Fairy Tales

JL Weil

Forsaken (Beauty Never Dies Chronicles #3)

by J.L. Weil ****REVIEW

Toxic zombies have walked out of the mist. Charlotte can't control her powers and keeps losing consciousness. The Slayer made a deal to save the girl he loves and now he and Charlotte, the girl with the rainbow eyes are back in the Diamond Towers, the Institute, back in her father's reach. Her father may want to use her powers, her mother may want to experiment on her, and her sister may want to kill her but Dash will keep her safe. It only takes a short time once they are back for Charlotte to understand that her father must be stopped; that maybe he's a worse threat to humanity than the zombies. Love, trust, and kindness are what is needed in this newly awakened world but war is the only way to make the needed changes for a better tomorrow. Charlotte with Dash and Ryker by her side will lead the way. Charlotte will have the future she's dreamed of or die fighting for it.
Forsaken is the fantastic conclusion to the dystopian world that awakened after the mist. This is an adventure like no other but in the end, Charlotte and Dash's love for one another is what I enjoy most. It's a great story, full of non-stop suspense and action. Trust is the most precious commodity and putting it in the wrong person (or sometimes even the right one) can get you killed. Faith and hope are equally dangerous. Yet Charlotte never gives up. No matter how clear her parents and sister make their intentions, she always hopes that they could be saved. She believes that the zombies could possibly be saved. She believes that Ryker will always have her back and can make her laugh. But most of all she believes in Dash. No matter what trouble comes for her, Dash will be there to keep her safe. He loves her, she loves him. Sometimes it's just that simple. Two people finding one another and doing everything to stay alive and make the world right around them.
The character growth in this book is wonderful. Charlotte and Dash each evolve so much. Their strength and resilience give other's hope. Their love is so strong it dominates each page. The battle is fierce and the outcome believable. Not everyone gets their HEA but not everyone deserved one! I loved the ending and loved even more that we got a vision of the future.

Entangled (Beauty Never Dies Chronicles #2)

by J.L. Weil ****REVIEW

Dash kept his promise. Charlotte is now safely behind the walls of the Diamond Towers, but it's not at all what she had hoped for. She's kept as a virtual prisoner. She's not trusted because of her ties to Dash. Her family is not the same. Her father runs the Institute, her mother is a mad scientist experimenting on people, and her sister is an angry psychopath that seems to hate her. The boy she loves has gone off to find his girlfriend, her only friend is a timid serving girl, Star assigned to her, and she's placed in the Institute's training program where everyone's goal seems to be to try to kill her. Not what she was hoping for at all! Now her dreams show her that she needs to leave, to find Dash. When her visions show her mother killing Star, she decides the time has come to escape. With Blink's help, Charlotte and Star make their escape and find/are found by Dash. Their reunion ends up being more complicated than expected but at least they are together. And on the run from the Night's Guard, bounty hunters, and all of the other enemies Dash has made along the way, as well as trying to survive the dangerous land itself. Charlotte still has her knack for attracting trouble, so the three are in a constant state of survival. Charlotte and Dash embrace the fight but Star is definitely out of her element. She is not suited for this new world. Old allies and enemies make appearances, lives are on the line, an friend makes and a most unexpected appearance just in time. Capture can only be avoided for so long, and the story comes full circle, but maybe the enemy we know isn't the worst danger out there. It might be necessary to put aside differences to have a hope at survival. All that matters is that Dash and Charlotte are together. As long as they are together the world may have a chance.
This is my favorite fairy tale ever. Charlotte and Dash are each great characters on their own, but together they are the absolute best. They each grew so much in this book. Their constant bickering, their attraction to one another, the way they work together, their protectiveness and gentleness for the other is lovely. When Dash finally 'woke' up and realized his feelings he was incredible with both actions and words. I was conflicted about Star. She was a good friend to Charlotte but circumstances and her inability to adapt to the new world didn't exactly endear her to me. I love Ryker. He was quite unexpected. I hate Charlotte's family. Whom I hate more depends only on which one is in the scene. I am hopeful for their redemption in the coming fight, but trust will be hard to earn.
This story is a non-stop adventure. As enjoyable and entertaining as they come. I can't wait for the next book! Charlotte's abilities and the way she attracts trouble, her and Dash together, and Ryker and Ember should make for a thrilling read.

Slumber (Beauty Never Dies Chronicles #1)

by J.L. Weil ****REVIEW

I am a fan of J.L. Weil. Her Divisa series is excellent; my favorite books of hers, until now. I loved Slumber. Dystopia meets fairy tale! Fantastic first book in the Beauty Never Dies Chronicles. This is a fast-paced, well-written book that keeps you hooked from the very first page. The world building is excellent and the main characters are complex and likable.
The mist destroyed the world as we know it. Those who survived were placed in a deep sleep for 100 years. Now the earth is an unforgiving hell with dangerous creatures, treacherous land, and the Institute. Many of the awakened were touched by the mist and now have extraordinary gifts. The Institute wants these gifted for their own uses. Dash is the lead male. He has a gift/curse that makes him invaluable to the Institute. While searching one of the Institute facilities he comes across a sleeping Charlotte. Struck by her beauty and irresistibly drawn to her, he kisses her. And she awakens. Charlotte wakes to beautiful silver eyes; her first thought is that Dash is a prince. She quickly learns otherwise.
J.L. Weil is a master at creating great characters. Charlotte and Dash are simply wonderful. She is confused. lost, and scared, but has a fiery nature. She's beautiful, sweet, funny. Her gifts are mind-blowing. Dash is a survivor. He is harsh, cold, yet has moments when he lets his guard down and you see what a great guy he is. He's also hiding secrets that can break Charlotte. Their time together is a mix of verbal sparring, sexual tension, moments of vulnerability and caring. They are so good together, but there are too many obstacles in the way. As Charlotte's heart gets shattered, mine did too. I have never been angrier at a man for being honorable.
This book is non-stop entertainment. It's pure fun that will keep you engrossed from beginning to end. You will not be able to put it down. The end is a cliffhanger that leaves you screaming for more. More Charlotte, more Dash, more, more, more!

Ancient Tides: Division 14: The Berkano Vampire Collection by J.L. Weil ****REVIEW

Years ago a spell, the Rift, was performed trying to rid the world of vampires. Instead, it broke the world. The world was thrown back into a more primitive state, little electricity, no technology. It's a simpler but more dangerous time with magical storms. Vampires still exist but no longer need to kill to survive and their numbers are declining since they can't easily reproduce. No longer satisfied with their new lives the Vampire Queen Lilith has decided that the Rift must be reversed. Skylar was born to the ruling family of Divison 14. Her brother Colin rules. Sky's focus is elsewhere. She's a powerful witch who along with her coven has vowed to protect the people with their powers. Sky is also out for vengeance against the vampire queen who killed the person dearest to her. When Colin assigns a new guard, Zavier Cross, to protect her Skylar finds herself drawn to, irritated by, and suspicious of the beautiful man. She can't figure him out but soon finds him an unlikely ally and more. However, his secrets could come between them when she needs him most. Lilith is determined to have Skylar's power for her own. Can Zavier save Sky from Lilith's plans and can she survive her own need for revenge or is he an even bigger danger to her?
This story reads like a modern-day fairy tale. It has a magical kingdom, a beautiful princess, a knight in shining armor, and an evil Queen. This time the beautiful princess happens to be a vengeful witch, the handsome knight has some huge secrets, and the evil Queen is a bloodthirsty, evil vampire. It's perfect. The characters are all beautifully written, the love story is full of passion, and the danger creates tension. It's an entertaining, at times edge-of-your-seat read. Skylar is a kick-ass heroine. She's headstrong, smart (mostly), brave. Her need for revenge is dangerous but her love and loyalty balance her. Zavier is everything you want in your leading male, handsome, cocky, strong, brave, dedicated. His secrets are his big flaw. Together Zavier and Skylar are wonderful together and have the potential to feature in an entire series of books. I loved their physical attraction, their banter, their teamwork. I loved that he could keep up with her and even better her at times. With her knack for attracting danger, this was not easy. They are well-matched. I couldn't get of the two of them together.
I enjoyed each second of this well-written adventure. This book is a stand-alone with no cliffhanger. The story is resolved, all questions answered, all fights resolved. The ending was lovely and left me with a smile. Still, I would enjoy more of Sky and Zavier in the future. I doubt she's going to stay out of trouble for long!

Jane Washington

Disobedience (Bastan Hollow Saga #2)

Jane Washington ****REVIEW

Malevolent Ignoble Calamity, Mel is a member of the Calamity Clan, the most feared coven of Bastan. Turning 18 it's time for her aetalus, the trial when each member proves their worth to the coven. The aetalus consists of three tests; one left by their parent, one assigned by the coven, and one by nature itself. Each aetalus is personal but always involve sacrificing a child. Mel is a direct descendent of Deidrick the Terrible so she is a duality witch meaning that she will need two sacrifices. She is expected to be bloodthirsty and cruel. The problem is that she is an innocent; kind, a peacemaker. She has no intention of killing. Slade Oliver, the Advisor to the Guild of Records no longer fixes fairy tales but he assigned himself to Mel's case. He's determined the fairytale will play out as much as it needs to in order to keep the world balanced and then the witch will die. But as new truths come to light, it seems that Mel must live and as Slade's feelings become involved, the complications only increase.
Disobedience is the retelling of Hansel and Gretal set in Jane Washington's world of Bastan Hollow. The characters are fantastic. Mel and Mal are wonderful, as were Des and Odi. These three set the bar for friendships. Slade returns as "Enforcer-Advisor,". I enjoyed him in Charming and he quickly became my favorite in this book. Lilou and Arlo from Charming also returned in this book. The appearance of the role-playing, panty-loving goblins was unexpected but so appreciated. They are hysterical.
This book did not capture my attention from the get-go like Jane's books normally do. She is such a magical writer that my expectations are nearly unrealistic but I know that she can always live up to them. Don't mistake my words, this is a very good book. It contains her brilliantly witty banter, her one of a kind storytelling, and the special quirky signature touches that only she is capable of. It just took me time to become immersed in it. There is so much story/world-building needed that it took time to get it all in place before Mel and Slade were sharing scenes. It was necessary but I was impatient. Once Slade and Mel shared pages, I was hooked. Their chemistry is fantastic. These two will never be boring. Their humor, lust, and general unexpectedness together captivated me.

Charming (Bastan Hollow Saga #1)

Jane Washington *****REVIEW

Lilou Adler is a student at the Bastan College for Applied Physics: a magic school focused on training witches and warlocks to become Enforcers. She's incredibly powerful but equally undisciplined. One of the Enforcers' main jobs is keeping each generation of fairy tale creatures on track with their "story" to ensure Earth stays balanced. Second and third-year students are each given a fairy tale assignment as a test. They are placed on teams and given lesser known tales to prove their abilities but not important enough to risk Earth. But not Lilou. She has been given a solo assignment: The Majorly Important Cinderella! Not an assignment fit for a trainee. When the keeper of the Guild refuses to reassign Lilou, she has no choice except to take on this generation's Cinderella. Arlo Demarcus, the High Warlock of Bastan is working a case of magical murders of Wicca witches which has led him to the next target, Lilou. He needs to keep her alive as she attempts her task. To do this, he'll have to refrain from killing her himself!
Charming! This story, this author. I can't possibly do them justice. A Prince Charming with a fairy fetish, a Cinderella master-thief with a deviant streak, a gang of role-playing goblins, an inappropriately hysterical fairy, a bizarre stone house-staff, a rebel-enforcer, an uptight High Warlock, and a rule-breaking, coffee-addicted, wise-cracking, headstrong witch. Only the delicious, warped imagination of Jane Washington could create these characters. The banter, the quirky supporting characters, the ridiculous scenarios, the even more ridiculous complications, the sexual tensions, the prophecy all contribute to a brilliant story. You won't find a more unique, more clever, more entertaining read. I've never had a book make me laugh out loud or gasp as many times as this one. My only complaint stems from my greed. I wanted to see Lilou and even her mother meet the statues. I can only imagine the conversations! I want to continue on with Lilou as the Lepab, I definitely wanted more time with Lilou and Demarcus. I can't wait for Disobedience!!