Book Review: The Night Realm, by Annette Marie - Giveaway

The Night Realm
Annette Marie
(Spell Weaver #1)
Published by: Dark Owl Fantasy Inc.
Publication date: October 20th 2017
Genres: Adult, Urban Fantasy


Clio is good at all sorts of things. As a nymph, she’s great at outdoorsy nature stuff. As a nymph living in exile, she’s got the “blending in with humans” thing down pat. As a nymph living in exile because she possesses the rare ability to mimic magic, she’s had to pick up some unique survival skills.

But stealing from the most dangerous spell weavers in the Underworld? Not so much.

Unfortunately, that’s exactly what she has to do to earn a ticket back home. Conning her way into the night realm may have gone pretty well, but now she’s got a new problem. His name is Lyre and he’s a sinfully alluring incubus, a dangerously skilled spell weaver, and the only thing standing between her and stealing some damn magic.

Maneuvering around him without blowing her cover shouldn’t be that difficult, but chaos has been dogging her every step, monsters hide behind beautiful faces, and Lyre keeps saving her neck even though they’re enemies. Kind of enemies? Either way, her mission is getting complicated fast, and in the Underworld, even one mistake could prove fatal.

Goodreads / Amazon

My Review

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Warning: Spoiler Possibilities

I try to stay away from any spoilers, but since it's easy to say something that could be a spoiler, I try to remember to add that warning. Prior to reading a book I plan to review, I only scan the summary. Books are so much better when you don't know what's going to happen going in. Of course, that's subject to individual opinion. When I finish the story, I then look over the summary to see what information is already available. 

Straight up, I loved this story. It starts with the main characters front and center, and you get to know them without a lot of boring set-up. The prose is well written and flows nicely. My only complaint was there were a few places where I felt like the author rambled a little bit. Info dump? Maybe, but not much of one, part was description on occasion. I can overlook that if it isn't overkill and the author brings a great story. Annette Marie nailed it. I wanted to turn the pages to see what happened  next, or how our heroine was going to get herself out of trouble this time.

Our main character, Clio, lives in exile, but her brother asks her to go to the underworld to copy woven spells for warfare to keep his kingdom safe from a larger kingdom that may be planning to to overthrow him. Clio isn't into warfare, but she has a special ability to learn and copy woven spells, and he promises Clio she will be able to go home, so she agrees to go to the underworld where darkness abounds, all kinds of scary creatures lurk, and where weapons of warfare are made.

Our other main character, Lyre, is a incubus, who has five brothers, all spinning the cruelest weaves warfare has to offer. Clio tries to trick him into showing her the most dangerous spells at every turn, but he isn't about to give up family secrets, although he does make some mistakes along the way. Clio commissions a weave to take home, but Lyre turns her over to his brother to deal with the contract. The problem is that Clio finds danger at every turn, and while Lyre doesn't understand why, he can't stand by and watch.

There is much more to this story, but going to deep would give too much away. The characters are well planned and unique, from an overprotective body guard, Kassia, to the wicked Samael and Hades. An incubus, Dulcet, who is utterly mad, and a powerful draeconian named Ash, a character I expect to see more of in the stories to come. 

With a twist at every turn, this is a story worth reading again and again.

About the Author

Annette Marie is the author of the Amazon best-selling Steel & Stone series, which includes Goodreads Choice Award nominee Yield the Night, and fantasy trilogy Red Winter. Her first love is fantasy, but fast- paced urban fantasy and tantalizing forbidden romances are her guilty pleasures. She lives in the frozen winter wasteland of Alberta, Canada (okay, it's not quite that bad) with her comparatively sensible husband and their furry minion of darkness—sorry, cat—Caesar. When not writing, she can be found elbow-deep in one art project or another while blissfully ignoring all adult responsibilities.

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