Lord of Embers by. C.N. Crawford | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Lord of Embers (The Demon Queen Trials, #2)

Author: C.N. Crawford

Format: eBook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 298

Publication Date: 1/15/21

Categories: New Adult, Romance, Demons, Urban Fantasy

Once, I was a broke college student. Now, it seems I’m destined to rule as the Lightbringer–queen of the demon realm. Except I have competition in the form of Orion, the Lord of Chaos. Like me, he has been marked as a leader. We can’t keep our hands off each other, even if he swore an oath to kill me.

It seems we both want the same thing–the crown. And in this battle of wills, only one of us will be left standing.

Content Warning: Violence

This is the sequel to City of Thorns and I really enjoyed this installment. It wasn’t quite what I expected after how book one ended but I liked the direction it took.

So in this book Orion is convinced Rowan is Mortana reincarnated and he has a vow to kill Mortana. Rowan is pretty sure she’s not Mortana, but not totally 100%, she needs proof and finds it. Orion is still bent on ruling the demon realm but he does need Rowan’s help, at least that’s what she makes him think so she can stay alive.

I love Orion and Rowan’s interactions. They clearly can’t deny the attraction between them, but they also both have a desire to rule – so who is it going to be? There is tension and humor, which I enjoy. There’s also a spicy scene which was fun while it lasted.

I liked Rowan’s growth and transformation as she learns about who and what she is. I thought the introduction of Tammuz, Lucifer’s twin, was pretty cool. Tammuz thrives on chaos. She gets some time to train with him near the ending of the book and I think it will set up a good showdown between her and Orion in the next book. I love when they fight and now she can really try and kick his butt haha, or sleep with him some more. We also get to know more about Orion and his time in the dungeon.

Story-wise this took an unexpected turn into the Puritan era. But it makes sense since Orion and Rowan are demons, why wouldn’t their hell be in the time when Puritans were hanging women for being witches. 🤦🏻‍♀️ I thought it was interesting and it did help Rowan’s transformation into a stronger demon. There were some funny parts, especially with a miss Goody Putnam lol.

Honestly I didn’t care for the part in book one where they thought Mortana could be Rowan. I’m just glad that part got cleared up in this book because I was over Orion accusing Rowan of something she can’t even control – but I see why he wants to kill Mortana so…it was a dilemma for him for sure. But that whole mistaken identity thing was done in another series I read from this author, so I just want something new.

Why you should read it:

enemies to lovers
Rowan’s transformation and growth
demons hiding among Puritans was kinda funny

Why you might not want to read it:

less action than book one
he’s an incubus and she’s a succubus, honestly I wanted more action between them

My Thoughts:

I enjoyed this one a lot and am so looking forward to see what Rowan does now after that ending!

📚 ~ Yolanda

Bad Lands by. Stacey Marie Brown | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Bad Lands (Savage Lands, #4)

Author: Stacey Marie Brown

Format: eBook (own)

Pages: 359

Publication Date: 10/5/21

Categories: Urban Fantasy, Romance, Suspense

Some myths should just stay buried.

Brexley’s journey has led her to the most coveted object in the world. In discovering the Nectar, Brexley finds other secrets and truths she was not ready for, ones that destroy everything she has ever known, confronting a power within herself she is not ready to face.

Magic is a balance. Things come at a cost. In saving lives, Brexley destroys her own power, cutting the connection with the infamous legend. When faced with devastating loss and destruction, the fabric of friendship, trust, and love are put to the test.

Trying to forget her grief, Brexley delves deeper into stopping Istvan, uncovering the depths he will go to gain power. She is thrown deep into the underbelly of greed and deceit, leading her back into the depths of hell.

Where only one survives.

Sometimes I wish a series would stick to being a trilogy because I don’t want to lose interest and I am starting to lose it for this one. I liked how we got to finally know more about Brex’s history at the end of book three. Of course she’s dealing with a lot after what happened in the cliffhanger from book three, she’s definitely processing it. We get even more information about Brex’s past, her family lineage, what happened with the druids, and what it means for her (they don’t know that yet).

I did like how my favorite guy Ash is always by her side, no matter what, Brex with power or without. I like all her friends making an appearance also, they are always so supportive of her.

I only got really into the book when Killian reappears, love him, even though Brex is totally Warwick’s – I still like Killian. It looks like something might be happening with him and Rosie and I love that for both of them!

Content Warnings: violence

I don’t like that the series is getting too long and it’s taking forever to figure out Brex’s powers. This story does a full circle and the beginning of the book comes back around and I thought we were done with that. I get that Brex has no power and it would make another prison scene more interesting? But now to be forced to see all the people she cares about get tortured now…like, here we go again? I’m kind of tired of it. I get it’s a setback for Brex but I just wanted to see her done with that phase of her life.

Warwick did nothing for me in this one too. Brex needs him to be there and more communicative in her low points, and maybe that’s why I was so happy she had Ash and other people in her life. I’m kind of tired of him being such an alpha and always claiming her. We already know they are end game for one another.

I’m over Caden and Hannah. Like can they just not be in the series? 😒

Why you should read it:

you are invested in the series and want to see what happens next
find out more about Brex’s family background
the secondary characters are great

Why you might not want to read it:

repetitive
doesn’t feel like the story moves forward

My Thoughts:

This was an okay read for me compared to the previous three books in the series. It was nice learning more about Brex’s family history and seeing her as human but I could do without some of the more repetitive parts of the story. My interest in this story got only stronger when Killian made an appearance. Not sure if I’ll just wait for all the rest of the books to publish and just binge it in one go.

📚~ Yolanda

Under the Black Banners by. K. Elle Morrison | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Under the Black Banners

Author: K. Elle Morrison

Format: eBook (Kindle Unlimited)

Pages: 290

Publication Date: 7/25/21

Publisher: Independent

Categories: Urban Fantasy, Adult, Assassin

Secret royal families. Unspoken alliances. Mysterious murder plots.

When I was approached for this unusual assignment, I wasn’t sure if I should take it or not. It was rare for an assassin to be recruited to protect someone, and even rarer still that an Incubo would reach out to a Mortal for help. The money was good, and the job seemed easy enough. Keep a young Incubo woman alive until her wedding day. Not long after arriving at the stately manor of her betrothed did I realize that there was more to this mysterious species than Mortals were led to believe. If I can manage to stay alive and finish this assignment, it may mean stopping society from toppling.

Under The Black Banners is the first installment to this enticing three-part series. Follow Isa Nera as she learns more about the secrets of the Incubo and learns to defend herself against dangers she never could have imagined possible. This urban fantasy weaves subtle magic and realistic romance into an exciting journey from neutral third party to possibly the only Mortal with the skills to stop a war from devouring and ending an entire species.

What drew me to this book was the cover and then the intriguing synopsis. What’s an Incubo? Are they like an Incubus or what? I had to find out.

The world building was interesting with Mortals and Fata basically being the two “species” in this world and now a third species or being that has made inroads in their society, the Incubo.

I really enjoyed getting to know Isa Nera, who is an assassin for the Black Banners, an elite organization. She is pretty badass…for the most part. She takes on an assignment to protect a high ranking, Incubo royal, Althea. Isa has to protect her until her wedding day.

If you like sexy books, this one gets hot right off the bat. There is no build up – apparently these Incubo men have major powers of seduction, so Isa may be an assassin but even she can’t quite resist Talos who is basically her boss. There is also another guy in the mix, Amil, so there is a lot of steamy scenes in this book. I don’t know if it’s a love triangle because even though Talos feels jealousy it seems he’s open to sharing? 🤷🏻‍♀️ Now, I do have to mention, Isa starts to train with Amil to resist these seductive mind control powers of the Incubo, so at least she learns something about them that will be helpful if she needs to defend herself from them.

Content Warnings: 18+, violence

I wanted Isa to stay a badass but I feel like her mission to protect Althea was kind of not her priority when Talos was in the room. She held off her attraction better when Amil was around and I do feel like they at least were actively protected Althea but when Talos was around? I was like come on, Isa, get it together sis. Also…a lot of her time spent with Althea was wedding planning and honestly I got bored. I love a good wedding planning book but I wanted to see the assassin in action. I wish the energy the book started with continued throughout – but it didn’t.

I don’t know if it’s a love triangle or polyamorous relationship but I do know I liked Amil more than Talos. Both are dangerous men, of course Talos is the more older and alpha one but Amil to me was just more attentive to Isa’s feelings.

I couldn’t connect to Isa maybe because all she was doing was babysitting Althea, wedding planning and having a good time with Talos and Amil – but there was a matter of someone in her Black Banner family in trouble. She was troubled by it…but couldn’t do much from where she was, I guess. Now the Black Banners sounds really interesting and I’d love to learn more about them! I found Isa more exciting in the beginning of the story when we learned about her assassin life and even met a friend of hers – I want to know more about her friends and found family with the Banners.

Why you should read it:

craving a sexy story
the world building is creative with the Black Banner assassins, the Mortals, Fata and Incubo
assassins

Why you might not want to read it:

Isa’s job got boring – the sex was the exciting part for her
polyamorous is not your thing

My Thoughts:

I didn’t have many expectations going into this one but I did find the world building creative with the different species living together. I would have liked to connect to Isa more than I did. I love that she is an assassin but I just want to know more about her outside of her sex life. Not to say she doesn’t have an interesting sex life, I’m happy she has two men keeping her pleased haha, lucky girl. I want the emotional connection though and to get to know more about her found family the Black Banners and yes I wanted more assassinating taking place. 😅

📚 ~ Yolanda

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