Showing posts with label Fantasy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fantasy. Show all posts

Review // Bound to the Shadow Prince by Ruby Dixon

March 13, 2024

Bound to the Shadow Prince by Ruby Dixon

"You're fascinated with my knot."
"I really am."


Find it here: Goodreads * Amazon

The exclusive print edition of a Yonder original story


Bound to the Shadow Prince by Ruby Dixon

Bound to the Shadow Prince by Ruby Dixon


Rating -
Standalone
Release - July 2, 2024
Genre - Fantasy Romance / enemies to lovers
POV - Heroine 1st person
Heat - explicit to filthy
Source - eARC from NetGalley
Length - 536 pages

In order to protect her kingdom from the wrath of a vengeful goddess, Princess Candra must remain locked inside a tower for seven years. Seven long years without a friend―or a lover―by her side. And shut inside the tower with her? A Fellian, the enemy of her people, a fearsome warrior race complete with wings and claws and fangs. Nemeth is terrifying, cruel, and disturbingly magnetic. Candra should kill him for his supplies, but she’s desperate for his company…and his touch.

As time inside the unchanging tower rolls on, Candra uncovers the man behind the stony facade. And when their tenure hits an unexpected snag, Candra and Nemeth are forced to make a difficult choice. They’ll need to face an outside world they no longer recognize, one that threatens their lives and their surprising love.

Bound to the Shadow Prince by Ruby Dixon


After many, many years of a tentative truce, two kingdoms were on the brink of war. The only thing that has kept the people blessed is the seven years committed to the tower. One person from each faction must sacrifice these years to calm the goddess. Two people prepared to be shut off from the rest of the world, their people, their freedom.

Princess Candra was not prepared. As a last minute fill-in, this spoiled brat had no idea what she was in for. There was no one to dress her, bathe her, prepare her meals, or generally make her life easier. She had to do everything herself, including preparing and administering her medicine. Girl was absolutely clueless and provided me with endless fun, at her expense.

So there Candra was, with a chronic blood illness, trapped in a tower with one of the enemy. However, Nemeth was far from the bad guy. He took care of her, shared his supplies with her, and made her fall helplessly in love with him. And when I thought that was all for this story... the author gifted me with so much more.

There was danger and intrigue, honor and betrayal, tons of love and sexy times.

If you weren't a fan of this author before reading this book, you'll be one after.



Ruby Dixon is an author of Science Fiction Romance. She likes fated mates, baby-filled epilogues, and cinnamon roll heroes. She also likes to write biographies of herself in the third person, because it feels more important that way.

Ruby also loves coffee and dirty books and will probably be a cat lady at some point. :)

Visit http://www.rubydixon.com for more information.

Trial of the Sun Queen / Rule of the Aurora King by Nisha J. Tuli

January 13, 2024

Artefacts of Ouranos by Nisha J. Tuli

Find the series here - Goodreads * Amazon



Trial of the Sun Queen by Nisha J. Tuli

Trial of the Sun Queen


Rating -
Part of a series - Artefacts of Ouranos #1
Release - November 15, 2022
Genre/Trope - Fantasy Romance / enemies to lovers / fated mates
POV - dual 1st and 3rd person
Heat - descriptive scenes
Source - ebook from NetGalley
Length - 407 pages

Ten women. A deadly contest. Only one can win the Sun King's heart.
Lor has endured twelve long years of torment under the Aurora King’s rule. Her only desire is to escape and pay him back for every moment of misery she's endured.

When a surprise release finds her in the hands of the rival Sun King, Lor is thrust into the spotlight as she competes against nine other Tributes for the role of queen. If she wins his heart, she'll earn her freedom and finally get her revenge.

But Lor doesn't belong in the Sun Queen Trials. Not only does she not understand why she was freed, she isn’t a citizen of the Sun King’s court. The other Tributes resent her presence and will stop at nothing to ensure Lor is removed from the competition, permanently.

Now Lor must win, because if she loses, she dies. Or worse, she'll be returned to the evil—and now vengeful—Aurora King.

With a temper like mine, a girl is bound to get in trouble now and then…
or often.

After all the hype I've seen for this book, I had to give it a try and I'm glad I did!

While Lor was a difficult pill to swallow, I couldn't get enough of her story. Hunger Games meets the Bachelor? Kinda. There was definitely a King whose hand had to be earned through deadly trials. But was he really worth it?

From the age of twelve, all Lor knew was the isolation, degradation and abuse she suffered in the prison of The Aurora—a kingdom full of secrets and shadows. Every day, she did all she could to protect herself and her family. But her smart mouth and poor impulse control led her to being punished. When she's kidnapped and brought to the Sun Kingdom, full of luxury, fresh air and sunshine, she can't decide if it's a boon or a curse.

I'm not the only one who pretty much guessed everything early on, right? Atlas grossed me out, but I guess if I was desperate for kindness, maybe I'd be into all of that. I only wish I felt some sort of sympathy for Lor.


While I didn't really like Lor, I was entertained by everything that happened in this story (aside from her silly decisions). I did want the world building to be more fleshed out. Actually, I expected it, but alas, these details were nowhere to be found. I hope to learn more about the different kingdoms, the different types of fae, and the different kinds of magic in the books to come.


Rule of the Aurora King by Nisha J. Tuli

Rule of the Aurora King


Rating -
Part of a series - Artefacts of Ouranos #2
Release - August 15, 2023
Genre/Trope - Fantasy Romance / enemies to lovers / fated mates
POV - dual 1st person
Heat - descriptive scenes
Source - Kindle Unlimited
Length - 505 pages

Freed from the golden clutches of the Sun King, Lor now finds herself in the hands of Nadir, the Aurora Prince. Convinced she’s hiding something, he’s willing to do whatever it takes to make her talk. But Lor knows the value of secrets—she’s been keeping them her entire life—and she’s not letting hers go without a fight.

When Lor and Nadir team up to search for a lost item that holds the key to her past and her future, she isn’t sure she can trust him. All she knows is she won’t fall for another royal fae’s promises again.

With the Sun King determined to reclaim her, Lor must keep on the move, but nowhere is safe. Not until she destroys him and the Aurora King. But she soon learns that the future of Ouranos depends on much more than avenging her shattered legacy.

I am not his conquest.
I am not his to claim.
I am my own castle.

I enjoyed this one so much more than the first!

Nadir MADE this book and I couldn't get enough of his voice. Lor was still very hard for me to take, but with everything else going on, I was able to push through her ridiculous thoughts, feelings and actions. What an entitled hot mess of potential epicness!!

I'm not sure how I feel about the flashback chapters. I was hoping to learn more about the history of the kingdoms and where it all went wrong. However, aside from falling in love with Wolf (and seriously, who wouldn't?), I didn't learn much else. Two fated primaries destroyed the world. Maybe I'm completely oblivious, but I still don't know HOW!!!!

I am so tired of Lor and her games. It makes NO SENSE. She's a young woman who knew NOTHING about the real world besides what she learned from fellow inmates. She claims to remember virtually nothing prior to entering the prison at the age of twelve (which seems preposterous because I remember plenty from my years before 12). And yet... she seems to know it all. Let's be clear: she had no way to know how to navigate the world she lived in, yet she alone could protect her siblings. Despite the more powerful and knowledgeable group she found herself with, she knew better. And what was with her putting so much blame on Nadir and Amya for what their father did to her family??? I was so sick of her coming for them about something they had NO WAY of knowing about. Weren't they doing everything they could to help her now?


Whatever.

I'm hoping the next book gives me a Lor who doesn't feel so entitled. A Lor who humbles herself and recognizes her own strengths. A Lor who can finally see all that she can share with the allies she currently has. People who have done nothing but help her. And you know, there's Nadir, a male she shares a profound connection with. Maybe she'll finally give him a break, even if she chooses not to be with him romantically.

The next book's release seems so far away. I'm impatient to read Fate of the Sun King. Knowing our heroes are going back to his kingdom is freaking me out!


Nisha J. Tuli is the bestselling author of Trial of the Sun Queen—the first in the Artefacts of Ouranos series—which became a BookTok hit thanks to her amazing fans. The originally self-published series was acquired by Forever Publishing and Orbit UK in 2023, and will soon be published in 15 other languages around the world.

She's also the author of Heart of Night and Fire, a South Asian-inspired fantasy romance and the first in a four-book series. Look for her rom-com debut in 2025 with NSFW (Not Suitable for Work), a workplace rivals to lovers rom-com publishing with Forever.

Nisha lives in Canada, where she spends most of her time reading and writing while enjoying travel, food, and camping with her partner, two kids, and their fluffy Samoyed, Mora.

Visit https://nishajtuli.com for more information.

Blood of Desiderium by Ali Stuebbe

January 04, 2024

Blood of Desiderium by Ali Stuebbe

These scars should never be seen as a Fae who has been abused or broken because, instead, they tell a story of every battle won. Every war her father unleashed on her that she didn't retreat from. She held her ground and never gave in, which is clear in how she's going against him now.


Blood of Desiderium by Ali Stuebbe

Blood of Desiderium by Ali Stuebbe


Rating -
Part of a series - The Divide #1
Release - December 21, 2022
Genre/Trope - Fantasy Romance / enemies to lovers / royalty
POV - Dual 1st person
Heat - a couple of descriptive and explicit scenes
Source - ebook from NetGalley
Length - 484 pages

In the lands of Deyadrum, where every Fae possesses power, Princess Emma is the only one forced without. Confined in the walls of her palace by her father, she’s desperate for a taste of freedom.

That is, until she discovers the truth: everything she thought she knew was a lie, for something evil plagues her lands - promising death and darkness.

A betrothal that tests her.
A mysterious vigilante who teases her.
A Dark Prince who doesn’t trust her.
And a phantom that invades her dreams.

Emma must try to escape her father’s torturous grip as she journeys to find a way to save her people…and herself.

But Emma has dark secrets of her own. And a game she has to play.

Can she overcome her grief and fears to save her people before the darkness that lurks within consumes her?

Just remember, even that which appears true may be deceiving.

Find it here: Goodreads * Amazon


Blood of Desiderium by Ali Stuebbe


Blood of Desiderium was a gloomy, wonderful, glaringly grim depiction of a woman fighting for freedom.

This debut novel had just about everything I needed to stay captivated: a fierce heroine, who was battling a darkness she couldn't control; a devastingly handsome dark prince, who has his own secrets to keep; a few secondary characters who each deserve their own stories; an extremely cruel King, who wanted to rule over everyone; a stunning magic system; and a moving plot.

At times I wanted to both slap and hug Emma. She really was her own worst enemy (aside from the King and his followers). While she and Draven (our swoon-worthy hero) clashed from the start, there was no mistaking the chemistry between them. The author doled out the heat in spades!

And while this book definitely had some spice to it, whether through heated words or heated intimate exchanges, the plot was what held my attention most. I couldn't figure out how Emma would come into her power, who was responsible for the monstrous beasts plaguing the fae, or if any of these people I had come to love would even survive. I was hooked and I need the next book, Soul of Salvation immediately. Waiting for its release is going to feel like torture.


Ali Stuebbe grew up in the state of Ohio, near the city of Cleveland. At the age of 21, she married, becoming a military spouse, and has called three other states home. She studied English Literature at Cleveland State University and American Public University. She began writing her debut novel when she grew confident in her writing and felt ready to bring this story to life. When she’s not writing, she can be found at the gym or sitting on the couch with her nose in a book and a large coffee in her hand. Ali is the author of Blood of Desiderium, and currently lives in Texas with her loving husband and two beautiful children.

Visit https://www.alimariestuebbe.co for more information.

Review // Feral Guardian by Ember Holt

December 18, 2023

Feral Guardian by Ember Holt

Find it here: Goodreads * Amazon



Feral Guardian by Ember Holt

Feral Guardian by Ember Holt


Rating:
Standalone - The Princesses of Ruin #2
Genre/Trope: Fantasy Romance / unrequited / protection / royalty
POV: Dual 1st person
Heat: - slow build, more than descriptive and less than explicit
Source: eARC provided by the author
Length: 312 pages

A prophecy of ruin binds him to her.
She wants nothing more than to escape.

Lily has never been the delicate flower she was named after. She preferred silly pranks and dirty poetry to needlepoint and politics, which is why the queen sent her off to a “proper” royal academy. Now that her magic is developed and her manners are passable—barely—it’s time for her to return home and attract a powerful man to rule by her side. Except Lily doesn’t want a king or a kingdom. She wants freedom. And nothing feels more freeing than adventuring with her bodyguard, Alastair.

Alastair is an honor-bound knight, tied to a prophecy from his people, and he doesn’t experience desire. At least, that’s what he likes to tell himself. In truth, he wants nothing more than to sweep his ward off her feet and take her away to a dark corner of the world where he can keep her safe from that dark prophecy. There’s just one the prophecy states if Lily doesn’t become queen, the tentative peace in the kingdoms will crumble.

When their journey home from the royal academy lands Lily in the custody of cutthroat pirates, Alastair will stop at nothing to protect his princess. But the biggest danger of all may be Alastair himself, because if Lily doesn't stop trying to make him break his vow of chastity, he may forget about honor and risk everything to have her to himself.


"Why does your touch feel so good?
Like my soul is bruised and you're the salve."


Feral Guardian by Ember Holt


Now that's how you make me come back for more!

Lily is heir to the throne and Alastair is the man duty-bound to protect her. When she sent him away four years ago, he was at a loss. With his charge out of his reach, he bided his time until he would see her again. And when he did... he wasn't about to let her out of his sight ever again.

Lily has loved Alastair almost all of her life. Believing that they have no future, she sent him away to get past her feelings. However, when she sees him again, she quickly realizes how foolish and impossible it was to try to wish her feelings away.

I fell in love with everything that was brewing between these characters. I was curious about their secrets, their goals, their choices, and their end. What do the runes mean? Who are the individual gods that power these runes? Who are their true allies? Their foes? And would these two find a way to be together?

After everything the author gifted us with this book, from the danger to the romance to the utter hilarity that was Lily, I want more. I need to read the first book because Lily's older sister sounds like a hoot and I'm utterly fascinated by the unique magic all of these characters possess and wield.

If you love suspense, mystery, love and humour, you'll enjoy this story as much as I did.


Ember HoltEmber loves all things with heat! A glass of wine, a comfy, oversized sweater, and a spicy book next to a fireplace is her ideal night. She likes to read about powerful heroines and protective heroes, and write about them, too.

When she’s not writing, Ember is a fox in the henhouse, causing all kinds of hell. She enjoys making pasta while listening to big brass bands, taking long walks with her favorite audio books, playing D&D, and painting—but not very well.

Some of Ember’s favorite authors include Laura Thalassa, Shannon Mayer, and Raven Kennedy. Their powerful heroines inspire her daily to get out of bed and to do her best (or stay in it to keep reading!)

Visit emberholtwrites.com for more information.

Instagram | Facebook | Goodreads | BookBub

Review // Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros

November 25, 2023

Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros

As complicated as our connection is, it's also undeniably simple.
He's the horizon, and nothing exists beyond for me.


Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros

Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros


Rating - ★★★★
Standalone - The Empyrean #2
Release - November 7, 2023
Genre - Fantasy Romance
POV - single 1st person (heroine)
Heat - descriptive scenes
Source - ebook from the library
Length - 884 pages

Previous book in the series: Fourth Wing


“The first year is when some of us lose our lives. The second year is when the rest of us lose our humanity.” —Xaden Riorson

Everyone expected Violet Sorrengail to die during her first year at Basgiath War College—Violet included. But Threshing was only the first impossible test meant to weed out the weak-willed, the unworthy, and the unlucky.

Now the real training begins, and Violet’s already wondering how she’ll get through. It’s not just that it’s grueling and maliciously brutal, or even that it’s designed to stretch the riders’ capacity for pain beyond endurance. It’s the new vice commandant, who’s made it his personal mission to teach Violet exactly how powerless she is–unless she betrays the man she loves.

Although Violet’s body might be weaker and frailer than everyone else’s, she still has her wits—and a will of iron. And leadership is forgetting the most important lesson Basgiath has taught her: Dragon riders make their own rules.

But a determination to survive won’t be enough this year.

Because Violet knows the real secret hidden for centuries at Basgiath War College—and nothing, not even dragon fire, may be enough to save them in the end.

Find it here:
Goodreads * Amazon


Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros

My Two Cents

I am freaking DYING right now. That ending though... That freaking ending KILLED me and I need to know when I can get the next book in my hands. I don't even have the emotionally bandwidth to Google this ish!


No lie, the first half of this book was SLOW AF! And I thought I would end up bummed and disappointed. Violet couldn't help herself by sabotaging her own happiness. Girl seemed willing to cut off her nose to spite her face just to put Xaden through whatever she was trying to put him through.

I'm not ready for this to end, not ready to return to the reality where we're not together, even if I'm the one standing in our way.

However, aside from the beginning bit of boring and Vi's indecisiveness, the moving parts of this story had me flipping through these pages really fast. I read this book in TWO FREAKING DAYS!!

That's how much was going on. Every time I thought there'd be a calm minute, I was wrong. And I'm talking the second half of the book. Once you get there, I promise you, the pace picks up and you will not want to eat, sleep, nada.

I will say it here... Xaden was EVERYTHING!!

I warned you. I'm not sweet or soft or kind, and you fell anyway. This is what you get, Violet—me. The good, the bad, the unforgivable. All of it. I am yours."


So here's everything I was thinking during my read of this book. I didn't tell you this was a spoiler-free review, so if you don't want any details, STOP READING NOW.


✻ Why the heck is Violet fighting what she feels? I'm so annoyed and I get that the author wanted to drive the angst, but it needed to chill. Xaden was willing to sacrifice everything for her and it still wasn't enough? Girl please.
✻ Ooh Varrish, your arrogant ass is gonna get it. I can see that something is going to happen to you, something just right for you, and I hope your dragon gets it too. Sorry, not sorry.
✻ Wow, so much death. And I was beginning to get curious about some of these people.
✻ Dain's dad though...
✻ Thank you, Jesinia, for opening your eyes!!
✻ I love Rhi. Whenever she noticed something strange, spoke on it, and figured things out for herself, I cheered. LOVE HER!!
✻ Why am I laughing over all of these assassination attempts? And it's not funny, but come on!! Now what?
✻ I love that the prince knows the truth and is willing to do the right thing, against his family's wishes.
✻ OMG he's ALIVE?!
✻ Woo hoo!! Welcome Dain's redemption arc!
✻ I did tell you, didn't I Varrish? I told you you'd get yours.
✻ Listen, as long as Vi, Xaden, Rhi, Ridoc, Sawyer, Imogen, Bodhi, Garrett, Mira and Brennan survive, I should be okay.
✻ The book is called Iron Flame. Was I not supposed to notice that 'iron rain' was the wrong ingredient?

Okay, I'll stop. There's SO MUCH MORE going on in this book. There are so many reveals and more secrets and love and joy and pain and grief and fun and family in this book. My points are a drop in the bucket of what's going on. We learn more about the Venin and Wyvern and the wards that protect the people from this evil. I'm still a wreck over the ending and I'm hoping and praying that the next book heals all of my broken bits.

The Author

Rebecca is a #1 New York Times, USA Today, Sunday Times, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of over fifteen novels, including FOURTH WING, and is always ready to bring on the emotions. She's also the recipient of the Colorado Romance Writer’s Award of Excellence in New Adult for Eyes Turned Skyward from her Flight and Glory series.

She loves military heroes and has been blissfully married to hers for twenty-one years. She’s the mother of six children and lives in Colorado with her family, their stubborn English bulldog, feisty chinchillas, and Maine Coon cat who rules them all. Having fostered then adopted their youngest daughter, Rebecca is passionate about helping children in the foster system through her nonprofit, One October.

Visit her website at www.RebeccaYarros.com for more.