Dark and Otherworldly Omnibus by Kristen Brand-Review & Guest Post

Dark and Otherworldly Omnibus by Kristen Brand-a review & guest post

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date September 30, 2021

Leigh Morgan has one mission: to stop the Fae who abducted her sister from ever kidnapping another human again.

Dredarion Rath wants one thing: to disgrace his older brother and prove himself the worthier heir to Otherworld’s throne.

When their paths cross, it changes everything, and neither Otherworld nor the human realm will ever be the same.

Three romantic urban fantasy novels; one darkly enchanting volume. The Dark and Otherworldly Omnibus includes:

•••••••

REVIEW:

Poison and Honey

She hunts the fae. The last man she should fall for is a cunning fae prince.Leigh won’t stop until her sister is home! That was the promise she made to herself. So freeing the humans from the Fae kingdom of Dwencanti is Leigh’s mission in life….

The only little issue I had, was the fact we jumped straight into palace life! I would have liked a little background and possibly a flashback to her sister’s kidnapping (but being a novella we need to keep it going)!

Prince Dredarion Rath has something to prove. And if using a human to achieve it, then so be it!! He doesn’t see anything but his mission to make his mother see that he should be the next ruler and not his brother!

So we have a complex storyline that will definitely take you on an adventure. Leigh is a great character, very strong and independent. And one might say a little cold, possibly heartless (she was going to use whoever and whatever she could to free the human slaves) but I suppose being in her position you can’t really blame her! Dredarion starts off as a cold figure, I wasn’t too keen on him at first.

But as they begin to work together (well more like Leigh is working for Dredarion whilst continuing her mission) it becomes a balancing act for Leigh, she needs to keep Dredarion sweet but, keeping her own secrets from him! You know it’s going to get messy!

Next book please…..

?

Sting of Thorns

She’s been cursed by the queen of Otherworld. Now the only one who can save her is the man she betrayed.

This one starts where the last one ends, so you definitely need to read Poison and Honey first, otherwise your going to be a little lost!! And so this review is going to be a little tricky as I don’t want to spoil anything…..

Leigh was cursed in the last book (oh didn’t I tell you that in my last review?) ? Dredarion and Leigh can’t stand to look at one another let alone help each other! Why? I hear you ask!! Well….. Nope can’t do it, you’ll need to read book one to find that out (but it’s a good one I promise you) And Leigh may or may not have started a rebellion/riot/escape.

And in doing so, she’s trapped herself in the otherworld! That’s where she needs help from Mr Dark and Dangerous! But Dredarion isn’t willing to help Leigh! So what’s a girl to do??

I loved this book, fast paced action that had me flicking the pages over until the end! We also get to take Dredarion to the human world (and there are some pretty funny moments) Can Leigh and Dredarion find their way back to each other? Or will the lies and feelings of betrayal kill their feelings for one another for good?

And there is a death sentence hanging over Leigh?!

Book three please …..

?

The Cruelest Curse

When dark forces threaten Otherworld, she’ll have to join forces with her enemies to save the kingdom… and the prince.The final book in this amazing trilogy had me wanting to inhale the book, but not wanting it to ever end!

As in the last book we start where book two (Sting of Thorns) ends. But without giving anything away, you are in for the ride. So buckle up, grab your sword and let’s go help Leigh and Dredarion win their fight against evil forces that want to take over the otherworld!!

I want to tell you about everything that goes on in this book, I want to share all the ups and downs, the scary moments, the sad moments, and the moments I just had my mouth open! But I won’t, instead I’ll tell you that the action doesn’t stop!

Friends from the human world help otherworlders that would have at one time enslaved them! Magic plays a role too. (Dredarion has magic literally up his sleeves) We also have a fight scene that will have you reading with one eye! (Or maybe that’s just me) ? So can Leigh save both Dredarion and the people she once swore to avenge? There are deals to be made, alliances to form, and lovers to reunite.

?

Boxset/Omnibus, whatever you want to call it, you just need to download and read it. The author (Kristen Brand) is totally new to me, and I’ve learned to jump in with both feet now (if I don’t like it, I won’t finish it!) But it won’t be the last of her books that’ll read. She brought the whole world to life with her descriptions.

And although short stories in themselves (could have happily read them as bigger books) it does cover a lot of ground. There is so much packed into this world. I’m hoping it’s not the last we see of Dwencanti and it’s inhabitants.

If you love paranormal romance with daggers and magic, then this one should definitely go on your TBR list.

? Reviewed by Julie B

Copy supplied for review

Why Enemies-to-Lovers is my Favorite Romance Trope

All stories need conflict, and romance novels are no exception.

Maybe the conflict is forbidden love. The protagonist is from the wrong side of the tracks, or the love interest is their best friend’s brother. Maybe the couple broke up years ago and must address their past hurts before getting a second chance. Or maybe the hero got kidnapped by an evil wizard and the heroine has to go on an epic quest to rescue him.

Conflict. It’s fun.

My least favorite conflict is the contrived misunderstanding where everything would be fine if the couple just talked to each other for five minutes instead of jumping to the wrong conclusion.

My favorite is enemies-to-lovers.

The couple are fighting for different kingdoms during a war. They’re both after the same promotion in the office. One’s a superhero, the other a supervillain. Whatever the circumstances, the couple has every reason to hate each other, and yet… They just can’t deny how amazing and attractive they find one another.

That’s the conflict in my paranormal romance series, Dark and Otherworldly. The twist is that only the heroine knows they’re enemies in the first book. She’s a spy in a fae palace, her undercover mission going smoothly until she accidentally attracts the attention of a prince. Then she finds herself juggling conspiracies and battling her own growing romantic feelings until everything finally explodes.

Both metaphorically and literally. I like writing explosions.

What’s great about enemies-to-lovers is that it gives you so much conflict to work with: characters torn between duty and love, feelings of betrayal and forgiveness, a couple from very different backgrounds finding ways to meet in the middle.

It gives the characters so many obstacles to overcomes. They have to battle their own feelings. Then they have to grapple with the feelings of their friends and family who usually aren’t thrilled about them sleeping with the enemy. And then, depending on the genre, they have to test their newfound relationship by fighting the villain and saving the day.

Enemies-to-lovers is no third act misunderstanding thrown in because things had been too easy. No, it forces the characters to earn their happily ever after.

So I’m an enemies-to-lovers fan all the way. What’s your favorite romance trope? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

Kristen

If Kristen Brand could have any superpower, she’d want telekinesis so she wouldn’t have to move from her computer to pour a new cup of tea. She lives in Florida with her husband, and her hobbies include reading comic books and desperately trying to keep the plants in her garden alive. An author of fantasy and superhero fiction, she writes stories with fire-forged friends, explosive fight scenes, and kissing

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Clockmaker by Kristen Brand- a review

CLOCKMAKER (A Gothic Steampunk Novel #1) by Kristen Brand

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date March 5, 2018

The crew of the airship Sultana are nearly destitute. No one knows this better than their captain, Melek, who’s almost desperate enough to sell her treasured family heirlooms to pay her crew’s wages. Then a reclusive gentleman wearing a strange golden mask offers a fortune to transport him and a mysterious cargo to Istanbul. Needing the money, Melek can’t bring herself to refuse, even when her instincts warn of trouble.

Now strange noises haunt her airship at night, and deadly warships stalk the Sultana through dark, stormy skies. Melek’s masked passenger refuses to explain his private affairs, and she enjoys arguing with him perhaps a little too much. But he’s even more dangerous than she suspected, and she’ll have to unravel the dark intrigue he’s brought aboard her ship before it kills them all.

••••••••••

REVIEW: CLOCKMAKER by Kristen Brand is a gothic, steampunk, slightly paranormal story line – a spin off from the author’s Ghost Machine- focusing on Captain Melek and the crew of the airship Sultana but can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Captain Melek and her crew were first introduced as secondary and side characters in the author’s steampunk novel Ghost Machine.

For those readers new to the steampunk genre a simple explanation: Steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction that typically features steam-powered machinery, often set in an alternative history of the nineteenth century British Victorian era or American Wild West; a re-imagination of modern art, technology and fashion. An example or two would be to reference Wild, Wild, West (the original television series) or the writings of Jules Verne and H.G. Wells.

Told from first person point of view (Captain Melek) CLOCKMAKER follows the captain and her crew of the airship Sultana as they embark on a cross continent trek on behalf of the golden-masked but secretive Mr. Lesauvage, and his fragile cargo of unknown origins. Broke and with no potential customers on the horizon Captain Melek will be offered an inordinate amount of money to transport Mr. Lesauvage and the mysterious payload to Istanbul. Simple enough except from the outset their journey is fraught with attempts on their lives, attacks by giant automatons (robots), and several deadly encounters with the warriors they have come to call the ‘Clockmakers’. What ensues is an adventure not for the faint of heart; a voyage fraught with secrets, a stowaway, a potential traitor; and numerous raids and invasions meant to disable and destroy the ship and her crew. Mr. Lesauvage is the assassin’s target but it is his mind and his ‘precious cargo’ that are the ultimate prize.

CLOCKMAKER is an exciting, action packed odyssey; a passage of fantasy, sci-fi and the paranormal meant to intrigue and entertain. A motion picture for the mind CLOCKMAKER is a descriptive, complex and fascinating look the imagination at work.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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