antara mann
Review of ‘Infernal Curse’
Half-goddess Alexandra Shaw is only days away from attaining her full goddess status, but things are not looking good. Demonic and vampire incidents are on the rise, and her nemesis is still after her—only, now, it’s her magic he wants. Can she and her sidekick, the fae Kagan Griffith prevail?
Read Infernal Curse by Antara Mann and find out. Book two of the Half-Goddess Chronicles picks up where book one left off, and keeps the magic flowing. Exciting from beginning to end. I received a complimentary copy of this book. I give it four and a half stars.
Review of ‘Cursed Magic’
Cursed Magic by Antara Mann is a quick read, not because it’s a short story—which it definitely is not—but because it moves at the breakneck pace of a hundred-meter dash. Half-goddess Alexandra Shaw, with the help of her lover, the fae, Kagan, battles one hybrid dangerous demon after another, while trying to find a cure for the curse put upon her by the dastardly infiniti. The action never stops from page one, and by the time you reach the last page—which, like I said, is mercifully quick for the faint of heart, you’re breathless. If you like fantasy and speed, this is the book to read. Deliciously entertaining. I give it four stars.
Review of ‘Aaron in Sinland’
Aaron Chasin, a failed musician in his thirties, is unemployed and addicted to drink. Consumed by anger and childhood trauma, his dream of becoming a famous A&R Rep for a music company seems out of reach until he meets the enigmatic tantric guru, Shankar Govinda, who initiates him into the arcane world of tantric yoga. Now, all his dreams seem within his reach, but will his dreams turn out to be nightmares? Only time will tell.
Aaron in Sinland by Antara Mann follows Aaron on his troubled journey, as he comes to believe in Govinda and his magical abilities. The reader is taken deep into Aaron’s psyche in this first person account of his adventure. The character of Govinda is also well-developed. Other characters, however, are somewhat one-dimensional, and the ending, while not precisely a cliff hanger, seems to leave the story unfinished.
I received an advance reader copy of this book. I give it three and a half stars.
Review of ‘Alice in Sinland: Parts 1, 2, & 3’
I read the first book of Alice in Sinland by Antara Mann, and was impressed with the tale of Alice Roseberg, a lawyer in London who wanted more—she wanted to be a star. In Alice in Sinland: Parts 1, 2 & 3 I re-read part 1, but was captivated by the second and third, that pick up after Alice becomes Alice Frank, a famous Broadway star, and the trials and tribulations she faces as she navigates her way through the slimy trail of stardom.
The author skillfully weaves popular cultural icons into a thrilling tale of a woman who must come to grips with her true identity. I was particularly fascinated with the passages describing Alice’s encounter with the strange man who asks her ‘What do you want?’ a mysterious figure who looms large in her life and career, the man is never specifically identified, making him all the more mysterious. Without preaching from a lofty pulpit, the author exposes the danger of wanting too much, and being willing to do anything to achieve it.
This is a book that, once you start reading it, you’ll be unable to put it down. I give it five stars.
Review of ‘Alice in Sinland’
Alice Rosenburg is an expat New Yorker working for a law firm in London. Her career is on an upward course until she is assigned to purchase the ruins of an old castle for a wealthy client. She then begins to experience waking dreams, and the message, ‘what do you want,’ recurs again and again.
Alice in Sinland, by Antara Mann is the first in a series of murder, greed, and betrayal. It’s written in a tight, no-nonsense style that will keep you reading until you reach the end when Alice decides to chuck her legal career and return to New York to pursue a career as a singer.
The author sets readers up perfectly in anticipation of what lies in store for Alice as the demons lurking in the mist draw closer. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review. This is a four-star book.
Review of ‘The Witch’s Kiss 3’
The Dark Prince is outraged; the Genie and Ezemalda have once again escaped him. Frustrated, he hires the dark queen, Lilith, to wreak vengeance upon the two. Unable to affect them directly, Lilith manipulates the feelings of the people of the kingdom to make them think the Genie’s dangerous.
The Witch’s Kiss: The Everlasting Battle Between the Dark and the Light Side by Antara Mann continues the epic, and humorous, struggle between the good and evil that inhabits the world she’s created in these thoroughly delightful books. I particularly like that the author has chosen character names for her fantasy world that trip easily off the tongue rather than causing the tongue to trip.
The Genie and Ezemalda remind me of Nick and Nora Charles; all that is missing is a rambunctious pet dog. A really entertaining read. I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my review. I give it four stars.
Review of ‘The Witch’s Kiss: Episode 2’
Ever since Ezemalda and the genie escaped from him, the Dark Prince has plotted revenge. He finally finds an opportunity in the form of a mortal, Sbyil Van Dyk, who comes to them asking their help in terminating a contract with the Dark Prince. Little do they know, though, that in helping her, they expose themselves to the clutches of their nemesis.
I received a free copy of The Witch’s Kiss: Episode 2 by Antara Mann in exchange for my review. While a nice, and mostly entertaining read, this wasn’t as good, or as interesting, as book 1, and there were more grammatical errors than in the first book. I give this one three stars.
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