Tag: fantasy

This Chick Read: Year One (Chronicles of the One #1) by Nora Roberts

I’m going to admit, I bought this novel in 2018 and let it sit on my shelf. Then the pandemic hit and the last thing I wanted to do was read a novel about a virus that wipes out half of the population of the world. Time has moved on and I thought I might be able to separate the topic from the world I was living in.

This novel starts with the person who was the original spreader of the virus and seeing how it happened made me realize that this novel will be more fantasy than reality and as the book moved on and I read how the world divided between those who survived with change and those who survived still human I was able to even more immerse myself in this novel and the new world it was building. Following a few different story arc’s I came to care for these characters not caring if they were human or enhanced with inhuman traits caring more if they were good people or bad. A natural feeling when you are reading a novel that pits good versus evil.

Nora Roberts follows a formula she’s been very successful with throughout her career, especially when writing fantasy novels. She gives us several story arc’s, and in Year One I learn to love Max and Lana and then again Rachel and Jonah, as well as some other characters who help them survive and build new lives. What surprises me is that this plot is leading us to a hero and heroine who can lead them in the fight against evil, the children that they fight so hard to protect.

While there are elements of love throughout this story this novel is not a typical Nora Roberts romance novel. This is a three book series about a fight to come against good and evil. I am curious enough about where it’s headed to pick up the second book in the series but I will give one bit of criticism, I hope it starts off fast because Year One was a bit on the slow side and I like a quicker pace. ❤️❤️❤️❣️

Click this link to purchase!* Year One

Copyright 2022 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

This Chicks Audio Review: Cast In Shadow (Chronicles of Elantra #1) by Michelle Sagara

This is the first novel in the Chronicles of Elantra series and was published in 2011. I think that was around the time I first read the book. The series now numbers up to sixteen and I think the seventeenth comes out this year. I read so many books in a year that it’s often hard for me to remember details but I do remember really liking this book and when I glanced at the audiobook and saw that Khristine Hvam narrates the series I knew I needed to go back and do a re-read. She is the narrator of Faith Hunters Jane Yellowrock and Soulwood series and I’m a HUGE fan of how she portrays characters. This, combined with the fact that I only read up to about book twelve in the Chronicles of Elantra made me eager to get started.

This fantasy series has everything. An intriguing main character who is somewhat of a mystery to the reader, a unique world and fabulous world-building by the author, and just a hint of a traumatic back-story that makes me want to read and explore this world and characters. Kaylin is only twenty years old but has survived a tragic upbringing. She was an orphan living in a dangerous area of Elantra called Nightshade where dangerous ferals roamed, and a murderer was killing children. Now a young adult, Kaylin is a Hawk, an officer who patrols the streets and protects its citizens. She finds that the murderer is back and more children like are being killed. She is partnered with her old friend from the fiefs, Sevren, and she has to fight her mistrust and also explore her past in order to defeat this threat from the past.

Kaylin is such a complicated character. She has magical powers that she doesn’t understand and can’t control and is somewhat of a loose cannon emotionally. She is disrespectful and mouthy but has gained the respect of her peers, made friends, and has a heart of gold. One of her gifts is as a healer, which she uses to midwife and help children be born safely, so children are her kryptonite which makes finding this killer very important to her. When Sevren shows up out of the blue, Kaylin fights her past emotions. Seven years ago he was her protector but he betrayed her in a way that she’s not sure she can forgive, but as they work together she finds herself drawn to him as she was as a child and he is to her as well. Their friendship is one of the greatest best friend portrayals in a series. It carries them down the road of heartache but also to redemption and understanding. It’s the heart of this novel.

In this world of Elantra there are many different races all living together, dragons, the immortal Barrani, Aerians who have wings and fly, and the Tha’alani who are tentacled and can read minds. This first novel helps lay the groundwork for Kaylin’s emotional growth, but also her relationship with friends, mentors, and enemies from all of different races this world holds. This novel in itself is great, the mystery is good, but I know this is only the set-up to greater stories ahead. I completely enjoyed re-emerging myself in this world and loved listening to Khristine Hvam’s take on these characters. On to book #2!

❤️❤️❤️❤️❣️

Click this link to purchase! Cast in Shadow

Copyright 2022 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

This Chick Read: Gossamer in the Darkness(Fantasyland #5.5) by Kristen Ashley

The Count of Derryman has a secret. His daughter, who has been betrothed since birth to the handsome and powerful Marquess of Remington, fell and hit her head when she was six and has the mental acuity of a child. Not wanting to give up that association with such a powerful house, the Count of Derryman hears of an alternate universe that twins this universe. Determined to find his daughters twin and bring her over he hires a witch, who succeeds. What the Count doesn’t realize is that this Maxine is no pushover.

The Fantasyland series is one of my favorites by this author so when I heard she was writing a novella set in that world I was excited to get my hands on it. This fairytale proves that every woman can find her prince and the modern Maxine wishes Loren could be hers. It wouldn’t be a true fairytale without an evil character and the Count certainly fits the bill. Holding her mother and “twin” sister hostage in order to make Maxine do as he pleases the author didn’t take long to resolve that short conflict. Which was great because we got to spend the rest of the book with fun characters who were falling in love, learning their new world, and spreading the joy of living in a world full of color.

What I love about Kristen Ashley’s novellas is that they are the length of a short full length novel. Her real novels are very long. You’d think she’d have a tough time get the full story arc in this short length novel but she really does a great job of developing the characters, letting the reader in on the storyline quickly, and cut down on some of the descriptions that make her regular novels so lengthy. I really enjoyed this novella a lot and didn’t feel like I was missing anything that would lead to that overall enjoyment.

Now, if you have never read a Fantasyland novel, you may have some difficulty falling into a world where cats and birds speak to women, but if you have an open mind you may find yourself totally enjoying the experience. You’ll never know unless you pick it up and give it a shot. It is very different than her contemporary romances in the best way possible, but you’ll find similar character types that will help get you settled into another amazing KA story. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Click this link to purchase this novel!* Gossamer in the Darkness

Copyright 2022 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

It’s Monday, July 4th! What are you reading? (7/4/22)

Happy 4th of July to those who celebrate in the USA! It’s a national holiday and most people have the day off to celebrate our nation, hang with their families, eat junk food, watch fireworks, and hopefully get in a bit of reading! What are you doing to celebrate?

What am I reading to celebrate? Nothing patriotic or well, historical. I did just finish a fabulous romance and have just started the second in a fantasy series I’m reading. Check it out below!

JUST FINISHED

What a fabulous book! This was very different than I expected, full of treasure hunting, lost and found romance, and a father-daughter relationship that was both sad and wonderful. If you like contemporary romances you must read this one!

JUST STARTED

This is the second novel in the A Trial of Sorcerers series and it has started off pretty quick. I didn’t read the first book too long ago so luckily I remember all of the characters and where our heroine’s emotions and activities have led her. I’m looking forward to settling into what will probably be a quick read.

How are you all spending your 4th today? Starting a new book like I am?

Have a great Monday and happy reading!

Deb

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads4 Comments

This Chick Read: The Taellaneth Series by Vanessa Nelson

This series was recommended to me but I could never remember the author in order to look it up. It just so happened that it was recommended to me AGAIN and I was getting ready to look for my next book. It’s a Kindle Unlimited series, which I do subscribe to, so I thought “no harm no foul” if I don’t like it I’ll just close the book and send it back. Little did I know that I would read non-stop, with only breaks to go to work, eagerly reading this fun series until I turned that last page in book #5.

Our hero Arrow is half human and half Erith, a race that is magical with elf-like physical traits. Having been determined to have magical talent at a young age she is entered into an Academy where she overcomes the odds and becomes a war mage despite all sorts of discrimination from the Erith for her half-human blood. As we get to know Arrow she is oath-bound to the Taellen to solve any task she is given. In the first novel she is given the task of investigating the death of the mate of the highest ranked shape-shifter, traveling to human lands to complete her task.

In Concealed, Arrow eventually solves the mystery but reveals an even bigger dilemma that all three races need to work together to solve, each book leading to Arrow becoming a stronger mage, important ally of the shifters, and eventually free from her ties to the Taellen- the committee of law-makers among the Erith. Her identity is also revealed in stages that keep the reader fascinated and the plot draws you in deeper until you have to read until the end to see how Arrow and the mystery resolves.

If you, like I, have never heard of this author then you are in for a treat! This series is fantasy-candy. There is only a hint of romance, it is pretty much straight up magical-fantasy. There are some very likable characters and you’ll certainly have your pick of who you want to follow but there is no better than our heroine Arrow. Misguided, misunderstood, and straight-up bad-@$$. I loved her to death and hope that this author’s other series are just as addictive. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❣️

Click this link to purchase the first book!* Concealed

Copyright 2022 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

This Chick Read: Trouble with the Cursed (The Hollows #16) by Kim Harrison

Synopsis:

Rachel Morgan, witch-born demon, has one unspoken rule: take chances, but pay for them yourself. With it, she has turned enemies into allies, found her place with her demon kin, and stepped up as the subrosa of Cincinnati—responsible for keeping the paranormal community at peace and in line. Life is . . . good? Even better, her best friend, Ivy Tamwood, is returning home. Nothing’s simple, though, and Ivy’s not coming alone. The vampires’ ruling council insists she escort one of the long undead, hell-bent on proving that Rachel killed Cincy’s master vampire to take over the city. Which, of course, Rachel totally did not do. She only transformed her a little. With Rachel’s friends distracted by their own lives and problems, she reaches out to a new ally for help—the demon Hodin. But this trickster has his own agenda. In the end, the only way for Rachel to save herself and the city may be to forge a new understanding with her estranged demon teacher, Al. There’s just one problem: Al would sell his own soul to be rid of her. . . .

I was mulling over how to write up my own short synopsis without giving away every intricacy in the plot and decided ‘the hell with it’ and quoted it off the back of the book. Trouble with the Cursed is the sixteenth novel in the Hollows series with my favorite heroine and witch-born demon, Rachel Morgan. Rachel is back living in the church with Jenks, but that’s the only thing that seems slightly normal. Her roommates are the demon Hodin, and her friend Stef. Hodin has driven a wedge in between Rachel and the demons, a wedge that gets more complicated as this story unfolds. Rachel, as the sub-rosa for the demons, has the tough job of keeping the peace in Cincinnati. Something that she’s been able to do with the help of vampire scion Pike, but it all seems to be getting out of hand. The demons are in disarray, her boyfriend Trent’s business deal has gone awry, and Jenks is developing feelings for a new pixie. Plus Ivy is headed back to town with a DC vamp named Finnis who needs to be convinced that Cincinnati’s master vampire, Constance is still alive (she is but she’s now a mouse). Rachel is a people pleaser and wants everyone to be happy, but she may have bitten off more than she could chew with this one!

Trouble with the Cursed ties up a LOT of loose ends and I’m wondering where Kim Harrison is going to take my favorite heroine next? The “is he or isn’t he” on Rachels side when it comes to the much maligned demon Hodin comes to a head and everything quite literally hits the fan in the most wondrous and fascinating way. Rachel’s version of “I’ve got this!” does not follow a straight line and the fireworks that follow light up the city and paranormal world. This book ends with a big bang and I can’t help but think that the world as our heroine knows it will be much different in the next novel. The only things that I’m completely confident in is that Rachel’s friends have her back and she would absolutely die for them as well. I can’t wait to find out what happens next. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

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

Click this link to purchase this book!* Trouble with the Cursed

Copyright 2022 The Reading Chick All Rights Reserved

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

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

It’s Monday, what are you reading? (6/6/22)

It’s vacation time and I’m ready to read! I’m heading to the beach tomorrow and am looking forward to sitting on a beach with a book and just chilling. I’ve got a few books on my radar, but need to finish the fantasy novel I’ve just started before I dig in. Here’s the scoop on what I’ve been reading lately.

JUST FINISHED

I have been listening to this fantasy series. It’s one that I’ve read when each book initially came out. I’ll admit that circumstances made this novel a tough one to get through. I caught Covid in the middle of listening to the book and it took me over three weeks to finish it. It was no fault of the book and when I finally got the time I got back into it just fine.

JUST STARTED

Elise Kova’s novels are so addictive! This novel is supposed to be a stand alone novel so I thought I’d read it quickly. I’ve gotten sucked into series of this author’s in the past where I read one book directly after the other until finished. This novel feels like a fairy-tale re-telling but with a twist. Cinderella meets Beauty and the Beast. I like it a lot!

It’s a fantasy week of reading for me, what books are on your own tbr?

Have a great Monday!

Deb

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads2 Comments

This Chicks Sunday Commentary: My Top 5 Book Releases (June’22)

We are heading into my favorite time of the year. When Summer blockbuster movies and vacation book releases are headed on the way to consumers everywhere. In looking towards the June releases, again there are some that I am really looking forward to reading and cross all genres. Here are the books I’m most looking forward to being released in June.

#5 BOOK RELEASE

I’m totally on board with books about books and if our heroine is writing one…even better! This romance, set in a small town during their Shakespeare festival, looks super cute and perfect for taking the reader away from a hard days work.

Synopsis: To go for it or not to go for it? That is the question when two former high school flames return to their Shakespeare-obsessed hometown for a summer of theater and unexpected romance, in a laugh-out-loud rom-com from debut author Jessica Martin.

Literary agent and writer Miranda Barnes rolls into her hometown of Bard’s Rest with one goal in mind: to spend the summer finally finishing her YA novel, the next installment in her bestselling fantasy series. Yet Miranda’s mother, deep in the planning stages for the centennial of the town’s beloved annual Shakespeare festival, has other ideas. 
 
Before you can say “all’s fair in love and war,” Miranda is cornered into directing Twelfth Night—while simultaneously scrambling to finish her book, navigating a family health scare, and doing her best to avoid the guy who broke her heart on prom night.
 
When it comes to Adam, the veterinarian with a talent for set design and an infuriating knack for winning over Miranda’s dog, the lady doth protest too much. As any Shakespeare lovers knows, the course of true love never did run smooth, and soon Miranda realizes she’ll have to decide whether to trust Adam with her heart again.

Click this link to purchase!* For the Love of the Bard

#4 BOOK RELEASE

It’s time to return to the Hollows with my favorite troublemaker heroine, Rachel Morgan. Nothing made me happier than when Kim Harrison decided to continue on with one of my favorite fantasy series. When she releases a Hollows novel it automatically jumps into my TBR.

Synopsis: Rachel Morgan must keep her friends close—and her enemies closer—in the next Hollows novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Kim Harrison.

Rachel Morgan, witch-born demon, has one unspoken rule: take chances, but pay for them yourself. With it, she has turned enemies into allies, found her place with her demon kin, and stepped up as the subrosa of Cincinnati—responsible for keeping the paranormal community at peace and in line.
 
Life is . . . good? Even better, her best friend, Ivy Tamwood, is returning home. Nothing’s simple, though, and Ivy’s not coming alone. The vampires’ ruling council insists she escort one of the long undead, hell-bent on proving that Rachel killed Cincy’s master vampire to take over the city. Which, of course, Rachel totally did not do. She only transformed her a little.
 
With Rachel’s friends distracted by their own lives and problems, she reaches out to a new ally for help—the demon Hodin. But this trickster has his own agenda. In the end, the only way for Rachel to save herself and the city may be to forge a new understanding with her estranged demon teacher, Al. There’s just one problem: Al would sell his own soul to be rid of her. . . .

Click this link to purchase!* Trouble with the Cursed

#3 BOOK RELEASE

Lucy Score has become one of my go to authors for romantic comedy, so I just have to pick this one up and give it a read! The synopsis looks fun and I’m looking forward to a giggle or two while reading.

Synopsis: Can these opposites turn up the heat… without burning down the house?

House-flipping sensation and YouTube star Maggie Nichols can’t wait to dig into her next challenge. Arriving in tiny Kinship, Idaho, with only a cot and a coffeemaker, Maggie is prepared to restore a crumbling Victorian mansion in four months or less. She has her to-do lists, her blueprints, and her team. What she doesn’t have is time for sexy, laid-back landscaper Silas Wright.

The man takes flirtation to a whole new level. And he does it shirtless…sometimes pants-less. He and his service school-dropout dog are impressively persistent. But she’s not interested in putting down roots. Not when fans tune in to watch her travel the country turning dilapidated houses into dream homes. A short-term fling on the other hand could fit nicely into her calendar. After all, Maggie remembers what fun is like. Vaguely.

As their summer gets downright steamy, Silas manages to demolish the emotional walls she’s spent years building, sending Maggie into a panic. He’s the wrench in her carefully constructed plans. With the end of the project looming, she has a decision to make. But how can she stay when her entire career is built on moving on?

Click this link to purchase!* Maggie Moves On

#2 BOOK RELEASE

I love a good historical with hints of mystery and romance and The Last Dress from Paris looks like it has all of that and more. I can’t wait to dive into this luscious historical.

Synopsis: The secret is hidden within a collection of Dior dresses…

London, 2017. There’s no one Lucille adores more than her grandmother. So when her beloved Granny Sylvie asks for Lucille’s assistance with a small matter, she’s happy to help. The next thing she knows, Lucille is on a train to Paris, tasked with retrieving a priceless Dior dress. But not everything is as it seems, and what Lucille finds in a small Parisian apartment will have her scouring the city for answers to a question that could change her entire life.

Paris, 1952. Postwar France is full of glamour and privilege, and Alice Ainsley is in the middle of it all. As the wife to the British ambassador to France, Alice’s job is to see and be seen—even if that wasn’t quite what she signed up for. Her husband showers her with jewels, banquets, and couture Dior dresses, but his affection has become distressingly elusive. As the strain on her marriage grows, Alice’s only comfort is her bond with her trusted lady’s maid, Marianne. But when a new face appears in her drawing room, Alice finds herself yearning to follow her heart…no matter the consequences.

The City of Light comes alive in this lush, evocative tale that explores the ties that bind us together, the truths we hold that make us who we are, and the true meaning of what makes someone family.

Click this link to purchase!* The Last Dress from Paris

*Amazon Associate- if you purchase a book through one of the above links I’ll receive a small stipend.

#1 BOOK RELEASE FOR JUNE’22

There’s something special about Katrina Leno’s stories. They are just magical. This novel looks like it has all of the elements to be another great young adult novel.

Synopsis: From critically acclaimed author Katrina Leno comes a tender love letter to books and summertime, with a touch of magic.

Anna Lucia Bell believes in luck: bad luck. Bad luck made her best friend stop talking to her. Bad luck caused her parents’ divorce. Bad luck is forcing her mother, Miriam, to sell the family’s beloved bookstore. And it is definitely bad luck that Anna seems to be the only person in the world Miriam is unable to recommend a life-changing book.

When Anna finds out that she and her mom are spending two months in a New England seaside town called Rockport, she expects a summer plagued with bad luck too. But Rockport has surprises in store for Anna, including a comet making its first appearance in over twenty years and two new—but familiar—friends.

In what will prove to be the most important summer of her life so far, Anna learns about love, herself, and the magic that an ordinary summer can bring.

Click this link to purchase!* Sometime in Summer

I hope there are some books your anticipating that will launch your summer reading!

Enjoy.

Deb

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads2 Comments

It’s Monday, what are you reading? (5/2/22)

Happy May everyone! This is the month where so many great books are coming out and I have once again over-asked for ARC’s. I’ve been trying to read ahead but at the same time read for pleasure. I only ask for books I’m looking forward to reading (with a surprise thrown in everyone once in awhile) so it’s tough to choose what’s already on my kindle. I am thrilled that I got a copy of Ilona Andrews upcoming release and despite it not coming out until August, I went ahead and picked it up last night. Let’s get to it!

JUST FINISHED

A debut novel by Carley Fortune, Every Summer After hit all of my hot buttons, making it the perfect beach read. If only I’d been on a beach! Seriously good with a lake setting, this romance made me feel EVERYTHING. I loved it!

JUST STARTED

I literally just started this so don’t really have an opinion yet, but this is one of my favorite writing teams so I’m sure I’m going to enjoy it!

Are you reading a favorite author right now? Who is it? Let me know if it’s a great book.

Happy Monday and happy reading!

Deb

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads

It’s Monday, what are you reading? (4/4/22)

My sister has brought up this fantasy series on Kindle Unlimited multiple times. She only recommends books if they were really good and I made the mistake of starting book #1 last Thursday and boy did I get sucked in! So I’ve spent all my free time reading this series this weekend. I’m on the last book in the series, immediately picking up the next when I finished the previous book. I both love and hate finding great new authors like this. Love it because she has a lot of books I can read, but hate it because I forget about all my other obligations and only want to spend my time reading. I’m going to list the first and second books below if you’re interested.

Thanks again to The Book Date for opening this conversation to book bloggers to talk about the books they read over the last week. It’s a fun conversation, join in!

JUST FINISHED

This fantasy novel series is fast paced with an underdog heroine. Arrow has been rejected by her people, treated horribly, but is the strongest War Mage her people have seen in over a century. This series shows Arrow fighting for peace between the Taellaneth, humans, and shifkin. There’s a lot of action, great character development, and world building. Be prepared to want to read all of them at one time1

JUST STARTED

Book #5 is the last one in the series, whew! What a fabulous series! I’ve stayed up late reading every night and have been hooked in by these characters and Arrow in particular. It’s been great to see her growth into a woman who has confidence. She has come a long way. If you love fantasy novels you need to read this series. Seriously good.

This is what I’ve been reading for the last few days. Are there any books you’ve gotten hooked by?

Happy Monday and happy reading!

Deb

On By deborahkehoeIn A Hot Chick Who Reads8 Comments