Category Archives: Na Fantasy

Review: Court of Ravens and Ruin by Eliza Raine


Court of Ravens and Ruin
(The Shadow Bound Queen #1)
By: Eliza Raine
Publisher: Self-Published
Publication date: Oct. 4, 2023
Genre: Fantasy New Adult
Rating:

A defiant human woman. A dark fae Prince. Two enemies bound to a marriage that could destroy their world.

Reyna was born a valuable slave to the Gold Court, imprisoned her whole life in a glittering palace by sadistic, greedy fae.
When the palace is raided, she takes her opportunity to escape. But the raid is led by her worst nightmare. The Prince of the most feared fae of all; the Shadow Court. And he wants one thing.
Her. The copper-haired, rune-marked human.

Reyna doesn’t know why the Prince has kidnapped her. But when he announces her as his betrothed, she knows that she must escape before she is eternally bound to the monster behind the mask.
Only, when he takes the mask off, he isn’t what she expects. He’s lethal, beautiful and exudes sin. And he needs her.

Drawn into a deadly world shrouded in secrets, and desperate to keep her own hidden, Reyna must find a way out. If she doesn’t, she risks more than just death. She risks giving everything to her intoxicating captor.

 

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Review: The Traitor Queen by Danielle L. Jensen


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


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

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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Review: The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen


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: Shadow Kissed by Rebecca L. Garcia

Shadow Kissed
(Marked by Blood #1)
by Rebecca L. Garcia
Publisher: Self-published
Publication date: March 16, 2022
Genre: New Adult Fantasy
Rating:

Some fates belong to the shadows…

Olivia knows everyone at the guild is on high alert, but no one will tell her why. She’s certain the death of her boyfriend is behind it, but the truth is far worse. Darkness has come to the mortal kingdom. When the guild protecting them is attacked by vampires, Olivia is swept away from the safety of her home when her mom and best friend are taken.

Before she can get away, she’s captured by a vampire, Sebastian, who insists he’s protecting her. But when she’s taken to the City of Nightmares, the most dangerous place in the vampire kingdom she realizes she’s been made prisoner.

As she fights to survive in a world where mortals are nothing more than things to be fed on or traded, Olivia must use her wits and place her trust in the handsome, but deadly Sebastian, if she’s going to figure out a way to save her loved ones.

However, some of the world’s most vicious vampires want her dead. Others want her for themselves.

When the truth comes out, Olivia realizes the ones she loves have been shielding her from a fate worse than death. Can she escape the clutches of her bloody destiny, or will she succumb to the shadows?

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Sneak Peek Wednesday: Taming Demons for Beginners by Annette Marie

Taming Demons for Beginners
(The Guild Codex: Demonized #1)
by Annette Marie
Publisher: Dark Owl Fantasy
Publication date: Sept. 13, 2019
Genre: Urban Fantasy

Rule one: Don’t look at the demon.

When I arrived at my uncle’s house, I expected my relatives to be like me—outcast sorcerers who don’t practice magic. I was right about the sorcery, but wrong about everything else.

Rule two: Don’t listen to the demon.

My uncle chose a far deadlier power. He calls creatures of darkness into our world, binds them into service contracts, and sells them to the highest bidder. And I’m supposed to act like I don’t know how illegal and dangerous it is.

Rule three: Don’t talk to the demon.

All I had to do was keep my nose out of it. Pretend I didn’t find the summoning circle in the basement. Pretend I didn’t notice the shadowy being trapped inside it. Pretend I didn’t break the rules.

But I did, and now it’s too late.

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Review: Fire and Bone by Rachel A. Marks

Fire and Bone
(Otherborn #1)
by Rachel A. Marks
Publisher: Skyscape
Publication date: Feb. 20, 2018
Genre: Young Adult Urban Fantasy
Rating:

Sage is eighteen, down on her luck, and struggling to survive on the streets of Los Angeles. Everything changes the night she’s invited to a party — one that turns out to be a trap.

Thrust into a magical world hidden within the City of Angels, Sage discovers that she’s the daughter of a Celtic goddess, with powers that are only in their infancy. Now that she is of age, she’s asked to pledge her service to one of the five deities, all keen on winning her favor by any means possible. She has to admit that she’s tempted — especially when this new life comes with spells, Hollywood glam, and a bodyguard with secrets of his own. Not to mention a prince whose proposal could boost her rank in the Otherworld.

As loyalties shift, and as the two men vie for her attention, Sage tries to figure out who to trust in a realm she doesn’t understand. One thing’s for sure: the trap she’s in has bigger claws than she thought. And it’s going to take a lot more than magic for this Celtic demigoddess to make it out alive.

 

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Review: Origin Exposed by Jen Crane

Origin ExposedOrigin Exposed
(Descended of Dragons #2)
By: Jen Crane
Publisher: Self-Published
Published: Oct. 6, 2015
Genre: New Adult Fantasy Romance
Rating:

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A Dangerous Secret
In fiery redhead Stella Stonewall’s new world magic and shape-shifters are everyday life. Scales, sorcery, shifters—no big. Stella has learned she’s not only descended of dragons, but of something more, too. She struggles to keep this rare form a secret, even from her closest friends.

A Bitter Betrayal
Stella turns to her mentor Rowan Gresham for help. The charming but enigmatic Gresham forms a plan to improve her troublesome public image. The problem? The plan revolves around betraying the only family she has left.

A Potential for Something Real
When Gresham’s motives come into question Stella must rely on the new friends she’s made at a college for magical shifters. The feral bunch helps set Stella’s inner beast free. As these friendships flourish, so does the magnetism she’s always felt toward fierce and noble Ewan Bristol. But it’s so strong it threatens to overwhelm her.

Can Stella afford to open her heart now, when her entire future’s at stake, or is it bolted shut for eternity?

 

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Review: A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

16096824A Court of Thorns and Roses
(A Court of Thorns and Roses, #1)
By: Sarah J. Maas
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Release Date: May 5, 2015
Genre: New Adult Fantasy
Rating:
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When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she’s been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

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