Rise of a Dark Throne

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This author came up in my TikTok feed and I was immediately intrigued based on all the artwork on Ligia’s feed for the characters of this story.

The premise was interesting and I loved the world building that came with this story. It’s unlike any fantasy I’ve read and there were twists that I wasn’t expecting. That epilogue though! Now I must read the next book! It can’t come fast enough!

The story follows Sole who is thrust into the throne after a mysterious Darkness takes the lives of her people, parents, two sisters and her partner. She is then blessed with magick to heal and has the task of rebuilding her kingdom of the Mosa people. Word spreads that she possesses the power to heal and is summoned by a distant enemy of Sundom to help heal their king. Sundom’s second son, Prince Rivian comes to escort Sole to their lands and as they sail across the seas, they start forming a bond. Once in Sundom, not all is as it seems and the events that occur changes everything.

I love stories with strong female leads and Sole encompassed that energy. She never wanted to be queen but stepped up because she had to. It was all taken in her stride and I love her as a character. Her best friend Nisa was also a breathe of fresh air. As Sole’s most trusted advisor, she had a strong confident presence and stood up for herself or Sole when it counts.

Rivian is that prince we all want to love right? He’s hot, we’re there for it and I loved his caring nature. His intentions initially weren’t the best but spending time with Sole changed him for the better. The major twist with his storyline has me reeling!

Loved the BIPOC representation mixed with fantasy. There’s not enough of this rep in stories being promoted and they really should be! I am interested to read more from this author and see where this story goes as there’s elements at the end of the book which will open a can of worms.

A Kingdom of Gods and Ruin

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Can I just say, what a start to the story!

I went into this with no idea what the story was about and it was part of a book club read.

If you’re after a story with fae, magical powers and gods/goddesses, this may be for you.

When I was reading the main character Kyra, I thought to myself, she’s a bit wild, authentic, outgoing, but also has the biggest heart. Her relationship and love for her sister is beyond measure. The story follows her journey as she pleas to the gods/goddesses to help protect her sister from the king. Her sister Aalia has a rare beauty and power in which the king is enamoured by. Aalia is married, but that doesn’t stop the king from wanting what he wants. Kyra strikes different deals with the gods/goddesses, some unfortunate circumstances seals her sister’s fate as well as her own.

Honestly, the ending leaves you thinking WTF and is such a great entry into A Game of Malice and Greed. This one is a prequel and it really leaves you wanting more. Twisted sisters have done it again!

Unbetrothed

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This author had reached out on TikTok about their book and I’m so glad to have checked this out! If you’re after a romantasy described as Encanto meets the Selection, then this may be for you.

Beatriz is set to be betrothed, though her love of her best friend Lux, stops her from choosing a suitor. She can’t have Lux as he’s already paired to another person. On top of this, Beatriz fails to possess a magical gift - everyone in her kingdom are usually bestowed a gift from the ages 1-5, though at 17, she is still not charmed and sees herself as useless in comparison to others. Marking her words via an oath to the ancient ones, she goes on a secret quest to be granted her magical gifts in the valle de los fantasmas, gets in a sticky situation and is saved by a group of men, who we find out are from a rival kingdom Himzo. As she embarks on her journey with these men, she realises that not everything is as it seems and she has much learning to do about herself and those around her.

This book was well written and I enjoyed the characters. Beatriz was always going to be a stuck up princess who thought she knew better. There was much learning she needed to do and I appreciated her journey. She was flawed and felt her shortcomings, more so than others, because she was in the spotlight.

I loved her maid Laude and cracked up a lot at the things she would say and do, especially when she was with the Himzo group. She was hilarious to read. I kept thinking about what was this Himzo groups angle - they could capture Beatriz at any point and spark some more conflict. All was to be revealed in time and I loved the developing relationships between all of the characters. Zichri was all things you would want in a man - gentle natured, kind, caring, good looking, would take a sword to the chest for you… like he was built to be loved.

Things really pick up around the 70-80% mark when we encounter some betrayal and deceit. I did guess who the culprit was as it was hinted earlier in the book.

This was a really good read and I would love to read more from this author!

Earth: Magic Rediscovered

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I really love the concept of this book as it’s unique to anything I’ve ever read. If you’re after a YA fantasy filled with adventure and magic then this book is for you.

The story follows a young teen Jon as he his forced through a portal by a mysterious man Alfred. Jon's told that he needs to retrieve the Earth magic core by Alfred and that only he can go through the portal. In this world, magic exists in elemental cores - earth, air, fire, water and spirit. Magic spread throughout the world by mages, but one mage wanted magic for their own personal gain, which then corrupted the core of spirit. It was then decided to protect the cores, that they be separated and hidden, though the corruption still impacted the world.

This book gave me lord of the rings vibes in the sense that Jon ventured to unknown lands, met people along the way that helped him on his quest and that he is the chosen one to restore balance in his world. The whole time I kept thinking his mum must be so worried because he went through a portal and the only way to get back was to find the Earth core to reopen the door. I am really not sure why that thought was lingering in my head lol!

I was not expecting the ending and the decision Jon had to make about giving the Earth core to Alfred or not. It seemed like Jon didn't understand the gravity of his decisions nor the consequences. To me, it would have been clear cut, but it makes for drama and now I'm wanting to read the second book. Hoping the author has a release date for it because I'm hanging for it!

The Serpent & the Wings of Night

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This book really is a slow burn, so if you’re not up for the intricate world building and blood fest through some vampire trials, then this book ain’t for you!

I’ll just saw wow! That ending OMG. Luckily there’s another book to read as it’s basically a shit show from this point. And I mean that in a nice way!

When Oraya was taken/picked/captured as a child by vampire king Vincent, you immediately ask why. What is so special about this human? Throughout the book, you’re really wondering what Vincent’s motives are. Does he really have a soft spot for her? Why would he train a human to enter a vampire trial? At one point, I actually thought he was waiting for her to come of age so he could make her his wife and they rule the kingdom together. How wrong I was on that!

So a good 75% of this book is Oraya entering the Kejari which is a tournament where the vampire goddess Nyaxia grants you a wish. It's gory, ruthless and relentless. Having a human enter is unheard of but Vincent has trained Oraya her whole life for this moment. He's very secretive of why exactly. Cue in hot vampire Raihn who we find out was once human and he is fully intrigued by Oraya. With his best friend Mische, they form an alliance with Oraya to get through to various stages of the trial.

There's a few twists at the end. I knew what Oraya's actions would be, but I wasn't expecting the actions from Raihn after that. Throughout the whole book Oraya and Raihn have a love hate relationship, and I actually enjoy the interactions they have with one another. It's going to be interesting with how the kingdom's are going to be ruled. I want to dig into the next book as I am now captivated by this story.