Book Review: Nephilim Volume 3 by Anna Mocikat (Nephilim Book 3)

     Now a full guardian angel Nephilim and her classmates must begin their real lives. Under the tutelage of Uriel they complete their introduction, some more personally than others, and are matched with a partner. Survival is a requirement and nothing less will be tolerated. Not even on their first mission with enemy forces. Can they come out the other side as victors?

    I received an ARC of this eBook from the author in exchange for an honest review. While I received this book as an ARC it has since been released as I am behind on my reviews. I apologize for the inconvenience. We all know I love Anna and her books, so I won't sing her praises too much. The book is just as amazing as everything else she's written and we now have a full picture of Neph's life leading up to where Behind Blue Eyes begins. 

    Personally, I loved this deeper look into Neph's past over the last three novellas and if you are a fan of Behind Blue Eyes, or soon will be, then you will too. Don't worry though, because resistance to the Blue Eyed Angels is futile. They will get their way in the end. At least if you go willingly you will have a more pleasant ride!

    In this book a favored character from the last book re-emerges and I don't mean my series favorite Adriel. Although he is in this. I won't give away who or what happens with their story. I can't say I was surprised what happened, although the when surprised me a little. 

    This book is available on Kindle Unlimited or buy it on Amazon for $2.99 by clicking here. 

Books by this author: 

Nephilim Volume 1

Nephilim Volume 2

Behind Blue Eyes (Behind Blue Eyes Book 1)

Fallen Angel (Behind Blue Eyes Book 2)

War Games (Behind Blue Eyes Book 3)

Shadow City (Shadow City Book 1)

Dark City (Shadow City Book 2)

Cyber Squad Level 1 (Cyber Squad Book 1)

Cyber Squad Level 2 (Cyber Squad Book 2)

Cyber Squad Level 3 (Cyber Squad Book 3)

Space Punks

Book Review: The Star in the East by John Adcox

     Knowing she didn't have long left, Beth was determined to give her husband one last Christmas mystery that would allow him to have something he had always wanted: his family. Leaving clues like breadcrumbs for him to follow she carefully laid the course. Along the way Gaspar will be forced to make friends, find family, and uncover a secret over 2,000 years old. 

    I received a physical copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. This is one of those times that I have some regrets. Not because the book wasn't good. It was. There was just so much religion and I genuinely can't stand reading religious books. I received a lot of review requests at the time I received this one and was skimming blurbs. I should have taken my time and ended up declining this book as a result. Nonetheless, it isn't the author's fault that that isn't my preference and I didn't catch it before beginning to read. Given, having read the blurb now it is only implied that it will be religious in the vaguest sense considering it says "goes all the way back to the very first Christmas." Still, I have said my piece on it and will move on. 

    This book is extremely sad. Gaspar is an absolute wreck for most of the book after the loss of his beloved. As the book progresses he is slowly able to become more person and less a ball of grief, which is good. I don't think it would have been possible without the help of the "amazing" Ana and Will. They were great supporting characters to the story and the perfect opposition to the big bad in it. 

    This book is a standalone and everything seems to be wrapped up nicely in a pretty little bow. Everything within the book has a detailed conclusion and the reader is not left with any "what happens next?" thoughts as we already know. 

    I will say that although the book is sad and religious I enjoyed it. Primarily the first 3 quarters as that section isn't very religious at all. Minor references to his father studying nativity and estimations on the star in the east with astrology. Nothing major and didn't take away from the story. I genuinely couldn't put down the book for the first 3/4ths of it. 

    This book is available on Amazon for $7.49 by clicking here. 

Book Review: A Christmas in Calcutta by AM Sardar (A Charlotte Holmes Mystery Book 1)

     After a devastating loss Charlotte is intent to escape her husband's confines and visit Calcutta to visit her brother as well as unveil a threat. On her way, while attempting to escape her brother in law, Jonathan, she meets and becomes the traveling companion of Dr. Josh Watan. Together they solve a murder aboard the train, but can they keep their lives against the threat to the crown?

    I received a copy of this eBook from the author in exchange for an honest review. While it is obvious this author's favorite characters are sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson I feel like this was just a bit too much like them. The characters names are plays on their as well as the fact that they act similarly. Of course Charlotte is a female instead of a male and things are a bit different because of that. That being said, if you have never read Sherlock Holmes then this will be a treat.

    We follow a woman as she escapes from confinement on a train where a murder has occurred. Once that is solved they continue on with the intended victim to her new home to meet her betrothed. Here we find another murder. Together between Dr. Watan and Mrs. Holmes they determine who is behind these horrid acts and fight for their very lives. Once free they are far from safe as there is still the threat against the crown to contend with. The only problem is will anyone listen before it is too late? 

    The characters are well developed and easy to understand and there is genuine banter between the two. While not all books in a HEA this one has a bittersweet tang. I will leave the details for you to discover. 

    This book is available on Kindle Unlimited or buy it on Amazon for $2.99 by clicking here. 

Book Review: The Encounter by K. M. Ryan (What If Book 3)

     At the probing of her best friend Maddie attends a Halloween party at a local club. Here she meets a mysterious Phantom of the Opera clad man and has mind-blowing oral in a back office. The next day she finds out her sexy conquest was none other than billionaire bachelor Jake Locke. While the two begin to get more acquainted a reporter seems intent on tearing Maddie down and revealing any secret she can. Be them real or perceived. Is this sexy man worth having her life torn apart on a daily basis?

    I received an ARC of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. When I received this book it was an ARC, but it has now been released. With the holidays I am a bit behind on reviews and I am sorry about that. I have read other books by her in the past and am never disappointed. This book was no different and I hope I am able to read others by her in the future as they come out. 

    The Encounter is fun, sexy, and entertaining. From the first page it is hard to put down and you will love both the chemistry between the couple as well as the little references to the characters from her other books. I know I always adore those tidbits. 

    Jake is sweet and kind, which is surprising considering he came from money and is a billionaire. Still, he is hard-working and charitable. Then there is Maddie who works with a character from the last book and ends up being a big help. Maddie is a caring young woman with a sad past that she is still working away from. Couldn't imagine a better partner for either of these characters. Plus the little background romance was cute! Can't wait for the next book that I am sure will include Haley and Seth!

    While this book is part of a series you can read each as standalone and this book is no exception. While you will get some spoilers about characters from other books and their continued togetherness a HEA is basically expected out of a contemporary romance anyways. 

    This book is available on Amazon for $2.99 by clicking here or with Kindle Unlimited. 

Books by this author:

The Reunion (What If Book 1)

The Meeting (What If Book 2)

Save Me (In the Moment Book 1)

The Confrontation (What If Book 4)

Book Review: Down in Blood by Calia Wilde (Destroyers MC Book 1)

     Looking for a bit of excitement in her life after the death of her biker uncle, Mike, Shellie got more than she bargained for when the club "prez" and some members gang-banged her. Her revenge didn't come cheap as the one that lured her upstairs was an undercover cop. But, she killed them. Right then. And they deserved it. Still, Shell lost a piece of herself that night that her time in prison didn't help with. Now that she is out and working with Walt and his MC she has to find her new normal. Whatever that may be. 

    I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. Having grown up around bikers I love reading MC books. My dad, amusingly enough tagged Big Mike, was the residence tattoo artist with Sons here in Muncie. Yes, not the full name. No, the club no longer runs since Animal got sick and he didn't feel his sons were up to the task of taking over. Still, it is interesting to see how authors portray the life and those within it. Personally, I think Calia did a pretty good job here. We have a club that largely follows the rules, outside of gun laws, but still likes to party and have fun. It's easy to tell which women are the old ladies and which aren't even without the verbal distinction being made. 

    I liked Ice from the start in this book. He isn't a fall at her heels, in love from first sight kind of man and she wouldn't have been able to handle that anyways with what she went through. She needed the challenges put to her as well as the calming presence provided. His lack of need to fill the void with endless chatter definitely helped as well. It was a good matching. I am curious who we will see in the next book. Personally, I'm hoping for Indy, but since there are five books total (so far) I'm sure we will get to him at some point. And yes, as it stands I fully intend to read the other four books. 

    This book is available on Kindle Unlimited or buy it on Amazon for $2.99 by clicking here. 

Books by this author: 

Destroyers Soul (Destroyers MC Book 3) 

Truth as Poison (Destroyers MC Book 4)

Second Chance Santa ( A Destroyers MC Novella)

Book Review: The Master Mind by Mark Schorr

     While some of the government's actions have been declassified it is far from all experiments. Among them were trials in ESP led by Dr. Kroll. When the trials ended he wasn't ready to give up and with the help of some foreign backers he will go to any lengths to track down his most promising subject. Once Jeremy, now Tom Lord. Even if that means capturing him against his will. However, Tom and his new girlfriend, Diana have something to say to that. 

    I received a copy of this eBook from the author in exchange for an honest review. I truly enjoyed the fact that the female in this book was not weak and fragile. She doesn't need saving. Although the fact that the author just randomly started switching between the character's first and last names without first introducing them peeved me a bit. Normally I have no problem with this, but as it started so early in the story I thought they were introducing new characters, not calling the same characters by another name. It would have been helpful to have some establishment there. 

    Beyond that I really don't have any complaints. The book is fast paced with a wide variety of characters. Everything from a priest with a checkered past, to a grouchy stunt man, and a pre-cog housewife with a secret. Obviously, my favorite was the crotchety gun-lover. There is rarely a dull moment, and those are filled with a plethora of Google trivia. The end wasn't exactly what I expected, which is always fun. 

    All in all I was pleased with this book. It is different than a lot of books, complete with conspiracy theories. 

    This book is available on Amazon for $9.99 by clicking here. 

Book Review: Samurai's of Fukushima: The Battle of the Dead by Hugo L. L. Cukurs

     This isn't the first time that the dead have come back to life. It has been documented of them rising, but without frequent travel it has burnt itself out and populations eventually regrow. Now that travel is much more frequent in Japan this has become a wide-spread issue. A small group along with two samurais are making their way to Fukushima and to a boat that is hopefully still there to leave Japan and the zombies with it. Along the way the dead isn't the biggest of their issues. 

    I received a copy of this audiobook from the author in exchange for an honest review.  This was a short read, only a few hours long, but I enjoyed it. I didn't know initially if this was set in current Japan, but the further you get the more you realize that this is set in older Japan. There is no technology, arranged marriages, literal Vikings, and katana wielding samurai. Not just for display, but real ones. 

    The characters are enjoyable and was I invested to see if they achieved their goals.. While they all started with a common goal and some people were both lost and gained along the way some goals also changed. This may be walking among the dead, escaping crazy cults, or battle new and old foes there is more than just zombie's looking to take their lives. 

    While this book was originally in Portuguese the translations aren't rough like in a lot of cases. In fact, I never even knew that it was initially in another language until a few minutes ago when I was pulling everything up on Amazon for this review. 

    This book is available on Amazon for $4.50 or on Kindle Unlimited by clicking here. 

Book Review: The Dreams that Bind Us by Maximilian Lopez (Echoes of Etherium Book 1)

    The world as we know if is just one of many. The life we lead is one route taken within this multiverse. While we are unable to travel to others at this time, and many deny the possibility all together many people dream of these alternate realities. Selene, Joseph, and Corey all shared insight into the same parallel world during their dreams. Dr. K hopes that they will be able to take him with them into this land so that they might make their home a better place free of burning rains. Is this possible? Are they willing? Who is keeping secrets. 

    I received a copy of this eBook from the author in exchange for an honest review. I haven't worked this this author before, but if you've been here for a while you know I love sci-fi books. Plus, I'm a huge geek, so travelling the multiverse is great. These characters are no Dr. Strange, but who is. Still, the book was good. 

    I have some issues, but that is mostly because I am very familiar with military, primarily US Navy. Now, this isn't our universe, obviously, as we don't have burning rains so the author may chock it up to that. Still when a petty officer is late for duty they don't have to scrub the brass. That was done away with many years ago. While officers can, with permission, get a second job they wouldn't be providing security for a college orientation. Much less serving appetisers. But, if we ignore all of the completely wrongs with the military aspect the book was good. For me that was a big detractor, but my best friend is active Navy which holds some sway. 

    Moving on. We are able to follow the story with ease after the first few chapters. When the book began it was jumping back and forth between realities and I wasn't sure what was going on. The more the book progressed the easier it was to differentiate. I am curious what would have happened if they hadn't "went with" Dr. K. How would things have changed? 

    Once I realized who was from what reality and who the person from the first chapter the end no longer surprised me. Still, I am curious how that link will be maintained if death occurs. You'll see what I mean. I do want to warn you there is quite a bit of religion when it comes to the primary world's Selene. Honestly I just skipped her entire sermon, skimming until that was gone. 

    I feel that the author did a great job of capturing what you'd expect a lot of actors who are just looking to get their names in the history books would be like with Joseph. His pride and self-serving attitude is going to get him in more trouble than he is worth. 

    This book is available on Amazon for $4.99 by clicking here.  

Book Review: Escape from Crescendo Station One by Justin Knight

     When Mary was given the underwater command post for Crescendo Station One she was thrilled. More so when the base needed a mechanic and she was able to bring her husband, Edward, along. With the bonus they will earn from the gold found underwater they will be able to buy a house like they have been wanting. However, when a routine call with land gets interrupted and cruisers start falling on the base the crew will have to abandon their station, traverse underwater lands populated with dangerous sea creatures, and try to make it to Crescendo Station Two. Can they survive the Enja's and will Crescendo Station Two have survived whatever caused the cruisers to fall?

    I received an ARC of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. I have read another book by this author and enjoyed it, so when he contacted me asking to read his newest of course I accepted. I love sci-fi books and enjoyed underwater movies like 20,000 leagues under the sea.

    When I first started reading it I have to admit that I wasn't thrilled that the mechanic that squelched on this duties shared my last name, but it is what it is. I was soon drawn into the story, only brought out by the occasional complete impossibilities (such as two people exiting a underwater rover and 'running' to the dry dock to get suits on before getting back inside. The pressure would have killed them). Still, the author is allowed his creative license and to bend the laws of physics for his book. 

    I didn't immediately realize that this book is not set on Earth. There were multiple comments about Earth history and things like that, but only one place that the author actually comes out and says this isn't Earth. It is in some dialogue and he actually had to point it out to me when I asked him. I'm not saying this is a bad thing, just letting you know in case you miss it like I did. 

    Justin's creatures are unlike any you have seen before or any you will hopefully ever see. They are big, smart, and feroucious. I would NOT want to be stuck anywhere near them. The event that happened surprised me in what caused it, but not to the extent that was caused. You will see what I mean when you read it. You won't want to put the book down because you will constantly want to know what happens next or who will survive. Can the entire crew make it across the treacherous landscape? How many will be lost? Will there be anything waiting for them at their intended destination? All of these questions will be answered, yet the book does leave a bit of a cliffhanger. 

    This book is available on Kindle Unlimited or buy it on Amazon for $1.99 by clicking here. 

Books by this author: 

Ataris Station

Book Review: Nephilim Volume 2 by Anna Mocikat (Nephilim Volume 2)

     Nephilim has made it through the first challenge and her time at Angel Corps continues. Her next hurdle will be the introduction to sex. After-all, this is a casual affair and emotions must not be tied to it. It is important to get it out of the way as quickly as possible. In her training things are going well, but can she pass the final challenge and become a real Guardian Angel? How many of her team will survive this deadly challenge? 

    I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. I have read a lot of Anna's books and they never fail to disappoint. She is an amazing author and person in general. If you haven't read any of her books she has sci-fi, cyber-punk, and VR. Her books aren't the cookie cutter that a lot of VR gaming books are, but for now we are focusing on her cyber-punk that delves into the background of our favorite angel from her Behind Blue Eyes series: Nephilim. 

    In Volume One we learned, in more detail, how Neph came to be in the Angel Corps and how her first trial went. Now that she is older we see how she faces new challenges from things like physical attraction to the final test required to become a guardian angel. We get a deeper feeling of who she was before she became the one in the books. Yes, Adriel is still in this book. He is still amazing. He will always be my favorite and nothing can ever change this fact. 

    I absolutely loved Neph's sex interest in this book. I'd say love interest, but deep feelings and emotional bonds are frowned on in Olympias. While she wasn't at an age we consider an age of sexual maturity or consent again Olympias has some VERY different ideas on that. I am curious what happened to Rafael, but I feel like I already know. Of course I was given no spoilers, but it gives me something to look forward to. ALSO, if you've been wondering about Chamuel then you will get to see more about him in this book. Personally, I loved that aspect soooo much. 

    After the results of the final test there is still much to learn about our blue eyed favorite. I'm sure we will get a closer look soon as Anna told me she will have the ARC of Volume 3 ready for me in the near future! 

    This book is available on Kindle Unlimited or buy it on Amazon for $1.99 by clicking here. 

Books by this author: 

Shadow City (Shadow City Book 1)

Dark City (Shadow City Book 2)

Behind Blue Eyes (Behind Blue Eyes Book 1)

Fallen Angel (Behind Blue Eyes Book 2)

War Games (Behind Blue Eyes Book 3)

Cyber Squad Level 1 (Cyber Squad Book 1)

Cyber Squad Level 2 (Cyber Squad Book 2)

Cyber Squad Level 3 (Cyber Squad Book 3)

Nephilim Volume 1

Nephilim Volume 3

Space Punks