Short and Sweet Book Reviews #59 - Martians Abroad by Carrie Vaughn, The Import of Intrigue by Marshall Ryan Maresca, The 24 Days of Christmas by Linda Lael Miller

The 24 Days of Christmas by Linda Lael Miller
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a reprint from a pervious book of Christmas Novellas so check before buying and reading to make sure you do not have the story already. It is short (50 pages) and sweet. There are two scene stealing children and two adults with a past. It uses a familiar trope. One of the main characters has come home after a personal disaster and years away. Of course the romance is rekindled and there is a nice HEA. A good short story to read between getting ready for the holidays.



Martians Abroad by Carrie Vaughn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The setting a background of Martians Abroad is one that has been used often. The two main characters are sent back to Earth to go to school over their objections. One is very vocal and one trying to go with the flow. While they adjust they are placed in several dangerous situation. They big question is why target them and who is doing the targeting. A nice story that could be the start of a series or could be stand-alone. A nicely written story but nothing exciting or different from others with the same theme.


An Import of Intrigue by Marshall Ryan Maresca
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is book two in a series that I love but found unusual. The two main characters are a bit of a misfit so they have been partnered together. That is not the unusual part. Many times this heralds a budding romance that will build during the series. Not here. Satrine Rainey is married and trying to support her family after an accident left her husband impaired. Uncircled mage Minox Welling just want to do his job without interference. They do make a good pair as they each have different talents. Minox features in this story as his magic becomes out of control and so does he. Satrine carries the brunt of solving the murder at the heart of the story. What makes this really interesting though are the flash-backs about Sarine's past. There is much more to her background than meets the eye. The story starts off a little slow but picks up steam as the book progresses. I loved book one and was not disappointed with book two. I will be looking for the next book in the series. There are so many different ways this series could go. I will keep guessing until book three comes out.  This is one part of two parallel series with a different view point and different characters.  Go to the author's page to learn more.

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