Review: A Falsetto of Fury

I mentioned in my review of A Verse of Vengeance that I would soon be reviewing this book as they both reside in the same universe. 

A Falsetto of Fury is the first book in the Heavy Metal Magic Series written by Amir Lane and N.J. Ember. I have been excited for this series for a while and I was not disappointed. As I'm sure you will garner from my following review I most definitely would suggest this book to just about anyone who will listen to me.

Even better is that if you purchase A Falsetto of Fury you can get A Verse of Vengeance completely free by filling out this form.

A Falsetto of Fury

 When Heavy Metal Meets Serious Magic, Get Ready for Some Monstrous Consequences.

Lottie Ferro lives her life by order and rules, but on stage it’s nothing but chaos.

While leading goth metal band The Furies on their first tour of the year, Lottie uses her band’s witchy theme to hide her magic in plain sight. As Lottie struggles to keep their manager, Trenton from sabotaging their careers, she starts to suspect she isn’t the only one who’s hiding something. Trenton discovers her secret and offers her an ultimatum: perform a ritual for him or get shut out of the industry forever. Lottie has no choice but to tell her bandmates the truth. Together, they agree to find a way to give him what he wants.

When the ritual goes wrong, it opens the door to bigger dangers than any of them are prepared for.

From author N.J. Ember and USAT Bestselling Author Amir Lane comes a story of music, magic, and mayhem.

Review

The mere concept of a metal band made up of witches automatically enticed me. A metal band of witches that hides in plain sight by using the concept as a cheap gimmick is even better. And if you think that is great, just wait until I tell you that none of the members have actually told each other that they are witches.

They are not only hiding from the world but from each other and the complete insanity of the situation makes me laugh just to think about. But other than that there are plenty of other great things about the novel. 

The world building is phenomenal. The authors did not just make up the fictional band "The Furies", but they made up several fictional metal bands complete with interesting members and all having their own unique sounds or themes. Even bands only mentioned in passing are given enough depth that the reader would feel as if they are real.

This book also included many relatable characters and what's even better is that there are a large selection of characters all with different back stories and personalities. With so many in depth characters it is nearly impossible not to find one that you can connect with. I personally managed to find a connection with The Furies' keyboardist, Brogan.

Concept, world building, and relatable characters aside, this book is over-all well written and easy to read, it is dramatic but also has enough of a comedic edge to not make you feel exhausted after a few chapters.

I am excited to see what the rest of this series will unfold. 

Song of the Day:

Review: Dirty Lamb Ultra Night Serum

 I did not actually have plans to make a post today but last night I finally tested out Dirty Lamb's Ultra Night Serum and I loved it so much I couldn't wait.

My original intention was to finish off the products I already owned before breaking into my new products from Kinder Beauty, but my skin was feeling abnormally dry and my old night serum doesn't offer quite as much hydration. So, desperate to get my skin feeling nice and soft again I decided to test out this serum a bit early.

I was immediately amazed at how smoothly it went on and how soft my skin felt immediately. It also requires very little product(I used three drops) which means that the bottle should last quite a while.

My one concern was that I would wake up and have my face feel super oily but my skin only felt slightly more oily that normal when I woke up. It was far from anything concerning. I usually get quite oily around my nose and my forehead but the rest of my skin is prone to dryness or irritation from being extremely sensitive.

When I woke up my cheeks still felt silky smooth whereas they usually feel dried out in the morning. As I stated I did get slightly more oil around my nose and forehead but not enough that I fear I would risk breaking out.

I've only used it the one night but am eager to see how my skin reacts to it long term.

Song of the Day:

Review: Verse of Vengeance

Verse of Vengeance by Amir Lane is a short story that is set within the universe of their Heavy Metal Magic Series that Lane is co-writing with author N.J. Ember.

The first book in this series, Falsetto of Fury, is set to be released on January 12th. Verse of Vengeance will be available as a part of the upcoming Love Bites anthology, which is currently available for pre-order. It will also be available as a gift for those that purchase Falsetto of Fury between the dates of January 12th and January 29th.

Summary

Verse of Vengeance starts off during WWI and follows the years after. It starts of with two soldiers, Brys and Gwilym, who immediately bond over being Welsh soldiers fighting for the British army. During the war Brys is shot and is on the verge of dying, it turns out that Gwilym is a vampire and ends up turning Brys. This is a decision that ways heavily on Gwilym, as vampirism is not something he would ever wish upon anyone, especially not someone he loves.

After the war the two men settle into the closest thing to a normal life that a vampire can achieve, unfortunately that life includes constantly being on the move, not wanting to stay anywhere long enough for people to become suspicious.

Everything comes crashing down when one night the two men are out for a walk and are ambushed by vampire hunters. Gwilym is taken down and Brys barely gets out alive before sunrise.

Heartbroken and Angry, Brys does the only thing he can, he takes his revenge on those who have caused him hurt, whether it be directly or as a member of a particular social class. 

Thoughts

Hopefully you don't want a professional review because my opening statement is "This book made me cry." Reading this was definitely a bit of a rollercoaster of emotions. This was one of those stories that you come out of still feeling raw, as if your whole world just turned upside down.

I'm not sure I am still over the plot twists of this book, they were so perfectly orchestrated that even though they were foreshadowed it still hit me like a train. I can distinctly remember going through a phase of denial over the events in this book. I'm pretty sure I went through the whole cycle of grieving, possibly more than once.

Other than the emotional side of this story I should probably mention that the writing is phenomenal and that, as always, Amir Lane has been sure to research the stories setting, both time and place. I can genuinely say that I really hope for a follow up of this side story because I am not yet over the main character.

I would suggest this to anyone that likes vampire stories, historical fiction, or romantic tragedies.

Today's Song of the Day:

Review: Ellovi, Han, Medusa's Makeup, Glov

As I stated in my last post, I would give a better review of some of the items I received from my Kinder Beauty Box. In my last post I stated that I had used a lip balm, and two eyeshadow. I have since also tried the makeup removing glove. Most of these items have been given a small review in my last post but I figured I'd go a bit more into detail in this post.

Ellovi: Ginger Lemon Lip Butter

Packaging: The packaging of lip balms is pretty straight forward. They are usually in a cylindrical tube with a little twisty thing at the bottom. It can be hard to stray from this as it is a proven design but Ellovi managed to stray just enough to add some extra interest. The tube was not more of an oval than a circle. The packaging is also black, another uncommon element when it comes to this particular item.

Product: The first thing I do when I open a new product is always to smell it and I can tell you that I was definitely not disappointed. The smell is very fresh but not overbearing. The texture of the product lives up to its name as being a 'Butter', it is very smooth and leaves your lips very soft which is pretty much what you want from such a product.

Pricing: The price for this item is $5 USD. To get a proper perspective I calculated it into CAD and as of this date it range up at $6.38. It may seem a bit on the pricier side for some but considering the quality I would say that it is a fair price. I have payed less for similar items but I have also paid more. I would consider the pricing to be moderate.

Han: Eyeshadow in Chocolate Bronze

Packaging: The packaging is not really something that would immediately draw my eye. It is pretty straight forward as far as single pots of eyeshadow go. It is far from being bad packaging, just not very interesting. If anything I would say that the logo seems sleek and modern.

Product: This particular shade is great for a subtle makeup look. it is pretty neutral with just the tiniest bit of shimmer. It isn't something I normally would have chosen for myself but it is very pretty. it also feels softs on the skin and blends very well. After a day's wear I didn't find that the colour had faded or creased.

Pricing: The price for this item is $15 USD. Converted to CAD it came in at $19.15. I will admit this is probably the most I've every paid for a single pot of eyeshadow but I also don't typically buy single eyeshadows. I prefer to purchase pallets. I probably on my own would not have spent nearly $20 on an eyeshadow.

Medusa's Makeup: Eye Dust in Penny Wise

Packaging: I have always found Medusa's Makeup packaging to be pretty. The logo in general just looks cool to me. This item is packaged in a jar with a sifter between the contents and lid. The lid is a basic twist off lid. I find loose powdered eyeshadow to be messy most of the time but the sifter definitely does a good job in making sure you don't spill the contents all over yourself. 

Product: This shade is very pretty. it is highly pigmented and also very shimmery. I can tell I will be using this a lot in my future makeup routines. It also blends very well though you do need to make sure you don't have too much product on your brush but that goes with all loose powders.

Pricing: The price for this item is $9 USD. Coming out to $11.49 CAD. this is more around the range I would expect from a single eyeshadow and would definitely be willing to pay this price to buy more of this product.

Glov: Makeup Remover Glove

Packaging: This item has packaging made of starch which apparently decomposes naturally. I love the idea of eco-friendly packaging. The appearance of the bag isn't really anything special in my opinion but it is also far from being horrible.

Product: I love it! I have used microfibre, just add water, types of clothes before and found them great for removing face makeup but always found them rough while trying to use on eye makeup. I did not have this problem with this one. It was super soft and even my stubborn eye makeup came off easily with no irritation. 

It is also super easy to clean. I just used a bar of laundry soap and hand washed it then hung it to dry. I was worried about the fact that the cloth was white but the makeup seemed to wash out of it easily leaving no stains . My only disappointment would be that it is only good for up to three months before needing to be replaced, but the quality of the product will definitely entice me to replace it.

Pricing: After converting the website to USD it range in at $14.90 which is $19.03 CAD. At first glance I thought the price high but then I thought about the money I was saving on my favourite makeup removers and figured it was worth it. I will be buying this product again as well as a few other item I spied in order to cover for shipping from Europe to North America.

Today's Song of the Day:

Kinder Beauty Box

 Kinder Beauty Box

The Kinder Beauty box is something that I've been wanting to try for quite a while now. It is a monthly subscription box that sends Vegan, Cruelty-Free beauty products. 

Click Here to Subscribe

Today I finally received my first monthly box as well as my bonus box for being a new subscriber. I have not used many of the items yet but I'd like to share what I received and do a quick review of the site itself. I will put out reviews of the products as I have a chance to use them.

First Glance Review

My first note is that the website is incredibly easy to use. I always think that the best websites are the ones that value simplicity. You can choose between a month-to-month, three month, and six month subscription. The three month and six month both come with a bonus box worth $75.

The customer service was definitely good. I received an e-mail notification that my order had been processed and when I clicked my order number I was brought to a page that had a tracking number for Fed Ex. The process from Kinder Beauty was quick. The wait from Fed Ex was a bit long but considering the pandemic and pre-holiday blitz I really can't complain.

Honestly the only possibly negative thing is that you can't customize the items in the box like you can with some subscription boxes. This isn't something that particularly bothers me. I got this box not just for the deals but because I wanted the chance to test out products from companies I've never heard of before.

Bonus Box

The first box I opened was the bonus box. On top I saw three products which I took a picture of. When I went to throw away the paper stuffing I decided to pull it apart a bit just incase I missed something. It was a good thing that I did this because a fourth item dropped out.

This box included a face cream, face mask, eyeshadow, and a lip balm.

Thus far I have used the lip balm and the eyeshadow. I did however open the face cream to smell it and it smells really good. 

The lip balm was Ellovi Ginger Lemon Lip Butter. This is the item that I almost lost to the paper filling. I'm glad I didn't because only a few hours in I already love it. It feels very soft and also smells amazing so an over-all win.

The eyeshadow was Han Eyeshadow in Chocolate Bronze. I don't like to do first day reviews on makeup because I like to see how they hold up throughout the day. I will however say that it went on smoothly and was easy to blend. The colour is very subtle, it would be great for a natural make-up look. It has a slight shimmer to it but nothing super shiny.

The other two items i received in this box that I have yet to try are Timeless Organics Intense Hydration + Vitamin E Facial Cream and Franklin & Whitman Northern Liberties Face Mask. The facial cream is the one I opened to smell that smelt amazing. I haven't opened the mask yet because it is a powder and I didn't want to accidentally inhale it.

Monthly Box

The monthly box came with five items. They included a reusable make-up removing glove, an under-eye mask, a night serum, eyeshadow, and an eye cream.

So far I have used the eye shadow but am probably most excited to try the under-eye mask.

The eyeshadow is Medusa's Makeup Eye Dust in Penny Wise. This is a brand that I have spent years looking at on social media but never actually got around to buying. This product can get a bit messy if you aren't careful since it isn't baked. It is very pigmented and shimmery. The shade went rather well with the eyeshadow from the bonus box which is why I got to test them both in the same day. I will post a better review in my next makeup post.

The under-eye mask that I am excited to use is 100% Pure Bright Eyes Mask. The other items in the box were Dirty Lamb Ultra Night Serum, Glov Makeup Remover, and Fleur & Bee Eyes Eyes Baby Eye Cream.

Song of the Day

Yeet 2020 to the Moon

 New Year Goals

I hate using the phrase "New Year Resolutions" because it implies that you must succeed and that is nearly impossible to do. You start off the year with so many ideas in your head about what you want to do but in reality I know very few people who are able to actually stick to a resolution without going completely off their rockers.

I must admit that every year I feel compelled to give myself goals regardless of the mayhem they can cause and what better way to start off than to list my goals for all to see. I think there is something motivating about sharing my hopes with others. Despite putting my goals out into the world, I refuse to allow myself to feel bad if I am unable to achieve them, especially since I have made a rather extensive list of things I would like to achieve.

My List

* Create a blog

*Release three full length novels

*Read ten novels

*Only buy cruelty-free cosmetics and personal care items

*Get through school with good grades

Create a Blog

The fact that you are reading this right now shows that I have indeed started a blog. (yes I know I am technically a day early) I suppose the real goal is to actually keep this blog regularly up-dated and hopefully to grow it to a point where I am not simply talking to myself.

I had a blog throughout high school and college on this very same server but it sort of fell inactive due to personal struggles I was dealing with at the time. I have posted recently in that blog but I feel as if I am completely disconnected from my teenaged self. I also don't really want to share that blog with family and friends so I do not link it to any of my social media pages.

This platform has lost a lot of steam since I last used it regularly so it is difficult to bring in views without being able to promote it. This new blog will be a representation of my current self and I will feel zero shame in openly sharing my views with the world. 

Release Three Full-Length Novels

This is a goal I also have started to put into motion before the new year but as the release dates don't start rolling out until spring I though it still fair to add it to the list.

I have been promising friends a novel for a few years now but have never ended up fully drafting something until now. I am currently working on what will be a five book series. All of the stories will be in the same universe and may allude to each other but all of the books will be able to be read on their own without the reader missing any details. 

As things currently stand I have release dates set up in my planner for March, June, and October. 

The books will be a series of urban fantasy novels written in a universe that involves magic, shifters, and vampires. The series as is has been titled "Misfits of Magic" and will follow people that don't quite fit into magical society for various reasons.

This is probably the goal I am most hard pressed to complete but I am going into the new year confident that I can do so.

Read Ten Novels

A part of me sort of wants to laugh at this number because I once made a hundred novel goal. I did not succeed but I came very close, at that time I spent almost all of my free time reading which is not something I can say for myself now.

Ten novels may seem small in my mind but thinking about things rationally and in comparison with everything else I hope to achieve this year it seems much more plausible. I have not yet decided on what books to read but I will make sure to keep you posted and will probably give a review of the books I read.

Only Buy Cruelty-Free Cosmetics

This is something that I at one point had succeeded in doing but I somehow found myself slipping. I let myself lag behind on this due to personal and financial reasons. I know those are not really valid excuses but it is what happened.

From this point forward I am determined to be more aware of what I am purchasing and have even gone so far as to subscribe to a vegan beauty box. I haven't yet received my first box(it is in transit) but I am very excited to break into it when I do.

I do intend to finish using the items I already own that are not cruelty-free as it seems to be a waste not to do so. I will likely make many makeup posts and list what items I use so if you see brands that test on animals I will assure you that it is because it will be something that I have already purchased and I will probably make a note of any of the items that do not follow my new standards.

Get Through School with Good Grades

I am set to go back to school January 11th and it is something I am both excited and nervous about. My classes will all be on-line delivery which is not something I have ever done before. I really just want to assure that I actually put effort into my education rather than just allowing myself to get through with minimal effort.

I can really only do my best and that is what I hope to do both with this goal and every other goal on this list.

I intend to make posts at least once a week and one thing I usually did was leave you with a song that is currently stuck in my head. Warning I don't really keep up to date with the lives and gossip of most celebrities so I cannot promise to not post music by artists that have said or done shitty things.

Anyway for today's song I will share with you is: