A Wizard's Choice by Maya Tyler

A Wizard’s Choice. Maya Tyler. Tirgearr Publishing.  July 2019. pb, 170 pp.; ASIN: B07SSVX7DQ.

Kurtis Warde has to make a choice – to live as a wizard or a human.  However, he feels very obligated to his grandfather, who has raised him and protected him from the evils of the feud of centuries between the Wizards and the Faeries.  Kurtis first meets Dee, a vampire, who introduces him to a world of phenomenal sex.  He is obviously besotted by her but she sees their initial sexual encounter as just that and no more.  Kurtis is haunted by the fact that he has no idea who his mother and father are but that is about to change.

He begins to visit Alina, a Life Coach, who has the gift of reading auras and spiritually connecting to her clients with her intuitive gifts of connection.  She quickly connects Kurtis to the fact that his ancestors were the Annunaki, beings from space who were the wizards and faeries of old.  This connection unleashes the continuation of the lethal feud between the two groups and previous spells of protection no longer protect Kurtis and Alina.

Kurtis will soon know his parents but may not be able to heal the strife from which his grandfather has been protecting him all these years. A wizard uprising led by the Bauer family began to cover their plans to overthrow the Delafontaines. Kurtis was related to the faeries who nearly annihilated the family who are actually ancestors of Alina.  This then is the story of how Kurtis will act to end the feud of centuries with the help of Alina and his family.

A Wizard’s Choice is an interesting read, a romance, adventure, thriller, and magical tale full of complex characters.  Modern technology is combined with ancient spells and magic to protect characters from the nonstop conflict.  The choice turns out to be so much larger than Kurtis or his grandfather had imagined! Rather than end on a definitive note, it is clear at the end of this novel that there will be more novels in this series (this is the second in the series, although it may be read as a stand-alone novel). Nicely crafted story, Maya Tyler!

Misfortune of Time: Druid's Brooch Series #6 by Christy Nicholas

Misfortune of Time: Druid’s Brooch Series #6. Christy Nicholas. Tirgearr Publishing. Copyright July 2018. pb. 2322 KB.; ASIN: B07D447G4Y.

This sixth story of the Druid Brooch Series is multi-layered and told in several parts.  Etain is very, very old thanks to the magic in the brooch she was given by another gifted one.  She’s living in the 11^th Century and has the ability to orient her magic to making her appear to be aging.  The reality is she’s over 100 years old but has the abilities of someone younger than thirty years old.  For now, she’s got bigger problems.  Her present husband, Airtre, is a Christian priest who treats Etain deplorably, abusing her physically at every opportunity. Other neighbors, monks and priests (marriage is as yet not forbidden but that law is coming to hold in the Church as Christianity spreads in Ireland) try to shelter her from Airtre’s wrath but even her magic is powerless against his rages.  Things are about to change!

When Etain is attacked by a mad neighbor, he swears Etain will be burnt to death because of her magic.  Since no one knows about this secret, Etain tries to get away from him but he won’t let go. Airtre comes to the scene and beats the man to death but is accused of murder.  A full trial ensues.  Etain desperately wants to become a bishop in the church but this matter frees him of guilt but taints him.  When others are consoling Etain, her husband goes mad and wants to kill her. Etain is forced, like many previous times, to escape.

Her next phase of existence is in the world of the Fae, sprites and fairies who possess a great deal of magic but who cannot abide in the human world.  Read for yourself the wondrous environment, the dynamic fierce and kind characters, and what Etain learns while being temporarily kept safe in this land.

When she returns to the world of mortals, the first thing she wants to do is find her grandson to whom she wishes to pass on the magic she received as taught by the Fae.  More conflicts ensue, and her grandson must be taught to trust his grandmother.  No spoilers here but an exciting unfolding of trust and release of suspicion.

This is a wonderful series, ready for anyone open enough to love magic, the world of healing herbs and spices, good food and drink, the joys of those who worship in the Old Ways, and on, and on and on!  Delightful reading – a fantasy story well-crafted and told! Highly recommended!

Red Sister: First Book of The Ancestor by Mark Lawrence

Red Sister: First Book of The Ancestor by Mark Lawrence. Book: Penguin Publishing Group. Copyright April 2017. $16.99;  pb. 480 pp.; ISBN: 978110988879.

Nona Grey is about to be hung!  She has attempted to murder an upper-class lord who deserves the slit throat he gets but will never forgive his attempted assassin. Rescued by a nun, Nona is taken to the Convent of Sweet Mercy, a misnomer if there were ever one.  The convent includes a variety of young girls and women who are being trained in multiple facets of war.  Nona will spend three years preparing to graduate as a warrior.  For most of the novel, the reader is never quite sure who a precise enemy is.  We know that the Convent is located in a very cold, hard area where stone, cliffs and frozen rivers are the norm. 

So Nona begins to trust her classmates – somewhat as one is never sure who is friend or foe here as the competition is fierce for victory.  She is taught the crafts of sword fighting, poisoning, wrestling, physical battle, reading and writing, and the path to serenity or “The Path,” as it is known.  It sounds like a martial arts academy based on spiritual principles but with no room for weakness or giving in.  The goal is success, no matter how violent, cruel or deadly.

It initially is debatable whether Nona is “The Chosen One” foreseen in a prophecy believed by the Sisters at the Convent.  There are various categories of humans who hold a secret skill in one form of battle.  Nona must learn to conquer the weaknesses she carries that prevent her from doing better, most of all her temper.  Yet that same temper will enable her to win her first competition against a relative of an upper class enemy.  How to control that gift and use it to its maximum effect is the challenge!

The last few chapters of this superb story will leave you breathless as Nona confronts evil incarnate.

I don’t normally go for novels that are very violent but this one had a “ninja-like” quality that hooked me completely!  Looking forward to the next novel in the series!  Think most readers will as well!