Book Review: Beyond the Gloaming Pass by Rebecca Holmes

Beyond the Gloaming Pass: An Emotional High Fantasy Adventure by Rebecca Holmes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Beyond the Gloaming Pass by Rebecca Holmes is a beautifully written high fantasy story that mixes adventure, magic, and friendship in a rich and original world. The main characters are Molindra, a young woman who wants to become a mage, and Rubriel, her loyal friend and longtime companion. They leave their home in Bantria, a country under threat, and head to the mysterious Gloaming Mountains, facing many dangers and challenges, meet many new friends, allies, and enemies in a vivid and immersive world that draws inspiration from some of the most popular fantasy writers in modern times.

Holmes creates a unique world with a rich setting and plot arcs. Also, her storytelling skills shine through in the masterful, rich character development– even with the minor characters. In fact, one of my favorite minor characters in the book is Scoe, whom Rubriel meets along her journey to find Molindra in her adventures in the Gloaming Mountains. Scoe is such a well-written character that I’d love to see a future installment in the series all about Scoe and his backstory or perhaps his future in this rich world.

Beyond the Gloaming Pass is a captivating and immersive read that will keep you hooked from start to finish. Holmes creates a rich, complex world with vivid descriptions and fascinating lore. The characters are realistic and relatable, each with flaws and strengths. The plot is fast-paced and full of twists and turns, with plenty of action and emotion. The book also explores family, friendship, loyalty, identity, and destiny themes.

If you’re a fan of high fantasy, then you won’t want to miss Beyond the Gloaming Pass by Rebecca Holmes. It’s a thrilling and heart-wrenching adventure that will leave you wanting more.

The book is available for purchase on Amazon here: https://amzn.to/3rUUENI

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Book Review: The Broken World by Lindsey Klingele

The Broken World by Lindsey Klingele
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

While I was mixed on my review of the first book, later revising it on a re-read, I am not mixed at all on this book. Overall, this book was an enjoyable YA Fantasy / Romance / Urban Fantasy / Action book. This duology brought us back to the Caelum side of this universe. The continuing love triangle with Liv Cedric and Kat goes on, and for a bit there, It looks like they won’t get their Happily Ever After (HEA) ending. But of course, they get their HEA, which is awesome. I didn’t realize how much I was rooting for these two to get together – not that I didn’t like Kat, far from it. Her character is loveable for many reasons, but primarily as a strong independent female, she could be a queen. We get this impression early in the duology, but this book’s build-up is more substantial.

Two arcs were going on, one in Calem and one on Earth. In Los Angelis, the skies are a mess, and gravity no longer works as Einstein says it should! The very ground shakes as though the apocalypse has finally come. The portals opened between the two worlds have created havoc on Earth. Shannon and Merek have to find a way for the Knights of Valere to figure out how to stop whatever is happening.

Cedric chooses Kat over Liv and sends her back to Earth, where any chance they had to get together has passed. However, as the story progresses, Cedric is compelled to go to Earth after Liv. After much story progression, Liv figures out they must make a movie, spread it over the Internet via social media, and get the world to “believe in magic.” This energy will help solve the problem with the portals and the magic that has leaked into Earth.

Everyone goes through some sort of transformation. In the end, Kat will become Queen of Calem, Liv and Cedric have their HEA, and Merek and Shannon will share some quality time too. It all wraps up very nicely and cleanly. It was an enjoyable ending to this duology.

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Book Review: Conan – Blood of the Serpent by S.M. Stirling

Conan – Blood of the Serpent by S.M. Stirling
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

More Conan, please! This story is a prequel to Red Nails and was extremely enjoyable. Having read all Conan books and comics and playing every Conan video game, this book did not disappoint! A younger Conan, the beautiful but dangerous Valeria, panthers, beasts, caves, lands hard to cross, and references to all deities and races I’m so familiar with in Hyboria, I experienced instant immersion into the universe I have loved so much over the past four decades!

Conan Blood of the Serpent is available for purchase here: https://amzn.to/47gqVxw

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