K.N. Lee

Cover/Title: The cover is beautiful but the title is what drew me in. I love fairy tale re-tellings.

Characters: At the beginning Allyn annoyed me a bit. She seemed like a bit of a pushover. She also falls for guys really easily which makes her a bit weaker than the heroines that I usually enjoy. She did grow personally throughout the book.

Plot: Allyn is left high and dry by her boyfriend. Now she has to try to carve out a new life for herself. Her friends drag her to a party where she show more meets the crown prince. Then her ex shows up and shows his true colors leading her to find a new purpose in her life.

Overall: I really enjoyed this story. It is definitely not your typical beauty & the beast re-telling. My only complaint is that I wish it wasn't rushed so much. If the book was longer and the relationship grown a bit more, it could have been a 5 star book. show less

Listened to audio narrated well by Mary Sarah. Easy to listen to and follow.

In this third book of the trilogy we finally get some answers and some of them will surprise you. I loved the various creatures and the surprise twists but the romance fell flat for me and it lacked depth that I prefer.

I thought this book did better as a fantasy read, I just never felt a connection between Rickard and Rowen. This book is short and moves quickly to it's detriment. There are so many tantalizing show more characters and happenings but we only get a taste of them before we're jumping forward in the storyline, leaving this reader feeling like they only got an appetizer instead of a full course meal. I think with a little more development and filling in the many things that got glossed over this could have been an outstanding read, but it fell short for me. A quick fantasy lite read.

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Listened to audio narrated well by Mary Sarah. I liked the characterizations, it made it easy to fall into the story.

Rowen is on the run from the royal navy of Withrae and the pirate Elian Westin. Having been saved by a strange black dragon. She is now dependent on the kindness of strangers.

Prince Rickard may have saved her but his actions are confusing. My understanding is that he loves her and is trying to keep her safe but he treats her very poorly and doesn't explain her situation to show more her. They had a connection when they first met and she's tried to ignore because her step-father wanted her to gain the crown prince's attention, not the younger son.

Captain Elian Westin might be her father but he only wants her because she is the key to his quest to find the Red Dragon. He can steal souls and make them do his bidding and has a blood thirsty mermaid lover that will do anything for him.

Rowen finds help with a powerful witch and her son that tries to help her with her powers, but they have their own motives for helping her. As she comes into her powers it may put them in even more danger.

There's lots of twists and turns and questions why characters aren't behaving as they had in previous books that will keep you wondering. The ending will leave you hanging but thankfully the next book has already been released.

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MY REVIEW FOR IRENE BY TERRI BRUCE

Irene and the Witch – Afterlife Book 3.5

Irene is dead, stuck in Purgatory, trying to return to Earth as a guardian angel.

Her traveling companion, Andras, is a 12th century Spanish knight, dead since 1911. Most of the time he is invisible. It takes tremendous effort for him to appear in ghostly form. Makes me think of when Bobby was a ghost in the Supernatural TV show.

They have a psychic link.

Are there things worse than death? You betcha.

Ya want to know show more what it’s like being in a crystal ball? Ask Irene. Even dead, her impatient recklessness has her in trouble.

Can a ghost burn, feel pain, be tortured, die again?

Irene worked through her fear, knowing they would all die if she didn’t persevere, push through, overcome.

I have been loving this series ever since I read Hereafter. I knew it would be a different kind of ghost story and Terri Bruce’s imagination and creativity have taken me into a world both wondrous and frightening, and I am so happy I am only here as a visitor.

I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Irene, which is included in the Myths and Magic: An Epic Fantasy and Speculative Fiction Boxed Set. I will be reviewing more of the books, so keep in touch and we’ll talk more.

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