This week I can tell you about two books. In fact they are the first two books in a series. Sadly, they are the only two offered by my Library’s ebook service! Maybe I will get the opportunity to read further into the series later on.

Stonehill Downs by Sarah Remy

Stonehill Downs by Sarah Remy is Book 1 in the Bone Magic series. First of all, here is the blurb:

Malachi is the last of his kind—a magus who can communicate with the dead, and who relies on the help of spirits to keep his kingdom safe. When he’s sent to investigate brutal murders in the isolated village of Stonehill Downs, he uncovers dangerous sorceries and unleashes a killer who strikes close to home.

Avani is an outsider living on the Downs, one of the few survivors from the Sunken Islands. She has innate magics of her own, and when she discovers the mutilated bodies of the first victims, she enters into a reluctant alliance with Malachi that takes her far from home.

But Mal is distracted by the suspicious death of his mentor and haunted by secrets from his past. And Avani discovers troubling truths about the magus through her visions. She could free Malachi, but first they must work together to save the kingdom from the lethal horror that has arisen.

This is my response on Goodreads:

Stonehill Downs by Sarah Remy
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this fantasy ebook and have only a few reservations. It was obvious that the book had not benefited from an editor as there were several spelling mistakes and homonyms in the text. Also, the story wandered in parts and too much attention was given to side issues rather than driving the story onwards.

The main characters were interesting and engaging but the world building was very standard – sort of medieval Britain plus magic. I have decided to read the sequel and I would be interested to see whether the author has ever been picked up by a publisher and encouraged to develop her skills.

View all my reviews

Across the Long Sea by Sarah Remy

As I found the book engaging and enjoyable enough, I then decided to read the sequel, Across the Long Sea. This is the blurb:

As the most valuable asset in the kingdom of Wilhaiim, Malachi Doyle has many responsibilities—protector, assassin, detective, and King Renault’s right-hand man. And until he met Avani in the cursed village of Stonehill Downs, he believed he was the last of his kind: a magus who can communicate with the dead.

But Wilhaiim is left vulnerable when Mal and his page, Liam, are kidnapped and ferried across the Long Sea to a warring kingdom in search of its own magus. To make matters worse, a springtime plague is rapidly spreading, and beneath the earth the sidhe are preparing for war. With Mal missing and presumed dead, Avani reluctantly takes his place as Wilhaiim’s magus. But her powers are unreliable and untested, her many allies are treacherous, and she is certain Mal is alive. Will she be able to keep Wilhaiim—and herself—safe?

And here is my review:

Across the Long Sea by Sarah Remy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I think that I enjoyed this book even more than the first in the series. The structure of the plot was very straightforward, with the two main characters on different story arcs. Some of the lesser characters were interesting in this book, with, perhaps some future possibilities later in the series.

Sadly, I don’t think my library service has bought the ebooks of the rest of the series, so I will probably have to finish my journey at this point.

View all my reviews

I have downloaded quite a few ebooks from the Library onto my iPad, so I will now go through them to decide which I will attempt to start reading this afternoon, when I have finished writing this post. You will be able to see my decision next week!

Happy Reading to you all!

Love and best wishes,

Anne

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