Author of the Month: Cassandra Gannon

I feel a weird amount of pressure to do this well, because this is truly one of my favorite new authors and I want everyone to know her.

I stumbled across Cassandra Gannon by virtue of her books being completely free for me to read. Kindle Unlimited is definitely a great deal for me, due to my being able to read two awesome complete book series for the price of nothing, though I don't know how the authors featured in it are compensated. I certainly hope they are given a good deal because I have to say, some of the books I have read for nothing this year are exceptional. Case in point, my new favorite comfort book, Seducing the Sheriff of Nottingham.

This book is the fifth in the series, and for some bizarre reason I actually ended up reading it first. It turns out that part of Seducing the Sheriff of Nottingham takes place in the past, so it worked out oddly well for me.

I chose this book initially probably due to its awesome tagline, which is that Maid Marion spends time in jail and then gets the chance to go back and fix her life. The questions that arose due to just that concept were so interesting to me (and let's face it, I'm a SUCKER for fairytales and always will be) so I dove right in.

What an awesome book. From page one, it is compelling because it's so damn funny. The worldbuilding is solid but accessible, and the characters feel like they are given depth for maybe the first time ever in the history of their fairytale. But where Gannon truly shines is that humor.

Oh my god. I laughed out loud soooo many times in this book. My humor tends to run toward the irreverent, and I enjoy surprise turns of phrase and definitely appreciate a well-placed curse word. Just as many characters in the book seem to watch Marion with interest to see what she does next, I found myself doing the same thing. She is clever, and creative, and just an absolute hoot to listen to. It is safe to say I fell in love with her instantly.

The MMC is, surprisingly, not Robin Hood, but Nicholas, the villainous Sheriff of Nottingham. He is part of a magical race that is considered lesser to the human counterparts, and here there is a very cool parallel that Gannon draws between his lived experience and Marion's as a woman whose worth is primarily drawn from her purity and not much else. The lack of substance and understanding in both of their lives gives both characters such an interesting arc as they learn who they are and what they want from life (spoiler alert, it's each other).

It really is one of the best written books I read this entire year, I recommend it unfailingly to anyone who loves fairy tales but is a product of the modern world. Not only that but it was also a good love story. There are romances that feel like their characters rush into "love," and then are those relationships that feel authentic and earned. Despite both characters self-describing themselves as obsessed with one another, they are respectful and truly loving in a way that other romances fail to deliver on. At one point, Marion is discussing the importance placed on her purity and maidenhood by others, often at the cost of knowing her as a person. Nicholas then tells her that she could be fucking the entire Nottingham army and he would still love her, respect her, and be grateful to be with her. And if that sincere lack of judgment and hypocrisy didn't solidify him as one of my favorite MMCs of all time, there were so many other things that did. He is truly written with the female gaze in mind, and I loved him nearly as much as Marion did.

After loving this book (I think I might have read it twice?) my next move was to read the entire series, and then go and read every other series she's ever written. I'm nothing if not a completionist.

I enjoyed the other books in the Kinda Fairytale series. My favorite couples were Marion and Nicholas obviously, but I also really enjoyed Gwen and Midas from The Kingpin of Camelot, and Galahad and Trystan from Best Knight Ever. I don't know if I can emphasize how awesome the characterizations are to the degree that they deserve. I truly love this book series, and have gone back to read it again and again. And it's only August.

I also enjoyed the Elemental Phase series, which was a bit more serious thematicallty but still romantic and fun. I read a few of the Frightful Loves series. Two independent books I read and loved were Ghost Walk and Not Another Vampire Book.

From what I could discover, Cassandra Gannon's books are independently published by her and her sister Elizabeth by their indie imprint Star Turtle Publishing. The sisters each have their own series and writing style. The cover art is absolutely amazing, and I would hire whomever they have do it for them in a flash if I knew who it was. They have a blog on their website and I plan on availing myself of their writing tips as soon as possible.