I've been using my online alias, AstraDaemon, for almost twenty years. I am the author of the short story, The Survivor, as well as a Reviewer and Vine Voice at Amazon. I used to write for The Zombiephiles for years, until I created AstraDaemon's Lair. My goal is to introduce readers to as many new authors as possible, with reviews, interviews and more.
Where to find Ursula K Raphael (AstraDaemon) online
Just a few samples of the books you can find at AstraDaemon's Lair...
Smashwords book reviews by Ursula K Raphael (AstraDaemon)
Alien Apocalypse - The Hunger
on Nov. 20, 2011
This story is very brief glimpse of what happened before Alien Apocalypse: The Storm. Readers are shown the murder that resulted in Leon's prison sentence, as well as Elliot's personal reaction to the fate of his parents. The most interesting part is the POV of the alien entity, describing the journey to Earth and the way the entity views our planet.
While the alien POV was a nice touch, I prefer the way Leon was written in The Storm. This prequel was somewhat inconsistent with the writing style of the first book.
I still can't wait for the sequel to Th Storm. Giles is an excellent sci-fi author.
Verchiel: Never Ending Question (Tales of the Executioners)
on Aug. 17, 2017
Verchiel: Never Ending Question is, I think, the third book in the Executioner series by Joleene Naylor, based on the publication date, but I can't be certain because of some discrepancies between product information on Smashwords, Amazon and the author's website.
In any case, unlike the first two, Verchiel's story is set in the distant past, when he is first turned. I'm not sure if his amnesia is a blessing or a curse...the loss of memory seems to make killing easier for him, but it seems to put him at a serious disadvantage with his maker, Kateesha. There is far more bloody action in this story than the previous two. With each installment, I feel readers are given another piece of the puzzle that is to be the essence of the Executioners.
Byrn: At Christmas (Tales of the Executioners)
on Aug. 20, 2017
Byrn by Joleene Naylor features an executioner who does not appear in any of the main novels, and the Guild is fairly new in this setting. A bit more is revealed about Malick's personality, but the story is so short, not much can be said about it. The least interesting in the series, so far.
Bren: In the Dark (Tales of the Executioners)
on Aug. 20, 2017
Bren by Joleene Naylor appears to be the sixth book, but, once again, there appears to be a discrepancy between the author's website and the book's description. The story is not really about Bren...rather, it's about the final moments of a victim killed by the coven he's tasked with punishing. I think the story would've had more of an impact if the format had been the actual text exchange between Trista, Robert and Bree. However, it is an interesting mix of social media and vampire activity.