Review: Rose in Chains (The Evermore Trilogy, #1) by Julie Soto

Rose in Chains by Julie Soto
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

An instant #1 New York Times, USA Today, and Indie bestseller!

#1 New York Times bestselling author Julie Soto crafts a lush and dark romantic fantasy that’s filled with intrigue, magic, and an irresistible enemies-to-lovers romance.

The war is over, the dark forces have won, and the hero who was supposed to save them is dead.  

Captured as her castle is overrun by the enemy, the world as Briony Rosewood knows it is changed forever. Evil has won, and her people face imminent servitude, imprisonment, or death.  

​Stripped of her Magic and her freedom, Briony and the other survivors are quickly sold off to the highest bidders in an auction—and as Evermore's princess, she fetches the highest price. After a fierce bidding war, she’s sold to none other than Toven Hearst, scion of a family known for their cruelty.  

Yet despite the horrors of her new world and the role she must learn to play within it, all is not lost. Help—and hope—may yet arise in the most unlikely of places…

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REVIEW

This review, as also the other two which will follow in the next weeks, are part of what I call "The Dramione Trifecta". For those who may be unaware, this book, The Irresistible Urge to Fall for your Enemy and Alchemised are all books related to the Dramione idea from the Harry Potter series, which means they all began as fanfics, then everything changed for obvious reasons.

The premise is this: Princess Briony is captured by the enemy kingdom as both are opposed in different kinds of magic, separated to heart and mind magic. Following the plan of a fanatic ruler of the enemy kingdom she is sold as a slave to Toven Hearst, her archenemy and her old classmate. Slowly, they form a tentative alliance in order to locate the remaining friends and allies of Briony's, navigating also the treacherous spies, old spites and bullies and Toven's secrets.

This was an interesting premise, something I would easily see in any other romantsy. The plot is ot for the faint of heart either as there are CW at the beginning of the book so please be also advised. I liked the characters, though I was slightly annoyed at Briony at times, because her smartness made her also slightly stupid to matters of heart, but she will get there I believe in her.

The ending was also a cliffhanger which left me in an interesting point plot-wise, as the fanatic ruler is a magician who would no anything to gain more power for herself.

Recommended if you still ship these two.

About the author:

JULIE SOTO is a USA Today bestselling author, playwright, and actress originally from Sacramento, CA. Her musical Generation Me won the 2017 New York Musical Festival’s Best Musical award, as well as Best Book for her script. She is a musical theater geek, fandom nerd, and the author of many spicy fan fictions. Julie now lives in Fort Bragg, CA, with her dog, Charlie. She is probably drinking coffee as you read this.

Review: Warrior Princess Assassin (Braided Fate, #1) by Brigid Kemmerer

Warrior Princess Assassin by Brigid Kemmerer
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

New York Times bestselling author Brigid Kemmerer makes her adult debut with this irresistible and steamy fantasy about three characters whose paths will collide in surprising ways – two royals pushed into a political engagement, and the assassin tasked with hunting them down.

WARRIOR. King Maddox Kyronan’s fire magic has earned him a ruthless reputation on the battlefield, but now his kingdom is slowly burning. Ky’s only chance to save his people is to enter a marriage alliance with the neighboring nation of Astranza, and hope that the royal family’s power to manipulate the weather will help his land flourish once more. He just needs to ensure no one finds out how the blaze began.

PRINCESS. With war looming on the horizon, Princess Jory’s home needs the protection of the fearsome warrior king, but she is hiding a dangerous secret: her family’s magic is fading. Tempting as it is to reject her duties and run away with her childhood friend, Asher, Jory knows that she is the kingdom’s last hope. When she meets her intended, Jory is surprised to discover that beneath Ky’s daunting exterior is a compassionate and sharp-witted man who sets her heart aflame. But what will he do when he realizes she's deceiving him?

ASSASSIN. Asher’s done what he must to survive, even if that means getting his hands dirty. Once a young nobleman in Astranza’s palace, where he and Jory caused mischief together, now he’s part of the Hunter’s Guild, employing much darker skills. When a lucrative job comes his way, Asher can’t say no—until he discovers the targets. Someone wants Ky and Jory dead. With the Guild watching, Asher must decide what he’s willing to do to protect the woman he loves.

A tale of three complex characters torn between chasing, betraying, and falling in love with each other, Warrior Princess Assassin marks the beginning of a thrilling new fantasy trilogy filled with enchantment, adventure, and passionate romance.

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REVIEW

Brigid Kemmener dove into the 'why choose' pool and she got a gold medal. This book has the perfect balance of fantasy, political intrigue, mystery and a trio of characters who are messy but they are perfect for each other despite their differences.

Princess Jory is set to be married to King Maddox in order to cement the political alliance between their two nations as a third is vying to destroy them both. But she has always been in love with her best friend Asher who urgently needs a fluffy blanket and lots of hugs.

Following a series of mishaps the three of them become entangled in a assassination plot which spans kingdoms and a looming war which may tear them all apart. And between them both tensions and emotions rise as they have to navigate both their pasts and possible future.

While the plot did not progress too much for my style, I did not mind as it gave the perfect ground for the characters to evolve. Ky Maddox, Jory and Asher are flawed but strong characters, and I kept rooting for them from the start. There is longing and pining, which I devoured so suffice to say that I will stick to this ship for a long while.

Definitely recommended!




About the author:

Brigid Kemmerer is the New York Times and internationally bestselling author of dark and alluring romantic fantasy novels like Warrior Princess Assassin, Defy the Night, and A Curse So Dark and Lonely. A full time writer, Brigid lives in the Baltimore area with her family. When she’s not writing or being a mom, you can usually find her playing board games with her loving husband, or hanging out in the gym, with her hands wrapped around a barbell.

ARC Review: The Primal of Blood and Bone (Blood and Ash, #6) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

The Primal of Blood and Bone by Jennifer L. Armentrout
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In the shadows and flames, Primals will fall…

And from the blood and ash, new gods will rise.

What was dreamt.

Poppy was never meant to awaken, and the consequences are devastating and far-reaching, stirring ancient powers from their slumber and transforming Casteel and Kieran in ways even the Fates couldn’t have foreseen. But what that means is the least of their concerns. For now.

What was foreseen.

The Blood Crown has fallen, but what has risen is a far greater danger than they’ve ever faced. From flesh and fire, the Great Conspirator has returned to the mortal realm, and he wants only one thing. They must stop the true Primal of Death before he regains his strength, and it won’t be easy. Even weakened, his influence is undeniable. His power, unthinkable.

Has come to be.

While the future of the realms rests upon them, they won’t stand alone. The gods have awakened—each harboring their own blood-soaked secrets. But they must navigate an unbalanced realm, where every choice—past and present—has the potential to not only undo everything they’ve fought for but also destroy the very bonds that have Joined them together.

For the Harbinger and the Bringer of Death and Destruction has risen.

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REVIEW

I received an e-ARC from the author and publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

This review comes after days of having finished the book. I am still in turmoil because some things could have been avoided, but others were...inevitable? (trying hard not to sound like Thanos here)

The story continues with Poppy, Cas, Kierra, and co as they try to navigate a world after Kolis has awakened, hidden secrets and multiple plots which are realm-wide. To say that the Fates here are kind of annoying little jerks is an understatement (not you T. I love you.)

Poppy grapples with her powers and also her troubled family history. We get to see Sera again, which leads into one of the best chapters of the series for me. Also Reaver has some quite good scenes and others are heartbreaking.

The POV is double, meaning we also see how Cas acts and feels and despite some things being slightly repetitive, I became slightly annoyed with him in this book. Was he right in some aspects? Sure, but my friend, why don't you resolve your issues and let them fester for a whole damn book? The spice is burning, which we have all come to love in this series, and the revelations are quite good, though in some scenes I would catch myself wondering why we would have something almost being revealed... but then all would be interrupted by something or someone.

The missing star goes to a certain trope, but that does not diminish the fact that this is yet another banger by Jennifer Armentrout, who delivers amazing stories with expanded world-building and fluff moments amidst the chaos.

You are not prepared for what is coming...

Don't miss the rest books of this series!

About the author:

# 1 New York Times and # 1 International Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Charles Town, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki. In early 2015, Jennifer was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a group of rare genetic disorders that involve a breakdown and death of cells in the retina, eventually resulting in loss of vision, among other complications. Due to this diagnosis, educating people on the varying degrees of blindness has become of passion of hers, right alongside writing, which she plans to do as long as she can.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Tor, HarperCollins Avon and William Morrow, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her Wicked Series has been optioned by PassionFlix. Jennifer has won numerous awards, including the 2013 Reviewers Choice Award for Wait for You, the 2015 Editor’s Pick for Fall With Me, and the 2014/2015 Moerser-Jugendbuch- Jury award for Obsidian. Her young adult romantic suspense novel DON’T LOOK BACK was a 2014 nominated Best in Young Adult Fiction by YALSA. Her adult romantic suspense novel TILL DEATH was a Amazon Editor’s Pick and iBook Book of the Month. Her young adult contemporary THE PROBLEM WITH FOREVER is a 2017 RITA Award Winner in Young Adult Fiction. She also writes Adult and New Adult contemporary and paranormal romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

She is the owner of ApollyCon and The Origin Event, the successful annual events that features over hundred bestselling authors in Young Adult, New Adult, and Adult Fiction, panels, parties, and more.

ARC Review: "This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me" (Maggie the Undying #1) by Ilona Andrews

This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Summary from Storygraph

Game of Thrones meets Outlander in This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me

When Maggie wakes up, cold, naked, and filthy in Kair Toren, a city in the kingdom of Rellas, she recognizes it immediately. It’s the world she knows intimately from the pages of an unfinished dark fantasy series she’s been obsessively reading and re-reading while waiting years for the final novel. With no idea how or why she landed in this gritty, violent world, she’s determined to survive until she can figure out how to get home with her only tools – an encyclopedic knowledge of the plot, setting, and the characters’ actions, motivations, and fates: information she can sell to the highest bidder – all while staying under the radar so as not to change the very information she plans to barter.

Soon Maggie discovers another surprising “skill”: she cannot be killed (though many will try.) And as she becomes more attached to the motley band she’s somehow gathered – which includes a former lady’s maid, a deadly assassin, a dangerous soldier, and various outrageous magic creatures – she abandons all thoughts of lying low for her own good. Instead she finds herself trying to save them, and the Kingdom of Rellas from the cataclysmic war she knows is coming.

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REVIEW

I received an e-ARC from the publisher and Edelweiss in exhange for an honest review. 

This is the book that took me out of my blogging funk. Since March I had no desire to write any reviews. Did I read amazing books? Sure. Did I have the mentality to write said reviews? Nope.

But here came Maggie the Undying and the fantastic duo of Ilona Andrews who delivered such an amazing story which reminded me the good times when we'd get a new SJM book and want to rant for months and months. In my case I have to wait until publication day but that does not mean I can not pester you to pre-order this beauty right now!

The cover is glorious it has elements from the story which are spot on (since I read it I have inner scoop hehe) and the colors are gorgeous!

As for the story itself? Well the premise is quite clear. Maggie is isekai'ed into the wolrd of her favorite series and her only 'power' is the story itself. She has read the books so many times she is an encyclopedia of everything that has happened and will happen. Her tendnecy also to not die after being killed, leads her to slowly gather a group of misfits and secondary characters from the book in an attempt to stop the upcoming war that happens in the book.

But the more she changes the plot the more unexpected the future may unfold.

I can not spoiler since I do not want to rob you my friend from experiencing the amazing tiwsts and turns this book takes. You will not be bored as Ilona Andrews weaves humor, kickass action, magic and budding romance in these pages. Not to mention how each chapter is a bomb of information but never too cramped into a few chapters. Through Maggie the world of Rellas unfolds through her eyes and we the reader discover it along with her.

If that is not meta, I don't know what is.

The characters all come from different backgrounds and enrich the story. Maggie is the protagonist sure but she works along with the rest of the characters and help them in any way she can.

As for the romance interesrt? I'll let you discover it on your own, because he is f*ing awesome.

I will defenitely re-read this and will not atop recommening it. I believe this will be the best book Ilona Andrews has written ever and I hold all their books in high standards.

But this for me screams: animated movie/series adaptation or HBO series adaptation.

About the authors:

“Ilona Andrews” is the pseudonym for a husband-and-wife writing team. Ilona is a native-born Russian and Gordon is a former communications sergeant in the U.S. Army. Contrary to popular belief, Gordon was never an intelligence officer with a license to kill, and Ilona was never the mysterious Russian spy who seduced him. They met in college, in English Composition 101, where Ilona got a better grade. (Gordon is still sore about that.)

Gordon and Ilona currently reside in Texas with their two children and many dogs and cats.

They have co-authored several bestselling series, including the #1 NYT bestselling urban fantasy of Kate Daniels, rustic fantasy of the Edge, paranormal romance of Hidden Legacy, and Innkeeper Chronicles, which they post as a free weekly serial. 

For complete list of their books, fun extras, and Innkeeper installments, please visit their website at Ilona-andrews.com.

ARC Review: "All Superheroes Need PR" (Supers in the City #1) by Elizabeth Stephens

All Superheroes Need PR by Elizabeth Stephens
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

He’s a villain looking for a hero rebrand. She’s the marketing genius who can make it happen in this fantastical romantic comedy by the author of the Beasts of Gatamora series.

Over two decades ago, forty-eight young, gifted superheroes fell to Earth and were eventually marketed as opposing heroes and villains. Now, one exceptionally gruff bad guy is looking to hop teams. Hello, PR director Vanessa Theriot.

His real name is Roland Casteel a.k.a. the Pyro. First, swap that with the less incinerating the Wyvern. Next, put him in spandex to highlight that near-godlike body. Finally, give that hero in training a heroine—if Vanessa will play the part in a pretend romance guaranteed to make the city swoon. She’s game. As shy as Vanessa is, it’s her job to be Roland’s very own Lois Lane. Who knew that fake dating would change their worlds?

But falling head over heels for real makes for a dangerous shift in the narrative. A monstrous supervillain is bringing out Roland’s bad side again. This time, it’s to save a woman who, against all the odds, is becoming the human love of his superhero life.

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REVIEW

I received an e-ARC from the author and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

Where to begin with this upcoming gem of a book? Hmm....

In a world similar to our own two decades ago 48 pods containing alien children fell on Earth, Superman-style. After years of being held by the government, the children grew up becoming some them heroes, some of the villains and some....morally grey individuals.

Branded as factions fighting for good and evil (The Boys-style) they save the world everyday and they have terrible powers.

And that is where we find our heroine Vanessa, genious PR president of her own firm, staring at Roland who is a terrifying and powerful man capable of weilding fire...and who she has to represent as the new addition to the band of heroes. Not to mention that he looks like he could turn a person to a marshmallow or that he is attracted to Vanessa.

The book is quite a fun ride as we follow the development of their relationship and seeing how they grow closer. The friends and family of Vanessa are all amazing and they offer quite a positive feeling to the story which despite being a romance (spicy all the way baby) it has a really well thought plot and as the story progresses we realize that there is a far more sinister plan in the horizon.

And honestly Roland gave me Kaleb Krychek vibes (my favorite man of Nalini Singh's books), so I defenitely recommend this to anyone who loves a moraly grey character, capable to do everything for the woman he loves.

About the author:

Elizabeth Stephens writes romance of the SciFi, paranormal and suspenseful varieties. Her favorite trope is enemies-to-lovers and she loves to world-build so much so that she sometimes gets lost in places that don't exist.

One year into her author journey, she's been shocked to see her books listed among Amazon's bestsellers in their categories. Still, her favorite pieces of fanmail are from BIPOC women expressing surprise and gratitude that they've found an author who looks like them and (does her very best!) to write books that make them feel included.

When she isn't tip-tap-typing away, you might find her getting her hands dirty on a pottery wheel, traveling as much as she can, or learning a new language. A Seattle native, after over 15 years spent in Johannesburg, Cairo, Beirut, Geneva, Addis Ababa, and Berlin, she's made her way back home with her loving husband and doggo, King Louis.

To find out more about her projects and upcoming releases visit her website at booksbyelizabeth.com.