Reviewed by Kayti Nika Raet for Readers' Favorite

In Dreamthief, the first book in the Fairy World MD urban fantasy series by Tamara Grantham, visiting Faythander is a nasty business. Forget the fairies and unicorns, most people who visit return to the human realm with lost memories and mental problems. Olive Kennedy knows. Half elf, half human, she works as a therapist to treat patients suffering from Faythander's side effects. Despite her empty bank account, she takes pride in her job as Houston's only Fairy World medical doctor. She's never failed to cure a client — until now.

Traveling back to Faythander wasn't on Olive's to-do list. But when her godson suffers from a mysterious ailment and falls into a coma, she has no choice. The fate of both Earth and Fairy depends on her ability to stop an ancient being called the Dreamthief. To complicate matters, she may be losing her heart to someone who can't love her in return. Saving the world, she can handle. Falling in love — not so much. As if battling the forces of evil wasn't difficult enough...

Dreamthief by Tamara Grantham is a fast paced tale of urban fantasy. A clean read filled with humor, romance and a plucky heroine, Dreamthief hits all the right notes in the genre and never missteps. The characters are engaging with layers that may surprise the reader as the book progresses. The action and adventure are well done and there isn't a slow moment in Dreamthief. The romance has just the right amount of sweet and sizzle, and there's a mystery throughout that's guaranteed to keep you guessing. Grantham is prepared to make her mark in the urban fantasy scene with this one.

Reviewed by Bil Howard for Readers' Favorite

If Ivy could just stick to snapping pictures of cheating spouses as ordered by her boss at the P.I. firm that she works for, her life would be much simpler. However, she has other problems, her neighbors in her classy suburb have secrets and she knows about them. Carmen Fox reveals those secrets in Guarded: The Silverton Chronicles. Her BFF is a vampire, her next door neighbor is a werewolf and Ivy has the ability to not only identify them, but to resist them with Oldworld skills of her own. With that as the beginning to the problems stirring in the neighborhood it would be enough; however, Ivy stumbles upon a murder committed by demons of a very powerful sort. She has her suspicions that they are after a talisman or icon with special powers, but that isn't the whole story. When she is abducted and another demon suddenly shows up in her life, she begins to learn the truth about her father, her family ties and receives explanations to some of the strange behaviors that are a part of an internal nature that she wasn't aware of. With all sorts of desires for the men who have suddenly appeared in her life, being careful and resisting a genetic tendency toward sensuous desire have become extremely difficult, especially when she's wrapped up in an entirely twisted plot where she feels as if she is only a pawn.

Guarded: The Silverton Chronicles is an awesome addition to the Urban Fantasy genre and kicks the series off with a bang. Carmen Fox has created a heroine with so much appeal that readers, even men, suddenly feel like they are wrapped up in Ivy's skin. Reminiscent of Stephanie Plum, the delightful mix of klutz, personality and latent sensuality make Ivy completely irresistible. The story line moves at a rapid pace, keeping you turning pages and stirring emotional intrigue and suspense from beginning to end. Guarded: The Silverton Chronicles is an action packed thriller with all sorts of seductive sizzle. A must-read!

Reviewed by Tracy Slowiak for Readers' Favorite

I just finished The Light Who Shines: Bluebell Kildare Series Book One by author Lilo Abernathy. I am always thrilled to find a new series that promises to be fantastic, and this book has all the elements needed to make that the case! The story starts with a witch-burning 2000 years ago, one with serious consequences for the people in our story. Bluebell Kildare, more commonly called Blue, an agent with a paranormal investigative team in the year 2022, has many gifts. With the abilities of a Sensitive, she is able to sense magic, see souls, and feel emotions, and is able to assist in solving crimes in a very unique way. When we’re first introduced to Blue, she’s at the scene of a supposed hit and run car crash that has killed a teenaged boy. It quickly becomes apparent that his death is more than a simple hit and run and, before she knows it, Blue is wrapped up in a complex and dangerous situation that could lead to her solving the mystery or coming to harm. Combine that with her growing attraction to her boss, a daytime vampire, Jack Tanner, and you’ve got an extremely intriguing story on your hands.

I loved this book! I really enjoy paranormal reads, and this book has everything the genre needs; vampires, wolves, witches and Sensitives, but so much more as well. Mystery, intrigue, action, adventure and romance also abound in The Light Who Shines, and I so appreciate author Lilo Abernathy’s ability to pull all that together in one book. This novel would appeal to any reader of paranormal fiction, mysteries, romances or action/adventure novels, or just those ready to try a creative read that is very well done. Ms. Abernathy does a great job of world-building in this novel, and sets the reader up for the next in the series. I, for one, can’t wait to read the next installment!

Reviewed by J. C. Steel for Readers' Favorite

SR Karfelt’s Kahtar: Warrior of the Ages opens with a speeding ticket awarded by a part-time police chief to a woman on her way to a new life. Beth White has just left a highly successful, jet-setting career as an investor to buy an old house that she found a picture of in a library book, and start a shop in it. She doesn’t quite know why she feels so strongly attracted to this particular house. She also doesn’t know why the community of Willowyth seems determined to make her leave when she feels more at home there than anywhere else. Even being arrested and racking up four traffic tickets in half an hour aren’t enough to change her mind. In fact, for some reason, arrest from the Willowyth Police Chief could almost qualify as an incentive to stay.

Kahtar: Warrior of the Ages is a fantastic opening book to the series, featuring engaging characters and a plot line that made me sorry to step out of it. SR Karfelt expertly creates a world within a world of Covenant Keepers, living beside the modern world, invoking touches of the folklore of the faery land of Underhill woven in with Christian mythology. The characters are plausible and well-developed, drawing you in to share Beth’s frustration and Kahtar’s conflict, personifying a collision of cultures between the punk rock of the new world and the ancient and hidden traditions of the Arcs. I can’t recommend this book highly enough; humour, action and an enticing world make it an entrancing read.

Reviewed by Tracy A. Fischer for Readers' Favorite

Two love stories intertwine in Richard Schwindt’s new book, The Love Duology. Made up of two related novellas, Love Stacey and Love Susan, Schwindt’s work is impressive in his ability to create realistic stories about strong women with somewhat fantastical backgrounds. In Love Stacey, Professor Stacey Trout, an amazingly bright mathematician without a memory of her own history, meets an older man who disappears almost as suddenly as he appeared in her life, but also leaves her his home and his diary. In Love Susan, Dr. Susan Call, psychologist, needs Stacey’s help in figuring out the issues of a challenging patient, Andrew, with a very unique set of issues.

I understand that author Richard Schwindt wrote The Love Duology as a part of the International 3-Day Novel contest, in which authors are challenged to write a complete novel in a 72-hour time period. What makes his work even more impressive is that Mr. Schwindt actually wrote two complete stories in this time frame, both unique and interesting on their own. The author’s creativity and ability to meld together the genres of fiction, mystery, sci-fi and even a bit of mysticism is astounding. I would highly recommend this work to any reader who loves a well-crafted short story, who is open to a merging of genres in a fantastic mix, and anyone interested in seeing just what type of wonderful work can be produced in a very, very short amount of time. The Love Duology is a worthwhile and fun read, and one you won’t want to put down!

Reviewed by Sarah Lowry for Readers' Favorite

Mirrored Time by J.D. Faulkner is the story of a young woman’s incredible journey of discovering herself. Gwen believes she is a normal woman who decided not to go into law school because her aunt is fighting cancer. Instead, she answers an ad for a job in the Archives. However, this job is not the legal filing she believed she would be doing. Her new boss, Alistair, holds many secrets, including what the Archives really are: time streams. Gwen must come to terms with the new knowledge that time is not linear, her own ability to use the time streams, and deal with Rafe, the handsome young thief who wants to protect her. Meanwhile, there is a dark force working to get out of its mirrored prison.

J.D. Faulkner tells a riveting story in Mirrored Time. I won’t give any spoilers, but the end is a surprising twist that has me aching to read the next book. The book does end on a bit of a cliffhanger, but I enjoy that personally. This book had me smiling, crying, and on the edge of my seat. Gwen and Rafe were characters that were easy to identify with, and I loved that the story wove in key aspects of Gwen’s “normal” life so that I could journey through the heartache and happiness with her. The plot is fascinating and kept me guessing about what was going to happen. Faulkner’s writing is easy to read and flows well; I forgot I was reading because I was transported into the story. I look forward to the next book.

Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite

Awakening is the first book in the Keeper Chronicles series by Katherine Wynter, which follows heroine Rebekah Lorek as an investigation begins surrounding the recent death of her father. Our secondary hero is Gabe McDaniel, a professional demon hunter, and that’s where Awakening really gets interesting. Rebekah’s everyday life as a B&B owner is about to be invaded by not only her ex-boyfriend Gabe, but a host of otherworldly intrigue, as it transpires that her beloved father was murdered by a creature from another world. This fast-paced mystery reminded me hugely of Buffy The Vampire Slayer, for its witty interplay (and love triangles) between the characters, as well as its high-action urban fantasy plot line. Fans of this genre of storytelling are sure to love Awakening.

I found that Katherine Wynter’s prose was classically American, and as a UK reader it took me a few chapters to get into the dialogue and grammar, but it was so worth it when I did. I thoroughly loved Wynter’s take on demonology, and the beasts she’s created are vivid and very threatening on the page. I was also impressed by the way that Awakening’s romantic plot was genuinely related to the demon storyline, and the love triangle between Rebekah, Gabe and Dylan had a fantastic twist that I definitely didn’t see coming. If you’re looking for a compelling urban fantasy read with a rich plot, romance and mystery, then look no further than Awakening. I’ll be very excited to see what else the Keeper Chronicles have in store.

Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite

Breaking the Nexus is the first book in Lindsay Avalon's romantic fantasy series, The Mythrian Realm. Denver's got a serial killer haunting its streets, and homicide detective Connor Flynn is on the case. While his days are spent looking for clues, his nightly dreams have been taking him to bizarre and otherworldly places. When another mutilated corpse is found in an alley, Connor's faced with a person of interest who has no idea why she's covered with the victim's blood or how she got into the alleyway. Her name is Sha Phoenix, and she has neither any identification nor a cellphone. When Connor brings her in for questioning, she's unable to give him any useful information, though she does raise a few eyebrows at the station when she levitates a metal table in the interview room.

Lindsay Avalon's urban/epic romantic fantasy, Breaking the Nexus: The Mythrian Realm, Book 1, is an original and exciting novel that adroitly combines the police procedural and fantasy genres. While most of the action in this book takes place in Denver, the reader gets tantalizing glimpses of Sha's world, the Mythrian Realm, where her job seems to parallel Connor's role as a police detective. Both of them are fighters and champions, and it's a lot of fun to see how these two well-matched and competent characters work and play together. While the mystery takes precedence in this outstanding debut offering, the author includes some steamy, yet tasteful, erotic moments when Connor and Sha have a bit of downtime at his cabin. I had a marvelous time reading this book. I loved the blending of genres and especially appreciated Avalon's strong female lead. And yes, I'm quite curious about Sha's mystical realm and expect that I'll find out a bit more about it in the next book of the series. Breaking the Nexus: The Mythrian Realm, Book 1 is most highly recommended.