Tag: #arc

Review: Mirror of Malice by Tee Harlowe

Published on by Amanda

This book releases on January 24th!

5 / 5 Stars!

This is my new favorite fairytale retelling!

Liliath has been locked in a prison tower for two years, after her evil stepmother took over as queen. She’s been waiting for her betrothed to rescue her, so they can take back her kingdom. One day, she sees a cloaked man wearing his ring finally coming to get her, and he succeeds! Except, he isn’t her betrothed. She’s traded her prison for a kidnapper and thief.

Penn is the hulking, gorgeous, king of thieves. He’s spent a long time trying to steal the magic mirror and got the bonus of rescuing Liliath at the same time. The two argue from day one, and Penn tries to train her to be another of his thieves. Liliath will play along for now, but she isn’t worried about Penn’s end game. Her only concern is getting back to her land, stopping her stepmother, and helping her people.

I loved this book! It had plenty of Snow White elements with some Robin Hood thrown in, all while being original and captivating. I adored all of the thieves, and Penn and Liliath’s progression from enemies to more is extremely believable and provides some steam. The world that has been introduced is rich, with plenty more able to be delved in to in later books. There are more princesses around, with more fairytales to retell, so I cannot wait for the next book!

Book blurb from Goodreads:

He’s supposed to be my salvation, but he might just become my ruin.

I’m a prisoner in my own castle. Trapped by my apple-loving narcissist of a stepmother, desperate for my betrothed to rescue me.

Yet it’s not my one true love who comes—it’s the king of thieves. Just perfect.

He takes my stepmother’s mirror, the source of her power, but leaves with an additional treasure: me.

Now I’ve traded one prison for another. Penn Vanderbilt is cunning, captivating, and completely insufferable. He’s also secretive about his stolen goods . . . and the reason he kidnapped me.

Forget the thief’s plan. I’ve got one of my own: pretend to go along with his little scheme while plotting my escape.

I’ll only have to con the greatest con man alive. Never mind that I might be falling for him. The price of failing is my kingdom. But succeeding might just cost my heart.

Mirror of Malice is book one in Stolen Crowns, a series of steamy standalone but interconnected fairytale retellings. This enemies-to-lovers, opposites attract book is perfect for fans of banter, (very) snarky heroines, and slow-burn fantasy romance.

Review: Of Flame and Fang by Jay R Wolf

Published on by Amanda

4.5 / 5 Stars!

A promising start to a new series!

Eva is Hades’ mercenary. A demon from the Undercity who hunts down the worst of the worst. Then one day, she’s really given the worst to hunt down by the Queen of the Undercity, Persephone. She’s not on her own this time though, she must partner with Fenrir, King of the Wolves. Did I mention that she hates werewolves?

As more twists and turns appear, can the two put aside their own dislike for demons and werewolves and work together. The fate of the entire world might depend on it.

Of Flame and Fang follows the perspectives of Eva and Fenrir. They are both flawed characters who sometimes care too much to their own detriment. This book is full of great world building and seems like the tip of the iceberg for the places this series can go. Little romance takes place in this book, but there’s no telling where things will go in the future.

I can’t wait for the next book!

Book blurb from Goodreads:

When Fang and Fire Collide, Love is Born in the Shadows of War.In the gritty heart of a world where darkness and desire dance a dangerous tango, Eva stands as the Undercity’s top-notch mercenary. She’s right on the edge of a contract that’ll define her life, all thanks to the Queen of the Undercity, and it’s a rollercoaster ride she never saw coming.

Everything takes an unexpected turn when she has to team up with Fenrir, the King of Wolves. Their alliance thrusts them into a full-blown smackdown between ancient gods, deadly creatures, and a wolf pack on the brink of destruction. Time’s ticking away, and they’re running a gauntlet in a place where danger lurks around every shadowy corner, and, well, sparks are flying in more ways than one.

Their mission is hunt down Abaddon, the escaped prisoner of the Undercity and anyone responsible. The fate of the whole world is riding on their shoulders. From the blazing pits of the Undercity to the cosmic realm of Olympus, Fenrir and Eva are digging up secrets that could either save humanity or send it spiraling into ruin.

Of Flame and Fang is the first installment of the Dark Mercenary series. For fans of Mercy Thompson, Kate Daniels, and Cat Crawfield, Of Flame and Fang will send you through a maze of danger, heartache, smoldering slow burn romance, and more! Content Adult Language, Graphic Violence, & Death.

Review: Throne of Air and Darkness by Emberly Ash

Published on by Amanda

5 / 5 Stars!

This series just keeps getting better!

This is book 2 in the Secrets of the Faerie Crown series. Once again, we follow Veyka and Arron on their road leading the fae. Veyka is our curvaceous heroine who’s coming into her own and rising through depression. Arron is our vicious beast king who is learning new parts to himself as well.

This book has a lot of the same characters, and we get a lot from Parys’s perspective and learn more about Gwyn as well. We get to enter see the human world, and meet wonderful and not so wonderful new characters.

This book is full of so many twists and turns. Everything that we thought we knew from the first book is wrong. Veyka’s whole world has turned upside down. Can her and Arron work through their issues and find their way through it?

I absolutely love this book. The good, the bad, the spicy, the sad, it all blends in to this read that will keep you guessing. I can’t wait for the next book! 

Book blurb from Goodreads:

Down, down, down. I am being pulled away, pulled apart, ripped at the very seams of my being. But a voice in the darkness, a name in the bitter cold air, pulls me back… She was never meant to be queen. But Veyka Pendragon sits the throne nonetheless, High Queen of Annwyn, Protector of the faerie realm. And at her side? The male who was once her enemy, then her ally, and now, something else entirely. The secret she tried so hard to protect was a lie. So was the brother she loved so dearly. She can hardly trust the reality she sees with her own two eyes, let alone the feelings burning in her chest—feelings that she swore she’d never feel again. Arran Earthborn has spent three hundred years killing his way across battlefields to find his place beside the female he loves. He will do anything to keep her safe… even if it means burning Annwyn to the ground in a quest for the truth. But the answers they seek lurk beyond… in a land of pain and desperation. The human realm. The Secrets of the Faerie Crown series is a twisted mythology retelling of the Arthur legend. It is a high-steam fantasy romance with dark elements.

Review: Witch Stone by Mandy O’Dell

Published on by Amanda

4 / 5 Stars!

This was a really fun read!

Half witch, Rossi, grew up thinking that she was just half a witch. While all the other witches have two stones to collect and direct power, she only has one. One night while her mother is out collecting lightning, she finally manages to do so as well! Yet this is the first step in an unfolding of events which will change her life forever. Suddenly, a very powerful but mysterious warlock, Drag, shows up saying he’s trying to help her. Then a flood of witches comes to her town wanting protection.

Can Rossi live up to what people are saying about her? Is Drag much more than he appears?

This book is full of a wonderful cast of characters. Rossi’s mom is an eccentric and an accident-prone witch. Pitty, the troll babysitter extraordinaire, is gross and endearing. Simon is an unexpected and perfect familiar. Drag, is likeable and mysterious with a wonderful ability to annoy Rossi. There are so many more!

I really enjoyed this different look at magic and how it works. At times friendships/relationships seemed to form a little too quickly, yet at the same time. While it touches heavy subjects, overall, it’s lighthearted, funny and refreshing. This is only the beginning. I look forward to the next book!

Book blurb from Goodreads:

A half witch with no power. A warlock who’s betrayed his own kind, and the monster that’s hunting them both.

Destined to fail, Rossi is only a half witch. Her coven, her mom, even her troll were constantly trying to make up for lack of magic, but Rossi knows. And she’s over being a burden, but unsure how to fix it.

On a stormy night, a bolt of lightning makes the choice for her, while at the same time, sending a pulse out into the magical world. Within hours, strangers start showing up in her small mountain county by the bucketloads.

An annoying, but somewhat swoony warlock with plenty of his own secrets.An unusual unicorn who had delusions of grandeur.A monster that uses tricks of the mind to trap its prey.And more witches than Rossi could possibly count.

All of them interested in only one thing.

Review: Crown of Earth and Sky by Emberly Ash

Published on by Amanda

4 / 5 Stars!

Twins should not exist in the fae world. Yes, King Arthur and Veyka Pendragon defied those odds. Yet it left Veyka with a terrible secret and a horrible upbringing. After Veyka is forced to take the throne even if only as a farce, she’s forced to marry. There are always two on the throne of Annwyn, an Elemental king or queen and a terrestrial heir proven to be the best and their counterpart. The Brutal Prince, Arron Earthborn, is the strongest fae in a thousand years, so he’s chosen as the king to Veyka’s queen.

The story is from both Veyka’s and Arron’s perspectives. We see Veyka struggle with grief and depression, while plotting her revenge. We see Arron, forced from the battlefield to the court, try to figure out what to do with his new queen, who has no care to rule.

The lust between the two jumps from the page, but can two such guarded people ever let their walls down, especially with secrets that could change the fate of Annwyn?

This is an adult twist of the Arthurian legends and a wonderful read. We’re mostly in one area of the world, but so much more is alluded to that I expect to see in future books. I cannot wait to see more. There are still a few Arthurian legend characters missing that I can’t wait to see, and I need to know if my hunches are right!

There are trigger warnings, so make sure you pay attention to those if you may have triggers.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. It’s also available on kindle unlimited.

Book Blurb from Goodreads page:

What do I want?
A quick death.
Barring that, I only dream of one thing—revenge.
Veyka Pendragon was crowned queen in a farce fit for any circus. Now, as her traitorous court plots around her, the new Queen of the Elemental Fae must take revenge on the humans who betrayed her while also guarding a dangerous secret.
The arrival of her betrothed, the storied Brutal Prince, is merely another cog in the wheels of time and space spinning around her.
Arran Earthborn is the strongest terrestrial fae in millennia. If Veyka wishes to keep the peace her ancestors fought and died for, she must join with him soon.
But the Brutal Prince has not earned his name by playing nice. The torture he exacts will enrage and enflame her—and endanger a secret that would rip their world to shreds.
The days are slipping by.
Very soon I will have to choose…
The crown that destroyed my life but protects my kingdom…
Or settling the scores that haunt my every step.
Crown of Earth and Sky is a twisted mythology retelling of the Arthur legend. It is a high-steam fantasy romance with dark elements.