On Wings of Blood by. Briar Boleyn| Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice: 🌶️🌶️

Title: On Wings of Blood (Bloodwing Academy, #1)

Author: Briar Boleyn

Format: ebook (Kindle Unlimited)

Pages: 523

Publication Date: 11/30/24

Categories: Romantasy, Dark Romance, Enemies to Lovers

What do you get if you mix Harry Potter with Fourth Wing, Zodiac Academy, a dash of Arthurian legend, and lots and lots of vampires? Bloodwing Academy.

I didn’t sign up for this.

A half-fae in a school of highblood vampires? That’s a recipe for torment.

I’m Medra Pendragon—last of the dragon riders, or so they tell me. Funny thing is, there are no dragons left. Not a single one. But somehow, that hasn’t stopped the vampires from deciding I’m worth capturing. Now I’m stuck at Bloodwing Academy, where the highbloods run everything and blightborn like me? We’re just blood in their veins, pawns in their games.

But that’s not even the worst part. Enter Blake Drakharrow. Cold, arrogant, and way too gorgeous for his own good. He’s been tormenting me since the moment we met, and now, thanks to some ancient ritual, we’re betrothed. He acts like he owns me, but I’m not going down without a fight.

Bloodwing isn’t just a school—it’s a battlefield. Highbloods fight for power, and if you’re weak? You’re dead.

Between deadly competitions, lies that could get me executed, and a dragon-shaped secret looming over my head, all I have to do is survive. Easy, right? Except I’m starting to think the real danger isn’t the academy—it’s what I’m becoming in this twisted game of power.

And Blake? He might just be the one who pushes me over the edge.

They think they can control me. They think they can use me.

But they have no idea what they’ve awakened.

Content Warning: violence, death, bullying; the book has an extensive list of trigger warnings

Okay, I finally pushed through and read this book which is a sensation on booktok! And I have a few thoughts. Let’s start with the good.

+ I always love a dark academia type of book. I don’t know why, but I always have and I did enjoy it in this story as well. In Bloodwing Academy, there are four main vampire houses that rule. The blightblood who are not vampires but allowed into the school will be funneled into a certain house by the end of the year. The students learn different things like combat, healing, history, and more.

+ Medra Pendragon, is fae/human, but forced to be bound to a vampire prince, Blake Drakharrow, because of her dragon rider mark. For the most part I thought she is an interesting character who has lots of fight in her, and secrets. Because she dropped out of nowhere, she knew nothing about vampires and their world so she questioned a lot of the authority figures. It will be interesting to see what happens in book two.

+ I did find the world-building fascinating because I also do love a good vampire story. There was a lot to learn about the vampires, dragon riders and then there is Medra who is fae and just dropped out of her world into this vampire one.

+ I enjoyed the found family Medra created with her new friends at Bloodwing Academy especially since some of the highblood vampires, Blake’s friends, were trying to make her life hell.

~ This was almost a DNF in chapter one because I was lost and confused. And I put it aside for weeks but kept seeing tiktoks about it and I really wanted to know what the fuss was about so I finally PUSHED through the beginning and once Medra is at the academy things start to make sense. So I didn’t like how this book started.

~ I don’t love the romance. They are forced to be bound because of Blake’s uncle, and because this book was mostly world-building and learning about vampires since Medra is clueless about this world, I felt like they didn’t have much interaction. When they did interact I didn’t feel any chemistry and yet he’s obsessed with her. There is one real spicy scene between them, I think two fantasies, but just one real one and even then I felt it came on suddenly. And then he goes and messes it all up – really Blake? (And why is this hot, scary vampire named Blake?!) I’m reading book two just to see if he can redeem himself. Honestly, I wanted her to end up with Kage Tanaka!

~ I think there was too much going on in this story. There is Medra’s secret fae identity, she’s a dragon rider – how? Why? And then her mother that died at birth is in her thoughts, she is talking to her spirit, but that kind of goes away in the middle of the story? And Blake’s sister is going feral. Then Medra has to do all these trials, plus all the schooling she taking on. It just didn’t flow well for me. It felt all over the place.

Final Thoughts:

This would have been a DNF if I didn’t power through and in conclusion it’s one of those books that is entertaining if you like all the tropes like dark academia, enemies to lovers, found family and more. I didn’t love the writing style and it might be just me but I had trouble with the formatting of the text not having indentations (it was driving me crazy which made me want to DNF at first). I didn’t love the romance either – will there be someone else for Medra? Probably not, so let’s see if things change in book two and I am reading book two because of the dragon aspect of the story which only really emerged at the end of this book. I think it has a lot of potential but just didn’t love the execution of it.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Fallen Court by. Geneva Lee | Audiobook Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Fallen Court (Filthy Rich Fae, #2)

Author: Geneva Lee

Narrator: Raquel Beattie and Aiden Snow

Format: audiobook (borrowed)

Pages: 384 / Audio Reading Time (approx.): 15 hours

Publication Date: 5/19/25

Categories: Urban Fantasy, Romantasy

One fae prince. One deadly bargain. And a mortal caught between desire and damnation.

Cate thought she knew darkness. As a trauma nurse, she had witnessed the worst of humanity. But nothing―not the blood, the violence, or the despair―could have prepared her for the fae underworld. A realm where beauty is a weapon, desire is a trap, and mortals who stray too far don’t return.

She almost didn’t.

Until Lachlan Gage―shadowed, ruthless, and feared even among his own kind―bound her to him with a deadly bargain. As the prince of New Orleans and ruler of the Nether Court, he is as much a curse as he is salvation. And with the Wild Hunt at his heels and war stirring between the fae courts, even his protection may not be enough to save her.

Because Cate is more than just his reluctant mortal. She is wanted. Coveted. And the prince of the Hallow Court will do anything to claim her.

But something ancient is rising in the dark, warping fae magic into something unnatural and cruel. It has nothing to do with Cate’s past―or so she tells herself. Even though the ring left behind by her mother whispers otherwise.

There is only one thing more dangerous than the fae who would kill for her.

The fae who would die for her.

And Lachlan Gage has never been one to lose.

Content Warning: violence

+ I thought the narrators did well and I liked that there were two different voices for the different POVs.

+ I enjoyed the world building once more and it doesn’t only take place in New Orleans this time. In the beginning, the story takes place in Europe. So I like that there were different locations but then it goes back to New Orleans which is a great place for an urban fantasy to take place because it is dark and mystery. This time witches are introduced into the story which I enjoyed.

+ Cate and Lachlan’s relationship grows and this time their spicy scenes aren’t so closed door, which was fun! This is a fated mates kind of love story and I do enjoy them as a couple.

+ I enjoy a lot of the secondary characters like Ciara, Lachlan’s sister. But why does Cate’s brother always get into trouble? He is so frustrating.

~ I felt like the pacing was an issue but I don’t know if it’s because I was listening to the story instead of reading it? There was a lot of action and excitement and the beginning and the end. The middle feels like nothing much is happening except Cate and Lachlan’s relationship and the investigation into murders around the city. But I think it felt slow because that’s the mystery part of the story?

Final Thoughts:

Overall, I think this was a solid sequel but I did enjoy book one a little bit more. Once again, there is a twist at the end of this story but I’m not sure if I will continue the series. But again, it might be because I listened to it (and I don’t love audiobooks but I’m trying to get used to them) than read it that I feel this way so when book three comes out, maybe I will read it instead.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From This Author:

Filthy Rich Fae by. Geneva Lee | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Bound in Inked Flame by. Ava Larksen| Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice: 🌶️🌶️

Title: Bound in Inked Flame (Of Crows and Thorns Saga, #1)

Author: Ava Larksen

Format: ebook (Kindle Unlimited)

Pages: 731

Publication Date: 2/27/25

Categories: New Adult, Romantasy, Dark Romance, Enemies to Lovers, Crime Families

When I signed myself away in marriage, I should have read the fine print. Ink fades—blood binds.

I’m a prisoner, trapped behind gilded gates, my freedom traded for safety. Magic pulses beneath my skin, wild and forbidden. In our world of ruling Houses, wielding such power means death. One slip, one spark—everyone I love dies.

As a princess of the Great House, I should have been untouchable. But in a cruel twist of fate, a ruthless family of enforcers claims the right to choose any bride. Now I’m to marry the infuriating Graysen Crowther. Our loathing is legendary, but with only a wall between us each night, hatred burns into something far more treacherous. One touch and I might lose something far worse than my life—my traitorous heart.

As my control fractures and betrayal tightens its noose, my only chance at survival lies in escaping to seek the monster who holds the truth about my magic. Yet when a bargained kiss unleashes an unbreakable bond, dark suspicion whispers through my bones that I’m caught in a blood-soaked web.

For in this deadly game of power, where trust is a luxury I can’t afford, Graysen moves like someone who’s been playing long before I knew there was a game.

And his secret might prove more lethal than any forbidden magic.

BOUND IN INKED FLAME is the first book in the OF CROWS AND THORNS SAGA, an epic dark romantasy. Perfect for readers who crave plot-heavy, character-driven sagas drenched in atmosphere and rich world-building—where dark mysteries unravel alongside a slow-burn romance and heart-wrenching choices that threaten to destroy everything. Please note this book ends on a cliffhanger. For content warnings, please check the author’s website.

Content Warning: violence, death, sexual assault, attempted rape

+ I picked this up on a whim because of the cover, the synopsis and some 5 star ratings. 30% into the book I almost DNF’ed this book. Why did I push through? I wanted to know what power Nelle had and I like a good complicated drama with families who hate each other, I wanted to see how that would turn out. Plus the loathing between Nelle and Graysen was palpable and I wanted to see how slow or quick they turned into lovers.

+ Nelle Wychthorn, is from a great House. Graysen Crowther, is from an old but lower House. And they are bound to marry each other, but they cannot marry until she turns 20. For now, they spend one day a year with one another, until now when her older sister is about to be engaged to a man from another House and there will be weekend festivities and Graysen must attend. These two HATE each other, I like that she gave as good as he gave but she was still the younger of the two, she’s 19 and I think he’s like 25? Or something like that.

+ This is an interesting world – the Horned Gods rule these crime families, but this world is apart from the real world, there is a scene where the FMC and MMC even go to New York City. Any person who is “other”, which is someone with powers, is supposed to be given to the Horned Gods at birth. Some people though, like the Crowthers have minimal magic that the Gods do allow like having truesight.

+ I enjoy a story with crime families that don’t like each other and it’s very true here in this one. The Wychthorns are the top dog of houses, and everyone bows to them because they have favor from the Horned Gods. But I like seeing the different drama families had with one another. The biggest one being between Nelle and Graysen’s family which really puts a wrench in their love story. I liked when Nelle’s sisters or Graysen’s brothers (especially Caidan) were in the story.

+~ The romance is enemies to lovers. I love the tension and fighting between Nelle and Graysen – they hate each other a lot. I like that she fights him, but then starts to care for him and I can see why she would if he’s the only relationship she’s had – bad as it has started out, he is still the only one she’s ever spent time with. In that sense, their relationship is a bit dark and toxic because she knows nothing else except him. And this isn’t a slow burn when it comes to spice…now will there be love? I don’t know, when you think Graysen will just let go and admit he cares, he withdraws back into himself again. There is a lot of betrayal in this story also and by the end of this book I was hoping Nelle never forgives Graysen. It will take a lot for ME to forgive him, he will need to grovel bad.

~ I read this 700+ pager in one day, because I had time but I did also almost DNF’ed this because of nothing much happening in the first 30% of the book. I just wasn’t feeling it and the world building felt so vague. There was focus on Nelle and Graysen’s spice, but I wanted more than that. I stuck around but still, I almost gave up a few times because some things became repetitive.

~ The book has a part where a character mentions reading smut on a Kindle and it took me out of the story, it called me out lol (and I almost DNF’ed right then and there). I think it was the mention of a real-time device in a fantasy world that was a little jarring. Also Nelle is 19 and secretly so powerful but then she would talk like a brat and say “As if…” and I’m so old that it just reminded me of the movie Clueless! 🤭 So then I would think this FMC is ridiculous. I get it she’s young, she didn’t have much control over things even though she tried, she’s sassy and doesn’t like being told what to do. But she’s super powerful and we are reminded of it over and over. I did wish many times that she was older than 19, like 23 or something and was out of the brat stage.

~ Pacing. Sometimes the spicy scenes would take chapters and they really only had one weekend together. But I wanted to learn more about the families and the Gods. Yes, the smut drew me in but it still could have been shortened. So it would go from Nelle’s sexual awakening and them fighting (again/always) to them remembering oh yeah they are there for her sister’s engagement festivities and the Horned Gods were coming so Nelle better keep this secret power inside her in check. There was some good action here and there and then the big event at the end, but pacing could have been better and it could have been less repetitive.

~ I need Nelle to get ruthless and stay ruthless after all the stuff happening to her. She was literally a child when all this drama happened and she was being blamed without even knowing it. I was warming up to Graysen (okay so he’s sexy, hot and protected her – BUT he still pissed me off). And after that ending, I need Nelle to cut him off and punish him and his family for a little bit. I don’t know if I will forgive him – there was a strange mention of a better option vaguely in the story (so many things were vague!), but is there another option out there for her?

Final Thoughts:

I am so surprised I read this in one day after wanting to DNF it a few times but I saw so much potential with the world building. I was drawn to this world of crime lords all fighting and betraying one another. I like that there is an enemies to lovers romance, but I don’t know if I can forgive you now Graysen Crowther. So much could be cut out to make this story move faster and be tighter. I need Nelle to grow up a little and stop acting like a brat, learn some lessons! I need Graysen to grovel 😅 for forgiveness (look I get why he is the way he is, I just need to see if there’s another option for Nelle). I even read the snippet from book two at the end because it has that addictive factor. So I have very mixed feelings about this one but I’m still going to read book two unless that one gets repetitive too and I have to DNF, but I hope some things are cleaned up and it’s shorter. I am definitely here for the drama!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

A Fate Forged in Fire by. Hazel McBride | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice: 🌶️🌶️

Title: A Fate Forged in Fire

Author: Hazel McBride

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 416

Publication Date: 5/27/25

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Dragons

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 Press for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

To become the first queen in centuries, a powerfully blessed blacksmith must use her wits and fire magic to overthrow the corrupt powers ruling her kingdom—while also fighting her growing desire for one of her dragon-riding adversaries—in the first book of a sizzling Celtic-inspired fantasy romance duology.

Once a territory built on matriarchal rule and values, Tìr Teine has since grown frail from a long line of fruitless kings. The most recent of which have ruled under the influence of the True Religion, an oppressive group who have steadily poisoned the region with their anti-magic teachings.

Born to rule and blessed by fire, Aemyra has begrudgingly lived in hiding rather than risk her life in court, waiting in anticipation for the current king’s death so she can bond to his dragon, claim her throne, and protect her people. But when the king dies and Aemyra is ready to take what is rightfully hers, her ambitious plan is foiled and she is thrust into a game of vicious politics and plots.

Her biggest adversary is Prince Fiorean, a dragon-rider and one of the most powerful fire wielders in the territory. Cold, arrogant, and blindly supportive of his corrupt family, he is everything Aemyra despises. But as chaos engulfs the court, they find themselves reluctantly entwined, forced to forge an uneasy alliance—one that quickly ignites into something more dangerous than either of them expected.

Behind enemy lines and slowly falling for her so-called adversary, Aemyra uncovers just how far the rot of corruption has spread, and what she may have to sacrifice to claim her throne.

Content Warning: misogyny, violence, war, death, attempted forced hysterectomy, family trauma

+ This gives Game of Thrones and House of Dragon vibes but no incest (thank goodness)! I think it mostly resembles House of Dragon with the political intrigue and world-building which has a territory that used to worship Goddesses and practice magic and is now overrun with men practicing the True Religion, they are called the Chosen or Covenantors. Also there is a mad king – sound familiar? Anyway, I actually enjoyed the GoT/HoD vibes a lot – this world is merciless and cutthroat.

+ Aemyra is not only the rightful Queen in hiding but she is going to fight for her throne. Thing is she’s also naive, impulsive and arrogant. She has a lot to learn about being Queen. I think people reading this might either love or hate her. Growing up being groomed as the future Queen left her making impulsive decisions, thinking everything would fall her way easily. She finds out quickly that the path to winning the throne is not easy at she thought it would be. I like her strength and the things that she had to go through with the Chosen, made me root for her a lot. She is basically fighting for women’s rights.

+ I love the dragons and Aemyra’s bond with her twin brother, Adarian who is the more level-headed and softer side of the two of them. Her dad is a morally grey character who I don’t fully trust but it will be interesting to see what happens her relationship with him in the next book.

+ The romance is a slow build and I went back and forth hating and loving Fiorean to hating him by the end! But that’s what makes me want to read book two – because these two took enemies to lovers to the next level. Their sword fighting and fire fighting battles are intense, and the ending was even more so. There is some spice with knife play but since it’s a slow burn it doesn’t happen until later in the book.

+ There was good action throughout the book, culminating with a fierce battle at the end.

~ One issue I had was reading the Gaelic words. Yes, there is a vocabulary list to help readers, thank goodness but I did get frustrated at times.

~ This is an enemies to lovers to enemies romance for now. Prince Fiorean doesn’t show much emotion but when he does confess to how he feels about Aemyra – it’s so good. But still, I felt like leading up to their spicy scene, there wasn’t much build-up, just a lot of hate between them, would have liked more hints of attraction. So if you expect them to be wooing one another, that doesn’t happen, this is a vicious court they are living in and I’d say the lust wins out first. We’ll see what happens when the emotions come in.

Final Thoughts:

I didn’t know what to expect with this book but I can say that by the end of it I was addicted and will be looking forward to book two. What I love most about it is how it gives House of Dragon vibes with the dragons, political intrigue and ruthlessness of the world. I think I’ve been craving a book just like this for awhile. I was thoroughly entertained by this book and the betrayal at the end left me needing book two asap.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Shield of Sparrows by. Devney Perry | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice: 🌶️

Title: Shield of Sparrows (#1)

Author: Devney Perry

Format: ebook (borrowed – KU) but I also have the hardcover 🤭

Pages: 528

Publication Date: 5/6/25

Categories: Romantasy, Magic, Fantasy, Romance, Series

Shield of Sparrows is a slow-burn, high-stakes romantasy perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Rebecca Yarros―where enemies become lovers, monsters stalk a cursed realm, and a forgotten princess finds the strength to tear off her crown and become the warrior she was never meant to be.

The gods sent monsters to the five kingdoms to remind mortals they must kneel.

I’ve spent my life kneeling―to their will and to my father’s. As a princess, my only duty is to wear the crown and obey the king.

I was never meant to rule. Never meant to fight. And I was never supposed to be the daughter who sealed an ancient treaty with her own blood.

But that changed the fateful day I stepped into my father’s throne room. The day a legendary monster hunter sailed to our shores. The day a prince ruined my life.

Now I’m crossing treacherous lands beside a warrior who despises me as much as I despise him―bound to a future I didn’t choose and a husband I barely know.

Everyone wants me to be something I’m not―a queen, a spy, a sacrifice.

But what if I refused the role chosen for me? What if I made my own rules? What if there’s power in being underestimated?

And what if―for the first time―I reached for it?

Content Warning: violence, death

This was one of the most hyped books in the past few weeks and I fell into the hype and bought the book not knowing it would have been available on kindle unlimited anyway! So I read it on KU because it was easier for me and I put the book trophy on my shelf – it’s a gorgeous book.

+ I really enjoyed the world-building in this story. It’s a world of different kingdoms and there is some politics going on. This world is dangerous with wild creatures always being fought off and a migration of crux (deadly winged beasts) about to take place. There is magic, a lot of secrets and mystery in this story. There is also a mysterious illness affecting the wild animals, so Odessa is trying to help investigate that.

+ Princess Odessa Cross is the eldest child of the King of Quentis and always blending in the background and hiding. It’s her sister who was trained to be Queen and Odessa basically accepts this fate until fate is changed for her by the Prince of Turah who demands to marry her instead of her sister. Odessa is not trained in kingdom politics, or swordplay – her sister was trained to be a spy, not Odessa. She’s flawed, she asks lots of questions but she is not spy material or an assassin at that, but she tries hard and she’s a good person. I think there was a lot of growth for her in this first book.

+ The Guardian has a reputation and Odessa spends more time with him than her actual husband. So it’s not a surprise that an attraction grows between them. He is a protector, he is fierce and menacing and always drenched in blood after killing these beasts that have been attacking the kingdom of late. Odessa finds him irritating until he grows on her. But he trains her to fight, and he’s more than patient with her I’d say. This is a slow burn romance with hardly any spice. But I did love the romance once it got going and some of the secrets and truths are revealed.

~ This is a long book and it does move slowly because it is focused on world-building. But even with the world-building and learning about the different creatures that are terrorizing towns, some things were still left a mystery and will probably be more explained in book two. Things pick up in the second half of the book and the ending finishes with a lot of action. It leaves us with more questions for the sequel.

~ The romance was too much of a slow burn for me. I thought the romance was lovely but I still wanted some of the secrets to be revealed earlier because I could figure out what it was. Odessa spent a lot of time telling the Guardian, Ransom, how much she hated him. It got repetitive and I just wanted her to move on from that because he really wasn’t hateful. That man was keeping her alive!

~ Another thing about Odessa, she was thrown into this role of Shield of Sparrow without any training but wow was she bad at trying to find out information for her dad. And the way that everyone basically betrayed her made me wonder what good is all her questioning (she asks a lot of questions) if she can’t discern who to trust? Is she asking the right questions? She did grow up a princess and maybe not the favored one but I expected her to have some grasp of court politics or be wary of who to trust?

Final Thoughts:

I read this in a cloud of hype and I should have waited to get a better idea of this book without the hype. But after processing my thoughts though, I felt like this book moved too slow for me. I did like the world building – I like the monsters, the magic, the mystery of the disease in the animals, learning the characters and the politics. I even enjoyed the romance, once there was romance – it was too much of a slow burn for me. The second half of this book moved quicker and the ending was filled with action. I did enjoy it and I look forward to reading book two because of all the questions I was left with.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The Twisted Throne by. Danielle L. Jensen| Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Spice: 🌶️

Title: The Twisted Throne (The Bridge Kingdom, #5)

Author: Danielle L. Jensen

Format: ebook (borrowed – libby)

Pages: 512

Publication Date: 4/8/25

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Series, Political Intrigue

A commander who bled to defend her people, Ahnna is haunted by two beliefs. The first is that she failed to protect Ithicana from invasion. And the second is that saving her homeland means leaving it behind forever.

The Maridrinians left Ithicana in ruins and its people impoverished. So when the wealthy kingdom of Harendell claims her as a bride for its crown prince, Ahnna is prepared to do whatever it takes to gain influence as the future queen. And to control the gold that comes with the throne.

Yet Ahnna swiftly discovers that beneath the beautiful surface of Harendell’s court is a dark underbelly built upon schemes, duplicity, and the pursuit of power. The only individual who holds himself above the politics is not her future husband, but his infuriating half brother, James. And as she begins to question whether Harendell is the ally it claims to be, Ahnna finds herself drawn into a forbidden attraction to the wrong prince.

As deadly plots tighten around her, Ahnna must decide whether saving her people will be achieved as a bride…or as a blade.

Content Warning: violence, poison, torture, bullying

+ This is Ahnna’s story. She is the sister of Aren, the King of Ithicana and Lara’s husband. So I was really interested to see what happens to her as she is traveling to Harendell to fulfill the marriage treaty that was set up when she was younger.

+ Ahnna is thrown into a dangerous situation and all around her is political intrigue. The Harendell court seems civil, even reminding me of the British monarchy in a sense with their propriety and rules, but underneath their mask they are vultures – there is always someone playing a game and Ahnna is in over her head.

+ I think the second half of the book was much better and moved quicker with action and so many twists and turns. Who is playing who? When it is revealed, it’s a bombshell. The ending is a cliffhanger.

~ I didn’t like Ahnna in this book because I knew her to be so fierce in the other books but in this one she came off so naive and weak. What happened to her character? I get that she feels guilt but she was making so many missteps I was hoping she would go home like everyone was telling her to do. She is so stubborn. I hope there is some growth in the next book.

~ I hated the Harendell court – clearly they didn’t care for Ahnna yet she insisted she could make this marriage work and sent every one of her people away. I questioned her decisions a lot. I just found it boring – the people, how they functioned, prim and proper yet vicious. For me it made the forbidden romance part lackluster. It was too slow of a slow burn because James is so proper and so loyal to his family. Why did James do a great job of staying away from her? 😑. I didn’t like him, which I was bummed about. There was yearning, but like I said, they weren’t together much.

~ The political intrigue is about a trade war and reminded me of our very realistic trade war taking place in the real world. Was it sometimes fascinating (at the end) – sure? But for the whole of the story, I wasn’t fully into it. There was a lull in the middle and it took me a few days to finally finish this book. I think the story could have been shorter.

Final Thoughts:

This is not my favorite in the series but the ending of the book was amazing. There wasn’t much romance, and I kind of don’t love Ahnna and James together. Or I just don’t like James? I’m not sure yet, I definitely do not like Harendell. Maybe I will have to make my verdict after the next book. .

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Other Books I’ve Read From this Author:

A Fate Inked in Blood by. Danielle L. Jensen | ARC Review (#5) ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

The Endless War by. Danielle L. Jensen | Book Review (#4) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Inadequate Heir by. Danielle L. Jensen | Book Review (#3) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Traitor Queen |Book Review (#2) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Book Review | The Bridge Kingdom (#1) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Gilded Serpent (Dark Shores, #3) | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Dark Skies | Book Review (Dark Shores, #2) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Book Review: Dark Shores (Dark Shores, #1) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Never List by. Jade Presley| Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Title: The Never List (Never List, #1)

Author: Jade Presley

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 417

Publication Date: 4/1/25

Categories: Fantasy, Romance, Reverse Harem, Why Choose

The four princes of Lumathyst need a mate, and everyone wants a chance…except for her.

Threatened by invaders, the kingdom of Lumathyst is on the verge of chaos, and no one can stop it. Unless the four immortal god-princes find their fated mate―and safeguard the throne―Lumathyst will fall.

Five women have tried. Five have failed. And tonight in the royal city, the princes need to find their Chosen and hope she can survive the transformation that will make her immortal.

Only Rylee Gray wasn’t supposed to be here. She snuck in for her own dark reasons―and now they claim they’ve found their perfect match. Her. Of course, they have no idea she’s concealing a secret big enough to damn them all.

The four princes have no choice. They’ll use every delectably wicked skill they have to make Rylee fall for all of them…or watch their kingdom collapse.

Content Warning:

+ One woman, Rylee Gray, is chosen by one of the four Lumathyst princes, to go through a trial and see if she can survive turning immortal. Though this had more smut than plot, I did appreciate that Rylee did face some challenges on her journey to becoming the chosen one.

+ If you like smut, this one has a lot of it. It’s a “why choose” trope or basically reverse harem. There is one of her and four of them and Rylee enjoyed ALL of them. Literally. Sometimes two at the same time. So smut lovers this one is for you!

+ I did like the twist at the end. Throughout this story Rylee is sort of looking for her lost sister. I say sort of because it’s the princes who are supposedly looking for intel on her. There is more information about her at the end of the story.

~ I think Rylee spent the most time with Kal, who became my favorite only because she took time bonding with him and I felt out of all the guys – the romance between them is genuine. All the other guys were rushed. I think her favorite is Jax, but though there was tension between them from beginning to end, her moments with him (and the others) were rushed.

~ This was heavy on the spicy scenes and I thought the world-building was too light. Also she’s going through a trial with each prince to see if at the end she is “the one”. She’s with them for a mont but she fell for each prince fairly quick and there were no challenges there except for Jax and his dad, who constantly gave her problems. I mean I’m glad they all love to share her and she loves to be shared – but I wanted a bit more depth with the story.

~ I didn’t really connect to Rylee, i just wanted more from her character but I did think Mirren was a fun character. Would have liked to know Rylee’s friends bit better too.

Final Thoughts:

Even though this was more smut than plot, I read it fairly quick just because I wanted to see the difference in the princes and how she interacted with them. Unfortunately she didn’t spend lots of time with them equally – which is why I like Kal the best but I feel like that wasn’t fair to the other guys. I would have loved more world-building, more time with each prince and more from Rylee’s character. If you like spicy, reverse harem romances without heavy world building, then you will enjoy this one.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Phantasma by. Kaylie Smith | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Phantasma (Wicked Games, #1)

Author: Kaylie Smith

Format: ebook (KU)

Pages: 497

Publication Date: 9/3/24

Categories: Dark Romance, Fantasy, Romantasy, Lite Horror, Gothic

Caraval meets Throne of the Fallen in this spicy dark romantasy where a necromancer needs help from a dangerous phantom to win a deadly competition, only to find their partnership puts her at risk of breaking the game’s most vital rule: don’t fall in love.

When Ophelia and her sister discovers their mother brutally murdered, there is no time to grieve: Ophelia has inherited both her powerful death-driven magic and enormous debt on their home. Circumstances go from dire to deadly, however, when Ophelia’s sister decides to pay off the loan by entering Phantasma—a competition where most contestants don’t make it out alive and the winner is granted a single wish.

The only way to save her sister is to compete. But Phantasma is a cursed manor, with twisting corridors and lavish ballrooms, and filled with enticing demons and fatal temptations. Ophelia will need to face nine floors of challenges to win… if her fears don’t overtake her first.

When a charming, arrogant stranger claims he can protect and guide Ophelia, she knows she shouldn’t trust him. While Blackwell may not seem dangerous, appearances can be deceptive. But with her sister’s life on the line, Ophelia can’t afford to turn him away. She just needs to ignore the overwhelming, dark attraction drawing them closer and closer together.

Because in Phantasma, the only thing deadlier than losing the game is losing your heart.

Content Warning: blood play, violence, horror

+ Not sure what I was expecting with this one but it has a necromancer, devils, and phantoms. It’s also set in New Orleans so I loved the vibes of this story a lot. It’s a melting pot of all things paranormal.

+ Ophelia lost her mom, and now she’s lost her sister too but she’s going to try and find her. Her sister has joined the game Phantasma. Phantasma is a game played in a house of horrors. The game has stages based on the 9 levels of hell (Dante’s Inferno anyone?). Ophelia joins but her sister is in another group separate from hers so they never run into each other. But Ophelia does run into a gorgeous phantom named, Blackwell. Anyway, each stage of the game has some horror to it, and Blackwell bargains with Ophelia to help her get through each stage if she helps him find what will set him free from the house. I did like the haunts for each stage, some were gruesome though, but it adds to the darkness of the story.

+ Ophelia and Blackwell’s relationship I thought was fun to see develop because she’s stressed out (she has OCD and is dealing with very intrusive thoughts) but he’s kind of playful and always teasing her. Of course the attraction gets heated between them, and things get spicy – there is even a scene that involves blood. But yes these two are hot for one another.

~ I did wish the stages had more tension and horror. The stakes didn’t feel high and Ophelia was cruising through them with Blackwell’s help.

~ I didn’t enjoy Blackwell having missing memories. And honestly, I enjoyed the spicy scenes but I also was thinking too much during them. I was like, wait he’s a phantom, can he…ohhhkay, he CAN…how is he doing that? 😅🤔 Yes he can have a corporeal body when he concentrates hard enough – no pun intended lol. Also maybe it was just me, but when Blackwell kept saying “You are the closest thing I will ever get to experiencing heaven.” That song by the GooGoo Dolls would pop up in my head “you’re the closest to heaven that I’ll ever be, and I don’t wanna go home right now” (it doesn’t help that I heard that song the same day I finished this book! lol)

~ The ending was kind of anticlimactic.

Final Thoughts:

This is definitely not on Caraval’s level but I still had a fun time reading it. I especially like the dark atmosphere and the creepy house that the game is being played in. Would have liked the ending to be a bit more dramatic maybe to fit the vibes. There’s a lot of spice between a phantom and a necromancer so I’d say overall this was entertaining. Will I read book two? Maybe, but not right away.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

A Desert of Bleeding Sand by. Lucia Damisa | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: A Desert of Bleeding Sand

Author: Lucia Damisa

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages:

Publication Date: 3/27/25

Publisher: Darkan Press Inc.

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

“ A breathless rivals-to-lovers Romantasy that will captivate you from the very first page .”— USA Today Bestselling Author Stacy Reid. In a glittering Sahara Desert palace, many have come to die…

Zair, a reviled half-blood with magical powers, is determined to stop the traitors attacking her academy and kidnapping its students—especially as her beloved sister is targeted. Sent to the palace during the king’s coronation, her mission is unmask the culprits behind the disappearances. But when she crosses paths with Dathan, a rival spy from another academy, his hidden motives complicate everything.

As danger escalates and more students vanish, Zair and Dathan realize they must join forces to stop the looming threat. As they close in on the traitors, a shimmering attraction pulses between them, threatening to unravel their focus. In a palace where everyone covets power and night magic guards its halls, Zair must save her fellow students—and protect her heart from the one person she cannot afford to trust.

+ I was a beta reader for A Desert of Bleeding Sand and I was so excited to read this one!

+ I love a rivals to lovers romance and this one has a great start with Zair and Dathan being from rival academies. These two are from military academies so they are competitive and when they have to work together on a mission, the competitiveness comes out. I love their banter and watching their attraction grow. It’s a slow burn so we’ll see what happens in the next book.

+ I like a fantasy book that has themes of friendship and family because it’s so relatable to me. Zair is close to her family and is protective of them which is nice – I love their bond! Zair is half Esan, and she experiences prejudices against her but what I love about her is her strength! She’s a great, strong yet at times vulnerable young woman. Dathan is an interesting character also but he doesn’t have the coziest relationship with his family.

+ The story moves quickly which I love – it’s filled with lots of action and even some mystery. The world-building is great – we get to learn about the different kingdoms and the political intrigue kept me invested. I love the diversity of this world.

Final Thoughts:

I was so honored to be a beta reader for this book and honestly I was impressed with the arc copy. I enjoyed how balanced this story is plus I love a story with students in an academy and add to that it’s a rivals to lovers romance? I was hooked. The diverse world-building is so interesting, the action keeps the story moving and I was invested with the political intrigue. I can’t wait to see what happens in book two!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Frost Bound by. Frost Kay | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Frost Bound (Entangled with Trickery Book, #1)

Author: Frost Kay

Format: ebook(KU)

Pages: 364

Publication Date: 2/13/25

Categories: Monster Romance, Fantasy, Series, Enemies to Lovers, Romantasy

Dahlia Skysinger has managed to survive the underworld of Astera her whole life through clever deals, selling her voice, and never staying in one place too long. When her little brother is caught stealing from the crown, Lia is forced to make a cruel bargain with the royals.

Her life for his.

To regain her freedom, Lia must impersonate the princess, marry the monstrous frost giant king, then spy on and . . . kill him.

Taking a human bride is King Neve’s last chance to secure peace for his people. Promised a frail mortal princess he could lock away and forget about, the last thing he expects is a woman with a sharp tongue and a reckless amount of courage. Lia might be the key to avoiding war, but he doesn’t trust a single word that falls from her pretty lips.

And so the wicked game of trickery and survival begins.

But what happens when an assassin starts to have feelings for her target, and a king’s icy heart begins to melt for his little human bride?

Book One of The Entangled in Trickery Series

Perfect for romantasy readers who enjoy fiery enemies to lovers romance, arranged marriage, learning to love yourself, epic fantasy adventure, sexy monster villains, slow burn with ALL the tension and angst, and mythical sidekicks.

Content Warning: violence

I haven’t read a Frost Kay book in awhile but I was attracted to this on Kindle Unlimited because of the book cover. I thought the premise was interesting also and wanted to see how this arranged marriage, enemies to lovers romance would play out.

The thing I found really interesting is the world-building because Dahlia, or Lia, is about to marry a frost giant, Neve. The frost giants have blue skin, full black eyes, and the men have horns on their shoulders. I found them fascinating.

It’s definitely a slow burn (super slow), monster romance, with just a little bit of spice that happens near the ending of the book. There are a lot of tropes I enjoy in this book like the arranged marriage, and enemies to lovers. Neve really hates humans and the fact he’s bound to this marriage grates on his nerves but he finally starts to feel something for Lia when the cliffhanger ending happens! I thought Lia was an even-tempered but strong character as she takes on this task of impersonating the princess.

The story itself isn’t that original but I still found it enjoyable because of the monster romance aspect of it.

Final Thoughts:

I thought this was a quick, binge-able read and if you like books with the tropes I mentioned above then you will like this monster romance. You might want to wait for the second book to come out because of the cliffhanger ending though.