Tag: historical fantasy

ARC Book Review: The Monstrous Kind by Lydia Gregovic

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: YA Historical Fantasy Romance
Length: 400 pages
Author: Lydia Gregovic
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Release Date: September 3rd, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

An atmospheric, haunting, romantasy inspired by Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility, set in a Regency England about two sisters fighting to hold on to their manor while deadly monsters prowl along its perimeters—perfect for fans of House of Salt and Sorrows and Anatomy: A Love Story.

Merrick Darling’s life as daughter of the Manor Lord of Sussex is better than most. Unlike the commoners, she is immune to the toxic fog that encroached on England generations earlier. She will never become a Phantom—one of the monstrous creatures that stalk her province’s borders—and as long as the fires burn to hold them back, her safety is ensured. She wants for nothing, yet she will never inherit her family’s Manor. She must marry smartly or live at the kindness of her elder sister, Essie.

Everything is turned on its head, though, when Merrick’s father dies suddenly. Torn from her New London society life of ball gowns and parties, Merrick must travel back to her childhood home, the Darling estate of Norland House, and what she finds there is bewildering. Once strong and capable, Essie is withdrawn and frightened—and with good cause. A recent string of attacks along the province’s borders has turned their formerly bucolic countryside into a terrifying and unpredictable landscape. The fog is closing in and the fires aren’t holding, which makes Merrick and Essie vulnerable in more ways than one. Because the Phantoms are far from the only monsters in Merrick’s world, and the other eleven Manor Lords are always watching for weakness.

Revealing her and her sister’s current state to the rest of the Manors is out of the question, but when Essie goes missing, it’s clear that Merrick needs help. Only, who can she trust when everyone seems to be scheming, and when all she holds true feels like it’s slipping right out of her grasp?

Thank you Get Underlined for the gifted ARC.

I’LL READ THE SEQUEL.

I was sucked in by an amazing cover and an interesting synopsis. And I liked it! I loved the combination of my favorite regency time period with some fantasy/paranormal aspects. The phantoms were creepy and brought in that haunted atmosphere well.

Merrick was a FMC I slowly learned to love. I liked that she had strong loyalty and was brave and kind. I wish some of the romantic aspects had been built out a little better. With so much focus on other pieces of the plot the romance got lost in the shuffle and was a tad predictable rather than swoony. BUT I do genuinely think this will be remedied in how book two has been set-up.

The politicking and betrayals were a great enigma and if you’re a fan of purple prose, this is definitely one to try out. I enjoyed it enough that I have plans to see this through and know where the next book is going.

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Historical Paranormal Romance
  • Language: low
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: moderate
  • Content Warnings: loss of a parent, murder, blood/gore depiction, creature attacks

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Book Review: The Secret Service of Tea and Treason (Dangerous Damsels #3) by India Holton

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Historical Fantasy Romance
Length: 368 pages
Author: India Holton
Publisher: Berkley Books
Release Date: April 18th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Two rival spies must brave pirates, witches, and fake matrimony to save the Queen.

Known as Agent A, Alice is the top operative within the Agency of Undercover Note Takers, a secret government intelligence group that is fortunately better at espionage than at naming itself. From managing deceptive witches to bored aristocratic ladies, nothing is beyond Alice’s capabilities. She has a steely composure and a plan always up her sleeve (alongside a dagger and an embroidered handkerchief). So when rumors of an assassination plot begin to circulate, she’s immediately assigned to the case.

But she’s not working alone. Daniel Bixby, otherwise known as Agent B and Alice’s greatest rival, is given the most challenging undercover assignment of his life— pretending to be Alice’s husband. Together they will assume the identity of a married couple, infiltrate a pirate house party, and foil their unpatriotic plans.

Determined to remain consummate professionals, Alice and Daniel must ignore the growing attraction between them, especially since acting on it might prove more dangerous than their target.

NEW FAV.

I think this is my new favorite of the series! It was a lot of fun and I looooved that it had the fake marriage because we’re undercover agents trope.

I really felt the romance and chemistry between the main couple. It’s a delicious slow burn that you can feel. And I especially loved having dual POV, it rounded out the story all the more. The plot is full of the same antics that we’ve seen before. It made me laugh a good amount. I like that these books don’t take themselves too seriously. It makes for that lighter romantic read I’m craving.

Fantastic audiobook as usual. Lovely fantasy + historical vibes that is my favorite combination. These are a joy to read!! I love how light hearted they are and they are so dang quirky. It works perfectly in the world Holton has created.

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy Historical Romance
  • Language: some strong
  • Romance: 3-4 vague open door
  • Violence: moderate

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Book Review: The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo

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Rating: ★★★★☆
Audience: Historical Fantasy
Length: 387 pages
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Release Date: April 9th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

From the New York Times bestselling author of Ninth House, Hell Bent, and creator of the Grishaverse series comes a highly anticipated historical fantasy set during the Spanish Golden Age

In a shabby house, on a shabby street, in the new capital of Madrid, Luzia Cotado uses scraps of magic to get through her days of endless toil as a scullion. But when her scheming mistress discovers the lump of a servant cowering in the kitchen is actually hiding a talent for little miracles, she demands Luzia use those gifts to better the family’s social position.

What begins as simple amusement for the bored nobility takes a perilous turn when Luzia garners the notice of Antonio Pérez, the disgraced secretary to Spain’s king. Still reeling from the defeat of his armada, the king is desperate for any advantage in the war against England’s heretic queen—and Pérez will stop at nothing to regain the king’s favor.

Determined to seize this one chance to better her fortunes, Luzia plunges into a world of seers and alchemists, holy men and hucksters, where the line between magic, science, and fraud is never certain. But as her notoriety grows, so does the danger that her Jewish blood will doom her to the Inquisition’s wrath. She will have to use every bit of her wit and will to survive—even if that means enlisting the help of Guillén Santangel, an embittered immortal familiar whose own secrets could prove deadly for them both.

BETTER THAN I HOPED.

I really enjoyed this audiobook and story. I didn’t quite know what to expect and I hadn’t read the synopsis. I just knew I love Leigh Bardugo and went for it.

This had my attention from the beginning. I loved the gothic atmosphere and the intensity of the story. The unique way the historical aspects wove into the fantastical was a great combination. It’s haunting and has awesome horror vibes too.

I liked the main characters and enjoyed the romance between them too. The last quarter had me on the edge of my seat because I truly had no idea where things were going to land for them.

This is multiple POV and I think helped build the story. The differences between those speaking gave way to insight and decisions made from multiple facets of the plot. I do think it slowed down a bit too much in the second half during a particular moment that dragged out, but otherwise, a great book.

Overall audience notes:

  • Historical fantasy + romance
  • Language: moderate-high
  • Romance: fade to black
  • Violence: high
  • Content Warnings: loss of loved ones, suicide, antisemitism, colonization, abuse, sexual assault, torture, forced nudity, blood/gore depiction

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Book Review: The Prince of Prohibition (Fae of the Roaring Age #1) by Marilyn Marks

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: Historical Fantasy Romance
Length: 554 pages
Author: Marilyn Marks
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: March 14th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

The year was 1926. Glamour, riches and greed filled the air, but under the facade of glitter and gold lay truths much darker, more sinister, and entirely less human . . .

Adeline Colton was cursed. Everyone in Georgia knew the devil walked her farm, and maybe they were right, because each month she had . . . dreams. Visions of a dark prince and a shadowed forest. A creature so wrong, temptation lurked beneath her skin.

So after escaping to New York City, it’s no surprise when her bad fortune follows. Only this time, it’s in the form of Jack Warren: millionaire bootlegger, infamous gangster, and criminal who makes Addie his fervent obsession.

Jack is everything Addie should avoid, but the more she resists his pull, the deeper she’s drawn into his extravagant world. Lured by a life of freedom and desire, Adeline must make a choice: heed her family’s warnings or follow Jack into the dark. But when fate binds them together, Jack is revealed to be something else—not man, not beast, not even the devil, but a creature much, much worse.

DID I MISS SOMETHING?

I’m sitting here looking at all of these wonderful reviews for this book wondering if I have somehow picked up the wrong because this ain’t it. And I gave it 300 pages before I really hit a wall and skimmed my way to the end. It was trying to be a lot of books I’ve already read + the addition of 200 pages that weren’t necessary.

There was a lot of time spent doing nothing. Addie would be a stick in the mud about every little thing & Jack would sometimes try to help the situation. Too much time spent on the nuances of trying to get Addie to figure out her magic and plenty of running around trying to find all of the artifacts needed to turn Addie immortal.

The mate trope here also rubbed be the wrong way. It started off AWKARD. And then took a long time before I finally started coming around to them. I did like Jack and the his merry group of banished fae. They were all dandy. I think there was plenty here that would work for many people, I am just not that person.

Overall audience notes:

  • Historical fantasy romance
  • Language: some strong
  • Romance: open door + innuendo
  • Violence: high
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: physical and magical altercations, loss of a parent, near death experiences, alcohol use

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