Tag: Bookreview

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BOOK REVIEW: Red Summer by Ana Lee

Gifted a copy to review, Red Summer is filled with a unique, gritty Southern Gothic flair, set against the vibrant backdrop of New Orleans. Red Summer gives you hints of a high school Harry Potter orPercy Jackson.

Red Summer (Stone and Scale Book 1)

Published: August 4, 2025

Genre: Urban fantasy, Contemporary Fantasy/ Paranormal fantasy

Ages: Older Young Adult/ Adult Readers

Synopsis –

Seventeen-year-old Wilder Ansley is being followed. By who? He hasn’t got a clue. By people and creatures no one else can see. That’s a good enough place to start.

To make matters worse, he’s also able to do things that make no sense at all — like unintentionally setting fire to his foster brother’s bed, without the help of a lighter or matches.

Wilder prides himself that recently, aside from a few unfortunate incidents, he’s been able to keep whatever happens when he loses his cool mostly under control. That is until a freak lightning storm alerts the mysterious New Orleans Council to his whereabouts.And his burgeoning abilities.

Within hours, Wilder is thrown headfirst into a whole new world, hidden behind a Shroud, and it feels more like home than he cares to admit. Despite his initial hesitations, Wilder finds friendship, and maybe something more, among these new strangers. But it turns out uncovering his place in the Eadar might be harder than he thought. Wilder must force himself to face the truth about who everyone else believes him to be—all while a decades long war escalates within and beyond the Shroud, threatening not only the Eadar and his new found friends, but the human world he’s left behind.

REVIEW

Red Summer: Stone and Scale is “Harry Potter” meets “Percy Jackson” on Bourbon Street. Our hero here is Wilder, an orphan with a reputation for so-called trouble. Things happen around Wilder, and oh, there are those creatures he sees that no one else can. When another episode occurs, landing a foster sibling in the hospital, Wilder’s future looks slim. When he decides to run away, only to encounter and follow an annoying owl, Wilder enters into a whole new realm, and that is in the midst of a war to discover who and what he is. It’s up to Wilder now and his newfound friends to help protect the magical worlds as well as learn more about himself.

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Red Summer was a fun read. It reminded me of a darker take on Harry Potter or Percy Jackson, yet it was its own thing as well. Our protagonist, Wilder, is a good character, and I love his progression as a character so far. Lee also creates a lovely world-building, with the human realm and the magical realm,  filled with lycans (werewolves), fae, vampires, witches, halfbreeds, and more. If you feel you’ve outgrown “Harry Potter” or “Percy Jackson?” Graduate to the grit and magic of Red Summer: Stone and Scale.

My rating is 4 out of 5 stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐/ 5

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ana Lee is the debut author of Red Summer—the first novel of the upcoming dark, gritty, and fast-paced epic contemporary fantasy series, Stone and Scale.

Ana lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, where she spends her time reading, writing, or dreaming about reading and writing.

Her influences include (but are definitely not limited to) Cassandra Clare, Rebecca Yarros, Sarah J. Maas, Leigh Bardugo, J.K. Rowling, C.S. Lewis, and J.R.R. Tolkien.

Follow Anna and her books at @analeewriters on Instagram.

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BOOK REVIEW: Barron Midnight Unearthed by Dblkrose

Barron Midnight Unearthered

Published: July 12th, 2025

Genre: Supernatural horror/ Fantasy/Suspense/Black African Mystery Thriller

When justice lies dormant, the dead will not.

In the haunted heart of Tremé, where ancestral spirits whisper through jasmine-flavored smoke and secrets hang heavier than the southern air, Gabriel Saint-Croix—a criminology student raised on ghost stories and generational grief—is caught between the worlds of the living and the dead, uniquely tethered by both bloodline and belief. A criminology student with a legacy soaked in flood waters and betrayal, Gabriel is drawn into a web of lies surrounding his father’s mysterious death—a case sealed shut since Hurricane Katrina.

But when his search for truth nearly kills him, something hungry awakens to answer his call.

Reborn through ritual and rage, Gabriel awakens as Baron Midnight—a vessel of vengeance clad in myth and shadow. Now wielding power born of grief, grave dirt, and ancestral justice, he must confront a corrupt police force, a network of conspirators, and the question that haunts his soul: Can true vengeance ever set you free?

Steeped in Southern Gothic mysticism and Afrofuturist lore, Baron Midnight: Unearthed is a novella of rebirth and reckoning, where family, legacy, and truth converge in a tale as sharp as a sickle and as enduring as time.

REVIEW

New Orleans gets its supernatural vigilante in Baron Midnight Unearthed. It’s Candyman meets “The Crow,” yeah, that is it, in this spellbinding debut novella by Dblkrose.  You see, Madame Norie is known for her spiritual guidance. When her deceased police officer son’s ex-partner comes unexpectedly into her parlor with his girlfriend for a reading, Madame Norie learns the truth about her son’s so-called accidental death. When her grandson, a rising college student in criminology, discovers his father was murdered, he starts digging, only to get brutally beaten to near death. Justice, vengeance cry out, and Baron Midnight hears. 

Considering I read and promote books for a living, reading has lately felt like a job, rather than an enjoyment. I have to say, Barron Midnight Unearthed brought back that joy. While the book is only 100 pages long, I was thoroughly engrossed and surprised to have finished it in just 4 hours while waiting in the waiting room with my kids at therapy. I love it when a book reads like a film in your mind as you read, and that is how Baron Midnight reads. 

Dblkrose’s writing style is smooth as jazz with great dramatic breath. Not overly descriptive, he provides just enough to let your imagination flourish and fill in the rest, even with the action scenes! Each slash is written so poetically. He does everything right because he is a storyteller. Not a writer. Not an author. A storyteller. Many might claim they are, but very few truly grasp the true nature of the honored title.  I thought storytellers were a dying breed, but no, our ancestors still thrive in this crazy time we live in.

Baron Midnight Unearthed has a modern, folksy paranormal mystery cadence that captivates and holds you, pulls you in until the end. The story takes place in the Treme neighborhood in New Orleans, which I had never heard of. More proof this guy is a storyteller, as all stories teach us something.

Overall rating ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐(Five stars)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Carlton DeCosta, writing as Dblkrose, is a veteran, visionary, and founder of Black Spyder Publishing. Born in Okinawa, Japan, and raised in North Carolina, he brings a global perspective to grounded, genre-bending storytelling rooted in grief, legacy, and transformation. A Navy veteran with a deep love for horror, fantasy, manga, and folklore, Carlton channels his lived experiences into narratives that haunt, heal, and demand remembrance. Baron Midnight: Unearthed is his declaration of narrative intent—where ancestral trauma meets supernatural justice in the shadows of New Orleans.

Learn more about Carlton and his writing at https://www.blkspyder.com/

Follow him on Instagram @dblkrose

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Book Review: Blood Bound by Renate Rowland

Indie Promotions joins with R&RBookTours for this first book review of the new year! This is not your normal vampire fantasy romance either. Introducing Blood Bound by Renate Rowland!

Blood Bound: Bound by A Web Of Wyrd Trilogy

Publication Date: October 1, 2023

Genre: Vampire Romance/ Suspense/ Norse Mythology

🩸Slow Burn
🩸Dual POV
🩸Morally Gray MC
🩸Sunny vs Grumpy
🩸Mentor/Pupil
🩸Age Gap
🩸Forced Proximity
🩸Dark Past/Secrets
🩸Broken, Unworthy of Her
🩸Redemption
🩸Open Door Spice

Two lives entwined by fate.

He attacked her. Killed her. Turned her into a monster to save her.
Now, Eve’s life lies in Kjan’s hands, and if she doesn’t abide by his rules, he will make her next death permanent. But how can she trust him?
And what is this compelling connection they share?
He is her mentor. A terrifying yet tempting taboo. The mystery that shrouds him imbues every stolen glance, every lingering touch. Her skin buzzes under his attention, and she knows he feels it too.

Will breaking just one little rule really make him the death of her… again?

Two simple rules:

Don’t kill.
Don’t get attached.

And yet here he was, taking on a new charge after she interrupted his suicide and fell victim to his most primal instincts. Kjan’s failures with her predecessor still haunt him a century later. If Eve knew the truth about his past, she would never trust him. He saved her, but really, he put a target on her back. Now, she will be hunted for the powerful blood in her veins.

His blood.

REVIEW

Book 1 in the A Web of Wyrd Trilogy Blood Bound  Starts us with a spellbinding start.

After a tuermultous breakup with her boyfriend and ready to leave town when Eve sees her reclusive neighbor Kijan about to kill himself she of course has to stop him, but then everything goes black. When Eve wakes up in Kjan’s bed she finds herself forever changed.

Kjan is now responsible for her. Eve can’t explain the unbashful draw between them. Kjan can’t either, but he knows the rules do not get attached, but he can’t help it he is getting attached. 

Kjan’s worst fears though are coming back for him that could destroy them both.

Blood Bound is a sultry slow sizzle that delights in all the right places. Rowland mixes Norse mythology with vampires; all I can say is Yes, please! Rowland writes with ease creating a smooth story flow. Not once did I have to go back and reread a certain part, and Kjan has to be my new favorite vampire character now putting all others to shame. 

He is most refreshingly welcome in the long line of vampire characters. A strapping sexy vampire adonis yes, but one who is faulty and admits in the end he got his story all wrong. You have to read to find out what I mean.

Blood Bound keeps you engrossed for exciting 58 chapters, never letting you linger from exposition to conclusion. Rowland keeps your interest even when our main characters aren’t sizzling together.

My rating is 5 out of 5 stars.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Blood Bound is Available Now on AMAZON

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Renate Rowland is an author of suspenseful Paranormal and Contemporary Romance. Born and raised in Germany, she grew up with the sagas and mythology surrounding the Norse Gods, but it was her passion for vampires and Viking lore that inspired this trilogy.
After being fortunate to have called three different continents her home, she has settled with her family in the US. She is an artist at heart, and although she expresses that in various ways, she held on to her stories until she felt it was time to give them air and let them breathe on their own.

Learn more about Renate and her books at Renate Rowland

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Book Review: River Guardian (Book 6 in ‘The Council of Twelve’ Series) By A. J. Alexander

Hosted by Indie Promotions

Freshly released (September 26th) and my favorite cover so far in this series continue the journey with Heaven and Hell in River Guardian.

River Guardian Council of Twelve Book 6

Release Date: September 26th 2023

Genre: Fantasy, YA, Angel fantasy, romance

Dr. Eavan Delaney is frustrated. It is her destiny to reunite her people and work hard to protect the rivers and waters of the world, but she has no help whatsoever. So she has lived among humans for decades, undiscovered and in peace, but she knows this is wrong: she should be taking action.

Then comes the fateful day she calls for support one last, desperate time — and is heard.
With the support of ‘The Council of Twelve’, Eavan continues to work for the safety of Nature. But no one has foreseen that the ‘Other Side’ has been sabotaging her efforts. The challenge before her is suddenly much greater, and the consequences of failure even more dire than she ever imagined.

Will Eavan be strong enough to save the waters from the fire?

Available now on Amazon

REVIEW

I am loving this series so far and book six does not disappoint. In book six we meet Eavan a farie and guardian of the rivers living life on earth while trying to do her duties. Nature though is failing and Eavan needs help but no one has answered in the decades she’s been down here on earth. Trying one last time someone finally answers. The daughter of Pan Zepheria. Realizing danger is brewing in the nature world Eavan is entrusted a protector in Archangel Tsechirel and both are instantly drawn to each other. Could Eavan be the one promised?
Time is running out and Eavan and Teschirel must gather the arguing nature spirits if balance is to be restored to nature and not be engulfed by the powers of hell.


Out of all the books I think River Guardian is my fave. I love Eavan and Tsechirel as characters plus their dynamic together. I also loved how Alexander weaved in them being cat parents. Fun fact Alexander is a pet parent herself.


Again Alexander shines in her writing with a flowery fantasy that I just love. Alexander creates a world that you’ll love jumping back into. While you can read River Guardian without reading the others in the series I suggest reading the previous books to capture the feelings and emotions of all the characters.

My rating 5 stars

Rating: 5 out of 5.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

A.J. Alexander is a fantasy author working on a paranormal romance series, called ‘The Council Of Twelve’ series. She has written short stories and poetry in the past. Some of her poems can be read on her blog ‘Writer’s Treasure Chest.

In her rare free time, she is spending extreme time reading, excessive pool swimming, and playing monster-monopoly. Her strongest support system is her sister, friends, and cat.