Title: The Ragpicker King

Series: Chronicles of Castellane

Author: Cassandra Clare

---

BOOKS IN THE SERIES

Sword Catcher #1 review

---

BLURB

Kel Saren, body double to Conor, crown prince of the dazzling city of Castellane, is caught between two worlds. In order to protect his beloved prince, Kel must find the culprits responsible for a massacre at the royal palace—and the only clues are held by the Ragpicker King, the notorious criminal who rules Castellane’s underworld. The trail Kel follows leads back to the Hill, where among decadent nobles and glittering parties a dark conspiracy to destroy the royal family has taken hold—a conspiracy headed up by the monstrous Artal Gremont, the man engaged to marry the woman Kel adores.

Meanwhile, Lin Caster must face the aftermath of the greatest risk she’s ever taken. To save the life of a dying friend, Lin has falsely claimed to be the Goddess Reborn, the legendary heroine destined to save her people. Now the terrifying—but strangely magnetic—leader of her people has arrived to test her powers. The price of failure is exile, and only through her alliance with the Ragpicker King can she continue to access the magic that may save her.

Then Prince Conor reappears in her life, demanding that she use her healing powers to cure the madness of his father, the King. Lin soon realizes the King is gripped by an ancient and terrible magic, one whose lure she cannot deny any more than she can deny her growing passion for Conor.

As the simmering tensions in Castellane reach a fever pitch, Lin and Kel must decide who to trust when any false move means death—or worse.

Back with Kel, Conor and Lin who are all still reeling from the brutal death in the last book and the ‘Goddess’ returning!

This book is a beast at over 500 pages but I was determined not to rush it, so I took my time, to digest every word, sentence, paragraph and chapter.

The politics continue with Conor and the arrival of his new bride, Kel trying to live a double life and Lin trying to get on with her job, trial impending.

Lies, secrets, treachery – it seems the world of Castellane is built on this!

The last quarter of the book was like a roller coaster ride but in a good way, such a good way!

This book was also an emotional roller coaster, Conor, Kel, Lin! Aron? One minute I was feeling all the angst in my stomach, then I was shouting with joy….then I wanted to reach for the tissues!!!!

I do think this book was a little slow in parts but, for once, I actually didn’t mind the slower pace as I needed all the Castellane goodness!

And after that ending and the shock I went through, I’m eagerly awaiting news for book 3, which I believe is called The Bone Conjurers?

‘When you are with me…it is the only time I feel whole.’

---

Sound like something you’d like?

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.

I hope you had a great week!

March has arrived! Spring weather showed up for a couple of days too!

I’ve felt more myself this week after being under the weather for weeks, so that’s good!

I’m transitioning well from a manual car to an automatic, only reached for my non-existent gearstick a few times in the past couple of days 😂

I also finished 2 books!

---

The Ragpicker King by Cassandra Clare
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🎧 Wooing the Witch Queen by Stephanie Burgis
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

---

Review – Wooing the Witch Queen by Stephanie Burgis                                     Review – The Shadows Rule All by Abigail Owen
Feature – Five Star Friday
Calendar – Hello March

---

Feature – Five Star Friday
Review – The Dagger and the Flame by Catherine Doyle

What have you read lately?

Hello March!!!

Hope March is great for you!

“Springtime is the land awakening.
The March winds are the morning yawn.”
― Lewis Grizzard

“It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade.”
― Charles Dickens

I was thinking about what new post ideas I could do and thought of 5 Star Friday – basically, I’ll showcase a book I rated 5 stars so hopefully, people will see it and give it a whirl!

A massive 5 stars!

Feather So Black by Lyra Selene

Set in a world of perilous magic and moonlit forests, this seductive romantic fantasy tells the story of a defiant changeling, her cursed sister, and the dangerous fae lord she must defeat to save her family.

In a kingdom where magic has been lost, Fia is a rare changeling, left behind by the wicked Fair Folk when they stole the High Queen’s daughter and retreated behind the locked gates of Tír na nÓg.

Most despise Fia’s fae blood. But the queen raises her as a daughter and trains her to be a spy. Meanwhile, the real princess Eala is bound to Tír na nÓg, cursed to become a swan by day and only returning to her true form at night.

When a hidden gate to the realm is discovered, Fia is tasked by the queen to retrieve the princess and break her curse. But she doesn’t go with her is prince Rogan, Fia’s dearest childhood friend—and Eala’s betrothed.

As they journey through the forests of the Folk, where magic winds through the roots of the trees and beauty can be a deadly illusion, Fia’s mission is complicated by her feelings for the prince…and her unexpected attraction to the dark-hearted fae lord holding Eala captive. Irian might be more monster than man, but he seems to understand Fia in a way no one ever has.

Soon, Fia begins to question the truth of her mission. But time is running out to break her sister’s curse. And unraveling the secrets of the past might destroy everything she has come to love.

Title: The Shadows Rule All

Series: Dominion #3

Author: Abigail Owen

---

BOOKS IN THE SERIES

The Liars Crown – see my review here!

Stolen Throne – see my review here!

---

BLURB

King Eidolon has taken everything.

My throne, my Shadowraith, and even my kingdom. I am a queen with no one to rule, and a tattered army that’s not even mine. And hope is fading fast.

Now the shadows who once tormented Reven live within me, hissing and wheedling—and enticing me to betray my friends. Which could be deadly for us all. Because without the guy I fell for, without Reven, I am all shadows…and no light.

And the Alignment is almost upon us—the culmination of centuries that have fueled a vengeful king’s festering rage.

We’re outnumbered. We’re underpowered. And even if we could unleash the trapped goddesses, they would destroy the kingdom and everything in it.

I’m loving this series but the ending of the last book nearly broke me!

So we’re back with the twins in the conclusion where we find why Eidolon started on his path, the fight that Meren,Tabra and co have on their hands and we have the delicious shadows!

And shadows of course mean….Reven! (I love him!) Meren and Reven together make my heart sing! 

‘I realized the other day that you and I are two halves of a whole—light and dark—we balance. Right now, I’m the dark, and you’re my light.’

Poor old Meren is dealing with so much but she is strong and she shoulders it all with grace.

There were twists and turns, secrets, betrayals and some schexy times, woohoo! A great conclusion to the series!

‘Even if I didn’t know you, I would want to find you.’

Don’t forget you can see my reviews for this series ➡️

The Liars Crown – here!

Stolen Throne – here!

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 Set in Another Time

Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
Elusive by Genevieve Cogman
The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo
The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Postin
A Power Unbound by Freya Marske

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston
Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater
Illuminae Files by Jay Kristoff
Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare

What did you choose?

Title: Wooing the Witch Queen

Series: Queens of Villainy #1

Author: Stephanie Burgis

---

BOOKS IN THE SERIES

Book 2, Enchanting the Fae Queen will be released in Spring 2026.

---

BLURB

Queen Saskia is the wicked sorceress everyone fears. After successfully wrestling the throne from her evil uncle, she only wants one thing: to keep her people safe from the empire next door. For that, she needs to spend more time in her laboratory experimenting with her spells. She definitely doesn’t have time to bring order to her chaotic library of magic.

When a mysterious dark wizard arrives at her castle, Saskia hires him as her new librarian on the spot. “Fabian” is sweet and a little nerdy, and his requests seem a little strange – what in the name of Divine Elva is a fountain pen? – but he’s getting the job done. And if he writes her flirtatious poetry and his innocent touch makes her skin singe, well…

Little does Saskia know that the “wizard” she’s falling for is actually an Imperial archduke in disguise, with no magical training whatsoever. On the run, with perilous secrets on his trail and a fast growing yearning for the wicked sorceress, he’s in danger from her enemies and her newfound allies, too. When his identity is finally revealed, will their love save or doom each other?

Love from a fountain pen!

Felix, the Imperial Archduke of a rival land, is on the run from his home. In a strange turn of events, he ends up undercover in rival Queen Saskia, the evil Sorceress’s home!

But both aren’t quite as they seem!

~ A library
~ Fountain pens
~ A gentle hero
~ A bisexual queen
~ Banter
~ Crow familiars
~ Trolls
~ Twists and shocks
~ Sweet romance 

I absolutely adored this romantasy, it made me feel all fuzzy inside because it was just so cozy and now I am a firm supporter of the Queens of Villainy!

---

Sound like something you’d like?

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.

I hope you had a great week!

I’ve been out of sorts this week, ill yet again and work has been crazy!

Due to this, I haven’t finished a book! I’m halfway through The Ragpicker King by Cassandra Clare and also the same amount in an audiobook, Wooing the Witch Queen by Stephanie Burgis!

So my Sunday Post will look slightly different this week!

---

ARCS
Bury our Bones in the Midnight Soil by VE Schwab
Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry
The Irresistible Urge to Fall For Your Enemy by Brigitte Knightley

Ebook Purchases
A Sorceress Comes to Call by T Kingfisher
The Golden Raven by Nora Sakavic

---

Review – When the Moon Hatched by Sarah A Parker
Mini Review – Greenteeth by Molly O’Neil

---

Review – The Shadows Rule All by Abigail Owen
Feature – Five Star Friday
Calendar – Hello March

What have you read lately?

Title: Greenteeth

Author: Molly O’Neil

Beneath the still surface of a lake lurks a monster with needle sharp teeth. Hungry and ready to pounce.

Jenny Greenteeth has never spoken to a human before, but when a witch is thrown into her lake, something makes Jenny decide she’s worth saving. Temperance doesn’t know why her village has suddenly turned against her, only that it has something to do with the malevolent new pastor.

Though they have nothing in common, these two must band together on a magical quest to defeat the evil that threatens Jenny’s lake and Temperance’s family, as well as the very soul of Britain.

Jenny Greenteeth, a creature of the lake, makes a new friend in Temperance who is thrown in the lake by an evil village pastor for being a witch! They team up with Brakus, a goblin, to go on a quest to banish the Earl King!

It was cute and cozy but also dark and a bit gory at the same time, I loved it!

I especially loved the animal companion, Cavall, and wanted to give a special mention to the Lord of the Wild Hunt!!!

The writing was so charming and there was so much UK folklore, it was mesmerising! I loved the friendship/found family, it made me all warm inside!