Tag: fantasy romance

ARC Book Review: Heat of the Everflame (Kindred’s Curse #3) by Penn Cole

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 1026 pages
Author: Penn Cole
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: September 12th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

The war has begun. Both sides demand Diem’s allegiance—or her death.

After her disastrous coronation, Diem finds herself at the center of the conflict between the Descended and the Guardians. With her newfound friends and the man she’s falling for on one side, and the mortals she has vowed to protect on the other, Diem must walk a careful line to save the people she loves… even from each other.

The mystery of her unusual heritage begins to unravel, sending Diem and Luther on an unexpected journey across the realms. The answers may hold the key to winning the war, but finding them will require her to face painful truths about her mother, her bloodline, and her fate.

Meanwhile, the Crowns have set Diem in their sights. Some could be her greatest allies—while others want her dead. To end their oppressive reign, Diem must sort friend from foe and risk it all to build an army of her own.

But a powerful figure in the north has plans that could change everything…

Heat of the Everflame is the third book in The Kindred’s Curse Saga, a four-book epic fantasy romance series that follows our fiesty, bad*ss heroine Diem Bellator in her fight against injustice, her struggle to survive in a royal palace full of betrayal and intrigue, and her journey of self-discovery and finding true love. This slow burn, enemies-to-lovers series is perfect for fans of unique magic systems, dragons and other mythical creatures, angst and romantic tension, and hilarious banter. This book will appeal to fans of plot-heavy, character-driven romantasy such as A Court of Thorns and Roses, Throne of Glass, From Blood and Ash, Gild, Shadow & Bone, and The Serpent & the Wings of Night.

Thank you to the author for an eARC.

ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE.

This is one of my newest favorite series ever. Three books in and I am LOVING EVERY PAGE. Do not let this page count concern you. I didn’t notice one bit that this was 1,000 pages. Luther will soothe your soul and you’ll fall in love with Diem’s personality.

I love the massive journey this book took. Meeting other leaders and seeing other lands. Watching the magic happen and curious where things will continue to turn. Well written politicking is my favorite and I love how this was crafted here. There’s a lot of people trying to make the best decision of their people, even if they might not be seeing the full story.

Getting some BIG answers to some questions I know we’ve all been waiting on was FANTASTIC. I have many theories and I will be waiting on pins and needles needing to know how this series wraps up. I love all of the gryvern content. I love how Diem makes right and wrong decisions and in genuinely trying her best. I AM OBSESSED WITH LUTHER and his unwavering loyalty and determination. There’s multiple side characters who I adore, and many I hate, and I love that I feel that much for everyone.

This is a beautiful series. With the slowest of slow burns and the intense action that my fantasy reader self craves. I LOVE THIS SERIES PLEASE READ IT.

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy Romance
  • Language: some strong
  • Romance: 3 open door
  • Violence: high
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of life, near death experiences, battle themes

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Book Review: The Bones of Benevolence (Benevolence & Blood #2) by Lauren M. Leasure

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 455 pages
Author: Lauren M. Leasure
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: July 11th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Reckoning, Retribution and Ruin

Petra’s entire life has just fallen apart and come together all in a single breath. Against her will, she’s been promised to the Rebel King, head of a bloodthirsty army amassed by force. But now that her true bloodline has been revealed, not everyone is content to sit idly by while her powers are abused in the name of conquest.

Meanwhile, King Belin struggles to reconcile a twisted past — and the part he played in it. As he moves forward from unimaginable grief, he realizes the only future he’s interested in is one with the woman he’s forbidden from loving.
As Petra uncovers what it means to be the daughter of the two most powerful beings in existence, she must learn to balance the weight of a crown she never asked for while learning to accept her life had never been her own to begin with.
Amid the chaos, the time looms near when Petra must come face to face with the force behind her life’s destruction — Lord Evarius Castemont.

Uncertain of what the future holds, Petra continues her crusade for the truth, praying to the Saints that salvation is waiting in the wings.

Unmask the thrilling second installment of the Benevolence & Blood Series

AMAZING SEQUEL.

I just don’t have any big notes on this and I’m all for the vibes of a great fantasy. So here’s five stars, please check out this series ASAP.

I looooved the way this was set-up. Getting to see Petra really come into her own as a Queen. It’s a bit of a stumble, back pedaling, and pushing forward that I love seeing in characters. I love the ups and down. Petra is full of fire and resentment and I thought it progressed amazingly well to see how she worked through heavy emotions and betrayals.

The romance is another major slow burn and I LOVED the way the author handled it. I really appreciate when I feel like physicality isn’t used to add pages, but to bring a couple closer together and move the plot forward. This was that case and I smitten with how things are working out and I can’t wait to see how they continue.

Miles has my whole heart (and I can’t wait for his novella!!!). This whole side cast has my heart in fact. It’s a well built world, I think the magic system and meddling gods is intriguing. There’s flashback chapters that actually provide necessary information and aren’t a waste whatsoever. I flew through this. Give me more.

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy Romance
  • Language: heavy & strong
  • Romance: 2 open door; moderate explicit
  • Violence: high
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: sexual assault, kidnapping, murder, major loss of life, battle themes, blood/gore depiction

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Monthly Reading Wrap-Up: August 2023

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Is it fall yet? We’ve made it to the end of formal summer and I really would love if the temperature would dip under 100 degrees.

Favorites of August:

  • What the River Knows
  • Check & Mate
  • The Jasad Heir
  • Bring Me Your Midnight
  • Realm Breaker
  • The Blonde Identity
  • Yumi and the NIghtmare Painter
  • Desire or Defense
  • How to Kiss a Movie Star
  • Belladonna
  • Babel
  • A Fate Inked in Blood
  • Just Don’t Fall
  • Foxglove
  • Garden of the Midnights
  • Flirtation or Faceoff
  • But He’s My Grumpy Neighbor
  • Assistant to the Villain

Least favorites:

  • An Empress of Air & Chaos
  • All’s Fair in Love and Christmas
  • The Invisible Hour
  • [ARC] What the River Knows by Isabel Ibanez
  • [Gifted] Thief of Sorrows by Kristen M. Long
  • You, with a View by Jessica Joyce
  • [ARC] Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood
  • An Empress of Air & Chaos (An Empress #1) by Noelle Rayne
  • The Jasad Heir (The Scorched Throne #1) by Sara Hashem
  • Bring Me Your Midnight by Rachel Griffin
  • A City of Flames (A City of Flames #1) by Rina Vasquez
  • This Violent Reckoning (The Curse of the Blessed #2) by Renee Dugan
  • [ARC] All’s Fair in Love and Christmas by Sarah Monzon
  • Realm Breaker (Realm Breaker #1) by Victoria Aveyard
  • The Blonde Identity by Ally Carter
  • Play Your Part by Kathryn Kincaid
  • Yumi and the Nightmare Painter (Cosmere) by Brandon Sanderson
  • [Reread] Desire or Defense (D.C. Eagles #1) by Leah Brunner
  • The Marriage Effect (Washington Wolves #3) by Karla Sorensen
  • [ARC] To Spark a Match (The Matchmakers #2) by Jen Turano
  • [ARC] How to Kiss a Movie Star (Hawthorne Brothers #4) by Jenny Proctor
  • Omen of Ice (Omen of Ice #1) by Jus Accardo
  • Slow Dance in Purgatory (Purgatory #1) by Amy Harmon
  • A Duet with the Siren Duke (Married to Magic #4) by Elise Kova
  • Belladonna (Belladonna #1) by Adalyn Grace
  • Hands Down by Mariana Zapata
  • Babel: An Arcane History by R.F. Kuang
  • [ARC] A Fate Inked in Blood (Saga of the Unfated #1) by Danielle L. Jensen
  • Prom Night in Purgatory (Purgatory #2) by Amy Harmon
  • [ARC] Betting on You by Lynn Painter
  • One of Us Is Back (One Of Us Is Lying #3) by Karen M. McManus
  • [ARC] Just Don’t Fall (Sweater Weather #1) by Emma St. Clair
  • [Reread] A Darker Shade of Magic (Shades of Magic #1) by V.E. Schwab
  • Face the Night by Lani Forbes
  • Heavenly Bodies (Heavenly Bodies #1) by Imani Erriu
  • The Invisible Hour by Alice Hoffman
  • Foxglove (Belladonna #2) by Adalyn Grace
  • [ARC] Garden of the Midnights by Hannah Linder
  • Heirs of Falcon Point (Falcon Point #0) by Traci Hunter Abramson, Sian Ann Bessey, Paige Edwards and A.L. Sowards
  • [ARC] Flirtation or Faceoff (D.C. Eagles Hockey #2) by Leah Brunner
  • Karma is a Witch (Deadlights Cove #5) by Aimee Vance and B. Perkins
  • House of Roots and Ruin (Sisters of the Salt #2) by Erin A. Craig
  • But He’s My Grumpy Neighbor (But He’s a Carter Brother #1) by Annah Conwell
  • Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer
  • [ARC] Unholy Terrors by Lyndall Clipstone

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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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