ARC Book Review: Of Flame and Fallacies (The Arterian Series #1) by Courtney Whims

January 21, 2025January 7, 2025 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 496 pages
Author: Courtney Whims
Publisher: Storm Publishing
Release Date: January 2nd, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Possession of dragon contraband in the Arterian kingdom is a guaranteed brutal execution.

When twenty-two-year-old Katerina Blackwind finds a dragon egg buried in her father’s grave, she begins to question everything she thought she knew. She must return the forbidden dragon hatchling—Daeja—north to the secretive Dragon where dragons roam free and a rebellion group resides.

But she can’t do it on her own – smuggling a dragon hatchling across the realm during a war between Arterians and rebels means she can be killed by either side. She knows there’s only one person she can truly trust, her old flame, Cole Ashbourne.

Yet, Cole is much different than the last time Kat saw deliciously chiseled in all the right places with a raw power lingering beneath the surface. Cole is torn between his responsibilities as a newly-promoted Captain in the King’s military, and his heart.

Kat works on a plan to get Daeja to the Dragon Lands while keeping a low profile at the military outpost. Though, having a room next to the sinisterly provocative Darian Raventhorn proves to be anything but easy.

Danger lurks at every turn, and as more secrets are unearthed, Kat is left to question everything she thought she knew about dragons, her family, love, and the kingdom.

Thank you to the author for an eARC.

I HAVE SO MANY THOUGHTS.

I went into reading this with the best on intentions because it genuinely seemed up my alley. And there were good pieces and aspects, but things were missing too.

The initial idea was there. I liked the chapters and the set-up for the plot. The writing itself was good (even though there were some standout plot holes). It felt like it needed a little more tightening up in a few areas to really sell the story. Because along the plot holes were TWO flashback chapters in the early pages and then that was it? I was supposed to garner some kind of chemistry from them and that did not occur. Which left me reeling when they reconnected so suddenly.

And there’s a love triangle dynamic that might have made me toss my kindle across the room. (**but for real someone else who has read this, PLEASE COME TALK TO ME**). I kind of liked the other guy? But, as someone who looks a dark, broody, and cranky character he came across MEAN sometimes and I think crossed a few lines. I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t KNOW. I am befuddled by this book on so many levels y’all.

There’s a good ending. One that I admit to having peaked my interest but I’m going to need some more convincing to pick up book two. I’m intrigued-ish.

Overall audience notes:

Fantasy Romance
Language: moderate – high
Romance: open door
Violence: moderate

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Book Review: In the Wake of the Wicked by V.B. Lacey

January 19, 2025December 28, 2024 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 644 pages
Author: V.B. Lacey
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: November 14th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Wherever she goes, darkness follows.

An orphan with a tragic past and a penchant for wicked deeds, Rose Wolff has never been accepted by her people. She’s learned to live in the darkness, content with her Alchemy magic and her quiet apothecary.

When a terrible curse sweeping the land forces her to enter the Decemvirate, a magical tournament among the strongest of the empire, Rose is pulled from the shadows and thrown into a world of power games, deadly trials, and entanglements with a handsome, mysterious rebel.

With divisions in the empire worsening, there may be more at stake than becoming the champion. Secrets about her magic and encounters with the all-powerful emperor make Rose question everything, leading her down a path she may never come back from.

All magic has a price, and Rose must choose: truth, love, or power?

In the Wake of the Wicked is the first book in a series of interconnected fantasy standalones. This story follows a young woman who finds herself caught up in the glory of magic and unexpected love during a time of hardship and divisions among her empire. Perfect for lovers of Wicked, The Serpent and the Wings of Night, and The Hunger Games, this book is full of deadly trials, morally grey characters, mythical creatures and shifters, unique magic, witty banter, and no spice romance that will have you swooning.

NEW AUTHOR FAV.

I have been anxiously waiting to get some time to dedicate to this behemoth and I loved it. It is a nice long slow burn that pays off on all the fronts. I also super duper love that it’s a no spice romance. While I do read a low level of spice, I feel like the fantasy romance market is way too heavy on how much spice can be thrown in and this is a nice breath of a swoony read (with fantastic kissing scenes, don’t you worry) without an open door.

ANYWAYS. I loved these characters. And I loved that it was dual POV. Seeing both Leo and Rose’s POV was perfect. i loved Rose’s character arc the most. Seeing her slowly let people in, realize she’s worth staying for and finding some people that could be and want to be in her circle was incredible. There were many resonating moments throughout where my heart squeezed tight.

I enjoyed the action and competition plot line. It was a great balance of not being ALL competition while still giving those big action scenes their due. It’s dark and gritty and keeps you on edge.

And y’all know how standalone fantasies are so hard for me to love because they always need to be longer???? WELL HERE YA GO. 650 pages of goodness. I actually felt like I got to know all of the characters, understand the world building and magic system and really let the relationships develop.

Overall audience notes:

Fantasy Romance
Language: low
Romance: kisses
Violence: moderate – high
Content Warnings: loss of life, blood/gore depiction

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Book Review: Long Live (The Elementals of Iona #1) by V.B. Lacey

January 17, 2025December 17, 2023 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★☆
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 475 pages
Author: V.B. Lacey
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: August 1st, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Isla Belthare lives an ordinary life in her small village of Lockhurt. Since losing both her mother and the man she loved two years ago, all she wants is stability and peace. But her world is forever changed when her family is attacked on a journey away from home and she must travel to the Aataran mountain range to find them.

Across the realm, four ancient beings who control the elements of nature are awakening.

After a civil war that tore the humans apart, the elementals entered a thousand year slumber. Now, they are being summoned to prevent a dark force that is greedy for power and threatening to overturn the balance of nature.

When Isla’s path crosses with one of these elementals, she finds her fate is more entangled with theirs than she had ever imagined. As she risks it all to follow the elementals on their journey to defeat the unknown foe, she discovers that not everything may be as it seems. Isla is torn between protecting her loved ones or following her heart down a dangerous path of power and magic, of truth and lies.

What will they sacrifice to stop the coming storm?

THOUGHTS.

I fear this may have been over hyped to me and I lost a little steam when I was reading it. The second half was really great though and I feel very much inclined to read the conclusion (it’s a duology) to see where everyone ends up.

The insta-love is what frustrated me most. Things went from 0-100 real fast and I don’t think there was enough tension, especially with it being what was supposedly enemies to lovers.

I did like Isla a lot. She was fiercely loyal, willing to learn and train and wanted to help those around her. I found her to be an easy FMC to root for. Even better was the fact it was multiple POV. One of my favorite things. I liked how this gave insight to the world building and the past. The combination of everyone’s motives helped the book along immensely.

The writing was easy to read and I thought flowed well too. I did like the general concept of the story and the plot. There was action and some good twists and enough to keep me invested throughout.

Overall audience notes:

Fantasy Romance
Language: low
Romance: kisses
Violence: moderate
Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of loved ones, small battle scenes

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ARC Book Review: Immortal by Sue Lynn Tan

January 4, 2025December 19, 2024 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 464 pages
Author: Sue Lynn Tan
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Release Date: January 7th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A stunning, standalone romantic fantasy filled with dangerous secrets, forbidden magic, and passion, of a young ruler who fights to protect her kingdom, from bestselling author Sue Lynn Tan and set in the breathtaking world of Daughter of the Moon Goddess.

“What the gods did not give us, I would take.”

As the heir to Tianxia, Liyen knows she must ascend the throne and renew her kingdom’s pledge to serve the immortals who once protected them from a vicious enemy. But when she is poisoned, Liyen’s grandfather steals an enchanted lotus to save her life. Enraged at his betrayal, the immortal queen commands the powerful God of War to attack Tianxia.

Upon her grandfather’s death, Liyen ascends a precarious throne, vowing to end her kingdom’s obligation to the immortals. When she is summoned to the Immortal Realm, she seizes the opportunity to learn their secrets and to form a tenuous alliance to safeguard her people, all with the one she should fear and mistrust the most: the ruthless God of War. As they are drawn together, a treacherous attraction ignites between them—one she has to resist, to not endanger all she is fighting for.

But with darker forces closing in around them, and her kingdom plunged into peril, Liyen must risk everything to save her people from an unspeakable fate, even if it means forging a dangerous bond with the immortal… even if it means losing her heart.

Thank you Harper Voyager for my gifted ARC.

WORKED FOR ME.

Fantasy standalones and I don’t always see eye to eye. I did go with the audiobook route and that was the click for me. I loved the audiobook and keeping it at the pace that I do helped me move through the story.

Yes, there’s a few plot quirks and I would have loved more of the relationship background BUT for a standalone this delivered. I love love love wild twists and plot moments I didn’t see coming. This had good reveals and I thought the unveiling of the story was executed well.

The romance was heated and swoony. I loved the connection between Liyen and the God of War. Perfectly timed tension and the build had my full attention. The lore was beautiful and I just can’t get enough of SLT’s writing style. It’s magnetic and the audiobook narrator brought everything to life.

Another gorgeous story that I loved reading.

Overall audience notes: