Wolf of the Nordic Seas

Valiant Vikings, #2

by

Jennifer Ivy Walker

Gloriously immersive tale of vengeance, romance, sacrifice, and destiny!

Wolf of the Nordic Seas is the second book in author Jennifer Ivy Walker’s exciting Valiant Vikings* historical fiction series, and while featuring characters from the previous novel, it can easily be read and enjoyed as a standalone. With honorable and selfless characters willing to do what they must as the trusted leaders of their people, the atmospheric Normandy setting, and its consuming and immersive narrative, I was absolutely hooked from the very first scene. 

Lady Elfi Thorfinnsdottir unexpectedly becomes the Heiress of Etretat when her brother is killed defending their home from the attack of Alberic of Soissons and his Frankish army. She assumes the role of chatelaine of the Chateau Blanc when, during a second attack, the lord, her father, is taken prisoner and held hostage by the same man. The price of his safe return? Her hand in marriage! 

The marriage proposal is part of Alberic’s political machinations to regain control of the Viking-held territory. Elfi is torn between saving her father, who will be executed should she refuse Alberic’s terms, and causing her brother’s ultimate sacrifice to be for naught. She calls upon the aid of the other Viking lords, who rush to her defense with men, arms, and another marriage proposal; this time, to the renowned sea-going warrior Njord Ivarrsson, also known as the Wolf of the Nordic Seas, she accepts. 

Elfi, trained as a shieldmaiden by her brother but protected by her father, chafes under the restrictions he enforces because she is female. The fact that her value resides solely in her marriageability, dowry, and now, the Chateau Blanc as its heiress is a hard pill for her to swallow. However, to safeguard her home and those who depend upon her strength and wise decisions, including her captive father, she readily sacrifices her future to secure their safety. 

Njord Ivarrsson had a rough start in life but has made the most of his opportunities to rise to where he is now. At the order of his king, he leaves this northern home to defend the Chateau Blanc and wed Elfi, removing her from her father’s hostage equation. I loved that Elfi and Njord were both strong, matched characters, and they had an immediate connection with one another. However, a prophecy foretold that Njord would find his mate across the seas in a distant place, ushering in the magical, paranormal elements of the story. 

What follows includes a political chess game of thwarted ambitions, treachery, vengeance, and a satisfying romance that transcends fate. I recommend WOLF OF THE NORDIC SEAS to historical fiction readers who enjoy a good slow-burn romance and a touch of paranormal elements in their stories. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tours.

*See my review of Book One of the Valiant Vikings series, Dragon of Denmark, HERE!

The Decoy Girlfriend

by

Lillie Vale

Delightfully fun and fresh!

The Decoy Girlfriend by Lillie Vale is a delightful romantic comedy featuring celebrity impersonation and a fake-dating scenario. This story had me smiling so much of the time. The premise got me from the start, and the author delivered just like she said she would. 

Freya Lal’s follow-up novel to her successful debut book is due imminently, but with her inspiration level at zero, she’s nearing despair over honoring her commitment. Agonizing over her dilemma and staring at a blank laptop screen while watching her aunt’s bookstore, she’s even more distracted by the movie being shot on the street outside their doors that features a famous actress for whom Freya is frequently mistaken. While Freya has taken advantage of her physical similarity to Mandi Roy for small perks in the past, the idea of impersonating the hottest actress in town had never crossed her mind until Mandi’s co-star and Freya’s number one crush, Taft Bamber, walks through the bookstore doors. 

I’m a sucker for the fake relationship story, true, but this one had a cool twist: one of the main characters is impersonating a celebrity. I also really enjoyed having the story told from the dual points of view of the two main characters and watching everything unfold from both angles. 

Freya Lal was a delightful character. I liked her and felt bad about her agonizing problems trying to follow up on her early, early success with a new book – deadlines looming. Losing your mother is such a blow anyway, but when she is your main cheerleader, it would be particularly devastating. 

Taft Bamber was hands-down charming and adorable. It was awful how he was treated by his “people.” It made me want to do some damage on his behalf. There are also several notable supporting characters. 

I want to say that this is not a book for younger readers. There are very intimate scenes that are well done but not suitable for children. 

I recommend THE DECOY GIRLFRIEND to romance readers who enjoy the fake dating/fake relationship plot, especially those featuring famous characters constantly in the spotlight, adding pressure to the situation. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author or publisher through TBR and Beyond Book Tours.

Ghostlight

by

Kenneth Oppel

A suspenseful and exciting middle-grade novel of ghosts, friendship, and family

SYNOPSIS from Goodreads:

One teen's summer job scaring tourists with ghost stories takes a terrifying turn when he accidentally summons the spirit of a dead girl—and she has demands. . . .

Rebecca Strand was just sixteen when she and her father fell to their deaths from the top of the Gibraltar Point Lighthouse in 1839. Just how they fell—or were they pushed?—remains a mystery. And their ghosts haunt the lighthouse to this day. . . .

Gabe tells this story every day when he gives the ghost tour on Toronto Island. He tries to make it scary enough to satisfy the tourists, but he doesn’t actually believe in ghosts—until he finds himself face to face with Rebecca Strand.

The true story of her death is far more terrifying than any ghost tale Gabe has told. Rebecca reveals that her father was a member of the Order, a secret society devoted to protecting the world from “the wakeful and wicked dead”—malevolent spirits like Viker, the ghost responsible for their deaths. But the Order has disappeared, and Viker’s ghost is growing ever stronger.

Now Gabe and his friends must find a way to stop Viker before they all become lost souls. . . .

Ghostlight is a suspenseful and exciting middle-grade novel about ghosts, friendship, and family. In addition to the fictional tale, the book includes some serious and highly discussable topics such as divorce, the death of a parent, immigrant experiences, and what happens after you die. This is definitely one I would have been glad to share with my boys when they were that age for the excellent story, superior storytelling, and the diverse conversations it most likely would have prompted. 

The ghostly aspects of the story are unique. I enjoyed the author’s vision of how ghosts exist, hidden on the edge of regular daily life. The descriptions of the evil Viker were scary, and I could clearly visualize his appearance and the changes he underwent. His consuming the other spirits and the images of the ghosts crossing the water to get to land both gave me the willies. And I worried from the start about Rebecca draining the energy from Gabe; it seemed so realistic.

 The setting was fresh (Toronto), and I enjoyed the quest the four friends conducted to find the answer to Rebecca’s terrible problem (trying to avoid spoilers there.) The kids, including Rebecca, were well-drawn, each different from the others, but a well-matched, balanced group with interesting backstories. I liked that Callie was continuously researching for clues, and Yuri was steadfast in his focus on improvising the best way to combat the evil ghosts. These kids were serious about what they were doing yet still displayed their fun, young, and modern side. (Even Rebecca is intrigued and learns to use some modern conveniences.)  They were or became friends, and some of their dialogue had me laughing out loud. 

                “Steaming pile of yak dung! Who says such a thing?”

                “Me, from now on!” 

With its unique setting, characters, and ghostly afterlife to its suspenseful and exciting plot, I recommend GHOSTLIGHT to middle-grade readers who like stories that involve puzzling out a mystery or a search, ghosts, or a setting during a summer job at an amusement facility or waterside in Toronto. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author or publisher through NetGalley and TBR and Beyond Book Tours.

Freedom Drop

Len Buonfiglio/Caribbean Mystery, #1

by

Brian Silverman

Exciting action, tragic deaths, and secrets someone will kill to keep hidden.

Freedom Drop is the first book in author Brian Silverman’s atmospheric Len Buonfiglio/Caribbean Mystery series set on the island of St. Pierre. The tale’s tough action and magnetic main character are definitely a winning combination. 

Having gained a reputation among his bar patrons and native neighbors for being able to help when the police can’t or won’t, bar owner Len Buonfiglio reluctantly takes on the case of a local man accused of complicity in the death of a tourist just as his 16-year-old daughter, Kasie, arrives for her spring break visit. His involvement is swiftly noticed by someone who doesn’t want him poking around in the case, and Len is soon visited by a pair of toughs with hard methods of persuasion in mind. Len Buonfiglio, or Mr. Len as he is known to the other inhabitants of St. Pierre, is a quiet, reluctant hero, dogged in his pursuit of the truth, and armed with only a sharp mind, clever wit, and  rusty martial arts skills. 

The plot follows Len as he learns of the arrest of “Big Tree” Rawle Johns, a local tourist guide known for his quiet, dignified manner and obvious love for his island home and her history. Well acquainted with the respected single father of one, Len is skeptical of Big Tree’s involvement in Deanna Gould’s death the previous year at the island’s historic and sacred landmark, the Freedom Drop, which until recently had been ruled an accident or suicide. 

Len is returning home from picking up Kasie at the airport when they witness police taking Big Tree into custody. He is soon contacted by the man’s elderly mother, who implores Len to intervene with the police on her son’s behalf. The story escalates quickly as strangers to the island interfere with Len’s low-key inquiries. At the same time, he attempts to reconnect with his only daughter on her first visit since the dissolution of his marriage to her mother five years earlier. The visits from outsiders are surprising, and the results are shocking. I could understand Len’s immediate concerns for his daughter’s safety and his conflicting emotions about ending her long-awaited and much-anticipated first visit earlier than planned, as well as what he would tell his ex-wife when he did so. 

The author’s writing absolutely drew me into his story from the very beginning, and Len and other characters, such as Tubby, soon felt like people I actually knew. Similarly, Silverman’s vivid, evocative descriptions of his settings placed me side by side with Len on St. Pierre. The plot is gritty, and the action is decisive as Len works his way to the truth behind the young woman’s death almost a year earlier. 

I recommend FREEDOM DROP to mystery readers who enjoy a reluctant and less traditional yet still resolute private investigator protagonist. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours.

A Witch Awakens

Fire Circle Mystery, #1

by

Ellis Elliott

Strong, entertaining debut for this new Appalachian-set mystery series.

A Witch Awakens is the first book in author Ellis Elliott's new Fire Circle Mystery series featuring a disillusioned former dancer who abandons New York City to return home to Eureka Grove, Tennessee, to take over management of her grandmother's dance studio. When Jenny Newport, a long-time family friend and Cece's mentor, is murdered at a charity event, her grandmother's loyal handyman becomes suspect number one. Cece is drawn into the investigation to find justice for Jenny and clear Calvin's name. 

This was a unique and cozy mystery featuring interesting and engaging characters and a distinctive setting infused with plenty of Appalachian legend and lore. Tennessee "Cece" Chagall is the main character and, though disappointed her dance career didn't go as planned, remains upbeat about her return home and only occasionally succumbs to a little self-pity. 

Cece, however, has been dealing with another issue that has also prompted her to return to her roots; she has been having increased episodes where a random object triggers her to experience a smell, taste, or physical sensation. The occurrences, which only last seconds, have happened all her life. Her Aunt Granny (Grandmother's sister) called them her "peculiars," but they've never occurred as often as they are now. She hopes to get with Aunt Granny for answers to what is happening to her before resorting to another doctor and another MRI. Cece is relatable in her troubles, and I rooted for her determination to get to the bottom of what was behind Jenny's death. 

The story moves quickly, especially for the first book in a series, where the author must introduce readers to the characters, their backstories, and relationships, as well as the new setting. Elliott easily handles the heavy lifting without bogging down the story. I liked that Cece's high school sweetheart was still in town but had become a detective with the local police department. While they were already running into each other around town, the murder forces them into needful proximity and a different dynamic between the two forms. Naturally, he warns her away from his investigation, and just as naturally, she pays little attention and starts her own. The resolution is surprising but makes sense. 

I recommend A WITCH AWAKENS to cozy mystery readers who enjoy a touch of the paranormal in their stories. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advanced Review Copy from the author through Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours.