Wednesday, December 28, 2022

Book Review Tour & Giveaway: Kingdom of Acatalec by S.M. McCoy


Kingdom of Acatalec
by
S.M. McCoy

Sci-fi Fantasy Adventure Romance
Publisher: Wild Rose Press
Publication Date: October 3, 2022

Paperback
Page count: 328 pages
ISBN-10: 1509242716 / ISBN-13: 9781509242719

eBook
Page count: 283 pages
ASIN: B0B4V9867P







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SYNOPSIS:



I work with aliens, my best friends is held hostage, and everyone wants to murder me before the Lord Prince can magically bond to share my power? If I had known an illegal drone race would lead to murder, kidnapping, and lies, then I might have thought better about the giant prize of credits, and the dream of walking again. 

I never met my best friend in person until a drone race gone wrong had both of us vying for our lives against a secret alien society. To make matters worse… my boss was one of them, and I couldn’t decide if he was trying to save my life, or the reason I was in trouble to begin with.



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READ AN EXCERPT:



“Ms. Beryl, will you see me in my office?” The deep voice was all of a sudden much more recognizable now that I had time to think about it. I'd heard it often enough in company memos and quarterly video conferences.

It would be my luck that the one drone having issues would be my boss doing an impromptu screen check of the services and how his drones were performing. Such an overachiever, and much too sexy of a voice to have to listen to him firing me when he made it up the elevator.

“Of course, sir. I'll just finish up this diagnostic screening and transfer my overlays.” I tried to sound all official, like nothing was wrong, because there was still a chance. Even if it was a small one, that maybe he was too preoccupied. That was a big maybe and, given his attention to detail, highly unlikely.

“No need. I've already finished transferring your data.”

Shit. That was not promising.

“Please head straight there. I won't be long.” The calming chime noises of the door closing on the drone signaled the conversation was over. And just like he said, all of my drones in my sector blinked, disappearing from my overlay viewer.

Game over.

I was no longer the one in charge of monitoring them
.


MY REVIEW: 
5 stars!

This magical and mysterious story had me in its grip from cover to cover!
 
Kingdom of Acatalec is the first book in the new Sci-fi Fantasy Romance series, Acatalec by author S.M. (Stevie) McCoy. With an intriguing plot that I could never predict where it was going and the most engaging and capable heroine this side of Farscape, this magical and mysterious story had me in its grip from cover to cover.
 
The story is packed to the brim with fun and shady characters. The aforementioned main character, Tyler Beryl, is a combination of slacker and kick-ass go-getter. She is surrounded by supporting characters who may or may not be in her corner: her best friend, Kelly, former coworker and fellow drone pilot, Bailey, mean-girl coworker Jessi, her tasty boss, the perfect Mr. Cable Azel; and, of course, the Lord Prince. The slowly building romantic tension between Tyler and Cable was great, and I looked for more from that but deal-breaker because reasons. I was definitely wary of Prince Wyndall; he gave me the shivers, and not in a good way. But maybe I’ve made up my mind too quickly. We’ll see in the next book, perhaps.
 
An intriguing development in the character lineup for this story, at least for me, is that Tyler is disabled. Injured in an accident at age eight, she uses a wheelchair that interfaces with her body, and some of her motivations for her actions come from her desire to acquire the funding to upgrade to a newer, more advanced version. The story is rife with twists and turns for Tyler as she tries to make her dream come true (or at least her life work out) and save her friend, Kelly when she becomes a bounty in a drone race.
 
The book’s setting is a far future Earth where transportation is all accomplished in drones. Drone service is highly regulated for safety except for the illegal drone races hosted by some shady, illicit organization. I smile now, thinking that Tyler was initially worried that it was ‘The Mob.’ Be careful what you wish for, right? The author doesn’t give us the mundane, though. I loved that there was a secret alien society in existence, and they were the ones hosting the high-stakes race. I also enjoyed the sequences at the Servun desert camp and the exchanges among the warriors, Trasa, Tyler, and her companions had me laughing out loud.
 
I absolutely enjoyed the descriptions of the drone simulations, races, and Tyler’s piloting skills. In some books, authors have trouble adequately conveying quick, intense airborne action sequences. I was delighted to find this was not the case here. The author nails the flow and maneuvers, and I could visualize the unfolding action easily.
 
With twists and turns in an already highly creative plot, an engagingly sympathetic main character, and just the right amount of tech to please, I recommend THE KINGDOM OF ACATALEC to sci-fi/fantasy readers who enjoy a mysterious storyline with a side of romance.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Stevie Marie is a paranormal fantasy author born within the apex of another universe, where magic flows like leaky faucets. Forged from the fires of the Underrealm she dug her way to Earth reluctantly participating in human society, secretly returning to her home world within her mind to relay the stories of her monsters, and the troubled love of her dark heroes. When she isn’t writing she’s crafting clothing in her sewing room, cuddling her tiny humans, or pretending to adult by narrating audiobooks in the rainy city of Seattle, Washington. Grab your first free book by joining S.M. McCoy's Fantasy Romance Newsletter: https://www.subscribepage.com/freebooksignup.

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GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!
S.M. McCoy will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

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13 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Thank you for making the tour possible.

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  2. I love the cover and think the book looks good.

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    Replies
    1. Me, too! Thank you for stopping by the blog!

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  3. Great excerpt and giveaway.

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  4. Can't wait for Book 2 - Acatalec Chosen!

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  5. Thank you so much for being part of the tour! So happy to see you've enjoyed the book, and it's the best Christmas present to read about your experience with Tyler and the Acatalec series! I'm hard at work on Acatalec Chosen, so excited to share when it's ready. <3

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    1. Anonymous9:07 PM

      I’m so looking forward to more of the story. That ending… such a teaser!!!

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    2. Haha 😂 I'm glad you enjoyed the ending 😉

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  6. The book sound very intriguing. Love the cover!

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  7. This sounds like an excellent read.

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  8. I enjoyed reading your review, thank you for sharing

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