Showing posts with label Urban Fantasy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Urban Fantasy. Show all posts
We don't exchange words of love. The way we look at each other often speaks louder.
A Battle of Blood and Stone by Sawyer Bennett
Book 4 - Chronicles of the Stone Veil
Release - April 13, 2021
Genre - Urban Fantasy
Dual POV - Finley/1st and Carrick/3rd
Heat Level - 2.5/spoken about but not descriptive
Format/Source - eARC provided by the author
Length - 239 pages
Publisher - Big Dog Books, LLC
Another day, another step closer to Hell on Earth being unleashed.
With every piece that falls into place for the queen of the Underworld, Kymaris gains strength and power that will make it more difficult to defeat her when the time comes. It feels as if we’re in a desperate race to get just one step ahead of her, but my demise feels closer than it ever has before with still so much to do.
The first order of business is to unlock the angelic powers with which I was gifted at birth, and Carrick insists on getting help from my archnemesis to do so. Yes, I have to save the world, but my priority has now become rescuing my sister from the Underworld. While there are many questions still to be answered about my long-lost twin, I know I will not win this battle without her by my side.
In the midst of all the doom and gloom, Carrick has become my beacon of shining light. Our connection unimaginable, my heart recognizes his as the other half of its whole. Inexplicable and deeper than one could ever imagine, the love I hold for him is forged by destiny, however ill-fated it may turn out to be.
And those are the feelings I must hold close…to keep me going. Because a painful lesson is on the horizon—betrayal never comes from your enemies.
Find your copy of A Battle of Blood and Stone here:
Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/3t1HZDF
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/39Taz2z
iBooks: http://apple.co/3oSs3Ro
Nook: https://bit.ly/3pSgGud
Kobo: http://bit.ly/3iWcPtr
Well, when this was said...
I can't help but sound petulant. "He has time to reach out to his businesses but not to me?"
"It's not like that, Finley," Zaid chastises. "If Carrick hasn't reached out to us, it's for a good reason. Trust me on that."
"Trust you on that?" I ask, incredulously.
"I know Carrick, so —"
"See, that's just it," I snap harshly, throwing my hands out to the side in frustration. "I don't know him. Apparently, I've fallen in love with him over and over again throughout history, yet I don't know a damn thing about him. You might trust him, but don't ask me to."
I honestly didn't think I was going to get what I was looking for. How could I when Finley was once again being so annoying? I felt like I was back to the beginning. Where was the growth? Where was the girl I was starting to care for? And then it all changed and I was caught up in a story that was more than I could ask for.
A Battle of Blood and Stone has magic, murky alliances, family, love, hope, and a surprising betrayal, all of which make it such an enchanting read. I'm in love with the epic romance that is steadily building between Carrick and Finley. I'm not sure if it's because I'm a hopeless romantic or if I just can't get enough of the demigod. With one powerful, intense, unreal mindboggling cliffhanger, I'm left on edge until I can get The Rise of Fortune and Fury in my hands. Will Finley finally truly connect with her twin? Will there be a trip to the Underworld in my future? And will Finley actually survive the prophecy, Rune's curse, and get a happy ending with Carrick? I'm telling you now... Carrick better get everything he deserves. The male has been put through enough and needs to be freaking happy!!
Check out my reviews of the previous books of the series:
A former trial lawyer from North Carolina, when she is not bringing fiction to life, Sawyer is a chauffeur, stylist, chef, maid, and personal assistant to her very adorable daughter, as well as full-time servant to her wonderfully naughty dogs.
If you’d like to receive a notification when Sawyer releases a new book, sign up for her newsletter (sawyerbennett.com/signup).
For more information about this author and her books, check out her website: https://sawyerbennett.com
"One Bean is destroyed."
"I know," he murmured.
"I almost died," she said.
"I know," he replied softly.
"You saved me." Her tone was filled with a bit of awe.
"I won't ever let anything bad happen to you," Carrick vowed.
He said it while looking her straight in the eye and with the purest of intent, for he cared about Finley more than she could ever imagine.
But he also knew he was most likely telling her a lie because he didn't think he could protect her from the horror that was coming.
The Evolution of Fae and Gods by Sawyer Bennett
Chronicles of the Stone Veil #3
Release - March 23, 2021
Genre - Urban Fantasy
Dual POV - Finley/1st & Carrick/3rd
Heat - 3 out of 5/a bit descriptive and yet still pretty vague
Format/Source - eARC provided by the author
Length - 269 pages
Publisher - Big Dog Books, LLC
Evil is coming.
A dark malevolence the likes of which this world has never seen, and it comes straight from the depths of Hell. Darkness meant to destroy. A prophecy I am fated to fulfill but will most likely not survive.
Through it all, Carrick Byrne has stood strong by my side. Something has deeply changed between me and the man I once despised, and all it took was a kiss of provocation for both of us to feel it. I know deep in my soul we’re being guided by destiny, but I don’t know if I can trust it. Carrick is holding something back, and I fear the consequences could be deadly once his truth is revealed.
We’re not ready, but calamity waits for no woman. I have discovered a power within myself I must learn to master. A new connection in the Underworld has been revealed to me, one that I hope is friend but is just as likely foe. We are in a race against time as we try to figure out how to stop the end of the world from occurring. The battle is coming, and I can only hope we’re prepared for what happens next.
The Evolution of Fae and Gods is book three of the Chronicles of the Stone Veil series and is best enjoyed if read in series order.
⭐ Answers — although some of them led me to more questions
⭐ Moving Plot — obviously I ain't spoiling but so much happened, some of which I predicted, which led to those answers I needed and the new questions I now have
⭐ Romance — WOOHOO!! It happened and I couldn't have been more thrilled. What was brewing between Carrick and Finley in the first two books finally boiled over and it was amazing! Walls came down, communication became easy, and their connection... their feelings for one another... I can't get enough of all of it.
⭐ Further Character Development — not only did the people I had come to care for seem to expand in personality, but my feelings towards Finley have turned a corner. Was she still annoying? Yup. Was she still bogging me down with the minutiae of her daily life? Absolutely. But either she's growing on me or she's growing up because I was far less frustrated with her than I've ever been.
This series has quickly turned into something I'm going to be recommending to all urban fantasy readers and to those who are looking to try it. It's character-driven, plot-heavy, and I cannot wait to get my hands on A Battle of Blood and Stone.What's going on with Carrick? How will the heroes stop fake Fallon? And what other world will they be hopping into?
Check out my review of book 1, The Revelation of Light and Dark:
Check out my review of book 2, A Discovery of Secrets and Fate:
Check out my review of book 2, A Discovery of Secrets and Fate:
Find your copy of The Evolution of Fae and Gods at the following retailers:
Amazon CA: https://amzn.to/2NJjlbO
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/3tEOkFa
iBooks: http://apple.co/36HKTEN
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/3iWaT49
Kobo: http://bit.ly/39uE0It
It was after this confrontation that my feelings for Finley changed. She changed.
Carrick doesn't yell. No, he thunders. "How could you be so fucking stupid as to leave this place alone? I don't know how many times I need to impress upon you the danger you face, but, apparantly, your skull is obviously thicker than concrete because it's not penetrating. You not only put yourself in danger, but you also put the fucking planet in danger, which speaks to your inherent selfishness, which is only outmatched by your stupidity."
"I am not stupid," I yell back, the constant stream of insults too much for me to take.
I note the red in Carrick's pupils and it's not the hazy film I'd seen before, but it turns fiery. To my surprise, Carrick actually shakes me hard enough to rattle my head. Putting his face even closer to mine, he snarls, "You are, without a doubt, the most idiotic person I've ever encountered in my almost five thousands years of living."
Okay, that's overboard. Surely, he's met someone dumber. But I don't get a chance to retort because I'm threatened again.
"I think," he says in a low rumble, far scarier than when he was yelling, "that you might just need to be secured in this condo."
Secured?" I whisper fearfully.
Carrick's eyes glitter with malice, the red still glowing while the irises dull to a muddy brown. "I think I'd like you in chains down in the library."
"You can't do that to me," I sputter in outrage. "I am not yours to command."
For a moment, Carrick doesn't reply — he merely gives a slow shake of his head while looking me dead in the eye. "No... you're something far more infuriating. You want to act like a woman, trying to play the seductress with me, but do you want to know the reason it doesn't work?
A stab of pain lances through my heart because now he's getting personal.
I don't want to know.
Please don't tell me.
"It doesn't work," he says darkly with scorn in his expression, "because you're a fucking child, not a real woman. A spoiled little brat, actually, and I find none of those traits attractive."
Oh, God.
My eyes immediately well with tears, and I hate myself for the weakness. Does he honestly think that? Was that kiss we shared in the gym all in my imagination?
Does he think so little of me?
In my entire life, I have never felt so small.
A former trial lawyer from North Carolina, when she is not bringing fiction to life, Sawyer is a chauffeur, stylist, chef, maid, and personal assistant to her very adorable daughter, as well as full-time servant to her wonderfully naughty dogs.
If you’d like to receive a notification when Sawyer releases a new book, sign up for her newsletter (sawyerbennett.com/signup).
For more information about this author and her books, check out her website: https://sawyerbennett.com
A Discovery of Secrets and Fate is book two of the Chronicles of the Stone Veil series and is best enjoyed if read in series order.
A Discovery of Secrets and Fate by Sawyer Bennett
Chronicles of the Stone Veil #2
Release - March 2, 2021
Genre - Urban Fantasy
Dual POV - Finley (1st)/Carrick(3rd and rare)
Heat Level - none
Format/Source - eARC provided by the author
Length - 250 pages
Publisher - Big Dog Books, LLC
In its place is an existence even the wildest imagination could never fathom. Strange creatures walk among us, plotting our demise, and I’ve come to find that the fate of our world rests squarely on my shoulders. We’re all in danger and I’m trying to figure out how to make it through each day.
The key to my survival is a man I can’t figure out. As dangerous as the darkest fae, I have no choice but to work with him to stop the prophecy that’s foretold to be the ruination of mankind.
Carrick Byrne continues to be my only source of information, but he doles it out as he sees fit. He intrigues and scares me in equal measure, yet I can’t help but be attracted to him. And the more I discover about him, the more it becomes clear he feels the same.
As we travel to Faere in search of answers, we find that every piece of information leads to more questions, that every question leads to a new piece of the puzzle, and that, most importantly, no one can be trusted.
The more secrets we uncover, one thing is certain— if we have any chance of saving the world, we have to do it together.
Amazon Kindle * iBooks * B & N * Kobo * Google * Amazon Paperback
While many of my questions were answered and while I got answers to questions I didn't even ask, I'm left at the end of A Discovery of Secrets and Fate with a confused look on my face. Knowing what Carrick is (and yes, I was totally right!), knowing what his reward is, has only made my journey going forward with this series that much harder. So will there or will there not be a romance in the future? Because this author has me practically begging for something to happen. If this is a slow burn kinda thing, it has to be the slowest freaking burn in the history of all burns.
I'm still not Finley's biggest fan. Again, I had to constantly remind myself that she was in her late 20s because she was a bit too childish and immature for words. However, her nonsense worked in some situations so I'll admit that she's growing on me.
Obviously I liked what I got out of this part of the story. I do believe I've been spending way too much time in Finley's head and there was a bit too much itemization of the minutiae of her daily life, but I am most definitely looking forward to what happens in book three. The Evolution of Fae and Gods is next and I'm looking forward to more Carrick, more Zaid, more everyone, but especially what the heck happens after the fiery cliffhanger I'm still a bit hungover from.
Check out my review of book 1, The Revelation of Light and Dark:
Leaning into me, Carrick warns, "Do not get aggressive with any form of fae or daemon. You stepped into Echo without any regard for your own safety. Had she wanted to, she could have hit you in the chest with enough force to rupture your aorta. You completely underestimated her, and you could have been seriously hurt."
"But... but... I had you, Titus, and Maddox there," I stutter a lame excuse.
"And you saw that neither one of us were able to stop her from doing that to you," he snaps, then lifts a finger and taps me on the head with it. "You need to think, Finley, or you're going to get yourself hurt or killed."
I wrench my arm away from him, now angry at being treated like a child. "I do think, I'm clever and yes, I may have underestimated her, but I went up against an incubus and won, I was smart enough to get out of an enclosed space in my bedroom, and lure him to my backyard so I could use my whip to —"
"You got lucky," he snarls. "Humans are no match for fae or daemons in strength. Don't ever forget it and always be wary, even if one appears to be on your side."
"Like Zaid?"
"Zaid isn't on your side," he replies, pointing out. "He's on my side."
A former trial lawyer from North Carolina, when she is not bringing fiction to life, Sawyer is a chauffeur, stylist, chef, maid, and personal assistant to her very adorable daughter, as well as full-time servant to her wonderfully naughty dogs.
If you’d like to receive a notification when Sawyer releases a new book, sign up for her newsletter (sawyerbennett.com/signup).
For more information about Sawyer Bennett and her books, visit her website: https://sawyerbennett.com
Why does he hate me? And, at the same time, why do I fascinate him? Conversely, why do I seem to have a pull toward him?
The Revelation of Light and Dark by Sawyer Bennett
Chronicles of the Stone Veil #1
Release - February 9, 2021
Genre - Urban Fantasy
Dual POV - Finley 1st person/Carrick 3rd person (his pov was sparse)
Heat - none
Format/Source - eARC provided by the author
Length - 252 pages
Publisher - Big Dog Books, LLC
I always knew I was different.
From a young age, my mind has been plagued with things only I could see. Some hauntingly beautiful, others completely terrifying. Never knowing if these visions were real or just hallucinations, I learned how to lock them down and ignore them. I learned to take solace in the relative anonymity of city life and find peace in the rainy days my city of Seattle is known for.
But just when I think my life is getting on track and my dreams are achievable, a moment of weakness causes me to learn a hard and fast lesson.
My entire existence has been a lie.
Now I’m faced with a new reality that’s as implausible as it is fantastical. Filled with realms and veils, light and dark, fae and daemons, gods and angels—things I don’t understand but am forced to acknowledge. It doesn’t help that the man teaching me about my unique gifts is the gorgeously handsome Carrick Byrne, one of Seattle’s richest and most powerful men. He intimidates, annoys, and intrigues me all at the same time. I don’t trust him and yet there’s no one else to help me.
No longer certain who to put my faith in, what to believe, or how I fit into it all, one revelation is clear…
The world as I know it will never be the same again.
The Revelation of Light and Dark is book one of the Chronicles of the Stone Veil series and is best enjoyed if read in series order.
Finley is a woman with a particular set of skills - she can see beyond the veil. What does that even mean? Well, she seems to be the only human who can see past the glamour of the fae. Light fae, dark fae and daemons alike aren't safe from her unearthly talents. But what is she to do with them? And how does Carrick factor into everything? He seems to be the only one who has an inkling of what is going on with her. Is he helping her for altruistic reasons or is something bigger at play?
As the first volume in the Chronicles of the Veil series, The Revelation of Light and Dark was steeped in mystery and magic. From the creatures that exist among us to the worlds created around us, I am now left more questions than answers. And Carrick? He's got to be the biggest mystery of all. His enigmatic character leaves with the impression of confidence, arrogance, competence, honor and determination. I am so infinitely intrigued by this man and I'm looking forward to learning all there is to know about him.
Sawyer Bennett has created such an engrossing introduction to this new series and I'm absolutely hooked!
My other thoughts (the ones I won't include in my review) are hidden in a spoiler below. Just some rants and frustrations...
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A former trial lawyer from North Carolina, when she is not bringing fiction to life, Sawyer is a chauffeur, stylist, chef, maid, and personal assistant to her very adorable daughter, as well as full-time servant to her wonderfully naughty dogs.
If you’d like to receive a notification when Sawyer releases a new book, sign up for her newsletter (sawyerbennett.com/signup).
For more information about Sawyer Bennett and her books, visit her website: https://sawyerbennett.com
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