Tag: simon audio

ARC Book Review: The Last Dragon of the East by Katrina Kwan

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 320 pages
Author: Katrina Kwan
Publisher: S&S / Saga Press
Release Date: October 8th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Inspired by Chinese myths of ancient dragon gods and threads of fate, Katrina Kwan’s dazzling fantasy debut is an adventure perfect for fans of Sue Lynn Tan and Hannah Whitten.

At the spry young age of twenty-five, Sai has led a quiet life, keeping the family teahouse up and running—even if that means ignoring the past-due notices—and taking care of his ailing mother. But he has a not-so-secret gift that he’s parlayed into a side career: he was born with the ability see the red threads of fate between soulmates, which lends itself nicely to matchmaking. Sai has thus far been content not to follow his own thread, the only one he’s ever seen that’s gray and fraying.

But Sai’s ordinary existence is about to be turned upside-down by a pair of shining dragon scales. When his mother’s doctor sells them to him, claiming them as a miracle cure, Sai is pretty sure he’s being scammed. When the medicine actually works—and the terrifying, ruthless emperor catches wind—Sai is thrust into the search for a dragon long thought extinct that will lead him into the throes of a brewing war and deep into foreign lands, facing down challenges both magical and mortal on an unexpected adventure. And for the very first time, as his own thread of fate begins to move, he may be able to solve the mystery of his Fated One on the other end of the line.

Thank you to S&S / Saga Press and Colored Pages Book Tours for the gifted copy and Simon Audio for the audiobook.

A GREAT STANDALONE.

I know many are often on a quest for a romantasy standalone and I gotta say this was a great one! For a 300 page book it was substantially packed with good world building, dragons, and an endearingly romantic story too.

I loved that this was from Sai’s point of view. I feel romance book aren’t often written solely from the male main character and I enjoyed his journey a lot. There’s a fairytale-esque writing quality to it and I also listened to the audiobook and loved that format too.

There’s some intense action, some hidden identity and a love story that transcends time and place. I adored the very sweet and tender moments between the main characters and would absolutely love to read this author’s next story.

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy Romance
  • Language: low
  • Romance: fade to black
  • Violence: low – moderate

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ARC Book Review: A Sky Full of Dragons (The Wand Keepers #1) by Tiffany McDaniel

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: MG Fantasy
Length: 352 pages
Author: Tiffany McDaniel
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Release Date: September 24th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

For younger fans of Witchlings and Eva Evergreen comes a light-hearted and whimsical middle grade fantasy about a young girl who must save her witch aunt from an uncommonly voracious hat.Where dragons take flight, through the dark of the night. Where the fire ignites, you will find the light. Aunt Cauldroneyes is always looking into cauldrons. She’s found everything from giggling moons to troll nose rings, but when she looks inside a purple cauldron one stormy night, she finds a girl with blue freckles. The old witch raises the girl and names her Spella. They live in Hungry Snout Forest in a crooked house with doors enchanted to smell like chocolate. In the attic full of floating fabric and biting buttons, Aunt Cauldroneyes teaches Spella how to make magical hats for creatures like unicorns and dragons, giants and goblins. When Spella turns eight, she receives an invitation to Dragon’s Knob, a school for wand witchery and wizardry. But on the very night Spella is set to leave, a stranger appears with a growling hat that swallows Aunt Cauldroneyes and steals her away! To rescue her aunt, Spella must go up into a sky full of dragons and to her new school. With protesters outside the gates threatening the school’s academic freedom and a deepening mystery within the walls, Spella and her new friend Tolden are thrust into the mystery of her aunt’s disappearance and a long-buried secret hidden somewhere in the school.

Thank you Tiffany McDaniel for the gifted copy and Simon Audio for the ALC.

A SWEET GEM.

I absolutely adored this book. It had all of the things I kind of look out for when reading middle grade. It felt like a book I could read to my little’s and that we could all enjoy together and I loved that vibe the most.

The world is whimsical and FULL of magical creatures. I liked the little footnotes explaining each one. It better builds the world and all of the different aspects to the plot. I loved the general theme of appreciating and taking care of nature. It’s playful and imaginative.

I am intrigued by the beginnings of some found family moments within Spella’s journey through her new school. I happened to have listened to the audiobook and thought it was fantastic too. I absolutely will be continuing this series.

Overall audience notes:

  • Middle Grade Fantasy
  • Language: none
  • Romance: none
  • Violence: low

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ALC Book Review: Ghostsmith (House of the Dead #2) by Nicki Pau Preto

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: YA Fantasy
Length: 448 pages
Author: Nicki Pau Preto
Publisher: McElderry Books
Release Date: August 13th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

In this action-packed finale to the House of the Dead Duology, Wren and her friends put everything they know to the test as they battle the living and the undead to save their world.

Wren is still reeling from the revelation that the mother she thought was dead is actually the Corpse Queen, a ghostsmith with the terrifying power to control the undead. It was Wren’s own mother who created the iron revenants—an army of near unbeatable undead soldiers. When the iron revenants attack, no one in the Dominions will have the strength to stand in their way.

Now Wren, Leo, and Julian find themselves once more in the Breach, this time on the run from Wren’s father, who is determined to secure more power for himself and the House of Bone. The three are desperate to stop the upcoming war, but working together is easier said than done with Julian still furious about Wren double-crossing him. And to make matters worse, Wren is plagued by powerful new abilities that force her to reassess everything she knows about being a bonesmith.

When Wren’s long-lost twin brother shows up and vows to help her destroy the well of magic that feeds the iron revenants, she must decide if trusting him is worth potentially playing right into their mother’s hands.

After all, the dead might be dangerous, but it’s the living who can betray you.

Thank you to Simon Audio for the gifted audiobook.

YES.

I will not stop shouting about how much love Nicki Pau Preto deserves. Her fantasy books are criminally underrated and I need y’all to READ THEM ALL.

This was an epic conclusion that brought everything I needed (though I secretly wish for more kissing but I promise it is still worth the read!!). I love this found family. It was such a great cast of characters. The multi-POV did a fantastic job of giving all the angles to the plot and I loved reading each one of them. There is not a weak link.

I love how high action Ghostsmith was. Every time I tried to take a breath, BAM. More chaos. I loved it. I loved the final battle scenes and the betrayals and watching all of the last pieces come together. The intensity of reading this had me wanting to pick up to find out what would happen next.

I adore Wren and Julian. Both amazing characters that stand so well on their own, but the sub-plot romance between them is beautiful too. I loved seeing them trust again and work together and being able to have those soft moments too.

The audiobook is WONDERFUL. Highly recommend. The narrator did an amazing job and it’s such an easy listen.

GOSH I LOVED THIS. READ IT OKAY.

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Fantasy
  • Language: a little scattered throughout
  • Romance: one closed door
  • Violence: high

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