Tag: fantasy

Review: Kingdom of Exiles

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Book CoverKingdom of Exiles by Maxym M. Martineau
My Rating: 4.5-Stars
 Genre: Fantasy Romance
 Release Date: June 25, 2019
 Formats: eBook ($6), Paperback ($7)

Kingdom of Exiles is a unique, action-packed fantasy romance. The strong start to this series promises that great things will follow.

Leena Edenfrell is a Charmer, a person who can tame magical beasts of varying classes. “Taming” sounds simpler than it is, too — sometimes the act requires self-sacrifice or willingness to endanger oneself. An unfortunate circumstance led to Leena being exiled from her homeland and she seeks a way to return home. Continue reading “Review: Kingdom of Exiles” →

Review: Holy Crap! The World is Ending!

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Book CoverHoly Crap! The World is Ending! (Anunnaki Chronicles #1) by Anna-Marie Abell
My Rating: 3.5-Stars
Genre: Romance, Sci-Fi, Fantasy
Release Date: September 21, 2017
Formats: Kindle Unlimited, eBook ($3), paperback ($16), hardcover ($29)

Unique, bizarre, interesting, funny, outlandish. Non-spoiler alert: the Earth is going to be destroyed.

I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was angry when I originally finished Holy Crap!, but at the time it was unclear on Netgalley that it was book one of a trilogy. The author reached out and explained this, and with that understanding the unresolved ending makes sense. However, consider that a warning if you’re someone who doesn’t like diving into a series before it’s completed.

The president has announced that Earth is going to collide with a rogue moon, and in the process, our entire planet is going to be smashed to bits. As one would expect, upon hearing this news, humans went ballistic. It was as if every sports team in the world lost their championship game at the same time. No car was left unrolled—but oddly enough, Taco Bell remained open and made unfathomable profits in the last days. Apparently, Doritos Locos® Tacos were a popular last meal.

Continue reading “Review: Holy Crap! The World is Ending!” →

A Month of Reading: April Book Reviews (Part Two)

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Picking up where I left off yesterday, today’s batch of books include both fantasy and romance titles:

Fantasy – Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell and White Sand Volume 1 (graphic novel).

Romance – Fire in His Kiss (also fantasy), the new Beauty novella quartet (also fantasy), Sonata for a Scoundrel, and Wrong Turn, Right Direction.

Reviews are in order of date read. (My star ratings are explained here.)

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Fire in His Kiss  by Ruby Dixon 4.5-Stars

I reviewed the first book in Dixon’s newest post-apocalyptic dragons-on-Earth series last month and while it was enjoyable, I was left unimpressed with the world building and had hoped Dixon would start explaining why, or at least who, these dragons are. With Fire in His Kiss she managed to do just that.

“Emma pulls out her gun with shaking hands and points it at Dakh. ‘W-what the f*ck is he?'”

This book reveals quite a bit about the dragons’ past lives before they were forced onto Earth. The exact cause of the cataclysmic event called the Rift is still unknown, but that’s okay–for now. We also discover ways that non-fort dwellers are hiding from attracting the attention of dragons.

“This is about my survival, and I’m just going to have to suck it up. Women have been trading their bodies for safety ever since the Rift. I’m no different from any of them at the end of the day.”

Continue reading “A Month of Reading: April Book Reviews (Part Two)” →

A Month of Reading: March Book Reviews

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Unlike most semesters, I found time to read during the mid-semester crunch, and so I took full advantage of it. Between reading and obsessively trying for 100% achievement completion in Banished I don’t have time for individual reviews, so instead I’m giving a brief summation of my impressions for each book. Titles include:

Romance – Barbarian’s Redemption, Fire in His Blood, Collide, Apricot Kisses, seven books from the Morna’s Legacy series, Scandalous Desires, and It’s Complicated.

Fantasy – Only the Stones Survive, The Graveyard Book, Collide (heavy genre overlap), A Darker Shade of Magic, and A Gathering of Shadows.

Reviews are in order of date read. (My star ratings are explained here.)

Only the Stones Survive by Morgan Llywelyn 1.5-Stars

It took me two weeks to finish this book, and then only because I brought it as my only form of entertainment (by that point, nearly halfway through it) on a trip with a four hour layover followed by a four hour flight. I’m still not quite sure what this story was about. The characters were forgettable and far too numerous for the book’s length and the plot dragged. Every time it finally would get interesting, the viewpoint would shift. I give the story one star for its world-building and a half star for being readable (even if it was boring). If you’re into Irish mythology the book may intrigue you, otherwise I’d give it a pass.

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Review: The Emperor’s Soul

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The Emperor's SoulThe Emperor’s Soul by Brandon Sanderson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read The Emperor’s Soul back in February 2015, and re-read it as the first story introduced in Sanderson’s Arcanum Unbounded: The Cosmere Collection.

The story follows Shai, a Forger that can copy and change items by rewriting their history. Imprisoned and about to be executed, the arbiters offer her a deal: Forge a new soul for the emperor in exchange for her freedom. During the months she has to complete this task she discovers the depths and deceits of those who surround the emperor.

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