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mellhay's review
5.0
*I requested a copy of this book from the author or publisher for review.
Olivia does her best to make a home for her daughter, Em, and give her everything she deserves by hunting down pulse activated artifacts for private paying clients. When the check bounces for her daughters prestigious school, Olivia takes a job that takes her away from home and into the underground caves with a new crew of experts. While she's 'leading' the expedition to find the ring of Solomon, Livi will learn there are more than 'activated' artifacts that have come to life since the Pulse. Livi'll have to dive into the mouth of danger to save herself and those around her that become friends. And that's only in the caves, what she faces when she returns home will drive all maternal instincts to kick in.
Skyla has packaged several things I rarely see together, and yet love as a combination. Adventure with danger, a mother and family connections, and a hot man that's a potential love interest (for me and the lead character). The story feels like a cross between Tomb Raiders and a single, hard-working mom with a supernatural feel to the world since the Pulse occurred. The artifacts of the past are activated and can be dangerous with the powers they possess. The creatures that can be present! Oooh never know what I'm going to come across in this world!
Olivia, Livi as I like to call her, is one strong woman! She's a single mom making ends meet in the world. She has a strong sense of rules about her when it comes to a team she works with. She also has a quick mind with what needs to be done on the job as nothing is what is expected and in retorts to others.
There is a strong family connection present for Livi. Well, where her daughter is concerned. Livi, like every parent, wants the best for Em and works hard to get it. Sure work pulls her away time to time but being a single working parent it happens. But Livi has support and help. Pru, her best friend, has been there through thick and thin. Pru is an important element in the family and also has normal human troubles that ties the story to the world we know. Pru lives with MS. These friends are there for each other and help each through the tribulations of life. Now Livi also has troubles in the way of family, with her father and absent mother but that is a topic for later.
We also have a connection that sparks with new friend ties. Dawson is the first to connect with ease with Livi. But there are others as we read that gives a feel of a full cast of characters that are needed to get the job done. I'm hoping to see several of them again in the future!
Lets talk about West. Um! Hot! He's a dangerous man but feels to have a baseline to his ways as well. He's not always around, but when he was I loved seeing him and Livi interact. There was a flirtation between them I found put a smile on my face as they bantered. Buttons! lol. I can't wait to see them together more as the books come!
Skyla draws many great elements together for us in the book. The world's not perfect and even Livi's world is the same way. Pru lives with MS. It's something they all work through as a family, Livi, Em, and Pru. There is so much support here and it's amazing! There are family troubles. Livi is on the outs with her father but still talks to her brother. Livi lives with not knowing who Em's father is yet there is a great man from Livi's past that is willing to be the father figure for Em. Totally an awesome step for him! Then we learn of West's past, just a drop, and where he's from - North Korea. There are terrible things that happen to people there. But through all these hard times and memories, there is the fun and love and enjoyment of having people around that do love you. Livi and all the characters keep their chin up and move on through the days making the best of all they have and do.
It's well written with a balanced blend of humor and adventure you can't deny is spellbinding. Skyla's smooth writing easily walks me through the dangers with Livi. I could picture what was happening, even though I've never been caving.
Thank you Skyla for creating a story with so many extraordinary elements that I've been wanting together while keeping the story real and grounded.
Olivia does her best to make a home for her daughter, Em, and give her everything she deserves by hunting down pulse activated artifacts for private paying clients. When the check bounces for her daughters prestigious school, Olivia takes a job that takes her away from home and into the underground caves with a new crew of experts. While she's 'leading' the expedition to find the ring of Solomon, Livi will learn there are more than 'activated' artifacts that have come to life since the Pulse. Livi'll have to dive into the mouth of danger to save herself and those around her that become friends. And that's only in the caves, what she faces when she returns home will drive all maternal instincts to kick in.
Skyla has packaged several things I rarely see together, and yet love as a combination. Adventure with danger, a mother and family connections, and a hot man that's a potential love interest (for me and the lead character). The story feels like a cross between Tomb Raiders and a single, hard-working mom with a supernatural feel to the world since the Pulse occurred. The artifacts of the past are activated and can be dangerous with the powers they possess. The creatures that can be present! Oooh never know what I'm going to come across in this world!
Olivia, Livi as I like to call her, is one strong woman! She's a single mom making ends meet in the world. She has a strong sense of rules about her when it comes to a team she works with. She also has a quick mind with what needs to be done on the job as nothing is what is expected and in retorts to others.
There is a strong family connection present for Livi. Well, where her daughter is concerned. Livi, like every parent, wants the best for Em and works hard to get it. Sure work pulls her away time to time but being a single working parent it happens. But Livi has support and help. Pru, her best friend, has been there through thick and thin. Pru is an important element in the family and also has normal human troubles that ties the story to the world we know. Pru lives with MS. These friends are there for each other and help each through the tribulations of life. Now Livi also has troubles in the way of family, with her father and absent mother but that is a topic for later.
We also have a connection that sparks with new friend ties. Dawson is the first to connect with ease with Livi. But there are others as we read that gives a feel of a full cast of characters that are needed to get the job done. I'm hoping to see several of them again in the future!
Lets talk about West. Um! Hot! He's a dangerous man but feels to have a baseline to his ways as well. He's not always around, but when he was I loved seeing him and Livi interact. There was a flirtation between them I found put a smile on my face as they bantered. Buttons! lol. I can't wait to see them together more as the books come!
Skyla draws many great elements together for us in the book. The world's not perfect and even Livi's world is the same way. Pru lives with MS. It's something they all work through as a family, Livi, Em, and Pru. There is so much support here and it's amazing! There are family troubles. Livi is on the outs with her father but still talks to her brother. Livi lives with not knowing who Em's father is yet there is a great man from Livi's past that is willing to be the father figure for Em. Totally an awesome step for him! Then we learn of West's past, just a drop, and where he's from - North Korea. There are terrible things that happen to people there. But through all these hard times and memories, there is the fun and love and enjoyment of having people around that do love you. Livi and all the characters keep their chin up and move on through the days making the best of all they have and do.
It's well written with a balanced blend of humor and adventure you can't deny is spellbinding. Skyla's smooth writing easily walks me through the dangers with Livi. I could picture what was happening, even though I've never been caving.
Thank you Skyla for creating a story with so many extraordinary elements that I've been wanting together while keeping the story real and grounded.
maggiel1993's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
rachsed's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
barb4ry1's review
3.0
3.5/5
Fast-paced, with good lines, exploration, and supernatural creatures. A solid start to a series.
Fast-paced, with good lines, exploration, and supernatural creatures. A solid start to a series.
historynerd04's review
4.0
4.5 solid stars.
This books is amazeballs. I have zero idea how I stumbled across it but I am SO GLAD I did. I’ve seen it compared to Lara Croft meets Gilmore Girls but I’d say it’s more in the vein of the tv show version of Wynonna Earp. It has strong female characters who support one another and, well, it’s just so many shades of awesome. I’m still getting used to reading Urban Fantasy novels as prior to this year, I wholeheartedly avoided the genre. So if you were/are like me and aren’t sure where you stand with regards to UF, you’re in great hands with this story.
Highly highly recommended.
This books is amazeballs. I have zero idea how I stumbled across it but I am SO GLAD I did. I’ve seen it compared to Lara Croft meets Gilmore Girls but I’d say it’s more in the vein of the tv show version of Wynonna Earp. It has strong female characters who support one another and, well, it’s just so many shades of awesome. I’m still getting used to reading Urban Fantasy novels as prior to this year, I wholeheartedly avoided the genre. So if you were/are like me and aren’t sure where you stand with regards to UF, you’re in great hands with this story.
Highly highly recommended.
siannalyn's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
errantdreams's review
5.0
Skyla Dawn Cameron’s Solomon’s Seal (Livi Talbot) (Volume 1) starts off a new series with a bang! It has a bit each of a handful of genres: thriller, urban fantasy, adventure, and horror.
Livi Talbot is an ex-rich girl whose father disowned her when she got pregnant out of wedlock. The Pulse is a weird event which recently “activated” a bunch of magical artifacts, and brought out the non-human in some people. Livi supports her and her daughter Emaleth (Em) by hunting Pulse-activated artifacts for wealthy clients. Unfortunately, sometimes she goes up against her own brother, Martin, who hunts artifacts in order to put them in museums–and who isn’t afraid to play dirty to beat her at her own game. A rich man, Moses Ashford, proposes to pay her five hundred thousand dollars–an unheard-of amount that she badly needs–to find and return to him the Seal of Solomon. He’s put together a team to go caving in Ethiopia with her: Dawson, tech genius; Laurel, his “voice” at the expedition; Mr. Rolph, a scholar; and a handful of mercenaries. They plan to delve deep underground in order to find the ring. Once they enter the cave system they find chewed-on human bones, and Livi starts to suspect there are things she hasn’t been told.
There’s a wild ride of an underground adventure here, with definite overtones of horror. The group isn’t alone down there, and the mercenaries make sure they know there’s no going back. Livi and Mr. Rolph are experienced cavers, and Dawson was left back at base camp, but Lauren at least is new to caving–not a great trip to start with! Livi also ends up contending with Mr. Ashford’s right-hand man, Dale West, who’s rumored to have done some very nasty things to people who have failed Mr. Ashford. Add to that the fact that they’re on a deadline, Martin is also on the hunt for the Seal, and someone really doesn’t want Livi to give the ring to Ashford, and things get dicey.
Even the smallest details are done really well. When someone has to buy new clothes for Livi without her input, they don’t measure her with their eyes and understand women’s sizing well enough to magically provide her with a perfect fit. It’s the little things like that which give the story a very “real” feeling. The setting is great, ranging from a gala event to mud and blood in underground passages. Livi’s roommate (and occasional babysitter for Em) Pru has MS, but does her best to help out, and she and Livi are clearly close. I also love the fact that Livi nicknames a large white tiger “Buttons.” (Why no, tigers are not native to that area. That’s part of the fun!)
The characters are great. There aren’t many black-and-white characters. Even Livi’s more principled brother Martin will go to great lengths to beat his sister to an artifact–from having his helpers shoot at her to having the police arrest her. There are, however, a couple of truly nasty characters. I loved seeing Livi try to mesh mothering a six-year-old with finding ways to support both of them. Em is having trouble in the private school Livi springs for, and it’s awfully hard for her to deal with it from Ethiopia.
There’s terror, danger, and… well, more terror. Also some snark. All in all, this is a fantastic book and I can’t wait to read book two!
Original review posted on my blog: http://www.errantdreams.com/2020/07/review-solomons-seal-skyla-dawn-cameron/
Livi Talbot is an ex-rich girl whose father disowned her when she got pregnant out of wedlock. The Pulse is a weird event which recently “activated” a bunch of magical artifacts, and brought out the non-human in some people. Livi supports her and her daughter Emaleth (Em) by hunting Pulse-activated artifacts for wealthy clients. Unfortunately, sometimes she goes up against her own brother, Martin, who hunts artifacts in order to put them in museums–and who isn’t afraid to play dirty to beat her at her own game. A rich man, Moses Ashford, proposes to pay her five hundred thousand dollars–an unheard-of amount that she badly needs–to find and return to him the Seal of Solomon. He’s put together a team to go caving in Ethiopia with her: Dawson, tech genius; Laurel, his “voice” at the expedition; Mr. Rolph, a scholar; and a handful of mercenaries. They plan to delve deep underground in order to find the ring. Once they enter the cave system they find chewed-on human bones, and Livi starts to suspect there are things she hasn’t been told.
There’s a wild ride of an underground adventure here, with definite overtones of horror. The group isn’t alone down there, and the mercenaries make sure they know there’s no going back. Livi and Mr. Rolph are experienced cavers, and Dawson was left back at base camp, but Lauren at least is new to caving–not a great trip to start with! Livi also ends up contending with Mr. Ashford’s right-hand man, Dale West, who’s rumored to have done some very nasty things to people who have failed Mr. Ashford. Add to that the fact that they’re on a deadline, Martin is also on the hunt for the Seal, and someone really doesn’t want Livi to give the ring to Ashford, and things get dicey.
Even the smallest details are done really well. When someone has to buy new clothes for Livi without her input, they don’t measure her with their eyes and understand women’s sizing well enough to magically provide her with a perfect fit. It’s the little things like that which give the story a very “real” feeling. The setting is great, ranging from a gala event to mud and blood in underground passages. Livi’s roommate (and occasional babysitter for Em) Pru has MS, but does her best to help out, and she and Livi are clearly close. I also love the fact that Livi nicknames a large white tiger “Buttons.” (Why no, tigers are not native to that area. That’s part of the fun!)
The characters are great. There aren’t many black-and-white characters. Even Livi’s more principled brother Martin will go to great lengths to beat his sister to an artifact–from having his helpers shoot at her to having the police arrest her. There are, however, a couple of truly nasty characters. I loved seeing Livi try to mesh mothering a six-year-old with finding ways to support both of them. Em is having trouble in the private school Livi springs for, and it’s awfully hard for her to deal with it from Ethiopia.
There’s terror, danger, and… well, more terror. Also some snark. All in all, this is a fantastic book and I can’t wait to read book two!
Original review posted on my blog: http://www.errantdreams.com/2020/07/review-solomons-seal-skyla-dawn-cameron/
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