Tag Archive: magical-realism



The Awakening (The Dragon Heart Legacy, #1)The Awakening by Nora Roberts
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I can’t decide which person I am most impressed with: Nora Roberts with the writing, or Barrie Kreinik and her versatile storytelling.

Fantasy usually bugs me. Too scary, too weird that ghosts, vampires, werefolk, etc. interbreed. I like the adventure and opportunity to travel to new lands, but the rest… Anyway, this book followed a different path. The romance wasn’t a gaga kind of love, but rather, different kinds of love are featured: friends and family, and a bit of romance. The main character’s trainer is tough and doesn’t take any flak from his new trainee, but you see that it isn’t out of hate or meanness, but rather out of a hope to instill enough fear in the newbie to take it seriously.

Apologies are always handy in this story. I rarely see that kind of person written about. I get upset with most books that they don’t take responsibility for actions or emotions.

Some would say this was boring, but I loved it more than I do most fantasy. And as I said before, the narrator was fantastic.

No sooner did I finish this book than I went back to Libby to borrow the next book in the series. I’m loving it, too!

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WeywardWeyward by Emilia Hart
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Aysha Kala, Helen Keeley, and Nell Barlow narrated Emilia Hart’s three-layered novel.

“Witch. The word slithers from the mouth like a serpent, drips from the tongue as thick and black as tar. We never thought of ourselves as witches, my mother and I. For this was a word invented by men, a word that brings power to those that speak it, not those that it describes. A word that builds gallows and pyres, turns breathing women into corpses.”
― Emilia Hart, Weyward

That quote brought my opinion of this book way up. Up until I read that, I felt this to be very similar to the book I recently read, The Lost Apothecary. I like the narrators on that one far more than this, as the voices were very different. But the quote woke my spirit, and I started paying more attention. So, though this was a similar three-layered historical story, this was more in tune with nature, enjoying the trees and birds, and seeing a depth we don’t notice most of the time.

Libby supplied this audiobook. I’m so grateful for libraries that share great books for all of us.

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This was my favorite of the Memory House series. The series doesn’t have so many characters in common. Instead, there are threads of common ground. People meeting and supporting others. This book started sadly, but stick with it as magic will happen. Common sense and caring. Those are the silver threads. I don’t think that was a spoiler. Just the gift of these books.

This book was the last of the series, and it, too, was a Kindle Unlimited. These are short books that took only a couple of nights to read. I think you’ll like them. A nice escape from the stress of life right now.


The House of the SpiritsThe House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

There is so much to this book, I am having a hard time pinning it all down. But I found a review on GoodReads that says it all. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show…

This is a book about three generations of a family in Chile. All the characters are well-developed and complex, with both strengths and flaws. Ultimately, there may be a cautionary note for all of us.

Ana Navarro recommended this book on The View during the “Ladies Got Lit” segment. It is worth jumping into.

As I was browsing through the reviews, I realized this is actually book three, so I put book one on hold, Daughter of Fortune. I may have to read this book again after a deep dive into the first two. It held up well as a stand-alone for me. The writing is great, with enough Spanish to make me pay attention. Javiera Gazitua (Narrator) and Senén Arancibia (Narrator) brought the book alive. I found this on Libby,

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The Inheritance of Orquídea DivinaThe Inheritance of Orquídea Divina by Zoraida Córdova
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The thing about reading is how many places you get to go. In this case Ecuador. Experience language, history, culture, foods, family interactions in a magical-yet realistic.

Ana Navarro recommended this book and I’m glad she did.

Don’t you love it when you can practice little bits of the Spanish language as you read. Meanwhile, I so enjoyed the far fecthed family adventures and immersed in magic.

This was a fun ride. Frankie Corzo (Narrator) reads Zoraida Córdova’s charactors so well you feel you are there with the characters going through some very crazy times.

I was so fortunate to pick this up from Libby.

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My Name Is Emilia del ValleMy Name Is Emilia del Valle by Isabel Allende
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

That’s different! Coral Peña and Johnathan McClain, narrators, help make this story feel real. I’m not so sure parts, if not all, are autobiographical for the author, Isabel Allende, even if it seems impossible.

One of my favorite parts of reading fiction is taking voyages to places I’ve never been and living the point of view I don’t inhabit. This book did both for me.

The blurb on Goodreads or Amazon will give you a hint about what to expect, but it would be too lengthy to copy and paste here. Still, maybe you don’t need to, trust me, this is a fun adventure. And guess what? Libby has it to lend! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

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The Dragon Blood Collection, Books 1-3The Dragon Blood Collection, Books 1-3 by Lindsay Buroker
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

My last few nights I read this three-book collection from Kindle Unlimited. It was a nice bedtime book. But, honestly, I didn’t even remember reading (listening to text-to-speech) the book. There were fun times while getting to know dragons who could become human-shaped. And there was a person who reminded me of the supplier of spy gadgets (M?) in the 007 movies. But once I was finished I nearly forgot I read it. Until I found I had ordered the next in the series. Which I will read soon before I forget the rest of what I read.

There was nothing wrong with the books. I think others might enjoy them a lot. Hey, here’s the blurb from GoodReads, to help you decide.

“A thousand years have passed since a dragon has been seen in the world. Science and technology have replaced magic, which has dwindled until it has become little more than an element of myth and legend. There are those who still have dragon blood flowing through their veins, distant descendants of the mighty creatures of old. These rare humans have the power to cast magic, the power to heal, and the power to craft alchemical weapons capable of starting wars… or ending them. But they are feared for those powers, and in recent centuries, they have been hunted nearly to extinction. The few remaining survivors must find a way to change how humanity perceives them or be lost to the world forever. The Dragon Blood Collection includes three full-length novels of action, magic, and Balanced on the Blade’s Edge Deathmaker Blood Charged.”

Give them a try!

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The Lost BookshopThe Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The blurb pulled me into a wonderful, amazing world. Here’s the one from GoodReads:

‘The thing about books,’ she said ‘is that they help you to imagine a life bigger and better than you could ever dream of.’

On a quiet street in Dublin, a lost bookshop is waiting to be found…

For too long, Opaline, Martha and Henry have been the side characters in their own lives.

But when a vanishing bookshop casts its spell, these three unsuspecting strangers will discover that their own stories are every bit as extraordinary as the ones found in the pages of their beloved books. And by unlocking the secrets of the shelves, they find themselves transported to a world of wonder… where nothing is as it seems.

I love a book about books and bookstores and the magic that can occur. It can get confusing if you have to listen and not read the words. I would get lost as to whose point of view I was looking through. But after a while, I got it and was charmed.

Avena Mansergh-Wallace (Narrator), Olivia Mace (Narrator), and Nick Biadon (Narrator) made Evie Woods’ story come to life.

If you get the chance, read or listen to this one. It is charming!

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Review: The Sirens by Emilia Hart


The SirensThe Sirens by Emilia Hart
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was brilliantly written. I loved the many tools that Emilia Hart used to tell this story. History, podcasts, journals, and dreams. My Kindle text-to-speech was perfect for this read.

This isn’t your average Young Adult fantasy mermaid story. This one has meat and history, and mysteries on different levels are presented throughout the book.

I was so grateful to get to read this through NetGalley. If you get the chance, it is well worth the time and money to buy and savor.

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The Black Bird Oracle (All Souls, #5)The Black Bird Oracle by Deborah Harkness
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This has to be my favorite so far. And I can tell there is more to come. We aren’t left on a cliff, so we’re feeling happy and safe for the moment.

And YAY! Jennifer Ikeda is back as our narrator. I love how well she acts out the characters. I am never lost wondering whose point of view we are in.

The twins are growing up, so it is fun to see what traits they have inherited and how they react to the world.

Ah, but now I have to wait for the next book. I love Deborah Harkness’s writing and the research evident in these stories. Historical fiction is so much easier to take than boring fiction taught to us with just guys’ names and dates of wars. The Black Bird Oracles is the best book yet!

If you liked The Discovery of Witches, keep reading.

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