Review: The Shadow Soul by Kaitlyn Davis

Once in a while I get foundered on fantasy. One too many monstrous hoards of skeletons have been fought off by a beautiful virgin and her talking horse aided by her rag tag band of outcasts and misfit friends. I'm sure we've all been there. I admit it, I've been overdosing on fantasy. A lot. So when The Shadow Soul opened with dragon wings shadowing the landscape below with altogether human descriptors, I was pretty sure I'd reached my limit.
I was wrong. I was so so so so so wrong.
The Shadow Soul was positively transportive, left me feeling refreshed, and renewed my faith in symbolism, imagery, and the importance of world building and cultural preservation.

If you want to be drawn in quickly and immediately feel a heart bond with a girl whose life is entirely unlike yours, read this. If you want to follow the
story of a young man you'll want to love and throttle at the same time, read this. If you want to set out on a journey, read this.
I am usually a sprint reader. I sit down and devour a book cover to cover as quickly as possible, but this, I enjoyed in tiny little bits and pieces, savoring the word choice, enjoying Davis' prose, drawing it out like a dessert.
Blending elements of espionage, high adventure, magic, and of course, the unending war between good and evil, not just in the spirit war, but also in the realm of men, The Shadow Soul reminds me in many ways of Game of Thrones, but is very much rooted in it's own world and tells it's own story.
Thank you, Kaitlyn Davis. Thank You. I intend to enjoy the rest of this series.


You can read more reviews of The Shadow Soul on Goodreads, or purchase a copy through Amazon.

Review: The Puppet Spell by Emma L. Adams

The Puppet Spell, a through the looking glass styled otherworldly adventure by Emma L. Adams, begins in the all too familiar everyday nomadic world all too familiar to so many of today's youth: uncertainty, guardianship, eviction, strained family relationships, and high school. Of course, when your uncle has an enchanted secret laboratory and a pet cat with an uncanny understanding of what is going on around him, those mundane details can't stay humdrum for long. Told from the point of view of Lexa, a dependable, geeky, and imaginative girl whose twin sister, Lucinda, is anything but, The Puppet Spell is told with awe and excitement for adventure.

When Lucinda steals an invisibility potion from her uncle's secret cache of otherworldly items, Lexa, with the help of her trusty guy-friend Marlon, sets off on the adventure of her life to try to find her sister, accompanied by the house cat who is more than he seems. In the other world they'll discover deception, illusion, political intrigue, magic, and that their frumpy uncle was never really a computer tech, all of which will bring Lexa's family closer together, and leave them sundered in ways she never could have forseen when they first moved into the flat with the secret room.

I enjoyed Adams' world building, and that the tone, pace, and movement of the story reminded me so much of role playing. The Fae's reliance on illusion to sculpt the world around them reminded me of the meticulous nature of a Game Master's world building, and that set this book apart from other stories in which a group of adventurers goes on an adventure that no one back home would ever believe.  If you decide to go along with Adams, be forewarned, you may never look at long walks through the woods quite the same way.

Book Feature: Dark Tidings

I'm pleased to take part in the DARK TIDINGS blog tour. Come in, get cozy, and get to know author Ken Magee and his novel, DARK TIDINGS, leave a comment and win an ebook (open through December 9th).


Ken Magee: Author Bio

Deep down, I have always wanted to be a writer. Like a lot of people, I was sure there was at least one book in me and I wanted to get it out. Unfortunately life intervened and it decided that I needed a career that would feed the family, so I worked for many years in the IT industry in a variety of roles including programming, sales and eventually CEO. Just to complicate things, in the middle of all this, I also served in the British Royal Naval Reserve for five years.

In 2010, I semi-retired and decided it was time to finish the book I had started writing years earlier. I don’t think any of the original book survived the process, although it did remain a Fantasy novel because that’s my real passion! Even as a young boy, I loved Fantasy and Science Fiction books and, if they had a good sprinkling of comedy, then I was happy. Harry Harrison and the Stainless Steel Rat probably paved the path which eventually led to the likes of Terry Pratchett. I would love to think that my first book at least hints at those influences. One review seemed to think so, and that really pleased me…

“Imagine the worlds of Terry Pratchett and Dan Brown coming together - Dark Tidings provides a witty and clever read that will appeal to all readers.”

I am married with two grown up children, and two dogs. I love reading, writing and words. I have a keen interest in music (mainly rock), technology, movies, travel and the Internet. To keep fit I play badminton when I get the time… and I walk the dogs even when I don’t get the time.

Author Links:

Blog: http://kenmagee.blogspot.co.uk/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2896070.Ken_Magee
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KenMageeAuthor
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ken-Magee/e/B006ISWTR0/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1


Book Bio:

What happens when ancient magic meets the internet? One thing is certain, modern life will never be the same again.

A thousand years ago, a young thief, Tung, and a disgraced wizard, Madrick, are thrust together in an executioner’s dungeon.

In the darkness, Madrick reveals an incredible secret about a legendary spell. The great spell helps them escape their prison cell... and eventually their century.

Catapulted into the present day, their lives collide with Michael, a computer hacker who plans to destroy the world’s largest bank. But sinister people are tracking their every move and they will stop at nothing to steal their spell.

Purchase Links:

Amazon (UK):
Paperback: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dark-Tidings-Ken-Magee/dp/1908090227/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1323857198&sr=1-1

Kindle: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dark-Tidings-ebook/dp/B0064TN0KS/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1323857198&sr=1-2

Amazon (US): Paperback: http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Tidings-Ken-Magee/dp/1908090227/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1323857307&sr=8-2

Kindle (US): http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Tidings-ebook/dp/B0064TN0KS/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1323857307&sr=8-3

(B&N) http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dark-tidings-ken-magee/1107487053?ean=9781908090225&itm=11&usri=dark+tidings

Other (Site which features NI Books) http://www.booksni.com/more_details.php?id=1378