Book Review: Blood Curse (DarkWorld: Soul Tracker, #3) by T.G. Ayer

Blood Curse (DarkWorld: Soul Tracker, #3)

by T.G. Ayer

April 28, 2017

318 pages

Mel's journey continues down dark paths as she is forced to find who put the curse on her. The closer she gets to the one responsible the more her health deteriorates and the worse the evil behaves.

Mel has to battle loneliness, illness and despair . . .

As well as fend of the evil dead.

Book 3 in the SoulTracker Series

In the third installment of the Soul Tracker series, Mel has been hired to find a twenty-something vigilante suspected to possess supernatural powers. Mel’s client is the outlaw’s mother bent on protecting her own financial interests. While this central plotline unfolds, several other stories continue to develop, the most pressing of which is the dilemma of Mel’s poltergeist; an evil spirt inhabiting her body and draining her life force.

I like this series. There’s never a dull moment. It has a bit of everything; paranormal activity, suspense, action, adventure, and a bit of romance. Mel is a strong, independent, kick-ass character. In the past, my criticism of this series has centred on the number of plot lines developing in a single book. At times I find the pacing frantic and disjointed. In book three, however, the various plot lines were better integrated than in book two and I found this installment to have a better rhythm. I still find the shifter storyline to be out of place in this series. While I understand the author is integrating another series, as well as building to some major revelations, because I’ve only read Soul Tracker, I simply feel lost.

Urban fantasy fans with a penchant for action should definitely track down some Soul Tracker.

Review: Blood Magic (DarkWorld: Soul Tracker #1) 
Review: Demon Kin (Soul Tracker Book 2)

Four Sheep

Bianca Greenwood

About the Author:

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Tee is the author of over 25 Contemporary Fantasy, Thriller & Paranormal novels

Tee's Valkyrie Series is a Norse Mythology based Young Adult Contemporary Fantasy

Her Hand of Kali Series is a diverse YA Contemporary Fantasy using Indian Mythology as a setting

Tee's DarkWorld contains two current series:

* The SkinWalker Series, a NA Shifter & Magic Urban Fantasy with a black panther, reluctant alpha tracker who will keep you on your toes.

* The SoulTracker Series, a NA Contemporary Fantasy with a teleporting, astral-projecting kick-ass main character.

Upcoming in the world are:

* The MetalSinger (Tara), * The DeathTalker (Nerina) & * The Stolen Queen of Dracys

Tee also has an Angels & Demons Urban Fantasy series, the Chronicles of the Irin, and if you like strong female leads with wings, and a dreadlocked albino demon side-kick, Evie's story is for you.

Tee also writes Romantic Suspense and Psychological Horror as Toni Vallan. Click on Thrillers on Tee's website to find out more.

And because Tee hardly ever sleeps and loves making stuff up, look out for more books, coming soon.

Book Review: Demon Kin (Soul Tracker Book 2) T.G. Ayer

Demon Kin (Soul Tracker Book 2)

T.G. Ayer
January 17, 2017
308 pages

When a business tycoon hires Mel Morgan to find his missing daughter, the SoulTracker is thrown headlong into twists and turns of unexpected deaths and unusual killers. But to find the girl in time to save her, she has to first understand the killer. Demonic or human killers? Mel can't decide which will be worse.

Things get a little complicated when she has to help find both a Panther Alpha's mother, and a reluctant Djinn Queen. Add to the mix an evil spirit plus her mentor Samuel sending her terrifying messages in the Ether. Save him, or else.

It's just all in a days work for a SoulTracker.

Soul Tracker Mel Morgan can find almost anyone almost anywhere. Something of an anomaly in the paranormal world, Mel can use the DNA material of a lost person to track their ‘threads’ and pinpoint their location, be it on the earthly plane or some other dimension. Mel’s gifts of astral projection and ‘jumping’ allow her to rescue people from peril and return them to safety. Tracking has become a career for Mel and her roommate assistants and she’s the best in the biz. Much to the puzzlement of Detective Fulbright, Mel typically succeeds where local law enforcement has failed. So when local police fail to produce meaningful leads on a local teen, Mel is hired by the teen’s tycoon father to find answers.

I quite like this series and its cast of characters. The storytelling is colourful and imaginative. I like how Ayer uses a few conventions of horror in this particular installment. There were a couple moments I found myself actually shuddering. I enjoy the more thrilling aspects of the story and the fast-paced action. Ayer also tosses in a little romance, though the relationship between Mel and Saleem, a djinn turned police detective, has yet to be fully realized.

My major criticism of this book is a plot that can be best described as frantic. There are no fewer than three storylines unfolding in this book in addition to the Mel’s current case. In defence of Ayer, this book is a spinoff to a larger series that I have not read. As such, I was confused by the shifter kidnapping subplot. Additionally, Saleem’s family troubles continue to slowly develop in the background. Add to this Mel’s own failing health, and abject instance to soldier on at all costs, the mysterious disappearances of her sister Ari and mentor Samuel, and the pace is almost too much. I really liked the main storyline. It’s creative, eerie, and horrific. It definitely had enough substance to carry the book without some of the extras. Simplification would have improved this book.

Review: Blood Magic (DarkWorld: Soul Tracker #1) 

Three sheep

Bianca Greenwood

About the Author:

website-FB-twitter

Tee is the author of over 25 Contemporary Fantasy, Thriller & Paranormal novels

Tee's Valkyrie Series is a Norse Mythology based Young Adult Contemporary Fantasy

Her Hand of Kali Series is a diverse YA Contemporary Fantasy using Indian Mythology as a setting

Tee's DarkWorld contains two current series:

* The SkinWalker Series, a NA Shifter & Magic Urban Fantasy with a black panther, reluctant alpha tracker who will keep you on your toes.

* The SoulTracker Series, a NA Contemporary Fantasy with a teleporting, astral-projecting kick-ass main character.

Upcoming in the world are:

* The MetalSinger (Tara), * The DeathTalker (Nerina) & * The Stolen Queen of Dracys

Tee also has an Angels & Demons Urban Fantasy series, the Chronicles of the Irin, and if you like strong female leads with wings, and a dreadlocked albino demon side-kick, Evie's story is for you.

Tee also writes Romantic Suspense and Psychological Horror as Toni Vallan. Click on Thrillers on Tee's website to find out more.

And because Tee hardly ever sleeps and loves making stuff up, look out for more books, coming soon.

Book Review: Blood Magic (DarkWorld: Soul Tracker #1) by T.G. Ayer

Blood Magic (DarkWorld: Soul Tracker #1)
by T.G. Ayer
May 3, 2014

272 pages

Infinite Ink Books

In the DarkWorld the things that go bump in the night are most likely true. And the problem is they are probably not sticking to bumping around in the night. They are everywhere. Your work colleagues, your teachers, even your friends. They've been living that way for a long time. And you haven’t noticed because they don’t want you to.

You’re much better off not asking any questions.

Mel Morgan is a Master Teleporter. She can move through the Veil into the otherworldly planes. A handy skill when looking for missing people. It’s a lonely job, but with her gargoyle partner she’s never minded lonely.

Until a certain super-hot Djinn walks into her life. He needs her help to find someone he loves. And Mel can never say no to someone in need. But the road to helping Saleem is fraught with secrets better left uncovered.

Can Mel and Saleem dodge demons and sorcerers long enough to save the ones they love?

amazon

Melisande “Mel” Morgan is a soul tracker. Using DNA material, Mel can track anyone anywhere. She also possesses the unique ability to jump, or teleport. Mel uses her powers to rescue people held by evil, supernatural forces. Aided by her friends and roommates, a gargoyle and human computer genius, Mel has built a business using her tracking abilities.

This series is marketed as a companion series to another by the author, DarkWorld: SkinWalker, as characters crossover both series. I read the book as a standalone apart from SkinWalker. I quickly found some controversial accusations surrounding this book and its striking similarities to Shannon Mayer’s Rylee Adamson books. Both series feature strong, kick-ass female leads in the business of rescuing lost souls across various realms. Both Rylee and Mel are seemingly propelled by the abduction/loss of a younger sister. I’ve read Mayer’s series and feel each is distinct enough to avoid the charge of blatant ‘plagiarism’ some have levelled at Blood Magic.

Overall, I found Blood Magic to be a quick, engaging read. I liked the characters and the action-packed plot. At times, however, I felt the book could benefit from a longer format. While some sequences, such as the concocting of a spell, are wildly drawn out, other basic facts, like the appearance of characters, are glossed over or avoided altogether. The action, as well, is quite hurried. Mel accomplishes a lot in such a short period of time. While I appreciate the author’s efficiency, it left me a little baffled.

To supplement the action is a bit of romance between Mel and police investigator/djinn Saleem. Their romance is currently building under a slow simmer that I expect to explode in future installments. There also appears to be some mysterious unfinished business surrounding Mel’s relationship with her mentor, Samuel, as well as the disappearance of Mel’s sister. I expect both plot threads to be picked up at the series progresses.

The author’s website indicates two additional installments in this series slated for release in 2016. I plan to follow this series as it develops.

Four Sheep

Bianca Greenwood

About the Author:

website-FB-twitter

Tee is the author of over 25 Contemporary Fantasy, Thriller & Paranormal novels

Tee's Valkyrie Series is a Norse Mythology based Young Adult Contemporary Fantasy

Her Hand of Kali Series is a diverse YA Contemporary Fantasy using Indian Mythology as a setting

Tee's DarkWorld contains two current series:

* The SkinWalker Series, a NA Shifter & Magic Urban Fantasy with a black panther, reluctant alpha tracker who will keep you on your toes.

* The SoulTracker Series, a NA Contemporary Fantasy with a teleporting, astral-projecting kick-ass main character.

Upcoming in the world are:

* The MetalSinger (Tara), * The DeathTalker (Nerina) & * The Stolen Queen of Dracys

Tee also has an Angels & Demons Urban Fantasy series, the Chronicles of the Irin, and if you like strong female leads with wings, and a dreadlocked albino demon side-kick, Evie's story is for you.

Tee also writes Romantic Suspense and Psychological Horror as Toni Vallan. Click on Thrillers on Tee's website to find out more.

And because Tee hardly ever sleeps and loves making stuff up, look out for more books, coming soon.