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The Moonshine Heart
The Moonshine Heart
Eule Grey | 2023 | Dystopia, LGBTQ+, Romance
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
THE MOONSHINE HEART is a standalone novella set in a world that is dying but no one knows why. Each side - humans vs. witches - blames the other but doesn't do anything to solve the problem.

Rohene (human) and Marwa (witch) have the same half-moon birthmark on their hands. Marwa's Mistress is convinced they are to save the world. She gives Marwa a list of instructions to follow which will help the prophecy (which Marwa ignores.) With misunderstandings galore, they start off their adventure to save the world.

I enjoyed this story but wanted so much more. Both of the main characters told us about how sad and lonely their childhood was, but I didn't see it. There was very little world-building and, to be honest, I would have preferred a little more character-building too. By the time it came to the end, I didn't really care whether the world was saved for the humans or not. It was the animals I felt sorry for.

The overall premise of this story was a brilliant one. I'm just sorry I felt a little disappointed once I'd finished it. I would still recommend this author though as she has an amazing imagination.

** same worded review will appear elsewhere **

* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Apr 13, 2023
  
The Mark of Fate ( The Marked book 3)
The Mark of Fate ( The Marked book 3)
Rinna Ford | 2021 | Romance
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
210 of 250
Kindle
The Mark of Fate (The Marked series book 3)
By Rinna Ford

Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments

War will be waged, lives will be lost…

One step forward and two steps back.
That’s what it feels like for Emelia since nearly dying at the hands of the Council. No matter what, they always seem to have the upper hand, and to make matters worse, her triple hybrid nature is working against her. However, her ability to blow up things by accident is the least of her problems.
Friends will become enemies, and enemies will become something more as Emelia and her mates search for the ones they’ve lost and try to fulfill the prophecy before time runs out. Emelia is the cursed child foretold to rule them all, but will she be able to succeed where others have failed?

Only fate knows the answer.


I absolutely loved it! Best one so far I love how she is finally getting her self together and kicking ass! Ok so I may have cried a little I won’t put why as it’s a spoiler and I wouldn’t want to take that from anyone else enjoying this series. It didn’t take long to read as I just couldn’t put it down and it’s now almost 3am! Definitely recommend to any reverse harem or fantasy fan!
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TK
The Keepers Legacy ( The Keepers 1)
Meg Anne | 2024
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
128 of 220
Kindle
The Keepers Legacy ( The Keepers 1)
By Meg Anne
⭐⭐⭐⭐

With everyone she's ever loved dead, Effie's fate is no longer one of her choosing. Overnight, she becomes the newest initiate of the Keepers of Prophecy, a secret order that Sees what the future holds.

War looms for the land of Elysia, unless Effie can prevent it by harnessing her visions and interpreting their meaning. Yet as what she Sees becomes far more dark and sinister, she finds herself no closer to deciphering it.

Forced to rely on her tutor and Guardian, her inner turmoil deepens when feelings within herself - those she thought died with the man she loved - resurface. One would give up everything to be with her. The other challenges her at every turn.

Struggling to focus amidst her awakening desires, Effie fights to unravel the truth buried within her nightmares. Will she discover it in time to be the salvation Elysia needs... or will one wrong reading damn them all?

This is a spin off and continuation of The Chosen series so I highly recommend reading that series first! I liked this I found the new characters interesting. We go on Effies journey as she moves to the Citadel to explore her own visions with the help of a few new friends, we also get a catch up on a few old ones too.
  
Emaji Nation Book 1 The Sparrow
Emaji Nation Book 1 The Sparrow
Denna M. Davis | 2015 | Young Adult (YA)
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I also found the story to be gripping and so detailed that the action never slows down for a second (0 more)
I did not really enjoy how every citizen of Emaji is described as having their own specific skin color. I understand how this may be a gift from Ema or possibly a result of the radiation from the war (0 more)
Honest Review for Free Copy of Book
Emaji Nation Book 1: The Sparrow by Denna M. Davis is a book that I will not soon be forgetting about. In fact, I was very pleasantly surprised by just how much I enjoyed this book. The first chapter grabbed my attention instantly. Most books I have read don’t do that, they tend to need some time to build up a reader’s interest. Each chapter seems to leave the reader hanging with just enough anticipation that you might find yourself staying up hours past your intended stopping time to continue the story.

With little explanation as to why young Amanda finds herself walking through a portal at her grandparent’s house and transported to the planet Emaji. This is where she meets Solomon, who helps reunite her with her grandparents. Her grandmother tells her that there is a prophecy naming her the defeater of Zorn and savior of Emaji. With the help of the Emaji leaders, Amanda learns that Emaji was once much like Earth. That is until a nuclear world war forced the survivors into Mount Hanovi where their God (Ema) united them and blessed them with gifts. Peace cannot seem to last and Zorn grew arrogant with his gifts and betrayed the rest of the survivors.

Now, Amanda has to deal with being under attack by an unknown assassin controlled by Zorn. At the same time, she must begin her training. Amanda is only given two days to train and learn about the warrior classes of the Emaji before taking her own Journey of Discovery to receive her personal gift from Ema. At the very end of her Journey she must jump from a cliff to prove her belief in Ema. On top of all this, the prophecy also names the Emaji man she is supposed to marry and she isn’t even seventeen yet.

Denna M. Davis makes Amanda a very relatable character. Amanda shows her fear and her doubts from the moment she steps through the portal at her grandparent’s house and finds herself in Emaji. Unlike many books where a character is the main focus of a prophecy, Amanda does not jump right into her Destiny and instead takes her time deciding if that is what she really wants to do. She internally struggles with the idea of being this destined hero when she could always just go back to the safety of her home. Staying on Emaji means facing danger and possible death for people she just met.

There are so many things I liked about this book that it is hard to pinpoint what I liked best. I loved how relatable and real Amanda is. I also found the story to be gripping and so detailed that the action never slows down for a second. I did not want to stop reading. Being completely honest what I liked least about the book seems almost trivial to me. I did not really enjoy how every citizen of Emaji is described as having their own specific skin color. I understand how this may be a gift from Ema or possibly a result of the radiation from the war but, I just had a hard time picturing it. Frequently, I noticed I would mentally default back to thinking in the skin tones that are naturally found on Earth.

The target readers for this book are fantasy readers starting at mature middle school age and older. There are a few different times that Amanda hints at the fact that she may have been (or came close to being) raped while at a party, so readers would have to be mature enough to handle that concept. Although, nothing of a sexual nature is actually described with detail at any point in the book. I am fully confident in my decision to give this book a complete 4 out of 4 rating. It is extremely well edited to where I only noticed one error in the entire book. Also, I found myself enjoying this book right from the start. Denna M. Davis portrayed a world different from ours wonderfully. I felt like I was actually there at times and was sad when I finished the book. I can not wait to read the second one. I am hooked and I believe anyone who enjoys fantasy will be as well.
  
SB
Storm Born (Dark Swan #1)
8
7.5 (4 Ratings)
Book Rating
I'm a huge fan of Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy series, so I had to see what her adult books were like, and she did not disappoint. Eugenie Markham is a shaman, but unlike another shaman series I've read, she knows what she is doing and has been trained at it since she was a child by her step-father. What she never bothered to do in all that time, though, was question who her real dad was or how she could do the things she did - which I found a little unrealistic.
Her latest case forces her into entering the Otherworld for a longer-than-usual stay, which results in a few discoveries about herself, as well as some rather interesting situations with the fey, or gentry. She acquires a sort-of boyfriend in Kiyo, but I prefer her with Dorian, as he challenges her defenses and can match her in strength and abilities.
The prophecy means that just about everything male in the fey world wants to jump her bones, which gets old pretty fast. Rape is a traumatic experience for anyone, but the few close calls that Mead writes with Eugenie seemed to fall short of the mark. Eugenie's fear and defeat were there, but were understated.
On the flip side, I loved how Dorian was able to teach Eugenie about her powers, as well as play a very convenient trick on her at the end - Eugenie may not have liked it, but it was certainly better than the alternative. Now on to Thorn Queen!
  
Witch & Wizard (Witch & Wizard, #1)
Witch & Wizard (Witch & Wizard, #1)
James Patterson | 2009 | Fiction & Poetry
4
5.8 (5 Ratings)
Book Rating
This book has so much potential. I almost gave it a two & 1/2 stars. The characters can at times be funny and humorous. It has almost no romance beyond the acknowledgement that Whit has a girlfriend. Although, the prophecy is one of the largest let downs since I found out the name of the childlike empress in The Neverending Story. I kinda started to root a little for the siblings.
However, I kept getting hung up on the layout of the book. The chapters really? Truly? I don’t think that there is a chapter longer than 5 pages. I’m not even sure there is a chapter that is 5 pages long. I’m all about short chapters but this takes the cake. There is no reason for at all for some of the chapter breaks. Especially when a double space between the paragraphs or an asterisk (*) would do the job much better.

Here’s an example of one of the worst breaks. This is the last two sentences of chapter 58 which is in Whisty’s pov

“His thick, black hair fell forward over his eyes. ‘Sorry about that, Freckles.’

Chapter 59
Whisky
‘Not Freckles either,’ suggested Whit. ‘Or Carrottop.’”

For the reals. There is no need for this to be a new chapter. All it does is distract and chop up the flow of he book. It made me think they are getting paid per chapter. There are 104 of them!
The idea is there and like I said massive potential.... just feels unfinished.
  
Spirit Prophecy (The Gateway Trilogy #2)
Spirit Prophecy (The Gateway Trilogy #2)
E.E. Holmes | 2014 | Horror, Science Fiction/Fantasy
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
198 of 200
Kindle
Spirit Prophecy ( Gateway trilogy book 2)
By E E Holmes

Two sisters, haunted by more than their past...

Just weeks after discovering each other’s existence, Jess and Hannah Ballard arrive at Fairhaven Hall, where they will learn the clandestine ways of the Durupinen, an ancient sect of women who control the Gateways between the worlds of the living and the dead.
Though they are considered outcasts by most of their classmates, Jess and Hannah are determined to learn what they can to fulfill their responsibility to the many ghosts that haunt them. But danger, it seems, has followed them as closely as a shadow to their new home, and they have more questions than ever.
Who is the desperate child spirit pursuing Jess, and what do her terrifying visions mean? What has happened to Dr. David Pierce, Jess’ friend and mentor, who has suddenly and mysteriously vanished? And just what is it about Hannah’s unique abilities that has the other Durupinen frightened of her? The Ballard sisters are about to find out, and the answers could destroy their newfound life before it has even begun.


I love this series! I enjoyed the first one but this was better if possible. The whole concept is so enjoyable to read the characters are those you love and those you hate! I enjoy the writ style and how much detail goes into the writing it never feels rushed! Interested to see more of the Necromancers and the trouble they cause.
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