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Morgan Sheppard (1010 KP) created a post

Jan 11, 2026  
January arrives heavy with reflection, that deep, aching pull towards something half-remembered, half-dreamed ❄️✨ and there is no better word for it than hiraeth.

Ellis Clarke has never felt at home anywhere, until a visit to Beddgelert awakens an overwhelming sense of belonging, woven with nostalgia, mystery, and the quiet presence of Luke Maddox—a Guardian of Wales and red Dragon who knows she is his other half, even if she does not yet know herself 🐉❤️.

As winter lingers and the year opens before us, Hiraeth explores destiny, lost responsibility, and the question January so often asks: Will you claim the truth of who you are, even if it changes everything? ✨📖

📚 Begin Ellis and Luke’s journey here 👉 https://books2read.com/Hiraeth2021

#JanuaryReads #Hiraeth #WelshMythology #DragonRomance #UrbanFantasy #WinterReading #ComingHome #FantasyRomance
     
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Morgan Sheppard (1010 KP) created a post

Jan 6, 2026  
January carries a hush to it, the kind that settles into your bones and makes space for sorrow, reflection, and stories steeped in magic ❄️✨📖

Sealed with a Curse is a tale of loss, abuse, and courage, as Selene, once cherished companion to six Princes, finds herself enduring cruelty born of grief after a kingdom shatters with the Queen’s death.

With only her swans and the kindness of the kitchens for comfort, Selene’s world begins to change when Conway appears, offering warmth, devotion, and the possibility of something more, even as the Gods stir and a terrible curse seals the Princes’ fate.

As the year turns and hope feels fragile, ask yourself: would you choose mercy, love, or freedom when forgiveness costs everything? 💔✨

📚 Begin the journey here https://books2read.com/SealedwithaCurse

#JanuaryReads #FantasyRomance #FairytaleRetelling #CursedPrinces #WinterReading #EpicFantasy #BookMagic #SlowBurnRomance
     
Redemption's Blade: After the War
Redemption's Blade: After the War
Adrian Tchaikovsky | 2018 | Science Fiction/Fantasy
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Prose is flowing and enjoyable (0 more)
Storyline is not engaging (2 more)
Reading the aftermath of events that you have no knowledge of
I'm still not 100% sure there wasn't an earlier book I'm meant to have read
A sequel to a book not written yet (that sounds more interesting)
*Disclosure - I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*


Over the last few months I have been lucky to read three new Tchaikovsky books. As this was the first fantasy book of those three (the other two being war sci-fi) I had fingers crossed for a return to the heights of the Shadows of the Apt series. I was sadly disappointed.


The scope of this book is truly epic in every sense. The world we are thrown into has a diverse range of beings, species, cities, religions and beliefs and a rich history. The events follow on from the end of a tyrannical reign of the Kinslayer, a power-mad demi-god who tried to break the spirit of those races he didn't just wipe out. We see the Kinslayer-slayer Celestaine's attempts to do good in the aftermath of this war, and try to make one species whole again. This aim leads her on a journey across the world where we are introduced to a range of new peoples and places. The journey goes on from place to place, the company increasing all the while.


I have real respect for Tchaikovsky trying to do something new - tell the story that follows on from a somewhat typical fantasy tale. Sadly for me, the story that went before sounds so much more interesting and engaging - the besting of a truly despicable being. This story is instead something of an empty, largely pointless journey. The ending leads us to believe someone had been luring people with the promise of magical items, to come to him and ultimately their doom - however, the trail leading to him was not exactly clear and the chances of anyone following it would be minimal (let alone someone following it at exactly the right pace to witness certain key events!). The world-building is epic and yet completely forgettable. I found myself forgetting who people were, why they were doing things and I completely missed one major reveal in the final chapters, only to re-read and find that there pretty much was no reveal.


I am a fan of Tchaikovsky's writing style but for me this book was a struggle to get through. I had no feelings towards any of the characters and couldn't remember or care where they had been or why, or what had happened. Not a worthwhile investment of my time.