Emerald Bane

Mixologists and Pirates/Aliens and Alchemists #2

by Jei Anders

Fact 384: Allie’s bad luck knew no bounds.

After surviving a pirate attack by the skin of her very unlucky teeth, she believes life would get better. It had to, right?

Wrong, dead wrong. Literally dead.

One little prank leaves her as a prime murder suspect and her newfound friends in jail. If she can’t prove her innocence, she can kiss what's left of her life goodbye - not that she had much of one to start.

Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad being surrounded by the sexy, human-hating aliens. At least she’d have something pretty to look at while being blackmailed into espionage.

It was just one mistake... maybe two.

Genres: Science Fiction, Aliens, Fantasy, Fiction, Paranormal, Romance, Novella

72 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 23, 2017

Reviews

[Mandie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I tend to really enjoy this authors work, and this new science fiction series is no exception!! It was amazing! It was action packed, and left me wanting more!! I can’t wait to read the next book!

[Pernille · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m done

These are too expensive. Too short. And without any Meat on Them. They could go on with 20 books in the series and Nothing happening Except Costing you money. I had high hopes. I Got disappointed.

[kay! · Rating 1 out of 5]

3.5 Stars
I am having the time of my life with these books

[J.A. Cintron · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was confusingly awesome

[E.A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW.. this was short but oh boy way it good, not good, freaking epic!

I didn't want this story to end, and what a time to end it, talk about building you up only to crush your dreams. .... I need the next instalment.... like yesterday!

I'm not going to tell you anything... this is a short story so anything will be a spoiler. You're just going to have to trust me that this quick read is fucking fantastic! I can't even tell you right now how much I want to continue reading it.

I will tell you this, this is one of those books that I search for, crave. I love book with many different types of characters, worlds and wit. Emerald Bane has it all, and mange to accomplish all that in less then 50 pages. This needs to be full length books, it has a uniqueness to it, that I know will be a hit!

Take my super high recommendation that you will not only live this short, but be begging for more!

Happy Reading

-E.A. Walsh

[Stephanie Hotz · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately I wasn’t impressed with this second installment. The writing style is still solid, and I did enjoy getting to know the politics of the world. However, I’m really not a fan of stories that place emphasis on stereotypical beauty standards. There are several mentions to the hourglass figure being the ideal womanly shape, which I believe is a harmful message. This is also confusing because the girl on the covers of these novels has more a boyish figure (Nothing wrong with that, it just doesn’t match up).

I’m also finding the MC to be fairly one dimensional, which makes it hard to believe that everyone around her seems to think she is exceptional.

Unfortunately this was a miss for me, but I’ll likely read the third installment to see if things improve.

[Seraphia Bunny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emerald Bane – Book Two in Frost Kay’s Mixologists and Pirates series is absolutely fantastic! The story picks up right where the first left off and I am loving it! Allie is working at a bar and good news! She’s good at it! She and Jer are essentially working together and all is going well. That is…until some people come looking for her behind something that she did to one of their own. Uh oh! Looks like Allie has some serious problems ahead of her!
Emerald Bane…a moonshine that has not been yet perfected was introduced to the reader in book one at the tail end. Now, it continues as brings things full circle, but is there something else really going on in the shadows? Is Allie being used as a scapegoat for a tragedy? My mind is whirring with the possibilities! I love the way that the author introduces the reader to different characters of different alien species that way that she does. You don’t feel overwhelmed as they each enter the scene. The story is well done and kept my attention from start to finish. I immediately wanted to grab the next book and dive in when I finished. Allie just can’t seem to stay out of trouble.
There isn’t anything that I don’t like about this book. The suspense, the drama, the humor, and the quality of the aliens hook me in and keep me thoroughly entertained in the story. I love it! These are short stories, but they are engaging from beginning to end.
If you enjoy a fun sci-fi novel with snarky humor, a main character that seems to attract nothing but trouble but has a good heart at the end of the day then grab these novellas and dive in! I am rating this book 5 out of 5 stars! I am eager to start the next book!

[Samantha Corkin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book in the mixologist and pirates series and I’m pleased to say I found it much better. The first book ended on a cliff hanger and carries on straight away in this book. So I am so pleased that I have not had to wait for this book and that I was able to read it after book 1 if I wasn’t able to then I would have been really annoyed.

Within this book Allie and her friend Jer have started their new jobs on this new planet that they have been delivered too. Everything is going okay until an Av comes in and spots Allie.

The story was really well developed and it was really nice to see the characters getting a bit more personality. I can’t really fault any of them at the moment and I am actually enjoying all of the characters for once, which is really strange for me. The Av people/race are really strange but it’s something I expect from a sci fi book.

I’ll try not to go into to much detail about this scene but when Allie was taken by the Av I thought that her character was properly developed and that she was appearing as a knowledgeable, strong headed female as she knew what she was doing and that certain things they were doing was wrong. I also liked how she put other people first.

The ending of book 2 was a lot better even though it was still a cliff hanger it was a lot more forward and fitting. I think this whole series is going to be great if I’m truthful. I’m still slightly disappointed on the size of the books but I think that just makes me appreciate it a lot more.

[Beverly Laude · Rating 4 out of 5]

Allie Sai has been arrested for murder after giving a vial of Emerald Bane to an AV Lock. She only gave it to him to exact revenge for how he treated her. It was only supposed to make him sick, but now he's dead.

Her friends are arrested with her and in order to gain their freedom, she has to make a choice. Does she take the deal she has been offered? And, if she does, what exactly is she getting herself into?

I love the descriptions of the alien world, the different species and the great characters. There is plenty of humor involved and the story is very enjoyable.

Thanks, Ms. Kay, for sharing your world with us!

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was pulled into this story from the start! Directly after the events that take place in Amber Vial: Allie and Jer have just arrived on a new planet as colonists. They are assigned jobs and a place to live. As Allie gets situated on this new world, she discovers that many things are quite different than on Earth, particularly what topics are considered appropriate for polite discussion in public and how legal matters are handled. She sees the natives whom she thought were only elements of a whisky induced dream and becomes confused and alarmed.
I generally do not like reading short stories, but I really enjoy Frost Kay's work, so I read Amber Vial and Emerald Bane. I love the imagery and the world building that has been done. It is one of those stories that really sucks you in. The people are interesting, and Allie and Jer have that unique Frost Kay sassiness without coming across as annoying. I love the language in the book - she is a "mixologist" instead of a "bartender," and her job seems really fun. I am definitely eager to read more.
My only complaint is with the way that the story is currently split up. I would love to see all of these in one book (I imagine they will be when they are all completed ;-) ) I feel like there is so much potential for this new world that has been created. I think I even like it better than the Aermian Feuds series. (Don't shoot me!) I just enjoy sci-fi so much! :-)

Love this series! If you enjoy fun stories that you can read in one sitting, this series is definitely for you!

[Natasha Clark-French · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok, so I know this is only book 2 but I'm already enthralled by this series. I'm cursing my Kindle right now because the "extremely low battery" notification keeps popping up and I can't continue to the next episode right away. The world building is fantastic! I don't like that they're so short but in a way it makes sense. It's so good that without that natural break between them I would probably be lost to reading until I completed the entire series. But I hate that it messes with my Goodreads goal count of books. It feels like cheating or something. I'm also having trouble connecting to the characters. I like them but I don't feel an investment that has be rooting for them or booing their poor choices. I'm not sure if that's because the teeny tiny size of these books or because of an underlying problem with the writing but the result is that the main character Allie is falling a little flat for me (pun intended...reading and find out why) so I'm not really cheering her on, I'm just sort of following her and watching like a curious silent observer rather than the emotional mess I tend to be when I character I adore does something stupid or has something done to them; I'm not rolling my eyes or scoffing, I'm just watching and thinking. I'm hoping this changes soon but either way I'd probably still be invested in the world building if not the characters.

[Candy Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to say I'm surprisingly loving this series! I'm very choosy about what scifi books I read. I'm kind of weird when it comes to certain genres,I can watch them on TV or movies all day long but reading them rarely grasps my interest. Not with this series though,I was intrigued from the beginning and it held my attention so much I'm anxious for the next book. The author did a brilliant job with the characters personalities. They seem realistic and I could even see myself befriending them if they were real people. Also, I hate snakes, like I'm terrified of them, serious phobia here people, yet the author had me almost drooling over the snake like alien,Sid! I'm totally captivated by the story line and definitely as eager as Allie is to find out how her hallucination from Amber Vial plays a part in this whole episode of conspiracy and mystery. I absolutely recommend this book! So jump on board the ride of friendships,conspiracies, intriguing characters, strange alien customs,and life on a new planet that you never wanted to go to but will find yourself getting pulled into a new life that may or may not be as bad as you thought.

[Ambre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Allie Sai is the sassy heiress to a moonshine whiskey empire, just living her best life out on her parents' farm, away from the hustle and bustle of an Earth that's made contact with a wide variety of alien species. What she thought was a simple dating questionnaire turns out to be a one-way ticket to Sars, the home planet of an alien race that has struck up a deal with the Earth to recolonize their planet - using human women....

Emerald Bane picks up as Allie and her new friend Jer are on-planet, making their way to the "customs" desk to pick up their living and job assignments. Jer and Allie make a new friend and decide they want to be roommates, a wish that's granted, and also happen to be given jobs at the same up-scale restaurant - Scarlet Kiss. Jer's the new addition to the bouncer team while Allie's set to be a mixologist, tending the bar thanks to her background. Somehow, Allie manages to draw even more attention to herself as life on the planet Sars progresses, just because of who she is (not to mention that moonshine whiskey empire...) and because of one little act of vengeance (more like revenge) that goes quire morbidly wrong.

Now, Allie's stuck between a rock and hard place, and will have to make a choice that is sure to change her life - and that of her friends - even more...

[Ty Nyrin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Why?

It’s such a good book. So why am I paying $2.99 for a book that doesn’t contain enough pages to be even worth $0.99? You could fit all 3 books into one book and make it more than 20 chapters, like a real book is suppose to be.
I guess this is why it’s electronic and not paper back. People would know they’re getting jacked.

Anyway......
Allie is arrested for murder. Of course she is gullible and has been masterfully manipulated. They have pictures of the body and moonshine, but no autopsy report or any defining evidence. Then she answered all their questions until they were able to successively turn it around to sound like a confession. “No comment” should have been the only thing out of her mouth. (Lawyers love me)
Before she was in boiling water, now she’s completely out of the pot and burning in the fire itself. And she almost dragged all her friends down with her.

[The Mysterious Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok, a quick “Cliff’s Notes” review: I loved Frost Kay’s Mixologists and Pirates serial and have no doubt that anyone will too. I read Amber Vial (separately reviewed) a while ago and loved it. My only complaint was that I finished it too quickly and then had to wait. I solved that by reading the remaining episodes of this serial, Emerald Bane, Scarlet Venom, Cyan Toxin, Onyx Elixir and Indigo Alley (Parts 2-6), all at once. It worked perfectly for me as each episode is a pretty quick read so in total these work our to be the equivalent of one long book. And a totally fun book it was indeed. Superbly written, with a great overarching plot, a wonderful lead in Allie Sai (just the sort of kick-a** heroine I adore), a perfect cast from Allie and Blade on down, perfect world-building and, at the end, a great last episode HEA. Definitely recommended.

[Maria Garcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

So what to say but, Not fair! This little story is so intriguing...I love the descriptions she gives...My mind was able to just create this whole new world so clearly it feels like I’m actually walking through it while reading...This installment is a bit different than the last but still perfect! This is a short story that brings you up just to say boom you need to wait! Lol...I really cant wait till the next installment! I really cant say much because anything would be a spoiler being a short story! Enjoy!

[Mary A · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is shaping up to be a really fun series! The books are short, quick reads- which I find perfect because ALL of Frost Kay's books have been hard for me to put down, so I don't lose as much sleep with these shorter reads:) I can't get over how QUICKLY this amazing world has been built along with an interesting & likable cast of characters AND an intriguing story. How did she do that?!? Fast paced, out-of-this world (literally), girl-next-door main character falling reluctantly, but head-first into adventure. Next book please!

[Arceli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, this short story was pretty good. It added a good chunk of information that needed to be answered from the first book. I liked Allie as a character in this short story particularly more. She was really strong and got a grip of reality. She was far less the damsel in distress. The only big criticism in this short story was that I felt that it needed to be longer. I wished that if it had been at least double the size there would have been something of more substance. I felt that it was too quick a read for such an action packed story. Otherwise, I highly recommend this book.

[Michelle Fritz PA · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this second edition!! The world building and character descriptions are phenomenal!!! So much detailed description that it's fairly easy to imagine these alien races. This series is very intriguing. You really don't know what to expect, it's all surprises. Allie is just plain adorable! Her country charm is very sown into her, from her thinking to her choice of words. I love that she smells so fantastic too!! 🤣🤣🤣 I'm excited to begin the next book, and to see how Allie handles the next predicament. I throughly enjoy reading this authors words, so uniquely creative!!!

[Karsyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn't like this one as much as the first. Many more characters introduced and in such few pages it was a bit much. Since I read when I was tired I had a hard time remembering who was who as it went along. Again another short one. Will read more but didn't feel it deserved a 4. Hopefully the next is better. The world and culture is neat so far. I would have liked to have more background into that without all the other stuff first, either this longer than it was or broken into several books rather than jamming it all together.

[Lisa Eiff · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great book! It's definitely not a long read, but I loved how colorful the descriptions were in this book. Alien lifeforms like you won't believe, interesting drinks and pirates to boot. This book is filled with surprises.

For those of you looking to read the first book in this series, check out the Through the Never anthology to read Amber Vial. I'd recommend this read for people that enjoy sci-fi and are looking for short reads/novella style literature.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was definitely out of my normal go-to picks and I'm glad I strayed. The characters are vivid and fun, the setting is unusual and leaves you wanting to explore every nook and cranny. I love the detail explained starting with skin color, hair type, physical appearance down to outfit, and drink flavor. I quickly became attached to Sid, Seb, Jer. I really hope everyone chooses this quick, entertaining read.

[Patti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall rating: 4.8

Book 2 keeps the pace moving with Allie managing to rack up the unlucky tally. Totally love this authors mad skills at world building as well as the hyper speed these characters manage to spring to life. Very glad book 3 isn’t something I need to wait on. Highly recommend any new readers to just go ahead and grab all 3, there is no avoiding it once you get hooked in! All my reviews are always voluntarily written.

[Mirian Parrish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow I was so impressed by the first book and this book was a must read for me. More story, more character development and I really like where this story is going. Again with the books leignth though... it should be longer, these books should really be mashed into one 3- 400 page book in my opinion.

The MC Allie is my spirit animal and the potential love interest.... man I need a him in my life. JS

Excuse me I have to go and read part 3...

[Javi_starrysckeye* · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yet another great installment! The second book, Emerald Bane is so funny, and creatively woven that I almost forget that I’ve finished these books in suck a short time! I really love how well each book picks up from where the last one left off! A novella with enough plots and twists which makes you wanting to read the entire series, from start to finish!! Anticipating so many great things to take place in Scarlet Venom :)

[Stacy Gallina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay I love it

I love the characters and the story. However, I really wish the author made this a true novel and series. It has so much potential. I would never had tried this series of it was not included in KU because I would not pay for a book less than 150 pages. I just think the author is missing out on what could be a great series if she actually turned it into one instead of these short novellas.

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emerald Bane is the second part of Frost Kay’s Mixologist & Pirates. The main character, Allie, is sarcastic & witty. I love the dialogue and the world building shows lots of promise. My only regret that it’s so short! Totally need more *hint hint*

If you want to read the first part (Amber Vial” search for “Through the Never: a Science Fiction and Fantasy Collection”

[Allison Bumpus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great short story that has me craving more! I loved the new characters we met, and the conflict surrounding them. I feel like I can genuinely visualize the world of Sars and it's inhabitants....I wanna live there! I think Allie is one of my all time favorite main characters. She's so unassuming and gentle, but she packs a bite! I cannot wait for Scarlet Venom!

[Shasha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating but super short

In my copy of book 1 there was a teaser for book 2. The teaser ends up being 27% of book 2 so I felt that I paid too much for around 50 pages of new material.
But it was good! One odd expression (the Kool-Aid) but didn't notice any typos. Ends on a cliffhanger like a serial.

[Shari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book 2 Wow is ALLIE in trouble again.

Kay Frost is a page turner author! I'm on my 3rd book today! I'm really glad I started reading your books, even though, my husband and DOG are looking at me like what's for dinner and When will it be ready. Keep writing and I will continue to read all your books I can get!