Book Review: A King of Masks and Magic (A Tale of Stars and Shadow #3) by Lisa Cassidy

November 26, 2022August 21, 2022 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Fantasy + Romance
Length: 554 pages
Author: Lisa Cassidy
Publisher: Tate House
Release Date: April 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Vengeance rises in the shadows

A storm is coming…

The Shadowhawk has been unmasked to those he trusts most. Montagn, the most powerful empire in the world, prepares for invasion. And back in the tangled alleys and dark streets of Dock City, Vengeance lurks.

Badly injured after the ambush that nearly claimed his life, Cuinn Acondor is recovering in the Twin Thrones, determined to grow strong so that he can go home and do more. Be more. Find a way to make a better country for his people. Talyn Dynan, reeling from the news that Montagn has been using Vengeance as a tool to undermine Mithranar from within, has a single purpose… return and raze them to the ground.

But Vengeance isn’t their only enemy. The prince of night grows stronger, his grip on power in Mithranar tightening. A deadly strike to the heart of the Dumnorix family reveals a greater threat than anyone realised.

And when a dangerous revelation sends shockwaves through Mithranan society, Cuinn and Talyn must stand together and fight, or risk losing everything they love.

If you love epic fantasy with magical worlds, clashing cultures and complex, flawed characters, you’ll love this continuation of Talyn and the Shadowhawk’s story! Buy A King of Masks and Magic today!

WORTH THE WAIT.

Y’all know I’m a fantasy ROMANCE lover, and I was told I would have to really wait out the slow burn on this series. AND IT WAS WORTH IT. Ohhhhmygosh I love these two!!! They are my absolute favorite and I can’t get enough of every moment they have together. Lets also acknowledge there’s no third act nonsense here. Together forever.

The plot is still just as intense and wild. I love that this is fast paced and filled with great politicking and action. There’s twists and turns around every corner and a few times where I was completely flipping out needing answers.

I love all of these characters and this book left me in PAIN. PAIN I TELL YOU. Not pulling any punches are we Lisa Cassidy?! It just really makes for a fantastic series whenever I feel this connected to not only the two main leads but to multiple side characters.

I’ll be shouting from the rooftops for everyone else to READ THIS SERIES PLEASE.

Overall audience notes:

Fantasy
Language: very little
Romance: brief fade to black
Violence: high
Trigger/Content Warnings: near death experiences, physical and weapons altercations, battle scenes, kidnapping, torture, loss of loved ones

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph

Book Review: Songs of the Wicked (A Dreamer’s Misfortune #1) by C.A. Farran

November 24, 2022July 25, 2022 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 703 pages
Author: C.A. Farran
Publisher: Sylvan Ink Press LLC
Release Date: January 22nd, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Fear is not my master. I will never submit.

A grave threat looms over the mortal world. The veil that separates the realms has weakened over time, and monsters-Undesirables-claw their way out of the Netherworld to torment the living. What once dwelled in whispered stories now stalks the shadows. The only guard against chaos is balance.

Reapers are duty bound to uphold that balance, tasked with guiding mortal souls to the afterlife. Lark secretly dreams of shedding her immortal chains and forging her own path. She’s captivated by the humans and envies their freedom, their passion, their anguish. Her master, Thanar, god of death, forbids this fascination and demands her utmost loyalty.

When Lark encounters a mortal whose fire and suffering awakens something in her, she denies fate and saves him, refusing to guide him to his death.

To escape Thanar’s wrath, Lark makes a deal with the witch-queen of the Netherworld and is remade as human-trading her power for mortality. She flees through the veil and enters the land of the living, unaware she isn’t the only one freed from the clutches of the Netherworld.

Songs of the Wicked is a New Adult dark reimagining of the Little Mermaid.

STUNNING.

I’m always hesitant to start fantasies over 500 pages (though let’s be honest, that’s also MY JAM). And then most of the time, I find myself completely engrossed in the story not realizing I’ve spent so much time with a new favorite.

This was a fantastic read. Great writing and characterization. I am alllll about the characters and the found family here was WONDERFUL. I loved Lark and her progression throughout everything thrown her way. She was resilient and yet, always remained kind and I can’t get enough of that type of FMC.

Enter in one of the slowest burns ever with Gavriel and I was smitten. If at anytime I here myself say, KISS ALREADY, I know it’s good. And it happened here multiple times. There relationship is so complex and I am very curious how it continues to evolve as the series progresses.

There is a very nuanced Little Mermaid vibe. If you’ve watched the movie enough times it was fun to notice the subtle ways Farran threw in nods and allusions to the tale. While I would have definitely appreciated some actual mermaids, I was pleased with everything else!

The plot is thick with many layers. I thought the world building was written well. Not overly convoluted, but spaced out without info dumping to really allow for the build that this story took. I’m excited to see what book two holds.

Overall audience notes:

Fantasy + Romance
Language: some
Romance: open door
Violence: high
Trigger/Content Warnings: mentions of rape (in initial scenes, side character), kidnapping, loss of loved ones, weapons violence, physical altercations, creature attacks, imprisonment

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph

Book Review: On These Black Sands (Aisling Sea #1) by Vanessa Rasanen

November 23, 2022December 31, 2021 GoodeyReads2 Comments

Rating: ☆☆☆
Audience: NA Fantasy
Length: 436 pages
Author: Vanessa Rasanen
Publisher: Crab Apple Books
Release Date: August 10th, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

An awkward stowaway. A troubled pirate captain.
Is she the key to his quest or will she be his ruin?

Aoife wants nothing more than to fulfill her duty and serve on the Council. But a spilled secret reveals a deadly truth she never suspected. Plagued by guilt and wanting no part in the Council’s methods, she panics and runs, stowing away on a pirate ship.

Declan doesn’t have time to deal with an irritating stowaway, and this job is already dangerous enough without having her underfoot. With less than a month to bring the enchanted dagger to the rebels, he needs to find a way past the bloodthirsty creatures guarding it.

In a world of secrets and legends, a lost dagger may be the key to saving a nation. But it will take far more than wit and a cutlass to retrieve it. Can an heir and a pirate work together–or will their secrets drown all hope?

NOT A BAD START.

This was a great debut. Even if I struggled with some of it, I truly enjoyed it overall and look forward to checking out book two.

Aoiefe was alright. I felt like she was extremely naïve about everrrrrything. And some repetitiveness to her storyline and thoughts dragged that on longer than necessary. Luckily, I found a pretty swoony character in Declan. I liked him most of the two points-of-view. He was the kind of dashing pirate, searching for treasure that makes you want to jump on the boat and join him.

The world building was a bit shallow. I was confused about why we were after a certain artifact and still wondering how that artifact works and can change the game, so to speak. There’s also fae involved? I don’t know, I need more answers here. I muuuust have good world building in a fantasy book to be wrapped up in here and that’s what lacked the most.

A predictable ending, with a good set-up for book two. I did like a lot of the side characters and there seems to be plenty of opportunity to expand the world and get some deeper character dives.

Overall audience notes:

NA Fantasy + Romance
Language: some mild
Romance: kisses
Violence: physical altercations, kidnapping,

Instagram || Goodreads

Book Review: Charting Stars (The Nine Realms Tales #1) by Micheline Ryckman

November 18, 2022December 30, 2021 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 325 pages
Author: Micheline Ryckman
Publisher: Whimsical Publishing
Release Date: May 21st, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Talia Benson would consider herself fairly ordinary. Anyone would. Diligent student, only child to a single mother, protector of three cats—nothing crazy has ever happened to her. And Talia wants it to stay that way: stable. Her knack for making friends, along with her obsession with the stars and her love for skirt pockets, coffee, and art, is more than enough to keep Talia happy for the rest of her days—that is, until a single evening in front of a blank canvas becomes the adventure she never dreamed she wanted.

Now, Talia finds herself lost in a world completely unlike her own, a land where monsters roam and magic thrives, where wars are born then die at the wave of a hand, and where strange entities decide the fate of those who live among the Nine Realms. The guardians of these foreign lands have seen a great shift in the heavens. Something has changed, a prophecy has been spoken—a darkness is coming. But maybe, just maybe, an ordinary girl thrown between worlds could be the key to saving it all.

Charting Stars is the first book in a spirited, heartfelt young adult fantasy series by Micheline Ryckman that will appeal to the minds of those who’ve always felt, well, ordinary. Talia’s adventures prove that even an average everyday girl can have skills enough to be a hero. And she’s joined on her journey by a lovable cast of characters—some human, some furry, some covered in ivy vines—who will steal your heart away.

ADORED.

This was such a good read!! It’s a super short fantasy (under 300 pages) and I felt wrapped up in it and loving all of the characters. It’s wholesome and whimsical. All the things I could have hoped for when I picked it up.

It’s a pretty classic YA fantasy (but the characters felt older, so probably closer to NA). Our heroine lands in an unknown land and finds herself on an adventure with a rag-tag group of people while she learns about everything around her. I adored the sweetly paced romance that for fast-paced didn’t bother me for a moment. Jarrett and Talia were just precious.

I liked the plot line and outer story of the magic system and world building. It could have been even further expanded, but I didn’t feel that was the nature of this book which led me to just want to devour it and anxiously await the next installment. I love the way Ryckman writes her stories and I’ve enjoyed everyone I’ve read!

Overall audience notes: