Shadow of Perl by. J. Elle | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Shadows of Perl (House of Marionne, #2)

Author: J. Elle

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 448

Publication Date: 9/3/24

Publisher: Razorbill

Categories: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Series, 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 Razorbill for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

The dazzling romantic fantasy world of House of Marionne continues in this dark and deadly sequel full of forbidden magic, devastating lies, and broken hearts.

A must read for fans of Stephanie Garber, Leigh Bardugo, and Alex Aster.

Unleash the darkness. Claim your power.

Quell Marionne’s explosive final Rite of Induction to House Marionne sent shockwaves through the magical world, unearthing long buried secrets and her own deadly power. But she paid a steep price: her family and her love. Fleeing Chateau Soleil for House of Perl, for once Quell is celebrated instead of shunned. She has finally found somewhere to belong. But secrets lurk in every House, and Quell’s quest to find her mom threatens to lead her deeper into the shadows.

Assassin Jordan Wexton, second-in command of the Dragun brotherhood, must protect the source of all magic, the Sphere. Yet the biggest threat to the Sphere is Quell Marionne—the girl he loved, until she claimed the deadly, outlawed toushana. As the Sphere cracks and war brews among the Houses, can the only way to save the world be to kill his own heart?

Now, these two lovers-turned enemies must confront their competing ambitions and conflicting loyalties. Or die. The future of magic hangs on their decision.

Content Warning: violence, loss of a parent

This is the second book in the House of Marionne series and with the way it ended in book one, I was excited to see how this sequel would turn out.

Likes:

I liked when Yagrin was in the story because the first book ended with him and it got me excited to see what would happen to his character.
The troubled romance between Quell and Jordan goes through more turmoil here. They hate one another, but underneath it all, they still feel strongly for one another. So I did like when they finally had scenes together – it was my favorite parts because I love romance in my fantasy books.
There is a lot of movement in the book since Quell is on the run and there is a lot of action at the end. I liked the political drama and Jordan coming to realize what the order demands of him.

Dislikes:

This was too slow for me and it was hard for me to get into it because it starts off with Nore and I was clueless as to who she was. So I was a bit lost in the beginning of this book and was trying to get my bearings and remember things from book one.
I couldn’t connect to the characters.

My Thoughts:

I think this book does move the series forward but it took me awhile to get into. My favorite parts were when Quell and Jordan finally confront each other but I did also like all the political drama happening with the houses. I think if you liked book one, you will enjoy this one.

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Book Links:

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Other Books By This Author:

House of Marionne by. J. Elle | ARC Review (House of Marionne, #1) – 3.5 stars

Wings of Ebony | ARC Review (Wings of Ebony, #1) – 4 stars

A Magic Fierce & Bright by. Hemant Nayak | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: A Magic Fierce & Bright

Author: Hemant Nayak

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 384

Publication Date: 7/9/24

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Categories: Young Adult, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Magic, Dystopian

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

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

A young technomancer teams up with a handsome thief to save her sister in this propulsive, magic-filled young adult fantasy that is perfect for fans of Gearbreakers and Iron Widow .

Adya wants nothing more than to be left alone. Content to be loyal to no one but herself in the isolated jungles of South India, she dreams only of finding her lost sister, Priya, and making enough money to take care of their family. It’s too bad that her rare ability to wake electric machines—using the magic that wiped them out five centuries ago—also makes her a coveted political pawn. Everyone seems to believe that her technomancy can help them win the endless war for control over the magic’s supernatural source.

These senseless power struggles mean little to Adya. But when her enemies dangle news of her sister before her, she’s all too quick to leap at the chance to bring Priya home—even if it means teaming up with a rakish, disreputable thief in order to do it. With the threat of invasion looming ever larger on the horizon, Adya must reconcile the kind of person she is with the kind of person she wants to be and untangle the web of intrigue, conspiracy, and deceit that threatens to take all of India down with it.

Content Warning: violence, death

+ The world building in this one is very unique. It’s a mixture of sci-fi and fantasy, in India. There is technomancy which is about magic and machines, which I thought was neat but maybe a better explanation of how this world came to be would have been helpful.

+ Adya is the main character and she’s gifted with technomancy. And she’s really connected to her sentient Yamaha motorbike, it’s like a friend to her which I thought was cool. I’d say she is very brave and loves her family. Her family is gone, except for her brother and maybe a sister, who she hasn’t given up hope on finding. Dsouza is her rival but we learn he’s more than a thief or renegade or whatever dangerous guy he’s portraying. I’d say there is some rivalry flirting going on between them but it’s not a focus at all. I think the two of them were fun together.

+ This story has a lot of action and violence that I wasn’t expecting. I think it made the story move fast. There was mention of Indian mythological creatures like the naga, drongo and yaksha.

~ The reader gets thrown into the story which made it hard to get my bearings at first. I would have liked more history about this world and what happened. I could grasp that Britain was trying to invade India but I don’t know why and at first I thought this was taking place in the past but then realized it was in the future since they had modern things.

~ Would have loved to connect more to the characters.

My Thoughts:

I thought this was an interesting and unique story because of the technomancy and sentient motorbike. Adya is an interesting character who can make machines magical. The Indian mythology added a lot to the story to make it more fascinating. I do feel like I didn’t quite connect to the characters but the story did move fast because it had so much action, sometimes very brutal. I think if you are into India, rebellion, sci-fi, magic and dystopia, this one may interest you.

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Curious Tides by. Pascale Lacelle | Book Review

Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Curious Tides (Drowned Gods, #1)

Author: Pascale Lacelle

Format: hardcover (own)

Pages: 544

Publication Date: 10/3/23

Categories: Academia, Romance, LGBT+, Witches, Series, Fantasy, Young Adult

Ninth House meets A Deadly Education in this gorgeous dark academia fantasy following a teen mage who must unravel the truth behind the secret society that may have been involved in her classmates’ deaths.

Emory might be a student at the prestigious Aldryn College for Lunar Magics, but her healing abilities have always been mediocre at best—until a treacherous night in the Dovermere sea caves leaves a group of her classmates dead and her as the only survivor. Now Emory is plagued by strange, impossible powers that no healer should possess.

Powers that would ruin her life if the wrong person were to discover them.

To gain control of these new abilities, Emory enlists the help of the school’s most reclusive student, Baz—a boy already well-versed in the deadly nature of darker magic, whose sister happened to be one of the drowned students and Emory’s best friend. Determined to find the truth behind the drownings and the cult-like secret society she’s convinced her classmates were involved in, Emory is faced with even more questions when the supposedly drowned students start washing ashore— alive —only for them each immediately to die horrible, magical deaths.

And Emory is not the only one seeking answers. When her new magic captures the society’s attention, she finds herself drawn into their world of privilege and power, all while wondering if the truth she’s searching for might lead her right back to Dovermere…to face the fate she was never meant to escape.

Content Warning: grief, violence

This one has a slow start but I didn’t give up on and I’m glad I didn’t.

I love the world-building where magic is based on when a person is born and under what moon. It had the dark, gloomy academia vibes which was nice. I love the secret societies intrigue. We have two POVs from Emory and Baz. Emory survived a ritual that killed a bunch of her classmates, but she wasn’t even supposed to be there. Baz is the older brother of her best friend, Romie, who was lost in the ritual. They are both back at Aldryn College – a college for magic users, but this time Emory has new powers and she and Baz are trying to figure what went wrong during the ritual that went bad and they uncover so many things about magic, lies they were told, and secrets about other worlds.

My favorite characters so far are Baz, Kai, and Vera. Emory, I didn’t love because she kept making mistakes and trusting the wrong people. I didn’t see her as a good person, especially with how she treated Baz! She leads him on for her benefit and he deserves better. I hope there is growth for her in book two – there was some at the end of this one, but she really needs to do much more to win me over.

The beginning was too slow and repetitive at times but it picks up at the halfway mark and from then on it gets good mostly because of Kai, who I love but it just moves faster and has more action. There is a love triangle which infuriated me because I could tell from the start that Keiran wasn’t trustworthy but Emory had to learn the hard way I suppose, because she is so stubborn.

My Final Thoughts:

I definitely wanted to read this one because of the beautiful cover and I love the whole moon magic concept. It’s also an academia book and I was in the mood for it. I didn’t love Emory, the love triangle, or the slow beginning and the repetitiveness of some things that could have probably been cut to shorten this 544 page book. But once it picks up in the middle, I really couldn’t put it down! I love Baz, Kai, and Vera. I love the world building and magic system. I do hope there is growth for Emory in book two because I do not think she deserves Baz at all. I am looking forward to reading book two because of how this one ended. I’m curious to see these other worlds that have been hinted at!

Quotes From the Book

“The dead move on and so must we.”
Curious Tides by. Pascale Lacelle

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So Let Them Burn By. Kamilah Cole | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

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

Author: Kamilah Cole

Format: ebook (borrowed)

Pages: 400

Publication Date: 1/16/24

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

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

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

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

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

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

Content Warning: violence

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

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

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

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

My Final Thoughts:

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

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The Last Bloodcarver by. Vanessa Le | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Last Bloodcarver

Author: Vanessa Le

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 384

Publication Date: 3/19/24

Publisher: Roaring Brook Press

Categories: Young Adult, Fantasy, Magic, Science, Medicine, Romance, LGBT+

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

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

The tantalizing romance of These Violent Delights meets the mechanical wonders of Cinder in The Last Bloodcarver, the first in a two-book debut — with a riveting medical magic system and lush Vietnam-inspired fantasy world.

Nhika is a bloodcarver. A cold-hearted, ruthless being who can alter human biology with just a touch. In the industrial city of Theumas, she is seen not as a healer, but a monster that kills for pleasure.

When Nhika is caught using her bloodcarving abilities during a sham medical appointment, she’s captured by underground thugs and sold to an aristocratic family to heal the last witness of their father’s murder.

But as Nhika delves deeper into their investigation amidst the glitz of Theumas’ wealthiest district, she begins to notice parallels between this job and her own dark past. And when she meets an alluring yet entitled physician’s aide, Ven Kochin, she’s forced to question the true intent behind this murder. In a society that outcasts her, Kochin seems drawn to her…though he takes every chance he gets to push her out of his opulent world.

When Nhika discovers that Kochin is not who he claims to be, and that there is an evil dwelling in Theumas that runs much deeper than the murder of one man, she must decide where her heart, and her allegiance, truly lie. And — if she’s willing to become the dreaded bloodcarver Theumas fears — to save herself and the ones she’s vowed to protect.

Content Warning: death of animals, violence, death of parents, medical horror

I went into this book with no expectations and once I started reading, I could not stop. Nhika posses a gift to heal people, but with that same gift she could hurt and kill them as well. She is what is knowm as a bloodcarver and it’s generally a bad thing to be. But in her upbringing she was called a heartsooth, and someone who took pride in her abilities. Nhika finds herself alone now, and bought to help a family who is grieving the lost of their father who they think was murdered. They need Nhika’s help to confirm this though and she agrees, only to find herself in a dire situation.

I like Nhika even though she doesn’t seem like someone anyone can easily connect to. She’s not warm or kind, she’s had to survive on her own for years – she’s been alone. Nhika lost her whole family and she’s trying to stay alive in a heartless world who looks down upon bloodcarvers. I like that she isn’t polished and I especially love that her heart always wants to do the right thing, even when people don’t seem to deserve her help. I connected with her through her love of the family she has lost. I love her memories about her mother and her grandmother teaching her the craft of heartsoothing. It reminded me of my own grandmother and so my heart ached for Nhika even if she didn’t have time to dwell on her feelings about grief.

There is also a found family trope in this story although at times I felt not so happy about it because Nhika was on the outside looking in and at one point they didn’t trust her.

The world building is interesting because it mentions Theumas being a technocracy and yet they used rotary phones. I did read that this was Vienamese-inspired and the politics going on in the story shows that. The magic system is great because it blended science and magic! I love all the medical stuff and anatomy and everything about the healing craft that Nhika learned through her grandmother. Also this story is part murder mystery but I felt like it never really slowed down, which I appreciate it, since mysteries always move too slow for me. The story moves quickly and I liked the actions scenes we do get, even if the last one is a bit gory!

There is even an enemies to lovers romance happening with Nhika and Ven, a doctor’s assistant. For the most part of the book Nhika is trying to figure him out and what his motives are. But when more information in reveal it’s a big twist in the story and makes them see one another with different eyes. I didn’t mind the romance, for me I think it works – may seem to fast for some people but I totally get how Nhika was so lonely and finally she finds someone who she doesn’t have to hide from. I love them together and it made me tear up at the end because everything happening was unexpected and I just wanted the best for Nhika who really deserved some happiness in her life after everything has been taken away from her.

I didn’t even realize it’s a duology but I can’t wait to see what happens in book two!

My Thoughts:

There was so much to love about this book – the world-building, magic system with magic/science/healing, the romance, the murder mystery and a good plot twist. The ending was unexpected, especially with how intense it was and it left me heartbroken. I can’t wait for book two!

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Nettle & Bone by. T. Kingfisher | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Nettle & Bone

Author: T. Kingfisher

Format: ebook (borrowed)

Pages: 243

Publication Date: 4/26/2022

Categories: Fantasy, Fairy Tales, Magic, Paranormal, Adventure, Lite Horror

After years of seeing her sisters suffer at the hands of an abusive prince, Marra—the shy, convent-raised, third-born daughter—has finally realized that no one is coming to their rescue. No one, except for Marra herself.

Seeking help from a powerful gravewitch, Marra is offered the tools to kill a prince—if she can complete three impossible tasks. But, as is the way in tales of princes, witches, and daughters, the impossible is only the beginning.

On her quest, Marra is joined by the gravewitch, a reluctant fairy godmother, a strapping former knight, and a chicken possessed by a demon. Together, the five of them intend to be the hand that closes around the throat of the prince and frees Marra’s family and their kingdom from its tyrannous ruler at last.

Content Warning: domestic violence, death

I finally read a book by this author and I can see why there is so much hype around her books! I love the fairy-tale aspect of Nettle & Bone. I felt like I was lured in by the wonderful writing and then I was just enjoying this journey that Marra and her friends go on. Marra is a princess who is trying to save her sister from her horrible husband but she needs help in doing so. I thought she was an interesting character, the sister who is put away in a convent but she makes it her mission to save her older sister.

The group of characters that come together to go on this quest to kill the Prince who is married to Marra’s sister, is fantastic. I loved their dynamic and interactions, especially the two older ladies, the dust-wife and Agnes (the godmother). Even though they are taking on a dark type of mission, there was so much humor too.

Of course, I loved the strange pets in this story – Bonedog and Finder! There is even a tiny bit of romance that happens for Marra, which was kind of cute.

As far as this being categorized as horror – I was like…where is the horror? I was expecting something darker and maybe some gruesome scenes but nope. This almost felt like a cozy fantasy. This will definitely appeal to the fans who are not fans of horror.

My Final Thoughts:

I love the fairy-tale story telling and the amazing characters and animals that we meet in this book. Even though Marra’s journey to kill a Prince is wrought with challenges, her motivations for doing it comes from her love of her sister. I love that she found the strength to want to try and save her. This was a fun and quick read!

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Heartless Hunter by. Kristen Ciccarelli | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Heartless Hunter (#1)

Author: Kristen Ciccarelli

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 352

Publication Date: 2/20/24

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Categories: Young Adult/New Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Witches/Witch Hunters. 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 Wednesday Books for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

A steamy game of cat and mouse between witch and witch-hunter, played out against a backdrop of opulence, secrets, and bloody history.

On the night Rune’s life changed forever, blood ran in the streets. Now, in the aftermath of a devastating revolution, witches have been diminished from powerful rulers to outcasts ruthlessly hunted due to their waning magic, and Rune must hide what she is.

Spending her days pretending to be nothing more than a vapid young socialite, Rune spends her nights as the Crimson Moth, a witch vigilante who rescues her kind from being purged. When a rescue goes wrong, she decides to throw the witch hunters off her scent and gain the intel she desperately needs by courting the handsome Gideon Sharpe – a notorious and unforgiving witch hunter loyal to the revolution – who she can’t help but find herself falling for.

Gideon loathes the decadence and superficiality Rune represents, but when he learns the Crimson Moth has been using Rune’s merchant ships to smuggle renegade witches out of the republic, he inserts himself into her social circles by pretending to court her right back. He soon realizes that beneath her beauty and shallow façade, is someone fiercely intelligent and tender who feels like his perfect match. Except, what if she’s the very villain he’s been hunting?

Kristen Ciccarelli’s Heartless Hunter is the thrilling start to a romantic fantasy duology where the only thing more treacherous than being a witch…is falling in love.

Content Warning: violence, blood magic, mentions of self harm, mentions of abuse, death, mentions of drug use

+ I went into this book not knowing what to expect and wow was I delightfully surprised at how engaged I was with this story. I loved the game of cat and mouse that Rune and Gideon play. Rune is a witch in secret and Gideon is a successful witch hunter. I didn’t want either of them to catch the either because I was rooting for them both at times – but they did entrap themselves with their attraction to one another which was intense. There was even a steamy scene between them which is why I mention this as a New Adult book because I did feel like the characters seem older.

+ I like how complicated this story was because of Rune’s background – she’s a witch and trying to survive by keeping that secret. She’s also the Crimson Moth, a witch going around helping other witches escape from prison. And then there is Gideon, who was abused by a which he had been in love with and when he set himself free and helped take down the witch Queens who ruled them, he became a changed young man – a hardened one. They both think they are doing their life’s purpose.

+ The twist in the story was so good, I only caught it 3/4ths into the book! I did not see it coming at all until it was too late but I love that it caught me off guard. I was so involved with Rune and Gideon’s game of cat and mouse that I didn’t question anything else happening around them.

+ The world building is great and I love the magic system. I like that we get the history of the Queens and the revolution. The killing of witches did get graphic especially when Rune recalls how her grandmother died.

+~ I personally love how this enemies to lovers, forbidden romance transpired. Gideon really hates witches and Rune really is trying to help any witch she can. I loved the cat and mouse but how could these two people ever be together? It seems doomed from the start because they are both pretending to get something from the other. There is a slight love triangle which some readers won’t like but I didn’t mind it because of what happens in the story. But Gideon is as hardened a character as I ever saw and with the way things end – is there a way the two of them could ever believe the other? But I so loved the way he softened towards Rune (even if it was at first pretend) and the things he did to woo her – I don’t blame her for falling for him!

My Thoughts:

I was really transported into this story and was riveted by the cat and mouse game between Rune and Gideon. I love the moments when they gave into what they were feeling but they have so much to work through. I love the world-building and the magic which was easy to follow. There’s a great tension that builds in the story because of Rune’s secrets, the cat and mouse game, the forbidden attraction and the twist in the story. I’m sad I have to wait for the next book!

Book Links:

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Edgewood by. Kristen Ciccarelli | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

The Last Namsara by. Kristen Ciccarelli ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

These Deadly Prophecies by. Andrea Tang | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: These Deadly Prophecies

Author: Andrea Tang

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 256

Publication Date: 1/30/24

Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers

Categories: Young Adult, Mystery, Sorcery, Magic, Romance, Contemporary Fantasy, Thriller

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

Thank you to G.P. Putnam’s Sons Books for Young Readers for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

A teenage sorcerer’s apprentice must solve her boss’s murder in order to prove her innocence in this twisty, magic-infused murder mystery perfect for fans of Knives Out and The Inheritance Games .

Being an apprentice for one of the world’s most famous sorcerers has its challenges; Tabatha Zeng just didn’t think they would include solving crime. But when her boss, the infamous fortuneteller Sorcerer Solomon, predicts his own brutal death—and worse, it comes true—Tabatha finds herself caught in the crosshairs.

The police have their sights set on her and Callum Solomon, her murdered boss’s youngest son. With suspicion swirling around them, the two decide to team up to find the real killer and clear their own names once and for all.

But solving a murder isn’t as easy as it seems, especially when the suspect list is mostly the rich, connected, and magical members of Sorcerer Solomon’s family. And Tabatha can’t quite escape the nagging voice in her head just how much can she really trust Callum Solomon?

Nothing is as it seems in this quick-witted and fantastical murder mystery.

Content Warning: death, violence

+ I was very intrigued by the synopsis especially because it revolves sorcerers and magic. Tabatha is an apprentice to one of the most world-renowned sorcerers and he dies. Now it’s a race to find out who actually killed him because she’s on the list of suspects, along with everyone else in the Solomon family. So this is very much a mystery.

+ There is a big cast of characters and everyone is a suspect – which is kind of fun! I love messy family drama. We follow Tabatha on her investigation into Sorcerer Solomon’s death. During her investigation we get to learn a bit about the Solomon family, his ex wives and his children from each union. I thought Tabatha was a fun character because she’s not a part of the family, so we get to see how they function through her eyes.

+ There is a little romance going on with Callum Solomon (the youngest son) and Tabatha but it takes a backseat to the investigation.

+ I did find the second half of the book more exciting than the first, maybe because that’s when Tabatha is getting close to figuring things out and a bunch of wild things happen that I did not expect! I liked the twist.

~ It’s a mystery and mysteries are not my favorite because they can be too slow for me. I do think the reader gets thrown into this world of sorcery. It’s told in second person POV so that caught me off guard because I rarely read any books in second person but I think it works well. It’s a contemporary world but with sorcerers in it and there isn’t much world building since the story focuses on the who-done-it part. It would have been nice to see the sorcery in action, outside of the murder mystery.

My Thoughts:

This was a quick read and if you like mystery, magic and some messy family drama, I think you will like this one. I do wish there was more world-building. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Book Links:

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The Invocations by. Krystal Sutherland | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Invocations

Author: Krystal Sutherland

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 400

Publication Date: 1/30/24

Publisher: Penguin/Nancy Paulsen Books

Categories: Young Adult, Mystery, Horror, Thriller, Sapphic, Feminism, Demons, Witches, Paranormal, Contemporary

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

Thank you to Penguin/Nancy Paulsen Books for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

From the author of New York Times bestseller House of Hollow comes a darkly seductive witchy thriller where, though both men and demons lurk in shadows, girls refuse to go quietly into the night.

Zara Jones believes in magic because the alternative is too painful to bear—that her sister was murdered by a serial killer and there is precisely nothing she can do to change it. If there’s anything Zara cannot stand it’s feeling powerless, so she decides she will do whatever it takes—even if that means partaking in the occult—to bring her sister back from the dead.

Jude Wolf might be the daughter of a billionaire, but she is also undeniably cursed. After a deal with a demon went horribly wrong, her soul is now slowly turning necrotic. Flowers and insects die in her wake and monstrous things come to taunt her at night. If Jude can’t find the right someone to fix her mistake, she fears she’ll die very soon.

Enter Emer Bryne: the solution to both Zara’s and Jude’s predicaments. The daughter of a witch, Emer sells spells to women in desperate situations willing to sacrifice a part of their soul in exchange for a bit of power, a bit of magic to change their lives. But Emer has a dark past all her own—and as her former clients are murdered one-by-one, she knows it’s followed her all the way to London.

As Zara and Jude enter Emer’s orbit, they’ll have to team up to stop the killer—before they each end up next on his list.

Content Warning: death, violence, self harm, gore

+ If you want demons and witches and females trying to fight the men who are killing them – you will want to read this book. I actually had to process this book in my mind for a bit before writing what I thought about it. The Invocations is outright, in your face, blood, gore, dark, not some glamorous wholesome kind of witchcraft. No, this one has witchcraft that comes with lots of blood and old languages. It is gritty, it is scary but shows how desperate these women seeking these invocations are to have power against the men hunting them. I thought the themes of feminism was great – loved that only women can have magic.

+ There are three characters: Emer, Jude, and Zara and I thought they were pretty cool trio with very different personalities. Jude brings the humor which I loved since this book is so dark in themes and gory in some scenes. Zara is someone grieving her sister and wants to bring her back to life so she can apologize. Emer is a witch who has had quite a life – she’s so fascinating and scary with her power. I love how the three of them meet and start to bond over finding this killer. They are all tied to the murders in some way. There is also a little romance brewing but it’s not something that is the focus of the story.

+ This is a murder mystery or serial killer mystery and I did like the twist at the end. And what an ending it was – my eyes were wide open for most of the climatic ending! It was disgusting and gory but I couldn’t look away, so to speak!

~ The beginning was slower than the second half but it was introducing three characters and tying them together. But once they meet the story really gets rolling!

~ It is dark, there is self harm, lots of blood, cutting skin. Lots of gruesome deaths.

My Thoughts:

This book was like, “you want demons and witches? I’ll give you demons and witches.” This is a dark story about women, men, demons, witches and power. There is a lot of blood and gore but also a sort of happy ending. I loved that the story didn’t shy away from the gore – even though I don’t usually read gory books in general. I wish this was released near Halloween because this is the perfect dark, witchy read for Fall! I look forward to reading more from this author, she’s becoming one of my must-read authors!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

House of Hollow by. Krystal Sutherland | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Ruthless Vows by. Rebecca Ross | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Ruthless Vows (Letters of Enchantment, #2)

Author: Rebecca Ross

Format: ebook (own)

Pages: 432

Publication Date: 12/26/23

Categories: Young Adult, Romance, Fantasy, Magic

The epic conclusion to the intensely romantic and beautifully written story that started in Divine Rivals.

Two weeks have passed since Iris Winnow returned home bruised and heartbroken from the front, but the war is far from over. Roman is missing, and the city of Oath continues to dwell in a state of disbelief and ignorance. When Iris and Attie are given another chance to report on Dacre’s movements, they both take the opportunity and head westward once more despite the danger, knowing it’s only a matter of time before the conflict reaches a city that’s unprepared and fracturing beneath the chancellor’s reign.

Since waking below in Dacre’s realm, Roman cannot remember his past. But given the reassurance that his memories will return in time, Roman begins to write articles for Dacre, uncertain of his place in the greater scheme of the war. When a strange letter arrives by wardrobe door, Roman is first suspicious, then intrigued. As he strikes up a correspondence with his mysterious pen pal, Roman will soon have to make a decision: to stand with Dacre or betray the god who healed him. And as the days grow darker, inevitably drawing Roman and Iris closer together…the two of them will risk their very hearts and futures to change the tides of the war.

Content Warning: violence, war, death

I finally read the sequel and conclusion to Divine Rivals and here’s what I thought:

+ The writing is beautiful as ever, it flows, it’s magical – enchanting.

+ Love the addition of new character Tobias. I thought his interactions with Attie was cute. We get to learn more about Dacre and Enva in the sense that they finally come to life on the page and they talk.

+ I feel like this historical fantasy fiction works! It’s set in war-time, feels like the 1940’s, but has magic (ley lines, typewriter, and buildings) and Gods who are at war. And usually I would think that’s hard to pull off but for me it works really well in this story. It even gives that war movie romance – the couple is apart but have to do what they have to do wherever they are, they have to survive but also want to be together again.

+ Speaking of romance…Roman and Iris are beautiful together. I’m glad they found their way to one another. There were some beautiful quotes between the two of them.

Let me be your secret, then. Tuck my words into your pocket. Let them be your armor.”
-Rebecca Ross, Ruthless Vows

I would love to see your words catch fire with mine.”
-Rebecca Ross, Ruthless Vows

Write me a story where there is no ending, Kitt. Write to me and fill my empty spaces.”
-Rebecca Ross, Ruthless Vows

~ I didn’t love this as much as Divine Rivals but I loved it. I think because Divine Rivals has the rivals to lovers element and in Ruthless Vows they are just trying to survive and find their way back together. I loved their banter in the first book. But they are still a lovely couple and I was rooting for their love really hard.

My Final Thoughts:

This is such a beautiful duology! I love the writing, the magical feel of the story, the lovers torn apart but doing everything they can to find one another. It’s heartfelt and everything I could hope for in a sequel and conclusion.