Book Review: Ink Witch
Posted: November 17, 2023 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Fantasy, Fiction, Speculative Fiction, Urban fantasy | Tags: Audiobook, Book Review, Ink Witch, Julia Whelan, Linsay Farleigh, Urban fantasy, Writing to be Read 6 Comments
About the Book
A whole new series from the world of the Echo Trilogy.
Three years ago, the gods abandoned us. We’ve been alone ever since.
Kat Dubois is immortal, and she’s retired. She’s long since hung up her sword and left assassinating immortals to someone else…anyone else. She’s now a hard drinking, sass-flinging Seattle tattoo artist with the innate ability to read people’s fortunes using her charmed deck of tarot cards. Her days of bloodshed are over, and she has nothing but time – an eternity, in fact – to hide from her past.
Until someone from her past shows up on her doorstep with news that her beloved older brother and mentor, Dominic, has gone missing. Kat may be the only person with the right skills – and access to the right magic – to track him down. She must confront her past if she’s to have any chance of finding and saving her brother. She must fight her demons. She must embrace the power within her.
She must become the Ink Witch.
Purchase Links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Ink-Witch-Lindsey-Fairleigh-audiobook/dp/B06XWLRT8R/
My Review
I listened to the audiobook, Ink Witch, by Linsey Farleigh. Julia Whelan does a smashing job of narrating this urban fantasy novel about an immortal tattoo artist, Kate Dubois, whose magic is in her ink. Well, not really. The magic is inside of her, but when Kate inks up, watch out. Kate plays the reluctant heroine, coming out of retirement to find and save her brother, who has gone missing, along with others, both magical and mortal. But there’s more to it than at first meets the eye, and the danger ratchets up as Kate uncovers the pieces that will uncover an evil and diabolical plot to take unchallenged control of the magical realm. Her inky magic is just what’s called for to battle the forces of evil, but can she stop her adversaries before their plan can be carried out?
Original and entertaining to the utmost. A fun urban fantasy adventure. I give Ink Witch five quills.
_________________________________________________________
Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? You can request a review here.
Share this:
Book Review: Sinister Magic
Posted: September 8, 2023 Filed under: Audio Books, Audiobook Review, Book Review, Books, Fantasy, Fiction, Review, Urban fantasy | Tags: Audio Books, Book Review, Lindsay Buroker, Sinister Magic, Urban fantasy, Writing to be Read 3 CommentsAbout the Book
When magical bad guys hurt people, I take care of them. Permanently.
This doesn’t make me popular with the rest of the magical community — as you can tell from the numerous break-ins and assassination attempts I’ve endured over the years. But thanks to my half-elven blood, a powerful sword named Chopper, and a telepathic tiger with an attitude, I’ve always been able to handle my problems with aplomb. Maybe some cursing and swearing, too, but definitely aplomb.
That changes when my boss is afflicted with a mysterious disease, a government agent starts investigating me, and a godforsaken dragon shows up in the middle of my latest job.
I’ve taken down vampires, zombies, and ogres, but dragons are way, way more powerful. And it doesn’t look like this one is going to like me.
Worse than that, he wants to use his magic to compel me to do his bidding, as if I’m some weak-minded minion.
That’s not going to happen. I’d die before being some dragon’s slave.
But if I can’t figure out a way to avoid him, save my boss, and get rid of the government spook, I’m screwed. Or dead. Or screwed and dead. And that’s never comfortable.
Purchase Links:
Amazon/Audible: https://www.amazon.com/Sinister-Magic-Fantasy-Dragon-Dragons/
Chirp: https://www.chirpbooks.com/audiobooks/eye-of-truth-by-lindsay-buroker
My Review
I listened to the audiobook of Sinster Magic, book 1 in Lyndsay Buroker’s Death Before Dragons series, narrated by Vivienne Leheny. Although I have listened to many of Buroker’s Science epic fantasy stories, this was the first urban fantasy by her that I had read. It has Buroker’s usual snark, which I love, and Leheny does a beautiful job with the narration as always, portraying a full cast of dwarves, vampires, dragons, and other dimensional tigers, as well as other supernatural beings and humans alike.
I listened to Buroker on the Six Figure Author podcast because she is a multi-genre author, and I enjoyed hearing how she handled the marketing for books of different genres. Buroker keeps her mailing lists seperate, because she believes that the readers of one genre wouldn’t be interested in reading her works in a different genre. Her co-host Adrienne Pearson does the same with her genres of fantasy and romance, too. In theory, that makes a lot of sense, but I have to say that I enjoyed this urban fantasy story just as much as I have the epic fantasy stories I have heard by her. Of course, I’m a multi-genre author, as well as a multi-genre reader, so perhaps I do not fall within the norms.
Delightfully distinctive characters and the Buroker snark makes for quite an entertaining urban fantasy story. I give Sinister Magic five quills.
_________________________________________________________
Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? You can request a review here.
Share this:
“Indomitable”: A Drastic Shift in Reality
Posted: April 22, 2020 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Comic Hero, Fantasy, Fiction, Super Hero, Urban fantasy | Tags: Book Review, Comic books, Fantasy, Indomitable, J.B. Garner, Superheroes, Urban fantasy, Writing to be Read 1 Comment
What’s a girl to do when her boyfriend shifts the world into a comic book reality where half the population has super powers, and transforms himself into a superhero? Find out in J.B. Garner’s Indomitable.
Dr. Irene Roman finds herself in just such a situation when her boyfriend and fellow scientist, Dr. Eric Flynn decides to shape reality to his own liking with his research, (and hers). The rational Irene that she has always been knows that Eric must be stopped and she’s the only one who can stop him, but there is something pulling at another part of her that makes her want to embrace the new Irene and the new world. In fact, many around her seem to be accepting this new world blindly, and some who are “Pushed” even have newfound abilities and superhuman powers, but not all are using them for the greater good. It seems the world has gone crazy in this new reality, and Irene must find a way to put things back the way they were.
Skillfully crafted to suspend disbelief and draw readers in, sprinkled with comic book humor to lighten up this tale of world salvation gone awry. I give Indomitable five quills.
Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? Contact Kaye at kayebooth(at)yahoo(dot)com.
Share this:
Journeying into the Worlds of Fantasy in April
Posted: April 6, 2020 Filed under: Books, Dark Fantasy, Fairy Tales, Fantasy, Magical Realism, Writing | Tags: Dark Fantasy, Fantasy, High Fantasy, low fantasy, Space Fantasy, sword and sorcery, Urban fantasy, western fantasy, Writing to be Read Leave a comment
In April, Writing to be Read celebrates fantasy. That area of literature and visual media where fantastical elements become possible, and maybe even expected. Fantasy is as old as the fables and fairytales which birthed it centuries ago. In fantasy, anything is possible, and readers journey to worlds beyond their own imaginations, allowing effective escapes from reality, which is why it is such a popular genre.
Although in fantasy, anything may be possible, each story world must have its own set of rules which should never be broken. And it’s the author’s job to be sure those rules are clear for readers and ensure that they are never breached. To ensure this, authors go to great lengths, drawing up elaborate story bibles and creating maps of their worlds in order to keep everything straight.
There are many subgenres of fantasy, including dark fantasy, which carries readers into evil realms; high or epic fantasy, which ventures into magical worlds on the hero’s journey; low fantasy, which magical elements mingle in the real world; magical realism, which takes place in worlds similar to ours, but where magical elements are common place; urban fantasy, where legends come to life; sword and sorcery, with sword weilding heroes who thrive on gallentry; space fantasy, which takes place in the imaginative worlds in the far reaches of the universe; western fantasy, where magical or supernatural elements invade the landscapes of the old west; fantand superhero fiction, where protagonists use supernatural powers to manipulate the elements of the real world.
The hero’s journey originated with fantasy, and that is where writing instructors turn to provide examples of the way that journey progresses for their students. Bilbo Baggins’ hero’s journey in The Hobbit is exemplary, but it is only a prelude to the ultimate hero’s journey Frodo embarks upon in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. J.R.R. Tolkien paved the way for fantasy writers right up to those of present day.
Stick with me this month for a great line-up of fantasy reviews and interviews with authors of the fantasy genre. My “Chatting with the Pros” author guest is L. Deni Colter, and my supporting interview is with J.B. Garner. I’ll also be reviewing the X Marks the Spot anthology, edited by Lisa Mangum; Severed Wings, by Steven Elliot Altman; and Indomitable, by J.B.Garner. I do interviews on Mondays and reviews on Fridays, so drop in and find out what is happening on the fantasy scene.
Like this post? Let me know in the comments. You can be sure not to miss any of Writing to be Read’s great content by subscribe to e-mail or following on WordPress. If you found this content helpful or entertaining, please share.
Share this:
“Severed Wings”: A Mythological Urban Fantasy
Posted: April 3, 2020 Filed under: Book Review, Books, Dark Fantasy, Fantasy, Fiction, Urban fantasy | Tags: Angels and Demons, Book Review, Fantasy, Severed Wings, Steven-Elliot Altman, Urban fantasy, Writing to be Read 2 Comments
Severed Wings, by Steven-Elliot Altman is an urban fantasy of romance and new beginnings, where creatures of myth live and miracles happen. Skillfully crafted to weave together past and present to create a captivating storyline that kept me guessing.
When an accident leaves Brandon in a wheelchair and unable to persue his acting career, he thinks his life is over. He walks away from everything and everyone connected with his past life, searching for something or someone to give meaning to his life again. What he finds is a couple living across the hall who behave a little oddly. When he uncovers the secret which they carry, he doesn’t know if it’s his curse or his salvation, as he suddenly finds himself with supernatural abilities, in a battle for his life, and those of his friends, with a creature of myth and legend.
Severed Wings will make you believe in angels and demons and everything in between, at least until you turn the last page. I give it five quills.
Severed Wings will be available June 3, 2020
Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARCs. Have a book you’d like reviewed? Contact Kaye at kayebooth(at)yahoo(dot)com.
