Tag: new adult fantasy romance

ARC Book Review: Heir (Heir Duology #1) by Sabaa Tahir

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: NA Fantasy Romance
Length: 512 pages
Author: Sabaa Tahir
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons
Release Date: October 1st, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Prepare for the action-packed, ruthless, and romantic new fantasy from the #1 New York Times bestselling and National Book Award winning author Sabaa Tahir about love, legacy, and vengeance.

An orphan.
An outcast.
A prince.
And a killer who will bring an empire to its knees.

Growing up in the Kegari slums, AIZ has seen her share of suffering. An old tragedy fuels her need for vengeance, but it is love of her people that propels her. Until one hot-headed mistake lands her in an inescapable prison, where the embers of her wrath ignite.

Banished from her tribe for an unforgiveable crime, SIRSHA is a down-on-her-luck tracker who speaks to the earth, air, and water to trace her marks. Destitute, she agrees to hunt down a killer who has murdered children across the Empire. All she has to do is carry out the job and get paid. But then, she falls for a charismatic and inconvenient fugitive who keeps getting in her way.

QUIL is the crown prince of the Empire, nephew of a famed and venerated empress, but he’s loathe to pick up the mantle when his aunt steps down. As the son of the most hated emperor in the history of his people, he, better than anyone, understands that power corrupts. When a vicious new enemy threatens the survival of the Empire, Quil must ask himself if he can rise above his tragic lineage and be the heir his people need.

Beloved storyteller Sabaa Tahir masterfully interweaves the lives of three young people as they grapple with the burdens of power, the treachery of love and the devastating consequences of unchecked greed. Get ready for a dark and breathless journey that will captivate readers and that may cost these young people their lives―and their hearts. Literally.

Thank you Penguin Teen #penguinteenpartner for the gifted ARC.

I WILL NOT BE THE SAME.

This is one of those books that has altered my brain chemistry. It is one of the best books I’ve read this year. I feel like I won’t even do this review justice because of how phenomenal the entire book is.

I loved being back in this world and I loved getting to see my favorites from An Ember in the Ashes (highly recommend reading that series first!!). I loved all of the new characters. It’s a complex and diverse cast where this is not one weak point. Every single POV was engaging. I slowly devoured this because I wanted to savor it but also needed to know what was going to happen next.

And oh boy were there TWISTS. I was left staring into space multiple times while also flipping pages back and forth to make sure I had grasped what the heck just happened. Sabaa Tahir is an incredible writer and the wait for this book was worth it and more.

Also, ROMANCE. Good heavens it SENT ME. Every little lingering moment and touch and soft glance and heated exchange. It was an effortlessly created slow burn. I am obsessed.

There’s so many moments I would love to highlight that have engraved themselves on my soul. The deep, heart wrenching themes and the small pockets of joy. Handling what life has handed you with the strength to take the next step forward. This is one story that I will be thinking about for a long time.

Overall audience notes:

  • NA Fantasy + Romance
  • Language: low
  • Romance: very vague open/fade to black
  • Violence: high
  • Content Warnings: loss of life and war themes, torture and kidnapping, weapons of mass destruction

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Book Review: The Stolen Throne (Dominions #2) by Abigail Owen

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Rating: ★★★☆
Audience: NA Fantasy Romance
Length: 528 pages
Author: Abigail Owen
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Release Date: May 2nd, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

My twin sister is the true queen of Aryd. She survives, hiding and clinging to life in the desert, while I reign as the false queen alongside the monstrous King Eidolon. There’s only one escape from this gilded prison: Reven. My Shadowraith. My heart. Only the shadows that he struggles to control are growing more sinister, more powerful.

It’s just a matter of time before they turn on him…and on me.

Even escape doesn’t mean true freedom, though, when we’re still on the run from Eidolon’s unstoppable armies. And when we discover there’s a traitor among us, I have no choice…I must become the queen I was never meant to be.

Because as one evil hunts me, the other loves me more than himself.

And my fate lies with both.

SECOND BOOK.

Well, I thought the first little bit and the ending were interesting and relevant. Don’t ask me what happened in the middle because honestly I’m a still a little confused and not sure what most of it has to do with the series as a whole. Things were really dragged out.

I also wish I was still felt attached to the romance. Things went from a separation to tiny dashes of love triangle vibes to commitments I wasn’t expecting. I don’t know. I liked them initially and now I’m not so sure.

That’s how this book made me feel, not so sure. I want to read the third because I’m curious how things will wrap up. I am somewhat invested in a few of the story lines and luckily it’s a great audiobook.

Overall audience notes:

  • NA Fantasy Romance
  • Language: mild
  • Romance: very vague (no description) open scene
  • Violence: moderate – high
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of life, battle themes, near death experiences, blood/gore depiction, possession

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ALC Book Review: The Darkness Within Us (The Shadows Between Us #2) by Tricia Levenseller

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: NA Fantasy Romance
Length: 336 pages
Author: Tricia Levenseller
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Release Date: July 9th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Chrysantha Stathos has won.

By hiding her intelligence and ambition behind the mask of a beautiful air-headed girl, she has gathered important secrets, earned her father’s constant care, and become a wealthy duchess—all by age nineteen. Now, she is only one elderly, dying duke away from having all the freedom, money, and safety she’s ever wanted.

Or so she thought.

Turns out her little sister somehow snatched the true victory away from her: Alessandra is wedding the Shadow King, the most powerful man in the world. Meanwhile, after the death of Chrysantha’s no-good, lecherous husband, a man claiming to be the duke’s estranged grandson turns up to inherit everything that should be hers.

Chrysantha is enraged. There is no way that she’s going to let some man take everything from her. Never mind that he’s extremely handsome and secretive and alluring with mysterious powers… No, Chrysantha wants Eryx Demos dead, and in the end, a Stathos girl always gets what she wants.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the ALC.

THE RAGE.

The overwhelming feminist rage of this book about overwhelmed me. NOW. I totally understood and was behind much of it, I just think it became a bit much at some points where I was hoping to see growth and acknowledgement of the other things around her. And I didn’t love the way the book started off with Chrysantha. Rubbed me the wrong way.

ALSO NOTE: This is NOT YA. THIS IS NA. Definitely written for older audiences. I love NA, so that doesn’t bother me, but I’m pretty sure the marketing has been for YA and I wouldn’t feel comfortable handing this to a young teen.

ANYWHO. The characters did grow on me a lot. This is a TRUE enemies to lovers and really got my attention with the vitriol and sass between Chrysantha and Eryx. The slow burn brought them together and the beast that’s prowling makes a show for itself too. I was intrigued by much of this and I liked the general plot. I also loved that Chrysantha was able to reconnect with her sister. I loved seeing her and the king again too.

There’s some good themes and I did see the character growth eventually. I’m still a big fan of Levenseller’s books.

Overall audience notes:

  • NA Fantasy Romance
  • Language: moderate
  • Romance: closed door, innuendo throughout
  • Violence: moderate-high
  • Content Warnings: sexual assault (unwanted touching)

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ARC Book Review: Unholy Terrors by Lyndall Clipstone

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Rating: ★★★☆
Audience: NA Fantasy Romance
Length: 384 pages
Author: Lyndall Clipstone
Publisher: Fierce Reads
Release Date: October 17th, 2023
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A bloodstained tale of a girl torn between her vows and her heart, where falling in love may be the deepest sin of all…

Everline Blackthorn has devoted her life to the wardens—a sect of holy warriors who guard against monsters known as the vespertine.

When a series of strange omens occur, Everline disobeys orders to investigate, and uncovers a startling truth in the form of Ravel Severin: a rogue vespertine who reveals the monsters have secrets of their own.

Ravel promises the help she needs— for a price. Vespertine magic requires blood, and if Everline wants Ravel to guide across the dangerous moorland, she will have to allow him to feed from her.

It’s a sin for a warden to feed a vespertine— let alone love one— and as Everline and Ravel travel further across the moorland, she realizes the question isn’t whether she will survive the journey, but if she will return unchanged. Or if she wants to.

Thank you to Fierce Reads for the eARC.

WELL.

I tried really hard to give this one a chance. It had all of the hallmarks of things I love. New adult, dark fantasy, enemies to lovers/forbidden romance. Buuut, I was missing some things.

Namely, the world building. The first chapter you are THROWN IN and it was chaos. And as the pages stretched out I never felt like I had a full grasp on the vespertine vs. warden situation. The fold area and why the magic involved bones and blood. Oh and vampires, why was there one vampire?

I did like the main character, Everline. She cared for those in her circle and fought to mend broken fences while looking for answers about her past. This is a standalone and I did think it wrapped up well that I felt satisfied in closing the book (besides the previous paragraph issues). The romance was a bit up and down. It grew on me, and there is some good enemies dynamics, I think with a standalone it felt more surface level overall.

This one didn’t quite click for me but might for others?

Overall audience notes:

  • NA Fantasy Romance
  • Language: a little strong
  • Romance: 3 brief/vague open door
  • Violence: high
  • Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of life, loss of a parent, near death experiences, murder, battle themes

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