Rise of a Dark Throne by Ligia N. Cushman

A Dark Fantasy, Enemies to Lovers with lots of Spice

Synopsis:

When Sole awakens from the darkness, a terrifying plague that killed her family, she is left with the one thing she never wanted, Magick. She soon discovers that this rare power, thought to be long lost, has the ability to save her world. The tyrant King of Sundom summons her to serve his own purpose, setting her on an incredibly perilous journey. Sole soon finds herself navigating a dark web of politics, alluring power, desire, and great evil.

Rivian Alacor had his life all planned out. As the high-born second prince of Sundom, he could never be heir to the throne. Instead, he would lead the Sundom Guards, and when his brother became King, he would be part of his high council. Rivian would secure alliances by being mated to Selah Grado, the fairest and fiercest woman in Sundom. But, when his cruel father becomes infected with the Darkness, Rivian is sent on a journey to retrieve the first mage in generations. Meeting Sole changed everything.

Will they be the future of Transea, or will they burn it all down?

Thoughts:

What a whirlwind! This was a unique story, with a immersive world. The world building was done in a semi-gradual way with only minor info dumping.  I love love love the world discriptions, the beautiful sea, the otherwordly surroundings...I want to live there.

Sole was tough, and she met difficulties with an impossible strength.  She was often unyeilding...and I was here for it. Except for when she wasn't and then I was confused. She had such a tough spine while on the ship, but then when she was in front of the king she seemed to cave a bit. She was purposefully slighted, and I thought she was going to kill them all...but then she didn't. 

The romance was also hit or miss for me. Other then being physically attracted to each other and having to share close quarteres (on a ship), I didn't see how they really connected other than them both being second children of their parents. I also would have liked to hear more about the differences in the cultures, and I'm hoping book two further develops both the romance and the setting.  Overall I enjoyed the book, and I'm looking forward to book two. 

Disclaimer: I received an advanced copy of this book free for review.  This however does not affect my opinions, as I do not leave a review for each book I receive. There are links to Amazon, clicking these links won't cost you anything but any purchase helps support this blog.  Thanks!

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Blood and Potions by Maya Morrison

 

Blurb:

An assassin who lives for the hunt. A vampire that loves the chase. A job that went wrong, and a bite that changes everything.

It was supposed to be a simple job. Steal an artifact from a top-secret location, and gain intel about my sister’s killer. Instead, one false move lands me in the hands of the renowned vampire overlord, Quillian Kingsley.

Quillian is cold, callous, and notoriously ruthless with his enemies, especially those he believes wronged him. I was prepared for my death...until he tasted my blood.

After days of interrogation, we come to a mutual agreement, and I agree to his terms by swearing a Blood Oath. I stay in Esneoh to help hunt down his enemies and play the role of his doting wife. And in kind, he will help me find my sister’s killer.
The job should have been easy; however, with every new kill and pursuit, I find myself drawn to the dark, dangerous, and sinfully gorgeous overlord.

There is just one problem - all roads point to him as one of the main suspects. And in this game of power, secrets, and lust, neither of us might come out alive when the truth unveils itself. 

Thoughts:

First of all...this book is steamy! 

The book jumps right in, introducing Meraki as the strong resilient assassin that she is.  The world is beautifully laid out with out the gross info dump.  Meraki is independent and a well trained assassin and thief, living in a world that I can't possibly imagine. She feels she owes her life to the Alokari, the organization she works for. They have trained her for this life, and she is one of their best.  Her sister early on failed the test, and she spends her life looking for clues to kill who ever killed her. 

When she first meets Quillian in a club the attraction is immediate. She doesn't know his name, so he's Mr. Tall Dark and Handsome. On a job to finally get the necklace that should hold clues to her sister's murder, she runs into Mr. Tall Dark and Handsome again...they were both there to take the necklace. She later learns he's a vampire, and he's immune to most of the tricks she knows.  He's able to subdue her, and he kidnaps her to learn about why she was there, what she knows and who she works for.  

Fast forward we end up with a fake relationship trope, and it's done very well.  The physical relationship felt easy, but the two of them slowly figure out if there is anything to their fake marriage beyond amazing sex...which there's a ton of.  If you enjoy the fake relationship type trope, with a bit of an emotional slow burn with a side of alphamale possessiveness, you will like this book. Be warned, this book ends on a HUGE plot twist and a bit of a cliffhanger.

Rating: 4 stars

Steam level: 9/10 ---- hot hot hot

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Wings in Captivity by C. Soto

 

Blurb:

Grimm is an assassin, a ghost in the night, coming to gift souls for the Reaper!

Once he sets his eyes on Tara, his spirited butterfly, he knows he must capture her and put her in his own cage.

While Tara is on the run from one monster, she catches the eye of another.

With the games they play, in the end, who will have captured who?

WARNING: This is a Dark Romance, captive story. Trigger warnings include but are not limited to: dubious consent, strong language, violence. Intended audience 18+ only.

You are warned....get your fans ready, clutch your pearls, this is a steamy review.

Wings in Captivity by C. Soto is a quick smutty read.  To read this book you'll need to be ok with reading about kidnapping, bondage, torture...fair warning.  As smutty reads go, we get into the thick of it quite quickly.  Grimm is home on an assignment, living in his small town where he gets some privacy and reprieve from his demanding job as an assassin. As a general rule, women in his small town are off limits...however when he sees Tara he recognizes many things in her.  She isn't from this town, and she's hiding from someone. He kidnaps her and begins to play his own games...and as she learns to live by his rules, she sees his more gentle side.

Thoughts: Overall this was a well paced quick dark read that kept the pages turning. There was an interesting storyline between the sex scenes that kept things interesting, and I specially enjoyed the overall character development.  If you're looking for a quick steamy read and are ok with all the warnings then go grab this book.

Rating: 4 stars

Steam: Max! 10+ 

Disclaimer: I received an advanced e-copy of this book free for review.  This however does not affect my opinions, as I do not leave a review for each book I receive. There are links to Amazon, clicking these links won't cost you anything but any purchase helps support this blog.  Thanks!

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