C. Rae D'Arc's Blog

Book Club Resources for “Specter Inspector”

Book Clubs are amazing! I love attending mine (it’s been going for 20+ years)! Since books are my life (working at a book store, writing my own books, and networking with other awesome authors), I really enjoy the opportunity to listen to other people talk about books.

With that said, Specter Inspector is a fantastic book club book because it dips into EVERY fictional genre of Mystery, opening discussions for members to talk about their favorite genres and decide how to focus their future club meetings.
Specter Inspector is also extra fun to read in October, since it’s a safe “scary” book to read for those who don’t normally read scary stories.

Since I don’t always finish reading my book club books, I made this post SPOILER FREE. (That’s nothing to say about your discussions though).

To encourage and support book clubs, here are some resources to enhance your discussion of Spector Inspector.

Discussion QuestionsWhere would you live in the world of Novel, and why?
If you need help deciding, here’s a quiz!Aeron has a crippling fear of the dark. What’s one of your fears, and how have you worked to overcome it?Which character is your favorite? Why?What twist surprised you the most? Did you predict any?This series has a common theme of working through culture-shock and paradigm shifts. When did an eye-opening experience help you understand others in your own life?Deleted Scene

Specter Inspector went through a LOT of plot changes. At first, I planned for Aeron to interview in Mystery then return to his homeland (Margen–the Grimm’s side of Fairy) to find and solve a Case among his own people.

CLICK HERE to read Alternative Scene of Aeron’s First Meeting with Nita

[Aeron’s on a ferry, going from Mystery to Fairy, Fantasy. He notices some passengers, including three women (one middle-aged and two others in their 20s). They all have the same brown hair, presumably family.
One comes and talks with him . . .]

If she was pretending to not know who I was, she failed. . . .
“Your accent–?  Are you a Fantasy native?”
“Yes, I’m returning home.”
“That’s so cool!  I mean, I’ve never been to Fantasy before.  What’s it like?”
I quirked a small smile, “This is your first trip to Fantasy?  . . . Mysteries categorize my people as fools.  They see our lack of technology and old-fashioned mannerisms and assume our society lags behind.  Little do they recognize that we have magic to surpass even some Sci-Fian tech.”
“Is that so?  Isn’t that dangerous?  Maybe you should keep me company for protection.”
She battered her eyelashes at me and swayed out then back in to come closer than before.  She was too good at flirting.  Maybe it was time to slip up a little.
“You shouldn’t be in any danger.  Though I reckon you’d survive even an emergency.”
Her flirtatious expression caught on my Horror accented words.  “Did you stay in Northern Mystery?”
“No.  My mother’s a Horror.  The suspicious tone of Northern Mysterys is similar to the hushed Horror accent.  By the way, I never got your name?” I asked.
She showed off rows of tinted teeth in a slightly jarred smile.  “Sandra Hahn.”
I struggled to contain my smile to a respectable line.  “No, it’s not.”
Her smile faltered, “What?”
“Ironic, isn’t it?  Your ‘sister’ asked if I was an undercover detective while you’re the one who plays the role.”
A split second couldn’t have measured her shift as she latched onto me like a viper.  She trapped my body between her own and the railing.  Passersby would assume we were in a passionate embrace as she wrapped her arms around me and grinned as she lifted her lips to whisper in my ear.  They wouldn’t see the small blades pressed against my neck and wrist.  They wouldn’t hear the threatening tone in her voice.
“What gave me away?”
I struggled to gather my wits again, then struggled against her hold.  No use.  I swallowed a heavy gulp of saliva to make sure the blades wouldn’t cut me if I talked.  “Hahn is a common name particular to Guzd.  It’s difficult to tell, but you’ve had your teeth and hair dyed to appear as a local.  Then you claim ‘Sal’ is your sister, but her jawline and cheekbones are softer than yours and the three of you have different laughs.  You’re not family.  Yes, I haven’t forgotten about your ‘mother’.”  I spared a quick glance to the deck below where the older woman hiccupped at being found.  “So tell me, ‘Sandra,’ what’s your real purpose in going to Aven?”
‘Sandra’ didn’t make any motion at first.  My thoughts had time to drift to the intimacy of our position before she retracted her blades and stepped back.  She stared hard at me, and chewed on the inside of her lower lip for a good minute.  Then, “What business is it of yours?”
“Technically, royalty is a family business, so if you’re spying in my uncle’s town, it’s my duty to inform him.”
She breathed deeply, then sighed, “It’s not the town, but the man that worries Mystery.  There’s always someone spying on Lord Fromm, the Night Terror.”
“That’s hardly an undercover operation,” I scoffed.  “Uncle Dunstan’s been by the book for over a decade.  Or is it two now?”
She smirked, “Don’t tell me you’re ignorant of his past or capability to turn.”
I hardened my eyes on her.  “I don’t know anyone, living or spirit, who’s proud of every decision they’ve made.  Concern your mission on his people, not the man.  His heart is in the right place.”
“If you say so,” she shrugged, “though it’s my mission regardless.  Will you compromise it?”
My instincts were to alert my uncle.  However…  “No.  If Dunstan knows the Mystery State is suspicious of him, he’ll become suspicious of them in return.  That break of trust would do more damage than ignorance.”
She gave me another long stare, then shifted back to her flirty stance.  “Then I suspect I won’t worry about seeing you again.”
With her shift, I relaxed enough to quirk a smile.  “I don’t know.  I imagine a skilled agent like yourself spends a lot of time in Mystery’s Police Departments.  We might end up as partners in a Case.”
“So you are a detective?”
“No.  Not yet, at least.”
With a flirtatious smirk she turned away and waved over her shoulder, “Take care of yourself, Lord Haunted.”
I watched her go, realizing I never got her real name.  If she was on a Case, though, I doubted any pressure could divulge it.  I turned back to my railing corner and watched the scenery drift by.  I kept an eye out for her and her companions, but didn’t run into them again for the remainder of the trip.  I hoped to catch one more glimpse of her when docking in Aven, but the woman alluded me.

[This scene was deleted when Aeron stayed in Noir, Mystery.]

Frequently Asked Question:

One of my most common questions is “What inspired the world of Novel?” The answer is actually quite complicated, but you can read about it here!

Concerning inspiration for Specter Inspector, I began writing Aeron’s adult story back in 2018, when Don’t Dance with Death (Aeron’s childhood introduction) was only 1/3rd drafted and early alpha readers of Don’t Date the Haunted (the book that started it all) frequently commented on how much they enjoyed the snippet of Pansy’s layover in Mystery. After exploring the lands of Romance, Fantasy, and Horror in the Haunted Romance trilogy, I wanted to explore the other genres of Novel.
Also, somewhere in there, I’d seen “The Sixth Sense” film, and I wanted more about the kid who solves murders because he can see dead people.

There’s More!

Did you know that Specter Inspector is a Next Generation follow up of my Haunted Romance Trilogy? Officially meet Aeron in Don’t Dance with Death: Haunted Romance #3!

Specter Inspector is also Book 1 in the Dead and Back Again series. Follow Aeron, Nita, and Truth’s next step in Visionary Investigations: Dead and Back Again #1.5!

Contact me!

Have you ever wanted to ask the author direct questions about a book you’ve read? I’m available! If your book club chooses to read one of my books, send me an email or message me on Facebook or Instagram to let me know. I’d love to attend your meeting! Even if I’m not local to your area, I’m open for a video call.

Submit a form.

Behind the Scenes of Dreaming Beauty: England!

A large part of the plot of my “Dreaming Beauty” plays on the fact that Sleeping Beauty was asleep for a very long time and the “good fairy gave her most agreeable dreams,” making me wonder, “What did she dream about?”

This could have been answered in countless different ways, but I chose to play with the idea of her dreaming about modern England. Why?
Because it’s where my heart is.

I grew up with stories about my mom living in England for 18 months and always dreamed of going there myself. There came a point during my university years where I realized, if I wanted to visit England so badly, I needed to make it happen.

So, I signed up for a Study Abroad during the Summer of 2012 (totally oblivious to the Summer Olympics and Queen Elizabeth II’s Jubilee year).

I found that writing in a journal once a week wasn’t enough to express everything during that short summer, but I kept record of my adventures through my pictures. I took an average of 100 pictures per day. Here are some of the places that inspired Emer’s journey in “Dreaming Beauty.”

Boscastle and Tintagel

We hiked along the coast between Boscastle and Tintagel, and I found the views absolutely stunning. Considering that Emer had never seen the ocean before, I thought it was the perfect place to welcome her to England.

St. Michael’s Mount

Visiting St. Michael’s Mount felt like visiting a fairytale. With markers for The Giant’s Heart and The Giant’s Well, turrets and gardens that seemed out of this world, I knew I needed to include it in a fairytale retelling.

Notice the Dr. Suess-ish looking plant? That’s the one I used for Emer’s experiment to grow to the sky.

Stonehenge

I’ve actually been to Stonehenge twice as I went there in 2012 then again with my husband in 2017. I love the mysteries about the iconic monument and thought they’d be the perfect setting for Emer to try her magic.

The Seaver’s Townhouse

Based on the London Center where I lived with 40 other students for 6 weeks.
In an effort to convince a bunch of university students to respect the place, one of our professors said, “The fireplace is worth more than my house.”
My bed was on the 5th floor (top) with a window exit to the roof, where I felt like Peter Pan had already whisked me away to this magical place. That’s where I based Caden’s nursery.

Kew Gardens

I returned to Kew Gardens in 2017 to share the beauties with my husband. With Emer’s love and magical powers with plants, I knew she needed to visit this reservation of plants.

London

Oh, London. I didn’t leave my heart there. It’s always been there, and I just visit it when I get the chance. I knew Emer needed to visit the city and explore its mashup of cultures.

There are many more places in the British Ilses where I wish Emer could have visited (such as Oxford, Cambridge, Land’s End, Bath, Stourhead Gardens, The Eden Project, Dover, and Edinburgh to name a few…).

For “Fairest and the Frog,” I knew that I needed to explore more of England by showing off Warwick Castle and the beautiful Lake District (I could die happily there).

One of the other places I visited twice included Hanover Court (home of the Tudors) as my main influence and inspiration for Ruezdad Castle (from “Don’t Marry the Cursed: Haunted Romance #2”).

Stormlight #5: Knights and Knowledge

[Please insert here a scream of EVERY emotion!]

I don’t know if I can wait another 2+ years for the next books because [*gaaagh!*] I called it, but not in the way I wanted!

Okay, first of all, this is BOOK FIVE of Brandon Sanderson’s Stormlight Archive. If you haven’t read the first four, you will be thoroughly confused. Even if you have read the first four books but you haven’t read Mistborn, Elantris, and Warbreaker, you still might be a little confused.
However, I suggest reading The Sunlit Man after Winds and Truth because minor spoilers occur.

Supposing you’ve read the first 4 Stormlight Archive books and other Cosmere best-sellers…

We start off with TEN DAYS.
Ten days to claim what lands they can and end the war with Odium. It becomes a mad scramble to keep and regain kingdoms as boundaries will become official with the treaty. Adolin goes to help Azir, Jasnah goes to Thaylen City for support, and Szeth and Kaladin need to reclaim the honorblades and Shinovar. Meanwhile, Dalinar and Navani have decided to use their bondsmith powers to explore his visions and the past, unwittingly pulling in other main characters and villains.

The book has ten parts. One for every day. So, there’s a LOT happening in a lot of places with a lot of characters. Hello, Epic Fantasy.

Minor Spoilers and Trigger Warnings

Despite their treaty deadline, there’s still a war going on for ten more days, and they make the most of it. There are a few main character deaths and brutal (but not gory) fights.

While this book includes a LOT of therapy (even meta-therapy), it also includes a couple of sensitive topics.

There is an on-page same-sex kiss with a few sections leading up to their romance.
There are also a few chapters from “god’s” perspective if that makes you uncomfortable.

Final Rating…

I enjoyed the book overall, but for reasons explained in my spoilers section below… I’m a little annoyed. Still, intriguing, enlightening, and leaving me glad there will be five more of these books, I give Wind and Truth ****4.5 stars.****

About the Ending…Spoilers Ahead!

Alright, I did not want this to be a spoiler, but I CALLED IT! Kind of.

Please refer to my predictions section in my review for Rhythm of War. I hadn’t changed it since reading Wind and Truth.
I predicted the last book would have the acronym of KoW…which it would have with “Knights of Wind and Truth” (the title of the book this one is based on), but whatever. Mess up the perfect palindrome.
I also predicted either Dalinar winning in the end for a happily ever after
OR
Odium would win and everyone would scramble to make it right, probably by involving shards from other planets.

But the problem is, I predicted that mess to happen at the end of Part 1! Not the end of the book!

With the expectation of this book rounding off the “first set of five,” I’d expected a more solid conclusion. I’d expected a large time and technology jump before Stormlight #6, that Wind and Truth was meant to conclude the first arc of the Stormlight Archive…
However, the ending of Wind and Truth doesn’t feel like a conclusion for me. It feels like the ending of The Way of Kings as some big things are concluded, but there are also several “Oh no, now what?” problems left open.

Because–what the heck, they find Odium’s well, but they’re not trying to destroy it? And the Stormfather’s been replaced by Syl and Kaladin’s basically a demi-god? Oh, not to mention whatever Shallan might be because she’s the daughter of a demi-god–I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS!
It almost felt like a series finale where writers frequently mess up their main characters’ lives to the point that we almost don’t care to know about their “happily ever afters,” but then we have so many problems hanging out in the open!

I’m fine. Everything’s fine. Don’t mind me. I’m just suffering from story trauma. Welcome to the Stormlight Archive.

A DEED Well Done

This urban fantasy explores a fun variety of mythical creatures from around the world. We follow Rebecca, a mythical working for the Department of Extraordinary Emigration and Delivery (AKA: DEED). As the cover reveals, she’s a centaur with the ability to contain her hind legs to appear as human. This was a fun and fresh perspective for me as I don’t know many books with a centaur main character.

Set in our diverse modern world with a land of hiding mythical creatures, Rebecca’s a field agent, whose job is to make sure mythicals remain secret and safe from ignorant and/or abusive humans. To do this, she’s trained in multiple forms of combat and weaponry to safely secure and transport her clients to safety. To the great pleasure of any thriller reader, this book explores the various ways that can be applied and go wrong.

The reader gets to chase the thrills on high suspension between car chases and the gathering of team members for a covert rescue mission. Mr. Doran also explores the tension of her daily job life as we never know what to expect with each of Rebecca’s visits to clients.

Many of Mr. Doran’s books include romance (and as a hopeless romantic, I’m constantly looking for characters to ship), but DEED’s relationships are less about romance and more about family.

Cleanliness

Despite the high tension and multiple Covert Ops fight scenes, there’s very little blood. There are no sexual references and no vulgar language. I’d say ages 10+ as it would probably make a fun but intense PG movie.

Final Thoughts

Even though the main character is a little older (30s?), she has a motherly nature as she interacts with younger characters to make this book feel appropriate and relatable for younger readers. I think this could be a fun book for a mom and tween/teen daughter to read together.

Heart-warming and thrilling to the end, I couldn’t wait for the next page in this whimsical thriller.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

In the end, I give it ****4.5 Stars****.

This is a stand-alone, but I hope there are sequels, because these characters are too intriguing, and there’s SO much I want to explore in this version of our world.

Meet the Team of Visionary Investigations

Visionary Investigations Agency has a small but mighty team with a variety of…odd strengths.

Meet Truth Locke

Based on one of my oldest characters, Truth was inspired by a family I created with The Sims 1 (particularly using Unleashed and Makin’ Magic expansions, which dates her back to at least 2003).

If you don’t care for the full insane story, skip the next block.

I made Sahuie Gauzier by literally button mashing for her name because (before Makin’ Magic was available) I wanted to create a crazy Professor Trelawny-like character who would match my crazy completionist desires (I like to do ALL the things). So, when Sahuie got a dog named Shasta from Unleashed, I trained it in every way to win all the awards.

Then, Makin’ Magic was released to satisfy my love for the arcane. I had Sahuie learn every spell, make every potion, grow every crystal, and she climbed that beanstalk for the “credits” of the never-ending game.
Naturally, I also tested the spell to turn a pet into a human. Shasta became human and my new favorite character to do ALL the things.

Except, Makin’ Magic was the final expansion released with The Sims 1, meaning the only thing left for me to do with Shasta…was create stories with her. Using the photo tool, I turned her “scrapbook” into a storybook.
For some reason, that meant making her fall in love with a vampire.

Why a vampire? The Sims 1 didn’t have vampires. However, Makin’ Magic (2003) had a spell, “Beauty or Beast,” that could temporarily make a Sim look like a vampire. Also, The Sims 2: Nightlife was released in 2005, and that may have influenced my brain (despite never owning it).
Twilight was also published in 2005, but I didn’t really know about or read the series until Eclipse was released (2007).

All I know for sure is that I created a new character, Ricky Van Pier (I thought I was so clever), specifically to look like a rich vampire and to fall in love with Shasta. In her storybook, I gave him more depth and a full conflict of interest as he didn’t start as a vampire, but was turned into one, then he turned Shasta into one, then together (with Sahuie’s help), they found a cure.

I began writing “Shasta’s Story” in a Word doc around 2008, then wrote my Creative Writing: Short Stories Final paper with an herbalist named Truth in 2011.

During Covid, I played D&D with some friends and created Verida (“veritas” = “truth” in Latin). We played an over-powered game with feats, and she became my favorite D&D character.

Please note her PASSIVE senses… Thankfully, the DM also enjoyed her, and based an NPC off of her in another campaign.

As an inside joke with myself, I included Truth Locke like a cameo in Don’t Date the Haunted (published in 2020). But when it came to exploring the State of Mystery, I knew I needed to include her and finally explore her story.

Now, that’s a LOT for a backstory of any character. Sometimes, as writers, we need to simplify our characters because “they have too much going on.” So, instead of basing Truth directly off of Sahuie or Shasta, I made Truth the adopted third generation of those crazy women.

Again, for fun cameo, readers get a glimpse of Shasta and Ricky in Visionary Investigations.

Meet Aeron Spade

Speaking of characters with too much going on, the next member of the Visionary Investigations Agency is Aeron Spade.
Okay, if you really want to meet Aeron Spade, read his book, Specter Inspector: Dead and Back Again #1.

But if you really want to meet Earl Aeron Spade/Aeron Fromm, The Haunted, of Margen, then read his official introduction in Don’t Dance with Death: Haunted Romance #3.

Inspiration for his character came with exploring the idea of “What kind of kid would Pansy and Theo have?” Also, “The Sixth Sense” turns a scared little boy into a little boy who can solve murders and give justice to the dead. I wanted to see more of that.

Again, Aeron has a much deeper backstory. I originally wrote Specter Inspector as a direct follow up to Don’t Dance with Death, expecting the reader to already know about Aeron Fromm’s childhood abduction and royal inheritance. However, I ran into the same problem of too much going on. To simplify it for new readers, I decided to give him an alias as Aeron Spade–a young man just trying to serve justice to the dead who haunt him every night in his sleep.

Meet Nita Incog

Nita Incog is the team specialist on weapons and combat forms. Need to pick a lock? Need to get in and get out without being noticed? Need to incapacitate a threat? Nita’s the one for the job.

Inspiration for her character came from watching the Bourne movies and Agents of Shield TV series. I’d explain specifics, but… spoilers.

PS. I flipping love this picture of Aeron and Nita (even if it was AI generated).

How Tall Are You?

What do you think of that cover? Do you like it? Does it not scream Christmas contemporary romantic comedy?
I hope so. That was my goal in making it.

Introduction

At six feet tall, Abby Knotts is used to comments about her height and questions about her athletics, but her love has always been the piano. With her new teaching job at The Piano Co, she eagerly takes on students—including a handsome adult student: a tech CEO named Thomas.

Thomas Johnston is in love with Juliet, his long-time college crush (and current marketing director), but can’t seem to catch her return interest. After learning about her fondness for musicians, he decides to learn the piano to perform at the work Christmas party. With Abby as his teacher, however, he quickly realizes another area where she could teach him: the art of flirting. Abby agrees to teach him how to flirt, and Thomas finds he’s a quick learner…as long as he can remember that Juliet’s the reason he’s learning piano and flirting, not Abby.

Real Life Inspiration

Since I personally know the author, I can verify that the author is writing what she knows with Yes, I’m Tall. Mrs. Aimee also six feet tall. And a piano teacher. And a natural flirt. And she decorated for Christmas in October.
She also based other main characters on real-life people (Thomas is based on her husband, and Abby’s friends are based on Mrs. Aimee’s university roommates).
Even though her other two published books are “romantasies,” contemporary romance is her favorite genre to read, so this book is (again) writing what she knows.

Cleanliness

As a Christmas romance, you can bet there’s a non-denominational reference to the birth of Jesus Christ, but the story’s more about the music and festivities than religion. (Like a classic Hallmark film.)

Along those lines, there’s no foul language, no sexual content, and no violence. The most “sexual” comment is Thomas noticing sexy heels and a co-worker remarking how they’d have “tall babies.” (Again, like a classic Hallmark film.)

Disclaimers…

To whom it may concern: Yes, I’m Tall is written in present tense like this blog post and many other slice-of-life romances. Present tense can be tricky, but Mrs. Aimee does it well.

Disclaimer #1: I had a large influence in the making of this book. I was an alpha reader, the formatter, and the cover artist. That said, I wouldn’t accept those positions (or to claim my part) for a trash book.

Disclaimer #2: this author is one of my best friends. In fact, this author and I are such good friends, that Yes, I’m Tall includes a character (Rose) based on me. As such, I’ll admit this is one of my most biased reviews.

Even still, I try my best to look with an outsider’s perspective, and to someone who loves contemporary non-denominational Christian romantic comedies, I think they’ll be more than pleased with Yes, I’m Tall.
****4.4 Stars****

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

This is book one is a series of stand-alone novels.

King’s Dark Tidings #6: Long Live the Raven

After the satisfying ending of Kel Kade’s King’s Dark Tidings: Dragons and Demons (#5), I had my predictions, but was very curious where this next book would take us.

For an introduction, here’s a quick synopsis of my thoughts on the previous books in Kel Kade’s King’s Dark Tidings series:

Book (Amazon Link)

My Review (Post Link)

My Rating

1) Free the Darkness

Good Tidings of Darkness

Rating: 5 out of 5.

2) Reign of Madness

in comments of #1

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

3) Legends of Ahn

in comments of #1

Rating: 3 out of 5.

4) Kingdoms and Chaos

For the Love

Rating: 4 out of 5.

4.5/0) Mage of No Renown

If Only They Knew

Rating: 4 out of 5.

5) Dragons and Demons

All the Feels

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Considering that, just because I love the first book doesn’t mean this book gets an automatic 5 stars. So, let’s break it down.

This review is SPOILER FREE, but…

This is an ongoing series, and I highly suggest you read the previous books before jumping into Knight of Shadows, because a LOT has happened up to this point. So, I’ll keep this post spoiler free to Knight of Shadows (#6), but the previous books are free game here.

Supposing you’ve read the previous books…

For a refresher, Dragons and Demons (#5) ended with only a couple of problems, but they were kind of major:

Emperor Rezkin is declared dead (I warned you–spoilers of previous books)Frisha’s locked up and replaced with a golem spy

As I expected, this story begins 6 months after the ending of book 5 as Rezkin’s empire scrambles to stay strong without him. Tieran refuses to take his place as Rezkin’s heir because doing so would admit his death. Rumors of him being alive are all that’s keeping assassins from killing the Queen of Lon Leresh (because they don’t want Rezkin to become king), and Cael’s treaties through Rezkin are all that’s keeping other kingdoms from warring with each other.

With all this on the line and the rumors of his survival causing doubts, Battle Mage Wesson, Eihelvanan Azeria, and a few others visit the tomb only to find a raven carving in the empty grave.

The party is split again as Wesson goes to Ashai, seeking mages who haven’t sworn allegiance to King Caydean, and Azeria follows the rumors to seek the infamous Raven.

Don’t worry, that’s all within the first five chapters. I’m keeping this spoiler free.

Other focuses of the story make the book feel like two parts as the first half deals with Frisha’s predicament, then the second half deals with Yserria in Lon Leresh as King Caydean comes to know of her soul stone and wants to replicate it to make slaves for his demon army.

As days (sometimes weeks) pass with a single sentence, the timeline was a little tricky to follow, and I found myself bookmarking the maps for quick reference as the characters travelled.

One reason I loved the earlier books in this series was because of Rezkin’s humorous misunderstanding of social norms and behaviors. After spending enough time with his friends and learning to accept emotions from book 5, that form of comedy has pretty much disappeared. Unlike other books in this series, Knight of Shadows didn’t make me laugh out loud. In fact, my most comical moment was one I concocted in my head as I imagined Rezkin struggling like a normal person to catch his unruly pet.

“Is that a dragon!?” …
Rezkin reached for Seena, but she scurried away from his grasping hands. “Yes,” he said, “this is Seena. She is my companion.” He reached for her again and just missed catching her. “She is usually better behaved, but she has been cooped up in the satchel for too long.”

– King’s Dark Tidings: Knight of Shadows, by Kel Kade

Cleanliness vs. Vulgarity

Knight of Shadows continues the series content of violence with a dash of gore. We get a fight scene in every chapter, including many covert assassinations, street fights, and debates with death on the line. Continuing on the theme from the previous book, Rezkin battles against several demons with the amateur aid of his toddler dragon (which is equally cute and fearsome).

As with book 4, it seems that simply being in the kingdom ruled by women means there’s an uptick in the romance. Similar to the river scene in book 1, there’s a nude scene of “rescue during a bath” with some ogling.
There are no sex scenes, but Rezkin and Azeria continue to share sensual dreams (one involving nudity, but no descriptions of body parts).
There is one brief same-sex kiss as Rezkin is disguised as a woman and struggles not to knife the man.

Concerning crude language, I only spotted two instances of swears (bl**dy h*lls, and h*ll), both spoken by Malcius.

Final Score

Knight of Shadows introduces and nicely resolves some new plots, and I enjoyed the growth of some characters and the long-term plot.
However, I missed the humor of culture shocks and predicted the surprise twist about a certain character (revealed in the final chapter).
****4.2 stars****

Rating: 4 out of 5.To Be Continued…

This book is a strong build up toward an intense battle yet to come. I really hope Mr. Kade finishes the King Caydean arc with the next book.

Whispering Willow

I’ve known Kay Ross for a decent time, but I was brutally honest with her the first time I read Whisper–back in its early draft stage. Basically, it needed an editor (like all books do). To my great pleasure, she found not only an editor, but a whole publisher who picked up her story, then reached out to me again to ask for a review after its publication.

So, here I go again, being completely honest.

Characters

The protagonist and narrator of this story is probably the most unique part that catches my attention; Whisper is a sentient curse.
You read that right. The story begins as the spell gains its sentience, feeling fear then pain as one of its hosts is killed. This quickly leads it to establish a rule: don’t die.

Unfortunately, this is set in a world where curses are created by mixing magics, and they’re not simple little hexes to put moles on faces. No, crossing magics creates inky monsters that inhabit people, can transfer by a mere touch, and violently kill their hosts when extracted. In this world, anyone who has been touched by a curse is killed (either by the curse itself or the sorcerers with the power to eradicate them).
With this in mind, Whisper establishes another rule: don’t let others die.

One of the first people Whisper inhabits is a young woman named Ethene (nicknamed E). As a servant to the queen, she manages to connect Whisper to Ront, the queen’s adopted son and bodyguard. With a goal to stop death, Whisper seeks out its creator, Zota, a low sorcerer.

I’m trying to keep this spoiler free, but all this takes more than the first few chapters. This is mostly because there’s a lot of exposition. That happens in a fantasy set in a kingdom that’s a blend between five other kingdoms with five separate magics. I wouldn’t call Whisper a “high” fantasy simply because there are only humans (and a sentient curse), but there’s a high learning curve for this story (not just in the beginning). Depending on how much you enjoy discussions of world building and flashbacks, some may call the story slow (though the whole story takes place in a single day).

Themes

With Whisper’s goal about stopping death, there’s a heavy theme on reasons why someone might end a life (their own or someone else’s). It pairs with a repeated question: do you risk one life to save the many?
There’s also a reoccurring idea of fear and how individuals react to it (fight it, use it, or run from it).

Unlike most books I typically read and review, Whisper has NO romance. There’s plenty of love, compassion, and willing-to-die-for-you sentiments, but it’s all familial. There’s a flashback that touches on the queen’s first love, an arrangement for a marriage in the future, then a joking hint of a possible romance in the next book (which I’d personally love to explore), but that’s the extent of any references to romance.

Cleanliness

I was actually a little conflicted about how “clean” to call this story.
There are maybe two instances of biblical swearing (d*mn*d and h*ll), but all other vulgar language is represented through fictional replacement words. Infrequently, at that. It’s actually a bit comical as non-magic people swear by shouting ineffective spells.
Since there’s no romance, there’s no worry about sexual content. To my gratitude, there are also no innuendos or harassment (save for one moment in the beginning when Ethene doesn’t like a guard touching her).

However, I wouldn’t freely give this to an 8-year-old because there’s a lot of violence. Despite Whisper’s main goals not to die and to end death, there’s a lot of it. There are also a few suicide attempts as Whisper’s hosts initially prefer to kill themselves quickly rather than spread the curse or be killed violently by the curse.
So, if book violence triggers you, you’ve been warned.

Final Thoughts

Though the plot and setting are fully-fleshed elements, Whisper felt more like a character story as we literally got into their heads. I enjoyed Whisper’s child-like innocence, Ethene’s thoughtfulness toward others, and Roth’s loyalty (not just to duty, but to those he deems family). There are a few other fun characters I’d mention in a spoiler review. Even though this story’s not my usual (I prefer some elements of romance), I enjoyed the story and characters enough to want book 2. Yes, this is the beginning of an on-going series, but this first book nicely resolves itself. I’m curious to see more of the world and what the characters do next.

****4.5 Stars***** for being cute, thought-provoking, and surprising.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Finding Fairytales Today

This isn’t my first contemporary middle reader book to read by Wendy S. Swore, but this is my first to review.
While I liked A Monster like Me, it felt predictable and almost annoying when the main character judged another character with a similar problem. (3.5 stars)
I rather preferred Strong Like the Sea which includes interesting Hawaii culture and fun clues throughout the story. Despite its clever writing, it didn’t give me enough to consider for a full book review. (4.1 stars)

On the other hand, Sleeping Spells & Dragon Scales gives me a lot to say.

Quick Introduction

Meet Alaina, a pixie-haired daughter of a modern blacksmith who loves books, believes in magic, and deals with Type1 Diabetes. She used to be best friends with Liam, a realist soccer champion of their 6th grade class.
They’ve been assigned as partners for a project to write their own fairytales and “find magic in their everyday lives.” Alaina takes on another project to help Liam cure the curse of his sudden and frustrating naps and strange muscle locking.

Personally, I really related to these characters. (Not only because they’re set in Camas, Washington – which banks the Columbia River like my own home.) As a fan of soccer and one who studies fairytales, I loved the exploration of common and lesser-known stories (including Rip Van Winkle, Tolkien’s essay, Kate Crackernuts, and others).

I was especially grateful that Alaina’s character was given friends. So many times in stories, we get that booklover/ D&D player/ oddball cast as a loner, but that’s not realistic. Especially these days with social media and Nerd = Interested in Stuff, there’s a group for anyone, and we deserve like-minded friends.

Main Themes

Sleeping Spells & Dragon Scales is perfectly written for middle readers who often stop believing in magic, as the characters look for magic in the mundane and write their own fairytales. The turning of real modern-day problems into fairytales shows how fairytales are actually retellings of real life.

My favorite parts of this story are its themes and messages.
Not only did I enjoy the power given to fairytales and friendship, but I really appreciated the all-too-real struggle with Type1 Diabetes and an unknown illness, the frustration of negative tests that claim, “you’re fine,” the grief that comes from a chronic diagnosis, then the process of moving forward to continue living life despite it all.

Cleanliness

Sleeping Spells and Dragon Scales is a middle-reader, meaning there’s a small picture every few chapters, then the main characters are 11-12 years old and on the brink of discovering romance. With a male and female protagonist regularly hanging out, there’s teasing about boyfriends/ girlfriends and “true love’s kiss,” but the one-second moment of lip locking isn’t about romance.
There’s no swearing or violence, but there’s some in-person and cyber bullying regarding their health issues. That’s sadly normal (and relatable) for middle-reader books these days.

More dramatic, there are a few life-and-death moments for the main characters between Alaina’s Type1 diabetes and Liam’s muscle-locking problem.

Overall

As an advocate for fairytales and raising awareness of seen and unseen health problems, I’ll happily recommend this one to anyone who wants to see a little more magic in their lives. Sleeping Spells & Dragon Scales is great for middle-readers, English teachers, parents, and fairytale lovers. Out of all of Wendy Swore’s books, this one easily my favorite. *****Solid 5 Stars*****

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Crank it Up

Not too long ago, I went to book club where I had the following summary of a conversation with a fellow author:

“I’m going to Anacortes, Washington, for a writer’s retreat. Do you want to come with me?”
“I love that area! When is it?”
“Next week.”
. . . “I just got back from a week in Utah for FanX, then had another conference last weekend, so…let me ask my husband and see if I can get work off.”

Guys, my loving husband said, “Alright,” and I managed to get work off. It was so spontaneous and fun! I’d happily go again. It was a little stressful leading up to leaving since I volunteered last minute to present at the retreat, and I left the day of hitting “Publish” for Little Red and the Lumpy Bed: Dreaming Princesses #3. However, publication days are hard for me, and I needed the time away from my computer and the stats.

The reason I’m sharing all this is because they hosted a writing contest during the retreat. The rules were simple:

Write a flash-fiction story no longer than 300 words.It must include the words:CartFrozenWeighScanStore.

My initial thought was to take the first chapter of Alerton (my unpublished post-apocalyptic YA that’s set in a grocery store). However, after cutting that 3,000 word chapter down to 700 words, I lost interest in the story and decided to start over, instead taking inspiration from my steampunk work-in-progress.

I won third place for the following story . . .

Crank it Up

The back-alley arena was crowded with more tattoos than people wearing sideways or backwards bowler caps with political symbols.
Host pushed into the center with the first two fighters, and immediately the crowd widened around them. Like the world’s simplest chorister, Host bounced his hands up for everyone to cheer. Using a cone to amplify his voice, he bellowed over the shouts,
 
“Everybody, let’s make a rattle!
We’re about to start a rap battle!
Roar some more for a better encore,
‘Cause a war’s in store that we can’t ignore!”

The eager audience shouted as he punched the sky.
“Our first contestants are the Instra-Mentalist and Hecca Wright!”

A gangly factory worker and a rough young woman stepped into position, taking aim with their stares.
The crowd weighed their bets and muttered their expectations until Host lowered his arms for silence. The nearby mechanical parts factory groaned with metal gears as a distant steam pipe whistled.

With the flip of a copper penny, Hecca Wright was given the first attack.

“Yeah, you heard right, I’m Hecca Wright!” she shouted to the crowd, then turned to her opponent.

“You stand there all cold, as if you’re the chosen,
But you’re not cold enough, ’cause I’ll leave you frozen
Like a fish, all dead-eyed and stacked on the cart,
With my other opponents who weren’t all that smart.
Take a look, scan the crowd, and read the room.
You’ll see this battle will seal your doom.
You think that girls can’t stand the rap circle?
But–oh! What’s this? I just rhymed with purple!”

The audience erupted into hoots and hollers. Host smirked, wondering how the reactions might have differed if any else recognized Hecca Wright as the wife of the factory manager, the always prim and proper Lady Rebecca White.

Crank it Up © 2024 by C. Rae D’Arc is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 

I had a lot of fun reading that out loud to a bunch of women (mostly clean romance authors) who had no idea what was coming.

When the 2nd place winner got up to read her story, she said, “I think I just got upstaged.”
Apparently, my performance was impressive enough that the keynote speaker asked if I narrate audiobooks. Hah! No.