Title: Phantacie: Welcome to Swamp’s End
Author: Angela Pearson and Crystal Ordonez
Published in May 2006 by Lulu
Genre: Adult Fantasy Romance
ISBN: 978-1-4116-9128-5
Swamp’s End stands by its name. The local bookstore is owned by Amethyst and Vendois Severi where they carry magical books. Their books are for the ordinary as well as for those seeking magical information or anything that is quite unique. They will even go as far as making a trade for favors instead of accepting an exchange of money. When a hooded, cloaked woman begins to roam the countryside, with names on a list, marking them off one by one, she will use anything to make her mission complete, from paralytic injections, knives and even poison. And her next location just happens to sit between a harbor and a swamp, known as Swamp’s End.
Elodia Phelan’s parents are dead. She finished her schooling at the Magical Beings Boarding School and she intends to find out about Delphian Grimm, the man that was on her fathers list. She visits the book store in Swamp’s End because she has heard that Liber Severi purchases rare or unusual books. Pests are making a nuisance out of her garden and she needs help. She makes a good trade with Amethyst and Vendois in hopes of finding answers. When she is pointed in the direction of Delphian Grimm, she heads that way and insists on the certain herbal blend of tea. She is not too happy with the little buggers in her garden. The rodents are desperately telling up her garden and she is tired of chasing after them. Upon meeting Grimm, she finds him very striking even though he comes off a bit crusty with their first encounter. Of course there is no telling if he is really friend or foe.
Amethyst takes a liking to Elodia and explains to her husband, that Elodia is like them but not like them and she is young. There is a mystery that surrounds her. Of course the whole town seems to have a certain allure to it that blends with some mysterious connections.
Delphian Grimm just happens to be the last name that is on the stalkers murder list. He is also friends with Amethyst and Vendois Severi and works at the Aphotic Apothecary. When he is visited by Elodia to purchase some knotmiis for her garden, he is surprised that Elodia’s parents didn’t come to get the item they needed. Of course she quickly informs that her parents are dead. He informs that it is mating season for the bugs. And the knotmiis that she needs to help her garden has been in great demand of late. He has no idea that she is about to infringe greatly on his life nor how trustworthy she may be, as he grows to have a romantic reaction to her.
The town of Swamp's End is definitely one town that carries a good deal of interest. As an outsider, when Elodia makes her presence knows she disturbs quite a few in the little village. It appears in no time everyone is beginning to learn something about the other they never knew. When Elodia is met with kind friendship, especially from Amethyst and Vendois, she is surprised. She thought she would not be accepted in the little village, she had returned, but she is soon to learn that things are not always as they appear especially when her destiny seems to fall in the hands of the village. But Elodia is there for revenge, but the village may in turn change her mind about all of that. As the hooded woman begins to make her presence known, in the village, and Elodia seeks to learn more about Master Grimm and his name on her fathers list, revenge appears to play a huge puzzle in the game but Elodia may quickly learn that Delphian Grimm is not what she imagined and he may, after all, become a blessing in disguise or either her worse enemy. Whatever may occur, Swamps End is about to unlock some mysterious happenings as Elodia makes a path to their little village and into Delphian’s heart.
Phantacie: Welcome to Swamp’s End has a way to even make the lingering fog appear to be smoldering in the pages. There is an ambience that is quite mysterious and lends believability to it and the characters. I could almost visualize the little village and even the people, especially the hooded, cloaked woman. Everything was detailed in a way to not lose the reader. Even the bookstore has a certain flare within the shelves of each book. The whole story carries the reader into a magical land that blends with the ordinary and those very unusual. Each turn of the page has a way of pulling the reader into the book as if they are centered within all the action even with Elodia pulling the weeds from her garden. There are so many actions that blend in the book and add much romance, warmth, emotion, right along with all the evil that others wish to create among the village.
Angela Pearson and Crystal Ordonez create a motivating village that almost seems real, as if the reader is visiting the bookstore and the apothecary shop. With a stunning plot, they sketch refreshing characters that have their own distinctive traits that stand out. There introduction makes one wonder are the owners of the bookstore actually ones that can be trusted or is Elodia out to ruin the complete town. And Delphian, where does he really fit into all this, just because he comes off first as standoffish with a chiding tongue that could really be his own way of disguise, even when he is with his dark forces, he could just be stringing Elodia along for the big kill. It is definitely a tale that keeps the reader on their toes and spellbound with each turn of the page. I could almost picture Elodia as she was star-gazing about the old woman’s prophecy. And when she told Grimm he had learned her name, I had to smile. The conversation between Elodia and Delphian is wonderfully written and the story intense, one that shouldn’t be missed in this fantasy world where anything can happen and does. This delightful tale perks with some grand magic and one certainly doesn’t wish to disappoint the loyal citizens of Swamp’s End, be sure to get your copy of Phantacie: Welcome to Swamp’s End today at Lulu.com.
Sincerely good reading,
Linda
Angela Pearson Crystal Ordonez Buy Angela's and Crystal's Books at the DPP Store
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