March 2023
6 books ใป3410 views ๐
Starlight Jewel: Gifts of the Auldtree, First Book
E.L. Lyons
Rating
Notes:
Starlight Jewel @lyons_pen
"๐พ๐๐๐ ๐
๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐
๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ - ๐๐๐๐
๐๐๐
๐๐๐
๐-๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐'๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐? ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐
๐๐'๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐?"
Before starting this review I have you give a huge thankyou to the author for sending me this BEAUTIFUL hardback copy of the book.
I have to say, I found it quite hard to read in the beginning because there is alot of world building. I had the same experience with SJM crescent city and after a few chapters I was totally sucked into Axlys world and how much we needed that world building in the beginning!
Our MC- Axly- The Starlight Jewel, raised by the Starlight Company to be an assassin come seductress who inherits gifts such as sharper hearing, soundless footsteps etc from her father- Roarik, king of the sprygans, will stop at nothing to protect the one she loves the most. Even if it means killing her company brothers. But falling in love with her mark is the last thing she expects to do, especially when he gets effaced (memories of her wiped)... Again.
Grim, Axlys mark, is such an incredible character and even though he isnt the main character, I believe he stole the book for me. He is very straight talking, stand offish and prim and proper. Making him and Axly the most unlikely of couples.
I also love Gregs power to look into the glass and the connection between the glass from Axlys shoes! Gregs growth through the book is great as he starts to use his power in new ways and starts to live in a world where he isn't running all the time-he finally has a home. Until it gets taken away suddenly.
My other most favorite characters are Henry,Baj and Cira'lav!
The whole books is incredibly well written, well thought out and well structured. It's such an intricately woven story that I couldn't help but get lost in it! It did take alot of concentration as there is such alot going on under the surface but I loved it!
There are so many underlying little Easter eggs of cinderella in this book but with a much much darker side!
โญโญโญโญ. 5/โญโญโญโญโญ
Rule of the Aurora King
Nisha J. Tuli
Rating
Notes:
Rule of the Aurora King- @nishajtwrites
"... สธแตแต แตโฟแตแต แตแต. สธแตแต แตสณแต แตสธ หขแตแตสณ, แตสธ แตแตแตโฟ, แตสธ สฐแตแตสณแต. แดต สทแตโฟแต แตแต หกแตแตแต สธแตแต แตโฟแต แถ แตแถแต สธแตแต แตโฟแต แถสฐแตสณโฑหขสฐ สธแตแต แถ แตสณ แตแตแตสณสธ แตแตสธ แตแถ แตสธ หกโฑแถ แต."
So anyone who knows me will know that I am OBSESSED with everything Nisha writes.
After being an ARC reader for Trial of the Sun Queen (which if you haven't read it yet.... I HIGHLY recommend, like, eugh, you NEED it in your life), I obviously jumped at the chance to once again be an ARC reader for book 2, Rule of the Aurora King and I devoured it within a few days!
I can't even tell you how I feel about this book in a rational, calm way because in all honesty- this book RUINED me. In good and bad ways.
This book feels like youre being well and truly teased to the point of an orgasm but not allowed to finish. It's cruel and it feels like Nisha is wholeheartedly playing with our emotions but... When you get given Nadir, it feels almost worth being tortured like this.
Lor, once again is full of angst and I adore her even more than I did before. She has a sharp tongue and isn't afraid to bite back. She is so focused on what she needs to do and will get there no matter who or what is in her way.
Nadir, the Aurora Prince, in his dark and brooding manner really comes out of his shell in this book and eugh, I love him.
Move over Rhysand, Nadir has well and truly earned top place as my forever book boyfriend.
Their push and pull, I hate that I want you and slow burn energy is just so exciting and Nisha knows how to make you hopeful about them and then tear it out of your grasp without warning.
The whole book is filled with those amazing tropes such as one horse, one bed, one tent, slow burn, touch her/him and you die, daddy issues, fae royalty and fated mates.
If I could give this more than 5 stars I would.
The only bad part is that it ended.
I love you Nisha but you also destroyed my soul with this book ๐
Book 3 cannot come soon enough.
โญโญโญโญโญ+/โญโญโญโญโญ
๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ
A Kingdom of Venom and Vows (Stars and Shadows, #3)
Holly Renee
Rating
Notes:
A Kingdom of Venom and Vows - @authorhollyrenee
"๐๐ฎ ๐๐ช๐ผ ๐ฝ๐ฑ๐ฎ ๐ป๐ธ๐ฌ๐ด ๐ช๐ฐ๐ช๐ฒ๐ท๐ผ๐ฝ ๐๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ฑ ๐ ๐ฌ๐ป๐ช๐ผ๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ญ"
After reading and LOVING books 1 and 2 in this series, I JUMPED at the chance of being an ARC reader for book 3 so thank you Holly for letting me be a part of this!
For me, I feel it wasn't as good as the first 2 books but let's get into the great things first...
First of all.... Evren. He's beautiful, possessive and super sexy. He knows his way around his woman and is definitely a giver.
As much as I love him, I really enjoyed the first half of the book where him and Adara are separated. I loved seeing them pine for each other. Maybe I'm cruel but I loved seeing them try and hold onto hope of seeing each other again.
I've always loved Adara and how feisty she is. I love watching her fight back against Gavril. She knew the right buttons to press to make him angry, even if it did mean she got hurt.
I loved reading Adara and Thalias becoming even closer especially when drunk confessing their love of each other.
I felt the first half of this book was so damn good, I was hooked and read it super quickly.
The second half of the book however, I felt was quite repetitive. Every other chapter was a sex scene and I did find myself skipping over it a few times because each sex scene felt the same. It always started and ended pretty much the same way and OK, the first 2 sex scenes were great! Sorin and Thalias was also great- I wanted more of a story with those two and also Jorah. But it felt like the second half of the book had a rushed plot and the sex scenes were there to fill the book out.
Overall, I would have loved to have seen more depth and story with Adara getting her father back and maybe more about Sorin, Thalia and Jorah. I feel like the spice took over the second half but the first half was perfect.
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Forging Silver into Stars (Forging Silver into Stars, #1)
Brigid Kemmerer
Rating
Notes:
Forging Silver into Stars @brigidkemmerer
"๐๐ ๐ช๐ ๐ฆ๐ฃ ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ฅ ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ค ๐ช๐ ๐ฆ ๐ค๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ค๐๐ฃ๐ง๐๐ค ๐ช๐ ๐ฆ๐ฃ ๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ ๐, ๐๐๐ค๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ฅ."
First of all I need to thank my incredible friend @wilksf for buying me this beautiful book for my birthday and for keeping it a secret for so long considering I didn't stop banging on about it for months and almost bought it a few times ๐But thank you for also reading this with me and sharing all of the moments that made me enjoy this book so much!
Before I read this book I was so excited because the book itself is GORGEOUS. Then I saw some not so great reviews but overlooked them as I always make my own decision on whether I like something or not and I'm so glad of that.
This book was INCREDIBLE. As someone who hasn't read the series that this is linked to, I found it super easy to follow and never once got confused about anything happening because of previous books.
This story had me guessing and trying to decide who's side I was on for around 75% of the book. Neither me or Fiona could decide who was in the right or who's side we were on! I love that! It was so interesting and I loved seeing both sides of the story- One side sworn to protect the Queen and one to protect the King.
What made this story exceptional though was Jax and Tycho. Those two boys stole my heart from the moment they met each other. I love them so much and eugh I need more of them! So much more!
The last 30% of this book was so exhilarating and kept me so on edge. I was almost crying through that last part of the book especially for Nora!
I really cannot wait for book 2 to come out now! I want to see what Aleks intentions truly are and what he's plotting! I also expect we will see Tychos promise to Nakiis come into effect too! So excited!
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Beastly Lies And Beautiful Legends
Harmony A Haun
Rating
Notes:
"๐ท๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐
๐๐๐ ๐๐๐. ๐ท๐๐๐๐๐
. "
Beastly Lies And Beautiful Legends @harmonya.haun_author
I have to say a HUGE thankyou to Harmony for sending me this ARC. I am so proud to be a part of your street team. You're such an incredibly beautiful person and your books are such a joy to read. This is the second book I have read by Harmony and both now have been so easy to read and definitely something I would recommend to anyone in a reading rut!
So in this book we see Bella who lives in a small town where she's shunned by everyone.... Except for Gabriel for some reason.
He's the village hottie and he wants her (and every other woman too) and she finally gives in and gets with him, yet he's a disgusting pig. Honestly, from the first chapter I hated him. I love how Harmony makes you loathe and love characters so quickly and writes them so well.
Bella runs away into the forest and falls unconcious- waking up to find herself in the castle of the legendary beast. Has she ran away from one beast to find another or is the beast of legends different to what everyone says?
Harmony writes as the characters are thinking which I love as I feel like I truly understand the characters and get in their heads so easily. She also has a play list with a song for every chapter which truly sets the scene for each chapter.
This IS a slow burn to spicy book but the spice is so well written and never TOO much or repetitive which I love and is second to the plot to add to it rather than take away.
I feel as an author, Harmony is truly underrated and you should definitely check out her books!
Please check the trigger warnings before reading this book-
There is mention of assault, r*pe and suicide.
Originally I was going to give this book a 4.5/5 because one part didn't write right to me but after discussing with Harmony, she changed it to sound more real!
So now....
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Sky of Ancient Fire: An Albionverse Novel: A dark, epic fantasy inspired by Arthurian and Welsh mythology (The Ancient Fire Series Book 1)
T. C. Emerys
Rating
Notes:
Sky Of Ancient Fire- @tcemerys.writer
๐๐๐ ๐จ๐๐ค ๐๐๐ฃ๐.
๐๐๐ ๐จ๐๐ค ๐๐๐ง๐๐ค๐ฅ๐๐ฅ๐๐ ๐.
๐๐๐ ๐จ๐๐ค ๐๐ฆ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐, ๐๐ง๐๐ฃ๐ช ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ฃ ๐ฅ๐ ๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ก๐๐ฃ๐ฅ ๐จ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐.
A huge thank you to the author for sending me a copy of this Arthurian /Welsh inspired story! The premise of the book really grabbed me and I was eager to read this!
At the start of this book you are given a pronunciation guide, maps and also lineage charts to aid you in understanding who is who and where they come from. In the back of the book is a resources list which tells you where the authors ideas and mythology for each character/place came from.
Please note, there is a trigger warning at the back too which includes things like Chronic illness, torture, burns, sight loss, harm to animals, sexual slavery and r**e.
The story starts following Annowre and Queen Laudine of the North who have just been attacked by "the red stripes". Annowre is a fire mage and has been injured badly from this attack to the point where her magic does not work due to the red stripes using a poison. They are taken to the southern Kings home to heal and rest but the south were once their enemy and although hospitable enough, there is still some tension between the two thrones.
On the other side of the story we see Cadwgan and Howyl, a physician and his apprentice who live in a small town. Howyl tells Cadwgan that he heard magic can be made not just born and they find some flowers near to a river that has magical qualities. After making a potion of sorts, Cadwgan takes it and can wield fire like a mage.
Here on after, Annowre and Cadwgans fates become tangled as they end up on the run with a horde of Royalty who are still at odds from an unknown danger. Cadwgan is trying to keep up the pretense of a mage and Annowre is trying to hide the fact that her magic doesn't work. With fire birds and a green king on their trail, can they both keep up appearances in order to save the groups lives?
The book ends on a huge cliffhanger with alot of promise for the rest of the series!
I cannot wait for the next book!
The only thing that made me give this a 4 star instead of 5 is because I felt the chapters between seeing what Annowre and then Cadwgan were doing seperately were the wrong way around. It felt like instead of carrying on in present time we went backwards in time to catch up to the present we had already seen. After this the rest of the book flowed perfectly but I just felt like some of the chapters should have been edited to be put another way around so that the flow of time was better.
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