Book Reviews
Acclaim for author Cynthia Vespia's books from readers and industry professionals. Read more on Cyn's Amazon Author Page
Rayna the Dragonslayer
"A tough female protagonist is what drew me to pick up Rayna, by Cynthia Vespia. (Plus, it has a kick butt cover.) I’ve talked a bit about making strong female protagonists believable and relatable, and Ms. Vespia did not disappoint. Rayna is strong, agile and tough enough to slay dragons, which I hear can be rather tricky. She is portrayed as being physically and mentally strong, yet still emotionally vulnerable, which makes her relatable for just about everyone. Though tough and hard, Rayna also reveals a side that is very human, one perhaps even she didn’t know was there. Rayna is one heroine who I look forward to reading more about." - Kaye Lynn Booth, Writing to Be Read
"Excellent character driven fantasy. Rayna is a feisty female warrior bent on eradicating all dragons, especially the one that cursed her eye and destroyed her home and parents. This novel is a thrill ride of epic proportions with enough suspense and action to rival any of Conan's adventures. Highly recommended!" - Bob M.
"Love the character development. Watching Rayna grow and evolve was masterfully done. The bond between her and Ryu is remarkable." - Ken F.
Theater of Pain
"A thorough and thought provoking page turner. It brought me back to a parallel, real-time setting to the extent of real life spectacle illusion. The journey for the curiosity seekers will leave you guessing...’Did the writer know some inside stories?’ Absolutley fun and an easy read. Amazing book! I highly recommend it.” -Madusa, WWE Hall of Famer
Karma
"I have to say I started out expecting the same old super hero routine when I bought this book. However, I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't! Great from the first to the last, can't wait to read more of this authors work. Great characters, LOVED the Sin Squad and the story line (although a bit slow at the beginning) was absolutely wonderful! Pick this book up and read it! It won't disappoint you!" - AvidReader
"Fun superhero book. It's great seeing a Super book that has a female MC who can kick ass. The fact that she's a model and Indian makes it even better. While it has it's darker moments, it tries not to get too bogged down in them." - AyanamiRei
Demon Hunter
“Vespia's DEMON HUNTER: THE CHOSEN ONE turned out to be like a classic re-telling of Conan with a bit of Doug Clegg's "Priest of Blood" series thrown in. Vespia's tale of a 16 year-old hunter named Costa Calabrese is chock-full of action, demons, shapeshifters, and vampires (who are thankfully vicious bloodsuckers, NOT "Twilight-ish" crybabies). What follows is standard sword & sorcery fare, although Vespia's fine writing keeps the pages flipping.”- NICK CATO, Author of “Don of the Dead”
“This novel had a unique taste, a mixture between The Odyssey and Gulliver’s Travels. I thoroughly enjoyed reading each word, each blow, and each reaction. Costa and the people he meets during his journey help him to grow and balance the demons inside him and outside. It’s a great fantasy novel for anyone who wanted to be a hero, who knew there was something inside them, and who never knew they needed help all along.” - BITTEN BY BOOKS
“Loved it! Reminded me of Stephen King’s last book. From Chapter Five on, the fast pace had me totally mesmerized. High adventure, steamy love affair, deception, demons, vampires, werewolves, zombies and even Satan himself. Thanks for the exciting ride!” -Lynne Tierney, Author of Going to Extremes
“A wonderful adventure that will satisfy those who enjoy vampires, demons and human foibles center stage. Ms. Vespia is a masterful storyteller and she weaves a magical spell around you as you read her stories.” - Love Romances and More
Lucky Sevens
Cynthia Vespia does a great job setting the stage, and bringing interesting characters to life, and dragging us away from the exciting fantasy that represents Vegas. We are taken behind the scenes to experience the dark, dirty, messy and corrupt lifestyles of those who claw for survival. Add a heavy dose of drugs, murder, power, love and the supernatural and we are on a wild ride. I enjoyed reading 'Lucky Sevens', an intriguing story with characters who felt like real people. The story drew me right in and I really like Cynthia Vespia's writing and storytelling style. - Tale Twister
"Absolutely loved this book. Lots of dysfunctional characters resulting in plenty of snap, crackle, and pop! Ms. Vespia's writing style in this book is lean, fast, and seductive as poetry." - Ray I.
"There’s a lot of elements at play in this book. Like I’ve already mentioned, there’s the war for control between Zeder and King, and their disregard for anyone who stands in their way to power. There’s Lucky’s struggle with accepting his mentor’s death and seeing old Vegas make way for the new. There’s the heartbreak of a failed relationship, and the lingering feelings between the two. Add to it an element of black magic, and you have a recipe for a great book, or the potential for a mess.
Happily, Cynthia delivers, offering a action-packed, sordid tale of sex, drugs, and the pursuit for power. In lesser hands, this would have been a belabored collection of stories that would have clashed, but Cynthia expertly manages to bring to this story to life." - S. Hinojosa