My mother always told me that someday, there’d be hell to pay. I never believed her. Then I died.Morgane Burke is a survivor. Returning to Chicago to fight the monsters who killed her family might not bring them back, but it would go a long way in balancing the scales. Finally, those scales are beginning to tip in her favor. But a far bigger war is brewing on the shores of Lake Michigan, a war … of Lake Michigan, a war poised to sweep her up in its deadly grasp. Can she find the strength she needs to battle the demons within her, as well as the ones coming to claim her soul?
My mother always told me that someday, there’d be hell to pay. I never believed her. Then I died.
Morgane Burke is a survivor. Returning to Chicago to fight the monsters who killed her family might not bring them back, but it would go a long way in balancing the scales. Finally, those scales are beginning to tip in her favor. But a far bigger war is brewing on the shores of Lake Michigan, a war poised to sweep her up in its deadly grasp. Can she find the strength she needs to battle the demons within her, as well as the ones coming to claim her soul?
more
This is book 1 in the banished god series and I’m glad I started reading these.
The first book centres around Loki the god of fire and morgane burke. A human.
Morgane is a strong female character who is battle worn and independent. Loki is a god who adores this human girl and rescues her twice.
It’s a fantasy/paranormal/dystopian. Its fantasy because of the gods. Paranormal because of the demons and dystopian because it has an end of the world storyline in the background.
Its action-packed and romantic and fast paced you wont want to stop reading.
This first book in The Banished Gods series by L A McGinnis was a most awesome start to what to me is going to be a most interesting series involving old-time gods and a few mortals trying to keep the world from being overrun with devils and demons in the usual battle between good and evil, and dark and light. The plot was action-packed from the beginning and the intensity rose with each subsequent obstacle or confrontation placed in the way of the main characters. It was also a deep and developing love story that showed what the characters would do for each other and the limits they would go to to accomplish those goals. Definitely looking forward to reading the next book in the series. This is a voluntary review of an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from Hidden Gems Books.
An incredible read that had me hooked from the very beginning. A tale of immortals living along side of mere mortals. Morgane is a human that is fighting demons on a nightly basis. Her activities draw the attention of Loki and the other immortals. Morgane and Loki are sucked into a world of revenge and power.
Truly enjoyed reading about Norse mythology. It was well written, with humor, tragedy and romance. Was rooting for the good guys. Left me wondering what else is in store for the immortals of Chicago. Great intro into the series. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I love mythology, so the premise intrigued me. McGinnis writes a stunning opening to a volatile, steamy series about apocalyptic Chicago. The gods have been banished to Earth and must save the planet in order to save themselves. The taboo pairing of humans with gods becomes a thorn in Odin’s side and he tangles with Loki. As the series progress, each god comes into his own as they find their mate and battle against a force so evil, it makes the Goddess of the Underworld look tame. I was sad to see this series end as I’ve come to love all of the gods and the women that made them whole again.
The characters are diverse and Loki and Morgane pull you in from the beginning. I’m not usually a fan of this genre, but the author had me turning the pages. Well-written action, romance, and humor bring this story to life. I highly recommend this series.
After the death of her dad and murder of her sister and mother, Morgane Burke, wants revenge. The monsters that killed her sister and mother were not visible to her at the time. After the monsters took her to the brink of death and modern medical personnel brought her back, Morgane knew who killed her family and vowed to kill each and every one of them. What transpires is an intervention by Loki and his family of trapped gods when Loki discovers the person “hunting” in Odin’s territory is mere mortal. Except, Morgane shouldn’t be able to see the monsters, let alone kill them, putting a target on her head by Odin, his deal with the Goddess of Death. If only they all knew exactly what the Goddess of Death has in the works with the deadly God of Chaos.
Queen of Swords is an interesting take on Norse mythology with a modern-day twist. I enjoyed the grittiness of the story and the romantic elements. Morgane is a strong character who might be putting her own life in danger but she does it as revenge for the death of her family, and to maybe prevent other families from suffering the same fate. The fact that she goes head-to-head with Odin, Mir, and Hel shows she not only stands up for herself, but that might be a tad bit crazy. 🙂 I mean who goes up against Norse Gods and Goddesses and lives to tell the tale!
Loki and Morgane’s attraction is evident but I did find the unfolding of their feels to happen quite rapidly. The romance makes sense but I would have liked to see it grow a little slower. The quick romance didn’t detract from the story and actually played a huge part in certain aspects.
The story is fast-paced and pulled me in and kept me thoroughly captivated. Morgane and Loki are wonderful characters and the supporting cast are all great in their own right. I enjoyed the story, the characters, and the setting. The book is full of twists and events I never saw coming. I look forward to the next installment of this thrilling series.
I was provided a copy of this book to read.
as I recall, having read it a while back n forgetting about it, an urban fantasy/revenge story, turned romance(sort of)/with old gods thrown in. remember really digging this character. relatable/in that she seems contemporary/modern, until she starts seeing the monsters. then we find out how she came to be called the queen, with perfect pacing n many moving moments as I recall. choking on the memory of this woman’s suffering n tenacity. i’m certain most of you will fall in love.
So the reason I picked up this book, is that I got the fourth book in the series as part of a larger author promotion, and I’m one of those people that really hate reading out of order on a series. So I went back to start at book one as it sounded pretty interesting to me. And I’m so glad I did. All the Norse gods are here, and this book is focusing on Loki. The gods have been banished to Earth, fighting off the demons that plague the planet every night that humans can’t see. Well, except one human – Morgane. Morgane lost her parents and her sister, and can see the monsters – so she trains and goes out hunting the creatures that took her family. When one particular night goes bad, Loki is there and is drawn to her and takes her back to Mir – for healing. And this is when the book hits yet another gear.
They will need to go back to the Underworld, to face Hel, Loki’s evil daughter – and it’s non-stop. There is romance, humor and the age old fight of good vs. evil. Hard to put down once you get going. Looking forward to book two. Reviewed by Cyrene
This is the first book in the series and it starts with a great one. Morgane is a human who sees demons ever since she was injured in a demon attack. Her mother and sister died and she survived after coding several times. Morgane now spends her nights hunting and killing demons. Loki is one of a group of Immortals exiled to earth thousands of years ago tasked with fighting demons. He finds a severely injured Morgane along with the demons she just slaughtered. He is attracted to her and can’t forget her even though he was ordered to do so by his king, Odin. We have several trips to the underworld, a “hell”of a daughter, dirty deals and tricks, revenge, I really hate Odin, and an Immortal and mortal falling in love.
Wow. If you’ve ever wanted to see Loki get his chance at happiness, this urban fantasy romance is for you! Queen of Swords takes the ancient Norse gods and transplants them to modern day Chicago, where they fight to protect humanity from demons sent by Hel (Loki’s daughter).
For two years, Morgane, a mortal woman, has been fighting those same demons. When Loki finds out, sparks fly! But that’s just the beginning.
If you like a strong urban fantasy plot and great world-building mixed with hot sexiness, grab this book today.
L.A. McGinnis is a new author for me, but based on her Queen of Swords (The Banished Gods Series, Book 1), I’m promising myself that we will become well acquainted. As the book’s blurb notes, this is a (truly) “sexy urban fantasy”. This novel truly is, quite simply, wonderful. Ancient races, evil gods, Loki vs the Goddess of Death, and so much more. This tale had just what I wanted and was well written and with a great plot and great cast of characters. Morgane Burke, is perfectly crafted (just the kind of kick-a** gal I love) and her supporting cast (especially Loki) is also superb, and I love the world-building of this Norse Gods in Chicago plot. But for the fact that I’m literally dictating this review to my husband from my hospital bed I could go on and on with praises – the book definitely deserves it. Since I can’t do that I will simply note that the book is most definitely one to read, it is easy to highly recommend. I’m definitely looking forward to book 2.
A captivating and scary tale involving mythology and banished Gods. A story with a strong female filled with action and suspense along with romance. A captivating and scary tale about good vs evil.
What an adventure! I really enjoyed this story; it was captivating and a page turner. This story has everything, romance, adventure, revenge, murder, passion, paranormal aspects and wonderful characters.
This is book one in a series and it is a complete story, yet you’ll want to read more. I could not stop reading this story. I was so connected to the story and the characters that I was rooting out load for them, talking to them, and yelling at them (at certain times). I was involved! The main character is headstrong and sassy, she doesn’t back down and knows who she is. I like that she can stand on her own, it makes the romance and action that much more enjoyable as I can see she doesn’t “need” it but chooses it.
The use of Asgard and mythology was great and I really loved how it played out in this book. It was a fresh way to view the same old stories. This book is the ride of a lifetime and I cannot wait to read book two. Great Read! Off to book two… 4.5 stars
this book was really great! she wants to seek revenge only she stumbles on a secret that could cost her soul. not even her new found friend can save her. read to find out what happens.