Location: United States
Member Since:
Oct. 05, 2010
LaffingKat
LaffingKat's favorite authors on Smashwords
Smashwords book reviews by LaffingKat
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Incendiary Magic: Dragon Mage Chronicles Book 1
on Nov. 03, 2017
Incendiary Magic tells the story of fire mage Phoenix ("Fee") and dragon shifter Mason. The characterizations were well done. It took me a little while to warm up to Fee, but I could understand why she made the choices she did, and towards the end of the story I was definitely rooting for her. As I have come to expect from Ms. Easterling, she has created interesting, likeable characters who are smart and funny and make mistakes, and I loved getting to know these characters and watching them learn and grow. The only reason I knocked off a star is because the story took place over such a short period of time and felt a bit like insta-love, which I am not particularly fond of. Still, there were plenty of reasons for these two to fall in love, and I found the romance quite charming. The story is well-written, with lovely descriptive language addressing all of the senses that drew me into the story and let me feel as though I were there. The plot was filled with surprises, and the pacing was good. The language was clean, there was no sexually explicit content, and although violent situations were described, there were no graphic depictions. I also don't recall problems with typos or other editorial issues. Incendiary Magic is part of Ms. Easterling's Dragon Mage Chronicles. While this story is perfectly enjoyable on its own, I think for maximum pleasure, I would recommend reading the Dragon Mage Chronicles in order, starting with Verdant Magic. Verdant Magic was great fun, and it provided a nice introduction to this world and some of the characters in the subsequent stories.
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Paws & Claus
on Jan. 16, 2024
This short story is a delightful prequel to introduce Aimee Easterling’s Rune Wolf series. I’m looking forward to learning more about this ragtag werewolf pack hiding in the Arizona desert and the mysterious magic that affects them. Orion is trying so hard to be a better, kinder alpha and to keep his pack safe and happy. He and his sister Maya make a great team, and I loved the way they gave their pack such a great solstice celebration despite difficult circumstances. I loved the humor, mystery, excitement, and hint of magic in this holiday story. If you enjoy contemporary fantasies and shifter stories, you should give this a try.