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Magick Rising
Every sort of magick collides in these six paranormal tales of magick and romance . . .
Magick Justice from P.J. Bishop, a wonderful new voice in urban fantasy
A man on a mission to save his soul and a young reporter descended from a Samurai magicker must risk everything in a fight against a Rising of Demons.
Spirits Rising from RITA winner Evelyn Vaughn
A little haunted history is what Penny expects when staging a Victorian mansion in Galveston. What this amateur ghostbuster doesn't expect is a mysterious stranger and a dark curse.
Blood Rising from RITA finalist and Reader's Choice award winning author Karen Fox
When revenge for her sister's killer drives a vampire slayer's every thought, can she put aside her vengeance long enough to trust the one man who can help her?
A Shift in Magick from Golden Heart winner Laura Hayden
Private investigator Jonathan Craft's tricks-of-the-trade include the carefully guarded secret of his shapeshifting. A routine case turns dangerous and forces him to rethink everything he knows about his life.
Destiny Rising from popular romance writer Jodi Dawson writing as Jodi Anderson
Celeste and Erik have serious history. Centuries ago she doubly damned herself by killing the man she loved to save the world from an evil wizard. Her one chance to bring him back to her has gone horribly wrong.
Wolf Rising from bestselling YA author Parker Blue
Duncan Gray desperately needs a cure for the lycanthropy that is killing him. His last hope is a Wiccan woman with secrets and fears of her own.
Magick Justice from P.J. Bishop, a wonderful new voice in urban fantasy
A man on a mission to save his soul and a young reporter descended from a Samurai magicker must risk everything in a fight against a Rising of Demons.
Spirits Rising from RITA winner Evelyn Vaughn
A little haunted history is what Penny expects when staging a Victorian mansion in Galveston. What this amateur ghostbuster doesn't expect is a mysterious stranger and a dark curse.
Blood Rising from RITA finalist and Reader's Choice award winning author Karen Fox
When revenge for her sister's killer drives a vampire slayer's every thought, can she put aside her vengeance long enough to trust the one man who can help her?
A Shift in Magick from Golden Heart winner Laura Hayden
Private investigator Jonathan Craft's tricks-of-the-trade include the carefully guarded secret of his shapeshifting. A routine case turns dangerous and forces him to rethink everything he knows about his life.
Destiny Rising from popular romance writer Jodi Dawson writing as Jodi Anderson
Celeste and Erik have serious history. Centuries ago she doubly damned herself by killing the man she loved to save the world from an evil wizard. Her one chance to bring him back to her has gone horribly wrong.
Wolf Rising from bestselling YA author Parker Blue
Duncan Gray desperately needs a cure for the lycanthropy that is killing him. His last hope is a Wiccan woman with secrets and fears of her own.
Kindle Edition
First published July 31, 2013
3 people are currently reading
340 people want to read
About the author
Parker Blue
16 books322 followersWho is Parker Blue? Well, I live in Colorado Springs with my dog, who bears an uncanny resemblance to Val's part-hellhound mutt, Fang.
I hate writing bios so that's all you're gonna get. Okay, okay. Instead of more boring bio stuff, how about some of my likes and dislikes?
Stuff I love, in no particular order:
- The color red—a bright, orange-red just makes me happy.
- Shiny things. I must have been a magpie in a previous life.
- Making shiny things. Love to bead!
- Dogs—they love you unconditionally and are great at stress relief.
- Numbers. So sue me—I love math. It always makes sense.
- Chocolate. Come on, that's a no-brainer.
- The mountains of Colorado. Their awe-tastic beauty is good for the soul.
- Diet Coke. What can I say? I'm addicted.
- Reading. Escaping into a cool new world someone created out of their imagination? It doesn't get much better than that.
- Oh, yeah. And writing. Making up my own world out of random bits of my twisted psyche is the best!
Things I'm not so crazy about, besides the obvious things everyone hates (war, pestilence, famine, you know the drill):
- Blogs that dis other people. What's up with that?
- Going to the dentist. Need I say more?
- Politics. Big yawn.
- Television shows that ask people do stupid things for money then make fun of them.
- Seafood. Ick. Just...ick.
- Yard work. I need lawn gnomes!
- Writing bios. Enough already!
As for the drawings...no, they don't really resemble me much, but this is what I figure Parker Blue ought to look like, kind of geek chic. Torie Fox drew them for me—isn't she fabulous?
I hate writing bios so that's all you're gonna get. Okay, okay. Instead of more boring bio stuff, how about some of my likes and dislikes?
Stuff I love, in no particular order:
- The color red—a bright, orange-red just makes me happy.
- Shiny things. I must have been a magpie in a previous life.
- Making shiny things. Love to bead!
- Dogs—they love you unconditionally and are great at stress relief.
- Numbers. So sue me—I love math. It always makes sense.
- Chocolate. Come on, that's a no-brainer.
- The mountains of Colorado. Their awe-tastic beauty is good for the soul.
- Diet Coke. What can I say? I'm addicted.
- Reading. Escaping into a cool new world someone created out of their imagination? It doesn't get much better than that.
- Oh, yeah. And writing. Making up my own world out of random bits of my twisted psyche is the best!
Things I'm not so crazy about, besides the obvious things everyone hates (war, pestilence, famine, you know the drill):
- Blogs that dis other people. What's up with that?
- Going to the dentist. Need I say more?
- Politics. Big yawn.
- Television shows that ask people do stupid things for money then make fun of them.
- Seafood. Ick. Just...ick.
- Yard work. I need lawn gnomes!
- Writing bios. Enough already!
As for the drawings...no, they don't really resemble me much, but this is what I figure Parker Blue ought to look like, kind of geek chic. Torie Fox drew them for me—isn't she fabulous?
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
May 20, 2014
Book Review: Magick Rising includes P.J Bishop, Evelyn Vaughn, Karen Fox, Laura Hayden, Jodi Anderson and Parker Blue
Magick Justice by P.J. Bishop
Miko Jones is a reporter investigating the brutal murders of homeless men in the city by a serial killer. She is determined to get to the bottom of them before she comes across her missing uncle as one of the victims.
Hadrian Hawken is a mysterious man with a British accent. Miko has her suspicions that he is the serial killer know as the butcher but she has no proof. She tries to follow him in order to learn more about him and what he is up to. He catches on to the beautiful woman following him and fears she is putting herself in danger. She has no clue what is really going on and he knows they will come after her. He is determined to keep her safe.
Spirit Rising by Evelyn Vaughn
In the city of Galveston, Texas there is a Tudor house named Sorrow’s End. It has been around for over a hundred years surviving the hurricane of 1900. Penny has been hired to stage this historic house for owners who want to sell it. However, she knows that she has been hired for a different purpose entirely. She needs to get a feel for the house and see if any ghosts reside inside. She can hear them and sense their feelings. When she arrives to do a walk through of the house, there is a strange man standing on the porch. Richard Pemberley is there to warn Penny about the ghosts in the house, informing her that they are dangerous.
Penny continues with her job until she reaches the attic where she encounters the screeching and malicious intent of the house ghost. Richard appears and saves her.
Richard then reveals the story behind the ghost. Penny is surprised to learn the tale and who Richard really is. She knows she needs to get the ghost to move on without hurting anyone else, even if she loses the most important person to her in the process.
Blood Rising by Karen Fox
Hayley Donahue is a self appointed vampire hunter. She is following the one known as The Destroyer. He killed her sister Lissa and she is determined to stop him. She has been following him across the country destroying the vampires he creates and leaves behind.
Her search leads her to Manitou Springs. She knows that a local murder is the work of The Destroyer and she needs to dispose of the new vampire before he kills anyone. She spies Rurik at the funeral and then meets him in the cemetery when he interrupts her attempt to destroy the new vampire. He wants to help her and after his unwanted companionship in her searches, she agrees to let him help.
She is attracted to him but fights it until her ever present loneliness rears its ugly head. She loses the battle and gives into her feelings and his. However, when his secrets are revealed she is shocked. She questions everything, even her own judgment. She doesn’t know what to believe anymore. All she does know is that the Destroyer needs to be stopped.
A Shift in Magick by Laura Hayden
Serenity and David Worth were a happy married couple until David’s accident. Then he seemed to change. He was no longer that man that she married. He left her with a mountain of medical bills. Serenity needs David to sign papers to end their marriage and turn over an inheritance to her. She has hired P.I. Jonathan Craft to find David and bring him to her.
Jon is a shifter and can change his appearance to look like other people. He enters a known club David is supposed to be working and is sidetracked by one of the waitresses. He is shocked to learn she is also a shifter. He enters a world of female shifters, drugs and violence as he is jumped in an alley. He looks like David and takes a beating for it. When he is delivered to Serenity in a taxi, she thinks it is David, but his secret is out when he starts to change back. Then the real David Worth shows up and things get complicated quickly.
Destiny Rising by Jodi Anderson
Celeste Soraya killed her lover Erik. Actually he sacrificed himself to save her, he used the knife she held and her hands to stabbed himself. She has lived multiple lifetimes trying to undo what was done and bring him back. This is the last time she is going to try to bring Erik back. She is offering herself in turn.
When nothing happens during the spell she is defeated. The knock at the door startles her and Rose. They scramble to clean up. Celeste finds her neighbor at her door with an injured stranger. The stranger has Erik’s face. As Celeste looks at him in shock, she sees another looking out at her through Erik’s eyes. The evil known as Erik’s twin brother Victor, the one they were trying to stop which started it all, is staring out at her. Erik and Victor are sharing Erik’s body. Erik wasn’t dead like she thought. He had been living through the same lifetimes as she was. She was tricked by Victor as he planned his take over of this dimension.
Erik doesn’t remember Celeste or anything dealing with Victor. The only thing he remembers is Celeste killing him. When Victor emerges, Erik doesn’t remember what happens. Victor threatens Celeste and plans to kill Erik once and for all. Celeste has to persuade Erik that what she is saying is the truth and they need to fight Victor or all is lost.
Wolf Rising by Parker Blue
Duncan Gray has a secret. He is a werewolf and he doesn’t want to be. He has been searching for a cure since his first change. He fights the wolf inside everyday. His brother Ian has been helping him along the way. In fact Ian thinks that one of his other patients can help him. He sends Duncan to stay with a Wiccan witch named Beth Aldiss. She has Huntington’s Disease and Duncan may be able help her in return.
Duncan ends up on her doorstep and Beth finds an instant attraction to him. She is shocked but keeps her distance. When he reveals the real reason he is here and what disease he needs help with, she doesn’t believe him.
However after some consideration and the word from Ian claiming everything is true, she works to find an answer. The Goddess Lupa is the only one who can help and her answer is not what Duncan is willing to do. Beth has to figure out a solution that Duncan can live with or they will both die.
This collection is full of different types of magic. There is shape-shifting, spell casting, vampires, demons, demon slayers, vampire slayers, and even ghosts. Most magical beings are covered. These novellas are short reads and the stories are wrapped up pretty quickly. I liked some stories better than others. I liked the first three stories more than the last three. The storylines were more interesting to me. The first three also contained more fight scenes filled with battles between humans and magical beings. They seemed more action packed. The last three were more based on outsmarting the enemy and problem solving. All the stories included are full of creativity and unique stories. Anyone who likes reading paranormal stories that include different types of magick will find something here. I give it a 4 out of 5 for the wide variety of stories included.
Magick Justice by P.J. Bishop
Miko Jones is a reporter investigating the brutal murders of homeless men in the city by a serial killer. She is determined to get to the bottom of them before she comes across her missing uncle as one of the victims.
Hadrian Hawken is a mysterious man with a British accent. Miko has her suspicions that he is the serial killer know as the butcher but she has no proof. She tries to follow him in order to learn more about him and what he is up to. He catches on to the beautiful woman following him and fears she is putting herself in danger. She has no clue what is really going on and he knows they will come after her. He is determined to keep her safe.
Spirit Rising by Evelyn Vaughn
In the city of Galveston, Texas there is a Tudor house named Sorrow’s End. It has been around for over a hundred years surviving the hurricane of 1900. Penny has been hired to stage this historic house for owners who want to sell it. However, she knows that she has been hired for a different purpose entirely. She needs to get a feel for the house and see if any ghosts reside inside. She can hear them and sense their feelings. When she arrives to do a walk through of the house, there is a strange man standing on the porch. Richard Pemberley is there to warn Penny about the ghosts in the house, informing her that they are dangerous.
Penny continues with her job until she reaches the attic where she encounters the screeching and malicious intent of the house ghost. Richard appears and saves her.
Richard then reveals the story behind the ghost. Penny is surprised to learn the tale and who Richard really is. She knows she needs to get the ghost to move on without hurting anyone else, even if she loses the most important person to her in the process.
Blood Rising by Karen Fox
Hayley Donahue is a self appointed vampire hunter. She is following the one known as The Destroyer. He killed her sister Lissa and she is determined to stop him. She has been following him across the country destroying the vampires he creates and leaves behind.
Her search leads her to Manitou Springs. She knows that a local murder is the work of The Destroyer and she needs to dispose of the new vampire before he kills anyone. She spies Rurik at the funeral and then meets him in the cemetery when he interrupts her attempt to destroy the new vampire. He wants to help her and after his unwanted companionship in her searches, she agrees to let him help.
She is attracted to him but fights it until her ever present loneliness rears its ugly head. She loses the battle and gives into her feelings and his. However, when his secrets are revealed she is shocked. She questions everything, even her own judgment. She doesn’t know what to believe anymore. All she does know is that the Destroyer needs to be stopped.
A Shift in Magick by Laura Hayden
Serenity and David Worth were a happy married couple until David’s accident. Then he seemed to change. He was no longer that man that she married. He left her with a mountain of medical bills. Serenity needs David to sign papers to end their marriage and turn over an inheritance to her. She has hired P.I. Jonathan Craft to find David and bring him to her.
Jon is a shifter and can change his appearance to look like other people. He enters a known club David is supposed to be working and is sidetracked by one of the waitresses. He is shocked to learn she is also a shifter. He enters a world of female shifters, drugs and violence as he is jumped in an alley. He looks like David and takes a beating for it. When he is delivered to Serenity in a taxi, she thinks it is David, but his secret is out when he starts to change back. Then the real David Worth shows up and things get complicated quickly.
Destiny Rising by Jodi Anderson
Celeste Soraya killed her lover Erik. Actually he sacrificed himself to save her, he used the knife she held and her hands to stabbed himself. She has lived multiple lifetimes trying to undo what was done and bring him back. This is the last time she is going to try to bring Erik back. She is offering herself in turn.
When nothing happens during the spell she is defeated. The knock at the door startles her and Rose. They scramble to clean up. Celeste finds her neighbor at her door with an injured stranger. The stranger has Erik’s face. As Celeste looks at him in shock, she sees another looking out at her through Erik’s eyes. The evil known as Erik’s twin brother Victor, the one they were trying to stop which started it all, is staring out at her. Erik and Victor are sharing Erik’s body. Erik wasn’t dead like she thought. He had been living through the same lifetimes as she was. She was tricked by Victor as he planned his take over of this dimension.
Erik doesn’t remember Celeste or anything dealing with Victor. The only thing he remembers is Celeste killing him. When Victor emerges, Erik doesn’t remember what happens. Victor threatens Celeste and plans to kill Erik once and for all. Celeste has to persuade Erik that what she is saying is the truth and they need to fight Victor or all is lost.
Wolf Rising by Parker Blue
Duncan Gray has a secret. He is a werewolf and he doesn’t want to be. He has been searching for a cure since his first change. He fights the wolf inside everyday. His brother Ian has been helping him along the way. In fact Ian thinks that one of his other patients can help him. He sends Duncan to stay with a Wiccan witch named Beth Aldiss. She has Huntington’s Disease and Duncan may be able help her in return.
Duncan ends up on her doorstep and Beth finds an instant attraction to him. She is shocked but keeps her distance. When he reveals the real reason he is here and what disease he needs help with, she doesn’t believe him.
However after some consideration and the word from Ian claiming everything is true, she works to find an answer. The Goddess Lupa is the only one who can help and her answer is not what Duncan is willing to do. Beth has to figure out a solution that Duncan can live with or they will both die.
This collection is full of different types of magic. There is shape-shifting, spell casting, vampires, demons, demon slayers, vampire slayers, and even ghosts. Most magical beings are covered. These novellas are short reads and the stories are wrapped up pretty quickly. I liked some stories better than others. I liked the first three stories more than the last three. The storylines were more interesting to me. The first three also contained more fight scenes filled with battles between humans and magical beings. They seemed more action packed. The last three were more based on outsmarting the enemy and problem solving. All the stories included are full of creativity and unique stories. Anyone who likes reading paranormal stories that include different types of magick will find something here. I give it a 4 out of 5 for the wide variety of stories included.
September 7, 2014
Let me say that I picked this book up because I'm a huge fan of Parker Blue, BUT I am so glad I read all the stories of it because I am now a fan of even more authors that before! So I'll tell you a little bit about each...
Magick Justice by P.J. Bishop
Miko Jones is a reporter investigating the brutal murders of homeless men in the city by a serial killer because one of those homeless is her uncle and he's missing. Hadrian keeps mysteriously appearing and has an accent and creeps her out, she even suspects that he's the killer. Then she tries to follow him to catch him in the act. And he's not willing to let her get harmed because this is a dangerous game. Man, this one had me on my toes, and had me turning on the lights in my house. Definitely a really good addition to this one!
Spirit Rising by Evelyn Vaughn
Penny has a gift with Ghosts, so when a hundreds of years old house is being remodeled she gets called it. And the ghost she meets upon arriving is trying to warn her about all the other ghosts. There's a very dangerous ghost here, and then the ghost named Richard saves her. She is determined to help the ghosts cross over without harming anyone else, even if she has to sacrifice. This story is definitely for the ghost lovers. It's got excellent creep factors and it'll make you feel for the ghosts both good and bad!
Blood Rising by Karen Fox
Hayley hunts the vampers. There's a particularly bad vamper she's been following knows as the Destroyer, he also killed her sister. She is determined for him to meet the same fate. Along the way, she stops to find another murder has been committed and there's a new vampire who is connected to the Destroyer, so now she needs to kill them both. Rurik is interested in why Hayley is always at creepy places like furneral homes and cemetaries, and then he witnesses her with a vampire. But when they bond, Hayley is completely shocked to learn Rurik secrets, and now she doesn't know who to trust. This one is definitely for the mystery lovers because I just wanted to see a vamper get hunted LOL :)
A Shift in Magick by Laura Hayden
Serenity and David Worth were a happy married couple until David’s accident. Then everything went wrong. He left her with all of the medical bills. Serenity just wants a divorce and needs David to sign the divorce papers, so she has hires P.I. Jonathan Craft to find David and bring him to her. Jon is a shifter and can change his appearance to look like other people. When he goes to find David, he gets distracted by a waitress, and then looking like David, gets beat up for his search. Plus he finds a club of drugs, shifters, violence, and scary things. When he is delivered to Serenity beat up looking like David, it's confusing, but then he starts to change and things get crazy! Then the real David Worth shows up and holy craptastic it gets real! This one is also a great story and I loved it but I won't tell you the secrets!
Destiny Rising by Jodi Anderson
Celeste Soraya killed the man she loved, Erik, even if it's semantics and he saved her by killing himself. And Celeste will do anything to change that fate and fix the sacrifice Erik made. She tries another spell that goes wrong, and Erik's evil twin brother who started it all ends up at her door. And wam, Erik and Victor are sharing a body and there's some crazy magic going on, and Victor must be stopped. Man, this one is pretty heart wrenching, because Erik can't remember things and Victor is psycho, and Celeste needs to make sure that both Erik and herself make it out of this one once and for all. This one is definitely a page turner!
Wolf Rising by Parker Blue
Duncan doesn't want to be a werewolf, he wants a cure and he'll stop at nothing to get it. He hates his wolf and fights him every chance. He's brother Ian is trying to help him, and tells him he should ask Beth, a Huntington's Disease patient, for help... She's also a wiccan. Duncan is not so n ice about it, and Beth is reluctant, but they are attracted to each other, and neither of the other believes in the other's gifts. Duncan thinks her gifts are stupid and useless, and Beth thinks Duncan is a lunatic because werewolves aren't real. And then finally they listen to each other and the plot unfolds, but when answers are finally given, neither are willing to bend to help the other. This is my favorite story of course, but it's also amazing so I say read it!!!
I loved the whole book and though the stories are short, it's still excellent! 5 PAWS!!
Magick Justice by P.J. Bishop
Miko Jones is a reporter investigating the brutal murders of homeless men in the city by a serial killer because one of those homeless is her uncle and he's missing. Hadrian keeps mysteriously appearing and has an accent and creeps her out, she even suspects that he's the killer. Then she tries to follow him to catch him in the act. And he's not willing to let her get harmed because this is a dangerous game. Man, this one had me on my toes, and had me turning on the lights in my house. Definitely a really good addition to this one!
Spirit Rising by Evelyn Vaughn
Penny has a gift with Ghosts, so when a hundreds of years old house is being remodeled she gets called it. And the ghost she meets upon arriving is trying to warn her about all the other ghosts. There's a very dangerous ghost here, and then the ghost named Richard saves her. She is determined to help the ghosts cross over without harming anyone else, even if she has to sacrifice. This story is definitely for the ghost lovers. It's got excellent creep factors and it'll make you feel for the ghosts both good and bad!
Blood Rising by Karen Fox
Hayley hunts the vampers. There's a particularly bad vamper she's been following knows as the Destroyer, he also killed her sister. She is determined for him to meet the same fate. Along the way, she stops to find another murder has been committed and there's a new vampire who is connected to the Destroyer, so now she needs to kill them both. Rurik is interested in why Hayley is always at creepy places like furneral homes and cemetaries, and then he witnesses her with a vampire. But when they bond, Hayley is completely shocked to learn Rurik secrets, and now she doesn't know who to trust. This one is definitely for the mystery lovers because I just wanted to see a vamper get hunted LOL :)
A Shift in Magick by Laura Hayden
Serenity and David Worth were a happy married couple until David’s accident. Then everything went wrong. He left her with all of the medical bills. Serenity just wants a divorce and needs David to sign the divorce papers, so she has hires P.I. Jonathan Craft to find David and bring him to her. Jon is a shifter and can change his appearance to look like other people. When he goes to find David, he gets distracted by a waitress, and then looking like David, gets beat up for his search. Plus he finds a club of drugs, shifters, violence, and scary things. When he is delivered to Serenity beat up looking like David, it's confusing, but then he starts to change and things get crazy! Then the real David Worth shows up and holy craptastic it gets real! This one is also a great story and I loved it but I won't tell you the secrets!
Destiny Rising by Jodi Anderson
Celeste Soraya killed the man she loved, Erik, even if it's semantics and he saved her by killing himself. And Celeste will do anything to change that fate and fix the sacrifice Erik made. She tries another spell that goes wrong, and Erik's evil twin brother who started it all ends up at her door. And wam, Erik and Victor are sharing a body and there's some crazy magic going on, and Victor must be stopped. Man, this one is pretty heart wrenching, because Erik can't remember things and Victor is psycho, and Celeste needs to make sure that both Erik and herself make it out of this one once and for all. This one is definitely a page turner!
Wolf Rising by Parker Blue
Duncan doesn't want to be a werewolf, he wants a cure and he'll stop at nothing to get it. He hates his wolf and fights him every chance. He's brother Ian is trying to help him, and tells him he should ask Beth, a Huntington's Disease patient, for help... She's also a wiccan. Duncan is not so n ice about it, and Beth is reluctant, but they are attracted to each other, and neither of the other believes in the other's gifts. Duncan thinks her gifts are stupid and useless, and Beth thinks Duncan is a lunatic because werewolves aren't real. And then finally they listen to each other and the plot unfolds, but when answers are finally given, neither are willing to bend to help the other. This is my favorite story of course, but it's also amazing so I say read it!!!
I loved the whole book and though the stories are short, it's still excellent! 5 PAWS!!
September 5, 2013
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Overall, these stories were good reads. I’m not usually a big fan of short story anthologies, but the exposure to new authors was worth it. I’ve never read other books from any of them, and have added quite a few of them to my “to-read” shelf after this.
Magick Justice from P.J. Bishop was a really great story of angels, demons, and redemption. Miko is a reporter who is desperate to solve the murders of the homeless around the city. She stumbles upon Hadrian in her search, which leads to way more than she bargained for. The descendent of a Samurai magicker, she discovers her magic while falling for the handsome Hadrian along the way. This story was actually longer than I expected, but was totally enjoyable. I was really rooting for Hadrian and Miko, and would be interested in a series about them, especially if it gave them some more steamy time together.
Spirits Rising from Evelyn Vaughn was a ghost/paranormal investigator love story that was quirky and funny, with quick wit and an engaging story. Penny shows up to “stage” a house (and remove the ghosts haunting it) only to find herself introduced to a wicked spook her hottie trapped ghost ex. This author’s work was really fun to read. She has a writing style that I really loved – it was filled with a lot of very “real” internal dialogue and characters. Penny, Richard, Lance, and Manon are all broken in their own way, but they all find a sort of HEA at the end that made me smile.
Blood Rising from Karen Fox was my usual type of favorite story – the vampire kind. Hayley is a damaged vampire slayer, who picked up the stake when her sister was turned into a crazed “dead vampire.” This book included the Vampire Academy-esque designation of dead and alive vampires, which was familiar enough to me that I really enjoyed it. The steamy scenes between Rurik and Hayley were some great reads and the mystery had me second guessing myself until the end.
A Shift in Magick from Laura Hayden was a spin on the shapeshifter-type story. Jonathan Craft is a PI who can change his face into anyone he sees. Using it on a job from a distraught ex-wife name Serenity leads him to discover a whole shapeshifter subculture tied to Serenity’s ex-husband. There was a bunch of action and a teeny bit of steam, but overall it was a PI story with paranormal elements. Good characters were introduced that I wouldn’t mind seeing again.
Destiny Rising from Jodi Dawson was a mix of historical witches and contemporary romance. Celeste and Erik’s love story is one that spans centuries and was pretty sad to read. There was an awful lot of buildup and a little fizzle at the end, but still an enjoyable read. It lacked any real sizzle, but had a lot of paranormal.
Wolf Rising from Parker Blue was a werewolf tale with smut thrown in as a bonus. Duncan and Beth are both diagnosed with terminal diseases – Beth’s is more of a mortal disease while Duncan’s is lycanthropy. If he doesn’t surrender to his wolf, and also trust in Beth, he’ll die by the end of the next full moon. Their love story was really a great read. I’ll have to check out this author’s other books.
Overall, these stories were good reads. I’m not usually a big fan of short story anthologies, but the exposure to new authors was worth it. I’ve never read other books from any of them, and have added quite a few of them to my “to-read” shelf after this.
Magick Justice from P.J. Bishop was a really great story of angels, demons, and redemption. Miko is a reporter who is desperate to solve the murders of the homeless around the city. She stumbles upon Hadrian in her search, which leads to way more than she bargained for. The descendent of a Samurai magicker, she discovers her magic while falling for the handsome Hadrian along the way. This story was actually longer than I expected, but was totally enjoyable. I was really rooting for Hadrian and Miko, and would be interested in a series about them, especially if it gave them some more steamy time together.
Spirits Rising from Evelyn Vaughn was a ghost/paranormal investigator love story that was quirky and funny, with quick wit and an engaging story. Penny shows up to “stage” a house (and remove the ghosts haunting it) only to find herself introduced to a wicked spook her hottie trapped ghost ex. This author’s work was really fun to read. She has a writing style that I really loved – it was filled with a lot of very “real” internal dialogue and characters. Penny, Richard, Lance, and Manon are all broken in their own way, but they all find a sort of HEA at the end that made me smile.
Blood Rising from Karen Fox was my usual type of favorite story – the vampire kind. Hayley is a damaged vampire slayer, who picked up the stake when her sister was turned into a crazed “dead vampire.” This book included the Vampire Academy-esque designation of dead and alive vampires, which was familiar enough to me that I really enjoyed it. The steamy scenes between Rurik and Hayley were some great reads and the mystery had me second guessing myself until the end.
A Shift in Magick from Laura Hayden was a spin on the shapeshifter-type story. Jonathan Craft is a PI who can change his face into anyone he sees. Using it on a job from a distraught ex-wife name Serenity leads him to discover a whole shapeshifter subculture tied to Serenity’s ex-husband. There was a bunch of action and a teeny bit of steam, but overall it was a PI story with paranormal elements. Good characters were introduced that I wouldn’t mind seeing again.
Destiny Rising from Jodi Dawson was a mix of historical witches and contemporary romance. Celeste and Erik’s love story is one that spans centuries and was pretty sad to read. There was an awful lot of buildup and a little fizzle at the end, but still an enjoyable read. It lacked any real sizzle, but had a lot of paranormal.
Wolf Rising from Parker Blue was a werewolf tale with smut thrown in as a bonus. Duncan and Beth are both diagnosed with terminal diseases – Beth’s is more of a mortal disease while Duncan’s is lycanthropy. If he doesn’t surrender to his wolf, and also trust in Beth, he’ll die by the end of the next full moon. Their love story was really a great read. I’ll have to check out this author’s other books.
August 9, 2013
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This book was provided to me from NetGallery for free with no compensation in exchange for an honest review.
I have always been a huge fan of the fantasy genre. One of the things that I love about reading anthologies is that not only do you have the big named authors, but also other authors that you may not have heard of previously. So it allows you to get a glimpse at their writing styles and possibly discover a new author whose works you will love.
Magick Rising has 6 novellas that are vastly different. The unifying theme is that all stories revolve around a supernatural or magickal being.
This anthology has it all: vampires, shapeshifters, magickers (the term used in one story for magick users), werewolves, ghosts, and much more!
My favorite story was Spirits Rising by Evelyn Vaughn. I loved the interplay between the very much alive Penny and Richard the ghost she falls in love with. And let's not forget Manon! I definitely would not want to be on the wrong side of her wrath!! She was intensely insane. I truly loved the ending of the story. I didn't even see that coming! But you will just have to read the book in order to find out what happens!!
My second favorite would be, Blood Rising by Karen Fox. This was my first story that I had read by her. If any of her books are even half as good as this novella, then I will become a huge fan quickly. Hayley is on the chase. She is after the vampire that turned her sister. The only thing that she knows about him is that he leaves a card with the words "The Destroyer" printed on it. She doesn't know who she can trust. She doesn't have anyone she can turn to. Everyone thinks she is crazy because vampires are just things of campfire stories. Yet, here she is hot on the Destroyer's trail. That is when she meets up with Rurik and his old school charm. I didn't really catch on to who the actual Destroyer was until the very end when Hayley is face to face in a battle for her life with him.
This is definitely a must read book. I don't want to go into too much more details since they are short novellas and I don't want to give the stories away. However, I read this book in one sitting because each story was incredibly written. I didn't want to put this one down.
This book was provided to me from NetGallery for free with no compensation in exchange for an honest review.
I have always been a huge fan of the fantasy genre. One of the things that I love about reading anthologies is that not only do you have the big named authors, but also other authors that you may not have heard of previously. So it allows you to get a glimpse at their writing styles and possibly discover a new author whose works you will love.
Magick Rising has 6 novellas that are vastly different. The unifying theme is that all stories revolve around a supernatural or magickal being.
This anthology has it all: vampires, shapeshifters, magickers (the term used in one story for magick users), werewolves, ghosts, and much more!
My favorite story was Spirits Rising by Evelyn Vaughn. I loved the interplay between the very much alive Penny and Richard the ghost she falls in love with. And let's not forget Manon! I definitely would not want to be on the wrong side of her wrath!! She was intensely insane. I truly loved the ending of the story. I didn't even see that coming! But you will just have to read the book in order to find out what happens!!
My second favorite would be, Blood Rising by Karen Fox. This was my first story that I had read by her. If any of her books are even half as good as this novella, then I will become a huge fan quickly. Hayley is on the chase. She is after the vampire that turned her sister. The only thing that she knows about him is that he leaves a card with the words "The Destroyer" printed on it. She doesn't know who she can trust. She doesn't have anyone she can turn to. Everyone thinks she is crazy because vampires are just things of campfire stories. Yet, here she is hot on the Destroyer's trail. That is when she meets up with Rurik and his old school charm. I didn't really catch on to who the actual Destroyer was until the very end when Hayley is face to face in a battle for her life with him.
This is definitely a must read book. I don't want to go into too much more details since they are short novellas and I don't want to give the stories away. However, I read this book in one sitting because each story was incredibly written. I didn't want to put this one down.
August 10, 2013
Every sort of magick collides in these six paranormal tales of magick and romance. Although they are filled with good ideas the majority of them fall flat. This book is filled with slow paced anthologies that rely on urban fantasy cliches and paranormal romance tropes.
Magic Justice: This is the typical girl finds out about the Supernatural, finds out that she has powers, and falls madly in love with the hero after a few days. Miko is brave, kind, and smart. Hadrian is the typical brooding, hunky, hero. Aside from the heroine being Asian there is nothing different about this story.
Spirits Rising: An interesting twist on a historical event. The love story between Penny and Richard was a bit forced, but I liked the villain Manon and Penny’s Scooby gang. I wish we’d been able to see more of them.
Blood Rising: The story started out interesting, a regular woman who lost her sister becomes a vampire slayer. I also liked the idea of living vampires verses dead ones. But the story quickly descended into cliche’s of an eternal love developed over the course of a day.
A Shift in Magick: A fun twist on the classic noir story. A woman goes to a private detective for help with her wayward husband, which leads to more intrigue and danger than she could have ever imagined. The twist it that this investigator is a shape shifter, a man who can appear to be any other man he chooses. I also liked that the story wasn’t about to people falling in crazy love, instead it was about building a relationship. Which makes way more sense since she just got out of a bad marriage and they have only known each other for a few days.
Destiny Rising: Erik and Victor sharing a body made for a Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde kind of thing. Celeste wasn’t really an endearing character and I overall didn’t really care what happened to any of the people in the story.
Wolf Rising: A cute twist on the werewolf legend. While there is no action we do see two people fighting to survive since they are both ill with debilitating diseases. The love story was also more believable because of their illnesses. Sure they only knew each other for a few weeks, but when your time is limited picking up the pace on your love life is not a bad idea.
Magic Justice: This is the typical girl finds out about the Supernatural, finds out that she has powers, and falls madly in love with the hero after a few days. Miko is brave, kind, and smart. Hadrian is the typical brooding, hunky, hero. Aside from the heroine being Asian there is nothing different about this story.
Spirits Rising: An interesting twist on a historical event. The love story between Penny and Richard was a bit forced, but I liked the villain Manon and Penny’s Scooby gang. I wish we’d been able to see more of them.
Blood Rising: The story started out interesting, a regular woman who lost her sister becomes a vampire slayer. I also liked the idea of living vampires verses dead ones. But the story quickly descended into cliche’s of an eternal love developed over the course of a day.
A Shift in Magick: A fun twist on the classic noir story. A woman goes to a private detective for help with her wayward husband, which leads to more intrigue and danger than she could have ever imagined. The twist it that this investigator is a shape shifter, a man who can appear to be any other man he chooses. I also liked that the story wasn’t about to people falling in crazy love, instead it was about building a relationship. Which makes way more sense since she just got out of a bad marriage and they have only known each other for a few days.
Destiny Rising: Erik and Victor sharing a body made for a Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde kind of thing. Celeste wasn’t really an endearing character and I overall didn’t really care what happened to any of the people in the story.
Wolf Rising: A cute twist on the werewolf legend. While there is no action we do see two people fighting to survive since they are both ill with debilitating diseases. The love story was also more believable because of their illnesses. Sure they only knew each other for a few weeks, but when your time is limited picking up the pace on your love life is not a bad idea.
June 2, 2014
This book was provided to me for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Magick Rising by Parker Blue is an anthology of 6 paranormal romance novellas from 6 different authors: P.J. Bishop, Evelyn Vaughn, Karen Fox, Laura Hayden, Jodi Andersen (Jodi Dawson), and Parker Blue. I love anthologies because they give me a range of tastes to choose from -- like ordering every dessert on the menu just to have a tantalizing taste of each. Magick Rising is a perfect example of that experience, for me. Each of the novellas are very different, representing unique worlds and characters, and told by very different voices. The authors come from a variety of backgrounds, including Urban Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal, and YA fiction.
My personal favorite stories were Spirits Rising by Evelyn Vaughn, whom I had never read before (Discovering new authors to enjoy -- the other reason I LOVE anthologies!) and Wolf Rising by Parker Blue. I also enjoyed Blood Rising by Karen Fox (usually like her stories) and A Shift in Magick by Laura Hayden. Truthfully, I really enjoyed all the stories in this book and am happy to recommend it to anyone looking for a lovely dessert plate! Savor the tantalizing tastes and find a new favorite author!
Magick Rising by Parker Blue is an anthology of 6 paranormal romance novellas from 6 different authors: P.J. Bishop, Evelyn Vaughn, Karen Fox, Laura Hayden, Jodi Andersen (Jodi Dawson), and Parker Blue. I love anthologies because they give me a range of tastes to choose from -- like ordering every dessert on the menu just to have a tantalizing taste of each. Magick Rising is a perfect example of that experience, for me. Each of the novellas are very different, representing unique worlds and characters, and told by very different voices. The authors come from a variety of backgrounds, including Urban Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal, and YA fiction.
My personal favorite stories were Spirits Rising by Evelyn Vaughn, whom I had never read before (Discovering new authors to enjoy -- the other reason I LOVE anthologies!) and Wolf Rising by Parker Blue. I also enjoyed Blood Rising by Karen Fox (usually like her stories) and A Shift in Magick by Laura Hayden. Truthfully, I really enjoyed all the stories in this book and am happy to recommend it to anyone looking for a lovely dessert plate! Savor the tantalizing tastes and find a new favorite author!
December 26, 2013
There are 6 short stories in this anthology and while easy, quick reads, they are all fairly uninspired with standard PNR story lines and characters. All six of the authors were new to me and I was looking to add some authors to my TBR list, but will not be adding any of these based on the stories here. If you really like short stories despite their limitations (Magic Justice skipped a lot of details from when the hero and heroine meet to a big battle, most featured the hero and heroine falling in love instantly with no chemistry demonstrated) and this genre, you will probably enjoy the book. The two stories I enjoyed the most were A Shift in Magic which features a shape shifter (can change into other people after touching them) PI who saves other shape shifters from slavery and Wolf Rising about a werewolf and Wicca who save each other.
There was very little sex and what there was wasn't very descriptive/hot.
I received this ebook from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
There was very little sex and what there was wasn't very descriptive/hot.
I received this ebook from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
September 28, 2013
This collection of short stories was very hit or miss.
The 4 stars were: Spirits Rising (I was very engaged in this story. I thought it very quick to read and very interesting)
3.5 stars: Magick Justice (I can see this author getting better and better, I enjoyed the story line and the main character's compassion.), Blood Rising (Almost predictable, but engaging)
3 stars: Wolf Rising (Pretty predictable story line, but a quicker read), A shift in Magick (Pretty different story plat, but at times on the "what??" side)
2 stars were: Destiny Rising (completely predictable and yet so vague that it seemed like it was set in a couple of different times)
It took me quite a while to read this because some of the stories were so slow. If you are willing to skip some of the stories, it would be a worthy buy.
I was provided a copy in exchange for my honest review
The 4 stars were: Spirits Rising (I was very engaged in this story. I thought it very quick to read and very interesting)
3.5 stars: Magick Justice (I can see this author getting better and better, I enjoyed the story line and the main character's compassion.), Blood Rising (Almost predictable, but engaging)
3 stars: Wolf Rising (Pretty predictable story line, but a quicker read), A shift in Magick (Pretty different story plat, but at times on the "what??" side)
2 stars were: Destiny Rising (completely predictable and yet so vague that it seemed like it was set in a couple of different times)
It took me quite a while to read this because some of the stories were so slow. If you are willing to skip some of the stories, it would be a worthy buy.
I was provided a copy in exchange for my honest review
November 13, 2014
A received a digital copy in exchange for an honest review from Netgalley.
I posted my review for this book a little late because somehow the file I downloaded was corrupted so I had to wait until I was sent an additional copy.
I have no idea why short stories get bashed so much for being short stories. That's why they are called short stories to begin with. I thought all the authors that collaborated in this anthology did a great job with the availability they had to create their stories. A mix of spellbound paranormal stories each author includes a taste of romance, comedy, excitement and intrigue all packing ten pounds of sugar into a five pound bag.
I really enjoyed the read and I look forward to reading more from all of them. Thank you Parker Blue, Jodi Anderson, P.J. Bishop, Karen Fox, Evelyn Vaughn, Laura Hayden for sharing your fabulous worlds with us.
I posted my review for this book a little late because somehow the file I downloaded was corrupted so I had to wait until I was sent an additional copy.
I have no idea why short stories get bashed so much for being short stories. That's why they are called short stories to begin with. I thought all the authors that collaborated in this anthology did a great job with the availability they had to create their stories. A mix of spellbound paranormal stories each author includes a taste of romance, comedy, excitement and intrigue all packing ten pounds of sugar into a five pound bag.
I really enjoyed the read and I look forward to reading more from all of them. Thank you Parker Blue, Jodi Anderson, P.J. Bishop, Karen Fox, Evelyn Vaughn, Laura Hayden for sharing your fabulous worlds with us.
January 5, 2014
2.5 stars
I'm just not a short story kind of reader. I always feel that there could have been so much more, or that everything was so rushed there was no connection... All in all most of the stories were good, some I literally had to scan a few pages forward or I felt like I would lose brain cells if I finished that story.
I'm just not a short story kind of reader. I always feel that there could have been so much more, or that everything was so rushed there was no connection... All in all most of the stories were good, some I literally had to scan a few pages forward or I felt like I would lose brain cells if I finished that story.
September 13, 2013
Six short stories by some well know para normal authors. The tales range from werewolf to vampire with a mix of romance thrown in. Perfect length for a quick read and the Halloween season on the way. Enjoy this book.
October 18, 2013
Great Paranormal Stories! I really enjoyed this anthology! It introduced me to some authors I hadn't read before as well as those I always enjoy. Each story offered something different and I found them very enjoyable!
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