Now I’m wondering if it’s my job to keep it that way.
Oh, I haven’t introduced myself? I’m Yuri Finn, Prince of Liquiris (and humble sophomore student at Gifted Blood Academy) at your service.
All I want is to get through the school year at Gifted Blood unscathed, but when magic mysteriously disappears, we get stuck in our human forms. And if that wasn’t enough, Mavuto, a freshman shifter, has his mind set on making everyone miserable this year.
If I lose control of my powers, the spirit will awaken. Then it’s game over.
Can’t a prince get a break?
Now I’m supposed to band together with the shifters who made my life hell and all the other species who obviously have their own agenda.
Yup, I’m probably going to die.
Readers who love magic academies and mystery will love this epic adventure!
★The Dark Tide is the second book in this YA magic academy series. Get ready for slow burn romance, magical mysteries and chaos!★
Review
Yuri and his friends return to the academy. Their only problem was supposed to be studying, but the events of the previous year still have no explanation.
Also, the arrival of a new student, a very unpleasant shifter whose reason for living seems to be to annoy others. This, together with strange flaws in magic, begin to stress all the students. Dangerous stressed students.
First of all I must mention that we have a map at the beginning of the book and also an index with the characters of each species. I really liked this.
Also, this book is a lot better than Book 1. Now it’s very clear what’s going on, where, and with whom, without being over descriptive.
Although it improved a lot in terms of writing, it bothered me a bit that Yuri appears as the great savior capable of everything while on a day-to-day basis he does not seem to have any power. We know that being a son of the ocean and also a prince, he is quite powerful, but I thought that he did not know the extent of his powers and I was surprised to find out that he knows much more than I thought.
It took me almost half of the book to fully understand what was going on, but everything it’s finally starting to make sense and now it completely caught me.
I repeat that it has many similarities to Harry Potter, but in the best way.
I look forward to continuing the story so I can find out what is really going on in Ytherynia.
Bye bye 💕
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🔱You’d think being a prince would make life easier. Hell, no.🔱
I am a merman, the third prince of Liquiris, and my uncontrollable powers give my brothers an excuse to bully me.
And my father? He hates the sight of me.
My escape comes unexpectedly when a letter arrives from Gifted Blood Academy.
With promises of potioneering, water binding, foreign languages and other classes suited to a prince of my status, this school seems like a paradise.
But strange incidents start plaguing the school and students disappearing.
If I don’t get to the bottom of the problem, I’ll lose the life I’ve built.
Betrayal.
Friendship.
And more…
Readers who love magic academies and mystery will love this epic adventure!
Review
Yuri is a merman, a merman prince in fact, but his father and brothers have treated him like trash all his life. So when he is given the opportunity to go to a school in Ytherynia, another realm, he is extremely happy.
He knows that they only want to get rid of him for not being able to control his powers, but the idea of spending the whole year away from his family is wonderful.
At school he has to share a room with other mermen but from other places. This school receives multiple species, actually, his new best friend Eryn is a Fire Elemental.
They have interesting classes like language where they teach them languages of other species, potions, even computer classes. But the school year gets complicated when students start to disappear. Interestingly, one of each species.
I absolutely loved the general idea of this book. The main character, Yuri, was quite an interesting (water) human being, and the world we get immerse in (literally) was also amazing.
My only problem was that it got hard for me to visualize some situations, mostly when we were underwater. For example, at the beginning of the book we are under the water, at Yuri’s house, but it took me a while to understand this.
Normally I don’t like too descriptive books, but in this case I felt we were missing a little and the story felt rushed at times, like some scenes were not fully connected. For example, we had Yuri in the classroom talking with a professor, and the next moment Eryn, who was not in the classroom, said something, and we find out now Yuri is with her at the cafeteria, but we had no idea we moved at all, so I felt sort of teleported from one scene to the other. It was like, things happened, but there was not a logical thread to follow.
Still it’s a very Harry Potter-esque book, with A LOT of similarities to be honest. It’s a fast and entertaining book to read, and I feel that the base story is good. Even though we still need to understand much of it. I’ll definitely keep reading this series.
I give it 3 stars, but it would be 4 if it had better wording.
Bye bye 💕
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Today I’m excited to participate in the Creative Blog Tour for Kingdom of Essence by Holly Karlsson hosted by MTMC Tours. Kingdom of Essence is the first book in a New Adult Fantasy Adventure series and it was released in Audiobook on May 20th, 2022.
Title: Kingdom of Essence Series: Kingdom of Essence #1 Author: Holly Karlsson Publication Date: May 20th, 2022 (audiobook) Genres: New Adult, Fantasy Adventure Format: eBook, Paperback, Audiobook Purchase a copy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Blackwell’s | Audiobook Links Add on Goodreads!
Synopsis
Elitsa Serlov only cares about two things — earning enough money to start a new life and finding the rogue mage who murdered her mother. But years without leads have left her jaded, and she won’t let anyone — friend or foe — get in her way.
In Casekraia, anyone can use magic if they’re desperate enough to rent relics from the Tower, a corrupt guild of mages more concerned with their own wealth than the welfare of the people. Elitsa has spent the last three years as a reclamation agent for the Guild, hunting down her own people for precious coin and the hope of uncovering what happened to her mother.
Just one week before her contract with the Tower is set to expire, Elitsa is coerced into a dangerous conspiracy by a gang of rebellious thieves. With her loyalty to the Tower in question, Elitsa must decide between her quest for revenge and charting a new course for her life.
With captivating characters, daring heists, and dangerous magic, this enchanting fantasy adventure spins a tale about the power of hope and friendship and our connection to the world around us.
Audiobook
Listen to an Audiobook excerpt!(Audiobook narrated by Kate Reading)
Elitsa has spent the last year’s of her life working as a reclamation agent for the Guild. She started after finding out that her mother’s death was not for a disease but murder.
Her plan was to have enough money to survive and be able to find the assassin and take revenge, but instead of that she just lost herself, being forced to not caring so she could strip innocent people from the reliques that were their only hope to make money, everytime they didn’t pay their ridiculous high debts with the Guild.
But now her contract is coming to and end and she needs to decide wheter she will sign again or if she’ll find a new path. But when she finds out the Guil is not as good as she believed and that she may actually not have an option of a normal life, she has to choose between staying at the Guild side or against them.
I was caught in this book from the beginning. The premise sounded quite original for me, and the magic system based in essences is amazing. It gave me huge vibes of Mistborn.
Even though we get a hint of romance, this is not the focus of the story. More the inside struggles of Elitse trying to find her place in the world.
My only problem were the descriptions. I do love to get a good image of the world we’re in and the characters and places we meet. But they were excessive for me. This made the book feel slower than I would like, but still an absolutely worthy reading and I’ll continue reading the next one.
INTL Tour-wide Instagram Giveaway!
Enter the Rafflecopter below where two readers will win a physical copy of Kingdom of Essence sent via Amazon.
Ends on July 9th, 2022.
Winners will be announced in the Rafflecopter & contacted via email.
a Rafflecopter giveawayLink to Rafflecopter: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/2aeeb25b103/?
Holly Karlsson writes epic and adventure fantasy filled with magic, dangerous quests, compelling characters, and mythical creatures. Holly is the author of the Daughters of Fire & Sea trilogy, and Kingdom of Essence.She enjoys connecting to her readers and regularly releases flash fiction stories on her website www.byhollykarlsson.com. Other places to follow her are Instagram, Facebook, and Bookbub. Website | Goodreads| Instagram
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Kingdom of Essence Excerpt:
The faint sweet scent of birch and wet moss touched Elitsa’s nose as Janso tightened his hand on the medallion. He was drawing on a tree’s essence, likely planning to enhance his strength to try and overpower her.
Elitsa raised her hand in warning and readied an essence of air. A blue swirl of light, like a transparent ribbon, fluttered in her mind’s eye. She could smell the breeze, remember the mountain she’d gathered it on and how it’d blown through her hair. “Careful. I don’t want to hurt you, but that doesn’t mean I won’t. Give me the relic.” She held his gaze, saw the flicker of desperate resolve. “Think of your family, Mr. Janso. You can’t provide for them if you’re injured or dead. I could have taken the relic when I entered this room, but I didn’t. I want you to be able to walk home to your family.”
Janso stared at her, eyes wide, then his shoulders slumped, the smell of trees fading. “They told me I’d earn enough to support my family, but I can barely pay my contract. The essences they want? The ones they’ll actually pay for? They’re near impossible to find. I can’t afford to harvest, but I can’t afford to stop.”
Elitsa took a careful step forward, keeping her eyes on his. “This year has been hard for everyone. Your survival is up to you and what you choose to do next.” That’s all life really was. Choices. Whether to give up or claw your way to the surface.
Janso clutched the medallion as though it held his salvation. “I need the relic to harvest, to feed my family. I know I shouldn’t have sold to the Smoke Eyes, but they pay more per essence. It was the only way to pay my fees to the Guild, to eat. Please, Miss. Tell them I won’t do it again. I promise!”
Elitsa’s stomach murmured as if in shared commiseration. There was a cost to harvesting essence. Despite a relic’s assistance, each extraction drew on your body’s energy. Eating could replenish what you lost, but if you could barely afford food, how long you could work was limited, even dangerous.
Bye bye 💕
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*Please take in count that this is a spoiler-free review for book 3. This means it’s probably full of spoilers of book 1 and 2.*
Synopsis
Night after night, I meet Death
He turns me inside out and makes me feel things I never knew possible.
Day by day, his patience thins as I deprive the god of death the one thing he wants more than anything.
My heart.
But with my kind of childhood, one doesn’t just go dropping the L word unless it’s to a triple chocolate buttercream cupcake.
I’m an acts of service kind of vampire, so I’m showing I care by tracking down the only blade forged that can kill him.
Because if Grim dies, the whole world will go to hell.
And facing an eternity without him would kill me.
Download NOW if you don’t want to miss the epic conclusion to this steamy, action-packed trilogy. This slow burn series goes full inferno in this book.
Review
*Trigger warnings? Explicit sex scenes… like, a lot; sexual abuse of power (no rape).*
Death can’t die… Can he?
There’s a god trying to destroy the balance of the world. Who? No one knows. Why? No one knows either.
The only thing everyone knows is that this god has the Blade of Bane and used it to kill Seth.
Osiris let Vivien live (for a while) so she could help track the sword with her bounty hunting skills. And as this sword could actually kill the only man she ever lov… the only man she ever wanted to be with, she took the mission by heart.
If I kept myself from fully loving Grim, I never risked fully receiving his heart. Because if I got the love I so craved, I’d do anything to keep it. And that terrified me to the marrow of my bones.
Meanwhile, the gods try to discover who is behind all this trouble. But they are in real danger and need to find the solution fast.
Missing gods and new sekhors (vampires) on the streets means they are already too late…
I can’t take this book out of my head.
Vivien and Grim are finally together, but they still have a lot to solve in their relationship.
That’s exactly the issue, Vivien. We have all the time in the world, which means pain and uncertainty can last as long. Your uncertainty. My pain.
We get to see a lot more of the gods, and also of the human friends that somehow get in the middle of all this. We finally get to know Timothy a little more, and he’s just so cute. All the “secondary” characters are absolutely amazing and add so much to the story. Starting with Miranda who is not badass but badassest, the god of badass if that existed.
I absolutely loved the development of Vivien and Grim’s relationship. Even though there were moments when my heart cracked.
“No one has ever loved me the way that you have. No one has allowed me to be so unapologetically myself and loved me so deeply and intensely. I’m not afraid of your intensity. I’m afraid of losing you because I can’t give you what you want fast enough.”
Actual picture of my heart right now
Vivien is badass as always, and Grim is just like a cute-puppy-english-gentleman. No idea why English but I really can picture him drinking tea with the queen.
I want to say so much more, but I’m lost for words.
I don’t like to compare, but this book reminded me of Titan saga by JLA. Which I consider one of my favorite books ever, so you can know how much I liked this one.
I really hope everyone can give this book a chance. It’s extremely sweet, romantic, funny, action packed and steamy and seriously everything a good book needs.
My heart suffered, then completely broke, then was fixed and feeling full just for having a heart attack. I literally cried over cupcakes, that should tell everything. Fortunately, my heart is happy now, except for saying goodbye to Vivien and Grim.
Bye bye 💕
Author
Holly started out writing Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Terminator romantic fanfiction before spinning off into her own fantastic worlds with apocalyptic stakes.
Recently relocated to New Hampshire from Colorado, Holly is exploring the possibilities of become a witch (as one must consider when living in New England) and is hard at work implementing the word “wicked” into her vernacular.
She lives with her husband whose handsome looks are only out done by his charming and wicked supportive personality.
Two surly house rabbits supervise this writer, to make sure she doesn’t spend all of her time watching Buffy reruns.
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*This is book 3 in the Elisabeth and Edvard’s World, but it can be read as a stand-alone.*
Synopsis
A Naiad makes an impossible wish, sending a ripple of effect through the land and binding to her magic the people from the nearby mill, and the village beyond. Unexpected twists of fate tie Naiya to Hilda, the miller’s unhappy wife and, Amina, the baker’s youngest daughter.
Amina is flung into a daring adventure when Naiya’s wish ensnares the love of Amina’s life. Can she find a way to save Phillip from the watery depths? And what will she have to sacrifice to do so?
Embark on a magical adventure of daring, determination, and heartbreak. Be enchanted by this retelling of the Grimm Brothers’ lesser-known tale, The Nixie of the Mill-pond.
Review
*Trigger warnings? I don’t think so. But there is infant death, and tons of self-destructive thoughts. The romance is clean.*
Naiya is a Naiad that makes a deal with a miller, causing a wave of repercussions that basically ruin everyone’s life, including hers.
Humans are fickle, young one. They are not easy beings to make a bargain with because they rarely uphold their end of the deal.
She was obsessed with the idea of having a son, an impossible task for a being like her. So when she saw how the miller and his wife couldn’t take care of their children, she decided to save that poor creature. But she didn’t count with the resistance of his mother.
But all magic deals must come with an exchange, and as Naiya fulfilled her part, things started to spiralize out of control.
This book is a retelling. I don’t know the original story, but it did give me huge Grimm fairytale vibes.
It was hard for me to get into the story at the beginning. I didn’t connect with Naiya, so even as I was curious for her story, I couldn’t comprehend her. But later we follow the story from two more POVs and things got more interesting to me.
First we meet Hilda, the miller’s wife. She takes full responsibility for saving her son and protecting him. And blames everything on her husband. Hilda poisons herself with hate, instead of trying to understand and forgive the miller.
Hate has a strange way of growing in the back of your mind even when you’re not thinking about the object of your resentment. It is a cloud of poisoned mist lurking in the depths. Before you know it, it consumes you, tainting every thought and action with the desire to cause harm—or at least to withhold kindness.
And then we meet Amina, the baker’s youngest daughter. It was her who completely caught me in the story.
I felt like a cake collapsing into a crater when it hasn’t baked for long enough.
She begins as a girl, immature and full of doubts. She has so little level of self-confidence that she is constantly attacking herself. Blaming for being different, being wrong.
It was what was expected, how things were, so why did I feel a million ants crawling over my skin at the thought of this future for myself? Why did it horrify me so much that I was on my way to becoming just like everyone else? Wasn’t this what I’d always wanted?
I was shocked on how much I connected with Amina. She falls constantly in her deep thoughts, but instead of being annoying, it was awfully sad, because she honestly believed she had no worth.
It’s strange how, in the blink of an eye, we can plummet from a pinnacle of calm into an abyss of self-inflicted hatred.
This is a story of Love. To your family, to your partner and to yourself. But more than anything it’s a story about finding who you really are and your place in the world, getting over the adversities. We accompany Amina in her quest to save her husband, but in the way we get to see her inner growth and how she finds the strength she always had.
“Although following your passion will not spare you from hardship, listening to the glowing light within your heart will help you weather the storms.”
I did feel it was too long for me, and Amina’s self-attack started to bother me after a while. Still, you don’t grow from one day to another, so it made sense she kept falling on doubts.
Where was the hard shell I needed to protect my heart? I longed for some semblance of safety from the ache settling in my chest. The treacherous organ kept on beating steadily instead of sputtering and dying out like the rest of me. I couldn’t fathom any of it.
Another point that had high importance in the book was the religion. They venerate the Great Dragon, and are pretty fanatic. But there are some other religions too, I found myself curious about whether Astrid is or not religious, because Amina was, and she searches strength in the Great Dragon in the Sky same with the religion, but at the same time, every moment in the book has a reason for the character’s growth.
Hardships are part of life, so we can overcome them. The pain has to be experienced so the beautiful moments can be cherished. Joy and pain; peace and discord; adoration and loss; life and death; all were part of our human experience for a reason. It is in the balance that I’ll find happiness.
A recommendable read, for everyone that loves fairytales, but especially if you need motivation to keep moving forward.
You are not what the world hands you. You are what you make of what you’ve been given.
Purchasing through this affiliate links means no additional cost for you, but you can help me earn a small commission for qualifying purchases.
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Naiya's Wish
Astrid V. J.
*This is book 3 in the Elisabeth and Edvard’s World, but it can be read as a stand-alone.*
Synopsis
A Naiad makes an impossible wish, sending a ripple of effect through the land and binding to her magic the people from the nearby mill, and the village beyond. Unexpected twists of fate tie Naiya to Hilda, the miller’s unhappy wife and, Amina, the baker’s youngest daughter.
Amina is flung into a daring adventure when Naiya’s wish ensnares the love of Amina’s life. Can she find a way to save Phillip from the watery depths? And what will she have to sacrifice to do so?
Embark on a magical adventure of daring, determination, and heartbreak. Be enchanted by this retelling of the Grimm Brothers’ lesser-known tale, The Nixie of the Mill-pond.
Review
*Trigger warnings? In don’t think so. But there is infant death, and tons of self-destructive thoughts. The romance is clean.*
Naiya is a Naiad that makes a deal with a miller, causing a wave of repercussions that basically ruin everyone’s life, including hers.
Humans are fickle, young one. They are not easy beings to make a bargain with because they rarely uphold their end of the deal.
She was obsessed with the idea of having a son, an impossible task for a being like her. So when she saw how the miller and his wife couldn’t take care of their children, she decided to save that poor creature. But she didn’t count with the resistance of his mother.
But all magic deals must come with an exchange, and as Naiya fulfilled her part, things started to spiralize out of control.
This book is a retelling. I don’t know the original story, but it did give me huge Grimm fairytale vibes.
It was hard for me to get into the story at the beginning. I didn’t connect with Naiya, so even as I was curious for her story, I couldn’t comprehend her. But later we follow the story from two more POVs and things got more interesting to me.
First we meet Hilda, the miller’s wife. She takes full responsibility for saving her son and protecting him. And blames everything on her husband. Hilda poison herself with hate, instead of trying to understand and forgive the miller.
Hate has a strange way of growing in the back of your mind even when you’re not thinking about the object of your resentment. It is a cloud of poisoned mist lurking in the depths. Before you know it, it consumes you, tainting every thought and action with the desire to cause harm—or at least to withhold kindness.
And then we meet Amina, the baker’s youngest daughter. It was her who completely caught me in the story.
I felt like a cake collapsing into a crater when it hasn’t baked for long enough.
She begins as a girl, immature and full of doubts. She has so little level of self-confidence that she is constantly attacking herself. Blaming for being different, being wrong.
It was what was expected, how things were, so why did I feel a million ants crawling over my skin at the thought of this future for myself? Why did it horrify me so much that I was on my way to becoming just like everyone else? Wasn’t this what I’d always wanted?
I was shocked on how much I connected with Amina. She falls constantly in her deep thoughts, but instead of being annoying, it was awfully sad, because she honestly believed she had no worth.
It’s strange how, in the blink of an eye, we can plummet from a pinnacle of calm into an abyss of self-inflicted hatred.
This is a story of Love. To your family, to your partner and to yourself. But more than anything it’s a story about finding who you really are and your place in the world, getting over the adversities. We accompany Amina in her quest to save her husband, but in the way we get to see her inner growth and how she finds the strength she always had.
“Although following your passion will not spare you from hardship, listening to the glowing light within your heart will help you weather the storms.”
I did feel it was too long for me, and Amina’s self-attack started to bother me after a while. Still, you don’t grow from one day to another, so it made sense she kept falling on doubts.
Where was the hard shell I needed to protect my heart? I longed for some semblance of safety from the ache settling in my chest. The treacherous organ kept on beating steadily instead of sputtering and dying out like the rest of me. I couldn’t fathom any of it.
Another point that had high importance in the book was the religion. They venerate the Great Dragon, and are pretty fanatic. But there are some other religions too, I found myself curious about whether Astrid is or not religious, because Amina was, and she searches strength in the , . , same with the religion, but at the same time, every moment in the book has a reason for the character’s growth.
Hardships are part of life, so we can overcome them. The pain has to be experienced so the beautiful moments can be cherished. Joy and pain; peace and discord; adoration and loss; life and death; all were part of our human experience for a reason. It is in the balance that I’ll find happiness.
A recommendable read, for everyone that loves fairytales, but especially if you need motivation to keep moving forward.
You are not what the world hands you. You are what you make of what you’ve been given.
Kissed by Death (Vegas Immortals: Death and the Last Vampire Book 2)
Holly Roberds
*Please take in count that this is a spoiler-free review for book 2. This means it’s full of spoilers of book 1.*
Synopsis
The Grim Reaper can bite me.
I’m bound to Grim by blood now, making me his vampire slave for all eternity. But he’ll find out there is only one will I abide by. Mine.
Now the rest of the immortals know I exist, and they want a lookey-loo at the only living vampire.
Except half the immortals want to possess me as their own vampire slave, while the other half wants to kill me outright.
Grim swears he won’t let anyone harm me, but he’s been absorbing tainted, dark souls to the breaking point.
How can he protect anyone when his power is compromised?
This is fine, right?
Asking for a friend.
Review
*Trigger warnings? Explicit sex scenes, child abuse (non-descriptive).*
Ok, first I have to say that Holly’s blurbs are just the best. There’s no way you read that synopsis and don’t want to be that friend Vivien is asking for.
“Everybody thinks it’s every woman’s dream to find the perfect man. Actually, every woman’s dream is to eat anything she wants and not get fat.”
With that quote this book was already on my favorites list.
So, Vivien drank Grim’s blood for saving Jamal, Miranda’s son. Seemed like a good idea until she found out she became his slave. We follow Vivien while she tries to stay aliv…I mean undead and learns to live with the idea of having a blood bond with Grim. We all know she had small-more-like-ultra-little-almost-non-existent feelings for Grim, but he can control her will now. And she’s not that dumb for believing he won’t use that power eventually. So now she has no interest in him, other than being her lunch…
Of course Vivien, like we believe a word of that.
This book is as funny as the first one, maybe even more. And we have a HIGH level of romantic tension. That later develops in a super steamy book.
“You think I’m afraid?” My laugh came out a bark. “I’m not scared of anything.” I’d survived on the streets as a vampire for two weeks on my own without killing anyone, destroyed the master vampire, and literally laughed in Death’s face. I was straight-up badass. No, I was Taylor Swift— Fearless.
This series is the first steamy one that I read consciously, as it’s not my style. Book 1 was just sexual tension, so it was fine for me, but this one goes to another level.
I still loved it though, as most of the book flowed with the story and I didn’t get that feeling of sex scenes added anywhere with no sense that is my problem with most “adult” books.
The hurry to join with her fell away as I kissed her with all the reverence I could muster. I may be a god, but it was my turn to worship another.
Also, I have to admit I’m super biased with this book. I somehow managed to get myself inside this book! I’m an extra in a scene with Dawn, another Hellion, and is the best scene in the book! Ok… maybe not the best, but one of those.
I’ve always been one of those night owls who like to read at night, but I’ve been trying to be a “responsible adult” for a long time and I don’t stay until thaaaat late. But with this one, I just couldn’t control myself and more than once I couldn’t stop reading. Vivien could be my best friend, if it wasn’t because I’m completely in love with Grim.
You, who have confronted all the torments, desires, tragedies, deaths, and endings of all beings. You can’t stand to look into this sekhor’s face without wanting to fall on your knees before her, apologizing for the injustices she’s faced.
Oh, special mention to my favorite character, Jenkins 😂. I’m pretty sure I have someone like him in my brain.
Jenkins, did you hear that? She’s got a target on her back. Sir, I heard. We are royally screwed. What are we going to do about it? Hit the lever to switch her focus. Get it onto anything else. If she thinks about it too long, her head will pop, and we’ll be out of a job. Roger that, sir.
So, final verdict: Infinitely recommended for having a great time but also a super awesome background story, and some interesting turns I didn’t see coming.
*Please take in count that this is a spoiler-free review for book 3. This means it’s full of spoilers of books 1 and 2.*
Synopsis
She’s finally done it. Mother’s pushed me over the edge.
The woman has taken things from me. People. One of them I can never get back.
She started this war thinking we’d simply fall down at her feet. You know, kiss her expensive little stilettos. After all, she’s the most powerful mage in existence. And she’s got help.
We’re outnumbered and, to be honest, outmatched. But me and Rik? Together, we might just be enough. Fate has brought us together—irrevocably and in ways we never saw coming.
And that’s not all.
A darkness has awoken within me, and I have to admit, I kinda like it. It gives me power like I’ve never had before. I see the other mages, scampering out of my way like I’m some kind of monster.
Maybe I am.
Doesn’t matter. What’s important is that Mother knows I’m coming for her. Her reign? It’s ending.
And it won’t be the only thing I destroy when I get there.
Review
*Trigger warnings? I don’t think so, but it has torture and a sick woman trying to kill her own children 🤔. It has a fade-to-black sex scene, non-descriptive.*
“I feel like a pawn—a puppet, pulled by fate’s strings.” “But that’s just it. Fate might be guiding you, but all the choices you’ve made? Those were your own.”
In brief, do yourself a favor and grab this series. Lot of rambling and quotes if you keep reading my review 😅.
Isla is broken. After Sarah’s death, or actually murder by Remy’s own hands, Iz hates her “Mother” more than ever.
At least they got Remi back, but she’s just a shell of who she was. Another gift of the Magnate to her beloved daughter…
I’d been a punching bag for so long that she thought I was soft. That I wouldn’t sink to Mother’s level. My face lit with a feral grin. Hope she likes surprises.
There’s no way to stop the war between Splendor and Taramur now. So they must find a way to win at all cost.
At least Iz/Thea and Killian/Rik are together now. And they have some REALLY unexpected allies too.
“Fate is dealing you an interesting hand, Isla. It has led you this far and I have enery faith that it will see you through.”
But Victoria has never been more powerful, and the caeli and terra resources (the ones that allow magic to exist) are growing dangerously low in Taramur.
Some new discovered powers, along with some specials connections will be the key to win the war. But the world needs balance… Are they willing to sacrifice what it will take?
I was made to bring Mother down. But it did leave one giant question mark behind. Would I still be alive at the end of it?
Ok, first things first… I don’t forgive you Lissa! 😭
Sarah was my favorite character AND she was Chilean! My heart 💔
But well, back to the story (without Sarah 🥺). We get to see a different image of Iz. The latest events have made such damage that she’s willing to do anything to destroy Victoria, even kill… or worst.
I was like a shaken can of soda—and when I blew, it wouldn’t be pretty.
The only thing keeping her from the abyss is Rik, our beloved Sovereign of Taramur (#TeamRik).
A boy said a few nice words and I turned into a pile of goo. This was not good for my badass persona.
Their relationship is growing stronger, but the battles in their immediate future won’t be easy.
I really enjoyed this book. Iz’s evolution was something worth seeing, along with her relationship with Rik and also with Eve, Harper and Merc.
Would men ever learn that women didn’t like their words thrown back at them? Especially with air quotes?
I loved Eve, but I couldn’t help the feeling that she was Sarah’s replacement, and I didn’t like that.
About the battles, I really enjoy the way Lissa writes action scenes, so these are always good. Iz took her rightful place as the chosen one, and she has help, but I would have liked to see Rik a little more badass. His powers are quite something, and it’s nice to see that the guy is the damsel in distress once in a while, but I feel he was in the middle of these two sides.
“Why me?” “I think a lot of people have asked that question over the centuries,” he said. “There’s not really a textbook answer, except that some are sent a call and it is their choice wheter or not to answer it.” Cool. Didn’t know it was that easy, I’ll just let this one go to voicemail…
Still, I’m just being picky. I loved this book, and the whole saga. It goes to my favorites and I got a deep love for most of the characters, particularly Rik. And same as Rik goes to fight on the top of my book boyfriends list, Iz is going to my book best friends one. And, of course, Lissa to my favorite authors.
I narrowed my eyes at him. “You’re like one of those book boyfriends.” He looked up at me over his mug. “What’s a book boyfriend?” “You know. The perfect boyfriend, as written about in books. Exactly how every girl imagines their boyfriend to be, but it’s so unrealistic that nobody actually expects to have one in real life.” He grunted.
I won’t give it five stars, but I read this book in the middle of a huge time crisis (meaning I had zero time for reading), so it took me months to read it and I believe I would have enjoyed it even more if I had been able to read it faster. I feel the need to clarify that the book, and the whole series honestly, is a fast and fun read normally. I took too long, it was not a problem with the book.
I needed the damn key. How do I get a key? If only there were a way that I could make one appear in my hand… Ha. I’m an idiot.
An unprepared witch. A mysterious human. And a quest that will test them both …
Hazel always knew she was one of the weakest witches of her generation. For a moment there, she even cared about that status.
Not anymore. She’s determined to live her life as a normal human—with exception for the occasional ghost hunting. What can she do if the damn spirits won’t leave her alone?
But when she finally settles into a new routine, Hazel receives a message that changes everything: the Lightgrove Coven, one of the most powerful witch covens in the world, grants her a rare chance to join them, but only if she passes a dangerous test on Friday the Thirteenth.
At first, Hazel wants to disregard the message. But who is she kidding? This is an opportunity she can’t say no to.
Everything is going unexpectedly fine until a human steps in Hazel’s way. Sean is mysterious, hot, and inexplicably alluring. Despite Hazel’s best attempts to ignore him, she can’t. And when Sean’s fate entwines with Hazel’s task, it puts everything at risk—not just her test, but also their own lives.
Author’s note: this book was first published in 2014 in the Midnight Kiss anthology. In 2015, it was published for free with a new title, Tested. This 2021 version is reedited and 50% longer!
Review
Hazel is a witch. All her family too, but they are weak. She is the weakest of them, so she has given up being a witch and decided to be a simple young woman. To achieve this, she got herself a scholarship to Towland University in New Orleans. Her only “witch work” is helping release ghosts that are stucked in this realm.
To make her mother happy, she accepted sending a request to the Lightgrove coven to join them. But her options were bad at best, and after 2 months of not getting any answers she had assumed failure, until one of her ghost hunting sessions is interrupted by Lenora, one of the Lightgrove coven council members, inviting her to a meeting.
“Students milled in the hallways and lobby of my building, probably planning on getting together for an early fun night. After all, we were in college in New Orleans. Who wasn’t partying? Me, that was who. Instead, I hunted ghosts and went crazy overthinking an upcoming magical test.”
The Lightgrove coven gives her a test that will change her life. But a book like this is not complete if we don’t have the love interest.
Sean is a (extremely handsome) bad boy that everyone thinks is absolutely broken, and he actually is. But obviously, he being a bad boy is only a facade. I don’t think I need to say more, I loved him ?.
“I nodded to myself, making a mental note to never mess with fucked up guys again. Lesson learned.”
This was a nice reading, really fast. It has (almost) insta-love, badass girl that doesn’t believe in herself, bad guy that is not really bad, ghosts (good and bad), a magical test, witch hunters and gowns. The last point may not be really important to the story, but I love balls ?.
Super recommended read. I love witches but haven’t found books that I really love about them, i hope this serie will be one that I truly love. My only critic would be that it was too short ?. I’m looking forward to read the next one. Also, Juliana has other series in the same world if you want to check them out.
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Author: Andrew Cunningham Narrator: Greg Hernandez Length: 7 hours 34 minutes Publisher: Andrew Cunningham | 2021 Genre: Science Fiction; Thriller Release date: Jun. 19, 2021 Buy on: Buy on Audible You can also get the audiobook for free with your Audible 30-day free trial.
“I’m going to die a hundred years before I was born…”
The handwritten note was in a dusty trunk that sat in a cave untouched for 150 years. What did the words mean? When journalist Ray Burton finds the trunk near the Arizona ghost town of Hollow Rock, his life changes in an instant.
Something in the trunk shouldn’t be there.
This begins a dangerous journey of discovery bordering on the impossible. A discovery that will affect the past, the present, and the future.
Review
Ray Burton is a fifty-year-old man that used to work as a war reporter or for dangerous missions. The last one got him too traumatized and he changed his life to a more “boring” one, in which he wrote small news way less adrenaline.
His former lifestyle meant he didn’t have anyone in his life. Harry, who was probably his best friend, was diagnosed with cancer, so he went to accompany him in his last moments. Harry was cremated and Ray decides he would like the idea to be tossed in a ghost town, so he went to Holly Rocks. The thing is that there was literally nothing left of the town, but a pouring rain caught him and he was forced to seek refuge in a cave. Here he found a trunk with things that suggested some guy named “Stan Hooper” had time traveled. This was obviously impossible and nothing but a bad joke. Except the things got more and more complicated, and once the NCIS got involved, Rey knew this time travel thing may not be as impossible as he thought in the beginning.
I really enjoyed how the story is told. We start with Rey’s POV and he explains how h got to Hollow Rocks for his friend, and ended up in a giant mess. But once we get to meet more characters that are, one way or another involved in this time travel thing, we get more points of view in very different times and places.
I won’t spoil things, so I’ll just say that the time-travel here is taken in a full scientific way, so we get some logical information about how this may work and how much they actually know about it. I also enjoyed the endless questions about whether the past could be changed or not. I’m a sucker for time travel and this philosophical questions. Is the past written in stone?
About the audiobook, it always takes me one or two chapters to adapt to a new narrator and in this book it worried me I may not like it, but Greg does a nice job telling the story sort of “light”. Even when the things got heavier, the feeling of the book was of a light nice read, but that gives you A LOT to think about.
Sci-fi is not my usual style of books, but I do enjoy some o them and this one was an impressive discovery for me. Actually, I was super impressed because, even though time travel is the main theme, the relationships between the characters are super developed. I didn’t expect I would find romance in this story, it’s not focused on it, but it’s important to the story.
The only reason I don’t give this book 5 stars is because I expected the end to blow my mind and it didn’t. But it was a really good end though. Totally recommended, whether it is the book or audio.
Many thanks to Audiobookworm Promotions for the audiobook. The tour is sponsored by the My opinion was in no way affected by receiving this audiobook.
About the Author – Andrew Cunningham
I’m the author of novels in several genres, including, mystery, thriller, and post-apocalyptic science fiction. Under the name A.R. Cunningham, I’ve also written the Arthur MacArthur series of mysteries for children.
I was born in England, but have spent most of my life living in the U.S.—including 25 years on Cape Cod before moving to Florida. A former interpreter for the deaf and long-time independent bookseller, I’ve been a full-time freelance writer and copy editor for many years. A 4th-degree Master Black belt in Tang Soo Do, I finally retired from active training when my body said, “Enough already! Why are you doing this to yourself?” I’m married, with two grown children and two awesome grandsons. My wife and I spend as much time traveling as we can, and are especially fond of cruising the Caribbean.
I have been gratified by the response to my books. When I published Eden Rising back in the spring of 2013, I had no idea what to expect. When I sold my first few copies, I was excited beyond belief that someone was willing to take a chance on it. Numerous books and thousands of copies later, I am still humbled by the emails I get from readers telling me that my books kept them up late into the night.
In October of 2014, Wisdom Spring made me an official Amazon Bestselling author, a thrill I never thought would happen. But it still comes down to being able to bring a few hours of escape to a reader. That’s what it’s all about for me.
I hope you will try my books. Please feel free to email me with your comments.
Author-preferred Narrator of Mysteries & Thrillers
Narrating audiobooks is highly gratifying. I immerse myself into an author’s story in order to bring it to life for the listener. I’ve enjoyed working with Andrew Cunningham for several years. His books are filled with rich characters, and the stories keep me turning the pages.
I also work as a background actor in movies and TV shows.
For more than 20 years, I worked as a radio news reporter and news writer. I spent half of my broadcasting career at ABC News Radio in the Washington, D.C., bureau. I covered all the federal agencies as well as Congress and the White House. I reported on a wide range of stories during my career, including financial and entertainment industry news.
For nearly 24 years, I worked as a federal government spokesman at three separate agencies—National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), U.S. Mint and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).
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Author: Lewis Carroll Narrator: Lynn Norris Length: 2 hours 42 minutes Publisher: Blackberry Publishing Group, 2021 Genre: Classics; Fantasy Release date: Mar. 12, 2021 Buy on: Chirp |Audible |iTunes |Scribd You can also get the audiobook for free with your Audible 30-day free trial.
Synopsis:
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (commonly shortened to Alice in Wonderland) is an 1865 novel by English author Lewis Carroll (the pseudonym of Charles Dodgson). It tells of a young girl named Alice, who falls through a rabbit hole into a subterranean fantasy world populated by peculiar, anthropomorphic creatures. It is considered to be one of the best examples of the literary nonsense genre. The tale plays with logic, giving the story lasting popularity with adults as well as with children.
Review
I, probably like everyone else, knew Alicia’s story. I had seen the animated movie and also the new versions, but had never had a chance to read the book.
As for the storytelling, I’m so glad I listened to the audiobook instead of reading the story on my own, because it probably wouldn’t have caught me at this point in my life, but the voice work that Lynn does is truly amazing. She reminded me that, indeed, I listened to audiobooks as a child without knowing they existed, because I had several stories on cassettes (give me a minute while I pick up my ID card ? – just so you know, this is a Chilean expression meaning how old you felt with that).
Lynn Norris was in charge of giving life and personality to each of the characters, making listening to this story a complete and wonderful experience. Except with the turtle songs which was a bit of torture hahaha ?.
Many thanks to Audiobookworm Promotions for the audiobook. The tour is sponsored by the Blackberry Publishing Group. My opinion was in no way affected by receiving this audiobook.
Narrator – Lynn Norris
Lynn gets it. She’s an audiobook fan as much as a narrator. And she cannot wait to be transported by a fabulous story and taken to another realm, or taught a series of fascinating new facts by a talented chronicler. Her own fandom has become a master class study and informed her narration and performance in the audiobook ring. Lynn doesn’t really have a favorite genre of narration, though she’s becoming a favorite for Romance and YA authors. She also loves Mystery/Thrillers and finds herself really connecting to Stephanie Plum-type heroines. Lynn’s lifetime of acting, improv and singing training lends itself smoothly to a hassle-free audiobook narration from someone who takes the time to be engrossed in the story, absorb the direction and deliver the desired performance on the first go. And her easy facility with accents and dialects infuses extra life into elaborate worlds of characters. A fair amount of her catalog of audiobooks are from authors who’ve come back for sequels and additional book series. A Voice Arts Awards-winning narrator, Lynn’s a 2021 Finalist for Independent Audiobook Awards in the Fantasy and Best Female Narrator Categories. Check her Website here.
Bye bye ?
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The unforgettable conclusion to the epic fantasy The Four Keys series from author J.C. Lucas.
The end of the war is upon them, and the fate of the Fae and human world rests on one girl’s shoulders. An old god has gathered his forces—and planted a Trojan horse in their midst. The enemy’s plan to control the world has been revealed, but unexpected circumstances might alter the course of fate.
Andie and her friends are in the ultimate race against time and evil. They must find the last Key before all is lost. Battle lines will be forged, remarkable alliances cast, and the prophecy is still as strong as ever.
Victory doesn’t come without sacrifice. Love doesn’t come without pain.
Not all who fight will survive, but in the end, it will come down to the choices of one teenage Queen, the magical factions, and the Titan gods.
Review
Darkness filled me up, no matter how much I tried to push it down. Fear that it would consume me was my new normal. I tried to pretend that all was right with the world, that I could do and be all the things that everyone wanted of me… but the oily blackness that slithered inside of me had other plans.
Freya has been defeated, but the war is far from over. The real enemy was always Helios. Now they must not only find a way to defeat him, but it must be fast as the darkness that Andie absorbed from Freya is gaining ground and can turn Andie into a perfect Trojan horse.
I don’t know how I knew, but if I let my guard down for one minute, it would take over. Helios had found a way to set up a Trojan horse. And that horse is me.
As if that wasn’t enough, Andie has become the queen of the Fae. Now she must earn the respect of all the other leaders to gain their support in the fight against Helios. Being a 17-year-old girl, the task was already ridiculously difficult, but the darkness that is now inside her does not help at all (even less when she gets goth attacks ?).
This is how I imagine goth Andie mad at the darkness ?
Fortunately, she still has the support of her friends and family. As well as the bond between her and Hunter that helps her keep the darkness (relatively) under control. But they will need all the help possible to defeat Helios and his allies, starting with preventing him from finding the 4 Stones of his crown. The four Keys will be crucial, but the darkness inside Andie may be what tips the scales. The point is… which way?
“We know the last Key is the Spear of Lugh. I’ve actually given it a new name though, the Spear of Victory. Because I know that finding this last Key will help lead us to victory. I want you all to keep that in mind as we go on this journey.”
Reading The Four Keys serie was really living the story for me. This particular book, I read it at a snail’s pace because I really didn’t want it to end. Also, I couldn’t read much at night because it left my neurons so active that I couldn’t sleep ?.
The characters are wonderful. I really like that, even though the fate of the world is on the shoulders of a 17-year-old girl (like a good fantasy book ?♀️), Andie never stops remembering it.
“I need to go home. There’s a book at the Oak that I need to find. Please don’t ask me how I know, because I honestly can’t tell you, but I need to find it”
She has become very strong and will never give up, but it doesn’t mean that she has stopped being who she is and being afraid of the responsibility that she was given, despite having accepted it. Her heart is so big that I suffered greatly doubting whether or not she would be consumed by darkness.
The darkness licked inside. As the calls from the demons around me grew louder, it seemed to call back, rising inside of me past the point that I could push it down.
Andie and Hunter’s relationship is really wonderful, but coooooooorny (Warning, the sweetness in this book can lead to diabetes ?).
As I retraced my steps back downstairs, haunting music reached me. It floated on the air and I felt myself following the melody. It wasn’t that long ago that I’d taken the same hallway and heard the same music. This time, the sadness of it didn’t get to me because I knew at the end of the day we’d always be together. I pushed open the tall door to see the guy who always took my breath away. His fingers flew over the keys on the piano, and his emotions flowed freely on his face as he concentrated. I vowed right then that wherever we stayed must have a piano for him to play.
In fact, Hunter turned out to be a romantic softie who just looks like a bad boy. Although with alpha male instincts. Translation? I love him.
My eyes teared up, and I laughed in happiness. “I feel like we’re reciting vows or something.” His eyes bored into mine, and his expression turned serious. “It was a vow, Andie. And I’ll make many more through this lifetime. We may not be married, but you are mine, and I am yours. Forever.”
This is one of my favorite movies ever, by the way.
But the other characters are not far behind. Celeste, Killian, and of course Emric and Charlie, among others.
“You trying to get yourself killed once again, my girl?” Emric asked with dry humor. “Yep. Can’t seem to stay away from it.” I rolled my eyes and stuck out my tongue.
It made me laugh because from the previous books I was hating Pres and Teagan. And in this one, it took Pres half a second to completely win me over again, especially after taking Andie on a spa day ?. This is another thing that I loved about this book. Everyone knows that the battle of their lives is coming, but precisely for this they strive to have normal activities like dating, the characters really deserve it.
Andie’s growth is exactly how I imagine mine if I had fallen into a fantastic story ?. In all the books of this style the main character, the chosen one, must learn to survive in this new reality, with new powers, but it’s common that they master them relatively quickly. Whereas in this case I remember that I disliked the first book at first because of how useless Andie was. She was almost killed by a flower… Twice ? (actually in this book she was almost killed by a flower too, so I guess there are things that never change ?♀️). This is why her growth became more valuable and more realistic to me.
I had no idea what we were going to do, how we would get him back. But just as always, I was determined. One way or the other we’d save the world and save him too.
Basically I infinitely recommend this saga. It is nice to find a story that is exactly my style again, as it was for me with Harry Potter and Idhún’s Memories. Also, while the story is closed, J.C. left some open points, which I hope will one day lead to a new book on this story.
Love wasn’t something to waste, especially now. With all of the turmoil and unknowns that we faced; it was high time that we all lived like each day was the last. To love like we might lose it the next hour. Heck, even the next minute. I would never take anyone I cared about for granted ever again.
The last thing I have to say about this book, but the most important thing to me, is that now I know how Mike Wazowski felt because I’M ON THE COVER! (Actually in the acknowledgments, but you get the idea ?).
But outside of jokes, when I started reviewing the books I read, my intention was to recommend books to others. But never in my life did I imagine that I could meet and contact authors directly, much less that it was possible that my opinion had as much impact on them as their stories had on me.
Feeling that you are making an impact on an author’s career, no matter how small, is truly magnificent. And it is what motivates me to continue with the blog and the bookstagram and try to improve day by day.
Infinite thanks to J.C. Lucas, because, not only has she written one of my new favorite sagas with some of the characters that have touched my heart the most, but she has made me feel that my effort is worth it. She is an incredible inspiration and meeting her is truly one of the best things that has happened to me thanks to the literary community.
Author
J.C. Lucas lives in Texas with her husband. She has three beautiful sons and one sweet as sugar grandson. J.C. grew up writing fantasy stories and dreaming of the day when she could share them with the world. Now you can find her wielding a sword (well, a pen, but that’s beside the point,) and weaving magical stories full of mythological creatures, witches, fairies, and romance. J.C. is an avid reader of many genres, loves to garden, and cuddle with her mini dachshunds. Coffee, wine, dark chocolate, and guacamole are some of her favorite indulgences. To see what’s new, follow J.C. at the links: Website and blog|Instagram|Twitter|Facebook| Goodreads|Bookbub Sign up for J.C.’s monthly newsletter and receive a free gift of the Prequel, The Four Key’s – The Beginning! https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/h1f5i7
It’s the fourth day of this tour and is my turn! ?. You can check the other hosts in Favourite Pages Book Club.
Synopsis
Darkness has taken over her land, and Zora has to find a solution before her world and the Shadow Kingdom merge once and for all—and before Griffin is lost to her forever.
Joined by unlikely allies and facing enemies at every turn, she journeys to a dangerous island where dark secretes are kept, from where nobody gets out alive.
Griffin is in enemy territory and has to play a dangerous game and race against time if he wants to save the people he loves, even if it might mean losing them forever.
The Dawn and the Prince is the action packed, emotional finale to the series Kingdom of Curses and Shadows. Get ready for adventure, romance, creepy magic, and girls kicking ass.
Review
This book picks up the story right where The Curse and the Prince ends. In addition, at the beginning it has a summary of book 1 and 2, which I think is excellent because it happens to me a lot that when I do not read a series in succession, I do not remember anything when I start the next book ?.
Zora and Griffin found the Blood Cup and used it. What they did not know is that the Cup was in fact the key for a spell that the Solana, an ancient race to which Riadne (or false Alegra) belonged, had used to seal the Kingdom of Shadows in the Dark Valley. By using the cup, the Kingdom was no longer anchored to the Valley and shadow creatures could move freely at night throughout Gravel.
“When you’re not sure, listen to that inner voice inside you, you know which one.” Right. The crazy voice that made people make stupid decisions. But Zora didn’t say anything.
Not only that, but Griffin’s curse, by breaking the seal, changes his body with the king of the Shadow Kingdom, and leaves him trapped in Grota. Where live creatures that look like lizards, and from where the shadow creatures get to Gravel.
Zora, along with Riadne and Larzen as unexpected allies, must find a way to save their kingdom from the shadow creatures, and win Griffin back.
She had no idea what she was going to find, but didn’t let her hope fade. She was going to fight until the end, fight to undo her mistakes, save the kingdom, and get Griffin back. She had to.
Meanwhile Griffin must manage to keep his true identity hidden and thwart the plans of the creatures of Grota, who want to invade Gravel.
He shook his head. “I was raised knowing it could happen, and I’ve accepted it. For a moment I had hope, and love, and life, but it was just a moment. It’s gone now.” He smiled. “But at least I have nothing to fear.”
At least (maybe) they could have some help from the golden woman (or Sun Goddess) who appears whenever she feels like it… And that is if she really wants to help ?.
Zora took a deep breath. Hope. There was always hope. But that was the thing; hope should be like that sword; reachable, not like a star, up there somewhere. That had been her mistake. All her life, she had clung to hope; she had tried to teach her students to hope. But what was pointless hope but a lie, a false promise? It was like believing in the Sun Goddess, believing in something outside her reach.
The first thing I must say about this book is how impressed I was with the expansion of the story. Each saga, a trilogy for example, as a general rule starts with a little circle of the story, which is then expanded in the second book, and expanded a little more in the third, to give a full vision of the story. But this book begins with a small circle, it expands a little in the second, and in the third it explooooooodes. There was sooooo much we didn’t know. Suddenly everything has an explanation, things I took for granted in previous books.
To exemplify what I say I will use the map that appears in this book.
These are the places we get to know about in books 1 and 2:
And the map in book 3…
Is this one:
And this without taking into account that there is another dimension …
I really liked the description of Grota, especially since the place and the creatures made me think about Umadhún and the Sheks from the book Idhun’s Memories. Truly more to the Szish.
The problem is that the new information was SO MUCH that it got to a point when I didn’t know what to do with it. Unbelievably at no point did it get boring, but it was impossible to think that everything could be solved in this book. In fact when I was nearing the end I was very scared that things would not really be resolved.
Was everything resolved? Yes, at least everything important. The truth is that Day did it, but I would have liked one more book. I feel like so many things were added to the story that I would have liked more time to close each topic. In addition, there were some details that I would have liked more explanation.
Now, what I can’t believe is that my favorite character ended up being Riadne. The growth of all the characters is quite good, but Riadne’s is really spectacular.
Riadne felt odd to trust strangers who didn’t even know about Solanas’ existence until a few days before. To trust them to do what generations of her people had not been able to… For once, she allowed herself to hope. If she kept at it, she would start to sound like Zora.
While I love Griffin and Zora, and their relationship is excessively cute, in this book I was completely fascinated with the relationship between Riadne and Larzen, which is still cute but also excessively funny. And it made me want to hit Riadne more than once.
“And remember you’re the sunbeam of my moonlight.” “That doesn’t make any sense.” “It’s supposed to make sense? Well, then, you’re the acid in my stomach.” “Oh.” She meant ew, but it sounded off. “I have no words, Larzen.”
Probably the most important thing in history is hope. But great relevance is also given to relationships, and even abuse. Zora’s fear (rather panic) of sex, even though I felt got a bit lost in the story despite being constantly mentioned, is a topic that I haven’t seen in any book before. I loved finding a story where relationships, particularly sexual, are treated in a different way. There are many, many stories that create the fantasy that everything works perfectly fine from the start, and I think that is precisely what was happening to Zora, who was forcing herself from the beginning just because she believed it was supposed to be like that, that she was the problem. When in reality she just wasn’t ready, and that was perfectly fine.
“All change is traumatic, Zora,” her mother said. “Even change for good.”
…And Seth was an asshole, but that’s a conversation for another day ?.
This is why I don’t give it 5 stars. Because it’s not perfect, but I would still extremely recommend it as it’s a nice, fast-paced, easy to read story. And the characters are wonderful. Besides, Day always does this amazing thing of teleporting you to these realms where you would love to be. (Well, I don’t know if I would like to be in Grota, but you know what I mean ?).
Trust that sometimes things happen for a reason.” She smiled. This idea of greater meaning for why things happened was more and more sounding like a way to dodge responsibility. Yay, let’s blame destiny! Not stupidity. Nope, not at all.
Thank you so much to Favourite Pages and Day Leitao for letting me be part of this tour. I loved this saga and I’m super happy to be on the tour for the last book.
Author
I’m originally from Brazil but I’ve been living in Canada for over 10 years now. I have some influence from Brazilian writers and Brazilian culture, but I also read popular books in English. I watched some Anime as a kid, my favorite being Yamato. I’m a longtime Star Wars fan and I’m active in the fandom podcasting at Lords of the Sith as Denise. I’ve always loved to write stories, and I like to always include romance, action and humor in my writing. I think stories can touch us deeply. I live in Montreal, Canada, with my son. My books include the Ya fantasy series Portals to Whyland, and the sci-fi standalones The Sphere of Infinity and Star Spark. Check out my blog for some news, updates, and nonsensical ramblings.
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