Tag: Demigods of San Francisco

Review: Sin and Surrender by K.F. Breene

Posted August 18, 2020 by Holly in Reviews | 0 Comments

Review: Sin and Surrender by K.F. BreeneReviewer: Holly
Sin & Surrender by K.F. Breene
Series: Demigods of San Francisco #6
Also in this series: Sin & Chocolate , Sin & Magic , Sin & Salvation, Sin & Spirit
Publisher: Self-Published
Publication Date: June 9, 2020
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
Point-of-View: Alternating First and Third
Cliffhanger: View Spoiler »
Content Warning: View Spoiler »
Genres: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 302
Add It: Goodreads
Reading Challenges: Holly's 2020 Goodreads Challenge
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four-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

The sixth and final book in the #1 internationally bestselling Demigods of San Francisco series!

It's the moment Kieran and Lexi have been preparing for. The Magical Summit.

Ready or not, they will take their assembled team into the belly of the beast. The stakes couldn't be higher. If the powers that be don't approve of Kieran, he will not earn the official title of the Demigod of San Francisco.

The real danger concerns Lexi, however. With Kieran away in meetings, she must brave the treacherous halls of the Summit with just her crew and her wards, fighting for social placement and status, open to attack from all angles.

She could've never expected what comes at her. No one could've.

Prepare yourself for this epic conclusion to the Demigods of San Francisco series!

I really enjoy K.F. Breene’s novels. Her characters are always engaging and I tend to love her heroines and the misfit families they create. This was no exception. I loved Lexi and Keiran, their wards and the friends they collected and turned into family. It was a bit predicable, though. I figured out what was going to happen two books ago, and I’m a little sad it went the way I thought it would. Still, it was a satisfying end to the series, and I’m sad to see them go.

For as much as I enjoyed it, I have to say I was frustrated with Daisy in this book.

Daisy and Mordecai are Lexi’s wards. She adopted them off the street and gave them a safe place to live when they were teenagers. The three of them have come through a lot together. As the only non-magical person in their group, Daisy has been training with Zorn, the leader of Keiran’s Six, and Amber, his spymaster, to learn to defend herself and their family. She dealt with a lot growing up and her and Mordecai were my favorite part of the earlier books. The way they stuck together and did what they could to help Lexi was very heartwarming. As the series has progressed, I’ve come to like Daisy less and less. She’s become mouthy and cocky, which isn’t unexpected from a teenage girl, but the more endearing aspects of her character have been missing of late. It seems like Breene may be setting up to give us more books in this world from Daisy’s point of view, and I’m not super excited about the prospect. Though I may change my mind later.

I was hoping for a bit more from both Keiran and Lexi, and I really didn’t like Daisy very much in these last few books, but the series is still wonderfully done, and I’m going to miss all of them.

3.75 out of 5

Demigods of San Francisco

four-stars


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Guest Review: Sin & Spirit by K. F. Breene

Posted January 31, 2020 by Tracy in Reviews | 1 Comment

Guest Review: Sin & Spirit by K. F. BreeneReviewer: Tracy
Sin & Spirit by K.F. Breene
Series: Demigods of San Francisco #4
Also in this series: Sin & Chocolate , Sin & Magic , Sin & Salvation, Sin & Surrender
Publisher: Self-Published
Publication Date: December 31, 2019
Format: eBook
Source: Gifted
Point-of-View: First
Genres: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 296
Add It: Goodreads
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four-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

Kieran has stepped up to take his place as the ruler of magical San Francisco. As his girlfriend, that unfortunately means I'm under the magnifying glass. Everything I do is noticed, from how I act to how I style my hair. Most notably, of course, is how little I know about my magic.

The Hades Demigods want me on their team, and they don’t plan to ask nicely. Kieran and I are both under fire. They will kill him to get to me, and they'll take me by force if necessary. It is essential I learn more of my magic.

With no other options, I do what scares me the most - I summon the last Spirit Walker to help train me. Except, he's a loose cannon with looser morals and learning spirit is treacherous. I might evade the Demigods only to be lost in spirit forever.

As it says in the blurb, Kieran has stepped up to take over San Francisco, but Lexi hasn’t quite found her place yet.  She has an office in the government building, but she insisted that she not get a huge office just because she’s Kieran’s girlfriend.  She has a small office and does charity work from there.  She’s having a hard time adjusting to being in the spotlight and “dressing” the part.  She just wants to be herself and go with jeans and t-shirts, but she can’t do that as the woman who stands beside the Demigod of San Francisco.

While finding her way through her job, she also is still trying to learn how to be a Spirit Walker and better control her magic. The last SW she knows of is dead and was an assassin, but desperate times and all.  She brings his spirit back and he tries to teach her some things.  She’s a natural of course, but some things are just hard for her to wrap her head around.

As if this isn’t enough drama in her life, Kieran and Lexi get attacked by one of the Demigod of Hades – of which there are 3 biggies.  One of those is her father, whom she’s never met.  He has killed off all of his children so Lexi’s not really anxious to meet the guy.  When the battle gets intense, and finally over, they realize that people are hurt, missing and sadly, dead.  This puts the couple and their group of friends on a mission with a deadline and they’re not sure they’ll make it in time to save everyone.

This was another great book in the Demigods of San Francisco series.  I really like what Breene has done with the relationship between Kieran and Lexi and can’t wait to watch it develop more in future books. This story, however, was a sad book and for me, lacked the humor that made the previous three books.  I know you can’t have a ton of humor when you’re working with death, obviously, but until that occurred in the book I wish there had just been a lighter side to it all.  I’m not sure how to explain it.

Overall, I really loved this book and can’t wait to read book 5 in the series.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Demigod of San Francisco

four-stars


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Review: Sin & Salvation by K.F. Breene

Posted July 1, 2019 by Holly in Reviews | 1 Comment

Review: Sin & Salvation by K.F. BreeneReviewer: Holly
Sin & Salvation by K.F. Breene
Series: Demigods of San Francisco #3
Also in this series: Sin & Chocolate , Sin & Magic , Sin & Spirit, Sin & Surrender
Publisher: Self-Published
Publication Date: March 19, 2019
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
Point-of-View: Alternating First and Third
Cliffhanger: View Spoiler »
Content Warning: View Spoiler »
Genres: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 432
Add It: Goodreads
Reading Challenges: Holly's 2019 GoodReads Challenge
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
four-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

Valens has noticed his two missing employees. It won't be long before he knows who is responsible.

It won't be long before he claims his vengeance.

The race is on. Kieran and Lexi must scrape together an army worthy of taking on the Demigod of San Francisco before he destroys them all.

But Valens isn't Lexi's only problem. Mordecai's rapid recovery has been noticed, and he has once again become a threat to his old pack.

Lexi's little family is in jeopardy of being torn apart, and to save them...she must finally embrace what it means to be a Soul Stealer.

Sin & Salvation, book 3 in the Demigods of San Francisco series by K.F. Breene, picks up right where Sin & Magic left off. I highly recommend reading the series in order.

After taking out two of Valens’ (the Demigod of San Francisco) high-level employees, and freeing Keiran’s mom’s spirit, Lexi and Kieran are waiting for the other shoe to drop. They know it’s only a matter of time until Valens traces everything back to them. Kieran is gathering his troops and allies, and Lexi is doing her best to learn her magic. Because all signs point to her being the tipping point in the war against Valens. Lexi is also determined to free the all the spirits Valens has trapped. The more she taps into her magic, the higher the risk of exposing herself and her wards.

The series has been building toward an epic battle between Kieran and his father, which we finally get in this book. I’ll be honest, I was a little disappointed in it. I expected a little bigger bang than I got. Still, I liked how kickass Lexi was, and how quick she picked up her skills. I liked the development of the romance in this book better than in the last. I really loved seeing Mordie and Daisy come into their own, and I absolutely adored the family unit they created for Kieran and his Six.

This is a great trilogy and I look forward to the next book.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Demigods of San Francisco

four-stars


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Review: Sin & Magic by K.F. Breene

Posted June 20, 2019 by Holly in Reviews | 0 Comments

Review: Sin & Magic by K.F. BreeneReviewer: Holly
Sin & Magic by K.F. Breene
Narrator: Khristine Hvam
Series: Demigods of San Francisco #2
Also in this series: Sin & Chocolate , Sin & Salvation, Sin & Spirit, Sin & Surrender
Publisher: Self-Published
Publication Date: January 1, 2019
Format: eBook, Audiobook
Point-of-View: Alternating First and Third
Cliffhanger: View Spoiler »
Content Warning: View Spoiler »
Genres: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 431
Length: 10 hours and 1 minute
Add It: Goodreads
Reading Challenges: Holly's 2019 GoodReads Challenge
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three-half-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

I've agreed to work for a Demigod. My job? Find the spirit of his mother and release her before his vengeful father finds out and kills us all.

Have I lost my mind?

Thankfully, I don't have to do it alone. Kieran has brought in help: a Necromancer who loves to flirt with danger. Bria can help me find the clues to free Kieran's mom.

She can also help me learn my potent and extremely terrifying magic.

But as we work deeper into magical San Francisco, we uncover a minefield waiting to explode. I'm learning that there are far worse things than death.

Sin & Magic is the second book in K.F. Breene‘s Demigods of San Francisco series. I put off reading this book until the 3rd was released, because I hate waiting. I’m glad I did. I dove right into book 3 once this one was finished.

I started out reading this book, but ended up grabbing the audiobook for times I wasn’t able to read (my commute, etc). I didn’t love the narrator, but I didn’t hate her, either. Still, I mostly read the book.

Sin & Magic picks up right where Sin & Chocolate leaves off. Alexis and her two wards, Mordecai and Daisy, are doing a little better these days after being hired by Demigod Keiran to help find and release his mother’s trapped soul. Lexi is a Soul Stealer, though she didn’t realize it until Keiran showed up in her life. She’s learning how to harness her magic and use it to its full potential.

The romance heats up in this book, though I wasn’t quite satisfied with the pace. There’s a lot of hesitation on Lexi’s part about getting involved with a Demigod (and rightly so), but then all of a sudden, bam. They were having sex. I struggled with the timing. It seemed to come out of nowhere and frankly, given the danger leading up to the moment, totally unbelievable. I also struggle with how easily led Lexi is. She makes all these questionable decisions and allows herself to be manipulated into things. It’s frustrating. That’s not to say I don’t like her, because I do. She has a lot of courage and I like that she’s dedicated to doing the right thing.

The world-building is really interesting and I love Alexis and her wards together. Honestly, the kids made the entire series for me. They’re so wonderful. I also love how Alexis is making a family for Keiran and his Six.

Rating: 3.75 out of 5

Demigods of San Francisco

three-half-stars


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Review: Sin & Chocolate by K.F. Breene

Posted June 19, 2019 by Holly in Reviews | 3 Comments

Review: Sin & Chocolate by K.F. BreeneReviewer: Holly
Sin & Chocolate by K.F. Breene
Series: Demigods of San Francisco #1
Also in this series: Sin & Magic , Sin & Salvation, Sin & Spirit, Sin & Surrender
Publisher: Self-Published
Publication Date: October 10, 2018
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
Point-of-View: Alternating First and Third
Cliffhanger: View Spoiler »
Content Warning: View Spoiler »
Genres: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 439
Add It: Goodreads
Reading Challenges: Holly's 2019 GoodReads Challenge
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
three-half-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

Some people are ordained for greatness…

Those people usually have a lot of drama in their life. Drama I happily do without. I live in a forgotten corner of nowhere for a reason: there is safety in anonymity. I have enough problems just trying to get by.

But when Kieran, a sinfully sexy demigod at the pinnacle of power, crashes into my life, suddenly my whole world is turned upside down.

He’s harboring a deadly secret, one that could destroy all he holds dear. He thinks I’m the key to his salvation, and he wants me to help him claim vengeance.

He also wants me with a passion that burns my body from the inside out.

To ignore him is impossible, but to give in to my desires, even for a night, would thrust me into danger I might not survive.

Can I resist the temptation?

Sin & Chocolate is the first book in the Demigods of San Francisco series by K.F. Breene. I really like Breene’s writing and look forward to each new book.

Alexis is living under the radar in the dual-society zone between the magical and non-magical lands of San Francisco. She’s raising two teenage wards, Mordecai and Daisy. She’s just trying to get by. Though she has magic and can talk to spirits, she isn’t very powerful and therefore can’t make a lot of money. Mordecai is a shifter, but he’s unable to shift and it’s slowly killing him. There’s a magical proceedure he can have done to fix it, but it’s extremely expensive and Lexi can’t afford it. Not to mention that would bring Mordecai the unwanted attention of the local Pack alpha. Daisy had a rough childhood and is struggling to feel safe. Lexi is all either of them have, so she tries to keep under the radar as much as possible and do what she can to bring in cash.

Every so often she sets up a tent at the local fair, known as the Freak Show – a gathering of lesser magic users similar to a swap meet – and helps exercise ghosts. All is going well until she catches the notices of the Demigod Keiran. Keiran is searching for someone to help lay his mother to rest. She’s a selkie and his father stole her skin, trapping her in this world so she can’t cross over the line to the after life. Alexis is the first person he’s talked to who actually has the power to help him. He’ll do anything to free his mother, even manipulate Alexis by using her wards if he must.

This moved pretty slow for me in the first half, but it picked up in the second. There’s a lot of world-building early on, and the story felt bogged down because of it. A lot of Lexi’s actions frustrated me. She kept doing all these things that made no sense considering her situation. It wasn’t something that killed the story for me, but there were definitely times I shook my head at her. I loved her relationship with her wards. Heck, I just loved them, period. They provided much comic relief. I also loved how practical they all were. She wasn’t afraid to accept a handout if it meant keeping her kids fed, or a hand-up if it meant giving them a better life. Though some of her actions frustrated me, I can’t deny I liked her from the outset.

This is the start of a multi-book storyarc, so it ends in a cliffhanger. Nothing is really resolved and we’re left with a lot of unanswered questions. The cliffhanger ending frustrated me. I’d have waited until the other books were out if I’d known (all three parts are out now). Still, I can’t deny this was an intriguing read and I really look forward to the next book.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Demigods of San Francisco

three-half-stars


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