Thursday Blogs

Like any good epic fantasy, I've got a ton of lore and background information about my novels. Unfortunately, not all of that lore gets put into a book. So I've got all this stuff filling my notebooks, stuff that I think is pretty fascinating.

So, this is what the Thursday lore blogs are dedicated to! Here, you'll see background info on religion, creation myths, fantasy histories, and everything in between.

Check in every Thursday for a new installment! And let me know what you think.

Happy reading!

Harley Merlin and the Stolen Magicals (2018)

By: Bella Forrest

This is the third book in the series. This time around, Harley and her ragtag group of friends must try and save the magical children the Big Bad, Katherine, has kidnapped, and must unearth Katherine’s plan for utter destruction.

This book was fascinating with an added P.O.V. I loved learning more about Santeria magic (cue the Sublime song) and thoroughly enjoyed delving into djinns with a Jekyll and Hyde twist. This world gets more and more interesting with every iteration. And the relationships unfold in a real-world kind of way, instead of a love at first sight, YA romance way.

Seriously, check out this series. I’ve already told all my friends about it. I’m quickly moving on to book four and cannot wait to see what happens next.

Harley Merlin and the Secret Coven (2018)

By: Bella Forrest

Nineteen-year-old Harley discovers she’s a witch, or as the coven calls them, a magical. She has telekinetic powers, empathy, and can exert control over all four elements! When she’s brought into the San Diego coven, she unearths more that she bargained for. Is she capable of facing up to her familial history and the monsters gunning for her?

This was the first book I read in quite a few months that I couldn’t put down. I loved Harley’s spunky personality, her strength, and her determination. Plus, this world is similar enough to other sorcery novels to allow you to connect, but different enough to keep the world alive. It’s a great mix of boarding school, magic, and mayhem. I highly recommend these books. I’m reading them as quickly as they come out. They’re beautifully crafted.

Harley Merlin and the First Ritual (2018)

By: Bella Forrest

The fourth book in the “Harley Merlin” series finds the group trying to prevent the Big Bad, Katherine, from taking the next step to becoming a Child of Chaos. Of course, there are some road bumps, and shocking familial revelations, along the way. I wont give any spoilers away, because I highly recommend reading this series. But, there’s some really cool magic and lore in this book.

I enjoyed the second P.O.V., this time from Astrid, the one human in the group. However, I’ve found that many of Forrest’s P.O.V.s sound like the main character. Save for the last book with the chapters in Santana’s point of view. I don’t find this a detriment, seeing as each point of view gives a new perspective on the story. But I did find that I was eager to get back to Harley’s chapters, rather than read more of Astrid’s.

By now, I’m sure you all know how much I enjoy this series. I cannot wait until the final book comes out this month—I’ve already preordered it! Honestly, do yourself a favor and check out this series. It’s got a spunky heroine, cool magic, and interesting lore.

PSA: I recently found out, when I was checking Forrest’s site for her other books, that I’ve read novels by her before. The reviews on many of them are negative, and I have to say, I didn’t pick up more of the series I’d read by her previously. That being said, Harley Merlin’s story is quite different from her other works. So, ignore the trash reviews of her other novels and give this a shot. I’m certainly not disappointed I did.