Tag: book review

The Poet Empress by. Shen Tao | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: The Poet Empress

Author: Shen Tao

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 400

Publication Date: 1/20/26

Categories: Dark Fantasy, Historical Fantasy


Debut author Shen Tao introduces readers to the lush, deadly world of The Poet Empress, a sweeping, epic and intimate fantasy perfect for fans of The Serpent & the Wings of Night, The Song of Achilles and She Who Became the Sun.

In the waning years of the Azalea Dynasty, the emperor is dying, the land consumed by famine, and poetry magic lost to all except the powerful.

Wei Yin is desperate. After the fifth death of a sibling, with her family and village on the brink of starvation, she will do anything to save those she loves.

Even offer herself as concubine to the cruel heir of the beautiful and brutal Azalea House.

But in a twist of fate, the palace stands on the knife-edge of civil war with Wei trapped in its center…at the side of a violent prince.

To survive, Wei must harden her heart, rely on her wit, and become dangerous herself. Even if it means becoming a poet in a world where women are forbidden to read—and composing the most powerful spell of all. A ballad of death…and love.

The Poet Empress is an epic fantasy that explores darker themes, subjects, and scenes that may not be suitable for all readers. Please see the author’s content note at the beginning of the book.

Content Warning: violence, death, self-harm, abuse, torture

I heard so many good things about this book and was happy to see it on Kindle Unlimited.

+ Wei, her family, and their whole village is starving. There has been a famine for years, and there seems to be no help from the emperor. So when the new heir for Emperor needs concubines, Wei tries her luck and is totally rejected because she’s a peasant. Until she makes a bold statement. Her life changes from then on but it’s relative to say that her life improved for the better because now she got to love in Azalea House, the house for concubines and she has food. But her fiancé tortures her every night. He hurts her physically and then heals her. To top it off the concubines want her gone so Wei has to learn quick how to survive.

+ Wei is an amazing character. She’s strong because of her poor upbringing, but quick to learn when she sees the royals are a different beast to deal with. I love how she realizes learning to read and write will give her power. Wei goes from a peasant to the one who has the most power in the story. She may not have magic like the Princes but she is smart and strong (mentally). Terren, her soon to be husband, kills people for fun. He hurts Wei, for amusement, but wow is his backstory heartbreaking. I hated him but he was made into the monster he is and half of this story is about learning how it happened. Wei has some choices to make at the end of this story because she can change the course of history…but will she do it? There are a lot of morally gray characters in this story which is only fitting with so much at stake.

+ There is so much court political intrigue and there is a lot of violence too. But it’s a sad story when you see how the court turned brother against brother. How power corrupts, and how power can be a mask for fear. Or how power is limited to only men, by denying women things like learning how to read. This is another book that is timely for what is happening in the world today – especially when it comes to women’s rights, how women are treated, and the abuse happening to women at the hand of elites.

+ The magic system was very interesting, it had to do with poetry. To have power you needed to know how to read and write.

~ It may seem like a slow read at first but it’s building towards an epic ending. It’s necessary to learn the background of Mao and his brother Terren. But don’t expect romance in this story, this is not that type of story! The love story is the one between Mao and Terren and how they are torn from one another. Also this is a dark story so check any trigger warnings.

Quotes From This Book:

“What is the point of suffering if we have nothing to gain?” – The Poet Empress by. Shen Tao

“How often was it, I wondered then, that the path we took was one forced upon us?” – The Poet Empress by. Shen Tao

“Why are women always expected to love those who would hurt us? To take care of those who would use us, however they please, without the slightest regard for whether we lived or died?” – The Poet Empress by. Shen Tao

“So you see now, Lady Yin, power is such a wicked thing. Razing everything it its path, consuming all, leaving none untouched. Not even the kindest of souls among us are spared, once they have had so much as a taste.” – The Poet Empress by. Shen Tao

“I don’t know how much suffering is normal. How much was ordinary, expected, the price we paid to live. How much was created by us, needless.” – The Poet Empress by. Shen Tao

“It could be the greatest nation in the world, the most magnificent empire there ever existed. But if it could not keep its own children safe and fed, was it really something worth fighting to save?” – The Poet Empress by. Shen Tao

“To grow a tree was not easy, the wait until it bore fruit long. But if the seed was not planted in the first place, nothing would ever grow.” – The Poet Empress by. Shen Tao

Final Thoughts:

This is a powerful story about power and the love between two brothers that is ruined. It’s about women and their lack of power, but the high expectations put upon them. There is so much to unpack in this story and it is a dark one. It’s violent. The court political intrigue kept me in invested and though Terren was a villain, I still needed to know how he came to be this villain. I felt like it was a slow burn of a book, and yet it’s hard to put down because Wei’s story is compelling. Can’t wait to see what this author writes next!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

I, Medusa by. Ayana Gray | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice: 🌶️

Title: I, Medusa

Author: Ayana Gray

Format: hardcover (own)

Pages: 336

Publication Date: 11/18/25

Categories: Historical Fiction, Greek Mythology, Retelling, Fantasy, LGBT+


From New York Times bestselling author Ayana Gray comes a new kind of villain origin story, reimagining one of the most iconic monsters in Greek mythology as a provocative and powerful young heroine.

Meddy has spent her whole life as a footnote in someone else’s story. Out of place next to her beautiful, immortal sisters and her parents—both gods, albeit minor ones—she dreams of leaving her family’s island for a life of adventure. So when she catches the eye of the goddess Athena, who invites her to train as an esteemed priestess in her temple, Meddy leaps at the chance to see the world beyond her home.

In Athens’ colorful market streets and the clandestine chambers of the temple, Meddy flourishes in her role as Athena’s favored acolyte, getting her first tastes of purpose and power. But when she is noticed by another Olympian, Poseidon, a drunken night between girl and god ends in violence, and the course of Meddy’s promising future is suddenly and irrevocably altered.

Her locs transformed into snakes as punishment for a crime she did not commit, Medusa must embrace a new identity—not as a victim, but as a vigilante—and with it, the chance to write her own story as mortal, martyr, and myth.

Exploding with rage, heartbreak, and love, I, Medusa portrays a young woman caught in the cross currents between her heart’s deepest desires and the cruel, careless games the Olympian gods play

Content Warning: violence, death, rape, domestic abuse, physical abuse, sexual assault, grooming

+ I have always loved the story of Medusa without really knowing much about her or how she came to be cursed. I think I was always drawn to her because of her power but this story definitely gave me the background about her that I needed to know!

+~ The story focuses on Medusa/Meddy when she is young. She is a mortal young lady born to a god and goddess. Her sisters are immortal so already Medusa is at a slight disadvantage in life where the gods rule. Home life is scary when her parents tempers flare, there is physical abuse, but on the other side of the coin, home is where she is surrounded by her sisters who she loves very much and Theo, her best friend. When she tries to save her sister from a marriage to another man who is abusive, Athena, the goddess steps in and offers to make Medusa an acolyte at her temple in Athens. The part of the story where she is training as an acolyte moves a little slower but it does pick up.

+ Meddy is someone who does something when she sees something wrong. I love that about her even when society has rules about what a woman can and can’t do, she breaks the rules. The story shows also the power dynamics between the gods and goddesses and everyone else – how they can make or break a person’s life on a whim, due to their judgment alone. So many times Meddy felt helpless and I felt for her. She also experiences racism in Athens at the temple. Meddy is also preyed on by a god – she’s only 17 and naive about the world, and hasn’t been taught a lot about it, and he takes advantage of that.

+ I love Meddy’s relationship with her sisters. The female rage Meddy and her sister feel after they are curse, is warranted and this book is even timely with what’s going on in the world today. I felt rage with them!

~ I loved that the story told me about Meddy’s younger life, up until she is cursed. But I would have loved to have how she dies play out also. I felt like that was rushed and maybe that part doesn’t really matter but I wanted to see it play out.

QUOTES FROM THE BOOK:

“That’s the curious thing about monsters,” she whispers. “The worst ones don’t bother hiding in the dark.” – I, Medusa by. Ayana Gray

Final Thoughts:

This is a beautifully told story about Medusa’s life as a young woman. We get to see her upbringing and the power of men and the gods and goddesses. I felt helpless with Medusa but also proud of her for helping others who were in trouble. The female rage that Medusa and her sisters feel at the end is relevant to how women are feeling today, so this story is very timely. I do wish we got to see how her life played out until the very end, but other than that I loved this book.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Beasts of Prey by. Ayana Gray | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Weekly Wrap Up | 2/15/26

Aloha friends!

Another week is over and here’s what happened:

+ We had a high wind event this past weekend, wind and rain which caused schools to close on Monday, but my kids already had that day off so their schools chose another day off, which was Friday – so lucky them they have a 4 day weekend. I’m glad because they are both trying to heal from being sick and I think this 4-day weekend will help a lot.

+ I hope everyone had a Happy Valentine’s Day if you celebrate. I get my kids Valentine’s now instead of my hubby because honestly? That man has everything 😅.

Blog Posts:

Books I Finished

  • I, Medusa by. Ayana Gray
  • The Last Wish of Bristol Keats by. Mary E. Pearson (audiobook)
  • The Poet Empress by. Shen Tao
  • In Your Dreams by. Sarah Adams

Currently Reading:

  • A Vow in Vengeance by. Jaclyn Rodriguez
  • She Drinks the Light by. Yasmin Angoe (audiobook & ebook)
  • Caged by Fallen Crows by. Ava Larksen
  • First-Time Caller by. B.K. Borison
  • Midnight on the Celestial by. Julia Alexandra

Shows/Movies/Music I Watched/Listened To:

How was your week? Did you get a lot done? Watch anything good? Read any amazing books or books you didn’t finish? What are you reading?…Leave me a comment below!

Instagram | Tiktok

Let’s Talk Bookish:  Romance Books | 2/13/26

Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly bookish meme originally created by Rukky @ Eternity Books and hosted by Aria @ Book Nook Bits, where every Friday, bloggers write discussion posts based on a weekly prompt and Dini @ dinipandareads has cohosted since the beginning of 2025.

This week’s topic is:

February 13: Romance Novels

Prompts: It’s almost Valentine’s Day, which means that the most popular book genre is bigger than ever! Do you like to read romance novels? Who are your favourite fictional couples? Which characters from different books or series do you think would be perfect for each other?

**********

Do you like to read romance novels?

I love romance novels – it’s the genre that got me started reading when I was in my teen years. Most of the books I read are romance – whether it’s romantasy, fantasy with romance, contemporary romance, historical romance….yes, I love romance!

Who are your favourite fictional couples?

Yikes…this is a hard one and I don’t know which type of romance we are talking about here so it’s going to be RANDOM choices because there are so many I love but I can’t remember them all, so here are some that just are kinda memorable to me as I scroll through my blog posts😅:

  • Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy, of course…Pride and Prejudice by. Jane Austen
  • Daphne and Miles – Funny Story by. Emily Henry
  • Vanka and Emeric – Little Thieves by. Margaret Owen
  • Guinevere and Oskar – Tusk Love by. Thea Guanzon

Which characters from different books or series do you think would be perfect for each other?

This is an even harder question and I have no brain capacity for this 😅.

February 2026 Topics:

February 6: Reading with Friends

Prompts: Do you enjoy buddy reading or participating in group reads? If you do, what do you like most about them? Do you prefer reading 1-1 or in a big group? For those who might not have access to in-person group reads, do you have a recommendation about where to join online reading groups?

February 13: Romance Novels

Prompts: It’s almost Valentine’s Day, which means that the most popular book genre is bigger than ever! Do you like to read romance novels? Who are your favourite fictional couples? Which characters from different books or series do you think would be perfect for each other?

February 20: What do you collect besides books? (Suggested by Jillian @ Jillian the Bookish Butterfly)

Prompts: Do you own a lot of books? Do you think of yourself as a book collector? Outside of reading, do you have any other hobbies that involve collecting things? What would you love to have a collection of?

February 27: Reading Star Ratings

Prompts: This topic is inspired by Krysta @ Pages Unbound, who posted about it earlier this year. How do you read star ratings from other bloggers/readers? Do you consider star ratings seen on a book blog, Bookstagram, or BookTok differently from ratings on sites like Goodreads? How much does a star rating affect your decision to purchase/borrow/read a book, and does it depend on who/where the star rating comes from?

WWW Wednesday | 2/11/26

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

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

What are you currently reading?

What have you just finished reading?

What are you going to read next?

My kids were sick over the weekend and then we had a stormy weekend. It actually got COLD in Hawaii and when I say cold it was 59-62 degrees on Saturday. I was freezing 🥶. I did get some reading done, all my audiobooks on hold on Libby came through 🤦🏻‍♀️….so yes I’ve been trying to finish them so I can work on March arcs.

Also did you watch the Superbowl? The game wasn’t very exciting – I kind of tuned out, and the commercials were awful – what happened to fun and funny commercials of the past? 😩 So not even the commercials kept me entertained. The Bad Bunny halftime show was so good though 10/10 no notes! I was dancing! I loved how his set showed community – I loved the people who were the bushes and I loved seeing the elderly people during the show also. It was so good!

What are you currently reading?

I, Medusa by. Ayana Gray – chapter 16

Dawn in Ruins by. Magda Mizzi – Chapter 1 – no progress – I don’t think I can read this one only because I believe it’s a spin-off from a series I never read. So I’m just going to do a spotlight of the book.

She Drinks The Light by. Yasmin Angoe – audiobook – 1% – the alc copy I have has the audio cutting out or just not working for certain chapters so I will have to switch to the ebook.

The Last Wish of Bristol Keats by. Mary E. Pearson – 89% – audiobook

The Poet Empress by. Shen Tao – 34%

Midnight on the Celestial by. Julia Alexandra – 5%

What have you just finished reading?

Keeper of Lost Children by. Sadeqa Johnson – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (arc)

Mate by. Ali Hazelwood – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (audiobook)

The Sun and the Starmaker by. Rachel Griffin – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (alc)

Toe to Toe by. Falon Ballard – ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (arc)

What are you going to read next?

A Whisper of Winds and Leaves by. M.B. Reese

The Poet Empress by. Shen Tao

A Vow in Vengeance by. Jaclyn Rodriguez

First-Time Caller by. B.K. Borison

What are YOU reading right now?

Weekly Wrap Up | 2/8/26

Aloha friends!

Another week is over and here’s what happened:

+ Just getting through life while our country is in a dumpster fire! What else is new this year? 😒

+ Well my daughter started off the week with sniffles and then a cough, but no fever. Just figure it was allergies from our crazy weather of wind and vog (volcanic smoke), hot, cold, rain! So just had her start her Flonase – she’s still coughing but she’s much better now. My son had an itchy throat on Thursday and he had no school that day because it was a waiver day off. Friday I took him to urgent care because it was still itchy and uncomfortable – he had no fever, tested negative for strep and flu…so they said keep an eye on it and prescribed Tylenol and a cough expectorant. But he woke up yesterday with a 103 fever so his body is definitely something viral – I did a covid test on him and it’s negative also. 🤷🏻‍♀️. Both my kids have a three day weekend – lucky them, no school after the Super Bowl! But they are spending it trying to get better.

Blog Posts:

Books I Finished

  • Mate by. Ali Hazelwood (audiobook)
  • In Time with You by. Kristin Dwyer
  • Lonely Hearts Day by. Kasie West (audiobook)
  • The Sun and the Starmaker by. Rachel Griffin (audiobook)
  • Keeper of Lost Children by. Sadeqa Johnson
  • Toe to Toe by. Falon Ballard

Currently Reading:

  • A Promise of Lies by. Claire Sager
  • A Vow in Vengeance by. Jaclyn Rodriguez
  • She Drinks the Light by. Yasmin Angoe (audiobook)
  • I, Medusa by. Ayana Gray
  • The Last Wish of Bristol Keats by. Mary E. Pearson (audiobook)

Shows/Movies/Music I Watched/Listened To:

  • Today is the Superbowl – don’t really care who wins, I’m just there to watch Bad Bunny’s performance!

How was your week? Did you get a lot done? Watch anything good? Read any amazing books or books you didn’t finish? What are you reading?…Leave me a comment below!

Instagram | Tiktok

WWW Wednesday | 2/4/26

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

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

What are you currently reading?

What have you just finished reading?

What are you going to read next?

What are you currently reading?

Keeper of Lost Children by. Sadeqa Johnson – 30%

I, Medusa by. Ayana Gray – chapter 2 – no progress

Dawn in Ruins by. Magda Mizzi – Chapter 1 – no progress

Mate by. Ali Hazelwood – audiobook – 43%

She Drinks The Light by. Yasmin Angoe – audiobook – 1%

What have you just finished reading?

In Time With You by. Kristin Dwyer – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (arc)

Alchemy & Ashes by. Amy Yorke – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Summer of Lost Things by. Jenn Bennett – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (arc)

Lonely Hearts Day by. Kasie West – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (alc)

Dawn of the North by. Demi Winter – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (arc)

What are you going to read next?

A Whisper of Winds and Leaves by. M.B. Reese

The Poet Empress by. Shen Tao

A Vow in Vengeance by. Jaclyn Rodriguez

What are YOU reading right now?

Monthly Wrap Up | January 2026

Why does January always feel like 90 days long? January started off nice with my daughter’s 9th birthday and then I don’t know what happened. The world going crazy, our government acting horribly – I had highs and lows all of January and I’m so tired of it.

My highs were my daughter’s birthday, and getting concert tickets for Bruno Mars and BTS. My lows? Everything else happening in this country – our country being run by crooks and offenders committing some heinous acts. This all happening in the first month of the New Year tells me what kind of year this is going to be. I am anxious.

As for books, I escaped into books. I worked through February arcs – I have more to complete. I took on reading some books by indie authors who have been finding me through this blog and tiktok.

I read 24 books and posted 26 book reviews in January.

Books I Read – 24 books

  1. A War of Wyverns by. S.F. Williamson (ALC)
  2. The Wicked and the Damned by. Rebecca Robinson (ARC)
  3. Here Lie All the Boys Who Broke My Heart by. Emma Simmerman (ARC)
  4. Shadows & Secrets by. Arcadia Rayne (kindle unlimited)
  5. Stolen Midnights by. Katherine Quinn (ARC)
  6. Fallen Stars by. Imani Erriu (ARC)
  7. Songbird of the Sorrows by. Braidee Otto (ARC)
  8. The Cure by. Pedro Urvi (ARC)
  9. Love and Other Brain Experiments by. Hannah Brohm (ARC)
  10. Goodbye and Everything After by. Mae Coyiuto (ARC)
  11. Crown of War and Shadow by. J.R. Ward (ARC)
  12. Wicked Onyx by. Debbie Cassidy (ARC)
  13. Dragon Cursed by. Elise Kova
  14. Silk & Iron by. Alexis Calder (ARC)
  15. A Queen Crowned in Flames by. Hazel McBride (ARC)
  16. Second Chance Romance by. Olivia Dade
  17. Masquerade of Mirrors by. Samantha Hartwood (ARC)
  18. A Curse of Crimson Tears by. Julie J. Morris (kindle unlimited)
  19. Maybe This Once by. Sophie Sullivan (ARC)
  20. Heart of Mischief by. Emma Noyes (ALC)
  21. Fated Skates by. Victoria Schade (ALC)
  22. The Summer of Lost Things by. Jenn Bennett (ARC)
  23. Still Fighting by. Syianne Horne (ARC)
  24. Alchemy & Ashes by. Amy Yorke (kindle unlimited)

Reviews I Posted On My Blog: 26 Books

5 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4.5 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

  • Version 1.0.0

4 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

3.5 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫:

3 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️⭐️:

2.5 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️💫

2 Star Reads – ⭐️⭐️

Book Tags:

Birthstone Book Covers: January – Garnet | 2026

Blog Tours:

Other:

How was your month?

Alchemy & Ashes by. Amy Yorke | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Alchemy & Ashes (The Shadowbound Duet, #1)

Author: Amy Yorke

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 495

Publication Date: 11/11/25

Categories: Romantasy, Fantasy, Romance, Series


Perfect for fans of Danielle L. Jensen, Carissa Broadbent, and Sarah J. Maas, Alchemy & Ashes is a high-stakes, enemies-to-lovers romantasy where two sisters’ plan to assassinate the king who killed their father goes awry when one of them falls in love with him.

The daughter of a failed rebellion. The king who killed her father. A love that could tear the kingdom apart.

Sylvie has always lived in her sister Adria’s shadow. But at the Great Festival, she finally has her chance to step into the by striking down God-King Ronan, the man who destroyed her family. Adria may have led the rebellion, but Sylvie will be the one to finish it.

Ronan has spent years rebuilding a kingdom broken by the war that claimed his father and shattered his faith. But peace has come at a price. Surrounded by enemies and burdened by secrets too dangerous to reveal, he’s losing of his court, his magic, and maybe even himself.

The closer Sylvie gets to Ronan, the more she’s drawn to the man she vowed to kill. Wanting him would mean betraying not just her sister, but her people and the memory of her parents. Trusting Sylvie could cost Ronan the throne—or his life. Because even if Sylvie refuses to strike, Adria won’t hesitate to finish the job.

The road to the throne runs through his heart. And only one sister will claim it.

Alchemy & Ashes is the first book in the Shadowbound Duet.

Content Warning: violence, death

I picked this one up randomly on Kindle Unlimited one day because of the cover and the synopsis. I was in the mood for a romantasy with all the usual tropes and this one has a few: a rebellion against the current ruling kingdom, a girl who’s plan is to get close to the God-King to kill him, trials, secrets and betrayals.

+ God-King Ronan is throwing the Great Festival, a festival that hasn’t been thrown in 10 years because the kingdoms have been warring. Now in this time of peace, he’s welcoming delegates from other kingdoms to come and partake in the festival and competition in different skills. Sylvie, her sister, guard and group attend this festival with an ulterior motive – to kill Ronan because he killed her father, and her people are starving under his rule, among other things on her list of grievances against him.

+ The world building was interesting and light – which was very easy to consume. There is a magic system based on what you are born with and also use of alchemy. There are different elemental powers people can be born with for example Sylvie is shadow-born, and can control shadows. Ronan is light-born and has powers of light and healing. He also has the power of feeling people’s emotions. There is an alchemist guild that stays a bit mysterious in the story until more is revealed at the end.

+ Sylvie is not like her siblings who are ruthless in battle and rule. Sylvie knows her limitations, she’s the spare and not skilled like the others, but her role is to get close to Ronan. Ronan, I thought was really unexpected. I was expecting him to be ruthless, but he’s not – he wants a peaceful world and is trying to achieve it. He’s kind of a softy! He is loved but also naive and too trusting at times, yet still powerful. I like that he is aware that all the war between their kingdoms have taken so much from everyone and that what he has done may not be forgivable but he’s looking for a way forward so the cycle of war ends. Unfortunately, Sylvie’s family is trying to start another war, and continue the cycle but I like how she learns for herself which side she should be on.

+ It does start of with a little insta-attraction but I love how the romance progressed because there is time for Sylvie and Ronan to get to know one another. There is an attraction growing between them though that eventually leads to some spicy scenes but I liked it because by then Sylvie has to make some hard choices about Ronan and her family. And it’s not an easy choice for Sylvie at all. I do hope we learn a little more about their power of communication that reveals itself in the second half of the story.

+ There is a little bit of romance. Lucan is the Vicar’s adopted son, and he’s been tasked to keep his eye on Isola. Isola doesn’t like him because an incident in the past, but during the Tribunal, they spend more time with one another and decide to team up. Being around one another makes their attraction grow. I was definitely rooting for Lucan and Isola but we’ll have to see what happens in book two.

~ I don’t think we got much of the alchemy part of the story, so hoping that will be explored more in book two.

Final Thoughts:

This is an easy to consume romantasy with light world-building and with the addictive usual tropes. I actually enjoyed that the MMC wasn’t ruthless and powerful though – he was still powerful, but kind of a softy, which I appreciated. I usually like my kings with alpha energy, but I liked that Ronan was still the leader but willing to look for solutions and wanted peace. Because don’t we just all want peace? Plus he is crazy about Sylvie – I loved their romance and the spice. I would like to learn about the alchemy though so hopefully that is explored more in book two. And after that cliffhanger ending, I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Weekly Wrap Up | 2/1/26

Aloha friends!

Another week is over and here’s what happened:

+ Another week down and it’s now – FEBRUARY. Why does January always feel like the slowest and yet fastest month ever? January was torture. Today I have to take my kiddos to Sunday school since my hubby was called into work – during a govt shutdown of course. What else is new?! 🤦🏻‍♀️

+ My goal this week was to catch up on blog posts, reviews, and finishing my February arcs. I have one more arc to finish for February! But yes, just trying to get back on schedule.

Blog Posts:

Books I Finished

  • A Curse of Crimson Tears by. Julie J. Morris
  • Dawn of the North by. Demi Winters
  • Goodbye and Everything After by. Mae Coyiuto
  • Fated Skates by. Victoria Schade (audiobook)
  • Alchemy & Ashes by. Amy Yorke
  • Still Fighting by. Syianne Horne
  • The Summer of Lost Things by. Jenn Bennett

Currently Reading:

  • A Promise of Lies by. Claire Sager
  • Keeper of Lost Children by. Sadeqa Johnson
  • A Vow in Vengeance by. Jaclyn Rodriguez
  • She Drinks the Light by. Yasmin Angoe (audiobook)
  • I, Medusa by. Ayana Gray
  • Mate by. Ali Hazelwood (audiobook)
  • In Time with You by. Kristin Dwyer

*what is with these dark book covers? Such a somber palette! I’m excited that I got to read some books with some orange in the cover. I

Shows/Movies/Music I Watched/Listened To:

  • Heated Rivalry (HBO Max) – episode 3-5 – I loved Hunter and Kip’s episode! 🥺
  • The Wrecking Crew (Amazon Prime Video) – I don’t usually watch action movies these days but my cousin is in this movie as an extra so I had to watch it! It has Jason Momoa in it. It was fun to see my cousin in like 3 quick scenes.
  • Bridgerton Season 4 (part 1 – Netflix) – the Cinderella of it all?! I read the books so long ago I don’t remember much of them but remember all the historical romance tropes. But this season has so much romance?! I am loving it. I love Benedict and Sophie but also…hello Violet? (his mom – loved her story too!). And the villain Lady Penwood – UGH she’s so evil and good at it!

How was your week? Did you get a lot done? Watch anything good? Read any amazing books or books you didn’t finish? What are you reading?…Leave me a comment below!

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