Changing Worlds – A Double Book Anthology
Authors: Gina Briganti &
Melissa Barker-Simpson
Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars.
Recommended Reading.
Genre: Fantasy / Romance.
Saunders’ Choice
This whimsical novella is the second in the Natural Gifts Series written by Gina Briganti, which falls between book one The Dreaming and book two Desert Sunrise. The realm of The Dreaming where a mermaid named Velvet practices stand-up comedy is much like a world between worlds where visitors don’t often come but when they do, Velvet seems to find herself connected with them in some way.
Briganti’s world, having already been fully developed in book one of her series, relies heavily on her readers bringing an awareness of this realm to Saunders’ Choice. While the notion of her unique home will undoubtedly bring favour with those readers having a care-free spirit and passion for underwater fantasy, I found this inception of Velvet’s world only skimmed the surface with a lack of character and plot depth I’m used to. The mystery behind Saunders’ choice and its affect on Velvet is spoken of in heavy terms but carried out in a somewhat incomplete way.
Therefore I have to rate the first novella in the Changing Worlds anthology at a 3 out of 5 stars.
The Contract
The richness Melissa Barker-Simpson brings to her main female character Maddison Wood belies the fact that this is just a novella, a prequel to her new fantasy series The Fractured. Barker-Simpson expertly weaves the mystery of who Maddy is and how her role as an elite supernatural assassin has come to fruition in her life. The contract she’s faced with and the many men (Kings, God’s and Werewolves alike) who admire her fighting prowess and innate power brings a subtle tension to choices she must make in this harrowing tale.
Barker-Simpson brings this parallel universe of portals and realms to life with hints of details that colour her writing, set the atmosphere and build a strong foundation for a fantasy world I want to spend more time in. Maddy’s inner turmoil and veiled past tease my curiosity while the Hympe King’s request for help brings more than just plot tension into the mix and the resulting contract that comes from stopping at nothing to keep a promise to royalty leads Maddy and readers on a journey of a lifetime.
Without a doubt, I have to rate the second novella in the Changing Worlds anthology at 5 out of 5 stars.
By M.J. Moores, OCT. Author. Editor.
Buy it HERE
Categories: Book Reviews
infinite-pathways.org 
Wow. I’ve wanted to read this anthology for a while but now I know I have to buy it. Great review 🙂
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Yes, definitely – go buy it! 😀 I’m partial or biased because I loved Melissa Barker-Simpson’s sci-fi The Fifth Watcher and now that she’s writing fantasy it’s like a dream come true!
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Yeah. Fifth Watcher wasn’t really my genre but I’m really excited for the Fractured series. Melissa said that it would be the series I’d like the most due to my fantasy taste and is not heavy romance.
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She does an awesome job of balancing the romance with the adventure and her supernatural characters are anything but stereotypical – this series is a must for any fantasy lover 😀
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Definitely on my TBR list and at the top.
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Thank you very much for your review!
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You’re welcome, Gina 🙂
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Thank you so much for the review, M.J. It means a lot that you enjoyed the end result, because your advice was invaluable 😀
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The Contract was the absolute best version of itself and I honestly can’t wait to sink my teeth into book one of the series! Congrats Mel 😀
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Thank you 😀 I have loved every minute of the journey and it feels so good to share Maddy!
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