Tag: fantasy romance

Book Review: The Shadows that Listen (Angel Ruin #1) by Louisa Carmody

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 400 pages
Author: Louisa Carmody
Publisher: Orbit
Release Date: September 9th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

WHO WILL SURVIVE THE NIGHT?

The Shadows that Listen is an unputdownable dystopian romantasy with a delicious slow burn romance, from debut author Louisa Carmody. Perfect for fans of Crescent City and Silver Elite.

It’s been five years since the world was brought to its knees by an immortal war. Daemons crawled from the depths of hell and the sky bled gold as the angels arrived. Humanity thought it was saved, but the angels did not come to protect us.

Amara is a human warrior working for the Angel Intelligence Agency. She spends her days searching for those who don’t make it home after curfew. But when her boyfriend Jeremy goes missing, she decides to venture into the shadows to bring him back. Even if it means death.

Nathaniel is an archangel tasked with leading the destruction of humanity, for which he cares little. He doesn’t have time to protect little humans running around in the dark, especially those who stab him in the stomach.

But Nathaniel and Amara will soon realise they share a foe, one that lurks in the shadows and stalks them from the skies. She might long to kill him, but Amara knows that having an angel at her side is the only way to find the man she loves.

The shadows lengthen. They listen. Who will survive the night?

Thank you Orbit Books for the gifted copy.

I’LL READ BOOK TWO.

I didn’t know a single thing about this book and I decided that it was a gem! I appreciated that even though it’s an “urban” fantasy I didn’t feel like it was. The setting gave off purely fantasy vibes. Add in the humans + angels + demons combo and I was sat.

There was too much conversation around finding Jeremey because I just didn’t like Jeremy, but that was my biggest complaint. I liked the plot and that things kept moving. There’s good reveals and *AHA* moments that I can’t wait to see play out in book two.

The romance is a slow burn. THANK YOU FOR THE SLOW BURN. I did think it was funny Amara called Nathanial archangel for so much of the book. I couldn’t even remember what his name was most of the time because of it. I’m real down bad for these two so I can’t wait for more in this department too.

Overall audience notes:

  • Dystopian fantasy romance
  • Language: moderate
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: high

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Book Review: Smoke and Scar (Shattered Crown #1) by Gretchen Powell Fox

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 466 pages
Author: Gretchen Powell Fox
Publisher: Hopewell Media
Release Date: March 11th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Birthed in shadow. Forged in fire.

A Splintered Kingdom

An ancient grudge has kept humans and the magical races of Arcanis at odds for centuries. The Arcane Crucible, a legendary series of trials that occurs every 25 years, offers a chance for peace.

A Haunted Warrior

Elyria Lightbreaker, once a celebrated fae war hero, is a shadow of her former self. Drowning in grief after losing the man she loved to the previous Crucible, now she must rise to stop his sister from falling to the same fate.

A Vengeful Knight

Hardened by loss and fueled by hate, Cedric Thorne’s lifelong goal to conquer the Crucible on humanity’s behalf is finally within reach. The only problem? Getting through the trials alive means working with Elyria—the very fae he blames for his parents’ deaths.

An Unwinnable Challenge

With alliances fragile as spun glass and betrayal lurking at every turn, Elyria and Cedric must navigate deadly trials that test their strength, spirit, and magic… as well as their increasingly complex feelings for each other.

This is the Arcane Crucible.

I’M TIRED.

Reallllll tired of the *lets go through a competition trial* trope. I think I’ve read too many back to back and now they all sound the same. And they used to be so good!!

The use of the trials feels like a weak plot device to move the story forward when nothing major has been happening. I was bored both during the trial and outside of it too. The romance had no sticking power and I won’t be continuing this series.

My positive note is that the audiobook is DUET. Which I will never stop saying is one of the best audio formats out there.

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy Romance
  • Language: moderate
  • Romance: make-outs
  • Violence: high

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Book Review: A Wraith Beneath the Tides (Beyond the Tides #1) by Emilia Jae

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Rating: ★★★★.25
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 584 pages
Author: Emilia Jae
Publisher: Em’s Bookish Realm Press
Release Date: July 17th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN MEETS ATLANTIS THE LOST EMPIRE. –>

Raised in secret by the sea’s most feared pirate, Esmyra Blackwood knows nothing of her past or the origins of her mysterious powers.

In the mortal kingdom, Draevyn Rowe is the second-born son of the tyrant king, and the only known fire-wielder of their realm.

Esmyra and Draevyn’s journeys collide when she kidnaps him to force a trade with the king for her captain’s life. But when her barter is refused, she is instead tasked with unearthing a kingdom lost a thousand years prior. Together, the two are forced to navigate a labyrinth of lies and secrets in search of the sunken kingdom.

The tides are shifting, and with scheming gods and ancient rivalries at play, alliances will be forged and shattered. The two must decide who to trust, and how far they’re willing to go for the ones they love.

Esmyra will face a choice: Does their world deserve salvation… or will she be its reckoning?

PRETTY GOOD.

This had been sitting on my KU line-up for a bit and I’ve been excited to get to it. And I think it held up pretty well. I’ll read the next book.

It had a plot line that I feel like I haven’t read recently so while, at times, frustrating, it was also nice to see? I am curious where it’s going to lead and how the fallout will occur.

The romance [gratefully] was enough of a slow burn for me. I do think there needed to be something higher on the swoony factor to really sell me but maybe that’s coming in the sequel. I think there was some good banter between Esmyra and Draevyn and it definitely had enemies to lovers vibes.

I’m curious about the addition of a third POV and where that will lead. I have ideas I’d love to see, which one again, leads me to being hopeful about book two. We shall see!!

Overall audience notes:

  • Romantasy
  • Language: strong
  • Romance: 1-2 open door
  • Violence: high

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Book Review: In the Wake of the Ruined (The Siren Mage #2) by Kalie Cassidy

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 432 pages
Author: Kalie Cassidy
Publisher: Little, Brown
Release Date: July 7th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

The realm has a new queen… and a new monster.

Imogen can no longer hide. She has claimed her ancestral crown, and now the corrupted bond she shares with the ancient deity Eusia is stronger than ever. Though she is determined to sever it, doing so is no easy feat. The threat of war looms. Shifting alliances, a hunger for magic, and her feelings for Theodore, King of Varya, attempt to thwart her at every turn.

Meanwhile, Theodore is battling the strain of his own crown and commitments. When Imogen suddenly appears on his ship, every dutiful resolution he’s ever made threatens to snap. As they draw nearer to ending Eusia, lurking dangers and their perilous desire for one another prove more insurmountable than they could have imagined.

Will the chaos, ruin, and death that Imogen was prophesied to usher into the realm be the end of all things, or the beginning?

WORKED FOR ME.

I’m going to be completely honest with you, I do not remember a thing from book one. Did that stop me from going ahead with this book? Nope. And it worked out. I think Kalie Cassidy did such a great job of bringing the energy in the first few chapters that I was locked in and really liked this follow up.

I wish there would have been more chapters from Theo though!! I liked this POV and getting more of his dynamic. There’s definitely a lot of longing and yearning and the push and pull of the story beats worked well. I loved the siren vibes and how that magic worked in this world. And I liked all of these characters a lot. The different types of relationships and the unlikely friendships were all great.

I’ll definitely be looking out for Kalie Cassidy’s next book!

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy Romance
  • Language: mild
  • Romance: 3ish open door
  • Violence: moderate – high

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