Five Star Friday!

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.

Review: The Shadows Rule All by Abigail Owen

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!

TTT – Books Set in Another Time

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?

Review:  Wooing the Witch Queen by Stephanie Burgis

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! It’s happened again!

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?

Mini Review: Greenteeth by Molly O’Neil

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!

Review: When the Moon Hatched by Sarah A Parker

Title: When the Moon Hatched

Series: Moonwalk #1

Author: Sarah A Parker

The Creators did not expect their beloved dragons to sail skyward upon their end. To curl into balls just beyond gravity’s grip, littering the sky with tombstones. With moons.

They certainly did not expect them to fall.

As a valued Elding Blade of the rebellion group Fíur du Ath, Raeve’s job is to kill. To complete orders and never get caught. When a renowned bounty hunter is employed by The Crown to capture a member of the Ath, Raeve’s world is turned upside down. Blood spills, hearts break, and Raeve finds herself at the mercy of the Guild of Nobles—a group of dual-beaded elementals who intend to turn her into a political statement. Only death will set her free.

Crushed beneath a mourning weight, Kaan Vaegor took the head of a king and donned his melted crown. Now on a tireless quest to assuage the never-ebbing ache in his chest, his hunt for a moonshard lures him into the belly of Gore’s notorious prison where he stumbles upon something that rips apart his perception of reality. A shackled miracle with eyes full of rage and blood on her hands.

The echo of the past sings louder than the Creators themselves, and even Raeve can’t ignore the truths blaring at her from a warmer, happier time.
However.
There’s more to this song than meets the eye, and some truths …
They’re too poisonous to swallow.

I was excited to get to this book because it was so hyped. I obviously bought the exclusive edition with the beautiful dragon stenciled edges and immediately preordered the matching book 2!

And now I don’t know what to do. This book was ok, but just ok.

I did love the premise behind this story….magical girl goes from old life to new life with a man who loves her unconditionally. And dragons!

I also loved the diary entries from Elluin.

This was an actual heartbreaking tale and I fear it will only get worse in book 2 because of ‘the secret’.

What I didn’t love was Raeve. She made some absolute rubbish decisions and she seemed full of self importance. Maybe I’m wrong, but she wasn’t for me.

I also didn’t love all the fluff in the writing. It was….a lot. Especially the part explaining the crying in the rain….I was like what’s going on here?!!

So my dilemma is, do I read book 2?!

TTT – Books I Never Reviewed

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 I Never Reviewed

Many, many, many years ago in a land (where I still live) I used to read books and….get ready…..NOT REVIEW THEM unless they were arcs.

There. My shameful secret.

Then I read that reviews help authors…and my blog hobby took off!

So here are some books I read a long time ago (for the first time) and have never reviewed….

Throne of Glass by SJM
Any of the Percy Jackson books
Any of the Harry Potter books
Any of the Twilight books
Any of the Rock Chicks by Kristen Ashley
The Three Series by Kristen Ashley

What did you choose?

The Sunday Post! My first dnf of 2025!

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!


This week was mostly work and, as I have a project due to implement next week, I worked extra hours to make sure we were ready so that was nice (not really!)

I had my first dnf of the year this week too, I got 30 odd percent into Heavenly Tyrant and realised that I didn’t know why things were happening and I didn’t have a clue what was going on – it might be a me thing – not sure!


🎧 The Language of Dragons by SF Williamson
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Look out for my review soon!


Feature – March Releases
Calendar – Valentines


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

What have you read lately?