5 Books for Fans of Speculative Fiction

by MK French

Speculative fiction is an umbrella genre. It encompasses all genres that deviate from reality: fantasy, mythology, dystopian, science fiction, magical realism, etc. This is a fun genre as it lets us explore what-ifs and dig deeper into sensitive issues that might be more difficult to address in real life. 

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. Free books were provided for an honest review.

3 Books for Fans of Folklore and Mythology

by MK French

Are you a fan of folklore and mythology? Then I have 3 books your will want to put on your reading list.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. Free books were provided for an honest review.

A Couple of Fantasy Novels to Add to Your Reading List

by MK French

If you are still looking for books to add to your Halloween reading list, I have a couple of fantasy novels to recommend. If you enjoy young adult fantasy, be sure to check out my recommendations from earlier this month.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. Free books were provided for an honest review.

4 Must Read Books for Fans of Young Adult Fiction

by MK French

School is back in session and students are needing books for daily reading assignments and book reports or, you know, just enjoyment. If you have a teen looking for something new to read or you enjoy young adult fiction, you will want to add these to your fall reading list.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. Free books were provided for an honest review.

3 Books for Fans of Folklore and Fairy Tales

by MK French

If you are a fan of folklore, fairy tales, and mythology, then I have three books you are going to want to add to your reading list. Two of them you can get today and the third you can look forward to as it comes out later this month.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. Free books were provided for an honest review.

In a Garden Burning Gold by Rory Power ~ a Review

by MK French

Rhea controls the weather and her twin brother Lexos controls the tides, keeping their country safe and the loyal nobles rewarded. They protect each other and their younger siblings as their father rules over them, holding his power over death over everyone. There's an independence movement rising within the country and other nations are pushing for power. The twins travel outside their country's borders to save their family, and learn there might be other ways to rule than with fear.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

The Ming Storm by Yan Leisheng ~ a Review

by MK French

In sixteenth-century China, the Assassins are gone. Zhang Yong, the leader of the Eight Tigers, eliminated all rivals, allowing the Templars to hold all the power. Shao Jun, the only survivor, vows revenge and travels to Europe to train with the legendary Ezio Auditore. When she returns, she must find allies to defeat the Eight Tigers.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

6 New Fantasy Novels to Read This Month

by MK French

You know that I love a good fantasy novel, and this month there are several great stories coming out. I don't want you to miss any of them so I've highlighted 5 fantasy books that will come out later this month and 1 that you can pick up today. I hope you enjoy them, too.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. Free books were provided for an honest review.

Two Fantasy Novellas for Busy Readers

by MK French

Today I have reviews of two fantasy novellas. Novellas are great for busy readers (and who isn't busy this time of year?). They usually have more story and character depth than a short story but are still quick reads. Both novellas are in the subgenre of mythology or folklore. The first novella,which came out this week, is focused on Asian culture. I felt the second novella, which published this year, has a really good message.

4 Books of Folklore and Fairy Tales

by MK French

Fairy tales and folklore are short stories involving fantastic creatures that don't exist in nature, often teaching lessons to readers/listeners as the story progresses. Many of these stories are told and retold in different ways; many of the core themes in these stories actually date back thousands of years. Most of the time, fairy tales are considered stories we tell children, and that grown-ups don't need to listen to the stories themselves. They dismiss the warnings within the stories as silly things that only children would believe and feel that they don't apply to adults anymore. The wonder has gone out of those adults, which is a sad thing. There are still so many lessons that adults can learn from these stories, especially when they're reinterpreted for modern times.

Ragnarok Unwound by Kristin Jacques ~ a Review

by MK French

Ikepela Ives is a mortal, but her immortal mother had the ability to unbind fate. That ability was passed to Ives when she turned eighteen, and she had done her best to avoid dealing with the power as best as she could out of anger at her mother for disappearing. The problem is, a very determined Valkyrie needs her help to stop Ragnarok.

The Emperor's War by RA Denny ~ a Review

by MK French

The Tzoladian army is fighting the Karsonian confederation. The three teens from various tribes that we had come to know in earlier novels are embroiled in this war now. Amanki is fighting when the Tzoladians would want him dead, Brina no longer has her seal and is surrounded by Sparaggi tribes, Tuka has to work as a spy. Metlan is now just as important as our three chosen ones, as he is king of the Samalitans and holds Brina's seal. Faith and trust will be tested over the course of the war.

Poseidon's Academy by Sarah A. Vogler ~ a Review

by MK French

Over sixteen hundred years ago, humans banded together to kill the gods that had been using them. The gods' powers then rained down onto humanity, so that they could wield those powers for themselves. There is a prophecy that the gods will return, and one with the power of Zeus will control lightning and save the world. Hailey Woods is the first person born with the powers of Zeus in a century, but she's thirteen years old and hardly knows how to handle the power she does have. She enrolls in Poseidon's Academy, an underwater school that is very exclusive. The benefit of being underwater also means that Hailey can't use her power or be harassed to put on a show, allowing her to feel like a normal teenager. However, she overhears nymphs plotting against the human students and will do what she can to stop them from enacting the prophecy.

Outrun the Wind by Elizabeth Tammi ~ a Review

by MK French

The goddess Artemis requires all of her huntresses to obey her and to never fall in love. In order to save the huntress Atalanta, Kahina disobeys the goddess and then is cast out. She has to fulfill a mission given by the goddess in order to prove her loyalty, and that brings her into Atalanta's path again.

4 Fantasy Novels for Teens #MondayBlogs

by MK French

Summer is winding down but there is still time to fit in some pleasure reading before school and mandatory reading lists begin. Here are 4 novels for fans of young adult fantasy.

I have a crush: The Egyptian

The Egyptian (Dominic Grey #2) by Layton Green
ebook, 327 pages
Published August 2011 by First Ward
ISBN13: 2940013033597
Read January 2012


Fans of Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan series or Jack Higgins' Sean Dillion will want to try out Layton Green's Dominic Grey series. I did not read the first book in the series (I didn't even know it was a book 2 until I looked it up on Goodreads), but that didn't diminish my enjoyment. Much like the two series I mentioned, these are stand alone books that are interconnected by the main character. There was enough mentions of a previous situation (presumably covered in the first book) that the reader could understand some of what the main character was dealing with, without having to rehash an entire book.


And what a character Dominic Grey is. He is the perfect male hero in my book. He's damaged, definitely carrying around extra emotional baggage. But he also has all those wonderful good guy traits, with a bit of a bad boy vibe. He is former military and seriously he could kill a person with just his pinky. I will admit that I had a bit of a crush on Dominic. I'm not sure if I've ever been jealous of a book character before, but I think I was feeling twinges of envy for Victoria. But only twinges as Dominic seemed as unattainable for her as he was for me.


The foreign governments and corporate espionage had me intrigued, but throw in the biotech and religious cult aspects and I was hooked. I learned quite a bit about Egyptian mythology, which I admit I knew nothing about before this book (I kept thinking back to the ArmchairBEA challenge on what is your favorite mythology). The science was indepth enough to give the characters an authentic feel (I work with a bunch of scientists so I know what they are like) without feeling like I was reading a textbook or reading in a foreign language. 


Usually I like epilogues, but I don't think it was necessary for this story. I thought the story had come to its natural conclusion and I didn't feel like every i needed dotted and t crossed. It is a suspense novel so it's okay that there are questions left at the end. The epilogue wasn't bad and it didn't ruin the story. I'm not sure how to explain how I felt.


I can tell you I need to find the first book in the series; I need another dose of Dominic Grey. I'm also hoping for more books in this series. I love having another great suspense writer in my pocket to pull out when I'm in need of a thrill ride.


I know a lot of people have "book boyfriends" but have you ever been jealous of a character?


Buy your copy of The Egyptian at Amazon. (Just checked it's only 99 cents what I bargain for a wonderful book).