Limerence

Limerent, #5

by

LS Delorme

A war has begun.

Limerence is the fifth book in author LS Delorme's enthralling Limerent series and brings more characters from previous books into the foundational plotline. Kara, the creator of the timeline of the story, and her ghostly lover and second, Dante, discover a powerful virus has infiltrated their world, and it must be contained, but even more disturbing is that a number of Cambion and their ghost watchers have vanished, and all trace of them has been erased from The Office's computer records. As Dante and Kara search for the virus and their lost friends, they also must look for a traitor among their own people. 

This story was immediately absorbing, and Dante was the perfect narrator and mysterious, strong protagonist with a past. His relationship with Kara is loving and protective, and while they are involved in serious, life-and-death events, they are still able to love and banter with one another. Kara is already struggling with being overwhelmed by the stories, faces, and conditions she absorbs from the people she encounters from the beginning of the book, and this affects her and the plot's trajectory the longer she resists Dante's attempts to unburden her. 

The plot is in constant motion from the start, which includes a massive school shooting, and readers sensitive to this type of scenario should take note. In addition, spirits and souls are unmade, and previously living beings are unalived. The suspense constantly builds as these things happen, especially as no character, secondary or main, is untouchable. Dante does his best to find out what is going on, save his friends, protect Kara, and get their story back to normal. There is a great cliffhanger ending that promises more exciting story to come. 

While this book can be read as a standalone, I feel the previous books should be read first to fully understand and enjoy what’s going on. I recommend LIMERENCE to readers of dark fantasy and paranormal romance. 

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

The Quest for Freedom

The Conquest Trilogy, #1

by

Matthew Devitt

Non-stop Action! Action! Action!

The Quest for Freedom is the first book in author Matthew Devitt’s rough and tumble The Conquest Trilogy, and if you’re looking for a story that hits the ground running, is full of action, and desperate hand-to-hand combat, this book is for you. With its straightforward plot to free the enslaved humans, multiple supernatural/mythical races, and comrades-by-necessity elements, I was transported back to the days of classic DnD gaming and fellowship. 

The main character, Fletcher Rush, is one of the humans whose ancestors had coexisted on the planet Affer alongside angels, demons, elves, and others until their collective success began to feel like a threat. Banding together, the other kingdoms overtook the humans and divided the survivors up amongst the victors to serve as slaves for all eternity. Four hundred seventy-three years later, Fletcher is the hero who rises from obscurity to free his people. 

The action is truly non-stop as Fletcher, his sidekick, Ji, and the various companions they pick up along the way, battle their way across the planet to secure a future of freedom for the human race. The good guys are earnest and driven, with their focus on their crusade from start to finish. The bad guys are evil, entitled, and in charge, until Fletcher and company arrive on the scene. The fight scenes are plentiful, vivid, and, at times, graphic in their depiction of the damage inflicted. 

The planet of Affer features different kingdoms of supernatural beings, with a variety of wild terrain in between for the heroes to traverse, but my favorite was the abandoned human capital of Admont. As a bonus, the author includes a wonderfully illustrated map of the world, as well as a simple pronunciation guide for many city names, places, and more unusual character names. 

The book is not complex literature, just a bit of fun, and I would definitely read the rest of the trilogy. But I wish the author would stop using CAPS throughout to emphasize shouted or excited dialogue. We get it. 

I recommend THE QUEST FOR FREEDOM to fans of epic fantasies that harken back to the early days of the genre and nostalgic DnD gaming.

For this and other book reviews, visit my blog, Boys' Mom Reads!

Off Season

Detective Ryan Mystery, #1

by

Clive Fleury

What an absorbing and satisfying series debut!

Off Season is the first book in author Clive Fleury’s Australian-set police detective series, the Detective Ryan Mysteries, and I couldn’t be happier about having gotten the opportunity to read this book. Detective Inspector Ramesh Ryan of the Organized Crime Unit in Sydney, Australia, watches in shock as the defendant in his well-prepared, long-investigated case against a local drug kingpin is dismissed after a poor showing by an incompetent prosecuting attorney, and while the defense attorney is still gloating about his win on the news, Ramesh finds himself immediately and indefinitely reassigned to Barton, a small beach town to the north. But rather than a sleepy, off-season, and quiet village, Ramesh walks into an unexpected spike in crime, including deadly drug overdoses and a long-forgotten disappearance. 

What an absorbing and satisfying introduction to this unique mystery series! The son of an Indian mother and an Australian father, the main character, Ramesh Ryan, is proudly Australian but struggles with attitudes from supervisors, coworkers, and the public that he is an outsider. I loved his relationship with his mother so much, her desire for him to remember his Indian culture, and her surprise cooking. He is such an engaging character, and I enjoyed his ability to see what others overlooked and his amazing recall. I rooted for this man every step of the way as he wove his way through witnesses with precision and method, and navigated the uneasy situation and relationships at his new posting in Barton. 

The plot is complex, with several storylines unfolding at the same time, and I enjoyed how the author revealed all the elements through the eyes of the multiple individuals involved. The action hits the ground, or water, running, and really never lets up as the story switches to another piece of the story and back again. There are a plethora of characters introduced, but the author developed the main actors so distinctly that it was easy to keep everyone straight. I really enjoyed so many of the characters, good guys and bad! I was completely taken by surprise at how quickly the time flew while I was reading, and I will be talking this book up with mystery-loving friends and family. 

I recommend OFF SEASON to readers of mysteries, crime fiction, and thrillers. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from the author through Silver Dagger Book Tours.

Kilned at the Ceramic Shop

Braddock Mystery, #1

by

Donna Clancy

Entertaining and interesting beginning to a new cozy mystery series.

Kilned at the Ceramic Shop is the first book in author Donna Clancy's new cozy Braddock Mystery series set in the small town of Braddock, Maine. Although I felt the story gets off to an uneven start, the action quickly picks up, and the plot thickens, as they say. 

The main character is successful mystery author Tammy Wright, who returns to her hometown of Braddock after a seven-year absence to assist her Aunt Clara at her ceramics shop during the upcoming tourist season. Besides getting up in years, Clara Beale suffers more and more from arthritis, making the tasks at her beloved business difficult and painful. Tammy plans to split her time between working at the shop and writing her next mystery. Their initial reunion at the shop was a little confusing to me as they didn't seem particularly close, and her arrival didn't appear well planned. Her aunt has prepared the guest cottage for her, which is behind her own home, but it still feels like she has just "shown up," not having seen her aunt once since high school. 

Another inconsistency for me occurs during and after the women's confrontation with Wilmot Sawyer. Clara comes across as a doddering, indecisive old woman, and it takes a lot of coaching from Tammy for her to build up to righteous anger over Wilmot's actions. However, she is consistently described as a very strong woman throughout the rest of the book. She is nice, caring, and active in her town's leadership, but seems easily swayed by others. 

As the first in a series, the author must craft an entire town and its population on which to build her stories, and it is perhaps even more critical in this case, as the series title bears the town's name. The author introduces the various businesses, neighbors, and townspeople of Braddock without overwhelming the reader with blocks and blocks of exposition. People and places are featured as natural and fun parts of the story. I thought it was unusual in this typical cozy mystery town that the residents seemed to show only a cursory concern over the murder and kidnapping of two of their lifelong friends and neighbors, though. Clara is an elected selectman, and there's no massive gathering of searchers or candlelight vigil. However, later, the entire town comes together to help Tammy clean up the destruction at the ceramic shop, so if Clara is ever found, she doesn't encounter a mess when she returns to work. There was the same lack of reaction after the murder: no funeral was mentioned or well-attended visitation. 

Still, the story picks up and gains a lot of momentum as Tammy takes matters into her own hands to find out who is behind her aunt's disappearance, the acts of vandalism and destruction, and the murder. The attraction between Tammy and Zeke is sweet and believable, slowly building into something more. I loved this second chance at a relationship together for both of them. 

The two real estate developers are both pieces of work and easy to boo and hiss. There is a plentiful sprinkling of clues for the alert reader to note, and I thought the resolution was clever and satisfyingly complex once all was finally revealed. 

I recommend KILNED AT THE CERAMIC SHOP for cozy mystery readers, especially those with an interest in the hobby of making ceramics.

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

Death Avenue

Eddie Rum, #1

by J.I. Jung

Fantastic noir crime fiction tale set in 1919, pre-Prohibition New York City/Chinatown, and the threat of the Chinese Exclusion Act loomed.

Death Avenue is the first novel in author J.I. Jung’s noir crime fiction series featuring Eddie Rum, a young half-Chinese, half-Caucasian man just returned to the city after his service in war-torn France. Trying to get on his feet, Eddie Rum works at odd jobs for the local Democratic Party precinct boss as well as cleaning up for the Central Railroad, whose tracks that run through the city get blocked by debris, goods, or the bodies of people who failed to move out of the way of an oncoming train. It is one such failure that draws Eddie into the machinations of powerful local crime bosses, including his estranged father and twin brother, who run the Pell Street House tong in Chinatown. As Eddie wants to know who was responsible for the death of Ah Fay, a theatrical performer and comedian, he approaches them after years of no contact for information. His father, Fuunwong, is unexpectedly intent on gaining possession of a small notebook and the betting slips it contained that Ah Fay had on his body when Eddie found him, and he isn’t the only one who’ll apparently go to great lengths to get their hands on it. 

What a fantastic book! Eddie is a conflicted young man, damaged by his childhood and his experiences in the war, yet still compassionate and determined to do the right thing, as he tries to figure out his life and future. While his brother, Clock, physically resembled their father, Eddie took after their white mother, and he was deeply affected by his father’s decision to send him to live with his mother’s people as a child, as the danger of the Chinese Exclusion Act gained steam. Eddie’s yearning to be an equal son to his father and Clock’s belief that their father favored his white son over him were heartbreaking to watch, especially as Fuunwong is portrayed as manipulative and untrustworthy, using both sons only as a means to money and power. Eddie also suffers from occasional olfactory flashbacks to the war; however, these instances often herald the presence of imminent danger. 

The setting is vivid and moody, with precise descriptions, historic locations and events, authentic-sounding dialogue, and character names such as Nails, Specs, or Ninth Street Mike that clearly build a vibrant picture of New York City just after World War I. While I often felt like I was watching this story unfold in living black and white, I also felt I was right in the scene, at times. 

As the first book in a series, the author accomplishes much of the heavy lifting in establishing the world in which his stories will unfold and in populating it with a mix of historical and fictional characters. There are a lot of characters to keep straight and a couple of storylines to juggle. But the writing is clear, easy to read, and immersive, and the clever, complex plot comes together very nicely as the disparate storylines gradually converge. The imaginative character names certainly helped keep the story local, grounded, and free of confusion. The resolution of the storylines is great, and I didn’t figure out who was responsible for Ah Fay’s murder until it was revealed. 

I recommend DEATH AVENUE to readers of historical mysteries, thrillers, and crime fiction, especially fans of a noirish style. 

I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving an Advance Review Copy from Reedsy Discovery.