Title: Year of the Reaper

Author: Makiia Lucier

The past never forgets…

Before an ambush by enemy soldiers, Lord Cassia was an engineer’s apprentice on a mission entrusted by the king. But when plague sweeps over the land, leaving countless dead and devastating the kingdom, even Cas’ title cannot save him from a rotting prison cell and a merciless sickness.

Three years later, Cas wants only to return to his home in the mountains and forget past horrors. But home is not what he remembers. His castle has become a refuge for the royal court. And they have brought their enemies with them.

When an assassin targets those closest to the queen, Cas is drawn into a search for a killer… one that leads him to form an unexpected bond with a brilliant young historian named Lena. Cas and Lena soon realize that who is behind the attacks is far less important than why. They must look to the past, following the trail of a terrible secret—one that could threaten the kingdom’s newfound peace and plunge it back into war.

I joined in with the Fairyloot readalong and can say I really enjoyed this read!

Cas returns home after being a prisoner in an enemy countries land and he is not the person he used to be. He finds his brother and some other guests in their home!

And this is where our journey begins and we find out who Cassia really is. There’s secrets, twists, history, fantastic characters and world building and the writing was fab, it flowed so well!

As I said before, this was a great standalone and I really wouldn’t say no to more in this world!

No this isn’t as it seems, it’s not a book called Romancing the Rascal but a book I loved that had a romance in it where one of them was a rascal (but in a good way!!)

As it’s February I thought I’d do some posts about books with romances that I loved……

Will Herondale and Tessa Gray

The Infernal Devices
Clockwork Angel
Clockwork Prince
Clockwork Princess

I read these books in early 2021 and I fell head over heels in love with Will! He is just so affectionate, so cheeky and up for adventure. He, Jem and Tessa made my heart swell but Will and Tessa officially own my heart.

And I am – I am catastrophically in love with you – Will to Tessa

Life is a book, and there are a thousand pages I have not yet read. I would read them together with you, as many as I can, before I die—Will to Tessa

Title: Daughters of Nri

Series: The Return of the Earth Mother #1

Author: Reni K Amayo

A gruesome war results in the old gods’ departure from earth. The only remnants of their existence lie in two girls. Twins, separated at birth. Goddesses who grow up believing that they are human. Daughters Of Nri explores their epic journey of self-discovery as they embark on a path back to one another.

Strong-willed Naala grows up seeking adventure in her quiet and small village. While the more reserved Sinai resides in the cold and political palace of Nri. Though miles apart, both girls share an indestructible bond: they share the same blood, the same face, and possess the same unspoken magic, thought to have vanished with the lost gods.

The twin girls were separated at birth, a price paid to ensure their survival from Eze Ochichiri, the man who rules the Kingdom of Nri. Both girls are tested in ways that awaken a mystical, formidable power deep within themselves. Eventually, their paths both lead back to the mighty Eze.

But can they defeat the man who brought the gods themselves to their knees?

Firstly can we talk about this absolutely beautiful cover? I fell in love with it!

I listened to the audio and the narrator was amazing.

Twins, Naala and Sinai were separated at birth due to what they are and put in separate lives. They grow up thinking they are human and this story is their journey to their task to defeat Eze, the evil ruler of the Kingdom of Nri.

The writing was beautiful and just descriptive enough. I loved the world that was created and I also loved the twins, they were so strong after all they have been through.

I really could’ve done with a bit of a faster plot for the first three quarters of the book but I did appreciate the detail and also the little romance there, it made my heart sing and want more of it!!!

I just found out the next book is out so I’m diving straight in! 

Title: The Iron Sword

Series: The Iron Fey, Evenfall #2

Author: Julie Kagawa

As Evenfall nears, the stakes grow ever higher for those in Faery…

Banished from the Winter Court for daring to fall in love, Prince Ash achieved the impossible and journeyed to the End of the World to earn a soul and keep his vow to always stand beside Queen Meghan of the Iron Fey.

Now he faces even more incomprehensible odds. Their son, King Keirran of the Forgotten, is missing. Something more ancient than the courts of Faery and more evil than anything Ash has faced in a millennium is rising as Evenfall approaches. And if Ash and his allies cannot stop it, the chaos that has begun to divide the world will shatter it for eternity.

‘A shadow had fallen over Faery, the echo of a new prophecy hovering over it like a storm. The end has begun. Evenfall is coming. Faery and every living creature that exists under the sun are doomed.’

Me wanting to read this was a no brainer because of 1 word……Ash. (My love for him is strong!!)

Kierran is missing and something big is brewing so the crew set off to find him, Ash, Meghan, Grim, Nyx and Puck.

What follows are a series of adventures, a lot of meetings and action, creepy, dark monsters and a new foe, The Nightmare King.

Although I loved being back in this world, I did find the plot a bit slow in places but I loved seeing Meghan and Ash, Kierran, Puck and Nyx….I love them and they are close to my heart.

Another thing I loved was how this book captured a part of what SM is doing to society in a small way in real life: ‘Welcome to the internet, manufactured outrage is all the rage these days.’

I especially loved the idea of Evenfall, why didn’t I think of this before? But I won’t say anymore about that here as I don’t want to give anything away!

The ending was superb, can’t wait to see what happens next!

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 – Books with Character Names In the Titles

So books with characters names in the book title, a nice little mix of genres too!

❤ Until Talon by Aurora Rose Reynolds

❤ Amari and the Night Brothers by BB Alston

❤ Lev and Vik by Belle Aurora

❤ War by Laura Thalassa

❤ Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer

❤ Cash’s Fight by Jamie Begley

❤ Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren

❤ Vicious by LJ Shen

❤ Raze by Tillie Cole

Happy February!

‘Though, February is short, it is filled with lots of love and sweet surprises.’ —Charmaine J Forde

‘In the coldest February, as in every other month in every other year, the best thing to hold on to in this world is each other.’ — Linda Ellerbee

Title: City of Brass

Series: The Daevabad Trilogy

Author: SA Chakraborty

Nahri has never believed in magic. Certainly, she has power; on the streets of 18th century Cairo, she’s a con woman of unsurpassed talent. But she knows better than anyone that the trade she uses to get by—palm readings, zars, healings—are all tricks, sleights of hand, learned skills; a means to the delightful end of swindling Ottoman nobles.

But when Nahri accidentally summons an equally sly, darkly mysterious djinn warrior to her side during one of her cons, she’s forced to accept that the magical world she thought only existed in childhood stories is real. For the warrior tells her a new tale: across hot, windswept sands teeming with creatures of fire, and rivers where the mythical marid sleep; past ruins of once-magnificent human metropolises, and mountains where the circling hawks are not what they seem, lies Daevabad, the legendary city of brass, a city to which Nahri is irrevocably bound.

In that city, behind gilded brass walls laced with enchantments, behind the six gates of the six djinn tribes, old resentments are simmering. And when Nahri decides to enter this world, she learns that true power is fierce and brutal. That magic cannot shield her from the dangerous web of court politics. That even the cleverest of schemes can have deadly consequences.

After all, there is a reason they say be careful what you wish for…

Nahri is on her own in Cairo and is basically a con artist, but she also has a real ability to sense illness in people. In one of her cons she accidentally summons a djinn, Dara, who tells her who she really is and takes her to Daevabad.

Along the same timeline, we also meet Ali who is the son of the King who doesn’t like how his father’s regime treats Shafits, half djinn, half human people. (I hope I have all the spellings right as I listened to it!)

As I said above, I listened to this book and, at first, I wasn’t sure it was the right format for this story for me. I was a bit confused at points with all the different magical groups, political issues but then it all sort of slotted into place, not sure if it was me or not! 

But as soon as Nahri arrived at the Palace, I was hooked to every word! I love Dara is all I have to say!!!

Onto book 2 for me!

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.

Here we are with my 2nd update of 2022! Doesn’t January feel like a month with 85 days in it?!!! It felt like it was dragging all month!

There’s not much to report here really, nothing has happened apart from run of the mill work and school!

My reading year has got off to a great start with 13 books read in total for January. I’ve been like a reading machine because that’s more than I normally read!

On the blog, I had a spurt of reviews to catch up on so they’ve been posted in the last week and a bit (sorry for the amount!) and I have a few that I’ll post in February.

What I’ve Read

Defending Elysium and Evershore by Brandon Sanderson
See my reviews here

Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim
A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske
The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
Daughters of Nri by Reni K Amayo

My reviews for the above will be published soon!

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Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco
This is a reread so you can read my original review that I’ve updated here where I go on about my love for Thomas and basically hate for Audrey Rose!!!!

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I also gorged a series!

Broken Bonds, Savage Bonds and Blood Bonds by J Bree

See my reviews here, here and here.

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Bookish Arrivals

The Witcher (with that horrible sticker!)
The Extraordinaires by TJ Klune

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In case you missed it…..

Review – Red Rising by Pierce Brown
Review – Wolfsong by TJ Klune
Review – Gleam by Raven Kennedy
Reviews – The Dark Artifices by Cassandra Clare
Reviews – Cytonic, Evershore, Defending Elysium by Brandon Sanderson
Review – Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan
Review – City of Brass by SA Chakraborty

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Coming up next week…..

Review – The Iron Sword by Julie Kagawa
Review – Daughters of Nri by Reni K Amayo
Features – Romancing the Rascal, Radiant, Rad and Rake
Review – The Marvellous Light by Freya Marske
Review – Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim

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What have you read lately?

Title: Gleam

Series: Plated Prisoner #3

Author: Raven Kennedy

King Midas made me the woman I am today. Notorious. Unattainable. His.

The thing about being confined is that you believe it’s to keep the bad out… Until you realize it’s about keeping you in.

I’m now in a strange kingdom surrounded by liars, with no allies of my own, but I won’t sit idly by and let myself wither. No, there’s something that’s bloomed from the pit of my repression. Something dark. Something angry.

But the last thing I expected was for my anger to call out to him. King Ravinger.

He’s sinister and powerful and entirely too seductive. I’ve learned my lesson with trusting manipulative kings, so why does my chest constrict every time he’s near? I need to tread carefully, or I’m at risk of losing much more than just my freedom.

Regret and revenge war inside of me, and I need to figure out a plan fast before I get tangled up in the schemes of kings and queens.

Because I won’t be caught in a cage again. No, this time, It’ll be me setting the trap… I just hope my heart comes out of this unscathed.

‘I probably look like the same gilded saddle, the same gold-touched favored. But if you look closer, you might see the gleam in my eye.’

Wowee!! <— I’m not sure I’ve ever used that word before!

So same as book 2, I devoured this in a day!

We have new scenery, new players who are just lustful for power as Midas and secrets and lies are revealed aplenty!

There are 2 things that shone out in this book for me. One was Auren’s character growth! It was immense and I was totally here for that!

The second was Rip and Auren together. They make my heart sing like a little birdie at dawn!

One thing I didn’t get from this story was I really wanted to know more about Rip. Where he came from, how he got to where he is…..all of it!!

I can’t believe I have to wait for May for the next book!

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