Category Archives: Fantasy

Review: Wickedly Dangerous by Deborah Blake

24 March, 2023 1:52 pm , 1 Comment ,

Wickedly Dangerous
(Baba Yaga #1)
Deborah Blake
Publisher: Berkley
Publication date: Sept. 2, 2014
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Rating:

Known as the wicked witch of Russian fairy tales, Baba Yaga is not one woman, but rather a title carried by a chosen few. They keep the balance of nature and guard the borders of our world, but don’t make the mistake of crossing one of them…

Older than she looks and powerful beyond measure, Barbara Yager no longer has much in common with the mortal life she left behind long ago. Posing as an herbalist and researcher, she travels the country with her faithful (mostly) dragon-turned-dog in an enchanted Airstream, fulfilling her duties as a Baba Yaga and avoiding any possibility of human attachment.

But when she is summoned to find a missing child, Barbara suddenly finds herself caught up in a web of deceit and an unexpected attraction to the charming but frustrating Sheriff Liam McClellan.

Now, as Barbara fights both human enemies and Otherworld creatures to save the lives of three innocent children, she discovers that her most difficult battle may be with her own heart…

 

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Posted in: Fantasy

Review: Frost by C.N. Crawford

20 March, 2023 1:12 pm , 1 Comment ,

Frost
(Frost and Nectar #1)
C.N. Crawford
Publisher: Self-published
Publication date: Oct. 3, 2022
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Rating:

On the worst birthday of my life, I come home to find my boyfriend in bed with another woman. Within hours, I’m drunk, homeless, and pledging to stay single forever. And that is when the dangerously sexy Seelie King rolls through town, looking for fae like me.

Every generation, the king holds a competition for Seelie queen. But for reasons he won’t explain, Torin is looking for a charade, not a real marriage. So when I drunkenly sling insults his way, I have his attention.

When Torin offers me fifty million to participate, I think, “What have I got to lose?” The answer turns out to be “my life,” because my competition will literally kill for the crown.

And the more time I spend with the seductive king, the harder it becomes to remember it’s all supposed to be fake. Now, my life—and my heart—are one the line.

 

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Posted in: Fantasy, Romance

Review: The Traitor Queen by Danielle L. Jensen

27 February, 2023 4:37 am , 1 Comment ,


The Traitor Queen
(The Bridge Kingdom #2)
Danielle L. Jensen
Publisher: Self-published
Publication date: Sept. 1, 2020
Genre: New Adult Fantasy
Rating

A queen now in exile as a traitor, Lara has watched Ithicana be conquered by her own father, helpless to do anything to stop the destruction. But when she learns her husband, Aren, has been captured in battle, Lara knows there is only one reason her father is keeping him alive: as bait for his traitorous daughter.

And it is bait she fully intends to take.

Risking her life to the Tempest Seas, Lara returns to Ithicana with a plan not only to free its king, but for liberating the Bridge Kingdom from her father’s clutches using his own weapons: the sisters whose lives she spared. But not only is the palace inescapable, there are more players in the game than Lara ever realized, enemies and allies switching sides in the fight for crowns, kingdoms, and bridges. But her greatest adversary of all might be the very man she’s trying to free – the husband she betrayed.

With everything she loves in jeopardy, Lara must decide who – and what – she is fighting for: her kingdom, her husband, or herself.

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Review: Vow of the Shadow King by Sylvia Mercedes

20 February, 2023 4:04 am , Leave a Comment ,


Vow of the Shadow King
(Bride of the Shadow King #2)
Sylvia Mercedes
Publisher: Self-published
Publication date: Oct. 10, 2022
Genre: New Adult Fantasy
Rating:

Her deceit discovered, Faraine finds herself trapped in the Shadow Realm at the mercy of her new husband. She’s surrounded by enemies, far from any allies, and her best bet for survival is to convince Vor to send her home.

But to do so means to give up on the alliance. Which would spell disaster for her people.

With the tremors growing worse and poison spreading through his realm, Vor is more desperate than ever to find a solution. Only, it cannot involve his wife. Vor wants nothing to do with the woman he has inadvertently married. At one time, he thought he might love her, but now? How can love flourish where trust is broken?

When circumstances require them to spend more time together, however, Vor’s blood is stirred in ways he doesn’t like to acknowledge.

Can two lost hearts find healing and hope in one another? Or is their love already poisoned beyond recovery?

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Review: Bride of the Shadow King by Sylvia Mercedes

10 February, 2023 3:25 am , 1 Comment ,

Bride of the Shadow King
(Bride of the Shadow King #1)
Sylvia Mercedes
Publisher: Self-published
Publication date: March 15, 2022
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Rating:

A shunned princess. A reluctant king.
A marriage that could save both their kingdoms . . . but destroy their hearts.

Though she is the oldest daughter, Princess Faraine lives in the background, shunned from court and kept out of sight. Her chronic illness makes her a liability to the crown, and she has learned to give place to her beautiful, favored younger sister in all things.

When the handsome and enigmatic Shadow King comes seeking a bride, Faraine is not surprised that her sister is his choice.

Though not eager to take a human bride, King Vor is willing to do what is necessary for the sake of his people. When he meets the lively Princess Ilsevel, he quickly agrees to a marriage arrangement.

So why can’t he get the haunting eyes of her older sister out of his head?

When disaster strikes and the marriage alliance is compromised, Faraine suddenly finds herself forced to take her sister’s place . . . regardless of her new husband’s desires. Can she find a place at Vor’s side as his queen? Or is his heart forever closed to the woman who deceived him so cruelly?

Passionate and alluring, Bride of the Shadow King is an arranged marriage tale with dual point-of-view (his and hers). It’s perfect for fantasy fans looking for a touch of spice to go with the sweet in their next swoony, slow-burn romance.

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Posted in: Fantasy, NA Fantasy , Tagged:

Review: The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen

3 February, 2023 3:03 am , 1 Comment ,


The Bridge Kingdom
(The Bridge Kingdom #1)
Danielle L. Jensen
Publisher: Self-published
Publication date: Oct. 16, 2018
Genre: New Adult Fantasy
Rating:

 

 

A warrior princess trained in isolation, Lara is driven by two certainties. The first is that King Aren of the Bridge Kingdom is her enemy. And the second is that she’ll be the one to bring him to his knees.

The only route through a storm-ravaged world, the Bridge Kingdom enriches itself and deprives its rivals, including Lara’s homeland. So when she’s sent as a bride under the guise of peace, Lara is prepared to do whatever it takes to fracture its impenetrable defenses. And the defenses of its king.

Yet as she infiltrates her new home and gains a deeper understanding of the war to possess the bridge, Lara begins to question whether she’s the hero or the villain. And as her feelings for Aren transform from frosty hostility to fierce passion, Lara must choose which kingdom she’ll save… and which kingdom she’ll destroy.

 

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Review: The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman

31 October, 2022 10:53 am , 1 Comment ,

The Rules of Magic
(Practical Magic #0.2)
by Alice Hoffman
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publication date: Oct 10, 2017
Genre: Fantasy
Rating:

Find your magic

For the Owens family, love is a curse that began in 1620, when Maria Owens was charged with witchery for loving the wrong man.

Hundreds of years later, in New York City at the cusp of the sixties, when the whole world is about to change, Susanna Owens knows that her three children are dangerously unique. Difficult Franny, with skin as pale as milk and blood red hair, shy and beautiful Jet, who can read other people’s thoughts, and charismatic Vincent, who began looking for trouble on the day he could walk.

From the start Susanna sets down rules for her children: No walking in the moonlight, no red shoes, no wearing black, no cats, no crows, no candles, no books about magic. And most importantly, never, ever, fall in love. But when her children visit their Aunt Isabelle, in the small Massachusetts town where the Owens family has been blamed for everything that has ever gone wrong, they uncover family secrets and begin to understand the truth of who they are. Back in New York City each begins a risky journey as they try to escape the family curse.

The Owens children cannot escape love even if they try, just as they cannot escape the pains of the human heart. The two beautiful sisters will grow up to be the revered, and sometimes feared, aunts in Practical Magic, while Vincent, their beloved brother, will leave an unexpected legacy.

 

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Posted in: Fantasy

Review: Death by Laura Thalassa

13 May, 2022 12:44 am , 2 Comments ,

Death
(The Four Horsemen #4)
by Laura Thalassa
Publisher: Lavabrook Publishing
Publication date: Nov. 9, 2021
Genre: Dark Fantasy Romance
Rating:

They came to earth–Pestilence, War, Famine, Death–four horsemen riding their screaming steeds, racing to the corners of the world. Four horsemen with the power to destroy all of humanity. They came to earth, and they came to end us all.

He’s known by many names: Thanatos. Horseman. God’s last angel. And then, of course, there’s the one I’m all too familiar with—

Death.

The day Death comes to Lazarus Gaumond’s town and kills everyone in one fell swoop, the last thing he expects to see is a woman left alive and standing. But Lazarus has her own extraordinary gift: she cannot be killed—not by humans, not by the elements, not by Death himself.

She is the one soul Death doesn’t recognize. The one soul he cannot pry free from her flesh. Nor can he ignore the unsettling desire he has for her. Take her. He wants to, desperately. And the longer she tries to stop him from his killing spree, the stronger the desire becomes.

When Lazarus crosses paths with the three other horsemen, an unthinkable situation leads to a terrible deal: seduce Death, save the world. A hopeless task, made all the worse by the bad blood between her and Thanatos. But Death’s attraction to her is undeniable, and try though she might, Lazarus cannot stay away from that ancient, beautiful being and his dark embrace.

The end is here. Humankind is set to perish, and not even the horsemen can stop Death from fulfilling his final task.

 

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Review: Famine by Laura Thalassa

16 April, 2022 9:04 am , 2 Comments ,

Famine
(The Four Horsemen #3)
by Laura Thalassa
Publisher: Lavabrook Publishing
Publication date: Oct. 1, 2020
Genre: Dark Fantasy Romance
Rating:

Ana da Silva always assumed she’d die young, she just never expected it to be at the hands of Famine, the haunting immortal who once spared her life so many years ago. But if the horseman remembers her at all, he must not care, for when she comes face to face with him for the second time in her life, she’s stabbed and left for dead.

Only, she doesn’t quite die.

If there’s one thing Famine is good at, it’s cruelty. And how these blighted bastards deserve it. Try as he might, he can’t forget what they once did to him. But when Ana, a ghost from his past, corners him and promises pain for what he so recently did to her, she and her empty threats captivate him, and he decides to keep her around.

In spite of themselves, Ana and Famine are drawn to each other. But at the end of the day, the two are enemies. Nothing changes that. Not one kind act, not two. And definitely not a few steamy nights. But enemies or reluctant lovers, if they don’t stop themselves soon, heaven will.

 

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Review: Stealing the Dragon’s Heart by Kiersten Fay

5 November, 2021 5:48 pm , 2 Comments ,

Stealing the Dragon’s Heart
(Dragon Lords #3)
by Kiersten Fay
Publisher: Self-published
Publication date: Aug. 25, 2021
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Rating:

Aidan never intended to enter Phase Nine, a deadly race through the universe that had once cost him everything, but he’d made an impossible bargain. While gearing up for the challenge, he is surprised to find two extra crew members aboard his ship, one of them a mysterious female named Onnika who tempts him beyond reason.

Onnika’s special brand of magic has always been the key to her survival…and the reason she and her sister Caryn are constantly on the run. While escaping a ruthless band of outlaws bent on exploiting her powers, she entangles herself with a dangerously handsome dragon shifter named Aidan and an infamous race that could ultimately lead her home. With everything on the line, she must use every devious trick in her book to gain Aidan’s trust while concealing her true identity.

 

 

This was one heck of a story. Since the story revolves around the Phase Nine race, there is a lot of action. Then to add on the suspense of Onnika and Caryn’s captors catching up to them, Aidan tossing them off of his ship, and figuring out what Onnika and Caryn actually are. Well, let’s just say this story didn’t have any boring parts.

The pairing of Onnika and Aidan was great. Aidan is this very serious, almost jaded person. He doesn’t trust easy, and it’s clear that he’s kind of given up on life. However, when paired with the lively Onnika, he comes to life. Here’s this beautiful woman who will lie, cheat, and steal and she pushes all of his buttons. Little does he know she’s not simply just a thief, but it’s a means for her and her sister’s survival. Only, he has no clue what they are running from, why they are running from it, and why she hides her identity with a hologram device.

I also really liked the secondary characters and the developing story with Caryn (Onnika’s sister). It would appear that she gained the attention of a dragon and a stone giant. There’s also other crew members on the ship but the one that gets the most air time is Zeek. I bet he will also get his own story in the upcoming books.

All in all, this was a solid read. It had romance, suspense, mystery, and a lot of Indiana Jones moments that left me on the edge of my seat. I look forward to reading the next book, and if you’re in the market for a high suspense, romantic fantasy, then I would recommend you check this out. You do not need to have read the previous books to understand what’s going on since this story stands on its own.

 

Previous reviews from Dragon Lords
Seduced by the Dragon Lord

 

 

 

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