A wonderful start to what I hope is a great series
358752
A wonderful start to what I hope is a great series!  It was clever, fun, and well written.  It could have used a bit of editing, but it's not a huge deal as it doesn't take away from the fantastic story.
3780271
Looking forward to the next book  I can't wait
4242171
This short-story is a nice kick-off for a series that I feel has great potential. At the time of my reading, the manuscript needed some editing. This is the main reason for my 4 star rating (I have been informed that it is being edited, so if you are considering this story, by the time you purchase it, the manuscript should be improved). I noticed a few descriptions could certainly be expanded or clarified. The ending left me wanting more, and could also use a little more depth. As long as a few adjustments are made to polish this story, I could see myself reading further into the series.

What did I love about this book? The setting was memorable and relatable, especially for anyone whos been to college. The characters were even better. The dean of the school (Wes) is pragmatic and bold, and I hope to see a lot of him. The protagonist, Evan, is an anxiety-filled, emotionally-crippled student. I loved his quirks. I felt like the poor kid needed some therapy and I think his character can evolve in interesting ways throughout the rest of this series. I think this series has a lot of potential depending on what happens with the characters and any interesting plot turns they become involved with.
3596511
Great start to what I'm sure will be a great series! Glad part 2 is out!
4558633
**I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review.**

This book was a great start to what I hope will be a fantastic series. I can see it following the route of many other series leading up to a revolution.  It was a great book that was well written with an original plotline and some really interesting characters.

The main character is Jared; he is from the lower end of the society and makes his living hunting illegally and then selling his meat. He lives with his sister and her two kids as well as his mother, the development in our storyline starts when Jared meets Ellie the governors daughter. Jared has a bad relationship with the governor and dislikes his sister working in the governors household.  Thats when Jareds life changes, he soon finds out a secret thats been hidden from him his entire life a secret that helps him become a distinguished member of the society they live in and that will help him get closer to Ellie. I liked Jared as a character, especially as he came into his powers and accepted his responsibility to become a leader of the revolution.

The secondary characters include Ellie, Tara, Evelyn and Edmund. I especially liked Ellie and Tara; as they added more to the story in order to influence the progression of Jareds character. Edmund is Ellies fianc however we get the feeling throughout the book that the only reason they are together is so that Ellies father can progress Edmunds career in politics. Evelyn is Ellies sister, she has been brought up in the same situation as Ellie however couldn't be more different, and whereas Ellie questions everything to do with her upbringing Evelyn is a product of her upbringing.

The pacing of the story was great it gave us a good build up to the finale; it gives us a great insight into the characters lives and the difference between the wealth in society. It also gives us information on how the downfall of society began offering us a hard hitting truth that is very much applicable to our own lives.

The storyline was something many of us have read before, a futuristic society which is so close to our society its scary. However this story has a very different rebellion aspect to do with our main character and potentially other people involved in the rebellion.

Great book. Would love to read more books by this author 4 stars.
3304635
Tremendous book, great follow-up to book 1 and I look forward to more from this series
4655515
This is an excellent start to what I hope will be a great series by Darla Dunbar. You start off with small town news reporter Elizabeth and her content, if somewhat boring life. She lives with her boyfriend Andrew ( a member of one of the towns founding families, and owners of one of the two main money making businesses the town has; the firearms factory). Into town comes Harden and his brother to work for the towns other main business;  the mine. Harden sets his sights on Eliza,  and that's where things start to get interesting, through some digging of her own and some help from her father Elizabeth finds out an amazing hidden truth, Hayden and the other new mine workers are werewolves and they have a fierce, bloody history not only with her town, but her boyfriends family. What's a girl to do ? Read Alpha Feud by Darla Dunbar to find out what happens, when a small town reporter wishes for a bigger story than the County Fair. Solid 4 read. I recieved an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
4967771
Another great start to what will undoubtedly become another good series by Dyan Chick. Morgan Drake is a fun character caught between a lifestyle she has always known and a new life with new powers she doesn't know what to do with; which is a common theme throughout Ms. Chick's books.

The first part of the story establishing Morgans current normal life was fun to read, especially with my personal passion for antiques, and it built a good base for the reader to stay right with Morgan as she starts to meet new personalities and learn more about herself, even if by accident sometimes. I really loved the characters of James and Dima because of their distinct mannerisms and the twists and turns they helped add to the storyline.

There was also some good detail in some of the scenery descriptions which helped the world and action take on a more real feel. This is one part of Ms. Chick's writing that has shown some growth and I hope it continues, as it enables the reader, and myself in particular, to become more engrossed in the lives of the characters. The more detailed the surroundings and the characters backgrounds are, the more it draws me in. Great work again Ms. Chick and as always I am looking forward to the next arrival.

In full disclosure, I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.
review.
2924054
In my opinion this is a great start to what looks to be an intriguing fantasy series.
The world the author has created is vast and offers multiple possibilities.  Although the story so far only touches on certain races mentioned in the book there is the opportunity for more to be introduced.
Also the characters really drew me in.  I kept wanting to read more to see what made Hurruq and Qurrah tick.  For the main part of the book they are the villains. The author gives the reader the opportunity to see what made them the way they are.  He also lets us see where their thoughts are while they are creating havoc.  I was drawn in, watching as they develop and start to grow apart, yet still struggling to keep the ties that bind them.
I didn't have any real issues with the book, and definitely enjoyed it and want to pick up the rest of the series.  I will say however that the book IS dark.  Not everything is bloodshed and gore, but a lot of it is.  Harruq and Qurrah do some very cruel and evil things.  Dalglish doesn't glorify it,  but he doesn't shy away from it either.  I can see where some scenes could definitely be disturbing to younger readers and I wouldn't recommend this one to any age group but adults.
This is classic fantasy and I hope to get a chance to read more in the near future.
599513
I really enjoyed this book, a wonderful start to a new series.  From the way the characters are introduced, how they meet each other, how their journey begins to how their journey ends, it is a wonderful story.

I liked the fact that this story had a wide range of supernatural in it as well, not simply a vampire or shape-shifter.  I have to say that this is the first time that I have had a Hob be, what appears to be, a central character in a series.  Another fun change that I am sure will expand in the books to come.

I love how these two met, and no I won't give away details & thus ruin the story, and I loved the extended family aspect as well; all of which will play a role in future stories I imagine.  The antagonist was a lovely, wicked **tch whom couldn't stand that she could not have what her demented mind demanded.  The other antagonist had a very meaningful, albeit very brief, and gruesome ending as well. It was another first for a characters ending!

I have enjoyed this Authors books thus far, she writes easy to follow, believable stories that leave you rooting for the characters.  It is not very often that I give a book a 5-star rating, mostly going as high as 4-stars, so that should speak of my enjoyment of this book.  I have already purchased the others in the series, 3 more, and look forward to starting the next immediately.  Enjoy!  :)
920517
Although I enjoyed A Fistful of Evil I had a few issues with it, I felt that the series had huge potential though and I'm so glad I gave it a second chance. A Fistful of Fire was everything I'd hoped for and then some, this series has definitely found it's legs now and I'm really excited to see where things go from here.

Madison is still learning what being an Illuminant Enforcer is all about, she doesn't have much experience with the creatures that she might come across and still has a lot to learn about fighting evil but she's hard working and she uses her brain. There were times early on that I started to get really frustrated with her boss for keeping her so in the dark, there was obviously something major going on yet he refused to answer any of her questions and left her bumbling around having to try and figure things out on her own. There was a very good reason behind his actions though and once things started to fall into place I found myself applauding Mr Pitt for being so sneaky. Things definitely worked out for the best even if it did make for a very frustrating experience for Madison. It was interesting to get to meet some of the other Enforcers and Wardens in the surrounding area and hopefully Madison will be able to start training fully now that one particular hurdle has been cleared.

Madison is a fun character to spend time with, she's still a bit of a klutz and is always guaranteed to find any trouble in her immediate vicinity but she's also kind hearted and very warm. She makes mistakes but her heart is in the right place and it's not really her fault for going off and trying things on her own when the people who should be helping her are deliberately keeping her in the dark. I don't even mind that there is a potential love triangle here, what with the sexy vet Alex who has finally asked her out on a date and then her gorgeous co-worker Niko who definitely seems like he might be interested, we have plenty of eye candy going on and I'm not actually sure which of the two guys I want her to pick.

Of course I love Madison's feline sidekick Mr Bond but we had a couple of new additions to the series here and I absolutely loved both Val and Jamie. They both added plenty of humour and I love it when author's come up with different types of supernatural creatures in their books. This series is really coming along nicely, it's fun and light hearted but has some great characters, a lot of humour and some really interesting world building starting to develop. I'm very much looking forward to seeing where things go from here and I'll definitely be looking out for more from Rebecca Chastain in the future.
4592435
Wonderful first book in what (I hope) will be an ongoing series.  Great writing, great characters and a great story...can't wait for more!
1743285
I couldn't put it down and I intend to read the rest of the series as soon as I can get my hands on them
1439152
This book was a great beginning to what should turn out to be a great series. It is well-written and
perfectly paced.

The plotline of a virus being manufactured and dispersed by an unknown organisation is conceivable, but hopefully not in my lifetime. The plague, how it spreads, the attempts to stop it and the inevitable collapse of society is disturbingly realistic, although the control of the infected leans towards the paranormal.

The characters behave and react in a believable way, as they learn to work together to survive and fight against the infected population.

I am looking forward to the second book, and finding out what happens next.

(also reviewed on Amazon.co.uk)
4305514
Great start to the series! The Silver Stag introduces us to a future Seattle (probably mid- to late-21st century if I had to guess) that looks an awful lot like the world we live in, only with more poverty and chaos, and, of course, vampires, and fey, and goblins, and gods and goddesses - of course! Her mythical creatures always act, and look, a little difference from world to world, and her urban setting, though usually Seattle, doesn't look the same. There are some popular themes, such as how Underground Seattle is a place of mystery and danger, but the myth woven around this most interesting of (real) places varies from series to series. In other words: Ms. Galenorn is truly creative and takes her world-building seriously.
 One of the things I love most about Yasmine Galenorn's world-building is how she doesn't recycle elements from series to series.

This short novel felt a little like a teaser - in a good way.

We meet all the key characters, watch them work together and confront danger and bad luck,, and a romance blossoms. The romance element is different here - the magnetic attraction and touching of energies is present, but there's very little sizzle. I'm guessing there's more sizzle to look forward to, and it's kind of fun that we're (probably) going to be seeing the romance grow and change over books, rather than pages.

Another interesting element is that one of the characters is a child. I think this is knew for Ms. Galenorn's writing, and, while he's not physically present for much of the story, his personality is clearly drawn, he has a key role in affecting both the plot and the characters, and his presence looms large even when he moves out of the main action.

If you liked the Fury books, give The Silver Stag a try.
17147
A great new series from an author that has given me a lot of reading joy.
1453826
A wonderful beginning to what I hope is a memorable series. The characters, mythology, and details make it such a good read!