#Review - Starling's Weave by L.E. Sterling #YA #Fantasy

Series: Unknown
Format: Kindle, 321 pages
Release Date: October 21, 2024
Publisher: Entangled: Teen
Source: Publisher
Genre: Fantasy

Truth is more dangerous than fiction…in this exhilarating upper YA fantasy that will capture fans of Shadow and Bone and Dark Water Daughter

In ancient times, the Elder Wrights breathed their magic into the fabric of the seven seas. Now what was once an ocean of plenty is slowly becoming a sea of death, and the Talin—a race of hidden mages—are beginning to starve.

And for the first time ever, one of their own has no magic.

Ostracized by her own people, Nieve is certain that the old stories hide a missing piece of the puzzle. It’s just a matter of unlocking the secret.

But when a stranger comes sailing into their harbor, Nieve’s world is suddenly blown wide open. Now she’s sailing on the seven seas—with a too-charming, swashbuckling pirate, a group of strange misfits, and a woman who claims to be one of the Elder Wrights.

It’s like Nieve is living one of the stories she’s always loved…only now, she’s weaving a legend of her own.

Except that the old tales don’t mention those journeys that end in tragedy, a king’s calculated interference, or a world poised on the tides of death.

And they certainly don’t mention mutineers with a talent for stealing a girl’s heart…and lying all the while.

L.E. Sterling's Starling's Weave is an upper Young Adult Fantasy novel that will likely appeal to readers of Shadows and Bones and Dark Water Daughter mainly because it has quite a few sexual situations. Key Characters: Nieve Septile (18), and Keir Manseray (22). In ancient times, the Elder Wrights breathed their magic into the fabric of the seven seas. Now what was once an ocean of plenty is slowly becoming a sea of death, and the Talin—a race of hidden mages—are beginning to starve.

Nieve, a member of a Talin tribe—a group of people given water magic by the Elder Wrights—is the first born in 1400 years without the water magic that their village thrives upon, and for that she is shunned by her people. Nieve is certain that the old stories hide a missing piece of the puzzle that may bring magic back to the world. It’s just a matter of unlocking the secret. Then Nieve loses her only connection to the village thanks to a plague that kills quickly, and is soon captured and nearly sold, but meets an unusual pair of characters. 

Arisame, who claims that she is one of the missing Elder Wrights of Dragon Fire, was locked away in the dark. Her companion is a Vauna High Priestess Karima who apparently found Ari when she woke up from her slumber that lasted thousands of years. Ari, who claims she is dying, needs to find a weaver to unlock her missing memories, and soon the trio find themselves working with Captain Keir Manseray of the Floating Star. Keir needs Nieve to help him retrieval the ships captain, Edsel Bo from the notorious King Hyperion who wants magic to die.

Keir, who has a truly loyal crew that lives by a free life creed, knows that unless he can use Nieve to break into one of most dangerous on the planet, the world as he knows it will likely end thanks to magic dying, and Hyperion's Black Guard hunting down any remaining Elder Wrights. Keir watches as Nieve realizes that there is much more to her than meets the eye, and that it is Nieve who might be the key to saving magic if they can survive a dangerous journey to a place called Kiro while being chased non-stop by Hyperion and his black Guard.

*So, my review is based on the fact that there was little to no worldbuilding. It is also based on some choppy editing where it appears the story is in the first person, and then jumps back to the third person. I am, unfortunately, a person who skips over large chunks of the book whenever there are sexual scenes. They don't do anything for me except make me turn the pages faster. While the ending leaves me with feelings of being unfulfilled, it appears that there won't be a sequel which doesn't make sense. Apparently, the reader is supposed to figure out what comes next with Nieve and her role in fixing the seven seas why exploring more with Keir, Ari, Karima and the rest of the crew.

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#Review - The Village Library Demon-Hunting Society by C.M Waggoner #Cozy #Mystery

Series: Unknown
Format: Paperback, 352 pages
Release Date: September 24, 2024
Publisher: Ace
Source: Publisher
Genre: Fantasy / Contemporary

A librarian with a knack for solving murders soon realizes there is something supernatural afoot in her little town in this cozy fantasy mystery.

Librarian Sherry Pinkwhistle keeps finding bodies—and solving murders. But she's concerned by just how many killers she's had to track down in her quaint village. None of her neighbors seem surprised by the rising body count...but Sherry is becoming convinced that whatever has been causing these deaths is unnatural.

But when someone Sherry was close to ends up dead, and her cat, Lord Thomas Crowell, is possessed by what seems to be an ancient demon, Sherry realizes she is going to need an exorcist more than a detective. With the help of her town's new priest and an assortment of friends who dub themselves the "Demon Hunting Society," Sherry needs to solve the murder and get rid of the demon.

The Village Library Demon-Hunting Society, by C.M. Waggoner, is a riotous mix of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Murder, She Wrote is a lesson for demons and murderers alike: Never mess with a librarian. In a rural village in Upstate, New York called Winesap, there lives a woman named Sherry Pinkwhistle (63) who happens to be a librarian. Sherry, it seems, is a cross between Poirot, Jessica Fletcher, and Miss Marple. Sherry is an unofficial consultant to the local Sheriff, as she is always investigating and solving the murders. 

 

She is smart, self-sufficient, and always creative in working with the sheriff, and the towns people all know that Sherry will find the culprits. But when her boyfriend who she grew close to is murdered hours after they were together, Sherry has the feeling that she is a pawn in a much larger game. You see, nobody close to Sherry has ever died before. Oh sure, she's been divorced once, and she apparently may have been friends with a not very nice person who may have been guilty of murder, but this seems personal. Things get even more twisted when her cat (Lord Thomas) starts talking about HER which can only mean a demon.  

 

Sherry realizes she is going to need an exorcism more than a detective. With the help of her town's new priest and an assortment of friends who dub themselves the "Demon Hunting Society," Sherry needs to solve the murder and get rid of the demon. But the demon has plans for Sherry, and those plans may have to be interrupted if Sherry is going to save her town where nobody, it seems, has left in a very long time. I would have likely given this a higher rating, but I searched all over the place to see if this was a standalone since the author definitely hints that Sherry isn't done with being the towns investigator.  

One

Sherry Pinkwhistle woke up to the deep silence of snowfall, cozily ensconced in the warmth of her bed and the knowledge that she had just solved another murder.

She'd woken up five minutes before her alarm-it was 6:55-and she wanted to stay in bed for a while longer than she usually would, just for the sake of luxuriating a little. A treat. A thank-you to herself for a job well done. It was no good, though: Lord Thomas Cromwell came into the room at exactly two minutes past seven and started shouting for his breakfast, and there was nothing for Sherry to do but get up, push her toes into her warm slippers, and start her day.

Sherry didn't like to think of herself as a dull person, but she did like to stick to her morning routine. Lord Thomas Cromwell had his breakfast-a half can of salmon-flavored wet food: he was on a strict vet-ordered diet (Sherry was as regimented about Lord Thomas Cromwell's health and fitness as she was lax about her own)-before she started the coffee. While the coffee was brewing, she went out to fetch the paper. Then she made her egg (soft-boiled) and her toast (with lots of butter) and poured herself a cup of coffee before sitting down at the kitchen table next to the window to have her breakfast.

While she ate, she read the paper and watched the snow fall onto the pine trees in the woods past the garden, with Lord Cromwell curled up comfortably in her lap and purring with all his fat, warm strength. It was an early April morning to meet expectations, with the boldest crocuses sitting up straight to spit in the eyes of the snowflakes. In just another few weeks she would be able to start working in her garden again. A few months after that there would be sunflowers, and the deep-green smell of tomato vines, and she'd sit at the kitchen table in the evenings working on new little houses for the fairy garden that she'd started building two summers ago. Maybe she'd add in some toadstools. When she was a little girl, she'd spent a lot of time hoping to spot a fairy in the inhospitable environment of her suburban backyard. After she'd grown up and gotten married, her husband had always rolled his eyes at her being whimsical. Now she was getting old, and she lived alone, and she could have all the toadstools that she liked.

Sometimes, when she was working on her fairy garden, she would think of her best friend. They had had their fairies-and-witches phase together and had tried to make potions out of dirt and berries they'd found in parks and carved magic wands out of twigs long after they both should have grown out of it. Neither of them had ever really grown out of it. Or maybe Caroline had, by now. Sherry hadn't spoken to her in years.

She tried not to think too much about Caroline.

She returned her attention to the Winesap Herald. The murder was on the front page, of course. prominent local realtor arrested for business partner's murder. There was no mention of Sherry's involvement. Sheriff Brown tolerated her helping out with his cases, but he wasn't interested in sharing credit for his arrests with the local librarian. That suited Sherry just fine. She didn't help him with his cases because she wanted fame and glory. She did it because she was good at it.

Sherry took her time with the rest of the paper, paying particular attention to whether or not the advertisement she'd taken out for the upcoming library bake sale had been printed correctly. It had been. She also took note of a cello recital that she'd like to see in Albany. Then, finally and reluctantly, she read the national news. She always read the national news so that she'd be a well-informed person, but she'd noticed more and more recently that she had trouble remembering any of it. The world's affairs seemed very far away, in Winesap.

Once she'd dispensed with the paper and cleaned up after her breakfast, Sherry got washed and dressed and battled fruitlessly with her crop of wild graying cowlicks for a minute or so. Sherry generally thought of authors as powerful and mysterious creatures, like Olympians, but if she ever met one in person, she would feel compelled to speak to her kindly but sternly on the topic of hair. There seemed to be a general agreement among authors that unruly hair was a sign of a free-spirited and artistic nature, as if zaniness was extruded through the follicles. I'm afraid, Sherry imagined saying to the author (who would have very tidy blonde hair in a chignon and be wearing a cream-colored silk blouse), that I'm not free-spirited and artistic at all. I'm very cautious and conventional. I clip coupons for laundry detergent out of the monthly mailer, have only ever slept with one man, and never learned how to appreciate poetry. My hair just comes out of my head like this.

It occurred to her, abruptly, that this was a distinctly zany thing to think about. Maybe the authors were onto something.

Sherry gave up on her hair and bundled herself in all her warm winter things. It was just about freezing outside, which wasn't particularly cold, as early April went. Sherry was a sturdy Upstate New Yorker now, firmly removed from her soft and vulnerable Floridian youth, and prided herself on her ability to be scornful about any temperature above zero degrees Fahrenheit. Besides, the sun was out. She passed a few evergreen bushes still clinging on to bright-red berries that stood out like exclamation points against the dark greens, whites, and grays of the landscape. They were the sorts of berries that she and Caroline would definitely have put into their potions when they were little girls. They had a wicked look to them, like something that would poison a princess in a fairy tale. Snow white, bloodred, Sherry thought, and the branches of the trees as black as ebony. She assumed they were, at least. She'd never known what ebony actually looked like.

A few brave jays and chickadees were shouting salutations or obscenities at each other as she walked across the road and down the long gravel driveway to Alice Murdoch's house. Like Sherry's own driveway, Alice's driveway was snow covered except for a narrow walking path that ran down the left side, and would remain so until she had a guest who needed a place to park. When they'd first met, they'd bonded over the fact that they were two of the only people in town who didn't own a car.

Sherry rang the bell, as usual, and as usual waited for a long time in the screened-in porch for Alice to emerge. The porch was even more cluttered than usual. There were more pairs of skis and snowshoes than Sherry remembered having seen on Friday morning, along with several paper shopping bags from the local grocery store, what looked like an egg incubator, and, inexplicably, a large plastic cat carrier. Alice didn't own a cat. Sherry considered what she might be doing with the carrier. In the sort of book that Sherry felt somewhat embarrassed to admit to reading, Alice would have trapped a boggart in it.

Eventually Alice appeared, her fine blonde hair so full of winter static that it floated in the air between her shoulders and her hat, which was bright blue with a pom-pom on top like something that had been made for a small child. She was already apologizing. "I'm sorry, I just turned on the TV and saw about the murder on the news. Was it you again, Sherry?"

Sherry responded modestly. "It wasn't me, really. I just noticed a thing or two that the detective hadn't quite gotten to yet, and pointed them out to him. He did all of the rest."

Alice nodded, not taken in for a second. Everyone in town knew that Sherry was good at murders. Sherry appreciated the recognition, if not the phrasing. "I knew it," Alice said. "I knew it had to be you. Oh, wait a second," she added, and retreated back into her house. She reappeared a moment later with a lumpy little something wrapped in foil that she thrust into Sherry's hands. "Banana bread," she said. "I couldn't sleep, so I got up early to bake it."

Alice wasn't usually the most domestic kind of girl. Generally, she reminded Sherry of a small, damp animal that someone had just found huddled under their front porch and brought inside, despite the animal clearly not understanding how it was supposed to be behaving inside a human home. There was something feral about her, not in the sense that she might lash out, but in the sense that you worried that if you made too much eye contact she might hide under the couch and refuse to come out again. If she was a character in a book, she would be the housemaid who became hysterical when the police spoke to her but calmed down in the soothing presence of Miss Marple. She was the sort of person who normally had the baking done for her by concerned motherly types, rather than doing the baking herself, and the fact that she'd made banana bread to share with Sherry felt somehow as momentous as when a stray cat consented to being petted.

"Thank you," Sherry said, touched. Then she tucked the banana bread into her big quilted bag-it was more than big enough to accommodate her lunch, two paperbacks, and a loaf of banana bread, and much more practical than the sort of little purse that she'd almost managed to convince herself that she'd enjoyed carrying when she was younger-and they started to walk down the hill together toward town.

Alice had moved into the ramshackle little house across the road from Sherry's cottage three years earlier, as an even younger, thinner, and more terrified-seeming girl with a few dollars in cash, a giant bruise on her left cheekbone, and a recently revoked driver's license. Sherry hadn't asked any questions. Instead, she'd spent a few weeks bringing Alice casseroles and the local paper folded to the want ads. Soon enough Alice had gotten her job at Alan's antiques store, and they'd been walking into town together almost every morning since. The antiques store opened at ten, but Alice liked to sit in the library in the cozy corner near the door to the locked room that they never used and read before work. Sherry suspected that she didn't particularly enjoy spending too much time at home alone.

They always had nice chats on their morning walks. This morning, they talked about Sherry's latest murder case. It had been a particularly tricky one: the perpetrator, Mr. Wenchel, who was the victim's partner in a real estate firm, had met his victim in an empty house by posing as a potential buyer under an assumed name, and had created an alibi by hiring a man to pretend to be him at the state real estate association's annual dinner. Sherry had only managed to figure out the ruse when she spoke to the other dinner attendees and learned that "Mr. Wenchel" had blundered an extremely basic point of real estate law while chatting with a colleague during the cocktail hour.

They arrived at the library at exactly fifteen minutes before nine, and Sherry unlocked the doors with the specific blend of anticipation and resignation that she always felt in the few quiet minutes before the library opened in the morning. Soon there would be patrons asking for her to find "that book by that lady who was on Oprah a few months ago, it had a blue cover, I think?" and old Mr. Agnes getting snippy with Connie the assistant director over an interloper in his favorite chair, and children smacking each other over the head with the Little Golden Books. Soon there would be a prolonged hunt for a collection of local maps from the late eighteenth century, and little girls all bright-eyed over their newfound power to use their very first library cards to check out the complete works of Louisa May Alcott, and long meetings about an upcoming series of evening performances by local folk musicians, and the particular pleasure that came of turning the circulation desk over to her staffer Beth in order to take a peaceful twenty minutes to drink hot plastic-scented tea from a thermos and eat an egg salad sandwich. Soon there would be all those things, but for now there was peace and quiet, and the smell of old paper and ink, and the hum and click as the fluorescent lights came on one after another and the library woke up for another deliciously monotonous Friday.

Alice retreated into her favorite nook by the nonfiction section to read-she was in the middle of a self-improvement phase at the moment, which made Sherry miss the endless Jodi Picoult of last winter-and Sherry finished making her rounds to turn on the lights and make sure that no one had left anything disgusting in the reading room. Then she went to the circulation desk just in time to answer the first phone call of the morning.

The day went on mostly as usual, with a bit of additional chaos introduced by a new library page who had mis-shelved all of last month's periodicals into the wrong parts of the back volume section. Then, finally, it was time for lunch and the relative peace of the sheltered area behind the circulation desk where Sherry was hidden from view by the corkboards where she posted announcements. She had just taken her first bite of egg salad sandwich when she heard someone calling her name. "Sherry! Sherry, are you back there?"

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#Review - Fear the Flames by Olivia Rose Darling #Fantasy #Romance

Series: Fear the Flames # 1
Format: Hardcover, 384 pages
Release Date: September 17, 2024
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Source: Publisher
Genre: Fantasy / Romance

As a child, Elowen Atarah was ripped away from her dragons and imprisoned by her father, King Garrick of Imirath. Years later, Elowen is now a woman determined to free her dragons. Having established a secret kingdom of her own called Aestilian, she’s ready to do what’s necessary to save her people and seek vengeance. Even if that means having to align herself with the Commander of Vareveth, Cayden Veles, the most feared and dangerous man in all the kingdoms of Ravaryn.

Cayden is ruthless, lethal, and secretive, promising to help Elowen if she will stand with him and all of Vareveth in the pending war against Imirath. Despite their contrasting motives, Elowen can’t ignore their undeniable attraction as they combine their efforts and plot to infiltrate the impenetrable castle of Imirath to steal back her dragons and seek revenge on their common enemy.

As the world tries to keep them apart, the pull between Elowen and Cayden becomes impossible to resist. Working together with their crew over clandestine schemes, the threat of war looms, making the imminent heist to free her dragons their most dangerous adventure yet. But for Elowen, her vengeance is a promise signed in blood, and she’ll stop at nothing to see that promise through.

An immersive fantasy filled with a sizzling reluctant-allies-to-lovers romance, a world to get lost in, dangerous quests, dragon bonds, and an entertaining band of characters to root for, Fear the Flames marks the stunning debut of Olivia Rose Darling. 

Fear the Flames, by Olivia Rose Darling, is the first installment in the author's Fear the Flames series. Once upon a time, a little girl named Princess Elowen was born in Imirath. Her parents were so happy, that they invited royalty from other Kingdoms to partake in the celebration. One Queen brought Elowen 5 dragon eggs that were so old, that nobody thought anything of it. Until the eggs sprang to life and immediately bonded with the little girl, revealing a dire prophecy for Imirath that will either destroy the country, or save it. 

 

For the next 14 years, Elowen became a creature of darkness thanks to her father King Garrick, locked away in the dungeons and tortured repeatedly as her father and others tried to break that bond between her dragons. Until she escaped with a bit of help and found a new country to create for others looking for a new home. Having established a secret kingdom of her own called Aestilian, she’s ready to do what’s necessary to save her people and seek vengeance.  

 

Her new home, however, is struggling to feed its people and needs help. When Elowen hears that Vareveth has been sending soldiers into an area that doesn't belong to them, Elowen investigates. Here is where Elowen meets Cayden Veles, Commander of Vareveth who desperately wants to free Elowen's dragons, knowing a war between Kingdoms was imminent. Cayden is ruthless, lethal, and secretive, promising to help Elowen if she will stand with him and all of Vareveth in the pending war against Imirath. 

 

Despite their contrasting motives, Elowen can’t ignore their undeniable attraction as they combine their efforts and plot to infiltrate the impenetrable castle of Imirath to steal back her dragons and seek revenge on their common enemy. This is a story where even the second line characters are brilliant and interesting, especially Ryder, Saskia, and Finnian who has been with Elowen through the darkness of times.

This book tends to be dark since Elowen is a no holds barred kind of heroine. Same goes for Cayden. If you like 50 Shades of Grey, which I don't, you will enjoy the romp, literally, through this story which seems non ending. Personally, when a book is about dragons, I want more dragons not sex scenes! This is the authors debut so maybe if she reads some of these reviews, she will have more roles for these beautiful and deadly creatures. I would also love more worldbuilding, again, hopefully the author takes these kindly suggestions and broadens her world.

Chapter One

Rain and wind whip against my cheeks as I urge my horse to run faster into the dark forest with only moonlight and lightning to aid my vision. Thunder rumbles throughout the sky in tandem with horse hooves pounding the dirt. There are many reasons for a mission that requires riding through dangerous conditions—secrecy, desperation, curiosity, revenge, and haste, to name a few. I stopped trying to dissect my intermingling emotions years ago but can’t deny the overwhelming sense of curiosity that courses through me tonight.

The steep mountainside resembles a maze of fallen trees, uneven paths, and slick rocks. My cloak does little to keep the chill from seeping into my bones, and several strands have ripped free from the braid that falls down my back, sticking to my face as if they’re coated in syrup. But I’ll never pass up an opportunity to gain information about the tension brewing between Vareveth and Imirath.

Hatred coils through me and a grimace contorts my face when I think of my imprisoned dragons. King Garrick will pay for what he’s done in blood, and even that won’t be enough. The patrol I sent out informed me of a sighting of soldiers from my father’s enemy kingdom, and I want to know what they’re doing so far from home and traveling in one of the most dangerous parts of the continent.

The Terrwyn Forest is filled with beasts, bandits, and several poisonous plants, and the mist that leaks down from the mountains is enough to send even the most seasoned explorer plummeting off a sharp cliff. If you keep your wits about you and follow the faint sound of trickling river water, you’ll find my kingdom, Aestilian, hidden in a valley beside the Syssa Falls.

Finnian’s horse increases its pace and strides beside mine. His ginger curls lie flat against his forehead, and his porcelain skin almost glows through the darkness. “Are you going to tell me why you ran into the house and dragged me out like a deranged goblin?” he shouts over the storm.

Technically I never told Finnian why we left, but we stopped clarifying details with each other years ago.

Wherever I go, he goes.

Wherever he goes, I go.

“A deranged goblin?”

“Yes.” He clears his throat, and I already know he’s about to imitate my voice. “Finnian, make haste! Get your ass on a horse! A corpse moves faster than you!” His voice cracks on the last word, which only increases my laughter.

“Vareveth soldiers were spotted at a tavern here, and it’s a bit of a hike for a pint.”

We slow our horses while passing through the weather-worn gate, their hooves sloshing in the muddy road. The scent of salt lingers in the air that wafts off the sea. I’ve been to this village before, but the dark wood houses, shops, and taverns look even drearier while shrouded in gloom.

I follow Finnian toward the rowdy establishment packed with soldiers, and we tie our horses off on a post. It’s best to keep them close in case anything goes wrong. We’re lined with weapons but no armor, for the sake of blending in as travelers. Knives adorn my waist corset and down my legs until they reach my boots; the only hint to my identity is the two dragon daggers I never go without.

Lantern light dances across Finnian’s freckle-dusted cheeks. “What’s the plan?”

“You stick to the lower levels and see what you can find out from the soldiers who are too deep in their pints. I’ll spy through the floorboards on those of higher ranks.”

He nods, straightening out his red tunic before disappearing into the tavern.

A few minutes later, I’m encompassed in a sea of off-key musicians as the creaky door falls shut behind me. I’ve never been a fan of noisy places, but Finnian thrives in them. It’s what makes us a good pair. I peer through the crowd and spot him sitting at the bar, surrounded by several dark green cloaks. He throws his head back in a boisterous laugh, and even though I can’t hear him, the song of his laughter is a melody that’s stitched into my brain.

I steady my footing on the uneven floor while making my way to the dark staircase in the corner, keeping my head down as I weave through the mismatched tables filled with soldiers playing cards or shouting for another round of drinks. Nobody turns toward me. They’re all too absorbed in whatever is in front of them.

The tavern is as plain on the inside as it is on the outside. There’s no point in fuss and frills when everyone comes here for a single purpose—to get drunk while passing through. Wooden beams shoot up toward the ceiling to support the second floor, and the walls are completely bare aside from the rusting lanterns with hardened puddles of candle wax beneath them.

My eyes water as I walk through thick clouds of pipe smoke that waft through the small space. I stick to the shadows along the wall and take my first step up the rickety staircase. It creaks so loudly that if I hadn’t done this ascent countless times, I would think the wood isn’t strong enough to hold any weight. But I continue my journey without a second thought, dodging cobwebs along the way.

I pause at the top of the stairs, straining my ears for any signs of movement or breathing, but nothing reaches me. The open attic is filled with bags of grain, barrels of wine and ale, dust-filled furniture, and anything else the tavern may need. It’s the perfect place to escape for dalliances in the dark. The only light infiltrating the space comes from moonlight trickling through holes in the roof and lantern light rising from cracks in the floorboards.

My steps are light even though nobody will be able to hear them over the noise. The last thing I want is dust raining down on one of their drinks, giving me away before I’ve even had the chance to acquire any information. I navigate the floor while picturing the layout of the tavern in my mind—maneuvering to the section where I know the generals sit, hoping they’ll reveal something worthy of squatting in an attic. I cringe while looking down at the dirt- and dust-covered floorboard I always press my ear to. It’s far dirtier than usual.

I take a knife from my thigh and rest my head against the small crack after wiping it with my cloak. The familiar steel is a welcome presence in my palm. Ever since I escaped Imirath, I’ve never gone a single day without a knife—even before I knew how to use them. I close my eyes and let all other noises disappear, zoning in on the conversation that drifts into my ears as smoke rises through the air.

“King Eagor may be a pushover sometimes, but he won’t give up on this,” a deep male voice rumbles.

“He knows this is in Vareveth’s best interest, and Cayden won’t let him,” a sharp feminine voice answers.

Cayden.

Cayden Veles, Commander of Vareveth, is both the most feared and youngest warlord on the continent at only twenty-nine. He’s as rich as a greedy god paired with the morals of a demon. Many even refer to him as the demon commander, or demon of Ravaryn.

“He’s tired of losing soldiers at the border in pointless skirmishes. Tension’s nearly at a boiling point already.” The same male voice cuts through the music.

“Yes, but this war will be over before it even begins if King Garrick finds a way to control the dragons.” My eyes snap open, and shock surges through my body. My heart pounds so rapidly that I worry it’s knocking like a fist against the floor. Garrick doesn’t let anything slip about the dragons. The only reason I know they’re alive is that I would have felt their death. The bond I share with them would have broken, and it would be excruciating. The mere threat of the dragons keeps all of Ravaryn from his borders.

When I was born, my parents threw a ball in celebration of the Atarah heir, and all kingdoms were invited, including Galakin. Queen Cordelia brought her court seer to offer my parents a piece of good fortune in honor of their baby princess. Dragon eggs that should’ve been no more than stones were laid at the foot of my cradle, and five dragons sprang free.

The prophecy stated that my soul is forged in flames and bonds me to five dragons, and that I would either destroy Imirath or bring it immeasurable glory.

I was four when my dragons were ripped away from me and I went from being a princess to a prisoner overnight.

Shaking my head, I refocus on the conversation below me.

“Cayden has a plan for that. You know he’s always scheming or plotting,” the male voice says.

“Well, let’s see what happens. Maybe Princess Elowen truly is out here.” A chill creeps up my spine, and I inhale a breath so sharp that my face mask clogs my airways. One of my hands tightens around the hilt of my knife while the other pulls the mask below my chin.

Vareveth soldiers are here . . . because they’re looking for me.

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#Review - The House at Watch Hill by Karen Marie Moning #Gothic #Fantasy

Series: The Watch Hill Trilogy # 1
Format: Hardcover, 384 pages
Release Date: October 1, 2024
Publisher: William Morrow
Source: Publisher
Genre: Gothic / Fantasy

#1 New York Times bestselling author Karen Marie Moning is back with a gripping, imaginative, and seductive new series in which a young woman moves to Divinity, Louisiana, to inherit a large fortune and a Gothic mansion full of mysteries and ominous secrets...

Zo Grey is reeling from the sudden death of her mother when she receives a surprising call from an attorney in Divinity, Louisiana, with the news she has been left an inheritance by a distant relative, the terms of which he will only discuss in person. Destitute and alone, with nothing left to lose, Zo heads to Divinity and discovers she is the sole beneficiary of a huge fortune and a monstrosity of a house that sits ominously at the peak of Watch Hill—but she must live in it, alone, for three years before the house, or the money, is hers.

Met with this irresistible opportunity to finally build a future for herself, Zo puts aside her misgivings about the foreboding Gothic mansion and the strange circumstances, and moves in, where she is quickly met by a red-eyed Stygian owl and an impossibly sexy Scottish groundskeeper.

Her new home is full of countless secrets and mystifying riddles, with doors that go nowhere, others that are impossible to open, and a turret into which there is no visible means of ingress. And the townspeople are odd…

What Zo doesn’t yet know is that her own roots lie in this very house and that in order to discover her true identity and awaken her dormant powers, she will have to face off against sinister forces she doesn’t quite comprehend—or risk being consumed by them.

The House at Watch Hill, by Karen Marie Moning, is the first installment in the authors The Watch Hill trilogy. The story is told in the first person narrative past tense. Zodecky (Zo) Grey is your main character, however, there are curious other characters who also partake in telling the story, especially Alisdair. Zoe has struggled for years to take care of her mother who has incurable cancer. While at yet another interview, Zoe gets a call saying her home is on fire. 

After her home burns to the ground, and her mother dies, Zoe is told that she has inherited a house outside of New Orleans from someone who she never heard of. Without having time to process the shock, she’s summoned to Divinity, Louisiana, to inherit from an estranged relative, Juniper Cameron, a pillar of the town she never met. Zoe's new lawyer, James Balfour, informs her that she must remain in the house for 3 years. She will get a stipend every month, and $1 million if she remains a full year. 

If she stays for the full 3 years, she becomes quite wealthy. However, there are strange rules she must obey, including that nobody can live with her for three years, and her guests cannot stay more than two days, meaning her best friend Este can only visit her briefly. Zoe is a woman who takes what she wants. When she wants sex, she goes out and gets it without thought of continuing any long term relationship. She only long term relationship she has is with her best friend, Este Hunter who has her own secrets.  

Zoe devoted everything to her mother, losing her was devastating. She was left with no family, and no ties to ground her. They moved often running from some unknown danger, her mother never explained. The more Zoe explores Cameron Manor, the more mysteries are unraveled. Especially when it comes to the mysterious Devon who apparently lives on the grounds. Zoe also has to deal with a coven of local witches who don't take kindly to outsiders. Especially outsiders who may not like the kind of person she turns out to be after getting a shocking surprise from Este.

The House at Watch Hill series is Lives of the Mayfair Witches meets Mexican Gothic, with a dash of True Blood and shades of Shirley Jackson for good measure. This series shares enough DNA with the Fever (which I never finished for the same reasons I likely won't continue this either) series to delight the author’s massive existing romance fan base, and introducing new elements like the lush Southern setting, eerie Gothic atmosphere, and lineage of witches to entice new readers.  

A small hint: Moning’s stories have a tendency of unravel slowly, but as each piece is revealed, it paints a vivid, powerful picture. You can not predict what is going to happen in this book, because it kind of all jumps out and punches you in the gut. Especially the ending. 

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#Review - The Dagger and the Flame by Catherine Doyle #YA #Fantasy

Series: The City of Fantome # 1
Format: Hardcover, 512 pages
Release Date: October 1, 2024
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Source: Publisher
Genre: Young Adult / Dark Fantasy

In Fantome, a kingdom of cobbled streets, flickering lamplight, beautiful buildings, and secret catacombs, Shade-magic is a scarce and deadly commodity controlled by two enemy guilds: the Cloaks and the Daggers—the thieves and the assassins. On the night of her mother’s murder, eighteen-year-old Seraphine runs for her life. Seeking sanctuary with the Cloaks, Sera’s heart is set on revenge. But are her secret abilities a match for the dark-haired boy whose quicksilver eyes follow her around the city?

Nothing can prepare Sera for the moment she finally comes face-to-face with Ransom, heir to the Order of Daggers. And Ransom is shocked to discover that this unassuming farm girl wields a strange and blazing magic he has never seen before. As the Cloaks and the Daggers grapple for control of Fantome’s underworld, Sera and Ransom are consumed by the push and pull of their magic…and the deadly spark and terrible vengeance that keeps drawing them back together.  

The Dagger and the Flame, by Catherine Doyle, is the first installment in the author's City of Fantome series. In the dark underbelly of a beautiful city, two rival assassins are pitted against each other in a deadly game of revenge, where the most dangerous mistake of all is falling in love. Key Characters: Seraphine Marchant, and Ransom Hale. On the night of her mother’s murder by an assassin, Seraphine runs for her life. Seeking sanctuary within House Armand & the Cloaks, Sera’s heart is set on revenge. But are her secret abilities a match for the dark-haired boy whose quicksilver eyes follow her around the city?

In Fantome, a kingdom of cobbled streets, flickering lamplight, beautiful buildings, and secret catacombs, Shade-magic is a scarce and deadly commodity controlled by two enemy guilds: the Cloaks and the Daggers; the thieves and the assassins. The Daggers consumed shade magic turning bodies into deadly weapons. Daggers are lead by Gaspard Dufort who, for some reason, wanted Sera and her mother, who was a smuggler, dead. Cloaks wear shade magic to blend in with the night. Cloaks are led by Madame Cordelia. 

Cordelia grudgingly agrees to allow Sera to stay until she can learn how to be a Cloak. What Sera doesn't know is that Ransom, heir to the Order of Daggers, has been told that he must kill Sera. Nothing can prepare Sera for the moment she finally comes face-to-face with Ransom and she stabs him. Ransom is shocked to discover that this unassuming farm girl wields a strange and blazing magic he has never seen before and soon begins a game of cat and mouse with Sera. As the Cloaks and the Daggers grapple for control of Fantome’s underworld, there is trouble brewing when people start turning up dead, and it appears the city is being overrun by monsters of some sort. 

There are, obviously, issues that I had while reading this book thus the rating like the discombobulated pacing. There was a particular scene where they are battling monsters who have been infected with corrupted shade and instead of focusing on the battle, Sera and Ransom waste time doing other things. One of the other things is that Sera joins the Cloaks and then does basically nothing for them despite getting paid to be there. What's that all about? Also, there is a surprise which you can pretty much figure out yourself once a certain character is told that he must kill Sera if Ransom can't. This book is obviously setting the stage for what is to come next. 

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#Review - A Fire in the Sky by Sophie Jordan #Fantasy

Series: A Fire in the Sky # 1
Format: Hardcover, 336 pages
Release Date: September 24, 2024
Publisher: Avon & Harper Voyager
Source: Publisher
Genre: Fantasy / Dragons & Mythical Creatures

New York Times bestselling author Sophie Jordan returns to the high-stakes, sweeping world of dragons, romance, and drama first evoked in her bestselling young adult Firelight series, in a brand-new epic adult romantasy series.

Dragons are extinct. Witches are outcast. Magic is dying.

But human lust for power is immortal.

Dragon fire no longer blisters the skies over Penterra, but inside the lavish palace, life is still perilous…especially for Tamsyn. Raised in the glittering court alongside the princesses, it's her duty to be punished for their misdeeds. Treated as part of the royal family but also as the lowliest servant, Tamsyn fits nowhere. Her only friend is Stig, Captain of the Guard...though sometimes she thinks he wants more than friendship.

When Fell, the Beast of the Borderlands, descends on her home, Tamsyn’s world becomes even more dangerous. To save the pampered princesses from a fate worse than death, she is commanded to don a veil and marry the brutal warrior. She agrees to the deception even though it means leaving Stig, and the only life she’s ever known, behind.

The wedding night begins with unexpected passion—and ends in near violence when her trickery is exposed. Rather than start a war, Fell accepts Tamsyn as his bride...but can he accept the dark secrets she harbors—secrets buried so deep even she doesn’t know they exist? For Tamsyn is more than a royal whipping girl, more than the false wife of a man who now sees her as his enemy. And when those secrets emerge, they will ignite a flame bright enough to burn the entire kingdom to the bone. 

Magic is not dead...it is only sleeping. And it will take one ordinary girl with an extraordinary destiny to awaken it.

A Fire in the Sky, by Sophie Jordan, is the first installment in a brand new series. Set thousands of years before Firelight, A Fire in the Sky kicks off a brand-new series featuring dragons, witches, and deadly warriors. Between Fourth Wing and A Court of Thorn and Roses, fantasy and romantasy are all the rage. This is the perfect moment to return to the world of Firelight, a popular HarperTeen series Jordan released over ten years ago. 

The story is set in a place called Panterra where Dragons no longer are seen in the sky. The key characters of this story are 21-year-old Tamsyn, Lord Fell Dryhten, and Sig, Captain of the guard and Tamsyn's only real friend. Tamsyn is called the royal whipping girl because any time the princesses of Panterra do something wrong, Tamsyn gets their punished. Fell, aka the Beast of the Borderlands, it is his responsibility to keep the country safe from border incursions.

Left behind in a bassinet when she was a baby, Tamsyn was taken in by the King and Queen as their own. She was raised in the glittering court alongside princesses Feena, Sybilia & Alise. Treated as part of the royal family but also as the lowliest servant, Tamsyn fits nowhere. Her only friend is Stig, Captain of the Guard, though sometimes she thinks he wants more than friendship. But things are going to change quickly for Tamsyn because of the arrival of the Beast of the Borderlands and his demands for a seat at the table and a marriage.

When Fell arrives in the capital, he has a plan. He needs to find a wife to marry and who better than one of the King's precious daughters? To save the pampered princesses from a fate worse than death, Tamsyn is commanded by the Queen to don a veil and gloves to hide her identity. She agrees to the deception even though it means leaving Stig, and the only life she’s ever known, behind. The wedding night begins with unexpected passion and ends in near violence when her trickery is exposed. 

Rather than start a war, Fell accepts Tamsyn as his bride but can he accept the dark secrets she harbors? Secrets buried so deep even she doesn’t know they exist? For Tamsyn is more than a royal whipping girl, more than the false wife of a man who now sees her as his enemy. And when those secrets emerge, they will ignite a flame bright enough to burn the entire kingdom to the bone. Magic is not dead...it is only sleeping. And it will take one ordinary girl with an extraordinary destiny to awaken it.

This is definitely a enemy to lovers story. The more they spend together, the more they lean on, and get closer. As they make their way back to her new rough home both of them will realize that nothing has prepared them for the spark between them that they ignore but will soon burn out of control. The final chapters of this book were, honestly, the best. Forget one particular scene when one of Fell's men tries to kill her and she does something that leads people to believe that something bad happened to her. 

The story itself ends on a whopping cliffhanger that will leave you gasping because it's apparent that both characters have been lied to about who they were, or where they came from for the entirety of their lives. I find it interesting that 12 years ago, the author wrote a young adult series called Firelight about dragons. A decade later, she was encouraged to write an adult fantasy romance series featuring dragons. The ending is probably the best part of this story. The almost love triangle seems to have gone down in flames. Of course, the book ends on a cliffhanger. Allegedly, the second book in this series, tentatively titled A Scar in the Bone, will be released in the first half of 2025.

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#Review - Amber Gambler by Hailey Edwards #Fantasy

Series: The Body Shop # 2
Format: Kindle, 339 pages
Release Date: September 19, 2024
Publisher: Black Dog Books, LLC.
Source: Kindle Unlimited
Genre: Fantasy

The other family business at The Body Shop is slow after word gets out that Frankie had clients die—cease to exist?—on her watch. Considering they were dead to begin with, she understands why the news shook the spirit community’s faith in her, but it’s a hard hit to her bottom line.

When a spirit appears in her office, ready to sign a contract, she’s eager to please. Until she learns why he wants to hire her. He heard about her clients’ deaths, yes, but he also learned Frankie was instrumental in bringing their killer to justice.

The spirit’s human granddaughter has gone missing, and he wants Frankie to find her before it’s too late. Frankie’s no detective, but her schedule is wide open. The job is to save the girl, but with so many gods and monsters prowling the streets of Thunderbolt these days, she’ll be lucky if she can save herself.

Amber Gambler, by Hailey Edwards, is the second installment in the authors The Body Shop series. Frankie's business has dwindled since her last case. Most prospective clients have learned that there were deaths and they are going elsewhere for their needs. However, an elderly dead grandfather come to Frankie for assistance in locating his teenage granddaughter. She is missing and he is afraid for her safety. Frankie takes on the case not knowing what she is fully getting herself into.

Having grown up as street kids, Frankie’s childhood experiences play a pivotal role in this installment, particularly when she takes on a case involving a missing child for her ghostly client. Especially when it appears that someone is preying on the weak and innocent, and not necessarily human girls. The gritty realities of her past give her unique insight and empathy, allowing her to navigate the darker aspects of her investigation with both determination and a nuanced sense of right and wrong.

Frankie’s bond with her siblings (Matty & Josie, who is struggling with her own guilt after finding out her former boyfriend was none other than the God Anku and he was using her all along to get to Frankie) is shaped by their shared history, and this background of survival and loyalty is a key theme throughout the book. Their values, though sometimes morally grey, are clear, shaped by the exploitation and harsh experiences they faced as children. 

This adds a layer of emotional complexity to the story, especially as Frankie works to track down the missing child, tapping into her own painful past to aid her search, while also accepting that she has powers that she hasn't fully embraced. Alongside the mystery, Frankie’s relationship with Kierce continues to develop, building on the connection hinted at in the first book. Though interrupted by Kierce’s injury, their bond deepens in this sequel, as does Frankie’s growth in her friendships and personal choices. 

Adding to the complexity of Frankie’s life is the reappearance of Harrow, her ex who not only broke her heart but is now a police officer. His return, which began in Book 1, complicates her journey in this installment. Harrow’s unraveling serves as a cautionary tale, showing how one morally corrupt decision can lead to many more. His choices highlight the twisted paths people take when they mistake obsession or control for love, offering a stark contrast to Frankie’s own growth and emotional clarity. His downfall adds another layer of moral exploration to the story. The story is a mixture of paranormal, mystery, and character driven storytelling with Frankie's past and present colliding in ways that are unseen at this point. 

Not my favorite story. It meandered round and round before finally coming to the truth about Frankie and the author decided to leave the ending on a cliffhanger.  

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