Tag: Fantasy (Page 16 of 118)

Item: Curse of Darkness
Rating: 5
Author: Jen

BOOK REVIEW: Curse of Darkness (Dark Court Rising #3) by Bec McMaster

April 11, 2022 / Jen / 2 Comments

Curse of Darkness (Dark Court Rising #3)
by Bec McMaster
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
The Darkness is coming....

Can Iskvien save her husband's soul? Or will her mother's wrath destroy them all?

The third book in the Dark Court Rising series.

Review:

I don’t fear Death.
But as I summon my thorns, one of them circling my waist, I can’t help thinking: Maybe he should fear me.

Curse of Darkness was a stunning conclusion to the Dark Court Rising trilogy! With war, love, sacrifice, friendship, and risks laced throughout the pages, this book was entirely addicting! From start to finish this series has been action packed with romance that was sigh worthy. I fell so deeply in love with these characters and the journeys they went on. If you’re looking for a completed adult fantasy to binge, then look no further!

I didn’t get to burn his body.
I didn’t get to say goodbye.
I didn’t get to tell him I loved him one last time….

From that first page, this story sliced my heart open. I was not ready for the heartache that would follow the ending of Crown of Darkness. The tears wouldn’t stop coming. But have faith, because there were so many twists and turns in this book that kept me of my edge of my seat! And there were also revelations that blew my mind! As the story kept unfolding, I loved that we got a clear picture of all the players and what was truly going on. The insights we gained kept me holding my breath. Because I was terrified how it would all pan out!

I can’t control the rage that ignites my magic. Where once there was heat and flame, now there’s only ice.

Through it all, we had Vi who was a true queen we could respect! The dangerous games she played, while trying to hold an unfathomable amount of precarious cards, left me feeling nervous and so proud of her. She had come so far from that first moment we met her! And while she prepared for the upcoming war that was looming in the background like a ticking time bomb I got chills with who she fought tooth and nail to align herself with. She was truly unstoppable. Or so I hoped! And if that wasn’t enough, she also had to save her husband’s soul.

“…We’re family, Vi. Now you need to understand that.”
My heart feels so fucking heavy in my chest. “I know.”
Finn falls back to clap a hand on my shoulder. “You’re not alone, Vi. I just want you to know that. And the weight on your shoulders isn’t your burden to carry alone.”
Hot tears threaten to spill down my cheeks.

Finn, Eris, Thalia, Amaya, Grimm, Baylor and so many more, I adored this found family so much! Together they were a formidable team and at times they left me laughing manically because of how things unfolded. And as they helped Vi on her journey, the bargains that were made, the risks that were taken, and the terrifying plans that played out were mesmerizing! They had to put their trust and faith in those you hoped wouldn’t do them wrong. And at times there were unseen consequences and heartbreaking moments but there were also so many that made me laugh and cry happy tears. I definitely cried all the happy tears while reading this story!

“Well, well,” she whispers as her laughter fades. “The little queen of Evernight is learning to play the game.”

Curse of Darkness brimmed with emotions and tensions ran high, making this book impossible to put down. This series is a must read for fantasy lovers! And we’re definitely given a HEA for Vi, you know I’m not going to offer more than that lol. But at the same time, there was still so much going on in this world and so many stories that still need to be told. I have a lot of guesses for future love matches *fingers crossed*. So after you read that final page, we’re told whose story is up next and I was screaming with excitement! I. Can’t. Wait!

Molten eyes lock on mine. “Remind me what it feels like to live.”
I gift him with a dangerous smile. “Done.”

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book, provided by the author. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

Reading Order:

Review #1: Jen’s Review	Review #1.5: Jen’s Review	Review #2: Jen’s Review
Review #3: Jen’s Review

BOOK REVIEW: Crown of Darkness (Dark Court Rising #2) by Bec McMaster

April 8, 2022 / Jen / 5 Comments

BOOK REVIEW: Crown of Darkness (Dark Court Rising #2) by Bec McMaster Crown of Darkness (Dark Court Rising #2)
by Bec McMaster
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

Thiago and Iskvien survived a dangerous curse, but will they survive the coming war?

Princess Iskvien made a dangerous bargain with an ancient goddess in order to break her mother’s curse. Now she must find the Crown of Shadows within a year, or the goddess will take her firstborn child.

Thiago—her heart and soul—stands at her side, but their love has never been tested like this.

Enemies surround them, but in the game of love and war, does her mother, Queen Adaia, hold the ultimate weapon up her sleeve? Or can their love defeat all?

True love will face the ultimate challenge when a dark goddess rises, secrets threaten to tear two lovers apart, and a queen will stop at nothing to gain revenge. Read this epic fantasy filled with magic and breathtaking romance today!

Warning: Cliffhanger ending.

Review:

This time, I’m not prey. This time, I’m the hunter.

Crown of Darkness was an exhilarating continuation of the Dark Court Rising Trilogy! This story was filled with twists, love, friendship, sacrifice and so much heart. With heart pounding action and unfathomable peril, Crown of Darkness became an instant favorite! If you love fantasy and adult romance then you definitely need this series in your life!

In this moment, he’s no longer merely my husband.
He’s the Prince of Evernight. The Lord of Whispers and Lies. The Master of Darkness. And the most dangerous male in the south.

Vi and Thiago’s love was forbidden, yet it was fated and written in the stars. And while they were now together, there was still no peace or rest. Vi was tasked with finding a crown or their first born child was to be given to Mother of the Night. And while that was impossible enough, war was brewing. With so much at play, I was terrified. Especially since three chapters in, we got Andraste’s view. My feelings were twisted and confused when it came to her, and after following along with her part of the journey my head was left spinning. Just like so many other moments in this serious did to me. So hold on, because this book was a wild ride!

I cut him off with a kiss, painting it across his lips.
“You were my salvation,” I whisper against his mouth, because I know what my life was like before I met him.

I loved seeing Vi and Thiago finally together. We got to learn more about Thiago’s childhood and his secrets. And that broke my heart. But I loved that throughout the chaos and struggles, Vi and Thiago got to spend beautiful moments together. Creating new memories. And ones that burned brightly with passion. With Vi now in his life, Thiago could hold off not destroying the world with his darkness, and that always left me breathless. But at the same time I was nervous, because it felt like their fate was tainted. Or too much was against them and I didn’t know how it would play out.

“Nothing will take you away from me again. Not your mother. Not Angharad’s fetch. Not the Mother of Fucking Night. I will drown this world in Darkness before I ever let you go again.”

The twists in this story were phenomenal! As more pieces of the puzzle came together, I was left gasping and surrounded by so much emotion. Looking back, for some of the twists I could see those tiny crumbs of clues, but my mind was still blown. For others I was absolutely shocked. It made complete sense, I just never thought that the story would play out that way. This book will definitely keep you on your toes! So much was revealed, but also so much is unknown. And I had so much fun reading this story!

They will all die for him and give their lives gladly, and my mother doesn’t understand that.

Friendships within these pages added the much needed lightness to this story. I loved how they could make us laugh, even during times of peril. I loved their antics with one another and how much it made me smile. They were a true found family and one that I adore with my whole heart. Vi, Thiago, Eris, Finn, Baylor and more were the heart of this story and their friendships warmed my heart!

We are all capable of becoming monsters for the ones we love, little queen. Even you.”
“I am no monster.”
“If you want to destroy your mother, then you must become the thing she fears,” she says in a merciless voice.

With dire consequences, impossible choices and help from unlikely sources this book ended with a bang! Crown of Darkness was a dark, mesmerizing, epic fantasy! And while I rarely agree with others that a book ends on a cliffhanger, this book…..oh my heart! It ended on the most epic of cliffhangers. I’m so glad the final book is out or else I’d be a puddle of emotions. So make sure you have Curse of Darkness available, because you’ll desperately need it! This story elicited so much emotion from me, I cried three different times and at one point I thought my heart would literally shatter into a billion pieces. But with friendships and love within these pages, it rounded out the hardships so fabulously!

Tears stream down my face, but it’s the rage in my heart that can’t be hidden. I always thought my mother had taken everything she could from me.
But I was wrong.
“I will kill her.”

PS I loved the Princess Bride references!

PPS I loved the addition of a new character!

Reading Order:

Review #1: Jen’s Review	Review #1.5: Jen’s Review	Review #2: Jen’s Review
Review #3: Jen’s Review

BOOK REVIEW: Seduced by Darkness (Dark Court Rising #1.5) by Bec McMaster

April 7, 2022 / Jen / 2 Comments

BOOK REVIEW: Seduced by Darkness (Dark Court Rising #1.5) by Bec McMaster Seduced by Darkness (Dark Court Rising #1.5)
by Bec McMaster
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

*Spoilers for Promise of Darkness*

He fell in love with the woman of his dreams, but he never realized what that love would cost him.

When a dark prince attends the Lammastide rites, he lays eyes on his fated mate.

The problem?

She’s his enemy’s daughter.

A novella in the Dark Court Rising series from Thiago's POV featuring the first time he met Princess Iskvien.

Review:

*Spoilers for Promise of Darkness*

This is so, so dangerous.
And I don’t care. I want it all.

Seduced by Darkness was a mesmerizing look into the past. The story took place thirteen years before Promise of Darkness, so you don’t want to read this book first. In this story, we learned so much that was unknown. I loved watching how Vi and Thiago’s story unfolded. Watching them meet, learning to trust one another and fall in love was magical and all consuming. And there were so many unique aspects within the pages. I loved that we got to alternate between Vi and Thiago. Getting to hear his voice was exhilarating and everything I could have wanted! We also got to see little pieces from the future take place within the past, I was screaming with excitement for how certain things played out! And while this book and the first were both seductive and sexy, their moments together went further and we got to read all of the fabulous details when Thiago and Vi were together. It was extremely scorching hot *fans face*.

“Do I have a choice?” I can’t help being on the offensive; he’s just a little too overwhelming.
“You always have a choice.” Taking my hand he lifts it to his lips. “Me? Not so. Fate took me by the heart five centuries ago and tattooed you there on my soul.”

From when they first met, there was an instant pull. Yes it was one of attraction. But it also ran so much deeper. So seeing Vi realize that Thiago was so much more than what the stories and lies said about him was smile inducing. Her discovering the honesty and honor within Thiago warmed my heart. But there was also friendship in the pages that made my heart skip a happy beat. Finn, oh my goodness he was beyond fabulous. Finn and Vi together made me laugh and I can’t wait to see how their friendship unfolds as this series goes along! But this book also showed us a darker side. We got a clear picture of how horrific Vi’s mother was, and not only the lengths she would go to but the atrocities she committed. It was terrifying and left me uneasy and nervous for what will happen next. And Etan?! I was just left staring at the pages when it came to him, you’ll have to see what I’m talking about. So yes, I definitely recommend reading this book! Seduced by Darkness is a definite must read if you loved Promise of Darkness! The insights you gain were invaluable and watching Vi and Thiago’s love bloom was heartwarming

It doesn’t matter if she’s the daughter of my enemy. It doesn’t matter if we barely know each other. We have this and it burns between us. A promise of more. A promise of forever if only I am brave enough to reach out and take it.

Reading Order:

Review #1: Jen’s Review	Review #1.5: Jen’s Review	Review #2: Jen’s Review
Review #3: Jen’s Review

BOOK REVIEW: The Damned (The Beautiful #2) by Renee Ahdieh

March 29, 2022 / Chelsea / 2 Comments

BOOK REVIEW: The Damned (The Beautiful #2) by Renee Ahdieh The Damned (The Beautiful #2)
by Renee Ahdieh
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

New York Times bestselling author Renée Ahdieh returns with the second installment of her new sumptuous, sultry and romantic series, The Beautiful.

Following the events of The Beautiful, Sébastien Saint Germain is now cursed and forever changed. The treaty between the Fallen and the Brotherhood has been broken, and war between the immortals seems imminent. The price of loving Celine was costly. But Celine has also paid a high price for loving Bastien.

Still recovering from injuries sustained during a night she can’t quite remember, her dreams are troubled. And she doesn’t know she has inadvertently set into motion a chain of events that could lead to her demise and unveil a truth about herself she’s not quite ready to learn.

Forces hiding in the shadows have been patiently waiting for this moment for centuries. And just as Bastien and Celine begin to uncover the danger around them, they learn their love could tear them apart.

“And real love may be a choice, but I plan to choose someone who steals the breath from my body and haunts my very dreams. That is the only kind of love worth having.”

Look, this is hard for me. I do NOT like bashing a book even remotely connected to another book I adore….let alone in the same series.

Yet here we are. Imagine how hard this is for me.  The easiest way I could think of to explain this abomination of a story is as simple as this:

This book, simply put, is the child to a mother who yearned for so much more world expansion so as to ‘have another child’ there wasn’t possibly any way to sustain the child that already existed, to possibly survive on its own. The lack of nourishment for our already conceived and existing child caused it to shrivel and die… all in the name of making sure there were enough nutrients for another child, another being that literally didn’t exist.

Ahdieh made it so we got another two books with other characters instead of taking care of the first book she had already written, made a lottt of people fall in love with, and let Bastien and Celine’s story just…what even happened? Celine legit was barely in this book. SHE WASN’T EVEN THE MAIN POV.

And here we go. HERE. WE. FUCKING. GO. Bastien. What the cinnamon toast FUCK did she to do my child?? That is NOT who we fell in love with in book one. Not a wink. I get it. I fucking get it. But to take this beloved character of mine and, like, massacre his soul like this-that is NOT okay.

And even more than that, she triggered the EFF out of me. Yes. I know. I KNOW I am sensitive and get mad at the stupidest shit…but I just felt like this was

What even. What EVEN was she doing here. Sloppy. Inconsistent. Unlike Bastien. And, I’m guna say it-COWARDLY. This was a pathetic attempt at a story and it was just…not good. I had read people said book two was different and, like, that’s okay? I don’t CARE. But this was just out of left field different.

New creatures. New storyline. No direction. I get what she was attempting here, but it fell flat, period. And to not even really do anything until the last bit of the book, to let things hang in such a manner, to throw so much in with so little payoff-especially for certain things (I WILL NOT SPOIL. I WILL NOT)-it was a slap in the face. I do not CARE about these next characters. If you cannot take care of the dog you have, you have literally zero-zip-right to get a new puppy.

Look, I sound bitter-and I AM bitter-but this was a dumpster fire of a book, and NOT in a complimentary way like the masterpiece that was You Deserve Each Other. I could go on. And on. And on. About this piece of trash but-as I said in review one-I don’t have time to pretend that such a sadistic piece of turd exists and I’ll continue to cherish book one as if it was a standalone-or, rather, a single, solitary fucking child. At least then it can learn to feed and take care of itself instead of living in the shadow of stink that this one exudes. And that…is all I have to say. Regardless of what else I want to rant about, it’s not worth it-period.

View all my reviews

BOOK REVIEW: The Mime Order (The Bone Season #2) by Samantha Shannon

March 28, 2022 / Chelsea / 0 Comments

BOOK REVIEW: The Mime Order (The Bone Season #2) by Samantha Shannon The Mime Order (The Bone Season #2)
by Samantha Shannon
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:

Paige Mahoney has escaped the brutal prison camp of Sheol I, but her problems have only just begun: many of the survivors are missing and she is the most wanted person in London...

As Scion turns its all-seeing eye on the dreamwalker, the mime-lords and mime-queens of the city's gangs are invited to a rare meeting of the Unnatural Assembly. Jaxon Hall and his Seven Seals prepare to take centre stage, but there are bitter fault lines running through the clairvoyant community and dark secrets around every corner.

Then the Rephaim begin crawling out from the shadows. Paige must keep moving, from Seven Dials to Grub Street to the secret catacombs of Camden, until the fate of the underworld can be decided.

“You call a past lover an ‘old flame.’” His apple-gold eyes were more chilling than beautiful, his face carved out of nothing earthly. “For Rephaim, it takes a long time for a flame to catch. But once it burns, it cannot go out.”
It didn’t take long to understand what he meant. “But I will,” I said. “I’ll stop. I’ll go out.”
There was a long silence.
“Yes,” Warden said, very softly. “You will go out.”

It’s so hard to write reviews for a series when you are reading them back to back-Not to mention if they are dense and lengthy. The Bone Season is both of those plus more, but I cannot imagine not taking the time to at least make an effort to try and relay what makes this series special in its own unique way.

Voyants, do you hear me?

It won’t be as long or well thought out as it would have been had I taken the time immediately after finishing to write this, but it stands on its own merit and I am simply assisting those who want my personal opinion and why it works for me (wow I am so robotic-I. Am. SO. Tired. Did I mention I’m tired?).

Do you hear me?

Well, for one, this is the most ‘serious’ forbidden romance I’ve ever had the ?pleasure? of reading. I mean, it’s downright painful going page to page as these two treat each other’s goals, ambitions, and loyalties with such a staunch and unrelenting manner. The push and pull is so agonizingly sinful that I am absolute TRASH when they slip away and just simply…give in. That being said, mind you, I am undeniably mixing up books 2 and 3 right now. I am shamelessly furthering my own agenda by saying this push and pull thing goes on book after book after, well…as far as I am in book four [which is 54% of the way through.] I. Need. Some. SERIOUS. Relief…oKaY?

“Paige.” His voice was a gray shadow of itself. “It is not that I do not want you. Only that I might want you too much. And for too long.”

With all that being said, this book had a lack of Warden for quite some time-so know that the typical book two formula is in play here, but damn if the tension of her ragtag group of the seven dials didn’t fulfill my very macabre idea of a good storyline.

“Surely we have to try, Jax? Who’s going to rule I-4 when they come for us?”
“Be careful, Paige.” Jaxon’s face was losing color again. “You are treading a very fine line.”
“Am I? Or am I crossing yours?”

Which leads me to another reason I love this series: Jackson. He is the most….dastardly Mime Lord ever. Well, no, he’s not. But the sinister way in which he is their friend-but not-their leader-but not (more like dictator)-their savior-but not…It’s mindfuckery of the utmost thrilling proportions. Are we supposed to like him? Hate him? Love him? I was on the edge of my seat for so much of this book. It certainly did not suffer from book two syndrome with the action and peril and utter destruction of mind and soul.

“…And words, my walker—well, words are everything. Words give wings even to those who have been stamped upon, broken beyond all hope of repair.”

Now, one may say I’m being spoilery. Nah. Anyone with any sense of awareness in this effed up world can see how malicious that man is:

“The only reason you are not dead already, O my lovely, is because of my good word. My declaration of your innocence. Put one toe out of line, and I will have you dragged before the Unnatural Assembly so you can show them that scar.”

Does that sound like a sane person to you? He is…interesting. And in the best way possible, in my opinion, because I can’t help but love what he adds to the storyline . And that’s really the whole thing, for me-I am almost done with the books available to us readers and I find that while there is never a lack of Paige and Warden being in danger (especially Paige), I much preferred books one and two for the story structure and plot.

“You helped me.”
“Do not labor under the illusion that I am a bastion of moral goodness, Paige. That would be a dangerous venture.”

I can’t proceed with that train of thought, just know that I am a simple gal who likes simple things and I am a huge fan of books one and two for the way they intricately play out…the complexities of 3 and 4 are so good…but man, I do so love the beginnings of revolutions (lest we forget I’ve ALWAYS been a book 1 kinda gal). ***EDIT*** Just went through some book three passages and I maaayyyy have been hasty in saying book three doesn’t give me ALL the vibes. I guess 1, 2, AND 3 give me happy macabre vibes. Yes. I did say that.

London—beautiful, immortal London—has never been a “city” in the simplest sense of the word. It was, and is, a living, breathing thing, a stone leviathan that harbors secrets underneath its scales. It guards them covetously, hiding them deep within its body; only the mad or the worthy can find them.

And, lastly, I will combine the last two reasons I adore this series: Paige’s friends (mostly Nick) and, obviously, the way this author gives no shits about simultaneously almost killing Paige every other chapter with not the bat of an eyelash. It seems to be as simple as breathing to her…and I inhale those tantalizing attacks with not one ounce of shame. I love this author’s attention to the goriest detail-in fact, I thrive.

“You can never want too much. That’s how they silence us,” I said. “They told us we were lucky to be in the penal colony instead of the æther. Lucky to be murdered with NiteKind, not the noose. Lucky to be alive, even if we weren’t free. They told us to stop wanting more than what they gave us, because what they gave us was more than we deserved.”

So, there you go. And it’s so hard to write reviews that obviously mirror another one or two books in a series-especially one like this. But I am proud to say that once you get into these, I don’t really think it matters because you’re either all in or you are done-both cases of which imply that you don’t care if the facts are a bit muddled because you’re trudging onward anyway and you’re as deep as I am or you simply don’t care and you’re curious. Either way, if anyone ever wants to talk Warden and Paige, I’m all ears.

But Warden cared if I laughed. He cared if I lived or died. He had seen me as I was, not as the world saw me.
And that meant something.
It had to. Didn’t it?

View all my reviews