Tag: historical fantasy

Book Review: A Cruel Thirst by Angela Montoya

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: YA Historical Fantasy Romance
Length: 432 pages
Author: Angela Montoya
Publisher: Joy Revolution
Release Date: December 17th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A fledgling vampire and a headstrong vampire huntress must work together–against their better judgment—to rid the world of monsters in this irresistible romantic fantasy.

Carolina Fuentes has always wanted to join her family in hunting down the bloodthirsty monsters that plague her pueblo. But these days, her father wants her out of town with a husband of his choosing. That’s not happening. Carolina plans to show everyone that she’d make a better vampire slayer than wife. But when she runs into a sediento that is not only handsome but kind, she questions everything.

Lalo Villalobos doesn’t act on impulses. As the eldest of two, his duties were to carry on the family business, marry, and have children. But then he is turned into a sediento and must flee the city, taking lives as he goes north, where he believes the first vampire was made. Surely, the pueblo there will have the answers to reverse this curse or end sedientos altogether. Another unexpected turn? Lalo runs right into a beautiful young woman who’d gladly stake him.

Fortunately, mostly for him, they share a common enemy. They can stop these evil beasts. Together. And if along the way, Lalo and Fernanda discover what it is to truly live and love, then they’ll have won anyway.

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

LOVED THE LORE.

This was a good sophomore book to follow up Sinner’s Isle. It made me an official fan of Angela Montoya and I will continue to look forward to her new releases because I love the concepts she comes up with for each book. I loved the deep lore and historical fantasy vibes that A Cruel Thirst had. All the vampire content y’all. The time period was perfect and set a haunting atmosphere listening for what was going to go bump in the night.

The romance was a little too rushed for me though. I was hoping for a bit more development and connection between them. The banter was good and they really were sweet on each other at least.

I liked how the story wrapped up and think this is absolutely a solid standalone. I love finding fast paced stories like these. There’s complicated family dynamics, strong sibling relationships and plenty of action. The audiobook was great too and I loved the narrators!

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Historical Fantasy Romance
  • Language: low – mild
  • Romance: one closed door
  • Violence: moderate
  • Content Warnings: loss of a loved one, murder

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ARC Book Review: The Shadowed Land (The Lost Queen #3) by Signe Pike

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Historical Fantasy
Length: 400 pages
Author: Signe Pike
Publisher: Atria Books
Release Date: December 3rd, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

King Arthur and his contemporaries are boldly reimagined in this “mystical, epic, and captivating” (Hazel Gaynor, New York Times bestselling author) series that resurrects the real historical figures who inspired one of our most enduring legends. Kingdom of Gododdin, AD 580: After defeating the Angles at the Battle of the Caledonian Wood, Languoreth, her daughter Angharad, brother Lailoken, and the warrior Artúr mac Aedan are reunited. But all too soon, fate pulls each back to their own path. Artúr receives a mysterious summons from his father in Dalriada. Languoreth and Lailoken return to Strathclyde with the dangerous former bishop Mungo in tow, determined to maintain the fragile peace between the Christians and the people of the Old Way. Meanwhile, Angharad must travel deep into the shadowed land of the Picts, hoping to become the initiate of Briochan, a druid who practices the secret Celtic art of summoning weather. As they rise to their destinies, they are pushed to impossible new frontiers as each must decide whether they are willing to do what it takes to be the heroes their harrowing days demand. This “rich, immersive” (Kirkus Reviews) saga transports the reader to a vivid world of mysticism, beauty, and meticulously researched early medieval history.

Thank you Atria Books for the Goodreads Giveaway win.

THIS DID NOT BRING PEACE.

Oh how the devastation hits me every time I read one of these books. I love how entranced I become by the history and fantasy colliding and am pulled in by the depth of these characters. I love all of the POV’s and the different dynamics they bring to the story. It’s a book where mistakes are made and rights sometimes turn out wrong and where you will FEEL for each of these characters.

I loved this next installment and the slow and languid build to an intense ending. I loved having more of Artur’s story line and his rise to power. The research that clearly had to go into this to bring the atmosphere and plot to life is astounding. The writing is carefully crafted and filled with nuanced themes that will hit you in the soul.

Originally I thought this was a trilogy, but this definitely left space for more story and I am once again enthralled and in need of the next book.

Overall audience notes:

  • Historical fantasy
  • Language: low
  • Romance: closed door
  • Violence: moderate
  • Content Warnings: brief allusions to sexual assault (recounted), infidelity (recounted), murder, battle themes, loss of life, grief depictions

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Book Review: The Ornithologist’s Field Guide to Love (Love Academic #1) by India Holton

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Historical Fantasy Romance
Length: 384 pages
Author: India Holton
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: July 23rd, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Rival ornithologists hunt through England for a rare magical bird in this historical-fantasy rom-com reminiscent of Indiana Jones but with manners, tea, and helicopter parasols.

Beth Pickering is on the verge of finally capturing the rare deathwhistler bird when Professor Devon Lockley swoops in, capturing both her bird and her imagination like a villain. Albeit a handsome and charming villain, but that’s beside the point. As someone highly educated in the ruthless discipline of ornithology, Beth knows trouble when she sees it, and she is determined to keep her distance from Devon. 

For his part, Devon has never been more smitten than when he first set eyes on Professor Beth Pickering. She’s so pretty, so polite, so capable of bringing down a fiery, deadly bird using only her wits. In other words, an angel. Devon understands he must not get close to her, however, since they’re professional rivals. 

When a competition to become Birder of the Year by capturing an endangered caladrius bird is announced, Beth and Devon are forced to team up to have any chance of winning. Now keeping their distance becomes a question of one bed or two. But they must take the risk, because fowl play is afoot, and they can’t trust anyone else—for all may be fair in love and war, but this is ornithology.

RIDICULOUSLY CHARMING.

I love the way India Holton writes stories. I love that they are wild and outlandish and combine historical and fantasy aspects into a spell binding story. I think the ornithologist plot line was really fun. The concept of all of these interesting birds with different powers and everyone trying to catch them? It led to some great scenes that had me chuckling.

I’m grateful this had the POV for both the FMC and MMC. There was a third and I don’t think that would have been necessary for the story so while I didn’t hate those chapters, I didn’t love them either. I did love the romance between Beth and Devon. The rival to lovers trope was well executed and there was a lot of soft and tender swoon. I loved the audiobook and just had a genuinely good time reading this book. I can’t wait for the series!

Overall audience notes:

  • Historical fantasy romance
  • Language: low, scattered throughout
  • Romance: 2-3 vague open door scenes
  • Violence: moderate

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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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