Review: Stealing Summer - Lexi Blake

From New York Times and USA Today bestseller Lexi Blake comes a new epic-length story in her Thieves/Hunter world… 

A daughter lost 

Summer has spent her whole life wondering about the family she left behind. On the night she came into being she only had a few moments with them. In that brief time, she reached out to her father, looking deep into his soul, and gifted him the will to go on. But now she is the one in need. Once a child made of pure magic, she is forced to live as a mortal. Her power caused great harm, and she has sworn never to let it happen again. With her friends beside her, she tries her best to help those she can. If that requires her to do a little thievery, well, she is her mother’s daughter, after all.

Everything changes when a woman falls from the sky and Summer meets the handsome vampire named Marcus Vorenus. Just as her past begins to catch up with her, she might have finally met her future.

A mother discovered

Kelsey Owens went searching for Dev and Marcus but all she found was a trap. She was pulled through a magical painting and thrown smack into the middle of a battle on a foreign plane of existence. Luckily she’s good in a fight. Saving the woman targeted by the horde of brutal soldiers, Kelsey is shocked by her resemblance to her queen. As Kelsey investigates the mystery surrounding Summer Donovan-Quinn, she also hunts for a way back to the husbands and son she just claimed.

A queen exiled

Zoey Donovan-Quinn is not happy. The wizard Myrddin is back, her marriage is troubled, and she is sure those two problems are connected. But nothing is more worrying than Dev’s sudden disappearance. When she and Daniel go looking for him, they are drawn into a world thought lost to the Earth plane. Danger awaits them there, but so does the daughter they thought they would never see again. She hopes they survive their reunion.

Three heroines. One mystery. And an ending that will change the Thieves world forever…

Thieves Series:
Steal the Light
You Will Call Me Master (Free short story via the author's newsletter)
She Will Be My Goddess (Free short story via the author's newsletter)
Steal the Day
Steal the Moon
Steal the Sun
Steal the Night
Ripper (Hunter book 1)
Addict (Hunter book 2)
Sleeper (Hunter book 3)
Outcast (Hunter book 4)

Stealing Summer (Hunter book 5)

Visit Lexi Blake's website for more information

Review:
I love Lexi Blake's Thieves series and always hoped that we'd find out what happened to Summer as well as that we'd see Marcus get his own romance so I was thrilled when I heard about Stealing Summer. While a lot of this author's books work as stand alone stories (you can pretty much read the Masters & Mercenaries series in any order for example) I really recommend reading this book after the rest of the Thieves and Hunter books because there is so much going on here that it would be confusing for a first time reader.

We have three different points of view for the book, Zoey from the original books in the series, Kelsey whose story was told in the Hunter spin off and also Summer who we saw briefly as a baby but never as a POV character before. Sometimes I find stories confusing when they're told from multiple points of view but these three characters were distinctive enough that it was easy to keep track of who we were reading about.

It's really hard to say too much about the plot of this book without giving spoilers but trust me if you had questions at the end of the previous books then you'll get most of the answers here. As well as Zoey and Kelsey we get to catch up with other series favourites like Daniel, Dev and Marcus, we also get to explore a few new realms and if you're fans of Lexi's other books you'll spot cameos from characters from both the Masters and Mercenaries and the Faery story series. I loved getting to meet Summer and see how her life had turned out since she was taken to Faerie and I really loved seeing Marcus finally get his own happily ever after that he's waited thousands of years for. 

The only other thing I'm going to tell to is that this is a total game changer for this series and whole world. Lots of revelations are made and while I expected something like what happened at the end it was still a jaw dropping moment and a HUGE cliffhanger. I honestly can't wait for the next book in the series and I'm really glad that Lexi Blake is writing in this world again!

Source: Purchased

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Review: Kiss of Vengeance - S. Young

A standalone adult paranormal romance from New York Times Bestselling author Samantha Young writing as S. Young.

Fionn Mór was once a high king of Ireland; a fierce warrior who led his tribes against the invading fae. It was a war he couldn’t win and to save his family he turned consort for the Fae Queen. Fionn escaped as the thing he once despised, and the people he loved betrayed him for it. Now, centuries later, it’s time to reopen the gates to Faerie to take his revenge against the Faerie Queen.

At sixteen Rose Kelly discovered family secrets that changed her forever. Years after, she’s still lost, traveling across Europe in search of that elusive missing ‘something’. When she’s attacked by a vampire, not only is she wrenched into a supernatural underworld she never knew existed, a knock on the head releases a spell on her mind and unlocks powers beyond her wildest imaginings. And with them more questions. Questions Fionn Mór claims to have answers to.

Following the powerful and enigmatic Fionn to Ireland, Rose quickly realizes she’s a pawn in his plan for vengeance. What begins as a passionate battle of wills leads to an inexplicable but undeniable connection. One that will force them to face an impossible choice between the deepest love… and the darkest revenge.

True Immortality Series:
(These stories are all stand alone and can be read in any order but they're in the same universe)
War of Hearts
Kiss of Vengeance

Visit Samantha Young's website for more information

Review:
Fionn was an Irish warrior king who led his people in battle against the fae, when the war took a dangerous turn he sacrificed himself becoming consort to the Fae Queen to save his people. The queen turned Fionn fae as punishment, making him part of a race he despised, then, when he was finally able to escape and return home his people betrayed him. In the centuries since Fionn has had one goal in mind, finding a way to return to Faerie so that he can kill the Fae Queen and finally get the revenge he has been dreaming of.

Rose has never felt like she fitted in and she's never been able to settle in one place. For years she's wandered across Europe searching for something even though she's not really sure what she's looking for. Then one night she is attacked by a vampire and finds herself pulled into the world of the supernatural. Fionn offers to be her protection in this new world but Rose has no idea that he believes she is the key to opening the gates to Faerie and that he plans to use her to get his revenge.

While this story is set in the same world as War of Hearts, and Fionn did make a brief appearance in that book, Kiss of Vengeance also works well as a stand alone. Fans of the series will spot a few familiar faces along the way but I don't think it would be enough to make things confusing for new readers. They're great books though so I'd honestly recommend picking up both of them.

I really loved Rose as a character, she was new to the supernatural but she was by no means a push over. She'd been looking after herself for years and was more than capable of standing her ground when she needed to. She was really honest and open and definitely someone I could easily be friends with. Fionn was a strong and proud warrior who had been to hell and back. His backstory was tragic and he had been abused horribly at the hands of the Fae Queen so I had a lot of sympathy for him but I didn't like the fact that he was so willing to sacrifice an innocent just to get his revenge. Fionn and Rose had a spark and I found their bickering amusing but I found it hard to get on board with their relationship when he was keeping so many secrets and basically plotting to kill her for the majority of the book. You could see he was struggling with his feelings and that helped but I think I'd have liked him to be more upfront a little earlier in the story.

Overall I don't think I loved the romance quite as much as the first book but I still enjoyed the characters and the world building. I'm invested in this series and really hope that Niamh is going to be getting her own book soon.

Source: Received from the author in exchange for an honest review

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Review: Moontangled - Stephanie Burgis

Take one ambitious politician and one determined magician with wildly different aims for their next meeting.

Add a secret betrothal, a family scandal, and a heaping of dangerous fey magic in an enchanted wood...and watch the sparks fly!

For just one moonlit, memorable night, Thornfell College of Magic has flung open its doors, inviting guests from around the nation to an outdoor ball intended to introduce the first-ever class of women magicians to society...but one magician and one invited guest have far more pressing goals of their own for the night.

Quietly brilliant Juliana Banks is determined to win back the affections of her secret fiancée, rising politician Caroline Fennell, who has become inexplicably distant. If Juliana needs to use magic to get her stubborn fiancée to pay her attention...well, then, as the top student in her class, she is more than ready to take on that challenge!

Unbeknownst to Juliana, though, Caroline plans to nobly sacrifice their betrothal for Juliana's own sake - and no one has ever accused iron-willed Caroline Fennell of being easy to deter from any goal.

Their path to mutual happiness may seem tangled beyond repair...but when they enter the fey-ruled woods that border Thornfell College, these two determined women will find all of their plans upended in a night of unexpected and magical possibilities.

The Harwood Spellbook Series:
Spellswept (Prequel Novella)
Snowspelled
Thornbound
Moontangled (Novella)

Visit Stephanie Burgis' website for more information

Review:
We've met both Juliana and Caroline before so I'd highly recommend reading the previous books in the series before this novella so that you're familiar with their history. Caroline is an aspiring politician with a bright future ahead of her but only if she follows the tradition of marrying a gentleman magician. The slight hitch in that is that she is madly in love with Juliana and the two are secretly engaged. Juliana was one of the first students to join the first magic school for women, the Thornfell College of Magic. Juliana is sure that if she can just pass her exams and officially be recognised as a magician then her marriage to Caroline can go ahead without ruining Caroline's political chances.

A recent scandal has caused Caroline to start pulling away from Juliana though, so just when they're getting close to achieving their dreams it looks like their relationship may be about to fall apart. Juliana is determined to get their relationship back on track but Caroline is trying to protect Juliana's reputation by keeping her distance. One magical night along with one tricky fae and they will either lose each other forever or find their way back to one another.

I'm so happy that Stephanie Burgis decided to give Juliana and Caroline their own story. I've been rooting for the young couple ever since they were first introduced so it was sad to see their respective careers getting in the way of their relationship. Luckily they're both fighters and once they both figure out what is really important nothing is going to change their minds. Juliana and Caroline are a pretty adorable couple but it was also nice to see how supportive Juliana's classmates as well as her teachers are of their relationship.

Source: Received from the author in exchange for an honest review

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Review: Thornbound - Stephanie Burgis

Cassandra Harwood scandalized her nation when she became the first woman magician in Angland. Now, she's ready to teach a whole new generation of bright young women at her radical new school, the Thornfell College of Magic…

Until a sinister fey altar is discovered in the school library, the ruling Boudiccate sends a delegation to shut down Thornfell, and Cassandra’s own husband is torn away from her.

As malevolent vines slither in from the forest and ruthless politicians scheme against her, Cassandra must fight the greatest battle of her life to save her love, her school, and the future of the young women of Angland.

The Harwood Spellbook Series:
Spellswept (Prequel Novella)
Snowspelled
Thornbound
Moontangled (Novella)

Visit Stephanie Burgis' website for more information

Review:
Thornbound is the second book in the Harwood Spellbook series by Stephanie Burgis and we get to see Cassandra fulfilling her dreams as she opens the door to her new school for female magicians, the Thornfell College of Magic. Cassandra has had a lot of support from her family and her husband to open the school but it quickly becomes clear that a lot of people in positions of power are not happy with her attempting to change the status quo. It's so engrained in society that women are politicians while men are magicians and people are worried that rocking the boat with this new college will have all kinds of implications for the future.

Cassandra has never been one to back down from a challenge but when the Boudiccate send a team of inspectors who are essentially looking for excuses to shut down the college she knows she's really up against it. Then a sinister fae altar is found in the school library proving that someone has been dabbling in forbidden magic, and Cassandra's husband goes missing she starts to wonder if her own dreams are costing the ones she loves a price that she's not willing to pay.

I'm really enjoying this series and I hope that we're going to see more of Cassandra as well as the staff and students at Thornfell College in the future, I'm sure there are all kinds of adventures they could get up to! I think what I like most about this series is how it turns rules of society as we know them on their head, it's the men who have to watch their reputations as being alone with a woman could ruin their reputations and it its the women who have most of the power. But while it's fun to see that switch up I also like the way Cassandra and her students are challenging societal norms to follow their dreams. We've seen Cassandra and her brother both make choices that are looked down on from some quarters but they never gave up and now they're giving a whole new generation the ability to follow in their footsteps.

This series is brilliantly written with inspiring characters and a fun magical setting. Adding in the tricky Fae only adds to the excitement as you really never know what one of them will try next, especially if they're making dodgy bargains with people.

Source: Received from the author in exchange for an honest review

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Review: Twilight Seeker - Pippa DaCosta

Stay in the light, avoid locked doors, and resist silver whispers.

Meet Lynher Aris. Hostess extraordinaire. By night, she entertains the Dark Ones passing through the Night Station: vampires, demons, shifters, and worse. By day, she undermines them all, working with the resistance to unravel their enslavement of the human race.

But Lynher has a dark secret of her own, and with the imminent arrival of Ghost—a vampire overlord few have seen but all fear—she must play her role as the queen of the Night Station to perfection, keeping the resistance and her secret safe, or risk losing everything, including the powerful Night Station itself.

A new gothic urban fantasy series by acclaimed fantasy & sci-fi author, Pippa DaCosta.

Daybreaker Series:
Twilight Seeker
Night Scourge (July 2020)

Visit Pippa DaCosta's website for more information

Review:
It's no secret that I'm a Pippa DaCosta fangirl so of course I've been eagerly waiting for Twilight Seeker ever since she first announced it but I'm going to say it here and now that she has completely outdone herself with this one. The story had me hooked from the first page with its brilliant world building and fantastic characters. Nothing is quite what it seems when it comes to the Night Station, it's magical, dangerous and full of secrets. I think we've only started to scratch the surface and I can't wait for the next book so we can dig down a few more layers.

Lynher is a great character, she's a normal human in a world full of demons, vampires and fae who all consider her prey. It is her job to run the Night Station and keep the peace amongst her guests but she's at a physical disadvantage compared to everyone around her so she's walking a very fine line keeping everything balanced. It's all about keeping up appearances and making sure the guests see her as someone to be wary of rather than someone they can walk right over. She's not completely powerless though and again I think we have a lot more to learn about what she's truly capable of.

While juggling the needs of her guests Lynher is also working alongside the human resistance doing everything she can to rescue as many humans as possible from slavery to the vampires and other supernatural races. Throw in characters like Rafe, the incubus who has been attempting to seduce her for as long as she can remember, and Just Jack, a new arrival at the Night Station who is obviously more than he seems, and I have absolutely no idea where this series is going to take us next. We've already had so many twists so while I have a few suspicions about certain people I'm pretty sure Pippa will turn everything on its head all over again in the next book.

Series like this are the reason I love urban fantasy and I'm so happy we only have to wait until July for the second book, Night Scourge, although if Pippa could write a little faster and let me have it sometime next week I definitely would't complain LOL.

Source: Received from the author in exchange for an honest review

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Review: Snowspelled - Stephanie Burgis

In nineteenth-century Angland, magic is reserved for gentlemen while ladies attend to the more practical business of politics. But Cassandra Harwood has never followed the rules...

Four months ago, Cassandra Harwood was the first woman magician in Angland, and she was betrothed to the brilliant, intense love of her life.

Now Cassandra is trapped in a snowbound house party deep in the elven dales, surrounded by bickering gentleman magicians, manipulative lady politicians, her own interfering family members, and, worst of all, her infuriatingly stubborn ex-fiancé, who refuses to understand that she’s given him up for his own good.

But the greatest danger of all lies outside the manor in the falling snow, where a powerful and malevolent elf-lord lurks...and Cassandra lost all of her own magic four months ago.

To save herself, Cassandra will have to discover exactly what inner powers she still possesses – and risk everything to win a new kind of happiness.

A witty and sparkling romantic fantasy novella that opens a brand-new series for adults from the author of Kat, Incorrigible, Masks and Shadows and Congress of Secrets.

The Harwood Spellbook Series:
Spellswept (Prequel Novella)
Snowspelled
Thornbound
Moontangled (Novella)

Visit Stephanie Burgis' website for more information

Review:
Snowspelled is a novella set in 19th Century Angland, a kind of alternate history of our own world but with added fae and magic. Also this is very much a matriarchal society so if you've been looking for a feminist historical romance this will hit the spot perfectly!

It was a truth universally acknowledged that women were the more pragmatic sex; that was why we were expected to run the government, while the men attended to the more mystical and imaginative realm of magic.

In this world the women are the politicians, they make the rules and govern society while the men engage in more frivolous pursuits like magic. Cassandra Harwood's mother was a respected politician and Cassandra was expected to follow in her footsteps but she was always more interested in magic. It took hard work but she finally achieved her lifetime dream of becoming the world's first female magician, she had everything she wanted in her career and was engaged to the love of her life, fellow magician Wrexham, but when a spell went horribly wrong her world came crashing down around her. Now unable to use magic Cassandra has lost her purpose in life and she broke off her engagement because she didn't want to bring Wrexham down with her.

Several months later Cassandra finds herself trapped at a house party and completely out of her comfort zone surrounded by lady politicians, who should be her peers but aren't, and male magicians, who used to be her colleagues. To make matters worse Wrexham is stubbornly following her around trying to convince her to change her mind about their relationship and she also seems to have caused a bit of bother with the local elves that could cause a political nightmare.

Snowspelled was an utterly charming story by Stephanie Burgis, the world building was fabulous, full of diverse characters and feminist themes, the characters were fun to spend time with, there was a good amount of action and the romance was incredibly sweet. I was amazed how much the author managed to pack into a relatively small number of pages and I'm already looking forward to continuing the series.

Source: Won in a giveaway from the author

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Review: Wicked Hour - Chloe Neill

The second pulse-pounding novel in the bestselling Heirs of Chicagoland series sees vampire Elisa Sullivan get drawn into the shifting sands of Pack politics.

As the only vampire child in existence, Elisa Sullivan grew up with a heavy legacy. Alongside shifter Connor Keene - the only son of Pack Apex Gabriel Keene - she faced down a supernatural evil that threatened to destroy Chicago forever.

After the dust has settled, Elisa is surprised when Connor invites her to a Pack event in the north woods of Minnesota, and by the warm welcome she receives from some of Connor's family, even though she's a vampire.

But the peace doesn't last. The shifters tell tales of a monster in the woods, and when the celebration is marred by death, Elisa and Connor find themselves in the middle of a struggle for control that forces Elisa to face her true self - fangs and all.

Chicagoland Vampires Series:
Some Girls Bite
Friday Night Bites
Twice Bitten
Hard Bitten
Drink Deep
Biting Cold
House Rules
Biting Bad
High Stakes (Novella in the Kicking It anthology)
Howling for You (Novella)
Wild Things
Blood Games
Lucky Break (Novella)
Dark Debt
Midnight Marked
Phantom Kiss (Novella)
Blade Bound
Slaying It (Novella)

Heirs of Chicagoland Series:
(Spin off set approximately 20 years on from the end of the Chicagoland Vampires series)
Wild Hunger
Wicked Hour

Visit Chloe Neill's website for more information

Review:
Wicked Hour is the second book in Chloe Neill's Heirs of Chicagoland series which focuses on Merit and Ethan's daughter Elisa. As the only born vampire in existence there is a lot that Elisa doesn't know about herself and her abilities and she has nobody else to ask either so she's forging her own path. Her biggest struggle is controlling the darkness inside and it's a battle she's been fighting alone because she doesn't want to worry her parents.

The only person who knows the full extent of her trouble is Connor, her childhood frenemy and the future Pack Apex. Her relationship with Connor has changed a lot in recent months so she is surprised but pleased when he invites her to accompany him to a secret pack ceremony in Minnesota. It's a perfect opportunity for them to spend time together and decide what kind of future they might have but Elisa knows that members of the pack are unlikely to be pleased with the appearance of a vampire at a sacred werewolf ritual.

I'm always impressed with how easy Chloe Neill makes it for readers to step back into this world, I've loved the original series for such a long time now and it looks like I'm going to enjoy the spin off just as much. Elisa is a great character, she's had a pretty privileged upbringing as the pampered princess of Cadogan House but she's worked hard to gain her own independence and spent years living away from her parents. She's worked hard to train as a warrior just like her mother did but she has no plans on working for her parents as she'd rather make her own way. I find the idea of her inner monster really interesting and I'm enjoying watching her fight for control as she tries to figure out how to stop the darkness from taking over.

I really love the banter between Elisa and Connor, they've known each other for their entire lives and spent most of their childhood teasing and fighting each other. They have no secrets and often bicker like the children they once were but at the same time they're building a strong friendship now where they always have each other's backs. The slowly building romance between them has been spot on so far and I can't wait to see what the future holds for the pair of them.

This story was interesting because we got to spend more time outside of Chicago and learn more about life in a werewolf pack. The Minnesota wolves live a fairly simple life but there are definitely different factions building as the older and younger members have very different ideas about how they want the Pack's future to look. Add in the mystery of a killer monster on the loose and things get very interesting for Elisa and Connor.

This series has definitely been added to my auto-buy list and I'm already looking forward to reading more about these characters in the future.

Source: Received via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

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Review: War of Hearts - S. Young

Thea Quinn has no idea what she is. All she knows is that her abilities have been a plague upon her life since she was a child. After years of suffering at the hands of a megalomaniac, Thea escaped and has been on the run ever since.

The leadership and protection of his pack are of the utmost importance to Conall MacLennan, Alpha and Chief of Clan MacLennan, the last werewolf pack in Scotland. Which is why watching his sister slowly die of a lycanthropic disease is emotional torture. When Conall is approached by a businessman who offers a cure for his sister in exchange for the use of Conall’s rare tracking ability, Conall forges an unbreakable contract with him. He has to find and retrieve the key to the cure: dangerous murderer, Thea Quinn.

Thea’s attempts to evade the ruthless werewolf are not only thwarted by the Alpha, but by outside dangers. With no choice but to rely on one another for survival, truths are revealed, intensifying a passionate connection they both fight to resist. At war with themselves and each other, Conall and Thea’s journey to Scotland forces them to face a heartrending choice between love and betrayal.

True Immortality Series:
(These stories are all stand alone and can be read in any order but they're in the same universe)
War of Hearts
Kiss of Vengeance

Visit Samantha Young's website for more information

Review:
Conall is the alpha werewolf and chief of a pack in Scotland, his family and his pack are his priorities and it's killing him having to watch his sister waste away from a disease with no known cure. When he's approached by a businessman who offering him a cure in exchange for Conall tracking down a murderer and bringing them to justice he jumps at the chance to save Callie's life.

Thea has always known she is different she just doesn't know why, despite being born to human parents she is faster and stronger than any human should be and her healing abilities are exceptional even compared to supernaturals. After her parents died she was taken in by a family friend but once he discovered her powers she spent years locked up and suffering through experiment after experiment. Escaping cost her everything and she's been on the run ever since trying to stay one step ahead of her enemies. Now Conall is on her trail and he always finds his target, he thinks he's hunting a murderer but Thea knows capture will lead to a lifetime of pain and suffering and she will do anything to escape that fate.

I love Samantha Young's contemporary romances but paranormal is where my heart lies so when I found out she was writing her first adult PNR story I knew I had to read it. War of Hearts was a brilliant slow build romance between two characters who both have everything to lose. They're both great characters and although I was a bit irritated by how easily Conall let himself be duped in the beginning I could understand his desperation to believe anything if it meant saving his sister. Thea has suffered so much but in spite of that she has a kind of charming innocence about her and she believes the best in the people she meets. She could so easily use her abilities to get whatever she wants but she prefers to work hard and make her own way in life, something that Conall quickly comes to respect too. I thought these two made a really well matched pair and I enjoyed watching them finally start to realise how deeply their feelings ran for each other.

The story is full of action as the chase takes them all across Europe as Thea tries to keep out of Conall's reach. Then when someone else starts targeting the pair they realise that they're going to have to work together if they both want to survive. Samantha Young has created an interesting world and while this story works perfectly as a stand alone I'm really excited that she plans to write more stories set in this universe. Kiss of Vengeance is definitely at the top of my wish list for when it publishes next year!

Source: Received from the author in exchange for an honest review

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Review: Lost & Found - Ariana Nash

What use is a blade without a war?

After giving their lives to the Order, the Ashford assassins are in crisis. The battles are over, the war is no more, but assassins cannot retire from who they are.

Trey knows this. He may not have been an Assassin of the Order for long, but it was long enough to leave him scarred. Restless and heartsick, he returns to wandering, traveling from settlement to settlement, delivering tokens of love, not death.

Among his Order brethren at Ashford, he rediscovers the joy of careless pleasures and the thrill of knowing he'll be gone in the morning. But one assassin isn't so easily dismissed. Proud, powerful, and a self-centered prick, Sentinel Venali is everything Trey despises. But he fucks like there's no tomorrow, and right now, sex with no strings attached is exactly what Trey needs.

When fellow Order elves begin to take their own lives, the depth of the damage done by the war becomes apparent.

Trey has watched those around him buckle beneath their fears, powerless to stop their self-destructive path. He knows some cries for help are silent. And few need help more than the damaged Venali.

Tomorrow, Trey will be gone. Because staying means loving, and his cracked heart cannot withstand another break.

If only it were that simple to say goodbye.

***

Trey's novella takes place after events in the Silk & Steel trilogy. For the best experience, please read the Silk & Steel trilogy first. This novella does contain spoilers for the Silk & Steel series of novels.

Silk & Steel Series:
Sealed with a Kiss (Prequel short story)
Silk & Steel
Iron & Fire
Blood & Ice
Lost & Found (Novella)
The Black Prince

Visit Ariana Nash's website or Pippa DaCosta's website for more information

Review:
I highly recommend avoiding this novella until after you've read the Silk & Steel trilogy (Silk & Steel, Iron & Fire, Blood & Ice) because it does contain spoilers for the main story arc. However, once you've read that trilogy you really don't want to miss the chance to see Trey get his much earned happily ever after!

I've loved Trey since his first appearance in the prequel Sealed with a Kiss and his character has been brilliant throughout the series so I was really happy when Ariana Nash announced that she was giving him his own story. This is all about the Order Assassins and how a lot of them are struggling to find a new purpose for their lives now that the war is over and the elves and dragons are at peace. They've all watched friends and family members die, they've seen and done terrible things and now they've got to try and come to terms with that and figure out a way to move forward. It's not easy though and an increasing number of suicides amongst their number is starting to raise suspicion.

I don't remember much of Venali from the main series but he turned out to be an exceptional match for Trent. The two of them heat up the pages like nothing else and I think this might even be the hottest instalment in the series (which is really saying something to anyone who has read the other books!). Although their connection starts out with the physical I really enjoyed seeing the emotional connection build as they spent more time together. Throwing in the mystery of what is happening with members of the order and I flew through this novella. This story is highly recommended to fans of the Silk & Steel series and I just can't wait to see what Ariana Nash comes up with next.

Source: Received for free from the author in exchange for an honest review

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Review: The Harp of Kings - Juliet Marillier

A young woman is both a bard--and a warrior--in this thrilling historical fantasy from the author of the Sevenwaters novels.

Eighteen-year-old Liobhan is a powerful singer and an expert whistle player. Her brother has a voice to melt the hardest heart, and is a rare talent on the harp. But Liobhan's burning ambition is to join the elite warrior band on Swan Island. She and her brother train there to compete for places, and find themselves joining a mission while still candidates. Their unusual blend of skills makes them ideal for this particular job, which requires going undercover as traveling minstrels. For Swan Island trains both warriors and spies.

Their mission: to find and retrieve a precious harp, an ancient symbol of kingship, which has gone missing. If the instrument is not played at the upcoming coronation, the candidate will not be accepted and the kingdom will be thrown into disarray. Faced with plotting courtiers and tight-lipped druids, an insightful storyteller, and a boorish Crown Prince, Liobhan soon realizes an Otherworld power may be meddling in the affairs of the kingdom. When ambition clashes with conscience, Liobhan must make a bold decision--and the consequences may break her heart.

Blackthorn & Grim:
Dreamer's Pool
Tower of Thorns
Den of Wolves

Warrior Bards:
(This series can be read completely separately but it stars Blackthorn & Grim's children)
The Harp of Kings
A Dance with Fate (2020)

Visit Juliet Marillier's website for more information

Review:
I've been a fan of Juliet Marillier ever since I first started reading her Blackthorn and Grim series a few years ago so I was absolutely thrilled to find out that she was returning to this world with The Harp of Kings. Although the new Warrior Bards series can easily be read without reading the previous books the story is set in the same world but many years later and it stars Blackthorn and Grim's grown up children Liobhan and Brocc.

Liobhan is a skilled musician and singer but the one thing she wants more than anything is to become a warrior. Brocc is more interested in his music than fighting but he chose to accompany Liobhan to Swan Island, where elite warriors are trained, to keep his sister safe. Dau is another member of their class and he is in fierce competition with Liobhan to be the top student. The three are still in training when they are selected for an important mission. They'll need to take on new identities for the duration of the challenge with Liobhan and Brocc as travelling bards while Dau works as an apprentice blacksmith.

Their mission is to find a missing harp. The Harp of Kings is an ancient artefact that has been used at the coronation of all the previous kings, it has been stolen from the Druids and unless it's found in time the crown prince will not be accepted by his people as their rightful king. They need to find answers but that is made very difficult by the fact that nobody can know who they really are or that the harp is even missing in the first place. Add in the way the local fae seem to have taken an interest in both the harp and the siblings who are looking for it and things are going to get complicated fast.

I absolutely love Juliet Marillier's writing style, her books are very character driven and they read just like an old fashioned fairytale. I love the way she weaves folklore and fae creatures into her work and the blend of mystery and magic is just seamless. The story is told in alternating points of view from Liobhan, Brocc and Dau, all three were distinctive characters with very different outlooks on life. I love the strong bond between Liobhan and Brocc, they always have each other's backs and they are willing to risk a great deal to protect each other. I wasn't a fan of Dau's at first, he had some very old fashioned ideas about women wanting to be warriors and to be honest he came across as a bit of an idiot but he really grew a lot throughout the story and I enjoyed seeing him and Liobhan go from fierce enemies to grudging allies.

This story has a lot of heart and it was totally captivating from the first page to the last. I'm already desperately waiting for the sequel and I can't wait to spend more time with these characters.

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

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Review: The Black Prince - Ariana Nash

In the war-torn rubble of the human world, can a rebel elf and a lost dragon prince find love, or will a dark threat tear them and their world apart forever?

A new land, a new court, a new king, but some things never change.

Broken in all ways, Akiem fled his life as the amethyst prince only to land at the mercy of the beautiful but deadly diamond king, Luceran.

Akiem knows dragons. He knows he’ll die today, tomorrow, whenever Luceran’s executioner brings down his axe, and maybe it’s all he deserves. He’s ready for death, craves it even, like he craves the elf with flame-red hair and a sly smile, the damn elf whose stolen kiss lit Akiem up in ways he didn’t know were possible.

Akiem doesn’t do males and he definitely doesn’t do elves. But some things do change.

Drifter, mercenary, lover — Zane is all those things. He’ll do almost anything for coin. But he doesn't do dragons and he definitely doesn’t do love.

It's not such a bad life for an elf. Better than the rest of his kin, living under the rule and whims of the dragon king, Luceran.

Working as a bodyguard in Bayston should have been quick coin in his pocket before moving on. But King Luceran has a new toy he parades at court. A dragon with eyes of gold and scales as black as night.

He probably shouldn’t have kissed him. Definitely should have killed him.

And now, moving on is the farthest thought from Zane's mind. Because Luceran's new toy is not like the other dragonkin. And maybe, just maybe, the terrible, beautiful beast has the key to freeing all the persecuted elves and unlocking Zane's restless heart.

Zane doesn't do love and he doesn't do dragons.

But with the arrival of the Black Prince, everything is about to change.

***

The Black Prince is part of the Silk & Steel world and takes place after events in Silk & Steel. It can be read as a standalone.

Silk & Steel Series:
Sealed with a Kiss (Prequel short story)
Silk & Steel
Iron & Fire
Blood & Ice
Lost & Found (Novella)
The Black Prince

Visit Ariana Nash's website or Pippa DaCosta's website for more information

Review:
If you'd asked me at the beginning of the Silk & Steel series if I wanted to read a whole book about Lysander's brother Akiem the answer would have been a resounding no, but by the time I'd read Blood and Ice, I'd definitely changed my mind. Anyway, as you might have guessed from the title, The Black Prince picks up Akiem's story after the end of the original trilogy. It was a very broken version of Akiem that fled across the ocean trying to escape his past and what he found there was a world very different to the one he grew up in but once more it's a world where he has no control over his own life.

Akiem has caught the eye of the dragon Luceran and nobody tells the diamond king no and lives. All Akiem can do is try to find a place for himself in Luceran's court, he just wants to fit in and not draw too much attention to himself but that becomes increasingly difficult when the king's brother starts trying to draw him into a conspiracy. Mercenary Zane is an elf who drifts from one place to the next earning whatever cash he can along the way but when he discovers a secret he's horrified by the actions of one of his own people. Then his friend is abducted and Zane knows he'll do whatever it takes to mount a rescue, even if that does mean seducing the king's latest pet dragon.

I'm not going to say much more about the story so you'll just have to read the book for yourself. What I will say is that Ariana Nash is extremely good at making me care about characters that are flawed. We all saw Akiem do terrible things in previous books yet I found myself really feeling for him here and wanting him to find some kind of happiness. After all Akiem grew up with the same mother as Lysander and although he was the favoured son that doesn't mean his life was easy. He did terrible things just to survive but the difference is he feels guilt for what he's done, he's now trying to make amends for his previous actions and that makes it much easier to forgive him. Zane was another great character, someone who doesn't always make the right choices but who tries to do the right thing. He's seen a lot of suffering in his life but that hasn't jaded him past the point where he can see the good in others.

This story was a great addition to the Silk & Steel world. It's set in a different country so it can be read as a stand alone but I think you'll appreciate how far Akiem has come much more if you know his story from previous books. All of the other characters are totally new though and there are definitely some interesting ones there so I'm kind of hoping we might end up getting a few more stories set in this world.

Source: Received for free from the author in exchange for an honest review

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Review: Beauty - Lexi Blake

The princess in the tower

In one horrifying night, Bronwyn Finn lost her family, her kingdom, and the princes who had haunted her dreams for years. Left alone, years pass as she fights for survival and craves revenge against the uncle who took everything from her. But she’s never forgotten her Dark Ones. Now she hides along with her guardian, but the war rages ever closer.

Two dark princes

A tragedy marred Lach and Shim’s lives. The future kings of the Unseelie Fae are obsessed with finding their promised wife—Bronwyn. Lach and Shim have never stopped believing that Bronwyn is their mate. She is the bond that connects the halves of their shared soul.

A destiny that will change a kingdom

With the blessing of the renegade kings, Beck and Cian Finn, Lach and Shim begin a dangerous quest to find their bride before Torin and his hags take her life.

Across two planes, a war will rage. Lives will be lost. Love will be found. And the Seelie Fae will welcome their true kings home.

Re-released in a second edition. Re-edited but no substantial changes.

A Faery Story Series:
(Originally published under the pen name Sophie Oak)
Bound
Beast
Beauty

Visit Lexi Blake's website for more information

Review:
Bronwyn lost everything the night her uncle invaded her home and killed her parents so he could take their throne for himself. Her brothers, princes Beckett and Cian, escaped but believing Bronwyn was dead they left her behind. She only survived with the help of the unseelie princess Gillian and the two have spent years in hiding hoping to find a way to escape and reunite with their families. Throughout her childhood Bronwyn dreamed of two men who she called her Dark Ones, they grew up with her and where her closest friends but their connection was lost the night she almost died and she has missed them desperately ever since.

Lach and Shim are the unseelie princes and symbiotic twins, one soul split into two bodies. Technically they should be fading away without finding their mate but they both bonded with Bronwyn across the planes the night she nearly died. For years the connection has been weak and they feared she might be dead but recently they've been able to connect with her through their dreams once again. Now they need to convince their father, and Bronwyn's brothers, that she is alive and desperately in need of their help. The seelie and unseelie must unite against the imposter king if they're going to have any chance of protecting all of the realms but it won't be an easy battle.

The first two books in this series were brilliant and my jaw almost hit the flaw when it was revealed at the end of the last book that Bronwyn was still alive. I couldn't get my hands on a copy of Beauty fast enough and I enjoyed every minute of it. We get to spend time with the previous couple and triad which was fun but I think Bronwyn, Lach and Shim probably had my favourite romance of the series. Lach and Shim have always known who Bronwyn was, in fact they sent their sister Gillian to the seelie court hoping to arrange their marriage, but things went to hell before anything could be arranged. Bronwyn on the other hand believed the guys were just a figment of her imagination so she gets quite the shock when they walk into town expecting her to marry them!

All three of them have very different personalities but put them all together and they balance each other out perfectly. There were a few frustrating moments when Bronwyn wanted to be allowed to fight for her people but the brothers wanted to hide her away and protect her but once they come around they're a force to be reckoned with. This book ties up the loose ends from the previous books, we've been building towards a war with Bronwyn's uncle for a long time now and it was satisfying seeing them all come together to take him down. It's been years since these books were first published but I'm really hoping that now Lexi Blake has made the decision to rerelease them that we might get an extra book with Gillian's story, I'd really like to see her get her own happy ending but I think enough hints were given in this book to give us a good idea how her life will turn out.

This has been a fun series to read and it's definitely one I'd recommend to paranormal fans who like a little Dominance and submission in their stories. I love how all of the books in Lexi's different series are loosely interlinked, and here we get to see a few familiar faces from Bliss and Texas Sirens but with a twist.

Source: Received from the author in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: Beast - Lexi Blake

A playboy who needs to grow up

Fresh from his latest tabloid scandal, vampire playboy Dante Dellacourt has been given an ultimatum. Either he takes a consort and settles down, or his family will disown him. Unwilling to lose everything he has, he reluctantly agrees to find a wife. Marriage is just another kind of contract, after all. No one said anything about love being a part of the bargain.

An outcast who has only known hardship

Exiled by her pack, Kaja is a werewolf without a home. Her life was never easy in the frozen tundra she grew up in, but it was familiar. Waking up in a foreign landscape, surrounded by bright lights, loud noises, and far too many people has left her overwhelmed. Frightened and with no one to trust, she savagely fights to get free of this strange new world.

A passion strong enough to change them both

Called to defend the gnomes of the marketplace, Dante is almost blinded by the radiant light coming off the fierce werewolf. Kaja glows like no consort he has ever seen. Gorgeous and wild, she calls to him in ways he had not dreamed possible. For Kaja, she finds in Dante a man unlike any she has ever known. They could not be more different, but she finds him irresistible.

In order to claim his werewolf bride, Dante must first discover how to overcome their differences. Will he tame his ferocious beauty, or will she unleash his inner beast?

Re-released in a second edition. Re-edited but no substantial changes.

A Faery Story Series:
(Originally published under the pen name Sophie Oak)
Bound
Beast
Beauty

Visit Lexi Blake's website for more information

Review:
Vampire Dante has a well earned reputation as a playboy but his latest scandal is one two many and his family are threatening to disown him if he doesn't clean up his act and settle down. It's the last thing he wants so he makes it his mission to find a wife that his family would disapprove of so that they won't mind when he quietly sets her aside. Kaja is a werewolf who has been exiled from her home, alone and in a strange new realm where she doesn't understand any of the rules she feels completely out of place until she meets Dante. She feels an immediate connection to him but she is wary of letting him get too close and ending up with her heart broken, especially when she feels so out of place in his home. Dante may have gone into this relationship expecting it to fail but the more time he spends with Kaja the stronger his feelings become, now he just has to convince her that they could have a happy life together.

I loved Dante in the first book so I was really excited that we were getting his story next. He was such a fun guy who brought so much humour to the story that I was sure I was going to love him so it surprised me when I didn't warm to him immediately. I really struggled with the way he initially treated Kaja, yes I could understand that he didn't want a long term relationship and that he felt pushed into marriage by his family, but he chose to court her and knowing her history and the abuse she had suffered he was still willing to use her for his own gain. He came extremely close to crossing unforgivable lines for me but I should have known that I can trust Lexi Blake and he managed to turn things around just in time. Once we got the Dante I remembered from the first book back I was so happy to see him and Kaja making a go of things.

Kaja was a really interesting character, she'd come from a totally different world, one that was much more brutal and unforgiving than we're used to so her way of looking at things could be very odd at times. She was really sweet though and desperately wanted to fit in with Dante's friends and family, she just wanted safety and a place to call home really so I was pleased that everyone was so willing to welcome her and I especially liked the friendship between her and Meg. The chemistry between Kaja and Dante was great from the beginning but it was once I started to feel the emotional connection between them that I really started to root for them as a couple.

Alongside the romance we also find out a lot more about Beck and Cian's family and the war that their uncle started when he killed their parents and claimed their throne for himself. Things are really building to a head on that front and revelations at the end of this book were jaw dropping. I'm definitely excited for the final book in the series and I'm glad it's already been published so that I can dive straight in!

Source: Received from the author in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: Bound - Lexi Blake

Megan Starke has given up believing in knights in shining armor. With an unrewarding job and a failed marriage, no one would confuse her life with a fairy tale. No one is coming to save the day or carry her off to a romantic fantasy. So when she wakes up in a magical world and discovers she is to be the grand prize in a fierce and bloody tournament, she isn’t sure if she’s having a sexy dream or a horrible nightmare.

Two kings without a kingdom

Beckett and Cian were raised to be the saviors of their people. Prepared all their lives to lead the Seelie Fae, prophecy proclaimed they would find a bondmate whose love would complete them and unleash their magical powers. But the thrust of a traitor’s blade stole that future and now it threatens to take their lives. Struggling in exile, their glorious destiny has become a curse. Unless they can find the perfect woman to save them, they will descend into madness and ruin. When all hope seems lost, Beck sees Meg and knows she’s the key to their salvation.

An epic battle begins

In a world filled with dethroned kings, upwardly mobile vampires, and dangerous, feline-loving hags, Meg will need all her strength to survive. Finding herself caught between Beck and Cian, she’s willing to do whatever it takes to claim her happily ever after.

Re-released in a second edition. Re-edited but no substantial changes.

A Faery Story Series:
(Originally published under the pen name Sophie Oak)
Bound
Beast
Beauty

Visit Lexi Blake's website for more information

Review:
When Megan is abducted by a demon and taken to a different realm at first she assumes its a horrible nightmare. Then, when she starts to understand what has happened all she can think about is finding a way to escape and get back home. But the longer she spends in Faery, especially with twin brothers Beckett and Cian, the more she starts to question herself. Why return home to a dead end job, a failed marriage and a family she never sees when she could stay here and be happy? But first Meg has to decide whether she can accept the relationship that Beck and Cian are offering her or whether she prefers to fight for something on her own terms.

I've become a huge Lexi Blake fan since I first started reading her rereleased Sophie Oak books, I love the Texas Sirens and Nights in Bliss series and I really like the way all of her books tie into one large universe. As much as I love her contemporary romances I'm really a paranormal girl at heart so I wanted to read this series the minute I first heard about it and I wasn't disappointed. Bound is a great introduction and pulls readers into a world full of fae and vampires, one with multiple realms and interesting politics.

Meg is a great character, she's a normal human girl who had no idea that other realms existed until she was forcibly taken into one so she's totally out of her depth in the beginning but she's no pushover and once she starts to figure things out she works hard to make a place for herself. She's had enough of living for other people's expectations and is determined to take control of her own destiny. Beck is the more dominant of the twins, he's the one who likes to be in control and who wants to protect the people he cares about but he has a few personal hangups that were very frustrating for Meg to deal with. I could understand why he acted the way he did but I was glad that Meg fought to show him what she needed. Cian was definitely the more relaxed brother, he's more of a joker and takes things less seriously but that doesn't make him any less committed to Meg and their relationship. Meg had a great connection with both of her men and this story was just as hot as the Bliss / Texas Sirens books.

I think what I loved most was that Meg was the real hero of the story, she is the one who comes to the rescue and she definitely earns her happily ever after. I loved the twin's vampire cousin Dante so I'm really happy that his book is next and I'm looking forward to continuing the series.

Source: Received from the author in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: Blood & Ice - Ariana Nash

An elven assassin. A dragon prince.
Three days they had together.
Three days was not enough.

There’s a traitor among the elves. A traitor who will stop at nothing to see Eroan pay for the crime of loving a dragon, and Eroan Ilanea will pay with blood.

Lysander has never been free to choose his fate. That is about to change. Finally, he learns what it means to be emerald, but knowledge is power, and power whispers its seductive curse into the ear of a broken prince.

Elf and dragon.
Leaders, lovers, fighters.
Fates entwined.

But as the dragonkin rise under a new king, will Eroan's and Lysander's boundless love save the world or destroy it forever?

***

The devastating and emotional bestselling Silk & Steel series concludes in Blood & Ice.

Silk & Steel is a m/m dark fantasy. The series has triggering content.

Silk & Steel Series:
Sealed with a Kiss (Prequel short story)
Silk & Steel
Iron & Fire
Blood & Ice
Lost & Found (Novella)
The Black Prince

Visit Ariana Nash's website or Pippa DaCosta's website for more information

Review:
This series has been an emotional rollercoaster from beginning to end. Eroan and Lysander's journey has been far from easy and they've both been tortured along the way but they're still determined to make a better future for their people. Eroan has done everything he can to get the elves to accept Lysander but they're still wary and a further betrayal by one of his own threatens to ruin everything. Lysander was always waiting for things to go horribly wrong so the betrayal doesn't come as such a shock to him but that doesn't make it any more welcome.

In Blood & Ice we get to find out exactly what Lysander is capable of and why the other dragons are so scared of him, we see Eroan make some difficult decisions about the people he's dedicated his entire life to protecting and there's a final showdown between the elves and dragons that ends in a way you probably won't be expecting. The characters we love face dangerous and difficult trials that will change them forever and some characters we hate will get their comeuppance. Nobody is safe in this world, enemies are closing in from all directions and nobody will come out unscathed.

This was a fabulous ending to the trilogy and it left me really excited to read Akiem's spin off book, The Black Prince. I'm very curious to see how much the world will change thanks to revelations at the end of this book.

Source: Received for free from the author in exchange for an honest review

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