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Tricky's Tales #1
Dead Lake
This is the first in the series of Tricky's Tales - the second, Unsailable Sea is out now!
Sometimes it pays to be Tricky
An eviction. A stolen gemstone. A hidden network. Will retrieving her precious obsidian get Tricky killed?
" A wonderful story to rival those of Robin Hobb and Phillip Pullman." Amazon reviewer
"Miranda Kate has crafted a thoroughly believable magical world, and a protagonist that you'll want to be your best mate." Michael Wombat, Author of The Raven's Wing
"You'll be bewitched and beguiled by Tricky and left wanting to spend more time with her. An elemental, paranormal fantasy with bite and attitude. I can't wait for more." Lisa Shambrook, Author of The Seren Stone Chronicles
Damn and blast! That rancid piece of excrement, Carter, has had her ransacked out of Clancy!
Tricky returns to her cottage to find it turned upside down. An action that means she’s got three days to leave the district or face punishment. Randolf Carter, head of the district, is spreading lies and suspicion about her kind, making life difficult. But it wasn’t just an ordinary ransacking – they were searching for something.
Using her gifts, Tricky traces the energy left by the men and spies another creature’s energy among a jackdaw. Swift and wily, it’s pinched her precious gemstone, a piece of black obsidian. But at whose bidding? Communicating with birds is a rare ability and she knows all who possess it.
Tricky wants her stone back, but coming up against people like Carter won’t be easy, especially when he’s got one of her kind in his employ. But she’ll handle it, oh yes she will. She'll just have to be careful and a little bit tricky. Good thing she is then, isn’t it?
Adept at working with energy and time as well as communicating with trees, Tricky is lured into something bigger than ownership of a gemstone, and finds out that sometimes it pays to be a little bit tricky.
Tricky’s Tales are a series of dark paranormal fantasy novels set a few hundred years from now in a post-apocalyptic world. After a massive shift of the tectonic plates decimated the world and its population, life on the remaining landmass has returned to simple living, with money, rulers and religion no longer tolerated.
If you are looking for a witch or witchy fantasy series with a strong female lead character, then Tricky is for you!
Sometimes it pays to be Tricky
An eviction. A stolen gemstone. A hidden network. Will retrieving her precious obsidian get Tricky killed?
" A wonderful story to rival those of Robin Hobb and Phillip Pullman." Amazon reviewer
"Miranda Kate has crafted a thoroughly believable magical world, and a protagonist that you'll want to be your best mate." Michael Wombat, Author of The Raven's Wing
"You'll be bewitched and beguiled by Tricky and left wanting to spend more time with her. An elemental, paranormal fantasy with bite and attitude. I can't wait for more." Lisa Shambrook, Author of The Seren Stone Chronicles
Damn and blast! That rancid piece of excrement, Carter, has had her ransacked out of Clancy!
Tricky returns to her cottage to find it turned upside down. An action that means she’s got three days to leave the district or face punishment. Randolf Carter, head of the district, is spreading lies and suspicion about her kind, making life difficult. But it wasn’t just an ordinary ransacking – they were searching for something.
Using her gifts, Tricky traces the energy left by the men and spies another creature’s energy among a jackdaw. Swift and wily, it’s pinched her precious gemstone, a piece of black obsidian. But at whose bidding? Communicating with birds is a rare ability and she knows all who possess it.
Tricky wants her stone back, but coming up against people like Carter won’t be easy, especially when he’s got one of her kind in his employ. But she’ll handle it, oh yes she will. She'll just have to be careful and a little bit tricky. Good thing she is then, isn’t it?
Adept at working with energy and time as well as communicating with trees, Tricky is lured into something bigger than ownership of a gemstone, and finds out that sometimes it pays to be a little bit tricky.
Tricky’s Tales are a series of dark paranormal fantasy novels set a few hundred years from now in a post-apocalyptic world. After a massive shift of the tectonic plates decimated the world and its population, life on the remaining landmass has returned to simple living, with money, rulers and religion no longer tolerated.
If you are looking for a witch or witchy fantasy series with a strong female lead character, then Tricky is for you!
189 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 26, 2021
40 people are currently reading
147 people want to read
About the author
Miranda Kate
18 books77 followersBook loving, writer, who likes to read several books at a time because she's a bit crazy like that.
Go-to authors are Stephen King, James Herbert, Terry Pratchett, Raymond Feist and Clive Barker, with Asimov, Arthur C Clarke, Robert A Heinlein and lots of others in between.
It's not so much about loving particular genres, as much as finding stories and characters to engage and resonate with - but I will always head for Horror, Thrillers, and Science Fiction, before any others (my guilty pleasure is Self-Help.)
I write dark stuff, sci-fi stuff, surreal stuff, psychological stuff and a mixture of all four.
I also write as M K Boers
I have a newsletter, which you can sign up for here.
I'm on Facebook
Go-to authors are Stephen King, James Herbert, Terry Pratchett, Raymond Feist and Clive Barker, with Asimov, Arthur C Clarke, Robert A Heinlein and lots of others in between.
It's not so much about loving particular genres, as much as finding stories and characters to engage and resonate with - but I will always head for Horror, Thrillers, and Science Fiction, before any others (my guilty pleasure is Self-Help.)
I write dark stuff, sci-fi stuff, surreal stuff, psychological stuff and a mixture of all four.
I also write as M K Boers
I have a newsletter, which you can sign up for here.
I'm on Facebook
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
January 22, 2022
I enjoyed this book. Its not my usual genre but I'm trying to read new genres.
It was really well written and surprisingly relatable. For example feeling energy from the trees, I'm not saying I feel energy as in obvious energy like these characters do but I always feel calmer when I'm out in nature and it's like a natural energy. Trees are so important to our world.
I enjoyed the magical energies and the dynamics between the characters. It was a really interesting book.
It's the first of 3 books in a series so I will be sure to read the next two.
It was really well written and surprisingly relatable. For example feeling energy from the trees, I'm not saying I feel energy as in obvious energy like these characters do but I always feel calmer when I'm out in nature and it's like a natural energy. Trees are so important to our world.
I enjoyed the magical energies and the dynamics between the characters. It was a really interesting book.
It's the first of 3 books in a series so I will be sure to read the next two.
December 16, 2021
Dead lake by Miranda Kate.
Damn and blast! That rancid piece of excrement, Carter, has had her ransacked out of Clancy!
Tricky returns to her cottage to find it turned upside down. An action that means she’s got three days to leave the district or face punishment. Randolf Carter, head of the district, is spreading lies and suspicion about her kind, making life difficult. But it wasn’t just an ordinary ransacking – they were searching for something.
I did enjoy this book. Loved the story and most of the characters. I hope there is more to come. 4*.
Damn and blast! That rancid piece of excrement, Carter, has had her ransacked out of Clancy!
Tricky returns to her cottage to find it turned upside down. An action that means she’s got three days to leave the district or face punishment. Randolf Carter, head of the district, is spreading lies and suspicion about her kind, making life difficult. But it wasn’t just an ordinary ransacking – they were searching for something.
I did enjoy this book. Loved the story and most of the characters. I hope there is more to come. 4*.
August 6, 2024
This story got my attention from beginning to end. The author manages to create a world that is so realistic that there is no need to stretch the imagination it just all falls into place, even the bits that are creative are still easy to bridge, not massive leaps that sometimes happens. I love the whole story, the idea of the history repeating itself, some people being greedy for power etc, and the choices you make and consequences that can cause. All in all a good read. Might even read more in the series.
January 4, 2022
This not my first read by Miranda Kate. 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. I recommend this novel and would read more novels by this author. I received this novel through SpringOrigin andthis is my honest opinion.
September 24, 2022
Dead Lake
A very compelling read! Set in a time hundreds of years after an apocalypse,Tricky is a witch with great powers. She makes the story exciting with just enough sexual innuendo to keep you wondering what will happen next! You’ll be waiting for Book 2 before you finish this! I don’t want the story to end!
A very compelling read! Set in a time hundreds of years after an apocalypse,Tricky is a witch with great powers. She makes the story exciting with just enough sexual innuendo to keep you wondering what will happen next! You’ll be waiting for Book 2 before you finish this! I don’t want the story to end!
December 26, 2021
This is a really enjoyable story! A good mix of dystopian & fantasy, really good world building, a very good well thought out plot & group of characters. All this combined made an excellent read! I do recommend this story & other work by this writer!
November 1, 2022
I like Tricky and the world building is excellent. Not too much time spent on detailing everything, just enough for the place to come alive. Tricky has a friend, a lover and many secrets which make things happen. I really couldn't put it down.
December 8, 2025
First thing to mention here is the protagonist. Tricky is just such a fun character to follow around. Her use of magic is original and compelling and the situations she finds herself in compelling and well plotted.
Keen to see where this goes in the following two episodes!
Keen to see where this goes in the following two episodes!
December 9, 2021
3 1/2 stars
Took a moment for me to get into this book. I felt left behind somehow. Not sure if it is not the first time Tricky has been mentioned in a book and it took a bit of time to see the story coming together. Once I did I really enjoyed the tale. Tricky is a very unique and interesting character and I wish I knew more of what went on before. Good group of supporting characters as well. Looking forward to seeing where they are headed and what is to become of her/them.
I received a complimentary copy of this book and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.
Took a moment for me to get into this book. I felt left behind somehow. Not sure if it is not the first time Tricky has been mentioned in a book and it took a bit of time to see the story coming together. Once I did I really enjoyed the tale. Tricky is a very unique and interesting character and I wish I knew more of what went on before. Good group of supporting characters as well. Looking forward to seeing where they are headed and what is to become of her/them.
I received a complimentary copy of this book and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.
February 2, 2022
A really enjoyable read by this author
Well written engaging characters and a plot line that will definitely have me coming back for more!
Excellent
Well written engaging characters and a plot line that will definitely have me coming back for more!
Excellent
October 29, 2022
A first for me reading Miranda Kate. A good compelling read. We’ll written and the first in a series of 3. Need to read the rest now.
February 18, 2023
Tricky is a perfect name
The story line is simple. What it takes to tell it is a vivid imagination. What an adventure it is!
I love all the little details that make Tricky come to life. She will forever be one of my most favorite heroines.
The story line is simple. What it takes to tell it is a vivid imagination. What an adventure it is!
I love all the little details that make Tricky come to life. She will forever be one of my most favorite heroines.
February 8, 2022
5🧹🧹🧹🧹🧹
Dead Lake by Miranda Kate
A wonderful paranormal world in which Tricky returns to find her life has been turned upside down.
The magic that happens in this enchanting world left me wanting more , more and more.
Fab characters and a storyline to keep you up at night ....for all the right reasons .
A brilliant book
Dead Lake by Miranda Kate
A wonderful paranormal world in which Tricky returns to find her life has been turned upside down.
The magic that happens in this enchanting world left me wanting more , more and more.
Fab characters and a storyline to keep you up at night ....for all the right reasons .
A brilliant book
September 15, 2024
It was really good could not put it down.
May 3, 2022
An amazing first book from a new author to me. Tricky’s cottage is ransacked and that’s not good for her. Loved the flow of the story and the connection to the trees.
December 28, 2021
Wow this is the first book I’ve read by this author and what a corker!
I love the idea of using your energies and I love even more the idea of a different world from the one we live in. The idea of going back to bartering, no computers, cars, trains etc. as they’ve been wiped out, sounds marvellous.
The characters are fascinating and I am sure there is going to be so much more revealed as the series progresses. I do quite like a bad boy and therefore Lucian is one for me. Randolf Carter had to be a baddy, he is called Randolf and the only other I know is Randolf Flagg!
This tale is by no means over, so read the first book and whet your appetite as I feel it may be a bumpy and fun ride.
I am very impatient already waiting for the next instalment.
Btw, I don’t think this deserved only three and a half stars. I would like to see that reviewer write a book as good!
I love the idea of using your energies and I love even more the idea of a different world from the one we live in. The idea of going back to bartering, no computers, cars, trains etc. as they’ve been wiped out, sounds marvellous.
The characters are fascinating and I am sure there is going to be so much more revealed as the series progresses. I do quite like a bad boy and therefore Lucian is one for me. Randolf Carter had to be a baddy, he is called Randolf and the only other I know is Randolf Flagg!
This tale is by no means over, so read the first book and whet your appetite as I feel it may be a bumpy and fun ride.
I am very impatient already waiting for the next instalment.
Btw, I don’t think this deserved only three and a half stars. I would like to see that reviewer write a book as good!
April 22, 2024
Dead Lake explores the magical world of witches and how they harness their psychic powers and direct their energy to attain a goal or complete a task. In Tricky's particular case, she utilizes stones, gems, leaves or trees for that purpose.
Dead Lake has the potential to be a viable paranormal thriller and has its own merits but in my own humble opinion, it needed a solid backstory for some characters-some more details about their background and source of motivation which would give them depth. This is essential for framing the story development and establishing the "hows" and "whys" of the narrative's setting.
I would have preferred a good backstory of how Tricky's mother obtained the obsidian and its implications, a good explanation of how the "shift" happened and the process of how Patricia Hayek became Tricky. The lead players are engaging and promising but they were not portrayed
as three dimensional characters.
Dead Lake has the potential to be a viable paranormal thriller and has its own merits but in my own humble opinion, it needed a solid backstory for some characters-some more details about their background and source of motivation which would give them depth. This is essential for framing the story development and establishing the "hows" and "whys" of the narrative's setting.
I would have preferred a good backstory of how Tricky's mother obtained the obsidian and its implications, a good explanation of how the "shift" happened and the process of how Patricia Hayek became Tricky. The lead players are engaging and promising but they were not portrayed
as three dimensional characters.
January 14, 2022
An enchanting paranormal fantasy
Tricky is sassy, intriguing, and brazen, and when she’s ransacked out of her home and out of her town, she won’t take it sitting down. She realises one of her precious belongings is missing and she’ll do everything to hunt it down and get it back, no matter who gets in her way.
Dead Lake, which I was privileged to read as an advance copy, see’s its protagonist move through its flora and fauna with natural ease and at a pace that kept me riveted. There’s energy and a feisty spirit to the author’s writing that makes you want to run through the mossy pines with Tricky and be part of her story as she fights to clear her name. She fits perfectly into this magical world, which let me escape and slip into a great read.
You’ll be bewitched and beguiled by Tricky and left wanting to spend more time with her. An elemental fantasy with bite and attitude, and I can’t wait for more.
Tricky is sassy, intriguing, and brazen, and when she’s ransacked out of her home and out of her town, she won’t take it sitting down. She realises one of her precious belongings is missing and she’ll do everything to hunt it down and get it back, no matter who gets in her way.
Dead Lake, which I was privileged to read as an advance copy, see’s its protagonist move through its flora and fauna with natural ease and at a pace that kept me riveted. There’s energy and a feisty spirit to the author’s writing that makes you want to run through the mossy pines with Tricky and be part of her story as she fights to clear her name. She fits perfectly into this magical world, which let me escape and slip into a great read.
You’ll be bewitched and beguiled by Tricky and left wanting to spend more time with her. An elemental fantasy with bite and attitude, and I can’t wait for more.
December 22, 2021
💜🌙🌑 Amazing witch .
Tricky found herself in front of her devastated house : it had been looted, she was no longer welcome...
They had managed to get their hands on her most precious treasures...
-------------
Not at all the reading I expected !
In this novel (unlike anything I’ve read by the author), we delve into the life and powers of a resourceful witch.
A good background story, a very mysterious main character for an entertaining, sometimes complicated novel.
For fans of Fantasy/Witchcraft novels.
💜🌙🌑
Tricky found herself in front of her devastated house : it had been looted, she was no longer welcome...
They had managed to get their hands on her most precious treasures...
-------------
Not at all the reading I expected !
In this novel (unlike anything I’ve read by the author), we delve into the life and powers of a resourceful witch.
A good background story, a very mysterious main character for an entertaining, sometimes complicated novel.
For fans of Fantasy/Witchcraft novels.
💜🌙🌑
April 12, 2024
In a post apocalyptic world where humans have reverted back to a simpler way of life, Tricky is someone who sees the world differently, and with witchy powers comes a certain level of mistrust of others that has kept her safe so far.
In this first installment, old friends and foes come together to best a tricky villain, and leave us questioning what happens next?
I enjoyed the pace of this book, the intriguing twists and the weaving of old and new. Looking forward to reading the next book to see what trouble Tricky finds herself in next.
I received a free copy for an honest review
In this first installment, old friends and foes come together to best a tricky villain, and leave us questioning what happens next?
I enjoyed the pace of this book, the intriguing twists and the weaving of old and new. Looking forward to reading the next book to see what trouble Tricky finds herself in next.
I received a free copy for an honest review
November 24, 2024
I enjoyed this story. I haven’t read too much fantasy genre, but this first story has me intrigued to want to read the 2nd book in the series; Unsailable.
A post apocalyptic fantasy with strong female character and some witchy elements.
The fantasy aspect was not far fetched and blended in well to make for a relatable read.
Thanks to Voracious Readers Only and the author for the complimentary copy.
March 3, 2023
This lively narrative was creative and very exciting to read. I was quickly caught up in the lives of Tricky and her little community. Most of those characters, evil and otherwise, were endowed with some extremely useful powers adding almost a fairytale quality to the story. This was a very enjoyable read!!!!
April 9, 2024
Dead Lake by Miranda Kate was a good read. My 11 year old daughter and I read it together and she really enjoyed it. I liked the author’s voice throughout the story and the plot behind it. The beginning took me a little bit to get into, but as the story progressed, it was an easy read and kept me fascinated.
October 6, 2022
Well written with superb world building and some interesting characters. I thought the story was brilliant and eventually got hooked.
Tricky was likeable.
However at first it was a little tough to get into, it felt like book 2 not book 1 in a series. But slowly it evolved.
Tricky was likeable.
However at first it was a little tough to get into, it felt like book 2 not book 1 in a series. But slowly it evolved.
July 6, 2024
I received this book from the publisher for an honest review. I loved the main character, Tricky. The dialog she had with other characters was hilarious at times. She definently lived up to her name. The storyline was awesome with the details. I will recommend it to all.
October 6, 2024
A Nice read, a dystopsian future where our non hero goes through fighting the bad guys. Everthing under an open mind regarding sexual orientation whithut becoming sex or love the main driver.
Worth it's time.
Worth it's time.
April 21, 2024
This was an ok read. It follows Tricky as she searches for her stolen obsidian stone and in the process helps to save the county.
June 4, 2024
I really enjoyed this book, it was a beautiful story line and plot twist I did not expect at all.
July 1, 2024
Loved the trickiness ,the energy and surprising abilities she had. Great book
July 10, 2024
Not really for me, I'm afraid. The writing is perfectly fine but the story didn't do much for me.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews