#Review - The Ivory Tomb by Melissa Caruso #Fantasy

Series: Rooks and Ruins # 3
Format: Paperback, 544 pages
Release Date: December 6, 2022
Publisher: Orbit
Source: NetGalley
Genre: Fantasy / Epic

The Rooks and Ruin series concludes with this epic fantasy bursting with intrigue and ambition, questioned loyalties, and broken magic as Ryx fights to defeat the demons and save everything she loves.

The Dark Days have returned. The Demon of Carnage mercilessly cuts through villagers and armies. The Demon of Corruption rots the land. The Serene Empire and the Witch Lords race towards war. And in the middle of it all stands Rxyander, the Warden of Gloamingard. 
 
Burdened by conflicting loyalties and guilt, Ryx searches desperately for a way to defeat the demons before the world she loves is completely destroyed. To find answers, she’ll have to return to where it all started…the black tower at the heart of Gloamingard. 

By blood the Door was opened and only by blood will the Dark Days end.  

The Ivory Tomb, by author Melissa Caruso, is the third and final installment in the authors Rook and Ruin trilogy. This book takes place 150 years after the ending of the authors Swords and Fire series. As the granddaughter of an immortal Witch Lord (Lady of Owls) of Vaskandar and a line of Royal Vivomancers, Exalted Ryxander (Ryx) of Morgrain once was afraid to touch anyone for fear of killing them. Unfortunately, she did just that after protecting herself from a visitor eager to gain access to Gloamingard's Black Door. 

Ryx blood accidentally released several of the Nine Demons including Hunter, Carnage, Corruption, Despair, Nightmare, and Madness. Discord had already found a host in one of the immortal Witch Lords. Ryx recently learned that she's also a host to a certain demon that may be the most brutal of all the 9 demons. On a positive note, Ryx has found a home among a group of people who belong to the Rookery - a group of special agents dealing with out-of-bound magical phenomena - including Asheva, Bastian, Foxglove, Kessa, as well as former Shrike Lord Severin.

To make matters worse, The Dark Days have returned. The period 4,000 years ago when the demons roamed free and humanity suffered greatly for it. The Demon of Carnage mercilessly cuts through villagers and armies. The Demon of Corruption rots the land. The Serene Empire and the Witch Lords race towards war, and the only people who are able to stop the destruction of the world may be Ryx and her allies. As a side character, there is a character who appears as a cat throughout this series. 

Whisper is the most interesting character in that he tries to be neutral in his dealings with the rest of the Demons even though he is the embodiment of Death. While this is classified as adult, it certainly does have some YA crossover in tone and character maturity. The challenge Ryx and her allies has is how do you defeat immortal extra-dimensional non-corporeal beings of extraordinary power and extraordinary malice, who will immediately jump to a new host if their present one is killed? 

And, how to you deal with one of your own who has been hosting a Demon for years without their knowledge until recent events were revealed? One of my questions, and I do hope someone reads this and can fill me in; Is Lady Amalia Cornaro the same character from the authors Swords and Fire series? Ryx is a character who isn't afraid to get her hands dirty. I found it interesting that there was a brief crossover which is where Ryx meets Lady Cornaro. As I said, I'd like to know if this was the mother, or the daughter? 

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#Review - The Quicksilver Court by Melissa Caruso #Fantasy

Series: Rooks and Ruin (#2)
Format: Paperback, 544 pages
Release Date: October 12, 2021
Publisher: Orbit
Source: Library
Genre: Fantasy / Epic

Loyalties are tested and nations clash in the second novel of a fresh epic fantasy series bursting with adventure, intrigue, ambition, and deadly magic.

Ryxander, the Warden of Gloamingard, has failed. Unsealed by her blood, the Door hidden within the black tower has opened. Now, for the first time since the age of the Graces, demons walk the world.

As tensions grow between nations, all eyes—and daggers—are set on Morgrain, which has fallen under the Demon of Discord’s control. When an artifact with the power to wipe out all life in a domain is stolen, Ryx will do whatever it takes to save her home from destruction. But success may demand a larger sacrifice from Ryx than she could have imagined.

The Quicksilver Court, by author Melissa Caruso, is the second installment in the authors Rooks and Ruin series. The series itself is set in the world of Eruvia. This story takes place 150 years after the ending of the authors Swords and Fire series and in the same universe but with an entirely new cast of characters. As the granddaughter of an immortal Witch Lord (Lady of Owls) of Vaskandar and a line of Royal Vivomancers, Exalted Ryxander (Ryx) was destined for power and prestige. But a childhood illness left her with broken magic that drains the life from anything she touches, and Vaskandar has no place for a mage with unusable powers. 

Ryx resigned herself to an isolated life as the Warden of Gloamingard. After an unwanted visitor got too curious to Gloamingard's infamous Black Door and what's behind it, Ryx accidentally killed the dignitary in self-defense, activating a mysterious magical artifact sealed in an ancient tower in the heart of her family’s castle which released several of the Nine Demons including Hunter, Madness, Nightmare, and Discord. Ryx has found a home among a group of people who belong to the Rookery. 

Asheva, Bastian, Foxglove, Kessa, as well as former Shrike Lord Severin, and her ever present shadow cat called Whispers have accepted Ryx into their group without reservation. After being banished from her own home by her Demon possessed Grandmother, Ryx and her new friends in the Rookery must pull their resources together in order to find a powerful artifact that has been stolen by a fringe group called the Zenith Society who just happens to be aligned with the Demon of Hunger who now possesses the body of the man who murdered Ryx's aunt and tried to kill her with arrows and poison who wants to destroy Severin's home.

This will take Ryx and crew to the Loreican Court (think Palace of Versailles) where secrets will be spilled, Demons will come together for the first time in thousands of years, including Hunger, Madness, Nightmare, Discord, Death, Disaster, and Ryx's life will once again be changed forever after she learns a brutal secret about her own powers and past. One of the biggest hopes when you pick up a sequel to a book that you really liked is character growth and a more expansive understanding of all the characters involved. In my opinion, the author is very successful in that character.

The author dives into Foxglove’s secrets, Bastian’s trauma and the root cause of it, Kessa’s loss, and Ashe’s rule’s – and we watch as each character is pushed to their limits. This book was intense, emotional, magical and action-packed with a much darker tone than before and with much higher risks. Caruso manages to include plenty of food for thought with the inclusion of demons that are not totally bad and humans that are certainly not totally good.  

Ryx is an interesting character in that she isn't a total badass. She's not one to say she's the savior or the one to save the world. She has fatal flaws that seem to get her in trouble more times than not. Her best feature is that she has the time to improvise when things are going sideways, and after what the author did to the ending, we are in for a very long finale to this series. With the Graces long gone from this world, who will step up and stop another Dark Days from destroying humanity? With the Court of Nines and Crow Lords put away their animosity to join with Ryx and her friends in stopping the Dark Days? We shall see!

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#Review - The Obsidian Tower by Melissa Caruso #Fantasy

Series: Rooks and Ruin #1
Format: Paperback, 528 pages
Release Date: June 2, 2020
Publisher: Orbit
Source: Publisher
Genre: Fantasy / Epic

One woman will either save an entire continent or completely destroy it in a captivating epic fantasy bursting with intrigue and ambition, questioned loyalties, and broken magic.

"Guard the tower, ward the stone. Find your answers writ in bone. Keep your trust through wits or war--nothing must unseal the door."

Deep within Gloamingard Castle lies a black tower. Sealed by magic, it guards a dangerous secret that has been contained for thousands of years.

As Warden, Ryxander knows the warning passed down through generations: nothing must unreal the Door. But one impetuous decision will leave her with blood on her hands--and unleash a threat that could doom the world to fall to darkness.

The Obsidian Tower, by author Melissa Caruso, begins a new epic fantasy trilogy called Rooks and Ruins in which the broken magic of one woman will either save an entire continent-or completely destroy it. This story takes place 150 years after the ending of Swords and Fire. The author has created an entirely new cast of characters so you can either choose to read this book first and then go back to the previous series or read the previous series first. Either way it's the same world so it's your choice.

As the granddaughter of an immortal Witch Lord (Lady of Owls) of Vaskandar and a line of Royal Vivomancers, Exalted Ryxander (Ryx) was destined for power and prestige. But a childhood illness left her with broken magic that drains the life from anything she touches, and Vaskandar has no place for a mage with unusable powers. Ryx has resigned herself to an isolated life as the Warden of Gloamingard, her grandmother’s castle. But, Ryx has other plans as well.  As the story opens, she readies to host a peace conference between the Serene Empire, Akevar, and Vaskandar before a war breaks out.

  

Ryx's country of Morgain lays directly between Akevar and the Serene Empire so they have everything to lose if the peace treaty talks go sideways. To make things more interesting, at Gloamingard’s heart lies a black tower. Sealed by magic, it guards a dangerous secret that has been contained by Ryx's family for thousands of years. When an unwanted visitor gets too curious about the Black Door and what's behind it, Ryx accidentally kills the dignitary in self-defense, activating a mysterious magical artifact sealed in an ancient tower in the heart of her family’s castle. What happens next could unleash a threat that could doom everything she loves to fall to darkness with no hopes of a peaceful solution to a possible war.  

Ryx falls in with a group of unlikely magical experts (Rookery) investigating the disturbance in Vaskandar—and Ryx realizes that her family is in danger and her domain is at stake. She and her new colleagues (Asheva, Bastian, Foxglove, Kessa) must take control of the artifact that everyone wants to claim—before it destroys the world. But, with players from all sides chirping in with their approval or suggestions as to what happens next to the artifact, time may be running out until someone reveals Ryx's murder of someone close to the Shrike Lord of Akevar,  time may be running out quickly for Ryx and her new friends. 

When Ryx finds a way of subduing her ability to drain life, it's genuinely touching to see her coming to terms with being able to have physical contact. It's also a direct conflict between her family who believes being under anyone's control is unimaginable. There's a fair amount of intrigue between Ryx and her grandmother who is really a center piece to this story and what happens. Much of the story revolves around courtly intrigue and politics as the different kingdoms and the empire vie for power.

As delegations from other kingdoms come to engage in peace talks, Ryx finds a spy in their midst. Courtly intrigue ensues as Ryx also realizes that some of their “allies” are a little too interested in the tower that her family guards. There’s a good amount of diversity in this book as well, with a nonbinary character, bisexual character, and lesbian characters. There is minor romance possibilities in this book as well between Ryx and others, including Severin who really steps up when things get dangerous for Ryx.

Publication Schedule: 

1. The Obsidian Tower (TP: 06/20)

2. The Quicksilver Court (TP: 08/21)

3. The Bone Chamber (TP: 08/22)

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#Review - The Unbound Empire by Melissa Caruso #YA #Fantasy

Series: Swords and Fire (#3)
Format: Paperback, 560 pages
Release Date: April 30, 2019
Publisher: Orbit
Source: Library
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

The final volume of the Gemmell Morningstar Award-shortlisted Swords and Fire fantasy trilogy, in which political scion Amalia and her bound fire warlock Zaira must save the Empire from a ruthless, magical enemy. Perfect for fans of Tamora Pierce, The Queen of the Tearling, and Uprooted.

While winter snows keep the Witch Lord Ruven's invading armies at bay, Lady Amalia Cornaro and the fire warlock Zaira attempt to change the fate of mages in the Raverran Empire forever, earning the enmity of those in power who will do anything to keep all magic under tight imperial control. But in the season of the Serene City's great masquerade, Ruven executes a devastating surprise strike at the heart of the Empire - and at everything Amalia holds most dear.

To stand a chance of defeating Ruven, Amalia and Zaira must face their worst nightmares, expose their deepest secrets, and unleash Zaira's most devastating fire.

The Unbound Empire is the third and final installment in author Melissa Caruso's Swords and Fire trilogy. The Serene Empire of Raverra has seen 50 years of peace after a 3 year war with the neighboring Witch Lords of Vaskander. But, that peace is now in jeopardy with certain Witch Lords believing now is the time to strike while the iron is hot. One of the reasons the peace has lasted so long are magical users called falcons. Falcons aka mages, are those who are born with mage marks in their eyes. Some of these mages have unimaginable powers of pure destruction. 

All of the falcons are assigned a person who is called a Falconer. Falconers exist to control magic and those who use magic. With a jess, the magic is bound, with a word from a Falconer, the magic is unleashed. Lady Amalia is the daughter and heir of one of the most powerful people in all of Raverra; La Contessa Lissandra Cornaro. Two months ago, nobody really knew who Amalia was. She was happy being a bookworm, an inventor, and being overlooked by everyone. That changed after she became a Falconer to Zaira, a fire warlock who uses deadly Balefire.

Now, everyone is paying attention to her now including members of the Council of Nine who believes she may be getting too powerful for her own good. Amalia has saved Serene City and Raverra by doing what was needed. She temporarily stopped Ruven from taking over lands that belong to her father's people, and she's become the youngest member of the Council. But, she isn't through the woods just yet. She has to deal with several issues that could be the start of a new beginning for Falcons, or the end of her country as she knows it. 

With her Falcon Reform Act making its way through the works with some absolutely against giving the Falcons their freedom, Amalia learns that Ruven is on the move and maybe be planning something so devastating that there may only be one person who is able to stand against him; Zaira the Fire Warlock. While she is dealing with a plate full of danger, she is also dealing with her political courtship with the Witch Lord of Crows, Kathe, as well as keeping options open for her best friend Marcello. 

Ruven is apparently making allies into enemies, while also using some dark, dark magic to turn people into things straight out of nightmare. So, when Marcello is attacked, Amalia has to now deal with the fact that her best friend may be lost to her forever. One of the questions that has been hanging over this story is how the author is going to resolve the issue between Amalia and Marcello and Kathe. In a bizarre way, she does just that. How do you choose between Marcello, Kathe, and the Empire? The authors chooses common sense so that readers can walk away understanding this was the best resolution for everyone.

This is a setting that I've said before reminds me of Renaissance Italy. Venice in particular. The series is fraught with political twists and turns. Amalia has been thrust into the spotlight from the very beginning of this story, and continues to stand and deliver through a heavy heart, and a strong desire to do what's right for those who have been trampled on, or restrained by antiquated laws. I adored that Amalia and Zaire each come to terms with their own uniqueness by the time the story ends. Zaire even gets a bit of a adorable happy ending with someone she adores.

Swords and Fire

The Tethered Mage

The Defiant Heir

The Unbound Empire

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Thursday #Review - The Defiant Heir by Melissa Caruso #YALIT #FANTASY

Series: Swords and Fire # 2
Format: Paperback, 560 pages
Release Date: April 24, 2018
Publisher: Orbit
Source: Library
Genre: Fantasy / Epic

Across the border, the Witch Lords of Vaskandar are preparing for war. But before an invasion can begin, they must call a rare gathering of all seventeen lords to decide a course of action. Lady Amalia Cornaro knows that this Conclave might be her only chance to stifle the growing flames of war, and she is ready to make any sacrifice if it means saving Raverra from destruction.

Amalia and Zaira must go behind enemy lines, using every ounce of wit and cunning they have, to sway Vaskandar from war. Or else it will all come down to swords and fire.

The Defiant Heir, by author Melissa Caruso, is the second installment in the Swords and Fire series. This is a series that is set in a world not unlike Renaissance Venice. Lady Amalia Cornaro was never meant to be a Falconer, but apparently fate had other ideas. Heiress and scholar of magical theory and a part-time inventor, she was born into a treacherous world of political machinations. Two months ago, nobody really knew who Amalia was. She was happy being a bookworm, and being overlooked by everyone.

Then came her eye opening actions in The Tethered Mage which opened the eyes of a whole lot of important people. Now, everyone is paying attention including her mother, La Contessa Lissandra Cornaro, the Council of Nine & Nico da Morante, dage of Raverra, who now considers Amalia to be a player in a game of a much grander scale. With war with neighboring Vaskandar growing increasingly possible after 30 years of peace, high value falcons like vivomancers and artificiers are disappearing at an alarming rate. 

To make matters worse, Amalia and Zaira's names are found on an assassins list along with other high value targets of opportunity. Amalia finds herself given even more responsibilities by the dage. She has to assure her Grandmother, the Queen of Callamore, that the Serene Empire will stand with them no matter what happens. She travels to Vaskandar where she has been invited by Kathe, the Crow Lord, to attend a Conclave where all 17 Witch Lords will determine if there will be war or peace. She has to face adversaries that are beyond dangerous, including The Lady of the Thorns, and Skinwitch Prince Ruven. 

The curious thing about Amalia is the fact that she is not only heir to La Contessa, but is also considered to be a Princess from Callamorne where her father was born and died. In fact, Amalia has the blood of three royal lines, including one in particular in Vaskandar, which makes her indispensable to the efforts to prevent a war. The most curious characters in this story are Crow Lord Kathe who seems intent on courting Amalia as well as other scheming along the way, and the Lady of Eagles, Amalia's great-great grandmother. 

Lady Eagles can be a formidable foe or an unbreakable ally depending on how well Amalia is able to sway enough votes to continue the ongoing peace. I dare say that Amalia's life will never be the same after what she's had to deal with over the course of the past several novels. What is the price for power? Does power give one happiness, or does it come with the harsh reality of making hard choices? When Amalia has to make a life or death choice that will likely take the lives of thousands, she does so knowing that there will be severe fallout & consequences from her decision. And yet, this is what makes her human and a character who I can appreciate. 

I am not really happy by the addition of Kathe to the love triangle, but perhaps it will resolve itself out when all is said and done. Perhaps it is just for political reasons that haven't been fully revealed as yet, perhaps it is a way for Amalia to prove that she has the power and scheming to be on the Council of Nine. I know Amalia has deep feelings for Marcello, but honor prevents her from grasping the brass ring and running with it. I think it is fair to say that Zaira has also come a very long way from the street urchin we met in The Tethered Mage. We see a different relationship between her and Amalia, and between her and Terika, another Falcon. I do hope that we haven't seen the last of cousin Bree who has had to hide who she was until she could no longer keep it a secret. 

Recommended? Absofreakinlutely! 

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Friday #Review - The Tethered Mage by Melissa Caruso #Fantasy @melisscaru @orbitbooks ‏

Series: Swords and Fire # 1
Format: E-Book, 480 pages
Release Date: October 24, 2017
Publisher: Orbit
Source: NetGalley 
Genre: Fiction \ Fantasy \ Epic

In the Raverran Empire, magic is scarce and those born with power are strictly controlled -- taken as children and conscripted into the Falcon Army.

Zaira has lived her life on the streets to avoid this fate, hiding her mage-mark and thieving to survive. But hers is a rare and dangerous magic, one that threatens the entire empire.

Lady Amalia Cornaro was never meant to be a Falconer. Heiress and scholar, she was born into a treacherous world of political machinations. But fate has bound the heir and the mage. And as war looms on the horizon, a single spark could turn their city into a pyre.

The Tethered Mage is the first novel in a spellbinding new fantasy series.

The Tethered Mage, by author Melissa Caruso, is the first installment in the authors Swords and Fire Trilogy. The Tethered Mage caught my attention with it's beautiful world building; which reminded me so much of Venice, Italy. The story is deep in court intrigue & magic, has a twisty story plot with plenty of action, and a friendship that grows out of two very different engaging characters in Lady Amalia Cornaro and Zaira, the mage with the ability to wield fire. The Serene Empire of Raverra is a place that has seen 50 years of peace after a 3 year war with the neighboring Witch Lords of Vaskander.

One of the reasons the peace has lasted so long are magical users called falcons. Falcons aka mages, are those who are born with mage marks in their eyes. Some of these mages have unimaginable powers of pure destruction. Children who show any signs of being mage marked are quickly gobbled up by the ruling government and sent to a place called the Mews to learn to control their powers. All of the falcons are assigned a person who is called a Falconer. Falconers exist to control magic and those who use magic. With a jess, the magic is bound, with a word from a Falconer, the magic is unleashed.

Lady Amalia is the daughter and heir of one of the most powerful people in all of Raverra-La Contessa Lissandra Cornaro. She is not only bright, but bold as well. As she is returning home with a copy of a much sought after book, she runs into a waif of a girl being harassed by several men. After the waif unleashes her fire magic that nearly burns down the city and everyone with it, Amalia is encouraged by Lieutenant Marcello Verdi to put a magic halting artifact called a jess on the girls wrist thus restraining the girls powers. Marcello may have not only broken the law, but given the powerful Court of Nines a weapon of mass destruction. 

One could definitely say that things do not get off to a good start between the waif girl named Zaira and Amalia. Why should they? Amalia is not only her mothers heir, but has also been to university. She has seen places like Arden and is comfortable being among powerful people. She is also a creative inventor which we see bits and pieces throughout the story. Meanwhile, Zaira's life has been one challenge after another while living on the streets, and hiding her powers. In this world, Zaira has no rights of her own now that she has been discovered as a fire mage. Oh sure, they claim the mages will be treated like kings and queens, but what they don't tell you goes a long way in understanding Falcon/Falconer relationship. 

Zaira and Amalia are now forever linked together whether they like it or not. In the end, it takes a whole lot of twists, and turns, and actions to bring the two women together. This relationship also includes Marcello since he finds that he is enamored with Amalia, as well as his sister who is a bright spot in this story. The unlikely relationship between Amalia and Zaira is key to this story, but the underlying issue is where Amalia's relationship with her own mother ends up. Nobody can stand in the same room with La Contessa without being a bit intimidated, but Amalia more than holds her own when the chips are on the table.

I will definitely be waiting for the sequel called The Defiant Heir (April 19, 2018). 

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