REVIEW The Dragon's Apprentice by James Riley

The Dragon's Apprentice by James Riley
Rating: 4 Stars
Release Date: April 1, 2025
Format: Audiobook (Borrowed from Library) + eBook (Personal Library, Bookshop.org)
Publisher: Labyrinth Road 

The Dragon's Apprentice by James Riley was a really fun new middle grade fantasy read. Audiobook narrator Alana Kerr Collins did an excellent job with her performance bringing both Scorch and Ciara's perspectives to life. I highly recommend this book to those who enjoy humorous reads filled with magic, dragons, and slightly cliche but equally despicable villains.

Ciara is a very relatable protagonist who is willing to do anything to save her mother. When she stumbles upon the journal of the 'lost apprentice' (which also happens to be somewhat sentient), it changes her life and that of her village forever. Enter Scorch, the grumpy and stern Great Dragon. He agrees to help Ciara save her mother as long as she helps him find his lost siblings and determine what happened to his last apprentice. Shenanigans ensue, as they work towards both of their goals. I loved the heart of the book as well as the worldbuilding (one specific power of the dragons was quite cool). There is a major cliffhanger, where the author sets up the events of the next book but it left me excited. If you like dragons, magical mentor-mentee relationships, and/or magic in general, this book is for you.

REVIEW Dragonfruit by Makiia Lucier

Dragonfruit by Makiia Lucier
Rating: 4 Stars
Release Date: April 9, 2024
Format: Audiobook (Borrowed from Library)
Publisher: Clarion Books 

Makiia Lucier’s newest young adult fantasy novel, Dragonfruit, is one of the most unique books I’ve read in a long time. Inspired by Pacific Islander folktales and mythology, the author weaves together an engaging storyline and well developed characters to make an entertaining read. 

Hanalei of Tamarind has spent most of her life away from her homeland, after her father made a decision to steal a priceless treasure from the crown in the name of saving her life (and died shortly after). She originally had no intentions to ever return home (feeling she would not be welcomed), but fate had other plans when it offered a chance to make things right and all but dropped her into the arms of her childhood best friend, Prince Samahtitamahenele (or ‘Sam’). When they reunite, Hanalei reveals the chance to save the Princess (Sam’s mother) and right the wrong that happened so many years ago in the form of a pregnant dragon bearing ‘dragonfruit’. However, they are not the only ones looking for it, and using dragonfruit may come with more of a cost then they realize…

The worldbuilding in this book is awesome. I really liked getting to visit the different islands, and learn about the sea dragons and the pantheon that rules over the Nomi Nomi sea. I also really loved the bits of magic included; for example, many of the noble residents of Tamarind have magical companions that can reside in the form of tattoos, or come off of their skin to help serve a purpose (i.e. carry messages, defend others). The characters were a highlight too. I loved getting to see Sam and Hanalei’s growth over the course of the book. I also loved the scenes with Sam’s grandmother, the Queen. She struck me as a very fair and balanced ruler who considers the whole of a situation rather than ruling on emotion; she is also not afraid to get down and dirty if it means saving her people, and she’s totally a badass grandma in my opinion. While those characters are the main players in the story, there are a lot of other characters in the cast. I appreciate how easy the author made it to remember everyone, and how every character served a purpose (and wasn’t thrown in ‘just because’). 

Overall, I’m really impressed by this book. The narrator Mapuana Makia did a great job bringing the story to life with her performance in the audiobook. It seems like it was designed to be standalone, but I would love to see more in this world and get to explore Hanalei and Sam’s budding romance a bit more. If you love books with dragons and diverse mythology, this would be a great choice. 

BLOG TOUR So Let Them Burn by Kamilah Cole

Hi friends! Welcome to my tour stop for So Let Them Burn by Kamilah Cole (tour organized by TBR and Beyond Tours). Check out the post to learn more about the book, the author, and figure out where you can get your copy. Make sure you show the other hosts some love as well - the link to the tour schedule is below. 

Happy reading everyone!

So Let Them Burn by Kamilah Cole Tour Schedule (TBR and Beyond Tours)

About the Book

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Publishing date: January 16th, 2024

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound

Rep: Jamaican-American, Jamaican, Black, Sapphic, Demisexual

Whip-smart and immersive, this Jamaican-inspired fantasy follows a gods-blessed heroine who’s forced to choose between saving her sister or protecting her homeland—perfect for fans of Iron Widow and The Priory of the Orange Tree.

Faron Vincent can channel the power of the gods. Five years ago, she used her divine magic to liberate her island from its enemies, the dragon-riding Langley Empire. But now, at seventeen, Faron is all powered up with no wars to fight. She’s a legend to her people and a nuisance to her neighbors.

When she’s forced to attend an international peace summit, Faron expects that she will perform tricks like a trained pet and then go home. She doesn’t expect her older sister, Elara, forming an unprecedented bond with an enemy dragon—or the gods claiming the only way to break that bond is to kill her sister.

As Faron’s desperation to find another solution takes her down a dark path, and Elara discovers the shocking secrets at the heart of the Langley Empire, both must make difficult choices that will shape each other’s lives, as well as the fate of their world.

“By turns hopeful and devastating, So Let Them Burn is a masterful debut with a blazing heart. I was captivated from beginning to end by Cole’s sharp, clever prose and by her protagonists—two remarkable sisters with an unforgettable bond.” — Chelsea Abdullah, author of The Stardust Thief

REVIEW of So Let Them Burn (The Divine Traitors #1) by Kamilah Cole
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: eARC (Courtesy of Publisher and NetGalley) and Audiobook (Borrowed from Library)
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Dragons and fantasy are always a great combination for me, so it was super exciting to get the opportunity to read the debut novel of Kamilah Cole, So Let Them Burn. An adventure filled story with Jamaican influences, readers join the action after the major conflict. Sisters Faron and Elara are settling into a normal life on their home island after spending years at war liberating their people. However, after a chance encounter at an international peace summit sets the sisters on separate paths on opposite sides of the war, it sets events into motion that will determine the fate of their world forever. 

The worldbuilding in this novel was amazing. With the story being set after the major conflict, the characters are dealing with the aftermath of war and the lingering effects of colonialism and imperialism. Faron in particular reminded me a bit of the Avatar in the Avatar the Last Airbender universe. A child blessed by the spirits (or the gods in this case), and expected to save her people. An interesting spin on this, however, was the fact that Faron wasn’t a ‘chosen one’ from birth. When she prayed to her gods, they answered and gave her the power to enact their will. So, it was more of a ‘in the right place at the right time’ situation than anything else. Her magic (and the magic of the Iryian people) does contrast with the magic of the Langlish empire. One is more culture based (coming from ancestors and gods), whereas the other originates from the use of dragons. The way the author crafted this in the book was amazing, and had me hooked with the desire to learn more. 

While this is undoubtedly a fantasy novel, the relationship at the heart of the story is one of siblings. Elara has spent most of her life in her sister’s shadow, and while not an ideal situation her bond with a dragon has given her the chance to step out of that and make her own path. Faron is one of the most powerful people in history as the Childe Empyrean, but becomes increasingly frustrated over the course of the book as all the power she’s been given isn’t enough to save the one person she cares about most. There are some minor elements of romance in the book (Elara is gay and Faron is demisexual), but those don’t drive the story to the same degree. 

Overall, this was an amazing read. There’s so much drama and things happening with the story. A major twist and a very painful cliffhanger, but I’m super excited for the chance to get to read the next installment in the series as soon as it comes out. Narrators Keylor Leigh and Kamali Minter did a great job in bringing Faron and Elara’s perspectives to life with their performances in the audiobook. If you like queer, diverse fantasy reads with dragons, this would be a great choice. 

Thank you to the author, the publisher Little Brown Books for Young Readers, the team at TBR and Beyond Tours, and NetGalley for providing me with a complimentary review copy of the book as part of my participation in the tour. I appreciate the opportunity to read and review So Let Them Burn immensely! Please note - I voluntarily read and reviewed the book. All opinions expressed in the review are my own and not influenced in any way. 

About the Author 

Kamilah Cole was a writer and entertainment editor at Bustle for four years, and her nonfiction work has also appeared in Marie Claire and Seventeen. A graduate of New York University, Kamilah lives on the East Coast, where she’s usually playing Kingdom Hearts for the hundredth time, quoting early SpongeBob SquarePants episodes, or crying her way through Zuko’s redemption arc in Avatar: The Last Airbender.

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REVIEW The Dragon Conspiracy (SPI Files Book 2) by Lisa Shearin

The Dragon Conspiracy (SPI Files Book 2) by Lisa Shearin
Rating: 4 Stars
Release Date:
Format: eBook and Audiobook (Personal Library)
Publisher: Ace 

Makenna Fraser’s adventures continue in the second book of the SPI Files series, The Dragon Conspiracy by Lisa Shearin, and narrator Johanna Parker does an excellent job bringing said adventures (more like shenanigans) to life in the audiobook. 

At the start of the book, SPI seer Mac and partner Ian are at the museum showing of ‘The Dragon Eggs’, a cursed collection of diamonds famous for various appearances throughout history. They think their presence is just to keep an eye on the owner, a villainous dragon who’s rumored to be selling the Dragon Eggs, but it turns into a heist investigation after a group of supernaturals makes off with the gems. Things get even more interesting when a young gem appraiser sent to the showing seems to have caught everyone’s eye, and Mac and Ian are once again forced to intervene before the diamonds can be used against every supernatural in the Tri-State area. 

In terms of worldbuilding, the SPI Files series is top-notch. I’ve always been a big fan of mythology and folklore, and Ms. Shearin has a whole host of different species and beings that make an appearance. For example, some of the supernaturals you can expect in this book are mages, gorgons, harpies, and even an ogre serving as backup. I’ve always appreciated how each book in this series builds upon each other, and how readers are introduced to the various supernatural beings mostly through Makenna’s eyes in her capacity as a seer. 

Speaking of Makenna - she’s always been a hilarious character and I enjoy getting to see the world through her eyes. She’s definitely not as well trained as her commando coworkers, but she’s by no means a damsel in distress. While Mac is the undisputed star of the show, there is a full cast of side characters that make the series what it is. SPI is quite a large organization made up of many different moving parts; in many ways, it's reminiscent of a fantasy version of Men in Black. Each character the author introduces has a purpose in the story, and many of them were surprisingly memorable given how little page time they had. Yasha has always been one of my favorites; if and when the series finishes I hope the author crafts some side stories in the same universe that follows him and his adventures.    

Overall, another great book from Lisa Shearin. If you enjoy laugh-out-loud urban fantasy novels with fast-paced action, a dynamic ensemble of characters, and unique worldbuilding, then I suspect you’ll be a fan of this book (and the series overall). Additionally, I want to note that audiobook lovers (or just anyone who wants a good laugh) should check out the audiobook version of The Dragon Conspiracy; Johanna Parker is one of my favorite narrators ever, and she did an excellent job bringing the story ad Makenna’s humor to life with her performance. 

About the Book

A gala opening at the Metropolitan Museum of Art has attracted the upper crust of Manhattan—and thieves. A trio of vile harpies attacks the crowd and steals the stars of the exhibition: a colorful cluster of seven cursed diamonds known as the Dragon Eggs.
In the right mage’s hands, each stone can pack a magical wallop. Together they have the power to “cure” the supernaturals of the tristate area—but for many of those vampires and werewolves, that means turning into dust.

I’m Makenna Fraser, a seer for SPI. With the help of my partner, Ian, and the other agents, I have twenty-four hours to prevent total global panic, find the diamonds, and save the supernatural community. No biggie...

About the Author

Lisa is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Raine Benares novels and The SPI Files.

Lisa is a voracious collector of fountain pens, teapots & teacups both vintage and modern. She lives on a small farm in North Carolina with her husband, four spoiled-rotten retired racing greyhounds, and enough deer and woodland creatures to fill a Disney movie.

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REVIEW New Dragon City by Mari Mancusi

New Dragon City by Mari Mancusi
Rating: 4 Stars
Release Date: October 4, 2022
Format: Hardcover (Personal Library) + Audiobook (Borrowed from Library)
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

In Mari Mancusi’s New Dragon City, New York City has turned into a post-apocalyptic world where dragons rule the sky and humans fight for survival on the ground below. Noah and his father are part of a group of humans who stay alive by hiding underground during the dragon’s most active times and head to the surface when the dragons are hibernating. Noah thinks this will be how life is for the foreseeable future, but one chance encounter with a young dragon changes things forever.

Post apocalyptic novels are fairly common nowadays, with many books featuring some element of that genre. The most common reasons for the destruction of society are things like aliens, disease, mythological figures (think the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse) and extreme climate change. Dragons, however, are a new concept as far as the apocalypse goes so that added an element of originality and novelty to the book. 

The story is told from Noah and Asha’s points of view and I thought it was really interesting how the author paralleled the situations of the dragons and the humans. Both humans and dragons are just trying to survive in the world, and do the best they can with the situation they have been given. A big question comes up of who is the actual monster in the situation - dragons see the humans as monsters, and vice versa. Noah and Asha are both young with big decisions on their shoulders so the slower moments in the book where they just got to be kids were nice to see as a reader. I In listening to the audiobook, Soneela Nankani and Alex Boyles did a great job bringing Asha and Noah’s perspectives to life with their performances in the narration. 

New Dragon City has adventure, fast-paced action, and is a story centered around family, friends, and how a better future for all should be everyone’s goal. The author even peppers in some easter eggs giving nods to other stories with dragons in it. In conclusion, it’s an excellent choice for middle-grade fantasy readers, and it’s definitely in the same vein as How to Train Your Dragon or Wings of Fire. As far as I can tell at the time of reading the book, it’s set as a standalone but I wouldn’t say no to more books set in this world in the future. 

About the Book

Set off on a high-stakes, action-packed adventure in this story about friendship, survival, and fighting for ones you love, perfect for fans of Wings of Fire and How to Train Your Dragon. 

No one predicted the dragon apocalypse. The dragons came suddenly and decimated the world as we knew it, including New York City. Now, three years later, Noah, his hardcore survivalist father, and a ragtag group of survivors are barely scraping by in this new reality. Kids scavenge not only for materials in abandoned homes but also for leftover books at the library. Adults spend their time establishing a make-shift society and defending their shelter... with any means available. At least for the few months the dragons are hibernating, until it’s no longer safe aboveground.

Noah has seen the damage these creatures can do firsthand. When it comes to dragons: It's kill or be killed. But a chance encounter between Noah and a young dragon causes him to question everything he thought he knew. With rumors spreading that there’s a group of survivors living in harmony with dragons instead of hiding underground, Noah teams up with his fire-breathing ally to find out if peace between humans and dragons is really possible. But the division runs deeper than scales versus skin because trying to follow his heart might just cost Noah his family too. If Noah and his father can’t see eye to eye, can he really get humans and dragons to? 

About the Author

Mari Mancusi grew up where the north wind meets the sea (otherwise known as Massachusetts), but has since made her home in the great state of Texas, mostly due to her love of summer. (And tacos.) A former Emmy Award winning TV news producer, today she is the author of more than two-dozen books for kids, teens, and adults, mostly of the sci-fi/fantasy variety. In addition to writing, Mari loves traveling, video games, and cosplaying. She is also Mom to an eight year old Frozen superfan who, when recently asked by her teacher to describe her hero answered: “My Mom!” (Okay, fine, she said Kristin Bell.)

You can find Mari online at www.marimancusi.com. 

ARC REVIEW The Gorgon Agenda (SPI Files Book 8) by Lisa Shearin

The Gorgon Agenda (SPI Files #8) by Lisa Shearin
Rating: 5 Stars
Release Date: January 24, 2023
Format: eARC (Courtesy of the Author)
Publisher: Murwood Media LLC (Self Published by the Author) 

It’s been two years since the release of the last book in Lisa Shearin’s SPI Files series, The Solstice Countdown, and it was well worth the wait for the sequel, The Gorgon Agenda. A humorous and heartfelt series complete with immersive worldbuilding and an incredibly detailed cast of characters, the adventures of Makenna Fraser and the rest of the team at SPI have come to be a comfort read for me over the years.

Coming off of a trip to her hometown of Weird Sisters, North Carolina, Makenna Fraser is back in the swing of things working as a seer for the Supernatural Protection and Investigations team. She’s pleased to have learned that she is the daughter of the God of the Wild Hunt, Cernunnos, and quite happily moved in with handsome goblin dark mage boyfriend Rake Danescu. There’s no rest for the weary however, as a theft from dragon boss lady Vivienne Sagadraco’s hoard has all of SPI on a high alert and hunting down one of the most legendary items of all time.  

Ms. Shearin has pulled from various mythologies and legends from around the world to create this series, and The Gorgon Agenda in particular is a love letter to Greek Mythology. Gorgons, as you might have guessed from the title, feature heavily in the book’s action. The book pulls out all the stops with the different monsters and creatures that appear in the book but I want to acknowledge how the author took the time to acknowledge the darker side of the Greek myths. One example in particular I appreciated (and think more people should be aware of) is how the Greek gods had a penchant for punishing mortals who got in the middle of their fights (even unwittingly). They aren’t figures to be looked up to, and Athena’s faults are highlighted in particular.  

The ensemble cast of characters featured in the SPI Files books have always been a highlight of the series for me, and Ms. Shearin continues the rotation by bringing back some old friends we haven’t seen in a couple of books. She also takes the time to introduce some new characters. I did guess correctly on some of the characters who make an appearance, but I was pleasantly surprised by others. I'm always happy to see how even the characters who make an appearance only for a page or two are well developed - no one ever appears simply as ‘window dressing’, for lack of a better word. 

The SPI Files books continue to be one of my favorite urban fantasy series of all times, and The Gorgon Agenda was yet another entertaining and amazing book from Ms. Shearin. An auto-buy author for sure! If you like Lisa Shearin’s SPI Files series, I highly recommend checking out the Aurora Donati series and her Raine Benares books (which share a connection with the SPI Files books). The next book the author is working on is the second book in the Aurora Donati series, and the Raine Benares novel will follow (there is a three series rotation with her book releases). 

Thank you the author for providing me with a complimentary review copy of the book. I appreciate the opportunity to read and review The Gorgon Agenda immensely! Please note - I voluntarily read and reviewed the book. All opinions expressed in the review are my own and not influenced in any way.

About the Book

A planet-killing weapon, sinister sisters, and immortal monsters.
All in a day’s work for the agents of SPI.

I’m Makenna Fraser, seer for SPI (Supernatural Protection & Investigations). I knew SPI protected some of the world’s most dangerous relics, but I didn’t know our draconic founder, Vivienne Sagadraco, kept them in a vault deep below Manhattan.

Until the most lethal relic of all was stolen.

The Aegis is the shield once wielded by Athena, the goddess of wisdom and war. The center of the Aegis contains the head of Medusa, making it the ultimate weapon. All who look on it or its reflection are instantly turned to stone.

Old enemies and new adversaries have descended on New York—and one of them now has the Aegis:
Tiamat—Babylonian goddess of chaos, and Vivienne Sagadraco’s sister
Stheno and Euryale—Eight-foot-tall, snake-haired gorgons, granddaughters of the Titans, and Medusa’s sisters
The Sisterhood of Medusa—An ancient gorgon military order
The Cabal—A supernatural terrorist organization

Those behind the theft have declared war on humanity, with a hatred that was millennia in the making, and a heist that was centuries in the planning.

Our mission is simple yet impossible: Retrieve the Aegis and save the world. But we can’t do it alone. We’ll need our friends, family, and some unexpected new allies if we’re to stop this ancient evil once and for all.

About the Author

Lisa is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Raine Benares novels and The SPI Files.

Lisa is a voracious collector of fountain pens, teapots & teacups both vintage and modern. She lives on a small farm in North Carolina with her husband, four spoiled-rotten retired racing greyhounds, and enough deer and woodland creatures to fill a Disney movie.

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REVIEW The Phoenix Illusion (SPI Files #6) by Lisa Shearin

The Phoenix Illusion (SPI Files #6) by Lisa Shearin
Rating: 5 Stars
Release Date: November 6, 2018
Format: eBook + Audiobook (Personal Library)
Publisher: Murwood Media LLC (Self Published by Author) 

Check out my review of book one in the series, The Grendel Affair

Check out my review of book seven in the series, The Solstice Countdown

The Phoenix Illusion is the sixth book in Lisa Shearin’s SPI Files series, and Ms. Shearin continues to outdo herself. Makenna Fraser, seer extraordinaire for the Supernatural Protection and Investigations team (SPI), was having a fun night out with her coworkers and boyfriend, goblin dark mage Rake Danescu, when the evening is disrupted as Rake’s house (from another dimension) gets dropped onto an empty lot. Things get even crazier from here, with SPI again being responsible for stopping the evil supernaturals in the world from enacting their plans. 

Unlike some of the previous books in the series, The Phoenix Illusion puts a lot of the spotlight on Rake and his cousin Tam. There are some side characters from previous books that don’t make as big of an appearance, but I think that's ok because the author does a great job of rotating the characters from her ensemble cast in the series in and out of the books. It was fun getting to see how Tam trained Ben Sadler, SPI’s resident gem mage, in the best way to deal with the magical crystals at the story's center.  

As a note, Johanna Parker does an excellent job narrating this book. I’m always cackling whenever I’m listening to any of Makenna’s antics, and this book has no shortage of mischief. This is the last book of the series that she’s narrating, but I’m excited to see (and hear) how the author does narrating the books in the future. The book is best suited for those who are already familiar with the series. Still, the author does drop enough information such that any newcomers should be able to follow the plot with minimal issues (or missing context). 

Overall, The Phoenix Illusion is another amazing and entertaining book by Lisa Shearin. SPI Files is still one of my favorite urban fantasy series of all time. If you enjoy laugh-out-loud urban fantasy tales with headstrong heroines, then this book is for you. 

About the Book

The agents of Supernatural Protection & Investigation (SPI) are used to dealing with the weird and the wacky, but even they are stunned when a building from another world suddenly appears on an empty lot in New York. . .

I’m Makenna Fraser, seer for SPI, and it’s just my luck that my birthday party is literally crashed by a building from another planet. And it’s not just any building—it’s my goblin boyfriend’s house from his home world. SPI’s mission, to keep the public clueless about the supernatural, has us scrambling to find who did this and why, not to mention how.

The deeper we dig, the more we realize this incident is the opening gambit to a much larger event. Old enemies have combined forces with an even older nemesis to develop the means to kidnap an entire building and everyone in it. But who, or what, is their ultimate target? Finding out and getting to the mark before they do will require all hands on deck, including some extraterrestrial help from the goblin home world. We’re running out of time, and if we can’t get our act together, we’ll have front-row seats for the end of the world as we know it.

About the Author

Lisa is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Raine Benares novels and The SPI Files.

Lisa is a voracious collector of fountain pens, teapots & teacups both vintage and modern. She lives on a small farm in North Carolina with her husband, four spoiled-rotten retired racing greyhounds, and enough deer and woodland creatures to fill a Disney movie.

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BLOG TOUR The Dragon's Promise (Six Crimson Cranes #2) by Elizabeth Lim

Hi friends! I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the blog tour for The Dragon's Promise by Elizabeth Lim, organized by TBR and Beyond Tours. Check out the post, and make sure to show the other hosts some love as well! The link to the schedule is below. 

The Dragon's Promise by Elizabeth Lim Tour Schedule (TBR and Beyond Tours)

About the Book

RELEASE: August 30, 2022
Rep: Asian (Japanese)

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indigo | IndieBound | Bookshop.org | Libro.fm

*Please note - this post contains affiliate links, from which we may earn a commission (at no additional cost to you) if you make a purchase

From the New York Times Bestselling author of Six Crimson Cranes comes a thrilling new adventure! A journey to the kingdom of dragons, a star-crossed love, and a cursed pearl with the power to mend the world or break it… Fans of Shadow and Bone will devour this soaring fantasy.

Princess Shiori made a deathbed promise to return the dragon’s pearl to its rightful owner, but keeping that promise is more dangerous than she ever imagined.

She must journey to the kingdom of dragons, navigate political intrigue among humans and dragons alike, fend off thieves who covet the pearl for themselves and will go to any lengths to get it, all while cultivating the appearance of a perfect princess to dissuade those who would see her burned at the stake for the magic that runs in her blood.

The pearl itself is no ordinary cargo; it thrums with malevolent power, jumping to Shiori’s aid one minute, and betraying her the next—threatening to shatter her family and sever the thread of fate that binds her to her true love, Takkan. It will take every ounce of strength Shiori can muster to defend the life and the love she’s fought so hard to win.

REVIEW of The Dragon's Promise (Six Crimson Cranes #2) by Elizabeth Lim
Rating: 4 Stars
Release Date: August 30, 2022
Format: eARC (Courtesy of Publisher, TBR and Beyond Tours, and NetGalley)
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers

Elizabeth Lim’s The Dragon’s Promise picks up after the events of Six Crimson Cranes, with Shiori venturing to the dragon realm to fulfill her promise to Seryu. She's playing a dangerous game of words and magic though, as her true intention is not to give the pearl to the Dragon King but to honor her stepmother's dying wish and return it to its true owner. The ensuing tale that follows is full of adventure, magic, and even a bit of a romance - a fitting close for the heroine so many readers connected to in the first book. 

The author once again did a great job making me care about the characters. Takkan and Shiori’s relationship really blossoms in this book (many of my favorite quotes center around their relationship). While they are undoubtedly the story's focus, I enjoyed learning more about Raikama and her past. She was so much more than the villain people initially thought her to be at the start of the duology. I was also quite intrigued to get to see a different side of Seryu and learn more about the dragon court. Talk about some crazy relatives there. My favorite character out of everyone was Kiki. She’s truly one of the most loyal companions I’ve ever seen, and some of the scenes she’s featured in at the end of the book were particularly heart-wrenching. 

The world-building and imagery were superb. The realms of Ai’long and Lapzur were quite enchanting to visit (though the journeys to get to the respective places seem somewhat harrowing). It was fun to see how this book borrows more elements from the original inspiration of Hans Christian Andersen’s ‘The Wild Swans’ and incorporates some new features from Chinese myths and legends. In my review of the first book, I made a comment about stories being made better with the inclusion of dragons. That statement holds true in this book because readers are introduced to more dragons, demons, and other fantastical beings. In short, I loved it!

The Dragon’s Promise was a worthy sequel to the story that started in Six Crimson Cranes. If a young adult fantasy composed of a sweet romance, dangerous quests, and vibrant worldbuilding sounds like something you would enjoy, I highly recommend this series. Elizabeth Lim is the queen of duologies, and she has cemented a fan for life in me with this latest release. 

Thank you to the author Elizabeth Lim, the publisher Knopf Books for Young Readers, the team at TBR and Beyond Tours, and NetGalley for providing me with a complimentary review copy of the book as part of my participation in the tour. I appreciate the opportunity to read and review The Dragon’s Promise immensely. 

FAVORITE QUOTES

“Never play games with a dragon,” she whispered. “You cannot win.”

“Be it bright or dark, you are the light that makes my lantern shine.”

“Your brothers warned me that a lifetime with you would mean plenty of jabs to my pride. But my love for you is far greater than pride, Shiori.”

“If you wanted to be told you were beautiful, you would hide your scar. But you don’t. It tells your story, a story that’s meant only for those worthy of hearing it.”

For what was chaos but a knife slashing across the fabric of destiny?

About the Author

Elizabeth Lim is the author of the critically-acclaimed and bestselling The Blood of Stars duology (Spin the Dawn and Unravel the Dusk), the New York Times bestseller So This is Love, and the USA Today bestseller Reflection. Forthcoming books include the Six Crimson Cranes duology, expected summer 2021 and summer 2022, respectively. 

Elizabeth grew up on a hearty staple of fairy tales, myths, and songs. Her passion for storytelling began around age 10, when she started writing fanfics for Sailor Moon, Sweet Valley, and Star Wars, and posted them online to discover, “Wow, people actually read my stuff. And that’s kinda cool!” But after one of her teachers told her she had “too much voice” in her essays, Elizabeth took a break from creative writing to focus on not flunking English. 

Over the years, Elizabeth became a film and video game composer, and even went so far as to get a doctorate in music composition. But she always missed writing, and she turned to penning stories when she needed a breather from grad school. One day, she decided to write and finish a novel—for kicks, at first, then things became serious—and she hasn’t looked back since.

Elizabeth graduated from Harvard College with an A.B. in music and a secondary in East Asian Studies, and she completed her graduate degrees (MM, DMA) at The Juilliard School. She grew up in Northern California and Tokyo, Japan, and now resides in New York with her husband and two daughters.

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REVIEW The Grendel Affair (SPI Files #1) by Lisa Shearin

The Grendel Affair (SPI Files #1) by Lisa Shearin
Rating: 5 Stars
Release Date: December 31, 2013
Format: eBook + Audiobook (Personal Library)
Publisher: Ace 

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I love it when a reread of a book is just as great as the first time you read it. The Grendel Affair is the first full-length book in Lisa Shearin’s SPI Files series (set after the prequel short story Lucky Charms of anthology Night Shift - a laugh-out-loud tale you need to check out if you haven’t already), and it’s just as wacky and humorous as I remember. Fans of Ilona Andrews and Patricia Briggs will undoubtedly enjoy this book, and the lovable characters at the heart of the tale. 

Makenna Fraser is a southern girl at heart, having moved from her hometown of Weird Sisters to the big city of New York to become a journalist. Her plans get shifted, though, when she is drafted by a secret organization for her unique abilities as a seer (which allows her to see through supernatural glamours). Her new job? Helping the other members of SPI, or Supernatural Protection and Investigations to ensure that those that go ‘bump in the night’ stay the things of legend (instead of becoming front page news). 

As far as worldbuilding goes, the worldbuilding in this series is top-notch. I’m such a big fan of mythology and folklore, and the SPI Files are full of it. Each book features different creatures and legends and even brings in stories from mythologies from around the world.  The Grendel Affair in particular is heavily influenced by Beowulf (as one might have guessed from the title), and it was an interesting take on the classic monster and other elements from the book. There are also a plethora of other creatures that make an appearance in the book - readers get a front-row seat for most of them, given Makenna’s supernatural abilities. 

Makenna is a hilarious character, and I loved seeing the world from her point of view. She’s definitely not as well trained as her commando coworkers, but she’s no damsel in distress (and has a knack for getting out of tough situations). If you are an audiobook fan or just a fantasy reader looking for a good laugh, I highly recommend that you pick up the audiobook version of this book! Johanna Parker is one of my favorite narrators ever, and she did a fantastic job bringing the story to life and making me crack up repeatedly with Makenna’s humor. She also did a fantastic job with the various voices of different characters in the book (I never had an issue determining who was ‘speaking’ at any given time). 

While Mak is definitely the star of the show, there is a full ensemble cast of side characters that help make this book what it is. SPI is quite a large organization made up of many moving parts; it's reminiscent of a fantasy version of Men in Black. Each character has a purpose in the story, and they were surprisingly memorable for how little some of them appeared. Yasha has been one of my favorites; if and when this series finishes I hope the author crafts some side stories in the same universe that follow him and his adventures.  

Overall, The Grendel Affair is an amazing and entertaining book by Lisa Shearin. It’s one of my favorite urban fantasy series of all time. If you enjoy laugh-out-loud urban fantasy tales, then this book is for you!

About the Book

We're Supernatural Protection & Investigations, known as SPI. Things that go bump in the night, the monsters you thought didn't exist? We battle them and keep you safe. But some supernatural baddies are just too big to contain, even for us...

When I moved to New York to become a world famous journalist, I never imagined that snagging a job at a seedy tabloid would change my career path from trashy reporter to undercover agent. I'm Makenna Fraser, a Seer for SPI. I can see through any disguise, shield, or spell that a paranormal pest can come up with. I track down creatures and my partner, Ian Byrne, takes them out.

Our cases are generally pretty routine, but a sickle-wielding serial killer has been prowling the city's subway tunnels. And the murderer's not human. The fiend in question, a descendant of Grendel--yes, that Grendel--shares his ancestor's hatred of parties, revelry, and drunkards. And with New Year's Eve in Times Square only two days away, we need to bag him quickly. Because if we don't find him--and the organization behind him--by midnight, our secret's out and everyone's time is up.

About the Author

Lisa is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Raine Benares novels and The SPI Files.

Lisa is a voracious collector of fountain pens, teapots & teacups both vintage and modern. She lives on a small farm in North Carolina with her husband, four spoiled-rotten retired racing greyhounds, and enough deer and woodland creatures to fill a Disney movie.

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