Nickie

As always, I love this series. This one has a great message. And unicorns!

Anna's psychic family runs a sentient inn. Magical and non-magical people are welcome. Everyone in her family has a useful Magical ability. Anna can only foresee death if she touches someone. So, she spends her days doing chores around the inn.
When a boy named Colin shows up at the inn saying his parents have been murdered, Anna thinks this might be her chance to show that her ability is useful. She will find the murderers and prove that she is capable of more than just chores.

I loved this book! Anna and her family are so unique and interesting. The “cat” and the Inn are my favorites.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an e-arc.

Kara finds a hole in the wall in her uncle's museum. It appears to be a portal. It leads to madness.

I thought this was ok. Definitely not my favorite from this author. I don't read a lot of horror, so maybe that's why I didn't love it. I didn't think it was scary, just weird.

3.5 stars
Orphaned as a baby, Signa has been passed from one relative to another until there is only one left to take her in. Only one because everywhere she goes, death follows. By death, I mean Death himself. Signa has been able to see him all her life. He's been her one constant companion.
Signa will be wealthy and able to take care of herself once she turns twenty. Only one year to go. She would really love the year to go by without anyone else dying.

I really liked the Gothic vibe. I am ready for spooky season. My only complaint is that it was pretty predictable at times.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an e-arc.

This was one of my most anticipated books of the year, possibly The most anticipated. It even exceeded my expectations. This book is phenomenal!
I absolutely love books in which the main character is telling his life story and how he came to be the way he is.
This follows Ari The Storyteller. Not a storyteller, The Storyteller.
He meets a singer he calls Eloine in a tavern where he's telling stories. She finds him so intriguing that she wants to hear his story. Not just parts of it, but the whole story from the beginning. And what a story it is!
Ari is now one of my favorite characters of all time. I cannot wait to continue his story, especially after that ending!
The binding magic is quite complex and can have some serious repercussions without proper training and discipline. I am fascinated by it.
I can't say enough great things about this book. It's over 800 pages and it still isn't enough. I would have been quite happy to read another 800 pages of Ari!

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an e-arc.

As the second born twin, Meren's only purpose is to die in her sister's place should the need arise. Her sister Tabra is to be the next Queen.
Meren also changes places with her sister if the situation feels dangerous. With evil King Eidolon arriving, every situation could be dangerous. He has been known to kill a Queen in the past.
With that in mind, Meren decides to step in the night before the coronation. Eidolon will not get her sister.
When Meren is kidnapped, she is sure it must be Eidolon. She soon finds out that it is the feared Shadowraith. It is said that he is responsible for all the people that have gone missing lately. She needs get back and save the Tabra, but first she has to figure out how to save herself.

I thought this was ok. The romance was a bit overdone in places. I really liked Meren. She can play the part of a queen, but she is really down to earth, and good with a knife. I also enjoyed the different places. I'm interested to see why they are changing so drastically and if Meren can fix it. They all sound very interesting with the different creatures.

I'm intrigued enough to continue the series.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an e-arc.

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this. I loved the writing style. It's fast-paced and I was sucked in from the start.

I love fae stories. They didn't play a huge part in this, but they were still there.

I enjoyed the characters. Mer and Fane are my faves (and the fae or not fae Corgi of course). I really hope there will be more with theses characters.
I haven't read the Bone Houses by this author yet, but apparently I need to. I didn't realize until after I read this that they are set in the same world and somehow connected.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an e-arc.

The Prophecy says that the Eternal Khan will be defeated by a boy. That boy is Jian.

Taishi is said to be the greatest in magical martial arts. Even now that she is older, no one has surpassed her talents.
Taishi travels to see how the boy Jian is progressing in his training.
She finds a spoiled brat unprepared for a fight of any kind. To think he could defeat the Eternal Khan is laughable.

This is a great story. I absolutely adore Taishi! She is fantastic!

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an e-arc.

This was not for me. The premise sounded great, but the story was not great. I was so bored! I just didn't care. I wasn't impressed with the characters at all. I only finished because it's a review copy. The only reason I gave it 2 stars is because the narrator was ok.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an audio arc.

I absolutely loved this book! It's even better than the first one in my opinion. The character growth is fantastic. I loved following them as they learned new magic. And that ending! It almost made me wish I had waited until the next book was out to start the series. Almost.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an e-arc.

The rulers of the six realms have been called to Lightlark for the Centennial. It's a competition to see if they can break the curses that were cast on the realms centuries ago. If they can figure out how to break the curses, everyone will win, except for the realm that will cease to exist.

I don't read as much YA as I used to. They all seem pretty much the same. The blurb for this was so intriguing that I had to read it. I'm happy to say that this is fresh and unique. Each realm has a different curse and different powers. I loved the different magics. Isla and the king are my favorite characters.

I really enjoyed listening to this narrator. I highly recommend the audiobook.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an early copy.

I thought this was decent. I love assassin stories.

I love this series. I also love listening to Khristine Hvam. I'm ready for the next one.

This is the story of the witch who put Rapunzel in the tower. If you're expecting a villain, you are in for a surprise. Mother Gothel is so much more.
I had a great time with this book! I couldn't help but root for Haelewise after everything she went through. I love folklore and retellings and I thought this was a very unique take on the story of Rapunzel.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an e-arc.

I really enjoyed this. It's a great coming of age story. Loved the magic in this one.

This book started off strong and stayed that way. I was very impressed.

Ig is a very powerful elemental. He is also a slave. He is bound to his master and cannot disobey an order. If he does, the flesh binding will kill him.

Ig's master is Magnate Sorrelo Adriann. With rebellion in the air, Ig can only hope Sorrelo will die and the flesh binding with him. Unfortunately for Ig, Sorrelo has planned for any outcome.

The magic system is fascinating. This whole book is fascinating and unique. And if you like morally gray characters, this is the book for you. This is definitely one of my favorites for the year.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an e-arc.
And thank you to Holly Hearts Books on YouTube for putting this on my radar.

The Raven's Mark series is one of my all time favorites. I was so excited to see a new series by Ed McDonald. He is definitely an auto-buy author for me.

Raine is cursed. She can see the dead. She must tell no one or she will be killed for it. So she just goes meekly along, doing what she's told.
Now her home is under siege. She must find a way out to save everyone. She needs to be brave.

She goes out to look for a way to safety, and instead finds a girl running for her life. Saving her might come to be the worst decision she's ever made.

This book is fantastic! I loved following Raine's journey to find out who she wants to be. I actually loved all of the characters. I questioned all of their loyalty and motives at one point or another and didn't know who to trust until the end.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for an e-arc.

I know I'm in the minority on this one, but I didn't really like it. Even though it's only 368 pages, it still felt way too long. I think I would've enjoyed it more as a novella.

I enjoyed the folklore and that's about it. I didn't care about the characters. I was just bored.

I received a copy from Net Galley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is a story about an Empire divided by the color of blood. If your blood is red, you are worthy. If it's blue, you're nothing. White blood, and you are maimed and silenced. The Empire is wrong and it must fall.
This book follows three women from different backgrounds with a common goal, to topple the Empire.
I loved these characters so much! The story is fantastic! It's got African mythology, Arabian mythology. It's action-packed with some political intrigue. So much to love. I'm definitely reading the next one.

I received a copy from net galley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This did not live up to the hype. This is the second book I've read this year written by a YA author trying to move into the adult fantasy genre. The first being City of Dusk by Tara Sim. I thought that one was just ok. This was even worse. I didn't like the characters, and the magic system was terrible. I just didn't care. By the end, I was really wishing I would've put it on the dnf pile. I will not be continuing this series.

This debut is inspired by One Thousand and One Nights.

The Midnight Merchant and her jinn companion find magical relics and sell them to the highest bidder.
Stories of a magical lamp with a jinn trapped inside have reached the sultan. Whoever has the lamp can command the jinn to do his bidding. Who better to retrieve the lamp for him than the infamous Midnight Merchant.

I loved the mythology. These characters are fantastic. Some to love and some to hate. This is a great story and I look forward to more from this author.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an e-arc.

On her last night at work, Sheriff Sterling Marsh expects a quiet night. She plans to hand in her resignation when she gets there. Things don't go as planned.
There's a major storm raging outside and there's a witch in town.

This was not for me. I thought it was fantasy, but it was more like horror. I didn't like the characters. I just wanted to finish it so I could move on to a good book.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an e-arc.

I was a bit unsure about this because it started out slow, but I ended up really liking it.

Alessa is the Finestra. She was chosen by the Goddess to defeat the demons that will come in a few weeks to devour them all. She can magnify another person's magic by touch. Unfortunately, she hasn't figured out how to do it without killing them first.

I enjoyed this. I liked the uniqueness and the characters. The narrator was great. I thought it was wrapping up nicely and then it took a turn at the end that I didn't expect. Now I will have to wait impatiently for the next one.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an early audio arc.

This was great! I would love a full length novel with these characters. The narrator is great too!

This story was very compelling. I found the mind based magic fascinating.

With rebellion in the air, Isha finds herself at the Nest. The Nest is a school for mages and a safe haven for refugees. In a tavern near the Nest, Isha meets a Collarbound named Tatters. He lets students practice their mind magic on him for a bit of coin. Isha is one of the strongest he's come across and she's only just starting her formal training. There's also something familiar about her. She has a tattoo on her face and he feels like he's seen it before.

As Isha and Tatters form a friendship and practice with each other, tensions are rising in the Nest.
With the country on the brink of war, Isha has to figure out what side she's on. The trouble is that she has strong ties to people on both sides. Either way, she will lose.

I really liked this one. The characters are great. Some I loved, others I hated. Hopefully they get what they deserve in the next book!

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an early copy.