Queen of the Night Sky - Spellbinding and starstruck finish to an endearing Persian inspired fantasy

For lovers of ACOTAR, this book is a persian influenced duology along those themes but with a vastly different ending - seductively so, read at your own peril, my lightbreakers! Amalie Howard pens an incredible ode to love, betrayal, forgiveness, sorrow in this web of akasha, azdahas and realms. The flow from the last book continues uninterrupted as we are thrust head first into the courtly intrigues and the bane placed upon the Star-blessed Suaraya.

As her first love Roshan turns cold and calculating and places her in shackles, Sura escapes into the realm of the Nightmare King and faces Darrius Nightsong, her midnight dream-lover in person. The sizzling there-but-not tension, the suspense around his heritage, the azdahas and magical abilities and masteries are covered in quick succession as the tale flows into an arc of redemption and love conquering all.

If you love dragon like beasts, a sexual reckoning and are a die-hard first love forever fan, then please add this book to your TBR ; you will LOVE it!!

My starry, shadowed and sunshine thank yous to Netgalley, Avon and Harper Voyager and the gorgeous Amelie Howard for allowing me the pleasure and insane opportunity to read the ARC! This was a big, gorgeous and bold ending to the series - splendorific, majestic and blindingly dazzling!!! 

The Fox Hunt - Breeze through the Night City and bargain your with your life in this adventure!

Maddy Lenny lends more than her voice to this ALC written by the talented Caitlin Breeze!

Walk, if you will, in the hallowed streets where many a genius and national figures have been birthed, stroll awhile in the wild and lush grounds that surround this sanctorum of learning, dabble your feet in the babbling waters and watch the pontoon sail off, rowed by the strength of the student cadre, brush shoulders with the next generation of the rich and famous, all the while wondering at the shadows that seem to loom..

Emma is excited, exhilarated and anxious to prove herself at this seat of learning, and when she finally meeting Julia, her research plans seem to be destined for funding and sponsorship. She unwittingly runs into Jason Balfor and finds herself drawn to the couldn't-care-less rich kid with sensitive tastes. All until the Trunchbull society invites her to their fox hunt... 

It becomes a fall to wonderland after that, a fast paced run, replete with bargains, fox maidens, boars and a slew of occupants who thrive in the Night City! The ending was my absolute favorite and the supporting cast lend a strength to the narrative. 

Maddy Lenny's accent and timbre makes the tale come alive, especially in the tense moments - an absolute joy to listen on a rainy day!

My thank yous are owed to Hachette Audio, Little Brown & Co as well as Netgalley for this opportunity!

The Dark Lord's Guide to Dating - and Other War Crimes - Ruinously good!

 

If you heart thrums for dark lords with morally grey compasses, if your pulse quavers at a dark and delicious seduction and your romance graph veers sharply towards possessive and teasing, look no further!! Tiffany Hunt has crafted a spectacular stunner of a series! 

This book made me grin like a Cheshire cat, leaping from hidden magical heirlooms to magical destinies and uncovering myths. Arabella is the sheltered princess who is kidnapped and wed to the Dark Lord for her heritage, until he discovers he needs her a willing participant in their wedding and she requests honesty in return. What ensues is a smoldering, romp fest with a myriad of characters and the both the villain and his dark lady fighting their desires and then contesting for mastery over magic, unraveling the centuries lost secrets and ultimately, dominion over their world.

The sparks and devilish plots and sheer audacity of the heroes is enough to bring you to your knees - dare anyone to pick this book up and be upset at the glorious villainy and the outrageous ruthlessness that the lead pair embody!

Luxuriate in the lightning bridges, revere Nyx and her bonding with Bella, bet on the Dark Lord and Lady's courtship with Vex and Griffin, get into an arm wrestling bout with Thorne - this book was shamelessly good, especially the chapter title blurbs and the dual POV!!! I didn't want it to end!!

My thank yous to Scarlett Press and Netgalley for ruining me with this eARC... And my dark lady Hunt - when is the sequel coming out??? I need it NOW!

PS: Book is best enjoyed with heavy eyeliner, warm spiced wine and a velvet cloak!

The Dragon and The Sun Lotus - Mythically moving ode to fallen love

 If your heart wanders realms - from the mortal kingdom, to the dark sinuous kingdom of the Night and even farther into the crystalline beauty embodied in the Immortal realm, then this is one gem of a duology I would recommend, fellow traveler! Amelie Wen Zhao dazzles again with her mellifluous descriptions of zephyrs and blossoms and the transcending beauty that echoes in the simplest of wishes. In this conclusion, we follow An'ying, as she discovers her true heritage and claims her destiny by making the choices between a love grown in shadows and another sustained by sunny skies and stormy oceans. 

Brace yourself for bargains and twists with the nefarious Sansiran, Queen of the Mo, and the even more nebulous pathways to crown the Emperor of the Land. Amelie's is truly masterful at crafting the morally grey hero - whom you doubt at every turn, while also bringing to life Hao'yang's insecurities and his drive to prove his survival to those suffering in his Kingdom - her ability to transform these complicated emotions into lyrical prose is simply unparalleled!

Allowing An'ying to grow into her own with a clear vision for what she wishes to achieve and the slow burn conversations with both her loves are the stuff legends are made of - soul stirring and tear gushingly moving! The ending, in my opinion, was divine - epically and magnificently rendered, I cannot find fault with it!!

A million thank yous to the Dragons at the helm of Random House Children's Books and Netgalley for granting my wishes to read this arc! i am truly in your debt!

The Ruins beneath Us - A chase for truth in a society where magic is outlawed

 Sasha E Sloan takes us on a journey with the half-elven waif Lyria, who lives with her healer mother in the deserted Ironwoods. Sheltered, protected and made to feel wholly inadequate, and unsure about her powers... until she meets Finn, a troubadour of sorts, whose life her painful magic itches to save. Upon discovering him to be one of the princes of Verdine - the very same kingdom whose King Rodrick outlawed elves and magic, she gets summoned to the palace to help cure a plague, and clashes with the head healer, Cygnus (Cygy - giggle!).

This series opener was fast paced, with the opening of labyrinth realms, political maneuvering, friendships, royal alliances and all seen through the eyes of the protagonist Lyria - her rawness and naivety makes her unsure as she fumbles around the tale - you can't help but feel for her youth and growth through the tale. With time running out, Lyria needs to scramble to unearth the true intentions of the royals, her long missing mother, her heritage and magic and finally her traitorous heart!

This is a great start, which I managed to complete in the weekend - if you love unsure protagonists, challenges and a struggle for the truth - this book would be right up your alley!

Thank you to Netgalley and Disney Publishing for this unique opportunity! i cannot wait for more....

Her Hidden Fire - Dark academia with Scottish flair

 For fans of the Assassins trilogy and Robin Hobb's dark routes to power, this book will mesmerize you and hold you firmly in its eloquent grasp!

Power borrowed from living fodder to fuel those who see the power lines makes for an incredible premise, and Eadha is a perfect heroine, submissive and loyal, sacrificing her power to Ionain the Lord's heir at Ailm.

She believes she can loan him her power and follows him to school - and learns that there are the haves and have nots. With a host of interesting characters, the enigmatic and seeing Gry, a powerless heir of the first family, Senan, the sadistic channeler who lives on power gluttony, Eadha melds her way through apathy, hardship and accepting that she is also of power, even though she isn't noble born. There is much darkness in the book, but it is handled very very adeptly and leave you stunned and incites your rage for Eadha. The handling of class divisions and the status of the highborn are also brilliant. The final chapters were the real cherry to this broody novel!

I can hardly wait for the sequel to see where Cliodhna will take us in this journey. Mahera! I see you dear author - brava!

My sincere thankyous to Netgalley and Penguin Yound Readers group for this gorgeous eARC!

A Most Unsuitable Suitor - Victorian caper with clandestine roots

 Emma Orchard has penned another stunner!!

Dearest reader, welcome to London, a neo-cosmopolite city which is still sticking to its mores and fashions; rife with prejudice and rumor mongering a la ton. Allegra Constantine, the middle child, whose mother is determined to see her engaged, has three prospective suitors and the annoying and observant Mr Max Severin laughing and mocking her gauche attempts at securing a proposal. 

An inadvertent outing in the garden turns into a smoldering kiss and sparks a flurry of furious ripostes between these ill suited protagonists. The drama is brought on by blackmail, ancestral  mystery and rigid societal norms! This was one book where Max's charatcer arc matched that of his lady loves - her mother shone in all the proceedings (I love the strong maternal figure!). With excited siblings, an absent father and a mysterious grandfather playing god-grandfather, this tale comes to life!

Thank you to Boldwood books and Netgalley for sharing the ARC! This book is best accompanied with victorian sandwich cake, a strong  pot of  Earl grey tea with a side of cucumber sandwiches!