Part 1, Mad Dogma (Without a Leash) by Nathan Squiers

Squiers has once again proven himself worthy of the title of Bard. No one-trick-pony, he has created a universe as different as one could possibly be from the world of the Crimson Shadow. 

Here we follow an incredibly hard to kill character in a post-apocalyptic world. The story begins in a desert of glass - shards both large and small, remnants of the glass mountains and trees that were worn down over the years since the world as everyone knew it went belly up. Not just one god, many had a gleeful hand in destroying the planet and most of what lived on it. 

Now, I consider myself a loner. I prefer dogs to people any day of the week. Our protagonist is also a loner, but unlike me, he takes offense when bothered, mostly because people are trying to kill him. Thulu isn't exactly impossible to kill, he just doesn't stay dead. It takes an incredible amount of effort for short-term results. Between the time it takes for the first effort to be made and the last, which does the job, Thulu manages to take out everyone stupid enough to accept the job of trying to put an end to him. Once he gets over the fact that he's been killed again, he has a cozy chat with a god. At some point, he wakes back up in the state that killed him. Most, if not all, of his fatal injuries have healed. 

Squiers signature level of sarcasm is present throughout. That has been one of the things I love about his work. The protagonist takes it a bit (okay, a lot) further and spices up his sarcasm with liberal levels of creative speaking. Thulu is unabashedly unashamed to treat man and gods to his completely unvarnished opinion on everything. And before you think of saying you aren't interested, think twice before saying something he might take offense to. 

The world as seen through Thulu's eyes is dismal. Yet the most redeeming thing, in my opinion, is his ability to see how long any given person he looks at has left to live. It's this ability that kept me reading. And with continued reading I wanted to know why he could see another person's life span.

As always, Squiers doesn't disappoint. Yes, there's language that could make a sailor blush, probably even fall mute at the creative and prolific use of such language. However I don't feel it's used as a way to lengthen the story. Thulu uses such language in much the same way others might say, 'well shoot.'

If you've followed Squiers at all, then you already know how detailed oriented he is at building a world. This one is no different. You won't regret stepping into another universe from the Bard, Nathan Squiers.

5 stars

Dragon's Gap: Set Includes Stories 6-7 Plus A Christmas Surprise by L.M. Lacee

 The stories, while engaging and interesting, are in dire need of editing. Some people don't mind spending money on books that read like they are still a work-in-progress. I'm not one of them. Unfortunately, I bought the entire series based on the blurb for the first book in the series. Lesson learned. I have never read any book that was published in this condition. Since I did purchase the entire series, I will be writing reviews of each one. And just in case she petitions Goodreads to take down my reviews, they will still exist on my blog.

Because of the egregious number of errors that follow from one book into the next, I will no longer be buying entire series sight unseen, based on a blurb, regardless how interesting it sounds. She has my money, kudos to her.

As I've said in previous reviews of this series, I believe her fan base deserves better than a book rushed through with no attention paid to the quality of the finished product - that includes editing. In spite of being an editor myself, I would refuse to take on this author for her lack of professionalism in the face of a review she objects to. I still firmly believe each book I've read so far should be removed from Amazon and any other online bookseller she uses until such time as she finds an editor willing to work with her.

She has several 5-star reviews, many that mention the numerous errors. There are also several reviews on Amazon from people who found the errors too distracting to continue reading the book. Just know that if you write a negative review, you may very well be subjected to hate email and labeled a troll.

Due to the complete lack of editing prior to publishing, I can only give this collection 1 star.

The Dragon's Gap Series: Books 1-3 by L.M. Lacee

Reads like a work-in-progress The story being told is interesting. The characters show growth from one book to the next. The cover art accurately reflects the story inside. However, the mechanical errors (missed or incorrect punctuation, missing words, incorrect word choices) lead me to believe the author used word processing software and relied on that rather than proper editing and proofreading.  I noted each problem in my e-reader. By the end of this three book omnibus, I had marked over 250 problems.  That does not take into account the numerous (to my mind, egregious) errors in punctuation. Every page is rife with missing punctuation creating run-on sentences,  That being the case, it is my opinion that this is still a work-in-progress and should be removed from online booksellers until such time as the above problems have been addressed.  Had the author obtained proper editing for this book, I would have gladly given it at least three stars. I cannot in good conscience recommend that anyone spend money to purchase this set until the numerous errors have been addressed. I will not be spending money on the next omnibus in this series until Amazon notifies me there is an update for this set. I am giving this book only 1 star.

Revealing Hope (Stealing Light Trilogy Book 3) by Julie Cassar

Barely into this story and I had an epiphany. Cash questions CeeCee's guardian angel about why she runs. To him it seems a mindlessly stupid activity. All he needed to understand why she ran was for Aaron to explain things in different words. "... running was a form of prayer and meditation. It was a cadence; the physical body beating in tempo with the spiritual soul."

Side-stepping for a second - I've had many moments where I felt out of sync with myself and the world around me. Going for a walk helped put things right. For my boss it's running. And Cassar absolutely nailed it. There's a rightness to running that doesn't come from any other activity. And back to my opinion on this book . . .

You know, when you read enough of an author's work you start thinking you know what to expect. (You're familiar with what happens when you 'assume' right?) Yeah I assumed I knew what to expect. The curves kept coming from pretty much every direction. Who was CeeCee, really? And Cash. He would have torn off his wings again to save her. But he struggles to live with the consequences for the rest of his now human life. His new mortal status rather puts a wrench in things. Instead of being a guarding angel, he now has one of his own.

The questions that have followed us through the first two books are answered in typical Cassar style - with elegance, poignancy, and grace. And the occasional 1-2 punch. We learned in Chasing Darkness who is really after CeeCee. When the final battle comes there's a HUGE surprise. The book wouldn't have been successful without this twist. The entire book is packed with action, heart, and unexpected curveballs.

I found Revealing Hope to be a riveting read. The characters continued to grow throughout the trilogy. Although I purchased the eBook version, I fully intend to get the print as well. (I want them signed by the author.) Once again, Cassar has given her readers an engrossing, hold-on-to-your-seats exciting, emotionally captivating read. The editing is spot on. And of course I stayed up too late at night before a 6a shift reading.

5-stars for another amazing story! You go girl!

Chasing Darkness (Stealing Light Trilogy Book 2) by Julie Cassar

There are plenty of books written about the fight between good and evil. Pick up any book that involves angels or nephilim and you will likely be reading about a war with humans caught in the middle. Cassar has put a somewhat different spin on it which I truly appreciate. Lucifer is, so far, staying out of things but how much longer will that last?

This book opens where the last one left off. One of the things that stands out for me is the tact and care with which she handles intimate events. Cassar nailed that down with her final Ruby Blue book, Forever Kansas. She is proof you can show intimacy without being explicit. Adult readers will understand what is happening. I have so much respect for an author who understands you don't need to bludgeon readers with sexually explicit scenes. I'm a Cassar fan for life.

Cassar has exceeded herself with this book. The pull to continue reading is so much stronger than I felt from Stealing Light. She honed her craft with her Ruby Blue series. This book proves she is only becoming a stronger writer. And dare I say it - showing all the signs of becoming a bard, those storytellers of olde who captivated their audiences with voice alone.

In all the books I've reviewed, I've only given that title to one author. He had to work hard for it, as does Cassar. As with him, I see the time coming when I must bow down and give her her due - the mantle of Bard. You're not quite there yet, Julie. But I see it coming.

I'm sure you've heard the phrase: buckle up, it's going to be a bumpy ride." Well, buckle up. It won't be a bumpy ride, but there is no slowing down in this book. I hear authors all the time saying that you can't catch every error. Guess what folks? It's a load of malarky. This book is perfectly edited. Yes, you heard me. Perfectly edited. No mistakes. Easy to do? No. But a proper collaboration between author, beta readers, and an excellent editor prove this can be done. So, many kudos to everyone who made this possible.

Was it an un-put-downable book? Very nearly. I fell asleep reading it. I woke up to find my phone had fallen to the bed and ended up under my shoulder. Um, not a good thing. iPhones are NOT cheap.

For all of the above reasons, I'm very happy to say I'm giving this book 5 stars. Way to go Julie.

Stealing Light (Stealing Light Trilogy Book 1) by Julie Cassar

The title doesn't say anything about what lies between the covers. What we get is a more mature story from the author of the Ruby Blue series. Cassar deftly weaves together a tale of tragedy, guardian angels, a forbidden love, a fallen angel, and the undecided darkness. Quite the cast of characters she's bringing us.

CeeCee has had a rough go of things ever since her parents died in a car accident. Since then, her older brother has raised her. Something happens that enables CeeCee to see more of the world around her than she ever thought was possible. What she now sees has always been there - and now she knows how dangerous some of it can be.

What Cassar has brought that is new to the reader is the Light within each of us. Most of us have heard someone described as "shining bright as a beacon," or having an "inner light" that makes everything seem less dreary or drab, or maybe brightens up someone else's day. CeeCee's Light is brighter than anything the angels have ever seen. That very brightness makes her look oh so tasty to some dangerous folk.

This is her first foray into the New Adult genre and I would have to say it's every bit as compelling as her first series. I wasn't drawn in by anything but her name on the cover. Not the title, the cover art, not the blurb. Her world building is solid. The characters are believable. The ending knocks it out of the park. A truism given in the form of a riddle ultimately makes the book.

There were a few errors, not many, but they made for a little hiccup in reading. I was offered the book free for an honest review. However, knowing that Amazon has a habit of removing reviews that aren't verified purchases, I went ahead and bought the first two books in the series. I'm happy I did. Stealing Light kept me up a bit later than I should have been a couple times. Eh, who needs sleep anyway?

I'm giving this book 4 stars. It wasn't "un-put-downable," but it was close. Pick up your copy at your favorite bookseller.

Accepting the Moon: Prequell for the Moonrising Series by K.S. Haigwood, Narrated by Pyper Down

There is something of a sense of anticipation when an author gives the same attention to her choice of narrator as the printed word. This is her third audiobook I've listened to. So far, each choice she has made in narrators has only enhanced my enjoyment of her work. Pyper Down hit ever inflection, every emotion perfectly. I found her vocalization of the male characters remarkable in that each one was easily identifiable. To my mind women narrating male parts, as well as men narrating for female parts can be tricky. You either nail it or you don't. Pyper Down definitely nailed it.

As with her written works, Haigwood's audiobooks are definitely worth picking up. The only way she could have put out a better audiobook was to have hired a full cast voice ensemble. Five stars to both author and narrator.