Happy Holidays
Looking for some short reads to bump those 2023 numbers up? I got you covered.
Hoping you had a wonderful holiday however you celebrate it. And that there was some fantastic books gifted your way. I won’t get any, which is fine as I wouldn’t trust my families choice of books.
I literally spent all yesterday bake, so I'm already exhausted. I decided to make cookies to take into the hospital today for the staff in my husbands unit.
I’ve worked retail, hospitality, and healthcare so working holidays is normal but it's still I've to show appreciation to those who work it.
But as this is the last Monday of the year (that’s terrifying even to type) I thought I’d go over some of my top reads of the 2023. My Kindle app says I read 23 books which I don’t believe (three of them were different versions of Witch of the Lunar Order that I was proofing for formatting errors).
Fantastic short reads
I started the year off reading a bunch of novella’s that were given away. And WOW I did not know you could pack such a punch in such few words. I’m an over sharer, and my small stories always explode, but these guys blew me away. All of these are free if you sign up for the author newsletter. I’m on all four of these newsletter (but you can always opt out if you don’t want them)
The Fall by Ryan Cahill
I started the year not knowing who Ryan was and I have no idea how I hadn’t heard of him! The Fall is a prequel novella that takes place four hundred years before the events in Of Blood and Fire - book one in The Bound and The Broken series.
The Order have watched over the continent of Epheria for thousands of years. But there are those who believe The Order has had its day. That it is corrupt, indulgent, and deceitful - that it is ready to fall.
The City of Ilnaen is on fire.
Dragons fill the skies.
Traitors fill the streets.
Knowing nothing about his series I went in blind and with a title like The Fall you think I would have been prepared. I was not. It has three different stories all taking place as the mighty city if Ilnaen falls.
The destruction of the city was an epic fight filled with all different kinds of magical soldiers and of course dragons. I loved all of the different forms of magic; the Spark, the sigils, the dragonbound and the blood magic.
In such a short story they were all so easy to understand, from page one it was clear that this was a detailed and epic world I was stepping into. You could feel the history and the lore in every sentence. I loved it but I'm still depressed.
If you want your heart wrenched out you can read this one for free by signing up for Ryan’s newsletter.
Under the Strawberry Moon by Melanie Karsak
Talking about heart wrenching… this is the prequel to Under the Howling Moon and follows the series main character’s mother when she was a young girl.
*SPOILER WARNING* This story will reveal some twists for Book 1. Some readers like to read it after book 1 and be in the dark like the MC, I personally loved knowing what the MC didn’t and it enhanced book 1 for me. This short story is also THE reason I went on to read the story.
Under the strawberry moon, the gods of Asgard whisper to me.
Balder whispers love. Bragi blesses my voice. Sif gifts me with beauty.
But these blessings go wasted in the sleepy village of Dalr, where I am simply Svafa, the jarl's daughter. A völva tells me I am destined to marry a hero, that my child's name will become legend. How I'm supposed to achieve this enormous fate is beyond me. When my father announces we will visit the great temple in Uppsala for the midsummer blót, I can feel my fortune changing. The Æsir are busy weaving their own plans, and I can't wait to find out what the Norns have spun for me.
Under the Strawberry Moon is a prequel to the Road to Valhalla series.
I was swept away to this Norse world and the sheer brilliance that was Svafa.  It was such an enthralling tale that I just lost myself in the story. I never thought a prequel could be so captivating, exciting and heartbreaking all in one and in such a short amount of time. Even though I couldn't pronounce half the names, I highly recommend giving this one. And I am exciting to jump into this series even though it might crush my heart all over again.
Warning: you will ugly cry, the words will blur as you are try to read on.
Signing up for Melanie’s mailing list will snag you a copy.
Ghost of White Woods by J.A. Andrews
The Ghost of the White Wood has been a thorn in the Kalesh Empire’s side for years.
Until Captain Bastian captures her—and she becomes so much more than a thorn.
The Ghost of the White Wood is a short story related to Raven's Ruin (Keeper Origins Book 2) but it can be read as a standalone at any time.
What more can I say about this story than it got me out of a reading funk. Every story I tried I just couldn't get into or was bored. Then I tried Ghost as I knew it was a short story so less commitment and man did it instantly grip me and did not let go until the end. I wanted more! And then a realization hit me...and I decided to ignore the puzzle I was putting together.
Melia - She is my kind of MC. I loved her from page one. There was a fire within her along with determination and fighting for the greater good. Evay, an elf with a sense of humor and not enough tree loving jokes. Then along comes the enemy, Captain Bastian, who we should all hate and of course I ended up shipping. (I'm an enemies to lovers sucker if you couldn't guess.)
It ended all too quickly. Such a fantastic read. The only thing missing was the totally true fact that they spend the rest of their lives chasing each other and nothing bad ever happens...right. RIGHT!!!
If you’d like to check it out, its free as part of Janice’s newsletter.
The Light That Takes: A Prequel Short Story (The Half-Light Chronicles)Â by Karyne Norton
Karyne did a Kickstarter for her debut fantasy novel which I supported (and the physical copies are on their way!) This novella was my first time reading anything by Karyne and I was impressed.
It's been fourteen years since Gaeren saw Aeliana disappear, but he still searches every port for his childhood friend. When the latest clue points to lands across the barrier, where people are no longer supposed to exist, Gaeren is forced to relive the painful memories of losing Aeliana in order to discover if she's still within his reach.
The prequel short story to The Half-Light Chronicle which releases in fall. This lovely story whisks you away into this wonderful knew world where we follow Gaeren in his quest to find his childhood friend, Aeliana.
These are the two protagonist in the full length novel and a way to dip our toes into this exciting new world. We get hints of this new world, its magic and lore, as well as see the relationship blossom between our two leads.
I really enjoyed this short story and in such a short time I came to care for these two children caught up in the machination of others. Gaeren became more than just a determined teenager but we learn what is within his heart and how it guides him. I highly recommend this sweet and short read.
Want to read it? Karyne’s newsletter signup is here.
Enjoy the rest of your holidays and I’ll see you in the new year with the rest of my favorite reads.