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Soul of the Saviour
Soul of the Saviour drops you into a wild mix of brutal training grounds, smoky alleys, ancient magic, and the strange heat of Hell itself. The book follows Saxon Payne as he crawls back into life after years in a mystical retreat. It weaves through his past, the rise of lethally gifted assassins, demonic lovers, grim prisons, tender memories, and the looming clash between Heaven, Hell, and everything in between. It moves fast and swings between action, horror, and raw intimacy. Sometimes it feels like half spiritual odyssey and half grindhouse myth. I found myself swept up in the momentum because the story rarely slows down enough for you to catch your breath.
The writing goes for broke. Scenes in Hell’s kitchens shimmer with disgusting brilliance, and scenes of training in the mountains bristle with physical grit and stillness. There is a real commitment to showing bodies under strain and souls under pressure. The prose jumps from grim to tender in a heartbeat, and it gave me that sense of watching someone flip through different emotional filters just to see what hits hardest. The violence is bold. The sensuality is bold. The humor sneaks in with a wink. I liked how messy it all felt, because it made the characters feel lived-in and not staged.
The whole thread around becoming more than human through suffering made me uneasy and fascinated at the same time. I found myself rooting for characters who should have terrified me and shaking my head at choices that were obviously doomed. The story loves duality. Hope beside despair. Faith beside hunger. Love beside something darker and stranger. Sometimes it veers into excess, and sometimes the emotional beats come so fast I had to take a moment to reorient. But even then, I felt drawn along by the sheer confidence of the storytelling. It feels like the author trusts you to surf the chaos, and I liked that.
By the end, I felt satisfied and also curious because the book leaves a lot of questions humming under the surface. I would recommend Soul of the Saviour to readers who enjoy high-energy dark fantasy, intense character arcs, sharp edges, and worlds that bend myth with modern grit. If you like stories that mix heart with horror and beauty with brutality, this one will keep you turning pages long after you planned to stop.
Pages: 325 | ASIN : B0FCDT2J11
Forbidden Runes: The Caster Chronicles – Book 1
Brandi Mendenhall’s Forbidden Runes follows Anna, a girl stolen from her royal past and raised in hiding, who grows into a bold young woman using forbidden rune magic to save others while unknowingly stepping straight back into the path of the man she once loved and now fears. The story blends court intrigue, dangerous magic, childhood bonds, betrayal, and simmering romance. It begins with tragic loss, grows into a tale of resilience, and lands squarely in the middle of a kingdom at war with itself.
I found myself pulled into the writing right away. The pacing swings fast, then slows without warning, and I actually liked that. It made me feel a little off balance in the same way Anna is always off balance. The scenes are vivid and sometimes wild, full of strong emotion and desperate choices, and the style leans into the drama with gusto. The author writes with heart. Sometimes the prose gets indulgent or leans heavily on descriptive beats, but the feelings behind it are real, and that kept me turning the pages. I cared about Anna. I cared about the danger. I cared about the mess her memories kept making for her.
The way the story looks at power and who gets to hold it felt clever and surprisingly raw. I loved the tension between personal freedom and the weight of duty. I loved how the book toys with the idea that love can both steady a person and ruin them. Ben and Anna’s connection made me want to root for them. Their chemistry is thick, and their misunderstandings made me want to yell at them. The magic system is fun and spooky and sometimes a little chaotic, and I enjoyed that too. It feels dangerous. It feels alive. It feels like something that can save a life or tear one apart.
By the end, I felt satisfied and also itching for the next book. Forbidden Runes reminded me of Throne of Glass mixed with a touch of Shadow and Bone, only sharper in emotion and bolder in its magic. If you like fast emotional swings, big romantic tension, magic that bites, royalty behaving badly, and heroines who dig deep even when the world is stacked against them, this one will hit the spot.
Pages: 214 | ASIN : B0BBH2GSD1
Mythology or Comparative Religions
Dead and Buried follows a woman learning to manage her Kitsune heritage and magic, who keeps having curveballs hurled at her from psychic attacks, supernatural creatures, and restless spirits. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
If I can quote Aerosmith, “Half my life’s in books written pages. Live and learn from fools and from sages.”
That pretty well sums up my life. Especially my younger years. I was a “surprise” baby, and my siblings were much older than I was. While I was loved, I really didn’t fit in. Then my father died when I was in grade school. By Junior High, my brothers and sister had all married and moved out of the house. So, I learned early to roll with the punches using books as my escape and humor as my armour.
Many of those books were in the Sci Fi/Fantasy realm, and I’ve always had a particular fascination with mythology or comparative religions.
I found Tai’s character to be believable and relatable; her emotions and responses felt real even when dealing with all the paranormal situations she was thrown into. Are there any emotions or memories from your own life that you put into your character’s life?
As I indicated, I had to learn to roll with the punches as a child. I kept Tai as human as she rolled with her punches. She also uses humor as armour, even though she has less of a filter on her mouth than I do.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
It is a lesson that we all need to learn – acceptance, resiliency, and personal growth.
Can you tell us where the book goes and where we’ll see the characters in the next book?
There are a planned nine books in the series – literally one for each of the nine tails that a Kitsune can have.
Book three has Tai and friends in New Orleans, where she meets distant family and makes new friends. Of course, there is plenty of growth – and it is not all for her. I hope to have the book available on Amazon in February.
Author Links: GoodReads | Amazon
Join Tai, Nico, and Magoo as they navigate contractors, heartbreak, and the undead.
All I wanted was a moment to myself. Being back in High School was exhausting. I groaned, contemplating the absurdity of the situation. Having to take summer school classes was lame at the best of times. But taking a High School class when you were eight-plus years out of school was even worse. Especially when it was a class I had technically already passed. Technically. By the skin of my teeth. Which, if I am to understand correctly, is a trait of certain gnomes. Not sure which ones, though.
Amongst Embers and Ashes
Amongst Embers and Ashes tells the story of Scarlet, a girl raised on an isolated farm who learns she is a pyro elemental. Her quiet life collapses as secrets spill open. She is taken from the only home she has known and thrown into a kingdom where politics, power, and fear swirl around her. The book follows her as she meets the other elementals, discovers the truth behind her past, and feels the weight of a world that both wants and fears her. The tale blends magic, trauma, and coming-of-age moments into a journey that keeps tilting between warm hope and sharp dread.
I felt swept up right away. The writing has this fast pulse to it, almost like Scarlet’s own nerves buzzing under the surface. Scenes crackle with emotion. Little moments hit hard, such as Scarlet lighting her fingertips so she can see in the dark, or the tight, bitter silence that fills the farmhouse during dinner. The dialogue feels natural and messy. People talk over each other. They misunderstand each other. I found that refreshing. The story leans into the confusion of being young and scared, and the author does not tidy it up. Sometimes Scarlet’s thoughts spiral in a way that feels raw and very emotional.
I liked the theme of being labeled dangerous before you even understand who you are. Scarlet’s guilt sits like a stone in her chest, and I could feel its weight while reading. The contrast between her rough farm life and the polished castle made me think about how power works and who gets to feel safe. I also enjoyed the mix of elemental magic with political tension. It gave the world a lot of texture, even in quiet scenes. The pacing is fast, and the energy of the story pulled me along, and I found myself caring more about the characters than the neatness of the plot. That says a lot about how well the emotional core is written.
This book would be great for readers who love character-driven fantasy, especially those who enjoy stories about teens pushed into roles they never asked for. If you like magic mixed with messy feelings, or if you want a tale that hits close to the heart, then Amongst Embers and Ashes is an easy recommendation.
Pages: 362 | ASIN : B0F2ZFDN9W
Mosswood Apothecary
Mosswood Apothecary is a cozy fantasy novel that follows Rowan Mosswood, a gentle, anxious botanical alchemist who accidentally grows invasive fungi during exams and packs dirt in his suitcase because it helps him think. After barely securing his graduation, he’s sent north to Frostfern Valley to study the region’s dwindling magic. What he finds there isn’t just a research assignment. It’s a quiet mountain town with withering crops, a long-abandoned greenhouse, a warm carpenter named Jimson, and a community that slowly becomes his home. The book blends slice-of-life pacing, soft magic, queer romance, and small-town healing, ending with Rowan opening his own apothecary and saying yes to a wooden ring carved from the oldest tree in the forest. It’s all very tender and very intentional.
The writing is simple in the best way: unhurried, a little vulnerable, and often funny without trying too hard. The worldbuilding leans more cozy than epic, even though the setting includes universities, automatons, and intricate alchemical sigils. What grounded me most were the sensory details that weren’t flashy: dirt under Rowan’s nails, windows iced in delicate patterns, the smell of elderflower tea hanging from the rafters.
I also loved how the story lets Rowan be soft. In so much fantasy, magic is about power or destiny, but here it feels like craft, patience, and care. Rowan’s magic grows wilder and more unpredictable the farther north he goes, and instead of turning that into a high-stakes threat, the author uses it to show how Rowan is changing, too. The romance builds the same way. Jimson isn’t swoony in a scripted sense; he’s solid, warm, and fully part of the town’s rhythm. Their relationship grows like something planted, slow at first, then steady, then suddenly blooming so clearly that by the time the Winter Festival proposal arrives, it just feels right. Even the townsfolk, with their worn-down farms and quiet pride, become part of Rowan’s chosen family, which gives the whole book the emotional softness of queer cozy fantasy at its best.
Mosswood Apothecary feels like TJ Klune’s The House in the Cerulean Sea crossed with the gentle, craft-centered magic of Travis Baldree’s Legends & Lattes, delivering a story that’s just as warm, queer, and quietly transformative. If you enjoy cozy fantasy, queer romance, or stories where magic supports character growth rather than overshadowing it, this book will be completely your vibe. It’s especially lovely if you like narratives about chosen family, rural communities, and soft magic that feels more herbal than explosive.
Pages: 392 | ASIN : B0FH5L8X2F
Take My Hand
Take My Hand follows Trina, a guidance counselor in the magical and queer-rich Dark District, as she navigates danger, desire, identity, and the messy, tender work of becoming who she is. The story swings between an attack at a local bar, her growing attraction to a new teacher named Robert, and the deeper, rawer layers of her identity as Timothy. The book blends urban fantasy, queer longing, Filipino culture, and personal history into something that feels both intimate and loud. It’s a story about wanting connection. It’s a story about fear. It’s a story about what happens when desire and truth keep bumping into each other until something finally gives.
The writing feels hungry. Emotional. A little chaotic in the best way. The scenes in the school had me smiling. The quiet moments in Trina’s office hit me harder than I thought they would. And the flashbacks to the orphanage knocked the wind out of me. I felt the ache in her voice. I felt the weight of all those years she kept her real self tucked away. The book swings from funny to sensual to heartbreaking with this almost reckless energy. I loved that the author just lets the story breathe and swell without trying to make everything neat.
There were moments that made me squirm because they felt too real. The longing for Robert. The guilt. The shame. The humor she hides behind. All of it felt familiar. The writing is loose and bold. Sometimes messy. Sometimes sharp. And the queer representation, especially around desire and gender and the body, felt honest in a way that isn’t common. I liked how the magic sits in the background. Never overwhelming. Just shaping the world the way emotions shape a person from the inside.
By the end, I felt protective of Trina. I wanted her to win. I wanted her to love someone who actually sees her. I wanted her to stop tearing herself apart just to fit into a skin she didn’t choose. The book made me feel a lot, and I liked that. I didn’t want it to be safe. I wanted it to stay exactly as wild and vulnerable as it is.
If you enjoy queer urban fantasy with plenty of heat, heart, and personal struggle, this book will hit the spot. If you like stories that mix magic with Manila vibes and real emotional weight, you’ll feel at home here. And if you want a character who is flawed, yearning, dramatic, funny, and painfully human, Trina is a character you’ll remember.
Although Take My Hand works perfectly well as a stand-alone story, it’s actually the second book in an ongoing series set in the Dark District. Readers who want the full experience can follow the chronology starting with Take Me Now, and even go further back with its prequel Sojourn. Both earlier works were previously compiled as a duology in the Dark District Primer, so new readers can choose to jump in here or enjoy the series in order for a richer sense of the world.
Pages: 400 | ASIN : B0DJ7JTG4S
Heritage Mountain
Heritage Mountain is a heartwarming blend of cozy fantasy and wilderness adventure, following botanist Anita and survivalist Marco as they reunite for an archaeological expedition in the Adirondacks. Alongside their close-knit friends, Maria and Chase, and a delightful cast of supernatural beings like pixies, elves, and a telepathic cat, the group embarks on a journey that’s as much about discovery as it is about connection, both with nature and each other. The story gently weaves folklore, love, mystery, and magic into the everyday, creating a world where firepits reveal ancient tools, and a simple forest walk may bring you face-to-face with stargazers or nymphs.
I genuinely enjoyed reading this. There’s a quiet, comforting kind of magic in the way author Karen Black writes. She gives the characters space to breathe, laugh, stumble, and grow close. I loved the humor between Chase and Maria. It felt like watching old friends tease and support each other without missing a beat. Marco’s protective, grounded energy made him instantly likable. And Anita. I loved Anita. Her blend of practicality and wonder, her quiet strength and openness to magic, made her feel real and relatable. And the worldbuilding? It’s so gentle and subtle, the supernatural just slips in like a whisper. Nothing is overexplained or flashy. And that makes it feel real.
Everything feels safe, and sometimes I find myself wishing for a little more tension or stakes. But then again, that’s probably the point. Heritage Mountain tells a different kind of story. One about trust, connection, and ancient magic hidden in plain sight. It’s quiet but rich, like the kind of story you’d tell around a fire under the stars. It made me want to go hiking. Or at least take a walk and keep an eye out for little footprints in the moss.
I’d recommend Heritage Mountain to anyone who loves stories about found family, soft magic, and wilderness tales that feel like a warm blanket on a chilly morning. If you liked Practical Magic or The Bear and the Nightingale, or just need a break from the world, this book will meet you gently and invite you in. Fans of cozy fantasy, magical realism, and wilderness adventure will find Heritage Mountain a gentle, enchanting read full of heart, hidden magic, and unforgettable charm.
Pages: 264 | ASIN : B0FGVT464K
Let the Story Lead Itself
The Best Worst Christmas Ever follows a father and his three children trapped by a blizzard on Christmas Eve, who, after the power goes out, spend the evening on a magical adventure through their shared imagination. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
After writing five adult mysteries, I wanted to challenge myself with something completely different and decided to cross over to a fantasy. I started brainstorming ideas not long before Christmas, so it was an easy decision to choose a holiday setting. I thought it would be fun to see the story from different points of view as it progressed, and what better way to do that than to have it told by children of different ages with different ideas of what the story should be. The power outage was the only way I could think of to force bickering children to sit still and listen to each other talk. It also created more of a cozy atmosphere in the home.
Are there any emotions or memories from your own life that you put into your character’s life?
I have three daughters, all grown now, that I used to read to every night at bedtime. Much of their interactions with each other and reactions to the stories, including their likes and dislikes, found their way into the voices of the children in this story.
When you first sat down to write this story, did you know where you were going, or did the twists come as you were writing?
I had my first novel all planned out, but by the third chapter, it had taken itself in a totally different direction, and I never used most of what I’d plotted in advance, so I’ve learned to just let the story lead itself as I write. Virtually all of the events in this book were the result of ideas that only entered my mind while writing the chapter before it. It’s surprising how different parts end up fitting together even without following an outline.
What is the next novel that you are working on, and when will that be available?
I wrapped up my five-mystery series in a way that would make it unfair to the characters to bring them back and put them in harm’s way again. Now, though, I’ve had several requests to write a prequel, including one from my editor. It’s an intriguing idea that I may pursue this winter, but at this point, it’s only a concept that will require a lot of gray hair to bring to reality, so the release of an actual book is hard to imagine at this stage.
Author Links: GoodReads | X (Twitter) | Facebook | Website | Amazon
LITERARY TITAN 