Welcome back to Lamon Reviews. We are happy to be able to interview author Laura Engelhardt of Mages Unbound, Book 2 of the Fifth Mage War Series.
Remember to enter the giveaway for your chance to win using the rafflecopter link in the post. Without furthe ado, lets get into our post!
Our interview with author Laura Engelhardt
LR: What part of the magick system in Mages Unbound did you have the most fun writing?
LE: The physical transformation of sirens into other human forms is really my favorite aspect of their society. Because powerful sirens have no control over their physical form, their culture places no value on physical beauty, race or gender. This is such a different concept from the world we actually live in that it’s a fun thought-experiment to imagine what society would be like without that stumbling block.
LR: What is the last great book you’ve read?
LE: I just finished this remarkable indie novel called Alpha Bots. I love reading new books by indie authors, and I have to say this really hit the spot. It’s a feminist dystopian novel that brings the Stepford Wives into the robot era. It was really witty.
LR: Are the places in your book real?
LE: Absolutely. When you write fantasy, a lot of people assume that everything’s made up. But one reason I set my epic in the modern world was because we have so much magick here that a lot of people don’t know about.
Right now I’m researching the Pachitea River, which is this narrow stretch of an Amazon River tributary that is literally boiling — it gets up to 200 degrees Celsius!
While I do use real locations for my story, I change them up a lot — for instance, while Parliament House really is the main Australian government building in Canberra, Australian members of parliament don’t actually have apartments there. And while there really is a city in Queensland called “Townsville,” there aren’t any spell-casting fields at their university 🙂
LR: Do you write every day?
LE: I try to do something on my books every day — writing, editing, working on my website or other marketing stuff. Sometimes it’s just thinking about a character. I wish I had more time to write.
LR: Which character in your series do you relate to most?
LE: When I start writing from a character’s point of view, I find that I gain a lot of sympathy for their motivations. For instance, in my first draft of Mages Unbound, I stuck pretty tightly to telling the story from the perspective of the Bant family members. But when I opened it up to include their spouses, suddenly Kyoko (in particular) became much more real to me.
A lot of people don’t like her — she’s a tough and secretive mage who hides her true self from Thomas because she can’t imagine he’d be able to accept her if he really knew her – but I love her complexity. There’s something about flawed characters that makes them more fun than the “perfect” people.
LR: If you could have only one season, what would it be?
LE: I love autumn. Spring, too, but Fall is my favorite time of year. I love the changing weather from hot to cold, and that morning when we have the first frost. I live on the East Coast, and fall foliage is so spectacular, people will sometimes drive north just to see the oranges, reds and yellows of the trees on the mountains surrounding the highway.
Book Details:
Book Title: Mages Unbound: Book 2 of the Fifth Mage War Series by Laura Engelhardt
Series: Fifth Mage War Series
Category: Adult fiction (18+), 480 pages
Genre: Paranormal Women’s Fiction
Publisher: Laura Engelhardt
Release date: Nov 2020
Content Rating: PG-13 + M for battle sequences, bad language including F-words, and adult-themes mildly referenced. Euphemisms are used in lieu of graphic descriptions of sex/violence. There is NO sexual violence or child abuse.
Book Description:
It’s ironic to find out your whole life has been a lie when you’re married to a truth-teller.
If only Mary could find some humor in it. She’s drowning her sorrow in vodka and song when a surprise visit from her youngest sister jolts her into accepting the magical reality hidden from her for fifty years.
Mary’s epiphany can’t come soon enough because her fresh start may be the only thing that can save her siblings and the world from an utter melt-down.
As the two Bant sisters grapple with sirens, faeries and the FBI in America, their brother is trapped in a high-stakes game of mage politics in Australia. Meanwhile, middle-sister Amy’s malfunctioning mage-sight forces her to seek help from the very same mages who tricked her once before.
Can Mary pull herself together in time to rescue her family from the coming war?
Mages Unbound is a paranormal women’s fiction novel, told from the perspective of the Bant family members. This is Book 2 in the Fifth Mage War Series, a magical epic about sirens, fae, and family ties.
Buy the Book:
Amazon
You May Also Want to Read:
Book Title: Sirens Unbound: Book 1 of the Fifth Mage War Series by Laura Engelhardt
Series: Fifth Mage War Series
Category: Adult fiction (18+), 548 pages
Genre: Paranormal Women’s Fiction
Publisher: Laura Engelhardt
Release date: July 29, 2019
Content Rating: PG-13 + M for battle sequences, bad language including F-words, and adult-themes mildly referenced. Euphemisms are used in lieu of graphic descriptions of sex/violence. There is NO sexual violence or child abuse.
“Loved it! Members of the Bant family become entwined in an upcoming mage war in this epic urban fantasy novel about sirens, fae, and family ties.” — Michelle Hogmire, Reedsy Discovery
“a unique take and meshing of different established ideas… Sirens that feed and aid? Fae trapped in England as a prisoner camp? Mage’s getting optical surgery for magick sight? I really loved the combination of ideas and I thought they all worked together surprisingly well … I found myself immersed in watching the fae emerge and interested in Amy’s work. I appreciated not being talked down to on either side, as a reader. Some writers over-explain or use too much jargon. This was just the right mix for me. And the descriptions placed me in each scene. I’d definitely buy this.” — Mel Candea, Ink & Insights
Amy’s day starts with three things: Coffee, breakfast, then brains. In that order.
Relax, it’s not what you think. She’s just your everyday neurosurgeon who can fix everyone’s brain but her own. It doesn’t matter if she has fifty years of life experience and regularly works with mages—she’s still a mundane.
She’s turning fifty, and her last achievement was what, ten years ago? She’s not sure if anyone even remembers it.
Determined not to be a one-hit-wonder, Amy jumps head-first into a new opportunity. Literally.
Some people have affairs to deal with a midlife crisis—Amy has brain surgery.
The results are even bigger than her career ambitions, and Dr. Amy Bant will need the help of her siblings to survive what comes next. Cordelia, an agoraphobic underwater photographer, Thomas, a playboy with a Brazilian tourism business, and Mary, a choir director with a truth-teller husband are all keys to unlocking secrets a whole lot closer to home than any of them could have realized.
Turning fifty doesn’t have to be mundane—not when you’re in the Bant family!
Sirens Unbound is a paranormal women’s fiction novel told from each member of the Bant family. This is Book 1 in the Fifth Mage War Series, a magical epic about sirens, fae, and family ties.
AMAZON
An avid sf/fantasy reader, Laura Engelhardt writes the kind of book she likes to read: fantasy with intricate worlds and complex characters facing moral dilemmas. She started writing plays in college, then moved to Germany, where she continued to write while teaching ESL to executives. After moving back to the U.S., she supported her playwriting by teaching ballroom dance and working retail. Deciding that living in her parents’ attic wasn’t for her, Laura went to law school and then spent the next seventeen years as a lawyer and compliance officer in New York City. In 2017, she quit Wall Street and began helping people resolve disputes as a mediator and arbitrator. She now lives in New Jersey with her family.
connect with author: website ~ facebook ~ goodreads
Nov 18 – Elizabeth McKenna – Author Blog – book spotlight / giveaway
Nov 18 – Book Corner News and Reviews – book spotlight / giveaway
Nov 19 – Stephanie Jane – book spotlight
Nov 19 – Splashes of Joy – book spotlight / guest post / author interview / giveaway
Nov 20 – Literary Flits – book spotlight / giveaway
Nov 20 – I’m Into Books – book spotlight / giveaway
Nov 23 –Sadie’s Spotlight – book spotlight
Nov 24 – Instagram.com/asreadbydanielle – book review of SIRENS UNBOUND / author interview / giveaway
Nov 25 – The Momma Spot – book review of SIRENS UNBOUND
Nov 26 –The Review Crew – book review of SIRENS UNBOUND / author interview / giveaway
Nov 30 – Jazzy Book Reviews – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
Nov 30 – Pine Enshrined Reviews – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Dec 1 – eBook Addicts – book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
Dec 2 – Instagram.com/asreadbydanielle – book review of MAGES UNBOUND / giveaway
Dec 3 – Amy’s Booket List – book review of SIRENS UNBOUND / giveaway
Dec 4 – Lamon Reviews – book spotlight / author interview
Dec 4 – Locks Hooks and Books – book review of SIRENS UNBOUND / giveaway
Dec 8 –Amy’s Booket List – book review of MAGES UNBOUND / giveaway
Dec 9 – The Momma Spot – book review of MAGES UNBOUND
Dec 10 – Cheryl’s Book Nook – book review of SIRENS UNBOUND / giveaway
Dec 10 – Gwendalyn’s Books – book review of SIRENS UNBOUND / giveaway
Dec 11 – The Review Crew – book review of MAGES UNBOUND / giveaway
Dec 11 – Cheryl’s Book Nook – book review of MAGES UNBOUND / giveaway
Dec 11 – fundinmental – book spotlight / giveaway
Dec 15 – Locks Hooks and Books – book review of MAGES UNBOUND / giveaway
Dec 15 – Gwendalyn’s Books – book review of MAGES UNBOUND / giveaway
Dec 16 – Westveil Publishing – book review of SIRENS UNBOUND
Dec 17 – Westveil Publishing – book review of MAGES UNBOUND
Dec 21 – Books and Zebras @jypsylynn – book review of SIRENS UNBOUND / giveaway
Dec 22 – Books and Zebras @jypsylynn – book review of MAGES UNBOUND / giveaway
https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js
We hope you enjoyed today’s post. Are you considering diving into this world of magic. I must admit this series has caught my attention. What do you think? Will you be adding this to your book list? Let us know in the comments below.
And As Always…
Go forth, dear readers, support your favorite indie authors and encourage reading and literacy.
K. LaMon
Lamon Reviews
Lamon Reviews 
1 Comment