Faebound by Saara El-Arifi

 

If you're looking to add more fantasy books to your collection that are written by African American authors and have LGBTQ representation then add this one to your list.

Synopsis:

Yeeran was born on the battlefield, has lived on the battlefield, and one day, she knows, she’ll die on the battlefield.

As a warrior in the elven army, Yeeran has known nothing but violence her whole life. Her sister, Lettle, is trying to make a living as a diviner, seeking prophecies of a better future.

When a fatal mistake leads to Yeeran’s exile from the Elven Lands, both sisters are forced into the terrifying wilderness beyond their borders.

There they encounter the impossible: the fae court. The fae haven’t been seen for a millennium. But now Yeeran and Lettle are thrust into their seductive world, torn among their loyalties to each other, their elven homeland, and their hearts.

Thoughts:

This one feels like high fantasy, and I'm here for it. The world took some time to unfold and understand, with the pacing a bit slower than some of the quicker novels I talk about. Grab your favorite tea, and a cozy blanket and just dig in.  

The set up, the character development, and the romances, they were all so well laid out.  I can't wait to read the next book in this trilogy!

You will like this book if you like:

❤️ Unique magical systems
🧡 Beautiful world building
💛 Slow burn romances
💚 Enemies to lovers
💙 Twists and mysteries you can’t see coming
💜 Strong sister bonds

Faebound by Saara El-Arifi was published January 23, 2024, and is available on Amazon or Bookshop.

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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New Book Releases for June 2024

Upcoming Sci-Fi/Fantasy Releases for June  2024

Ya'll Summer is right around the corner and here are a few new books that have caught my eye. I hope to snag these as I'm cozying up by the poolside, or relaxing in my hammock. Which one are you looking forward to the most?

Moonstorm by Yoon Ha Lee

Release Date: June 4, 2024

Genre: Y/A Sci-Fi

In a society where conformity is valued above all else, a teen girl training to become an Imperial pilot is forced to return to her rebel roots to save her world in this adrenaline-fueled sci-fi adventure—perfect for fans of Iron Widow and Skyward!

Hwa Young was just ten years old when imperial forces destroyed her rebel moon home. Now, six years later, she is a citizen of the very empire that made her an orphan.

Desperate to shake her rebel past, Hwa Young dreams of one day becoming a lancer pilot, an elite group of warriors who fly into battle using the empire’s most advanced tech—giant martial robots. Lancers are powerful, and Hwa Young would do anything to be the strong one for once in her life.

When an attack on their boarding school leaves Hwa Young and her classmates stranded on an imperial space fleet, her dreams quickly become a reality. As it turns out, the fleet is in dire need of pilot candidates, and Hwa Young—along with her brainy best friend Geum, rival Bae, and class clown Seong Su—are quick to volunteer.

But training is nothing like what they expected, and secrets—like the fate of the fleet’s previous lancer squad and hidden truths about the rebellion itself—are stacking up. And when Hwa Young uncovers a conspiracy that puts their entire world at risk, she’s forced to make a choice between her rebel past and an empire she’s no longer sure she can trust.

A Rivalry of Hearts by Tessonja Odette 

Release Date: June 12, 2024

Genre: Fantasy Romance/Gaslamp Fantasy

They say never bargain with the fae. They also say don’t get drunk on fae wine. Yet romance author Edwina Danforth has managed a blunder with both on her first visit to the infamous faelands. Now she's trapped in a magic-fueled bet she barely remembers with a man she’d be happier to forget. The terms? Whoever can bed the most lovers during their month-long dueling book tour wins a coveted publishing contract.

The win should be easy for Edwina. She’s known for penning scintillating tales of whirlwind romance. There’s just one problem: her imagination vastly exceeds her bedroom experience. But when failure means plummeting her career back into obscurity, losing isn’t an option.

Her handsome fae rival, William Haywood, poses an even greater challenge. Not only are his looks as aggravatingly perfect as his track record behind closed doors, but he has his own reasons for playing to win, and he won’t go down without a fight. Unless, of course, it’s a different kind of going down. In that case, he’s fair game.

Edwina and William clash in a rivalry of romance. But what happens when their objects of desire…turn out to be each other?

Of Jade and Dragons by Amber Chen 

Release Date: June 18, 2024

Genre: YA Fantasy

Mulan meets Iron Widow in this thrilling silkpunk fantasy about a girl who must disguise herself as a boy and enter the famed and dangerous Engineer’s Guild trials to unravel the mystery of her father’s murder.

Eighteen-year-old Aihui Ying dreams of becoming a world-class engineer like her father, but after his sudden murder, her life falls apart. Left with only a journal of her father’s engineering secrets and a jade pendant snatched from the assassin, a heartbroken Ying follows the trail to the capital and the prestigious Engineers Guild—a place that harbors her father’s hidden past—determined to discover why anyone would threaten a man who ultimately chose a quiet life over fame and fortune. 

Disguised as her brother, Ying manages to infiltrate the guild’s male-only apprenticeship trial with the help of an unlikely ally—Aogiya Ye-yang, the taciturn eighth prince of the High Command. With her father’s renown placing a target firmly on her back, Ying must stay one step ahead of her fellow competitors, the jealous guild masters, and the killer still hunting for her father’s journal. Complicating everything is her increasingly tangled relationship with the prince, who may have mysterious plans of his own. 

The secrets concealed within the guild can be as deadly as the weapons they build—and with her life and the future of her homeland at stake, Ying doesn’t know who to trust. Can she avenge her father even if it means going against everything he stood for, or will she be next in the mastermind’s line of fire?

Saints of Storm and Sorrow by Gabriella Buba  

Release Date: June 25, 2024

Genre: Fantasy/LGBTQ Fantasy

In this fiercely imaginative Filipino-inspired fantasy debut, a bisexual nun hiding a goddess-given gift is unwillingly transformed into a lightning rod for her people's struggle against colonization.

Perfect for fans of lush fantasy full of morally ambiguous characters, including The Poppy War and The Jasmine Throne.

María Lunurin has been living a double life for as long as she can remember. To the world, she is Sister María, dutiful nun and devoted servant of Aynila's Codicían colonizers. But behind closed doors, she is a stormcaller, chosen daughter of the Aynilan goddess Anitun Tabu. In hiding not only from the Codicíans and their witch hunts, but also from the vengeful eye of her slighted goddess, Lunurin does what she can to protect her fellow Aynilans and the small family she has created in the convent: her lover Catalina, and Cat's younger sister Inez.

Lunurin is determined to keep her head down—until one day she makes a devastating discovery, which threatens to tear her family apart. In desperation, she turns for help to Alon Dakila, heir to Aynila's most powerful family, who has been ardently in love with her for years. But this choice sets in motion a chain of events beyond her control, awakening Anitun Tabu's rage and putting everyone Lunurin loves in terrible danger. Torn between the call of Alon’s magic and Catalina’s jealousy, her duty to her family and to her people, Lunurin can no longer keep Anitun Tabu’s fury at bay.

Disclaimer: There are affiliate links in this post, clicking these links won't cost you anything but any purchase helps support this blog.  Thanks!

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Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

 

If you're thinking you might want to try reading fantasy, or fantasy romance this is possibly one of the best places to start.  This is a must-read fantasy book for anyone who already loves fantasy or is looking to read more fantasy books. 

Throne of Glass is the first book in the series, and begins with Celaena Sardothien, a witty 18-year-old assassin, who is fierce, intelligent, and unapologetically flawed. She is serving a life sentence in the salt mines of Endovier. She is offered a chance at freedom by competing in a tournament to become the King's Champion, a personal assassin to the tyrannical ruler of Adarlan.

Synopsis:

In a land without magic, an assassin is summoned to the castle. She has no love for the vicious king who rules from his throne of glass, but she has not come to kill him. She has come to win her freedom. If she defeats twenty-three murderers, thieves, and warriors in a competition, she will be released from prison to serve as the King's Champion.

Her name is Celaena Sardothien.

The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her. And a princess from a faraway country will befriend her. But something rotten dwells in the castle, and it's there to kill. When her competitors start dying mysteriously, one by one, Celaena's fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival-and a desperate quest to root out the evil before it destroys her world.

Thoughts:

This year is actually my second read through, and honestly it's about time I did a Throne of Glass Review.  Not many books I read I ever deem worthy of a re-read. This book has it's own strict fanbase for a reason, and anyone who has any interest in fantasy books with a strong female lead should not skip this one.

The world building is easy to follow, the pacing is excellent, the storytelling is vivid to the point where I personally found myself losing track of time while reading. The romance subplot adds color to the story, but Celaena's drive for finding her own identity, while reconciling her past is a theme I feel like anyone can relate to. 

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas was released August 2, 2012 and is available on Amazon or Bookshop. It is also available as an audiobook on Audible.

Disclaimer: I purchased this book for my own reading enjoyment.  There are affiliate links in this post, clicking these links won't cost you anything but any purchase helps support this blog.  Thanks!

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Last Fable: Fraudewolf by J.M. Congdon

Synopsis:

Over a century ago, a hero single-handedly brought an end to an age of horrors and monsters, and the world has mostly recovered from the devastation since. But the world once again is threatened by darkness. In the realms of carnivores and herbivores, a female jackrabbit has spent ten years in search of a wolf, seeking to be taught what he fears above all else.

Thoughts:

This was my first experience with anthromoporphic fantasy, and I'm going to be real...I wasn't sure how I would like it. It was out of my normal scope of things, but you guys...read on. This book is worth looking into.

First of all, I just want to point out how beautiful this book is. There are a total of 44 images in this book, and every time I came upon one I just loved it. They really helped me build a picture in my mind what was going on, and mentally picture all the characters. I had a few trepedations going into this book..it was labeled fantasy romance, and no offense fellas...but there haven't been any romances that I like that have been written by men. This was done just ok...don't come in expecting a SJM level of depth when it comes to the romance.

The characters though were deep and complex. Eni, our hare female lead was the quiet, kind, feminine lead with a hidden intese power just under the surface.  The picture above with the Slayer and Emi walking through a fair describes the two of them well. She sees the world with a sense of wonder and innocense, and he is dark and brooding always looking a layer deeper at everything.

 The world was immersive and complex.  The world building was done gradually, with out the awful info dump. I specially love how the world celebrated the Slayer, with stories, plays and festivals...but didn't know he continued to walk among them.  I felt that some of the transitions were abrupt, however the overall storytelling was well done and I thoroughly enjoyed this book.  I'm looking forward to book two!

The Last Fables is available at Bookshop and Amazon.

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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Fractured Legacy by Cristen J. Faulkenberry

Stop!! This is the second book of her Lenoir Legacy series...if you haven't read book 1 yet, I strongly suggest starting there.  You can read my review for book one here.

Blurb:

All Rosealyn LeNoir wants is to take her rightful place as Queen of Orda’an. Instead, she’s magically connected to her father’s murderer, the ancient and once Lost Prince, Xannan LeNoir. When she learns her country has been attacked, Rosealyn must set aside her disdain for Xannan and discover the best way to help her people.

Charles, as king of Jearnia, wishes to repair the rift between himself and his brother while also mending the decades-long rivalry between the country of his birth and the country which protected him.

Memories surface and tensions escalate as all learn how far they will go to protect what they value most.

My rating:

Thoughts:

Like the first book, this book was slow to get going. This particular time I really had to set reading goals to get through the initial story building section. If there is one thing that keeps this book from getting five stars it's the slow dry start. It is worth persevering though, and this book gets very exciting, but it's not until about chapter 12 or so.  So again, cozy up, get your tea, and dig in.

There's a broadening of many of the different storylines in the first book. The underlying romance between Charles and Rosealyn plays a bigger part in this book than it did in the second. They have lots to consider on whether both of them being ruling monarchs of their own countries makes it impossible for them to be together.  They end up working together to bring peace to the region, Charles coming to Rosealyn's aide when Orda'an is invaded by another country.  We get to know Xannan much more in this book, and we also get to know Rosealyn's mother.

We have political rifts, war, evil dragon like drokari, and an alliance between men, elves and dragons. This books very much reminds me a bit of Games of Thrones, not just in the shared genre, but the building of storylines and multiple storylines in one book that are connected. The book ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, so I'll be keeping an eye out for book three!

Spice level: 1 consensual kissing, no sex

Fractured Legacy released September 9, 2022 and can be purchased on Amazon or on Bookshop.

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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 and bookshop, clicking these links won't cost you anything but any purchase helps support this blog.  Thanks!

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Tabula Smaragdina by Natalia Wawrzyńczak

 

Blurb:

Laura doesn’t believe in magic. All she cares about is a college scholarship and making her deceased father’s dreams come true.

It all changes when mistaken for the long foretold warrior, she is kidnapped to Pravia, a parallel magical world inhabited by creatures that she knows only from mythology. Laura wants nothing more than to go back home, but the only way to do that is to defeat the evil queen that seized the throne by trickery.

Laura is soon embroiled in the local intrigues and deceptions of three political factions. She can’t avoid the enormous expectations that the creatures of Pravia impose on her. The only friend she has is a vampire, Bastien. As a member of the opposite faction, he is despised by all the other creatures. In the land where even spies have spies, Laura has to choose who to trust.

War is in the air, and the prophecy is clear about a great battle… But can you win a battle not being the chosen one?

Thoughts:

You guys, I really loved this book...but please aware, it is high fantasy. There are unicorns and elves, and dryads, and a dragon queen...and so much more, and it was all put together so well.  This book offers a beautiful escape from reality.  There is a touch of European mythologies thrown in there from many different parts of Europe, such as the Tabula Smaragdina, the names of two of the dragons being Morrigan and Dagda, Mimir being a healer,  and we even have a cameo from Idunn. I think it was a missed opportunity to incorporate them in a more traditional way because other than their names, as they did not represent their mythological namesakes. Overall, the writing is descriptive with out being overly so, painting a lovely picture of a beautiful world.

In the story we have a magical story of a young lady who has a serious case of imposter syndrome. She is even labeled the destiny thief. Many people believe she is the warrior of fire who came to save them all by defeating their dragon queen.  She is whisked away from her normal life as a college student and thrown into a world of magic that she is hardly welcomed in. When they realize she doesn't have any fighting skills, and is even a slow learning when it comes to swords everyone begins to doubt her. Feeling lonely and looking for any friendship, she is seduced by a vampire that may or may not really be her friend. And truly...she just wants to go home. This book played with my emotions and was not predictable at all. If you like high fantasy with lots of character development and twists and turns you will love Tabula Smaragdina by Natalia Wawrzyńczak.

Tabula Smaragdina is available for purchase on Amazon.

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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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Driftworld Atlas

Blurb 

Like snowflakes in a snow globe, the worlds drift across creation. And, recording their tales, is the Driftworld Atlas.

When an eternal traveler finally awakens, he does so in a world that has been shattered to ash. Creation has been stained by a crime, and while his jumbled memories provide no answers, a single note is left to guide him forward. "Let's drink, come find me."

 

But to follow this message, he has to get help, from a witch who knows how to read the sea, trapped in a prison of her own making. The problem? Clearly his old habits, for why shouldn't he take in the demon needing his soul he found along the way? When unlikely connections emerge from the sea, threatening to put his search to an early end, the answer is simple. Because his biggest obstacle has always been himself – and old enemies don't wait.

Thoughts:

I initially was drawn in to this book based off the cover, and it's ethereal beginnings. In this story we follow the "eternal traveler" who looks at the world through this childlike, yet immortal wonderment. Everything seems to have a touch of humor, even serious and deadly situations, yet on the flipside small inconveniences....like being woken up, or having plans changed seem to upset him more.

Overall the book was a fun light hearted read, will quick dry humor. The writing style took some getting used to at the beginning, but I felt it evened out for a pretty enjoyable story. Readers who enjoy high fantasy would love the book.

Rating: 3.5 stars!

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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A Review: The Lenoir Legacy

 

I'm enchanted with The Lenoir Legacy by Cristen Faulkenberry.  I love high fantasy, and this is with out a doubt modern high fantasy writing.

Summary:

We follow the story of Rosealyn, princess of Orda'an, daughter of King Phillipe. The monarchs in her family all have a gift that passes down to the next monarch when the ruling monarch dies.  This gift allows them to see glimpses of the future, present, and past. We can't forget Rosealyn's protector, Charles and all the secrets he has, and then underlying attraction between the two of them. 

Thoughts:

Patience is required with this one, and the unfolding of this story occasionally was bumpy. I felt the beginning was a bit disorganized A few times I almost considered not finishing the book, but I'm glad I stuck this one through, because I really enjoyed this story.  It doesn't really pick up the pace until you're about halfway through, so coffee up, snuggle up and dig in. In the end I really fell in love with this story.  There's dragons, and politics, elves, magic, and a slowest of slow burn romance that refreshingly isn't the center of the book.  The world building gradually unfolds by the end of the book, making for a charming read.  

The Lenoir Legacy was released in March 2022, and is available for purchase now! It's even available on kindle unlimited!

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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