Boreal and John Grey

by Chrystalla Thoma

Dangerous Shades, magical portals, sexy elves and a spunky heroine. Welcome to Ella's world.

This is the complete First Season of the series Boreal and John Grey, books 1-5 (The Encounter, The Gate, The Dragon, The Dream and The Truth.

Centuries ago, they nearly conquered humankind. But their Gate to our world closed, leaving them out. Now the elves have found a way back.

Ella Benson, agent of the Paranormal Bureau, fights the Shades when they cross into our world, keeping everyone safe. But increasingly dangerous creatures are slipping into her city, her work partner has just gone missing, and a mysterious – and, quite frankly, hot — guy saves her life. His name is Finn and, as it turns out, he’s a natural when it comes to fighting the Shades.
When the Gates between the worlds start opening and the elves make a comeback, Ella needs a new, temporary partner. Enlisting the mysterious Finn is a no-brainer, until she realizes he is guarding dangerous secrets of his own.
Together with Finn, and the fate of the world on her shoulders, what’s Ella to do but grab her weapons and figure it all out, one way or another.

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Fantasy

538 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 1, 2013

About the author

Author with a penchant for dark myths and good food. I have proven my tendency to settle down anywhere but at home.
I like to write about fantastical creatures, crazy adventures, and family bonds. I write fantasy and science fiction.

Reviews

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is actually a set of five novellas that make up the complete first season of the series “Boreal and John Grey" (The Encounter, The Gate, The Dragon, The Dream and The Truth).

I was totally drawn into this urban fantasy; Ella Benson is an agent of a secret paranormal investigation team trying to keep her world safe from increasingly dangerous creatures that are slipping into her dimension from another realm. The story is told mainly through Ella so we get to know her character extremely well, as she tries to figure out what exactly is happening, why, and how to stop it. Woven with Old Norse mythology Ms. Thoma has created her own unique world full of oracles, dwarves, elves, goblins, dragons, wolves that are not your typical wolf, huge fly snakes and other fantastical creatures.

It wasn't hard to slip into this contemporary setting and become invested in the lives of all the characters in this story as they try to puzzle through the mystery of John Grey and the portals as the clues unfolded in a realistic way. The action is fast, furious, and intriguing. The characters are intelligent and strong but flawed with insecurities that are dealt with in a heartwarmingly realistic manner as all of the players stayed true to their own individual selves.

There were a few proofing misses, but not enough to really comment on except perhaps the words “Curioser and curioser”, I believe the words “Curiouser and curiouser” were meant to be used, that was a little jarring. I should also mention you will find profanity and adult sexual situations in this book but I don’t believe there were gratuitous. I thoroughly enjoyed this series and if you like urban fantasy or paranormal romance, I think you will also enjoy this. I look forward to following this series and checking out some of Chrystalla Thomas’ other books.

**Originally written for “Awesome Trilogies and Series” review page. May have received a free review copy. ** July 15, 2013

[Barbara Elsborg · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fast moving, action packed, strange creature filled romp of a story. A mix of Norse folklore and a vivid imagination, Ms Thoma has written a multi-layered, intelligent tale that never lets up from the first page to the last. I don't want to talk about the plot too much because I don't want to spoil the story. If you like urban fantasy - you'll like this. If you like paranormal romances - you'll like this.
Ella is a worthy heroine, brave and resourceful with a touch of mystery about her. She works for a paranormal investigative agency and fights off a variety of creatures who come through gates from a parallel world. There are dragons, wolves that aren't really wolves, flying snakes etc - all detailed in such a way that you can imagine them jumping off the page. The action sequences are very well written and exciting.
I'm very impressed with the world building and the cast of characters.I loved the gradual revelation of details about Finn in particular. I did suspect part of the twist but the story was no less enjoyable for it. The romance element is there, but light and sweet. Who couldn't fall for Finn!
There's more to come but the story stands as it is. You're not going to get to the end and go - what, where's the rest, but I'm very pleased there will be more of this world and look forward to reading on.

[Caroline Barker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chrystalla Thoma’s Boreal and John Grey has become one of my new favourite urban fantasy/paranormal book series. Absolutely hooked from the cover and first pages alone, I could not bear to put this book down (and I had to being the summer hols, spending time with my kids and all)!! There is definitely something for everyone (say 15yrs+) with this magical story of the human world having Gates appear from another world, where it brings Shades, snakes, dragons, dwarves and goblins, not to mention sexy elves! The story itself is complete with action and adventure, mystery and romance.

Ella Benson is an agent for the Paranormal Bureau and we begin the story with Ella investigating a report of an attack by a Shade. She is supposed to be meeting up with her partner, Simon, but when there is no sign of him she is left to tackle the Shades alone. The reader is made aware of the trouble that the Shades have begun to cause within the first few pages, how easily they can attack and the mystery of where Simon is.

The reader is also introduced to the hero of the series, Finn (although the series centres mostly on Ella being the heroine). Whilst having fought the Shades, Simon not showing – Ella is a little confused when she thinks she sees a man fighting off the Shades. Did she bang her head during the fight? Is she hallucinating?

Without Simon, and the Shades appearing more and more, causing trouble all over the city, Ella needs a partner. Who else is there to consider but Finn! He is aware of the situation and he seems to handle himself well in fighting them off, not to mention a little protective of Ella!!! As Finn becomes injured a little later, and with no place to go, Ella takes him in until he can stand on his feet and move into his own place.

The romantic magic is written beautifully as these two characters learn more about the other (Ella more than Finn)! However, doubts and caution come into play when Ella begins to believe that Finn may not be quite who she thought he was. Finn doesn’t help the situation as he remains a little grumpy on/off with one word answers but it is Ella’s suspicious mind that begins to see a little more into who Finn really is!

Throughout the whole season I did not doubt that Ella was a strong heroine and felt that she could survive anything. And yet I love how Ella still reads as a feminine character with not too much machoism and she has a caring personality where her friends and colleagues are concerned, and Finn!!! There are times, however, when the reader real feels Finn’s vulnerable side but even in some grave situations he remains protective to Ella. There are moments when the reader will question Finn’s actions, however!

I couldn’t help but view Finn’s character like that of Eric from ‘True Blood’ (especially the time when Eric cannot remember who he is – he is emotionally vulnerable and yet protective of Sookie). With his pale skin, blue eyes, beautifully set cheek bones plus the fact that he is able to look after himself there are also moments when Finn becomes injured and needs to be nursed by Ella. But even in times of being injured he will defend and protect Ella.

Boreal and John Grey (Complete Season One) consists of five books: The Encounter, The Gate, The Dragon, The Dream and The Truth. One of my favourite aspects of these books is the way in which they are written as ‘episodes’ of a series. I find books written in this manner pack as much action/adventure and story into each book, keeping it very much alive and at the same time the reader gets to know the characters gradually over the whole series. I also find that each subsequent ‘episode’/book will subtley recap the reader or introduce the new reader to the events of the story, allowing the reader to keep informed with the full plot! Chrystalla Thoma’s Boreal and John Grey (The Complete Season One) is no exception to this.

This series offers a great deal of realism from the characters having believable characteristics, including their flaws (i.e. vulnerabilities, confusion of events, mood swings, etc), and the focus on various myths and legends from historical era’s worldwide. After reading this series, along with Chrystalla Thoma’s bio, the reader can see how imaginative Chrystalla has been in taking modern life, realistic settings with Ella being an investigative agent and then opening up the story that dates back centuries with elves trying to conquer our world after Gates begin to open between their world and ours.

I would like to thank Chrystalla Thoma for inviting us to review her fantastic season of Boreal and John Grey for the purpose of an honest and fair review. Without the review request I may not have come across this 5 star work of fiction. I hope there is another series to come with these brilliant characters, their relationship and how they can save the world.

[Eva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Make sure you buy the complete Season 1 of "Boreal and John Grey" because after the first episode, you're going to be so addicted that you'll be clamoring for more, and as each episode ends with its cliffhanger, each one is better than the one that came before it, and trust me, you will want to have the rest of the story available immediately because you won't be able to put this book down. Season 1 is a collection of all five "episodes" or books 1-5 so far, and our story revolves around the unique combination of Norse mythology and legends with Elves mingled with the real world. Ella Benson, our protagonist, is a cop with a Paranormal Investigation team, and her partner, Simon, has recently disappeared under mysterious circumstances.

There are gates between the world of the Elves and Earth that are breaking down as the Veil is thinning, and we soon meet one such special Elf who has broken through, Finn. He's secretive and doesn't talk much but he's there for Ella when she needs him, and he's one hell of a fighter. They work together to figure out the mystery of what's been causing the gates to allow strange creatures through, as well as the significance of the enigmatic John Grey, who figures prominently in one of the Norse sagas that Ella reads up to try to make sense of what's going on and how she can prevent what turns out to be a full-scale invasion from the Elves.

This series has everything you could ask for--characters you can really get behind and root for as well as some more complex characters with definite shades of grey; intense action-packed fight scenes and interesting world-building with the Norse saga and mythology that ties in to the narrative quite well to make it more fascinating; and did I mention it's unputdownable? ;-)

You can read my full review on my blog here.

[Arlene Webb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Each episode of this five novella box set flows seamlessly into the next. Finn and Ella are characters I instantly bonded with, and I couldn't flip the pages fast enough as I became immersed in a detailed yet fast paced plot. Norse mythology, unique and fresh spins on Elves, dragons and so forth including an intriguing new type character that I’d give away a major spoiler by detailing but found fascinating. Add in a sweet romance with the perfect amount of tension and resolution, and I’ll happily wait for season 2.

[humanitysdarkerside · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved the scifi/fantasy/thriller story Boreal and John Grey, Season One. Thoma is an author that justifies self-published works. Season 1 contains the novellas "The Encounter" (45 p), "The Gate" (70 p), "The Dragon" (94 p), "The Dream" (100 p) and "The Truth" (107 p).

Although it was early September, the cold bit to the bone and the air smelled like snow. Snow and piss and trash. The alley stretched ahead, empty of life and strewn with crushed cans and paper.

Ella didn’t move. Faint humming filled her ears, and clicking noises sounded. The clouds above shifted, though no wind blew. The Veil was thinning. Shades would be lurking, waiting to pounce. In the past, faint, frail faeries came through; these had recently turned into more malevolent creatures — kobolds and goblins with a taste for blood. (p. 1.)

Right off the story reveals the quality of Thoma's work and the kind of story we can expect. The first two paragraphs seethe with potential action and foreshadow a dark story. For Boreal and John Grey, Season 1 is a dark and action-filled story about elements of the Paranormal Investigation Bureau (PIB) and its dealings somewhere in the US.

PIB Voyants ("Sight", i.e. can see Shades) are paired off and sent to investigate and deal with possible sightings of Shades (Vaettir). Ella Benson and Simon Esterhase make up one such pairing. An anonymous call was redirected to their team, yet only Ella turns up to hunt. What she discovers about the Veil and the Shades disturbs her boss, David Holborn. She does not reveal that when a goblin was about to kill her, it was instead destroyed by a man who fought "like a hurricane" and who left after making sure she was OK (without sharing his name). Throughout the story Ella finds that trusted people aren't trustworthy while suspicious characters might not be suspicious after all. We also meet the ever-trustworthy Mike, Ella's neighbour, friend and also Oracle ("He hears the Shades.”, p. 116).

Ella and the mysterious stranger are our main characters. Both are "Heroes", i.e. "solitary people who fight for the greater good to the detriment of themselves and who do what must be done so others can live normal lives."

Thoma tells us that she was inspired by the Icelandic saga Eddukvæði by Sæmundar (English translation). I saw this in the details of the story and how the characters from the Edda fit into modern US and its paranoia. Edda's inspiration made for recognizable yet new and original characters. I loved the description of the alternate evolution on a Boreal world (brrr).

Any steady reader of this blog knows that romance is not my thing. A majority of romance authors seem incapable of writing believable character interaction. Not so with Thoma. In this case I believed both the emotional and physical interactions that took place. The sex was European vanilla, and the violence held back yet remained believable. Swearing fit with its position in the story.

Certain issues were extremely relevant in a global context. Hatred left from wars leading to atrocious actions from extremist groups on both sides (e.g. Dave and Adramar) is one issue. Relationships across racial/ethnical divides is another. Child abuse a third. No preaching was involved. I hate preaching, even when I am the one doing the preaching. The worst part of the story was that it ended.

Information was weaved into the story in a manner that kept the drive going. No stutters or dissonances were found. Due to Thoma's world-building, and how tight the story was, I found it difficult to take breaks.

Each episode flowed flawlessly into the next and the amount of editing that must have gone into this showed. Fortunately, the novel ended without a cliff-hanger. There was a clear opening for continuing the story.

By now you must realise that I heartily recommend this scifi/fantasy/thriller. Fun characters, great resolutions, sex and some violence are all wrapped up into one of the better stories I have read this year.

This review can also be found on my blog humanitysdarkerside.com

[Kevis Hendrickson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let me get this out of the way. I'm not a big fan of urban fantasy books. Maybe it's the contemporary setting unconvincingly juxtaposed with folklorish elements that turns me off. Or perhaps, it’s the endless recycling of familiar supernatural types such as vampires and werewolves that fails to draw me in. But I can honestly say that if more urban fantasy books were like this series, I'd have to take a second look at the genre.

Boreal and John Grey (Season One) avoids the pitfall of similar books due to the intriguing concept of marrying the detective novel with mythology. I am impressed with the seamless way the Northern myths are interweaved into a tale that is equal parts action story and drama. The mystery that surrounds the main characters Ella and Finn compels the reader to venture into a world of prophesies, elves, and magic. Over the course of the series, the plot thickens and the mystery grows deeper, tantalizing the reader with a rich and fascinating tale of one woman’s desperate quest to save her world from impending doom. Against the backdrop of the overwhelming threat is a budding romance between Ella and her mysterious partner Finn, who is much more than he appears to be.

This series is a refreshing one that entertained me every step of the way. It's full of interesting characters, intrigue, wit, sizzling romance and tons of action. I highly recommend it to readers looking to dive into a riveting urban fantasy adventure. Can't wait to check out Season Two.

4 Stars.

[Kia Shiru · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where to start for this book.

First things first:
- Kick ass female character
- who is real and believable (and who doesn’t get raped)
- super hot and sexy elf
- who also is a great fighter
- and who actually has flaws that are realistic
- great plot

It’s hard to come up with something that I didn’t like about this story, maybe the ending... With which I mean, the fact that it ended.
I loved Ella, she was real, she kicked ass and wasn’t without flaws, of which one is that he has a wandering mind, which I didn’t mind at all. She was a female character that I’ve been missing lately. I can relate to her on a level that made me gasp out at times for things that happened and sometimes almost made me cry.
I also loved Finn. He is sexy, grumpy, silent and sexy. He is there to save Ella a couple of times but he also needs rescuing, and not just of the emotional type (I’ve seen that happen too often). Finn is flawed in so many ways that it’s hard to not want to care for him but at the same time, you know he would kick your ass if you’d show that to him openly.

I loved how Thoma combined Norse myths with her own ideas and the end product is a strong combination of myth and fantasy realism that works really well.

I’m looking forward to the next season.

(I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review)

[Natasha House · Rating 5 out of 5]

Boreal and John Grey is about Ella a paranormal-type agent who fights these creatures called “Shades” that slip from another world into ours. She’s fighting for her life when a mysterious stranger appears and saves her on more than one occasion. You dive into Ella’s world with lore that is woven throughout the story, and it doesn’t feel like it’s just dumped on you as a reader. The 3rd person element in the story seriously felt like first person to me (which I really liked!) and you felt as if you could really get inside Ella’s head. I really enjoyed this book a lot! In fact I highlighted some of the phrases in the book that made me laugh really hard. My favorite was “Eye-candy indeed. She’d get diabetes if she stared any longer.” There’s lots of action, fast-moving story-line, and lore to keep you intrigued. I have to say my favorites were the earlier books though, because of Ella’s sarcastic humor, it seemed to die down more when the love story element kicked in. A really good fantasy read!

[Patty Bentley · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you enjoy action, romance, dragons, wolves, multiheaded flying snakes as well as other paranormal creatures you will enjoy Christalla Thom's well spun tale. Ella Benson a agent of the Paranormal Bureau strong tough with a compelling desire to be needed. Then there is Finn a silver haired unyielding fighter who has a need to belong together they uncover secrets about themselves and try to keep our world being invaded by elves and other unsavory creatures. Ms.Thoma's detailed depiction of the elves parallel world and it's creatures is so powerful it draws you in and wont let you go until the last page. It was surprising to me how Ms. Thoma was able to entwine so much Norse folklore and still keep the story current full of action, drama and still have romance and strong bonds of friendship. This book is truly powerful, heartrending and memorable. Looking forward to next season.

[Kristin Scearce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received a free e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

If you like action and fantasy, this would be the series for you! Written in episodic form, we read about Ella, an agent for the Paranormal Bureau, just trying to do her job and stay alive at the same time. There's weird things crossing over into our world, known as Shades, and every day there's more and more. Then along comes Finn, a mysterious man who saves Ella's life on more than one occasion, and she must determine if he's friend or foe. There's tons of mythology, fantastical creatures, a murder to solve, and much more, so definitely add this to your reading list!

Also, there may be more episodes to come, so stick around and keep your eyes peeled!

4.5 stars =)

[Jen Wylie · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you love books with Fey/Elves don't miss this one!