ARC/ALC Book Review: The Dragon and the Sun Lotus (The Three Realms Duology #2) by Amelie Wen Zhao

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Rating: ★★★
Genre: NA Fantasy Romance
Length: 386 pages
Author: Amelie Wen Zhao
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Release Date: March 3rd, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

In the breathtaking sequel to The Scorpion and the Night Blossom, the battle has just begun. With Àn’yīng’s kingdom teetering on the brink of destruction, and amidst a budding forbidden romance, she must now risk everything to protect her world.

A decade ago, the Kingdom of Night began the war against the Kingdom of Rivers, ravaging the lands and releasing mó—beautiful, ravenous demons—to roam free, drinking the souls of mortals. Now the mó have made it beyond the magical wards of the immortal realm—the Kingdom of Sky—and will not stop until the entire world falls to darkness.

Àn’yīng is determined to banish the mó to their realm and return the mortal realm to peace. But a stunning betrayal has turned the tides of this Her handsome rival from the Immortality Trials and the man she was falling in love with, Yù’chén, is now the enemy. Yù’chén is half mó, his mother none other than Sansiran, the Demon Queen of the Kingdom of Night . . . and the monster responsible for killing Àn’yīng’s father.

There is one hope for the future, though. The boy in the jade—Àn’yīng’s lifelong mystery guardian and heir to the last mortal Emperor—Hào’yáng. Together, Àn’yīng and Hào’yáng must join forces to rally an army that stretches across realms, from the Four Seas of the Dragons to the Phoenixes of the Golden Desert. But first she must awaken to the immortal power slumbering in her own veins.

The thrilling conclusion of The Three Realms duology
THE SCORPION AND THE NIGHT BLOSSOM • THE DRAGON AND THE SUN LOTUS

Thank you PRH Audio for the gifted audiobook and Get Underlined for the gifted book.

I’M A BIT CONFLICTED.

This might be the third time now that I feel at odds with how AWZ has ended one of her series. The first book is always SO GOOD, and here I am feeling burned a little bit. This love triangle was all over the place. I kept thinking I was supposed to be leaning one way or the other and then by the end I was confused on where I was meant to be.

It’s like I liked both of the men, and kind of had a preference but then didn’t like how it was dissolved. I don’t even know if any of this is making sense because I’m having a hard time trying to convey my issues without spoiling. There were some truly beautiful moments though!! With both of them??! I AM SO CONLFICTED Y’ALL. And I did like the FMC?? I’ve lost the plot on my own review so I’m moving on.

And I did love the audiobook narrators!! I do recommend that format if you want to read this duology.

Overall audience notes:

  • NA Fantasy Romance
  • Language: low
  • Romance: vague fade to black
  • Violence: moderate

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Book Review: Dawn of Vengeance (The Droseran Saga #2) by Ronie Kendig

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Sci-Fi Romance
Length: 416 pages
Author: Ronie Kendig
Publisher: Enclave Publishing
Release Date: December 8th, 2020
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A haunting prophecy upended his identity. Now it demands his life.

Once a formidable bounty hunter, Marco Dusan is plagued by insecurity as he tours the realm he now rules. This quiet, backwater planet is not as untouched as he’d once thought. Evidence of collusion between Droseran factions and the powerful Symmachians with their forbidden technology litters his encounters. Worse, all signs indicate Xisya, the alien who tortured him, is still snatching Kynigos Brethren-but to what end?

Corporal Eija Zacdari works hard to win a coveted place on the Symmachian hyperjump program, but instinct tells her their intel is flawed. Despite nearly failing the tests, she is assigned to the team-and lands in the middle of a bewildering conspiracy.

Haunted by a prophecy that promises pain and war, Marco forges alliances to protect the primitive world against Symmachia’s devastating influence. But one truth becomes painfully clear: the biggest threat to their world may be much, much closer to home.

Thank you to the author for the gifted audiobook.

A BIT LONG.

I haven’t read sci-fi in awhile and I enjoyed getting the chance to get back into this series. It’s complex and full of raw emotion and I love all of the action and political intrigue. The two romances were intricate and I thought had a good overall progression. The intensity of everything happening was really amped up as the book went along.

But a 20 hour audiobook? I do think this was too long. I caught my mind drifting in and out sometimes. A few plot points went around and around or could have been sped up more.

I do have plans to continue the series though. These characters are easy to enjoy and you get caught up in wondering what the next thing happening is going to be.

Also the audiobook narrator is fantastic!!

Overall audience notes:

  • Sci-Fi Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: closed door
  • Violence: moderate

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Book Review: A Stage Set for Villains by Shannon J. Spann

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Rating: ★★★★.25
Genre: Fantasy + Romance
Length: 530 pages
Author: Shannon J. Spann
Publisher: Entangled: Mayhem Books
Release Date: February 3rd, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

The gods are dead. All that’s left are the Players…

The performers of the Playhouse are as worshipped as they are feared, their enchanting shows bending hearts, minds, and even reality itself. Vicious, godlike, lethal. Eighteen-year-old Riven Hesper knows the dangers better than anyone, after her own encounter with a Player resulted in a curse that is slowly killing her.

When the Playhouse announces the spectacle of a lifetime—a chance for one mortal to steal a Player’s immortality—Riven sees her last chance to live. Desperate for answers, she infiltrates the competition. There, she finds Jude, the Playhouse’s brilliant, merciless Lead Player, whose charm is as dangerous as his Craft, and strikes a deadly bargain to save her life.

But with time running out and the Playhouse’s secrets unraveling into a disturbing picture, Riven faces a grim possibility: she might not be the hero of her story after all. In fact, she may be the villain.

Because the Playhouse doesn’t just tell stories. It rewrites them.

And Riven’s might end in blood.

Caraval meets One Dark Window in this lush and dark fantasy.

Thank you Entangled for the gifted ARC.

A GOOD DIFFERENT.

I know this is being marketed as a romantasy but I’d like to say that wasn’t quite it. It’s much more FANTASY with a smaller romantic plot line. Which isn’t bad at all, but not knowing that going in was a small let down thinking I would get more swoon.

One of the best things though were the plot reveals!! When one of the bigger ones landed I was flabbergasted. It made so many pieces CLICK that I was in awe. The formatting for this book was really cool. I don’t know how that comes across in the audiobook but I’m glad I eyeball read this one.

I enjoyed the journey and themes. It has a dark theater vibe I was here for and the characters played their parts well. AND, it’s a standalone! AND AND it’s closed door. There’s only kisses which (while I still wished there was more swoon) I was appreciative that it wasn’t spice heavy because I feel that’s harder to find sometimes nowadays.

The banter was top tier and I tabbed multiple passages that made me snicker in the best way. I enjoyed the FMC, Riven a lot. She’s feisty and kind of mean and means business. Her brash personality was such a good play off of Jude’s. I loved them together and needed more!!

Anyways, fantastic debut, I’ll be looking out for Spann’s next book.

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy + Romance
  • Language: mild
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: moderate
  • Content warnings: loss of life,

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Book Review: Under Your Spell by Laura Wood

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 352 pages
Author: Laura Wood
Publisher: Atria Books
Release Date: June 25th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

The daughter of an aging rock star finds herself working for the hottest musician on the planet and is shocked when sparks start to fly—especially since she swore she’d never, ever date a celebrity—in this unputdownable romance that is perfect for fans of Christina Lauren and Emily Henry.

She wants three things. He isn’t one of them…

Dumped by her cheating ex, fired from her dream job, and about to lose her Clementine Monroe is not having a good day. So when her sisters get her drunk and suggest reviving a childhood ritual called the Breakup Spell, she doesn’t see the harm in it.

But now Clemmie has accidentally ruined a funeral, had her first one-night stand, and she’s stuck with a new job she definitely doesn’t want—spending six weeks alone with the gorgeous and very-off-limits rock star, Theo Eliott.

He’s the most famous man on the planet. Her life’s a disaster. As their summer together turns into its own kind of magic, is Clemmie cursed to repeat the mistakes of her past—or will her future see all her wishes come true?

I LIKED IT!

This has been all around on my feed and I finally bit the bullet on trying it out. And you know what? It was good. I loved the humor and banter the most. It was me laughing and loving the dynamic between Clementine and Theo. Theo turned into my favorite kind of golden retriever.

It did take me a little bit to get into this one. Not my favorite kind of opening but I loved the way it all came together. I loved the audiobook too. The relationship between the sisters was everything. I adore these kind of bonds. I would absolutely read another book by this author.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary romance
  • Language: moderate
  • Romance: 3ish open door

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