Anna AbnerCritiques

I received this book in a LibraryThing giveaway, in exchange for a fair and honest review. This was my first book by this author, it start out fast-paced and action filled. I would have enjoyed to have more backstory surrounding the characters in the book, yet overall it was a very good read.

Absolutely fantastic! I think this story was built perfectly. It starts a little abruptly, but it becomes clear as to why that is as you get farther into it. Some great foreshadowing. Suspense building. A bit predictable, but not in a bad way. Like building up to the perfect climax. A great book choice for anyone interested in magic, a bit of mystery and a bit of romance. It's hard not to become invested in the characters as you read it. Truly a must read!

*I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

This is an apocalyptic story about the 212R virus that turns people into flesh craving zombies without thought or feelings. As Maya starts her day with broken promises of a future, a dad that works for the CDC and shelter being built in the basement, she has to wonder how long it will take the virus to get to her town. Maya starts her days as any other by attending school. As the day progresses so does the virus and it finally takes a hold in their community. Maya’s dad is at work and no matter what she does she cannot get a hold of him. As time passes in her bunker so do her supplies. All the water is gone and she must find more, but that means going outside in a world she no longer knows. Can she make it to find supplies or will the zombies get the best of her? When Maya decides to go after her dad and the cure he promised was at the CDC where he worked she finds others like her running, and one zombie that seems to still think, but is he just hunting her or is he truly protecting her?
Great story recommended for ages 14 and up

Get blown away by Spell of Shattering ( the last instalment of the Dark Caster series.)
This is a must read for all fans of the Dark Caster series, it was an incredible read, amazing plot I also couldn't stop staring at the cover it really catching.
Spell of Shattering is about:
Jessa McAvoy who excepts a job from the Mayor to acquire him a very specific property. She was ecstatic about her first big client until the mayor asked her to convince her old friend Derek Walker (a necromancer) to come out of hiding. Which will lead to a chain of dangerous events, like joining the Raleigh coven, stopping Derek's old boss from opening the gates of chaos and letting demons infest the world.
Will Jessa and Derek be able to save the world, join the series and find out!

Although I didn't read book one of the series I was easily able to identify the characters and enjoy the book although I am sure some details were missed. I really enjoyed the characters and the story line and could hardly put the book down. Nice writing.

I finally finished this book after owning it for almost a year. I found the start of the book to be boring but after a while I couldn't put it done and now I want to read the next one.

This is a really nice book. I did not read Volume 1, so I might have missed some facts about the people in this book, but still I could follow the story easly and figure out some details myself.
The story is quite fascinating, though I felt that the love theme was sometimes a little overstretched. I would have loved to hear a bit more about the Carver and his companion, for as they seemed to be pretty good villains. But this is all they were - bad guys - I could not get a closer look at them and therefore I never really bought the whole story. They never got really threatening for me...they were much too distant. On the other hand, Daniela and David, two main protagonists became pretty close. Even Holsten, who was never in the middle of events, was more familiar, then the two mean but mighty villains.
Still I liked the overall story and would love to know, how it goes on.

While I didn't read book one in this series it did not really hinder my ability in this one.

This book was a good one. Dani is afraid to touch anyone, it could cause a great deal of damage. Then she meets David. It all changes. She is still afraid to touch but he opens up a side of her she had not expected. While reading this I saw how she went through an internal battle with the past to make her future what she wanted. David also has baggage to over come while dealing with Dani. Someone he thought was an Ice Queen. The author writes in a way where you can really connect with the characters of the story. You can feel the struggle they are dealing with. And even though it is a story you can relate to how they struggle with the baggage.

This is a book that once you start reading you can not put it down until you are done. Now I will getting the other books in the series. I hope my review was helpful, it is really a good book that makes you care about the characters

I loved this book, read it all in one sitting as I couldn't put down and had to find out what happened next. A gripping book from start to finish, I can't recommend it enough and can't wait to read the rest of this wonderful series.

Call of summoning is about a woman Rebecca, who is under a spell. A spell, which once complete, will allow a demon will be in control of her entire existence. And of course we have the main hero, Holden, a man who can see spirits and can use their powers to help beat the demon, or maybe he can’t.
As much as I’d like to tell a bit more, I think it will be best If you choose to read it yourself and find out!
The book starts, I think, rather abruptly. It puts us a few minutes before the two main heroes meet. As I continued to read I felt at a loss with all the new characters and background information mentioned. But as the story unfolds, it all starts to fall into place. And it is there, as I kept on reading, that I felt gripped by the plot. The main male character, Holden, is not the classic hero who comes to save the day. He is a rather anti-social man, with gentleness and an upsetting past. The main female character, Rebecca, is your typical businesswoman who, of course doesn’t need a man to save her (even if she doesn’t understand any part of her situation). However, both of them change and in a way become more mature as they spend more and more time together. They come face to face with real feelings, about their past and about this connection that has begun to form between them.
The romance, which is expected to happen between the characters, is indeed truly sweet and the story itself has many funny parts. On the other hand, the story that involves the demon spell and the effort to beat it, is pretty unexpected. As I continued to read, I felt like sitting at the edge of my seat, and I couldn’t put the book down, literally! Being a fan of the paranormal, I must admit that I expected to read things that I had read or seen before, but I couldn’t be more wrong. Every part of the story was very original and the descriptions of the scenes where so detailed that I felt like I was right there watching it. Finally, the ending has such an amazing twist. I loved it.
In general, I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the paranormal, combined with funny lines from the characters and with a splash of romance.
***I was given a free review copy from the writer, in exchange of an honest review. The opinion stated in this review solely mine and no compensation was given or taken to alter it.***

An engaging and intriguing story that is more of a 3.5, but it kept my interest and I felt compelled to finish it in one day. I enjoyed getting to know the characters and anticipate a good series. The main character is a necromancer who is just developing his talents. His struggles reminded me of Jim Butcher's character in the Dresden series; however, this is definitely a supernatural romance in the vein of a Charlene Harris. (Romance light?) The backgrounds of the characters are well developed and lend credence to the story.

Dive into the heart-pounding final chapter of the Dark Caster series!
If the Chaos Gate opens…
Demons will infest the world.
When the charismatic mayor of Auburn hires junior agent Jessa McAvoy to acquire him a very specific property, she hopes this is her big break. She’ll do anything to make her first real estate client happy, but the one favor he asks of her is impossible—convince her former friend Derek Walker to come out of hiding. Doing so will not only bring her into the orbit of dangerous casters, but force her to confront long-buried feelings for her missing friend.
After failing his tasks for the Dark Caster, necromancer Derek Walker is hiding in Alaska from his humiliating defeats as a card-carrying member of an evil dark cabal. But when his old boss begins opening the Chaos Gate, there is nowhere on earth Derek can hide. With no other options, he must return to the last place he wants to go—home.
When Derek Walker joins forces with Jessa and the entire Raleigh coven, the dark cabal’s biggest disappointment may be the only thing standing between earth and total destruction.
**The Dark Caster Series (in order)**
Spell of Summoning (B00B4GVSUK)
Spell of Binding (B00DYZI7GW)
Spell of Vanishing (B00OVRLT2G)
Spell of Shattering (B00XDBNURI)
**The Red Plague Trilogy (in order)**
Elixir (B00IOOZY6E)
Antidote (B00IODZQBI)
Panacea (B00IOP03JQ)
Red Plague Boxed Set (B00IPHWWCE)
Remedy: A Red Plague Novella (B01FOKFCTO)
**Beasts of Vegas Series**
Shopgirl's Prophecy (B01GR9HXLQ)
**
### About the Author
Anna Abner lived in a haunted house for three years and grew up talking to imaginary friends. In her professional life, she has been a Realtor, a childcare provider, and a teacher. Now, she writes edge-of-your-seat paranormal romances and blogs from her home in coastal North Carolina about ghosts and magic. You can connect with her online at AnnaAbner.com.

Cole Burkov is a necromancer, but waking from a devastating nightmare spell has left him confused about what’s real and what’s fantasy. Afraid of hurting more of his friends, he casts a vanishing spell on himself, except something goes wrong. He’s not invisible to spirits. He’s invisible to everyone.
Talia Jackson doesn’t want to help Cole cast his vanishing spell. She’s too busy trying to collect him for the Dark Caster. But when Cole uses her, against her will, to create the spell she becomes the only human being on earth that can see him.
Together, the unlikely allies will seek out one of the most diabolical casters in the dark cabal—the White Wraith. But when the witch fights back, Cole and Talia discover the only way to survive her furious assault is by working together.
**The Dark Caster Series (in order)**
Spell of Summoning (B00B4GVSUK)
Spell of Binding (B00DYZI7GW)
Spell of Vanishing (B00OVRLT2G)
Spell of Shattering (B00XDBNURI)
**The Red Plague Trilogy (in order)**
Elixir (B00IOOZY6E)
Antidote (B00IODZQBI)
Panacea (B00IOP03JQ)
Red Plague Boxed Set (B00IPHWWCE)
Remedy: A Red Plague Novella (B01FOKFCTO)
**Beasts of Vegas Series**
Shopgirl's Prophecy (B01GR9HXLQ)
**
### About the Author
One of my first memories is dangling over the arm of our living room sofa telling myself a post-apocalyptic survival tale in which my mother and I were the last two people on earth. It was so fun, I never stopped telling stories. In high school, I faked being ill so I could stay home to work on a novel about a nanny who falls in love with her boss' bad boy nephew. As an adult I earned a college degree, got married, and had a child, but I never stopped writing. It only got more fun. I wrote through my lunch breaks at work. I wrote on the treadmill at the gym. Eventually, I had dozens of short stories, novellas, and full-length novels piling up on thumb drives and in plastic tubs. Now I'm ready to share my stories with you, starting with the Dark Caster series and the Red Plague trilogy. I hope you love reading them as much as I loved writing them!

Roz Carrera is a witch on the fritz. Thanks to the Coven’s rejection of her application for membership, she’s been denied a proper magical education. Without a mentor, she’s nearly useless in helping her team of vampire hunters. Complicating matters is the hulking shapeshifter she stumbles upon outside Las Vegas who may or may not be a vicious psychopath.
The only creatures shapeshifter Lukas Larsson hates more than vampires are witches. He’s in the Nevada desert to destroy the vampires who murdered his family, but the witch Roz Carrera and her ragtag team sideline him. He can’t allow the very sexy Roz to distract him from his vengeance.

Maksim Volk has had a bad few months. From the moment the vampire was sprung from a secret military base in the Nevada desert, he’s been beaten, abducted, and held against his will. And that’s just from the so-called good guys.
Finally free of the horde and the Four Sons, Maks longs to reconnect with his adopted daughter Ali Rusenko, but not before he rescues the amber-eyed blood donor still under Sergei the Rabid’s control.
Violet Russell with the amber eyes has been suffering as a blood slave to the horde for what feels like an eternity. If she could only escape, she could return to her baby son, her family, and her old life. Good thing the beautiful devil, Maksim Volk, owes her. When he repays her by saving her life and snatching her from the hands of Sergei and his horde, she discovers Maks is more loving, more protective, and more broken than she ever expected. It turns out, he is exactly her kind of crazy.

Daniela Ferraro can’t touch people without hurting them. So when she wakes up in the Dark Caster’s cell next to the one man guaranteed to mess with her heart, she will risk anything to escape. David Wilkes has no idea why he’s been abducted and thrown in a locked room with Dani, the woman who jilted him two years ago. But when the Dark Caster threatens David’s four year old son, David will not stop until Ryan is safe and the evil necromancers tormenting him are destroyed. When Dani’s powers are bound and her necromancer friends are out of commission, the only way to protect the people she cares about and keep the Chaos Gate firmly closed is to trust in David. But the closer Dani gets to David the more lethal her touch becomes for the only man she’s ever loved.**The Dark Caster Series (in order)**Spell of Summoning (B00B4GVSUK)Spell of Binding (B00DYZI7GW)Spell of Vanishing (B00OVRLT2G)Spell of Shattering (B00XDBNURI)**The Red Plague Trilogy (in order)**Elixir (B00IOOZY6E)Antidote (B00IODZQBI)Panacea (B00IOP03JQ)Red Plague Boxed Set (B00IPHWWCE)Remedy: A Red Plague Novella (B01FOKFCTO)**Beasts of Vegas Series**Shopgirl's Prophecy (B01GR9HXLQ)