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$25 Giveaway Review SHADOWS OF ASPHODEL by KAREN KINCY @KarenKincy @candacemom2two

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About Shadows of Asphodel:

When Ardis discovers a man bleeding to death on the battlefield, she knows she has to walk away.
1913. In her work as a mercenary for Austria-Hungary, Ardis has killed many men without hesitation. One more man shouldn’t matter, even if he manages to be a charming bastard while he stands dying in the snow.
But when he raises the dead to fight for him, she realizes she must save his life.
If a necromancer like Wendel dies, he will return as a monster—or so the rumors say. Ardis decides to play it safe and rescues him. What she doesn’t expect is Wendel falling to one knee and swearing fealty. Ardis never asked for the undying loyalty of a necromancer, but it’s too late now.
Ardis and Wendel forge an uneasy alliance underscored with sexual tension. Together, they confront rebels, assassins, and a conspiracy involving a military secret: robotically-enhanced soldiers for a world on the brink of war. But as Ardis starts to fall for Wendel, she realizes the scars from his past run more deeply than she ever imagined. Can Ardis stop Wendel before his thirst for revenge destroys him and everyone else around him?

Find the book:
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About the Author:
Karen Kincy (Redmond, Washington) can be found lurking in her writing cave, though sunshine will lure her outside. When not writing, she stays busy gardening, tinkering with aquariums, or running just one more mile. Karen has a BA in Linguistics and Literature from The Evergreen State College. 
Find the author:
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MY THOUGHTS
LOVED IT

SOURCE:  AUTHOR

Ardis, a mercenary in 1913 is fighting in Transylvania against the enemies of the Austria, when she meets Wendel, who is not quite the man she should be attracted to.  He is a necromancer and when she spares his life, they have bonded and their lives become entwined.  The story takes place in an alternate history of World War I and features a sort of steampunky new type of romance called Diesel punk (instead of steam power) and they travel on zeppelins to locations from England to Turkey and the story seems to settle around Vienna.  The world building is quick and completely believable.

Wendel sometimes steals the show from Ardis, who is half Asian and reminded me a bit of Cinder by Marissa Meyer.  He is snarky and you immediately see why Ardis is attracted to him but he can be annoying at times (much like Wolf).   Since weapons have been rendered useless by a hex, Ardis wields a sword aided by magic as she works her way through battles.  The story moved along pretty well and I really enjoyed it.

Giveaway:
$25 Amazon Gift Card (INT)

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Comments

  2. Interesting premise for a novel. Not many out there that use necromancers, it will be interesting to see how this book works in that angle 🙂

  8. I have been getting into a lot of Steampunk novels recently and absolutely love them. This book seems right up my alley and I love necromancers. Its a supernatural that is under appreciated. The book sounds great and definitely adding to my to read list.

  17. “Ardis decides to play it safe and rescues him. What she doesn’t expect is Wendel falling to one knee and swearing fealty.”
    This short passage just did it for me! *And* he’s handsome, charming and a necromancer? Yep I want a Wendel of my own (and I don’t mean the 10th Kingdom type)
    This sounds like a great read; thanks for the giveaway.