Merlin Takes a Familiar by Molly Fitz

Merlin is a Main Coon cat who has been adopted by Gracie Springs after her grandmother decided to move to Florida, leaving her the house and cat to take care of. At the time, she had called the cat Fluffy, as that was the name her grandmother had given him. But one day, on her way to work, she sees her cat almost seem to fly while chasing a bird in the yard. Then he tells her he is a magician named Merlin, and he has decided that she will be his familiar. (It turns out that cats are magical, but only gain their full powers when they take a human familiar.)

Merlin is descended from a famous cat of the same name who’s familiar became the legendary King Arthur. The Merlin we knew as King Arthur’s magician, was not actually magical, he just took credit for the cat’s abilities. That same day, Gracie’s boss dies suddenly and she is being blamed for murdering him. She and Merlin must solve this murder, as well as trying to figure out who is trying to blame the death on Gracie and why.

When I first bought this book, it was titled Merlin the Magical Fluff, though when looking online, I found the title had changed. I enjoyed reading this cozy mystery. It is yet another take on the Arthurian legend, one in which Merlin was a cat and Arthur was the magician’s familiar. It puts a very different spin on the legend, and though in this book, Merlin is a descendent of the famous magician, Arthur himself is brought up within this story.

This book was a fun, quick read. And seeing such a unique concept made reading the book that much more fun, especially right before Halloween. This is a time of year when all cats seem magical, and while black cats are often given a bad reputation simply because of their coloring, I can easily imagine a world in which the cat was the magician and their human was the familiar.

I think that anyone who enjoys cozy mysteries  will enjoy reading this book as much as I did. I know that I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series at some point, if only to see if the story continues to tie into the King Arthur legends, or if that was simply part of the history of the magical cat Merlin. Anyone who has enjoyed reading any of Ms. Fitz’s other books as well as anyone who enjoys stories of extraordinary cats will also likely enjoy this book as much as I did.

Amazon requires me to state that I have an Amazon Associates account that I use to generate the links to the books on their website. Purchasing something after following those links will earn a few pennies for me off the sale, though as of yet I have not earned anything from my Amazon Associate links.

If You Knew by Richard Plourde

Richard and his wife Jocelyn have a young son with Leukemia. They had hoped that after their son had gone through the stress and pain of chemotherapy that he would never need to face such an ordeal again, but unfortunately the Leukemia returned. Now Gabriel needs a bone marrow transplant to hopefully rid him of this disease for good. And here is where the story takes an unexpected turn, for this story isn’t solely about Richard and his wife or about their son’s struggle to overcome Leukemia. We are taken down a path in Richard’s past, and an unexpected encounter with his possible future self.

This was an interesting story. And as the title itself questions, what would you do if you knew that in the future you would have a child who needed to fight such a painful disease as Leukemia. This tale is Richard’s journey along a path where at the end he would need to decide if he would try to change the future in such a way as to not have that child, or would he decide that his life was better, even in the most difficult of times, with Gabriel as a part of his family. And as you can assume, that is a very difficult decision for anyone to make.

I won’t tell you how this story ends, though as I believe some potential readers might need the trigger warning that this story does cover some of the problems a child fighting Leukemia and the difficult times both the child and the parents must go through, I will tell you that Gabriel does not die in this book. But this story is filled with some difficult situations and tough choices, for both Righard’s younger self, before marriage and children, and his older self in the hospital with his very ill son.

I cannot say for certain how accurate Richard’s experiences in this story are, and I do not know if he had an encounter with his past/future self as occurred in this story,  but for those choosing to read this book, I think that you will find it a very interesting tale with some tough philosophical questions. What I will say is that the story is interesting. At times it is heartbreaking and at others it is heartwarming. I did enjoy reading it, regardless of whether or not it was a fictionalized account of his experience, or if he did have an encounter with himself from another period of his life.

Amazon requires me to state that I have an Amazon Associates account that I use to generate the links to the books on their website. Purchasing something after following those links will earn a few pennies for me off the sale, though as of yet I have not earned anything from my Amazon Associate links.

Christmas at the Havenwood Diner by Sophie Bueno

Sent to a small town by his father, the owner of a large restaurant conglomerate, Alex begins working at the Havenwood diner, seeking to prove himself to his father as someone ready to take over the organization. He thinks he knows everything he needs to know about the best way for a small restaurant to be run, but soon discovers that his book-learned and boardroom knowledge is vastly different than what actually working in the restaurant is like. What Alex doesn't realize, though, is that father actually sent him there to learn more than what it takes to run the business. He sent him there to learn who he is and who he wants to be. And once he meets Grace, a single mother who has also been badly hurt by someone she trusted, he begins to learn a great deal about himself, another side of the restaurant business, life in a small town, and love.

I read a review copy of this book and absolutely loved it. It was described to me as a story written in the style of a Hallmark Channel Christmas movie, and it did not disappoint. This story showed the journey of two broken hearts slowly finding healing and learning to trust and love again. And if you are familiar with Hallmark holiday movies, this book follows the pattern that many of their Christmas romance movies tend to follow, from meeting the two main characters, through their budding romance and healing hearts, to additional complications and heartbreak, and then the expected conclusion.

I could easily imagine seeing this book as a Hallmark Channel Christmas movie and how it might play out on the screen. (And in case you are wondering, yes, I am someone who enjoys watching the Hallmark Channel holiday movies, even though my husband sometimes enjoys teasing me about watching them.) And because I enjoy them, I was very impressed with this story. It was well written and well edited. And by hitting all the expected plot points, it evoked both some happy tears as well as heartbreaking ones at various points in the story.

I believe that anyone who enjoys romance novels or watching Hallmark Channel holiday movies, of any season, will enjoy reading this book as much as I did. Recommended.

The Adventure God Will Choose by Scott Telek

This seventh book in the Swithin series about the King Arthur legend, has a number of interconnected stories all happening throughout the book. It begins with the focus on two knights, Balin and Balan, and twines their story, Arthur’s courtship of Lady Guenivere, the war with King Lot, King Mark, and others, the family Grail knights seeking to redeem themselves in God’s eyes, and several other events happening at the same time. In other words, a lot happens quickly in this novel.

I read a review copy of this novel. I loved the intertwining storylines and the character growth that both the main and minor characters of the King Arthur legends experience. King Arthur may be the main focus of most legends and stories about Camelot, but there is so much more to his story. Mr. Telek has based his series on historical legends and texts, and these books show us much more than simply the familiar story of King Arthur, Merlin, Queen Guenivere, Sir Lancelot, and Mordred that many of us grew up reading. There is much more to the story  of Camelot than we ever knew, though not all of it is the pleasant story that we may remember. There is a darker side to some of the story that most authors do not include in their tales. And while Mr. Telek does not shy away from the darker elements of the story, he does show them tactfully and gives the context of why such events happened. (One of those events took place during book six in the series, and the consequences of those actions are now being felt in book seven.)

Mr. Telek shows us the flaws in these legendary characters, as well as their heroism, and gives us reasons to enjoy these new aspects of characters that we may have thought we knew well. In truth, there is much more to each of them that many of us were likely unaware of, and it brings a new, and enjoyable, depth to this familiar tale. I am looking forward to seeing where we are taken next on this journey of King Arthur, his knights, and Camelot.

I have enjoyed learning new information and a somewhat different look at the King Arthur legends. This story is certainly a unique look at a familiar tale. I also enjoyed the inclusion at the end of the novel by the author regarding the information that he used to write this book. Some of it I was familiar with, some of it I was not. But it does add a great deal of context to know where some of the plot points in this book were originally found in his research, as well as a hint of what is to come in the future for this series.

I believe that anyone who enjoys reading stories about King Arthur, Merlin, Camelot, and any of the many legends that have been written about them will enjoy this book. Yes, there are some dark moments, but I believe they add a bit or a more realistic approach to this legendary story. And I am very much looking forward to getting to read the next book in this series.

Amazon requires me to state that I have an Amazon Associates account that I use to generate the links to the books on their website. Purchasing something after following those links will earn a few pennies for me off the sale, though as of yet I have not earned anything from my Amazon Associate links.

Melody of Mayhem by PC Nottingham

Eya believes that her mother is alive and a prisoner of Rondo, the leader of the Earthquake organization. Unfortunately, most everyone else believes that Olo is dead. Eya has taken over her mother’s cybersecurity job as it needed to be filled and she was the most qualified. And Although her true desire is to become the drummer for a band and pursue her passion for music, when an opportunity arises to not only prove that her mother still lives, and to hopefully to find a way to rescue her, Eya jumps at the chance, despite all the danger involved in the mission.

This is the first book in a new series, though it takes place after a previous series that I have not had the opportunity to read as of yet. But even without the knowledge of what happened in that series, it was not difficult to fill in the blanks as I read this book. Like other series from this author that I have read, I enjoyed this one as well. I could feel for Eya, working a job she hated but longing to be free to pursue her passion: a career as a professional drummer for a band.

I also appreciated the themes within this book dealing with racial intolerance and persecution. In this science fiction novel, it is the humans who have been somewhat discriminated against, though that has been improving, However a group known as Earthquake seeks to place humans as the dominant species in the galaxy, above all others, And while they had been thought wiped out after the death of their leader, an illegal AI facsimile seeks to change that belief. I do need to offer a trigger warning for readers that this book does contain descriptions of torture and physical abuse.

I found this to be a very interesting read. Not only because of the various perceptions of the different alien races and the way each was treated by the others, but in the view that all should be equal, even if they are not treated as such at the current time. Unfortunately, as usually happens in reality, the actions of a few drag down the impressions made by those who seek to lift others up. And dislike and fear of those who are different from each other always causes many more problems for everyone. For me, the message of this book seems to be that we are all equal, no matter where we came from or what we look like. Or at least we should be.

Amazon requires me to state that I have an Amazon Associates account that I use to generate the links to the books on their website. Purchasing something after following those links will earn a few pennies for me off the sale, though as of yet I have not earned anything from my Amazon Associate links.

Cthulu Dreamt: Entanglement by Chris Durston

On a scientific research trip in the Antarctic, Dr. Simon Greerson starts dreaming about another scientist, one that he has never met. After learning her phone number during one of his dreams, he calls her, learning that she is real. He then travels to her research vessel to help her with her experiment, not realizing what would happen when together they succeed. Now, he is trapped with several others and Eldrich horrors are hunting them down. While outside the zone in which they are trapped, their colleagues remaining in the real world are trying to discover what is happening and how to help save them. And during all of this, a corporate division is trying to use what they learn, control this experiment, and discover how they can use it to their advantage, no matter how dangerous what is inside this area actually is to all life.

Doctor Sheena Bowie and her team are trying to focus on rescuing her colleague and friend, Dr. Simon Greerson, as well as the others trapped inside the Site, all while not getting caught potentially working against their current employer’s wishes to exploit these dangerous discoveries. Can any of them succeed without causing humanity’s ultimate destruction by these Eldrich horrors found within what has come to be known as “the Site”? You’ll have to read the book to discover that for yourself.

I read a review copy of this RPG tie-in novel, and very much enjoyed this story. I will warn readers that this is a very long book, but it is well-written and very interesting to read. If you enjoy RPG games involving Cthulu and similar monsters, or simply tie-in novels of RPG games, then I expect that you will enjoy this one. It’s a very compelling story that drew me in and kept me interested in reading to find out what would happen next.

I think that if you give this book—and potentially the RPG game it is tied to—a chance, that you will enjoy both this book and the game. And as a side note, similar to the Black Ballad RPG, there are soundtracks/albums available for this game system and the novels associated with it. I hope you enjoy all of them.

Amazon requires me to state that I have an Amazon Associates account that I use to generate the links to the books on their website. Purchasing something after following those links will earn a few pennies for me off the sale, though as of yet I have not earned anything from my Amazon Associate links.

The Unchosen by Laura Huie

Fia has been rebuilding a life for herself after being found wandering around with amnesia. For the past two years, she has not found anyone looking for her, nor has she regained any memories as to who she is or where she came from. All she can remember is her name. That changes when she encounters a man from an alternate realm he calls Thedra. He has been searching for her over there since she first went missing.

From him, she learns that she is a wielder of light magic, and the leader of a city. But she still has no memory of it, nor can she remember how to use her magic or how she came to be living in a city in the non-magical realm of Earth. Between this mystery and those who either want her to return and lead her people again or who want her gone for good, Fia has a lot to uncover and remember if she wants to keep both herself and both realms safe.

This was an interesting fantasy novel that takes place in both our world (where there are no magic wielders) and in a magical one where powers are gifted by the Fates. I read a review copy of this book and found it to be an interesting start to a new series. While the idea of someone who can travel between worlds but who has lost the knowledge of how to do so is fascinating, as this is the first book in the series, we don’t yet get to learn the how and why of Fia’s memory loss and relocation. Yes, there are hints, but we will likely only learn more by reading  the next book in the series.

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book. It was a unique idea with interesting characters. I am interested in seeing where the author takes this story next. Between needing to learn how to use her magical abilities again, figuring out what happened to her to cause her to wind up on Earth rather than in Thedra, and discovering that some want her back while others would prefer her dead, there is a great deal for this Fia and those around her to find out before she can choose a path forward, either in Thedra or on Earth.

I think that anyone who enjoys fantasy novels with a touch of both our non-magical world and a magical world's lifestyles, will enjoy reading this book. I’m looking forward to learning more about Fia and the other characters in this story in book two of this series.

Amazon requires me to state that I have an Amazon Associates account that I use to generate the links to the books on their website. Purchasing something after following those links will earn a few pennies for me off the sale, though as of yet I have not earned anything from my Amazon Associate links.