Review: Crown of War and Shadow ( Kingdoms of the Compass #1) by J. R. Ward

An outcast burdened with a curse and a mercenary who’s out for himself collide in this star-crossed, slow-burn, high-stakes romantic fantasy from #1 New York Times bestseller J. R. Ward.

In the dead of night, passions rise and empires fall. Welcome to Kingdoms of the Compass.

The Fulcrum is failing, and demons are slipping into the mortal world, stalking the night.

No one is safe.

Especially not Sorrel. An orphan and an outcast, she’s spent her whole life within the walls of her small village, ostracized for her mystical abilities. She wants to survive…and maybe find somewhere she can call her true home. But Fate has other plans.

Sorrel has been chosen. Cursed.

She must cross the Badlands to return the Queen’s crown and convince the fearsome female to save their world from destruction.

Well aware she’s no brave hero, Sorrel makes a dangerous deal with Merc, a brooding, commanding mercenary known only by his unscrupulous profession.

The deal? A night in his bed that she will never forget, in exchange for her safe passage.

But Merc has secrets of his own, and even though passion runs hot between them, enemies are around every corner, and danger and betrayal threaten at every turn.

Crown of War and Shadow is the first book in the Kingdoms of the Compass series.

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What I thought about Crown of War and Shadow 

In this first installment of the Kingdoms of Compass series, Sorrel is a young woman with powers that frighten. She's considered cursed, so she hides her skills, although the townspeople aren't above calling on her if they need her. When a mercenary arrives in town, she sees it as her ticket out. Of course, there's a price to pay for that and adventures to come as they escape.

J. R. Ward does what she does best here, creating an interesting cast of characters with an intricate plot with lots of great reveals and plot twists. I liked that about the story. The romance is of the slow burn variety, but that worked here and the pace was great aside from a smattering of slow spots. There's a cliff hanger too, which I do like in a series. Overall, a great start to the series! Looking forward to more.

Review: The Fatal Confidant by Debra Webb

An aspiring DA must put his trust in a criminally seductive fixer in a twisty thriller about secrets, manipulation, and murder by USA Today bestselling author Debra Webb.

Deputy district attorney Carson Tanner is nicknamed the Avenger for good reason. Fifteen years ago, the murder of Carson’s family fueled an unrelenting need for justice. His latest investigation into Birmingham crime boss Otis Fleming is a career maker—if he can crack Fleming’s closest confidant.

Annette Baxter is a fierce and cunning fixer who makes the dirty deeds of the city’s elite disappear. She’s ready to turn on Fleming to save herself—but Carson may not be ready to face all the secrets she protects.

Annette claims there’s more to Carson’s brutal past than he could have imagined, and a string of new murders suggests that someone in town is tidying up loose ends. Can he trust her long enough to find the truth? Can she trust him long enough to survive?

Revised edition: Previously published as Faceless, this edition of The Fatal Confidant includes editorial revisions.

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What I thought about A Fatal Confidant

Carson Tanner is a dedicated prosecutor and in line for the new district attorney job once his boss moves up. He's given a case to deal with it -- take down the local crime boss by way of a woman named Annette Baxter. Carson has already met Annette and it could cause him big trouble in his quest for the top spot. 

A bit part of this book is figuring out who is the bad guy and who isn't.  Annette has many of those answers but it could cause her to lose her life. She has to decide whether she wants to help Carson or not.

There were some romantic elements in this story and I liked that about it.  The growing relationship between Carson and Annette was my most favorite thing about this story.

I did find this to be a slow read.  It was hard to get invested in the characters. There was so much going on in the story that dominated things over the characters, which is why I am rating this 4 stars. 

Release Week Review: First Sign of Danger (Haven's Rock #4) by Kelley Armstrong

 

New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong continues the atmospheric Haven’s Rock series as Casey Duncan investigates a threat to their off-the-grid Yukon town.

Detective Casey Duncan and her husband, Sheriff Eric Dalton, are entering a new chapter of life as parents to their six-month-old baby. Their family is hidden away in the sanctuary town of Haven’s Rock where they can live safe and private lives. But when they encounter hikers too close to the borders of Haven’s Rock, they realize they’re in danger of being exposed.

When they find one of the hikers dead the next day, they realize that their paranoia was justified, but they’re no closer to finding out who these people were and what they were doing in the vicinity of Haven’s Rock. Only by tracing the hikers’ movements, as well as examining the recent behavior of their closest neighbors, the workers of a secretive mining camp, will they be able to figure out where the threat is coming from and shut it down. Otherwise, the lives of everyone in Haven’s Rock--and their safe, secure new existence--are at risk.

se, the lives of everyone in Haven’s Rock--and their safe, secure new existence--are at risk.se, the lives of everyone in Haven’s Rock--and their safe, secure new existence--are at risk.se, the lives of everyone in Haven’s Rock--and their safe, secure new existence--are at risk.

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What I thought about First Sign of Danger

Quiet life in the Haven's Rock sanctuary is disrupted when two hikers get a little too close to the mining camp. The question is why were they so close to Haven's Rock and the mining camp? Are the residents of Haven's Rock in danger? Eric and Casey take their law enforcing roles seriously and they work to unravel the secrets behind both the hikers and the mining camp that has been a thorn in their side.

I love this world that the author has created. With each book in the series, new details are exposed and it's become easy to become invested in Eric and Casey as they keep the peace in their little sanctuary. They are both very likable characters, and the addition of their young daughter brings hope for the future of this community. What really attracts me to this series is the fact that we all need a Haven't Rock to go to at times, and this series is a great escape! Definitely recommended.  

Review: The Swamps by Seraphina Nova Glass

Some disappearances are tragedies. Others are warnings.

Macy and Ethan built their careers chasing the unknown, turning their YouTube channel, Ghost Patrol, into a viral sensation as they investigated the paranormal. But when they venture into the murky depths of the Louisiana bayou to investigate the disappearances of Emily Tremblay and Elizabeth Brockton alongside team members Tasha and Max, their latest case takes a lethal turn.

What begins as a routine hunt for answers quickly spirals into something far more sinister. Shadows move where they shouldn't. Secrets surface where none should exist. And when Macy stumbles upon a horrifying truth, she realizes they were never just hunting a story; they were lured here for a reason. As the swamp closes in and the line between hunter and hunted blurs, one thing becomes terrifyingly some secrets are better left buried.

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What I thought about The Swamps 

 In this novella / short story, a team of ghost hunters decide to take on the disappearance of two young women from the southern town. It's creepy from the start and stays that way until the very end. 

Things are bad from the start with a cabin on the swamp that is run by two very strange proprietors.  Even so, the group decides to interview suspects and search for the killer. Things move along quickly, which I liked, although there were some times when I wondered why Macy wasn't asking more questions.  I'm not going to say much more than that, except that I figured out the killer just moments before it is revealed in the story.  

If you are looking for a short story with a little "bite" you might like this one.