Tag: historical fantasy

Book Review: Empire of Shadows (Raiders of the Arcana #1) by Jacquelyn Benson

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Historical Fantasy Romance
Length: 478 pages
Author: Jacquelyn Benson
Publisher: Crimson Fox Publishing
Release Date: April 2nd, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Nice Victorian ladies don’t run off to find legendary lost cities.

One trifling little arrest shouldn’t have cost Ellie Mallory her job, but it’s only the latest in a line of injustices facing any educated woman with archaeological ambitions.

When Ellie stumbles across the map to a mysterious ancient city, she knows she’s holding her chance to revolutionize Pre-Colombian history. There’s just one teensy complication. A ruthless villain wants it, and Ellie is all that stands in his way.

To race him to the ruins—and avoid being violently disposed of—she needs the help of maverick surveyor Adam Bates, a snake-wrangling rogue who can’t seem to keep his dratted shirt on.

But there’s more than Ellie’s scholarly reputation (and life) on the line. Her enemies aren’t just looters. They’re after an arcane secret rumored to lie in the heart of the ruins, a mythical artifact with a power that could shake the world.

Between stealing trousers, plummeting over waterfalls, and trying not to fall in love with her machete-wielding partner, will Ellie be able to stop the oracle of a lost empire from falling into the wrong hands?

Empire of Shadows is the first book in Jacquelyn Benson’s smart, swashbuckling Raiders of the Arcana series. Read it now and dive into a rip-roaring historical fantasy adventure perfect for fans of Romancing the Stone and The Mummy.

WHERE HAVE I BEEN?

This has been on and off my TBR since it released but I finally dove in when the audiobook was available and I do NOT REGERT MY DECISION Y’ALL. If you loved What the River Knows, I need you to go pick this one up too. I loved the historical fantasy vibes with some Indian Jones and The Mummy mixed in.

I was smitten from the beginning. And loved the way the romance flowed throughout the story. There’s heated tension, lots of action and perilous danger around every corner and the audiobook production is just fantastic. I could not get enough of listening to this book and the hours flew by.

(I realized that I had read the first book in this author’s previous series and had mixed thoughts on it so this just goes to show you that trying an author a second time can be a win).

I immediately downloaded book two and will be getting to that ASAP. I am obsessed with these characters, the SWOONY romance, and the fast action-packed plot.

Overall audience notes:

  • Historical Fantasy Romance
  • Language: low
  • Romance: heated make-outs
  • Violence: moderate – high
  • Content Warnings: weapons violence, near death experiences, attempted murder

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph

ARC/ALC Book Review: Carnival Fantastico by Angela Montoya

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: YA Historical Fantasy Romance
Length: 464 pages
Author: Angela Montoya
Publisher: Joy Revolution
Release Date: February 3rd, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Carnival Fantástico by Angela Montoya, is a dual-POV YA romantasy pitched as Hotel Magnifique meets These Violent Delights, in which Esmeralda Montero, a thief pretending to be a fortune-teller, competes for the starring role at a magical traveling circus in the hopes of gaining the wealth and respect she’s always longed for. But when the irritatingly handsome boy who once broke her heart resurfaces and warns her that carnival is more sinister than it appears, Esmeralda must decide whether fame and fortune are worth their deadly price.

Thank you PRH Audio for the audiobook and Get Underlined for the gifted copy.

TRULY FANTASTIC.

I think this is my new favorite from AM. I had such a great time reading this book and didn’t want to put it down. It gave me the vibes from Caraval and The Night Circus (both of which I loved so this is high praise). The audiobook narrators were wonderful too.

I really loved the angsty push and pull between Esmeralda and Ignacio. The fiery arguments and banter, the tender touches and longing glances, GOSH DANG. I wanted to shout to just kiss already so the slow burn was doing its job. I liked the mystery between their split because the reveals caught me a bit by surprise. It was nice to know somewhat of what was coming and to be enchanted by the rest. There’s a dark atmospheric layer over the whole carnival that sets you on edge.

Turns out this has a historical element too, being set in the 1920’s. It still felt like a fantasy book amongst the crowds of the big top though and that’s usually the way I prefer historical fantasies to feel. Absolutely charmed by this one y’all.

Overall audience notes:

  • Upper YA Historical Fantasy Romance
  • Language: low
  • Romance: kisses; one mention of sleeping together in the past
  • Violence: moderate
  • Content warnings: near death experiences, loss of life, parental abandonment, imprisonment, loss of loved ones

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph

Book Review: Gilded in Vengeance by Lyssa Mia Smith

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: YA Historical Fantasy
Length: 384 pages
Author: Lyssa Mia Smith
Publisher: Storytide
Release Date: November 4th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Revenge meets The Gilded Age in this thrilling YA fantasy set among the glittering magical elite of late-1800s New York society, from Revelle author Lyssa Mia Smith.

Two girls attended a magical ball, but one was never seen again.

At least that’s what those who betrayed her believed.

Two years after being framed for fraud by the Society of the Charmed, an exclusive club of New York’s wealthiest—and most magical—citizens, Emmy Vallillo wastes away in prison, utterly alone.

Until her cell wall explodes, revealing Jack Fontaine, one of the Society’s favorite sons, now imprisoned for a crime he swears he didn’t commit. They make a deal: He’ll help Emmy escape if she helps destroy those who’ve wronged them.

Using Emmy’s magic to transform their appearances, the two break free and, unrecognized, soon become the Society’s new darlings. Now their enemies want to dine with them. Attend lavish balls with them. Marry them. But ruining lives requires Emmy to trust Jack with hers, despite his dark secrets—and the infuriating attraction between them.

When another betrayal brings their enemies to their doorstep, Emmy must choose: complete their revenge, or give up the money, the magic, and her safety in this cutthroat world for the most treacherous thing of all—love.

OMG GO READ IT.

Y’all know I’m always on the hunt for those hidden gems and HERE’S ONE FOR Y’ALL. I loved this book. I loved that it was rooted in vengeance but that the FMC had such a great character arc and learned and took in new things as the story went on.

The vibes were fantastic. I loved the gilded age setting and the balls and intrigue and all the things. The found family group was solid and I loved how they looked out for each other.

And the romance? Swoony and the perfect level of slow burn for a standalone. There was also another element I was rather obsessed with and the reveal sent me into orbit.

So please consider this my plea to try out this book! I will definitely be on the lookout for this author’s next story.

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Historical Fantasy
  • Language: low
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: moderate

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph

Book Review: A Language of Dragons by S.F. Williamson

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★
Audience: YA Historical Fantasy
Length: 480 pages
Author: S.F. Williamson
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date: January 7th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

EVERY ACT OF TRANSLATION REQUIRES SACRIFICE

Welcome to Bletchley Park… with dragons.

London, 1923. Dragons soar through the skies and protests erupt on the streets, but Vivian Featherswallow isn’t worried. She’s going to follow the rules, get an internship studying dragon languages, and make sure her little sister never has to risk growing up Third Class. By midnight, Viv has started a civil war.

With her parents arrested and her sister missing, all the safety Viv has worked for is collapsing around her. So when a lifeline is offered in the form of a mysterious ‘job’, she grabs it. Arriving at Bletchley Park, Viv discovers that she has been recruited as a codebreaker helping the war effort – if she succeeds, she and her family can all go home again. If she doesn’t, they’ll all die.

At first Viv believes that her challenge, of discovering the secrets of a hidden dragon language, is doable. But the more she learns, the more she realises that the bubble she’s grown up in isn’t as safe as she thought, and eventually Viv must What war is she really fighting?

An epic, sweeping fantasy with an incredible Dark Academia setting, a clandestine, slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance, and an unputdownable story, filled with twists and turns, betrayals and secret identities, A Language of Dragons is the unmissable debut of 2025, from an extraordinary new voice.

I FEEL UNDERWHELMED.

This is what it says to be, a dark academia book with dragons. I just never got sucked into the narrative. The audiobook narrator was perfectly fine, and there were many good moments throughout. I super enjoyed the beginning and looooved that this had fully talking dragons. The historical time period was great and combining that with the politics of the dragon world was interesting.

The romance was a bit of a let down. It had a forbidden vibe and sense to it, yet lacked any sort of true development. While not insta-love, just not enough moments to make their connection feel true.

I do think the ending got intense and was left on a nice cliffhanger that has me thinking I MIGHT…maybe…try the second book. Or at least I’ll check out reviews and see if it’s worth the pick-up.

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Historical Fantasy
  • Language: low
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: mild

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph