Title: The Theft of Sunlight

Series: Dauntless Path #2

Author: Intisar Khanani

I did not choose this fate. But I will not walk away from it.

Children have been disappearing from across Menaiya for longer than Amraeya ni Ansarim can remember. When her friend’s sister is snatched, Rae knows she can’t look away any longer – even if that means seeking answers from the royal court, where her country upbringing and clubfoot will only invite ridicule.

Yet the court holds its share of surprises. There she discovers an ally in the foreign princess, who recruits her as an attendant. Armed with the princess’s support, Rae seeks answers in the dark city streets, finding unexpected help in a rough-around-the-edges street thief with secrets of his own. But treachery runs deep, and the more Rae uncovers, the more she endangers the kingdom itself.

A different leading lady, twinned with the original character….a shared cause.

Oh this story was so good! I listened to the audio and the narrator was fab!

Rae comes from the country to the Palace to stay with her cousin to help her but finds herself as an attendant to the new Queen, Alyrra.

Together they take on the plot of the missing children. Spying, gathering information and making alliances with a thief gang. It was so good, I was riveted!

Oh Bren…..oh how I loved that loveable rogue!!! I really hope there’s a hea there!

Well I didn’t expect that jaw dropper near the end! I was like no way so can’t wait to see what happens next!

The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer It’s a chance to share news, a post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received.

Hi everyone, hope you’ve had a good week?

Am fighting the compulsion to put my Christmas tree up! The struggle is real!!!! But my son wants to wait until the end of November! So we are at a stalemate!!!

Reading wise, I’ve done well, 2 audiobooks and a physical (I’m reading another physical book but haven’t finished yet), and I tried something new and magical this week! Reading sprints! It was really good to get my book read but I guess it felt a bit business like and not reading for enjoyment!

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What I’ve Read

Princess of Souls by Alexandra Christo
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
See my review here.

🎧 Kingdom Of The Feared by Kerri Maniscalco
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
See my review here.

🎧 One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
See my review here.

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New arrivals

A Fire Endless by Rebecca Ross

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You might have missed…..

Review – Twin Crowns by Catherine Doyle and Katherine Webber
Review – Amari and the Great Game by BB Alston
Review – Thorn by Intisar Khanani
Review – Tread of Angels by Rebecca Roanhorse
Feature – Books I want releasing December

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What have you read lately?

I think it’s known that December is a slow release month so that makes me happy, maybe a chance to catch up a tad with my tbr? Oh how I make jokes! I seriously need to get paid for reading so I don’t need to work!

Just the one I want in December and in preparation I’ve been doing a reread of the series, one a month so I’m ready for all the Celestial Heirs goodness!

Of course I’ve preordered the ebook!! 🤣

Zodiac Academy book 8 by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti

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What books are you looking forward to?

Title: Tread of Angels

Author: Rebecca Roanhorse

Celeste, a card sharp with a penchant for trouble, takes on the role of advocatus diaboli, to defend her sister Mariel, accused of murdering a Virtue, a member of the ruling class in the mining town of Goetia, in a new world of dark fantasy.

High in the remote mountains, the town of Goetia is booming as prospectors from near and far come to mine the powerful new element Divinity. Divinity is the remains of the body of the rebel Abaddon, who fell to earth during Heaven’s War, and it powers the world’s most inventive and innovative technologies, ushering in a new age of progress. However, only the descendants of those that rebelled, called Fallen, possess the ability to see the rich lodes of the precious element. That makes them a necessary evil among the good and righteous people called the Elect, and Goetia a town segregated by ancestry and class.

Celeste and Mariel are two Fallen sisters, bound by blood but raised in separate worlds. Celeste grew up with her father, passing in privileged Elect society, while Mariel stayed with their mother in the Fallen slums of Goetia. Upon her father’s death, Celeste returns to Goetia and reunites with Mariel. Mariel is a great beauty with an angelic voice, and Celeste, wracked by guilt for leaving her sister behind, becomes her fiercest protector.

When Mariel is accused of murdering a Virtue, the powerful Order of the Archangels that rule Goetia, Celeste must take on the role of Advocatus Diaboli (Devil’s Advocate) and defend her sister in the secretive courts of the Virtue. Celeste, aided by her ex-lover, Abraxas, who was once one of the rebels great generals, sets out to prove Mariel innocent. But powerful forces among the Virtues and the Elect mining barons don’t want Celeste prying into their business, and Mariel has secrets of her own. As Celeste is drawn deeper into the dark side of Goetia, she unravel a layer of lies and manipulation that may doom Mariel and puts her own immortal soul at risk, in this dark fantasy noir from the bestselling mastermind Rebecca Roanhorse.

A western fantasy with fallen angels, demons and humans.

Celeste is forced to play advocatus diaboli, the devils advocate, to defend her sister, Mariel, against a crime and Celeste finds help from her demon ex, Abraxas.

I liked the premise behind this novella but Celeste put me off, I really didn’t warm to her at all. She was rude and spiteful to everyone, everyone who was trying to help her apart from her sister who she idolised at the expense of even herself. She was a fool!

I hate it when I don’t like a main character but maybe the message here is look past what you see? 3.5 stars

Title: Thorn

Series: Dauntless Path #1

Author: Intisar Khanani

A princess with two futures. A destiny all her own.

Between her cruel family and the contempt she faces at court, Princess Alyrra has always longed to escape the confines of her royal life. But when she’s betrothed to the powerful prince Kestrin, Alyrra embarks on a journey to his land with little hope for a better future.

When a mysterious and terrifying sorceress robs Alyrra of both her identity and her role as princess, Alyrra seizes the opportunity to start a new life for herself as a goose girl.

But Alyrra soon finds that Kestrin is not what she expected. The more Alyrra learns of this new kingdom, the pain and suffering its people endure, as well as the danger facing Kestrin from the sorceress herself, the more she knows she can’t remain the goose girl forever.

With the fate of the kingdom at stake, Alyrra is caught between two worlds and ultimately must decide who she is, and what she stands for.

Princess Alyrra has a horrible life at the hands of her family but gets a reprieve when she is betrothed to Prince Kestrin. A horror occurs on her journey to meet Kestrin but is it actually a horror to Alyrra? Alyrra is free. But she still has a conscious…….

I loved The Goose Girl when I was younger and I can confirm that this is an absolutely stunning story.

So we have the animal best friend, Falada the talking horse, we have an amazing group of friends, we have Princess to pauper, we have an evil enchantress and equally, if not more, a horrible girl pulling the strings.

We also have the beautiful Prince. Aaaaah Kestrin absolutely stole my heart. I know I say this about nearly every leading man but Kestrin was perfection!

Don’t you just love it when a book surprises you with a little twist? Well one happened here and I didn’t have a clue. But I loved it!

To be honest there isn’t anything I didn’t love about this book and now I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series and basically anything this author writes!

Title: Amari and the Great Game

Series: Supernatural Investigations #2

Author: BB Alston

After finding her brother and saving the entire supernatural world, Amari Peters is convinced her first full summer as a Junior Agent will be a breeze.

But between the fearsome new Head Minister’s strict anti-magician agenda, fierce Junior Agent rivalries, and her brother Quinton’s curse steadily worsening, Amari’s plate is full. So when the secretive League of Magicians offers her a chance to stand up for magiciankind as its new leader, she declines. She’s got enough to worry about!

But her refusal allows someone else to step forward, a magician with dangerous plans for the League. This challenge sparks the start of the Great Game, a competition to decide who will become the Night Brothers’ successor and determine the future of magiciankind.

The Great Game is both mysterious and deadly, but among the winner’s magical rewards is Quinton’s last hope—so how can Amari refuse?

I absolutely loved Amari and the Night Brothers so was so happy to start this and see what happens next!

Amari is now a junior agent in the Supernatural Investigations Bureau and is suffering the same prejudices as before as she is a magician. Made my heart hurt.

Quinton is still suffering from the curse.

Dylan is locked up for his crimes.

Elsieand Maria are now Amari’s firm friends and a new friend is made!

And now she has to complete in the great game to save everyone!

I love this author so much, his writing is a gift! I gorged this audiobook in a day as I needed to know all the details! Now I need that next book!

Top Ten Tuesday is featured by That Artsy Reader Girl. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

Topic: Favourite “Aww” Moments In Books

It Happened One Summer – when Piper ran to Brendan’s house in the storm as it felt safe and like home! 🧡

Zodiac Academy – when Darius says how he feels about Tory. ❤️

A Restless Truth – Violet showing Maud how to live the life she wants. 💜

The Atlas Six – Libby and Nico, the world can see they belong together and all their moments point to that but when will they realise?!!!! 💙

All for the Game – when Neil/Andrew snogeroo for the first time! 💙

Shadowhunters – when Mark/Kieran/Cristina realise they love each other. 💜

Love Hypothesis – just everything Adam and Olive! 💛

Shadowhunters – when Will tells Tessa he is catastrophically in love with her 💚

Golden Dynasty – when Circe and Lahn watch the blooms by the river (babies!!!!) 🖤

Rock Chick Regret when Sadie realises she is totally safe with Hector ❤️

What would yours be?

Title: Twin Crowns

Series: Twin Crowns #1

Authors: Catherine Doyle/Katherine Webber

Wren Greenrock has always known that one day she would steal her sister’s place in the palace. Trained from birth to return to the place of her parents’ murder and usurp the only survivor, she will do anything to rise to power and protect the community of witches she loves. Or she would, if only a certain palace guard wasn’t quite so distractingly attractive, and if her reckless magic didn’t have a habit of causing trouble…

Princess Rose Valhart knows that with power comes responsibility. Marriage into a brutal kingdom awaits, and she will not let a small matter like waking up in the middle of the desert in the company of an extremely impertinent (and handsome) kidnapper get in the way of her royal duty. But life outside the palace walls is wilder and more beautiful than she ever imagined, and the witches she has long feared might turn out to be the family she never knew she was missing.

Two sisters separated at birth and raised into entirely different worlds are about to get to know each other’s lives a whole lot better. But as coronation day looms closer and they each strive to claim their birthright, the sinister Kingsbreath, Willem Rathborne, becomes increasingly determined that neither will succeed. Who will ultimately rise to power and wear the crown?

Twins, seperated at birth, brought up completely differently….

Wren, a witch, raised by her grandmother,

Rose, raised to be Queen but ruled by the Kingsbreath, Willem Rathborne.

So in the same sort of vein as The Parent Trap but in a totally different way, the twins swap places.

It had a bit of everything, darkness, cute in places, funny in others and a bit of romance….loved the romances. Shen and Tor both own my heart!

One thing I loved is I didn’t know where this was going to go. I was pleasantly surprised!!

I did find Rose a bit annoying but 100% loved Wren but special mention to the best friend, Celeste. She was bright, bubbly, strong and loves her best friend. Superb.

Now I need book 2 to see what happens next!

The Sunday Post is a blog news meme hosted by Caffeinated Reviewer It’s a chance to share news, a post to recap the past week on your blog and showcase books and things we have received.

Hi everyone, hope you’ve had a good week?

This week has dragged so much! We haven’t done much apart from work and school so a run of the mill week and still I feel exhausted!

My slump has well and truly gone I was back reading with a vengeance!! The below might look big but I had started a book and an audiobook last week but hadn’t finished for my last update!

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What I’ve Read

The Red Scholar’s Wake by Aliette de Bodard
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
See my review here

🎧 I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
See my review here

🎧 The Atlas Paradox by Olivie Blake
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
See my review here

Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
See my review here

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
See my review here

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New arrivals

Princess of Souls by Alexandra Cristo

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You might have missed…..

Review – Cursed by Marissa Meyer
Mini Review – Beach Read by Emily Henry
Review – A Restless Truth by Freya Marske
Unboxing – Fairyloot YA: October 2022
Review – Sabriel by Garth Nix

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What have you read lately?