Blog Archives
Son of Asmodeus
Son of Asmodeus throws readers into a world where angels, demons, and humans all fight over faith, fate, and the heavy price of truth. The story follows John “Sully” Sullivan, a former monk turned demon hunter who learns that his bloodline ties him to both Heaven and Hell. His battles stretch from the chaos of celestial war to the gritty alleys of Los Angeles, where divine secrets, lost memories, and half-truths come crashing together. It’s an urban fantasy layered with centuries of guilt, loyalty, and the question of what it means to belong when both light and darkness claim you.
The writing has a cinematic punch. Fights are vivid, and the tension never lets up, but what really hooked me wasn’t the action. It was the ache under it all. Sully’s struggle with identity and redemption hit me hard. I found myself rooting for him, even when he made choices that hurt. The mix of religious mythology and raw emotion worked better than I expected. Sometimes the dialogue leaned a bit heavy on exposition, but the story’s heart kept me going. I could feel the loneliness in every scene, the way faith can turn into a burden when you start to doubt your own soul.
The world itself is wild and haunting. The author plays with ancient language, heavenly wars, and smoky Los Angeles bars as if they all belong in the same universe. And somehow, they do. The pacing runs hot and cold. Slow, meditative moments mixed with sudden bursts of blood and fire, but I liked that rhythm. It gave me time to breathe before diving back in. The emotional pull is strong, too. There were times I felt uneasy, other times strangely hopeful.
Son of Asmodeus is the kind of story I’d hand to readers who love dark fantasy with a moral twist. If you like stories where angels bleed and sinners pray, where the hero is broken but still stands up swinging, this one’s for you. It’s not a light read, but it’s full of grit, heart, and that small flicker of grace that refuses to die.
Pages: 186 | ASIN : B0BLXMTCXC
Gods and Guardians II Escape from Durgurrum
Gods and Guardians II continues the saga of Arthur, Samuel, and their companions as they’re pulled through portals, thrown aboard Elvish starships, and forced into battles that stretch across galaxies and gods’ domains. Author R.W. Dove blends science fiction with fantasy so smoothly that I sometimes forgot where one ended and the other began. The pacing swings from quiet, reflective moments to grand, cinematic scenes filled with tension, friendship, and wonder. There’s a sense of adventure in every chapter, like the book itself refuses to slow down, and you’re pulled along whether you’re ready or not.
What I liked most was Dove’s ability to make everything feel alive. The ships, the crystals, even the air in the alien halls hum with a kind of magic. The writing has a rhythm that’s old-fashioned in a good way, like classic fantasy storytelling where the author truly believes in the world they’ve built. At times, the descriptions stretch long, yet they never lose heart. I could tell Dove poured himself into this, weaving myth and technology together with such sincerity that it’s hard not to admire it. I felt that some parts could have used tighter dialogue, but even then, the sheer imagination keeps it moving. The story feels vast, full of purpose, and though it leans heavily into the moral struggle between light and dark, it never loses sight of its human center, courage, loyalty, and belief in something bigger.
Emotionally, the book surprised me. I found myself caring about Arthur’s confusion and fear, about the weight of destiny he didn’t ask for. I liked how friendship drives much of the plot; even when gods and kings are scheming, the heart of the book is still about people just trying to do what’s right. Dove’s writing feels hopeful, even when the world he’s describing teeters on the edge of ruin.
If you love sprawling worlds, moral stakes, and a touch of classic heroism, Gods and Guardians II: Escape from Durgurrum is worth your time. This is a story for dreamers, for those who miss the feel of true adventure and heartfelt imagination. It’s a long ride, but one filled with light, danger, and just enough wonder to make you believe in magic again.
Pages: 278 | ISBN : 1968973427
Prickly Pears: A Collection of Short Fiction
Prickly Pears is a vivid and haunting collection of short stories that explores the fragile edges of humanity. Author Isabelle B.L moves through memory, war, love, loss, and womanhood with language that cuts and soothes at the same time. The stories drift from Sicily’s sunlit hills to modern kitchens, from whispering ghosts to restless children. Each piece feels like a dream you only half remember but can’t shake off. Her characters are bruised but alive, her settings rich with scent and sound. The book opens with wartime childhood and stretches into surreal, delicate tales that merge body and mind, reality and metaphor, until they blur into one another.
I kept stopping to reread sentences because they were too beautiful to move past. The author’s writing is fearless, raw, poetic, and weird in the best way. She doesn’t write to please, she writes to uncover. Sometimes I caught myself holding my breath, especially in pieces like “Marigold Dawns” and “The Jam Jar,” where ordinary acts, making tea, making jam, turn into rituals of grief and rebirth. The way she ties emotion to physical texture made me ache.
The darkness doesn’t just lurk in the corners; it sits right in the middle of the page. Some stories felt like confessions. Yet I kept reading because of how relatable it all was. There’s an honesty that burns. I could sense the author’s compassion even when her characters were cruel or broken. The rhythm of her writing carried me through it. It’s lyrical but never soft. It reminded me that pain and beauty often live in the same place, and she isn’t afraid to show that.
Prickly Pears isn’t a book for comfort; it’s a book for feeling. It’s for readers who like language that stings a little, who aren’t afraid of stories that leave scratches. I’d recommend it to anyone who loves short fiction. If you enjoy authors like Carmen Maria Machado or Clarice Lispector, you’ll find something electric here.
Pages: 205 | ASIN: B0C8841Q2C
The Visitors
A few years from now, Earth faces total annihilation, unless two determined aliens can rewrite its fate. Bjorn and Zorn, shapeshifting observers of our troubled planet, are horrified by what they see. Determined to save humanity from itself, they leap back through time to intervene. Their unlikely allies? A ragtag band of cynical animals: Dax, a chicken-nugget-loving Maine Coon; Penelope, an irreverent Adélie penguin; Florence, a thoughtful cow; and Ptoni, a prehistoric Pteranodon with attitude. Saving the world is serious business, but with this crew, chaos comes laced with comedy.
The Visitors by Andrew Cahill-Lloyd targets a young adult audience, though its wit and inventiveness easily appeal to older readers as well. Fans of Artemis Fowl will recognize the quick pacing and mischievous tone, while admirers of Douglas Adams or Terry Pratchett will find familiar notes of absurdity and satire.
Cahill-Lloyd excels at weaving eccentric characters and outrageous scenarios into a cohesive, fast-moving narrative. Beneath the laughter, however, pulse weightier themes, homophobia, racism, and the perils of blind faith. These serious undertones are handled deftly, introduced with humor and humanity rather than heaviness.
Each brisk chapter feels like an episode from a gleefully bizarre television series. The jokes land fast, the dialogue crackles, and amid the hilarity, flashes of insight remind us what’s at stake. Bjorn and Zorn’s advanced technology allows for wild journeys through time and space, yet it also highlights a sobering truth: humans, given such power, might not use it for good.
For all its zany energy, The Visitors is more than intergalactic farce. It’s sharp, funny, and oddly poignant, a whirlwind of wit and wonder that never overstays its welcome. Cahill-Lloyd writes with the kind of gleeful abandon that invites readers to laugh, think, and maybe cringe a little at their own species.
Pages: 264 | ASIN : B0FS6Y7YDK
A Curse of Wings & Gems – A Cursed Royals Fantasy Romance
This book swept me away from the very first page. It’s a sweeping fantasy full of curses, immortal kings, and mermaid princesses bound by fate. The story follows Edmar, a dragon cursed to live through endless cycles of tragic love, and Emmy, a mermaid whose power burns as fiercely as her pain. Their worlds collide in a storm of magic, betrayal, and longing. The world of Agondray feels enormous, filled with kingdoms and mythic creatures, yet the heart of the story stays close to its two leads, whose connection burns brighter than the jewels and wings that define them.
I’ll be honest, the writing hooked me. The author’s language flows like music at times. It’s lush but never pretentious. The imagery of waves, wings, and storms paints scenes I could almost taste and feel. Huston’s pacing takes its time. There are quiet stretches where the tension hums under the surface, and I liked that. It felt deliberate, like watching a storm gather before it breaks. The dialogue, though at times formal, fits the epic tone. The emotional beats land hard. Grief, hope, love, and desperation all tangled together. It made me ache for the characters, especially Emmy, whose pain and restraint felt heartbreakingly real.
That said, I had moments where I wanted to shake the characters. They circle around their fates, and the world’s mythology can feel dense, almost overwhelming with its many names and histories. But even in those moments, I couldn’t look away. The story carries an emotional weight that builds quietly until it explodes. Huston doesn’t just tell a tale of magic, she dives into what it means to carry guilt, to long for freedom, and to love in spite of everything that says you shouldn’t.
By the time I closed the book, I felt wrung out but satisfied. It’s the kind of story that leaves you staring at the last line for a while before you move. I’d recommend A Curse of Wings & Gems to anyone who loves romantic fantasy with deep lore and a bittersweet edge. If you enjoy stories that mix beauty with sorrow, this one will stick with you. It’s a haunting, lovely book that feels like it was written with both pain and hope in every line.
Pages: 842 | ASIN : B0FVTRQZF9
Once Upon A Time In The Big Easy: Down On The Bayou
Wilson Jackson’s Once Upon a Time in the Big Easy is a gritty and relentless tale that drags you straight into the underbelly of New Orleans. It’s a story of corruption, redemption, and raw survival, soaked in the sweat and danger of backroom deals and human cruelty. The novel opens with a shocking abduction and never takes its foot off the gas. Between the dark world of human trafficking and the desperate quest for justice led by the world-weary Pone, Jackson weaves a sprawling drama that blends crime noir with southern gothic flavor. The writing is unapologetically direct. The dialogue feels lived in, sometimes crude, often brutal, always real.
Reading it pulled me in two directions at once. On one hand, I admired the grit, the pulse of the city that beats through every scene, the way Jackson makes New Orleans feel like a living, breathing monster of beauty and rot. On the other hand, it’s not a comfortable read. The violence against women, the twisted family secrets, the corruption, it all feels too real at times, like you’re eavesdropping on sin. I found myself grimacing and nodding at the same time. The language is rough, but it works. The story feels like it’s been told by someone who’s been there, who knows these streets, who’s smelled the whiskey and gunpowder. It’s got that old-school crime energy, but with a heart that still believes people can be saved, even in a swamp of evil.
I didn’t expect to feel as much as I did. There were moments when I had to stop and breathe. Jackson has this way of slipping a sliver of hope into the filth, of giving you a reason to care when all you want to do is look away. The characters, even the minor ones, stick with you. Pone especially, hard, cynical, but still clinging to some moral code, is the kind of flawed hero I like.
I’d recommend this book to readers who like their stories dark and unfiltered. It’s perfect for fans of hardboiled crime fiction and southern thrillers that dig deep into human messiness. Once Upon a Time in the Big Easy feels like James Lee Burke’s The Neon Rain collided with Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction, gritty crime, southern heat, and characters who bleed, curse, and pray in the same breath.
Pages: 316 | ASIN : B0DZQ7TDD1
The Never Witch (A Thorne Witch Novel #1)
JP McLean’s The Never Witch opens with Adeline Thorne, a woman trying to live an ordinary life while being anything but ordinary. She’s the sister of a powerful witch, yet stripped of her own magic and burdened by a complicated past that’s steeped in betrayal, mystery, and supernatural politics. When an encounter with a dying warlock leaves her scarred, physically and otherwise, Adeline becomes caught in a dangerous web of secrets that threaten the fragile peace between witches and warlocks. The story twists between two worlds: the mortal calm of Vancouver and the hidden, charged realm of covens, spells, and old feuds. It’s part mystery, part fantasy, part family drama, and all heart.
The writing is clean and unpretentious, yet it hits hard where it counts. McLean paints vivid scenes with just the right amount of detail, never overdoing it. Her dialogue feels real, sometimes painfully so, and her characters carry their own bruises in ways that stick with you. Adeline is an intriguing character. She’s sarcastic, wounded, stubborn, and somehow still full of grace. I found myself rooting for her even when she tried to push everyone away. The pacing surprised me, too. It starts quietly, but by the second act, it’s hard to look up. Every chapter seems to add a new question or cut a little deeper into the old ones.
What really hooked me though was the emotion running underneath all the fantasy. Sure, there’s magic and danger and political scheming, but it’s the relationships that carry the story. The bond between Adeline and her sister, Sarah, felt honest, messy, protective, and full of old hurts that never quite healed. And then there’s Luke, whose own guilt and duty twist him into something both noble and tragic. The way their lives tangle together feels fated, like watching two storms collide. McLean doesn’t hand you easy answers. She lets you feel the tension, the fear, the hope, and the exhaustion that come with fighting battles you didn’t choose.
By the time I finished the book, I wasn’t just entertained, I was attached. The world McLean built feels layered and believable, and her characters have that rare spark that makes you wonder what they’re doing after the last page ends. The Never Witch is perfect for readers who like their fantasy grounded in emotion and their magic served with a side of grit. If you enjoy stories about found strength, sisterhood, and the kind of courage that comes from surviving what breaks you, this book will hit home.
Pages: 316 | ASIN : B0FCGK7MWV
LITERARY TITAN 