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Alexis Calder is an author of romance books best known for crafting sexy heroes, and sassy heroines spiced with sarcasm. A resident of the Rockies, she drinks too much coffee to keep her awake, crafting romance books, and the right amount of wine to help with relaxation.
Untamed Magic, the first book in the Academy of the Elites series, is a reverse harem novel with a Magical Academy. We are introduced to Raven, who does not recall what happened when two men assaulted her in a dark alley. The next thing she knows is getting arrested by the magical police and then taken to a secret facility where she is informed that she killed her attackers with fire and given a shocking revelation she might be a mage. With this information, Raven is forced to attend a magical college and given a year to put her life together or else get imprisoned or put down like a stray dog. In short, to say her life is crumbling down is an understatement.
At the core of this story and action are various interesting supporting characters, with Raven being the main character. She is a woman with an easily recognizable and sympathetic personality. As a reader, you can easily connect with her way in every aspect of her life, from her thinking and how she communicates with those around her. You will have no trouble imagining yourself in her shoes and relating to the choices that she makes, either bad or good. Raven is surrounded by four easy-to-connect amazing guys. Alexis Calder gives each of them their point of view chapters allowing the readers to connect and form a bond with them just like with the heroine. One of the notable characters is Luke, who will grab your attention as well as capture your heart as the author presents him detailed by showcasing to us his talents and supernatural species.
Alexis Calder not only excels in characterization but also plot creation. She presents a plot that will get you hooked from the first page to the last. And this being the series’ debut novel, dives deeper into allowing us to learn more about the characters, the school, the rules, and the big arc that forms a basis for the entire series. There is a big surprise at the end of the story that will leave you yearning and wanting to read the rest of the books in the series.
Overall, Untamed Magic is a short and fun-to-read novel with no heavy thoughts or complicated characters/plot to analyze; instead, it’s a simple and yet tantalizing story. The author includes scenes of steamy sex in the first few chapters, but do not let this ward you off as a sex book. After the sexual encounter, the sex scenes take a backstage to allow the storyline to thicken and become more interesting and engaging by giving background information about the characters.
Darkest Mate is the sequel to Academy of the Elite’s debut novel Untamed Magic. We meet Ivy, who was abandoned as a child in the Shadow Pack. Well, for starters, it’s important to note that the Shadow Pack is full of criminals and misfits, and worse enough, Ivy is an outcast among the pack of outcasts. She has never had peace in her entire life and often gets mistreated by the pack. The only source of moral and physical support in her life is her room and best friend, Katie. But the fact that the pack often mistreats doesn’t ruin Ivy’s sense of self-worth and confidence. She possesses a strong work ethic and is focused on repaying the obnoxious debt the pack has placed on her for taking care of her since childhood. She wants out and, in doing so, wants to live a better life rather than being in a pack that doesn’t want the best for her, which is a shame considering she’s caring, funny, and smart.
Ivy is a good person only that she’s surrounded by a pack of bad people and a bad situation which will make you wonder, what did she do to be a part of this pack? The shadow pack is packed with people doing things they shouldn’t be doing. We have Ivy’s boss, full of a bad attitude, a system hell-bent on keeping people from becoming their better selves, and there’s Dax, the alpha’s son who played a role in making Ivy’s life a hell growing up, and now he’s back to make it even harder. Everything is fast changing; people are acting weirdly, and what Ivy thought she knew changed. It’s like the world around Ivy is off-kilter, which will have the readers figure out what’s happening. It’s obvious something sinister is happening, and it’ll take a keen reader to piece things together.
Darkest Mate is a perfect illustration of how things work in the world we are living in today. We have the Umbra Pack, which controls all around and has links with the Shadow Pack. It’s evident that something bad is going down, underground clubs, secret meetings, a compelling mystery, shifting alliances, intricate characters, and interesting main characters that all make for a wonderful story. The cliffhanger at the end of the story will leave you yearning for the next book in the series.
The story is narrated from the perspective of Ivy, and through her perspective, the reader is able to understand how life was tough for her growing up. She also helps the reader learn how those around her despise her despite overcoming all the setbacks they put on her path. This allows us to easily connect and share emotions and feelings with her throughout her journey. Just like in the first book in the series, Alexis Calder excels in storytelling as well as world-building. You will enjoy reading how politics play a role in the overall storyline. Everything in the story is well thought out. The action moves swiftly, so Darkest Mate is an ideal read for anyone looking for a quick-read story.
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Lt. Eve Dallas is back in the 63rd novel in the excellent In Death series by JD Robb.
In the latest entry, Fury In Death, Eve Dallas investigates the brutal murder of a biotech executive, uncovering suspicious money, corporate secrets, and a killer driven by intense personal rage.
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