As an affiliate of retail sites, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases. See my disclosure for more details.
Three Reasons You Should Read This Adult Urban Fantasy:
For Whom the Spell Tolls by HP Mallory is an action-filled revolution to take back the Netherworld from an evil tyrant.
Dulcie is in for the fight of her life and needs to figure out who she can trust before all her plans come crashing down.
If you’ve been reading along with this series – this is a great mid-point wrap up. Many of the loose threads get tied off, and the stage is set for the next phase of Dulcie’s adventures.
As a Regulator for the Association of Netherworld Creatures, I’ve dedicated my career to keeping the peace between our world and the supernatural beings living among us.
But everything I thought I knew just turned upside down.
Why? Because the head of an illegal street potions ring who is also terrorizing my city is none other than my father—a father I never knew existed until now.
And he’s not just any criminal; he’s Melchior O’Neil, the tyrannical ruler of the Netherworld itself.
Now I’m caught in an impossible situation.
My father’s assassins are gunning for me, my allies are becoming suspects, and I can’t seem to get a handle on my complicated feelings for Knight.
As if that wasn’t enough, there’s Bram, the charismatic vampire whose loyalty is as questionable as his intentions toward me.
With The Resistance planning to invade the Netherworld and overthrow my father, I need to decide where my allegiances truly lie.
In this deadly game of supernatural politics, the stakes have never been higher—and for the first time, I’m not sure if I’ll make it out alive.
When family secrets and forbidden attraction collide, for whom will the spell toll?
I started out loving this series. It was funny, quirky, a little dark at times, and had some great adventures and mysteries. The characters were amazing, and I want to be best friends with most of them. Books 1 through 6 feel like one big story, with lots of small steps and side quests in each individual book – like a TV show. This was Season 1.
While I really enjoyed much of For Whom the Spell Tolls, there were just too many aspects that started feeling repetitive by the end of Book 6. Everyone wants Dulcie for her body, and it seems to be a plot point in most of the storylines. Bram’s infatuation, while cute and funny at the beginning, got to be a little too much too often.
The characters I wanted to see more of in this part of the story were strangely absent. I never really understood Melchoir and his backstory or reasons for being the big bad. I just wanted more growth and change from everyone.
While I still enjoyed reading them, and they were written very well. This was just a natural jumping-off point for me.
As an affiliate of retail sites, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases. See my disclosure for more details.
Three Reasons You Should Read This Young Adult Contemporary Fantasy:
Creatures of Chaos by Julie Hall is an action-packed competition to see who can outfight, outsmart, and outmagic the rest of the competition (hard when you’re the only one without magical powers).
Locklyn’s friendships and unlikely alliances make for a fun mix of characters with a variety of powers and motives.
There is definitely a cliffhanger at the end, but the surprise is worth it – I did not see it coming at all.
Chaos, the vicious supernatural competition where heroes are born and riches are won.
To most, it’s just an urban legend whispered in the darkest shadows, but that all changes when my best friend drags me into a savage world where vampires, shifters, and fae compete for glory and fame.
As a creature without magic, I’d be a fool to enter Chaos, but the prize—a dagger of untold power—could change my powerless existence. With that dagger, I could wield magic, earn respect, and maybe, just maybe, win the heart of the dragon heir… it’s a risk I have to take.
Now, I’m pitted against beasts in a ruthless battle with no powers, no plan, and an infuriatingly attractive ally who’s just as likely to slit my neck as save it. Every round of Chaos leads me closer to seizing my deepest desires or losing everything.
In Chaos, survival is the only rule. And winning is all that matters.
Creatures of Chaos by Julie Hall hits my YA fantasy itch in all the right spots. You have an underdog. In this case, a non-magical person in a magical world. The best-friend trifecta with a dash of unrequited (or is it?) love. The dark, brooding new kid that seems like bad news, but maybe it’s all an act. A contest of all the things (will, strength, magic) to see who is the “best” and be rewarded with all the power.
Locklyn is a mostly likeable character. There are a few times she gets a little too down on herself, but I also understand the mentality of always feeling less than those around you. Ensley was the character that really stood out to me, though. I loved her attitude and the way she interacted with everyone. It seemed so genuine.
Now, the Chaos game, what the entire book seems to revolve around. I’m thrilled to say that they don’t completely take over the story. Are they super important? Yes! But I really didn’t need another Hunger Games series that was all about overcoming the game and other contestants. Chaos is important, but the author used it to push the characters forward and learn to adapt and grow.
There is a bit of a love triangle/who will she choose storyline. And the book ends on a cliffhanger, but it’s such a good cliffhanger with a great buildup and a few surprise reveals. Otherwise, there are a few typical aspects of the story that come with the genre. The bullies at the school, the least powerful rising and finding her way towards the top, and of course everyone is beautiful and handsome.
Spaceships aren’t programmed to seek revenge—but for Dracula, Demeter will make an exception.
Demeter just wants to do her job: shuttling humans between Earth and Alpha Centauri. Unfortunately, her passengers keep dying—and not from equipment failures, as her AI medical system, Steward, would have her believe. These are paranormal murders, and they began when one nasty, ancient vampire decided to board Demeter and kill all her humans.
To keep from getting decommissioned, Demeter must join forces with her own team of monsters: A werewolf. An engineer built from the dead. A pharaoh with otherworldly powers. A vampire with a grudge. A fleet of cheerful spider drones. Together, this motley crew will face down the ultimate evil—Dracula.
The queer love child of pulp horror and classic sci-fi, Of Monsters and Mainframes is a dazzling, heartfelt odyssey that probes what it means to be one of society’s monsters—and explores the many types of friendship that make us human.
Demeter is a spaceship – one with a personality (sort of). After waking up from a long journey to find all her passengers and crew dead, she is terrified that people will blame her for the disaster. And so it begins…a round of terrible luck for Demeter as monster after monster seems determined to kill everyone on board, trip after trip.
Every monster incident plays an important part in the ending, but you don’t see it along the way. I felt like there were too many encounters without tying things together along the way. It was just one invasion of Demeter after another, with many people dying. I wanted more of a thread to pull as I went along instead of waiting until the end for it all to come together.
The monsters were all amazing characters. But the spider drones stole the show somehow. They were cute little pets that you really hoped nothing bad would happen to. Always willing to help and with no concept of danger, they were like little puppy dogs running off trying their best.
While I hit some slow spots along the way, the ending was about as perfect as it could get. All the disasters along the way were brought together and wrapped up (mostly). The people, monsters, and machines find a new family together, and the doors are open for more adventures. I felt like the book ended with me standing on the docks and waving as they all went off together on another adventure.
