Cruel Prince (Folk of the Air#1)

Do not expect others to share my depraved tastes.

Available at Amazon.com

Cruel Prince
Holly Black
Folk of the Air, book one
Harcover, 370 pages
Kindle edition,
Published January 2, 2018
ISBN 9780316310277
ASIN B071XQ6H38


Of course I want to be like them. They’re beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. They will live forever.

And Cardan is even more beautiful than the rest. I hate him more than all the others. I hate him so much that sometimes when I look at him, I can hardly breathe.

Jude was seven when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.

To win a place at the Court, she must defy him–and face the consequences.

As Jude becomes more deeply embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, she discovers her own capacity for trickery and bloodshed. But as betrayal threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself.

I may be cruel, a monster, and a murderer, but I do not shirk my responsibilities.

Well there you go. Words to live by, ladies and gents.

The fan art made me pick this one up. I was so not prepared.

Seven-year-old Jude was just watching her cartoons and munching on fish sticks with ketchup on the night her mother's redcap husband, Madoc, finally tracked down his wife.

Tracked her down, shoved a sword into the gut of Jude's father, and then threw said weapon into the woman's back.

How's that for a prologue?

Madoc had come for his daughter, Vivienne, Jude's older sister, but left the mortal home with also Jude and Jude's twin, Taryn, in tow, back to Faerie.

Ten years later, the real story unfolds as Jude and Taryn are whisked off to the palace for a royal party by Madoc and his wife, Oriana. Vivi? Like hell if she'll be attending. Total rebel that one.

And so the parade of characters begins. High King Eldred and his six heirs: thorned Balekin, the firstborn; lark Elowyn, the eldest daughter; third born Dain, part deer and leader of the Falcons; their younger sisters, Rhia and Caelia...

And the youngest of the bunch: Cardan, whom Jude proclaims is the absolute worst of them.

And the way my jaw dropped at what happened next. Nope. Won't get an argument from me in that regard. Cruel prince, indeed.

I stand in front of my window and imagine myself a fearless knight, imagine myself a witch who hid her heart in her finger and then chopped her finger off.

Jude, thou art a glowing a red flag.

Jude is tortured by her classmates in an endless barrage of bullying from Cardan and his lackies: Nicasia, Valerian, and the lesser aggressive of the beasts, Locke.

And then Dain recruits her to be his spy against Balekin as rumor of the king's impending abdication slowly comes to fruition. She accepts his bargain in exchange for his protection against being glamoured, controlled, and likewise.

It's during her first mission that she stumbles erroneously into Cardan's bedchambers, intentionally steals his copy of Alice in Wonderland, and unintentionally witnesses his suffered abuse at the whims of his brother, Balekin.

She'll kiss Locke. She'll stab Valerian. Bury a body. Then ultimately stand in the center of a coup.

And my, what a savage coup it was.

These aren't the Fae of our beloved romantic fantasy. Here dwells the classics, the fey, the little shites that steal babes and make wicked bargains.

This is akin to the boy who pulls on a girl's braids in class and pushes her down on the playground. It's annoying and wrong but allowances can be made if we stop holding others to our own predisposed standards. Perception does not dictate intention. Her truth isn't his truth. And so on and so forth.

Have I mentioned I was ill prepared for this? For Cardan!? Absolutely flabbergasted at the cretin. No idea whatsoever to do with him. He and Jude are their own mood. And Madoc? Live long and prosper, you monster. The way he handled Jude dueling with Taryn-chef's kiss. I could not hate him. Wouldn't trust him, but still couldn't hate him.

4 out of 5 stars.

Available in ebook | hardcover | paperback | audiobook

2025/40

Storm of Flames (Bound by Dragons #4)

I have my cruelty planned and it doesn't include you.

Available at Amazon.com

Storm of Flames
Alisha Klapheke
Bound by Dragons, book four
Kindle edition, 105 pages
Published April 3, 2025
ASIN B0F2J8JPDK


Tahlia, Marius, Fara, and the rest of the dragon-riding Mist Knights are off on another mission...

When the order flies north to fight the pirates harassing the coastline, they discover the infamous Eelsmen have a new high captain.

Not only is this individual unknown, he is an Unseelie—a powerful Seer from the Realm of Night.

And Tahlia's weaver magic sees a dangerous connection between this enemy and her dearest friend, Fara.

What does this mean for the Healer? For the order?

Dive into this bonus book today to enjoy runic magic, new enemies to lovers romance, banter, sea monsters, spicy romance, and of course, dragons!

"Who is he?"

Fara! Gurrrrl! It's your time to shine.

Tahlia may be mated to the Commander of the Mist Knights, but Fara's intended is so much more powerful than Marius.

He's bored by him, too.

Teague, an Unseelie, pops up in this story as the new pirate Captain with his own plan of vengeance ready to be enacted. But first, he needs to steal away his mate.

It's simple. It's quick. But when it's done then the real spice happens because *finally* the author delivers on what she oh so dastardly skipped over in the second book: the consummation of Marius and Tahlia's relationship.

It's a bonus scene that shan't be missed!

3 out of 5 stars.

Available in ebook | audiobook

Previously in the series:


Also part of the Lady of the Skies omnibus:

2025/39

Crown & Dragon (Bound by Dragons #3)

Please stop cataloguing my sounds.

Available at Amazon.com

Crown and Dragon
Alisha Klapheke
Bound by Dragons, book three
Kindle edition, 215 pages
Published October 24, 2024
ASIN B0DB2TF19X


What do tomatoes, scowling, and artifacts that could end the entire world have in common?

You guessed it—Tahlia and Marius.

When the Fae king sends dragon riders Tahlia and Marius on an undercover mission to recover the invisible crown, an artifact that gives the wearer the ability to control minds—and a host of other nasty things—it’s clear there will be danger.

For one thing, the madman currently in possession of the crown has a bit of a god complex. But danger is nothing new. And the mission will finally allow Tahlia a chance to cross the Veil and explore the world of humans, not to mention making Marius wear a ridiculous costume, which is pretty much Tahlia’s favorite part of the whole thing.

Tahlia is fairly certain they’ll win the day. But when they discover the crown is hidden behind a labyrinth of deadly traps, her hope withers. If they don’t succeed, her soul-bonded dragon will never fly again. She might even die.

So yeah, failure isn’t an option.

Crown and Dragon, Bound by Dragons Book Three, is a lighthearted fantasy romance with Fae, boatloads of banter, spice, and page-turning excitement. Great for fans of Rebecca Yarros’s Fourth Wing, Sarah J. Maas’s Throne of Glass and A Court of Thorns and Roses, this series will have you gasping and grinning at every turn!

This story was just silly and odd with a bit of spice thrown in.

Undercover on a secret mission to collect a magical crown during a Tomato Festival, Marius gets attacked by an imaginary minotaur and nearly drowned by a siren. After that, he was done with the bs and being surrounded by humans. Slamming doors. Smashing locked boxes. The typically cool and collected Commander wants this thing done.

They finally find the crown, just as the king with evil intentions walks into the room, and Marius shoves the crown onto his head. Thus giving him the power of mind control. And how does our dear Tahlia respond?

"This is great!" Tahlia whispered. "Oooh, tell me to do something. I want to see how it feels."

Smh. She truly is a ray of fucking sunshine.

3 out of 5 stars.

Available in ebook | hardcover | paperback | audiobook

Previously in the series:


Also part of the Lady of the Skies omnibus:

2025/38

Kingdom of Spirits (Bound by Dragons #2)

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

Available at Amazon.com

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.

Available at Amazon.com

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

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.

Glow (Plated Prisoner #4)

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

Available at Amazon.com

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

By Blood & Magic (Dragon Portal #2)

...you're not those Fae, and I'm not those dragons.

Available at Amazon.com

By Blood and Magic
Jamie A. Waters
Dragon Portal, book two
Kindle edition, 403 pages
Audiobook, 14+ hours
Published March 26, 2020
ISBN 9781949524185
ASIN B07XYCBKMQ


A priceless treasure is hidden within the ocean's depths...Sabine barely managed to escape from Akros with her life.

But the ocean isn't safe for someone whose power stems from the forests.

When their ship is attacked on the high seas and one of Sabine's companions is taken hostage, only an agreement forged by blood and magic may save her friend's life.

The pearl of the sea is also the key to the gods' revenge...

With the dragon portal failing and the gods' magic threatening to destroy their world, Sabine must choose between following her heart or upholding a sacred oath.

The cost of ending a centuries-old feud may be higher than anyone expected.

All magic demands a sacrifice--even if it's hers.

A brief summary, with spoilers, rolling in...

Sabine escapes the Wild Hunt by joining Malek on his ship in a quest to find the lost Fae artifacts that powered the sealing of the portal. She is joined by Bane, the paranoid and overprotective demon. Also, Blossom the pixie, and Esme the witch.

Then the merfolk attack the ship and Esme and a dozen of Malek's men go overboard and become hostages. Sabine takes over, captures a merman, and they negotiate. If she finds their missing mermaid, Pearl, they'll return her people.

Malek transforms into his dragon form and flies the ship somewhere to get repaired.

Soon after, Sabine, Malek, and Bane are taken captive by raiders. Sabine and Malek alter their connection marks, and the goddess siezes the opportunity to use their power combination to smite the entire raiding party.

Bane then chooses to go back to oversee the work on the ship as he's also *finally* come to terms with the fact that Sabine has no intention of keeping distance from Malek.

Sabine, Malek, and their cheerleader, Blossom, set off to find Pearl. They end up in a village on the verge of their traditional burning ceremony in which they set fire to all magical creatures. In return for aiding the granddaughter of a woman with sight, Sabine is given a hint where to look for the lost mer.

Malek uses what's left of his energy to save innocents, and Sabine once again alters their connection to give him the strength to get out of the city. And when Malek finds out the details of that significant act, he's not happy. She's disrupted the balance between them. He can pull from her magic at will, void her glamour, leaving her vulnerable. He pushes her to change it back, but that's not possible. So he offers to make it equivalent. Which she accepts. Only, she can't handle the intensity of the flow of his dragon power and it burns at her. Suddenly, Blossom, is darting at Malek's back, poking and biting and stabbing with pixie dust and yelling at him to release her.

And as I laugh I wonder... did she just mate bond him?

A few revelations come to light. For one, although Malek believed Sabine to be about a century old, she's only twenty-seven. Secondly, Sabine's father and brother aren't the only ones that want her dead—her mother did, too. Malek can connect to Sabine's consciousness despite their distance. A couple more unseemly characters, and they end up in Faerie with a gong announcing her arrival and recognizing her as the rightful heir. It's a short visit, but it ends with Sabine spearing one of the True Folk for corrupting the treeheart.

They reunite with Bane, who all but instantly throws himself into an attack at Malek. Dammit, Bane! The demon senses how much their connection has altered Sabine's magic. It's bound her to the light and as she has both Seelie and Unseelie powers... this complicates her claim to the Unseelie throne. Too much light, and she becomes her Seelie father's subject.

Artifacts acquired, in addition to the chalice in book one: Pearl.

4 out of 5 stars. And I believe we could have a new drinking game for every time Malek pushes Sabine's hair behind her ear.

Available in ebook | hardcover | paperback | audiobook

Previously in the series:

2025/34

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, excuse you. You just met this man. You shared two whole conversations and a dance. You know nothing about him!

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. 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)

2025/33

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

2025/32

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

2025/31

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:

2025/30

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:

2025/29

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:

2025/28

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

2025/27

The Silversmith (Selvaren #1)

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

2025/26