Ysobella Black

Soulmates found one story at a time.

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Dragons Beyond the Pale (Jane Austen’s Dragons 7)

Available in Kindle Unlimited here, or as an audiobook.

SYNOPSIS

Smugglers. A kidnapping. A fire-breathing fairy dragon? The Blue Order is falling apart at the seams.

After months in Bath mentoring Dragon Keepers and Friends, Dragon Sage Elizabeth Darcy actually anticipates traveling to London for the Keeper’s Cotillion. Which says a great deal considering the she-dragons who make up the Cotillion board would very much like to show the Sage her proper place.

The she-dragons, though, are no match for what Sir Fitzwilliam Darcy finds waiting for him in London. Threats to the Order on every side, and Lord Matlock demands he keep them secret from Elizabeth. No one keeps secrets from Elizabeth.

In the meantime, Anne and Frederick Wentworth arrive in London with hopes of finally being accepted in good Blue Order society, unaware of the burgeoning maelstrom about to engulf them.

Darcy manages to keep matters under control until a fairy-dragon’s prank unleashes sinister forces who perpetrate an unthinkable crime that could spell the end of the Pendragon Accords and usher in a new age of dragon war.

Can Elizabeth and Darcy, with the Wentworths’ help, restore balance to the Blue Order before the dragons decide to take matters into their own talons and right the wrongs themselves?

 

REVIEW

It was fun to see the dragons come together as a team, from the smallest to the biggest. I’m curious what’s going to happen with the wyrms and sea dragons. The Blue Order doesn’t appear to be the upstanding, benevolent organization it portrays itself as.

This was a more serious side to the novels. There has always been drama with dragons and strife among families, but with the kidnapping, things went a bit darker. The danger wasn’t just risking making a father or sister unhappy. Lives were at risk, and the characters experience a whole range of emotions to go along with that.

Benjamin Fife was outstanding with this huge cast of characters.


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

Hoodoo Heaven (Boudin, Barbeque & Hoodoo Prequel)

Available in Kindle Unlimited here, or as an audiobook.

SYNOPSIS

Lady Luck missed her flight to Dublin. My enemies, however, did not. All I need to do is stay alive until my forty-fifth birthday, and then the rest of my life will be mine to screw up without the help of my family’s curse.

A couple rogue vampires and the hottest man I’ve ever laid eyes on will do everything they can to derail my plans. Okay, maybe I don’t mind the hot man so much. Hopefully the ancestors will help a sister out for the next thirty-six hours.

Midlife isn’t supposed to be this dangerous.

 

REVIEW

Mystery, Magic, & Mayhem

The story is fast-paced, but offers a great introduction to the Hoodoo world and a chance to get to know Gwen. It has drama, humor, and a touch of romance with the mysterious Ash. Okay, at this point it’s more lust than romance, but the connection is there.

Gwen is a tough, relatable character. She’s very take me as I am or get lost, which I loved. It will be fun to follow her through the series.

And the ending — yikes! It definitely made me want to pick up the first book immediately.

Ruthie Bowles channels Gwen perfectly, and made listening to the book a pleasure.

 


Genre: Magic, Paranormal
Series: & Hoodoo |

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 |

Broken Worlds

SYNOPSIS

The Greshian Empire has reached across the Alorian Galaxy, using its naval might to bring its enemies to their knees. Dead planets float in their wake as the empire fights to assert themselves as the supreme race. Ensign Brendle Quinn has spent five years loyally serving the Greshian Empire in their relentless quest to dominate the Alorian Galaxy. But as his ship decimates planet after planet, he finds his sympathies swinging towards their defeated enemies.

Sergeant Anki Paro, a Luthian Marine, has been anxiously awaiting the call to deploy. As the last line of defense against the crushing Greshian forces, she hopes the time has finally come where her world can stand against tyranny and protect the rest of the worlds in her sector of the Alorian Galaxy. As her path towards war draws near, Anki begins to notice a shift in balance as her society prepares itself for imminent destruction. Questions of misplaced loyalties lead her to wonder if the world she is trying to save has any real intentions of surviving.

As Brendle and Anki’s worlds collide, they find themselves in an unlikely alliance to try to stop the full might of the Greshian Empire before there’s nothing left to fight for.

 

REVIEW

Well-crafted military space opera adventure. It felt a bit slower the start, but there was world building going on. Once Anki and Brenden meet things happen quickly, which is the pace for the rest of the story.

Plenty of action and battle scenes.

Rebecca Sternberg did well with the narration.

Available in Kindle Unlimited here.


Genre: Adventure, Sci Fi, Space Opera
Series: Alorian Wars |

Of Love and Forge (Beyond a Contemporary Mythos 1)

Available in Kindle Unlimited here, or as an audiobook.

SYNOPSIS

The god of the forge…

Life was good in the Neosphere District. I’d made a name for myself as a renowned supernatural bounty hunter, holding the record for most harpies slayed. But the best part about living in the future? Avoiding the other Olympian gods. Banishing a guy from Olympus because he was “imperfect” tends to make one hold a grudge. Go figure. And no other god possessed the means to time travel. But I did. Thanks to the portal hopping device I forged.

Yup. Life. Was. Grand

Until a bounty popped up on a certain love goddess. Aphrodite and I had been friends since we were wee gods. I’d be lying to myself if I never thought our “innocent” flirting banter were real on occasion—kidding myself if I said I never wanted things to go beyond platonic. Hence, why I recently kept my distance. For my own sanity. So, of course, I made the grave mistake of taking the godsdamned bounty.

The goddess of love…

Since reconciling with my son Eros, after centuries of bad mojo, I’d decided it was time to clean up my act. Ride the straight and narrow. My companion service, Sans Solo, became just the ticket I needed. And it allowed me to use my powers in disguise in modern California under the name Vena Milo.

With the aid of my best friends, and fellow goddesses, the Graces, we ran a legitimate business. All was right in the world.

Until the volcano god showed up. Hephaistos. Heph—a lifelong friend who never failed to confuse me mind, body, and soul. Especially when he showed up with a magical pair of handcuffs. His audacity pissed me off, but the mere sight of him, the smell of him, made my stomach flutter. That…I couldn’t deny. And when Heph’s plan goes to Tartarus things got even dicier and we became…the hunted.

 

REVIEW

Greek gods, myths, magic, humor, time travel paradox, steam, action, romance, drama, cyberpunks — this book had something for everyone.

The story drew me in from the start and kept my attention. The chemistry between Hephaestus and Aphrodite is hot, and the way their relationship goes from friends, to sort of enemies, to lovers is believable. Their adventures had some scary moments and comical situations. They definitely earned their HEA.

I loved the way the narration was done in this audiobook. Thomas Locklear and Stella Bloom kept their parts even when the point of view changed, so the voices were consistent throughout the entire story. They did a stellar job.

The romance between Hephaestus and Aphrodite is wrapped up nicely, but there are overall plot questions that remain, and set things up for the next story in the series.


Genre: Mythology, Paranormal Romance, Steamy, Time Travel
Series: Beyond A Contemporary Mythos |

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 |

Find Her (Lacey James 1)

Available in Kindle Unlimited here, or as an audiobook.

SYNOPSIS

A stolen hammer. A dead suspect. A terrifying trail of murder.

Sweet Home, Oregon. Detective Lacey James needs to solve her marriage problems. But with her focus on a culprit escaping after a robbery call, she’s alarmed when she discovers his getaway car hides a chilling collection of rope, gloves, zip ties, and a gun. But her success in hunting him down turns into horror when the man grabs a firearm, killing a fellow officer before himself.

As her only lead lies silent on a slab, the dedicated investigator’s suspicions are confirmed after discovering a woman connected to the case is missing. And fearing time is running out for the kidnapped victim, Lacey follows clues to a gruesome scene warning her she might already be too late.

Can she unravel the truth before the morgue claims another corpse?

 

REVIEW

This story felt short, but was complete, well-written, and had everything needed for a good mystery. We start with the seemingly innocuous shoplifting theft of a hammer, and end up with kidnapping and murder.

Told in three parts and dual POVs, we spend about a third of the story in the criminal’s mind. I always find it interesting to get this perspective and see what justifications the bad guy uses for his behavior.

Lacey James is a woman trying to balance her personal life with her work. She’s a good detective, but I think part of her determination to solve the case stems from her perception that she is failing as a mother and wife.

Cass Medcalf and Nathan Agin did a great job with the story.


Genre: Mystery
Series: Lacey James Mystery |