Lea Ryan

I'm always happy to find a paranormal suspense novel that doesn't include vampires. No offense to those who love them, but the genre is horribly overdone. With Pestilence Rising, we have an interesting play with dark and light, a kind of yin and yang of abilities. On the surface, these characters are polar opposites. But opposites often complement each other and depend on one another for survival. We find that here in a most intriguing way.

The characters' need to fit in and subsequent draw show more toward the cult at the heart of this story is identifiable to anyone who has ever felt like an outsider. This story has many layers, with inferences about the way we judge and treat those who are different. While the nonstop action leaves us breathless, the pieces below the surface give us much to think about.

The story is fast-paced action, and I think this focus takes away from character development just a bit. I would have liked to know more about Hunter's early view of himself and the world he lives in. I also would have liked a closer look at the interplay between characters as their relationships evolved. These are minor points stemming from my fascination with who these characters are.

Overall, this is an entertaining and thought-provoking read that kept me turning pages long into the night, show less

What the Dead Fear, a novella by Lea Ryan is a remarkably entertaining book. I gave it five stars.

Juniper discovered she was dead. "'Wake up.' She commanded her mortal shell & concentrated as though she might control it from outside. She recalled reading about out of body experiences. Maybe that was the explanation.

She held on to denial for a while, contemplating the various possibilities for the cause of her predicament. Denial is a shade of hope, in a way.

"She met a young girl, Cricket. show more They climbed a tree to escape the coming jackals. Then Cricket disappeared & Gareth the Ruler of Limbo appeared. He frightened her & threatened her after telling her what not to do in Limbo. Then he disappeared.

"Apparently abrupt exits were the norm in the spirit realm."

Juniper & Cricket had some entertaining adventures. Gareth, the Guardian was a puzzling but intriguing character.

I received a complimentary copy from Amazon. That did not change my opinion for this review. show less

Destined for Darkness is well written and highly entertaining. Lea Ryan has a knack for bringing her story to life.

The characters all have little quirks and unique personalities, which makes them feel real. Even the minor characters are well developed.

The setting is handled incredibly well. It's often a challenge for an author to find the right balance between giving enough detail to allow readers to envision the scene, and so much detail that the story becomes weighed down and dull. The show more author has no such problem here. I felt like I was right there with the characters, seeing what they saw, but my imagination was still free to fill in the blanks.

While the story is about witches and, therefore, delves into the paranormal, it remains completely believable.

I downloaded this book from Smashwords during a promotion long ago. For some reason, it sat on my Kindle unread all this time. I didn't expect to enjoy it quite so much, but I truly have no negatives to share. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in this series. show less

Babylon Dragon, the first book by Lea Ryan I've read, is outside the genres I typically read and I honestly didn't expect it to hold my interest. I was wrong. It is an engaging story from beginning to end that showcases a truly remarkable imagination.

I found the storytelling to be a little too ethereal and jumpy in places, causing me to go back and read earlier passages to see if I had missed something. That's my one negative comment. Fortunately, this issue is offset and overcome by Ryan's show more beautiful mastery of language. Her imagery is so beautiful, so fresh, that it's almost melodic. I'm hard to impress but she pulled it off. I recommend this book and this author. show less