2020-2021 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: The Walls Between Hearts

The Walls Between Hearts (A Las Palmas Fencing Club Story) by L.A. Witt

Loved the approach to an older/mature couple and all the baggage and life experiences that come with that. I was intrigued and eager to read this one, which surprised me as at first glance this wasn’t necessarily my kind of read.

https://amzn.to/3Hsl1NH

2020-2021 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: King of the Dark (Prince’s Assassin #1)

King of the Dark (Prince’s Assassin #1) by Ariana Nash

Wow. This is a new author to me, and I’ll be buying the rest of the series as I need to know what happens next. The story and characters pulled me in and kept me hooked until the end. I didn’t see the character twist coming, especially about a character I got very invested in. I thought this was a well written, wonderfully executed, dark fantasy. I need to check out the other series by this author now too.

https://amzn.to/3CjmJNP

2020-2021 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: A Fine Mess (Brimstone #7)

A Fine Mess (Brimstone #7) by Angel Martinez

I loved the mix of humour and seriousness in this story. The world building is fabulous and detailed, and the characters all feel very real, and quirky. I enjoyed the relationships and strong found family vibe, and the twists in the plot. There’s a lot going on, yet this was a fast read as once I started I didn’t want to put it down. Although I haven’t read any of the previous books in the series, but now want to, I didn’t have any problems following.

https://amzn.to/3CpHZRK

2020-2021 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: Master of Hounds (Master of Hounds #1)

Master of Hounds (Master of Hounds #1) by R.A. Steffan

I really enjoyed this high-fantasy story about an older military man, Caius, who finds himself watching as his emperor slides into senility, while three legitimate heirs, none worthy of the role, maneuver to take his place. Caius saves an innocent victim from the second son, the most crafty and sadistic of the three. He has no regrets, but he also didn't count on developing feelings for the rescued young man. And now someone wants one, or both, of them dead, as tensions rise in the capitol city. Great characters, solid world-building, an underlying mystery, and engaging narration kept me reading quickly. The ending is indeterminate, so I was very glad to have book 2 to jump right into.

https://amzn.to/3DwEScs

2020-2021 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: Winter Masquerade

Winter Masquerade by Kevin Klehr

This is a well written story that is very metaphysical and cleverly done. It has a strong wonderland vibe, and I liked how Ferris’ dream journey mirrored his reality as he worked through his issues. I appreciated the style and art of the story.

https://amzn.to/3HqFgeV