In the Veins of the Drowning (Siren Mage #1)

Lady Imogen, I have eyes.

Available at Amazon.com

In the Veins of the Drowning
Kalie Cassidy
The Siren Mage, book one
Kindle edition, 377 pages
Published July 15, 2025
ASIN B0D1BMW3F3
ISBN 9780316587617


The monster is always slain…

Imogen Nel is in hiding. Hiding from a cruel kingdom that believes Sirens are monstrous, blood-hungry creatures. Hiding from a king and his captain who viciously hunt her kind. Hiding from her own alluring abilities. By keeping herself from the sea, Imogen’s bloodlust is dulled, and her black wings remain hidden beneath her skin.

When a neighboring king comes to visit, Imogen can no longer hide. He knows precisely what she is, and he believes she can save both their kingdoms from an even greater monster. But Imogen’s power threatens to violently reveal itself, and the two form a blood bond that protects them both. They flee the kingdom together, traversing waters teeming with the undead. As the lines between duty to their people and desire for each other begin to blur, Imogen worries her own ancestral powers may not be enough to kill what hunts her—the only way to defeat a monster may be to become one herself.

This book did not start out well for me. The first chapter alone was far too cryptic and downright depressing. Is the king her fiance? No. Is he her father? No. The captain is her fiance. King Nemea just adopted her, doing so for her inheritence after the death of her parents.

And the mysterious man atop the fortress walls is Theodore. The love interest? With that name. Gah.

The fiance, Evander, is... not awful. Except that his response to her being sick off the wine is to give her a chunk of bread and she's tired and short of breath, so his remedy is to take her to her room, remove her clothes, and have her dry mount his cock. What am I reading?!

I take it back. He's awful. But it's Imogen that disgusts me. And then she's going off on how Theo (Yes, Theo because Theodore is a chipmunk) has never done this and never done that. Uh, bitch, since when do you know him? How dare you make such assumptions while cleaving to a victim mentality.

I haven't been this repulsed by a FMC since Feyre.

She's been resigned to this pitiful existence for years, had accepted the fate as Evander's bride, but now, now, that she wants out, well *snap snap* everybody needs to throw caution and reason to the wind, tempt war and whatever else to give the poor, unfortunate siren what she demands. Save her, because for some damn reason she can't save herself.

Oh wait, she can. And I can't roll my damn eyes hard enough. Then if that wasn't the most anticlimactic death of a 'villain' I've endured in a long while. A man being lured to drown by a siren.

Perhaps I'm being unfairly harsh. This is my first siren story afterall. But... it is what it is. This is an honest blog.

“You killed your fiancé,” he said in a brutal whisper, “and then you came here moments later to beg me to leave in the middle of the night and take you with me?”

“No.” I looked him squarely in the eye—I had nothing left to lose. “I came to bind myself to you.”

The air around us thinned. His voice was deadly quiet. “You’re out of your mind.”

“Perhaps.” I didn’t bother to hide the desperation in my voice. “But I have nothing left to armor myself in except your protection and you refused to give it.”

His gaze was filled with the embers’ light, with incredulity. “I did not refuse. I said I needed time.”

Out of her mind, or has the brain of a fish. Either way, I'm one hundred percent with Theo on this. And he did say he needed time. That's not a refusal despite what her twisted mind has concocted.

24% completed. And I'm done.

DNF

Available in ebook | paperback | audiobook

Daughter of No Worlds (The War of Lost Hearts #1)

I stood with her, only her, until the end of our stories.

(2025 cover edition)
Available at Amazon.com

Daughter of No Worlds
Carissa Broadbent
The War of Lost Hearts, book one
Kindle edition, 520 pages
Published January 7, 2020
Hardcover, 512 pages
Published October 14, 2025
ASIN B082FRD429
ISBN 9781250405364


A former slave fighting for justice. A reclusive warrior who no longer believes it exists. And a dark magic that will entangle their fates.

Ripped from a forgotten homeland as a child, Tisaanah learned how to survive with nothing but a sharp wit and a touch of magic. But the night she tries to buy her freedom, she barely escapes with her life.

Desperate to save the best friend she left behind, Tisaanah journeys to the Orders, the most powerful organizations of magic Wielders in the world. But to join their ranks, she must complete an apprenticeship with Maxantarius Farlione, a handsome and reclusive fire wielder who despises the Orders.

The Orders’ intentions are cryptic, and Tisaanah must prove herself under the threat of looming war. But even more dangerous are her growing feelings for Maxantarius. The bloody past he wants to forget may be the key to her future… or the downfall of them both.

But Tisaanah will stop at nothing to save those she abandoned. Even if it means gambling in the Orders’ deadly games. Even if it means sacrificing her heart.

Even if it means wielding death itself.

Fans of epic romantic fantasy like Sarah J. Maas and Raven Kennedy will devour this tale of dark magic, passionate romance, vengeance, and redemption.

Tisaanah survived the catastrophies of war only to be delivered into slavery as a child. And eventually ended up with a master that promised her freedom if she could only afford the price: one thousand silvers.

And today, at twenty-one years of age, she's finally done it.

But, her master is a liar. And now Tasaanah is forced to flee with help from her best friend, Serel, who stays behind to give her time to escape and make it to the ships. She must sail to Ara, to the Orders.

Tasaanah's one hope is to learn to master her magic and return for her friend and for her people.

Max is a loner. He's done with the politics. Done with the wars. Buuuut Tisaananah's intentions are noble. Hopeful. Desperate. And so, he succumbs to Nura's insistence that he take on the role as Tasaanah's teacher. She becomes his apprentice and he begins to train her.

And despite the pretenses, Max is a sweetheart. As Miraselle said, he's just so nice. When he wants to be.

Tasaanah, Max, and Sammerin are recruited by Nura to be a part of a show of force against Pathyr Savoi who is refusing to abdicate now that his family has been removed from power following his father being declared a traitor and violently slain in the street. There was to be no bloodshed.

But then Pathyr decides to blow the place up instead and suddenly we're in a battle and magic is slinging up, down, and sideways. Tasaanah is wielding daggers. Sammerin is building a dam of dead bodies. Max is shaking, barely keeping it together. And I'm triggered enough to yell "Objection, Foundation," because where the hell is all this coming from?!

They're moving in sync, gaining ground as a unit, and still, where does a dancing slave from Threll get this training?!

But okay, I'm along for the ride.

Especially when Tasaanah slips into Max's mind to give him sight beyond what they could physically see from their standpoint. And then her mind is riding his flames, winding through the halls of what's left of the castle, seeking the enemy, intent on breaking their spell.

And. So. Much. Is. Happening.

Then Tasaanah's mind flashes back to her whipping and the twenty-seven lashes that preceeded the death of her master. And I can finally take a breath as everything goes dark.

Tasaanah and Max are absolutely precious together. His words often mirror her thoughts. They compliment one another and fit almost seemlessly as their relationship goes from strangers to mentor and apprentice and effortlessly into friendship.

I appreciate how this author doesn't waste paragraphs going on and on with descriptive nonsense trying to build some kind of atmosphere or scene. Somehow, with so few words, the reader is drawn into the mood, into the moment in this world, just by the characters, their actions, and their words. The focus is the conversation and somehow that alone gives light to everything else one could imagine around them. It's with every Clip, Clip, Clip instead of droning on about the flowers themselves, their colors and the size of their blossoms or the strength of their fragrance.

This is world building at its finest, for me. Leave more to be imagined.

And may we spare a moment to appreciate how these two characters can fall asleep beside one another in the garden and not wake up wrapped around one another? The innocence of these two war-beaten souls, I tell you. It's a whole other form of intimacy.

But the attraction is there. And the heat of the slow burn is sizzling while their friendship and subtle romance is just divine.

This isn’t what I want.

It all depended on the definition of “this” — whether those words were unshakably true or the biggest fucking lie I had ever told anyone else or myself.

If “this” was the sensation of her lips against my neck, or that little sound that I suspected she didn’t even know she’d made, or the way that she felt enveloped in my arms...

If “this” was the sound of her voice, or the way she saw the world, or her stupid jokes...

"I never expected this from you, Tisaanah,” I choked out. We were still so close. Our noses almost touched. I could barely focus on the words I forced out of my mouth. “Almost every single person in your life has used you. And I’m not— This isn’t—"

And I wouldn’t be another one of those people, unwittingly or not.

This isn’t what I want.

If “this” was her lips, her body, her kiss, her touch, I would be lying if I said I hadn’t thought about those things. If I hadn’t had to shove them into a dark corner of my mind, never to be disturbed, never to be addressed.

But if “this” was her friendship, her companionship, her trust? Her happiness? Her safety?

Those things were worth more to me than anything else ever would be. Downright precious.

And for that, I would throw everything else into a box and lock it away never to be acknowledged, permanently, if that’s where they needed to be.

Spoilers ahead.

Tisaanah succeeds in her trials, only to be presented with a test greater than anything she or Max had anticipated. Because they (Nura and Arch Commandant Zeryth) have plans for Tisaanah. Plans that Max had unwittingly, and so foolishly, played into all along.

There is a magic strong enough to end any war. A sentient magic that selectively chooses its host, bonding itself to them. And they expect it to choose Tisaanah, just as it had chosen Max so many years ago.

And despite Max's pleas that she not go, that she not accept anything offered to her, there is nothing Tisaanah would not give of herself to save her people.

Tisaanah agrees with Zeryth's plan, albeit with well thought out conditions, and the story takes a turn as she awakens with a voice in her head. Reshaye. And not just a voice, but memories. Max's memories.

She's now basically possesed by Max's haunted past and his demon, a demon (my word, not the author's) that has been cast aside, abandoned, and tortured. Reshaye is a force that is no stranger to its anger, fueled by its repeated suffered betrayals.

And with its arrival, so, too, do we get a continuous pattern of Max's POV. Ascended above, what a POV it is! Just like The Silversmith, I found myself just about highlighting his every word. Oh, Maxantarius—the friend, ally, and battlemate that you are!

5 out of 5 stars. This is an extremely underhyped book. And of all the books I've read, this, if nothing else, deserves a film adaptation. The story is so simple but would be glorious on the big screen.

Available in ebook | hardcover | paperback | audiobook (Not recommending this in audiobook)

Come For Me (Hunt #1)

Interesting. It seems murder is my love language.

Available at Amazon.com

Come For Me
C.J. Sweet
The Hunt, book one
328 pages, Kindle Edition
Audiobook, ~14 hours
Published October 4, 2024
ISBN 9798990912007

Alaina
He’s waited a long time for me, but I’ve waited longer for the truth. Not even the king himself could keep me from the only ties left to my identity. Then I meet him, and I’m stuck between uncovering who I am and discovering who I’m meant to be.

Dax
After seven years I finally found her, my true mate’s timing couldn’t have been more perfect. With the rogue and vampire attacks increasing in vigor, my kingdom needed a strong leader now more than ever. They needed us. Only together, did we have a chance. But she’s fighting her destiny, fighting me. It’s only a matter of time before my enemies plaguing my kingdom would see this and try to take what’s mine.

This book features a menu of over forty of the best (and what some may deem worst) tropes and kinks of dark romance. There's something for everyone, especially those with a healthy sense of adventure or those looking to unlock new kinks.

Everyone knows how mate bonds are severed: either the true mate is killed or a wolf is claimed by another before the fated mate can. Once marked, I would quickly lose my ability to recognize my mate, and he would eventually die of a broken heart.

Would I rather my mate be killed than live somewhere else? Would I choose his agony over my own?

Find your true mate or choose to bond to another.

But if you choose another, your true mate will wither and die.

Alrighty then. Ouch.

Alaina doesn’t want her true mate. Not if it means leaving the Bloodhound pack, the only pack she’s ever known and the only link she has left to a mother she never knew. A mother who had wandered into the pack’s territory, pregnant and alone, seeking refuge. The mother who had died giving birth to her.

When the alpha’s son, Caleb, her best friend and occasional lover, tells her that his father is forcing him to choose a mate at the next traditional mate hunt in order to secure his place as heir, he also informs her that he intends to choose her should he fail to find his true mate.

It’s a solution to both of their predicaments. And, would be a bittersweet full circle that started when they had first become friends with benefits back when Alaina was eighteen only to discover on her twenty-first birthday that Caleb was not her true mate.

The day arrives. The hunt begins. And straight away, Alaina detects a new scent. Her wolf responds Mate while Alana's eerie brain takes the 'Caleb needs to kill him' route.

Meanwhile... Dax had nearly given up on finding his fated. After the first five years of failure, he no longer joins the hunt. His last was three years ago.

As we near the castle grounds, my plans to take advantage of a willing subject are sabotaged by the sweetest smell of black raspberry and vanilla. Her scent infiltrates my plan and overcomes my darkest intentions. This dark lord’s storm is calmed by her aroma as I inhale further. As I drink in this newfound heaven, my [redacted]. Her natural fragrance alone, whoever she is, has caught this demon’s attention, and I won’t be satisfied until I’ve possessed her very soul. Tension and the weight of my duty to the throne rolls off me like sand recedes with the waves—for the first time in eight years. All because of her.

“Mate,” I mindlink to my beta.

Like a meerkat, Sam’s head pops up, wide-eyed and alert. “What?”

He never thought he’d ever hear the word. None of us did.

Ladies and gentlemen, Joe Arden! Anthony Palmini will always be my favorite reader, but Joe. Arden. The inflection. The emphasis. The growls.

Oh, Caleb. You in danger, boy.

And I should have read this before Raven Kennedy's Gleam because compared to Dax, Ravinger's a choir boy.

Alaina has every intention of allowing Caleb to claim her, but with her true mate's scent in her lungs, she finds herself fighting with her wolf. His touch revolts her, burning her, and her wolf snarls and whimpers to get away.

And then Dax arrives. A king that will have his queen.

Let the battle of wills commence.

“All you have to do is stake your claim.” I bare my neck to her, baiting her. “Take what’s always belonged to you, darling. Be my queen.” I growl the honorific.

Her heart skips a beat, lip quivering, and her canines descend unintentionally as she fights her wolf’s instinctual urge.

We know what this would mean. I can be calm in any battle, but she leans in, and it takes everything for my heart to not beat out of my chest. I’ve never wanted anyone more than I’ve wanted her. I fucking worship my mate.

Alaina leans in to mark me. I don’t move, more than ready for her to seal the bond officially.

Then moisture hits my cheek.

Did she just spit on me?

This book had me clutching my pearls and shielding my ears and eyes. I cringed. I laughed. I blushed. It is the be-all and end-all of wolf shifter smut. That's it. I need not one more book in this genre despite the cliffhanger end.

5 out of 5 stars. Dax is positively unhinged. Audiobook or nothing with this one.

Available in ebook | hardcover | paperback | audiobook

A Star of Darkness (A Scented Court Standalone)

There are devils and there are devils.

Available at Amazon.com

A Star of Darkness
A.L. Knorr
Scented Court standalone
Kindle edition, 353 pages
Published September 30, 2024
ASIN B0D62LBH8T


A warrior's honor meets a fae’s secrets.

In the scented court, where every bloom is power, Vesper—a member of the elite fae retinue that entertains the aristocracy with rare flora magic—hides her true identity while saving for her future. But when she receives a threatening message, Vesper realizes she can't run from her past forever. How far will she go to protect herself—and the one creature she holds dear?

Regalis, with his fierce raptor familiar, stands as a pillar of honor among the elite Fahyli soldiers. Yet beneath the warrior’s exterior lies a yearning heart. In a foggy twist of a murder, a kidnapping, and a dark generational mystery, fate throws them together.

Vesper must decide if she can trust Regalis with the truth she’s buried deep, while Regalis faces the ultimate test—can he forgive the web of lies spun in fear? As past sins collide with present dangers, one question who will make the ultimate sacrifice?

A Star of Darkness is an unpredictable, pulse-pounding romantasy adventure of intrigue, deception, and passion. One reader has coined it "Wuthering Heights meets LOTR". Dive into this twisty, gothic, standalone story where love battles the shadows of the past, and magic weaves a fate neither of these star-crossed lovers saw coming. Set in the epic world of The Scented Court but can be read as a standalone. Not YA, but suitable for readers aged 14+.

I'm tempting the devil with this read because this is a pretty book. A very pretty sixty dollar book.

“I’m sorry, but my botanical is a cactus, Gardener. I don’t mean to be prickly, but it is my personality.”

Portia’s expression turned skeptical. “You’re not really using that as an excuse, are you?”

“Why not? Gardenia cries if her elixirs are too alkaline. Hydrangea faints if she doesn’t get enough water, and Rose gets fatigued if she has too much water too close to sundown. Why is it so hard to believe that I’m better off alone?”

I'm not much of a gardener. My favorite plants to collect are Alocasias and my favorite flower to see, but not grow, are Dahlias, but this book might actually teach me some things. If nothing else, the flora concept is intriguing.

Note: This post will contain spoilers.

While this is a standalone in the Scented Court world, we do miss out on Vesper first meeting Regalis. They are already aquainted when the story unfolds as Vesper, a young Calyx, is sent a message meant to lure her out of hiding.

Regalis is a Fahyli that lives by the code of his oath to the king. He is focused, practical, and resigned to his solitary life since ending his last romantic relationship years ago.

Their friendship begins innocently enough as Regalis senses her uneasiness at the ball and, as a member of the Calyx's guards, approaches her with a request for a dance.

They cross paths again when she's thrown from her horse while hunting near Regalis' routine security detail and in the comfortable silence during the journey back, Regalis feels inspired to get to know Vesper a bit better and inquires of her life. Soon enough, they make plans for dinner and tour they're favorite places inside the castle.

Before halfway of the book, they've shared their first kiss.

Then the bounty hunters come.

Vesper is threatened by the first. An act that warrants the response of Vesper's familiar, Morpho. The seemingly innocent luna moth is actually a shapeshifting assassin that puts Regalis's hawk familiar, Ferrugin, to shame.

The next group manage to abduct Vesper. And while Regalis' mind races with all of the possible outcomes of the dire situation, he does make it to her in time. She's drugged, completely out of it, as Regalis turns to the leader of the band.

And the leader spills everything. Vesper's real name is Elara Darkstar. She is of a prominent Archelian family. And she is wanted for murder.

And suddenly, our by the book Fyhali is punching a prisoner in the face. Her lies, her deception, eats at him as his bias wars with the truth as he's come to know it.

Vesper is arrested, sent to court, given a handful of depressing choices, and subsequently exiled and abandoned at the border.

And that is where my spoilers end.

Vengeance, thy name is Elara Darkstar. This story was so much more than I had anticipated. Not only were the main characters absolutely frickin adorable together but never, ever, have I read a fantasy book wherein the main character gets accused of murder and her response is to seek out a lawyer.

And with that, my two addictions-romantic fiction and true crime trials-merged.

But it was Morpho, sweet little Morpho, that was the most unexpected.

He made my heart hurt.

4 out of 5 stars. This book is promoted as a slow burn romance. To that, I disagree.

Available in ebook | hardcover | paperback | audiobook

Gleam (Plated Prisoner #3)

I stare at him, not in fear, but in recognition
as the beast in me rises up and answers to the beast inside him.

Available at Amazon.com

Gleam
Reven Kennedy
Plated Prisoner, book three
Kindle Edition, 674 pages
Paperback, 784 pages
Audiobook, ~19 hours
Published May 31, 2021
ISBN 9781464224430
ASIN B08XK8L1J7


King Midas made me the woman I am today. Notorious. Unattainable. His.

The thing about being confined is that you believe it’s to keep the bad out... Until you realize it’s about keeping you in.

I’m now in a strange kingdom surrounded by liars, with no allies of my own, but I won’t sit idly by and let myself wither. No, there’s something that’s bloomed from the pit of my repression. Something dark. Something angry.

But the last thing I expected was for my anger to call out to him. King Ravinger.

He’s sinister and powerful and entirely too seductive. I’ve learned my lesson with trusting manipulative kings, so why does my chest constrict every time he’s near? I need to tread carefully, or I’m at risk of losing much more than just my freedom.

Regret and revenge war inside of me, and I need to figure out a plan fast before I get tangled up in the schemes of kings and queens.

Because I won’t be caught in a cage again. No, this time, It’ll be me setting the trap... I just hope my heart comes out of this unscathed.

A moment to appreciate Kennedy's decision to have Rip with black eyes and Ravinger with green.

A second moment to express some love to Rip's inner circle because I neglected to do so in my last post. Osrik, Judd, and Lu are Rip's captains. His handpicked team. His most trusted advisors. They are, as Lu deemed them, his Wrath. Osrik, the former mercenary. Judd, the tricky thief. And much love to our lady, Lu, with her secret past, happy violence, and the power to be ignored.

Book three opens up just where we left off in Glint albeit with a slight rewind. Rip reveals his alias as King Ravenger and the two are throwing words at eachother in a heated exchange. And it's the best kind because neither of them is wrong and I'm stuck in this silent web of neutrality waiting for who will be the first to yield or deliver the final blow.

Gods, this man! Rising oh so quickly to the top of my list of favorite characters.

Then Midas himself adds to the tension and our girl Auren is done with the bs. She has woken up and is choosing violence. Woman is big mad. At everybody.

I am giddy over these female characters. Women who actually own up and take accountability. Both Auren and Midas' wife, Malina, willing to say the words: I let him. Men (and women, too) don't take or hold power alone. They are enabled. They are permitted and guided and encouraged. And while Auren and Malina once gave Midas power, they are now seizing it back.

Go ahead, gurl. Whip another pillow at his face.

Meanwhile, Ravenger still hasn't divulged how the nickname "Rip" originated but we do meet fake Rip. And, oh my pulse quickened at the scene as my mind leapt into the mass of fanart images filed away in my brain. Could this... be Ryatt?

Sir, you better get to stepping aside out of her way before the Rotter of Things has Lu take her hand to the back side of your skull.

"I chose you the moment you called me a prick, and your ribbons tried to knock me on my ass."

Could I swoon any harder over Ravenger's My Own Good speech? Could I feel second hand mortification any deeper at Auren's ribbons rolling around in Slade's sheets? Like hyper kittens indeed. She gilded the damn pillow! I was a rolling mess of laughter. Gurl, get out of his room!

I just told him I want him, told him bits of my life I don’t share with people, and yet...he’s saying nothing.

Finally, I can’t take it anymore. The silence, the scrutiny, the confessions lying at my feet like plucked fruit left to rot. “Are you going to say anything? I just admitted that I want you, and you’re just standing there.”

Slade blinks. “I was processing.”

“You process really slowly.”

His mouth hitches up. “What do you mean, exactly, when you say you want me?”

I thought I couldn’t be more embarrassed, but I was wrong. I wasn’t expecting this reaction, and it makes me feel...rejected. Snubbed. It hurts more than I can put into words. “You know what? Forget it.”

The second I move toward the door, Slade easily sidesteps in front of me, stopping me in my tracks. “You think you can say all of that to me and then just walk out?”

I shoot him an incredulous look. “Yes, because you’re not saying anything. If things have changed, if you don’t want me back, then…”

A frown tucks in, creasing in place between Slade’s brows. “Don’t want you? Is that what you think? You think I’ve been hanging around Fifth Kingdom because I’m excited to attend a ball?”

“I don’t know what to think!” I cry out, hands flinging up in exasperation. “I just said all of those things, and—”

“I’ve wanted you since the moment I laid eyes on you, Goldfinch. I was just waiting for you to catch up.”

Woman! She does this while the sun is up?! Mind you, they're not talking about sex here. She's choosing him. She chose herself. And she's choosing him for herself.

Gods, that chapter thirty. And I don't know how I expected thirty-one to be any less crass than it was. Great Divine, that man has a filthy mouth. How does a commander and king of so few words manage not to shut up in the bedroom?

Bright side? None. Absolutely none. Because I just turned his pillow solid gold from sniffing it like a lunatic, while he watched my ribbons dive into his sheets like fish in a Slade stream.

My favorite character could easily be Auren's ribbons. They are always slithering out to Slade and wrapping themselves around that man with a mind of their own.

Revelations and twists in this installment... aka Spoilers incoming... Auren's power only works during the day. I'm all for unique magic systems but I'm not sure how I feel about this detail. And again, a life is taken and body left to drop on the snow.

This series has set a new record for me for the amount of times I either mutterered, yelled, or voicelessly threw out the words This muthafucker here. Midas, I tell ya. The grace I gave you, you sum of a bish. I wanted to claw your eyes out—Digby?! You tortured Digby! And then you took a sword to Auren's ribbons! But the twist. That twist... with Barden East. You devil! The diabolical intent that spanned years. I was screaming.

And yet.. Respect. Horror, but respect.

And yes, it was Ryatt. And now the whole giving Auren a hard time and getting kicked out to the balcony in the snow makes sense, because, yeah... little brother.

"Better the whore to the man at my back than the favored to you."

4.99 out of 5 stars. Top tier power couple.

Available in ebook | hardcover | paperback | audiobook



Previously in the series:

Captive (Cursed Bloodstone #2)

You are one of us.

Available at Amazon.com

Captive
Lianne Kay
Cursed Bloodstone, book two
Kindle Edition, 358 pages
Published June 30, 2023
ASIN B0BSVDV9GX


The Bloodstone imprisoned Sol. They want the power behind her birthmark. She wants to stop them from attaining their dark gifts.

As she fights to free herself, she discovers a magic she never wanted. Each day it whispers broken promises in her ears. Promises that make her question her people, the Bloodstone, and the fractured bond she shares with her husband.

For one question rises above the rest. Is she Kyanite or Bloodstone?

The answer may lead her down a path she never wants to flee. Or it may write her Fate in the sands, leaving her no choice but to escape.

Captive is an enemies-to-lovers fantasy romance with plenty of tension and steam. It’s suitable for 18+. It’s the second in a series.

I decided to continue with the series because I possess one nagging question: Will Sol ever realize that she, in fact and opinion, is the problem?

It's only been a few days since Sol launched the knife into the chest of the Bloodstone chieftain, Hector, and came away with the realization that he and Gabriel, her husband, were one and the same.

Now she's breaking pottery, slicing the throats of her guards, and making a mad dash for freedom.

Only to be caught once again.

Hate still burns inside her for the Bloodstone people and towards the livery collar that now adorns Hector's neck.

But now she's healed with Bloodstone magic. And she's killed with Bloodstone magic. Begging the second question: Is Sol truly just a Kyanite, or she is of the same blood as those whom she despises?

Third question: Wtf happened to Gabriel's vow of celibacy? What, that doesn't apply now that he's embraced his role as Hector? The same way Gabriel had no siblings but Hector does. Had it been a lie and no such vow existed?

Some consistency would be great in this series.

She hates the Bloodstones but she'll fight beside them. She'll avenge them. But she'd sooner die than see them restored to the magic that would enable them to better protect themselves.

All the while, Sol wields her own magic, healing some and cursing the rest. Their bodies rot. Others reduced to maggots.

So I reiterate: The Bloodstones aren't the problem. Sol is.

The Boodstones have a justice system. She may not like it but the audacity of this bish to condemn it and then hunt down and murder someone in cold blood... I just can't with this woman.

At forty percent, I really wanted to DNF but I pressed through. Then at sixty-five percent, I really, really wanted to DNF so I raged through. And I held that rage till the end.

Answer #1: Nope.
Answer #2: Sol's mother was Bloodstone. So the woman she lovingly remembers as Mother, the same woman she has dedicated her existence to avenging, was not. Color me.. not surprised.
Answer #3: I don't know. Maybe the author forgot.

Is it selfish to want you near me?

Yes, Hector. Yes.

Now, the Bloodstone are attacking me!
Why?

Woman, what'you mean why?? You curse them. You won't stop killing them. You. Are. A. Threat. If there's a bounty on your head then it's only a bonus.

He takes his time, setting a tortuous pace as he kisses my stomach.

How... how is he doing that? How long is her torso??

1 out of 5 stars.

Available in ebook | paperback | audiobook

Previously in the series:

Glint (Plated Prisoner #2)

He knows. He kissed me.
He knows. He kissed me.
He knows what I did, and yet... he still kissed me.

Available at Amazon.com

Glint
Raven Kennedy
Plated Prisoner, book two
Audiobook, 11+ hours
Kindle Edition, 479 pages
First published January 1, 2022
ISBN 9781464224485
ASIN B08RW8MW3D


For ten years, I’ve lived in a gilded cage inside King Midas’s golden castle. But one night changed everything.

Now I’m here, a prisoner of Fourth Kingdom’s army, and I’m not sure if I’m going to make it out of this in one piece. They’re marching to battle, and I’m the bargaining chip that will either douse the fire or spark a war.

At the heart of my fear, my worry, there’s him—Commander Rip.

Known for his brutality on the battlefield, his viciousness is unsurpassed. But I know the truth about what he is.

Fae.

The betrayers. The murderers. The ones who nearly destroyed Orea, wiping out Seventh Kingdom in the process. Rip has power sizzling beneath this skin and glinting spikes down his spine. But his eyes—his eyes are the most compelling of all.

When he turns those black eyes on me, I feel captive for an entirely different reason.

I may be out of my cage, but I’m not free, not even close. In the game of kings and armies, I’m the gilded pawn. The question is, can I out maneuver them?

In this first sequel in the Plated Prisoner series, Auren has gone from being a hostage of pirates to a captive of the Fourth Kingdom army under the leadership of Commander Rip.

She may be their prisoner in name but the care and respect she receives from this army is unlike anything Auren has ever known before.

And while she'll endure a few crude comments, it's the push and pull of Rip's goading that ultimately gets under her skin, that furthers the cracks in her loyalty to Midas, and sets Auren on a path to choosing herself instead of her Golden King.

Rip will question her. He will challenge her. And, at her word, he will provoke war for her.

However, that word never comes. Auren is adament in that she will always choose him.

So they deliver her to Midas and Auren's regret couldn't come fast enough as Midas attempts to return her to a cage. But the cage is no longer the safe haven Auren believed it to be when she willingly allowed herself to be imprisoned all those years ago. She no longer needs those bars between her and the world. No longer wants them.

And then drops the third twist of the series. Rip is King Rot. He is King Ravenger. He is Slade. Two forms. So many names. King, and his own Commander. Dear man, you're doing too much.

4 out of 5 stars.

Available in ebook | hardcover | paperback | audiobook

Previously in the series:

The Moon & Its Eyes (Cain's Song #1)

...that kind of fear has a different velocity.
It doesn't hit you; it embraces you.

Available at Amazon.com

The Moon and Its Eyes
Mehrin U
Kindle edition, 305 pages
Independently published December 3, 2020
ISBN 9798576292509
This book was received through a Goodreads giveaway

Accused of murdering the emperor, stealing a forbidden magic from the moon, and releasing a death god, Aarith Anasahara has been exiled to a realm beyond the Shoreless Seas.

With his life hanging in the balance, he is forced to recount the earlier years of his life by his captors—including his trials through Mirradalia’s most prestigious school of alchemy, the mystery around the death of his parents more than a decade ago, and his journey to becoming the world’s most infamous alchemist.

Aarith Anasahara has been captured by Hal Speight for crimes against the realm and whilst on their journey, Aarith captivates Hal and his crew with the story of his youth. A story that began when he was just fourteen years old, on the day he was to confess his love to a village girl and sign his life away to the guilds.

Instead, Aarith is confronted with a creature of his past, a harbinger that he is convinced is the beginning a horrible assault upon the village. The likes of which that overran what was once his home and slaughterd his mother years before. So, with voices in his head and the urgings of a leopard, Aarith, who has never shown a speck of magic in his life, thrusts himself into Dhrakar's trials.

He is accompanied, practically from the beginning, by Cain. Later meets Raven, the emperor's granddaughter. And a number of classmates, both kind and wicked, that includes his crush, Elsa.

The story holds enough action while the trials are simple enough. Fetch a flower. Survive the night. Battle the demon. In the end, I wasn't sure what was real, what was only imagined, or who won, or what was lost.

3 out of 5 stars.

Available in paperback

The Silversmith

Then burn, it shall.

Available at Amazon.com

The Silversmith
LJ Claren
Hardcover edition, 475 pages
ISBN 9798218800390
Kindle edition, 475 pages
ASIN B0F9ZCTN4T
Independently published July 13, 2025



Power is awakening. Love is a liability.

And the fate of the world rests in the hands of a grieving girl who never asked to be chosen.

Still reeling from the deaths of her father and brother, Ary Gold survives only by sheer will in the icy wilds of the North. But when friends arrive with stories of long-lost magic and a power buried in her newly discovered royal blood, Ary is thrust into a fate far larger than her sorrow.

The realm of Nyrida is under threat. An ancient shadow wielder is determined to claim Ary’s power and plunge the world into corrupted darkness. To stop him, Ary must marry the commander she’s been promised to—a man whose army could help them win the war—and train to fight alongside him.

But her fiercest challenge may not be on the battlefield.

Assigned to shape her into a warrior is a man cloaked in violence and secrets. Cold, commanding, and maddeningly unreadable, he isn’t her betrothed… but he may be her undoing. As sparks fly and loyalties are tested, Ary must decide whether to follow the path laid out for her—or risk everything for a love as wild and dangerous as the power awakening inside her.

Eighteen months ago, Ary woke up to no memories of the first seventeen years of her life.

Nine months ago, she found the dead bodies of her father and brother in their beds. Their throats slashed and an X marked upon their chests, through their clothes.

And three months ago, her mother abandoned her. Her last words: I would give you up to have my boy back. I am done being your safe haven.

So Ary is far from living her best life. And now, she's starving to death. Fortunately, her Aunt Gemma makes one hell of a grand return, foul mouth and all, on the eve of four grown, handsome and strange, men showing up as well. Caz. His brother, Finn. Ezra, her cousin by marriage.

And Mister I found you... her wolf slayer... Gavin Smyth.

All here, according to Caz, for her protection and companionship.

Because, surprise! Your father wasn't really your father. Your dad's name is Simeon. He's hundreds of years old and you're destined to save the world. By the way, you're the queen of Nyrida. Because as long as there was a female alive in the bloodline, a female would rule. And your dead paternal aunt's prophesy has you betrothed to a man named Elias, the commander of your army and "Prince of the People".

I would have been an hysterical laughing mess. But Ary? She just needs some air.

I was in trouble with this book. Labeled a Slow Burn and yet, here I was, swooning at every word that came out of Gavin's mouth less than ten percent in.

"You don't like coffee."
I didn't like coffee. But even if I did, his conviction could convince me I didn't.

Gurl, same. He brought her her hat, gloves, and a blanket. He gave her his jerky. Threw all his coin into paying for groceries and raged against the idea of her sleeping on the floor. And he knew her for less than a day! Aaaand he's in her head with the honey in the tea? That's it. Mark it down. I'm gone.

The sparks were sparking. The gazes were gazing. Somebody shut this man's mouth; my processors can't take it.

He built the library ffs!

So he's not really in her head. He's... :sigh: I do love this kind of trope, which I won't divulge, because believe it or not, I don't like to spoil everything. But if you're into 'Touch her and die' and then bodies actually start dropping, then this is a book for you. And he will unapologetically kill for less when it comes to her. From the moment he finds her in the barn, he zeroes in and does not look away.

Tried to pace myself. Tried to make the goodness last as long as possible. But I devoured this book. It is a slow burn that actually burns. The intensity with which these two went at eachother in their arguments. The ache in their longing. So pained. So desperate. I don't think I took a breath during chapter twenty-nine.

And when I turned to thirty-two, I had to ask myself if I was ready as the author gave what every romantic fiction writer should give until the end of time: the male main character's point of view.

5 out of 5 stars. The forget-me-nots adorning the cover are a beautiful touch. The moment the flowers were described in the story, I flipped to the cover and well, ...damn. Note to self: This is book 1 of 5.

Available in ebook | hardcover | paperback

Aurora's End (Aurora's Cycle #3)

Squad 312 forever.

Available at Amazon.com

Aurora's End
Amie Kaufman (Website)
Jay Kristoff (Website)
Aurora's Cycle, book three
470 pages, Kindle Edition
Audiobook, 15+ hours
First published November 2, 2021
ISBN 9781524720889

Is this the end?

What happens when you ask a bunch of losers, discipline cases, and misfits to save the galaxy from an ancient evil? The ancient evil wins, of course.

Wait... Not. So. Fast.

When we last saw Squad 312, they were working together seamlessly (aka, freaking out) as an intergalactic battle raged and an ancient superweapon threatened to obliterate Earth. Everything went horribly wrong, naturally.

But as it turns out, not all endings are endings, and the team has one last chance to rewrite theirs. Maybe two. It's complicated.

Cue Zila, Fin, and Scarlett (and MAGELLAN!): making friends, making enemies, and making history? Sure, no problem.

Cue Tyler, Kal, and Auri: uniting with two of the galaxy’s most hated villains? Um, okay. That, too.

Actually saving the galaxy, though? Now that will take a miracle.

Nobody—but nobody—does a recap better than the authors of this book. This final installment opens up with Scarlett, whose self confidence rivals the best of them, and Finian as they wake up to find that they are not, in fact, dead. Which is weird, because that's what usually happens when you, ya know, blow up.

And they realize it again, and again, and again, as we repeat the chapter over and over and over while stuck in a time paradox. In a different place. In a different time.

They're no longer in 2380. They're in 2177. And the galaxy is at war.

Kal and Aurora... they're twenty-seven years into the future. So... 2407.

And Tyler and Kal's villain sister, Saedii (aka Lexa from The 100) are in the present. And speaking of...

Tyler is Saedii's mate? Oh my.. yes! Tears for Cat, but oh yes! I am here for this. For this psycho wench that parades around with a necklace of her past suitor's fingers and our dear, beloved captain.

She’s rage. She’s fire. Pushing like a knife into my chest.

I do what I wish.
I go where I please.
I take what I want.

And I see it then. As her eyes drift from mine, down to my lips and back up again.

Maker’s breath, she wants me.

We crash together, so hard the split in my lip opens again. She breathes into my lungs and my fingers weave into her hair, and the thought of how stupid this is is drowned out by the feel of her in my arms as I lift her off the ground.

She cinches her legs tight around my waist, gasping as we collide with the wall, her fingernails drawing lines of fire across my bare back as my hands squeeze her tight, pushing her hard against the metal. Stupid as this feels, crazy as it is …

The whole galaxy might be at war tomorrow.

We might all be dead.

Live for tonight. Tomorrow we die.

Her mind is entwined with mine, drenching me with her want and redoubling my own. It’s hard to breathe. To think. I’ve never felt anything like this, never needed anything so desperately, but this is insane, this is…

“Saedii,” I gasp, twisting my head away.

Stop speaking, Tyler Jones, comes her voice in my head. There are better things for you to be doing with your mouth.

Yeah, okay.

Hard to argue with that.

But then we're back with Kal and Aurora in the future, hanging with Kal's villain father, reuniting with a very angry Tyler and... Saedii's dead. And Zila. And Fin. And Scar. They're believed to be dead, too. And we lost the battle because the weapon we need, the weapon only Aurora and Kal's father can wield, never came.

And a third Tyler chasing Cat, who died in the first book? Or is it the o.g. Tyler? How many Tylers are in this book?!

And how many of those Tylers will die?

Gah! All the feels. The ache! How dare you take such a fun ride and hit me right in the chest in the end!

I should have loved her better. I should have loved her more. And I try to tell her, with the breath I have left in me, with the lips I press to hers, opening my mind and pouring into her, telling her I’m sorry.

I love you.

And then I drive the knife right into her neck.

Dang, Tyler.

And Saedii with her daughter, Lae. Finian and that damn pen. Kal with his Be'shmai. Zila.

There's so so much. And, yes, it's all about time.

5 out of 5 stars. I'm going to miss Kal most of all.



Available in ebook | paperback | audiobook

Previously in the series:

Heir of Fire (TOG #3)

To whatever end.

Available at Amazon.com

Heir of Fire
Sarah J. Maas
TOG, book three
Paperback, 592 pages
Published February 14, 2023
ISBN 9781639730988


Celaena has survived deadly contests and shattering heartbreak-but at an unspeakable cost. Now, she must travel to a new land to confront her darkest truth... a truth about her heritage that could change her life-and her future-forever.

Meanwhile, brutal and monstrous forces are gathering on the horizon, intent on enslaving her world. Will Celaena find the strength to not only fight her inner demons, but to take on the evil that is about to be unleashed?

Nehemiah is dead, Dorian has magic, and Chaol, knowledgable of Celaena's true identity, has sent her away. Okay, we're caught up after skipping book two, Crown of Midnight. Could have gone without the tidbit about Celaena bedding Chaol but at least I avoided the details.

Celaena has reached her fuck-it-all-to-hell point. Depression and apathy have settled in after all she's lost and has failed to achieve. Having all but given up on the task set to her, to kill Prince Galan Ashryver, she spends her time brawling and gambling in the taverns of Wenslyn. Which is where she's been for the last two weeks.

But then a deep male voice chuckled from the shadows behind her.

Sam could never beat her. With Chaol, she imagined all kinds of ways she could overtake him. Dorian was no challenge to her at all. But Rowan... In the moment they met, she feared Rowan.

And to my jaw dropping surprise, Celaena managed to travel in the company of another in actual silence.

Let me be clear: I'm here, in TOG, for Rowan. I am here for that moment that he punches Celaena in the face—and she so begged for that punch—and the love story that comes after. Which I do realize is just sprinkles to this story.

The bite, however, did not go down the way I was led to believe.

Allow me a moment to vent here. The anguish and guilt that so heavily overtook Celaena with Nehemiah's death pisses me off. That pain is what I expected her to endure from Sam's death and, granted, Maas did practically skip that year in the mines, but, urgh... She knew him for a decade. He was her constant. She knew Nehemiah for what, weeks? Months?? Was it even a year???

Liked Chaol in book one. Here, not so much. He's floundering, but at least he's trying.

Dorian... I did not care for him in book one. He's better now. I know I drag Calaena across the coals at times but, in fairness, she did make Dorian a better man. Still has aways to go though. His main focus remains finding a bed partner.

Manon... Where the hell have you been? I needed you on day one! Her, with Abraxos, and the spidersilk... Now, we're cooking with fire. When I was told this was a series about an assassin, it is *this* level of cunning and deathblowing that I was anticipating. Certainly not the jewel collecting, boy-crazy, kiss-hungry chick I met in Throne of Glass.

Gods, he was brilliant. Cunning and wicked and brilliant. Even when he beat the hell out of her. Every. Damn. Day.

Well, at least we made it past sixty percent before she started kissing again. I applaud her for regulating it to his cheek. And applaud Rowan more for wiping it away.

I struggle to rate these TOG books because I'm just so bored for so much of the story. So many words for so little gain. And it doesn't have to be that way.

4 out of 5 stars.



Available in ebook | hardcover | paperback | audiobook

Previously in the series:

Gild (The Plated Prisoner #1)

True kings don't give up their armies for cunts.

Available at Amazon.com

Gild
Raven Kennedy
Plated Prisoner, book one
Audiobook, 9+ hours
Published October 16, 2020
ASIN B0D45XYS7C


The fae abandoned this world to us. And the ones with power rule.

Gold.

Gold floors, gold walls, gold furniture, gold clothes. In Highbell, in the castle built into the frozen mountains, everything is made of gold.

Even me.

King Midas rescued me. Dug me out of the slums and placed me on a pedestal. I’m called his precious. His favored. I’m the woman he Gold-Touched to show everyone that I belong to him. To show how powerful he is. He gave me protection, and I gave him my heart. And even though I don’t leave the confines of the palace, I’m safe.

Until war comes to the kingdom and a deal is struck.

Suddenly, my trust is broken. My love is challenged, and I realize that everything I thought I knew about Midas might be wrong.

Because these bars I’m kept in, no matter how gilded, are still just a cage.

But the monsters on the other side might make me wish I’d never left.

The myth of King Midas reimagined. This compelling adult fantasy series is as addictive as it is unexpected. With romance, intrigue, and danger, the gilded world of Orea will grip you from the very first page.

Please Note: This book contains explicit content and darker elements, including mature language, violence, and non-consensual sex. It is not intended for anyone under 18 years of age. This is book one in a series.

If you're in the mood for dirty words and depraved acts with an overly possessive MMC, this is your book. If sexist, irredeemable men are your trigger, steer clear. Abort mission. This is not and may never be for you. And while this book is many things, a tale of romance it is not. If, however, you're in the mood to fuel a raging fire of misandry and let your feminist flag fly, then by all means, this is going to give you your moment.

She is his most coveted possession. Touched by his hand, every part of her skin is gold. Kept in a cage. Never shared, not once, in the ten years she's existed in his care.

Until she becomes the bargaining chip in an alliance that will get Midas an army to join him against Fourth Kingdom.

Hate him. Curse him. Do your absolute worst. But Midas, the villain that he is, is a master of the chess board. And Digby! That Dark Rhysand turned king slayer that he was! And Sail! Oh, Sail. Not Sail!

Oof. My heart. I'll never hear that Awolnation song the same way again.

For the first dozen chapters or so, I was certainly questioning what I'd gotten myself into. But after that first twist... Oh, this was so much fun! Don't get me wrong, it's dark. So dark that I had the urge to vomit at one point. But Auren was a delight and the voice of the reader in the audiobook was superb. Definitely did the character justice.

5 out of 5 stars. To a book with zero romance. What the hell?

Available in ebook | hardcover | paperback | audiobook

Throne of Glass (TOG #1)

That's not even the best part!

Available at Amazon.com

Throne of Glass
Sarah J. Maas
TOG, book one
Hardcover, 406 pages
Published February 14, 2023 (reprint)
ISBN 9781639730940


In a land without magic, where the king rules with an iron hand, an assassin is summoned to the castle. She comes not to kill the king, but to win her freedom. If she defeats twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition, she is released from prison to serve as the king's champion.

Her name is Celaena Sardothien.

The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her. But something evil dwells in the castle of glass—and it's there to kill. When her competitors start dying one by one, Celaena's fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival, and a desperate quest to root out the evil before it destroys her world.

"I hate women like that. They're so desperate for the attention of men that they'd willingly betray and harm members of their own sex."

Oh, Celaena. We do not owe loyalty to people because we are of the same sex. This 'women supporting women' bs needs to die and rot. Gender is irrelevent to being a decent person. Betrayal is betrayal.

So when Celaena isn't pissing me off... I like her. The woman can banter with the best of them. Even if her go to is always and forever going to be threatening bodily harm and she uses the same tactic to flirt with just about every human male that gets close to her. These Maas FMCs be on my nerves like it's their own personal vendetta.

Chaol. Dorian. Both have their merits. Both also have their faults, and the greatest of those was their responses to Celaena's menstrual cycle. Chaol ran away and Dorian, the damned idiot, thought his best course of action was to antagonize her. Oh hell no! Stab him. Stab, stab, stab!

In the garden, the Captain of the Guard stared up at the young woman’s balcony, watching as she waltzed alone, lost in her dreams. But he knew that her thoughts weren’t of him.

She stopped and stared upward. Even from a distance, he could see the blush upon her cheeks. She seemed young—no, new. It made his chest ache.

Still, he watched, watched until she sighed and went inside. She never bothered to look below.

Chaol was the better of the two. Although... his "What did you do to deserve it?" comment really did sum up what his mentality was towards her. Truth be told, I would have phrased it the exact same way because let's not pretend Celaena doesn't knowingly put herself in consequential situations.

Dorian's "Your scars are awful" was far worse.

How does one become the Captain of the King's guard without ever taking a life? That's some serious nepotism right there.

After The Assassin and the Empire, I did expect that losing Sam would have haunted her more. Granted, it's been a year and I suppose her hormones wield more power than her heart and brain at this age. Just a bit disappointed there. I do need her to learn how to just be friends with a male. There’s no need to keep kissing everybody.

She actually made me miss Feyre with that crap.

3 out of 5 stars. I have no intention of reading this entire series. Actually, I'm skipping to book three. Because, frankly, I don't give a damn about book two. I'm more than ready for Rowan to punch Celaena in the face.

Available in ebook | hardcover | paperback | audiobook

The Assassin's Blade (TOG novellas)

You're a damned idiot.
You're a moron and an ass and a damned idiot.

Available at Amazon.com

The Assassin's Blade
Sarah J. Maas
TOG, novellas
Kindle edition, 451 pages
Published February 14, 2023 (reprint)
ISBN 9781619632219
ASIN B01865MIFK


Celaena Sardothien is her kingdom’s most feared assassin. Though she works for the powerful and ruthless Assassin’s Guild, Celaena yields to no one and trusts only her fellow killer for hire, Sam.

When Celaena's scheming master, Arobynn Hamel, dispatches her on missions that take her from remote islands to hostile deserts, she finds herself acting independently of his wishes—and questioning her own allegiance. Along the way, she makes friends and enemies alike, and discovers that she feels far more for Sam than just friendship. But by defying Arobynn’s orders, Celaena risks unimaginable punishment, and with Sam by her side, he is in danger, too. They will have to risk it all if they hope to escape Arobynn’s clutches—and if they fail, they’ll lose not just a chance at freedom, but their lives...

A prequel to Throne of Glass, this collection of five novellas offers readers a deeper look into the history of this cunning assassin and her enthralling—and deadly—world.

Included in this volume:
The Assassin and the Pirate Lord
The Assassin and the Healer
The Assassin and the Desert
The Assassin and the Underworld
The Assassin and the Empire

Read it fourth. Read it third. No, fourth. No, third. Read it first. Fourth! Third!

I almost didn't read this book because, godsbedamned, if everybody and their mother didn't have an opinion on what order to read the TOG series. But here we are. Here is where I ended up.

The Assassin and the Pirate Lord

Celaena sighed through her nose. This was why she’d been awakened? She tapped a slippered foot on the marble floor. “Then kill him,” she said.

Well damn, Celaena. As they say, did we just become best friends?

Sixteen year old, Celaena Sardothien, and her fellow assassin, Sam Cortland, are sent to deliver a letter to Rolfe, Lord of the Pirates, that, unbenownst to them, negotiates the purchase of a hundred slaves.

Things take a turn when Celaena and Sam decide to free the slaves instead.

The Assassin and the Healer

Celaena took a beating from her master, Arobynn, for her actions in the first novella and has been sent to the Red Desert for further training as additional punishment.

As part of her journey, Celaena stays a few days at the White Pig where she meets Yrene, a barmaid who longs to be a healer but whose powers have deserted her.

I imagine Yrene will reappear later in the series.

The Assassin and the Desert

This story... grated. Celaena needed to achieve in one month what Ansel has not achieved in eight years of trying. Do what I do and maybe it'll prove you worthy. Like, fool, why tf would she want to copy what you're doing? It's obviously not working for you, so...

Yeahno. Not a fan of Ansel.

Throughout though, Celaena's mind wanders back to her beating and Sam's cries as he screamed threats against their master while it took three men to keep him restrained.

Zero surprise that Ansel ended up the villain. Very surprised that Celaena didn't gut her with her father's blade. I hate that shit. When women kill men but spare women. Seriously hate that shit.

You were willing to end Gregory for getting caught but this bitch betrays her master and entire guild and you hand her her sword and send her on her way. What the actual fuck, Celaena?!

The Assassin and the Underworld

Celaena finally returns home. Sam is well. Alive, and with Lysandra's hand on his arm.

Oh, I do like a jealous Celaena. And this was easily the best of the five novellas.

The Assassin and the Empire

In saving the life of the Lord of the Silent Assassins, Celaena has earned enough gold to settle her debt with Arobynn. Hers and Sam's.

Free at last, they leave the Keep and settle into their own home atop a warehouse where all they seem to do is argue as if bickering is Celaena's love language.

I knew Sam was going to die. I expected it to happen, though, in book one. So, no, I was not prepared and I cried and I was sad because... why was she not with him? Why'd he die alone at the hands of a sadist??

So...

I do like Celaena. In certain situations. Such as when she's fighting or shopping. How can one truly hate a woman who invests just as much energy and coin into her cloaks and fighting leathers as she does into her heels and delicate undergarments. She seriously needs to chill tf out though sometimes.

4 out of 5 stars.

Available in ebook | hardcover | paperback | audiobook

Previously in the series:

Dance With the Devil (Mercenary Librarians #3)

See a problem. Stab a problem.

Available at Amazon.com

Dance With the Devil
Kit Rocha
Mercenary Librarians, book three
Kindle Edition, 352 pages
Published August 16, 2022
ISBN 9781250209399
ASIN B09C4FBKTB


POWER IS NEVER GIVEN, ONLY TAKEN

Tobias Richter, the fearsome VP of Security of the TechCorps is dead. The puppetmaster is gone and the organization is scrambling to maintain control by ruthlessly limiting Atlanta's access to resources, hoping to quell rebellion. Our band of mercenary librarians have decided that the time for revolution has come.

Maya uses her wealth of secrets to weaken the TechCorps from within. Dani strikes from the shadows, picking off the chain of command one ambush at a time. And Nina is organizing their community—not just to survive, but to fight back. When Maya needs to make contact with a sympathetic insider, Dani and Rafe are the only ones with the skill-set and experience to infiltrate the highest levels of the TechCorps. They'll go deep undercover in the decadent, luxury-soaked penthouses on the Hill.

Bringing Dani face-to-face with the man who turned her into a killer. And forcing Rafe to decide how far he'll go to protect both of his families—the one he was born to, and the one he made for himself.

Victory will break the back of Power. Failure will destroy Atlanta.

The long awaited culmination of Dani and Rafe's constant flirting and heated tensions... and it did not disappoint!

When Dani and Rafe have to go undercover in order to infiltrate the elite's most exclusive parties with the intent of making contact with someone from Maya's past, the two are forced to confront the feelings they've been long evading.

And they do so beautifully. With maturity and a sensible conversation. They actually talk. And from there, the job comes first. Their safety and the success of their mission.

I absolutely loved how this played out for these two characters. And I loved how whenever they gravitated to one another, the result was an embrace. Not lust. Not mindless passion. But they clung to eachother as if they'd finally connected to their lost halves.

3 out of 5 stars.

Available in ebook | hardcover | paperback | audiobook

Previously in the series:

Betrayer (Cursed Bloodstone #1)

Neither of us trust each other.
When we do—everything will change.

Available at Amazon.com

Betrayer
LiAnne Kay
Cursed Bloodstone, book one
Kindle Edition, 344 pages
Published January 31, 2023
ASIN B09ZRR6CP1


She marries him for revenge.

He marries her for her serpent mark.

On the eve of her twentieth birthday, Sol is kidnapped by a barbarian. He wants her to use the magic she doesn’t have to heal someone. She wants to avenge her mother by killing his chieftain.

Desperate to get close to their leader, she marries one of their warriors. Her husband vows to never bed her. She vows to win his favor.

When she’s plunged into his city, she realizes the depth of his people’s prejudices. They will never accept her if she doesn’t become like them. Even then, it may not be enough to obtain the vengeance she craves.

Author note: From the same world as Tattered. Betrayer is an enemies-to-lovers fantasy romance with plenty of tension and steam. It’s suitable for 18+. It’s the first in a series, ending with a cliffhanger.

I appreciate a book that hits the ground running and Betrayer does just that.

Sol is a Kyanite that has abandoned her people for a quest of vengeance against the Bloodstone, a fierce race of warriors that attacked her village years ago and slaughtered her Mother. Specifically she's after their chieftain, Roland.

But to get close enough, she has to infiltrate their tribe and as luck would have it, such an opportunity comes when Luc bribes a barmaid where Sol also works to abduct the seemingly powerful Kyanite in order to save his sister, Leah.

As a Kyanite, Sol should possess the magic of healing that her people are renowned for. And yet, while she may have the knowledge, she lacks the ability. Fortunately, her education in medicinal herbs allow her to treat Leah and earn her a chance at joining the Bloodstone.

A chance Gabriel is determined to block.

But Gabriel is a man of his beliefs. And the Seer has divulged that the mark of a serpent is tied to his future.

It is a mark that Sol bears on her wrist since the time when the gods cursed the Bloodstone and took away their powers.

When Sol offers herself as a wife to any of the Bloodstone in order to stay among them, it falls to Gabriel to bind with her.

I could go on and on with retelling this story because I was that invested in it. And after my last read (Avidian) it was nice to have a lead female with an actual focus on her mission. Gabriel, I adored. Things were simple for him. "I have no intention of bedding you." "I don't trust you." "Everything you say is a lie."

That's right. Fight the good fight, Gabriel.

He won't bed her, but he'll sure as hell help her get rid of a dead body when the need arises.

He doesn't trust her, but he forges her a dagger easy to conceal.

Yeah, I'm going to side eye you with that call.

The secrets swirling around Sol and Gabriel feed into the tension between them. Not just her secrets, but his. This book very much needed a POV chapter from Gabriel. His suspicions. His inner battles. I didn't have any expectations for the ending but even if I had, it wouldn't have included the Hector spin. It didn't make sense to me. Had the people never seen Hector? It was not an ending I predicted. It was not an ending I particularly liked. Nor was it the ending I wanted.

3 out of 5 stars. That ending just sank it.

Available in ebook | paperback | audiobook

Also in this series:

Avidian (Demon & the Savior #1)

You think you've won?
You haven't even seen the board yet.

Available at Amazon.com

Avidian
Ashley R. Odonovan
Demon & the Savior, book one
Kindle Edition, 358 pages
Published March 25, 2025
ASIN B0DBM2XLYL4
Free Read from Amazon

If Shatter Me and Divergent had a morally gray baby raised by ghosts—it would be Avidian.

This is a spicy, binge-worthy romantasy set in a dystopian world where she’s forced to solve a murder using her rare ability to see the dead—and the man offering her a way out might be hiding the most dangerous secret of all.

I can see the dead. They tell me their secrets. But this time, their secrets might get me killed.

My name is Kat Sinclair, and the Volkov family owns me. People like me, born with special abilities, are called Avids. But my gift doesn’t spare me from the demands of Marco Volkov, the ruthless family patriarch who keeps me in line with the ever-present threat of violence.

When a grisly double murder involving a family nephew and a cook shakes the household, I’m forced to uncover the truth. The whispers of the dead reveal more than I bargained for, unearthing secrets that could destroy the Volkovs—and me.

But I met a charming stranger who might be able to help. Except he doesn’t know about my gift, my scars, or the dark past I can’t escape. But in his eyes, I see something I thought I’d lost long ago—hope.

If I want to escape, I’ll have to play along. But this murder might be hiding something even more dangerous. If I’m not careful, I’ll be the next one the dead are whispering about.

We're going to just dive right into this one...

Malachi is annoying. A complete nuisance. His personality is like that of a trickster god but without any redeeming charm to his words.

Until Kat decides that her best plan to secure information is to play the whore route and Malachi has to start slicing throats to get her out of it. Yes. Do that. Talk less, Malachi. More blade action.

Meanwhile, Kat... talk more. Ask more questions. What does he mean he has people. Who are these people? Who's the guy with the slanting head?

Eventually the unasked questions get answered and my, what a shift. We have an entire undercover, underground, operation making moves. The Sindicate, whose base is in a silo miles deep into the earth with layers of scientists, combatants, and more gearing up to overthrow the ruling families.

And damn, I found myself longing for new episodes of Silo on AppleTV.

Anyway, Malachi's mouth is finally providing useful intel and the story begins to pick up about midway. Before that, it was basically a murder mystery wherein Kat is tasked with identifying the unsub in the murder of her master's nephew. Despite the fact that she can talk to the dead, the nephew is an arse and totally uninterested in communicating anything helpful to the situation.

He's not dead.

In one ear and out the other. I can't even begin to try to understand why the character would ignore something like this. Not even a second thought. Not a fraction of a fraction of a second thought. But hey, makes for a great time to go on a winter wonderland date and ride the ferris wheel. What is happening?! Who's not dead? Because the only person that's not suppose to be alive and yet, we've seen no evidence of their death is...

I have never wanted to slap some sense into a character so hard before. Kat has the attention span of a fruit fly. Good gods, woman, when someone hands you the journal of a murder victim, you don't just tuck it into your waist band and you sure af don't start at the beginning when you finally crack it open!

Without it, I would have come to the same conclusion, but it did speed up the process.

Chiiild! You didn't solve a damn thing. They didn't even need you had they just read the journal in the first place. This is some bs right here.

3 out 5 stars.

Available in ebook | hardcover | paperback | audiobook