Review: Wickedly Ever After & Wickedly Powerful by Deborah Blake

Reviewer's Rating : 4

4.0Overall score

Two delightful tales of the Baba Yaga!

Baba Yaga Series

By Deborah Blake

Paranormal Romance / Urban Fantasy

Reviewed by Jean

Wickedly Ever After

Released January 19, 2016

Penguin Group

Series Book 2.5

Synopsis

Known as the wicked witch of Russian fairy tales, Baba Yaga is not one woman, but rather a title carried by a chosen few. They keep the balance of nature and guard the borders of our world, but don’t make the mistake of crossing one…

Having triumphed over a powerful enemy and ended up with both a wonderful guy—Sheriff Liam McClellan—and an adorable adopted daughter to raise as a Baba Yaga, Barbara Yager is ready to welcome her happily ever after.

But first she must bring Liam to the Otherworld and get the Queen’s permission to marry him. The Queen, however, is not so easily persuaded. She gives them three impossible tasks to complete in two weeks’ time—and if they fail Barbara will have to watch Liam slowly age and die like all humans, and kiss her happily ever after good-bye forever.

Review

Turning the tables on the Baba Yaga

A Baba Yaga always asks three impossible tasks of those she chooses to help. So, when Barbara, Liam and Babs return to the Otherworld to implore the Queen to allow them to marry and to grant permission for Liam to drink regularly from the water of life and death the Queen turns things around a bit and demands three impossible tasks of her Baba Yaga. What ensues is a magical journey to solve the riddles given them by the Queen, a task any Baba Yaga worth her weight is more than up to. HEA here we come. If you’ve enjoyed the Baba Yaga series, you’re going to want to read this little snippet of living Wickedly Ever After. If you’ve never picked one up before, then this is the perfect tease to get you hooked on the Russian witches of folklore.

♥♥♥♥

O Factor: Sweet

Wickedly Powerful

Released February 2, 2016

Berkley

Series: Baba Yaga, Book 3

Synopsis

The author of Wickedly Wonderful returns to her “addicting”* world of Russian witches in the latest Baba Yaga novel.

The only thing more fiery than Bella Young’s red hair is her temper. She knows that a Baba Yaga’s power without strict control can leave the people she cares about burned, so to protect her heart—and everyone around her—the only company she keeps is her dragon-turned-Norwegian-Forest-cat, Koshka.

But when Bella is tasked with discovering who’s setting magical fires throughout Wyoming’s Black Hills, she finds herself working closely with former hotshots firefighter Sam Corbett—and falling hard for his quiet strength and charm.

Sam may bear the scars of his past, but Bella can see beyond them and would do anything to help him heal. Only before she can rescue her Prince Charming, she’ll have to overcome the mysterious foe setting the forest fires—a truly wicked witch who wields as much power and even more anger than Bella…

Review

Rescuing Prince Charming from his tower…

The immortal Riders have gone missing! Three powerful immortals and they’ve simply vanished and Bella has been tasked by the Queen of Otherworld with finding them. At the same time, someone is setting magical fires in the Black Hills forest. Bella has been drawn to the area to discover she has been called by the Russian immigrant residents of the area. Never suspecting that the two tasks are related Bella sets out to solve both problems. It becomes increasingly apparent that the two are related as she searches for the riders only to discover they were last seen in the area. Someone is stirring up evil, malignant magic and she has her suspicions on who the culprit is but Bella can’t present her theories to the Queen without proof.

When Bella inevitably shows up at all the recent fires it has the former hotshot firefighter, Sam questioning whether she might be setting them herself. As he gets to know her, though, he falls just a bit in love with the fiery redhead. At the same time, he has to question his own feelings after being haunted by the ghost of his former fiancée who warns him away from Bella. Sam is already fighting his own survivor’s guilt at losing his fiancée and the rest of his hotshot team in a wildfire. He’s been scarred physically and emotionally. This rash of fires, ghostly visits and his growing love for Bella has him at the end of his rope. Then Bella’s “niece” shows up. Jazz is a world savvy teen that is enchanting and fun to be around. But like Bella, she is a total mystery.

The danger continues to escalate with the fires. It’s only a matter of time before a confrontation with the evil behind it all is inevitable. With the escalation comes clarity of feelings. These two are up against a nasty foe but with a little help, they are more than up to the challenge ahead and along the way the two will find their HEA. I really enjoyed this latest in the Baba Yaga series. If you like a bit of folklore come to life, witches, dragons, the fae and a hot firefighter, I’m sure you’re going to love Wickedly Powerful.