Of Claws & Chaos by M. Sinclair

                 
                                                                                          reviewed by Katy Grant

The eighth and final tale of courageous young princesses that gave up their magic and life to return what was taken from their dying land.

 Evera had never expected that a night out, with her friend Stella, at The Portal would have ended in a struggle with two totally strange men and then dropped through a portal to a land she had never seen. Okay this was strange. The two men were no where in sight, and what a strange sight. I saw a river below the cliff edge I was standing on. It looked like a town below with people celebrating, but like no modern town she had ever seen.

 This might be my only hope for answers and a way home. I didn’t have any idea of what I would find when I reached there. But something here was triggering long ago memories. I was on the run again this time from the terror within me. The King and Queen of Vargr were demanding I be brought to them and somehow, I knew it wouldn’t end well for me. No one had to tell me twice to run. But the Kingdom of Nightfall didn’t sound much better, and I would have to travel through the mountains to reach it, alone and at night.

 The Kingdom of Nightfall was beautiful to look at and Axel the man I had thought of as a King was the ruler of Nightfall. He knows me. He loved me long ago. He had waited fifty years for my return. I had been one of eight princesses who had given their lives to restore magic to the land. Axel had been my personal guard but had left my parents’ Kingdom entering the land of Nightfall. It had taken him more than thirty years to bring life and prosperity to the land that had once been a desolate barren place. How?  

He tells me I am his true mate, but I don’t remember. He says I have great magic within me, but I can’t pull it forward. He says I am a wolf shifter and used to run by his side in my wolf form but can’t hear her call.  I know this my parents and half-brother, Reyon, the rulers of Eventide, are cruel, vicious and want me for the magic I can’t find within me. If they capture me, I will be killed when they have no further use of me.

 The final story of the eight princesses, answers why the land of Nightfall has been barren, as well as offering the romance behind Evera and Axel’s love. As a love paranormal love story, I sincerely enjoyed reading it. Evera struggles the most with trying to understand her past, present and accepting the future Axel presents to her. Although there is talk of war and the viciousness of Evera’s parents, it isn’t until the later part of the book that most of the interaction happens. Then, the tale runs with blood, spills out their hatred, shows their greed, exacts their cruelty, while the people of Nightfall seek their vengeance. For my part, I had wished that this part of the story had been spread out a bit more throughout the story. This tale did wrap up the series for me, and I really appreciated the different writing styles of each book. It spread out the saga from a lot of different angles.  Evera and Axel’s love tale at the heart of the story touched me when I thought of all the years Axel fought to hold that love and make a better place for Evera when she returned.  Evera’s years on Earth were heartbreaking but strengthened her character while adding to her character after her two lives were finally able to come to light for her.

 I highly recommend the book. Though it is a standalone read, I believe readers may find more enjoyment by reading the complete series starting from the beginning. The romance is spicey hot, the background building is lush, I just wish there was a little more history given. The action and the danger towards the end was a surprise and had me on the edge of my seat with the twists that came up. I really loved that M. Sinclair gave us an updated epilogue at the end.

 

                                   

"The Lost Girl"  by Casey L. Bond

                                         May 3, 2024

                                                                                                      Review by Katy Grant

 Who is Peter Pan…really? There are two sides to every tale and Casey L. Bond has just offered us

another look at this boy, only now he is a man. Neverland is no longer the happy place of Peter and his lost boys, a villainous Hook on the horizon, beautiful mermaids, and others. Readers may never see it in the same light again.

 Ava has lived with her sister Belle since she was found as a child, alone, no memory of who she was or where she belonged. Grown now, it has been her turn to take care of Belle. The shadows Belle had kept closely guarded for years have broken free and are taking her over. Belle loses herself as she watches from the roof top for the second star to appear in the sky where there is none. Until there is.

 As a lifeguard it has been Ava’s job to save people who flounder in the water, but tonight Belle has demanded to be taken to the beach, she pulls Ava with her into the water. Ava is afraid. Belle’s eyes have become dark, she has become overshadowed. Suddenly she grabs Ava holding her so tightly, she fears her ribs will break. The shadows within Belle become black wings and she lifts Ava high up into the sky as they fly off into the night towards the bright star that shouldn’t be there. Now, Ava dares not let go.

 Dropped on a sandy beach, Ava lands on her ankle and rolls. When she finally tries to stand, she realizes something is seriously wrong with her ankle, she aches all over and Belle has taken off beyond the palm trees. Ava takes her first painful steps into Neverland.

 Rescued from Wraith, one of the lost boys, by Hook, Ava has no idea who to believe or trust. She needs to find Belle, but that isn’t likely as she finds herself pulled onto Hook’s ship of pirates. If she needed confirmation that Hook is a villain, she finds it in the mermaid, alive but slowly dying, captured and nailed to the front of his ship. He shares the tale of the change in the merfolk from beautiful and kind to viscous and beastly.  Hook bargains with Ava for information. She soon hears a totally different story about Peter Pan and Neverland, as she realizes Tinkerbell is the sister who so lovingly raised her. And who now holds the answers and means to stop or assist Peter Pan with his desires and return her home.

 At the heart of this tale is Pan’s need to escape Neverland, no matter the cost to others, the havoc and pain he has caused needs to be stopped and rectified. Hook along with his men and other creatures have been drawn in and suffered because of Pan’s actions. He is willing to help Ava, but they must find Belle; she is the key to stopping Pan and hopefully returning what they have lost. The more Ava learns about Hook the closer she is drawn to him. He isn’t the total villain she may have once believed.

Magic be here, along with dark secrets, curses, hatred, villainy, and death but it is also underscored with hope. There is much drama, adventure, and heated romance as well. As we rush to the last page there is a surprising twist that will have you watching for the second star, in the sky, that will guide readers to the next tale in this wonderfully creative, heartbreakingly romantic fantastical adult tale. There is so much to relish, to lament, to explore in this new version of Neverland and those who dwell there. What you read in these pages will have you questioning what you thought you knew for some time to come. I highly recommend this tale and its spicy romantic look at a hero who isn’t quite a hero but not quite a villain either and a boy that is more lost than I ever thought.

As “Wolf Mate” left me struggling to search for who might have wanted Skylar so bad they would ambush her and spirit her away. For what purpose? Good or bad? Who? And why would a friend betray her? So many questions left me hanging. But Jen L. Grey is a storyteller that can twist a tale so you might never guess where she is going until she leads you there.

And so, on to “Wolf Bitten” which is now available today. The story picks up just as she left us in “Wolf Mate” and delves deeper into Skylar’s magic, how she landed at EEU and the changes within her as she slowly evolves. But Rafe is close behind as he has realized that his interest in her isn’t just going to go away. This tale just gets richer , more involved and oozes drama everywhere. I highly recommend you check this trilogy out, with the final tale coming out on the heels in June. 

 Wolf Mate by Jen L. Grey

All of us are different, each in our own way, we are unique. Within the world of supernatural beings, wolf shifters, vampires, and witches they believe there are only humans outside their realm. But they are wrong. There is Skylar…

She’d always known she was adopted, that her parents loved her in their own way, but were slightly uncomfortable with the weird things that happened around her when her emotions started amped up.  By Kindergarten even someone she believed was a true friend turned from her labeling her strange. Her only comfort came as she escaped to the woods. As she reached into the ground it seemed to calm the blood that jolted within her. The ground would stop shaking and the wind around her calmed. Even as the animals gathered closer to her, she felt a sense of peace. It was why she wanted to become a vet. Her empathy for animals and their affinity for her.

After completing two years at a local college, Skylar was offered a full scholarship at an elite college that could put her on the fast track to veterinary school. Her parents were so delighted they practically shoved her out the door. She’d even emailed her designated roommate, Lucy, a few times and she sounded so friendly.  At twenty-two Skylar began to hope she might make a friend and things would be different at EEU.

 However, Lucy took one look at her and ran to try to change rooms with someone else. Rafe Wright, the hero of the football team, singles her in front of others for his special form of sarcasm. Then does an about face when he catches her alone. He gives her his number with instructions to contact him if she gets in trouble. Like cold and hot wind blowing over her making life on campus even worse. Controlling her rioting emotions after a particularly embarrassing encounter with Rafe stirs her blood, her desk begins to shake, lights to blow and even the ground to shake. Her only thought is to escape. There are woods behind the dorms, a haven with animals and nature that draw off the magic that zips through her. But the woods here aren’t a saft environment. Skylar soon learns there are creatures here she believed to only exist in mythology.
Skylar never learned to control the magic within her or the plethora of incidents that happen around her, but help may be closer than she knows. Someone on campus knows exactly what she is and is even willing to train her in ways to harness her power. It is a roller coaster ride of a tale with Rafe appearing to care, coming to her aid one minute only to turn on her in front of others making her look like a fool. Slade is a witch who has his own motives for helping her but shares the truth behind EEU’s unique mix of supernaturals and humans who attend. There is animosity even between the different species of supernaturals but their greatest fear and unbreakable rule is “humans must never learn of them.”  Some see Skylar as a threat that should be eliminated, while others see her as a tool to be used for their own ends.

This book took a different route from other books with supernatural beings in the worlds of Jen L Grey I have read. This time she brings us a magical being whose abilities I have never seen and appear to be evolving. While slowly learning more about Skylar, there is also a forbidden romance building between her and Rafe. Things are constantly moving and changing clear up to its cliffhanger ending. The characters had me second guessing myself with their secrets and swiftly changes responses to Skylar from one time to the next, storylines that veer off in several directions, forbidden romance, villains, and power struggles that had me reading, while enjoying the audio version, with Marnye Young narrate the tale, far into the night. I got the sense of a storyteller sharing a story with me not simply reading it. Emotions, high and low, vibrated as Marnye voiced the characters in all their moods. She is easy to follow along with as she spoke and the tale flowed through her words. Both the book and the audio are available. I am looking forward to see where this story will take me.