Sill Bihagia: Red Demon

 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/237531241-red-demon

Book Blurb:

The lone survivor of a massacre. The genetically enhanced immortal who spared only him.

On an isolated planet where unity is as engineered as its people, two human lines nearly drove each other to extinction rather than acknowledge their shared humanity. The empire that maintained peace for the last century cannot afford to show the cracks in its control. But when Jesse's mining town is slaughtered under mysterious circumstances, it's clear ancient bigotries linger, and rebels now have access to magic or tech capable of wide-scale genocide. But Jesse only sees the Red Demon fleeing the scene of the crime, a bio-engineered immortal who should protect the empire instead of killing her own kin. Lost and alone, Jesse sets out on a path for justice that will bring him face to face with both his misconceptions—and new enemies.

Faruhar, the so-called Red Demon, is not the mastermind Jesse expects. Guilt ravages her fragmented mind over crimes she cannot remember committing, and a code impressed on her by a few kind people she cannot forget. And when she and Jesse face off, hatred quickly turns to hesitation, as they together uncover a mystery that might unravel their world’s fragile peace.

A twisty science fantasy with tense fight scenes and a spicy romantic subplot.

Tropes:

*High Gravity ALC *Fantasy *Romantasy *Sci-fi *found family *spice *paranormal

*deception *hard truths *genetic modifications *some magical elements *dark fantasy

Thoughts:

I'm going to start with being honest, I wasn't sure if I was going to listen to this book and when I started it took me a bit to get into this, I felt like I was being thrown into the middle of a story that has already been told and maybe is the middle of the series... or maybe very well developed in the authors head (which I'm sure it was).  Throughout the book I was able to catch on the just of what was happening but I do think it would be helpful if the audiobook had some of the information in the beginning instead of some information explaining some bigger things at the end.

In this world there are genetically modified people, ghosts who can take over others bodies and magical elements that only some people posess.

Jesse's family and friends are tragically killed leaving him alone and vulnerable to not only the elements but also to the immortal being that he saw fleeing the scene... he isn't sure why he was spared and he makes it his mission to take revenge on her for all of his losses she is dubbed "The Red Demon."

Jesse finds a new home with a blacksmith and his son in a different Village he trains with them and grows stronger years pass by but he has never forgotten his revenge mission.  

Jesse is offered a military position from a shady higher ranking officer who wants more from him than military service... as he weighs his options someone close to him makes a surprise decision that makes him wonder what is next for him.

When his life changes again and Jesse comes face to face with the red demon once again after more tragedy he begins to realize that things are not as they seem... and maybe he has been looking at things the wrong way all of this time.

This is a story of loss, finding your own family, forging your own path, and sometimes letting go of what you thought was going on and allowing a new point of view to clear your clouded vision so you can shine light on the truth for others.

There is a side of romance but it is more in the background as the story focuses on Jesse uncovering what is really going on in the world around him as he tries to make things right again.

Some Likes/Dislikes

Different from my usual reads, once I got into this book I did want to find out what was going on in Jesse's world and what would happen next for him.

My heart truly went out to Jesse and Faruhar who were doing the best they could in an unforgiving world and survived brutal losses to keep pushing forward.

I did appreciate that there was a lot of action throughout, but I do feel that some of this could have been trimmed down.  This was a really complex world and I felt that sometimes it was so much information thrown at me that the pacing was slowed down with the info overload.

While there was some interesting world building I don't feel like I had enough back story throughout the book, the war is mentioned but it was just glossed over when I felt it should have been a bigger part of the story, I don't feel like I fully understood why the two different human lines had been fighting during the book there was a lot of high tech items mentioned that we kind of just have to absorb as this is what's happening.

--> to simplify things a bit I'm going to think of it like the Dr. Seuss story of the Sneeches the one group had no stars they fled their planet and came to this new to them planet as refugees.  The other group were native to the planet but didn't feel that the no star sneeches were like them at all... over time the no star sneeches developed modifications to get their stars (genetic code changes) --> in the book this whole situation was confusing.  

Faruhar (the red demon) we didn't get much from her side we know she has a faulty memory but I would have liked to find out more of how she got to where she is now.

There was a big build up and then the ending kind of just felt rushed

I appreciate the advanced listening copy and did grow more interested in the story as it progressed the Lead Narrator Brandon Francis did a great job.  

Have you read this one?  What did you think? 

Stella Brie: The Rowan

 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56382338-the-rowan

Book Blurb:

For over three hundred years, Arden's very existence has been hidden. Until one night, when the latest assassination attempt fails and the third Killian blade makes its appearance.

A powerful witch with little knowledge of her heritage, Arden's first step on the path of destiny is The Abbey. A place of sanctuary and power, it's a haven in a sea of unknowns and where she hopes to find an ally.

An Elven prince, a Fae lord, the First Vampire, a warlock, and the King of Dragons make up the Imperium Cadre, one of the most powerful cadres in existence. Owning and managing The Abbey for over a thousand years, they're not known for taking in strays. But Lord Theron's life debt paves Arden's entry into the formidable sphere of their protection.

As the sweeping winds of change blow, Arden and the cadre will navigate the path of destiny together. Secrets are revealed, heritage found, and alliances forged and lost.

Tropes:

*Netgalley ALC *Why Choose *Paranormal *spice *magical world *Magical beings

*Fae *Vampire *Witch *Dragon *demons *Reverse Harem *Urban Fantasy *Found family

*slow burn

Thoughts:

Arden (FMC) Grew up without really knowing anything about her family history she knew her mother was a powerful witch but her mother passed away when she was young her guardians tried to let her learn how she could but they were in hiding due to her mother's visions showing continued assassination attempts on Arden's life, she has no clue who her father was.

Arden remains with her adoptive family (a magical fae princess and a demon lord) until now when she ventures out to the Abbey to seek sanctuary and learn more about her past history.  

Now Arden is inside the Abbey working at the night club and getting closer to the Imperium Cadre, initially not fully sold on the idea of taking Arden in Lord Theron (in charge of the Abbey) has a life debt with Arden's adoptive mother and she will consider it paid in full if he helps Arden with her mission to train and learn more about her family history.

While there Arden also finds that witches are not exactly nice either having a run in with a queen B at the night club who feels that Arden is below her in rank... when she is actually one of the most powerful at the club even able to go up against the members of the Imperium Cadre.  

Arden learns more about the different magical abilities of witches and trains with her guys along the way learning that maybe growing up away from the witches isn't a bad thing... they  believe that to be a proper member they need to have pure blood lines (no crossing between fae, dragon, vampire etc...)... Arden has never felt that pure blood created a family and has always loved the family that found her along the way, she's even feeling drawn to several different guys in different ways, it might not be love yet but she can definately feel something is blooming between them.

I listened to this and the narrators Ryan Lee Dunlap and Stefanie Kay did a great job with bringing the story to life.

Some things I enjoyed about this story:

I appreciated Arden being open to all different species, she wasn't closing herself off to love if it found her

Arden is strong and determined to find out more about her past and solve the mystery of who would want to attack her

I liked the guys --> I just had a hard time seperating them at times because there were so many of them introduced so quickly together.

I did start to become more invested towards the end when she finally was learning more about her family and the history of the witches, I will probably pick up the next book in the series at some point. 

Some Negatives:

Arden is over 300 years old and at this point has been waiting for "the right moment" to seek out the knowledge of her family origins she is basing this off of a vision her mother had prior to her own death... due to her being older (although not as old as her romantic interests) she is proficient in everything pretty quickly without even trying that hard everything is just super low stakes and easy.

This might just be a me situation but due to the amount of male leads... I struggled with separating them one is a dragon shifter, one is a succubus, one is a fae, one is the first vampire, there might have been another one (?)... they are all insanely hot with muscles on muscles, I didn't dislike them, most of them just kind of blended together for me. 

There is a "fated mate" plot line that feels kind of forced and doesn't seem to matter because she on board with being his fated mate... but also wants to keep her options open and I was like "oh no" when she introduced the guys to her family and said one of them was her fated mate and one was her lover...

I don't know how much time has passed or if she even spent all that much time with some of these guys, leading me to feel like we were being told how close they were vs. what I was actually hearing was happening, I didn't feel she was all that close with most of them. 

I felt like there may have been too many plot points it was like "and this is happening" "but don't forget about this"... it was supposed to have a more serious vibe but there were dance battles at the club to modern day songs... the problems with the witches felt like mean girls in high school.  

The characters were hundreds to thousands of years old but acted like they were in their late teens to early 20's.

Have you read this one?  What did you think?

Ruby Ellis: Nightfang

 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/239573160-nightfang

Book Blurb:

I escaped from monsters and ran straight into the arms of my soulmate.

This new world is very different from the one that I know. Beasts live within every person here and I am just a weak human who was given a one way ticket into this place and shook everything up.

I have magic in this world.

Powerful magic that was gifted by The Moon.

Magic that can help my Mate and his people overcome a devastating obstacle that they are facing.

If, I can learn to control it.

But navigating this new world comes with its own challenges and not everyone is eager to accept me into the pack.

It isn’t long before I learn that someone’s bark can be just as dangerous as their bite.

Nightfang is the first book in the Moon Touched Chronicles trilogy. Each book follows a different couple, but should be read in order. The Moon Touched Chronicles feature protective wolf shifter MMCs and their human mates. Mature content intended for readers 18+.

Tropes:

*Indie Author *Shifter Romance (Wolf) *Protective MMC *Human FMC *found family

*transport to another world *Fated Mates *Insta lust/love *Magic *fish out of water

*State Challenge New York (repeat) *Alpha MMC *Age Gap 😁 *Bingo Board Full Moon

*Trigger warnings --> Check them *touch her and 💀 *spice *banter

Thoughts:

This story starts out in modern day NYC where Rowan our human FMC is going out for the night to celebrate her 21st birthday with her two sisters, they work hard and often don't get the time to just relax together.  While at the club the sisters get separated and Rowan passes out waking up captured in a forest she does the only thing she can she runs as fast as she can the moment she gets a chance... she's not in New  York City anymore, but where is she?  If she can just find a cab maybe she can get home.

This is a fast paced fated mates story where Rowan very soon after waking up realizes she's not only no where near her home... she's in a completely different world.  

Rowan really accepts her new situation quickly, learning that the wolf that she saw in the forest is actually a shifter the alpha male of the pack and huge... everywhere, oh and by the way she is his fated mate and it was destiny that pulled them together, concerned that she might never find her way home she decides to make the best of this situation and she does feel safe with her new wolf protector.

Warr (MMC) is protective, strong, handsome and a true leader he has been waiting a long time for his mate and now that he knows that she's here on the same planet he has no plans of letting her go.

Rowan and Warr spend time together getting to know each other better and Rowan learns more about her new world, new magical abilities since her mate bond and pack dynamics.  Unfortunately not everyone is happy that Warr has found his mate which leads to drama and danger for Rowan.

Rowan also wonders if she ended up in this new world did her sisters end up there too?  And if so where are they?  

This has been on my TBR for awhile I just haven't had the chance to get to it but I do try to support Indie authors as often as I can and as part of my book challenge group we are doing a bingo board this fit the -> Full Moon category... I'm now upset for not being able to get to this book sooner, I listened to this book in a few hours and it had me hooked from the beginning.

The world building was simple but easy to follow, the story flows well and kept me wanting to know what would happen next everything happens quickly and it worked for the story, I did want to know more about how Rowan ended up in her current situation but I'm sure more of the story will come out in the rest of the series.  

If you are looking for a fast paced and fun shifter romance check this one out!  I plan to read the rest of the series soon because I need to find out what happens next!!  

Have you read this one?  what did you think? 

Fiona Buttercup: The Pumpkin Bride

 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/250503112-the-pumpkin-bride

Book Blurb:

Some curses just need a cozy fire, a little magic, and a second chance to break them.

A cursed knight.
Sir Bram Duncan was once a knight of legend in Harvest Hollow—until the whim of a jealous prince and the trickery of an autumn sprite turned him into the hulking orc Jask Bone-Cracker, and tethered him to Grimroot Farm. For three long, lonely years, he’s hidden his monstrous form and the truth of what happened the night he lost everything, including his true love, Princess Marigold.

A runaway princess.
Fleeing an arranged marriage to the vain and intolerable Prince Crispin, Marigold finds a safe haven when she stumbles across Jask’s charmed pumpkin farm deep in the forest. Sensing glimmers of gentleness—and a surprising talent for baking—beneath the grumpy orc’s imposing exterior, she begins to feel a familiar longing she believed dead when her Bram disappeared.

One true love.
As magic stirs and pies are baked, truths about Jask’s curse begin to surface. But curses don’t break easily, and wronged princes don’t capitulate. As their peace is threatened, Jask and Marigold must decide: cling to the lies that protect them, or risk everything for a love that could set them free.

Tropes:

*Netgalley ALC *Romantasy *Curse *Magic *Fairy tale retelling  *Shrek vibes *fantasy

*grumpy x sunshine *Beauty and the beast vibes *Hidden identity *One True Love

*Childhood sweethearts *secrets *Spice *Cozy read *Fall vibes *Second chance romance

Thoughts:

Sir Bram Duncan is many things handsome, charming, a fighter and loyal... unfortunately his loyalty to the prince didn't get him far.  Prince Crispin promised to give him a title if he obtained some items for him... only instead of a title he got cursed by the Autumn Sprite, unfairly since he answered the riddle right but the Prince ordered the Sprite to curse him anyways, now instead of being able to make a name for himself to return home to his one true love he's tied to Grimroot Farm as an Orc life as he knows it is over.

Princess Marigold has been a shell of her former self since the news that the love her life passed away while serving the prince... since she'll most likely never love again she figures she might as well help her family by gaining a powerful alliance in marriage so when Prince Crispin offers for her hand she agrees... only he is terrible and plotting evil things and she can't go through with it her only choice is to run for safety until she can notify her family of the nefarious plans.

Fleeing in the night she ends up on Bram's farm only he is no longer the Bram she once knew he is big, grumpy and growly and now known as Jask Bone-Cracker, there is a way to break the curse but Bram/Jask was so upset at the time of the curse he didn't hear the sprite or how to lift it... what he did hear was that telling anyone he knew that he was Bram would have deadly consequences as they would lose their life.  

Seeing Marigold again after all these years is the sunshine he's been missing from his life, but he needs to push her away for her own safety, and to protect his heart he's already lost her once he can't deal with losing her all over again.

Only Marigold is stubborn and doesn't leave, she's not afraid of him as Jask and attempts to get closer to him and she's surprised to find that Jask is kind, thoughtful, protective, he's a care taker and he has a loving heart even though he doesn't see it in himself... she's only felt like this with one other man Bram... but if her parents the king and queen wouldn't allow her to be with a knight what would they think if they knew she wanted to be with an orc.

Bram is terrified of his secret getting out he would be destroyed if anything happened to his one true love Marigold... but he also doesn't want her in the arms of his nemesis Prince Crispin.

Can they ever have true happiness with this curse looming over their heads, and the evil Prince still searching for her?  

This was such a cute romantasy it mixed a bit of Shrek with The Princess Bride, Beauty and the Beast and Rumplestiltskin with enough new elements to make it a fun whimsical story all on it's own.

Bram continued to attempt to push Marigold away because he loved her so much for her own safety but Marigold continued to find reasons to stay with him, it was really sweet watching Jask the Orc let his walls down to let love into his life again, and Marigold proved time and time again that she truly could love Bram/Jask in all forms of himself.  

Narrators Will Watt and Moira Quirk were amazing with this magical story!

If you are looking for a fun fall read check this one out.

Thank you to the author and Netgalley for this ALC.

Have you read this one?  what did you think? 

Jada McCrary: Of Thrones and Savage Things

 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/239472558-of-thrones-and-savage-things

Book Blurb:

A fake engagement, a threat in the shadows, and an obsessive suitor. This wasn’t what I signed up for….

It’s been a few short weeks since Gwyndolin was liberated from Lord Valen’s estate, and the Unseelie high king who freed her now owns her. Unless she can pull off this fake engagement and live with him for a year, he will let his people continue their assaults on hers.

Talk about sacrifice.

But this morally gray, violence-prone king won’t let her fall, not when he’s already fallen for her.

Enemies lurk in the shadows, and unseen villains threaten everything they’ve worked toward. Both love and betrayal come from the most unlikely places in this heart-stopping, enemies-to-lovers fae romantasy. Will love be enough to save them, or will it be their doom?

It is recommended (but not required) to read Of Fae and Wicked Kings before this. There will be spoilers for Of Fae and Wicked Kings if you read this first.

Tropes:

*Netgalley ALC *Enemies --> more *insta lust/love *Fake engagement *Romantasy *Fantasy

*Touch her and 💀 *protective MMC *Human FMC x Fae King MMC *Magical world

*betrayal *court drama *family curse *Morally Gray MMC 

Thoughts:

I listened to the prequel to this book first which was a very fast paced insta love novella, there was very little world building in that and I had hoped for some world building in this book since it was a full length novel... but it didn't show up in this book either.

So the story --> Gwyn (human FMC) is a poor girl from a small village, her parents were tragically killed and she now has no family.  In the first book she met the Unseelie king who fell madly in love with her after only a week or so of going on an adventure with her and another fae to help rescue a queen from a different region.

Gwyn has agreed to be courted by the Unseelie King Aspen who is super powerful and has fire magic in order to protect the people of her village from further attacks by the Fae... the villagers who have never bothered to treat her well or make her feel welcome.

While under Aspens protection she runs into Aspens twin brother Aethryn... who has ice magic and due to Fae superstition a curse was placed on the boys when they were born so that they would not become too powerful (essentially they have been cursed to always be at odds so they will never back each other up and become too powerful together).

Every man who comes in contact with Gwyn seems to become obsessed with her, me as the reader doesn't know why she didn't seem to do anything overly remarkable with any of these guys, I guess she has a rockin body or something?  I don't know she ended up with 5 different potential love interests none of them really know her and she doesn't really know any of them but they know "she's the one" because she is "special."  

Aspen's twin brother (one of the guys) also likes Gwyn and wants to be able to court her behind his brothers back... drama!  by that time after only a handful of times of being together with King Aspen and no real discussion about anything meaningful she has decided that maybe being with him would be tolerable and that her hatred of King Aspen is in fact love.

Gwyn continues to go off on her own in the castle and throw off her guards that Aspen has placed with her for safety after she knows that there are many in the castle that don't want her there and she even had to witness the king 💀 a guy for hurting her... like girl you are not safe in this castle why do you keep going off on your own?  Do you have any sense of self preservation??

I had a hard time really investing myself in these characters or anything that was happening to them because no one knew each other all that well so I didn't really feel it was all that big of a deal, and the betrayal that happened... that was just a grown man having a temper tantrum.  

The story is fast paced and has several side plots that seem to make it so that nothing is fully formed and things I would think would be more crucial to the story are rushed through.  

What kept me with this story was the narrators they were amazing I loved the accents too:  Grace Noble, Gregory Salinas, Anthony Palmini and Ben Hall great job!

I did like the plot with the curse between the brothers.  

This was a cozy read if you are looking for something lighter that's easy to follow with our without reading the prequel this might be a good one to grab.

Have you read this one?  What did you think? 

Jada McCrary: Of Fae and Wicked Kings

 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/225807449-of-fae-and-wicked-kings

Book Blurb:

A human, a fae warrior, and the wicked Unseelie king walk into a bar. Just kidding. There is no bar. But there is a quest to find a missing queen. And tension. Lots of tension.

When she and her love, Rowan, went to the Unseelie Court, Gwyndolin only intended to ask the Unseelie king to stop his fae from attacking the humans and Seelie fae. She did not intend for him to insert himself into their quest to find the high queen. But who can say no to the wicked High King Aspen? He takes what he wants, and he doesn’t care who he hurts in the process.
His magic may be useful, but his arrogant, flirtatious attitude may cause a rift between her and Rowan. She hates Aspen, and he seems to only want to antagonize her. So, why does it seem like there’s something else he’s hiding? And will it threaten everything when she finds out?
This novella, set in the realm of the Fae-blessed series but sometime before that series, is full of love, betrayal, and villains. Who doesn’t love villains? Of Fae and Wicked Kings is a dark fantasy romance

Tropes:

*Romantasy *Enemies --> More *Villain gets the girl *He falls first *touch her and 💀

*morally gray MMC *Dual POV *Plot twists *Betrayal *Novella

Thoughts:

I picked this one up after I got an ALC from Netgalley for Of thrones and savage things it was recommended this be read first prior to reading the next in the series.

Gwyndolin (Human FMC) teams up with Rowan (Fae and the one she has been falling in love with while they have been together).  They are on a quest to find and save the queen but make a stop to see the King of another court... he is known to be untrustworthy and more on the evil side but they make their request for him to stop the attacks on their own people and then the plan is to be on their way but the shady king decides to join them on their journey.  

On their trip the king begins flirting with Gwyndolin and she's not sure how to take this as she is in love with Rowan.  On their journey some surprises happen and Gwyndolin is left thinking about what her future will be now that everything has changed including her view points.

So this has the beginnings of setting up several different plots but unfortunately for me nothing was fully formed or fully explained.  Everything that was there happened so quickly that it didn't give me enough time to care about what was happening, there wasn't really back story on anything, the world building is slim and we don't have enough of any part of the story to fully grasp anything.  

The king is head over heels with the FMC after only a few days (?) and willing to burn everything down for her... I didn't think it was that serious myself.  

It did set up a cliffhanger of sorts so will see how things pan out in a the next story which is full length.  

I listened to this and thought the narrators did a good job, it's really what kept me with the story. 

did you read this one?  what did you think?

Marlissa Cunningham: Catalyst

 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/235671217-catalyst

Book Blurb:

"Elissa, you are the worst princess I have ever met, and by far, my favorite."

In a land divided by centuries of war and distrust, an elven princess and a human prince are the last hope for peace — or the spark that ignites another war.

Princess Elissa of Treiaul has never fit the mold of royal perfection. She prefers the forest to the throne room, her bow to the delicate trappings of court life. But when Prince Hayward of Aasleagh arrives to negotiate a fragile peace treaty, she’s ordered to play the gracious host to the human she’s been raised to despise.

Hayward is no stranger to being underestimated — the youngest of his brothers and a seasoned soldier, he’s spent his life carving out a place for himself. He enters elven territory with low expectations and party of men mostly chosen by his father who he doesn’t trust, prepared to endure the cold shoulder of a princess who sees him as the enemy.

But what neither of them anticipates is the undeniable pull between them. Their sharp words turn into lingering glances, and every clash of wills ignites something far more dangerous than hatred. As their chemistry simmers, Hayward becomes the unexpected catalyst for Elissa to embrace her wild heart and for her people to see the looming human threat for what it truly is.

With tensions rising and kingdoms on the brink of war, their forbidden connection might either shatter the fragile hope of peace — or forge a love powerful enough to change the fate of their realms forever.

This romantasy debut is a tale of passion, prejudice, and the power of choosing love in a world that demands war.

Tropes:

*Indie Author  *Romantasy *Insta Lust  *Insta Love *Spice *Curvy FMC *Feisty FMC

*Royalty *Politics *betrayal *forced proximity *Fantasy *Fae FMC x Human MMC 

*first in series --> read in order *magic *Banter *animal side kick (FMC)

Thoughts:

Prince Hayward (human MMC) arrives to the Fae lands on a diplomatic mission to meet with the Fae King and discuss peace talks, he is escorted by men from his own kingdom but his father picked out most of his group and he doesn't trust them.  Upon entering Fae lands he is greeted by the beautiful Princess Elissa (Fae FMC) and escorted back to her home to meet with her father the king.

Another reason for coming to the Fae kingdom is to see if a marriage between himself and the eldest daughter could be potentially a good match for their kingdoms, as the youngest son (not the heir or the spare) he has mostly been looked down upon in his own home and isn't fully against the idea... he's just not quite sure he needs to settle down right yet.

Hayward is I guess supposed to be charming... but to me he felt more on the arrogant side as gods gift to everyone (especially the ladies).  He did grow on me by the end of the book but I wasn't fully sold on him.  Also wasn't a fan of the way he is described looking at the princess and her assets... and it's all the time... come on man get it together I thought you were there to discuss politics with the king too! 

This was easy to read and listen to.  This does have more modern dialogue so kind of took me out of the fantasy world for me at times.

Because we didn't have much back story on anything in the human or fae kingdom I didn't feel fully invested in what turned out to be more something happening in the back ground of this story.

While there is some chemistry between Hayward and Elissa I don't feel that anything they did during their week together would lead them to know much more than surface layer stuff... I mean they have room to grow as a couple for sure and will check out book 2 to see what happens next.

For me personally this book had so much spice it began to over power any plot happening.

There are a few secrets revealed during the book that I would like to find out more about... like Hayward and his super fast healing abilities. 

I'm going to try to find this book the right kind of audience

If you are looking for epic world building with a lengthy back story on characters that isn't present in this book.  

The book briefly covers that there is potential for war between the humans and Fae but doesn't really explain why... they mention that the Fae lands have more resources (like water and gems) so maybe this is part of it?  but it isn't really discussed at length at any point in the story.

While Hayward is there basically as a political diplomat this is more in the back ground of this story it pops up occasionally to remind us that he was sent there for that reason too. 

If you are looking for a slow burn romance --> this is very insta lust and love, I'm not even sure if they knew each other a full day before they are learning the curves of each others bodies if you know you know.

This did have some witty banter throughout so you witty banter lovers will appreciate that

The Princess is strong and is probably one of the Fae's best fighters she knows how to use a bow & arrow and helps the prince with a few really dangerous situations, I do love a baddie!

This was a more low stakes, cozy romantasy with lots of spicy fireworks 

If you get the Audiobook like I did the narrators did a great job bringing the book to life it was Duet narration with RL Hemm and Luke Persiani. 

have you read this one?  What did you think?

Victoria S. Walsh: The Iron Hex

 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/239853042-the-iron-hex

Book Blurb:

She doesn’t remember her past. But some memories come with a cost.

Eira Eckhart has spent years building a quiet life in a small town at the edge of a recently overthrown kingdom. Her memory is fractured, her past a blur—but with her shop, her loyal rabbit familiar, and practicing only the potions magic still legal under the watchful eye of the Iron Empire, she’s managed to remain unnoticed by the empire’s witch hunters.

Until Hugo Venton walks through her door.

Brash, clever, and infuriatingly handsome, Hugo is searching for something…and seems to know more about Eira than she knows about herself. But when a terrifying encounter with an unnatural, deadly new breed of soldier puts a price on her head, she has no choice but to join Hugo on his quest.

Their hunt for a missing princess pulls Eira across the continent—and deeper into a past she can’t recall. As buried memories, mysteries in the Iron Empire’s capital, forgotten feelings, and the truth behind her identity begin to surface, Eira realizes the forbidden magic simmering in her veins might be the very thing that could save them from the Iron Empire’s forces as they draw ever closer…if she can remember how to control it in time.

Tropes:

*Netgalley ALC *Romantasy *Witch FMC *Memory Loss FMC *Magic 

*forbidden magic *Guard MMC *political drama *Fantasy *Curvy FMC *Hidden Identity

*Bodyguard Romance *Touch her and 💀 *Forbidden Romance *spice

*ends in a cliffhanger *Multiple POV's *undead soldiers  *one sided yearning (MMC)/ insta lust (FMC)

Thoughts:

Eira has spent several years working in her shop as a potions witch (not illegal) while most magic has been banned and with the rising power doing an actual witch hunt from the Iron Empire who has made it well known that if you are a witch your life is at it's end.

There is a big problem in Eira's life though she has no longer term memories she's seen a doctor who thinks maybe she hit her head and perhaps the memories will return eventually but so far nothing.  She has a Rabbit familiar who at times she feels can actually understand what she's saying... hmm.

Eira's life gets turned upside down the minute Hugo (MMC) comes into her shop, he is handsome but she manages to get caught up with him at the wrong time and now they are on the run from the Iron Empire guards... ones that are after Hugo for leaving them very recently he was one of their high up commanders but found out a lot of shady things were happening and he wasn't for it so he has gone to seek out Eira and the missing princess who everyone presumes is dead along with the rest of her family when they were over thrown.

Eira however is of no help in that matter she doesn't remember Hugo at all, turns out he served her family as a guard prior to the collapse of the kingdom... when he mentions the princess she has no idea what he's talking about she's just a common potions witch how could she be friends with a princess?  

This is told from 3 different POV's Eira's, Hugo's and Rhona a female guard currently working for the Iron Empire.

As Hugo and Eira set out to find the princess together and see if there are any remaining witches able to help with her memory loss, truths come to the surface and their attraction goes from simmering to full on bubbling over.  Naturally they get closer together on their trip staying in Inn's and staying hidden from capture.  

Eira has to figure out who she can trust, can she trust Hugo? He used to lead hunts to find witches just like her. He says they used to be close but she doesn't remember any of it and now she's just as wanted as he is they are in a dangerous situation and things are not looking good.  

Hugo does a lot to prove that he has changed and wants to be a better man, he's no longer that soldier following orders blindly his eyes are opened and he now lives with the guilt of what he did under direct orders from his commanding officer, but is that enough to prove that he is worthy of forgiveness?

Then there are undead super soldiers that have come after Hugo and Eira... what is going on? 

Rhona is a soldier dedicated to the cause she is one of very few females in this job and takes it seriously so she is even surprised with herself when she finds that there is a noble woman who is a witch still alive and in the city, she's even more surprised when she begins to work together with her to try to figure out why people are going missing and other strange things happening... what started as her saying it was for the good of the empire by the end of the book turns into something is off and maybe she has been on the wrong side of this battle all along. 

There are a few twists and turns along the way and I liked that there was kind of a side love story happening with Rhona as well.  

This ends in a cliffhanger and apparently is planned as a trilogy, I got this ALC from netgalley and thank them + the author for this alc copy.  The narrator did a good job bringing the story to life and I'm looking forward to the next book in the series since this one ended in a cliffhanger.

Some Negatives for this book:

The book doesn't have as much world building for those looking for an epic romantasy --> a lot of it I think is shrugged off as kind of she lost her memory... but the other characters have their memories.  We don't really know how the magic works other than a witch can tap into the "flow" which is where the magical abilities come from most witches only have one ability (potions, or elemental magic for instance) but this isn't well described.  

The MMC participated in helping to try to completely wipe out a whole group of people (witches) but is "sorry" the FMC seems to be ok with this without much back and forth and frequently defends him to others throughout the book.  

This was a lower spice book but what was there didn't add to the story, our FMC is curvier but the same words are used to describe her body, and at one point he "loves her curves" and loves how he can "grab handfuls and handfuls" of her super soft body... I think it would have been better without the spice sections.

The long term yearning can be seen from the MMC's side but the FMC doesn't remember him so on her side it's more insta lust/love feeling.  

Dialogue is awkward at times, certain parts that should feel more emotional are glossed over, gives more of a YA feeling read.   

left with a lot of unanswered questions, I am interested in this enough to want to continue the series so I guess we'll see if any are answered in the next book.  

Have you read this one?  what did you think?

Emberly Ash: The Frost Witch

 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/236197220-the-frost-witch

Book Blurb:

Witches are not born. They are made.

I died alone in a frostbitten forest. It was not heroic. I did not die defending an innocent or hunting to feed my loved ones. I died because I was stupid and cowardly. I died running away. And that would have been the end of my story. Until the witches found me and made me one of their own.

Outcast by her coven more than three hundred years after her resurrection, Koryn faces certain doom. Without her coven’s magic to sustain her, she will wither away to nothing. But earning back their trust means betraying the last living member of her family—the family whose downfall came at Koryn’s own hands.

Offered a bargain she cannot refuse…

Four hundred years ago, the gods sentenced the continent of Velora to death. Now Koryn must make a desperate final bid to save Velora—and herself—by passing each test posed at the Seven Gates. Nothing less will prove her worth to her coven or save her family.

To make matters worse, she finds herself bound against her will to Garrick the Red, a legendary bounty hunter with a secret that makes him not just her rival, but her bitter enemy. She does not need him to protect her—Koryn stands alone.

But when an adolescent dragon appears from the forest and declares herself Koryn’s familiar, her understanding of the world begins to shift. Koryn’s choices do not just affect her, but all the residents of a dying, desperate land.

Faced with a devastating choice…

For every gate she conquers, Koryn’s world grows more precarious. A deadly warrior turned bonded protector and forbidden lover. An adolescent dragon entrusted to her care. A powerful male from her past calling in a debt she is not ready to pay. And vengeful gods who demand their due, and force the frost witch to choose—her coven, her love, her dragon… or her soul.

Tropes:

*Netgalley ALC  *Witch FMC *Reverse Age gap *dangerous trials *Magic 

*Cursed lands *Fantasy *dragons *Familiar *Fae *Time Jumps *slow burn *Spice 

*Sets up for a second love interest for book 2 *ends in a cliffhanger *curvy FMC *one bed

*trigger warnings (check them)

Thoughts:

Koryn (FMC) is a witch she is 400 years old and happened to be born the very year the gods placed a curse on the land she was born on and has lived on for centuries.  The gods did make a way for Velora to be saved get through the seven gates with trials and the land will be fruitful again... easy enough?... not really years have passed and no one known has made it past the 5th gate, long gone are the days where there was a line up for the honor of being the one to break the curse so participants are few and far between these days.

In this world witches are made after they die and receive the powers in alignment with how they died, Koryn died cold in icy water and has the power of frost.  

Koryn was cast out of her coven and has been on her own for awhile now, she has been barely surviving (just like everyone else in these lands) and working on making enough coins to get off of this desolate land... only she knows this will just be temporary as a witch needs her coven to survive longer term they provide safety and are linked together when together they are more powerful... away from each other for long and their powers decrease and diminish.

Koryn moves from town to town never staying long in one place because people don't like witches and she would be a target, with decreased powers she doesn't need that on her back.  She is given an opportunity to rejoin her coven... if she can get through all 7 gates she will redeem herself and can come back... this at this point isn't that appealing since no one has done it.  She's been making some coins providing spells to people in need and just about has what she needs to leave this god forsaken place when the one person who would tie her here comes into play,

Koryn sees her last remaining relative (her sisters great great... etc... grand daughter) the rest of her family have long since left these lands.  Even though it was against the rules of her coven to have interactions with any family or humans in general she couldn't help herself and continued to check in all these years and make sure at least someone survived.  Unfortunately her great (great x a lot) niece is about to make a huge mistake her father is ill and she is about to go through the doors to compete in the trials... this is a known death sentence as no one has done it but she's determined before her niece can go through she places herself through the door and next thing she knows she is one of 7 competing members to get through the gates.

While you would think that they would be working together to get through these gates right away you can see that's not how it's going to go at all... but something surprising happens during the first trial while another opponant savagely takes one of the 7 out on a climb, when Koryn has the same opportunity to do so she instead saves her opponents life... the god of this gate then binds them together until the debt is repaid. 

Next thing you know Koryn once alone has a partner in this a man who is devistatingly handsome and good with his sword... but their lives are tied together.  

Along this journey they grow closer together, protect each other, he teaches her how to protect herself better since she has always been considered "soft" for a witch.

They also come across something Koryn has never seen... a dragon who wants to be her familiar, she wasn't even aware at this point that dragons still existed since the curse caused most living things that could flee to flee.  

Along the journey between gates they have more to worry about than just the dangerous terrain and even if they make it to the next gate there is no telling if they will make it through the trial that the god has chosen for them.

After a slow burn that would drive anyone wild... some other factors come into play that change the course of their journey and the bond they had been building, but will they be strong enough to get through this trial too?  

The narrator did a good job with the story and was easy to understand/follow thank you to Netgalley and the author for this ALC! 

I liked the premise of this story well enough and enjoyed it enough to want to read the rest of the series but here are some negative things that I found with this book:

*I found it odd that a 400 year old witch still hadn't mastered her powers and was taking advice from people who were not witches and did not have powers to help hone her powers this led to frequently bringing up that she was "weak" for a witch... come on girl, come into your power and show them who's boss! ... when her power does come she doesn't know how to control it (still) 

*there were some inconsistencies (maybe I missed something... totally possible) but it was said a few times that witches didn't need to eat... but then later in the book she was starving and looking forward to the food provided from the next pre-gate temple.

*I thought there would be a bit more to the trials... they were kind of lack luster for the effort it took to get to the different gates.

*I think that maybe too much was thrown into this book, it goes back and forth between present and different events in Koryn's past but nothing is fully told, like we don't even know yet how she ended up alone in icy waters that led to her change into a witch... maybe this is in book 2

*there were a lot of repetitive things in the story like the discussions of her powers weakening without her coven's support.

*She keeps bringing up her shriveled dead heart but is super emotional about everything

*I think that less plot points could have helped this story feel more put together, I do plan to read the next book eventually so will see what else comes together in the next book.

Have you read this one?  What did you think?