Book Review: ‘Nix Alba: Vita In Morte: A Snow White Vampire Novelette’ by Lanie Goodell

The much beloved fairy tale of Snow White gets a cold, dark twist in this paranormal reinvention by Lanie Goodell. Many elements of the story remain the same, although the reader experiences a heightened sense of sinister suspense as Snow’s true nature is revealed to the reader.

This is definitely not the Disney or children’s storybook version of the story, harking back to the macabre intensity of the fairy tale’s earliest form while adding additional original twists to the tale.

Comfortably read in under an hour, this story was both interesting and darkly entertaining without being too mentally demanding.

Book Review: ‘Lonely Hearts Complex: A Tombora Springs Novella’ by S.K. Wee

Part murder mystery, part personal journey, ‘Lonely Hearts Complex’ is an interesting and authentic read that immerses the reader in the lives of the Ruth, Riley and Marshall, residents of Tombora Springs.

The characters are diverse, likeable and engaging. Their personal stories keep the reader intrigued and maintain a good level of excitement and suspense as the narrative continues.

This book is comfortably read in a couple of hours and delivers a most enjoyable contemporary light mystery read. 

Book Review: ‘Arija and the Burning City’ by Zachary Chopchinski

Novel, ebook or audiobook.

The third book following ‘Webley and the World Machine’ and ‘Kip and the Grinders’ in Zachary Chopchinski’s Hall of Doors Steampunk adventure series  is another action-packed, highly entertaining adventure story that features Adal, Arija and their friends Kip and Ypsilon as they negotiate a most challenging world full of dark creatures and even darker intentions. 

Chopchinski yet again demonstrates his creativity and humour in his edgy writing, sassy dialogue, and the complexity of the settings and the creatures who inhabit them. This novel, while still full of adrenaline and suspense, also explores some of the characters’ personal issues and motivations, developing more maturity and thoughtfulness amongst the familiar snark and showmanship.

One distinct contrast to the first two books in the series is that there is some sexual content in this book that makes it less suitable for younger readers, and really making it an NA rather than YA novel.

A blend of steampunk and paranormal fantasy, ‘Kip and the Grinders’ is an original and suspenseful story that will keep readers intrigued and entertained.

Book Review: ‘Midsummer’s Bottom’ by Darren Dash

Find your copy here.

When an amateur theatre company reunite for their 20th annual performance of Shakespeare’s’A Midsummer Night’s Dream’, one might expect they’d have their act together.

‘Midsummer’s Bottom’ immerses the reader in the lives of the actors, but also in the lives of the fey characters who are weary of seeing themselves represented in the troupe’s performances.

Like the play being performed, the story is an enjoyable romp through a glade in a forest, complicated by love, jealousy, and fey interference in the lives of humans.

This book is well-written and quite entertaining. The characters are varied and interesting, made complex by their desires and motivations, and intricately connected to both the play and one another’s lives.

Just how the plot will resolve keeps the reader guessing right to the end.

This book is recommended for readers aged 18 and over, as ‘Midsummer’s Bottom’ does contain some adult  content, although not graphic or gratuitous.

Book Review: ‘The Secret Diary of Eleanor Cobham’ by Tony Riches

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This is a richly detailed and colourful story set during the troubled reign of Henry VI. The book tells the story of Eleanor Cobham, wife of Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester, a younger brother of King Henry V. 

Eleanor is a fascinating character who demonstrates intelligence and resilience throughout the events that shaped her life and the future of her family. The story is told in first person, so the reader develops a strong sense of empathy with her as the story progresses. 

Her perspective delivers fascinating insight into well-known events of the past from the point of view of a woman whose security and future depended on those who held power and who jostled for position at court. 

The story is complex and thought-provoking, full of intrigue and political manoeuvring, nuanced by reminiscences and regret. It highlights the precarious nature of courtly life and the swiftness with which one’s circumstances could change, and reminds the reader that true clarity and wisdom are delivered only by hindsight. 

Riches’ writing style is engaging and easy to read, yet still consistent with the way in which Eleanor and her contemporaries would have thought and spoken to one another. 

‘The Secret Diary of Eleanor Cobham’ is a most excellent work of historical fiction. 

New Release: ‘The Final Act of Mercy Dove’ by Becky Wright

‘The Final Act of Mercy Dove’ is a new release Victorian Gothic Horror novella.

This is the story of Mercy Dove.

This is a story of secrets.They hide in the wainscoting where the paint flakes, they slip behind the silk wallpaper. They whisper to the Mistress under cover of nightfall. She knows little else; they are her comfort and her curse.

This is a story of corruption. Of the mind, and the flesh. It sits thick in the air, gathering in corners, loitering at keyholes. Adhering to all who visit, it leaves with them, trailing from their coattails.

This is a story of scandal. Infamy, seduction, and lust. It hovers like a murder of crows, circling the grounds waiting for the invited; the unwitting.

Take a seat; the curtain is about to rise…Let us begin at the end.

Readers should note that there is mature content in this book, so it is recommended for adult audiences only.

Where to find your copy: UK Buyers | US Buyers | AU Buyers

Book Review: ‘Regency Love: Reflections of a Young Lady’ by TL Clark

Find your copy here.

‘Regency Love’ is a delightful journey through Regency England, a period  familiar to readers of Jane Austen. This is a most original and entertaining work, carefully researched and attentive to detail, and still absolutely captivating in its delivery of the story of Anne Frithringham. 

The characters are vivid and animated, drawing the reader into their world and playing their roles to perfection. The author has created original personalities consistent with the world and era in which they live, and who are concerned with the things that ladies and gentlemen of the time would definitely have had to deal with. Their interactions and dialogue are witty and engaging, keeping the reader deeply involved with their experiences and welfare. 

The plot is carefully structured and well developed, so that the narrative flows naturally. The end result is a book that is very hard to put down once started, and which leaves the reader completely satisfied at the end.

Written for a considerably less conservative audience, this story deals with subjects that Austen could only ever hint at, yet it does so with language and style that remains tastefully consistent with Austen’s world. 

‘Regency Love’ is deliberately not Austen, but it does feel like Austen. This reader is confident that, had they met, Anne Frithingham and Austen’s Elizabeth Bennet would have got along famously. 

Book Review: ‘The Realm of Lost Souls’ Angels and Magic Series Book 1 by R.M. Gauthier

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It seems that even in the realms of heaven and hell, not everything is as straightforward  as one might imagine. 

This novella length introduction to Gauthier’s   Angels and Magic series is an entertaining read, written with good humour, an air of mystery and a very enjoyable degree of snark. 

This is a fun story that definitely whets the reader’s appetite for the rest of the series. 

Book Review: ‘The Seven Year Dress’ by Paulette Mahurin

Many excellent books have been written about different people’s experiences during World War II, each offering a personal perspective that is unique and yet similarly heartbreaking. ‘The Seven Year Dress’ is as compelling and profoundly personal as any of them.

Find your copy here.

Mahurin’s writing is, as always, vivid and realistic without being gratuitous in her depiction of life as a young Jewish woman in Germany both before and throughout the horrors of the Holocaust. 

Told with honesty and deep emotion, Helen’s story brings to life the experiences of one German Jewish young woman and her family and friends. It is a story of friendship, resilience, and survival against all the odds. 

This book is one that everyone should read, particularly in this world that is still plagued by hatred, racism and suspicion of anyone who dares to be different. 

Book Review: ‘Rub a Dub Dub’ by N.D. Burrows

Find your copy here.

This is a dark comedy novella for grownups that blends the mysterious with the everyday to create an unpredictable but very entertaining story. 

The characters are realistic and credible, and varied enough to make their interactions interesting. The story is well written,  with enough twists to keep it interesting without becoming unbelievable. 

 That it can be easily read in less than two hours makes it a great option for busy people who have to fit a good read into the demands of life.