Blood of the Gods by. Sapir A. Englard | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Blood of the Gods (Cloak of the Vampire, #2)

Author: Sapir A. Englard

Format: eBook (Kindle Unlimited)

Pages: 315

Publication Date: 11/19/24

Categories: New Adult, Romance, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal

From the creator of the Millennium Wolves series comes the heart-stopping sequel to Cloak of the Vampire, the epic romantasy set in a brutal world of bloodthirsty and power-hungry vampires.

Aileen Henderson didn’t choose to die. That choice was stolen from her, brutally, at the hands—and lips—of a monster. With a singular kiss, Lord Ragnor Rayne condemned the twenty-one-year-old to an eternity she never wanted. And a future she refuses to accept.

Despite the fury now coursing through her veins, Aileen fights the pull of attraction to Ragnor, a need with a will of its own. But now, she’s determined to make her way without the vampire lord’s help.

Carving out her new existence, Aileen finds allies, even family, among the ruthless and competitive vampire leagues. But untold dangers abound, and soon, Aileen encounters new and more evil monsters.

When ancient, all-powerful gods dredge up nightmares from her past, Aileen discovers she has an important role to play in this world. And if she can learn to control her powers and her desires, she may find a way to survive both her enemies and Ragnor Rayne.

Content Warning: violence, death, mentions of rape and child abuse

This story takes on a turn from vampire lore to the Morrow Gods and Children of Kahil which is something mentioned in book one in connection to Aileen’s background. But that’s not the only part of the world-building opening up. We learn more about the Jinn and I believe the seraphim (angels) are mentioned as well but I think that will be explored more in book three.

As far as the story goes – Aileen goes to a new league and at first she seems like it’s an okay place to be, except she finds her new lord, Atalon, is not as benevolent as he seems. We do get more information of Aileen’s upbringing and it is dark. Makes me sad and angry for her child-self that she was exposed to such depravity by her father.

The romance between Aileen and Ragnor hits a rough spot because he’s let her go to Atalon but wants her back. She wants to make Ragnor pay but she can’t resist him so it’s predictable and I wasn’t really invested in their romance during this story. I was much more interested in the new characters being introduced and the world-building opening up. The spice is there again but I don’t know, I just don’t connect to their relationship. But Ragnor being a vampire and Aileen being who she is seems like it’s going to be complicated for them to be together.

Final Thoughts:

I did like how the world opened up but I didn’t feel invested anymore in Aileen and Ragnor’s romance. I think I can figure out what will happen from here at least with their romance. I am curious to see what happens with the world-building in book three but I’m not sure I’m eager to read it. It might be one of those books I’ll wait to read and pick up if I don’t have anything else to read.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read By This Author:

Cloak of the Vampire by. Sapir A. Englard | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Cloak of the Vampire by. Sapir A. Englard | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Cloak of the Vampire (#1)

Author: Sapir A. Englard

Format: eBook (Kindle Unlimited)

Pages: 349

Publication Date: 6/18/24

Categories: New Adult, Romance, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal

From the author of The Millennium Wolves series comes the hauntingly romantic story of a young woman’s descent into a League of vampires, and the Lord who means to keep her there.

Aileen Henderson’s unassuming life conceals a dark past. Outside of work, she hides behind her larger-than-life best friend, Cassidy, whose constant need for attention suits Aileen—and her secrets—just fine.

Until the night Aileen dies.

Awakening to a new world of brutality, bloodlust, and betrayal, Aileen plots revenge against Ragnor Rayne, the monster who cursed her with the Imprint. The demon who turned her into a vampire. The man whose eyes haunt her dreams.

She is going to make this vampire Lord regret the day he kissed her with the curse of immortality and made her his. If she can survive the Auction, and resist temptations of the flesh…

Content Warning: violence, death, mentions of rape and child abuse, trafficking

I needed a palate cleanser book and thought to read this one about vampires. I really enjoyed the world-building about Vampires and their different Leagues around USA. Instead of vampires going around changing people, there is an exclusive list that humans can try to get on to be changed into a vampire. I like the choice in that! Of course then comes along Aileen. There are other things in this world that will probably be more explained in book two.

Aileen is a very mysterious character – someone playing a role to erase whatever is in her past. And her past is DARK. Super dark because her dad was a convicted rapist and child abuser – and those topics made this one at times a bit too dark to read. But because she’s keeping her past secret, we get bits and pieces here and there and still not even the full story by the end of this book.

Ragnor is her Lord – the vampire that changed her. And of course right away there is an attraction between them which I really enjoyed since I was looking for an easy, smutty read filled with tension. But then Aileen’s messed up feelings about attachment started to test my patience and honestly I do not blame her much because she comes from a very MESSED up childhood. Like…it’s bad. I wanted to put her back into therapy – she needs therapy more than falling for a vampire! Ragnor also got his own issues about falling in love.

The leagues are like academies (I love academies) but a lot of the academic parts are weak. Like their fighting classes kind of sucked – did anyone improve? And the friendships in Aileen’s life are SO bad. It made me angry for her but also…that’s what she did choose on purpose which also made me angry AT her. LOL. Yeah it was messy but I was there for the drama. At times it felt young adult – but the spiciness definitely makes it new adult.

Final Thoughts:

This one is spicy with very dark topics. I like the world building a lot with the different vampire leagues. I think Aileen is a very interesting character and we shall see what develops for her story – she has a scary past but I kind of want her strong and cold like she claims. Ragnor has definitely brought out her needy, attachment side and I don’t love it. Lots of people will love the romance between Aileen and Ragnor – it’s spicy, full of some angst on her part but they are definitely a work in progress. I was definitely entertained. I’m reading book two now because I am so curious about the other creatures in this world building.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Darkness Within Us by. Tricia Levenseller | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Darkness Within Us (The Shadows Between Us, #2)

Author: Tricia Levenseller

Format: eBook (Kindle Unlimited)

Pages: 336

Publication Date: 7/9/24

Categories: Young Adult, Romance, Fantasy, Series

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.

Content Warning: violence, death, misogyny, abuse, murder

I didn’t love The Shadows Between Us when I read it 4 years ago. But The Darkness Within Us, I did like! Chrysantha, like her sister Alessandra, is a very strong young lady who has plotted, murdered, and poisoned to try and get her way. She does get what she wants but only for a moment, because Eryx Demos, her late husband’s true heir comes to take it all from her.

I loved the enemies to lover romance between Chrysantha and Eryx. She is a woman on a mission, and he is a man full of secrets. I love their interactions because I found her character so compelling. She’s beautiful, but clearly flawed and also I loved that in this book Chrysantha and Alessandra try to finally make amends. I didn’t love their relationship in book one and I had my reservations about it in this book but I think it was nice to see them trying to understand one another (although I didn’t quite trust either of them). They have such an uncomfortable relationship but I guess that can be relatable. They have more in common than they realized though.

Although I loved the romance, I was bummed that this was young adult and not new adult. The potential steamy scenes are fade to black and honestly with characters like Chrysantha who is taking lovers and taking what she wants, I was looking forward to a little spice. But this has very mild spice.

Final Thoughts:

My favorite part of this book was when Chrysantha and Eryx were driving one another crazy. I did like Eryx’s secret and how Chrysantha and her sister starting to mend their relationship. I really enjoy the feminist stance of the two sisters – they are not the perfect, nice, abiding females but have had to do what needed to be done to survive the world they live. Women are considered the weaker sex but not according to Chrysantha who will do anything too have power of her own. I wish there was more spice but it’s a young adult novel and I still enjoyed it.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books By this Author:

The Shadows Between Us | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Blade of Secrets by. Tricia Levenseller | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Bloodguard by. Cecy Robson | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Bloodguard (Old Erth, #1)

Author: Cecy Robson

Format: eBook (Kindle Unlimited)

Pages: 448

Publication Date: 10/22/24

Categories: Romance, Fantasy, New Adult, Elves, Gladiators

One hundred years. Tens of thousands of gladiators. And today, only one will rise…

Everything in the Kingdom of Arrow is a lie.

Leith of Grey thought coming to this new land and volunteering to fight in the gladiator arena—vicious, bloodthirsty tournaments where only the strongest survive—would earn him enough gold to save his dying sister. He thought there was nothing left to lose.

He was wrong—and they took everything. His hope. His freedom. His very humanity.

All Leith has left is his battle-scarred body, fueled by rage and hardened from years of fighting for the right to live another day.

Then Leith meets Maeve, an elven royal who is everything he despises. Everything he should hate. Until the alluring princess offers him the one thing he needs most: a chance to win the coveted title of Bloodguard—and his freedom.

But in a kingdom built on secrets and lies, hope doesn’t come cheap.

Nor will his ultimate revenge…

Content Warning: violence, death

This story is set in an interesting world of gladiators, elves, trolls, ogres and other fantastical creatures. The fights in the arena are brutal but Leith is close to winning the title of Bloodguard. He’s doing it for his family back home. Maeve is a princess who wants the throne but there are many people in her life blocking her path, like her uncle and cousin. There is a lot of politics going on and Maeve is trying to get back the throne but she barely has any power. I mean she was getting physically hit a few times by these despicable men around her. I was so angry for her. Also this story doesn’t hold back on death – there is a lot of it.

Leith is a gladiator, violent but honorable. He and Maeve fall for one another and I thought their love and relationship was very sweet. I love how he is this big protector of a guy. Maeve has her moments of fighting also but she’s a sweetheart and cares for the people in the kingdom. The two of them made a great couple.

I had some issues with the pacing of the story. There were fight scenes which were somewhat exciting in the beginning but I did skip the ones in the end. Then Maeve’s political battles would take over with her uncle and she just came off weak at times and naive. She has a good heart yes, but I was hoping she would be smarter when judging her uncle and his character. I expected more from the political intrigue but it fell flat. Soro, her cousin is the worst human being, and I was satisfied with what happened to him.

I also needed more from the world-building. There are so many different types of creatures in this world, but I never felt like I was immersed in this world.

Final Thoughts:

I thought this one had promise but I found myself skipping a bunch of the gladiator fighting parts by the end even though it’s supposed to make me more emotional towards the plight of Maeve and Leith’s situation. The fighting is brutal – actually many things in this book is brutal, but for some reason, I didn’t feel immersed in it emotionally. I also wanted more from the world-building. I did love the romance between Leith and Maeve though. I like how they are opposites and find something beautiful in their feelings for one another. Overall, it was mostly entertaining and we’ll see if I pick up book two. I did like how it ended and I’m not sure what will happen in the next book.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Hate Mail by. Donna Marchetti | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Hate Mail

Author: Donna Marchetti

Format: eBook (Kindle Unlimited)

Pages: 355

Publication Date: 3/14/24

Categories: Romance, Contemporary, Penpals, New Adult

Naomi and Luca have been pen-pals since fifth-grade. Well, more like bitter rivals caught in an epic battle of insults and verbal jousting…

But what starts as a hilarious chain of hate filled letters, slowly develops into a friendship spanning coasts and years. That is until one day, years later, when the letters suddenly stop.

It’s been two years since Naomi last heard from Luca. Two years since the letter that changed everything.

But when a new envelope turns up out of the blue at her desk at the local news station, Naomi is determined not to let Luca have the final word.

Content Warning: stalking

I’ve been seeing this all over my Amazon page and it was on Kindle Unlimited so I decided to read it. Here are my thoughts:

Likes:

+ Penpals! Do people still do that? I’m old enough that people did that back in the day. I thought how Luca and Naomi wrote letters to each was so funny because they were both so mean to one another. I love their dedication to trolling one another for years! Like why were some of their insults so dark?

+ Yes, Naomi gets into a bit of stalker behavior trying to find out what Luca’s address. I don’t think I would ever fly all over the USA to find info on a guy, but I thought her relationship with her bestie, Anne, who joins her on these adventures is so much fun! I like that we get to see their work relationship and friendship.

+ The romance, after all the wild stuff taking place, is actually really cute. It’s an enemies to lovers romance, sort of You’ve Got Mail-ish (minus the emails) – I love that this was all done with snail mail. I mean, who writes letters anymore?! So I love that it was featured in this book. Obviously, there was a lot these two had to work out once they realized what was happening but I liked the way it turned out.

Dislikes:

~ There was a point where Luca’s stalking behavior was creeping me out. I mean, they lived at the same complex! Obviously, he knew her and if he just actually told her who he was from the get go, so many of this drama would have been avoided. I know, she was the same and the whole flying to different cities to find out more about him was stalker-ish too but I think hers was genuine curiosity!

Final Thoughts:

This was a quick read and I enjoyed it, minus some of Luca’s behavior with the not-telling-her-the- truth-right-away part. Overall, I thought it was cute that two penpals who basically hated one another since they were kids, found one another like it was fate for them to meet.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Window Shopping By. Tessa Bailey | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Window Shopping

Author: Tessa Bailey

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 258

Publication Date: 10/1/24 (first published on 10/19/21)

Publisher: Avon

Categories: Holiday Romance, Workplace Romance

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 ARC in exchange for an honest review!

A sizzling, standalone, feel-good holiday romance from Tessa Bailey, New York Times bestselling author of It Happened One Summer.

Two weeks before Christmas and all through Manhattan, shop windows are decorated in red and green satin.
I’m standing alone in front of the famous Vivant department store, when a charming man named Aiden asks my opinion of the décor.

It’s a tragedy in tinsel, I say, unable to lie.
He asks for a better idea with a twinkle in his eye.
Did I know he owned the place? No. He put me on the spot.
Now I’m working for that man, trying to ignore that he’s hot.
But as a down on her luck girl with a difficult past, I know an opportunity when I see one—and I have to make it last.

I’ll put my heart and soul into dressing his holiday windows.
I’ll work without stopping. And when we lose the battle with temptation, I’ll try and remember I’m just window shopping.

I wanted to read a holiday romance and got approved for this one so here are my thoughts:

Likes:

+ Has anyone here watched the 80’s movie Mannequin? With Kim Catrall? I LOVED that movie as a kid lol…the mannequin came to life. Anyway this book sorta reminds me of that minus the mannequins coming to life. None of that happens here but the book centers around a department store, during the holidays and a young woman who’s dream is to design storefront windows. She gets the job, but of course falls for her boss.

+ The romance has a lot of spice and maybe a little too much for me. The attraction is instant and usually I want some build-up but this is a short book so I get why it built up quick. Anyway, if you like your holiday romance spicy, you’ll like this one.

+ I did feel the holidays vibes – department store, Christmas shopping, romance.

Dislikes:

~ Though I thought their romance was cute, I didn’t really feel invested. Also did he really just hire Stella because he was attracted to her? There were some things in the story that just made me go hmmm…

~ There was nothing about Stella’s window creation that hit me in the feels and I think for a holiday romance, I want to feel cozy, heartwarming feelings and I didn’t really feel it with this one.

My Thoughts:

This one was just okay for me but if you like spicy holiday romance, you might give this one a try. Also, this one is on Kindle Unlimited so if you have that you can find it there.

Find me here: Instagram (bookstagram📚) | Twitter (X)

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read By This Author:

Wreck the Halls by. Tessa Bailey | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Unfortunately Yours by. Tessa Bailey | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Secretly Yours by. Tessa Bailey | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Hook, Line and Sinker by. Tessa Bailey | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

It Happened One Summer by. Tessa Bailey | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Kingdom of Claw by. Demi Winters | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Kingdom of Claw (The Ashen, #2)

Author: Demi Winters

Format: eBook (borrowed)

Pages: 736

Publication Date: 2/21/24

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Series, Magic

Return to the Kingdom of Íseldur, where enemies become lovers and dark secrets hide around each corner, the second novel in the Ashen series.

In the aftermath of a harrowing journey, Silla Nordvig’s dreams of a simple life have been shattered. Beaten, betrayed, and reeling from the revelation of her true name, she flees Kopa with Reynir Galtung, ruthless leader of the Bloodaxe Crew. But when they’re forced into hiding together, Silla soon discovers that Rey has been keeping secrets of his own.

Stuck in a shield-home with the murderous man she thought she knew, Silla forms a new master the magic flowing through her veins to save her sister. But before she can do that, Silla must face her most formidable opponent yet—her own inner demons.

Saga Volsik has nothing to lose. They’ve murdered her family. Stolen her throne. And now they expect her to marry their son, but not if she can dismantle Queen Signe’s plans first. The only problem? The handsome Zagadkian dignitary who knows far too many of her secrets.

Silla and Saga will need to find the strength to step into their destiny and stop chaos from sweeping across the land. Meanwhile, dark threads continue to weave themselves through Íseldur as magic long thought dead begins to wake.

Content Warning: violence, death, abuse

I read book one of this book, Road of Bones, couple weeks ago and really enjoyed it. Book two just came out earlier this year so I had to read it! Here are my thoughts:

Likes:

+ The story continues on right after Road of Bones and I love Silla’s journey after the betrayal she went through at the end of book one. It’s not an easy journey for her, but Rey is with her throughout.

+ The romance is a very slow burn but I loved what Silla and Rey had to go through to get to where they needed to be in their relationship. There is more steam in this one but it’s an emotional romance so I love that for them! He is grumpy to her sunshine, and they make a wonderful couple after they let their guards down.

+ Silla’s story is not the only one told in here. Now we get Saga’s story which I enjoyed a lot because she’s in a challenging spot and her struggle is different from Silla’s but still as horrible. Saga is trying her best to find a way to survive and I admired her effort even when she kept hitting dead ends. She gets a a little romance in her life too though and I was so happy she had some hope. I also love her relationship and love for Silla – which is mostly lived through memories but there is a moment where they finally make a connection. I can’t wait to see what happens with Saga’s journey.

+ Even though this story is over 700 pages and it took me about four days to finish, I actually enjoyed the whole story.

Dislikes:

~ I really hate Jonas. Like how could I go from liking a character in book one, to loathing him by the end of it and continuing into book two? He is hateful. I wish he would go away, but he’s one of the villains in this story so I guess he has to be there.

Final Thoughts:

I’m bummed I have to wait for book three because I am really enjoying this series! I like the personal journeys of Saga and Silla, the romance for both sisters and the kingdom politics going throughout the story. I am definitely invested!

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Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read from This Author:

The Road of Bones by. Demi Winters – ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

The Games Gods Play by. Abigail Owen | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: The Games Gods Play (The Crucible, #1)

Author: Abigail Owen

Format: eBook (Kindle Unlimited)

Pages: 634

Publication Date: 9/3/24

Categories: Greek Mythology, Romance, Fantasy, New Adult

Percy Jackson for adults meets The Hunger Games with a slow burn romance between a contestant and Hades himself.

Every hundred years, the gods toy with us mere mortals.
And we let them.

The gods of myth are alive and well.
Once every century, they select a new ruler in a cutthroat competition, pushing mortal players to the limit. But this year, Hades is done sitting on the sidelines. And he’s picking a champion no one expects—in this modern mythic romantasy, she’ll fight for her life…
for the god of Death.

Content Warning: violence, death

I’ve wanted to read this book since it came out but for some reason – maybe the reason being I have to get into a MOOD to read anything inspired by Greek Mythology – it took me to get into this one but I finally pushed through and finished! Here are my thoughts:

Likes:

+ The Gods hold a tournament called a Crucible every one hundred years and they each pick a mortal to represent them in the games. Lyra is picked by Hades but one thing about Lyra is she’s been cursed by Zeus to be unlovable. Lyra is pretty capable because she is a thief and a somewhat good one. There are a lot of Labors – that’s what each tournament is called, each God creates their own Labor and winner gets a prize to help them in the next Labor. I thought the Labors were interesting and entertaining, the action was good!

+ The Gods are hot, of course. And who doesn’t love the story of Hades and Persephone though I thought it took an interesting twist in this story that works for me. There is no denying an instant attraction between Lyra and Hades and it’s a very slow burn, especially with this book (at least the ebook version) is over 600 pages! There is a spicy scene between them but it’s almost at the end.

+ I did enjoy the cast of characters like the Gods and the mortals fighting in the tournament. Alliances have to be made but who can Lyra really trust? I loved Cerebus of course, since he’s basically a 3 headed, scary dog.

Dislikes:

~ For some reason, throughout the story I kept asking myself why is Hades obsessed with Lyra so soon? What is it about her that is amazing to him? It’s a bit of insta-love, or more like insta-attraction. She’s a thief and yes she helped out the other mortals throughout the Labors which shows she has a good heart but other than that, I was left wondering. I didn’t really connect to her, I thought she was okay as the MC – she’s unlovable, which is sad, but it’s made her close herself off to people and it shows. Not even her relationship with Boone showed more of her personality and I think that’s what was missing. I needed more from Lyra and also I kept thinking she was a teenager but she is 23!

~ I think I had a hard time really getting invested in the book at first because of the massive cast of characters. Once I made myself buckle down to keep reading and learn the characters, I did get more invested but still – so many characters between the Gods and mortals.

~ This book needed to be a bit shorter. There are so many Labors and maybe some of them could have been showcased in book two? But I get how the ending of the book is setting up book two to get in the next direction. Still, it could have been shorter.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, this was entertaining despite the issues I had with it! I think I’ll read book two, if I’m in a Greek Mythology kind of mood and hopefully it’s a shorter book.

Find me here: Instagram (bookstagram📚) | Instagram (crafts🎨) | Twitter (X) | Etsy (Shop)

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read from This Author:

The Liar’s Crown by. Abigail Owen | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Stolen Throne by. Abigail Owen | Book Review ⭐️⭐️💫

The Wren in the Holly Library by. K.A. Linde | Book Review

Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Wren in the Holly Library ( Oak & Holly Cycle, #1)

Author: K. A. Linde

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 495

Publication Date: 6/4/24

Categories: Romance, Urban Fantasy, Romantasy, LGBT+

The instant New York Times bestseller

Can you love the dark when you know what it hides?

Some things aren’t supposed to exist outside of our imagination.

Thirteen years ago, monsters emerged from the shadows and plunged Kierse’s world into a cataclysmic war of near-total destruction. The New York City she knew so well collapsed practically overnight.

In the wake of that carnage, the Monster Treaty was created. A truce…of sorts.

But tonight, Kierse—a gifted and fearless thief—will break that treaty. She’ll enter the Holly Library…not knowing it’s the home of a monster.

He’s charming. Quietly alluring. Terrifying. But he knows talent when he sees it; it’s just a matter of finding her price.

Now she’s locked into a dangerous bargain with a creature unlike any other. She’ll sacrifice her freedom. She’ll offer her skills. Together, they’ll put their own futures at risk.

But he’s been playing a game across centuries—and once she joins in, there will be
no escape…

Content Warning: violence, abuse, being drugged

I bought this because of the beautiful cover and sprayed edges. For some reason I had a hard time reading the hard cover – maybe because I’m just used to ebooks right now. So when I saw it was on Kindle Unlimited I borrowed it and I read it much faster. Here are my thoughts :

Likes:

+ I enjoyed the urban fantasy world building. The story is set in a sort of dystopian NYC, where now monsters live among humans. There are turf wars with different monsters and humans and Kierse is a thief who takes jobs to make money. She takes one job that changes the course of her life forever. I liked meeting all the different characters and monsters and some of their back stories. Graves is a very interesting character, but very mysterious until the end.

+ The magic system is interesting and I liked how we got to see how Graves and Kierse used their magic to train for the job. I like an urban fantasy with different creatures living in it because of all the different powers everyone has.

+ I liked learning about Kierse and her found family of friends. She’s had a tough upbringing, but mostly everyone in the book has a story to tell. I did like her bond with her friends, I just wish they were featured more in the story.

+ Everything was going great until 30% into the story. But I did like the LGBT+ representation

Dislikes:

~ One moment I was invested in the world building and then everything got stagnant. Kierse was training to do this job of retrieving a spear for Graves but I wish there was more fight in her. I thought she was too nice, after her friends was targeted and almost killed. I just needed more from Kierse.

~ Speaking of needing more – the romance was not something I loved either. There was hardly any chemistry built up between Kierse and Graves and so when they finally do get together, it’s spicy but I felt nothing. And is there a love triangle brewing? I don’t know. I guess I’m not very sure about how Kierse feels.

~ For the second half the book, the writing was just not working for me and I had to push through.

My Final Thoughts:

There was great world building with this one but it left me wanting way more from the characters from the second half of the book. I think there was too much going on in the story. I also didn’t love the romance, even though this is the type of story where I would be devouring a romance such as this. I didn’t feel it between Kierse and Graves. I’m not sure if I’ll be reading book two but this one did have potential, I’m just bummed it fizzled out for me in the end.

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Quicksilver by. Callie Hart | Book Review

Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Quicksilver (Fae & Alchemy #1)

Author: Callie Hart

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 624

Publication Date: 6/4/24

Categories: Romantasy, Romance, Fantasy, Fae, Vampires, Magic, Alchemy

Do not touch the sword.

Do not turn the key.

Do not open the gate.

In the land of the unforgiving desert, there isn’t much a girl wouldn’t do for a glass of water.

Twenty-four-year-old Saeris Fane is good at keeping secrets. No one knows about the strange powers she possesses, or the fact that she has been picking pockets and stealing from the Undying Queen’s reservoirs for as long as she can remember.

But a secret is like a knot.

Sooner or later, it is bound to come undone.

When Saeris comes face-to-face with Death himself, she inadvertently reopens a gateway between realms and is transported to a land of ice and snow. The Fae have always been the stuff of myth, of legend, of nightmares…but it turns out they’re real, and Saeris has landed herself right in the middle of a centuries-long conflict that might just get her killed.

The first of her kind to tread the frozen mountains of Yvelia in over a thousand years, Saeris mistakenly binds herself to Kingfisher, a handsome Fae warrior, who has secrets and nefarious agendas of his own. He will use her Alchemist’s magic to protect his people, no matter what it costs him… or her.

Death has a name.

It is Kingfisher of the Ajun Gate.

His past is murky.

His attitude stinks.

And he’s the only way Saeris is going to make it home.

Be careful of the deals you make, dear child.

The devil is in the details…

N.B. Quicksilver contains depictions of graphic violence/adult situations and is therefore recommended for readers 17+. For a full list of tropes and TWs, please visit the author’s website.

Content Warning: violence

I’ve been seeing this recommended on my Kindle Unlimited for a few months now and I loved the cover but wasn’t sure about it. For some reason this week, I borrowed it and I read it in 2 days! Here are my thoughts:

Likes:

+ I love when I go into a book not expecting much (I didn’t read the reviews but saw it had a lot of 4-5 stars), and takes me by surprise. I was here for vibes and it gave me all the romantasy vibes I was looking for: a strong MC, a hot and annoying love interest, villains, found family, a war, magic, plot twists, spice, tension, banter, humor – it really did have everything! It’s over 600 pages but it kept my attention the whole time.

+ Saeris has been living in squalor in the Third sector in Zilvaren, fighting tooth and nail just to keep her, her brother and family friend alive for another day. But she does something that changes the course of her life forever. She is taken to the Fae world of Yvelia where she learns about the Fae and their war, learns about alchemy and creates friendships and finds the love of her life. I love Saeris’ toughness and grit, but also how she cares for her family and those around her. I really liked her gift of alchemy and thought it was so cool she could forge weapons.

+ Fisher is such a menacing rascal who’s role in life was to get under Saeris’ skin but as the story keeps going we find out what’s going inside his head and heart. He turns out to be the biggest softy where Saeris is concerned and I really loved that about him. I, like Saeris, hated and loved him too!

+ The love story between Saeris and Fisher is everything but I love how it was evenly balanced throughout the book and that even when the whole “mate” issue was brought up, I wasn’t turned off. I usually am only because once a “mate” appears in a romantasy…the word is repeated so much that I get sick of it. It didn’t do that to me in this book because I felt like it was just right and not overkill (thank you!). I love the banter, the attraction, the spice and them choosing one another despite everything. I’ll add them to my favorite couples list.

+ The world building is great! I love how we went from the human world, then the Fae world and got a peek into the vampire world – really all the things I love (fae and vampires!). And I also loved the cast of this story from Carrion whose relationship with Saeris is so funny. And then the found family Saeris finds in Yvelia with Fisher’s sister, his best friend and his healer. I’d love to get to know all of them more!

Dislikes:

~ There were typos. So I hope that gets cleaned up for book two.

~ Also I think some parts of the story like when they have to do research to solve a problem, some of that could have been taken out to move the story along better and cut down on the page numbers. Like okay, did all of them have to be in the library doing research? I love libraries and love that they thought to do research but I would think there should be an urgency to things with the vampires trying to kill the Fae and with Saeris trying to get home to help her brother?

My Final Thoughts:

Even with the minor issues I had with this book it honestly hit the spot for what I was craving at the time I borrowed the book. I wanted enemies to lovers, banter/bickering, fun characters, Fae, vampires, spice and magic! This one was fun! It’s an addicting read and I’m looking forward to book two.