ARC Book Review: House of Shadows (Royal Houses #2) by K.A. Linde

January 8, 2026December 24, 2025 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: NA Fantasy Romance
Length: 544 pages
Author: K.A. Linde
Publisher: Bloom Books
Release Date: January 6th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

New York Times bestselling author K.A. Linde returns to the Royal Houses series with House of Shadows: the story of Kerrigan Argon, a half-Fae, half-human as she seeks her place in an unforgiving world filled with magic, mayhem, and romance. Perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Holly Black, and V.E. Schwab.

A half-Fae outcast. A forbidden prince. A world teetering on the edge of collapse.

Kerrigan Argon was never meant to be chosen. As a half-human, half-Fae pariah, her admission into the Dragon Society breaks every law of her world. Now she’s bound to a dragon—and to a brutal year of training that could claim her life.

But first, she must survive a journey into the infamous House of Shadows, led by the dark Fae prince Fordham Ollivier. No half-Fae has ever returned from its halls. In a place built on cruelty, secrets, and absolute power, Kerrigan must battle not just enemies—but centuries of prejudice and the slow unraveling of magic itself.

Something ancient is cracking. A long-buried spell is weakening. And Kerrigan may be the only one who can stop the collapse—or cause it.

Thank you Bloom Books for the gifted ARC.

I SHALL CONTINUE.

I feel like I can enjoy book one and be ready for book two, but book two is ultimately what helps me decide if I want to continue a series. And alas! I do want to continue this series. I am having a great time with this whole setup. It’s a bit dramatic (lean into it), there’s a lot of great characters and the romance is creating a stable slow burn that I can work with.

Not to mention, the dragons! I don’t think I’ve read a series recently where dragons are at this much of the forefront and I forgot how much I enjoy it. I know this is a reprint of an already complete series so if you’ve been missing dragons too, try these!

I like the FMC, Kerrigan plenty. She does not have it all figured out and honestly that’s what I’ve enjoyed most. The longer series vibes really lends to character arcs you can see slowly build and I am curious how that will continue for her in the third installment.

Overall audience notes:

NA Fantasy Romance
Language: moderate
Romance: 2ish open door
Violence: high

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Book Review: Winds of Change (The Descended Trilogy #1) by Bailey Estep

May 14, 2025March 27, 2024 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★
Audience: Paranormal
Length: 502 pages
Author: Bailey Estep
Publisher: Self-Published
Release Date: December 15th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Human “Magic, and witches, and terrible people who lived here in Rollingwood a long time ago.”One phrase is all it takes for Devyn to become embroiled in a centuries-old war that might not be as over as everyone thought. She moved to Rollingwood looking for a fresh start, but what she found might be more than she bargained for.Witch Amelia knows something evil is coming to Rollingwood. Or coming back. Long-standing rivalries must shift to make room for new alliances, but her coven doesn’t believe her, and she can’t fight it alone.Protector Eric’s friend disappeared from Rollingwood after sending him a cryptic message. It’s his duty as a Protector to uncover what happened and keep the town safe. He’s expecting a challenge, but nothing could have prepared him for Devyn. He knows he can’t be distracted, but the question does she need to be protected, or is she a threat he never saw coming?Protector. Witch. Human?

Thank you to the author for a gifted copy.

NOT QUITE.

Well, I was hopeful, but unfortunately this book didn’t work for me. Things started off fine, that typical oh no I have unknown powers in a small town mood, and I rolled with it. I liked having the multiple POV and getting a feel for the town and the history that is currently causing chaos.

The struggles came apparent fairly quickly after that though. There were odd timeline jumps that disrupted the flow of the story which kept throwing me off. The romance was FAST and I wish there had been more exploration of their relationship and connection rather than racing to kisses and confessions. I also didn’t feel that deeply for anyone and the plot itself was incredibly predictable to any supernatural show I’ve seen.

Bummed this one didn’t work out.

Overall audience notes:

New adult paranormal
Language: moderate
Romance: kisses
Violence: moderate

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Book Review: Reign of Darkness (The Fallen Kingdoms #2) by K.B. Benson

April 11, 2025March 4, 2024 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★
Audience: NA Fantasy Romance
Length: 540 pages
Author: K.B. Benson
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: January 16th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Darkness is a vicious evil no mortal can escape. But I’m no stranger to darkness, and I never intend to be free.

With new, unfathomable power, Ari won’t rest until she gets her revenge. But she is blinded by her vengeance, and when Caelum arrives in Eida, she never imagined he’d take it for his own.

Blood fills the streets. Death lingers in the air. Caelum has come to steal Ari’s power and build an army filled with monsters and magic. An army he has every intention of unleashing on the human world.

Unless she stops him.

Fiercely loyal to the realm he calls home, Graeden will do whatever it takes to protect it. But as an insurrection forms against the Starfallen’s new queen, Graeden finds his loyalty is no longer fixed firmly on the realm or the crown.

Unable to douse the fire Ari stirs within him, Graeden finds it isn’t enough to protect her. He wants her. All of her. The one person in the entire realm he can’t have.

As Caelum pushes the realm toward its destruction, there is only one way for Ari and Graeden to keep those they love safe, and they must both decide what they’re willing to risk … and who they’re willing to kill.

Reign of Darkness is the second book in KB Benson’s The Fallen Kingdoms series, an upper YA high fantasy. If you like slow-burn romance, action-packed battles, dragons and monsters, and unique magic systems, then you’ll love this fast-paced, page-turning series. Grab your copy and reenter Eida!

PACING ISSUES.

I really enjoyed book one and have been excited for this continuation. Unfortunately I feel like this severely lacked in plot movement and over the course of 500 pages, not a lot happened.

Ari spent most of the book arguing with Caelum and almost taking him out, but not yet. Rinse and repeat. Graeden and the romance were on the sideline too. There was a fantastically steamy make-out scene, but it almost felt out of left field after Ari and Graeden hadn’t spent much time together.

I don’t know now if I want to pick up book three. It is written well, it’s more a plot choices that were frustrating.

Overall audience notes:

New Adult Fantasy Romance
Language: very low
Romance: make-out
Violence: moderate

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ALC Book Review: Our Infinite Fates by Laura Steven

March 8, 2025February 25, 2025 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★
Audience: NA Fantasy
Length: 352 pages
Author: Laura Steven
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Release Date: March 4th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue meets This is How You Lose The Time War in this fantastical love story that defies death as two souls reincarnate through the centuries.

They’ve loved each other in a thousand lifetimes. They’ve killed each other in every one.

Evelyn remembers all her past lives. She also remembers that in every single one, she’s been murdered before her eighteenth birthday by Arden, a supernatural being whose soul―and survival―is tethered to hers.

The problem is that she’s quite fond of the life she’s in now, and her little sister needs her for bone marrow transplants in order to stay alive. If Evelyn wants to save her sister, she’ll have to:

1. Find the centuries-old devil who hunts her through each life―before they find her first.
2. Figure out why she’s being hunted and finally break their curse.
3. Try not to fall in love.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the gifted audiobook.

A BIT BLAND.

I am an Addie La Rue fan so jumping onto reading this. I did think the audio production was good and I enjoyed the narrator. No qualms there. I more or less had issues with the storyline.

The whole premise surrounding the I have to kill you to save you was fine, until the repetitiveness of the story drove me wild. Over and over again Evelyn asks Arden why are you doing this and over and over again Arden saying you just have to trust me. Without a stronger mystery plot holding everything together it felt like I was going in circles.

Some of the flashbacks were interesting and I didn’t mind the writing style. There’s a fated quality that works out well enough. I would try another book by this author.

Overall audience notes: