This continuing series is not yet complete, so I will try to add the new titles to this post along with any links to future reviews.
Series List
Book 5 - Thwarting Cheaters (Review Not Yet Written)
Showing posts with label Academy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Academy. Show all posts
Tuesday, 23 November 2021
Review: Absorbing Inevitability (Artemis University Series Book 13) by Erin R Flynn
Absorbing Inevitability by Erin R. FlynnMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
No One Is Listening
This is the 13th book in a continuing series, which means you won’t understand the story unless you’ve read the preceding books first. The book ends at a natural break in the narrative but it’s still one heck of a cliffhanger!
Tamsin is now 21 years old and for the last two years, she has spent practically every day working towards doing things for other people. As she’s freed more fairies life hasn’t got easier, in some ways, it’s more pressure. In other ways, things have got more simple because she doesn’t have to hide who she is, and has support for taking care of some of the problematic supernaturals.
The ordinary fairies are supportive, on the whole, but they are not who she is around all the time. She’s around The Elite, The Ancients and The Guardians and they are not listening to her when she says that she needs an element of freedom. They aren’t listening when she asks for help, no matter how hard she cries.
This is a difficult book to read because Tamsin is basically being triggered and traumatised all the way through the book. She’s emotional and struggling and she is only getting the support she needs from a few limited places. It’s more support than she has had before, but she’s having to deal with more than she ever thought possible. She’s overwhelmed and can’t see things changing.
It also seems like she can’t catch a break with her mates. She never has all the people who claim to love her in a good place with her. They nearly always hurt her and it seems like she’s the one who always has to forgive.
I really enjoyed this book but I felt like I’d been put through the wringer afterwards. No wonder Tamsin needs a break because I certainly do! I just wish the book hadn’t ended on such a cliffhanger. It’s going to drive me nuts having to wait for the next book in the series.
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Friday, 29 October 2021
Review: Unregulated Upheaval (Artemis University Series Book 12) by Erin R Flynn
Unregulated Upheaval by Erin R. FlynnMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Aftermath
This is the 12th book in a continuing series that definitely requires reading the previous books to understand. There is a cliffhanger.
In the aftermath of the fairies return being revealed, there are many decisions for Tamsin to make. Tamsin has to decide how to make progress in bringing the two factions of fairies together to stop the constant wars. She needs to handle the elders and ancient ‘advisors’ in a way that won’t tear her society apart. She also has a huge list of evil people that she can now legally deal with as the Light Fairy Heir.
Still not at 100% after getting her wings, Tamsin has to accept protections she never would normally and she is learning to let go of some of the tight grips of control on everything she has always maintained. She has too much to do and finally has people to help if she lets them.
As always, Tamsin’s love life is a mixture of good and bad. Some of her men are wonderful, some, not so much. It seems the constant pressure of being Tamsin’s lover/mate is not conducive to happiness.
This book was a great leap forward in the plot as lots of strands of storyline from previous books came together as the fairies returned. The consequences of the actions taken by the supernatural elites are finally revealed and most are stunned that they are finally being called to task.
I liked that in this book we get to see more of the way fairies lived inside fairy. Tamsin gets taken on a tour and we have a lot of ordinary life explained to us via Tamsin. It’s great world-building and I enjoyed it a lot. We also got to see that bringing together the two factions might be easier for those who didn’t hold a lot of power under the old system.
As always there are massive highs and lows in Tamsin’s emotional state. She gets support from unexpected quarters and she gets none from some that she relies on. Even Neldor seems to be acting supportive, despite her suspicions of him when he’s being nice. However, I wouldn’t be Queen of Fairy if you paid me!
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Thursday, 7 October 2021
Review: By Her Sight (The Unitam Realm Series Book 1) by Sunny Hart
By Her Sight by Sunny HartMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reverse Harem Academy
This is the first book in a series. The story comes to a natural break, but it definitely leaves you wanting more.
Claire is a low-level witch, who still lives in the orphanage she was raised in, despite long being past the age of majority. She can do a few basic spells but hasn’t really had much training, because of being declared a low-level witch. As she’s also blind, there is nowhere else for her to go. She has a quiet life, mainly gardening, which she loves, and reading, using a spell to read books out loud to her. She doesn’t have any friends and has always been bullied. Then one day she is called into the Mother’s office and she is told that she is to attend the Realm’s Academy where the best and the brightest witches and shifters got to learn how to be the best examples of their races. Confused at the opportunity, she knows she has no other choice but to go.
As soon as Desmond, Everett and Malcolm meet Claire, they know she is not only their Fourth but also their respective Soul Flame and Mate. It is unheard of a Triad all being mated to their Fourth, but they know it’s true. Not wanting to scare away their ‘Little Witch’ they decide to keep their distance as she settles into her very new and challenging life.
I really enjoyed this book. It’s not the most original of plots or the best execution but I really liked the characters. I particularly liked that Claire makes friends before she becomes too attached to her Triad. Her friends are there for her all the way from the beginning. They are supportive and protective and provide invaluable guidance. It is through these friends that we learn about the much larger world that Claire finds herself in after leaving her very small and isolated home town.
The world-building is interesting but there are big gaps, which I believe will be explained further in the series as there are references to the world outside the Academy and potentially visiting her friends’ homes. I understand the author wanting to spend this first book examining the characters to draw the reader in, but I would have preferred a little more information about the world in which they lived.
On the whole, this was an engaging and enjoyable read and I look forward to reading the rest of the series when it’s published.
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Monday, 30 August 2021
Review: Multiplying Storms (Artemis University Series Book 11) by Erin R Flynn
Multiplying Storms by Erin R. FlynnMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Stress Is Bad For Fairies Too
This is the 11th book in a continuing series. You need to read the preceding books in order to understand this one, starting with Book 1, Upended Life.
This is one of my favourite Erin R Flynn series, and I think I’m not alone in that. I don’t like academy books so much these days because I overdosed on them when they first became the ‘hot’ trope. This is one of the few series I’ve kept on reading and I think it’s because the academy part of the story is more the background than the main point, especially as it is as university the characters attend rather than a high school, and therefore the students are adults.
This book essentially deals with the incredible amounts of pressure placed on Tamsin’s shoulders. She has pressure from all sides as she tries to free more fairies and at the same time keep them hidden from the supes as they gain an understanding of the world they have woken up to after a 20-year nap in Fairy. The pressure she is under at school and from the councils is growing exponentially and at the same time, she is continuing to fight for equality and justice in both the supe and the human world.
Tamsin spends a lot of this book in tears. She is reaching breaking point, especially with how disappointed she is with the fairies, in particular the Elders and Ancients. As always she can’t be completely happy with all her lovers/mates. There is always one! Apart from the one causing problems her other lovers/mates have been supportive and loving and seem to have finally found a way to try and provide Tamsin with what she needs. She is also coming to a tentative truce with Neldor, aka The Prince of Darkness. I like that this author allows her characters to develop and change in both positive and negative ways. This happens in real life and whilst it is nice and tidy if a character’s emotions and behaviours develop in a straight line, in real life that line dips and soars as triumphs and tribulations affect who we are.
A lot happens in this book, apart from Tams being pushed to breaking point and we see a lot more of the fairies, meeting more individuals. This feels like an important book in the series and is definitely a turning point in the plot. I can’t wait to see what comes next, I’m sure it’s going to be good!
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Saturday, 28 August 2021
Review: The Games We Play (The Path of Temptation Series Book 3) by Auryn Hadley
The Games We Play by Auryn HadleyMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Initiates
This book is the third in a five-book fantasy series. The previous books need to be read in order to understand the contents of this book.
This book is all about the second part of the main characters' first year of their Initiate years. Nari and Talin return from the Darkest Day festivities at his brother, the Baron of Temptation’s, Residence. The visit wasn’t much fun because the Baron is a very unpleasant man. However, the visit seemed to shine a spotlight on Nari, with the rumour mill going overtime assuming the visit was about Nari instead of Talin. The only good thing to come out of the visit was Maela, the Baron’s wife, reaching out tentatively in friendship to Nari.
Everyone seems to have stepped up their game to force Nari to declare a single Path or to cause her to step down a Path by failing her courses. The pressure is causing her to doubt herself and her ability to succeed in saving Zeal and his brothers and sisters from disappearing completely. Her lovers all want to protect her from the stress and try to find ways to help.
In this book, we get more insight into some of the other Paths, in particular the Path of Obligation. Nari is being exposed to different people around the Temple and spreading her belief in Zeal and the evidence of his existence is worn on her skin. More people are being swayed towards belief in his existence because of her role as his Voice. Still, Nari and her lovers are all being forced to play politics and are being manipulated by those in power far too much.
This book is fantastic. It’s full of emotion, politics and passion. The world-building for the series becomes richer and more detailed as we learn more about Zeal and his siblings. The education of the Initiates becomes more complete and through that education, we get a picture of what it will be like for the students after they become fully-fledged priests and priestesses.
The plot is carefully constructed, as always, to build tension and weave information around the emotions that keep you captivated. Throw in the politics and the passion and you have a winning formula for an incredible book within an amazing series. There is a lot more sex in this book, not only between the main group but as part of their training so there are scenes with people outside the romantic core that surround Nari. This is expected and is warned about early in the series, so it shouldn’t be any big surprise at this stage.
One of the things I really love about this series is the focus on love being many things to different people. There is the love of the parent or mentor, the love of friends and confidants, romantic love, passionate love, the love of brothers-in-arms and the love of their god. There are so many types of love in this book, some even overlap, but it is the thread that runs throughout the series. There is a bond created by love that is stronger than anything their opponents can throw at them.
When I finished this book, I almost want to read it all over again to see the fine nuances that I know this author placed in this book. Whenever I re-read a book by Auryn Hadley I always find more the second or third time around. This book will be no exception as there is such richness in the details of plot, emotions and background. I hate that I have to wait another few months for the next book, but at least it’s up for pre-order!
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Tuesday, 20 July 2021
Review: Aurora Rising (The Aurora Cycle Book 1) by Amie Kaufman
Aurora Rising by Amie KaufmanMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
I’d probably give this book 4.5 ⭐ if I could.
I listened to this book in an audio format, which affects my experience of this book, so please take this into account when reading this review.
This book is set centuries into the future when humanity has discovered a way to transition the galaxy using ‘folds’ in space. However, if you travel through the fold, once you reach 25 years old the forces that the fold inflicts on the human body start to affect the mind meaning everyone over that age must travel through the fold in stasis. Captains, pilots, diplomats and engineers and others, who need to be awake to do the work of piloting the fold, all must be people under the age of 25. As humans have explored they have met other races of sentient beings and have finally learnt how to live with them after a few centuries of warring. To help police the galaxy The Legion is formed from several races who train their youngsters to become the force that keeps everyone safe. Training ends at age 18 and they are sent out into the galaxy to fulfil the orders they receive from Aurora Academy.
On the day that the graduating class will receive notification of their squads, Tyler Jones can’t sleep and heads out into the fold to rest his brain. Instead of rest, he finds a ship that went missing 200 years ago and the single survivor inside a sleep pod is Aurora O’Malley. Rescuing her sets a sequence of events in motion that he could never have imagined, his life has changed forever with that one decision to go flying.
This story evolves into a fascinating adventure where a team of young people find themselves alone in the galaxy trying to find a way to save life as they know it. Alone and unguided, except by their own instincts they must face dangers they don’t understand until it’s too late. Aurora has been changed by 2 centuries in the fold, everyone she knew is dead and the galaxy is a very different place from the one she knew when she went to sleep.
The world-building in this book is excellent. There are different races and worlds that are articulately and imaginatively described helping bring the story to life.
The characters are all interesting and though they are all young, they are mature by today’s standards having trained hard since they were 11 or 12 years old to take on massive responsibilities at age 18. The interactions between the characters are fun with some of the characters knowing each other exceptionally well and others are strangers who have to find their way into being fully integrated members of a squad. There is the banter of the familiar interwoven with the prickliness of strangers being forced into close contact. It’s well done and interesting to read.
The story is fascinating with the roots of it being set millennia in the past. The current characters are blips on the timeline, but they are the most vital to its conclusion. This story starts simply and grows more complex with each chapter as the plot is revealed layer by layer right up until the end.
This book had several narrators which I quite enjoyed though as one of the characters had either an Australian or New Zealand accent that the other narrators were forced to duplicate when speaking with her voice there were some quite shaky parts. As they had multiple narrators I think it might have been better to have those narrators speak with their own voices throughout each chapter rather than have one narrator speak the section told from their point of view and leave them struggling with conveying the different character’s voices. Some narrators were better than others at doing this and when there was a poorly done section it detracted from my enjoyment and broke my concentration. I understand that it's a lot more complicated from a production point of view, but I felt they should have made the harder choice if they were going to have multiple narrators anyway.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and will definitely listen to the next book in the series, because I want to know what happens next.
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Tuesday, 22 June 2021
Review: Lock and Key (Nocturne Academy Series Book 1) by Evangaline Anderson
Lock and Key by Evangeline AndersonMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
YA Paranormal Romance
I’d probably give this book 3.5 ⭐️ if I could.
This is the first book of a trilogy, but though there is a story arc continuing through the series, there is no real cliffhanger at the end of the book.
I got this book free and downloaded it because I enjoyed the Kindred books this author wrote. This book is NOTHING like those books, except for the ‘fated love’ element. It is a clean YA romance, which is pretty much the exact opposite of the Kindred books.
Megan has gone to live with her aunt, after the death of her mother and her father decided he no longer wanted to raise her. Her aunt managed to get her enrolled in Nocturne Academy the school she and her sister attended. The school appears on no maps and is inhabited, almost entirely, by Others. Others are members of the magical races; vampires, witches, fae and drakes (dragon shifters). Megan was unaware of magic before she arrived at the school and she is thrown in at the deep end.
When Megan meets Griffin, when she’s enrolled, they are instantly drawn to each other. He is a nocturne, or vampire, and the magical races are not allowed to mix romantically.
This is very definitely a YA book aimed at young adults. The language isn’t complex, nor is the plot. It involves a girl unaware of her magical heritage, a forbidden love, plucky friends, an evil witch and a secret prophecy. It’s all been done before. It’s quite entertaining and I wanted to finish the book to see where it went, so it’s fairly compelling, but it didn’t break my expectations in any way.
Megan doesn’t really have any of her own agency, everything that happens to her and that she does seems to be driven by magic. It made her a little dull for me. The only thing that seemed to be decided for herself was to stick up for her friends. Those actions helped me like her a bit more. However, every activity, other than protecting her friends, was preceded by a feeling she ‘had to’ to in order for her to do it.
I won’t be reading the next book. It’s not for me. I think, however, that it might be suitable for the actual YA it’s aimed at. It’s rare to find a book about YAs that is suitable for them as there are an awful lot that are about YAs that are aimed at a much more mature reader, which is what I thought this was. I didn’t realise the protagonist was 16 but if I had I wouldn’t have read this book. However, I would recommend it to a younger teenager.
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Sunday, 20 June 2021
Review: The Paths We Lay (Path of Temptation Series Book 2) by Auryn Hadley
The Paths We Lay by Auryn HadleyMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Learning What The Path Is
This is the second book, of what is shaping up to be another amazing series by Auryn Hadley. You need to read the first book to enjoy this book, if you haven’t read it yet, you really should because it’s fantastic.
This book is about the Priestess and Priests of Zeal becoming Initiates. They are now onto their secondary education where they learn about the Paths they’ve been placed upon by Zeal. As Nariana has been gifted the Path of Temptation, or all five Paths, she has to find her own Path to navigate and Zeal isn’t helping her choose how to walk it. She asked for free will, so he gave it to her as his Chosen.
One of the things I really like about this series is that it’s not just about Nariana, it’s about all of those Zeal has touched and who can see him. There are multiple points of view in this book and I enjoyed all of them. Each of the characters has importance to this story. They all see things slightly differently and support each other in different ways. The story is a web with strands connecting each person to each other, though that metaphor is far too static for the journey they must all take together.
In this book, we watch as these young people learn about sexuality and other temptations. They start to learn who they really are and what their desires are like. They have formal lessons but learn as much from each other as they do from their teachers. They also have the help of advice from their mentors and, of course, their god. They make new friends and take new lovers. They gain allies for themselves and Zeal. They use friendship and kindness as well as lust to tempt.
I love the winding path this story is taking. This author always allows space for her characters to breathe and think. This is actually quite a contemplative book about sexuality and power. There is plenty of explicitly sexy scenes that will leave you squirming, but there is also plenty of thought-provoking discussions about accepting yourself and your desires. It also makes you think about the nature of power and how easy or hard it is to grab onto and once you have it what you choose to do with it.
This contrast between scenes hot enough to make you blush and cerebral scenes that make your mind whirl is how the author keeps you slightly off-kilter, wondering what is coming next and driving you to keep turning the pages to find out. Thrown into that interesting blender of physicality and intellect is the character development, as we watch these young people grow up. We also watch their mentors, people in their late 30s and 40s mature and start to move towards new stages in their lives. The mentors know a lot about their subjects and are more than capable of guiding their students, but they still have more to learn about life and have Zeal to guide them.
I know this book will be like all other Auryn Hadley books and every time I read it I will find something new and interesting that I missed before. It’s one of the reasons I don’t mind reading each book as it comes out. I re-read all the previous books each time there is a release and get something new each time. It’s also why I don’t mind buying the books even though they are in Kindle Unlimited. I know I will read them time and time again, which for me is the mark of a 5 ⭐️ book, and I want to make sure they are always in my library.
July feels a long way off, to wait for the next book, but as Zeal might tell you, anticipation makes things sweeter.
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Wednesday, 9 June 2021
Review: Three to Find (Hemlock Academy Series Book 3) by Kelsey Soliz
Three to Find by Kelsey SolizMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
The Steamiest Yet
I’d probably give this book 3.5 ⭐️ if I could.
I wasn’t as big a fan of this book as I was the first two. It was much less subtle world building and more banging the conduit at every opportunity. There was so much less plot too. This is fine if you are looking for silly humour and heated sex scenes, but I’d come to expect more depth and this book didn’t have that.
The book starts with a weird evil villain monologue as Night declares his version of history and his intents, whilst being interrupted by his heir telling him he’s mad and basically that sets the tone for much of the book, as he crawls out of the woodwork. It’s hard to assign him any level of threat after this introduction and it totally changes the way the series is heading.
The goddess has declared that Gabby gets some extra mates because she’s done so well with the first batch. They are all living in the big mansion kept for the leaders of the Conduits that has been empty for a long time and only used for visiting dignitaries. They also dropped out of Hemlock Academy (which is why I find the title of the series a bit strange). They are studying from home because they have to work as council leaders.
The majority of this book is taken up with the search for new mates and the Conduit Gala. Incidents that would normally have peril are muted by the ridiculous nature of the book's villain. To be honest, the goddess wasn’t much less ridiculous and on several occasions, the characters interacted with the readers in a way that just didn’t work for me, because it was suddenly dropped into the style of writing.
This book almost didn’t feel like the same author. There was much less clever layering and more A to B's in a direct route. I’ll probably give myself a break from this series because I’m not sure of how the next book is going to be. If it’s like the first two books then sign me up, but if it’s going to continue like this book I’m not going to bother.
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Tuesday, 8 June 2021
Review: Second Glances (Hemlock Academy Series Book 2) by Kelsey Soliz
Second Glances by Kelsey SolizMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
More Mates
I’d probably give this book 4.5 ⭐️ if I could.
This second book is as good as the first. It’s slightly more frenetic and is full of silliness but that makes me smile all the harder. Building on from the first book, Gabby finds more mates and they are people I had my suspicions about. However, there is quite a journey to get to the point of bonding as none of them is as instant as Balfour or Cyrus. In fact, Cyrus’ problems arise after the bonding because his past comes back to bite him in the butt.
I think one of the reasons I am enjoying this academy series is that it isn’t really much of an academy series. The academy is the starting place, where Gabby starts to come into her own and where she meets her mates, but there is very little focus on the lessons etc. In other academy books quite often the world-building is done through lessons the pupils learn, in this series, we learn more from the other members of the harem, especially Cyrus and Dar as they have 100 years of age under their belts.
I really enjoy the humour in these books. Gabby has such a sense of fun, she’s a joy to read about. Her mates are pretty hilarious too. Exhibit A: Bal’s tendency to use sports commentator voices whilst having his sex high. Exhibit B: Palmer’s punching out fake cardboard people, trust me, both are hilarious.
I love how the story has built and the harem has started to bond, not just with Gabby but with each other. It sounds like this is essential as stuff is starting to get pretty dangerous!
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Monday, 7 June 2021
Review: First Addition (Hemlock Academy Series Book 1) by Kelsey Soliz
First Addition by Kelsey SolizMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Loved These Characters
I’d probably give this book 4.5 ⭐️ if I could.
I overdosed on academy reverse harem books when they first became ‘A Thing’. I don’t read many at all now. I think the only series I’m currently reading is Artemis University and that’s because I’m so invested in the characters I can’t stop. I don’t know why I decided to give this one a chance, but I’m so glad I did.
One of the things I normally hate about Academy books is that they have the usual high school drama of bullying nonsense and to be honest, I’m too old for that sort of thing to have any appeal whatsoever. Happily, this book doesn’t have much of that. It has some, I can’t deny, but not much.
The MFC is Gabriella, or Gabby to her friends. She is a bodysmith which is someone who uses sexual energy to power up her magical resources. Normally bodysmiths are people who can’t cope with monogamous relationships and exchange their addictively drugging sexual exploits for wealth. Gabby doesn’t like that in her mother, who is also a bodysmith, and has tried to avoid that behaviour. It helps that her dad is the headmaster of Hemlock Academy and he is also a sculptor which is someone who has the ability to alter the fabric of things and beings. Gabby has inherited his powers as well. Recently it came to light that in addition to all this she is a Conduit, which is someone, usually a woman, who binds someone to her magically and romantically and this enhances their abilities. She has 6 conduits which hasn’t been seen for hundreds of years so she is keeping it quiet when she attends the academy she doesn’t want to go to.
That’s quite a bit introduction and more information than I’d normally give but I think it explains why Gabby is the way she is really well. Her personality is fantastic. She’s fun, down to earth, feisty and strong. She doesn’t want the power and notoriety that being a Conduit brings, especially one as powerful as she is. She wants men to want her because they like her.
I really like all the characters as much as I like Gabby. They are all interesting and getting to know them is fascinating. I also like the way the plot unfolds. It’s gradual and enthralling, even though not a lot of dramatic stuff happens, I couldn’t stop reading this book. I just really enjoyed spending time with Gabby and her friends/men.
The world the author has created is different from most, though it has shifters and vampires, there are other categories that seem to crop up the more you read, such as the bodysmiths or sculptors. The specialisation is what makes the magic system interesting.
I feel like there is so much more to learn about their magic system and society as the last few chapters reveal quite a lot and leave a lot of questions unanswered. I really want to read the next book straight away so I can find out what the answers to those questions are. I also want to find out who else could be one of Gabby’s mates because the first two are fantastic!
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Thursday, 3 June 2021
Review: Erupting Shadows (Artemis University Series Book 10) by Erin R Flynn
Erupting Shadows by Erin R. FlynnMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Fae Shenanigans
This book is part of a continuing series and cannot be understood if read separately from the preceding books.
Tamsin is getting ready to go back to Artemis for her Junior year and is getting pressure from both sides of the fae spectrum. Surrounded by elders and ancients who criticise constantly Tamsin has to find a way to achieve her goals of freeing all fae before all the political nonsense drives her to drink.
At the same time as some fae are causing problems, others are providing guidance and support, helping with her fae education. However, as usual not all her men are providing the support she needs and are being selfish in their needs. It seems poor Tams can’t have all four men act in a kind and caring way at the same time.
As well as romance problems and fae problems she also has the normal supernatural problems of the councils all trying to get her to reveal what race she is so they can control her.
This book doesn’t have masses of interesting plot. Everything moves along but it’s not the usual breakneck speed. There are some rescues but not many. The book is mainly focused on Tamsin’s promises to free the fae and the ramifications that has on her role as an Heir. That it wasn’t so breakneck did not spoil my enjoyment, in fact, it gave me more time to appreciate the story. I’m looking forward to what happens next.
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Sunday, 4 April 2021
Review: Veiled (Concealed in Myths Series Book 1) by Ruby Smoke
Veiled by Ruby SmokeMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Filthy Fae Fun
I’d probably give this book 4.5 ⭐️ if I could.
I’m pretty sure this is the first book I’ve read by this author, and I chose it because a couple of people recommended the book in my Facebook groups. I’m so glad I decided to follow up the recommendations because this was a great book. I’d also like to say, what an amazing cover, because that thing is creepy and beautiful all at the same time, a little like the book.
Hudson is a magic user, whose father is a member of the council that rules over magic users. She has been schooled in the proprieties of her father’s position and forced into a neat little box all her life. But she doesn’t really fit into that box very well. She’s a little too loud, a little too brash and strong and she really hates her father’s choices on what she has to wear. She is now 20 and set to go off to university where she can finally make her own choices on what to wear and who to be. She gets sent to a magical college rather than the mortal one she wants to go to, but at least she is free of her father’s influence.
When Hudson arrives she finds her the man her father adopted when he was 15 years old and she was 10. He and his three best friends are now instructors at the college and she has to live in a house with them, and the sexual tension is supercharged, a bit like her powers seem to be. She doesn’t seem to be a usual magic-user and maybe her white hair isn’t just a sign of stress, but of something else, that SHE is something else.
This is a complex book with many moving parts. There are plots and conspiracies, with many people not being who you think they are.
There is lots of violence, snark and pop culture references, with many nods to the RH writing community. There is also a LOT of sex. The scenes are hot and spicy, with enough filth to make anyone blush, whilst turning the pages faster to keep up with the imagery. I will say that in case you really don’t enjoy it, there are some FF, MFM and MFMM scenes but no MM ones. All are equally hot.
Apart from snappy retorts and too cool for school MFC, there is actually a lot of substance to the book. The characters are all clearly delineated and distinct from one another, with enough to differentiate them in your head as you read (something that some RH authors seem to struggle with). However, you are aware that there is plenty of room for growth of each character and to expand on their histories, as they are clouded apart from in relation to Hudson’s shared past.
The world-building was interesting but a little fuzzy in places. There was plenty of mythology chucked at us, but in some places it didn’t make a great deal of sense. I feel that there will be a lot more world-building in the rest of the series. There was a lot crammed into this first book, and as is often the case with a first book, some things by necessity got left out. I’ll be interesting in reading the bits that fill in those gaps.
I really enjoyed this book. It kept me entertained on a day where I just couldn’t find ANYTHING that I wanted to read. It was a minor miracle I found this book in my saved samples on my Kindle and it jumped out of me because of that wonderful cover. As soon as I read the sample I was hooked, though the prologue was a bit wordy and ‘mysterious prophecy-tastic’. Once the book proper got started I was hooked.
I’m looking forward to seeing what comes next.
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Tuesday, 30 March 2021
Review: Destiny Rising (Destiny Series Book 2) by CJ Cooke
Destiny Rising by C.J. CookeMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Gripping Story
This book follows on immediately after the end of Book 1. The last part of the previous book was really good and this book definitely built on that. The story flies along at a great rate and is filled with emotion and passion.
The final scenes of the last book leave echoes of pain as the remnants of the student body and staff must find their way to safety. The only people capable of keeping them safe are Aria’s Elite, so they make their way to pack land in the hopes of evading the demons that destroyed the academy.
What they find isn’t as safe as they hoped with Pack politics making it an insecure place for Aria and her mates. Her magic is becoming stronger and more evident and the Pack Seer has information about who she is and where she needs to go to get more information. It seems Aria and her mates are going on a trip.
Now free of the academy structure this story comes to life. We are in the realms of an epic fantasy series as the protagonist goes on a quest through unknown lands to find the solution to the world’s problems.
There are plenty of battles, lots of passion and fascinating cultures. This book is a fantastic read and I can’t believe the cliffhanger! Thankfully the next book is already out.
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Sunday, 28 March 2021
Review: Destiny Awakened (Destiny Series Book 1) by CJ Cooke
Destiny Awakened by C.J. CookeMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Great Start To A New Series
It’s always tough to start a series in a way that doesn’t overwhelm the reader with details but still allows the story to grow. This novel manages that, and what is even more impressive is that this is a debut novel, as well as a start to a series.
Aria is a 20-year-old college student, who sidelines as a cat burglar who’s work helps abused women get away from the men who abuse them. It’s a noble endeavour, that also pays her bills well and allows her to practice using her magic. Abandoned as a baby and slung into the system, she has been through a lot in her life, but she is happy with where she is now, helping other people, saving money, having fun challenging herself and helping out at the gym that helped her survive when she was young.
Her nice stable life, with enough excitement to contain her magic safely, is turned upside down when new legislation is passed enforcing all half breed magic users to leave the Earth realm and go to train with full supernaturals. No one has ever seen her kind of magic before and when she arrives at the academy she is still an outsider until she meets three gorgeous shifters who know she is something special.
This book has a lot going for it. It’s got a great strong main female character, who is confident and strong, with enough legitimate insecurities to make her relatable without being weak. I love that her magic is tied to her combat skills, which she has spent years honing. She has worked hard to achieve her strength and the magic just builds on that. She doesn’t go from ordinary human to crazy strong magic user with no foundation.
I also like the other characters, mainly the guys she meets, Kyle, the alpha of their small pack, Sykes and Liam. These three shifters are also strong but have their own flaws, though these don’t weaken them. I especially like Britt, the shifter who Aria protects and then trains. Britt is vulnerable because her society has deemed her a weak female that must be protected and controlled. Aria shows her another path that she grabs with both hands.
One of the things I wasn’t as keen on was the choice of using an academy and then half hearting it. There was very little structure to the academy and the teachers were very lax and more like friends than teachers. They were able to do pretty much what they wanted, when they wanted and Aria became a mentor, rather than receiving training herself. It felt like a plot device to get everyone together in one place, rather than a natural part of the story. I felt that the headmaster and Caleb the combat trainer were weak characters until they got outside the academy structure and then they became much more believable, because as teachers they weren’t. Once we were outside the ‘structure’ of the academy the story came to life for me.
This book is a great start for a new writer, and I love the characters so much that the plot wobbles didn’t bother me that much. I will definitely be continuing with the story because I really want to know what happens to them all next.
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Monday, 22 March 2021
Review: The Price We Pay (The Path of Temptation Series Book 1) by Auryn Hadley
The Price We Pay by Auryn HadleyMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Fantastic Introduction To A World Of Gods
This book was fantastic from the first page. I’ve been really excited about this book from the first time we got a teaser of the first chapter on the author’s Facebook Group a few months ago and the rest of the book did not disappoint, rather it exceeded my expectations.
This is a story of a small girl, Nariana, who taken to the temple on the one day of the year a child can be surrendered for service to the gods in exchange for a gold mark. It’s a day when families can save their starving children by giving one to the gods to make what they have go further and with the extra money feed the rest of the family through the winter.
Claimed by Zeal, the God of Temptation, Nariana is introduced to a world filled with his priests and priestesses. She is educated and loved by her mentor and her guardian who form a little family inside a greater one.
This book is really about Nari’s education from the time she enters the temple, and the people she meets throughout that time. The alliances and enmities she makes during her education help shape who she is and her devotion to Zeal. Her education also teaches us about the world in which the series is set. As a child, Nari is taught about the world as well as her role within it in a way that is clearly laid out for us. At the same time as we are being entertained by the plot, we are learning about Nariana’s world and her place within it.
This is a complicated fantasy world, filled with gods and magic and the science and fashion of the Victorian era. It’s a decadent dive into passion, rage and the temptation of greed.
This is a reverse harem story and there is plenty of passion as the children grow into adults. As older teens there is fooling around but no actual sex until they are around 19-20 years old. The sex scenes that are included are very well written, tender and still fan-your-face hot. The relationships are not just about passion but about friendship, love, acceptance and a shared path.
I loved all the characters, who are wonderfully well rounded and flawed in a believable and consistent way. There are some different points of view during the book, but it is mainly from Nariana’s POV. The alternate POVs are enlightening both in terms of plot and allowing us to see things in a different way.
The book doesn’t finish on a cliff hanger, but a natural break. I was still gripped with a fierce desire to know what comes next because the plot is wonderfully compelling. Once you start reading this story you won’t be able to stop. Thankfully the whole series is already written, I just have to wait for each book to be published on the due dates. It’s nice to have things to look forward to and know that your expectations will be met!
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Wednesday, 17 March 2021
Review: Rebels and Runaways (Eden Academy Series Book 1) by Grace McGinty
Rebels and Runaways by Grace McGintyMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Joining Together All The Strands
If you’ve read all of Grace McGinty’s books, you’ll absolutely LOVE this book. If you haven’t read them, go and do it now, you won’t regret it. However, you can probably get away with not reading the previous books because this book is about the next generation of supernaturals.
Set at Eden Academy, which was established to protect and nurture supernaturals and provide a refuge for those that needed it, the new academic year is starting for those that have graduated the high school portion of their education and who are in need of a further four years of supernatural specific education.
Starting the new term are the three adopted children of Raine, from Pleasantly Undead in Dark River, and her mates. The three wolf shifters were brought to Raine when they were five years old, when Lucius took them from a slave auction. The darkness that lives inside of Carmen was bred during that time at the auction house. She is in a constant battle to fight and to let blood because of her anger. She is a beta wolf who’s siblings are an alpha and an omega, which she sometimes resents but she still loves them completely.
This story is principally about Carmen and the men she falls for. Like her adoptive mother, Carmen seems to need multiple mates to keep up with her. Though the story is about Carmen and her mates we are also introduced to lots of other young shifters at the academy, which I’m sure will be covered in future books.
One of the things I really enjoyed about this book is that it isn’t really an academy book. There is very little about lessons or students interacting (though there is some with some of the usual jealousy etc, but there isn’t much of it). This is just a setting for the story, Carmen and her siblings are actually just day students because they live so close by.
As usual, this author manages to blend the good and evil beings together to show that even if you are labelled ‘evil’ it doesn’t mean you aren’t capable of great acts of love and friendship. There is violence and death in this book but it pales in comparison with the love of mates, family and friends that binds all the characters together.
There is some really creative plot construction in this story and I love all the characters so much, especially the weird ones such as Flint the half ifrit and Monster the wendigo. There is humour, sadness, pain, violence and sex scenes in this book, sometimes two or more at once!
I know I’ll read this book again because there is so much in it to enjoy that I’ll get more from it the second time around. I’m also really looking forward to the next book in the series as there is a cliffhanger to lure us on into reading about the next group of young people at the academy.
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Monday, 22 February 2021
Review: Damaged Dreams (The Council Series Book 1) by Kris Butler
Damaged Dreams by Kris ButlerMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Emotions Based New Adult Reverse Harem
I’d probably give this book 4.5 ⭐️ if I could.
Sariah has been in hiding for the last 5 years. When she was 15 she was on the cusp of great success, heading for the Olympics, at a rapid pace with her next-door neighbour, Henry, as her Pairs Ice Dancing partner and and who she hoped was about to become her boyfriend. Then everything changed in the space of 24 hours. She was suddenly on the run with her parents after hearing she was adopted and her parents weren’t who she thought they were. When deciding to run for it they were forced off the road into an accident in which she barely escaped with her life and lost both parents.
Now known as Sawyer Sullivan, she is ready to follow up on finding out who she really is and she is heading for a new job as an Instructor at TAS, the Elite Winter Sports Academy where her parents told her it all began. Due to her new name she was placed in a shared house with male instructors and decides to stay after being told there were very limited options for alternative housing. This is the set up for meeting all the men.
This is a good-sized book and the author spends a lot of time building up the characters. We get to know Sawyer quite well through her own and other’s eyes. There are multiple POV in this book, which helps us get to know the other characters, and not just from Sawyer’s point of view, but from others in the house.
At the end of the book, in the ‘About The Author’ section Kris Butler confirms that she has worked in the mental health field and this book definitely shows that background. The characters are well rounded, with many hidden depths. I like that the male characters have a well developed history with each other and their interactions are as important as those with Sawyer. There are quite a few heated scenes which include MM as well as MFM interactions. The MM interactions are not just physical but also romantic.
Because of the slow build-up of the characters, the creation of the RH situation is believable and sweet as well as hot. I also like that not everyone is automatically included in the RH. The relationships that Sawyer has with each man in the house is very different and they build at different rates. The mystery aspect of the story is put on hold in the middle of the book as we get to know all the characters. There is also some bullying, but it isn’t a focus of the story, and it doesn’t seem to bother Sawyer that much.
I like that though this is set at an academy, the characters are instructors rather than students. I have grown a bit weary of 17 year olds having the sex life of a very adventurous and experienced 30 year old. I know that academies are convenient for placing a group of disparate people together in an enclosed environment but I’ve read sooooo many of these stories that I’ve grown bored of the trope. This twist somehow magically makes it all a bit better. I think because they are adults and are free to do what they want without being bound by ‘academy rules’.
Some people might find this a little slow in places, but for people who enjoy the psychological aspect of the building of a harem, this is a great read and I can’t wait to read the next book when it comes out.
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Friday, 19 February 2021
Review: Wolf Girl (Wolf Girl Series Book 1) by Leia Stone
Wolf Girl by Leia StoneMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
NA Paranormal Romance
Demi is a female wolf who has never been allowed to shift. Her parents were banished from the wolf community and before her first birthday, she was bound with magic cuffs to prevent her from shifting. She attends a college with other misfits of the magic world and as the only wolf is tormented regularly. On the heels of one such occasion, she runs outside to prevent the partial shift that she can manage even whilst cuffed, which gets her in trouble, when she runs into a gorgeous male wolf, Sawyer.
When she is invited by Sawyer who is the wolf Alpha’s son to attend the wolf university and have her education and living costs covered by him and to have her cuffs removed, she jumps at the opportunity. Only once her cuffs are removed, she finds that her wolf isn’t quite as expected.
Sawyer invites Demi to attend the university because he has to find a mate before the end of his final year at university and all female wolves between the ages of 18 and 22 have to attend the university in order to see if they could be his mate.
There is quite a lot of angst in this book. Demi’s life has not been easy and that echoes throughout the book. There is a trigger warning at the front of the book, which I recommend you read before decided whether you want to go further.
Whilst I really liked both Demi and Sawyer I felt the world-building was a bit skimmed over. The main focus of the author is on Demi and her feelings for Sawyer and how she sees his feelings for her as there is a single POV. That focus doesn’t allow the author much space to discuss the society in which they live, which is disappointing. I also wish we got to know the supporting characters a little better. Sage, in particular, is an intriguing character as Sawyer’s cousin and Demi’s newest friend, and I want to know about her rather than just as a foil for the MFC and MMC.
There is a major cliffhanger but I believe the next book comes out 26th February 2021, so you won’t have long to wait to read what comes next.
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