Tag Archives: 5 Star Books

CrowTower – A Mesmerizing #DarkFantasy of #Myth and #Reality

09 Friday Jul 2021

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SYNOPSIS

The priests of Vatu are locked in an endless cycle of life, death, and rebirth. Their constant reincarnations are defined by service to the dark spirit, hatred for each other, and ruling the world of eternal night in which they live, broken only by a single day each year when Vatu releases the Sun. They have suffered and enjoyed this existence for millennia, for an eternity… until now.

In the Tower of the Sun at the centre of the world, the reborn Utas returns to fulfill his destiny to become High Priest. He has scarcely completed his education, however, when a shocking secret of his resurrection emerges. Now questioning everything he knows, he takes a path never before followed in his long existence. Yet darkness and pain still shadow everything he does, and all his attempts at freedom seem only to lead back to Vatu.

Can Utas ever escape hatred and death, or will darkness forever rule his heart as it does the shadowed land?

 

My 5-Star Review

Darkness seeks like a questing marauder through the pages of this complex second installment of this unique trilogy. The story and its unforgettable characters is filled with lust, hatred and memory. Memory of past lives and new beginnings. Memory that drives our main character, Utas, to change everything he’s done before in his many past lives in order to escape.

Escape the Darkness. The Dark Lord, Vatu, but escape may or may not be possible. As Utas transforms himself, the realm into which he has been reborn is also transformed; yet some things are as immutable as the Darkness itself. The priests of Vatu, for example, are beyond change. They exist to consume darkness and dispel whatever flickers of light Utas attempts to ignite. They take twisted pleasure in betrayal and domination…and in this way they were a stark parallel of our own darkness.

This complex series comes to life through elaborate characterizations and timeless themes. It whisks readers away into the unfamiliar, then surrounds them with masterfully woven tangles of well-known concepts and mythological reinventions. Like it’s predecessor, CrowMan, the story is carried by dialog, but there are still times when I had to pause in wonder (and sometimes in revulsion!) Lush whispers of ethereal landscapes tease the reader into tranquility while hint of the grotesque taint the placid waters. Meals of warm milk and blood, for example, which our main character seems to relish, sent shivers down my spine!

Labyrinthine, magical, and engrossing, Dave Rae has once again filled each page with mesmerizing imagery, elegant beauty and chilling corruptions. If you long to lose yourself in a truly spell-binding read, look no further. The Sun Thief trilogy delivers!

Author David Rae lives in the West of Scotland. He lives in a world of his own; a world of wonder, a world where hoards of workers spill out of factories, a world were fog and smoke shroud all kinds of creatures, a world where ruined castles, factories and houses were haunted by ghosts, gangs and memories. He lives in world where witches have been burned at the cross and martyrs have been hung on the Gallowgreen. He writes poetry and short stories and reads every trashy novel, every children’s book and every comic that comes his way.

I hope you’re intrigued and will take a moment to look David up:

Find David on Amazon

Find David on GoodReads

Find David on WordPress

Subscribe to David’s Newsletter

Connect with David on Twitter: @DRDVDRAE

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~Morgan~

When #Life, #Death, #Mortality and Forever Tangle – #Heavensgate – A #5Star #DarkFantasy Series

09 Wednesday Jun 2021

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Every living creature’s experience of reality is unique; therefore, life and death can be imagined in an infinite number of ways. In Heavensgate there is no line between life and death and no veil between the immortal and mortal. However, not every character realises this essential fact of their existence and those that do are quick to take advantage.

Heavensgate: Faith (Book Three)

Where the line between life and death is erased.

In the presence of Seraphim sent to despatch her violent husband’s spirit, Faith delivers a daughter – Mercy – whose miraculous birth triggers an ancient prophecy, forcing Heavensgate’s inhabitants to seek sanctuary in the high sierra.

The newborn is snatched on Lucifer’s orders, transforming the happy widow into a vengeful mother with immortal powers. Abandoned by the Creator, Faith threatens to destroy belief in both Heaven and Hell unless her lost child is returned.

The desperate search for Mercy, and the battle between good and evil, love and hate, threatens the lives of many creating conflict between the immortal sisterhood, Hope, Joy and Faith.

Only Jake’s redemption can save them… but first, he has to save himself

My 5 Star Review:

If you haven’t partaken of either book one or two, Heavensgate book three: Faith will probably leave you as muddled as its main character(s) Jacob/Jake. He’s one man, but two distinct people. One ‘good’, one, well…not so good. I wont say evil, because honestly, I like Jake. What am I saying, I love Jake! He’s the perfect, imperfect bad-boy that you love to hate, hate to love, love to love. Now, this review isn’t going to give you a bunch of spoilers because like any reviewer worth their salt, I want you to pick up these books. Talk about hidden gems! If you enjoy a great brain-twister, a hint of sex, lust, horror, romance, and good ol’ fashion ‘What-in-the-name-of-Harry-Potter’ is going on here, then you’ll find this little-known series as tantalizing as I have.

Book Three, Faith, dives right in…so don’t cheat yourself….read Hope and Joy first!!! Faith opens with a few beautiful verses about love, motherhood, and the blessing of birth- then plummets you into the tortured, vengeful mind of Jake. He’s the powerful, virile lead and alter-ego of main character Jacob. Like most split personalities, they were traumatized when they were young and have grown into two VERY different people, each aware of the other and strong enough to drive the story forward in ways that entangle the reader into their chaos and confusion.

This story delves into that confusion and chaos, spiraling everyone into a unique and entirely unforeseen variant of the traditional Good vs Evil fable. Characters find themselves on the brink of eternal damnation as well as the bliss of sweet rapture while taking readers on a demented, wild ride that will leave you breathless….for more than a few reasons!

Now, don’t be fooled. This story is about far more than a love-struck, sex-addicted man with delusions of demonhood and immortal goddesses led astray by the aforementioned rogue. Author Kane cunningly weaves the abstracts of morality and virtue into this relentless, head-spinning parable by ingeniously personifying those concepts into relatable characters readers will understand and connect with, find entirely confusing and incomprehensible, out-and-out hate, passionately adore, and, ultimately, never-ever forget!

WANT MORE?  Read on!

Jake – An Insight by Author Leo Kane

The immortal sisterhood of Hope, Joy and Faith become entangled with the key protagonist, Jake, an inimitable personality of Jacob Andersen, a shattered soul suffering from multiple identity disorder who is unable to ground himself in a single reality. Jake’s strength births a charismatic, highly sexual, psychopath who, perversely, serves evil whilst seeking redemption for both real and imagined sins whilst wreaking havoc in the lives of everyone whose path he crosses.

My beloved readers often say that crazy Jake is their favourite character. Who doesn’t love and hate a bad boy in equal measure? However, I am especially fond of the Angel Gabriel – Gabi to his friends. The androgynous, ditsy, dramatic, deceptively dangerous Gabi is a wonderful being who cannot seem to decide whether to smite Jake or kiss him. Gabi and his companion Ruby, the Angel of Redemption, are bright and fearsome Seraphim with the sharpest tongues in Creation.

Books are allegedly created by writers and my name is certainly on the covers. However, Jake often seizes the pen or wakes me in the small wee hours to bully me into writing scenes I never planned. All the sex scenes are his idea. I am too shy to contemplate putting such filth on a virgin page, therefore, I cannot say that any such scene is a favourite, they are all shameful.

Jake lives amongst angels, demons, ghosts, humans, a sweet and unappreciated husky and some downright weird characters. However, he holds special places in his dark heart for the immortal sisterhood of Hope – he hates her; Joy – he adores her and Faith who… Well, I think it’s best you find out for yourselves what he does to her because, quite frankly, I am shocked.

By the way:   If you are in any way offended by Jake’s irreverent shenanigans please remember that the Creator loves a good joke.

Heavensgate: Hope  by Leo Kane

When Jacob is a child, a mysterious girl comforts him at the funeral of the family he accidentally killed.

Years later, grieving for his lost wife and son, Jacob is at Heavensgate. He strongly believes that the dead should stay dead, but sees things other people don’t see.

Even worse, Jacob is besieged by his alter ego: the taunting, foul-mouthed, sex-crazed and dangerous Jake. A personality with a twisted sense of fun and no conscience.

Jacob battles for his sanity and soul, surrounded by supernatural enemies and allies, as he struggles to free the Keeper of the Forbidden Book and ignore the menacing pink Cadillac that drives by his lakeside lodge every night.

Wherever Jacob goes, people die, and the cops are moving in when a terrifying and seductive presence arrives on the frozen lake.

Now, Jacob will discover that even hope has a dark side.

My 5 Star Review of HeavensGate: Hope

I began reading this book with an advantage.  I had recently hosted a Character Interaction between Jacob and Jake on my blog, so I had some idea what to expect; however, as the story began to unfold, its complexities and multi-faceted layers wove a web of intrigue in my mind I could not ignore.  In fact, I could barely put the book down (though I had to) and I found myself more and more curious about the main character…or main characters, perhaps.

The authors approach is both mesmerizing and, like any hypnotist worth his/her salt, equally confusing.  Many times I had to stop and re-read, searching for the meaning behind the meaning; seeking truth where there, perhaps, wasn’t any to find.  I felt the turmoil of the characters and was drawn into their psychosis with frightening clarity.

Hope is a tale not only of Hope, but of trauma and darkness and the slippery slopes of the human psyche.  It kept me thoroughly beguiled and Im looking forward to book two of the series.

My 5 Star Review of Heavensgate: Joy

A Tumultuous tale about tortured souls.

I shall begin by saying that this is definitely not a standalone:  If you haven’t read Heavensgate Hope and think you can jump into the story in this second book, your thoughts will end up more twisted than the main characters.  Yet having stated that, I will also say that Leo Kane has written a masterful sequel to her initial story, filling page after riveting page with confusion, disarray, and enough steam to power a locomotive from the character you love to hate and hate to love: Jake.

As the story delves deeper into the incursions and capitulations of the main character, Jacob, and draws in the new, haunting character of Joy, you are lead down an increasingly twisted avenue into the darkness, connecting you in an extremely powerful way to the tortured soul(s) about which Leo write.  You begin to THINK you understand; then the carpet is pulled out from beneath you, leaving you re-reading frantically trying to figure out just what you missed.  But the truth is, you didn’t miss anything and that is the Brilliance of the author’s writing which allows you to experience the inescapable chaos of the main character(s).

I found myself emotionally and mentally drained after reading this second installment, yet thirsty for more!  Bring on Book Three, Leo…I’m ready….I think.

You can connect with Leo Kane at:

HGleokane@hotmail.com

Twitter

Facebook 

Heavensgate Website 

Amazon Author Page

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You can read more about the characters of Heavensgate through a recent Character Interaction I hosted between Jacob and Jake. 

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~Morgan~

#Alien meets #TheArrival, with a Hint of #The xpanse- The #MilijunSeries Fires All Thrusters!

13 Saturday Feb 2021

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. Connect to the alien journey that will change your life… They have awoken as far away from home as it ever gets: Laura and Jason Sinclair did not want to be transported from Earth, but their alien hosts have plans to take them even further beyond their comfort zone. They are on a space station, orbiting a mysterious planet in a strange new galaxy. And they must battle for the future of a group of humans who are being used in a breathtaking scheme of cosmic survival—for both aliens and humans alike. In the process, they will determine the future of Earth. To succeed, they must solve the puzzle of extraterrestrial races in the throes of a perplexing and historic conflict. But who can they really trust as they struggle to understand the challenging and hostile environment that holds them in a grip of iron? And will humanity survive the trauma of First Contact? If you like Close Encounters, Contact, and Arrival, then you’ll love Amidst Alien Stars, the standalone second novel of a gripping new alien interaction series from Clayton Graham. “There is world building of such depth and lush detail that you could almost feel it.” Kay Mack TOP 1000 REVIEWER “Not only is this an exciting, action-packed page turner – I love the intelligence reflected, the witty dialogue, and the genuine depth in the characters’ emotions.” Meenaz Lodhi “Admirable world-building and the unsurpassable, indefatigable, drive of the human spirit to not just survive, but to thrive, power this engrossing sequel to the author’s debut science fiction novel, Milijun.” Mallory A Haws . . My 5-Star Review
Rjebnigerrsel
No, I didn’t sneeze…thats just one example of the creativity proffered in this expansive Sci-Fi Fantasy of aliens and humans. Names aren’t the only thing author Clayton Graham does so well; there’s detailed technologies to discover, foreign landscapes to explore, and of course, aliens to meet.
Although a fairly comprehensible stand-alone, I would recommend reading the first book first, as I lacked understanding of some of the nuances between characters and history. It wasn’t difficult to catch up though, as I came to realize the two lead characters, Laura and Jason, have been abducted by aliens. Not for the typical pre-conceived reasons however (no probes here!) The aliens are hoping to create a hybrid race that will be capable of space exploration on a scale that is beyond the ability of either species presently.
It’s a grand notion, (although it may have been less forced if the humans had been recruited willingly), yet it’s not without obstacles. As ever, mistrust, misperceptions, and misplaced loyalties stand in the way of true partnership on any scale, setting the stage for intense action and tangled mysteries. Great fodder for any reading enthusiast!
Alien meets The Arrival, with a hint of The Expanse, the Milijun Series holds as much promise as the coalition it characterizes. I could easily be drawn into a NetFlix Mini Series!
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Biography

As a youngster growing up in the cobbled streets of Stockport, UK, Clayton Graham read a lot of science fiction. He loved the ‘old-school’ masters such as HG Wells, Jules Verne, Isaac Asimov and John Wyndham. As he left those formative years behind, he penned short stories when he could find a rare quiet moment amidst life’s usual distractions.   He settled in Victoria, Australia, in 1982. A retired aerospace engineer who worked in structural design and research, Clayton has always had an interest in science fiction and where it places humankind within a universe we are only just starting to understand. Clayton loves animals, including well behaved pets, and all the natural world, and is a member of Australian Geographic. Combining future science with the paranormal is his passion. Milijun, his first novel, was published in 2016. Second novel, Saving Paludis, was published in 2018. They are light years from each other, but share the future adventures of mankind in an expansive universe as a common theme. The sequel to Milijun, entitled Amidst Alien Stars was released on December 1 2019. In between novels Clayton has published short story collections ‘Silently in the Night’ and ‘Looking for Life’ where, among many other adventures, you can sympathize with a doomed husband, connect with an altruistic robot, explore an isolated Scottish isle and touch down on a far-flung asteroid. He hopes you can share the journeys. His web page is: https://claytongraham.com.au You can also follow Clayton on Twitter @CGrahamSciFi His Facebook author page is at: https://www.facebook.com/claytongrahamauthor
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~Morgan~
 

Crowman by David Rae – An #Interview with the #Author of #EpicFantasy, #Myths&Legends & #ConceptualFiction

21 Thursday Jan 2021

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Touch the light. Hold the light. The light burns. The light runs away. Hold the light. Lock the light away.

The great spirit Vatu keeps the Sun in a box, where no thief can steal it. Once a year, the box is opened and life springs across the dark lands. The whole world belongs to Vatu. He is darkness, he is master of all. There is no hiding from him.

But Utas must try, for his daughter’s sake. She is sick from darkness, and yet she glows with a mysterious light. If Vatu can find them, he will destroy them, or worse, drag them back into his mad, dark world. Torn between duty and mercy, between justice and freedom, Utas tries to escape, but it seems inevitable that the darkness will reclaim him.

For the greatest mercy and the greatest punishment Utas can suffer is to return to his true self.

Author David Rae lives in the West of Scotland. He lives in a world of his own; a world of wonder, a world where hoards of workers spill out of factories, a world were fog and smoke shroud all kinds of creatures, a world where ruined castles, factories and houses were haunted by ghosts, gangs and memories. He lives in world where witches have been burned at the cross and martyrs have been hung on the Gallowgreen. He writes poetry and short stories and reads every trashy novel, every children’s book and every comic that comes his way.

David recently chatted with me about his remarkable story:

Is there an Author you consider your inspiration? Just one? I was that geeky, spectacled boy that always had a book under his nose. I’ve read and read my whole life. As a boy I loved Tolkien. I also love the classics. My current favorite is Amin Maalouf. If you have not read SAMERKAND then get a copy now.

What Inspired you to write your book? CROWMAN is inspired by the Native American myths about the sun being kept in a box and freed by the crow. Once I started to think about what such a world would look like, the book began to form in my head. I lived near the arctic for a few years, and I got some insight into what a world with no sun is like. It’s a lot brighter than you’d think. The moon, the stars, the northern lights and the reflection of light from the snow, all become very important. I even learned to tell the time by the position of the moon.

Although it’s often hard to select just one, do you have a favourite or least favourite character? In CROWMAN, my favorite character is MUKITO. He’s a young bandit boy who once he meets up with UTAS and ERROI changes his outlook on life. He’s not always the smartest, but honest with himself and in the end shows a great deal of bravery and resilience. The story would have been very different without him

My least favorite is GUTUZO who is a greedy, cowardly bully. He abuses his power and the people around him. He is completely self-centered.

Which one of your characters would you like to meet and why? In my latest project, I have a character called Tito. He is a bit clueless and gets into all sorts of trouble, but his heart is in the right place. He’s usually the butt of someone’s joke or victim of someone’s scheme yet somehow always lands on his feet. He’s sweet and innocent and very kind. I wish I was like that.

What is the hardest part of editing- grammar checks, reducing content, or something else? I am terrible at editing. I use all sorts of soft-wear and text to speech but I always miss something. The hardest part is not to get discouraged. No one ever wrote a first draft that didn’t need work. Thank God for editors, I say.

If you could live in a book, which one would it be- why? Well, I would not want to live in CROWMAN. It’s an interesting world for sure, but it’s a harsh world and it’s ruled by an evil spirit. Life is cheap there, and did I mention no sun.

What’s exciting you about your next project? I’m finishing the Sun Thief trilogy, CROWMAN is book one and CROWTOWER comes out in June. I’ve started on CROWBAIT, the final book, and I am surprised and excited at the way things are heading in that book.

OH I cant wait for these follow-up! Thank you so much for sharing some of your insights with us. I truly wish you all the very best success with this unique and amazing series.

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My Recent 5-Star Review!

I was intrigued by this metaphysical dark fantasy from the moment I read the description. Uniquely named characters and concepts drew me in immediately and filled my mind with questions and lush imagery…a masterful book blurb to say the least!

Vatu, the great spirit of darkness. I could see him, an ethereal and all-consuming shadow intent upon absolute control. Utas, the hopeful apparition fleeing from himself, and his beautiful daughter who is delicate and mysterious. Their plight pulled me along. I was invested in their harrowing journey, their disappointments, their hopes. Symbolism and spirituality are illustrated like characters, filling the narrative with thought-provoking themes that made me pause and consider.

As father and daughter make their way, they are joined by a melange of artfully created characters: Erroi, the warrior, whose body and spirit are independent of each other and who travels in dreams. He is beautifully silent and deliciously mysterious. Mukito, a boy whose cruel stepfather has left him few alternatives other than thievery. The innocent Zintoa, and noble Eskanza. The characters are elaborate, simple, fully-developed, flawed and entirely captivating.

The narrative is rich with unfamiliar people and places, intriguing me page after page. Dialog forms much of the story, yet there are descriptions that whisk the reader away. Poetic tangles of dream-like reveries adorn the journey, some so intricate and imaginative I simply had to read them again….and again! There were times I wasn’t sure what was reality and what wasn’t and I was reminded of an episode of STNG, ‘Masks’, where the hunt of Masaka and Korgano parallels the birth of Athena at the Parthenon.

Mythological and magical, Rae’s Crowman is a masterpiece of epic fantasy, conceptual and allegorical fiction in which I would willingly immerse myself book after book after book.

I hope you’re intrigued and will take a moment to look David up:

Find David on Amazon

Find David on GoodReads

Find David on WordPress

Subscribe to David’s Newsletter

Connect with David on Twitter: @DRDVDRAE

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~Morgan~

THIS BOOK Y’ALL GOOSEBUMPS, REVOLUTIONARY, STUNNING- A #BookReview by Amy Johnson

22 Sunday Nov 2020

Posted by in The Mercy Series

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I simply had to share this delightful, not to mention (dare I use the word) stellar review of Misericorde …I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I did!

Posted on by amyjohnson895

In the year 2446, the world exists as a mere shell of what it used to be. The Great Catalyst tore the human race apart as the Horsemen rode. War, Pestilence, Famine… All that remains to ride is Death.

Archangel Tzadkiel, Angel of Mercy, had taken the task upon himself to find one human on the planet who understands what mercy is. Humans are a vile species, though, and as his journey nears its end, he fears he may never find that person. When he is captured by the soldiers of The Bastion, hope wanes even further.

A mere scullery maid, Lourdes hears screams from her room every night. They break her heart and haunt her nightmares, and even though she doesn’t even know who they come from, she swear to find him and help him.

When she does exactly that, though, Lourdes discovers she’s opened a door that she might regret and entered a world darker than she ever imagined.

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Style/Length:
Let me just get this off my chest before we start.

OMG THIS BOOK Y’ALL GOOSEBUMPS REVOLUTIONARY STUNNING!

*clears throat* I, um, really enjoyed this book, guys. Morgan’s style is absolutely breathtaking. It’s thick with descriptions of the world she has created (which is incredible) and the people who live in it. It reads like a fantasy in that way, because it seems like a brand new created world. In reality, it’s what’s left of ours.

It was a rather long read, and at first, I struggled to get into it. My kindle is set up to track my percentage through the book because that’s how I set my pace. So, I was about 30% of the way through and had been reading for DAYS. Thats a bit unusual for me, considering how fast I read. But the beginning was just so description heavy that I didn’t want to miss anything by hurrying.

But DUDE did it get good after 50%. I scarfed this book down like Tzadkiel eating oatmeal (you’d understand that if you read Misericorde 😂). One night y’all. ONE. NIGHT. When I say I stayed up till one am, I 100% mean it. Please tell me you’ve done that before. I was lying in bed, telling myself that I needed to stop. One more chapter. Just till the end of this one. Oh wait, I can’t possibly stop THERE. Okay, till the end of this part them. But apparently my eyes don’t listen to my brain. Because I kept on going.

And boy, did this leave me with a book hangover. That awful feeling of MAN, NO BOOK WILL EVER COMPARE.  ugh. This is a lot to say: It had a slow start, but once I got in, it was just perfect. Chef’s kiss.

Characters:
The two “main” characters are Lourdes and Tzadkiel. That’s obvious. I’ll talk about those for a bit and then touch on some secondary characters.

Lourdes is a scullery maid. She is the perfect submissive slave, doing what she has to without complaint or attracting attention. The author makes sure to describe her as beautiful, of course. But she is so much more than that. Lourdes is incredibly strong, kind, brave and just… a wonderful female lead. She’s my favorite female MC that I’ve read in a while. Now, Lourdes does go through a lot, and there were tears shed for her. I’ll have to go into detail about that later.

Next up is Tzadkiel. I don’t read a lot of books about Angels and such. My background knowledge about angels comes from out Trenchcoat King Castiel. 😂 So, the standards were REALLY high for Tzadkiel. And lord a’mercy, he did not disappoint. While being the typical strong, macho male character that you expect from him, you also get to see a really vulnerable side of him as demons attempt to bring him down. He’s far from perfect, and endures so much along his search that I just… ugh. I love him. Happily simping over here.

Now we’ve got some other characters. There’s Levesque, head of the Tower Obligar and man in charge of “controlling” Tzadkiel. I didn’t like Levesque to start off with but there was a quick change in his personality that somewhat redeemed him in my eyes. He got what was coming to him, though. Then, there’s Philippe who deserved every ounce of HATE I felt for him. Sauvage: the man who deserved TO BURN IN THE FIRES OF HADES *clears throat* sorry. He’s a, um, bad guy.

I had no issue with the characters! Nothing negative! There were a lot to juggle, but each one stuck out enough for me to be able to pluck them out of the story easily. I was never confused. So Kudos to the author for balancing them out so well.

Plot:
There’s actually a few things I want to talk about in terms of plot. The structure of this book is fascinating to me. There are only nine chapters (and you thought CAGED had long chapters 😬) but each one is cut up into different sections. The story jumps around in time quite a bit to build this world that the author is developing.

You have an omniscient and omnipresent narrator who seems to just oversee and explain the history, then you have Gabriel and Anna’s storyline (2060), Tzadkiel’s arrest storyline (2445), and then Lourdes and Tzadkiel’s combined storyline (2446). Each storyline is very clearly marked at the start by telling you what year and era the part is taking place, like below.

I only mention this to show to complex the story really is. It was a bit off putting at first because I wasn’t used to it, but as I grew familiar with the style of jumping, it didn’t cause any problems at all. Just make sure you pay attention to the headings!

Other than what I’ve said before, I think this plot was exceptionally well done. It’s complex, beautifully wound together, logical throughout, and intense.

**Please note: This next paragraph has some sensitive topics. Read carefully.**
Last note about the plot: Morgan has added a trigger warning in the book’s description on Amazon. The book does contain a few short instances of rape as Lourdes faces some particularly despicable guards. It wasn’t an issue for me personally, but some readers might be thrown off guard. *****

All in all, I would give this book a heaping 10/10. If I could, I’d give it 11/10. Buy it here!

My book hangover says I need to give it a 3/10 because OOF. 😂 That’s how you know it’s good.

You can follow Cynthia Morgan at the following links:
Website: https://www.cynthiaamorganauthor.com/
WordPress: https://booknvolume.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/morganbc728?s=21
Amazon: Author.to/CAMorganAuthor

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I’d like to Thank Amy for such a remarkable review.  I’m not sure if reviewers truly realize the amount of Joy (or pain!) their words produce, but Amy’s will have me smiling for days!

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~Morgan~

Crowman by David Rae – A Masterpiece of #EpicFantasy, #Myths&Legends & #ConceptualFiction

27 Tuesday Oct 2020

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.

Touch the light. Hold the light. The light burns. The light runs away. Hold the light. Lock the light away.

The great spirit Vatu keeps the Sun in a box, where no thief can steal it. Once a year, the box is opened and life springs across the dark lands. The whole world belongs to Vatu. He is darkness, he is master of all. There is no hiding from him.

But Utas must try, for his daughter’s sake. She is sick from darkness, and yet she glows with a mysterious light. If Vatu can find them, he will destroy them, or worse, drag them back into his mad, dark world. Torn between duty and mercy, between justice and freedom, Utas tries to escape, but it seems inevitable that the darkness will reclaim him.

For the greatest mercy and the greatest punishment Utas can suffer is to return to his true self.

My 5-Star Review!

I was intrigued by this metaphysical dark fantasy from the moment I read the description. Uniquely named characters and concepts drew me in immediately and filled my mind with questions and lush imagery…a masterful book blurb to say the least!

Vatu, the great spirit of darkness. I could see him, an ethereal and all-consuming shadow intent upon absolute control. Utas, the hopeful apparition fleeing from himself, and his beautiful daughter who is delicate and mysterious. Their plight pulled me along. I was invested in their harrowing journey, their disappointments, their hopes. Symbolism and spirituality are illustrated like characters, filling the narrative with thought-provoking themes that made me pause and consider.

As father and daughter make their way, they are joined by a melange of artfully created characters: Erroi, the warrior, whose body and spirit are independent of each other and who travels in dreams. He is beautifully silent and deliciously mysterious. Mukito, a boy whose cruel stepfather has left him few alternatives other than thievery. The innocent Zintoa, and noble Eskanza. The characters are elaborate, simple, fully-developed, flawed and entirely captivating.

The narrative is rich with unfamiliar people and places, intriguing me page after page. Dialog forms much of the story, yet there are descriptions that whisk the reader away. Poetic tangles of dream-like reveries adorn the journey, some so intricate and imaginative I simply had to read them again….and again! There were times I wasn’t sure what was reality and what wasn’t and I was reminded of an episode of STNG, ‘Masks’, where the hunt of Masaka and Korgano parallels the birth of Athena at the Parthenon.

Mythological and magical, Rae’s Crowman is a masterpiece of epic fantasy, conceptual and allegorical fiction in which I would willingly immerse myself book after book after book.

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David Rae lives in the West of Scotland. He lives in a world of his own; a world of wonder, a world where hoards of workers spill out of factories, a world were fog and smoke shroud all kinds of creatures, a world where ruined castles, factories and houses were haunted by ghosts, gangs and memories. He lives in world where witches have been burned at the cross and martyrs have been hung on the Gallowgreen. He writes poetry and short stories and reads every trashy novel, every children’s book and every comic that comes his way.

He studied Botany, Architecture, Mathematics, Computers, Geography, and Ecology. He worked in a sweetie factory, as a scaffolder and ditch digger. He worked as draftsman and as an ecologist, as a statistician and as a policy maker. H is married and has four children, lovely children and now lovely grandchildren. And He continues to read and to write and marvel at the world He live in.

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Find David on Amazon

Find David on GoodReads

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~Morgan~

Behind the Scenes with S.J.Hartland, #Author of #DarkFantasy The Shadow Sword Series

13 Sunday Sep 2020

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S.J. Hartland is an Australian journalist, emerging epic fantasy author, and foil fencer (Cyrano club in Sydney,) who has spent too many holidays wandering around obscure castles, and is obsessed with anything medieval.  She is originally from Townsville, north Queensland, lived in Sydney for many years, and now calls the Darling Downs home.  She recently chatted with me about her Shadow Sword series and gave me some juicy behind the scenes insights!

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I wrote the early drafts of The Sword Brotherhood when I was in a very dark place. Depression, anxiety, which I’m at times prey to, struck that year. Writing became a “flow” activity which helped me fight free of overwhelming emotions.

Roaran’s journey, his suffering as his enemy’s prisoner, became an odd sort of mirror for me. His battle was as much against his past, his feelings of despair and hopelessness, as it was against his captors. My battle, too, was to find meaning and a way forward.

In that sense, Roaran’s jailer, Raggamirron, in the early drafts became a psychologist of sorts to Roaran, leading him on a path that today we might think of as “mindfulness.”

Yet in the end, most of those chapters had to go; in fact more than half disappeared into a desktop folder called “dropped chapters.”

The Sword Brotherhood, however, remains a dark book. Because it’s Roaran’s story, because it’s about his path to redemption and self-acceptance, it was always going to be the darkest in the Shadow Sword series.

Although the first in the series, The 19th Bladesman, was at its heart about fatherhood and letting go of power, redemption is a key theme across The Shadow Sword books. Characters often have to confront guilt or shame. But to balance that out, almost as a result of the darker feelings, characters can find hope or acceptance, or simply a way to go on.

Val’s path in The Last Seer King is particularly disturbing. Not only does a sorceress strip him bare emotionally and psychologically, but she forces him to confront his long-buried past. I tried to balance his despair in recounting what happened to him in a tower room centuries ago with Heath’s desire to free Val from his pain.

As Heath says, they could have been friends, with all that friendship offers. Hope. Freedom. Understanding, even comfort. A different kind of love–something I think is rarely explored.

Sometimes I wonder if these themes reassert themselves because I’m a Methodist, going back generations on both sides of the family.

I’m interested in guilt, in how it shapes us, but at the same time, I’m a deep believer that all of us can be redeemed–even Roaran, the Seer King, whose actions had to make sense even if we can’t agree with his choices. Even Genya, who acts out of anger and hurt and costs others their lives.

Her journey into darkness has only begun. Dannon, too, has important lessons to learn in the forthcoming The Sword and its Woman and the fifth book, loosely titled Broken Kingdom.

The Sword and its Woman is set largely in Quisnaf, a city of caves ruled by warrior women. I’ve tried to reverse every gender role I can think of in what is largely a Val tale. In Quisnaf, his worth is no longer measured in his ability with the sword, his classical education, or his position as a lord of Telor, but in his handsome face and his ability to provide children.

Perhaps it’s a risky book; it certainly takes Val in a new direction. He may find something he didn’t expect. But then he will lose it. Of course he will. When am I ever kind to characters?

The book also introduces one of my favourite characters, Rohane, a cursed berserker warrior of Quisnaf.

But before that, I’ve got the first in a new series coming out. Blade Lord is the story of Decallion and Sinnabar. He’s the only blade lord whose soul is not tethered to a ruling family in the distant Circle Kingdoms, which not only makes him valuable but puts him in grave danger. She’s a fura, or enforcer for the temple.

To save Decallion, Sinnabar will rebel against the temple and travel to the lawless Guildlands. She’ll risk her life and her soul. But, Decallion, cursed by magic, is destined to never remember her.

Although set in a dangerous world where the menace of the Shadow Kingdom across the fiery abyss pervades the realm, there are links in Blade Lord back to the world of Telor.

If I get it right, ultimately both series will fold together in a bizarre way.

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My 5-Star Review of The Sword Brotherhood

The Sword Brotherhood is the third book in The Shadow Sword series by Susan Hartland. Having not read book one or two, I had some research to do in order to full appreciate book three. The book opens with the lead, Roaran, a prisoner of the lead villain Archanin., who was once his ally, but now wants Roaran to lay his secrets bare. Of course, Roaran endures with determination. The dark imagery and torture is distressing, but immensely effective. I connected with Roaran, I felt the pain of his betrayal and I couldn’t wait to see him liberated.

The Sword Brotherhood combines riveting action and intensely, visceral scenes from page one! While Archanin keeps Roaran imprisoned in a castle protected by magic trying to extract dangerous information that could change the fate of the kingdoms, Dannon struggles to keep the Sword Brotherhood together. He enlists the help of a mighty sorceress, Genya, in an attempt to free Roaran and defeat Archanin, but secrets and savagery stands in their way.

Great fantasies explore the boundaries between ‘good and evil’, and offer glimpses into alternate realities, shaking us from our apathy and challenging our perceptions. The Shadow Sword series achieves this while seducing readers with elaborately crafted realms, enticing plot twists, and unexpected revelations into characters that beguile and disturb.

The Sword Brotherhood reveals a world tearing itself apart through manipulation, domination and subjugation, that was chillingly familiar.

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You can find Susan here

FACEBOOK

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Duty and love collide in this powerful epic fantasy about shattering loss, betrayal, and the price of power that will enthral fans of Game of Thrones, Blood Song and the Mistborn trilogy.  If you love dark plots, dark magic and characters with even darker secrets; pick up The 19th Bladesman, first in the sensational Shadow Sword series.

  Find on Amazon

For centuries, Roaran sought redemption. Now he can vanquish a tyrant and save a realm in chaos. But only if he cuts his last ties to humanity. Only if he returns to the one place he swore he’d never dare go again…

  Find on Amazon

A breathtaking, heart-pounding journey into darkness and the redemptive power of friendship.The darkest yet in the Shadow Sword saga, The Sword Brotherhood will enthral fans of this epic fantasy series from the author of the award-winning The 19th Bladesman.

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I want to Thank S.J. for taking time out of her busy schedule to give us some insights into her amazing story.  It certainly is a sweeping epic tale that has captivated me and I hope will intrigue you as well 🙂

 

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~Morgan~

 

 

 

The Superiority of Supporting Characters – An #Author’s Diatribe by Jake Lanum

10 Thursday Sep 2020

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I’ve never liked the protagonists in stories. Too often, they are just too gosh-darn graceful in adversity, as if they’re in the eye of a hurricane. People tend to reserve their love for “the proverbial Tyrion Lannister(s) and Aragorn(s) rather than the rounded (sometimes ugly) Hound(s)” and Boromir(s) of the world. From where I sit, the measure of a man is not in effortless perfection, but his struggle against adversity. Flaws and tribulation, internal and external, is what makes characters human, fallible, and worth rooting for. My quiet love affair with supporting characters drove the development of my own debut novel, Neither Officers Nor Gentlemen, in a few key ways.

 

  • You’ll Hate the Protagonist.

The main character in Neither Officers Nor Gentlemen is a young man named Wilhelm Geier. Readers spend quite a bit of time in Will’s head, and they’ll quickly learn that he, unlike most protagonists, is terrible. This is not an iteration of revisionist Disney origin stories which cast villains as misunderstood (see: Maleficent). He is a spoiled, drunken, man-child by design. Geier has few redeeming qualities, and is patently unworthy of any love of he receives from other characters (furthermore, unworthy of reader’s admiration). I made a deliberate choice to steer readers affections away from the main character and, based on the feedback I have received so far, it has worked.

 

  • You’ll Love the Antagonist.

Professional editors and reviewers who have read the book have all favored another character, called Roo. If not in reality, she is Will’s perceived antagonist. Roo is a Cimaroon, an escaped slave-turned-insurgent, in the Spanish Main. She is Will’s opposite. He was born into privilege, coddled, and externally motivated. In contrast, her traumatic past is an unexplored certainty. In the face of slavery and living for subsistence, she proves capable and cunning. She is internally motivated, but not at the expense of generosity or warmth.

 

  • But, in my Opinion, the Supporting Cast is Peerless.

 

Personally, I like Roo as well, but you’re supposed to. At the risk of being labelled a hipster, I think that superlative adoration for Roo is almost as cliché as fandom for Katniss or Harry Potter himself. So, I wanted to take a moment to share why my prospective readers should give “Ugly,” and “Drunk Johnny,” a fair shake.

 

“Ugly,” was a green sailor, much like Will, who might’ve been called Jim before life at sea.  Ugly had been a promising farrier’s apprentice at age ten, and had an unimpeachable work ethic, but had gotten kicked in the face by a mule. He was left disfigured, and developed a crippling fear of all large animals. His apprehension thrust him towards privateering, where he hoped the only horses he’d encounter would be seahorses. The former-farrier never fails to stand his post or deliver on his assigned shipboard duties, but landfall eventually brings him face-to-face with his greatest fears. In his moment of weakness, will he continue to deliver, or will he falter?

 

“Drunk Johnny” was an apt description for the seasoned drunk and veteran seaman who sailed with Will and Ugly. He lived in an impressively uninterrupted state of inebriation. He managed to wake and stand post as scheduled, but his aptitude for such was dubious. When we meet Johnny, he escapes punishment for his shoddy work by bribing his ranking officer, a glutton, with salted pork. He was a slightly built man with gaunt features, and a ghastly dental malady that ensured that every time he spat it came out a shade of brown or red, depending on the amount of blood in it. Despite his shortcomings, both in sobriety and virtue, Drunk Johnny is the most capable and functional alcoholic you will ever hear of. On multiple occasions in the book, Johnny proves himself to be a resourceful combatant, and an astounding marksman – redeeming qualities for a privateer. Unfortunately for Johnny, privateers are subject to high rates of attrition. There is no guarantee that the next Quartermaster will be swayed with extra rations of pork – there is no promise that his failings will continue to be overlooked.

 

I have always had a thing for supporting characters in books and movies. As the writer of Neither Officers Nor Gentlemen, I fell in love with Ugly and Drunk Johnny, and I hope that you will too. These are not vacuous placeholders, but they have backstories that leave a bit to the imagination. The balance of detail and omission in these characters, to me, makes them both complex and mysterious. At the same time, I invite you to read the book, and to disagree.

Biography

Jake Lanum has worked in corporate security, investigations, and intelligence since 2011. In this capacity he was interviewed by the Wall Street Journal, and eventually published an academic study in the American Psychological Association’s Journal of Threat Assessment and Management. At 30, Jake endeavored to undertake law school, and to write his first book, “Neither Officers Nor Gentlemen.” While Jake remains in steadfast pursuit of his Juris Doctor, the latter made its debut in Fall of 2020.

Reedsy: https://reedsy.com/discovery/user/jake-lanum

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jakelanum/

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Synopsis

After the Spanish discovered the Americas, world powers endeavored to project naval power and occupy the promise-filled void. This gave rise to the golden age of privateering and piracy.

Neither Officers Nor Gentlemen is a fast-burning tale of maritime adventure. A cobbler’s son, Wilhelm “Will” Geier, joins an English privateer, Captain Drake, on a journey at the ends of the earth. In search of gold and glory, Will learns the trade. He hunts for subsistence in wildlands, finds allies in far-flung insurgencies, and struggles against the perils and threats looming in every navigable stream.

5- Star Review

Neither Officers Nor Gentlemen by Jake Lanum is a tale of old. A young man who feels as if everything should be given to him. It’s the year 1572, and Wilhelm Gaier is that seventeen-year-old young man. Will dreams of a lavish lifestyle and therefore purposely ruins every apprenticeship his father sets up for him. Will’s father is a cobbler, and he does work for the right Socialites to get him on a ship as a privateer.

Will struggles to grow up and mature, even with his new life. While raiding a village one night, they come into the company of Cimaroons. This is where we meet “Roo”. She is fluent in her native tongue but knows little English. She is very cunning, and Will admires her prowess skills. They became thick as thieves, inseparable as they steal from the Spaniards. Will devises a plan to help Roo.

My favorite character is Roo. She is different, in every way possible, but that does not stop her. She is herself and everyone loves her. In a world where women did not navigate the seas, let alone do anything other than be a Debutante, she gains the respect of all the men. They listen to her. She fights alongside them. She is not a sex object to them. She is one of them.

I am awarding this book 5 stars. It is well-written and well-edited. It does contain minor profanity, violence, and some nudity. The year in which our story takes place is 1572, so there are subjects like slavery and how people of color were treated, which could make this book inappropriate for young or immature readers. Being a sailor myself, I enjoyed this book and recommend it to mature readers who love a historical piracy novel. Who doesn’t like pirates?

REVIEWED BY

Nikki Libby at Discovery Reedsy
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I would very much like to thank Jake for taking the time to share his story and his insights with BnV.  Its always a delight to meet new authors and share their books!
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~Morgan~

Penthara- A World Governed by Elements and Season – #Spectacular #EpicFantasy #BookReview

15 Saturday Aug 2020

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ENTER THE WORLD OF PENTHARA … a world governed by five elements and their five seasons …

The human kingdom of Barredom has been at war with the qindrid territories of Aggedon ever since the Qindrid Curse gripped the land. What were once humans are now grey-skinned, ageless, sleepless abominations, enhanced by the shadow element of their descendancy.

When the entire border army of Aggedon vanishes overnight, the obsessive General of Barredom orders the Westwalker, the infamous hunter of hunters, to investigate the disappearance. But the actions of men may test the resolve of the outsider who was long ago forced under the cursed transformation himself.

The new cycle of Kingfall proves worthy of its name when the savage elvan king of the Glace Isles is slain during an ambush. His elite war party, along with his three legendary axes, are deposited in the dungeons of the Frostdale Deeps, the domain of the Royal Inquisitor Honorah Bayn. Her task is to extract information from the enigmatic prisoners, but her desire is to exact revenge, and her lust for suffering is set to thwart the distracting aspirations of her unwitting son and daughter.

The unusual fortune of Barredom delivers one other gift when the leader of the Aggedonian qindrid surrenders herself into the custody of the elusive king of Barredom. It’s up to the renounced prince of Barredom, Ondrew Roth, and his motley group of spurned knights to escort her on a clandestine mission beneath enemy territory, through the underground tomb of an elvan race thought long defeated.

Prepare for a dark tale where all are the many hues of grey, and where any might not be as they seem

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My 5-Star Review!

There are fantasy writers; there are Epic Fantasy writers, and then there’s the stellar few, like Tolkien and Steven Erikson, who build an entire universe in spectacular detail just to share a side story that has little or nothing whatsoever to do with the main story, but you cannot imagine reading the story and not knowing the side story because of the skill with which it’s relayed.   Mr. Eversand’s spectacular tale is right up there in the stratosphere of extraordinary story telling alongside such masters.
Character development in this sweeping saga is remarkable and the dialog between characters scores off the charts as well.  Smiles and Norah quip and banter with the best of ’em, leading me to re-read again and again just for the sheer enjoyment of it.  There are heroes to love and villains to despise, and some very intriguing sorts that you love to despise and despise that you love!
But this story has much more than amazing characters and dialog worthy of Henry Cavil or Robert Downey Jr., oh yes!  Page one sends you careening into the tale through riveting action scenes that allow you to finally draw breath around Chapter Five!  I Could Not Put This Book Down!  There are 449 pages and each one is a sumptuous delight; a nerve-wracking edge-of-your-seat thrill; and a delicious temptation that keeps you turning pages, faster and faster and faster!
Now, don’t let me spoil it for you, but be prepared.  Prepared to be awed, swept up and away, and unable to extricate yourself from the mastery of fantasy Mr. Eversand flawlessly displays chapter after intoxicating chapter.  But draw breath.  Step back and admire…and give yourself plenty of time to devour the last 1/4 of the book because I assure you the story will latch on and not let go.
If you want a true fantasy epic, something you can not only sink your teeth into, but utterly immerse yourself in and become entirely entangled, Kingfall is waiting for you.
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Author Bio
Ezekiel Eversand was born in Southeast Texas. He has spent most of his adult life in operations management for high-volume nightlife venues throughout his home region of Texas and Louisiana, and eventually in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he now resides. He is a travel enthusiast and absolutely loves anywhere that has a beach. He lives with his French bulldog, Hero. Creating unique worlds, characters, and stories has been his true passion behind the scenes since he was a child.
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~Morgan~

The Other Magic – A Reverse Interview into an #AwardWinning #Fantasy

24 Friday Jul 2020

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Winner – Pinnacle Book Achievement Award.

Runner-up – Independent Publisher Book Awards.

Finalist – Foreward INDIES Book of the Year Awards.

Finalist – National Indie Excellence Awards.

Darkness stirs in a world that is ill-equipped to confront it.

A prophesied king is born, but not all will benefit from his foretold conquests. In a realm where only clerics are permitted to practice magic, Kibure, a mere slave, draws the attention of much more than just his master after wielding an unknown force in a moment of desperation. In a twist of fate, Sindri, the priestess hired to strip Kibure of his power, defies the law, revealing designs of her own. But trust is in short supply in a land ripe with deceit. This wayward pair will have to work together if they hope to evade capture at the hands of the Empire’s most potent wielders.

Halfway around the known world, Aynward’s knack for discovering trouble drives him deep into conspiracies within which he does not belong. Too arrogant to accept counsel, he will have to learn the hard way that some actions have consequences that cannot be undone…

This epic fantasy series will be especially enjoyed by fans of Brandon Sanderson, Robert Jordan, Michael J. Sullivan, Patrick Rothfuss, and Michael Wisehart. .

In a unique Reverse Interview, Author Derrick Smythe interviewed on of his readers for more insights into the book:

What sparked your interest in this story that made you want to read it? First, it has a great cover, and that drew me in right away. Then I read the blurb for the book and knew I wanted to give it a try.
Who is your favorite/least favorite character and why? My favorite is Aynward and my least favorite is Grobennar. Anyward because he is the most fun and Grobennar because he’s such a jerk. He is fun to dislike, though, so I guess he’s not all bad.
If the story was made into a movie, can you see any specific actors portraying certain roles? No, I’m awful at that.
What surprised you about the story that you didn’t expect. There were more points of view than I expected, although it was not an unpleasant surprise. Quite the opposite, I thought it added additional complexity to the story. The fact that the author did a fantastic job of making these characters very distinctive and believable meant each new point of view brought an additional set of characters to life for me to discover and get to know.
What are you hoping to see happen as the story moves forward? All of the characters from the different points of view coming together and interacting. I know it’s going to happen and I can hardly wait.
Which scene has lingered with you the most? Why? I don’t want to give anything away but there is a scene near the end where Aynward loses some things that were more valuable to him than he realized and as he processes the losses he grows. It was moving and memorable.
Did you disagree with any of the characters’ decisions and why? Of course! Aynward makes tons of bad decisions and the things that happen to him because of it don’t seem to stop him the next time. It is a part of his charm.
If you could ask the author anything about the book, what would it be? When does the next book, the Other Way, come out? I read the sneak peek at the end of book one and I am ready for more.
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The Other Magic audiobook was recently release by Podium Audio, and is performed by Audie Award-winning narrator Greg Patmore. “Greg did such an amazing job. Listening to his voices for each of characters has given me new insight into the very characters I created. I’m finding myself hearing his version of each now as I continue working through the second book in the series. It’s absolutely incredible!” – Derrick Smythe
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Derrick Smythe has been fascinated with all things elvish, dwarfish, and magical since his days of running through the woods with sharpened sticks in defense of whatever fortification he and his brothers had built that summer. After consuming nearly every fantasy book he could find, he was driven to begin work on one of his own. When he isn’t dreaming up new stories, he can be spotted hiking the Adirondack Mountains or traveling the world. He currently resides near his hometown in Upstate New York with his enchanting wife, ethereal daughters, and his faithful-if-neurotic Australian Shepherd, Magnus.
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Find Derrick:

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~Morgan~

A Reverse ‘View – A View into Mercy – #BookReviews Backwards

06 Monday Jul 2020

Posted by in The Mercy Series

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So here it is…the very first (Possibly ever!) Reverse Book Review where the reader reviews the book and then is interviewed by ME….and YOU! Yes, thats right, you can ask any questions you like about the book(s) and Chad will be happy to answer them.  So lets get right to it, shall we?

Chad R Slabach Jr
Misericorde (Mercy Series Book One)
5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding!

Reviewed in the United States on April 30, 2020…..Cynthia A Morgan wrote the Dark Fey trilogy and I loved that…this is a very different sort of book. For one, it’s slower paced and the work of a very talented author who has time (there are 3 more books to come in the series) to let the story unfold, to allow the reader to know and understand the characters, times, environments. She is patient and assured – 2 words I would hesitate to use to describe most anything culturally. We are raised on soundbites and fed headlines, but this book/series is, especially the more I think about it, so difficult to adequately distill into a short synopsis. It’s spiritual and human. It’s violent and tender. It’s desperate and deeply hopeful. I can’t wait to see where she takes us from here.

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Who is your favorite/least favorite character and why?
My least favorite is easy: Sauvage. In a space that is forgetting any resemblance of gentleness or care, his absolute lack of humanity is repulsive.
My favorite has been Chevalier or Levesque for the same reason. As I raged at their apathy and unwillingness to DO SOMETHING, I knew why they didn’t (or couldn’t.) They did for the same reason we stand idly by while the least of us are utterly taken advantage of and great violence is inflicted. Morgan couldn’t have known the specific political/social landscape when she wrote it, but this story is perfect for us, now. I guess it’s perfect for any time, because we are too often Chevalier or Levesque and not enough Tzadkiel and Lourdes. (As it turns out, why I love them is that they DID finally DO SOMETHING and I am proud of them, and it gives me hope for us, for me.)

What surprised you about the story that you didn’t expect
In my reviews I talk about your patience. It’s shocking to me that this story is given such beautiful space to breathe and be exactly what it is. It feels much less like a contrived product driven by bells and whistles and more like a living breathing organism. Then when the bells and whistles do come, they are genuine and unforced and we discover that we actually care deeply for these characters. It’s like we’re watching lives unfold and not just an event.

What are you hoping to see happen as the story moves forward?
Of course, I hope they find their way home and that they can heal from the tremendous amount of pain they’ve suffered. I don’t know if I can hope for anything other than Death to ride, it sounds like that is written so it shall be done. I just hope they all find peace. I love a happy ending (whether there can be a complete one with Death is doubtful.)

Which scene has lingered with you the most? Why?
The 2nd rape/abuse scene at the campsite was horrible and not something I will soon leave behind. It was much more impactful than the 1st (though the act itself is so vile) because I had grown to love them. I read it through tears, with an upset stomach. The visceral reaction I had was surprising…actually, I was absolutely sure the abuse wouldn’t happen. Absolutely sure! And then it did, written so descriptively it was REAL, and I barely kept from throwing up in horror. I still can’t move on.

Does the story remind you of any other books/movies?
There’s nothing like this.

Did you disagree with any of the characters decisions and why?
I think the disagreement was in the complete breakdown in human kindness and civility, like “how can they do that???” But I know, I know. It’s a mirror of what we can become and an invitation to become something more of what we were created to be.

Did you get any message / positive inspiration from the story?
The invitation I mentioned previously, and the quote, “May we show our thankfulness through kindness and appreciate our blessings through generosity,” has become the subject in a series I am teaching in our faith community and has been quoted often in my life. We should all aim so high.

If you could ask the author anything about the book, what would it be?
How does it end???? And How COULD you DO THAT to HER???????????

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Clandestine (Mercy Series Book Two
5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning!!!
Reviewed in the United States on June 25, 2020 

 

Chad Slabach is a friend I’ve known for twenty+ years.  If you are a long time follower of my blog, he was the inspiration for The Burning Question series.  He is the leader of a non-denominational faith community based in south-central PA as well an as avid music fan and writer.  You can find Chad on his WordPress Blog The Bridge Faith Community. 

I’d like to Thank Chad immensely, not only for his enthusiastic support, but for taking time out of his busy schedule to read and review The Mercy Series AND to provide his insights in this Reverse View 🙂

~Morgan~

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Amazing Original Artwork by the following Exceptionally Talented Artists:
Telyuka

Lee Jun at DeviantArt.com

Yoon Sanghyuk

Jelena Pjevic

aenaluck on Deviant Art

“The Most Engaging Book I’ve #Read in Years!” – #Free!

23 Tuesday Jun 2020

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Misericorde, Book One of The Mercy Series is currently FREE FOR A LIMITED TIME

It’s the year 2446, and the first three Horsemen of Revelation’s Apocalypse have ridden.

Pestilence, War and Famine have changed the world into a dictatorship ruled with an iron fist. Commoners have few rights, and liberty is a distant memory.

Before the final Horseman is released, the Archangel of Mercy – Tzadkiel – makes a bold plea, asking for permission to find even one human who remembers the meaning of mercy and compassion. He is given 100 years, until Death will sweep across the land.

Taking human form and coming to Earth, he finds a place ruled by greed, hatred and fear. With time running out and Death growing impatient, can Tzadkiel find what he’s looking for… and how much will he need to sacrifice?

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5 STARS – Reviewed By K.C. Finn for Readers’ Favorite
Misericorde is the first installment in the Mercy series. It is a work of fiction in the epic fantasy genre and was penned by author Cynthia A. Morgan. Set after the first three horsemen of the apocalypse have been let loose upon Earth and shifted humanity into a feudalistic series of dictatorships, the Archangel of Mercy begs for a reprieve for humanity before the final horseman is unleashed. Given a hundred years to find a human capable of mercy and compassion, the Archangel is dangerously close to the deadline when they meet one person on a planet filled with hatred who may meet their criteria. The novel contains some moderate content that may not be suitable for readers below a mature teen level.

Author Cynthia A. Morgan has crafted a lavish and detailed read which audiences are sure to devour from cover to cover thanks to its quick pacing and highly engaging plot. I particularly adored Tzadkiel as a central character, whose determined belief that humanity may have hope yet is a central theme that endears him and his quest to us. There is a great atmosphere in the writing and lexical choices made by the author, painting the pseudo-medieval world with a bleak and desolate brush. This makes the juxtaposition of hope all the more important and prominent when the search reaches its potential conclusion. I found the plot structure to be well-timed and with plenty of ups and downs to keep the story interesting. Overall, I would certainly recommend Misericorde for fantasy fans everywhere.”

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Grab your FREE COPY Today!

#DarkFey The Reviled is now Available on #Audible!

14 Sunday Jun 2020

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#DarkFey The Reviled is now Available on #Audible!

#FREEDOWNLOAD #COUPONS Available for a Limited Time….Please comment for one

US:https://www.audible.com/pd/B089QCNWX5

UK: https://www.audible.co.uk/…/The-Reviled-The-Powe…/B089QWL9SV
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★★★★★ – “The Reviled has everything you could want from an epic fantasy adventure.”

★★★★★ – “This author has an incredibly visceral and intense writing style. I loved the interplay between the light and the darkness.”

★★★★★ – “Morgan is a master of description. If you want something fresh, try out the Dark Fey Series.”

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#SignedBooks Now Available – #DarkFantasy #Dystopian #Drama

29 Friday May 2020

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Hey Friends!
If you’re intrigued by my new books, The Mercy Series, but love the good ol’ fashion feeling of holding a book and not a device, I’ve good news!   Misericorde and Clandestine are now available in paperback (Misericorde is also available in HARDCOVER!)

What’s more, if you’d love a signed copy it’s fairly easy to do.  Drop me a message and we can work out the details.

Until then…heres a snippet, just to intrigue you even more….

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His gaze repeatedly stole to take her in. She wasn’t doing anything in particular that attracted his attention, but the way the light played through the waves of her chestnut-red hair and the manner in which her clothing fell across the curves of her body were incomprehensibly mesmerizing. There was something about her that made his senses spin and caused his body to respond in ways he’d never experienced before. It was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. He needed to understand it. More importantly, he needed to learn how to recognize the signs before the unpredictable emotions and sensations blindsided him, which unfailingly resulted in distinctly awkward behavior that attracted her attention. He didn’t want these deviations from his usual behavior to cause her distress and he certainly didn’t enjoy the consternation such deviations caused him.

A hoarse, resonant chuckle echoed tauntingly in his mind. “You should have studied humanity more closely before assuming their form.”

It was the same voice he always heard, though now, instead of arguing with him, it seemed to mock him. It was the final Horseman, Death, who waited behind a framework of energy that would not allow him to pass into the realm of men. He was caged until Tzadkiel released him or until the full 100 years that had been appointed was completed, but time was growing short. He was inescapably impatient.

“I know.” He spoke the words under his breath so Lourdes would not hear him, but he knew Death heard him. He could tell by the derisive laughter that followed and he parried with a similarly derisive retort. “You know less than I.”

“I need only know what is in their hearts and that I can see as plainly as you can.”
Tzadkiel nodded slowly. “I know.”

“You do not seem to know enough.” Death’s voice was so loud inside his mind that Tzadkiel turned to look at Lourdes, certain she must also hear him, but of course she didn’t. She stood looking up at the sun, her thoughts consumed. The radiant afternoon light streamed over her, and his gaze lingered on her rose-hued cheeks and lips. He’d seen human women for centuries. Why she seemed so different was a conundrum he simply could not unravel…or deny.

“I see what is in your heart as well.”

The thought had not occurred to him. Now that he was in human form his nature was revealed to those who had the gift of Vision just as surely as any other human’s nature was and he was unsure if he was comfortable knowing that his innermost desires could be assessed by one such as Death. He responded unhelpfully, speaking in a low tone between gritted teeth.

“What of it?”

The resonant laugher filled his ears once more. “Think like a man, Archangel.”

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Misericorde on Amazon

Clandestine on Amazon

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~Morgan~

#NewRelease #DarkFantasy #Dystopian #Drama Clandestine (Mercy Series Book Two)

26 Tuesday May 2020

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It’s the year 2446, and the final horseman of apocalypse – Death – is preparing to ride.

The Archangel of Mercy, Tzadkiel, has come to Earth and found the last merciful person among the callous human throng. Together, Tzadkiel and Lourdes escape to the French countryside, but are relentlessly tracked by a sadistic officer determined to control the Archangel and claim Lourdes for himself.

Forced to make choices neither ever anticipated, they discover more than simply how to survive. Yet while love blossoms, Death grows impatient. Unable to ride until released by the Archangel, he unleashes a calamity that will push them to their very limits. To succeed they will need more than hope and love.

They will need a place of mercy.

Clandestin (Book Two of the Mercy Series) available TODAY!

http://mybook.to/clandestine