Beneath These Cursed Stars by. Lexi Ryan | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Beneath These Cursed Stars

Author: Lexi Ryan

Format: hardcover (borrowed)

Pages: 422

Publication Date: 7/30/24

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Series, Young Adult

Princess Jasalyn has a secret. Armed with an enchanted ring that gives her death’s kiss, Jas has been sneaking away from the palace at night to assassinate her enemies.

Shape-shifter Felicity needs a miracle. Fated to kill her magical father, she’s been using her unique ability to evade a fatal prophecy.

When rumors of evil king Mordeus’s resurrection spread through the shadow court, Jasalyn decides to end him once and for all. Felicity agrees to take the form of the princess, allowing Jas to covertly hunt Mordeus—and starting Felicity on the path that could finally take her home.

While Jasalyn teams up with the charming and handsome Kendrick, Felicity sets out to get closer to the Wild Fae king, Misha. Kendrick helps Jasalyn feel something other than anger for the first time in three years, and Misha makes Felicity wish for a world where she’s free to be her true self. Soon, the girls’ missions are at risk right alongside their hearts.

The future of the human and fae realms hangs in the balance as fates intertwine. Between perilous tasks, grim secrets, and forbidden romances, Jasalyn and Felicity find that perhaps their stars are the most cursed of all.

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Lexi Ryan comes a romantic fantasy in which a human princess armed with death’s kiss and a fae shifter on the run become unlikely allies when a mission to assassinate an evil king collides with a fatal prophecy.

So I was approved for the arc for the fourth book of this series without having read this third one, and I had to fix that – thank goodness my library had it!

I read the first two books of this series but vaguely remember what happened, but my reviews on my blogs helped me refresh my memory and I guess I didn’t totally love Brie, and the love triangle? Which is fine because this story is about her sister, Jasalyn! Brie of course makes appearances here and there but this is about Jas, and another girl, Felicity.

This story is told between two POVs because Jas, is with a a group trying to get back to Elora and restore the kingdom. Whereas Felicity, has the power to impersonate Jas, so she goes to the Wild Fae kingdom with Misha in order to look for a portal that will help them get to Elora to complete their task.

Jas has gone through some trauma when she was Mordeus’ captive and she’s filled with anger and hate for him. I liked seeing her with Kendrick’s group and almost having a found family with them. It was interesting to see how her torture still tied her up with Mordeus even though he supposedly died in book two.

As for Felicity, she’s doing such a good job at playing Jas, that she forgets that this all has to come to an end. Both girls, have their own romance stories but with whatever is going on right now with Mordeus, the mission has to be the number one priority over love. Which means, there are a few broken hearts in this story.

I like how quickly the story moved and I enjoyed both POVs. I like the world building too with the Fae, Elves, goblins and humans. But what kind of ending was that?! It was definitely a cliffhanger but wow, so abrupt! Good thing I have the next book on hand.

Final Thoughts:

Book two in this series came out 2 years ago, so I didn’t remember much but I felt like that didn’t hinder my reading experience. I got to know Jas and Felicity and enjoyed both their challenges and journeys and will promptly be reading the next book to see what happens next because that abrupt, cliffhanger ending is not it!

Book Links:

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Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

These Twisted Bonds by. Lexi Ryan | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

These Hollow Vows | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

The Rose Bargain by. Sasha Peyton Smith | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: The Rose Bargain

Author: Sasha Peyton Smith

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 400

Publication Date: 2/4/25

Publisher: HarperCollins

Categories: Alternate History, Historical Fantasy, Romantasy, Fae, Young Adult

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

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

The Cruel Prince meets The Selection in this captivating duology opener brimming with heart-pounding romance, vicious competition, and beautiful, cruel fae, from the New York Times bestselling author of The Witch Haven, Sasha Peyton Smith.

Every citizen of England is granted one bargain from their immortal fae queen.

High society girls are expected to bargain for qualities that will win them suitors: a rare talent for piano in exchange for one’s happiest childhood memory. A perfect smile for one’s ability to taste.

But Ivy Benton’s debut season arrives with a shocking twist: a competition to secure the heart of the Queen’s fae son, Prince Bram. A prize that could save Ivy’s family from ruin… and free her sister from the bargain that destroyed her.

Yet every glittering fae deal has a rotting heart—and at the center of this contest is a dark plot that could destroy everything Ivy knows.

Sweepingly romantic and deceptively enchanting, this alternate history romantasy will enthrall readers of Holly Black, Stephanie Garber, and Adalyn Grace.

+ This story has an interesting concept – alternate English history with a Fae Queen ruling. Now Prince Bram is looking for a wife and there is a competition for his hand in marriage. I thought the bargain people made with the Queen was fascinating – what would you give up for the thing you want?

+ Ivy’s trying to marry Bram, but all the girls are trying to marry him to help their families in some way. But Ivy meets Bram’s half-brother first, Emmett, and they have a lot of chemistry and it’s nice to see Ivy be herself around him as the story progresses. I thought maybe there would be a love-triangle with how some things were playing out – but there is a twist on that.

+ I thought it was nice getting to know the other girls even though some don’t get along. They eventually become like a found family during this competition.

+ There is quite a plot twist at the end of the story. I can say it wasn’t expected at all and I was quite surprised at what was taking place.

~ The trials were pretty weak. I think I wanted something more thrilling.

~ So this story is told mainly through the main character, Ivy Benton. But each girl remaining, the top six, tells their POV also, which at times got me confused until I realized what was happening and had to check the chapter to see which character was speaking.

Final Thoughts:

I thought this was more like The Selection than The Cruel Prince as this is being advertised. I thought the ending was a good twist in the story and I liked seeing what bargains people made with the Queen. I did wish the trials were more thrilling and I did get sometimes confused on who’s POV I was reading (if I didn’t pay attention to the chapter names) but other than that, I thought it was entertaining, especially the ending.

Book Links:

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Nature of Frost by. Jus Accardo | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Nature of Frost (Omen of Ice, #2)

Author: Jus Accardo

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 363

Publication Date: 1/13/25

Publisher: Entangled: Teen

Categories: Romance, Fantasy, Young Adult

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

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

A dying kingdom on thin ice…

Not so long ago, druid Keltania Tunne thought she knew the world—and her place in it. Magic was all but dead, and the kingdom torn apart. Then she was sent to the court of the Winter Fae and charged with the protection of Valen, the icily arrogant prince who some believed would bring about the destruction of them all…

Instead, he brought magic.

The greed for magic nearly destroyed their world, and its return could plunge them all back into chaos—or unite the estranged fae courts…if they move quickly.

Now Keltania and Valen must navigate the temperamental fae, their insidious secrets, and an enemy who would cleave the kingdom in two in the name of vengeance—all the while hiding the truth of their connection.

Its magic. Its remarkable power. And its ability to crush their hearts in two.

But no one knows that Valen struck a secret bargain with their enemy…and soon everyone in the land will face the consequences.

Content Warning: Cursing

This is book two in the Omen of Ice series, but unfortunately I never read book one! I didn’t realize when I requested this book that it was the sequel so that’s my fault.

So not having read book one and jumping straight into book two, I was a bit lost. That’s when I realized my mistake. I pushed on anyway, hoping that eventually I would get the gist of what I was reading. From what I could gather, Valen is a reluctant leader, and I found his personality to be humorous, he had a dry humor. Tania, the druid, is someone he has a connection with, they can read each other’s minds and are attracted to one another but can’t be with one another. But they both work together to defeat their enemy.

I couldn’t quite connect to the characters because I didn’t read book one but I found the kelpie, Daroose, pretty funny. I did find the story moved quickly and had lots of action.

Final Thoughts:

For a sequel in a series I never read I think this was a solid book. I think fans of the first book will enjoy this conclusion.

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Breath of the Dragon by. Shannon Lee and Fonda lee| ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Breath of the Dragon

Author: Shannon Lee and Fonda Lee

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 352

Publication Date: 1/7/25

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Categories: Martial Arts, Fantasy, Young Adult, Series, Politics

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

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

The first novel in a sweeping YA fantasy duology based on characters and teachings created by Bruce Lee!

Sixteen-year-old Jun dreams of proving his worth as a warrior in the elite Guardian’s Tournament, held every six years to entrust the magical Scroll of Earth to a new protector. Eager to prove his skills, Jun hopes that a win will restore his father’s honor—righting a horrible mistake that caused their banishment from his home, mother, and twin brother.

But Jun’s father strictly forbids him from participating. There is no future in honing his skills as a warrior, especially considering Jun is not breathmarked, born with a patch of dragon scales and blessed with special abilities like his twin. Determined to be the next Guardian, Jun stows away in the wagon of Chang and his daughter, Ren, performers on their way to the capital where the tournament will take place.

As Jun competes, he quickly realizes he may be fighting for not just a better life, but the fate of the country itself.

Content Warning: violence

Jun and his twin, Sai, are born in the East where only a dragon breathmarked can learn to fight be picked to become an elite warrior. When their family is torn apart, with Jun and his dad to the West and Sai and his mom in the East, Jun has to do what he can to see them again. The first step is to become the next Guardian. And to do that he has to join a fighting tournament against the toughest fighters in the West.

If you like martial arts, you will love this story. It’s got fighting, politics, found family and it’s overall just such an entertaining story! I really enjoyed the world-building.

I really enjoyed Jun as the main character – he’s stubborn, but you know this kid has such a good heart. He wants to be a Guardian but it’s so he can make his dad proud and find his mom and brother. I was really rooting for him through his growth and his fights. I loved watching him build relationships with Ren, Chang and his rival Yin. There is political intrigue going on in the West but I think with how this book ends, we’ll get to see what is happening in the East next.

The fighting scenes are great! Very violent but so good that I wish this was a tv show or movie – remember those days of martial art movies? It’s definitely entertaining.

Final Thoughts:

I enjoyed this one a lot and can’t wait to read the next book!

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Jade City by. Fonda Lee | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Starlight Heir by. Amalie Howard | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: The Starlight Heir

Author: Amalie Howard

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 368

Publication Date: 1/5/25

Publisher: Avon

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

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

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

A bladesmith with the power of the stars in her blood and a prince with a dangerous secret will fight to save their kingdom in this spicy and spellbinding romantasy inspired by Persian and Indian mythology—perfect for readers of Sarah J. Maas and Thea Guanzon.

To save the realm from eternal darkness, she’ll have to choose between the truth and the lie—stand and fight or kneel and die.

“His Imperial Majesty, King Zarek requests your presence as his esteemed guest.”

When the gold-dusted court invitation arrives at Suraya Saab’s forge, she believes it’s a joke. Nobles might seek her skills as a bladesmith—one of few who can imbue her work with precious jadu, the last source of magic in the realm—but she has no qualifications as a potential bride for the crown prince. Still, the invitation is the chance at adventure, and the means to finally visit the capital city her late mother loved.

But what awaits her in Kaldari is nothing she could have imagined—and fraught with danger. It’s not the crown prince, but his impossibly handsome, illegitimate half-brother, Roshan, who draws her interest…and her ire. The invitation isn’t a quest to find a suitable bride, but a veiled hunt for the starbringer—a girl rumored to hold the magic of the stars in her blood. And across the city, unrest is brewing between the noble houses and the rebel militia.

When the rebels carry out a brutal strike, Suraya and Roshan find themselves on the run, trying to deny their simmering attraction and the knowledge that Suraya herself might be the starbringer. But Roshan is hiding secrets of his own. And with no control of the power that seems to be stirring within her, Suraya has drawn the attention of the old gods themselves…and the interest of one dark god in particular might be the biggest threat of all.

Content Warning: death, violence, war, profanity

I was stunned by this book cover and had to request it. Here are my thoughts:

This book was a wild ride. I like the world-building and the mythology about stars and the gods. I think there is more to explore in this world but in this book there is magic, runes, prophecy, and chiromancy. I really enjoyed all the aspects of the world-building.

Suraya is invited with a bunch of girls to the palace in Kaldari because Prince Javen is looking for a wife. So this reminded a bit of the story The Selection, but then the story takes a turn for something different. I found Sura to be a fiesty, headstrong, but funny character. Her relationship with her best-friend Laleh is sweet and funny. And when she meets Roshan, their friendship grows as well, but into something way more.

The romance is spicy and their chemistry is fun but I feel like book two will be taken into a new direction. Suraya and Roshan’s romance is really sweet, not much conflict and they make a good couple except for some trust issues.

This story is filled with politics and Suraya gets caught in the middle of it because the powers that have manifested inside of her. She has to learn to control her powers and figure out what her role is with everything going on around her. There is a lot of action and it especially gets wild at the end!

I did have some issues with the story. I don’t mind profanity, but there were times the characters had modern speech and that threw me off a little. Also, there is a character, who is very mystery and we only get a few scenes of him. I know he will probably appear more in book two, but it was kind of maddening not knowing who he is and how he ties into everything. Also, I felt like Suraya’s talent as a blacksmith wasn’t really a focus of the story and I’d have liked to see her use that talent more. At times I felt like the story was all over the place.

My Thoughts:

I had some issues with this story and thought at some moments too much was going on, but overall I was entertained. I enjoyed the romance, the spice, the world-building and am looking forward to see what will happen in the next book.

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Book Review | The Beast of Beswick ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

The Darkness Within Us by. Tricia Levenseller | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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

Author: Tricia Levenseller

Format: eBook (Kindle Unlimited)

Pages: 336

Publication Date: 7/9/24

Categories: Young Adult, Romance, Fantasy, Series

Chrysantha Stathos has won.

By hiding her intelligence and ambition behind the mask of a beautiful air-headed girl, she has gathered important secrets, earned her father’s constant care, and become a wealthy duchess—all by age nineteen. Now, she is only one elderly, dying duke away from having all the freedom, money, and safety she’s ever wanted.

Or so she thought.

Turns out her little sister somehow snatched the true victory away from her: Alessandra is wedding the Shadow King, the most powerful man in the world. Meanwhile, after the death of Chrysantha’s no-good, lecherous husband, a man claiming to be the duke’s estranged grandson turns up to inherit everything that should be hers.

Chrysantha is enraged. There is no way that she’s going to let some man take everything from her. Never mind that he’s extremely handsome and secretive and alluring with mysterious powers… No, Chrysantha wants Eryx Demos dead, and in the end, a Stathos girl always gets what she wants.

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

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

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

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

Final Thoughts:

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

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books By this Author:

The Shadows Between Us | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️

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

Bloodguard by. Cecy Robson | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Bloodguard (Old Erth, #1)

Author: Cecy Robson

Format: eBook (Kindle Unlimited)

Pages: 448

Publication Date: 10/22/24

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

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

Everything in the Kingdom of Arrow is a lie.

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

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

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

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

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

Nor will his ultimate revenge…

Content Warning: violence, death

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

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

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

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

Final Thoughts:

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

Book Links:

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A Monsoon Rising by. Thea Guazon | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: A Monsoon Rising (The Hurricane Wars, #2)

Author: Thea Guanzon

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 400

Publication Date: 12/10/24

Publisher: Harper Voyager

Categories: New Adult, Romance, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Series

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

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

Two hearts circle each other in the eye of the storm in this highly-anticipated follow-up to The Hurricane Wars—prepare for more enemies-to-lovers romance, magical adventures, and political schemes in this Southeast Asian-inspired world.

After a lifetime of war, Alaric and Talasyn were thrust into an alliance between their homelands that was supposed to end the fighting; however, being married to their sworn foe feels far from peaceful. Now Talasyn must play the part of Alaric’s willing empress while her allies secretly plot to overthrow his reign. But the longer the couple are forced together, the harder it becomes to deny the feelings crackling like lightning between them. When the time comes to act, can she trust him, or must she ignore her heart for the sake of so many others?

As the master of the Shadowforged Legion, Alaric has trained for battle all his life, but marrying a Lightweaver might be his most dangerous challenge yet. With tensions between nations churning, he needs to focus on the greater threat—the Moonless Dark, a cataclysmic magical event that could devour everything. Only he and Talasyn can stop it, with a powerful merging of light and shadow that they alone can create together. But saving their world from this disaster is a mere preface to his father’s more sinister schemes, and his wife is a burning flame in the darkness, tempting both his loyalties and his desires.

The Hurricane Wars aren’t over. It’s time to choose what—and who—to fight for. The world holds its breath amidst a whirlwind of new magic and old secrets that could change everything.

Content Warning: death, violence, war

I enjoyed the first book in this series called The Hurricane Wars. I wasn’t sure what would happen in book two but here are my thoughts:

Likes:

All my stars for this book is for the romance. Oh my, their marriage of convenience has them bickering, and then the slow burn turns into an actual inferno that ignites between them. It’s my favorite part of the whole book, Talasyn and Alaric and their spicy scenes! I think I love them so much because even when their in the throes of passion, Talasyn tries to still take the upper-hand and I think it’s so funny to see how Alaric reacts. They are definitely falling for one another but fighting it so hard.
As for the story around the romance, it is such a tricky situation for both. It’s truly an enemies to lovers romance because they both are in it for their own country but they will have to make a choice – they can’t always be enemies, can they? This fighting can’t keep going on especially since what’s happening to Talasyn and Alaric is going to complicate things.
It’s such a mix of fantasy and sci-fi but so far I think it works to make it a very unique world.
We get to see more of Alaric’s relationship with his evil father. His father is a horrible man so it will be interesting to see how Alaric breaks free of him.

Dislikes:

Honestly, I was so invested in Talasyn and Alaric’s romance that I felt like everything else took a back seat, which I didn’t mind but I can’t tell you much about what’s happening plot-wise to the story. I was always rushing a chapter to see if Talasyn and Alaric were in it. But there is a choice the both of them have to make.

My Thoughts:

I didn’t expect all the spice in this book but I loved it! Talasyn and Alaric together are so fun because she’s a spitfire and he calls her on it but adores that about her. They are such opposites. Now we just have to see them accept that they are falling for one another. As for the story, it will be interesting to see how Alaric deals with his father’s influence on his life. I’m so looking forward to book three!

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The Hurricane Wars by. Thea Guanzon | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

The Half King by. Melissa Landers | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: The Half King (#1)

Author: Meliisa Landers

Format: eBook (Kindle Unlimited)

Pages: 409

Publication Date: 11/19/24

Publisher: Entangled: Red Tower Books

Categories: Young Adult, New Adult, Fantasy, Romance

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

Thank you to Entangled: Red Tower Books for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

A king by day. Shadow by night…

The Great Betrayal changed everything for the Allied Realm. Long ago, the kingdom’s noble houses rose up against the goddess… and for their treachery, the firstborn of each noble family was cursed.

One with perilous beauty.
One with destructive knowledge.
One with insatiable bloodlust.

But the royal house Mortara received the worst affliction of all. For while the king exists during the day, he fades into nothingness at night…until his twenty-first birthday, when he will be lost to the shadows forever.

Now an acolyte has arrived at court. Like all the second-born children of the Allied Realm, she’s destined to serve the goddess and become a Seer…only Cerise Solon has no gift of foretelling. In fact, she has no magical gift at all.

Instead, she’s surrounded by courtiers and priests—smiling sycophants whose hearts are filled with secrets and lies. And at the center of it all sits His Majesty Kian Hannibal Mortara, with his haunting eyes, sharp tongue, and an unerring ability to send her pulse skittering at the worst possible moments.

Falling for him is unthinkable. Because the king is the last of his line, and as the specter of his twenty-first birthday—and the full force of his curse—approaches, the kingdom holds its breath.

But there’s only one way to save a dying king… and it lies with the one person who’s hiding the biggest secret of all. Cerise.

Content Warning: violence, self-harm, death

Cerise is a second born acolyte who’s powers haven’t manifested yet and it seems like anyone who’s tried to “see” her path hasn’t been successful at doing so. So she’s sent to the Mortara kingdom to serve the king, Kian. He’s a half-king because he is solid in human form by day, and shadows by night.

I thought the world-building was really interesting. Their allied realm worships a goddess Shiera, but an event happened that cursed the people. Kian’s curse is to turn into shadow until one day he disappears altogether. But Cerise and Kian’s best friend, Daerick, are trying a way to break all curses. They made a good team and I thought with Kian in their group they were a pretty funny trio. Their investigation takes them on a quest filled with magic, danger, and some romance.

Cerise, was an interesting main character. She is sunshine personified – talk about someone who never really let things get her down. She came off as naive at times but I liked her heart and that she was not afraid to love. I’m so used to reading about strong females, that Cerise was kind of refreshing because it kept this story sort of light-hearted, in a way. There are dark times and themes in the book, especially with the priests at Mortara who self-harm themselves or believe in women having less power, but I like that she questioned things even though her faith in her religion was very strong.

The romance starts off slow, but there is a steamy scene and yes they both fall fast for one another but I felt like their romance fit the story. There isn’t too much drama between them and if there is, it’s solved with communication.

I liked how the story was questioning religion, and making certain choices. I also love the twist at the end that I wasn’t expecting.

I categorized this as YA and NA mostly because it felt like a YA book but the sex scene pushes it into NA. But there were a lot of times in this book I felt like it was very young adult. Maybe because of Cerise’s naivety? She acts young, as does Daerick and Kian but they ARE young (Kian is just shy his 21st birthday!) so it makes sense. I think I was hoping for them to act a bit older.

Final Thoughts:

This was a pretty quick read filled with mystery, romance, friendships, a quest, and a twist. I thought Cerise as miss sunshine was the perfect compliment to Kian’s shadow self. I do wish at times the characters were older but it wasn’t a huge issue. I look forward to reading the next book.

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The Songbird & the Heart of Stone by. Carissa Broadbent| ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: The Songbird & the Heart of Stone (Crowns of Nyaxia, #3)

Author: Carissa Broadbent

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 448

Publication Date: 11/19/24

Publisher: Bramble

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Series, Vampires, Gods

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

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

New York Times bestselling author and BookTok sensation Carissa Broadbent returns with a brand new novel in the Crowns of Nyaxia series, Songbird and the Heart of Stone, where A Court of Thorns and Roses meets Dante’s Inferno, in an epic fantasy romance of love and treachery between mortals and gods.

Mische lost everything when she was forcibly Turned into a vampire—her home, her humanity, and most devastating of all, the love of the sun god to whom she had devoted her life. Now, sentenced to death for murdering the vampire prince who turned her, redemption feels impossible.

But when Mische is saved by Asar, the bastard prince of the House of Shadow with a past as brutal as his scars, she’s forced into a mission worse than execution: a journey to the underworld to resurrect the god of death himself.

Yet, Mische’s punishment may be the key to her salvation. In a secret meeting, her sun god commands her to help Asar in his mission, only to betray him… by killing the god of death.

Mische and Asar must travel the treacherous path to the underworld, facing trials, beasts, and the vengeful ghosts of their pasts. Yet, most dangerous of all is the alluring call of the darkness—and her forbidden attraction to Asar, a burgeoning bond that risks invoking the wrath of gods.

As her betrayal looms, the underworld closes in, and angry gods are growing restless. Mische will be forced to choose between the redemption of the sun or the damnation of the darkness.

Content Warning: death, violence, grooming

I love this series and was so surprised there was going to be a book three but I am so happy there is and that I was gifted an arc! Once I saw I was approved I had to push all books aside and read it. Here are my thoughts:

Likes:

Did I read this in two days? Yes I did! More like a day and a half because I was hooked but in a different way from how I was addicted to the first two books in this series. This is Mische’s story, Raihn’s best-friend/charge, and I was so intrigued about her. Whereas, the first two books was a story about the different vampire houses and had an intense trial – this book is about Mische’s upbringing with worshipping a God and how that worship shaped her life. There isn’t a trial in this story but a very big, dangerous quest which is filled with the dead and other monsters in the path to the underworld.
Mische was groomed as a young child to love and please a God and now that she’s a vampire she is questioning her self-worth and dealing with the dualities inside of her – the powers of both a Shadow vampire and a Dawndrinker who is devoted to Atroxus. I actually love how the author exposes her devotion to supposedly something good and show how in actuality it was harming her. It’s a toxic relationship she has with her God. What I like about Mische is her optimism and sunshine quality even if she’s only faking it to make it. She has some deep seated self-hatred and guilt festering inside her and that was sad to see.
Asar has an interesting history also – the bastard heir of the House of Shadow vampire king. He is the grumpy to Mische’s sunshine. He’s quiet, sarcastic, and has had a difficult upbringing as well as some traumas that have shaped him. He and Mische understand guilt and wanting redemption so badly, it consumes them. I like how he helped show Mische how the love for her God was harming her.
It’s such a slow, slow burn, I was craving for a nugget of romance in the beginning but this one is a slow build and I honestly didn’t mind because of the quest Asar and Mische is carrying out which is filled with so much action and danger. But when the romance finally presents itself, it’s good! I love them together.
There is a lot of background story about Mische’s past, Asar’s past and Nyaxia’s past! I find this world so fascinating and was very hooked to every detail of it. I love how the Descent is the way to the Underworld – it’s filled with spirits, monsters, wraiths, and it is filled with danger. This world keeps growing and I love it.

Dislikes:

I wanted more romance but I also liked that this wasn’t an insta-love kind of deal. They actually work as partners (even though technically they are enemies), the romance isn’t the main thing in this story, and I was surprised I didn’t mind it but by the midway point I wanted more flirting – but that’s just me.
Their quest takes them into the Descent which is the in-between space between the mortal world and the underworld. The door to the Descent is a house that is sentient, called Morthryn, but there are times where I was easily confused as to where the characters were. They always find their way back to Morthryn but sometimes I was disoriented trying to figure out where they were.
This is clearly an ARC copy and with that said, there were many typos which will probably get corrected in the final publication but it did trip me up a few times while reading.

My Thoughts:

This being Mische’s story, I felt like it was a very true Mische story. Her sunshine personality shines through even in the darkest parts of Morthryn and the Descent and that’s what I adore about her. That even with all the things she’s gone through from being groomed by a God, turning into a vampire, losing the people she loves and now being away from her friends, warring with her self-worth and questioning her path – she is able to survive and keeps going. This one is filled with so much action, darkness and light, more world-building, a super slow burn of a romance and then that ending cliffhanger! I’ll be counting the days until the next book!