Rachel Langella

Out of the Ashes is the first book in the ‘Asheville Arcana’ series. The stars are Eli Hammond, an Alpha werewolf, and Arden Gilmarin, a half-elf. The story is told in third person from Eli and Arden’s pov.



This book contains mystery, demons, shifters, mages, vampires and a whole lot more. It fits perfect into stories to read for October. I’m a wimp when it comes to reading horror or spooky tales so I avoid them, but this story didn’t have too much graphic detail that I couldn’t read it. I’ll likely end up reading the next two books to find out what happens to Arden’s friends and how the demon incursion is solved.

I liked this story. It was entertaining and I didn’t want to put it down. It’s a mix of mystery and romance, where the mysterious paranormal happenings takes up about the first sixty percent of the book. It involved learning about the characters, the demons and the mystery, the feel of the story was more intense. I definitely noticed a change in overall character of the story once it reached the last forty percent. It shifted to being a romance and it didn’t feel like a paranormal mystery as much. I mean it still was, but the focus changed to the romance. It changed enough I thought maybe one author wrote the first part and the other the second, although I’m guessing that’s not how they write. The immediate demon threat is resolved in this book, but the overall arching threat continues into the next books.

The authors did a good job of creating unique personalities for each character. There’s Eli the typical gruff Alpha, who never wanted a mate and even if Arden is his mate, Eli has to worry about his lost pack first. Arden is a half-elf and is kind, thoughtful, loves to care for people. His ‘magic’ is his kindness to others and connection to nature and blending into it. Arden used to be part of an M/M/M with his two best friends, Whimsy, a mage, and Julian, a vampire. Both Whimsy and Julian are great characters and I can’t wait to read about them in their own books.

There were some instances of what felt like head-hopping or incorrect povs.

Overall, I liked Out of the Ashes. It wasn’t so gruesome that I couldn’t read it. I would have preferred more of the paranormal mystery aspect instead of the romance, but that’s personal taste. As it was, the authors struck a nice balance between the two. The characters are distinct and the story ends with a HEA for Eli and Arden. I give this book, 4 Stars.



I received a copy of this book from the author for an honest and unbiased review.… (más)

Quenched in Blood is the third and last book in the ‘Asheville Arcana’ series. It centers on vampire Julian Schaden, and neophyte demon hunter, Thomas Carter. The story is told in third person with duo pov.



The story picks up shortly after Book 2, and I fell right back into the action as soon as I started to read. The blurb does a good job of describing the plot so I won’t go into that too much. Julian visits the old Carter property after Micah’s death hoping to find something that will help him and his friends fight the demons. What he finds is Thomas Carter, Micah’s grandson, who Micah tried to keep secret from others and from Thomas’ own destiny. Eager to leave the farm, Thomas moves in with Julian who trains him to fight demons. The story continues with Julian fighting his desire for Thomas, tracking down more info about the demons, and teaching Thomas how to be a demon hunter.

I liked learning more about Julian. He was a solitary character in the previous books. We find out he cares a lot about protecting others, is consumed by guilt that he caused Thomas’ parents deaths, and is very lonely. He actually seemed more human in this book than in the others, which brings up many questions that weren’t answered and I wish were. For instance, the typical question of how can Julian have sex if he’s dead? His internal organs don’t work; he says this, which means his heart doesn’t pump blood to necessary places. Also, how can he bleed when injured without a heart pumping blood to his muscles and skin? If it’s magic then I’d like it mentioned. If not, then I’d like to know the answers to how it all works. Another question not answered, which is something Thomas should have asked Julian the first time Julian bit Thomas or Julian should have explained. How did the holes in Thomas’ neck heal? Saliva with healing properties that clot and are able to close up holes? This simple magic should have been explained. Without these explanations, the story felt like it had holes in the plot, and the paranormal world and its inhabitants weren’t complete. Yes, this is a fantasy, but I like to have a believable fantasy world.

It was good to read about all the previous cast of characters again. Thomas was a naïve, eager character. Since Micah isolated him, Thomas is used to being alone, like Julian, so they make a good pair. Julian is incredibly patient and kind, towards Thomas. He also has incredible world and book knowledge that Thomas craves, as well as having much sexual experience, which Thomas does not. He’s a virgin and eager to have Julian teach him, but Julian hesitates because of his feelings of guilt.

I would have loved it if the authors had written a scene where Whimsy and Arden tease Julian about him and Thomas after Julian told them he didn’t want them playing matchmaker, but alas, it wasn’t included. Julian did give them both a hard time when they found their mates.

The ending felt a bit abrupt to me even though it worked. I would’ve liked to know more about the changes to Thomas, and since the current demon insurrection was halted, were there still random demons that needed hunting? Was the community just going to get complacent and hang about not doing much because there were no demons? What’s a demon hunter to do if there are no demons?

I enjoyed the plot and the romance, but I still have so many questions! Did the cauldron really capture voices or was that only because of where it was located? What happened after it was moved? Were there still voices? How much had Thomas changed after he returned from the dead? I'd also like to know more about the cauldron itself rather than just the one hint Thomas gave about who made it. Personal preference, but the ending felt like it should have included all the friends because they’d survived. A celebration and hugs all around. Tremendous joy if you will and I didn’t feel that, it all ended rather abruptly.

I liked this story, but there were so many questions left unanswered or never touched upon which made it feel for me personally, like there were holes in the plot and that the epilogue was rushed. Despite that, I liked Quenched in Blood and give it 4 Stars. I just hope if the authors decide to make a new edition, they’ll address some of the questions I had.


… (más)

Forged in Fire is the second book in the ‘Asheville Arcana’ series. It stars Harlan Edgewood a possessed werewolf and Whimsy Hickes, a mage who also appeared in the first book. This is told in third person from both Harlan’s and Whimsy’s povs.



This book picks up about a year after Out of the Ashes ended. It’s more of a romance than the first story. There isn’t much mysterious evil activity in this plot until the end. Despite the emphasis on the romance, I still enjoyed it because Harlan and Whimsy were sweet together. Eli, Arden, and Julian also are present to help solve the evil-doings that have made a re-appearance.

Harlan lives his life alone, seldom interacting with others. He was raised a Quaker until a possessed werewolf bit him. Once that happened the community ostracized him. He struggles to keep his werewolf under control. It’s become somewhat easier over time, but at the full moon, he resists the shift because he can feel the Unholy within, and he’s afraid he’ll bite an innocent person and turn them. His shifts are extremely painful. Arden sets up Harlan and Whimsy on a blind date, and for the first time, Harlan hopes that maybe his shifts won’t be as bad when Whimsy offers to help. Whimsy is like Arden, both are caretakers and Whimsy doesn’t understand why, but he’s drawn to help Harlan. The two are mates, and the story is about them discovering this and how they adjust to being mates, along with the demons and possessed werewolves from the first book. What I especially liked about this story, was the slow courtship Harlan and Whimsy had. Harlan still lives by the values he had as a Quaker, so that meant no sex before marriage and a formal courtship. That means Harlan is a 300-year-old virgin. I enjoyed the two men getting to know each other and glad the authors chose not to have this book full of sex. Arden and Whimsy have found their mates, and now all who’s left is Julian.

I'm not sure who's on the cover of the book. It kind of looks like Whimsy because he's Native American I believe. But his description is that he's also slim and the cover model is not slim which makes me think it's Harlan, but Harlan has dark blonde hair. I'm guessing Dreamspinner chose the cover model and that's too bad they couldn't be more accurate, because covers are part of the overall presentation and this one to me misrepresents what Whimsy/Harlan looks like and actually has me confused.

There’s one question I had about why Whimsy had never met Harlan before. Harlan was a member of Tharn’s pack and I thought Tharn was a member of the council, although I could be remembering incorrectly. It seems to me at some point Harlan and Whimsy would have run into each other because Arden was a member of the council also, and Harlan did associate with the pack, although infrequently. In terms of the romance, I liked it better in this book than in the first book. However, in terms of action, the mystery of the demons and nefarious plans, I liked the first book more. The main event takes place around Halloween so this is a good story if you’re looking for something to read for the holiday.

I give Forged in Fired, 4 Stars.



I received a copy of this book from the author for an honest and unbiased review.… (más)

Stop Dragon My Heart Around is one of twelve books in the ‘Magic Emporium’ collection. It stars Gus, a bar owner, and Bear Hickes, a mage. This is written in third person through Gus and Bear’s povs.



The blurb describes the plot well, so I won’t go into detail about that. I really enjoyed this book. I’ve read the other books in the ‘Asheville Arcana’ series and am glad the authors wrote another book in that Universe. This story contains characters from that series, but isn’t the same since the other series is centered around demons. But this book easily fits with the other ones and can be read as a stand-alone, although I think that more enjoyment can be gained if a person reads the Asheville series also.

I’m going to start the review by mentioning the cover. I really like it. The model on the cover fits the character Bear well.

Gus and Bear were each distinctive personalities, and the authors kept them consistent throughout the story. The characters from the ‘Asheville’ series returned and they also remained consistent with how they behaved in previous books. I liked how both Bear and Gus slowly learned to trust each other. I felt sorry for Gus, who had reasons for keeping secrets from Bear about what he was. The way Gus transformed was brilliant. I don’t think I’ve ever read a story about a shifter that transformed that way. I also really hope that Gus finds more of his kind because if he’s the last, it’s very sad. Gus and Bear grew throughout the story and I could believe in them as a couple.

The story was a romance but also a mystery. As soon as the villain showed up the tension spiked and there was this increasing tension hanging over Gus and the story. The one thing I didn’t understand, and I’m guessing it’s because I don’t understand the science behind it, is what happened to the villain. I don’t know if he’s dead or just entombed.

I enjoyed Stop Dragon My Heart Around. The characters were consistent from previous books and Gus and Bear worked as a couple. The plot was exciting and I can’t wait for another book centered around Asheville. I definitely recommend this book to others. I give this story, 5 Stars.



I received this book from the authors for an honest and unbiased review.… (más)