I opened a book and in I strode; now nobody can find me
The Tiefling: Angel Kissed, Devil Touched
Reviewed by Carol Coetzee for Readers’ Favorite – Five stars: The Tiefling by Barbara T. Cerny is an enchanting tale, an amazing book and a must-read! The use of Gaelic words is a wonderful touch as it matched so well with the story. It is an interesting take on creationism and evolution, woven through with touches of Heaven, hell and life on earth in old Scotland. Love, hate, evil, fear, frustration, and anger all compete for your attention in this new twist on angels, demons, and myths of Scotland. There is such interesting insight into the daily lives during the ways of old. It is a riveting read with an interesting plot, well written and totally engrossing. I look forward to more from Barbara T. Cerny. Barbara has a most vivid imagination and this shows clearly in the way she draws you into the story.
Grays Hill:
Reviewed by Lucy Wang for IndieReader – Four stars. Lady Oksana Jane Wallingford, nicknamed “OJ,” finds herself homeless and penniless at the start of this romance. Ruined by her father’s debts and suicide, and with nowhere to go, Lord Geoffrey Tarkington, OJ’s best friend since childhood, comes to the rescue. It seems Geoff’s brother, the widowed Duke Raphael (“Rafe”), is in desperate need of a governess. And a heart transplant. Only the Duke doesn’t know it. The Duke has good reason to be detached. Once again a “catch,” conniving women are in hot pursuit. Not so fast. He is still recovering from his not-so-dearly-departed vicious witch of a wife, the Lady Paula. The Duke vows never to marry again and barely shows up in his children’s lives. He can’t possibly trust women, can’t open his heart up again. Never! So when OJ moves into Grays Hill and takes over his staff, his estate and his children, there will be blood. Blood boiling, curdling and pumping at the rapier speed of desire. A rapier, as fans of armed combat will recall, is a thin sword, used in fencing, thrusting attacks, and in this novel, courtship. Duke Rafe is an expert at fencing, and naturally, he offers some sharp tips to OJ who has already shown unusual aptitude. The two will feint, stab, lunge, and add insult to injury – while trying valiantly not to fall for and over each other. Kudos to Cerny for creating a female protagonist who can match wits and parry with the best of them. GRAYS HILL turns romance into a fun sporting event where you find yourself cheering the opponents onto victory. Score, love.
Reviewed by BookViral – A fine historical romance, if you haven’t discovered the words of Barbara T. Cerny there’s no better place to start. Certainly deserving of a place on your bookshelf, Grays Hill is highly recommended.
Handsome and engaging, Grays Hill is a historical romance from Barbara T. Cerny and it’s not one of those delightful copycat offerings based on a Jane Austen novel. Cerny writes wonderfully, capturing the realities of her chosen time and the constraints of a stifling system, which she does with unimpeachable expertise. Her characters are top-notch, the plot inventive, and the story in general reads like glimpsing through the lens of a time machine. It’s hard to write in such a popular genre without a degree of familiarity, but Cerny has a knack of taking established trends and plot threads and presenting them in a way that feels wholly fresh and original. Fans of British historical romances will be duly impressed, but credit must also go to Cerny’s characterization. Yes, we expect the obligatory heightened tension between romantic leads, but you can’t help smiling as Oskana finds herself navigating the morally ambiguous waters of her much changed circumstances. There’s a fire inside her that won’t be extinguished and it keeps readers in her corner, page after page.
http://www.bookviral.com/grays-hill/4591328664
Shield of the Palidine:
Reviewed by Melinda Hills for Readers’ Favorite – Five stars. How can a spoiled French princess and a young peasant save a world inhabited by beings of myth and legend? That is the basis of Shield of the Palidine by Barbara T. Cerny. Beginning in France in the early 1600s, the tale brings seven-year-old Pierre into possession of an unusual necklace that he and his friend Guy use as the basis of all their childhood adventures. When financial hardship causes Pierre to try to sell the necklace, he and Guy meet the chubby self-serving Princess Elise, niece to the King of France. As Pierre clasps the necklace around Elise’s neck, they are both transported to a magical land – the home of creatures of Greek myth and other ancient legends that have sought refuge away from the hatred of man. Unable to stand up to the threat of destruction at the hands of the evil Asmodai as individual races, these inhabitants of the land of Amorgos look to Elise and Pierre as the fulfillment of the prophecies that tell of The Redeemer and her Consort who will come to lead them to victory. In spite of lengthy training, powerful mentors, and the possession of magic armor and weapons, will two humans live through a real life adventure and be able to defeat evil that has grown for over 2,000 years? Will all the different races agree to follow them? Tremendous action, historical references and fantastic imagination combine in Shield of the Palidine by Barbara T. Cerny to create an excellent story of hope, dedication, loss and love. An incredible number of well-developed characters, both historical and mythical, take part in several quests to find the tools mentioned by the prophecies to aid in the final battle. Elise and Pierre try to bring the quarrelsome races together in order to lead them into an epic battle that will determine the fate of Amorgos. This story is full of emotion and clearly follows the growth in maturity of the young French princess and the peasant she thinks is beneath her. It is an outstanding book for fantasy readers of all ages. https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/37375
Magic Thief of Gavalos:
Reviewed by Melinda Hills for Readers’ Favorite – Five stars. Elise and Pierre Tonnelier, the Redeemer and her Consort, have put Amorgos behind them and are living the life of nobility in France with their two teenage children. Unfortunately, Elam and his best friend Chace are drawn to the armor and weapons of the Redeemer, especially the Sword of the Western Sun. In Magic Thief of Gavalos by Barbara T. Cerny, we follow the Tonneliers as the portal opens up and takes them all back to Amorgos where the children now have the responsibility of facing down Zeus and helping return the magic that has been lost. While Elam, Illieya and Chace face countless dangers and trials on Olympus, Elise and Pierre must help the survivors on Amorgos round up representatives of the other races that lost their magic – Centaurs, Minotaurs, Satyrs, and the like. There is a countdown to a special day when the oracle says the magic can return so there is a lot of work to do. Meanwhile, the children are rescued from the dungeon of Zeus and transported to the stronghold of the remaining Paladine Elves where they begin extensive training for battle with weapons and the use of magic. Just as on Amorgos, there is a deadline on Olympus for achieving their goals. Will the children of the Redeemer live up to the challenge as their parents had done or are they doomed by the power of Zeus?Barbara T. Cerny has created a magical world that rivals that of Tolkien’s Middle Earth in Shield of the Palidine and its sequel, Magic Thief of Gavalos. With a concise summary of the first book as a prologue, you can easily get into the new story, whether you have read the previous one or not. Fantastic creatures, a difficult quest, soaring emotions and intense action keep you enthralled as you follow Elam, Illieya and Chace through torments and triumphs on an alien world. Thoroughly absorbing, Magic Thief of Gavalos is a book you can’t put down. The depth of the author’s insight and the emotions portrayed are amazing!
I can’t wait for more!
Tressa:
Reviewed by Sheena at Smexy Books. It isn’t everyday you come across a romance novel that tells a delicate story with such strength, style and grace. The author cleverly weaved consequences and bystander responsibility into the storyline in a way that made me nod in earnest, yelp, and cheer. Tressa is absolutely worthwhile. It is always tricky to write character focused material. There was no grandiose plot to distract. Chapter after chapter the characters were faced with a problem of sorts and the entertainment, the storytelling, rested soundly on their ordinary lives. Lives so ordinary but written in a way that captivates. I don’t know where Barbara T. Cerny has been all my life, but she’s firmly cemented as one of my fav reads of 2018 thus far with Tressa.
Reviewed by BookViral. Exquisitely told, powerful and thoroughly enjoyable Tressa is a must read for fans of Historical Fiction and is recommended without reservation. A captivatingly authentic and beautifully told page turner, Tressa proves to be a genuine gem in a demanding genre and an example of historical fiction at its very best. Take it for a given that Cerny is on form with acerbic and insightful prose and her knack for capturing the realities and constraints of her chosen period is very much in evidence as she ably translates historical fact into a fiction that manifests a vivid sense of time and place. This is life as it was and she captures it with unbridled passion. From Tressa’s abusive marriage to Seamus and the pursuit of her dream to her burgeoning romance with Ethan, she strikes an impeccable balance between lavish detail and commanding narrative that readily captivates the imagination. The themes of prejudice, social standing and loss are deftly handled, and there is real emotional depth and poignancy to Cerny’s story, which although heartbreaking at times is ultimately one filled with hope. http://www.bookviral.com/tressa/4593994320
Reviewed by Rubina Ramesh for The Book Club. Five stars. The flow of the story is beautiful with each character being very much the part of the story. The evil Heaton versus the goodness of Ethan is beautifully depicted. Tressa is a beautiful person who is sensitive to all the relationships around her. She is gutsy enough to start her own business, foresighted enough to plan her future and sensitive enough to care for the less fortunate. Not to forget she was damn smart- planning the escape, landing in America and starting her business could not have been done if she did not have a sound head over her shoulder. A beautifully depicted strong character. Ethan was an equal partner. Though crippled at an early age he was the motivation behind her actions. He too comes out as a strong character as he moves out of his father’s house and makes his own living. He could have depended on Tressa, but he chose to make a life of his own. The best part I loved was the relationship between them. A sweet understand, a camaraderie which encouraged the goodness in each other. See the whole review at: http://rubinaramesh.blogspot.com/2013/08/title-of-book-tressa-isbn-publisher.html
Of Angels and Orphans:
Reviewed by Miri on Goodreads – Four stars. I could not put it down. I was absorbed in. It had so many highs and lows and showed that no matter what your circumstances are and where you are from, obstacles can be overcome. Audra, a beautiful and shy young girl who was mercilessly tormented by her family due to her weight problems seeks refuge in the garden and loses herself in her own world, wishing for acceptance for who she is. Nate, an orphan due to circumstances not of his own who is fighting for his life and that of his friends (more like brothers) in an orphanage where children are treated as slaves and chattel to be bought. A meeting of two innocent children, the hand of friendship extended and a relationship of love, loyalty and trust begins. These two strong children grow with each other and overcome many obstacles along the way to reach their forever. I really enjoyed reading their story and the side stories of other characters, the era it was set in and the descriptions setting scenes. The hard fought freedom that they both gain through their journey and the courage it takes to set aside a life for a new one. Imagine! Two kids leaving England for the unknown Americas back in those days. Everyone loves a happy ending and so did I.
Barbara T. Cerny Books 