Magic Archives

A Keeper’s Tale by JA Andrews

February 7, 2018 by bubblebathbooks 2 Comments

A Keeper’s Tale: Tomkin Thornhewn, youngest son of the Duke of Marshwell, has a problem: he’s not heroic. Regardless of his aspirations, the bookish, untrained young man is better suited to recording the deeds of heroes than being one himself. Which becomes an obvious problem when he finds himself clinging to a ledge above a sleeping dragon. And instead of wielding his family’s great sword with valor and skill, he drops it—onto the dragon.
The problem grows immeasurably worse when Tomkin himself falls off the ledge—also onto the dragon. And his problem reaches its peak when Tomkin, after being captured, discovers a maiden locked in a tower. But this is no sweet damsel. Not only does she refuse to be rescued, she refuses to even admit she’s in distress. It’s too bad for the people of Marshwell that Tomkin is the only thing standing – or falling – in the dragon’s way.

Bubby:

We often get books offered to us in our email. Sometimes they are great, but sometimes they are so very much NOT great. We’ve learned to be wary of these offerings, but we still look at every one because occasionally we will get books like A Keeper’s Tale. Great YA novels we totally would have missed out on ever knowing about if they hadn’t randomly shown up in our inbox.

Sissy:

It took me a long time to even open this one up and try it, because I couldn’t tell what it was like from the cover.

Bubby:

You’re not supposed to judge a book by its cover, you know.

Sissy:

Ha! As you well know, we do that all the time (with books, not people. Of course.) I was afraid that A Keeper’s Tale might be too high fantasy for me. That dragon’s eye on the cover is a clear sign (usually) of highbrow fantasy peoples, don’t you know. But once I cracked those virtual pages, I was surprised and delighted with how much I liked this tale.

Bubby:

I think that you need to stop judging us “highbrow fantasy people”. Just because you can’t hang with the erudite ones, don’t be a hater! Back to the book now. I loved the originality of this story. There is a tried and true (and often boring) recipe for a fantasy novel and A Keeper’s Tale took that recipe and turned it on its head. Our hero is a young man who is perfectly happy to stay at the castle and take care of the books and the realm’s complaints while his dashing knight of an elder brother and his father the king are off saving the world. Unfortunately, adventure comes to him in a fairly unavoidable manner. This book is full of sharp-witted repartee between Tomkin, the maiden and even the dragon. There is mayhem and disaster galore, much of it brought about by Tomkin himself. Oh, and the ending? So good. Just perfectly satisfying.

Sissy:

Well now that you’ve said everything there is to say about the storyline, I will endeavor to extract some nugget of thought out of my brain to add to this review. The most enjoyable thing about A Keeper’s Tale is the clever dialogue. I loved it for all the reasons Bubby long-windedly stated above. For this reason, I will entreat J.A. Andrews to write MORE! After I read this book and fell completely in love with the anti-hero Tomkin, I wished with all my heart that someone who could write so well would write like six books a year. Is that possible? Unfortunately, there’s only one more right now – A Threat of Shadows, which is the first book in the Keeper Chronicles series. A Keeper’s Tale is a standalone story in the same universe. No matter, it is a keeper (ha ha). Read it! It is available on Kindle Unlimited right now, too! Bonus!

Click HERE to buy A Keeper’s Tale by J.A. Andrews

Cover Reveal! Veins of Gold by Charlie N. Holmberg

January 17, 2018 by bubblebathbooks Leave a Comment

Desperate to save her siblings from poverty, a young woman discovers magic fueled by gold . . . and a love for the man who wields it. Abandoned by their father for the gold rush, Gentry and her siblings labor to survive alone in the inhospitable west. When bizarre natural disasters begin wreaking havoc on the land, Gentry discovers a world of magic. Desperate for help, she accepts aid from a mysterious stranger. Winn not only sees the magic, but controls its hunger by feeding it gold—the very thing Gentry’s father left to acquire. But the earth’s unrest only grows worse, and Gentry’s fear leads her to a terrible choice: marry a wealthy man she does not love, or trust in Winn’s unpredictable power to save her family.

Here is the cover reveal for VEINS OF GOLD! This book releases from Mirror Press July 17th and can be preordered HERE.

Bubby:

Oh! It’s so pretty! I can’t wait for this book.

Sissy:

We love everything by Charlie N. Holmberg and this beautiful cover just makes me want to read whatever delicious magic I will find in Veins of Gold.

Magick & Mayhem by Sharon Pape

May 3, 2017 by bubblebathbooks 1 Comment

Magick & Mayhem – Twenty-something Kailyn Wilde has learned to embrace her unpredictable life as a descendant of small-town New Camel’s most magickal family. She just didn’t expect to inherit her mother and grandmother’s centuries-old shop, Abracadabra, so suddenly. The surprises keep coming when Kailyn goes to finalize the estate at the local attorney’s office—and stumbles over the body of her best friend Elise’s husband . . .

As a brash detective casts the blame on Elise, Kailyn summons her deepest powers to find answers and start an investigation of her own. What with running a business, perfecting ancient spells, and keeping up with an uninvited guest of fabled origins, Kailyn has her hands full. But with the help of her uncanny black cat Sashkatu and her muumuu-clad Aunt Tilly, she’s closing in on a killer—who will do anything to make sure she never tests her supernatural skills again!

Sissy:

I love me some quirky characters, magical escapades, and good mysteries. Good thing Magick & Mayhem has all of that and more! Kailyn, our main character, is immediately likeable, because she’s not some ditzy duh who lands in a mess. She is witty, smart, and capable. Enter Aunt Tilly, psychic baker who has interesting style choices, and you have the perfect air headed foil for grounded Kailyn.

Bubby:

Aunt Tilly is my favorite. I want to be her.

Sissy:

You want to be all the cool characters in every book.

Bubby:

Yes, but I’m already half way to being Aunt Tilly.

Sissy:

Are you referring to your support hose? Your forgetfulness? Your questionable fashion choices?

Bubby:

No, yes, and I’m seriously considering adopting the muumuu lifestyle. But what I meant to say (before all the rude interruptions) was that I have the baking thing down, and I’m psychic too. Therefore halfway to Aunt Tilly.

Sissy:

If you’re psychic, why don’t I have more money? Why aren’t you on TV as the Rocky Mountain Medium? And buying me prizes?

Bubby:

I don’t use my gift for monetary gain. I only use it to show when my children are lying to me, and to divine the location of any chocolate they may have hidden from me. But we really should get back to reviewing Magick & Mayhem. I get so tired of heroines who are their own worst enemies. I also get tired of cozy mysteries where the romantic interest is a law enforcement officer of some type.

Sissy:

That happens all the time!! So annoying!

Bubby:

Magick & Mayhem was refreshing in that Kailyn only solves problems and does not create them.

Sissy:

Except for that one time…you know…whilst summoning a familiar. And that huge thing happens…

Bubby:

Well there is that. But her love interest is a reporter (yay) and she’s so sweet about dealing with Aunt Tilly’s ongoing chaos and disasters. There’s a lot of humor woven throughout the plot of Magick & Mayhem, but the real meat of the plot is the murder mystery. Who killed Jim? And why? You’ll never guess.

Sissy:

Even psychic Bubby didn’t guess this time. Other colorful additions to Magick & Mayhem are the amorphous clouds of Kailyn’s mother and grandmother, recently deceased, who pop in from time to time to put in their (often irrelevant) two cents. We have no idea how they died, and we don’t know why Kailyn and Tilly’s powers have become spotty. We can only assume that those things will be answered in future installations of the Abracadabra Mysteries. Book two, That Olde White Magick, is set to come out in November of 2017, so maybe we’ll get more answers then. A thoroughly refreshing twist on a cozy, Magick & Mayhem is well worth the read!

Bubby:

I laughed, I cried (not really), I gasped, and I sighed in contentment. Totally cheesy, I know. I can’t wait for book two, three, four…as long as Sharon Pape keeps writing them, I’ll keep reading them. You should definitely put a little enchantment in your life and give Magick & Mayhem a try!

Click HERE to buy Magick & Mayhem

Save

A Stolen Kiss by Kelsey Keating

April 18, 2016 by bubblebathbooks Leave a Comment

A stolen kiss. An unstable curse. One big mess in the making. Derric Harver never expected to amount to anything more than the palace stableboy, but when Princess Maria’s curse keeps her from accepting a prince’s proposal, she turns to him for help, and he doesn’t dare refuse. With the help of a lady’s maid and a prince, Derric and Maria embark on a dangerous adventure to find the sorceress who cast the curse. Along the way they battle deadly creatures and make new friends–all the while struggling with the undeniable chemistry between them. Reaching their destination won’t be easy, but the true peril lies in the truths they’ve fought for years to keep hidden. A Stolen Kiss is the first in the Stolen Royals Series–an adventure with magical creatures, dangerous secrets, and being true to the power within.

Sissy:

This is the third “fractured fairy tale” we have reviewed this month. We didn’t really plan for April 2016 to be the month of fairy tales. It just kind of happened that way. Each one of the stories had different and interesting traits that appealed to us. What is it about A Stolen Kiss that I liked? First of all, at the outset you may think it is a Swan Princess retelling (and there IS a strong swan element going on). However, début author Kelsey Keating has gone above and beyond any recognizable existing fairy tale and built her own world and saga, filled with magical creatures, convoluted relationships and confusing spells galore.

Bubby:

As I was refreshing Sissy’s memory on the particulars of A Stolen Kiss (she’s old. I have to remind her of stuff all the time…), it occurred to me that someone listening would think this story was very confusing and difficult to read. Let me assure you, that is not the case. Yes, there are a lot of revelations that contradict what you THOUGHT you knew, but it’s all so good. Only a handful of characters really matter in the end – Prince Humphrey, Princess Maria (these two are betrothed), quasi-stableboy Derric Harver, his sister Sarah and Derric’s mother the Sorceress Gilda.

Sissy:

Wait-there are a bunch of other characters running about creating atmosphere and havoc too!

Bubby:

Yes, but with the exception of the villain and a love interest whose identities I shan’t reveal, they’re all just the croutons in this magical salad. Who wants a simplistic, predictable plot anyway? Where’s the fun in that? I want surprises, betrayals, romance and magic! It’s all here!

Sissy:

That is certainly true. Your creative verbage “…croutons in this magical salad” is excellent, by the way, and I’m glad you are the nut in my life’s brownie. Even when you call me old and forgetful right after I have corrected your faulty grammar. If I wasn’t so “old” I might pinch you. Some of A Stolen Kiss’s “croutons” were my favorites, you know. Ellis, the shapeshifting beast, comes to mind. Also Alyssa, the unfortunate girl stuck in a mirror, was sprung on us in all her delightfulness at just the right moment. Some characters you thought were evil turn out to be good and vice versa, and some are just flawed, misunderstood individuals who are in the wrong place at the wrong time. Quite a quirky cast is found in this realm of enchantment!

Bubby:

I love Alyssa. She is fierce and spunky. I want to be her when I grow up.

Sissy:

And when will that be?

Bubby:

I haven’t decided yet. Not today. Anyway, I have to talk about the ending. Once all the magical mayhem was over, and everyone took their rightful places, I felt a little let down. Certain things hadn’t turned out the way I wanted them to. And then… and then it happened. My magical happy ending came, and it was so worth the wait!

Sissy:

The ending is fantastic! I do love princess Maria and how she matured into the girl who could give us a great finale. But I’ll admit that my favorite is Derric. His transformation was the best. You will be most satisfied with the way things are wrapped up for all the characters, I’m sure. What a fun read! Get out of the doldrums of reality and jump on the whimsical, otherworldly ride that is A Stolen Kiss by Kelsey Keating.

Bubby:

When this kind of writing comes from a début author, I can’t help but be excited about how good the sophomore effort is bound to be.

Click HERE to buy A Stolen Kiss by Kelsey Keating

Save

Island Heroines continued: Illusions of Fate by Kiersten White

March 25, 2016 by bubblebathbooks Leave a Comment

“I did my best to keep you from crossing paths with this world. And I shall do my best to protect you now that you have.” Jessamin has been an outcast since she moved from her island home of Melei to the dreary country of Albion. Everything changes when she meets Finn, a gorgeous, enigmatic young lord who introduces her to the secret world of Albion’s nobility, a world that has everything Jessamin doesn’t—power, money, status…and magic. But Finn has secrets of his own, dangerous secrets that the vicious Lord Downpike will do anything to possess. Unless Jessamin, armed only with her wits and her determination, can stop him.

Sissy: Bubby volunteered at Teen Author Boot Camp (TABC) recently and came home with a pile of books that she’d purchased from various featured authors there. There is nothing more fabulous for me than what happens after Bubby has read through them all with her lightning fast reading super power–she hands the whole pile over to me. Yippee! The author of today’s book, Kiersten White, was actually at TABC and Bubby stood right next to her, not knowing who she was. After reading this fabulous book, Bubby now wishes to have been able to spend lots of quality time with this oh so clever, hilarious and witty author. You may wonder what Illusions of Fate has to do with our Island Theme this week. Bubby? Care to enlighten?

Bubby: Absolutely. We once again have a beautiful island born heroine, this time from the fictional island of Melei. It sounds like a lovely place, full of warmth, charming people, delicious food and flowers like the Fire-Petal, a riot of scarlet blooms and green foliage. It sounds like a mix between Jamaica, India and Tonga, three more places that I haven’t been yet. And yes, Sissy has been to Tonga because she’s the older sister and life isn’t fair. But she hasn’t been to Jamaica or India! Yet. At any rate, our heroine Jessamin finds herself in the fictional country of Albion (which seems a lot like Victorian England), a place where the color of her skin and hair is unusual and unappreciated. I’m so glad that we’ve become more enlightened these days. True beauty is reflected from the soul and can be found housed in any type of body – short or tall, thin or fat, dark or fair, old or young.

Sissy: The citizens of Albion also, like those of Victorian England, consider themselves to be superior to the “natives” of any of their colonies and also do not value women. Jessamin is extremely smart and excels in mathematics but is not allowed to study it because “alas, the feminine mind is not suited to the mathematical arts.” Too bad that the shallow, misogynistic nobility don’t realize that Jessamin’s “feminine mind” is what will save them all in the end. I imagine Jessamine might look like one of our beautiful European-Polynesian mixed nieces–pick one–they’re all gorgeous!

poly collage

Bubby: They are beautiful, aren’t they? I must talk about my new book boyfriend Finn. He’s just so yummy. When he and Jessamin first meet, he is so taken by her beauty and intelligence that he falls for her instantly. He falls so hard, in fact, that his shadow leaves him and attaches to her – evidently a rare occurrence among the magical nobility of Albion that means that they are soul mates. Jessamin, although half-Albion, (I’d talk more about her Albion father but he makes me too angry) is neither nobility nor magical but it makes no difference. From the get-go, Finn’s heart belongs to her. He is kind and self-sacrificing, sweet, loving, all the wonderful things you could ever want in a romantic lead. And he’s cute, too. As much as I love Jessamin and Finn, though, my favorite character by far is Eleanor. I want to be her!

Sissy: Eleanor, an Albion noblewoman, becomes Jessamin’s unlikely friend and ally and prides herself on being the biggest gossip in Albion society. The fantastic thing about Eleanor is that she pretends to be the vapid and obedient maiden that society requires but in reality she’s a sharp-witted, conniving, pot-stirring, magically adept, hilariously funny and loyal woman. There are elements that draw me to a novel, like a good plot, great twist, magic, and of course a romance, but what puts a book over the edge into fabulous for me is sparkling, quick-witted dialogue. Illusions of Fate by Kiersten White is jam-packed with it. I want to read everything she’s ever written. If I was going to give this book a rating, it’d be five out of five. Plus bonus points for super creepy black birds that turn into books.

Bubby: The “great twist” in Illusions of Fate was so shocking, so jaw-droppingly awesome that I’m still reeling from it. I could go on for days about my love affair with this story, but Sissy would smack me, so I’ll just end with this quote from Kiersten White herself. “Illusions of Fate, a dreamy historical fantasy, wants to be your new boyfriend. It’s a really good kisser.” Amen!

Click HERE to buy Illusions of Fate by Kiersten White