Genre: Fantasy

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros | Book Review

Posted October 26, 2023 by Jana in Adult Fiction, Book Review / 4 Comments

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros | Book ReviewFourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
Series: The Empyrean #1
Published by Red Tower Books on May 2, 2023
Genres: Fantasy, Romance
Pages: 528
Format: eBook
Source: Library
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Enter the brutal and elite world of a war college for dragon riders from USA Today bestselling author Rebecca Yarros.

Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history. Now, the commanding general—also known as her tough-as-talons mother—has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders.

But when you’re smaller than everyone else and your body is brittle, death is only a heartbeat away...because dragons don’t bond to “fragile” humans. They incinerate them.

With fewer dragons willing to bond than cadets, most would kill Violet to better their own chances of success. The rest would kill her just for being her mother’s daughter—like Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant.

She’ll need every edge her wits can give her just to see the next sunrise.

Yet, with every day that passes, the war outside grows more deadly, the kingdom's protective wards are failing, and the death toll continues to rise. Even worse, Violet begins to suspect leadership is hiding a terrible secret.

Friends, enemies, lovers. Everyone at Basgiath War College has an agenda—because once you enter, there are only two ways out: graduate or die.

Hello, I’d like to introduce you to Fourth Wing, my new personality. I’m sure you’ve been seeing reviews of Fourth Wing all over the internet for months now, so I’m not going to say a lot here. I’m not going to discuss the characters or the story or anything specific, really. I’m just going to tell you my thoughts and whether or not this book is worth reading! My brain feels very unorganized, so a list of random thoughts it is! We all know how much I love lists!

  • This. Book. Is. Everything.
  • You need to read it.
  • The hype is absolutely 100% real and justified.
  • The world is rich and interesting and will suck you in.
  • The characters will make you either love or loathe them.
  • I loved dragons before, but the dragons in this book have my heart. I love them so much.
  • Basgiath War College is such a cool, yet ruthless place.
  • The romance was on fire.
  • This is the new ACTOAR series for me. I’m obsessed. I have needed a romantasy series like this for so long, and I am so excited about how long it’s supposed to be.
  • I haven’t read a book this quickly in an extremely long time. I could not stop, it was so gripping.
  • There’s danger!!
  • Prepare to cry.
  • Your mouth will drop at the end.
  • Seriously, beware the cliffhanger.

I can sum it all up in two words: read it. I will never not recommend this book! I am counting down the days until my copy of Iron Flame, book #2, arrives in my mailbox! I can’t wait!!


Ledge by Stacey McEwan | Mini Book Review

Posted August 10, 2023 by Jana in Adult Fiction, Book Review / 1 Comment

Ledge by Stacey McEwan | Mini Book ReviewLedge by Stacey McEwan
Series: The Glacian Trilogy #1
Published by Angry Robot on October 31, 2021
Genres: Fantasy, Romance
Pages: 271
Format: Audiobook
Source: Audible
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After being randomly selected as a human sacrifice, instead of death, Dawsyn finds herself on a quest to save her people from their icy prison...
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In a place known as the Ledge, a civilization is trapped by a vast chasm and sheer mountain face. There is no way for anyone to escape the frozen wasteland without befalling a deathly drop. They know nothing of the outside world except that it is where the Glacians reside – mystical and vicious winged creatures who bring meagre rations in exchange for a periodic human sacrifice.

Dawsyn, ax wielder and only remaining member of her family, has so far avoided the annual culling, but her luck has run out. She is chosen and ripped from her icy home, the only world she knows. No one knows what will happen to her on the other side, least of all Dawsyn. Murdered? Enslaved? Worse?

Fortunately, a half-Glacian called Ryon offers to help them both escape, but how can she trust one of the very creatures that plagued her life? Dawsyn is a survivor, and she is not afraid to cut anyone down to live.

With a slow-burning romance, high stakes and even higher rewards, this richly created new fantasy series by popular TikToker Stacey McEwan will keep you gripped to the very end.

*Content warnings* gratuitous violence & death; death of a minor; suicide; attempted sexual assault

I am a huge romantasy fan, yet I find myself struggling to find books in the genre that can hold a candle to my favorites (ACOTAR, The Winter King, Bridge Kingdom, among others). When a friend suggested I pick up Ledge to quench my romantasy thirst, I was a little skeptical. I don’t usually end up liking the TikTok/social media sensations and find them to be overly hyped because everyone has been caught up in the frenzy. I’m currently side-eying Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros for this same reason, but that’s another story. lol. Anyway, I really, really enjoyed Ledge and immediately downloaded the sequel, Chasm, on Netgalley when it was over. And here’s the funny thing. When I sat down to write this review and began to think about all the different aspects of a book I always write about like the characters, romance, worldbuilding, story, etc. I realized that this book is lacking in several areas. It has plot holes and pacing issues. So why could I not stop reading it? I couldn’t put it down and really grabbed on to the unique aspects of the story. So that’s super wild to me! How can I fly through a book and not notice all the issues it has? LOL. Anyway, let’s dissect this. As always, my main points are bolded.

1. I love a fantasy set in a freezing cold world. These are my very favorites. I’m not sure why, I just love how cozy (or ominous) and magical (or eerie) a wintry setting makes these stories. Ledge takes place in a small village right on the edge of a deep chasm in the treacherous mountains. It’s completely cut off from the rest of the world, and nobody leaves unless they are snatched away by a Glacian, a violent winged creature that reminds me of a dragon, never to be seen again. The people who live on the ledge struggle for everything. The Glacian kingdom sends them just enough rations and supplies to keep them alive, but they’re essentially fighting each other for everything they have. In exchange for these rations from the Glacians, the people of the ledge are forced to offer themselves up as human sacrifices every so often. When the time comes, they all stand outside their homes as the Glacians fly over them and decide who they will choose. Dawsyn has lost her entire family to the Glacians, and now her luck has run out. She is taken and flown to the castle on the other side of the chasm, where she is held prisoner until the time comes for her to make a life changing decision. I found this concept to be super compelling, and I loved the setting. The frigid ledge, the scary kingdom on the other side, and the chasm that separates them had me so intrigued. I really enjoyed the set-up of the story. 

2. But then… the story really slows down and turns inward to focus on the romance, and the worldbuilding suffers as a result. The Glacian king allows Dawsyn to choose her fate. She can either live as a mindless shell or she can run down the mountain in a race against the Glacians who will attempt to hunt and kill her on her way, something nobody has been successful at doing so far. Of course, she chooses to run and I was so excited for a suspenseful descent with danger and battles and loads of suspense. I was hoping the bulk of the book would focus on this, actually. But it never happened. We meet Ryon, half human half Glacian, who volunteers to be one of the creatures who will hunt Dawsyn. But he has an ulterior motive. His goal is to escape with her to the kingdom below and set his plan in motion to ultimately overthrow the king and find a way for humans and Glacians to live in peace. A noble goal. Instead of hunting her, he finds her and they join forces to descend the mountain together.

3. And then the story stops. lol. There was potential for so much suspense and excitement, but things get too easy for these characters. This super treacherous mountain seems like a hill for how quickly they descend it. Like, I was picturing Mt. Everest or the Alps for how cold it is (and how far removed these people and the creatures are from the rest of the world) but then they hit the bottom in no time and I was like… oh, so was it just a little hilly Appalachian Mountain maybe? There are some revelations, which I enjoyed. Some secrets are aired. But overall it all felt too easy. And it all moved at a glacial speed. I kept reading because the beginning really grabbed me, but we spend a little too much time hiding in an inn trying to figure out what to do, even though Ryon’s plan has been in motion forever… and things are basically ready to go? So… why did he even bring Dawsyn if she literally had nothing to offer him and actually hinders his ability to carry out his plan efficiently? It just felt like too much of a liability for someone who has been waiting a long time for the opportune moment to overthrow an entire kingdom.

4. Dawsyn and Ryon are very underdeveloped characters. We get a little backstory of Dawsyn losing her family members one by one, and we get some very murky details about Ryon’s past. But they’re both seriously lacking in personality. And they don’t make sense. Dawsyn has been on the brink of starvation in a barren wasteland for her entire life. How can she do anything but sit by the fire and try not to die? She’s wielding axes and killing things and is so strong. How can this be? It makes no sense. This weird insta-love they fall into also makes no sense. Why does she trust him so easily? He is the enemy, yet she wants to give herself over to him completely even though he’s done nothing to prove to her that she can trust him. And why does he care about her at all? Because she’s pretty? I can’t figure out a reason why they love each other. Also, Ryon insists on calling Dawsyn “girl”. WHY? WHYYY!? It’s so annoying! Glacians live a long time, so I guess he’s old even though he’s smoking hot (Edward, is that you?), but why must he call her “girl”? It felt demeaning and really rubbed me the wrong way. Plus, she asked him not to call her that multiple times so he doesn’t even respect her. I’m sure both of them are annoyed that the author forced them to fall in love, because there is no love built between the two of them. It seems to only happen for the sake of the plot.

5. Many little details are shrouded in this kind of vague nothingness. Readers are told things but are never shown anything. Why do Dawsyn and Ryon both swear the same way when they’ve been brought up practically on different planets, and are different species? Where did Dawsyn’s training in weaponry and combat come from? What is this magic system? How do we have a mage who just randomly appears and heals people of their injuries to ensure the story can continue? Where did the Glacians come from? There’s no history of these creatures. They clearly haven’t always existed (or at least not in this place) since there was a life before the ledge that Dawsyn’s grandmother experienced. So where did they come from? This pool that renders humans shells and allows the Glacians to be immortal… Um, ok? Why? How?

6. The writing, while nice at times, never really settled into one consistent style. It’s like the author wrote this in chunks over the years and then pieced it all together. The prose changes, and there was no real consistency.

7. So why 3 stars? Well, it’s that whole compulsion to read that I mentioned in the beginning. I was so captivated by the bones of this story that I kept hoping things would get more fleshed out and my questions would be answered. The story sounds so cool on the surface, and the author could have done so much more if she had dug a little deeper and really tackled everything she set out to create. I feel like she got tired or bogged down by her imagination. But the thing is, she did write something I binged. She got me. The twist at the end FLOORED me. I was shaken to my very core. Holy cliffhanger. Regardless of all my criticisms, this book grabbed me. I thought about it when I wasn’t reading it. I read for longer stretches than my sleep schedule allowed. I don’t even know what happened. I think it was a case of the right book at the right time and I will absolutely be reading the next one. I hope more worldbuilding happens, more questions are answered, and we get a more developed Dawsyn and Ryon.

Wow. Just look at the turmoil in my review. LOL. I enjoyed this book, I was entertained, and I will be recommending it to others. BUT it would be so much better with some improvements that I hope to see in Chasm. So do with that what you will!


A Curse so Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer | Book Review

Posted February 25, 2021 by Jana in Book Review, Young Adult Fiction / 6 Comments

A Curse so Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer | Book ReviewA Curse so Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer
Series: Cursebreakers #1
Published by Bloomsbury YA on January 29, 2019
Genres: Fantasy, Romance
Pages: 484
Source: Publisher (Netgalley)
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Fall in love, break the curse.

Cursed by a powerful enchantress to repeat the autumn of his eighteenth year, Prince Rhen, the heir of Emberfall, thought he could be saved easily if a girl fell for him. But that was before he turned into a vicious beast hell-bent on destruction. 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 constantly underestimating her because of her cerebral palsy, Harper learned to be tough enough to survive. When she tries to save a stranger on the streets of Washington, DC, she's pulled into a magical world.

Break the curse, save the kingdom.

Harper doesn't know where she is or what to believe. A prince? A curse? A monster? 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.

You thought I’d quit YA, huh? Me too. lol. I’ve struggled to identify with YA characters as I’ve gotten older and have kind of made the shift to adult romance, but then a group of friends pushed this on me and we read the series together and OH MY GOSH. I had always loved YA fantasy, but hadn’t found one in a very long time that held my attention long enough to even finish it, much less binge a series back to back to back. I’m about a third of the way through the second book, A Heart So Fierce and Broken, right now and it’s amazing. I’m #89 in line for A Vow so Bold and Deadly at my library so hopefully things hurry along. Anyway, I loved the world and the characters and the writing, and I’m so excited to continue my journey reading through these books! As always, my main points are bolded.

1. Harper had me worried at first. Well, the whole book did because it started off very sassy teen and I wasn’t sure I was in the mood for it, but then I grew to really love her! And I loved the disability rep. Harper has Cerebral Palsy and walks with a limp. The people in the magical alternate dimension don’t understand this kind of disability and find her to be weak or injured, but she has no problems sticking up for herself and proving that she can do anything. She’s sweet, caring, empathetic, and really turns the castle upside down. This girl definitely isn’t like all the other girls who have been kidnapped by the prince’s guard commander to try and break the curse.

2. Grey is my favorite character in this book. He’s the guard commander, and I LOVE him. He’s honorable and protective and such a great guy. He’s the romantic of the two male main characters, and he coaches the prince on how to not be a cold, unfeeling jerk. If we’re likening the characters to Beauty and the Beast, which this book is a retelling of, then Harper is Belle, Rhen is the Beast, and Grey is Lumiere. Also, was he named after the grey stuff? As in “try the grey stuff, it’s delicious!” I’m convinced of this. I need to write to the author. Ok, I just did. Anyway, he’s also pretty swoony sounding.

3. Prince Rhen? He’s fine. I actually really liked him, but he was a bit broody and intense and… pouty? for my liking. He’s the typical royal personality you find in fantasy, and I guess he’s a really good Beast because he’s got that “I hate everyone, now love me so I can be human again” attitude down. I hope I get to see more of his personality in the second book, because right now he’s pretty flat.

4. The supporting characters are great. Harper, Grey, and Rhen end up at a little inn and I love the characters they meet. And as they find people to join their army against a rival queen, they encounter some really interesting people with stories that I loved.

5. The romance is pretty minimal, but I didn’t even care. 

6. Oh my gosh, this is a very overwhelming book to try and review. 

7. I love the world! And I loved the spin Brigid put on Beauty and the Beast. Curse has the bones of Beauty and the Beast, but Brigid has added so many interesting and amazing details that make it so different. The enchantress is a recurring character in the story, there’s another kingdom threatening invasion, there’s… traveling between dimensions, the beast (or monster, as they refer to it in the book) surfaces every season and Rhen can’t control it (think of a werewolf and a full moon). It’s all so good and fresh and unique.

8. The writing! I love Brigid’s use of words and descriptions of scenery and feelings.

9. I finished and immediately needed more. This doesn’t happen to me often. Usually I need a break, but I am plowing on through and can’t read fast enough.

I’ve read a LOT of Beauty and the Beast retellings, and I thought for sure nothing would ever satisfy me to the point that Sarah J. Maas’s A Court of Thorns and Roses did. I still love ACOTAR more than anything, but I also really, really loved Curse. Like, I can’t pick just one and that makes me really happy. Maybe there is room in my life for more B&B retellings and maybe I do still love YA fantasy (it was heartbreaking to decide I didn’t anymore). Anyway, I’m not sure I’m making sense. Bottom line, A Curse so Dark and Lonely has made me realize that perhaps I gave up on a genre I once loved too soon because I thought there was nothing left for me there. So, now I’ll venture back and see what else there is for me. I highly recommend this book, and cannot wait to see what happens next!


A Tale of Beauty and Beast by Melanie Cellier | Book Review

Posted January 4, 2019 by Jana in Book Review, Young Adult Fiction / 2 Comments

A Tale of Beauty and Beast by Melanie Cellier | Book ReviewA Tale of Beauty and Beast by Melanie Cellier
Series: Beyond the Four Kingdoms #2
Also in this series: A Dance of Silver and Shadow
on November 26, 2017
Genres: Fairy Tale, Fantasy, Retelling, Romance
Pages: 295
Format: Audiobook
Source: Gift
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Lily has managed to save the duchy of Marin, with the help of her twin, Sophie. But now Sophie faces an even greater threat. Can she save the cursed kingdom of Palinor from its beastly prince?

I love Beauty and the Beast retellings, and after really loving the first book in this series I was even more excited to get to this one because I knew it would be amazing. Be careful reading any further, as this review will spoil who won the Princess Tourney in A Dance of Silver and Shadow!

The Princess Tourney is over and, as its winner, Sophie sets off on a curious and magical journey to Palinor to meet her betrothed: the beast (aka Prince Dominic). Since she’s the narrator this time, readers get to finally know Sophie better. I really liked her, and I felt I identified more with her than I did with Lily in the first book. Sophie arrives at the castle after a long journey in a carriage driven by an invisible force through a wintry wilderness, and finds it to be empty of people even though it looks taken care of. After some exploring she begins hearing voices of people she cannot see. She calls out to them, startling a whole staff of people who work there. They were not expecting her to be able to hear them. Dominic is not invisible, but he cannot speak to her and communicates through abrasive notes. It’s pretty obvious the kingdom has been placed under a curse and, of course, Sophie is going to try to break it and save the people she’s begun to form strong bonds with. The romance also begins to blossom and thrive as time goes on and we learn more about our tortured beast.

There are numerous ties to the original tale of Beauty & the Beast, as well as the Disney version. Melanie Cellier does find unique ways to make the story her own, however. Lily is still a part of the story, although the kingdom is quite isolated. I loved the secondary characters (the wait staff), and their interactions with Sophie. They look out for their master even though he’s kind of a jerk, but they also validate Sophie’s concerns and sympathize with her plight. I loved the relationships she formed with them. I really loved Melanie’s writing, too. Really my only complaint is that the female narrator did a pretty awful job portraying Prince Dominic’s voice. I felt the same with her portrayal of the male characters in the first book, too.

All in all, this was a very nice retelling of Beauty & the Beast! I love the writing, and I enjoy listening to these books even though the narrator bugs me a bit at times. I’m excited to read more from Melanie.


Reign of Shadows by Sophie Jordan | Book Review

Posted November 2, 2018 by Jana in Book Review, Young Adult Fiction / 1 Comment

Reign of Shadows by Sophie Jordan | Book ReviewReign of Shadows by Sophie Jordan
Series: Reign of Shadows #1
Published by HarperTEEN on February 9, 2016
Genres: Fantasy, Retelling, Romance
Pages: 304
Format: Audiobook
Source: Publisher (Edelweiss)
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Seventeen years ago, an eclipse cloaked the kingdom of Relhok in perpetual darkness. In the chaos, an evil chancellor murdered the king and queen and seized their throne. Luna, Relhok’s lost princess, has been hiding in a tower ever since. Luna’s survival depends on the world believing she is dead.

But that doesn’t stop Luna from wanting more. When she meets Fowler, a mysterious archer braving the woods outside her tower, Luna is drawn to him despite the risk. When the tower is attacked, Luna and Fowler escape together. But this world of darkness is more treacherous than Luna ever realized.

With every threat stacked against them, Luna and Fowler find solace in each other. But with secrets still unspoken between them, falling in love might be their most dangerous journey yet.

This is not your magical, light and fluffy Rapunzel retelling! Reign of Shadows is dark and creepy and intense and so unbelievably exciting. Luna, the lost princess of Relhok, has been sequestered in a tower with her guardians for her entire life to protect her from those who would do her harm. She’s the rightful heir to the throne, and the current king is making life miserable for the members of his kingdom. The land is also ruled by evil creatures (dwellers) who delight in killing anyone who crosses their path.

While exploring one day, Luna stumbles across three people and saves them from a pack of dwellers and brings them back to her tower. These are the first strangers Luna has ever met. One of these people is a handsome archer named Fowler, who captivates and excites Luna. Due to circumstances beyond their control, they set out on a journey together in search of a safer place to live. As they journey together across a barren, dark wasteland that has been ravaged by the dwellers, they learn to depend on one another. Together they have a unique set of skills that aide them in heir survival.

I liked both of these characters a lot. Luna is so sheltered and comes across as being very helpless, but she has spent her life developing and refining her ability to survive. She’s unassumingly strong and courageous despite her lack of exposure to the world. She’s able to trust in spite of the murder of her parents, and she’s able to love regardless of the fact that he family was ripped away from her as a baby. Fowler is damaged and has hardened himself in an effort to avoid more pain. Those he cared about are long gone, and it’s easier for him to be alone than to risk losing someone he cares about. He has no interest in being a part of Luna’s life, but he also has this deep sense of loyalty and honor even though he doesn’t really owe anyone anything. I liked that about him.

The romance is pretty swoony, and very slow building. I like romances that take a long time to develop, though, so I was totally on board with this one. I also like romances in life or death situations because there’s a lot of tenderness and need in addition to pure trust and dependency on one another.

I don’t want to say too much and spoil the book for anyone, so I think I’ll leave it here. Reign of Shadows is filled with little story elements that made it unique from the original tale of Rapunzel. I’ve always loved Sophie Jordan’s writing, so I had a feeling I’d enjoy this book. I listened to it on audio, which was very well done. All in all, I really loved the story.