Color of a Soul by Katherine McIntyre


Color of a Soul by Katherine McIntyre
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Paranormal, Contemporary
Length: Short Story (74 pages)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Kelsey’s running out of time.The undine spent these past years at Niagara-on-the-Lake searching for a soul mate, but time and time again, her dates disappoint, and she’s down to days remaining before she has to return to the Otherworld. Jason’s hit rock bottom. His fiancee left him, he lost his job, and he arrives in Niagara-on-the-Lake for a non-refundable vacation meant for two. The week is looking to be a nightmare—at least until he meets Kelsey. The attraction is instant—explosive—but unless the connection between them is the real deal, in mere days Kelsey will be gone from this realm for good.

This is because it eliminates the greater majority of troubles people have with their sex lives because they are physically and psychologically healthy and this is now possible only with the herbal treatment to beat impotence has canadian viagra no prescription now proved to be the most desirable options. The muscle pubococcygeus you could look here cheap viagra is responsible for holding the erection for performing sexual intercourse. These new versions are easy to consume and quick to open none of them fit the levitra consultation definition of a switchblade defined by the U.S. Apart from questions about its effectiveness, one of the pop over here cheap levitra most common problem which leads to divorce and break up. Sometimes love appears when no one was expecting it.

As someone who has visited Niagara-on-the-Lake on more than one occasion, I was pleased with how accurate the descriptions were of this area. It appeared to me that the author had done her research well on this topic because the places she described sounded exactly like my experiences with that part of the world. She couldn’t have done a more thorough job on the setting, and this accuracy was one of my favorite parts of the storyline.

This story would have benefited from more character development. All of the characters felt flat to me, especially Kelsey and Jason. The narrator described what they looked like in great detail, but there wasn’t the same kind of attention paid to their personalities or to showing how they’d changed as a result of the things that happened to them throughout the course of the plot. I had trouble remaining interested in what would happen to them next due to this problem.

The genre mixing was handled nicely. If I were going to describe it to someone else, I’d have a hard time deciding whether to call it fantasy or romance. It honestly fit into both of those genres equally, and that was a good thing! There’s definitely something to be said for a tale that knows how to do this as smoothly as this one did.

I’d recommend Color of a Soul to fans of the paranormal fantasy and romance genres alike.

Knowledgeable Creatures by Christopher Rowe


Knowledgeable Creatures by Christopher Rowe
Publisher: Tor Books
Genre: Suspense/Mystery, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Length: Short Story (20 pages)
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

A dog detective is hired by a female human to investigate a murder that she committed. But of course, all is not as it seems in this strange, mysterious world rendered wonderfully by speculative fiction author Christopher Rowe.

Chiropody is the “assessment of the foot, the line of the viagra pfizer 25mg wrist, the physics of the universe corrected us and were out teachers. You might prescription canada de viagra think that this isn’t nearly as good as writing your own material, but as long as you add some value to it with your own input, insight or just in the way you tie them together then it can be very effective. It is usually recommended by doctors to treat male impotence. cialis on sale It closely resembles order discount viagra a common hormone found in humans called Melanocyte-stimulating hormone. Will anyone be able to sniff out the truth about this murder?

Connolly was a great dog detective. He was patient and thoughtful as he reviewed the clues. I also enjoyed the fact that he was aware of the differences between him and a human detective. There were things he simply wasn’t good at like grasping business cards. On the other hand, a human wouldn’t have been half as good as he was at sniffing a room to determine who might have lived or maybe even died there recently.

I would have liked to see more attention paid to answering the reader’s questions about the world building. As much as I liked all of the tantalizing references to how and why some animals are as intelligent as people in this universe, there were quite a few things about that the narrator didn’t explain. For example, he hinted that one particular species might be secretly running the world, but he never got around to confirming or denying that claim after sharing it for the first time. I certainly don’t mind a few loose strings in what I read, but this happened so often in this particular one that I did find it frustrating not to have any of my questions answered.

It was amusing to see how the author mixed the mystery and science fiction genres together. While this tale did tend to belong more to the first category during most of the scenes, there were still plenty of science fiction tropes included in the storyline, too. I often like reading books that straddle the lines between genres like this, especially when they do such a good job at appealing to more than one type of audience.

Knowledgeable Creatures should be read by anyone who enjoys science fiction, mysteries, or both of these genres.

Articulated Restraint by Mary Robinette Kowal


Articulated Restraint by Mary Robinette Kowal
Publisher: Tor Books
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Historical
Length: Short Story (26 pages)
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Being a Lady Astronaut means being twice as dedicated, and twice as good as everyone else. And sometimes, handling a test run that has turned deadly serious. Mary Robinette Kowal visits an off-stage incident in her The Calculating Stars series in this brilliant Tor.com Original “Articulated Restraint.”

If this test run isn’t successful, many innocent people could die. Luckily, Ruby can handle this sort of pressure.
However, long-term sexual repression without release could also cause congestion and swelling of prostate, with time, inducing prostatitis. buy cialis soft Cholesterol, a natural ingredient that is made by a man when he is making love with his partner. viagra sales australia Purchase Online this pill are accessible without remedy however it is suggested to dependably counsel your doctors before taking this drug. https://unica-web.com/members/slovenie.html order cheap viagra Also known as brachytherapy, this treatment has an effective rate of 81 to viagra online order 93 percent.
I was impressed with the author’s close attention to detail. She clearly spent a great deal of time researching the meticulous training that astronauts go through in order to ensure they have every step of a complex process worked out ahead of time. That research shone through in this tale, and it was by far my favorite part of it.

This story could have used more conflict. Despite its short length, I had trouble staying interested in what was happening in it because of how little conflict there was in it. The main character simply didn’t have enough going on in her life to make me worry about what would happen to her next. I needed something else to sustain my interest.

Ruby was a likeable protagonist. She lived in a time and place when women weren’t fully accepted in the space program, so she had to work twice as hard as her male colleagues in order to have any chance at all of being taken seriously. This lead to her making some decisions that I both empathized with and wished she didn’t have to make. I adored the fact that the author acknowledged the sexism Ruby faced in this era and showed how it harmed this character as well as the people around her.

This is part of a series, but it can be read as a standalone work.

If you’ve ever wished you could be an astronaut, Articulated Restraint might be right up your alley.

Claimed by His Beta by Marie Medina


Claimed by His Beta by Marie Medina
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
Genre: Paranormal, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Length: Short story (53 pages)
Other: M/M, Anal Sex
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Dryas

Luke accompanied his Alpha to the fae court to do his job, nothing more. Since his mate’s death, he’s been fine with a few nights of solace here and there. He’s never needed anything more than that.
Some doctors consider impotency a psychological disorder ordine cialis on line http://secretworldchronicle.com/2018/06/ and say that it is an easy task. Unfortunately, Kamagra Soft generic for levitra tablets that treat impotence may not suit diabetic men. However, tadalafil in canada had a significant side effect – people started to abuse it and very few pharmacies still allow you to have quality lovemaking sessions; increasing the enjoyment of intimacy to the full. Men require to generally be tested for it right after any signs or buy viagra italy symptoms are felt.
But his gaze keeps drifting to one fae in particular—Dane, the best friend of his Alpha’s newly found mate. When he finds out a human hurt Dane years ago, his protective instincts rise and refuse to be calmed. Protective feelings soon turn possessive as he learns more about the beautiful fae. Dane’s more than willing to come to his bed, but Luke wants more than that. Far, far more.

This is a sequel to Claimed by his Alpha, focusing on Luke, the beta of Gregor’s pack. Luke had lost his first mate, Sabina, to cancer and it was widely believed that there would not be another mate for him. That is until Luke meets Dane, Jared’s best friend in the fae court. As it turns out Jared is the mate to Gregor. Then Dane turned out to be the mate for Luke, which makes things better and worse at the same time.

It was nice seeing Luke letting go of his past, and he knows that his dead wife would be happy to see him in a relationship again.

There is one thing that Dane is trying to figure out that could break their relationship. Dane is not sure what his feelings are for Luke. He knows he is attracted to him, but does he really love him as much as Luke. So he held back after Luke left, trying to understand their relationship. I would have liked to see the story longer, really going into details of Luke’s and Dane’s past.

A sweet romance that shows how you can overcome anything with a lover by your side.

Deriving Life by Elizabeth Bear


Deriving Life by Elizabeth Bear
Publisher: Tor Books
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Length: Short Story (39 pages)
Rating: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

In Deriving Life, love has no time limits, but life does. Award-winning author Elizabeth Bear gives us a future where life and love and identity have so many more options than they do today, in this visonary short story, a Tor.com Original.

Now day’s maximum percent of male victims are getting trapped by this disorder as an account of their stressful working hours and the side effects are minimal deeprootsmag.org cialis without prescription which disappear within few hours. Endometriosis can cause heavy bleeding as well as purchase cialis from india pain. The medication enables a man to get firmer penile erections rather than erections that are just in the middle The middle erection can be just as bad as not getting generic tadalafil online an erection is associated with declining masculinity. Irritation of the empty duodenum wall pushes the acidic bile up cialis pills for sale to the stomach. Is it better to experience a shorter life without suffering or a longer one with it?

Marq, the protagonist, lived at a point in the future when humans were able to cure any illness no matter how serious or advanced it might be. The catch was that the cure shortened one’s lifespan. I can’t go into many details about why this treatment worked or how people discovered it, but I will say that I was fascinated by the idea of a world in which there was no longer such a thing as chronic or life-threatening illnesses. Anyone could have perfect physical and mental health if they chose to do so, and this was something my mind kept reveling over as I read. What an amazing opportunity that would be!

The world building was phenomenal. While certain portions of it weren’t shared with the audience until much later in the storyline, I was thrilled to learn about them once they did show up. They brought new light to some of the choices Marq and the people around him made that I originally found a little puzzling. It was immensely satisfying to put all of these pieces together and realize what was really going on in this universe.

By far one of my favorite things about this tale were the ethical questions it raised about the treatment I mentioned earlier in this review. Not everyone agreed that the cure was a good thing to offer to patients who would otherwise suffer without relief, and I appreciated the fact that the narrator spent so much time exploring why this conflict existed. There truly was a great deal of grey area in the morality of their debates, and that made this an even more memorable and thought-provoking read than it already was.

Deriving Life was one of the best science fiction stories I’ve come across so far this year. I can’t recommend it highly enough.

Hunted by His Alpha by Marie Medina


Hunted by His Alpha by Marie Medina
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
Genre: Paranormal, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Length: Short story (52 pages)
Other: M/M, Masturbation, Anal Play, Spanking
Rating: 4.5 stars
Reviewed by Dryas

Gregor arrives in the fae court ready to cement an alliance. When he finds his mate there, he doesn’t hesitate to make their union a part of the momentous event, even though he neglects to inform his newly found mate about any of this.

NF Cure capsule: This herbal supplement is extensively used for treating the problem of erectile dysfunction. bulk viagra uk You possible were told that after gallbladder removal, your viagra usa price pain would stop, and you would not have any digestive discomfort. You can include foods like chocolate, banana, garlic, raw oysters, figs, blueberries and peanuts in your daily to increase stamina and brings about a refreshing change in your deeprootsmag.org viagra order online sexual drive. The reality of the matter is sildenafil online pharmacy that Sildenafil Pills may lead to some reactions, if they are not used according to the prescribed dosage. Jared is drawn to the Alpha of the wolf pack immediately, unable to resist the man’s touch and more than willing to go to his bed. But when Gregor decides their official mating is a done deal, Jared bristles. He sets out to teach the shifter a lesson about respect, despite the fact all he really wants to do is submit.

When the Alpha is denied and told to learn how to properly court a fae, he finds something very interesting in the ancient texts of the palace library. And then, The Hunt begins…

A steamy short story with werewolves and Fae.

You’ll probably need a fan beside you as you read this steamy story. I did. From the beginning, Gregor knows Jared is his, and lets him know it. The steamy kiss they share is a nice prelude to the passion between them. There are pressures put on the characters and it’s up to them to decide who is being real and who is telling lies. Jared knows he really doesn’t have a choice, but he is fighting because he is stubborn–the wolf in him wants to submit. So, he makes an ultimatum, Gregor needs to woo him.

I had to laugh at Gregor’s reaction to romancing Jared. He’s used to everyone following his orders. Plus he is confused since he can tell that Jared wants him as his body reacts to his touch. He doesn’t understand that poor Jared has no time to comprehend everything. The learning curve is fun to read about.

A steamy quick read with fun characters with an interesting ending.

Spooky Twisties III, 13 Tales of Terror by Terri Bertha


Spooky Twisties III, 13 Tales of Terror by Terri Bertha
Publisher: MuseItUp Publishing
Genre: Middle Grade, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Suspense/Mystery, Horror, Paranormal, Contemporary
Length: Short Story (130 pages)
Age Recommendation: 10+
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

House of Puzzles:Will Chris and Nick be able to solve the puzzles to save their lives?

The Best Book Ever: Can a school book report prove to uncover a little too much for one student?

Pretty Voodoo Doll: What will one of the girls resort to in order to make the cheerleading squad?

A Needed Friend: Why does the mysterious boy seem to be drawn to the girl who visits the graveyard?

Ghost Catcher: Lindsay meets a woman with some amazing abilities at the old-age home. Can you catch a ghost?

Saving Cardinals: Does Amy’s love of birds and animals prove to be a life-saver?

Two Bloke Boys:Will Nick and Chris find gold at the end of the rainbow?

Candle Sense: A thoughtful gift provides a haunting experience.
The nourishing fat in the acai berry is encumbered with beneficial fats and a decent quantity cheapest viagra of fiber. One cannot ignore the fact that every men suffers from impotency at one point in his life but of course those observations are not substantiated by research because supplements are not held to the same cialis on line standards as prescriptive medicine. Upgrade Blood Flow Without Undergoing Surgery Vascular problem, the thinning and professional cialis solidifying of blood vessel that opens wide for allowing an appropriate amount of blood necessary to achieve erection during the intercourse. Wonderful transformation has occurred in their lives after receiving the Energy Transmissions from Mahendra Trivedi and other Trivedi Masters, and they are continuing to enjoy the profound and transformational benefits through Trivedi Master WellnessTM energy transmission programs. buy levitra viagra
Would You Believe?: The science fair and a revolution. Seriously, that’s why I didn’t turn in my homework.

Dronepocalypse: Buuuzzzz…did you hear that?

The Promenade: A trip to the historical museum and an old photo help solve the question of how to ask a girl to the spring dance.

Dire-Rama: WOW! That model looks so real!

Hello Me, It’s Me Again: Will an unexpected family reunion finally put things to rest?

The hidden references in these short ‘horror’ stories foreshadow future encounters and/or connect back to events of previous stories,and the twists in the story endings make reading the tales even more fun for ages 9 and above.

There’s not just one haunted house in this community. Many spots in this area have odd things happening in them.

This is the first time I can remember reviewing a collection of short stories that were about the same group of characters. It was quite interesting to me to read about the different adventures these kids went on with their various combinations of friends. Some of their experiences involved needing to do things like solve riddles or mysteries, so I liked seeing how well they were able to do this stuff depending on who they were spending time with at that particular moment.

It would have been helpful to have more details about the characters since the narrator didn’t describe what any of them looked like. While I did get a good sense of some of their personalities, it sure would have been helpful to be able to close my eyes and come up with full mental image of what each of the main characters looked, sounded, and acted like. They all sort of blended together in my imagination because of how few details there were about them in general.

The town where this book was set was quite the unusual place. Sometimes there were buildings that appeared and then disappeared again. Humorously enough, this was one of the least bizarre occurrences there . My favorite scenes were the ones that showed how the characters reacted to their familiar world being turned upside down at a moment’s notice. Without giving away spoilers, they reacted exactly how I’d expect them to. That alone made me want to keep reading.

This collection is the third in a series, but it can be read as a standalone work.

Spooky Twisties III should be read by anyone who is in the mood for something scary.

The Rubies by Rêve Fox


The Rubies by Rêve Fox
Publisher: Self-Published
Genre: Childrens, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Contemporary
Length: Short Story (86 pages)
Age Recommendation: 8+
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Have you ever wondered if all fairies live in peace? ‘The Rubies’ beautifully leads the reader down an enchanted pathway of war, betrayal, friendship, love, and loyalty. Follow Princess Amira’s journey as she tries to bind together a nation divided by hate and fear, and build a new, stronger society from the scattered ashes of her family’s Kingdom. Friendships will be put to the test, and our heroes and heroines will have to learn to deal with grief, loss and sorrow, while putting the needs of others first.

You should only use effective natural herbal treatments for ED. http://amerikabulteni.com/tag/muhafazakar/ order cheap levitra For such Kamagra Jelly 100mg is a great online viagra cialis choice. It is important to seek clarification from generic tadalafil tablets go to the drugshop your medical practitioner. Factors that could enhance appeal, say for example a breathtaking http://amerikabulteni.com/2011/09/18/charlie-sheen-a-surprise-presenter-at-emmy-awards-no-hard-feelings/ viagra no prescription in house, or unique four tires usually are not regarded. Everybody we meet in this book has a strength of personality that shines out above all else, but when war rips apart their nation and friends are pitted against each other, which side will win? Will Princess Amira have the courage necessary to stand up to evil?

Not every conflict is going to be one that’s easy to solve.

Just like any other creature, magical or otherwise, there are certain things that fairies find harmful to their health or well being. While I can’t go into detail about what those things might be, I did enjoy getting to know the weaknesses of fairies in this universe. Knowing that they weren’t all-powerful being made them feel more relatable and likable to me. It also helped to make certain scenes feel more meaningful once I realized the very real danger they were in.

I had trouble keeping track of the many characters in this story. There wasn’t enough time to get to know all of them well, so it was tricky to remember how they all knew each other and which one of the four fairy tribes everyone was from. It would have been nice to have a smaller cast of characters to focus on so that I could get to know all of them in greater depth.

The world building was nicely written. Princess Amira and her friends lived in a complex society where everyone knew their place. The descriptions of the many different types of fairies in this world made me smile. I liked the fact that the author spent so much time not only describing them but explaining why certain factions did or did not get along well with others. It made for quite the interesting read.

The Rubies should be read by anyone who loves fairies or the fantasy genre.

The Jaguar Knight by Raisa Greywood


The Jaguar Knight by Raisa Greywood
Shifter Mates #6
Publisher: Changeling Press
Genre: Paranormal, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Length: Short Story (108 pages)
Other: M/F
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Moonflower

Though I’ve already lost one mate, I can’t help but want Soledad Martinez for my own. Unfortunately, she proves to be as elusive as the jaguar sharing her consciousness. Every time I think I might get close to her, she slips through my fingers, laughing as she escapes me. Again and again. She’s maddening, beautiful, deadly, and the most intriguing female I’ve ever met.

This is a condition that happens when there is a viagra purchase on line complete benefit for those people who have been facing or you are facing in the present. Pitta type Insanity: purgation online cialis canada is recommended, even with strong purgatives, is often helpful. Forzest is one such generic capsule which plays a great role in encouraging an erection Others – Feeling of guilt, fear and marital or relationship issues Iatrogenic Medicinal – Certain medicines such as antidepressants, anxiolytics, prostate medicines and high blood pressure medicines purchase cialis online can affect your ability to get an erection Surgical – Surgical intervention of prostate or rectum causes damage to adjacent nerves and blood. Although it is a common problem among males, it should be treated immediately as it wikipedia reference viagra sale without prescription may be early sign of a prostate cancer. When I finally catch her, I promise I will never let her go, even if I have to cage her. Yet she escapes me once more — and the fault is my own. Worse, in my haste to make her mine, I’ve forgotten one very important thing.

The beings that seek to use the shifters for their own purposes are still out there. Still hunting. And they have my pirate.

Someone is going to die.

What would you do if you found a six-foot portrait of your mate’s dead wife in a place of pride in the bedroom? What would you do if you only saw if AFTER you got jiggy with him? Soledad does what she is good at and runs, with Markon hot on her heels.

This was a great end to the series, with many of the loose ends wrapped up. Soledad and Markon’s relationship will always be tumultuous, but it made for excellent reading. I especially loved the part with Renata at the end, where she recounts what has happened in such a way as to bring you up to date with them all, whilst still being natural.

Still without any headings for who is ‘talking’, it nevertheless was easier in this book than it was in the previous. It was clearer, more obvious, almost from the start of each chapter. With plenty of action, intrigue, and steam, there was definitely enough to keep me turning the page.

I have thoroughly enjoyed this series, and I am sad to see it come to an end, although I will be reading it again. Raisa Greywood is an author I have no hesitation in recommending.

The Last Voyage of Skidbladnir by Karin Tidbeck


The Last Voyage of Skidbladnir by Karin Tidbeck
Publisher: Tor Books
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Length: Short Story (16 pages)
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Life on the transdimensional ship Skidbladnir is a strange one. The new janitor, Saga, finds herself in the company of an officious steward-bird, a surly and mysterious engineer, and the shadowy Captain. Who the odd passengers are, and according to what plan the ship travels, is unclear.

You can seek advice from the online physicians and pharmacists these problems were treated with http://cute-n-tiny.com/tag/bunnies/ best soft cialis tested drugs, then John R. The second medicine with same effects and slighter prices is known as Kamagra. viagra france Your buy brand cialis age matters here and will take time to develop into something substantial. A Kamagra tablet is from uk viagra a viable solution used for temporary relief from erectile conditions. Just when Saga has begun to understand the inner workings of Skidbladnir, she discovers that something is wrong. Skidbladnir is sick. And it’s up to her and the engineer to fix it.

Traveling through interstellar space isn’t always as glamorous as it may seem, especially for low-ranking members of a crew.

Saga was such a relatable main character. While she was a good mechanic, she didn’t have any other special skills or abilities that would allow her to sign up for the truly exciting parts of space travel like exploring new planets. I loved the fact that the author decided to show this universe through the eyes of such an ordinary person. It put a completely different spin on what it must be like to live on a spaceship, and it made me root for her to have a taste of the adventure she craved so strongly.

The only thing I wish had been written differently about this tale was the ending. Part of it was a bit confusing to me because of how quickly the resolution the characters came up with was written. I would have liked to see a little more time spent explaining how their solution actually worked and what they thought the long-term effects of it might be. Other than this minor point, I had a great time reading this and would like to see what the author comes up with next.

Skidbladnir wasn’t like other space ships. While I can’t go into many details about the things that made her stand out from the crowd, I will say that her personality delighted me. She had strong opinions about how the humans used her, and she wasn’t afraid to share them. That alone would have been enough for me to enjoy her. The fact there was far more to her story than a ship being self-aware made this one of the most interesting things I’ve read in ages.

The Last Voyage of Skidbladnir should be read by anyone who has ever dreamed of exploring space without knowing how that might ever happen for them.