Crimson Moon (The Dark Woods, Book One)
by Sherri A. Wingler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reviewed for Readers Favorite
She might be young and she might be on her own, but she wasn't unable to take care of herself; not that Grey knew that exactly but he could tell there was something different about her. She wasn't fully human that was for sure, and why he felt the need to take care of her and keep her with him, he couldn't really say, of course his wolf wanted her but she was way to young, not even eighteen yet. Harlow was used to not trusting anyone, but there was something about Grey that had her wanting to trust him and then, once she had him and his wolf in her mind, she was even more inclined to trust him, although things got even more confusing. Crimson Moon by author Sherri Wingler is not your typical shifter novel, in fact even though Grey is part wolf, there is never any shape shifting, its more like a split personality issue.
Crimson Moon is a complex and twisted story that involves Grey and his past in a way, but mostly Harlow and the secrets about her life and her birth. Even when she finds out the truth, things are not going to be happily ever after, there is always going to be trouble when a wolf is involved. Author Sherri Wingler takes a completely different approach to the wolf-man hybrid and instead of having him shift his shape into the wolf, it is just a personality takeover, nothing in the body, physically changes, but as Harlow learns more about Grey she can hear the difference in their voices, the way they walk and talk, the way they hold themselves. This is not something I have encountered in a novel before and it made for interesting reading, although there was a real love-hate relationship between Grey and his wolf that I questioned. Since this is labeled as Book One, I would hope that Grey's past and some of the demons that created that love-hate relationship might be explored at some point in the future because at this point, I am confused by it still. There is violence and some intimate moments, so I would definitely recommend this for adult readers.
View all my reviews
Dream Warrior (Dark Alliance Series, Book 1)
by Brenda Trim, Tami Julka
My rating: 4.8 of 5 stars
Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite
Life was simple, Elise always thought, there was nothing extraordinary out there, just regular people living the same as she was, until the day her world was turned upside down. Her husband Dalton was murdered, and what the police didn't admit, but Elise had seen was that it was not a human killer. She thought is was a vampire and joined a vigilante group that went out at night killing them, only there was was so much more to the world than what Elise could ever imagine. A chance encounter at a burrito restaurant brings her face to face with the Vampire King, Zander, and neither of them can get the other out of their thoughts or dreams. To make matters worse, a new archdemon has arrived in town, and the fight between the dark and light is getting intense. Dream Warrior is the story of Zander and Elise, the delicate and complicated dance they do as she has to heal from the death of her husband, to then accepting the reality of the world, and then becoming part of this new world. Authors Brenda Trim and Tami Julka create an amazingly complex and romantic, yet dangerous world of supernaturals. Full of adventure and fighting, while at the same time a delicate, sweet romance of fated mates and everlasting love is playing out on the side.
Dream Warrior is the first book in the Dark Alliance series. Not only is this the story of Zander and Elise, we are introduced to the whole extended family of the Dark Warriors. Authors Brenda Trim and Tami Julka do such a wonderful job of creating characters that you can't help but fall for, you want to know what happens, you root for them, cry with them, cheer with them, and keep reading until you turn that last page. There is plenty of action, fighting and adventure, twists and turns around every page that keeps you on the edge of your seat. At the same time, there is the tender and steamy story of the complicated dance of fated mates, one immortal mate forever, that the Goddess has chosen for you. I mean, who doesn't love a steamy love story, but at the same time, the idea that you had no say in the matter. This is a wonderful book. Yes there is violence and steamy romance in the book, so as long as you are ok with that you will love this book! In fact, you will probably devour it and be rushing to find the rest of the series, if you are anything like I was! Enjoy!!
Dark Alliance Series:
1. Dream Warrior
2. Mystik Warrior
3. Deviant Warrior
3.5. Mistletoe & Mayham
4. Scarred Warrior (originally slated for 2015 release - not released as of yet)
View all my reviews
Storyland
by Dawn Napier
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reviewed for +Readers' Favorite
Memorial Day weekend that year was the same as any other year, except that come Tuesday the world would forever change. It became known simply as It, in the time Before and the time After. Storyland begins with a series of small chapters, each a brief scene into the life of a character that might show up again in the later story. Each of these scenes are labeled by time. Ten years AR, or Five years AR, or even Twenty years AR, and it gives you glimpses into how rapidly some things in the world changed and how slowly other things changed. In the remainder of the book, +Dawn Napier tells the story of Alicia and her life in the time after. Her struggle, her crusade, and what she must endure to survive in this new world order.
Storyland defies a genre label. It can easily be called a fantasy book, albeit a bit dark. It could be called a dystopian, or supernatural or even paranormal. It really doesn't matter what you want to call it, you just want to find it, take your time and read. I do mean to take your time, because as you watch the world crumble, you will be forced to think, to realize that no one is prepared for every possibility, and chaos can rule. +Dawn Napier does a wonderful job of bring classic monsters and demons from all the favorite writers of the past, and making them living, breathing characters in this world. Some just come into being, and other morph out of humans already on the planet. What is fabulous is how the author is able to give the perspective from those people as they don't understand what is happening to them, and they still try to retain some of their human qualities. As with any post-apocalyptic type world where chaos rules, there are adult themes in this book, nothing graphic, and not much, but it definitely belongs in the story when the author uses it. Therefore I recommend it for adult readers!
View all my reviews
