Diary: A BIG Thank You to Brian Rathbone

Thank You, Author Brian Rathbone

Brian found me on Twitter shortly after I started posting my book blog posts on social media. We hit it off as online friends. He's funny, I'm nerdy, and well I thought he was so interesting that I had to check out his site. I love indie authors and fantasy books so I figured I'd enjoy his work, so far I was definitely right. After following the link from his Twitter profile, I noticed a few things where broken on his site and walked him through fixing him. In the long run, a lot more things broke and we reconnected. That led to a whole new website. I'm proud to present BrianRathbone.com. It still has a ways to go but is leaps and bounds ahead in design, analytics, among other nerdy things.

Book Review: THE WINTER WITCH by Paula Brackston

"Mayhem, Witch Trials, and Magic in an Unpredictable Tale"

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The Winter Witch is set back in a time when people where suspicious but not necessarily on witch hunts. It seems they suspect but don't immediately kill in this book. This is a battle for love, life, and an understanding of hard times mixed with magic in unusual ways. There is sorrow in this book, happiness, and mayhem in ways that only this time could convey.

If you enjoy this book you may also enjoy: Books by Deborah Geary, Witch Child, Born Wicked, Star Cursed, books by Gail Carriger, Thirteenth Child, and Shadow and Bone.

BOOK REVIEW: Of Poseidon (The Syrena Legacy Book 1) by Anna Banks

"Love both books! This is book 1"

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I love this series. Just to be clear this is book 1. Of Triton is book 2. Coming soon is Of Neptune (book 3 not available in audio yet). Legacy Lost (The Syrena Legacy, #0.5) could also be considered book 1 but is not available in audio yet.

I'm annoyed that audible doesn't clearly mark books in a series. I listened to these out of order and was extremely confused during a good chunk of listening to Of Triton (book 2). I loved both books and you will enjoy the second book thoroughly if you like this one. The narrator and author do a wonderful job. The characters are not reintroduced so it's clearly intended to be read as a second book. Rant over.

BOOK REVIEW: Of Triton UNABRIDGED by Anna Banks

• "Combing old world kingdoms with modern sensibility"

  
  

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  Over halfway through the story you will become hooked. I say halfway because that is about how long it takes before I got used to the characters and fell in love with the romantic YA tale of the deep.
  
  This is a Triton + Poseidon modern kingdom tale of mermaids known as the Salina. It's a story of love, family, betrayal, survival, and togetherness.
  
  
  The narrator's voice is so breathy, not from breathing hard, but a sound like someone who just finished kissing. It's deeper than 1950s actresses but has the same heady quality, like she is trying to seduce you.

BOOK REVIEW: Endless Knight UNABRIDGED by Kresley Cole

"You will be surprised who you love & who you hate."

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  The ending makes me sad. Full of unanswered questions but too many assumptions. It's interesting and odd the turns the story takes in this section of the series. I'm at once riveted by the love story (very pg 13) and saddened by choices made. The story lets loose some of its edginess, and deftly turns into a triangle of sorts.
  The first book in the series, "poison princess" had a Texas chain saw massacre meets zombie apocalypse with a touch of shady back country southern swagger.

BOOK REVIEW: Princess Academy: Princess Academy, Book 1 UNABRIDGED by Shannon Hale

"Finished in One Night."

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  Story

  This story was entertaining, but be forewarned in between each chapter is weird singing. The narrators have nice voices but the music is horrible. For me, it didn't hurt the book. I still enjoyed the story and the singing is very short lived (thank God). The singing & intermittent music is the only reason I took one star away from this book.
  
  
  
  As my headline says, I literally finished this book in one night. I got attached to the story and intrigued by the little princesses. They are definitely underdogs.

GEEK RIDDLE Contest: #geekriddle Who am I?

Think comic book or fairy tale ...it's a geek riddle.

Fiery, Fair, and Voluptuous,

An envy among her peers,

The eyes of all who see her stuck like glue through all her years.

Through Ice and Fire I may endure,

Elegant and slender I may be,

My whits may enchant you,

I'm not a real person.

I'm infamous to those who know me,

Rough and hunted for murder,

My body may not be what is slender,
 though I am light and may be graceful.

I need no hero to save me.

BOOK REVIEW: Born Wicked: The Cahill Witch Chronicles, Book One UNABRIDGED by Jessica Spotswood

• "So Good I Went to the Library for the Next Book"

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  This series has a second book that is not yet available in audio, sigh, but I was so addicted to the story I couldn't wait and wait to the library to get the next book. The young narrator gives life to this story and depth to the character's enchanting lives.
  
  To enjoy this book you will need to enjoy stories of enchantment, duplicitous mystery, and a setting back in time. This is an old world tale from when witch hunts, burning, and magic ruled. Well in this story, the order of the brothers ruled with an iron clad fist. This is not a historical tale that will give light to a witches point of view in the 1800s, its fantasy brought to life in a parallel world with a similar feel to that time.

BOOK REVIEW: One Good Knight: Tales of the Five Hundred Kingdoms, Book 2 UNABRIDGED by Mercedes Lackey

• "Addictive Series comparable to Once Upon a Time"

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  If you've seen the new TV show Once Upon a Time with all the most well know old fables and stories, and you liked that you will love how Gabra Zackman brings this series to life. Mercedes writes a good story but most of her books are read by terrible narrators (I found that out trying to listen to a couple others and then reading all the reviews).
  Not to worry in this series, because you have Gabra Zackman. After this series I fell in love with Gabra's reading style and went so far as to follow her on Facebook, as well as look up other stories she has read. Most of my favorite audible books now are read by Gabra.

The Iron King: The Iron Fey, Book 1 by Julie Kagawa

BOOK REVIEW: The Iron King

The Iron Fey Series

by Julie Kagawa

"Surprised and Enthralled. Lovely Modern Fantasy."

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I got the first book in this series during one of Audible's many buy one get one events. As an avid Audible addict, I've listened to literally hundreds of books (nearing 300+ at the time of this review). As the old saying goes, don't judge a book by it's fairy cover; ok I added the fairy part. At first glance The Iron King my look child-like and whimsical; which in a lot of ways is something I like, plus I love getting into series because it's more entertainment with characters you've already built a good rapport with. As long as the author throws in some variety to their writing style and doesn't beat a dead horse into the ground reviewing the same materials, not to worry that is not a problem in this series.