Mini Reviews of Sylph #1 and #2

He is one of many: a creature of magic, unrelentingly male. He is lured through the portal by pure female beauty, a virgin sacrifice. She is killed, and he is silenced and enslaved.

Such a dark ritual is necessary. Unlike their elemental cousins—those gentler sylphs of wind and fire—battlers find no joy in everyday labor. Their magic can destroy an army or demolish a castle, and each has but one goal: find his queen, then protect and pleasure her at any cost. What would a maiden do if she were given such a servant? What would befall that kingdom foolish enough to allow a battler to escape? Young Solie and the people of Eferem are about to find out.

This was a very interesting world that was created. In this world, the sylphs live in a alternate universe ruled by a queen. Not unlike bees. They are elemental in nature and the most coveted type of sylph to rulers are battle sylphs to make them invincible in war. In this world, women are seen as nothing but property, second citizens or slaves at best. Of course there are always dreamers in this world in which have a glimpse at a world where they might control the direction of their lives and one we come to know in this story is Solie.

Although this is Solie and her battle sylph's adventure, I actually found the secondary characters and sylph's more interesting. And to just make this a mini review rather than the bigger review it is threatening to be, I'll say that although the main characters were almost too juvenile for my tastes, I really had fun in this world and enjoyed the progression of the sylphs and the women into being free citizens... even if only in one area of their world. I give this book 3 1/2 stars.

Kidnapped by slavers, Lizzie Petrule was dragged in chains across the Great Sea to the corrupt empire of Meridal. There beneath a floating citadel and an ocean of golden sand, lies a pleasure den for gladiators-and a prison for the maidens forced to slake their carnal thirst.

Despite impossible odds, against imponderable magic, three men have vowed Lizzie’s return: Justin, her suitor; Leon, her father; and Ril, the shape-shifting but war-weary battler. Together, this broken band can save her, but only with a word that must remain unsaid, a foe that is a friend, and a betrayal that is, at heart, an act of love.

 This book happens a few years after Battle Sylph. The Sylph valley is thriving even and are learning how to co-exist with their sylphs rather than enslaving them. The world becomes more and more interesting as it becomes more complex in nature. This is also Ril and Lizzie's story and I was thrilled because Ril was one of the more interesting characters in the first book.

In this book Lizzie is captured and several people come to her rescue. Within this new world over one of their seas, Lizzie and the rest have to learn to survive in a strange new world. Because I felt this one was darker within the story, I also think it made the humor and the lighter times brighter due to the contrast. I have to say that this adventure almost drove me crazy. You wanted to know what was going on and it felt like it took forever to get to the big show down. The only reason I felt this way is because I just couldn't see how they were going to give me an HEA as the story kept becoming more complicated. I didn't see the ending until close to the end and it made sense. I give this one 4 stars. I enjoyed this one more than the first.
I was given both books by the author and no compensation for my review was given.