The kingdom of Runon has created the impossible: a magical energy source that siphons life from the nearby lands and feeds it back into Runon itself. On the edge of the forest lives a quiet ranger named Tatsu who is watching the drain grow closer to his home country of Chayd.

Arrested for crimes against the crown, Tatsu is taken to the capital’s prison, where the queen offers him a deal. If he sneaks into Runon and steals the magical source that powers the drain, she will return his freedom. Caught in the unimaginable aftermath, Tatsu knows that the only hope is to stop the siphon before it swallows the world.

More and more he finds himself at the mercy of the destruction the siphon leaves behind – and everything he has ever known will fall apart in the revelation of its horrifying truth.

Purchase: Amazon.com

Goodreads: The Life Siphon

Review

*I received this novel for free in exchange for an honest review*

Rating: 4 stars

When circumstances and rash decisions uproot Tatsu from his self-imposed isolation he finds himself with a choice; agree to the terms of the Queen and save the Kingdom or face life imprisonment for his crime. All chosen for their different skillsets, friends and strangers must work together to travel through dangerous lands in order to steal the Life Siphon that is threatening their world.

The Life Siphon is the first novel of the duology. I really enjoyed the author’s style of writing and how the events flowed together in a way that kept me fully engaged and not wanting to put the book down. Tatsu is a reluctant and unlikely hero whose standoffish mannerisms pick at the nerves of his companions to begin with. However as the truth around the Life Siphon and the personal implications for Tatsu reveal themselves, he finds something to fight for. I think it was this aspect of the novel that I enjoyed the most. Tatsu is a reluctant and unlikely hero and I look forward to seeing how his character and story develops further in the second novel.

We Still Live by Sara Dobie Bauer

Running from a scandal that ruined his life, Isaac Twain accepts a teaching position at Hambden University where, three months prior, Professor John Conlon stopped a campus nightmare by stepping in front of an active shooter.

When John and Isaac become faculty advisors for the school’s literary magazine, their professional relationship evolves. Despite the strict code of conduct forbidding faculty fraternization, they delve into a secret affair—until Simon arrives.

Isaac’s violent ex threatens not only their careers, but also John’s life. His PTSD triggered, John must come to terms with that bloody day on College Green while Isaac must accept the heartbreak his secrets have wrought.

Purchase: Amazon.com

Goodreads: We Still Live

Review

*I received this novel for free in exchange for an honest review*

Rating: 3 stars

We Still Live is the story of two university professors who are both struggling with traumatic pasts. Isaac is fleeing his hometown and the scandal that his divorce left behind and John is suffering from PTS due to confronting an active shooter at the university. The two of them make a connection and embark on an affair that could not only cost them their jobs but their lives as well.

I was divided as how to rate this novel. There were some parts I liked and some I didn’t. I liked the premise and the issues that the novel dealt with. It was hard-hitting in places and brutally honest as it needed to be. All the characters rallied together well to support each other and even in the darkest moments there was hope for a better future for all of them.

However I do feel that the relationship between Isaac and John could have been better developed. For me it fell flat in places and it got on my nerves how many times Isaac reiterated that John was not his normal type. It only needed to be stated once, possibly twice, then it should have moved on from that point. I think a lot of people have fallen for someone who they wouldn’t normally, but the constant making of that point really was needless. Also the professional relationships they had with their students bordered on unprofessional. They acted like the students ages themselves in places and also in front of them. There needed to be further boundaries in place there to make this more realistic.

We Still Live is very well-written and touches some difficult subjects in a sensitive way but whilst being honest and not shying away from the aftermath of these events. I enjoyed reading it but for me there were a few things that could have been better so I can only rate it 3 stars.