#ADGIFTED I am given books in return for a review, I use my own thoughts and opinions on these.

Wrath of Olympus: Ships of Britannia, Book 1 by E. M. Kkoulla

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Book Details


Length: 237 pages
Genre: Fantasy
Age Category: Adult
Date Published: 09 December 2020
Amazon Link: https://a.co/d/5KjlkuN (Canada)
https://a.co/d/h8ANKUo (USA)
https://amzn.eu/d/3UecmE0 (UK)
Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56287354-wrath-of-olympus
The StoryGraph Link: https://app.thestorygraph.com/books/86c83d93-565a-4d6f-b3ae-97d25b9bc7db?redirect=true




The Roman Empire never fell. The Gods are real. Ships are alive.

In the Province of Britannia, ruled by descendants of King Arthur and on the brink of an industrial revolution, young Maia Abella is on the run.
Something unseen has murdered her cruel mistress and she’s being blamed. The streets and factories of Portus are no place for a friendless girl, trapped in events beyond her control.
The city authorities and the Royal Navy are both desperate to find her – one investigating a killer, the other to recruit her, while the deadly legacy of a tragic past stalks her every step.
Aided by Raven, an ancient, blind Mage with a terrible secret and Milo, Crown Agent and spy, Maia must discover and overcome the fatal consequences of her birth.
Meanwhile, the Gods are making their moves. Not all of them are friendly.

Author Bio
I’m of mixed British/Greek-Cypriot heritage and live with my husband and two feline overlords, Zeus and Hades, in County Durham, UK. After many years of teaching very small children, I decided to put my degree in Classical Studies and long involvement with 17thC re-enactment to good use by combining them in my fantasy adventure series. I love history, reading, gardening and anything with gods and monsters trashing the landscape. You can find me on fb on my Ships of Britannia page and on Twitter @EKkoulla.

My Review Ooooft what a first book, we are world building but the pace feels more like a second or third book, which is fabulous. As notoriously first books can feel super slow and lose the reader. This is bam bam bam with the characters and plot, we have real world issues like over bearing abusive bosses, situations and circumstances we can all relate to at times, so it’s great to see how things pan out. Never before have I ever had a book have living ships, that communicate with telepathy, so unique in its story I make this top of my list of books to read, the bonus of this being book one, means we can all be whisked away in this world more times as the books come out!!!

#ADGIFTED all thoughts and opinions are my own, I choose books and genres I enjoy.

Time Marked Warlock by

Shami Stovall

Book Info
Genre: Urban Fantasy

Length: 402 pages

Published: June 2024

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/210597012-time-marked-warlock

Amazon:  Not available currently

Blurb
Adair Finch is the most powerful warlock in the world, and one of the best private investigators for hire. He has dealt with corporate vampires, murderous werewolves, and even fae royalty. Everything was perfect until he lost one case—the case where he also lost his brother.


So Finch retired. From magic. From PI work. From everything.


Bree Blackstone, a twelve-year-old witch, doesn’t know or care about any of that except Finch’s reputation. In the middle of the night, she bangs on Finch’s door. Her mother has been murdered, and now the assassin is after Bree as well.


Reluctantly, Finch agrees to help, only to discover something sinister has been brewing in town while he ignored the world… He’ll need to dust off all his old skills and magic before it’s too late.

Author Bio – Shani Stovall
Shami Stovall is a multi-award-winning author of fantasy and science fiction. Before that, she taught history and criminal law at the college level, and loved every second. When she’s not reading fascinating articles and books about ancient China or the Byzantine Empire, Stovall can be found playing way too many video games, especially RPGs and tactics simulators.


If you want to contact her, you can do so at the following locations:


Website: https://sastovallauthor.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GameOverStation/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SAStovall/

Email: s.adelle.s@gmail.com

My Review As someone who identifies as a witch, we don’t use the word Warlock at all as it’s a slur. Male witches are simply witches. But that aside as this is a fantasy book, is a tale about a Powerful Warlock (I’m going to presume a male witch)  a young girl witch, finding the assassin of her mother. Knowing he needs to brush up his skills after losing a case and becoming a recluse as that case he also lost his brother. A pleasant supernatural and metaphysical story, good paced and well described characters, that warm your heart, or have you feeling the emotions with them. Great to make this into a whole series like the Dresden files I think. This was absolutely my cup of tea, a perfect dose of fantasy, whimsical, but with consequences as all magic comes with a consequence. Real life dilemmas and emotions explored and well thought out.

#ADGIFTED all thoughts and opinions are my own, I usually choose books in the genre I enjoy, this year I’m stepping out of my comfort zone more.

Genre: Epic Fantasy

Length: 819 Pages

Publication Date: 8th August 2023

Amazon || Goodreads


Synopsis/Blurb:

Sorrow in paradise

A parent’s worst nightmare

When grief drives one to revenge

Living in a tropical paradise with his spouses and kids, Amiere is a merchant of light, a sculptor who carves glowing crystals into spectacular and powerful, demon-killing works of art. When the ground opens up near his idyllic village to reveal a massive supply of crystals, the whole nation of Aloutia celebrates. The merchants are guaranteed money for decades and officials predict Aloutia will be safe from demonkind for generations. But Amiere isn’t rejoicing—when the ground split apart, his seven-year-old daughter fell to her death.

Amiere’s grief turns to rage when an old enemy returns to the village with a young daughter displaying signs of starvation and abuse. Having witnessed his own daughter’s death, Amiere cannot bear the thought of watching another child die, especially when he can prevent it. Unable to ask police for help due to the village’s reputation of hostility toward authority figures, Amiere takes matters into his own hands, even at the risk of being exiled and separated from his family forever.

About the Author:

Erika McCorkle, she/her, lives in the Pacific Northwest of the USA. She is a creator of fantasy worlds and a voyager to the worlds created by others. She spends much of her free time writing, reading, watching anime, and playing video games, all usually of the fantasy genre. She has Bachelor’s of Science in Biology and currently works the night shift at a blood bank, meaning she is most definitely a vampire.
Website Twitter

My Review

I haven’t read a book like this for many many years, it’s whole world building and requires full attention, imagination and creativity. I have discovered this is a book two so I would recommend reading book one, though you can grasp the basics on book two. I just think for greater understanding and enjoyment then don’t jump into book two. As I have gotten older I prefer more light easy reads, but that didn’t mean I didn’t enjoy this. It also features grief heavily, and as a griever myself it was slightly triggering as those feelings are buried deep, so close to the surface and little things can set it off. But it’s worth being forewarned if you think the subject matter is not for you.

It will sound like I didn’t enjoy this book, but that’s not true, I did, but it’s complex in answering, as there are elements I didn’t enjoy. I HATE sex and anything remotely erotic in books, it’s a personal pet peeve. Though I know others don’t mind it. So I can’t mark it down just for something I don’t like. The amount of concentration needed, I didn’t feel I had all the time, which is a shame, for a young adult it’s perfect though. They are like sponges with knowledge, I’m more old dog new tricks kinda of reader now.

Slow pace but that’s needed with how involving and ambitious it is, think Tolkien world building. Impressive author