At just 93 pages on Kindle, Where Darkness Dwells is not going to be the longest book your read this year, but one thing I can guarantee is it will be one of the more emotional and heart-rending stories you will read. This is an horrific story of kidnap, sexual abuse and murder and yet it is easy to read and does not fill the reader with horror, more with empathy and sympathy for the poor victims. 

Caleb and Evie are just two normal seventeen year old high school students about to experience the usual teenage angst of attraction and shyness toward each other, when fate intervenes. Kidnapped one evening in the school car-park these two innocent young people are subjected to the most vile of abuse at the hands of professional people traffickers. Nothing can prepare them for the horrors and suffering they are about to experience. I won't ruin the reader's experience by giving away too much of the plot, but you will be mildly surprised and even shocked by the way this tale plays out. 

I think this is Brisia's first novel and it is a good one. It shows me that this author has real talent. The shortness of the story left me feeling a tad short-changed. I wanted more from this talented author and I look forward to her future works gracing the literary stage. Reading this book I am reminded exactly why I love reading "indie" authors. Their work is fresh, exciting and so very often incredibly rich.

For this first effort into commercial fiction I say well done Lynnette Brisia and your novelette fully deserves the five stars I am happy to award it.

My initial reaction to Evermore The Novel is one of excitement. I decided to read this book because some of the topics and themes within it bear some passing similarity to my own work; The Second Coming. I was interested to see how another author handled the fictionalizing of Christian dogma. 

Let me say right up front that I love it when authors have the courage to take events, beliefs and often entrenched faiths and give them a twist in a fictional setting. This is exactly what Hendrickson has done in Forevermore and she should be congratulated on that alone. 

The novel is split into two sections, both compelling stories that hook you in and insist that you keep reading. Without spoiling the story for anyone, the first section of the book focuses on the life and crucifixion of Jesus Christ as witnessed and told through the eyes of Mary Magdalene. We follow Mary's fictional journey from Jerusalem to Rome and ultimately to Gaul in modern day France, where she eventually dies. In this book the accepted dogma of Jesus' purpose on earth and his sacrifice on the cross are turned upside down and the modern day Church is blamed for twisting the true purpose of Jesus'. I loved this construct and admired the writer's ability to explain the WHAT IF? 

The second part of the book tells the story of a modern day Mary (Jennie) and her modern day Jesus. This part of the book is rife with conspiracy theories and I found it both fascinating and an enjoyable read. It's hard to put down - you always want to know what's coming next and that is the mark of a good storyteller. 

Hendrickson's writing is not perfect, a tidy up of punctuation would help, but she does a fantastic job of posing the What If? question and then weaving a believable tale, around it. If you like to think when you read, this is a great book for doing just that. I would recommend it to any readers who enjoy thinking about possibilities. I gave it 5 stars simply because it does what I love authors doing - challenging established thought and belief with exciting, readable prose. Good job!

​To be perfectly honest, I struggled initially to get into the story of Sword of Shadows, by C N Lesley. The earth that she has created in this series is so fantastic and populated by all manner of weird and wonderful creatures, both human and not so human, that I found myself unable to assimilate everything through the first few chapters. I have no doubt I should have read the first book in the series first and I would probably have had an easier introduction to this amazing fantasy that Lesley has so lovingly and carefully constructed. 

The story, however, was compelling enough to make me want to continue reading on, despite at times feeling frustrated and I was glad I did. Sword of Shadows is a powerful, soaring tale of love, brotherhood, freedom and dignity. I absolutely loved the story and also found plenty of food for thought in some of the conundrums the two half-brothers Arthur and Kai were faced with at various points in the tale. Without giving too much away of the story, one underlying theme that came through to me was that humanity tinkers with God's design at its own peril. I felt Lesley was brilliant at subtly weaving some of man's biggest moral issues into this story and doing so at no expense to the tale, merely enhancing it. This is the sign of a superb writer to me. 

Although I hadn't read the initial book in the series, Cloud Over Avalon, I had read one previous book by this Author and I am now a fan. Fantasy has never been my genre of choice, but reading Lesley's works has swayed me in that respect. I oscillated between four and five stars for this because of my difficulty in getting into it, but ultimately the towering, exciting story won through and I gave it the full five stars - happily. I honestly cannot wait for the third book, which was clearly set up at the end of Sword of Shadows and I am motivated to go back now and read Book One, just for sheer enjoyment, now that the characters are so ingrained in my memory. A fantastic effort. Well done! 

This us a simple, straightforward story of teenage values and the perils of feeling different, but it truly is an absorbing and enjoyable read, even for someone whose teenage years are now a faded and distant memory. 

Cyr has put together a book that enchants the readers and takes the opportunity to impart some serious issues to its presumably young adult readers. Using the concept of alternative universes and quantum physics the author takes the bullied, slightly different teen Catori from her world to one in which she isx respected and admired for the very difference she is bullied for in her home world. 

Th author uses the story to consistently press the idea of caring for our environment and the importance of plants and the natural world to our existence here on earth. Catori learns much in her visit to this alternate universe, but most importantly she learns about true friendship and about herself - how strong and how unique she really is. This isn't a preachy novel - it's simply a good story wound around some sound environmental precepts. 

I would think all young adults would find something to identify with in the author's words, but even us oldies can take some useful lessons and thoughts out of it. At the end of the day, that's exactly what we want from a novel - a good story and a lesson that makes us thinks about our own lives. 

I enjoyed Catori's world and am very happy to award it the five stars I have. I look forward to reading the next episode of Catori's adventures. Excellent work - well done Murielle Cyr    

Fantasy is generally not my genre, but after reading Darkspire Reaches I am inspired to read more. This is a wonderful book that creates a new world full of interesting characters and exciting creatures. 

I was drawn into this book right from the opening gambit and like many others before me found I just could not put it down. I would find myself flicking back to read more every opportunity I got. The characterization is strong and the idea of inter-breeding between species and the possible permutations that might throw up I found compelling and fascinating.

Prior to reading this book I had noticed in the reviews some negative comments about a rape scene. I would assure readers that although there is violence and some sexual content in this book it is handled by the author very sympathetically and is absolutely CRITICAL to the integrity of the story. Even as a male I found the main character's handling of her emotions to be real, authentic and I certainly was able to empathise with her. This is definitely one of C N Lesley's fortes as an author. 

I was impressed by the style and presentation of this book and I would just add the cover art is absolutely superb. 

I would recommend this book to almost anybody of adult age. It is action packed, thoughtful and simply a damn good story, well told. Well worth every one of the five stars I was thrilled to be able to give it. 

I will be looking out for more of this author's offering. She is a class act!