Weekend Reads: Hall of Blood and Mercy series by K.M. Shea (Kimberly)

Hi everyone! If you're anything like me, you are digging into books for some relief from our currently crazy real world circumstances. And I am so excited to share about a brand new series by one of my favorite authors, K.M. Shea!

This series is a new Urban Fantasy take inspired by a fairytale, Donkeyskin to be exact. Donkeyskin is not a fairytale for the faint of heart nor does it lend itself easily to non-horror retellings. That said, Shea shows why she is one of the queens of fairytale retellings because she found the perfect venue for tackling Donkeyskin while taking the cringe inducing parts of the story out. And I love it.

Magic Forged (Hall of Blood and Mercy Book 1)

My rating: 4.5 stars

Let me preface this by saying Urban Fantasy is one of my top favorite genres and I have read a TON of it over the years, both traditionally and indie published. However, Magic Forged is officially one of my top all time favorites ever and I do not see that changing any time soon. I was up all night reading this one even though I knew I had commitments the next day. I regret nothing. This book is so worth the lost sleep!

Hazel Medeis is a wizard, a severely vertically challenged one with a bit of a power problem. Being the Heir of a small pacifist wizarding house isn't made any easier with the death of her parents and then a coup by an unscrupulous jerk of a cousin. Forced out on her own, Hazel only escapes her cousin's schemes by pledging herself to the service of Killian Drake the supreme vampire in the region. Who may or may not be trustworthy.

This book is not a doom and gloom approach to Urban Fantasy nor is it overly gritty. Even though heartstrings are pulled and wrenched by the opening circumstances driving Hazel into House Drake. One of Shea's strong points in all her books is the wit/humor and the sheer character of the people and animals and even, in this case especially, houses. I love the humor and banter in this book and I absolutely adore the characters, especially Killian and his top two vampires, Celestina and Josh. They are not what you expect from UF vampires really. Killian tries, he tries to be the intimidating looming dark and mysterious vampire but his devilish sense of humor and Hazel's ability to bait him into snarky banter ruins it all. And Celestina is one of my favorites because she's Killian's First Knight (second in command) but she loves girl talk and shopping and self-pampering at the salon complete with mani pedis. Josh is . . . I'm laughing just trying to write about him. I never thought that a poetically morose vampire would be so much fun but he's so unexpected (without being truly over the top) that he just works. Also he's essentially a walking armory as the Second Knight. Hazel's reactions to everyone makes for so many laugh out loud moments. That's not even touching on the rest of the cast including a fae with a bald cat called Aphrodite.

This book is so much fun and there's a lot of humor and snark and banter. But Hazel also has a discernible growth arc because she has the "annoyingly virtuous moral compass" as Killian likes to describe it. Which I love. She doesn't compromise the true core of who she is even as she grows although she learns that what she's been taught all her life and what is truly right don't necessarily match up.

Magic Redeemed (Hall of Blood and Mercy Book 2)

My Rating: 4.5 Stars

Can I just take a moment to scream because this book has so many FEEEELS! I adore book two as much as I loved book one. Hazel is coming into her own and we get more Killian POV scenes (YESSSS!!!) with even more of the vampires and their snarky existence with the vertically challenged wizard. However, there's still the problem of the House and Hazel's continued weight of responsibility as the Heir.

Once again the characters and the banter are my favorite parts. I also love that we get even more of the House and its personality in this book. And Hazel has to come to terms with her power, the sealing of her power, and the way it was unlocked in book one. She does have more angst going on toward her parents but it never gets TOO heavy for the overall lighter tone of the series. It's nicely broken up by antics and snark. I do love it when Josh spouts something about death and another vampire has to tell him "That's not comforting."

Killian and Hazel. Oh my good gracious gravy! These two are on one of those slow burn romances that put you on the Feels rollercoaster. Cue Gollum screams at a certain spoiler. Right in the feels!

There's so much more I want to say about the things I loved and raved about with this one but I can't. Because SPOILERS! All I can say is I'm so glad the third book in this series is out today because I need it. I need it now. ;)

If you have never tried Urban Fantasy before, start with this series. It's a fresh take on the standard tropes of wizards, vampires, fae, and shifters in some of the best ways. It's not too harsh but not mindless fluff either. It falls perfectly into the category of Urban Fantasy with lots of heart and humor, which is honestly my favorite of them all.

Have you read this series already? What did you think?

Until next time,

Kimberly A. Rogers

Writing Snippets - Flash Fiction Little Women and the Vampire

This is my inaugural post for Lands Uncharted. I’m Gretchen Engel. I don’t have any full-length novels published. My manuscript for The Barber Surgeon won the ACFW Genesis Contest for Speculative Fiction in 2018, and I have several short stories that have been published. Most of my stories take place in a fictional steampunk world. I have always loved historical fiction, so my spin on the genre is what I describe as “Downton Abbey with gadgets” and at the ACFW conference, which is primarily women and heavy on romance, I pitched my writing style as speculative fiction for women who think they don’t like speculative fiction. I was that woman until I was about thirty and even now, I enjoy fairy tales, sweet romantic fantasies, urban fantasy, and of course steampunk. This is why I eagerly accepted the invitation to contribute to Lands Uncharted, I know most of these ladies through Realm Makers, ACFW, or both. These ladies are my people.

I just got home from seeing Little Women, which is phenomenal. I can’t decide if I like this somewhat nonlinear but deeper adaptation or the 1994 version better. Both are fantastic in their own way. I may have to watch my DVD of the 1994 version again for comparison. Little Women is a touchstone book for me. I sat on my grandmother’s lap while she read experts from it when I was maybe five or six. The Little Golden abridged version was the first chapter book I owned. I received it just before I entered second grade. I’ve since read and listened to the full-length novel.

A couple of years ago, I wrote a flash fiction piece for a speculative-themed mash up with classic literature. My mind immediately went to Little Women.

Little Women and the Vampire

The four March sisters sat in their parlor before the fire. Meg and Jo read while Amy sketched and Beth tapped out a tune on an imaginary piano. Books could only hold Jo March’s attention for so long. She unfolded her long legs and stood. “The walk needs cleared.”
With father off at war, the manly duties of the home fell to tomboy Jo. She grabbed a shovel and scooped out a path. She glanced up from her work and noticed the curtains moving next door.
Curious, Jo walked over to the mansion and asked for Laurie, the teenaged grandson of Mr. Lawrence their family’s benefactor.
The butler told her the young man was ill, but Laurie peered behind the man and mouthed, “come back in an hour and use the side door.”
Jo obeyed Laurie’s request as if he’d compelled her to do it. She returned with a basket packed with soup, flowers from her sisters, and a pair of kittens. “I come bearing comfort for the invalid.”
Once she shut the door, Laurie emerged from the shadows. His alabaster skin pale against his black hair. He led Jo to an untidy sitting room. The young man moved a chessboard from the table and a pile of books from the sofa. “Thank you. My only company is Mr. Brooke, my tutor. How is Meg?”
“Fit as a fiddle. Thank you again for offering your carriage.”
The two met at a party when they both sought refuge from the crowd. Old Mr. Lawrence drove the girls home from the party after Meg twisted her ankle dancing.
“I haven’t met Beth and Amy but heard you calling their names.”
“You have good ears to hear through the glass and these heavy curtains.” Jo ambled to the window. “This room would be so much cheerier with some light.”
Inhumanly fast, Laurie blocked Jo’s path. “Please no. My eyes are weak. He looked down at his white hands with nails that almost pointed at the tips. “Side effects of an illness I contracted when I was abroad.”
“This will help.” Jo lifted the soup tureen from the basket. She procured a spoon and handed both to Laurie.
He grimaced but took a sip. He clutched his neck and choked.
“Broth’s supposed to cure. It’s only a bit of chicken, salt, and garlic.”
“Indeed,” Laurie rasped.
A dark-haired man not much older than Jo and Laurie entered the room. “It’s time for your lessons.” The man gave Jo a tight smile. “I didn’t realize you had company.”
“It’s only Jo, Margaret March’s younger sister.”
The man stammered an apology with a blush and a timid handshake. “John Brooke. Give Margaret my regards.” He backed out, dabbing at a small bloody spot above his collar.
Jo stumbled backward. “I will, and I must be going.”
The kittens mewed.  Laurie snatched up the basket and licked his lips. He held it out stiffly. “That is probably best. I will call at your house. I hope you’ll invite me inside.”
###
One dark gray day the following month, Amy answered the door. “Do come in Laurie.”
Laurie studied Amy and the room. “What a lovely home and girls.”
Amy blushed and curtseyed. “May I go with you?”
“We don’t want children ruining our fun.” Jo slung her ice skates over her shoulder and walked out the door on Laurie’s arm.
Jo treated Amy like a baby. She’d teach Jo that she was not a child. Amy picked up Jo’s notebook of stories and flung it into the fireplace. She ran upstairs for her skates.
Amy laced on her skates and caught up to Jo and Laurie. She passed them for the center of the river. Amy heard a crack and slipped under the water.
###
Jo sat next to Amy’s bedside furious over her burned notebook but relieved Amy would live thanks to Laurie. He dove into the icy water as if it were summer.
Amy stirred. “Laurie saved me. I think he bit me to keep me alive like a regular samphire.”
“Silly goose, you mean vampire, and they’re imaginary.” Then Jo spotted the two red marks on Amy’s neck.