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 that Include/Feature…..
Fantasy and Romance….
5 Romantasy’s I’ve read
5 Romantasy’s I need to read
What are yours?
Title: The Dagger and the Flame
Series: The City of Fantome #1
Author: Catherine Doyle
Book 2, The Rebel and the Rose will be out in December 2025!
In Fantome, a kingdom of cobbled streets, flickering lamplight, beautiful buildings, and secret catacombs, Shade-magic is a scarce and deadly commodity controlled by two enemy the Cloaks and the Daggers – the thieves and the assassins. On the night of her mother’s murder, 17-year-old Seraphine runs for her life. Seeking sanctuary with the Cloaks, Sera’s heart is set on revenge. But are her secret abilities a match for the dark-haired boy whose quicksilver eyes follow her around the city?
Nothing can prepare Sera for the moment she finally comes face-to-face with Ransom, heir to the Order of Daggers. And Ransom is shocked to discover that this unassuming farmgirl wields a strange and blazing magic he has never seen before… Among rumours of monsters stalking the streets and the rival guilds grappling for control of Fantome’s underworld, Sera and Ransom are drawn together by something more than just magic and must face a deadly choice – forgiveness or vengeance? Kiss or kill? Dagger or Flame?
‘Ransom more like handsome’ 🤣
Seraphine runs after finding her mother murdered by a gang in Fantome, the Daggers. But she runs to a rival gang, the Cloaks, and then she falls for the person sent to off her!
This enemies to lovers, off-limits romance was delish and done absolutely right!
There was a twist and, I tell you, my jaw dropped because I didn’t see if coming at all. Not in a million miles.
Ransom made me swoon and is one of the best main characters I’ve read for a while!Maybe it’s because the male narrator was Freddy Carter!
Can’t wait for book 2!
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!
It was Pancake Day aka Shrove Tuesday here this week so, of course, we made lots of pancakes – maple syrup for my son and lemon and sugar for me!
Work is still absolutely crazy but I did manage to read 1 book, and it was FABULOUS!
Blood and Steel by Helen Scheuerer
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Look out for my review soon!
Review – The Ragpicker King by Cassandra Clare
Feature – Five Star Friday
Review – Dagger and Flame by Catherine Doyle
Feature – April Releases
Review – A Language of Dragons by SF Williamson
What have you read lately?
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!
This was an arc I read in July 2023 – a huge 5 stars (and book 2, Dead Happy was also 5 stars!!!)
We are in an epidemic. An epidemic of unhappiness.
Friends, here is the good news: HappyHead has the answer.
When Seb is offered a place on a radical retreat designed to solve the national crisis of teenage unhappiness, he is determined to change how people see him and make his parents proud. But as he finds himself drawn to the enigmatic Finn, Seb starts to question the true nature of the challenges they must undergo. The deeper into the programme the boys get, the more disturbing the assessments become, until it’s clear there may be no escape.
I’m sure that people have discovered this before me (I’m clearly a late bloomer!), but I’ve just found that Storygraph have monthly stats!
Who knew!
I’m actually really interested in some of these figures!
• 3131 pages over 7 books,
• All fiction with a heavy tilt to romance books in digital format!
I don’t really read romance much now unless it’s a romantasy/paranormal, but I did reread a romance series by Kristen Ashley!
One thing I noted is that I need to get my audio game up so I can meet my audiobook challenge for the quarter!
Have you seen these stats before?!
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: Things Characters Have Said
I didn’t really know what to do here…book quotes?! Anyway, here’s some I dragged up!
And a few of my fave, Cardan’s quotes!
What did you choose?
Title: The Ragpicker King
Series: Chronicles of Castellane
Author: Cassandra Clare
Sword Catcher #1 review
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
CJRTB Books 