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Merissa (12889 KP) rated The Cursed King (Inferno Rising #4) in Books

Nov 2, 2021 (Updated Jul 10, 2023)  
The Cursed King (Inferno Rising #4)
The Cursed King (Inferno Rising #4)
Abigail Owen | 2021 | Paranormal, Romance
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
THE CURSED KING is the fourth, and final, book in the Inferno Rising series. It is Angelika's turn now, the last sister unmated. Only, it turns out, she actually wanted to mate with someone - Airk - and he turned her down. Now, Pytheios wants her, so what will Airk do?

Angelika has always viewed herself as the weakest link as she didn't inherit any of her mother's powers. Airk is unable to shift due to his captivity for five hundred years. Angelika has a way of calming his dragon down and also exciting him, so Airk vows to stay away. Of course, we all know how that works out!

This was an epic conclusion to a great story. I was half expecting what happened, as I didn't think it likely our author would leave Angelika hanging. It is fast-paced and intricate, with the other mated pairs playing their parts. You do see less of Pytheios this time, together with his witch, and his phoenix. The witch I eventually felt sorry for; the phoenix, not so much!

I would love to return to these dragon clans in the future but, rest assured, no matter what Ms Owens writes, I'll be right there reading it. Absolutely recommended.

** 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, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Nov 2, 2021
  
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Merissa (12889 KP) rated Ariadne Unraveled: A Mythic Retelling in Books

Jul 6, 2021 (Updated Jul 17, 2023)  
Ariadne Unraveled: A Mythic Retelling
Ariadne Unraveled: A Mythic Retelling
Zenobia Neil | 2021 | Fiction & Poetry, History & Politics, Romance
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
ARIADNE UNRAVELED is a retelling that involves Ariadne (obviously), plus Dionysus, Theseus, Artemis, and so many more.

The story takes various myths and legends and weaves them into one epic story that features betrayal, transformation, friendship, loyalty, and love. Instead of the usual Athenian telling of the Minotaur, we hear from the Minoans themselves. We learn how their women knew things about their own bodies that others didn't. We see how the Minoans were a magical, intelligent race that made mistakes just like any other. And woven through is Dionysus as he feels his way and figures out just who he is.

Wow! Just... wow! What a story. So intricate and rich in detail, I was totally immersed in Ariadne's story. I loved hearing about her - both the big picture and also the small, intimate details that made her life. And, yes, I know this is myth, but with how it has been written, I could see myself there and it all seemed real. There were even tears shed at some points, it was that good! The pacing is perfect and the writing style is smooth.

This is the first book by this author I have read, but I can guarantee you it won't be the last. Absolutely brilliant and highly recommended by me.

** 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, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jul 6, 2021
  
SO
Stone of Destiny
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
A few confessions regarding Stone of Destiny:

~ I called this "Souls of Destiny" for quite a while. Good thing no one actually heard me say it...
~ Coincidently, I finished the prequel to Stone of Destiny, The Forgotten Ones, a few days before I got a tour invite. How could I not sign up? Oh, and no mind reading was involved. If that's the case, it's ALWAYS a coincidence. But I do love how some people think I have some sort of psychic ability and start asking about their future. *ominous voice – crystal ball and all* "The future holds the unknown...."

Stone of Destiny starts right off from where The Forgotten Ones ended – in fact, the last sentence in the previous book? It's the very first sentence in the sequel. If that's not starting straight off from where the last book ended, then please, feel free to correct me. But I'm pretty sure I'm in a sensible mindset.

To my delight, the pronunciation guide has been a tad bit updated. I say tad because Gaelic (Irish?) – or any language really, but those with funny symbols like Chinese isn't as easy as the romantic languages – is funny and there are a few terms that appear... yet they're not in the guide. One of them I was pretty much too lazy to redownload the first book just to check the pronunciation again. But hey, for those who weren't as fortunate as me – aka, you recently read the book not too long ago so the terms are happily fresh in your brain – and haven't read the Danaan trilogy for awhile, the pronunciation guide will be a big help!

Meanwhile, Ethan's acting strangely around Allison for awhile – to which I'm not exactly happy about, but I'm sort of happy since it doesn't last too long. Plus, while Allison continues to play the "I'm going to avoid Ethan Magliaro forever" game, it's a lot less than it was back in book one even though Ethan pops out in almost every scene of the book. It's a nice change to see those pointy fences coming down – to which I'm doing a happy dance. (What? Don't tell me you like pointy fences – I'm sure you don't. Unless you like bleeding. Profoundly. Bad idea if you're a hemophiliac.)

Stone of Destiny focuses more on the characters – in fact, a few new characters, particularly one that was mentioned back in The Forgotten Ones, make an appearance as well – unraveling Aoife's plan/ritual/ceremony/whatchamacallit in Ireland. There's no particularly plot aside from continuing to add building blocks to book one, and while there's no fancy schmancy plot, it was definitely a delight to read Stone of Destiny and to go back to the world of Tir Na Nog. Thing is, Howard sort of has expectations of epic proportions to meet in the last book of the trilogy.

I'm kidding about epic proportions. That's probably reserved for someone like Stephen King, who I actually haven't read.
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Review copy provided by the author for the blog tour
original rating: 4.5 out of 5
original review posted at <a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/2014/08/blog-tour-stone-of-destiny-by-laura-howard-review-and-giveaway.html">Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
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