#Bookreview Revenge de los Muertos – Fifth Sun book 1 by @TalisJones #urbanfantasy #fantasy

Posted on January 12, 2022 by suzannerogersonfantasyauthor

I won a copy in a competition and I’m so happy to have had the opportunity to read book 1 in this new urban fantasy series – Fifth Sun.

Blurb

Selah’s biggest dilemma was trying to decide what to study in college. That is, until she stumbled across a clue to the grandparents she’d never met and hopped on a plane to Mexico where she would discover an entire hidden world of magic and monsters. Her best friend was a bruja, the Chupacabra was more than a myth, and she’d inadvertently caught the attention of the terrifying Blood King with golden eyes. What started as a two-week vacation quickly devolved into an adventure she might never return from.

Día de los Muertos had almost arrived and the monsters were on the hunt.

My Review

Urban fantasy is not something I read very often, but I’m glad I read Revenge De Los Muertos. It is an excellent introduction into the Fifth Sun series and I really enjoyed it.

This is a story filled with magic, covens and secrets. We get to see a slice of Mexican culture and it’s nice to have the odd Spanish phrase included. I did not know all the words, but it was easy enough to interpret the meaning. Plus there is a handy guide at the back of the book if you are interested in understanding the words and how to pronounce them.

The main character, Selah, starts the books very trusting and naïve. Almost too naïve. But we get a hint that things are not as they seem, and our patience is eventually rewarded (though I can’t say more – you just have to read it to find out!).

My favourite character was easily Rafi, a sexy protector with many hidden depths, and it was great to have alternating chapters from his viewpoint. There are lots of supporting characters too that bring the world of magic alive.

There is plenty of mystery and hints of a slow-burn romance to come, all elements I love in books. The events at the end had me rushing through the pages. It was dramatic and eye-opening for the reader and the characters alike.

I have to say I’ve been left feeling a little nervous for what’s to come in book 2. But that makes the anticipation even better. I know it will be action packed and I look forward to watching the characters continue to grow.

Book 2 is already out and I’ve seen that book 3 is only a few months away. It’s exciting to have such a quick release and I look forward to the next books. Check out the author on Amazon and Goodreads to find out more.

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Suzanne Rogerson – Author of epic fantasy and heart-warming romance

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Books I read in 2020 #amreading #fantasy #romance

Posted on January 2, 2021 by suzannerogersonfantasyauthor

2020 was a good reading year for me. I set my goal on Goodreads as 15 but I managed to read 30. I haven’t reviewed many of these books, but I hope to do a better job this year.

I love reading people’s wrap up book posts, so I thought I would share my own. Hopefully this will make up for the fact I haven’t done many reviews through 2020.

Fantasy

Daevabad trilogy by S.A Chakraborty – 5 stars. I loved everything about this series. Imaginative, unusual, great setting, wonderful characters. I hope Chakraborty has a new book out soon, definitely up there with my favourite authors.

Firewalker Series by Emma Miles – 5 star series so far. I loved the first two books in the series and plan to make book 3 one of my first reads for 2021. Here’s my review of the series so far.

Fallible Justice by Laura Laakso. A cool start to a Urban Fantasy series that I hope to continue with this year. Here’s my review.

Sword and Pen by Rachel Caine. Last book in the Great Library books and I loved it. 5 stars across the whole series! Don’t know why I didn’t get around to reviewing it. My goodreads review;

The perfect end to the series. I loved reading these books over the last few years but feel it reached a natural and very satisfying conclusion. I imagine the characters having the happy ever after they deserve, at least for a little while!

Origins – Summoner series by Taran Matharu – Enjoyable and quick origin story for younger readers. It entertained me at the time though I’m ashamed to admit I don’t remember much of it. I know my son loved the series a few years ago, so it might be worth revisiting one day.

The Last Wish by Andrezej Sapkowski – I loved the Witcher series on Netflix and although this was a good introduction to the books, I didn’t love it as much as I was hoping too.

Romance

As I started writing a romance series myself in 2020, I challenged myself to read as many romances as I could. I’ve read some really great books but again haven’t reviewed as many as I would like.

Art and Soul by Claire Huston. Very enjoyable, feel good romance Here’s my review.

Escape to the French Farmhouse by Jo Thomas. Another fantastic romance by Jo Thomas. My review.

The Chestnut Tree by Jo Thomas. A sweet novella with Jo Thomas’ usual magic.

Chocolate Wishes by Trisha Ashley. Not a bad read, kept me entertained but I didn’t love it.

The Little Kiosk by the Sea by Jennifer Bohnet. Pretty good read.

Meet me at Beachcomer Bay by Jill Mansell. Very enjoyable story and I will be reading more of Jill Mansell’s books.

Katie’s Cornish Kitchen by Rosie Chambers – Another enjoyable romance that I highly recommend.

Finding Love at the Christmas Market by Jo Thomas – A heart-warming Christmas story. Maybe not quite as great as Jo’s other books but still very, very good!

Other

Children of Sinai by Shelley Clarke – As I state in my review, this is a hard book to put into a category. It is well worth a read though. Check out my review here.

Operation Dawn Wolf by G.J. Stevens. This was a fast paced read, very gripping. Here’s my review.

White Knight, Black Swan – Ross Harding (David Gemmell fantasy legend!) A thriller by the great fantasy author David Gemmell. Despite it not being fantasy, it was still a great read.

Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healey. I was surprisingly hooked by this book. It is worth a read.

Non-fiction

I got really into my non-fiction books towards the end of 2020 and read quite a few on the craft of writing. They are all good and worth a read. I hope to share a bit more of a review on them in the future. For now, here are the covers to show what I’ve been reading…

Nigel by Monty Don – Lovely book about the dogs in Monty’s life. A tearjerker if you’re an animal person.

Astronomy by Patrick Moore – A research book for my Starlight Prophecy series though it wasn’t quite what I was looking for.

And that’s it as far as I can tell. It has been great to look back over my reads and it has inspired me to keep going through 2021. I’ve set my reading goal to 20. Who knows how the year will pan out. I am hoping to do a lot more writing this year and that is more important than anything else right now.

Happy reading and I look forward to sharing more books with you very soon.

Have you read any of these books? Do you have any favourites?

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Suzanne Rogerson – Author of epic and heroic fantasy

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#Tuesdaybookblog #Bookreview Fallible Justice by Laura Laakso #urbanfantasy #paranormalcrime @LLaaksoWriter

Posted on June 23, 2020 by suzannerogersonfantasyauthor

I really enjoyed my first visit to Old London and meeting with so many interesting characters.

Blurb

In Old London, where paranormal races co-exist with ordinary humans, criminal verdicts delivered by the all-seeing Heralds of Justice are infallible. After a man is declared guilty of murder and sentenced to death, his daughter turns to private investigator Yannia Wilde to do the impossible and prove the Heralds wrong.
Yannia has escaped a restrictive life in the Wild Folk conclave where she was raised, but her origins mark her as an outsider in the city. Those origins lend her the sensory abilities of all of nature. Yet Yannia is lonely and struggling to adapt to life in the city. The case could be the break she needs. She enlists the help of her only friend, a Bird Shaman named Karrion, and together they accept the challenge of proving a guilty man innocent.
So begins a breathless race against time and against all conceivable odds. Can Yannia and Karrion save a man who has been judged infallibly guilty?

Firstly I’d just like to admire the cover, it’s so well designed and even though its dark it really stands out and draws the eye.

This book has some of my favourite elements, magic and mystery, in a modern day setting with a difference. There is so much depth to the character, her past, and the magic system in this world that it draws you in. I love the peppering of details that help you understand Yannia and her past, and I can’t wait to discover more about in the books to come.

I loved the magic in this book, in particular how Yannia can call up the senses of other animals and use them to see the world around her. There is also her daily struggle to live away from the natural magic, her pain is very well portrayed and makes you care for the character even more. There are lots of colourful yet mysterious characters that help Yannia along the way and I hope they will feature more in future books.

The crime itself is an interesting one. P.I’s are a personal favourite of mine and I just loved investigating this impossible crime with Yannia. The whodunit moment was great and the realisation of how the crime was committed completely surprised me.

It’s a great first book of what I’m sure will be an entertaining series with characters and a magic system I can’t wait to discover more about. So far there are 3 books in the series but I believe there are more to come.

I noticed it’s currently only 99p on Amazon. I recommend picking up a copy now. Let me know what you think.

Check out Fallible Justice on ; Amazon and Goodreads.

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Suzanne Rogerson – Author of epic and heroic fantasy

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#Bookreview The Lost and the Chosen by Ivy Asher #tuesdaybookblog #urbanfantasy

Posted on January 8, 2019 by suzannerogersonfantasyauthor

I stumbled on The Lost and the Chosen as the series title is the same as my fantasy book The Lost Sentinel – book 1. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but even after reading the blurb, I knew I had to read it, and I’m so pleased I did. First the blurb…

Blurb

My name is Vinna, and I’ve been keeping a lot of secrets.

You would too if you’d experienced some of the weird shit I have: red-eyed monsters chasing me, markings on my body appearing out of nowhere, a strange power that crackles colorfully over my skin from time to time, and don’t get me started on the weapons I can conjure up almost out of nowhere.

Lucky for me, I have yet to meet someone whose ass I couldn’t kick, inside the ring or out. I put that to the test when I run headfirst into a fight that brings all my secrets, and reality as I know it, crashing down around me.

Now, I’m looking for answers and trying to piece together what the hell is going on. Paranormal is my new way of life. It’s not going to be easy, and I’m not exactly welcome.

That is, until I meet the boys, and trust me, they are anything but boyish.

I’m up against elders who think I’m too powerful, a family who views me as a threat, and something lurking in the shadows that’s been coming for me my whole life.

There’s not a chance in hell I’m going down without a fight. I’m not lost anymore, and I’m about to show this world exactly what I can do.

Author’s Note: This is the first book in The Lost Sentinel Series and ends with a cliffhanger. This book is a medium burn reverse harem story, intended for ages 18 years and older. This story contains strong language, sexual situations, and violence.

My Review

First off, this is a very attractive cover and sets up a picture in your mind of Vinna and the story to come.

This is very different to anything I have read before. I see it as Urban fantasy, though the author classes it as Paranormal Romance. I think readers of most genres would enjoy this book, so don’t be put off by classification.

Vinna is a likable, kick-ass heroine right from page 1 when we meet her preparing for a fight. We learn she’s earned quite a sum of money in these arranged fights, besting opponents much bigger than she is. After the battle, she stumbles on a fight outside, between Casters and shifters.

From here the story gets even more interesting as she joins the Casters in their secret town, Solace. The community of Casters and shifters live under a magical barrier hiding them from the normal human (nons) world.

I found Vinna’s immediate friendship and attraction to a group of young Casters difficult to accept at the beginning, but stick with it; everything is explained and makes perfect sense. Especially now as I re-read the blurb and see the mention of a reverse harem! The title of the book also becomes clear.

There is a lot of swearing, but it fits with Vinna’s personality and feels natural. There are also a lot of sexual references and steamy moments, thus the 18+ warning.

I loved the magic and action running through the book and especially Vinna’s ability to conjure weapons from nothing. The last few chapters flew by as I raced through to find out what was going on. The half unexpected twist at the end choked me and I shed quite a few tears before being disappointed that the story was over and I would have to wait for the next book.

This was a fun and entertaining 5 star read. I recommend if you like modern day fantasy settings and stories with shifters, vampires and witches.

Check out The Lost and the Chosen now on Goodreads and Amazon .

Have you read this book? What do you think of urban vs paranormal fantasy?

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Note – The author states the second book is due out in January 2019 so we shouldn’t have long to wait to continue Vinna’s story. I can’t find any reference to it yet, but I’ve followed her on Amazon so that should inform me when the new book is released.

I’ve had a search around for a website / twitter for Ivy Asher but cannot find anything. If you know when the next book is coming out, please let me know!

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I hope you’ve enjoyed this review. As I stated in my post yesterday, I won’t be posting many this year unless I read tons of books I love of course!

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My thoughts on #SPFBO promo sale and my purchases of #indieauthors #fantasy books #tbr

Posted on August 6, 2018 by suzannerogersonfantasyauthor

The 5 day book promo is over and I couldn’t resist picking up some books at the bargain price whilst also helping to support my fellow indie authors.

I don’t know when I’ll get the chance to read them as I’ve already set myself a reading challenge for the summer, see the post here, but I will read them all and review them when I can.

There will be lots of reviews going up for the 300 books in this year’s SPFBO. You can keep in touch with these by searching #SPFBO on twitter and facebook, and by checking Mark Lawrence’s dedicated SPFBO page where he shares links to the judges reviews, relevant blog posts and has a counter that shows how many books are left in the competition.

I thought it would be fun to share the books that caught my eye during the sale and to say why I bought them. And of course it doesn’t hurt to give these authors a little extra exposure. So here is my list.

Starting with those already purchased

Magic Price – C.L Schneider reviewed here. A 5 star read, I loved the cover the premise and when I read it, I loved the story too!

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Melokai – Rosalyn Kelly

I was interested in this one having followed some of Rosalyn’s blog posts and then reading the prequel The Sand Scuttler which I reviewed here.

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The Exercise of Vital Power – Ian Gregorie (last year’s entry in SPFBO)

I love the revised cover of Ian’s book and was quick to buy it when it went on pre-order.

cover-artwork

New purchases

The Game Bird – Aidan R Walsh

I loved the cover and just had to buy it! Plus it has ships and sea monsters. Who can resist?

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A Wizard’s Forge – A.M Justice

The cover was a semi finalist in my group’s cover competition, and I can see why! From the blurb I think I’m going to enjoy this book. Plus it has some very positive reviews.

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Symphony of the Wind – Steven McKinnon

The cover is a draw for me and I was also impressed by the blurb. I don’t come across many books set in the desert and I haven’t read much steampunk so I’ll look forward to trying this one out.

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We Ride the Storm – Devin Madson

My son spotted this one on the list and said the cover looked really good. I had seen a few reviews on goodreads and thought why not try it out and see what I think.

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Crossfire – Andrea Domanski

Andrea did a lot of hard work setting up the giveaway so of course I was going to support her by buying her book. But the book cover and the blurb also did a good job of selling the book to me. I haven’t read much in the way of Urban fantasy, so this sounds like a great place to see what I think of the genre.

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The Blighted City – Scott Kaelen

I like covers with cities and the blurb sounds intriguing. I’ve also seen reviews for this book and knew I wanted to read it.

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High Barrens – Alice Sabo

This one is in my group of 30. I like the cover and the blurb so I thought why not see what its about. I’m intrigued to find out about Flint and how she can see into souls. This sounds like just my sort of story.

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Fire’s Song – J.E. Mueller

I loved the cover but wasn’t so taken with the blurb at first. But when I checked the book again another day, because I still just loved the cover, I thought actually this sounds pretty good.

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The Shadows Are Stirring – Hannah Sullivan

A one for younger readers, this really caught my attention. I love the idea of talking horses. And the cover is brilliant.

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Kingshold – D.P. Woolliscroft

I like the cover and the blurb, and have seen some good reviews knocking around. So this was an easy purchase.

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Liath Luachra: The Swallowed – Brian O’Sullivan

It sounded like something a bit different and I like the idea of Druids and spectral forests, so I’m hoping to enjoy this one. It does say book 2, but also that it can standalone, so I’ll have to see how that goes.

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Blade and Rose – Miranda Honfleur

I was drawn in by the premise of this book, and I was interested to read a fantasy with more romance at its heart.

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There were so many books that I would like to have bought, but alas I don’t have the money to buy them all. I look forward to reading the above books and reviewing them in the future. I wish everyone in the competition luck and look forward to seeing the judges reviews as they come in.

My thoughts on the SPFBO sale…

The Lost Sentinel didn’t fair as well as I’d hoped throughout the sale, but looking at the competition I can understand why. When faced with so many books, a reader must really be dragged in by the cover, the tag line and the blurb – I know as I looked at most of the books on the list and I probably wouldn’t have bought The Lost Sentinel either. I had to be so selective as my budget is non-existent, and I’m sure this will have been the same for many of those checking through the books for new reads.

Although I still love my cover and won’t consider changing it yet, when I saw it against the others I knew it didn’t have the same instant appeal.

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Book 2 would have stood out better and someone did purchase it during the sale, so that was an added bonus!

The Sentinel's Reign book cover

I’ve been trying to improve the blurb of The Lost Sentinel, and it’s something I want to keep working on. My experience of looking through the list of books showed how a long winded blurb can put off a potential reader rather than entice them to click Buy Now.

So in all I didn’t gain that many sales, but I did gain extra insight into the competition my book is up against for a reader’s attention, and I’ve realised my blurb is in need of work. This experience has also led me to make a decision that I will stop obsessing over the sales and reviews for now and instead focus on book 3. Once the series is complete I can work on my sales tactics, but if I carry on as I am book 3 will never be finished!

Another quick thank you to Andrea Domanski for hosting the sales page and for her tips regarding my blurb.

And thank you to those who purchased The Lost Sentinel, I appreciate every sale.

And finally this is a cheeky reminder that The Lost Sentinel is still only 99p / 99c until the 8th August. I have also reduced the price in Canada (if it has worked) as that is where my Ad with EbookSoda is posted today. Check out the EbookSoda website if you want to place an ad for your future book sales and kindle countdown deals.

Thanks for reading, and good luck to everyone in the SPFBO 4 competition.

#SPFBO 2018 Starts today and 120+ #fantasy authors have discounted their books to 99c / 99p! #indieauthor

Posted on August 1, 2018 by suzannerogersonfantasyauthor

This is the day 300 indie fantasy authors have been waiting for. The Self Published Fantasy Blog Off competition starts now 1st August 2018.

To celebrate SPFBO 4 over 120 fantasy authors have discounted their books to only 99c / 99p. This is the dedicated page listing all the books in the sale. Please head over to see their wonderful book covers, teasers and links to buy. We all appreciate your support.

With fantasy sub genres of epic, romance, urban and many more there will be something to suit every taste.

And of course The Lost Sentinel is on the list under epic/high fantasy.

Good luck to all my fellow SPFBO contestants and happy reading to everyone!

And a big thank you to Andrea Domanski for organising everything!

Here’s the link again to the dedicated fantasy book sale page. Thanks for reading,

#Tuesdaybookblog #bookreview Eléonore by @Faith_theRivens #urbanfantasy

Posted on February 21, 2017 by suzannerogersonfantasyauthor

Eléonore by Faith Rivens is an action packed 178 page novella. It’s an urban fantasy with demons and a kickass heroine. How cool does she look in this brilliant book cover…

I finished this late last night and have to say I was so disappointed because I wanted more!!!!

Before I go on about the book anymore, here’s the…

Blurb.

Eléonore Dormant’s life is a precarious balancing act: librarian by day, demon hunter by night and single mother around the clock. Each day brings its challenges and she brings her A-game. It helps that coffee and a bottle of painkillers are always in supply. For six years, she’s protected the streets of Montreal from all manner of demons and the consequent evil that they would wreak on her city. But even a resumé like hers isn’t enough to prepare her for the unforeseen night when she becomes the hunted. A sorcerer, an enigmatic Elder, has placed a hefty bounty on her head and the demons are eager to claim the reward for her capture. They bear down on her, disrupting her mode de vie and endangering her son’s life all in one fell swoop. But Eléonore is ready to fight whatever Hell deigns to send her way to save him. The path she pursues will lead her to new places and old faces. One thing is certain, Eléonore’s about to get into a whole hellhole of trouble.

My Review

I haven’t read Urban fantasy before, and now I realise I’ve been missing out.

The story flies along as one night Eléonore finds herself hunted by the demons she is usually so adept at killing. With a bounty on her head and her son’s life in danger, the tension really mounts with each chapter.

I really like the relationship between Eléonore and her friend Rosalie, and the love she feels for her son is well portrayed. My personal favourite though is the mysterious Raphael.

The feeling of place in this book is also perfectly written – Montreal comes alive and I’m not surprised to learn this is the authors hometown.

My only complaint – When’s the next book?

And on a smaller note – the word ‘hellhole’ turned up a bit too much for my liking. But when fighting demons, what better word is there!

I recommend this book to those who like fantasy and demon hunting action. And if you haven’t tried Urban fantasy before, give this one a shot. I’m sure you won’t regret it.

I rate this 5 stars.