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Morningstar by Darcy Town

Let me start by saying that I have read the whole series, and yes, I really, really liked it. Loved it.

The Morningstar trilogy is about fallen angels, mythical creatures, religions re-interpreted and completely upended. There is a lot of sex (all kinds of it), drugs, violent behavior and events, lack of morals..

What’s great about the story:
The characters are well written and their journey and history make them well-rounded and multidimensional. You do come to care about them. Actually, I dare say you sometimes care more about the secondary characters than the main ones, but you will love all of them, and I wouldn’t discard any of them too early. They all grow throughout the trilogy. There’s a definite good plot there that you just have to follow and see how it unfolds. And you won’t be disappointed.

The spin that the author puts on religions was a big attraction to me but I have to say that this is not for everyone and some may feel lost early on because of it. This group of creatures is just as interesting (and sometimes more) as any bunch of werewolves or vampires. Also, the “victor writing history” approach when talking about Lucifer may be offensive for some. The sex, violence, and mixture of all religions may also be a turn off for others. If you’re still reading at this point, you may be like me and should just read all three books.

What could be improved on:
It could be better edited. I completely disregarded a bunch of things because I loved the plot and characters, but I am aware that others would be unable to get past it.

There are definitely some scenes that I would do without. They unnecessarily lengthen the story.

And voila! I’ve made my case and I really hope you take a chance on this. But remember: it has to be all three books! Just the first one is really not enough.

Reviewed by Incognito

Check out Darcy Town’s Amazon Page

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Ice by Lyn Gardner

Detective Inspectors Margaret “Maggie” Campbell and Alexandra “Alex” Blake are both rising stars at the Met. They are at the opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to their personalities and how they go about doing their jobs.

Maggie is by the book and diplomatic. Alex is passionate and all about bending the rules. They meet, and they clash, and go their separate ways. The story starts 3 years later when they are assigned on the same case, and circumstances force them to face their real feeling for each other.

Let me start by saying that this is an enjoyable and light read and one goes through it really fast. I liked the fast pace (although Cheri would have called multiple bullshit factors 🙂 ).

On the other hand, the dialogue could have been better. The characters are slightly flat, and there are some “filler” scenes and characters which are not needed nor do they add value to the story. The story also felt hurried in some places and too prolonged in others.

It’s a decent debut novel and good for a quickie.

Ice is available on Smashwords

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Silver Moon by Catherine Lundoff

Silver Moon is the story of Becca Thornton and menopause, wolves, sexy female neighbors, ex-husbands, and divorces and how she deals, or does not deal, with all of them. I have to emphasize that this is the story of Becca and no one else.

Silver Moon is an easy read which has a lot of potential but feels like an introduction, the pilot episode of a series. The premise is completely original, the type of lead character, also, is original for this type of fiction: there is no young, beautiful, glamorous, and commanding female lead. No rich one either. This woman is down-to-earth, struggling with the changes in her life, her feelings for her female neighbor, her divorce and how her ex-husband sees her. And with how she sees herself. She will not always make the right choices and I found her often frustrating in how she faces issues, but she’s always very real and that is refreshing.

Silver Moon by Catherine Lundoff

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The Veil of Sorrow by Crystal Michallet-Romero

The Veil of Sorrow is almost the story of one woman Comtesse Laurensa Catherine de la Fontaine and the women in her life. I say almost because there are two love stories, one with the Baronne Isabelle dela Chorange, and the other with Madame Faivre, but neither are quite delved into. Another love is in the works which, again, is never quite developed.

We know that the Comtesse is a vampire; there are hints to how she became a vampire, but not enough meat to sink our teeth into. There are a LOT of story lines in this book but all were glossed over and, as a result, the characters are almost incomplete.

I am not one for long books or excessive filler but this is one book where I would have liked to read more about the characters and see them in different situations. I wanted to get attached to them and “want” to know what happens to them. I was waiting for the climax, but I never got it.

The other thing is that this is written as the diaries and letters of the different characters and, although this might have worked for other books (namely Bram Stoker’s Dracula), it didn’t quite do it for me in this case.

Now don’t get me wrong, it’s not a hard read. It’s actually pleasant if you don’t expect action or romance. I was expecting much more.

Read it on a lazy Sunday.

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Iron Rose Bleeding by Anne Azel

Courtney Hunter’s boss is gorgeous, powerful and very enigmatic. She is very rich but no one knows where her money comes from. She knows everyone, but no one knows anything about her. Taylor Alexandria Punga is a mystery Courtney wants to unveil. Recklessly she goes too far, and gets more than she bargained for..

I have never been a fan of this genre (I am not saying what it is!) but Courtney and Taylor are well drawn and characters and their story is very well written. Courtney’s sense of humor, Taylor’s almost innocence in certain aspects and her brilliance in others make this story a hit.
The story has probably not been edited, but the mistakes are not enough to keep you from enjoying it. I really like Anne Azel’s style as she does not have much “filling” as other writers and is straight to the point and intelligent.
This is a VERY enjoyable and intelligent piece.
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The Crucible by CanadaBadGirl (aka Allie)

“Being gay is like having ginger hair”

One of the things little Emma has learned from her mommy Nikki and it makes you wonder :).

After Nikki Wade was set free, she got together with Helen Stewart and formed a happy home. After a few years, they decide to have a child, biologically Nikki’s, carried to term by Helen: Emma. Nikki and Helen separate when Emma is three years old and, although both women have not gotten over each other, neither of them is willing to admit it. To add to their problems, Nikki’s mother sees Emma at the the zoo with her uncle David, and runs with the news to Nikki’s father who files for custody of the child, citing Nikki’s past, her business, her sexual orientation. We get insight into Nikki’s family and circle of friend, an eclectic mix of personalities.
The struggle to protect Emma, the angst of a mother when faced with the possible loss of her daughter, the longing for a lover she can’t get over make for a wonderful drama. Emma’s occurrences and her mothers’ patience puts a smile on my face every time I read the piece.
One of my favorite fics EVER.
HIGHLY recommended.