Iron and Ether (Blessed Epoch #3) Gus Li

                      ✨REVIEWED BY: Patricia Nelson

TITLE: Iron and Ether

SERIES: Blessed Epoch Book 3

AUTHOR: Gus Li

PUBLISHER: DSP Publications 

RELEASE DATE: June 23, 2015

BLURB:Sasha was born to, and has always defined himself by, the secret assassins’ Order of the Crimson Scythe. He chose the love of Yarrow L’Estrella and Duncan Purefoy over his duty to his clan, forfeiting his last mission and allowing Prince Garith to live. Now, the order-previously Sasha’s family-has branded him a traitor. He’s marked, and that means the brethren of the Crimson Scythe won’t stop until Sasha is dead.
Garith’s twin kingdoms balance on the brink of war, and all three men have reasons to help the king, whether loyalty, duty, the interests of their own lands, or gold in their pockets. Still, Yarrow and Duncan are willing to abandon their reasons to seek out and destroy the assassins’ order to keep Sasha safe. But Sasha isn’t sure that’s what he wants. Loyalties are strained by both foreign invaders and conspirators in their midst. It’s hard to know which side to choose with threats piling up from every direction and war looming, inevitable, on the horizon. Their world teeters on the precipice of change, and Sasha, Duncan, and Yarrow can only hope the links they’ve forged will hold if Garith’s kingdom is torn apart.

REVIEW: Well, things haven’t settled down any since Book 2. If anything, the situation is even more chaotic than ever! Yarrow and Duncan are at their wits’ end with worry about the threat the Crinsom Scythe pose to Sasha, and Sasha’s indecisiveness isn’t helping any! I’ve been addicted to this sweeping saga since the very first book, and the journey has gotten even better in this awesome book. Gus Li is a master wordsmith, painting a vivid, compelling world where the characters are three dimensional, complex, and I feel like I almost know them as my friends. I DEFINITELY recommend this facinating tale to everyone, and suggest that you start with reading the first two books in this gripping series in order to really appreciate just how great it is. I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book, and am looking forward to many happy hours of reading.

RATING: ?????

Amazon

DSP Publications 

 

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Jack Wolf by Kay Walker


Daily Dose Short Story
Dreamspinner Presents http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6574

JackWolfBlurb

Henry Dalton is sent across the country by train to the western town of Woolridge in order to investigate the werewolf problem they’re having during the monthly moon cycle. The townsfolk are not forthcoming with information, making it difficult for Henry to solve the case.
Even more distracting is Jack, a handsome older lycanthrope. Known for his rebellious youth, Jack has settled down into life and routine in Woolridge, working as the local blacksmith. He assures Henry he’s no longer trying to stir up trouble, that those days are long gone. Henry must attempt to ignore the spark between them, the indication of their potential to become mates, which is rare because Henry is human. Henry remains professional and focuses on his job, but each meeting with Jack adds to the draw, and Henry isn’t sure how much longer he’ll be able to resist.

Review

This is a unique short story of an investigator who travels to find out about a situation with a local werewolf pack. It’s a combo steampunk/shifter novella set in vaguely old west times.
Henry has previously had a werewolf mate who died years ago, Jack has had two potential mates previously who have also died many years ago.

Though there are some potential hurdles in their way: the investigation, their distance and time; they realize that being given a “second” chance is not something to disregard and that despite their “mate” status, they truly care for the other as well.

**

Steampunk is not my favorite genre, but I really appreciated the unique blend with the shifter lore. I loved the idea of “sparking” and the fact that these men got multiple shots, but that it was still a monumental event.

The writing was crisp and clear and the story very unique with clever world-building. I don’t know if it’s the genre or the author, but it was just a bit too dry to be amazing, but it was very good.

3.5 of 5 hearts

3.5

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