Her Dreadful Will review

April 12, 2022April 10, 2022

Do these words check any boxes for you? Slow-burn romance. Spice. Witches. Southern gothic. Modern technology meets magic society. Opposites attract. If all that sounds good to you, you need to read this Her Dreadful Will review (and maybe pick up a copy!).

Her Dreadful Will, by Rebecca F. Kenney (fantasy romance, southern gothic, urban fantasy; April 6, 2022)

Note: I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review. Her Dreadful Will contains violence and adult content.

This book was an unusual find for me. I read a limited number of contemporary fantasies and fantasy romances. Thanks to Her Dreadful Will‘s clever combination of modern technology and a hidden, highly regulated society of witches (and later, that slow-burn spicy romance), I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Fans of Kingdom of the Wicked will likely enjoy it, too.

Another unusual thing about this book is its wholesome main character’s love interest. While Soleil just wants to prove her rare mind-flex powers can be a force for good, bad boy (dentist!) Achan is all about tearing things down and causing mayhem. The dance between these two feels like it could be deadly at any moment, yet Soleil finds herself drawn to Achan. At times, she even agrees with him.

The magic system is amazing. The witchcraft and rituals in Her Dreadful Will are extremely well-defined and immersive, to the point that they’re almost another character. Supporting characters have interesting personalities, too, and short story-style chapters, centered on the townspeople Soleil tries to help, really drew me in to the story. I wasn’t a fan of Achan at first, so the early middle dragged for me, but soon I was eager to see what happened next again.

I’d pick up another book from this author anytime.

My rating:

 4.5/5

To learn more about this author, visit Rebecca F. Kennedy’s website.

The Fishermen’s Princess Cover Reveal!

March 6, 2021March 6, 2021

It’s cover and synopsis reveal time for my new serial novel!

(Be warned, this is a graphics-heavy post!)

The Fishermen's Princess

A Serial New Adult Fantasy Novel by C.K. Beggan

The Little Mermaid is turned upside-down and inside-out in this creative retelling about merfolk, true love, wicked and benevolent pirates and a princess trying to find her place in the world.

Advisors tell Princess Alexandrina that fishermen are the lifeblood of their corner-of-and-island nation. Folklore says the fishermen serve the merfolk more than the crown. So why on earth are the fishermen following Drina?

When Drina sneaks out of the castle, the fishermen are there. When she plans to outsmart the meddling Cardinal and her formidable mother, they are there. And when Drina just might marry the prince she wants to (instead of the baron she’s supposed to), they are there. Just like they were there when her father, the lowly fishermen who married a future queen, was buried at sea.

As Drina fights for a love story of her own, tragedy sails ever closer to her kingdom, and its black sails carry the standard of the sea’s most terrifying pirates. Can the fishermen help Drina when she needs it most? Or do they only serve the crown beneath the sea?

This serial fantasy novel is packed with romance, danger, adventure, pirates and of course, mermaids. Join the CK. Beggan author mailing list to receive a new chapter in your inbox each month.

I’m so excited to begin sharing this story with you all. Please join me as we see how Drina’s story will unfold, together!

That’s all for now. The next post will be an in-depth review of Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s wonderful and heartbreaking Gods of Jade and Shadow.

Cheers and be well,

-CKB

New and Awesome Promo: Women Warriors

March 2, 2021March 1, 2021

This promo could not be more perfect!

Bree Yardley is hosting this BookFunnel book promo in honor of International Women’s Day (March 8th), and it’s all about women taking charge! (And maybe kicking a little butt along the way.) The Women Warriors promo has 141 participants, with titles in the categories of sci-fi, fantasy, romance, action and adventure.

It also features a free sample of Girl of Shadow and Glass, and a title highlighted in the Indie Book Spotlight on my blog, Sylvia Mercedes’ action-packed Daughter of Shades, the first book in the completed Venatrix Chronicles [find my review of Daughter of Shades here].

This promo is such a good fit for GoSG. Kith starts out unable to do just about anything without being told she can’t or shouldn’t. No matter how extraordinary a life she leads (learning from the shadows in another world and all that), she’ll always be a fragile shade-child. It’s high time Kith starts taking charge…and she’s about to do just that.

What I’m reading

The Road to Farringale (Modern Magic Book 1), by Charlotte E. English. So far this entertaining book feels like a quirky combo of Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and Harry Potter. Trolls and a magical house, and MC’s Cordelia Vesper’s delightful narration (and hair) are the highlights so far.

What I’ve just read

Icedancer (Pler Trilogy Book 2), by Anna Velfman. How can there only be one book left?! Icedancer was every bit as good as I was hoping, and then some. It was also refreshing in a lot of ways. The handsome emperor doesn’t get a pass just because he shows he cares and has plans to help the world. There’s so much more to powerful and cultured Ashioto, and Velfman (and formidable MC Lanna) never give in to girlish fancy. A full review is forthcoming!

But first…

What I’m reviewing next

Twelve Days of Faery (Shards of a Broken Sword Book 1). Another fun read to brighten a gloomy winter’s day! A beleaguered king gets caught up in the dangerous realm of Faery when a peculiar enchantress arrives, claiming she can break the curse on King Markon’s son.

That’s all for now!

Cheers,

CKB