Book Review: Times Change by Gail Z. Martin & Larry Martin

 

Times Change 

Series: The Joe Mack Shadow Council Files #5

Paranormal/Urban Fantasy, Contemporary Dark Fantasy

Publisher: Falstaff Books

Release Date: July 23rd, 2025

Amazon Buy Link

Joe Mack has come into the present day and finds a past case that involved one of his long ago partners and Elliot Ness is back causing issues and deaths.

My Rating for Times Change: 4 Stars

Joe Mack has been around along time and when he was murdered long ago, an ancient Slavic God gave him abilities that help him reap justice, solve crimes and more through the centuries. A champion against dark entities, demons and more that haunt the human world in the shadows.

Now into the modern age, Joe Mack and his newest partners find themselves facing against an evil that smells of a demon that is back causing even more trouble. Joe Mack and his friends are going up against an evil that will do all it can to stay in our world, come hell or high-water. Get ready for Joe Mack and the gang is about to throw down with some allies that will either save the world yet again or cause it to fall.

My Review for Times Change:

TIMES CHANGE by Gail Z. Martin and Larry Martin is one fun time from start to finish. I love the Joe Mac Shadow Council Files as the first four books dealt from the 1920's to prohibition and now Joe Mack as stepped into the contemporary time that will see him facing more adversaries as well making allies and friends that will help him in his mission to wipe out the supernatural threats that are out there.The writing dup of Gail Z. Martin and Larry Martin deliver a fun ride with this new Joe Mack book that also has characters from some of Gail Z. Martin/Morgan Brice books that crossover so well in TIMES CHANGE. With each page, I was drawn into the world of Joe Mack again and seen through his eyes as he deals with past friends now gone, memories and paranormal baddies that just won't stay down for the count. The storyline is fast paced, with a few twists that kept me on the edge of my seat till the very end. I love the way the authors segway into the contemporary time with Joe Mack and how he is adjusting to it after being alive for so long. The characters are so well written that they just fly off the pages and into the living room to tell me their story themselves. I love how well-rounded they are and multifaceted. We see some new characters that bring a touch of fun and interest with Joe Mack that intrigue me and some characters from other series of the authors' that make me want to reread their books again. 

TIMES CHANGE is a perfect story filled with paranormal creatures trying to cause havoc or peace within the human world. I loved how fresh this book was even after having the setting moving from the past to the present time. The authors do an amazing job in creating a story that gives us depth to Joe Mack and introduces the readers to other characters that have me eager for more. If I had one complaint is that it wasn't long enough. I would love to see how Joe Mack lost his initial partners and friends as well seeing the world as it changed so many times from his point of view. 

Overall, TIMES CHANGE is a book that just wrapped me up and didn't let me leave till the last page was read. I am really hoping the authors continue this series as it's so much fun and gives you everything a reader wants in a story: compelling drama and tension, amazing characters and paranormal creatures and issues that are just fun to read. I highly recommend reading from the beginning with book 1, Cauldron and go from there. It's one of those quick reads that leave you wanting more.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement.

The Joe Mack Shadow Council Files Series:

Book 1: Cauldron

Book 2: Black Sun

Book 3: Chicagoland

Book 4: Spellbound

Amazon Series Page HERE

Book Review: Legacy by Gail Z. Martin

 

Legacy (Deadly Curiosities Series Book 5)

Paranormal/Urban Fantasy, Action Packed, Mystery

Buy Link Here

Omens are having the city of Charleston on edge and as Cassidy, Teag and the gang find out, something supernatural is coming their way. A dark witch dynasty, two ghostly privateers and an elemental spirit hell-bent on getting revenge are all that face Cassidy, Teag and Sorren as they battle not just for themselves but also for the world as they try to stay ahead of what is stalking them. Danger abounds and as the gang from Trifles and Folly find out, the past has something in store for them that even they will be shocked to know.

My Rating for Legacy: 4.5 Stars and a Series Recommended Read

My Review for Legacy:

 

LEGACY is a wonderful addition to the Deadly Curiosities series and one I devoured in a matter of days after rereading the first 4 books. I love how you can just pick any book in the series, and you won’t be confused over anything as each book really stands on its own, but I do recommend reading it in order as each book capitalizes on one another. This time, Cassidy and the gang are up against something they never had to deal with, an immortal elemental who is determined to get their revenge on the two privateers who held her captive for a very long time. With each page the reader is drawn into the world of the Deadly Curiosities and how each character’s magic and strength is about to be tested in ways they were not anticipating.

 

This series delivers all my happy notes: action, amazing characters, unique magic, intriguing mysteries that run the gauntlet of things and more. All this is my catnip, so to speak and I just love how LEGACY delivers all that and more. With this newest addition to the series, the reader is taken on a journey that is filled with twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Ms. Martin delivers more within these pages than ever before, and I can not wait to see if she continues this series in either novella or novel format in the future. There is so much potential to have other things crop in Charleston that I am eager as ever to see where the author goes with the characters and the series.

 

If you are looking for a wild, action-packed paranormal series to devour, I highly recommend the Deadly Curiosities series to you. Its fun, has humor, some romance and a mystery that leaves you guessing till the end. Now the question is, can we get more?

 

This is an objective review and not an endorsement

Book Spotlight/GIVEAWAY: Sellsword 's Oath by Gail Z. Martin

Get ready for a swashbuckling time as Fantasy author Gail Z. Martin delivers to the readers a new series to devour and get lost within the pages in Sellsword's Oath. Don't forget to enter the giveaway in the post as well to be in the running for a $25 Amazon/BN GC from the author. Tour is sponsored by Goddess Fish Promotions.

Now talking with author Gail Z. Martin, one of my favorite authors out there about Sellsword's Oath.

Two Guys Who Can’t Play By The Rules

By Gail Z. Martin

Sellsword’s Oath is the second book in the Assassins of Landria series, which has plenty of action, adventure—and explosions.

Joel “Ridge” Breckenridge and his best friend Garrett “Rett” Kennard never do anything half-way. They met as children in an orphanage, where they quickly teamed up to watch each other’s backs. Ridge taught Rett to read. Rett taught Ridge to pick locks. They bonded over hardship, big dreams, and the secret flicker of magic each of them needed to hide from the monks.

Later, they worked their way up through the Landrian army together, and became King’s Shadows, the elite assassins who protect the monarch and the kingdom. Unlike the rest of the assassins, who work alone, Ridge and Rett work as a team. Their unmatched success lets them get away with their unconventional approach, and buys them forbearance for bending or breaking a lot of rules on the way to saving the king.

They might be the vexation of their boss, and a dangerous—but essential—nuisance to the king, but when the chips are down, Ridge and Rett get the job done and stop the bad guys in their own unique way (that tends to involve blowing a lot of things out)!

GENRE:   Fantasy

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

Buddy flick epic fantasy! The second in the Assassins of Landria series from the award-winning, bestselling author of Scourge: A Novel of Darkhurst and The Chronicles Of The Necromancer books!

Wandering mystic Yefim Makary, known to his followers as the ‘Witch Lord’, disappeared before he could be accused of inciting dissent against King Kristoph. His supporters among the disenchanted aristocrats who weren’t arrested have fled or died by their own hand. The king is happy to put the matter behind him. Yet Burke, the commander of the elite King’s Shadows, doesn’t believe the threat is over, and he assigns his two most troublesome, rule-breaking—and successful—assassins to ferret out the real threat and put a stop to Makary’s plots.

Joel “Ridge” Breckinridge and Garrett “Rett” Kennard rose through the ranks of the Landrian army together, from teenaged conscripts to seasoned fighters. Together, they became the most feared team of assassins in Landria, surviving longer that most in their profession by virtue of excellent fighting skills, legendary bravado, peerless strategy, and an uncanny synchronicity.

As the threads of a new plot come together revealing disloyalty among the priests and generals, Ridge and Rett once again find themselves on the run, hoping they and their allies can figure out the Witch Lord’s latest scheme before it costs them their lives—and the king his throne.

Excerpt One:

The trick, when setting off gunpowder, was to be far enough away.

Ridge had never been good at that part.

He’d almost reached the embankment when he heard the shot from Rett’s matchlock. Knowing what was about to happen next, Ridge dove into the ravine, taking his chances with brambles and thickets over flying rocks and shattered glass.

Behind him, the country manor exploded in a fireball as Rett’s shot touched off the barrels of gunpowder on its roof. That would bring down the ceiling and blow the bombers on the roof sky high while trapping the traitors inside, where they’d either be killed by the blast or buried in the rubble for the king’s guards to collect.

Ridge grunted as he tumbled over roots and rocks, tucking his arms over his face and trusting his leather cuirass to take the brunt of the hits. Even so, rock dust settled like snow over the whole area, and small bits of stone pelted like hail.

To keep it all official, Ridge had nailed the letter of marque to a tree in front of the manor, after he had ensured that no one but the smugglers were inside the abandoned country house. The smugglers—and their rivals on the roof—were already in the process of setting explosives when Ridge and Rett arrived to carry out the assassination. That was a bonus, killing two sets of troublemakers in one swoop and without the personal danger of getting close enough to throw a knife or slit a throat.

He trusted Rett to stay in position, where he would be able to pick off stragglers from his vantage point high in a sturdy tree. Ridge dragged himself to his feet, brushed off the worst of the dirt, and climbed back up the slope. Once he got to the top of the embankment, he would have a good view to spot anyone who might have escaped the explosion and eluded Rett’s aim.

“Damn,” he muttered when he reached the top and saw the results.

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION

Gail Z. Martin will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Gail Z. Martin writes epic fantasy, urban fantasy and steampunk for Solaris Books, Orbit Books, SOL Publishing, Darkwind Press, and Falstaff Books. Recent books include Witch of the Woods, Sellsword’s Oath, Inheritance, and Night Moves. With Larry N. Martin, she is the co-author of the Spells Salt & Steel, Wasteland Marshals, Joe Mack and Jake Desmet series. As Morgan Brice, she writes urban fantasy MM paranormal romance including the Witchbane, Badlands and Treasure Trail series. Recent books include Loose Ends and Unholy.

Find her at www.GailZMartin.com, on Twitter @GailZMartin, on Facebook.com/WinterKingdoms, at DisquietingVisions.com blog and on Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/GailZMartin. Never miss out on the news and new releases—newsletter signup link http://eepurl.com/dd5XLj Follow her Amazon author page here: https://www.amazon.com/Gail-Z-Martin/e/B002BM8XSQ On Bookbub:  https://www.bookbub.com/profile/gail-z-martin On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/morganbriceauthor/

And get a free complete short story, Catspaw, here:  https://claims.prolificworks.com/free/UAjd6

Join her Facebook group, the Shadow Alliance https://www.facebook.com/groups/435812789942761/

Welcome Gail Z. Martin today & Enter the Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Gail Z. Martin will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Jonmarc Vahanian fled from the raiders and monsters that killed his family, but when danger dogs his steps once again, he leaves the traveling caravan that gave him shelter to become a mercenary in nearby Principality. His fighting skills help him rise through the ranks, and draw the attention of a Nargi general—and the general’s undead mage. An old, unsettled score turns deadly, trapping Jonmarc in dangerous intrigue. He can save himself—and betray everything he holds dear—or die a hero as the raider’s curse holds true.

This collection is the second set of short stories and novellas that reveal another phase of Jonmarc’s growth from a blacksmith’s son to becoming one of the greatest warriors in the history of the Winter Kingdoms.

Soldier. Fight slave. Smuggler. Warrior. Brigand Lord. You may have encountered Jonmarc Vahanian in the Chronicles of the Necromancer but you don’t really know him until you walk in his footsteps.

Read an Excerpt

Haunts

“Be off with you,” Harrtuck said. “Nothing but made-up rubbish.”

The woman gave a raspy laugh. “True for some, not for me. She flipped over one illustrated card and then another. “Chenne smiles on you,” she said, naming the warrior aspect of the goddess. “Success in battle will be yours,” she promised and turned another card. Her smile faded. “You will be hunted,” she said, giving Harrtuck a warning glance, “and powerful hands will turn against you.” One more card turned up. “Great favor awaits you.”

Harrtuck snorted. “Great favor? I’ll be happy for a tankard of ale and a warm trollop in my bed tonight,” he said, but he tossed a coin to the seer who caught it in her bony hands.

“How about you?” she said, giving Jonmarc a look as if she could see down to his bones. He took a step back and started to protest, but she was already flipping over cards.

The fortune-teller took a sharp breath. “You have been marked by fire and darkness,” she said. “So much loss for one so young.” She turned another card. “You will have great success in battle, and your skill will earn many coins.” Another card made her pause. “But it is the Dark Lady, not Chenne, who watches over you. Her hand is on you, but she is not a gentle mistress.” A final card turned at an angle showed a hangman, and the color drained from the seer’s face.

About the Author:

Gail Z. Martin writes epic fantasy, urban fantasy and steampunk for Solaris Books, Orbit Books, Falstaff Books, SOL Publishing and Darkwind Press. Vengeance is the second in the new Darkhurst epic fantasy series. Also new is The Dark Road, the second in the Jonmarc Vahanian Adventures series, and Assassin’s Honor (coming, October 2018), the first in the new Assassins of Landria series.

Her Deadly Curiosities urban fantasy series set in Charleston, SC has a new novel, Tangled Web, and two new collections, Trifles & Folly, and Trifles & Folly 2.

Other work includes the Chronicles Of The Necromancer series, the Fallen Kings Cycle, the Ascendant Kingdoms series, and the alternate history novel Iron & Blood and the Storm & Fury collection (co-authored with Larry N. Martin) She is also the co-author (with Larry) of the Mark Wojcik monster hunter series (Spells, Salt and Steel) and the upcoming Wasteland Marshals series and the Cauldron/Secret Council series from Falstaff Books.

As Morgan Brice, she writes urban fantasy MM paranormal romance. New and upcoming books include Witchbane, Burn, Dark Rivers, Badlands, and Lucky Town.

She is also the organizer of the #HoldOnToTheLight campaign: http://www.HoldOnToTheLight.com.
Join her email update and never miss a new release—plus get great free stories just for signing up! http://eepurl.com/dd5XLj

Website: http://www.GailZMartin.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/GailZMartin
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/WinterKingdoms
Blog: http://www.DisquietingVisions.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/GailZMartin

. Buy on Audio, ebook, paperback or free on Kindle Unlimited here:  https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Road-Jonmarc-Vahanian-Collection-ebook/dp/B07H4ZBR1Q/

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Welcome Gail Z. Martin today

One of my favorite fantasy authors introduces readers to a new fantasy series in Assassin's Honor. Get ready for fun and adventure, mystery and magic in this new book. Check out the tour stops found HERE and make sure to enter the giveaway at the end of the post for a chance to win from the author a $25 Amazon gift card to one lucky person. The more you comment, the better your chance at winning.

Now let's chat with Gail on her writing and other fun stuff:

Thanks for stopping by to talk a little about your writing! Let's jump right in.

Q: Do you have a favorite genre? Is it the same genre you prefer to write?

A: I love any genre that includes magic and ghosts, or something supernatural! So I bring that to all of the genres in which I tell stories.

Q: Do certain themes and ideas tend to capture your writer’s imagination and fascinate you?

A: I’ve always had a weak spot for anything with magic, the supernatural, folklore, myths and legends, etc. I have read a lot on those topics over the years, and I like those elements in the stories I enjoy as a reader. So it only makes sense that I’m going to carry them into the stories I write.

Q: How do you balance long-term thinking vs. being nimble in today's market?

A: I write in a lot of different genres, and I’m always open to consider a collaboration, shared universe, anthology, or cross promotion with other authors. I don’t think it works to chase the market, writing stories for what’s hot in the moment. Write what you love, do the very best you can, and the readers who are perfect for you will find you.

Q: How do you find readers in today's market?

A: Online, I’m active on Facebook and Twitter. I participate in multi-author contests and giveaways and sites like Instafreebie/Prolific Works. I go to conventions and am on panels talking about genre and fandom issues. I go to comic cons and pop culture cons and renaissance festivals and run a booth or a table. I do a lot of blog tours, send advance review copies (ARCs) to reviewers and bloggers, and am always open to being interviewed for a blog or a podcast. I enjoy meeting people!

Q: Do you come up with the hook first, or do you create characters first and then dig through until you find a hook?

A: It varies by series and what came to mind first. I’ve done it both ways. Sometimes I’ll get the setting or the plot really clearly, and have to create the right characters for that story. In other cases, I’ll get the characters first, and have to figure out what their story is. It keeps me on my toes!

Q: How do you create your characters?

A: I sit down and think about what they look like, what they like or dislike, how they look, etc. And if I get stuck, I ask them!

Q: What's on the top of your TBR pile right now?

A: I’m glad I have a Kindle, because I’ve got a lot of books queued up for the holidays! I need to get caught up on John Hartness’s Quincey Harker, Demon Hunter series, and some action/adventure novels by Shayne Silvers and Joe Nassise.

Q: Tell me a little about the characters in Assassin’s Honor.

A: Joel Breckenridge (Ridge) and Garrett Kennard (Rett) met as children in an orphanage and became best friends. They joined the army together, and were chosen to be King’s Shadows—members of an elite team of assassins who eliminate bad guys who haven’t been caught by conventional methods. They have a secret—Rett has a touch of forbidden magic. Along with their long suffering valet, Henri, Ridge and Rett do their best to protect the kingdom, even if it means breaking some rules along the way.

Q: Where’s the story set? How much influence did the setting have on the atmosphere/characters/development of the story?

A: The series is set in the fictional kingdom of Landria. It’s a medieval time period, and a monarchy, a fairly prosperous kingdom that nonetheless has some trouble brewing beneath the surface.

Q: If you had to write your memoir in five words, what would you write?

A: Been there, done that. Done!

Q: How often does your muse distract you from day to day minutiae?

A: I’m well known in my house for daydreaming on road trips and when I’m shopping or doing anything that doesn’t take a lot of concentration.

Q: What do readers have to look forward to in the future from you?

A: There will be more books in the Assassins of Landria series! Assassin’s Honor is also now available in audiobook! There will be new books out in all of my series next year, if plans work out, and some new series as well, so expect some surprises!

GENRE: Epic Fantasy

Available at Amazon

Buddy flick epic fantasy! Joel Breckenridge and Garrett Kennard are King's Shadows, elite assassins serving the crown of Landria. When a shadowy itinerant holy man starts captivates the nobility with treasonous whispers, Ridge and Rett go rogue to stop the threat, save the kingdom and protect the king--while landing on the 'Most Wanted' list themselves.

Excerpt:

He rolled the warrant up and tucked it into Destwiler’s bloody vest, a formality. Ridge bent down to search Destwiler’s pockets, curling his lip at the still-warm blood that soaked the shoulders and sleeves of the man’s coat. He found a parchment note tucked beneath the vest and took it to read later, figuring that anything Destwiler found important enough to carry on his person bore looking at closely.

“Are you stealing from him?” Kelvin asked, still eying Ridge with a mixture of fear and awe.

Ridge replied without looking up. “I’m trying to find the keys to those manacles, because I sure as hell don’t want to have to carry you and them out of here, and we need to leave.” He took the iron key off the strap and then stood and crossed the distance to where Kelvin huddled against the wall.

He stared at Ridge in wide-eyed apprehension, unsure what to make of his terrifying rescuer. His wrists were badly bruised from the weight of the iron, and the mark on his cheek suggested Destwiler or his guard had backhanded the child at least once.

“I’m here to take you back to your father,” Ridge said quietly, approaching Kelvin as he would a spooked horse. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

“Are you a Shadow Killer?” Kelvin’s tone shifted, still frightened but clearly intrigued. Ridge had always hated that term—he argued that it made it sound like they killed shadows.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Gail Z. Martin writes epic fantasy, urban fantasy and steampunk for Solaris Books, Orbit Books, Falstaff Books, SOL Publishing and Darkwind Press. Vengeance is the second in the new Darkhurst epic fantasy series. Also new is The Dark Road, the second in the Jonmarc Vahanian Adventures series, and Assassin’s Honor (coming, October 2018), the first in the new Assassins of Landria series.

Her Deadly Curiosities urban fantasy series set in Charleston, SC has a new novel, Tangled Web, and two new collections, Trifles & Folly, and Trifles & Folly 2.

Other work includes the Chronicles Of The Necromancer series, the Fallen Kings Cycle, the Ascendant Kingdoms series, and the alternate history novel Iron & Blood and the Storm & Fury collection (co-authored with Larry N. Martin) She is also the co-author (with Larry) of the Mark Wojcik monster hunter series (Spells, Salt and Steel) and the upcoming Wasteland Marshals series and the Cauldron/Secret Council series from Falstaff Books.

As Morgan Brice, she writes urban fantasy MM paranormal romance. New and upcoming books include Witchbane, Burn, Dark Rivers, Badlands, and Lucky Town.

Find her at www.GailZMartin.com, on Twitter @GailZMartin, on Facebook.com/WinterKingdoms, at DisquietingVisions.com blog and on Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/GailZMartin. She is also the organizer of the #HoldOnToTheLight campaign www.HoldOnToTheLight.com. Join her email update and never miss a new release—plus get great free stories just for signing up! http://eepurl.com/dd5XLj

Buy on Audio, ebook, paperback or free on Kindle Unlimited here: http://a.co/d/aLiSoFi

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Sunday Series Showcase- Gail Z. Martin's Chronicles of the Necromancer

This has to be one of the best fantasy series there is....totally one of my favorites to read repeatedly. The books are available in paperback, audio & e-book.

Book One: The Summoner

The comfortable world of Martris Drayke, second son of King Bricen of Margolan, is shattered when his older half-brother, Jared, and Jared’s dark mage, Foor Arontala, kill the king and seize the throne. Tris is the only surviving member of the royal family aside from Jared the traitor. Tris flees with three friends: Soterius, captain of the guard; Carroway, the court’s master bard; and Harrtuck, a member of the royal guard. Tris harbors a deep secret. In a land where spirits walk openly and influence the affairs of the living, he suspects he may be the mage heir to the power of his grandmother, Bava K’aa, once the greatest sorceress of her age. Such magic would make Tris a Summoner, the rarest of magic gifts, capable of arbitrating between the living and the dead.

Book Two: The Blood King

In The Blood King, sequel to The Summoner, Tris Drayke races against time to gain the skills he needs to challenge his half-brother Jared for the throne of Margolan and defeat the dark mage Arontala before the Obsidian King can be loosed from the abyss.  Pursued by assassins and caught in a dangerous web of intrigue, Tris’ greatest danger is his own magic. The fate of his kingdom, his lady and his soul hang in the balance.  As Margolan plunges into darkness under the yoke of a tyrant, Tris leads an unlikely insurrection, knowing that if he fails, death will be the least of his worries. Betrayed by the living, Tris finds staunch allies among the dead and undead.  As the truce unravels between mortals and vampires, angry ghosts demand their revenge, and the Sisterhood of mages lacks the power to intervene.  The battle for the throne of Margolan and the freedom of the Winter Kingdoms rests on Tris Drayke’s magic—and his ability to control the powerful forces aligning against Jared and Arontala.  Like a storm on the horizon, war is coming—but can Tris control what has been put into motion, or will his battle for the crown bring a greater darkness?

Book Three: Dark Haven

In Dark Haven, the effects of Jared the Usurper’s reign of terror strike at the stability of the Winter Kingdoms. Undead forces align against Lord Jonmarc Vahanian of Dark Haven in a struggle for power between mortals and the vayash moru. Some among the vayash moru are unhappy that a mortal lord is returning to Dark Haven. Jonmarc must win the trust of Dark Haven’s mortal residents while playing a dangerous game of politics with its vayash moru. As everyone keeps reminding him, the last four lords died young.Throughout the Winter Kingdoms, magic has become a dangerous and unpredictable force.

The Flow, a river of magical e nergy, was badly damaged when Arontala ripped the Soulcatcher orb from beneath Dark Haven years ago. Now, the Flow is unstable, threatening the lives and sanity of the mages who draw on it for power. As King Martris Drayke prepares for his wedding, he must also prepare for war against rebels still loyal to Jared. Isencroft is on the brink of civil war over the looming reality of a joint kingdom.

Only one thing is certain-the Winter Kingdoms will be changed forever, and innocence is the first casualty.

Book Four: Dark Lady's Chosen

Treachery and blood magic threaten King Martris Drayke’s hold on the throne he risked everything to win.  As the battle against a traitor lord comes to its final days, war, plague and betrayal bring Margolan to the brink of destruction. The price to save his kingdom may be the lives of those he loves most—and his soul.  Civil war looms in Isencroft, and Cam of Cairnrach may be the only hope to put down a rebellion that threatens the crown. In the Margolan palace, betrayal threatens the new queen and the unborn heir to the throne. Alone in a new kingdom, Queen Kiara is charged with treason and becomes an assassin’s target. And in Dark Haven, the undead threaten the Truce with the living, leading to deadly conflict. Lord Jonmarc Vahanian has bargained his soul for vengeance as he leads the vayash moru against a dangerous rogue who would usher in a future drenched in blood.

The series continues in the Fallen King Cycle with books five, The Sworn and book six, The Dread

About the Author

Gail Z. Martin is the author of the new epic fantasy Reign of Ash (Orbit Books 2014) and Deadly Curiosities, a new urban fantasy novel (July 2014 Solaris Books), set in Charleston, SC. She is also author of Ice Forged in The Ascendant Kingdoms Saga, War of Shadows (Orbit Books, 2015), and Iron and Blood, a Steampunk novel (2015, Solaris Books) which will be co-authored with her husband, Larry N. Martin.  She is the author of The Chronicles of The Necromancer series (The Summoner, The Blood King, Dark Haven & Dark Lady’s Chosen) from Solaris Books and The Fallen Kings Cycle (The Sworn  and The Dread) from Orbit Books.  She writes two series of ebook short stories: The Jonmarc Vahanian Adventures and the Deadly Curiosities Adventures.

Gail’s work will appear in at several new anthologies in 2014: Clockwork Universe Steampunk vs. Aliens, Athena’s Daughters, Dreams of Steel 5, The Big Bad 2, Dance Like a Monkey, plus an illustrated story in Icarus: A Graphic Novel, Heroes (stretch goal author) the British Fantasy Society’s Unexpected Journeys and With Great Power, a superhero anthology. Other US/UK anthologies include Magic (Solaris), The Bitten Word, Rum & Runestones, Spells & Swashbucklers, and The Mammoth Book of Ghost Stories by Women.

Find her at www.ChroniclesOfTheNecromancer.com, on Twitter @GailZMartin, on Facebook.com/WinterKingdoms, at DisquietingVisions.com blog and GhostInTheMachinePodcast.com. She leads monthly conversations on Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/GailZMartin and posts free excerpts of her work on Wattpad http://wattpad.com/GailZMartin.

Larry N. Martin fell in love with fantasy and science fiction when he was a teenager. After a twenty-five year career in Corporate America, Larry started working full-time with his wife, author Gail Z. Martin and discovered that he had a knack for storytelling, plotting and character development, as well as being a darn fine editor. Iron and Blood is their first official collaboration. On the rare occasions when Larry isn’t working on book-related things, he enjoys pottery, cooking and reading.

The Martins have three children, a cat, a Maltese dog and a golden retriever.

Book Review and Spotlight~ Ice Forged by Gail Z. Martin

Ice Forged by Gail Z. Martin
The Ascendant Kingdoms Saga, Book One
Epic Fantasy
Available at Amazon in ebook & print


For Lord Blaine McFadden, life as he knew it was over the day he killed his father. Exiled to the penal colony of Velant, he has lived the last six years as well as he could with no hope to return to his family and Dondareth. But times have changed as the magic that runs through the world explodes, leaving behind chaos and catastrophe in it’s wake. Now Blaine has to decide, does he go back to where he came from or stay in Velant? For time is coming when survival is just one thing the survivors have to deal with as the world’s magic runs wild and the world as they knew it is gone into the ashes.

Wow is all I can say when I started this new introduction from one of my favorite fantasy authors out there. ICE FORGED is the introduction to a world where magic was commonplace, war was eminent and life on the outer reaches of the kingdom in ice and snow was bleak at best. Ms. Martin delivers a wild ride into her new series, The Ascendant Kingdoms Saga and delivers a story that will leave you breathless. The story moves slowly at times so be warned there is quite a lot of plot setting up within the story though I have to admit I really enjoyed the slowness at times as it gave me time to absorb what happened in the pages before. The cast of characters is an intriguing mix of lords, courtesans, military, vampires and more that help move the story along at a nice pace even as the author tosses in a few twists that leave you gasping in disbelief. There are several stories intertwined with Blaine’s quest and that kept me on the edge of my seat even as the author left hints here and there throughout the first book to tease the readers with.

Meet Blain ‘Mick’ McFadden. Former heir to the Lord of Glenreith and after murdering his father in defense of his youngest sister, he finds himself exiled and alone. After meeting Blaine in the beginning of the book, I was hoping I would find him much more hardened after his time on Velant and the penal colony. With one stroke of her pen, or keystroke in this case, Ms. Martin delivers a hero that is as flawed as a human can be, afraid to hope for more than what he manages to make or receive. Blaine is a hero that I would come to fall in love with as the story moved on, the twists and turns keeping me glued to the pages and I found myself wondering if Blaine would get his happy ever after in the end. His band of cohorts are as varied as can be-a former courtesan/assassin, vampires, prisoners of Velant he forged bonds of friendship and family with, additional survivors from the war that Dondareth was fighting as well as the magic that caused the future they are seeing. All these wonderful characters delivered something to the story and left me looking forward to seeing more of them in the future books. As with her other fantasy series, The Chronicles of the Necromancer, Ms. Martin delivers a storyline that has many sweeping arms that spin the reader this way and that as well as the cast of characters. I was glued to the edge of the seat as I found myself rooting for Blaine and his friends to succeed even as the mysterious people after Blaine come out of the shadows and into the pages. The characters are well written and with such a wide variety to follow, I was thrilled to see some new faces pop up every now and again within the story.

ICE FORGED is one of those fantasy books that leave you reeling at the end and wanting more. I am just so glad I managed to grab book two since I need to know what happens next for Blaine and his band of survivors. Now I can’t wait to see what happens next for these wonderful characters and look forward to more in this fabulous series.

Now Available...Book Two, Reign of Ash

Available at Amazon in ebook & print

Survival is only the beginning.

Blaine McFadden endured six long years in the brutal Velant prison colony, exiled for murder. War devastated his homeland of Donderath, and destroyed the magic on which the Ascendant Kingdoms relied. Now, Blaine and a small group of fellow exiles have returned to a lawless wasteland, where unrestrained magic storms wreak havoc and monsters roam free.

Yet, amidst the chaos, rumors persist of a new magic that could restore the kingdoms. But the key lies within a dangerous, ancient ritual and a group of vanished survivors. Now, McFadden’s only hope is a small, desperate, quickly rallied army. Together they must make one last stand knowing that if they fail, the civilization of the Ascendant Kingdoms dies with them.


And I just got word that book three is coming next year and it is called War of Shadows. You get a sneak peek of it at the end of Reign of Ash.



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