At least that’s what my mom always told me. Becoming a vampire hunter was never in my cards, but it is now that she needs my help. A decade ago vampires seized control of the bars, casinos, and the dark underbelly of society. Now they deal in addiction and bargain with blood, and humans over twenty-five can’t fight back against their compulsion. It’s made my mother vulnerable––the only family I have left.
To save her, I’m forced to make a deal with the devil––one who lives above a casino, wears a crown, and wants to drink my blood. Adrianos Teresi may be dangerous and alluring but I’ve got a stake hidden up my sleeve. I’ll go all in and play his game, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
What I don’t expect? The heart that needs guarding is my own.
Vampires and gambling definitely go together. In Blood Casino, the stakes are high ~ Evangeline is trying to save her mother from a gambling addiction, and who runs the casinos? Vampires. A vampire prince in this case, named Adrian. He is centuries old, deadly but looks 25, uh huh ~ you know that vampire genes don’t age haha. The hate is mutual between but they keep running into each other.
Love the setting of New Orleans. I went there once as a teen and I still remember the French Quarter vividly, it’s definitely a place you can’t forget. But the whole seedy, dark vibe makes New Orleans the perfect place for supernaturals to thrive.
Adrian is not a nice guy ~ he’s a vampire who’s been a live a long, long time. He kills in front of Eva, threatens her with violence, is violent, and scheming. Exactly what my image of vampires were like before Twilight lol…no hate on Twilight, I love Twilight, but before that…the vampires I knew burned in the sun, they did not sparkle.
I like action. Eva’s friends are vampire hunters but all is not what it seems with their leader Leslie Tate. We don’t learn much about Tate but I think more will come in the sequel. I like the vampire hunter action and the twist in the end as well.
The enemies relationship between Adrian and Eva is not quite to the “lovers” yet…and will it ever get there? We shall see, Eva’s got options, is all I’m saying.
Love triangle in the making? We shall see, but Eva has crushed on her best friend’s brother for awhile and now they are training as hunters, they get to spend more time together. The only thing that happens in this book is kissing. And very few kissing scenes at that, so there is a lot of room to grow with the romance angle.
Eva is 18 years old. I love how she tries so hard to survive and take care of her mom..but she is just 18, making mistakes, acts like a teenager especially around a very old vampire ~ she really is lucky she hasn’t been killed by chapter one! I hope we see more growth in her.
This story was a pure escape for me and a fresh take on vampires in urban fantasy. I enjoyed it so much I read it in one night and I’m here scouring this author’s backlist so I can binge read this week. I’ll be waiting impatiently for the sequel.
Categories: New Adult, Urban Fantasy, Werewolves, Romance
The pack of lies continues.
My mother isn’t my mother. A werewolf wants me for his one-and-only baby mama Oh! And I’m the new leader of a tribe I joined weeks ago.
Messed up doesn’t begin to explain it.
I’m more desperate than ever to uncover an explanation for Mum’s mounting betrayals. Because this time, I’m not sure forgiveness is possible.
But the mating meets with Sascha must continue if I want to escape our bond for good. An entire tribe is relying on me to win a centuries-old game against freakin’ shifters. And at this point, well… I have a few secrets of my own.
Keeping them is the new game.
Would you confess the truth and risk forfeiting the one person you have left?
Andie embracing her wolf is the best part of this book, because it was inevitable and we know she’s going to end up with Sascha, it’s just too many things are so complicated. But she can’t fight it much longer.
Sascha is so patient with Andie – like seriously. He wants her but he will let her decide in the end and I’m glad. Andie has a lot of issues to work through and she has no choice but to deal with now after the ending of this sequel.
Wade is ride or die for Andie and she’s lucky to have him. He really listens and has her back.
This is supposed to be a quick read but it took me days to finish because I wasn’t feeling it, so it was more like a 2 star read for me but I know Andie needs to go through some challenges to break through her wall so she definitely grows in this one. The first book was much more intriguing, but now I don’t even care why they have to play this game. It seems pointless to me right now.
Rhona has a right to be seriously mad at Andie. Andie is lying (wayyyy to much) to protect Rhona but she just lost her dad, she’s going through a tough time on top of her sister lying to her. I just wish she confessed earlier, but the drama was dragged on until her relationship with Rhona broke. Sad. I was tired of Andie in this one.
This one made me question if I was more team vampire than team werewolves haha. Like…I don’t think I’m enjoying this wolf story as much as the vampire story she did previously. So…🤷🏻♀️.
I’m bummed this one didn’t hold my attention but I’m still going to read book three just to see how things pan out with Rhona and Andie. It’s obvious Andie and Sascha are fated mates so I’m not worried about that. But for me the story is Rhona and Andie. They are family and I hope things can be fixed between them.
Almost twenty years after the barrier between Earth and the Otherworld fell in the Fae Wars, Budapest is balancing on the precipice. A battle for dominance is brewing between the elite fae and the privileged humans in Eastern Europe. The prejudice between the sides is bubbling with hate and violence.
Nineteen-year-old human, Brexley, has grown up in privilege, but not without heartbreak. After being orphaned, she is taken in by General Markos, living in a walled city rife with power grabs and ruthless political games. Then one night the course of her life changes, and Brexley is thrown into the most feared prison in the east. Halalhaz, the House of Death—where you go in but don’t come out.
She must learn to live with the worst of fae and human criminals. The rule of hierarchy puts humans on the bottom, where the only way to survive each day is to make alliances with the fae.
Here she meets the sexy, vicious legend, Warwick Farkas. A myth among man and fae. He is as brutal, cruel, arrogant, and as lethal as the lore says he is, ruling the prison with unchallenged authority. Brexley can’t deny an intense draw to him, one that might cost her life. If The Games don’t take her out first— A fight to the death where only one survives.
I haven’t read a paranormal romance in awhile and this hit the spot! There is Brex pining over her childhood love Caden, a normal human guy about to rise in the ranks of his father’s army. And then…there is Warwick, a legend, a myth…nope he’s real, just not fully human.
World building ~ I enjoyed this! I love this dystopian/fantasy world of Budapest after the veils come down. Fae and humans hate each other even though the war has ended. I love how dark and gritty it is.
Characters ~ The characters are pretty fierce. Brex is a solider, a fighter and she needs that to survive prison time. I’d like to see how her character grows even more. And Warwick? He is lethal and an absolute alpha male. The two of them are intense together. The side characters were great too!
Mood ~ so intense. There is prison fighting, and so much sexual tension. It is gritty, raw, dark…and even though it was rough for Brex in this book, she survives it and it makes me wonder what she will endure in book two as they venture into the savage lands.
Story ~ very fast paced story and addictive. I want to read book two right now just to get to know these savage lands and find out more about Warwick! And what about Caden? What’s happened to him? So many questions!
Triggers: sexual harassment, violence, torture
This is the first book I’ve read from this author and now I’m interested in her other books.
This is how I like my paranormal romances, gritty with great world building. I like them intense, with a badass female and an equally deadly alpha male, but the appeal for me is when they can keep up with each other. So far the chemistry between them is off the charts but what about Caden, her childhood love? I don’t know but I’m hooked, give me more savage lands! Glad I gave this book a chance and I look forward to reading more books from this author.
When Mum died, I inherited a lot more than a pack of lies.
I landed a $410,000 debt. Discovered her previous surname. And her real place of birth.
Desperate to uncover the truth, I drive to a tiny dot on the map called Deception Valley.
Coincidental name? Nope.
There, I find her secret family—because she had one of those too.
How many lies are we at? Honestly, I’ve lost count, but local gossip captures my attention. Apparently, Mum’s other family play laser tag every Wednesday. Not even joking. Laser tag.
What the hell is this place?
In hindsight, the massive guy with honey irises was my first major clue. Unusual eyes for a human, right? Perfect eyes for a werewolf.
But sexy supernaturals, thongs, and mounting financial strain aside, Mum’s past is buried somewhere in this valley, and I need to dig up the truth or find a way to live with her lies.
What do you do when neither option will leave you unscathed?
World Building ~ if you read Kelly St. Clare’s previous series Vampire Towers, just know this one is similar except with werewolves and Laser Tag. I read these series because it’s so unique to base the plot around a game. It’s creative and holds my interest. The story takes place in Deception Valley but this quaint town isn’t all that it seems. The “laser tag” game between humans and werewolves are action packed.
Characters ~ Andie is struggling with her mom’s death and debt, trying to finish college and just found out she has family in Deception Valley. She isn’t quite a badass yet, as she’s learning the ropes about laser tag and the war between the two sides. Alaric/Sascha is a Sigma – he gets what he wants and yes he wants Andie. Their connection is electric but Andie fights it as long as she can, but you can’t do much when you are fated. I liked the supporting cast also in the werewolf clan and the human one.
Romance ~ Andie and Sascha are inevitable, fated mates but sort of like Vampire Towers where they had levels to achieve mate status, it happens in Shifter Wars also. But the built-up tension between them is definitely there.
Writing ~ I enjoy this author’s writing because of the humor and the stories are fast paced. I read this in one night and am ready to read book two when it publishes. It’s total escapism.
Triggers: stalking, toxic relationship, grief
It’s got a cliffhanger ending – but book two comes out in December, yay!
Solid start to a new series and I just enjoy how the author keeps things creative with throwing a game into the story. It’s creative, unique and keeps things fresh! I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
Title: Court of Shadows (Institute of the Shadow Fae, #1)
Author: C.N. Crawford
Format: eBook (Kindle Unlimited – borrowed)
Pages: 224
Categories: Urban Fantasy
A girls’ night out means three things to me: drinking whiskey with my best friend, keeping my magic hidden, and trying not to kill anyone. A supernatural gladiator like me isn’t supposed to exist anymore.
But my Friday night takes a bad turn when a lethally gorgeous fae–Ruadan–tries to assassinate me. He’s taken a vow of silence until he’s slaughtered the outlaws on his kill list. Outlaws like me.
Ruadan lets me live on one condition: I have to earn my place at the Institute of the Shadow Fae. As a powerful demi-fae, I can take the competition.
But things fall apart when I’m given an impossible choice: betray my mentor Ruadan, or my best friend dies. Now, I face a quandary my gladiatorial past did not prepare me for.
I think I was supposed to read this series before the Sea Fae series but here we are. Arianna is a demi-fae who was once a gladiator and slave to Baleros. She’s a whiskey drinking, kicking ass fae who has a secret past. Ruadan is a shadow fae with a vow of silence and Ariana becomes paired with him when she is recruited into the Institute of the Shadow Fae.
Arianna can seriously kick some ass. And I love reading the scenes when she is fighting! Noble fae call her a gutter fae and seriously, this girl is starving and struggling on the street! She has a human friend named Ciara (does this sound familiar?! If you read my review of the Sea Fae trilogy by this author duo then you know this is familiar). Arianna’s last “master” is coming for her and she needs to do a mission for him to keep Ciara safe.
Ruadan is a silent assassin with all this swirly dark shadow magic around him. I like how they learn to communicate and something is brewing between them of course. Of course he’s a quiet, gorgeous (aren’t they all?!) demi-fae as well.
We learn about the Shadow Fae who seem to be big with this author duo. We learn about their beginnings and who rules them. Plus I’m a sucker for books about institutes or academies and trials to pass. We meet some interesting novices and yay another female! The male novices are alpha…of course and treat Arianna like dirt.😒
This book is a very quick read (224 pages?!)…so quick I downloaded book two right away. So far…I’m interested in the story. And…cliffhangers, ugh…
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1/2
Title: Court of Darkness (Shadow Fae, #2)
Author: C.N. Crawford
Format: eBook (KU-borrowed)
Pages: 236
Categories: Urban Fantasy, Romance
I would not say things are going well, exactly. I live in a burnt-out car under a bridge, surrounded by rubbish. When Ruadan shows up to bring me back to the Institute, I leap at the chance.
That is, until he throws me into the dungeons. I’m on the naughty list, and the mentor who once trained me is cold as ice. Now, I must pass every single trial, or the Institute’s executioners will rip me to pieces. Good thing I can handle it. I was the queen of the gladiator ring, and I do not go down easily.
The trials to become a Shadow Fae goes on but Arianna needs to kill Baleros and he can’t seem to die! I’m still enjoying the fight scenes a lot.
Ruadan can speak, thank goodness and he’s half incubi, a sex demon…well, well…which means there will be some hotness from here on out right? Right. 🔥🧯 lol
Ruadan and Arianna team up because he obviously has a soft spot for her. But what are these memories Arianna conjures up – what IS she? I mean everyone keeps asking and I am too – this better be good! 🤔
Another short one at 236 pages…like can we stop with the cliffhangers and maybe combine books one and two? lol
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Title: Court of Night (Shadow Fae, #3)
Author: C.N. Crawford
Format: eBook (KU)
Pages: 238
Categories: Urban Fantasy, Romance
As a Knight of the Shadow Fae, I’m tasked with defending the Institute. I’m deep into a world of dark magic, orgiastic death cults, and demon roller discos.
But my new life begins with an impossible choice: turn over Ruadan within twenty-four hours, or my nemesis will unleash the Black Death.
Worse, my old gladiator master is threatening to reveal my identity. If the truth gets out, I’ll be out of the Institute faster than you can say “wrath of an incubus.”
If I can’t find and kill my oldest enemy in time, then it’s the Black Death for everyone, and I’ll be back on the run once more.
Love finding out what Arianna’s parentage is. It’s so bad ass and really fits her kick ass personality. She is a fighter but with such a lineage also very feared and it could come between her and Ruadan.
Speaking of the love-birds, I think they are sweet together(as a killing, kick-ass couple LOL). But I love them as a couple.
Some things were becoming redundant like Arianna always fighting herself aroused in wet clothing but can’t say I blame her – she’s hanging out with an incubus. 🤷🏻♀️ But I felt myself wanting to move on from her always wet clothing, these darn portals filled with water haha.
Also another short book with a cliffhanger, it was driving me a bit crazy…
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Title: Court of Dreams (Shadow Fae, #4)
Author: C.N. Crawford
Format: eBook (KU)
Pages: 235
Categories: Urban Fantasy, Romance
Exiled from the Shadow Fae, I’m left out on London’s streets. The Knights of the Institute are dying of the plague, and they’re sure I’m to blame.
Desperate to speak to Ruadan, I invade the Institue. Then, things take a turn for the worse. Like, “tortured in a tiny prison cell” worse. Seems like Ruadan has completely betrayed me. But when I finally reunite with my dark demigod, it turns out I’d totally misunderstood his actions.
Once I’m out of jail, Ruadan and I have to fix this mess, and we’re thrown together once again. That means finding my father, and killing Baleros before the monster gets what he’s after: the skin off Ruadan’s corpse. If Baleros gets what he wants, then he’ll control the world, and I’ll lose Ruadan forever.
Arianna/Liora is trying to help the Shadow Fae again and yet…she’s banished again. Redundant yes, but I like how she keeps fighting to do the right thing. She may be death incarnate but she’s still a good person but she’s afraid Ruadan hates her.
Everything comes full circle for Liora – she has accepted everything about herself and she’s found parts of her past.
I’m so happy for Liora and Ruadan.
Aenor from the Sea Fae trilogy makes a cameo which makes me wish I read this series first!
Yes I read 4 books in one night because of the short installments and cliffhangers and that drove me crazy.
** Triggers: violence, abuse
I could’ve done without the short lengths of the books and the cliffhangers! But it was another urban fantasy series that made me escape from the real world and had a little bit of everything. I especially love the fight scenes because Arianna/Liora is great at kicking ass. And then there is the romance which was hot and sweet at the same time. I think I’m a new fan of this author duo.
Pages: Book #1 – 296 ; Book #2 – 272 ; Book #3 – 308
Catergories: Mythology, Urban Fantasy, Romance
A snarky fae, a sexy king, and forbidden desire deep as the sea. The first book in a three-book series.
Once, I was a fae princess with sea-magic at my fingertips. Now? I’m a hunted supernatural in a squalid shop, stripped of my power. My only comforts are stale cookies, Elvis records, and my hula-hoop. Until a lethally sexy fae king arrives and rips even those away.
After the brutal king throws me in prison, I strike a bargain with him: my freedom in exchange for helping him find a magic blade. What Lyr doesn’t know is that the blade might restore my stolen magic.
But as we journey, the gorgeous jerk is starting to make me feel things I’ve never felt. When Lyr touches me, desire ignites. I see raging passion in his eyes, too. If I give in, I risk losing my chance at reclaiming my power. Even worse… I could be forfeiting my life.
I started this series so I could make use of my Kindle Unlimited membership and I needed a light, quick urban fantasy read. I read this whole series in two days, that’s how quick it was. This is the first book I read from this author duo and this is how it went:
Dark King – Book #1: should be called Dark Queen because it introduces us to Aenor who is a thief struggling to survive in the street with her human Gina. Aenor once was a Morgan sea fae set to inherit a kingdom but those dreams are dashed when her home is destroyed. This means Aenor has great powers and Now all she has on her mind is revenge, to take down the being that destroyed her world, but who did it?
My Thoughts:
I don’t read a lot about the sea fae so I liked that I got to learn about sea creatures from mythology. Another thing is that Aenor is from the kingdom of Ys. I only heard about that legend in another book so seeing it here in depth was pretty cool!
Lyr, the demi-god is of course a hot alpha fae and there is an attraction between them but…what is up with his friends? 🙄 Anyway Lyr needs Aenor to find something and he seems into her…but is he really?
Aenor as a character is ballsy, can kick ass, hates men (because her mom was this crazy Queen who killed her husband and wore the blood stained dress for ages and told Aenor to never trust men – okay…lol 😳). Aenor is soft when it comes to her human Gina and also she is a defender of abused women – she kills dangerous men.
It’s a quick read, pure escapism, with hot gorgeous fae.
Life in a fae castle should be pretty sweet. Except, my lover wants to take my magic from me, and I made a deal with the devil. Literally.
Salem is the light-bringer, gorgeous as sin and just as evil. Some call him Lucifer. What do I call him? Whatever he tells me to, because he’s cast a mind-control spell over me. He hates me, but I have a plan. I’ll lead him to a sorcerer who can kill him.
But as I journey with the fallen god, I see him watching me, wanting me. And it’s mutual. Turns out fate has a sick sense of humor, because my destiny ties me to Salem. Still, I have to stop him before he gets what he wants. Because if I fail, he will unleash hell on earth.
Fallen King – Book #2: we find out the person who destroyed Aenor’s kingdom is Lucifer himself! He’s smooth, has more of a personality than Lyr does haha…and he has a backstory that isn’t the same stuff we here about him falling from the sky, he’s evil…la la la. Also, his name is Salem.
My Thoughts:
The chemistry between Salem and Aenor is much better than with her and Lyr. But prophecy said she has to kill him to protect the world and for him, he has to kill her to ascend back to heaven so….what to do?
We learn about Lucifer’s past when we ruled the kingdom of Mag Mel. Seriously, this guy has a past and I appreciate that he has a story. And he’s trying to find someone he cared about that Aenor supposedly killed so…there’s a lot these two have to work out huh?
I like Aenor’s battles so far in this series with mythological monsters. The series so far has a lot of action to keep it moving and much more sexual tension in this one. I mean…it is the devil Aenor’s dealing with.
My mate lies in a rotting cage at the bottom of the sea, and I’ll do anything to get him back. Maybe he’s the devil himself, but he made the ultimate sacrifice for me.
When my plan backfires, I’m left with a lethal hex surging in my veins. Now, I only have a few days to live. And Salem? He’s wrestling with a dark curse of his own, one that he says makes him burn..
He keeps saying this ends with one of us dead, that our story is a tragedy. But I’m determined to rewrite the tale fate has penned for us. If I can’t, he warns I could die at his hands.
Rising Queen – Book #3: Aenor and Salem can’t seem to let one another go. They fight more creatures, have more sexy times and they still have to decide who dies and gets their happily ever after. Can they find a way to be together and both get what they want?
My Thoughts:
Love Aenor and Salem together – he may be Lucifer but she can definitely keep up with him. And he keeps up with her also, I’m so glad they have their happy ending.
I loved Ossian who is Salem’s servant but becomes a good friend to Aenor.
I enjoyed the witches that were featured in this series alongside the sea fae, fallen angles, Shadow Fae and the legend of Ys. Having them leap into portals and different worlds kept the story moving at a fast pace.
All the books in this series were 300 pages and under which means…this could have easily been condensed into one book but I know Kindle Unlimited book series don’t work that way and that’s fine! All the cliffhangers in this series made me want to read the next volume.
**Triggers: violence
This series was pure fun urban fantasy about the sea fae and then some. It had everything from humor, adventure, fights, monsters, devils, gods, lust, and love. Overall, the whole series was entertaining and let me escape a bit.
Title: Death Game (Supernatural Battle: Vampire Towers, #3)
Author: Kelly St. Clare
Format: eBook (NetGalley)
Pages: 356
Categories: Romance, Urban Fantasy, Vampires
The king commands at 3:30 a.m.
I’ve screwed up big time. Now, I’m facing the damning consequences.
The walls are closing in as I balance duty to grandmother’s memory with my impossible feelings for Kyros. Then there’s the freakin’ human-vampire hybrid thing to deal with.
The problem is, I’m no longer willing to lose the person I’ve gambled against from the start.
Our fates hinge on a single roll of the dice, and one wrong move could collapse the tower of cards I’ve painstakingly built.
If that happens, I’ll lose more than I ever bargained for.
Here we come to the end of the Vampire Tower series and I’d say it’s a great ending to a creative series. Once again, the “game” (think Monopoly) rules the future of the opposing ruling vampire families. Basi is caught splendidly in the middle. She has fallen for Kyros, but more than that, she loves his family too. But how does Bas honor her grandmother’s wishes? The same grandmother who hated vampires?
Kyros and Basi’s relationship is so crazy – mostly because they both don’t want to give in or there is a big lack of understanding from both of them. Kyros is a little old school and or just “old” and he wants to be the hero. He finally learns that Basilia is her own hero. I was just happy when they get their happily ever after.
This was a quick series to get through with lots of drama in the romantic, family and friendship aspects. I love Tommy and Basi’s friendship and glad things turned out for the best. There is a lot more sex in this one since Kyros and Basi have exchanged more blood with each other.
Overall, I enjoyed this series! It was funny, hot, and the romantic relationship could be aggravating at times though but they get their happily ever after. I look forward to reading more urban fantasy from this author.
Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
Maccus Fury, a fallen angel, is trying hard to keep his sanity. Seems being an assassin might be catching up with him. Now, Heaven, or Hell, has sent a beautiful assassin to kill him. Lovely. She’s pretending to seduce him, and he’s okay with that. She’s smart and snarky––but she has no idea what she’s walked into. And he’s more than peeved that they only sent one person. They’re going to need an army if they want him dead.
Morrigan Quill is one of Hell’s bounty hunters. She sold her soul to keep her sister safe, and now she’s working off her contract by catching bad guys and dragging them back to hell. Just a hundred years to go. When Hades makes her a new offer––that’s definitely too good to be true––she can’t say no. All she has to do is kill a powerful and crazy-hot fallen angel, who will totally kick her ass in battle.
Good thing he won’t see what’s coming next.
Thank you Entangled: Amara and NetGalley for giving me a chance to read this eARC.
Maccus is a fallen angel and Morrigan is a bounty hunter for Lucifer. The two are contracted to hunt and kill each other but instead…these two fall in major lust for one another. But when they find out there is something else going on between Lucifer and Gabriel the ones who put on the hit for Maccus and Morrigan.
It has all the things I like in an urban fantasy – the modern setting with fantasy elements, in this story it being the world of angels. I’m a sucker for a fallen angel story! There is action, a fight for world domination, prophecy, sex, and love.
Morrigan who is a bounty hunter for Lucifer and I like a woman with power. She kicks butt and the way she became a bounty hunter, unfortunately, shows she has a big heart. She has to make some very hard decisions about her sister in the end, but
Maccus is the full on bad-ass fallen angel character who has a scary rep. He definitely showed his skills in the bedroom! 😜 And have you seen the cover of this book? Hot.
I liked how Gabriel’s characters went “out of character” with how he is usually depicted in angel lore.
Prepare for a lot of sex scenes! Their attraction was basically INSTANT and they definitely didn’t waste time getting it on.
It was predictable, I don’t think many of the twists surprised me but it was still enjoyable. At times I think Lucifer and Gabriel were much more interesting than Maccus and Morrigan. But Lucifer is already a fascinating character in biblical aspects. Gabriel is more of a character you can play around with – he is known as a very power archangel and I’ve seen many different takes about him. One of the more popular one being how he wants more power like in this book.
Trigger: There was one moment where Morrigan recounted their sex session and she says she thought he was going to kill her because his hands were around her throat during the act. 😮 He didn’t hurt her – but him doing that had her life flash before her eyes though she thought the sex was amazing. If that’s your kink…hey…you do you! I was just scared for Morrigan for a minute there.
Overall it was a quick read. Though Maccus and Morrigan connect on a physical level right away, they eventually fall for each other. I liked Morrigan and her sister’s storyline, and the story asking the question how far would you go for the ones you love. If you like urban fantasy with fallen angels and bounty hunters from Hell, you might like this one.
Title: The Relic Spell (The Phyrian War Chronicles Book 1)
Author: Jimena L. Novaro
Format: eBook (provided by author for review)
Pages: 346
Categories: Fantasy, Young Adult
Disclaimer: **I received this book free from the author in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
Magic rolls through Orion Tamura’s history classroom like a tidal wave of golden light that only he can see. The spell is deadly, and Orion has no idea who cast it or what they want.
Answers are scarce—all of Port Monica’s sorcerers vanished fourteen years before, including Orion’s father. Armed with his limited knowledge of magic, Orion is the only one left in the city who is strong enough to investigate the origins of the spell.
But the city’s leaders will stop at nothing to censor and sabotage anyone who gets close to the truth. Invisible otherworlders watch every move Orion and his friends make, and a mysterious sorcerer who knows the answers haunts Orion’s dreams.
Thank you to author, Jimena I. Novaro, for providing me a copy of this book for review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Orion Tamura is Port Monica’s most powerful sorcerer since all the other ones vanished during the Phyrian War. But Orion is also just a teenager with big responsibilities on his shoulders. He is protecting a town from evil and trying to help keep his family afloat and that is a lot for one kid to take on. He has his best friend Max who is a warrior in his own right and he makes other friends along the way as they try to get to the bottom of who sent out a huge, deadly spell throughout the town. Can Orion be everywhere at once and make sure everyone he cares about is protected or will he fail?
The world building in this story is really well done! We have some history about a Phyrian War which was a big event that involved sorcery, magic, demons and then some. Not many who lived through it want to remember it though. There are all types of demons and other creatures with magic. As for Orion, his dad, Daisuke, was well known in the community as a powerful sorcerer but there is bad history there and he’s been gone for as long as Orion can remember.
Speaking of Orion’s missing dad – Orion’s character is dealing with a lot on his plate. He’s a sorcery and feels obligated to keep the town safe, well obviously because a safe town means his family stays safe. His mom is trying to move on without his dad, his younger sister and brother are going through some things too and Orion’s trying to be there for everyone but burning his candle on both ends. On top of that he’s dealing with feelings for his best friend Max and trying to find out who released this dangerous spell in their town. Orion makes mistakes but the best thing about him is he keeps trying to do what he can with what power he has.
Two characters that I thought are interesting were Briar and Elsa – maybe because I just gravitate more towards strong females but Briar’s demon lineage is fascinating. I loved that Elsa was always kicking butt too! 💪🏾 Orion was pretty lucky to have her watching his back even though she had her own mission to accomplish.
There is a lot of racial and sexual diversity represented in this book, which is always refreshing.
This story keeps moving, meaning there is a lot of action! From the get go Orion and Max are involved with fighting a creature and it doesn’t stop there. There is downtime here and there in the story but it has a lot of action to keep one entertained.
Orion at times didn’t come off as a physically strong character. Like Max, his best friend was definitely more of the warrior, but at times Orion couldn’t meet his eyes. I know it was due to personal/longing stuff but I just wished at times he could assert more of his power when it was needed. But maybe that’s just a personality thing.
Some things in the story isn’t resolved by the end which makes sense since this is going to be a series. I look forward to reading book two and finding out what happened with Briar and her demon family. This is an urban fantasy story with a wholly constructed magic system and detailed world building. If you like fantasy, then The Relic Spell would interest you!
Categories: Urban Dark Fantasy, Young Adult, Adventure, Dark Fairy Tales
Seventeen-year-old Alice and her mother have spent most of Alice’s life on the road, always a step ahead of the uncanny bad luck biting at their heels. But when Alice’s grandmother, the reclusive author of a cult-classic book of pitch-dark fairy tales, dies alone on her estate, the Hazel Wood, Alice learns how bad her luck can really get: her mother is stolen away―by a figure who claims to come from the Hinterland, the cruel supernatural world where her grandmother’s stories are set. Alice’s only lead is the message her mother left behind: “Stay away from the Hazel Wood.”
Alice has long steered clear of her grandmother’s cultish fans. But now she has no choice but to ally with classmate Ellery Finch, a Hinterland superfan who may have his own reasons for wanting to help her. To retrieve her mother, Alice must venture first to the Hazel Wood, then into the world where her grandmother’s tales began―and where she might find out how her own story went so wrong.
I think I tried reading this when it first published but I wasn’t in the mood and put it off until…now. But honestly, I don’t think I would have picked it up again if I wasn’t approved for the sequel on NetGalley. 😅
I finished this in two days which is surprising so I guess it really caught my attention this time around. Alice and her mom Ella is basically living on the run, but from what? Curses? Bad luck? It’s not clear but there is an undercurrent in this story, a mystery about a book called Tales from the Hinterland that Alice’s grandmother, Althea Proserpine, wrote. Alice and Ella are settled in New York City but the bad luck that seem to stop following them has found them again and Ella goes missing. The only clues Alice has are linked to the book. But what is Hinterland? She thought it was just a book of fairytales, that it was just a story. Alice and her friend Finch, go on a quest to find The Hazel Wood, her grandmother’s estate, so she can figure out what has happened to her mom, Ella. Instead they find out some stories are very real.
Alice’s voice is very unique. Is she likable? Most people wouldn’t like her I think but she’s a fascinating character, very mysterious, blunt, full of this unexplained anger. But she loves her mom Ella very much. Her gypsy upbringing (not by choice but survival) has shaped her greatly. When we find out more about her then it totally makes sense why she is the way she is.
There were words in this book that I had to google! I was intrigued by the writing, it’s very lyrical – if you don’t lyrical writing you will not like this book.
I liked the scary fairy tales that are told throughout the book. They remind me of the fairy tales we grew up. When you think of Snow White, as a child it was supposed to be cute because the singing dwarfs singing hi-ho, it’s Disney! But it’s actually a scary tale of the Queen wanting to kill Snow White and she poisons her. Like…that is not cute! The Tales of The Hinterland is straight out frightening, nothing cute about them at all.
I like the world of the Hinterland but it is mostly revealed in the later half of this book. When regular people cross into the Hinterlands they are called refugees. So the Hinterlands was almost like another country but in an alternate universe! I liked meeting Janet who explains a lot about this world. Thank you Janet!
A lot of things in this book made me go hmmm! Like I mentioned I liked the writing BUT I was also thinking wow, does Alice really think like this? It didn’t feel realistic that a teen would use these words, words from like an SAT test vocabulary list, to narrate her story but then again, her grandmother was a writer. Alice seemed very well read and a lover of literature. Of course we find out more about Alice, and when we do…it makes sense that she’s “different”. Because she IS.
There is a part in this book, 60% in where I felt like my brain BENDED, it was a total mind-bend and as someone who has vertigo when my sinuses get clogged/affecting my ears and such….when I read the part when Alice gets into The Hazel Wood, I got dizzy. Literally. A lot of the first part of the story is a mystery about The Hinterland and The Hazel Wood and when it is revealed, it was a bit too much for my head because the way it’s written. It almost feels all over the place and I couldn’t pin things down and that was disorienting until the story stabilized again. It was like Alice in Wonderland when she gets to Wonderland…🤔. I felt like I was Alice. It was jarring.
Alice gets kidnapped in the beginning, and she literally says she went into a car with this strange guy but he wasn’t a perv…he told her stories, etc…and I’m like say what? 😳 We also find out it’s not the first time she was kidnapped! What is with the kidnapping in this story? I guess it’s reminiscent again of the fairy tales we grew up with like Rapunzel. And there is a purpose to her being kidnapped but just reading it in the beginning I was a bit wary of where the story was going.
When I finished this I needed a moment to digest what I just read. Overall, I liked it because of it being so dark, weird, and fascinating. I liked some of the fairy tales that were told in the story, it is very Brother’s Grimm fairytales instead of the cutesy Disney ones.
If you like stories like Alice in Wonderland, then you will like The Hazel Wood. I’m about to read the sequel and we’ll see how that goes. I think it might follow more of Finch’s adventures because there is more to discover in the Hinterlands. Overall a fascinating, mind bending story that probably wouldn’t appeal to everyone.
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