I don't know what the author put in this book, but I was entranced and wanted to spend every second of my week reading instead of doing HOLY GOODNESS!
I don't know what the author put in this book, but I was entranced and wanted to spend every second of my week reading instead of doing the mountains of work before me. The characters were amazing, the pacing was phenomenal, and I seriously can't wait to see how everything continues to devolve in book two. Waiting until March is going to be a struggle. ...more
A Song of Ash and Moonlight picks up where A Crown of Ivy and Glass left off. Instead of following Gemma, the story features Farrin, the eldest AshbouA Song of Ash and Moonlight picks up where A Crown of Ivy and Glass left off. Instead of following Gemma, the story features Farrin, the eldest Ashbourne sister with the power to enchant with her voice. Farrin and her family thought they earned a reprieve after the events in the house by the sea, but monsters are stirring in the Mist and their old foe waits in the shadows. Enter Ryder Bask, heir to the rival family, who the queen commands to help the Ashbourne sisters get to the bottom of strange disappearances. As sparks fly and ancient things wake, Farrin must find the power within herself… or die trying.
After being disappointed by the first Middlemist novel, I tried not to get my hopes too high for A Song of Ash and Moonlight, but I was still beyond excited to read this book. Legrand’s Empirum Trilogy remains one of my favorite series of all time and I adored her standalone Winterspell, so I kept hoping ACOIAG was a fluke. After reading ASOAAM, the first novel was unfortunately not a fluke.
My first issue with this novel was the love interest. In theory, I loved Ryder. He was brooding and commanding a little bit barbaric with a hint of a gentleman—the perfect Stark look-alike, if you will. Unfortunately, his character was surface-level. He had no depth or growth, remaining stagnant and boring. The romance between him and Farrin that was supposed to dominate the book felt passionless and instant. A "rival families" set-up offers tension and yearning and mistrust. Rather than capitalizing on the abundance of conflict that would have driven the plot forward, the romance felt rushed and almost too easy.
The side characters also felt like shadows rather than fleshed-out individuals. Part of that may be because the author spent so much time having Farrin explain everyone’s relationships that she forgot to show them. Additionally, the characters spent more time talking than anything else. Don’t get me wrong, I love banter and politics and characters fighting verbally, but there wasn’t conflict in most of the conversations. Instead, there was a lot of worldbuilding and description that did nothing to drive the story forward. In fact, the entire middle section of the book was essentially travel montagues and conversations that needed more conflict to remain interesting.
There were also some smaller plot threads that the author forgot about or let disappear entirely. Collateral damage was massive in this story, but it went completely unaddressed. The only lives that mattered were those of the main cast, and while I understand that page-time can’t be spent on every person who died in the conflict, I wished the characters had reflected on the cost of their decisions. Or at least had to deal with the very real repercussions of their inaction.
Thankfully, the last hundred pages felt like the incredible Claire Legrand novels I love. The pace ramped up, the stakes rose, and there were action scenes. Legrand’s fight scenes are incredibly vivid, and I only wish that there would’ve been more of them in this story. By the last chapter, I couldn’t wait to read book three and escape into the world all over again. Just like the first novel, A Song of Ash and Moonlight set up an amazing sequel. I hope I can love the next book as much as I wanted to love this one.
That being said, this novel—and this series—remains one of the rare honest portrayals of female mental health in fantasy. Farrin was neurodivergent and I loved her way of viewing the world. I could empathize with her anger and grief and fear, and I appreciated that her neurodivergence didn’t disappear the moment it was convenient for the plot. Her struggles felt incredibly real and human. Additionally, the way the author handled intimacy was so amazing I wanted to cry. Without getting into spoilers, Farrin has issues with physical contact, and Ryder responded perfectly. There was no judgment or harshness or condemnation: only understanding. I may not have liked how quickly the romance developed, but I nevertheless appreciated how physical intimacy was handled.
All in all, I enjoyed most of A Song of Ash and Moonlight. I’m so glad that most of the early reviews have been positive and that readers are able to fall in love with the story more than I did. For those who loved A Crown of Ivy and Glass; you’ll love this one even more. For those who are new to Legrand’s work, I highly recommend reading Furyborn because this book’s premise is just a little too good to be true.
An e-ARC was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions remain my own....more
The middle of this book was wonderful! I loved the banter and how the characters interacted. I didn't love the start (it felt like a rehash of book onThe middle of this book was wonderful! I loved the banter and how the characters interacted. I didn't love the start (it felt like a rehash of book one) and the ending was too rushed, but I definitely had fun reading this book!...more
So I'm the first to admit that this book is a little outside my wheelhouse. I'm certainly a fantasy reader, but I tend to read romantasy or YA fantasySo I'm the first to admit that this book is a little outside my wheelhouse. I'm certainly a fantasy reader, but I tend to read romantasy or YA fantasy or fantasy closely linked to a historical time period rather than loosely inspired by one. I tried this book on the suggestion of a friend, so it's not really something I would've picked out for myself. That said, the story felt disjointed and difficult to follow.
The Ruin of Kings is told through two timelines, one third person narrative in the past and another first person narrative that starts in the present and moves forward. Since both narratives followed the same person, I felt that the main character lost character development because he was always at multiple parts of his development. I couldn't get attached to him because each chapter had a different version of him.
Ancestry and family lineage is crucial to the story but I could barely keep track of who was related to who and how (and I say that as someone who can follow godly parentage charts from antiquity and who enjoys learning about Medieval kings). Many of the side characters were pretty well developed but because of the interlocking timelines, it was hard to get attached.
Lyons is an exceptional writer---what this book lacked to me was storytelling. Since I couldn't connect with the characters, I didn't care as much about the story. The writing was excellent and the worldbuilding was magnificent, I just couldn't connect to the characters. ...more
With witty writing, shifting alliances, and love so dangerous it could destroy the world, The Monster’s Shattered Darkness offers everything a romantaWith witty writing, shifting alliances, and love so dangerous it could destroy the world, The Monster’s Shattered Darkness offers everything a romantasy reader not afraid of the dark side could crave. This novel jumps in right where Starkeeper left off, plunging readers back into a world of magic and corruption that is impossible to ignore. Since I want you to go read this series, I won’t get into specifics, but let’s just say, I was excited to see this novel in my inbox! And goodness, it did not disappoint.
What made this book was the character development. Much of the conflict was internal (though there was a complex overarching storyline—we’ll get to that in a minute), so Johnston’s ability to craft layered and lovable characters was key. Readers already fell in love with Kyra in book one, but this novel took her to a higher level. Her journey to strength involved the worst kind of pain, and Johnston handled the matter with care and heart-wrenching honesty that could cause even Trick to cry.
Speaking of our love interest, Trick Michael is who every dark hero thinks he is. On steroids. Times a thousand. When I say that he is dark, I mean DARK. If you have sensitivities or are new to the genre, please check the trigger warnings before diving into this series. Yet despite the darkness and violence in Kyra and Trick’s relationship, I never read it as abuse (which is very very difficult to do in the dark romance genre). Consent was always clear, safewords were emphasized and respected, and both characters knew when they needed to check-in. It wasn’t a normal dynamic by far but both characters became better because of the other. Growth was valued almost as much as passion and the author never ignored mental health in favor of telling an easier story.
The characters are what makes this series so wonderful, but the plot is nothing to shrug at either. While the pacing was a little slow in the middle, I understand the necessity of focusing on character development. The Monster’s Shattered Darkness felt like a transitional novel that set up so many interesting and terrifying things that I can’t wait to uncover in book three. The world expands, the character cast grows, and the stakes multiply. Throughout, the writing remained poetic and engaging, with whole sections I wanted to display in a museum. The dialogue was great (duh), as were the group dynamics that started to be established near the end. All in all, I adored this novel and can’t wait to dive into whatever H.G. Johnston has in store next!
Read if you like… ✨Touch her and you die ✨I would burn down the world for you ✨We’re both villains, and that’s okay ✨Good mental health representation ✨I have decided that we are friends, so we are friends ✨Pain for… certain purposes ✨Morally gray (or maybe just morally black, it remains to be seen) ✨Ancient gods and dangerous secrets and horrors beginning to wake up ✨No one else will ever hurt you ✨Hurt/comfort often at the same time ✨ Rhys but make him evil. And kinky.
An e-ARC was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions remain my own....more
GUYS PLEASE GO READ THIS SERIES! You will laugh and cry and swoon and love every minute of it. Here’s some quotes to convince you if that wasn’t enougGUYS PLEASE GO READ THIS SERIES! You will laugh and cry and swoon and love every minute of it. Here’s some quotes to convince you if that wasn’t enough:
“From now until the day I die, and every day after, I am yours”
“As he drifted off beside her, his hand still grasping hers, he said one last prayer, a quiet and short one. He prayed that this right here—this girl, this blessing—would last forever.
“Talk about her again,” Darien said, his words lethally quiet, “I’ll make you bleed.”
“He’d lived to tell of his time in this place, and he would live to tell of it again. As long as he didn’t allow himself to feel afraid, there was nothing to fear.”
“My destination has always been you.”
“You affected me in a way no one ever has. And as the days wore on, and I got to see all the vulnerable and beautiful parts of you, I didn’t just want to be your friend, I wanted to be your best friend. I wanted to be the first thing you thought of when you woke up and the last thing that crossed your mind before you fell asleep. Your laugh and your smile lit up a part of me that had been dark for so long. You brought light into my life, and even though I knew that I could never deserve you, I didn’t want to let you go. Even the thought of being separated from you made it difficult to breathe. I wanted you to let me love you. I wanted to give you the world, because you had become mine.”...more
AMAZING! Carissa Broadbent never ceases to make readers fall in love with her intricate worlds and complex characters. Here are some of my favorite quAMAZING! Carissa Broadbent never ceases to make readers fall in love with her intricate worlds and complex characters. Here are some of my favorite quotes:
“This is the tale of how a chosen one falls. She does it screaming, clawing for her old life with broken fingernails. She does it slowly, over the course of decades. And in the end, she takes the whole forsaken world with her.”
“It is an injustice, Mische, that this is what you got when you asked for love,” he murmured. “This isn’t what love should feel like.”
"I just played the notes that sounded like you.”
“We all have ghosts in our pasts, Iliae. We can’t give them the power to define our futures, too.”
“Do you think that I don’t know what darkness is?” I said. “Why? Because I smile too much? Because I talk too much? It’s my choice to be the way that I am. A choice that I make even when it’s hard. That doesn’t make me weak, Asar.”
“I liked to watch Asar smile. It felt like a victory every time. I traced its path across his face now and wondered when I’d memorized the shape of it.”
"To all the broken souls who just need someone to listen."
“But faith meant that you never stopped letting yourself hope, even if it hurt.”
“Look at all that a sunrise can mean. We survived another night. And no matter what, the dawn will always come for us. Never forget that.”
“She had given her life to spreading the light. She had reached out to countless broken souls. She’d seen time and time again that no matter how dark a person’s past, a little flicker of light still shone in every single heart.”...more
I would’ve adored this book at 13. The worldbuilding was unique and well-defined and the message, though obvious, was good. The characters, however, wI would’ve adored this book at 13. The worldbuilding was unique and well-defined and the message, though obvious, was good. The characters, however, were rather depthless and predictable, with the villain being almost laughably so. The pacing of the plot was good, even if the story itself was predictable. All in all, this novel was fun and unique but it didn’t blow me away. ...more
Princess Jasalyn has the power of death at her fingertips. She traded her soul for a death-cursed kiss, and after being (mostly) kidnapped, she makes Princess Jasalyn has the power of death at her fingertips. She traded her soul for a death-cursed kiss, and after being (mostly) kidnapped, she makes a deal with the rebel leader Kendrick; she’ll help him overthrow the corrupt rulers of his world if he helps her kill the wicked king who haunts her nightmares. It’s supposed to be a simple bargain, but nothing is simple about the way Kendrick makes Jas feel.
To avoid an uproar about the missing princess, Felicity, Kenderick’s adopted sister and a shape-shifter of the highest order, takes Jas’s place. Felicity is sent to live at the court of King Misha and ordered to seduce him to find a portal home. But her feelings start to get too real, and she’s left with an impossible choice: save the kingdom or tell the truth to the only man she’s ever loved?
Beneath These Cursed Stars by Lexi Ryan is everything readers want a YA fantasy to be. There’s banter, loveable characters, forbidden romance, danger, and a dash of hidden loyalties. I’d say it fulfills the traditional YA fantasy almost too well and uses so many tropes that it became predictable. Don’t get me wrong, I had so much fun reading this book. But I also knew exactly what would happen less than a third of the way through. Every twist was so common that it would’ve been more surprising for the twists not to happen. That being said, I still enjoyed my time reading, I just wish the story could’ve been a little more original.
Since this book is told from two perspectives, readers have two very different plot arcs to fall in love with. My favorite storyline certainly belonged to Felicity. I loved watching her deal with who she was and betraying her heart over serving her kingdom. The battle between free will and destiny was expertly done, as was her internal conflict. She wasn’t traditionally strong, yet I loved her ability to understand the people around her and act accordingly. The last fifty pages or so of her story were a bit rushed (I could’ve used a little more development, both with her character and the plot), but the majority of her story was fun.
While Felicity’s arc is set at court, Jas faces her adventure on the road. I enjoyed watching her battle with her power and autonomy, and embrace who she was. Her character growth was off the charts, and watching her deal (or not deal as the case may be) with her trauma truly felt human. I didn’t like that she was so willing to leave her sister behind after spending the first twenty pages professing her love for her sister, but then again, everyone makes mistakes.
The romances in this book were fun but they could’ve been great. Neither couple had chemistry in the beginning, so it was hard to believe that they fell in love. I adored the internal conflict that romantic feelings caused each character and how they each reacted uniquely, but I didn’t fully buy that they were falling in love.
At the end of the day, Beneath These Cursed Stars is a book I’d happily recommend for anyone new to YA fantasy. As a veteran of the genre, I unfortunately didn’t love it as much as I would’ve a few years ago. Don’t get me wrong, I had fun reading this novel. But it was just a little too easy to recognize the story’s flaws.
An e-ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions remain my own....more
Death has been trapped in a tower all her life. The daughter of a tyrannical queen, Morena is the chosen descendant of the Fates, marked since birth tDeath has been trapped in a tower all her life. The daughter of a tyrannical queen, Morena is the chosen descendant of the Fates, marked since birth to become Death Herself. Turned into a weapon, her life takes a turn when she meets the other two Fates, uniting to stop her wicked mother once and for all. With magic, destiny, romance, sisterhood, and incredible worldbuilding, Queens of Moirai is everything you could want in a debut.
I absolutely adored the main character of this novel. Morena walked the line between vulnerability and strength perfectly, and watching her grow up was delightful. I loved how she had to work for her powers to come to life and that she didn't trust love when it was laid at her feet. Her dynamic with her siblings was wonderful and realistic, and I can't wait to see their relationships grow.
What grounds the story most is the sisterhood between the three Fates. Vitess and Serene were characters who could stand on their own, but who gained even greater depth when around Morena. While she was certainly the central character, I appreciated that the other Fates never felt like mere plot devices to drive the story forward.
Speaking of the plot, it had just the right amount of action and character development. There was never a dull moment, and I found myself constantly flipping to the next chapter. My only issue is that the ending felt a bit rushed and I didn't love the twist, but that can certainly be smoothed over in book two. The worldbuilding was expertly crafted; though the audience read plenty of details,, it never felt like info-dumping. There are some questions I would've liked answered in greater depth, but since this is only book one, I can live without answers for now. Overall, Queens of Moirai was an excellent introduction to a fantastic world, and I can't wait to see what the rest of the series has in store.
I recieved an e-ARC from the author via BookSirens in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions remain my own....more
WARNING: Grammatical and spelling errors that I couldn't feel bothered to correct below.
“We are the gods of our own universes, aren't we? Destructive WARNING: Grammatical and spelling errors that I couldn't feel bothered to correct below.
“We are the gods of our own universes, aren't we? Destructive ones.”
I honestly can't tell you if I loved this book or not. The characters were incriedble, and I was swept away while reading, but nothing really happened. For hundreds of pages, people would just talk in a room about the theory of magic. Yes, the theory they were discussing changed, but not enough to keep the middle of the novel intresting. I'm a nerd in almost every possible way, but disscussions over the magic of time relativtity couldn't even keep my full attention for longer than a few paragraphs. That being said, the characters were absolutely incredible.
“She was afraid, always, except when she was proving herself.”
Libby --> Lawful Good My poor sweet anxious nerd. I liked Libby a lot, and even though the other characters didn't share my opinion, watching her grow into her confidence was incredible. I like how she plays by the rules, and questions her own value in taking up space. Her struggle is reletable and human, despite the power she holds. Her relationship with Nico was by far my faviorte part of the book. Honestly, I'd love to read a novel about them at NYUMA because the banter would be off the charts.
“The day you are not a fire,” he said, “is the day the earth will fall still for me.”
Nico --> Chaotic Good His humor made the novel so much more fun! Watching him be sarastic and protective, talented and uncertain, was more fun that it should have been. I only wish his character arc had been given more time to develop, and felt that he was sidelined a bit too much. His arc with Gideon was more intresting than the main storyline, and would've made the book better if it had been emphasized more.
“Nothing anyone sees is real; only how they perceive it.”
Tristain --> Lawful Neutral Tristian would have been more intresting if Callum and Parisia weren't the characters telling the majorty. As intellegent as he claimed to be, he was constantly being manipulated, which I didn't love. It was intresting to see others take advantage of his insecurities, and I can only hope he grows a backbone in the next book.
“There was nothing more dangerous than a woman who knew her own worth.”
Parisia --> True Neutral I liked the idea of her character more than the reality (which is probably something Parisia would approve of). The audience never got to see her vunerabilities, so every time she did something horrible, there was no way to sympathize, and every time she did something good, it came out of nowhere. I loved that she was self-servining, but wished she was humanized a little more.
More intresting than the game is the players.
Callum --> Neutral Evil He could die and I would laugh.
“Depending who viewed it, Persephone had either been stolen or she had run from Demeter. Either way, she made herself queen.”
Reina --> Neutral Good REINA SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN MORE PAGE TIME! She's a highly intellegent classics nerd who might as well be the reincarnetaion of a goddess. So why was she sidelined in favor of Callum and Parisia? The universe will never know. I liked her resitance to her power, and the way she intentiontaly isolated herself from the others in the name of protection. Hopefully, she takes on a greater role in future books.
Gideon --> Cinamon Role If someone hurts Gideon, they die. End of story.
“The promise of your talents is nothing compared to whatever you ultimately prove to be.”
Overall, I was invested in the characters despite the lack of a plot. These characters feel real in ways that seldom occur in stories, and watching their development is worth the lack of an external conflict. This book isn't one that you can turn your brain off too, though I did feel smart when I put the pieces together a few pages before the characters. If you like books that will make you think and ponder the meaning of existance, then The Atlas Six is defintely for you. I will certinaly be continuing with the series, though I'm still not entirely sure I'll enjoy it....more
HOLY GOODNESS! This book was everything I didn't know I needed. Let's see, we have....
☽◯☾ Enemies-to-lovers ☽◯☾ Rival families ☽◯☾ Personal vendetta ☽◯☾ HOLY GOODNESS! This book was everything I didn't know I needed. Let's see, we have....
☽◯☾ Enemies-to-lovers ☽◯☾ Rival families ☽◯☾ Personal vendetta ☽◯☾ If enemy, why hot? ☽◯☾ I hate that I love you ☽◯☾ Lawyer witches ☽◯☾ British countryside ☽◯☾ Complicated family dynamics ☽◯☾ High society ☽◯☾ Medevial taverns ☽◯☾ Moral questions ☽◯☾ ROMANCE! ☽◯☾ A love intrest that is a mix between Nikolai Latsov and what fanfiction seems to think Draco Malfoy is (seriously people, Gabriel has the charm, looks, accent, power, and obession to rival any romantasy love intrest) ☽◯☾ Clear, obvious, stated consent ☽◯☾ A badass main heroine who is kind without being a pushover ☽◯☾ "I'll let the rest of the world burn to save you." ☽◯☾ They're both a little evil? ☽◯☾ Whip-smart dialouge ☽◯☾ A simple plot that managed to still be unpredictable
If you like fantasy romance, charming yet villanous heros, strong heroines, and/or books that will keep you smiling until the very end, I'd highly recomened The Twisted Mark by Sophie Williamson. I can't wait to read the rest of the series!
An e-ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions remain my own....more
When Gwen stays home after a messy breakup, she never expects her house to catch on fire. Or her cat to open a portal to the world of Avalon, which isWhen Gwen stays home after a messy breakup, she never expects her house to catch on fire. Or her cat to open a portal to the world of Avalon, which is stuck centuries in the past. As she falls through the portal, she draws the attention of Mordred, the cruel prince who rules the land and keeps magic imprisoned. Loosely based off of Arthurian lore (ignoring the French versions), To Charm a Dark Prince combines Outlander and the infamous Camelot to create a fantasy romance that is a delight to escape into.
Gwen survived and made friends by being kind. Now, I understand that kindness is powerful and absolutely a strength, but Gwen was also rather passive. My main issue with the story was that she didn't really seem to be an active agent in it. Things happened to her; she didn't happen to the setting. Some readers enjoy passive characters, and there's nothing technically wrong with a passive FMC, I just prefer heroines who take an active role in their stories.
Also, Gwen supposedly suffers from panic attacks, but they only happen when it's plot relevant and logical. As someone who has dealt with anxiety, my experience (which is by no means universal--there's no wrong or right way to feel) is that panic attacks are not convenient and they certainly aren't something to be used to make a character more approachable to a love interest. Anxiety is a real disorder, and while creating characters who struggle with it is crucial to removing stigma, allowing the disorder to be ignored or brushed over once it no longer becomes plot important doesn't help anyone.
That being said, I loved the dialogue and the construction of Avalon. As someone who loves Arthurian lore, I appreciated that the author created a world that while based in mythology can stand on its own and doesn't require a ton of explanation. The focus of the novel is on romance, so the details of the magic system weren't necessary, and I'm glad the author didn't include them just to wrack up the word count.
Overall, To Charm A Dark Prince was a fun, relaxing way to spend a few hours. Though far from perfect, it was transportative, and I didn't notice I had finished reading until the very last chapter. Fans of fantasy romance, Arthurian lore, dark and broody heroes, and whip-smart dialogue will certainly want to pick this one up!
An e-ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions remain my own....more