1885 London, England
Silas Mercer died once. He’d rather not do it again.

On his return to the world of the living, Silas finds himself in the hands of the mysterious Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn.
The Order has London society clamouring for their services, with tarot readings, seances and exorcisms among their arcane specialities.
Now they seem intent on making Silas their newest recruit.
But they want far more from him than cheap parlour tricks.
When the Order partners him with the scandalous rake, Tobias Astaroth, Silas’s new life is turned on its head in more ways than one.
Tobias is quick-tempered, dangerously charming, and far more than the man he seems.

For Silas, surviving what the Order has planned for him will be a challenge.
But finding a way to survive Tobias Astaroth could prove impossible.

Purchase Link: Amazon.com

Goodreads: The Bandalore (Pitch & Sickle #1) by Danielle K. Girl

Review

Rating: 4 stars

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

When Silas Mercer is rescued from death, he soon learns that his saviours brought him back for a purpose. He is to join the mysterious Order of the Golden Dawn and assist them in their otherworldly activities. With no memory of his past life, Silas must not only put together who he was as a man and who he is now, but the new world around him that is such a departure from everything that he has ever known. When he is partnered with the seemingly obnoxious and non-human Tobias Astaroth, Silas learns that his role in The Order is much more important than he could ever have imagined.

The Bandalore is a great read and introduction to the version of 1800s London that the author has created. They have combined many different lores and cultures (including Japanese!) to flesh out this unique world. Taking place from Silas’ POV we learn about The Order at the same pace as the protagonist, which I preferred as it avoids an information dump and things are revealed naturally and in pace with the story.

I enjoyed meeting the characters that inhabit the world and their unique abilities. Tobias seems to do his best to alienate all those around him, but you occasionally see another side to him. A side that is in pain and is the reason for much of his behaviour. The romance is very much slow burn and there only subtle hints in this first novel. Again, due to the complexity of the series and characters, I feel this pacing is right and I look forward to seeing how their relationship develops, as well as what secrets Tobias is forbidden from speaking of.

The Bandalore is a great first installment of the series and I am very much looking forward to reading book 2.

Seventeen-year-old horror fan Cain Shannon thought helping a ghost find her killers would be the supernatural adventure of a lifetime. Now, he just hopes to survive long enough to protect his family and friends from her.

A bet between friends goes horribly wrong, resulting in Sarah’s death. When she returns to seek justice against those responsible, Cain agrees to help her. But when he discovers Sarah has been hijacking his body, he realizes she wants retribution instead of justice.

Terrified of what could have happened when he wasn’t in control, Cain commands Sarah to leave his house – but exorcising her isn’t that easy. She retaliates against her murderers in bloody, horrific ways, each death making her stronger, then sets her sights on Cain. With the help of friends, Cain fights to save himself and his loved ones and searches for a way to stop Sarah before she kills again.

Purchase Link: Amazon.com

Goodreads: Sarah by Teri Polen

Review

Rating: 5 stars

When teenager Cain Shannon meets spirit Sarah who is haunting his new house, he learns that she was murdered. At first, Cain believes that he is helping her bring her killers to justice, but enraged by the premature and senseless end to her life, Sarah has revenge on her mind instead. Now Cain and his friends are drawn fully into the world of the paranormal as they attempt to protect themselves and their loved ones from Sarah’s wrath. Of course, this time Sarah is not going down without a fight.

I won a copy of Sarah a while back and I really wish I had gotten around to reading it sooner! It had me gripped right from the beginning. Cain was very relatable as a main character. He was just a normal teenager who was trying to deal with his father’s death whilst supporting his mother and younger sister. He has a support network in his best friend Finn, and they are more like brothers. Finn also provides a lot of the light comic relief and his comments often made me smile. I started out feeling sorry for Sarah, but when her quest for vengeance goes too far I lose most of that and hope that she can be sent to wherever she is destined for next.

The novel itself moves quickly, but without skimming over anything or leaving out any details. There are plenty of scares, twists and turns to keep you turning each page. As the spooky season draws near, I encourage any fans of horror and paranormal to pick up a copy. You won’t be disappointed!