The Last Rays of Ra Spotlight

Welcome to the book tour for The Last Rays of Ra by Karina McRoberts! Read on for more details!

                    The Last Rays of Ra: A Journey Into Thrilling Adventure, Horror, And Suspense

Publication Date: March 20, 2024

Genre: Mystery/Thriller/Adventure

SISTERHOOD’S ANSWER TO AGENT PENDERGAST

Empathic Scotland Yard Detective Jackson Randolph is over-burdened by a series of bizarre murders. He enlists the aid of rogue Egyptologist Vahlona Selket Faralay, pleading with her to retrieve an ancient item linked to the crimes.
Vahlona leaves her mysterious home in the Yorkshire Moors and travels to Egypt, where she braves misogynistic policemen, vicious wildlife, and manic terrorists in her quest to procure the artefact. The shadowy but alluring antiquities dealer Usire Ra Arakti provides the answer, but can Vahlona smuggle the prize out of Egypt and back to London before the madman resumes his killing spree?

Thrilling suspense, horror, romance, and adventure await you in The Last Rays of Ra.

Available on Amazon

About the Author

Karina is an American-Australian author, illustrator, musician, scientist and theatre producer. She considers herself to be a true Renaissance woman and strives to help other achieve the same. ( "After all, ladies, we didn't get a chance last time!!!!").

Previously working as a conservation scientist, she was struck down by a mosquito-borne virus. No longer able to work, Karina now spends her time writing fiction to inspire, encourage, enlighten and entertain, especially those readers active in social justice, humanitarian work, and protection of the Earth.

She also writes self-instruction books and gives workshops in illustration and creative writing.

In these dark days of crazy violence, betrayal, and plague, Karina hopes readers find solace and joy in her creations.

 

Once and Future Queen Review Spotlight

Welcome to the tour for Once and Future Queen by C.M. Hano. Read on for details!

 

 Once and Future Queen is the first book in C.M. Hano’s Constellina series. War is brewing in Constellina and infighting swirls all around. Who do you trust? Where can you turn when it appears that trust is something easily tossed aside? Or is it? Once and Future Queen takes readers to a fantasy world where the threat to this princess’s life is about to create a whole new shift.

Once and Future Queen provides a rather enticing cover. Readers are presented with what appears to be a dagger or a sword with magic swirling around it. Are these two images preludes of what is to come? Is there some hidden significance to it? While the cover may tease you closer, the blurb unfortunately...leaves some to be desired. But the story holds potential, so let’s see where things go, shall we?

Once and Future Queen is told from dual POV – Gwen’s and Alex’s. Gwen is preparing to assume the role of being queen. Sounds pretty straight forward, right? She’s about to come of age, and then she will be able to take the throne and hold the power that is hers to control. First things first though...reach the age of 24 and then get rid of the sniveling worm who is the Lord Regent. No, we’re not exaggerating...author Hano sees fit to show that this “man” has no qualms bloodying the heir. Makes you think...he really doesn’t believe that she’ll live long enough to claim the throne and see him lose a particular piece of his anatomy. What does he know that you don’t? Also, why doesn’t Gwen do more to check him? Things that make you go...hmmmmmm.

This novel shifts POV between Gwen and Alex. Alex is a dragon shifter. He’s also an “infamous” Mafia King of Gwen’s kingdom. He’s there at the behest of his father, but Alex has taken on his own agenda, and it’s one that doesn’t line up with his father. Sounds like some trouble brewing in the family tree, huh? Well, there’s more to this than just Alex looking to step out of his father’s shadow. There’s some sticky family history here, and it’s worth reading more about.

The beginning of this story, overall, is pretty interesting. You get to see the play of powers at work and who truly holds it. Apparently Gwen holds little to none, meanwhile, Alex appears to hold quite a bit. This is showcased by the way that he handles particular situations in the beginning.

Readers, know that this book is an urban fantasy romance mixed with some medieval elements/aspects to it. We say this because you have modern technology – phones, internet, casinos with slot machines, and the like alongside more mundane aspects from a less technologically advanced time. Does this bring it’s own unique element to the story? Yes, it does. However, it creates a stir of confusion as well. You get settled into one aspect of the story and your brain says “medieval-ish” times, and then you get something modern like phones and video calls thrown at you and everything goes out the window. LOL!

For this reader, Gwen is a difficult character to truly get behind. She has her moments of appeal, but then it just reads like she’s snarky and sarcastic just to be that way. If there was a basis for the attitude – that someone has tried to mold her to be more submissive and controlled, we might be able to see it. But other than a couple of interactions with the Lord Regent...it’s just not there for us.

She’s quick to flip, too. One minute she’ll trust you, and then you say the wrong word (yes, singluar) and she’s turning on you and calling you a liar.

There are some...race-”ist” elements of where she has a particular negative viewpoint of all shifters simply because they are shifters. Granted, she’s been told a story that was a lie, but her disdain for shifters is rampant throughout the story. But we can only deduce that this is the author’s twist on a familiar fairytale as well. You’ll see what we mean, because one of the characters Gwen briefly interacts with points it out.

Alex is the more interesting of the characters...well, that is until his brother makes a surprise appearance. Alex is a dragon shifter. Yes, you get to see him spread his wings, and even partially shift. It’s disappointing that he never shifts completely, but there’s a story behind that, and you’ll get to discover this in due time in the story. It’s a sad story, but apparently, when it comes to Alex, he’s packed chock full of sad stories. Can he get a win? Probably not.

When it comes to details...this book is missing quite a few. There are some details that are added in later in the book that serve little to no purpose. While there are other places in this story that needed more detail to aid in transitions and give the story more body. A key example is the pointing out of headlines saying that Gwen has “run off” with her shifter lover and that the Lord Regent claims she intends to “abdicate” her throne. But then there’s no more headlines concerning her bizarre disappearance. Why is this? There needed to be more attention to the details and fleshing out of this story. Would the book have been longer? Yes, but it would have benefited as well.

The dialogue and the conversations are also more than a little bit of a struggle. It’s hard to really grasp who is talking when multiple characters are interacting in the same scene. You have to be extremely zoned in to make sure that you don’t get anyone confused. This reader had to reread certain paragraphs more than once to get everyone lined up correctly for who was speaking. It just needed more structure, but it just came off as disjointed.

Once and Future Queen has potential, but as it is...this book is really lacking. The romance angle is okay, the overall storyline has potential, but it needs to come together to create the whole picture that is being angled for. This book ends on a mild “cliffhanger.” It’s really not much of a cliffhanger, but the intent is to leave readers eager for more. There is definitely drama brewing around not just Gwen, but the two men she’s pulled into her orbit. You can pretty much guess that someone is going to get their heart broke, and odds are...it won’t be Gwen.

Once and Future Queen is an okay book. Will we be running to grab book two when it comes out? Probably not. Walk? Yeah. Run...eh, not likely. We’ll have to see if book two improves on book one’s rough start, because there is potential, but this book...it’s just not reaching it at this point and time.

Pros:

• Nice romance
• Interesting storyline
• Nice amount of dragon focus

Cons:

• FMC is hard to like
• Details are lacking to truly bring this story to life
• Dialogue tends to be hard to follow
• Title doesn’t tie into story

3.5 out of 5 stars

Once And Future Queen (Constellina Book 1)

Publication Date: August 2022

Genre: Fantasy Romance

• Unfated Fated Mates

• Touch Her/Him & 💀

• Dragon Shifters

• Rivals to Lovers

• Spice

A war is brewing...

Twenty years ago, training for war and the looming siege of the Sagittarian Court began for the humans of Constellina.

Present-day…

Twenty-four-year-old Gwen is determined to take her place as Queen and lead her armies into battle against the Dracane Kingdom. King Outher, the ruler of the Dracane Kingdom, has slaughtered, invaded, and placed many dragon shifters throughout the human realm, ready to take it over when the time is right.

When a marriage proposal from the Lirian Court Prince is discussed, Gwen must prepare for a masquerade with the help of hera two best friends; Princess Victoria and Princess Dilliha. A handsome stranger approaches her for a dance and initially whisks her off her feet. Upon leaving the ballroom to have a private conversation, Gwen finds herself in a perilous situation where she has to fight for her life.

Alexxander

As the infamous Mafia King of the Sagittarian Court cities, Alexxander reigns over his territory with three laws: don't break any of his rules and you will meet the god of death.

When a proposition from a human prince turns into a command from his father, Alexxander finds himself at the palace on the night of a masquerade ball. Using his shifter powers, he glamours his wings and horns in order to find the human he was sent to kill.

This is an enemies-to-lovers dark fantasy romance novel at 70,000 words. There are trigger and content warnings at the very beginning of the book, so please read those before diving into this action-packed, magical, steamy adventure.

Amazon

Empire of Shadows Review Spotlight

We're celebrating the release of Empire of Shadows this week and if you love swashbuckling adventure stories packed with slow burn witty banter, flesh-eating beetles, and real history, this is a MUST READ!

"Nice Victorian ladies don’t run off to find legendary lost cities." Well! If Ellie was a "nice Victorian lady" we wouldn't have this rip-roaring riot of a good time of a novel that gives you hints of The Mummy while being absolutely fresh and brilliantly hilarious. 

Empire of Shadows is the first book of the Raiders of the Arcana series, and readers who love a fun historical fantasy novel are not going to want to miss out on this book. It's fun, humorous, engaging, and will keep you coming back for more. Speaking of more...does anyone know when book two is coming? LOL! You'll be thinking the same thing when you get to the end of this novel. Trust us. 

Empire of Shadows starts things off well over 200 years in the past (from the first chapter), basically you're going to be dropped in the 1600s. Good luck! Hope you survive and all that! It's a rather stick place to be dropped to be honest. You know with sickness and disease running rampant, but the character you initially get, Friar Salavert, believes that his mission is the of the utmost importance.

While that may have been the initial thought process...seeing his fellow converts be taken away into a temple...may have had some small impact on his mind. There are some elements of magic in this beginning chapter, but you're going to have to wait for more until you get deeper in to the story. Don't worry though, Ellie will do more than keep you entertained in the interim. 

Brace yourself for the first chapter especially because we probably said "Oh my gosh" like five times in just the first few pages. It's nothing bad, we promise. It's just Ellie is a suffragette and she gets herself into quite the "pickle." LOL! What?! It was just a "small riot." You'll see what unfolds and you'll probably be choking back laughs. LOL! 

This book has a lot of fun goodness packed into these pages, and it's going to be a page-turner of a novel that is going to take you on a whirlwind of a ride. This book has Mummy-vibes, but it still brings plenty of elements of freshness that make it such a refreshing story to dive into. Prepare for danger, twists, turns, surprises, and yes, some sparks to fly in the romance department. 

Looking for a fun read? This book is it! Can't wait to find out what happens next! 

5 out of 5 stars

                                        Empire of Shadows (Raiders of the Arcana Book 1)

Publication Date: April 2, 2024

Genre: Historical Fantasy/ Gaslamp Fantasy

Nice Victorian ladies don’t run off to find legendary lost cities.

One trifling little arrest shouldn’t have cost Ellie Mallory her job, but it’s only the latest in a line of injustices facing any educated woman with archaeological ambitions.

When Ellie stumbles across the map to a mysterious ancient city, she knows she’s holding her chance to revolutionize Pre-Colombian history. There’s just one teensy complication. A ruthless villain wants it, and Ellie is all that stands in his way.

To race him to the ruins—and avoid being violently disposed of—she needs the help of maverick surveyor Adam Bates, a snake-wrangling rogue who can’t seem to keep his dratted shirt on.

But there’s more than Ellie’s scholarly reputation (and life) on the line. Her enemies aren’t just looters. They’re after an arcane secret rumored to lie in the heart of the ruins, a mythical artifact with a power that could shake the world.

Between stealing trousers, plummeting over waterfalls, and trying not to fall in love with her machete-wielding partner, will Ellie be able to stop the oracle of a lost empire from falling into the wrong hands?

Empire of Shadows is the first book in Jacquelyn Benson’s smart, swashbuckling Raiders of the Arcana series. Read it now and dive into a rip-roaring historical fantasy adventure perfect for fans of Romancing the Stone and The Mummy.

Purchase Here!

About the Author

Jacquelyn Benson writes smart historical fantasy where strong women confront the stranger things that occupy the borders of our world.

She once lived in a museum, wrote a master’s thesis on the cultural anthropology of paranormal investigation, and received a gold medal for being clever. She owes a great deal to her elementary school librarian for sagely choosing to acquire the entire Time-Life Mysteries of the Unknown series.

When not writing, she enjoys the company of a tall, dark, and handsome English teacher and practices unintentional magic.

Jaquelyn Benson

Tour Organized By: @rrbooktours

 

Second Star to the Left Review Spotlight

Welcome to the book tour for Second Star to the Left by Megan Van Dyke! Readers who love fairytale fantasy retellings of their favorite stories are not going to want to miss out on this beautifully written standalone novel. 

Have you ever wanted to return to Neverland? Or just maybe the characters the embodied the story, but with something fresh and new? Well, we've got a pretty spectacular book for you to check out. And no, we're not just talking about the cover. Which is pretty stunning by the way. 

Author Megan Van Dyke has brought readers the beginning of a collection of stories that will take familiar fairytales and give them a new and fresh spin. This story? If you already haven't guessed...it's Tinker Bell's story. It's a page-turner so settle in and have fun!

Tinker Bell has been exiled from her home because she broke one of the few rules that they have - don't sell your dust. There's a reason for the rule, but it was one that at the time...Tink felt that she had to break. When you read her story you'll have to agree that...in her case...an exception should have been made. But we're getting ahead of ourselves here. So let's take a step back, shall we?

When you meet Tink in this book she's playing the "shy damsel." What she's really up to? Well, she's planning a theft. Thieves stealing from thieves. Who is the mark? Why the "infamous" Captain James Hook. Yes! The Captain Hook himself. Why him? Did he do something wrong to Tink? Nope, he just has something she desperately wants. 

Cue some heat coming your way and so early in the story, too! Watch out for Smee because this is NOT your childhood Peter Pan story right here. LOL! While Tink may get her momentary goal, she's still got a long way ahead of her. But don't worry, Tink's and James's paths will cross again, and things are going to be absolutely delightful.

Second Star to the Left is an engaging fantasy novel that gives readers a fresh new twist on Tinker Bell and Captain Hook. They aren't the only ones though! My jaw may have been on the floor with this author's twist on Smee. Heellloooo sir! LOL! 

Prepare for a few steamy situations in this book! They are perfectly delicious and we had ZERO issues with them let me just tell y'all that right now. LOL! The back and forth between Tink and James is everything. They're drawn to each other, but they are also wary of each other. There are going to be some moments where you think that someone is working to tear them apart, but can they work through it all? 

Second STar to the Left is a standalone novel so you can expect everything to be wrapped up nicely by the end of this story. At the halfway point, things are going to really kick up a notch so hang on to your butts and be prepared to be swept away! 

This book was so much fun to read, you're not going to want to miss out on what this author puts out next. 

5 out of 5 stars

Thank you to the author, Megan Van Dyke, and TheWriteReads for the opportunity to read and review this book! We look forward to what comes next! 

About BBNYA 

BBNYA is a yearly competition where book bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors, ending with 15 finalists and one overall winner.

If you want some more information about BBNYA, check out the BBNYA Website https://www.bbnya.com/ or take a peek over on Twitter @BBNYA_Official. BBNYA is brought to you in association with the @Foliosociety (if you love beautiful books, you NEED to check out their website!) and the book blogger support group @The_WriteReads.

Book Details

Length: 304 Pages

Genre: Fantasy, Romance

Age Category: Adult

Date Published: 15 February 2022

Amazon Link: https://a.co/d/5dhqpZ2 (Canada)

https://a.co/d/eNFqfW0 (USA)

https://amzn.eu/d/c6x9RvY (UK)

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60166452-second-star-to-the-left

The StoryGraph Link: https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/78551ba0-7dbc-48a9-8c13-beb6df8e948e

Blurb

Tinker Bell, banished from her homeland for doing the unthinkable, selling the hottest drug in Neverland—pixie dust—wants absolution.

Determined to find a way home, Tink doesn’t hesitate to follow the one lead she has, even if that means seducing a filthy pirate to steal precious gems out from under his…hook.

Captain Hook believes he’s found a real treasure in Tink. That is, until he recovers from her pixie dust laced kiss with a curse that turns the seas against him. With his ship and reputation at the mercy of raging storms, he tracks down the little minx and demands she remove the curse. Too bad she can’t.

However, the mermaid queen has a solution to both of their problems, if Tink and Hook will work together to retrieve a magical item for her.

As they venture to the mysterious Shrouded Isles to find the priceless treasure, their shared nemesis closes in. However, his wrath is nothing compared to the realization that achieving their goal may mean losing something they never expected to find—each other.

Author Bio

Megan Van Dyke is a fantasy romance author with a love for all things magical and romantic, especially fairytales and anything with a happily ever after. Many of her stories include themes of family (whether born into or found) and a sense of home and belonging, which are important aspects of her life as well. When not writing, Megan loves to spend time with her family, cook, play video games, and explore the great outdoors. Megan currently lives with her family in Florida.

Website: https://www.authormeganvandyke.com/

Newsletter: https://www.authormeganvandyke.com/newsletter/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authormeganvandyke/

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@authormeganvandyke

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMeganVanDyke

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/megan-van-dyke

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21709261.Megan_Van_Dyke

 

The Faithful Dark Review Spotlight

 

A Gothic Fantasy for Fans of Hannah Whitten and Caitlin Starling. Congratulations on such a spectacular release Cate Baumer!

Looking for an engaging fantasy novel with gothic elements? Then you're not going to want to miss out on The Faithful Dark. Imagine being born without a soul, and being made to believe that you are "worthless" because of it. Well, that is Csilla's bit in life. But she could have more

This story starts with Csilla, but it alternates POV between her and a couple other characters. It's a nice touch as it helps to keep readers engaged in the story. Csilla is the main focus of the story as it mostly revolves around her, but she's not alone. There is also Ilan, you're introduced to him pretty quickly. He's a ruthless Inquisitor, but when he fails to bring a murderer to justice...he gets demoted. Looks like those rumors and whispers weren't nothing, huh Ilan? Oops! LOL! 

Csilla simply wants to belong, but apparently some people in this book see fit to remind her of how she came to be in their custody. Harsh much? So, it hurts to see her hurt behind cruel and insensitive words. She just wants to belong, but her "soullessness" is apparently going to be exploited to take out someone that the Church deems a heretic. 

Yes, there are some religious elements to this book but it doesn't take over the entire story. It pops up where needed and then is allowed to fade into the background. So, readers who aren't fans of "religious" books...calm down and just read this book. It's really good! Plus, it's a murder mystery people! Who doesn't like to read those? 

The fantasy element showcases itself in small bouts of magic. It's interesting to see it utilized to expose secrets and when someone is lying. Plus, it is the very magic that is protecting the city, but with every murder (and there have been a LOT) the magic weakens. What is the purpose behind it? Well, that's a secret you'll have to find out for yourself! Intrigued? We sure were! 

This is a truly interesting story that brings in a nice twist with the supposed heretic. Of course, these characters are working against the clock and the big question that will dog Csilla and you will be...when Csilla learns the truth...what will she do with it?

This is a fantastic fantasy novel that will wrap you up in it's pages and keep you coming back for more. Don't miss out on The Faithful Dark.

4.5 out of 5 stars

Thank you to the author, Cate Baumer, and R&R Book Tours for the opportunity to read and review this book! We look forward to what comes next! 

                                    The Faithful Dark (The Brilliant Soul Duology Book 1)

Publication Date: April 2, 2024

Genre: Gothic Fantasy/ New Adult

🖤Gothic Atmosphere
🖤Dark Religious Lore
🖤Murder Mystery
🖤Hot Priest
🖤Slow Burn/Enemies to Lovers
🖤Queer Cast

In a holy city where sins and blessings can be revealed through consecrated touch, Csilla – born without a soul – is worthless to the Church that raised her. But when a series of murders corrodes the magic that keeps the city safe, the Church elders see a use for her flaw: she can assassinate their prime suspect, a heretic with divine heritage.

The heretic, however, makes a counter-offer; clear his name and catch the real killer, without becoming a target herself, and he’ll use his power to get her a soul. When their investigation catches the attention of Ilan, a ruthless Inquisitor demoted for his failure to solve the case, he reluctantly offers his help in order to earn back his position. He’ll bring in the murderer— and failing that, Csilla and the heretic. But as the death toll rises and their hunt pits them against the Faith, Csilla will find that salvation comes at the cost of everything she believes in.

Available on Amazon

About the Author

Cate Baumer (she/her) is a fantasy writer who lived half her life in Japan but currently resides in the heart of Appalachia, a setting that inspires the lush and haunted worlds of her work. When not writing, she can be found exploring the woods on horseback, putting her degree in art history to use at museums and antique shops, or searching for the perfect cup of coffee.

Cate Baumer

 

Tour organized by @rrbooktours

Dark Wings Review Spotlight

 

 USA Today Bestselling author, Juliana Haygert is back with her latest series that branches off from the Rite World. This book? It’s about a specific fallen angel who has more than a few problems on her hands. Her problems though? They’re about to get more numerous and more problematic.

Dark Wings is sure to quickly capture readers’ attention with the image of the main character, Ariella, in a relaxed crouch with her wings flared out around her with a beautiful moon. It’ll be quite noticeable that the wings aren’t the “typical” angelic white, but instead are a beautiful shade of russet red. The question of – what caused her to fall will tease your brain. Is this the color that her wings are now? What threats is she facing? Well, those questions will quickly be answered once you start reading.

Dark Wings is the first book in author Juliana Haygert’s Rite World: Fallen Angel spin-off series. This book follows Ariella as she struggles with what her life has become. She’s a fallen angel, but not by choice. The one thing that will stand out from the beginning is that she’s on the run. One would wonder...why would other angels be hunting one who has fallen? Well, turns out she might have been a witness to something she shouldn’t have witnessed...and survived. Add in that there is a little twist tucked up inside this book as well...well, you’ll be eager to discover it for yourself.

When it comes to characters Ariella is both an interesting one and then an irritating one. LOL! Okay, that’s just this reader’s opinion of her. As an angel, even Ariella thinks that she should be good and kind, well, she’s really not. There will be moments where you feel some empathy for her, concerning her circumstances, but then there will be other moments where you might be inclined to root for the demon that ties herself to. Or just a bad situation to go against her. Sorry, not sorry. Granted, that comes later on.

All in all, Ariella is a mixed bag of a character, but despite how this particular feels about her personality she brings some fire to the storyline. Of course, she’s not the only one. There’s the devastatingly handsome demon, Leviathan aka Levi for short. Though, don’t call him that...he doesn’t like being called Levi. Cue Ariella calling him that often just to irritate him. LOL! Low hanging fruit, but effective.

Author Haygert’s story telling is pretty much on point with this book. With each turn of the page she draws readers in and keeps them wondering what is going to happen next. With the main character wanting to get her wings back it seems like quite the tall order. It’s nice to know that it’s not going to be a walk in the park to reclaim them. The most interesting aspect of this book is the backstory on how Ariella lost not just her wings, but the team she was, and her weapon.

Hoping for some romance and maybe a steamy moment or two in this book? Wish granted. This book reads like an “enemies to lovers” novel, but don’t expect things to go smoothly. Nope! There’s going to be quite a bit of back and forth between these characters...more so on Ariella’s part. She frequently chooses to dismiss who and what Leviathan is.

It’s disappointing how she holds him to a different standard than she holds even herself. She keeps secrets? It’s fine. Him keeping secrets? She sees red. Her causing him pain? Deserved. Him causing someone pain because they are literally hunting her with the intent to haul her in and kill her? He’s a monster, cruel, evil, you name it...she thinks it.

Readers who have read the entire Rite World series will be thrilled to be reunited with some familiar faces and names sprinkled throughout this book. Does that mean that you have to have read the previous books connected to the Rite World to enjoy this book? No! Would it be an added bonus? Yeah, but it’s not absolutely necessary.

Readers be warned about this book. True to author Haygert’s writing style, this book is going to throw up a twist at the end that will leave you eager for book two. It will be interesting to see how Ariella handles events as they unfold moving forward. One danger may have been negated, but the real one? This is just the beginning.

Pros:

• Engaging Storyline
• Interesting New characters
• Familiar faces
• Moderate page-turner

Cons:

• Main character comes off as entitled

4 out of 5 stars

Shadow Me Review Spotlight

 

The Immortal Vices and Virtues is back with a new addition and it’s one that you’re not going to want to miss out on. If you’ve read the previous collection then you know that you’re in for a good time with this series, and these authors aren’t playing. They bring you a dynamic collection of unique stories and characters. Can these books be read as stand-alone? Yes. Will it be more fun to read the books one after the other so that you get the full immersive feel? Double yes! So...what are we waiting for? Let’s get this party started!

Shadow Me reaches out to grab readers with its gorgeous cover. The cover showcases a gargoyle off to the left, with Corvin and Styx taking center stage while swirling shadows in blacks and purples swirl around them. The cover is truly eye-catching, but does not give readers a true idea of the greatness hidden within this book’s pages. This story? It’s one that you’re not going to want to miss.

Shadow Me is the latest addition to the Immortal Vices and Virtues collective. It’s a whole new season and Shadow Me by Annie Anderson is a book that you’re not going to want to pass up on. Author Anderson introduces readers to Styx...a water kelpie. Of course, you don’t know this when you start reading this book, but it’s not long before the author begins to fill in the gaps. Styx gets sent to Tartarus after experiencing heartbreaking loss that should never have happened. She’s one of Caius’s people, and so we get to reconnect with Caius and Reagan as they’ve pretty much settled in Tartarus.

Author Anderson gives readers a small amount of recap concerning what happened in book one of this season of the Immortal Vices and Virtues series. How Caius had quite the uphill battle when it came to claiming his mate. Of course, why should things be easy when the world has painted him as a villain to be feared and shunned? Though, whose to say that it shouldn’t work in his favor at the end of the day?

Well, while Caius may have ultimately forgone his revenge, Styx on the other hand has not. She still remembers the huge loss of innocent lives behind something that was forced on her. She still carries that guilt and so revenge is something that she craves. What Styx doesn’t expect? Much like Caius – is that she has a mate out there...and she’s about to cross paths with him.

Corvin is such a good guy. Readers of the series will probably remember him in a less than totally positive light, but he’s grown into quite the Alpha. He saw the error of his ways, and made a change for the positive. He truly shines as a character. Readers who gravitate more towards the strong and sweet Alphas are going to absolutely love him. Yeah, he’s a bit growlly here and there in the story, but he’s not a character who goes overboard with his behavior. Now, Styx may think that he does a time or two, but it all works for this reader.

Shadow Me is an engaging story from beginning to end. You’re going to get some interesting twists, turns, and even a prophecy! Don’t worry. It’s not something over-arching that is going to carry into another book of the series. Nope, it stays directed to the characters that will be impacted specifically in this book.

Author Anderson’s starts out with an agenda to engage readers and keep them coming back for more and is absolutely successful. Styx’s story is a gem tucked away in the center of the story which encourages readers to delve and dig for it. Hints and whispers that her full story is to be revealed at a certain point keeps readers engaged to discover the full dynamic of what exactly transpired to find Styx being dropped into Tartarus at the beginning.

This book promises steamy romance and 100% delivers. It’s tastefully done with Corvin showcasing how much a gentleman he is. Styx fights him a little, but she doesn’t go overboard. The relenting is sweetly done and will have readers cheering for these two characters to come together. Honestly, they deserve every bit of happiness coming to them.

Shadow Me is a fantastic addition and it truly shines. Readers who enjoy a good paranormal/fantasy romance with dynamic characters and a good amount of drama...Do. Not. Miss out on this book! It’s a must read and you won’t regret it!

Pros:

• Engaging storyline
• Fantastic characters
• Delicious romance
• Twists and surprises
• Great amount of detail

Cons:

• None of merit

5 out of 5 stars