Tag: indie author

Book Review: Maiden of Candlelight and Lotuses (The Zheninghai Chronicles #0) by Anastasis Blythe

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★☆
Audience: YA Fantasy
Length: 387 pages
Author: Anastasis Blythe
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: August 30th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Dreams of magic and romance have no place in the heart of a poor farm girl. Or so Liena thought…

Magical visions have a way of turning the world upside-down. One minute Song Liena is a simple farm girl hoping for good luck at the matchmaker, and the next she is a student at the empire’s most rigorous and dangerous magic Academy.

It doesn’t take long for her to realize she’s ten years behind, her magic is weak, and she is in way over her head. But Liena is determined to work hard if it means a chance at a better life for her family.

She just wasn’t counting on being noticed by the handsome Crown Prince—a warrior-in-training said to have fire magic powerful enough to decimate entire armies.

But princes are not for peasants, and everything is not as it seems at the Academy. Monsters lurk around every corner, and someone is dabbling in dark, illegal magic.
Someone who has set their sinister sights on her.

THOUGHTS.

One on side of the review I enjoyed this. It has an easy writing style that makes for a fast pace. I liked the nods to Mulan (though maybe a little too close at the beginning and end?). It’s a good premise type of set-up that leaves plenty of room for more stories in the world.

What’s missing is the world though. My main issue stems from the fact that there’s no world building. Everything is set at an academy and there’s discussions on the different types of creatures they have to defend against buuuut that’s kind of it. There’s even a Prince! And I know NOTHING about his kingdom??! Or the magic. Everyone seems to have a different type of magic yet there’s no explanation as to why that is or what type of limits there are or why someone’s works better than the next.

The romance is sweet, would have loved even more development, it was cute enough. And the side characters are your typical bunch you find at school: the nice guy, the bully, etc. I’ve heard how the series differs from here so I’m tempted to give the second book a go.

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Fantasy Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: med-high
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: physical and magical altercations, weapons violence, creature attacks, bullying

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph

ALC Book Review: Courting War (Viscious Gods #1) by Hazel St. Lewis

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 360 pages
Author: Hazel St. Lewis
Publisher: Hidden Siren
Release Date: January 23rd, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

The number one rule in never make a deal with Death…even if Death is your sister.

Theodra, Goddess of War, knows not to break this rule. But like all arrogant gods, she does just that. Unable to hold back, she destroys a ship full of traffickers, unaware there are girls on board. When one of them dies, Theo trades with Death for a soul she will someday love. A soul for a soul. A good deal, in her esteemed opinion, since she is incapable of falling in love.

Unfortunately, Theo might have been mistaken.

Thirteen years later, as a punishment for killing too many wicked men, she is sentenced to play as a mortal in a deadly tournament called The Sacrifice. The games are played in pairs, and her partner is the sinfully handsome Prince Kellyn. Even though they despise one another and can barely work together, sexual tension burns between them. But if their hatred turns to love, it will cost Kellyn his life, for Death is always waiting to collect.

Courting War is a new adult fantasy romance novel and is a standalone book within a larger series. Featured tropes enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity (only-one-bed), forbidden love, and immortals.

Thank you Book of Matches Media and Hazel St. Lewis for an ALC.

A GOOD STANDALONE.

Audiobook notes: I loved the narrators! There’s two for the dual POV and that’s my favorite way to listen to romance books. Both narrators did an amazing job, definitely recommend that route if you want to read this book!

This was a solid debut and I enjoyed the mythology aspects that were woven into the story. A bunch of villainous gods who just have fun meddling with human lives. It’s a bit dark and a bit gritty and those are some of my favorite fantasy vibes. I liked the soft enemies to lovers and thought for a standalone the romance was paced well. It’s a good slow burn that grew on me the longer I got to know Theo and Kellyn.

Some of the world building aspects were a bit confusing to me. The competition and scoring, exactly how and why the gods were meddling and a few other things. This is a standalone in a bigger world so hopefully in the next book things will be further expanded and explained.

I’m not mad one bit I picked this up and I would love to try book two as well. There’s many fantasy romance aspects that I love seeing that are in here and those moments were written very well.

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy Romance
  • Language: strong
  • Romance: 1-2 open door; some innuendo throughout
  • Violence: high
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: dyslexia rep, suicide ideation, grief depiction, loss of life, torture

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph

Book Review: The Duet (Falling for Franklin #3) by Hailey Gardiner

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 350 pages
Author: Hailey Gardiner
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: August 8th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Connor Cane is strictly off-limits.

Which is terribly unfortunate, because I’ve had a crush on him for years. What’s a girl supposed to do when her brother’s best friend also happens to be an insanely handsome country music artist?

When we cross paths again at a friend’s wedding, I jump at the chance to write a song with him. Purely for professional reasons that have nothing to do with his good looks and charisma. Getting a cut on a Connor Cane album is just the leg up I’m needing in my songwriting career.

As our song gains traction leading up to the release of his record, so does the undeniable chemistry between us. But there’s a dark side to fame, and I become a target by association.

Flirting? Fine. Singing together? Necessary.

Falling in love with Connor Cane? A very bad idea.

A laugh-out-loud, brother’s best friend, sweet romance with wild chemistry and heart-stopping kisses. Books in the Falling for Franklin series are full length stand-alone novels and can be read in any order.

THE MUTUAL PINING.

I was a smitten puddle of goo after finishing this book y’all. I feel like I am officially a Hailey Gardiner fan girl. I love the way she writes stories and conveys love in such a beautiful and positive light.

The combination of mutual pining and banter was my favorite. Oh they way they battled with wits and charm and clearly I’m so into you vibes. GAH. It was everything. It was light but with the right level of passion and concern. The song writing aspects were great and I was just really invested in this whole thing.

I wouldn’t dub this an off limits romance with how a few things panned out in the story but that’s a minor issue. The grand gesture at the end WAS EVERYTHING I NEEDED AND MORE. I love a well placed moment like this and I just can’t get enough.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph

Book Review: The Realm of Oblivion by Marae Good

GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 339 pages
Author: Marae Good
Publisher: Self-Published
Release Date: December 6th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

They say what you don’t know can’t hurt you.

They’re wrong.

For as long as she can remember, Collins Avery has been imprisoned in the same house by the same cruel and unforgiving parents – visited only by a strange woman with even stranger questions.

Problem is, Collins can only remember the last two years of her life.

Desperate to discover who she was before the accident that stole her memory, Collins escapes to meet a friend in secret. Instead, she finds herself abducted by a charming stranger, who claims that she has been trafficked from the Planet Aita…and sold to the highest bidder.

As Collins begins to piece together the events of her prior life, everything points to a huge and terrifying betrayal. Now, desperate for freedom, she must decide who she can trust to deliver her to her rightful home – a home that has never been on Earth to begin with.

But a new identity comes with new dangers – especially when your enemies know you better than you know yourself…

Swirling with magic and steeped in mystery, The Realm of Oblivion is the first book in The Realm Wanderer series by Marae Good.

LACKING.

I truly did want to love this, and it started out pretty interesting, then things kind of fell flat for me.

With memories being wiped, I initially thought that was a really cool idea. Discovering what’s what and who Collins truly is. All good things. But it also felt like I was continually watching flashback moments and being told a lot of things rather than showing since multiple people were trying to remember what had happened to them.

I liked the commentary of dark vs. light and finding that light within yourself. It had an air of working through depression and the shadow periods of our lives. Plenty of good sentiments there that I easily connected to and understood.

Romance missed me too. While at the start I was meh about how things started, then they flipped (which I admittedly do love), I guess I once again had that show/tell problem. I can’t go into much detail because it would probably venture to spoiler territory.

Overall audience notes:

  • NA Fantasy Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: closed door
  • Violence: medium
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: kidnapping, torture, memory loss, physical altercations, loss of loved ones, loss of parents

Instagram || Goodreads || The StoryGraph