Maybe This Time | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Title: Maybe This Time

Author: Kasie West

Format: eBook (borrowed)

Pages: 368

Categories: Young Adult, Romance, Contemporary

One year. Nine events. Nine chances to . . . fall in love?

Weddings. Funerals. Barbecues. New Year’s Eve parties. Name the occasion, and Sophie Evans will be there. Well, she has to be there. Sophie works for the local florist, so she can be found at every big event in her small hometown, arranging bouquets and managing family dramas.

Enter Andrew Hart. The son of the fancy new chef in town, Andrew is suddenly required to attend all the same events as Sophie. Entitled, arrogant, preppy Andrew. Sophie just wants to get her job done and finish up her sketches so she can apply to design school. But every time she turns around, there is Andrew, getting in her way and making her life more complicated. Until one day she wonders if maybe complicated isn’t so bad after all . . .

Told over the course of one year and following Sophie from event to event, this delightful novel from master of romantic comedy Kasie West shows how love can blossom in unexpected places.

It’s so refreshing to read a contemporary ya book after reading so much fantasy ones. I enjoyed all the elements in this book: enemies to lovers, small town girl wants to go to the big city, complicated family, and a tight best friend relationship.
Sophie and Andrew’s moments together span over a year. They are basically together in scenes when they work a big even in town. Sophie works as an assistant events planner and Andrew helps his chef dad with his website. They don’t get a long at first and I liked the bickering between them.
Sophie and her best friend Micah have a fun relationship! Thank goodness for Micah to help Sophie lighten up, especially when it comes to Andrew. They have their struggles but I love that their bond is hard to break.
Sophie’s broken family is due to her dad leaving their family. But Sophie wants to eventually leave too, but she doesn’t know how those plans will pan out. She questions herself: she doesn’t know if she’s skilled or talented enough to make it in design school.

I’m not sure that anything really resolves between Andrew’s dad and Sophie, but I guess it doesn’t matter, because Andrew finally stands up to him. Still, I just didn’t understand what his problem was with her.
The story is spaced out over the year – for example there was a wedding event, and then a fall festival and in between these events Andrew and Sophie never hung out. So there would be a month they haven’t seen each other and I thought that was interesting.

This was a super quick and enjoyable read. It was refreshing to read a YA contemporary romance since it’s been awhile for me! It was nice to see Sophie grow as a person and I loved her hate to love relationship with Andrew. I look forward to reading more from this author.

💘 ~ Yolanda

Light Singer | Book Review

My Rating: 4/5 Stars

Title: Light Singer (Kingdom of Runes, #4)

Author: Audrey Grey

Format: eBook (Kindle Unlimited)

Pages: 476

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, New Adult

Haven escaped the clutches of the new Sun Sovereign and found solace in Shadoria, but for how long?

Now that the extent of her powers is known, Solis, Noctis, and mortals all hunt her. Meanwhile, chaos reigns across the land. The immortal realm is ruled by a depraved King who will stop at nothing to reclaim Haven as a weapon, while the mortal lands must choose between serving a tyrant or following Prince Bell, the Kinslayer.

And below, in the Netherworld, a great evil awaits, amassing an army of untold powers.

Hunted, plagued by doubt, and torn between duty and love, Haven must find a way to broker peace between the nations before it’s too late.

World Building ~ we are back in the world of A Kingdom of Runes, and Haven is trying to assert her role as the Goddess born. She is trying to win allies but has to prove herself along the way.
Stolas ~ the thing I loved about this book was Stolas and Haven trying to figure out where they stand with one another. Plus things are always so heated between them, in a steamy way. For the most part, their friendship grows as he helps her control her shadow “beast”. Stolas has a vulnerable moment in the book on his mother’s death anniversary and it was so emotional. For me their relationship was the best part of the book! Give me more of Stolas and Haven.
I liked how the ending brought Stolas and Haven into a new adventure – a darker one, and yes I love that he’s this vampire, shifter, fae character – he’s pretty much everything haha. But their new adventure to make her immortal…will it happen? I’m eager to read the next book to find out.

Archeron is so evil ugh…glad Haven is finally over him!
It was nice to see Bell and the rest of Haven’s friends.

If you like fantasy romance books like ACOTAR, then you may enjoy this one because it has so many similar vibes. This is my favorite book of the series so far and I can’t wait to read the next one ~ I hope we get it soon!

🖤 ~ Yolanda

Shadow Knights (Knights of the Realm #2) | Book Review

My Rating: 2/5 Stars

Title: Shadow Knights (Knights of the Realm, #2)

Author: Jennifer Anne Davis

Format: eBook (Kindle Unlimited)

Pages: 301

Categories: Teen Readers, Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance

With Prince Henrick dead, a foreign army in league with the king, and the palace taken, Reid must find a way to right the wrongs for the people of Marsden.

Reid never expected to find love, friendship, or her mother in the kingdom of Axian. She also never expected to become a leader for her people. With the king threatening to overthrow the dukes and take complete control of the kingdom, Reid realizes she may be the only one in a position to stop him. With the ring her father gave her, the commanders of the army at her side, and a master schemer in league with her, Reid just might be able to pull off the greatest upset in Marsden history—all she has to do in step into the role she was born for.

To protect her kingdom, Reid must outsmart them all. Luckily, she’s spent the last eighteen year learning the art of manipulation, and she isn’t above putting those skills to the test.

I read the arc of the first book in the series through NetGalley then saw the final books in these series are on Kindle Unlimited so I decided to finish the series. The first book didn’t was flat – but I did like the girl growing up as a boy, Mulan thing going on. So I wanted to see what happened. Reid is now living as a full on girl, but trying to adjust to it.
I do like Prince Dexter and his brother. They seem to have a close bond and are very different from each other.
The political intrigue between kingdoms is solid. I thought it kept the story moving.

I think this series is for a teen reader yet I was expecting young adult story levels. So this sequel fell even shorter for me than the first did! Reid just feels so weak for someone who grew up as a boy. She is so boring and doesn’t inspire me at all. What was her role as a knight really? She’s supposedly undercover but it seems like everyone knew why she was in Axian, there was nothing shadow like about it! That frustrated me the most.
Reid and Dexter lack chemistry. They didn’t do it for me. 🤷🏻‍♀️
The writing was more telling than showing at times.

I will say this, if you want a simplistic, light, young adult fantasy story, you will enjoy this one. It’s a quick read. For me, I don’t think I’ll read the next book because I just want a bit more from Reid since she is the main character.

😘 ~ Yolanda

Unravel the Dusk (The Blood of Stars, #2) | Book Review

My Rating: 3/5 Stars

Title: Unravel the Dust (The Blood of Stars, #2)

Author: Elizabeth Lim

Format: Hardcover (own)

Pages: 354

Categories: Young Adult, Fantasy

Maia Tamarin’s journey to sew the dresses of the sun, the moon and the stars has taken a grievous toll. She returns to a kingdom on the brink of war. The boy she loves is gone, and she is forced to don the dress of the sun and assume the place of the emperor’s bride-to-be to keep the peace.

But the war raging around Maia is nothing compared to the battle within. Ever since she was touched by the demon Bandur, she has been changing . . . glancing in the mirror to see her own eyes glowing red, losing control of her magic, her body, her mind. It’s only a matter of time before Maia loses herself completely, but she will stop at nothing to find Edan, protect her family, and bring lasting peace to her country.

YA fantasy readers will love the sizzling forbidden romance, mystery, and intrigue of Unravel the Dusk.

Aesthetics ~ both covers for this duology are gorgeous. I love how the first book was bluish tones and this one is red.
I appreciate Maia’s battle with the demon inside her because we all have our own demons we fight daily. So I like how motivational the story is.
This story is darker than Spin the Stars, which was filled with political intrigue. In Unravel the Dusk, Maia is fighting a demon, Ewan is gone, and war is breaking out. This book is action packed.
Great writing and world-building as usual, it’s what I loved about the first book and it continues here, just with a darker tone. The magic is back but now Maia is dealing with the consequences of it from book one.

Oh how I wished I loved this more, but I didn’t. I couldn’t even get into the story, it took me two weeks to finish. Mind you one of those weeks were a very stressful election week in the USA and I gave up reading but I was hoping this book would help me escape from that stress and it did not. I didn’t expect Maia’s journey to get so dark and lonely, but it makes sense since she touched the demon.
I wanted more of Edan and Maia but that comes late into the book. But I really wanted him beside her helping her in the beginning. 😒
This might be a case of me needing to re-read this book when I’m in the right mood. Even though this book fell flat for me personally, I still am excited to read what this author with be writing next!

I didn’t love Unravel the Dusk as much as I did Spin the Stars, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a good duology. Overall, it’s a series about a girl who rises up in a man’s world, tries to help her family and then ends up helping her country. It’s action packed, the message is inspirational and the book covers are gorgeous. I look forward to reading more from this author.

💙 ~ Yolanda

A Deal with the Elf King | Book Review

My Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Title: A Deal with the Elf King

Author: Elise Kova

Format: eBook (Kindle Unlimited)

Pages: 338

Categories: Romance, New Adult, Fantasy, Stand Alone

The elves come for two things: war and wives. In both cases, they come for death.

Three-thousand years ago, humans were hunted by powerful races with wild magic until the treaty was formed. Now, for centuries, the elves have taken a young woman from Luella’s village to be their Human Queen.

To be chosen is seen as a mark of death by the townsfolk. A mark nineteen-year-old Luella is grateful to have escaped as a girl. Instead, she’s dedicated her life to studying herbology and becoming the town’s only healer.

That is, until the Elf King unexpectedly arrives… for her.

Everything Luella had thought she’d known about her life, and herself, was a lie. Taken to a land filled with wild magic, Luella is forced to be the new queen to a cold yet blisteringly handsome Elf King. Once there, she learns about a dying world that only she can save.

The magical land of Midscape pulls on one corner of her heart, her home and people tug on another… but what will truly break her is a passion she never wanted.

Luella is a healer, basically what comes close to a doctor back in her hometown. It’s part of her identity that she doesn’t want to lose just because she is chosen as the next Queen. I like that she holds onto that part of her even though it causes some complications.
Eldas the Elf King comes off like a jerk at times but we get a glimpse of him right away being himself with his best friend Rinni. I mean the guy has been basically alone in a castle with one friend all his life! There is a physical attraction between Luella and Eldas but their relationship grows with the two of them opening up to one another. It’s a slow burn romance but the heat between them is undeniable by the end of the story!
It’s a romance standalone and a quick read at that. It was straight-forward story with a happy ending. I also like that the author says this is a stand alone but more books will be introduced in this world. I’m a sucker for fantasy romances.
I enjoyed all the elements in this light romantic fantasy – it had the enemies to lovers trope, a strong female who was flaws, the friends she makes in Midscape like Willow and of course an unconventional magical wolf pet named Hook.

I can’t say there was much action, so if you are looking for that kind of book, this isn’t it. It’s more of a romance. There was a point in the book where Luella and Eldas are looking for clues to break the tradition of finding human Queens and they just do research, on their own – reading from journals. I wanted them to interact more even just to get them bickering about something.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. It was exactly what I was looking for at the moment, a romantic fantasy with a happily ever after. I look forward to reading more books told in this world.

😘 ~ Yolanda

Warmaidens | ARC Review

My Review: 3/5 Stars

Title: Warmaidens (Gravemaidens, #2)

Author: Kelly Coon

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 352

Publication Date: 12/15/20

Publisher: Random House Children’s

Categories: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance

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

Warmaidens is the dark, action-packed conclusion to the heartwrenching Gravemaidens fantasy duology. Kammani and the maidens are now going to war against the ruler who tried to entomb them.

In the refuge city-state of Manzazu, Kammani has built a thriving healing practice and a life she’s proud of with her siblings, the maidens, and her love, Dagan.

But when an assassin murders a healer he believes is Kammani and attempts to kill Arwia, the displaced queen of Alu, they realize they’re not safe in their safe little haven anymore. Uruku, the usurper to Alu’s throne, has found out they escaped the tomb and must kill them to protect his newly acquired power.

Burning for retribution, the ruler of Manzazu wants to unleash her fiercest weapons on Alu–her warmaidens. But when Kammani’s best friend, Iltani, is captured, Kammani must use her intuition and her heart to restore Arwia to the throne before the life she’s built–and a future with Dagan–burn up in the flames of war.

Thank you to Random House Children’s and NetGalley for giving me a chance to read this eARC.

My Attention: read in five days

World Building: scenery is written wonderfully as in Gravemaidens

Writing Style: easy to read

Crazy in Love: Kammani and Dagan are already in love, Kammani just doesn’t want to be a “wife”

Creativity: Kammani’s life is in danger and they have to get Uruku off the throne

Triggers: violence, grief, misogyny

My Takeaway: You don’t have to give up your dreams when you fall in love with someone.

Iltani was my favorite in the first book, Gravemaidens and she comes back again with her sassy, wild self. She has the most personality out of all the characters. The women power vibes of Kammani and her crew were present in this book which is great.
Dagan is still trying to get Kammani to marry him but she’s worried about balancing her dreams, life and love. What if she doesn’t want children? What if she doesn’t want marriage? I like that the author let Kammani be happy without these things. The message I got was that it was okay to be independent and in love too.
A lot of things go wrong in this book, but I like that no matter what, the friends/families work together to achieve their goal.

I liked Gravemaidens more than this one because it was darker and more mysterious than Warmaidens. This is described as a dark story, but it didn’t feel that way at all.
Other than Iltani, I felt no connection to anyone else.
The way the characters planned out how to take down Uruku felt naive or amateurish, and it was – considering none of them were cold blooded killers, but I lost interest many times when it felt like their plans didn’t feel well thought out.

Though it’s not my favorite book in the duology, I think Warmaidens is a solid conclusion to this series. My favorite character Iltani really came through in personality, and she made the book fun to read. Kammani’s internal questions about how to be in love and not lose her independence really resonated with me and I’m glad to see her make her own choices. If you like stories about family, sisterhood, women power and romance, then you would enjoy this series.

💗 ~ Yolanda

These Violent Delights | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: These Violent Delights

Author: Chloe Gong

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 464

Publication Date: 11/17/20

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Categories: Romeo and Juliet Retelling, Romance, Gangs, Shanghai, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Family

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

The year is 1926, and Shanghai hums to the tune of debauchery.

A blood feud between two gangs runs the streets red, leaving the city helpless in the grip of chaos. At the heart of it all is eighteen-year-old Juliette Cai, a former flapper who has returned to assume her role as the proud heir of the Scarlet Gang—a network of criminals far above the law. Their only rivals in power are the White Flowers, who have fought the Scarlets for generations. And behind every move is their heir, Roma Montagov, Juliette’s first love…and first betrayal.

But when gangsters on both sides show signs of instability culminating in clawing their own throats out, the people start to whisper. Of a contagion, a madness. Of a monster in the shadows. As the deaths stack up, Juliette and Roma must set their guns—and grudges—aside and work together, for if they can’t stop this mayhem, then there will be no city left for either to rule.

Thank you to Margaret K. McElderry Books and NetGalley for giving me a chance to read this eARC.

Let’s break it down:

My Attention: I was along for the wild ride!

World Building: retelling of Romeo & Juliet, Shanghai, 1926 – turf wars between two gangs and a communist faction coming into play

Writing Style: fast paced

Bringing the Heat: 🔥

Crazy in Love: star-crossed lovers, it’s Romeo & Juliet – it was always going to be complicated

Creativity: I loved everything about how this is a Romeo & Juliet retelling, but with gangs in Shanghai.

Mood: Excited for sequel

Triggers: violence, gore, bugs, death

My Takeaway: “These violent delights have violent ends” – Shakespeare

Where do I start? Aesthetics: from the title to the cover…the darkness, the monster…ALL of it. It is perfection and matches the story to a T. Whoever did the cover design…BRAVO.
All the historical content about Shanghai in the 1920’s with foreign powers trying to take a piece of the city was well done. I learned a lot! We also get Juliette’s perspective of being a Chinese young woman being raised in America and the racism she experienced there.
Romeo & Juliet always made a good gangster story, two houses that hate each other. The same vibe in the original is alive in this version except for maybe the romance part. Roma and Juliette have a bloody, heartbreaking past – but their lifestyles don’t allow them to dwell on feelings like that. So in that sense it wasn’t as close to the original but I loved it.
Speaking of romance…there isn’t much of it. The two lovers have basically been torn apart and are given a second chance at love but wow…there is so much keeping Roma and Juliette apart. There is a lot of heartbreak between them, when they do finally acknowledge the past though, it’s further into the story.
The monster or virus that is infecting Shanghai makes this story darker and brings some gore to it. And I enjoyed it a lot. There is a mystery and the two gangs have to find out where this “virus” is coming from and who are the major players.
All the characters are great – but Juliette shines like a diamond that can cut glass. And she wouldn’t be afraid to cut anybody! She is hard edges, she is going to rule the Scarlet Gang one day, she can fight, she can kill and she’s smart.

This is not a full retelling of Romeo & Juliet because it’s going to be a series, so I really want to know more about Juliette’s cousins Kathleen and Rosalind! It almost felt like the story was going to wrap up like the original and then there is a twist…and made an opening for a sequel!
Pacing wise – for me it dragged a little in the middle but it picked up speed right after.

This is how I like my Romeo & Juliet – dark and violent! This had action, mystery, a race against the clock to stop a virus killing people (quite violently) in the city of Shanghai. It has politics, gangster drama and so much heart break. It touches on identity, family bonds and betrayal. This is an amazing retelling of a classic and I cannot wait to read the sequel.

🖤❤️ ~ Yolanda

Cast in Firelight | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Cast in Firelight (Wickery, #1)

Author: Dana Swift

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 448

Publication Date: 11/17/20

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Categories: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance

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

The first book in an epic, heart-pounding fantasy duology about two royal heirs betrothed to be married, but whose loyalties are torn, and a ruthless enemy who threatens their world, perfect for fans of Sabaa Tahir, Hafsah Faizal, and Renée Ahdieh.

Adraa is the royal heir of Belwar, a talented witch on the cusp of taking her royal ceremony test, and a girl who just wants to prove her worth to her people.

Jatin is the royal heir to Naupure, a competitive wizard who’s mastered all nine colors of magic, and a boy anxious to return home for the first time since he was a child.

Together, their arranged marriage will unite two of Wickery’s most powerful kingdoms. But after years of rivalry from afar, Adraa and Jatin only agree on one thing: their reunion will be anything but sweet.

Only, destiny has other plans and with the criminal underbelly of Belwar suddenly making a move for control, their paths cross…and neither realizes who the other is, adopting separate secret identities instead.

My Attention: totally caught

World Building: India inspired with magic – so good

Writing Style: quick, easy read with romance and humor

Bringing the Heat: 🔥

Crazy in Love: slow burn, enemies to lovers

Creativity: I love the India inspired world with different gods that bestow certain magic powers

Mood: happy

Triggers: violence

My Takeaway: Be honest and keep trying.

The world building is lush with the India inspired setting. I love the magic system where gods touch certain people with power, and they are then marked on their arms. There are different levels of power one acquires and they chant words/phrases to conjure up the magic.
The story is told between two perspectives, Adraa and Jatin. Their first meeting doesn’t go as planned and it starts off a relationship between them that is competitive. I love these two as individuals and a couple. The enemies to lovers romance is perfect, with the competition between and the deception. I loved watching them befriend one another and ultimately fall in love. They compliment each other so well.
Adraa as a soon-to-be Maharani has depth. She’s got magic, she’s has her challenges (she’s got a temper and can be impulsive), she cares about her people, and she’s an inventor. What can this girl not do? Well…she can’t conjure up white magic. Adraa also is an undercover agent and a cage caster (ring fighting but with magic!), she is bad ass This girl is ready to lead and not afraid to lead. She never gives up.
I liked the mystery that forces Adraa to go undercover. It introduces so many aspects of the world building from Jatin and Adraa’s home towns to the seedier aspects of the cities where cage casting, drugs and the black markets exists. It gives these two characters on the verge of leading to know more about what’s going with their people.
The mystery, action, humor and romances balances out so nicely in this book!

The author reveals in her notes this is not an OwnVoices story. She mentions being in an interracial relationship and that the characters will look like her children. I think that’s awesome.

Cast in Firelight is exciting, magical, funny, heartwarming and has wonderful world building. I was craving an enemies to lovers story and this was perfect! It had the right balance of humor, romance, action and magic. I look forward to reading more stories created in this world.

The Inheritance Games | Book Review

My Rating: 5/5 Stars

Title: The Inheritance Games

Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Format: Hardcover (own)

Pages: 376

Categories: Mystery, Young Adult, Suspense, Contemporary

Avery Grambs has a plan for a better future: survive high school, win a scholarship, and get out. But her fortunes change in an instant when billionaire Tobias Hawthorne dies and leaves Avery virtually his entire fortune. The catch? Avery has no idea why–or even who Tobias Hawthorne is. To receive her inheritance, Avery must move into sprawling, secret passage-filled Hawthorne House, where every room bears the old man’s touch–and his love of puzzles, riddles, and codes.

Unfortunately for Avery, Hawthorne House is also occupied by the family that Tobias Hawthorne just dispossessed. This includes the four Hawthorne grandsons: dangerous, magnetic, brilliant boys who grew up with every expectation that one day, they would inherit billions. Heir apparent Grayson Hawthorne is convinced that Avery must be a con-woman, and he’s determined to take her down. His brother, Jameson, views her as their grandfather’s last hurrah: a twisted riddle, a puzzle to be solved. Caught in a world of wealth and privilege, with danger around every turn, Avery will have to play the game herself just to survive.

Aesthetics ~ that cover is so awesome in all it’s greenery! Confession – it’s the main reason I bought the book.
World Building ~ a mansion or compound more like in Texas. A billionaire who is fond of puzzles and games dies, leaving his fortune to a stranger. But why did he leave it to Avery and not to his four grandsons? This book is FUN. I loved the puzzles, the secrets, the tragic love triangle, the mystery of the Hawthornes. It did not disappoint.
Characters ~ Avery is a girl trying to survive after her mother’s death. She’s trying to find a way out when she comes into a mysterious inheritance with lots of strings attached. She is smart, has such a brain on her for statistics, I love it. Then there are the Hawthornes: Nash, Grayson, Jameson and Xander. All different, with their own motivations. My favorite? It’s a toss between Grayson and Xander haha.
Romance ~ there is a tragic romance history…is it about to repeat itself? We don’t know yet, it almost did but it stopped short of it.
Writing ~ fast paced, which I love because slow mysteries bore me but I read this in four hours. I could not put it down and I want book two NOW.

The ending is a cliffhanger but I love that this game isn’t over even though we thought it was!

I picked this up because of the cover and it didn’t disappoint at all. It was exactly what I was needing to read right now and I look forward to reading the next book in the series! If you like mystery, puzzles, riddles and handsome brothers, the you will like this one.

💚 ~ Yolanda

Send Me Their Souls | ARC Review

My Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Title: Send Me Their Souls (Bring Me Their Hearts, #3)

Author: Sara Wolf

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 416

Publication Date: 11/3/20

Publisher: Entangled Teen

Categories: Young Adult, Fantasy, Witches, Romance

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

The finale to the epic Bring Me Their Hearts series reaches its thrilling conclusion, full of intrigue, emotion, and of course romance.

Reunited with Lucien, Malachite, and Fione, Zera finally has the choice of whether or not to regain her humanity and give up her life as a Heartless. But with war raging and an army of valkerax on the loose, she’s never needed immortality more. Will they be able to stop Varia without sacrificing themselves in the process?

My Attention: read in 2 days

World Building: the same epic setting as the beginning of the series in Bring Me Their Hearts, but our characters travel to various places in this book

Writing Style: snarky characters, fun dialogue as usual

Crazy in Love: so in love

Creativity: A wonderful fantasy series about a Heartless – who’s life is controlled by her witch (whichever witch holds her heart)

Triggers: violence, mild horror scenes, gore

Zera’s snarkiness is back but this time she’s a little more subdued because she and Lucien are finally together. And I think love makes her a tiny bit softer, in a good way. It’s not only the love from Lucien she has, but also with her new friends, Mal and Fione. We also get Yorl, the feline polymath back in this last book, which is great. I adore the characters in this book!
There is a choice to be made in this final installment – does Zera and her crew let Varia live? Or do they destroy her, the Valkerax and the Bone Tree? Varia is Lucien’s sister and Fione’s lover, so Zera needs to weigh her options, except all the options are so bleak. The final decision made me tear up a little.
We get to travel with Zera and her crew in this book. They visit Nightsinger in the witch-city of Windowhigh and then they board a ship, taking a journey to The Black Archives where the warrior polymaths live. Lastly, we get a little bit of Malachite’s background when the final battle takes place underground in Pala Amna.
I love Ev (Evlorasin), the valkerax who has a blood bond with Zera. He reminds me of Falcor from The Neverending Story! He makes a quick appearance in the book, but I always love it when he shows up.
The one thing I love about this series is that it isn’t afraid to get dark and gory yet it has a sense of humor also. I mean I guess I’d laugh to if I couldn’t really die from life threatening wounds most people would perish from. But this story is intense and yes I shed a tear at the end, before the epilogue haha…but ugh…my heart.

There are some pacing issues with this book and I think it’s because they have to figure out what to do about Varia. They are mostly trying to find out information about the Bone Tree, the Glass Tree and then the Tree of Souls…so there was a lot of info dumping. The first two books were so intense that I thought this one dragged a bit in the beginning. The action comes at the end in the final battle.
As for Varia…I did not care about her, at all. I know she’s Lucien’s sister and Fione’s mate but let me just say she gets it easy in the end after all the sacrifices Zera, Lucien, Fione and Malachite had to go through!

What a series! I think this was a solid ending to the series, but it’s not my favorite book in the trilogy. I shed a few tears after that final battle though so it made me feel all kinds of things. There was no good choice to make, but Zera did what she had to do. I loved Zera and her crew, they bring the fun and jokes – in many morbid situations. I’m so happy she got her heart back.

🖤 ~ Yolanda