Review: The Deep - Rivers Solomon, Daveed Diggs, William Hutson & Jonathan Snipes

The water-breathing descendants of African slave women tossed overboard have built their own underwater society-and must reclaim the memories of their past to shape their future in this brilliantly imaginative novella inspired by the Hugo Award-nominated song "The Deep" from Daveed Diggs's rap group clipping.

Yetu holds the memories for her people-water-dwelling descendants of pregnant African slave women thrown overboard by slave owners-who live idyllic lives in the deep. Their past, too traumatic to be remembered regularly, is forgotten by everyone, save one-the historian. This demanding role has been bestowed on Yetu.

Yetu remembers for everyone, and the memories, painful and wonderful, traumatic and terrible and miraculous, are destroying her. And so, she flees to the surface, escaping the memories, the expectations, and the responsibilities-and discovers a world her people left behind long ago.

Yetu will learn more than she ever expected to about her own past-and about the future of her people. If they are all to survive, they'll need to reclaim the memories, reclaim their identity-and own who they really are.

Inspired by a song produced by the rap group Clipping for the This American Life episode "We Are In The Future," The Deep is vividly original and uniquely affecting.

Visit Rivers Solomon's website for more information

Review:
It's not often that I read a book as powerful as The Deep and I've struggled for a long time to write this review because honestly I just don't have the right words to do it justice. Rivers Solomon tackles such emotive and heartbreaking topics in this story where descendants of African women, who were often heavily pregnant at the time, were throw overboard from the slave ships and left to drown but some of them actually survived and went on to create their own underwater utopian society. As a people they have a past full of trauma and to save themselves from constantly reliving the pain of their ancestors they choose one of their members to become the historian.

Yetu is the current historian and that means she holds the memories of her entire people so that the rest of the Wajinru can live their lives in peace. Once a year a ceremony called The Remembering is held so that the others can briefly experience the memories but the rest of the time Yetu alone is responsible for shouldering the heavy burden. These memories are painful and Yetu is constantly reliving the traumatic events her ancestors experienced so it's no wonder her own mental health is suffering.

I honestly don't want to say any more about what happens to Yetu during the story so I'm going to focus on how powerful the writing was and how quickly I was drawn into this world. I think it's so important to think about how racial history can leave a very real emotional toll for generations but also how important that cultural identity is for people to feel a connection with their past. Yetu lives with very real and damaging memories of Wajinru who lost their lives after years of suffering but she also remembers all the good things they experienced too which helps balance out the story and leaves you with a sense of hope.

Rivers Solomon was inspired to write this story after listening to the song The Deep written by David Diggs and his rap group Clipping. You can listen to the song on YouTube and I'd highly recommend it because it really sets the tone for the story.



Source: Received from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review

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Review: Sex Criminals Volume 1: One Weird Trick - Matt Fraction & Chip Zdarsky

Collects SEX CRIMINALS #1-5

Suzie's just a regular gal with an irregular gift: when she has sex, she stops time. One day she meets Jon and it turns out he has the same ability. And sooner or later they get around to using their gifts to do what we'd ALL do: rob a couple banks. A bawdy and brazen sex comedy for comics begins here!

Sex Criminals Series:
Sex Criminals Volume 1: One Weird Trick
Sex Criminals Volume 2: Two Worlds One Cup
Sex Criminals Volume 3: Three the Hard Way
Sex Criminals Volume 4: Fourgy
Sex Criminals Volume 5: Five-Fingered Discount
Sex Criminals Volume 6: Six Criminals

Visit Matt Fraction's website or Chip Zdarsky's website for more information

Review:
Sex Criminals is a comic that is completely bonkers but in the best possible way. Just imagine as a teenager that you discovered that every time you had an orgasm you were able to stop time, what would you do with that power? Well, Suzie and Jon go down very different roads after discovering their ability but once the two of them find each other it's not a big leap for them to decide to become criminal masterminds and start plotting to rob a bank. They're not even doing it for their own gain, they actually want to use the money to save the library that Suzie works at, they're just doing charity work really!

I don't want to say too much about the plot for this so I'm just going to tell you that the story was full of humour (you probably want to skip this if you don't like dirty jokes!) but also some surprisingly cute moments between Suzie and Jon when they're not busy trying to stop time. I loved the artwork, especially when they're in The Quiet (that moment of postcoital bliss) the colours become really vibrant with a dreamy kind of quality to them but the whole comic was great. I'm definitely looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

Source: Received from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review

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Review: Aurora Blazing - Jessie Mihalik

To save her brother and protect her family’s future, a powerful princess must join forces with a dashing man from her past in this thrilling space adventure, the second novel in the Consortium Rebellion trilogy.

As the dutiful daughter of High House von Hasenberg, Bianca set aside her personal feelings and agreed to a political match arranged by her family, only to end up trapped in a loveless, miserable marriage. When her husband unexpectedly dies, Bianca vows never to wed again. Newly independent, she secretly uses her wealth and influence to save other women stuck in dire circumstances. Information is power and Bianca has a network of allies and spies that would be the envy of the ’verse—if anyone knew about it.

When her family’s House is mysteriously attacked, Bianca’s oldest brother, the heir to House von Hasenberg, disappears. Fearful for her brother’s life, the headstrong Bianca defies her father and leaves Earth to save him. Ian Bishop, the director of House von Hasenberg security—and Bianca’s first love—is ordered to find and retrieve the rebellious woman.

Ian is the last man Bianca wants to see. To evade capture, she leads him on a merry chase across the universe. But when their paths finally collide, she knows she must persuade him to help her. Bianca will do anything to save her sibling, even if it means spending time alone on a small ship with the handsome, infuriating man who once broke her heart.

As the search takes them deep into rival House Rockhurst territory, Bianca must decide if she can trust Ian with the one piece of information that could destroy her completely . . .

Consortium Rebellion Series:
Polaris Rising
Aurora Blazing
Chaos Reigning (May 2020)

Visit Jessie Mihalik's website for more information

Review:
As the oldest daughter of House von Hasenberg Bianca did her duty and married a man she didn't love to help her father build political alliances. It wasn't a happy marriage, especially since her husband was a mad scientist who liked to experiment on her, so after she is unexpectedly widowed Bianca vows to never marry again. Instead she uses her newfound independence, and her own secret network of spies, to help other women trapped in difficult situations.

When the House is attacked and her oldest brother Ferdinand is taken prisoner, Bianca decides to put her network to even better use as she sets out to bring him home. Her father sends the House head of security to bring Bianca back home but she will do whatever it takes to convince Ian that the best chance of bringing Ferdinand home alive is by working together to find him.

I have to admit I was a little disappointed when I realised that each book in this series was about a different couple just because I liked Ada and Loch so much in the first book and wanted to spend more time with them. The change in narrators ended up working really well though and I found Bianca was just as enjoyable to read about as her sister. Bianca is older than Ada and sees herself as the protector of her siblings, she has always gone along with her father's wishes so that the younger ones don't have to but when Ferdinand is in danger she can't just sit back and let someone else take control of his rescue. She has unique resources that Ian and the rest of the security team don't have access to and nothing is going to stop her from using them.

Bianca and Ian have a difficult relationship because they both have feelings for each other that they know they can't act on for various reasons. There is no way her father would ever have approved a match between them but that never stopped Bianca from dreaming, right up until her wedding. Now she has sworn off of relationships but it doesn't make it any easier to hide her attraction to Ian when they're working so closely together. I loved the slow build romance between them and the way Bianca was so brave to open her heart again after being betrayed so badly by her husband. Both Bianca and Ian have plenty of secrets but they're really well matched and I enjoyed watching them work together.

This story had just as much action as the first book and we learn a bit more about the rivalry and building war between House von Hassenberg and House Rockhurst. Revelations towards the end of the book left me desperately waiting for the final book in the trilogy, Chaos Reigning, so I'm glad I don't have to wait too much longer to get hold of a copy.

Source: Received from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review

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Review: Angel Mage - Garth Nix

More than a century has passed since Liliath crept into the empty sarcophagus of Saint Marguerite, fleeing the Fall of Ystara. But she emerges from her magical sleep still beautiful, looking no more than nineteen, and once again renews her single-minded quest to be united with her lover, Palleniel, the archangel of Ystara.

A seemingly impossible quest, but Liliath is one of the greatest practitioners of angelic magic to have ever lived, summoning angels and forcing them to do her bidding.

Liliath knew that most of the inhabitants of Ystara died from the Ash Blood plague or were transformed into beastlings, and she herself led the survivors who fled into neighboring Sarance. Now she learns that angels shun the Ystaran’s descendants. If they are touched by angelic magic, their blood will turn to ash. They are known as Refusers, and can only live the most lowly lives.

But Liliath cares nothing for the descendants of her people, save how they can serve her. It is four young Sarancians who hold her interest: Simeon, a studious doctor-in-training; Henri, a dedicated fortune hunter; Agnez, an adventurous musketeer cadet; and Dorotea, an icon-maker and scholar of angelic magic. They are the key to her quest.

The four feel a strange kinship from the moment they meet, but do not know why, or suspect their importance. All become pawns in Liliath’s grand scheme to fulfill her destiny and be united with the love of her life. No matter the cost to everyone else. . .

Visit Garth Nix's website for more information

Review:
I've been a fan of Garth Nix since I first read Sabriel more years ago than I care to remember so of course I was ridiculously excited to read his new stand alone fantasy novel, Angel Mage. This story was inspired by his love of The Three Musketeers but with added magic. He has created a world where certain people are able to interact with angels with the help of icons and can summon them to do their bidding. Each angel has its own icon design and a different ability but the more powerful the angel the more it takes out of the summoner each time they call on them. Some of the angels can be used for things like healing while others can provide light or offer all kinds of other forms of help. While summoners are rare and have varying levels of ability the icon creators are rarer still, it's a specialist art form to imbue the icons with the power to summon an angel and it's a much sought after skill.

This story is told from five different points of view which can sometimes make a story a little hard to follow but I found each of these characters distinct enough that I didn't have an issue. You have four friends: Agnez, a confidant young woman who is focused on her goal of becoming a Musketeer so she can help protect the queen like her mother did; Simeon, a trainee physician who is incredibly skilled with his hands; Dorotea, who is a talented but slightly ditzy icon maker with abilities that she's spent years trying to hide; and Henri, a boy who has spent years dreaming of becoming wealthy who just wants to prove himself to his family. Then you have Liliath, someone who is obviously hiding a lot of secrets and who definitely has a plan but who is only thinking of herself and her own goals and doesn't seem to care what it costs the people around her.

Angel Mage is one of those books that sucks you in and even though its a large book with over 500 pages I ended up flying through it because I desperately wanted to know what would happen next. I really loved Dorotea, Agnez, Simeon and Henri, they all have very different personalities but they worked well together as a team and drew on each other's strengths to do what needed to be done. Liliath was a harder character to like because she was so ruthless but I found her chapters so interesting because you never knew quite what she'd do next. What I loved most about the world was the way men and women were completely equal with lots of women in high ranking jobs and no signs of misogyny, there was also no sign of racism in spite of the fact that we had characters of all different colours and it was treated as completely normal for people to have same sex relationships.

The story works perfectly as a stand alone but I really do hope that Garth Nix decides to revisit this world in the future, there seems to be so much more to explore in the world and I'd be really interested in both spending more time with these characters but also in seeing the fallout of events in the final few chapters.

Source: Received from Gollancz in exchange for an honest review

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Review: Sapphire Flames - Ilona Andrews

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Ilona Andrew comes an enthralling new trilogy set in the Hidden Legacy world, where magic means power, and family bloodlines are the new currency of society…

In a world where magic is the key to power and wealth, Catalina Baylor is a Prime, the highest rank of magic user, and the Head of her House. Catalina has always been afraid to use her unique powers, but when her friend’s mother and sister are murdered, Catalina risks her reputation and safety to unravel the mystery.

But behind the scenes powerful forces are at work, and one of them is Alessandro Sagredo, the Italian Prime who was once Catalina’s teenage crush. Dangerous and unpredictable, Alessandro’s true motives are unclear, but he’s drawn to Catalina like a moth to a flame.

To help her friend, Catalina must test the limits of her extraordinary powers, but doing so may cost her both her House–and her heart.

Hidden Legacy Series:
Burn for Me
White Hot
Wildfire
Diamond Fire (Novella)
Sapphire Flames

Visit Ilona Andrews' website for more information

Review:
If you go into this book looking for more Nevada and Rogan you're going to be disappointed because this is very much the start of Catalina's trilogy and the focus is on her and the rest of the Baylor family. And that's not me trying to be negative or put anyone off reading because I absolutely loved Sapphire Flames and think fans will too, I really love how much Catalina has changed and grown in the three years that have passed since events in Diamond Fire. She's a force to be reckoned with and so is Alessandro, they're definitely going to be a power couple and I'm sure I'll come to love them both as much as I do Nevada and Rogan.

Anyone who knows me should know I'm obsessed with Nevada and particularly Rogan, I'm totally addicted to their books (I've read them all well over 10 times each now!) and yes, I would have been happy to read many, many more books from Nevada's point of view. Having said that I'm still glad that they've been given their HEA and I'm happy that we'll get to see glimpses of it in Catalina's story. I think Ilona Andrews deliberately kept them pretty absent from this book to allow readers to get used to the change in narrators and I think that was the right thing to do. There is a reason for their absence and we do still get small hints of what is going on with them now but this is Catalina's time to shine and she does it brilliantly.

I've already mentioned that it's been almost three years since Nevada's wedding and the formation of House Baylor. Catalina is now head of the house and they're just about to run out of the 3 year grace period where no other houses were allowed to attack them. Their enemies are circling and Catalina has been doing her best to form allies and build their reputation as a house that shouldn't be messed with. It's not easy though and in a lot of ways they're still a little known entity that other more established houses don't really take too seriously. Catalina has spent years training with her magic thanks to help from Rogan's mother and she's grown a lot in confidence in that time too. She's still quite shy and would rather avoid confrontation but at the same time she is very protective of her family and will do whatever it takes to keep them safe, even if it pushes her completely out of her comfort zone.

I don't want to give away too much of the plot of this story but there is plenty of action, hints of more than one future romance and all the humour you'd expect from this series. The Baylor family is as crazy as ever but they're also just as close knit. Nevada was so much older than her sisters and cousins that she had a very different relationship with them than Catalina does so I really enjoyed seeing how Catalina works alongside Arabella, Bern and Leon. All four of them are more grown up now and they're all coming into their own both magically and in a sense of finding their purpose. We may not see much of Nevada and Rogan but other familiar faces are still in full play from Cornelius and Matilda through to Augustine, Bug and Linus Duncan.

Alessandro obviously has a lot of secrets but I'm enjoying the banter between him and Catalina. I love how dorky she can be sometimes and that he finds it so endearing and I really enjoyed learning more about his magic. He has some impressive skills and I think we're only beginning to touch the surface of what both he and Catalina are capable of. Theirs is the kind of slow burn romance that Ilona and Gordon excel at and I can't wait to watch it grow into something explosive. It won't be easy to knock Nevada and Rogan off of my top couple spot but I have a feeling that Catalina and Alessandro may be able to do it!

The only thing even slightly disappointing about this book is that I can't have the rest of the trilogy immediately but even that isn't something I can really complain about as I'll have so much fun rereading the previous books while I wait for the next ones to release. My Hidden Legacy obsession hasn't dialled back even slightly with the change of narrators, in fact if anything it's grown even stronger.

Source: Received from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review

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Review: Sleepless Vol. 2 - Sarah Vaughn & Leila del Duca

Nearly a year later in the court of Harbeny, Lady Poppy and Sir Cyrenic must forge ahead without each other. Cyrenic adjusts to life after being released from the Sleepless Vow. And though Poppy has allies old and new, she buckles under the pressure to marry Lord Helder. The future looks bleak, but both Poppy and Cyrenic are fighters. Either they will claw their way out of the darkness, or take as many enemies with them as they can. This second volume of SLEEPLESS concludes the story of Poppy and Cyrenic.

Collects SLEEPLESS #7-11

Collects issues 1-6.

Sleepless Series:
Sleepless Vol. 1
Sleepless Vol. 2

Visit Sarah Vaughan's website for more information

Review:
This volume picks up Poppy and Cyrenic's story about a year on from where the previous one ended. Cyrenic has been asleep that whole time ever since Poppy released him from his vow while she has been stuck dealing with court politics and trying to prevent a forced marriage to Lord Helder. Now as her wedding draws near and Cyrenic finally wakes up everything is in the balance.

After really enjoying the first book in this series I had high hopes for the sequel so I hate to say it but I was kind of disappointed. Most of the things I loved about the first volume are still there, the diverse characters and the beautiful artwork are the same but the plotting felt kind of rushed. I didn't realise that this was the final volume and to be honest I think it needed just one more, it felt like the authors had to rush through everything to fit it into two books and if there had been three they would have had time to flesh out things like the court intrigue and especially the romance.

It wasn't that this book was bad, its just having seen what the author and artist accomplished with volume one I know they could have ended this series so much better.

Source: Received from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review

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Review: Sleepless Vol. 1 - Sarah Vaughn & Leila del Duca

Amazon Book Review’s Best Comics & Graphic Novels of 2018
The Chicago Public Library’s Best of the Best Books 2018

Lady "Poppy" Pyppenia is guarded by the Sleepless Knight Cyrenic but becomes endangered when an assassin threatens her life in the new king's reign. As Poppy and Cyrenic try to discover who wants her dead, they must navigate the dangerous waters of life at court and of their growing feelings for one another. Writer Sarah Vaughn (ALEX + ADA, ETERNAL EMPIRE) and artist Leila del Duca (SHUTTER, AFAR) team up with editor / colorist Alissa Sallah and letterer Deron Bennett for this fantasy romance.

Collects issues 1-6.

Sleepless Series:
Sleepless Vol. 1
Sleepless Vol. 2

Visit Sarah Vaughan's website for more information

Review:
Poppy is the daughter of the former king and now that her uncle has been crowned her place in court is very precarious. She may be the old king's illegitimate child but in her mother's distant land she is still considered a princess and therefore has a lot of support, something the new king is not very happy about. Forced to stay at the court by her uncle the only person she can truly rely on is her Sleepless Knight Cyrenic, a man pledged to protect her for the rest of his life. Poppy just wants to keep her head down until she can be reunited with her mother but when an assassin attacks she quickly realises that life in court is far more dangerous than ever before.

This was a really fabulous start to the Sleepless series, I'm intrigued by the characters and the court politics and I really want to know more about the Sleepless Knights and how they survive with no sleep. Poppy and Cyrenic are great characters and I love the hint of tension between them, the sparks are definitely starting to fly and I hope they can find a way to be together in spite of the taboo status of a relationship between them.

We are never overloaded with too much background and history so this story was a very easy read, I still have a lot of questions about things but I'm sure they will be answered slowly throughout the series. Leila del Duca's artwork is gorgeous, she uses lots of bright and bold colours that make her drawings really eye-catching and it fits Sarah Vaughn's story perfectly. I have to give the series bonus points for the diversity too. I'm definitely looking forward to continuing this series.

Source: Received from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review

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Review: Off Planet - Aileen Erin

In an all-too-plausible future where corporate conglomerates have left the world’s governments in shambles, anyone with means has left the polluted Earth for the promise of a better life on a SpaceTech owned colony among the stars.

Maité Martinez is the daughter of an Earther Latina and a powerful Aunare man, an alien race that SpaceTech sees as a threat to their dominion. When tensions turn violent, Maité finds herself trapped on Earth and forced into hiding.

For over ten years, Maité has stayed hidden, but every minute Maité stays on Earth is one closer to getting caught.

She’s lived on the streets. Gone hungry. And found a way to fight through it all. But one night, while waitressing in a greasy diner, a customer gets handsy with her. She reacts without thinking.

Covered in blood, Maité runs, but it’s not long before SpaceTech finds her…

Arrested and forced into dangerous work detail on a volcano planet, Maité waits for SpaceTech to make their move against the Aunare. She knows that if she can’t somehow find a way to stop them, there will be an interstellar war big enough to end all life in the universe.

There’s only one question: Can Maité prevent the total annihilation of humanity without getting herself killed in the process?

Aunare Chronicles:
Off Planet
Off Balance (2020)

Visit Aileen Erin's page on goodreads for more information

Review:
Set in a future where giant corporation SpaceTech pretty much controls all of the human colonies across the universe this is the story of Maité, a half-human half-aunare young woman who is just trying to live her life in peace. SpaceTech have been trying to start a war with the aunare race for years, starting 10 years ago with the massacre of all aunare people living on planets they controlled, now they'll stop at nothing to destroy an entire species just to keep their control over humanity.

Maité and her mother have been hiding on earth for 10 years hoping that her father, who is a powerful general in the aunare army, will find them and help them get to safety. If Maité is discovered by SpaceTech then it will be a death sentence but it's getting harder and harder to live under the radar. She is so close to freedom when she makes a dreadful mistake, one that could cost her everything. After her arrest she is sentenced to a work detail on a dangerous volcanic planet, every day she comes a little closer to death and if her father's representatives don't get to her in time to save her then war will be inevitable.

I thought Off Planet was a brilliant start to this new series, I've not read anything by Aileen Erin before but after enjoying this so much I think I definitely need to check out some of her backlist. I really liked Maité's character, her aunare blood makes her stronger and faster than most but that's almost more of a curse than a blessing as she's constantly having to try to hide her abilities so that people don't figure out who or what she really is. Her life has been tough but she has a strong bond with her mother and some close friends who are always there for her and even though she's constantly in danger she always tries to help others too.

This is only the first book in the series but we've already met some really interesting characters both human and alien that I want to spend more time with. Roan is like a best friend and brother rolled into one, Declan was sent to save her but to be honest hasn't been all that great at doing the job, she made some interesting allies on Abaddon but I think the person I'm most curious about is Lorne, the aunare who will stop at nothing to rescue her even if that does mean starting a war that could end up killing billions. One thing I'm really hoping is that we're not going to see the formation of a dreaded love triangle though, there were hints that it might end up going in that direction but I really hope the author surprises me and doesn't take the easy drama route.

The world that the author has created is an interesting one, I was fascinated and horrified by the conditions on the volcanic planet so appropriately called Abaddon and I'm really looking forward to finding out more about the aunare home world too. I'm a bit curious about why this is being marketed as YA, Maité is 20 and her friends are all her age or a fair bit older and although the story is appropriate for teens (there's no sex, I didn't notice much in the way of swearing and even when Maité is being tortured it doesn't go into super graphic detail) I would still class this as an adult sci-fi because of the age of the characters and the themes it covers. Maité doesn't think or act like a teenage narrator so the YA label is misleading in my opinion. That really is a minor issue as I think the story will be enjoyed by both teens and adults but I do think it's important to clarify these things correctly. I've already added the next book, Off Balance, to my wish list but it's going to feel like a long wait until it's release next year!

Source: Received from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review

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Review: Polaris Rising - Jessie Mihalik

A space princess on the run and a notorious outlaw soldier become unlikely allies in this imaginative, sexy space opera adventure—the first in an exciting science fiction trilogy.

In the far distant future, the universe is officially ruled by the Royal Consortium, but the High Councillors, the heads of the three High Houses, wield the true power. As the fifth of six children, Ada von Hasenberg has no authority; her only value to her High House is as a pawn in a political marriage. When her father arranges for her to wed a noble from House Rockhurst, a man she neither wants nor loves, Ada seizes control of her own destiny. The spirited princess flees before the betrothal ceremony and disappears among the stars.

Ada eluded her father’s forces for two years, but now her luck has run out. To ensure she cannot escape again, the fiery princess is thrown into a prison cell with Marcus Loch. Known as the Devil of Fornax Zero, Loch is rumored to have killed his entire chain of command during the Fornax Rebellion, and the Consortium wants his head.

When the ship returning them to Earth is attacked by a battle cruiser from rival House Rockhurst, Ada realizes that if her jilted fiancé captures her, she’ll become a political prisoner and a liability to her House. Her only hope is to strike a deal with the dangerous fugitive: a fortune if he helps her escape.

But when you make a deal with an irresistibly attractive Devil, you may lose more than you bargained for . . .

Consortium Rebellion Series:
Polaris Rising
Aurora Blazing
Chaos Reigning (May 2020)

Visit Jessie Mihalik's website for more information

Review:
As the fifth of six children Ada's main purpose in life was always to marry into one of the other prominent houses so that her father, the head of the von Hasenberg, could place a spy in an enemy camp. Her father doesn't care that it would be a loveless marriage and that she'd be miserable, he just sees it as her duty to her family. Ada isn't quite so willing to go along with his plans though and she's spent the last couple of years on the run, hiding as a mercenary and taking whatever jobs she can just to survive.

Now her father has lost patience with her though and placing a huge bounty on her head left her vulnerable to any lowlife who just wants to collect the cash. Taken prisoner she is thrown in a cell with another notorious and high value prisoner Marcus Loch. Ada will do whatever it takes to escape before she's taken back to her father and if that means allying herself with another prisoner then that's what she'll do. She doesn't trust Loch but neither of them stand a chance of escaping alone so they'll have to work together in the short term at least.

Polaris Rising was such a fun read and I enjoyed every minute of it. It was the perfect blend of sci-fi world building and romance with plenty of action, great characters and hot chemistry. Ada is a brilliant character who is both smart and fierce, she has no intention of getting caught by her father or her unwanted fiancé and she will do whatever it takes to figure out why House Rockhurst are so eager for the marriage to go through. Loch is the kind of mysterious alpha who I find it very hard to resist, it's obvious he has secrets and I enjoyed unravelling some of the layers to find out more about his past. Ada and Loch fit together really well, they balance each other out as a couple and even when they have a big misunderstanding they're both adult enough to talk things through rather than just act without thinking.

This is a romance so that is a large focus of the story but there was plenty of other things going on too. The romance is fairly slow build and completely believable and the action and mystery kept me on my toes while I was reading. I'd be very happy to read more books with Ada and Loch as the main characters but I'm also excited that the next book stars Ada's sister Bianca. The next book is definitely at the top of my wish list and Jessie Mihalik is an author to watch out for.

Source: Received from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review

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Review: Monstress, Vol. 2: The Blood - Marjorie M. Liu & Sana Takeda

Maika Halfwolf is on the run from a coalition of forces determined to control or destroy the powerful Monstrum that lives beneath her skin. But Maika still has a mission of her own: to discover the secrets of her late mother, Moriko.

In this second volume of Monstress, collecting issues 7-12, Maika's quest takes her to the pirate-controlled city of Thyria and across the sea to the mysterious Isle of Bones. It is a journey that will force Maika to reevaluate her past, present, and future, and contemplate whether there's anyone, or anything, she can truly trust--including her own body.

Monstress Series:
Monstress, Vol. 1: Awakening
Monstress, Vol. 2: The Blood
Monstress, Vol. 3: Haven

Visit Marjorie M Liu's website or Sana Takeda's website for more information

Review:
Monstress Vol. 2: The Blood picks up Makia's story not long after the first book ended, she's still trying to figure out exactly what kind of monster she has living inside her and to do that she needs to uncover secrets from her past. Things her mother kept hidden from her, possibly for a very good reason. Following in her mother's footsteps takes Makia to an old family friend, one who just happens to be the Commander of a fleet of pirate ships. With several enemies on her tale the race is on to uncover her mother's secrets before she is captured but is she really ready to discover the truth?

I'm really enjoying this series so far, the artwork is dark, atmospheric and absolutely gorgeous and I've become really invested in Makia and especially her little sidekick Kippa. I love the variety of creatures we meet and the addition of the pirate crews, especially Kippa's swimming teacher, was brilliant. We get to uncover a lot of secrets in this instalment but that also raises a whole bunch of new questions and I can't wait to see how things play out from here.

I've included a couple of pictures below to give you a feel for the artwork and some of the characters:

I'm not sure how much I trust the cats but I love them anyway!

It's nice that at least one person in Makia's life seems to care about her

The pirates were a great addition

Kippa is still my favourite

Source: Received from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review

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Review: Diamond Fire - Ilona Andrews

Nevada Frida Baylor and Connor Ander Rogan cordially invite you to join their wedding celebration. Summoning, weather manipulation, and other magical activities strictly forbidden.

Catalina Baylor is looking forward to wearing her maid of honor dress and watching her older sister walk down the aisle. Then the wedding planner gets escorted off the premises, the bride’s priceless tiara disappears, and Rogan's extensive family overruns his mother’s home. Someone is cheating, someone is lying, and someone is plotting murder.

To make this wedding happen, Catalina will have to do the thing she fears most: use her magic. But she’s a Baylor and there’s nothing she wouldn't do for her sister's happiness. Nevada will have her fairy tale wedding, even if Catalina has to tear the mansion apart brick by brick to get it done.

Hidden Legacy Series:
Burn for Me
White Hot
Wildfire
Diamond Fire (Novella)
Sapphire Flames

Visit Ilona Andrews' website for more information

Review:
Diamond Fire is a novella in the Hidden Legacy series that bridges from the first trilogy told in Nevada's point of view and helps us transition into the upcoming trilogy that will have Catalina at the forefront. It ties up a few loose ends, raises a whole new set of questions and gives us just a tiny hint of the kind of main character that Catalina is going to be.

I have to confess that I was kind of hoping this story would be told entirely from Nevada's point of view, I'm a teeny bit obsessed with Nevada and Rogan so I was hoping for one last story with them entirely front and centre (let's face it, I just wanted more tactile sexy times!) but I know to trust Ilona & Gordon Andrews and they didn't disappoint. I really enjoyed the chance to see Nevada and Rogan take this next big step in their relationship and I'll be happy to see the occasional glimpse of them in the background as the series continues but I absolutely loved getting to know Catalina better.

Catalina is a very different type of heroine to Nevada, she's less confident and more self conscious, especially when it comes to her magic, but she's just as protective of the people she cares about and equally capable of standing up to anyone who threatens her family. I really enjoyed seeing Nevada and the rest of the family through Catalina's eyes and I loved getting to know Rogan's mother a little better as she takes Catalina under her wing. I think what is going to be really nice about Catalina's story is that we're probably going to get to know the younger members of House Baylor a little better, Nevada was quite a bit older than her sisters and cousin Leon so Catalina has a different type of relationship with Arabella which will be fun to explore.

While this story is very much about Catalina and Arabella helping to plan the wedding of the century it is also a mystery with a possible thief amongst Rogan's closest family members and a potential plot that could put the entire wedding party in danger. Catalina doesn't want to worry her sister so she's going to have to do the one thing she really hates doing and start using her magic to help her figure out what is going on. We've already seen a little of Catalina's powers in the past but we find out so much more of what she can do here and I can't wait to see her exploring her ability further as the series continues.

Diamond Fire was a fantastic story that left me with a massive smile on my face about Nevada and Rogan's HEA and also left me ridiculously excited to get my hands on Catalina's spin off series. I've been a huge Ilona Andrews fan for a long time now but their stories honestly just get better and better every time.

Source: Received from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review

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Review: Recklessly Royal - Nichole Chase

Catherine has spent her life being the perfect princess. She’s kept her hands clean, her head down, and most importantly—men at arm’s length. After all, most men are after only one thing, and for Cathy there’s a lot more at stake than her bed; she has to worry about the fate of an entire nation. But at the rate she’s going, Cathy is afraid she’ll give the Virgin Queen a run for her money. She is tired of waiting for someone good enough to come along. She has a plan, and it all hinges on seducing the one man who seems utterly unimpressed by all things royal. The one man she is tempted by more than any other . . .

When David arrives at the royal wedding of his friend, the newly ordained Duchess Samantha Rousseau, he expected to feel uncomfortable and out of his element, but he wasn’t prepared to be targeted by Prince Alex’s gorgeous younger sister. With Cathy’s giant blue eyes, killer figure, and sense of humor, it won’t take long before he gives in. But when he finds out just how innocent the crown princess really is, will he play the part of knight in shining armor or the dashing rogue?

The Royals Series:
Suddenly Royal
Recklessly Royal
Reluctantly Royal

Visit Nichole Chase's website for more information

Review:
I picked up this book when I was swept up in Royal Wedding fever on Harry and Meghan's big day (which gives you a clue how long it's taken me to sit down and actually write this review!) and it hit the spot perfectly. The story starts with the huge royal wedding of the previous couple in the series so this was a brilliant choice for me to read while I was watching the build up to the real life ceremony.

Cathy is Alex's sister and has spent her whole life living in the spotlight as the princes of Lilaria. She loves her country and is proud of her heritage but sometimes life can be pretty stifling with the press watching her every move and people always wanting a little piece of her. She can never be sure if people are interested in her or just want to get close hoping they'll gain something so it is very hard for her to trust anyone new. She loves her brother and his new wife Samantha and has enjoyed helping organise their wedding but she's really ready to let her hair down and have some fun.

David is one of Sam's friends from America and he's travelled to Lilaria for the wedding but also to run the bird sanctuary that Sam started. He has a pretty low opinion of royalty and has no interest in life in a spotlight so he might just be the perfect person for Cathy to have a long wished for secret affair with.

Both books in this series have hit the spot perfectly when it comes to fun and light-hearted romance with a feel good factor. There has been no unnecessary drama between the couples, the romances have been sweet but heartfelt with a nice amount of heat and I've enjoyed spending time in this world getting to know the characters. I'm definitely looking forward to reading Max's story next and hope the series finishes with a bang!

Source: Received from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review

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Review: Honor Among Thieves - Rachel Caine & Ann Aguirre

Meet your new favorite kickass heroine in this daring YA series by New York Times bestselling authors Rachel Caine and Ann Aguirre, a thrilling yet romantic futuristic adventure perfect for fans of Claudia Gray's A Thousand Pieces of You.

Petty criminal Zara Cole has a painful past that's made her stronger than most, which is why she chose life in New Detroit instead moving with her family to Mars. In her eyes, living inside a dome isn't much better than a prison cell.

Still, when Zara commits a crime that has her running scared, jail might be exactly where she's headed. Instead Zara is recruited into the Honors, an elite team of humans selected by the Leviathan--a race of sentient alien ships--to explore the outer reaches of the universe as their passengers.

Zara seizes the chance to flee Earth's dangers, but when she meets Nadim, the alien ship she's assigned, Zara starts to feel at home for the first time. But nothing could have prepared her for the dark, ominous truths that lurk behind the alluring glitter of starlight.

The Honors Series:
Honor Among Thieves
Honor Bound (2019)

Visit Rachel Caine's website or Ann Aguirre's website for more information

Review:
I've been wanting to read Honor Among Thieves ever since I heard Ann Aguirre give a reading last year, let's face it you don't often get to read stories about a girl who falls in love with a sentient space ship so the concept had me hooked! This was such a fun story and the writing switched seamlessly between Ann Aguirre and Rachel Caine, I definitely couldn't pinpoint who wrote which parts.

The story starts by showing us Zara's life on earth, things have been hard for her and she ended up living on the streets and working with a gang to survive, she's done things she's not proud of but she's only ever done what she needed to do to survive. When things go badly she ends up in a young offenders institute and without drastic changes she knows her life is on the line when her old gang eventually manage to catch up with her. It's then that she is offered the chance to take part in the Honors Program, a highly specialised training program that gives her the opportunity to travel through space with one of the Leviathans. The Leviathans are huge, whale like aliens that swim through the galaxy like it's an ocean, they are ancient and powerful and they have the ability to allow humans to live inside them to join them on their journeys.

After training Zara and her crew mate Bea are paired with Nadim, one of the younger Leviathans who is only just beginning his own journey. Working together the girls have to figure out how to survive in space and when Nadim gets injured in a fight with one of his own they start to realise how little humans really know about the Leviathans and what they want with us.

I really enjoyed this story, the world building was great but it was once Zara and Bea go to space and start to bond with Nadim that things really get interesting. I loved that both girls were immediate allies and friends rather than two women facing off against each other like you so often see in YA. They both have different strengths and personalities but they're happy to work together so there are no petty issues to worry about. What I liked most was getting to know Nadim though and seeing the girls through his eyes, the way the Leviathans are described and the way they see and hear the universe was just fascinating and the authors made it so easy to picture what was happening. Leviathans form a psychic bond with their crew and the developing feelings between Nadim and Zara were really well written, there is definitely love there but it's more of a soul bond than anything particularly romantic so there was nothing that weirded me out.

This was a great introduction to the series and it definitely left me excited to see how the story continues. I think we still have so much to uncover about the Leviathans and the reason they contacted humans in the first place and I'm definitely looking forward to seeing how that plays out.

Oh and in case you're interested in knowing what Nadim looks like check out this gorgeous illustration from the book:

Source: Received from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review, I also won a signed copy from Ann Aguirre.

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Review: Even the Darkest Stars - Heather Fawcett

The first in a sweeping and action-packed debut fantasy duology loosely inspired by the early climbers of Mt. Everest—perfect for fans of Cindy Pon and Alison Goodman.

Kamzin has always dreamed of becoming one of the Emperor’s royal explorers, the elite climbers tasked with mapping the wintry, mountainous Empire and spying on its enemies. She knows she could be the best in the world, if only someone would give her a chance.

But everything changes when the mysterious and eccentric River Shara, the greatest explorer ever known, arrives in her village and demands to hire Kamzin—not her older sister Lusha, as everyone had expected—for his next expedition. This is Kamzin’s chance to prove herself—even though River’s mission to retrieve a rare talisman for the emperor means climbing Raksha, the tallest and deadliest mountain in the Aryas. Then Lusha sets off on her own mission to Raksha with a rival explorer who is determined to best River, and Kamzin must decide what’s most important to her: protecting her sister from the countless perils of the climb or beating her to the summit.

The challenges of climbing Raksha are unlike anything Kamzin expected—or prepared for—with avalanches, ice chasms, ghosts, and even worse at every turn. And as dark secrets are revealed, Kamzin must unravel the truth of their mission and of her companions—while surviving the deadliest climb she has ever faced.

Even the Darkest Stars Series:
Even the Darkest Stars
All the Wandering Light (2018)

Visit the Heather Fawcett's website for more information

Review:
Even the Darkest Stars is a fantasy story set in a fictional version of the Himalayas where magic, witches and demons are real. As the youngest daughter of the village chief Kamzin has spent her life training to become the next Shaman but magic isn't something that comes easily to her and all she really wants to do is become an explorer like her late mother was. When one of the Emperor's elite royal explorers comes to the village to prepare for an expedition to Raksha everyone expects Kamzin's sister Lusha to be chosen as his guide but when Lusha vanishes River turns to Kamzin to help him on his journey instead. This is a dream come true for Kamzin and a chance for her to prove herself but the trek is going to be more perilous than she ever could have imagined and she's going to have to make some very difficult decisions along the way.

I absolutely loved the setting of this book, the lush mountains are described beautifully and are like extra characters in the story, particularly Raksha, the largest mountain in the kingdom, one that nobody has been able to reach the summit of and the one that Kamzin must help River conquer. The thrill of the climb and the dangers they face along the way kept me completely hooked and it felt like I was right there with them on the climb. This is a fairly slow build story though, a lot of major plot elements aren't explored until quite late in the game and certain revelations made towards the end of the book change the way you look at everything that went before it. I actually enjoyed the slower pace here though and the way Heather Fawcett took the time to build her world and bring her setting to life in front of us.

Kamzin is a great character, she can be a little self-centred and tends to focus on her end goal at the cost of missing things along the way but her heart is in the right place and she just wants the chance to prove herself and make her father proud of her. I admired her determination and the way she just wouldn't quit no matter how many obstacles were thrown into her path. I could have done without the dreaded love triangle but it wasn't the main focus so I can forgive it. River was an explorer like Kamzin, he loved taking risks and I could definitely see the appeal because they had so many common interests but I also really liked her childhood friend Tem so it's hard to pick between them. Tem was less of a risk taker but he was just as brave, in fact I'd almost say he was braver because he was facing his fears because he wanted to protect Kamzin, he wasn't the strongest climber but he bought his own set of skills and they wouldn't have made it as far as they did without him.

I really enjoyed Heather Fawcett's debut novel and I'm looking forward to seeing how Kamzin's story ends in All the Wandering Light later this year.

Source: Received from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: Ride Wild - Laura Kaye

Brotherhood. Club. Family.
They live and ride by their own rules.
These are the Raven Riders...

Wild with grief over the death of his wife, Sam “Slider” Evans merely lives for his two sons. Nothing holds his interest anymore—not even riding his bike or his membership in the Raven Riders Motorcycle Club. But that all changes when he hires a new babysitter.

Recently freed from a bad situation by the Ravens, Cora Campbell is determined to bury the past. When Slider offers her a nanny position, she accepts, needing the security and time to figure out what she wants from life. Cora adores his sweet boys, but never expected the red-hot attraction to their brooding, sexy father. If only he would notice her...

Slider does see the beautiful, fun-loving woman he invited into his home. She makes him feel too much, and he both hates it and yearns for it. But when Cora witnesses something she shouldn’t have, the new lives they’ve only just discovered are threatened. Now Slider must claim—and protect—what’s his before it’s too late.

Hard Ink Series:
Hard as It Gets
Hard as You Can
Hard to Hold on to (Novella)
Hard to Come By
Hard to Be Good (Novella)
Hard to Let Go
Hard as Steel (Novella) (This is a Raven Riders MC crossover novella)
Hard Ever After (Novella)
Hard to Serve (Novella) (This is a Blasphemy crossover novella)

Raven Riders MC Series:
(This is a spin off from the Hard Ink Series)
Hard as Steel (Novella) (This is a Hard Ink crossover novella)
Ride Hard
Ride Rough
Ride Wild
Ride Dirty (Novella)

Blasphemy Series:
(This is a spin off from the Hard Ink Series)
Hard to Serve (Novella) (This is a Hard Ink crossover novella)
Bound to Submit
Mastering Her Senses
Eyes on You (Novella)
Theirs to Take (Crossover with Reveal Me by Jennifer Probst)
On His Knees
Switching for Her (April 2018)

Visit Laura Kaye's website for more information

Review:
Slider has been keeping his distance from the rest of the Raven Riders since the death of his wife a couple of years ago, they think it's grief that has him pulling away from them but he's actually holding onto some pretty huge secrets, ones that have been tearing him up inside and have made it impossible for him to trust the people closest to him. Cora has been working as a nanny to his two young sons since she was rescued by the gang with her best friend Haven, she's fallen in love with the boys but the more time she spends with Slider the harder she finds it to resist the attraction she feels towards him too. It isn't until Cora finds herself in danger once more that Slider starts to realise his own feelings but can he learn to trust in love again after everything he's already been through?

It's always fun to go back to this world and get the chance to catch up with the Raven Riders, there are so many characters here to love and I've been wanting to see Slider's broken heart healed for a long time now. We've seen the attraction building between him and Cora over the last few books so it really was about time they gave into temptation and their chemistry was so hot it was definitely worth waiting for. I thought I knew what I was going to get in this story but Slider's issues are different to what I was expecting and his wife's death was the least of them. He blows hot and cold with Cora but once we discover what happened in his past it becomes very easy to understand where he's coming from. No matter how he is feeling about anything else he always puts his boys first but he's been so lost recently that they're all suffering together. I loved seeing Cora help the boys come to terms with their loss but also helping Slider remember how to have fun with them and rediscover his friendships with the rest of his MC.

Cora herself has only ever wanted a family to love and who will love her in return. Her father treated her horrifically and the only person who has ever really been there for her in the past is Haven so this story is about her finding acceptance and friendship amongst the Raven Riders as well as love and a family with Slider and his boys. Both Slider and Cora deserve their happily ever after and I enjoyed seeing them finally achieve it. There are still plenty of characters who I'm hoping to see get their own happy endings so this series continues to be an auto-buy for me. There is just something about Laura Kaye's writing that sucks me in every time and she always leaves me wanting more.

Source: Received from the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

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