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8.28.2025

Kingdom of Spirits (Bound by Dragons #2)


I will shout for you, my lady. Does that please you?



Kingdom of Spirits
Alisha Klapheke
Bound by Dragons, book two
Kindle edition, 302 pages
Published May 30, 2024
ASIN B0CJK44VQK



Her life, or her love. Tahlia can’t have both.

When Tahlia’s commander dies under mysterious circumstances, the only suspect is her former mentor’s daughter…their new commander. If Tahlia accuses her without proof, she’ll lose everything she’s worked for. Including her soul-bonded dragon.

To make matters worse, something is wrong with her captain. Marius won't meet her gaze, and he won't utter one word about the new commander. Like, not a syllable. As if maybe he isn’t able.

But Talia can't just walk away from him. A pull deep within her says they might be fated mates, and he is about to set off on a secret mission. She can't let him go alone, not with that creepy, clouded look in his eyes. And not with the fate of the dragon riders resting in such dangerous hands.

Dark magic and evil forces are rising in Kingdom of Spirits, and Tahlia is determined to uncover the truth. Even if it means risking her life.

If you liked Fourth Wing, but are searching for a lighter-hearted read with humor and just a dash of spice, this series is perfect for you.

This is NOT a standalone! Check out Bound by Dragons Book One for Talia and Marius's first encounter.

With fae, dragons, dragon riders, banter, found family, and touch her and die, this fantasy romance will have you flipping pages all night long.

***This series is upper YA/NA and contains mature language and situations.

It's been two weeks, and for the most part, Tahlia is getting along fine in her new role as a Mist Knight. Although being accepted by her fellow knights proves itself an obstacle to be overcome. On a positive note, she has fully bonded to her Seabreak dragon, Vodolija.

Meanwhile, Marius, the planner that he is, is scribbling a q&a that is probably considered a red flag by today's generation. What would you change about your past? Do you like to travel? If so, where? Younglings? Younglings?

Marius Leos Valentius. Chill out, my guy. Just two weeks ago, you asked for Ophelia's hand in marriage. This isn't an episode of The Bachelor.

So the plot for this sequel fell flat for me. Commander Gaius ends up dead. Tahlia questions Ophelia's version of events of allegedly finding the body. And Marius ends up cursed by Ophelia via runes, unable to divulge said curse and his touching of Tahlia would lead to her death.

Yeah. No. Sorry, not sorry. I'm not impressed with the curse bit.

But at least the Katk livened things up with a battle and we got to have a wedding.

3 out of 5 stars.

Available in ebook | hardcover | paperback | audiobook

Previously in the series:


Also part of the Lady of the Skies omnibus:


2025/37

Bound by Dragons


We will find the culprit and I will see them weep on their knees before you.



Bound by Dragons
Alisha Klapheke
Bound by Dragons, book one
Kindle edition, 246 pages
Published June 30, 2023
ASIN B0C415N992



This grumpy/sunshine fantasy romance about a feisty peasant and a dragon-riding Fae knight will keep you up until dawn!

I was born to ride dragons and no one can steal my fate...

All half-Fae Tahlia ever wanted was to become a Mist Knight, a dragon riding warrior defending the kingdom's wild north coast. Sadly, she never had the right blood, the right ancestors, the right anything. But when an opportunity to take her employer's place arises, she's willing to risk death by fire and sneak into the tournament that will name the next Mist Knight.

Second in command of the Mist Knights, full-blooded Fae noble Marius prides himself on living a strictly disciplined life. He has his Wed the commander's daughter. Rise to his father-in-law's role when the time is right. But he never saw Tahlia coming... Tahlia is determined to burn her way into the Mist Knights' world and take that handsome Marius along for the ride.

*This is an upper YA/NA novel with mature situations and language. Though this book stands on its own, you will get more Tahlia and Marius in books coming up, and the heat level will rise with each book. Bound by Dragons is the fifth book in the Starry Kingdoms of the Fae Collection. These books are all standalones written by your favorite fantasy authors and are the perfect read for your summer vacation. Prepare to be swept away into magical worlds with tropes you obsess over and swoon-worthy romance.

Tahlia is a Fae/human mix convinced that she belongs in the sky.

Marius is the High Captain of the Mist Knights, the second ranking rider in the regime and his dragon, Ragewing, is the alpha of the beasts.. He is rigid in his expectations. Whether it be a rider's well kept, unwrinkled uniform or the meticulous care of their dragons, he will suffer no excuse for the failure to maintain standards. He is, also, a Fae with a plan: To marry the Commander's daughter and one day take his place. Duty demands it. His Mistgold blood requires it.

Tahlia wanders into his path when she arrives at the stables. She doesn't know who he is and he doesn't care enough to enlighten her. But then she throws herself between his dragon and Ragewing's kin, and he goes from leaping after Tahlia to giving her the scolding only the fool that she is would deserve.

If "my bad" were human incarnate, it would be Tahlia. Half-human anyway.

And then she's erroneously submerging herself in the men's bathing pool while he's there and yeah, fortune's not working in her favor in that regard. She chuckles, blushes, excuses herself with the sincerest of apolgies, and hightails it out of there.

And he almost smiles.

Oh, she is charming him.

And she's kind of charming me, too. The woman is adorable.

Tahlia ultimately passes Marius's inquiry, earning her a place to compete to be a Mist Knight. But just as she changes her fate, her lies are discovered and she'll face the dire consequences of her deception.

And Marius will choose to sacrifice everything to stand beside her.

This is a whirlwind romance built heavily on mutual attraction. Maybe fated mates? No mention of it, but there's a charged air, instant attraction, and an instinctual wrist grab that certainly supports it. Also, what do you mean, the heat level will rise? Marius' imagination is doing just fine with the spice.

The reviews are a bit mixed on this one, so it ended up being better than I had anticipated. Ate it up in one day.

4 out of 5 stars.

Available in ebook | hardcover | paperback | audiobook

Also part of the Lady of the Skies omnibus:


2025/36

8.27.2025

Watching Wednesday: Summit of Our Youth




Summit of Our Youth
Genres: Romance, Fantasy, Drama
Cast: Sun Zhen Ni, Chen Jing Ke
Rated: PG-13
Year Released: 2025
Synopsis from Viki.com
Watch on Viki | First 12 episodes for FREE


While Gu Xue Jiao (Sun Zhen Ni) originally dreamed of being a top student, she couldn't help but get swept away by ideas of romance, and she eventually failed her college entrance exams. Even though she got a job, she consistently underperformed, resulting in her boss Lin Zhi Hua (Chen Jing Ke) firing her. When Xue Jiao confronts him, a strange incident transports her back in time to her third year of high school!

Xue Jiao is determined to change her future, dedicating her life to studying and making wiser choices based on her experiences as an adult – like finding past-Zhi Hua and roping him into becoming her tutor. Will Xue Jiao's second chance succeed, and will her relationship with Zhi Hua become something different in this timeline?

This drama was adapted from the web novel "Tan Lian Ai Bu Ru Shang Qing Hua" by Shi Wei Tu.


8.26.2025

Glow (Plated Prisoner #4)


I'll find you, Goldfinch. I swear to you.
Now fly.



Glow
Raven Kennedy
Plated Prisoner, book four
Kindle edition, 738 pages
Paperback, 832 pages
Published June 25, 2024
ASIN B095G183J6
ISBN 9781464224447



"I was nothing but a road to Midas. A means to get to where he wanted to go, and I paved that path in gold."

My life has been made up of gilded lies. But death has been shaped from rot.

Like a phoenix caught fire, I will need to rise from the ashes and learn to wield my own power. Because my wings may have been clipped, but I am not in a cage, and I'm finally free to fly from the frozen kingdoms I've been kept in.

Yet the world doesn't want to let me.

That's the thing when you turn against a king—everyone else turns against you.

Good thing I have a different king in my corner.

But even with the dark threat of Slade Ravinger, the other monarchs are coming for me.

So I will fight for him and he will kill for me, and if we need to become the villains, then so be it.

Because so long as I live in this world, I won't be used again.

Please note: This is an adult fantasy series with dark elements that may be triggering, including past emotional and physical trauma, violence, adult language, and explicit romance. Read at your own discretion.

True to form, this book picks up right where book three, Gleam, faded to black. The castle is in chaos.

Auren lost control, almost burning out. Molten gold ravaged the place, killing countless in its path. Midas included.

Ravinger begged Auren's forgiveness as he was left with one recourse, to use his powers against her in order to save her from herself.

Queen Kaila of Third Kingdom survived, and tah-dah! We've unlocked another POV. It's with her that the first chapter opens up. And with the very pregnant saddle, Mist, spewing all kinds of ridiculousness about Auren stealing Midas' powers.

Convincing Kaila that Auren could steal hers as well.

With her would be fiance dead, Kaila pulls out a backup plan for seizing power over Sixth and Fifth Kingdom. Make the people, who are still rioting over Midas' wife, Queen Malina's seizure of the throne (her rightful throne, mind you) and her alleged murder, love her. Accept her.

Slade has fled Fifth Kingdom, with Auren, on the back of Argo, a timberwing. And now, the fanart finally clicks into place.

He's counting the seconds, well the fuck aware of how crucial it is that he pull his rotting power out of her before it's too late.

They land. He pulls. Most of it flows freely but there's one last speck that resists. He panics. He curses. And he tries once more to rip the last of the rot out of her, sending his body careening backwards into the snow.

But the speck remains.

And Auren still doesn't wake up.

And again, Slade is counting the seconds.

And Digby is shouting.

And the Wrath is sensing the alarm.

And this series is something else, because how are we only four percent in and my heart is pounding in my chest! Paragraph after paragraph. Page after page. Until finally, Ryatt slams his fist into Slade's face and the spell of panic is finally broken. Sort of.

Back on his feet, Slade scoops Auren back into his arms, hauls them both back onto Argo, and we're off to Deadwell while the Wrath is directed to go back for the army.

But does anyone listen to orders anymore? Apparently Lu and Ryatt have transcended that bit of expectation. And Judd just doesn't follow orders that he deems stupid.

So chapter after chapter, we're riding in Slade's POV while taking trips into his past with his brother and mother and father and then talks of Lu's past of when she came into Slade's army at just fourteen years of age. Talula Gallerin.

“She’s gonna wake up, you know.”

I swallow hard, all the light amusement draining back out of me. “You sound sure.”

“That’s because I am,” she says before she unfolds herself and gets to her feet. “You took my belligerence and tossed a uniform in my face. You met Osrik’s kill drive and decided to give him your sword. You saw every jail cell that couldn’t hold Judd and, instead of tossing him in another one, let him keep the keys. This time, you found your goldfinch and watched her leave her cage. She’ll open her eyes, just like you got the rest of us to do.”

Throughout the beginning, I was in awe as the author takes King Rot and shows him for the human that he half is. For the boy that he was, and the man that he became. One that makes mistakes, that doesn't think of everything, that loses himself in panic and desperation but has the loyalty of his comrades and the grounding of his friends to hit him, distract him, comfort him—whatever needed to get him through. And as much as I was ready for our Lady Auren to wake the hell up, I was there for Slade's story. There, beside Ryatt, and Lu, and Judd, and Digby.

Osrik alone has gone back for the army, kicking their butt into high gear to get out of dodge with haste. And cue happy dance because...

Osrik and Rissa's side quest has commenced!

Frowning, I straighten up, and then my eyes adjust to the darker lighting and the warmer air, and my gaze immediately zeroes in on the woman wearing some fancy ass dress that has no business being worn out here in these conditions. The little coat she has on isn’t doing shit either.

The blonde stands up to face me, crossing her arms in front of her indignantly. “And just who are you?” she demands.

I blink at her, then at the second woman who’s lying on the pallet next to her, white as a sheet as she sleeps. “I’m captain of the whole damn army right now. Who the fuck are you?”

Give this woman one hell of a romance! She deserves it!

And then the words I've been waiting for...

"I'm finally going to tell you why they really call me Rip."
::squeal::

Nope. There was no expecting that.

Home is Annwyn.

I truly believed Gleam would win out as my favorite of this series, but Glow was proving to be a notable contender as time went on. Of any of the books, this is just as much Slade's story as Auren's, if not more so. He's an open book here. Sure, he prefers to turn the pages slowly, but gone is the deception. And he's his mother's son to the core.

Auren stands trial for her alleged crimes: killing Midas and stealing his powers. But, like our own system of justice, the process is rigged in one side's favor. But this time, Slade is there. Rip is there.

And the Bridge of Lemuria is restored.

Bring on the Fae!

5 out of 5 stars. Despite each book picking up right at the end of its predecessor, I've never really felt there was much of a cliffhanger. But the ending of this book? Holyfruckingshyt.

Available in ebook | hardcover | paperback | audiobook

Previously in the series:


2025/35