Book Review: Fantasy of Fire (The Tainted Accords #3)

Fantasy of Fire

Kelly St. Clare

4/5

When I said these books were super fast I meant it, literally just read three in a day if that speaks to how interesting they are. The war is coming closer and Olina is having a difficult time keeping all the different parts of her life separate enough to be beneficial. 

The growth from a girl who had seen nothing and never shown her face to a girl who leads three different lives completely is pretty funny. In the previous review I spoke on how these weren't really phrased properly but I think this book started repairing that. It's a little hard to believe, but the way she explained it to everyone made it easier to understand. It honestly makes for pretty good drama, and good politics for at least one of the kingdoms. 

I would totally recommend this series for fantasy romance fans. I had my doubts in the first book about the authenticity of the romance but I think it was paced really well and it's not all that hard to believe. Olina has made some pretty poor decisions but she owns up to them and works her hardest to be a good leader in a variety of spheres. I can't wait to see how they deal with how tricky the politics of it all are though, I'm looking forward to a grand showdown.

Book Review: The Kiss Thief

The Kiss Thief

L.J. Shen

1/5

This was another book I saw on Tiktok- either under enemies to lovers or the I hate everyone but you trope. I can confidently say that this was my least enjoyable read of 2020, like I kind of DNFed so I debated even reviewing it but I got to the end despite flipping through some scenes so I think I can take a strong position against it. This is a contemporary romance despite how it may first appear following Francesca, the daughter of a basic mafia leader, and Wolfe Keaton, a United States senator. The two are placed into an arranged marriage and forced to deal with one another. 

Toxic is the best way to describe it I think. I don't like using that word because I feel like a lot of people use it when it isn't all that necessary. Francesca is 19, incredibly sheltered and naive despite her intrinsic strength. Wolfe is 30, a seasoned senator who consistently remarks on his lack of ability to care for a teenager. Like that's textbook wrong I should have DNFed right after that but I was wondering if maybe he would be vilified and she'd end up with the more age appropriate guy. There's a difference between enemies-to-lovers and taking advantage of someone. 

He wasn't even nice about it. The age difference could have been surmountable if he had been understanding in any way. She went from being totally controlled by her father to totally controlled by him and then pretended she had a say in it. Also the politics of it all were completely unrealistic. I wouldn't call it a political thriller at all because it was closer to made up than it was to American democracy. 

All in all a wild disappointment that had only the possibility of righting wrongs keeping me till the end. I wouldn't recommend getting into it, there are a lot of uncomfortable situations that really did not feel correct at all in any circumstances. If age differences and all that was going on is your thing, that's all good, but I really think there should be a better description provided.

Book Review: Fantasy of Flight (The Tainted Accords #2)

 

Fantasy of Flight

Kelly St. Clare

3/5

These books are super short and super easy to get through. After fleeing on a mission to avenge a murder, Olina finds herself as a fighter in a whole system of illegal fights. She thrives at it and finds it difficult to motivate herself to the world of political treachery from which she originates. 

The synopsis of this book is like deliberately vague because so much weird stuff is constantly happening. I will say that I like the different elements of the worlds and I think that they're super interesting. I don't like the pacing of it all that much though, like the transitions are so abrupt and each part of the story is so strangely separated. I don't think that the kind of separation which is implied could actually be achieved given the other descriptions of the world. They say her height is super unique and yet no one puts together her disappearance with the appearance of another of the same height? It's a little bit hard to believe. 

I didn't like this book as much as the last especially for the introduction of the new world. It's obviously going to be important to the rest of the story but I feel like it was just kind of thrown in there. I'm also kind of mad at Olina for running so much. I understand her motivations and the traumas which she experienced but it would be a lot better if she could talk things out. I'm looking forward to seeing where her relationships with everyone goes but I'm also pretty nervous.

Book Review: Fantasy of Frost (The Tainted Accords #1)

Fantasy of Frost

Kelly St. Clare

4/5

I was torn on what to rate it, but considering how quickly I read it I think it deserved to be rounded up. Olina has been forced to wear a veil her entire life, never even seeing her own face. Her mother literally drained entire lakes so she would be prevented from seeing even her own reflection. This treatment is coupled with constant abuse, the only highlight being meeting Prince Kedrick. 

I'm a little confused on the separation of the dimensions or realms? I don't think it's magic, it might be some kind of dystopian type thing. I think it was interesting and definitely could be more interesting in future books if it were further developed. The "cliffhanger" at the end was a little strange though and not conducive with how I pictured the rest of the realm so I really hope it's better explained. 

I don't know if I would really classify this as a fantasy-romance as the romantic element faces a pretty significant barrier within like the first forty pages. I can see where it's probably going with the romantic element but I don't know if I really vibe with it. I think that this book has a lot going for it but I think it has a long way to go before it's really good. I'm looking forward to reading the next just to fill in all the random cliffhangers of the general plot.

Book Review: Murder on Union Square (Gaslight Mystery #21)

Murder on Union Square

Victoria Thompson

3/5

This being my 21st book in the series, it's obvious that I have an unhealthy obsession with the lives of Sarah and Frank. Their journey from the first book is so good, albeit super slow and requiring a considerable amount of dedication. They mystery in each book could also be enjoyed as a standalone mystery, not so much this one as it factors in their quest to adopt Catherine and characters featured in prior novels. I'm sure it would still be interesting even if you didn't have the context though. 

So in the grand scheme of her 20 other novels, this one didn't hit quite as hard. I think the mystery was a little weighed down with the legal jargon and how to make it make more sense in the time period which it was set. That's fine but really made it feel like a bit of a filler. I think that the murderer was fairly obvious from the beginning and that the whole seance thing felt a bit counterproductive.

That being said, I really love seeing how Sarah and Frank are building their lives with each other along with apart from one another. How their separate projects intertwine with one another and how well they communicate with each other about it. I lost it every time they were having one of their little banter sessions with each other. It's really crazy to see how they each have grown from their introductions, Malloy really wasn't likeable at all at the start. So don't give up if you feel weighed down by it all, this series is amazing and totally recommended.

 

Book Review: An Ember in the Ashes (An Ember in the Ashes #1)

An Ember in the Ashes

Sabaa Tahir

4/5

When nearly Laia's entire family is ruined by the violence and oppression of the Martial Empire, she risks everything in an attempt to save her last remaining piece of family. Elias has been studying to be a Mask for the last fifteen years but all he really wants to do is run away. Both are struggling to do the right thing in a world when there aren't that many great decisions available. 

I think the best way to describe it is Star Wars meets Attack on Titan but also kind of reminiscent of the Winner's Curse trilogy. There are a lot of middle eastern legends that are altered and magnified, it hasn't gotten into the magic of the universe all that much yet but I'm sure that it'll be a bigger theme later on through the series. I started this book years ago and then DNFed it, or put it on hold for a couple years. I promise it got a lot more exciting after the first like fifty pages. I don't think I would call it a romance, there are potential romances coming up but I don't think they're central motivators to the plot. 

My biggest complaint was probably just on the description of the divide between the Scholars and the Masks. I wasn't entirely sure what defined the two groups, that's definitely something that could be fleshed out in later books. I didn't like the way some of the more shocking punishments for the Scholars were just kind of thrown out there, there wasn't a lot of justification on all of it so it was a little jarring. Not anything that should detract from reading it but just something that felt a little cheap. 

I'd still recommend though, I understand where all the hype is coming from. I'm invested in where it's going and excited to get into the sequel.

Book Review: Caraval (Caraval #1)

Caraval

Stephanie Garber

3/5

I've heard so much about this series over the years I felt obligated to try it out. Set in a fantasy world where a man named Legend hosts a yearly Caraval that confuses and intrigues people at random locations. Scarlett is about to be married to a man whom she has never met, she's completely willing to do so though if it means getting her away from her father. Every year she writes to Legend in an attempt to see Caraval. This year, a week before her wedding, she is sent tickets for her and her sister. 

The plot and the mystery was the better part. I think it was interesting because it was a little trippy, a little difficult to follow. I was also not expecting the end, I never completely knew what was going to happen next so that's always a plus. I wasn't super shocked but it was definitely confusing enough to throw me off. 

What really got me down to the point that I don't know if I'll continue the series is just the characters. This is personal preferences I think and just the type of characters I like reading, but I honestly don't really like any of them all that much. They're either manipulative liars or they're kind of on the dull side. I've also kind of had my fill on super old men and teenage girls- just because they don't physically age doesn't mean getting in a relationship with someone who ha a relationship with your grandma is okay. 

I don't know if I'll go on in the series because of the character thing but maybe they get better? Again, I think that the mystery and the magic of it all was super fun and interesting. The series seems to be crazy popular so maybe I'm just thinking too much into some of their early mistakes. We'll see if I can get into the sequel.

Book Review: A Fall from Grace (Clavering Chronicles #1)

A Fall from Grace

Jennie Goutet

3/5

After going through a total lack of wealth, status, and station in life, Selena is employed as a companion for a countess. She has spent the last three years being turned away from society, starting with being jilted by her fiance and going all the way to her present employment. She is given jobs that would have been previously considered as worlds beneath her and with people who don't really respect her at all. 

I think it was pretty good but I think that the description in the synopsis was a little exaggerated. I was expecting more significance from the initial misunderstanding between the two protagonists, it wasn't all that dramatic. Everything in the book was pretty good just not all that exciting. The ending felt a little watered down and not as crazy as it could have been. I think that it did a pretty good job of being realistic for that period of society, just not dramatic like a soap opera or anything. 

I think if you like quick little historical romances, this one is short and sweet. It's not something that majorly stands out but it is something that was written well for what it did.

Book Review: A Darker Shade of Magic (Shades of Magic #1)

A Darker Shade of Magic

V.E. Schwab

4/5

I have no idea why I waited so long to read this book. I think that the idea of parallel universes usually freaks me out because they get so complicated, but this is a completely different kind of parallel universe. Three Londons (technically four), all completely different cities but built on the same foundation. Only the Antari can travel from one city to the other and they aren't supposed to carry any items between these cities. Kell has been raised in Red London as a prince though he knows this is only because of his unique powers. He accidentally transports an artifact that he shouldn't and sets of a dangerous sequence of events. 

The world building is immaculate, not only is it set in the nineteenth century (usually my favorite century to read in) there are three completely different worlds. They're all tied together in weird ways though, adding to the complexity and brilliance of it all. I honestly was surprised by how much I liked it given I had DNFed it after like fifty pages or so a couple of years ago. Kell and Lila are both great characters in their own ways too. Lila isn't traditional but she doesn't go out of her way to prove her uniqueness either. I respect her, she reminds me a lot of Vin from Mistborn in that rugged yet sophisticated way. 

It did drag a little at parts when it skipped to random other POVs. I think that's the main reason I stopped reading it so long ago. Even considering that I was still pretty invested the whole time. I would definitely recommend it, V.E. Schwab really doesn't seem to miss.

Book Review: A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire (Blood and Ash #2)

A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire

Jennifer L. Armentrout

3/5

I know that I'm definitely more cynical about super popular books than I am about the lesser known ones, but how did this book get so popular? I finished it, it was better than the first in terms of world building and the authenticity of their relationship, but it was still such an imitation of everything ACOTAR succeeded on. 

I don't know what the separation of Hawke and Casteel is all about, like I understand that he was lying and everything but why do people treat them like two separate characters? His chemistry with Poppy was more believable for me in this one over the other. Armentrout made a big deal of having her give a whole speech about how she didn't love him just cause he was the only guy she's ever really been allowed to know, but you can't help but wonder about that. Huge age differences like this in fantasy are a pretty uncomfortable and weird to justify, but they hit well with the bookish community. 

I read this cause everyone absolutely loves the series, and it was definitely entertaining. It had a lot of flags though that would prevent me from listing Hawke as any kind of ideal character though. It was definitely entertaining though and I'll probably read the next. I especially appreciate that we're getting background on Poppy's chosen one trope, it'll be great to explore the full extent of her powers. I said that the first book was way too focused on sex, this one was better with that though there were more than necessary. I don't know if I really have to give a recommendation or not since it's so popular, but I think it's good to stay in the loop.

Book Review: The Secret History

The Secret History

Donna Tartt

4/5

This book was so dramatic. Set in the 80s (I think) at a private college in Vermont, six students are surrounded by mystery and intrigue as they get over-involved in the drama of the classics they study. Like, so pretentiously obsessed with their classical studies and their study of language that they have a difficult time discerning fact and fiction. 

Very dramatic and very poetic, didn't rely too much on false drama either. Everything was pretty authentic in the progression of the story. I think that it was all beautifully written and that even though I finished it like over 24 hours ago I'm still trying to analyze all the symbolism and metaphors. Not to say that's the only thing to focus on when you're reading it, it's just fun to discuss. 

I will say that the characters are all pretty unlikable. That's not necessarily something that a book has to have, but it's difficult for me to love a book when I'm not rooting for everyone. I also think that there were major parts of the book that just dragged. That might be because of my reading level, I'm just generally into a different kind of book and this went over my head. But for the whole mystery I think major sections just didn't contribute much to it all. 

It was a great read, a little verbose and more complicated than what I would typically recommend. It has some cool dark academia vibes to it and it stays pretty consistent from start to finish.

Book Review: The Wish Collector

The Wish Collector

Mia Sheridan

2/5

Advertised as a contemporary and loose retelling of Beauty and the Beast, this book follows the story of Clara and Jonah as they both struggle to recover from their respective dilemmas in life. As a retelling and just as romance, I was pretty disappointed. If this had been another Kindle Unlimited book, maybe I would've been expecting less, but the way that people were talking about it I thought it'd be better. 

I try to be nice in my reviews and usually when I finish a book there's something about it that keeps me going. It just felt so forced. Not only was the romance forced and weird- there was some kind of age difference there that's never specified and I don't know the power dynamic and Clara's servitude was just so weird- but the whole central conflict was all based on misconceptions? It felt like so much extra time was taken to just be like, the protagonist is bad but not bad because there were so many lies and really other people that have no part in this story will serve as the real villains. 

Not to spoil it, this book has a lot of good ratings and it obviously just wasn't something for me. It felt stunted but I can get the appeal cause I finished reading it. I wouldn't recommend it but it was a quick read.

Book Review: In Want of a Wife (Bitter Springs #3)

In Want of a Wife

Jo Goodman

3/5

Jane is trying to escape her past and she thinks she can do so by moving to the middle of nowhere and marrying a man she's only met through correspondence. They both have a lot of secrets that threaten them being anything more than a marriage of convenience. Trigger warning on that, there are a few pages where past sexual assault is mentioned and discussed.

It was good, I think both of the characters dealt with the situation admirably. There was a lot of drama and a lot of situations that could've ruined everything. I think it was a very run of the mill western novel, with the benefit of well-written characters where this genre sometimes suffers. I think it was a little boring at times, but the authenticity of emotion was there. 

If you like westerns but don't like how cringy they can be- especially when describing women- then this would probably be a good read for you. It has a lot of serious themes, like I said read with caution or skip it if that bothers you, but it just added to the emotional intensity of the relationship. If it weren't for the weirdness of the conflict with his brother and how forced it felt chronologically then I think I would have rated it higher.

Book Review: The Missing of Clairdelune (The Mirror Visitor #2)

The Missing of Clairdelune

Christelle Dabos

4/5

I was having a difficult time motivating myself to read this book, I liked the first a lot but the complexities of the world made reading another kind of daunting. I have no regrets though, things just got more and more intense and more interesting. The best part of this series is the danger of the political courts mixed with the almost commonplace lives of the families. It's like, people are disappearing and dying and everything is kind of archaic in the way marriages are arranged but also not really cause they're given time to get to know each other and for the families to all meet and such. 

Again, it's a crazy balance. Ophelia and Thorn interacted a lot more in this book than the last one, that was a major complaint I had in the first. I think that it's a pretty slow burn still, I wish they had more time to just talk but you know it's a serious world. The ending blew my mind and I read the synopsis for the next and I am upset that there's such a time jump. We'll see how long it takes me to get on board with that. 

The powers remain extremely interesting with an added twist of all the mythology that is starting to be incorporated. I will say that there are some weird incongruities with the way people inherit and the way they translate across marriages. I hope we get some more background on the whole lineage thing so that I can understand how it all works a little better. 

But 10/10 would recommend this series. It has the forced-marriage-scenario trope and then angsty male lead that makes it a kind of enemies to lovers thing while being super slow burn. It's super long and though the relationship was the key originator to the plot, I wouldn't say that the romance is all that central. The darkness of the politics and mythology is where this series is truly standing out.

Book Review: The Red Scrolls of Magic (The Eldest Curses #1)

The Red Scrolls of Magic

Cassandra Clare and Wesley Chu

3/5

Set following City of Glass but prior to City of Fallen Angels, Magnus and Alec decide to take their first vacation together. It's nice until he almost gets arrested for starting a cult hundreds of years ago. Now they have to figure out how to stop it all before the Clave finds out and things get messier.

It's not that there was anything bad about this book, it just felt much more like a novella than the full-length book which it is advertised to be. I care about Magnus and Alec, but maybe I'm too removed from the events of the original series- the original trilogy especially- for me to feel super strongly about all this. There were a few notable quotes but I think there significance was really regarding the events of TDA rather than who Magnus and Alec are as individuals. 

I don't know if anything that happened was memorable. I think I didn't mind reading it that much, it's not as if it was boring, it just wasn't as action-packed as these books typically are. I don't have problems with it I just don't have any reason to say you should read it for any reason other than nostalgia.

Book Review: Heart of Flames (Crown of Feathers #2)

Heart of Flames

Nicki Pau Preto

5/5

I'm not usually a fan of books with a ton of POVs, but there are always exceptions to that. I loved the first book in this series and took a long time really getting into this one because when you love one book it's so easy to be let down by the next. This one had none of that let down, none of the unfortunately typical lag of the middle book in a trilogy. Nearly the entire book was action and kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time.

Veronyka is dealing with a lot of things, the revelation of her heritage and her actual relation to the girl she thought was her sister. She's confused about where they stand, but Val is also confused despite her experience and relative standing. They have one of those relationships that keeps you wanting more, they're toxic and not good together and everything is wrong but they're also sisters and understand each other in a way that no one else can. You hate Val and you want Veronyka to ditch her but you can understand where she's trying to come from. 

The romances also hit pretty hard though they kind of take a back seat to the action. Totally okay with the complicated nature of all of the other relationships. Veronyka and Tristan overcame all of the secrets and barriers and did so in such a logical and mature manner. I have a difficult time reading about 16 year old protagonists- can only do so when it's firmly planted in fantasy worlds. Tristan and Veronyka simultaneously act older than they are while respecting their age and inexperience. I don't know how to explain it it's just perfect. Sev and Kade also have a beautiful relationship, their partnership and the way that they have each other's backs. They bring out the best in one another in such a subtle and completely underrated way. 

This entire series is so underrated and I have to recommend it strongly. Phoenixes that you can ride flaming into battle are cool enough on their own but add the political intrigue and the beautifully written characters and you have a book that will hold your attention for all 620 pages.  

Book Review: Without Words

 

Without Words

4/5

Ellen O'Connell

I don't think that anyone is trying to argue that western romances have good covers, but this one was so bad that I almost didn't read it. Despite the cover though, this was actually a really good book even aside from the romance. Hassie just watched her stepson murdered, or brought to justice for his theft, by a bounty hunter. Her husband had just died as well, but he had been much too old to do anything useful anyways. After some events in the town he tries to leave her in, he knows he has to take her to a safer place. 

I think what I loved about this book was that it wasn't super insta, there was a lot of time and a lot of time spent together before things really escalated at all. Also, the "insurmountable" barriers that many books of this genre try to present were minimized and dealt with in a mature fashion. They didn't have constant soliloquy's about the doomed nature of the disparity of their relationship, they just talked things out. 

And Hassie was an extremely well-written character to me. She dealt with a lot of misfortunes in life and did so without losing hope, but she also didn't make her want to accept every offer that came her way. She continued to demand what she deserved while maintaining positivity, her strength of character was in a lot less of a direct way that books with "strong heroines" can typically go for.

Would definitely recommend for everyone who is a fan of western romances but thinks they're consistently too cringy. If you want a really light feel-good kind of story this is also the perfect way to get you out of a slump.

Book Review: If We Were Villains

If We Were Villains

M.L. Rio

3/5

Maybe I didn't like this book all that much because I'm not cultured, but I think it could've been done a lot better. I was expecting a classic mystery where you're scrambling to figure everything out the whole time, but I feel like it was pretty obvious from like 30 percent into the book onwards. Not to say it wasn't a very symbolic representation of everything, the parallels to Shakespeare and everything were nice and obviously complicated. In terms of surprise and shock factor though, I was left wanting more. 

I'm going to go into some spoilers now because I can't believe that part can't be accurately examined without looking at the end. <spoiler> The person with the most beef with him killed him, like I don't think anyone reading this could read it and not think James. I was thinking maybe Oliver had killed someone else in his defense and that was why he was in prison, but wow we couldn't even get that drama. We just had Oliver trying to be selfless, which was weak on its own, but then when James removes himself from the equation he couldn't even do so after absolving Oliver of the blame? I know that that would be too easy, and maybe I could accept that that just wasn't who they were, but the last line made me too angry. That's just not a good relationship at all- for friends or something more- and Oliver is just not a good protagonist for it.  Maybe if it had been less predictable it would've been better received by me, I just wasn't even mad just annoyed. </spoiler>

It's a quick read, a lot goes on while simultaneously nothing is going on. The ending was a lot less climatic than I think I was supposed to read it as. It's not bad and there are definitely benefits to reading it, it's just not the characters or suspense I was looking for.

Book Review: Kingdom of the Wicked (Kingdom of the Wicked #1)

Kingdom of the Wicked

Kerri Maniscalco

4/5

I was super impressed by the intricacy and depth of this book. Emilia and Vittoria are light witches who work in a Sicilian restaurant with their family. Until one dark night when Emilia finds Vittoria with her heart ripped out and she's thrown onto a dark path for revenge. It leads her right to Wrath, a prince of hell who says he'll help her but also only because he's bound to do so. 

I love books with magical families like this, or when there's an entire network of witches like in this one. I also appreciate that this book created more questions than it answered. The magic is still quite confusing to me, I'm not sure really what happened at the end. I mean, I know what happened, I'm just really concerned about the repercussions.

The romance wasn't as great as I feel like it was built up to be by other reviewers. They had the physical element of it, but there wasn't enough actual interaction for me to get behind some kind of prophetic relationship or something. They didn't really close the book on their feelings postively or negatively though so there's still hope for something super cool in the next book. 

All in all, I would recommend this a lot more than I would recommend her other series. I couldn't even get past the first book in Stalking Jack the Ripper but I'll be highly anticipating the sequel to this one.

Book Review: Curse of the Fae King (Dark Faerie Court #1)

Curse of the Fae King

Delia E. Castel

2/5

Neara has spent the last ten years of her life going to dramatic lengths to avoid the fae. When her and her father are kidnapped and she is bound to impossible tasks to win his freedom, she doesn't see much hope. Drayce seems to be helping her but she also doesn't know who she can trust. 

I didn't like it all that much. There were a lot of things missing for it to be a good read for me. The period of time that this book covered was just way too short for everything that happened, the relationship between Neara and Drayce just felt so forced and fabricated. The plot line in general was just kind of weak and I found myself not caring how it ended either way. It also felt like another imitation of ACOTAR, which I know we've all had enough of.

Maybe I've just overloaded on this type of book recently, but this one just didn't stick out to me. I don't know if I'll read the next one because there doesn't feel like a lot that I need to know. It wasn't the worst book I've ever read but it also isn't one that will be really remembered.

 

Book Review: Longbourn (Jane Austen's Dragons #2)

Longbourn

Maria Grace

3/5

There was a lot of back and forth in this book. Should Elizabeth marry Mr. Collins? Is Mr. Darcy nice and does he like Elizabeth or is he just desperate for her help? I don't know, the first one felt a lot stronger than this. But I still loved the universe and the fact that there were dragons.

I think that the weirdest part of this whole story, the part that threw me most off, was Mr. Collin's stealing Darcy's most infamous proclamations of love. That's a central part of his character arc and having it stolen by someone so gross really took away from the story for me. Not to say that it made it a bad read or anything, it just felt weird and a little cheap to steal something like that so word for word. 

I'm still going on in the series cause I like a lot of things about it. I hope that we move a little bit more towards romance between Darcy and Elizabeth, though the misunderstandings that are so intrinsic to the story line have been somewhat lacking to this point. I'm still looking forward to seeing where it goes though.

A Sorceress of His Own (The Gifted Ones #1)

 

A Sorceress of His Own

Dianne Duvall

3/5

Alyssa has spent the last seven years serving her earl in any way that she can- via counsel or her special healing powers he knows he wouldn't be half the leader without her. He also thinks her to be a very old woman who served his father and grandfather, he truly knows nothing about her aside from her powers and wisdom. When she risks her life to save him and he discovers her true identity, he knows that there is finally someone who could understand him and save him from his loneliness. 

It's not as bad or as cringy as you would expect it to be for a book set in this time period. I think that people writing in the Middle Ages try to use it as a way to excuse writing violent and controlling behaviorisms from their male protagonists. Despite his reputation as a conqueror and the necessity to be ruthless, Dylan is surprisingly respectful of Alyssa's wishes. Not to say he doesn't have his moments, but overall it was surprising how much cooperation there was. He respected her powers and helped her build herself up rather than tearing her down.

I had a problem really with the convenience of the conclusion. Aside from the mystery of her identity, the biggest real threat to their relationship was the difference in their stations. The ending was just too easy on that front, no real explanation and I'm not sure about its historical accuracy. I know that it's a fantasy novel so I shouldn't expect historical accuracy but I think it could have been done a bit better. 

Aside from that, the plot was pretty good. I had some issues with how obsessed they were with each other but as long as it was mutual I guess that's their right. I wish we could have learned a little bit more about the magic users, that was kind of glossed over in favor of the romance but it also wasn't interesting enough to keep me up at night.

Book Review: Pemberley: Mr. Darcy's Dragon (Jane Austen's Dragons #1)

Pemberley: Mr. Darcy's Dragon 

Maria Grace

4/5

I found this book super interesting. Pride and Prejudice rewritten with a twist- England is infested by dragons and the English gentility and nobility are tasked as keepers and friends to these dragons. Elizabeth is an especially skilled keeper and Darcy has lost his dragon, or his estate's dragon egg and it's close to hatching. They have to work together to find it before it decides it wants to destroy the English countryside and start another dragon war. 

I liked the fundamental concepts of the universe. Dragons that are exclusive to the estates and must be closely maintained by those estate owners. It was so cool and interesting and I couldn't stop reading. I love historical fiction and I love fantasy and when you combine the two for such an original and bizarre universe I really can't resist. 

It was a little bit slow at parts and it repeated things to the point where I was a little bored. That didn't detract from the total appeal of the book, again the universe is the truly interesting part. I'm a little mad about the lack of resolution but I'm excited to move forward in the series.