Nickie
This is about a woman that finds a book in the attic written by her great grandmother. By opening the book, she may have unleashed an evil magic.
I was so bored throughout this book! The only thing I liked was the Gothic vibe. As far as characters go, they were all unimpressive except for Wren.
Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an e-arc.
2.5 stars
Neve is the daughter of the Dagda. He rules the land. Magic has been banned except when used by his trusted advisors, the Druids. A sense of unease can be felt as different groups plot against the Dagda.
Neve can feel it and knows that something is going to happen. She just needs to figure out what's coming and which side she should be on.
The only thing I enjoyed about this book is the Celtic mythology. The characters were okay, but not my favorite. The plot was definitely not seamless. The world building was there, but in an info-dumpy way. I also would have liked a glossary. This was not for me.
Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an e-arc.
Nehal comes from a noble family. Noble in name only. Her father has squandered all their money away. To pay for the sins of her father, she is being forced into marriage for the bride price.
Nehal is also a water weaver. She has very little control of her weaving and wants to join the Alamaxa Academy to learn to control it. Then she could join the military and fight.
Unfortunately, women have no rights so it doesn't matter what she wants. All she can do is hope her husband is a decent man that will allow her some freedom.
There's so much more going on in this book, but I don't want to spoil anything. I loved it!
I love the women taking a stand. I really liked the magic and characters. It would've been 5 stars, but I wanted more world building and I also wanted to know more about the history of the magic. Other than that, I thought it was great.
The ending was fantastic! There is a lot to resolve in the next book and I am ready for it right now!
Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an e-arc.
It was great to be back with these characters again. I won't say too much since it's a sequel.
The spirits play a bigger role in this one. Lots of perspectives.
I loved these characters! Adaira and Sidra are my favorites. I am sad that this was just a duology, but I did like the way it ended.
I loved this, but I loved the first one just a little more.
Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an e-arc.
This should be classified as cozy fantasy. It has magic, and the fae, but it's also very heartwarming.
Emily is an uptight, nerdy scholar with no interest in social conventions or niceties. She just wants to finish her encyclopedia of faeries. In order to do that, she must travel to a remote village and rough it in a cabin lacking all the creature comforts she's used to in the city. It will all be worth it for the last entry of her book.
She finds so much more.
This was fantastic! I loved all the characters, fae and non. The friendships were so heartwarming.
This is definitely a very unique fae story. I look forward to the next book.
Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an e-arc.
3.5 stars
Rosemary and Aaron Harker are Huntsmen. They hunt the Uncanny, monsters that are a danger to humans.
When they get a call about an Uncanny, they think it's business as usual. They're wrong. This is either an undocumented Uncanny, or something even worse.
This was decent. Not the best, but not the worst. I think my favorite thing about this is their dog, Botheration. Love the name!
Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an e-arc.
This is the perfect blend of fantasy and mystery. I love that it's very character driven, but also has a fantastic plot. All the characters are great. There's even a sprinkle of humor here and there.
We start out following Quill, an apprentice scribe. He's been sent by a noble to the Imperial Archives to retrieve some relics. These relics belonged to a very powerful family. The relics would be dangerous in the wrong hands.
Quill's request will have to wait because people with ties to the Archives specialists are turning up dead.
Talk of the relics is dredging up the past. Specifically the coup that failed 27 years ago and killed thousands.
Are these things all tied together? Did I mention changelings?
I loved this book. I loved the world. I can just picture the salt wall keeping the changelings out. The cast of characters is fantastic. I'm very excited for the next one.
Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an e-arc.
This was such a fun read!
Wren is very creative. Like her mother before her, she likes to invent things. Her father just thinks she needs to get her head out of the clouds and act like a proper young lady.
When she starts hearing the castle singing to her and feels it shaking, she begins to think he might be right.
When her father and aunt start acting suspicious and cracks start forming in the walls, she decides she's not crazy, there is just a mystery to be solved.
I loved this! Great Gothic vibes. I loved Wren's spunky attitude.
Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an e-arc.
Vianna Roots is a witch. She comes from a long line of witches. Not your average earth witches either. Her ancestors are mostly murderous. She never wanted to be like them or the others in the Coven, so she fled in the middle of the night and never looked back.
Ten years later, and her mother has died. Vianna has to return to her childhood house of horrors and see if she can sell it. Her plan is to bury her mom, sell the house, and get out of there as fast as possible.
The Coven and the house have different plans for Vianna.
I thought this was great! I loved Vianna, but I think Sandeen was my favorite character. Loved the house and the murderous, witchy vibes.
Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an e-arc.
I requested a copy of this because the premise sounded disturbing, perfect for spooky season.
The bride hunt happens every five years on Elk Mountain. All the girls on the list will wake up on the mountain and be hunted by men looking for wives.
The three remaining Marlow sisters are on the list. Their ages range from 14 to 20. None of them want to participate, but it is mandatory.
You cannot refuse the man that chooses you. It brings disgrace upon your family, if you survive.
I liked this, but didn't love it. It's pretty unique. Also disturbing. I liked the way it ended.
Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an e-arc.
Emery and August had a love they thought would last forever. They grew up together on the island of Saoirse. They dreamed of leaving the island and starting a new life far away.
One night changed everything. Emery's best friend Lily is found dead, and August is the prime suspect. Everyone may believe he's guilty, but there is no proof. August and his mom still leave the island because they can't deal with the constant stares and whispers any longer.
Fourteen years later, August returns to Saoirse to bury his mother there. His presence brings the night of Lily's death back for everyone. The truth must finally come out.
This isn't the type of book that I normally read, but I thought it was really good. Very atmospheric and perfect for the spooky season. I changed my mind about who I thought was guilty quite a few times and was still wrong. I really enjoyed it.
Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an e-arc.
Elspeth Spindle lives in a kingdom surrounded by mist. Anyone who enters the mist without a charm will die. The mist is spreading. Elspeth must find 12 Providence cards to save everyone. She might need to unleash the monster within if she is to succeed.
I absolutely loved this book! I'm not a romance fan, but there wasn't very much in this and the little bit was well done. I loved the Gothic vibe. Perfect for this time of year. I loved the magic of the cards. Very unique. And the characters are fantastic! Elspeth and Ravyn are my faves, but I loved Elm's attitude as well. Let's not forget the spooky forest either!
I'm really excited for the next one!
Thank you to Net Galley and Orbit for the e-arc.
I really enjoyed the beginning of this book. I lost interest about halfway through. I didn't like the philosophical parts. I just lost interest. That was about the time the demons arrived and I didn't enjoy those parts either. Not a big fan of the narrator.
I am being generous with a 3 star rating, but I really did enjoy the beginning.
Thank you to Net Galley for the audio review copy.
This book is fantastic!
We follow the lives of two women, Gormflaith and Fodla.
Gormflaith is the widow of the King of Dublin. She is also one of the last Fomorians, immortals with the gift of fire magic. Her only goal is to see her son become King.
Fodla is Tuatha De Danann. She is a gifted Healer. The Tuatha are forbidden from living among the mortals, so they live in a hidden fortress.
The Tuatha have been hunting and killing the Fomorians for decades. They believe they have finally wiped them all out.
The remaining Fomorians are afraid to use their magic for fear that it will draw the attention of the Tuatha. But it may be too late.
I loved this so much! I loved the Irish mythology mixed with the history. I loved the characters, especially Fodla. I hated a couple of them as well, but it made the story even better. I am very excited for the next one. The writing is top notch! This is definitely a new favorite.
Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an e-arc.
Siyon Velo dreams of being an alchemist. But ever since the Sundering (a magical earthquake) almost tore the world apart, alchemy is forbidden to all but the rich and elite. All Siyon can do is save money and convince someone to give him lessons. He does odd jobs for the rich like retrieve items from other planes they need for their alchemy.
His plans are put on hold when the alchemists realize that the planes are unstable. Something needs to be done to fix them because they don't think anyone would survive another Sundering.
I loved this! I would've given it 5 stars but I was confused by the alchemical magic system at times. Other than that, I thought it was fantastic. I feel like this is more character than plot driven. That being said, I loved every character. I would love more from this author.
Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an e-arc.
I love Baba Yaga stories, so I was really excited for this one. Sadly, it was not what I was hoping for.
My biggest complaint is that the House with Chicken legs in modern day just didn't work for me. I love it in a fantastical setting. This also went more towards horror than fantasy, and horror is not my favorite.
I didn't like the characters at all, so that made me just not care what happened with them.
Based on other ratings, I'm in the minority with my opinion, so if it sounds good to you, give it a shot.
Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an e-arc.
This was ok. Not much of a plot.
It's about a man called Chant that's accused of witchcraft and being a spy. His advocate seems pretty uninterested in the facts. She doesn't really care to hear what he has to say. He's just a Storyteller. And although there is magic in a well told story, that doesn't make him a witch.
I think my favorite thing about this book is Consanza the advocate. Her interaction with Chant was pretty funny at times.
Koral is a Hunter. She hunts the dangerous maristags with her brother. If they don't get one soon, her family will starve.
The only other option is for Koral to enter the Glory Race, a competition reserved for the elite. The competitors have a chariot and a maristag and compete in a series of challenges. Even though it's usually the rich competing, there are no rules that state Koral can't.
This book was pretty bad. There is nothing fresh or new. I didn't like the writing style. It was just all over the place and didn't flow well. I disliked the mc very much. She was either whining or saying she was going to win the tournament. Blah, blah, blah. 2 stars is generous.
Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an e-arc.