Of Blades and Wings by. Eliza Raine | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️

Title: Of Blades and Wings (Flame Cursed Fae, #1)

Author: Eliza Raine

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 288

Publication Date: 11/3/26

Publisher: Scarlett Press

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Series, Valkyries

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Thank you to Scarlett Press for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

A princess with hidden abilities must train to become a Valkyrie, an elite guardian, without being tempted away from duty by an alluring fallen warrior with no loyalty to the realm in the first book in a Viking fae romantasy trilogy.

She wants to earn her Valkyrie wings. He wants to burn every Valkyrie to ash.

Princess Madivia is the fae Ice Court’s best kept secret; only her family knows what she can really do—and how dangerous it is for her to leave her tower. Then destiny comes for her. Maddy has been selected by the gods themselves to train at Featherblade to become a Valkyrie, an elite guardian of Odin against the lethal Frost Giants.

Trainees, or rooks, have a series of trials to pass to earn their wings. Maddy must get stronger, bond with an ancient animal gifted to her by the gods, and survive the Wild Hunt—all without revealing her hidden powers. Above all, she must determine who she can trust. At the bottom of that list is Kain the Ruinous, disgraced fire fae, villain of Featherblade…and Maddy’s obsession.

She knows she should avoid him. He’s lethal, unhinged, and feeds on fear. But when he’s standing before her, fire in his eyes and heat blazing from his cursed skin, Maddy fears she would let the world go up in flames if he told her to. And if she’s not strong enough, that may be exactly what happens.

Content Warning: violence, death

+ This book and the series is out on Kindle Unlimited, but I believe this is going trad with a hardcover, so I got the arc to check out what it’s about since I do love stories about Valkyries and Norse mythology.

+~ Maddy is a princess but she was in hiding. Her sister was supposed to be chosen to be a valkyrie but instead they find out about Maddy and she goes. Maddy has a debilitating condition, she faints randomly so that makes it a challenge while she trains to become a valkyrie but she is resilient.

~ I like a story about training but this one didn’t hold my interest at all. All she does is train, and like with any story she deals with bullies and her shortcomings. There is one fallen valkyrie with no wings, a fire fae named Kain, who is bad news but Maddy can’t help herself and is attracted to him. But I just wish there was something more compelling to the training part of the story since the whole book is mostly about that.

~ It’s a slow burn for sure but there is nothing about Kain that I find appealing yet. I feel like they didn’t spend much time together in the book except for at the ending. There is a fantasy as far as the steam and spice goes but that’s it.

+~ I do like this was a quick read, because I could only read so much about the training going on. I couldn’t really connect to the characters until the ending when Kain wants something from Maddy and they finally interact more. I needed more from the characters and the storyline. But the ending does have some nice action.

Final Thoughts:

I know the series is already out so I may pick up book two just to see if any of the story progresses, and there is growth for the characters but for book one, this was lackluster and I just needed more story, more depth to the characters – just more. I do like Norse mythology and Valkyries so I liked learning about it in the book but just overall this fell flat for me.

Read if you like:

Valkyrie
training
Norse mythology

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Monthly Wrap Up | October 2026

October felt like a really long month! I got a lot of reading done. I really devoured some book series I wasn’t expecting to read! And they were so good.

I read 29 books in October:

Sharpest Court by. Kiera Azar (arc)
Bloodbound by. J.A. Good (arc)
The Taming by. Eve Hollenbeck (arc)
Cursed City by. Kate Golden
Hunt the Dragons by. Miranda Lyn
Hide the Witches by. Miranda Lyn
Mortal Things by. Marie Lu (arc)
White Mountain by. Ruby Jean Cottle (alc)
Veins of Power by. Becky Jane Fox
The Love Code by. Connie Kitson (arc)
Make Me by. Natasha K. Lauren (arc)
Deal Breaker by. Susie Tate (arc)
Deathbringer by. Sonia Tagliareni
The Lost Guardian by. Natalia Hernandez (arc)
Firstborn by. M.J. Hastings
Recruitment by. K.A. Riley (arc)
Threshing Day by. Rebecca Yarros
Splintered Kingdom by. Gretchen Powell Fox
Shadow and Son by. Gretchen Powell Fox (arc)
Match of Fate: Novel Haven by. Annabelle Stehl (arc)
The Book of Azrael by. Amber V. Nicole
The Throne of Broken Gods by. Amber V. Nicole
The Dawn of the Cursed Queens by. Amber V. Nicole
The Wrath of the Fallen by. Amber V. Nicole
New Year’s Grieve by. Elizabeth Foscue (alc)
Deathsworn by. Meg Smitherman (arc)
Of Blades and Wings by. Eliza Raine (arc)
Tame the Dark by. Ella Fields
A Court of Splintered Harmony by. Sarah J. Maas

Reviews I Posted On My Blog:

5 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Threshing Day by. Rebecca Yarros | Audiobook Review

4.5 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

4 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

3.5 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫:

3 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️⭐️:

2.5 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️💫

2 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️

How was your month?

Find me here: Instagram (bookstagram) | TikTok | Etsy

A Court of Splintered Harmony by. Sarah J. Maas | Audiobook Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: A Court of Splintered Harmony (ACOTAR, #6)

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Pages: 352

Listening Hours: 11 hours 45m (approx.)

Narrator (s): Elizabeth Evans

Format: audiobook (Libby)

Publication Date: 10/27/26

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Series, Fae

Romance, danger, and intrigue await you in the breathtaking sixth book in the #1 bestselling Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR) series.

What was broken will be remade.

Deep in the heart of the continent, Koschei the Deathless is stirring. Though he’s been bound to a mountain lake for millennia, the insidious threat of his return now spreads across the Fae territories, attracting powerful allies hell-bent on reclaiming what was once theirs: the human lands.

The Night Court will not stand idly by while innocents are attacked. But with Prythian still piecing itself together in the wake of the devastating Hybern War, the task of uniting is proving more difficult by the day.

To make matters worse, those who rule and protect the Night Court are reeling from recent betrayals and revealed truths. The rifts dividing them seem insurmountable.

But to defeat Koschei’s creeping shadow, they must find a way back to each other and resurrect their former alliances. To survive, they must find a way to repair the splintered harmony all around them.

Content Warning: death, violence

+ I thought the narrator did a great job especially since there is a big cast of characters.

+~ There are multiple POVs in this book and everyone is going through something. That’s why it’s called “splintered harmony” because yeah….everyone is playing a wrong chord in this one and but I didn’t mind it. Things are going to get worse before it gets good again. I will say that this book is basically a set up for the next one, A Court of Forgotten Melody, which is coming out in January. The beginning is a bit slow only because if you are like me and didn’t re-read any book in ACOTAR or Crescent City then you were left trying to remember things. 😅. There are lots of names, most I remembered, some I forgot who they were. And not only names but places, and events that took place – so it took me a few chapters in to get situated.

+ I do believe each POV contributed something pretty good to the story except maybe Mor’s? I feel like there was a lot of Azriel in this story and we get to learn more of his past, and how he is struggling presently with feeling left out, or feeling like he’s an unwanted demon (childhood trauma). Azriel is acting out and being a bad boy 🫢 and he doesn’t give af. Anyway, his choices has pissed some people off. So I’m eager to see how his story develops.

+ Nesta gets so much hate but again this story proves why she’s my favorite of all. And if you didn’t read book 3 of Crescent City, you might want to before reading this one. Her actions in book 3 of Crescent City come back to haunt her though and creates a riff with Cassian ~ they work things out but something about Cassian and her didn’t work for me which surprises me because I LOVE them together. But there is so much more to Nesta and her story, I can’t wait to see where it leads.

+~ Feyre and Rhys are happy, very much in love but trying to prevent a coming war between Koschei and the humans. They are trying to unite Prythian but so many are tired of war. They pull some power trips in this book which surprised me because it rubbed me the wrong way, but it’s on theme with this being “splintered”. They are parents now so it makes things more scary for both of them because they love him so much and is afraid for the future they leave behind for him.

+~ Elain 🤦🏻‍♀️…I will just say…I hope we get more of her in book 7 because I need her to have her transformation. She’s the one who’s been protected since book 1 and maybe she got comfortable with that but it’s time for her to grow. I’m ready for her to just burst out of her shell.

+~ Lucien – I don’t feel like there was much of him in this book. But he was there for some significant parts and I’m very curious to see how his story develops.

+ I do like the questioning of mating bonds in this one only because Feyre and Rhys has almost a perfect relationship, their mating bond was truly meant to be. But Nesta and Cassian…are they right for one another? And Elain with Lucien is a big problem since she doesn’t even want to talk to the guy. I think mating bonds are beautiful when it works but I also like this complicated side and glad the story touches on what if it doesn’t work or the people are not compatible?

+~ All in all, this book was messy. Messy feelings, messy situations and so much drama. Most of the story was about each character, and their feelings and struggles, they are fighting with one another, there is discord – they are splintered. And it only had one major action scene. So at times it felt like filler and the bonus scenes felt like a recap.

Final Thoughts:

I think the narrator did a great job but I do need to re-read the physical copy to see if I missed anything. Everyone is going through something, it’s messy and dramatic and I was kinda there for the reality tv vibes of it 😅. Some of the alliance talks felt a bit slow but the drama with everyone makes things more interesting. Nesta was my favorite and will always be. Will these people come together in unity again to stop Koschei? I guess we shall see in book 7!

Read if you like:

ACOTAR series
Fae
political intrigue
romance
messy drama

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

A Court of Thorns and Roses by. Sarah J. Maas | Book Review | Re-read – 4.5 stars

A Court of Mist and Fury by. Sarah J. Maas | Book Review | Re-read – 5 stars

A Court of Wings and Ruin by. Sarah J. Maas | Book Review | Re-read – 4 stars

A Court of Frost and Starlight by. Sarah J. Maas – 3.5 stars

A Court of Silver Flames | Book Review – 5 stars

House of Flame and Shadow by. Sarah J. Maas | Book Review – 3.5 stars

House of Sky and Breath by. Sarah J. Maas | Book Review – 3.5 stars

Book Review | House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City, #1) – 4 stars

**I’ve read all of Throne of Glass but that was before my blog**

Sharpest Court by. Kiera Azar | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Sharpest Court (Thorn Season, #2)

Author: Kiera Azar

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 544

Publication Date: 11/3/26

Publisher: Storytide

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Series

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Thank you to Storytide for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Alissa Paine has fled her home, the Kingdom of Daradon – forced to say goodbye to her old old life in order to escape the clutches of both the cruel, tyrannical King Erik to whom she was once betrothed, and the Hunters who persecute Wielders like Alissa.

But she has not left Daradon empty-handed, and Alissa has in her possession an object that Erik greatly desires – a mysterious and ancient spellmade compass which has the potential to reshape the world, if Alissa – or Erik – can unlock its secrets.

Seeking refuge in the Ansoran Empire, Alissa is able to demonstrate her Wielding powers openly for the first time in her life. But Ansora is not a safe haven, and Alissa is quickly forced to navigate the rules and customs of another dangerous ruler. And even with her former ally, Kiel Arcus, by her side, Alissa soon learns that, while she may have been raised in the kingdom of thorns, she is yet to enter the sharpest court….

Content Warning: violence, death

+ This is book two in the Thorn Season series and I was very eager to find out what happened after book one! The world in this story really opens up as Alissa has to navigate different courts while trying to make sure Erik never gets her back again. There is so much political intrigue, and betrayal in this one. It was a tense read.

+~ Alissa is doing what she does best – survive, but using her wit and courtier trained tongue. There were times I was so frustrated with her because she relied on her words and tone to fight her battles but I wish she knew how to control her specter (magic power) better. She does train to learn how to do that but I just felt like her skills at court weren’t working for her in this book like it did in the first one.

+ I always want a little bit of spice in my romantasies but this one barely had any spice. It’s a slow burn romance! The good thing about that is the tension between Alissa and Kiel is great, and oh I love Kiel. He’s patient, he gives her space and will always be there for her in any way he can be. I’m ready to see them have a real romance!

+ So much happens in this book, and throughout I just had a feeling of dread. I felt like Alissa was trapped and Erik set it real good. Erik is such a good villain that I hate him and I cannot wait to see Alissa take him down – I hope it’s a good take down. A few things are going on in the story along with the political intrigue, there is also a mission to search for a magical object. There are a few twists and reveals in this book, especially the ending!

Final Thoughts:

The story definitely moved forward with more reveals, more kingdoms to explore, betrayal and a tiny bit of romance with lots of yearning. I can’t wait to see how this series will end. Also I just have to add the deluxe books for this series are so pretty!

Read if you like:

political intrigue
slow burn romance
no spice romance
evil villain

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Thorn Season by. Kiera Azar | ARC Review – 4 stars

Captive Traitor King by. Brigid Kemmerer| ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Title: Captive Traitor King (Braided Fate, #2)

Author: Brigid Kemmerer

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 336

Publication Date: 11/3/26

Publisher: Avon

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Romantasy, Why Choose, Series

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Thank you to Avon for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

CAPTIVE. Asher has always sworn loyalty to Jory, the princess he’s loved from afar—but now the King of Incendar has claimed a place in his heart too. Someone wants them both dead, and only Asher’s blade can keep them safe. Yet his past won’t let him go, and he must decide if he can break free—or remain prisoner to his old scars.

TRAITOR. Princess Jory of Astranza agreed to marry the King of Incendar to secure peace, but betrayal runs closer than she ever imagined. With her own brother unmasked as her enemy, two kingdoms teeter on the edge. To protect her people, she must take the throne. But there are still dark secrets to unravel that will force Jory to confront where her true allegiance lies.

KING. Maddox Kyronan has discovered trust—and something more—with his reluctant bride and her deadly protector, but the fragile alliance between their nations threatens to unravel. His people are starving. His enemies are circling in. Torn between the crown and his heart, Ky risks losing it all.

As buried truths surface and tensions reach a breaking point, Jory, Asher, and Ky must confront the desires that could save their kingdoms—or shatter them forever.

TROPES:
Why Choose/polyamorous romanceSecret MagicHidden IdentityHurt/ComfortRoyal-Political SchemingBetrayal/Redemption

Content Warning: violence, death

+ Things pick up right where book one ended and Ky doesn’t know if he can trust Asher or Jory but he feels a strange protectiveness over them. Jory wants to send Asher, her assassin, to kill her brother so she can take the throne but Ky says they need a solid plan. The Draegs are causing havoc and are trying to take Jory for their own. There are a few reveals in the end and a twist in the story that I find really interesting and off course this one ends in a cliffhanger.

+ Asher is still my favorite character out of the three. He is traumatized and has such a vulnerability to him while also being a stealthy assassin who will do anything for Jory. I feel like Ky – I’m protective over him and only wish good things to happen to him. Ky is a leader for his people, strong and violent when he needs to be but soft when it comes to Asher and Jory. Jory is attracted to both men, but again, protective over Asher. We see a little more of her spunk at the end of this book but at times she’s very impulsively. So Ky is who brings her back to earth.

+ The romance is polyamorous and filled with yearning, longing and vulnerability. They choose each other, they genuinely are happy to be in this threesome and it works out. Ky is the protector and he is always so patient with Asher and notices things about him that Jory might miss. Asher adores Jory, but is attracted to Ky and is opening up more under his patience. Jory enjoys both of them – Asher gives her comfort, and she’s attracted to Ky’s dominance. So it works for all of them, and the spice is spicy between them but again filled with so much patience.

Final Thoughts:

I think this sequel was more focused on the relationship between Ky, Asher and Jory as they figure things out. I think the polyamorous relationship between the three is a beautiful, fragile thing that is being treated with care and patience. I will say I hate Asher’s past handlers, I hope they get dealt with in book three. Also there is a twist at the end that is very interesting and I can’t wait to see how it plays out!

Read if you like:

political intrigue
polyamory romance/why choose
secrets

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Warrior Princess Assassin by. Brigid Kemmerer | ARC Review – 4 stars/ 3🌶️

Defend the Dawn by. Brigid Kemmerer | ARC Review – 4 stars

Destroy the Day by. Brigid Kemmerer | Book Review – 3.5 stars

Defy the Night by. Brigid Kemmerer | ARC Review – 4 stars

Forging Silver into Stars by. Brigid Kemmerer | ARC Review – 3.5 stars

A Vow So Bold and Deadly by. Brigid Kemmerer | Book Review – 3.5 stars

Book Review: A Curse So Dark and Lonely – 4 stars

Book Review | A Heart So Fierce and Broken – 3 stars

Book Review | Call It What You Want – 4 stars

Recruitment by. K.A. Riley | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Recruitment (The Resistance Trilogy, #1)

Author: K.A. Riley

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 439

Publication Date: 11/3/26 (first published 11/28/18)

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Categories: Dystopian, Young Adult, Series

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Thank you to Sourcebooks Fire for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

In the Valta, no matter what month you were born, everyone is assigned the same birthday. November 1st. It’s the anniversary of the day when the government declared war on the Eastern Order. The day you turn seventeen, the Recruiters come to take you away. And no one ever hears from you again.

It’s October 31st. Today, Kress is sixteen years old. Tomorrow, she’ll be taken.

The good news? So will her best friend Cardyn, and Brohn, the handsome, enigmatic boy she’s avoided all her life. The bad news? Recruitment isn’t what any of them expected.

Weeks of training await. Military and psychological tests, escape rooms, hand-to-hand combat. The Recruits are told they’re the key to winning the war. But with each day that passes, things begin to make less sense.

If only Kress had been able to bring her trained raven, Render, with her. If only none of them had ever had to come to this place.

Content Warning: violence, simulated death

This dystopian story follows Kress, a girl turning seventeen who will now be taken for training to fight in a war. Most of the story is straight forward and follows the training process the seventeen year olds are put through. Something interesting about Kress is she has a bird, named Render, that is attached to her. We get to know the other people in her group as they go through these trials together.

There were parts of the story that was just lagging with nothing much happening and there wasn’t anything new about the training that got me interested. Things pick up near the end with a twist in the story but by then I wasn’t really invested in it.

I didn’t connect to the characters, but I think I’m just not the target audience for this story but I think teen readers would relate more to this one.

Final Thoughts:

This was just an okay read for me maybe because I’m not the target audience. I do think this would appeal to younger teen readers.

Read if you like:

YA dystopian

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

WWW Wednesday | 10/28/26

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam over on Taking on a World of Words.

The idea is pretty simple, every week you dedicate a post to the three W’s:

What are you currently reading?

What have you just finished reading?

What are you going to read next?

I’m chipping away at November arcs! Slowly but surely. I was sidetracked by reading a series this weekend that I could not put down. 🤭. And of course now I’m listening to A Court of Splintered Harmony before getting back to my arcs.

What are YOU reading right now?

The Wrath of the Fallen by. Amber V. Nicole | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Title: The Wrath of the Fallen (Gods and Monsters, #4)

Author: Amber V. Nicole

Pages: 673

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Romantasy, Series

When Gods dance with Monsters, the world will tremble.

With the return of Samkiel, the rightful heir to the throne, tensions grow in the remaining realms. Battle lines begin to form between those pledging their loyalties to either Samkiel or Nismera. War looms on the horizon, and Samkiel must deal with his growing power. Without the Ring of Oblivion, the dark ancient force living under his skin begins to lash out.

Meanwhile, an ancient power calls to Dianna, plaguing her dreams with messages of retribution. Samkiel, seeking to protect the woman he loves, sets out on a desperate search for answers, but the solution will mean a dangerous voyage to the one place he dares not go—the Otherworld.

Forces, primal and eternal, have taken notice, forcing Ig’Morruthens and gods to work together on a quest to reclaim an object capable of unraveling reality. An unlikely bond is formed in blood and fire, leaving all affected with no choice but one—save the realms or themselves.

It is a race against time as Nismera hunts for Vincent and Camilla, seeking what they stole. Her thirst for power and her armada only grow stronger as she rampages across the realms.

Content Warning: death, violence, grief, possession

+ Once more this worlds open up even more and we get to trek to The Otherworld, and meet some of the princes that rule there. We also learn more about Gatharriel and Death. There are so many more secrets revealed in this story, secrets that reveal the timeline that led to what is happening in present day. Even Unir’s ghost makes an appearance and we learn what his role is in the destruction of the realms. There is also a reluctant alliance between Kaden, Isaiah and Dianna.

+ As the world opens up we meet more fascinating characters. There are still multiple POVs but I still hate Vincent and I’m meh about Camilla. I’m also adding more people to the hate list like Nismera and Milani. Xavier is kind of on it too (but I know he is being manipulated), oh and the Gods are on the list also. What I did like about this book was getting to know Kaden and Isaiah more but mostly Kaden because he had a past with Dianna and we know it wasn’t good but now we kind of know why. I feel like this helped bring closure between them.

+ Dianna and Samkiel are still my most favorite couple, there is love, hardship, they are always working on their relationship and trust, but most of all they are best friends. They are funny together even in the most stressful times. I love how they love one another unconditionally and will burn the world down for one another.

+ All the books in this series end in a betrayal and this one doesn’t, but it ended in a way that brought tears to my eyes. This author is not afraid to kill of characters and the one she chose to kill in this story killed me. Especially since Vincent is still hanging around. 🙄. I need to read book 5 the minute it comes out because I need this constant despair in this story to turn around. I need Samkiel and Dianna to start winning.

Final Thoughts:

I am addicted to this story and love how we get to know more about Kaden and Isaiah. We learn so much in this book as the world opens up even more and more characters are added. I cannot wait to read book 5!

Read if you like:

fantasy
gods vs. monsters
epic romance
reluctant allies

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

The Book of Azrael by. Amber V. Nicole – 4 stars/2 🌶️

The Throne of the Broken Gods by. Amber V. Nicole – 4 stars/2 🌶️

The Dawn of the Cursed Queen by. Amber V. Nicole – 4 stars/3 🌶️

The Dawn of the Cursed Queen by. Amber V. Nicole | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Title: The Dawn of the Cursed Queen (Gods and Monsters, #3)

Author: Amber V. Nicole

Pages: 689

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Romantasy, Series

Ask her, boy. Ask her what she begged the stars for and what lives now. Ask her what she ripped from the very heavens. And then ask her if she cares. The old blood runs through her veins.
Nismera and her legions rule the realms as Samkiel’s power fills the sky. With him gone, she strives to solidify her spot on the throne, no matter the cost.

Dianna struggles beneath the weight of half-truths, lies, and deceptions. After overcoming what she thought was her hardest battle, she soon learns she is at risk of losing everything.

Samkiel strives to heal, but he has more on his plate than ever before. The Hand is dismantled, the realms are in turmoil, and the one person he can trust keeps him at arm’s length. Can the two work out their differences, or will they both fall to the blade of the Goddess of War?

The one true king returns, but is it the king or queen who shall rule them all?

Content Warning: death, violence, grief, depression

+ I am addicted to this series! I went straight to book three after reading book two and this world opens up even more. We get to know our villains: Nimsera, Kaden and Isaiah. And we learn what has happened to The Hand after the betrayal in book two. I hated Vincent in this whole thing but I feel there is a redemption arc coming for him but I don’t know if I can forgive him. Samkiel is resurrected but he doesn’t know and Dianna is withholding that information from him, which is making her feel all kinds of guilty.

+ With the world opening up there are more new characters and we even get multiple POVs in this book. But the found family Dianna had and lost is being reshaped again with some of these new characters, which I love.

+ Dianna and Samkiel are one of my new favorite couples because of how they fight, how he won’t let her go, how he makes her feel safe, how they both are so protective of one another, how they push through major challenges together. And their love and bond only grows even tighter in this one. Theirs is truly an epic love story, worthy of the gods! And if books one and two had only one or two spicy scene, this one has many. I chalked it up to them making for lost time when they were apart in book two haha, and hating one another in book one. But in book three they have more time with one another and I didn’t mind because they make spicy time fun. They are the real deal and I feel protective of them too!

+~ All the books in this series are long, but the story isn’t slow I think because of the different POVs we get and usually I am more addicted to one character than the others but in this series, I enjoy reading all the different POVs except Vincent’s (but like I said, I think his will have a redemption arc, but I don’t know if I can forgive him – we shall see! He has to earn it.). I cannot put these books down even though I know I should space it out before book 6 is released. I love the humor, the tragedies and the action scenes are so good.

Final Thoughts:

I loved this book because Dianna and Samkiel are my favorite couple – and they are finally together. They are always trying to protect one another, they can’t keep their hands off one another but also, they work through their problems big and small. I just love how Samkiel is down bad for Dianna, and I love how Dianna doesn’t know what to do with her big feelings for him. As for everything else in the story, there are more characters, and we get to know Kaden and Isaiah more, we get to see a different ruler trying to rule the realms with fear, things are still broken but in this book you can see Dianna and Samkiel try to pick up the pieces. I love that about this story, that’s it’s always about getting up and fighting when you feel lost and defeated. On to book four!

Read if you like:

fantasy
gods vs. monsters
epic romance
found family

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

The Book of Azrael by. Amber V. Nicole – 4 stars/2 🌶️

The Throne of the Broken Gods by. Amber V. Nicole – 4 stars/2 🌶️

New Book Releases This Week | 10/27/26

Happy book birthday to these new releases this week!

To Dream in Darkness by. Ann Liang

Two gods strike a bargain that leads them on a journey with devastating consequences in this lush historical fantasy from New York Times bestselling author Ann Liang.

China in the age of brilliance, where gods freely wander the three realms. Amongst them is the cruel and beautiful Death God, who has never failed to collect a soul on time. Until now. For when he seeks out Rujia, the noble god of healing―and the only god he is fated to kill with his own hands―she makes him an offer he can’t refuse: she will help lift the excruciating, century-old curse placed upon him if he gives her a one-month reprieve.

Rujia knows she isn’t as noble as everyone believes. Her deal with Death is merely an excuse to buy herself time while she figures out an escape plan. But when her plan causes the Celestial Palace’s collapse and the beloved crown prince’s disappearance, she and Death are both held responsible. The only way to avoid the wrath of all the other gods is to travel across the realms and safely retrieve the crown prince themselves.

Yet the journey proves far more treacherous than expected. As the unlikely alliance between them blooms into more, and Death’s resolve to kill Rujia weakens by the day, neither can outrun their intertwined fate without devastating consequences: A mysterious plague. An empire-destroying flood. A thousand deaths―and rising―to restore the balance Rujia’s disrupted. And if Rujia continues to live despite the will of the Heavens, this is only the beginning…

Mark of the Warrior by. Shannon Lee & Fonda Lee

In the explosive finale to the instant New York Times bestseller Breath of the Dragon, a young warrior fights to reunite his family and the realm.

Two brothers. Two nations. One destiny.

Exiled as a traitor after the Guardian’s Tournament, Li Jun has vowed to retrieve the stolen Scroll of Heaven and to honor his father’s dying find his mother and twin brother, Sai.

Fleeing into the East in search of their friend Ren, Jun and his longtime rival Yin Yue have no choice but to trust the two breathmarked women who saved their lives but who answer to the mysterious and draconian Council of Virtue that tore Jun’s family apart and banished him and his father a decade ago.

Recovering the Scrolls of Heaven or Earth in order to stop the brewing war that threatens to devastate East and West alike isn’t Jun’s only seemingly insurmountable challenge. The twin he was separated from in childhood is now the High Keeper who resides in the Sun Pagoda, protecting the precious Scroll of Earth from all potential enemies…including Jun.

The fate of the entire land hinges on an inevitable reckoning between brothers that will test their skills, their loyalties, and everything they thought they knew about themselves and the nature of destiny.

A Court of Splintered Harmony by. Sarah J. Maas

What was broken will be remade.

To make matters worse, those who rule and protect the Night Court are reeling from recent betrayals and revealed truths. The rifts dividing them seem insurmountable.

For Ever More by. Sue Lynn Tan

The breathtaking sequel to the New York Times bestselling Never Ever After, this epic fantasy finds Yining on the run and fighting to save her family and her kingdom.

After the explosive events of Never Ever After, Yining flees the Iron Mountains with her unlikely allies, seeking the truth about her newfound powers amid the secrets surrounding her ancestral home. But with a traitorous queen ruling the Three Kingdoms from a stolen throne, nowhere is truly safe, and Yining must decide whom to trust to keep her family—and her heart—from harm.

Christmas Trees & Weak Knees by. Katrina Emmel

A cozy YA holiday rom-com set on a snow-dusted Christmas tree farm, where a girl who walked away from music and a country star nursing writer’s block find themselves writing songs—and maybe falling in love—just in time for the holidays.

In my heart is a Christmas tree farm…

Paisley Morgan thought she had left the music world behind after a disastrous encounter with the band Six String Justice. Now, she’s content to spend her days at her family’s charming Christmas tree farm, secretly nurturing her songwriting dreams. But when a mysterious musician checks into the farm’s on-site studio, her quiet life is turned upside down.

Kash “Money” Murray, fresh from a band breakup and struggling with writer’s block, is sent to the farm to find inspiration. Little does he know the farm’s enchanting atmosphere and its captivating caretaker, Paisley, will provide more than just a creative spark.

As the holiday season unfolds, Paisley and Kash find themselves drawn together by their shared love of music. Amidst the twinkling lights and festive cheer, they embark on a songwriting journey that could change their lives forever. But when Kash takes a bold step that threatens their budding romance, Paisley must decide if love is worth the risk. Will they find harmony together, or will their duet end before it begins?

Eight Ways To Say I Love You by. Amanda Elliot

A spark of attraction burns brighter each year between childhood friends in this sweeping Hanukkah romance by USA Today bestselling author Amanda Elliot.

This Hanukkah, Shira Levinson is returning home to New Jersey riding the high of achieving major milestones. Though she only just graduated from college, she’s got her dream job and a perfect Los Angeles apartment—an actual miracle in the city of dreams.

Life has not been quite as kind to Leo David. Not only did he fail out of college, he was forced to move in with his estranged dad, who he still hates for cheating on his mom years ago. The only silver lining? Getting to see Shira, his childhood friend (and crush, though he’ll never tell her that) while she’s home for her family’s holiday party.

But that’s just the beginning. Over the next eight years, Shira’s and Leo’s lives spin them in all sorts of directions as they grow and change, taking them places they never imagined going. Sometimes those paths take them farther away from each other, and other times closer together. If they can only time it right, they might uncover a love that burns forever.

Mortal Things by. Marie Lu

Set in a world of insatiable immortals, their eternal rivalries, and the humans trapped between them, MORTAL THINGS is a cinematic and sweeping new fantasy from #1 New York Times-bestselling author Marie Lu, perfect for fans of Heartless Hunter and A Darker Shade of Magic.

Rose Lin Fairchild didn’t believe in gods, but one chose her anyway.

Rose despises Raven, the god of Death. His mysterious commands. His mercurial moods. His closed heart. But most of all, she loathes that she was forced to become his Harbinger, a human mercenary tasked to fulfil their god’s every want and whim. Still, she would do it again, because being a Harbinger is the only thing keeping her best friend alive.

When a murder rocks the world of the gods, Rose is suddenly thrust into the immortal realm’s spotlight as Raven’s heir. This is her chance to free her friend once and for all. But in order for her to ascend, she must first prove herself to the other gods—and the one person standing in her way is a fellow Harbinger.

Étienne Beauchard is notorious for his sly wit and charming good looks. Rose can’t stand that he is the one assigned to test her abilities, but as their initial hostility evolves into an intense attraction, they find that the gods’ secrets go deeper than they ever expected. Something is wrong in the immortal world, something that threatens to break their bond and engulf them all in war.

As Rose and Étienne fight to uncover the truth and trust each other with their hearts, they realize that everything hinges on the same How far would you go to save the person you love?

Haunted Hearts by. Hanna Harp

The haunting has only just begun.

Cade Halloway is done running. The Covenant still stands—fractured, desperate, and willing to burn the world to reclaim their power. They still want his sister, Callisto, but Callisto is no longer the girl they marked for death. She trains in secret, learning to wield the power she was born with. And the rules begin to change. With the help of an old friend, a monster forced into human skin, and you—the unseen presence bound to Cade—they prepare for the war coming to their door.

As Cade moves to finally dismantle the Covenant, his connection to you deepens into something he no longer questions. You are no longer a ghost, you are a part of him now. And he intends to find you. But while alliances take shape, something else watches from the shadows. Waiting for every piece to fall into place.

This time, survival won’t be enough.