Title: A Restless Truth

Series: The Last Binding #2

Author: Freya Marske

The most interesting things in Maud Blyth’s life have happened to her brother Robin, but she’s ready to join any cause, especially if it involves magical secrets that may threaten the whole of the British Isles. Bound for New York on the R.M.S. Lyric, she’s ready for an adventure.

What she actually finds is a dead body, a disrespectful parrot, and a beautiful stranger in Violet Debenham, who is everything—a magician, an actress, a scandal—Maud has been trained to fear and has learned to desire. Surrounded by the open sea and a ship full of loathsome, aristocratic suspects, they must solve a murder and untangle a conspiracy that began generations before them.

I absolutely loved Marvellous Light so was so happy when I got my hands on this!

Here we have Maud, Robin’s sister, carrying on the cause of the Last Contract and finding the items.

So Maud gets on a ship called Lyric under the guise of an employee of Mrs Navenby when tragedy strikes. Maud then meets Violet Debenham and catches up with Lord Hawthorn, who we’ve met before, to investigate!

‘We’re not in one place or another. We could be going anywhere, in the darkness. The sun could rise tomorrow and we could be in—Alexandria, or Venice, or among the islands of Japan.’

Loved Maud, she is so self depreciating, quite innocent but very eager to learn and to please and she gets the job done!

Violet so self assured, lives her life how she wants to and good on her. Her free living, not caring what anyone thought (and in those times must’ve been hard for a woman), was a breath of fresh air…..and it certainly impressed on Maud!

Loved how the time period was described, loved the descriptions of the clothing, the ship, the tale of how it all started and loved that different material of rings helps with magic. I especially loved Maud and Violet together. ‘I’ve never had to pretend to want you, Maud Blyth.’

There is just one thing I want in the next book. Lord Hawthorn is so intriguing for me. He is so far removed and closed off so I want him to have a hea, it will be so shocking for him that I’d love to see the look on his face and hear the realisation in his brain!

Title: The Dragons Promise

Series: Six Crimson Cranes #2

Author: Elizabeth Lim

Princess Shiori made a deathbed promise to return the dragon’s pearl to its rightful owner, but keeping that promise is more dangerous than she ever imagined.

She must journey to the kingdom of dragons, navigate political intrigue among humans and dragons alike, fend off thieves who covet the pearl for themselves and will go to any lengths to get it, all while cultivating the appearance of a perfect princess to dissuade those who would see her burned at the stake for the magic that runs in her blood.

The pearl itself is no ordinary cargo; it thrums with malevolent power, jumping to Shiori’s aid one minute, and betraying her the next—threatening to shatter her family and sever the thread of fate that binds her to her true love, Takkan. It will take every ounce of strength Shiori can muster to defend the life and the love she’s fought so hard to win.

Let me just start by saying this……I’m not up for triangles. The reason I’m not is because normally my fave guy loses!! So imagine my surprise in SCC when I loved both. Equally. What would this book do to my heart?

Well lets find out!

‘Make sure he deserves you.’

In this book we went from the dragon city of Ai’long back to Kiata then to a forbidden land with Shori on her adventures to reunite the pearl with its owner and stop the evil Bandur. With him haunting her every step!

Although I found this book slower than the last there were so many things I loved…..

~ Seryu – my dragon prince!
~ Ai’long, the dragon world, it was described so beautifully!
~ A familiar character who bought me a lot of joy!
~ Takkan, what a heartthrob!
~ Kiki – she is up there with my fave sarcastic animal sidekicks with her keeping it real attitude!

And one last mention of a new someone who is a totally new fave! Elang……

‘You’d do well to remember this: your heart is your home. Until you understand that, you belong nowhere.’

I’m hoping next for a book about Elang? Finding his pearl and his HEA?! Please!

In conclusion, my heart wasn’t broke and this was a good read!

Title: What Lies Beyond the Veil

Series: Of Flesh and Bone #1

Author: Harper L Woods

Once, we’d worshipped them as Gods.

For nearly 400 years, the Veil has protected us from the Fae of Alfheimr. In their absence, our lives have shifted from decadence and sin to survival and virtue under the guidance of the New Gods. I’ve spent my entire life tending to the gardens next to the boundary between our worlds, drawn to the shimmering magic like a moth to the flame.

Then, we died on their swords.

All of that changes the day the Veil shatters, unleashing the fae upon our world once again. The magic of faerie marks those of us they mean to take, but the Mist Guard protecting Nothrek will kill us all before they let the fae have us. There’s no choice but to flee everything I’ve ever known, not if I want to live to see my twenty-first birthday as a free woman.

Now, they’ll claim what’s theirs.

But before they capture me, Caelum saves me from the Wild Hunt. Fae-marked and on the run, he is able to fight back in ways I only dream of. From tentative alliance to all-consuming passion, our bond strengthens as the fae close in and evil lurks ever nearer. With my life on the line, he is everything I shouldn’t dare to want and a distraction I can’t afford. I can’t seem to stay away, not even with something greater on the line.

My heart.

Estrella is at the mercy of the Lord of her town, no choices apart from what he wants. And he wants her as his wife. One night Estrella makes all hell break loose, literally!

On the run with her brother from everything they have been taught about the Fae, they bump into Caelum, and he promises to take her somewhere safe and of course their romance ensues (mainly with him being full on constantly!!!)

‘I would burn the world to the ground and lay it at your feet if you so much as asked it of me, and yet you give me nothing. You’ve never once told me that you feel the same way I do.’

I guessed the twist quite early on, how Estrella missed it I do not know! But anyway. Surprise. I love Caelum!

This quick little fae read was action packed, spicy and it’s true, if he aint fae, he ain’t bae!!

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: Completed Series I Wish Had More Books

Let’s just dive straight in here!

The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare
Need more Will. Always.
Even though we get more Will in The Last Hours, there’s still lots of years missing!

Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson

Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas
But just Manon and Dorian please!

Penryn and End of Days by Susan Ee
I need to know how they’re getting on!

Renegades by Marissa Meyer
I need more!!!!

Illuminae Files by Jay Kristoff
Need more. The end!

What series would you choose?

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?

We’re off to the beach tomorrow for a week, can’t wait!

The signal there is really bad so I might go awol for a week but I’ll see how things go! I have scheduled in some posts, mainly reviews, but might not be able to read and comment on your posts so I’ll try my best to catch up when I’m home!

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What I’ve Read

Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
See my review here


The Dark One by Nikki St Crowe
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
See my review here


🎧 It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
See my review soon!

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New arrivals

Still on my buying ban and have been so good which totally isn’t like me! Well apart from I did preorder a book on Monday but does that count?!!

You might have missed…..

Feature – Books I want releasing September
Unboxing – Illumicrate: July 22
Review – Longshadow by Olivia Atwater
Review – Ten Thousand Stitches by Olivia Atwater

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What have you read lately?

Title: The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches

Author: Sangu Mandanna

As one of the few witches in Britain, Mika Moon knows she has to hide her magic, keep her head down, and stay away from other witches so their powers don’t mingle and draw attention. And as an orphan who lost her parents at a young age and was raised by strangers, she’s used to being alone and she follows the rules…with one exception: an online account, where she posts videos pretending to be a witch. She thinks no one will take it seriously.

But someone does. An unexpected message arrives, begging her to travel to the remote and mysterious Nowhere House to teach three young witches how to control their magic. It breaks all of the rules, but Mika goes anyway, and is immediately tangled up in the lives and secrets of not only her three charges, but also an absent archaeologist, a retired actor, two long-suffering caretakers, and…Jamie. The handsome and prickly librarian of Nowhere House would do anything to protect the children, and as far as he’s concerned, a stranger like Mika is a threat. An irritatingly appealing threat.

As Mika begins to find her place at Nowhere House, the thought of belonging somewhere begins to feel like a real possibility. But magic isn’t the only danger in the world, and when a threat comes knocking at their door, Mika will need to decide whether to risk everything to protect a found family she didn’t know she was looking for….

I inhaled this book! This was an amazing read filled with magic, found family, humour around every corner mixed in with a little bit of heartbreak and of course, heart warming times!

Mika Moon is a witch and part of a secret group of witches who look down on her online past times!

‘Witchcore. Not quite as popular as cottagecore or fairycore, but it’s up there.’

Because of her online presence she gets offered a job to teach 3 young witches in Nowhere House how to control their power. So of course, in the interests of secrecy, she takes the job!!!!

We have…..

* Irritable librarian, Jamie with the fab forearms
* Ian, once actor (and my fave!)
* Lucy, housekeeper
* Ken, gardener
* Rosetta, kid witch
* Terracotta, kid witch
* Altamira, kid witch

And of course now, Mika!

The recipe for a great potion consists of a dollop of magic, 2 fabulous old gents, a few secrets, a spoonful of drama, and of course, a pinch of romance!

And if this book was a potion, it would be a powerful one. Utterly fabulous!

Title: Ten Thousand Stitches

Series: Regency Faerie Tales #2

Author: Olivia Atwater

Regency housemaid Euphemia Reeves has acquired a faerie godfather. Unfortunately, he has no idea what he’s doing.

Effie has most inconveniently fallen in love with the dashing Mr Benedict Ashbrooke. There’s only one problem; Effie is a housemaid, and a housemaid cannot marry a gentleman. It seems that Effie is out of luck until she stumbles into the faerie realm of Lord Blackthorn, who is only too eager to help Effie win Mr Ashbrooke’s heart. All he asks in return is that Effie sew ten thousand stitches onto his favourite jacket.

Effie has heard rumours about what happens to those who accept help from faeries, but life as a maid at Hartfield is so awful that she is willing to risk even her immortal soul for a chance at something better. Now, she has one hundred days – and ten thousand stitches – to make Mr Ashbrooke fall in love and propose. . . if Lord Blackthorn doesn’t wreck things by accident, that is. For Effie’s greatest obstacle might well prove to be Lord Blackthorn’s overwhelmingly good intentions.

‘As his figure disappeared , Effie was struck by a horrified realisation. Oh, bother, she said. I think I’ve just fallen in love.’

Effie is housemaid to Lord and Lady Culver and the Lord’s younger brother, Bendict Ashbrook, comes home and Effie totally fancies him!!

She also meets Faerie, Lord Blackthorn, who offers her a deal to help her marry Benedict and she discovers a faerie deal comes at a price!

There was one character who I fell in love with myself, Mr Jubilee! As Lady Hollowvale put it, for a faerie, he’s a pleasant aberration! He was always happy, jolly and wanted to learn about the English so badly!!!

I adored seeing the love match coming together, it actually made my heart sing and the ending was absolutely perfect!

Am loving these regency faerie romances!

Title: Longshadow

Series: Regency Faerie Tales #3

Author: Olivia Atwater

Proper Regency ladies are not supposed to become magicians – but Miss Abigail Wilder is far from proper.

The marriageable young ladies of London are dying mysteriously, and Abigail Wilder intends to discover why. Abigail’s father, the Lord Sorcier of England, believes that a dark lord of faerie is involved – but while Abigail is willing to match her magic against Lord Longshadow, neither her father nor high society believe that she is capable of doing so.

Thankfully, Abigail is not the only one investigating the terrible events in London. Mercy, a street rat and self-taught magician, insists on joining Abigail to unravel the mystery. But while Mercy’s own magic is strange and foreboding, she may well post an even greater danger to Abigail’s heart.

I absolutely loved Half a Soul so when I saw this I knew I needed to dive right in!

Here we have Elias Wilder and Dora’s adopted daughter, Abigail, and if you’ve read Half A Soul, you’ll know who she is.

Abigail has mortal and faerie magic and is on the trail to find the murderer of young girls. Along with her brother who is a ghost (Hugh) and a girl they find along the way, Mercy, they investigate and all fingers point to a faerie, Lord Longshadow.

* As in HaS, I loved the time period and the descriptions of the places they went in London, I want to go back there to soak it all up!

* The magic was magical! Loved the faeries!

* Absolutely loved Hugh. He is so sweet, I want to Mumma hug him!

* Loved seeing Elias and Dora again (especially Elias!)

*Abigail and Mercy = so cute together and made my heart sing!

I am now aware that I’ve missed a book in the middle of this series but I don’t think it affected my ability to follow along with this book, not that I realised anyway! So I’m off to get that!

July theme – IN TOO DEEP!

Sometimes we find ourselves in a bit of hot water (literally or figuratively!) and need a bit of creative thinking to work our way out.

Items inspired by A Darker Shade of Magic, Black Sun, and an officially licensed Folk of the Air item! There is also a fandom neutral item!

💛 Beneath the Waves Towel – inspired by Folk of the Air with artwork by @yoshiyoshitani
💛 Night Spire Travel Toothbrush and holder – artwork by @no0nedesigns (ADSoM)
💛 Flow Like a River Water Bottle – designed by @rosdottir
💛 Black Sun Straw Set – straws representing the four clans

💛 FEATURED BOOK 💛

The Drowned Woods by Emily Lloyd-Jones

Exclusive cover ✔️
Stencilled edges ✔️
Reverse dust jacket art by Niall C Grant ✔️
Foil embossing by Niall C Grant ✔️