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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Dragonfruit by. Makiia Lucier | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Dragonfruit

Author: Makiia Lucier

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 368

Publication Date: 4/9/24

Publisher: Clarion Books

Categories: Young Adult, Fantasy, Dragons, Mythology, Pacific Islander

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

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

From acclaimed author Makiia Lucier, a dazzling, romantic fantasy inspired by Pacific Island mythology.

In the old tales, it is written that the egg of a seadragon, dragonfruit, holds within it the power to undo a person’s greatest sorrow. An unwanted marriage, a painful illness, and unpaid debt … gone. But as with all things that promise the moon and the stars and offer hope when hope has gone, the tale comes with a warning.

Every wish demands a price.

Hanalei of Tamarind is the cherished daughter of an old island family. But when her father steals a seadragon egg meant for an ailing princess, she is forced into a life of exile. In the years that follow, Hanalei finds solace in studying the majestic seadragons that roam the Nominomi Sea. Until, one day, an encounter with a female dragon offers her what she desires most. A chance to return home, and to right a terrible wrong.

Samahtitamahenele, Sam, is the last remaining prince of Tamarind. But he can never inherit the throne, for Tamarind is a matriarchal society. With his mother ill and his grandmother nearing the end of her reign. Sam is left with two to marry, or to find a cure for the sickness that has plagued his mother for ten long years. When a childhood companion returns from exile, she brings with her something he has not felt in a very long time – hope.

But Hanalei and Sam are not the only ones searching for the dragonfruit. And as they battle enemies both near and far, there is another danger they cannot escape…that of the dragonfruit itself.

Content Warning: violence

I was attracted to this book because of the book cover and it’s inspired by Pacific Islander mythology which is so rare to see in books! And since I live in Hawaii, the premise really called to me and I wanted to see how dragons fit into this story.

The seadragons and the lore about the dragonfruit eggs were pretty interesting. Hanalei has a connection to them and everyone is hunting these dragon eggs. The sentient tattoos turning into animals was also really cool. I think the world-building was very creative and I liked seeing the Pacific Islands represented in the characters and landscape. There is a lot of adventure as they searched for these eggs, they even have to deal with pirates.

As far as the characters though, I can’t say I connected to anyone. I did like Sam and his relationship with his grandmother, because family is important in Pacific Islander culture, so I liked that it was present in this book and nice that the Tamarind throne is ruled by a matriarch.

It’s promoted as romantic fantasy but I felt like there was no romance at all, so this one felt like it would be perfect for teen readers and younger young adults or those that like minimal romance in their fantasies.

My Thoughts:

This story has great world-building and the story is filled with adventure with seadragons and pirates but I was left wanting more. I didn’t really connect to the characters and I really wish there was more to the romance since it’s billed as a romantic fantasy.

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Dark Star Burning, Ash Falls White by. Amélie Wen Zhao | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Dark Star Burning, Ash Falls White (#2)

Author: Amélie Wen Zhao

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 464

Publication Date: 1/2/24

Publisher: Delacorte

Categories: Young Adult, Romance, Fantasy, Series, Duology, Asian Fantasy, Mythology, Dragons, Magic

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

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

The epic sequel to the book Song of Silver, Flame Like Night, is a fast-paced, riveting YA fantasy inspired by the mythology and folklore of ancient China.

Years ago, the Elantian colonizers invaded Lan’s homeland and killed her mother in their search to uncover the Last Kingdom’s greatest the location of its legendary four Demon Gods. Lan’s mother devoted her life to destroying the Demon Gods, and Lan is determined to finish her mission. Yet, there are others searching for the gods, too.

Zen knew his soul was forfeit the moment he made a deal with the Demon God known as the Black Tortoise, but he’s willing to lose himself if it means saving the Kingdom–and the girl–he loves. But to crush the colonizers who have invaded his land he needs more power than even a single Demon God can provide. He needs an army. And he knows exactly where he can find it–in the undead army his great grandfather lead decades ago.

The Elantians may have stolen their throne, but the battle for the Last Kingdom has only begun.

Content Warning: violence, death

The first book in this series really surprised me and I loved it! Let’s see how it ends:

+ The story takes places immediately after all the chaotic events that happened at the ending of the first book. Zen is on a mission to defeat the Elantians by any means possible but Lan doesn’t believe that’s the right thing to do. Both have their own path and it keeps them apart, which is sad because I loved them together.

+ There is so much conflict in this story. The Elantians want to take over but Zen is fighting tooth and nail to stop that from happening – does this make him a villain when he uses his demon god to try and fight them? Zen’s storyline is heartbreaking and I didn’t expect that. Lan is trying to achieve peace but feels it’s wrong to use the demon gods they are bound to because the demons could overtake their souls and she doesn’t want that for Zen but he makes a choice and she makes hers. I liked all the questions about power and about choices, and doing the right thing.

+ The love story is tragic and made me want to cry! They love each other but with everything going on they know it’s not going to end well. I loved their moment together where they confess what they feel and what kind of future they could have but their love is heartbreaking. This is a bittersweet love story.

+ I love the battles between the demon gods – they are so epic! Also I love the secondary characters and wish we had more time with them. I love Dilaya, who’s a fierce warrior and a leader. She becomes Lan’s closest friend and their interactions were so good.

~ There are a few villains in this story because of the way they are bound to a demon and want more power and will do anything to achieve their goals but I felt like the Elantians weren’t as present in this story as they were in book one. I actually feel like this should have been a trilogy and not a duology because some parts felt rushed. It’s such an epic world – I think it definitely deserve another book to at least feature more conflict with the Elantians.

My Thoughts:

I wish this series was a trilogy because I felt like there could have been more tension to draw out with the enemies because there are multiple. But despite that I enjoyed this book a lot because of the questions it asks about power and choices. I love the characters and all their different journeys no matter how hard it got for them. The battles between the demon gods were full of action and epic. And even though this is a tragic romance story between Lan and Zen, I loved them so much together and their love story almost made me cry at the end. My heart broke. Although it’s a bittersweet ending, I think it ended perfectly.

Book Links:

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Book Review | Blood Heir ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Red Tigress by. Amélie Wen Zhao | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Song of Silver, Flame Like Night by. Amélie Wen Zhao | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Iron Flame by. Rebecca Yarros | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Iron Flame (The Empyrean, #2)

Author: Rebecca Yarros

Format: ebook (own)

Pages: 878

Publication Date: 11/7/23

Categories: Series, Romance, Fantasy, Dragons

“The first year is when some of us lose our lives. The second year is when the rest of us lose our humanity.” —Xaden Riorson

Everyone expected Violet Sorrengail to die during her first year at Basgiath War College—Violet included. But Threshing was only the first impossible test meant to weed out the weak-willed, the unworthy, and the unlucky.

Now the real training begins, and Violet’s already wondering how she’ll get through. It’s not just that it’s grueling and maliciously brutal, or even that it’s designed to stretch the riders’ capacity for pain beyond endurance. It’s the new vice commandant, who’s made it his personal mission to teach Violet exactly how powerless she is–unless she betrays the man she loves.

Although Violet’s body might be weaker and frailer than everyone else’s, she still has her wits—and a will of iron. And leadership is forgetting the most important lesson Basgiath has taught her: Dragon riders make their own rules.

But a determination to survive won’t be enough this year.

Because Violet knows the real secret hidden for centuries at Basgiath War College—and nothing, not even dragon fire, may be enough to save them in the end.

Content Warning: violence, war, death, torture

I FINALLY finished Iron Flame and let me tell you…just trying to get my printed copy was such a disappointment. I pre-ordered it and it was not shipping when I thought it would, then I saw all the printing issues on tiktok and said okay, I’m gonna cancel and buy the ebook. I’m glad I did! Now if you look at the pages of my ebook above it says 878. Yup…and I don’t know why because the hardcover on Goodreads said it was 623 pages. 🤷🏻‍♀️ So when I was reading, I felt like I was slogging through 878 pages – but it’s only 623? I don’t know. But here is what I thought:

+ I love being back with the dragons. I love Tairn and miss Andarna who is going through a bit of a transformation but I was there for it! I loved all her sass. I also liked that we get to meet some gryphons and new characters! I really enjoyed the story opening up and finally meeting the so-called enemies or more like frenemies in this war against the venin. I also liked that we get more time in the Archives and Jesinia has a bigger role.

+ Violet and her group of friends always make things entertaining but it’s scary because I care for them and am scared they are going to end up like Liam. 🥺 Because you never know in this world who is just gonna get killed. Speaking of Liam…there is a scene and it almost made me cry. But yeah nothing is ever easy for Violet but thank goodness she has good friends around her.

+ There was more an emphasis on Violet’s family bonds in this one which I also enjoyed along with her friendships. She’s reunited with her family and even though they have the toughest relationship with their mother…something her mom said hit ME as a mom…and this story definitely showed us a bit more of her mother’s motivations. And the scene in the end with her made finally made me unexpectedly cry.

When you are a mother, talk to me about who you’re willing to sacrifice so your child lives.”
Rebecca Yarros, Iron Flame

+~ I think it’s clear, Xaden and Violet are end game but this whole story is them working out all the kinks in their relationship. They are working through trust issues, opening up to one another, being truthful about what they want from one another, and sometimes I thought it got to be a bit too much only because I wanted them to work through some things a bit quicker. They have some good moments and hot moments too but I do think I enjoyed Violet’s relationship with her friends and family more than the struggle she was having with Xaden. And like I said, I know they are end game so I wasn’t too worried about them except being worried if one of them would die or be kidnapped by the venin. Of course the ending makes me want to know what will happen in book three.

~ Not gonna lie, I was getting bogged down at times with so many character names to remember. And this goes for people, places, dragons and gryphons! There are a lot of names to try and remember in this book. Also this book was a tad too long for me and felt like it could have been 2 books. I think there was some things that could have definitely been cut out to make the book move faster because at times it felt like nothing much was happening. Because this is about year two, I think it loses a bit of the excitement we had from Fourth Wing because Violet and her friends aren’t competing anymore. There is still danger in the story but I think the pacing for this one was more up and down than the first book.

My Final Thoughts:

Did I find this one as good as book one? No, but I wasn’t expecting that because I know sequels are always a challenge. There were some things I absolutely enjoyed like the friendships, and the struggle with family relationships. I totally love the dragons and love that we get to meet some gryphons and there are some intriguing new characters like Aaric and Cat! I especially love the battle scenes, anything with danger and not knowing what was going to happen or being scared that a character you cared about was going to die (okay I hate that part too…love and hate! lol). The parts I did struggle with was the pacing because I felt like the book was too long and some things could have been cut out because it was repetitive like Xaden and VIolet’s constant back and forth fighting for their relationship. I mean, I appreciated that they wanted to work things through but I think it slowed some parts down for the book and I wanted all the action because it’s so good. I do love how this story makes me care about the characters and yes it did make me unexpectedly cry. I’m definitely curious to see what happens next in this series after that ending!

Book Links:

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The Fourth Wing by. Rebecca Yarros | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Fourth Wing by. Rebecca Yarros | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Fourth Wing (#1)

Author: Rebecca Yarros

Format: ebook (owned)

Pages: 662

Publication Date: 5/2/2023

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

Enter the brutal and elite world of a war college for dragon riders from USA Today bestselling author Rebecca Yarros

Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history. Now, the commanding general—also known as her tough-as-talons mother—has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders.

But when you’re smaller than everyone else and your body is brittle, death is only a heartbeat away…because dragons don’t bond to “fragile” humans. They incinerate them.

With fewer dragons willing to bond than cadets, most would kill Violet to better their own chances of success. The rest would kill her just for being her mother’s daughter—like Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant.

She’ll need every edge her wits can give her just to see the next sunrise.

Yet, with every day that passes, the war outside grows more deadly, the kingdom’s protective wards are failing, and the death toll continues to rise. Even worse, Violet begins to suspect leadership is hiding a terrible secret.

Friends, enemies, lovers. Everyone at Basgiath War College has an agenda—because once you enter, there are only two ways out: graduate or die .

Content Warning: violence

I’ve been seeing so many good reviews for this one and then I found an audiobook copy available on my online library and so I borrowed it. Two chapters in and I made the decision to buy the ebook and read it faster because I was hooked!

This book has everything I want in an enemies to lovers romance. It has a competition, high stakes, great world building, friendship, enemies, a satisfying slow burn, tension, action and dragons. And it’s not a quick read – I actually stayed up past midnight to finish this on and honestly it was worth it.

Violet is supposed be a scribe but her mother, General Sorrengail, believes all her children should be dragon riders. But Violet isn’t physically strong like her deceased brother, and her sister Mira. She wasn’t trained in warfare. Being a Sorrengail doesn’t do Violet any favors in the Riders Quadrant, many of her classmates are out for her blood. It’s survival of the fittest and Violet believes she’ll die trying to be a rider, but better to die than disappoint her mother. I love Violet’s story and how she overcomes various physical challenges in order to become a rider. I was rooting for her all the way!

The secondary characters are fantastic as well. I love Rhiannon who was Violet’s first friend. All the other classmates we meet along the way are distinct in their own way. It’s a big cast but every character had a way of standing out, even if they were hateful. And the dragons are epic, majestic, fearsome and I love the bond they have with their rider. The banter between Violet and her dragons are so fun. I even love her relationship with her sister Mira, who I hope we get to see more of in book two. I love the sibling bond being strong despite the way their mother treats them.

And the bond between Violet and Xaden is purely electric. What a slow, hot burn between these two. And it wasn’t even purely focused on them in the beginning of the story. He came and went while Violet was training hard, but their interactions are so good and it kept building to an awesome climax and I mean that literally! When they finally can’t stay away from her, my goodness, it was everything I wanted it to be in an enemies to lovers romance – even what happens in the end. I love them.

The ending…when you think this book can’t get any better, it ends in a cliffhanger like that. This story was an amazing ride. I can’t wait for book two, which comes out in November. Thank you for not making us wait forever!

Why you should read it:

the enemies to lovers between Violet and Xaden
the world building, the characters, the competition, the action, the dragons!
book two comes out in a few months

Why you might not want to read it:

not into dragons

My Thoughts:

The hype is real for this one and it’s well worth it if you like everything I’ve mentioned above. I’m always looking for a good new adult fantasy that has all the elements I love – especially if it’s an enemies to lovers romance, and this one gave me all the feels I’ve been searching for lately. I’m counting down to book two which releases 3 days after my birthday!

Book Links:

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The Dragon’s Promise by. Elizabeth Lim | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: The Dragon’s Promise (Six Crimson Cranes, #2)

Author: Elizabeth Lim

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 400

Publication Date: 8/30/22

Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

Categories: Young Adult, Series, Fantasy, Dragons, Demons, Romance, Fairytale

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

Thank you to Knopf Books for Young Readers for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Princess Shiori made a deathbed promise to return the dragon’s pearl to its rightful owner, but keeping that promise is more dangerous than she ever imagined.

She must journey to the kingdom of dragons, navigate political intrigue among humans and dragons alike, fend off thieves who covet the pearl for themselves and will go to any lengths to get it, all while cultivating the appearance of a perfect princess to dissuade those who would see her burned at the stake for the magic that runs in her blood.

The pearl itself is no ordinary cargo; it thrums with malevolent power, jumping to Shiori’s aid one minute, and betraying her the next—threatening to shatter her family and sever the thread of fate that binds her to her true love, Takkan. It will take every ounce of strength Shiori can muster to defend the life and the love she’s fought so hard to win.

Content Warning: violence

This is the sequel to Six Crimson Cranes and although I did enjoy this conclusion, there were a few things that didn’t work for me, but still lots of other things I did love – let’s take a look:

+ We get to spend time in the dragon’s realm and learn more about Seryu! I really did enjoy Shiori’s time with the dragons. It felt like a very fantastical and unique place, but quite scary for Shiori because there was a lot of deception going on and she didn’t know who to trust! There is a lot of action in the book because Shiori is moving from one place to another. That girl never has a repreve!

+ My beloved Kiki is back, she is the best paper bird ever. I love her! Other characters like Shiori’s brothers are back as well and once again they do their best to help Shiori in her quest.

+ Shiori and Takkan’s love story is a beautiful thing to see grow and develop. They are always thinking of the other, and wanting the best for one another. Yes they do have challenges because Shiori is always getting into a mess, but Takkan is the perfect balance for her – he is steady, he is constant and he loves Shiori no matter what. They were my favorite part of the book I think.

+ I love how we learn about Raikama’s past and it always pinched at my heart how Shiori missed her and how there were regrets about their relationship. I can at least say there was peace for Raikama in this book. But many parts of this book, especially at the end, were quite emotional.

~ The pacing is off in this book and I didn’t feel like the first part of the book, when Shiori was in Ai’long, connected to the rest of the book. We meet new characters in Ai’long and some loose ends that didn’t have closure for me there. Then there is a lull when Shiori is back in Kiata with her family because she’s pretending she there and back to normal but she’s planning on following through with finding the Wraith, to give the pearl to him. There might have been too much going on at once. Because she also had to deal with the demon, Bandur!

~ Speaking of Bandur, he’s always in the back of Shiori’s mind, obviously but I think when it came time to really put him away, if felt sort of anti-climactic because of the Wraith and his anger and issues…there are a lot of angry demons and dragons in this book. I get that Bandur is the biggest villain, but once again, I felt like the story got disconnected in some places or it felt like 3 stories in one book.

Tropes: special one, opposites attract (Shiori the princess/Takkan who doesn’t fit in at court), puppy love

Why you should read it:

creative world building, we get to travel with Shiori to Ai’long ,the Realm of Dragons
lovable characters like Seryu, Kiki, Takkan and Shiori’s brothers
emotional story when it comes to Shiori and her brothers and memories about Raikama
the sweet love story between Shiori and Takkan

Why you might not want to read it:

feels like too much going on, as if 2-3 stories are shoved into one, feels disjointed

My Thoughts:

I think this is a solid ending to an imaginative and fun duology but it did fall flat of my expectations mostly because of how disjointed the story felt at times. But I love Shiori and Takkan’s love story and I adore all the characters that I came to care for in this story like Kiki and Seryu. I wonder if the dragons will get their own book? There is a lot of story to tell there and I feel like Elang didn’t get any closure. Overall I found the themes of family and love in the story to be heartwarming. I’m glad I got to finish this duology and I hope to read more from this author in the future.

Book Links:

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Book Review: The Priory of the Orange Tree

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Author: Samantha Shannon

Format: Hard cover

Pages: 830

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Adventure, Dragons, Court Politics

Book Blurb:

A world divided.
A queendom without an heir.
An ancient enemy awakens.

The House of Berethnet has ruled Inys for a thousand years. Still unwed, Queen Sabran the Ninth must conceive a daughter to protect her realm from destruction–but assassins are getting closer to her door.

Ead Duryan is an outsider at court. Though she has risen to the position of lady-in-waiting, she is loyal to a hidden society of mages. Ead keeps a watchful eye on Sabran, secretly protecting her with forbidden magic.

Across the dark sea, Tané has trained all her life to be a dragonrider, but is forced to make a choice that could see her life unravel.

Meanwhile, the divided East and West refuse to parley, and forces of chaos are rising from their sleep.

MY REVIEW

This 800+ pages standalone saga is epic in scale. The world building is complex with a lot of information to absorb: names, titles, positions, and places. The beginning is all about world building so this story didn’t click for me until almost halfway into the book! And when I say click, I mean that’s when everything started flowing better – that’s about almost 300 pages into the story. The build up of the story took time because there are four different perspectives being told by: Ead in the West at Inys, Niclays Roos and Tané in the East, and Lord Artheloth on a ship headed South to Yscali.

Queen Sabran is the ruler of the Queendom of Inys which lies in the West. There is a woman named Ead Duryan who seems to be the eyes and ears at her court. We find out she is much more than that. The Queen needs an heir because continuing the House of Berethnet would protect their lands from their enemy, the Nameless One. He is a huge evil wrym (dragon) who was bound a thousand years ago but is about to awaken soon. The wyrms in the West are fire-breathers and feared by all.

Many of the kingdoms in this book seem to be based off on the histories of various countries in our own real world. Inys reminds me of England, Queen Sabran reminded me of Queen Elizabeth I. The East basically pulls from China and Japan. The South seems similar to the middle east and Africa.

Tané’s story anchored me to this tale because it starts with her and also because the East reveres their dragons and I wanted to read about dragons. Tané is a Sekiinese young woman who is training to be a dragonrider and she achieves that goal. Her dragon is wonderful and so wise, I loved their bond. But Tané’s past comes back to haunt her. On the other side, Ead’s story flourishes as we learn about her amazing skills. Out of all the characters, I think Ead’s story is the most fleshed out and what a story it is. Both of these women are fearless and fierce but with quite different journeys.

There is a lot going on in this story. There is court politics, mages, religion, alchemy, myth, lore, magical beasts, pirates, quests, magical artifacts, adventures across oceans, and treks across desserts. There are battles, there is loss, love and hope. This story is female driven, from the villains to the heroines and there is diversity represented in the characters and romance, which I appreciated. It touched on issues we deal with as women: love, marriage, child birth, our fears, our ambitions, our responsibilities, and our power.

This story is not perfect. I’d rather have had more of Tané’s story and less of Niclays Roos. I felt at times I wanted to read more of one perspective than another, so I would think…okay, hurry up, just get on with it. Like the quest for immortality, was that really needed? I just wanted to read more about how they were going to defeat the Nameless One.

Also, though I didn’t think I related to any one character deeply, that was okay. Each character had something I could relate to and admire: Queen Sabran with her strength and vulnerabilities, Ead with her protectiveness and knowledge, Tané with her insecurities, love for her dragon and courage, and Loth – who wants to hold onto all his beliefs but braves the open waters to try and help the people he loves. Even Niclays Roos – who I disliked the most, his resentment and bitterness from heartbreak – I could relate to that as well.

I’m still thinking about this story after finishing it two days ago. I think I may even pick it up again later when I have nothing else to read (when is that? haha) just to see if I missed anything. It’s one of those tales I won’t be forgetting anytime soon so I think overall, this book has done it’s job. It is unforgettable.

**On a side note – if you don’t want to lug around a 3 lbs hard cover book (yes I weighed it 😂) – get the ebook version! **

Book Review: All The Wandering Light (Even The Darkest Stars Book 2)

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Author: Heather Fawcett

Format: Hard Cover

Pages: 432

Categories: Fantasy, Adventure, Romance, Magic, Witches, Stars, Demons

Book Blurb:

After the terrifying events on Mount Raksha, the witches have returned, and River has betrayed Kamzin to regain his dark powers. The witches’ next step: march on the Three Cities and take over the Empire—led by River’s brother, Esha.

If Kamzin is to save Azmiri and prevent the destruction of the Empire, she must find a star that fell in the Ash Mountains to the north. Fallen stars have immense power, and if Kamzin and Lusha can find the star, they can use its magic to protect their homeland. To get there, Kamzin has allied with Azar-at, the dangerous and deceptive fire demon, who can grant her great power—in exchange for pieces of her soul. But River wants the star too, and as their paths collide in dangerous and unexpected ways, Kamzin must wrestle with both her guilt and her conflicted feelings for the person who betrayed her.

Facing dark magic, a perilous journey, and a standoff against the witches, can Kamzin, Lusha, and Tem find the star and save their Empire?

MY REVIEW

The adventure continues in this sequel to Even the Darkest Stars but with less mountaineering. Lusha, Kamzin’s older sister who is a seer, is with her every step of the way on this journey. She strives to remind Kamzin to make the right decisions regarding the task ahead – finding a fallen star and bringing it to the Emperor to bind the witches’ power again. I never quite took a liking to Lusha – she’s so hard on Kamzin and hardly ever lets up. Tem is also with them, using his shamanic skills to protect them as best he can.

“Some truths aren’t meant to be found, even by the most determined explorers.”
All the Wandering Light by. Heather Fawcett

This story was told through a few different perspectives: Kamzin and River obviously but at one point there was a few chapters told through Mara. Not sure if Mara’s perspective was needed though, he became a non-issue in the end. Mingma, the ghost also made a cameo and then he was gone! His time was brief in the book but so impactful, Kamzin needed to hear from an explorer who didn’t succeed in his mission, because sometimes that’s just life.

“Choosing to lock yourself up in a life that doesn’t suit you is its own sort of death, wouldn’t you say?”
All the Wandering Light by. Heather Fawcett

The beginning was slow but I understand why – we get to learn more of River’s story. We meet his brothers, and learn about River’s family history. With the binding spell gone, it seems River is the most powerful witch in the Kingdom, but he never wanted power, in essence all he wanted was freedom. His romance with Kamzin doesn’t show up really until the very end, talk about a slow burn romance! They really did put the issues of the Empire before the lovey-dovey stuff.

I really love the action scenes in the end, witches lunging out of the wall? Give me more! That was the one thing about this book that gave me a slight pause. I was trudging through the beginning, then at the end I was reading so fast through the action and all of a sudden it was over! 🤔 The author did wrap things up nicely in the end but can there be more stories to be told in this world? Oh – most definitely.

What I adored about this series is the magical entities. I fell in love with the familiars, Ragtooth and Biter. I loved the demons in this story too. And yes to the witches, ghosts and pet-like dragons! Also, what about that falling star? I adored her – I wanted to put her in my pocket and keep her forever – she gave me giddy feelings. The writing is beautiful and drew me into this world filled with lore and magic.

I enjoyed this series very much. I could totally envision myself wearing kinnika bells around my neck (I figured I’d be a shaman instead of an explorer) with my own feisty wing-demon. Fire-demons stay away from me though, I might be too tempted by them!

Book Review: Even The Darkest Stars

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Author: Heather Fawcett

Format: Hard Cover

Pages: 427

Categories: Young Adult, Fantasy, Magic, Dragons, Witches, Adventure

Book Blurb:

Kamzin has always dreamed of becoming one of the Emperor’s royal explorers, the elite climbers tasked with mapping the wintry, mountainous Empire and spying on its enemies. She knows she could be the best in the world, if only someone would give her a chance.

But everything changes when the mysterious and eccentric River Shara, the greatest explorer ever known, arrives in her village and demands to hire Kamzin—not her older sister Lusha, as everyone had expected—for his next expedition. This is Kamzin’s chance to prove herself—even though River’s mission to retrieve a rare talisman for the emperor means climbing Raksha, the tallest and deadliest mountain in the Aryas. Then Lusha sets off on her own mission to Raksha with a rival explorer who is determined to best River, and Kamzin must decide what’s most important to her: protecting her sister from the countless perils of the climb or beating her to the summit.

The challenges of climbing Raksha are unlike anything Kamzin expected—or prepared for—with avalanches, ice chasms, ghosts, and even worse at every turn. And as dark secrets are revealed, Kamzin must unravel the truth of their mission and of her companions—while surviving the deadliest climb she has ever faced.

MY REVIEW

Even the Darkest Stars took me on quite an adventure and it was so refreshing. I was transported to the mountain village of Azmiri, where we meet Kamzin, who is a girl dreaming to become a royal explorer for the Emperor. She gets her chance when the greatest and most current Royal Explorer, River Shara, comes to her village needing a guide to climb the tallest and deadliest mountain, Raksha.

This story isn’t only about a climbing expedition, there is a reason River needs to get to the top of that mountain, but it’s not what everyone thinks, though some do suspect what he’s after. There is magic, witches and even dragons in this story, though the dragons seem more like domesticated pets than the deadly fire-breathing soaring creatures we’ve come to know in other stories.

The world building kept me in this story because it was so different and I’ll admit, I’m a sucker for those movies about climbing Mount Everest. There is always danger in those movies and the study of human nature: the will to go on, the need to reach the summit and can they even reach the summit?

I loved the mysticism and traditions of the mountain villages we journey to in Even the Darkest Stars, and learning about the witches that once roamed the land – but of course the emperor put an end to that by binding their power. Then there are ghosts, winged beasts and even a fire demon! I loved it all.

But there was one point in the book, around 75% into it – that I had to skim through some of the climbing scenes because I just was so eager to know what was coming.

As for the characters, I liked Kamzin. She’s brave, intuitive and one of the best climbers River has ever been with. Her sense of adventure comes through and it’s infectious. Kamzin is a second daughter though and feels she has something to prove to her village. So sometimes that desire to be more than what she is, causes her to make some questionable decisions.

Kamzin and River connect right away through their love of adventure. But Kamzin also has her level headed, best-friend, ex-boyfriend, Tem, who journeys with her and the team to Raksha. The love triangle was present in the book but it didn’t distract me or overtake the story at all. When reading a love triangle, I usually feel a strong pull towards one side, #Teamwhoever, 🤣 but in this one, I didn’t quite know who I wanted her to end up with. I like that Tem knows her so well and looks out for her but River is exciting and she could share her love of adventure with him. I guess we shall see how it plays out in book two.

I’m excited that I had borrowed the second book along with the first one because of that ending – oh you fire demon, you! Okay, I’ll be right back, going to immerse myself in book two, All The Wandering Light. 😉