The Ashes and the Star Cursed King begins right where the Serpent and the Wings of Night left us.
Don’t read further if you haven’t read the f4,5 stars
The Ashes and the Star Cursed King begins right where the Serpent and the Wings of Night left us.
Don’t read further if you haven’t read the first book and plan to do that else you’ll be spoiled.
Raihn is now king but his nobles don’t want an ex slave, a turned human for king. He will not only have to fight the Hiaj for the throne with the help of the Bloodborn vampires but dissent reigns inside his own people. And there also is the matter of shaking off the Bloodborn’s hold on his house… He might be the heir and a formidable warrior, seizing and keeping power is no picnic! Raihn also has to convince Oraya that he is on her side. That together they can create something worthy of their dreams, protecting humans and not only vampires.
Oraya had an incredible growth . From the human afraid to leave her rooms in the first book, always wearing leather and armor, she will now prowl with confidence castle halls and city street’s in nothing else than common clothes. If vampires were ravenous for her blood before, seeing her as prey, now with the mark of heir, they fear and admire her. And there is even a surprise to her growth but I won’t talk about it. Just know that it was so amazing and unexpected!
She is a real badass, saving big bad Raihn ‘s “behind” more than once. Ha! Talk about a half human saving the vampire warrior. And always protecting humans, craving the kill of predators.
We’ll also have pretty deep and complicated grief feelings in this book. Vincent is dead and Oraya discovered that he hid so many things from her. She doesn’t know who she is anymore. Vincent loved Oraya and yet he allowed his vampires to feast on living humans presented like offerings at banket tables. He saw human life as little worth, even if he always protected Oraya. She will feel rage against Vincent, betrayal, disgust and yet pain and love. “Vincent had ruined me. He had saved me. He had loved me. He had stifled me. He had manipulated me. He had made me everything that I was. Everything that I could be. Even the greatest parts of my power, the parts he never wanted me to find, were his. And now here I was, poring over every wound he gave me. And no matter how much they hurt, I never wanted them to heal, because they were his. And I missed him too much to hate him the way I wanted to.”
That made for a very realistic combo, one that I could believe in.
That story is packed with action, battles, betrayals, secrets and sacrifices. Oraya will have to reach for the stars, to take everything and go head first into battle to seize power. “Power hurts. It requires sacrifice. Do you want to change this world, little serpent? Climb the bars until you’re so high no one can catch you. I told you that once. I know because I did it, my daughter. I know.”
And of course, let’s not forget the love story. “Let me make you the queen that you are. Let me guard your body, your soul, your heart. Let me spend the rest of my fucking pathetic life at your mercy. If I need to die, then let me do it by your hand. Please.” Raihn was completely dedicated to Oraya, adoring her prickly side. If you love romance, you’ll be smitten with that book.
This was a very good romantasy, filled with vampires, competition, fight for a kingdom, secrets, battles and betrayals. There is never a dull moment! ...more
“She would take it. She would no longer be the flower. She would be the blade.”
What an adventure!
Reading Song of Silver, Flame like Night remin5 stars
“She would take it. She would no longer be the flower. She would be the blade.”
What an adventure!
Reading Song of Silver, Flame like Night reminded me of The Poppy War with its theme of white people invading China. They had their metal weapons (here viewed as metal magic for the purpose of the fantasy universe) and the traditional magic from Chinese masters, manipulating qi.
I truly had a grand time and I didn’t want to stop reading it.
At the beginning of the story Lan, our heroine, witnessed the invasion of her home and the death of her mother. We guess that her mom must have performed some kind of magic but we won’t know what before a long time.
Then the story switches to Lan, orphaned and working at a “teahouse” , a brothel really, just to see it invaded by the Elanthian once again. They are led by the winter magician who is dying to capture Lan and get “something” from her that her mother hid!
Lan will be saved by a mysterious handsome stranger Zen, who will lead her to the last school of magic in the empire.
I will stop here for the plot.
What I loved in that story:
-Lan. And Zen too. Both are survivors from massacres by the Elanthian. And it’s hard to go on living when everyone you loved is dead. “I know how it feels,” he said quietly. “I know how it feels to have everything taken from you. And I know how difficult it is…to continue to live.” Lan has a huge character growth. At the beginning of the story, she is feisty and irreverent. With a lot of spunk. And grumpy too ...more
What a grand adventure! That left me with a huge book hangover and I don’t get these easily!
First, Id’ like to praise de narratAudiobook Review
6 stars
What a grand adventure! That left me with a huge book hangover and I don’t get these easily!
First, Id’ like to praise de narrators! Lameece Issaq and Amin El Gamal did a splendid job to bring larger than life and roguish Amina Al Sirafi (and her scribe) to life!
Choosing a forty something heroine to live an epic adventure at sea was as brilliant as it was refreshing as we usually have younger females in the leading role. And as a woman of over fifty I found it just perfect! Amina may be retired and has eyes for her daughter Marjana only, she can’t resist when presented with one last adventure: retrieving the daughter of a former crew member who has been kidnapped. All that to earn a fortune. No more leaking roof for her.
But she has lent her beloved ship the Marawat to her former navigator so the first step would be retrieve her ship and her crew. That’s when we’ll meet Delilah the mistress of poison whose touch can literally be deadly and who has more than one trick in her bag. Once Delilah rejoined Amina’s side, they’ll have a new ordeal as her former navigator and his crew have just been thrown into prison and are soon to be killed. Of course for someone like Amina, it’s a walk in the park to free these men from their prison and make a daring escape by sea, threatening to capsize the military vessels trying to stop them in the lagoon!
And that sets the tone and brisk pace of the story.
With flamboyant escape, survival against all odds, the reappearance of old foes believed dead, sea monsters and more, we’ll follow the incredible adventures of Amina like we’d follow the legendary tales of Sinbad!
Amina is strong, fiercely protective of her crew, courageous and…has a bad knee after all these years. She is a Muslim, is sexually liberated and she is very ambitious,. Amina has always dreamt of becoming a legend even if now a mother she tries to take less rash decisions and stay more on the narrow side of things.
Her trusted friends add an amazing layer of camaraderie with some being grouchy, Delilah being cunning and smart as a fox and all that merry band of former pirates dashes from one adventure to the other in their quest to retrieve the “kidnapped” daughter.
Shannon Chakraborty has once more what an epic storyteller she is! She has woven a tale full of magic, adventures and served by the best larger than life mature heroine. I truly had an exceptional and jolly time listening to that fabulous audio and I recommend the story and the audio wholeheartedly! It will be one of my best reads of the year, I have no doubt! ...more
This is a very satisfying conclusion to that trilogy but I have one or two complaints.
First what I love!
1)Cassandra Clare does the found fami4,5 Stars
This is a very satisfying conclusion to that trilogy but I have one or two complaints.
First what I love!
1)Cassandra Clare does the found family trope extremely well! I love the friendship, the Merry Thieves and their extended friendships.
2)The multiple POV: we follow several people as usual : Ari, Thomas, James, Cordelia, Lucie, Grace… and I loved reading every single one of them! That’s a feat as usually with many point of view there are some I don’t care for but not here!
3)The character growth and them having to overcome flaws, guilt and feelings of being useless. In Chain of Thorns, we’ll follow Cordelia and Matthew in Paris, see their blossoming affection until a dramatic event. Not only has Cordelia been lied to by James but Matthew did it too. And anyway, she is Lilith paladin so what use could she be to the others? Guilt and self-loathing are something Cordelia will have to overcome If she wants to defeat Belial with her friends.
The same can be said between Cordelia and Lucie, there is a rift to mend there…And Lucie fears she has done something terrible that could help Belial’s hold on her.
Another character is trying to make amends: Grace! I have despised Grace since the first book for what she did to James but it will be her redemption story. I won’t say I am a big fan of her but she impressed me with her will to own her mistakes and become someone worthy, standing by Jesse and our friends to fight Belial.
Alastair will also own who he is and open up to the possibility of being worthy of Thomas. I truly adored their love story. It rang true and it was hot!
4)There was never a dull moment in this book, and I really appreciated how Cassandra Clare depicted alcoholism and what it entails to stop drinking. My father was an alcoholic and I can say that everything she wrote is true.
5)The action and the pace Between finding love, fighting evil, battling against addiction and confessing secrets to regain your friends trust, the story progresses at a fast pace.
What are my complaints then?
First I wanted James to take some action much earlier in the story. I found his wait frustrating and creating some unnecessary drama. I hate miscommunication in books and Cassandra really “milked it” here. It drove me crazy!
Second, the love triangle. If I truly believed in Jem/Will/Tessa’s love triangle, I think Matthew would have been more credible as Cordelia’s friend than pinning for her. Especially if it was brushed under the rug at some point and his lot at the end of the book is bittersweet. I don’t appreciate people’s feeling being hurt in books, especially when I came to care a lot for them.
Third, and that’s probably the most important, I didn’t like the fate Cassandra reserved to one of the protagonists. I won’t say more but I think the action could have progressed all the same if she had done a different choice. It’s plenty dramatic but does not further the plot and unnecessarily hurt readers.
That being said, this remains an excellent series, filled with very loveable character, great heroes ready to sacrifice themselves to save humanity. I am still a huge fan of Cassandra and I can’t wait for her next book! ...more
This is a novella and feels like a gift from Margaret to her readers! It’s an extended epilogue or a slice of Elisabeth, Nathaniel and Silas ‘s5 stars!
This is a novella and feels like a gift from Margaret to her readers! It’s an extended epilogue or a slice of Elisabeth, Nathaniel and Silas ‘s life after Sorcery of Thorns ended. The intrigue is simple: the wards at Thorn manor are acting out and trapping Elisabeth, Nathaniel, Silas and their new maid Mary inside of Thorn Manor. They all will look at fixing the wards and it will result in a quest of sort that Nathaniel will have to accomplish.
All that I want to say is that Margaret Rogerson stayed true to the characters! I found “my” Elisabeth, Nathaniel and Silas again! With the humor, the banter, the charm and the enthusiasm! Also that favorite world of mine was back once again with fighting and talking grimoirs! And I took tons of quotes! So many for such a short book! Proof of my love for that duology! I will type them all on the blog in a few days if you are curious! ...more
I was totally surprised when I got The Foxglove King from Orbit but also very intrigued and seduced by the lush cov4,5 stars and 5 stars for the cover
I was totally surprised when I got The Foxglove King from Orbit but also very intrigued and seduced by the lush cover!
I won’t lie: the first chapter and pages were a little bit disorienting as we are plunged in a brand new magical world and we have to take everything in stride. There is no “setting “ of the world but rather piecing it back together slowly while accompanying Lore in her journey. That was not bad but I had tons of questions and my notes went like: “Lore is a mystery and the beginning a riddle. We learnt about her and about the world as we go.”
Then “She came from the catacombs? Burned in her palm at age thirteen. Raised after by Val and Mari?? “
As you can see I was puzzled, certainly even more when I read the word “Mortem” for the first time and tried to figure out WHAT was it that Lore sensed! Was it death? Something else? In the end I settled for an explanation of Mortem being in all “not alive” things like rocks for example and of course, the dead.
But slowly unraveling the world didn’t deter me from loving the book!
In The Foxglove King, we open with Lore who is a spy for poison runners and has a strange gift where she sense and can manipulate Mortem. In her country people use poison such as Belladonna and Foxglove as a drug but also hoping to increase their life’s span even if the toll it takes on the body is not pretty. Lore also lives in the poor district of the city and we learn that she has been rescued at 13 by her moms.
When a run turns bad, she is captured by the Presque Mort and their chief Anton. She should either be sent to the Burnt Isles or be killed but instead is offered a deal by Anton and his twin brother August, the king: spy on Bastian, the sun Prince. She also has to help find what’s happening in whole villages that are decimated overnight.
All being under guard of Gabriel or Gabe a duke turned monk who will give her the alibi of introducing her to the court for her debut and get a chance at getting close to Bastien.
From that start, it will be attraction to Gabe AND Bastien, mysteries to solve, dangerous stints in illegal boxing rings or dangerous catacombs. Lore’s powers are growing with her nearing her birthday and she doesn’t understand what is happening.
Mixing politics and religion, the atmosphere is gothic and a little bit oppressive with the threat of Lore’s demise dangling above her head, the villagers dying and her strange growing power. I also wondered who to trust. Literally. Because so many characters have a hidden agenda. I also wondered if Anton truly had a vision or if it was a scam. And why did Lore feel like she knew Gabe and Bastian from “before”? What did that mean?
Lore is a pawn in that game and she is also trapped between Gabe and Bastian who are antagonists and wait just for a spark to explode.
This is a very imaginative and rich universe, with a totally new magic system and supported by a great cast of morally grey characters. Don’t expect black or white here, everyone is flawed and has secrets to hide! I was also hurt badly when someone I came to care for betrayed Lore but I won’t say more about it!
This is an excellent start to a brand new series and I know that I’ll read the sequel! ...more
OK I am already in love with that word “curmudgeonly” used in the synopsis LOL I had a great time reading this cozy fantasy. Well I’d say smart 5 stars
OK I am already in love with that word “curmudgeonly” used in the synopsis LOL I had a great time reading this cozy fantasy. Well I’d say smart cozy fantasy.
The plot in a nutshell: Emily, brilliant professor from Cambridge arrives in the village of Hrafnsvik to learn more about the Hidden Ones. Meant to do it alone with her dog Shadow, she'll be unpleasantly surprised to see her academic rival, Wendell Bambelby strutt to the village soon after, Emily is not your usual heroine. Not only is she curmudgeonly but she also despise emotions. She is socially awkward and don’t try to hug her, she wouldn’t know what to do with you. Intellectually brilliant, totally dedicated to her research on faeries, she’ll never encumber herself with niceties. In a crowded pub, leave her alone at her table with her notebook. Don’t try to engage!
She was a great heroine! And she had quite a growth! When she arrived in the village, she was determined to be an observer only, the perfect scholar. She didn’t want to embellish her draft of a cottage nor make friends with the villagers. She didn’t see any use in caring. Or rather… she is socially inept and is very aware of her limitation. But the more the story progressed and the more faeries hurt the villagers, the more Emily rescued them! For research purpose only of course. Or so she thought LOL
The contrast with Wendell Bambleby, social butterfly and solar personality, professional dazzler was nearly comical! They couldn’t be more opposite.
Emily is rigorous and thorough in her research, nearly arid in her prose while Wendell is approximative and flamboyant, never hesitating to fabricate is data.
I had so much fun seeing them soon becoming a team that worked surprisingly well! Wendell’s warmth thawed Emily’s heart and made her realize that there was more than books and studies in life.
Last but not least, I also adored the lore, the side characters, Shadow Emily’s dog and the world building!
This book was a cozy fantasy, grumpy sunshine all rolled into one. It was charming, whimsical, smart and enthralled me from the very first page.
WARNING: long review ahead (as usual, I have plenty to say about Amy’s book).
She did it again! Amy really impressed me here! Yet since I follow 5 stars
WARNING: long review ahead (as usual, I have plenty to say about Amy’s book).
She did it again! Amy really impressed me here! Yet since I follow her from the beginning, I shouldn’t be so surprised by her talent!
A Girl Called Samson is an impressive piece about history! And for Amy’s fans, history comes first, romance second in this book. Yet, the romance will certainly more than satisfy you.
A Girl Called Samson is about so many things! It’s about finding yourself and your voice. Following your dreams, as unlikely as they might seem. It’s about freedom. Yearning for that freedom and equal rights for everyone. It’s about indenture and slavery. It’s about war and how it tears families apart, shatters hopes and changes men and women alike. But it’s also about found families, friendship and romance. And it’s about faith and scriptures.
If you don’t like books with passages about scripture, faith and God then don’t read it. I on the other hand loved reading about scriptures and the bible in that book, not only because it rang true to the time period but because it was SO AMY! And it made me ponder and wonder at the same time. One of the quotes I identified most was: “But Romans 12:2 is more to my liking: “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
But let’s backtrack here and talk about plot and characters.
A Girl Called Samson is about Deborah Samson, a girl who dreamt of freedom and equal rights to men. Deborah or Rob was bound very young to a farmers family. “At five years old, I was alone in the world. At eight, I became a servant to a widow who treated me like a dog. At ten, I was indentured to a farmer until I turned eighteen. I was only a child then, but being bound out marked me deeply and lit a rebellion in my veins I have never quelled. Maybe that was the moment I became a soldier. Maybe that was the day it all began.”
That will set the tone of the story. Imagine being placed at ten years old in a family of ten boys to work the whole day helping that family? Lucky for “Rob” she needed to move all the time, to do things and be constantly occupied to feel well. That made her very valued and liked by the family members. She also aimed to always excel at things she had to do. That meant running faster than all the ten boys, shooting better than the boys, … everything! Young Deborah was very smart but the family couldn’t let her attend school. Yet she thirsted for knowledge. And with the help of a reverend, she’ll begin to correspond with the reverend’s niece, Elisabeth, ten years older than Deborah, who will proceed to enlighten and educate her the best she could. That all made me realize how privileged we are to be allowed to attend school, whatever our gender! We often forget that these are hard won rights.
From Deborah’s childhood spent working all the time, the story gets to the American Revolutionary War. Being European, I had a vague knowledge of that war. Our history classes focused more on the Secession War and I had no idea the Revolutionary War lasted so many years! I read to escape but also to learn and learn I did! I really loved reading about the birth of the war, the different generals, the troupes moves, the schemes, everything! And I think Amy did a solid work researching everything.
As Rob had always been “one of the boys” and with her deprived of freedom since childhood, freeing her country felt very appealing to her. It was a calling. Because the day she turned eighteen and was not indentured anymore, she realized she still wasn’t free to do what she wanted. Because being a woman meant enrolment was impossible. “But freedom is not left or right, up or down. It exists in degrees. A bird has more freedom than a horse. A dog has more freedom than a sheep, though it might depend on the value—or the lack of value—of the beast. A man has more freedom than a woman, but only a few men have any real freedom at all. Freedom takes health and money and even wisdom, and I had two of the three, but I had no more freedom the day I turned eighteen than I’d had before.”
Yet Deborah needed to pursue her dream, to do her part. “I do not want to be a wife,” I whispered. “I do not want to be a woman.” Emotion rose and broke, and my reflection became a watery smear. “I want to be a soldier.”” In that silent scream, I felt all of Deborah’s yearning and despair! It became even more crucial when death from beloved one began to pile up around her. “If I don’t do this, I cannot continue on,” I said to the silent walls. “I would rather die.” I was not given to histrionics or overexaggerations, but in the very depth of my being, I knew it was true. I had lost my hope, and if I did not pursue it, I would be finished.”
And so, Deborah will realize her plan: cut her hair, band her breast, don a waistcoat, a hat and pretend to be a young boy to enroll.
We will follow Rob in battle, we will fear discovery alongside her. The schemes she had to devise to wash, go to the loo unnoticed as a woman while living in barracks with hundreds of me. He willpower was astounding. She walked, shoot, was deprived of sleep. She fought with an empty belly, froze in winter, sustained wounds… everything without complaint, with courage and resilience. She was one of the best soldiers. And that says it all about the kind of heroine Deborah was. “No one has ever protected me, General. I have only ever had myself.” He winced, and his shoulders drooped slightly. “That is a tragedy, Miss Samson.” “Please call me Rob. That is what the brothers called me. And no. It is not a tragedy. It is a victory. One I am proud of.”” THIS! This is Deborah. Heroine extraordinaire. My hero! Reading her story humbled me. It made me realize how easy I have it. How privileged I am. And that all these privileges and freedom were hard won by men and women who fought hard before me. Barely reaping the glory but because they wanted her children and children’s children to live in a better world.
I won’t talk about the love story as I don’t want to spoil it. Just know that it unfurled gradually, with a man worthy of Deborah’s affection. Someone strong yet just and kind.
I could go on and on about that story. I was so engrossed that I read it while walking in the woods. I just couldn’t stop reading. And I drew astonished looks when I began to cry as some losses felt heavier than other losses. I just was smitten and awed by Deborah’s story.
Thank you Amy for enlightening me once more and for opening my eyes to all the blessings I have while walking through an extraordinary woman’s boots! ...more
I won’t lie, I gave this book a try as it’s been super hyped and loved by friends.
Aaand…
It has a deadly competition with vampires and magic! I 5 stars
I won’t lie, I gave this book a try as it’s been super hyped and loved by friends.
Aaand…
It has a deadly competition with vampires and magic! I love magic competitions! It’s a one click trope for me. Even better, our main character is the underdog! The only human in that competition gathering the fiercest vampire warriors! And I ALWAYS root for the underdog! So we were on a great start that story and I. Cherry or rather cherries on top: -the opening sucked me in (see below); -there is a slow burn with a very hot, very deadly but inside marshmallow(y) vampire; -there is a big twist at the end with a big secret reveal! Among many other things.
Let’s backtrack and talk about the plot and that famous opening.
The story begins with winged vampires landing in a devastated landscape, before the charred remains of a little house previously inhabited by humans. They are all dead save a little girl who is hissing savagely at these monsters who destroyed her home. Of course, they are ready to make her their meal when the big and powerful king of vampires, Vincent, takes the girl under his protection after she bit him. Promising beginning right?
For years, Oraya, that’s our girl’s name, will grow up in the palace in constant fear of being the vampires next meal. The king is her adopted father and the only vampire she trusts. He will raise her harshly but fairly. His brand of love is helping her fight, giving her the tools to face the monsters. That’s how Oraya knows he cares. But Oraya want to stop being prey and become predator instead. She is tired of being constantly guarded, ready to fight for her life. “Do you want to change this world, little serpent? Then climb your cage until you are so high no one can catch you. Break its bars and make them your weapons. Nothing is sharper. I know because I did it.” And that’s when the Kejari will help her. That competition to the death is organized every two hundred years in the name of the vampire’s goddess. The winner is granted a wish by the goddess herself. The plan is for Oraya to win and ask to share Vincent’s magic, becoming immortal and powerful in the process.
The competition is brutal and Oraya is not at the top of the food chain! So she is forced to make an alliance with a mysterious and powerful vampire Raihn. As Raihn is also sexy as heck, you can guess where Oraya’s mind will wander too….
I adored the competition! It was brutal, full of surprises, horrific ordeals, gore and near death. That also helped Oraya grow more confident of course and discover things about her she had no idea of! I feared for her life countless times and I really liked to witness how the relationship between Raihn and Oraya developed. I also adored the surprises she gave us! Discovering that you have unexpected powers is also a favorite trope!
Oraya is also a character with a spine of steel! She is conflicted too as she loves Vincent, even if her father is also a predator to humans like her. She wanted to become more like him, more powerful but at the same time, at what cost for her humanity?
Raihn was her opposite. He was a vampire, incredibly strong yet he craved humanity and cultivated his with dedication. Mourning his lost mortality. He also went through so much and that reinforced the fact that these vampires were indeed real monsters, or at least, some of them. “I am fucking furious for you.” No, I wouldn’t give him my pity. But I’d give him my rage.
If you like fantasy romance like Sarah J Maas, Amelia Hutchins or Jennifer Estep, then that book is for you! I can’t wait for its sequel now and I am glad I waited so long before reading the book as that means…only seven days to wait now! ...more
Can I just say that it was freaking brilliant and that everyone should read iAudiobook review
“Come on Darlington, let’s give them hell!”
All the stars!
Can I just say that it was freaking brilliant and that everyone should read it?
Well that won’t be enough maybe but this is truly what I am thinking about that book!
I reread Ninth House this month when I thought about just skimming it to recall the main events. I read it in 2019 and I forget a lot of things about books. But I couldn’t stop listening to it again!
So, with a refreshed memory I listened to Hell Bent right after. That means around 32 hours total for the two books and not one minute was boring!
Hell Bent is the sequel to Ninth House and MUST be read in order.
The whole plot in Hell Bent with a minor side plot is to get Darlington back from hell. Dawes and Alex known that they can’t ask for official help as Lethe has been very clear: Darlington must stay in hell as he is not human anymore.
But Alex may be white trash, unpolished compared to these YALE students she is loyal above all else! And cunning. And resourceful. After being haunted by ghosts all her live and escaping from a drugged life, Alex is the definition of a survivor! She has no education, no financial support but she has violence and her ghosts so maybe, with the help of Dawes and a ragtag group, that will be enough. “Life is cruel. Magic is real. And I’m not ready to die”
I adored the found family in this sequel! Alex knows she won’t get Darlington back alone and she’ll find unexpected allies who will feel like friends by the end of the book! Dawes or Oculus of course but also Mercy her roommate, detective Turner or Centurion and another unexpected boy that I won’t name to keep some mystery. They are all vastly different and yet they’ll make a very determined team in that rescue mission.
I loved the characters growth too! Alex is now Virgil and no longer Dante as she had to step into Darlington’s shoes. With no one to guide her, she is still expected to supervise the rituals from the other eight houses and keep everything as it should be. Well she does it but she will of course create her own kind of disturbance. But through it all she will learn about magic and she will learn very fast! From total magic newbie to empowered leader, her character development will be fabulous! She has had a taste of magic and now she wants the whole meal. She never wants to leave El Baston that has become her house. That Lethe lair filled with a sentient library and dangerous magic artifacts. “But this was what real magic looked like: indecent, decadent, perverse.”
Dawes is another character who really grew into someone else! Gone was the mouse. Dawes is still a scholar but her quest to free Darlington will have her become bolder. He brilliant mind and huge knowledge of magic history, rituals and artifacts will be crucial to their heist. She will fight alongside Alex and outside of the cocoon of El Baston! Countless times she will nurse Alex back to health and life.
Detective Turner will also play a central role in Hell Bent. We will learn more about his past, the secret he is hiding and some surprising ability. Reluctant to help Alex, he still can’t stand that a good soul would be trapped in hell. Wearing his faith like a cloak, this is the battle of good versus evil for him.
Mercy is one more member to “Free Darlington”’s crew. Unaware of magic in the first book, she’ll open eyes like saucers. But as Alex saved her in Ninth House it will be : “You rescue me. I rescue you. That’s how this works. To pay your debts, you had to know who you owed. You had to decide who you were willing to go to war for and who you trusted to jump into the fray for you. That was all there was in this world. No heroes or villains, just the people you’d brave the waves for, and the ones you’d let drown.”
The worldbuilding is becoming richer. We still will see dark academia YALE but what will fill the book is a whole new lore. Demons of course as we are talking about hell and …more. Laigh Bardugo also added lots of history and magical history of New Haven to keep us intrigued. Never gratuitous, always some clues of what will come or how to solve a riddle.
Of course, the most surprising and alluring will be Darlington, the gentleman demon. I said it in the first book, I fell for Darlington and I am still his enthusiastic fan here! This will be the proof of his iron will and sense of chivalry and self-sacrifice. “I will serve you ’til the end of days.” Expect several huge surprises and twists in the book!
Most of the characters are in shades of grey and Alex (Galaxy) Stern is their queen! Nothing is clearcut. And I love it! I said it in Ninth House and I am saying it again!
There is magic, a quest, plenty of twists, character growth, sacrifices, secrets and lots of surprises! And now, I want the sequel! Let’s just hope that we won’t need to wait for nearly four years to read it!
Last parting words: Lauren Fortgang’s narration was impeccable as always!
I flew through that audiobook and even listened to it in bed instead of reading a physical book! Amy Dawes m5 stars
That series continues to delight me!
I flew through that audiobook and even listened to it in bed instead of reading a physical book! Amy Dawes makes an amazing job of bringing to life that story and making Finlay, Vero, Nick’, Deliah s voices and plenty others
What truly makes these books irresistible is the hilarious and wild tandem between Finlay and her nanny/accountant Vero! These two together are both a hot mess and a force to be reckoned with!
In this third instalment, we pick off where we left after book two with Finlay indebted to Feliks. Even behind bars, the Russian mob boss is pulling the strings and asks Finlay to find Easy Clean, the contract killer.
On a hunch, Finlay realizes that Easy Clean must be a cop and pushed by Vero, decides to join the citizen police’s academy for one week. You’d think that being at a police academy would keep our boisterous duo on the straight and narrow but that’s forgetting kismet! Trouble has a way to always find Finley and Vero! Finding Easy Clean will have them stealing police cars, handcuffing a cop and leaving him in pink bra and thong and many other irresistibly funny events!
A lot is happening all the time and there is never a dull moment in the book.
I am always swinging between incredulity at the unthinkable bad luck attaching itself to the due and extreme delight because our heroines take everything in stride, improvising with gusto! They are like cats, always landing on their feet even when everything seems hopeless!
Aside action, suspense, intrigue and amazing banter, we also have hot cops and slow burn! The chemistry is undeniable and the wait for dessert is … steamy!
I loved the cameos with the kids and Zach potty training too.
In fact, I loved everything and I need the fourth book already!
If you fancy a hilarious mystery featuring a divorced mom and her feminist, hot headed sidekick, go for this series and do you a favor: choose the audiobook! ...more
For Daughter of the Moon Goddess, I wrote: “Daughter of the Moon Goddess feels like what I imagine Love, love, love!!!
5 stars for that epic conclusion!
For Daughter of the Moon Goddess, I wrote: “Daughter of the Moon Goddess feels like what I imagine Chinese tales are: filled with quests, monsters and magic, a heroine who has to grow and use her wits to outsmart the evil characters. Gentle at her core, she’ll morph into a fierce warrior “à la Mulan”. It’s also a battle of evil versus good, a question of choosing the right path, resisting the lure of power and greatness if it comes at the cost of other’s happiness and freedom.”
Well Heart of the Sun Warrior is the worthy sequel we deserved with Xingyin put to the test once more.
How she is far from the gentle flower we met at the beginning of Daughter of the Moon Goddess! This Xingyin is brave, generous and wiser. Ready to sacrifice herself to save the Kingdom and her loved ones!
Pretty soon in the book, we learn that things are getting worse in the Celestial Kingdom. There is a change of power and it won’t be for the better. A treachery will also endanger Xingyin and her family, forcing the to seek refuge in another kingdom. And that’s only the beginning of a story filled with action, hard choices, betrayals and twists!
She will have to choose her path, measure her actions as each choice had consequences. And I am proud to say that she didn’t take the easiest path but the just one. Xingyin has grown so much! “So much in life was left to chance. Some had to curve and twist to get ahead, forced to bend with the wind to remain standing, suffering storms that left others unscathed. Yet we could not blame fate for the choices we made-the rewards were ours to reap, as were the consequences ours to bear. And it was moments as these that formed who we were…what we could become.”
There is less romance in this one but her love life and her future will still be very much present! Xingyin’s heart will be put to the test and I confess that my preference for the one who would win her heart changed…
What a book!
Filled with an extraordinary lore like sunbirds, dragons and phoenixes! Where magic can be wind, cold, fire or healing. And where the fastest transportation happens riding clouds (I’d love that!). You’ll visit underwater realms, will learn about tears becoming pearls and many, many more things!
This is fast paced, imaginative, wise, enthralling… and it made me cry too!
If you have read Daughter of the Moon Goddess you have to read it and if you haven’t, what are you waiting for?
Also special mention for the gorgeous cover! I want the US and UK ones!
It Ends with Us (IEWU) first read: 5 stars It Ends with Us second read: 6 stars It Starts with Us (ISWU) : 4 st“It is my wish for you to be my fish”
It Ends with Us (IEWU) first read: 5 stars It Ends with Us second read: 6 stars It Starts with Us (ISWU) : 4 stars
Did I like this book? Yes I did. Did I need closure at the end of It Ends with Us? Yes I did. Was Atlas Corrigan perfect in this book? Yes he was.
BUT
But it lacked the intensity of It Ends with Us. But Ryle was much more black and white (or rather all black) than the nuances Colleen Hoover gave him in IEWU. And that disappointed me a little. Because my recent second read of IEWU made me see him much more nuanced than the first time (even if what he did is very wrong, let’s not argue about it) and it skyrocketed my admiration for Colleen Hoover in writing such a complex, nuanced and rich book.
Yet I understand that it was difficult to write a sequel as intense as the first book as the purpose of said sequel was to give us (the fans) our HEA and our closure. So, is that goal reached? Certainly and beautifully. “You can stop swimming now, Lily. We have finally reached the shore”
ISWU starts right where IEWU left us and is all about Atlas and Lily’s second chance at happiness. Their moment is finally here. And it won’t be “just” a sappy sweet romance as Colleen Hoover threw surprises in the narrative. Surprises that will certainly show us how “Considerate” should be Atlas’s middle name.
Atlas is a protector and a care giver. He wears his heart on his sleeve and knowing in even more details what he went through as a kid had me baffled and admirative at how he still grew up into a kind, loyal and generous man. He could have been selfish and he could have turned Lily against Ryle. Yet, even when he supported Lily and barely avoided punching Ryle in the face, he still was considerate to Ryle too. “I’m convinced you’re the only man on the planet who could get punched and then offer the aggressor advice.” And he was considerate to another person from his past who, I am not ashamed to admit, I would have thrown under a bus and made sure the driver crushed her a second time… Atlas is not only sexy and talented but he is practically a saint. And one of the best book boyfriends.
We alternate point of view between Atlas (we learn a lot about his past) and Lily’s.
Lily is a mother now and that will give her the strength to navigate her divorce with Ryle, despite his manipulation to put the blame on her. She is stronger but I truly appreciated Colleen Hoover for writing about how leaving someone abusive was so hard. And staying away is so difficult that if you don’t have a great support system, people on your side, you fall back into their clutch. This was really eye opening and should avoid that lots of people cast a judgement on abused women going back to their abuser. Because that’s not easy to stay away. “My choice helped me realize that sometimes the hardest decisions a person can make will most likely lead to the best outcomes.”
All in all, this was the perfect second chance that Lily and Atlas deserved. ...more
“Happy endings can be caught, but they are difficult to hold on to. They are dreams that want to escape the night. They are treasure wAudiobook Review
“Happy endings can be caught, but they are difficult to hold on to. They are dreams that want to escape the night. They are treasure with wings. They are wild, feral, reckless things that need to be constantly chased, or they will certainly run away.”
5 stars
Once again Rebecca Soler did an amazing job interpreting that story! She is Stephanie Garber and Marissa Meyer’s narrator and every time I listen to her books, it’s pure delight!
Now, what a ride!!!
The sequel starts right where "Once Upon a Broken Heart" ended: with Apollo in a coma or stasis and Evangeline trying to find a cure for him. His successor, prince Lucian, is due to arrive any minute and Evangeline, for Apollo’s protection, is keeping his existence secret.
After Jacks’s betrayal, Evangeline is determined not to listen to one word coming from his mouth! He has manipulated her and she is so resentful and… a little bit heartbroken about it.
Only a second curse will be put on Apollo, endangering Evangeline’s life greatly. She has no choice but to partner with Jacks in the hope of finding a cure for that second curse.
In this book, Jacks reminded me of Kathy Perry’s song “Hot and Cold” because that’s what he truly was! One moment, he was so cold that I thought he didn’t care about Evangeline and the other, you’d think he would rip anyone’s head if they tried to touch only one of Evangeline’s hair!
"Jacks shot her a glare. “Don’t look at me like that. I saw the way you looked when you arrived here with your arm around her shoulders.” “How did I look?” “Like you would kill for her.”
It gave me whiplash and was really well done!
That book is a race against the clock with plot twists aplenty and shocking revelations.
It’s still filled with magic, beautiful gowns, enchanted inns and tiny dragons. The universe is really a one of a kind, very imaginative , vivid with colors and characters coming in all shades of grey! From white to light grey, medium, dark grey to…no one is really black in fact! And that’s what I love in Stephanie’s stories: the nuances and the layers of her characters! Their flaws, hopes, dreams and mistakes!
I am still fervently fan of Evangeline, the girl who can’t help but hope for happy endings and who is so in love with stories. The girl who just wants to find her true love.
And Jacks, side character from Caraval, finally gets his story with this series! He is my favorite “villain” and I wish he could have his happy ending.
I really hope that these two will end together, one day, maybe, if there is a third book… Because they do are made for each other!
“In the morning, you can forget it. You can go back to pretending you don't like me, and I can pretend that I don't care. But for tonight, let me pretend you're mine.”
Talking about ending… that ends!!!!!! It’s dramatic and inhuman! I hope there will be a third book so it’s a cliffhanger otherwise it would be a bitter ending! Poor Evangeline!!!
Stephanie Garber once again succeeded in dazzling and enchanting me! This was read in record time! ...more
“Whenever you hear a story about villainous women, you should ask who’s telling the story. Medea’s tale has been told and retold a dozen time4,5 stars
“Whenever you hear a story about villainous women, you should ask who’s telling the story. Medea’s tale has been told and retold a dozen times, but always by men who seem to revel in her heinous actions without addressing what caused it. Sometimes her story is used to showcase women as crazy, unpredictable, or vindictive.”
I don’t know why I waited so long to read that book! It took a book club read to decide me and I was really pleasantly surprised with what I found!
What’s the poison heart about?
It’s about Briseis, an adopted teenager who had always been able to grow plants in a single touch discovering her past and her heritage.
Raised by two mothers in New York, Briseis has always had to hide her mysterious “gift”. She feels very lonely, not fitting anywhere, and always needing to repress something that feels inherently “her”.
“Quiet plants might perk up around me, but they didn’t uproot themselves or destroy a fence to get close to me. They didn’t turn obscene shades of their natural colors when I was around.”
When she learns that she has inherited an estate from an unknown aunt, Bri and her mothers set to discover that venue, trying to see if it could be their salvation from financial problems.
That also means new beginnings for Bri, with people who never had to witness the strange behavior of plants whenever Bri is close by! And the estate is so vast, in the middle of woods and vegetation that she immediately feels that she can finally let lose!
The house is more like a mansion with an apothecary, walled garden filled with the deadliest plants that Bri alone seems immune to! All this gave a spooky and mysterious atmosphere to the story, enhanced by the arrival of strangers on their doorstep.
What will follow is a story that was part fantasy, part coming of age, part mythology and part mystery all mashed together! It shouldn’t have worked and yet it did splendidly!
I really loved the character growth of Briseis! How she was learning about her past and her power. Kalynn Bayron wrote it like a treasure hunt with clues left here and there for Bri to decipher and go to the next step on her journey. The hunt for the keys and truth, all her discoveries were my favorite part of the book. I loved how the intrigue progressed!
The atmosphere was amazing! A little bit gothic and a little bit spooky, helped by a cast of adult side characters that had something unsettling about them. I was trying to guess who was a villain all along!
And the whole backstory of how the power came to be and the imagining of the “heart” (no telling more as I don’t want to spoil anything) was very intriguing, keeping me engrossed all along!
Something we discussed in the book club meet was Briseis trust. She will meet some people that she will trust right away and that won’t maybe be the smartest choice but we all could see that she craved acceptance. I think she was so happy to have people accepting her, ready to befriend her that she didn’t question things.
Another strong point in that story is the cast of badass women! You could see it as an ode to feminism and that truly was inspiring!
I already know that I will read the sequel very soon!...more
“Sometimes I want to kiss him and sometimes I want to ruin him, but most of the time, I want those actions to be one and the same.” 4,25 stars
I read th“Sometimes I want to kiss him and sometimes I want to ruin him, but most of the time, I want those actions to be one and the same.” 4,25 stars
I read that book in one sitting! This was deliciously devious!
That book is for the one who has always dream that the princess/seer of the fairytale would rather bite the prince’s head off than swoon at his feet, all while having the hots for his majesty!
It is for those who wants a cunning heroine, adept at surviving and ready to do what it takes to ensure her future but that still would have some moral boundaries (no killing innocent people). I would say that Violet, our seer slash heroine made me think of Kaz Brekker: coming from nothing and determined to take her destiny in her hands and to outsmart everyone to ensure that she never falls back into misery. I loved Violet with all her flaws and declared ambition. Violet has been left orphaned at a young age but she decided to build a better future for herself. When she’ll save the crown prince, Cyrus, from death when they both were kids, she’ll become the palace seer.
She swore fealty to the king and that means telling some white lies to help him further his agenda. All will be in the wording of her reading and her prophecy.
For years now a prophecy foretold war, roses and blood on the kingdom that would come from the prince’s curse. Only his bride will determine the future of the kingdom. Now that there is rot spreading and rose blooming, the prophecy seem to come to fruition and there is pressure on prince Cyrus to find his bride. But Cyrus is being difficult as he has decided that he wants to marry for love!
It’s upon Violet to usher the prince in the right direction. But these two can’t stand each other and barbed comments fly at every occasion.
I loved seeing that caricature of prince charming! The author took great pleasure on having our prince making ladies swoon and faint with a wink or being chased by a mob of women decided to have a button, a lace anything coming from him! It was hilarious really to see how “charming” he could be. Compared with our prickly Violet, this was a delight!
Violet with her wits and sharp tongue, Violet with he intelligence. Cunning Violet. Survivor Violet.
There is a mystery, dangerous beasts, a prophecy, a charming prince, a witch of Nightmare , a grumpy seer, a warrior and lesbian princess, and a world where faeries were drunk on ambrosia, ready to glamour people.
This is a anti fairytale with a grey main character and lots of sarcastic banter. I had a grand time reading it and I can’t wait for the sequel! ...more
The Golden Enclaves starts just where The Last Graduate begins. With El finding her mom back but leAudiobook review
5 stars!
What a ride! What a finale!
The Golden Enclaves starts just where The Last Graduate begins. With El finding her mom back but leaving Orion behind because he just shoved her out of the Scholomance and stayed behind the fool!!!!
Needless to say that El was devastated. All moping for days in the compound until her friends from the London Enclave came to ask her to save their enclave as a Maw-mouth was destroying it. With El being the only sorcerer surviving a Maw-mouth, there is no respite for the barve and off she goes. But that will open a can of worms and she’ll soon realize that someone is targeting all enclaves one by one! And to thwart that nefarious design, she has to get back to the Scholomance because she has unfinished business…
That story was amazing!
One of the major assets is still El! In The Last Graduate, I wrote: “One thing that I got back with great pleasure was El’s grumpy attitude. El has been predicted to be the doom of the sorcerer’s world being insanely powerful yada, yada. She has been rejected by other sorcerers all her life because of that.
BUT under her piss poor attitude (who wouldn’t be prickly really if he or she has been shunned all his/her life?) El hides a heart of gold.
She CHOOSES to do good all the time!
Following her mom’s example, she is choosing the high path whereas going bad would be so easy for her.”
And that’s still true! I so love grumpy grouchy El who hides a golden heart. She always seems to reluctantly believe that others might in fact like her and her band of friends, growing by the minute in this book, was also essential to my reading enjoyment! In this last instalment, El discovered her true purpose, her true power and simply the truth. About her and about Orion.
About Orion, I also wrote last time: “And how Orion is socially clumsy, just very goal driven, his goal being killing all mals. Giving mals to Orion is like giving all the sweets in the candy shop to a kid: a boon!” Without revealing anything I just can say that I must have been psychic somehow.
That book was filled with non-stop action (there is no rest for the brave), twists upon twists, all that I never saw coming and horrifying moment with : “No,no,no,no,nooo! That can't be true!” You have been warned, fasten your seatbelt because it’s a real roller coaster!
Add to this a still very imaginative magic system and you have one of my favorite series!
My only critic was a sapphic relationship thrown into the mix that felt as an afterthought. I think it was unnecessary to further the plot and rather gives the impression the author wants to be inclusive otherwise she knows she'll get loads of criticism. And that's kind of sad that authors have to do that to avoid being burned on the pyre these days
Last word: the narrator Anisha Dadia was once more the perfect choice for narrating El’s story!
She did it again. Swept me off my feet and impressed me so much!
I know people don’t always like comparisons but I can’t help coAudiobook review
5 stars
She did it again. Swept me off my feet and impressed me so much!
I know people don’t always like comparisons but I can’t help compare Julia’s writing to that of… Taylor Jenkins Reid! And yes I know that Julia Whelan narrated many book of TJR so maybe there is that. If I had to describe Julia’s books I’d say: solid, mature, perfectly balanced with characters carefully fleshed out and having realistic relationship. And let’s not forget romance and smart banter! I adored the sarcasm, auto derision and plain humor in this one! I read My Oxford Year last month and was really impressed! I pre ordered “Thank You for Listening”the minute I was aware of that book! Of course, being an admirer of Julia Whelan’s work as a narrator I listened to is and it was…outstanding!
Sewanee and Brock’s story felt absolutely real and was filled with insights about the audiobook industry! Even if Julia Whelan states in her author’s notes that it does not represent the industry, I still learned so many information about recording audiobooks! How Sewanee is a stickler for the correct pronunciation (with asking Brock how he’ll intend to pronounce some words), how green apples are a godsend to narrator’s throats, that there is a prize for best narrators akin to the Oscars for audiobooks etc.
When you learn that Sewanee can make any accent and many different voices, male voices included, you can’t help seeing her as “our” talented Julia Whelan! And similar to Sewanee, Julia Whelan stopped narrating romance a long time ago (if you are interested, she narrated romance under the name of Sophie Eastlake but has (mostly) stopped. I know I know, this is fiction and not autobiography. But what I mean is that talking about something she intimately knows made that book even more realistic and a true delight!
I could gush for hours about that book that will be on my top reads of 2022 but let’s try “list style” here.
1) Amazing characters with an unusual choice of heroine. Sewanee has gone through hell and came back kicking. She is taking care of her grandmother (who has Alzheimer) and that made my heart melt!
2) Meet not so cute but undeniably sarcastic and hot! Sewanee will meet Nick in Las Vegas and I adored their heated discussion about romance tropes and them building an imaginary story on the spot!
3) Excellent banter! Be it with Nick or in her DM with Brock, the dialogs, humor and banter had me snickering so often! Dry humor is my brand of fun!
4) Enlightening! I learned so much about narrating books it was pure delight!
5) All the feels but not heavy nor syrupy! I laughed, I cried, I raged… I felt everything but Julia Whelan never overdid it. It was just the right balance between lighthearted banter and serious topics.
This gave me feelings akin to Book Lovers this year.
This is a charming read, reminiscing of Bridgerton with the added bonus of a women secret services.
I won the advanced reading copy from Schol4,5 stars
This is a charming read, reminiscing of Bridgerton with the added bonus of a women secret services.
I won the advanced reading copy from Scholastic at YALC and was very curious about the book.
What I read was a story centered around a very courageous girl Isobel or Izzy of 18 years old, descending from a noble family whose dead father left her family with no money. As Izzy's mother suffers from very poor health and her brother is only eight years old, she needs to find a mean to provide for her family. Having learned from her father to pick locks, she'll be recruited by a women's secret agency directed by Mrs Finch.
I must say that I loved the concept of women fending for other women! At that time, in 1897, women were always the propriety of men, be they father, brother or husband. And abuses were not uncommon. The Aviary fought to restore some justice to women who had been spoiled by the ones who were meant to protect them.
Isobel being described as a grey mouse or a wallflower (according to her) and having the connections of an ancient noble family was perfect for the job of spying and infiltrating high society. Needless to say that her talent for picking locks was a huge asset!
One day, the women from the Aviary will be tasked to protect a woman whose husband was very influential and they'll uncover a sinister plot with blackmail and murder!
On her mission, Izzy will save the Duke of Roxton, Max Vane, a very handsome and dashing young man who has been in Izzy's fantasies for months!
Follow an adventure filled with secrets, dangers, action and romance all on a Bridgerton feel background.
I read that book in nearly one go, having a very good time following our brave Isobel in her tribulation to restore justice while lusting over our duke!
Read this book if you want something with a fluid writing and charming intrigue. ...more
What a charming, whimsical and original story! I think the narrator's voice suited Dora to a perfection.
I loved so many things in that novel.4,5 stars
What a charming, whimsical and original story! I think the narrator's voice suited Dora to a perfection.
I loved so many things in that novel.
I loved Dora's character. She is a kind person but unable to feel great emotions, just the tail end of these as a result of half her soul being stolen by a fairy lord when she was a kid.
That made her struggling with proper comebacks and shunned in social life. She looked even more bizarre with her mismatched eyes.
But her cousin Vanessa was determined to always do what was best for Dora! Even asking for Dora to accompany her on a hunt for a good husband in London. That's where we get that Bridgerton vibe with matchmaking hens. If Vanessa's mother is determined to marry her well, Dora is even more determined to have Vanessa marry a worthy man.
Vanessa is obsessed with meeting Lord Sorcier, the king's magician as she hopes that he could help Dora become her old self one again.
But when Dora meets the magician, witty comebacks fly and she is not impressed by his gruff and grumpy behavior like other ladies would be.
You guessed it, it will be a grumpy / not really sunshine trope amidst Victorian London with a magic twist!
It's easy to read, very enjoyable thanks to Dora's quirks and witty comebacks. Elias is the perfect handsome, broody male hiding a heart of gold under his deterring manners.
Sophie "Beware Of The Reader"
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