Category: series

The Hemlock Queen by. Hannah Whitten | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Hemlock Queen (The Nightshade Crown, #2)

Author: Hannah Whitten

Format: ebook (borrowed)

Pages: 400

Publication Date: 4/9/24

Categories: Fantasy, Series, Love Triangle


In the second installment of New York Times bestselling author Hannah Whitten’s lush, romantic epic fantasy series, a young woman who can raise the dead must navigate the dangerous and glamorous world of the Sainted King’s royal court. 

The corrupt king August is dead. Prince Bastian has seized the throne and raised Lore—a necromancer and former smuggler—to his right hand side. Together they plan to cut out the rot from the heart of the sainted court and help the people of Dellaire. But not everyone is happy with the changes. The nobles are sowing dissent, the Kyrithean Empire is beating down their door, and Lore’s old allies are pulling away. Even Prince Bastian’s changed. No longer the hopeful, rakish, charismatic man Lore knows and loves, instead he’s reckless, domineering and cold. 

And something’s been whispering in her ear. A voice, dark and haunting, that’s telling her there’s more to the story than she knows and more to her power than she can even imagine. A truth buried deep that could change everything. 

With Bastian’s coronation fast approaching and enemies whispering on all sides, Lore must figure out how to protect herself, her prince, and her country before they all come crumbling down and whatever dark power has been creeping through the catacombs is unleashed.

Content Warning: violence

+ I did how everything get messier with the Gods and how they were inhabiting different people. It is the worse for Bastian who is being possessed by Apollius. So it changes him a lot because Apollius is sinister.

+ I do like the supporting cast and the political intrigue happening as Bastian tries to make allies with enemies, or so he says. There is a lot that is unveiled and explained where it comes to the Gods. The world-building is great and shows

~ But this story is too slow. I didn’t even realize it was only 400 pages because it felt like more and took me a few days to finish. I did like the beginning, there is a lull in the middle and then it finishes off strong. Getting to that strong ending though took awhile.

~ I don’t mind love triangles but I do not like this one. I hate that Lore is so indecisive between Bastian and Gabe. I think by the end she decides she loves both of them so what is this going to be? A throuple? I don’t think Bastian or Gabe want to share her. So this romance frustrates me a lot and I don’t feel connected to either of them.

My Final Thoughts:

This one was okay. I think it was just too slow in some parts and too much of Lore trying to figure out which boy she really loves and wants to be with which got tiring. I wanted romance in this but this isn’t it. I think the world-building is great and the politics but I’ll go into book three a little more reserved I think – we shall see what happens!

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The Foxglove King by. Hannah Whitten | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

For the Throne by. Hannah F. Whitten | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

For the Wolf by. Hannah F. Whitten | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️

King of Sloth by. Ana Huang | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: King of Sloth

Author: Ana Huang

Format: ebook (borrowed)

Pages: 466

Publication Date: 4/30/24

Categories: Romance, Contemporary, Series



He’d never wanted anyone enough to chase them…until he met her.

Charming, easygoing, and rich beyond belief, Xavier Castillo has the world at his fingertips. 

He also has no interest in taking over his family’s empire (much to his father’s chagrin), but that hasn’t stopped women from throwing themselves at him…unless the woman in question is his publicist. 

Nothing brings him more joy than riling her up, but when a tragedy forces them closer than ever, he must grapple with the uncertainty of his future—and the realization that the only person immune to his charms is the only one he truly wants.  

***
Cool, intelligent, and ambitious, Sloane Kensington is a high-powered publicist who’s used to dealing with difficult clients. 

However, none infuriate—or tempt—her more than a certain billionaire heir, with his stupid dimples and laid-back attitude. 

She may be forced to work with him, but she’ll never fall for him…no matter how fast he makes her heart beat or how thoughtful he is beneath his party persona. 

He’s her client, and that’s all he’ll ever be. Right?

Content Warning: grief, death of parents, strained family relationships

+ This one started off really good. I always thought Sloane was a strong character from book one – she’s the publicist who works hard and is good at her job. She kind of has a reputation as cold and an “ice princess” which is interesting because I felt she was fiery and somewhat of a machine that a princess. Also she doesn’t have a good relationship with her family. But I always found her a good friend when she appeared in the first two books of this series.

+ Xavier is charming, handsome and caring but kind of lacking direction. He also has some demons he’s struggling with along with a strained relationship with his father. He’s an heir to a billionaire fortune he doesn’t want so he tries to find his own way. Sloane is basically his “babysitter” trying to rehab his party boy image and I thought her being hard of him was kind of funny because he didn’t seem bothered by it at all. But with his party boy image I was assuming he would be a “bad boy” but he really wasn’t. He’s actually a sweet and nice guy, not ruthless at all which was not what I was expecting.

+~ I feel like the romance started great but sort of lost steam after the midway point only because they are both dealing with some challenges in their own separate lives. Obviously they don’t lose feelings for one another and only get better the longer they date, but I wanted more angst maybe but they are more of a comfort to one another which is nice – I just wanted some tension. Maybe because they got together so soon in the book and I wanted their back and forth to be drawn out a bit longer?

~ I really wish this was under 400 pages because I was losing interest at the 60% mark and that makes me wonder if I just didn’t care after they started dating because I knew they would be okay. The rest of the book was about Xavier trying to start his own business and Sloane dealing with family drama, because her family is awful. But I was skimming some of these pages at the end.

My Final Thoughts:

I really liked how this book started off but then it fizzled out for me in the second half. I think Sloane and Xavier are a cute couple, I just wanted more tension to build between them before they got together. I do like how they are there for each other though. I think I had this misconception that Xavier would be ruthless and be a real bad boy but in actuality Sloane is the ruthless one and she has to be in order to whip him into shape! Overall, I enjoyed the first part of the book but I kind of got bored with the second half.

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King of Greed by. Ana Huang | Book Review ⭐️⭐️

King of Pride by. Ana Huang | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

King of Wrath by. Ana Huang | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Fire Endless by. Rebecca Ross | Audiobook Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: A Fire Endless (Elements of Cadence, #2)

Author: Rebecca Ross

Format: audiobook (borrowed)

Pages: 512

Publication Date: 12/6/22

Categories: Fantasy, Series, Adult Fiction, Magic

East and West. Humans and Spirits. Breccans and Tamerlaines. The Isle of Cadence has always held itself and its residents in a tenuous balance. But now Bane, the spirit of the North Wind, has pushed everyone and everything in his path off-kilter in a bid to claim dominion over all.

In the West, Adaira struggles to adjust to the more brutal, bitter ways of life among the Breccans. Striving to find her place in the clan, she swiftly realizes that it just might be the last role she desires to hold. And while magic blooms effortlessly for the Breccans in the west, the spirits continue to suffer beneath Bane’s harsh power, felt in every gust of wind.

In the East, Jack is adrift without Adaira until he sings to the ember-weak fire spirits, acquiring a dangerous mission he never expected. One that is destined to lead him westward. Likewise, Torin and Sidra are consumed by a new mystery as sickness spreads first amongst the crops, and then to the people of the Tamerlaine clan. While Sidra desperately searches for a cure, Torin dares to strike a bargain with the spirits—a precarious folly anytime, but especially now as the days grow darker.

With the island falling further out of balance, humans and spirits alike will need to join together to face Bane, and Jack’s gift with the harp will be called upon once more. Yet no one can challenge the North Wind without paying a terrible price, and the sacrifice required this time may be more than Jack, Adaira, Torin, and Sidra can bear to pay.

In the stunning conclusion to the Elements of Cadence duology, A Fire Endless finds the delicate balance between the human and faerie realm threatened by Bane, the spirit of the North Wind, whose defeat can only come through fire, song, and heart-rending sacrifice.

Content Warning:

The narrator for this audiobook did such a good job with the voices and the accent, combined with the author’s awesome storytelling I was swept away into the story.

I didn’t re-read the first book in the series, so it did take me awhile to find my footing in the story. But I remember loving Torin and Sidra’s love story and it continues in this book though they have so many challenges. There is also Jack and Adaira but they are apart a lot in this book which is sad. There is blight ravaging the East and spirits to deal with on both sides.

It is a 500 page book and I felt like it moved slowly, especially it being in audiobook form. I don’t know if I would have the same feeling is I had read the book but it is consistent with book one, which was slow also, but I still enjoyed it.

My Final Thoughts:

It’s a story filled with strife, magic, community and love. I’m glad I got to finally finish this series!

Book Links:

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Book Review: The Queen’s Rising ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A River Enchanted by. Rebecca Ross | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Sisters of Sword and Song by. Rebecca Ross | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Divine Rivals by. Rebecca Ross | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Ruthless Vows by. Rebecca Ross | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

The Graham Effect by. Elle Kennedy | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: The Graham Effect (Campus Diaries, #1)

Author: Elle Kennedy

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 498

Publication Date: 10/31/23

Categories: New Adult, Romance, Series, Hockey Romance, Sports Romance


Gigi Graham has exactly three qualify for the women’s national hockey team, win Olympic gold, and step out of her famous father’s shadow. So far, so good, except for two little things. Fine – a little thing and a big, grumpy thing. She needs to improve her game behind the net, and she needs help from Luke Ryder.

Ryder is six-foot five, built, opinionated, rude . . . and sexy as hell. But he’s still the enemy.

Briar’s new hockey co-captain has his reasons, though. The men’s team just merged with a rival program, leaving Ryder with an angry roster where everyone hates one another’s guts. To make matters worse, the summer coaching spot he’s angling for with the legendary Garrett Graham is out of reach after he makes the worst possible first impression on his hero. So, really, this compromise with Gigi is win-win. He helps her make the national team, she puts in a good word with her dad.

The only potential snag? This bone-deep, body-numbing, mind-spinning chemistry they’re trying to ignore. It’s a dangerous game they’re playing, but the risks just might be worth it.

Content Warning: traumatic childhood

I read the Off-Campus Series by Elle Kennedy back when it was first published almost 10 years ago – wow! I don’t remember if I read them all though and I for sure didn’t read any of the Briar U series but here is a new series called Campus Diaries and it takes place at Briar University. But this time the wild hockey boys from Off-Campus have grown up! The Graham Effect is all about Garrett Graham’s college aged daughter, Gigi. She’s a hockey player too is trying to make the Olympic Team but also having the most fun at college with the hockey boys and her best friends.

I thought this was a cute and spicy romance but also it was more than just a fluffy romance. Not gonna lie, I was expecting a fluffy and spicy hockey romance. This one is shy of 500 pages and I think it was a tad bit too long. But the story does give us a whole spectrum of Gigi and Ryder’s romance. I thought they had great chemistry and there are a lot of spicy scenes between them. Gigi is a good girl, good daughter and student – she was pretty much perfect. Ryder is the boy with the reputation for a bad attitude, but he is definitely the boy with the traumatic childhood. The two made a good couple because honesty was number one for them – no matter what. Loved that about them.

I loved seeing Gigi and Ryder’s relationship grow – and I love all the different characters we meet! Gigi has her best friends, Mya and Diana and Ryder has his close buddies and then some with his old and new teammates. There are a lot of names to remember but I thought each character stood out on their own pretty well. Do I think everyone needed to be introduced? Maybe not. Also, I know this is a sports/hockey romance and I like the sports stuff fine, but not so much of it. I really did feel like at some point this story kept going on and on. Another thing that I won’t spoil but something happens at the end of the book and I was like…why?! 😅 Why did that need to happen?

My Final Thoughts:

This is a spicy new adult hockey romance set in college. It’s got good looking and mostly nice characters (a lot of characters). Gigi is sweet, smart and athletic and Ryder is gruff, not a talker and athletic. They have a great chemistry and a strong relationship. I do think the story was way too long and some things could have been cut but overall still a very fun read.

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Misfit by. Elle Kennedy | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Bad Girl Reputation by. Elle Kennedy | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️

Good Girl Complex by. Elle Kennedy | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

So Let Them Burn By. Kamilah Cole | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: So Let Them Burn (Divine Traitors, #1)

Author: Kamilah Cole

Format: ebook (borrowed)

Pages: 400

Publication Date: 1/16/24

Categories: Fantasy, Young Adult, Jamaica Inspired, Dragons, Romance, LGBT+


Whip-smart and immersive, this Jamaican-inspired fantasy follows a gods-blessed heroine who’s forced to choose between saving her sister or protecting her homeland.

Faron Vincent can channel the power of the gods. Five years ago, she used her divine magic to liberate her island from its enemies, the dragon-riding Langley Empire. But now, at seventeen, Faron is all powered up with no wars to fight. She’s a legend to her people and a nuisance to her neighbors.

When she’s forced to attend an international peace summit, Faron expects that she will perform tricks like a trained pet and then go home. She doesn’t expect her older sister, Elara, forming an unprecedented bond with an enemy dragon—or the gods claiming the only way to break that bond is to kill her sister.

As Faron’s desperation to find another solution takes her down a dark path, and Elara discovers the shocking secrets at the heart of the Langley Empire, both must make difficult choices that will shape each other’s lives, as well as the fate of their world.

“By turns hopeful and devastating, So Let Them Burn is a masterful debut with a blazing heart. I was captivated from beginning to end by Cole’s sharp, clever prose and by her protagonists—two remarkable sisters with an unforgettable bond.” — Chelsea Abdullah, author of The Stardust Thief

Content Warning: violence

I thought the premise of this book was very intriguing – Jamaican inspired and dragons?

I love the sister bond between Faron and Elara. Faron is the Child Empyrean – chosen by the Gods, and gifted with power. She is the chosen but is the younger sister and makes a few mistakes in this books showing her immaturity. Elara is the older sister and is always in her sister’s shadow but longs to shine on her own. The sister are apart for most of the book but I think it helps to see them apart because Elara grows a lot from her new situation, whereas I think Faron alone needed her sister’s guidance.

I liked learning all about the dragons and the world-building is great. I would have liked more about the dragon academy since I think the best thing about this book was about the dragons. There is an interesting plot twist that occurs and I can see how this is going to complicate things a lot for the sisters. There are two romances happening for each sister, I’d say I was more into Elara’s building romance than Faron’s. But with everything that happened in the end of the book, I’m now much more curious how it’s going to end up for Faron. I think Gael Soto’s character is very intriguing and it will be interesting to see what happens to him in book two.

I did feel like this is more for younger young adult audiences.

My Final Thoughts:

Overall this one was entertaining and you definitely like it if you are looking for a younger young adult novel with dragons in it.

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The Veiled Kingdom by. Holly Renee | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Veiled Kingdom (The Veiled Kingdom, #1)

Author: Holly Renee

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 364

Publication Date: 3/19/24

Categories: Romance, Fantasy, Adult Fiction, Fae, Enemies to Lovers


From USA Today Bestselling Author Holly Renee, author of the Stars and Shadows series, comes a scorching new fantasy romance that ignites the pages with relentless danger, forbidden passion, and the intoxicating allure of enemies to lovers.

Fleeing my father’s cruelty, the wicked king who robbed me of a future, I face death in the streets, caught between a rebellion and a tyrant’s reign.

Captured by those sworn to kill me, the rebels remain blind to my true identity—the missing daughter of the despised king. Faced with an impossible choice, I stand before them: join the rebels or face their blades.

Yet, Dacre, the son of the ruthless rebellion commander, becomes torn between suspicion and a desire that mirrors my own. He allows no one to touch me, tries to protect me, yet threatens me at every turn.

As secrets are weaved beyond our hidden realm, a fierce battle unfolds within me. As I get closer to the rebels, and their cause, my loyalty to my kingdom clashes with my undeniable devotion to Dacre and the burning connection between us.

In a world where love and hate are two edges of the same blade, I find myself caught in a delicate dance between forbidden desire and my looming destiny.

Content Warning: toxic parental relationship

I went into this one blind – I saw the book cover, love the colors, thought the synopsis sounded pretty good and hit “read for free” since it’s on Kindle Unlimited. I read it in one night!

I wanted “enemies to lovers” and I got it. Nyra is a runaway princess – her father’s regime is ruthless and she had to escape him. There is a rebellion movement planning to take him down but they are in search of this so-called princess people haven’t seen in awhile. The son of the rebellion is Dacre and he is Nyra’s enemy…for now.

The chemistry between Nyra and Dacre is so good. He’s her captor, she’s the captive. He doesn’t trust her and treats her like she’s a pebble in his shoe but she doesn’t cower. Even when he’s disrespecting her, and insulting her while he trains her, always egging her on – she never cowers in front of him but instead takes it and I guess it even turns her on. I will say that there are qualities to Dacre that are admirable, like obviously he cares for his sister Wren and he is loyal to his people and the rebellion. He has an awful dad and his mom’s death traumatized him so he is hard edges and just – hard. 😅

There’s a lot of spicy scenes between Nyra and Dacre but it comes later in the book, which I thought was perfect timing. It didn’t happen so quick, but it definitely kept me seated and reading, waiting to see if something more would happen – and I was not disappointed!

As far as world-building, I just wanted a little more but because I’m used to it in other fantasy books. I felt like this one is one of those addictive reads with not as much world-building but maybe in comes in book two? A lot time is spent with Dacre training Nyra and the story is mostly set in the rebel city, so I’m hoping book two takes us back to Nyra’s kingdom and we get to actually meet this horrible father of hers.

I devoured this book but unfortunately now I have to wait for book two which comes out in July!

My Final Thoughts:

This hit all my romantasy cravings ~ enemies to lovers, captor/captive, one bed, alphahole and his dirty talk (naughty, naughty!), and this is a world of faeries which I also love but I need a bit more world-building. I want to know more about these fae kingdoms, more backstory and maybe more depth with Nyra (I’m thinking we get it with that cliffhanger ending!) but other than that, I’ll be waiting for book two. I’m addicted!

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The Fine Print by. Lauren Asher | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: The Fine Print (Dreamland Billionaires #1)

Author: Lauren Asher

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 431

Publication Date: 7/8/21

Categories: Romance, Adult Fiction, Billionaire Romance, Workplace Romance


Rowan
I’m in the business of creating fairy tales.
Theme parks. Production companies. Five-star hotels.
Everything could be all mine if I renovated Dreamland.
My initial idea of hiring Zahra was good in theory, but then I kissed her.
Things spiraled out of control once I texted her using an alias.
By the time I realized where I went wrong, it was too late.
People like me don’t get happy endings.
Not when we’re destined to ruin them.

Zahra
After submitting a drunk proposal criticizing Dreamland’s most expensive ride, I should have been fired.
Instead, Rowan Kane offered me a dream job.
The catch? I had to work for the most difficult boss I’d ever met.
Rowan was rude and completely off-limits, but my heart didn’t care.
At least not until I discovered his secret.
It was time to teach the billionaire that money couldn’t fix everything.
Especially not us.

The Fine Print is the first book in a series of interconnected standalones following three billionaire brothers.

Content Warning: toxic parental relationship

I love the characters in this story – Zahra is quirky, but wholesome and comes from a good, loving family. She’s had a bad experience with an ex-boyfriend but overall, she’s strong, warm and people love her. She’s miss sunshine with a little bit of sass because she can definitely keep up with Rowan’s grumpy personality. I found their interactions and banter really fun!

I also love Zahra’s sister, Ani, who has down syndrome – she was so funny, cute and cool! I loved that she had her own little sass too and could keep up with Rowan. Rowan is the typical rich, handsome, grumpy guy trying to live up to family expectations but he has quite a past himself and is dealing with his mother’s and grandfather’s passing.

I thought the romance progressed really good from their first meeting and then all their interactions in between up until their conflict. I do think the story went on a bit too long and Rowan was being a jerk with ending things and then wanting her back right away. Like come on man, you are seriously stringing this nice girl along and she really didn’t deserve that. Yes, he has commitment issues and needed to work on them but yeah…even I was getting tired of it.

It did have a cute ending but it could have come sooner for sure!

My Final Thoughts:

I thought this was a cute one and I do love Zahra and Rowan together – he just needed to get his stuff together earlier so this could be a nice 350 page book. 😅 I don’t think we got a good feel of either of his brothers in this book but I’ll be reading their stories for sure.

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Fate & Furies by. Helen Scheuerer | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Fate & Furies (The Legends of Thezmarr, #3)

Author: Helen Scheuerer

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 431

Publication Date: 2/22/24

Categories: New Adult, Series, Fantasy, Romance, Magic


“I always knew you would be the end of me.” With darkness cursing the world around her, Althea Zoltaire is desperate for vengeance. But as she hunts Wilder Hawthorne across the kingdoms, brutal secrets begin to unravel. Not knowing what – or who – to trust, Thea and her companions find themselves entwined with a destiny far greater than one man. Together, they must navigate the haunting revelations that could shatter the very foundations of the midrealms. Yet it’s not only the world at stake, but Thea’s heart too. As everything teeters on the verge of destruction, her fate collides once more with Wilder’s. Will their reunion ignite the fiery passion between them amidst the ashes of betrayal? Or will it end in a heartbreaking, deadly showdown? In a journey fraught with danger, where the lines between enemies and allies blur, Thea must decide where her loyalties lie, and who will stand at her side against the looming evil. Get ready for an epic adventure brimming with steamy romance, and a sprawling world of magic and monsters. Fate & Furies is the penultimate book in the spellbinding epic romantic fantasy series, The Legends of Thezmarr and is perfect for fans of Fourth Wing, The Bridge Kingdom, and The Witcher.

Content Warning: violence, death

+ I wasn’t sure if I was going to continue with this series because I thought book two was okay but I guess I’m back because it was in my library and I’ve been trying to read all the books I haven’t in my kindle library so I picked this up and was determined to finished it and I did it in one sitting. This was much better than book two!

+ Thea and her traveling buddies, Kipp and Cal (who I love), are trying to find Wilder Hawthorne, to arrest him, but he’s the guy who broke Thea’s heart and now she’s adamant to never forgive him or fall for him ever again. But that’s hard when he’s basically her soulmate. I’m glad it doesn’t take too long for them to find him because this book is better when Thea and Wilder are together. Now mind you the story states it’s been a year since Thea and Wilder had seen each other so he’s been missing her badly but she’s been turning her heart into stone the whole time. I really like how they have to face some things about their relationship. Their desire for one another is undeniable and I’m glad they don’t lean on that to make their relationship work – they actually do the hard part and confront the issues between them.

+ Speaking of confronting issues, which I loved about this book, Thea gets a chance to finally talk face to face with her long lost sister, who was supposed to be the enemy. It’s a hard talk, but it’s the beginning of healing which is so awesome for them. Now just waiting for Wren to come around to it all and then this sisterhood will be complete. I love that about this book that even though it’s a romance, Thea has so many other important relationships in her life that she has to fix – especially everything going on with her sisters.

+ Thea grows so much from learning to have the hard talks with important people in her life. It’s not always so easy to forgive the people that hurt you but she does it even if it hurts some more. Also, her friendship with Cal and Kipp, is what friendship should be about. She has two people that is close to her who will talk to her and tell her when things don’t look right. And she was mature enough to listen. Oh and I really love when she has to go through the Great Rite to finally become the warrior she’s always wanted to be. It’s a mental and physical trial and doesn’t take up a lot of time in the book but I thought the Furies were just so cool.

+ This is a romantasy – romance/fantasy and yes we get some spice between Wilder and Thea. But I love that it doesn’t come until later while they are trying to figure things out because like he said – it needed to be figured out! He wanted her whole, not just for sex and distraction, and he wanted her only when she was ready to be in it 100% with him. I love them together.

My Final Thoughts:

I believe I still have Slaying the Shadow Prince in my kindle library as well so I will read it next because it’s about an important character in this world. But Fates & Furies was really an enjoyable read filled with themes of family, friendship, love and forgiveness. I love how much Thea has grown from book one and I can’t wait to see what happens in book four! This series has everything I enjoy in a romance fantasy!

Book Links:

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Blood & Steel by. Helen Scheuerer | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Vows & Ruins by. Helen Scheuerer | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️

A Lair of Bones (Curse of the Cyren Queen #1) by. Helen Scheuerer | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️

With Dagger and Song by. Helen Scheuerer | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Fabric of Chaos by. Helen Scheuerer | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

The Prisoner’s Throne by. Holly Black | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: The Prisoner’s Throne

Author: Holly Black

Format: hardcover (owned)

Pages: 359

Publication Date: 3/5/2024

Categories: Young Adult, Politics, Faerie, Series, Romance

An imprisoned prince. A vengeful queen. And a battle that will determine the future of Elfhame.

Prince Oak is paying for his betrayal. Imprisoned in the icy north and bound to the will of a monstrous new queen, he must rely on charm and calculation to survive. With High King Cardan and High Queen Jude willing to use any means necessary to retrieve their stolen heir, Oak will have to decide whether to attempt regaining the trust of the girl he’s always loved or to remain loyal to Elfhame and hand over the means to end her reign—even if it means ending Wren, too.



With a new war looming on the horizon and treachery lurking in every corner, neither Oak’s guile nor his wit will be enough to keep everyone he loves alive. It’s just a question of whom he will doom.

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author Holly Black comes the stunning blood-soaked conclusion to the Stolen Heir duology.

Content Warning: violence, death

+ This is Oak’s side of the story, whereas The Stolen Heir was Wren’s story. Oak is such a complicated character. He’s gifted with tongue to persuade people to do whatever he wants which is dangerous but also makes it difficult for him to know who really knows him. He is charming, and acts so unaffected. His family has sheltered him all his life, well except for his dad, but behind the scenes he was making things happen in ways they were unaware of. Oak has killed, manipulated, lied, deceived, done things he didn’t want to do but would do for his goals. And Wren saw through his disguise of charm – straight to the imperfect parts of him.

+ Oak and Wren’s relationship is as real as it can get when both people come from messy backgrounds. They both came from dysfunctional families, though there is love in those families, there was a lot of feelings of fear and not being safe also. That’s what I love about their love for one another. They are both broken in their own way but together…everything will be alright even with their imperfections.

+ I love Cardan – he is too funny with his sassy self. His quips were just classic Cardan and nice to see in the story. Jude is in this story too and I liked that it shows her power as Queen but also her role as Oak’s sister and how she needed to learn to let him go and make his own mistakes.

+Tiernan and Hyacinth’s love story was a nice addition. They actually had the tension I was hoping Oak and Wren would have.

~ I do miss the tension that was present in The Folk of the Air series. I just love how dark, tense, and cutthroat it was whereas The Stolen Heir duology almost feels cozy. It might be because of Oak’s oozing charm haha, and his perspective being different than Jude’s of course.

~ The beginning was a bit slow but it picks up after the halfway mark.

My Final Thoughts:

Is this the end of this series? Because I swear once they mentioned the Undersea I was like…hmmm…Nicasia? Is there a story there waiting to be written? I wouldn’t mind because I love this world. Overall, I enjoyed this book though the second half was more action packed than the first.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Stolen Heir by. Holly Black | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories by. Holly Black | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Book of Night by. Holly Black | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Heart of the Sun Warrior by. Sue Lynn Tan | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Heart of the Sun Warrior (The Celestial Kingdom, #2)

Author: Sue Lynn Tan

Format: ebook (borrowed)

Pages: 480

Publication Date: 11/10/2022

Categories: Fantasy, Series, Sequel, Chinese Mythology, Romance

After her perilous quest to free her mother, Xingyin thrives once more in the tranquility of her home. But her fragile peace is threatened by the discovery of a strange magic on the moon and the unsettling changes in the Celestial Kingdom as the emperor tightens his grip on power. While Xingyin is determined to keep clear of the rising danger, the discovery of a shocking truth spurs her into a treacherous confrontation.

Forced to flee her home once more, Xingyin and her companions venture to unexplored lands of the Immortal Realm, encountering legendary creatures and shrewd monarchs, beloved friends and bitter adversaries. With alliances shifting quicker than the tides, Xingyin has to overcome past grudges and enmities to forge a new path forward, seeking aid where she never imagined she would. As an unspeakable terror sweeps across the realm, Xingyin must uncover the truth of her heart and claw her way through devastation–to rise against this evil before it destroys everything she holds dear, and the worlds she has grown to love… even if doing so demands the greatest price of all.

The stunning sequel to Daughter of the Moon Goddess delves deeper into beloved Chinese mythology, concluding the epic story of Xingyin–the daughter of Chang’e and the mortal archer, Houyi–as she battles a grave new threat to the realm, in this powerful tale of love, sacrifice, and hope.

Content Warning: violence, death

+ What a gorgeous book cover! This whole series has some of the most beautiful book covers I’ve ever seen.

+ The story continues with Xingyin living on the Moon with the people she loves but she finds out there is a way to save her dad, who she thought was dead. Also another storyline happening is there is a traitor in the Celestial Kingdom who is making moves trying to usurp the Emperor, but Xingyin and her mother gets caught in the drama. I love the story about her parents and I’m glad there is a happy ending there.

+ I think the world of the Celestial Kingdom is so magical and ethereal. I was transported into the story with these celestial characters riding on their clouds, fighting with magic and there are even dragons.

+ Apparently I didn’t think too much of Wenzhi in the first book, which is surprising, because I liked him a lot in this book! I like how he’s trying to show Xingyin that he has changed, that he feels regret and remorse for doing what he did to further his goals. He doesn’t give up on her but also gives her space to figure out how she feels. I like how he helps her with what she needs even if he doesn’t agree with some of her plans. The ending gutted me though, I hated what happened to him.

~ The love triangle…I dislike it because I like both men. And she loves them both in their own ways also, which makes it even worse when it comes time for her to choose one of them. In the end I was rooting for Wenzhi but I was sad that things couldn’t work with Liwei because I loved their friendship turned into love. Unfortunately, his life as Emperor wasn’t what she would have been happy with. But I didn’t like how long it took for her to figure things out.

~ And speaking of the love triangle, this makes me want to point out that Xingyin was impulsive at times. She made frustrating choices. I know she wanted to save Liwei, and she wanted to save her family – she really didn’t have to always be the heroine. There were so many people who wanted to help her.

My Final Thoughts:

At times reading this book I thought that this didn’t have to really be a series and that Daughter of the Moon Goddess stands pretty good on it’s own. And though I didn’t love the love triangle situation, I’m curious to see what the ending means – since on Goodreads it says there is a third book to this series! Overall, this was entertaining, despite the little issues I had with it here and there. Also, the writing and the world building is beautiful. I’ll definitely read book three.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Daughter of the Moon Goddess by. Sue Lynn Tan | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫