Tag: fantasy

This Chick Read: Crown of War and Shadow (Kingdoms of the Compass #1) by J.R. Ward

The Fulcrum is failing, and demons are slipping into the mortal world. No one is safe.Especially not Sorrel. An orphan and an outcast within the walls of her small village because of her mystical abilities. She wants to survive…and find somewhere she can call her true home. But Fate has other plans. Sorrel has been chosen. Cursed. She must cross the Badlands to return the Queen’s crown and convince the fearsome female to save their world from destruction. Well aware she’s no brave hero, Sorrel makes a dangerous deal with Merc, a brooding, commanding mercenary known only by his unscrupulous profession. The deal? A night in his bed that she will never forget, in exchange for her safe passage. But Merc has secrets of his own, and even though desire runs hot between them, adventure, danger, and betrayal lurk around every corner.

I was really pleased with the world building in this novel. It was really easy to grasp the good vs evil world, the similarities to some of our own history helped. Sorrel with her healing magic and ability to look in someone’s eyes and see their death would have gotten her burned as witch so seeing her own village shun her was ignorant, yes, but also understandable from history’s perspective. It worked in this fantasy realm where despite being treated pretty abominably by her village she still wanted to help them survive against he evil that was coming.

The man who shows up and helps her with her quest, too, is easy to understand. A warrior who seems to have a knack for survival and isn’t afraid to kill would come in handy. Add in some chemistry between Merc and Sorrel and the plot seems promising. I just wish that heat had been more forthcoming.

This is a series so you expect a continuation of the story into book 2 but I was a little surprised and a little disappointed at the abruptness of the ending. The story had a lot of momentum through the entire book but then seemed to lack some explosiveness at the end. Despite that, I’m curious as to how this story will move forward and will be back for book 2!

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review and it was honest. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book!* Crown of War and Shadow

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This Chick Read: Silver & Blood by Jessie Mihalik

This romantic fantasy is based loosely on the fairy tale Beauty & The Beast. When one of the villagers is attacked by a beast in the woods, Riela, as the only mage in the city, is sent into the woods to banish the beast. Just barely a mage, Riela is overcome by not one but two beasts and is losing the fight until a mage stronger than any she’s known, saves her life. She wakes up in a magical castle, with a beautiful library, and a surly, dark haired, handsome man who is trapped by a 100 year old curse. As she gets to know Garrick she finds that his powers are weakening and he needs her help in getting back to his kingdom. As they start to build trust, will their secrets and lies drive a wedge between them?

I vaguely remembered hearing this was a fairy tale re-telling, but as I was reading the novel it didn’t feel like Beauty and the Beast. Yes, there were some minor similarities, but the story was so good that I got lost in these characters and didn’t allow that rumor to ruin my enjoyment in reading this novel.

Riela is one of those heroine’s that I just love to read about. She is self-sacrificing, fearless, and has a heart that’s bigger than her brain. In this case she wants to save everyone. The villagers because the beasts in the forest may break free and endanger them and Garrick because he is trapped in this castle away from his people and his magic is dwindling. As she gets to know Garrick and come to have feelings for him she’s determined to figure out a way to get him free. Oh, and I also liked her sass- that’s an important attribute in any great heroine.

Garrick on the other hand, just as the beast, is a bit full of his own importance and through knowing Riela, he starts to have a little humility and starts to lead with his heart instead of his head. Their adventures make for an entertaining story, and I can’t wait to read the second. ❤️❤️❤️❤️

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review and it was honest.

Click this link to purchase this book.* Silver & Blood

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*Amazon Associate- if you purchase this book by the above link I’ll receive a small stipend.

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This Chick Read: Alchemised by SenLinYu

I do not keep up with fanfiction writing but I am aware that it’s out there and some readers obsess over certain subjects. Harry Potter is a favorite and for some reason a Hermione and Draco romantic relationship is featured in a ton. I was about halfway through Part 1 of Alchemised when it struck me that I might be reading a novel that possibly might be about those two characters. I stopped and Googled. Sure enough, Alchemised was originally written as fanfiction and was uber popular. I must’ve been the only person in the universe who hadn’t heard or read the first iteration. SenLinYu, prior to publishing this novel removed all of those references but there were still enough that even I figured it out. Despite, or maybe even because of those similarities I was struggling through the first act. I couldn’t figure out the world, the bond these Helena had for Kaine despite his evil nature, and truly how desperately weak Helena seemed to be portrayed. She did not fit my vision of Hermione and I hate weak female protagonists. There were so many five star reviews for this book that I pushed through my dislike and kept on reading. Boy, am I glad I did.

It was during Part 2 that I was caught like a fish on a hook. Through flashbacks I got a more complete vision of the world this author was building, but also saw that the Helena I saw in Part 1 was a result of mind manipulation. In the past, she had a stronger nature and her magic was interesting and different than everyone around her. Part 2 was where her relationship with Kaine was explained as well. That push and pull of emotions between she and Kaine in Part 1 were explained. I found myself re-thinking each of those scenes from that first act through eyes that saw the true nature of their relationship. It all kind of made sense now! Helena’s weak character in Part 1 was explained through her strong actions in Part 2. Kaine, too, had his nature explained. Yes he was and is more evil and doesn’t regret too many of his actions, his feelings for Helena become his redemption. Their love story was intricately written and very emotional. If you can get through Part 1 the rest of the book totally makes up for having to make yourself read a million pages to get through it.

I’ll leave you with one last note. Why do author’s think that the longer a book the better it will be? This book, in paper, is 1029 pages. On my kindle it was interminable. I truly believe that the story could’ve been written in 1/3 of the finished length. The characters development wouldn’t be affected and the story arc’s could’ve been tightened up making each written page add to the story. Despite that, I enjoyed the book. It was one of those where you finish reading it but it lingers in your mind for a few days as you’re mulling over each small action. I love those types of novels, but because of the length of this one I probably will not go back for a revisit. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❣️

Click this link to purchase this book!* Alchemised

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This Chick Read: Ship of Spells by H. Leighton Dickson

Ensign Bluemage Honor Renn was serving her first post on a naval ship when they were attacked, her ship was sunk. As a Bluemage, it was her job to reinforce the magical spells of the head mage of her ship. As they were attacked, she threw spells above her seniority, and caught magical cannonballs that ate through her skin leaving her dying in the ocean. When she awoke she was on the mythical ship, Touchstone, run by a mysterious elven captain and a misfit crew. Their mission was tied to the Dreadwall, a crumbling barrier that has kept the Overland and Neversea from war for a hundred years. Renn carries in her bones, the remnants of a magic that is chimeric arcane and is slowly killing her but the Touchstone’s mission may be her only chance to survive. Her choice is to join its crew or die.

What girl doesn’t dream of joining a magical misfit crew with a handsome mysterious elven captain at its helm? If I’d have thought of it, I would have certainly had this dream. Reading Honor Renn’s journey was the closest I’ll ever come to holding magic and living the pirate life. I relished reading each page and living out a fantasy I never knew I wanted. I loved the hatred and confusion that Honor Renn felt for her captain at the beginning that soon changed to respect and admiration. There were so many things to like about our main character who held duty and honor in high esteem. She had an unusual magic, she was sassy, fearless, and had most importantly had a huge heart. The other characters were just as fascinating and added to that magical world with humor, anger, adventure, and love.

When I was a teen, I loved reading fantasy novels with an epic journey and Ship of Spells reminded me of those long ago novels that I’d get lost reading on a cloudy Saturday afternoon. What a fantastical novel. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book!* Ship of Spells

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This Chick Read: Turns of Fate (Isle of Wyrd #1) by Anne Bishop

Words have power. Intension matters.

As you’re reading Turns of Fate, those two sentences, above gain traction and as the characters learn have meaning when you are on the Isle of Wyrd. Most people come to Destiny Park for entertainment but some come to the Arcana to make a bargain- to change their fate. Some people come to the park for dark reasons. Detective Beth Fahey is the newest member of the police department who has direct contact with the Arcana of the Isle of Wyrd. When she goes to the park to investigate a “ghost gun” it’s the start of a journey where she learns to navigate the Arcana’s unforgiving laws while at the same time learning secrets about her own past. As tensions rise between the Arcana and their human neighbors across the river Beth makes decisions that alter her own future.

Anne Bishop is one of those authors who I eagerly anticipate a release from, but am never sure what kind of book I’m going to read. I LOVE the Others series but I couldn’t get into her Black Jewel series at all. I’ve tried to read that first book three of four times and never got past the first couple of chapters. When I read the synopsis for Turns of Fate I got excited. It sounds like it has similar elements to the Others series but the added bonus of a main character who is a Detective. I was picturing a Mystery/Fantasy hybrid and I was not disappointed. There were a lot of little mysteries to be solved, but the overall story was definitely urban fantasy.

Beth is a mysterious character. At first she seems very straightforward, but as the story progresses we notice that although we (the reader) love Beth, she’s not understood by her fellow detectives and people just don’t click with her and vice versa. She’s a conundrum, not just to her co-workers and neighbors, but also to herself. This is the mystery that I relished solving and boy was that story fun! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❣️

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review and it was honest!

Click this link to purchase this book!* Turns of Fate

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*Amazon Associate-if you purchase this book through the above link I’ll receive a small stipend.

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This Chick Read: The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow

Owen Mallory is a failed soldier, historian, and son of a rather anarchical father. Owen’s grey life has been filled with imagery of the Dominion’s greatest hero, Sir Una Everlasting. Una’s life was similarly grey, until as a young orphan she is swept away by the Queen, given wars to win, and tasks to fulfill. Her life becomes the Queen’s, until one day she meets Owen, who has fallen through time in order to write a book about Una. Immediately, the two are connected. By fate, by their journey, and by chemistry. They are tangled together in time and as Owen writes and rewrites Una’s story their fates too are entertwined.

Excited by all the five star ratings, I was really eager to read The Everlasting. However, I turned the first page with a little trepidation. I read Alix E. Harrow’s acclaimed novel The Ten Thousand Doors of January and I had trouble connecting with the main character. I thought the prose elegantly written, but that elegance created a barrier that made it hard to identify with the main character. The Everlasting is also very elegantly written, but this story reminded me of my classes in college where I would fall into the epic tails of Gawain, Sir Lancelot, and even Beowulf. Instead of creating a barrier where I had trouble identifying with the characters, Harrow’s lyrical words opened doors into a world I had zero trouble falling into.

I think what hooked me the most about this story was that the author combined several tropes seamlessly. First, the obvious, Good vs. Evil, and the reveal of that character happens slowly which makes their evilness so much more delicious. So, yes, I was drawn in by that first trope, but it was the fairy-tale elements to the story that secured that hook. The lyrical writing, which bothered me in her other novel worked perfectly in this setting and the pace and thoughtfulness in developing these characters fully was beautiful. I’ll also admit that I love a good romance and the slow build of Owen and Una’s relationship and love for each other was both breathtaking and heart-breaking. Normally, being captured by a story I would breeze through a book, but The Everlasting was methodical and I didn’t want to ruin the pace of her writing because of my own impatience to see what happens at the end. I’m glad I took my time because that ending was just fabulous. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review and it was honest.

Click this link to purchase this book!* The Everlasting

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*Amazon Associate- if you purchase this book through the above link I’ll receive a small stipend.

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This Chick Read: An Unwanted Heir (Fractured Conclave #4) by Vanessa Nelson

Hallie has always wanted to travel and when she’s invited to join an investigation by Conclave investigatory, Girard Abbott, to help with a murder out in the country she jumps at the chance to join the group. The murder has happened at the estate of Cotovatre, one of the most powerful people in the world, but also someone whom Hallie has a personal connection. This is her chance to get to know Cotovatre a bit better and to use her magic to help solve the case.

This is the fourth novel in the series and it is recommended that you read this series in order, because there are parts to the story that are a continuation from earlier books. Also, reading all the books in order will give you a great appreciation of how this author has built this world, and how these characters connect and have grown since the first novel. In An Unwanted Heir, we are seeing a Hallie that is very different than the person we met in the first novel.

At Cotovatre’s estate one of the members of the Conclave have been murdered in a gruesome manner and Hallie, Girard, and their team are snowed in with a group of the most powerful people in the country, one of whom may be the murderer. As they investigate Callie’s own relationship to Cotovatre becomes more clear adding another element of tension to a situation that was already extreme. As readers, we have seen the evolution of Hallie and her magic and finally we get the reveals we’ve been waiting for!

Vanessa Nelson, in all of her series, gives our female main character a love interest, but her books are mostly focused on the investigations of her characters, not on romance. This series is a bit different as Hallie and Girard become even closer and “gasp!” even reveal their feelings for each other. I’m a romantic fantasy fan, so this gave me hope that the fifth novel will lead to not only a great mystery but a happily ever after for these two characters. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book!* An Unwanted Heir

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This Chick Read: Tears of the Wolf (Wrath and Weaping #1) by Elisabeth Wheatley

After the murder of her child, Brynn seeks approval for a divorce from her cousin, the king. Heartbroken and still grieving, the king grants that divorce but immediately marries her to Cenric, a warrior from the North. Brynn will be his wife, but also sorceress to his kingdom. With ties to the king, Brynn is too powerful to stay unmarried for long. Cenric needs a sorceress in order to bring legitimacy and security to his homeland but with Brynn comes a lot of political machinations. There are factions in the kingdom that would choose to have a different king, and those factions want to use Brynn to take the crown.

Brynn has been treated horribly by her previous husband and is still grieving her child. Despite her predilection to not trust Cenric his gentleness and honesty start to win her over. She sees that this warrior from the North is a different man that her previous husband and as the story moves forward his honesty starts to win her trust. She starts to believe that happiness might be within reach. Of course, it wouldn’t be romantic fantasy if there weren’t a little conflict. Needless to say, she and Cenric have to fight for their freedom and any happiness that might come their way.

I found this novel to be very well written, easy to read, and the characters well developed and easy to like. I don’t think anyone with a hint of empathy wouldn’t feel badly for Brynn and when she gets her bad @$$ moment to fight for her right to live free, wouldn’t root for her to find happiness with Cenric. I felt like this story was pretty complete, so I’m not sure where a second book would take us, but when it comes out I’ll certainly give it a read and see what kind of journey this author will take me on.

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book!* Tears of the Wolf

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This Chick Read: Soulgazer (The Magpie and the Wolf Duology #1) by Maggie Rapier

Saoirse is cursed with a volatile magic. When she loses control her father offers her in marriage to the ruthless and cold Stone King. Knowing she’s being sent to her death, she’s determined to break her curse. On the eve of her wedding she seeks out the Wolf of the Wild, Faolan, the Pirate King. He’s in search of a mystical isle and swears he’ll help her break the curse if she’ll find this magical isle for him first. Saoirse knows better than to trust a pirate, and if he wants her help, he’s going to have to marry her first.

A debut novel by author Maggie Rapier, Soulgazer delivers on all fronts for this fantastical romantasy. A magic curse- check! A devilishly handsome hero- check! A heroine who has sass, strength of character, and a hopeful heart – check! This novel held my interest from the very first page, which is really hard to do when you’re introducing your reader to a brand new world. It may have been tons of work on her end, but for me, the reader, it seemed effortless.

With strong Gaelic references, the author very kindly gave us a preface to the story that told us how to pronounce everyone’s names. Of course, once I got into the book (I read this as an ebook), I never went back to the preface and my inner voice still butchered all their names. I did remember our heroine’s, pronounce SEER-SHA, or at least that’s why my Irish husband told me and that’s what I went with as I read her story. Saoirse (Seersha) was a most excellent character. What I liked about her the most is that despite being treated like “shite” her whole life, she has retained this inner strength that carries her forward with her mission to help Faolan find his magical island even though she has probably wanted to give in to her fate numerous times.

Faolan is the gorgeous hero pirate. He’s 70% song and swagger, and 30% alpha hero. Once he marries our Saoirse, he is a sworn protector. Is it all because he needs her to find this island? Or does he have true feelings for our girl? His journey with Saoirse and the pirate crew takes the reader on an epic journey that feels very mythological and Sisyphean in nature. I totally dug the tasks and tales as well as the building romance between Faolan and Saoirse. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

I hope this author has the majority of book two in the can because I’m ready to keep on reading!

Click this link to purchase this book!* Soulgazer

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This Chick Read: The Inheritance (Breach Wars #1) by Ilona Andrews

An interdimensional invasion brought unimaginable suffering but it also awoke talents slumbering deep inside us. Adaline is a Talent. She works for the government search breaches for magical metals and medicine to help Earth repel an interdimensional enemy. Two kids, one cat, bills, benefits, mortgage and school tuition…Risking her life became routine. She has gone into hundreds of dimensional gates without a problem, but this time everything goes to hell. Two kids, one cat, bills, benefits, mortgage and school tuition…Risking her life became routine.

Ilona Andrews occasionally releases new novels a chapter at a time on their blog and normally I don’t let myself read them. For some reason when I started getting The Inheritance in their newsletter I read the first chapter….. and got absolutely hooked. This story is novella length and they stopped the free releases well before the end, but I eagerly anticipated every blog post. They released the book on all bookseller sites pretty quickly and I started from the beginning. I’m glad I did because they inserted a few new scenes that really added to the story and fleshed out the characters a bit more.

Adaline is our main character. She’s stuck in the breach with the group’s K-9, Bear, who also survived the initial attack. She and Bear go on a journey further into the breach and discover all manner of beings. Some who are dangerous, but also some species who are just going about their everyday alien lives. Ada and Bear need to do some kind of gross things that make their bodies powerful and in Ada’s case, her magic becomes more fierce. Where before she could use her “sight” to find valuable minerals and medicines, now she has fierce fighting skills which come in handy as she keeps them alive. The end goal being that she returns through the gate and gets back with her kids. The motherly “force” is strong in this one.

Outside on Earth we also follow Elias, who heads the guild that sent Adaline and her team into the breach. His moments are brief, but his awesomeness was very reminiscent of Curran from the Kate Daniels series, and truly, Ada is very reminiscent of Kate. Both strong individuals with great conversational skills (even though Ada is mostly talking to a dog), and as with the first Kate Daniels novel- zero romance. However there is that glimmer of hope (and a note from the author that there will be a romance between the two). Not to say this novel is like Kate Daniels, however it reminded me of it in bits and pieces.

The book is short and I don’t want to give away any more than I already have, but I just have to give one more note. If you are an uber fan of this author duo, you will find some crossover between characters (species?) in this novella and the Innkeeper series. Just enough to make you go “huh!” and smile to yourself. Truly, every small little Easter egg they drop makes me squee in enjoyment and wish that they could write quicker and set aside a little time to finish book 2. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this book!* The Inheritance

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