Bee
So. Funny story.
I thought I was reading book 1 in the series, but it was actually book 2 😲
My e-copy of Captive Prince seemed to be a mistake, because the text was Prince's Gambit!
What I took as clever writing, starting in media res with no explanation as to how we got here or who these characters are and leaving it to the reader to make these hidden connections, was me missing an entire book!!
So I've updated this review to be for book 2, and have placed a hold for book 1 from a different library 😂😂
Another classical mythology retelling? Yes!
I knew of Natalie Haynes through “Stone Blind”, which I really enjoyed, so I had high hopes for this retelling of the Argonautica. And let me tell you, they were met! As an archaeologist (and classical civilisations student of yore) I admire how much is kept of the original tales, but that we're seeing the parts around the edges of the patriarchal story.
No Friend To This House gave a wonderfully fresh perpective on the mythos of Jason and Medea, with an ever-changing narrative voice that lets us see these characters from so many points of view (including a bird!). Jason especially is shown in a less-than-stellar light, while also demonstrating how those within his sphere get caught up in his charm.
Medea always fascinated me while studying Euripides' play, and I feel that the audience will really empathise with her thought processes here. Is what she does horrific? Yes. But, as she says, what would anybody expect? She is unapologetically herself throughout.
Many thanks to NetGalley, Natalie Haynes, and Pan Macmillan for an eARC of this work; my review is entirely my own opinion.
If you've enjoyed other mythology retellings by Haynes, or others like Costanza Casati or Jennifer Saint, this is definitely one to add to your TBR!
sorry Enemies to Lovers, you're out. It's Codependent Besties time!
The world-building, writing style, and pacing are all perfection. I really enjoyed how truly queernormative this world felt, and that the main romance is very clearly spelled out as Bi4Bi. The ensemble cast of characters (especially Ola and Brit) were a real hoot.
Our characters are fighting in a war, in a land where their magic has been diminishing since the destruction of the Isle of Locke which is where their power originates. Mages can wield magic, but require a Hand to be the wellspring of that power. Childhood friends Kiernan and Grey are an example of such a pairing.
It's clear through other characters that the bond between Mage and Hand is meant to be close, but also rather transactional. Grey and Kier blow that out of the water, they have such devotion to each other above all else.
It is about the Devotion. the Yearning. the DUTY. There is nothing Keir would not do for Grey. There is nothing Grey would not do for Kier.
Even when it is absolutely the wrong choice for themself, they'll sacrifice it all for the other. THAT is what I am HERE for!!
Family and sacrifice, and the idea of what we will do for all different types of love (familial as well as romantic) are key themes of the book.
Many thanks to NetGalley, VL Bovalino, and Orbit Books for the ARC of this book - my raving review is entirely my own opinion! I read this book a couple of weeks ago and have been holding off on reviewing because it is So Good! I wanted to get this review right and make sure my thoughts didn't change over time. With a little distance I can safely say that TSDoL is truly 5-stars for me, it haunts my waking hours.
The Second Death of Locke is an excellent fantasy standalone (I believe the remainders in “The Hand and The Heart” series are interconnected, but this book has a stable ending with no cliffhanger), you don't want to miss it!
I enjoyed Forbidden, and like cosy romances, so was excited to read this book by Emilia Emerson. And it lived up to my hopes as an easy read romance.
The setting is somewhat cliche, but the characters make up for it. Easton, Lars, and Finn all bring something unique to the story. Olive should have resonated with me, but I found the pacing of her character growth a bit all over the place.
Spicy-wise, this wasn't as extreme as Forbidden, and I do feel the level tapered off in the later part of the book as the relationships were established. Which left more room for the feels!
Mayor Felix is a champ (says I, the underling of another kitty called Felix!)
What makes a monster? What makes a hero?
A Crown of Deceit & Ruin is great for anyone who likes their fantasy books complex and rich in world-building, where nothing and nobody are quite what they first seem
I confess, I'd forgotten this romance was sapphic so that was a fantastic surprise. It's a love triangle but one where none of the characters seem to realise!
Both of our FMCs are brilliant and well-rounded, just in very different ways. The ensemble of supporting characters is also fantastic, I like that nobody is totally heroic, or totally evil. It's very nuanced.
The final, oh, 20% of this book will break you. In a really good way!
I need to know about what happens to Fox ...
My rating is 4 stars, as pacing and timing seemed strange throughout. I would especially have appreciated more time with Elora and Kestrel.
Thanks to Jessaca Willis and Booksirens I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
What price would you pay? For peace, for stability, for freedom, for power?
Thanks to Little, Brown Book Group and NetGalley for this ARC eBook; my review is all my own opinion.
Leading almost directly on from Mistress of Lies, the second book in the series explores the repercussions of book one, especially the magical fallout of Isaac's blood working. Yet again, the Eternal King proves that he has remained empowered for so long for a reason and it will not be easy to overthrow the regime.
Can Shan, Samuel, Anton, Isaac, and Bart work together or will they be pulled apart by constant machinations and lies?
Plot wise I felt like this was less tight than Mistress of Lies, but that is maybe to be expected of a second book in a series- we're unravelling a lot of loose ends and not yet tying many up.
Shan as an FMC is still a favourite morally lacking character. I found her infinitely less likeable in this book and that's no bad thing. The character growth of all of our suite of main characters through this book is very well done, and I did enjoy the expansion of POVs in this part of the series. Samuel definitely comes into a character more in his own right in this book in comparison to book one.
I would rate this as a slightly higher gore level than book one, although still manageable for someone who is rather squeamish. That is just personal opinion though.
I recommended the previous book for enjoyers of political intrigue, interesting magic systems, and yearning. There is certainly less yearning in this book as the romantic relationships are already established (the spice level is brilliant though), but the different plots and plans both political and magical certainly make this a book that readers who enjoyed Mistress of Lies will want to dive into.
Again, a 4-star read from K M Enright.
“He holds out half his sandwich, the oddest olive branch I've been offered.” The way to a woman's heart is indeed through her stomach!
A Vow In Vengeance sets the scene for this Fantasy world where various different factions of immortals (Seraphs, Elves, and Druids) all use different types of magic. Selected mortals are forced to cross the wall into the Immortals' lands, and what goes on there is a mystery for all those left behind. Our FMC is the last of her family unselected, and is determined to be selected and reunite with them.
Of course, it's not quite as easy as that, and things are not quite as they seem...
We mostly see Druid magic in this book, which is all based on Tarot Card use - a fascinating magic system that was very well explored. I believe later installments will likely branch out further (or maybe not! Who knows!)
The romance is Enemies-To-Lovers, with fake dating and ‘only one bed' to boot - basically all my favourites in one book! I absolutely loved Rune and Draven, and feel like many Romantasy readers will also really enjoy this book.
Draven is the epitome of book boyfriend-ness - Winged, Shadows, and the most poetically soulful guy you could ever want.
With thanks to NetGalley, Zando/Slowburn and Jaclyn Rodriguez, I read a free Advanced Review Copy of this book. My opinions in this review are my own.
Thanks to Little, Brown Book Group and NetGalley for this eBook, preparing me for reading the ARC of Lord of Ruin! My review is all my own opinion.
Okay, wow. Shan is one hell of a morally grey FMC! For a debut novel this is really solid writing, with good world-building and a fascinating magic system that I hope we do learn more about in future books.
It may be trite to give comparisons, but I got strong Wu Zetian (in Iron Widow) vibes from Shan LeClaire - especially given the poly rep. And the political intrigue of something like the Halfling Saga by Melissa Blair.
The redirection in the mystery plot was really well done - I was shooketh by the reveal! And despite the blood it wasn't too gory (I'm pretty squeamish), even when there was explicit violence.
The other POV character, Samuel, didn't engage me quite as much, but not through any fault of the characterisation. I just think it's more difficult to draw engagement for a character when the plot is Things Happening To Him rather than him actually having agency over the storyline.
Romance was well explored, and the trans character was handled really positively which I appreciated. Definitely a good book for those who enjoy political intrigue, Vampires, and Yearning. Would love to have some Isaac POV bonus content from this!
Looking forward to reading Lord of Ruin now!
Consensual botanical cannibalism was not on my 2025 bingo card, but this book really made it work!
With thanks to BookSirens and Tess Carleta, I read a free Advanced Review Copy of this book. My opinions in this review are my own.
I was hooked from the start of the story, Senna is such a wonderful character toget to know.
The main characters (and I love that they are all well fleshed out, not just Senna and Emrys) are such a good found family. Yes, they have rough patches and communication issues, but what fam doesn't!?
The worldbuilding and magic system is impeccable - this is definitely one that will leave you needing to know more about the different styles of magic.
Super SUPER loved the queernormative and neurospicy-inclusivity of the book, this was the perfect read for the end of pride month. Difficult topics were treated with respect, and not shied away from.
There was some clunky wording: “he... dropped it in the pot of a nearby pot” is one example I bookmarked because it really tickled me!
I cried a good couple of times while reading this, it definitely ended feeling bittersweet, and I'm now eagerly awaiting Book 2 of Foxglove & Feud to see how the story continues!
Although rather predictable, I did enjoy this book. I will definitely be looking out for the later books in the series to see where we go
I read this in a day, and it was quite an easy read. I confess that I don't like the main character very much, and nearly everyone else in this story is even worse!
But somehow it is still compelling
I did really enjoy the bits with Medra's mother, and feel like we need to know more about her/the whole soul magic/ now being stuck in a knife thing
Naveen 😭😭😭😭😭
Just wasn't vibing with the story.
Intriguing concept! This post-apocalyptic setting, after major flooding really spoke to me. I enjoyed how we are thrown into this world without much preamble in the same way that our characters don't know much about their history.
I have not read the other books in this series, and don't think I will based on this book, but as a stand-alone in an existing universe I don't feel like this book was incomplete.
I read Olivia, our main character, as neurodivergent which may be a intentional characterisation. I do you think that goes some way to explaining other people finding her quite abrasive.
This is a YA sapphic romance, although I do feel like this book would have benefited from more time spent on the world building and plot, as one of the major reveals is visible from a mile away.
The reveal of where June is was great, I really enjoyed that! And I loved the illustrations throughout, really brought the environment and scale to life.
Thank you to Lloyd Hall for the ARC of this title on NetGalley.
Just didn't vibe with this one as much as book 1