Tag: Fantasy (nonspecific)

Book Review (SERIES): The Forever Desert

Erin Penn Leave a comment

The Forever Desert by Moses Ose Utomi (He also has a young adult series out, which I haven’t read yet.)
Book 1: The Lies of the Ajungo
Book 2: The Truth of the Aleke
Book 3: The Memory of the Ogisi

This quote from the final novella of the series is the reason why we need to read other voices:

The cruelty of forgotten transgressions. The cruelty of children absolved of the sins of their parents but never disinherited from their plunder. The cruelty was an evil inscribed into history, so that those who came afterward would know nothing else.

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BOOK BLURB ON AMAZON for THE LIES OF THE AJUNGO

Moses Ose Utomi’s debut novella, The Lies of the Ajungo, follows one boy’s epic quest to bring water back to his city and save his mother’s life. Prepare to enter the Forever Desert.

They say there is no water in the City of Lies. They say there are no heroes in the City of Lies. They say there are no friends beyond the City of Lies. But would you believe what they say in the City of Lies?

In the City of Lies, they cut out your tongue when you turn thirteen, to appease the terrifying Ajungo Empire and make sure it continues sending water. Tutu will be thirteen in three days, but his parched mother won’t last that long. So Tutu goes to his oba and makes a deal: she provides water for his mother, and in exchange he will travel out into the desert and bring back water for the city. Thus begins Tutu’s quest for the salvation of his mother, his city, and himself.

The Lies of the Ajungo opens the curtains on a tremendous world, and begins the epic fable of the Forever Desert.

MY REVIEW for THE LIES OF THE AJUNGO

When you live in the City of Lies, there are no heroes nor is there water. One thirteen-year-old male (not a boy … and this is not a YA science fiction story) leaves to find water. But is there truth, heroes, or water beyond the City of Lies?

The Lies of the Ajungo is a very good science fiction / fantasy story.

Ebook read through the local library system.

 

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BOOK BLURB ON AMAZON for THE TRUTH OF THE ALEKE

Moses Ose Utomi returns to his Forever Desert series with The Truth of the Aleke, continuing his epic fable about truth, falsehood, and the shackles of history.

The Aleke is cruel. The Aleke is clever. The Aleke is coming.

Five hundred years after the events of The Lies of the Ajungo, the City of Truth stands as the last remaining free city of the Forever Desert. A bastion of freedom and peace, the city has successfully weathered near-constant attacks from the Cult of Tutu, who have besieged it for three centuries, attempting to destroy its warriors and subjugate its people.

Seventeen-year-old Osi is a Junior Peacekeeper in the City. When the mysterious leader of the Cult, known only as the Aleke, commits a massacre in the capitol and steals the sacred God’s Eyes, Osi steps forward to valiantly defend his home. For his bravery he is tasked with a tremendous responsibility―destroy the Cult of Tutu, bring back the God’s Eyes, and discover the truth of the Aleke.

MY REVIEW for THE TRUTH OF THE ALEKE

Five hundred years have history remembered differently. (Note in normal life, history can be remembered differently in months (example, how many people remember the Suez Canal being blocked for six days in 2021) – 500 years is overkill. See below in spoilers for editing comments on that.)

Anyway, back to the review. Much more complicated than The Lies, The Truth has layers of gray rarely seen under the bright sun of the Forever Desert harsh light. One of the differences I have found in BIPoC stories vs. typical dominate culture mainstream narratives is easy answers are not always available. Survival vs right vs wrong vs growth vs family vs culture vs power vs hope, all mix together into a messy reality.

The Truth of the Aleke is uncomfortably messy and worth the short read a novella gives. Comparing and contrasting The Lies against The Truth would make a great book club discussion.

Ebook read through my local library.

SPOILERS: As is often the case with science fiction and fantasy, the time for things to change is SEVERALLY overestimated. America is ONLY 250 years old – four generations or less if the oldest of a generation is shaking hands with the youngest of the next. History is being rewritten daily. Entire nations are blended and erased in 200 years. Climate changes from snow higher than houses and missing summers to glaciers melting. The fact that the Forever Desert doesn’t change, but three hundred years of active war is a thing doesn’t make sense except in a fantasy setting. Fantasy keeps breaking this out and it just bothers me.

Addition comment. I always dislike the use of foreshadowing at the end of chapters to create a false tension. Stuff like “If he knew what would happen, he would have run” (not a quote from this book). It just feels cheesy to me and is a personal preference.

 

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BOOK BLURB ON AMAZON for THE MEMORY OF THE OGISI

The epic conclusion to Moses Ose Utomi’s critically-acclaimed Forever Desert series, The Memory of the Ogisi shatters every truth, interrogates every lie, and is a story of oppression you’ll never forget.

Even deserts have a beginning. Even gardens have an end. Even water has a story.

The City of a Thousand Stories stands resolute on the edge of the Forever Desert. It is a lush metropolis, where water flows into every mouth that thirsts and knowledge sprouts in every mind that craves it. Yet despite their prosperity, no one can remember how the city began. It is a dire state of affairs: a people who do not learn their past cannot chart their future.

Ethike is an Ogisi, one of the City’s many historians, who has devoted his life to studying a little-known figure named Osi. He believes Osi to be the key to the city’s origins, but his years of research have only raised more questions about Osi’s identity. Until, one day, he believes he has found the answer.

Spurred by his love for his city and his family, Ethike ventures into the Forever Desert in search of the Lost Tomb of Osi. If he can find it, he will finally be able to prove his worth to the City’s Elders and cement Osi’s role in history. But history is a story told by the powerful. What Ethike uncovers beneath the sand is a power far beyond anything he could have expected…and it wants vengeance.

MY REVIEW for THE MEMORY OF THE OGISI

“Evil didn’t change. The evil of yesteryear was no different from the evil of today, … History was a story with no ending.”

The third and final installment of The Forever Desert trilogy continues the masterful cadence of oral storytelling in prose form. While the weakest of the three narratives, The Memory still is powerful. The power of the tongue, ears, and eyes continues to be controlled for political purposes; a means to control the narrative of the people, because, as the first book says “an untongued people cannot tell their story.” When stories cannot be shared, when they are banned, when they are erased from existence, history is also removed.

History removed is history without ending, and the cycles of the past will continue into the future.

Monsters, heroes, magic, desert, all play their role. Even water has a story. And Cities lie.

Hardback book checked out through the local library. Keep history honest and known, support your local library.

Flash: Dream a Boy Adventure

Erin Penn Leave a comment

On 8/9/2025, Raconteur Press issued a writing challenge based on a visual prompt. Fifty words, no more, no less, on their substack. The visual prompt is there, and below is my response. There is already a dozen comments – join in if you want.

https://raconteurpress.substack.com/p/50-words-of-boys-adventure

The challenge is related to release of a Boys Adventure “Dreams of Gold and Fire” by Fred Phillips.

Cold moist air alternated with hot ashy breeze as the dragon cave breathed. Within snowmelt ran beside the interior stony spine. In daily youthful forever, Elijah had swum alongside friends inside the cavern’s icy waters, playing make-believe explorers. Today, the cave ceased being make-believe. Today, Elijah dreamed the Dragon Cave.

(50 words; first published 8/9/2025)

Book Review: How Long ’til Black Future Month?

Erin Penn Leave a comment

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How Long ’til Black Future Month? by N.K. Jemisin

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Three-time Hugo Award winner and NYT bestselling author N. K. Jemisin challenges and delights readers with thought-provoking narratives of destruction, rebirth, and redemption that sharply examine modern society in her first collection of short fiction, which includes never-before-seen stories.

Spirits haunt the flooded streets of New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. In a parallel universe, a utopian society watches our world, trying to learn from our mistakes. A black mother in the Jim Crow South must save her daughter from a fey offering impossible promises. And in the Hugo award-nominated short story “The City Born Great,” a young street kid fights to give birth to an old metropolis’s soul.

 

MY REVIEW

How Long ’till Black Future Month is a collection of short stories from the amazing N.K. Jemisin. Overall the collection provides insight into Ms. Jemisin’s growth as a writer and provides a wide variety of fantasy and science fiction short stories exploring a variety of topics. Solid writing, but the author is a solid creator. (Bonus points for all the food representation – great inspiration for snacks at my book club meeting.)

Sometimes collections are given in date order, sometimes collections are groups by genre. This collection is grouped by theme – horror, standing against the dark, etc. Sometimes the ending of the previous short story flows into the next; for example – “would it bother with anything so mundane…” flows into “the name of the first entree made me groan” (followed by something very much not mundane). The flow of the stories make it an easy read, but the part of me that likes to study an author growth would prefer things in date order. Still, overall, I think the presentation choice for the collection is perfect.

*** Individual Reviews of stories

The Ones Who Stay and Fight (no date given) – Science Fiction. This is a world-building thought experiment, not a story with character driving the plot. While it doesn’t work as a short story, it does work as a bridge between the non-fiction Introduction and the rest of the collection. (Again, not a short story and therefore the “worse” of the fiction part of the collection.)

The City Born Great (2016) – Urban Fantasy Sci-Fi. I have read “The City We Became” duology. This short story is the novel series original test of concept.

Red Dirt Witch (2016) – Historical Fantasy mixing equal parting submission and rebellion. Acknowledging gravity and encouraging the risk of flying with the same breath.

L’Alchimista (2005) – Fantasy. A man drops off a bag of ingredients for master chef locked in the equivalent of a greasy spoon. Can she still make her magic? (I adore stories with food.)

The Effluent Engine (2011) – Steampunk Spy Romance. The best romance of the collection. As well as a great spy thriller within a steampunk world.

Cloud Dragon Skies (2005) – Science Fiction. This is the first short story Jemisin sold. Those-that-learn pay the price of those that don’t.

The Trojan Girl (2011) – Cyber Punk. What will push AIs from being mere self-aware programs to actual sentience? Is it group survival? Is it the ability to cross into the real world? Or is it something else entirely?

Valedictorian (2014) – Post-Apocalypse YA. Are you willing to be true to yourself if it means isolation from others?

The Storyteller’s Replacement (no date given) – Fantasy (Horror Elements). Some days you eat the dragon … some days the dragon smiles at you.

The Brides of Heaven (2007) – Science Fiction (Horror Elements). How far is too far, how far is crazy, when there is no hope for the future?

The Evaluators (2016) – Science Fiction (Horror Elements). Reaching space means space reaches back.

Walking Awake (2014) – Science Fiction. – Some monsters respect bodies, and some are conspicuous users. How much can a human tolerate?

The Elevator Dancer (no date given) – Dystopian. I can see why this one wasn’t previously published, but it has a place in this collection.

Cuisine des Memories (no date given) – Literary Science Fiction. Adored this story for the food. The book club members each discussed what meals we would order.

Stone Hunger (2014) – Fantasy. One of the longer stories in the book. Good characters and amazing worldbuilding in this exploration of a possible novel idea.

On the Banks of the River Lex (2010) – Apocalypse Fantasy. Dreams and concepts survive the fall of man, the question is who will adopt them after we are all gone?

The Narcomancer (2008) – Fantasy. This short story explores the ideas which develops into “The Killing Moon” and “The Shadowed Sun” duology.

Henosis (2017) – Science Fiction Horror. Meh, an interesting experiment in writing out of time-sequence. As Jemisin says in the beginning, short stories gives you opportunities to explore different writing tools.

Too Many Yesterdays, Not Enough Tomorrows (2004) – Science Fiction. A quantum disaster has separated humanity into individual pocket universes. Can a species based on community survive the isolation?

The You Train (2007) – Urban Fantasy. Another experiment of writing tools – this time we see just one side of a conversation – text, phone call, messaging – over a period of time. I think the experiments work – definitely a train to ride.

Non-Zero Probabilities (2009) – Urban Fantasy. This one wins best title in the collection. I looked forward to it the entire time I was reading the collection and the story didn’t disappoint. But considering the author, a complete dud is a zero probability. I love statistical stories, so I adored this.

Sinners, Saints, Dragons, and Haints, in the City Beneath the Still Waters (2015) – Urban Fantasy. New Orleans and Hurricanes deserve a trigger warning. What happens when a storm isn’t the only monster which blows in?

Book Review (SERIES): The Wolf and the Nun

Erin Penn Leave a comment

The Wolf and the Nun series by Emily Leverett

Book 1: The Wolf in the Cloister
Book 2: The Enchanted Rose
Book 3: The Song of the Black Wolf
Book 4: An Honorable Love

Full disclosure: I was on the editing team for An Honorable Love as a copyeditor. I was not part of the team for any of the prior books. Can I tell you how cool it is to help make a book in a series you love??? VERY COOL!!!

I mean this was a series where I read the first book twice because I enjoyed it so much!

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BOOK BLURB ON AMAZON for THE WOLF IN THE CLOISTER

A witch turned reluctant nun. A veteran turned werewolf. A vengeful demon out to destroy them both.

Marie de France was born to be a princess and brought up to be a witch, but when her heart is broken, she she has no choice but to take refuge as a nun at Shaftesbury Abbey and leave the world behind. Spending her days working in the scriptorium, she pines for adventure. After a run-in with a demon, she is thrown back in to the world of politics and desire with the world’s biggest libertine.

Bleiz Clavret, lord of Sarum Castle, returned from the Crusades a changed man: bitter, broken, and cursed with a magical “gift” he never asked for and barely understands. Now infamous for debauchery, he hosts notorious parties. an open secret attended by the most powerful men and women in England; his name is known by all. But his darkest secret, his curse, he hides: three days a week, he shifts into a wolf.

A stolen relic and the rising of a demon bring Marie to Sarum Castle to search Bleiz’s impressive library for clues to the source of both. Intrigued by her sharp mind as much as her seemingly innocent beauty, Bleiz begins by trying to seduce his guest. But he soon discovers this “little nun” might well be more than his match. Equals in mind as well as courage, they discover a mutual attraction that might prove too powerful to resist.

As dark forces gather around them and their secrets are exposed, can they work together before enemines know and unknown destroy them?

The Wolf in the Cloister is the first in a shifter paranormal romance series from Falstaff Crush.

MY REVIEW for THE WOLF IN THE CLOISTER

Original Read May 9th, 2020

Interesting twist by the writer, taking a medieval romance writer and Abbess Marie de France, and using her as the main character in The Wolf in the Cloister – a novella which is a love letter to all things medieval romance by Dr. Leverett as well as being a steamy modern romance. In particular, seeking inspiration from one of the Abbess’ own fictional romances to base this fictional romance.

There are a couple rough transitions, the transition to the steam scene being the harshest of the lot, but this tends to be a common issue with the novella format. Lack of space to smooth out all the rough edges. On the other hand, being able to chunk through a book in three hours is worth a few rough edges when wanting a full story and to also wake up in time for work.

Demons and Bishops, Shapeshifters and Witches, Crusades and Calligraphy. Action, romance, deception, and combat. A fun read.

(read through Kindle Unlimited)

Second Read December 4, 2024
I took a longer time to reread this wonderful novella. Still all the magic, romance, and historic goodness as before. Now to dive into the rest of this series!
(Read from book bought from the author)

 

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BOOK BLURB ON AMAZON for THE ENCHANTED ROSE

Fairies and demons and wolves, oh my!

Sister Marie is back at Shaftbury Abbey, none the worse for her adventures and very much the better. With the magic she inherited from her Irish witch mother, she has banished the demonic Bishop Josceline back to hell where he belongs. Doing so means she’s had to return to the abbey instead of staying with her new love, the Viscount Bleiz Clavret. But since he’s a rogue as well as a scholar and changes into a wolf three days out of every seven, a cooling off period doesn’t feel like such a bad idea. For the first time since she gave up her life as a royal, she is excited to see what her future might hold.

But the Bishop refuses to stay banished. And when she writes Clavret to warn him, his only reply is to thank her for her concern and tell her he’s off to France to reconcile with his ex-wife. Furious and heartbroken, she flees the demon on her own, following the trail left for her in her mother’s journal. Near the monastery at Kells, she finds a gateway to the kingdom of Tryamour, a fairy queen, and a whole new world of magic and possibility. But in her nightmares, she’s not the queen’s beloved but a wolf in a deadly trap.

The Enchanted Rose is the second chapter of The Wolf and the Nun, a fairy tale for grown-ups based on the work of the medieval poet Marie de France.

MY REVIEW for THE ENCHANTED ROSE

A nun who is the daughter of a witch and a king. A solider-lord stolen away by his first love to France. A fairy queen tempting and teaching. The Kells monastery, yes, the one where the Book of Kells was made, missing a holy object. A bishop possessed by evil beyond reckoning.

The second in this well-researched historical romance isn’t as engrossing as the first one from a romantic end, but the political maneuverings of the chess board between a nun, knight, queen, rook (monastery), and bishop make up the difference. The ending isn’t a cliffhanger, but the reader closes this part of the series knowing the next book has all the pieces on the board.

Book bought at a convention from author’s table.

 

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BOOK BLURB ON AMAZON for THE SONG OF THE BLACK WOLF

“You two are connected—love him or hate him—and what you dreamed is not a dream.”

Witch, nun, and loyal half-sister to England’s king, Marie de France has left the mortal world behind. Heartbroken by her betrayal by the roguish shapeshifter Lord Bleiz Clavret, she chooses an endless life of tranquility and more quiet passion with Tryamour, the immortal fairy queen. Her fiery connection with Bleiz feels like a wistful dream.

But a terrible vision shatters her peace—Bleiz trapped in his wolf form, pursued by hunters led by Marie’s own brother, King Henry II. She knows the vision is real, that without her help, Bleiz will die. Confused and fearful but determined as always to be brave, Marie leaves the safety of Tryamour’s palace to find her Black Wolf.

But Henry is only one of many enemies looking to destroy this “little nun” and her big, bad wolf. And they’re all controlled by an ancient evil Marie knows only too well.

MY REVIEW for THE SONG OF THE BLACK WOLF

Beginning when book 2 leaves off, and ending when book 4 will start, The Song of the Black Wolf is very much NOT a stand-alone in The Wolf & the Nun series. It serves a purpose: gather together the loose ends of books 1 and 2 into bundles, weaving the plot points together so everything is on the edge and ready to go in … I am guessing here … the final book of the series.

The ongoing series is still rich with historical roots and magical loam. The perfect blend for a medieval historical fantasy romance. Start at book one, The Wolf in the Cloister, and work your way through the series.

 

(TO BE DONE)

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BOOK BLURB ON AMAZON for AN HONORABLE LOVE

(TO BE DONE)

MY REVIEW for AN HONORABLE LOVE

The final book in this Historical Romance Fantasy, An Honorable Love starts with Marie captive by her brother (and that which possesses him). Her werewolf friend Bleiz and the fairy queen Tryamour are beyond castle walls and cannot be reached by song or letter. But nothing is ever lost so long as Marie has her wits about her.

I love the strength of the main character as she battles politically, emotionally, magically, and physically. The historical world is strong, the characters each have their own motivations and history, and the plot weaves between different points-of-views and locations like a fairy weaving with spider silk. Each reveal is a burst of color woven deep into the tapestry, the final battle a fringe of gold perfecting the cloth.

Sometimes, when I get invested in a book, I get worried about the ending. I was verry pleased at how well Dr. Leverett sticks the landing. … The Epilogue intrigues me. Are we going to get a spin-off series?

Full disclosure: I was part of the editing team on this book (only). (and no, I don’t know the answer to my last question … dang it!)

Book Review (SERIES): The Boar King’s Honor

Erin Penn Leave a comment

A wonderful historic fantasy romance series, following a cursed family line through time, skip-stone hopping from the early modern period of the 1700s, touching on the Regency period, and finally landing in the 1940s. Written by the very talented Nancy Northcott.

The Boar King’s Honor by Nancy Northcott

  1. The Herald of Day
  2. The Steel Rose
  3. The King’s Champion

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BOOK BLURB ON AMAZON for THE HERALD OF DAY

A wizard’s fatal mistake
A king wrongly blamed for murder
A bloodline cursed until they clear the king’s name

In 17th-century England, witchcraft is a hanging offense. Tavern maid Miranda Willoughby hides her magical gifts until terrifying visions compel her to seek the aid of a stranger, Richard Mainwaring, to interpret them. A powerful wizard, he sees her summons as a chance for redemption. He bears a curse because an ancestor unwittingly helped murder the two royal children known as the Princes in the Tower, and her message uses symbols related to those murders.

Miranda’s visions reveal that someone has altered history, spreading famine, plague, and tyranny across the land. The quest to restore the timeline takes her and Richard from the glittering court of Charles II to a shadowy realm between life and death, where they must battle the most powerful wizard in generations with the fate of all England at stake.

MY REVIEW for THE HERALD OF DAY

Paranormal romance. Historical Urban Fantasy. Illuminati level behind the scenes magic. Political intrigue. Class discussion. Courtly love. Ghosts. Curses. Illusions.

Nancy Northcott has created a magical world in England about a cursed noble family summoned by a scullery maid to defeat a time-traveling wizard who hides in the death world on one hand and the class-divide overcome-by-love slow-burn between the head of the noble house and the magic-wielding servant on the other.

Come for the magic, stay for the love. Come for the historical romance, stay for the vivid wizard duel in the ghost realm. The Herald of Day is the best of both worlds. (Fully – I got chocolate with my peanut butter, and maybe a bit of hazelnut too – type of vibe.)

 

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BOOK BLURB ON AMAZON for THE STEEL ROSE

A wizard’s misplaced trust
A king wrongly blamed for murder
A bloodline cursed until they clear the king’s name

Amelia Mainwaring, a magically Gifted seer, is desperate to rescue the souls of her dead father and brother, who are trapped in a shadowy, wraith-filled land between life and death as the latest victims of their family curse. Lifting the curse requires clearing the name of King Richard III, who was wrongly accused of his nephews’ murder because of a mistake made by Amelia’s ancestor.

MY REVIEW for THE STEEL ROSE

I’m merrily reading historical magical fantasy, with Seers and Dragons (so far illusions in the Boar’s King Honor series) and Villains and Elves (different series – the Wolf and the Nun by Emily Leverett), against the backdrop of real history -and then hit this gem. Yes, it is historical fantasy, but it is also a full-blown Regency Romance too!

A second-chance romance where Amelia (a Seer) and Julian (the leader of the Merlin Club) don’t trust love after losing their first spouses to disease and infidelity. A political thriller when Napoleon’s return from exile brings another war to loom over Britain. A magical mystery investigating an ancient blood curse. All in the goodness of a Regency setting.

Each book of the series works as a stand-alone, but they also build in time-order as one expects of history. On to book 3!

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BOOK BLURB ON AMAZON for THE KING’S CHAMPION

American reporter Kate Shaw and English Major Sebastian Mainwaring clash from the moment they meet on the beach at Dover. Kate has just escaped the hellscape of Dunkirk with a troop of English soldiers when Sebastian turns up, seizes her camera, and refuses to give it back. Kate needs the photos inside to prove to her boss back home that England’s fight against Hitler is a story worth covering and that she, woman or not, is the reporter to write it. Sebastian sympathizes, but controlling information about the war is his job.

Then Sebastian discovers that he and this infuriating American have a deeper connection and a mutual strength that could turn the tide of the war. Like Sebastian, Kate is a descendant of the Mainwaring line of powerful English wizards. Adopted at birth, she is Sebastian’s distant cousin. But unlike Sebastian, she has never known her miraculous flashes of “intuition” are something much more. She’s a practical farm girl who thinks magic is a fairy tale. Somehow Sebastian has to convince her to acknowledge and develop her gifts so together they can save the world.

The King’s Champion concludes Nancy’s Northcott’s exciting Boar King Trilogy.

MY REVIEW for THE KING’S CHAMPION

Each book of the series became progressively harder to read, not because of the Fantasy (wonderful magic world-building) or Romance (each of the couples are wonderful combinations of duty and devotion), but because the History keeps moving forward to our present times and mirrors today’s problems and battles closer and closer.

Early modern history in the 1700s – lovely. Regency romance dealing with the Napoleonic wars, with a charismatic despot gathering a following, much harder. And finishing book three on April 15, 2025, a story set in World War Two, rising against Hitler, the fall of France, watching rationing cutting into day-to-day life, and London being bombed – well, that was devastating. How are we letting the trains run again? History tells us where all this leads.

This wonderful historic fantasy romance didn’t provide an escape from reality for me, though it might for some. And, hopefully, it will easily provide enjoyment in the future. Well researched, a good ending for the series and also works as a stand-alone. Published in 2023 (and likely written in 2022), the author did a wonderful job for the time she was living in.

The strong female character, Kate, is an American war correspondent, or trying to be. Her bosses are extremely worried about a “girl” in the war zone. The male lead served in the military but has become disabled from a war injury. Together they must solve overcome pain and family expectations, support Britain in a time of war, resolve an ancient family curse, and, maybe, fall in love.