Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston – Book Review

Book: Amari and the Night Brothers

Author: B.B. Alston

Genre: Adventure Fantasy, Middle Grade

Publisher: Egmont Books

Publication date: 19 January 2021

Number of pages: 416

ISBN 13:  9780062975164

 

"What if I told you that living among us are all the things we've come to pass off as myth? Dwarves and sphinxes, mermaids and oddities you could see with your own eyes and still not believe – these and countless more dwell in our towns and walk our streets. One might be your neighbour or even your favourite teacher."

Wow! It's been a LOOOONG time since I read such an exciting book!

Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston is the first installment in the Supernatural Investigations Series. AND IT'S AMAZINGGGG!

I was expecting an adventure and fantasy but what I got was tons of humor, snark, bravery, adventure, and not just a touch of fantasy tons of it mixed with all kinds of supernatural and mythological creatures.

Amari Peters is a 13-year-old black girl, living in a low-income housing neighborhood with her mother. Her brother Quinton disappeared a few months prior, supposedly while working.

Amari is constantly bullied in school for coming from a low-income family. Until one day, when Amari gets a visit from a beggar-like-looking-man who asks her to sign for something, says he "won't erase her memory" but that she should check her brother's wardrobe after midnight.

When she does, she finds a suitcase with strange-looking clothes and sunglasses. Putting the sunglasses on, Amari sees her brother in a hologram. He tells her many things but many questions also come to light. Amari is invited to attend a summer bootcamp where, if she succeeds in for several summers, she would be eligible for a scholarship at an Ivy-League university.

"There's a huge part of me that wants to tell her about Quinton's Wakeful Dream. She deserves to know. But how do you explain being visited by your missing brother in a dream where you took a flying boat to go look at some underwater trains without sounding delusional?"

There she discovers a new world of fantasy and mythical creatures living amongst humans. The bootcamp is part of the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs, an entity and task-force that manages affairs between humans and non-humans, that is the secret world.

This reminded me of how Harry Potter discovered a whole world of magic just surrounding him. Many aspects of the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs reminded me of the Ministry of Magic in the Harry Potter books.

Especially the bureau's Director Van Helsing (yeah those Van Helsings!), who was a lot like Cornelius Fudge. And I'm just going to leave it at that.

There were many parts in Amari and the Night Brothers that reminded me of the Harry Potter books – but the characters and book are significantly different.

There are many interesting and lovable characters in Amari and the Night Brothers including Amari herself, Elsie, Agent Fiona and others. Then there is Lara Van Helsing, a Draco Malfoy-like character (that you can't help but hate) while her brother is something else entirely. And I loved how Amari confronted him about being nice one minute and a meanie the next.

"I try again to think of something I'm really good at. Falling asleep on the sofa after school I doubt the Bureau would have much use for that."

I instantly fell in love with Elsie and not just because she's part dragon. There was lots of character development for Amari and her friends.

There's a ton of humor in almost every chapter and with every character in Amari and the Night Brothers. Here's one after Amari goes to the Bureau of Supernatural Affairs and meets Agent Magnus.

"Just to be clear…you're having a conversation with the elevator?" I mean, sure I talk to my laptop sometimes when it's not working, but it's never spoken back.

The story is narrated from the first person perspective of Amari herself, a super sarcastic, fun, and brave character.

Amari's sole purpose in joining the Bureau is to uncover what happened to her brother and find him. But…

"I thought for sure that coming here would finally give me some real answers about Quinton, but it's just as big a mystery in the supernatural world as it is back home."

At the Bureau, the students like Amari discover their abilities. But Amari doesn't have an ability or rather she has an illegal ability. She has magic blood. Something deemed by the Bureau as instantly evil. Why? Because of the Night Brothers.

Two brothers who had magic blood like Amari and nearly destroyed the world. One of the brothers is dead but the other lives…

As a black kid, she discriminated against in the known or human world. When she goes to the Bureau, she finds another kind of discrimination, with everybody trying to get her to lose and leave.  

Overall I loved Amari, how she's human, who makes mistakes, how she's intelligent, brave, and creative.

It's the first time I notice or realize a main character as a black girl. And it was both interesting and different. And I laud B.B. Alston for that. That and letting Amari take over the story.

Originally, the author had other plans for Amari but the character pretty much took his writing pen and crafted a world and character of her own.

Overall, I absolutely loved Amari and the Night Brothers and can't wait for other installments to be written and published.

That said, the book doesn't have an open ending. :D

 

Overall rating: 5 stars

Note: I got a free Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) of Amari and the Night Brothers by B.B. Alston as part of a blog tour with The Write Reads.

Add Amari and the Night Brothers on Goodreads.

Madam Tulip and the Serpent's Tree by David Ahern – Book Review

Book: Madam Tulip and the Serpent's Tree

(Book 4 in the Madam Tulip series)

Author: David Ahern

Publication date: 14 March 2020

Number of pages: 340

Genre: Paranormal, Cozy Mystery 

Publisher: Malin Press

"In our futures, nothing is fixed. All your palm can tell us is what you bring to this life. So much of what may happen will be chance. Only you can decide how to meet whatever fortune brings. Often, the seeker finds not an answer but a question."

Madam Tulip and the Serpent's Tree is the fourth book in the Madam Tulip mystery series by author David Ahern. The book is fun, fast-paced, and can be easily read as a standalone, which means you don't have to read other books in the series.

It's also my second read for Ahern and the series, having read book 1, Madam Tulip in March – but oh wow – 2018!

Unlike the first book, Madam Tulip and the Serpent's Tree doesn't quite involve a mystery but rather a missing person mystery. Also, the real action with regards to the mystery begins towards half the book. That said, I still enjoyed the setting and narration of the first 50% of the book.

"Tara clutched the phone like it would burst into tears and how like a baby if she dared put it down."

Irish-American actress Derry O'Donnell lives in Dublin and moonlights as Madam Tulip, a fortune teller who performs at parties and events. In this book, Derry's friend Bella, who has risen to some fame, offers Derry and their former Navy SEAL-turned-actor Bruce, the opportunity to do their own play before an audience. This is in collaboration with bar-owner Pat Kelly, who later turns out to be much more than just a bar-owner. Kelly agrees to Bella's proposal on condition that Derry do a Madam Tulip act at a popular singer's birthday party.

As Derry begins to meet and mingle with the music band's members and their entourage, she discovers that their main singer believed strongly in the words of a Shaman, a woman named Kira, while others feel distrustful of Kira. There is an overall sense of animosity towards Kira, who we never see in the book but get various viewpoints of from the different characters.

"So who hates Kira? Seems to me, everybody does."

One of the things I enjoy is Ahern's style. Madam Tulip and the Serpent's Tree is narrated in the third person but mainly from protagonist Derry O' Donnell's perspective. And Derry is super funny.

"Tara wore a dark pants suit of the kind worn by market researchers who stop you in the mall insisting you try a new kind of yoghurt guaranteed to make you lose weight and improve your dancing."

It's worth mentioning is the daughter of a seventh son so she may have a possible ability to see the future or at least read the tarot cards, which she does as Madam Tulip. So there's always this tiny paranormal aspect and feel to the Madam Tulip books.

I love how David Ahern's writing is so visual, in terms of imagery and similes. Not only visual, you can hear the characters, and feel all your senses working as you read.

"The silence was the silence of a crowd in the moments before a tennis player takes a match-winning serve, like a hundred people holding their breath."

Madam Tulip and the Serpent's Tree wasn't what I expected but it was an enjoyable read. Even when the plot itself isn't moving forward, there is lots of action taking place.

In addition to the mystery and Madam Tulip's role, we have Derry's father Jacko (which not surprisingly rhymes with wacko) and the constant family drama, the friendship between Derry and Bruce, and in this book the charismatic sax player Scandinavian Nils, whom Derry likes and the reader can't help but equally like. J

I must also note that the final scenes in Madam Tulip and the Serpent's Tree where everything was happening in the dark, like in movies where you're struggling to see what the actors are doing, was a bit vague for me. I had difficulty imagining it; and not because it was dark but because a lot was happening and it just wasn't clear. Still I enjoyed the book.

Overall rating: 4.5 stars

Note: I received a free advanced reader's copy (ARC) of Madam Tulip and the Serpent's Tree from its author David Ahern in exchange for an honest review. This did not in any way affect my review.

Check out my 5-star book review of Madam Tulip as well as my exclusive interview with David Ahern.

Follow David Ahern via Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Amazon, and his website.

Spotlight & Excerpt for new fantasy anthology MERMAIDIA

Mermaidia

A Limited Edition Anthology

Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal 

Love mermaids and all creatures aquatic? This limited time anthology is just for you! With more than 700 pages of captivating fiction, you’ll be enchanted by sirens, dive the depths with a mermaid, and fear whether the sea witch is friend or foe.

Mermaidia features stories from authors: 

Catherine Banks

Kai Ellory Viola

Mia Ellas

Anthea Sharp

Kristi Lea

LA Fox

Nicole Zoltack

Mara Amberly

Raine English

Margo Bond Collins

Sara Elizabeth

Mikayla Symonett

Tricia Schneider

Merrie Destefano

Bokerah Brumley

Rachel A. Marks

and

Pauline Creeden

Are you ready to dive in before your chance is lost forever? Then order this limited-edition collection of exclusive material from USA Today and award-winning authors.

Here are a few of the stories you can read in Mermaidia 

"Queen of the Island" by Bokerah Brumley

Fated to be together, Calder and his mate must overcome the evil nymph that would keep them apart.

"Seize the Storm" by Kristi Lea 

An Isyre hides from the hunters who killed her family, as far from any ocean as she can be. The fire mage who discovers her secrets has a few of his own. Can they trust each other to face their pasts.

"Touched by a Mermaid" by Raine English

A secret society. A sea witch bent on revenge. An ancient world in peril.  

"Paranormal Maritime War" by Nicole Zoltack

A stolen selkie skin just might start a war between the merfolk, the selkies, and the sirens.

"Racing the Clock" by Catherine Banks

"You will seduce the prince and convince him to give you his soul. If you fail, you will give me your soul for eternity."

"The Church of Moon and Sea" by Sara Elizabeth

She must choose between two loves – the sea or the land.

"Fury" by Merrie Destefano

To survive, she made a secret deal in the Underworld.

"Soul's Reef" - Kai Ellory Viola

A mysterious phenomenon. A weird cult. Vaccines needed at the end of the universe - Captain Holloway just needs to get through the reefs.

"The Sea of Time and Stars" by Mara Amberly

"A woman watched from just above the water line, her sleek blue hair drifting in the water around her. One moment she was there and the next she was gone; so quickly I could’ve put it down to my imagination or a hallucination from my injuries."

Excerpt from"Fury" by Merri Destefano 

The palace corridors felt cold and hollow, my footsteps echoed off polished granite walls. From time to time, a familiar face nodded and spoke a greeting, but I never heard their words.  I felt like I was caught in a whirlpool.

Because no matter how far I walked, I couldn’t shake off the warmth of Riley’s kiss.

It didn’t make sense. She wasn’t my type. She was too young and too feisty and too much like me. I hated to admit it, but I preferred girls who were easy to manipulate and who weren’t all that bright.

Riley was neither one of those.

The sooner I got her out of Rìoghachd, the better. Then I could get back to my regular life. I pulled my shoulders back as I picked up my pace, walking faster, remembering how I used to spend my days and nights. Gambling with Sea Warriors who sank and plundered human ships. Taking midnight strolls through Scottish villages where the girls didn’t notice my blue skin. Dining at the King’s table from golden plates and drinking salty seawine from diamond-embellished goblets.

Everything about my life had been off-kilter since that wretched Selkie arrived.

It felt empty.

I hated it.

**Only 99 cents until March 8th! **

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Fountain Dead by Theresa Braun - Book Review

"How could [Mark] tell his father the house was like the witch in Hansel and Gretel tempting the family with baked goodies before pushing them into the oven?"

Fountain Dead by Theresa Braun is a paranormal horror that runs on two levels and point of view characters over a hundred years apart.

Though the book in narrated in third person, the point of view character is Mark, who in the present day or in 1988, is forced to leave his home because his parents have gotten jobs in a small city in the middle of nowhere. There they live in a grand Victorian mansion, where things aren't as they seem.

And as soon as Mark sets foot in, he begins to see things that shouldn't be there. For the reader, other events are happening in the "Victorian" but in the 1800's. A family is moving to the Victorian to settle there and on the way, tragedy strikes, leaving behind Emily, the only daughter in a household of brutes, well minus one decent brother.

As the novel progresses, the two timelines slowly begin to collide, which naturally doesn't bode well for Mark.

"Unbeknownst to Mark, the Victorian planned his summer boot camp the minute he stepped onto the property."

In terms of characterisation, I felt there were a lot of characters. In the modern world, there is Mark, his sister, their parents, and their dog. In the past, there is Emily, her two or three brothers, father, and two recurrent guests. At times, I kept losing track of who was doing what. In addition, in the present day, Mark begins to see or rather sense spirits. I tried to connect the dots between which spirit was which person in the 1800's but often failed.

In the first few pages, I felt that there was some kind of distancing and shifts in the narration like "the father asked his daughter" and "wrapping his arms around his wife, Dad…" and the like. That could just be me.  

With two timelines in motion in Fountain Dead, we see each of the main characters struggling personally; Mark with feelings for Jack and leaving on a bad note, and in the late 1800s Emma is struggling with the death of her mother, and her brother Riley secretly blaming her for it.

"Following a drowsy blink, his sister was suddenly sitting up. The pipe Mom had found perched in Tausha's hand. Tobacco embers smoldered. Her eyes flamed red with malevolence, worse than any portrayed in a scary movie. "It's in the blood," she whispered.

Mark swallowed his heart and lost his balance.

With the next blink of his eyes, his sister slumbered just as before."

The book isn't divided into chapters but time periods. You can stop at the beginning of each shift in the timeline.

My biggest problem with Fountain Dead, and which is why it took so long to write this review, was with the ending. I felt confused. And now that several months have passed since I've read the book, I don't feel like I can review it well. My notes aren't helpful although I was able to connect some dots as I checked my notes.

I liked the setting in Fountain Dead, the Victorian mansion is the perfect place for horror and the house literally goes bump in the night. There are also several layers of horror here, the sections with Emily show the horrors of the civil war and her family of brutes. On Mark's end, there are several levels and instances of creepy. I really liked that.

Fountain Dead would make an interesting Halloween read and it will keep your mind working. 

Overall rating: 3 to 3.5 stars

Note: I received a free copy of Fountain Dead from its author Theresa Braun in exchange for an honest review.

Meet Doris from Coastal Corpse by Rena Leith - Character Guest Post & Blog Tour

Today, I'm featuring a paranormal cozy mystery that I really wanted to read but didn't have the luxury of time. Luckily though, as part of this blog tour, I'm able to feature a character guest post, a post by one of the main characters in the book, Doris.

But first, a little about the book:

Book: Coastal Corpse

(A Cass Peake Cozy Mystery)

2nd in Series

Author: Rena Leith

Genre: Cozy Mystery

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press, Inc 

Publication date: 30 September 2019)

Print Length: 183 pages

ASIN: B07W3YR7VH

Synopsis:

Happily settled in her cozy cottage with its resident ghost, Cass Peake looks forward to Halloween. Then another corpse is found on her beachfront. With the support of family and her ghostly roommate, Cass investigates. To her dismay, she finds the murder victim handled her goofy neighbor's trust fund and he was in dire need of money. The suspect list grows with a former husband, another needy relative, and a maybe shady accountant who suddenly disappears. To top it all off, rumors circulate about treasure hidden in Cass's cottage.

Detective George Ho doesn't like his ex-girlfriend snooping around. Despite that, sparks still fly between him and Cass. But superstitious George has no idea Cass's home is haunted. Can Cass solve the mystery and renew the romance with her ghost-adverse ex?

Character Guest Post from Doris!

Doris' Musings

I’m not sure where I was when those amateurs held their séance and pulled me out of the ether, but I’m here to stay. At least they had the good sense to hold the séance in my mother’s old house. I wouldn’t want to be stuck anywhere else. But then those lunatics fled into the night, leaving me all alone.

I guess I should have controlled my temper. Raging around the room in ghostly form, ranting and raving and threatening them with death wasn’t one of my better ideas. I tried to go after them. I tried to explain, but every time I got halfway down the front walk, I went poof. Later I materialized back in the house. I have no idea where I went, why I went, or how I got back. Really annoying. It took me a while to get over being irritated with them for calling me back to the earthly plane. Then the loneliness set in.

After a few years, when a squirrel got in through a hole in the roof, I discovered quite by accident that I could inhabit the squirrel and travel out beyond the invisible barrier. However, that presented another problem: how to get back home. Squirrels, at least, had some intelligence. I was able to gain control over them and start carrying nuts, berries, and snails back to the loft. That ensured that the squirrel—my ride—would return for dinner and let me scamper about outside freely when he was full.

Several people bought the place and tried to live here, but I sent them all screaming into the night. Until she showed up. Cass Peake was somehow different. I liked her. I liked to tease her. She had spunk. And I had to face it: I was bored. Squirrels can get you only so far in life. I was desperate for human companionship…even if it was living. The living can be quite terrifying. You merely try to say hi to them, and they start screaming. What’s with all the screaming? You’d think their mothers would have raised them to be more polite and well mannered.

 At least Cass didn’t flee. She stood up to me. I admired that. I decided to let her stay. I did have a bit of fun with her brother, though. And that Hawaiian cop. Now he’s a hot tamale! It’s everything I can do not to reveal myself to him.  I know murder brought the two of them back together, but she really has to be more careful. Bodies keep turning up, and where there are bodies, there are murderers. I ought to know. I was murdered on the beach in front of this very house long before she moved in.

A lot of other people met their demises there, too. That’s why the locals call it Murder Beach. Brrr! Gives the heebie jeebies just thinkin’ about it. If I were you, I’d stay away from the place or you might end up like me…

About the Author:

I currently live in Cape May County in New Jersey after spending years in the San Francisco Bay Area with my Maine Coon cats Sierra and Ginger. I attended Clarion Writers Workshop for Science Fiction and Fantasy at Michigan State University and sold a story I wrote there to Damon Knight for The Clarion Awards anthology. I wrote technical manuals in Silicon Valley and also published several poems and science articles as well as a couple of chapters in Research & Professional Resources in Children’s Literature: “Piecing a Patchwork Quilt.” I’ve also taught English in high school and community colleges.

Connect with Rena Leith via her Website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads, and LinkedIn

Purchase Link - Amazon

GIVEAWAY TIME!

As part of this blog tour with Lori Great Escapes and Rena Leith there's a giveaway, use the link or widget below

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Keep up with the rest of the tour including other guest posts, spotlight, book reviews, and authorinterviews below. These are some amazing bloggers so leave the comment if you check out their blogs.

October 1 – Laura's Interests – GUEST POST & fundinmental – SPOTLIGHT

October 2 – Island Confidential & Hearts & Scribbles– SPOTLIGHT

October 3 – Mysteries with Character  GUEST POST & FUONLYKNEW – SPOTLIGHT

October 4 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – CHARACTER GUEST POST 

October 5 – Babs Book Bistro – GUEST POST - Sapphyria's Books   

October 6 – Celticlady's Reviews – SPOTLIGHT & Nadaness In Motion – CHARACTER GUEST POST

October 7 – Cozy Up With Kathy – AUTHOR INTERVIEW & Brooke Blogs – SPOTLIGHT

October 8 – Literary Gold – SPOTLIGHT & I Read What You Write – REVIEW

October 9 – Kelley's Konundrum & Baroness' Book Trove REVIEWS

October 9 –– REVIEW

October 10 – MJB Reviewers – REVIEW and AUTHOR INTERVIEW, StoreyBook Reviews – CHARACTER GUEST POST & eBook Addicts – REVIEW