Review: Ardulum: Second Don by J.S. Fields

The Charted Systems are in pieces. Mercy’s Pledge is destroyed, and her captain dead. With no homes to return to, the remaining crew sets off on a journey to find the mythical planet of Ardulum—a planet where Emn might find her people, and Neek the answers she’s long sought. Finding the planet, however, brings a host of uncomfortable truths about Ardulum’s vision for the galaxy and Neek’s role in a religion that refuses to release her. Neek must balance her planet’s past and the unchecked power of the Ardulans with a budding relationship and a surprising revelation about her own genealogy.

Ardulum: Second Don blends space opera elements and hard science into a story about two women persistently bound to their past and a sentient planet determined to shape their future.

If you haven’t read the first book then do that now. I didn’t and regret it heavily. There is a lot going on in this story, and even though I picked up most of what I needed, it would have been better for me to know the backstory from First Don.

Now that my recommendation for not skipping ahead is out of the way….

This story was pretty epic. I loved the concepts, the writing style, and the world building. While I’m sure a lot more happened in book one, there is plenty in this book to understand what is going on.

I’m not an avid sci-fi reader, but I do dabble occasionally, and this was high up there in concept and execution. I didn’t feel totally lost once I read through the first few chapters and my mind bent around what was happening in this universe. There was a lot, but it wasn’t messy. There were a few POV but it was to progress the narrative. Nothing was wasted on unimportant detail, and I admire the author’s mind, both in plot, and staying on point. This story could branch off into so many different directions, but there was a clear path and it was easy to follow. I will point out that some of the names for beings and planets were tongue twisters in my mind and well outside my imagination for pronunciation so I gave up a little bit and just pretended I knew what I was looking at. This is because I’m boring and frequently butcher other languages with my ridiculous self. Made up stuff has to be told to me out loud and even then I’ll probably get it wrong. It’s a flaw, and no reflection on anyone else but me. It’s inspiring and admirable that people can create this stuff out of thin air and maybe other people can understand it too.

There is a bit of a thing in this story between Neek and Emn but that isn’t the main focus. The broader politics and what is happening on Ardulum is where this story leads. There is an obvious political situation happening abroad, but more importantly, The planet Ardulum and its inhabitants is going through some turmoil that takes precedence over the wider story arc.

I am also impressed by the conflicting feelings that were triggered by the Eld and their rule. It was difficult to tell whether they were power drunk villains or not. I enjoyed this aspect of the story. It really had my mind racing, and I was eager to understand what the true intent was of the Eld and the Andal.

The relationship building between Neek and Emn was a nice touch. Neek is having a lot of conflicting feels about everything in general, and the beliefs she was brought up with are being completely turned on its head. This emotional turmoil frustrates Emn but she is patient and provides room for a Neek to work through while being forgiving and supportive. I really loved Emn. She had her own issues, but she provided space in her heart for Neek to fit when she was ready.

If you’re looking for romance, this is probably a little light on that, but if you enjoy a great story with fantastic world building, this is definitely one to consider. It took me a while to pick this up, but once I did, I couldn’t put it down. I’m excited for book three.

Review: Club Raven series (#1-3) by Julia Talbot, Kiernan Kelly and BA Tortuga

Fantasy Living reviews the entire Club Raven series! American historical psychics here she comes!

Happy Medium (Club Raven #1) by Julia Talbot

Andrew is out to debunk Max as a medium, not make love to him...

A Club Raven Novel

Max Bellame is working his way through 1870s Baltimore as a medium, even if he knows nothing about spirits. He uses the power of his mind to move objects, convincing his clients he's the real thing.

Andrew Meechum works for Club Raven, a gentleman's club that doubles as a paranormal research facility. He sets out to debunk Max, only to be fascinated by the man. Can Andrew convince Max to take a chance on love, and to find his true calling as a medium, or will their personal demons force them apart?

Set in 1870’s Baltimore, the first book in the Club Raven series follows Max Bellame as his business as a Medium is intercepted by Andrew Meechum, who works for Club Raven.

Club Raven is a gentlemen’s club that caters to men with paranormal gifts. Andrew is sort of a psychic ability debunker. His own talent is knowing when someone is using a paranormal gift. This is why he has been following Max, but instead of simply calling Max out on his lack of Medium ability and trickery, he is intrigued by the perceived gift Max has, and brings him to Club Raven to find out more about it.

I liked these two men together. I found Max to be a pretty gentle character. While he wasn’t exactly honest about his ability, he still had a moral code of honor. They fit well together, and had lots and lots of sex. (Lots!).

The mystery surrounding Max’s gift, and the passion Andrew and he share opens up a whole new world, and life for Max. Club Raven seems to have an endless supply of weirdly gifted men to be in the company of, and I have to mention Giles, because I heart him so hard.

While only a secondary character, Giles was pretty fascinating, and someone I would love to get a story. He was one of those weirdo’s I absolutely needed to know more about. Completely outrageous, and apparently a reclusive scatterbrain, the interactions with him were a joy for me.

This isn’t overly heavy on the historical detail or language. It is easy enough to read if you’re someone like me who isn’t particularly excited about historical romance. It was enough to read as authentic in a way that isn’t pinned down by stuffy details. I don’t really care about those, as long as it feels real enough to me. For someone who is more of a history buff, well, I don’t know how they would feel about it, because like I said, details aren’t really important to me (unless they are wildly inaccurate and I know it).

Maybe I’m not the best person to recommend this story to die hard fans of historical romance, so I’ll just say, for people like me, this was fun with the seance, pompous rich folk, and erotic content (there was a lot - did I say that already?).

I would recommend this to people who enjoy paranormal in their historical romance.

Find Book #1 on Goodreads!

Wishful Thinking (Club Raven #2) by Kiernan Kelly

Sometimes doing the right thing requires otherworldly help.

A Club Raven Novel

Tony Brazzio, part-owner of Club Raven in Baltimore, is gifted with a psychic talent that allows him to influence the behavior of others. His first project, to rehabilitate hoodlums Bull and Dandy, fails when the lure of fat wallets ripe for the picking is too great for them to ignore. After Bull and Dandy fall into serious trouble beyond simple petty theft, Tony takes it upon himself to bail them out.

Charged with making a pair of blackmailing pickpockets “disappear,” Detective Thomas Arthur Clare is determined to get the job done. He doesn’t count on Tony’s interference, or his attraction to the mysterious, handsome man, to sway him.

This is book two in the Club Raven Trilogy and I would in no way call this a romance. It is definitely filled with erotic content though, so if this is okay with you, then go ahead and enjoy.

Told from multiple points of view, and sometimes what appeared to be omniscient POV this story jumps around a fair bit.

In the beginning we meet Tony who is a part-owner of Club Raven, but was once from a poor family. Tony wants to prove that bloodline does not make a gentleman, and that anyone, no matter how poor, can become someone if given the opportunity. He travels to Five Point, Manhattan, where his humble beginnings began, and finds a pair of thieves and compels them to come back to Baltimore with him to start his experiment of turning them into gentlemen.

Of course, Dandy and Bull don’t particularly want to be controlled by some rich snot, so they go out of their way to sabotage the situation by stealing wherever they can. Tony may have compelled them to join him using his gift, but once they are there, they are unwilling to continue to do his bidding.

There was a lot of problematic content, and it just didn’t seem to have a solid plot line. I spend more time reading about Dandy and Bull, and their mischief than Tony. While the basics of each personality was provided, I didn’t feel connected with any of them.

I think if it hadn’t have deviated so far from the original story line, by introducing what appeared to be an endless cast of side characters who got their own POV, and more focus and attention was given to Tony, the club, and the supernatural, this would have been a tighter story.

I wasn’t particularly engaged with the story, and the supernatural element of Club Raven, which made it a fascinating club in the first book, was sort of lost.

There is some light BDSM content, so if you’re looking for historical BDSM erotica then this would be something that may suit your tastes.

Find Book #2 on Goodreads!

Calling His Bluff (Club Raven #3) by BA Tortuga

Patrick's loss is Remy's gain.

A Club Raven Novel

After his twin dies in battle, it’s Patrick Daniels’ duty to marry his brother’s fiancée. Too bad he can’t make himself do it, and in his distress, he manifests a psychic talent that’s stronger than the tornadoes in his native East Texas. Then a mysterious man from a place called Club Raven steps in and sweeps Patrick off to the booming East Coast city of Baltimore.

Club Raven veteran Remy Blanchard sees Patrick and knows, even though Patrick is very ill, that this is the challenge he’s been waiting for. He nurses Patrick back to health, and begins to teach Patrick to control his talent. His methods might be unconventional, and Patrick might be new to the kinds of sexual games Remy knows best, but the two of them find something in each other that might be just as magical as the gentleman’s club where they meet.

Patrick is an anomaly. After a head injury caused by a bullet on the battlefield, he seems to have developed telekinetic abilities that he is unwilling to connect to and which are wildly untamed. Finding himself at Club Raven, in the clutches of Remy, whom is anything but shy about his desire, is causing feelings Patrick has been taught is a sin, but the comfort he gets is something he longs for.

This was the sweetest. I really loved Patrick and the way he connected with Remy. Remy is equally charming, and exactly what Patrick needs to help him harness his powers. This story really brought together the mystery of the club, and familiar characters from book one, and dove into a deep, equally gratifying relationship between these two men.

This story appears to be set before Happy Medium. Max doesn’t appear in this book, but Andrew makes a small appearance. Other characters are present and accounted for. A small cameo of Giles (Giles!!!) and Samuel and Joseph, who have a brief appearance in the first book get more time in this one. I found that they are all richly unique, and well developed for the small amount of time they have on the page.

The feeling I got from the beginning of this story was a sense of magic and wonder. Patrick is, of course, in a pretty fragile state when he is brought to Club Raven for care, so from his point of view things are fuzzy and time disappears. This is really well portrayed by the author. There wasn’t any real time jump, as we switch to Remy’s POV to fill in the blanks, but the feeling came across in those moments strongly.

This is a D/s story, focused on sexual service from the submissive. Patrick is also a virgin, and was raised in a strictly religious household, so Remy has to take more care to introduce these elements. I thought the pace worked really well. Remy used submission as a focus to help Patrick control his telekinesis. He did things slowly, and allowed Patrick the room to get used to his own needs and wants before taking it up a notch. There is no real punishment in this story. It is mostly about praise and positive reinforcement, which is needed for Patrick, who is recovering from trauma and needs a solid foundation.

As always, this author makes me happy with her writing. I’m usually all over the contemporary western stories B.A. Tortuga writes, and this was a nice opportunity to see this author’s talent in other genres.

The erotica in this story is delicious, prevocative, and engaging. There is a fair bit of it, so readers who prefer there sexy stories on the sex-lite side may find this to be too much.

I would have liked a little more with discovering what Patrick can do, and I’m disappointed we weren’t given more background on Remy, and his talent, but since this is a romance, and is heavy on the sex, I’ll have to make do. There are still a lot of mysteries surrounding Club Raven, and I think it definitely has room for continuation with more authors or the current author trio to expand and fill in.

Recommended to readers of Historical Paranormal and fans of BDSM D/s and erotica.

Find Book #3 on Goodreads!

All copies provided for an honest review via IndiGo Marketing