REVIEW My Salvation (Bewitched and Bewildered #14) by Alanea Alder

My Salvation (Bewitched and Bewildered #14) by Alanea Alder
Rating: 5 Stars
Release Date: August 29, 2023
Format: eBook (Personal Library)
Publisher: Sacred Forest Publishing

“Bad times go away likenight facing the dawn. You just have to hold out.”

Alanea Alder’s fourteenth book in her Bewitched and Bewildered series, My Salvation, was another romance packed and humorous read. Focusing on one of the final unit members in Eire Danu, Priest Vi’Aerdan as he finds his mate in Cassandra Vi’Iliya, the unit warriors are still facing the mounting feral problem and doing their best to discover why the lights of Eire Danu are dimming. 

Meryn and her merry band of misfits have been one of my favorite parts of the series, and Cass and Meryn have such fun interactions in the book that I was giggling as I read. One of the things I love about this series is that each of the females have their own strengths, which compliment that of their mates so well. Priest struggles to make peace with his bird half after being ostracized by his biological family, and Cass has been isolated from her people for a very long time after the death of her parents. They make their own little family together, and I’m so excited to see how their relationship progresses in the future. It’s a very sweet love story, complete with themes of found/chosen family. Getting to see the hints of the relationships of other couples from previous books is always a treat too - I’d personally love to see a prequel of sorts detailing how the Queen and Brennus initially met. 

The worldbuilding of this series has been excellent. The gang started in Lycaonia (seat of the shifters), then moved to Noctem Falls (home of the vampires), and has now been stationed in Eire Danu for the last couple of books. Given that each city gets about five books, we’re about ready to move to the final city (Storm Keep) and I’m so excited to see Meryn wreak havoc and chaos on the witches (especially considering how much shady stuff they’ve been up to). 

Overall, this was another fantastic read. I’m eagerly awaiting the next book in the series, My Eternal Light, which should focus on Kincaid. He’s such a unique character whose full of power (and completely clueless on how to use it), so I’m hopeful the super witches can help him focus as he finds his own happily ever after. 

REVIEW The Fae Queen's Captive (Peculiar Tastes #6) by Sierra Simone

The Fae Queen's Captive (Peculiar Tastes #6) by Sierra Simone
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Release Date: October 4, 2022
Format: eBook (Kickstarter)
Publisher: Bonkers Romance 

Sierra Simone’s The Fae Queen’s Captive, the sixth and final book in the Peculiar Tastes series, was another stellar installment to the Shadow Market universe. If you enjoy paranormal romances with heavy fae influences, a sapphic love story, and unique worldbuilding then I think you should check this book out. 

By day, Janneth Carter is an archaeologist working on another dig site in Scotland and finishing her graduate degree. However, despite her seemingly fulfilling job and life, she’s always wanted more. On Samhain, after investigating mysterious strangers at their dig site, she finds out she may have bitten off more than she can chew as she’s whisked away to the Faerie realm and to the court of the illustrious Stag Queen.

I was expecting this book to be much more like the others in the series; a paranormal romance full of explicit sex scenes with action that progresses very quickly from the first page to the last. However, despite there being no shortage of sexual counters (faeries in the Stag Court love their orgies), I was surprised to see that there’s also a sense of explored vulnerability. Janneth has always been told that her wants were wrong or made to feel lesser by those she’s been intimate with. The Stag Queen Morgana has taken up the heavy burden of being queen after the recent passing of her mother, and if you’ve seen the artwork released for the Kickstarter you’ll know that she has a very obvious physical vulnerability. Janneth and Morgana’s relationship delves into these issues, with it overall being very body positive and emotionally tender. The ending of the book was fairly predictable after reading the other stories in the series (especially The Death God’s Sacrifice), but I appreciated it nonetheless (and wasn’t too bothered by the predictability)

Ms. Simone went for it with all of the faerie references in building the world within her book, and I was practically giddy while reading because of it. I liked seeing hints of the different courts within the Faerie realms and the references to the Faerie tradition of stealing mortals and keeping them as playthings; both children and adults. I was also quite impressed to see the references to mortal interpretations of faerie stories that she included (which helped tie in Janneth’s profession to the story). 

There is shared worldbuilding between the different Peculiar Tastes/Shadow Market books, but there is little to no crossover between characters. I did enjoy the tiny Easter Egg-esque nods to the other books. For example, the druid who raises the veil every year so the Shadow Market can happen is a common reference in the book (a nod to The Death God’s Sacrifice). There are also some moments in the book that seem to reference characters from The Captive Merman’s Promise and The Demon’s Bargain. 

Overall, The Fae Queen’s Captive was another short enjoyable paranormal romance/fantasy tale. It didn’t quite have the plot twists that some of the other books had, and I’m still saddened by the fact that all the books in the series are so short, but it was an entertaining read nonetheless. I’m so excited that the Shadow Market books have introduced me to some new authors I’ve never heard of before (I was previously only familiar with Katee Robert), and it makes me excited to check out Sierra Simone’s back-list as well as the upcoming Dangerous Tides kickstart in the near future. 

CONTENT WARNINGS (Courtesy of Author): Violence, Murder (of Baddies), Blood, Explicit Sex, Hunting, Intoxication, Uneven Power Dynamics

About the Book

Save some of your screams for the queen, there’s a good girl…

Janneth Carter has given up on magic these days. She’s done being curious, insatiable, dreamy; she just wants to finish her graduate degree and spend the rest of her life as a sensible archeologist. So the last thing she expects when she goes to her dig site on Halloween night is three mysterious strangers standing outside an ancient Scottish grave.

Okay, well the actual last thing she expects is for those strangers to kidnap her and drag her into fairyland.

Once in the vivid, carnal world of Faerie, Janneth is at the mercy of the coldly lovely and incredibly cruel Stag Queen. Desperate to get home to her own world, she offers the Queen a bargain: she’ll be a willing captive, the queen’s pet, so long as the Queen promises to keep her safe until Janneth leaves Faerie.

But fae promises are complicated things, and nothing in Faerie, even pleasure—even love—comes without a price…

About the Author

Sierra is a voracious reader of all things including the smuttiest smut, young adult, piles of non-fiction for research, and everything Bill Bryson (especially on audio).

She loves writing the dirtiest things that she can think of, King Arthur, sparkling water, Tarot, coffee, leggings, and learning new words daily. 

Her previous jobs have included firing ceramics, teaching living history lessons in one-room school house in full, 1904-approved school marm attire, and working as a librarian for several years—not in that order

She lives in the Kansas City area with her husband, two children, and two giant dogs. (And two cats, but they're so naughty we don't talk about them.) 

Her novels have been published in Czech, French, German, Hebrew, Hungarian, Italian, Polish, and Romanian. She's been featured in Buzzfeed, Cosmopolitan, Entertainment Weekly, Marie Claire, and Library Journal with a starred review.

ARC REVIEW Unseelie (The Unseelie Duology Book 1) by Ivelisse Housman

Unseelie (The Unseelie Duology Book 1) 

by Ivelisse Housman
Rating: 4 Stars
Release Date: January 3, 2023
Format: eARC (Courtesy of Publisher and NetGalley) and Audiobook (Borrowed from Library)
Publisher: Inkyard Press 

I’d been hearing a lot of hype about a new fantasy book with an autistic main character, and I knew I had to check out what everyone was talking about. Ivelisse Housman’s debut young adult fantasy novel Unseelie is filled with adventure, a strong sense of family, and great worldbuilding. 

Iselia Graygrove, or ‘Seelie’ is a young changeling who has been traveling with her human ‘twin’ sister Isolde for years. Seelie’s family loves her, but her ‘differentness’ has always made her an outcast in every village they traveled to. Once Seelie’s magic starts to become wild and out of control after a heist gone wrong, the sisters are thrust into the middle of a mystery with the potential to affect both fae and humans alike.  

It was interesting to read the author’s note explaining that the stories of changelings were thought to be an early explanation for autistic children. That really helped me relate specifically to Seelie’s character as a reader. Readers got to experience how Seelie reacted to the world differently than the other characters in the story. She has tried so hard to fit into what society considers normal, and her challenges are only compounded by her faerie heritage and her autistic mannerisms (I don’t believe the word autistim was explicitly used in the story). The others do their best, but there are multiple instances where they struggle to understand her neurodivergent experiences from their neurotypical perspectives. As a result, she’s never really fit into either world, and that weighs heavily on her over the course of the book. 

Having a sister of my own, I really connected to Isolde and Seelie’s relationship. They are incredibly close, and Isolde is fiercely protective of her sister against those who would ostracize her for being a changeling. Despite their closeness, there are the inevitable moments where they clash and get into arguments. Said moments only made me relate to them even more (what sibling relationship doesn’t have a few fights now and then?) 

The world-building is well developed. The author takes some of the most famous pieces of faerie lore, and builds that into the story to create the different realms. There’s an obvious nod to the classic fairy tales, but the world is built such that it feels fresh for both die-hard fantasy readers and those new to the genre. I appreciated the vivid and immersive imagery, and how the world was brought to life as the characters went on their travels. The pace was such that the characters kept moving fairly frequently, and that helped introduce the readers to new places and people. 

The only drawback of the book, and why I was unable to give it a full five stars, was how disjointed the plot seemed to be. I could tell you so much about the world, the characters and individual moments but things were so hectic and confusing I can’t actually tell you how those moments connect. The author completely lost me with the transitional moments of the book. The progression of the story is confusing at best, and as a reader it can be overwhelming to have so many moments where you’re not really sure whats going on. The best way I could describe it is a tangled knot of string - you never really know where pulling on one end is going to lead you. 

Overall, this was a very entertaining and insightful novel. There were some minor issues, but not enough to detract from my overall enjoyment of thhe book. Elena Rey does an excellent job bringing the story to life with her performance in the audiobook narration. From what I can tell, the book is set to be part of a duology and I’m excited to (hopefully) get to see more in this world. Readers who enjoy magical fantasy tales full of fun, stellar neurodivergent rep, and unique characters should definitely give the book a chance. 

Thank you to the author, the publisher Inkyard Press, and NetGalley for providing me with a complimentary review copy of the book. I appreciate the opportunity to read and review Unseelie 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. 

REVIEW Hunting Ground (Alpha and Omega #2) by Patricia Briggs

Hunting Ground (Alpha and Omega #2) by Patricia Briggs
Rating: 4 Stars
Release Date: July 17, 2009
Format: Audiobook (Borrowed from Library)
Publisher: Ace 

Check out my review of the sixth book in the series, Wild Sign

Hunting Ground is the second book in Patricia Briggs’ Alpha and Omega series, following werewolves Anna and Charles Cornick rather than coyote shapeshifter Mercy Thompson. It’s set a couple weeks after the events of the first book, Cry Wolf, and Charles and Anna have only been mated for a month or so at this point. Life is never dull for these two though, as they are called to attend an international werewolf conference to address their upcoming reveal to the world. 

Readers who are familiar with the Mercy Thompson universe and the earlier books in the Alpha and Omega series know that Charles is the killing arm of his father, the Marrok. He’s also the second in the Aspen Creek pack. As opposed to being sent out to enact physical violence, Hunting Ground sees Charles and Anna pit in a battle of wills and wits against other Alphas from around the world. My favorite of their sparring partners was Jean Chastel, who is also known in history as the Beast of Gevaudan. There's also a British Alpha who thinks he is King Arthur reincarnated. Patricia Briggs did an excellent job weaving these two characters into the story, and making the legends work with the character development she has already established. Readers who enjoy stories inspired by myths and legends will be pleased by this particular aspect of the book. 

With Anna’s past trauma, she’s still very uncomfortable in their new relationship. There’s the age difference (Anna is very young compared to Charles’ near two hundred years old) as well as the difference in experience and knowledge levels. Charles, as he says, is a patient hunter though and willing to put in the time to help her work through the events of her past and conquer the memories of the monsters who brutalized her. The development of Charles and Anna’s relationship is a major point in this book, and adds an aspect of romance to the story. I also really appreciate how the author finds a way to highlight their mutual love of music in every book, as music can express emotions in a way words often can’t. 

The book, in addition to being solidly in the urban fantasy genre with hints of romance, also features a mystery aspect. There are attempted kidnappings and murders happening in the midst of the conference in Seattle. This throws other paranormal creatures like fae, vampires, trolls and witches into the complicated mess of events going on. Sadly, the mystery was very confusing and hard to follow as a reader. Various interjected chapters popping up throughout the book had me completely lost. I wish there had been a bit more context to allow me to make sense of what was going on at the moment, instead of putting it all together at the very last minute. 

Holter Graham once again delivered an excellent performance with the audiobook narration of the book. He’s an excellent narrator who can voice both female and male characters with ease. As a side note, the events of this book are connected to what happens in the main Mercy Thompson series. However, both series are fairly independent and you don’t have to read one to understand the other. If a well-paced book with urban fantasy, paranormal and mystery elements sounds like something you’d enjoy, then check out Patricia Briggs’ Hunting Ground today. 

About the Book

Anna Latham didn’t know how complicated life could be until she became a werewolf. And until she was mated to Charles Cornick, the son — and enforcer — of Bran, the leader of the North American werewolves, she didn’t know how dangerous it could be either...

Anna and Charles have just been enlisted to attend a summit to present Bran’s controversial proposition: that the wolves should finally reveal themselves to humans. But the most feared Alpha in Europe is dead set against the plan — and it seems like someone else might be too. When Anna is attacked by vampires using pack magic, the kind of power only werewolves should be able to draw on, Charles and Anna must combine their talents to hunt down whoever is behind it all — or risk losing everything...

About the Author

Patricia Briggs was born in Butte, Montana, to a children’s librarian who passed on to her kids a love of reading and books. Patricia grew up reading fairy tales and books about horses, and later developed an interest in folklore and history. When she decided to write a book of her own, a fantasy book seemed a natural choice. Patricia graduated from Montana State University with degrees in history and German and she worked for a while as a substitute teacher. Currently, she lives in Montana with her husband, children, and six horses and writes full time, much to the delight of her fans.

REVIEW Soul Taken (Mercy Thompson #13) by Patricia Briggs

Soul Taken (Mercy Thompson #13) by Patricia Briggs
Rating: 5 Stars
Release Date: August 23, 2022
Format: Audiobook (Personal Library)
Publisher: Ace

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Patricia Briggs’ latest book in the Mercy Thompson series, Soul Taken, is another dynamic tale of our fearless heroine, coyote shapeshifter Mercy and the rest of the Columbia Basin pack. The semi-stable powerhouse vampire Wulfe has gone missing, bodies are dropping all over the Tri-Cities area, and the pack must once again figure out what’s going on before it’s too late.

Mercy, is, of course, once again smack dab in the middle of everything happening in the Tri-Cities. Thankfully, she has Adam and the rest of the pack to back her up whenever necessary - and it’s very frequent she needs the backup since she’s such a magnet for trouble. Personally, I’ve loved seeing Adam and Mercy’s relationship develop over the course of the series. They balance each other well, and they are a great team. The pack bonds were also a highlight for me - the scene at the beginning of the book was fun, and I love any scene where they get to tease Mercy and Adam about their sex life. Happy Alpha wolves translate to strong healthy packs!

One of the strengths of this series has always been how well-developed the ensemble cast is, and that trend doesn’t stop with Soul Taken. Readers get to discover more about some of the major players in Mercy’s life - specifically, Zee, Wulfe, and Sherwood Post. Some stories get dropped about Zee and Sherwood Post’s past (there is a major development in discovering who Sherwood was before the witches took his memory). The major reveals, though, are all about Wulfe. Those who have read previous installments to the series will know that Wulfe has never exactly been stable in the time Mercy has known him. Soul Taken dives into his past, gives perspective on how he came to be as we know him today, and also gives a hint about how he earned his title of ‘The Wizard’. 

Wulfe’s background plays a big part in the story, but readers are also treated to more world-building with more info on how pack bonds work and clashes between different paranormal groups in the Tri-Cities area. First of all, there’s some more shifting in the ranks of Adam’s pack, specifically the order of dominance. Warren and Daryl clash a bit, and Sherwood’s dominance level comes into question. I was also intrigued by the power plays between the pack, the goblins, the fae (specifically Underhill), and the vampires. I can’t wait to see what happens as a result of the choices Mercy and Adam made in this book - it seems like the ramifications of their decisions may cross over to the Alpha and Omega series as well. 

Soul Taken is a fantastic book and an awesome addition to the series and larger Mercy Thompson + Alpha and Omega universe. I’m amazed at how this series continues to get better with every new release. Lorelei King once again did a great job with the audiobook narration. Urban fantasy and paranormal readers who are looking for great worldbuilding, a well-developed set of main characters and ensemble cast, and a witty, headstrong heroine should definitely pick up the Mercy Thompson series ASAP. 

About the Book

Mercy Thompson, car mechanic and shapeshifter, must face her greatest fears in this chilling entry in the #1 New York Times bestselling series.

The vampire Wulfe is missing. Since he’s deadly, possibly insane, and his current idea of “fun” is stalking me, some may see it as no great loss. But, warned that his disappearance might bring down the carefully constructed alliances that keep our pack safe, my mate and I must find Wulfe—and hope he’s still alive. As alive as a vampire can be, anyway.

But Wulfe isn’t the only one who has disappeared. And now there are bodies, too. Has the Harvester returned to the Tri-Cities, reaping souls with his cursed sickle? Or is he just a character from a B horror movie and our enemy is someone else?

The farther I follow Wulfe’s trail, the more twisted—and darker—the path becomes. I need to figure out what’s going on before the next body on the ground is mine.

About the Author

Patricia Briggs was born in Butte, Montana, to a children’s librarian who passed on to her kids a love of reading and books. Patricia grew up reading fairy tales and books about horses, and later developed an interest in folklore and history. When she decided to write a book of her own, a fantasy book seemed a natural choice. Patricia graduated from Montana State University with degrees in history and German and she worked for a while as a substitute teacher. Currently, she lives in Montana with her husband, children, and six horses and writes full time, much to the delight of her fans.

REVIEW A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses Book 1) by Sarah J. Maas

A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses Book 1) by Sarah J. Maas 

Rating: 3 Stars
Release Date: May 5, 2015
Format: Audiobook (Personal Library)
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's

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After years of hearing the hype about Sarah J. Maas's A Court of Thorns and Roses series, I finally succumbed and read the first book. I can safely say that I understand (most of) the hype now - there are still a couple of aspects of the book I don’t get the frenzy over. 

First of all, the worldbuilding for the series is amazing. Incredibly detailed, yet also incredibly easy to understand. I had no issues envisioning Prythia and the various areas of the world that Feyre traveled to. After finishing this book, I’m excited to travel to the courts of the other High Lords. 

The Beauty and the Beast retelling aspect didn’t really click for me until the end of the book. I guessed initially that it was related to the masks that are forcefully bonded to the fae's faces, but it took a long time for the truth to be revealed. With this in mind, I have to say I’m also not sure who the final love interest for Feyre is. The Tamlin/Feyre romance feels very forced and is definitely not something I could get behind. I’ve been told that the storyline gets better in the next book, so I will hold out hope that the romance improves by then.

There’s so much to admire about Feyre - she’s fiercely determined to protect her family (despite the lack of care they show her). She’s also very scrappy and headstrong. Feyre reminded me of another one of the author’s female heroines - Aelin from Throne of Glass is very similar to her. I haven’t really seen anything to make any of her family members redeemable (her older sisters couldn’t even be bothered to teach her to read), but I’m curious on whether or not that will change in subsequent books. 

Jennifer Ikeda gave a solid performance for the audiobook narration. If you’re already an audiobook fan, then it's worth giving a listen. If you’re not a fan of audiobooks, then it's up to you about which format you read the book in (you’re not missing anything by not listening to the audiobook). 

I will definitely be reading A Court of Mist and Fury because I’m curious about the storyline, but I’m not in any particular rush to do so. If you’re like me and questioned whether you should keep reading, I recommend that you keep going! The ending of the book does make the confusion of the first part more bearable. 

About the Book

Feyre is a huntress. And when she sees a deer in the forest being pursued by a wolf, she kills the predator and takes its prey to feed herself and her family.

But the wolf was not what it seemed, and Feyre cannot predict the high price she will have to pay for its death...

Dragged away from her family for the murder of a faerie, Feyre discovers that her captor, his face obscured by a jewelled mask, is hiding even more than his piercing green eyes suggest.

As Feyre's feelings for Tamlin turn from hostility to passion, she learns that the faerie lands are a far more dangerous place than she realized. And Feyre must fight to break an ancient curse, or she will lose him forever.

About the Author

Sarah J. Maas is the #1 New York Times and internationally bestselling author of the Throne of Glass, Court of Thorns and Roses, and Crescent City series. Her books have sold millions of copies and are published in thirty-seven languages.

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Sarah J. Maas Author Photo Credit: Beowulf Sheehan

ARC REVIEW: Ruin (The Fate of Crowns #0.5) by Rebecca L. Garcia

Ruin (The Fate of Crowns #0.5) by Rebecca L. Garcia

Rating: 4 STARS

Release Date: August 25, 2020

Format: eARC

Publisher: Self-Published

Ruin by Rebecca L. Garcia is a spin-off novella and prequel to the Fate of Crowns series, and after reading I’m even more excited to read the main books. I can’t say too much about the plot without risking spoilers (since the novella is only 57 pages), but if you love the main series (or any of Ms. Garcia’s other books) you should definitely take the time to read Ruin.

This novella takes characters (and readers) through a lot of different emotions in a very short time period. Rage, indignation, shame, loneliness, and love are just a subset. I became invested in Evangeline’s story very quickly and was cheering for everything to work out in the end. The journey of morally grey characters usually ends up being the most compelling for me when I read. The author did a great job in creating the world for the Fate of Crowns series - I found myself utterly enchanted by the magic and the fae vs. sorcerer dynamic.

Ms. Garcia explains in her author’s note that this novella provides a backstory to some of the references mentioned in the main books. I really love how authors have started to use novellas as a method to provide more world-building and history for series - I hope more authors do this in the future! I highly recommend the novella and the series to new adult/ adult fantasy and paranormal readers. It’s well worth the read!   

Thank you to the author for my free copy of the book. I received a copy of the Ruin novella by subscribing to her newsletter. 

About the Author: Rebecca L. Garcia

Rebecca lives in San Antonio, Texas, with her husband and son. Born and raised in England, you can find her drinking tea, writing new worlds, and designing covers.
Rebecca devoured every book she was given from the age of five and fell in love with magical worlds. When she got older, her imagination grew with her and she delved into writing strong characters and vast worlds.

When she's not writing or spending time with her family, you can find her traveling, and hosting book signings with Spellbinding Events.

 

Rebecca is represented by The Next Step PR. For the latest sign-ups, tours, and cover reveals for Rebecca's releases you can go to www.thenextsteppr.com