Blog Archives
Titanian Warrior
Titanium Warrior is the final book in the Titanium chronicles by Victoria Saccenti. Hagen, the novel’s hero must find his eternal Phoenix mate or risk going rogue with blood lust and getting eliminated. The heroine, Faiza, and her sister are sold off by their parents to Master O, a strange wizard who Faiza suspects is not genuine with them. The protagonists’ destinies intertwine when Faiza’s vision of an injured man accompanying master O. is fulfilled. As Faiza figures out Master O’s diabolical plan, she must get them out of his clutches. Will Faiza be able to accept the destiny that connects her and Hagen?
Titanium Warrior by Victoria Saccenti is a story of eternal love, fated lovers, and everything in between. It is filled with adventures and action. Readers are quickly immersed in an exotic world which, although materially similar to the human world, is wildly different. This is a befitting recommendation for lovers of fantasy and paranormal romance, including readers who enjoy heart-warming tales.
The romance between our protagonists is passionate and believable. Although it might seem like an advanced reading with complex characters, it is engaging. The supporting characters are also well-developed, adding depth to the story. The use of suspense moves the story’s plot, and the pacing of the story is well-balanced. The novel explores several themes, including love, trust, betrayal, and redemption.
Titanium Warrior by Victoria Saccenti is a riveting, well-written, and blends romance, action, and fantasy seamlessly. It features an exciting display of supernatural forces and power in the modern world. A world with cars, computers, and technology that doubles as a world filled with Titanians, vampires, wizards, and different supernatural creatures that walk amongst humans. There’s also a unique, constant reference to supernaturals using technology to fight evil.
Pages: 284 | ASIN : B0BNZFHM28
Coyote
This story begins with Jim going on his hike through the canyons. He’s excited about this trip and wants to make the most of it. As he was settling to sleep, a howling sound could be heard around him, coyotes. He examines where the noise comes from and discovers the strangest ancient ritual, the coyotes stood around a fire, their howls sounding tuneful. This wasn’t a ritual meant for human eyes; Jim begins to back away and run to his car. He can feel the coyotes all around until he meets the coyote, who wears a blazer, and a hat and smokes a pipe. Jim escapes, but not entirely – he is plagued by this coyote every single day. He feels unsafe and on edge no matter where he is.
Coyote by Charles Combee is a fascinating story about a coyote dressed smartly in a red blazer and black hat, which is powerful and not of this earth. This story depicts a coyote who has an unusual but deadly power. Jim escapes narrowly, but the same could not be said for Audrey and her family. Audrey and her family were just as unaware of what was ahead for them as Jim. The coyote tears this family apart, as well as causes the strange phenomenon of certain areas of land becoming ‘dead’ and generating a feeling of knives if you enter. Audrey attempts to escape but is caught and trapped alone in the darkness until Jim frees her. However, when Audrey is free, they discover she is still linked to the powerful coyote, and they must break the link for Audrey to get her life back.
This book is excellently written with interesting and unique characters. The world-building and the scenery are described so well that the reader can clearly imagine the surroundings and feel like they are there with the characters. Charles Combee successfully creates suspense throughout the story, and the reader can feel the uneasiness of the characters. This book is dramatic, exciting, and has a unique storyline, which is thought out and completed perfectly. I’d thoroughly recommend this book to anybody who loves suspenseful stories. Readers will be fully emersed in the world created in Coyote.
Pages: 178 | ASIN : B0BM52CT25
Tales Untold
In Tales Untold: Mythos Around the World, a collection of short stories, readers will travel around the world. With the compiled works of 15 authors, readers will adventure through small towns, jungles, oceans, ancient history, space, and exotic locales of many kinds. The stories take us through myths and legends, touching on the very core of what makes us human. Each story will teach lessons, each story will take you to another world, and each story will end leaving you feeling more complete than before you started. Readers of all kinds will find their genre represented in this fascinating collection of short stories.
Janie Kang et al. took their passion for myths, legends, and culture and turned it into a beautiful collection of stories. Each story stirred me in different ways, whether it was a lesson to be learned or a short horror story that brought a visceral reaction. There was never a lack of twists and turns, and I didn’t have a chance to put down the book down as each story begs to be completed in one sitting.
Each story brought me to a new location, full of stories of its own, a whole world with new feelings and rules that they follow. I found myself trapped in a painting watching the stories unfold and gaining insight into how the world functions. This fictional retelling helps address grief and loss, showing us that loved ones can be found.
Character development was wonderful and the stories themselves were great, there were just a few that I felt didn’t resonate as strong as the others, but that’s just personal preference. Anyone who is looking for a compelling and unique collection of short stories will find something to love in Tales Untold: Mythos Around the World.
Pages: 302 | ASIN: B0BL3FCCP4
The Original Myths And Legends
Minotaur’s Lair, and the entire Servant of the God’s series, are intriguing fantasy novels. Why was it important for you to write this book series?
Great question. Firstly, I love ancient history and mythology, and studied ancient history for years and still consider myself a student. There is a lot to still learn about ancient cultures, and I consider these ancient civilisations much more clever and far more innovative than we are today. This is one of the reasons why I wrote Servant of the Gods, to hopefully inspire my audience to read the original myths and legends and the various ancient civilisations from which they came from. I don’t advocate going back in time, like Evan was forced to, and in particular the terrible way women and slaves were treated. I like to create stories where readers can immerse themselves and vicariously experience the highs and lows felt by the characters, and in the process make ancient history a vibrant and interesting subject to learn through storytelling.
As this book wraps up the series, were you able to achieve everything you wanted with the characters in the novel?
Yes and no. The series changed a lot from its initial conception and even when I was writing Minotaur’s Lair, there were elements in the story that deviated from what I had planned. The characters deemed the flow of the narrative and I had no choice but to let them dictate. Afterall, it is their story. What I wanted to discuss through the story was what if we had an alternative religion, so very different to one’s today and not one mandated by a patriarchal system. And would it change the way we view life, work and gender inequality in all its forms?
What was your favorite character to write for and why? Was there a scene you felt captured the character’s essence?
Hmmm… I had a few favourites, but if I had to choose, it would be Dexion, the young Sicilian boy and seer. Despite his street smarts and behaved somewhat more maturely than that of a twelve-year prepubescent teenager, Dexion was still a young boy who wanted the love of a parent.
There was the scene where Dexion tries to reach out to Evan and gives clues to help him remember why Zeus sent him from the Twenty-first Century to the Seventh century B.C.E. It shows his maturity but also that he’s alone and yearns for the fatherly connection he and Evan had created in Books 1 and 2.
The Servant of the God’s series took readers on an exciting quest to stop the Dark Master. What will your next novel be about, and what will the whole series encompass?
I am currently working on a thriller/suspense/timeslip series titled Coin of Time and it’s about two coins infused with magical powers first owned by Herakles, and passed down from generation to generation of a family who once were the bodyguards of Helen of Sparta and her family. One coin disappears during crusades and Nik’s predecessors, the Zosimos’ were the guardians of the coins, try to find the missing one.
The story is set in the present, Nik and his grandfather go looking for the sister coin in France, where a neo-Nazi group led by Konrad Resnik, are also seeking the coin. Book 1, The Guardian’s Legacy is published and has received multiple nominations for awards, and Book 2 is drafted and almost ready for beta readers to evaluate. If anyone is interested in being a beta reader, email me! authorluciana@outlook.com
I am also working on a historical fiction based on the life of Hypatia, the astrophysicist and mathematician who lived in ancient Alexandria and was killed by religious fanatics.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website
Evan and his companions are entrapped by the Amazon Queen Antioche and her warriors. Memories and allegiances are tested. The Dark Master’s victorious revenge over the gods is almost complete. The plight of the High Priestess is precarious, her health ailing, and unable to rescue her brother and fellow Atlanteans.
The last sacred relic, secreted in the lair of the Minotaur, must be recovered or the Dark Master’s succession plans of a new god are complete. The mystical lands of Krete, the final stage of Evan’s journey, are within his grasp. He must succeed so his father, Zeus, fulfills his promise. Then there is Queen Antioche, and the precious gifts she presents him.
Will Evan return home, and what will become of his future?
Minotaur’s Lair is the third and final book in the action-packed Servant of the Gods historical fiction series. If you enjoy well-researched landscapes, historic characters, excitement, mythical creatures and unique settings, then you’ll love Luciana Cavallaro’s heroic odyssey.
The Fifth Horseman
The Fifth Horseman by Jon Smith is the supernatural story of Emma, a woman who is fed up with how her life is going. She decides to end her troubles by jumping off a building. Sadly, her flatmate Mark shows up attempting to get her to rethink things, as well as delivering an unwanted declaration of love. Instead of hitting the sidewalk, the pair are suddenly whisked away by a skeletal being on a pale horse, Death.
Something has caused their life’s hourglasses to freeze in their final moments. Not knowing what to do with this duo caught between life and death, Death takes them home to Limbo, where they eventually become his apprentices. These unlikely reapers soon learn not all is well in the order of death, and if the issues progress, it could end the world. Can Death’s problems be the salvation of their existence?
Jon Smith has crafted a beautiful world that is easy to imagine yourself transported into. It gives a unique twist on the afterlife. I liked the blending of ideas like the Christian horsemen and Greek ferryman. I love that Death has a cottage by the River Styx where the dead trends of yesteryears are his décor and food options. This is a similar case we find with the other horsemen, whose homes also collect items of their area of expertise from the bygone era. This humorous fantasy novel has entertaining humor throughout. Readers experience things like a curmudgeon Death, who’s getting too “old” for the job, and a gold-obsessed ferryman, Charon, who bemoans the lack of gold coin on modern souls. We even have Pestilence, who’s so into his job of creating illness he tests his new diseases on himself sometimes. The book, while funny at times, also had great thought-provoking moments that make you contemplate life.
If I have one recommendation for this novel, it is to add some translations of some French phrases. Some you can guess, but some are not entirely clear about what is being said. I think a footnote for these would be helpful for readers less familiar with the phrases.
The Fifth Horseman by Jon Smith is a comical fiction novel that readers who love a good spin on death will enjoy. This book created an exciting story of the afterlife and what happens when its delicate balance is upset. It had great depictions of the horseman, the ferryman, and just two average joes who are caught in the middle of the game of life and death.
Pages: 320 | ISBN: 9781838452940
Minotaur’s Lair
Minotaur’s Lair – Servant of the Gods – Book Three by Luciana Cavallaro is the final installment in the trilogy, which follows Evan, who must face Queen Antioche and stop the Dark Master from becoming a deity. If the Dark Master successfully gains this power, Evan and his alliances face an uncertain future. There are many unexpected twists throughout his journey and fate, making this book an incredible read.
The story maintains a consistent pace that conjures excitement from the start. Cavallaro creates an action-packed tale with elements of ancient mythology and mystical places, contrasting with time travel and modern technology. Evan must quickly adapt and learn how his quest shifts from one challenge to the next, whether Queen Antioch attempts to entice him with tempting gifts and promises or he becomes face-to-face with a new enemy. He must also follow his father’s legacy by locating a sacred artifact while defeating his captors.
Cavallaro’s fantastic writing style is sharp and descriptive without slowing the story’s pace. The author thoroughly researches the architecture, landscapes, and scenarios in mythology. It’s a fantastic adventure full of exciting developments and lively characters. As the story delves into the thrilling mythology of an ancient world, Evan becomes eager to find a way home to his time in the future.
I found this book, and the trilogy, an excellent story that’s engaging and enjoyable from start to finish. The author does a fantastic job of creating an intricate world with layers of fascinating developments and characters that keep the reader moving from one chapter to the next. Minotaur’s Lair – Servant of the Gods – Book Three by Luciana Cavallaro is an excellent read for science fiction and fantasy fans. I recommend the trilogy and look forward to more books from this author.
Pages: 396 | ASIN : B0BFGW1Z6S
Elysia
Courtney and her friends have finally re-entered the world of Elysia, only to discover the world that needs their help. Sinister characters are trying to harness the magic to steal the Crystal of Light from the dreamland, and they must be stopped. So Courtney and her friends must travel to another dreamland known as the magic world to stop them. Through their mission to stop the bad guys from taking the crystal, they face unique challenges to protect themselves in the dream world and reality. Will they make it through and save the dream worlds; find out in Elysia: The Magical World by Malcolm Chester!
Elysia: The Magical World is a story full of exciting plot concepts, including the traditional coming-of-age tale. Regarding plot and pacing, Elysia was a great and entertaining read. I was reading an Alice in Wonderland retelling. With the dream elements, special honey, and creative dream characters, Elysia carries the same magic as Lewis Carroll’s classic children’s book. It even further resembles the Disney live-action remakes with the amount of adventure that takes place.
I felt that Courtney’s interactions with Reginald felt forced. When they first meet in Elysia again and kiss, it becomes awkward and uncomfortable for the reader. I felt like I was reading middle school fanfiction. With lines such as “Reginald’s lips tasted like the most delicious food Courtney ever ate.” and “The heat between them grew stronger.” You can attribute some of these matters to the age of our characters, but there may have been a better way to write these scenes and the dialogue within them. But overall, it gave the novel a sweet and quaint ending that many will appreciate.
Elysia: The Magical World is an entertaining children’s fantasy novel that takes readers into a magical dream world. This adventure story is a fun and fast-paced read that was easy to digest in one sitting. I look forward to seeing what Chester publishes in the future!
Pages: 166 | ASIN : B07N7RN2VW
Elysia
Elysia: The World In Children’s Dreams is a children’s book written by Malcolm Chester. It features 11-year-old Courtney, who has a troubled home life. In addition, she is a young girl just starting puberty and experiencing all the emotions that go along with this stage of life. Elysia is an escape for Courtney. It is a dream-like fantasy world that allows her to forget her problems at home. However, problems soon plague Elysia as the crystal that supplies the world’s magic is stolen by an evil king in this world. Courtney’s primary goal is to find and return the crystal and restore the magic and balance to Elysia.
Chester does a great job at creating a relatable character in Courtney. She is a caring girl while also dealing with issues children might be dealing with. For example, her father was sent to prison. Unfortunately, these issues are rarely brought up in books made for children. Hence, it is essential to shine a light on these types of relationships. Children need to have an outlet and understand that although their situation might not be typical, they are not the only ones going through it.
Chester creates a world that is so imaginative and charming readers will want to exsperance the magic of Elysia themselves. This lets the reader understand why Courtney doesn’t want to leave. The world of Elysia is symbolic and an excellent allegory for growing up. By saving Elysia, Courtney learns it’s important to be proactive when trying to fix a problem bigger than herself. She learns that she is brave and strong enough to resolve any issue in front of her. This is a lesson she can take to her real life and issues that will arise from puberty and growing up.
Elysia: The World in Children’s Dreams is a children’s and middle-grade fantasy novel. This story can be read by anyone looking to find inspiration. It’s a great story that teaches change doesn’t have to be scary, a lesson many of us could use today.
Pages: 320 | ASIN : B0792XS13D
LITERARY TITAN 