A Throne of Feathers and Bone by. Shannon Mayer & Kelly St. Clare | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: A Throne of Feathers and Bone (Honey and Ice, #2)

Author: Shannon Mayer & Kelly St. Clare

Format: eBook (Kindle Unlimited)

Pages: 351

Publication Date: 9/27/21

Publisher: Hijinks Ink Publishing

Categories: Urban Fantasy, Romance, Faerie

Chosen. Framed by my father’s murderer. Running from the fae courts. Fated to never touch the man who sets my blood on fire.

Life was looking up for me not long ago. Now, it’s looking all the way down. This latest shitstorm? Yeah, it takes the cake and the beetroot tickle.

The father who shunned me from birth lays cold and dead. The courts are in turmoil and after blood. My blood. I need to find his killer, yet that mystery pales in comparison to the madness crushing fae in its giant grip.

I’m desperate to find the door to Underhill before true anarchy descends. The answers I seek are on the other side, I’m sure of it.

With two gifted swords, a magic shield, some finnicky power, and dubious spirit for company, I must locate the path to our native realm again. And if I can manage that while resisting the Unseelie fae stalking my every footstep, then all the better.

But I am part human after all.

What is it about snarky young ladies in an urban fantasy? I’m addicted. I’ve loved Kallik/Alli’s snark since book one and it continues in book two especially when she is around Faolan/Lan. Alli is on the run and trying to figure out how to open Underhill but every time she gets a chance something disastrous happens…why? The Unseelie and Seelie are about to fight because of her and now the Outcasts too. Alli needs to figure out her powers and ties to Underhill before more people die.

One thing I love about this series, is who Alli cares and I’m talking about her best friend Cinth who is amazing. If there isn’t family around for a main character in a story, I absolutely approve of besties being there, being their ride or die, and found/chosen family and Cinth is that for Kallik. I love her to pieces. I love how she loves Kallik and tries to be there for her, and tries to be that grounding factor in her life.

And my other favorite thing? When boy and girl are friends, girl falls for boy, boy disappers from her life and shows up again and they kind of hate each other (but not really) but under all that amazing sexual tension is still friendship too…that is Faolan and Kallik. I love how they bicker and joke and fight each other and then fight together against harm. I love how they have history and that they finally talked it out in this sequel. I like that they can be themselves with one another.

The pacing of this is great, the story keeps moving with action, fighting, trying to find out how to open Underhill. There is a battle about to happen between Unseelie, Seelie and the Outcasts. There is betrayal, there are secrets revealed and yes a funny, sarcastic, very snarky Oracle who made me laugh. This series is fun and I want more.

Content Warnings: violence, death

Barely a love triangle – you know it’s Faolan and Kallik as end game. I get that she wants a guy who doesn’t drive her crazy (I mean maybe physically yes, but emotionally – no). But she and Faolan has history, they just needed to sort some things out.

The first two books came out quick one after the other and it seems the third comes out in January, which isn’t too long of a wait. Yay!

Why you should read it:

if you love romantasy (is that what these are called now?) you will enjoy this one
story moves along quickly with action, romance, secrets and betrayal
the snarky females and Cinth, the cinnamon roll (can I hug her?)

Why you may not want to read it:

not into romantasy
tired of books about the Fae

My Thoughts:

I enjoyed this story from top to bottom even with the little love triangle because you know it’s just Alli sorting her feelings and pushing Faolan away. I love them together, you can tell they have history and it’s transitioning into something much, much more. I’m so glad Alli and Cinth were reunited as well because Faolan and Alli may be lovers, but Alli and Cinth are soulsisters. 🤷🏻‍♀️The story was exciting and moved quickly with twists and turns and that Oracle made me cackle. Give me book three!

📚~ Yolanda

City of Thorns (The Demon Queen Trials, #1) by. C.N. Crawford | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Title: City of Thorns (The Demon Queen Trials, #1)

Author: C.N. Crawford

Format: eBook (Kindle Unlimited)

Pages: 306

Publication Date: 8/13/21

Publisher: C.N. Crawford

Categories: Urban Fantasy, New Adult, Fake Dating

I never thought I’d be singing happy birthday to myself in a dungeon. And yet when a sinfully sexy demon crashes happy hour, that’s exactly what happens. He’s known as the Lord of Chaos, and he’s mistaken me for my succubus doppelgänger.

Happy birthday to me.

When he tastes my blood, he finally understands I’m mortal. And I realize we have something in common: we both crave revenge. So we make a deal: I can stay in the forbidden city to hunt for my mom’s killer. In return, I’ll help him get the vengeance he craves. I just have to pose as a sexy succubus. One problem–he’s my number one suspect.

And that’s increasingly hard to remember as he teaches me my role: seduction. With each heated touch I drift further into peril. And if I fall under his seductive spell, death awaits me.

Rowan is trying to make ends meet as a nineteen year old who is on her own. She has a best friend who is attending University in the forbidden city that is inhabited by demons. Rowan wants in but how? This is where the Lord of Chaos, Orion, comes in as he mistakenly thinks Rowan is Mortana, a succubus from the past with a bad, bad, bad reputation. Of course Rowan isn’t this Mortana he accuses her of being but she puts a proposition to him – she will act as Mortana and find out what Orion needs to know in order for him to exact his revenge. This helps Rowan get closer to achieving her ideas of avenge against her mother’s murderer also – if she can find out who it is.

I found Rowan a typical main character found in these types of new adult, urban fantasy books, especially the ones from this author. Rowan is down on her luck, trying to better her life and then she run into a major complication that can actually help her situation – as long as she plays along. But we learn a few things about Rowan that made the story much more interesting…is she Mortana? Or a descendant? Who killed her mom? I’ll definitely be reading the next book to find out.

Orion, Lord of Chaos, is all kinds of temptation and mystery. He’s devastatingly handsome, rich, and powerful. I love how snarky he is! The chemistry between them is off the charts. I mean…he is an incubus! 🔥 It’s his job to set her and everyone else raging with arousal.

These books are short and sweet and usually the next installment is released very soon, but it seems like book two will be released in January 2022! I hope it gets released sooner.

I just finished the last series from this author and there was a whole situation with the mc being possessed by another spirit and I really hope this series doesn’t follow the same formula. It would be cool just Rowan to be a descendant or something but we shall see what happens.

Why you should read it?

world building with demons
escapism
quick read/addictive, fake dating

Why you might not want to read it?

too short and next book comes out in 2022
not into demons

My Thoughts:

I think this is a pretty solid start to a series. I like the world building and enjoyed getting to know Rowan and some of her mysterious background. I love Orion of course and not because he’s a handsome demon but he is snarky and I love snark. I hope this turns out to be a good series and I look forward to reading the next book when it comes out.

📚~ Yolanda

A Court of Honey and Ash by. Shannon Mayer and Kelly St. Clare | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Title: A Court of Honey and Ash (Honey and Ice, #1)

Author: Shannon Mayer and Kelly St. Clare

Format: eBook (Kindle Unlimited)

Pages: 420

Publication Date: 7/6/21

Publisher: Hijinks Ink Publishing

Categories: Urban Fantasy, Romance, Fae, New Adult

Orphaned. Trained to fight. Raised to fear the power of Underhill. Secretly in love with a man who doesn’t want me.

I’m still just Alli, aka the half-human orphan fae, but my life is looking up for the first time. It only took me my whole 24 years.

But when Underhill—the ancestral home of the fae—shatters, making it impossible for any fae to enter, I’m the only one who knows who did it.

A secret that will be the death of me if I do nothing.

A brutal madness spreads through the fae as they lose their connection to Underhill, and to save my people, my only choice is to leave all I have fought for and go on the run.

Unless I figure out how the hell magic that has existed since the dawn of time was destroyed with a single touch, well, an entire life spent fighting to prove myself isn’t going to mean anything at all.

I must find the answer to the riddle of Underhill’s shattering.

Hunted by the very man I loved once upon a time.

Kelly St. Clare is one of my favorite authors that I found through Kindle Unlimited and I’ve read one of Shannon Mayer’s series Shadowspell Academy. The two authors combining makes for a good first book to a new series about the Fae.

This book is action packed from the get go, I think that’s a Shannon Mayer signature (even if I only read one of her series), action seems to be her thing and it keeps the story moving quickly. We meet Kallik in a competition that will decide her future. We also learn she’s half human and half fae, the bastard daughter to the Seelie King who put her in an orphanage when her mother died. Kallik is strong, can kick butt and hold her own around the guys.

And of course there is a hot Fae who Kallik has a crush on, or had past crush on, named Faolan. He seems to be everywhere Kallik is since her return from the trials. When something major happens involving Kallik, Faolan is sent to investigate. Kallik and Faolan definitely have chemistry and I hope there is more of it in book two.

The side characters are great – I love Cinth, Kallik’s besti-friend and rolling pin wielder. And Ruby, the giant Fae outcast is a sage with wise advice, a leader trying to protect the outcast and Kallik is building a friendship with him which Kallik definitely needed since she only has Cinth in her life.

Triggers: violence

The setting of Alaska is an interesting choice for the Fae but remote enough that they can have their own island to inhabit. I kept trying to picture what this Underhill would look like though.

Kallick is twenty-four years old, so I’m assuming this is new adult? Or just adult fiction though there was only some kisses taking place in the story.

It’s one of those series with cliffhangers but thank goodness the wait is only a few months and not a whole year!

I can tell it’s already one of those series I’m going to be addicted to and I can’t help myself, I love the Fae. This one is a quick read with lots of action, good chemistry between Kallik and Faolan, an awesome best friend in Cinth and a new world to explore. It’s a great start to the series and I look forward to book two.

📚~ Yolanda

Dead Lands by. Stacey Marie Brown | Book Review

My Rating: 4/5 Stars

Title: Dead Lands (Savage Lands, #3)

Author: Stacey Marie Brown

Format: eBook (own)

Pages: 446

Publication Date: 6/15/21

Categories: Urban Fantasy, Adult Fiction

Kidnapped by the notorious rebel group, Provstat, Brexley finds her connection goes deeper than she ever imagined. Reunited with old acquaintances and an uncle she never knew, Brexley is thrown into the vicious world of politics, where human and fae leaders will do anything to come out on top. Here dangerous associations and meticulous plots are far more dangerous and cutthroat than any game she survived in Halálház.

If her life wasn’t complicated enough, her relationship with the infamous legend is growing stronger. The more she tries to untangle the link between Warwick and her, the thicker it wraps around them both, entwining them in a world between life and death, where brutal passion and fury collide.

When whispers of a coveted magical substance, called the nectar, start buzzing louder, Brexley’s strange bond to the fae book leads her on an unexpected journey. One that brings her closer to the answers she seeks.

But once she opens the door, all the secrets and lies of her past come flooding out.

Truths she’s not ready to face.

And betrayals that cut bone deep.

I am so addicted to this series and I hate when it ends. I actually was hoping this would be a trilogy so I can stop pining for it haha. But it’s not over yet and I hope the wait isn’t too long for book four!

So what happens in book three, it’s fast paced as usual which I love about this series. Brexley is with her uncle but she doesn’t stop there because everyone wants a piece of her and we still don’t know why but we are getting closer to knowing what she is. There is betrayal and finally all the wild, earth-shattering sex Brexley and Warwick have been basically heading towards, since books one and two was major foreplay for them. I’m glad because I was getting weary of the phantom hands and tongue action. 😅 Like that was fun for a little bit but like Ash said, let’s just get it out of the way. So if that’s what you were waiting for – you get it a lot in this book!

I love all the side characters like Ash, Kek, Birdie and everyone else who makes an appearance in this book. And yes I love the crazy little imp and brownie too – they always bring the humor.

I do like that we are finally getting to know more about Brexley’s background, we find out more about the night of the Fae war and her mom – we need more! We also find out more about the pills with fae essence but we need more information about that too.

This one is action packed, sex packed, motorcycle packed lol…but we are getting closer to finding out what Brexley is so that makes me happy. There were a few twists that kept things interesting as well.

Triggers: violence, death

Okay look, I love that Brex and Warwick finally got it on because it was long overdue but I got so mad at him when he gets jealous. He is alpha-male, he will do anything to protect Brexley that much is proven, and he kills with abandon. But WHY do I want her to have something going on with Killian too? That’s so unlike me. And I’m usually all for fated-mates and all that but Killian…handsome, smart, ruthless…can he get his own book?

Everyone is attracted to Brex…but why? So yes even though she and Warwick are basically having the best sex ever, there are others attracted to her, it bugs him a lot but for her…I’m not sure where she stands because she still feels attraction towards Killian for one.

I also see some potential hookups happening in the book between some of my favorite characters. Would love to see it happen!

I’m addicted to this series and wish I could have binged it all in one sitting. I love the intensity throughout the series, it’s fast paced and gritty. Brex and Warwick finally start getting their tension out of their system and yet it creates more. We find out more about Brexley but now I have more questions. And all I want from this series is more. I am eagerly awaiting book four!

📚~ Yolanda

Year of the Chameleon 3 by. Shannon Mayer | Book Review

My Rating: 3/5 Stars

Title: Year of the Chameleon 3 (Shadowspell Academy, #6)

Author: Shannon Mayer

Format: eBook (Kindle Unlimited)

Pages: 302

Publication Date: 2/26/21

Publisher: Hijinks Ink Publishing

Categories: Urban Fantasy, Young Adult

You Don’t Choose the Academy. The Academy Chooses You.

Broken, bruised, and battered beyond anything else, I’ve survived what I shouldn’t have.

But my day isn’t done yet. We finally have the key to stopping Frost—literally. Even if we don’t know how to use it.

One last time my friends and I have to scour not only the city but the supernatural world to find the pieces of this final puzzle—and we have three days to do it.

One final showdown brings us back to where it all began, and I face off against the woman who killed my brother. Who hunted my mother down. Who broke my uncle’s spirit.

If I cannot find the final pieces, then I will fail. And if I fail, Frost wins, and we are all doomed.

No pressure.

No pressure at all.

This book picks up right away from the last one and Wild and her friends are in the thick of things. It’s a fast-paced story and doesn’t let up until the end of the book.

Rory finally realizes he loves Wild so I’m glad that finally was resolved. We knew from the start they belonged together, right? It was just a matter of him realizing it.

The gang is back and ready to help Wild take down Frost. One of the best things about this series was about the friendship and found family Wild has with all these kids from different houses. This stays true to the end of the book.

I’m glad this series is over since I was already feeling impatient with it in the last book. Book five and six could have been combined basically but I know that’s not how it works. I’m glad we get Rory and Wild finally together. Wild and her friends find a way to accomplish their goals and overall it was a fun series, my favorites being the first three books.

📚 ~ Yolanda

A Chorus Rises by. Bethany C. Morrow | ARC Review

My Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Title: A Chorus Rises (A Song Below Water, #2)

Author: Bethany C. Morrow

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 272

Publication Date: 6/1/21

Publisher: Tor Teen

Categories: Urban Fantasy, Racism, Hate Crimes, Social Media, Identity, 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 Tor Teen for giving me a chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review!

The Hate U Give meets Shadowshaper in Bethany C. Morrow’s A Chorus Rises, a brilliant contemporary fantasy set in the world of A Song Below Water.

Teen influencer Naema Bradshaw has it all: she’s famous, privileged, has “the good hair”— and she’s an Eloko, a person who’s gifted with a song that woos anyone who hears it. Everyone loves her — well, until she’s cast as the awful person who exposed Tavia’s secret siren powers.

Now, she’s being dragged by the media. No one understands her side: not her boyfriend, not her friends, nor her Eloko community. But Naema knows the truth and is determined to build herself back up — no matter what.

When a new, flourishing segment of Naema’s online supporters start targeting black girls, however, Naema must discover the true purpose of her magical voice.

Absolutely love the cover! Both covers for this series are so beautiful.
I actually enjoyed this book more than I did A Song Below Water and I think because Naema’s voice is so strong whereas in the previous book, Effie and Tavia almost blended together. But Naema is vocal, she knows who she is, and how she wants to be perceived at online and in person. She is flawed but that’s why I liked learning about her character. Naema is the “mean girl” from the first book but this is her story now, and I like how she confronts her struggle about being Eloko and a black girl.
I think I got a better understanding of what Eloko means from this book, but still, not totally, not even Naema knows much about her magic as an Eloko is seems. I liked that Naema leaves Portland, where Eloko are well known and visits her family in Arizona. She’s out of her element and we get to see her interact with family who she hasn’t seen in awhile, we also learn a little more about how Eloko connect to their Ancestors.
I liked how she and Tavia come together at the end to fight something bigger than the drama between the two of them. I like how the issues of social media and how the media as whole perceives or creates certain storylines to fit their agenda.

Triggers: racism, hate crimes

This is supposedly a companion novel instead of part of a series and can be read alone, but I’d be lost if I didn’t read A Song Below Water beforehand. I would recommend reading A Song Below Water first.
Naema isn’t a likable character in book one and even in the beginning of A Chorus Rises, but she grew on me and owned up to some of her mistakes by the end.
I still feel like Elokos are vague after reading both books. Would like to have more information about them and world building.

I enjoyed how this story explores racism, and media’s role in a sensitive situation like Naema and Tavia’s story through an urban fantasy lens. We had Tavia’s story in book one and Naema was the mean girl. Now it’s the mean girl’s turn to tell her story and I her complicated and someone trying to figure out what being black and Eloko means. I do recommend reading A Song Below Water before this one to get the whole picture of what happens with these girls, if not you might be a little lost.

📚 ~ Yolanda

Year of the Chameleon | Shadowspell Academy 5 | Book Review

My Rating: 2.5/5 Stars

Title: Year of the Chameleon (Shadowspell Academy, #5)

Author: Shannon Mayer

Format: eBook (Kindle Unlimited)

Pages: 314

Publication Date: 3/30/21

Publisher: Hijinks Ink Publishing

Categories: Series, Young Adult, Academy, Romance, Urban Fantasy

You Don’t Choose The Academy. The Academy Chooses You.

The Shadowkiller is back.

And he is hunting me down like a dog in the streets of New York City using every tool and ally he has—including people I once trusted.

I have never been so alone in my life, and yet if I turn to my friends that puts a target on their backs too. Which means I have to keep running.

So, I do what I know, and I set myself to finding the trail of breadcrumbs that will lead me to the one who is still pulling the strings.

Frost. A Chameleon just like me. Just like the Shadowkiller. Worse, she’s seeking out my friends to pick them off, one by one. To drain their lives in order to feed hers.

To stop her, I have to find her—a task easier said than done in a city this size.

What I don’t expect to find is a truth that this world and its secrets run far deeper, and far darker than I could have ever suspected.

But is any of that going to stop me?

Not a chance.

It’s a quick read and continues right where book #4 left off. Wild is now with Nicholas and Ash but she’s trying to get away from them.
This time, we get different perspectives from her crew, especially Wally the Necromancer. I love that Wally is part of Wild’s crew because she needs more girls around her. Yay for the positive women friendships. The rest of the guys are awesome as well.
We get to learn more about the Shadowkiller and the few Chameleons that exists.

I feel like this could’ve been added to book number 4 because it was such a quick read and there were some things I thought was a bit repetitive, like when it came to Ethan. Will there be enough time in the next book to tie up all the loose ends about the Shadowkiller? I don’t know.
Also, does Wild really need to think about her feelings about Rory, Ethan and Colt right now when so much things are going down? Haha…I know she put it behind her, and put the mission first but still, it came up way too much for me.
Something feels missing and I just realized that the first three books in the series was co-written with another author, K.F. Breene. No wonder these last two books felt like something was missing, and that makes a lot of sense.

This one feels rushed and the next book is the last to the series, so it makes me wonder if every loose end will be tied up? I’ll read the next one because I’m already this far invested and they are really short books anyway so we shall see what happens next but this wasn’t my favorite book in the series.

📚~ Yolanda

Wild Lands | Book Review

My Rating: 4/5 Stars

Title: Wild Lands (Savage Lands, #2)

Author: Stacey Marie Brown

Format: eBook (own)

Pages: 297

Published Date: 2/9/21

Publisher: Amazon Digital Services

Categories: New Adult, Urban Fantasy, Adult, Fae

Brexley has endured starvation and survived torture and even Warwick Farkas, the brutal legend who still haunts her like a ghost, spilling into her thoughts and life. His betrayal made her a prisoner of Killian, the gorgeous Fae Lord of Budapest.

There her life takes another unforeseen twist, something that will change the fragile alliance between the humans and the fae, and Brexley finds herself in the middle.

As weeks go by, Brexley also discovers Killian isn’t the malicious leader she was told about. As they spend more time together, their relationship begins to shift. However, when an old acquaintance turns up, she is given the chance to escape the sexy fae leader, and her entire world explodes.

Brexley is thrown into a nefarious web of politics, desire, betrayal, lies, and truths that will shatter her foundation and who she is, what she believes, and who can be trusted. No longer is there a clear line between good and bad.

Hunted by both sides, Brexley is on the run and must untangle all the lies, deceit, and deceptions, before she becomes another victim in the wild lands.

Intense. That’s the word that describes this book and series so far. I like that the intensity continued in this second book but I’d say not as much as the first book.
We get to meet a bunch of new characters in this book, one of them being Killian, the infamous fae lord. He is the typical gorgeous, deadly male fae but what is it about Brexley that softens him? No one knows what she is or why she draws men to her. When Brex is with Killian she learns more about the fae and the pills she stole off the train from book one. Is she still human enough that she belongs on the other side of the river with Caden and her friends or is she fae? No one knows.
Opie and Bitzy are so funny! I’m glad they are there in the story to add some humor! I love them.
There is a lot of action as usual in this book and Warwick Farkas brings it with the motorcycle chases and explosions, among other things.
Speaking of Warwick and Brex, the chemistry between is undeniable, their interactions get a little kinky with the whole not being together but being able to see one another aspect of their relationship. Honestly I just wished they would just do it already, in person – we know they will end up together, right? Let’s just get the ball rolling! Haha…they can’t even stand each other but we do find out a little more of their beginnings.
There are a few twists in this story and I liked it, especially at the end! I look forward to reading book three.

Brex gets to kiss a lot of guys in this one, but all I want is a kiss between her and Warwick. Like, come on. I didn’t might the one with Killian, Caden is a big NO, but Warwick is the biggest teaser. Let them give in to one another already! I was wondering at some point if this was a reverse harem kind of story and I hope it’s not, because I’d like Warwick and Brex to be together. I’m not a big fan of reverse harem. A lot of erotic scenes in this one.
What is Brex? She has to be fae, right? Brex was bouncing from place to place, seriously this girl is trying to find where she belongs. I hope she does in the end (with Warwick lol).
This book was too short and I read it so fast! I’m glad the wait for book three isn’t too long.

Wild Lands took me on a very wild, intense ride and I enjoyed every minute of it. I look forward to Dead Lands to see what happens to Brex and if we find out more about her and what she is. And please just have her and Warwick end up together already? They need to stop fighting their connection but I will say it adds to the intensity of the story – they have such a love/hate relationship. Can’t wait for the next book!

📚 ~ Yolanda

A Song Below Water | Book Review

My Rating: 3/5 Stars

Title: A Song Below Water

Author: Bethany C. Morrow

Format: eBook (own)

Pages: 288

Publication Date: 6/2/20

Publisher: Tor Teen

Categories: Urban Fantasy, Black Lives Matter, Young Adult, Coming of Age, Identity, Magical Realism

Tavia is already at odds with the world, forced to keep her siren identity under wraps in a society that wants to keep her kind under lock and key. Never mind she’s also stuck in Portland, Oregon, a city with only a handful of black folk and even fewer of those with magical powers. At least she has her bestie Effie by her side as they tackle high school drama, family secrets, and unrequited crushes.

But everything changes in the aftermath of a siren murder trial that rocks the nation; the girls’ favorite Internet fashion icon reveals she’s also a siren, and the news rips through their community. Tensions escalate when Effie starts being haunted by demons from her past, and Tavia accidentally lets out her magical voice during a police stop. No secret seems safe anymore—soon Portland won’t be either.

I love the cover – it is gorgeous!
I really liked the concept of this urban fantasy world where sirens, sprites, eloko, mermaids and gargoyles. I’ve always been fascinated with sirens and gargoyles. The fact they are here together in one book is awesome.
This book was released in 2020 when the tensions in the USA was at an all time high with the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and so much more. The pandemic was going on, Black Lives Matters protests, it was volatile, and if you watched the news, Portland, Oregon was the home of many protest stand-offs. So this book being set in Portland with the death of Rhoda Taylor gracing the news – it definitely reflects our current time.
I really enjoyed the parts that brought in some creepiness like the sprites and their singing Red Rover…what was up with that? I did enjoy when the story went there towards the fantasy side so I want more of that.
Tavia and Effie are tight as can be – their bond is very strong which is beautiful.

Triggers: police brutality, racism, suicidal attempt
I was sometimes lost reading this book because there was a lot going on. Also at times Tavia and Effie were so tight, I couldn’t remember if I was reading Tavia or Effie’s chapter.
As much as I loved the fantastical elements in this book, I was confused a lot and this book is under 300 pages, which means I should have finished this quick. I didn’t, I struggled through it. I was probably expecting more fantasy and explanations about the different creatures living in this world.

I love the concept of this book but the execution didn’t work for me. I wanted more of the magical elements. I wanted the fantasy to blend better with the contemporary world with black lives matter dominating Tavia and Effie’s life because the issues in this book are relevant, important and need to be read. I’m reading the second book next since I have it as an arc from NetGalley so I hope that one is better.

🌊 ~ Yolanda

Wings of Ebony | ARC Review

My Rating: 4/5 Stars

Title: Wings of Ebony

Author: J. Elle

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 368

Publication Date: 1/26/21

Categories: Racism, Identity, Young Adult, Urban Fantasy, Family

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

“Make a way out of no way” is just the way of life for Rue. But when her mother is shot dead on her doorstep, life for her and her younger sister changes forever. Rue’s taken from her neighborhood by the father she never knew, forced to leave her little sister behind, and whisked away to Ghizon—a hidden island of magic wielders.

Rue is the only half-god, half-human there, where leaders protect their magical powers at all costs and thrive on human suffering. Miserable and desperate to see her sister on the anniversary of their mother’s death, Rue breaks Ghizon’s sacred Do Not Leave Law and returns to Houston, only to discover that Black kids are being forced into crime and violence. And her sister, Tasha, is in danger of falling sway to the very forces that claimed their mother’s life.

Worse still, evidence mounts that the evil plaguing East Row is the same one that lurks in Ghizon—an evil that will stop at nothing until it has stolen everything from her and everyone she loves. Rue must embrace her true identity and wield the full magnitude of her ancestors’ power to save her neighborhood before the gods burn it to the ground.

Aesthetics ~ Love the cover and the colors are just such a good combination. It perfectly matches the story of Rue and the urban fantasy setting of Wings of Ebony.
World Building ~ the story is set in the urban city of Houston but Rue now lives in Ghizon which is this Wakanda-inspired a fantasy hidden island. Ghizon is fascinating because the people there have gray skin and magic. But the mystery is how they were gifted these magic powers. The truth is shocking but the knowledge helps Rue step into her power. As for what happens in Houston, crime is rampant and someone is behind it, when it ties into Ghizon, Rue does everything she can to help stop what is happening. The story is action-packed which moves the story quickly.
Family ~ Rue loves her half-sister Tasha, she’s basically all she has left (beside her dad that she hardly knows) . Everything Rue does stems from protecting Tasha. Also, even though Rue’s mom is gone, you can say that how she raised her daughters has made them strong enough to deal with anything that was being thrown at them. I love that they had Ms. Leola though. Also her relationship with her father was strained due to all the secrets,
Characters ~ Rue has a strong voice. She is flawed, but brave and unapologetic and wants to do the right thing. I love when she calls out her best friend Bri, when the truth about Ghizon is revealed. Rue is like a superhero queen! I enjoyed the other characters like Bri, Tasha, and Ms. Leola also.

There is an insta-love moment in this book, but honestly, I think it’s going to carry on into book two and it works. It comes later in the book and I don’t blame her for the attraction!

This is a fantastic start to an exciting new series. I enjoyed learning about this secret island of Ghizon with it’s magic, technology and gray skinned people. I think Rue is a strong, black female lead who is protective of those she loves, willing to fight hard for what she believes in and is confident in who she is. She is truly a Queen. If you like fast paced urban fantasy that confronts race and social justice themes, then you will definitely like this one!

💜 ~ Yolanda