Sanguineum Harenae

Winds of Fury #1

by C.L. Brown

Love comes from the most unexpected places and so does trouble…

After losing her job, Molly Padia struggles to find a new path forward. She seeks a fresh start in Albany, New York and finds herself living in a drab apartment, sidled with regrets. Luckily, the neighbors seem nice and offer some respite from her woes.

What none of them know, however, is that Molly isn’t her real name. Her birth name is Molpadia, and she’s an Amazon who’s walked the earth for over a thousand years.

For lifetimes, she’d policed the supernatural and kept the mundane world in the dark. Now her days are filled with TV, beer, and pizza — sad obscurity — because she made the crucial mistake of backing an enigmatic wizard.

Meanwhile, an innocent fling becomes a full-blown “thing.” Problem is, this breath of fresh air comes with a legal edge Molpadia would rather avoid. When a body turns up — along with a familiar face from Molpadia’s past — she’ll need to make some hard decisions and do so fast...before the body count rises.

---

Devilishly fun, this Realm Killer spinoff packs the perfect punch.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction

250 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 12, 2022

Reviews

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

please keep Kate as the love interest

Please keep Kate as the love interest. Ditch chase. Sorry, but I don’t like the love triangle vibe I am getting. Fight fate and when. Chase has no business being given any chances. Even the leprechaun is better for her.

However she already has a girlfriend…please don’t make her start cheating on her.

Kate is so much better for her and as she said she closed that chapter on her past life.

That being said I loved this book and the interactions between characters and look forward to the next book.

Great heroine and team.

[S · Rating 3 out of 5]

Molpadia/Molly is an Amazon who is doing penance on earth after getting fired as an enforcer in the supernatural world. Adjusting to her new life is taking a bit of a mental toll on her and she’s trying to convince herself that she’s ok with her new situation. What started out as a possible dull night out at a bar with her neighbors, has brought a new lover into Molly’s world, Kate.

Kate is a detective. When her investigation has her encountering things that are a bit more on the supernatural side, she learns more about what Molly is and about the ugly things that go bump in the night.

I really liked this book, Molly has some good one-liners and while she is a bit depressed about her change in lifestyle her inner monologue isn’t whiny. Kate is solid, willing to listen and not written has the hard headed have to be hit over the head with learning about the existence of demons and other ugly things that exist.

Molly, Kate and Loch make a good team and they keep the story moving. There is good pacing, banter and chemistry also with the side characters. While I enjoyed the story there was something missing, more tension?!? Couldn’t quiet put my finger on it but there was a disconnect that I couldn’t get past to really amp things up to next level. It all felt a bit too easy with Molly being able to handle most things that got thrown at them, coupled with things being a bit repetitive at times.

I am hoping that as the author gets more comfortable that we see more variety and some tightening of things in the future with Molly.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Angela Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great start to a series! It a very interesting and witty read! It needs a little more depth, but I love all the magic and snark! Looking forward to the next book!

[PAR · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a brilliant read! It pulled me in from beginning to end and held my attention. The world building is detailed and imaginative. This novel has strong, well developed characters and an interesting story line that keeps you turning the pages. Looks like a great start to a new series. I recommend this novel and would read more novels by this author. I received this novel from StoryOrigin and I am glad that stopped to experience this read. This review is my personal opinion

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another book that’s right up my street. Demons, magic, etc etc. what’s not to like. Molly is one hell of a hard b***h. Wonder how long it is till I can get the next one. Sooner the better. Highly recommended.

[Danielle · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s full of magic and sarcastic wit. A good start to a urban fantasy series.

[VIBE REVIEWS · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the book it was really good but the ending seemed rush. It was so good I read it in one day. Can't wait for the next book in the series.

-MAE

[Rowan Creech · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a refreshing twist in romance and the supernatural goings on in book land. I really enjoyed this adventure in this book and look forward to reading more on it.

[Patricia Mccammon · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book would appeal to readers that are really into the supernatural. Unusual characters. Sad but it was not one that I really enjoyed

[Sarah Woodhouse · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am new to urban fantasy, and I am new to such, I am thankful that I was introduced to C.L. Brown's books. I've read almost all of his books now, except for one and I have thoroughly enjoyed each and every single one of them.

This book (and series) picks up after Awakening: Realm Killer book 1. And even though I have read everything almost completely backwards, I still did not have any issues following along with the story line and the characters. Realm Killers is from Chase's point of view and Winds of Fury is from Molpedia's (M0lly's). Molly is a really complex character who I do not even think she fully understands her abilities in the world. We know that she is an Amazon and a total kick butt warrior goddess who doesn't let anything, or anyone stand in her way. I love that she doesn't use excuses or let social norms dictate who she is. She isn't all about man bashing or about trying to be better than them. She just is who she is.

(I mention this because there are so many books where they have a fantastic female character and they use excuses about how men hold them back, blah blah blah. I've got news for you ladies (and as I am one, I can say this) this is 2023. If anything is holding you back these days, it's yourself and self-doubt. Period. Molly is fantastic. I relate to her because she doesn't stop fighting. Her guts might be hanging out or her arm out of socket and she's still getting up and fighting on. This is a woman that we can aspire to be like.

I love that we got to see more of the characters from the Realm Killer Universe, such as Simon and our favorite Leprechaun. I am hoping that we maybe get a series about him and his life at some point to. That would be awesome!

As with all of C.L. Brown's other books there are plenty of other worldly characters, surprises, battle scenes, and raucous humor and friendship. I love it. I love that this is a world where you can be yourself and not have to worry about others judging you. You can just relax and enjoy and know that you're either going to get into a heap of trouble or in a fight, or both lol.

An absolute thrill ride of a story that never gets boring. You continue to read faster and faster because you cannot help yourself and then you're sorry because the book has ended. But you read it all again just because you want to be a part of that world.

Warning: these books are addicting. Do not start unless you're willing to sacrifice sleeping at night and putting off other activities lol.

I highly recommend this and every other one of his books. You won't be sorry.

[Blake · Rating 3 out of 5]

(FYI I tend to only review one book per series, unless I want to change my scoring by 0.50 or more of a star. -- I tend not to read reviews until after I read a book, so I go in with an open mind.)

2.5*

Lost a star because I despise 'love triangles'.

I like the MC
I like the love interest (and do not want her to break up with them)
I like the other characters with the exception of the, little we saw of the, second love interest. I don't care if it's fated, MC needs to chose her current LI not the guy she's fancied for years (maybe decades or even centuries!). He can die to fulfil the prophecy, not the actual person she's dating!

I like the world.

Edited = I read the book then found it on here to post my review, so I missed that this was a spin off from a series called Realm Killers. -- The person I do not want as the LI is the lead in that series.
Maybe if I'd read them in order I'd want the MC with him but just going by the books' blurbs, as well as what was said in this book, MC would be a 'rebound' from his very bad break-up, so yeah I still prefer her nice girlfriend.

First time read the author's work?: Yes

Will you be reading more?: Possibly

Would you recommend?: Probably


------------
How I rate Stars: 5* = I loved (must read all I can find by the author)
4* = I really enjoyed (got to read all the series and try other books by the author).
3* = I enjoyed (I will continue to read the series)
or
3* = Good book just not my thing (I realised I don't like the genre or picked up a kids book to review in error.)

All of the above scores means I would recommend them!
-
2* = it was okay (I might give the next book in the series a try, to see if that was better IMHO.)
1* = Disliked

Note: adding these basic 'reviews' after finding out that some people see the stars differently than I do - hoping this clarifies how I feel about the book. :-)

[Jessica Kemery · Rating 5 out of 5]

Does not disappoint

I've got to say I really enjoyed Sanguineum Harenae by CL Brown. The main character of Molly Padia is just so darn likable, I found myself really drawn into the story. I love how she just completely wrecks her opponents, sometimes in a wrestle mania style that is very satisfying. She also has a soft side. Her relationship with Kate, the police detective is fun and sassy. Honestly, this is the perfect blend of a mystery type detective story AND fantasy. The magic systems are very believable, and I enjoyed the fight scenes.
My favorite character is Loch. He is a lovable and sometimes infuriating fae who works for a shadowy alphabet agency. He's a bit lucky, a bit of a cad, and he really provides comedic relief. I loved the scene in which he is just dancing and enjoying himself, while Molly is having a huge fight.
The author does a great job blending Greek mythology and gods into the modern world. Everything is hidden just under the surface and in plain sight. I especially loved the scene with the red caps and the basement. It's dirty, bloody, and action packed. I loved the justice the bad guys got in the end. The story is filled with scenes like this, and the pace is very good, keeping the reader engaged the entire time. I really wanted to find out what happened next with all the different threads of the plot. I felt like the main characters were on the side of good, and I couldn't wait to see the bad guys lose and get their dues
Overall, I highly recommend this book if you like both fantasy and mystery. It will not disappoint! This is a great author with a very enjoyable story!

[Arabella Auberon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is a lot of fun. I thought the concepts were original and interesting and the overall story is exciting and entertaining. This is going to be a great series, and I can’t wait for the next one!

5 ⭐️s= Perfect story, exciting, engrossing, well developed complex characters, solid plot with few to no holes, descriptive environments and place settings, great mystery elements, realistic dialogue, believable reactions and behaviors, loved this story so much I’d buy it.

4 ⭐️s= Great story, highly entertaining and enjoyable, exciting storyline, well developed characters and settings, a few discrepancies but nothing that can’t be overlooked. Believable actions and reactions, realistic dialogue, a book I would consider buying.

3 ⭐️s= Good but not great story, noticeable discrepancies, grammatical and or spelling errors, undeveloped characters or unbelievable behaviors but still readable. Nothing majorly wrong with the story, just not interesting enough for me to continue. Would not buy the book.

2 ⭐️s= Not offended by the story, but not interested enough to finish. Unbelievable characters, poor writing, many mistakes, big holes or discrepancies, many spelling or grammatical errors, characters not believable, unlikeable or TSTL.

1 ⭐️= Offensive, extremely poor writing, horrible characters, victimization, gaslighting, blatant abuse, unnecessary violence, child endangerment, or any other highly objectionable behaviors by Main characters. Would never buy this book, and do not recommend it to anyone.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Steve Baumgartner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a quick read and the type of book that I really didn't want to put down. It keep my interest and kept me wanting to turn the page to see what was going to happen next. The characters, although not the most in-depth characters, were definitely enjoyable, and I can't wait to see where they go next. If I was going to find something to complain about, it would be to say that I was a little bit confused at the beginning when Molly was meeting people that she knew and the backstory was being developed (I know, the author was attempting to add dimension to the character, and to develop a backstory, as the character's history doesn't start with the first page of the book, but I did feel like I had missed a book that was meant to be before this one--and maybe I did, but I don't know what book that would be), and then a little bit as the story wrapped up and the author attempted to make it clear that the story isn't over and that their adventures were just beginning. I was surprised by the ending of the story and definitely wasn't how I expected it to end. Even with some of the negatives I mentioned, this is still one of the better stories I've read in a long time, which is why I ended up giving it five stars.

[Sissy Satterfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this different supernatural story. It was a fun and enjoyable story for me. I Loved Molly, Kat and Loch and they worked well together for this delightful read. Molly being an Amazon and everything that comes with it really brings something to the story that hooked me and I Loved It!!! I Need More! No Spoilers!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[tburbr · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars
This was a great way to start a series. The character work and story line were well written and kept my attention from start to finish. I did have a hard time connecting to the characters.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kat M · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this, I loved the use of Amazons, was a wonderfully done start. I was so invested in Molly and what was happening, I can't wait to read more in this universe.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Eugene Van]

Good read enough action, suspence with a dash of humor

[Jennifer Layne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm so glad I took a chance. This was a riot-fest of action and I loved that!

This was a fun, well written book with great world building and interesting characters.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.