C Gockel Writes

Book Review: Athena’s Champion (Olympus Trilogy Book 1) by David Hair and Cath Mayo

by

Featured Fantasy: Athena's Champion by David Hair and Cath Mayo


Click for current price: Amazon US, Canada, Australia

Available at higher price Amazon UK, Germany

Apple, Nook, Kobo, GooglePlay

I am currently reading the last book of this trilogy, which I think is an endorsement in itself. This is a much softer version of Odysseus, but he is crafty, pragmatic, and has no time for trying to do things the “honorable way.” I recommend it, even if my most favorite version of Odysseus is probably in Ilium, by Dan Simmons. (How have I not written a review for Ilium? A wicked, scheming Odysseus who has much the same aims as this one in a far future, sci-fi universe.)

Gods and mortals collide in this spellbinding retelling of a legend from classic Greek mythology, the first in the epic Olympus Trilogy.
 
A prophecy condemns him, a goddess binds him, but wisdom can set Odysseus free . . .
 
Young Prince Odysseus is about to have his world torn apart. He has travelled to the oracle at Pytho to be anointed as heir to his island kingdom, but instead a terrible secret is revealed, one that tears down every pillar of his life and marks him out for death.
 
Outcast by his family and on the run, Odysseus is offered sanctuary by Athena, goddess of wisdom, and thrust headfirst into the secret war between the gods. But can his wits, and his skill as a warrior, keep him ahead of their power games—and alive?

Featured Sci-fi: Nearspace Series Sale by Sherry D. Ramsey

by

Featured Sci-fi: Nearspace Series Sale by Sherry D. Ramsey

Start the Series for FREE, Book 2 Only 99¢, Book 3 $2.99, Book 4 $2.99
Click for current price: Amazon US, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Australia

Apple, Nook, Kobo

Captain Luta Paixon of the far trader Tane Ikai needs to know why she looks like a woman in her thirties–even though she’s actually eighty-four. She isn’t the only one desperate for that information.

The explanation might lie with her geneticist mother, who disappeared over sixty years ago, but even if her mother is still alive, it’s proving to be no small task to track her down in the vast, wormhole-ridden expanse of Nearspace. With the ruthless PrimeCorp bent on obtaining Luta’s DNA at any cost, her ninety-year-old husband asking for one last favor, and her estranged daughter locking horns with her at every turn, Luta’s search for answers will take her to the furthest reaches of space–and deep inside her own heart.

Featured Fantasy: Taste (Terraway Series Book 1) by Mary E. Twomey

by

Featured Fantasy: Taste (Terraway Series Book 1) by Mary E. Twomey

FREE as of March 13, 2024
Click for current price: Amazon US, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Australia

Apple, Nook, Kobo, GooglePlay

What to do when your crush turns out to be a monster (and other such problems).

Just when correctional nurse October Grace has a handle on her stressful job and taking care of her mentally ill mother, a shifter king and a potential vampire mate plunge her into a foreign land that’s on the brink of starvation. Now, with a ticking clock and a target on her back, October takes up the mantle of becoming one of the rare Omens who can bring hope to a dying world.

Mason and Von remain by her side to shield the national treasure while she sacrifices herself to reap the souls that will feed the nations of Terraway. As the death toll rises daily, October finds herself tangled up in a cutthroat world where fairytale creatures run wild… and every day is a new bloody battle.

If you love Bella Forrest, Cassandra Clare, and falling in love with the bad boy, you’ll devour the “Terraway” series by Mary E. Twomey.

“Taste” is book one in a 9-part reaper romance series written by USA Today Bestselling Author Mary E. Twomey.

Featured Fantasy: Dragon Spy (Riders of Fire Dragon Masters Book 6) by Eileen Mueller

by

Featured Fantasy: Dragon Spy (Riders of Fire Dragon Masters Book 6) by Eileen Mueller

New Release
Click for current price: Amazon US, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Australia

When Tonio is recruited as spy to train under Master Taren, the formidable spymaster at Dragon’s Hold, he expects to deal with dragon egg smugglers, law breakers and petty crime.

But then he unearths a terrible secret.

A stranger to Dragons’ Realm has entered through a world gate. A power-hungry stranger, intent on violence and destruction.

Commander Zens comes from a complex world with technology far greater than that in Dragons’ Realm. His armies of cloned tharuks raze villages, slaughtering folk and enslaving survivors. Even the Riders of Fire — dragon riders who protect the realm — are unable to stem the tide of Zens’ destruction.

As the death toll mounts, Tonio becomes spymaster. He vows to defeat Zens. Full of courage, intelligence and a steel will, Tonio comes up with a clever plan.

He never suspects the devastating price he’ll have to pay.

Join Tonio on dragon back and fight the rising tide of evil sweeping across Dragons’ Realm.

Featured Fantasy: Social Medium (Hedgewitch for Hire) by Christine Pope

by

Featured Fantasy: Social Medium (Hedgewitch for Hire) by Christine Pope

99¢ as of March 9, 2024
Click for current price: Amazon US, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Australia

Apple, Nook, Kobo, GooglePlay

There’s no mean girl like an internet mean girl. Especially when she’s a witch.

Selena hasn’t been in Globe, Arizona, very long, but she’s quickly learned to be wary when her friend Josie gets a bright idea — like insisting she join the growing legion of internet witches. While being an Instagram star sounds like a good way to promote her metaphysical shop, Selena can’t ignore the feeling she’s about to get some pretty crappy juju dropped on her head.

It isn’t as if she doesn’t have time to produce content — or even date, since it appears tribal police chief Calvin Standingbear has ghosted her. Too bad the perfectly nice rancher who offers his place for a live-streamed solstice bonfire ritual doesn’t strike a single spark.

But when the dark side of social media rears its ugly head, Selena’s going to need all the friends she can get, including the secretive police chief. Because social media rivalries can be murder — and Selena could be targeted as a suspect…or the next victim.

Featured Science Fiction: Rogue Stars Purgatory by Jaime Castle

by

Featured Science Fiction: Rogue Stars Purgatory by Jaime Castle

New Release
Click for current price: Amazon US, United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Australia

A fight for survival at the edge of the galaxy.


In the depths of space, far from the watchful eyes of Lenzaaban government, lies Prison Station 12, or as it’s fearfully known, Purgatory. It’s here that Commander Predaxes, a hardened former Marine, faces his most daunting mission yet. With only a wormhole linking them to civilization, the isolation of PS12 is palpable; the danger, imminent.

Enter Samea Malik, the latest addition to PS12’s population and a man with a target on his back. As the son of the Minister of Justice, Malik is a pawn in a galactic game of chess where the stakes are life and death.

When an assault on the station forces the crew and inmates to flee, they find themselves crash-landing on Faebos—a world as deadly as it is beautiful. Abandoned mining colonies whisper secrets of the past, while the planet’s native creatures lurk in the shadows, ready to strike.

Stranded and surrounded by peril, survival hinges on the uneasy alliance between guards and prisoners. As Commander Predaxes and Malik navigate this alien landscape, they must confront not only the beasts of Faebos but the ghosts of their own pasts.

From the mind of bestselling author Jaime Castle comes Rogue Stars. A tale of survival, redemption, and the thin line between captors and captives, this Military Sci-Fi adventure is packed with high-octane action, cutting-edge technology, and a world that will captivate and terrify in equal measure.

Prepare to be thrust into the heart of the unknown, where every decision could be your last. Welcome to Purgatory, where the battle for survival is only the beginning.