BLOOD WISP (dark fantasy horror, Blood Wisp trilogy)
A DREAM OF DEATH AND MAGIC (paranormal urban fantasy romance, Chaos of Esta Anderson decology)
Whether you’re new to Langer’s books or have already loved some of her stories, this series-starter box set is the perfect way to discover more of her dark fantasy novels... be they epic fantasy, dipping into vampire horror, or discovering a hidden paranormal community alongside our own.
Sweet slow-burn romance guaranteed. Spicy romance coming (hehe) in some. Magic in everything.
What a brilliant way to taste the dark magical worlds created by Sarina Langer. I've read three of the books in this box set and looking forward to reading the rest in those series. This really is a must-read for fans and lovers of dark and epic fantasy.
RISE OF THE SPARROWS A fantasy, with its feet, set firmly within the realms of a dark medieval land, where magic and sorcery are outlawed through fear and one Kings necessity to keep order. Where the gifted are shunned, discarded and murdered as infants. In shadows they live, in hiding, they survive on their gifts and wits. However, there comes an uprising.
I loved it! A triumph as a debut novel and a great accomplishment, and a testament to the author's ability. Sarina Langer's style is clear, crisp, and to the point, with an individual flair for phrasing and structure. This was perfect within the realms of a story packed with dark peril and excitement. Sarina keeps you travelling at a great pace, with just enough descriptive narrative to give you scenic bearing but it's never overdone, this enables the reader to paint in the rest, leaving the book in your hands, a personal one.
BLOOD WISP The story follows Yua, a young woman of Midoka, a country that embraces magic. Yua is an unwilling member of the Maishi Hou coven, where the Mist Women teach the novices how to use and hone their gifts. However, Yua has no gift; her only memories are of blood and death. Could her blackened veins and the shadow that dwells within be her gift? Is she willing to give herself over to its power and lust for blood?
Sarina Langer has an exceptional talent for world-building, settings with detailed histories and diverse characters. This book is brimming with dark magic, bubbling over with mystery and intrigue, with just a splattering of love of top, the perfect combination for fans of dark fantasy.
A DREAM OF DEATH AND MAGIC Esta Anderson is a young woman with a passion for photography. Through her ability to lucid dream, she finds herself stepping from the shadows into a world surrounded by the Veiled — fairies and vampires, werewolves and demons. But with her newfound knowledge comes a genuine threat that could jeopardise everyone's existence.
This is a relatively quick read with a must-read-on feeling from the first chapter. With a beautiful slow-burn romance building (I think I've fallen in love too), this book is full of wonderful, diverse characters, great dialogue and vivid, well-written scenes. Although I know the author to be a meticulous writer of epic worlds, I loved this book far more than I imagined.
One of my favorite 'dark'ish' authors I have not yet read Darkened Light or Rise of the Sparrows [the latter is on my list along with the prequels (Shadow in Ar'Sanciond and Pashros Kai Zo)]. Below are my reviews for the other two books - feel free to check out my Goodreads for reviews on others of hers that's I've read. Totally recommend her works!
REVIEW: A Dream of Death and Magic A haunting fantasy duology about lucid dreaming, friendship, and choices.
I appreciate how the author brought up (purposely or not) the concept of accepting somebody else’s boundaries. Totally get Elsa’s inspiration for her photography project and would personally LOVE to actually see it. But is having lucid nightmares worth it?
This is the second series I’ve read by the author in which dreams are central and the dreamers are lucid. Just download three eBooks on lucid dreaming so I can learn more. After having Googled what lucid dreams are, I realized that *I* have been having them since at least late childhood. Just last night, I dreamt about a theme that is common for me and woke up recalling that I was speaking with by nearby brother throughout & making decisions with him. During the dream, I was even all, like: “Why does this topic keep coming up?” “Why is my long-estranged brother in this particular one? He wasn’t involved in that situation with me.” “Wow! I’ve updated my ‘running late and getting lost’ theme with Google Maps and WAZE – waaaaay cool!”
I think it’s pretty awesome when an author can write about a topic that perhaps is not seen as normal or typical and the reader can finally feel that somebody gets it.
But I haven’t seen any fairies or dragons or vampires IRL, though.
Yet…
REVIEW: Blood Wisp This was much deeper than what I was expecting. I’ve read this author before and this is my favorite (so far – I already have the next book in series as well as The Relics of Ar'Zac). Just enough darkness to fit in the horror genre, but more psychological than creepy or scary (IMHO). Under the surface, yet always present.
Yua’s forced semi-isolation at the coven due to her forbidding reputation really trips out her mind. How awful to be around people who are afraid of you and from such a young age. To feel like a monster with every daily and even hourly interaction (if they could even be called that). No wonder Yua’s self-esteem and confidence are so low; her sarcasm is a scream for positive attention, her entire being is ripe for the picking to feel wanted. But by whom or what? We should be mindful of how our prejudices affect others, especially children. Also know that our affection, camaraderie, and support can make a huge difference in someone’s life. Each of us has a gift – it’s our responsibility to develop it then share it. I’ll stop here as I don’t want to spoil the story by providing more of my insights. Read this for yourself to see what you gain from it.
Yua took on her shadow by fighting against herself in wanting to drink Aza’s blood. Shitzue and the other Mist women are helping herself, to control everything she can do without needing it. Being a Blood Wisp will have an impact,on how well she can contain herself without wanting to drink blood.