Tag: romantasy

ARC Book Review: Shield of Sparrows (Shield of Sparrows #1) by Devney Perry

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Rating: ★★★★☆
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 528 pages
Author: Devney Perry
Publisher: Red Tower
Release Date: May 6th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Fear the monsters we make.

A swoon-worthy, spicy romantic fantasy filled with legends and monsters. The Witcher meets “Cinderella.” A princess is chosen to fulfill the terms of an ancient treaty and finds herself traveling with an infamous monster slayer.

Thank you to Entangled Publishing and Red Tower for the gifted copy.

WHO KNEW?

First off, I had no idea this book would show up on my doorstep but DANG I am happy that I got to read this early. The first physical book I’ve read in a hot minute and I enjoyed it. I’ve read a few DP contemporaries but dare I say fantasy might be her calling??

This was a SLOW BURN. OH HOW I HAVE MISSED SLOW BURNS. Gosh bring them back, I’m begging. Give me all the little moments, the actual get to know you moments, the moments without awkward lust. I was in love with how this was handled. There was actual time for connection and it has made me even more excited for book two.

The plot and world building was crafted well. It didn’t feel super info-dumpy and it was easy to get a handle on and understand. I like the magic system and the way it kept expanding as the book went on.

I had a few minor pacing quips but those last 50 pages or so the anxiety KICKED in. I love the chaos of those last moments in a fantasy book. I could flip a page and not guess who was going to make it out and who was going to land where by the end. This was beautifully written and GIMME BOOK TWOOOOOO.

Overall audience notes:

  • Romantasy
  • Language: moderate
  • Romance: 2-3 open door
  • Violence: high
  • Content warnings: blood/gore depiction, loss of life and loved ones

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ARC/ALC Book Review: The Wind Weaver (Reign of Remnants #1) by Julie Johnson

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 544 pages
Author: Julie Johnson
Publisher: Ace Publishing
Release Date: April 8th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Magic and adventure swirl through this spellbinding romantasy where a young woman reignites the embers of an ancient prophecy, unleashing a storm that could save her realm or doom them all.

Fear of maegic plagues war-torn Anwyvn. Halflings like Rhya Fleetwood are killed on sight. But Rhya’s execution is interrupted by an unexpected savior—one far more terrifying than her would-be killers. The mysterious and mercenary Commander Scythe. In the clutches of this new enemy, Rhya finds herself fighting for her life in the barren reaches of the Northlands. Yet the farther she gets from home, the more she learns that nothing is as it seems—not her fearsome captor, not the blight that ravages her dying realm, not even herself.

For Rhya is no ordinary halfling. The strange birthmark on her chest and the wind she instinctively calls forth means she is a Remnant, one of four souls scattered across Anwyvn, fated to restore the balance of maegic…or die trying.

But mastering the power inside her is only the beginning. Desire for the Commander—a man she can never trust, a man with plans of his own—burns just as fiercely as the tempests beating against her rib cage for release. Rhya must choose: smother the flames…or let them consume her.

Thank you to PRH Audio for the gifted audiobook and MTMC Tours and Ace Publishing for the physical copy.

I’LL READ THE NEXT ONE.

I had a good time reading/listening to this book. Do I think it was anything groundbreaking? No. It wasn’t anything I haven’t read before, yet that also lent towards my enjoyment level. I know what I like in romantasy and this held many of those key aspects.

*I will note I struggled with the audiobook a bit because I think the narrator made the FMC come off way more abrasive than necessary and struggled on the male voices. I liked the story and characters more when I was reading physically.

The romance was a nice long slow burn. WHICH I APPRECIATE SO MUCH. I am kind of exhausted by how much spice some books have just to start the series of. I want the burn, I want the building chemistry and soft moments that bond the couple together. But also I have thoughts on the romance??? And I’m not going to be naming names at this time, I will be getting my hands on book two as quickly as I can though…

ANYWHO. I thought the world building was executed well without superfluous info dumping. The elemental magic system was explained well and I liked the pacing. There’s a fairly good balance between the slow and fast. I really fell in love with the found family scenes and the story line definitely has enough to keep me going.

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy Romance
  • Language: moderate
  • Romance: 1-2 almost open door scenes
  • Violence: moderate – high
  • Content warnings: loss of life, battle/war themes

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ARC Review: A Monsoon Rising (The Hurricane Wars #2) by Thea Guanzon

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 400 pages
Author: Thea Guanzon
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Release Date: December 10th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Two hearts circle each other in the eye of the storm in this highly-anticipated follow-up to The Hurricane Wars—prepare for more enemies-to-lovers romance, magical adventures, and political schemes in this Southeast Asian-inspired world.

After a lifetime of war, Alaric and Talasyn were thrust into an alliance between their homelands that was supposed to end the fighting; however, being married to their sworn foe feels far from peaceful. Now Talasyn must play the part of Alaric’s willing empress while her allies secretly plot to overthrow his reign. But the longer the couple are forced together, the harder it becomes to deny the feelings crackling like lightning between them. When the time comes to act, can she trust him, or must she ignore her heart for the sake of so many others?

As the master of the Shadowforged Legion, Alaric has trained for battle all his life, but marrying a Lightweaver might be his most dangerous challenge yet. With tensions between nations churning, he needs to focus on the greater threat—the Moonless Dark, a cataclysmic magical event that could devour everything. Only he and Talasyn can stop it, with a powerful merging of light and shadow that they alone can create together. But saving their world from this disaster is a mere preface to his father’s more sinister schemes, and his wife is a burning flame in the darkness, tempting both his loyalties and his desires.

The Hurricane Wars aren’t over. It’s time to choose what—and who—to fight for. The world holds its breath amidst a whirlwind of new magic and old secrets that could change everything.

Thank you Harper Voyager for my gifted copy and LibroFM for the audiobook.

VIBIN’

I just enjoy the heck out of this series y’all. It’s incredibly romance centric and I am smitten with Alaric and Talasyn. They epitomize what I love about these types of romantasy books and I am intensely involved in what’s going to happen next. BECAUSE DID YOU READ THAT CLIFFHANGER? I love the drama.

I think it’s amazing how high the angst and tension is between these two. And yet we get a showcase of Alaric and Talasyn working together (which I adore in E2L books). There’s a lot of push and pull and some compromise filled with politicking and subtle betrayals. It really is a fantastic continuation that holds it’s own candle. There’s no sophomore slump here, I was hooked to this story from the start and I loved all of the micro-tropes throughout that had me howling.

And I immensely appreciate a dual POV romance and love getting Alaric’s viewpoint. I am having the best time reading these books and the flair of the drama and romance. And yes, I’M STILL THINKING OF THAT CLIFFHANGER.

Overall audience notes:

  • Romantasy
  • Language: mild
  • Romance: 3 open door
  • Violence: high
  • Content Warnings: parental abuse, death and loss of loved ones

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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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