Shot in the Dark: urban fantasy romance with hunters and fae

Shot in the Dark is the first book in the Shot in the Dark series by Mary Dublin and Anne Kendsley. Elysia has simple rules: obey the curfew, never fly past the boundaries and never, ever speak to humans. Sylvia has spent her life evading the village’s ironclad rules. She has always been curious about the world outside the village. One journey takes her to an empty mansion where she visits with the resident ghost and searches through the treasures left behind. Her secret exploration is shattered when a bullet pierces her wing and she is taken captive by seasoned hunters, Jon and Cliff. After she saves Jon’s life, Sylvia and the hunters form an unlikely alliance to hunt for a cruel werewolf. As they hunt together, she learns the stories about humans aren’t as true as she was taught and her cold hostility melts into a cool respect and maybe even an attraction. Will they find the werewolf in time? 

As a fan of Supernatural, I was intrigued by Shot in the Dark as it is described as “an action packed urban fantasy novel” that explores “forbidden love and found family.” I am fairly new to the urban fantasy genre as I do not read much in this area and the inspirational connection to Supernatural is what drew me in. The story was interesting at first, slows down in the middle, then the action speeds up in the last quarter of the book. There is a bit of a romance between Jon and Sylvia but there are no spicy scenes. As I read, I wasn’t sure if I liked the book or would be continuing the series. However, with the final actions at the end and the epilogue, I am intrigued enough to continue the series. I liked the characters and the story definitely as a Supernatural/hunting vibe. If you enjoy urban fantasy, I recommend Shot in the Dark. 

Shot in the Dark is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

The Witch of Tin Mountain: a fight against evil and ending a curse over a mountain town

The Witch of Tin Mountain by Paulette Kennedy is a suspense story as something wicked comes to a Depression-era Arkansas mountain town. It’s 1931, Gracelynn Doherty lives peacefully with Granny and her adoptive family. Despite whispers and rumors that the women in her family are witches, the locals still seek them out for cures. Cures for everything from arthritis, stomach ailments and even broken hearts. It all starts to change when evangelist healer Josiah Bellflower comes to town touting miraculous healing, the town becomes enthralled and Granny in fear. Granny recognizes Bellflower as she made a terrible promise fifty years ago and he has returned to collect. As Granny falls ill and the mountain falls into a drought, Gracelynn learns of a curse that came over the mountain a hundred years ago. Can Gracelynn find a way to rid the town of this evil once and for all? 

The Witch of Tin Mountain has a gorgeous cover and an interesting premise. I was hooked from the open chapter and eagerly looked for clues to who or what this evil was that stalked Granny and now Gracelynn. The story was very interesting, mixing the gothic, mystical and supernatural in a haunting story of resilience and survival. There were aspects of the story that I felt were not necessary. At some points, the story ignored the main conflict of the evil Josiah Bellflower and focused on the sexual lives of the two main characters and other social issues that didn’t fit in the overall story. It simply overflowed the story with too much. The timelines jumped between 1931, 1881 and 1831 too quickly. There were moments I rolled my eyes. Overall, I was able to finish it; however, it is not a book I would read again. 

The Witch of Tin Mountain is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

The Hacienda: a haunting thriller and supernatural mystery

The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas is a supernatural suspense story set in the aftermath of the Mexican War of Independence (1810-1821) in a remote village, a sinister haunted house and a young woman left to defend herself. After her father is executed and her home destroyed, Beatriz is left at the mercy of family. When Don Rodolfo Solórzano proposes, she immediately says yes. The promise of a home and security for her and her mother is too good to pass up despite the circulating rumors about his first wife’s death. However, Hacienda San Isidro is not the sanctuary she was hoping for and while Rodolfo works in the capital, she is plagued with visions and voices at night. Despite her concerns being brushed aside, she knows something is wrong with the house. Beatriz turns to a young priest, Padre Andres, who is familiar with the house and its history, for help. Together, can they fight the malevolent spirit and return peace to Hacienda San Isidro? 

Billed as Mexican Gothic (2020) meets Rebecca (1938), which I have not yet read either, The Hacienda is a haunting thriller which hooks the readers on a journey of a supernatural mystery that leaves them gasping for breath! As I read, I was reminded of Shirley Jackson’s The House on Haunted Hill (1959), as the house is a character in itself. After reading the author’s notes, I can see why I got that vibe as Ms.Cañas was paying homage to Shirley Jackson who was known for her horror and mystery stories. While I am not usually a fan of horror stories, The Hacienda is a mix of gothic horror with historical commentary of what people will be to gain and keep power. It is a story of resilience and resistance. I cheered for Beatriz and Andres as they battled this evil spirit and turned each page with anticipation. Ms. Cañas created such a mood and atmosphere that it was hard to put down! I highly recommend The Hacienda. 

The Hacienda is hardcover, eBook, and audiobook

Careful What You Wish: another addition to The Wishing Tree series

Careful What You Wish by Ashley Farley is the seventh book in The Wishing Tree series. Mary May has been adrift. Her husband left her, she has no children and she’s on the verge of losing her home. Now she has lost her housekeeping job. With no income, she has lost all hope that she can repair her family’s dilapidated home. As a sarcastic joke, she ties a wish to the town’s famous wishing tree. She never expected her wish to come true and come true in an amazing fashion! All of a sudden her maple tree sprouts hundred dollar bills resulting in thousands of dollars. As she makes the necessary repairs, she begins to go on a spending spree and gives herself a much needed makeover. Soon she realizes that it wasn’t money she truly needs but friends. As her wish becomes a blessing and a curse, she must discover the true meaning behind her wish fulfillment. 

I have been enjoying The Wishing Tree immensely which is why it hurts to not enjoy Careful What You Wish. The story didn’t seem to fit with the others. Despite being from the town, no one seems to know or recognize Mary which doesn’t jive with the small town atmosphere. While the other books had small overlap with each other, Careful What Your Wish doesn’t have a single character that I recognize from the other books. Not even Neva, the Curator of Wishes, fails to make an appearance. Even the magic of the tree seems to be out of place with the previous books. The wish fulfillment in this story had more of a supernatural/divine intervention feel than the others. Mary was a hard character to care for and sympathize with. Sadly, I was highly disappointed in Careful What Your Wish and only recommend it as a part of The Wishing Tree series. I wonder how this story will fit with the remaining stories. 

Careful What You Wish is available in paperback and eBook

The Library of Legends: a mix of history and supernatural

The Library of Legends by Janie Chang is a story of a convoy of student refugees who travel across China to escape the hostilities during a war with Japan while protecting ancient texts of legends and myths. In 1937, as Japenese bombs drop on the city of Nanking, nineteen-year-old Hu Lian and her classmates from the Minghua University are ordered to flee and seek safety in the western provinces. Not only do the students and staff need to worry about the constant threat of air raids, they are entrusted with the safety of the Library of Legends, a -year-old collection of myths and folklore. During the journey, she forms an unlikely friendship with Liu Shaoming, a handsome and wealthy classmate, and his maidservant, Sparrow. As their friendship grows, she learns the connection with her companions and the tale of The Willow Star and the Prince from the Library of Legends. Is there more truth to the myths than she realized? Will they make it to safety? 

A mix of history and mystical and supernatural characters, The Library of Legends is an engaging story of love, war and survival. Ms Chang was influenced by the historical evacuations of the Chinese universities in the 1930s and the political intrigue as the rise of Communism in China is fueled by a few students and the attempts to squash its uprising. I thoroughly enjoyed the intertwining of the historical and supernatural elements of the story. It reminded me of Neil Gaiman’s American Gods (2001) as the gods and creatures of the myths and legends were alive and well in our world, we just don’t notice them. But would they be there for long? As more and more humans forget them, what’s their reasoning to stay? I enjoyed the idea that once the guardian spirits of these areas left, the horrors of war followed. This book was my first by Ms. Chang and I look forward to reading her other works in the future. I enjoyed and recommend The Library of Legends. 

The Library of Legends is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook

Maggie for Hire: an Urban Fantasy that wasn't my taste

Maggie for Hire is the first book in the Maggie McKay Magical Tracker series by Kate Danley. Maggie is a 30-something Irish brunette in Los Angeles and she tracks the monster who roam the streets of Los Angeles. She gets the call to catch them and return them to the dimension where they belong. Maggie soon teams up with an elf named Killian as she learns her uncle has teamed up with the very monsters she hunts. Now she is in a race against time and a fight for everyone’s life as she needs to find a magical object stop the looming apocalypse. Is she up for the fight? Can she find this object in time?

Maggie For Hire is an Urban Fantasy story that intrigued me as I read the description. I thought it was like Supernatural (2005-2020) and eagerly dived into the book. Right off the bat, Maggie is abrasive and non-nonsense. Usually I enjoy these characteristics, however, in this case, Maggie was annoying. She is the typical hero, “I’m a loner and I don’t need help” but secretly is afraid to need help and ask for it. I usually don’t mind abrasive language but the language, and humor, which is meant to be edgy and witty, fell short. I wasn’t funny. I haven’t read Urban Fantasy books in a while, unfortunately, Maggie for Hire isn’t for me. However, you enjoy Urban Fantasy stories, you may enjoy Maggie for Hire as well as the rest of the series.

Maggie For Hire

is available in paperback and eBook