***I received an advance review copy of The Throne of Broken Gods from Rose & Star Publishing and the author, Amber Nicole, but am leaving this review voluntarily***
Disclaimer – This is an adult fantasy romance. Triggers include loss of a loved one, grief, profanity, sex, death/murder/gore. Please make sure to be mindful of your triggers.
Blurb
“Then, Samkiel, you will know this is how the world ends.” But it was not this world. No, it was mine. It was Dianna.
The world quakes in fear as the last shred of Dianna’s humanity is ripped from her. As it should. Grief consumes Dianna, burning away any semblance of good within her and threatening the budding relationship between her and Liam. Now, Liam must pull her back from the brink of complete damnation before time runs out.
My Review
First off, thank you so much to Rose & Star Publishing and Amber Nicole for an eARC of this chaotic masterpiece.
After the heartbreaking cliffhanger in Book 1, Dianna is on a bloodthirsty rampage, seeking to destroy any and everyone who played a part in what happened to her sister Gabby. Her emotions were all over the place, and she truly started to become the monster everyone believed her to be. But I absolutely loved Dianna as the villain. Through everything, Samkiel never once gave up on her, even though she was constantly pushing him away, attempting to unalive him, and destroying everything in her path while seeking her revenge.
Side Characters for the Win!
I fell in love with the side characters through their POVs. And watching Dianna work through her grief, feelings of betrayal, and moments of vulnerability, while trying to develop relationships with members of The Hand and figure out her feelings for Samkiel really brought out all of the feels, and left me wanting to climb into the book and take away her pain.
Although both book 2 was LONG, (I’m talking 700 pages long), Amber thoroughly immerses you into the story and the characters’ world, making it incredibly difficult to put the book down and adult.
Prepare Yourself
Book 2 picked my heart up off of the ground after book 1s cliffy and proceeded to shred it to pieces before slowly putting it back together again. And right when things started falling back into place and my heart felt somewhat whole again, plot turns hit, leaving me with more heartache, another cliff hanger and so many questions. So grab your tissue box, and prepare yourself for another emotional ride.
Have you read The Book of Azrael yet? If so, are you ready for the pain of The Throne of Broken Gods? Let me know in the comments below, and we’ll chat soon!
Disclosure – All reviews and opinions, are my own. If you make a purchase through my referral links, I may earn a small commissions from Amazon, and/or other retailers at no extra cost to you.
I received an ARC copy of Under Darkened Skies from the author, in exchange for an honest review.
Disclaimer – This is an Upper Young Adult Fantasy. Triggers include fantasy and magical violence, references to parental death, imperialism, war, gambling, and drug use, alcohol consumption, panic attacks and anxiety, and stalking. Please make sure to be mindful of your triggers.
Blurb
A librarian with a secret. A prince looking for redemption. A dark discovery that will force them to confront their truths.
Astrea Sovna is destined to die. As a Lightbringer, she’s expected to serve the Helosian government as a battlefield healer. But when the court seer—Astrea’s uncle—has a vision of her being killed in the line of duty, he forbids her to reveal her powers.
Until now, Astrea has gone unnoticed as a junior librarian. But when she gets reassigned to a diplomatic project to strengthen ties between Helosia and one of its neighbors, she finds herself saddled with her past, in the form of returned war hero and her ex-best friend, Prince Varojin Auris.
Forced to work together, Astrea soon learns that although Varojin has been out of her life for years, he’s still the kind, patient friend she remembers. As they navigate old friendships and imperial politics, the pair discovers that the mysterious shadows stalking the city are leaving a trail of murder victims in their wake. And when Astrea becomes a target, a dear friend gets caught in the crossfire…
As Astrea and Varojin begin searching for answers, they realize there is more to the emperor’s project than political niceties. If the shadows aren’t stopped, Astrea’s future—and the security of the entire continent—hangs in the balance.
My Review
If you take some royal political drama, elemental magic, secret magic, sloooooow burn romance, and a bit of a mystery and mix it together, you get Under Darkened Skies. UDS is an upper YA debut novel from H.E. Bauman and although I tend to stay away from YA, I can’t wait to read the rest of this series. (The author has also promised us some spice in the future!)
The beginning of the novel did feel a bit slow. However, the pacing of the world building, and learning about the magical and political systems were perfectly timed. Although there was a lot of information to try and grasp, it never felt overwhelming or like the author info dumped it on us.
Our FMC, Astrea, is a junior librarian who is also best friends with the royal family. She has a powerful magic that she’s been keeping hidden her whole life. If the Emperor ever found out about Astra’s secret, it could be the end of the life as she knows it.
The world and emotions were all so vivid. I felt truly immersed into the story even while I was waiting on the action to start. Once I got to about to 40-50% mark, things really started to take off.
We love a good forced proximity story
Jin is one of the royal siblings, and former best friend to Astrea. But after leaving for the war several years ago, without even saying goodbye, Astrea tries to avoid him at all cost when he comes home. (she does have her childish moments, but don’t we all?) But when the emperor assigns Jin and Astrea to work together on a special project, she has no choice but to finally begin addressing her hurt feelings and issues with Jin. (It takes her awhile to get to that point, but she eventually begins to let her guard down and open up to Jin)
The magic system and the relationship between Astrea and Jin were by far my favorite parts of the book. But Cressida’s sass was a close second.
Book 1 was character driven, with plenty of plot points and suspense to keep you on the edge of your seat. Now that we know the characters, and have fallen in love with a few of them, I can’t wait to see how the rest of the series plays out for Astrea and her friends. Book 1 did end on a slight cliff hanger, but thankfully nothing that completely ripped my heart out. If you’re looking for a fantasy novel with a vivid magical system, found family, and slow burn romance, I suggest checking out Under Darkened Skies.
What to expect
✔️ 1920s Vibes
✔️ Elemental Magic
✔️ Unsolved Murders
✔️ Fake Dating
✔️ One Bed
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 / 5
0 🌶️ – but again, the author has promised spice in future books, so prepare yourself for a slow burn
Don’t forget to check out H.E. Bauman’s website and follow her on Instagram to stay up to date on the entire Under Darkened Skies series.
Be sure to check out the Under Darkened Skies playlist on Spotify to give you all the vibes while you’re reading!
Let’s Chat!
Does the Under Darkened Skies series sound like your jam? If you’ve read it, let me know your thoughts in the comments, but keep it spoiler free! Until next time…
I received an ARC copy of Forbidden: Part One from the author, in exchange for an honest review.
OK, where do I even begin… Forbidden by Emilia Emerson was my first Omegaverse read, and in my opinion, was a fantastic introduction to the genre. The story is set in a dystrophia world, where Alpha’s pretty much run everything and the government is becoming more and more corrupt, and trying to take away what little freedoms Omegas have.
Alphas are controlling, manipulative, and the top of society, Omegas are seen as weak, overly emotional, and only exist to serve Alphas, and Beta’s are considered the lowest class of society.
Josie, our FMC, has been through so much in her life. Her parents despise her, she struggles with constantly being told she’s overweight, and a failure, the “boarding school” they sent her to was absuive, and she experienced unthinkable things during her time there. When she finally made it out, and away from her parents, her main goal was to keep her head down and survive.
Unfortuanetley, as the Government continues to take control of the world she lives in, Josie is forced to choose a pack. Something she has taken black market measures to ensure she avoided for years.
When faced with an option of choosing a pack her parents selected, or choosing one that an unlikely ally has recommended, Josie chooses the lesser of two evils in Pack Ashwood.
Josie is basically fighting for her life while also dealing with serious body image and self love issues ingrained in her by her parents, while trying to adjust to being a part of a pack and trusting her alphas and the way that she feels being around them.
Around the 40-50% range, I started feeling like “what now?” Kind of like the plot sort of disappeared. Things were going well, Josie was getting comfortable with the guys, and that was about it. It felt like I was waiting on the other shoe to fall.
The focus on Josie’s pack adjustment phase, although it was only a week or two (I think) seemed a bit drawn out. I know she needed to adjust and omegas are seen as “needy” and “emotional” but there were moments where Josie frustrated me with her neediness and needing reassurance constantly. The guys were obviously head over heels obsessed with her, but because of her past, she struggled believing almost anything they said. Like I said, this was my first Omegaverse, so I’m not sure if that is typical of all Omegas, are just Josie and the Omegas in the Forbidden world.
As the story progressed, that looming feeling of something disastrous coming kept popping up in my head, and there were several times where I felt like Pack Ashwood were walking into a trap, and everything would fall apart, and I was wrong every single time, until the cliff hanger of an ending! I knew something was coming, but I definitely did not expect the turn that the story took as the book came to an end. And now I’m left sitting on pins and needles, waiting for Part Two to release, so that I can know that everything hopefully turns out ok.
For a debut novel, and as my introduction to Omegaverses, I think the author did a great job. The characters were well developed, the world and the government were explained well, and the spice was descriptive and steamy without being cringey or predictable. There were some moments that felt a little slow, pace wise, but I resonated so much with some of Josie’s self love and body image struggles, and seeing the way her pack loved and cared for her, even in a world where she was considered “defective” and not good enough, to me, made up for the occasional lull in pace.
I can’t wait to start Part Two in the coming weeks!
I received an ARC copy of Living Legend from Grey’s Promotions, in exchange for an honest review.
Heaven’s Gate has a demon problem, and the higher ups call in their favorite sentry to discreetly solve their issue while also bringing in a soul seething demon and her violence obsessed, fellow demon, to assist. Living Legend is full of action, banter, spotlight stealing side characters, and slow burn spice, that leaves you wanting more.
Angels and demons on the same team? What could go wrong?
Dani is the definition of a strong and confident female main character and I absolutely loved her. She is completely and unapologetically herself and will not change that for anyone. Not even the handsome angel that has caught her eye and her body’s attention. But the tension, banter, and side character dynamics absolutely made this story for me. Elise & Reese definitely need their own book. Elise is a psychotic demon, that doesn’t do “friends” and is absolutely my favorite character behind Dani.
Nick is the dark-haired, sentry favorite of the executive angels, and Reese is his mouthy, flirtatious, and extremely loyal, best friend. They unwillingly team up with demons, Dani and Elise, to discover who is letting demons into Heaven’s Gate, and discreetly stop it.
The world building gives you just enough details without overwhelming you with facts like some fantasy books can easily do. The story was action packed, with plot twists at every turn. I had suspects on my list and almost every time I thought I knew who was behind it all, I was wrong. The spice was definitely slow burn and full of tension, as any slow burn book should be, but it was also short lived. I found myself wanting more spicy scenes as the story unfolded throughout the second half.
The overall pacing of the story felt slow in the beginning, but once I hit the 50-60% point in the book, it took off, and I couldn’t put it down.
I wouldn’t say the story ended on a huge cliffhanger, but that epilogue absolutely has me anxious for Book 2. I can’t wait to see where Dani and Nicks journey goes, and hope we get some POVs from Elise and Reese in the sequel.
Check out Living Legend, by Allie Shante, if you’re looking for ✔️ A strong, confident FMC ✔️Enemies to lovers ✔️Slow-burn romance ✔️Forced proximity ✔️Dual POV ✔️Angels, Demons, and magic
She’s been called from her place in the darkness to aid the side of good in the last place she wants to be…
Dani, groomed by Lilith herself, has long been spreading horror in the murk of purgatory. She never asked to be summoned to Heaven’s Gate and never expected to be charged with the stubbornly attractive angel Nicholas as her partner. Though, with a face like his to look at, Dani isn’t about to complain. The lines between good and evil are shifting. Dani discovers that, lurking in her familiar darkness, are secrets she would never have guessed at and doesn’t understand. Now she must ask herself, who is a demon supposed to trust?
He’ll have to join forces with the last entity he expected… but sometimes true loyalty lies in the most unexpected places.
Nicholas is a sentry angel yet to see actual combat, so it comes as a surprise when he’s summoned by the highest angelic executive. The bigger shock is being forced to rally together with an alluring demon he can’t get out of his head. But as allegiances are tested, Nicholas discovers a lot is hiding between the boundaries of good and evil. Side by side, Nicholas and Dani must fight the unknown… in whatever form it takes.
Allie Shante was born and raised in Georgia and graduated from Georgia State University with a biology degree. While science was fun, books have always been apart of her heart and writing right up there with it. When she’s not reading and writing confident females and stubborn men, she enjoys being an over protective dog mom and crushing escape rooms with her husband.
Disclosure – All reviews and opinions, are my own. If you make a purchase through my referral links, I may earn a small commissions from Amazon, and/or other retailers at no extra cost to you.
**I received an advance review copy of Daughter of the Underworld for free, through BookSirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily**
Disclaimer -This is an Adult Greek Mythology Retelling. Please make sure to be mindful of your triggers.
Triggers include profanity, sex, death, and rape
Summary
Melinoe, daughter of Persephone and Hades, wants revenge against the god who harmed her family. With unreliable magic and a handsome prince her parents arranged for her to marry, Melinoe must make her way through the Land of the Living to discover who she really is— a goddess unable to protect herself, or someone much more powerful?
Castor, the mortal Prince of Sparta, wishes he hadn’t made a life-altering deal with a vengeful god. When love gets in the way of fulfilling his side of the bargain, will Castor save himself or the goddess he’s sworn to protect?
Hecate, Titan of witchcraft, dreams of reuniting with the god she once loved. As she travels from the island of Crete to Mount Olympus, she finds her strength is a threat to those who would use her as a pawn for power. Her only solution is to hide in plain sight until the time comes to reveal her true intentions. Will she succeed in bringing the past and present together to achieve her end goal?
My Review
The Underworld and a gorgeous cover?? I was sold before even reading the blurb. Although this story wasn’t what I expected, it did not disappoint.
Melinoe is a fiery little goddess and I loved her immediately. Although she had some initial moments of brattiness, my heart hurt for her and the struggles she was dealing with regarding her self worth and lack of magic. It even felt like her parents assumed her to be powerless and in need of protection.
Castor… He can handle everything Melinoe and Hecate can dish out. I was honestly holding my breath waiting on him to be a complete jerk, and although he had his moments and unfortunately was forced to choose the lesser of two evils, I think he may be everything Melinoe needs.
Pollux was probably my favorite character due to his carefree attitude and the relationship he forms with Hecate and I can’t wait until Daughter of War and Witchcraft comes out to hopefully get more of him.
I was originally expecting a bit more about Hades & Persephone, but that story has also been done several times over in many different way, so I really enjoyed getting a different perspective of the Underworld than what I was use to.
The one thing that did stand out to me were the spells because they were in Greek (I’m assuming here) and the flashbacks. The spells felt very true and authentic to the story, but at times, they felt a bit much to me and caused me to skim over them. The flashbacks in the beginning had me so confused, but they were also a pretty crucial part in Melinoe finding herself and discovering who she really was and who she was meant to be.
All in all, Daughter of the Underworld was well written, and kept me holding my breath throughout the story waiting to see what happened next. I can’t wait to read the sequel, Daughter of War & Witchcraft when it releases!
Fave Quotes
“I am the embodiment of Heaven and Hell. Light and dark. Good and evil.”
“Become what you were meant to be—my little witch”
“Keep fighting, even if the chains are stronger than you. You keep fighting. Every. Damn. Day.”
“I’m the nightmare that haunts your sleep,”
Check out Daughter of the Underworld by Jenn Lynn Adams if you’re looking for ✔️Greek mythology retelling ✔️Arranged marriage ✔️Enemies to lovers ✔️Slow burn ✔️FMC discovering her power
