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Brandywine Investigations #4-5
Family Matters
With his career firmly established and his reputation as a successful PI growing, Hades should have the perfect life with his human lover, his faithful ferryman, his dogs and the parts of his family still speaking to him. But murder and chaos are never far away for death lords as his nephew Dionysus and his oldest friend Charon are drawn into the maelstrom.
Includes: Books, Bulls, & Bacchanals: Brandywine Investigations #4 Midwinter Dancing: Brandywine Investigations #4.5 Pack Up the Moon: Brandywine Investigations #5
Please note: Books, Bulls & Bacchanals has been re-edited with a few story adjustments for this edition.
Includes: Books, Bulls, & Bacchanals: Brandywine Investigations #4 Midwinter Dancing: Brandywine Investigations #4.5 Pack Up the Moon: Brandywine Investigations #5
Please note: Books, Bulls & Bacchanals has been re-edited with a few story adjustments for this edition.
502 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 28, 2018
16 people are currently reading
68 people want to read
About the author
Angel Martinez
93 books677 followersAngel Martinez currently lives part time in the hectic sprawl of northern Delaware and full time inside her head. She has one husband, one son, two cats, a love of all things beautiful and a terrible addiction to the consumption of both knowledge and chocolate.
Angel's alter ego writes the all-ages science fiction - Sandra Stixrude.
Angel's alter ego writes the all-ages science fiction - Sandra Stixrude.
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
April 28, 2018
This second compilation of stories of ancient gods and mythical figures living in modern America was as much fun as the first. I put this book on my "light" shelf, then removed it, because there is some real emotion and angst here, even if the story-telling style doesn't dive as deeply into it as some. There's real skill in making a reader feel empathy without pushing the angst.
Books, Bulls and Bacchanals gives us shy, traumatized minotaur librarian Leander, and Dionysus, god of wine, song and sex. They are an ill-matched pair, but Dio has a tender heart, and wants to do the right thing. He has moments of rage that scare him as much as they do bystanders, and the quiet haven that is Leander makes things better. By the end of this story they have something good going - a real HFN, but I liked seeing them in the next novella, and watching them still working their way to a solid relationship.
Midwinter dancing This was a short F/F story, and I appreciated strong women characters, and the flavor of the old gods in it.
Pack Up the Moon I'd been hoping Charon would get his story, and here he is, paired with a trickster god, Azeban. Charon's protective, solid nature, is challenged by the little raccoon god who lives outside the normal patterns, who is afraid and feisty and hedged in by enemies he doesn't want to admit to or anger. Charon has to work through the layers of what Azeban is hiding, and it's good for both of them. I enjoyed seeing many of the characters from previous stories here, as the action builds toward possible disaster.
Books, Bulls and Bacchanals gives us shy, traumatized minotaur librarian Leander, and Dionysus, god of wine, song and sex. They are an ill-matched pair, but Dio has a tender heart, and wants to do the right thing. He has moments of rage that scare him as much as they do bystanders, and the quiet haven that is Leander makes things better. By the end of this story they have something good going - a real HFN, but I liked seeing them in the next novella, and watching them still working their way to a solid relationship.
Midwinter dancing This was a short F/F story, and I appreciated strong women characters, and the flavor of the old gods in it.
Pack Up the Moon I'd been hoping Charon would get his story, and here he is, paired with a trickster god, Azeban. Charon's protective, solid nature, is challenged by the little raccoon god who lives outside the normal patterns, who is afraid and feisty and hedged in by enemies he doesn't want to admit to or anger. Charon has to work through the layers of what Azeban is hiding, and it's good for both of them. I enjoyed seeing many of the characters from previous stories here, as the action builds toward possible disaster.
March 31, 2018
Great addition
4 ⭐️
Great addition to the series
Books, bulls and bacchanals
This one started to me slow but once I got into it I really enjoyed it. I wasn’t sure of Dio at the start but he definitely grew on me. Leander was a great character and I felt for him and loved seeing him with the pandas. I enjoyed this story and watching them navigate their relationship. I liked that Leander struggled with Dio’s need for dancing and other people touching him, I think that would be hard for number of people, I also liked that you saw them later in Char’s story and they had a better understanding of each other’s needs.
Midwinter dancing
This was a quick short and while enjoyable I didn’t find it a requirement to keep track of the story and just felt a bit like a page filler.
Pack up the moon
My favourite of this book and fighting Ti and Hades story for my favourite of the series.
Char has always been a fav character to me with his sarcasm and dry wit and his match with Az was well done. It was a long story and I’ll admit that at the start I wasn’t sure how Az was going to get out of his predicament, but I was pleasantly surprised with how it all panned out
4 ⭐️
Great addition to the series
Books, bulls and bacchanals
This one started to me slow but once I got into it I really enjoyed it. I wasn’t sure of Dio at the start but he definitely grew on me. Leander was a great character and I felt for him and loved seeing him with the pandas. I enjoyed this story and watching them navigate their relationship. I liked that Leander struggled with Dio’s need for dancing and other people touching him, I think that would be hard for number of people, I also liked that you saw them later in Char’s story and they had a better understanding of each other’s needs.
Midwinter dancing
This was a quick short and while enjoyable I didn’t find it a requirement to keep track of the story and just felt a bit like a page filler.
Pack up the moon
My favourite of this book and fighting Ti and Hades story for my favourite of the series.
Char has always been a fav character to me with his sarcasm and dry wit and his match with Az was well done. It was a long story and I’ll admit that at the start I wasn’t sure how Az was going to get out of his predicament, but I was pleasantly surprised with how it all panned out
April 8, 2020
I loved getting to explore more of this world and the variety of characters, the way it blends mythology and the tales, but also add new elements and adapts the stories to fit the modern day along with all of their pairing is done beautifully.
First Dioynus and Leanders story, probably the one I found the most interesting in terms of exploring their backgrounds and personal life. They both have so many misconceptions of the other to start, yet bond over tragic events and learn to see another side of each other. Such as Dios childish, mischief and loving side for nature along with Leanders love of the library, the pandas and his own comforts. I really enjoyed their romance and the plot was great for this one, however I was a bit disappointed with the last half as it ruined the relationship a bit for me and seemed unnecessary conflict addition to the characters. The ending just didn't work for me, especially since it showed an unequel aspect to their relationship that I wouldn't have expected earlier. Overall I enjoyed the majority of the romance and story, also fell in love with Leander so I put this one as around 3. 5 Stars.
The F/F romance short of Artemis and Ing was unexpected, yet was so adorable and sweet I really enjoyed it especially as Artemis is my favorite goddess. It seemed so fitting and I was happy to see more of them in the next story. 3 stars
Now my favourite of perhaps all of the series is Charons and Azebans, I have adored Charons since the start so I was happy to see him get a story with a touch of romance here. I still enjoy all of the puns and his interactions, he makes me smile so much. Also fell in love with Azeban straight away, his full of mischief and affection that I enjoyed so much. He makes mistakes but to be honest all of these characters have done some crazy stuff in their time, so it was a rather interesting plot and I liked how it allowed a look at all the different gods and goddesses. These two are very slow burn and pure soft feels which I appreciated, it was fitting to Charon too and I liked how they discussed their relationship. The amount of support and care these two show for each other is lovely, overall it just made for a wonderful ending to the series which I loved so much xx 4 Stars to their story.
First Dioynus and Leanders story, probably the one I found the most interesting in terms of exploring their backgrounds and personal life. They both have so many misconceptions of the other to start, yet bond over tragic events and learn to see another side of each other. Such as Dios childish, mischief and loving side for nature along with Leanders love of the library, the pandas and his own comforts. I really enjoyed their romance and the plot was great for this one, however I was a bit disappointed with the last half as it ruined the relationship a bit for me and seemed unnecessary conflict addition to the characters. The ending just didn't work for me, especially since it showed an unequel aspect to their relationship that I wouldn't have expected earlier. Overall I enjoyed the majority of the romance and story, also fell in love with Leander so I put this one as around 3. 5 Stars.
The F/F romance short of Artemis and Ing was unexpected, yet was so adorable and sweet I really enjoyed it especially as Artemis is my favorite goddess. It seemed so fitting and I was happy to see more of them in the next story. 3 stars
Now my favourite of perhaps all of the series is Charons and Azebans, I have adored Charons since the start so I was happy to see him get a story with a touch of romance here. I still enjoy all of the puns and his interactions, he makes me smile so much. Also fell in love with Azeban straight away, his full of mischief and affection that I enjoyed so much. He makes mistakes but to be honest all of these characters have done some crazy stuff in their time, so it was a rather interesting plot and I liked how it allowed a look at all the different gods and goddesses. These two are very slow burn and pure soft feels which I appreciated, it was fitting to Charon too and I liked how they discussed their relationship. The amount of support and care these two show for each other is lovely, overall it just made for a wonderful ending to the series which I loved so much xx 4 Stars to their story.
April 6, 2018
That was one rollicking good ride! Finally, another book to add to my Best of 2018 list. Highly recommended!
EDIT: I did skip the short story included in this book as I have no interest in FF.
EDIT: I did skip the short story included in this book as I have no interest in FF.
September 7, 2019
This is my favorite Angel Martinez series. Which is saying a lot, considering how much I enjoy her books.
May 7, 2018
Having read and adored the first Brandywine Investigations book, I was thrilled to finally see more stories about the mythological pantheon. Though most of the stories do have a heavy focus on the Greek gods and their families and lovers, Angel Martinez does an amazing job of extending beyond that to include gods and goddesses from all of the pantheons. In this collection, Egyptian, Norse, and Abenaki gods and goddesses come together with a host of others to fall in love, right the wrongs of the world, and just cause general mayhem.
This collection sees three more stories: two novels and a short story. While they can be read separately, I enjoyed reading them all, because the characters in the third story (novel two in the collection, and BI #5, overall) make appearances in the previous books. Angel Martinez throws in just enough information so that you’re not lost and can enjoy the stories.
So, let’s break them down.
BI #4: Books, Bulls & Bacchanals follows Dionysus as he tries to find a way to stop his madness. Of course, that means going to the Eternal Library when he doesn’t like to read. When someone—or something—kills one of his Maenads while he is there, he goes into a blind rage, thinking it’s the minotaur librarian, Leander. But all is not as it appears with Leander, and it soon becomes apparent that Leander has just as difficult a past as Dio. As the two of them spend more time together, love begins to blossom, but are either of them safe, even within the secure walls of the library?
I loved, loved, LOVED Dio and Leander. I love any book with librarians, but this one was just so sweet. There are misunderstandings, sure, but there are also compromises and that’s what made this relationship so real to me. Dio is very hands on, and Leander is very hands off. Somehow they have to meet in the middle, and even when it seems like there is no way it can be done, the author does a great job of making it work while not compromising either character’s origins.
BI #4.5: Midwinter Dancing is a short (really short) story about Ing, a human, who stumbles upon the muses and Artemis on a snowy Christmas evening. She is soon drawn in by their dance and when invited, joins them. The story might be short, but it is utterly sweet as we get to see more of Artemis and what drives her. We see her connect to an old friend (Ing’s grandmother) and watch as a hint of romance might blossom between the two of them. Ing is certainly taken with Artemis, and who wouldn’t be?
I adored this story because of how sweet it was. It was also a refresher between the heavier stories of books 4 and 5. This one is light and there is no real drama, with the exception of the usual drama that can be found at Christmas when extended family is all together. What’s better is that it gives readers an idea of who Ing is, because she shows up in book 5.
BI #5: Pack Up the Moon follows Charon, who is finally getting his own story. After watching his lord Hades and the young lord Zagreus fall in love, Charon feels like something is missing. It’s been years since he’s had any sort of relationship other than working ones. When he runs into the Abenaki raccoon trickster god, Azeban, the little thief steals his watch, his cufflinks, and eventually his heart. But there’s a lot more to it than that. Azeban is in trouble. He’s on the run from a goddess who wants him to commit an act that he knows will get him killed by the death lords. But when his one friend is stolen from him, he has no choice by to follow through, and he realizes he should have asked Charon for help before things got too dire. Can anything set this straight?
Here we have a masterful blend of mythologies. I don’t really understand how Angel Martinez does it, but she somehow manages to blend the Greek and Abenaki mythos together to make the worlds work in tandem. It never feels forced, but just natural. And then when Japanese, Norse, and Egyptian gods get involved, well…it just gets that much better.
I loved the slow burn of Char and Az’s relationship. They are drawn to each other and they don’t rush things. They understand that they cannot be everything for each other all the time, but accept that not all relationships are perfect when two beings are so different. Char is ace and a death guide/god who likes to have a home base. Az is extremely sexual and a trickster who likes to roam the world and often literally eats trash. And yet they are so sweet together and just work.
Any fan of Angel Martinez will enjoy this new Brandywine book. If you’ve read the first collection, you can’t miss this one! If you’ve never read them before, you should get on it right away! There’s mystery, fun, and snarking. What more could you want?
Reviewed by Jennifer for The Novel Approach
This collection sees three more stories: two novels and a short story. While they can be read separately, I enjoyed reading them all, because the characters in the third story (novel two in the collection, and BI #5, overall) make appearances in the previous books. Angel Martinez throws in just enough information so that you’re not lost and can enjoy the stories.
So, let’s break them down.
BI #4: Books, Bulls & Bacchanals follows Dionysus as he tries to find a way to stop his madness. Of course, that means going to the Eternal Library when he doesn’t like to read. When someone—or something—kills one of his Maenads while he is there, he goes into a blind rage, thinking it’s the minotaur librarian, Leander. But all is not as it appears with Leander, and it soon becomes apparent that Leander has just as difficult a past as Dio. As the two of them spend more time together, love begins to blossom, but are either of them safe, even within the secure walls of the library?
I loved, loved, LOVED Dio and Leander. I love any book with librarians, but this one was just so sweet. There are misunderstandings, sure, but there are also compromises and that’s what made this relationship so real to me. Dio is very hands on, and Leander is very hands off. Somehow they have to meet in the middle, and even when it seems like there is no way it can be done, the author does a great job of making it work while not compromising either character’s origins.
BI #4.5: Midwinter Dancing is a short (really short) story about Ing, a human, who stumbles upon the muses and Artemis on a snowy Christmas evening. She is soon drawn in by their dance and when invited, joins them. The story might be short, but it is utterly sweet as we get to see more of Artemis and what drives her. We see her connect to an old friend (Ing’s grandmother) and watch as a hint of romance might blossom between the two of them. Ing is certainly taken with Artemis, and who wouldn’t be?
I adored this story because of how sweet it was. It was also a refresher between the heavier stories of books 4 and 5. This one is light and there is no real drama, with the exception of the usual drama that can be found at Christmas when extended family is all together. What’s better is that it gives readers an idea of who Ing is, because she shows up in book 5.
BI #5: Pack Up the Moon follows Charon, who is finally getting his own story. After watching his lord Hades and the young lord Zagreus fall in love, Charon feels like something is missing. It’s been years since he’s had any sort of relationship other than working ones. When he runs into the Abenaki raccoon trickster god, Azeban, the little thief steals his watch, his cufflinks, and eventually his heart. But there’s a lot more to it than that. Azeban is in trouble. He’s on the run from a goddess who wants him to commit an act that he knows will get him killed by the death lords. But when his one friend is stolen from him, he has no choice by to follow through, and he realizes he should have asked Charon for help before things got too dire. Can anything set this straight?
Here we have a masterful blend of mythologies. I don’t really understand how Angel Martinez does it, but she somehow manages to blend the Greek and Abenaki mythos together to make the worlds work in tandem. It never feels forced, but just natural. And then when Japanese, Norse, and Egyptian gods get involved, well…it just gets that much better.
I loved the slow burn of Char and Az’s relationship. They are drawn to each other and they don’t rush things. They understand that they cannot be everything for each other all the time, but accept that not all relationships are perfect when two beings are so different. Char is ace and a death guide/god who likes to have a home base. Az is extremely sexual and a trickster who likes to roam the world and often literally eats trash. And yet they are so sweet together and just work.
Any fan of Angel Martinez will enjoy this new Brandywine book. If you’ve read the first collection, you can’t miss this one! If you’ve never read them before, you should get on it right away! There’s mystery, fun, and snarking. What more could you want?
Reviewed by Jennifer for The Novel Approach
March 1, 2018
Further tales, with the mix of mythology and imagination, all set in the modern world. Angel Martinez continues her wonderful re-telling of mythological gods from cultures around the world. She continues with the gods and their cohorts, in all at their snarky, sassy, outrageous and funny selves.
This series is well written. The blending of myth, mythology and facts, with modern day technology is beautiful done. And this series is just plain fun to read. I’m hoping for more gods and stories. Lots more stories, think of all the gods that still need their own HEA.
Books, Bulls and Bacchanals
Dionysus, the wine and orgy and party god. The god no one takes seriously. And most of the time Dio is good with that. But sometimes, he’s the out of control, angry god. After taking his anger out on another god, even he knows he needs help with his anger. Off to the Eternal Library for help. There he meets the librarian, Leander, the minotaur. When one of his followers is murdered there, the family comes to help solved the case. And the family keeps underestimating Dio too.
The cast of characters in this story are amazing. I loved the Red Panda library assistants and the gardening mushroom dudes. I think of all the stories in this series, this one is my favorite.
Midwinter Dancing
Interesting interlude between the Brandywine stories. The family has gathered at grandmother’s house for a holiday meal. Ingeborg’s grandmother believes in the old gods and magic. As the odd one out in the family, Ing isn’t sure what to believe. But she’d never tell her grandmother that. Out in the forest to gather firewood, she stumbles across a group of dancers giving a lesson to their sister. The sister is none other than Artemis, goddess of the hunt. And Ing invites her to dinner.
I loved that both Artemis and Ingeborg show up in the next story.
Pack Up the Moon
I have been waiting for Charon, death’s ferryman to get his story. Charon is happy with his service to Lord Hades. And if he has occasional twinges in the region of his heart, well he’s still satisfied with his life. A run in with Azeban, raccoon trickster, leaves him missing his pocket watch. Then Azeban keeps coming around, first returning things and then to take things again. Charon is starting to think the little raccoon is doing this on purpose. And that is fine with him. Something about the little raccoon intrigues Charon. He’s hiding something, he won’t tell Charon what, and he can’t ask for help. But Charon does figure it out and with the help of the gang, they fix the problem, allowing Charon and Azeban to have a future.
This series is well written. The blending of myth, mythology and facts, with modern day technology is beautiful done. And this series is just plain fun to read. I’m hoping for more gods and stories. Lots more stories, think of all the gods that still need their own HEA.
Books, Bulls and Bacchanals
Dionysus, the wine and orgy and party god. The god no one takes seriously. And most of the time Dio is good with that. But sometimes, he’s the out of control, angry god. After taking his anger out on another god, even he knows he needs help with his anger. Off to the Eternal Library for help. There he meets the librarian, Leander, the minotaur. When one of his followers is murdered there, the family comes to help solved the case. And the family keeps underestimating Dio too.
The cast of characters in this story are amazing. I loved the Red Panda library assistants and the gardening mushroom dudes. I think of all the stories in this series, this one is my favorite.
Midwinter Dancing
Interesting interlude between the Brandywine stories. The family has gathered at grandmother’s house for a holiday meal. Ingeborg’s grandmother believes in the old gods and magic. As the odd one out in the family, Ing isn’t sure what to believe. But she’d never tell her grandmother that. Out in the forest to gather firewood, she stumbles across a group of dancers giving a lesson to their sister. The sister is none other than Artemis, goddess of the hunt. And Ing invites her to dinner.
I loved that both Artemis and Ingeborg show up in the next story.
Pack Up the Moon
I have been waiting for Charon, death’s ferryman to get his story. Charon is happy with his service to Lord Hades. And if he has occasional twinges in the region of his heart, well he’s still satisfied with his life. A run in with Azeban, raccoon trickster, leaves him missing his pocket watch. Then Azeban keeps coming around, first returning things and then to take things again. Charon is starting to think the little raccoon is doing this on purpose. And that is fine with him. Something about the little raccoon intrigues Charon. He’s hiding something, he won’t tell Charon what, and he can’t ask for help. But Charon does figure it out and with the help of the gang, they fix the problem, allowing Charon and Azeban to have a future.
March 29, 2018
Rating: 4.5 stars
I am so grateful that a friend lent me her copy of this book. It contains 2 full length stories and one extremely short stories continuing with the characters from Brandywine Investigations. I must say with the exception of the short story in the middle, I enjoyed these stories way more than I did the ones in the first addition. That surprised me because Dionysus was not one my favorite characters in the original stories. He became one of my favorite characters after reading his book. I loved both him and Leander. They each had issues and tragedy in their pasts and it was wonderful to see them get together. The story was extremely bittersweet as a tragedy at the start of the story saddened me greatly. Don’t even get me started on the red panda library assistants. So cute. They warmed my heart.
The middle extremely short story was a throw away for me. I really didn’t get anything out of it. Sure, the events in it were slightly relevant to the events in the last story but if I had skipped it, it wouldn’t have mattered.
Then there was Charon’s story. I loved it. It kept me on my toes the whole time. I couldn’t put it down because I wanted to know what was going to happen. Charon was one of my favorite characters from the first set of stories and it was good to have him find love and happiness. I wasn’t sure if Azeban was the right fit for him at first, but I was quickly convinced and loved all their interactions. Also loved Kau his crow companion. There were a couple of nitpicky things that bothered me a bit, but really overall, I loved this story.
If you were a fan of this series, I highly recommend you read the stories contained in this book. If you haven’t read the first volume of stories, I recommend you start there. You won’t be disappointed.
I am so grateful that a friend lent me her copy of this book. It contains 2 full length stories and one extremely short stories continuing with the characters from Brandywine Investigations. I must say with the exception of the short story in the middle, I enjoyed these stories way more than I did the ones in the first addition. That surprised me because Dionysus was not one my favorite characters in the original stories. He became one of my favorite characters after reading his book. I loved both him and Leander. They each had issues and tragedy in their pasts and it was wonderful to see them get together. The story was extremely bittersweet as a tragedy at the start of the story saddened me greatly. Don’t even get me started on the red panda library assistants. So cute. They warmed my heart.
The middle extremely short story was a throw away for me. I really didn’t get anything out of it. Sure, the events in it were slightly relevant to the events in the last story but if I had skipped it, it wouldn’t have mattered.
Then there was Charon’s story. I loved it. It kept me on my toes the whole time. I couldn’t put it down because I wanted to know what was going to happen. Charon was one of my favorite characters from the first set of stories and it was good to have him find love and happiness. I wasn’t sure if Azeban was the right fit for him at first, but I was quickly convinced and loved all their interactions. Also loved Kau his crow companion. There were a couple of nitpicky things that bothered me a bit, but really overall, I loved this story.
If you were a fan of this series, I highly recommend you read the stories contained in this book. If you haven’t read the first volume of stories, I recommend you start there. You won’t be disappointed.
April 11, 2018
Two more unusual M/M pairings are featured in this second volume (plus a F/F short): the god of wild parties with the innocent, reclusive librarian Minotaur, and the tall and bony, sardonic, generally asexual ferryman Charon with a usually-irrepressible (and lusty) thieving little raccoon god. Still, all have their emotional wounds and vulnerabilities, and manage to be just what their partners need.
"Books, Bulls, and Bacchanals" (#4) involves the murder of someone dear to Dionysus, and the most mystery-structured plot yet in the series, i.e., questions of motives, movements, alibis, etc. Along the way, we learn of Dio's painful past, the care he has for the lost youths who become his Maenads for a time, and the uncontrollable rages he hates in himself. We also get a very different take on what happened in the Minotaur's labyrinth. And the library assistants are red pandas! I wasn't sure I would like Dio well enough as a romantic lead, but his orgy-trances become an issue addressed and accepted by the end.
In "Pack Up the Moon" (#5), Charon's story, Azeban (who frequently is in the form of a raccoon) is terrified for himself and his crow companion, coerced into doing something he knows is evil, which imperils someone dear to Charon -- and possibly the whole world. We already knew Charon had a softer side, but here we also see his self-doubt and ability to forgive.
In between is "Midwinter Dancing" (#4.5), a short story of a human woman at home in the woods meeting Artemis (and the muses). It's nice, but there's not anywhere near as much to it.
"Books, Bulls, and Bacchanals" (#4) involves the murder of someone dear to Dionysus, and the most mystery-structured plot yet in the series, i.e., questions of motives, movements, alibis, etc. Along the way, we learn of Dio's painful past, the care he has for the lost youths who become his Maenads for a time, and the uncontrollable rages he hates in himself. We also get a very different take on what happened in the Minotaur's labyrinth. And the library assistants are red pandas! I wasn't sure I would like Dio well enough as a romantic lead, but his orgy-trances become an issue addressed and accepted by the end.
In "Pack Up the Moon" (#5), Charon's story, Azeban (who frequently is in the form of a raccoon) is terrified for himself and his crow companion, coerced into doing something he knows is evil, which imperils someone dear to Charon -- and possibly the whole world. We already knew Charon had a softer side, but here we also see his self-doubt and ability to forgive.
In between is "Midwinter Dancing" (#4.5), a short story of a human woman at home in the woods meeting Artemis (and the muses). It's nice, but there's not anywhere near as much to it.
March 10, 2018
Sweet and engrossing
This is 3 stories, the first is our fickle Dios finding more than he ever knew when he meets Leander the librarian of the immortal library. This is a sweet and heartbreaking read showing Dios's sweet side. A great explanation of panic attacks and social anxiey with a snippet of how we must accept our partners true nature.
Book two is a very short read of Ing a women enjoying Christmas with her family, tasked with gathering dry wood after the log pile is left to get wet she goes into the forest around her grandmother's cabin and finds herself watching a goddess dance and meets Artemis. A lovely Christmas story and very sweet.
Book three we see Charon our ace character get involved with Azeban a trickster god he's known for years, due to their immortality the gods and other entities all are aware of each other.
This is Azeban forced to do something bad that invariably will affect his growing friendship/relationship with Char. A good explanation again of asexual relationships and how ace people feel and the sex angle.
All round a great set of stories and great to see our other characters from previous stories together.
This is 3 stories, the first is our fickle Dios finding more than he ever knew when he meets Leander the librarian of the immortal library. This is a sweet and heartbreaking read showing Dios's sweet side. A great explanation of panic attacks and social anxiey with a snippet of how we must accept our partners true nature.
Book two is a very short read of Ing a women enjoying Christmas with her family, tasked with gathering dry wood after the log pile is left to get wet she goes into the forest around her grandmother's cabin and finds herself watching a goddess dance and meets Artemis. A lovely Christmas story and very sweet.
Book three we see Charon our ace character get involved with Azeban a trickster god he's known for years, due to their immortality the gods and other entities all are aware of each other.
This is Azeban forced to do something bad that invariably will affect his growing friendship/relationship with Char. A good explanation again of asexual relationships and how ace people feel and the sex angle.
All round a great set of stories and great to see our other characters from previous stories together.
May 12, 2021
This is the second anthology about gods living in the modern world. I really love that, whilst there is a focus on Greek mythology, many other pantheons and myths are also included.
The first book in this anthology focused on Dionysus and Leander, the Minotaur from the labyrinth. I absolutely loved this story. I related strongly to aspects of both their characters - Dio’s racing brain and Leander’s crippling anxiety, to name just a few things.
I loved how they balanced each other out, and I also loved the library pandas.
There was a short story in the middle that was very mild f/f that focused on Artemis and a human named Ing. I wish that had been a little longer and more in depth.
The second and final book focused on Charon and a raccoon god named Azeban. I really liked the plot of this book but I didn’t really feel any chemistry between the two characters. Next to the first book this one was a little bit of a disappointment. Though still enjoyable.
Overall I love Angel Martinez’s interpretations of mythology and I would love to read more of this series.
The first book in this anthology focused on Dionysus and Leander, the Minotaur from the labyrinth. I absolutely loved this story. I related strongly to aspects of both their characters - Dio’s racing brain and Leander’s crippling anxiety, to name just a few things.
I loved how they balanced each other out, and I also loved the library pandas.
There was a short story in the middle that was very mild f/f that focused on Artemis and a human named Ing. I wish that had been a little longer and more in depth.
The second and final book focused on Charon and a raccoon god named Azeban. I really liked the plot of this book but I didn’t really feel any chemistry between the two characters. Next to the first book this one was a little bit of a disappointment. Though still enjoyable.
Overall I love Angel Martinez’s interpretations of mythology and I would love to read more of this series.
September 22, 2018
Spoiler
Poor Leander... a pure innocent being that gets lead around by a cheating god Dionysus, who like his father does anyone and anything he sees. Leander will have to accept all the cheating, becauce Dionysus needs that to live. Sure... Like there are no other means that make him exit. Like Nature. Animal care. Music. And so on, he doesnt have to have sex with strangers (no sure Leander, its just physical, no need to get so jealous...) on the dancefloor every time! Im shocked at that ending. And disgusted at this way of dealing with an innocent who has never met love before and doesnt know better, than to believe that the god of cheating is a good „lover“. Yeah, „love“, its hilarious how that emotion is described in that story. Horrible, horrible book. D only wants Leander as an anger management tool and for what is in his pants. Ares hit the truth there. Very, very sad. Delete! (less)
Poor Leander... a pure innocent being that gets lead around by a cheating god Dionysus, who like his father does anyone and anything he sees. Leander will have to accept all the cheating, becauce Dionysus needs that to live. Sure... Like there are no other means that make him exit. Like Nature. Animal care. Music. And so on, he doesnt have to have sex with strangers (no sure Leander, its just physical, no need to get so jealous...) on the dancefloor every time! Im shocked at that ending. And disgusted at this way of dealing with an innocent who has never met love before and doesnt know better, than to believe that the god of cheating is a good „lover“. Yeah, „love“, its hilarious how that emotion is described in that story. Horrible, horrible book. D only wants Leander as an anger management tool and for what is in his pants. Ares hit the truth there. Very, very sad. Delete! (less)
February 28, 2018
Oh, I had fun with this omnibus! I enjoyed the first as well, but I really loved where the stories went in Family Matters. Books, Bulls and Bacchanals is just plain fun. What else could it be when you have Dionysus, the god of wine (and .. well.. you'll see) and a Minotaur librarian trying to solve a murder? I would like more about Artemis and Ing, so I hope we get more of that one day. My favorite part of this omnibus, though, is Charon's story. This is no surprise to me, though, as I have always loved the gods and mythology, and especially the idea of the ferryman taking souls across. I really enjoyed the story of him and his little raccoon. I like that we get more of Hades and his life as well, as he was my favorite part of Brandywine to begin with. These stories are fun and sweet and funny, and I hope we get more in the future.
February 28, 2018
I was so excited to receive an arc for this book and I couldn't wait to dive in. Having read Dio's story before I couldn't wait knowing Charon was getting his story told. After waiting on pins and needles it has come and I couldn't be happier for him, Azeban will definitely keep Charon on his toes and I think after so long being alone Charon will have his hands full and that is exactly what is needed. This story is spellbinding with the way Dio's, Artemis', and Charon's stories were told; you can't help but to fall in love with all of the characters and cheer them on. Of course with red pandas everywhere nothing can go wrong! I'm normally not into f/f but Artemis' story caught me and I hope to hear more about them.
March 14, 2018
A Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Review
Rating: 4.75 stars out of 5
For the full review, visit https://wp.me/p220KL-d7G
From that review: " With Angel Martinez's fertile imagination, she has created a universe in which Lord Hades gets a divorce, gets kicked out of the underworld and starts a detective agency. Of course, there's so much more to it than that. It involves so many gods and goddesses hanging out in the "real world" as well as on the Olympic plain, all doing their thing. It's fun, it's a madhouse of murder and mystery and the author often turns well-known mythology on it's head time after time. Yes, it's also absolutely marvelous great times."
For all our reviews, author interviews and more, visit us at http://scatteredthoughtsandroguewords...
Rating: 4.75 stars out of 5
For the full review, visit https://wp.me/p220KL-d7G
From that review: " With Angel Martinez's fertile imagination, she has created a universe in which Lord Hades gets a divorce, gets kicked out of the underworld and starts a detective agency. Of course, there's so much more to it than that. It involves so many gods and goddesses hanging out in the "real world" as well as on the Olympic plain, all doing their thing. It's fun, it's a madhouse of murder and mystery and the author often turns well-known mythology on it's head time after time. Yes, it's also absolutely marvelous great times."
For all our reviews, author interviews and more, visit us at http://scatteredthoughtsandroguewords...
March 2, 2018
A great follow up to the first in this series. I love the mythology brought into the modern world. I've always been intrigued by mythology and this series kept me enthralled all the way through. It has Dionysus and a minotaur librarian trying to solve a murder, a family holiday meal with Artemis and Ingeborg, and then Charon and Azeban with their push and pull. And throughout you also get more of Hades' life. Hope there's more to come from this series!
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.
April 29, 2018
An excellent second anthology, I loved the stories between Dionysus and Leander, Ing and Artemis, and Charon and Azeban. I love that Angel Martinez is able to blend all of the different mythologies together to create this seamless universe where it just makes sense. While some of the pairings might seem strange, they work, and I love them.
I really hope there will be more in the Brandywine series because each story has a wonderful mystery and great romance!
Full review will be posted on The Novel Approach.
I really hope there will be more in the Brandywine series because each story has a wonderful mystery and great romance!
Full review will be posted on The Novel Approach.
February 28, 2018
This is that second collection of stories following Hades and his extended family. I absolutely love this series, I enjoyed the tales of ancient gods in a contemporary setting. This time the stories cover the God of wine and his Minotaur (who just so happens to be in charge of a maze like library, which I would love to visit😍) and Charon (the ferryman) and his little raccoon shifter. I have no doubt that I will be re-reading this book more than once.
July 22, 2019
This was awesome!!!
I had to read the second book for a challenge but I was not lost! I will definitely read the first book because this was AWESOME.
I love the mythology! I love the stories! I love learning about the different gods and goddesses! :)
Dionysus and Leander & Charon and Azeban!
I can't wait to read the first book!
Plus RED PANDAS! <3
I had to read the second book for a challenge but I was not lost! I will definitely read the first book because this was AWESOME.
I love the mythology! I love the stories! I love learning about the different gods and goddesses! :)
Dionysus and Leander & Charon and Azeban!
I can't wait to read the first book!
Plus RED PANDAS! <3
June 6, 2021
I've liked all of the stories building this world, and I enjoyed Dio and Leander's expansion of the extrovert/introvert trope with hermit virgin vs. deity of freaking orgies variation (holy crap, what a pair!), but Az and Char just melted my heart here! Love love LOVE them so much! I'd be happy to read more Brandywine stories, but I feel content with this ending.
March 24, 2018
Excellent
Love these characters and this world. Alex the parrot better have a story where Irene finds him....just saying. Two lines in the book, and I m struck by the need to know his story!
Love these characters and this world. Alex the parrot better have a story where Irene finds him....just saying. Two lines in the book, and I m struck by the need to know his story!
January 30, 2019
Just as good as the 1st
I just love this series!! I love all the characters every last one of them... I can't decide who's my favorite... I hope this author writes more of these wonderful characters!!! Patiently waiting:)
I just love this series!! I love all the characters every last one of them... I can't decide who's my favorite... I hope this author writes more of these wonderful characters!!! Patiently waiting:)
March 2, 2018
OMG!!!!
So good, so sweet, so freaking amazing AND so many tears...
I don’t know what story I loved more, probably Charon since I’ve always loved anything Grim Reaper and he deserved happiness...
So good, so sweet, so freaking amazing AND so many tears...
I don’t know what story I loved more, probably Charon since I’ve always loved anything Grim Reaper and he deserved happiness...
March 4, 2018
review in the morning
September 20, 2020
So, I actually lost my review for the first novella and am not around my reviews for the other two stories, so just some quick thoughts.
Books, Bulls, & Bacchanals
Love Dio. Leander's great, the soft, sensitive one, but Dio is a blast. Love the discussions on relationships.
Midwinter Dancing
Artemis <3 I've always loved her and it so nice to see some F/F rep in this setting. (Hey, author! I'd totally read a F/F novella in this setting instead of just a short story. That would be great!) Side note: I always wondered if all her Hunters were lesbians...
Pack Up the Moon
There was a bit of a learning curve here for me, because Azeban is a deity that I'd never actually heard of before. But I love that the world is expanding and bringing in more pantheons. Some relationship negotiations (which is like catnip to me) as well as trans, genderqueer and non-binary inclusion - though not of the main characters. Ace rep. Dio being included in a goddess dance. Just lovely.
Final Thoughts:
Definitely starting to think at Angel Martinez is heading to the top of my list of favorite authors just for the way she includes little mentions of non cis people. Also she's the only author I ever remember coming across that actually has characters ask for the pronouns of a person they are talking to. I love that and it's such a nice thing to read.
Books, Bulls, & Bacchanals
Love Dio. Leander's great, the soft, sensitive one, but Dio is a blast. Love the discussions on relationships.
Midwinter Dancing
Artemis <3 I've always loved her and it so nice to see some F/F rep in this setting. (Hey, author! I'd totally read a F/F novella in this setting instead of just a short story. That would be great!) Side note: I always wondered if all her Hunters were lesbians...
Pack Up the Moon
There was a bit of a learning curve here for me, because Azeban is a deity that I'd never actually heard of before. But I love that the world is expanding and bringing in more pantheons. Some relationship negotiations (which is like catnip to me) as well as trans, genderqueer and non-binary inclusion - though not of the main characters. Ace rep. Dio being included in a goddess dance. Just lovely.
Final Thoughts:
Definitely starting to think at Angel Martinez is heading to the top of my list of favorite authors just for the way she includes little mentions of non cis people. Also she's the only author I ever remember coming across that actually has characters ask for the pronouns of a person they are talking to. I love that and it's such a nice thing to read.
June 14, 2021
I've been waiting a long time for this series to have more stories. The wait was worth it. This collection has the stories of Dionysus and Charon finding love with a very, very short story in between (really just a single chapter) about the first meeting between Artemis and her future lover Ingeborg.
My fave character was Azeban. And the red pandas! Love them.
received an ARC for review purposes
My fave character was Azeban. And the red pandas! Love them.
received an ARC for review purposes
September 23, 2025
http://klishis.com/reading/archives/1...
TLDR: Minotaur in a kilt.
TLDR: Minotaur in a kilt.
March 3, 2018
Just awesome! This series just keeps getting better! The story of Dio and his Bull is the hottest off the charts steam and oh so funny, with a nice balance of the feels. The short story for Artemis is sweet and fun, but the story of Charon and Az is the best for me.
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