Ebook A Midwinter Fantasy Leanna Renee Hieber LJ McDonald Helen Scott Taylor 9781428511620 Books
Ebook A Midwinter Fantasy Leanna Renee Hieber LJ McDonald Helen Scott Taylor 9781428511620 Books
Download As PDF : A Midwinter Fantasy Leanna Renee Hieber LJ McDonald Helen Scott Taylor 9781428511620 Books
You have ventured through the wardrobe and down the rabbit hole. You’ve beheld the Fading Lands and glimpsed the ivory spires of Minas Tirith. A star now rises over three other kingdoms, and over three heroic couples, all deep in winter’s thrall
Visit Leanna Renee Hieber’s Strangely Beautiful Victorian London, “strange in its happenings and mood and beautiful in its romance and language" (Booklist). Haunted though these soot-stained urban alleys may be, a lonely headmistress and a gallant vicar shall here reap the season’s blessings.
Travel to Meridian and Sylph Valley, L. J. McDonald’s “mesmerizing, magical world [readers] won’t want to leave" (Library Journal). Immensely powerful creatures called battle sylphs vie for dominance here, while fulfilling every wish of their queens. But what woman shall rule the mighty Mace?
Discover Helen Scott Taylor’s land of The Magic Knot, which is “wonderfully creative and lusciously sexy" (The Chicago Tribune).In the frosty North, in the ice palace of Valhalla, Sonja’s life depends upon unraveling the mystery of the Crystal Crib—and upon winning the love of Odin’s son.
Ebook A Midwinter Fantasy Leanna Renee Hieber LJ McDonald Helen Scott Taylor 9781428511620 Books
"I mainly got this book for the Sylph's short story "Worth of a Sylph" by L.J. McDonald. I love her Sylph stories. I have not read either of the other two stories but "Worth of a Sylph" is very sweet. However, while it claims to be the 2.5 story in the Sylph series, I would say it falls after the 4th full length published book since all four books happen pretty much one right after another with only a 5 year advance. "Worth of a Sylph" occurs nearly 20 years after the first book, "The Battle Sylph", and follows the sylph Mace as he learns about what it really means to love and care for a family. The story is sweet and quick and I hope Ms. McDonald will be able to publish further books in the series, and maybe someday I will read the other two stories in this anthology."
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Tags : A Midwinter Fantasy [Leanna Renee Hieber, L.J. McDonald, Helen Scott Taylor] on . <DIV> <p style= class= MsoNormal >You have ventured through the wardrobe and down the rabbit hole. You’ve beheld the Fading Lands and glimpsed the ivory spires of Minas Tirith. A star now rises over three other kingdoms,Leanna Renee Hieber, L.J. McDonald, Helen Scott Taylor,A Midwinter Fantasy,DP,1428511628,American Light Romantic Fiction,Fiction,Fiction - Romance,Fiction / Romance / Fantasy,Romance - Fantasy,Romance Gothic,Science Fiction And Fantasy
A Midwinter Fantasy Leanna Renee Hieber LJ McDonald Helen Scott Taylor 9781428511620 Books Reviews :
A Midwinter Fantasy Leanna Renee Hieber LJ McDonald Helen Scott Taylor 9781428511620 Books Reviews
- I mainly got this book for the Sylph's short story "Worth of a Sylph" by L.J. McDonald. I love her Sylph stories. I have not read either of the other two stories but "Worth of a Sylph" is very sweet. However, while it claims to be the 2.5 story in the Sylph series, I would say it falls after the 4th full length published book since all four books happen pretty much one right after another with only a 5 year advance. "Worth of a Sylph" occurs nearly 20 years after the first book, "The Battle Sylph", and follows the sylph Mace as he learns about what it really means to love and care for a family. The story is sweet and quick and I hope Ms. McDonald will be able to publish further books in the series, and maybe someday I will read the other two stories in this anthology.
- I don't read very many anthologies because the quality is usually pretty uneven, but in this case I made an exception because I just had to read Leanna Renee Hieber's story, A Christmas Carroll. Anyone who has read Leanna's other two books about the strangely beautiful Percy Parker and the Guards who save Victorian London from an attack by the spirit world has got to read this story. It is the wrap-up for the series and the HEA for two members of the guard, Rebecca, the headmistress and Michael, the Vicar who has loved and pined for Rebecca from afar, while she only had eyes for Alexi, the leader of the guard who ultimately falls in love with Percy and breaks Rebecca's heart.
This story is loosely modeled on Dicken's classic story and is true to the spirit of that tale since it's all about viewing your past actions in a different light and seeing things that you missed the first time around as well as getting a second chance to finally make things right. Leanna's gothic/Victorian style of writing fits perfectly with the tale she is telling. Plus, as a bonus we get significant glimpses of the other members of the guard and Percy Parker has a strong supporting part to play. It was the perfect finale and left me with a warm, happy feeling.
I would give this story 5 stars.
The second story, The Worth of a Sylph took me completely by surprise. I knew nothing about it going into it and had not read anything by LJ McDonald. I was particularly impressed by the way Ms. McDonald was able to write this novella clearly enough that I got the back story and some of the world-building without any trouble and I never felt lost or confused. My curiousity was definitely peaked and I was left with a strong desire to read the other two novels that are the predecessors to this novella.
Mace is a battle sylph who comes from an alternate dimension. Once he enters our dimension, he must bond with a human who supplies him with energy through a master/slave bond and whom he must obey absolutely. I was a bit uncomfortable with this aspect of the story, but he is very matter-of-fact about it. It's just part of his reality and he doesn't regret it because without it, he would not being able to stay in this dimension. His current master is a frail, 82 year-old woman who wants him to look around and find a new master before she passes away. He goes off on a quest to find a runaway foster child of his master's and the journey changes his life (in a good way).
I would give this story 4.5 stars.
The final story by Helen Scott Taylor, The Crystal Crib, was weaker than the other two, but still okay. It was kind of a fantasy centering around Vidar, a son of the Norse god, Odin and Sonja, a daughter of another Norse god, Troy. Troy and Odin have been feuding for thousands of years and Vidar and Sonja get caught up in the feud through no fault of their own. Of course, Vidar and Sonja are attracted to other, bond to each other, and must find a way to get away from Odin's control. My issue with this story was that the timeline didn't really make sense and I thought that Sonja, who'd been raised as a normal human woman, accepted the whole fantastical situation a bit too easily once it was revealed to her.
I would rate this story 3 stars.
Overall, because the first two stories are so strong I'm giving this anthology 5 stars. - "A Christmas Carroll" by Leanna Renee Hieber
Just days after the ending of Darkly Luminous Fight for Persephone Parker, Headmistress Rebecca is lonely and sad. The death of her friend and fellow guard member Jane lays heavy on her soul. She feels guilty for her death, and just all around miserable. For twenty years she served in the guard, and for twenty years she has pined after their leader, Alexi Rychman, who has recently been married to the newest guard member, Percy Parker. There is one man who has had eyes for only her all this time, but Rebecca is too down on herself to even notice.
Michael Carroll was the heart of the guard, literally, but now that the war is over, all guard members have been relieved of their powers. Both a blessing and a curse. Now they are free to live their lives of their choosing, but it is hard to have what you are comfortable with taken away. Michael has loved Rebecca since the day he met her, but has never had the confidence to tell her that. Now twenty years later, he still feels that nervous around her. But the spirits are rallying, and they want this Christmas to be a special one for these two lost souls. Playing on a Christmas Carol theme, these sprits visit Rebecca and Michael and take them down memory lane.
Leanna Renee Hieber again delivers just the cutest romantic tale. As soon as I started this one, I remembered how much I miss this world she has created. She not only weaves in a tale of love - and let me just say thank goodness Rebecca and Michael finally get their happily ever after, but she also gives is the wonderful, warm banter between all the guard members. In such a short story, we get caught up with all of them - Elijah and Josephine happy and in love, Alexi and Percy, with a bun in the oven, and Jane, awaiting to go into the Great Beyond to be united with her love, but sacrificing until Rebecca and Michael find their way to each other. Adorable and cute!
Rating A
"The Worth of a Slyph" by L.J. McDonald
Mace is a Battle Slyph, a shapeshifter from another plane, only able to stay in the human world due to his master/slave relationship. His current master, for the past thirty years has been Lily. Although Lily is now 82, they still love each other. He must obey even her slightest command, but she is kind to him, much kinder than his previous master. Mace doesn't mind having a master, it is part of who he is. Because Lily is elderly, she encourages Mace to start looking for a new master. When a foster child of Lily's runs away, she commands Mace to go bring him back. Mace starts a journey to Eferem to retrieve the boy, and it is there where he will meet his new master and his life will change.
I am so intrigued by this world!! There are two previous full length books in this series that I have not read yet, but have definitely gone into my to-be-read pile. Mace is a unique hero - with his slave status that he accepts. It is who he is. He is a very straight forward in his demeanor. I wouldn't call him tender, just obedient, but deadly. I didn't love his new master interest in Sara - she comes into the story and his life rather abruptly. But overall, this world is very unique and this is a very entertaining story.
Rating B
"The Crystal Crib" by Helen Scott Taylor
The final story in this anthology confused me. Sonja meets with Vidar, a successful amusement park owner to make some sort of business deal. But at the beginning of this meeting he offers for her to meet her dad whom she has never met. So she gets whisked off by him - and they end up flying into the sky in a sleigh. First of all, it is very unclear at the beginning how these two know each other. We also get nothing of their background. Vidar mentions he is nervous about Sonja discovering her heritage, but next thing you know he is like -hey, me and your dad are from a different world. Does Sonja know about different worlds? Does flying up in the sky something she has done before?
I just didn't get Vidar and Sonja and their relationship. This one definitely needed more background to the story and I ended up not finishing it.
Rating Did Not Finish
Even though I didn't like the last story, I definitely recommend this anthology for both Leanna Renee Hieber's story and L.J. McDonald's.
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