Magenta Shaman by Lily Childs

 

Book Description
A natural shaman by birth, Magenta Sweeney travels through trance-induced realms to deliver souls from demonic threat.


But Magenta also has an earthly life in modern-day Brighton, a strange and cosmopolitan city caught between the rolling hills of England and the Sussex coast where she lives with her husband Tom.


Every journey Magenta takes is unique. Her intricate knowledge of herbs and poisons guides her when to heal - and when to kill. Yet before she faces each challenge she must meet with an ancient and terrifying entities that will unlock her passage into other dimensions, but not without question - or sacrifice.




When I was thinking about my next book to review, I wanted something in the Horror Genre. Well I got my wish in the first novella Magenta Shaman by Lily Childs. This short story follows Magenta a natural born shaman, as she journeys to the other side to fight evil. From the very first page this tale will grab you by the seat of your pants and take you on a psychological mind trip. Just let me say this reading is not for the faint of heart! 


I was very excited to see a dark urban fantasy with the subject of Shamanism. We have seen plenty of wizards, witches but rarely shamans. Lily Childs does a fantastic job of explaining of process of journeying as Magenta helps her husband Tom find his way into the spiritual world.


The plot is well thought out and even though it is a short story I found that I could "read between the lines". I was able to grasp the complete background story of Magenta and her husband. There are three characters in the story which were fully developed and had great depth, which is a huge achievement for a novella. 


The author's vivid descriptions of her travels into the supernatural world were very real and horrific, given the fact that all you need to do is shut your eyes to be transported into the realm of horror. I was able to envision the demons that Magenta and Tom faced, by the author's descriptions. Lily's Childs' writing is gritty and leaves nothing  to the imagination. I was reading so fast I finished in about 15 mins. I could not get enough and wanted to keep reading. All in all this is a great first episode for Magenta Shaman and I look forward to the next installment. I give this a worthy 5 stars!


                                          5 Stars

You may find Lily Childs on the web @ her blog :
Lily Childs Feardom




Reviewed by Witchofthemists 

The Witch Awakening ( Book one of the Landers Saga) by Karen Nilsen

Book Description :


The odor of burning flesh and screams of those condemned to the flames disturb the dreams of young Safire of Long Marsh. Safire struggles to keep the curse of her psychic abilities secret, lest she be burned at the stake as a witch in her native land Cormalen. Forced to keep her talents hidden instead of learning how to use them, Safire is ill-prepared to face the evil that awaits her. 


When she meets the rebellious Merius of Landers, a nobleman determined to escape his overbearing father's influence, she finally finds someone who accepts her. But their romance interferes with court plots and family duty and ultimately leads Safire to confront the dark secrets of the House of Landers alone. What she finds there proves to be a test of her unusual gifts, a test that could free the soul of a haunted man - or end in her death. 


The Witch Awakening by Karen Nilsen, is a tale of courtly intrigue, true love and old world adventure with a paranormal twist. I wasn't sure what to expect as I started to read, but was pleasantly surprised to find a fantastic tale that follows young Safire and Merius. The two tempt fate and turn their backs on society and what is proper to follow their hearts.  Their relationship is threatened by separation, war and the manipulative plotting of Merius's father Mordric. And if this is not enough, Safire faces an evil that threatens her very life. 


The story is told from three different characters point of view; Safire, Merius and Mordric. This gives the reader a very interesting perspective and added insight to each of the characters and motives behind their actions. In most novels the reader never gets to see "into" the mind of the villain. In this case we get to see what drives Mordirc to do what he does we discover a very tortured soul. I found all the characters to have depth and believability. The supporting characters were strong and played a very vital role in moving the story along. 


I want to give kudos to the author for her ability to bring things to life. The battle scenes were written in such vivid detail that I found myself fighting along side the characters. Her attention to detail with regards to weaponry and their descriptions were spot on. Her vivid imagery of the evil that lurks the halls of the Landers' household is one of nightmares. With each encounter I found my self wondering what lurks my halls. You will want to leave a light on after reading the scary bits.


The plot moved along in a very natural way as events unfolded. The main characters never lost sight of their goal; to be together even when situations threatened to tear them apart. I thoroughly enjoyed the love story in this book. Karen Nilsen did a superb job of blending many different genres into one story without it feeling forced but flowing naturally. The book is extremely well written and I could find nothing lacking. I was fully satisfied when I finished, except that I did not have the next book " Tapestry Lion ( Volume Two)" in hand to continue reading. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves Paranormal Romance with substance and depth. The Witch Awakening is a robust story that will leave you wanting more. I give it a worthy 5 stars!

                                           5 Stars! 

Reviewed by Witchofthemists. 

Elves in the Meadow, Trolls in the Corn by Kay Grayson

Book Description :

Georgia Ramson has enough problems in her life -- she couldn't keep a job, couldn't keep a relationship, and was about out of money. On top of that, she suffered from debilitating visions that often left her dazed, confused or without memory of her actions or whereabouts. But when a creepy, malformed man passes her a message that she is the owner of a large piece of land, her life takes a urn for the strange and mysterious.

Not only does Georgia discover that she owns land, but on her land she finds Elves. And the knowledge these elves have kept hidden from the world may be the key to helping her discover the secrets of her past, to unravel the peculiarities of her present.

Now, if only she could get them to start using their seatbelts and keep them out of prison life might be pretty good indeed...

From the very first page of "Elves in the Meadow, Trolls in the Corn" I was hooked. The novel follows Georgia on her own self discovery of who she really is. Within this discovery her life takes a turn into the strange where fantasy and rural Indiana meet face to face. The author brings to life Elves, Trolls, Nymphs and a very scary evil that threatens not only Georgia but the entire town. 

Kay Grayson jam packs adventure, mystery and horror into each chapter. The Characters are well developed and their personalities take on lives of their own. I absolutely loved the interaction between the characters. As you can imagine Elves and Trolls do not really get along. The author did a fantastic job of bringing a comical side to their strange relationships which had me laughing. The plot held twists and turns that carried me through many different emotions and left me wanting more. I have say I loved the main character Georgia, and found myself identifying with her on more than one level. We have all at some point walked in Georgia's shoes. 

The villain in this story chilled me to the bone. The horror of what this creature was played out throughout the story, which reaches into the very depth of Georgia's soul. I know that after reading this book I will never feel quite the same walking through a corn field.

The quality of writing is top notch, and I could find nothing lacking. The story moved along quickly and held my interest through to the very end. The author's special attention to detail, brought to life in very vivid detail the rural countryside and the mythical creatures that inhabited it.

All in all this story had me laughing, crying and wanting to hide under my covers all at the same time. I highly recommend this book if you are an urban fantasy lover. This is the first book in the Georgia Ramson series and I look forward to reading more. I enjoyed this so much I am giving it a worthy 5 stars.

                                          5 Stars! 

Reviewed by Witchofthemists. 

Favourite Books Lists

Hi Readers


I asked a few friends recently to send me their list of favourite books that would fit into the DarkissReads genre themes. Some of the answers were interesting and I am going to share their lists with you today. So if you are looking for some reading options for books that have been around a while or are by established authors then maybe you'll find something here.


First list comes from Witchofthemist's sparring partner and friend Will Humphrey. 

1. American Gods - Niel Gaiman
2. Good Omens - Niel Gaiman & Terry Pratchet
3. Neuromancer - William Gibson
4. Starship Troopers - that one guy
5. Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series - Douglas Adams & Eoin Colfer
6. Ender's Game - Card
7. Fahrenheit 451 - Bradbury
8. 1984 - Orwell
9. Dracula - Bram Stoker

(Will lives in the US but interestingly there are a lot of British authors on his list. -Darkiss)

Second list is from another one of Witchofthemist's friends, Stacey Brigham

1. Karen Marle Moning - Darkfever series
2. Yasmine Galenorn - Sisters of the Moon series
3. Kari Arthur - Riley Jensen series
4. Sherrilyn Kenyon - Dark Hunter series
5. Kalayna Price - Grave Witch
6. Lucy A. Snyder - Spellbent/Shotgun Sorceress
7. Jeaniene Frost - Night Hunters World series
8. Patricia Briggs - Mercy Thompson series

(Stacey went for series of books for her choices. You fall in love with the characters of you latest book and you hate the book to end. So I see the appeal of all those long running storylines - Darkiss)

Next list is from my close friend Ruth Adams.

1. Rachel Vincent Shifters series ~ Stray. Rogue. Pride.Prey.Shift & Alpha
2. Kelley Armstrong -Women of the Otherworld series ~ Bitten, Stolen, Dime Store Magic, Industrial Magic, Haunted, Broken, No Humans Involved, Psonal Demon, Men of the Otherworld, Living with the Dead, and Frostbitten.
3. Gail Carriger trio - Souless, Changeless and Blameless (all AMAZING!)
4. Terry Pratchett Disc World Series.. Too many to list
5. C.S.Lewis - Chronicles of Narnia
6. Nicci French - Killing Me Softly (Very Very Scary! In a very freaky way!)
7. Douglas Adams - Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
8. Jean M Auel - Earths Children ~ Clan of the Cave Bear, Valley of Horses, Mammoth Hunters, Plains of Passage,
9. Shelters of Stone (Now looking forward to the 6th book Land of Painted Caves)
10. Dean Koontz - Twilight Eyes (an amazing spooky book read once never forgotten!)
11. H.G Wells - The War of the Worlds
12. Harper Lee - To Kill a Mockingbird
13. Robert C O'Brian - Z is for Zachariah (an amazing story of nuclear war survival)

(I must admit that a lot of my reading material over the years has come from Ruth's bookshelves and I have added to her bookshelves as well. So I know our reading tastes are very similar - Darkiss)

Our final list today comes from our very own Witchofthemist. 

1. The Witching Hour - Anne Rice
2. Mists of Avalon - Marion Zimmer Bradley
3. Green Mantle - Charles DeLint
4. The Stand - Steven King
5. Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolken
6. Flowers in the Attic - V. C Andrews
7. The Devil you may Know - Mike Carey
8. The Right hand of Doom - Tales of Soloman Kane - R. Howard
9. Agents of light and Darkness - Simon R Green
10. Salems Lot  - Steven King

(Well I can see two choices there that I almost put on my own list. - Darkiss)

Well there should be some inspiration for books to get your teeth into. Thank you to all the friends who have responded and to those still thinking about their list "Come on guys, sort your lists out" :)

If you have a list of books you'd like to share then feel free to send it and I will post them on the favourites page. You can find our contact details on our contacts page.

Happy Reading

Darkiss

Interview with Sarah Woodbury

Today I have the honor of introducing Sarah Woodbury, author of the fantastic fantasy novel ' The Last Pendragon: A Story of Dark Age Wales", which I reviewed a few weeks ago. Sarah has graciously honored us with an interview.


1) When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
 Before the age of 11, my parents tell me they thought I was going to be a "hippy" because I spent my time wandering the woods singing to myself and writing poetry.  Then I got serious about school and - I'm not sure.....suppressed it? - I don't remember.  I rediscovered the creative side of myself in my thirties, and began writing fiction seriously five years ago.


2) What was your inspiration for The Last Pendragon?
I love Wales, its history and mythology, its interesting blend of different religions, and the fierce independence of its people. I wanted to tell a story that had never been told before and also was looking for something a little different - with magic and fantasy - than straight historical fiction would allow me.


3) What was one of the most surprising things you learned during the creation of your last book?
In writing, magic happens if you let it. A huge element of writing is the hard slog of sitting in the chair day after day, but if you do it often enough, and for long enough, eventually the words flow of themselves and you are a conduit for the stories, rather than their creator. I love that. Also, that it is the rewriting that makes a book, not the writing of it. Half the time, I don't know what the book is about until I've finished the first draft, and then I have to go all the way through it again in a series of "ah ha!" moments.


4) What do you like to do when you are not writing?
I'm a full time, homeschooling mom for four kids - though two have moved on to college - so when I am not writing, I'm busy with them and with routine household tasks. Otherwise, I like to play tennis, garden, quilt, and cook.  And read, of course!


5) How many books have you written? Which one is your favorite?
I have written seven books, five are published now. The first one, a straight fantasy with elves and magic, will never see the light of day, though I raid it every now and then for plot points and characters. The seventh is "finished" but not finished, in that it is sitting for a few months until I decide if it's done. 


I can't choose a favorite in the same way I couldn't name my "favorite child". They are all my babies. To write a great book, you need to "bleed a little" onto the page, and each of them, at the time I wrote them, had bits of me poured into them. However, my eighteen year old son thinks " The Last Pendragon" is the best.


6) If you could have dinner with one person alive or dead, who would that be and why?
Nelson Mandela. That kind of courage, that kind of grace and forgiveness under the most extreme circumstances, is something most of us can't even imagine needing. 


7) What was the hardest part to write in the Last Pendragon?
The ending. One of the greatest challenges for me as a writer - and maybe for most writers - is having a vision of character, or scene, or whole book in your head, but not be able to translate that to the page. Something goes wrong between brain and fingers. That said, "The Last Pendragon" as a story, flowed for me in a way that not all of my books have.


8) What do you think makes a good story?
I am with Donna Tartt, who says " The first duty of the novelist is to entertain. It is a moral duty. People who read books are sick, sad and traveling, in the hospital waiting room while someone is dying. Books are written by the alone for the alone"  Maybe it is because I have a PhD. and spent many years reading 'serious' books, but I'm not in this for the dark and tragic. They can be elements in the book, but not the bulk of it. I am all about happy endings :)




9) Can you share a little of your current work with the audience of DarkissReads?
I am presently working on the sequel to "The Last Pendragon", which I hope to have finished and published by the end of the summer. I don't know that I want to share much of the plot. Suffice to say, that Cade and Rhiann aren't through with Mabon and the Saxons quite yet.


10) Where can the readers of DarkissReads find you on the Web?
www.sarahwoodbury.com




Thank you so much for sharing a bit of yourself Sarah!  We look forward to your next book in the Last Pendragon Series.  Best wishes to you on all your endeavors!


Interviewed by Witchofthemists. 


   

Paradox - The Angels are Here by Patti Roberts

Book Description :


Nine hundred years ago, under the complete cover of darkness, the Grigorian army rose silently from their underground lair and attacked the Bulgargian Royal Palace. The bloody and violent battle between the two most legendary houses raged on. All but destroying the majestic Royal City of Altair. It was not the first war Juliette had endured between good and evil. And it most certainly would not be her last.


Book 1 : Today Grace's strange but idealized world is suddenly turned upside down by a visitor - The Angel of Death. And as Grace struggles to survive with her paralyzing loss, she is also forced to endure the haunting visions and untimely death of others.


The world of Angels in which Patti Roberts creates is one of greed, power, sex, control with a bit of conspiracy theory which lays the ground work for the war between good and evil.  But who is good and who is evil remains to be seen.  Her world of Angels is multi-faceted and for a brief moment I was immersed into their world and presented with very complex and twisted characters and I found myself wanting more. The author has truly created a villain worth reading, he is dark and so very bad that you can't help but want to see more of his dammed soul. 

The story then catapults the reader 900 years into the future and back on Earth. In which we find a young girl Grace whose life has just spun out of control. As I followed Grace's story I found myself wanting to be back in the world the Angels. The story of Grace took me through a gamut of emotions ; grief, sadness and despair. It almost felt like I was reading two very different books, one that was meant of an older audience with the writing style more intelligent, detailed and descriptions that made the realm of the Angels come alive.  Then on to Grace's world where the author was writing to a younger audience, which I found a bit frustrating for I wanted to see more of the Angels stories.  I found the supporting characters in Grace's story without depth, except for Grace herself, whose dark emotions and experiences I felt right along with her. 


Though in hindsight, the feeling of good and evil was very tangible throughout and evident in the different writing styles within the story. There are several sub-plots within the tale that I thought could have been explored more and would have given greater insight to supporting characters.  One worthy note I would like to mention is the Author did a fantastic job of catching my imagination and giving me glimpse as to who and what Guardian Angels are. I found her ideas very interesting and I am sure most readers will easily identify with her vision of " Guardian Angels"


The book fits into the fantasy realm though it is labeled as teen and young adult. For myself it gave me my first taste of the world of Angels through Patti Roberts eyes and I was not disappointed. All in all a very good read and be prepared for two stories that will come together in what I hope to be a very exciting follow up book " Paradox - Progeny of Innocence"  This book is a worthy 4 stars!

Paradox - The Angels are Here by Patti Roberts


Reviewed by Witchofthemists