Tag: fantasy romance

Book Review: Shattered Souls (Guardians of the Maiden #3) by Beck Michaels

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 763 pages
Author: Beck Michaels
Publisher: Self-Published
Release Date: September 27th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Survival demands more than blood. It demands souls.

Alone and afraid, the time has come for Dyna to be her own savior. She will use every skill and spell her Guardians taught her to survive. Because the damsel is dead. This time, she fights.

Cassiel and the Guardians are desperate to find their Maiden. Except they cannot do it alone. The journey to cross Troll Bridge proves harder than ever as they race against the impending winter. When the High King summons him to answer for his crimes, Cassiel will sacrifice everything in order to save the one person he can’t live without. Even if it means his fate will end in exile—or a throne.

Dyna and her Guardians will all face a trial by fire as they confront their greatest threat yet. Themselves. And when ice meets flame, will they pay the price?

The hunt for Mount Ida reaches new heights and dark lows as the Guardians of the Maiden continues in this heart gripping tale about the bounds of love, duty, and power.

Thank you to the author for a gifted audiobook.

IT WAS GOOD, BUT IT WAS LONG.

I have had an up and down ride with this series, and this installment overall made me want to continue. I still feel invested in the overall plot and storylines for this cast. Towards the end there were multiple villain era-esque lines popping up and I AM HERE FOR IT ALL. Let’s make some of these characters a bit more gray because I have been waiting books to see this happen.

But 750 pages? Nooooo. Way too long. The amount of time spent on Dyna and Cassiel’s romantic relationship was, good heavens, expounded upon past the point of true enjoyment. I enjoyed some of the scenes that we did get (and that spice is kept on the more minimal side!), but I just needed less. I’m really interested in a new potential romance that’s brewing and some of the other character arcs almost more at this point. I did think it was interesting to get the villain’s back story because a lot more things make sense in regards to his dynamic now too.

The plot stalled here and there (as previously mentioned). There was some movement and I liked seeing where things are going. I truly did enjoy the audiobook a lot. It’s how I’ve read all of these books and I will continue to do so. The narrators do an amazing job and I continually found myself wanting to listen to this book.

Curious where the ending will take us next!!

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy Romance
  • Language: some mild
  • Romance: vague open door
  • Violence: high
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of life, murder, kidnapping, torture, battle and war themes

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Book Review: Roaring by Lindsey Duga

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Historical + Urban Fantasy Romance
Length: 390 pages
Author: Lindsey Duga
Publisher: Self-Published
Release Date: July 24th, 2020
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Colt Clemmons is an agent in a specialized division within the Bureau of Investigation-one that hunts down not just mobsters, but also monsters.

For reasons that are kept top secret, Colt is the only person who can resist a siren’s voice. But he’s never had a chance to test this ability. The last siren left in the world mysteriously disappeared years ago.

Then one night, with a single word, she reveals herself. It seems too good to be true.

And it is. Because nothing about this siren-her past, her powers, or her purpose-is what it seems…

ADORED.

I technically would give this four stars, BUT GOSH DANG I enjoyed the heck out of this read y’all. I did. It was exactly what I needed to pull me out of a few books I didn’t love as much. I beg of y’all to give this a chance, it deserves it.

Why four stars? Part of the plot felt repetitive in nature. Go over here, get captured, be rescued, move on. That was the base of the story, BUT, there’s also enough else happening that I overlooked it. Once again, for pure enjoyment purposes.

Monsters and mobsters?? Oh so clever a setting. I loved the 1920’s speakeasy vibes and the clothes, the perfectly used pet names (doll? SWOON) and more. Undercover agents turned monsters?! All the urban fantasy things I struggle with absolutely captivated me here.

And the romance was sweet. It was a slow burn that grew on me. I liked how Colt had a lot of personal growth, trying to move past childhood trauma. Eris was easy to love and intensely compassionate. Both are characters to cheer for as they attempt to escape their forced upon fate.

Intense action, swoony kisses, all the monsters.

Read it.

Overall audience notes:

  • Historical + Urban Fantasy Romance
  • Language: a little
  • Romance: make-outs
  • Violence: high
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: medical experimentation on children, loss of life, explosions, torture, kidnapping, gun violence

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ARC Book Review: To Poison a King (The Heirs of Isla #1) by S.G. Prince

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 427 pages
Author: S.G. Prince
Publisher: Summerhold Publishing
Release Date: April 4th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

S.G. Prince’s new standalone is a breathtaking fantasy about sacrifice, self-discovery, and a girl tasked with saving the very man she aimed to kill.

Selene is the youngest daughter in a gifted line of healers, born to serve as the king’s royal physician. Yet when Selene’s mother Persaphe embroils her in a plot to kill the king, Selene finds herself poisoning the very man she is sworn to protect.

Things seem bleak, but there is another problem—the poison doesn’t work, and the king doesn’t die. Rather, he awakes from his coma paralyzed, aware of the attempt on his life, and furious.

With the palace in a state of upheaval and everyone hunting the king’s poisoner, Persaphe flees, leaving Selene the task of rehabilitating the man she aimed to kill, all while hiding her true role in his demise. What follows is a journey spanning years and continents, as a king and his servant develop into unlikely friends…and more. Yet the closer Selene grows to the king, the more her secret weighs on her, as does her growing fear that Persaphe—having failed to kill him once—might return to try again.

Author’s Note: To Poison a King is an adult standalone fantasy romance featuring a brooding hero and a gifted yet self-conscious healer. The story is written for readers who want to know a character from the inside out, who are in it for the build, who like to watch a transformation take place over time, because that’s how you really feel it. I wrote this book from the heart, as true as I could make it. I think it changed me to write it. I hope it changes you, too. – S.G.

Content Warning: This book contains reference to attempted suicide, attempted sexual assault, violence, gore, death of an infant, and sex.

Thank you to the author for an ecopy!

SWEPT AWAY.

Oh my goodness. I really took a chance on this one with knowing nothing about it besides the summary (and I SUPER appreciate the way the author describes it too because it gave me great insight into the book and helped me want to read it). Don’t expect a fantasy world with heavy world building and a complicated magic system. This is heavily character driven and you’ll easily be attached to the main characters.

This is a SLOWW build. In the best way. Goodness. I LOVED watching Selene’s story develop over the course of years. By the time she’s aged a bit (it starts around age 14) I found myself completely attached to her whole life. I wanted to see it all and I just loved her as a character. She makes mistakes, works hard to fix them, truly is trying to do the best she can to move forward and make a little slice of life that she can be happy with.

And then the romance??? Oh gosh. It is subtle and dang sweet. It’s tender and loving and watching these two develop from acquaintances, to friends, to maybe lovers? Every single moment between Elias and Selene felt important. I hung on every word and scene clutching my book, waiting to see what would happen next.

Even when the inevitable conflict arose it was magnetic. I HAD TO SEE EVERYTHING RIGHTED. I couldn’t put the book down. I can’t come up with any better words than saying to READ THIS.

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy Romance
  • Language: very little
  • Romance: closed door
  • Violence: mild
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: attempted suicide, attempted sexual assault, violence, blood/gore depiction, death of an infant, loss of life

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Book Review: A Broken Blade (The Halfling Saga #1) by Melissa Blair

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Fantasy + Romance
Length: 448 pages
Author: Melissa Blair
Publisher: Union Square Co.
Release Date: August 2nd, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

The BookTok sensation from debut author Melissa Blair—now with exclusive bonus content!
 
“Gripping and fierce. This is much-needed fantasy with its fangs honed sharp by the power of resistance. Melissa Blair has built a tremendous world.”—Chloe Gong, #1 New York Times bestselling author of These Violent Delights
 
My body is made of scars,
some were done to me,
but most I did to myself.
 
Keera is a killer. As the King’s Blade, she is the most talented spy in the kingdom. And the king’s favored assassin. When a mysterious figure moves against the Crown, Keera is called upon to hunt down the so-called Shadow. She tracks her target into the magical lands of the Fae, but Faeland is not what it seems . . . and neither is the Shadow. Keera is shocked by what she learns, and can’t help but wonder who her enemy truly is: the King that destroyed her people or the Shadow that threatens the peace?
 
As she searches for answers, Keera is haunted by a promise she made long ago, one that will test her in every way. To keep her word, Keera must not only save herself, but an entire kingdom.
 
Fans of fast-paced high fantasy such as A Court of Thorns and Roses series, The Inadequate Heir, and From Blood and Ash author Jennifer L. Armentrout, will enjoy the fierce female characters, sapphic representation, and fantasy romance of A Broken Blade.

WHOA.

I had no expectations going into this one. I had heard of its origin story and that was convincing enough for me to give it a go.

The audiobook was wonderful. And easily recommend that route if you’re looking for a fantasy romance!

This had many many mashups of tropes and fantasy book elements that I love seeing. I know others might not like the addition of that many pieces, but it just reminded me why I love fantasy reading so much and I had a blast seeing all of the nuanced aspects come together.

I really liked the main character and her story. Thing were unveiled in an easy to follow way that kept me intrigued and wanting more. The romance was enjoyable and I can’t wait to see how that further develops after that ending!!

A solid start to a new series that I will definitely be waiting to get my hands on as soon as it releases.

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy + Romance
  • Language: some
  • Romance: one open door scene
  • Violence: med-high
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: sexual assault mentioned, substance abuse (alcohol), self harm, murder, torture, colonialism

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