Milky Way of books

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.

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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AMAZON | BLACKWELL'S

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.