Category: Book Review

Book Review: War Pigs

Erin Penn

Amazon Cover

War Pigs by Jay Requard

BOOK BLURB ON AMAZON

Among the tribes of the Wagani war is life, and for Lut, war is his way out of the poverty that he was born into. A reaver, a warrior, and the chosen of the enigmatic goddess the Azure Queen, he has dedicated his existence to furthering her glory by the bite of his axe. Bloodthirsty, powerful, and without mercy, he marches upon the world to spread the name of his beloved deity.

But what happens when the goddess no longer loves her champion?

From the award-winning author of The Saga of The Panther comes a dark tale of violence, betrayal, and redemption where David Gemmell’s Legend fights alongside Steven Erickson’s Gardens of the Moon. In this world victory always comes at a price, love is forever the final victim, and not even the gods can stop the ruthless march of history. This is the world where only the strong and cunning survive.

This is the world of the War Pigs.

 

MY REVIEW

On one hand while reading this, this would be easy to group with LitRPG – the main character is unmistakably an orc. You follow him surviving his first levels, gaining the favor of a goddess, and acquiring an enchanted weapon. Further adventures continue and he goes from solo hero to building his fortress, etc.

On the other hand, there are no stats tracked. This isn’t a game within the story or any of the typical requirements for LitRPG. It’s full of actual story features like the point-of-view character undergoing a growth arc. You root for the character, not the dice rolls.

Sword & Sorcery, down and dirty. The Orc, Lut, isn’t a good guy. He will never be a good guy. But he is a guy with a plan to get out of the dirtiest, lowest, downtrodden places of his species – through fighting and focus. Blood, sacrifice, raids, sex.

With a Plan and Focus he is able to beat his species short life span to reach the pinnacle of existence. Then betrayal happens, destroying everything he worked to. His betrayer left him alive as a lesson to others.

Lut, though, is really good at lessons and learning from them. He gets a new Plan and a new Focus. Even the gods should fear the results.

(Read through Kindle Unlimited)

Book Review (SERIES): Well Met

Erin Penn

Amazon Cover

Well Met by Jen DeLuca, a contemporary fictional rom-com series, has four books so far: Well Met, Well Played, Well Matched, and Well Traveled. Set in the Renaissance Faire Circuit, the series should appeal to those interested in light-hearted romance.

The series alternates between the volunteers of a small town’s local Ren Faire and the performers on the Ren Faire circuit (and sometimes romances between the two). The writer clearly loves her Ren Faires, giving us all our favorites – turkey legs and living chess matches; musicians and fortune tellers; kilts and bodices. Sometimes there are crowds and, other times, quiet gatherings watching campfire sparks fly into the night sky.

What really makes the series stand out to me are the family connections of all the characters. Many romances focus only on the romantic couple and their relationship, scarcely acknowledge the greater world. In this series, a sister helps out another who was in a car accident, three musician brothers work things out when one has his heart tied to a homebody, and grandchildren struggle to find the balance between giving grandparents freedom while making sure they are okay. Jobs are considered, homes are repaired, and school runs are made.

Yes, the romances have hot moments, but these don’t kick in until about half-way in and consent is clearly modeled, both during initiation of activity and ongoing. The stories focus are always on the characters and their relationships. Also of interest to some readers is some of the women are older; one is a single mom of a high school graduate. The older couples finding a new relationship do come with baggage, previous relationships impacting the present ones, but this can be a fun change from the young love stories.

Fun and light-hearted, with a side of Ren-Faire, the Well Met series is popular enough many libraries carry hard copy as well as ebooks. The series has been published between 2019 and 2022. Ebooks run about $12 and paperbacks cost about the same. The older books of the series are also available used.

Book Review: Technical Threat

Erin Penn

Amazon Cover

Technical Threat by Julie Trettel

BOOK BLURB ON AMAZON

His job’s at stake, but she may prove to be an even bigger technical threat to his heart.

Tarron has met his match with a ruthless cyberhacker who has a personal vendetta against the Raglan. When she breeches Westin Force’s security Tarron must move in to stop her. That proves easier said than done when his Nonna steps up to help and meddle in his love life.

Meeting his true mate was not supposed to be part of the mission. But then again, having Nonna tag along wasn’t exactly how he envisioned his first solo assignment either.

Susan Duncan had finally broken away from the miserable life she led. She had been happy away at college, but then her younger sister Sonnet disappeared. Susan dropped everything and gave up her life to support her mother and two remaining sisters. But she never stopped looking for Sonnet.

Four years passed as Susan worked tirelessly each day under the strict demands of her mother then stayed up each night searching every lead possible to find Sonnet.

Her reality wasn’t a pretty one. Her days of believing in fairytales and true mates were long past when suddenly her mysterious true mate appears and promises to rescue not just her, but her sisters as well.

Can this Cinderella break down her own stone walls to accept the help of her potential Prince Charming? Or will is she be doomed to live in the dungeons of her mother’s warped reality forever?

 

MY REVIEW

A Standard Military-Shifter Paranormal Romance that is far from Standard

Tarron has been aggressively adopted by Nonna, giving him the found-family he always needed and her a reason to keep connected with the greater world. Doesn’t matter if she is an ancient wolf shifter and he is a foxy technical wizard, together they are the family they always needed.

I SIMPLY HAD TO READ THIS ONE. Their relationship intrigued me.

Then we add a romance for Tarron on top of that as he investigates a hacker into the Westin Force system. Taking Nonna as backup because all his military buddies are busy gives them alone time until he finds his hacker, as well as a waitress who is his true mate.

This is a wonderful story about community support and found-family. About leaving abusive relationships and saving others. One of the best “standard military-shifter” paranormal romances I’ve ever read because of the relationships.

(Read through Kindle Unlimited)

Book Review (SERIES): Monster Hunter Mom Season One

Erin Penn

Amazon Cover

JD Blackrose is one of my favorite humor authors. Both her Monster Hunter Mom series (covered here) and her Zombie Cosmetologist (covered in October 2022), just tickle me to pieces.

The Devil’s Been Busy: Monster Hunter Mom Season One by JD Blackrose

  1. Tweety & the Monkey Man
  2. Runaway
  3. Handle with Care
  4. End of the Line

BOOK BLURB ON AMAZON for THE DEVIL’S BEEN BUSY: MONSTER HUNTER MOM SEASON ONE

Whether it’s kitsune running rampant in the museum, were-gorillas rampaging at the zoo, or a cupid wreaking havoc on her daughter’s birthday party, Jess Friedman can handle any monster the supernatural community of Cleveland can throw at her.

Except maybe the disapproving stares from the women at her daughter’s day care. Or the awkward conversations with her rabbi about her working for the Catholic Church as a New Templar, hunting down the things that go bump in the night.

That’s right, Jess Friedman isn’t just an ordinary mother of three trying to make it through the world, she’s also the official Cleveland Regional Monster Hunter for the Holy Roman Catholic Church (What? You thought Bubba was the only one?). This Jewish mother is anything but stereotypical as she battles demons, tames monsters, negotiates with a vampire lord, and tries to get snacks delivered to her daughter’s kindergarten class on time!

MY REVIEW for THE DEVIL’S BEEN BUSY: MONSTER HUNTER MOM SEASON ONE

The most deeply rooted in reality of the Bubbaverse, edging out the mechanic Mark Wojcik of the Martin’s Spell, Salt, & Steel by three small children, Jess Friedman is Monster Hunter Mom – a wonderful bundle of contradictions and chaos.

A Jewish woman who works for the Catholic Church. An kickin’ monster hunter scared of the perfect normal women around her. The happily-married mother of three with a vampire best friend. Jess collects things – an ex-were gorilla, an overly-friendly tomahawk, a phoenix who gives pony rides to children, and a bounty on her head. Reading the four novellas of season one is like going through the pockets on laundry day – always a surprise.

These books have my type of humor, all about family and life. Venues for the books include going to the zoo, being a parent chaperone at a museum, visiting the mall, and a child’s slumber party.

Lots of monsters, kickin’ them back where they belong, all the while throwing the humor of life at you. How do you go from fighting a gorilla to taking snack to your son’s elementary school class? With a quick side trip through the grocery story, of course.

I really loved these novellas. If I was writing in the Bubbaverse, this is what I would have written. Just not nearly this good. Ms. Blackrose did an awesome job melding family life and monster hunting.

 

Amazon Cover

BOOK BLURB ON AMAZON for TWEETY & THE MONKEY MAN

Move over, Bubba, there’s a new Hunter in town, and she’s having a really crappy day!

Jess Friedman is a Monster Hunter. And a mom. Depending on the day, one of those jobs might get her killed. Depending on the day, either of those jobs might get her killed.

Today, it’s probably the monster hunting.

There’s a phoenix running around town, and a were-gorilla going nuts in the zoo. That’s not the worst thing Jess has to deal with – she’s also in charge of snacks for her daughter’s kindergarten class, and it’s looking an awful lot like Cheetos are the answer. This won’t go over well with the other moms, but they’re the least scary thing Jess has to worry about.

Were-gorilla, remember? Can Jess get the Monkey Man dealt with before snacktime? How many pushups will she owe her trainer for all the swearing it’s going to take to get out of this mess? And how old was the apple juice in her cupholder?

J.D. Blackrose spins an awesome blend of the mundane and magical in this novella about a woman just trying to make it in the world, a world that happens to contain a lot of monsters, and judgmental kindergarten teachers. But it also contains Cheetos, and that makes everything better.

MY REVIEW for TWEETY & THE MONKEY MAN

By now the “Monster Hunter” genre is pretty well defined, but a Monster Hunting Mom? Now that is different. And this novella delivers everything the title promises – non-stop action Monster Hunting and the humor of the Bubbaverse slanted to Mom-ness (instead titty bars, this mom hangs out in Zoos pushing strollers complete with sticky handles from Popsicle sticks and a special hatchet in the diaper bag just in case a monster comes running out of the monkey house … which it does).

No deeper meaning – just action-action-action with humor and a dose of love and kisses when knees get scraped.

Five stars for being everything promised. Spot-on perfect example of the Monster Hunting genre with a special Templar.

Picked up free during a promotional. No promise of book review or exchange of any type.

 

Amazon Cover

BOOK BLURB ON AMAZON for RUNAWAY

Most ordinary parents can chaperone a field trip without monsters attacking the museum.

There’s nothing ordinary about Jess Friedman.

Jess is one of the New Templar Knights, a secret band of Monster Hunters working with (and sometimes adjacent to) the Catholic Church to protect the world from magical and supernatural threats. Perfectly normal hobby for a nice Jewish mother of three, right?

Between Japanese fox spirits and disapproving trophy wives, Jess’s first outing as a chaperone is fast reminding her why she doesn’t go on field trips. Then there’s the whole thing with the egg, and the police, and then things start to get weird.

MY REVIEW for RUNAWAY

This story is the best of the Monster Hunter Mom series; everything comes together perfectly.

Not so much for our heroine, who has to go on a museum trip as a school chaperone and face all the perfect moms who take time off their perfect lives to go with their perfect children. But it shouldn’t be too bad, because museums never have monsters or anything supernatural among their ancient and foreign exhibits.

Nothing like a talking Buddha statue, or a tomahawk which takes a peculiar liking to our girl, or spirits trapped within curators needing excursions. Nah.

All our heroine needs to fix thing is a single egg from the museum cafeteria, how hard can that be? (Total love for this scene.)

 

Amazon Cover

BOOK BLURB ON AMAZON for HANDLE WITH CARE

You thought your shopping trip was hellacious? Well Jess Friedman literally has demons in the department store!

From evil birthday clowns that make Pennywise look like an amateur, to judgmental day care workers, this monster hunting mom has her work cut out for her as she tries to keep Cleveland safe from evil and keep the neighborhood association off her back at the same time!

MY REVIEW for HANDLE WITH CARE

From killer balloon shapes made by a clown at her son’s birthday party to some killer shopping after hours at the mall, Jess has her Monster Hunting job cut out for her.

Now if only dealing with Regina and her suggestions on how to control Daniel’s overactive imagination were as easy as demon hunting.

Fun stuff, as good as the first novella of the series. Novellas one to three can be read out-of-order.

 

Amazon Cover

BOOK BLURB ON AMAZON for END OF THE LINE

Enchanted bows, nitpicking witches, and interloping demonettes combine with a babysitting gorilla, a protective magical wolf, and a phoenix masquerading as a…search-and-rescue pony combine to make young Devi Friedman’s birthday one for the ages in the hilarious conclusion to Monster Hunter Mom Season One!

Jess Friedman has enough on her mind with a passel of kindergarten-aged girls running around the house. The last thing she needs is a dark elf bent on revenge showing up on her doorstep. No wait, maybe the last thing she needs is a cop on her doorstep looking for Rocko, the gorilla who escaped from the zoo and might or might not be hiding in her back yard. Or maybe the last thing she needs is a pair of pissed-off female demons crashing the party.

And did we mention that a cupid is inhabiting her toddler son’s body?

Yeah, THAT was the last thing she needed.

MY REVIEW for END OF THE LINE

My least favorite of the Monster Hunter Mom books; this one is more like the rest of the Bubbaverse than the unique signature of “Mom”. It just wasn’t family-friendly fun. Oh, and Pascal’s change was icky. I liked him way better before.

Yes, if you love Bubbaverse, you will still love this. Yes, still funny. Yes, plenty of monster to overcome. Yes Rocko and everyone from the entire season shows up for the final Big Bad – so that all is good. But it was so busy with the Big Finale, it forgot its Big Heart.

Read it for the action and to give Ms. Blackrose the money to make more like the first three novellas of the series. I want more Cheetos for snack day, and museum trips, and “pony” rides And you know you do too.

Book Review: The Malaise Falchion

Erin Penn

Amazon Cover

The Malaise Falchion by Paul Barrett

BOOK BLURB ON AMAZON

“There are a hundred thousand stories in Mage City. The best ones start with a woman. Or a fight. Mine starts with a fight about a woman.”

Thus begins the tale of legendary Dwarven Warrior turned disgraced drunken Dwarven Private Investigator Snazdaggin Kundarik (Spade to his friends, when he can find any). Once a proud warrior, Spade found disgrace during the Demon War and now spends his days searching for a desk to sleep on, a bottle of grog to drink, and a simple case to pay the rent.

But nothing is ever simple in Mage City, and when a gorgeous elf walks in with legs that go all the way down to the floor, Spade finds himself embroiled in a case that is much, much more than he bargained for. Intrigue, powerful magic, family drama, and a quest for a world-rending magical weapon are far outside Spade’s usual case work, but that’s right where he’s found himself now.

With a hangover the size of a red dragon, Spade and his faithful lizardperson sidekick Crizlyk will battle forces far above their weight class just to stay alive, all to answer one burning question –

Can he stay alive long enough to save the world, get paid, and buy another bottle of grog?

The Malaise Falchion is a gritty fantasy noir parody blend of Dungeons & Dragons with the classic pulp mysteries of Dashiell Hammett.

 

MY REVIEW

As a parody detective noir set in a fantasy world, this one isn’t the full mouse. Instead it works better was a straight-up fantasy detective series with humor laced throughout. Not quite the Garrett, PI series by Glen Cook – but then few things are – but could be put on the same shelf.

A good addition to the fantasy detective genre; high fantasy is way behind urban fantasy in providing us those that solve the crime with a flask of whiskey in a pocket, a wand in the holster, and a flutter as the client.

All the tropes you want from legwork, to brawls. Helpful office assistant, to old war buddy along for the ride. Too much drinking, to flying dragons. Race relations to class structure issues. All in one delightful ball.

Not the absolute best of the genre (Glenn Cook taking first place) but in the top five.