Book Review: The Cursed Crown

 

The Cursed Crown

May Sage and Alexi Blake

Overall: 2.5/5

Plot and themes: 2/5

Characters: 2/5

Writing style: 3/5

Attention-grabbing: 3/5

The Cursed Crown is a standalone fantasy romance set in the world of the fae. The Unseelie King sees a need to unite the thrones and he knows he can't do it without the lost Seelie Queen. Not really lost, more like a forced exit as she feels her differences shine through in the conservative Seelie Court. Rissa doesn't want to be their queen and will do just about anything, including waking her distant cousin from his eternal sleep, to get away from it. 

I liked this book a lot more in theory than I did while reading it, if that makes any sense at all. We've got the fae and we've got the fated mates and the magic powers and everything but it all felt so randomly thrown together. It almost felt like we were jumping around and seeing pieces of things before we should have seen it. Like her nightmare soul-sucking powers? They were demonstrated in the first twenty pages and then never seen again. It was a little disappointing. I also wasn't vibing with the way we were just thrown into the idea of them being mates. I don't ever want characters to end up together if they're introduced to us as cousins it just felt wrong. 

There were some good elements to it and I definitely think that it had the potential to be super interesting I just also think it didn't spend enough time on the most interesting elements. I think there was a lot more potential for there to be a sequel if the epilogue hadn't have been one of those things that just very abruptly seals these characters off to future endeavors (which was another thing that kind of felt like cheating the more interesting elements of the story). I love reading fae novels and I wouldn't necessarily say this one isn't worth reading it was just a little disappointing to me.

 

Novella Review: Stolen Mayfly Bride (Stolen Brides of the Fae #10)

Stolen Mayfly Bride

Sarah K. L. Wilson

Overall: 3/5

Plot and themes: 3/5

Characters: 3/5

Writing style: 4/5

Attention-grabbing: 2/5

This is the tenth and final novella of the Stolen Brides of the Fae but they don't have to be read in any order. This one was a little different than the other books, much less actual interactions between the characters and much more of a time jump through the relationship. It also didn't really feel like much of a stolen bride thing like the other ones did, but it was still interesting. Basically, Elkhana was sacrificed by her people to be their prophet. Condemned to a cage beneath the sea all but one day of the year. Vidar meets her and can't get her out of his head, for every year she only ages a day so time is nothing to them and every year brings them closer. 

I think it was a bit difficult for me to get into because of how much time was passing with so little interaction. We'd lose fifty years and they didn't see each other at all. It was all part of the whimsy and worldbuilding but it still felt a bit like cheating. I wasn't mad at it, it just felt like despite the time going by they really weren't getting much done. 

Yeah not much to say on it because it was so short. I wish we had gotten more background on the characters because it was hard to really fall in love with them while only knowing their horrible situations. Not the worst I've read in this series but also not my favorite.

Book Review: Spirit Witch (The Lazy Girl's Guide to Magic #2)

 

Overall: 4/5

Plot and themes: 4/5

Characters: 5/5

Writing style: 4/5

Attention-grabbing: 5/5

This is the third and final full-length book in the Lazy Girl's Guide to Magic series following Ivy Wilde and Raphael Winter. Ivy has just survived a catastrophic incantation and mostly recovered from the medical aftermath. Aside from the fact that she's seeing ghosts now and she's not sure if they're real or hallucinations. When they start giving her tips about murders though she knows she has to step up to the plate and finally get off her couch again. 

I still loved the universe and the characters but this one felt like a bit of a rushed conclusion. I think we could've done with a lot more exposition on this villain, who seems to be the ultimate villain of the trilogy, along with more on the backgrounds of the main characters. I'm not even sure if Ivy has a family or what because if she was a hair from dying and no one showed up I'm going to have to assume she doesn't. The interaction with Winter's family that was mentioned in the synopsis was given like three pages and all in all it felt like the rise and fall of the series was difficult to peg. That doesn't mean I disliked it, I still think this alone was a four-star read, but the whole series either needs more books or should just be accepted as more surface level writing. 

The epilogue with Brutus was super cute because I love his perspective. He really made the books and I'm disappointed that I won't get to read more of him. I know there's a novella which I haven't read yet so we'll have to see if I can motivate myself to get into it knowing that there aren't any more full-length books out there and that there are so many questions about Ivy and Winter that I still want answered.

 

Book Review: Star Witch (The Lazy Girl's Guide to Magic #2)

 

Star Witch

Helen Harper

Overall: 5/5

Plot and themes: 5/5

Characters: 5/5

Writing style: 5/5

Attention-grabbing: 5/5

So I thought that Brimstone Bound would have to be my favorite Helen Harper series but this one is really raising the bar. Ivy and Winter had an awkward encounter a few weeks ago and haven't talked since. She doesn't want to be part of the Order but she does want to see him. When she's recruited to work with him and go undercover on one of her favorite shows, it seems like the perfect solution. Unfortunately, things get pretty serious pretty quickly and the danger of the whole situation escalates faster than she can really keep up with. 

I said it in the last review and I'll say it again: I love Ivy. I also love Rafe and obviously I'm obsessed with Brutus. They're such a funny cast with such amazing interactions. I think that Ivy goes a bit overboard with the whole lazy angle but we really get to see her step up for what she believes in in this one. It's campy and fun but still has a great underlying plot that keeps you wanting more. 

I just have to restate how funny Brutus is. Like, you won't think it's funny unless you read it but a cat who only speaks in monosyllabic statements like "food", "pet", and "bitch" turning around and basically giving us a whole page of poetry? That's comedy gold right there and no one's going to convince me otherwise. I loved him and I loved the story which he was such an intricate part of. 

So yeah, this is perfect for urban fantasy fans because it's my ideal urban fantasy. I'm recommending this series a lot and I've already read it all so I can really confidently do so.

Book Review: Slouch Witch (The Lazy Girl's Guide to Magic #1)

 

Slouch Witch

Helen Harper

Overall: 4/5

Plot and themes: 4/5

Characters: 5/5

Writing style: 4/5

Attention-grabbing: 5/5

I'm back at it again with another Helen Harper series and this one really didn't disappoint. It follows Ivy Wilde, a witch who has left the Order where nearly every other witch of any consequence ends up in favor of being a taxi driver. She's lazy and she doesn't really care who knows it because it's practically a hobby for her. When she's dragged back into the Order because of a paperwork issue, she's forced to actually do some work and solve a mystery that could end up destroying the organization she hates so much. 

Okay I lived for the characters in this book. Ivy was hilarious, Winter was funny but also serious, and Brutus was the star of the show. These books are seriously addictive and I don't have much to say only because I've accidentally read them all now. The one disappointing element of this book particularly was how complicated the mystery tried to be without really adding up to much. But honestly I'm here for the characters and the magic which was fantastic and very fun. 

10/10 would recommend, I took a star away from it for the plot being a little weak but honestly the characters are amazing. I was reading this at like 2am and laughing out loud so if you want a book to take your mind off life this will definitely be the one for you.

 

Book Review: The Turncoat King (The Rising Wave #1)

 

The Turncoat King

Michelle Diener

Overall: 2/5

Plot and themes: 2/5

Characters: 3/5

Writing style: 2/5

Attention-grabbing: 2/5

The Turncoat King is technically the first book in the Rising Wave series. It follows Ava and Luc after they escape prison and attempt to take down a country that has wronged them both severely. It's absolutely impossible to read this book without reading the novella which comes before it, which I didn't really like because I kind of subscribe to the belief that novellas should be optional. They both have magic that's gradually revealed as the book goes on that only makes them a stronger team. 

I don't know I was going to give it three stars but then the more I thought about it the more I remembered how weak everything was. It was like the Warprize books except also none of the same foundational elements? The love was way too insta-love for me to really get behind it and everything felt like it was being forced on me. Let me form my own opinions on characters rather than continuously telling me how great Luc is for doing the minimum or vice versa. 

I did think Ava's powers were super cool and had the potential to be a lot better in the sequel. They're virtually limitless and I love that, but Ava's also humble enough about it not to use it incorrectly. Luc's powers were poorly defined and considering how long this book dragged on and how thoroughly some things were described, I feel as though we could've had more. 

All in all it wasn't horrible it just wasn't all that exciting and it was pretty verbose. It's kind of trying to play off a lot of fantasy romance tropes but it's not quite hitting the marks. I might read the sequel when it comes out just because I liked the magic so much but we'll see.

 

Book Review: Furtive Dawn (City of Magic #3)

Furtive Dawn

Helen Harper

Overall: 3/5

Plot and themes: 2/5

Characters: 2/5

Writing style: 3/5

Attention-grabbing: 3/5

Furtive Dawn is the last book in the City of Magic series following Charley and Monroe as they try to sort out their imminent supply catastrophes in their quarantined Manchester. The arrival of a billionaire from the outside world gives them their first taste of the outside world in nearly a year. But he's immediately giving off bad vibes and threatening the fragile balance which they've managed to create. 

This wasn't bad, it was just a little boring and predictable. Mysterious entity shows up, he has bad vibes and then shocker he's a bad guy wow who saw it coming. I liked the interactions between Charley and Monroe even though it felt like they really just dove straight into their romance after kind of just being tenuous friends at best but whatever I live for banter. Then the ending of it was such erasure of everything that they did during the other two books. They set up a whole community and built it up on isolation and then decided to open it up to tourists basically in the final hour of the trilogy? 

So you know, kind of enjoyable as a series but I'm also just bitter that we never got to have the big confrontation scene on Charley's trauma. We just accepted that? Or did I miss it? I don't even know it felt like I missed a lot of it and it was just a lot of build-up for a lot of disappointment. Again, not super amazing just eh.

Book Review: You Had Me at Hola

You Had Me at Hola

Alexia Daria

Overall: 4.5/5

Plot and themes: 4/5

Characters: 5/5

Writing style: 4/5

Attention-grabbing: 5/5

This is a round up to five stars kind of book for me, the kind that I recognized had a couple of hiccups but that just had me thinking for the whole day after finishing it to the point that I'm just like points for vibes. You Had Me at Hola is a contemporary romance about two actors who primarily film telenovelas and soap opera trying to make their big break into a streaming service show for a broader audience. When their chemistry is a bit off, they decide to spend some time together to get more comfortable. They end up actually having a ton of chemistry but really struggling in the whole work-life balance. 

The ultimate goal of reading contemporary romances, at least for me, is getting that falling feeling like in your chest where you're like wow this really HITS. This one gave me that a couple of times where I was feeling like there's nothing I need in my life more than to be a famous actress falling in love with my co-star on and off screen. It also convinced me that I could never be a famous actress though cause of everything that goes into staging those kinds of scenes. Props to them for filming that and getting it all to work out so well on the pages. This book is unique because we have the simultaneous scripts of their show running in the background while we see their story play out. There are a bunch of parallels and it's really fun seeing it all come together. 

I loved Jasmine as a character because she's everything you hope you would be when a super attractive man shows up and your whole job is to play it cool. I think that we overplay the idea of the suave and easy-going actor a little too much and that Ashton's awkwardness counterbalanced with her rationality was a refreshing and appealing mix. I can't stress how much I love the awkward uncomfortable male protagonist though, I don't look for it exclusively but I can't help but root for someone that's so simultaneously talented in pretending yet stressed out when he has to pretend. 

So yeah, I loved it but I did have a few problems with it. The biggest ones being with the start and end, there was way too much exposition just forced on us in those first and last pages. I was just supposed to digest all of the information on the tragedy of their pasts rather than seeing it through dialogue or rehashed traumas. And the epilogue when we got a flash-through of all their amazing successes and stuff was a bit irritating. Still a 4.5 for me, but could have eased us in and out of it a little better. 

But definitely read this book! It's the perfect summer romance, it's light but serious and has a good message but isn't too much to be considered like analytical or anything.

Book Review: Stolen Thorn Bride (Stolen Brides of the Fae #7)

Stolen Thorn Bride

Kenley Davidson

Overall: 4/5

Plot and themes: 3/5

Characters: 4/5

Writing style: 4/5

Attention-grabbing: 4/5

Stolen Thorn Bride is the seventh novella in an eight novella series written by various fantasy romance authors. When Kasia loses controls of the animals she's meant to keep, she risks it all by crossing to the domain of the elves. She's caught and told that her options are marrying an unknown man or death, so the choice was pretty obvious. Now, there's war on her doorstep and she has no idea how her siblings are faring and she has to deal with a guy who's kind of a jerk considering she saved his life. 

I liked Kasia a lot, I think she's a great protagonist because she's intelligent and thoughtful. Honestly, she probably could've benefited from a lot more page-time. I love the root universe of this one so I'm a little biased, it just works really well. I wish that all of these were longer to be honest because sometimes novellas just aren't enough. The one thing I had against the plot was the constant comparison of Kasia to Dechlan's dead girlfriend. I understand it it's just a little annoying and not very easy to get through in such a short piece. 

But all in all, another fantastic addition to this series of books! I haven't read them all and hopefully I'll get back to the two that I missed soon but I think is such a cool and fun idea. I'm really looking forward to reading the other works from the other authors too so it's definitely great for spreading the word.

Book Review: Last Wish (Highland Magic #4)

 

Last Wish

Helen Harper

Overall: 3/5

Plot and themes: 2/5

Characters: 1/5

Writing style: 3/5

Attention-grabbing: 3/5

Last Wish is the final book in the Highland Magic series. Integrity has been faking her death for months now, attempting to restore her homeland and make a plan to save everyone from the Steward's treachery. There's also the whole matter of the Fomori, a people who will basically start a massacre if they find out she's still alive. So there are quite a few loose ends to tie up and not a lot of time to do so.

Okay so I went a little back and forth on the rating for this one but I decided to round up. I wasn't sure what it deserved because like I binged the whole series in like four days so it was obviously pretty addicting. But it was kind of like chips where you keep eating them and you're liking them but how much are you actually enjoying it? The characters were meh, it wasn't something that I was super invested in on any front.  The ending lacked the satisfaction of a real conclusion despite the fact that this series kind of dragged on. The ending itself was just upsetting, I don't feel as though we ever got a moment where we were like wow Integrity's powers are actually super cool. They just seem like a lose-lose to everyone. Don't even get me started on what she took from Morna and everything, that finale boss battle was the lamest part. 

So not to roast because I did think it was a pretty addicting series, I was just annoyed by quite a few elements of it. I liked the magic but I think we should have spent more time developing the politics of it all because it felt like basically the Sidhe just got away with treating everyone like shit for way too long until Integrity did the bare minimum to make everyone happy again. The real resolution was just better communication and that felt so weak in comparison to the rest of the universe. But again, it was addicting and easy to read. I just wish it had more depth.

Book Review: Veiled Threat (Highland Magic #3)

Veiled Threat

Helen Harper

Overall: 3/5

Plot and themes: 3/5

Characters: 2/5

Writing style: 3/5

Attention-grabbing: 2/5

Veiled Threat is the third book in the Highland Magic series. Integrity has won back her ancestral homelands and they're a bit of a fixer-upper. She's trying to deal with that responsibility along with the continued threat of her archenemy who just so happens to be the leader of the Sidhe. She doesn't know who to trust and the odds keep stacking against her. 

Not a lot happened in this book and it felt like we just kind of rehashed everything that happened previously. She can't rely on anyone aside of her family unit (that didn't really seem like a family all the way through and who we're just kind of expected to interpret as such). I understand that it would take a bit of time to believe the worst about someone close to you, but it feels like Byron just needed to be cut loose and come to terms with stuff on his own because he was wasting my time. 

Again, not a lot to say because this was just a really easy to read filler novel. It got a little dull but it pushed the plot just enough into the next book. All in all, average.

Book Review: Honour Bound (Highland Magic #2)

Honour Bound

Helen Harper

Overall: 3/5

Plot and themes: 3/5

Characters: 2/5

Writing style: 3/5

Attention-grabbing: 3/5

Honour Bound is the second book in the Highland Magic series which depicts the conflicts of the Scottish Highlands between the dominant Sidhe and the humans and other magical creatures. Integrity has been wronged by the Sidhe again and again, when she learns about the games that occur every generation with a grand prize of literally anything the winner wants, she knows its her chance to restore her ancestral homelands. The competitions cover three challenges, each one more dangerous than the last and the odds are most definitely stacked against her. 

I don't have much to say because I already read the other two books in the series and my opinions would definitely be biased. I think it's really easy to read aside from the fact that the main protagonists are a bit annoying. I understand where Integrity is coming from but I do see her statements at odds with her actions. I don't think it's the worst representation of that happening that I've ever seen in a book and like, it's bearable, it's just annoying. 

So yeah, it's okay but again not as good as the Brimstone Bound books. I like Helen Harper though and I think she creates some really fun worlds. Stay tuned for my reviews of the other two books!

Book Review: Gifted Thief (Highland Magic #1)

Gifted Thief

Helen Harper 

Overall: 3/5

Plot and themes: 3/5

Characters: 2/5

Writing style: 3/5

Attention-grabbing: 3/5

I'm on a Helen Harper binge right now because her books are so insanely entertaining and easy to read. This book is about the Sidhe of the Scottish highlands. Gifted individuals who control the economy through the strength of their clans. Integrity was born as the heir to one such clan before her father decided to go off the rails and kill everyone. After a tumultuous childhood of slights by the Sidhe, she chose to leave them behind and build her own family.  But the Sidhe need her now to unlock an ancient artifact that's the key to all of their magic and she always knew she couldn't hide forever. 

Integrity is annoying. I almost DNFed just because she was making so many choices that annoyed me. Like okay, I understand that she had it rough and so yeah I probably wouldn't trust these Sidhe people either. But wouldn't having such a foundation of cruelty make her less likely to trust others? She practically passes her secrets out like candy and like it's so obvious that that's going to blow up in her face later on. She doesn't hit the right balance for that urban fantasy clumsiness combined with skill. 

Maybe I'm being too hard on her and my standards are too high but I'm going to need her to do better in the sequel like grow a bit. It's another interesting world though, because Helen Harper has some great ideas and concepts. I like the twists she puts on normality, things that are fantastical and far-fetched but still with strong bases in reality. I don't know if this will be my favorite series, but I appreciate a lot of it.

Book Review: The Road

The Road

Cormac McCarthy

Overall: 2/5

Plot and themes: 2/5

Characters: 1/5

Writing style: 2/5

Attention-grabbing: 1/5

The Road is the story of a man and his son trying to survive in a post-apocalyptic world. It's completely without quotations or anything unnecessarily complicated like giving the characters names. It reads very much like a novella but it's a full-length novel that makes really no commitment to advancing the world-building or the arcs of the individual characters. 

I'm very focused on character growth so it's obvious that I could have some problems reading a book like this. I understand leaving out elements of the story to allude to the simplicity of life without structure, the directness of surviving rather than living. Honestly though, it just felt lazy to me. It felt like this was kind of an introduction to a bigger problem but there's nothing else, this exists for no reason other than to say that life is meaningless and that books don't really need to advance to anything. 

And maybe I could have respected that if it wasn't so long. It was repetitive, we were being told that we should be afraid of these cannibals and strangers only for the resolution to be completely unrelated to it. I don't think it was particularly well-written, maybe if I had read it prior to the circa 2012 dystopian era where stuff like this was completely overdone it would have read better. But really, it just felt like someone who doesn't know how to write trying to pretend that they do by throwing something half-ass at us. If the story itself had been somewhat entertaining while still conveying the whole life is meaningless thing maybe I would've liked it more but no, it just felt all together lacking. 

Book Review: Brittle Midnight (City of Magic #1)

Brittle Midnight

Helen Harper

Overall: 3/5

Plot and themes: 3/5

Characters: 2/5

Writing style: 3/5

Attention-grabbing: 4/5

Brittle Midnight is the second book in the City of Magic series by Helen Harper following the adventures of Charley and Monroe in a post-apocalyptic version of Manchester. They've both sort of adopted separate perspectives on survival and what needs to be done to create a thriving society, but their two halves of the city can't really stay separate for long. 

I'm taking a star off only for the characters because other than that it was pretty consistent with the first and exactly what you would expect. I'm mad at only the character development because like what the heck we're going to get the culmination of all the romantic build-up without the revelation scene where she exposes her guilt for that whole plot-line with her brother? What was the point of that if not for the dramatic tragic backstory? If we don't get that in the finale of this trilogy I'm really going to be angry, right now it just feels like we missed a critical stepping stone. 

But yeah, other than that the magic has been pretty standard and it's just kind of a nice follow-up to the first book. I said previously that I liked how it was fusion of kind of dystopia and urban fantasy and that stands. It's really just a fun read that could probably use some more exposition but is just fine as it is.

Book Review: Shrill Dusk (City of Magic #1)

Shrill Dusk

Helen Harper 

Overall: 3/5

Plot and themes: 3/5

Characters: 3/5

Writing style: 3/5

Attention-grabbing: 4/5

I may be on a slight paranormal binge right now, and Helen Harper's books are really pushing that forward. Shrill Dusk is the first book in the City of Magic series, it's also kind of a spin-off of another series that I didn't read so I don't really find it all that necessary to enjoy. Charley cleans for the police department by day and gambles illegally at night, she has a strategic mind and likes to help others whenever she can. When magic is set off all across Manchester and her housemate turns into a gigantic and terrifying monster, she knows she owes it to her and to the others she meets along the way to step up and try to use her strategic mind to everyone's advantage. But in a city that has been abandoned by government officials with magic running rampant, no one is really sure what will happen. 

I liked it well enough, it was a little disappointing compared to her Firebrand series but also these books came a couple of years earlier so it might just be a good demonstration of Harper's growth as an author. The magic was a tad ill-defined, I hope that that's something that'll be addressed in the next two books. I specifically don't understand the limitations or basis for Charley's magic, it all seems a bit all over the board. I did like her as a character, I think she has some room to grow but I think she has the kind of moral integrity that I like to see from protagonists. 

Bottom-line, it was pretty enjoyable but it wasn't super memorable at this point. I also think it blends kind of the traditional dystopian aspect with fantasy in a fun and very defined sort of way. It's more of an under the dome type of microcosm of greater society and how individuals would function in the absence of law but combined with the lighthearted comedy of an urban fantasy. Not something I've read before but definitely something I'm looking forward to!

Novella Review: Stolen Ice Bride (Stolen Brides of the Fae #5)

Stolen Ice Bride

Angela J. Ford

Overall: 3/5

Plot and themes: 3/5

Characters: 3/5

Writing style: 4/5

Attention-grabbing: 2/5

This is the fifth novella in the Stolen Brides of the Fae series, a collaboration of fantasy romance authors that doesn't have to be read in any specific way. It follows the journey of Solvayh, a young healer hiding from those who would choose to exploit the powers she has been terrified of since she was young. Unfortunately, the Mage King decides that she should be his bride. She's in the middle of running away when an ice fae lord decides to kidnap her to hold as ransom to save his own kingdom. 

I didn't really understand the magic in this universe. It may be a part of a greater scheme of magic from other books that I haven't read, but the pacing of it all was hard to follow and difficult to really get into. Part of it could have been how removed the characters were from the actual threats, things kept being mentioned but like we never actually saw them in real-time on the pages so they didn't seem as bad as they were described. The real threats were easily vanquished and that seemed to kind of just lead to the romance. 

The characters were likeable, I think Solvayh would have been a lot more interesting in a full-length novel. I would love to hear more about how she was able to support herself while hiding what she thought was so evil about herself. I'm not all that mad at the content of this novella, it was just kind of middle of the road. It probably would've been a lot more enjoyable if there had been more information given.

Novella Review: Stolen Threadwitch Bride (Stolen Brides of the Fae #6)

Stolen Threadwitch Bride

Clare Sager

Overall: 5/5

Plot and themes: 5/5

Characters: 5/5

Writing style: 5/5

Attention-grabbing: 5/5

Stolen Threadwitch Bride is the sixth installment in the Stolen Brides of the Fae novella series, a fantasy romance collaboration that doesn't have to be read in any particular order. Before I start, I'd like to thank Clare Sager for sending me a free ARC of this novella in exchange for an honest review! Ariadne has grown up alienated in her village, first for the color of her skin and then for the nature of her fae-blessing. But she loves to sew and the quality of her craftsmanship combined with her gift for enchantments is close to winning her a contract and security. Until she's selected to be the tithe for a system that hasn't been used in a century. Now she's gotta learn how to get along with the fae lord she's stuck with or else figure out how to outmaneuver him and win her freedom. 

This is set in the same universe as Beneath Black Sails but you definitely don't have to read those to enjoy it. It's pretty exclusive in it's depiction of the function of magic and everything going on and it makes for a super easy to read novella. The whole "stolen" element is a little questionable and I've really appreciated how the different authors have been twisting it in different ways. Like Lysander was required to take a bride, he took Ariadne despite their being other more willing humans. But he wasn't horrible about it and it ultimately came down to Ariadne's choices and where she wanted to be. 

Their romance is cute and perfectly paced, even probably for a full-length standalone. I really appreciated the development that both of these characters were able to experience in such a limited span of time. I don't know if we'll ever see more of these two, but I definitely wouldn't mind!

Book Review: Scorched Heart (Firebrand #4)

Scorched Heart

Helen Harper

Overall: 5/5

Plot and themes: 4/5

Characters: 5/5

Writing style: 5/5

Attention-grabbing: 5/5

This is the fourth and most recent addition in the Firebrand series following the adventures of Emma, a detective for the Supernatural Squad and a supernatural entity all on her own. She's finally decided it's time to investigate the tragedy of her parents murder, but she's quick to discover that the clean-cut confession from 25 years prior could have been all an elaborate mistake. With more murders cropping up in the same fashion, she takes it upon herself to right the wrongs that set her whole supernatural journey into motion. 

I like paranormal books well enough, but there's a thin line that they're usually walking between funny and overdone. This series has really nailed the balance between that kind of sardonic humor of urban fantasy protagonists with a serious plot. It's also more of an adventure with romance rather than a romance with adventure, enough to satisfy the fact that I basically can't read books without romance at this point but not to overdone to ruin it for readers who prefer action. I think that this whole series has been so well-written and all of the mysteries have been so well-constructed. It has the real potential to be an extended series of mysteries with really infinite volumes in my opinion. 

The only thing I was a little disappointed with was the revelation of the nature of her phoenix powers. I don't know, it's probably more like my preference in the characters I read but the nature of the right-place-right-time thing just felt weird. I didn't hate it completely, but I'm definitely looking forward to future additions to give more of an explanation into the mythology of it all. I don't know if a fifth book has been announced, I know there's another series coming out but I don't know if I'll read it. I just want more of Emma and Lukas to be honest, their relationship is really shaping up with the progression of the mysteries.

Book Review: Our Dark Duet (Monsters of Verity #2)

Our Dark Duet

Victoria Schwab

Rating System:

Overall: 5/5

Plot and themes: 4/5

Characters: 5/5

Writing style: 5/5

Attention-grabbing: 5/5

This is the second and final book in the Monster of Verity duology following the stories of Kate Harker and August Flynn. Kate is the daughter of a recently deceased kingpin and she's steering clear of the city he used to run and the monsters whom they've both angered. August is a Sunai, destined to identify the purity of humans' souls and weigh their right to live as he tries to save a city that has fallen into chaos. Both are struggling to balance their trauma and their desire to pave the way for a better world. 

Shoutout to VE Schwab because she rarely if ever fails to make me cry. This book literally traumatized me, I finished it and sat at my desk for the rest of the day with resting anxiety. This is such a beautifully written sequel, I was on the fence for a bit but the characters really won me over. They really developed so much in such a short period of time. I loved how it played with the idea of innate goodness, both in what the Sunai could understand as the tainting of a soul and the destiny which you are given based on your upbringing or familial ties. 

The only problem I had was with the pacing. The last hundred or two hundred pages were amazing but there were a lot of characters introduced at the beginning that didn't get the exposition that they deserved for the sake of keeping it to a duology. It just felt like it was leading up to a lot more but also maybe I'm just used to extended series. The ending wrapped up the main characters' extremely well but just lost me on a lot of other conflicts. 

All in all though it was an amazing duology! I didn't think I would ever like it as much as her other books but frankly it really got me. I'll be depressed for a while but at least I'm depressed with the understanding that it was an amazing journey.

Book Review: Midnight Smoke (Firebrand #3)

Midnight Smoke

Helen Harper

Rating System:

Overall: 4.5/5

Plot and themes: 5/5

Characters: 4/5

Writing style: 4/5

Attention-grabbing: 5/5

This is the third book in the Firebrand series following the adventures of Detective Constable Emma Bellamy. She's been a detective for a few months now and has made great strides in the supernatural community. But a series of impersonations and a bank robbery could destroy all that progress and have especially caustic effects on her relationship with Lukas. Desperate to solve it all, she drinks a potion that gives her three attempts at redoing the horrible day and fixing all of its consequences.

I loved the whole Groundhog's Day idea, it's such a fun quirky paranormal take on crime. I said in my review of the other book that this was the perfect urban fantasy spin on a traditional detective or crime novel and yeah that stands. It has the whodunnit element but it also has the monsters and the magic. We didn't get much insight into Emma's whole backstory, or why she's the phoenix and what actually happened with her family. But I'll forgive that for the unique combination of magic and romance that occurred in this edition. 

This is a definite must-read if you're a fan of easy reads that still grab your attention and keep you reading. I love the mysteries, I love the romance, and I love the arcs that we've seen so far and I can't wait to read more.

Book Review: Infernal Enchantment (Firebrand #2)

Infernal Enchantment

Helen Harper

Rating System:

Overall: 4/5

Plot and themes: 4/5

Characters: 4/5

Writing style: 4/5

Attention-grabbing: 5/5

This is the second book in the Firebrand series, Emma has been a detective for the Supernatural Squad for a few weeks now and she's kind of getting the hang of it? Except also she's not because everyone is also testing her and trying to figure out her boundaries. Within the first hundred pages, she's attacked by a vampire and a werewolf and the whole book covers multiple deaths. Even with these people testing her limits, she has crimes to solve and the fragile balance of the supernatural community to maintain. 

I would say this book is a step down from the first one in terms of plot because it just wasn't as exciting and there weren't as many plot twists. That being said though, I still think it was a valuable mystery in its own right. I think that this is really a perfectly set supernatural detective series, everything you would expect from a detective series with the addition of werewolves, vampires, and goblins. 

I don't have all that much to say on it because I lowkey already finished the next book. So if you're looking for something short and addicting, this one will really hit.

Book Review: Brimstone Bound (Firebrand #1)

 

Brimstone Bound

Helen Harper

Rating System:

Overall: 4.5/5

Plot and themes: 5/5

Characters: 4/5

Writing style: 4/5

Attention-grabbing: 5/5

Emma Bellamy is a police officer one step away from detective. She thinks she's doing great until she's relegated to the Supernatural Squad, where reputation says only screwups are sent. On her first night on the job she gets her throat slit and it should be the end. But it's not, because Emma reincarnates perfectly fine. Now she has to figure out who killed her while also trying to figure out what exactly she is and prevent a total all out war. 

This is hardcore paranormal urban fantasy, the kind with a comedic protagonist that narrates her thought process kind of literally. But I loved it. It's quirky and easy to understand without being too straightforward, the mystery of her murderer really stumped me. I should've seen it coming but frankly I had no idea that what was going to happen was a given. I was expecting something completely different because I was expecting only two ways that the story could've ended so I was truly surprised. I loved it and I'm already halfway into the sequel. 

If you're looking for one of those books like something Jennifer Armentrout would write (pre FBAA) then this is the read for you. I can see the budding romance coming up, which will definitely be perfect, but it's not overly lewd or trying to be shocking in that way. Definitely looking forward to reading this series through. 

Book Review: Etched in Bone (The Others #5)

Etched in Bone

Anne Bishop

Rating System:

Overall: 3/5

Plot and themes: 2/5

Characters: 3/5

Writing style: 2/5

Attention-grabbing: 2/5

Etched in Bone is the fifth book in the Others series, I reread it I don't know just to torture myself from the general lack of resolution. We spend four books building up to both Simon and Meg's relationship and the greater understanding of her powers of prophecy only for it to end with a shoddily written kidnapping story and just an agreement on where there relationship is going to go. There are a million loose ends and a trillion things that could have been written into the sequel series rather than what was written about. 

I rated up to give it three stars just because I'm still so attached to this series that I'm biased into liking it. In reality, I don't feel like you should tell us that someone is a low-life villain the whole time and then make the biggest climax of the novel being them being a low-life villain. They said, oh no what if he finds Meg he'll definitely do some bad stuff, then he found Meg and did some bad stuff. I love Meg as a character, I think she's so resilient and I think she handled everything very well but we were already pulling away from her perspective here and so her being in trouble being the main plotline just felt so off. 

Again, this is like my third or fourth time re-reading this book so I definitely don't have any room to complain I obviously like it well enough. I'm just constantly disappointed and looking for more from it. If Anne Bishop could write a book six within Lakeside specifically I think that would be the most satisfying route for me.