Tag: fantasy romance

ARC Book Review: The Phoenix King (The Ravence Trilogy #1) by Aparna Verma

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: Fantasy
Length: 512 pages
Author: Aparna Verma
Publisher: Orbit
Release Date: August 31st, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

In a kingdom where flames hold magic and the desert hides secrets, an ancient prophecy comes for an assassin, a princess, and a king. But none are ready to face destiny—and the choices they make could burn the world.
 
“If we carry the burdens of our fathers, we’ll never know what it means to be free.”
 
For Elena Aadya Ravence, fire is yearning. She longs to feel worthy of her Phoenix god, of her ancestors who transformed the barren dunes of Sayon into a thriving kingdom. But though she knows the ways and wiles of the desert better than she knows her own skin, the secrets of the Eternal Flame elude her. And without them, she’ll never be accepted as queen.
 
For Leo Malhari Ravence, fire is control. He is not ready to give up his crown—there’s still too much work to be done to ensure his legacy remains untarnished, his family protected. But power comes with a price, and he’ll wage war with the heavens themselves to keep from paying it.
 
For Yassen Knight, fire is redemption. He dreams of shedding his past as one of Sayon’s most deadly assassins, of laying to rest the ghosts of those he has lost. If joining the court of flame and serving the royal Ravence family—the very people he once swore to eliminate—will earn him that, he’ll do it no matter what they ask of him.
 
But the Phoenix watches over all and the fire has a will of its own. It will come for all three, will come for Sayon itself….and they must either find a way to withstand the blaze or burn to ash.

Thank you to Orbit for the ARC.

DISAPPOINTED.

This book was a struggle to get through. I think unfortunately I got off on the wrong foot with it because I wasn’t super into the writing style and it went downhill from there.

I’m very confused by the world building. It’s fantasy, but sci-fi, but dystopian? I’m not quite sure and I wish some more time was spent in creating a world that made sense.

The characters were pretty cardboard too. My favorite was Leo. That man was jumping off the deep end, but at least he was doing something and had a personality. You never knew quite what he was going to do next and that was somewhat intriguing. Yassen and Elena were every fantasy main character you’ve ever seen. There romance was suuuuper lack luster and I wanted to connect more with them too. For 500 pages I felt like a lot was missing.

There’s some cool ideas here with the Phoenix/Prophet scenario. I was surprised by some of the things that happened at the end. But I can’t tell you if I want to pick up book two. Maybe on audio.

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy
  • Language: some strong
  • Romance: one very brief & vague
  • Violence: high
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of loved ones, battle themes, torture, being burned alive, mass murder

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Book Review: Angelika Frankenstein Makes Her Match by Sally Thorne

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Rating: ★★★☆
Audience: Historical Fantasy Romance
Length: 384 pages
Author: Sally Thorne
Publisher: Avon Books
Release Date: September 6th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

From USA Today bestselling author of The Hating Game Sally Thorne comes something a little unexpected… a historical rom-com that imagines Victor Frankenstein’s sheltered younger sister, and her attempts to create the perfect man.

For generations, every Frankenstein has found their true love and equal, unlocking lifetimes of blissful wedded adventure. Clever, pretty (and odd) Angelika Frankenstein has run out of suitors and fears she may become the exception to this family rule. When assisting in her brother Victor’s ground-breaking experiment to bring a reassembled man back to life, she realizes that having an agreeable gentleman convalescing in the guest suite might be a chance to let a man get to know the real her. For the first time, Angelika embarks upon a project that is all her own.

When her handsome scientific miracle sits up on the lab table, her hopes for an instant romantic connection are thrown into disarray. Her resurrected beau (named Will for the moment) has total amnesia and is solely focused on uncovering his true identity. Trying to ignore their heart-pounding chemistry, Angelika reluctantly joins the investigation into his past, hoping it will bring them closer. But when a second suitor emerges to aid their quest, Angelika wonders if she was too hasty inventing a solution. Perhaps fate is not something that can be influenced in a laboratory? Or is Will (or whatever his name is!) her dream man, tailored for her in every way? And can he survive what was done to him in the name of science, and love?

Filled with carriages, candlesticks, and corpses, Angelika Frankenstein Makes Her Match is the spooky-season reimagining of the well-known classic that reminds us to never judge a man by his cadaver!

THIS GREW ON ME.

I did NOT know what to do with the first 30-35% of this one y’all. It was weird, and oddly focused on things I just didn’t think mattered. Not to mention there’s insta-love here (which does make sense in context, but you’ve been warned!).

THEN, towards the second half I realized I kind of actually liked the relationship between Angelika and Will. When some of the physicality was left on the side they did have some good conversations about life, love, and beyond. And I found the ending to be beautiful.

The surrounding plot was full of all things Frankenstein-esque that you’ve heard, read, or watched. I love that it fell in line with a lot of the original story and still took on it’s own bearing. It’s definitely super quirky (for fans of India Holton I’d say give it a go).

I had a good time reading something off the beaten path of my usual go-to genres and it’s the second book I’ve at last ready of Thorne’s (THG owns me). I’m curious if she’ll continue with these types of reads, I think I’d give another one a try!

Overall audience notes:

  • Historical Fantasy Romance
  • Language: some strong
  • Romance: multiple open door; med-high explicit + high innuendo
  • Violence: medium
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: pregnancy & infertility, deaths of parents recounted, sexual assault

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Book Review: The Queen of the Dawn (Shadows and Crowns #5) by S.M. Gaither

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 640 pages
Author: S.M. Gaither
Publisher: Del Ray
Release Date: July 27th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

“The light cannot always overcome the dark. But it can rise to meet it.”

Against all odds, Casia Greythorne has survived battles with gods and monsters alike, and the most powerful crown in the Kethran Empire is now securely in her grasp. Yet a seemingly impossible task still looms: finding a way to rid her world of its darkest god so she actually has a future to rule over.

The path to sealing that god away has been revealed, but to follow it will mean venturing into a deadly and strange new realm, facing old fears and enemies, and deciphering ancient magic that raises more questions than answers.

Meanwhile, chaos continues to spread throughout the empires. Armies rise and fall. The bonds between allies begin to fray—and hope along with it. And with every bloody battle, the final cost of saving their world becomes clearer.

Dawn is coming, but will Casia and her friends survive to see the new day?

SATISFYING CONCLUSION.

I luckily caught that this was out early on audio and took immediate advantage of seeing how this series came to a close. And I enjoyed it!

I’ve always loved the relationship between Elander and Casia. They’re still one of my favs and there were many sweet moments and a few scenes I didn’t know I wanted and melted me into a puddle.

There’s PLENTY of action and battle scenes. Filled with a sense of what those meddling gods are going to do next. I liked most of this and thought certain character arcs ended where they needed to.

I feel like I was missing that last little connection to give a five star. Something was just holding me back. I still sincerely loved this series and recommend!

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy Romance
  • Language: some strong
  • Romance: 2-3 open; low/moderate explicit
  • Violence: high
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: battle themes, loss of life, near death experiences

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Book Review: A Duet with the Siren Duke (Married to Magic #4) by Elise Kova

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 554 pages
Author: Elise Kova
Publisher: Silver Wing Press
Release Date: August 10th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

She sold her soul to a siren and now he’s come to collect.

Victoria risks everything to leave a dangerous marriage and gain a second chance at life. But when her escape goes awry, she finds herself caught in the strong embrace of a mysterious siren, forced to choose: temporary salvation or immediate death.

And so, a cursed deal is struck.

Five years later, Victoria is alive—and the world’s finest ship captain. But her debt to the siren looms while her conniving ex has demanded a king’s ransom as the final price of her freedom. Victoria refuses to cause her family to suffer any more on her behalf, and is determined to make things right before her time is up. But that time is cut short.

The siren comes for her. Six months early.

Taken to the magical and deadly Eversea, home of the sirens, Victoria discovers she’s the sacrifice upon which all sirens pin their hopes. If they want to appease an angry god and save a world on the brink of destruction, then they need her. Which gives her the perfect leverage.

Victoria strikes a new bargain: the Siren Duke will help save her family, and she’ll fulfill his demands. It’s a good bargain until a flicker of passion ignites in the scarred remnants of Victoria’s heart, threatening all she’s worked for. As the sacrifice for the God of Death, she’s meant to give up everything that draws her to the world of the living. But that’s impossible when all she can think about is how this handsome siren’s song, and his hands, make her feel very much alive.

In a realm of ancient magic, submerged secrets, and forgotten gods, can love find a place among shattered hearts as they race against time and the blossoming of forbidden desires? Or will the delicate songs of their hearts be silenced once and for all?

A Duet with the Siren Duke is a complete, *stand alone novel*. It’s for readers looking for a fantasy romance with deep lore, second-chance love, sacrifice, forbidden and slow-burn romance that sizzles on the page, and a happily ever after where love triumphs over all.

While it is set in the Married to Magic universe, readers can start with this book as all Married to Magic novels are stand alones.

GREAT STANDALONE.

I feel like I’m always on the hunt for great fantasy standalones. They are a dime a dozen and I love that I can add this one to my recommendation list. It’s an enjoyable read with all of the Little Mermaid vibes, but darker and more romantic and with amazing characters too.

The romance increasingly grew on me over the book. I loved how Ilryth and Victoria worked together to solve the problems of the Eversea. I loved watching them have the difficult conversations and lean on each other through the harder times and dealing with past trauma.

I did think the plot dragged for me a little bit. Some scenes or intentions were pulled along and I was ready to get things rolling. I’m honestly not sure how I feel about the ending either. There were some aspects I enjoyed and others that have me feeling mixed. The characters really sold this book for me and I look forward to the next one!

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy Romance
  • Language: some moderate
  • Romance: 2-3 open; low-moderate explicit
  • Violence: moderate
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of life, losing memories, healing from past truama of a previous marriage

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