A heart-wrenching, adventurous tale that weaves breathless moments of risk and danger with the agony of loss and heartbreak. I am always feral for a bA heart-wrenching, adventurous tale that weaves breathless moments of risk and danger with the agony of loss and heartbreak. I am always feral for a bit of political scheming and hidden betrayals, and The Curse of Ophelia absolutely delivered! I cannot wait to dive into book two!...more
Bold, sweeping, and heart-wrenchingly romantic, Forever Reign provides a gloriously epic conclusion to what is by far one of my favorite romantic fantBold, sweeping, and heart-wrenchingly romantic, Forever Reign provides a gloriously epic conclusion to what is by far one of my favorite romantic fantasy duologies. Driven by a cast of beautiful, flawed characters and held together by stunning prose, V.B. Lacey has created a world and a story I would be happy to get lost in, again and again....more
i'm not even going to try to write a coherent review. i'll either say something insane or wildly inappropriate.
just... read this. read this series. i i'm not even going to try to write a coherent review. i'll either say something insane or wildly inappropriate.
just... read this. read this series. i love the fantasy genre so flipping much and this has the richness, the depth, the air of life that i crave. the characters are flawed and imperfect and frustrating, but they feel so real. and I LOVE THIS SO MUCH.
I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this bad boy, and I can firmly say that you need to add it to your tbr ASAP. Witchy, forHoly cannoli, Kristen.
I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this bad boy, and I can firmly say that you need to add it to your tbr ASAP. Witchy, foresty vibes, a beautiful, vibrant unique world, an FMC who is struggling through her trauma in a very real way...I love it all. Add in the cheeky MMC who is literally a blend of Flynn Ryder and Robin Hood as well as a fun cast of other side characters and I am SOLD.
I'm also still screaming over the ending. I CALLED IT. I BLOODY CALLED IT. AHHHHHH I NEED BOOK TWO--
Anyways. This comes out Sept. 20. Read it!!!!...more
*Big shouts to Car for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
4.5 ⭐️
Ugh. Where do I even begin? This duet is literally the perfect poster-child for *Big shouts to Car for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
4.5 ⭐️
Ugh. Where do I even begin? This duet is literally the perfect poster-child for the found family trope. Yes, there's romance. Yes, there's lots of action and demons and fighting and cursing. But what really makes this duology something special are the friendships and how those friendships become family worth dying for.
I want to spend a drunken night playing Odds with the mercs. I want to have a night out with the Rangers. I want to have silent conversations in my head with my soul-bonded best friend. I WANT IT ALL.
My only, teensy gripe is some struggles I had with the pacing, but those issues are minor and more than overlooked by the characters within these pages. I'm such a slut for a character-driven story, and this was another great one.
Car, I'm so proud of you for telling this story. I can't wait to read more of what is floating in your mind (which...did we get some sneak peaks? ...more
Cass has blessed us with a beautiful, cozy story about trauma, grief, healing, and finding a family that extends beyond your blood. Character-driven aCass has blessed us with a beautiful, cozy story about trauma, grief, healing, and finding a family that extends beyond your blood. Character-driven and delectable, this is one I took my time with as I went on Aurelia's journey with her, hand-in-hand. It's so rare to find a stand-alone fantasy that has all the elements we love and crave, and for that I 10/10 recommend picking this one up.
As an aside - Cass, I'm so bloody proud of you ...more
Yeah I’m crying lol let me compose myself and I’ll be back.
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Okay I'm back. Took me long enough.
My first point is that when it comes tYeah I’m crying lol let me compose myself and I’ll be back.
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Okay I'm back. Took me long enough.
My first point is that when it comes to writing quality in the fantasy romance genre, this is the cream of the crop. The best of the best. Lyrical, captivating, and stunning. Something I have been missing from my recent reads has been an exceptional use of language (because words are cool, and sometimes we aren't the best at using them), but this book and this series just scratched that itch for masterful writing.
Next, the characters. I'm still reeling. What beautiful, dynamic people who each felt so imperfectly perfect that it shredded my poor little soul. If you are a character reader, and also love to see a satisfying ending for those characters, then this is the book and series for you.
The plot was...a little lacking. Idk. Don't ask me why I feel that way, I just do. Maybe it was the lack of a clear, driving antagonist (or maybe there was? it all just felt a bit murky). Maybe it was the complexity of the magic system and the fact that I still don't understand the difference between a Valtain and a Solarie or how either of them comes into existence (is it genetic? is it random? is it a blessing, or a curse? I read over 2,000 pages and honestly couldn't tell you LOL). However, due to the high quality of the writing and the superiority of the characters, I was able to look past all of this and still enjoy the hell out of this book and this series.
If you are a fan of fantasy romance and are craving something with writing that will knock your socks off, look no further. You'll find everything you're looking for, right here between these pages....more
But in all seriousness...holy cannoli this was an absolute rollercoaster. So much happened that when I think back to the beginning of Someone hold me.
But in all seriousness...holy cannoli this was an absolute rollercoaster. So much happened that when I think back to the beginning of this book, I think to myself, "no, that definitely happened in book 1, that can't be all in the same book." But...it was. It was all in the same book. Again, someone hold me.
What I want to say to our big three main characters:
Tisaanah, it's okay to be vulnerable and to show fear.
Max, it's okay to be willing to fight for something bigger than yourself.
Aefe, there is nothing wrong with you. Nothing.
That's all I got. I still don't fully understand the magic system, and tbh it really only got more complicated in this book, but at this point I'm so effing invested in these characters that I don't care. I need to go collect the little pieces of myself off the floor before I dive into the final book in this trilogy. I have a feeling I will never be the same after I finish this journey....more
I would like to preface this by saying holy cannoli this was entertaining as hel and I had a blast and a half reading it.
Something about this was bothI would like to preface this by saying holy cannoli this was entertaining as hel and I had a blast and a half reading it.
Something about this was both so whimsical and unique, yet familiar and comforting. Fantasy romance girlies, all of the boxes get checked with this one: Fae, magic, multi-dimensional traveling, an axe-wielding heroine, mercenaries, and an alpha-hole love interest. If you're like me and you go feral for all of those things, pick this one up because I no joke *inhaled* it.
Oh, lest I forget the emotional TRAUMA that this put me through. Yes, I sobbed. No, I'm still not okay. I want a do-over, but also, I get it. Yeesh, give a girl some warning next time before you absolutely gut her and leave her emotions laying all over the floor in a helpless puddle.
My main critique touches on plot and pacing. In the first half, there is a lot of world and character building (to be expected in a fantasy), but there was almost no plot-related conflict. I was enjoying myself, sure, but I also had no real idea what the big issue was here and where things were going until the second half. I don't think the main antagonist even got introduced until well over halfway. I just would have liked to see *more* of that high stakes action in the early chapters, rather than staking it all in at the end. The Big Bad Guy ended up feeling a little weak sauce because the hype of his character didn't start until so late in the story, and I had trouble actually feeling scared or nervous of him.
In sum, another fun fantasy romance that will cause you emotional pain - just my type. Also, support indie authors, so if you're a fan of the genre and looking for your next read, 10/10 give this one a go!...more
THIS. THIS IS WHAT ADULT FANTASY ROMANCE IS SUPPOSED TO BE.
Sorry for the yelling. My friends, once again, I am here writing a review for this series aTHIS. THIS IS WHAT ADULT FANTASY ROMANCE IS SUPPOSED TO BE.
Sorry for the yelling. My friends, once again, I am here writing a review for this series and saying "I'M OBSESSED." Because, well, I am.
The plot. The reveals. The twist on the myth of King Midas. THE SPICE. All of it had me squealing and screaming and crying and all around freaking out. Not to mention the prose - so well done, so unique, so wonderfully descriptive that I can envision this world of magic and politics and love and loss as if I am there, living in it, experiencing all that Auren does.
I only have a few complaints, and they are mostly me being nit-picky. (1) Some of the colloquial phrases, while enjoyable, felt out of place in this fantasy world. (2) The world-building was great, but it had me wishing I could see *more* of this land we are in. Based on the cliffhanger I have a feeling we are going to get that *more* in the fourth book, but ya know. I just found myself craving it NOW.
Finally, to end on a positive. Chapters 28-31 have to be some of the MOST DELICIOUS CHAPTERS I HAVE EVER READ. Yeah. I said what I said. It's official - Commander Rip is now one of my top book boyfriends.
Anywho. If you are a lover of fantasy romance (i.e., Sarah J Maas, et. al.), read this. Just do it. Or don't, but honestly this is one of my favorite reads of the year now and I'm obsessed and I would hate for you to miss out....more