Genre: YA Fantasy

A #WyrdAndWonder Book Review | “Solomon’s Bell” (Book Two: Genie Chronicles) by Michelle Lowery Combs

Posted Wednesday, 20 May, 2020 by jorielov , , , , 0 Comments

#WyrdAndWonder Book Review badge created by Jorie in Canva.

Acquired Book By: A few years ago now, I started to review for World Weaver Press – until I reached the day where my focus on the stories I was receiving for review fell by the wayside. A lot of this had to do with my personal health, the recovery of my father’s stroke and other things which bring adversity into your life which can and will affect your readerly life. I cannot remember exactly what first took me away from reading “Heir to the Lamp” or the sequel “Solomon’s Bell” – however, I did attempt to read them at various moments throughout the past few years including shortly after I received “Solomon’s Bell” for which I posted a Cover Reveal and Extract.

During our 2nd Year (2019) for #WyrdAndWonder, I wanted to redeem myself a bit by getting back into the stories I attempted to read during our 1st year of #WyrdAndWonder (2018) but due to the migraines and other issues I was having with my health, I was unable to complete my reading schedule for the event. This is one of the series I was most eager to read and am thankful I finally was able to start reading it during our 2nd Year of Wyrd and Wonder whilst finishing it in our 3rd. As I know there are other readers who are following or joining the event directly who appreciate Magical Realism and/or stories of the Jinn as much as I do. Perhaps they will find a new author through my ruminations and as always, I hope whenever I feature a story or anthology by World Weaver Press – word will continue to get out about this lovely Indie Publisher for Speculative Fiction!

I received a complimentary copy of “Solomon’s Bell” direct from the publisher World Weaver Press in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Rainbow Digital Clip Art Washi Tape made by The Paper Pegasus. Purchased on Etsy by Jorie and used with permission.

I admit it, ever since I met a ‘Golem’ & a ‘Jinni’, I’ve been intrigued by Magical Realism stories involving the Jinn!:

Set during a pivotal game for Virginia as a competitive JV Girls’ Basketball competitor – we open the story as Ginn is about to receive some humbling and surprising news about herself, her destiny and the ways in which she previously perceived her world. You can intuit this through the revelation at the end of the game – where her team is down for the count, the opposing team has a new member whose height puts them at a distinct advantage and where Ginn’s team is doing everything they can not to  lose the faith they could win the game from the underdog status they found themselves trying to overcome. It is here – as we are with Ginn in the car with her family as they make their way to the gym to see the game, we notice a few things about her – she’s not comfortable being in a large family nor is she enthused about having as many siblings as she has which were achieved through adoption.

The adoption side of her life is lightly touched upon – mostly through the angst of a thirteen year old who isn’t quite sure why her parents wanted to keep adding to their family or have to take-on the world whenever someone from outside the family grew critical of their choices in life; especially in how they grew their family through adoption. You can understand her perspective on the matter – as she has an eclectic sibling group whilst you can also appreciate the heart and humbled spirit of her parents who wanted to raise children and did not have a preference of whether or not they were all biologically related to them. I have a soft spot for stories involving Adoption – as I am desiring to adopt from foster care in the future – therefore, whenever I see a story involving Adoption, I do take a more critical eye on how it is discussed and how it fits into the story being told.

I think part of the reason I was struggling to anchour into story and to get into step with Ginn is how her story was being disclosed. It felt a little disjointed at first – but then, once you see her with her mother and she starts to talk about her grandmother – you start to notice her differently, seeing how much she’s trying to understand this transitional period of her life and somewhere at that junction her story starts to move forward in a way you can soak into her world.

Ginn is a girl on the brink of entering her teenage years but she’s more bogged down in worrying about what is plaguing her mind moreso than going through puberty. She has a caring mother who looks after her whenever she’s not feeling quite up to par and even goes out of her way to ensure her daughter will feel a bit better which I felt was a sweet touch. What was lovely though was seeing how a few life lessons and life philosophies were being layered into the story-line – guided by Ginn’s Mum but also, turnt over for introspective reasoning by Ginn herself. There is a point about how nightmares can overtake you if your not careful about how you extract yourself from them but also, on the importance of family. This is a close-knit family who appreciate being with their grandmother but also with each other – even if half the time, I suspect they drive each other a bit batty round the edges, as all good-natured large families do.

You have to laugh, really! Combs has worked in some cleverly placed real-world cultural points of interest into the background of the story – such as Ginn’s Mum having an affinity of interest for the cooking shows we all get excited about time after time – giving her children a bit of an interesting voyage into the culinary arts! I was smiling the whole time as apparently Ginn’s Mum isn’t as gifted in the kitchen as my Mum is nor is she as naturally intuitive about how certain ingredients work best together. This is why I was smiling the most – hearing Ginn tell it, they would be better off if they cooked from ready-made boxes and ate out on occasion if they could afford to do it.

Where the story took a turning into the fantastical is when Rashmere shows up rather unexpectedly and how he points out to Ginn all the different ways her current life is about to unravel. The expressive nature of Rashmere is too adorable! You’ll have to read the story to find out the species Rashmere is on first sight but somehow, Combs tapped into how he could be expressive despite his small presence when he initially enters Ginn’s life. In essence he steals the scene!

I immediately felt connected to Gran – she’s the kind of grandmother you can warm up to rather quickly because of her approach to life! She has a zest for humour and she has a winsome attitude when it comes to how she disarms your nerves. I loved her back-story about how she had to overcome the odds against her on the Army bases her husband had been stationed on? It shows how sometimes the people who exhume the most confidence can sometimes have their own struggles to bear and work through just like everyone else. Mostly though – she just seemed like a wicked awesome grandmother and definitely someone you could confide in the worries weighing on your mind such as the kind Ginn had on hers.

Gran had a keen ability of telling Ginn her back history in such a way that makes it credible despite the fact it has a lot of fantastical elements inside it – as this is a heritage which involves the Jinn. Though not quite the kind of Jinn everyone has heard of before but the kind who has a mixed heritage that involves the Jinn and humans. From there, what was quite impressive is how well Gran took to ensure Ginn of the details even to discuss how her feelings on this matter of disclosure were not the same as her parents – which struck me a bit as an interesting piece of information – as if Ginn’s adoptive parents dismissed a portion of her back-story, than if it weren’t for Gran disclosing the fuller story to her on her birthday, one had to wonder – would Ginn have started to deepen her curiosity about all the unexpected events happening to her since she turnt thirteen?

As we shift into the story of the Jinn – Combs does a wonderful job at educating us on the past histories of the Jinn, how they can exist and what their nature involved in regards to how they used their gifts of magic. It never felt like a specific section of information being given to you as she used Ginn’s own lack of understanding her birth origins as a route of information being passed onto the reader. The closer Ginn went with her own research, the closer we felt we understood who the Jinn were and the laws of how they existed. This also broached the topics of the books of Jinn known as the ‘grimoire’ and how the ancestry of the Jinn was as ancient as it were timeless.

Personally, my favourite character was not Ginn but Rashmere! He had the best attributes as a character but also, I felt his role in the story was so rounded and fleshed out, that his presence was a true delight to have threading through the background. I definitely am hoping he has a strong presence in the next volume of the series Solomon’s Bell as he was a keenly pivotal character within Heir to the Lamp.

This is a good novel to serve as a gateway into Magical Realism (as its the lighter side of the genre) whilst also giving a good footing of insight into Urban Fantasy and mythological Fantasy involving the Jinn. I think it would appeal to a lot of readers who are seeking a bit of danger and adventure within a fantastical world where not everything is exactly as it seems on the surface of what is being presented but where if you dig a bit deeper into the heart of what is being said, you’ll find the truth glimmering as strong as the purple smoke which is Ginn’s trademark.

-quoted from my review of Heir to the Lamp

Rainbow Digital Clip Art Washi Tape made by The Paper Pegasus. Purchased on Etsy by Jorie and used with permission.

A #WyrdAndWonder Book Review | “Solomon’s Bell” (Book Two: Genie Chronicles) by Michelle Lowery CombsSolomon's Bell
Subtitle: Genie Chronicles Book Two
by Michelle Lowery Combs
Illustrator/Cover Designer: Sarena Ulibarri
Source: Direct from Publisher

Ginn thinks she has problems at home until she magically lands herself in 16th Century Prague. To save her family, Ginn uses her newfound genie powers to transport herself and her friends to 16th century Prague. Only one thing there remains the same as at home: she can't let anyone know what she really is.

The Emperor of Prague and those closest to him are obsessed with magic. In pursuit of it, they’ve waged war on the citizens of their city. In the citizens' defense, someone has brought to life a golem, a dangerous being with connections to an artifact capable of summoning and commanding an entire army of genies.

Can Ginn escape the notice of the Emperor as she attempts to discover a way to defeat Prague’s golem in time to save her family from a similar creature?

Solomon's Bell is the sequel to Heir to the Lamp and the second book of the Genie Chronicles series.

Genres: Fantasy Fiction, Magical Realism, YA Fantasy, YA Urban Fantasy, Young Adult Fiction



Places to find the book:

Borrow from a Public Library

Add to LibraryThing

Book Page on World Weaver Press

ISBN: 978-0997788877

Also by this author: Solomon's Bell (Cover Reveal + Extract), Heir to the Lamp

Also in this series: Heir to the Lamp


Published by World Weaver Press

on 7th March, 2017

Pages: 224

Published By: World Weaver Press (@WorldWeaver_wwp)

Available Formats: Trade Paperback, Ebook

The Genie Chronicles series:

Heir to the Lamp by Michelle Lowery CombsSolomon's Bell by Michelle Lowery Combs

Genre(s): Speculative | Young Adult | Fantasy | Lore & Legends

the Jinn (or Jinnis or Genies) | Adoption

Similar Reads: The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker (see also Review)

About Michelle Lowery Combs

Michelle Lowery Combs

Michelle Lowery Combs is an award-winning writer and book blogger living in rural Alabama with her husband, one cat and too many children to count. She spends her spare time commanding armies of basketball and soccer munchkins for the Parks & Recreation departments of two cities.

When not in the presence of throngs of toddlers, tweens and teens, Michelle can be found neglecting her roots and dreaming up the next best seller. She is a member of the Alabama Writers’ Conclave, Jacksonville State University’s Writers’ Club and her local Aspiring Authors group.

Rainbow Digital Clip Art Washi Tape made by The Paper Pegasus. Purchased on Etsy by Jorie and used with permission. Read More

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

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Posted Wednesday, 20 May, 2020 by jorielov in #WyrdAndWonder, Adoption, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blogosphere Events & Happenings, Book Review (non-blog tour), Brothers and Sisters, Equality In Literature, Folklore, Folklore and Mythology, Foster Care, Indie Author, Magical Realism, Orphans & Guardians, Siblings, Speculative Fiction, Twitterland & Twitterverse Event, World Weaver Press, Young Adult Fiction

#WyrdAndWonder takesover @SatBookChat | This May, 3x #IndieFantasy authors are featured during #SatBookChat!

Posted Saturday, 9 May, 2020 by jorielov , , , 0 Comments

#WyrdAndWonder 2020 event banner created by Jorie in Canva.

Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!

Per my Announcement & TBR for #WyrdAndWonder

you might have suspected my blog Jorie Loves A Story and my bookish & geeky feeds via @joriestory were going to be overtaken with fantastical loveliness throughout May! However, you might not have realised I’ve cooked up some plans to host Indie Fantasy novelists via my book chat @SatBookChat, as well!

Ahead, of these featured authors – I have also hosted two special guest author features within the first week of #WyrdAndWonder – the first is where the author creatively ‘hosted’ a convo between herself and I – wherein I responded in kind. She wrote an aro-ace telepathical astral projecting Speculative novel. The second author I’ve hosted was for a Dark Fantasy novel which winked a bit of curiosity in me to seek out a discussion!

Let me share with you the schedule and which authors I’ll be featuring throughout MAY! As things are starting to get underway now as the first week is nearly melding into Week Two for #WyrdAndWonder! 

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

#SatBookChat's Wyrd And Wonder Guest Authors banner created by Jorie in Canva.

I’ve created a unique line-up this May, as I am continuing to feature #IndieFantasy novelists via #SatBookChat as much as I’ll be featuring them via Jorie Loves A Story. I love shining a light on Indie Authors which is not just a tradition I established during #WyrdAndWonder but one I’ve been celebrating since I first became a book blogger and decided to use my blog as a platform to talk about the stories I love from independent publishers as well as self-published authors. There is a lovely girth of stories being crafted in these realms and if I can help give more light to the stories and the authors who are writing them, I truly feel blessed as a book blogger and social reader.

Of the three authors, regular chatters of #SatBookChat and readers of Jorie Loves A Story will immediately recognise Jennifer Silverwood – especially after having observed my gush fest of joy in having read her Urban Fantasy story “Silver Hollow” (see also Review) inasmuch as the FUN we have discussing her stories via #SatBookChat or the fact I interviewed her last year during Wyrd and Wonder (see also Interview). It should also be mentioned we’re personal friends who bonded over our love of Fantasy, writing and being socially active in the book blogosphere and on #bookTwitter.

As you can already tell – I wanted to extend our joy in chatting with each other to tuck closer to what motivates her as a reader of Fantasy and what she personally enjoys about a genre she consistently writes inside. I also wanted to focus more on her takeways about Urban Fantasy as a reader moreso than as a writer because we had such a wonderfully in-depth discussion previously about ‘Silver Hollow’. I am quite sure our enthused reunion will spark its own set of conversational avenues to explore and I look forward to chatting that hour to see where it leads us all.

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

There are two new to Jorie authors being featured this May during #SatBookChat – as I love to feature the authors I desire most to be reading inasmuch as the authors I am reading whilst I’m hosting #SatBookChat.

Last Autumn, I first crossed paths with Odyssey Books (@OdysseyBooks) – a lovely Indie Publisher from New Zealand. I hadn’t had the chance to connect with them until very recently – wherein I had a chance to seek out several of their authors to interview during Wyrd And Wonder (as disclosed on my TBR Announcement) whilst I am also having the pleasure of joy reading two of their novelists – Felicity Banks & Elizabeth Foster. Read More

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Posted Saturday, 9 May, 2020 by jorielov in #SatBookChat, #WyrdAndWonder, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blogosphere Events & Happenings, Indie Author, Twitterland & Twitterverse Event

An #IndieApril #WyrdAndWonder Book Spotlight | “Kingdom Above the Cloud” (Tales from Adia: Book One) by Maggie Platt

Posted Tuesday, 28 April, 2020 by jorielov , , , 0 Comments

Stories in the Spotlight banner created by Jorie in Canva.

Acquired Book By: I started hosting with Prism Book Tours at the end of [2017], having noticed the badge on Tressa’s blog (Wishful Endings) whilst I was visiting as we would partake in the same blog tours and/or book blogosphere memes. I had to put the memes on hold for several months (until I started to resume them (with Top Ten Tuesday) in January 2018). When I enquiried about hosting for Prism, I found I liked the niche of authors and stories they were featuring regularly. This is how I came to love discovering the Harlequin Heartwarming authors & series as much as it has been an honour to regularly request INSPY stories and authors. Whenever I host for Prism, I know I am in for an uplifting read and a journey into the stories which give me a lot of joy to find in my readerly queue of #nextreads. It is an honour to be a part of their team of book bloggers.

I received a complimentary copy of “Kingdom Above the Cloud” direct from the publisher Ambassador International in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive compensation for my opinions or thoughts shared herein.

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

A sneak peek at the first book #JorieReads for #WyrdAndWonder:

I have been as eager as the next book blogger to receive her #bookmail lately – as with all the changes in our world recently – one of the industries affected has been the pub world of how books are getting published and their availability of being able to ship to readers. It has been a disheartening moment of our lives as we receive updates from readers who have gleamed further insight into what has been going on ‘behind-the-books’ & the production of books whilst as readers, we all must remain patient and understanding about the confines of how sometimes you have to wait longer to read certain books when there is a global pandemic affecting everyone’s life.

My #bookmail has been a bit unusually sluggish as a result as generally books take a bit longer to reach me overall – just one of those routes, I suppose, however, finding this lovely in the post the morning of my tour stop was wicked wonderful as it gives me just enough time to read it before the conclusion of the tour and makes my spotlighting an extract from its heart a bit sweeter, as well!

Most of my dear hearted readers know I’ve been co-hosting #WyrdAndWonder for the past 3 years this May – however, for those of you who are visiting through the #KingdomAboveTheCloud blog tour – this is a celebration in the book blogosphere for all things fantastical! My co-hosts (Imyril & Lisa) and I set out each May to uncover the stories, the authors and the mediums of Fantasy each of us personally are passionate about showcasing whilst embracing the wider community Wyrd and Wonder has become as fellow book bloggers, and socially bookish participants join us every May to signal flare a mutual love of Fantasy (as a genre and as a movement).

I’m thankful to have a book in hand to kick-off my journey this year as I have a pretty diversely eclectic Fantasy stack of lovelies to read – I look forward to diving into INSPY Fantasy as the event kicks off this Friday whilst getting ready to reveal which authors, which stories and which series I’ll be reading throughout May! Stay tuned for more information on my participation for #WyrdAndWonder and let’s celebrate Fantasy together! Leave me a note in the comments if you’re joining us!

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

An #IndieApril #WyrdAndWonder Book Spotlight | “Kingdom Above the Cloud” (Tales from Adia: Book One) by Maggie PlattKingdom Above the Cloud
by Maggie Platt
Source: Publisher via Prism Book Tours

What if the nine Fruit of the Spirit and the Seven Deadly Sins were locked in a battle for control?

Abandoned as infants, Tovi and her twin brother were raised by an eclectic tribe of warm, kind people in a treehouse village in the valley. After her brother's sudden disappearance Tovi questions her life and her faith in an invisible King. Ignoring her best friend Silas' advice, she decides to search for her brother in the kingdom on top of the mountain.

Above the cloud, the Council of Masters receives their orders. Tovi and her brother are the objectives. King Damien has a plan and Tovi is the key. The Council of Masters want her, but will she remain unscathed?

Amidst the glamour of the kingdom above the cloud Tovi is torn between her own dark desires and unanswered questions. It starts with a snake and a crown. When the ring is complete, will her life be over?

Genres: Fairy-Tale Re-Telling, High Fantasy, Inspirational Fiction & Non-Fiction, Mythological Fantasy, YA Fantasy, Young Adult Fiction



Places to find the book:

Add to LibraryThing

ISBN: 978-1620205884

Published by Ambassador International

on 17th April, 2020

Format: Trade Paperback

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Published by: Ambassador International (@ambassadorintl)

Converse via: #KingdomAboveTheCloud, #YALit, #YAFantasy
as well as #ChristianFantasy, #IndieAuthor/s, #KACPrism and #MaggiePlatt

About Maggie Platt

Maggie Platt

Maggie Platt is a writer, traveler, cancer survivor, and dreamer. Her greatest joys are being Auntie M to her amazing nieces and nephew and sitting with students and friends over cups of coffee and deep conversations. She works at her alma mater, Anderson University, and she lives in a cozy little cottage nearby where students come to sit on her couch just to laugh, cry, and talk about life.

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

  • #IndieApril 2020
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Posted Tuesday, 28 April, 2020 by jorielov in Biblical Fiction, Bits & Bobbles of Jorie, Blog Tour Host, Coming-Of Age, Fairy Tale Fiction, Fantasy Fiction, Folklore, High Fantasy, Inspirational Fiction & Non-Fiction, Life Shift, Light vs Dark, Prism Book Tours, Questioning Faith as a Teen, YA Fantasy, Young Adult Fiction

#Blogmas | feat. #FantasyForChristmas19 showcases | The Dragons Rising series by Alisha Klapheke

Posted Friday, 6 December, 2019 by jorielov , , , 1 Comment

#blogmas 2019 badge created by Jorie in Canva.

Hallo, Hallo dear hearts!

When it comes to #dragonfiction – I’m the reader who enters into those fantastically curious realms with a heap of trepideration as generally speaking – most #dragons in Speculative worlds are either brutally violent, intensively cruel to humans or they are seen as these war mongering beasts who have nothing in their hearts or minds except the blood of war on their tongues! It drives me more than slightly batty as I truly *love!* a wicked good dragon centred series and/or one-off story – however, my wanderings into #dragonfiction have been a bit slowish over the years as I simply haven’t found too many to entreat inside which give me the world-building I am seeking and the *kind of dragons!* I prefer to be finding in my Dragon Fiction!

Thus, when I spied this was a series being featured – I was both eagerly curious and more than a bit cautious – as which way would the dragon scales swing this time round? I also admit – I’m seeking stories to read for our forthcoming 3rd Wyrd and Wonder event in May 2020 – of which, I’ll be reading a particularly concise list of #dragonfiction to once & firmly answer my question ‘ are there writers out there past Jackie Gamber & Kate Klimo who can give me a dragon story I can read? ‘.

(see also why I heart the Leland Dragons series)

One thing which encouraged me the most about this series is a) its Young Adult and b) it is talking about *saving!* the dragons which eludes to me this is a series wherein the humans (or other species of sentients) and the dragons are trying to live co-habitability? Very encouraging indeed! As I don’t mind some conflict in #dragonfiction but if you find a story is far more ‘darkly’ lit than illuminated with Light its definitely the story that might not be my particular cuppa tea!

Curiously – are other readers struggling to find #dragonfiction they can sink their teeth into? If so, which authors of these lovelies do you find provide a wicked good story and/or series which celebrate #dragons and benefit the niche of stories they belong to within Fantasy? Whom are your favourite dragons and/or species and which world would you love to relocate inside if you could?

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

Fate of Dragons by Alisha Klapheke

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

This is a self-published book series!

Converse via: #FantasyForChristmas19, #FantasyAvengers and #dragonfiction

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add to LibraryThing

Published: 28th March, 2019 | ISBN: 978-0999831458

An Earth Queen desperate to wake her magic.

An elven prince fighting a ruthless betrayal.

A flood is coming. The Sea Queen has a mad plan to drown the world. Only the magic of the Earth Queen can stop her. Vahly, the last human, was born to fill that role and wield the power necessary to battle the rising oceans and save the dragons and elves.

But Vahly is the world’s biggest disappointment. She possesses no magic whatsoever.When she finds an ancient scroll that mentions a human power ritual conducted deep in the homeland of the elves, she gathers her dragon allies and journeys to see the king of that great forest-dwelling race.

Welcomed by a handsome royal cloaked in dark magic, will Vahly find answers or will a twisted and powerful elven lord destroyher chance at saving the world?

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

The Dragons Rising series:

Fate of Dragons by Alisha KlaphekeBand of Breakers by Alisha KlaphekeQueen of Seas by Alisha KlaphekeSword of Oak by Alisha Klapheke

Fate of Dragons (book one)

Band of Breakers (book two)

Queen of Seas (book three)

→ Sword of Oak (book four)
*forthcoming, July 2020 (digital first release)

Fun Stuff for Your Blog via pureimaginationblog.com

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Posted Friday, 6 December, 2019 by jorielov in #blogmas, Blog Tour Host, Book | Novel Extract, Book Spotlight, Dragon Fiction, Fantasy Fiction, Heroic Fantasy, Indie Author, Prism Book Tours, YA Fantasy