Tag Archives: Claudia Blood

Book Review: At the Cabin (Supernatural Detective Agency Book 1) by Claudia Blood

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At the Cabin (Supernatural Detective Agency Book 1) by Claudia Blood

A Paranormal Suspense Novel published by Dragon Bane Publishing (04/15/21)

Summary:

“Money was great, but what she really wanted was a heist so big that it could never be talked about. A heist so big, it was a whisper and the person who’d pulled it off was elevated to the best of the best. A heist so big it didn’t matter if she wasn’t human.” (Kindle edition).

Supernatural beings live amongst humans and not everyone knows. Ex-FBI Todd is a simple carpenter now, but he can recognize a real threat when he sees one. Laura owns the local dog rescue. Everything has been going so well with Peter, her boyfriend, and Kate’s help at the shelter that when it all goes up in flames, she’ll be blindsided. Todd and Laura, two strangers, will have to team up to survive.

Keywords:

Mob, Suspense, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Contemporary, Heist, Money, Attack, Mystery, Arson, Dog Rescue, Threat, Target

My Review:

This book is different from other supernatural books. It’s different from other mystery books. It’s different from other heist books. It’s different from other urban fantasy books. It’s a little bit of all these subgenres and then some. I don’t typically read books from any of these subgenres but the first paragraph in the story pulled me in and I left all my preconceptions behind.

It was the idea that intrigued me so much. It was the word, ‘doppelganger’ that pulled me in. It was more than just the mystery of trying to figure out who is who and what is what that fascinated me. The first chapter is so well crafted, I didn’t care what kind of book I was reading. I had to know more.

I wanted to know who really was the antagonist – because at first I couldn’t tell.

The hot hint of romance also had me at the edge of my seat. I was very much on board with a romance happening during the heist of the century.

This novel was published by Dragon Bane Publishing on 04/15/2021 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.50

Links for more information:

Claudia Blood’s Website

Goodreads

Book Review: Time Rift (Relic Trilogy Book 3) by Claudia Blood

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Time Rift (Relic Trilogy Book 3) by Claudia Blood

A Sci-Fi YA Action Novel published by Dragon Bane Publishing (04/15/21)

Summary:

After rescuing Horizon and promising to keep the time rift from exploding, Z-Crew must find each other and figure out how to stop the destruction. Pulling Horizon out of time has set in motion events that will lead to the destruction of time and the planet. They must work with Ravenne… to stop Ravenne. But will they have enough time?

Keywords:

Assassin, Planet, Jungle, Orphan, Family, Survival, Attack, Mystery, Time Travel, Space, Evil, Power, Tracking, Alien Planet, Seer, Relic, Daughter, Safety

My Review:

Book two ends mid-action and book three picks right back up in this action and doesn’t stop. Book three is like a continual drawn-out climax with some travel in-between. Not just travel by foot but also time travel. This third book gets more into the nitty-gritty science fiction aspect that was hinted at in the previous two books of the series. At times I got lost with the description and action in and around this time travel as it became more and more entwined into the plot and scenes of the novel.

If you like a page-turner that doesn’t slow down, you’ll enjoy this fast-paced finale. I would have liked to see more character nuances and some slower-paced scenes or perhaps more attention to subplots, but that’s just my preference.

The ending was satisfying and thankfully answers all the open questions from the previous two novels.

This novel was published by Dragon Bane Publishing on 04/15/2021 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.00

Links for more information:

Claudia Blood’s Website

Goodreads

Book Review: Horizon Found (Relic Trilogy Book 2) by Claudia Blood

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Horizon Found (Relic Trilogy Book 2) by Claudia Blood

A Sci-Fi YA Action Novel published by Dragon Bane Publishing (02/15/21)

Summary:

Almost no time has passed between the ending of book one and the beginning of book two. Duff has been with Z-Crew for a few months now. Matilda has been working directly with Ravenne for a few weeks. Z-Crew and Ravenne have been finding fewer and fewer relics. Z-Crew needs a big win in order to survive, but without a Seer, it’s near impossible to find Relics. For Ravenne, time is running out to find the Seer who saved Ravenne’s daughter and send her back to that fateful moment years and years ago.

Keywords:

Assassin, Planet, Jungle, Orphan, Family, Survival, Attack, Mystery, Time Travel, Space, Evil, Power, Tracking, Alien Planet, Seer, Relic, Daughter, Safety

 

My Review:

Horizon Found was a strong middle book in this Relic Trilogy by Claudia Blood. Since motivations and characters had already been established in Book One, this book’s plot appeared more focused. Duff had more of a plan, or at least a place to stay, though even that’s in jeopardy. Both Books One and Two take place on an inhospitable planet, where survival is rough and not everyone can make it…

Though they didn’t end on the best of terms in the first book, Duff and Z will need each other to survive and to save the children of the orphanage. I really enjoyed learning more about Z’s backstory and origins. Since the book changes POV, I also was able to learn more about Matilda and her abilities. I really liked reading more about Matilda and seeing her interact with Ravenne. The more we see Ravenne, the more I wondered whether this conflicted bad character would have a chance to redeem herself in the end and whether she would take such an opportunity. Is she inherently bad? We know that her life’s purpose to save her daughter, even if it’s at the expense of an entire planet’s population.

After becoming familiar with the main characters I was rooting for them to not just succeed and survive, but also to fall in love. I was very on-board with the romantic sub-plots and can’t wait to see how they develop further in the last book of the trilogy.

I noticed more and more that there were certain plot conveniences. In book one I was too enthralled with the characters and the plot to let such details slow me down but it seemed that frequently when a character mentioned something, it would happen. For example, Duff mentioned a planet-dwelling creature for the first time, and then moments later it would appear and move along or dramatize the plot. The world-building sometimes seemed to happen as it’s needed.

I enjoyed the slower buildup of tension throughout this book (and from the first book). The climax was quite satisfying and full of excitement but the end of the book felt like it lacked a proper denouement and ended mid-action. I can’t wait to see what happens in book three!

This novel was published by Dragon Bane Publishing on 02/15/2021 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.75

Links for more information:

Claudia Blood’s Website

Goodreads

Book Review: Company Assassin (Relic Trilogy Book 1) by Claudia Blood

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Company Assassin (Relic Trilogy Book 1) by Claudia Blood

A Sci-Fi YA Action Novel published by Dragon Bane Publishing (01/15/21)

First reviewed through Reedsy Discovery

Summary:

On the day Duff turns 18 he will be kicked out of the Company’s orphanage. Almost all of the extra income he’s earned over the years has gone back into helping the others in the orphanage. With nowhere to go and having been turned down at all of the other Families, Duff’s only hope is to attach himself to a freelance crew and hope to survive the harsh jungle. Perhaps he can even prove himself an asset in a crew’s search for Relics, the only thing of value on the planet.

Keywords:

Assassin, Planet, Jungle, Orphan, Family, Survival, Attack, Mystery, Time Travel, Space, Evil, Power, Tracking, Alien Planet, Seer, Relic

 

My Review:

This book had a lot going on!

Right from the start the author set up the problem and pulled me into it. I was worried for the main character Duff and how he was going to survive in this harsh world. I wanted him to succeed and I was rooting for him from the very beginning.

Duff does seem to have quite a lot of skills – whenever the plot requires them. Since he’s been living in the orphanage for most of his life, I’m surprised that he remembers how to do certain survivalist things like tracking, etc. He does have great instincts and a big heart. He puts others before himself constantly and does everything in his power to save those around him.

I really liked how the book centered on Duff for enough chapters where I felt like I truly understood who he was and his motivations and the hopelessness of his situation before the POV switched to Z. Z seems like a really fascinating character with a rich backstory. I really want to know why Matilda has such disdain for Z.

A lot of the characters have rich, yet mysterious backstories. I’m very curious about Ravenne and what drove her to be such an evil person when her motivation appears so virtuous. I can’t wait to see how Matilda will rise to importance further along in this series. Even Simon the orphan has a unique skill set and a brooding temper. Even though he’s a minor character, he is developed enough that he’s interesting and unique.

The plot gets more and more complex as the layers of the action unfold. I love how the more I read, the more details were divulged in this rich sci-fi novel. I can tell that the author has a complete story laid out behind the plot of this first book in the series.

The ending did feel less climactic than I would have expected. The momentum from the continual action slowly built throughout the novel and I imagine is still building to a more climactic ending of the story overall. Though the problem introduced in the first part of this book – how will Duff survive being kicked out of the company-sponsored orphanage – was answered in the course of this fast-paced novel.

Though this book is set on another planet where time and space are not the same as Earth, I felt very engaged in the environment and wondrous of all the little details of the world. I really liked how this sci-fi was very focused on the characters and the plot, keeping world-building lean and relevant.

I am anxious to find out what happens to Duff, Z, Matilda, the orphans, and even Ravenne.

This novel was published by Dragon Bane Publishing on 01/15/2021 and is available on Amazon here.

TL;DR Star Rating: 4.75

Links for more information:

Claudia Blood’s Website

Goodreads