Tag: bramble

ARC/ALC Book Review: Daughter of the Dark (Daughters of Auquis #1) by R.J. Valldeperas

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Rating: ★★★.5
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 336 pages
Author: R.J. Valldeperas
Publisher: Bramble
Release Date: September 15th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A Traitor’s Daughter, the Demons’ Slayer… the City’s Only Hope.

For Solana, survival has always meant staying sharp—and staying alone. With a blood-forged dagger as her only inheritance, she’s made herself Supay’s fiercest demon slayer, hunting muki—monsters born from human death—through the kingdom’s streets.

But the work comes with a curse of its every body she leaves behind swells the muki’s ranks. The city that raised her has been her cage for so long she’s stopped believing freedom is real.

Then a twist of fate drags her into the palace and crowns her Royal Demon Slayer, a title wrapped in silk and sharpened like a blade. The magic is dazzling. The secrets are darker. And whatever is poisoning Supay didn’t start in the alleys. It started behind gilded doors.

Worst of all is Reyes, the king’s right-hand man, a captain of the Masters, and her personal torturer turned mentor who’s dangerously hard to resist. Wanting him is a mistake. Trusting him could be fatal.
Because if Solana walks away, the kingdom falls. And if she stays, she may have to become the monster Supay needs.

Thank you Bramble for the gifted ARC & Macmillan Audio for the ALC.

NOT QUITE.

This is the second book from RJ Valldeperas that I’ve read this year and once again, I’m left kind of feeling…okay? about it, but not overwhelmingly positive.

The action is good, I liked the overall plot. The core themes are great. There’s magic and demon slaying and the complexity of the afterlife.

But the romance left me wanting and this being marketed as romantasy left me wanting a lot more. It was like the relationship was moved forward without seeing it on page so they were much further down the line than I was expecting. And I got confused by trying to figure out if this was a standalone? (Because book two has been announced but maybe it’s a series of standalones??).

By the end of this review I’ve decided I’ll look into book two because maybe that’ll be a hit for me? I’ll report back.

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy Romance
  • Language: low-moderate
  • Romance: 2ish open door
  • Violence: high
  • Content warnings: loss of life, loss of loved ones

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Book Review: Sea of Charms (Spellshop #3) by Sarah Beth Durst

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Rating: ★★★.5
Audience: Cozy Fantasy Romance
Length: 370 pages
Author: Sarah Beth Durst
Publisher: Bramble
Release Date: July 28th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Marin is a supply runner with her own boat that she sails from island to island, delivering whatever anyone will pay her to deliver: letters, flour, even the occasional enchanted lemur. It’s a lonely life, but it’s hers, and she wouldn’t trade the freedom of the sea for anything. Her only companion is a sea serpent, Perri, whom she saved from a fisherfolk’s net.

One day, she sails to Alyssium and discovers the city is on fire. There’s been a revolution, and the empire has fallen. Marin, with Perri, begins transporting refugees, finding them new homes where they can start over. One such refugee is Dax, a composer who refuses to leave behind his instruments, no matter how much she tries to emphasize the gravity of the situation. Intrigued by his stubbornness, his passion for stories, and his charming smile, Marin discovers perhaps she isn’t saving him ― maybe it’s the other way around.

From the acclaimed author of The Spellshop, Sea of Charms is a delightful cosy fantasy for fans of Travis Baldree and TJ Klune.

Thank you to Bramble for the gifted ARC.

THE USUAL WHIMSY.

I’ve read quite a few Sarah Beth Durst books and they definitely all have the same vibes. Take that note as you will.

I liked the seafaring adventure of this one. With the island hopping, whimsical creatures and a woman trying to outrun the things that have happened to her. I thought the romance was super sweet with Dax. He is clearly down bad and has such a genuine, kind soul and that was a just what Marin needed.

Thematically I liked it too. There’s some topics that are relevant to today that I thought were woven in well without feeling heavy handed. They also fit the nature of the story itself so it’s easy to see the cross over without getting pulled out of the story.

I wish Marin hadn’t been as wishy washy about Dax for as long as she was though. It got old to hear the same reasoning again and again about why she thought they couldn’t be together and not letting Dax express his opinions on the matter. And this was a 13 hour audiobook. I just don’t think it needed to be that long either.

Overall audience notes:

  • Cozy fantasy romance
  • Language: mild
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: mild

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Book Review: The Fallen & the Kiss of Dusk (Crowns of Nyaxia #4) by Carissa Broadbent

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Romantasy
Length: 557 pages
Author: Carissa Broadbent
Publisher: Bramble
Release Date: August 5th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Mische made the ultimate sacrifice to save those she loves – and plunged the world into an eternal night. Now, imprisoned by the gods and obsessed with revenge, Asar is desperate to find her again.

When a goddess offers them a final path to redemption – and back to each other – Asar and Mische embark on an extraordinary mission. Together, they must seize the power of the god of death so Asar may do the ascend to true divinity.

Their journey will take them through mortal and immortal realms, alongside both old friends and ruthless enemies. But as the underworld teeters on the brink of collapse and the gods prepare for a war, Asar and Mische must decide what they are willing to sacrifice for the power to defy death. In a game of vengeful gods and ancient betrayals, there are some debts that even love may not be able to repay.

AUDIOBOOK IS KEY.

I LOVE the first two books in this series, big fan, reread them, loved them. I struggled with book three and didn’t feel compelled to get to book four IMMEDIATELY.

And then I decided to go with the audiobook and let me tell y’all, that’s the way to go. The narrators executed that beautifully and I found it much easier to pick and listen to rather than trying to read my physical copy.

I ended up liking this journey a lot. I do think it gets a bit scattered and dragged out but overall, there’s many good things here. I love the dynamic between Asar and Mische. The brightest of sunshine vs. the grumpiest of grumps. Filled with banter and tension, and the foreboding sense of wondering who will make it out alive and if that HEA will ever come.

I am looking forward to the next duet though!!

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy Romance
  • Language: strong
  • Romance: 4ish open door
  • Violence: high

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Book Review: The Poet Empress by Shen Tao

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Fantasy
Length: 432 pages
Author: Shen Tao
Publisher: Bramble
Release Date: January 20th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Debut author Shen Tao introduces readers to the lush, deadly world of The Poet Empress, a sweeping, epic and intimate fantasy perfect for fans of The Serpent & the Wings of Night, The Song of Achilles and She Who Became the Sun.

In the waning years of the Azalea Dynasty, the emperor is dying, the land consumed by famine, and poetry magic lost to all except the powerful.

Wei Yin is desperate. After the fifth death of a sibling, with her family and village on the brink of starvation, she will do anything to save those she loves.

Even offer herself as concubine to the cruel heir of the beautiful and brutal Azalea House.

But in a twist of fate, the palace stands on the knife-edge of civil war with Wei trapped in its center…at the side of a violent prince.

To survive, Wei must harden her heart, rely on her wit, and become dangerous herself. Even if it means becoming a poet in a world where women are forbidden to read—and composing the most powerful spell of all. A ballad of death…and love.

The Poet Empress is an epic fantasy that explores darker themes, subjects, and scenes that may not be suitable for all readers. Please see the author’s content note at the beginning of the book.

TOOK ME OUT.

I didn’t know what to expect when I picked this up. I’ve just been hearing great things so I found an audiobook and dove in.

WHAT A STORY. THIS IS A DEBUT AUTHOR????? I’m sat.

This was dark and heavy and deep on the characters. Wei is set on this intense journey of brutal decisions while trying to maintain a semblance of self and the why of her decision to go to Azalea House. I could hardly predict Wei’s next move and was glued to my headphones. An incredible strength of soul to become The Poet Empress.

And please don’t go in thinking this is a romance. It’s an epic fantasy and you’ll still get many character relationships of all different levels and see how they all create this world. The politicking and battles and the magic system?? The combinations were lethal. And this writing style is easy to follow. I got a sense for every piece of this aching puzzle.

The constant battle to find a measure of hope and trying to find what good is left and is it good enough? are present themes throughout. It’s one of those stories I know will stick with me and I can’t wait to see what Shen Tao writes next.

[I might not have caught them all so please double check content warnings before reading]

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy
  • Language: mild
  • Romance: none
  • Violence: high
  • Content warnings: physical violence, sexual violence/abuse (including minors), alcohol abuse, partner abuse (often physical), blood/gore

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