Rating- 4 stars (E-ARC) Many thanks to Hodder and Stoughton , NetGalley and the author for letting me have an E-ARC of this book.
This book has been one Rating- 4 stars (E-ARC) Many thanks to Hodder and Stoughton , NetGalley and the author for letting me have an E-ARC of this book.
This book has been one of my ancippated reads of 2025 and I have been really looking forward to reading this book. When I got a early copy, I was really excited to delve in. It was such a unique experience from the world building and even the magic system. The world building was really interesting. I am hoping that in the final copy that a map has been included as I would have loved to be able to refer back when reading this book. The magic system was also really unique. The tarot cards and the history behind the magic and things in the world in the world were easy to understand and even included a glossary at the back where all the magic from the cards was explained. I only found it at the end of the novel but if you are looking for the magic to be explained when reading this will be really helpful for you.
I also especially loved to see the Star Crossed Club where you could really see the fond family shine through. I especially LOVED that there was a character that used a cane throughout. As someone who is disabled herself, the disability reprensation was lovely to see. I can not wait to see more of the star crossed club in the next book. All in all, this book was brilliant and left me on the edge of my seat during the last couple of chapters. I did not predict the ending and left me shook but this book was such a unique and different experience I honestly did not know what to expect. The problem is now- I need book 2 desperately....more
Rating- 4 stars (E-ARC) Many thanks to NetGalley and Del Ray Team for letting me have a E-ARC of this book. What a lovely novella. I really enjoyed thisRating- 4 stars (E-ARC) Many thanks to NetGalley and Del Ray Team for letting me have a E-ARC of this book. What a lovely novella. I really enjoyed this standalone that was based around Celia who realises that she has magic the day her oldest brother leaves home. It led to a prochey- a outburst at the outrage that her brother is leaving which led her brother to a life without love. While her brother travels the world and only seeks to find fame and glory instead of the love that he desperately should have , Celia sets out to find a end to the curse. But before she can reverse the curse, she has to learn centuries of history between her people and the summerlings. Can Celia reverse the curse? Or will it be too late.
The world building was exquisite throughout. It was whimsical and was such a great fairy tale. I did get Holly Black vibes throughout too. I could have happily sat and read so much. It could have been so much longer than a novella. If you are looking for something short to add to your reading list for September this would be perfect....more
Rating- 3.5/4 stars (Physical Book) (Slight Spoilers) I really wanted to rate this so much higher and not be between 3.5 and 4 but it did not live up to Rating- 3.5/4 stars (Physical Book) (Slight Spoilers) I really wanted to rate this so much higher and not be between 3.5 and 4 but it did not live up to my standards. I had been holding off reading this trilogy until I had all the books in paperback so this was a huge let down for me after waiting so long.
Foxglove starts right after Belladonna finishes and has no time skip. I was glad that I had read Belladonna before picking this up. If you are wanting to read Foxglove, please make sure you know what happens in Belladonna. In this book, we get introduced to Fate who is introduced as Death's brother and begin to learn about their rocky relationship. I could instantly tell that this was going to be a love triangle between Signa, Death and Fate where she would be torn between the brothers.
It was going surprisingly well. I was enjoying it and thought that it had a great pace. The book also had another murder to solve. As the book went on, they also believed that Signa was Life. The woman that Fate loved and was taken away by Death as she died. This is where things started to go downhill for me. I knew instantly where this book was heading and personally it was obvious what was going to happen. I cracked it fairly early on what was going on (no spoilers here) and I was just waiting for the penny to drop. There was multiple times I thought the characters would get what was going on but no. I did get through it and when it was finally revealed there was honestly no reaction from the characters. 400+ pages in. Honestly I did not think it would be so easy to guess and I did hold out hope that there would be a twist.
It lost the pace for me and I did find it quite boring as I sloughed through it. There was scenes that I did not think were needed. However, the moments between Signa and Death were lovely and I especially loved seeing Blythe in this book. I am going to finish Wisteria in the series as I do want to read more about Blythe as I did love seeing her point of view in this book. I just wish it was not as highly predicable as it was. (Bonus points to me for knowing plants too)
Rating- 4 stars (Physical Book) I finally finished Silver Elite and I was really ready to come on and say that I was not sure about this book but I was Rating- 4 stars (Physical Book) I finally finished Silver Elite and I was really ready to come on and say that I was not sure about this book but I was pleasantly surprised. I had a fun time with this book which I was not expecting. It was not a five star read by any means but I had a good time and really could see myself reading this in the future.
At the start of the book, I did guess what was going to happen. I guess way too much when it comes to books but maybe I do have a instinct or a ability to pick up on what will happen in books. Let just say that I was right and it really did make me consider if I should have kept reading. The middle of the book I felt was quite stale and did start to get boring- some of the middle parts could have really been left out. Furthermore, the relationship between Cross and Wren was really grating on my nerves as they were literally just friends with benefits and it did not feel like there was any substance to their relationship other them both sleeping together. I was seriously waiting for the penny to drop or for one of them to start communicating with each other WHICH did not happen until the end of the book.
The ending of the book or you could say the last 100 pages of this book really saved it and raised my rating up. There was finally communication between Cross and Wren- but I am still not sure on Cross yet. In the final chapters of the book, he did start to grow on me. The scene where Xavier started talking about the dream- if you know you know. That was so heart-warming yet so sad at the same time and it made me really feel for them both. I just need more of Cross to make a judgement. I would have loved to see his point of view in this book or even in the next book. The last couple of chapters were so explosive (shouldn't say that) with a lot of revelations and really set the next book up. I have so many questions which were not answered in this book. The ending has left me itching for the next book in the series....more
Rating- 3 stars (E-ARC) Many thanks to Little Brown Group, the author and NetGalley for letting me have an E-ARC of this book
I really wanted to love thiRating- 3 stars (E-ARC) Many thanks to Little Brown Group, the author and NetGalley for letting me have an E-ARC of this book
I really wanted to love this book, but it was not the cause. I adored the world building- I thought it was executed really well and really painted a vivid picture of the world in the book. .At times thought I did feel like it went on for too much and I did find skimming parts because it did often repeat in the world building. I always love to read a retelling of the Tudors and was super excited to dive in especially with sapphic reprensation too. Although it was not historically accurate, it was nice to see a retelling in a fantasy world which was filled with dragons, magic etc.
However, this book was not advertised as it was shown. The author really highlighted and emphasises the dragons a lot but when reading the book, there was only lap dragons. I honestly thought that they would have become more into the story but it seemed like it was not the case at all. The sapphic represnation felt off too and felt like it had been added as a tick box. rather than fleshing it out and incrpating into the story.. This book was just not for me and I will not be carrying on with the series....more
Rating- 4.5 stars (Will be on Kindle Unlimited on June 3rd) Wow I really enjoyed this. Coming back to do a review- have a few to catch up on but I reallRating- 4.5 stars (Will be on Kindle Unlimited on June 3rd) Wow I really enjoyed this. Coming back to do a review- have a few to catch up on but I really enjoyed this and was such a lovely change ☺️. Can't wait to read book 2....more
Rating - 4 stars (Physical Book) Honestly I wish that this book was adversited right with part of the shadowhunters novel. It was part of a series for sRating - 4 stars (Physical Book) Honestly I wish that this book was adversited right with part of the shadowhunters novel. It was part of a series for shadowhunters and we only got the first story about Mathew Fairchild and then glorified fanfictions?! I was really interested at the last story the upcoming portal fantasy duology. It was really good and I wish there was so much more to read. But the middle two stories were just fanfiction and I could have done without. I am very glad that Mathew Fairchild did get his happy ending. Only one more Kickstarter book to go....more
Rating- 4.5 stars (E-Arc) Many thanks to the author, NetGalley and Pan Macmillian for the E-Arc. Honestly what a ride it has been with Torj and Wren. As Rating- 4.5 stars (E-Arc) Many thanks to the author, NetGalley and Pan Macmillian for the E-Arc. Honestly what a ride it has been with Torj and Wren. As much as I love Thea and Wilder, these two overtake my heart so much more and surpasses them. I knew after finishing the first book, I had to dive right back into these two and was not disappointed, Although this was a filler book, which I believe are needed in series, this book let Torj and Wren both get their self together (to put it lightly). The moments between Thea and Wren and Torj and Wilder really highlighted the way found family is such a theme through Helen's works. It is needed to undo or unravel miscommunication and the secrets that Torj was carrying. Torj I love you but you were insufferable at times. With no spoilers, I had a feeling I knew what had happened and I would have loved to playfully smack his head.. The ending really set up the finale to Book Three.
But for now, I am going to go back in my corner with my heart empty and cry while I wait for Book 3. From discovering Blood and Steel to The Ashes of Thexmarr it has been a whirlwind of a year. I can not wait to dive back into this world when the time comes for book 3....more
Rating- 5 stars (Physical Book) If I could give this book more than 5 stars, I would because this book was amazing. This was everything I wanted into a Rating- 5 stars (Physical Book) If I could give this book more than 5 stars, I would because this book was amazing. This was everything I wanted into a book- the yearning, the aftereffects of war, fate, the trauma and so much more. This book made me feel all different kinds of emotions from squealing at particular scenes, crying as I could feel how deeply the aftereffects and trauma of the war had left these characters. I never thought I needed this book as much as I did. Sure, I wanted Wren and Torj together it had been so many years but this book holds such a special place in my heart now.
This book starts five years after the events of The Legends of Thezmarr series. It explores and shows both Wren and Torj and how both are coping after the war. In different ways, they are both struggling but neither of them are willing to talk about what transpired in the final battle between them both and what Wren did to save Torj. The book goes back to flashbacks of the times they both had met- one scene where Wren breaks down crying in the Bear Slayers arms.
The journey that Wren went on from the very start of the novel to the end (Torj I love you but we are not best buds currently after what you did) was heart-breaking yet so fulfilling to see. From constantly wanting revenge to getting back to what she always was. A alchemist. The walls that she had built so strongly and was so hard to break to see her have true happiness and the walls to come breaking down that she so kept her guard up. There were scenes where I could not stop crying- hearing Wren call herself broken and be at her breaking point. There was not a dry eye at the end of the book. Even just writing this review, I am still feeling so hungover with this book. I do think this book is one of my favourites this year and honestly I wish I could read this for the very first time again. I loved it so much and can not wait to reread....more
Rating- 3 /3.5 stars (Kindle Unlimited) I randomly found this on Kindle Unlimited around November 2024. The blurb looked really interesting and I could Rating- 3 /3.5 stars (Kindle Unlimited) I randomly found this on Kindle Unlimited around November 2024. The blurb looked really interesting and I could not wait to get around to this on my tbr and was excited to dive deep into a another fantasy world. Unfornately, I really struggled with this book. I really want to love it but I had quite a few issues with it.
This book started off pretty strong. It was great to see both siblings point of views at the school. It was also different to see their childhood and their time at the academy when they were both captured for questioning. It was a different way than what I have experienced in other books. I also loved the disability representation through Everson- It was refreshing to see a main character using mobility aids and braces. I feel that disability representation in fantasy books is not done enough so it was lovely to see this author include it. Although, I have to admit I do not like the way the blurb says that being disabled is a curse.
I am always sucked in when it comes to magic schools but I had issues. I could NOT work out the age rating for this book. On Amazon, it was labelled as YA and was rated for 13 to 18 years old but some of the themes and the things in this novel really did not match the age. I felt the fantasy was hard for the age it was rated for. Not even that, the combat scenes were quite a lot for YA. The conversations between the characters felt so young. It did not even feel like the characters were even YA either. Not even that, there was quite a few mistakes that I noted- characters descriptions did not even match or sentences that did not make sense.
I am so disappointed as I really wanted to love this. There were good elements to this book but then there were issues which really lowered my rating of this book. I do not think that I will be picking up the rest of this series which is a huge shame....more
Rating-4.5 stars (Kindle Unlimited)- Spoilers Down Below With the ending of this book, I have finally finished Shadow and Storms and finished Thea's andRating-4.5 stars (Kindle Unlimited)- Spoilers Down Below With the ending of this book, I have finally finished Shadow and Storms and finished Thea's and Wilder story. Personally, they are not my favourite couple of the series- maybe really loving poteinally Torj and Wren if they do get together but I love love Talemir and Drue. The squeals I did let out when I found out that they had a child together. The scene where he went missing- I honestly went through all the emotions possible. I honestly wish that there was more for Talemir and Drue other than a standalone book. I want more. Helen please can we have more of Drue and Talemir and their little boy?
Enough about them. I did really like the way this book went. I did feel that saving Wilder was really fast but I could understand why due to the time constraint and the ever looming war over them. The way Talemir and Thea both teamed up to save Wilder (brilliant) I honestly can not stop talking about Talemir. The fond family was the highlight of the book- the scenes were brilliant. The battle at the end had me on the edge of my seat and really set up the next story nicely. It is now time for Torj and Wren story which I can not wait. I am so happy that I did pick up this series and will happily reread in the future.
And with this I have finished Thea and Wilder story. I am going to come back and review this properly but I can not wait to get to Torji and Wren next. Haven't decided if I should get the physical or ebooks...more
Rating- 4 stars Honestly since finishing Slaying the Shadow Prince, I can not get enough of this world. Right back to Thea and Wilder and the war that Rating- 4 stars Honestly since finishing Slaying the Shadow Prince, I can not get enough of this world. Right back to Thea and Wilder and the war that is looming over them this definitely was a book that was fast paced and kept me on the edge of my seat. It was nice not to have rentless spice for this book- Book 2 was way way too much for me and instead was nice to see some heart-warming scenes despite a ranging war going on. All in all, it was a great book and super excited to get to book 4. ...more
Rating- 4 stars (Kindle Unlimited) Honestly I was put off reading this book as it was about characters we did not know much about. Characters that were Rating- 4 stars (Kindle Unlimited) Honestly I was put off reading this book as it was about characters we did not know much about. Characters that were only talked about in passing so I had a break from the series. I am now kicking myself for taking a break because I really enjoyed this standalone about Talemir and Drue. I honestly wish that this was longer- I was sad when I finished as I never wanted it to end. The epilogue at the end where we saw a particular character- my heart was full of joy.
I was unable to put this book down and once I started it was hard to stop. This book was so smooth and compared to Blood and Steel I prefer this. Thea and Wilder are okay but for me I prefer Talemir and Drue. I would love to see what is going on currently in their world and what happened after this standalone was set. It was also lovely to see a younger Wilder and Talemir too. I am definitely going to be finishing off this series now....more
Rating- 5 stars (Physical Book) The sequel to SwordCatcher by Cassandra Clare did not disappoint me. It was amazing and was a stunning follow up to the Rating- 5 stars (Physical Book) The sequel to SwordCatcher by Cassandra Clare did not disappoint me. It was amazing and was a stunning follow up to the first book. It did not suffer from the second book syndrome where books are sometimes meh or not as good as the first one. It exceeded so many expectations for me and was a joyful read from start to finish. The twists and the turns mixed with betrayal really kept me on the edge of my seat.
The Ragpicker King is set after a week from SwordCatcher where we are instantly told the events that have transpired during the week that has been missed. We are introduced to lots of new and old characters. We also began to explore characters that were talked about in passing in the first book. We also see new families taking over the Charater and learning what happened to the previous families that held these charters. This book is full of many different characters povs throughout which span over 1/2 pages to give us more insight and understanding into the characters. In the book, we also get to see familiar characters from the first book such as Lin and Conor etc.
This book was everything that I wanted to see in a adult fantasy. I especially loved the Ragpicker King and the people who work for him. Like mentioned before, I was often on the edge of the seat when Kel was working with them as things started to get more and more complicated as the book went on. I really enjoyed Merren and thought he was funny throughout the novel. At the moment I do not think that I can get attached to him in cause anything happens. The relationships also already established was so good too. I am not normally someone who will go for forbidden love trope. However, this might have changed my whole mind completely as Cassie really made it so heart-breaking yet so loving all at the same time. The scenes between the two (not spoiling for people who have not read) were so tender and at times I honestly felt like crying with them as I could feel their heartbreak through the page.
The last 100 pages blew me away. As always, I made theories on how or what way I thought could happen but I would have never guessed the twists at the end. It was non-stop twists and as soon as I got over one another was revealed. I had to put this book down multiple times as I could not believe what was happening. Even hours later after finishing the book, I am still shocked at the ending of this novel. I honestly can not wait for Book 3. I am going to be anxiously waiting until I have the next book in my hands....more
Rating- 3.5/4 stars (Kindle Unlimited) -Slight Spoilers (Mentions of particular scenes) I can officially say that I finally feel immersed in the world oRating- 3.5/4 stars (Kindle Unlimited) -Slight Spoilers (Mentions of particular scenes) I can officially say that I finally feel immersed in the world of Thezmarr. The second book was a lot better than the first. My rating is pretty close to a four not a 3.5 for clafication. The second book did not turn me away and instead answered a lot of the things I needed or wanted answers on. This book was not a five star for me and I had my reasons why.
At the end of Book 1, I felt like the romance between Wilder and Thea was quite rushed. I felt like I needed more about Wilder and I was so glad to find that this book we did find more information out. I did adore the fact that they slowed their relationship right down and was only friends (maybe with certain benefits should I add?) It was nice to know more about Wilder and I could get behind their relationship. There were some lovely moments through the book. Wilder when he washed her hair and the scenes where they just held each other.
But the rentless smut was unnecessary. I do not mind spice in books but I felt like it was used way too much in this book. I am aware that this book was called spiciest however many times I felt like it was not needed or in a weird place. I even felt like it really spoiled some really lovely tender moments between Wilder and Thea. For example, the hair washing scene was lovely but then spice followed and I just felt it was ruined. It just got rentless and I ended up skipping some of it as a result. The book could have really been rededuced down by some of the spice taken out. This really made my rating lower for this book.
I loved the found family throughout the novel. Kipp made me laugh on some many occasions. The scene when both him and Cal walked in was classic. I am hoping that they both make it to the end of the series. I really do not want them to die however Kristopher in books always end up dying like why? Do not be mean. I was also happy to see more of Wren through this book too. I can see a potiental relationship with Torji starting or am I getting it wrong? Also maybe Farissa and Audra too.
The ending and the plot twist at the end of this book had me shocked. I WOULD not have expected that but I am excited to see how this play out. It is going to be super interesting to see how this does pan out. I am excited but nervous for the next book. The emotional impact way of reading this stories is the best way to do so (maybe not but who knows?...more
Many thanks to Random House Publishing for this E-ARC. Thankyou so much for giving me the oppournity to review the second book in the Faebound series.Many thanks to Random House Publishing for this E-ARC. Thankyou so much for giving me the oppournity to review the second book in the Faebound series. Rating- 3.5/4 stars (E-ARC) I read Cursebound back In December last year and when I saw this on NetGalley I knew I had to apply and request this book. I was really happy to see that I had been approved. It was lovely to see a recap at the start of the story which was really helpful. It was great to have a recap as it had been a few months since reading the first book. It was also a clever way to include it by using it as a entry in Lettle's journal. The second book really picked up during the second book but I still had some problems.
I was quite engrossed in Faebound and at times I was unable to put it down. There was multiple povs throughout the book where we saw characters from the first book and new povs from new characters such as Alder. The pacing was good and did more feel like a filler book. The second book in fantasy books often are fillers book but this added more content and set more problems up. I did feel that the dialogue was forced at times especially when the scenes were often repeated. For example, you would see a scene from one character point of view and then the same scene would be repeated. For most chapters, you were reading the same scene. I did enjoy the multiple povs that were presented throughout the novel. I really enjoyed Alder's and Golan point of views.
It was interesting to see what happened after the events of Book 1. Lettle was a lot of fun this time around and how she was coping with her diviner abilities. There was a lot of romance in this book and you could see the established romance between the characters. I did feel that the romance felt flat- it felt super underdeveloped which I think was partly due to the mistrust and the miscommunication that the characters practically had to each other. The romance I felt would have been better if the characters were more developed and there was not as much miscommunication. I don't know. I did however love one of the side characters romance (both weren't underdeveloped) which I would happily take a novella of these two. Although I guessed on some of the things that happened in this book (sixth sense with fantasy books) I was really shocked at some of the twists during Faebound. The twist at the ending shocked me. I was not expecting that and left me with questions and answers.
I feel so conflicted about this series where I find some elements amazing while others lack for me. The world building was outstanding once again. The author shines when it comes to world building and really knows how to make you feel immersed in this world. It also has amazing disability, queer, non-binary and POC representation. Like mentioned before, the characters do feel underdeveloped. I felt like the ages of the characters did not match the age or the way they were acting in this book. Too much miscommunication and very stupid decisions.
I am worried how everything will be able to be resolved in the next book as I feel there is so much to wrap up. It makes me wonder if the next book will be a lot bigger than the first two if there is going to be a third book. I did enjoy this book but there was things that made me question yet I still enjoyed it at the same time....more
Rating- 3.5/4 stars (Kindle Unlimited) I went into this series blind and only just briefly looked over the blurb before starting this book. This book waRating- 3.5/4 stars (Kindle Unlimited) I went into this series blind and only just briefly looked over the blurb before starting this book. This book was great- I did have quite a rocky start but as I got further into the book it got better as it went on. At one point, it was hard for me to put this book down.
I could see the Witcher vibes throughout the novel which made me happy because I have been looking for a fantasy series that does have Witcher vibes. I could really see it with the Warswords. However personally for me, I found this book way too predictable which is nothing against this book at all. I have always had a sixth sense when it comes to books and always guess what will happen ...more
Rating- 4 stars (Novella- Found on Newsletter) "A true man won't cut you down as you fight your battles, nor will he fight them for you. A true man willRating- 4 stars (Novella- Found on Newsletter) "A true man won't cut you down as you fight your battles, nor will he fight them for you. A true man will help sharpen your sword, guard your back and fight at your side, in the face of whatever darkness comes."
What a solid start to the series! I really enjoyed learning about the main character in her younger years. It also helped to set a scene and start a background of what is to come. It also made me wary of some characters- Barlowe I'm looking at you ...more