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Livi Talbot #1
Solomon's Seal
EX-DEBUTANTE. SINGLE MOTHER. TREASURE HUNTER.
Disowned and left penniless for getting pregnant at seventeen, former celebutante Olivia Talbot was willing to do whatever it took to provide for her daughter…including become a treasure hunter. Since the Pulse hit, activating relics of legend, there are plenty of artifacts to be had—not to mention wealthy clients willing to pay top dollar for them.
Just as her daughter’s private school tuition cheque bounces, Livi gets an offer that could be the break she needs to return to some semblance of her former life. A potential new client wants her to travel to Ethiopia and retrieve the Seal of Solomon—a mythical ring said to control demons and djinn—and this bounty comes with one hell of a financial pay off.
The deadline: a week. The team: unreliable. The competition: her world-renowned archaeologist older brother. Nothing Livi can’t handle… Except the danger goes beyond a few subterranean serpent-dragons she might encounter or tangling with her employer’s deadly second-in-command. This client isn’t all he seems, and handing him the ring might be worse than what he’ll do to her—and her daughter—if she doesn’t.
Disowned and left penniless for getting pregnant at seventeen, former celebutante Olivia Talbot was willing to do whatever it took to provide for her daughter…including become a treasure hunter. Since the Pulse hit, activating relics of legend, there are plenty of artifacts to be had—not to mention wealthy clients willing to pay top dollar for them.
Just as her daughter’s private school tuition cheque bounces, Livi gets an offer that could be the break she needs to return to some semblance of her former life. A potential new client wants her to travel to Ethiopia and retrieve the Seal of Solomon—a mythical ring said to control demons and djinn—and this bounty comes with one hell of a financial pay off.
The deadline: a week. The team: unreliable. The competition: her world-renowned archaeologist older brother. Nothing Livi can’t handle… Except the danger goes beyond a few subterranean serpent-dragons she might encounter or tangling with her employer’s deadly second-in-command. This client isn’t all he seems, and handing him the ring might be worse than what he’ll do to her—and her daughter—if she doesn’t.
342 pages, Paperback
First published September 20, 2016
20 people are currently reading
412 people want to read
About the author
Skyla Dawn Cameron
60 books188 followersFriend Requests: I am really happy to accept new friends, however there is a challenge question. I realize it sounds bitchy, but I don't like author spam any more than any other reader. I ignore requests that don't respond to the challenge question (unless I *actually* know you in some capacity).
Please don't spam me with invitations to read your book. Thanks.
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Award-winning author Skyla Dawn Cameron has been writing approximately forever. Her early storytelling days were spent acting out strange horror/fairy tales with the help of her many dolls, and little has changed except that she now keeps those stories on paper. She signed her first book contract at age twenty-one for River, a unique werewolf tale, which was released to critical and reader praise alike and won her the 2007 EPPIE Award for Best Fantasy. She now has multiple series on the go to keep her busy, which is great for her attention deficit disorder.
Skyla lives in Southern Ontario where she dabbles in art, is an avid gamer, and watches Buffy reruns. She’s naturally brunette, occasionally a redhead, and currently blonde. If she ever becomes a grown-up, she wants to run her own pub, as well as become world dictator. You can visit her on the web at www.skyladawncameron.com for free fiction, book news, a community forum, and tons of other totally awesome stuff.
Info about the current series she's working on--which begins with Bloodlines--can be found at www.ZaraLain.com
Please don't spam me with invitations to read your book. Thanks.
-----------
Award-winning author Skyla Dawn Cameron has been writing approximately forever. Her early storytelling days were spent acting out strange horror/fairy tales with the help of her many dolls, and little has changed except that she now keeps those stories on paper. She signed her first book contract at age twenty-one for River, a unique werewolf tale, which was released to critical and reader praise alike and won her the 2007 EPPIE Award for Best Fantasy. She now has multiple series on the go to keep her busy, which is great for her attention deficit disorder.
Skyla lives in Southern Ontario where she dabbles in art, is an avid gamer, and watches Buffy reruns. She’s naturally brunette, occasionally a redhead, and currently blonde. If she ever becomes a grown-up, she wants to run her own pub, as well as become world dictator. You can visit her on the web at www.skyladawncameron.com for free fiction, book news, a community forum, and tons of other totally awesome stuff.
Info about the current series she's working on--which begins with Bloodlines--can be found at www.ZaraLain.com
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
May 14, 2020
3.5/5
Fast-paced, with good lines, exploration, and supernatural creatures. A solid start to a series.
Fast-paced, with good lines, exploration, and supernatural creatures. A solid start to a series.
June 28, 2018
There are some books you can't help but love, this is one of those books.
My formative years and early twenties were filled with Indiana Jones, Relic Hunter, the Librarian, Tomb Raider games and movies. For the last decade or so, there hasn't been much in way of treasure hunter stories that captivated me the same way.
Until now.
Livi is a strong female character who doesn't succumb to the bad guy charm and has common sense. She feels fear but faces it. She recognizes her weaknesses and her strengths. And she is not ashamed.
Livi hunts down treasured artifacts for her clients, unlike her rival and brother Martin who works for the museums and is always getting in her way.
She enjoys the work on some level, but ultimately she is doing it to provide for her daughter Em. Em is an endearing, intelligent, no-nonsense little girl. The book addresses not only the excitement and joy of paranormal/supernatural relic hunting but also the challenges of being a parent and navigating childhood.
I don't think there was a character I didn't like in this book. With cave dwelling dragons, Solomon's Seal, a mysterious benefactor, lots of action, and lots of emotion packed into this book you can't go wrong.
You'll devour this one quickly.
My formative years and early twenties were filled with Indiana Jones, Relic Hunter, the Librarian, Tomb Raider games and movies. For the last decade or so, there hasn't been much in way of treasure hunter stories that captivated me the same way.
Until now.
Livi is a strong female character who doesn't succumb to the bad guy charm and has common sense. She feels fear but faces it. She recognizes her weaknesses and her strengths. And she is not ashamed.
Livi hunts down treasured artifacts for her clients, unlike her rival and brother Martin who works for the museums and is always getting in her way.
She enjoys the work on some level, but ultimately she is doing it to provide for her daughter Em. Em is an endearing, intelligent, no-nonsense little girl. The book addresses not only the excitement and joy of paranormal/supernatural relic hunting but also the challenges of being a parent and navigating childhood.
I don't think there was a character I didn't like in this book. With cave dwelling dragons, Solomon's Seal, a mysterious benefactor, lots of action, and lots of emotion packed into this book you can't go wrong.
You'll devour this one quickly.
September 28, 2016
A friend of mine suggested this book to me and, as I'd just finished something else, I decided to give it a shot.
Boy, am I glad that I did.
I'd been reading too much zombie related fiction to be honest, so I wanted something different but still filled with action. Check. I love strong female characters, and this book is centered around them. Another check. It'd be nice to have some humour thrown in here and there, check again. All of this came across from just the first chapter or two.
The main character, Livi Talbot, is fantastically complex and simple at the same time. Her relationships with her family - especially her father and brother - are really complicated, to say the least, while her dogged dedication to being a mother above all and to her best friend Pru are straightforward and strong. Even then, there are times when that reverses, when she protects or seeks help from her family or when she examines her friend's needs versus her own for example. All of this makes her an incredibly detailed and three dimensional character in my humble opinion.
I'll admit that at first blush I wondered if Livi would come off as a Lara Croft (of Tomb Raider fame) clone or something along those lines, but I couldn't have been more wrong. While I sometimes picture the two looking alike, particularly with the dual wielding of handguns, Livi Talbot is her own character, and how.
The other characters shine through too, Pru and Dawson especially stood out to me personally. The supporting cast as a whole do a great job of moving the story along and are all believable and play their own part. Oddly enough I'm not a huge fan of Dale West, at least not yet, but I am curious to see where things go with him.
If you're into urban fantasy, or heck, just fiction in general, I highly recommend checking this book out. The author is hoping to write as many as ten books in this series, pending on how much interest it generates, so the more people that get into it the better. Once you've read it you'll want it to catch on just as much as I do, and I truly hope it does just that.
Boy, am I glad that I did.
I'd been reading too much zombie related fiction to be honest, so I wanted something different but still filled with action. Check. I love strong female characters, and this book is centered around them. Another check. It'd be nice to have some humour thrown in here and there, check again. All of this came across from just the first chapter or two.
The main character, Livi Talbot, is fantastically complex and simple at the same time. Her relationships with her family - especially her father and brother - are really complicated, to say the least, while her dogged dedication to being a mother above all and to her best friend Pru are straightforward and strong. Even then, there are times when that reverses, when she protects or seeks help from her family or when she examines her friend's needs versus her own for example. All of this makes her an incredibly detailed and three dimensional character in my humble opinion.
I'll admit that at first blush I wondered if Livi would come off as a Lara Croft (of Tomb Raider fame) clone or something along those lines, but I couldn't have been more wrong. While I sometimes picture the two looking alike, particularly with the dual wielding of handguns, Livi Talbot is her own character, and how.
The other characters shine through too, Pru and Dawson especially stood out to me personally. The supporting cast as a whole do a great job of moving the story along and are all believable and play their own part. Oddly enough I'm not a huge fan of Dale West, at least not yet, but I am curious to see where things go with him.
If you're into urban fantasy, or heck, just fiction in general, I highly recommend checking this book out. The author is hoping to write as many as ten books in this series, pending on how much interest it generates, so the more people that get into it the better. Once you've read it you'll want it to catch on just as much as I do, and I truly hope it does just that.
September 4, 2018
I've seen this described, and described it myself, as Indiana Jones meets Laura Croft, but someone else described it as Harry Dresden meets Laura Croft, which probably better accounts for the supernatural elements. However, it's also its own thing and so much fun.
Livi Talbot is a single mom, a former debutante who had gotten pregnant in high school, disowned, and now tracks mystical treasures for a living. Anyone looking for an atypical main character to shake up the cookie cutter traditional blues should start looking here. There's a lot of action and supernatural goings on, so strap in and jump feet first down the Livi Talbot rabbit hole. You won't be disappointed.
Livi Talbot is a single mom, a former debutante who had gotten pregnant in high school, disowned, and now tracks mystical treasures for a living. Anyone looking for an atypical main character to shake up the cookie cutter traditional blues should start looking here. There's a lot of action and supernatural goings on, so strap in and jump feet first down the Livi Talbot rabbit hole. You won't be disappointed.
November 19, 2017
This book is a book about Lara Croft (ie. Tomb Raider) doing Lara Croft things. If that concept sounds interesting to you, then you might like this book. It’s a fun book about not technically Lara Croft cause that would be copyright infringement. That out of the way, I’m going to continue on the assumption that you don’t know who that is.
Plot:
Olivia Talbot had been hired by a man of questionable repute to lead a band of rough mercenaries into some deep, dark caves, which may or may not be filled with unnatural guardian monsters, and retrieve and old, and possibly magical, ring. If this sounds dangerous, well that’s because it is, but it’s also the kind of thing Livi does on the regular. Treasure hunting is a profitable line of work for the once privileged, now disowned girl. Well ‘profitable’ might be a bit of a stretch based on what we see of her current living situation, perhaps ‘sustaining’ might be a more apt term. Sustaining of course, only on the condition that she doesn’t die, which is a very real possibility.
Characters:
Livi - Livi was once a spoiled rich girl, but after getting knocked up and not married she was cast out by her father and made to fend for herself, and her child, without any of daddy’s money. Mix four parts tough chick, one part overconfidence, two parts justified confidence, and 20 parts trying to give her daughter a charmed life and you have a rough approximation of Livi’s core characteristics. She tried a few other things before getting into treasure hunting, but she had something of a knack for claiming old relics so she stuck with that.
There are of course other characters in the book, but I feel like they either fall into the camp of being not quite important enough to get called out or spoilery if I were to say anything of note about them.
Setting:
Being an urban fantasy, the world this book takes place in is very nearly the world in which we all live. The only difference between the two is that some years prior to the events of this book there was an event called “the pulse.” In short, this strange magic ripple caused a bunch of magic stuff to basically wake up, imparting little bits of magic, in various forms, throughout the world.
My Thoughts:
This is pretty much a case of it’s what it says on the tin. There’s aren’t any huge surprises; there was one thing I didn’t see coming but it winds up not really having that huge of an impact on the course of events. It seems like something that’s mostly a setup for possible things in the later books and justification for one character to be more tough and awesome than they might otherwise be able to reasonably pull off.
Despite the lack of surprises, I still thought it was pretty good. I’d think of this as something roughly akin to a book version of an action movie. Everything plays out more or less the way you expect it will, but there are gunfights and explosions and some subterranean dragons so I was happy to be along for the ride.
Plot:
Olivia Talbot had been hired by a man of questionable repute to lead a band of rough mercenaries into some deep, dark caves, which may or may not be filled with unnatural guardian monsters, and retrieve and old, and possibly magical, ring. If this sounds dangerous, well that’s because it is, but it’s also the kind of thing Livi does on the regular. Treasure hunting is a profitable line of work for the once privileged, now disowned girl. Well ‘profitable’ might be a bit of a stretch based on what we see of her current living situation, perhaps ‘sustaining’ might be a more apt term. Sustaining of course, only on the condition that she doesn’t die, which is a very real possibility.
Characters:
Livi - Livi was once a spoiled rich girl, but after getting knocked up and not married she was cast out by her father and made to fend for herself, and her child, without any of daddy’s money. Mix four parts tough chick, one part overconfidence, two parts justified confidence, and 20 parts trying to give her daughter a charmed life and you have a rough approximation of Livi’s core characteristics. She tried a few other things before getting into treasure hunting, but she had something of a knack for claiming old relics so she stuck with that.
There are of course other characters in the book, but I feel like they either fall into the camp of being not quite important enough to get called out or spoilery if I were to say anything of note about them.
Setting:
Being an urban fantasy, the world this book takes place in is very nearly the world in which we all live. The only difference between the two is that some years prior to the events of this book there was an event called “the pulse.” In short, this strange magic ripple caused a bunch of magic stuff to basically wake up, imparting little bits of magic, in various forms, throughout the world.
My Thoughts:
This is pretty much a case of it’s what it says on the tin. There’s aren’t any huge surprises; there was one thing I didn’t see coming but it winds up not really having that huge of an impact on the course of events. It seems like something that’s mostly a setup for possible things in the later books and justification for one character to be more tough and awesome than they might otherwise be able to reasonably pull off.
Despite the lack of surprises, I still thought it was pretty good. I’d think of this as something roughly akin to a book version of an action movie. Everything plays out more or less the way you expect it will, but there are gunfights and explosions and some subterranean dragons so I was happy to be along for the ride.
October 29, 2018
Loved this book - really great action, characters and conflict in a fast paced urban fantasy
June 8, 2020
I enjoyed this book a lot. Eight out of 10. In this story, Livia is asked to retrieve Solomons seal. In the story the path which was a supernatural phenomenon it all supernatural creatures and powers really do exist. I really liked the giant snakes. They were really creepy. Well done with the story.
March 20, 2017
*I requested a copy of this book from the author or publisher for review.
Olivia does her best to make a home for her daughter, Em, and give her everything she deserves by hunting down pulse activated artifacts for private paying clients. When the check bounces for her daughters prestigious school, Olivia takes a job that takes her away from home and into the underground caves with a new crew of experts. While she's 'leading' the expedition to find the ring of Solomon, Livi will learn there are more than 'activated' artifacts that have come to life since the Pulse. Livi'll have to dive into the mouth of danger to save herself and those around her that become friends. And that's only in the caves, what she faces when she returns home will drive all maternal instincts to kick in.
Skyla has packaged several things I rarely see together, and yet love as a combination. Adventure with danger, a mother and family connections, and a hot man that's a potential love interest (for me and the lead character). The story feels like a cross between Tomb Raiders and a single, hard-working mom with a supernatural feel to the world since the Pulse occurred. The artifacts of the past are activated and can be dangerous with the powers they possess. The creatures that can be present! Oooh never know what I'm going to come across in this world!
Olivia, Livi as I like to call her, is one strong woman! She's a single mom making ends meet in the world. She has a strong sense of rules about her when it comes to a team she works with. She also has a quick mind with what needs to be done on the job as nothing is what is expected and in retorts to others.
There is a strong family connection present for Livi. Well, where her daughter is concerned. Livi, like every parent, wants the best for Em and works hard to get it. Sure work pulls her away time to time but being a single working parent it happens. But Livi has support and help. Pru, her best friend, has been there through thick and thin. Pru is an important element in the family and also has normal human troubles that ties the story to the world we know. Pru lives with MS. These friends are there for each other and help each through the tribulations of life. Now Livi also has troubles in the way of family, with her father and absent mother but that is a topic for later.
We also have a connection that sparks with new friend ties. Dawson is the first to connect with ease with Livi. But there are others as we read that gives a feel of a full cast of characters that are needed to get the job done. I'm hoping to see several of them again in the future!
Lets talk about West. Um! Hot! He's a dangerous man but feels to have a baseline to his ways as well. He's not always around, but when he was I loved seeing him and Livi interact. There was a flirtation between them I found put a smile on my face as they bantered. Buttons! lol. I can't wait to see them together more as the books come!
Skyla draws many great elements together for us in the book. The world's not perfect and even Livi's world is the same way. Pru lives with MS. It's something they all work through as a family, Livi, Em, and Pru. There is so much support here and it's amazing! There are family troubles. Livi is on the outs with her father but still talks to her brother. Livi lives with not knowing who Em's father is yet there is a great man from Livi's past that is willing to be the father figure for Em. Totally an awesome step for him! Then we learn of West's past, just a drop, and where he's from - North Korea. There are terrible things that happen to people there. But through all these hard times and memories, there is the fun and love and enjoyment of having people around that do love you. Livi and all the characters keep their chin up and move on through the days making the best of all they have and do.
It's well written with a balanced blend of humor and adventure you can't deny is spellbinding. Skyla's smooth writing easily walks me through the dangers with Livi. I could picture what was happening, even though I've never been caving.
Thank you Skyla for creating a story with so many extraordinary elements that I've been wanting together while keeping the story real and grounded.
Olivia does her best to make a home for her daughter, Em, and give her everything she deserves by hunting down pulse activated artifacts for private paying clients. When the check bounces for her daughters prestigious school, Olivia takes a job that takes her away from home and into the underground caves with a new crew of experts. While she's 'leading' the expedition to find the ring of Solomon, Livi will learn there are more than 'activated' artifacts that have come to life since the Pulse. Livi'll have to dive into the mouth of danger to save herself and those around her that become friends. And that's only in the caves, what she faces when she returns home will drive all maternal instincts to kick in.
Skyla has packaged several things I rarely see together, and yet love as a combination. Adventure with danger, a mother and family connections, and a hot man that's a potential love interest (for me and the lead character). The story feels like a cross between Tomb Raiders and a single, hard-working mom with a supernatural feel to the world since the Pulse occurred. The artifacts of the past are activated and can be dangerous with the powers they possess. The creatures that can be present! Oooh never know what I'm going to come across in this world!
Olivia, Livi as I like to call her, is one strong woman! She's a single mom making ends meet in the world. She has a strong sense of rules about her when it comes to a team she works with. She also has a quick mind with what needs to be done on the job as nothing is what is expected and in retorts to others.
There is a strong family connection present for Livi. Well, where her daughter is concerned. Livi, like every parent, wants the best for Em and works hard to get it. Sure work pulls her away time to time but being a single working parent it happens. But Livi has support and help. Pru, her best friend, has been there through thick and thin. Pru is an important element in the family and also has normal human troubles that ties the story to the world we know. Pru lives with MS. These friends are there for each other and help each through the tribulations of life. Now Livi also has troubles in the way of family, with her father and absent mother but that is a topic for later.
We also have a connection that sparks with new friend ties. Dawson is the first to connect with ease with Livi. But there are others as we read that gives a feel of a full cast of characters that are needed to get the job done. I'm hoping to see several of them again in the future!
Lets talk about West. Um! Hot! He's a dangerous man but feels to have a baseline to his ways as well. He's not always around, but when he was I loved seeing him and Livi interact. There was a flirtation between them I found put a smile on my face as they bantered. Buttons! lol. I can't wait to see them together more as the books come!
Skyla draws many great elements together for us in the book. The world's not perfect and even Livi's world is the same way. Pru lives with MS. It's something they all work through as a family, Livi, Em, and Pru. There is so much support here and it's amazing! There are family troubles. Livi is on the outs with her father but still talks to her brother. Livi lives with not knowing who Em's father is yet there is a great man from Livi's past that is willing to be the father figure for Em. Totally an awesome step for him! Then we learn of West's past, just a drop, and where he's from - North Korea. There are terrible things that happen to people there. But through all these hard times and memories, there is the fun and love and enjoyment of having people around that do love you. Livi and all the characters keep their chin up and move on through the days making the best of all they have and do.
It's well written with a balanced blend of humor and adventure you can't deny is spellbinding. Skyla's smooth writing easily walks me through the dangers with Livi. I could picture what was happening, even though I've never been caving.
Thank you Skyla for creating a story with so many extraordinary elements that I've been wanting together while keeping the story real and grounded.
July 28, 2020
Skyla Dawn Cameron’s Solomon’s Seal (Livi Talbot) (Volume 1) starts off a new series with a bang! It has a bit each of a handful of genres: thriller, urban fantasy, adventure, and horror.
Livi Talbot is an ex-rich girl whose father disowned her when she got pregnant out of wedlock. The Pulse is a weird event which recently “activated” a bunch of magical artifacts, and brought out the non-human in some people. Livi supports her and her daughter Emaleth (Em) by hunting Pulse-activated artifacts for wealthy clients. Unfortunately, sometimes she goes up against her own brother, Martin, who hunts artifacts in order to put them in museums–and who isn’t afraid to play dirty to beat her at her own game. A rich man, Moses Ashford, proposes to pay her five hundred thousand dollars–an unheard-of amount that she badly needs–to find and return to him the Seal of Solomon. He’s put together a team to go caving in Ethiopia with her: Dawson, tech genius; Laurel, his “voice” at the expedition; Mr. Rolph, a scholar; and a handful of mercenaries. They plan to delve deep underground in order to find the ring. Once they enter the cave system they find chewed-on human bones, and Livi starts to suspect there are things she hasn’t been told.
There’s a wild ride of an underground adventure here, with definite overtones of horror. The group isn’t alone down there, and the mercenaries make sure they know there’s no going back. Livi and Mr. Rolph are experienced cavers, and Dawson was left back at base camp, but Lauren at least is new to caving–not a great trip to start with! Livi also ends up contending with Mr. Ashford’s right-hand man, Dale West, who’s rumored to have done some very nasty things to people who have failed Mr. Ashford. Add to that the fact that they’re on a deadline, Martin is also on the hunt for the Seal, and someone really doesn’t want Livi to give the ring to Ashford, and things get dicey.
Even the smallest details are done really well. When someone has to buy new clothes for Livi without her input, they don’t measure her with their eyes and understand women’s sizing well enough to magically provide her with a perfect fit. It’s the little things like that which give the story a very “real” feeling. The setting is great, ranging from a gala event to mud and blood in underground passages. Livi’s roommate (and occasional babysitter for Em) Pru has MS, but does her best to help out, and she and Livi are clearly close. I also love the fact that Livi nicknames a large white tiger “Buttons.” (Why no, tigers are not native to that area. That’s part of the fun!)
The characters are great. There aren’t many black-and-white characters. Even Livi’s more principled brother Martin will go to great lengths to beat his sister to an artifact–from having his helpers shoot at her to having the police arrest her. There are, however, a couple of truly nasty characters. I loved seeing Livi try to mesh mothering a six-year-old with finding ways to support both of them. Em is having trouble in the private school Livi springs for, and it’s awfully hard for her to deal with it from Ethiopia.
There’s terror, danger, and… well, more terror. Also some snark. All in all, this is a fantastic book and I can’t wait to read book two!
Original review posted on my blog: http://www.errantdreams.com/2020/07/r...
Livi Talbot is an ex-rich girl whose father disowned her when she got pregnant out of wedlock. The Pulse is a weird event which recently “activated” a bunch of magical artifacts, and brought out the non-human in some people. Livi supports her and her daughter Emaleth (Em) by hunting Pulse-activated artifacts for wealthy clients. Unfortunately, sometimes she goes up against her own brother, Martin, who hunts artifacts in order to put them in museums–and who isn’t afraid to play dirty to beat her at her own game. A rich man, Moses Ashford, proposes to pay her five hundred thousand dollars–an unheard-of amount that she badly needs–to find and return to him the Seal of Solomon. He’s put together a team to go caving in Ethiopia with her: Dawson, tech genius; Laurel, his “voice” at the expedition; Mr. Rolph, a scholar; and a handful of mercenaries. They plan to delve deep underground in order to find the ring. Once they enter the cave system they find chewed-on human bones, and Livi starts to suspect there are things she hasn’t been told.
There’s a wild ride of an underground adventure here, with definite overtones of horror. The group isn’t alone down there, and the mercenaries make sure they know there’s no going back. Livi and Mr. Rolph are experienced cavers, and Dawson was left back at base camp, but Lauren at least is new to caving–not a great trip to start with! Livi also ends up contending with Mr. Ashford’s right-hand man, Dale West, who’s rumored to have done some very nasty things to people who have failed Mr. Ashford. Add to that the fact that they’re on a deadline, Martin is also on the hunt for the Seal, and someone really doesn’t want Livi to give the ring to Ashford, and things get dicey.
Even the smallest details are done really well. When someone has to buy new clothes for Livi without her input, they don’t measure her with their eyes and understand women’s sizing well enough to magically provide her with a perfect fit. It’s the little things like that which give the story a very “real” feeling. The setting is great, ranging from a gala event to mud and blood in underground passages. Livi’s roommate (and occasional babysitter for Em) Pru has MS, but does her best to help out, and she and Livi are clearly close. I also love the fact that Livi nicknames a large white tiger “Buttons.” (Why no, tigers are not native to that area. That’s part of the fun!)
The characters are great. There aren’t many black-and-white characters. Even Livi’s more principled brother Martin will go to great lengths to beat his sister to an artifact–from having his helpers shoot at her to having the police arrest her. There are, however, a couple of truly nasty characters. I loved seeing Livi try to mesh mothering a six-year-old with finding ways to support both of them. Em is having trouble in the private school Livi springs for, and it’s awfully hard for her to deal with it from Ethiopia.
There’s terror, danger, and… well, more terror. Also some snark. All in all, this is a fantastic book and I can’t wait to read book two!
Original review posted on my blog: http://www.errantdreams.com/2020/07/r...
September 4, 2017
One of the best urban fantasies I've read in a long time. Livi Talbot is kickass, competent, and juggles being a mother with criss-crossing the world looking for magical artifacts. You can tell a lot of research went into this series - Livi's artifact hunting, from cave exploration to gun-shooting to in-the-field medical treatment is flawlessly executed and all the more interesting and exciting for its credibility. I loved Livi's relationship with her best friend, her daughter, and her competitive relationship with her brother. Close relationships tend to be a rarity for female characters in urban fantasy, or to come along several books into the series, and while I still love the lone-wolf character, Livi is a refreshing addition to the genre. Now I'm off to read Odin's Spear and pine for the release of the third book...
March 13, 2024
Livi retrieves paranormal items for a living after being kicked out by her rich father for getting pregnant years ago.
What I enjoyed:
* I liked the interactions between Livi and her daughter, Emaleth as well as her best friend and roommate, Pru.
* The whole retrieval mission kept you on the edge of your seat
* I want to learn more about Martin and why he has basically abandoned his sister
What could have been better:
* Livi needs to get some priorities right. Trying to show up her father by putting Em in private school (when she can't really afford it), not to mention risking her life (which Em needs her more than private school). Livi's instance of private school and that being the reason for the dangerous jobs never felt right.
* The book started slow
* Looks like there may be a love triangle and I hate those
What I enjoyed:
* I liked the interactions between Livi and her daughter, Emaleth as well as her best friend and roommate, Pru.
* The whole retrieval mission kept you on the edge of your seat
* I want to learn more about Martin and why he has basically abandoned his sister
What could have been better:
* Livi needs to get some priorities right. Trying to show up her father by putting Em in private school (when she can't really afford it), not to mention risking her life (which Em needs her more than private school). Livi's instance of private school and that being the reason for the dangerous jobs never felt right.
* The book started slow
* Looks like there may be a love triangle and I hate those
March 2, 2019
4.5 solid stars.
This books is amazeballs. I have zero idea how I stumbled across it but I am SO GLAD I did. I’ve seen it compared to Lara Croft meets Gilmore Girls but I’d say it’s more in the vein of the tv show version of Wynonna Earp. It has strong female characters who support one another and, well, it’s just so many shades of awesome. I’m still getting used to reading Urban Fantasy novels as prior to this year, I wholeheartedly avoided the genre. So if you were/are like me and aren’t sure where you stand with regards to UF, you’re in great hands with this story.
Highly highly recommended.
This books is amazeballs. I have zero idea how I stumbled across it but I am SO GLAD I did. I’ve seen it compared to Lara Croft meets Gilmore Girls but I’d say it’s more in the vein of the tv show version of Wynonna Earp. It has strong female characters who support one another and, well, it’s just so many shades of awesome. I’m still getting used to reading Urban Fantasy novels as prior to this year, I wholeheartedly avoided the genre. So if you were/are like me and aren’t sure where you stand with regards to UF, you’re in great hands with this story.
Highly highly recommended.
April 19, 2017
Lara Croft meets Harry Dresden. All the adventure of Croft. All the snark of Dresden.
This book was loads of fun and, frankly, a welcome change to the urban fantasy genre. Gone are the Detective Dicks and the noir dames. Gone are the lone wolf "strong female character" that is the only female character in the series. This book is about teamwork, family, and friendship. Oh, and making enough cash robbing paranormal relics to put Livi's kid through private school.
This book was loads of fun and, frankly, a welcome change to the urban fantasy genre. Gone are the Detective Dicks and the noir dames. Gone are the lone wolf "strong female character" that is the only female character in the series. This book is about teamwork, family, and friendship. Oh, and making enough cash robbing paranormal relics to put Livi's kid through private school.
September 16, 2019
Magic was real once. When it disappeared, it only survived as stories and legends until one day, it woke up once again. Ancient powerful items are active once again and the hunt for those legendary artifacts is on.
Olivia's reason to hunt for them is a bit more mundane than just academic interest or a desire for power. She just wants to pay the bills and when she is offered a job to retrieve the Seal of Solomon, it seems like a lifesaver. But is it?
In the first book of this series, fast paced action and exploration take the lead. The fantasy elements are there but they don't take up all the attention. This gives the book a distinct Indiana Jones vibe. If Indy worked for profit, that is.
It is somewhat refreshing that in this world, where the supernatural does exist, the main character doesn't have special powers. (That we know off) She relies on her wits and skills.
Olivia's reason to hunt for them is a bit more mundane than just academic interest or a desire for power. She just wants to pay the bills and when she is offered a job to retrieve the Seal of Solomon, it seems like a lifesaver. But is it?
In the first book of this series, fast paced action and exploration take the lead. The fantasy elements are there but they don't take up all the attention. This gives the book a distinct Indiana Jones vibe. If Indy worked for profit, that is.
It is somewhat refreshing that in this world, where the supernatural does exist, the main character doesn't have special powers. (That we know off) She relies on her wits and skills.
May 29, 2025
This adventure story is a romp, without being fluffy, or too cosy. It's the perfect blend. Our hero, Livi Talbot is a kick-arse arse adventure hero, and she's also a young single mother. Some bits of this book feel like Indiana Jones and Laura Croft but there is so much more there. Strong platonic friendships, complicated family dynamics, disability representation. This book has it all, and also mystical tigers and prehistoric crocodile creatures. I am looking forward to spending some more time with Livi and her friends and family.
January 8, 2019
Lara Croft is she was a mama bear single parent, disowned by her rich dad, treasure hunting to keep a roof over her head and her daughter in private school. Over the top adventure I enjoyed. A lot of the book takes place deep in a cave, which is NOT a happy location for my claustrophobic self. I’ll definitely read other books in the series, which hopefully will take place above ground.
March 11, 2019
Loved this book! Livi is Lara Croft with a far more interesting back story and human flaws, fighting in all sorts of ways to bring up and protect her child, the fabulous Amaleth. The inclusion of a disabled character particularly drew me in, as I have MS myself it's good to see the disease portrayed as something other than a quick death sentence. Looking forward to much more Livi and West!
December 14, 2023
Pretty enjoyable, though it was hard to relate to many of the lead's money troubles because they were so willful. And she seems to shrug away the real risks of leaving her child without a parent then claims her child is of the utmost importance, which doesn't make a ton of sense.
But the book avoids some traps that I was nervous of, and it is quite entertaining.
But the book avoids some traps that I was nervous of, and it is quite entertaining.
April 3, 2018
I very much enjoyed this book. The promise of Indiana Jones meets Lara Croft thoroughly holds up, and I enjoyed every minute of reading this. I look forward to reading the rest of the books in this series.
November 3, 2020
It's an okay start to the series. Livi is a witty and capable-ish protagonist. West is alright, but I didn't feel any sizzling chemistry although it's obvious that West likes her which I found odd. Hopefully in the next book they have more moments together where there's chemistry.
June 23, 2021
Excellent pacing and lots of twists and turns of the plot. Strong action scenes and a hint of romantic interest for further books. What really sold me, however, was that Livi has a daughter. This is quite rare in UF and gave Livi a third dimension. I will definitely be picking up book two soon.
October 6, 2018
Not terrible, but it didn't really do anything for me. It all felt pretty derivative, I guess.
August 27, 2020
Fun easy read. I enjoyed it.
July 31, 2024
3.75 of 5⭐️.
The premise is intriguing - Tomb Raider meets a young Lorelei Gilmore, but the author is heavy-handed in the TELLING rather than the SHOWING. Wish the side characters had more development and personality - the one that I was most interested in appears to have died, of course.
The premise is intriguing - Tomb Raider meets a young Lorelei Gilmore, but the author is heavy-handed in the TELLING rather than the SHOWING. Wish the side characters had more development and personality - the one that I was most interested in appears to have died, of course.
June 13, 2024
This book is so fun. We're talking big Lara Croft: Tomb Raider and Indiana Jones energy here crossed with Urban Fantasy, and I loved it!
The characters in this book really shine - Livi is so real. The struggles she faces in her personal life are as trying and challenging as the dragons she battles in the caves while searching for the seal. The book is balanced in that way - her personal problems don't go away just because she's halfway across the world on an adventure. She still needs to deal with the fact that she's a single mom, and her kid was suspended from school. She has to face the reality that she needs this job to pay the bills, no matter how dangerous her employer - the fridge is leaking! And the character depth isn't limited to Livi. I enjoyed the dynamic between Livi and Dale - another fascinating character with so much dimension and potential - as well as her best friend Pru. I'm looking forward to where Skyla takes all the characters in this series.
I enjoyed how the fantasy elements crept into the story. At first, I thought the book was solely an Indiana Jones, relic-hunting adventure. And then Skyla adeptly introduced fantasy elements, slowly weaving them in, hinting at a larger, more paranormal world. Done naturally and without any info-dumps, the post-pulse world emerged as part of the fast-paced plot. Well done! I wouldn't say the book ends on a cliffhanger as much as it ends on a well-developed hook. It piques your interest to explore further and answer lingering questions. I will definitely read on in the series!
The characters in this book really shine - Livi is so real. The struggles she faces in her personal life are as trying and challenging as the dragons she battles in the caves while searching for the seal. The book is balanced in that way - her personal problems don't go away just because she's halfway across the world on an adventure. She still needs to deal with the fact that she's a single mom, and her kid was suspended from school. She has to face the reality that she needs this job to pay the bills, no matter how dangerous her employer - the fridge is leaking! And the character depth isn't limited to Livi. I enjoyed the dynamic between Livi and Dale - another fascinating character with so much dimension and potential - as well as her best friend Pru. I'm looking forward to where Skyla takes all the characters in this series.
I enjoyed how the fantasy elements crept into the story. At first, I thought the book was solely an Indiana Jones, relic-hunting adventure. And then Skyla adeptly introduced fantasy elements, slowly weaving them in, hinting at a larger, more paranormal world. Done naturally and without any info-dumps, the post-pulse world emerged as part of the fast-paced plot. Well done! I wouldn't say the book ends on a cliffhanger as much as it ends on a well-developed hook. It piques your interest to explore further and answer lingering questions. I will definitely read on in the series!
May 10, 2021
Lots of fun!
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