Tag: historical fantasy

ALC Book Review: A Far Better Thing by H.G. Parry

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Historical Fantasy
Length: 416 pages
Author: H.G. Parry
Publisher: Tor Books
Release Date: June 17th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

H. G. Parry’s A Far Better Thing is a standalone, portal fantasy where Jonathan Strange & Mr. NorrelI meets A Tale of Two Cities in a heart-rending fantasy of faery revenge set during the French Revolution.
I feared this was the best of times; I hoped it could not get any worse.

The fairies stole Sydney Carton as a child, and made him a mortal servant of the Faerie Realm. Now, he has a rare opportunity for revenge against the fae and Charles Darnay, the changeling left in his stead.

It will take magic and cunning—cold iron and Realm silver—to hide his intentions from humans and fae and bring his plans to fruition.

Shuttling between London and Paris during the Reign of Terror, generations of violence-begetting-violence lead him to a heartbreaking choice in the shadow of the guillotine.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the gifted audiobook.

THIS WAS GOOD!

After enjoying H.G. Parry’s previous book I knew I wanted to read this book. NOW I haven’t read A Tale of Two Cities so I can’t speak to the retelling aspect of this one but apparently that book would hurt me because A Far Better Thing HURT ME.

I loved all of the magic and fae and how it was woven into this historical time period. The writing is still solid and lyrical without being overdone. I fell in love with the MMC and honestly wasn’t bugged that this was a no romance book. It doesn’t need it. There’s many meaningful and important relationships throughout that make this story feel well rounded. This was dark and emotional and full of sacrifice. It’s a story that will stick with you.

Also, I loved the audiobook narrator!! Highly recommend.

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ALC/ARC Book Review: Cruel Is the Light (Cruel is the Light #1) by Sophie Clark

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Rating: ★★★.74
Audience: NA Historical Romantasy
Length: 496 pages
Author: Sophie Clark
Publisher: Knopf Books
Release Date: May 20th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

An epic new fantasy about a demon hunter and a foot soldier thrown together in a centuries-old war… and the forbidden love that could change the course of history.

A bloody war between demons and the Vatican has waged for more than a century, with two elite soldiers now at its center: Selene Alleva, a high-ranking exorcist running from a dark family legacy, and orphan Jules Lacroix, recruited by the Vatican and unrivalled on the battlefield.

When their paths cross over a series of unprecedented demon attacks, the distrust–and unwelcome attraction–they have for each other is immediate. But to get to the bottom of the breaches they strike an uneasy alliance to avoid suspicion. With Jules posing as Selene’s estranged fiance, they head to the Vatican in search of answers. But even as Selene questions who her most dangerous enemy is, Jules has begun to suspect that it’s him.

Now Jules’ very existence challenges every truth Selene thought she knew, and suggests a terrible conspiracy at the heart of the Vatican. Unable to ignore their growing feelings, the two must make an impossible choice between love and duty.

They say love conquers all – but can it win in a war between demons and exorcists? Or will it tear them apart…

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

I THINK I LIKED THIS?

I will say the audiobook production was fantastic. I loved all of the narrators and the seamless switches between characters.

Now, the book itself. Well, I think I’ve decided the bones of the story are good. I loved the historical elements and the combination of religion + politics + war looming scenario. There were many scenes I was all over. And I didn’t mind the characters either. I could get behind them and can see the growth coming for the series (duology?) too.

The pacing is what threw me off. It can’t quite decide if it wants to be quick or slow or somewhere in between. And that kept taking me out of the book. I did enjoy the romance. I liked the snarky star crossed enemies banter. It’s got an edge of insta-love that didn’t bother me all that much.

I do have plans to read book two, which honestly is a statement of its own that I liked it enough to continue.

Overall audience notes:

  • NA Historical Romantasy
  • Language: mild
  • Romance: one fade to black; light innuendo
  • Violence: high
  • Content warnings: mild blood/gore, self harm (for magic use), loss of loved ones

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Book Review: Tomb of the Sun King (Raiders of the Arcana #2) by Jacquelyn Benson

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Historical Fantasy Romance
Length: 622 pages
Author: Jacquelyn Benson
Publisher: Vaughan Woods Publishing
Release Date: October 1st, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Respectable lady scholars shouldn’t be dodging evildoers, escaping lost tombs, and chasing down magical artifacts.

Archivist and suffragette Ellie Mallory always dreamed of putting her scholarly skills to work in the ancient sands of Egypt. She never imagined she would be doing so in order to save an object of legendary power from a batch of ruthless villains. Racing baddies to an arcanum of Biblical proportions is only one of Ellie’s problems. Her hopelessly academic and perpetually mortified step-brother, Dr. Neil Fairfax, is about to learn that she’s been gallivanting around the globe with his danger-magnet best friend, Adam Bates—the roguish surveyor for whom Ellie harbors increasingly complicated feelings. Add the petite and terrifyingly fearless Constance Tyrrell to the mix, and Ellie either has a crack team of artifact-saving experts to hand… or a recipe for disaster. Together, they’ll need to follow a trail of three-thousand-year-old clues from the necropolis of Saqqara to the temples of Luxor and beyond, where the ruined capital of a heretic pharaoh hides a secret with the potential to upend history. To keep an earth-shattering magic from falling into the wrong hands, Ellie will need to pull out all the stops—even if that means resorting to fisticuffs, ignoring proper archaeological processes… and facing a terrible choice between doing what she knows is right or breaking her own heart. Dive into Tomb of the Sun King now to experience the next action-packed historical fantasy adventure in the Raiders of the Arcana series! 

IN LOVE.

I’m so glad I jumped into this book quickly after finishing book one. I am in love with this series and can’t wait for more books. They are quirky and humorous while also tackling some heavy conversations and topics. I find the balance fitting and it continually draws me into the story wondering where the next turn will happen.

And we got a second romance in this one y’all!! Two new characters to fall in love with as they fell in love with each other. I adored this pairing. I loved seeing the conflicts and resolutions that arose as characters grew and changed with all the things they were learning on this expedition.

It’s got just a touch of magic that I think has been woven well into the historical elements. The audiobook is awesome and I’m still smitten with the original couple (Ellie and Adam) too.

Overall audience notes:

  • Historical Fantasy Romance
  • Language: low
  • Romance: closed door
  • Violence: moderate

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Book Review: Wormwood Abbey (The Secrets of Ormdale #1) by Christina Baehr

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Rating: ★★★☆
Audience: Cozy Historical Fantasy
Length: 208 pages
Author: Christina Baehr
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: October 6th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

As a Victorian clergyman’s daughter, Edith Worms has seen everything — until a mythical salamander tumbles out of the fireplace into her lap. When a letter arrives from estranged relatives, Edith is swept away to a crumbling gothic Abbey in the wilds of Yorkshire.

Wormwood Abbey isn’t just full of curious beasts and ancient family secrets: there’s also a tall, dark, and entirely too handsome neighbour who is strangely reluctant for her to leave.

An unexpected bond with her prickly cousin Gwendolyn gives Edith a reason to stay in this strange world — especially when it turns out that Edith herself may have a role in guarding her family’s legacy.

But not all of the mysteries of Ormdale are small enough to fit in her lap…and some of them have teeth.

WORMWOOD ABBEY, Book 1 of The Secrets of Ormdale, is a cosy gothic novel of mystery, dragons, and the perils of friendship, perfect for fans of EMILY WILDE’S ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF FAERIES and Maria Grace.

MIXED FEELINGS.

This wasn’t quite everything I hoped for, but also not a complete dud too? I think I do want to read book two because this one felt more like a prologue than a first book for a series. At barely 200 pages there was just a lot missing and I thought things ran dry.

I enjoyed Edith as a main character and can see her potential throughout the series. I also liked that there does seem to be a romantic plot line as the books goes on because you know your girl loves a romance.

I’m curious about the dragons and abbey and this gave some good initial inklings on those matters. It also had some light faith themes I wasn’t expecting but weren’t over done either.

Overall audience notes:

  • Cozy historical fantasy
  • Language: none
  • Romance: none
  • Violence: low

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