Under Your Skin by Rose McClelland|Blog Tour

July 20, 2020 Yvonne Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

This book contains themes unsuitable for readers under 17. Contains drugs, sex and or abuse

52966965. SY475 - Under Your Skin by Rose McClelland|Blog Tour

Under Your Skin by Rose McClelland
Published by Dark Stroke on 21st May 2020
Genres: Abuse, Crime, Domestic Partner Abuse, Ireland, Marriage & Divorce
Pages: 227
Format: eBook
Source: Publisher
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four stars - Under Your Skin by Rose McClelland|Blog Tour

When Kyle’s wife Hannah goes missing, the whole town is out in force to try to find her. One person knows where she is. One person is keeping a secret.

Detective Inspector Simon Peters and Detective Kerry Lawlor have been brought in to investigate the case but Hannah has left no traces and Kyle has no clues.

Local Belfast resident Julia Matthews joins the #FindHannah campaign and becomes friendly with Kyle, sympathising with his tragedy. As Julia becomes more involved in the case than she bargained for, she begins to uncover more secrets than the Police ever could. Julia was only trying to help but has she become drawn into a web of mystery that she can’t escape?

TRIGGER WARNING

SEXUAL ABUSE & DOMESTIC ABUSE

Oh my gosh, it really is a bit of magic when just a few pages into a novel that you concur that you have something quite special being shared with you. That is exactly what Under Your Skin is. The book community has been raving about this story but somehow, I just didn’t appreciate just how powerful and how much of an impact it would have upon me. I’m very wary of hyped books but in this case, the hype hasn’t been enough. This book crackles with electricity with every page turn.

Reading this story is a sound investment. It is medicine for your cerebral cortex. It’s worth the emotion and the dedication. The cover and the contents just scream out “read me.” It isn’t an easy book to read and rightly so, it shouldn’t be. The subject matter is hard and disturbing and there were parts were my blood pressure wanted to explode. Anger and upset were common emotions during my experience of reading Under Your Skin.

As I said previously, this book blew the socks off of me. Its unexpected unadulterated power shocked me. It brought out a passion in me that I didn’t wholly expect. The pace of the narrative felt like a train. It flew through me and left me reeling. It was outstandingly written, to the extent that I felt every ounce of pain and suffering the pages emitted.

Kyle’s wife is missing. He’s frantic and doesn’t know where she could be. He involves the police, but things don’t move as quickly as he’d like. The questions fly and the inevitable question of mental health surfaces. Was Hannah depressed or is something more sinister at play? Kyle, despite his worry for his wife, seems very hesitant to give anything away. Is he hiding something? Under Your Skin gave me serious Netflix feels – think of The Sinner series, or silent witness. I would love to see this on the small screen.

Rose McClelland’ skills at having me gasp in disbelief was first rate. I was a witness to unbelievable events, events that led me down a path that I never thought I’d have to step foot on again. The rotating multiple point-of-views worked well for various reasons. One, the author never makes it feel forced or unrealistic. The narratives a razor sharp and the balancing act is exquisitely nailed. She gives you just enough information, leaves just enough titbits to have that doubt creeping in in the corner of your mind.

My mind did double takes, and my loyalty shifted pretty quickly. Hannah’s point-of-view is one that quickly garners compassion and empathy. She has a heart of gold, but she has absolutely been dealt a shitty hand of cards. We get two sides of the same coin – past and present and we see the unravelling threads of Hannah’s life. It makes you look in the mirror and assess how you would feel in her shoes.

This book was inhaled and left me lying awake at 3am. The thoughts and the feelings left me reeling from an astounding work of art such as Under Your Skin.

Under Your Skin was so gripping I struggled immensely to put it down. It was hypnotically readable, and I wait on baited breath to see what this author releases next.

Thanks so much to the blog tour organisers, Booktamins for my place on the blog tour.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Author pic - Under Your Skin by Rose McClelland|Blog Tour

“Under your skin” is Rose’s fourth novel. Her previous three novels were romantic fiction published by Crooked Cat. She has made the genre jump from “chick lit” to psychological thriller and is enjoying delving into a darker corner of her mind!

Rose has also written two short plays which were performed in the Black Box theatre in Belfast.

She discusses book reviews on her You Tube channel and writes theatre reviews for her blog.

She loves nothing more than curling up with her cats and a good book. She has two rescue cats – Toots, who is ginger with an inquisitive face and Soots, who is black and hops along on his 3 legs looking ever so cute.

Rose McClelland

Knightmare Arcanist by Shami Stovall | Blog Tour

July 15, 2020 Yvonne 4 Comments

I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

knightmare arcanist by shami stovall - Knightmare Arcanist by Shami Stovall | Blog Tour

Knightmare Arcanist by Shami Stovall
Published by Capital Station Books on June 18, 2019
ISBN: 9780998045221
Genres: Fiction, Fantasy, General
Pages: 364
Format: eBook
Source: Publisher
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three half stars - Knightmare Arcanist by Shami Stovall | Blog Tour

Magic. Sailing. A murderer among heroes.
Gravedigger Volke Savan wants nothing more than to be like his hero, the legendary magical swashbuckler, Gregory Ruma. First he needs to become an arcanist, someone capable of wielding magic, which requires bonding with a mythical creature. And he'll take anything--a pegasus, a griffin, a ravenous hydra--maybe even a leviathan, like Ruma.
So when Volke stumbles across a knightmare, a creature made of shadow and terror, he has no reservations. But the knightmare knows a terrible secret: Ruma is a murderer out to spread corrupted magic throughout their island nation. He's already killed a population of phoenixes and he intends to kill even more.
In order to protect his home, his adopted sister, and the girl he admires from afar, Volke will need to confront his hero, the Master Arcanist Gregory Ruma.
A fast-paced fantasy with magical creatures for those who enjoy the Furies of Calderon (Codex Alera series) by Jim Butcher, Unsouled (Cradle Series) by Will Wight, and Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan.

Knightmare Arcanist was both an intriguing title and serious book cover love. These two combinations made me sign up for this tour like sonic the hedgehog. I’ve been on a right fantasy fix recently so getting something that is going to surprise me is a hard ask, but this was a real treat and the differentiating elements contained within gave me the warm and fuzzies – like revisiting an old friend, its familiar and endorphin releasing.

We follow two quite remarkable characters, Volke and Illia (his adoptive sister) who are gravediggers but have high aspirations of becoming arcanists. My instant attraction to these characters felt like love at first sight. They have serious bond, and both have in-depth family history looming over their heads. Flawed characters that are scared but are inexplicably strong and forces to be reckoned with. Their dream means leaving the Isle of Ruma and they arrive at the mainland, ready to tackle this head on. I connected to them both on such a deep level. Strangely, I didn’t expect to feel such a connection, it usually takes me a good few chapters to weigh a character up but they both pulled at me from the very start.

I really don’t want to delve too much into the storyline in Knightmare Arcanist as it would categorically spoil the experience but by gum, the worldbuilding was magnificent and the magic system gave me chills and had me grasping for my favourite hot chocolate. The bonds between the arcanists and the animals was just the jackpot, think Fantastic Beasts and where to find them but a gazillion times better. The execution the prose…just everything. I found it a quick book to blast through, but you could spend hours just revelling in all the information the author teases out. This book is definitely an experience.

Knightmare Arcanist is a brilliant joyride in the fantasy genre. it gives good feels and a world building delight!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Shami Stovall is a multi-award-winning author of fantasy and science fiction, with several best-selling novels under her belt. Before that, she taught history and criminal law at the college level, and loved every second. When she’s not reading fascinating articles and books about ancient China or the Byzantine Empire, Stovall can be found playing way too many video games, especially RPGs and tactics simulators.

If you want to contact her, you can do so at the following locations:

Website: https://sastovallauthor.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GameOverStation/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SAStovall/

Email: s.adelle.s@gmail.com

The Bride Stripped Bare by Rob Bliss| Review

July 14, 2020 Yvonne Leave a Comment

This book contains themes unsuitable for readers under 17. Contains drugs, sex and or abuse

51927860. SX318 SY475 - The Bride Stripped Bare by Rob Bliss| Review

The Bride Stripped Bare by Rob Bliss
Published by Necro Publications on June 28, 2019
ISBN: 9781944703714
Genres: Horror
Pages: 320
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased Book
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three stars - The Bride Stripped Bare by Rob Bliss| Review

Edward Lee meets Clive Barker…

Gord is getting married to a woman he recently met, named Venus Baer. His best friend, Chris, is invited to be the best man. The bride-to-be is incredibly sexy, manipulative, and evil. Chris and Gord realize something is horribly wrong with the Baer family and soon find out escaping the family is going to be one hell of a task. The huge family stretches around the world making a clean getaway an impossibility. But that's just what Gord, Chris and Gord's sister, Elizabeth, are going to try and do.

The Bride Stripped Bare takes the backwood freaks of classic Edward Lee books and slams them together with Clive Barker and his Nightbreed world.

Lots of blood, drugs, sex, and violence make this a perfect addition to the Necro family. New blood extreme horror ready to take you on a drug-crazed, chaotic race against evil.

Find out what happens when the bride is stripped bare.

The Bride Stripped Bare, a deadly synopsis that threatened to push boundaries and scare the wits clean out of you. The execution however was quite far off the mark. I enjoyed the book to the extent that I believed it was intended to deliver upon. However, some elements just seemed to be injected into the plot for purely shock factor, but it had the exact opposite effect on my reading experience. Don’t get me wrong shocking implications have a place but not in the sacrifice of the plot.

You’ve met the woman of your dreams. Stunningly good-looking, money falling out of the sky when she’s around and power that will ultimately be yours when you tie that symbolic knot. What’s the catch, right? I mean surely this would be a question at the forefront of your mind? Everything is going just a little bit too well, there’s bound to be something off. This is Gord’s problem. The planets have truly aligned when Gord met Venus Baer. They are now engaged to be married and he has invited his best friend, Chris to be best man. Their relationship has stood the test of time and more importantly he sees Venus for what she is – Evil and manipulative.

What The Bride Stripped Bare excels at is the addictiveness at keeping you reading. The story delves deeper and deeper into a seedy and horrific underworld and although there were elements that didn’t work for me personally, I just couldn’t tear my eyes away. At different points it felt like a drug – and Gord knows all about that! The translation of human emotion is brought to life so expertly that I had to wipe sweat off my brow. The adrenaline was pumping throughout. We also see survival instincts at play – flight or fight is a recurrent theme in The Bride Stripped Bare.

Now, the parts that I most definitely struggled with. The plot had a strength and a resilience all of its own, but I did get the impression that the author believes that shock sells. Rape, incest and cannibalism were elements that felt forced and a tad contrived – it filled up time and space, but I never had the impression that it enriched the story. For me it lowered my overall impression and experience of the storytelling. It is a bit of stretch to assume that people of this cult could remain hidden under the radar for so long.

The Bride Stripped Bare was my first outing with Rob Bliss but it won’t be my last. I have heard incredibly complimentary things about his writing and will venture his way again. In this instance I thought the story was good, but journey frazzled my brain a little. Sometimes I felt like I had taken some particularly strong acid and I was experiencing a zany comedown.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

31SwR6mNcL. US230 - The Bride Stripped Bare by Rob Bliss| Review

Rob Bliss was born in Canada in 1969.

He has an honours degree in English and Writing from York University, Canada. He has had a hundred stories published in thirty web-based magazines, plus three anthologies. He is the winner of SNM Magazine’s Author of the Year for 2013.

His work published by Necro Publications is:
‘Cut’
‘The Bride Stripped Bare’
‘Widow’

His work self-published with Amazon is:
‘Devil’s Note’
‘God of Zombies’
‘The Pigg Bros’
‘Flesh House Blue’
‘The Meggido Motel’
‘Gulf’
‘Time’s Moth’
‘T’Hell Witcha’,
‘Black Blood & Other Stories’
‘Blood Queen & Other Stories’
‘American Birthright & Other Stories’
‘Skull Seller & Other Stories’
‘Flies & Other Stories’
‘The Idol & Other Stories’

Rob Bliss

Neon by G.S. Locke | Blog Tour

July 10, 2020 Yvonne 1 Comment

I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

neon by g s locke - Neon by G.S. Locke | Blog Tour

Neon by G.S. Locke
Published by Orion Publishing Group on 9 July 2020
ISBN: 9781409190479
Genres: Fiction, Mystery & Detective, Traditional, Psychological, Thrillers, Crime, Legal, Women Sleuths, Suspense, Private Investigators, True Crime, Murder, Serial Killers
Pages: 416
Format: ARC, eBook
Source: NetGalley, Publisher
Buy on Amazon
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four stars - Neon by G.S. Locke | Blog Tour

A detective desperate for revenge. A hitwoman with one last job. A killer with both on his list.
Detective Matt Jackson has reached the end. His beloved wife, Polly, is the latest victim of 'NEON' - a serial killer who displays his victims in snaking neon lights - and he can't go on without her.
Unable to take his life, Jackson hires a hitwoman to finish the job. But on the night of his own murder, he makes a breakthrough in the case, and at the last minute his hitwoman, Iris, is offered an irresistible alternative: help Jackson find and kill NEON in return for the detective's entire estate.
What follows is a game of cat and mouse between detective, hitwoman and serial killer. And when Jackson discovers it's not a coincidence that all their paths have crossed, he begins to question who the real target has been all along...

Anyone that has stuck around this blog for any length of time knows that I’m an avid reader of psychological thriller but when a serious crime element is thrown in for good measure, you know I’m anyone’s. It wasn’t necessarily the twist that I was waiting for that made Neon so good but the devilishly dark narrative that the plot took on from the very first page. Not only is the death of a spouse a traumatic event, but for it to have been a targeted attack by the man you are actively investigating is a blow professionally and personally.

I greedily accepted the blog tour invitation for Neon like a kid eyeing up the candy in the shop. The cover, with all its neon attractiveness pulled me in with no effort whatsoever. I’ve always imagined neon signs and installations that hint towards something a bit more on the darker side. The illuminous colours providing a competent smokescreen for the seedier activities of human beings. The serial killer certainly had an inventive way proving that theory accurate. The synopsis provides us with little titbits but doesn’t give too much away – just the way I love it!

The format of Neon was so different but totally refreshing. It was like walking into the eye of the storm. Points of interest were gone, anything familiar were gone but you were powerless to the pulling power that book had over you. You were disorientated but the thrill had an edge that you couldn’t withstand.

DCI Matt Jackson is at the end of his rope. He has been investigating an imaginative serial killer that displays his female victims with neon installations. Its deeply upsetting and the macabre nature is meant to shock the reader. Unfortunately, the serial killer’s latest victim is Jackson’s beloved wife, Polly. This is the catalyst for his dark depression – one that he now sees no way out of. Life Is grey without her, a stark contrast to how his last memory served him of her. He doesn’t want to live without her – so he has organised his murder/suicide at the hands of a trained hitman. Will a new lead make him regret his decision and can he come to a highly unconventional agreement with hitman, Iris Palmer?

Two incredibly flawed characters, one mourning the loss of his wife and career and essentially his own life and one battling a ferocious illness. Neon highlighted the unfairness of life and G.S. Locke brought me to my knees with a genuine but bleak prose. I have only experienced this flow with but a few authors, but Locke nailed the inevitability of life and death.

Neon is laced with more than a smattering of the dark and disturbing but gives a bird’s eye view of what being human entails. An intense and clever thriller that is crackling with energy.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

18996244 - Neon by G.S. Locke | Blog Tour

After a career in Public Relations, disappearing to Devon, marriage and five children, I came to writing stories later than sooner.

I’m the author of thirteen novels, including ‘Neon.’ By day, I work as an editorial consultant, specialising in crime, action adventure and thrillers in all permutations. The rest of the time I write, hang out with family and friends, practice like crazy on my piano, the aim to play well rather than badly, enjoy my roses, for which I have a soft spot, and love to read with a glass of something chilled in my hand. I also have a weakness for dark chocolate.

G.S. Locke

The Eyes Of Darkness by Dean Koontz|Review

July 8, 2020 Yvonne 5 Comments

The Eyes of Darkness by Dean Ray Koontz
Published by Headline on 2008
ISBN: 9780425224861
Genres: Fiction, Thrillers, Suspense, Horror, Supernatural
Pages: 374
Format: eBook
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads

four half stars - The Eyes Of Darkness by Dean Koontz|Review

A mother's greatest wish--or worst nightmare--comes true in this chilling novel by #1 New York Times bestselling author Dean Koontz.
Tina Evans has spent a year suffering from incredible heartache since her son Danny's tragic death. But now, with her Vegas show about to premiere, Tina can think of no better time for a fresh start. Maybe she can finally move on and put her grief behind her.
Only there is a message for Tina, scrawled on the chalkboard in Danny's room: NOT DEAD. Two words that send her on a terrifying journey from the bright lights of Las Vegas to the cold shadows of the High Sierras, where she uncovers a terrible secret...

The Eyes of Darkness. A title that gave me chills as I inhaled this spectacular, genre busting novel. A government whose role it is meant to be to protect the citizens of their country. They aren’t meant to cover up a catastrophic accident and keep a grieving mother from finding out the true cause of her sons’ demise. This novel is the best example at highlighting that the human condition is the real monsters lurking in the dark. Their penchant for control, devastation and blood thirsty violence is the main theme played throughout.

Sounds intriguing, right? The Eyes of Darkness was magnetic. Every time I put the book down to do chores, I just had to come straight back to it. The synopsis was brief and vague but gave me the carrot and stick analogy. The more delved further into the abyss of the plot, the more I knew that it would swallow me whole! A horror/suspense novel with elements of the supernatural, count me all the way in. it doesn’t follow the usual scripture of the horror genre…it had a stick of TNT under it and Koontz was going to blow it up when you stood on the precipice.

Tina Evans has had a terrible year. First her marriage dissolved and then she found out her only child, Danny had died in a terrible accident whilst hiking with his scout group in the Sierra mountains. She was never given the closure of viewing Danny’s body because there wasn’t much left of it. Now, a year on, it doesn’t hurt as much but someone or something has raked all those feeling back into her subconscious. Someone wants to mess with her. Someone doesn’t want the past to stay buried.

Tina, our protagonist in The Eyes of Darkness is everything I love in a character. No matter how much she has been battered into the ground she just refuses to stay there and succumb to the desolation the situation has put her into. I wanted her to succeed in her career, kick her mentally abusive ex husband to the curb for good, and most of all I was rooting for her and Elliott to get over past hurts together. She is the epitome of a bad ass woman – you’ll just have to take my word for it and read the book.

You really don’t know who you can trust in this novel…the answer is no-one and that’s probably a good life lesson to take forward. Everyone has their own agenda. Everyone will most likely stab you in the back if it came to a you or me situation. One thing was clear, family is and should always be the most important motivator. Hell have no fury like a mother scorned.

The Eyes of Darkness was horror novel with an interesting twist. Another one that kept me up well past my bedtime. It’s frightening realism is never scarier than it is right now!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

200313093823 dean koontz file large 169 - The Eyes Of Darkness by Dean Koontz|Review — attends the 2009 Disney & ABC Television Group summer press junket at the Walt Disney Studios on May 30, 2009 in Burbank, California.

When he was a senior in college, Dean Koontz won an Atlantic Monthly fiction competition and has been writing ever since. His books are published in 38 languages and he has sold over 500 million copies to date.

Fourteen of his novels have risen to number one on the New York Times hardcover bestseller list (One Door Away From Heaven, From the Corner of His Eye, Midnight, Cold Fire, The Bad Place, Hideaway, Dragon Tears, Intensity, Sole Survivor, The Husband, Odd Hours, Relentless, What the Night Knows, and 77 Shadow Street), making him one of only a dozen writers ever to have achieved that milestone. Sixteen of his books have risen to the number one position in paperback. His books have also been major bestsellers in countries as diverse as Japan and Sweden.

The New York Times has called his writing “psychologically complex, masterly and satisfying.” The New Orleans Times-Picayune said Koontz is, “at times lyrical without ever being naive or romantic. [He creates] a grotesque world, much like that of Flannery O’Conner or Walker Percy … scary, worthwhile reading.” Rolling Stone has hailed him as “America’s most popular suspense novelist.”

Dean Koontz was born and raised in Pennsylvania. He graduated from Shippensburg State College (now Shippensburg University), and his first job after graduation was with the Appalachian Poverty Program, where he was expected to counsel and tutor underprivileged children on a one-to-one basis. His first day on the job, he discovered that the previous occupier of his position had been beaten up by the very kids he had been trying to help and had landed in the hospital for several weeks. The following year was filled with challenge but also tension, and Koontz was more highly motivated than ever to build a career as a writer. He wrote nights and weekends, which he continued to do after leaving the poverty program and going to work as an English teacher in a suburban school district outside Harrisburg. After a year and a half in that position, his wife, Gerda, made him an offer he couldn’t refuse: “I’ll support you for five years,” she said, “and if you can’t make it as a writer in that time, you’ll never make it.” By the end of those five years, Gerda had quit her job to run the business end of her husband’s writing career.

Dean Koontz lives in Southern California with his wife, Gerda, their golden retriever, Elsa, and the enduring spirit of their goldens, Trixie and Anna.

Dean Koontz Website

The End Of Magic by Mark Stay |Blog Tour

July 5, 2020 Yvonne 3 Comments

I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

the end of magic by mark stay - The End Of Magic by Mark Stay |Blog Tour

The End of Magic by Mark Stay
Published by Unbound Publishing on February 7, 2019
ISBN: 9781789650051
Genres: Fiction, Fantasy, Epic, General, Historical, Magick Studies
Pages: 321
Format: eBook
Source: Author
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four stars - The End Of Magic by Mark Stay |Blog Tour

Two powerful mages. One steeped in privilege, the other bound by a moral code. Their world is thrown into chaos by the end of magic.
Rosheen Katell is a wandering mage and, with Anzu her griffin, she’s worked hard to build a reputation as a trustworthy truth seer. She never lies, never kills.Sander Bree is a royal mage. He lives an easy life advising the king on matters of court and politics, but dreams of an apocalypse are giving him massive anxiety attacks.Very soon, their magic will be gone. A cataclysmic event will change their lives and world forever. Sander must keep a promise to save the life of a young girl that would have been difficult enough with magic, but is a suicide mission without it. Rosheen is forced to side with a murderous warlord, and her once-solid principles are tested and found wanting. Both will be set against one another in a war unlike anything the world has seen before, in this sweeping fantasy of magic’s ending. A stand alone fantasy novel for readers of Joe Abercrombie and Scott Lynch
** "The sort of book you give to people who say “prove to me why I should read fantasy”... A simply terrific read." – James Barclay, author of the Legends of the Raven series "Mark Stay paints his world and characters with deft, confident and dark strokes." – RJ Barker, author of the Wounded Kingdom Trilogy "The sort of book you give to people who say “prove to me why I should read fantasy”... A simply terrific read." – James Barclay, author of the Legends of the Raven series "Takes the tropes of high fantasy and uses them to wield an original, compelling and intricately plotted story... exactly the kind of fantasy that we need more of." – Gavin G. Smith, author of the Veteran series "Stay does for George RR Martin what Pratchett did for Tolkien." - Julian Barr, author of The Way Home"The End of Magic has one of the most compelling narratives as well as a strong authorial voice." ★★★★★ Amazon UK Reviewer
"Like Game of Thrones without the boobs!" ★★★★★ - Amazon UK Reviewer "This was a blast, hints of Joe Abercrombie’s books and his dark humour, but presented in a world in chaos." ★★★★★ - Amazon UK Reviewer "The most fun I've had reading a fantasy novel since Red Country by Joe Abercrombie." ★★★★★ - Amazon UK Reviewer "This book grabbed me in the first couple of pages... Couldn’t stop. Really want more!" ★★★★★ - Amazon UK Reviewer "I may never forgive the author for that (spoiler) death scene... *When you read it you’ll understand* Rarely have I shed tears so early on in a book." ★★★★★ - Amazon UK Reviewer
"A fun and intense read." ★★★★★ - Amazon UK Reviewer
"A fresh take on the perennial story of the golden catastrophe/age. The author has created a completely authentic fantasy world." ★★★★★ - Amazon UK Reviewer
"Normal fantasy conventions are distorted, magic is not dependable and there are evil, bloodthirsty villains at work." ★★★★★ - Amazon UK Reviewer
"The humour in the writing offset the blood and gore that featured throughout." ★★★★★ - Amazon UK Reviewer
"The author effortlessly creates a world that is both wonderfully fantastical and at the same time strangely real." ★★★★★ - Amazon UK Reviewer"Gripping and entertaining." ★★★★★ - Amazon UK Reviewer

The End Of Magic…an ambiguous title that could suggest many things. One thing that it does deliver on is the benchmark that epic fantasy should aspire to reach. In very grim times it brought an element of light-hearted hilarity that was very much needed. The magical system is very cleverly constructed in which that it is integrated seamlessly into the bones of the story. It is believable and is manifested as an everyday occurrence. I very much liked that aspect of the story. Stay is a genius in that he took the usual formula for fantasy novels and turned it upside down. Rules be damned!

I instantly knew the reader was going to be in good hands with the author. Mark Stay’s personality was pretty obvious in the initial few pages of The End Of Magic and I knew that this was a tale that was going to stay with me for the long term. Rosheen Katell, a freelance mage and truth seer, a strong character with an undercurrent of vulnerability and a narration that is both wary and exciting. Her character runs deep, and I often felt a bubbling cauldron of trepidation fizzle my nerves. I could anticipate disastrous events coming but when and where?

As a mage her job takes her from town to town and in any great fantasy, you need a trusty sidekick, let me introduce you to, Anzu, the pretty amazing griffin. I am partial to a dragon in fantasy plots but give me a griffin and I’m anyone’s. I mean, who wouldn’t want to own the most magical mythical creature? The king’s mage, Sander Bree – a mage that is fed up and desperately looking for a way out. One major thing they have in common is the Lapis moon – the place where they draw their power from. It has been relied upon for hundreds of years but what happens when a cosmic event happens, and magic disappears. Lives are drastically changed forever.

What are the consequences of such a world altering event? What choices are ultimately being forced into fruition? Rosheen, against her better judgement and morals is forced to help an evil warlord in order to save the life of her brother, Oskar. The things we do for love. Conversely Sander Bree has to come to the rescue of the king’s daughter. It’s a race against time and both mages will be tested beyond anything they have experienced before.

The End Of Magic takes on a sinister edge at times, but it is essentially a story of epic proportions, one of loss, betrayal and hilarity in equal measures. The writing invites the brain to ask questions, it didn’t feel unbelievable, a reason that I couldn’t stop reading. The author did a fantastic job of laying hints and this book lover was only too happy to lap them up. The human condition was constantly at the forefront of this story and the ability to examine and process the very real human emotions and motivations behind decisions and actions.

The End Of Magic was a non-traditional coming of age epic fantasy that was thrilling and exciting in equal measures. Fans of Raymond Feist and Brandon Sanderson will find much to admire. Action aplenty with a generous splattering of gore!

A massive thanks to the author and Heather @ Overview Media for inviting me to be a part of this blog tour.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mark 2 - The End Of Magic by Mark Stay |Blog Tour

Mark Stay co-wrote the screenplay for Robot Overlords which became a movie with Sir Ben Kingsley and Gillian Anderson, and premiered at the 58th London Film Festival. Author of the fantasy novel The End of Magic, he is also co-presenter of the Bestseller Experiment podcast and worked in bookselling and publishing for over twenty-five years. He lives in Kent, England, with his family and a trio of retired chickens. He blogs and humblebrags over at markstaywrites.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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