Death Defiant by Paige Reiring

When humans began hunting them thousands of years ago, demons locked themselves away in their own dimension, leaving their half-demon spawn to wander the earth. Abandoned, alone, and outcast from all societies, half-demons formed their own small cities or learned to live, mutilated and hidden, from the humans who wanted them dead.

After saving a stranger in a busy New York street, Cherifa reveals to the world her two biggest secrets: she’s a half-demon, and she can’t die. With humans, demons, and everything in-between wanting to harness her power, Cheri must go on the run with the eccentric person she saved. But her death has sparked waves of revolution in the half-demon community, and if she wants to stop an interdimensional war, she’ll have to go through Hell to do it.

Purchase Links: www.amazon.com

Death Defiant on Goodreads

Review

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

Rating: 3 Stars

I had mixed feelings about this novel as I reached its end. Some things I enjoyed and others I was not so keen on.

The concept and characters I really liked. The author has clearly taken time to develop her ideas and characters. Cherifa, the protagonist, is a half-demon who cannot die. By saving the life of a stranger Cherifa places herself in the middle of a war where all sides wish to use her to their advantage. Not knowing who to trust Cherifa must make decisions that not only affect her but possibly the outcome of the war.

The characterisation is excellent and as the novel progresses you see Cherifa and the supporting cast growing and developing further. I really enjoyed the beginning of the relationship between Cherifa and Belkor. It happened so naturally and wasn’t rushed at all so you can really appreciate the little moments between them and recognise them for what they are even before they do!

However, I did feel that perhaps there could have been some further description of the dimensions in some places as I was left trying to fill in a few more blanks than I would have liked too. I also did feel that the pace was hurried and that a little more time could have been taken to develop the story-line in places.

Overall Death Defiant is a good fantasy read with an engaging plot and interesting characters, but there are some things that I felt could made it even more enjoyable for me. This is probably more for readers who prefer a faster pace, but I would definitely like to read more of Cherifa’s story in the future.

Six Celestial Swords by T.A. Miles

Inspired by the rise of dark forces in Sheng Fan, the mystic Xu Liang, officer of the Empire, servant of the Song Dynasty, leaves his homeland in search of four ancient magical blades to unite with two sacred weapons already in the possession of the Empire. It is his plan to unite these weapons against the chaos rising in Sheng Fan. What he does not plan on is uniting the swords’ bearers as well, nor the many forms chaos has taken throughout the world.

Six Celestial Swords is the first book in the Celestial Empire series, and the first published in the larger Dryth series.

Purchase Links: www.amazon.com.

Six Celestial Swords on www.goodreads.com.

Review

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

Rating: 5 Stars

When I first began reading this novel, I was expecting to read an oriental tale but instead I found myself quickly immersed in an epic fantasy adventure.

Mystic Xu Liang sets out to retrieve the four missing celestial swords which have the power to save his empire. With his loyalty to his empire and empress driving him, Xu Liang is determined to complete his mission no matter what. His journey across realms sees him forming alliances with others who possess the swords that he has been searching for.

Six Celestial Swords is an incredibly well-written and gripping fantasy novel. It is full of wonderfully detailed and beautiful descriptions that really bring the story to life and many memorable characters. The novel kept a steady pace with plenty of action and twists and turns. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Six Celestial Swords and can’t wait to read the next book in this amazing fantasy series.

Nica of Los Angeles (Frames #1) by Sue Perry

When rookie private eye Nica takes on a mysterious case, she enters a world of multiple dimensions called Frames, where buildings and lawn chairs can be sentient, a stray cat has great powers, books can be killers, and clouds can be spies. At home, Nica tackles missing person cases, while in the larger reality of the Frames she is swept into an escalating battle with stakes that could not be higher.

Purchase Links: www.amazon.com

Nica of Los Angeles on www.goodreads.com

Review

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

Rating: 5 Stars

Nica of Los Angeles (Frames #1) is a very clever and gripping novel which incorporates two very different genres (mystery and fantasy) and combines them perfectly.

Nica is a rookie private investigator who, by two mysterious clients, is drawn into the world of Frames where different dimensions exist alongside each other. Whilst trying to get to grips with her altered reality, Nica is also trying to solve a missing person’s case in her own Frame.

I greatly enjoyed reading Nica of Los Angeles. Nica’s wit and sense of humour (even in dangerous situations) came across perfectly in the writing style and had me smiling on more than one occasion. Nica’s a very strong and capable female lead, who is very likeable and does express moments of vulnerability. The new dimensions that she visits are very detailed and well thought-out, creating perfect imagery in my imagination.

I highly recommend Nica of Los Angeles (Frames #1) to anyone who enjoys fantasy, mystery or a combination of the two!

The Queen’s Curse by Natasja Hellenthal

It’s time for change! In a country with a cursed justice system, two women; the mysterious Queen Artride and her loyal bodyguard Tirsa, set out on a secretive perilous quest. They hope to find the sorceress, the only person powerful enough to be able to lift the curse, in Dochas; the strange Magical Land.

But they have to hurry as they only have three weeks to save Tirsa’s teenage brother’s life, sentenced to hanging for a petty crime.

The women are soon drawn to each other, however struggles and questions arise. Will the sorceress be willing to help them and for what price?

Rating: 5 stars

Review:

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

I really enjoyed reading The Queen’s Curse. You are immediately pulled into the story and this makes it very difficult to put down!

The world that Natasja Hellenthal has created is very real, and carefully crafted as is Queen Artride and Tirsa’s quest. They brave many dangers together and through the perils that they face the two who, at first are at odds with each other, become closer.

I loved the developing relationship between the two. It was not rushed and occurred very naturally. I was glad that Tirsa was able to make peace with her past and that it would not continue to be an obstacle that prevented the two of them from moving forward together.

The quest itself allowed both characters to grow and develop, and their journey had many twists that kept me reading and willing for a happy outcome, not just for the protagonists but all the characters that they met along the way.

This was a captivating and wonderful read that will not disappoint and I look forward to reading more novels by Natasja Hellenthal.

Links: Goodreads, Amazon