jbronderbookreviews

Mark of the Dragon (Urban Dragon – 1) by J.W. Troemner

Rosario Hernandez doesn’t ask for much. She’d like to sleep on a bed instead of a sidewalk, to know where her next meal is coming from, and maybe, if she’s really feeling optimistic, to get a girlfriend. More than anything, though, she wants her best friend Arkay to not murder anyone— because Arkay is a dragon, claws and all, and she has a penchant for vigilante justice.

When Arkay’s latest escapade goes sour, Rosario gets stuck with a stolen van and a cooler full of human organs. Now they’re on the run, and it’s not just the cops who want answers. The owner of the cooler is still out there, and they want to replace what they’ve lost— by any means necessary.

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Author’s Bio

I was born in Germany and emigrated to the United States. Since then, I’ve spent most of my life orbiting around Indianapolis, where I can be often found gazing longingly at abandoned buildings.

If you’re in the Indy writing scene, you may have run into me already. If you’re in the indie writing scene, I’m also available as a freelance manuscript editor and general nerd.

You can find me on Website, Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr.

My Review

5 stars

Rosario is living on the streets and having a tough time until Arkay takes her under her wing. But Arkay has a secret of her own, a dangerous one. But when a necromancer threatens humanity it will be up to Arkay and Rosario to stop them.

This is a quick read but packs one heck of a punch. It’s hard to describe it without giving too much away. I love Rosario, she finds hope with Arkay even when things so south. They are not a traditional couple but I can’t wait to see where their relationship goes.

As for the dragon, amazing. I liked the fresh take on dragons. Of course there is evil and the dead. What better combination than dragon and zombie? That had my attention and I was up flipping pages as fast as I could to see what happened next. The book does end with a cliff hanger but that just made me add the second book to my wish list on Amazon.

If you like a great fantasy series, I recommend checking out Mark of the Dragon. It won’t be what you expect but I mean that in the best way possible.

I received Mark of the Dragon from Candid Book Reviews for free. This has in no way influenced my opinion of this book.

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Spirit of Warrnambool (The Oz Files – 3)

Martin and Claire, still believing their nemesis, Wanda Jean, is dead and buried in Broome, are sent to Warrnambool to investigate a savage and despicable murder.

Before they have time to collect their thoughts, more murders occur—each more bizarre than the last. The latest killings, so reminiscent of their former enemy’s handy work, have the ASIO agents on edge, wondering if their belief of Wanda Jean’s demise is accurate. Or could it be that someone has constructed this web of intrigue to draw them out?

Have Claire and Martin finally met their match?

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Author’s Bio

Born in 1943 to a working class family with middle class aspirations, I began writing stories while at school, finally venturing into novels when I retired from teaching in 1997. The result was a series of mystery/thriller novels set in Australia and featuring two unorthodox investigators who work for the fictional Strange & Obscure Cases (SOC) Unit, an autonomous offshoot of ASIO.

Encouraged by positive feedback, the stories flow freely and usually reflect my bizarre sense of reality and weird humour. When the muse’s ego is bruised, I bide my time, reworking old short stories into Sci-Fi novels and waiting for new ideas to evolve. The longest time I’ve gone without writing anything new was eighteen months, but when the drought broke, the words flowed thick and fast.

Three times married with four children, I live in Morwell, Victoria, Australia.

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My Review

5 stars

Claire and Martin are trying to celebrate their good news on their vacation when their boss Gavin calls them into investigate a murder. But before they can even get their feet below them more murders happen. It seems that their former enemy, the one that is supposed to be death, may have a hand in these deaths. But that doesn’t make any sense. But it is true. Wanda Jean has escaped death and has a new plan to get pregnant with Martin’s child.

I have not read the other two book this this series. I didn’t really have much trouble figuring out what was going on. A witch, Wanda Jean, is bound and determined to have Martin’s baby. She thinks with Martin’s genes that she will have the world’s most powerful warlock. Martin and Claire are sent to look into some murders that look familiar but can’t possibly be Wanda Jean’s, she is dead. But they are going to have their hands full with murders and Wanda before this book is through.

I really liked this book, I have the first two saved to my wish list on Amazon because I would like to go back and catch up on what I misses. I will warn you, there are some brutal rape scenes and I think some might be bothered. As for me I really liked Spirit of Warrnambool.

I received Spirit of Warrnambool from Candid Book Reviews for free. This has in no way influenced my opinion of this book.

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