Announcement: Re-branding

The Alchemy of Ink

is now

Novel Nerd Faction

I've been out of the game for many months, and there is a good reason why. My husband had cancer at the latter part of 2016, and as a result of him not working we were evicted from our home. We spent the next eight months homeless. It was quite a humbling experience. Needless to say, blogging was near impossible when you don't know where you and your kids are going to be sleeping. Now this isn't a pity party, so on with the good news! My family has finally found a home and we are getting settled. With this, it is time for me to come back to the blogosphere. I've decided to re-brand. So I'm going from The Alchemy of Ink to Novel Nerd Faction. I hope to be able to revamp the look of the blog and add some new faces to the lineup. So if anyone is interested in guest posting or being a regular poster on the blog, let me know! I'll be looking for not only reviews and book posts, but I want to add another person to the mix that loves comics and pop culture! If you fit the bill, shoot me an email! 

Review: Immortal Fire (Red Winter Trilogy #3) by Annette Marie

Title: Immortal Fire

Series: Red Winter Trilogy #3
Author: Annette Marie
Publisher: Dark Owl Fantasy Inc.
Publication Date: April 11, 2017
Pages: 408
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Mythology, Romance
Source: Kindle Unlimited
Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | BD

Once, Emi believed the heavenly gods were righteous and wise, while the earthly yokai spirits were bloodthirsty and evil. But with a traitorous deity poised to destroy her world, and the yokai standing as humanity's only defense, the lies of her upbringing have toppled to reveal a far more terrifying reality.

Despite the looming threat, Emi can't escape her greatest distraction: Shiro, the fox yokai who has so deftly claimed her heart for his own. Soon—too soon—she will have to break the curse that binds his magic and memories. And once the ancient power inside him awakens, the yokai she loves will be changed forever.

As the earthly gods gather to wage war against the heavens, Emi and Shiro must gamble everything to turn the tide against their immortal, all-powerful foes. Together, they will find a way to save her world—even if it means losing each other.

MY REVIEW

This is one series finale that I've been anticipating for a while! I'm in that book hangover phase where I'm thinking, "ohgoditsoveritcantbeoverilovethesecharactersitcantbeover". Whew! I don't even know where to start, so let's start with...this series blew me away! Full on breathing problems, tears on my face, heart in a mess series finale.

Annette Marie really knows her stuff. She tells such magical stories. The reader gets wrapped up in her worlds and does not want to escape. The world expands even more in the third and final book in the Red Winter series. We get a deeper glimpse into the world of the kami and the yokai. Annette Marie's spin on Japanese mythology is riveting! The story that she has constructed is inspiring and without flaws. I love the original idea and the plot gets me excited every time I think about it. 

The romance, oh my stars, the romance! It is killer. The romance is not love at first sight, it grows over time. It's a slow burn that ends with a bang. My heart was tortured while reading this, but it was so worth it! The romance is just so convincing and you are rooting for it through the entire series. It's the kind of romance that brings butterflies to your stomach, and then makes your chest heavy. 

One of the reasons that the romance is so damn good is that Annette Marie has fine-tuned character development. She seriously knocks it out of the water. (Yeah, she's a pirate. She's that damn good!) The characters have personality, growth, and complexity. I loved all of the characters in this series. They were all so well written. 

The prose is just beautiful. Annette Marie truly has a way with words. Her action and fight scenes are remarkable! I feel like I am right there with the characters witnessing the action myself. I can't appreciate that enough! Some authors are unfortunately not accomplished in this area, but Annette Marie hits the nail on the head.

The plot continued to amaze me in this book. There were still many twists and turns that I didn't see coming, and I love that about a book. I hate predictability, so it's refreshing to be surprised. The plot ended up coming together just perfectly. I could see all the easter eggs from the first two books working their way to a close. The ending had me reeling, and I couldn't have loved it more. It was perfect. 

Final thoughts...GO READ THIS SERIES! There, I said it. This series is flawless, and beautiful, and I assure you that it will earn a special place on the bookshelf inside your heart. I recommend this to all fantasy lovers and those that are into mythology, especially Japanese mythology. Annette Marie's take on it is definitely something to write home about. Also, I would highly recommend her Steel & Stone series!

Do you enjoy any books based on mythology? If so, what are your favorites? Or tell me some of your favorite indie authors!

Review: Dark Tempest (Red Winter Trilogy #2) by Annette Marie

Title: Dark Tempest

Series: Red Winter Trilogy #2
Author: Annette Marie
Publisher: Dark Owl Fantasy Inc.
Publication Date: January 06, 2017
Pages: 350
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Mythology, Romance
Source: Kindle Unlimited
Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | BD

Emi has dedicated her life to becoming the perfect vessel for the goddess Amaterasu, but the insidious betrayal of another deity has changed everything. Now Amaterasu has charged Emi with an urgent mission: to find and free the earthly gods before mankind is brought to its knees beneath divine tyranny.

At her side is Shiro, the mysterious fox spirit. When she first saved his life, she could never have imagined that behind his cunning and confidence, he was lost—his power bound by a devastating curse and his memories obscured. His veiled history is somehow tied to the missing gods, but he can't remember how or why.

As their search leads them into the murky depths of the spirit realm, the shadows of Shiro's past begin to emerge. With each brief awakening of his true self, she loses a little more of him. The fate of the heavens and earth rest in her mortal hands, and she must find the missing gods before time runs out for her world—and for Shiro.

MY REVIEW

This book was such an adventure! This is definitely a must-read series! Annette Marie has been on my insta-read list since I read her Stone & Steel series. (Which is phenomenal, btw.) Annette Marie is an independent author, but you really wouldn't know it. Her novels are so polished that you would swear up and down that you are reading something from a major publisher. That's one of the things that I love about Annette Marie's books. Her attention to details. Her passion is all over her books.

Okay, so the adventure. There is a lot of it! I love how active and fast paced the book is. If there is something that Annette Marie can do exceptionally well, it is fight scenes. For real. They get me so pumped up and excited. They are so descriptive and concise. In some fight scenes it is easy to get lost along the way, but Annette Marie has got it down to a science. The plot is really imaginative and it has so many evolving elements. There were a lot of surprises in the story that I didn't see coming. I loved the mythology and the Japanese culture. I just plain loved this story. 

The romance in the book is pretty perfect. It is slow moving, but in a good way. It's just the right amount of romance. It isn't too much too soon, but it's also not lacking. And the other relationships in the book are so well written. I love the friendship between Emi and Yumei. It has come so far from her first meeting with him. 

The characters are so well written. There is so much growth, especially for Emi and Shiro. I love seeing how much Emi's character has transformed since the first book. She was just a kamigakari in the first book, following orders and doing what was expected of her. She didn't really have an identity of her own. It's awesome to see her gaining some self existence. 

This book also included some illustrations throughout the book that were a delight! They were so gorgeous and really brought so much to the story. I loved the visuals so much. 

I cannot recommend this book and this series enough! It is such a wild ride, with incredibly complex characters and a wholly original fantasy world. Annette Marie is definitely one of my favorite authors, and if you read any of her books you will say the same. If you are a fan of fantasy, you need Annette Marie books in your life!

Do you enjoy any books based on mythology? If so, what are your favorites?