Tag: ace publishing

Book Review: Soulgazer (The Magpie and the Wolf Duology #1) by Maggie Rapier

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Rating: ★★★☆
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 480 pages
Author: Maggie Rapier
Publisher: Ace
Release Date: July 8th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Every legend has a beginning.

With their freedom on the line, a young woman and a rakish pirate take their fate into their own hands as they attempt to find a lost mythical isle with the power to save their entire world.

Saoirse yearns to be powerless. Cursed from childhood with a volatile magic, she’s managed to imprison it within, living under constant terror that one day it will break free. And it does, changing everything.

Horrified at her loss of control, Saoirse’s parents offer her hand to the cold and ruthless Stone King. Knowing she’ll never survive such a cruel man, Saoirse realizes there is only one path forward…she must break her curse. 

On the eve of her wedding, Saoirse seeks out the legendary Wolf of the Wild—Faolan, a feral, silver-tongued pirate. He swears to help rid her of the deadly magic, if she’ll use it to locate a lost mythical isle first. Crafted by the slaughtered gods, it’s the only land that could absorb her power.

But Saoirse knows better than to trust a pirate’s word. With the wrath of her disgraced father and scorned betrothed chasing them, Saoirse adds one last condition to protect if Faolan wants her on his ship, he’ll have to marry her first.

NOT QUITE WHAT I WAS HOPING FOR.

I have been eyeing this book since the day the cover was revealed. It had all of the vibes I could want but I decided to wait for the audiobook and go from there. I will say the audiobook was good! No issues there and I do plan to read book two through that avenue because I’m curious enough to see if Soulgazer improves on some key issues.

One of those being the WORLD BUILDING & MAGIC. Y’all I don’t even know where to begin. I finished this book and can NOT tell you one thing about the world. It was as if the author said look over here at the romance and ignore the fantasy because that’s all we got. And alongside that was a magic system with meddling gods and visions but that didn’t flow well together. I don’t necessarily have to have ALL of the answers in book one. I do need some kind of grasp though.

I liked the two romantic leads well enough. There’s some good banter and scenes that I thought were important and enjoyable. It’s not spice forward which I appreciated x100. Maybe book two will have more fantasy elements???

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy Romance
  • Language: moderate
  • Romance; 2-3ish open door
  • Violence: moderate

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Book Review: Broken Souls and Bones (Stonegate #1) by L.J. Andrews

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 480 pages
Author: L.J. Andrews
Publisher: Ace
Release Date: April 29th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Together they’ll restore a divided kingdom—or burn it down—in this new romantasy from USA Today bestselling author and TikTok sensation LJ Andrews.

Lyra Bien intended to live a quiet life to avoid the attention of the magic-obsessed king in the fortress of Stonegate. Until Roark Ashwood—the prince’s silent guard and rumored killer for the crown—invades her village and uncovers the truth behind the silver scars in her eyes. To save her best friend from death, she’s forced to reveal her abilities, and is immediately claimed by the crown as the next melder.

To be the King’s melder is to be revered and feared in equal measures, but above all it is a slow death sentence. Lyra is determined to find a way to free herself and her friends from bondage. But first she must get more information from the silent, brooding sentry who first took her captive: Roark.

As Lyra gets closer to Roark, she soon learns he’s nothing like she assumed—and in fact everything she needs. The more they work as allies, the harder it becomes to ignore the growing passion between them. After a sinister truth is revealed, Roark and Lyra must choose to stand against all they know, or accept their dark destiny.

GREAT START.

I have been looking forward to this book since its announcement and I loooved the audiobook. It was a great story with a true slow burn that had an ending making me neeeed book two.

I was most invested in the romance. Watching the genuine connection from enemies to lovers was top tier. This is a trope that LJ Andrews continues to write incredibly well. There’s not a rush to lust. Providing banter and those moments to see each other in another light sets the scene for off the charts chemistry.

My mind did wander a bit in the first half and I struggled to stay fully engaged, and I think that settled in the back half. The characters and found family are another strong aspect that I often see in Andrews books. I feel like this gave the air of the usual cadence I’ve read in romantasy with some unique things that I loved seeing too.

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy Romance
  • Language: strong
  • Romance: 3+ open door
  • Violence: high

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Book Review: Carl’s Doomsday Scenario (Dungeon Crawler Carl #2) by Matt Dinniman

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Fantasy/Sci-Fi
Length: 371 pages
Author: Matt Dinniman
Publisher: Ace
Release Date: September 24th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

“The training levels have concluded. Now the games may truly begin.”

The ratings and views are off the chart. The fans just can’t get enough. The dungeon gets more dangerous each day. But in a grinder designed to chew up and spit out crawlers by the millions, Carl and Princess Donut need to work harder than ever just to survive.

They call it the Over City. A sprawling, once-thriving metropolis devastated by a mysterious calamity. But these streets are far from abandoned. An undead circus trawls the ruins. Murdered prostitutes rain from the sky. An ancient spell is finally ready to reveal its dark purpose.

Carl still has no pants.

They call it Dungeon Crawler World. For Carl and Donut, it’s anything but a game.

ENJOYABLE SEQUEL.

I don’t have much to say about this installment?? It was a good, but not GREAT sequel. There’s definitely enough momentum that I will be picking up book three. I still delight in the uniqueness of this series and how different it is from my usual stories. I find the world fascinating and I’m always curious where each turn will lead. I feel like there’s a lot we don’t know yet and I’m super curious where it’s all going to lead.

Carl and Princess Donut are humorous and easy to follow. I like all of the video game pieces and NPC’s. There’s more achievements and another level conquered. I’ll be getting to book three soooooon!

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy / Sci-Fi
  • Language: moderate-strong
  • Romance: none
  • Violence: high
  • Content warnings: murder and loss of life, near death experiences

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Book Review: Servant of the Earth (The Shards of Magic #1) by Sarah Hawley

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 464 pages
Author: Sarah Hawley
Publisher: Ace
Release Date: November 12th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

In the underground Fae realm, only the strongest and most ruthless have power—but a young human woman forced into a life of servitude is about to change everything.

Kenna Heron is best known in her village for being a little wild—some say “half feral”—but she’ll need every ounce of that ferocity to survive captivity in the cruel Fae court.

Trapped as a servant in the faeries’ underground kingdom of Mistei, Kenna must help her new mistress undertake six deadly trials, one for each branch of magic: Fire, Earth, Light, Void, Illusion, and Blood. If she succeeds, her mistress will gain immortality and become the heir to Earth House. If she doesn’t, the punishment is death—for both mistress and servant.

With no ally but a sentient dagger of mysterious origins, Kenna must face monsters, magic, and grueling physical tests. But worse dangers wait underground, and soon Kenna gets caught up in a secret rebellion against the inventively sadistic faerie king. When her feelings for the rebellion’s leader turn passionate, Kenna must decide if she’s willing to risk her life for a better world and a chance at happiness.

Surviving the trials and overthrowing a tyrant king will take cunning, courage, and an iron will… but even that may not be enough.

NOTHING NEW, BUT I LIKED IT?

I know you’ve seen plenty of moments when someone compares a book to ACOTAR. Aaaand this is going to be another review in that vein. Human woman lands herself in hot fae land, is part of a trial based competition and a few others things you’ll recognize. That’s not an automatic turn off for me because I don’t mind that plot. BUT, this one didn’t sweep me away. I’ll try the second book though.

I liked how strong willed Kenna was through the horrors of the court. She’s resilient and focused which makes for a character who doesn’t bring the frustration. There was something missing from the plot though and I think it was because Kenna felt like a side character to a story already happening? I don’t know, it wasn’t clicking.

The romance did exactly what I expected. And while I usually LOVE this kind of trope/plot it didn’t hit as well here. I think the spice started to feel gratuitous and since [redacted because of spoilers] was happening I wasn’t connected and skipped a lot.

But there’s enough woven in between my issues that have me intrigued and hopeful that the follow up will have better focus.

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy Romance
  • Language: moderate
  • Romance: 3+ open door
  • Violence: high
  • Content Warnings: brutal/bloody executions and torture, emotional and physical abuse, body horror, sexual assault and violence

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