Marie Sinadjan
Bio
Filipino spec fic author and book reviewer based in the UK. https://linktr.ee/mariesinadjan • www.mariesinadjan.com
Stories (161/0)
The Leo Marco Chronicles, Part I
I used to be terrified of dogs. I wasn't even bit as a child, but I always had some fear that I would be. Our family's first dog had not been spared from my, well, "aversion." So I had my regrets when he died — sure, I'd been much younger (and irresponsible) then, but looking back, I could've done more in raising him.
By Marie Sinadjanabout a year ago in Petlife
Book Review: The Adventures of Phyllo Cane series by Sharn W. Hutton
Phyllo Cane and the Circus of Wonder (Book 1) When Phyllo accidentally burns down the big top, he can forget his dream of being a magical confectioner, it’s the Circuit for him instead. Now he must face a daunting string of magical apprenticeships to find his talent and prove his worth. Straight in at the deep end, his first is with the flyers of the high trapeze. Training is knee-trembling and mind-bogglingly dangerous, but when Phyllo finds himself in another near-fatal disaster, he realises it’s not just his nerves that are holding him back. Other acts crumble. Masked men stalk the cast. Something dark and evil conspires against them all and, Phyllo discovers, if the Circus of Wonder is to survive, he must solve the problems of the past… or lose the magic forever. Phyllo Cane and the Magical Menagerie (Book 2) Magically magnificent, fantastic and ferocious... at least, that’s what you’d expect of a fire-breathing dragon. But what if yours won’t come out of its pen to perform? What if the Ringmaster thinks it’s worth more in the apothecary chop-shop than as part of the troupe? The Beast Whisperer of the Circus of Wonder must bring her beloved dragon back up to its performing peak fast, if she’s to save it, and she thinks she knows what to do. The unhappy creature needs a mate, but the male sand dragon is a rare beast indeed, and she’ll never be able to catch one alone. Time for Phyllo to become the Beast Whisperer’s apprentice…
By Marie Sinadjanabout a year ago in Humans
Audiobook Review: Heir of Memory and Shadow by Rachanee Lumayno
Kaernan Asthore may be one of the most gifted Seekers in the kingdom of Orchwell, but he wants nothing more than to be rid of his gift: the ability to find lost loves, which often ends in heartbreak. So when Lady Adallia Pahame hires him to find her own lost love, Kaernan assumes it will be an easy, routine commission. But when the mystery surrounding his new traveling companion causes them to run afoul of an infamous gang of bounty hunters, Kaernan realizes this is one commission he might not return from. Will he be able to uncover the truth in time to save his friends — and himself? CW: suicide, attempted rape, murder/accidental murder, kidnapping
By Marie Sinadjanabout a year ago in Humans
Book Review: Tinderbox by W.A. Simpson
The Riven Isles. A place outside of our known world, where the characters of myth and fairy-tales exist, and their legends influence the lives of the people. Among them is Isbet, a witch skilled in the craft. Her return home marred by the murder of the woman who raised her. The old witch’s prized possession, stolen–the Tinderbox. A common man has used it to seize a throne. The same man who conquered Prince Bram Greyward’s land and forced Bram to become his heir. When a chance encounter gives Isbet the opportunity she needs to ingratiate herself into the king’s house, she meets Bram, whose bravery and kindness impresses her. Isbet’s goal is revenge and to retrieve the Box. For Bram, it is to free his homeland. When they receive a summons to an underground kingdom, they must set aside their personal desires as they discover an ancient source of magic, long dormant, is being brought to life by beings unnatural and it threatens to destroy the land. They have pulled Isbet and Bram into a battle not their own and struggle to locate the source of the darkness. However, Bram is caught in the aura of shadows surrounding the king and fearful of the demonic creatures within the box. CW: attempted sexual assault, on-page sex
By Marie Sinadjanabout a year ago in Humans
Book Review: The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill
In every person’s story, there is something to hide... Four strangers in the Reading Room at Boston Public Library are introduced by a scream. Caught up in the subsequent murder investigation, each one finds themselves revealing more than they intended about their pasts as they race to solve the murder before one of them gets hurt. Whilst their stories unfold, so does another. Dear Hannah... As correspondence between the author and an avid fan becomes interwoven with the core tale, the boundaries between what is fiction and what is real life begin to blur, highlighting the lengths people will go to keep their secrets. Through these entwined narratives, Gentill delves into the complicated nature of friendships, the lives we show versus the lives we lead and the ways in which art can imitate life. Or perhaps it’s the other way around?
By Marie Sinadjan2 years ago in Humans
Book Review: Dogs of the Deadlands by Anthony McGowan
Chernobyl 1986. Those left behind must fight to survive. The world is coming to an end. Dragged from her bed in the middle of the night and forced to leave her beloved puppy behind, Natasha has no idea if she’ll ever return home. Growing up in the shadow of the ruined nuclear power plant, pups Misha and Bratan need to learn how to live wild - and fast. Creatures with sharp teeth, scythe-like claws and yellow eyes lurk in the overgrown woods. And they’re watching the brothers… But will the dogs survive without humans? And can humans live without them?
By Marie Sinadjan2 years ago in Humans
Book Review: The Last Feather by Shameez Patel Papathanasiou
Twenty-two-year-old Cassia's sister is dying, and she doesn't know why. Cassia wakes up in another realm to find her missing best friend, Lucas, who knows how to save her sister. Lucas is part of a community of Reborns, people who were born on earth and after death, were reborn in this realm with magical abilities. The original beings of the realm, the Firsts, rule over them. To keep the Reborn numbers manageable, the king of the Firsts releases a curse to cull them. Cassia needs to break the curse before her time runs out and she is trapped there forever.
By Marie Sinadjan2 years ago in Humans
Book Review: We Will Rise by Tim Waggoner
In Echo Hill, Ohio, the dead begin to reappear, manifesting in various forms, from classic ghosts and poltergeists, to physical undead and bizarre apparitions for which there is no name. These malign spirits attack the living, tormenting and ultimately killing them in order to add more recruits to their spectral ranks. A group of survivors come together after the initial attack, all plagued by different ghostly apparitions of their own. Can they make it out of Echo Hill alive? And if so, will they still be sane? Or will they die and join the ranks of the vengeful dead?
By Marie Sinadjan2 years ago in Horror
Book Review: Enchanted Forests Charity Anthology
If you go down to the woods today… You’d better not go alone… Discover the secret world between the trees where fairies, unicorns and even monsters dwell. Take a stroll through enchanted woods and dance with pixies and dryads by the light of the stars. Escape Baba Yaga and fall in love with a prince in disguise. Taste the fruit at the goblin market and be whisked away on a magical adventure. Among ancient trees, find beauty, danger and adventure in these enchanting short stories by award-winning, best-selling, and up-and-coming fantasy authors.
By Marie Sinadjan2 years ago in Futurism
Book Review: Deus Ex by Miles Watson
Many men dream of becoming gods. Magnus Antonius Magnus achieved this dream, conquering half the globe and ruling it with an iron fist. Now, however, he is learning a painful lesson: gods, like men, can go too far. They can blunder. They can even fall. But does the story of Magnus end with the destruction of his empire…or is that where it begins?
By Marie Sinadjan2 years ago in Futurism
A Stef in the Right Direction: Chapter 3
Stephanie never expected her unassuming, long-distance virtual boyfriend Timothy to just show up unannounced, especially since they had an entire ocean between them. But he was in her city now, whether she was ready for it or not, and she would have to figure out what she really wanted in life… among other things like kissing, flirting, and what not to wear on dates.
By Marie Sinadjan2 years ago in Fiction
Book Review: Jack of Thorns by A.K. Faulkner
You’d think seeing the future would make life easy, but Laurence Riley knows better. No matter how hard he tries to master the chaos, everything slips out of control. His violent ex-boyfriend, his supernatural talents, his drug addiction—seeing what’s coming doesn’t help with any of them. He needs help and he knows it. Help that only a god can provide. The answer to his prayers is Jack, who offers help reining in his powers and mastering his life. In exchange, all Jack asks is regular offerings of sexual energy from Laurence’s conquests. A month ago, that would have been just fine with Laurence. If not for Quentin, it still would be. Devastatingly handsome, incredibly desirable, and so far out of Laurence’s league it’s not even funny, Quentin is the flame to Laurence’s moth. Laurence doesn’t want anyone else, he can’t think of anyone else, and neither Quentin’s frustratingly chaste behavior nor his uncontrollable telekinesis are enough to put him off. Not even if his focus on Quentin means breaking his bargain with Jack and facing the consequences of disappointing a god. Laurence doesn’t need to see the future to know that’s a bad idea, but he has no clue how dangerous Jack really is…
By Marie Sinadjan2 years ago in Humans