Tag Archives: Charlotte E. English

The Spirit of Solstice by Charlotte E. English (@Charlottenglish) – Review

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Title – The Spirit of Solstice (The Malykant Mysteries Book 6)
Author –Charlotte E. English
Genre – Dark Fantasy
Length – 92 Pages
Publication – Jan 2017
My Rating –5/5 Stars

Synopsis

Konrad Savast is the Malykant: foremost and most secret servant of the God of Death. His job? To track down the foulest of murderers and bring them to The Malykt’s Justice. No mercy. No quarter.

Solstice Eve, and Konrad is dragged from his bed to investigate the murder of a local wine merchant. The man’s as dead as they come, but his spirit seems oddly unperturbed by his passing.

More victims are swift to emerge, all killed in the same brutal style — and all with strange, unheard-of reactions to the news of their own demise. Is it just the Solstice spirit, or is there something else afoot? Something stranger, darker and far more dangerous…

Review

I don’t know how Charlotte does it but this series gets better and better with each story.

Konrad is the Malykant, He seeks justice for those murdered and he has a growing group of followers to help him. My favourites being Optapi and Eetapi as always. Their dark humour always has me smiling. The relationship between them and Konrad is a strange one, I don’t think Konrad wants to admit it but as much as he doesn’t like the serpents he’d be lost without them.

This case is a very perplexing to start with..a man is found murdered but seems happy to be dead when the serpents bind him. Why?

More bodies turn up and the curiosity grows with each death.

Now I don’t want to spoil the tale by giving away too much detail but Konrad has to root out fact from fiction to discover the identity of the killer but the strange manner of the deaths means this isn’t a quick open and shut case.

I loved the injection of myths in this tale. Fantasy and myth blend so well for me and it made for an extraordinary tale.

What the author manages to do superbly well is that she builds on the previous foundations set in the series and develops the relationships. Konrad is still coming to terms with feeling emotions and in this tale it looks like having emotions might not be the best thing.

While I loved the original ensemble of characters I really enjoyed the return of Tasha, she’s very unique and I love the relationship she has with Konrad and the growing support she has to offer with her own set of skills.

Once again I’m shocked at how much Charlotte can fit into so few pages. At 92 pages this is exactly what a short story should be..It’s a full tale, fast flowing and easy to follow, no unanswered questions & nothing feels rushed.

Charlotte’s tales are dark and a mildly gruesome at times but are very enjoyable and well suited to a young adults and above. I think what I really enjoy is Charlotte’s use of language, it’s never dumbed down but never too complex to put a reader off either.

I’ve said it before but Charlotte is Queen of the short tales for me. She never sets a foot wrong and they’re perfect if you don’t have the time to read a longer length novel.

To find out more head to Amazon or Goodreads.

Author Spotlight – Charlotte E. English

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Every so often when i’m reading a book i think back to other books i’ve read.. the events of that previous book overshadowing my current reading..

This is when i know I’ve found an author i really enjoy.

Today i’d like to highlight the brilliant work  by Charlotte E. English who has to be one of the nicest authors i’ve reviewed since i started my blog.

I’d actually owed some of Charlotte’s work before starting the blog and for me it was a big buzz to have her notice my little corner of the web. I do what i do out of the sheer love of reading but to know your comments are appreciated makes everything so worthwhile.

Why do a spotlight you may ask? Simple.. There’s just not enough time in the day to read every book i want to.. and i want the author to see i support them and love their work even if i can’t read their book straightaway

Charlotte is a brilliant fantasy writer and her books have always been a pleasure to read. In all honesty her work has to be some of the best fantasy i’ve read and as my favorite genre i have high expectations. What i really enjoy about her books is how easily she sets the scene andsucks you into her world. She always leaves me with the fuzzy feeling in my brain as i imagine the world she creates and needless to say i’m always left wanting to read more of her work.

The Malykant Mysteries is a series of 4 short stories and it amazed me how much Charlotte managed to fit in such a short space of time.. a rich and detailed story that i just couldn’t help but love. You can see my review here – The Malykant Mysteries Review If you are looking for a short read then i can’t recommend this enough.

I also really enjoyed the Draykon series.. here’s the blurb for book one!

When shy and retiring Llandry Sanfaer discovers a mesmerising new gemstone, she suddenly becomes the most famous jeweller across the Seven Realms. Demand for the coveted stone escalates fast; when people begin dying for it, Llandry finds that she herself has become a target.

Lady Evastany Glostrum has her life in pristine order. Prestigious, powerful and wealthy, she is on the verge of crowning her successes with the perfect marriage. But when her closest friend is murdered for the jewellery she wears, Eva is drawn into the mystery surrounding the curious “istore” gem.

The emergence of the stone is causing chaos across the Seven. Gates between the worlds are opening at will, pulling hordes of creatures through from the shadowy Lower Realm and the glittering Uppers. As Eva works to discover the culprit behind the spreading disorder, Llandry must learn the truth about her precious istore stone — before she herself becomes a victim.

Draykon is currently free to buy here – Amazon.co.uk – Amazon.com

I highly recommend you check it out and if you like it as much as me i recommend you buy the complete box set of three books as it will save you a little money in the long run 🙂

If you are looking for a new book take my advice and have a look at Charlotte’s work.. you’ll not be disappointed

Have a good weekend everyone 🙂

Lokant (The Draykon Series Book 2) by Charlotte E. English – Review

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Title – Lokant (The Draykon Series Book 2)
Author – Charlotte E. English
Genre –  Fantasy
Publication – December 2011
My Rating – 5/5 Stars

Synopsis

The long-vanished draykon race has been restored to the Seven Realms, and the mystery of the istore stone is resolved. But Lady Eva Glostrum returns to Glour City with many questions unanswered. Who are the enigmatic sorcerers who woke the draykon? Their powers are beyond anything she has ever known. With one dead and one vanished – literally – Eva has little to go on save a book taken from a mysterious tower in the Lowers, its cover marked with the strange word “Lokant.”

Llandry Sanfaer is anxious to learn more about the glorious draykoni, whose story is so inexplicably bound up with her own. But when she brings another draykon back from the Long Sleep, she finds she has made a grave mistake. Worse, a white-haired sorcerer with a talent for mind control is stalking her across the Worlds…

As war builds between humankind and draykoni, Eva must uncover the identities of the sinister white-haired practitioners – and come to terms with the truth of her own heritage.

And Llandry must learn why she appears to be their primary target…

Review

This is the second book in the Draykon series and I absolutely loved the first. I’m just ashamed it’s taken me so long to get round to reading this one..

So we are back in the wonderful world of the Seven Realms and the troubles revolving around Llandry Sanfaer who discovered a mysterious stone which has caused so many problems. The Draykoni are an ancient race long thought extinct.. not any more….

Charlotte builds perfectly on from the established characters and events of the first book but so much more is added, more characters to enjoy and we get to know a lot more about the Draykoni history. Things start to piece together in places and you can see the big picture starting to form.

This book was a great chance for the author to work on the character development and it paid off big time.. we see the relationship between Tren and Eva develop. The storyline that unfolds for these two was brilliant.. frustrating and brilliant.. You just want to bang their heads together. What made it so go is you get to see things from each prospective which makes it easier to understand why they act the way they do.

One of the things I like the most about Charlotte’s stories is she isn’t scared of making a reader work, names and places you have to pronounce that make your brain work.. It’s not dumbed down. She also has a great way of making the characters personality come out in her writing, for example whenever you read a passage where Eva is talking you can always detect the slight superiority she has about herself. This makes it great to read as you can actually imagine the conversation happening rather than just reading the words… it makes reading it more fun.

The best addition to the book is Pensould, a Draykon, I won’t spoil him for you but his no nonsense approach has left me hoping he plays a bit part in the next book.

The other character I really enjoyed is named Krays, who gives fresh life to the tale and lots more mystery.. This man has motives we don’t fully understand and I can’t wait to get to grips with book 3 to find out more about him.

It’s very hard to write a review for this book as I don’t want to give anything away but if you like fantasy & mystery this is the series for you. This is exactly what I want from a fantasy book.

Ok.. if you haven’t heard of the Draykon series I urge you to have a look on Amazon.. It’s first book is free so why not give it a go? Links here to Amazon.co.uk & Amazon.com

What I did was read the first book then purchased the box set of 3 books, it offers better value and is definitely worth it.

Charlotte has solidified her place as a favourite author of mine so look out in 2016 for more reviews of her work 🙂

To find out more about Lokant head to Goodreads, Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

The Malykant Mysteries Compendium: Books 1 – 4 by Charlotte E. English – Review

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Title –  The Malykant Mysteries Compendium: Books 1 – 4
Author – Charlotte E. English
Genre –  Fantasy
Length –  330 Pages
Publication – Feb 2015
My Rating –  5/5 Stars

Synopsis

 Konrad Savast is the Malykant: foremost and most secret servant of the God of Death. His job? To track down the foulest of murderers and bring them to The Malykt’s Justice. No mercy. No quarter.

The Rostikov Legacy: When Konrad discovers the body of a wealthy society hostess lying in the cold, mist-shrouded reaches of the Bone Forest, the pressure is on to find her killer. Can he catch the killer without revealing himself as the Malykant?

The Ivanov Diamond: When three people turn up dead, their immortal souls missing, Konrad’s got a strange case on his hands. And it’s clear that it’s got something to do with the theft of a great and valuable diamond from one of Ekamet’s wealthiest citizens…

Myrrolen’s Ghost Circus: When a corpse turns up in the middle of Myrrolena’s famed circus, Konrad must uncover the weird truth behind the mysterious travelling show—and without falling foul of its enigmatic Ringmistress, Myrrolena herself.

Ghostspeaker: When a wealthy young woman takes her own life, Konrad is sent to investigate. Was it suicide, or murder? Or… both? To discover the truth, Konrad must navigate the combined perils of society gossip, an unregistered Ghostspeaker and a host of unquiet spirits.

Review

This compendium is made up of 4 short stories which have previous been released separately. I really enjoy collections like this as it not only offers value for money but also gives you more to read. I love a good short story but they always leave me wanting more.. a selection like this is perfect to keep you happy if you’re like me.

So these tales focus on the life of Konrad Savast. Savast has two sides to him, first being the wealthy and respectable citizen the second being the Malykant who basically deals out justice for those who have been murdered.

The idea for the Malykant really intrigued me, this dark avenger fighting for those who can’t. The added fantasy twists to the underlying tale of vengeance make for a very engrossing read.

I definitely think getting the compendium instead of the separate books is the way to go so you can move from tale to tale with the previous book fresh in your mind. You don’t need to do this but for me It gave something extra to the development of the characters, you can see Savast grow and struggle with his role as the Malykant and you can see his relationship with Nanda expand and motivations come to light in book 4 that tie things together nicely.

Also I really enjoyed Konrad’s companions in justice, Ootapi & Eetapi, their sense of humour fits perfectly with the theme of the book and I just loved them popping up.

I was already a fan of Charlottes before reading this collection and she has definitely kept me happy with this one. It’s beautifully written to help the reader understand the characters and their surroundings. The descriptiveness really did help paint a picture in my head as I was reading

I’ve given the book a 5* but I was left wanting more.. It credit to the author I guess.. Charlotte has managed to make 300+ pages seem like 100.. I got immersed so much I didn’t even see the end I sight. I’m looking forward to reading and review more of her work

To find out more head to Goodreads, Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com