Review: The Stars Would Curse Us by Valerie Rivers and Stephanie Combs

Review: The Stars Would Curse Us by Valerie Rivers and Stephanie Combs

by Christina ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

The Stars Would Curse Us (#1) by Valerie Rivers and Stephanie Combs
Amazon | Goodreads
January 10, 2024
367 pages

The Iris were sent to us from the stars, but their rule is controlling and oppressive. Every season, we send our brothers and sisters to the marriage drafts . . . but the selected never return.

Aella

My world falls apart when my best friend and I are drafted to compete for the hand of Esterra’s most eligible bachelor, the devastatingly handsome Iris prince. As an elemental fae, it should be the greatest honor, but the competition is filled with violence. I question my true purpose as we fight to survive in games rigged against us.

Arianwen

Life should be simple—go on my rite and return to marry a man I’ve never met—but when a handsome stranger falls from the sky, everything is turned upside down. Secrets and lies unravel, leading me to question everything as I find myself pulled into a rebellion. My heart longs for a better world, but am I willing to forsake duty in pursuit of it?

We both face choices:

LOVE or DUTY

LOYALTY or ADVENTURE

FIGHT or SURRENDER

Is fate truly written in the stars, or have they abandoned us?

Fae x Avatar: The Last Airbender x The Selection

~~~

The Stars Would Curse Us is currently one of my favorites books of the year so far.

The world building? Amazing.

The characters? Fleshed out.

The spin on my favorite trope (marriage competition)? LOVE.

Review: Her Royal Captive by Ellery Kett

Review: Her Royal Captive by Ellery Kett

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Goodreads | Amazon
November 28, 2024
254 pages

She’s the rebel who captured him. He’s the prince who might ruin her.


Aris is a rebel with nothing to lose, so when the king’s second son flees the castle, she sees her chance to give the rebels the upper hand. Capturing him should’ve been the hard part—but Prince Revan isn’t the prisoner she expected. He’s infuriatingly calm for a man with bound hands, dangerously clever, and every look he gives her burns hotter than it should.

Revan has spent his life outsmarting enemies, but Aris is different. Fierce and unrelenting, she challenges him in ways he’s never known. But the line between captor and captive is razor-thin, and the longer they’re together, the harder it is to remember they’re on opposite sides. But in a world built on lies and betrayal, trusting the wrong person could be the most dangerous move of all.

Expect enemies-to-lovers, no-spice, electric banter, simmering tension, and a forbidden romance with a HEA.


Review

Favorite Highlight: “Let me do the talking,” I say, keeping my voice low. For a moment, his face is unreadable, but then he cracks a grin—sharp around the edges, though it doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “The last time I heard you say that,” he murmurs, “I ended up bound and gagged.”

~~~

This was a really fun read.

I loved Aris and Revan’s little banter so much. The prince was so charmingly funny and Aris, likewise, was brave and interesting.

I’m always at a loss for words when it comes to books I love.

(*shakes my fist*)

Looking forward to reading something else from the author in the future (more fantasy, please).

Book Blitz + Giveaway: Ambition to Savor by B.B.E. Gwyn

Book Blitz + Giveaway: Ambition to Savor by B.B.E. Gwyn

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Ambition to Savor
B.B.E. Gwyn
(The Lone Thorn Series)
Publication date: February 7th 2025
Genres: Adult, Adventure, Fantasy

When a quest for magical ingredients takes you from kitchen to adventure, you’d better save your appetite.

Dedicated and cautious restaurant owner Jonathan Tessier dreams of crafting legendary recipes—the fame and fortune that might follow is a pretty nice bonus. But it’s all he can do to keep his restaurant afloat. Stolen ingredients, a surprise visit from a food critic, and a damaged reputation put his business at risk.

Jonathan knows he needs to make a change. A big one. Before he loses it all.

He and his eager head chef, Elenora Kerras, soon set off to find the bizarre ingredients that might save his restaurant. This hunt takes them through towns and wilderness, where they encounter dangerous beasts and sly individuals. They face challenges more thrilling than even their busiest dinner shifts.

Each success brings Jonathan ever closer to his lofty goal—until he stumbles upon his most startling discovery yet.

Will his dreams be worth all their luster, or will the revelation shatter his culinary world?

A standalone fantasy adventure in the Lone Thorn series, Ambition to Savor is a fun and whimsical tale that explores a question you never thought you needed to ask—What if a restaurant owner had magical powers and a dream to find flavors from deep within a world of hidden quirks?

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

Corruption. Mutiny. Absolute villainy was occurring within the walls of his beloved establishment.

Jonathan Tessier had little reason to complain of late. Profit margins were rising, his customer base was expanding, and the recent annual health inspection had wrapped up swimmingly with no findings. After years of fatiguing work and plowing through stress, things were supposed to be looking up for his pride and joy, the Taverne Tessier.

However, walking down the street on this early autumn morning, he was feeling neither proud nor joyous. He could see his restaurant across from him as he stood waiting at the intersection, its pristine exterior of royal blue and beige surrounded by trees of warm hues. When he first renovated the place, he had aimed for a clean and regal appearance inside and out, so even if he could not boast of its size, the feeling of elegance, class, and beauty would still be conveyed.

And now it was filthy. Metaphorically speaking, of course.

Author Bio:

B.B.E. Gwyn is an author who enjoys diving into realms of low fantasy adventure. She draws inspiration from tabletop role-playing games, yokai folklore, and all kinds of media featuring characters with fun, bizarre powers. Her novels focus on intricate plots and rich character development without any romance or spicy elements, using the full breadth of her pages to offer thrilling adventures in a mysterious world.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

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Book Spotlight: Destined (The Realm #1) by Ciera (C.M.) Miller

Book Spotlight: Destined (The Realm #1) by Ciera (C.M.) Miller

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Goodreads ~ Amazon
October 2nd 2024
550 pages



The fairy tale world isn’t real, and magic is for storybooks…

Alexis has no belief in magic and fairy tales…until one night everything changes, and her predictable life is thrown into chaos. Suddenly, she finds herself plunged into another world, expected to battle a monster and become a hero.

When her godmother is murdered by creatures from another world, Alexis is drawn into a battle between the rebels and a corrupt fey king. With the help of unexpected allies, friends, and a sister she was separated from before her memories were erased, Alexis must find the Champion and help restore the Realm.

With a looming threat of darkness, there are only two fates for her…become who she was born to be, or fall for the darkness that seeks to tempt her.

There’s no turning back now.

Redeemed (The Realm #2)

Amazon | Goodreads
December 6, 2024
337 pages

My name is Alexis.

I’m Dreamer’s heir and High Protector of the Realm.

I will find the Bane Slayer. I will save the Realm.

I will kill the Bane. Even if it takes me down too.

Alexis is nearing the fulfillment of her destiny, the moment when she will die to save the Realm from the Bane. While Meg struggles with a mistake that can’t be undone, James rallies the Four to defend the Realm against Eris’ attack. As the Champion rises to battle Eris, Alexis begins her search for the Bane Slayer. Prophecies begin coming to pass…but Alexis finds that her fate is not set in stone.

Book Spotlight: Page’s Pyre (Dragon Reich Book #2) by Jordan Loyal Short

Book Spotlight: Page’s Pyre (Dragon Reich Book #2) by Jordan Loyal Short

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Title: Page’s Pyre (Dragon Reich Book #2)
Author: Jordan Loyal Short
Release Date: December 3rd 2024
Genre: Dark Fantasy, Adventure, Comedy
Cover Artist: Deranged Doctor Designs
Add on Goodreads
Preorder on Amazon 

Synopsis

How do you steal a book that doesn’t exist?

When Izola travels to Jarlsbeck bearing news of her ex-husband’s death, she discovers that her daughter, Page, has made dangerous friends. Obsessed with finding a mythical book whose origins are clouded in mystery, Page is embroiled in a magical heist. To steal the book out from under the noses of a secret society of librarians, she’ll have to assemble a team of experts: a sarcastic dwarven historian, a devious summoner, and of course… a book witch—her mother.

But working together will test the team’s loyalties. Page was always a daddy’s girl, and her rebellious spirit has pushed her away from Izola. Worst of all, Page is keeping a secret that just might get the whole team killed.

On the eve of Reinveldt’s post-war election, the world’s fate teeters on the brink, and the sinister Thule Society puts forth a candidate. Nothing is beneath the Thule in their quest to control the fabled book: intimidation, blackmail, assassination.

Can mother and daughter make peace in time to save a nation from itself? And can the team hold it together long enough to steal the legendary book, or will old scars and secret agendas tear them apart?

Enjoy book one now.


Title: City in the Dragon’s Eye (Dragon Reich #1)
Author: Jordan Loyal Short
Release Date: February 12, 2024
Add on Goodreads
Amazon

Red Dragons. Black Comedy. White-Knuckled Adventure.

Viktor’s magic is turning him into a dragon. And it’s not pretty.

To save his friends who’ve bumbled into a deadly ambush, Viktor draws too deeply on the power of the Dragon Well, and now a magical tumor has begun to change him…one scale at a time.

Viktor sets off on an irreverent quest for a cure that will lead him to a remote sanitarium. Here, he will uncover a mad doctor’s strange experiments, a stubborn dwarf with stinky feet, and rumors of an ancient mirror that may hold the key to Viktor’s very survival.

As a mustache-twiddling secret society of dragon fanatics closes in, Viktor must choose between the power his transformation offers, and the hope of finding a cure.

To the fabled Tyrant’s Tomb, Viktor races the mysterious Thule Society, where deadly traps and cryptic puzzles protect a treasure of unspeakable power. With every heartbeat the tumor’s corruption spreads. Can a court dandy and a disgraced scholar help Viktor find his cure? Or is it too late to save the city from a mad doctor’s dark designs?

Update: Aiming to be Active Again

Update: Aiming to be Active Again

by Christina ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

The last half of 2023 was personally rough for me. I was homeless for nearly four months–a nightmare that seemed never ending. Now, this month, things have become relatively stable. While I haven’t really stopped reading, the willpower to review (and the ability to do so) was nonexistent. Starting soon, I want to be active on this blog again.

The next upcoming post will be a wish list/ spotlight post of books I want to (eventually) read. After that, I hope to get back to reviewing and spotlighting once more.

Thank you. ❤

Spotlight: Once Upon a Broken Sky: The Fracturing of a Fairy-Tale Circus by M.T. DeSantis 

Spotlight: Once Upon a Broken Sky: The Fracturing of a Fairy-Tale Circus by M.T. DeSantis 

by Christina ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Amazon ~ Goodreads
April 21, 2023
116 pages

The circus where dreams come true, for a price…

Joining Grimmfay saved Zelandra’s life and gave her power she never thought possible. For countless performances, she’s enthralled audiences at the Master’s whim, but when a guest sees past the magic to the young woman trapped beneath, she realizes the power was never really hers.

A fairy-tale life waits beyond the circus’s eternal night, but it will take more than a handsome prince or a wish on a star to break Grimmfay’s bonds. The illusion of power isn’t so easily given up, especially when it will do everything to keep Zelandra under its control.

Come one, come any… Bring few, bring many…to Grimmfay, the fantasy circus perfect for fans of The Night Circus, Caraval, and the Lunar Chronicles.


Cover Reveal: The Bee King by Mathilda Zeller

Cover Reveal: The Bee King by Mathilda Zeller

by Christina ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Preorder on Amazon ~ Preorder paperback ~ Goodreads
May 16, 2023

ABOUT THE BOOK

When the crops fail, the monsters come.

When the monsters come, they buy the daughters. 

Yura would do anything to keep her sister and cousin out of the hands of the monsters. She would even accept a marriage proposal from the Bee King, the mysterious honey magnate allegedly driving the prosperity of the empire.

But when she arrives at the Apiary, the secluded estate of her betrothed, nothing is as it seems. The empire’s wealthy and famous are converging upon the estate and she soon learns that the Bee King is not marrying her for love or lust, but third reason–a dark, strange, and deadly reason.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mathilda Zeller has inhabited 2 continents, 3 countries, 11 of the United States, and 18 towns. Don’t ask her where she’s from; it’s complicated.

She endeavors to make you lose sleep with fantasy and horror stories and currently makes her home in the Midwest with her husband, six children, and two cats.

Release Day: Scales and Stingers by K.M. Warfield

Release Day: Scales and Stingers by K.M. Warfield

by Christina ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ UBL
March 14, 2023
336 pages

ABOUT THE BOOK

Thia Bransdottir is shunned for being half Fallen, a race feared by many. She tries to disguise her lineage, but her lilac eyes make it impossible. When her Father is killed, she is taken to the cloister to be a servant of her faith. Jinaari Althir is sworn to protect Thia from the disgraced half of her heritage. Under his holy vows, he must keep others from killing her for their prejudice and using her for her power. He must succeed, there is no room for failure. Trust for someone like Thia is difficult.

Jinaari may say he is there to protect her, but can he truly do his best when he knows she is of the Fallen? Will Thia stay safe in order to fulfill her purpose or is she fated to die for her origins?



ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Born in the late 1960’s, K. M. has lived most of her life in the Pacific NW. While she’s always been creative, she didn’t turn towards writing until 2008. Writing under the pen name of KateMarie Collins, she released several titles. In 2019, the decision was made to forge a new path with her books. The Heroes of Avoch series, along with a new pen name, is the end result.

When she’s not writing, she loves playing Dungeons & Dragons with friends, watching movies, and cuddling up with her cat. K. M. resides with her family in what she likes to refer to as ‘Seattle Suburbia’.

Spotlight: The Lost Son (The Zargothian Saga Book 1) by Aidan Lucid

Spotlight: The Lost Son (The Zargothian Saga Book 1) by Aidan Lucid

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Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ UBL
October 20, 2022
255 pages

ABOUT THE BOOK

When Henry Simmons unearths a coin with mysterious powers, it’s clear that his life is soon to change . . . but not how he expects. After using the charm to woo Tracey Maxwell, Henry finds himself launched to another dimension””a world in which the human race is mercilessly hunted down by creatures called Sadarkians. This hellish realm, Zargothia, could scarcely be less safe.

Transported together, Henry and Tracey meet two mysterious strangers and a garrulous cat. Pressing forward, they learn that they’ve been charged with saving the people of Zargothia, but freeing King Argoth along with his people means facing ruthless overlords and almost certain death.

Vastly outnumbered, can Henry and his fated friends surmount the odds? In such a realm of wicked magic, danger lurks at every turn . . . and nothing is what it seems. 

~~~

PRAISE

The Lost Son was recently selected for an Honorable Mention in Bookshelf’s 2022 Fiction Writing Contest. 

“The plot, and pacing are quick and engaging. Excellent fantasy elements woven throughout just make this for a book that I didn’t want to put down.”  – Laura Ruetz.                                                                                                                                                               

 “I enjoyed this YA fantasy and I felt that it would be interesting to all ages. I thought that The Lost Son was a good story.” –  Delphia Von Heeder 

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Find out more about Aidan Lucid and his work on his website and follow him on Twitter.