en-US Thu, 24 Apr 2025 17:04:17 -0700 60 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg 2239768
Personal growth and forms of heroism are central themes of the story. Along with motifs of warfare, these themes have led critics to cite Tolkien's own experiences during World War I as instrumental in shaping the story. The author's scholarly knowledge of Germanic philology and interest in fairy tales are also often noted as influences.]]> 279 J.R.R. Tolkien 0048230707 j 0 currently-reading 4.24 1937
author: J.R.R. Tolkien
name: j
average rating: 4.24
book published: 1937
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/24
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 62691790 an immortality granting peach,
and a woman gifted with forever.

England, 1184: Anna is used to hunger and hardship. Ever since she was seventeen, when the pale shadows of her vitiligo were spotted, she has spent more than a decade struggling to survive alone and in exile. Then a single act of kindness towards a beautiful stranger and the taste of a divine peach changes Anna's life forever.

Suddenly, her body is as untouched by Time as it by harm. As she watches the world change around her, knowing every human connection is only temporary, there is only one person she trusts to always return no matter the years or distance...

The shapeshifting god who gifted her with immortality.]]> 320 R. Raeta j 0 currently-reading 4.21 2023
author: R. Raeta
name: j
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/12
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 131063575 She was commanded to kill him with a single strike to the heart. She didn’t expect her own to betray her.

Sylina has sacrificed everything for her goddess–her soul, her freedom, her eyes. Life in service to the Arachessen, a cult of the Goddess of Fate, has turned Sylina from orphaned street-rat to disciplined killer, determined to overthrow Glaea’s tyrannical king. But when a brutal vampire conqueror arrives on their shores, Sylina faces an even deadlier adversary. She’s tasked with a crucial mission: infiltrate his army, earn his trust�� and kill him.

Atrius is a terrifying warrior carving an unstoppable path through Glaea. Yet when Sylina becomes his seer, she glimpses a dark and shocking past–and a side of him that reminds her far too much of parts of herself she’d rather forget. Sylina’s orders are clear. The conqueror cannot live. But as the blood spilled by Glaea’s tyrant king runs thicker, her connection with Atrius only grows stronger. A connection forbidden by her vows. A connection that could cost her everything.]]> 450 Carissa Broadbent 1957779098 j 4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/�ձ�> 4.04 2023
author: Carissa Broadbent
name: j
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/08
date added: 2025/01/08
shelves:
review:
I love Carrissa's writing, characters and world building likeee
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/
]]> 200294829 The seductive and thrilling dark fantasy romance series comes to an end in this powerful finale.

One king caged my body.

Another has caged my mind.

War has broken out between Annwyn and Orea, though that’s not the only battle being waged.

There’s a fight inside me, and it’s one I’m determined to win, no matter how much they try to strip me down and hollow me out.

Yet they’ve forgotten one thing. The ancient magic of the pair bond. One can never truly be lost when two souls are already bound.

Because Slade and I? We are connected by more than just fated magic, and we will always find each other.

In any life.

The fae king is trying to destroy me. My heritage. My memory. But what he hasn’t realized is this: gold bends, but stone breaks.

And a Goldfinch does not fall.

It flies.

Please note: This adult fantasy book includes dark elements that may be triggering. Full content list will be located inside the book, but it includes violence, death, adult language, and explicit romance. It is intended for ages 18 years and older. Read at your own discretion.]]> 592 Raven Kennedy 0241695813 j 2 I have no clue how to rate this book as I enjoyed it. However, I know the writing has declined, and some scenes had me skipping over them/bit weirded out or annoyed lool ]]> 4.35 2024
author: Raven Kennedy
name: j
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2024
rating: 2
read at: 2025/01/04
date added: 2025/01/04
shelves:
review:
2.5 stars (?)
I have no clue how to rate this book as I enjoyed it. However, I know the writing has declined, and some scenes had me skipping over them/bit weirded out or annoyed lool
]]> 34913546 In nineteenth-century Angland, magic is reserved for gentlemen while ladies attend to the more practical business of politics. But Cassandra Harwood has never followed the rules...

Four months ago, Cassandra Harwood was the first woman magician in Angland, and she was betrothed to the brilliant, intense love of her life.

Now Cassandra is trapped in a snowbound house party deep in the elven dales, surrounded by bickering gentleman magicians, manipulative lady politicians, her own interfering family members, and, worst of all, her infuriatingly stubborn ex-fiancé, who refuses to understand that she’s given him up for his own good.

But the greatest danger of all lies outside the manor in the falling snow, where a powerful and malevolent elf-lord lurks...and Cassandra lost all of her own magic four months ago.

To save herself, Cassandra will have to discover exactly what inner powers she still possesses �� and risk everything to win a new kind of happiness.]]> 168 Stephanie Burgis j 3
I liked the vocabulary/writing that was intuitive of the victorian setting and liked the historical setting with fantasy elements in winter.

However I didn't always feel that attached to the characters or perturbed about their circumstances as sometimes a personality trait would be establishing but then the author would go back and forth on it so that made it harder to connect to the characters (however I did like the developed sibling/sibling in law bond).

It was also a bit repetitive or slow at times, and I understand it's a short story but I read the novella 'six scorched roses' recently and comparatively, I feel that this story is less good at quickly developing a believable romance/intriguing plot and consistent characters (within the realm of character development), and would have worked better to be more fast pace with more plot development rather than just staying at the estate for agesss!!

SPOILERS AHEAD⚠️
However I do feel the romance was a bit wishy washy like the reason for them being apart felt a bit random/under developed/under-explained, like I get that it was due to miscommunication but the author doesn't explain why said miscommunication happened and is a bit contradictory about it - for example the author presents an additional reason (with Wrexam) as to why the miscommunication wasn't removed earlier with Wrexam saying he thought he didn't deserve her, despite 2 minutes ago the author emphasising how he was fighting to get her back and wouldn't stop (which we were told more than shown) and about how they were equals - in my opinion if he was truly insecure about whether he deserved her he wouldn't have been fighting as much to get her back.

Despite this, I did enjoy this at times with the world building and exploration of how human/elven politics mix, as well as character development with the fmc realising she didn't need her magic to find value, and finding value instead in teaching other women magic by opening the female magic school. I like how the author didn't go back on this by giving her magic back as that would've been a cheap way out of a character arc and gotten rid of any stakes in this series (in a similar way to a resurrection arc). Usually I don't like the trope where a female character loses their powers however with how this happened before the events of this book and how she was able to pass on her knowledge to fight misogyny of the magic world and teach women magic (rather than no women having magic at all) I didn't mind as much. I also liked seeing the lesbian rep in the other lady who was learning magic from the fmc.

Overall this book would've worked a lot better if it was fast paced, with less rushing through important moments (like the last 6 days where she had to search for a resolution to the bargain) by focusing less on slow repetitive moments, as well as a ]]> 3.66 2017
author: Stephanie Burgis
name: j
average rating: 3.66
book published: 2017
rating: 3
read at: 2024/08/01
date added: 2024/08/01
shelves:
review:
2.5 stars not sure tho

I liked the vocabulary/writing that was intuitive of the victorian setting and liked the historical setting with fantasy elements in winter.

However I didn't always feel that attached to the characters or perturbed about their circumstances as sometimes a personality trait would be establishing but then the author would go back and forth on it so that made it harder to connect to the characters (however I did like the developed sibling/sibling in law bond).

It was also a bit repetitive or slow at times, and I understand it's a short story but I read the novella 'six scorched roses' recently and comparatively, I feel that this story is less good at quickly developing a believable romance/intriguing plot and consistent characters (within the realm of character development), and would have worked better to be more fast pace with more plot development rather than just staying at the estate for agesss!!

SPOILERS AHEAD⚠️
However I do feel the romance was a bit wishy washy like the reason for them being apart felt a bit random/under developed/under-explained, like I get that it was due to miscommunication but the author doesn't explain why said miscommunication happened and is a bit contradictory about it - for example the author presents an additional reason (with Wrexam) as to why the miscommunication wasn't removed earlier with Wrexam saying he thought he didn't deserve her, despite 2 minutes ago the author emphasising how he was fighting to get her back and wouldn't stop (which we were told more than shown) and about how they were equals - in my opinion if he was truly insecure about whether he deserved her he wouldn't have been fighting as much to get her back.

Despite this, I did enjoy this at times with the world building and exploration of how human/elven politics mix, as well as character development with the fmc realising she didn't need her magic to find value, and finding value instead in teaching other women magic by opening the female magic school. I like how the author didn't go back on this by giving her magic back as that would've been a cheap way out of a character arc and gotten rid of any stakes in this series (in a similar way to a resurrection arc). Usually I don't like the trope where a female character loses their powers however with how this happened before the events of this book and how she was able to pass on her knowledge to fight misogyny of the magic world and teach women magic (rather than no women having magic at all) I didn't mind as much. I also liked seeing the lesbian rep in the other lady who was learning magic from the fmc.

Overall this book would've worked a lot better if it was fast paced, with less rushing through important moments (like the last 6 days where she had to search for a resolution to the bargain) by focusing less on slow repetitive moments, as well as a
]]> 55264209 My sister’s heart broke on the river—and the river took it and bore it away.

In the ancient kingdom of Dumnonia, there is old magic to be found in the whisper of the wind, the roots of the trees, and the curl of the grass. King Cador knew this once, but now the land has turned from him, calling instead to his three children. Riva can cure others, but can’t seem to heal her own deep scars. Keyne battles to be accepted for who he truly is—the king’s son. And Sinne dreams of seeing the world, of finding adventure.

All three fear a life of confinement within the walls of the hold, their people’s last bastion of strength against the invading Saxons. However, change comes on the day ash falls from the sky. It brings with it Myrdhin, meddler and magician. And Tristan, a warrior whose secrets will tear them apart.

Riva, Keyne and Sinne—three siblings entangled in a web of treachery and heartbreak, who must fight to forge their own paths.

Their story will shape the destiny of Britain.]]> 416 Lucy Holland 1529039037 j 0 to-read 3.94 2021
author: Lucy Holland
name: j
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 124932778 A seductively twisted romance about loyalty, fate, the lengths we go to hide the darkest parts of ourselves . . . and the people who love those parts most of all.

Wyatt Westlock has one plan for the farmhouse she's just inherited -- to burn it to the ground. But during her final walkthrough of her childhood home, she makes a shocking discovery in the basement -- Peter, the boy she once considered her best friend, strung up in chains and left for dead.

Unbeknownst to Wyatt, Peter has suffered hundreds of ritualistic deaths on her family's property. Semi-immortal, Peter never remains dead for long, but he can't really live, either. Not while he's bound to the farm, locked in a cycle of grisly deaths and painful rebirths. There's only one way for him to break free. He needs to end the Westlock line.

He needs to kill Wyatt.

With Wyatt's parents gone, the spells protecting the property have begun to unravel, and dark, ancient forces gather in the nearby forest. The only way for Wyatt to repair the wards is to work with Peter -- the one person who knows how to harness her volatile magic. But how can she trust a boy who's sworn an oath to destroy her? When the past turns up to haunt them in the most unexpected way, they are forced to rely on one another to survive, or else tear each other apart.]]> 368 Kelly Andrew 1338885073 j 0 to-read 3.68 2024
author: Kelly Andrew
name: j
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 208468686 A mortal journalist. A mysterious series of drownings. An exiled Fey king. A forgotten Fatesong. A single, desperate chance to save magic from extinction.

All Raegan Maeve Overhill wants is to survive another October. It's the anniversary of the worst thing that ever happened to the unsolved disappearance of her father nearly two decades ago. But when mysterious drownings grip the city of Philadelphia, Raegan sets her mourning rituals aside for a career-making opportunity to lead her newspaper's investigation.

Her hunt for answers takes her to the city's shadowy places where magical beings appear in puddles, the Fair Folk offer bargains, and magic is very, very real. When Raegan uncovers a startling connection to her father’s disappearance, she knows she can’t just return to her normal life without finding the truth. To get it, though, she’ll need to make a deal with the dark, deadly and alluring Unseelie Fae King—and do her best to ignore their dangerous attraction to one another. Inspired by Welsh mythology, Slavic folklore and Arthurian legend, Beyond the Aching Door is an adult urban fantasy romance for fans of A Discovery of Witches and Dark Night, Golden Dawn. This spicy fae romantic fantasy is intended for readers 18+.]]> 541 Victoria Mier j 0 to-read 3.83
author: Victoria Mier
name: j
average rating: 3.83
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 63905241
Women are forbidden to wield blades, so she has trained in secret her entire life. Now racing against the clock, she fights to secure her place in the elite guild charged with the protection of the five kingdoms.

The sparring and hazing of the new trainees border on deadly, but even more dangerous is her growing attraction to Wilder Hawthorne, her unwilling warrior chaperone.

All around them, schemes are afoot and darkness looms.

Will Althea pass the perilous initiation test and take her place as a champion of Thezmarr �� or will the invading evil snatch away her dream before it starts?]]> 550 Helen Scheuerer 1922903027 j 0 to-read 4.20 2023
author: Helen Scheuerer
name: j
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 61330789 PRE-ORDER THE HEART-POUNDING FINAL INSTALLMENT IN THE PLATED PRISONER SERIES

Praise for The Plated Prisoner Series

'This series has stolen my heart, my breath, my regard for anything else. I've never been so immersed in a story before-never read characters that have felt so real. I've cried, laughed, screamed, thrown my kindle across the room, picked it up again, swooned . . . These characters, this WORLD . . . it's everything. Raven has written a story for the ages, destined to go down as one of the epics' Sarah A Parker, author of To Bleed a Crystal Bloom

'Raven writes with a magic that comes to life on the page. Every single word gleams like gold' Beck Michaels, author of Divine Blood

'This is one of those series that started off phenomenal, and only gets better with every subsequent book' Laura Thalassa, author of The Bargainer Series

'Get ready to be enthralled from the first word, and begging for more by the last. Raven Kennedy crafts an astonishing world that's filled with captivating characters and a story you won't be able to put down' Ivy Asher, bestselling author of The Osseous Chronicles and The Lost Sentinel Series

'This series is amazing and I can't recommend it enough. It is one of the best New Adult Fantasy books out there' Kay Thatcher, author of Prince of Blades

'TEN GILDED STARS! Remarkably original . . .and the prose, people . . . gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous' Olivia Wildenstein, USA Today Bestselling Author

'An emotional rollercoaster' Elizabeth Brown, author of Blood Crown

'What I've enjoyed so far about this series is how it's a metaphor about real, emotional issues' Day Leitao, author of Kingdom of Curses and Shadows Series

'I devoured [the] first book and it ended on such a nice cliff-hanger that I am thirsting for the next one' Emmie Hamilton, author of Chosen to Fall]]> 672 Raven Kennedy 0241624371 j 3 3 stars I can't decide 4.10 2023
author: Raven Kennedy
name: j
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2024/07/24
date added: 2024/07/24
shelves:
review:
3 stars I can't decide
]]> 60714999 Human or vampire, the rules of survival are the same: never trust, never yield, and always �� always �� guard your heart.

The adopted human daughter of the Nightborn vampire king, Oraya carved her place in a world designed to kill her. Her only chance to become something more than prey is entering the Kejari: a legendary tournament held by the goddess of death herself.

But winning won’t be easy amongst the most vicious warriors from all three vampire houses. To survive, Oraya is forced to make an alliance with a mysterious rival.

Everything about Raihn is dangerous. He is a ruthless vampire, an efficient killer, an enemy to her father’s crown�� and her greatest competition. Yet, what terrifies Oraya most of all is that she finds herself oddly drawn to him.

But there’s no room for compassion in the Kejari. War for the House of Night brews, shattering everything that Oraya thought she knew about her home. And Raihn may understand her more than anyone �� but their blossoming attraction could be her downfall, in a kingdom where nothing is more deadly than love.

The Serpent and the Wings of Night is the first book in a new series of heart-wrenching romance, dark magic, and bloodthirsty intrigue, perfect for fans of From Blood and Ash and A Court of Thorns and Roses.]]> 504 Carissa Broadbent j 5 fantasy-faves, ongoing-series Honestly finding Broadbent's writing style so addictive!! I saw people saying this book fell flat for them so I feel like that really shows how subjective a reading experience can be because I loved this likee loved the character development, development of dynamics/plot/magic as well as exploration of a variety of relationship types along with using vampirism to look into motifs of humanity in real life ]]> 4.30 2022
author: Carissa Broadbent
name: j
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2024/07/07
date added: 2024/07/24
shelves: fantasy-faves, ongoing-series
review:
4.5 stars
Honestly finding Broadbent's writing style so addictive!! I saw people saying this book fell flat for them so I feel like that really shows how subjective a reading experience can be because I loved this likee loved the character development, development of dynamics/plot/magic as well as exploration of a variety of relationship types along with using vampirism to look into motifs of humanity in real life
]]> 123283034 204 Carissa Broadbent 1957779039 j 4 fantasy-faves, ongoing-series Loved the character and plot development with exploration of a character who struggles to give out affection. I found the exploration of both terminal illness and plagues in a fantasy setting intriguing as well as how science and magic would hypothetically work together

Honestly love Lilith so much I actually preferred this novella to the first book in some ways like don't get me wrong I do love Oraya and Raihn but I feel Lilith was more relatable in some ways (in the same way that I love both Jude Duarte and Wren from the folk of the air but connected more with Wren if that makes sense) as Oraya had already carved herself to be this talented fighter ]]> 4.32 2023
author: Carissa Broadbent
name: j
average rating: 4.32
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2024/07/12
date added: 2024/07/24
shelves: fantasy-faves, ongoing-series
review:
3.5-4 stars can't decide ✨️
Loved the character and plot development with exploration of a character who struggles to give out affection. I found the exploration of both terminal illness and plagues in a fantasy setting intriguing as well as how science and magic would hypothetically work together

Honestly love Lilith so much I actually preferred this novella to the first book in some ways like don't get me wrong I do love Oraya and Raihn but I feel Lilith was more relatable in some ways (in the same way that I love both Jude Duarte and Wren from the folk of the air but connected more with Wren if that makes sense) as Oraya had already carved herself to be this talented fighter
]]> 87185419 ��
Emily Wilde is a genius scholar of faerie folklore—she just wrote the world’s first comprehensive of encylopaedia of faeries. She’s learned many of the secrets of the Hidden Folk on her adventures . . . and also from her fellow scholar and former rival, Wendell Bambleby.
��
Because Bambleby is more than infuriatingly charming. He’s an exiled faerie king on the run from his murderous mother, and in search of a door back to his realm. So despite Emily’s feelings for Bambleby, she’s not ready to accept his proposal of Loving one of the Fair Folk comes with secrets and danger.
��
And she also has a new project to focus a map of the realms of faerie. While she is preparing her research, Bambleby lands her in trouble yet again, when assassins sent by Bambleby’s mother invade Cambridge. Now Bambleby and Emily are on another adventure, this time to the picturesque Austrian Alps, where Emily believes they may find the door to Bambley’s realm, and the key to freeing him from his family’s dark plans.
��
But with new relationships for the prickly Emily to navigate and dangerous Folk lurking in every forest and hollow, Emily must unravel the mysterious workings of faerie doors, and of her own heart.]]> 352 Heather Fawcett 0356519163 j 5 fantasy-faves, ongoing-series This was one of those books that has raised my standards and made me question my high ratings for other books I've read because it was so good ]]> 4.23 2024
author: Heather Fawcett
name: j
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/01/06
date added: 2024/07/24
shelves: fantasy-faves, ongoing-series
review:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was one of those books that has raised my standards and made me question my high ratings for other books I've read because it was so good
]]> 62194923
My life as been made up of gilded lies. But death has been shaped from rot.

Like a phoenix caught fire, I will need to rise from the ashes and learn to wield my own power. Because my wings may have been clipped, but I am not in a cage, and I'm finally free to fly from the frozen kingdoms I've been kept in.

Yet the world doesn't want to let me.

That's the thing when you turn against a king-everyone else turns against you.

Good thing I have a different king in my corner.

But even with the dark threat of Slade Ravinger, the other monarchs are coming for me.

So I will fight for him and he will kill for me, and if we need to become the villains, then so be it.

Because so long as I live in this world, I won't be used again.]]> 736 Raven Kennedy 0241618614 j 3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️.25/ 4.26 2022
author: Raven Kennedy
name: j
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2022/12/30
date added: 2024/07/24
shelves:
review:
⭐️⭐️⭐️.25/
]]> 200827057 There's something mysterious about the village of Penhelyg. Will unlocking its truth bring light or darkness?

Meirionydd, 1783. Henry Talbot has been dismissed from his post at a prestigious London hospital. The only job he can find is as a physician in the backwaters of Wales where he can't speak the language, belief in myth and magic is rife, and the villagers treat him with bewildering suspicion. When Henry discovers his predecessor died under mysterious circumstances, he is determined to find answers.

Linette Tresilian, the unconventional mistress of Plas Helyg, lives a lonely life. Her father is long dead, her mother haunted by demons which keep her locked away in her room, and her cousin treats her with cool disdain - she has had no choice but to become fiercely self-reliant.

Linette has always suspected something is not quite right in the village, but it is only through Henry's investigations that the truth about those closest to her will come to light...a truth that will bind hers and Henry's destinies together in ways neither thought possible.]]> 464 Susan Stokes-Chapman 0063392429 j 0 to-read 3.69 2024
author: Susan Stokes-Chapman
name: j
average rating: 3.69
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/22
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 60822440 The right cause can topple a kingdom . . .

Once upon a time, the kingdoms of Wales were rife with magic and conflict �� and eighteen-year-old Mererid ‘Mer�� is well-acquainted with both. As the last living water diviner, she can manipulate water with magic �� a unique elemental power many would kill to possess.

For years, Mer has been running from the prince who bound her into his service �� and forced her to kill thousands with her magic. Now, all Mer truly wants is a safe, quiet life, far from power and politics.

But then Mer’s old handler �� the king’s spymaster �� returns with a proposition: use her powers to bring down the very prince that abused them both.

Part heist novel, part dark fairy tale, and rich with Welsh legends, The Drowned Woods is an ethereal fantasy, perfect for fans of Kristin Cashore and Maria V. Snyder.]]> 352 Emily Lloyd-Jones 1399703943 j 0 to-read 3.81 2022
author: Emily Lloyd-Jones
name: j
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 199178670
Princess Assassin Gray Monroe is ordered by her father to kill the villainous prince responsible for starting a war that threw the world into a post-apocalyptic society. In a decrepit landscape where two magical species war with one another, while a human militia hunts them all, Gray has only one thing on her mind: vengeance.

With a single focus on killing the man who murdered her first love, she believes nothing will stop her. That is until she hesitates when she comes face-to-face with her nemesis at long last.

Unable to complete the task, Gray must return to the King’s Palace empty-handed for her annual birthday celebration to a court of vipers who lie in wait for her to slip in her icy façade. When a sinister plot is revealed to assassinate the princess, she must flee into a world where she’s now the hunted and fight to survive to get the revenge she’s owed.

Prince Griffin Silas is on a mission of his own: to kill the king. The problem is he’s suffering from an affliction that robs him of his sanity while making him crave violence and death. But first, he needs the princess in his hands, no matter the cost. In a race against his spiraling affliction, who will achieve their goal first?

As the first installment in the Celestials of Arcadia, “A Touch of Gold and Madness�� is a story about moving through a lifetime of trauma while also packed with action, secrets, betrayal, and a tension full of slow-burning steam. It will keep you turning the pages to discover the long-buried truths concealed by those who seek ultimate power.]]> 624 K.L. DeVore j 0 to-read 3.66 2023
author: K.L. DeVore
name: j
average rating: 3.66
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/17
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 65974479
However, Briar quickly learns the fey lady is impossible to please. Not only that, her demands are never-ending, enough to slowly unravel his life and his health. Only when a handsome stranger, Mal, arrives claiming he can help Briar break his deal and earn his freedom back, does Briar think he might be saved.


Lord Malric d'Alarie has finally broken free of dancing on command for his mother at her fey revels. But after hearing he's been replaced, he attends one of her parties to see for himself. The human performing in his place is breathtaking--but Malric dreads what kind of deal the dancer made with his mother in order to be there.

Wanting to rescue Briar from the same woman who stole his own love for ballet, Malric inserts himself into Briar's life from every angle possible. From posing as a dance instructor in the human world to hiding behind a mask in the fey world, Malric promises he can set Briar free of his fateful deal. Malric only has to keep his identity--and his intentions--secret, from both the dancer he's quickly falling for, and his mother, who controls their every move.]]> 416 Kellen Graves j 0 to-read 4.25 2023
author: Kellen Graves
name: j
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/17
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 25489134
After Vasilisa's mother dies, her father goes to Moscow and brings home a new wife. Fiercely devout, city-bred, Vasilisa's new stepmother forbids her family from honoring the household spirits. The family acquiesces, but Vasilisa is frightened, sensing that more hinges upon their rituals than anyone knows.

And indeed, crops begin to fail, evil creatures of the forest creep nearer, and misfortune stalks the village. All the while, Vasilisa's stepmother grows ever harsher in her determination to groom her rebellious stepdaughter for either marriage or confinement in a convent.

As danger circles, Vasilisa must defy even the people she loves and call on dangerous gifts she has long concealed—this, in order to protect her family from a threat that seems to have stepped from her nurse's most frightening tales.

The Bear and the Nightingale is a magical debut novel from a gifted and gorgeous voice. It spins an irresistible spell as it announces the arrival of a singular talent.]]> 319 Katherine Arden 1101885939 j 0 to-read 4.07 2017
author: Katherine Arden
name: j
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2017
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/07/17
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]]> 154462576 New York Times bestselling author of The Bear and the Nightingale

January 1918. Laura Iven was a revered field nurse until she was wounded and discharged from the medical corps, leaving behind a brother still fighting in Flanders. Now home in Halifax, Canada, she receives word of Freddie’s death in combat, along with his personal effects—but something doesn’t make sense. Determined to uncover the truth, Laura returns to Belgium as a volunteer at a private hospital. Soon after arriving, she hears whispers about haunted trenches, and a strange hotelier whose wine gives soldiers the gift of oblivion. Could Freddie have escaped the battlefield, only to fall prey to something—or someone—else?

November 1917. Freddie Iven awakens after an explosion to find himself trapped in an overturned pillbox with a wounded enemy soldier, a German by the name of Hans Winter. Against all odds, the two men form an alliance and succeed in clawing their way out. Unable to bear the thought of returning to the killing fields, especially on opposite sides, they take refuge with a mysterious man who seems to have the power to make the hellscape of the trenches disappear.

As shells rain down on Flanders, and ghosts move among those yet living, Laura’s and Freddie’s deepest traumas are reawakened. Now they must decide whether their world is worth salvaging—or better left behind entirely.]]> 325 Katherine Arden 0593128257 j 0 to-read 3.96 2024
author: Katherine Arden
name: j
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/07/17
shelves: to-read
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]]> 75593851 Mystical Mushrooms defines the beauty of mushrooms by��focusing on their magical connections and symbolic meanings through folkloric tales and superstitions throughout the world.

Go for a walk in the woods on any given summer day and you may find yourself surrounded in fungi galore as they lay nestled among the ferns and trees. After a rainstorm, peek out in your backyard and you may see tiny spores sprouting from the grass, forming what is known as a fairy ring. Mushrooms grow in all shapes, sizes, and colors and—depending on where you live—you might find some that are conducive to magic practice.��Mystical Mushrooms��enters this realm, exploring the magical properties, mythological connections, and symbolic qualities of the fungi that so intrigue us.��

Author Mandie Quark takes you on a journey through the mystical universe of mushrooms. From Buddhist traditions to the concept of fairy rings, Quark reveals how mushrooms have long been entwined with the supernatural in art, literature, and religion. This includes topics ��

Magical History Spells Symbolism Spirituality
Coupled with stunningly depicted artwork,��Mystical Mushrooms��explores the qualities of over 75 species of mushroom, displaying a range of compelling subjects surrounding the true power of these fabulous fungi.]]> 307 Aurora Kane 076038004X j 0 to-read 3.87
author: Aurora Kane
name: j
average rating: 3.87
book published:
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/07/17
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]]> 52668915
Neither plant nor animal, it is found throughout the earth, the air and our bodies. It can be microscopic, yet also accounts for the largest organisms ever recorded, living for millennia and weighing tens of thousands of tonnes. Its ability to digest rock enabled the first life on land, it can survive unprotected in space, and thrives amidst nuclear radiation.

In this captivating adventure, Merlin Sheldrake explores the spectacular and neglected world of fungi: endlessly surprising organisms that sustain nearly all living systems. They can solve problems without a brain, stretching traditional definitions of ‘intelligence��, and can manipulate animal behaviour with devastating precision. In giving us bread, alcohol and life-saving medicines, fungi have shaped human history, and their psychedelic properties, which have influenced societies since antiquity, have recently been shown to alleviate a number of mental illnesses. The ability of fungi to digest plastic, explosives, pesticides and crude oil is being harnessed in break-through technologies, and the discovery that they connect plants in underground networks, the ‘Wood Wide Web��, is transforming the way we understand ecosystems. Yet they live their lives largely out of sight, and over ninety percent of their species remain undocumented.

Entangled Life is a mind-altering journey into this hidden kingdom of life, and shows that fungi are key to understanding the planet on which we live, and the ways we think, feel and behave. The more we learn about fungi, the less makes sense without them.]]> 352 Merlin Sheldrake 0525510311 j 0 to-read 4.34 2020
author: Merlin Sheldrake
name: j
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/17
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 63057844 Elowen Atarah, Princess of Imirath, came into the world like a firestorm made flesh. A princess with a link to five dragons should have been a blessing to her kingdom, but her blessing became her curse. The little girl in shackles became a knife wielding woman with a thirst for retaliation.
Now, Queen of Aestilian, a secret kingdom she forged through strength and survival, Elowen needs a way to feed her rising population. She never thought she would have the force to take on Imirath, but when the snarky Commander Cayden Veles of Vareveth, her father’s enemy kingdom, offers her a deal she’s been dreaming of for years, how can she not take it? Even if he ignites her temper like no other, nothing unites two begrudging allies more than a common enemy.
The pair of them, along with three accomplices, will navigate their partnership, politics, and attempt to pull off the greatest heist their world has ever known. Five people, all united through revenge, will have to transcend the odds stacked against them and infiltrate the impenetrable castle if they want to reap their rewards before someone reaps their souls. Putting aside their differences to accomplish a common goal because everyone knows…vengeance is a promise signed in blood.]]> 571 Olivia Rose Darling j 0 to-read 3.66 2022
author: Olivia Rose Darling
name: j
average rating: 3.66
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/15
shelves: to-read
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]]> 53418394 The first daughter is for the Throne.
The second daughter is for the Wolf.

As the only Second Daughter born in centuries, Red has one purpose—to be sacrificed to the Wolf in the Wood in the hope he'll return the world's captured gods.

Red is almost relieved to go. Plagued by a dangerous power she can't control, at least she knows that in the Wilderwood, she can't hurt those she loves. Again.

But the legends lie. The Wolf is a man, not a monster. Her magic is a calling, not a curse. And if she doesn't learn how to use it, the monsters the gods have become will swallow the Wilderwood—and her world—whole.

The author has provided a list of content warnings here.]]> 437 Hannah F. Whitten 0316592781 j 0 to-read 3.58 2021
author: Hannah F. Whitten
name: j
average rating: 3.58
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/14
shelves: to-read
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]]> 55021036
Ara, a high fae in the Court of Marsh, was trained since birth to kill. When it comes down to it, can she sever the tendrils of her morality and do it? After being taken prisoner by the sea queen, she manages an escape riddled with questions, only to arrive home to absolute heartbreak. Discovering everything she knew to be a lie, she sets out on a dangerous journey to learn the truth of her upbringing. But when the hunters begin to come for her, she realizes she isn't the only one that will need her lethal skills.

Meanwhile, Temir, a lesser fae in the vicious Court of Wind, hates no one more than himself. Gifted with the magic of healing and therefore protected from the prejudices befallen the rest of the lesser fae, he is smothered beneath the firm hand of the northern king. But when he makes a discovery that could change the world, he must decide, produce the serum and convince the one he is falling in love with to run away with him and his beloved mentor or let fear suppress him into defeat.

One high fae. One lesser fae. One goal. Find a way to fight back.]]> 400 Miranda Lyn 1735426822 j 0 to-read 3.78 2021
author: Miranda Lyn
name: j
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 75384035 They stole his crown, so he stole their daughter��

For years Erik, the scarred king of the Ever Kingdom, has thought of nothing but vengeance against the man who killed his father and trapped him beneath the waves, making him a prisoner in his own realm.

Until his enemy’s daughter unintentionally breaks the chains on the Ever, and Erik makes her the unwitting pawn in his vicious game of revenge.

She’s innocent. He’s vicious. But he will take back what he lost, no matter the price.

Unless she steals his heart first.

Welcome to the passionate world of the Ever Kingdom where pirates, sirens, and fae collide with Vikings in a dark fantasy romance between a villain and the innocent princess who holds his heart.

*Please note: This series is set in the same world as the bestselling Broken Kingdoms series, but can be read independently, and readers are encouraged to read the list of triggers inside*]]> 408 L.J. Andrews j 0 to-read 4.14 2023
author: L.J. Andrews
name: j
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/13
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 58293284
The Empire of the Wolf simmers with unrest. Rebels, heretics, and powerful patricians all challenge the power of the Imperial throne.�� Only the Order of Justices stands in the way of chaos. Sir Konrad Vonvalt is the most feared Justice of all, upholding the law by way of his sharp mind, arcane powers, and skill as a swordsman. At his side stands Helena Sedanka, his talented protégé, orphaned by the wars that forged the Empire.�� When the pair investigates the murder of a provincial aristocrat, they unearth a conspiracy that stretches to the very top of Imperial society. As the stakes rise and become ever more personal, Vonvalt and Helena must make a choice: Will they abandon the laws they’ve sworn to uphold, in order to protect the Empire?]]> 496 Richard Swan j 0 to-read 4.00 2022
author: Richard Swan
name: j
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/13
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 36896898 Spinning Silver draws readers deeper into a glittering realm of fantasy, where the boundary between wonder and terror is thinner than a breath, and safety can be stolen as quickly as a kiss.

Miryem is the daughter and granddaughter of moneylenders, but her father’s inability to collect his debts has left his family on the edge of poverty—until Miryem takes matters into her own hands. Hardening her heart, the young woman sets out to claim what is owed and soon gains a reputation for being able to turn silver into gold.

When an ill-advised boast draws the attention of the king of the Staryk—grim fey creatures who seem more ice than flesh—Miryem’s fate, and that of two kingdoms, will be forever altered. Set an impossible challenge by the nameless king, Miryem unwittingly spins a web that draws in a peasant girl, Wanda, and the unhappy daughter of a local lord who plots to wed his child to the dashing young tsar.

But Tsar Mirnatius is not what he seems. And the secret he hides threatens to consume the lands of humans and Staryk alike. Torn between deadly choices, Miryem and her two unlikely allies embark on a desperate quest that will take them to the limits of sacrifice, power, and love.

Channeling the vibrant heart of myth and fairy tale, Spinning Silver weaves a multilayered, magical tapestry that readers will want to return to again and again.]]> 465 Naomi Novik j 0 to-read 4.20 2018
author: Naomi Novik
name: j
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2018
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/07/13
shelves: to-read
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]]> 22544764 “Our Dragon doesn’t eat the girls he takes, no matter what stories they tell outside our valley. We hear them sometimes, from travelers passing through. They talk as though we were doing human sacrifice, and he were a real dragon. Of course that’s not true: he may be a wizard and immortal, but he’s still a man, and our fathers would band together and kill him if he wanted to eat one of us every ten years. He protects us against the Wood, and we’re grateful, but not that grateful.��

Agnieszka loves her valley home, her quiet village, the forests and the bright shining river. But the corrupted Wood stands on the border, full of malevolent power, and its shadow lies over her life.

Her people rely on the cold, driven wizard known only as the Dragon to keep its powers at bay. But he demands a terrible price for his help: one young woman handed over to serve him for ten years, a fate almost as terrible as falling to the Wood.

The next choosing is fast approaching, and Agnieszka is afraid. She knows��everyone knows—that the Dragon will take Kasia: beautiful, graceful, brave Kasia, all the things Agnieszka isn’t, and her dearest friend in the world. And there is no way to save her.

But Agnieszka fears the wrong things. For when the Dragon comes, it is not Kasia he will choose.]]> 438 Naomi Novik 0804179034 j 0 to-read 4.02 2015
author: Naomi Novik
name: j
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2015
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/07/13
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 60531406 #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson expands his Cosmere universe shared by The Stormlight Archive and Mistborn with a new standalone novel for everyone who loved The Princess Bride.

The only life Tress has known on her island home in an emerald-green ocean has been a simple one, with the simple pleasures of collecting cups brought by sailors from faraway lands and listening to stories told by her friend Charlie. But when his father takes him on a voyage to find a bride and disaster strikes, Tress must stow away on a ship and seek the Sorceress of the deadly Midnight Sea. Amid the spore oceans where pirates abound, can Tress leave her simple life behind and make her own place sailing a sea where a single drop of water can mean instant death?]]> 443 Brandon Sanderson j 0 to-read 4.35 2023
author: Brandon Sanderson
name: j
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2023
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/07/13
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 36901563 Beauty and the Beast meets Irish Mythology in this sweeping retelling of the beloved fairytale....

Once upon a time��

A plague sweeps across the emerald hills of Uí Néill, leaving a young midwife’s father with months to live. To save her people, Sorcha makes a deal with a dangerous Fae. She must travel across the sea, through merrow and kelpie lands, to find a forgotten king on a crumbling throne.

Born king of the Seelie Fae, Eamonn fought battles unnumbered to uphold honor, duty, and freedom�� until his twin brother sank a blade between his shoulders. Crystals grew from the wound, splitting open skin and bone. His people banished him to a cursed isle for his disfigurement, now king of criminals and fools.

With the help of brownies, pixies, and will-o��-the-wisps, Sorcha battles to break through his crystalline shell and persuade him to take back his stolen throne.

This determined beauty could come dangerously close to stealing his beastly heart.]]> 350 Emma Hamm 0999424416 j 0 currently-reading 3.73 2017
author: Emma Hamm
name: j
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/12
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 60099237 A groundbreaking global history of gender nonconformity ��

Today’s narratives about trans people tend to feature individuals with stable gender identities that fit neatly into the categories of male or female. Those stories, while important, fail to account for the complex realities of many trans people’s lives. ��
��
Before We Were Trans  illuminates the stories of people across the globe, from antiquity to the present, whose experiences of gender have defied binary categories. Blending historical analysis with sharp cultural criticism, trans historian and activist Kit Heyam offers a new, radically inclusive trans history, chronicling expressions of trans experience that are often overlooked, like gender-nonconforming fashion and wartime stage performance. Before We Were Trans  transports us from Renaissance Venice to seventeenth-century  Angola, from Edo Japan to early America, and looks to the past to uncover new horizons for possible trans futures. ��]]> 343 Kit Heyam 1541603087 j 0 to-read 4.28 2022
author: Kit Heyam
name: j
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2022
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/07/10
shelves: to-read
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]]> 124948300
Alessia is a dreamer. To protect her heart from growing hard, she chooses to see the best in others. After a life of enslavement and losing her only friend, she flees to the fae realm of Avylon, desperate for freedom. There, she meets Rainer, an enigmatic fae prince who is as enticing as he is unpredictable. He claims to detest humans, yet he teaches her how to fight, protects her, and empowers her. She can’t help but fall for him, even when his moods become increasingly volatile and it’s clear he’s hiding something dangerous.

She’s his little rose with beautiful buds and thorns so fatal��

The only thing Rainer hates more than humans is the curse he was born with. The one that flows through his veins and leaks into the surrounding forest. He’s dangerous, undeserving, and wears his reputation like armor. But when he meets Alessia, his perception shifts. If he’s malice, she’s his mercy. He needs to stay away, but it’s impossible to fight the temptation between them.

As their fates intertwine, can Alessia overlook Rainer’s dark past and overcome their differences? Or will Rainer crush his little rose in his fist?

A Curse of Malice & Mercy is a new adult, romantic fantasy book intended for mature readers. This book contains language, themes, and content that may not be suitable for all readers. Reader discretion is advised. It is book one in the Courts of Malice series and must be read in order.]]> 412 Miranda Joy j 0 to-read 3.79 2023
author: Miranda Joy
name: j
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/07
shelves: to-read
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]]> 60309130
But the rest of Faerie does.

On Prince Hawthorn’s eighteenth birthday, at the first drop of his blood spilled, the kingdom will be plunged into a century-long slumber��

And the Unseelie King will reign.

As his personal guard, Juliana is sworn to serve the vain, arrogant prince only until the fateful day, but when the curse is unleashed, Juliana alone is the one that can save him.

Connected to Hawthorn through their dreams, Juliana soon finds her feelings shifting for the boy she once swore to hate��

And soon swears to sacrifice anything to save him.]]> 417 Katherine Macdonald j 0 to-read 3.81
author: Katherine Macdonald
name: j
average rating: 3.81
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 9479871
Xylara is the Daughter of the Warrior King, Xyron. With her father dead and her incompetent half-brother on the throne, the kingdom is in danger of falling to the warring Firelanders.

Before she was old enough for a marriage-of-alliance, Xylara was trained as a healer. She can't usurp her brother or negotiate a peace--but she can heal the brave ones injured in battle.

But not only her countrymen are wounded, and Xylara's conscience won't let Firelander warriors die when she can do something to save them. She learns their language and their customs and tries to make them as comfortable as possible, despite their prisoner-of-war status.

She never expects that these deeds, done in good faith, would lead to the handsome and mysterious Firelander Warlord demanding her in exchange for a cease-fire. Xylara knows must trade the life she has always known for the well-being of her people, and so she becomes...

The Warprize]]> 308 Elizabeth Vaughan 0425240541 j 0 to-read 3.90 2005
author: Elizabeth Vaughan
name: j
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2005
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 209617137 An eternal life.

Lily doesn’t remember her death, or even her reawakening, but she knows this: the sun is to be feared, words are her salvation, and—above all—the bench facing the playground is hers.

Every night, she writes stories about the broken and abandoned things she finds littering the park. As the decades pass and the city skyline grows, her body remains immortal and unchanged�� even as her mind decays. She is the pin holding the hands of the clock, fixed and entirely alone as the world moves around her.

Until Sam de la Cruz, a young man of summer smiles, takes a seat beside her and an unlikely friendship blooms. Months pass and their relationship grows, but her mind and memories continue to fade until Sam realizes the strange, lonely woman he’s come to love is more than what she seems.

A story about love, loss, and what it means to live forever.

Gold Medalist 2022 Readers�� Favorite for Literary Fiction]]> R. Raeta j 0 to-read 4.21 2021
author: R. Raeta
name: j
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/02
shelves: to-read
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]]> 13928
But Sorcha's joy is shattered when her father is bewitched by his new wife, an evil enchantress who binds her brothers with a terrible spell, a spell which only Sorcha can lift—by staying silent. If she speaks before she completes the quest set to her by the Fair Folk and their queen, the Lady of the Forest, she will lose her brothers forever.

When Sorcha is kidnapped by the enemies of Sevenwaters and taken to a foreign land, she is torn between the desire to save her beloved brothers, and a love that comes only once. Sorcha despairs at ever being able to complete her task, but the magic of the Fair Folk knows no boundaries, and love is the strongest magic of them all...]]> 554 Juliet Marillier j 0 to-read 4.27 1999
author: Juliet Marillier
name: j
average rating: 4.27
book published: 1999
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/07/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 201053353
Amid the chaos, the bearer of death lurks in the shadows, bound to kill for his cruel king. His job is assassinate the witch, Alliya Ferallis. But an unforeseen, rogue magic has other plans.

After accidentally binding her life to the fae assassin who tried to kill her, Alliya must survive as a new recruit in the brutal Guild of Cruor. Meanwhile, Serra searches for refuge and freedom in the most prestigious Siren house in Varien, where beauty is both addictive and deceiving.

As the sisters face separate paths, their brother Adryan, born and raised to be emperor, will do anything to find them, including venture into the rebellion.

But as a greater evil emerges, only the fates will decide who lives and who dies.]]> 508 Madeleine Carr j 0 to-read 3.85 2023
author: Madeleine Carr
name: j
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/06/30
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 195342176 2024 on ŷ������ should make an interesting and varied catalogue of books to inspire other readers in 2025.

For those of you who don't like to add titles you haven't actually 'read', you can place 2024 on ŷ������ on an 'exclusive' shelf. Exclusive shelves don't have to be listed under 'to read', 'currently reading' or 'read'. To create one, go to 'edit bookshelves' on your 'My Books' page, create a shelf name such as 'review-of-the year' and tick the 'exclusive' box. Your previous and future 'reviews of the year' can be collected together on this dedicated shelf.

Concept created by Fionnuala Lirsdottir.
Description: Fionnuala Lirsdottir
Cover art: Paul Cézanne, The House with the Cracked Walls, 1892-1894
Cover choice and graphics by Jayson]]> Various j 0 whole-year-recap 4.15 2024
author: Various
name: j
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/06/03
shelves: whole-year-recap
review:
Had such a good 2023 reading year but did face problems like procrastinating reading books whilst in the middle of them because I didn't want them to end so my number 1 goal is to go with the flow of reading
]]> 208841368 Encyclopaedia of Faeries. Now she is about to embark on her most dangerous academic project studying the inner workings of a faerie realm-as its queen.

Along with her former academic rival-now fiancé-the dashing and mercurial Wendell Bambleby, Emily is immediately thrust into the deadly intrigues of Faerie as the two of them seize the throne of Wendell's long-lost kingdom, which Emily finds a beautiful nightmare, filled with scholarly treasures.

Emily has been obsessed with faerie stories her entire life, but at first she feels as ill-suited to Faerie as she did to the mortal world-how could an unassuming scholar like herself pass for a queen? Yet there is little time to settle in-Wendell's murderous stepmother has placed a deadly curse upon the land before vanishing without a trace. It will take all of Wendell's magic-and Emily's knowledge of stories-to unravel the mystery before they lose everything they hold dear.
]]> 368 Heather Fawcett 0356519198 j 0 to-read 4.14 2025
author: Heather Fawcett
name: j
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/06/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 64785417 Two villains, one girl, and a deadly battle for happily ever after.

Evangeline Fox ventured to the Magnificent North in search of her happy ending, and it seems as if she has it. She’s married to a handsome prince and lives in a legendary castle. But Evangeline has no idea of the devastating price she’s paid for this fairytale. She doesn’t know what she has lost, and her husband is determined to make sure she never finds out . . . but first he must kill Jacks, the Prince of Hearts.

Blood will be shed, hearts will be stolen, and true love will be put to the test in A Curse for True Love, the breathlessly anticipated conclusion to the Once Upon A Broken Heart trilogy.]]> 385 Stephanie Garber j 3 Edit: 3.5 stars 4.11 2023
author: Stephanie Garber
name: j
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2023/12/31
date added: 2024/01/18
shelves:
review:
Edit: 3.5 stars
]]> 63005175 From Alexandra Christo, the author of To Kill a Kingdom, comes The Night Hunt, a dark fantasy romance about a monstrous girl who feeds on fear and the Gods-cursed boy who falls in love with her.

Atia is a monster who feeds on fear. As the last of her kind, she hides in the shadows of the world to escape the wrath of the unpredictable Gods. Silas is a Herald, carrying messages and ferrying the dead as punishment for a past he can’t remember. Stripped of his true name, he yearns to recover his identity.

Atia would never dream of allying with someone like him, but when she breaks a sacred law and the Gods send monsters to hunt her, Silas offers an irresistible deal: he’ll help avenge her family and take on the Gods who now hunt her, if she helps him break his curse and restore his humanity. All they need to do is kill three powerful creatures: a vampire, a banshee, and one of the very Gods who destroyed both their lives. Only together can they finally rewrite their destinies.]]> 384 Alexandra Christo 1250897440 j 0 to-read 3.61 2023
author: Alexandra Christo
name: j
average rating: 3.61
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/01/08
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 198861748 Lysta lives in constant fear of Trialing, a deadly test that bestows an ability upon its victors, but only after pushing their mental and physical limits. Forced to Trial against her will, Lysta becomes a weapon others plan to use against the Untrialed, until an unexpected intruder from another Court presents her with an opportunity to stop it. But can she trust the plans of a man who seems to play the lines between enemy and ally?

Only through treason can Lysta save the people she once struggled beside. With the fate of her Court and the lives of the Untrialed at stake, the burden will fall on Lysta to convince the other Courts to intervene. Not to mention, the Crowns seem to fear the frustrating albeit handsome man who rescued her more than the one she testifies against. Lysta must find her own strength in a world of powers, battles, and court politics while navigating tumultuous relationships and hidden enemies.

Will Lysta save her Court or be ended by it?]]> 396 Lauren Loscig j 0 to-read 4.08
author: Lauren Loscig
name: j
average rating: 4.08
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/01/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 54557816 Perfect for readers of The Hazel Wood and The Night Circus, this lush and layered story about magic and the captivating power of dreams is delivered with acclaimed author Rebecca Ross’s signature exquisite style.

A curse plagues the realm of Azenor—during each new moon, magic flows from the nearby mountain and brings nightmares to life. Only magicians, who serve as territory wardens, stand between people and their worst dreams.

Clementine Madigan is ready to take over as the warden of her small town, but when two magicians challenge her, she is unwittingly drawn into a century-old conflict. She seeks revenge, but as she secretly gets closer to Phelan, one of the handsome young magicians, secrets begin to rise. Clementine must unite with her rival to fight the realm’s curse, which seems to be haunting her every turn.]]> 496 Rebecca Ross 0063015951 j 0 to-read 4.08 2021
author: Rebecca Ross
name: j
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/01/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 79550
Full of brusque humour and wisdom, The Summer Book is a profoundly life-affirming story. Tove Jansson captured much of her own experience and spirit in the book, which was her favourite of the novels she wrote for adults. This new edition sees the return of a European literary gem—fresh, authentic and deeply humane.]]> 192 Tove Jansson 0954221710 j 0 to-read 4.05 1972
author: Tove Jansson
name: j
average rating: 4.05
book published: 1972
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/01/02
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 79548 London Evening News, in 1954. The strip was syndicated in newspapers around the world with millions of readers in 40 countries.

Moomin Book One is the first volume of Drawn & Quarterly publishing plan to reprint the entire strip drawn by Jansson before she handed over the reigns to her brother Lars in 1960. This is the first time the strip will be published in any form in North America and will deservedly place Jansson among the international cartooning greats of the last century.

The Moomins are a tight-knit family �� hippo-shaped creatures with easygoing and adventurous outlooks. Jansson's art is pared down and precise, yet able to compose beautiful portraits of ambling creatures in fields of flowers or rock-strewn beaches that recall Jansson's Nordic roots. The comic strip reached out to adults with its gentle and droll sense of humor. Whimsical but with biting undertones, Jansson's observations of everyday life, including guests who overstay their welcome, modern art, movie stars, and high society, easily caught the attention of an international audience and still resonate today.]]> 95 Tove Jansson 1894937805 j 0 to-read 4.37 1977
author: Tove Jansson
name: j
average rating: 4.37
book published: 1977
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/01/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 62316199 2023 on ŷ������ should make an interesting and varied catalogue of books to inspire other readers in 2024.

For those of you who don't like to add titles you haven't actually 'read', you can place 2023 on ŷ������ on an 'exclusive' shelf. Exclusive shelves don't have to be listed under 'to read', 'currently reading' or 'read'. To create one, go to 'edit bookshelves' on your 'My Books' page, create a shelf name such as 'review-of-the year' and tick the 'exclusive' box. Your previous and future 'reviews of the year' can be collected together on this dedicated shelf.

Concept created by Fionnuala Lirsdottir.
Description: Fionnuala Lirsdottir
Cover art: Paul Cézanne, Bibémus Quarry, c.1895
Cover choice and graphics by Jayson]]> Various j 4 whole-year-recap 4.10 2023
author: Various
name: j
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2023/12/31
shelves: whole-year-recap
review:

]]> 171759474
Everybody leaves a trace. The ghosts of Button House may have been dead a long time - some of them a very long time - but they have all left their mark on the world (even if, in Robin's case, that mark is just a handprint on the wall of a cave).

Gathered together in this volume is a treasure trove of unearthed cuttings, original records and rare artefacts that explore the unseen lives of those who died at Button House: from Thomas's love letters to Pat's 'Summer Camp Rap', and from Julian's campaign promises to Lady Button's Rules of Etiquette. There are even documents dictated to the one person who can see and hear the ghosts: Alison Cooper.

Written by the show's creators �� Mathew Baynton, Simon Farnaby, Martha Howe-Douglas, Jim Howick, Laurence Rickard and Ben Willbond �� this eclectic archive is a unique chance to discover more about the beloved ghosts of Button House. Thank be to Moonah!]]> 224 Mathew Baynton 1526669900 j 5 books-that-feel-nostalgic 4.56 2023
author: Mathew Baynton
name: j
average rating: 4.56
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2023/12/29
date added: 2023/12/31
shelves: books-that-feel-nostalgic
review:
Definitely recommend reading this if you are a ghosts fan and especially if the recent christmas episode disappointed you
]]> 443101 Moomin comic strip, we get four new stories about jealousy, competition, child rearing, and self-reinvention. The Moomins try to hibernate in the fashion of their ancestors but insomnia places them smack-dab into a winter carnival with the winter-sports-loving Mr. Brisk. The fickle and eternally lovestruck Mymble and Snorkmaiden find themselves in competition over a thrilling new man. Moominmamma meets her new neighbor, the Fillyjonk, causing her to hire the depressed and secretive Misabel as her new maid. Mymble's mother arrives on the Moomin family's doorstep with her seventeen new children. Finally, a prophet arrives on the scene declaring that the happy Moomins are in fact not happy at all and need to get back to nature and be free. Moomin, of course, becomes more and more miserable the freer he gets.

Jansson is revered around the world as one of the foremost children's authors of the twentieth centry for her illustrated Moomin chapter books. The Drawn & Quarterly reprint series collects, for the first time in North America, Jansson's internationally syndicated Moomin comic strip that debuted in the London Evening News in 1954.]]> 84 Tove Jansson 1897299192 j 4 books-that-feel-nostalgic 4.5/5 stars 4.42 1977
author: Tove Jansson
name: j
average rating: 4.42
book published: 1977
rating: 4
read at: 2023/12/30
date added: 2023/12/31
shelves: books-that-feel-nostalgic
review:
4.5/5 stars
]]> 51075274 Her life for freedom. Her blood for love. Her soul for vengeance.

Ripped from a forgotten homeland as a child, Tisaanah learned how to survive with nothing but a sharp wit and a touch of magic. But the night she tries to buy her freedom, she barely escapes with her life.

Desperate to save the best friend she left behind, Tisaanah journeys to the Orders, the most powerful organization of magic Wielders in the world. But to join their ranks, she must complete an apprenticeship with Maxantarius Farlione, a handsome and reclusive fire wielder who despises the Orders.

The Orders�� intentions are cryptic, and Tisaanah must prove herself under the threat of looming war. Even more dangerous are her growing feelings for Maxantarius. The bloody past he wants to forget may be the key to her future�� or the downfall of them both.

But Tisaanah will stop at nothing to save those she abandoned. Even if it means gambling in the Orders�� deadly games. Even if it means sacrificing her heart.

Even if it means wielding death itself.]]> 550 Carissa Broadbent 0998461938 j 5 fantasy-faves 4.13 2020
author: Carissa Broadbent
name: j
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at: 2023/12/29
date added: 2023/12/29
shelves: fantasy-faves
review:
This was so good I'm so glad I picked up this book
]]> 61654285 A curmudgeonly professor journeys to a small town in the far north to study faerie folklore and discovers dark fae magic, friendship, and love in the start of a heartwarming and enchanting new fantasy series.

Cambridge professor Emily Wilde is good at many things: She is the foremost expert on the study of faeries. She is a genius scholar and a meticulous researcher who is writing the world's first encyclopaedia of faerie lore. But Emily Wilde is not good at people. She could never make small talk at a party—or even get invited to one. And she prefers the company of her books, her dog, and the Fair Folk.

So when she arrives in the hardscrabble village of Hrafnsvik, Emily has no intention of befriending the gruff townsfolk. Nor does she care to spend time with another new arrival: her dashing and insufferably handsome academic rival Wendell Bambleby, who manages to charm the townsfolk, get in the middle of Emily's research, and utterly confound and frustrate her.

But as Emily gets closer and closer to uncovering the secrets of the Hidden Ones--the most elusive of all faeries—lurking in the shadowy forest outside the town, she also finds herself on the trail of another mystery: Who is Wendell Bambleby, and what does he really want? To find the answer, she'll have to unlock the greatest mystery of all—her own heart.]]> 315 Heather Fawcett 0356519120 j 5 fantasy-faves ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 3.97 2023
author: Heather Fawcett
name: j
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2023/08/25
date added: 2023/08/26
shelves: fantasy-faves
review:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/
]]> 181325033 From acclaimed author Makiia Lucier, a dazzling, romantic fantasy inspired by Pacific Island mythology.

In the old tales, it is written that the egg of a seadragon, dragonfruit, holds within it the power to undo a person’s greatest sorrow. An unwanted marriage, a painful illness, and unpaid debt ... gone. But as with all things that promise the moon and the stars and offer hope when hope has gone, the tale comes with a warning.

Every wish demands a price.

Hanalei of Tamarind is the cherished daughter of an old island family. But when her father steals a seadragon egg meant for an ailing princess, she is forced into a life of exile. In the years that follow, Hanalei finds solace in studying the majestic seadragons that roam the Nominomi Sea. Until, one day, an encounter with a female dragon offers her what she desires most. A chance to return home, and to right a terrible wrong.

Samahtitamahenele, Sam, is the last remaining prince of Tamarind. But he can never inherit the throne, for Tamarind is a matriarchal society. With his mother ill and his grandmother nearing the end of her reign. Sam is left with two to marry, or to find a cure for the sickness that has plagued his mother for ten long years. When a childhood companion returns from exile, she brings with her something he has not felt in a very long time - hope.

But Hanalei and Sam are not the only ones searching for the dragonfruit. And as they battle enemies both near and far, there is another danger they cannot escape…that of the dragonfruit itself. ��]]> 356 Makiia Lucier 0358272106 j 0 to-read 3.85 2024
author: Makiia Lucier
name: j
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/08/18
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 63285122
Death needs a do-over.

Azrael---grim reaper and devourer of worlds--has messed up. Instead of taking Molly Molloy's soul, he patted her on the back and saved her from choking on an atomic chicken wing.

Now she can see him. Talk to him. Touch him. Say ‘no�� to him. And make him question the assumptions he has held for an eternity.

Molly is sick of Death capsizing her life. He'd taken her parents, then her grandparents, then her first great love.

Now, just as she was on the verge of getting her life together with a job that paid enough and a NYC apartment that didn't cost too much, Death interferes again in ways she could never have imagined.

The Powers that Be want Azrael to fix his mistake but before he can, Death makes one more.

He falls in love.]]> 268 Maria Vale j 1 arcs-received-from-netgalley
I’m going to be honest that I would definitely have dnf’ed this book in the first few pages if it wasn’t an arc.

I’m going to start with the writing problems then move on to some of the weird stuff that happened that made me think I was going crazy ]]> 3.76
author: Maria Vale
name: j
average rating: 3.76
book published:
rating: 1
read at: 2023/02/27
date added: 2023/07/25
shelves: arcs-received-from-netgalley
review:
Thank you netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book.

I’m going to be honest that I would definitely have dnf’ed this book in the first few pages if it wasn’t an arc.

I’m going to start with the writing problems then move on to some of the weird stuff that happened that made me think I was going crazy
]]> 90328281 Readers of Carissa Broadbent will love this thrilling new series, from the author of The Immortal Goblet, weaving an intriguing world of fantasy and folklore.

After the murder of her father �� which no one but her believes happened �� Verve just wants to hold her family together and take on the role of provider. Unfortunately, a cruel fae lord believes she knows the location of an ancient magical weapon and steals her away to Letorheas, realm of the fairies. The fae lord seems to want something from Verve that goes beyond the weapon, something that many doubt she can provide. Verve must find a way to navigate the strangeness of Letorheas and embrace a destiny more intertwined with the fae than she would like to believe.
]]> 304 Beth Overmyer 1787587916 j 3 arcs-received-from-netgalley ⭐️⭐️. 3.24 2023
author: Beth Overmyer
name: j
average rating: 3.24
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2023/05/02
date added: 2023/05/03
shelves: arcs-received-from-netgalley
review:
⭐️⭐️.
]]> 52339313
When his traditional Latinx family has problems accepting his gender, Yadriel becomes determined to prove himself a real brujo. With the help of his cousin and best friend Maritza, he performs the ritual himself, and then sets out to find the ghost of his murdered cousin and set it free.

However, the ghost he summons is actually Julian Diaz, the school’s resident bad boy, and Julian is not about to go quietly into death. He’s determined to find out what happened and tie up some loose ends before he leaves. Left with no choice, Yadriel agrees to help Julian, so that they can both get what they want. But the longer Yadriel spends with Julian, the less he wants to let him leave.]]> 344 Aiden Thomas 1250250463 j 0 to-read 4.26 2020
author: Aiden Thomas
name: j
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/04/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 63288788 ***Best-selling author Christina Bauer now writes adult content under the pen name, CEE BEE!***

Outlander meets Dark Prince in this tale of hidden magic, primal attraction, and vampire romance...

Lexa Uznetsov is trapped
To save my sister, I take on my father’s massive debt to Konstantin the Rus, leader of the New York Bratva. My life becomes a never-ending (and incredibly illegal) stakeout for the mob. There’s barely time to sleep, let alone find love. In desperation, I approach Caelin MacGregor, the handsome Scotsman who runs Empire Investments. After all, what’s the worst that can happen?

Caelin MacGregor is a lost king
Ages ago, I ruled a clan of Bloodkin vampires. My people are born to wield magic, drain humans, and live forever. That’s all over now. I’ve been alone for a thousand years. Today, I no longer care about the sunrise, let alone truly desire a woman. Then, I look upon Lexa. My world turns upside down��

Publisher note: This story was originally published on a serial fiction app. The first version of this book offered ten serial-style episodes as a bundle of 12,000 words. This new version is completely reworked as a traditional stand-alone novel of 48,000 words.

Vampires of the Daemonverse
1. Violins and Vampires
2. Veils and Vampires
3. Vixens and Vampires
4. Valor and Vampires

About CEE BEE
Author Christina "CEE BEE" Bauer has sold more than 1M copies across her 45+ epic fantasy books for young adults. She's recorded (and narrated) eight of her books into audiobooks, as well as led the translation of her novels into four different languages. USA Today has called her work "must-read paranormal fantasy." Bauer is an autism advocate and quirky loudmouth whose writing style really isn't for everyone. But if you like stories with complex worlds inhabited by chicks who kick ass and take names, then read on!]]> 220 Cee Bee j 2 arcs-received-from-netgalley ⭐️⭐️/ 3.15 2022
author: Cee Bee
name: j
average rating: 3.15
book published: 2022
rating: 2
read at: 2023/04/06
date added: 2023/04/20
shelves: arcs-received-from-netgalley
review:
⭐️⭐️/
]]> 61364669 Chloe Gong, author of These Violent Delight

There are many who believe they can cheat death.
When they fail, I take their souls...
Every. Single. One.

Selestra is heir to a powerful magic. Locked away in a tower by a cruel king, her destiny is to foretell death and harvest doomed souls to feed his immortality.

Nox is a soldier who has spent years plotting vengeance on the crown. Now he's determined to steal the king's immortality and kill his entire court - starting with Selestra.

But when Selestra and Nox's futures become entwined and death seeks both their souls, they're forced to put their trust in each other. Can they work together to escape their dark fate?]]> 416 Alexandra Christo 1471411990 j 5 3.76 2022
author: Alexandra Christo
name: j
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2022/07/27
date added: 2023/04/20
shelves: fantasy-faves, arcs-received-from-netgalley
review:
Thank you so much Bonnier Books Uk + Netgalley for providing me with this E-ARC I am eternally grateful. I feel extremely lucky that I got to read this book before it is published, and it was AMAZING. This was just the perfect fantasy book and now i’m sad that it’s over because I loved it so much. This carried out the Rapunzel re-telling perfectly, with a few parallels to tangled I often spotted, and an amazing take on it. This book was perfect for me, the short chapters, dual POV told from first person perspectives, with lovable characters, perfectly carried out character arcs and enemies to lovers romance that was carried out in the best possible way. The main characters romance was carried out perfectly and I loved the tension and angst. This book also had an extremely interesting world and magic
]]> 60585847 Two souls bound together.
But one thing threatens to tear them apart.
Jealousy.

While tensions build and fates shift, Hyacinth and Apollo seek Zephyrus.
God of the West Wind.
Well connected among low deities.
And Hyacinth’s previous lover.

Amid political schemes and personal struggles, Apollo and Hyacinth tumble through a world verging on war.

But as jealousy flares and secrets come to light, all their careful planning may burn to ash.

This fast-paced sequel to A Veil of Gods and Kings is full of romance and twists and turns set in a dark, magical world.]]> 358 Nicole Bailey j 4 fantasy-faves ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4.19 2022
author: Nicole Bailey
name: j
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2023/04/13
date added: 2023/04/19
shelves: fantasy-faves
review:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
]]> 36492488 People lived because she killed. People died because he lived.

Zafira is the Hunter, disguising herself as a man when she braves the cursed forest of the Arz to feed her people. Nasir is the Prince of Death, assassinating those foolish enough to defy his autocratic father, the sultan. If Zafira was exposed as a girl, all of her achievements would be rejected; if Nasir displayed his compassion, his father would punish him in the most brutal of ways. Both Zafira and Nasir are legends in the kingdom of Arawiya--but neither wants to be.

War is brewing, and the Arz sweeps closer with each passing day, engulfing the land in shadow. When Zafira embarks on a quest to uncover a lost artifact that can restore magic to her suffering world and stop the Arz, Nasir is sent by the sultan on a similar mission: retrieve the artifact and kill the Hunter. But an ancient evil stirs as their journey unfolds--and the prize they seek may pose a threat greater than either can imagine.]]> 472 Hafsah Faizal 0374311544 j 0 to-read 3.87 2019
author: Hafsah Faizal
name: j
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/04/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 75607709 Scandalous gossip, wild parties, and forbidden love--the Greek tale of Hades and Persephone gets a romantic modern update in the gorgeously illustrated, Eisner Award-winning Lore Olympus, including behind-the-scenes content!

An ingenious take on the Greek Pantheon, Lore Olympus is a modern update on the story of Hades and Persephone. Follow the propulsive love story of two Greek gods, told with lavish artwork and contemporary sensibilities.

This full-color edition of Smythe's original Eisner Award-winning webcomic Lore Olympus features exclusive behind-the-scenes content and brings Greek mythology into the modern age in a sharply perceptive and romantic graphic novel.

This volume collects episodes 103-126 of the #1 WEBTOON comic Lore Olympus.]]> 400 Rachel Smythe 0593599063 j 3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 4.46 2023
author: Rachel Smythe
name: j
average rating: 4.46
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2023/03/31
date added: 2023/04/19
shelves:
review:
⭐️⭐️⭐️/
]]> 61336995 When the world is at war.
No one is safe.
Not even the gods.

Apollo would hide with Hyacinth and hold him until the sun burned out.

But that is not their destiny.

When Ares arrives announcing a turn of the tides and war thundering towards Niria, Apollo and Hyacinth take on a journey to save everyone from Zeus�� wrath.

But when things don’t go as planned, they might destroy themselves instead.

In this third installment of the Apollo Ascending series, romance, fate, adventure, and tragedy intermingle into an exhilarating story of loyalty and sacrifice.]]> 362 Nicole Bailey j 0 to-read 4.17
author: Nicole Bailey
name: j
average rating: 4.17
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/04/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 58437814 They Wish They Were Us meets The Queen’s Gambit in the world of competitive Scrabble when a teen girl is forced to investigate the mysterious death of her best friend a year after the fact when her Instagram comes back to life with cryptic posts and messages.

CATALYST
13 points
noun: a person or thing that precipitates an event or change

When Najwa Bakri walks into her first Scrabble competition since her best friend’s death, it’s with the intention to heal and move on with her life. Perhaps it wasn’t the best idea to choose the very same competition where said best friend, Trina Low, died. It might be even though Najwa’s trying to change, she’s not ready to give up Trina just yet.

But the same can’t be said for all the other competitors. With Trina, the Scrabble Queen herself, gone, the throne is empty, and her friends are eager to be the next reigning champion. All’s fair in love and Scrabble, but all bets are off when Trina’s formerly inactive Instagram starts posting again, with cryptic messages suggesting that maybe Trina’s death wasn’t as straightforward as everyone thought. And maybe someone at the competition had something to do with it.

As secrets are revealed and the true colors of her friends are shown, it’s up to Najwa to find out who’s behind these mysterious posts—not just to save Trina’s memory, but to save herself.]]> 294 Hanna Alkaf 1534494553 j 0 to-read 3.73 2022
author: Hanna Alkaf
name: j
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/04/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 57945316 From award-winning author R. F. Kuang comes Babel, a historical fantasy epic that grapples with student revolutions, colonial resistance, and the use of language and translation as the dominating tool of the British Empire

Traduttore, traditore: An act of translation is always an act of betrayal.

1828. Robin Swift, orphaned by cholera in Canton, is brought to London by the mysterious Professor Lovell. There, he trains for years in Latin, Ancient Greek, and Chinese, all in preparation for the day he’ll enroll in Oxford University’s prestigious Royal Institute of Translation—also known as Babel. The tower and its students are the world's center for translation and, more importantly, magic. Silver-working—the art of manifesting the meaning lost in translation using enchanted silver bars—has made the British unparalleled in power, as the arcane craft serves the Empire's quest for colonization.

For Robin, Oxford is a utopia dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge. But knowledge obeys power, and as a Chinese boy raised in Britain, Robin realizes serving Babel means betraying his motherland. As his studies progress, Robin finds himself caught between Babel and the shadowy Hermes Society, an organization dedicated to stopping imperial expansion. When Britain pursues an unjust war with China over silver and opium, Robin must decide . . .

Can powerful institutions be changed from within, or does revolution always require violence?]]> 544 R.F. Kuang 0063021420 j 0 to-read 4.17 2022
author: R.F. Kuang
name: j
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/04/15
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 60889755 'I don't choose him. Not anymore. I'm choosing me.'

I was told that being confined was to keep the bad out . . . Until I realized it was about keeping me in.
Midas made me forbidden and weak. Little did he know that I would find my wings and voice - which sings now.
After living amongst the terrifying army of Fourth Kingdom, I find myself, once again, in strange lands and a kingdom surrounded by liars.
But something has ignited within me. Something dark. Something angry.

Then comes King Ravinger.
And the last thing I wanted was my heart to be torn.
Can I really fall in love when the cities around me threaten to crumble and my fate hangs in the balance?

One thing is for sure, I won't be caught in a cage again.
No, this time, it'll be me setting the trap.]]> 670 Raven Kennedy 1405955023 j 5 fantasy-faves ]]> 4.35 2021
author: Raven Kennedy
name: j
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at: 2022/09/09
date added: 2023/04/15
shelves: fantasy-faves
review:
CHECK THE TW’S IF YOU’RE GOING TO READ THIS SERIES

]]> 60889754 **PERFECT FOR FANS OF SARAH J. MAAS AND JENNIFER L. ARMENTROUT**

'Sexy and touching all at the same time . . . and that plot twist, OMG' 5 Reader Review
'Read this series NOW! I felt like I was in the story watching and holding my breath the entire time' 5 Reader Review
_______

'I hope you burn so bright that you scorch your Golden King down to ash'

After ten years, I have left the grips of one king only to fall into the hands of another.

I have fought the terrifying Red Raid Pirates, endured the murder of those I care about, and survived the frozen planes of Orea, only to find myself a prisoner of the army of Fourth Kingdom.

Leading the army is Commander Rip, a notorious warrior whose name is whispered in taverns and street corners all over the six kingdoms.

But as I get to know him, I realise that the tales of his brutality aren't true.

He is something else. He is fae.

Part of the powerful and magical people who are said to have abandoned this world entirely three hundred years ago.

But here one stands before me. And when he turns his onyx eyes upon me, I fall captive.

For an entirely different reason.

As his army march towards a battle with the king I once adored, I must decide.

Midas or Rip.

Loyalty or freedom.

In this game of war and love, it's my turn to choose.
_______

'A spectacularly written, engaging, imaginative retelling of the ancient myth of King Midas' 5 Reader Review

'I literally devoured this book in one sitting' 5 Reader Review]]> 496 Raven Kennedy 140595504X j 4 fantasy-faves ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4.10 2022
author: Raven Kennedy
name: j
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2022/08/29
date added: 2023/04/15
shelves: fantasy-faves
review:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
]]> 60889756 'It's the arrogance of men to think so little of women. And it'll be their downfall too'

Locked away in a castle on the snowy mountains in the Sixth Kingdom of Orea, I have never known freedom.

No one can get in or out. Apart from him.

King Midas, who rescued me from the streets. Who gave me food, shelter, and his heart. Who I promised to love forever.

But when political upheaval sees me sent across kingdoms to a future I no longer understand, everything I thought I knew about King Midas is shattered . . .

The world has only ever heard his story.

Now it's time to hear mine.

**Content warning: sexual violence**]]> 416 Raven Kennedy 1405955007 j 4 fantasy-faves 3.52 2020
author: Raven Kennedy
name: j
average rating: 3.52
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2022/08/20
date added: 2023/04/15
shelves: fantasy-faves
review:
*I just realised I definitely should’ve included a disclaimer for this series that the main character is an abuse victim with stockholm syndrome so it is from the POV of someone (for the first few books) who is defending her abuser as due to being so manipulated she hasn’t realised she is in an abusive relationship - however once she meets people with an outside perspective of the relationship she does realise and the author makes it very clear that she is in an abusive relationship and has been very manipulated - I just think it is very important to go into this book knowing Midas is an abuser (this isn’t a spoiler as it’s very obvious to the reader he is abusive - just not Auren due to her having stockhom syndrome) - Apologies for only adding in this disclaimer just now but I will update the rest of my reviews as well
]]> 59856755 Madeline Miller j 0 to-read 4.44
author: Madeline Miller
name: j
average rating: 4.44
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/04/13
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 58570418
Sea Above, Sun Below is influenced by Western myths, some Greek, some with biblical overtones, resulting in a fusion of fantastic dreams, bizarre yet beautiful nightmares, and multiple narrative threads that form a tapestry which depicts the fragility of characters teetering on the brink of madness.

“I have read Sea Above, Sun Below with great delight, find it ‘a cacophony of jubilation,�� and I love the boldness of Salis�� characters, his wit, and the dash of his writing. There is electricity on every page, reminding me of what Dr. Sam Johnson said of Dr. Birch, ‘As soon as he takes up his pen, it turns into a tornado.'��

�� Alexander Theroux, author of Darconville’s Cat and Laura Warholic

“George Salis has an exhilarating gift. The overall breadth of the book, the cinematic quality, and the ease with which he juggles all the voices are terrific. It’s masterfully orchestrated, vast in scope, and fearless.��

�� Rikki Ducornet, author of the Tetralogy of Elements

“The prose is delightfully various in its effects and the humor has propulsive force. I was really impressed with Salis�� ability to move between styles and genre riffs with such elan. Sea Above, Sun Below is quite distinctive—an adventurous read.��

�� Alan Singer, author of The Inquisitor’s Tongue and Memory Wax

“Sea Above, Sun Below is dazzling, so imaginative, original, and fierce. I took great pleasure in it.��

�� Lee Siegel, author of Love in a Dead Language and Typerotica

“[Sea Above, Sun Below] is an admirable creation.��

�� Daniel Green, author of Beyond the Blurb

“George Salis is very gifted! I was very impressed with many parts of Sea Above, Sun Below and was pulled right in.��

�� Wendy Walker, author of The Secret Service]]> 315 George Salis j 0 to-read 4.82 2020
author: George Salis
name: j
average rating: 4.82
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/04/07
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 23520
"Contexts, Sources, Meanings" describes the main literary and artistic sources for Greek myths, and their contexts, such as ritual and theater.
"Myths of Origin" includes stories about the beginning of the cosmos, the origins of the gods, the first humans, and the founding of communities.
"The Olympians: Power, Honor, Sexuality" examines the activities of all the main divinities.
"Heroic exploits" concentrates on the adventures of Perseus, Jason, Herakles, and other heroes.
"Family sagas" explores the dramas and catastrophes that befall heroes and heroines.
"A Landscape of Myths" sets the stories within the context of the mountains, caves, seas, and rivers of Greece, Crete, Troy, and the Underworld.
"Greek Myths after the Greeks" describes the rich tradition of retelling, from the Romans, through the Renaissance, to the twenty-first century.
Complemented by lavish illustrations, genealogical tables, box features, and specially commissioned drawings, this will be an essential book for anyone interested in these classic tales and in the world of the ancient Greeks.]]> 256 Richard Buxton 0500251215 j 0 to-read 4.24 2004
author: Richard Buxton
name: j
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2004
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/04/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 62698816 Witness what the gods do after dark in the fourth volume of a stylish and contemporary reimagining of one of the best-known stories in Greek mythology, featuring exclusive behind-the-scenes content from creator Rachel Smythe.

"I don't always get to do as I please."

The rumor mill of Olympus is constantly churning, but Persephone and Hades are all anyone can talk about. With the constant gossip creating intense pressure on the pair, they decide to slow down their budding romance and focus on sorting out their own issues first.

But that's easier said than done.

Hades struggles to find support in his personal life, with Zeus trivializing his feelings and Minthe resorting to abusive patterns in their relationship. And while Hades tries to create healthier boundaries where he can--like finally putting a stop to his sporadic, revenge-fueled hookups with Hera--he still feels lonely and adrift.

Persephone feels equally ostracized as her classmates shun her for her connection to Hades, and she can find no refuge at home, with Apollo constantly dropping by unannounced and pushing his unwelcome advances. And on top of it all, the wrathful god of war, Ares, has returned to Olympus to dredge up his sordid history with the goddess of spring, threatening to surface Persephone's dark and mysterious past and ruin her tenuous position in the land of the gods.

Despite agreeing to take it slow, Persephone and Hades find themselves inextricably drawn toward each other once more amid the chaos. The pull of fate cannot be denied.

This edition of Rachel Smythe's original Eisner-nominated webcomic Lore Olympus features exclusive behind-the-scenes content and brings the Greek pantheon into the modern age in a sharply perceptive and romantic graphic novel.

This volume collects episodes 76-102 of the #1 WEBTOON comic Lore Olympus. ]]> 416 Rachel Smythe 059360007X j 2 ⭐️⭐️��/ 4.49 2023
author: Rachel Smythe
name: j
average rating: 4.49
book published: 2023
rating: 2
read at: 2023/03/30
date added: 2023/04/01
shelves:
review:
⭐️⭐️��/
]]> 60149524 Witness what the gods do after dark in the third volume of a stylish and contemporary reimagining of one of the best-known stories in Greek mythology, featuring a brand-new, exclusive short story from creator Rachel Smythe.

"It is natural for a King to be curious about his future Queen. . . ."

All of Olympus--and the Underworld--are talking about the God of the Dead and the sprightly daughter of Demeter. But despite the rumors of their romance, Hades and Persephone have plenty to navigate on their own.

Since coming to Olympus, Persephone has struggled to be the perfect maiden goddess. Her attraction to Hades has only complicated the intense burden of the gods' expectations. And after Apollo's assault, Persephone fears she can no longer bury the intense feelings of hurt and love that she's worked so hard to hide.

As Persephone contemplates her future, Hades struggles with his past, falling back into toxic habits in Minthe's easy embrace. With all the mounting pressure and expectations--of their family, friends, and enemies--both Hades and Persephone tell themselves to deny their deepest desires, but the pull between them is too tempting, too magnetic. It's fate.

This full-color edition of Smythe's original Eisner-nominated webcomic Lore Olympus brings Greek mythology into the modern age in a sharply perceptive and romantic graphic novel.

This volume collects episodes 50-75 of the #1 WEBTOON comic Lore Olympus.]]> 384 Rachel Smythe 0593160312 j 2 ⭐️⭐️��/ 4.47 2022
author: Rachel Smythe
name: j
average rating: 4.47
book published: 2022
rating: 2
read at: 2023/03/29
date added: 2023/04/01
shelves:
review:
⭐️⭐️��/
]]> 57717417
Persephone was ready to start a new life when she left the mortal realm for Olympus. However, she quickly discovered the dark side of her glamorous new home—from the relatively minor gossip threatening her reputation to a realm-shattering violation of her safety by the conceited Apollo—and she's struggling to find her footing in the fast-moving realm of the gods. Hades is also off balance, fighting against his burgeoning feelings for the young goddess of spring while maintaining his lonely rule of the Underworld. As the pair are drawn ever closer, they must untangle the twisted webs of their past and present to build toward a new future.

This edition of Smythe's original Eisner-nominated webcomic Lore Olympus features a brand-new, exclusive short story, and brings the Greek pantheon into the modern age in a sharply perceptive and romantic graphic novel.

This volume collects episodes 26��49 of the #1 WEBTOON comic Lore Olympus.]]> 368 Rachel Smythe 059335608X j 2 ⭐️⭐️��/ 4.42 2022
author: Rachel Smythe
name: j
average rating: 4.42
book published: 2022
rating: 2
read at: 2023/03/29
date added: 2023/04/01
shelves:
review:
⭐️⭐️��/
]]> 57282218
Persephone, young goddess of spring, is new to Olympus. Her mother, Demeter, has raised her in the mortal realm, but after Persephone promises to train as a sacred virgin, she’s allowed to live in the fast-moving, glamorous world of the gods. When her roommate, Artemis, takes her to a party, her entire life changes: she ends up meeting Hades and feels an immediate spark with the charming yet misunderstood ruler of the Underworld. Now Persephone must navigate the confusing politics and relationships that rule Olympus, while also figuring out her own place—and her own power.

This edition of Smythe’s original Eisner-winning webcomic Lore Olympus features a brand-new, exclusive short story, and brings the Greek Pantheon into the modern age in a sharply perceptive and romantic graphic novel.

This volume collects episodes 1-25 of the #1 WEBTOON comic, Lore Olympus.]]> 384 Rachel Smythe 0593160290 j 2 ⭐️⭐️��/ 4.23 2021
author: Rachel Smythe
name: j
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2021
rating: 2
read at: 2023/03/27
date added: 2023/04/01
shelves:
review:
⭐️⭐️��/
]]> 12954620
As the rulers of each kingdom grapple for power, the lives of their subjects are brutally transformed... and four key players, royals and rebels alike, find their fates forever intertwined. Cleo, Jonas, Lucia, and Magnus are caught in a dizzying world of treacherous betrayals, shocking murders, secret alliances, and even unforeseen love.

The only outcome that's certain is that kingdoms will fall. Who will emerge triumphant when all they know has collapsed?

It's the eve of war.... Choose your side.

Princess: Raised in pampered luxury, Cleo must now embark on a rough and treacherous journey into enemy territory in search of magic long thought extinct.

Rebel: Jonas, enraged at injustice, lashes out against the forces of oppression that have kept his country cruelly impoverished. To his shock, he finds himself the leader of a people's revolution centuries in the making.

Sorceress: Lucia, adopted at birth into the royal family, discovers the truth about her past—and the supernatural legacy she is destined to wield.

Heir: Bred for aggression and trained to conquer, firstborn son Magnus begins to realize that the heart can be more lethal than the sword....]]> 412 Morgan Rhodes 1595145842 j 0 to-read 3.78 2012
author: Morgan Rhodes
name: j
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2012
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/03/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 60683481 A god fighting his fate. A prince burdened with secrets. And a romance that could end in flames.

Apollo is a deity�� almost. Half mortal and refusing to take his position as god of the sun, he spends his nights drowning out haunting memories and his days avoiding responsibilities.

Until his father forces him into an ultimatum:

Ascend immediately.

Or spend the year mentoring under the obnoxious Prince Hyacinth.

Forced together, Apollo and Hyacinth grapple with their mutual disdain for each other.

But what starts as a kindling of irritation begins to burn into something new. A spark that, if it turns to flame, could incinerate everything they’ve always protected.

A reimagining of the Greek myth of Apollo and Prince Hyacinth, this NA, enemies-to-lovers fantasy series is a whirlwind journey full of romance, intrigue, and enthralling characters.]]> 368 Nicole Bailey j 4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3.79 2022
author: Nicole Bailey
name: j
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2023/03/21
date added: 2023/03/21
shelves:
review:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
]]> 60766189 A Day of Fallen Night, Samantha Shannon sweeps readers back to the universe of Priory of the Orange Tree and into the lives of four women, showing us a course of events that shaped their world for generations to come.

Tunuva Melim is a sister of the Priory. For fifty years, she has trained to slay wyrms �� but none have appeared since the Nameless One, and the younger generation is starting to question the Priory's purpose.

To the north, in the Queendom of Inys, Sabran the Ambitious has married the new King of Hróth, narrowly saving both realms from ruin. Their daughter, Glorian, trails in their shadow �� exactly where she wants to be.

The dragons of the East have slept for centuries. Dumai has spent her life in a Seiikinese mountain temple, trying to wake the gods from their long slumber. Now someone from her mother's past is coming to upend her fate.

When the Dreadmount erupts, bringing with it an age of terror and violence, these women must find the strength to protect humankind from a devastating threat.]]> 868 Samantha Shannon 1635577926 j 0 to-read 4.34 2023
author: Samantha Shannon
name: j
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/03/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 62991929
Roy Dawnseve, the prospective heir to his family’s manor, cares more for philosophy than battle. In a society that shuns literature and thrives on violence, his luck is wearing thin. But Roy is given a choice: he can join the frontlines and fight the mysterious soldiers invading Northgard’s shores—or he can search for answers to the enemy's identity within the Orphic Basilica, an ancient, abandoned library.

The Basilica isn’t without its horrors, though. Strange voices echo down the halls. The scent of mildew and death lingers in the air. And Roy’s only companion is Percival Atherton, a manipulative, enigmatic scholar who has no qualms about belittling Roy.

As a fierce snowstorm sinks its claws deeper into the city, Roy must grapple with the ghosts of his tormented past, an ageless conspiracy�� and a war he cannot seem to escape.

The first book in a dark epic fantasy series, Max Francis’s debut novel explores the mystical power of literature and the price of belief.]]> Max Francis 0646868888 j 0 to-read 4.68 2026
author: Max Francis
name: j
average rating: 4.68
book published: 2026
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/03/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 61250159 An imprisoned prince. A vengeful queen. And a battle that will determine the future of Elfhame.
��
Prince Oak is paying for his betrayal. Imprisoned in the icy north and bound to the will of a monstrous new queen, he must rely on charm and calculation to survive. With High King Cardan and High Queen Jude willing to use any means necessary to retrieve their stolen heir, Oak will have to decide whether to attempt regaining the trust of the girl he’s always loved or to remain loyal to Elfhame and hand over the means to end her reign—even if it means ending Wren, too.
��
��
With a new war looming on the horizon and treachery lurking in every corner, neither Oak’s guile nor his wit will be enough to keep everyone he loves alive. It’s just a question of whom he will doom.

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author Holly Black comes the stunning blood-soaked conclusion to the Stolen Heir duology.
��]]> 359 Holly Black 0316592730 j 0 to-read 3.88 2024
author: Holly Black
name: j
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/01/22
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 61364896 A runaway queen. A reluctant prince. And a quest that may destroy them both.

Eight years have passed since the Battle of the Serpent. But in the icy north, Lady Nore of the Court of Teeth, has reclaimed the Ice Needle Citadel. There she is using an ancient relic to create monsters of stick and snow who will do her bidding and exact her revenge.

Suren, child queen of the Court of Teeth, and the one person with power over her mother, fled to the human world, where she lives feral in the woods. Lonely, and still haunted by the merciless torments she endured in the Court of Teeth, she bides her time by releasing mortals from foolish bargains. She believes herself forgotten until the storm hag Bogdana chases her through the night streets. Suren is saved by none other than Prince Oak, heir to Elfhame, to whom she was once promised in marriage and who she has resented for years.

Now seventeen, Oak is charming, beautiful and manipulative. He's on a mission that will lead him into the north, and he wants Suren's help. But if she agrees, it will mean guarding her heart against the boy she once knew and a prince she cannot trust, as well as confronting all the horrors she thought she had left behind.]]> 368 Holly Black 1471410722 j 5 3.99 2023
author: Holly Black
name: j
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2023/01/22
date added: 2023/01/22
shelves:
review:
okay but good for wren tho like
]]> 52542477
When her twin sister Taryn shows up asking of a favor, Jude jumps at the chance to return to the Faerie world, even if it means facing Cardan, who she loves despite his betrayal.

When a dark curse is unveiled, Jude must become the first mortal Queen of Faerie and uncover how to break the curse, or risk upsetting the balance of the whole Faerie world.]]> 308 Holly Black 1471408507 j 5
This series definitely got better for me with each book and I loved it ]]> 4.32 2019
author: Holly Black
name: j
average rating: 4.32
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at: 2023/01/15
date added: 2023/01/16
shelves:
review:
I could not put this book down and devoured the last two books of this series in a week - I loved a lot about this series and despite being spoiled for this series, enjoyed it greatly :)

This series definitely got better for me with each book and I loved it
]]> 38237340 You must be strong enough to strike and strike and strike again without tiring.

The first lesson is to make yourself that strong.

Jude has bound the wicked king, Cardan, to her, and made herself the power behind the throne. Navigating the constantly shifting political alliances of Faerie would be difficult enough if Cardan were biddable. But he does everything in his power to humiliate and undermine her, even as his fascination with her remains undiminished.

When it becomes all too clear that someone close to Jude means to betray her, threatening her life and the lives of everyone she loves, Jude must uncover the traitor and fight her own complicated feelings for Cardan to maintain control as a mortal in a faerie world.]]> 322 Holly Black 0316310352 j 4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4.34 2019
author: Holly Black
name: j
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2023/01/10
date added: 2023/01/10
shelves:
review:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
]]> 61356566 In a fallen kingdom, one girl carries the key to discovering the secrets of her nation's past--and unleashing the demons that sleep at its heart. An epic fantasy series inspired by the mythology and folklore of ancient China.

Once, Lan had a different name. Now, she goes by the one the Elantian colonizers gave her when they invaded her kingdom, killed her mother, and outlawed her people's magic. She spends her nights as a songgirl in Haak'gong, a city transformed by the conquerors, and spends her days scavenging for remnants of the past. For anything that might help her understand the strange mark burned into her arm by her mother, in her last act before she died.

No one can see the mysterious mark--an untranslatable Hin character--except Lan. Until the night a boy appears at the teahouse and saves her life.

Zen is a practitioner--one of the fabled magicians of the Last Kingdom, whose abilities were rumored to be drawn from the demons they communed with. Magic believed to be long lost. Magic to be hidden from the Elantians at all costs.

When Zen comes across Lan's unusual qi, he recognizes what she is: a practitioner with a powerful ability hidden in the mark on her arm. He's never seen anything like it--but he knows: if there are answers, they lie deep in the pine forests and misty mountains of the Last Kingdom, with an order of practitioning masters planning to overthrow the Elantian regime.

Both Lan and Zen have secrets buried deep within. Fate has connected them, but their destiny remains unwritten. Both hold the power to liberate their land. And both hold the power to destroy the world.]]> 480 Amélie Wen Zhao 0593487508 j 0 to-read 3.88 2023
author: Amélie Wen Zhao
name: j
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/01/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 59332540 Not every love is meant to be...

After Jacks, the Prince of Hearts, betrays her, Evangeline Fox swears she’ll never trust him again. Now that she’s discovered her own magic, Evangeline believes she can use it to restore the chance at happily ever after that Jacks stole away.

But when a new terrifying curse is revealed, Evangeline finds herself entering into a tenuous partnership with the Prince of Hearts again. Only this time, the rules have changed. Jacks isn’t the only force Evangeline needs to be wary of. In fact, he might be the only one she can trust, despite her desire to despise him.

Instead of a love spell wreaking havoc on Evangeline’s life, a murderous spell has been cast. To break it, Evangeline and Jacks will have to do battle with old friends, new foes, and a magic that plays with heads and hearts. Evangeline has always trusted her heart, but this time she’s not sure she can. . . .]]> 416 Stephanie Garber 1529380960 j 5 fantasy-faves 4.56 2022
author: Stephanie Garber
name: j
average rating: 4.56
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2022/12/31
date added: 2022/12/31
shelves: fantasy-faves
review:

]]> 61830935
Imprisoned at Tiergan’s castle, Maren struggles to protect herself and the innocents at court from his cruelty. It’s a tricky thing because if she hurts him, the act harms her through the Bond. She only hopes that Kynan is successful in his quest for the crystal that can take the place of her Bond with Tiergan. While she awaits news, she secretly tests the limits of her power as Awenydd and begins to learn what it truly means to be a queen.

Kynan sails the cursed Dark Sea, seeking the Calon y Dderwen alongside Maren’s chosen kin. As if a needle in the haystack search wasn’t difficult enough, Kynan must avoid a legendary sea monster and untangle the mysteries of the foul magic that hovers over the water. He failed a Bonded mate in the past. That cannot be allowed to happen again. He must atone for his past sins.

Neither of them will give up, but the dangers they face might force them to do just that.

Perfect for fans of Sylvia Mercedes' BRIDE OF THE SHADOW KING and J.M. Kearl's BOW TO THE ELF QUEEN, the final book in this duology is packed with dark elves, banter, magical adventure, fantasy creatures, and steamy-sweet romance in an epic medieval setting.]]> 314 Alisha Klapheke j 4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️��/ 4.00
author: Alisha Klapheke
name: j
average rating: 4.00
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2022/12/25
date added: 2022/12/25
shelves:
review:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️��/
]]> 59448793
But when Maren learns she is the legendary seer of the Underworld, everything changes. She discovers a magical poison spreading, and the only way to save both realms from complete destruction is to bind her power with the king’s to heal the land through their union.

Maren isn’t heartless. Of course, she’ll sacrifice herself to save her beloved family and the world. And her feelings for the protective, mercurial shadow king are changing��

When another shadow lord steals the key to the king’s power and demands Maren’s hand in marriage, she realizes what evil truly looks like in the Underworld.

Now, she must either fight alongside the king and hope they don’t run out of time to save the realms, or surrender to the evil lord and stop the poison’s spread before it’s too late.

Maren can still save the realms, but it will require a true sacrifice of the heart.

If you like steamy-sweet, enemies to lovers fantasy romance loosely inspired by Hades and Persephone and Pride and Prejudice with brooding love interests, feisty female leads, and powerful friendships, this book is for you.

Dive into this rich new world today!

*This duology is set in the same world as Kingdoms of Lore and Dragons Rising but readers can easily start with this book.]]> 342 Alisha Klapheke 1736183397 j 4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 3.35
author: Alisha Klapheke
name: j
average rating: 3.35
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2022/12/19
date added: 2022/12/19
shelves:
review:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/
]]> 45046766
Guilt stricken and scarred, Enebish tries to be grateful for her sanctuary, until her adoptive sister, Imperial Army commander Ghoa, returns from the war front with a tantalizing offer. If Enebish can capture the notorious criminal, Temujin, whose band of rebels has been seizing army supply wagons, not only will her crimes be pardoned, she will be reinstated as a warrior.

Enebish eagerly accepts. But as she hunts Temujin across the tundra, she discovers the tides of war have shifted, and the supplies he’s stealing are the only thing keeping thousands of shepherds from starving. Torn between duty and conscience, Enebish must decide whether to put her trust in the charismatic rebel or her beloved sister. No matter who she chooses, an even greater enemy is advancing, ready to bring the empire to its knees.]]> 391 Addie Thorley 1624148883 j 0 to-read 3.75 2020
author: Addie Thorley
name: j
average rating: 3.75
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/12/08
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 55047141 Football Legend.
Notorious Playboy.
Sarcasm Extraordinaire.

I had everything you could ever want.
The career some would die for.
The friends that always have my back.
And an unmatched level of charm.

I never planned on settling down.
There wasn't ever a reason to.
Or at least that's what I thought,
Until she came barreling back into my life.

With long brown hair and hazel eyes,
She has the ability to disarm me with a single look.
And the little girl attached to her side?
She's the shock I never knew I wanted.

The biggest mistake of my life.
The only woman I've ever loved.
If she were to say the words,
I might just give up everything for her.]]> 203 Kelsey Clayton j 1 At the end of the day, what’s the bloody point of writing a romance if the love interest is unlikable ]]> 3.72 2020
author: Kelsey Clayton
name: j
average rating: 3.72
book published: 2020
rating: 1
read at: 2022/10/11
date added: 2022/10/11
shelves:
review:
⭐️/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
At the end of the day, what’s the bloody point of writing a romance if the love interest is unlikable
]]> 59733509 If she loses, she becomes his queen, and he unleashes war across Earth and Tir n’Aill alike. If she wins, he dies. The answer seems clear. But then why can’t she bring herself to want victory?

The longer Abigail wanders through his Maze of Shadows, the less sure she becomes of anything—allies, enemies, wrong, right, evil, good, hate…and love. With every twist and turn, her heart is more fully trapped in his snare.

Facing the choice of whether to win—and kill the Bloody Prince—or lose and become his queen, Abigail can’t decide which is worse. In fact, she is starting to think that she might no longer want to win at all.

No matter the cost.]]> 296 Kathryn Ann Kingsley j 1 3.93 2021
author: Kathryn Ann Kingsley
name: j
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2021
rating: 1
read at: 2022/09/19
date added: 2022/09/19
shelves:
review:
only read because i was bored lol
]]> 56251143 From Stephanie Garber, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Caraval, Once Upon a Broken Heart is the first book in a new series about love, curses, and the lengths that people will go to for happily ever after.

Evangeline Fox was raised in her beloved father’s curiosity shop, where she grew up on legends about immortals, like the tragic Prince of Hearts. She knows his powers are mythic, his kiss is worth dying for, and that bargains with him rarely end well.

But when Evangeline learns that the love of her life is about to marry another, she becomes desperate enough to offer the Prince of Hearts whatever he wants in exchange for his help to stop the wedding. The prince only asks for three kisses. But after Evangeline’s first promised kiss, she learns that the Prince of Hearts wants far more from her than she’s pledged. And he has plans for Evangeline that will either end in the greatest happily ever after, or the most exquisite tragedy…]]> 403 Stephanie Garber 1529380901 j 5 4.12 2021
author: Stephanie Garber
name: j
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at: 2021/11/02
date added: 2022/08/26
shelves:
review:
this book was amazing and i read it so quickly, i could not put it down, i love so much about it - the many many plot twists, evangeline, the magic in it and more. i read it so quick and i just know i’m gonna have a book hangover now that i’ve finished it, please go read it this was amazing
]]> 60738936 Sleeping Beauty meets A Court of Thorns and Roses in this twisted fantasy romance retelling, perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Jennifer L. Armentrout, and Raven Kennedy.

After 100 years, I awake not to true love’s kiss, but to a blade at my throat.

Enchanted into an eternal slumber to escape an evil fae, Thorne is awakened, not by true love’s kiss, but by a man with a sword at her throat. So she does the only thing a princess can do—nails him in the balls and sticks him with a dagger.

But something has gone wrong because now her entire family isn’t waking up and Ronan, a warrior from an enemy kingdom, arrives on her doorstep seeking answers she doesn’t want to give.

Bent on revenge, the evil fae returns to claim the princess and kill everyone asleep in the castle. So Thorne strikes a bargain—thirty days to break the curse or Thorne becomes her property forever. But Thorne has no idea how to break a hundred-year-old spell that’s gone awry.

As time ticks away and she scrambles for a solution, her feelings for Ronan become entwined in her fate. Now she must find a way to protect her heart, save herself, and rescue everyone she’s ever loved.

This is a standalone fantasy romance with a happily ever after.]]> 400 Nisha J. Tuli j 0 to-read 3.48 2022
author: Nisha J. Tuli
name: j
average rating: 3.48
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/08/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 58604952
Achilles, “best of all the Greeks,�� is everything Patroclus is not—strong, beautiful, the child of a goddess—and by all rights their paths should never cross. Yet one day, Achilles takes the shamed prince under his wing and soon their tentative connection gives way to a steadfast friendship. As they grow into young men skilled in the arts of war and medicine, their bond blossoms into something far deeper—despite the displeasure of Achilles�� mother Thetis, a cruel sea goddess with a hatred of mortals.

Fate is never far from the heels of Achilles. When word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, the men of Greece are called upon to lay siege to Troy in her name. Seduced by the promise of a glorious destiny, Achilles joins their cause. Torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus follows Achilles into war, little knowing that the years that follow will test everything they have learned, everything they hold dear. And that, before he is ready, he will be forced to surrender his friend to the hands of Fate.

Profoundly moving and breathtakingly original, this rendering of the epic Trojan War is a dazzling feat of the imagination, a devastating love story, and an almighty battle between gods and kings, peace and glory, immortal fame and the human heart.]]> 384 Madeline Miller 1526648172 j 0 to-read 4.40 2011
author: Madeline Miller
name: j
average rating: 4.40
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/08/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 27774758 Alternative Cover Edition #1

Laia is a slave. Elias is a soldier. Neither is free.
��
Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear.
��
It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire’s impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They’ve seen what happens to those who do.
��
But when Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire’s greatest military academy.
��
There, Laia meets Elias, the school’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined—and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself.

From the Hardcover edition.]]> 446 Sabaa Tahir j 0 to-read 4.23 2015
author: Sabaa Tahir
name: j
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/08/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 38094551 416 Tahereh Mafi 140529177X j 5 In conclusion I love juliette so much, I love warner, I love kenji, Adam is annoying and warnette is a power couple.
This would be rated 5 stars if it wasn’t for adam stressing me out by being an asshole to Juliette (I know we are meant to hate Adam but him being so horrible stressed me out and made me put the book down so often ]]> 4.55 2014
author: Tahereh Mafi
name: j
average rating: 4.55
book published: 2014
rating: 5
read at: 2022/08/11
date added: 2022/08/11
shelves:
review:
4.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️��
In conclusion I love juliette so much, I love warner, I love kenji, Adam is annoying and warnette is a power couple.
This would be rated 5 stars if it wasn’t for adam stressing me out by being an asshole to Juliette (I know we are meant to hate Adam but him being so horrible stressed me out and made me put the book down so often
]]> 40832169 In a lush, contemporary fantasy retelling of Beauty and the Beast, Brigid Kemmerer gives readers another compulsively readable romance perfect for fans of Marissa Meyer.

Fall in love, break the curse.

It once seemed so easy to Prince Rhen, the heir to Emberfall. Cursed by a powerful enchantress to repeat the autumn of his eighteenth year over and over, he knew he could be saved if a girl fell for him. But that was before he learned that at the end of each autumn, he would turn into a vicious beast hell-bent on destruction. That was before he destroyed his castle, his family, and every last shred of hope.

Nothing has ever been easy for Harper. With her father long gone, her mother dying, and her brother barely holding their family together while constantly underestimating her because of her cerebral palsy, she learned to be tough enough to survive. But when she tries to save someone else on the streets of Washington, DC, she's instead somehow sucked into Rhen's cursed world.

Break the curse, save the kingdom.

A prince? A monster? A curse? Harper doesn't know where she is or what to believe. But as she spends time with Rhen in this enchanted land, she begins to understand what's at stake. And as Rhen realizes Harper is not just another girl to charm, his hope comes flooding back. But powerful forces are standing against Emberfall . . . and it will take more than a broken curse to save Harper, Rhen, and his people from utter ruin.]]> 496 Brigid Kemmerer 1681195100 j 3 i wanted to speed read it to make sure everyone was okay and everything turned out just fine, or to find out what was going to happen next, but at the same time i never wanted it to end and i wanted to stay with the characters for ever.
I think this was amazing but if you will buy it i recommend just buying the first book because i feel like there isn’t much left to delve into for the next two books and also due to other reviewers i do not want to risk ruining my opinion or how i see the characters. ]]> 4.04 2019
author: Brigid Kemmerer
name: j
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2019
rating: 3
read at: 2021/09/21
date added: 2022/07/30
shelves:
review:
i loved it a lot, i loved the characters and the plot and the last 100 pages had me speed reading and screaming in my room because i was so attached to the characters. i’m kinda sad i’ve finished it however i don’t think i’ll be reading the sequels - i feel like there’s not enough plot that can be carried on for two more books and as much as i love harper rhen and grey, from what i’ve heard the books spoil those characters and i love those three so i shall not be ruining that. anywho, i loved this so much as a stand alone and i will probably re read sometime in the future. i loved the use of dual pov, i feel like it was carried out perfectly. i love many of the characters and the writing made me so engrossed in them and the plot, i loved this book a lot and i shall miss the characters,
i wanted to speed read it to make sure everyone was okay and everything turned out just fine, or to find out what was going to happen next, but at the same time i never wanted it to end and i wanted to stay with the characters for ever.
I think this was amazing but if you will buy it i recommend just buying the first book because i feel like there isn’t much left to delve into for the next two books and also due to other reviewers i do not want to risk ruining my opinion or how i see the characters.
]]> 60581370
The lost Heir of Jasad, Sylvia never wants to be found. She can’t think about how Nizahl’s armies laid waste to her kingdom and continue to hunt its people—not if she wants to stay alive. But when Arin, the Nizahl Heir, tracks a group of Jasadi rebels to her village, staying one step ahead of death gets trickier.

In a moment of anger Sylvia’s magic is exposed, capturing Arin’s attention. Now, to save her life, Sylvia will have to make a deal with her greatest enemy. If she helps him lure the rebels, she’ll escape persecution.

A deadly game begins. Sylvia can’t let Arin discover her identity even as hatred shifts into something more. Soon, Sylvia will have to choose between the life she wants and the one she left behind. The scorched kingdom is rising, and it needs a queen.

In this Egyptian-inspired debut fantasy, a fugitive queen strikes a deadly bargain with her greatest enemy and finds herself embroiled in a complex game that could resurrect her scorched kingdom or leave it in ashes forever. ]]> 523 Sara Hashem 0316477869 j 0 to-read 3.95 2023
author: Sara Hashem
name: j
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/07/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 55923578 A darkly enchanting fantasy debut about a morally gray witch, a cursed prince, and a prophecy that ignites their fate-twisted destinies—perfect for fans of The Cruel Prince and Serpent & Dove.

Violet is a prophet and a liar, influencing the royal court with her cleverly phrased—and not always true—divinations. Honesty is for suckers, like the oh-so-not charming Prince Cyrus, who plans to strip Violet of her official role once he’s crowned at the end of the summer—unless Violet does something about it.

But when the king asks her to falsely prophesy Cyrus’s love story for an upcoming ball, Violet awakens a dreaded curse, one that will end in either damnation or salvation for the kingdom—all depending on the prince’s choice of future bride. Violet faces her own choice: Seize an opportunity to gain control of her own destiny, no matter the cost, or give in to the ill-fated attraction that’s growing between her and Cyrus.

Violet’s wits may protect her in the cutthroat court, but they can’t change her fate. And as the boundary between hatred and love grows ever thinner with the prince, Violet must untangle a wicked web of deceit in order to save herself and the kingdom—or doom them all.]]> 364 Gina Chen j 0 to-read 3.50 2022
author: Gina Chen
name: j
average rating: 3.50
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/07/15
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 14061955 Alternative Cover Edition #1

Darkness never dies.

Hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she took on the Fold, Alina must try to make a life with Mal in an unfamiliar land, all while keeping her identity as the Sun Summoner a secret. But she can’t outrun her past or her destiny for long.

The Darkling has emerged from the Shadow Fold with a terrifying new power and a dangerous plan that will test the very boundaries of the natural world. With the help of a notorious privateer, Alina returns to the country she abandoned, determined to fight the forces gathering against Ravka. But as her power grows, Alina slips deeper into the Darkling’s game of forbidden magic, and farther away from Mal. Somehow, she will have to choose between her country, her power, and the love she always thought would guide her—or risk losing everything to the oncoming storm.]]> 435 Leigh Bardugo j 3 3.81 2013
author: Leigh Bardugo
name: j
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2013
rating: 3
read at: 2021/05/09
date added: 2022/03/27
shelves:
review:

]]> 26032825 Of course I want to be like them. They’re beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. They will live forever.

And Cardan is even more beautiful than the rest. I hate him more than all the others. I hate him so much that sometimes when I look at him, I can hardly breathe.

Jude was seven when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.

To win a place at the Court, she must defy him–and face the consequences.

As Jude becomes more deeply embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, she discovers her own capacity for trickery and bloodshed. But as betrayal threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself.]]> 370 Holly Black 0316310271 j 3 4.01 2018
author: Holly Black
name: j
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2018
rating: 3
read at: 2021/07/20
date added: 2022/03/27
shelves:
review:

]]> 59248399
Valroy will let nothing block his path to the Unseelie Crown. He was born for the crown, born in blood and death, and he is willing to stop at nothing to see both Tir n’Aill and Earth as his dominion, and crushing the self-righteous Seelie beneath his bootheels.

He’d wished for Abigail to stand beside him as his queen, but that went terribly wrong when she chose death over becoming his bride. It was a setback, certainly, but not one he could not overcome.

Yet despite being wrenched from the song of life, Abigail returned to Tir n’Aill, only to be hunted by both Seelie and Unseelie alike. She did not know why she was returned or for what purpose, but it was clear that two paths lay before her: to become Valroy’s enemy, or to allow him to make her his queen in chains.]]> 280 Kathryn Ann Kingsley j 1 3.71 2021
author: Kathryn Ann Kingsley
name: j
average rating: 3.71
book published: 2021
rating: 1
read at: 2022/03/27
date added: 2022/03/27
shelves:
review:

]]> 58857045 As the son of the Morrigan and heir to the vacant Unseelie throne, Valroy itches to shed the mantle of prince and take his place as King. To his great regret one ancient tradition stands in his way, demanding he first take a bride. With all the members of the Unseelie court proving to be insufferable, what is a prince to do?

Steal a human, of course.

Abigail often wonders if the townsfolk aren’t right in calling her cursed. Abandoned by her husband and with no family to call her own, everything in her life hangs by a thread. Never did she expect her downfall would come by taking pity on an old hermit. Abducted into the dangerous world of Tir n’Aill, Abigail is thrust into a terrifying maze that defies all logic. There, she finds herself at the mercy of an Unseelie prince with a strange offer—survive his maze and he’ll give her the solution to all her problems��

If she can live that long.]]> 338 Kathryn Ann Kingsley j 1 3.99 2021
author: Kathryn Ann Kingsley
name: j
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2021
rating: 1
read at: 2022/03/17
date added: 2022/03/19
shelves:
review:

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