Greed led them in. Destitution kept them there. Adam and Becky Hargreaves stumble upon a foreboding gothic-style property in the secluded Spanish countryside, and believe they’ve found the ideal business opportunity. But shortly after moving in with Nerea, their truculent teenager, Melissa, their baby daughter, and Rose, Becky’s infirm mother, a series of disturbing events shatter their dreams of success.
When ghostly orbs and manifestations of the dead roam the corridors threatening their business and their lives, steadfast Adam refuses to believe their home is possessed. As he withdraws from his family, Becky and her sparring stepdaughter Nerea must learn to work together to solve the ulcerating secret lying in the dark heart of the house before history repeats itself.
What happened all those years ago during Franco’s regime? Why are so many spirits of young children still wandering the halls of the retreat? And who or what evil being is keeping them there?
As rivers of blood run deep within the bowels of the property, the family finds themselves entangled in an age-old promise with the devil. Who can they trust? How can they discover what happened in the blood-chilling past before time runs out?
Only one family member will make it out alive. Who can outwit the black soul and his disciples lying in wait inside the walls of Raven’s Retreat?
This was a engrossing read from start to finish. Creepy, well plotted and intriguing too. Perfect for the Halloween season and for everyone who likes a good creepy and at times blood curdling story. It was darker than I expected and twisted in places too. So not a read for the faint-hearted. Expect creepy house, ghost, coven, sacrificial practices, care home wierdness, witch covens, and sexual scenes in keeping with the imaginative plotline. Excellent storytelling from Michelle E. Northwood. I’ve read her memoir Fishnets in The Far East which couldn’t be more different, shows great versatility as an author.
My rating 5 stars. Recommended read but check the trigger ⚠️ warnings.
Many thanks to the author for an ARC.
Buying Link:
Author Bio
Michele has a First Class Honours Degree in Modern languages, (English and Spanish) and also studied for a Master’s in Highschool Education. She currently lives in Spain, where she runs an English Teaching Academy. Michele shares her home with her Spanish husband, her dog, two cats and two terrapins. (Yes, she’s slowly building an ark!)
In her past life …. (okay, when she was a young woman,) she worked as a professional dancer, magician and fire-eater who toured the world for over twenty years in theatre, musicals and circus. During that time, she was in the Guinness Book of Records for being part of the world´s largest Human mobile, and worked as a contortionist with the Circus of Horrors as their first “Girl inside a bottle”. She has rubbed shoulders with Sting, Chris de Burg, David Copperfield, Claudia Schiffer and Maurice Gibb from the Bee Gees. She has also worked as a knife throwers assistant, assisted a midget in his balancing act, and took part in the finale of a Scorpions concert.
The author’s debut novel, ‘Fishnets in the Far East: A Dancer’s Diary in Korea’ has won two literary competitions. The sequel: “Fishnets and Fire-eating” has just been released, and the third book in the Fishnet series is due out soon.
Michele is concerned about climate change, the abundance of plastic pollution, and hates the way man-unkind treats the other species that inhabit this beautiful planet we are slowly destroying. Michele loves living in the countryside with views of the sea and likes nothing better than to sit on the terrace at the end of the day, look up at the stars and contemplate.
If you would like to contact Michele, she can be found at:
Giveaway A chance to win a free digital copy of Midnight Roost at every stop. Just leave a comment to show your support for the tour, the anthology, and all of the fantastic authors.
Welcome Sonia Pipkin
Inspiration for “Once Upon a Time” I wrote this short story while I was attending Western Colorado University, during a short forms course. I love the idea of combining a fairytale with unexpected horror and that was my inspiration.
About Author Sonia Pipkin Sonia Pipkin graduated from Western Colorado University with an M.F.A. in creative writing with a concentration in genre fiction. She lives in Colorado where she is a freelance writer and is currently attending Colorado State University working toward an M.A. TESOL certificate. Her current project is a linked short story anthology that focuses on women injustice. Instagram: @writersoniav Facebook: Sonia Valladares
Roberta Eaton Cheadle is a South African writer and poet specialising in historical, paranormal, and horror novels and short stories. She is an avid reader in these genres and her writing has been influenced by famous authors, including Bram Stoker, Edgar Allan Poe, Amor Towles, Stephen Crane, Enrich Maria Remarque, George Orwell, Stephen King, and Colleen McCullough. Roberta has short stories and poems in several anthologies and has two published novels: * Through the Nethergate, a historical supernatural fantasy; and * A Ghost and His Gold, a historical paranormal novel set in South Africa. Roberta has eleven children’s books published under the name Robbie Cheadle. Roberta was educated at the University of South Africa, where she achieved a Bachelor of Accounting Science in 1996 and an Honours Bachelor of Accounting Science in 1997. She was admitted as a member of The South African Institute of Chartered Accountants in 2000. Roberta has worked in corporate finance from 2001 until the present date and has written seven publications relating to investing in Africa. She has won several awards over her 20-year career in the category of Transactional Support Services. Roberta Eaton Cheadle is a contributor to every short fiction anthology WordCrafter Press has ever put out, as well as co-editor for the Poetry Treasures anthology series. Roberta contributed the winning story, “The Bite”, in the 2022 WordCrafter Short Fiction Contest and Visions anthology, as well as being a contributor to all WordCrafter Press anthologies and co-editor for the Poetry Treasures anthology series.
About Midnight Roost
20 authors bring your nightmares to life in 23 stories of ghosts, paranormal phenomenon, and the horror from the dark crevasses of their minds. Stories of stalkers, both human and supernatural, possession and occult rituals, alien visitations of the strange kind, and ghostly tales that will give you goosebumps. These are the tales that will make you fear the dark. Read them at the Midnight Roost… if you dare.
Kaye Lynne Booth, Chris Barili, Christa Planko, DL Mullan, C.R. Johansson, Joseph Carrabis, Keith J. Hoskins, Mario Acevedo, M.J. Mallon, Michaele Jordan, Patty L Fletcher, Paul Kane, Roberta Eaton Cheadle, Rebecca M. Senese, Zack Ellafy, Sonia Pipkin, Denise Aparo, Robert Kostanczuk, Isabel Grey & Julie Jones.
Midnight Roost can be downloaded via most distributors through Books2Read:
Drea Burr has experienced more than her share of loss when a stray dog, cat, and rat enter her life. Although the animals start to mend her broken heart, there is something very unusual about them. During a snowstorm, Drea discovers a chilling set of footprints leading to her front window. Both the police and a ghostly messenger warn her about a killer stalking widows. Help comes from her late husband’s best friend, Adam Hale. As the two try to discover answers, more questions arise— about a killer, ghosts, and animals experimented on in a lab.
Can Drea and Adam survive the threats coming from so many directions and save themselves and the animals they’ve grown to love? Or will more tragedy destroy her second chance at happiness? Find out in this thrilling, cozy paranormal adventure.
D. L. Finn is a wonderful author and great supporter of the writing community. This is my review of a Voice in The Silence,
Drea is feeling bereft after the passing of her much loved husband. She lives in a remote part of the forest but joins a bereavement group. Extraordinary one day three furry friends come to join her: a rat, cat and a dog. What she doesn’t know is that they have incredible abilities….
In this unusual tale you are treated to a variety of genres with elements of murder mystery, ghost, human interest, romance, and extra terrestial! And D. L. Finn’s obvious love of animals and her feelings against animal experimentation comes to the fore too.
Some lovely descriptions: The crackling of the fire filled the otherwise quiet room. Night’s shroud concealed the landscape within minutes of the killer’s escape. The darkness offered a break from the snow as the clouds pulled back, revealing stars and bringing the temperature down even further. The full Beaver Moon illuminated the scene, but in the shadows of the forest, a killer lurked.
I enjoyed it. The ending was hopeful and heart-warming and gave a sense of moving on in a sweet way from bereavement and loss.
A Voice In The Silence is recommended if you love novels with heart that are a little different from the mainstream. Good characters, ( both human and otherwise ) and pacing make it a pleasing, at times suspenseful and ultimately romantic read.
D. L. Finn is an independent California local who encourages everyone to embrace their inner child. She was born and raised in the foggy Bay Area, but in 1990 she relocated with her husband, kids, dogs, and cats to Nevada City, in the Sierra foothills. She immersed herself in reading all types of books but especially loved romance, horror, and fantasy. She always treasured creating her own reality on paper. Finally, surrounded by towering pines, oaks, and cedars, her creativity was nurtured until it bloomed. Her creations include children’s books, adult fiction, a unique autobiography, and poetry. She continues on her adventure with an open invitation to all readers to join her. You can learn more about Ms. Finn at her website: www.dlfinnauthor.com
Thank you to Mary for the above feature in the Munster Bookshelf! What a fabulous boost.
My impromptu blog tour is drawing to a close so it seems a good time to say a thank you to my author and blogger friends who have spread the word on this particular tour for my new release Golden Healer. I am intending to do a review only tour with a Blogging Tour/PR company soon but for now… Do pop over to their blogs, read their books, enjoy their content. They are all awesome authors, bloggers, book enthusiasts and great people to know!
I was lucky enough to beta read an early version of this novel, it carried on from where the first left off, straight into Amelina’s world of crystals and magic. It was good to catch up with the familiar faces, Amelina’s parents, her cat, Esme, Ryder and all the others. As you might have expected, her life is still just as complicated and exciting as before. But now she has a new purpose. There’s plenty of angst to deal with, as Amelina juggles being a teen with her new-found destiny as a Krystallos. Her relationships will be tested, people will not be what they appear. Through it all, she sticks to her new purpose. Emotions abound, expertly described and dealt with as Amelina’s fortunes wax and wane. The mystical symbolism and magic in the story are brilliantly depicted. Not only that, each chapter has a short poem to introduce it, giving clues and guidance as the plot develops. A rollercoaster ensues, in more ways than one. I hope that a third part of this fascinating tale is on the horizon. Highly recommended.
Review quote: I absolutely love the way MJ Mallon uses her descriptive writing to make me feel in in the places, I can hear the sounds and feel the depth of the darker sides of the book.
As I felt with the first book I think these books would make a great set of films. A big 5 stars from me.
Denise Finn for reading and reviewing and sharing my release in two blog posts!
“Golden Healer” picks up where the first book left off with Amelina maneuvering through her teen years while embracing her magic as a Krystallos. Some of my favorite parts were the interaction with the girl in the mirror and Amelina and her dad. Not only did the plot take the reader on a rollercoaster, but there was also an actual one in the story. Many good characters all played into finding out more about the darker side, or shadows. Ryder is a character who could have an empathic side if he allowed it, but I did like how he developed in the story. Crystals and music added depth to Amelina’s learning quest. Her friendships are still strong and are tested with Ryder involved. There are some beautiful poetic parts, and I love the poetry at the beginning of each chapter. Although this book answers many questions, it also opened the door to new ones. I look forward to more stories from these characters. Review D. L. Finn.
It feels like an age since I read the first book in The Curse of Time series, but it was great to pick up where we left off, with the continuing story of Amelina and her mystical powers. This time, she is a little wiser, and is aware of the powers given to her, and wary of certain individuals, such as Ryder, who has his own dark secrets. There are plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing throughout the story. I felt so sorry for poor Esme, trapped in the mirror, and I wanted to shake Jade, until she realised the error of her judgement. But, I can feel another story coming as the ending was definitely not a Happily Ever After!Review – Ritu Bhathal
ARC copies are still with reviewers so there will be reviews forthcoming. I know some lovely folk are reading at the moment!
New book babies are always nerve racking! But, feeling happy that it is out there. It has taken a long time to create. The pandemic didn’t help. Writing dark fantasy during a pandemic isn’t the easiest thing to do!
Thank you so much to fellow paranormal author, the talented S C Skillman for sharing news of my new release in The Curse of Time Series. So kind of you.
After so much hard work, beta reading suggestions, editing, rewrites, and editing help from the fabulously talented Heena Rathmore Pardeshi, Golden Healer, the 2nd book in The Curse of Time series is finally on its way. Heena gets top billing on my acknowledgement page as do all my fabulous beta readers and author friends in the community! Thank you all. And special thanks to Colleen Chesebro who set me on my way with book one: Bloodstone, there wouldn’t be a book 2 without her amazing help.
So excited!
Blurb
Golden Healer is The 2nd in The YA Paranormal Adventure Series – The Curse of Time.
I didn’t think my life could get any weirder, until the dreaded rollercoaster…
Amelina Scott’s destiny is to be a Krystallos: a magician of light, chosen to learn the ways of crystal magic on her 16th birthday. Located on a river pathway in a mysterious part of Cambridge, the Crystal Cottage is guarded by mythical beings.
Unfortunately, there are those who seek to harm this haven of light. Learning of Ryder – a Shadow Sorcerer with hypnotic powers – Amelina discovers that her own magic is now threatened, and that the Curse of Time might be unleashed again.
As secrets abound and the creatures of the Chronophage come alive, can Amelina become the true magician she needs to be?
A unique, imaginative mystery full of magic-wielding and dark elements, Bloodstone is a riveting adventure for anyone interested in fantasy, mythology or the world of the paranormal. NOTE: this book contains mention of self-harm, mental health issues and alludes to the potential dangers of sexual attraction, which may trigger younger/sensitive readers.
Dedication
Dedicated to the one and only rollercoaster that I ever rode. It was in Portugal, and I was on holiday with my young family. I’ll never forget that day, I overcame my fears and rode a rollercoaster with the encouragement of my much-loved family, my husband, David, and daughters Natasha and Georgina. So, it’s time to ride another rollercoaster… I hope you will come along with me for this crazy ride! Let’s meet our fears together…
And a snippet:
PROLOGUE
Worms, caviar too,
Two unlikely friends share tea,
And Chit – ter—Chat – ter,
That Chiastolite, oh my!
And Amelina’s bloodstone.
Come with me… Through a gated door leading to a quaint herb and rose garden where two strange companions, Leanne and Eruterac, share a rare moment together.
Today, they marvelled at the beauty and fragility of the rose petals that created a dazzling display of white, yellow, pink and darkest crimson blooms. The delightful fragrance of roses and herbs filled the air, bursting with sweetness. In the background, a quaint old cottage with shuttered windows rested as if waiting for a passing stranger to dare to cross its threshold. Within, sunbeams alighted on all manner of crystals as they twinkled, longing for a release from their embedded position on the walls. The ground around the cottage stirred, breaking and settling as if threatening to draw the cottage back into its hiding place, the earth.
In the surrounding courtyard, there were cages and bird feeders hanging from the trees. White doves cooed and preened themselves in bird baths.
The creature Eruterac paid no attention to the antics of these exquisite birds. Instead, he fidgeted as he tried to rearrange his tall skeletal frame into Leanne’s dainty, wrought-iron chairs.
Leanne sat opposite him. Except for the tulle layers of her silken gown, her tiny frame appeared lost in the chair. She tilted her head with an air of grandeur, as if she were about to join a garden party frequented by the finest royalty, or perhaps by the gods themselves.
Eruterac had no such attire, except for his knitted Rasta cap with sun-cured palm leaves that covered his matted dreadlocks, infested with rotting insects and decaying skin and held together by lumps of graveyard earth.
His needs were a thing of the past, now his only concern were the worms that crawled across his bony frame. He held one such wriggling creature inches from the gap where his mouth used to be and edged forward, dangling it in front of Leanne’s nose.
“Dinner,” he joked as he bobbed his skeletal head.
Leanne shuddered. “No worms, thanks, dearest creature. Caviar for me!” She picked up her finest china teapot and poured the liquid into a cup. It flowed slowly, twinkling with myriad brilliant colours. When it filled the cup, it turned the colour Leanne expected. She’d thought of green tea and magical green tea it was.
Eruterac choked and spluttered on clods of earth as he laughed. “That’s foul. Green tea, how can you drink such muck?”
“Easy. I do so with a smile, unlike… poor you! I see worms oozing gunk where your dear mouth used to be,” replied Leanne, reaching forward to pat Eruterac on his skeletal shoulder.
They rested for a moment, her gentle hand on his bones.
“I’ll try not to drink such delicacies!” replied Eruterac, cracking his bones for a joke.
“Wise fellow. Forgive me for changing the subject, but your new hat is very fetching! It’s so brown and earthy with that Chiastolite death crystal and the black cross embellishing the cap’s centre.”
“Indeed, it’s a dark beauty, like an honourable death,” he said. His skeletal arm reached up to touch the crystal on his hat.
“Take heart, dear creature, forget death, and being bound to this cottage. Let us rejoice in the simple pleasures of life, which we take for granted…” Leanne pointed at their sublime surroundings.
Eruterac sighed. “Yes, there are times amid such tranquillity and beauty that I forget everything.”
A white dove landed on Leanne’s slender shoulder. She turned and smiled. But the dove thought better of it and alighted on the creature’s hat. It pecked away at the worms, making the creature smile.
“They know who provides them with a constant dinner of worms. And who’s boss.”
“Huh! A boss? You? That Chiastolite’s making you big-headed. Oh, my days! The protectors, you, and my dearest doves are all that I and my dear cottage need… But I mustn’t forget, I have news to impart – the Midsummer Fly is up to his tricks.”
“Where’s that stinking fly been to this time?” asked Eruterac, leaning forward, sending worms tumbling towards Leanne’s teacup.
Her eyes grew wide as she placed a protective hand over the top, but a few swift worms landed in the saucer. She swiped them away.
“Oh, anguish me. Worms in my saucer! How my flesh crawls. Ugh. I feel giddy.” Leanne placed her tiny hand on her forehead. Her multihued grey hair twirled like an ebullient rainbow in a cloudy sky.
“Leanne, forget the worms. You were talking about the Midsummer Fly?”
“Yes. The fly has been to Amelina’s. He flew in her open bedroom window, sampled her Krystallos blood but, other than that, my crystal ball refuses to grant me a vision. I placed my trust in Amelina, and I fear I was hasty.” Leanne sighed and her hands fell to her lap as her shoulders slumped.
“This gurgling, sensation in my gut tells me that a shadow demon threatens the cottage’s safety. I believe that the grasshopper and the fly are in cahoots. Either way, I could suggest this or that, but it would all be for nought. Amelina’s young and in time she will learn to value the magical gifts you’ve entrusted her with.”
He lifted his hat and a family of rats, which had been resting on his dreadlocks, ran free, knocking over Leanne’s teacup.
“Ugh. I wish you wouldn’t do that, Eruterac,” said Leanne, wagging her finger at him. “You pretend to honour me, but the last time you did that, you broke my precious china teacup!”
“How could you accuse me of such a thing, Leanne?” Eruterac’s eye sockets winked, crunching together, making a horrendous grinding sound.
“Stop that! You have no eyeballs – you devil! The rats devoured your eyes long ago. Enough.”
She paused for a moment before announcing, “The Bloodstone will find a way.”
“Of Krystallos blood and Amelina, I am certain,” replied Eruterac, bowing.
Looking forward to the book launch which should start in the next few days… Thanks to all those who have offered to help. If anyone else would like to join the launch party do let me know. Looking for ARC reviewers, social media gurus, blog sharers, lol. The more the merrier! This is a big celebration, I’m so happy I finally finished this. It’s been a huge challenge. Phew, wipes sweat off brow…
The First book in the series has received many fantastic reviews and a book award recently from Amazon influencer N. N. Light, receiving a review rating of 5+ stars. Yes, she loved it a lot!
Here is her review:
A magical invitation, that doesn’t tear up, urges Amelina to go to Crystal Cottage to seek out the hidden secrets of her family. Amelina Scott knows her family isn’t what you call normal and neither is her house. No one she knows has a girl trapped in the mirrors. When she receives an invitation to visit Crystal Cottage, she doesn’t know what to make of it. Is it a prank? Is it a trick? She decides to ignore it and throws it in the trash. Only it doesn’t stay in the bin. She tries to cut it up but it doesn’t cut. It sings, it dances, it is somehow alive. She finally decides to travel to the Crystal Cottage to see what happens. Along the way, she meets Ryder and discovers magic (both light and dark) is all around. She interacts with magical people, beings, and objects while learning the truth of her family. What happens next will astound you, the reader. Are you ready for an adventure?
Bloodstone is an imaginative fantasy adventure I enjoyed from start to finish. From the first page, I connected with Amelina. She’s a delightful heroine. I could relate to her on so many levels. Everything from her curiosity to her reactions to her emotional state rang true. While it’s tricky these days to write an original fantasy story, M.J. Mallon wrote one of the most original fantasy books I’ve read in a long time. Taking bits from fantasy authors of the past, M.J. Mallon adds her own blend of magical realism and emotional coming of age to make Bloodstone a gem. The plot moves at a good pace with each chapter starting with a puzzle. What a creative way to keep the reader invested. The world-building is intricate and riveting. The characters are engaging and easy to connect with. Overall, Bloodstone is a brilliant story and when I finished, I wanted to read it all over again. If you’re a fantasy reader, you need to read Bloodstone. Highly recommend!
Disclaimer: I received a copy from the author in the hopes I’d review it. My thoughts are all my own.
She also awarded me finalist in her annual International author awards too.
I think things are on the up and up. Well, I hope so…
I hope you think so too and will give Bloodstone and Golden Healer a try. Especially, if you like stories that are different, that touch upon many pertinent family topics: such as mental health, vulnerability, growing up, aging, and learning who to trust in a refreshing and imaginative way.
There is something for everyone in this magical series whether you are old or young! I love it. And one thing I’ve learnt in this journey is you have to love your work. Which I do. <3
Wow, this captured my attention from the beginning with such an intriguing prologue and kept me enthralled throughout.
17 year old Harper is determined to solve an eighteen year old crime mystery, with Abigail being the first in a series of murder victims, in a small town. Abigail’s sister Emily says she is missing and ‘Something took her.’
Harper is a great character, brave, determined and so well written. I really enjoyed reading about her and felt sympathetic to her plight. And her family dynamics added an extra layer of interest in this story.
There are many warnings, and dreams which would make most teenagers run a mile but Harper stays resolute in her intention. She meets some seriously creepy characters along the way including the beguiling Gideon and his creepy brother Elijah.
Many mysteries are revealed towards the end of the book explaining why she was so compelled to dig deeper putting her own safety at risk. And there are some loose threads to be further explored in the second book.
Denver Falls crosses genre boundaries, being both a crime/murder mystery with a definite supernatural/paranormal feel to it with the mention of Shadow people, wraiths, the scene in the forest, the underground mine, and the weirdly dated poetry book and what follows. At the drunken bonfire the (Natives) issue a creepy warning to the kids to scare them off as they … ‘Anger the forest,’ says old man.
I loved the scene with Harper dancing under the moon with Gideon and I enjoyed the romantic aspect of the story.
The ending is complete but allows for a nice introduction to the second book in this series, with hints at what is to come.
Highly recommended. 5 stars, fantastic debut novel. Definitely my kind of read!
I’d also like to mention that the narrator of the audiobook did a fabulous job and really brought the tale to life. 5 stars to her too!
The above link takes you to my new bookstagram account which I started recently. Please follow, like and share to support indie, and small press authors. Thank you.
Thank you so much to Didi Oviatt for this wonderful review of my YA Fantasy Bloodstone. Made my day! A great New Year’s eve present. <3
Here is a short paragraph from the review, do read the full review at Didi’s wonderful blog.
What a fun mix this book is of magic, mystery and compelling characters. It’s a young adult fantasy that piques your interest from the very first chapter. Amelina is a teenage girl with quite the family story to tell, and to figure out for that matter. Nothing is as it seems, as the magic that she’s surrounded with is unique and creative.
I have some news my YA fantasy Bloodstone is currently being recorded as an audiobook and this should be available in time for Christmas.
Also, the second book in the series, Golden Healer is now with Next Chapter…
And a wonderful review from Amazon influencer, N N Light…
A magical invitation, that doesn’t tear up, urges Amelina to go to Crystal Cottage to seek out the hidden secrets of her family. Amelina Scott knows her family isn’t what you call normal and neither is her house. No one she knows has a girl trapped in the mirrors. When she receives an invitation to visit Crystal Cottage, she doesn’t know what to make of it. Is it a prank? Is it a trick? She decides to ignore it and throws it in the trash. Only it doesn’t stay in the bin. She tries to cut it up but it doesn’t cut. It sings, it dances, it is somehow alive. She finally decides to travel to the Crystal Cottage to see what happens. Along the way, she meets Ryder and discovers magic (both light and dark) is all around. She interacts with magical people, beings, and objects while learning the truth of her family. What happens next will astound you, the reader. Are you ready for an adventure?
Bloodstone is an imaginative fantasy adventure I enjoyed from start to finish. From the first page, I connected with Amelina. She’s a delightful heroine. I could relate to her on so many levels. Everything from her curiosity to her reactions to her emotional state rang true. While it’s tricky these days to write an original fantasy story, M.J. Mallon wrote one of the most original fantasy books I’ve read in a long time. Taking bits from fantasy authors of the past, M.J. Mallon adds her own blend of magical realism and emotional coming of age to make Bloodstone a gem. The plot moves at a good pace with each chapter starting with a puzzle. What a creative way to keep the reader invested. The world-building is intricate and riveting. The characters are engaging and easy to connect with. Overall, Bloodstone is a brilliant story and when I finished, I wanted to read it all over again. If you’re a fantasy reader, you need to read Bloodstone. Highly recommend!
