Posts Tagged With: magic

Book Review: Angel of Darkness by Tyler May

Reviewed by JustJen

5Title: Angel of Darkness
Author: Tyler May
Heroes: Christian/Zander
Genre: MM Paranormal
Length: 264 Pages
Publisher: Hot Ink Press
Release Date: November 22, 2014
Available at: Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb:  After a tragic event in his life, Christian Bowman found sanctuary in reading and developed an obsession with the paranormal and vampires. Now twenty-one, Christian fantasies come to life when he meets Zander, a blind vampire. A fantasy he’s only dreamt about. But will that dream turn into a nightmare when he sees just how dark and dangerous living in a vampire’s world can be? Is their love strong enough to withstand obstacles one could only imagine?

Christian is in love with his Angel of Darkness…..But is there a happily-ever-after in a vampire’s world?

They have a past, but can they have a future?
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, Debut Authors, JustJen's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Early Review: Alliance by Annabelle Jacobs

Reviewed by Nikyta

1Title: Alliance
Author: Annabelle Jacobs
Series: Torsere #3
Heroes: Ryneq/Nykin
Genre: M/M Fantasy
Length: 284 Pages
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: November 17, 2014
Available at: Dreamspinner Press and Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: King Ryneq and his dragon rider consort, Nykin, return to Torsere to defend the kingdom against the lowland armies already camped along Torsere’s borders. Seran wants the dragons, and with a new witch in his ranks, war is inevitable.

With the elves of Hervath now helping them, Ryneq has a chance at holding Seran at bay. But the witch is using old dark magic, and as Nykin and the dragon riders battle her deadly attack, unexpected betrayal forces Ryneq to make a difficult decision.

Faced with the prospect of losing his kingdom, Ryneq gambles on a plan that could ultimately save Torsere, if they can stay alive long enough to see it through. With Ryneq standing against Seran and his witch, time is of the essence, and Nykin must make a sacrifice to end the war. Only then will Ryneq and Nykin be able to start a life together.
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Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Nikyta's Reviews, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Vampire Week Review: The Circle Unbroken by Belinda Burke

Reviewed by Nikyta

https://www.totallybound.com/image/cache/data/Covers/C/thecircleunbroken_exlarge_PNG-210x336.pngTitle: The Circle Unbroken
Author: Belinda Burke
Series: Eight Kingdoms #2
Heroes: Macsen Cadoc/Bran Fionnan
Genre: M/M Fantasy
Length: 55k+ words
Publisher: Totally Bound
Release Date: October 24, 2014 (Now available for early download)
Available at: Totally Bound
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: A prince, a king, an oath to bind and an oath to break. Can something begun in darkness survive the light? Or does the shape of that oath define love…and the circle unbroken?

Three months have passed since Macsen Cadoc’s rescue of Bran Fionnan—three mortal months, three days in Macsen’s Red Kingdom. Bran has begun to seek a place for himself—as sidhe, as Summer’s Prince and as Macsen’s consort. The Red King has begun to balance the thirst of his own nature with the love that now moves him just as much. Yet when Bran is reminded of an oath that was made between them when he was just a child, that which has so far held them together may end up tearing them apart.

While the strength of their love is tested, a mortal enemy is once more in motion. Focused only on their destruction, Dealla seeks to step into the place of her dead father–to rule over the Milesians and fulfil the oaths of crown and country. To do so, she must find a way to hurt two foes…one new and openly deadly, the other ancient and its enmity long asleep. Allies appear in unlikely places, armed by their own motives to seek the same destruction Dealla desires…but the price of success may be higher than the cost of failure—higher than any plot or plan allows.

What is the price of an oath fulfilled? Is love born from nothing, or does it wear a path that can be traced?
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Nikyta's Reviews, Published in 2014, Theme Week | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Black Wings by Christina Henry

Reviewed by Nikyta

1Title: Black Wings
Author: Christina Henry
Series: Black Wings #1
Heroine/Hero: Madeline Black/Gabriel Angeloscuro
Genre: M/F Paranormal
Length: 295 Pages
Publisher: Ace
Release Date: November 30, 2010
Available at: Ace, Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: She’s an Agent of Death who really needs to get a life.

As an Agent of Death, Madeline Black is responsible for escorting the souls of the dearly departed to the afterlife. It’s a 24/7 job with a lousy benefits package.

Maddy’s position may come with magical powers and an impressive wingspan, but it doesn’t pay the bills. And then there are her infuriating boss, tenant woes, and a cranky, popcorn-loving gargoyle to contend with.

Things start looking up, though, when tall, dark, and handsome Gabriel Angeloscuro agrees to rent the empty apartment in Maddy’s building. It’s probably just a coincidence that as soon as he moves in demons appear on the front lawn. But when an unholy monster is unleashed upon the streets of Chicago, Maddy discovers powers she never knew she possessed. Powers linked to a family legacy of tarnished halos.

Powers that place her directly between the light of Heaven and the fires of Hell…
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, M/F, Nikyta's Reviews, Published in 2010 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Early Review: Bloodline by Jordan L. Hawk

Reviewed by Heather C

1Title: Bloodline
Author: Jordan L. Hawk
Series: Whyborne & Griffin #5
Heroes: Whyborne/Griffin
Genre: M/M Historical
Length: 299 Pages
Publisher: Jordan L. Hawk
Release Date: October 7, 2014
Available at: Amazon and Smashwords
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Between his bullying father and dissolute brother, Percival Endicott Whyborne has quite enough problematic family members to deal with. So when his sister returns to Widdershins asking for help solving the mystery of a derelict ship, Whyborne is reluctant to get involved. Until, that is, a brutal murderer strikes, leaving Whyborne and his lover Griffin no choice but to take the case.

The investigation leads them deep into a conspiracy of blackmail, murder, and darkest sorcery. But worst of all are the secrets held within the family itself, one of which will destroy everything Whyborne believed to be true, not only about his family, but about himself.
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Categories: 5 Star Ratings, Book Review, Heather C's Reviews, LGBT, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Consorting with Dragons by Sera Trevor

Reviewed by Nikyta

1Title: Consorting with Dragons
Author: Sera Trevor
Series: Love’s Landscape
Heroes: Jasen/Rilvor
Genre: M/M Fantasy
Length: 119 Pages
Publisher: Goodreads M/M Romance Group
Release Date: July 28, 2014
Available at: M/M Romance Group
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Dear Author,
It has been nearly 300 years since the last Lord of Drae chose a male consort… so what am I doing here at the capital, dressed in clothes finer than anything I have ever seen, and undergoing three months of (incredibly boring) testing by the Lord’s minions?

Well, to be honest, it is all my father’s fault. Or my father’s lack of ability to win at anything, ever. Not at life, not in love, and most certainly not at the gambling tables. While I can do nothing about his life, nor his love, he seems to think I can do an awful lot about his gambling debts. Mainly, he can sell (er… marry) me off to the highest bidder and happily go on sinking my mother’s land, title, and general good name into the ground he buried her in.

Trouble is, I’m not really worth all that much to anyone carrying a purse, let alone wanting a husband. But if I was unique, if I had done something very few could ever claim to have accomplished (or, realistically, tried to accomplish)… well then, maybe I’d be worth something. To someone. Somewhere. Or, at least my father hopes. Personally, three months free of my father sounds like a rather nice vacation. Three months of good food, free clothes, fine surroundings, and one flirty guard. Yes, that sounds just lovely.

It has been nearly 300 years since the last Lord of Drae chose a male consort… and neither fire nor fate is going to change that any time soon. Or so I thought…

Photo Description:
A portrait of a beautiful young man with shoulder-length red hair and intense amber eyes. He wears a cloak with long spikes on the shoulders. Behind him is a silhouette of a red dragon.

This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group’s “Love’s Landscapes” event. Group members were asked to write a story prompt inspired by a photo of their choice. Authors of the group selected a photo and prompt that spoke to them and wrote a short story.

This story may contain sexually explicit content and is intended for adult readers. It may contain content that is disagreeable or distressing to some readers. The M/M Romance Group strongly recommends that each reader review the General Information section before each story for story tags as well as for content warnings.
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Categories: 4 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Nikyta's Reviews, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Early Review: Creature Feature 2 by Rhys Ford and Poppy Dennison

Reviewed by Nikyta

1Title: Creature Feature 2
Authors: Rhys Ford and Poppy Dennison
Series: Creature Feature 2 (but not related to Creature Feature)
Heroes: Taz/Darren & Ciarnan/Javi
Genre: M/M Paranormal
Length: 66k words
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: September 29, 2014
Available at: Dreamspinner Press & Amazon
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Two Men. One Apocalypse.

Rise of the Revenants by Poppy Dennison
Vampyres are on the loose in Detroit, and novice hunter Taz Cohen is on the job. The mission seems simple: stop the vamps. But Taz knows nothing about the mythical creatures, so he’s in for the fight of his life. Then he meets insanely attractive construction worker Darren Foster, who jumps into the battle with both feet. Sparks and bullets fly as they struggle against the vampyre horde and their attraction to each other. Avoiding gruesome death from the undead might be easier than shielding their hearts from each other.

Legacy of Blood and Death by Rhys Ford
For Javi Navarro, Detroit will become another blood-splattered city in his rearview mirror after he puts its dead back into the ground. Expecting an easy hunting job, Javi instead finds a kiss of ancient vampyres on the hunt for a descendent of their long-dead creator.

Reclusive Ciarnan Mac Gerailt abandoned his family legacy of blood and death magic after it nearly destroyed him. Unfortunately, the Motor City can only be saved if Ciarnan resumes his dark arts and joins forces with Javi Navarro, the hunter who brought the vampyre apocalypse—and hope for the future—straight to Ciarnan’s front door.
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Categories: 4.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, LGBT, Nikyta's Reviews, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Icebound by Corinna Rogers

Reviewed by Tina(MsMiz)

1Title: Icebound
Author: Corinna Rogers
Series: Mortals & Myths Volume 1
Heroes: Shane Conell/Drake Young
Genre: M/M Urban Fantasy
Length: 156 Pages
Publisher: Harper Collins Publishers
Release Date: September 25, 2014
Available at: Harper Collins, Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: It’s been ten years since Shane Conell sold his soul to the Ice King in order to save the life of the man he loves. Correction, loved.

After ten years, it’s growing difficult to remember love, and hate, and laughter – until a chance appears to get back the only thing his frozen heart still wants…

Drake Young is doing fine. Really. He’s got a good job, nice benefits, and the soulless husk of his old lover only comes by to torment him every so often. However, it only takes the appearance of a creature from the Etherworld wreaking havoc on the decidedly nonmagical city streets to drag him out of retirement, forcing him to team up with the one person he can’t bear even to look at!

Now, Drake and Shane must race against the clock to keep their city from being destroyed, even if it means working together. And no matter how difficult it is to catch the creature, it’s a hell of a lot more difficult to resist the urges that ten years haven’t managed to kill.
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Categories: 2 Star Ratings, Book Review, Guest Reviewer, LGBT, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Hero by Heidi Cullinan

Guest Reviewed by Karen

3Title: Hero
Author: Heidi Cullinan
Heroes: Hal Porter/Morgan
Genre: M/M Fantasy
Length: 220 Pages
Publisher: Wilde City Press
Release Date: May 27, 2014 (2nd Ed.)
Available at: Wilde City Press, Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Construction worker Hal Porter knows he’s nobody special. But when strange events draw him into a magical world, he becomes the only man who can free Morgan, a lonely, long-enchanted shape-shifter. Whether he feels he’s worthy or not, Hal is the hero Morgan has been waiting for.

However, Hal’s task becomes personal as he and Morgan fall in love. Now, to save Morgan and give himself the happily ever after he’s always longed for, Hal will need to do something far more daunting than face Morgan’s captor or finally come out of the closet…

He’ll have to believe in himself.

This title has been previously published and has been revised from its original release.
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Categories: 2.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, Guest Reviewer, LGBT, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Book Review: Greymalkin by Chris Quinton

Guest Reviewed by Gyn

11Title: Greymalkin
Author: Chris Quinton
Series: Melusine’s Cats #1
Heroes: Jesse Adams/Will Blake
Genre: M/M Paranormal
Length: 188 Pages
Publisher: Kouros Books
Release Date: June 16, 2014
Available at:  Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: The mutual attraction between Jesse and Will is a bonus for Melusine when her enemies close in and she needs to rebuild her war band—starting with Jesse, Will, and Greymalkin.

Jesse Adams is an ex-rugby player who’s gone into seclusion to avoid the media following a guilty verdict in a court case. Jesse has come to live for a year in Greenlynn, where he is supposed to be writing his biography.

Will Blake is an out and proud policeman, respected and liked by the community he helps to protect from rural crime.

When the two men meet their attraction is instant, but they have no idea their love will draw them into a centuries’ old conflict.

Melusine, a deity of rivers and seas, long ago lost the Battle of the Betrayal and is imprisoned in a nexus centered on the source of the Lynn River. She can only travel in the flowing water of her river, and cannot set foot on her banks. Her cats are not so bound. Neither pets nor familiars, they move freely between the realities, her agents among the humans who live along the Lynn.
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Categories: 3.5 Star Ratings, Book Review, Guest Reviewer, LGBT, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment