Book Reviews with Amber at The Mewton-Clawson Library #338 featuring **Rise Of The Draugr** by A.C. Salter **PLUS** Friendly Fill-Ins

Hello, meautiful library guests 

and 

Welcome to the Mewton-Clawson Library at BBHQ 

Thank mew for joining me in the stacks, and today by popular demand I'm sharing more of my Egyptian adventures.

🌺 My Egyptian Adventure #5: Divine Dining at the Temple of Isis 🐾

Location: Temple of Isis, Philae Island

Time: Early afternoon, with the Nile breeze and goddess-level glamour

Dahlings, today I stepped into a realm of enchantment, the Temple of Isis, nestled on the sacred island of Philae. Surrounded by shimmering waters and whispering palms, this temple was once the spiritual heart of ancient Egypt, dedicated to Isis, goddess of magic, motherhood, and mystery. Naturally, I felt right at home.

I arrived by boat, paws tucked beneath a silk throw, my turquoise scarf fluttering like a royal banner. The columns rose around me like ancient sentinels, carved with scenes of devotion and divine drama. I swear one of the Hathor-headed capitals gave me a nod of approval.

My table was set in the temple courtyard, where sunlight filtered through the stone colonnades like golden confetti. 

And what a feast it was:

A silver platter of lobster, shrimp, oysters, and caviar, arranged with ceremonial precision

  A bubbling flute of Catnip Champagne, kissed with lotus essence

A scroll of feline mythology and goddess lore, annotated with my own paw-written notes

  A stack of leather-bound books on temple rituals, Nile legends, and ancient cat deities

I lifted a shrimp with my fork and gazed across the sacred lake. The breeze carried the scent of papyrus and possibility. I caught my reflection in the champagne glass and whispered, “Amber, mew are divine.” And in that moment, I truly was.

The Temple of Isis may be a monument to the past, but today it celebrated a new kind of magic, one with fur, flair, and a taste for the finer things.

Mood: Enchanted, elegant, and epically serene

Quote of the day: “Some temples are built of stone. Others are built of spirit, and epic seafood.”

Next week, I’ll be floating down the Nile in a private felucca, charting the stars and sipping catnip cocktails. Expect celestial symphonies and riverbank revelations! 😸🛶📜

Anyhoo, let's look at this week's top book pick.

Today, the P.A. is also joining in Friday Fill-ins Blog Hop with the pawesome 15 & Meowing and Four-Legged Furballs.

1. My November to do list includes _______________ and ________________.

2. I find the song ___________________ annoying.

3. Currently, I’m ahead on _________ but behind on _________.

4. I’m unbeatable at _________.

The P.A.'s answers are...

1. My November to-do list includes writing the latest B Team adventure - see #3 - and doing a bit of cleaning up around the garden to get it winter-ready.

2. I find the song ___________________ annoying. Oh, there isn't one, there's a 'LIST', but this week, it would be any Christmas tune ... I'm not ready for that circus yet!

3. Currently, I’m ahead on the new B Team adventure but behind on other writing, ah well, obviously, the other writing isn't as exciting as the B Team! LOL  And yes, I will start serialising it soon, I just wanted to get ahead of the curve before posting, as this one has the biggest cast yet and I need to make sure that all the little plot threads tie up into a nice, neat bow.

4. I’m unbeatable at _________. WOW, not sure what to say to this, it's a toughie, but right now in this moment I would say I'm (almost) unbeatable at creating something epic for cats out of a few cardboard boxes, a hot glue gun, and no plan whatsoever! Don't believe me? Check out the Crafting with Cats page, it's all there.

Let's see what I've got to show mew this time!

Mewton-Clawson Library Copy

Rise Of The Draugr

Epic Viking Fantasy

The Bane Of The North Book 2

by

A.C. Salter

 Here's a little of the book blurb:   

'We live as men - but fight as gods.'       

  A new threat looms over Garik Castle, forcing Bane and Alruna to once again defy the odds to defend the realm. Their quest begins with finding the key to unlocking the Fug and uniting the fractured clans. As the war between gods intensifies and the end of days draws near, the fate of mankind rests in the hands of a mortal.    

If mew remember, I reviewed Book One in this series last December, and it was epic. If mew love a Viking fantasy with a twist, this is so up your alley, and it does have cats in, well, I say cats, they're actually giant snow leopards.

📚 This Week’s Paw-Approved Pillage: Rise of the Draugr

Snuggle into your fluffiest blanket fort, light a pine-scented candle (or a faux ceremonial torch, I don’t judge), and prepare for a whisker-raising adventure through frostbitten landscapes and undead frights, because this week’s read is a claw-clashing, rune-rattling, tail-twitching Norse adventure that’ll leave your fur standing on end, in the best way.

🪓 What’s the Story?

Bane and Alruna are back, and this time the claws are out and the gods are grumpier than a cat woken from a sunbeam nap. With Garik Castle under siege and the ominous Fug creeping in like a hairball of doom, our mortal duo must rally the clans, unlock ancient secrets, and face down divine drama with nothing but grit, guts, and a huge axe in Alruna’s case.

⚔️ What I Loved:-

🔥 🔥 The Vibes: Think “Game of Thrones” meets “How to Train Your Dragon” but with more snow, more doom, and 100% more undead.

🪓 Bane: Brooding, brave, and resilient in the face of any foe. His journey from man to myth is the kind of arc that makes mew quietly smile, that he's winning against all the odds.

🧝‍♀️ Alruna: Fierce warrior, with a giant snow leopard called Frekkie. She’s the kind of heroine who’d stamp on your enemies and then braid your fur and still have time to roast a god or two.

🌌 The Lore: So rich mew could roll in it like catnip. Prophecies, ancient runes, and enough mythic mayhem to fill a saga.

👁 The Draugr: Undead, unholy, and unbelievably creepy. If mew like your villains with a side of ancient curse and a whiff of grave dust, mew’re in for a treat.

📖 My Final Thoughts:-

This is a saga that sings with steel and sorrow, where mortals clash with gods and legends are forged in fire. It’s a tale of loyalty, loss, and the kind of courage that echoes through the ages. I devoured it faster than Fudge chasing a frost sprite, and it's a purrfectly epic addition to the series, and one that’ll leave mew yowling for Book 3. And yes, I have the box set on my Kindle, so mew know what's happening next! MOL

A Totally Top Paw Addition to the Series!

(Available on Kindle Unlimited at the time of posting, so grab your catnip mead and get reading!)

Paperback: 484 pages

Audio: 13 hours 29 mins

My Rating Scale

Ratings of:

Rise Of The Draugr

Overall Enjoyment

     Other Fun Blog Hops to Join Today

          Brian's Home   Catblogosphere    Feline Friday   Nature Friday    Flashback Friday   Friendship Friday   

I'm off to prepare for next week's review, as mew know the drill, so many books, so little time!

I always look forward to your company every Friday throughout the review season as I share a specially paw-picked book just for mew, my epic readers!

Don't forget if mew are looking for great books with cats, check out the Book Review page, just click the link here or at the top of the page, as that's the place to visit to get your feline fiction fix.

Until next week...

Keep calm and read more books

Amber 

Follow me at @BionicBasil® on Instacat

Don't furget to subscribe and never miss another review! 

 graphics created with paid licence www.canva.com 

**FELINE FICTION FIX** Book Reviews with Amber at The Mewton-Clawson Library #301 featuring **Gallows Born** by A.C. Salter **PLUS** Friendly Fill-Ins

Hello Supurr Library furiends

and

Welcome to the Mewton-Clawson Library at BBHQ

Many thanks for joining me in the stacks again, and look, no eye snot and smooth chest fur!  Yes, I was ambushed by the P.A. and I did try most valiantly to fight off the washcloth and brush, but then I realised I really quite enjoyed it!

So now I'm looking supurr smooth and rather cute for the Mewton-Clawson Library Catmas Pawty tomorrow evening.

Parsley has been in charge with Melvyn's help, and apparently, it's going to be quite 'the do', although I have been told that I'm not allowed to get behind the bar due to my behaviour at BBHQ birthday parties. 

This did offend me somewhat, as I thought it was my duty as a barkeeper to sample everything first to make sure a; it tasted good and b; it tasted better the more mew had.

Anyhoo, the library mice are in charge of the food, so no doubt there's going to be endless cheese platters and other cheesy delicacies. I did tell them I wanted some smoked salmon, so hopefully, they'll heed my request.

Melvyn has installed a karaoke stage, so Cod help us all when the caterwauling starts about nine-thirty pm, I'll probably be passed out under my desk in my emergency heated snooze spot. 

Anyhoo, I'll fill mew in on all the gossip next week!

Today the P.A. is also joining in Friday Fill-ins Blog Hop with the pawesome 15 & Meowing and Four-Legged Furballs.

1. My favourite Christmas movie (or book) is ____________________.

2. My favourite Christmas song is _____________.

3. _________ is the best way to spread Christmas cheer.

4. _________ is my favourite day of the holiday season.

The P.A.'s answers are...

1. My favourite Christmas movie (or book) is the first Die Hard movie; it's not Christmas if I haven't watched it. HO! HO! HO! and Yippee-Ki-Yay! Yep, now you know where The B Team get it all from! LOL

2. My favourite Christmas song is _____________. I don't really have a favourite modern Christmassy song. However, I always liked, if I could use a hymn, Silent Night, and that was my favourite to play on the piano when I was younger.

3. Kindness is the best way to spread Christmas cheer. Merry Christmas, or as we say here at BBHQ, Meowy Catmas!

4. _________ is my favourite day of the holiday season. I don't have a favourite festive day, although I really enjoy Christmas Lunch, Boxing Day Lunch, and New Year's Day Lunch. Did anyone mention lunch? LOL

Let's see what I've got to show mew this time!

Mewton-Clawson Library Copy

Gallows Born

Epic Viking Fantasy

The Bane Of The North Book 1

by

A.C. Salter

 Here's a little of the book blurb:   

'We live as men - but fight as gods.'

Born on the gallows, his mother still swinging from the rope above, the villagers brand him The Bane of the North and leave him out for the Fug to claim - a deadly fog ruled by Draugr - Viking warriors that had long ago fallen in battle.

They didn’t expect to find him the next day, tattooed with the mark of an ancient god.

Fifteen winters later - ridiculed, scorned; but never broken, Bane forges a life as a forager, surviving between Castle Garik and a looming mountain that legend says contains the body of a Norse god. In a strange twist of fates Bane discovers that the mark gives him abilities beyond that of mortal man, and along with his lineage and a blood link to the god, his journey unfolds, fraught with danger and purpose.

TIKTOK MADE ME BUY IT! MOL

Oh wow, have I found an epic fantasy book for mew this week! There I was just scrolling through the #FYP page last weekend, and this appeared as if by magic, and as it happens, I was looking for a new book, something exciting, an epic fantasy, and well, read my review because this is one of my new favourite books.

And as mew know, I love books with cats of course, and this has shadow leopards, so instantly I was utterly smitten.

Gallows Born, the first instalment in A.C. Salter's Epic Viking Fantasy series, plunges mew into a rich tapestry of Norse mythology, grit, and adventure. With an opening that establishes a dark, haunting atmosphere that captivates from the very first page.

The protagonist, Bane, is instantly a compelling character—marked by tragedy and born into a world that scorns him as The Bane of the North. His life is not merely a struggle for survival but a quest for identity and purpose amid the harsh landscape governed by fearsome Draugr and the ominous Fug. The plot masterfully weaves elements of ancient lore with compelling storytelling, making Bane’s journey not just physical but also deeply emotional. As Bane matures over the fifteen winters, mew witness his evolution into a resourceful forager. The stark contrast between his early years of ridicule and his emerging powers offers a poignant reflection on resilience and the search for belonging. When he discovers the mark of the ancient god, the narrative gains momentum, revealing not only his newfound abilities but also linking him to a destiny that could alter the fate of the North. The writing is both vivid and immersive. The landscapes of Castle Garik and the ominous mountain are brought to life with such detail that mew can almost feel the chill in the air and hear the distant roar of war drums. Additionally, the pacing is well-executed, balancing action with rich character development that keeps mew engaged and those pages turning while exploring the complex dynamics of loyalty and betrayal among the villagers. This is an epic tale of mythology and adventure that poses thought-provoking questions about what it means to fight as gods when one has been born of tragedy. As Bane stands at the threshold of war, mew are left eager to discover whether he can rise to meet his destiny or if the shadows of his past will consume him.

A.C. Salter has crafted a powerful opening to a series that purromises both thrills and depth, making it a must-read for readers who love excitement, fantasy and Viking lore alike. This book isn’t just about surviving; it’s about defining what it truly means to live.

UTTERLY FLUFFING BRILLIANT! 

And to make it even better, there are four books in the series, and to make it even better than that, if mew have Kindle Unlimited, all are available to read (at the time of posting) within the catalogue - epic! 

On a final note, the audio version is incredible, and the last two chapters, well, let's just say, I can't wait to dive into Book 2!

Hardback: 444 pages

Audio: 11 hours 40 mins

My Rating Scale

Ratings of:

Gallows Born

Overall Enjoyment

  

I'm off to prepare for next week's review, as mew know the drill, so many books, so little time!

Don't forget, if mew are looking for great books with cats, check out the Book Review page, just click the link here or at the top of the page, as that's the place to visit to get your feline fiction fix.

Until next week...

Keep calm and read more books

Amber 

Follow me at @BionicBasil® on Instacat

Don't furget to subscribe and never miss another review! 

 graphics created with paid licence www.canva.com