Delivering Evil for Experts - Book Review

 

Delivering Evil for Experts (The Guild Codex: Demonized #4)

by Annette Marie

What is it about:

I promised to avenge my parents.

But their killer is still on the loose, and he's stolen more than my parents' lives. Now, as he draws closer to his mysterious goals, he's poised to destroy what little I have left.

I promised to translate an ancient grimoire.

But it holds the secrets of my family—and the secret history of demon summoning. I fear its answers as much as I need them. Who was the foremother of Demonica…and who am I?

I promised to send my demon home.

But the way he watches me, the way he protects me, the way he touches me⁠—how can I cast him away forever? I swore I would do this for him, but can I? Should I?

But I promised—and I will keep my promises even if they cost me my heart, my soul, and my life.

What did I think of it:

This is a nice conclusion to this four book series.

It might be that I'm more in the mood for playing games at the moment, but this book felt a bit bloated. It seemed that some things could have been condensed or left out. I skimmed some fight scenes I'll confess. If you read the Spellbound series it also rehashes some scenes from that series.

That aside, there's lots of goodness in this book as well. I loved seeing Robin finally admitting to herself and others what Zylas means to her. But as they finally get closer the moment where Zylas has to return to his own world draws near. I was rooting for them to find a better solution.

All in all a fun book and series. I might read more books by Annette Marie if I'm in the mood for a fun Urban Fantasy read.

Why should you read it:

It's a very entertaining UF read.

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Damned Souls and a Sangria - Book Review

Damned Souls and a Sangria (The Guild Codex: Spellbound #8)

by Annette Marie

What is it about:

Once upon a time, I was your average spunky redhead with the lamest employment history ever, a shaky relationship with my only family member, and no idea what I was doing with my life.

Now, I'm a pseudo mythic with the best bartending job in the world, the most amazing (and hot) best friends I never knew I needed, and a guild of misfit magic-users who've become my extended family.

And I'm about to lose it all.

In my desperation to save Ezra, I stumbled into a web of ruthless deception—and seriously pissed off a sleeping hydra. Now its every murderous head is turned toward me and my guild, and I don't know how to stop it. I'm not sure I can.

I'm not sure anyone can.

But if we don't, we're all doomed—Ezra, Aaron, Kai, and my beloved guild.

What did I think of it:

This is the final book in this series and wraps things up for Tori and her friends, although some things going on in the overall world of this series are ongoing and will find their conclusion in the spinoff series Guild Codex: Demonized.

I loved how things turn out and I very much enjoyed most of this book. There's one gripe I have with this book: so much fighting! I thought the fight scenes were a bit excessive. They got in the way of the story in my opinion. I get that it's the climax of an eight book series, but it could have been handled differently than putting in a gazillion fights that don't really add that much to make them necessary.

That aside I loved this series and its satisfying conclusion. I will get my trotters on the last Guild Codex: Demonized book soon to see how things end for Robin as well.

Why should you read it:

It's a mostly satisfying ending to a cool series. 

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Lost Talismans and a Tequila - Book Review

 

Lost Talismans and a Tequila (The Guild Codex: Spellbound #7)

by Annette Marie

What is it about:

You know that squirmy sensation in your gut when you have no idea what you're doing and you're about to screw everything up?

Yeah, that feeling.

I thought I was a good judge of character, but recent events proved me very wrong. Now, in a brilliant demonstration of my newfound caution, I'm putting all my faith in a demon—a demon who's tried to kill me before. The squirmy feeling is making sense, right?

Unfortunately, I don't have any other options. Ezra's time is almost up, which means I need answers and I need them fast. So it's time to toughen up, pack my gear, and find me one of the most illegal, reviled, and scarce mythics out there: a demon-mage summoner.

And all I have to do is follow a demon's instructions on where to look. How could that go wrong?

What did I think of it:

We are nearing the end of this series, just one more book to go after this one, and it shows. Tensions are high and action needs to be taken to save Ezra. I was on the edge of my seat to see what would happen and if Tori can save the day and Ezra.

A character who was present in earlier books suddenly pops up again and I must say I'm apprehensive. I sure hope I'm too distrustful and that this character won't throw a wrench in Tori's plans.

Things with Kai aren't looking like I want them to look either, so there's still a lot that needs to happen in the last book to make me a happy piggy.

The story is fast paced and full of mystery and suspense. But slowly Tori and her friends are getting closer to a solution, or are they? 

All in all this is a nail biting read that ends in a cliffhanger that makes me more than eager to get my trotters on the last book.

Why should you read it:

It's a really cool UF read.

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Hunting Fiends for the Ill-Equipped - Book Review

Hunting Fiends for the Ill-Equipped (The Guild Codex: Demonized #3)
by Annette Marie

What is it about:
I thought I understood power.

My parents taught me that magic attracts equal danger, and everything I've seen since becoming a demon contractor confirms it. I've witnessed how power twists and corrupts--and I've tasted power no human should wield.

I thought I knew greed.

Ambition and avarice drove my family into hiding. My parents died for someone else's greed. I've never hunted anything in my life, but now I'm hunting their killer--with my demon's help.

I thought I'd seen evil.

But with each step closer to my parents' murderer, I'm uncovering a different sort of evil, piece by hidden piece. I've stumbled into an insidious web that silently, secretly ensnares everything it touches. My demon and I came as the hunters...

...but I think we might be the prey.

--
Author's Note: The Guild Codex includes two series, Demonized and Spellbound, which can be read and enjoyed all on their own; however, this book contains spoilers for Demon Magic and a Martini (Spellbound #4). If you were thinking about giving Spellbound a try, I recommend reading it first.

What did I think of it:
I am totally loving this series and the Spellbound series. I will add that I totally agree with the author's note above: if you don't want to be spoiled about the Spellbound series, make sure to read at least up to book 4, and I'd actually even advice to read up to book 6 of the Spellbound series before reading this book.

That being said: This is another great addition to this series and world. I loved seeing characters from both series teaming and working together, even if some of it is more out of self preservation or even self interest.

The growing bond and attraction between Robin and Zylas is great to read and I raced through this book to see if they manage to find a way for Zylas to reclaim what he's lost, and for Robin to stay out of the grip of her enemies.

All in all a fun and very enjoyable read. The next book will already be the last one in this series, luckily there will be two more Spellbound books as well.

Why should you read it:
It's a cool and enjoyable Urban Fantasy read.


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Druid Vices and a Vodka - Book Review

Druid Vices and a Vodka (The Guild Codex: Spellbound #6)
by Annette Marie

What is it about:
I've said it before, but sometimes I'm a bad person. I cheated on my twelfth grade math final, I've run countless yellow lights, and I gossip about how hot my kickass best friends are. (Good thing my job as a guild bartender doesn't require moral perfection.)

But there's bad, and then there's bad. And I'm not sure which applies to a certain dark druid/wanted criminal/reluctant friend of mine. His transgressions include black-magic dealings, kidnapping, and murder, and he's about to add "revenge-fueled killing spree" to his resume—if I don't stop him.

Should I stop him?

He and his nemesis are gearing up to tear each other apart, rogues and vultures are converging with their sights on the spoils, and the guilds that would normally stomp them into the ground are under attack. We're on the brink of an all-out criminal turf war, and my time to decide is almost up.

Who's the real bad guy ... and do I dare stand in his way?

What did I think of it:
I am so loving this series.

As if Tori hasn't enough on her plate, Zack is in trouble and when she helps him this leads to trouble for others. Torn between which of her friends to help she is slowly running out of time.

I so rooted for Tori to find a solution that would solve all the problems she is facing. There are some very tense moments in this book, and I feared for my favorite characters.

I liked how Robin, the lead character of the spin-off series plays a part in this story and to see her from Tori's point of view. It seems these two might need to team up to solve both their problems. It made me eager to get my trotters on Robin's next book as well.

All in all this is a great book with an ending that will keep me thirsting for the next book until it releases, at which time I'll get it immediately.

Why should you read it:
It's a fun and very entertaining UF read.



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Slaying Monsters for the Feeble - Book Review

Slaying Monsters for the Feeble (The Guild Codex: Demonized #2)
by Annette Marie

What is it about:
I'm bound to a demon.

For my entire life, I avoided magic at all costs. Now, I'm responsible for a demon who wields magic more powerful than the toughest mage or sorcerer.

Demons are evil.

That's what my textbooks say. That's what I see. He's ruthless, he's temperamental, he's cold. But he protects me without fail. I wonder if he's hiding a heart behind his hostility.

My demon is a monster.

Whether he's heartless or not, my contract with him is illegal and beyond dangerous. Together, we must find a way to return him to his own world before anyone discovers our secret. If that wasn't bad enough, I've come to realize something else:

My demon isn't the only monster I should be worried about.

What did I think of it:
So yes: I did go on a bit of a binge and read three books by Annette Marie in a row.

This second book in the Demonized series is just as much fun as the first.

Robin and her demon have to learn how they can work together. They have the same goal, but different views on how to reach it. And Robin is still trying to figure out how human Sylas is and if she can fully trust him and vice versa.

During their search for Robin's family grimoire they find more trouble than they had counted on, and soon Robin is once again trying to survive.

I really like the bond Robin and Sylas share, and loved learning more about both Sylas and the workings of the demon world. The story is suspenseful and took turns I didn't see coming. Some things are getting clear, new secrets pop up. I couldn't put this book down until I finished it.

I'm eager to read more in this series and world, so you bet I'll get my trotters on the next book Annette Marie releases in this setting.

Why should you read it:
It's a fun and cool UF read.


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The Alchemist and an Amaretto - Book Review

The Alchemist and an Amaretto (The Guild Codex: Spellbound #5)
by Annette Marie

What is it about:
As a guild bartender, I can handle pretty much anything--mages, sorcerers, witches, the occasional demon. But show me anything family-related and I'd rather run for the hills. It doesn't even have to be my family.

So I have no idea why I thought spending the holidays with Aaron's mom and pop was a good idea.

Meeting his famous parents is already terrifying enough, but I've got a bigger problem. Students of his family's renowned mage academy are being attacked on the grounds--and somehow no one has seen a single assailant? Unexplained tracks litter the nearby woods, rumors of forbidden alchemy are circulating the campus...and Ezra has been acting strangely since we arrived.

Something deadly is brewing in the shadow of Sinclair Academy, and the longer we take to uncover it, the more dangerous it becomes. But no matter the risk, we'll protect the students.

And Aaron's parents too, I suppose. If we have to.

What did I think of it:
After finishing Taming Demons for Beginners I immediately picked up the next book in the Spellbound series.

And this was another book that kept me reading deep into the night.

Tori, her three mage friends, and Tori's alchemist friend Sin are spending Christmas at Aaron's parents academy, they think the worst thing they will encounter are Aaron's parents and some stuck up alumni, but they're wrong!

I loved the setting and the set up. It was cool to see a bit about where Aaron came from, and how he struggles to not slip back in patterns from his childhood. Then a group of students gets attacked and things go wrong in a rapid pace.

I was totally hooked and rooting for Tori to save the day. As she is trying to figure out who or what is behind the trouble, things are happen to Ezra that raise the stakes even more. I was at the edge of my seat to discover if all my favorite characters would survive.

This was yet another awesome adventure, and the end left me hungry for more. At the back of the book was a novella that introduced the reader to a new character who will get his own spin-off, and it set the stakes of the next Spellbound book as well.

Guess what I'll be getting my trotters on once released!

Why should you read it:
It's an awesome Urban Fantasy read.


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Taming Demons for Beginners - Book Review

Taming Demons for Beginners (The Guild Codex: Demonized #1)
by Annette Marie

What is it about:
Rule one: Don't look at the demon.

When I arrived at my uncle's house, I expected my relatives to be like me—outcast sorcerers who don't practice magic. I was right about the sorcery, but wrong about everything else.

Rule two: Don't listen to the demon.

My uncle chose a far deadlier power. He calls creatures of darkness into our world, binds them into service contracts, and sells them to the highest bidder. And I'm supposed to act like I don't know how illegal and dangerous it is.

Rule three: Don't talk to the demon.

All I had to do was keep my nose out of it. Pretend I didn't find the summoning circle in the basement. Pretend I didn't notice the shadowy being trapped inside it. Pretend I didn't break the rules.

But I did, and now it's too late.

What did I think of it:
I love the Guild Codex: Spellbound series, so I had to try this spin-off from that series.

And this book is so much fun!

I really liked Robin: she's an introverted bookish young woman, who ends up in trouble because of her curiosity and kindheartedness. She binds herself to a demon without knowing the rules and will have to figure things out on the run, because soon all hell breaks loose.

The events in this book run alongside the events in book 4 of the Spellbound series, and it was fun to see where the stories overlap. But don't fear, new readers: this series is perfectly readable without having read the Spellbound series, as a good friend of mine can attest.

This book is just as fun and suspenseful as the books in the Spellbound series, but Robin is a very different character than Tori is, so she gets herself in trouble in new and creative ways. I was hooked from the start and couldn't put the book down until I finished it. You bet I ordered the next book right away!

Why should you read it:
It's a fun and suspenseful Urban Fantasy read.


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The SULLIVANS - The Results Are In!

The votes have been counted, the awards have been made, and the results are in! A big thank you to the people who voted so not all decisions on who should win were in my trotters alone.

And now:
The Winners!


Best Science Fiction:

The High Ground by Melinda Snodgrass
This book is the first book in a series and takes place at a military academy in space. It is totally awesome.


Best Urban Fantasy:

Three Mages and a Margarita by Annette Marie
This is the first book in a really fun Urban Fantasy series full of action and cool characters.


Best Young Adult Fantasy:

Pawned by Laura Bickle
This book takes place in a pawnshop and has a demon who looks like a miniature T-Rex! It is awesome!


Best Zombie Book:

Flesh by Laura Bickle
A funeral home where the dead go missing, a creepy catfish and lots of (st)icky situations. Another awesome read.


And lastly:
The book that won both Most Swooniest Romance and the Award for Awesomest Book of Awesome:

The Arrows of the Heart by Jeffe Kennedy
This book has it all: a swoony romance with the most dreamiest hero according to Voodoo Bride and Olivia. A suspenseful story, creepy creatures and even more creepy people, and even a sort of zombies. This book released last year and we've already read it several times, because we can't get enough of it!


I will be personally handing over the award for Most Swooniest and Awesomest Book of Awesome to Jeffe Kennedy later this year, and I hope to hand Melinda Snodgrass her award rosette as well. Laura Bickle will get send her special award piggy for winning two categories her way, and I'll see if Annette Marie will want her rosette send her way as well.

*The piggies started their life as piggy banks, but were transformed into award piggies by me and Carien especially for the SULLIVANS. The rosettes were altered by us as well.*

Let me know if you want to see me do another SULLIVANS event next year.

Demon Magic and a Martini - Book Review

Demon Magic and a Martini (The Guild Codex: Spellbound #4)
by Annette Marie

What is it about:
When I first landed a bartending job at the local guild, I didn't know a thing about magic. These days, I'm practically an expert on the different magical classes, but there's one nobody ever talks about: Demonica.

Turns out they have a good reason for that.

My guild is strictly hellion-free, but some people will risk life and soul to control the biggest bullies on the mythic playground. And now a demon has been loosed in the city.

My three best friends are determined to slay it, but even badass combat mages are critically out-magicked. And that's not all. The monster they're tracking--it's not hiding. It's not fleeing. It's not leaving a trail of corpses everywhere it goes.

The demon is hunting too. And in a city full of mythics, it's searching for deadlier prey.

If we can't unravel the demon's sinister motivations, more innocent people will die, but finding the answers means digging into dark secrets ... and learning truths I never wanted to know.

What did I think of it:
This series is so much fun.
Annette Marie manages to create a perfect balance between suspense and humor. I love Tori and her three friends, and I very much enjoy the adventures they mange to fall into.

In this book we get more insight in Ezra's past -Ezra is my favorite of the three mages and this book only made that stick even more- and we learn a lot more about demons. They're nasty and dangerous.

As Tori gets more and more involved in the hunt for the demon she has to decide if she's wiling to go full in to the world of mythics or if there are some things she doesn't want to be involved in. I was on the edge of my seat to see where this story would go, and what decisions Tori would make. Voodoo Bride wants me to add that she was eager to find out if Tori and Ezra might finally kiss!

All in all this book is an awesome thrill ride that I happily boarded and was over much too soon. You bet I'll get my trotters on the next book as soon as it's available in print. There will also be a spinoff series that I must have as well.

Why should you read it:
It's an awesome and fun UF read!


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Two Witches and a Whiskey - Book Review

Two Witches and a Whiskey (The Guild Codex: Spellbound #3)
by Annette Marie

What is it about:
Three months ago, I landed a job as a bartender. But not at a bar—at a guild. Yeah, the magic kind.

I'm not a badass mage like my three smokin' hot best friends. I'm not a sorcerer or an alchemist, or even a wussy witch. I'm just a human, slinging drinks like a pro and keeping my non-magical nose out of mythic business. Seriously, I know my limits.

So why am I currently standing in a black-magic ritual circle across from a fae lord?

Somewhere behind me, my three mage friends are battling for their lives. Somewhere near my feet is the rogue witch I just knocked out with a stolen spell. And I have about five seconds to convince this very angry sea god not to shmoosh me like a bug.

I'm pretty sure this wasn't part of the job description.

--
Note: The three mages are definitely sexy, but this series isn't a reverse harem. It's 100% fun, sassy, fast-paced urban fantasy.

What did I think of it:
I loved the first two books in this series and very much enjoyed the two novellas, so I got my eager trotters on this book not long after it was released.

And this yet again a great read.

I love Tori, she is impulsive, but always means well. That's how she gets involved with the two witches mentioned in the title. Tori also manages to make friends in unusual places, although her past makes her slow to trust that those friends actually stay around and don't ditch her when the going gets tough.

And there's Kai, Aaron and Ezra of course. I love all three mages, but I'll confess that Ezra is my favorite. In this book he is once again great and we learn a little bit more about him. We also get to see Tori's brother again and I'm very eager to see how things will develop with him. And then there's Twiggy, Tori's roommate. I absolutely love him!

The story is action-packed, suspenseful, and I finished this book almost in one sitting (This was in stark contrast with the book I tried to read before this one and that I finally DNFed at 25%). Tori gets in over her head and at times it seemed impossible that things would turn out well. Tori's trust issues also lead her to do some reckless things that upped the stakes, but luckily her friends can be trusted a lot more than she thinks, and they are there to help her.

All in all this is a really fun and cool read and you bet I'll be impatiently waiting for the next book to release!

Why should you read it:
It's a really entertaining and fun UF read.


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Double Annette Marie Novella Review

Four Shifters and a Stranger (The Guild Codex: Spellbound 0.1)
by Annette Marie

What is it about:
When a bounty hunting job goes wrong, a mysterious aeromage saves Aaron's life...

What did I think of it:
This is a fun short story (36 pages) about how the three mages Aaron, Kai and Ezra meet. Lots of questions are raised and I'm looking forward to finding out the answers in future books in the series.

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A Damsel and a Demigod (The Guild Codex: Spellbound 0.5)
by Annette Marie
Published in Love Potion: A Valentine's Day Charity Anthology

What is it about:
Kai, Aaron and Ezra are on a job guarding a secret meeting when an important relic gets stolen. Kai has to work together with a mysterious stranger to get the relic back.

What did I think of it:
I really enjoyed this novella.

Usually Kai gets the least amount of screen time of the three mages, but here he gets to shine. I loved getting to learn more about him. I also really liked Izzah, the woman he has to team up with. They make a good pair once they stop bickering. And this story being part of a Valentine's Day anthology there are sparks between these two Mythics of course.

All in all a fun and action-packed novella.

Why should you read these stories:
If you love the The Guild Codex: Spellbound series these novellas are a must.

Buy Love Potion: A Valentine's Day Charity Anthology here

Dark Arts and a Daiquiri - Book Review

Dark Arts and a Daiquiri (The Guild Codex: Spellbound #2)
by Annette Marie

What is it about:
When I found myself facing down the scariest black-magic felon in the city, practically daring him to abduct me, I had to wonder exactly how I ended up here.

It all started when I accidentally landed a job as a bartender—but not at a bar. At a guild, populated by mages, sorcerers, alchemists, witches, and psychics. Good thing this lame-o human is adaptable, right?

Then my favorite guild members—three sexy, powerful, and intermittently charming mages—asked for my help. Did they want access to my encyclopedic knowledge of cocktails? Oh no. They wanted to wrap me up in a pretty ribbon and plunk me in the crosshairs of a murderous rogue to lure him out of hiding.

So that's what we did. And that's why I'm here. About to be kidnapped. Oh, and our grand plan for safely capturing said murderous rogue? Yeah, that completely fell apart about two minutes ago.

Why did I agree to this again?

--

Note: The three mages are definitely sexy, but this series isn't a reverse harem. It's 100% fun, sassy, fast-paced urban fantasy.

What did I think of it:
I loved the first book in this series, so I was very happy when I got the second book for Sinterklaas.

And this book is just as much fun as the first.

The action starts up soon and Tori soon finds herself in trouble. Luckily she is resourceful and not afraid to use other people's magical artifacts. As she tries to find and save a kidnapped young girl, she discovers secrets that may lead to her being the one who needs rescuing instead.

The story is fast-paced, fun, and suspenseful. I would have loved a few more scenes with Ezra, who is becoming my favorite mage, but there were new characters who were also very intriguing. I finished the book almost in one sitting as I couldn't put it down.

All in all a fun and very enjoyable read. You bet I will get my trotters on book three as soon as it releases.

Why should you read it:
It's a cool and fun Urban Fantasy read.


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Three Mages and a Margarita - Book Review

Three Mages and a Margarita (The Guild Codex: Spellbound #1)
by Annette Marie

What is it about:
Broke, almost homeless, and recently fired. Those are my official reasons for answering a wanted ad for a skeevy-looking bartender gig.

It went downhill the moment they asked me to do a trial shift instead of an interview — to see if I'd mesh with their "special" clientele. I think that part went great. Their customers were complete dickheads, and I was an asshole right back. That's the definition of fitting in, right?

I expected to get thrown out on my ass. Instead, they… offered me the job?

It turns out this place isn't a bar. It's a guild. And the three cocky guys I drenched with a margarita during my trial? Yeah, they were mages. Either I'm exactly the kind of takes-no-shit bartender this guild needs, or there's a good reason no one else wants to work here.

So what's a broke girl to do? Take the job, of course — with a pay raise.

--
Note: The three mages are definitely sexy, but this series isn't a reverse harem. It's 100% fun, sassy, fast-paced urban fantasy.

Tori has no problem getting herself into trouble in every book in the Guild Codex series, but each one is a complete adventure—no cliffhanger endings.

What did I think of it:
This is a really fun book!

I was hooked from the start and couldn't stop reading: I had to know what trouble Tori would get herself into next.

The worldbuilding was fun and intriguing and I loved Annette Marie's writing style.

Tori is fun, has a very short fuse, and is impulsive, but it's these last two things that not only get her in trouble, but also out of them a couple of times. I was rooting for her all the way through.

And the three mages! Wow. You know how I usually feel about love triangles, menages and everything, but here I was actually a little disappointed this isn't a reverse harem, because I loved all three of the male lead characters in this book and want lots and lots more of them. I seriously hope they are recurring characters in the series.

The suspense/action storyline starts up pretty far into the book, but I wasn't bored even one second before things got dicey. When the action does start up things get even more interesting and I was on the edge of my seat, eager to see how things would turn out.

All in all a great read, and you bet I'll get my greedy trotters on the next book.

Why should you read it:
It's a really cool Urban Fantasy read.


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