Showing posts with label YA Paranormal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label YA Paranormal. Show all posts

Friday, September 10, 2021

Book #Review ~ Blackflies and Blueberries (Mysterious Tales from Fairy Falls, #2) by Sharon Ledwith ~ #YA #Paranormal @SharonLedwith @MirrorWorldPub


About Blackflies and Blueberries:

The only witness left to testify against an unsolved crime in Fairy Falls isn’t a person…

City born and bred, Hart Stewart possesses the gift of psychometry—the psychic ability to discover facts about an event or person by touching inanimate objects associated with them. Since his mother’s death, seventeen-year-old Hart has endured homelessness, and has learned ways to keep his illiteracy under wraps. He eventually learns of a great-aunt living in Fairy Falls, and decides to leave the only life he’s ever known for an uncertain future. 

Diana MacGregor lives in Fairy Falls. Her mother was a victim of a senseless murder. Only Diana’s unanswered questions and her grief keeps her going, until Hart finds her mother’s lost ring and becomes a witness to her murder. 

Through Hart’s psychic power, Diana gains hope for justice. Their investigation leads them into the corrupt world threatening Fairy Falls. To secure the town’s future, Hart and Diana must join forces to uncover the shocking truth, or they risk losing the true essence of Fairy Falls forever.


Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal

Publish Date: May 17, 2019

Publisher:  Mirror World Publishing https://www.mirrorworldpublishing.com/

My Review (originally reviewed May 22, 2019):

Blackflies and Blueberries is book 2 in Sharon Ledwith’s Mysterious Tales from Fairy Falls series. This installment stars Hart Stewart, an unlikely newcomer to Fairy Falls. Born and raised in the city, Hart has no idea he has roots in the small town of Fairy Falls. Unfortunately, Hart learns the hard way that he has a great aunt who resides there – his mother is murdered in their apartment and after drifting around he discovers he has relatives elsewhere. Uncertain what he’ll find in Fairy Falls, the use of his secret psychometry ability to witness the murder of a local woman was not at all it.

Diana McGregor’s mother was murdered in Fairy Falls and her killer never found. When a newcomer shows up in town in possession of her late mother’s ring, she discovers he has psychic abilities. Knowing he’s seen her mother’s murder, Diana “hires” him to help her uncover the truth. What Diana and Hart didn’t count on were the spiderweb of lies and deceit, the trail of bodies, and the murder attempts occurring throughout the town.

Blackflies and Blueberries is another well-developed novel that takes place in Fairy Falls. The novel is a sequel in the Mysterious Tales from Fairy Falls series yet stands totally alone. Hart is a unique character in that he has psychometry abilities and is also illiterate. I love how the author reminds the readers that illiteracy is still an issue in our world both within developed and developing countries. Reluctant to divulge his psychic ability, along with his illiteracy, Hart knows he has no choice but reveal them if they are going to figure out who is responsible for what is going on Fairy Falls. Hart and Diana have wonderful dynamics also.

I absolutely love this series by Sharon Ledwith. The series is filled with teens with psychic abilities taking on evil forces within Fairy Falls. The character development and world building created a book that played like a movie in my head. The dialogue between the was conversational and never awkward or choppy. The pacing was the perfect speed – not too fast, not too slow. There are parts of the book where my emotions matched the characters. I felt what the characters felt – anger, frustration, sadness – and that is what makes a book a favorite of mine. I really enjoyed Blackflies and Blueberries and look forward to reading more from Sharon Ledwith.

I was given a copy of this book to read.

My Rating:



Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Book Review ~ Spellbound (Pagan Light Series, Book 2) by JoAnne Keltner ~ #YA #Paranormal ~ @JoAnneKeltner


About Spellbound, Book 2:

After battling a demon from her great-grandmother’s past, Jackie Turov, a psychic and healer, accepts that all things are possible—even a romantic relationship with the young seminarian, David. But after an elderly church member, an immigrant from Russia, accuses Jackie and her great-grandmother, Babu, of being witches, Jackie questions if Babu was once an evil witch or just someone blessed with healing light. As Jackie sets out to find the truth about Babu’s troubling past, and ultimately about herself, her future with David hangs in the balance.

Print book page count: 376

Purchase Your Copy:



Spellbound is a long-anticipated second book in JoAnne Keltner’s Pagan Light series. Previously branded as the Goth Girl, Virgin Queen series, the author rebranded a few months ago. I’ve been waiting for the sequel to Goth Girl, Virgin Queen, now titled Possessed, for so long. I’m so happy that the book is here!

Spellbound continues the journey of Jackie, a teenage psychic. After everything that happened in book one, Jackie is back in church with her great-grand mother, Babu. Her interest in priest-in-training, David, increases daily. They’ve been seeing each other on the sly, in hopes to make things official prior to his entry into the priesthood. When one of the church members accuses Jackie and Babu of witchcraft, Jackie must figure out the truth. 

The author does a wonderful job describing the conflict between religious beliefs and magical ones. Jackie's religious upbringing doesn't allow for the belief in psychic abilities. In fact, many religions, a member cannot believe in both so there lies the war going on inside Jackie. Discovering the truth may jeopardize her chance at a happy life with David. Jackie must then decide if learning the truth is worth everything she may lose. 

After waiting so long for the second book, I’m happy to report that book 2 is just as remarkable as book 1. JoAnne Keltner brings Jackie, her family, and her friends to life in the book. The entire novel is written conversationally, continues character development, and provides exciting and visually appealing world building. I was shocked at the turn the book made but ultimately, after my review about the ending of Possessed, everything fell into place. The book was enjoyable, engaging, and interesting. I was captivated from the start. If you like YA paranormal books that involve the occult and border on horror, I highly recommend Spellbound.

I was given a copy of this book to review.

My Rating: