Ysobella Black

Soulmates found one story at a time.

Archives

Fugitives of Destiny (Mystic Brats 2)

Available in Kindle Unlimited here, or as an audiobook.

SYNOPSIS

After the rise of a deity…

…they fled to a magical kingdom.

But can they ever return?

Nara had spent thousands of years trapped inside her deranged mother’s castle. After being enrolled at the Knight Academy, she thought she’d finally be free. She had everything – a mentor in magic, a loving boyfriend, and a group of friends she called family.

But then it all fell to pieces.

One of her friends was possessed by an ancient evil. The only way for the rest of them to stay alive was to return to her mother’s kingdom.

Nara never expected to return to Aria, let alone after switching bodies with her best friend. Nor did Nara ever think she would be reunited with her traitorous undead ex. To save the only true family she loves, Nara must play a game of life and death against an unknown foe.

The Beast will claim its first victim. And a war is coming.

 

REVIEW

Friends out to save the multiverse.

I liked the Egyptian aspects with Osiris as the bad guy, and the Arthurian mythology tossed into the story as well.

At the start it felt like a big info dump as the last book and events leading to the present state of things were thrown at me all at once. After I got my head around that, the story moved along nicely. Lots of twists and turns, action, and a bit of romance.

I was not fond of the voice the narrator used for Nora, but he kept her in character and maintained her accent, plus I liked the other voices.


Genre: Adventure, Coming of Age, Fantasy, Magic
Series: Mystic Brats |

Unproven

SYNOPSIS

When Shadow, a powerless mage, chose exile to preserve family honor, he didn’t expect a mysterious call to defeat telepathic, camouflaging dragons or to uncover the secret behind magic’s evolution. Nor did he expect that after stumbling through treachery, illusions, and an unexpected romance, his only solution might risk the annihilation of his people.

 

REVIEW

Magic vs Technology

Shadow is a reluctant hero who comes into magical powers after being shunned his whole life for not having any. He’s got a steep learning curve, and it doesn’t seem like he ever gets a break. But he doesn’t give up as he tries to lead a band of fighters he’s not sure he can trust to save his people.

A ton of in-depth world building went into the story, which I always like. There’s intrigue, politics, a bit of romance, drama, and action, including a traitor nearby.

Jeffrey Howard was a great narrator.

Available in Kindle Unlimited here, or as an audiobook.

 


Genre: Fantasy, Magic

Reign of the Ancients: The Prophecy

SYNOPSIS

Elf born, raised by wolves, and talks to dragons… Who is this girl? She wants to find out, too, as she abandons the safe confines of her home to discover the truth for herself. Blessed with a magic unlike any before, she discovers a world at war ruled over by monstrous dragons, where the land has been slowly dying beyond that of her cozy little wolf den. The young elf discovers she is known by many names, and some believe her to be the one of prophecy meant to unite the land of Onis. It is no easy task that has been placed on her shoulders. There is no love between the dragons, the elves, the humans, the dwarves, and the drow, so getting them to listen will be quite a challenge. Luckily, the wolf child has an unprecedented team of cohorts to aid and guide her on her quest, but is she ready for such a challenge? Will the ancient dragons’ extreme hatred be overcome so that peace can be brought to the land? Or, will the young girl fail in her quest and bring forth an even greater war between the races?

Join this young elf on her epic quest for peace and self-discovery as she battles against monsters, forms unbreakable bonds, and faces the reigning ancient dragons of Onis.

 

REVIEW

Coming of Age Fantasy

A fun and engaging quest/prophecy adventure story. There is plenty of action, drama, and a touch of romance, even a love triangle developing.

It was nice to see even though she has an amazing amount of power and ability, she’s not infallible. She still has to figure things out as she goes, and makes mistakes.

Excellent world building, and the way the magic works makes sense. All the characters are well-written and add to the entertainment and development of the story.

The author and Aaron Smith made the story come alive. I liked the bits of music and songs that are included in the audio version.

Available in Kindle Unlimited here, or as an audiobook.


Genre: Coming of Age, Dragons, Fantasy, Magic
Series: Onis Chronicles |

The Yellow Dragon

SYNOPSIS

A little girl who quells demons. An aging dragonslayer. Can they stop the Yellow Dragon before it destroys an entire nation?

Pingzi Po is the only demon queller in the medieval Far East. So far, she has quelled exactly one demon: Benzel of the Wolf, a dragonslayer from the Northlands. Now, she must act as Benzel’s interpreter when he’s charged with slaying a dangerous yellow dragon seen only by an emperor.

But the emperor reveals the Yellow Dragon isn’t an animal—it’s an unidentified citizen in his province, who has threatened to murder the emperor.

Convinced that this unknown citizen is a demon that must be quelled, Pingzi races to unravel the mystery that will reveal the identity of the Yellow Dragon. Can she expose the Yellow Dragon before the emperor is killed and the entire Far East is put in danger?

 

REVIEW

Coming of age fantasy

Pingzi is a clever girl, and also a demon queller. She overestimates herself a bit, but she’s young and does a lot of growing up in the story.

It was interesting and fun to follow the clues with Pingzi as she solved the mystery of the Yellow Dragon, although neither the dragon, nor the outcome were what I was expecting. She has to overcome a lot of obstacles, including her gender, age, and disdain from her family. Fortunately, Benzel is always there for her.

Good world building with lots of politics, subterfuge, and intrigue.

Excellent narration by the author.

Available in Kindle Unlimited here, or as an audiobook.


Genre: Coming of Age, Dragons, Fantasy, Magic, Mystery

The Gatekeeper

SYNOPSIS

They believed the Puppeteer was dead. They were wrong. Enya’s fire, mixed with the magic of the Seal of Solomon should have been enough, but it wasn’t. Now, she must figure out the Puppeteer’s true identity, save as many lives as she can and find who is on the Puppeteer’s side. Then there’s the Gatekeeper. Is he truly her ally? Can he help Enya and her friends stop the Puppeteer? Secrets. Lies. Magic. Evil. They surround Enya. She must discern how to truly kill the Puppeteer before his evil power takes over the nine lands beyond the Gate.

 

REVIEW

He’s baaack.

After a brief reprieve, in which everyone thought the Puppeteer was dead, the villain I love to hate came back in all his bloody glory.

Things go from bad to worse for Enya, who blames herself for not killing the Puppeteer. She doesn’t wallow, but anytime she can punish herself, she takes the opportunity.

There were some twists (including a holy moly one near the end), plenty of action, and even a couple of happy moments in between things going horribly wrong again. This story felt darker than the first.

Brand tries so hard to be noble because of what he learns from a Seer. I can’t help thinking that’s going to backfire on him.

Benjamin Fife provided his usual brilliant performance. I always enjoy hearing him bring a story to life.

Available in Kindle Unlimited here, or as an audiobook.

 


Genre: Coming of Age, Dark, Fantasy, Magic
Series: Seal of Solomon |

Darkworld, Fall of Ashathar

SYNOPSIS

The sun is dying over Ashathar.

Kataklysm arrives every three thousand years. It’s always different, but whatever form it takes, the result is the same—it brings humanity to the brink of extinction.

The last Kataklysm… happened three thousand years ago.

To save the world from Kataklysm, Tannen seeks an ancient path, once cultivated by the ancestors, long since abandoned and forgotten.

To find the path, Tannen must venture into hostile lands. Did the path save a remnant of life during the last Kataklysm?

Or was there something else about the path they pursued that left them warped, exiled, and nearly forgotten?

Tannen must venture into Tensia. A place occupied by a barbaric superhuman race. Tannen isn’t a warrior. He’s an archaeologist. His companion, Valoria, is an astrologist.

This could be the last Kataklaym, the end of humanity forever.

Can Tannen and Valoria survive in hostile territory, or will their deaths seal the fate of the world?

 

REVIEW

Beginning of an epic series

The kataklysm occurs every 3,000 years, but the next one day be the last.

Tannen, an archeologist, has translations that allude to the last kataklysm, but when he tries to warn everyone about the impending kataklysm, he laughed at.

Valoria isn’t laughing — she’s an astrologist and has seen evidence that the sun could be extinguished.

The two of them must venture into the war-torn country of their enemies in order to search for a way to stop the kataklysm.

A good introduction to the world and characters.

Kelley Hazen was very expressive and did a wonderful job with the narration and all the different characters.

Available on Amazon here, or as an audiobook.

 


Genre: Fantasy, Magic
Series: Kataklysm: Origins |

The Puppeteer

SYNOPSIS

Something evil has taken over King Ormarr.Only the Fire Wielder could possibly stop the foul entity who can control the minds of others.But Enya, Fire Wielder of her generation, will need to master her new-found abilities and summon friends to help stop the monster she calls The Puppeteer before it destroys everyone she loves in its malignant craving to rule the nine lands beyond the Gate. Fire, war, death, treachery and a love she never expected are her constant companions.She is the Fire Wielder and this is her tale.

 

REVIEW

The Puppeteer — what a great villain to hate! I couldn’t wait for him to get what he deserved. Every time I thought he was as despicable as he could get, he did something else vile.

It would have been easy to cheer for Enya even if she wasn’t likable. Watching her learn about her abilities, and grow into a force to be reckoned with, was entertaining and satisfying.

The world building was unique and well thought out. There were plenty of twists and turns to keep me guessing and surprise me.

Benjamin Fife narrated the story, and did a wonderful job with giving each character an individual voice.

A dark story about a girl coming into her own power.

Available in Kindle Unlimited here, or as an audiobook.

 


Genre: Coming of Age, Dark, Fantasy, Magic
Series: Seal of Solomon |

Kingdom of Lies (The Kane Saga 1)

Available on Amazon here, or as an audiobook.

SYNOPSIS

Magic is back in Adelith, and with it the return of Cyran.

Elijah spends his days preparing for the annual Hollom horse race and working at his guardian Merrick’s forge. That is, until Merrick is summoned back to Castle Aebarrow in Adelith by the king.

Unable to stay in Rheanydd without a legal guardian, Eli is forced to go with Merrick, who takes up the position of captain and trains the new guards. But the more time Eli spends in Adelith, the more his lost memories resurface—and they throw up worrying questions about his past.

As a member of Princess Sienna’s Elite Guard, Eli saves her life when it’s threatened by the presence of a mysterious Missing Prince. Eli’s heroics incur the wrath of a mad sorcerer known only as The Master, hell-bent on ending the courting prince’s life.

Elijah enters a dangerous path of self-discovery where magic and secrets intertwine. The truth about his past is within reach, but can he unlock his memories and solve the riddles in time to save the true heir to the throne? Or will the castle be brought crumbling down once more?

 

REVIEW

Secrets come to light.

A coming of age story in which Eli learns everything about his life was a lie, and must come to terms with a new reality and all the dangers that come with it.

There is an excellent villain, known only as The Master, who always seems to be one step ahead, causing no end of grief for Eli.

There are a fair number of characters, but each is well written, and they are easy to keep track of as individuals. The secrets and backstory are revealed at the perfect pace — at the right time and amount of information.

Quentin Hudspath was a great storyteller.

Some arcs are resolved, but there are still questions to be answered. A great start to the series.


Genre: Coming of Age, Fantasy
Series: Kane Saga |

Turnspit Dragon (Jane Austen’s Dragons 9)

Available in Kindle Unlimited here, or as an audiobook.

SYNOPSIS

Dive into the hidden-in-plain sight world of the Blue Order dragons.

A heartwarming collection of short stories peeking into the hidden lives of the dragons, their friends and keepers. Birth, death, love, loss, and the amazing relationships that underscore them all. Visit with familiar characters and learn their stories. Meet entirely new dragons and their friends, while delving deeper into the mysterious world of Blue Order dragon.

Meryton meets Pern in a fantastical regency romp bound to delight listeners of Jane Austen and Anne McCaffrey alike. A short story collection in the world of Jane Austen’s Dragons.

 

REVIEW

I loved this collection of short stories. Especially the second one, where the fairy dragons hatch. Who can resist baby dragons? It was my introduction to the entire series, and I’m looking forward to the full-length novels.

I liked getting a glimpse into this hidden world, and the Blue Order.

Benjamin Fife does an excellent job with the entire cast of characters, dragons and humans! All the voices, tones, accents, and cadences he uses — I don’t know how he keeps track of them all.

I probably did things backwards since this book fills in gaps in the prior stories, but reading it out of order didn’t diminish my enjoyment. I know which dragons I want to know more about.


Genre: Dragons, Fantasy, Paranormal, Regency
Series: Jane Austen's Dragons |

The Fair Queen (The Fair Chronicles 1)

The book is available in Kindle Unlimited here, or as an audiobook.

SYNOPSIS

A brooding fae prince. A tyrannical king out for her blood. Could she be the one to save them all?

Aria is bored of her small town and dreams of a life filled with excitement and adventure. Until an eye-opening encounter at the summer fair sees her ripped from her normal life and thrown into a nightmare.

Dragged through the Veil into the Fair Realm by a strange, silver-eyed boy and his band of fairy soldiers, Aria discovers she is the legendary Fair Queen, the subject of a prophecy that promises to bring an end to the centuries-long conflict between the Five Kingdoms.

With terrifying creatures on their heels, and a tyrannical king who will stop at nothing to prevent the prophecy from coming true, Aria will have to rely on her wits if she’s to escape the Fair Realm with her life.

But can she resist the charms of her dark and mysterious captor, or will the fae prince steal her heart?

 

REVIEW

Magic and adventure

Be careful what you wish for — especially if Fair folk might be lurking. Aria didn’t want to be stuck in her little town forever, but a trip to the realm of the Fair folk wasn’t what she expected.

This was my favorite kind of story, and all the elements were woven together perfectly. Some magic, fast-paced action, emerging abilities, a vague prophecy, new world building, and a strong female character. Aria had a lot thrown at her, but she never became a damsel in distress.

I had my suspicions about Xander from the beginning — always suspect those too good to be true types! — but even then, I was still surprised at the number of twists and turns through the story, especially toward the end.

Olivia Barnes-Brett did an amazing job bringing Aria to life.

A fun frolic of a story.


Genre: Fae, Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance
Series: The Fair Chronicles |