Avalon Revisited by O.M. Grey

Book Description :

Avalon Revisited is a dark, sexy novel set in Victorian England---a devious tale of love and sex, history and mystery, vampires and mad scientists, all with a healthy dose of steampunk gadgetry sure to appeal to fans of Soulless, Anita Blake, and True Blood.

Arthur Tudor has made his existence as a vampire bearable for over three hundred years by immersing himself in blood and debauchery. Aboard an airship gala, he meets Avalon, an aspiring vampire slayer who sparks fire into Arthur's shriveled heart. Together they try to solve the mystery of several horrendous murders on the dark streets of London. Cultures clash and pressures rise in this sexy Steampunk Romance.

O.M. Grey’s “Avalon Revisited” a Steampunk paranormal adventure pulls no punches and grabbed my attention from the very first page.  This book lives up to the author’s description of “Blood and debauchery”. True to the Steampunk genre this book is filled with gadgets, weapons and Creatures of the night.

The novel follows “Arthur York” a member of the Victorian elite, who has a dark secret. He just happens to be over three hundred years old and a vampire. Charming and arrogant Arthur revels in his lust for sex and blood, which is fueled by his loss of his previous life as” Arthur Tudor” the brother to Henry VIII. Arthur's pursuit of his prey leads him to an “Airship Gala” from where he meets “Avalon” who completely captivates him. In pursuing Avalon he finds himself smack dab in the middle of an investigation into the latest “Vampire killings”. Arthur must use all his wits about him to keep Avalon in his midst all the while not giving away his true identity.

The author has done a fantastic job at bringing the Victorian era to life along with the darker aspects of this era as well. Her descriptions of the Brothels & the "Chamber of Horrors" where the elite of Victorian society indulged themselves in the darker pleasures of the flesh will chill you to the bone. I sometimes found myself getting caught up in the detail and the descriptions that I found myself rereading to make sure I did not miss a thing.  This attention to detail fed my imagination and I found myself riding an “Airship” for the first time and slaying vampires.

The book is written in the 1^st person, from Arthur’s point of view, which was really quite enjoyable and extremely funny at times as we see him struggle with new found sense of love and much to his surprise a piece of his humanity.  All the characters in the book slowly developed as the story progressed and by the end of the book were all an integral part of the story.  The plot line is well paced from the very first page and never stops, and keeps you engaged, horrified and laughing out loud.  I love O.M. Grey’s writing style and she her comedic timing was fantastic.

This was my first taste of the “Steampunk” genre and I loved this book! I do want to point out that this is a book for adults.  So if you are looking for a dark adventure this book is for you!  With that said I give “Avalon Revisited” 4.5 Stars. 

                            4.5 Stars! 

 O. M. Grey dreams of the dark streets of London and the decadent deeds that occur after sunset. She dons a tight corset, a fluffy bustle, and a teeny-tiny top hat for fantasy conventions where she enjoys meeting fans and participating on panels. Olivia prefers to live in the cobwebbed corners of her dark mind writing paranormal romance with a Steampunk twist.

Her premiere Steampunk Paranormal Romance novel, Avalon Revisited, is an Amazon.com Gothic Romance bestseller. She also writes short stories, relationship articles, and angsty poetry.

Ms. Grey is represented by the fabulous Louise Fury of the L. Perkins Agency.

When she’s not writing, she’s reading, tending the garden, or drinking a hot cup of tea.

You may find O.M Grey on the web :

Blog : Caught in the Cogs     

https://www.facebook.com/OMGREY

http://twitter.com/#!/omgrey

Reviewed by Witchofthemist. 

Isn't it Necormantic? by C.I Bond

Book Description

Cassie isn't evil ... probably. She just lacks a few things: a boyfriend, a family, a soul. Convincing the "Others" she isn't evil has never met with a lot of success. It usually starts with a local coven of concerned witches (humanity's self-appointed protectors) making accusations and then there's shouting, a chase, and in one case, a stabbing which turned out badly-although, to be fair, how many stabbings turn out well? So now she keeps a low profile, tries to avoid all contact with "Others" and moves every two years. This philosophy worked well enough in her life until she got to Seattle and formed a commitment to finally settle down. Nine months into her rainy new life, things start to fall apart .. 

.
First, something kills Harry-not that he didn't deserve it, but still, it isn't a good sign. Then Mr. Abbey, obviously a Dark Other who has been dead for over a century, tries to hire her to find some missing property and won't take no for an answer. A dark-haired stranger with vivid green eyes, also dead, is forcing her to ask difficult questions of herself like "If he eats people but he's hot can you still date him?" Normally this is when she would cut-and-run, but the seer's warning was clear: if she leaves Seattle, she dies. Of course, there are no guarantees that this won't happen anyway..

Isn’t it Necromantic? is the first novel from C.I Bond, and in my personal opinion a great first start for this author. Classified as an Urban Fantasy Isn’t It Necromantic? fits easily into this genre and surprisingly enough adds something new to this Genre and introduces a new “Evil” so to speak. The story takes place in Seattle Washington where we find Cassie a tough young woman who tries her to stay under the radar of the Supernatural “others” who seem to be out to get her. She is feared and sought after because no one knows who or what she is, not even Cassie herself.  With a few fate turning events Cassie finds herself exposed and with this comes a job offer that she can’t refuse. 

The story is told from Cassie’s point of view, which in the beginning was bit confusing, I felt the flow of the book was a bit sporadic much like Cassie’s train of thought. But soon settles down with a bit more direction as the author takes you deeper into her psyche as she is faced with decisions and horrors that affect her throughout the tale. In spite of the darker aspects of the story line, Cassie’s quick wit and humor often times take the edge off what is really happening. The author’s writing ability shines through in the weaving together scenes of gore and flippant humor without disrupting the flow or pace of the story.

The story line has many different subplots that I kept wishing the author would have expanded on. But this is the first book in the series so she was slowly laying the groundwork for future books. The Characters in the novel felt a bit surface and one dimensional except for Cassie who is surrounded by a cast of players that would make your skin crawl in fear or overheat from sexual tension.  Sometimes as I read I had a hard time keeping up with vast amount of supporting characters that were never really fleshed out. The story line only gives brief glimpses of their potential except for Julian Cassie’s self-appointed protector and the leader of the Seattle “Sang” group Michael. I will say the creation of the “Sang” culture is very interesting and adds a dark and twisted atmosphere which is quite terrifying but also leaves you wanting more. The author gives you both sides of the “Sang” way of living the horrifying and the seductive.

If you are looking for an easy and interesting read then this is for you. This tale as a bit of everything; horror, humor and sex.  With that said I give this book 3.5 stars.

                                             3.5 Stars! 

                                                

 Reviewed by Witchofthemists

Cast of Illusions by Ashley Barnard

Jonathan Wilder is about to make a name for himself. His plays and troupe of actors are considered among the best in Salsima, and he is on the verge of building his own playhouse. However, when his latest play greatly offends the king, he and his troupe are forced to impersonate a royal party to infiltrate the exotic and presumably savage people known as the Selphyn, an elfin-like race with a special bond with animals. In over his head with politics, Jonathan will find himself in an intrigue worthy of one of his plays, with mistaken identities, treason, assassinations, kidnapped princesses and feverish passions. Just what a misanthrope with social anxiety needs. Book Description


Ashley Barnard was the first author to be reviewed here on DarkissReads and since then we have followed her Shadow Fox trilogy with great interest. Night of the Fox saw the conclusion of this series and I have waited patiently to see what Ashley's next project would be, so when I was sent Cast of Illusion to review I started reading it within minutes of receiving it.


The book tells the story of a group of travelling players who become pawns in a deadly game of intrigue that centres around the royal court. Being manipulated from all sides the company of players must find a safe path through the plots and conspiracies that surround them and discover a way to avoid a deadly fate that awaits them.


As I have come to expect from Ashley the book is well written and the characters are detailed and fully formed. The world that she has created is believable and complete while still being fresh and interesting. The race known as Selphyn are a one of the highlights of this book. A race of people who link themselves to animal familiars and have a closer relationship with the fairy kingdom. I hope that we may see more of the Selphyn in future books.


The first thing that struck me about this book was how much it is influenced by Ashley's previous incarnation on the stage. Her love of the stage and in particular Shakespeare is reflected through many aspects of the story. The plots owes a lot to Shakespeare while the main characters radiate a love of the stage that I believe is shared by the author. For any who know and love the plays of Shakespeare this novel will feel like familiar territory.  Cast of Illusion is a far lighter tale than Ashley's Shadow Fox series, although the book still deals with some of the darker aspects of the human condition. But it is here that the story has an identity issue. There are scenes within the book that are of an adult nature while the overall story lacks the grittiness and raw nature of Ashley's previous work. As such this book is difficult to categorise. But this doesn't distract from the story and it is not our job as readers to confine a book by creating boundaries for the author. We are meant to just enjoy the tale woven for us.


If i was going to sum up Cast of Illusion in just one sentence it would be "A Shakespearian tale with a light seasoning of fantasy". Well worth a read and I am pleased to award it a 4.5 star rating.