CHARMED AND DANGEROUS

Charmed And Dangerous by Lindsay Buroker
Book 5 in the Witch In Wolf Wood series
Genre: urban fantasy
Format: ebook & paperback

About Charmed And Dangerous:

After battling witches, werewolves, and a crazy one-eyed rougarou with a vendetta, starting a business making magical charms should be easy.

At least, that’s what Morgen Keller thought.

But now she’s leased a haunted building, her cousin is dating the town’s scheming mayor, and Amar — AKA the handsome werewolf she’s been dating — is embroiled in what could be the final showdown between two rival werewolf packs.

If his pack doesn’t come out on top, she could lose her lover, her business partner, and the only guy willing to catch mice for her snooty owl familiar.

Why did Morgen ever think life in the small town of Bellrock would be simple?

Source: Info in the "About Charmed And Dangerous" was taken from GoodReads at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60279346-charmed-and-dangerous on 20/04/2022.

Buy Link(s):

Lucky

My Thoughts:

This is the second time that I have read an urban fantasy book/series with "Olivia" as the name of the antagonist. The first one is Ilona Andrews' Olivia Charles in the Hidden Legacy series. Is that a trend now? Is Olivia a favourite nemesis name or something?... Anyway, the premise of this book, and this series, is that the world of werewolves and witches is a hidden one. That means that only a few are in the "know". The general population does not. How can that happen when werewolves change shape in front of anyone and witches do not hide their power but show it blatantly to anyone willing to look? That kind of thing don't stay hidden. That kind of thing tend to spread everywhere. So how can this hidden world of werewolves and witches stay hidden? There are a few plot holes like that... However, I am steadfastly and willingly ignoring trivial things like the unbelievable plot, for the reading pleasure that this book has brought me! And a quick read too!

This is also the book which nicely ended the story arc of the series thus far. However, I am still hoping for further books in this series...

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 5
Character development = 4.5
Story itself = 4.5
Writing Style = 4.5
Ending = 4.5
World building = 5
Cover art = 5
Pace = 4.5
Plot = 2.5
Narration = 5

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 cherries


Books In The Witch In Wolf Wood Series:

 

Meet The Author

About Lindsay Buroker:

Full-time indie fantasy/scifi author who loves hiking, tennis, and vizslas.

lindsayburoker.com | twitter | facebook | instagram | pinterest | amazon | goodreads

FTC Disclosure:
The different formats of this book were bought with private funds.
No money received for this review.

THE FADED LAND

The Faded Land by D.E. Sherman
Book 1 in the Keiran: The Eternal Mage series
Narrated by Rylee Kuberra and John Joseph Rogers
Genre: fantasy
Format: ebook & audiobook

About The Faded Land:

Keiran clawed his way from gutter rat to archmage in his first life.

His second was supposed to be easier...

Keiran of the Night Vale has staved off death for two thousand years. His mind and his magic remain as sharp as ever, but his body is old, worn out, and failing. What he needs is to reincarnate into a new, young body, and he bends his prodigious talents towards doing exactly that.

He awakens to find that he’s been reborn in a wasteland where mana has become a scarce resource. Even the internal mana generated by people is stolen away by those who rule them. And without mana, he’s no longer a mage.

It will take more than that to stop Keiran. With each passing week, he regains more of his old strength, but can he keep his secrets safely hidden? Standing in his way is his new home’s cult-like nightly mana tithing, a governor with deadly secrets, and a monster-ridden desert.

It's a deadly scramble to claim the mana he so desperately needs to survive, but Keiran didn’t become an archmage by accident.

He’s willing to use every dirty trick and tactic he knows to get there again.

Source: Info in the "About The Faded Land" was taken from amazon on 23/02/2025.

Buy Link(s):

 

My Thoughts:

This is my first D.E. Sherman read and I like what I am reading. There was one glitch but I am hoping that it would be a one off thing.

Progressive fantasy is not usually my genre. But having said that, I seem to be reading quite a few od them lately... ironic, I know...

I am not very keen on the theme... reincarnation.... However, I was brought around soon enough! The world building is beautiful!

This book is part of a series which usually means a cliffhagner ending. Even knowing that, I still didn't like it!

This is also my first audiobook listen for both Rylee Kuberra and John Joseph Rogers and I like the way they read. They work well together in bringing this book to life!

Quantitative Evaluation:

Story telling quality = 4.5
Character development = 4
Story itself = 4
Writing Style = 4
Ending = 2
World building = 5
Cover art = 4
Pace = (16 hrs and 20 mins listening time)
Plot = 3
Narration = 5

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 cherries

Books In The Keiran: The Eternal Mage Series:

 

Meet The Author

About D.E. Sherman:

D.E. Sherman grew up reading fantasy and tried his hand at writing his first novel on an old MS-DOS text editor program when he was seven years old. That story didn't pan out; maximum character limits were a thing back then. Undeterred, he kept writing on other platforms, reading full-time, devouring JRPGs, and playing D&D, and he is now the author of the Keiran, God Machine, and Ascendant series. He also writes under the pen name 'EmergencyComplaints.'

Timeless Wind Publishing | twitter | amazon | goodreads

The Narrators

About Rylee Kuberra:

Why hello there! What a joy that you have found this little slice of my life!

I am Rylee Kuberra and I am what I like to call a storyteller at heart and an artist by trade.

I’m an actress, audiobook narrator, and creative collaborator who’s passionate about giving voice to stories that deserve to be heard, seen, and experienced. Whether I’m on stage, in front of the camera, or behind the mic, my goal is to bring truth and honesty to every story I am breathing life into.

I’ve narrated over 150 audiobooks available on Audible, working with publishers such as Simon & Schuster, Podium, Tantor, Royal Guard Publishing and more! My voice has become home to everything from YA heroines and historical dramas to gritty thrillers and rich fantasy worlds. My goal? To make the listener forget they’re listening — and instead, feel like they’re living the story. Because, who doesn’t want to get lost in a different world for a bit?

Thank you so much for taking the time to visit my little corner of the internet. It truly means the world to me. Whether you're here out of curiosity, collaboration, or just stumbled upon this page - I'm so glad you’re here.

If something sparked your interest or you'd like to create something together, I’d love to hear from you. Let’s make something meaningful.

www.ryleekuberra.com | twitter | facebook | instagram | tiktok | goodreads

About John Joseph Rogers:

From San Diego, CA, John struggled with reading until he picked up reading aloud for his family at the urging of a very dedicated teacher. Since then he has enjoyed being able to immerse himself and listeners in a variety of worlds and characters. With a background in narration and stage acting, he lends depth to characters through a grand variety of voices, accents, dialects, and mannerisms.

johnrogersvoice.com | instagram | linkedin | goodreads

FTC Disclosure:
The ebook and audiobook were purchased with private funds.
No money received for this review.

HEART AND SOUL

Heart And Soul by James Haddock
Genre: science fiction
Format: ebook

About Heart And Soul:

My name is Jimothy Van Done, or that’s what the orphanage birth certificate says. Jimothy. I hate that name. I bet some lazy clerk misspelled Timothy. Anyway, that’s just one of many things I hated about my life, but there was very little I could do about it. The corporate orphanage owned us. They housed, fed, clothed, and educated us. If you were smart enough, they gave you specialized training. If you did well in those classes, you were sold to corporations to continue your training and were put to work maintaining corporate equipment.

I will admit that I had it better than some others, but I studied hard and worked hard to succeed. Then I found out the game was rigged. The corporation never had any intentions of letting any of us leave their employ. I was a tier-one asset, which was just another word for slave. I wasn’t sure how, but someday I would figure out a way to escape.

My opportunity came unexpectedly when I went on an off-book job for one of my monitors. He’d gotten deep in debt with the wrong people, and to pay his debt, I had to do a job. The job was to repair a malfunctioning autodoc. No big deal, I repaired equipment like this all the time. However, this was the first time a sentient nanite AI was involved. They were trying to steal the AI, and he was blocking access to the autodoc he was in.

Well, as they say, it’s all fun and games until an eye gets poked out. Or, in my case, a firefight breaks out, where I was shot three times. I woke up in a ventilation shaft, in bloody clothes, with a nanite AI who had taken up residence inside me. To add insult to injury, the corporation would do anything, or kill anyone they had to, to get the AI back. Yeah, my life just keeps getting better and better.

Source: Info in the "About Heart And Soul" was taken from amazon on 05/03/2025.

Buy Link(s):

My Thoughts:

I am an old James Haddock fan, so of course, I enjoyed this book!

The ending though... Even as it ended the story rather nicely, it felt like the ending was more of a whimper rather than a bang...

Then there is the usual James Haddock's style of multiple personalities. In this story though, it kinda fits because Van was running from the corporation.

There is no twisty plot. But the book does have a plot.

While the cover art is quite apropos to the story, it is not "buy-me" inducing.

Quantitative Evaluation:

Story telling quality = 5
Character development = 5
Story itself = 4.5
Writing Style = 4
Ending = 3.5
World building = 5
Cover art = 2.5
Pace = 5
Plot = 3.5

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 cherries

The Author

About James Haddock:

My first career was as a Warrant Officer in the US Army, I am now retired with 22 years of service under my belt. Moving into the next phase of my life, I am a full-time author and RV'er. After seeing everyone else's Country during my first career, we decided to see our own. My wife and I enjoy traveling to see the wonders of America.

I love reading and watching Sci-Fi books, television shows, and movies. To think, "what if" and "why not." I am a pantser writer, I'll get an idea, or see a photo and think, "that would make a great story!". Writing as a pantser, to me, is like reading a new story. I have no idea where the story is going to end up. Writing the way gets me excited to pick up a pen; I look forward to writing each time, and can't wait to write many more.

www.jameshaddock.us | facebook | instagram | audible | amazon | goodreads

FTC Disclosure:
The ebook and audiobook were bought with private funds.
No money received for this review.

BITTEN BY MAGIC

Bitten By Magic by Brogan Thomas
Book 3 in The Bitten Chronicles series
Genre: urban fantasy
Format: ebook

About Bitten By Magic:

Betrayed, bound and resurrected — can a soul-forged survivor reclaim her humanity before time runs out?

Harper “House” has endured the impossible. Once Hestia, a formidable paper mage, she trusted the wrong man and lost everything: her magic torn away, her soul sealed into brick. For 162 years she has existed as a sentient house, hiding from those who’d destroy her while sheltering society’s outcasts.

Watching. Waiting. Until one reckless choice tears her prison apart.

Human again, Harper must navigate a world determined to cage or kill her. The Ministry of Magic hunts her. The Vampire Court schemes to silence her. Shifter packs prowl, terrified of the secrets she keeps. Then there’s the one sent to capture her — a frustratingly charming enemy who might just become her greatest ally.

Harper isn’t just a survivor; she is magic reborn — and she’s done playing nice.

Source: Info in the "About Bitten By Magic" was taken from amazon on 13/09/2025.

Buy Link(s):

My Thoughts:

I am an old fan of this author and of this series. But... getting a brand new human body out of the blue, after your old one died a hundred or so years ago... is a bit far fetched... Sure this is magic. But I like my magic a little bit logical. Having said that, I do like the idea of a sentient house!

I like Harper! She's a winning character. I also like the fact that we get to see Fred and Lark again! Having said that, it felt like it was just a little bit overdramatic at the end.

After all that whining, I still fininshed this book too soon even without the conveninece of an audiobook which usually helps with speeding up the "reading" process. That speaks of the compelling quality of the author's voice.

Quantitative Evaluation:

Story telling quality = 4.5
Character development = 4.5
Story itself = 3.5
Writing Style = 4.5
Ending = 4
World building = 5
Cover art = 4
Pace = 4.5
Plot = 3.5

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 cherries

Books In The Creatures of the Otherworld Series:

 

Books In The Rebel of the Otherworld Series:

Amazon

Amazon

Amazon

Books In The Bitten Chronicles Series:

Amazon

Amazon

Amazon

 

Meet The Author

About Brogan Thomas:

Brogan lives in Ireland with her husband and their eleven furry children: five furry minions of darkness (aka the cats), four hellhounds (the dogs), and two traditional unicorns (fat, hairy Irish cobs).

In 2019 she decided to embrace her craziness by writing about the imaginary people that live in her head. Her first love is her number-one favourite furry child Bob the cob, then reading. When not reading or writing, she can be found knee-deep in horse poo and fur while blissfully ignoring all adult responsibilities.

broganthomas.com | twitter | facebook | instagram | bookbub | pinterest | youtube | amazon | goodreads

FTC Disclosure:
The ebook and audiobook copies of the book were purchased with private funds.
No money received for this review.