Tag Archives: Fantasy

BOOK REVIEW OF Allies and Spies BY DIANA WALLACE PEACH

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My Review of Allies and Spies by Diana Wallace Peach.

In Allies and Spies, all the roller coaster, chaos one after another kept me chasing the chapters. Even though this time I didn’t stay up for two night to finish the book, my husband said, “I’ll go upstairs to wait for you” on two of the three nights when I read the book.

My Review

In Liars and Thieves, Diana W. Peach built a fascinated world of three races, the Goblins, Elves, and Changelings, each wanted more crystals for power and daily life. I found Naj the goblin, Alue the elf, and Talin the changeling, represented the races, had likable personalities. In Allies and Spies, they revealed their hidden characteristics.

When the three were caught by the goblin elders, instead of execution, they were bonded by the oath for a mission to unlock the mystery of the quake that swallowed lives with no remains. 

There more pressing matter at hand was to pay a blood debt to the Changeling Queen Arianna when a changeling was killed by them. After they stole the crystals, Talin volunteered to take them to Arianna to pay the debt only to lose them to theft while he went gambling.

Peach created one climax after another to keep the reader’s heart pounding and relaxed the reader with a little break in between (I loved it).

The three blamed each other’s authority for the destruction. In the meantime, chaos happened everywhere. Naj’s wife was swallowed on the road to Jad’ra. The entire village disappeared. The elves lost the entire row of shops. When the tavern collapsed into an old city underground, Talin was buried with it. I couldn’t help but wished none of these characters vanished. They reunited long enough for me to take a deep breath before the next disaster happened.

There were a few hints behind the scenes enough to have the readers guess who might be in control, or designed the destruction, or suspect the changelings shifted to the other kind to influence the decisions. The guesses were not conclusive.

Naj, Alue, and Talin had their moments of distrust toward each other and the danger of losing their lives. They made mistakes and had doubts about themselves. In the priestess, Saira’s word to Alue, “Each life’s path is littered with mistakes, but even mistakes are useful. Step by step, they will deliver you closer to the truth.”

Peach concluded Allies and Spies with the three characters becoming stronger in their skills and a firmer commitment to bind as one to find the truth. I look forward to reading the Lords of Chaos.

I highly recommend this series.

My Amazon and Goodreads Ratings

Author the Author

D. Wallace Peach started writing later in life after the kids were grown and a move left her with hours to fill. Years of working in business surrendered to a full-time indulgence in the imaginative world of books, and when she started writing, she was instantly hooked. Diana lives in a log cabin amongst the tall evergreens and emerald moss of Oregon’s rainforest with her husband, two dogs, bats, owls, and the occasional family of coyotes.

Author Links:

Website/Blog: http://mythsofthemirror.com

Website/Books: http://dwallacepeachbooks.com

Amazon Author’s Page: https://www.amazon.com/D.-Wallace-Peach/e/B00CLKLXP8

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Myths-of-the-Mirror/187264861398982

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Dwallacepeach

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My Review of Eternal Road: The Final Stop by John W. Howell

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I followed John Howell’s book launch tour and hosted a tour for his latest book Eternal Road: The Final Stop. I read all the excerpts presented on the tour. They grabbed my interest. I wanted to read the rest of the book and I did. I love to read or watch movies of time-travel stories. John’s book was a delight.

Eternal Road: The final stop by [John W. Howell]

My Review

Mr. John Howell began the book with the scene of Sam being killed, but her body was not found. It grabbed my attention right away. James picked up a hitchhiker, Sam, who turned out to be his grade school friend missing 17 years ago. During their conversation, James realized he was dead when his car crashed while falling asleep driving.

Sam received the assignment to take James on an eternal road to his final destiny. They had a time-travel ability by closing their eyes to focus on a time and location, and it would transport them in just seconds. Sam knew all the places they traveled, O.K. Corral Gunfight site in Tombstone, Arizona, and Alamo in San Antonio, Texas because she studied history for seventeen years while waiting for James to arrive from the other side of the world. They had fun communicating with people in the 1800s of the different terminology and technology over time.

Sam and James seemed to pick up their childhood affection where they left off, and the care for each other grew. Along the journey, Sam visited her parents to let them know she was fine and that they would reunite with her one day. James also played a visit to his mom and stepfather to let them know he was dead, but he was fine. One last person Sam faced was her murderer. It was a relief to know her killer got what he deserved.

There were decisions to make before James reached his eternal home. I also wanted to find out the relationship between the two. The ending came as a surprise. Mr. John Howell created many scenarios and evoked thoughts and emotions. I highly recommend Eternal Road: The Final Stop to all readers.

My Ratings of 5 out of 5 stars on Amazon and Goodreads.

About the Author

John’s bio

John is an award-winning author who, after an extensive business career, began writing full time in 2012. His specialty is thriller fiction novels, but John also writes poetry and short stories. He has written five other books that are on Amazon in paperback and Kindle editions. The paperback versions are also available in the Indie Lector store

John lives in Lakeway, Texas, with his wife and their spoiled rescue pets.

Contact John

Blog Fiction Favorites, http://johnwhowell.com/

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/john.howell.98229241

Twitter –https://www.twitter.com/HowellWave

Goodreads –https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7751796.John_W_Howell

Amazon Author’s page –https://www.amazon.com/author/johnwhowell

John’s other books

My GRL,

His Revenge

Our Justice

Circumstances of Childhood

The Contract: between heaven and earth 

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Allies and Spies by Diana W. Peach Released

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Allies and Spies, Book 2 of the Unraveling the Veil Trilogy is now available on Kindle.

Allies and Spies

Trust is as thin as a blade’s edge. Secrets abound. And no one is who they seem. Kalann il Drakk, the First of Chaos, makes a bargain with his brethren, in which the future of civilization hangs in the balance.

Thrust together by a sacred oath, a halfbreed goblin, a misfit elf, and a changeling spy unite in an uneasy alliance. But their mission to learn the truth of the strange disappearances must wait—for they owe a blood debt to the changeling queen.

In the Raveen Mountains, the cornerstones of Naj’s life crumble. Goblins assemble a massive shipment of crystals for the Borderland—enough to power Ka Radiff for a decade or, with a single spark, blow it apart.

In the elfin Riverlands, Alue learns of the clandestine Coalition. Rumors whisper of a vast conspiracy. But that knowledge pales in comparison to a startling revelation that shatters the foundations of her life.

When a dead goblin turns up on the slopes beneath the Veil, Talin has no choice but to admit to changeling crimes. The tenuous alliance falters. Treachery runs deep and wide. And in the changelings’ jungle, the queen releases her venom. The ground fractures. And only the truth about il Drakk’s cruel designs has the power to spare their lives.

Please head over to congratulate Diana W. Peach for her new release…

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Book Review of Liars and Thieves by Diana Wallace Peach

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My Review of Liars and Thieves by Diana Wallace Peach.

I must say Liars and Thieves kept my attention and I stayed up past midnight for two nights until I finished reading the book. There’s a map at the beginning of the book. I even printed out the map and follow the characters and events throughout the story.

My Review

In Liars and Thieves, Diana built a believable world of three races and three characters representing each. The goblins dwelt in the mountains. They were terrakinetic, a skill in their possession in manipulating, moving, and transforming rocks and minerals into altered shapes, into alloys, into machinery. The changelings inhabited in the jungle in human form but could shift into animals and insects, known for being thieves and spies. The elves lived in the river plain but invaded the changeling’s territory when cutting trees.  

Borderland was a common area where the Council meet. The Council leadership comprised of nine members—three representatives from each race. All races were free to live and work and die in the Borderland. The Veil in the far north held the secrets of eternity. It divided the Known World of the three races to the unknown. Those who had attempted to cross through had never returned. The common denominator for all three races was the crystals. The goblins mined them, elves needed them to power their weapons and homes; and changelings used them to shift shape.

Naj, the half-elfin, half goblin, used reasoning to make decisions. Alue, an elf who acted on her impulse, and made mistakes at every turn. Talin, the changeling, gained the queen’s favorite by being her spy.

After building the foundation of the fantasy world, Diana skillfully unfolded the chaos and resolution-seeking among the races and the characters. Over the years, the explosion in the north collapsed the mine. Some members from all three races disappeared, but there were no remains. Each race was suspicious over the others for killing their kinds and stealing the crystals. When Naj, Alue, and Talin questioned by their leaders, they selected and omitted details to report only what the leaders wanted to hear.

Individually, these three were not enemies to each other. They acted on the commands of their leaders. During trials, when one was in danger of being executed, the other tried to extend the defense. As reflected in the actual world, these races tried to form an alliance with one race to go against the other. When circumstances changed, they retreated and changed their mind to protect their own interest.

Diana skillfully made her imagination visible in the lines such as:

“Waves bulged along the Veil’s magnetic lines like sound along an instrument’s string.”

“The elders leaned toward each other, their murmured comments passing to the ends of the arc and back like ripples in a pond.”

“The ancient goblins gasped as Naj’s skull flattened and muzzle protruded, baring deadly canines. His limbs shuddered and contracted. Shoulder blades and hip bones tilted as his body contorted on the floor and spine lengthened. Joints tore apart and reformed into new connections.”

I developed a personal liking for the characters and wanted to know what happened to them next. I stayed up for two nights to read this book. There were two FREE chapters for Book 2, and I can hardly wait for it to be available.

Liars and Thieves Global Purchase Link: http://a-fwd.com/asin=B08FGQ2W3Q

Amazon and Goodreads Ratings

Author the Author

D. Wallace Peach started writing later in life after the kids were grown and a move left her with hours to fill. Years of working in business surrendered to a full-time indulgence in the imaginative world of books, and when she started writing, she was instantly hooked. Diana lives in a log cabin amongst the tall evergreens and emerald moss of Oregon’s rainforest with her husband, two dogs, bats, owls, and the occasional family of coyotes.

Author Links:

Website/Blog: http://mythsofthemirror.com

Website/Books: http://dwallacepeachbooks.com

Amazon Author’s Page: https://www.amazon.com/D.-Wallace-Peach/e/B00CLKLXP8

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Myths-of-the-Mirror/187264861398982

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Dwallacepeach

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New Release of War of Nytefall: Ravenous by Charles Yallowitz

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It’s with great pleasure I welcome Charles Yallowitz to my blog today to celebrate his new release of War of Nytefall: Ravenous.

I’ll let Charles tell you all about Volume 5 of the War of Nytefall series, and more.

The world of the Dawn Fangs is about to explode into chaos thanks to Desirae Duvall.

Cover Art by Alison Hunt

Blurb:

In the shadows of Windemere, fangs are sprouting from the least likely of maws.

News is spreading that wild beasts with vampiric natures have been attacking mortals and carrying off random victims.  With the Dawn Fangs still a secret from mortal society, Clyde fears that these strange creatures will reveal his peoples’ existence before they are ready.  Old enemies and trusted friends begin to disappear as the investigation goes deeper into a business that has been lurking in the shadows of Windemere for decades.  Those who return are beholden to a new master whose cunning is matched only by her primal desires.  As his allies disappear, Clyde is left with the one he trusts the most in all of the world to help him solve this mystery.  Too bad Mab has her own secret that can cause more damage to Nytefall than any vampiric beast.

Is this how the Dawn Fangs will be revealed to Windemere?

Still need more to wet your appetite? Then enjoy this excerpt:

Titus shrugs the girl off his shoulders and grips his blades, but refuses to draw them to avoid causing a scene. The warriors around him are on edge from overhearing Lost’s words and seeing his reaction, but they follow his example and keep their weapons sheathed. The Vengeance Hounds know that it is only a matter of time before the mortals with weaker wills lose control and drive the others into panic. They can hear the rumors of a deadly beast stalking the hunting party ripple through the crowd, each telling more gruesome and bone-chilling than the previous version. Several warriors ignore the warnings of their companions and draw their weapons, but keep them out of sight. Two of the casters begin to chant, which is revealed by the sparkle of magic on their lips. One by one, the lines of warriors stop walking and assume various defensive formations. Frustrated by the collapse of her army, the priestess turns around and tries to assure everyone that they are safe. Standing in the middle of the blossoming chaos, the Vengeance Hounds can only watch as the woman loses her temper and shouts at the archers who were supposed to maintain control.

The warriors go silent when a booming roar erupts from above and a large shadow passes over the area. With a gurgling scream, the priestess collapses in a heap and stares unblinking at the sky. The archers move away from the drooling woman, whose breathing has stopped as if she has been instantly turned off. Landing in front of the hunting party, a crimson-scaled Verenstone Dragon unfurls its muscular tails with one to each side and the other arching over its reptilian head. The thick ridge of black hair going down its back rustles and shivers in the breeze, which heats up as the monster bellows once more. Curled against its side are wings composed entirely of blue flame that licks at the trampled grass, but they are not hot enough to ignite the emerald blades. Leaning forward, the terrifying predator sniffs at the braindead priestess and chuckles before swallowing the body whole. In the brief moment that its mouth is open wide, the Vengeance Hounds notice that two of its teeth are changing as if they are stretching out of the gums. The plaque-covered ivory is curved in a way that makes it clear that they are fangs and the beast is in desperate need of a fresh meal. Its eyes scan the mortals and stop on the three Dawn Fangs for a moment, but it is enough to tell them that the cunning creature recognizes their true nature.

“A vampiric dragon,” Titus mutters under his breath.

Get War of Nytefall: Ravenous on Amazon for $2.99!
Add it to your Goodreads To-Read Lists!

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Need to catch up? Then, check out Volumes 1-4 of War of Nytefall!

Cover Art by Alison Hunt

Interested in more Windemere?  Then don’t forget to check out Charles E. Yallowitz’s first series: Legends of Windemere

All Cover Art by Jason Pedersen

About the Author:

Charles Yallowitz was born and raised on Long Island, NY, but he has spent most of his life wandering his own imagination in a blissful haze. Occasionally, he would return from this world for the necessities such as food, showers, and Saturday morning cartoons. One day he returned from his imagination and decided he would share his stories with the world. After spending many years fiddling with his thoughts and notebooks, he decided that it was time to follow his dream of being a fantasy author. So, locked within the house with only pizza and seltzer to sustain him, Charles brings you tales from the world of Windemere. He looks forward to sharing all of his stories with you and drawing you into a world of magic.

Blog: www.legendsofwindemere.com
Twitter: @cyallowitz
Facebook: Charles Yallowitz
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cyallowitz/

Enjoy the adventure by clicking here!

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