The Mercy of Dawn (Fires of Carinae #1)

Focus. Make the damn woman smile.

Available at Amazon.com

The Mercy of Dawn
Ashley Bresee
Fires of Carinae, book
ebook, 590 pages
Independently Published January 6, 2025
ASIN B0DHLRMSNV
ISBN 9781738216314


A woman desperate for freedom, an arrogant fae prince, and a bond neither of them asked for.

As a woman caged since birth, all Cyril Rhodea wants is her own damned contracts, freedom from her family’s guild, and to never fall prey to the same consuming love that killed her parents.

But when a blood-soaked cry for help draws her guild into the heart of a secluded fae court, two of her dreams come at a terrible cost.

Mikael is a reckless, arrogant spare heir who embodies everything Cyril swears to despise. The playboy prince provokes her at every turn, fueling an undeniable attraction neither of them understands. He also refuses to leave her side when tragedy decimates her guild—despite having every good reason to.

If Cyril can survive the deaths ravaging the fae court, she may finally see her freedom come to fruition… but the longer she spends steeped in the reclusive kingdom’s shadows, the more she realizes it was never just chance that brought her there.

It was fate bringing her home.

Perfect for fans of One Dark Window and A Court of Silver Flames, The Mercy of Dawn is the first book in the completed and heartbreaking Fires of Carinae romantasy series. Emotionally charged with heavy themes of trauma, grief, and self worth, make sure to grab the tissues before you start Cyril’s journey.

*The Mercy of Dawn is a dark, fantasy romance featuring themes that may be unsettling or triggering to some readers. In addition, not all relationships depicted in the story are healthy, and they should not be misconstrued as such. The themes explored include:

• graphic depictions of violence (on page)
• the use and abuse of drugs and alcohol (on page)
• xenophobia and racism in a fantasy setting (on page)
• explicit sexual content (on page)
• moments of dubious consent (on page)
• post-traumatic stress disorder (on page)
• trauma-related dissociation (on page)
• suicide ideation (on page)
• incidents of domestic violence (on page)

Raised by her paternal uncle, Dion, and his guild of rogues, Cyril is a snarky, foul-mouthed twenty-something-year-old, orphaned fae with a prejudice against her mother's people, the moon fae. She has also yet to experience her ascension and is therefore devastated by her lack of powers, whether it be the fire of her father's line, or the water of her mother's.

When Dion accepts a contract back in Reykr, the homeland of Cyr's mother, the quintet journey to the land of the bloodsucking, virgin-sacrificing lunatics, as Cyr has been led to believe by all but Dion, and she finally confronts the missing parts of herself. Her uncle's past is full of secrets and he has guarded them all. He's also becoming increasingly violent towards his blossoming niece and their relationship is floundering.

It's a slow start, but the banter carries it well.

No home training. No etiquette. If she doesn't like you, you're going to know it. Her filter is malfunctioning at best. Mikael? He makes her skin crawl. There's certainly no saving him from her abrasive tongue lashing when he attempts to make conversation at dinner.

Chick is wild. And I loved her for it.

Even as she made my eyes bug out of my head. Defective filter and no chill with this one. And though she may growl, it's Mikael whose jaw snaps back.

And it would have been perfect. If Mikael hadn't been such a whore. And if Cyril hadn't spent so much time in recovery. Physical pain. Mental pain. Emotional pain. Mikael's saving grace was him being his mother's son. She was the best character by far. At least she had her isht together.

Heavy on the PTSD and mental health. Be in the best of headspace before taking this one on. It's depressing at times.

4 out of 5 stars.

Available in ebook | hardcover | paperback

Next in the series:

2026/32

Lifebound (Royal Sins #1)

I could do ungodly things
if this guy kept calling my name in that voice.

Available at Amazon.com

Lifebound
D.N. Hoxa
Royal Sins, book one
ebook, 506 pages
Independently Published May 6, 2025
ASIN B0F31XJLNG
ISBN 9798319420206


Nobody ever believed me.

Not when I was five and told them about the boy with pointy ears who saved my life in the forest. Not during thirteen miserable years of bullying and being labeled the town weirdo.

Until a guy with golden eyes and a royal guard escort shows up at my door to drop a bombshell.

That little boy? Yeah, he’s real.

And he’s a fae Prince.

And he magically linked my life to his when he saved me.

I know what you’re thinking. Lucky girl, right?

Wrong.

Because now the Prince is sick and apparently, I’m the only one who can save him. How can I possibly say no?

That’s how I find myself in the fae realm, where pretty much everything either wants to kill me, eat me, or...use me for something worse. If not for the gorgeous fae who saved my life, I'd have died an hour in.

Mr. Tall-Dark-and-Grumpy has annoyingly beautiful eyes, a voice that sounds like sex, and a tattoo that screams trouble. He says his name is Rune, and he’ll take me to the Prince safely—if I do what he says.

With severely limited choices, I accept.

But the more time we spend together, the more near-death experiences we go through, the more Rune gets under my skin. He makes most people look the other way, but he's sweet when no one's watching. He makes my heart do really weird things.

And just when I think my life couldn’t possibly get any crazier—it does.

Turns out, this whole saving-the-Prince business can get a girl into a whole lot of trouble, and I’m not entirely sure I can handle it this time.

I didn't know if I was going to make it through this book. For one, the way the author structures her sentences can be a bit jarring. Two: If I make it to thirty percent and I still haven't been introduced to the MMC, we have a problem.

Lo and behold, he steps into the story at twenty-five percent.

Three: The FMC is eighteen. And she gives strong teen vibes. A prime example for people who refer to twenty-year-olds as babies. She's immature, hot-tempered, reckless, and very much thinks more highly of herself than justly deserved.

You're too small to speak to a superior being this way.

Did he deserve the hit? Yeah. Did she deserve the repercussions of her actions? Absolutely. Was it a lie? Not at all.

At this point, I received early access to a sequel that was one of my most anticipated releases of the year, so I dropped Lifebound mid-chapter and moved to that.

When I returned, it became glaringly obvious as we basically began to walk through Halloweenteen that I was struggling to bond with this FMC and it was not going to end well.

DNF at 31%.

Available in ebook | paperback | audiobook

2026/xx

To Crown a Traitor (What Lies Between Stars #2)

I’m not sure I forgive her,
but I think I want her to forgive herself.

Available at Amazon.com

To Crown a Traitor
Katherine Macdonald
What Lies Between Stars, book two
ebook, 632 pages
Independently Published July 6, 2026
ASIN B0FRXS34P7
ARC


A traitor on the run. A prince bound by duty. A love caught between ruin and redemption.

Branded a traitor for a murder she did not commit—and haunted by the ones she did—Wren is a fugitive in both worlds. Hunted by her own people, pursued by the humans, and chased most of all by the man she cannot forget, she is left with nowhere to turn.

Prince Cassiel never wanted the crown, yet with his mother lingering between life and death, the weight of the kingdom rests on his shoulders. To rule, he must set aside grief, bury betrayal, and condemn the girl who lied to him. But every choice tears the realm closer to war—and every thought drifts back to Wren.

When Wren offers him the chance to regain his sight, Cass must decide whether to follow her into enemy lands, or lose everything to the darkness closing in. Old wounds burn, old desires flare, and the fragile hope between them might be the only thing strong enough to defy fate.

But with kingdoms ready to fall and blood demanding vengeance, can a traitor and a prince truly carve out a world where they can be together?

Come back.

Stay away.

Explain yourself.

No. Don't.

This is the heart-wrenching conclusion to the tale of Wren, the half-fae girl who was fated to meet Cassiel, the second-born son.

The foundation of their relationship has been shaken, cracked, and practically torched with dragon fire, and it's not enough that they have to emotionally find a way back to each other but from there, they’ll have to fight to craft a world in which they can stay together.

It was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and it delivered.

Our boy, Cass, is missing his girl, and I have never been so hyper aware of the heart in my chest. With every turn of the page, there’s longing edged with pain. Hope touched by devastation. And guilt fueling a quest to make amends.

This book hurt me.

It tortured my emotions until the very end. Two years?! You had to devastate my guy for two whole years??

5 out of 5 stars.

Available in ebook | paperback

Previously in the series:

2026/31

Light Wielder (Fire & Metal #2)

I was always going to come for you.

Available at Amazon.com

Light Wielder
Rachel Schneider
Fire and Metal, book two
Hardcover, 448 pages
Published June 9, 2026
ASIN B0FLYQFYDR
ISBN 9781250419101


It’s been four years since Jovie betrayed Acker, fracturing their relationship. Her decision to take King Edmond’s magic, sparing his life at Acker’s request, has sparked a brutal war. The Kenta and Strou forces ally against the Roison and Alaha, with Maile perched dangerously on the edge of their battles.

Jovie is determined to keep the innocent Maile people from a conflict she helped start―even if it means suppressing the Matching Bond and sacrificing any hope of repairing her relationship with Acker. Yet, visions of him continue to haunt her dreams.

Acker is resigned to aid in his father’s war while in an arranged marriage with a wife who detests him. Though still pained by Jovie’s deception, he can’t stop his thoughts from turning to her. And Acker has found a way to slip into Jovie’s dreams despite her attempts to stifle the Matching Bond. There he watches her, torn between his loyalties and desire.

When he discovers the chilling reason behind the return of his father's magic, as well as Edmond’s dangerous new alliance, Acker must finally decide which war he wants to fight: the one for his king or the one for his heart.

It's been four years. With two years of war. Acker is now occasionally called Ace. Jovie is Jo. Except to Messer, who calls her B.

Acker is married to Irina, having no other recourse but to fulfill his betrothal contract and secure an army against the forces that Jovie has stirred. He's miserable. And Kenta is losing the war.

Jovie has returned to Maile, taking her place as both royalty and soldier. She is surrounded by new allies, though Messer is still in tow. And Beau, Acker's half-sister. Fredrich is basically her guard. He shields her in battle with his powers and treats her like the equal she strives to be. Drake is the commander of her naval fleet. He's not around much, but he's willing to grace her bed should she ask it. Messer... is Messer. Heartbroken, though he may be, since his betrothed, Aurora, has been wed to Kai. He soothes his pain in whatever mischief he can manage, as he is wont to do.

Ah, Kai. He's back in Alaha, still aspiring to usurp his father's role as leader of the banished people and return them to shore.

I trust none of them.

Not true. I trust Messer. Only Messer. Acker is going to do what Acker needs to do. I support him 110%. Fuck 'em all. He lashes out in some of the worst of ways. Can't say they don't deserve it though.

Jovie struggles, though not as much as I think she should, but we do roll through the motions of what she did. What she chose. What it cost her. What it cost everyone.

But such is war. And as Fredrich mused, far better to go to war for a lover's revenge than a mad king's quest for power.

So Acker is alone, except for Wells. But he's about to desert him, too. The Match Bond continues to wreak havoc as he still manages to project himself to Jo's side. While she sleeps. While she fights. And despite his anger and resentment, Acker finds himself soothing her. Protecting her. Fighting in her war against his wife's army that is fighting for him. It's such a clusterfuck of emotions and loyalties.

Then his father makes a confession that changes the tide for Acker. Kenta and Alaha are uniting against Maile. Acker's father and Kai's father have made an agreement wrapped up with promises of stolen powers. And so, the time comes for Acker to seek out his Match and throw himself to the mercy of her mother's court in hopes of securing an alliance of his own that will end the war and the reign of the previous generation.

With his wife in tow.

And what he finds is not the girl he saved from Alaha, but a reigning queen. Oh, Jovie, you've come so far.

And if you thought she wasn't capable of hurting our man Acker more... if she wasn't capable of taking you unawares of the depths that she could sink... Chapter 25 comes.

My first screaming, crying, throwing up experience.

She's so incredulously cruel. And makes the worst possible decisions.

And then Chapter 28 happens and I'm screaming for a whole slew of other reasons. Fredrich, you sum of a bitch! Suddenly Acker has his own chaos muppet roaming around and I am beside myself with shock and joy and How Dare You going head to head with You Go Boy in my head!

Trolls. Venomous rabbits. Acker's golden nose ring.

Fredrich out here doing all the things.

Schneider, you're freaking terrifying.

5 out of 5 stars. Bring on Messer's story!

Available in ebook | hardcover | audiobook

Previously in the series:

2026/30

The Wolf and the Crown of Blood

Let me show you how a god prays.

Available at Amazon.com

The Wolf and the Crown of Blood
Elizabeth May
The Broken Accords, book one
Hardcover, 560 pages
Published January 27, 2026
ISBN 9781035912896


A princess and a war-weary god met in the ashes of a broken city, forging a pact in blood and sacrifice.

Now, centuries of fragile peace are on the brink of collapse…

Bryony Devaliant was born to die — again and again. In Vartena, royal blood is the currency of peace, with every monarch sacrificed and resurrected to appease the gods. But when rebellion stirs, the god-king sends his deadliest weapon to restore order: an immortal assassin known only as the Wolf.

Evander has perfected the art of killing over centuries — until his latest target becomes the one person he cannot destroy. When forbidden desire burns between the assassin and the sacrificial princess, their connection threatens the fragile boundary between gods and mortals. And when that boundary shatters, empires crumble. Because when gods fall in love with mortals, mortals are always the ones to break.

Inspired by Beauty and the Beast and Eros and Psyche, this dark, seductive tale is perfect for fans of Raven Kennedy's Plated Prisoner series, with the wit and spice of Callie Hart's Quicksilver. Packed with dark fairytale vibes, gothic romance, and tropes like enemies to lovers, forced proximity, death pacts, and villain-gets-the-girl, this is a story where love is as deadly as it is irresistible.

Based on how the author was promoting this book, I had expected to be much deeper into the smut than I was at twenty percent in.

Due to a centuries' old blood pact, Bryony and her kin are fated to be sacrificed to the god Alexios. Every two weeks. Slain on an alter and brought back by the Oracles.

But Bryony has earned the people's adoration and Alexios decides it better to end her than to continue to suffer their prayers calling out to her instead of him.

So he removes the mark of his protection, bans her from the temple, and decrees her an Oathbreaker.

For there is no greater sin that that.

And so, Alexios sends his Wolf, Evander, to carry out his will. However, two things come into play. First, Bryonny and Evander have crossed paths before when Evander was hunting another target. In that encounter, Bryonny bargained that should the Wolf ever be sent for her that he would imagine her his equal and give her a good death.

Secondly, before Bryonny was forced from the temple she managed to plunge the dagger into her own chest, therefore fulfilling her obligation and is not, in actuality, an oathbreaker.

And Evander, finding amusement in his boredom, not only spares her life, but offers himself up as an outlet for her rage.

It is dark and bloody.

There is so much that this book got right. The monologues. The yearning. Forcing the protagonist to view the world from her enemy's viewpoint. All so good! Unfortunately, I just failed to bond with any of the characters. Bastien and Theo didn't intrigue me at all. Alexios has some potential but he is what he is. I do have lingering questions but none so important as to inspire a compulsion to continue the series.

3 out of 5 stars. First started this in January. Grew bored and put it on pause. Finished in June.

Available in ebook | hardcover | paperback | audiobook

2026/29

Between Tides and Thunder

At least your fear was one truth.

Available at Amazon.com

Between Tides and Thunder
Leena Kazak
ebook, 496 pages
Independently Published March 31, 2026
ASIN B0G4RDHHQZ
ISBN 9798991767477


She was raised to hate him. Now she shares his bed.

Princess Mayah of Tundrayn isn’t allowed to want. Not freedom. Not love. Not even her own future. Instead, she’s spent her life healing others’ pain and swallowing her own. But when her father strikes a fragile alliance with enemy-kingdom Arbinj to crush a rising rebellion, she is bartered into a marriage she didn’t choose for a crown she doesn’t want.

She expects a prince. She gets the Dark Commander.

Zevayr is ruthless, unyielding, and a stormwielder with a reputation soaked in blood. He is everything Mayah was taught to fear. Yet as they race across rebel-torn lands, the less certain she is of where the monster ends and where the man begins.

In Arbinj’s glittering courts, the Rebellion surges and dangerous secrets stir from Mayah’s past—secrets that could shatter her kingdom, and her heart, if she lets them.

The question is not if Mayah will betray, but who: her people, her love, or herself?

Mayah is both a princess and a healer. Her people have long waged war with those of Arbinj in a world where the blessed are given the ability to wield powers over forces such as water, earth, heart, storms, and so on. Those lacking such gifts are referred to as Commons in Mayah's land. A slur for the lesser citizens of Tundrayn, a land of ice and snow.

Food is rationed. Citizens are ranked. And those unwielders will go without so that their betters can continue the fight.

Mayah is selfless in her plight to heal the wounded. Wielders and unwielders alike. And when she's worn herself into exhaustion, it's with Daak she finds her rest. He's her friend, her trainer, and her lover. Or, as much of a lover as he can. For Mayah's been promised in marriage to the crown prince of Arbinj and her chastity is demanded as his bride to be.

The Dark Commander.

This man opened his mouth and from there, I could not put this book down.

Zevayr, second born son and commander of the Arbinji army, is not her betrothed but is sent to stand in for Faramir in the betrothal ceremony and escort her to her husband.

Upon their first meeting Mayah chastises him only to follow it up with defying him, headbashing him, and promptly slapping him.

Daak was right. She's a tidesdamned force of nature.

Every time Zev opened his mouth, I swooned. He apologized. He bent the knee. He was her shield. Her warmth in the cold. Her comfort in the storm. He assuaged her fears and empathised with her pain. Struggled to keep his thoughts from being spoken, but willingly shared the parts of himself that he could.

Zev is top tier.

They travel for weeks and arrive only to be told that plans have changed. Faramir will marry the princess of Volca and Mayah is betrothed to Zevayr.

The wedding?

"Tomorrow," Zev insists. Tomorrow.

Easy, right? Too damn easy.

But they wed and all seems to be going splendidly, but... Mayah's holding back. She won't consummate the marriage.

Then the trauma of Metal Slinger begins to tickle my brain. And the foreshadowing begins to drip from the pages.

"Because I have to."

“There’s nothing I hate more than a liar.”

A few weeks is all it takes for the first plot twist to drop.

It's unexpected. There's a brutal reveal. And the story veers from there with death after death. Torture and hate and so much spiralling.

At one point or another, Mayah has managed to betray every character that matters.

RIP Daak. Sorry, ...not sorry? The guy that always pulled away didn't stay away. It was magnificent and I may have cheered Zev on despite the emotional damage it inflicted on dear Mayah.

Dear traitorous Mayah.

"If you attack me,” he murmurs, his voice a silky threat, “I will kill you. If you betray me, I will kill you. And if you try to run…” His gaze drops to my lips before he drags it back up. He reaches for my cheek—then grabs my jaw instead. “I’ll let you go.”

Second plot twist. Third. Fourth. Her mother. His mother. Rebels everywhere.

You want an emotionally and physically tortured MMC? Look no further.

Absolutely will be reading the companion book, Between Sky and Sea, for Zev's POV. Must know what else he was doing with that hidden secondary power. Side note: Much prefer Vayru.

5 out of 5 stars. The best closed door spice I've ever read.

Available in ebook | hardcover | paperback

Companion Book: (MMC POV)

2026/28

Starfire's Heir (The Soul of Serentyn #1)

There is a this.

Available at Amazon.com

Starfire's Heir
Megan Phillips
The Soul of Serentyn, book one
ebook, 564 pages
paperback, 564
Independently Published June 23, 2026
ASIN B0G6WHHVZ3
ISBN 9798993030623
ARC


Destiny called her. He awoke her.

Lexa Andrever has always believed she was nothing more than a farm girl. But when a stranger reveals she is the lost heir of a distant realm, Lexa discovers she alone stands between the kingdom and the deathly darkness pressing at its borders.

Written into an unsettling prophecy, carrying a responsibility she never sought, Lexa sets off for her homeland with Griff Narvene, the warrior sworn to protect her. As she grapples with her new role as prophesied savior, the inscrutable soldier stirs something deep within...

To keep the shadows at bay, Lexa must harness the powers of her birthright to protect the people and home that demand her duty. With the fate of the kingdom—and a fragile new love—at stake, can she survive long enough to save them both?

Starfire’s Heir is the first book in The Soul of Serentyn trilogy—perfect for fans of fated mates, found family, and slow-burn romance woven through sweeping fantasy adventure.

For those who love a fiery, spirited leading lady, very much sheltered and immature, but with all the room in the world to grow, this may be a story for you.

No spoilers, but perhaps too much information for some.

I am not a person that responds positively to naive and rebellious characters that are constantly praised despite having no control over their powers and zero achievements to their name.

Lexa frustrated me to the core. Her ignorance had its own personal vendetta against my nerves.

She didn't know it was dangerous. I facepalmed so hard it left a bruise.

Her people are tormented, hunted, and dying, and she's spending most of her energy basically playing He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not in her head.

Zachary. You could not make me hate him. He's probably the character I connected with the most. Ruling as regent over a kingdom that has been at war with a phantom enemy for decades, they're still no wiser on how to attain victory than when they started. His mate has abandoned him. His children are dead. I'd be angry and desperate, too. His feelings of impotence and recklessness in such a scenario are valid.

A prophecy is all they have. And it's a prophecy that has been meticulously edited to the point that it's meaningless. In part by the regent's own daughter!

Finn. This man needs to be reacquainted with the concept of personal space and boundaries. The immediate first-name basis of addressing her and the constant touching? No. Just no.

Griff. The calm and controlled white knight. The nice guy. Ever loyal. Ever true. But when he let his temper flare, that is when I was the most invested in him.

Violet. I adored her. And I would dive head-first into her story and that of the Wraith. The what, the why, the mental processing that backed her decision-making... I'm here for it.

Chapter 32 had me near tears. And it was there that I found my turning point for this book. Everything that flowed after was exactly what I wanted and where I wanted to be.

4 out of 5 stars.

Available in ebook | hardcover | paperback (The New Romantics) | Special Edition Hardcover (The Crafty Bookstore)

2026/27

The Binding (Heirs of the Shattered Veil #3)

I am yours, Little Fox.
Completely. Untouched. Yours.

Available from the Author

The Binding
Celeanne Dorrington
Heirs of the Shattered Veil, book three
ebook, 429 pages
Independently Published May 1, 2026
ARC


The day the Veil shattered, the world broke—and every soul was marked. Every fae now bears a soulmark. Luminar or Shadowmarked. Revered or enslaved.
But our fae heroine was born with both.
And he was forged to destroy her.
Some say their bond is prophecy.
Others call it a curse.
Either way—if it completes, it could end the war…
or end the realm.

Dark fae trilogy, Real enemies-to-lovers, slow burn, fated mates, morally gray, the chosen one, found family, and level 3 spice but with deep themes and epic fantasy world.

I survived the ending of book two, and Chapter 8 of The Binding was my reward.

Kill the king. Heal the Veil. And more than anything else, save the scribe.

We have arrived to the final battle, a rather epic conclusion teeming with that Winter Is Coming vibe and the long anticipated moment when the Rupture and the Crownforged accept their prophesied fates.

What I loved: This is a found family where everyone manages to save themselves and each other. Some of the best scenes were where this group of 'strategic allies' just existed in one another's space. Bonding. Healing. Surviving. Together.

And, other than Chapter 8, my most adored scene was in the midst of the plotting of their attack as Amaria and Eryndor moved in tandem with one another over the battle maps. Mirrored in action and thought, complementing each other inside and out. A fated pair at its best.

4 out of 5 stars.

Available in ebook from the author | paperback (Amazon)

Previously in the series:

2026/26

Resonance (Soulren #1)

My name... Say it when you break.

Available at Amazon.com

Resonance
Ketley Allison
Soulren, book one
ebook, 556 pages
Published April 23, 2026
ASIN B0GLHVV7MP
ISBN 9798246935446


I did two things I can't take I raised my cat from the dead, and I killed the boy who saw me do it.

Necromancy is forbidden. Erased from history. The kind of magic that gets you hunted by the Academy's best, Elite Soulren who've spent decades killing anything that threatens their power.

Falcen Reaves finds me, anyway.

He's cursed, ruthless, and supposed to drag me to the Academy to be broken or destroyed like every other late awakener before me.

Instead, he keeps me alive. Trains me. Watches me with a cruelty that feels like hunger.

Because my power isn't normal. There's something inside me, ancient, violent, and growing stronger every time I consume a soul.

It recognizes him. His curse. The darkness he's drowning in.

And gods help me, I want him despite it all.

Every training session becomes more dangerous. His control is slipping. So is mine. We're bound by a curse neither of us understands, a pull between souls that shouldn't exist, and a hunger that matches violence for violence.

He's my captor. My teacher. The only person who knows what I am.

And the bond between us might kill us both.

Resonance is a dark romantasy drenched in soul-magic, deadly trials, and a love forged in blood and Void. Perfect for fans of morally gray heroes and heroines who refuse to be broken.

TROPES:
Morally Grey MMC
Touch Her and Die (Literally. He will consume your soul).
Captor/Captive
Bad Boy/Good Girl
Black Cat Heroine
Boy Falls First
Close Proximity
Fated Mates
Dark Academia
Grumpy/Sunshine
Guarded Hearts
Loathe to Love
Guardian Ward
Kidnapped
Power Imbalance

Boy Falls First?

Our leading lady is heavily in the thralls of lust from the moment she lays eyes on the MMC, but he falls first? Okay, we'll go with that.

(Plot twist: He fell first.)

This is not a book for those that need to consult trigger warning pages when it comes to dominant males or abuse. This is deliciously dark. The MMC is not gentle. He is not soft. He will command her. He will harm her. He will strive to break her, because it is his duty and if he doesn't, the Academy will.

Their first kiss was a bit of mess. It felt like something was edited out. Something vital: the actual kiss. One moment he's pulling her against him and in the next his tongue is darting into her mouth. Immediate reread of the situation and all I could envision was some kind of serpentine creature molesting her face and groin. I'm not certain how that made it past the editor. Not certain how a number of instances (grammatical, factual, etc) made it through the final edit actually.

And I was this close to turning the word 'sternum' into part of a drinking game.

Adored Verily. A leading lady that continuously left me flabbergasted. Where every other chapter is either Girl, what are you doing? or Are you for real right now?!.

Woman is being accused of screwing an Elite for special treatment one minute and we've barely turned a cheek before, in a very public place, she's throwing down the What do I mean to you/Where is whatever this is going conversation.

She is an optomist with empathy to spare.

Falcen, I loved. He is my spirit animal. Morally grey from head to toe.

He calls her Veilbreaker. 💕

But what the hell am I suppose to do with that ending? Our man's soulless corpse got turned into a nether drake!

4 out of 5 stars.

Available in ebook | paperback

2026/25

The Lost Thread (Heirs of the Shattered Veil #2)

Hate me for the rest of our lives.
But not for something I didn't choose.

Available from the Author

The Lost Thread
Celeanne Dorrington
Heirs of the Shattered Veil, book two
ebook, 604 pages
Independently Published May 1, 2026
ARC


The day the Veil shattered, the world broke—and every soul was marked. Every fae now bears a soulmark. Luminar or Shadowmarked. Revered or enslaved.
But our fae heroine was born with both.
And he was forged to destroy her.
Some say their bond is prophecy.
Others call it a curse.
Either way—if it completes, it could end the war…
or end the realm.

Dark fae trilogy, Real enemies-to-lovers, slow burn, fated mates, morally gray, the chosen one, found family, and level 3 spice but with deep themes and epic fantasy world.

A sequel to a story spun around two people who have each long ago decided their own purpose and their own worth. Two people who would surely stop existing if they ceased to be stubborn.

A bond that forces proximity, fills and drains, mirrors and transforms. One which gifts sight of the past and gives flow to all of their emotions in a precarious circuit.

One step forward and two steps back with an FMC that either thinks too much or not at all and an MMC shackled by trauma and cowardice. Heavily worded with occasional silliness sprinkled at intentional intervals and back-to-back plot twists.

A book that would have me crashing out at about ninety-eight percent when everything gained gets nuked into oblivion.

This is fuckery.

This is mind altering madness.

Severing a mate bond?

The MMC marries someone else?!

This is simply, by unspoken rule and unwritten law, not done.

0 stars. 5 stars. Idfk at this point.

Available in ebook | paperback (Amazon)

Previously in the series:

2026/24

Forest of Dreams and Whispers (The Fae of the Forest #1)

I could make you scream.

Available at Amazon.com

Forest of Dreams and Whispers
Katherine Maxdonald
The Fae of the Forest, book one
ebook, 417 pages
Published July 13, 2022
ASIN B09RPHJ6JK
ISBN 9798831387155
Review Copy via Booksprout


A mortal raised in the land of Faerie, Juliana Ardencourt doesn’t remember the curse being cast.

But the rest of Faerie does.

On Prince Hawthorn’s eighteenth birthday, at the first drop of his blood spilled, the kingdom will be plunged into a century-long slumber…

And the Unseelie King will reign.

As his personal guard, Juliana is sworn to serve the vain, arrogant prince only until the fateful day, but when the curse is unleashed, Juliana alone is the one that can save him.

Connected to Hawthorn through their dreams, Juliana soon finds her feelings shifting for the boy she once swore to hate…

And soon swears to sacrifice anything to save him.

A faery prince cursed as he lay in a cradle, and a little girl who witnessed it all.

The story is divided into two parts: before the curse coming to fruition and the happenings thereafter. But throughout there is a back and forth hop between a timeline of the present and that of the past. A childhood of teasing and taunts to the three years Juliana serves as Hawthorn's personal guard. We witness the evolution of their acquaintanceship, from the stirrings of attraction to the blossoms of affection.

Heart aching at a prince's yearning for her tolerance, her acceptance, mayhaps her friendship but never managing to quite bring himself to dare hope for her love.

Heart bleeding as Hawthorn comes the closest he's ever been to death, with his greatest fear-fear of dying alone-looming so heavily and Julianna won't, can't, manage to force herself to his side.

RIP to the fallen, because that tore at the wreckage of my heart, too.

Perfect for fans of fairy tales, obviously, but also those that are chasing those thrills when they experienced Folk of the Air for the first time, albeit with a prince who's much less wicked and a mortal who chose not to become so much worse.

4 out of 5 stars.

Available in ebook | paperback

Next in the series:

2026/23

Fury Bound (Wolves of Ruin #2)

What are you if not my equal?

Available at Amazon.com

Fury Bound
Sable Sorensen
Wolves of Ruin, book two
ebook, 608 pages
Hardcover, 608 pages
Published May 5, 2026
ASIN B0F8YKWLBF
ISBN 9780316601436


Revenge demands sacrifice. Don’t miss this action-packed, jaw-dropping, dark and romantic sequel to Dire Bound.

CROWNED BY DESTINY.
CONSUMED BY VENGEANCE.

Against all odds, Meryn Cooper has inherited the crown—and a deadly war. As the Kingdom of Nocturna splinters under the weight of generations of lies, it is up to Meryn, her bonded direwolf Anassa, and their allies to bring the country back from the brink.

But the commoners, the Bonded, and the nobles are distrustful of their new queen and Meryn is caught in a deadly game of politics. Meanwhile, Meryn’s beloved younger sister, Saela, is more at risk than ever.

Confusingly, the one person Meryn can trust is Stark Therion—the dark, dangerous Alpha she thought hated her as much as she loathed him. Yet, his loyalty is unshakeable. His presence is intoxicating. And with his guidance, Meryn can seize an unthinkable level of power.

With enemies closing in and shadows stirring in her dreams, Meryn stands to lose her kingdom—and her heart.

Blood will spill. Bonds will break. Fate will be tested.

Fury Bound drops down right where DireBound left off, and damn if we don't hit the ground running.

Meryn's sister has been turned into a Siphon with a raging bloodlust, Killian is manipulating the Dire wolves' mental bond to project propaganda that Meryn is an evil usurper, and those loyal to the false king are eager to destroy the threat.

All perfectly reasonable.

But once that blazing start fades to embers, Meryn collapses and Stark is there to keep her together, glares and growls in tow, as he storms his own office and eventually her bedroom to ensure she's safe.

We finally get Stark Therion's POV. He's yearning. He's lusting. And now he's flirting.

And triggering some serious submissive kinks in his new queen.

I am 100% in Stark's corner with his bone deep disgust at Meryn's lack of cleaning habits. It being one of the few strongholds he clings to in order to curb his lusts was enough to make me chuckle.

Clean your damn room, Meryn.

Then go take a nap because I miss Killian.

I could not and would not be convinced that Stark's mother, the Sovereign Alpha, was a problem. Meryn took over her chambers, admiring every corner and surface of wood work and detail so the woman obviously has exquisite talent in interior design. Then she offers up the delicious plot for Stark to marry the queen. Which Cratos agreed with btw. She's a well honed leader and one that Meryn would do well to study under.

And Stark was moments away from eliminating her? Hell no. You are not going to off your own mother, Valstark.

Oh yes, that was a grand detail.

Cratos, Stark's bonded wolf and Anassa's bonded mate, is top tier. Sgaeyl energy.

From adversaries in DireBound to reluctant allies here, if it wasn't for his vows, her lineage, and their wolves' mate bond, these two would have nothing to do with one another. She's a brat. He's an asshole. And sure, he might say he believes in the world she's trying to achieve but believe me when I tell you that thus far, Meryn has been an abysmal failure in that undertaking.

She's ending lives left and right. Fine by me though. Just means more tattoos.

Stark thrives in bloodshed. And he finds himself encouraging it in Meryn, much to his shame. He's corrupting her.

I'm not sure what the problem is.

And now the man Meryn was convinced was trying to kill her at every turn has become the epitome of safety. Her one constant source of peace.

These two are so delightfully complicated.

The bickering is endlessly entertaining.

"Stark, you’re not killing people, right? Like, the people we’re trying very desperately to convince that my claim to the throne is legitimate?”

“I told you not to worry,” I say, throwing my few unpacked things into my bag.

“Stark!”

“Meryn.” I pause, annoyed. She might not want any blood on her hands, but intimidating the nobles to attend by any means necessary is why I’m here. You can’t agree to use a weapon and then get mad when it cuts. She’s being fucking obtuse.

“Do you want the nobles to attend or not? I didn’t kill anyone important. Just an insignificant cousin. The Eisenfall nobles will be at the coronation, and we’re leaving for Nachtfall now.”

“So what’s the plan, then?” She’s growing agitated. “A whirlwind murder tour? Dead nobles in every fiefdom, but at least we’ll scare them all into showing face?”

For someone with a vicious streak, she’s really naive sometimes. “Yeah, possibly. Is that a problem?”

Auren would never.

You let that man have his own Ravinger Rot Tour.

Not a fan of Meryn's holier than thou judgements on other people's culture when she knows damn well there are facets of her own that can turn stomachs. Calling a man an ignorant piece of shit just for asking how she likes her meat cooked? What the fuck was that?

He's a Siphon. They drink blood in order to survive and you're offended that he might expect that a people who bind themselves to direwolves might prefer raw meat? That's not being rude, Meryn. That's called deductive logic! Gods forbid a man ask a question in order to serve a foreign guest properly.

A man makes a “surprised” and “impressed” comment (“That’s right, actually”) when Saela translates a symbol on a map and Meryn calls him a ‘condescending jerk’.

Meryn! An eleven year old child identified a mark you yourself, a grown ass woman and reigning queen, did not know. How is he being surprised and impressed not a perfectly reasonable response?! Pull your fucking head out of your misandrous ass.

Even the humble horses couldn't escape her raging prejudice.

She's livid with Killian. Furious that he coerced her and asserts it was not a consensual relationship because of that manipulation. Okayyy, but her entire existence is manipulated by magic and mate bonds. She is prey to the powers beyond her. But she's not mad at that. Rages against the monarchy and a blood given right to rule, until it's her blood and her right to rule. Then she'll strike down any and all in her way.

Some might call that hypocritical.

Girl, you're hurt and you're mad he played you like a harp.

But as much as Meryn irked me at times, I do appreciate all of the characters of this series and loved every one of them in the first book.

Won't stop calling Meryn out on her bs though.

So, yes, there were things that I adored, things that rubbed me the wrong way, and other things that absolutely pissed me off but I still had trouble setting this down and leaving it down. I was invested and entertained the whole way through. The storyline advanced so much that we basically have an all new plot line and that's a hell of a lot more than Rites of the Starling even attempted to give.

Going forward, I'm choosing to remember Stark as the antagonist. The Alpha that growls and glares and cuts. He's a far better fighter than a lover.

And that concludes my ever so slightly unhinged review.

3.5 out of 5 stars.

Available in ebook | hardcover |paperback | audiobook

Previously in the series:

2026/22

Watching Wednesday: My Dearest Nemesis

My Dearest Nemesis

Genres: Romantic Comedy, Drama
Cast: Mun Ka Young, Choi Hyun Wook

Rated: PG-13

Year Released: 2025

Synopsis from Viki.com

Watch on Viki

As a high school senior, Su Jeong (Mun Ka Young) began playing an online game where she met another player nicknamed "Black Dragon." They unexpectedly got close, developing crushes and planning a meeting in real life... that concluded in humiliation and disaster when "Black Dragon" turned out to be an awkward middle schooler instead of the young man he portrayed himself to be!

Sixteen years later, Su Jeong is a skilled planner at Yongsung Department Store, but her job is about to get a shakeup with the arrival of Ban Ju Yeon (Choi Hyun Wook), the ambitious new head of strategic planning and heir to the company. There's just one problem: Ban Ju Yeon is actually "Black Dragon," and Su Jeong still holds a grudge.

Will their past come back to haunt them, or can they find a way to resolve their misunderstandings – and even find love as adults?

Court of Tricksters (Fae Tricksters #1)

Just gazing at her was risk and reward.

Available at Amazon.com

Court of Tricksters
S. L. Prater
Fae Tricksters, book one
Audiobook, ~8 hours
ebook, 254 pages
Published January 20, 2023
ASIN B0BN96R1M5


The fae Duke of Night doesn't believe in love—but he'll claim his mate nonetheless.

Mating is a matter of politics for Night, not the heart. To prevent a forced union that will plunge the Lunar Court into war, he must find and bond his true mate.

When he lays eyes on Rain, he knows the shy forest witch is the bond mate he's been searching for. Unprepared for the intensity of his attraction, Night makes an offer that would keep his priorities straight and his court safe: a marriage of convenience. Any eligible woman—mortal and immortal alike—would leap at the chance to become the powerful duke's bride. But Rain isn't interested.

She's lived outside of society too long to ever fit into Night's world of shapeshifting tricksters and back-stabbing politicians. And Rain demands more than the trappings of marriage. She wants a match with heart.

Night doesn't have the luxury of time to change his mate's mind. War looms closer and the Lunar Court is caught in the middle. Out of options, the fae duke sees only one choice.

Kidnap his bride.

Contains mature themes.

They met in the woods.

Rain lived in the trees and forgot to ask the oak to conceal her.

But their eyes met and Night knew instantly.

Mate.

His mate was a witch with a demon familiar.

He says nothing of their bond but continues to meet with her. Brings her books and tells her stories. She mostly listens. She loves his voice.

She brings him gifts of soaps and oils

She does not tell him her name.

He does not speak of his titles and duties.

Until...

Until.

It's always the best of surprises when a book surpasses your expectations.

This was fun and adorable and sweet and charming. The cast is incredible. Bernard! A familiar that takes the shape of many things but most often a cat. Night's brother, Erikson. The brothel ladies: Margot, Penny, and Susan.

Night.

Love a mate bond that triggers a possessive MMC. The don't touch her, don't look at her, don't breathe in her direction type of possessiveness. And there might be a bit of gentle kidnapping... and using his magic to lull her to sleep so that he might strip her of the small arsenal of blades she's equipped to herself.

But he takes her for duty.

And she longs for love.

So she rejects him. And he departs from her.

But when their paths cross again, he kidnaps her for a second time.

Only for the author to end this book by completing a chapter, closing her laptop, and walking away.

Gah! That cliffhanger ending!

3 out of 5 stars.

Available in ebook | hardcover | paperback | audiobook

2026/21

Mountains Made of Glass (Fairy Tale Retelling #1)

So long as I know her, I will know myself.

Available at Amazon.com

Mountains Made of Glass
Scarlett St. Clair
Fairy Tale Retelling, book one
audiobook, ~6 hours
ebook, 219 pages
Published March 7, 2023
ISBN 9781728290836
ASIN B0BT68PFXG


An unbreakable curse. An impossible wager.
One chance at freedom—if love can break the spell.

A cursed fate haunts the village of Elk, and when Gesela is chosen to face the monstrous toad at the bottom of the well, she expects a fight for her life. Instead, she uncovers an Elven prince beneath the curse, and killing him draws the wrath of his immortal brothers. Banished to a mysterious glass mountain, Gesela meets the Beast—exquisite, dangerous, and nothing like she imagined. He offers her a deal: if she can guess his true name in seven days, she'll win her freedom. The catch? She must speak it with genuine love, or risk being lost to the curse forever.

Mountains Made of Glass is a dark, seductive fairy tale retelling perfect for adult romantasy fans who crave enemies-to-lovers tension and high-stakes desire. Drawing on classic fairy tales like Beauty and the Beast and Rumpelstiltskin, Scarlett St. Clair delivers a fast-paced, atmospheric romance filled with poetic writing and emotional vulnerability.

Casamir is cursed. He must have a woman fall in love with him and guess his true name, or he will forget his name and cease to exist.

When Gesela is thrown down a well and instructed to kill the toad inside so that the water will return, she does not hesitate.

Much.

But that toad was a prince under his own curse and his five brothers capture Gesela and send her to their seventh brother, Casamir, so that she might break his curse as penance.

This book is far more erotic and less of a love story than the second in the series. Although the latter of that statement may be subjective and left to interpretation.

Casamir though... This guy who needs a woman to love him faces the struggle of a lifetime to convince a woman to even tolerate him. A complete buffoon. Crude. Ignorant.

I get it. I get it. He's never known love so how would he know where to even begin. That's his excuse. But she's just as disturbing as he is and she has no such explanation.

Great for a laugh though. The things that leapt from this man's lips.

But hey, we found Henry's brother so there's that. Another one that left me flabbergasted Honorable, indeed. ::snort::

The ending though. He lied? I beg your finest pardon. He lied?

3 out of 5 stars.

Available in ebook | paperback | audiobook| hardcover

Next in the series:

2026/20

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Once Upon a Demon's Heart (Cruel Fates #1)

Do. Not. Fuck. The. Godling.

Available at Amazon.com

Once Upon a Demon's Heart
K.M. Moronova
Cruel Fates, book one
Audiobook, ~8 hours
ebook, 251 pages
Published July 31, 2025
ASIN B0FB9QBY7K


This is no fairytale—It’s yearning and guilt of two burdened hearts that will leave readers breathless.

Alira, a devoted demigod knight, has found herself trapped in the throes of a brutal curse. A time loop in which the demon kingdom’s Blood Knight kills her every time. She is haunted by the attack she led on the innocent village of Thornhall, and her guilt consumes her from the inside out. After the twentieth time loop, she has finally had enough. Something has to change, lest she die at the Blood Knight’s hand for the rest of time. A choice she hopes she won’t regret—one to end the war between demigods and demons. Alira is shocked when she realizes that she’s marrying the very knight who has slain her so many times.

A daughter of Venus and a duke of demons. Their love is both cursed and destined—a marriage to save the fragility of their kingdoms.

Kalel is as cruel as they come. A devourer who survives on the gilded blood of demigods. He wants to hate her as much as he did when Thornhall fell, but he finds himself warring with his heart over his emotions for her. Together, they unravel the truths of Faultore, that perhaps not everything is as it seems. The gods may be pulling more strings than they should.

It’s not a question of what love can conquer; it is a matter of what they are prepared to demolish in the path of it.

I began the audiobook of this tale while out suffering manual labor in the garden, quite unfamiliar with the work of Theodore Zephyr.

Unfamiliar, yes, and also ill prepared for that perfectly pitched demon growl of a voice.

Breathless. Speechless. Both narrators were excellent.

Alira is a demigod knight that is caught in a time loop where she is fated to die at the sword of the demon Blood Knight. Eventually, she makes the decision to abandon her people. There's no future for her anyway.

And so, she returns to a grove where, years ago, she met a demon child. She did not know him long. He seemed to die that very day.

There she again meets a demon. Kalel. An apothecary.

And she comes away with a new plan. To assauge her guilt. To end the unceasing wars. To hopefully break the loop. She offers herself as a sacrifice in a treaty that would see her wed to a demon. As a daughter of Venus, she would be coveted by her enemy. To kill her. To torture her. To breed her.

The offer is accepted and her would-be husband comes to collect.

And what he finds is a knight in ebony armor. The same knight responsible for his mother's death, and the deaths of so many more of his kind.

He hates her.

But what they come to discover is that he was the boy. And she was that half-god girl.

The only one he would spare in his quest for vengeance.

The same one he would see cursed to repetitiously kill.

4.5 out of 5 stars. I need another hundred pages!

Available in ebook | hardcover | paperback | audiobook

Next in the series:

2026/19

Apples Dipped in Gold (Fairy Tale Retelling #2)

You do not get to determine your worth to me.

Available at Amazon.com

Apples Dipped in Gold
Scarlet St. Clair
Fairy Tale Retelling, book two
audiobook, ~6 hours
ebook, 240 pages
Published October 29, 2024
ASIN B0CT4RB99N
ISBN 9781464216886


He was her curse―and her only salvation.

Samara has spent years enduring cruelty at the hands of her brothers, surviving on nothing but hope and the fierce belief that she deserves more. When a royal engagement promises her freedom, her fate changes in a single night when she is intercepted by Lore, the enigmatic Prince of Nightshade.

Feared for his poisonous touch and shrouded in secrets, Lore is haunted by seven years of longing for Samara, the one mortal who makes him vulnerable.

Thrust together by fate and old wounds, their slow-burning desire threatens to unravel everything in a kingdom where magic is a weapon and trust can mean ruin.

Apples Dipped in Gold is a dark fairytale retelling and enemies-to-lovers romance, weaving a gothic Cinderella story with intoxicating tension, forbidden passion, and immersive world-building. Scarlett St. Clair delivers a tale of heartbreak, healing, and love against all odds. Step into the shadows and discover a romance that will haunt you long after the last page.

My, oh my, what did I stumble upon here.

A fairy tale retelling of... Cinderella meets Snow White with a blend of other tales from Brothers Grimm? I couldn't exactly say, but it's so good I didn't care to further analyze it, and the author does explain the sources of her inspiration at the end of the book.

Samara is an orphan left to the abuse of her three brothers who keep her "protected" so long as she toils away with the cooking and the cleaning. Until the day comes when she's had enough and climbs to the cliffs with a mind to throw herself off.

Enter a handsome prince. One whom is on a quest to find his brother who has entered the forests in search of a golden apple in order to win his lover's hand in marriage. So handsome prince (Henry) becomes quite taken by Samara and her verbally combative beautiful self and offers to take her away and show her a life of kindness and care with hope that one day she would agree to become his wife. He pays her brothers a dowry (after trying to bargain her for a ring, rose, and a lark) and off they go.

Only for thieves to attack their carriage and plant an arrow straight into the handsome prince's eye socket.

And yet, oh yes, she's saved once more. On this occasion by a fox and a fae. A fae prince to be exact. A fae prince named Lore.

It's a story of whimsy and twirls as we go this way, then that way. A talking fox. Singing flowers. A besotted prince. A goblin king. Dryads. Pixies. Ballroom dances. A magic mirror. A terrible witch. And brothers galore.

This fantastical tale of love-this right here-is what makes me kick my feet. In the middle of the book, in the middle of my happy place, where I can't wait to turn the next page but equally can't bear to have it end. ::sigh::

“Would I have been such a terrible choice?”

Oof, my heart. But the way he pines for her.

I had tried to think of anything else. I’d gone to the very edge of the world and sat with the sun, moon, and stars and still thought of nothing but her. She was unmatched—brighter than the sun, more beautiful than the moon, sweeter than the stars. I loved her more than anything in this terrible world, and I hated it.

The banter hit a sweet spot. Banter with each other. With Fox. With Cardic. Brotherly love expressed with harsh tongues and physical blows just does it for me. Although the nun thing was quite odd.

5 out of 5 stars. Immediately ordered a hardcopy for the shelves.

Available in ebook | paperback | audiobook

Art by Lauren Boyle.


Also in the series:

2026/18

A Court of Blood and Bindings (Fae Isles #1)

Give me the danger. Give me the shame.

Available at Amazon.com

A Court of Blood and Bindings
Lisette Marshall
Fae Isles, book one
audiobook, ~14 hours
ebook, 436 pages
Published June 22, 2022
ASIN B09YKCCGKW


They call him the Silent Death, because he kills without sound and leaves none capable of speaking in his wake…

When the empire’s deadliest fae murderer catches her wielding forbidden magic, twenty-year-old Emelin believes her hour has come. Instead, her inhumanly beautiful captor spares her life, but carries her off on his velvet wings – into the one place from which no human ever returns.

The heart of the Fae Isles. The treacherous Crimson Court, where the Mother of faekind has ruled unchallenged over fae and humans for decades.

The Silent Death is supposed to be the Mother’s loyal servant, her invincible warrior, her ruthless, soulless killer. But in the shadows he is playing a game of his own, and he needs Emelin’s magic to win it.

If she agrees to work with him, she could free all of humanity. But can she trust a fae male with so much blood on his hands? Worse, when his smouldering dark eyes and dangerous secrets reveal glimpses of the heart behind his murderer’s mask… can she trust herself?

Court of Blood and Bindings is the first book of the Fae Isles series, an enemies to lovers fantasy romance featuring a strong-willed heroine and a broody, morally grey hero. This adult fae romance is perfect for readers of Sarah J. Maas, Jennifer L. Armentrout and Raven Kennedy.

Note: Court of Blood and Bindings contains a generous dose of smouldering glances, angry yearning, and midnight meetings of the illicit type, as well as other mature themes.

The spice in this book... Chef's kiss.

Creon, deemed the Silent Death by allies and enemies alike, was bred and beaten to be his Mother's most feared enforcer. It is a reputation he has earned and prides himself in—

Until he found another way to exist.

But his powers were bound to secure his loyalty. And his voice was stripped from him as a result.

For over a century Creon has continued to fulfill the Mother's demands of him with kill after kill and slaughter after slaughter, ever seeking a solution that could put an end to her long reign.

Then he finds her, an unbound half-fae hidden amongst the humans.

And so the story of Creon and Emelin begins.

Loved it! Love Creon, as I knew I would when first he was introduced in the prequel. Expected to revisit a certain scene from that book. Alas, it never came. I forget the timeline.

Emelin was wonderful. A bit gullible but it never did come around to bite her. With Creon being mute, she carried the story. Even his written words are given her own processing and interpretation and damn it all if I have to read all four books for him to recover his voice. If he ever does at all.

The magic system relies on colors that can be pulled from unnatural objects. Red for destruction. Blue for healing. So on and so forth.

5 out of 5 stars. Cliffhanger ending.

Available in ebook | hardcover | paperback | audiobook

Previously in the series:

2026/17

Rites of the Starling (Shield of Sparrows #2)

A thousand times a day.

Available at Amazon.com

Rites of the Starling
Devney Perry
Shield of Sparrows, book two
Hardcover, 500 pages
Published April 7, 2026
ISBN 9781682816752


Calandra’s five kingdoms are on the verge of destruction. The crux migration is coming. And in the wake of a devastating attack, I’ve been separated from the man who owns my heart.

I’m lost. Terrified. Homesick. Hunted by monsters, driven to exhaustion, and kidnapped by a powerful priest, the only thing keeping me going is the little girl counting on me to keep her safe. It’s my turn to become the Guardian.

Our lives change one fateful night. A night of death. A night of monsters. A night of truths. That night, I learn the real meaning of fear—and the depth of my own strength.

Everyone wants me to be something I’m not—a queen, a spy, a sacrifice. But what if I embrace my crown? What if the secrets I uncover save our realm?

What if my sacrifice means salvation for the man I love?

For too long, I’ve feared the monsters we make.

It’s time to discover the monster within.

The long-awaited sequel to my first five-star read of 2025.

And yet...

If 'This could have been an email' was a book.



Caspia. A Starling. A new character with visions of her sister's murder by a silver-eyed male.

Murdered by the Guardian.

By Ransom. Who is currently searching for his wife.

Odessa, the Sparrow.

I could see it barely thirty pages in... I was going to need a chart.

At thirty percent in, I was bored. I was so, so bored.

Then, finally, at forty-five percent... the return of Ransom!

Thank the stars, the Eight, the Divine, the Shades even. Because I despised Andreas. He is so dull. So nice and so dull. One of those characters that will do anything you ask and believe anything you say. I think he'll wind up being my most loathed character of 2026.

::Spoilers imminent::

I was so rage-inducing bored with that side story. And even when things started to click about how they fit into the plot, what with Caspia having visions and likely being in the past and therefore would potentially be Odessa's mother... leaving Andreas to potentially be her father...

I had been curious why we never learned the Golden King's name while reading the first book.

Then he had disdain for the golden castle which was a feeling Odessa attributed to her father.

And he lit up when he saw Odessa's red hair only to immediately shut down...

Yeah, thankful when the signs clicked into place because I needed *something* to make them tolerable.

I loved Ransom in book one and may he never be left out of the story for so long ever again. Here, though, he was repeptive and added like an afterthought.

In the end, I would attest that this is a highly skippable sequel. Very little progress is made. While the first book revealed the origins of Lyssa, this.. urgh... this revealed the origins of the monsters that may not even be monsters if not for magic. Corrupted magic? Basically, power dependent religious fanatics are to blame. And there's a long forgotten land that holds Odessa's ancestors.

Again, all of it could have been an email. A few chapters stretched and stretched and stretched again to fill a five hundred page sequel.

Oof.

3 out of 5 stars.

Available in ebook | hardcover | audiobook

Previously in the series:

2026/16