Fresh coming-of-age fantasy

Pariah’s Lament by Richie Billing is a fresh coming-of-age fantasy drama rife with fast-paced battles, kings, kingdoms, and medieval style politics. The storytelling balances the plot with bits of humor and a touch of romance laced with intrigue of two potential matches for the fair heroine. This novel takes place in the the realm of the Of Metal and Magic CORE (3 books) where this fantasy unfolds with a natural sense of discovery. The reader knows where they are, has a sense of what to expect, what to dread, who to trust, and where they might turn for help. 

The protagonist is a strong, complex female character by the name of Isy. In her home town and among her family she is identified by how she looks and bullied for it. She fits in nowhere, and has no friends albeit the librarian who treats her kindly when no one is looking. Her reprieve from the reality of life is found in the pages of books, until her hopeless world is turned on its head in a heartbeat as she steps into the role of reluctant hero when she finds her fate entangled with a persecuted race facing extermination and to her dismay, they believe she can help.

Book Hookup Review: Pariahs’ Lament

One of the best fantasy books I’ve read this year. The attention to detail is outstanding. You are there! Pacing is on point. No dragging, or rushing. Just caught up in a natural ebb and flow of events like a pulse delivering life into every page. The unique characters are interesting and engaging. Gripping battle scenes deliver one compelling climax after another with a plot that keeps the pages turning. This one makes it to my top 10 list for books read in 2023. Couldn’t put it down. I give it five out of five stars and look forward to more from this new author. Recommend to fantasy, action adventure fans.

I received a copy of this book through Black Phoenix Book Tours and have not been compensated for reviewing or recommending it. Some links in this post are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and affiliate sites.

 

About the author

Richie Billing writes all kinds of stories, but mostly fantasy fiction. His tales often explore real-world issues, zooming in on the characters and their troubles. His short fiction has been widely published, with one story adapted for BBC radio. His debut novel, Pariah's Lament, was published by Of Metal and Magic Publishing in March 2021. Richie also hosts the podcast The Fantasy Writers’ Toolshed, a venture inspired by the requests of readers of his acclaimed craft book, A Fantasy Writers’ Handbook.

When not writing, Richie works as an editor and digital marketer and teaches creative writing both online and in his home city of Liverpool. Most nights you can find him up into the early hours scribbling away or watching the NBA.

Find out more at www.richiebilling.com. 

https://mailchi.mp/c8382d667538/join-richie-billings-community

https://www.instagram.com/richiebilling/

https://twitter.com/Magpie_richie

 

Captivating Christian fantasy for all ages

The Seventh Dimension: The Door by Lorilyn Roberts is book one in a Young Adult Christian fantasy series of four. This imaginative story portrays a strong female protagonist in Shale Snyder, a young teen struggling with guilt, unforgiveness, abandonment, and being bullied. She does her best to deal with her circumstances and negative feelings on her own, but when overwhelmed she runs off and follows a dog she has befriended into the woods. An accident leads through a portal that transports her to the city of Jerusalem at the time of Christ.

About the book: The Seventh Dimension: The Door

While Shale navigates life in ancient Jerusalem the author weaves in threads that haunt her from the life she left behind, including the burden of a secret guilt. Some characters she meets look like people from her own time, including her absentee father and a boy who is her nemesis. She also meets a boy she doesn’t know and learns he too is from the future. Life in the ancient past has its own issues, including a wicked stepmother, shadowy underlings, and bothersome Worldly Crow. 

She also has a new ability that allows her to hear animals talk, but the one person who really intrigues her is a mysterious man her animal friends refer to as the King.

Book Review: Seventh Dimension: The Door

The Seventh Dimension is a magical story with a biblical message of new life, forgiveness, and love. It introduces the message of the King through biblical characters, the witnessing of miracles, and the message of the New Testament. I especially enjoyed Shale’s realistic transformation from unbelief to belief. 

This is the first book I’ve read from Lorilyn Roberts and hope to finish the rest of this series. I think fans of Christian fantasy like the Chronicles of Narnia will enjoy this story of redemption. And while this book is categorized as Young Adult, I think this captivating story will be loved by young and old, and am happy to give it 4 stars.

About the author: Lorilyn Roberts

Lorilyn Roberts is a Christian author of fourteen books, including the award-winning YA Seventh Dimension Series.

Lorilyn graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Alabama in 1991. Her studies included spending two weeks in Israel at the start of the Gulf War and touring England, Australia, New Zealand, and several countries in Europe. She later attended the Institute of Children's Literature and earned her Master of Arts in Creative Writing from Perelandra College.

Lorilyn has rescued many orphaned dogs and cats, and when she isn’t writing books, she provides broadcast captioning for television. In her spare time, Lorilyn is a ham radio operator. KO4LBS.

Fast-paced futuristic fantasy

Shifting Directions (Neglected Merge Book 3) by Eve Koguce closes out this fantasy trilogy. I had the pleasure of reading the first two books, Neglected Merge and Tangle of Choices, and looked forward to this read. I was not disappointed. Shifting Directions picks up about a decade after the conclusion of book two and brings back the main protagonist, Tauria, and her winged royal husband, Doron, along with a host of supporting winged and wingless characters I fell in love with in the previous books.

About the book: Shifting Directions

Progress in the uniting of the two cultures politically and culturally is slow going, but evident as the story picks up ten years after book 2. Sandra a child born within the rebel settlement in book two is now a young woman in her teens. Her background remains hidden because of who her father is, and it gets to be tricky business when she falls in love with a young man who is politically and culturally unhappy with his perception of life as things continue to change. When he shakes the foundations of the fragile peace, drama, suspense, and uncertainty build. The intrigue makes for an easy-to-devour captivating story.

Book review 

While this book can be read as a stand-alone story, knowing the backstory adds depth to this suspenseful fantasy as Koguce weaves all the plot threads and relationships to a satisfying conclusion. I enjoy her writing style, her world-building, and the personalities of the Winged Ones as they learned to interact with the Wingless and vice versa.

I recommend Shifting Directions to people who enjoy futuristic fantasy, filled with sensational drama, relatable characters, fast-paced action, heartwarming interactions, and exciting unpredictable events that appeal to the emotions. I’m happy to give it 5 stars.

For more on this series check out these reviews:

Neglected Merge

Tangle of Choices 

* * *

As BookHookup, I am a longtime book reviewer, and I received Shifting Directions as a free review copy and have not been compensated for reviewing or recommending it. Some links in this post are affiliate links. We participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and affiliate sites.

 

About the Author Eve Koguce

Multi-award-winning author Eve Koguce has been in love with books for as long as she remembers herself. The typewriter her first attempts at writing had been made at still sits proudly on its shelf in the basement.

After fifteen years spent trying to fit into the office work pattern, Eve Koguce had decided to pursue her dreams and turned to writing.

Eve Koguce lives on the coast of the Baltic Sea with her husband, her son, and their two exceedingly charming ginger cats. She loves nature, history, and literature. Her hobby – and a childhood dream that came true – is horse riding.

Eve's debut novel “Neglected Merge” - book one in the Neglected Merge trilogy - has won three awards in the following book awards contests: (i) Silver Medal in the 2021 Global Book Awards in the Science Fiction / Fantasy category, (ii) Award Finalist in the 2021 Readers’ Favorite International Book Award Contest in the Fantasy General category, and (iii) Honorable Mention in the 2021 Royal Dragonfly Book Awards in the Science Fiction/Fantasy category.

You can find out more about the author on:

Blog: Eve's Book Diary: Literary journey of an office career escapee, www.evekoguce.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/eve_koguce

Twitter: @EveKoguce  

Instagram: @eve_koguce_books

Facebook: Eve Koguce Books https://www.facebook.com/evekoguce/

 

Haunting WWII fiction infused with mystery, suspense and time travel

Where David Threw Stones: A Haunting WW2 Tale of Courage, Love, and Redemption by Elyse Hoffman is one of those treasured reads I plan to read again. The plot takes place 30 years after WW II and is a blend of historical fiction infused with mystery and suspense merged with fantasy to create a captivating WWII story of the cursed German town of Brennenbach.

 

Book Review by Donna

About the Book

This town is under a curse and reverts back in time to revisit it’s Nazi occupation each night complete with very real SS ghosts. The protagonist, David Saidel, is a 10-year -Jewish boy sent to Brennenbach to live with his grandfather following the death of his parents resulting from an antisemitic crime. Life in Brennenbach delivers haunting secrets, plenty of mysteries, and ghost-like characters who are tangible and dangerous during the curse hours. Amid all this is David and his grandfather both need healing from a haunted past. 

I especially enjoyed how Elyse Hoffman captured David’s perspective as he gets to know the grandfather he never met and deals with his grief, guilt, desire to honor his dead parents, and the emotions of trying to make friends amid a climate of hatred and bigotry. Hoffman weaves several plot threads and keeps the reader on the edge of their seat, and she brings it all to a rewarding ending well worth the read. I didn’t see it coming. Loved it.

@donnasundblad Book Review Where David Threw Stones #bookreview #bookreviewer #bookrecommendations #booktok #bookworm #booktour ♬ original sound Donna Sundblad

Book Review: Where David Threw Stones

If you’ve read Hoffman’s Book of Uriel, you’ll love this one, too. I didn't want to put it down. Her writing is masterful, subtly blending details that urgently pull multiple plot threads to a satisfying conclusion. I recommend Where David Threw Stones to readers who enjoy WWII fiction, ghost stories, as well as mysteries. I think people who enjoyed reading The Book Thief by Markus Zusak will fall in love with this story. I award this book 5 stars. 

As BookHookup, I am a long-time book reviewer and I received Where David Threw Stones as a free review copy and have not been compensated for reviewing or recommending it. This review is posted in collaboration with Black Coffee Book Tours. Some links in this post are affiliate links. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to amazon.com and affiliate sites. 

About Author Elyse Hoffman

Elyse Hoffman is an award-winning author who strives to tell historical tales with new twists. She loves to meld WWII and Jewish history with fantasy, folklore, and the paranormal. She has written six works of Holocaust historical fiction: the five books of The Barracks of the Holocaust and The Book of Uriel.

Social Media

Goodreads

Bookbub