The Bringer by Samantha Towle

Book description :

Death is Sad, love is agony.

Max was her next job. She got his name just before he died and it was for her to lead his soul to heaven. She was a Bringer.

Then Max started pleading ( as they often do), but not for himself, for his son, James. Would she look after him, would she comfort him as he grieved for the loss of his father? James was a sensitive young man. He would take his father's death very hard.

Well, Bringers don't do that sort of thing; their exclusive role is to usher souls to heaven. They are not allowed to get involved in earthly affairs.

However, when she saw James, she felt something she had never felt before - an emotion, a shock. She was a Bringer. Bringers do not have emotions. And she fell in love. For a Bringer, that is a terrifying fall. 

The Bringer by Samantha Towle, is a unique concept about what happens after one passes. Even with this fresh concept, the gist of this paranormal romance is nothing we haven't seen before. In her story the "Beings" that greet us after death are not angels but Bringers. Devoid of any emotion or feeling their job is to convince us that it is time to enter Heaven. They are beings caught between Heaven and Earth, not allowed any contact with Humans or Angels. This story follows Lucyna, whose existence of nothingness is obliterated with the feelings of emotion for James, the son of one of the people she escorted to Heaven's Gates.

The story is told from Lucyna's point of view as she deals with going from nothingness to a world of emotions when she enters James's life. Both of their worlds are turned upside down with one decision. Much of the story is inside Lucyna's head and the plot moves at a very slow pace that is consistent through most of the book. It isn't until the end of the book that the plot starts to take shape and actually gets really interesting with the twist at the end that I didn't see coming.

The characters through out most of the book are very one dimensional and only start to take on depth at the very end of the story, which really left me wishing it would have happened sooner. The relationship between Lucyna and James seemed a bit flat. However throw Arlo into the mix and you finally have a story. It is a shame that we did not get to see Arlo's story fleshed out more. He was my favorite character in the book and could be an entire story unto himself.  The book was very well written and the editing was great.  With that said if you get through the first part of the book you will enjoy the ending which is why I give this book a 3.5 stars.


                                           3.5 Stars

Reviewed by Witchofthemists

Djinn by Poppet

Book Description :


Cindy's life changes the minute she receives the book Djinn from Sasha. Within hours the forces of darkness infiltrate her life, forcing them to run for their lives. 


Sasha doesn't know it's her he has to save, because the evil hides in the strangest of places. This is an insiders view of possession, and the tension between the two lovers battling it.


I was very intrigued wit the title of this book, Djinn by Poppet. This title stirs up images of Genies and magic carpet rides, but there is a much darker side that the world forgets. In this book Poppet captures the true darkness that haunts us all in the ancient myth of the Djinn.


Her story follows Cindy and Sasha; Cindy a young woman who has a love of the occult and books. Her thirst for knowledge takes her to her favorite bookstore where she finds Sasha,who  is the key to her destruction and survival, he gifts her with a book that will change their lives forever. As a lover of books, the idea that something can be "caught between the pages" so to speak was very disturbing. The horror of this story is right up there with the "Exorcist", and quite a few times I found myself feeling the same uneasy feeling I had when I read that book for the first time. This tale is classic horror with a "Devil in disguise" feeling that will spawn nightmares.


This tale is well written ; the author has a very subtle way of writing horror that sneaks up on you and allows your own imagination to thrust you into the depths of hell.  Though I did feel very disoriented reading the story with the different POV, which left me guessing and trying to get back on track. I realize now that this style of writing put me right into the story. I was feeling what Cindy was feeling as her life spiraled out of control as something more powerful and dark took over her life. At the time of reading, I did not like was the use of different faiths that Sasha sought out to try and find a way to help Cindy. But in hindsight it brings to light that in desperate times people will do whatever it takes to save the ones they love.  


I would like to give kudos to the author for her research on the different faiths in the story, she gives very detailed accounts that were true to form. All in all this was great and scary read. I recommend it for those who enjoy the darker side of the occult and are not afraid of things that go "bump in the night".  For if you are afraid of what you can't see, then this book will keep you up at nights. Definitely not for the faint of heart. With that said I give this book 4 stars. 


                                          4 Stars! 

Reviewed by Witchofthemists.


Other titles by Poppet

Crusader by Andrew Chapman

When a series of vampire attacks target the very centre of the Catholic faith, the Vatican contacts the British government. Their request: the best vampire hunter in the country.

Unfortunately, he's an atheist.

Jack Henderson returns as Pagan, the Ministry's top hunter. He's on a mission he's not sure about. He's in a country he doesn't know. He's working for a government he doesn't trust. And he's looking for an artefact he doesn't believe exists.

Should be a piece of cake.

BOOK DESCRIPTION

Crusader is the follow up novel for Andrew Chapman’s Pagan. Both Witchofthemist and myself reviewed Pagan only a short while ago and it was awarded a very respectable 4.5 stars from both of us, so I was looking forward to reading Crusader.

This story sees Pagan and his crew of Vampire Hunters taking their war to mainland Europe as they come to the aid of the Vatican. With the aid of the Swiss Guard they take on an ancient group of vampires who plan to resurrect an ancient evil. As with the first book this story is filled with the inter-hunter banter that made the Pagan so readable as well the tongue in cheek humour. The relationship between Marie and Pagan is also fleshed out, giving us a greater insight into both their characters. It goes without saying that there is plenty of “gun porn”.

The storyline intrigued me but sadly I think it ended up taking a back seat to the relationship issues and felt a little rushed. The story could have been twice as long as it was, with many of the set pieces needing greater depth. In the end the vampire plot felt a little flat with no great danger. We didn’t even really get to meet the plotters. There was no sense of an adversary.  Saying that, it was an enjoyable read and a good way to spend a few hours. As with the first novel this is a boys own story. The world that Chapman has created still excites and thrills. The setting has the feel of the real world but with vamps and werewolves. I just felt that there was far more potential in the storyline. The first two books have now built the characters so hopefully the next in the series will build a greater story for them to grow in.

I give Crusader a respectable 4 stars and I still look forward to the next instalment.

  

Liberator's Ruin by P J Johns

"War makes for strange bedfellows.

For Anna, the war means fighting the Rhivellian Empire to regain the throne and country they took from her at any cost.

For Nathaniel An'Rieyr, captain of the Storm Brother, the war means a chance for untold fortune and endless opportunities.

And for Thomas Ras'Kar, High Inquisitor of the Rhivellian Empire, it means redemption and restoration of honour.

But war can mean something else too: Betrayal"

BOOK DESCRIPTION

Categorizing Liberator’s Ruin into a genre is not an easy task. At first my thoughts were it was Steampunk, with the expected Airships. But then as the story goes on steam has little or no place within the book. The technology of the world has more of a mid 20^th century feel about it. Maybe a better description would be “Petrolpunk”.

The story follows the small country of Illum as it is invaded and swallowed by the Rhivellian Empire, a ruthless, industrial and resource hungry nation. Now you may expect the story to run along the lines of evil empire versus plucky rebels, but this is a cliché that the author has avoided with skill. The plot is a bit more complex than that. The Prologue starts with the invasion and its impact on Illums capital city and royal house. It instantly gives the reader the feel for the might of the Rhivellian Empire. Then the tale is moved on by following a number of characters. Anna (the princess of Illum, now leader of the resistance), Nathaniel (Airship captain and his crew) and Thomas Ras’Kar (High Inquisitor of the Rhivellian Empire and hunter of the resistance).

The writing style is first rate and you are fully engaged with the story and its many characters from the start, while the pace of the narrative keeps you turning page after page. The back drop of this tale is war and occupation by a foreign power, a subject that is common in fantasy and sci fi novels, while also being a current factor in our own recent history. What is uncommon is having an author tackling these issues in a gritty realistic way. There are no punches pulled here and the violence of the war is not sanitised. P.J.Johns has created a believable and enthralling world that reflects our own while still remaining true to its fantasy roots. The author is not preachy and does try to tell us what is right and wrong, what is good and evil. He does a fantastic job of blurring the lines and treating his reader as adults able to make up their own minds. The only down side to this book was the slightly sub standard editing. Spelling errors are not the issue, but the wrong words inserted. I got the feeling that the story was edited by software rather than by a professional editor. Although these errors were noticeable it didn’t detract too much from the overall enjoyment of the book. Even the most professional publishers release books with editing issues.

Overall I would be happy to recommend this book as I enjoyed it immensely. It is different enough from normal SciFi/Fantasy to feel fresh and new while being familiar enough to be comfortable. For me the gem of the book is Nathaniel and his pirate crew who were reminiscent of Joss Whedon’s “Firefly”. It is these characters that I was left wanting more of. I am torn in my awarding 4 stars to this book as it deserves more but the editing issues let it down. If these were corrected then I would be happy to award Liberator’s Ruin a full 5 stars.

http://www.phillipjjohns.co.uk/
P J Johns Facebook

Book Signing with Author Ashley J Barnard

DarkissReads' first Book signing!


Last week I had the pleasure and opportunity to attend a book signing for the author of Shadow Fox & Fox Rising, Ashley J Barnard. The event was held in Davis Ca, in a quaint little book store called the Avid Reader.  This was my very first book signing and I wasn't sure what to expect. I arrived promptly at 7:30 walking into a very elegant event!  The book signing was held towards the back of the store with plenty of seating and to top it off Wine and Cheese!  This reader was in heaven...what more could I ask for??  Oh that's right.......and autographed book! 

Ashley Barnard was in her element. Poised and very gracious she welcomed each guest with genuine enthusiasm. Ashley gathered us all around for a very intimate reading from her book Shadow Fox.  She then indulged her fans to a question and answer session, and her fans rallied to the occasion and asked some very good questions. We were even blessed with a few stories about Ashley as a little girl from her aunt, as well as lots of laughs from the women in the audience enamored by the male models on her book covers,and requests that the models attend the next book signing.  This one on one with Ashley Barnard  gave us insight into her mind as an author and person. 

It was a very special evening for me as well, Ashley is family. It was great to see and be a part of her success in achieving her dream of becoming an author.  Congrats Ashley!!





And now I have my signed copy of Fox Rising to add to my book collection! 

We are looking forward to the third book of the Shadow Fox series  "Night of the Fox" to be released in September of this year.


          




























Written by Witchofthemists