The Mourning Sword

The Mourning Sword by Fairyfern

Allary, reluctant princess of Orcad and cousin to the King, takes a journey to Almeirím, the city of Elves, in order to honor an ancient tradition that may save her country from a bloody war.
Banner Credit: Arden

Melissa Thinks: It's been awhile since I've found a high fantasy story on Fictionpress that stole me away quite like "The Mourning Sword". Allary is a headstrong girl who lives a life of relative peace beside her cousin, and King of the human kingdom of Orcad, Fenn. With the tension between Orcad and the neighboring Elvenkingdom rising, it seems one little mistake could bring the two species to war; so when Fenn becomes sick and can't journey to the Elven city of Almeirím in accordance with tradition to take part in King's Week, Allary, as princess of Orcad, must take his place.

Don't you just love when you're so emotionally invested in a story that you get those butterflies in your stomach? Your world falls away and you can become completely involved with an amazing story? That's what "The Mourning Sword" was like for me. There were so many memorable components of the story. Most importantly, the world building was incredibly on point. It's easy to drown in endless facts that you don't care about, or even find yourself craving a deeper explanation in fantasy novels, but that is not the case here. There is an immense amount of knowledge thrown at the reader, but it works so well both because we are learning as Allary learns and the content is incredibly interesting to digest.

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Once Upon a Nightmare

Once Upon a Nightmare by Mickey John
Nightmares and Dreams are actual creatures who invade human minds as embodied fears and joys. Violet doesn't use the new BlissMax pill designed to give good dreams (or any modern niceties, thanks Dad), and one night, a Nightmare—the fear of hell—enters her enticingly un-medicated mind and gets trapped.
Banner Credit: Arden

Melissa Thinks: Violet Darcey is desperate for an escape. Whether it's through books (gothic literature is her one true love) or through her dreams, she wholeheartedly throws herself into imagining a different reality for herself. Unfortunately, this means she's slowly losing her interest in real life in the process. Then one night everything changes. There's something in her mind - actually inside of her subconscious - and his name is Alexander. Of course, Alexander is not a typical boy, but in fact, a Nightmare. "Once Upon a Nightmare" is a novel in which Dreams and Nightmares are living beings. They have their own world, their own magic system, their own monarchy. Suddenly Violet is sucked into Alexander's strange world. He tells her that not only is he stuck inside of her, but not being able to feed off of her now fearless dreams is slowly killing him. Soon they both learn that setting Alexander free may come at a price.

Anyone in the mood for a good supernatural romance has definitely come to the right place. I remember reading this back before the author revamped the entire thing and I am absolutely thrilled to have been able to reread and review this for ADoR. One of my favorite things about "Once Upon a Nightmare" is the amazing characterization. Immediately the reader is drawn to Violet; her strange passion for reading, her fiery attitude, her indifference towards school, the fact that she wants to spend all her time sleeping - she's someone we can all see ourselves being friends with. Then there's Alexander, who's the perfect balance of an asshole and a nice guy. You can't help but love him, even though some of his actions are pretty questionable.

My favorite scene of the entire story was one in which Violet and Alexander are playing a giant game of Candyland and it's such an amazing and perfect moment it gave me chills. The entire novel was eerie yet light-hearted at the same time, which definitely made it one of my more memorable suggestions. I am smitten with this story; the characters, the setting, the plot, basically everything. I cannot wait to sink my teeth into the sequel.

Skin Deep

Skin Deep by Anego
Coredan is a young boy who adores his twin sister, and would do anything for her. But when the day comes that he pays too heavy a price, he meets Prince Londel- whos life is darker than expected.
Banner Credit: Melissa

Helen Thinks: I want to just start off by saying that “Skin Deep”

“Skin Deep” follows Coredon as he becomes Prince Londel’s servant after stepping forward to take his sister; Koreina’s; punishment when she is overheard slandering the crown heir because of his appearance. Life is Londel is not what Coredon expected due to the crown prince being a lot more relaxed, not caring about being called “sire” or any other term of title. However, what Coredon did not expect was for the crown prince to have affections towards him, nor did he expect to return them...

What makes this story so fantastic is the numerous characters that Anego has created. Yes, the royals that we meet might be a little more relaxed than those you would usually read in a fantasy story but I think that is what makes it stand out. Despite these little quirky changes, the characters are consistent throughout the story and develop in leaps and bounds as the story progresses. You feel a rapport with every character and the emotions that Anego wants you to feel for each one - love, hatred, disgust etc - is delivered perfectly through the writing.

My only issue with “Skin Deep” is that Coredon seems to go through a lot of scrapes... I know that some characters are meant to have bad luck and it is written to show how much he loves Londel but at some points you feel yourself thinking “just how lucky can one guy be?”. However, despite feeling this once or twice as I read the story, I could not close down the window (and trust me, I needed to as I was supposed to be sleeping!) because I just needed to get to the end and see if - despite the bumpy road - could the two men have the happy ending they deserved!

With a wonderful range of characters, a fantasy plot that is superbly written as if the realm was real and a completed status, “Skin Deep” by Anego is definitely a story that you should add to your to read list. Especially the extra epilogue that Anego posts on their livejournal that earns the story its “M” rating.
by Anego is one of the most captivating stories that I have had the pleasure of reading in a long time.

The Shore Between Kingdoms

The Shore Between Kingdoms by OrangePanda
Humans and merpeople have remained separated for generations. But when a merman is captured by fishermen, Calder must prevent war between the two groups while contemplating his attraction for the merman who mysteriously developed human legs. 
Banner Credit: Nadiie

Helen Thinks: It is a rare pleasure to read a fantasy story,

especially one with a slash love story, and I have to say that it is delivered by OrangePanda in “The Shore Between Kingdoms”. The separate worlds of the human and the merpeople are challenged together one night when a couple of fishermen capture a merman they state were trying to tip their boat over. However, the merman is unable to be freed due to having developed legs and it would take until the next full moon for his tail to return. To prevent war between the two civilisations, Calder; advisor to the Queen; becomes a guardian for Kuval as well as showing him how different land is to the sea. What he did not expect was to develop feelings for the merman, especially when Kuval had made it clear that they could never do anything because merpeople did not allow themselves to feel like humans do. But can it really be that cut and dry?

The best thing about “The Shore Between Kingdoms” is that OrangePanda's prose helps set the scene and pace flawlessly. They manage to fit a month of activities into twelve short chapters and yet there is not the feeling that the story has been rushed which makes me want to applaud OrangePanda's writing because that can be hard to do. Another high note with OrangePanda's writing is that they just write the perfect amount of fantasy into their story. Sometimes it is easy to go overboard with the amount of lore and information that can be shared between writer and reader but this never happens in “The Shore Between Kingdoms”. Enough information is shared so that the plot is understandable and to help the story develop as the fictitious month passes by.

“The Shore Between Kingdoms” delivers with it's fantastic fantasy plot line and full roster of characters that have their own role to play in the story makes this a story that you will read in one sitting.

Study Me Dead

Study Me Dead by AceChant
"Please don't freak out." His words echoed in my head like a mantra, until it was possible all my other thoughts had been obliterated. I shoved the skull in his face, just short of hitting him. "I am holding your skull in my hands. What did you expect?"
Banner Credit: Marta

Marta Thinks: Lima meets a boy. But he's not just any boy. Oh no, he's not like any boy she's ever met. Because he's a ghost. And not just a random ghost: he's a magical ghost. Who was murdered. Yeah. Didn't expect that, did you?

I really enjoyed the piece. The plot itself was enjoyable (perhaps not overly original, but it still kept me engaged), though the real gem of it all was Lima and her narrative voice. Her inner thoughts were humorous, and helped show a fluffy and enjoyable side to a mystery supernatural plot. It walked the fine line between detracting from the story and not being effective, but AceChant managed to balance all of this effortlessly.

And the ending? One word: perfect.

Holy the Dark

Holy the Dark by lookingwest

Achitophel was once a shaper poet before a war between his people and witches drove him to desertion. Trapped in an urban sprawl with a human woman and the prince of witches, he's never felt so homesick. Worst of all, the prince has been turned vampire. Chances of fleeing the city alive are dwindling. 
Banner Credit: Melissa

Melissa Thinks: The thing about Holy the Dark that is so weirdly genius is how the point of view switches; each chapter alternates between five characters. It sounds like a lot to handle, and at first I was unsure on whether I could carry on, but the thing about HtD is that the characters - although written with the same idyllic haunting of a voice - all have different roles in the story; different perspectives and attributes that the author defines for you.

The setting, dialogue, and the plot points are all very chilling, like nothing I've ever read in a supernatural story before. I appreciate how in-depth the characters are, even though it means less action. Although sometimes the writing can be vague and confusing, which is my only criticism for the story in whole.

W is for WHAT?

W is for WHAT? by Lulai

Marla needs no one. But when she rescues someone who needs her, will she have the strength to fight for not only his sanity, but his very soul? twenty and done! 

Banner Credit: Casey

Marta Thinks: Lulai, the extremely talented author of 'The V Word', manages to captivate and impress once again in 'W is for WHAT?' The storyline is extremely engaging - full of twists and excitement - but what really carries forward the tale are the characters.

Marla, the main character, is a slightly cynical, slightly insecure girl who isn't afraid to express her opinion. Her insights are funny, caustic and fun to follow. Callum is a perfectly well written male character, which allowed him be more than just a romantic interest, but an actual charismatic person. The minor characters, such as Jason, Marla's parents, Kate and Damien, were all unique and distinct.

This allowed me to become fully invested in this story and the romance it presented - to the point where I'd go back and re-read a chapter a couple of times because it was just so good.

A Touch of Sight

A Touch of Sight by cu-kid

For Lia, solitude equals safety and the past is best forgotten. A chance entreaty pulls her into a tangled web where nothing is what it appears to be and she can no longer hide from the one thing she fears the most.
Banner Credit: Melissa

Brittany Thinks: In high school, I devoured Anne Rice's vampire novels and became obsessed with the idea of mythical beings. Lately, vampires are a bit overdone and cliche at times for me and the repetitive story lines and character arcs can make modern day vampire lore a daunting read. However, if you're a lover of good vampire stories from back in the day like I am, A Touch of Sight by CU-kid is such a refreshing twist! As the author said herself, A Touch of Sight isn't a story about vampires, but a story with a few vampires thrown in for good measure.

This story has a bit of everything: old feuds, lost loves, magic, clairvoyance, mythology... the list goes on and on, but anything further would be a spoiler ;). Ophelia, our heroine, has legitimate fears and phobias brought on by her mysterious condition and past, but manages to seem strengthened by them rather than weak and needy. Rade, the male lead (kind of. There are a few to choose from), is so far removed from the obsessive, controlling bad boy character you expect him to be upon first meeting him. I loved that his character arc surprised me so much. I think my favorite part of this story honestly was the quirks developed in Ophelia from events in her past. It was fascinating to me how CU-kid played with the dilemma of psychological scars. Her characters were interesting, complex, and each one received equal treatment, which can be a challenge in a character driven story with so many important characters. Also, the mythology behind the plot was unique, well developed, clearly researched, and exciting. It comes to a satisfying conclusion that leaves few holes which impressed me to no end.

A warning before you jump into this enjoyable read: the story is quite graphic. It's rated M and it earns every bit of that rating. The most explicit chapter comes with a warning at the beginning, so if you're still wanting to read, you can avoid the most graphic bit. There is an age warning and I would be remise for not telling you of that ahead of time. I personally wasn't bothered by it, but to each their own.

My own issue with the story is that I do have some questions. While the plot of the novel was resolved, I find myself wondering what will happen after the story ends. I don't know if CU-kid is ever planning a sequel, but there is certainly room for one. However, I also kind of like the idea of an uncertain future. The future is always uncertain, after all. Also, there are a few instances where I was wanting a bit more information, but I think that came from being so deeply invested in the characters. I wanted those extra details to better understand their motivations and needs. This is a character driven work, in my opinion, with a detailed, enjoyable plot. If you have a few hours to escape into another world - one a bit more dark, sinister, and exciting than your own, I think A Touch of Sight is a story for you.

Happy reading!

Reaper

Reaper by ellision

“I already have your heart,” he breathed against her ears as his arms snaked around her hips, pulling her closer. “Finally, the rest of you is mine, Lotte. No more running away.” And she could hear it - her own heart - beating somewhere from inside the leather of his jacket. 

Banner Credit: Helen

Marta Thinks: I read Reaper once, and it was enough to make me fall in love with it. The mystery, its character, its breathtakingly beautiful language captivated me and showed me a tale I'd never seen before. ellision immersed me into a world that was so far from mine and yet - yet I'd never read anything that felt so vivid, so real.

Then I read Reaper a second time, and a third time, and I fell in love with it more with every read. And I thought: “Yes.That's the mark of good writing – the endless beauty it provides you infallibly each and every single time.” That’s why I'll keep on reading this story, and why you should too: because we all have a desire, a thirst for beauty, and Reaper will satisfy your quench, even if only for a while.

How High

How High by Euphoralie
Add: One slightly psychotic, self proclaimed huntress, one snarky and attractive new partner, and a mess of trouble with far too many firearms. Throw in a dash of mysterious stalker and annoying sibling. Blend. Bake with an oven full of mythical creatures.
Banner Credit: Amy

Marta Thinks: Euphorialie's “How High” is original and entertaining, with engaging dialogue and a refreshing plot. The story was made of the very best sort of fabric - largely thanks to its extremely well written and well thought of characters, who almost seemed more real than actual people. The ending, in my opinion, was the cherry on the cake. It was true to the characters, and who they were; it didn't rush anything, and this allowed it to be realistic (as realistic as a supernatural story can be). That is the greatest sort of ending, and that was present here.

I suppose the best thing I can say about “How High”, however, is that I truly and honestly had fun reading it. It may sound like a very banal comment, but I assure you that you can enjoy and admire a story – and not have fun reading it. This doesn’t happen in “How High”. Trust me.

Chicanery

Chicanery by Scheherzade

"I hear you two at night. I hear your cries to a deity and his moaning. Do you love him?" he asked, his jaw tight and his eyes ablaze. "Because if you do, we have a conundrum. Here I am, a fool, breaking the law for you, risking treason for you, slaying dragons for you and yet I'm being pitted against some foreign bastard." 
Banner Credit: Amy

Marta Thinks: A love triangle done well is a love triangle you don't want to miss out on. You'll find yourself unsure of who you want Vita to be with - the devoted Rabka or the manly Gray. And once you finally decide, Scheherzade pulls out a new twist or a new POV, and find yourself unsure all over again. Does this mean it’s good? Yes. Add in castles, Crown Princes, thieves and a whole new world now. Does this mean it’s good? No. It means that now you've got yourself a winner.

I don’t know why this story isn’t more well-known. It should be. It has to be. And now that you know about its exsitance, you'd be crazy not to read it. Not read Chicanery would mean denying yourself an amazing story. And you don't want to be doing that, do you?

Skin Deep

Skin Deep by aneman333

Things are looking up for twenty year old maiden, Amala. Until she's taken from her home and brought to the Shadowland. Its a world unlike the one she knows, inhabited by Shadows, vampires, Crows, and shapeshifters. As well as a young man, named Keir.

Banner Credit: Brenda

Marta Thinks: I found "Skin Deep" to be an exceptionally well written supernatural story. It's already hard to tell a story; writing one in a world which you've invented is ten times harder. And yet aneman333 pulled it off. I liked how she managed to tell what was going on and explain the strange and carefully thought of world at the same time, without getting redundant or repetitive.

The characters were all so fun to read about. Amala and Keir were sweet - and their growing romance was cute and refreshing. Lily grew on me and Tailfeathers (my favorite character) was humorous and charismatic. Kismet was fun with her sarcastic and ironic nature. Even characters that I would have disliked in other circumstances, such as Lis or Axe, were amazing.

I could go on gushing about it, but I'll save you my five thousand words of praise. I will not save, however, my last words of advice: Read. Now.

Why Not Me?

Why Not Me? by S.J. Maas

A short story retelling of Hansel and Gretel through the eyes of the Witch.
Banner Credit: Melissa

Rosie Thinks: This story is truly amazing. As it says in the summary, this is a twist on the Hansel and Gretel fairy tale, with the witch's life as the focus. By reading the summary, I thought that it would be a fairly light read about how the witch wasn't actually evil etc, but I was wrong. This is a dark story, but I absolutely love the way S.J.Maas has taken you into the mind of the witch and examined the workings of her mind. The story is pretty much a recounting of the witch's life, starting off with the crazy crone who raised her to how she began to feel that eating children would bring her closer to God and that it was the right thing to do.

One thing I love in stories is when the author has managed to make the villain into a three dimensional character - i.e., he/she has reasons for their actions, not just because they're pure evil. This is done perfectly in 'Why Not Me'. I actually felt sympathetic towards the witch, regardless of her terrible actions at times.

Despite the fact that I was sickened by parts of this story, I couldn't stop reading. S.J.Maas' writing is beautifully descriptive and fluent, portraying the scenes and emotions with ease. I found it interesting that, looking back on it, not one scene break was used by the author. This shows how fluid her writing is and that the entire story flowed, rather than being disjointed or interrupted. I will honestly never think of Hansel and Gretel the same after this amazing retelling!

Koibito no Ryu

Koibito no Ryu by paws-bells

Sarea had led a fairly normal life until that arrogant, pompous snake chose to drop in on her. Literally. Then she learns that she is his lifemate and that dragons actually exist. No, they really do. And he just happens to be their crown prince.
Banner Credit: Amy

Melissa Thinks: Koibito No Ryu was a story that I had heard much about. I'd even read it a few years ago when it was incomplete, but then promptly forgot about it. It was an absolute treat to go back and reread this exquisite story. With 1,000+ reviews, it dominates over many in the fantasy category; it's definitely one of the most popular out there.

paws-bells gets right into the action, beginning with our leading male and female character's first confrontation. Tentei falls (literally) into Sarea's life within the first couple hundred words. Being a dragon has it's various perks, one of them being the fact that they each have Life Mates (somewhat akin to our version of "soul mates"). The problem is, Sarea doesn't want to be Tentei's Life Mate. Even if he is the crown prince in his world. However, their obviously bad first impressions of each other don't matter - fate has tied them together whether they like it or not.

In a perfect mix of fantasy and love/hate, Koibito No Ryu can leave you in a state of permanent fangirl. The characters maintain a high level of believability throughout the entire story, which is an extremely hard thing to do in a fantasy story. Sarea is an amazing character. She takes the whole situation in stride and keeps an incredibly sensible perspective considering the strange circumstances she's been pulled into. And, of course, there's Tentei: arrogant, protective, demanding, but sweet, loyal, and sexy all at the same time. As for the plot, just wow. I've never seen a dragon story before, despite my love for fantasy stories. You can tell just from the A/N's that paws-bells writes that she knows exactly what's going on in this world she has created. It's as if it's real. She/he truly has a talent for descriptive and imaginative writing with amazing emotional themes. Is it wrong for me to hope for a sequel? It would be spectacular.

Fatesbane: The Falucite Bride

Fatesbane: The Falucite Bride by Sorceress Myst

The diviner said unto me 'You will be mated to a monster'. I told her she was full of it. I knew she made it up just to get rid of me. But now when I gaze at the man with the spiffy hat, I wasn't so sure anymore.
Banner Credit: Melissa

Marta Thinks: The first few chapters of this story were slightly slow and full of details, which made me rather hesitant on whether to review the story or not. However, once the introductions were put aside, I could hardly stop myself from reading the whole story. I soon got invested in the main relationship and the mystery surrounding the main character, Dantia (which isn't cleared up in this story, but in its sequel).

I think what really impressed me the most was how Sorceress Myst created such a detailed world. The Falucites and their mannerisms were described incredibly well, that it felt as though Sorceress Myst knew them inside out! Moreover, she even crafted a map of Orja, which, besides being useful, also proved to me even further how well she knew what was going on. Creating a new world is such a difficult task, but it seemed so effortless, because it was done so well.

The sexual themes which Sorceress Myst mentions in her summary are definitely there. However, most of them have been cut, so that even if the story's rated M, it's nothing scandalous. The uncut scenes have been posted on her website, in case anyone wants to read them. They're not overdone and written as well as the rest of her story.

Needless to say, this is one story that I'm going to enjoy reading over and over again - each time finding something new and wonderful to admire.

Chaperon

Chaperon by SJ Maas 

The forest always smells of the battle between life and death. The rage on both sides is unconquerable. It can be felt always. Always. A short story that retells and reexamines Little Red Riding Hood.
Banner Credit: Melissa

Ali Thinks: We've all heard the tale of Little Red Riding Hood— well, one version of it, anyway. I've heard all my life that there is always more than one side to any story, and in S.J.Maas' Chaperon, a different, darker side is shown on the story that we all thought we knew. While this was an innovative take on Little Red Riding Hood's story, there are still elements in it that make it recognizable to the original account, which makes it seem all the more real.

Chaperon is an eleven year old girl, still innocent in the matters of events that go on around her, such as the ongoing war and hatred between Man and Wolf. Despite the fact that she is this innocent little girl just walking through the forest to give her grandmother some bread, Fenris, the Wolf prince she meets, isn't ignorant to the happenings around him at all, and the juxtaposition between them made for a great dynamic, especially since Chaperon didn't know of the role she was playing at the particular moment.

What I love the most about this story is not the interaction between Chaperon and Fenris, the affect he had on her, or even the references to other fairytales, as great as all of those elements were. To me, the greatest part was just how mush like a folk tale the narrative sounds. The whole time reading it through, it felt like I was reading an actual old fairytale written centuries and centuries ago, and the element of timelessness that is produced by that is, in essence, simply magnificent.

The Good Witch

Since the posting of this review, this story has been removed from FictionPress by the author.

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Last November Sky

Last November Sky by Ember Roses

In a foster home designed for teenagers with supernatural abilities, a young man with anti-social disorder who can read minds attempts to keep the love of his life safe from an agency that plans to harness superhuman teenagers as models for destructive future armies.

Marta Thinks: After reading the first few chapters of this story, I could already tell that The Way You Are is a very skilled storyteller because Last November Sky is a beautifully written story. I have to admit that the first few chapters are a little bit of an information dump but I can't think of any other way it could have been written. Additionally, whilst it always takes a bit of time to adapt to a new universe, The Way You Are managed to pull it off easily. Nothing was confusing at all.

Characterization is a very strong point in this story as well. The two main characters - Dillon and Lindi - are incredibly realistic and likable. Their relationship was something that you can't help but root for. I found that the other characters, such as Morris, Allan and Gable are very thought out as well. I also liked how their powers sort of define them and how not everyone is as they seem. But I think I'll leave it there. I don't want to spoil the rest of the story.

The only thing I might have to point out though, before anyone starts reading it, is that there are pretty strong scenes in here (hence, the M rating). I wouldn't see that as a big issue though. Last November Sky is worth reading even if some parts are quite explicit.


And all I'm left to say is: Thank goodness this story is complete, or else I don't think I would have managed waiting for each new chapter!

Fence

Fence by Comodin
The spirits of Halloween Past, Present, and Future might just be able to help Tory get his life back on track... if he can survive the process, that is.

Banner Credit: Helen

Ariana Thinks: I'm not a huge fan of the Ghost of the Christmas Past or the Wizard of Oz, so I have to admit that I was a little wary of the story when I first started reading. However, "Fence" quickly drew me in with its mysterious characters and magical plot. Even though it is only 4 chapters long, "Fence" demonstrates the character growth of its protagonist Tory and allows the readers to glimpse into his strange world filled with ghosts and secrets. Jarek, Rien, and Amos are both creepy and alluring at the same time, serving to add to the overall suspense and mystery of the story. Filled with plot twists and strange occurrences, "Fence" will make you shy away from the screen and eagerly devour more words at the same time. "Fence" isn't filled with flowery prose and it most definitely isn't a typically cliche love story, but it is undoubtedly striking and captivating in its own way. In four short chapters, "Fence" will leave you full of questions that will make you want to read it over and over again. So go ahead- enter the world of "Fence" and prepare to be sufficiently unnerved. It is an experience you definitely don't want to miss out on.

With Intent

With Intent by Zebbie
Adam's got the Spidey Sense but he'd rather be The Invisible Man. Your regular Marvel Action Hero minus lycra and enthusiasm for saving the world, he'd rather just ignore it and his dormant to extinct love life. Going nuts is more of a problem.

Banner Credit: Melissa

Rosie Thinks: The thing that makes this story really stand out is the main character, Adam. Adam has a strange power - he can see 'bad intentions', as he calls it. As in, he can see an act of extreme violence that's already happened or someone who is thinking about it. It's an absolutely horrible power to have, but I just couldn't stop reading about it. It was just so enthralling and addicting to find out what Zebbie throws at you next.

I like how there are reasons why Adam is the way he is - introverted, careful, likes to keep his head down - mainly because of this crazy power of his. Zebbie really got into his head and explored the possibilities and roads this power could take one down. His OCD-ness was a surprising part of his character, but fit in with his personality well and was consistent plus intriguing.

Adam meets Joe at the cafe where he works, but they truly come into contact when Joe finds and arrests Adam at a crime scene. Adam ends up helping Joe find his daughter as Joe struggles to understand him. Things develop between them slowly, with Adam thinking Joe is 'Mr Perfectly Straight', but this isn't the sole focus of the story. It is equally character motivated as it is plot motivated, and the reader is at the edge of the seat wanting to solve the mystery.

There is a lot of long chunks of description that can look a bit intimidating. However, I didn't find any of it long-winded, boring or hard to get through. It wasn't an info dump either, even though the start is mainly description. It actually showcases Adam's personality in a way that is interesting and realistic. Zebbie has created a totally original and intriguing plot that is sure to draw you in. She writes beautifully and both the dialogue and the narration flows well. 'With Intent' has a great concept and an amazing story-line, I highly recommend!