Crucify my Love: Gay Book Reviews: |206 - ENG| Review: Trifles and Folly

Book Title: Trifles and Folly: A Deadly Curiosities Supernatural Mystery Adventure Collection

Author: Gail Z. Martin

Publisher: SOL Publishing

Cover Artist: Lou Harper

Length: 396 pages

Release Date: October 18, 2016

Genres: Urban fantasy with a prominent gay secondary character in an evolving, committed and plot-important relationship

Tropes: Evolving established relationship/commitment

Themes: Found family, learning to use magic, sharing secret abilities,

Heat Rating: 4 flames

These are collections of short stories and novellas that originally appeared either individually or reverted from anthologies, so while they function like ‘extra episodes’ for the novels, they were intended to stand alone.

The short stories were designed to be standalone and not require prior knowledge of the series.

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Read in: English
Review copy format: epub

Rate:✮✮✮✮✮✮

NEW RELEASE AND SERIES TOUR

BOOK 1

Blurb

Trifles and Folly is a fascinatingly frightful set of dark urban fantasy tales full of abandoned mansions, restless spirits, Hoodoo, magic, supernatural creatures and long-overdue revenge.

Haunted places. Cursed heirlooms. Vengeful ghosts. Dark Magic

Cassidy Kincaide owns Trifles and Folly, an antique shop with a secret history. Cassidy can read the history of objects by touching them. She and her allies use magic and paranormal abilities to keep Charleston and the world safe from supernatural threats. Journey...if you dare...through these satisfyingly spooky short stories and novellas that take place around and between the novels in the Deadly Curiosities series.

A collection of nine stand-alone adventures: Buttons, The Restless Dead, Retribution, Coffin Box, Wicked Dreams, Collector, Bad Memories, Shadow Garden, and Spook House.

Trifles and Folly is a fascinatingly frightful set of dark urban fantasy tales full of abandoned mansions, restless spirits, Hoodoo, magic, supernatural creatures and long-overdue revenge.

A companion to the Deadly Curiosities series. Can be read as a standalone.

Revised Edition 2, 2018. Includes an updated cover, minor edits and the BONUS section with three stories chronicling Sorren’s early days: Vanities, The Wild Hunt, and Dark Legacy.

“A fabulous job of creating a world that was steeped with curses, lore, lure, deadly consequences, and magic.” — The Book Junkie on Trifles & Folly

"Trifles and Folly" is a collection of nine short stories and three bonus stories set in the world of an urban fantasy series, "Deadly Curiosities". In this case you probably want to know if you need to read the main novels before you start this collection. Well, I have a good news for all of you. You don't need to read the main novels. Just start with this collection and fall in love with the series.

Now let's focus on the book itself. "Trifles and Folly" is built on the principles similar to these of the TV series, in which the intro contains all the important information that allows us to find our way in the world we "enter". Thus, reading the stories we get to know the characters, their appearance and special skills, their workplace and their role in this universe. It is also worth adding that regardless of which story we read first, we always know what is going on and who we are dealing with.

As for the short stories themselves, it is worth noting that in the vast majority they have many common points, such as the way in which the plot develops, which is the result of the profession of our protagonists. Thus the pattern repeats – the object filled with negative energy entails a whole series of events, the consequence of which is the fight between "good" – our characters – and "evil" – the cause of the problem. However, all problems our characters deal with, their paranormal background and people's stories presented in the chapters differ from one another, which is an undoubted advantage as we read each short story with new passion and interest. To put it simply, no matter how many times we read these stories, they are always interesting and exciting. And you can believe me when i say that when you start reading them, you don't want to stop.

Another advantage of "Trifles and Folly", this time definitely more subjective one, is in my opinion the fact that a lot of stories to some extent refer to Voudon and Hoodoo. I admit that I have a weakness for this subject, and this is because Voodoo fascinates me, although at the same time I feel great respect for it and I'm afraid of it. Think what you want, but for me Voudon and Hoodoo have always been real and had real power. Therefore, I admit that I read the stories that refer to this subject with great interest, and at the same time I felt a little bit uncomfortable. I know it's a fiction, but some reactions are simply unconditional. What can I say, reading "Trifles and Folly" has fully engaged me.

Sorren's story at the end of the volume undoubtedly makes an interesting bonus. In these chapters the readers have the opportunity to "meet" the creator of our vampire, they can see to what extent and in what way Alard influenced his protégé and his future. What's more, thanks to all this we have the opportunity to take a closer look at Sorren himself. Although he appears in nine main short stories of this book, he's still a mysterious figure, about which we definitely want to learn more. So I must admit that these last three chapters are as interesting as the rest of the short stories included in this volume and they complete "Trifles and Folly" collection.

In summary, "Trifles and Folly" is an addictive collection of short stories that we read with real pleasure and which provides us with great entertainment from the first to the last page. For readers who already know "Deadly Curiosities" series this is a "must read" book, and for those who are just beginning their adventure with the series, it can be a good start of an incredible journey with Cassidy, Teag and Sorren. I highly recommend this collection!

MORE ABOUT THE SERIES:

BOOK 2

Book Title: Trifles and Folly 2: A Deadly Curiosities Supernatural Mystery Adventure Collection

Author: Gail Z. Martin

Publisher: SOL Publishing

Cover Artist: Lou Harper

Length: 568 pages

Release Date: December 27, 2017

Genres: Urban fantasy with a prominent gay secondary character in an evolving, committed and plot-important relationship

Tropes: Evolving established relationship/commitment

Themes: Found family, learning to use magic, sharing secret abilities,

Heat Rating: 4 flames

Goodreads

Buy Links

Amazon US | Amazon UK

Nook | Kobo | Audible

Trifles and Folly 2 is a satisfyingly spooky set of dark urban fantasy tales full of Southern cemeteries, restless spirits, Voodoo, magic, supernatural creatures, pirate ghosts, vampires and vengeance.

Blurb

Curses, vengeance from beyond the grave, haunted curios, werewolves, and wicked faeries.

Walk on the wild side, deep in the shadows through these delightfully creepy short stories and novellas that take place around and between the novels in the Deadly Curiosities series. Cassidy Kincaide owns Trifles and Folly, an antique shop with a secret history. Cassidy can read the history of objects by touching them. She and her allies use magic and paranormal abilities to keep Charleston and the world safe from supernatural threats

An extension of the Deadly Curiosities urban fantasy novel series, this collection can be read as a standalone. It contains three full novellas and four short stories: The Final Death, Predator, Fair Game, Fatal Invitation, Redcap, Bloodlines, plus three bonus stories: Among the Shoals Forever, The Low Road, and Steer a Pale Course.

“This book is honestly as good as the first. I love it when a series starts out great and stays that way.“—T’s Stuff on Trifles and Folly 2

BOOK 3 – NEW RELEASE

Book Title: Trifles and Folly 3: A Deadly Curiosities Supernatural Mystery Adventure

Author: Gail Z. Martin/Morgan Brice

Publisher: SOL Publishing

Length: 320 pages

Release Date: March 29, 2022

Genres. Urban fantasy with a prominent gay secondary character in an evolving, committed and plot-important relationship

Tropes: Evolving established relationship/commitment

Themes: Found family, learning to use magic, sharing secret abilities,

Heat Rating: 4 flames

Goodreads

Buy Links

Amazon US | Amazon UK

Kobo | Nook | Audible Coming Soon

Trifles and Folly 3 is a wickedly wonderful set of dark urban fantasy tales full of cursed curios, stolen relics, haunted heirlooms, creepy castles, menacing monsters, magic, and mayhem.

Blurb

The ghost of a jilted lover, an accidental hell-mouth, a soul-eating monster, cursed needlework, and a rogue’s gallery of sullied spirits—all this and more awaits!

Wander the shadowed paths through this spooktacular collection of short stories and novellas that take place around and between the novels in the Deadly Curiosities series.

An extension of the Deadly Curiosities urban fantasy novel series, this collection can be read as a standalone. It contains two novellas and five short stories: The Adventure of the Melted Saint, Keepsakes, Catspaw, The Piper’s Song, Innocence Lost, Crewel Fate, and Heap of Trouble.

Trifles and Folly 3 is a wickedly wonderful set of dark urban fantasy tales full of cursed curios, stolen relics, haunted heirlooms, creepy castles, menacing monsters, magic, and mayhem.

This collection includes a Morgan Brice MM Paranormal Romance novella set in the Deadly Curiosities’ universe with scenes only appropriate for readers 18+.

Excerpt from book 3

“Come back inside, Cassidy,” he urged. “I don’t know why, but I don’t like the vibes I’m getting out here tonight.”

Teag’s intuition is fueled by strong magic, so I take his “vibes” seriously. I’m pretty good with both intuition and magic myself, and I felt a shiver go down my back. “There’s something out here,” I murmured, looking down the alley toward the streetlight at the end and seeing a dark shape in the roadway I had not noticed before.

“That’s what I’m trying to tell you,” Teag said. “Come back where it’s safe.”

Wardings protected the old antique shop against dark magic. Salt and iron lay beneath the sill of every door and window to repel evil, and as an added protection, sometimes we had a nearly six-hundred-year-old vampire staying in the secret room in the shop basement. Teag and I both wore protective amulets, and when it came to defending ourselves, we were no slouches. So when I lingered a moment longer, I took a calculated risk.

“We need to see what that is,” I said, jerking my head toward the lump that lay near the far end of the alley. I let my athame slide down beneath my sleeve into my hand and jangled the old dog collar on my left wrist, smiling as the ghost of a large dog appeared at my side. Teag muttered something under his breath and joined me a moment later, carrying a wooden martial arts staff and a wicked knife.

Together, we advanced on the shape, which lay still in the dim glow of the distant street light. A mangy cat paced near the body, staying just out of reach as we approached, even though Bo’s ghost growled and stepped toward it. If the cat could see Bo, the ghost dog didn’t intimidate him. I paid attention to what my senses were telling me, shivering at the resonance something evil left in its wake. Yet the closer we got to the thing in the road, the more certain I became that the threat itself had come and gone.

About the Author

Gail Z. Martin writes epic fantasy, urban fantasy and steampunk for Solaris Books, Orbit Books, SOL Publishing, Darkwind Press, Worldbuilders Press and Falstaff Books. Recent books include Convicts and Exiles, Sellsword’s Oath, Inheritance, and Night Moves. With Larry N. Martin, she is the co-author of the Spells Salt & Steel, Wasteland Marshals, Joe Mack and Jake Desmet series.

As Morgan Brice, she writes urban fantasy MM paranormal romance including the Witchbane, Badlands, Treasure Trail and Fox Hollow series.

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