Ghost Flower by AJ Llwewllyn and DJ Manly

Title: Ghost Flower (Banpaia 2)
Author: AJ Llewellyn and DJ Manly
Publisher: eXtasy Press
Pages: 116
Characters: Feng, Banpaia
POV: 3rd
Sub-Genre: Paranormal
Kisses: 5

Blurb:

In this sequel to Banpaia, Feng Li has returned to his earthly life, going through the motions of each day. But something is missing…something, out there, just beyond his reach.

Feng and Russell have made a life together in LA’s Chinatown, except that Feng has no memory of the centuries-old vampire, the imperious, mysterious Banpaia, who abducted, then returned them and dozens of other men to their everyday lives.

Feng had fallen in love with Banpaia, who also fell in love with Feng, only to allow the man he’d chosen to be his life mate to return to Earth and try to live a human existence. As Feng’s happiness and very life force ebb away each day, Russell is growing stronger. He remembers the great vampire and uses his memories to great manga. Time may be growing short for an increasingly despondent Feng unless he can remember his one true love and go to him willingly, before the next Halloween…

Review:

I have to say that this book is as intriguing and as well written as the first in the series. It starts off with a very depressed Feng and immediately has you wondering why? He got what he wanted most, he found his love, he has a place to live, and hardly no memory of his horrid past, why is this young man so unhappy? He’s lost interest in what he used to enjoy, he goes through life battling to remember something, anything and at the same time he is in a relationship with who he thought he loved, Russell who he lives with. However, this is not the case.

Fengs world is no longer filled with the colors life has to offer, he’s not excelling in life as the other boys who were taken in the mist by Banpaia. If anything, since he got back, he’s worse and he’s to the point that I as a reader really wondered if he was going to just end it all. But Feng, he’s a fighter and he works hard at remembering what he’d forgotten. Now, Russell, his lover grows stronger every single day, he’s become a famous Manga artist, very popular amongst the reading community but even he has something unsettling about him that we know has to do with the vampire he’d been with almost a year ago. He holds the answers to Fengs questions, yet he doesn’t share for reasons known only to him. Perhaps its greed, jealousy? Who knows really. All we do know is that Russell went from being a pretty decent guy to a prick in almost no time.

Feng has until Halloween to remember Banpaia, he has just days to remember the love of his life, for if he does not, he’ll fade away just as Banpaia will.

The angst in this story is there, the characterization, the setting, the backstory, the set-up, the mystery and the love is all here. You must pay close attention though and once you read you’ll see why. There’s a lot going on here, and your heart will beat, it will feel and you just may find yourself wanting to reach through your readers to grab Feng and hold him tight. He’ll need it.

Reviewed By: Michele

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Banpaia by AJ Llewellyn and DJ Manly

Title: Banpaia
Author: AJ Llewellyn and DJ Manly
Publisher: eXtasy Press
Pages: 104
Characters: Feng
POV: 3rd
Sub-Genre: Paranormal
Kisses: 5

Blurb:

Chinatown, Los Angeles. Young men are disappearing from their beds, sometimes vanishing as they cross the street with friends. The few witnesses who actually report a strange, mystical creature soon suffer memory lapses and die. Yet, the young men all return, one by one. They seem the same, but they are different. Strange things are happening all over Chinatown, as if an odd mist enshrouds it. None of the men who disappeared can say what happened to them. Late at night, however, this legion of men, in love and lust with the one they call Banpaia, reach out for one another in the frenzy of their need. For Feng Li, a suicidal young man who feels he was saved by the legendary, centuries-old Japanese vampire, yearns for only him. For him, there can be only one to claim his body and his heart.

Review:

Ah, when it comes to these two writers getting together to pen a story you have to know it’s going to be a non-stop awesome read from start to finish and this saying stands true with this title as well. Banpaia which means vampire is a very interesting story about a young man, Feng Li, a very lonely suicidal young man in his early twenties. He comes from a family where his mother is an abusive drunk and a father who has the spine of a feather. Feng hasn’t ever known the pleasures in life, he works hard and sadly his mother, even at his age, takes his money to go gamble and drink with. She hits him, she hits her husband, she’s just a waste if you want my opinion. And Feng’s father. Oh lord. Anyway, Feng works at a shelter for abused women and children in Chinatown. He’s a hard worker, never misses his shifts, and the sweet lady who works with him treats him like perhaps like a nephew. She often slips him money, saves part of her lunch so he has something to eat, and sometimes he even has enough money to buy his favorite Magna magazine.

But strange happenings are going on in Chinatown, and it’s not anything the meteorologists even understand. A strange mist grows over that section of California each evening and when that happens a young man comes up missing. Just poof. As if the mist takes them and no one sees them again. It’s a time of constant worry for the younger men in the area, and when they are taken they aren’t taken of this world, just from their everyday lives. As in, no one can see or hear them, it is they never existed, forgotten? The group of men who are taken find one another and realize what is going on.

This has got to be one of the most interesting Vamp stories I’ve read in sometime. The legend around the very vamp himself, the reason he does what he does, how he does it, and how, in the end he finally finds the love of his life and lets him go to make his love happy, will ultimately destroy Banpaia if he doesn’t play his cards right.

If you’re a fan of vamps, and of these authors, I’m going to tell you to hurry and buy the book and while you’re doing that, get the sequel. You’ll want it.

Reviewed By: Michele

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Dreamspinner New Releases!!! Looks like we have a little bit of everything for everyone here.

A Bar Tender Tale by Melanie Tushmore

Twenty-two-year-old barman Nathan is always the odd one out. It’s tough to get a date when his love of loud music, tattoos, and zombie paraphernalia usually sends potential candidates running for the hills. Trying to find anyone who wants to spend time with him, let alone stay in and watch trashy horror movies, has always been a problem.

Then, on his day off, Nathan does a friend a favor by covering a shift at a pub, and in walks a handsome stranger who shares his love of horror. It could be a match made in B-movie heaven, and Nathan is determined to pursue this new acquaintance, but—zombies aside—has Nathan got the guts to go on a real date?

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Genre: Contemporary, Humor
Length: Novella

Desert World Rebirth by Lyn Gala

New ambassadors Temar Gazer and Shan Polli stopped one disaster on Livre, but the battle isn’t over. Temar is still struggling to work through the abuse he suffered. Livre, too, is stuck: it could ally with the breakaway planets—risking strange and dangerous beliefs—or the older alliance, which offers human rights protections but seeks to control the planet. It’s a delicate balance, but they manage… until crisis takes Shan away from Temar.

It’s up to Temar to get them and their planet through the crisis safely. But just because he and Shan have chosen each other doesn’t mean their love is strong enough to survive when the stirring sands around them change.

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Buy in print
Genre: Science Fiction
Length: Novel

The Dragon Tamer by Ana Bosch

Drake, a dragon master of the tamer clan, was barely a man himself when he saved the life of a youth burning with fever. Aedan, a fire mage, has dragon blood mingled with his own, creating such a tempestuous and volatile personality that it can literally burn him from the inside. Though Drake was able to calm the tumult enough to give Aedan a few years of peace, he knew that as the boy came of age, the fire in him would ignite once more.

When, years later, the effects of his fiery impulses force Aedan from the mage clan, his path crosses Drake’s again. Once more taming Aedan with a connection that joins them body and soul, Drake promises to protect Aedan forever—but he fears the day when “forever” might come to an end.

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Genre: Fantasy/Paranormal
Length: Short story

A Spell of Passion by T.C. Mill

Once, Ariston was a Guardian of the Kalliopolis, the perfect city designed by the Philosophers—Philosophers who, in their wisdom, replaced the imperfect human Guardians of Ariston’s generation with warrior machines. Phaleas Peneste, a poor farmer’s orphan the new Guardians rescued from the devastating winter that killed his family, now serves as their mechanic. Unhappy with their positions in the Kalliopolis’s new order, each man decides to escape, a coincidence that leads to their first meeting.

Afraid to risk his life in the wilderness beyond the Kalliopolis, Phaleas hesitates and is recaptured by the Guardians while Ariston discovers he doesn’t have anywhere to run. Back inside, they begin a secret affair, and Phaleas hopes that together, they might give each other the strength to escape the Kalliopolis forever… but first he has to convince Ariston to try again.

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Genre: Steampunk, Fantasy/Paranormal
Length: Novella

Light of Day by Sue Brown

The first time Max laid eyes on Robert Armitage, he knew exactly what he wanted to happen. But Max was just a night porter and Robert a guest at the hotel before his wedding, and Max knew even as they slept together that in the morning he’d have to send the groom on his way. Max’s heart was broken when Robert left, and so he ran home to Texas. When Robert’s marriage failed, Max waited for Robert to come looking for him, and waited….

A year later, Max’s dreams come true and Robert finds him, but there’s a catch, and Max has to decide if he wants Robert enough to be satisfied with hiding their relationship.

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Genre: Contemporary
Length: Novella

Ty’s Obsession by SJD Peterson

Ty Callahan knew Quinn Taylor was special the moment he first laid eyes on him. When the angry and heartbroken cowboy finally opens up, Ty sees the real man inside, and for the first time in years, Ty is ready to love again. There’s only one problem: Lorcan James. Although Lorcan has owned a piece of Quinn’s heart for some time, Ty is convinced he is the better man for Quinn and will stop at nothing to prove it.

Then Blake Henderson, a strong, dominant cowboy, strolls confidently into Ty’s life, offering an outlet for Ty’s anger, a chance to heal, and an option for his torn affections. Can Ty look beyond his feelings of rage and betrayal and find true peace, or will his obsession destroy them all?

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Genre: BDSM/Kink
Length: Novel

Reaping Shadows by Jamieson Wolf

Title: REAPING SHADOWS
Author: Jamieson Wolf
Publisher: Breathless Press
Pages: ebook novella
Characters: Darion Murete and Kale
POV: Third Person
Sub-Genre: mm romance paranormal
Kisses: 2.5

Blurb:

Death has always been a lonely business. Darion Muerte knows this firsthand as a Reaper. But his world changes when he meets Kale.

Darion is a Reaper, one of those who gathers the souls of the dead so they can move on. He has been a Reaper for centuries. Accompanied only by his Shadow, a being that scouts for the dead, Darion has not been touched by another for over a thousand years.
That all changes when Darion meets Kale. Though mortals are not supposed to be able to see Reapers and their Shadows, Kale can see both of them. And his dark blue eyes see right into Darion.

Answering the call of passion that sets fire to his skin, Darion gives in to his needs and lets himself experience one night of passion. That is all he can take. And then Darion must make the ultimate sacrifice.

Review:

Reaping Shadows is a modern-day Grim Reaper story in which the main character, Darion Muerte travels the planet seeking souls to collect. His job is to be a soldier of sorts that works for Death. With the use of his shadow, he finds people who are ready to die and captures their soul.

As the story begins, Darion is drawn to a particular target named Kale. Surprisingly, Kale does not appear to be anywhere near ready for death nor does he fear Darion. This is unusual being that typically all humans fear his presence. Darion senses a connection with Kale and the two come together and make love. This lovemaking session somehow transforms Kale into an agent of Death himself, and the two become supernatural partners.

When I first started reading this story I was almost positive that it would be a five star read. I loved the beginning and was intrigued by Darion and by the way he was drawn to Kale. After the first love scene, though, the story started to fall apart for me. It became rather cheesy and I started to view it more as a comedy.

I think many readers may appreciate this type of storytelling. In my opinion, the author was trying to infuse humor into the dialogue and to sort of make light of death. He introduces a couple of villain characters that he calls the Brothers Grimm. I couldn’t figure out how their role specifically differed from Darion’s or from Death itself.

The sex scenes were the best part, in my view. These alone are the story’s redemption. This is a short, entertaining read. The writing is very strong but the plot is flimsy. I kind of think this intentional though. It’s just a kind of fun paranormal fantasy.

Reviewed By: Jeff

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The Librarian by Lee Brazil

Title: The Librarian
Author: Lee Brazil
Publisher: Breathless Press
Pages: novella
Characters: Adrian Grey, Val Michaels
POV: Third Person
Sub-Genre: mm romance/BDSM
Kisses: 3.5

Blurb:

Valentine Michaels has just taken a vow of celibacy. Adrian Grey intends to take full advantage of that vow to re-create his relationship with Val.

Val is at a crossroads in his life. A college dropout, he’s gone as far as he can in his career as a cosmetologist, owning his own style salon. He no longer finds satisfaction in it, though he’s put years into proving to his bigoted parents that a college degree and the veneer of straightness aren’t the only roads to success. They’d turned their backs on him, and he proved he didn’t need them to make it.

His love life is no better than his working life. His relationships always start with a bang and fizzle into boredom, or worse, anger.

Adrian has his own agenda for helping Val: he’s been in love with Val since they were freshmen. The intervening years of listening to Val’s gossip about his lovers and relationships have taught Adrian just what it was he did wrong all those years ago, and he thinks this time around he now knows exactly how to get—and keep—his man

Review:

The Librarian is a story of unrequited love. Adrian Grey and Val Michaels were dorm mates during their freshman year at university, and although they briefly played with each other sexually, it quickly became clear to Adrian that Val had no real interest in him. Val went for the jock types, and Adrian was more of an intellectual. Adrian was studying library science and had a personality that was more focused, serious, and studious. Val wanted adventure and carefree lovers who would tower over him and dominate him sexually.

For the better part of a decade, Adrian pined over Val, and during this time he continued to fantasize about one day forging a meaningful relationship. Adrian became a librarian and Val bought a hair salon. Adrian was one of Val’s regular customers, showing up every Friday morning for his weekly haircut, never once varying his routine. Adrian learned of all Val’s sexual exploits, and Val shared the details of his love life while cutting Adrian’s hair. Adrian just listened, took it all in, and waited…patiently.

When Val broke up with his college jock boyfriend, he was heartbroken and swore a vow of celibacy. This happened to be on the very day that Adrian was scheduled for an appointment, and as Val confessed to Adrian the frustration he felt over yet another failed relationship, Adrian realized it was time to put in motion a plan to finally capture Val’s heart.

Adrian began scheming, setting a trap, so to speak, to ensnare Val. He sensed that Val yearned for a dominant man to control him and fantasized about being Val’s master. He toyed with Val, playing a game of cat and mouse, until he got Val to a point where he was eating out of his hand. Then at last he trapped him…or so he thought.

I found the story very interesting and loved the author’s writing style. Of course I related to Adrian and the way he’d secretly harbored this crush for so many years. This type of unrequited love is a theme dear to my heart. What I did not like was the way that Adrian was so conniving and deceitful. I suppose it was necessary and was actually the whole point of the story, but when it comes to Dom/sub romances, I prefer to see the Master as being an assertive, confident character who lays claim to his sub and does so decisively and swiftly. I can’t really see a true Dom as ever being this patient.

Val was sweet but I felt like he just needed someone to take control of him. I wanted Adrian to be this person. In the end I was left wondering if either of them really wanted to embrace the D/s lifestyle. They both were headstrong and cocky, and I didn’t feel like Val would ever be able to give up his ego in order to embrace his sub nature.

If you like stories where the Dom and sub are portrayed more as equal partners, this would be a perfect read. The Librarian is a story that is mainly about a chase. The Dom goes after the sub and attempts to ensnare him. It contains very hot love scenes and humorous dialogue, and overall it is an entertaining read. I would not, however, categorize it as a realistic D/s love story.

Reviewed By: Jeff

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Betrayed by D.C. Juris

Title: BETRAYED
Author: DC Juris
Publisher: Breathless Press
Pages: ebook novella
Characters: Meldrick and Faldor
POV: third person
Sub-Genre: mm romance fantasy
Kisses: 4

Blurb:

Escaped from a prison camp, is Meldrick still the man Faldor loved? Can Meldrick reconcile who is with who he was, or will betrayal win?

Two years after he lost his soul mate to the war, Faldor still pines for Meldrick. His world is turned upside down when Meldrick appears on his doorstep late one night, seemingly back from the dead. Finally escaped from a prison camp, Meldrick protects a dark secret—one that could rip their rekindled love apart if Faldor ever learned the truth. But the longer they’re together, the more questions come up. What really happened two years ago? How did Meldrick escape the prison camp after so long? Is Meldrick still the man Faldor fell in love with? Can Meldrick reconcile who he is with who he was and move beyond his treachery, or will betrayal win?

Review:

Betrayed is a mm romantic fantasy set in a fictional world in which ogres, elves, and mystical healers exist. It is the story of a knight named Meldrick who is one of the king’s most loyal warriors. Meldrick falls in battle and is taken prisoner. He is enslaved for seven months in a prison camp where he is repeatedly tortured and forced to rape and torture his fellow captives.

When Meldrick learns that his kingdom has been conquered and his lover killed, he despondently gives in to his captors and tells them all they want to know. There is no point in keeping secrets any more. He has nothing to live for. After he spills his guts and tells all, his captors release him and he learns it was all a ploy. His kingdom has not been captured nor has his lover been killed, but he has been tricked into betraying both.

For such a short story I was impressed by the world building. I think the author did an amazing job of conveying the setting and the atmosphere of the fantastical location. There were occasional contemporary references, usage of terms such as “blow job” that didn’t seem to fit, but for the most part the vernacular was consistent.

In all honesty, main characters like Meldrick are not my favorite. But I think this says more about my personal bias than it does about the story or the writing. He was by no means a sensitive man, although this doesn’t mean he wasn’t a sympathetic character. My heart broke for him and all he went through. I was taken aback somewhat by the way this sadistic side seemed to have been awakened within him after his imprisonment. There was a very disturbing revenge scene toward the end in which I hoped Meldrick would ultimately take the high road and be able to forgive. I suppose that to do so would not have been in character for him, though.

I’ve yet to read a story by DC Juris that I did not like. The writing was superb and the characters were relatable. This novella was an entertaining read with very sensual, erotic love scenes and a few unexpected plot twists. Overall it is a worthwhile read, in my opinion.

Reviewed By: Jeff

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Vyper by Kiernan Kelly

Title: Vyper
Author: Kiernan Kelly
Publisher: Torquere Press
Pages: 204
Characters: Vyper, Toby, Bryron and Elizabeth
POV: 3rd
Sub-Genre: Historical
Kisses: 5

Blurb:

Vyper is a dashing pirate whose name strikes fear in the hearts of blackguards and civilians alike. A fortuitous message in a bottle leads Vyper to the island of Jamaica, but soon entangles him in a web of lies, deceit, and double-crosses, and introduces him to the man who may plunder Vyper’s heart and destroy his world.

Byron Caldwell is a handsome, titled British landowner, whose holdings include a thriving plantation on the island of Jamaica. The only shadow on his otherwise brilliant future is his shrew of a sister, Elizabeth. It’s his intention to marry her off as soon as possible, if only he can find someone willing to take her off his hands.

Elizabeth wants one thing and one thing only, the key to the Caldwell fortune, and she’ll stop at nothing to get it, including arranging the kidnapping and eventual death of her brother by hiring the most ferocious pirate she can find.

The events spurred by a seemingly innocuous message found in a bottle washed ashore on a tiny island in the Caribbean soon set Vyper’s life on its ear, and may ultimately bring about his demise.

Review:

Okay, first let me get that hot sexy cover out of the way. Because it is just that, looking at it makes my mind think naughty thoughts and pirates and booty and…well you get the idea. So, A+ on the cover. And that sexiness on the cover is none other than Vyper. Who is described as a dashing pirate whose name strikes fear in the hearts of blackguards and civilians alike. Makes those naughty thoughts even naughtier right? But wait it gets better. History tells us that pirates for the most were a…well to put it nicely…well there is no way to put what real pirates back in the day were like, so let me blunt. A rude, dirty, disorderly pack of men who often went without baths and pretty much took what they wanted. No matter what it was. They killed another man without looking back and discarding the body over the ship into the deep blue sea meant only one thing to them. More booty.

Well in this story Vyper is indeed a pirate but he is one who has all his extremities intact. He has nice teeth, beautiful complexion, awesome hard body, and he has a sense of honor especially to the men on his crew and most importantly to his cabin boy, Toby. Now, as we all know if we’ve done our history homework on pirates and the way they lived at sea, we know that a sense of code/honor ran very low. One word of mutiny and guess what they were doing?

Living on a ship at sea, all that salt water and exposure to the sun does what to the skin? Yes indeed. And let me hop back to the cabin boy, Toby. Back in the day generally women were not allowed on those pirate ships, they were believed to carry with them bad luck. Months at sea with just men and what do you think went on? I mean sure they did dock at different ports and they found the nearest bars to hook up with the ladies but for the most part it was nothing but men on a ship for months at a time. And the captain or the master of the ship always had a cabin boy. Not only to clean up or to serve him dinner, or even just to shave him and dress him but he was also the captains….dare I say lover?

Well, in Vyper and Toby’s case, this was not the case. In fact, Vyper protected Toby since the day he found him aboard another ship that Vyper and his crew took over. He found a very young Toby, no more than 13 yrs old, perhaps younger chained in the captains quarters and yes, that wee lad underwent some of the most horrid things anyone can think by the other nasty captain. Vyper and his crew made mince meat of that crew, saving only Toby and more or less adopting him.

Years go by and this is where we meet Vyper and his loyal cabin boy and the rest of the crew on a tiny island resting when Toby finds a floating bottle along the shore line. In that bottle is a note, and when Vyper finally reads the note, as Toby has no education, he sees it’s a plea from an Elizabeth Caldwell. She needs saving and is offering a kings ransom in gold to anyone who rescues her. Vyper is a pirate, you know he’s going after that gold.

What he and Toby encounter on the island of Jamaica is a whole hell of a lot more than Ms. Elizabeth, the hell fire that she is, but also her brother Byron, who, bless his innocent self, has no idea what his sister is up to. And Vyper suddenly finds himself and other parts of his body very interested in the other man. A small argument breaks out, Vyper and Toby take the both but Elizabeth escapes them when an earthquake hits the island and runs off. NO time to waste the other three make for the ship to safety.

A string of events happen then and at that point the story switches to the POV of Elizabeth. Okay, so we are prepared to dislike her simply because we find out she wants her brother dead so she can inherit the land, the money, all of it for herself. As the story progresses we spend a lot of time in her head and we see why she’s done what she’s done since she was but a young girl. Elizabeth was born in the wrong era. She really was. She wanted her independence, freedom to make her own choices, freedom to come and go and do and buy what she wanted. She hated that a man controlled her every waking moment. The actions she did, she did due to what’d been done to her and I don’t really blame her, too much. I mean don’t get me wrong, that woman would scare me if I met her, but she makes an about face when she makes a deal with the devil and realizes not all is what she thought.

Kiernan has put together such an interesting pirate story that I really hated to see it end. To me, it was more of Elizabeth’s story though. I mean yes, Vyper finds the love of his life, Toby isn’t who anyone thought he was, and so much more. But it was a story of how one lady needed, required, and wanted independence from any man more than anything else in the world. To me she’s like the Calamity Jane of that era.

We have an HEA for all involved and I’m really really hoping that Kiernan is working on Toby’s story now. He needs it. I need it. This is a fun fast read full of adventure on the seas and off. You won’t be disappointed.

Reviewed By: Michele

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A Perfect Target by Winnie Jerome

Title: A Perfect Target
Author: Winnie Jerome
Publisher: Torquere Press
Pages: 30
Characters: Trent and Adrian
POV: 3rd
Sub-Genre: Paranormal
Kisses: 4

Blurb:

Trent and Adrian from “The Perfect Housemate” return. It’s Trent’s birthday, and Adrian takes him out for an early, sexy celebration. However, a secret from Adrian’s past interrupts the festivities, and Adrian is forced to disappear. Now Trent must decide if he wants to let Adrian walk out of his life, or if he’s willing to risk it all.

Review:

Okay, I could be at a slight disadvantage here because I hadn’t read “The Perfect Housemate” but I have to say it didn’t stop me from getting to know these well fleshed out characters and enjoy this short any less. Adrian is part demon and on the run from the holy people who want him dead. This sweet lithe dancer is full of life and spark and he really has more good in him than bad, so why those holy people think he needs to be killed just irks me.

So, it’s Trent’s birthday and Adrian has managed to plan a very special night for him in celebration and things are going so well for them, the night is everything Trent had hoped for. A fantasy of his comes true where Adrian is concerned and it’s a great scene. But all good times must come to an end and when Adrian leaves like a leaf in the wind, without telling Trent what the hell is going on, things don’t go over too well. Trent, with the help of their other partner manages to track Adrian down and they must come face to face with what keeps making Adrian hightail it out of town every time a holy person gets wind of his presence. Only this time, the good does prevail in a way that completely satisfied me with this short story knowing really only a small part of the men involved.

Reviewed By: Michele

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Broken Fortress by Ginn Hale

Title: Broken Fortress (Rifter, #6)
Author: Ginn Hale
Publisher: Blind Eye Books
Pages: 165
Characters: Jath’ibaye, Kahlil
POV: 3rd Person
Sub-Genre: Alt U/Fantasy
Kisses: 4






Blurb:

*There is no official blurb for this installment in the series*

Review:
Broken Fortress – The Interlude – This is the perfect place to catch your breath and digest everything that has happened up until now. Pluck what you know of the past and apply it to the present, because the future is sure to be a dangerous, dangerous place, and it might help you to navigate your way to the cusp of the war that looms.
This segment in the ongoing saga picks up on Jath’ibaye’s ship, where we left him and Kahlil to travel back to Rathal’pesha earlier on. Everything that has happened up until now is necessary information to understand the evolution Kahlil experiences after his resurrection, as he came through the Gates decades beyond where John had landed some thirty years before. Understanding how Ravishan and Kahlil’s lives both parallel and intertwine, how Ravishan sacrificed everything he was to become in order to save the man he loved, as well as how John’s presence in the past affected certain outcomes in the future, will not only bring clarity to the bond between Kahlil and Jath’ibaye, but it will also cement the significance of that connection, which in turn makes the relationship between the two men incredibly poignant and entirely significant.
Broken Fortress is definitely more informative than action packed, to be sure, but the material is delivered through compelling and intelligent dialogue, giving each of the characters weight and importance and dimension, regardless if how minor their role may be as the series continues. This book is the road map, in a way, that gives direction to everything there is yet to come. It is the means of tracing the line from where everyone has been, to where they will proceed in this long, winding, and wondrous journey.

There is a wicked political agenda broiling, a heinous plot underway to rid the world of the Rifter, a dark supernatural spell evolving, as a onetime friend attempts to alter events of the past, and a battle poised on the horizon that could very well destroy every living thing in its path. The strategy is unfolding, luring a dangerous enemy into the midst, and separating Jath’ibaye and Kahlil. Will this be a scenario where history repeats itself, or will Kahlil incorporate what he has learned from the past and use it to influence a better future?

That remains to be seen.

Reviewed By: Lisa

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Here’s Your Chance to Win!! Enter Here and Now RhiAnon Etzweiler

Prizes:
Individual: One randomly selected commenter at each stop will receive a signed cover card and magnet. Open to all, regardless of location (winner selected from all comments posted to blog at 11:59pm EST).
Tour: Two winners to be selected at random from drawing of all comments on tour (entry ending Feb. 2nd, 11:59pm EST – comments with date/time stamps after this time will not be counted). Restricted to mainland US and Canada only, for shipping purposes. First winner will receive an autographed tote bag and pen, signed cover flat, and large magnet. Second winner will receive a t-shirt (size XL), pen, signed cover flat, and small magnet.