New "Must buy everything they write" Author: Dakota Krout

You may think I'm being overly dramatic there, but it's true. This guy has been added to my auto-buy list.  I see new book; I buy it (I read it until sun comes up...Gosh, I'm tired.).

He writes fantasy fiction with a gaming or RPG feel and theme (and in one series, outright scoring and leveling up), and that might sound off putting, but it's actually fantastic!

The humor in the form of horrible (awesome) puns made my face hurt more than once.

The larger than life characters getting around the systems or going into overdrive to outpace everyone's expectations.

The magic systems. The coffee elemental...I'll let that one sink in for a bit.

The tie in to gaming with a side of ,"What if games and gaming systems met real life?"

The twists; the turns; the loopdy loops...

And, oh my god, the surprise connections! I just finished a second series by this fellow, and um, I apparently need to read the other one again!  Holy cow!  Love!!!

Ok, enough of that. If you dig game literature, fantasy, intricate leveling systems, or even ideas for your own ongoing or future campaigns, I think you'll dig Dakota Krout's books, too.



About the Author:

Dakota Krout - Author of the best-selling Divine Dungeon and Completionist Chronicles series

I live in a 'pretty much Canada' Minnesota city with my wife and daughter. Thanks to you, I'm now a web developer and computer programmer turned full-time author and indie publisher through my company, Mountaindale Press.

I started writing The Divine Dungeon series because I enjoy reading and wanted to create a world all my own. To my surprise and great pleasure, I found like-minded people who enjoy the contents of my mind. Publishing my stories has been an incredible blessing thus far and I hope to keep you entertained for years to come!

Find me here:
MountaindalePress.com
Facebook.com/TheDivineDungeon
Patreon.com/DakotaKrout
Twitter.com/DakotaKrout
Goodreads.com/Dakota_Krout

The Divine Dungeon - Enjoy world building through the eyes of a sentient dungeon. Unfortunately for treasure-seekers, the fastest way for the dungeon to achieve his goal... is to eat anyone that enters his depths.



The Completionist Chronicles - Becoming a permanent addition to a game world, Joe, a combat medic turned cleric, decides to complete every mission, master every ability, and learn all of the world's secrets. All he has to do is survive long enough to make that happen.

Paranormal Romance Review: Sorceress (Spellcaster #3) by Claudia Gray

Sorceress (Spellcaster #3)
by Claudia Gray

Description:
To save the lives of countless people in Captive’s Sound, Nadia has sworn herself to the One Beneath, to black magic. Her plan, and the town’s only hope, is for Nadia to learn enough sorcery to strike back against the forces of darkness. But now that she’s separated from her friends, her family, and her Steadfast, Mateo, Nadia is more vulnerable than ever to darkness. And as the sorceress Elizabeth summons torrential rains and brings the One Beneath closer to the mortal world, Nadia is running out of time to stop her. The final battle lines are drawn, surprising alliances are made, and true love is tested in the action-packed conclusion to the breathtaking Spellcaster series.

Sorceress is richly woven with New York Times bestselling author Claudia Gray’s signature dark magic, captivating mystery, and star-crossed romance.


My Review:
As with books one and two, I borrowed this audiobook from the library.

This was a great conclusion to the trilogy! I had no idea how they were going to dig themselves out of the holes they dug in book two. Kept me guessing until the end.

I loved how the different storylines play out. Recommended for fans of YA and Paranormal Romance. The audio was very well performed.

About the Author:

Claudia Gray is not my real name. I didn't choose a pseudonym because my real name is unpleasant (it isn't), because I'd always dreamed of calling myself this (I haven't) or even because I'm hiding from the remnants of that international diamond-smuggling cartel I smashed in 2003 (Interpol has taken care of them). In short, I took a pseudonym for no real reason whatsoever. Sometimes this is actually the best reason to do things.

I live in New Orleans. So far, in life, I've been a disc jockey, a lawyer, a journalist and an extremely bad waitress, just to name a few. I especially like to spend time traveling, hiking, reading and listening to music. More than anything else, I enjoy writing. 

Goodreads  |  Twitter  |  Website

YA Review: Love is the Drug by Alaya Dawn Johnson

Love Is the Drug
by Alaya Dawn Johnson

Description:
Emily Bird was raised not to ask questions. She has perfect hair, the perfect boyfriend, and a perfect Ivy-League future. But a chance meeting with Roosevelt David, a homeland security agent, at a party for Washington DC's elite leads to Bird waking up in a hospital, days later, with no memory of the end of the night.

Meanwhile, the world has fallen apart: A deadly flu virus is sweeping the nation, forcing quarantines, curfews, even martial law. And Roosevelt is certain that Bird knows something. Something about the virus--something about her parents' top secret scientific work--something she shouldn't know.

The only one Bird can trust is Coffee, a quiet, outsider genius who deals drugs to their classmates and is a firm believer in conspiracy theories. And he believes in Bird. But as Bird and Coffee dig deeper into what really happened that night, Bird finds that she might know more than she remembers. And what she knows could unleash the biggest government scandal in US history.

My Review:
Love is the Drug is an amazing and beautiful book. Heartbreaking, chilling, and as real as fiction can get.

There are tones of thriller, science fiction, and young adult romance with some heavy themes adding a greater depth than most young adult fiction. I particularly enjoyed how Bird grows from who her mother wants her to be into who she really is.

I borrowed this audiobook from the library. I found the narrator's voice smooth and beautiful, and she performs this story flawlessly.

Strongly recommended.


About theAuthor:

Alaya (pronounced ah-lie-ah) lives, writes, cooks and (perhaps most importantly) eats in New York City. Her literary loves are all forms of speculative fiction, historical fiction, and the occasional highbrow novel. Her culinary loves are all kinds of ethnic food, particularly South Indian, which she feels must be close to ambrosia. She graduated from Columbia University in 2004 with a BA in East Asian Languages and Cultures, and has lived and traveled extensively in Japan.

Author Links:

Goodreads  |  Author's Page  |  Amazon

More Books by this Author:

  

Paranormal Romance Review: Steadfast (Spellcaster #2) by Claudia Gray

Steadfast (Spellcaster #2)
by Claudia Gray

Description:
Nadia, Mateo, and Verlaine have saved Captive's Sound from the dark Sorceress Elizabeth...or so they thought. Despite their best efforts, a crack opened and a new, greater evil seeped through. With Mateo as her Steadfast, Nadia's magic is magnified and she is more powerful than ever. But there is still so much she doesn't know about the craft, leaving her open and vulnerable to a darker magic...which has begun to call Nadia's name.


My Review:
I enjoyed this very much. Nadia does make some poor decisions, but the side characters are great. I listened to the audiobook. Borrowed from the library.

About the Author:

Claudia Gray is not my real name. I didn't choose a pseudonym because my real name is unpleasant (it isn't), because I'd always dreamed of calling myself this (I haven't) or even because I'm hiding from the remnants of that international diamond-smuggling cartel I smashed in 2003 (Interpol has taken care of them). In short, I took a pseudonym for no real reason whatsoever. Sometimes this is actually the best reason to do things.

I live in New Orleans. So far, in life, I've been a disc jockey, a lawyer, a journalist and an extremely bad waitress, just to name a few. I especially like to spend time traveling, hiking, reading and listening to music. More than anything else, I enjoy writing. 

Goodreads  |  Twitter  |  Website

YA Sci Fi Review: Across the Universe (Across the Universe #1) by Beth Revis

Across the Universe (Across the Universe #1)
by Beth Revis


Description:
A love out of time. A spaceship built of secrets and murder.

Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.

Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone—one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship —tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn't do something soon, her parents will be next.

Now Amy must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there's only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.


My Review:
I picked this little gem up from the library a short time ago, and I must say, it’s fantastic!
Based on the 10k plus number of reviews on Goodreads, I feel that I may be joining the fandom a bit late, but better late than never!

I very much enjoyed the young romance paired with the sci fi and the sociopolitical themes. The author nails it, both on the scientific believability and the emotional investment I felt as the book progressed. I’m almost afraid to pick up the second one, but I probably will.

The audio was great, but I think this one would read well, too.

Overall, highly recommended. There’s a lot of depth to this.


About the Author:

Beth Revis is a NY Times bestselling author with books available in more than 20 languages. Her works include young adult science fiction and fantasy titles, as well as nonfiction books on writing and publishing. A native of North Carolina, Beth is currently working on a new novel for teens. She lives in rural NC with her boys: one husband, one son, and two massive dogs.

Follow her on Twitter or Instagram at @bethrevis, or on Facebook at fb.com/authorbethrevis.

Amazon  |  Goodreads  |  Twitter  |  Website

YA Review: Victoria Marmot and the Meddling Goddess (Victoria Marmot #1) by Virginia McClain

Victoria Marmot and the Meddling Goddess (Victoria Marmot #1)
by Virginia McClain

Description:
Victoria Marmot is just an average teenage girl... if by "average" you mean an orphaned, multi-lingual, martial arts expert who owns her own home and may or may not have magical abilities.

When Vic is told her parents didn't die the way she thinks they did, her world is turned upside down and she's left with the task of finding out what really happened to them. But when her quest to uncover the truth reveals a massive conspiracy by a corrupt magical government, will her efforts save the world or take the whole universe down with her?


My Review:
This is the first in a series of books featuring Vic (aka Victoria Marmot).

One of the things I most enjoyed about this story was how Vic reacts to the weird stuff that is happening to her. I think best of these were her reactions to the Twilight-esque vampire/werewolf love interests. Then you add in the nods to the Harry Potter universe. Honestly, it’s a toss-up between which of the two worlds this story seems to be poking fun at the most. Obviously Twilight. But then again, when the headmaster Albert says, “Didn’t they tell you? Surely you’ve wondered how they learned it all!” you can’t quite keep from picturing Hagrid introducing magic to Harry for the first time.

I also enjoyed the way the narrator is introduced. Quite entertaining, though I did have to go back and re-read it once I began to understand what was happening. Clever.

On the other hand, the core plot of this story is a bit straightforward, despite its best efforts to tangle itself up in elements from the two series aforementioned. Without those entanglements, I am not sure I’d have enjoyed this too much on its own merits. Still, my impression is that these nods and references are in fact the main point of the story.

So yeah, Vic’s no-nonsense denial of the “stupid” and her unwillingness to fall into the standard paranormal romance female heroine role totally make this book worth reading. Having read Harry Potter, Twilight, and other shifter-type PNR books made this one all the more fun. I got the jokes. I saw the contradictions. All the things that bug folks about those worlds are embraced and then denied in this one.

Overall, I really enjoyed this story for what it is. I think fans of fantasy and the paranormal who are looking for a huge dose of sassy heroine are in for a treat. No trope is safe!

I received the review copy of this book via NetGalley.


About the Author:

Virginia McClain is an author who recently stopped daylighting as a Spanish teacher in Arizona and switched to writing full time in Winnipeg, Manitoba. When she's not writing she can often be found climbing to the top of large rocks, running on trails, backpacking, and generally engaging in any excuse to go play outside. Now that she has moved to the Great White North she will probably add snowshoeing, cross country skiing, and ice skating to her list of outdoor adventures, but as it's still warm out she'll start with canoeing (something she hasn't done in years) and see how it goes from there. She lives with her husband and their furry, canine companion Artemis.


Author Links:
Twitter @gwendamned
Goodreads Author Profile
Amazon Author Page

Steampunk YA Review: Manners & Mutiny (Finishing School #4) by Gail Carriger

Manners & Mutiny (Finishing School #4)
by Gail Carriger


Description:

If one must flirt...flirt with danger.

Lessons in the art of espionage aboard Mademoiselle Geraldine's floating dirigible have become tedious without Sophronia's sootie Soap nearby. She would rather thwart dastardly Picklemen, yet her concerns about their wicked intentions are ignored.

Who can she trust? Royal werewolf dewan? Stylish vampire Lord Akeldama? Only one thing is certain: a large-scale plot is under way. Sophronia must be ready to save her friends, her school, and all of London from disaster.


My Review:
A very satisfying conclusion to the Finishing School series, though I do very much want more. The overall plot builds to this final installment, where Sophronia and friends must stop a plot no one seems willing to believe exists.

I strongly recommend it to folks who enjoyed the first few in the series. I recommend reading these in order and having them all at hand so you don’t have to pause between them (you won’t want to wait).

I borrowed the audiobook from the library.

-----

As this is the final in the series, I think it important to comment on the other two series set in this world. I suspect the Parasol Protectorate series picks up somewhere after this one, though likely with different characters. It is on my to-be-read list so I’m afraid I have no further insight on the matter.

That being said, I have read the Custard Protocol (books 1 and 2), and they most certainly occur after both aforementioned. These latest books use the same narrator whom I find delightful, and this provides a consistency I seek out when listening to a series. From checking the author’s website, I know more books are coming from that series, so I’m keeping a look out.


About the Author:



Photo by Vanessa Applegate

Gail Carriger writes comedies of manners mixed with paranormal romance (and the sexy San Andreas Shifter series as G L Carriger). Her books include the Parasol Protectorate, Custard Protocol, and Supernatural Society series for adults, and the Finishing School series for young adults. She is published in many languages and has over a dozen NYT bestsellers. She was once an archaeologist and is fond of shoes, octopuses, and tea.

Join the Chirrup for sneak peeks & giveaways! http://gailcarriger.com/chirrup

More links:
Amazon Author Page
Goodreads
Twitter @gailcarriger
Facebook

Steampunk YA Review: Waistcoats & Weaponry (Finishing School #3 ) by Gail Carriger

Waistcoats & Weaponry (Finishing School #3)
by Gail Carriger


Description:
Sophronia continues her second year at finishing school in style—with a steel-bladed fan secreted in the folds of her ball gown, of course. Such a fashionable choice of weapon comes in handy when Sophronia, her best friend Dimity, sweet sootie Soap, and the charming Lord Felix Mersey stowaway on a train to return their classmate Sidheag to her werewolf pack in Scotland.

No one suspected what—or who—they would find aboard that suspiciously empty train. Sophronia uncovers a plot that threatens to throw all of London into chaos and she must decide where her loyalties lie, once and for all.


My Review:
A strong third in the series. 

I enjoyed the characters and the humor, particularly the eclectic blend of etiquette and adventure. The author does a fine job with Sophronia’s personal dilemma, keeping her concerns period correct (although the period does also feature some rather non-period correct science, werewolves, and vampires).

Highly recommended for folks who want a fun read set in a steampunk alternate history with plenty of paranormal entanglements.

I borrowed this audiobook from the library.


About the Author:



Photo by Vanessa Applegate

Gail Carriger writes comedies of manners mixed with paranormal romance (and the sexy San Andreas Shifter series as G L Carriger). Her books include the Parasol Protectorate, Custard Protocol, and Supernatural Society series for adults, and the Finishing School series for young adults. She is published in many languages and has over a dozen NYT bestsellers. She was once an archaeologist and is fond of shoes, octopuses, and tea.

Join the Chirrup for sneak peeks & giveaways! http://gailcarriger.com/chirrup

More links:
Amazon Author Page
Goodreads
Twitter @gailcarriger
Facebook

Steampunk YA Review: Curtsies & Conspiracies (Finishing School #2) by Gail Carriger

Curtsies & Conspiracies (Finishing School #2)
by Gail Carriger


Description:
Does one need four fully grown foxgloves for decorating a dinner table for six guests? Or is it six foxgloves to kill four fully grown guests?

Sophronia's first year at Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality has certainly been rousing! For one thing, finishing school is training her to be a spy--won't Mumsy be surprised? Furthermore, Sophronia got mixed up in an intrigue over a stolen device and had a cheese pie thrown at her in a most horrid display of poor manners.

Now, as she sneaks around the dirigible school, eavesdropping on the teachers' quarters and making clandestine climbs to the ship's boiler room, she learns that there may be more to a field trip to London than is apparent at first. A conspiracy is afoot--one with dire implications for both supernaturals and humans. Sophronia must rely on her training to discover who is behind the dangerous plot-and survive the London Season with a full dance card.

In this sequel to New York Times bestselling Etiquette & Espionage, class is back in session with more petticoats and poison, tea trays and treason. Gail's distinctive voice, signature humor, and lush steampunk setting are sure to be the height of fashion this season.


My Review:
And…devoured.

I simply adore this series and the world Gail Carrigan has created for us. Supernatural, steampunk romance with all the thrills of an action flick.

Sophronia is a delightful heroine, and her budding romance/friendship with Soap was a highlight for me. Then again, I also dug the competition. As for the theme and humor, delightful.

I highly recommend this series to folks who enjoy a bit of whimsy with their thrills.

I borrowed the audiobook from the library.


About the Author:



Photo by Vanessa Applegate

Gail Carriger writes comedies of manners mixed with paranormal romance (and the sexy San Andreas Shifter series as G L Carriger). Her books include the Parasol Protectorate, Custard Protocol, and Supernatural Society series for adults, and the Finishing School series for young adults. She is published in many languages and has over a dozen NYT bestsellers. She was once an archaeologist and is fond of shoes, octopuses, and tea.

Join the Chirrup for sneak peeks & giveaways! http://gailcarriger.com/chirrup

More links:
Amazon Author Page
Goodreads
Twitter @gailcarriger
Facebook

Steampunk YA Review: Etiquette & Espionage (Finishing School #1) by Gail Carriger

Etiquette & Espionage (Finishing School #1)
by Gail Carriger

Description:
It's one thing to learn to curtsy properly. It's quite another to learn to curtsy and throw a knife at the same time. Welcome to Finishing School.

Fourteen-year-old Sophronia is a great trial to her poor mother. Sophronia is more interested in dismantling clocks and climbing trees than proper manners--and the family can only hope that company never sees her atrocious curtsy. Mrs. Temminnick is desperate for her daughter to become a proper lady. So she enrolls Sophronia in Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality.

But Sophronia soon realizes the school is not quite what her mother might have hoped. At Mademoiselle Geraldine's, young ladies learn to finish...everything. Certainly, they learn the fine arts of dance, dress, and etiquette, but they also learn to deal out death, diversion, and espionage--in the politest possible ways, of course. Sophronia and her friends are in for a rousing first year's education.


My Review:
This story is a delight. Sophronia, a tomboy, finds herself shuffled off to finishing school, only to discover that it isn’t quite the normal kind.

I simply adore this book, especially as an audiobook. The characters are delightful and varied, the steampunk paranormal mix is intriguing and feels natural in the world the author has created.

Overall, strongly recommended to folks who enjoy YA with a twist. Nothing like a bit of etiquette mixed with a bit of bladework!

I borrowed this audiobook from the library. I was, and am, delighted that all four of the Finishing School books were at my library in audio. Of course, I devoured them as soon as they each came off hold.


About the Author:



Photo by Vanessa Applegate

Gail Carriger writes comedies of manners mixed with paranormal romance (and the sexy San Andreas Shifter series as G L Carriger). Her books include the Parasol Protectorate, Custard Protocol, and Supernatural Society series for adults, and the Finishing School series for young adults. She is published in many languages and has over a dozen NYT bestsellers. She was once an archaeologist and is fond of shoes, octopuses, and tea.

Join the Chirrup for sneak peeks & giveaways! http://gailcarriger.com/chirrup

More links:
Amazon Author Page
Goodreads
Twitter @gailcarriger
Facebook

New Release and Review: Dance of Thieves by Mary E. Pearson

Dance of Thieves (Dance of Thieves #1)
by Mary E. Pearson

Releases Today: 07AUG2018

Description:
A new novel in the New York Times–bestselling Remnant Chronicles universe, in which a reformed thief and the young leader of an outlaw dynasty lock wits in a battle that may cost them their lives—and their hearts.

When the patriarch of the Ballenger empire dies, his son, Jase, becomes its new leader. Even nearby kingdoms bow to the strength of this outlaw family, who have always governed by their own rules. But a new era looms on the horizon, set in motion by a young queen, which makes her the target of the dynasty's resentment and anger.

At the same time, Kazi, a legendary former street thief, is sent by the queen to investigate transgressions against the new settlements. When Kazi arrives in the forbidding land of the Ballengers, she learns that there is more to Jase than she thought. As unexpected events spiral out of their control, bringing them intimately together, they continue to play a cat and mouse game of false moves and motives in order to fulfill their own secret missions.


My Review:
Dance of Thieves is a set in a world where civilization was long ago reset by a catastrophic event. Few survived, and that remnant has evolved into a land of politics, war, and a touch of magic. This book picks up a few years after the events in the original trilogy.

Only a few months ago, I came across the trilogy that precedes this book in my local library, eagerly devouring all of them until I ran out. Delightful. This one follows the same winning formula. A touch of lore, a little mystery, a lot of history (future?), and some heart gripping romance and political intrigue.

Kazi is a likeable heroine, and Jase is not so bad himself. I really dig how the author gives each of them an equal measure of importance and attention, building up both sides, and drawing you into their lives and motivations.

Side characters may not get as much play, but they’re built up enough to feel real and to empathize with. I particularly enjoyed the cameos and mentions of others from the original trilogy, which allowed me to reconnect with beloved characters without distracting from the new story.

And, in these stories, I find that happy endings don’t necessarily mean perfect endings. Not knowing or being able to guess the outcomes ups the tension and the excitement, making for a fun read. I’m already looking forward to the next one.

All in all, I found this a satisfying and engaging read. I would strongly recommend this to folks who dig fantasy, strong world-building and lore, and romance. I think this may fall under YA, as well, but it feels more mature than some of those I've read.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley.

Intrigued? Find this book on:

AMAZON  |  GOODREADS

About the Author:

Mary E. Pearson is the author of several award winning books for teens, including the best-selling Jenna Fox Chronicles. She is a native Southern Californian and writes full time from her home in Carlsbad, California where she lives with her family.

Her awards and honors include the Golden Kite Award, ALA Best Books for Young Adults, the Andre Norton Honor, and The South Carolina Young Adult Book Award.

Her newest series, The Remnant Chronicles, kicks off with THE KISS OF DECEPTION, the first in a trilogy about a defiant princess living in the ruins of a bygone world.

Her website, www.marypearson.com has more information about Mary and her books.


The Remnant Chronicles:

In case you're wondering, I would totally recommend starting with the Remnant Chronicles, which I borrowed and listened to before I read Dance of Thieves. The narration was fantastic and consistent, and I can't wait to hear this one in audio as well.