3 Books I’ve Beta Read (Now Published) Part 3

Medieval crime and action, a supernatural thriller, and unpredictable science fiction. Here are three of my favorite books of the year so far.

Hand of the Executioner by: Sebastian Priest

Viktor the Executioner is by far one of my favorite male characters in all of fantasy. The dark content of the book isn’t something I’d normally pick up, but once I started reading, I couldn’t stop. I couldn’t get enough of Viktor. He’s sarcastic and menacing, yet he’s morally righteous, and his romantic side is absolutely desirable. The book has themes of a crime novel, with Viktor playing detective, and themes of fantasy with the coolest dungeon ghosts I’ve ever read. I love the City of Chains book series (there are three books so far), and I’m on the edge waiting for the next one.

Cold Keep: Reprisal by: James Lurid

A prison tormented by a blood-thirsty beast and a cast of characters you’d die for are the top two reasons Cold Keep: Reprisal will be one of your favorite reads of the year. I first fell in love with the nineties-themed cover of the book (not the one featured on Amazon) anticipating it would have that nineties crime feel, and I certainly got that and more! The book was twisted in a way I hadn’t anticipated. There were scenes where I sat terrified, shrunk in my reading chair covered in goosebumps reading a million words a minute to see what happens next. And if Eddie doesn’t just tug at your heart strings, I don’t know a character that will. I loved this book from the opening chapter and craved more of it by the end.

The Undulating Shadows by: DC Eastman

The most memorable moment of this book was the M. Night Shyamalan moment at the end that tied the details together in a way I never saw coming! DC Eastman’s crafting of characters had me both in tears and terror reading the stories and fates that brought them together. What is the shadow that haunts the characters as kids and traumatizes them as adults? Will the unusual band of friends be able to stop it before it claims more lives? I’ll tell ya, I couldn’t put the book down until I found out! I want to pour out how much I love this book, but I don’t want to spoil anything! You’ll just have to read it for yourself.

If you read any of these books, don’t forget to leave a review! Thanks for reading.