an eye out for what Rasmussen comes up with next!

The Wasp Child made me yearn for more.

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy, YA/Middle Grade/Children's Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Dawning of Darkness: The Fall of Gods and Kings by James G. Robertson

March 14, 2023 By Leave a Comment


Dawning of Darkness: The Fall of Gods and Kings by James G. Robertson
Publisher: Self-Published / Next Life Publishing LLC
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Action/Adventure
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Systems fall, planets die—darkness dawns on us all. When a god known simply as the Dark Creator enters our universe, the concord of the world inhabited by the spirits of men and their kings, the gods’ chosen few, fades. As this being and his overwhelming force of corrupted horrors and children eclipse Afterworld and its territories, the kingdoms of men must put aside their differences and band together.

After millennia of fighting, the final blockade separating man from those sinister entities has collapsed. With so much at stake, and with the Dark Creator approaching the Divine Mountains, will our protectors’ sacrifices ensure Afterworld’s survival? Or will this encroaching darkness consume it all?

Resistance is essential if good is to prevail.

Without giving away too many details, this was no ordinary war. Not only had it lasted for thousands of years, there were plenty of other magical things going on with it that made me smile. It was cool to see just how many fantasy tropes and mythical creatures the author was able to include in the storyline in ways that made sense. I wish I could gush about them all in more detail, but it’s best if other readers are pleasantly surprised just like I was.

I found the large cast of characters confusing. There wasn’t a lot of space in this novella to get to know the characters deeply, especially the ones who played supportive roles, so I didn’t have enough details about many of them to quickly recall who they were and how they were connected to everyone else.

The descriptions of the settings were well done. I appreciated the time the author took to explain the landscape, how it affected how people lived in that area, and how it may have changed since previous scenes. All of that attention to detail made it easy to imagine where the characters were and why they were so surprised by certain developments.

Dawning of Darkness: The Fall of Gods and Kings was an exciting ride.

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , ,
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