July/ Aug Wrap Up

Hey everyone!

Last month was intense for me personally with the move from Japan back to the UK. I thought all the stress would be actually leaving the country and I would come back to 10 days in isolation for non stop reading, I was so wrong. It’s literally been non stop chaos since I arrived home with one thing after another taking priority. The books I did manage to read, I literally crammed where I could and I had no time to review them so I decided to skip July wrap up altogether and mix it with this month. A cop out I know, but I wasn’t happy with a half fast post so here we are.

August was a much better reading month for me where things settled down more at home. I wasn’t able to catch up with my goodreads challenge, I’m still a few books behind but I’m determined to hit it this year no matter what!

As a positive, I do have to say, it’s been so nice to be able to walk into English bookshops again, even if they have no hardcover books on the shelves. Damn you UK printing. I’m still sticking to my kindle for now for my instagram and blog posts as I feel I’ve got a good routine with it, but that doesn’t mean I can’t buy as many books as possible for my shelves! Hello birthday presents!
I think I’m going to do another instagram challenge next month to get me back into it again. I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would last time I did it in June, let’s see how far I get with it this time around!

So here we go. A list of books I’ve read in July/ August, it wont take you long, it’s not an impressive list for a two-monther!

1. The Little Paris Patisserie
2. Mercurial
3. Beast of Shadow & Light
4. The Greek Escape
5. The Hazel Wood
6. Hell on Earth

The Little Paris Patisserie

First up, I give you The Little Paris Patisserie by Julie Caplin

This is the first I’ve read of Julie Caplin and I’m sure it won’t be the last. This book hit all the sweet spots for me in all the right places and I didn’t hesitate to put it on my favourite shelf. I mean the title and cover says it all. I must admit, I do pick up books simply if they are based in Paris because I know instantly I will love the setting no matter the plot. This book didn’t disappoint in the least when I was in the mood for a good romcom.
Nina is a 30 year old in a rut, surrounded by a big family who all have their lives figured out, always pushing her to do something one way or another, she can’t help but need distance away from them. When the opportunity comes up for her to help run a patisserie course in Paris, she can’t help but take up the opportunity to explore her next endeavour without her family breathing down her neck, even if it does mean working with Sebastian. Her brother’s arrogant best friend and biggest crush.
I absolutely adored this book and couldn’t get enough of it, it just made me want to book the next flight to Paris, or get in the kitchen and start baking. I would recommend it to all who sometimes need a good romance to curl up with for an evening.

Mercurial

Second on my list, I give you Mercurial by Naomi Hughes

One of my never ending NetGalley books that has been sitting in my TBR shelf for many months, I’m glad I picked this one up. Mercurial was a fantastic book that I’m sorry it took me so long to read. Whilst it didn’t blow me away or have me craving more, I really came to love the story and the unique magical aspects of it. It was unpredictable, fast paced and told from three perspectives, Princess Eloide (The Destroyer), Tal her bodyguard and Nyx, Tal’s sister, that each had strong character building to really pull you in through their individual actions and flashbacks throughout the story.
The Destroyer is feared by all, her blood filled with mercury, she is a weapon of pure destruction used by her sister, the Iron Empress, to do her bidding. When a stranger shows up offering to protect her through a metal oath, she can’t help but feel intrigued by him knowing he is the only person she can actually trust to keep her safe. After another assassination attempt, she wakes up with no memory or magic, she looks to Tal to discover the truth.
Tal is a silver smith, silver ran through his blood like a curse giving him the divine gift of foresight into the future, visions through the Unforged God himself. When a vision pushes him to become a protector for the Destroyer, the princess weaponised by the Iron Empress, Tal does not hesitate to follow his new path, believing his part will eventually save the empire. He soon becomes lost in the darkness that surrounds the Destroyer, unable to escape, unable to understand his path that is consuming more of his humanity through each kill to protect her. When the opportunity suddenly presents itself to finally be rid of the oath, Tal instead finds himself questioning everything he ever knew and the real person behind it all.
Check out my full review here.

Beast of Shadow & Light

Next up, I give you Beast of Shadow & Light by Stephany Wallace

Part of my reading challenge, I thought it was time I read one of my kindle unlimited downloads. While I didn’t like the writing style at times, it was very much aimed at young adults with typical slang language and cliches, I did actually enjoy the book. It isn’t every day I pick up a werewolf fantasy, it felt like a nice change for me. I guess this is me stepping away from all things fairytale (although this did have many red riding hood qualities about it). And yes, I did download it based on the cover, it’s so pretty 😻
Set in a small town in Alaska, two sisters Lucy and Ellie couldn’t be any more different but were best friends through thick and thin. Rich but down to earth, popular but weren’t afraid to be who they wanted to be, and both dating the admired hot twins at university. Even with the old supernatural rumours still going around about a Beast in the forest, life couldn’t be better. When a stranger shows up at the abandoned cabin down the road, Lucy can’t help but feel frustrated that the newcomer isn’t interested in being friendly in their quiet close community. No matter how many advances she makes to try to be friends, he’s determined to push her away at every turn. Bodies start showing up around town, ripped to shreds by an animal, she soon finds herself suddenly facing the very rumour that has haunted the forest for years.
It’s a good pace with an exciting plot, it had it’s unpredictable moments that pushed the story forward. It was confusing and sometimes rushed at times and clouded with mystery all of which ended on a cliffhanger, but it dragged me in enough that I’m tempted to find out what happens next. I may or may not write a full review for this one, keep an eye out I guess! I haven’t made up my mind yet!

The Greek Escape

Next up, I give you The Greek Escape by Karen Swan

I was looking forward to this one after reading The Paris Secret (one of my favourite books by Swan). Whilst I can say I really liked the story, I didn’t expect the first half to be so slow. Really slow. I appreciate this helped the character and world building, but most of it felt unnecessary for the most part and just dragged. I’m honestly surprised I was able to push past it and finish the book. I’m glad I did because it was worth it in the end, even if the story conclusion was given like a story around a campfire to fill in the blanks.
Chloe left her old life behind in London to start fresh in New York after a heartbreak tore her life apart. Working at a luxury concierge company, she assists in making powerful clients wishes come true by any means, no matter how crazy they sound. Penguins needed at a black and white event held on a glacier in Alaska? Done. Taking down the scaffolding set up for cleaning the Taj Mahal just so her client can take the perfect photograph? Done. When a terrible accident forces Chloe to step up close and personal with the companies most elite clients, she has no choice but to take the lead, even if it means taking on a new client that showed up on their doorstep who is looking for a private home on the Greek Islands. When her ex suddenly shows up out of the blue, Chloe jumps at the chance to help her new client Joe inspect the Greek homes in person, only to discover more mystery behind his motives and the connections they have with her other clients and the mysterious disappearance of one of their wives.

The Hazel Wood

Next up, The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert

This fantasy took me by surprise, but I haven’t quite decided if it’s in a good way or a bad way yet. There was so much going on, literally a world through into wonderland. It was quirky, it was confusing, it was dark but colourful and filled with horrific creatures and characters. I’m sure this one book you either love or hate which I can totally respect. There were parts of it that I really did enjoy that were creepy and delightfully twisted, but there were times I had no idea what was going on and where the characters were with the world-between-worlds element.
Alice is a seventeen year old who is always moving around with her mum Ella, trying to escape the bad luck that seems to follow them everywhere they go. The key seems to be connected to her grandmother, her reclusive hidden mansion ‘The Hazel Wood’ and the dark fairytales she wrote that Alice isn’t allowed to read. A letter arrives for them one day telling them her grandmother has passed away, Ella is relieved and believes their luck will finally change and gives them a chance to settle down somewhere permanently for the first time in their lives. Unfortunately their bad luck only gets worse when Ella is kidnapped by characters from her grandmother’s stories, Alice has no choice but to follow the trail to The Hazel Wood and unlock the secrets her family has been keeping all these years.
I loved the premise behind it, the dark fairytales told within the story were definitely the highlight. I would recommend this book just to see how you all feel about it and get your opinions!

Hell on Earth

Finally, we have Hell on Earth by Brenda K. Davies

As rare as it is, I do come across books I’m unable to finish from time to time. Sometimes I just hate the writing style so much I can’t continue, occasionally the plot just falls too flat and I can’t seem to finish after picking up to for the 10th time. This was one where I just lost interest and knew it wasn’t something for me. Perhaps it was just the wrong book at the wrong time. I just wasn’t enjoying it, it was as simple as that, so I have little to say about it. I’ll give you the quick low down, maybe some of you might pick this one up and think differently.
It’s told from duel perspectives, Wren; a human wilder and Corson; a demon straight from hell. Fourteen years ago, the government were involved in a project that ended up opening a gateway to hell, releasing evil and corruption onto the earth. The wilders are a group of humans who track down and kill the creatures roaming the earth with the help of the angels, but with the gateway always open, it’s a never ending battle. The high level demons make a truce with the humans that they will join together to close the gateway and get rid of the creatures together as they want it closed as much as they do.
I’m even struggling to write this short review because of how tacky and silly it sounds, I’m just surprised so many people highly rated this book. I’m curious as to what you all think! Let me know!

So there you have it, my July/ August wrap up!
Let’s hope I can stay on top of my goodreads reading challenge next month, time shall tell!

Thanks for reading 🙃

See you next month!

Mercurial

Title: Mercurial
Author: Naomi Hughes
Genre: Fiction/ Fantasy/ YA
Source: NetGalley
Rating: 4/5

Favourite Quote: ‘She was fire, she was mercury, she was death.’

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley.*

The Destroyer is feared by all, her blood filled with mercury, she is a weapon of pure destruction used by the Iron Empress to do her bidding. Filled with fire and hatred from endless assassination attempts on her life from when she was young, it doesn’t take much to make her angry and dangerous. When a stranger shows up offering to protect her with a metal oath, she can’t help but feel intrigued by him knowing he is the only person she can actually trust to keep her safe. After yet another assassination attempt, she finds herself in the middle of wreckage with no memory or magic, a completely different personality with a new identity, she looks to Tal as the only other survivor to discover the truth.

Tal is a silver smith, silver ran through his blood like a curse, a death sentence if he was ever discovered. His blood gives him the divine gift of foresight into the future, visions through the Unforged God himself. When a vision pushes him to become a protector for the Destroyer, the princess weaponised by the Iron Empress and feared by all, Tal does not hesitate to follow his new path, believing his part will eventually save the empire. Once sworn on metal, his oath is unbreakable until the fulfilment of its terms are complete, or death. He soon becomes lost in the darkness that surrounds the Destroyer, unable to escape, unable to understand his path that is consuming more of his humanity through each kill to protect her. When the opportunity suddenly presents itself to finally be rid of the oath, Tal instead finds himself questioning everything he ever knew and the person behind it all.

‘When the guard staggered backwards and crumbled to the polished wooden boards of the great porch, the boy began to realise with dawning horror, what had just happened.
The Destroyer had been threatened. And his oath had compelled him to defend her.
The Destroyer stepped forward. Something was bright in her eyes, and the boy couldn’t tell if it was madness or hope. “What’s your name?” she asked, ignoring the wet, rattling breathing of the dying guard.
The boy’s swords hung now at his sides, dead weight. He wanted to drop them. He couldn’t. “Tal,” he managed after a moment. “Tal Melaine.”‘

This is one of those stories that just gets better around every corner and I’m sorry it took me so long to pick up on my NetGalley list that seems to be never ending. It’s got all the pieces and the author did a fantastic job at putting it all together. Whilst I believe that, the story also didn’t blow me away which is why it isn’t a full stars review. I liked the characters, I loved the plot and the magical elements and creatures were unique and unpredictable, I just wanted a bit more of something between the characters, a little more of a push of emotion here and there between them to get me emotionally invested. It didn’t give me a book hangover that had me craving more, just a content ending that I was able to put down and move on without much thought.

There were parts of this book that were so unique and wonderful. I especially liked the magical element through metal, certain people were born with various metal in their blood that gave them abilities such as healing, crafting, alchemy as well as power over the elements. This divided society and social standing in ways it didn’t look into which felt a bit lacking, I was intrigued by it all and felt the author could have created more depth into the magical world she created.

The story is told through three perspectives, Princess Eloide (The Destroyer), Tal her bodyguard and Nyx, Tal’s sister. I do have to say, the character build up was excellent, you really got to know them through their actions and flashbacks throughout their story, each one being pushed in a direction they didn’t want to take, forming a connection between them they never realised they had.

Once, there was a boy who believed..

Tal was a great character who stood strong for his beliefs in his role as the princess’ protector. While he did clearly regret his choice taking the oath and being stuck by the side of the most dangerous weapon at the Iron Empress’ disposal, he knew he played an important part of bringing peace to the empire, he just had to wait out the horrors that came along with it. He was exactly how you would picture a young bodyguard; deadly, silent and strong. He kept his anger deep within himself and only started to show any emotion when his princess suddenly became innocent and human. Even then though, he was still too unemotional for me to really fall in love with his character.

Once, there was a girl who was afraid..

Elodie The Destroyer was definitely the best character for me, she was amazingly layered and dynamic, her character development was strong throughout and you couldn’t help but love her through it all. As the Destroyer, she’s adapted to a life being feared and powerful and uses it to her advantage to keep herself safe. She’s a recluse who doesn’t connect to anyone on any real level besides her sister where formality and titles are dominant. The only person she trusts is Tal, and that’s only because he is bound to her and has no choice. When she loses her powers, her character completely changes to an innocent young woman with a sense of humour and lacking basic survival instincts. I would have liked to have seen a bit more emotion to her character, especially since she knew she felt some connection to Tal with or without her mercury abilities.

Once, there was a girl who believed only in her brother..

Nyx. I’m honestly not sure what to say about her. I’m getting the impression that you either love her or you hate her. Whilst she was a strong interesting character that did bring the story together, I didn’t like her personality. She was so angry and obsessed with saving her brother, she refused to believe in anything different than killing the Destroyer to solve all their problems, even if it meant sacrificing herself. She was so blinded by rage and hate, she couldn’t see the whole story. Yeah she had spent the last few years of her life becoming a skilled assassin, but it wasn’t the only thing she had and it made me feel sorry for Helenia, always coming second place after Tal. It felt like she was taking life for granted at times.
I did love her relationship with Helenia, it was sweet and the one piece of happiness in the whole book. As an additional character, Helenia was probably the most powerful piece of the puzzle, she was always there in time to save the day and asked for nothing in return. She held the right balance for all the characters with her desire to see Nyx happy and to help lead the rebellion against the empire. She was a complete badass.

‘In a single sentence, Helenia stripped away all of Elodie’s imagined control, and she did it without ever letting her smile fall. Elodie began to realise that she had underestimated this girl. Helenia’s face still radiated warmth and naivety, but Elodie began to see now how she might use that as a weapon.’

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves a good middle grade/ ya fantasy full of unique magic, enemies to lovers, and unexpected plot twists around every corner! Check it out!

Goodreads Blurb:
Everyone in the Alloyed Empire fears the Destroyer. The metal in her blood gives her incendiary powers, and the coldness in her heart makes her the empress’s perfect weapon…until a rebel attack leaves her with no magic and no memories.
Her bodyguard, Tal, has long since regretted his idealistic hope of saving the Destroyer. Now that she’s powerless he can finally end her reign of terror—if he can stop himself from falling for the wicked, funny, utterly unfamiliar girl she’s become.
Nyx was furious when her brother, Tal, abandoned her to protect a tyrant. Now, she hones herself as a rebel assassin until she can kill the Destroyer and rescue Tal. But the closer she gets, the more she realizes the entire empire hinges on the decisions the three of them will make…

Unlocked

Title: Unlocked
Author: Casey L. Bond
Genre: Fiction/ Fantasy/ YA/ Fairytale Retelling
Source: Author Recommendation
Rating: 3/5

Favourite Quote: ‘The stench of the dead got worse the farther I went. It was time to leave. Forget more food or my herbs, I needed to depart this place immediately. I covered my mouth and nose with my shirt, but when I reached the bottom of the staircase, my knees wobbled and the muscles of my legs trembled violently. A cold sweat broke out on my forehead and my stomach began to sour. The coppery tang of blood filled my mouth.
No.
~ The truth slapped me hard in the face. This plague wasn’t sent for the humans; they were merely collateral damage because they got between me and the dark fae. It was sent to eradicate me. A cold chill pebbled my skin. My knees buckled. I was too weak. I fell to the floor. Pain clawed its way out of my middle and prickles of blackness darkened by vision.
Raya. She would be so scared when I didn’t come back. And no one was left for me to tell where to find her. Everyone was dead, and soon, I would be, too.‘

It’s been 10 years since Princess Raya of Paruth was abandoned on her own in her lighthouse on a tiny deserted in the middle of the sea of bones.
She’s been forgotten by time, living by means of an enchantment on the lighthouse that provides her with food and warmth but little else to pass the endless days besides an albatross as a friend. It wasn’t until a stranger washes up on her little beach during a storm that she begins to feel a small piece of hope that things will finally change, even simply by sharing her space with another.

Prince Trevor of Galder left his father and kingdom behind to travel north in search of a wife. It was time to settle down and forget Ella Carina, the woman who chose to love a peasant and follow her heart instead of choosing Trevor and fulfilling her duty to her people. He didn’t heed the warnings about the North Sea in winter, and his ship, crew, and captain paid the price.

Raya and Trevor find themselves working together to return to the mainland, something Raya gave up on many years ago. With Trevor full of determination, it was hard to not get swept up on the idea that they would finally be free of the lighthouse as they push through many obstacles to fight their way through the sea of bones.

‘”This is almost all I’ve ever known. This is my home. I have no idea what to expect in Galder, and everyone and everything I loved before is dead. The life I was supposed to lead isn’t here now. I’m scared, Trevor.”‘

After reading Brutal Curse, an Alice in Wonderland meets Beauty and the Beast retelling, I have had Casey L. Bond in my sights for her other books – which brings me to Unlocked – a rapunzel retelling. Unfortunately, this book fell flat for me for so many reasons and I can’t help but feel disappointed. I’ve read a few of Casey’s books now and this is honestly the worse one for me so far. Sorry Casey. It had so much potential at the start! I was so caught up in the beginning, it was so fast paced and exciting with an amazing plot lined up.. and then it suddenly slowed down and became a will they/wont they romance instead with a typical fairytale happily ever after.

Tell me this doesn’t sound epic to you – The Fae are at war with each other, pure blood Fae are determined to wipe out half-bloods for their magic and will stop at nothing to kill every last one of them. The queen saves the life of a half-blood fae who washes up on her beach. They quickly become fast friends and Hildegard ends up living with the royal family. We are quickly introduced to a deathly plague that is wiping out the kingdom caused by the dark fae who have managed to track Hildegard down. The queen, already feeling the effects of the plague, uses her dying wish for Hildegard to save her daughter Raya by taking her far away from the kingdom. Hildegard takes the princess to a light house in the middle of the sea of bones, enchants it with her magic before going back to save any remaining family but never making the journey back to tell anyone where she hid the princess. So cool, right? I was instantly hooked.

And then there was silence. What felt like silence. A ’10 years later’ chapter brings us to the main story which doesn’t mention the Fae ever again, the plague was just a thing of the past and the princess, who has spent all this time on her own in an enchanted tower, is completely normal. She isn’t mentally scarred for being abandoned and isolated on her own for so long, she’s completely coherent and well mannered without any education or human interaction for 10 years. It just didn’t sit right with me. Yeah it’s a fairytale, but a retelling is supposed to bring a little something more to the story, a twist to make it unique. I wasn’t expecting a princess gone mad, but a little something abnormal would have made me like her more.

Saying that, Raya was a good character overall, she is kindhearted and lights up the room with her warm personality. I liked how even though she was happy to finally have company away from the sea of bones, she couldn’t help but crave the isolation of the royal lighthouse and made it a place of her own where she felt at peace with herself. You could easily forgive her emotions towards Trevor since he made it clear he was still looking for a wife and she had nothing to offer but a title to a haunted kingdom. She was willing to put distance between them in order to make him and the king happy, a self sacrifice that I appreciated, even if it was completely unnecessary. She kept a level head throughout it all, which even though it was unexpected, she adapted to her new life to suit her.

I actually quite liked Trevor, a prince with many faults. A heartbroken mess of a character looking for hope, he ends up being the one who needed saving all along. He’s always pushing through any challenge and his strong will and determination will be enough to win your heart over, even if he can appear naive and frustrating at times. He’s immediately over-protective of Raya, especially when they get off the island and he can’t help but look for her when entering a room. He’s got that annoying – ‘she’ll never love me, so I won’t try’ insecure attitude which drags on for wayyy too long in the book which ended up being their only villain to their love story.

‘”How we are here is not how we’ll be expected to behave out there,” I responded pointedly, looking out at the sea. “If we are rescued, everything will change.”
“When we are rescued, it might change a little, but I’ll see that it doesn’t change in the ways that matter.”
That was silly. “You know we won’t be able to be close, much less friends. Your wife wouldn’t appreciate our friendship.”
“Nor will your husband,” he bit back. I thought he meant to sound playful, but it came out as bitter as I felt.
“No, I imagine he wouldn’t.”‘

There you have it for Unlocked. It’s got all the pieces but sadly doesn’t bring them together for the fantasy fairytale retelling I was hoping for.
Just a whole lot of ‘will they/ won’t they’ romance without any real obstacles in their way of ‘happily ever after’ which is why it ended with me feeling disappointed. Don’t create a dark powerful enemy straight off the bat, then ignore it for the rest of the entire book.

Goodreads Blurb:

Princess Raya of Paruth lived alone on a deserted island in a towering lighthouse, forgotten by time. With only a loyal albatross as a friend, she had little hope or joy in her life until he washed up on her shore in the middle of a raging winter storm.

Prince Trevor of Galder left his father and kingdom behind to travel north in search of a wife. It was time to settle down and forget Ella Carina, the woman who chose to love a peasant and follow her heart instead of choosing Trevor and fulfilling her duty to her people. He didn’t heed the warnings about the North Sea in winter, and his ship, crew, and captain paid the price.

Raya and Trevor must work together to find a way off the island, or risk being trapped there for the rest of their lives. But sometimes the simplest lessons are the hardest, and each will have to learn that the only thing that can truly set you free is love.

June Wrap Up

Hey everyone! 😺

Hope you’re all having a better book month than me!
I’ve got to be honest, I’ve been very distracted this month with everything going on, we are officially moving back to the UK from Japan and it’s been super stressful. I haven’t been able to concentrate on my reviews so I haven’t got much to add this month. I wasn’t able to finish most of my reviews with everything going on, I have three of them still waiting in my draft folder 😞

It hasn’t stopped me from downloading more books on my kindle though 🙄 ..or keeping up with my goodreads 2021 challenge! Even if the books I have read are meh at best with them mostly being 3 stars..

I have managed to keep up with my bookstagram challenge though which went well! I’ve also gotten back into painting again as a means to relax which has taken up a lot of my time. (If you like, you can check out my art instagram @whitevenice.art)
I’m positive next month is just going to get worse with the big move but I’ll manage. I always find a way to sneak a book in here and there – just think, I’ll have a 21 hour flight and 10 days in isolated lockdown to look forward too for my endless reading list. Yay! Wish me luck next month will be better for my reviews!

So here we go. A list of books I’ve read in June 🙂

1. To Kill a Kingdom
2. The Echo of Broken Dreams
3. Diamonds in the Rough (#2)
4. The Damned (#2)
5. The Secret Girl (Complete)
6. Unlocked
7. The King’s 100

To Kill a Kingdom

First up! I give you To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo

This was a new one for me because it was the first time I decided to listen to the audiobook instead of reading. I wanted to spend my day off painting but I knew I should try and keep up with my reading challenge – sooo.. audiobook! Thanks YouTube 🧡 It definitely helped that the voice of the main protagonist absolutely nailed her part. I was so caught up in her reading that 7 hours barely registered as time gone by – plus I finished my painting, so win win!
If you like The Little Mermaid, then this book is definitely for you! Except, we have sirens who steal the hearts of men instead of a teenage mermaid looking for love on the surface. Lira is the heir to the tyrant Sea Queen, ruler of the sea who is feared by all. It’s almost time to take over her mother’s rein and prove herself by being the siren her mother wants her to be. She already has a name for herself as the Prince’s Bane – all of her 17 hearts for her 17 years have all been that of a prince. Only they are worthy. When she takes a heart too soon before her birthday, her punishment will ruin everything she’s spent her life building. Only the prince with heart of gold will redeem her. Or so she thought. Going behind her mother’s back proved to be worse than death when she finds herself in the middle of the ocean with legs, and her saviour being non other than her prince with the heart of gold. The siren killer. The only way back to the life she craves most is to kill him as a human, but humans also come with emotions, feelings Lira can’t seem to ignore as she gets close to the one who can change her fate forever.
I adored this book, I ended up re-reading most of it on my kindle until like 3am just to get lost in the story even more. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who loves sirens, pirates and magic in this fantasy fairytale retelling!
You can check out my full review here.

The Echo of Broken Dreams

Next up, I give you The Echo of Broken Dreams by C.J. Archer

The second book of The Rift series. I hate to say it, but I feel like the series is already going a bit flat for me. The first book seemed to be so full of potential, the plot was slow but felt things were happening when it came to the secrets behind the lost memories and you felt more emotionally invested when *spoilers* Josies’ father dies, the romance was slow but you could see something forming between her and the Captain, and whilst the characters were unique and mysterious, you knew who to love and hate. The second book feels like it’s dragging the story along and I felt no closer to finding out what is going on in the story than when I finished the first book. Just another inserted mini incident as a means to keep it interesting by introducing new characters around the palace that are also looking for the truth for their own gains. I needed more, more push of the potential romance, more mystery in the main plot, more of.. something. It just felt blah. It was just the ‘filler’ book of the series. Honestly, I’m not sure I want to continue if this is as slow as the rest of the six books in The Rift. Even the blurb of the third book sounds too similar as to what has already happened – poison, secrets, enemies, slow romance and a sense of urgency to discover the truth which doesn’t really feel like urgency. I’m sorry, I was hoping to have a more positive outlook since it’s C.J. Archer, but I just can’t. I’ve still reviewed it at 3 stars because it still has the potential and it could get so much better as the series goes on.. maybe I’ll just leave it up to you to decide this time.

Diamonds in the Rough

Next, I give you – Diamonds in the Rough by Michelle Madow (The Secret Diamond Sisters #2)

The second instalment of The Secret Diamond Sisters. I have to say I started enjoying the series more in this book. The characters starting becoming more believable and you actually became more invested in their individual stories, especially Madisons when she finds out a big secret her family have been keeping from her. Her entire character changes throughout this book and you can’t help but want to see her come through to the other side. Savannah is becoming a famous YouTube sensation, Peyton is realising that high school isn’t all that bad and pushes things with Jackson her bodyguard, and Courtney is stuck between a rock and a hard place when it comes to finding out the truth about her past and running away from her feelings about Brett who would do just about anything to convince her to be with him – step siblings or not, it’s easy to see the connection between them is real. It’s fun, interesting, and I found myself enjoying it more than I thought!

The Damned

Next up! The Damned by Renee Ahdieh (The Beautiful #2)

As I predicted, this book became significantly more interesting than the first one. You get to really explore the supernatural world the author has built up in The Beautiful. Bastien comes to terms with his new life and there the lack of it, knowing things will never be the same with his new immortality. Whilst he’s finally come to accept his feelings for Celine were real and true, she sacrificed her memories of him to keep him ‘alive’, so clearly she wanted a fresh start away from all things supernatural. But when Celine’s memories start coming back, she can’t help but push her way into Bastien’s life whether he likes it or not. You still have the attempted love triangle with Michael, but it just makes you cringe as we all know who she will end up with no matter how much they try to fight it. The overall plot intrigued me more and more as we discover there is more to Celine and her connection to the supernatural than any of them realised. The truth about her mother emerges and creates a fantastic world expansion that you wouldn’t have predicted in the first book. Whilst I would have loved to have had more Celine and Bastien romance, the book had enough action going on to keep you interested and perspectives from various characters to create a new depth into the story that wasn’t there previously. At times the author overcomplicated the supernatural world she built up and occasionally it felt like everything was moving too fast which is why my review still stands at 3 stars.

The Secret Girl

Next up, I give you The Secret Girl series by C.M. Stunich

You know what, I quite liked this one, it had it’s moments and I couldn’t help but read the entire series in one go.
A high-school bully romance where the girl (Charlotte) is actually enlisted at an all boys school as her father is the new headmaster. She dresses up as a boy with a nickname ‘Chuck’ to get through the year away from her mother who went into rehab for drug addiction and will do anything to make sure she remains the isolated outcast in fear that someone will find out her secret. It’s bad enough that she’s allowed her own room (of course) and is allowed to skip P.E. so she isn’t in the same changing room as the boys as much as possible, but when she deliberately fights against the members of the Student Council – the five richest most powerful guys in the entire academy, her life becomes a whole lot more complicated. Not only that, but the last time the school tried letting a girl in, she ended up murdered, hanging from a tree in the forest with a note to make it look like suicide. When someone starts stalking her around campus, she doesn’t know who to trust, her unemotional father who avoids the topic of the murdered girl, the shady teachers who seem to know more than what they are letting on, or the five boys in the Student Council who are determined to make her life miserable.
It’s fun, absorbing and actually a really good read, there was a lot there to keep it interesting that I didn’t want to put it down. *spoilers* It’s got a reverse harem thing going on where she finds herself in a relationship with all the guys which felt very messy to me, but the author made it work. It was better than a love triangle – or a love pentagon – however you want to look at it. 🧐

Unlocked

Almost there! Next, we have Unlocked by Casey L. Bond

A fantasy fairytale retelling of Rapunzel. I haven’t read a lot of Rapunzel retellings, but I have to say I’m quite disappointed in this one. I’ve read a few of Casey’s books now and this is honestly the worse one for me so far. It had so much potential, it started off so interesting – a half-blood fae who lives with the royal family after the queen saved her life who is being hunted by the dark fae, they track her down and use their powers to spread a plague across the kingdom killing everyone in it’s path – she managed to escape with princess Raya as the one last plead from the queen, she leaves the princess in a lighthouse in the middle of the sea of bones using magic to keep her safe before going back and dying of the plague herself before telling anyone where she left Raya.
Years later, the story begins with our princess still living in the lighthouse who saves a prince who’s ship was destroyed in the sea of bones. Together they find a way off the tiny island.
It’s got all the pieces but sadly doesn’t bring them together for the fantasy adventure I was hoping for. We don’t hear any more of the fae, we don’t hear any more about the kingdom or the plague, we don’t even have a mentally scarred princess for being isolated on her own for so long. She’s totally normal and coherent without an education or human interaction for over 10 years. After that it’s a lot of ‘will they, won’t they’ romance when the prince continues his search of a wife. Besides the opening scene of the dark fae, there aren’t any real obstacles in their way of ‘happily ever after’ which is why it ended with me feeling disappointed. Don’t create a dark powerful enemy straight off the bat, then ignore it for the rest of the entire book. Like I said, so much potential. Keep an eye out for my full review soon!

The King’s 100

Finally, I give you The King’s 100 by Karin Biggs

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I wasn’t sure what to think with this book. I loved the idea behind the plot, but the overall setting took a lot to get into – futuristic technology combined with a fantasy fairytale kingdom setting.. whilst it was overall unique, it felt out of place at times even if it was designed with a purpose to create a distinction between the kingdoms and the people within.
The kingdoms of Capalon and Mondaira are at war with one another and have sworn to kill the enemy on sight, creating a border between them that most remain guarded at all times. The unemotional robot-like Capalons who focus on technology and facts over emotions vs. the romantic and passionate Mondarians who are more laid back and live life to the fullest through their desires. It was a pleasing contrast to see our main protagonist Piper, Princess of Capalon, feeling like she doesn’t belong amongst her people as she lets her emotions get the better of her and can’t help but find joy in singing. A trait her mother passed onto her before she died, compassion and love is shown as a weakness that must be focused out of a person. Piper remains a disappointment to her people after her parents died, including her sister – the new Queen of Capalon, who demands facts, order and a strong belief in matching based on intelligence within the kingdom. She has little time for her emotional little sister. When Piper discovers a note that her mother is still alive and being held captive by the Mondarian royal family, she decides to risk it all to bring her back on her own under a disguise. What she finds instead is a life she couldn’t have imagined amongst the Mondarian people filled with life, colour, music and love.
It’s wonderfully sweet and filled with hope, friendship and a first love romance you know will end happily ever after. Whilst the book didn’t blow me away, I really enjoyed it and I’m keen to discover what happens next.

So there you have it, my June wrap up!
Let me know if there is anything you would recommend for July! I’m always up for new recommendations for my reading list!

Thanks for reading 🙃

See you next month!

To Kill a Kingdom

Title: To Kill a Kingdom
Author: Alexandra Christo
Genre: Fiction/ Fantasy/ YA/ Fairytale Retelling
Source: Goodreads Recommendation
Rating: 5/5

Favourite Quote: ‘In the pits of our souls – if I amuse myself with the notion that I have a soul – Elian and I aren’t so different. Two kingdoms that have come with responsibilities we each have trouble bearing. Him, the shackles of being pinned to one land and one life. Me, trapped in the confines of my mother’s murderous legacy. And the ocean, calling out to us both. A song of freedom and longing.’

Lira is the siren princess, heir to the tyrant Sea Queen, ruler of the sea and feared by all. It’s almost time to take over her mother’s rein over the ocean and prove herself for being the unemotional siren her mother wants her to be. She already has a name for herself as the Prince’s Bane – all of her 17 hearts for her 17 years have all been that of a prince. Only they are worthy. When she takes a heart too soon before her birthday, her punishment will ruin everything she’s spent her life building. Only the prince with the heart of gold will redeem her. Or so she thought. Going behind her mother’s back proved to be worse than death when she finds herself in the middle of the ocean with legs, and her saviour being non other than her prince with the heart of gold. The siren killer. The only way back to the life she craves most is to kill him as a human. Unfortunately for her, humans also come with emotions, feelings that Lira can’t seem to ignore as she spends more time on the surface with the one who will can change her fate forever.

‘She doesn’t want to punish me. She wants to humiliate me. Show a kingdom whose fear and loyalty I’ve earned that I’m no different from them. That I don’t stand out. That I’m not worthy to take her crown. I’ve spent my life trying to be just what my mother wanted – the worst of us all – in an effort to show I’m worthy of the trident. I became the Princes’ Bane, a title that defines me throughout the world. For the kingdom – for my mother – I am ruthless. Now my mother wants to take that from me. Not just my name, but the faith of the ocean. If I’m not the Princes’ Bane, then I am nothing. Just a princess inheriting a crown instead of earning it.’

I absolutely adored this book. I listened to the audiobook in one day and then re-read most of the book again on my kindle afterwards falling hard for the story. If you like The Little Mermaid then you’ll love this fairytale retelling! The characters are fantastic, the plot will keep you in suspense, the scenery is wonderfully written and the romance is slow burning and innocent. It’s magical, it’s murderous and it’s full of lies and uncertainty as two opposing royals fight the odds to end the rule of the Sea Queen. The story itself is told from duel perspectives which brings more depth to the characters and their own stories as they share the same quest to find the eye at the highest peak of the world.

Lira was a great protagonist, she’s a strong willed character who will do anything to please her mother in order to become the next Sea Queen of the ocean, even if that means murdering the ones she loves. Her upbringing was a harsh one, and although she has been through so much, she still has kindness in her heart and will do her best to show mercy when she can or take the brunt of her mother’s wraith to save another. Yeah she’s a siren and a human killer, but that’s what she was raised to do, princess or not, it’s just who she is. It gave Lira’s character even more strength as a powerful royal in the ocean. Even when she wakes up to discover she has legs, she continues to fight through her new weakness with a purpose and plan to take over her mother’s cruel reign. I loved her actions around prince Elian, even when she was a siren, she couldn’t help but feel curious about him and spared him. When she was human and had to rely on him, she felt drawn to him over the others. It was sweet and innocent when she started to explore what love was as a human and her emotions for Elian as they grew closer on their adventure. Lira was determined to rule the sea, but mostly to stop her mother which was a great aspect of her character that I loved. She wasn’t naive, she did what she had to do to survive and become the ruler they all needed her to be.

‘”As long as the queen has it, every monster in the sea is hers. And if she finds the other eye, she’ll use it to enslave humans in the same way.” ~
“What do you mean, enslave humans in the same way?” I ask.
Lira released her grip on the table and turns her stony eyes from Kye. “Sirens are not a free species,” she says.
“Are you trying to tell me that they’re just misunderstood? No, wait, let me guess: They actually love humans and want to be one of us but the Sea Queen has them under mind control?”
Lira doesn’t blink at my sarcasm. “Better to be a loyal warrior than a treacherous prisoner,” she says.”‘

Elian’s character was very well written and played his part perfectly. A prince who wanted nothing more than to walk away from his duty as prince to the kingdom and live on the ocean as a siren killer. You could feel his desire to be on his ship with his crew and the person he truly is as captain compared to the tense out of place prince he is in his own castle. Living life as a pirate can be ruthless and deadly which gives him the thrill and adventure he craves, killing sirens and getting revenge for the deaths of so many allowed him to give it a purpose away from his family. He’s strong, clever and knows how to get what his wants with his royal upbringing, giving his pirate crew opportunities and experiences they could only have dreamed of. Elian would do anything to get rid of the Sea Queen and the Princes’ Bane, even if it means sacrificing everything he has for it. Even as a pirate, royal treasures mean very little to him as he as so much of it, I liked how down to earth his was and how his most prized possession is a single black pocket watch with a compass that splits the liars from the loyal. North for truth, South for lies. It brought a bit more subtle magic to the story which the author did well in placing here and there. His reactions around Lira were cute, he knows there is more to her than meets the eye and for that he can’t help but keep an eye on her at all times. He can’t help but feel the need to be near her on their adventure and feel protective of her even when she can hold her own.

‘”It’s you.”
My eyes shoot upward. The Prince of Midas stares down at us, horrified and awestricken. His lips tilt a little to the left.
“Look at you,” he whispers. “My monster, come to find me.
I regard him with as much curiosity as he regards me.’

The additional characters were great, they really helped build the story along and made the world feel bigger with the various kingdoms and their part in their adventure. Whilst you didn’t get to spend much time getting to know them personally with their limited character build up, each one was unique and easy to follow with their strong personalities whether they were part of Elian’s crew, a pirate enemy, a creature of the sea or another royal family member from another kingdom. You knew who to trust even without Elian’s pocket watch.

I loved the world building in the story, you knew where you were without much description; the underwater world felt dark and suppressed by power and misshapen sea creatures, the ship felt freeing and dangerous, the town’s they visited felt busy and carefree, the royal castle felt smothering and artificial and the high cloud mountains felt cold and isolated. You felt all that and more as you became lost in their mission to remove the Sea Queen from her reign of terror. It was magical and if you haven’t already picked up from my review so far, I loved it and I honestly couldn’t recommend it enough for anyone who enjoyed a good fantasy fairytale retelling.

Thanks for reading 🙂

Goodreads Blurb:

Princess Lira is siren royalty and the most lethal of them all.

With the hearts of seventeen princes in her collection, she is revered across the sea. Until a twist of fate forces her to kill one of her own. To punish her daughter, the Sea Queen transforms Lira into the one thing they loathe most – a human. Robbed of her song, Lira has until the winter solstice to deliver Prince Elian’s heart to the Sea Queen or remain a human forever.

The ocean is the only place Prince Elian calls home, even though he is heir to the most powerful kingdom in the world. Hunting sirens is more than an unsavoury hobby – it’s his calling. When he rescues a drowning woman in the ocean, she’s more than what she appears. She promises to help him find the key to destroying all of siren kind for good.

But can he trust her? And just how many deals will Elian have to barter to eliminate mankind’s greatest enemy?

The Palace of Lost Memories

Title: The Palace of Lost Memories
Author: C.J. Archer
Genre: Fiction/ Fantasy/ YA
Source: Author Recommendation
Rating: 4/5

Favourite Quote: “Trying to keep an eye on me, Captain?”
“You require both eyes.” He headed up the stairs leaving me staring at his broad back and shoulders, wondering if he’d been flirting with me or threatening me.”

Josie can’t help but be curious about the palace that showed up in their land. It happened too fast, there were no signs to indicate anything was happening, no builders coming for supplies, no mention of a king showing up in their lands, and barely any time had passed from there being a piece of grass land to a palace bigger than her entire village of Mull suddenly appearing no less than five miles away. No one from her village has been near it in fear of magic, it was the only possibility after all, but they were still curious.
When Josie comes across one of the guards who had been shot by an arrow, she put her profession above everything to help him and quickly finds herself and her father as the palace doctor when they discover someone has been poisoning the kings guests. Josie is left to stay with the patient at the palace and decides to check in on the guards in the garrison where she begins to uncover the secrets within the palace walls – no one can remember anything before the palace showed up in Mull three months ago. Everyone’s memories are completely gone and they have no idea why. With help from the handsome captain of the guard, Josie is determined to discover the truth behind the poison attack as well as the cause behind their missing memories. With her knowledge of the village and Hammer’s knowledge of the palace, they team up to help uncover the truth once and for all. Little did she expect, she’s more involved in the poison attacks whether she likes it or not when the person responsible comes knocking on her own door.

“And what did you tell them in return?” Hammer asked darkly.
“Nothing,” Brant mumbled. “I tell them nothing. I’ve got nothing to tell, have I?”
An oppressed silence filled the room, weighing me down as if it were a tangible thing. It wasn’t so much the silence that worried me, it was the look in each man’s eyes. Something made these strong men deeply, desperately sad, and it had to do with their pasts.
“Where are you all from?” I asked carefully.
Some of the guards appealed to their captain, others stared at the table or into their tankards. Hammer’s jaw firmed. He scrubbed a hand over it and I thought he would speak, but he didn’t. The silence deepened.
“We don’t know,” Brant finally said. “That’s the whole fucking problem.”

Archer does it again with another great historical magical fantasy series. I love her writing style, it’s easy to follow with great mystery that will have to guessing at every corner. I love how each main character of her series is a strong female protagonist who fights against the limits of society by pushing the boundaries with their skills, whether it’s a talented watchmaker in her Glass and Steele series, a fire starter in her Freakhouse series or a doctor who isn’t allowed to have patients in After The Rift series. You’ll come to remember these characters for their strong willed determination that sets them apart from the rest.

I really enjoyed the plot to this book, although it felt messy at times. There was occasionally too much going on that distracted you from the main story of the book. I appreciate that the entire series is going to be based around the whole magically appearing palace and the mystery behind the missing memories, so obviously there needs to be some additional storyline to keep the reader more involved – in this case, a palace full of nobles and elites, a murderer and an emotional twist to make you more invested in the protagonist. I just felt like I would have preferred more about the palace and the magic than someone poisoning guests. I was getting a bit tired of ‘Josie, we need you at the palace straight away’ for some small poisoning related reason or another. It felt flat even though the author was able to keep the mystery going until the very end. I honestly didn’t guess who the murderer was so that was something! It just missed the spark I was looking for, but then it’s only the first book of the series, I can only hope it gets better. I guess I’m just used to Archer bringing more of a ‘damn propriety’ attitude to her historical romantic love interests from the very start.

Josie is a great example of a strong female in historical fiction, although she does have her flaws. Even though she’s 24, she acts young and innocent, so while she is book smart and has the knowledge only few can hope to gain at her age, she can be naive. She doesn’t think about the dangers around her most of the time as she’s set on helping people no matter their station, whether it’s the mysterious king of a magical palace, a high ranking guard, a servant or someone from the Row – a dirty rough area of the village known for it’s dark deeds, homelessness and whores. Josie is the type of character you build on through out the series, who becomes more mature and responsible as the books go on (one would hope) so the first book is bound to have you frustrated with her at times.
Everyone at the palace can’t make up their mind whether to confide in her as an outsider to their world, or push her away. It gives her some freedom to travel back and forth to the palace no questions asked, but as she becomes more involved with the palace secrets, she suddenly expects to know more and be involved in everything. She often finds herself in situations that she shouldn’t be in – with help from Hammer, the handsome captain of the guard who she can’t make up her mind about since he’s so closed off but always looking to seek her out. Whilst she mentions feeling more for him a few times, it would have been nice to see more romance between the two of them to really create a spark, it felt lacking the best of times.

“I don’t understand you, Captain. You seem to want to confide in me then suddenly you don’t. You seem to be willing to trust me then you don’t give me proper answers when I ask a simple question.”
“Haven’t you heard? I’m an enigmatic mystery. We all are.”
“You are not funny, either.”

Hammer was intriguing with his standoffish demeanour. As a personal guard to the king, he is determined to discover the truth behind their lost memories. While the rest of the castle would rather keep the secret to themselves, Hammer is under no illusion that their secret is unique and a threat to the kingdom, he also knows that outside help would help bring some perspective on their situation. He confides in Josie in a way that will keep you wanting more as their connection grows. He’s trustworthy but you know he only reveals what he choses too when it comes to Josie and his men. Hammer is drawn to her in a way he can’t understand, even when trying to put his duty first, he can’t help but get involved with everything connecting to her. His protectiveness is sweet and heartwarming, even when she goes behind his back at times to be more involved in the action. With only Josie’s perspective throughout the story, it’s difficult to see more of Hammer’s character. Let’s hope it improves as the series goes on!

One of my favourite characters was definitely Lady Miranda. She was a breath of fresh air in the palace surrounded by stuck up nobles. While she was the kings favourite, she wasn’t interested in becoming his wife and the status it would bring her. She preferred her quiet carefree life with her family and her kind attention to Josie made me love her all the more as she felt more relaxed with her than anyone else. Miranda doesn’t look down on anyone and treats Josie with respect only a true friend would, I enjoyed their banter and Miranda’s desire to be free from expectations and etiquette.

Overall I’m keen to read more of the After The Rift series to discover more. There isn’t much reveal on the secrets of the palace and we are no closer to figuring out the reason behind the missing memories. The king may or may not be more involved than others would like to believe, it’s all left hanging. I can tell this is going to be a long series to get ready to strap in if it’s something you’re interested in reading. I’ve already got my hands on the second book – The Echo of Broken Dreams.

Thanks for reading 🙂

Goodreads Blurb:
The king’s magnificent palace was built in a matter of weeks. No one saw the builders, no villagers are allowed beyond the gilded gate, and only one servant has ever left. The haunted look in her eyes as she was recaptured by the palace guards is something Josie, daughter of the village doctor, has never forgotten.
For Josie, the palace is a mystery that grows more intriguing after she meets the captain of the guards, a man known only as Hammer, as mysterious and captivating as the palace itself. Whispers of magic fuel Josie’s desire to uncover the truth, but an ordinary girl like her can only dream of ever being invited inside.
When the king decides to take a wife from among the eligible daughters of the noble families, the palace gates are finally thrown open and the kingdom’s elite pour in. In a court where old rivalries and new jealousies collide, the king’s favorite is poisoned and the doctor is summoned. As her father’s assistant, Josie finally sees inside the lavish walls, but she soon learns the palace won’t surrender its secrets easily, for not a single resident, from the lowest servant to the king himself, has a memory from before the palace existed.
In the search for the truth, Josie is drawn deeper into danger, and the answers she seeks might shake the very foundations of the kingdom.

The Beautiful

Title: The Beautiful
Author: Renee Ahdieh
Genre: Fiction/ Fantasy/ YA/ Vampire Romance
Source: NetGalley
Rating: 3/5

Favourite Quote: ‘She could not be certain what hand of Fate continued placing Sebastien Saint Germain in her path. Perhaps it was a test. God’s penance for her most grievous sin, that a boy shrouded in darkness would force her to see the light. But a greater fear lurked deep in Celine. Past the rush of blood, into the marrow of her bones. No matter where she went, danger followed. And it horrified her. Just as it thrilled her.’

*I received a sneak peek copy of this book in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley.*

Celine didn’t hesitate to jump on the boat for a fresh start in New Orleans. A chance to escape her past and move on, even if it’s in a convent for women in a Catholic church. The seven other girls around her are in a similar situation as her; a means of escape, new start or simply no where else to turn, so it’s no surprise that everyone has their own secrets they keep close. Celine may just have the biggest secret of all, one that can never expose her for what she truly is or where she comes from no matter how much her new best friend Pippa wants her too. Whilst she is under no illusion that she is lucky to be where she is, safe and unknown to all around her, Celine still can’t help but wish for an adventure, to be someone important and to continue with her gown designs that once became sought after by Parisian elites in Paris. When her skills for embroidery and needlepoint draws attention to mademoiselle Odette Valmont who wishes to commission a dress from her, Celine can’t stop herself from saying yes but quickly finds herself surrounded by danger, murder, lies, and the handsome ‘le Fantome’ Ghost, Sebastien Saint Germain, full of mystery in the middle of it all in the Den of the Lions.  

‘In that moment – listening to this strange girl quote Shakespeare and tantalise her with possibility – Celine realised she wanted to go. Badly. Her hesitation now was a last effort to hold form to her convictions. To obey. To be a model of humility. Earn a measure of God’s forgiveness. 
“If money does not entice you” – the girl leaned closer, and Celine caught a whiff of neroli oil and rosewater – “I can promise you an adventure… a trek through a den of lions.” 
That. That was it. 
It was as though the girl had found a window into the darkest corner of Celine’s heart. 
“It would be my pleasure to design a dress for you, mademoiselle,” Celine said.’ 

Initially I got a short sneak peek expert of The Beautiful from NetGalley, giving me access to the first chapter of the story. I thought it would be silly to only give a review based on that small conclusion so I purchased the book in order to fully relay my judgement. So here we are.

This book created a fantastic foundation for the story, it is slow paced in areas but the vibrancy of New Orleans in 1872 more than makes up for it with its rich colours and festivals at night surrounding it all. You very much get the sense of what happens in New Orleans stays in New Orleans. There is a lot of mystery around the characters as to who could be the potential murderer as well as secrecy surrounding the city, a perfect setting for a dark underworld of the undead and mystic beings, even though they are rarely mentioned in detail, you get a vague sense of whats going on around you. 

Whilst the main story with our protagonists Celine and occasionally Bastien is told in the third person, I really enjoyed how the perspective jumps to the dark unknown killer and how he speaks directly to the reader. It made his thoughts all the more unique and personal, you actually come to like and understand him when seeing the world through his own eyes. He’s determined to get revenge on the people that betrayed him with a fascinating charisma that will keep you wanting more of his dark murderous thoughts as you progress through the story. 

‘Demons should not be granted the indulgence of men. So sayeth man, at least. 
But I’ll share a secret. In my years, I have discovered it is possible to be both disconcerting and delightful all at once. Wine can be delicious though it muddles the mind. A mother may love and hate her children in the span of the same afternoon. And a predator could abhor itself even as it relishes its evening meal. 
I understand my behaviour might be constructed as odd. Unseemly. But I am a thing of oddity. A creature born apart from the world.
Don’t fret on my account. I have never been one of those immortals who enjoy toying with their food, nor do I particularly like stalking my prey. I am not looking for their weaknesses; rather, I am understanding their humanity.’

The characters were altogether compelling, from the mysterious Bastien and his group of mixed cultured followers, to Odette and her desire to wear mens clothing and her means to challenge society and convention makes me love her all the more. The fact that the story was based in the 1800s goes to show how uniquely different the group of divine mystical beings were in Jacques. 
I wasn’t even annoyed by the handsome detective Michael that was clearly brought into the story as love triangle that will have no effect because clearly we will be routing for the other guy – but its moments with him and his family and how he becomes so protective over Celine that a tiny part of you will wonder.. what if? 

Honestly I wasn’t sure what to think of Celine, she was a good protagonist with a dark past, one although she ran away from, does not regret her actions and still chases the danger that always seems to surround her. I wasn’t sure whether she was strong in her resolve to discover the truth whether or not it put her in the crossfire, or weak because she reacted so badly when it all went wrong – which it always did. She was always going on about how she has an inner darkness that wants to come out and play – but honestly it just felt blah. Yeah that’s right, blah. So she can’t help but feel attractive to the mysteriously dangerous Bastien, I hated their confession of attraction towards each other, both claiming they wanted to kiss the other and then both walking away like it was a conversation about the weather. Seriously? It lacked the passion I was hoping for between the two of them. 

Bastien was a really interesting character as the only human around mystical undead beings and vampires, yet remained in charge and was feared as powerful with his title. He’s not afraid to stand on his own and whilst he does rely on others, he relies on them as strength in numbers as a family rather than paid manpower. We only managed to see parts of his world through his eyes, mostly his unexpected desire towards Celine which was an unwanted distraction since they could never work, but the more he spent time around her, the more he wanted her which I thoroughly enjoyed since she continued to surprise him by pushing him away. Something he was clearly not used too. I wanted to see more of Bastien’s world through his eyes, but I get the feeling we will in the next book based on the ending. 

‘”She has teeth,” he said quietly. “But does she also have claws?”
“There is only one way to find out.” She meant it as a threat. 
He took it as a challenge.’ 

I enjoyed improving my French as the story went on, as the characters often spoke to each other in a mix of English and French. Most of the time there was a translation but occasionally you had to speculate or actually look up what they were saying which I actually quite liked. It added to the additional mystery that was still left to be uncovered although it would have been nice to have a bit more information surrounding the feud going on in the background from the Court of Lions, something about a Brotherhood, and a group called The Fallen, none of which really gets explained, even at the end. 
I’m looking forward to reading the next book ‘The Damned’, as things are starting to get interesting! 

Goodreads Blurb: 
In 1872, New Orleans is a city ruled by the dead. But to seventeen-year-old Celine Rousseau, New Orleans provides her a refuge after she’s forced to flee her life as a dressmaker in Paris. Taken in by the sisters of the Ursuline convent along with six other girls, Celine quickly becomes enamored with the vibrant city from the music to the food to the soirées and—especially—to the danger. She soon becomes embroiled in the city’s glitzy underworld, known as Le Cour des Lions, after catching the eye of the group’s leader, the enigmatic Sèbastien Saint Germain. When the body of one of the girls from the convent is found in the lair of Le Cour des Lions, Celine battles her attraction to him and suspicions about Sèbastien’s guilt along with the shame of her own horrible secret.
When more bodies are discovered, each crime more gruesome than the last, Celine and New Orleans become gripped by the terror of a serial killer on the loose—one Celine is sure has set her in his sights . . . and who may even be the young man who has stolen her heart. As the murders continue to go unsolved, Celine takes matters into her own hands and soon uncovers something even more shocking: an age-old feud from the darkest creatures of the underworld reveals a truth about Celine she always suspected simmered just beneath the surface.

A Deal with the Elf King

Title: A Deal with the Elf King
Author: Elise Kova
Genre: Fiction/ Fantasy/ YA/ Romance
Source: Kindle Recommendation
Rating: 4/5

Favourite Quote: ‘Nature requires balance.
It’s because of me that the seasons will turn in Midscape – there can be life itself.
“You are my antithesis, Luella. You are the queen of life.”
“And you are the king of death,” I whisper, staring up into his frozen eyes. “Good to know that we were never meant to get along.”
A flicker of amusement alights his eyes.
“So you understand, now,” he says. “You cannot be free of this any more than I can. We are held in tandem, you and I.’

Luella worked hard to be where she is, a qualified herbalist in medicine to help the people who have given so much to see her succeed. With her shop full of medicines and her endless patients relying on her help, she has no time to think about anything else. Even the inevitable Elf King and the agreement her kingdom has to the world beyond the Fade. A woman born of magic every hundred years must stand by the Elf King and become the Human Queen to keep the balance and unity between both worlds.
Except the one that has been born of magic has yet to emerge, and the Elf King is becoming impatient.
No one expected him to show up to collect her himself, and no one expected him to set his sights on Luella who has passed the age of magic. Discovering her magic was being hidden and suppressed by an enchantment surprises the both of them, but when Luella find herself pulled away from her family and patients who have relied on her for too long, she can’t help but feel her duty divided when she quickly realises her new role in the elven world is more than to be a pretty face at the side of it’s King.

‘”I should keep many things in my castle under control yet they seem to delight in trying my patience.” He brings his eyes back to me. “Magic is not that difficult. I expected you to have a little command.”
“Really? Because I didn’t expect to have magic at all.” I meet his eyes again.
“Your magic is weak and the fact nearly killed you. Luella, you are a beacon of life in a world that is closer to the land of death. Midscape draws ever closer to the Veil and the Beyond than it does the Natural World. That makes you an easy target here – we all desire that which we cannot have, even magic itself. And you are the embodiment of all that has been taken from this world.”
“I would’ve appreciated this explanation from you earlier,” I mutter.
“It is not usually the king’s job to give.”
“Nothing about this is usual!” I throw out my arms and gesture to the room around us.’

*POTENTIAL SPOILERS*
I’ve read quite a few Hades and Persephone retellings lately, which is probably why this book came up on my recommendations, and I have to say, I was impressed. I really enjoyed the plot of this book, it kept me on my toes wondering what was going to happen around every corner. I loved the idea of the worlds divided, the ‘natural world’ full of life, the ‘beyond’ full of death and the magical world in between full of elves, fae, vampires, mer and other mythical beings with the Fade as a barrier between worlds. The idea that the Human Queen herself is life and the Elf King is death, and together they sacrifice part of themselves to bring balance to the worlds around them since it was divided by their ancestors three thousand years ago. You get it, right? Of course you do! It sounds friggin’ awesome.

I loved the scenery and how it was brought to life through Luella’s eyes, how natural the human world is, how dark, cold and grey Midscape is without her magic, and the void in between filled with darkness. The world building is brilliant and I would have loved to experience more of it. With the talk of the vampires in the mountains, the fae in the forest and the mer folk in the magical waters, it was disappointing that we never got the opportunity to see any of it, even with magic all around them.

‘”They say that the Veil that separates us from the Beyond was made by the first Elf King to give order to the living and the dead. In doing so, he severed the elves from the immortality they were given by the first gods. For this, other races bent the knee to the elves. They honoured the sacrifice of all the elves to give the final rest to everyone and proclaimed the Elf King the king of kings – ruler of all mortals.”
“So, in a way, the elves are guardians of the dead?”
“You can think of it like that. It’s part of why we were granted the ability to find the true names of people, beasts, and things.”
“Finding the names.. that’s the Knowing?”
“Yes, and it is the strongest power in Midscape.”‘

The story itself was fast paced with the urgency that Luella had three months to find a way to end the cycle of the Human Queen in order to bring back life to Midscape as the ancient power was fading, or she would never get the chance to go back to her normal life that she was fighting so hard for. So much so that it was too fast paced at times. Three months flew by and yet it just felt like she was just always in the right place at the right time to come to her conclusions along side a lot of reading. You always felt like you were left in the dark with the Elf King when it came to her discovering something new which fell a bit lacking at times. I wanted to be more involved, more engaged with their findings and I wanted it to be harder. For a three thousand year old magical treaty, it was too easy to break the void between worlds with little consequence. It was easy to predict how it would end, it was the how that kept me going.

Luella was an interesting character, she knew what she wanted and went for it. She studied hard and earned the respect of those around her, always putting others before her and making it her duty to pay back everything they’ve given her, was her dream, her purpose. She spoke so much of duty yet continued to fight against her new role at every turn in order to go back, even when she knew she was a part of something bigger than herself and felt it justified for the future of all Human Queens. It was easy to sympathise with her since she had no time to adjust to her new life, never having the chance to prepare for being Queen, but occasionally you just wanted her to grow up and accept her new role and the role of others around her. She claimed to want respect, but did little to earn it herself by belittling the King whenever she had the chance. It was annoying and childish but I understood it well enough to let it go, knowing the author was after a love hate relationship to start with. I enjoyed it when she explored with her magic, even if it made her look weak after, she was determined to show the world otherwise which I liked about her character.

‘”Any compassion and effort you exert to know someone is nothing more than a ruse to get what you want out of those around you.”
“I am above compassion and relationships,” he seethes. “I do not have a reason to lower myself to the emotions of the rabble. I walk above them.”
“If you’re always walking above people you risk walking on them, Eldas. And that’s how you make enemies.”
“I won’t be lectured by a human who entered my world days ago. And certainly not by one who has never ruled a day in her life.”
“Good,” I say. “Because I have no interest in lecturing a man who won’t listen.” I spin on my heel and start for the door again.
“You will respect me!” Eldas shouts.
“Be someone worthy of respecting first!” I slam the door behind me.’

The Elf King was as you would expect, a dark, handsome, controlling ruler who is above it all, but underneath is a lonely man locked away in a castle looking for hope. He’s spent his entire life knowing he would be matched with the next Human Queen, what he didn’t expect was to wait around for her and having to drag her back to his castle a year late, causing the rest of the magical world to think him weak and unfit to rule. His loneliness pulls at your heart as you slowly uncover more about him and his determination to follow the traditions of the Elf King. When he finds that the one person he’s waited for his entire life doesn’t plan on staying by his side, he losing control of himself as life around him suddenly becomes unpredictable. I’ve see a lot of people dislike his character as dull and boring but honestly, I found him refreshing and more interesting for his shy inexperience at being in a relationship and trying to gain control only to lose over and over again as he spends more time with Luella. Wife and Queen or not, it’s sweet when he’s surprised to find something more than a title in her.

But you wanna know who I loved most through all of it? Hook. A playful wolf who enjoys cuddles and belly rubs, travels through the void only to rush back to protect Luella in the wild magical world she’s found herself in. A fantastic addition to the story that was heartwarming, creating a lovely bond between them that I absolutely adored.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and whilst I loved it, the chemistry between the main characters was sometimes lacking and the story missed some finer details, I would still recommend it to others who enjoy a good retelling.

Thanks for reading 🙂

Goodreads Blurb:
The elves come for two things: war and wives. In both cases, they come for death.
Three-thousand years ago, humans were hunted by powerful races with wild magic until the treaty was formed. Now, for centuries, the elves have taken a young woman from Luella’s village to be their Human Queen.
To be chosen is seen as a mark of death by the townsfolk. A mark nineteen-year-old Luella is grateful to have escaped as a girl. Instead, she’s dedicated her life to studying herbology and becoming the town’s only healer.
That is, until the Elf King unexpectedly arrives… for her.
Everything Luella had thought she’d known about her life, and herself, was a lie. Taken to a land filled with wild magic, Luella is forced to be the new queen to a cold yet blisteringly handsome Elf King. Once there, she learns about a dying world that only she can save.
The magical land of Midscape pulls on one corner of her heart, her home and people tug on another… but what will truly break her is a passion she never wanted.

A Curse so Dark and lonely

Title: A Curse so Dark and Lonely
Author: Brigid Kemmerer
Genre: Fantasy/ YA/ Fairytale Retelling/ Fantasy
Source: Goodreads Recommendation
Rating: 5/5

Favourite Quote: ‘”They need me. Can’t you understand that? That they need me? Can you?”
I press my forehead against the door. Her pain reaches me through the wood, tightening my own chest and dredging memories of my family. “Yes. I can.”
“No!” Her voice is fierce, her rage pure. “You can’t!”
“I can,” I say softly.
“How?”
“Because I need you.”‘

Harper hasn’t had it easy, her father ran away after he got involved with a group he owed money too, leaving the debt and danger to her family and her brother left doing the dirty work for those who threaten them. Her mother is now bedridden with cancer and Harper herself left feeling weak with her cerebral palsy in her leg, her role is to be a look out for her brother and nothing more. When she sees a girl being kidnapped by a man whilst on a job, she can’t help but get involved and throws herself at the man with her crowbar even if it does little to stop him. The next thing she knows, she’s transported to a world outside DC, a castle in summer surrounded by winter, musical instruments that play themselves, and a prince that claims to need her help. No matter how many times she tries to escape, she quickly realises that she’s stuck as the last hope for a curse that threatens to destroy the entire kingdom around her.

He stops, but his sword remains in his hand and he doesn’t take his eyes off the girl. “Do not think,” he tells her, his voice fierce, “that this means I will allow you to attack me again.”
“Don’t worry,” she snaps. “I’m sure I’ll get another chance.”
“She attacked you?” My eyebrows rise. “Grey. She is half your size.”
“She makes up for it in temperament. She most assuredly was not my first choice.”
“Where am I?” The girl’s eyes keep flicking from me to him to the sword in his hand. Her knuckles are white where they grip the bar. “What did you do?”‘

This was one of the best Beauty and the Beast retellings I’ve read and I don’t say that lightly – I’ve read a lot of them. I adored the characters, the magic, the curse, the monster – the original fairytale was all there but it was just so wonderfully unique that it was one of it’s own. Part of me doesn’t even want to call it a fairytale retelling because the story was so individually different.

The story was told from both perspectives of Harper and Prince Rhen which brought the story to life through both their eyes.
Harper was a fantastically well written main character with a believable backstory, physical flaws that she won’t allow to get the best of her, a brave instinct that often gets her in trouble although she never regrets her actions. The build up of her character is delightful, she knows her own strengths and weaknesses and pushes through both to help a strange Prince in a land that’s unfamiliar laced with a curse, a lie and a monster just so she can ensure the people around her are safe and looked after. She’s passionate, kind and doesn’t back down from a fight, whether it’s against armed soldiers, scary Grey or an argument with a cursed Prince. She hits my top favourite heroines list without a doubt.

‘He doesn’t act like a man who’s trying to fall in love. He plays this whole thing like a game, where underneath his pretty words is a man full of cunning and guile. He acts like a tethered animal that’s learned the limits of its chain – but knows how to lure prey to its death. That’s why I don’t trust him. After the showdown in the snow, I realise he doesn’t trust me, either. Somehow, despite the fact that he trapped me in Emberfall, his distrust seems to run deeper.‘

Prince Rhen was an interesting character which we get to see inside and out. It’s easy to see why he thinks the way he does seeing everything as a strategy being raised as a Prince to rule a kingdom, why his personality is completely pessimistic and why he’s suddenly so caught off guard around Harper. Even as an isolated Prince with only Grey to keep him company, he still holds his authority well around others, and expects the same from her, only to have her argue against him at every turn. It’s confusing, frustrating and frankly just refreshing for him to have someone challenge him after so long, it’s not difficult to understand why Harper brings a new sense of hope to him where there was none previously. Even when it’s clear she will not feel for him the way he needs her too in order to lift the curse.

I really liked Grey, the last remaining person to survive the monster attack that stands by Prince Rhen’s side no matter what. His loyalty shows no bounds and his sweet interactions with children and simply just the way he is around Harper is endearing for a lonely soldier who has lost everything for so long. It’s the small moments with Grey that make you like him all the more, from playing cards in front of the fire, teaching Harper how to throw knives, his need to feel productive in his role and the way you can just simply trust him brings so much meaning to his character.

‘Grey stares after him. “I had almost forgotten what this was like.”
“Having someone to order around?” I say.
“No.” Rhen looks past me at his guard commander. “Being part of something bigger.”
Grey nods. “Yes. That exactly.”‘

I loved the plot, the scheme Rhen and Harper come up with to show the neighbouring countries that their kingdom has not been abandoned by their royalty. It brings more than just a Beauty and the Beast romance to the story and is entirely captivating, I couldn’t put the book down. You really get to see the characters change around each other as the go from focusing on the curse in an empty secluded castle to a being part of something greater as a kingdom united with its people to fight in a war for power.
The additional characters that join them along the way are all individually unique and flawed in their own way they are easy to follow along and help build up the story. I loved how Freya became a strong mother figure that Harper needed and a comfort she gave herself into. I loved how their new lieutenant had a missing hand to show that flaws are not a sign of weakness and I loved that Zo was a woman who wanted to be a soldier and so became a solider because Harper showed them that any woman can be just as strong as a man, no matter what her size. Each character had meaning, a purpose and a goal to fulfil without it being too complicated or overcrowded as the people of the kingdom joined together around them.

As you can tell, I absolutely adored this book and I couldn’t recommend it enough for anyone who loves a great fairytale retelling.

Goodreads Blurb:
Fall in love, break the curse.
It once seemed so easy to Prince Rhen, the heir to Emberfall. Cursed by a powerful enchantress to repeat the autumn of his eighteenth year over and over, he knew he could be saved if a girl fell for him. But that was before he learned that at the end of each autumn, he would turn into a vicious beast hell-bent on destruction. That was before he destroyed his castle, his family, and every last shred of hope.
Nothing has ever been easy for Harper. With her father long gone, her mother dying, and her brother barely holding their family together while constantly underestimating her because of her cerebral palsy, she learned to be tough enough to survive. But when she tries to save someone else on the streets of Washington, DC, she’s instead somehow sucked into Rhen’s cursed world.
Break the curse, save the kingdom.
A prince? A monster? A curse? Harper doesn’t know where she is or what to believe. But as she spends time with Rhen in this enchanted land, she begins to understand what’s at stake. And as Rhen realizes Harper is not just another girl to charm, his hope comes flooding back. But powerful forces are standing against Emberfall . . . and it will take more than a broken curse to save Harper, Rhen, and his people from utter ruin.

The Wrong Girl

Title: The Wrong Girl
Author: C.J. Archer
Genre: Fiction/ Fantasy/ YA/Historical Fantasy
Source: Kindle Unlimited
Rating: 4/5

Favourite Quote: ‘”But you can control your fire, can’t you?”
He lifted his gaze to mine. “The sparks and heat come only when I’m very angry. Or so I thought.”
“You’re not angry now.”
He turned away. “No.”
“Then.. why? I don’t understand.”
“It’s not important.”
“It is important! Why now, Jack? What was different about this time?”
“Do you have to ask?” he muttered.’ 

 

 

Hannah Smith longs for some freedom, but is under no illusion that she is lucky to be where she is. Most orphan girls in her situation would have ended up on the streets or in the work house, but she can’t help but dream of seeing the world outside her window. Her role is the companion of the earl’s daughter Violet. A girl her own age who has the ability to start fires when she’s upset. They’ve been living up in the attic together since they were children when their unwanted abilities came to light. Vi the frightened fire starter, and Hannah the optimistic narcoleptic, together they created a bond like no other.
Hannah had no idea that her wish was about to come true when she finds herself kidnapped by the new gardener Jack, and taken to a huge mansion in the middle of nowhere known as Freak House, home to a disabled mad scientist, his niece, their mute butler, and their very own fire starter, Jack, who is keen to learn more about the powers in her. Hannah quickly realises she wasn’t the intended target, they weren’t after her, they were after Vi. How long can she pretend she’s Violet until they discover the truth? 

‘”Then what do you want with me? If you mean me no harm, why am I here?”
Langley turned his steely grey gaze on me. “I’d heard you were clever.”
I bristled. “Heard from whom?”
“Never mind that. You’re here not because of who you are, but what you are.”
My heartbeat slowed. My cheeks cooled. I sat very still and stared at Langley, although I didn’t really see him. I’d known it all along, but I’d not wanted to admit it – I’d been kidnapped because they thought I was Vi, and Vi could start fires with her mind. I swallowed hard.’

 

You shouldn’t be surprised that I picked up another series from C.J. Archer. I love her writing style and her stories continue to pull me in. Each book I read of hers contains the same ingredients of historical fiction, a captivating storyline, elements of magic and a swoon-worthy romance that only gets better throughout the series. C.J. surprises me every time and The Wrong Girl is no exception. I do however have an issue with the cover since our main protagonist has red hair.. but that’s my issue. The overall gothic victorian look holds out in the book with the creepiness of Freak House, it’s mute lurch-like butler, the mad scientist and the huge empty house with old ruins attached. 

The characters were well written and the build up between them was wonderful, each character harbouring their own secrets but tied together for a single purpose, to control the fire within Hannah (or rather Violet as they all believe). Hannah was a great protagonist, young and naive about the world since she spent her life confined to an attic with little company, you watch her going through new experiences in life she never had before, riding a horse, having her own room, traveling to exciting places, meeting new people and just having the freedom to come and go as she pleases. It’s nice to see the changes she goes through, all the while living to the new rules of the Freak House. The connection she shares with Jack is immediate and its sweet, innocent and endearing. I loved their first crush interactions with each other, but then I’m a sucker for romance if you hadn’t guessed already. 

‘”I thought it was ladies who were supposed to be the secretive ones,” I said. 
“Does this mean that the lovely Lady Violet isn’t telling me everything? And here I thought you wore your heart on your sleeve.”
“And how do you know what’s in my heart, Jack Langley?” I asked softly.’

Jack was an interesting character full of mystery, the only other known fire starter but is able to naturally control his ability. He’s abnormally fast and strong, and whilst he appears to be a gentleman, his true accent comes out when he’s angry giving him a gruff lower class Londoner personality which Hannah is not allowed to talk about. He has secret meetings with the servants, his authority comes and goes when it comes to August and his boyish charms are innocent but careful. He’s full of secrets that you can’t help but feel intrigued by him, his past and his current situation in the Freak House as a fire starter. 

The additional characters are well written and bring the story to life with their dynamic differences, each with their own impact on Hannah’s life whether for protection, fear, control, friendship or otherwise. I liked how the story was only told from Hannah’s perspective as it brought more mystery to the characters around her and their role in her situation. Uncle August keeps himself locked away to his part of the house, as a recluse who isn’t used to being around others, his demeanour is blunt and hurtful and although he may believe he’s doing the right thing, his actions have deeper consequences than he cares to admit. With Sylvia, it always feels like she’s trying to tell you something, but choses to hide her character behind standard etiquette and social expectations even when she’s the only one in the house to do so. I can imagine that she could tell a story of her own if given the chance. 
Whilst the book doesn’t end on an emotional cliffhanger, it does leave some questions unanswered and you’ll be keen to read on to find out what happens in the next part of the story in Playing With Fire.

 

 

 

Goodreads Blurbs:
It’s customary for Gothic romance novels to include a mysterious girl locked in the attic. Hannah Smith just wishes she wasn’t that girl. As a narcoleptic and the companion to an earl’s daughter with a strange affliction of her own, Hannah knows she’s lucky to have a roof over her head and food in her belly when so many orphans starve on the streets. Yet freedom is something Hannah longs for. She did not, however, want her freedom to arrive in the form of kidnapping.
Taken by handsome Jack Langley to a place known as Freak House, she finds herself under the same roof as a mad scientist, his niece, a mute servant and Jack, a fire starter with a mysterious past. They assure Hannah she is not a prisoner and that they want to help her. The problem is, they think she’s the earl’s daughter. What will they do when they discover they took the wrong girl?

Firefrost

Title: Firefrost
Author: Camille Longley
Genre: Fiction/ Fantasy/ YA/ Romance/ Magic
Source: NetGalley
Rating: 5/5

Favourite Quote: ‘”Fire isn’t evil. We all use fire, to cook, to light and warm our homes. Without fire, humankind wouldn’t survive.”
“But it is evil to use it like this. To be tainted by it. To let it enter the blood.”
“I won’t apologise for saving your life.”
“It’s better to die untainted than to let the poison take you.”
“Maybe we aren’t so different,” Kelan said softly. “We’re both afraid of what fire can do to us.”‘

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley.*

 

Sol is now the strongest hunter in their small mountain village when she took the role after her father died. As the oldest sibling, she is left to fend for her family whatever it takes. When their closest allies requests her help to guide them through the snowy mountains, in order to form an alliance with a distant city to help the war against the Flameskins, she isn’t in a position to say no. Even if it’s a mistake to travel over the mountains during the cold season with access to limited resources and fighting against the power of the mountain storms. What she didn’t expect was to find a Flameskin camp so soon in their journey, and having no choice but to fight their way through the soulless demons that are determined to stop them. 

Kelan is a Flameskin lieutenant who is in a constant inner battle against his Flameskin possession. He will not let his demon take over who he is no matter what the cost. Left with a small number of troops to stop a marriage alliance to be used against his people, his orders are to kill Lady Isabelle whatever it takes. When his camp is suddenly attacked, Kelan wasn’t prepared to be caught so off guard and soon the camp becomes overthrown and he finds himself as the last man standing in front of his enemy. He quickly finds himself a prisoner with a maniacal to stop him from accessing his demon’s ability and a watchful hunter keeping him in his place as they continue their journey through the mountains. 

‘Sol marched toward him, but he sprung up and backed away. “I should’ve left you buried in the snow,” she growled. 
“I’m glad you rescued me, but I’m still not going to put that back on.”
Sol reached for her knife and Demon’s hands sparked with fire. She would’ve preferred to freeze to death than to burn to death. She gripped the manacle, her fingers brushing the emberstone inside it. 
“You should be more careful who you threaten, Sol,” Demon said. 
“If you kill me, you’ll never find that village.”
“Maybe I should take my chances.” 
“Kill me, then. That’s all demons do. Kill, and destroy.”
She met his turquoise eyes and held his gaze.’

 

I thought I’d make a fresh start on my NetGalley shelf and get through books I’ve been putting off for a while. I’m starting to feel guilty that the majority of the books I’ve downloaded are already archived on my shelf, it isn’t fair on the authors. This self declaration lead me to Firefrost. I fell in love with this book by it’s cover.. cus, well look at it.. it’s so pretty. *dreamy eyes*
There seems to be a lot of reviewers that have found something wrong with this story which holds them back from giving it full stars, and whilst I agree, there are quite a few things I didn’t like about this book – I honestly can’t help but give it 5 stars anyway. I don’t tend to find a lot of books like this where I can honestly say it simply just hooked me in for its unique storyline and believable characters. I found myself being drawn in to their adventure more than I realised and I fell in love with it.

I didn’t know this at first, but this book is just spinoff prequel to the Flameskin Chronicles. It’s a fantastic introduction to the universe and I will definitely be looking into the main series to discover more about the magical world that was refreshing and wonderfully original. 
The type of characters were distinct and well written with their magical aspects, you have the Flameskins who are humans born with a fire demon pyra who slowly possesses the host the more they use their fire ability until they are taken over completely, the Saints who are essentially Flameskins who are unable to be possessed by demons and have full control over their powers and Mages who can gain access to magic whilst touching an emberstone but will slowly lose a part of who they are the more they use it. Of course you also have the humans across the continent who fear those with magic and have declared war against them, except the Saints. I even liked the power of the mountain spirits who recognise one of their own and were acknowledged as gods and goddesses through out each magical land told through fables and stories, such as the Ulve Mountain gods with their ice wolves and seeds of magic. 

The story itself was told through both perspectives of Sol and Kelan which helped build on their characters as well as the slow burning romance between them.
Both characters on opposite sides of a war, both intertwined through unfortunately circumstances, both having to work together to survive the journey through the snowy mountains, determined to use each other to their own advantage before betraying the other when the time comes. What they didn’t expect was to find a connection on their journey that will create an understanding and unspoken commitment to one another. 

I liked Sol and her strong willed stubborn attitude and her bias against the Flameskins race after everything her father had taught her at the beginning. It really shows how much she matures throughout the story but I have to say, the love hate was a bit annoying to start with, I was getting fed up with Sol with the whole ‘I hate him’, ‘I think I like him’, ‘but he’s a demon so I hate him’, ‘but I do I like him’, ‘but he’s a demon’, ‘but I must like him’ aspect. I honestly don’t know how Kelan stuck around at times, Sol was so frustrating that even I couldn’t handle her indecisiveness. Not that I didn’t respect it or completely understand it. She spent her entire life fighting against the one person she now spends every moment with in order to survive, the one being her father fought to protect his family against was now keeping her warm at night – she sees herself as a disgrace to his father’s legacy and everything their village stood against. It’s no surprise she battles with herself when it comes to Kelan. However, I do have to admit, it’s only when she starts questioning everything she knew and comes to to accept her feelings for Kelan that the story really blooms. They come to rely on each other to survive, a romantic us v.s the world rather than fighting each other at every corner which was becoming a bit tedious at times.

‘”I’m not a demon.”
“Kelan-“
“Call me fool, call me Flameskin, call me anything you like, but never call me Demon.”
“Kelan, I meant-“
“I didn’t choose this. We don’t get to choose our parents, or what we’re born to. And every moment is a battle for me. You don’t know what it’s like to have to resist what you are, to fight every day of your life to keep the fire at bay.”
He stood over her, his eyes hard, and angry heat radiated from him. Sol shivered and resisted the urge to lean into him. His shoulders slumped and he pulled her in. 
“You’re freezing,” he whispered. 
She was stiff in his arms, but she couldn’t pull away. She hated how much she craved the warmth of his body. 
“I’m not like the others,” he said. “What do I have to do to prove that to you?”
“I don’t know.”‘

Kelan had his good and bad moments, he could go from being a scary ass fire demon army lieutenant, to a scared cowering human in an instant. It was like sometimes he forgot he was born a soldier even without his demon inside him to rely on. How he clung onto Sol like a lifeline, he was too desperate for a fire warrior but it played the part to build up his character and the relationship between them so even I could appreciate that. You were able to see both parts of his character when he let go of his humanity and the person he was so desperate to be when he fought off his inner demon. The way that he was willing to do anything to keep Sol safe was heartwarming, even when she continued to fight and belittle him. I have to say though, even when they began to see something more between them, I really didn’t like how easily Kelan was manipulated to think the worse of Sol after he was willing to give up the world for her. Pick a lane! 

The scenery was beautifully dire with the endless snowy setting that goes on for so long in the story, the slow perilous journey through the mountains gave you enough time to get to know the characters as they came to rely on each other. It created a magically isolated setting that tested their strength and patience, you could truly imagine yourself there keeping warm in a cave, hiking through the snow with snowshoes or coming across empty villages on their path to the city hunting for food. Even after they left the snowy mountains, the author took their time to really build up the world and the environment around them whether it was Sol’s home village, travelling across the country to escape the war that threatens to tear them apart or their escape to the dark forest of Hivid Wood full of wraiths and abandoned Flameskin children. The whole world building was fantastic and I can’t wait to discover more in the main chronicles! 

 

 

Goodreads Review:
She’s a huntress: Sol d’Hillerod is sent on a desperate mission through a treacherous winter pass. She carries with her the only hope of her village’s survival, and she will do whatever she must to keep her world from burning.
He’s a monster: Lieutenant Kelan Birke has spent his whole life fighting for his freedom and his soul. As his control slips, and the war rages on, he knows it won’t be long before he loses himself entirely to the fire that flows through his veins.
Sol and Kelan are enemies in an age-old war, forced to depend on each other to survive a perilous journey through the mountains. As fire melts the ice in Sol’s heart, she questions everything she’s been taught to believe, and Kelan becomes more desperate to fight the flames that consume him. Together they discover that their struggle will have repercussions for both sides of this burning war.

Damnation (Tales of Cinder #3)

Title: Damnation (Tales of Cinder #3)
Author: M.J. Haag
Genre: Fiction/ Romance/ Fantasy/ YA/ Fairytale
Source: Kindle Unlimited
Rating: 4/5

Favourite Quote: ‘Too much sarcasm laced my words, and her resulting smile should have struck fear in me.
I was too blindly angry, though.
“You test me?”
Glancing at her, I snorted. “What will you do? Gouge out my eyes? Drain me of my essence? Walk me naked through the streets? Have men use me and touch me? Cut the hair from my head?” My voice rose with each question. “Do it all! I care not. You’ve already killed me; my body is only too stupid to die.”‘

 

Eloise finally feels like she has the upper hand now that she has been given protection from Rose, Maeve and her daughters can no longer cause her physical harm, not that that will stop them from trying or using others against her. Knowing she has successfully broken the magic mirror, Eloise can at least finally keep her sister safe from her evil stepmother from afar as well as the rest of the Kingdom who stands in her way. With the Prince officially announcing his return with plans on holding a ball in pursuit of a bride, the guests have no idea that it is also a means to lure out the evil that is threatening the Kingdom. With Kaven bringing Eloise’s attention to the Prince, Maeve uses the opportunity to place herself in the centre of it all with her dark intentions now out in the open. Eloise just needs to decide whether to follow her heart or her duty and protect the Prince and the Kingdom from Maeve once and for all.

‘I looked up into his beautiful blue eyes and saw his determination and stubbornness. Both would get him killed. I know then that I needed to let him go. But how?
His expression softened. 
“Don’t,” he said softly.
“Don’t what?”
“Find a reason to push me away.”
My brows rose in surprise. 
“I can read you better than you realise, Eloise. When you feel threatened, you don’t run, you fight back.”‘

 

Eloise has broken the magic mirror, Kellen has eaten the cursed apple, the town is still recovering from the illness Maeve threw at it, the Prince has returned and Maeve’s entire plan has now come out in the open. Eloise’s revenge comes back with a passion when she discovers the truth about why her parents died. She knows she’s a pawn in Maeve’s plan, but Eloise needs to decide how far she is willing to go to push the boundaries of her safety and those around her in order to stop Maeve, Cecilia and Porcia from their plan in taking over the Kingdom. Haag continues to draw you into the dark and horrifyingly twisted Cinderella retelling that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Be warned, it’s just as dark as the previous book and doesn’t hold back on the details of the horrors Maeve inflicts on her victims.

Eloise continues to impress me as the story goes on, whilst she sometimes struggles to continue the fight, she finds the willpower and determination to overcome it all again. She’s been through so much in such a sort time, it’s understandable why she goes through each decision the way she does, once again picking her battles. She loses a few in this book and suffers the consequences but it isn’t all about her and her sister anymore, it’s about the Kingdom and the Prince who has become a target for Maeve and her daughters. If she fails, the Kingdom will suffer. Even though she has lost everyone she has ever loved, she was still willing to sacrifice her love for Kaven for the good of the Kingdom. She’s her own hero in her own fairytale and I love her for it.

‘”I would give a piece of myself to you so you would always remember the love I bear for you, no matter what direction life takes me.” 
“You are the most stubborn -“
Lifting my mouth to his, I silenced his protest.’

I liked Kaven, I really did, but from being a brazen carefree curious but witty man in the woods in book one, to a frustrating – just open your eyes and look at what’s happening to the poor girl – ignorance who seems to always be waiting around for her in book two, to suddenly being an increasingly needy immature pining man who doesn’t know the meaning of patience in book three was really the wrong direction for our knight in shining armour. If you could even call him that. Which I shouldn’t. Because he didn’t do anything to deserve that title except show up. Again and again and again. Even I had enough of his cluelessness but it was that very thing that kept him alive so I guess it helped the story along. I just wanted to slap him sometimes and tell him to open his bloody eyes. It was only when the whole truth came out at the end that I really started to like him again – but I won’t spoil it for you… anymore than I probably have. You really shouldn’t be reading this review unless you’ve committed to the first books let’s be honest.

Of course it’s a retelling of Cinderella so of course you won’t be surprised by it’s happy ending, even if it took a while to get there. All the pieces of the story come together after its emotional rollercoaster of pain, heartbreak and devastation to a great conclusion that will make it all worth it. I love the author’s writing style and the way she is able to hold you captive right up until the very end.

I was glad to see more of Rose the enchantress. She played a large part of the Beastly Tales which is another series written by Haag – one of my favourites, a guilty pleasure that I keep going back too. Rose was portrayed as the villain in that tale, but I’m glad she’s been given a different approach with Tales of Cinder which has me wanting to read Beastly Tales all over again. I love how the author has been able to combine characters from both stories, giving the whole setting a bigger perspective that what it was in each series. I’m keen to see what else Haag brings to the universe! We get a further glimpse into Kellen’s Snow White story at the end and I’m keen to find out more!

(also the author has done a spin off story about Margaret – Eloise and Kellen’s mother – in Disowned Tales of Cinder #0.5 if you crave more of their story – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/45318968-disowned)

 

 

Goodreads Review:
With the reason behind her mother’s death revealed, it’s a race for Eloise to exact her revenge and prevent her stepsisters from marrying the prince. However, amidst the glittering jewels and colorful ball gowns, the royal court holds secrets of its own that will devastate Eloise and strike a final blow to her plans. Betrayed by the one person she thought she could trust, Eloise questions how far she’s willing to go for revenge.

After all, in the game of kingdoms, everyone is a pawn.