Shannon's Review - The Queen Of Blood by Sarah Beth Durst

Title: The Queen Of Blood
Series: #1 The Queens Of Renthia
Author: Sarah Beth Durst
Illustrator/Book Cover Design: Stephen Martiniere
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Magic
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Received: Purchased
Release Date: April 2017
Pages: 388
Rating:




Author Sarah Beth Durst’s Official Websites:





Website:
http://www.sarahbethdurst.com/

Blog:
https://sarahbethdurst.blogspot.com/

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/sarahbethdurst

Twitter/X:
https://x.com/sarahbethdurst

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/sarahbethdurst/

TikTok:
https://www.tiktok.com/@sarahbethdurst

YouTube:
None Found

Shannon’s Thoughts:

The world of Renthia is full of magic, controlled by the Queen. The Queen must maintain the balance of the spirits that want to kill the people of Renthia. A new queen has been trained and picked. A young woman named Daleina has powers, but they are not as strong as others, yet somehow, she is in the running to be Queen.

This fantasy world is dark, and something in it reminds me of the Mercedes Lackey Valdemar series. It would be considered high fantasy. Even though there is darkness, the female characters and their different magic powers remind me of the Disney Fairy books. This book is not for kids—young adults, maybe, but not for children.

I don’t know if I will continue with the series. I enjoyed it, but I have so much to read. And I know that
Sarah Beth Durst has other books I am very interested in,

Any fan of Mercedes Lackey will enjoy it. I have not read much high fantasy, so I cannot think of anything like it, but there is a sweet darkness and hope throughout.

Shannon's Review - Harold Heard Butt Cake by B.Z. Humdrum

Title: Harold Heard Butt Cake
Series: Not At Moment
Author: B.Z. Humdrum
Illustrator/Book Cover Design: Unsure
Genre: Children, Picturebook, Fiction, Humor,
Publisher: Humdrum Industries
Received: Free For Honest Review
Release Date: Dec 2023
Pages: 31
Rating:



Author B.Z. Humdrum’s Official Websites:





Website:
https://www.bzhumdrum.com/

Blog:
None Found

Facebook:
None Found

Twitter/X:
None Found

Instagram:
None Found

TikTok:
None Found

YouTube:
None Found


Shannon’s Thoughts:

A young boy named Harold does not hear so well. The book follows him through a school day to home as he humorously mishears everything.

Harold hears so many funny things, including what he thinks is the type of cake his mother has made. The ending made me laugh out loud.

This book isn’t a series, but it really could be. I would love to see Harold mishear more things while going to a zoo or a museum.

Young children from toddlers to elementary school will enjoy this story and get a kick out of this book. They may even want to help mom or dad make a butt cake with the recipe at the end.

Shannon's Review - The Bear And The Nightingale by Katherine Arden

Title: The Bear And The Nightingale
Series: #1 The Winternight Trilogy
Author: Katherine Arden
Illustrator/Book Cover Design: David G. Stevenson (Design) and Robert Hunt(Illustration)
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Fairies, Magic
Publisher: Del Ray
Received: Purchased
Release Date: Jan 2017
Pages: 319
Rating:




Author Katherine Arden’s Official Websites:





Website:
https://katherineardenbooks.com/

Blog:
None Found

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/katherineardenauthor/

Twitter/X:
https://x.com/arden_katherine

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/arden_katherine/

TikTok:
None Found

YouTube:
None Found


Shannon’s Thoughts:

Vasilisa and her family live in the Russian wilderness. She and her siblings love to sit around the fire and listen to tales of magic, myth, and fairy tales. They live in a time when some still left food to honor the spirits of hearth and home. Vasilisa's mother passes, and her father remarries a woman who does not believe in the old tales and refuses to leave things to spirits. The town and its crops start to fail, and Vasilisa, who has magic in her blood, must become part of myth and fairy tales to save her family.

I read this before I read A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas, and there are some similarities in the main character. Vasilisa, like Feyre, loves her family and fights for them, and they both become part of the fairy tale. I love stories like this, with magic and mythology mixed. Some of the book comes very close to a horror-like feeling that I enjoyed. It reminded me of a Mike Flanagan TV series.

I wished Vasilisa's stepmother had avoided the evil stepmother trope, but the story would have been very different without her.

If you enjoyed A Court of Thorns and Roses, you might also like this. It is not as spicy as ACOTAR, but there is some romance.

Shannon's Review - Trunk Goes Thunk by Heather C. Morris

Title: Trunk Goes Thunk
Series: Not At Moment
Author: Heather C. Morris
Illustrator/Book Cover Design: Chantelle & Burgen Thorne
Genre: Children, Picturebook, Fiction, Animals, Opposites, Nature
Publisher: Gnome Road Publishing
Received: From Publisher for Review
Release Date: October 8th 2024
Pages: 32
Rating:




Author Heather C. Morris’s Official Websites:




Website:
https://heathercmorris.com/

Blog:
No Link Found

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/people/Heather-C-Morris-Books/100062070681575/

Twitter/X:
https://x.com/morrwriting

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/morr_writing/

TikTok:
None Found

YouTube:
None Found

Shannon’s Thoughts:


It is a beautifully illustrated book about wildlife and the connection to trees around us. A tree falls in the woods, and different animals use the tree in various ways.

My favorite part of this picture book is the art. It is truly gorgeous. The writing is cute and is an interesting topic for a story.

I had to read multiple times to make sure I understood the story correctly because, in my opinion, it did not flow very well.

This is good for kids seven and under. Autumn is an excellent time to read because it has a fall appeal. The book will be available on October 8th, 2024.

Shannon's Review - Wicked Nix by Lena Coakley

Title: Wicked Nix
Series: Not At Moment
Author: Lena Coakley
Illustrator/Book Cover Design: Jamie Zollars
Genre: Juvenile Fiction, Fantasy, Fairy, Magic
Publisher: Amulet Books
Received: Purchased
Release Date: October 2018
Pages: 176
Rating:




Author Lena Coakley’s Official Websites:





Website:
https://lenacoakley.com/

Blog:
https://lenacoakley.com/category/blog/

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/lena.coakley

Twitter/X:
https://x.com/lenacoakley

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/tulip_wars

TikTok:
None Found

YouTube: 
 https://www.youtube.com/@lenacoakley

Shannon’s Thoughts:

The Queen of fairies leaves Nix to protect the forest from humans. As he awaits his Queen’s return to bring him back to the home he remembers best. He sets traps to keep humans away from the forest. Soon, Nix learns things about his past and his fairy family he doesn’t remember.

Wicked Nix takes a twist that reminds me of Irish fairy tales. It is a short story for kids and is enjoyable. The ending is bittersweet.

I would have liked to see other fairies and what the fairy world looked like. It needed more actual details about the fairy world.

The story was sad and magical. I enjoyed it very much. It felt like an old fairy tale.

Shannon's Review - My Trip To The Hair Salon by Gordana and Neda Koljuskov

Title: My Trip To The Hair Salon
Series: Not At Moment
Authors: Gordana Koljuskov and Neda Koljuskov
Illustrator/Book Cover Design: Unsure
Genre: Children’s Picture Book, Fiction, First Haircut
Publisher: Tellwell
Received: Purchased
Release Date: Jan 2024
Pages: 32
Rating:



Author Gordana Koljuskov and Neda Koljuskov’s Official Websites:






Website:
https://mytriptothehairsalon.com/

Blog:
None Found

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/people/My-Trip-to-the-Hair-Salon-Childrens-Book/61554802231395/

Twitter/X:
None Found

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/mytriptothehairsalon/

TikTok:
None Found

YouTube:
None Found



Shannon’s Thoughts:


This book is a first for mother-and-daughter authors Gordana Koljoskov and Neda Koljoskov. Gordana’s daytime job inspired this book, My Trip to the Hair Salon. It is about a little boy named Timmy who needs a haircut and his parents take him to the salon for the first time. At first, Timmy is scared and excited because afterward, he has a birthday party to go to.

The story is simple and because the author has experience as a hair stylist it is written in a way that will help kids who are nervous about their first salon trip. The illustrations are clean and beautiful done in what is watercolor.

There are other books about a child’s first haircut and they are okay. I feel this one hits all the positive marks. It is written calmly and soothingly which I think is helpful. The fact that Timmy gets scared but then is calmed by the stylist quickly is done so with expertise.

Shannon's Review - Pumpkin Pie by Katelyn Brawn

Title: Pumpkin Pie
Series: #1 in Hap-pie-ly Ever After Series
Author: Katelyn Brawn
Illustrator/Book Cover Design: Unknown
Genre: Fiction, Fairy Tale Re-telling, Cinderella
Publisher: Omnibus Publishing
Received: Bought
Release Date: February 2018
Pages: 234
Rating:




Author Katelyn Brawn’s Official Websites:





Website:
None Found

Blog:
None Found

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/katelynbrawnauthor/

Twitter/X:
https://twitter.com/katelynbrawn

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/atomicapplepie_official


TikTok:
https://www.tiktok.com/@atomicapplepie

Other Links:
https://linktr.ee/katelyn.brawn

YouTube:
None Found


Shannon’s Thoughts:

This first book in the Hap-Pie-Ly Ever After series is a modern retelling of Cinderella. A senior in high school, Michelle, or Elle as her friends call her, is a hard worker at home and the pie shop in town. She doesn’t see much of her father and probably sees her mother and sisters more than she would like. So it should not have surprised her when her father wanted a divorce. While Elle feels betrayed by her father she is also finding a love she does not think she deserves.

I am a fan of fairy tale retellings and like the modern twist in this book. I also like the little hints about Elle's friends/coworkers linking them to other characters of fairy tales like Snow White, Beauty and the Beast, and The Little Mermaid.

There is not much I did not like about the book. Except that I craved pie a lot.

It was a smart retelling and did not feel like a bad Hallmark movie. I would give it a 4.5 out of 5. Stars and I will be reading more from the series. 

Shannon's Review - Monsterland by Michael Phillip Cash

Title: Monsterland
Series: Not At Moment
Author: Michael Phillip Cash
Illustrator/Book Cover Design: Unknown
Genre: Fiction, Horror, Vampire, Werewolves, Zombies
Publisher: Create Space
Received: Free From Publisher For Review
Release Date: January 2015
Pages: 223
Rating:



Author Michael Phillip Cash’s Official Websites:




Website:
http://www.michaelphillipcash.com/

Blog:
None Found

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/MichaelPhillipCash

Twitter/X:
None Found

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/michaelphillipcashofficial/

TikTok:
None Found

YouTube:
None Found


Shannon’s Thoughts:

Teenager Wyatt Baldwin, his little brother, and his friends are invited to the opening of a new unusual amusement park. It is similar to Jurassic Park but with vampires, werewolves and zombies. It’s not just one park but many all over the world will open at the same time. What sounds exciting and fun soon turns scary and life-threatening.

This is my first time reading this author, Michael Phillip Cash, and I did enjoy it. It was written well and the characters were memorable. The amusement park was described very much like Disneyworld only much darker which I found funny. I could see this as a PG-13 movie.

I liked it but I did not love it, because it was predictable. I am not sure how it could have gone any other way than it did. It was okay.

It was a quick read and had some fun moments and I could see this book getting a sequel. It is certainly set up for one. I have a pile of books from this author that I will be delving into soon.

Shannon's Review - Felicity The Dragon by Ruthie Briggs-Greenberg

Title: Felicity The Dragon
Series: Not At Moment
Author: Ruthie Briggs-Greenberg
Illustrator/Book Cover Design: Ruthie Briggs-Greenberg
Genre: Children’s, Fiction, Fantasy, Picture Book, Dragons
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Received: Free For Honest Review
Release Date: September 2015
Pages: 32
Rating:




Author Ruthie Briggs-Greenberg’s Official Websites:




Website:
https://www.ruthiebriggsgreenberg.com/

Blog:
https://www.ruthiebriggsgreenberg.com/ruthie-s-view

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/RUTHIEINC/

Twitter/X:
https://twitter.com/RuthieAuthor

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/ruthiebriggsgreenberg

TikTok:
None Found

YouTube:
www.youtube.com/@ruthiebriggsgreenberg4908


Shannon’s Thoughts:

Felicity is a shy dragon, unlike other dragons. She does not breathe fire and her wings are too tiny to fly with but she likes being helpful to all species.

Felicity's story is cute and fun. It has some rhyming and words that little ones will find funny like the word hiney.

I am trying to figure out how I feel about the art. Some pages I liked others less. I do appreciate how much work was put into them and the illustrations are very detailed.

I liked this one mostly for the subject matter and cute writing. The art is okay but not what I will remember it for. I would be interested to see if the author plans to do more picture books.

Shannon's Review - The Haunting OF Clandestine House by Celina Myers

Title: The Haunting Of Clandestine House
Series: Not at the Moment
Author: Celina Myers
Illustrator/Book Cover Design: Unknown
Genre: Fiction, Horror, Supernatural
Publisher: Overcast Publishing
Received: bought
Release Date: March 2019
Pages: 149
Rating:



Author Celina Myers’s Official Websites:




Website:
www.celinaspookyboo.com

Blog:
None Found

Facebook:
None Found

Twitter/X:
None Found

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/celinaspookyboo

TikTok:
https://www.tiktok.com/@celinaspookyboo

YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/CelinaSpookyBoo




Shannon’s Thoughts:

A young woman, Hannah Watts, buys an old abandoned house with the hopeful feeling that she can fix up the house and enjoy life in a new town. She quickly learns that the house has a darkness that very few escape.


This is the first book I have read by Celina Myers and I enjoyed that she is not afraid to let her stories get dark and stay dark. It is a very quick read as it is only 149 pages.


The story needed to be longer. I wanted to learn more about the house and its former owners and the town people.


I will be reading more by Celina Myers. I like the way she writes because she has a way with scary stories.

Shannon's Review - White Christmas Pie by Wanda E. Brunstetter

Title: White Christmas Pie
Series: Not Currently
Author: Wanda E. Brunstetter
Illustrator/Book Cover Design: Unknown
Genre: Fiction, Christian Fiction, Amish Fiction,
Publisher: Barbour Books
Received: Bought
Release Date: September 2008
Pages: 300
Rating:



Author Wanda Brunstetter’s Official Websites:






Website:
https://wandabrunstetter.com/

Blog:
https://wandabrunstetter.com/journal/

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/WandaBrunstetterFans

Twitter/X:
https://twitter.com/WBrunstetter

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/wanda_brunstetter/

TikTok:
None found

YouTube:
Https://www.youtube.com/user/WandaBrunstetter



Shannon’s Thoughts:

A winter wedding is planned for the Amish couple Will and bride-to-be Karen. Will was originally born in the English world, but at 6, his real father left him with an Amish couple, Mark and Regina. His father had meant to come back for Will after a couple of months but terrible circumstances happened that kept him from writing or physically getting him. When he finally did come for him Will and his adoptive family moved and his father had no way of finding him. Will now an adult and soon to be married still has abandonment issues. After 16 years his father has found him and wants to reconnect. Will must find a way to deal with his anger and find a way to forgive.


I am a fan of Amish fiction for two reasons: One is because they are light-hearted, cozy, and don’t need much brain power. Two my mother really liked them and now that she has passed away they make me think of her. This one was one of the last ones she had read. It was a comforting read. The back and forth between the Amish families and then Will’s English family felt different than some Amish fiction and I liked it because of that.


I was hoping for it to take place during Christmas but in reality, it doesn’t get to the holiday until the end of the book. I was also surprised there was no recipe in the back of the book for the pie because I have seen books that do put the recipes in the end.


Even with the holiday misdirection I still like Wanda Brunstetter’s Amish fiction more than others because I feel her books are always lite.

Shannon's Review - The Children's Blizzard by Melanie Benjamin

Title: The Children’s Blizzard
Series: No
Author: Melanie Benjamin
Illustrator/Book Cover Design: Barbara M. Bachman
Genre: Fiction, Historical Fiction, American History Fiction,
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Received: Purchased
Release Date: January 2021
Pages: 355
Rating:



Author Melanie Lynne Hauser (aka Melanie Benjamin) Official Websites:




Website:
https://melaniebenjamin.com/

Blog:
None found

Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/Melanie-Benjamin-Author-208671032480607/#

Twitter:
https://twitter.com/MelanieBen

Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/melaniebenjamin_author/

TikTok:
None Found



Shannon’s Thoughts:

On an unusual day in the Dakota territories in January of 1888 a blizzard strikes. Two teenage sisters who are also school teachers in different towns are tested beyond their measures to keep their students safe. One will succeed and one does not. Another young woman, a servant, hopes for love to reign in the disaster. All based on a sad true story that has betrayal, death, and hope.

I love Melanie Benjamin's historical fiction because she seems to be able to jump into each character’s mind so easily. The characters' emotions feel true and their reactions to things that happen just make sense.

This book did jump around to the 3 or 4 characters often. I did get confused about which sister was which. I think that is just me. I have horrible short-term memory and names don’t stick in my head.

I will continue to read Mrs. Benjamin’s books because I love them. She has a new one called California Golden either out now or soon. I look forward to it and future releases.

Shannon Review - In Every Generation by Kendare Blake (#1 )

Title: In Every Generation
Series: #1 In Every Generation
Author: Kendare Blake
Illustrator/Book Cover Design: Unknown
Genre: Fiction, Series, TV Series, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Vampires, Fantasy, Thriller
Publisher: Disney - Hyperion
Received: Free For Honest Review
Release Date: January 2022
Pages: 400
Rating:




Author Kendare Blake’s Official Websites:




Website:
https://www.kendareblake.com/


Blog:
https://www.kendareblake.com/blog/


Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/kendare.blake


Twitter:
https://twitter.com/KendareBlake


Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/kendareblake

TikTok:

Not Found

Shannon’s Thoughts:


It's been 13 years since Buffy Summers the vampire slayer and her friends did a spell to awaken all slayers worldwide. Now Buffy's best friend Willow and her daughter Frankie Rosenberg may be what's left to save the world. It looks like all the slayers including Buffy may be dead. We find out Frankie's parentage is a mystical one. Her mother Willow is a great witch her father, if you had to describe him, was mystical energy. Frankie has trained as a witch under her mother and now seems she is also a Slayer…? Frankie and her best friend Jake who is also Oz's nephew are looking for a way to help all the Slayers including Buffy.

This book takes place after season 7. This history does not follow the same as the comic books it's a whole new take. However, it does have regulars from the series like Willow, Oz, and Spike.


While I don’t think this is canon like the Dark Horse comics are this is an interesting way to go. I like the idea of Frankie’s parentage. Not sure how I feel about the return of Oz. I like Frankie as a character. The other characters are…okay.


On the downside, I don’t feel there was a lot of plot. It was mostly an introduction to the new characters. I also don’t feel this book would bring new readers or new fans. I think it would make sense to those of us who have watched the show but confusing to those who have not watched it.


I hope they keep writing books and comics to keep the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series alive. I know there are going to be 2 more books in this series and that there are 2 other prequels out now (one on Spike and the other on Tara). Anything that keeps the series active I will enjoy.