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Hazel (1853 KP) rated To Kill a Kingdom in Books
Dec 7, 2018
<i>This ebook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review </i>
A princess must have her prince but perhaps not in the usual happy-ever-after fairytale way. With sirens, princes, pirates, mermaids and magic, <i>To Kill a Kingdom</i> by Alexandra Christo is a dark fantasy novel perfect for those who grew up with <i>Peter Pan</i> and The Little Mermaid. But, as with most traditional fairy tales, this book is riddled with trickery and lies, making it a heart-stopping adventure.
Lira is a siren princess who is nearing her eighteenth birthday. In order to celebrate the life of their goddess Keto and get revenge for her death at the hands of the humans, each siren must kill and remove the heart of a human victim. Lira has always targeted princes and aims to steal the heart of Prince Elian of Midasan, however, her mother, the sea queen, has different ideas.
As punishment for disobeying her orders, the evil queen temporarily turns Lira into a human, stripping her of her siren power. In order to return, she must kill Prince Elian and return to the sea with his heart. However, things get complicated when Prince Elian saves Lira from drowning and takes her aboard his ship.
Elian is a prince-cum-pirate who has no wish to be the heir of the golden kingdom of Midasan. He spends his days as the captain of his ship, hunting and killing sirens. Not realising Lira is the siren he most wishes to destroy, he gradually gets used to her presence and believes she will be useful to him on his quest to find a crystal that will destroy the sea queen forever. Lira agrees to help, however, she has an ulterior motive – perhaps she can help Elian find the crystal then kill him and destroy her mother …
It takes a while for this dark, romantic young adult novel to get going; there is a lot of introduction to characters and the way their fantasy world operates. With different customs to get familiar with, particularly in the case of the sirens, it is a little monotonous for the first few chapters. However, once Lira and Elian meet, events become far more interesting.
The banter and insults hurled between Elian, Lira and the rest of the crew is a humorous addition to the storyline and makes the prince and princesses growing relationship all the more exciting. With the sea queen lurking in the shadows, the story builds up to a fateful conclusion, however, maybe Lira can steal the prince’s heart a different way.
Once the story is well underway it becomes an engrossing piece of literature that is difficult to put down. With romance, danger and a cataclysmic ending, it has everything that a young adult fantasy fan wishes for. To Kill a Kingdom is Christo’s debut and it is exciting to find out what she will write next.
A princess must have her prince but perhaps not in the usual happy-ever-after fairytale way. With sirens, princes, pirates, mermaids and magic, <i>To Kill a Kingdom</i> by Alexandra Christo is a dark fantasy novel perfect for those who grew up with <i>Peter Pan</i> and The Little Mermaid. But, as with most traditional fairy tales, this book is riddled with trickery and lies, making it a heart-stopping adventure.
Lira is a siren princess who is nearing her eighteenth birthday. In order to celebrate the life of their goddess Keto and get revenge for her death at the hands of the humans, each siren must kill and remove the heart of a human victim. Lira has always targeted princes and aims to steal the heart of Prince Elian of Midasan, however, her mother, the sea queen, has different ideas.
As punishment for disobeying her orders, the evil queen temporarily turns Lira into a human, stripping her of her siren power. In order to return, she must kill Prince Elian and return to the sea with his heart. However, things get complicated when Prince Elian saves Lira from drowning and takes her aboard his ship.
Elian is a prince-cum-pirate who has no wish to be the heir of the golden kingdom of Midasan. He spends his days as the captain of his ship, hunting and killing sirens. Not realising Lira is the siren he most wishes to destroy, he gradually gets used to her presence and believes she will be useful to him on his quest to find a crystal that will destroy the sea queen forever. Lira agrees to help, however, she has an ulterior motive – perhaps she can help Elian find the crystal then kill him and destroy her mother …
It takes a while for this dark, romantic young adult novel to get going; there is a lot of introduction to characters and the way their fantasy world operates. With different customs to get familiar with, particularly in the case of the sirens, it is a little monotonous for the first few chapters. However, once Lira and Elian meet, events become far more interesting.
The banter and insults hurled between Elian, Lira and the rest of the crew is a humorous addition to the storyline and makes the prince and princesses growing relationship all the more exciting. With the sea queen lurking in the shadows, the story builds up to a fateful conclusion, however, maybe Lira can steal the prince’s heart a different way.
Once the story is well underway it becomes an engrossing piece of literature that is difficult to put down. With romance, danger and a cataclysmic ending, it has everything that a young adult fantasy fan wishes for. To Kill a Kingdom is Christo’s debut and it is exciting to find out what she will write next.
Kyera (8 KP) rated Black Moon (Zodiac, #3) in Books
Feb 1, 2018
Black Moon is the third book in the Zodiac series. I've enjoyed the series thus far, so I was intrigued to see where it would go. Sometimes it felt like the plot jumped around, but where the book really shines is in world building. The solar system is populated by 12 houses of people with many more planets and moons. Each house has its own personalities, physical attributes, and fascinating celestial bodies. She describes the various cities that Rho goes to with wonderful detail, building whole worlds in your mind. Each house is home to such varied peoples from the underwater dwelling Scorps with their pale skin and red eyes that allow them to see more in the dark, but cause discomfort in strong light to the tan Cancrians with their blonde hair. Each house embodies a specific attribute and we see that expressed in their people like the ever questioning Sagittarian or the balancing Libran. There's not much to say about the book itself as this is the third in the series, so anything would be spoilers. Highly recommended read for teen/young adult readers who are fans of fantasy, science fiction, and expansive world building.
Becs (244 KP) rated An Unholy Magick in Books
Dec 2, 2019
the enemies to lovers (3 more)
the plot
the characters are relatable
there are not any "good guys" or "heroes"; everybody is a "bad guy" or "villain"
An enthralling read that will leave you wanting more
You can also find this review on my blog: bookingwayreads.wordpress.com
“The desire for power is a murderer.”
Trigger Warnings: death, injury, murder, gore, loss of a parent(s), talk of enslavement, crucification, talk of torture, talk of war, beheading, violence
Thoughts:
I haven’t read many “dark fantasy” books and An Unholy Magick really makes me want to start reading more. It was gruesome, it had gore, it was dark, and it was witchy. Everything I love in a book!
Now, this isn’t your typical “main character is the hero” sort of story. Elena Salas was a complicated, morally gray protagonist with a dark past. You could almost say she was a bit villainous with the career she took: assassin-for-hire. Elena wasn’t likable at times but with everything she had been through, she and her actions were relatable.
One thing I really liked about this story’s plot was that there was no standard “hero” or “good guys.” Everybody was considered a “bad guy” or a “villain” in their own way. This really made the whole story more realistic. More relatable to today’s standard’s. And with the tasks and complications Elena encounters at what seems like every turn, it makes it seem like the plot is out to tear her down. This causes an extremely headstrong protagonist to form in a mere few chapters.
Now, if you are anything like me and always crave a bit of romance in a fantasy book, you totally get it with An Unholy Magick. There’s a bit of a love triangle and enemies to lovers situation between three (3) of the main characters – Elena, Matvey, and Zoran. I was seriously rooting for all of them and I absolutely despise love triangles. So that was a bit of a first for me! All three of these characters also shared a common theme: pain. At some point in their lives, they had something traumatic happen to them. To me, this just really put the icing on the cake. Even making these three characters along with Elena’s brother, Jamie, all the more likeable, relatable, and realistic.
An Unholy Magick was imaginative, fun, and unique. The world was constructed beautifully and kept making me want more of it. The magick system was also constructed in a way that made it understandable from the get go. The only reason why I didn’t rate this enchanting book a five out of five stars, is due to the beginning being a bit difficult to get into because it read awfully slow. Also, because the format I received the book in was all wanky and hard to read at times. It was an eARC, so that could be why. But other than that, this complex and unique read is one that I feel most will enjoy!
“The desire for power is a murderer.”
Trigger Warnings: death, injury, murder, gore, loss of a parent(s), talk of enslavement, crucification, talk of torture, talk of war, beheading, violence
Thoughts:
I haven’t read many “dark fantasy” books and An Unholy Magick really makes me want to start reading more. It was gruesome, it had gore, it was dark, and it was witchy. Everything I love in a book!
Now, this isn’t your typical “main character is the hero” sort of story. Elena Salas was a complicated, morally gray protagonist with a dark past. You could almost say she was a bit villainous with the career she took: assassin-for-hire. Elena wasn’t likable at times but with everything she had been through, she and her actions were relatable.
One thing I really liked about this story’s plot was that there was no standard “hero” or “good guys.” Everybody was considered a “bad guy” or a “villain” in their own way. This really made the whole story more realistic. More relatable to today’s standard’s. And with the tasks and complications Elena encounters at what seems like every turn, it makes it seem like the plot is out to tear her down. This causes an extremely headstrong protagonist to form in a mere few chapters.
Now, if you are anything like me and always crave a bit of romance in a fantasy book, you totally get it with An Unholy Magick. There’s a bit of a love triangle and enemies to lovers situation between three (3) of the main characters – Elena, Matvey, and Zoran. I was seriously rooting for all of them and I absolutely despise love triangles. So that was a bit of a first for me! All three of these characters also shared a common theme: pain. At some point in their lives, they had something traumatic happen to them. To me, this just really put the icing on the cake. Even making these three characters along with Elena’s brother, Jamie, all the more likeable, relatable, and realistic.
An Unholy Magick was imaginative, fun, and unique. The world was constructed beautifully and kept making me want more of it. The magick system was also constructed in a way that made it understandable from the get go. The only reason why I didn’t rate this enchanting book a five out of five stars, is due to the beginning being a bit difficult to get into because it read awfully slow. Also, because the format I received the book in was all wanky and hard to read at times. It was an eARC, so that could be why. But other than that, this complex and unique read is one that I feel most will enjoy!
KatieLouCreate (162 KP) rated Three Dark Crowns in Books
Oct 11, 2018
pacing (1 more)
story
Great Read
I bought this book probably over a year ago while browsing some books in my local supermarket. The cover pulled me in, but the blurb made me buy the book. It was a promising premise of the book and I knew I just had to buy it and find out what happens.
Overall, I love the book. It is such a refreshing read from the stock, cliche, ya books you usually read. This has originality in it. The characters are fully developed and interesting. The story does feel like it is going too slowly or too quickly unless it is needed. It is a well written book and well worth the read if you want something different to you traditional YA reads.
My only woe with this book is the somewhat lack of world building. Usually it would be enough if the book was not a fantasy. But I feel all fantasy books, especially those not based on our world, in our time, needs a lot of world building to it. Sure, there is a map, and you can some world building and traditions/ceremonies. But I am still unsure of what the whole island looks like as a whole. Is it a hot country? Cold? Is it mountainous or flat? Is it a large island or small? Do they have electricity or not? It is just simple things like this, and to be honest, I'm just nit-picking here because I did rather enjoy the whole story.
Now if you need me, I will be reading the second book, One Dark Throne because that cliff-hanger at the end was so juicy I need to find out more...
Overall, I love the book. It is such a refreshing read from the stock, cliche, ya books you usually read. This has originality in it. The characters are fully developed and interesting. The story does feel like it is going too slowly or too quickly unless it is needed. It is a well written book and well worth the read if you want something different to you traditional YA reads.
My only woe with this book is the somewhat lack of world building. Usually it would be enough if the book was not a fantasy. But I feel all fantasy books, especially those not based on our world, in our time, needs a lot of world building to it. Sure, there is a map, and you can some world building and traditions/ceremonies. But I am still unsure of what the whole island looks like as a whole. Is it a hot country? Cold? Is it mountainous or flat? Is it a large island or small? Do they have electricity or not? It is just simple things like this, and to be honest, I'm just nit-picking here because I did rather enjoy the whole story.
Now if you need me, I will be reading the second book, One Dark Throne because that cliff-hanger at the end was so juicy I need to find out more...
Merissa (12894 KP) rated The Society (A Broken World #1) in Books
Dec 17, 2018
I received this book from the author in return for a fair and honest review.
This is the first installment of Dean Murray's Dystopian series that is absolutely chock-full of action and adventure too. There are enough broken bones in here to shake a stick at. In this, we meet Skye, a 17-year-old girl who is set to become a spy in a 'grubber' city. She lands at night, under the cover of a bomb attack on the city. It is action all the way as she has to make a landing, find her way to where she needs to go, avoiding detection from any and all. As she does, she meets a few people who make her realise that everything isn't always black and white as they act far differently to what she had been led to believe.
I won't say anything further about the story as I don't want to give away any spoilers and, believe me, you really need to read this book for yourself to appreciate it. Dean Murray has written Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Dark Fantasy and now he can add Dystopian to his bow too. As far as I am concerned he is proving himself to be a Jack of all Trades, Master of his Craft.
Absolutely enthralling, full of action, a splash of romance and plenty of time to think for yourself. Completely brilliant and highly recommended. I will give you a cliffhanger warning though. I was so wrapped up in the story I didn't realise I had reached 100% and carried on pressing my kindle, wondering why it wasn't going to the next page!
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
This is the first installment of Dean Murray's Dystopian series that is absolutely chock-full of action and adventure too. There are enough broken bones in here to shake a stick at. In this, we meet Skye, a 17-year-old girl who is set to become a spy in a 'grubber' city. She lands at night, under the cover of a bomb attack on the city. It is action all the way as she has to make a landing, find her way to where she needs to go, avoiding detection from any and all. As she does, she meets a few people who make her realise that everything isn't always black and white as they act far differently to what she had been led to believe.
I won't say anything further about the story as I don't want to give away any spoilers and, believe me, you really need to read this book for yourself to appreciate it. Dean Murray has written Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Dark Fantasy and now he can add Dystopian to his bow too. As far as I am concerned he is proving himself to be a Jack of all Trades, Master of his Craft.
Absolutely enthralling, full of action, a splash of romance and plenty of time to think for yourself. Completely brilliant and highly recommended. I will give you a cliffhanger warning though. I was so wrapped up in the story I didn't realise I had reached 100% and carried on pressing my kindle, wondering why it wasn't going to the next page!
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Billie Wichkan (118 KP) rated Out of the Pocket in Books
May 22, 2019
For over a century, the town of Green Beach has frightened its children with the tragic legend of Joshua Thorne. Hes the reason it not only locks its doors at night but nails its windows shut. Steeped in romance and revenge, his is the kind of story Angela Ironwright lives for.
When the specter of Joshua appears to her, insisting shes the only one who can help him piece together the fragments of his own murder, she follows him without a second thought into a place he calls the Pocket, a beautiful hidden world of jumbled memory and imagination. But the Pocket holds more than magic and mystery. Before long, its other reclusive inhabitants begin to call out to Angela, warning her not to trust Joshua and begging for her help to escape his dark power.
Angelas sure there must be some misunderstanding, and shes determined to set it straight. Otherwise, finding justice will mean betraying the only boy whos ever liked her.
Smart and genre-savvy, Out of the Pocket is a dark, honest, subversive take on the modern paranormal love story.
The plot is about a girl named Angela who doesn't have a great life in reality being ignored or ridiculed by others gets pulled into a fantasy where she falls in love and goes through perilous adventures.
Very good characters with a good story line. The characters are real with strangeness thrown in.
Love all the twist and turns.
You find yourself very surprised in a good way by this book.
This was my first from this author and I look forward to more.
I received a free copy via AXP Authors but this is my own honest voluntary review.
When the specter of Joshua appears to her, insisting shes the only one who can help him piece together the fragments of his own murder, she follows him without a second thought into a place he calls the Pocket, a beautiful hidden world of jumbled memory and imagination. But the Pocket holds more than magic and mystery. Before long, its other reclusive inhabitants begin to call out to Angela, warning her not to trust Joshua and begging for her help to escape his dark power.
Angelas sure there must be some misunderstanding, and shes determined to set it straight. Otherwise, finding justice will mean betraying the only boy whos ever liked her.
Smart and genre-savvy, Out of the Pocket is a dark, honest, subversive take on the modern paranormal love story.
The plot is about a girl named Angela who doesn't have a great life in reality being ignored or ridiculed by others gets pulled into a fantasy where she falls in love and goes through perilous adventures.
Very good characters with a good story line. The characters are real with strangeness thrown in.
Love all the twist and turns.
You find yourself very surprised in a good way by this book.
This was my first from this author and I look forward to more.
I received a free copy via AXP Authors but this is my own honest voluntary review.
Grumpy Goblin (123 KP) rated Monstress, Volume 1: Awakening in Books
Jul 25, 2019
The artwork is just breathtaking (3 more)
A complex, yet enjoyable storyline
Brilliant layout
Great quality paper and printing
I could not get enough of this.. Absolutely amazing.
Contains spoilers, click to show
I enjoy reading GNs that aren't necessarily classed as mainstream and this kept popping up on adverts. I found a copy for £4.99 on world books and figured why not give it a try.
To say I'm happy I did Woupd be an understatement... On receiving it the beauty of the artwork on the front cover just grabbed me and the pictures online really don't do it justice.
Id like to say also, it's not one I'd those GNs that has full concept pieces on the front and back covers and maybe a few inside and then the main layouts are less detailed.. Each drawing is as beautiful as the last with a mix of steampunk and art deco merged into a dark styled piece of art.
The story complimented the art perfectly and I read it from front to back in one sitting.
The story is complex seeing conflict between humans and Arcanics and you can tell there is so much backstory just waiting to be added to further volumes. The single page introductions to certain parts of the Lore within the world was extremely well done and not too overwhelming.
The story is certainly not without shock factor, seeing what is portraid as young Arcanic children tortured, eaten and with missing limbs scattered through the pages as well as a fair amount of blood and gore.
Overall the whole experience into this new dark fantasy of war, magic and monsters has been amazing and I cannot wait to carry on with this series.
To say I'm happy I did Woupd be an understatement... On receiving it the beauty of the artwork on the front cover just grabbed me and the pictures online really don't do it justice.
Id like to say also, it's not one I'd those GNs that has full concept pieces on the front and back covers and maybe a few inside and then the main layouts are less detailed.. Each drawing is as beautiful as the last with a mix of steampunk and art deco merged into a dark styled piece of art.
The story complimented the art perfectly and I read it from front to back in one sitting.
The story is complex seeing conflict between humans and Arcanics and you can tell there is so much backstory just waiting to be added to further volumes. The single page introductions to certain parts of the Lore within the world was extremely well done and not too overwhelming.
The story is certainly not without shock factor, seeing what is portraid as young Arcanic children tortured, eaten and with missing limbs scattered through the pages as well as a fair amount of blood and gore.
Overall the whole experience into this new dark fantasy of war, magic and monsters has been amazing and I cannot wait to carry on with this series.
Merissa (12894 KP) created a post
Apr 7, 2021
Merissa (12894 KP) rated Frozen Prospects (Guadel Chronicles #1) in Books
Apr 7, 2023 (Updated Apr 10, 2023)
Dean Murray has done it again. I was entering uncomfortable territory in reading this as I have completely fallen for his Reflections and Dark Reflections series from the Paranormal genre. I was sure that I wouldn't be able to enjoy his Fantasy books with the same relish as I did the others. I really should know better by now than to a) assume ANYTHING where authors and genres are concerned and b) to even consider that this wouldn't be as good. It is!
Va'del is stuck in a world not of his choosing but he has no parents and this isn't the sort of place where you can go a-wandering whenever the mood takes you. There is a lot to learn about the traditions and restrictions of Va'del's world and not a lot of time to do it in as the action pretty much starts straight away.
Even though it is in the synopsis that Va'del's sponsors get killed, I was still upset when it happened because of the emotion that is written about Va'del and how he has to deal not only with the guilt of thinking that he should have been able to prevent it but also with facing what he had to upon arriving at the place he hoped would be his new home.
This is not a light and fluffy book - it is dark and gritty and will keep you turning the pages. I loved every moment of it and my review of Thawed Fortunes (book 2 of the Guadel Chronicles) will follow very shortly.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
July 21, 2016
Va'del is stuck in a world not of his choosing but he has no parents and this isn't the sort of place where you can go a-wandering whenever the mood takes you. There is a lot to learn about the traditions and restrictions of Va'del's world and not a lot of time to do it in as the action pretty much starts straight away.
Even though it is in the synopsis that Va'del's sponsors get killed, I was still upset when it happened because of the emotion that is written about Va'del and how he has to deal not only with the guilt of thinking that he should have been able to prevent it but also with facing what he had to upon arriving at the place he hoped would be his new home.
This is not a light and fluffy book - it is dark and gritty and will keep you turning the pages. I loved every moment of it and my review of Thawed Fortunes (book 2 of the Guadel Chronicles) will follow very shortly.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
July 21, 2016
Midge (525 KP) rated The Paris Apartment (Love Nests, #1) in Books
Dec 10, 2018 (Updated Dec 21, 2018)
Take a twenty-four-year-old beautiful virgin and a hot, hugely successful, hunky chap in a minimally furnished apartment in the centre of Paris, the most romantic city in the world and you've got an incredibly sexy and romantic read!
James Sinclair, a successful trader keeps his busy life uncomplicated. Work is about all he has time for. Imagine his surprise when he returns to his Paris apartment to find his little sister’s best friend, Mila Johnson, in his bed. One night of fooling around opens a Pandora’s box which Mila just wants to pry open wider, whereas James just wants to keep the lid on tight. Mila is sweet and innocent and no way is he going to expose her to the real James Sinclair. As his relationship status changes to complicated, James struggles to keep control over his past and his heart. Mila’s teenage fantasy is still larger than life, but James swings between hot and cold. Now that she has him between the sheets, Mila will do anything to keep him there.
Mila Johnson and James Sinclair haven't seen each other for more than twelve years, and when they accidentally meet up again, there is an intense attraction between the two of them. Mila has escaped her narrow-minded parents and limiting family life for two weeks of freedom in Paris, ready to explore the exciting and vibrant City. Then James turns up, her best friend's older brother crush, sexy, broody, full of dark secrets and a man of the world...
Right from the start, this is a phenomenally sexy and incredibly exciting read, with beautifully descriptive love scenes. I loved the chemistry between the two main characters.
"His heart was jolting, his pulse irregular as his eyes glimmered at her, taking in her beautiful face, the even complexion of her untainted skin, her eyes big and wide, accentuated by the dark-rimmed glasses that she wore. Those eyes were something else, and the way she looked at him he wanted to tug off her glasses, lean over the table and kiss her lips. Mark her."
But all is not rosy as there are dark moments and plenty of sordid secrets, too. I enjoyed every moment of The Paris Apartment.
This romance by Sophia Karlson makes for an easy, escapist and thrilling read.
Many thanks to Backlit PR and Netgalley for this ARC.
James Sinclair, a successful trader keeps his busy life uncomplicated. Work is about all he has time for. Imagine his surprise when he returns to his Paris apartment to find his little sister’s best friend, Mila Johnson, in his bed. One night of fooling around opens a Pandora’s box which Mila just wants to pry open wider, whereas James just wants to keep the lid on tight. Mila is sweet and innocent and no way is he going to expose her to the real James Sinclair. As his relationship status changes to complicated, James struggles to keep control over his past and his heart. Mila’s teenage fantasy is still larger than life, but James swings between hot and cold. Now that she has him between the sheets, Mila will do anything to keep him there.
Mila Johnson and James Sinclair haven't seen each other for more than twelve years, and when they accidentally meet up again, there is an intense attraction between the two of them. Mila has escaped her narrow-minded parents and limiting family life for two weeks of freedom in Paris, ready to explore the exciting and vibrant City. Then James turns up, her best friend's older brother crush, sexy, broody, full of dark secrets and a man of the world...
Right from the start, this is a phenomenally sexy and incredibly exciting read, with beautifully descriptive love scenes. I loved the chemistry between the two main characters.
"His heart was jolting, his pulse irregular as his eyes glimmered at her, taking in her beautiful face, the even complexion of her untainted skin, her eyes big and wide, accentuated by the dark-rimmed glasses that she wore. Those eyes were something else, and the way she looked at him he wanted to tug off her glasses, lean over the table and kiss her lips. Mark her."
But all is not rosy as there are dark moments and plenty of sordid secrets, too. I enjoyed every moment of The Paris Apartment.
This romance by Sophia Karlson makes for an easy, escapist and thrilling read.
Many thanks to Backlit PR and Netgalley for this ARC.