Fairyloot Adult – December 2023
Eclipse
A tale of 2 sisters forced out of the Elven lands and into the terrifying wilderness only to discover the seductive fae court which has not been seen for a millennium.
Faebound by Saara El-Arifi
Exclusive cover
Foiled hardcover @blanca.design
Digitally sprayed edge
Character artwork endpapers @dianadworak
Reverse dustjacket @dianadworak
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.
A full week back at work and I am tired!
Apart from work I’ve not done anything apart from run of the mill cooking, washing, cleaning – my rock n roll life!!!!
I did listen to quite a few audiobooks again, I’m loving them but I’m determined I’m going to read a book with my actual eyes this week!
The Last Bloodcarver by Vanessa Le
🎧 A Curse for True Love by Stephanie Garber
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🎧 City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare (reread)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🎧 City of Glass by Cassandra Clare (reread)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🎧 Unseelie by Ivelisse Housman
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Look out for my reviews soon!
Review – Bonesmith by Nicki Pau Preto
Unboxing – Fairyloot YA December 2023
Review – Masters of Death by Olivie Blake
Review – Blood Scion by Deborah Falaye
What have you read lately?
Title: Blood Scion
Series: Blood Scion #1
Author: Deborah Falaye
Fifteen-year-old Sloane can incinerate an enemy at will—she is a Scion, a descendant of the ancient Orisha gods.
Under the Lucis’ brutal rule, her identity means her death if her powers are discovered. But when she is forcibly conscripted into the Lucis army on her fifteenth birthday, Sloane sees a new opportunity: to overcome the bloody challenges of Lucis training, and destroy them from within.
Sloane rises through the ranks and gains strength but, in doing so, risks something greater: losing herself entirely, and becoming the very monster that she ahbors.
‘Treat something like a monster and it will certainly learn to become a monster.’
Firstly, let me gush over the edition I have, it’s a Fairyloot SE and probably one of the most beautiful books I have ever seen!
Sloane, a hidden Scion is unvoluntarily recruited in the army of the Lucis regime, but it means killing her people and she is all but a child herself. The decisions she faced were heartbreaking and I wanted to give her a cuddle.
But there is some light in the people she meets, like a found family and I lived for those moments because this story was dark, intense and brutal.
The writing was delectable. I listened to the audio as I read too and can totally recommend the narrator.
I loved Sloane, she was so strong and boy did she need to be. Her character growth was fabulous.
I’m not going to say anything about the plot as you need to discover this for yourself but I will say the secrets that are revealed at the end made my jaw drop! I was gobsmacked! Can’t wait to see where this story goes, book 2 please!
Title: Masters of Death
Author: Olivie Blake
Viola Marek is a struggling real estate agent, and a vampire. But her biggest problem currently is that the house she needs to sell is haunted. The ghost haunting the house has been murdered, and until he can solve the mystery of how he died, he refuses to move on.
Fox D’Mora is a medium, and though is also most-definitely a shameless fraud, he isn’t entirely without his uses—seeing as he’s actually the godson of Death.
When Viola seeks out Fox to help her with her ghost-infested mansion, he becomes inextricably involved in a quest that neither he nor Vi expects (or wants). But with the help of an unruly poltergeist, a demonic personal trainer, a sharp-voiced angel, a love-stricken reaper, and a few high-functioning creatures, Vi and Fox soon discover the difference between a mysterious lost love and an annoying dead body isn’t nearly as distinct as they thought.
Here we meet Fox, Death’s godson, fraud and a very naughty boy! We also meet Vi, vamp, estate agent who has a ghost problem!
There’s also a crew of absolute bat crazy beings, creatures or whatever they call themselves!!!! An ensemble of vampires, ghosts, demons, angels who feel nothing and everything at the same time!!!
What we have is a:
Fun, original read,
With great character dynamics,
Fabulous dialogue,
Spot on pacing,
A plenitude of banter!
My fave character was Death. He was absolutely hilarious!
Fairyloot YA December 2023
Artefacts of Power
An immersive historical fantasy set in Egypt, filled with adventure, a rivals to lovers romance and a dangerous race.
What the River Knows by Isabel Ibanez
Redesigned cover @micaelaalcainodesign
Stencilled sprayed edge @micaelaalcainodesign
Reverse dustjacket @rosiethorns88
Foiled endpapers @rosiethorns88
Foiled hardcover @micaelaalcainodesign
Bonus content
Digital signature
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: Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the First Half of 2024
Destroy the Day by Brigid Kemmerer
Crescent City 3 by Sarah J Maas
Bride by Ali Hazelwood
Prisoners Throne by Holly Black
Empire of the Damned by Jay Kristoff
The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo
Witches Guide to Magical Innkeeping
Sound the Gong by Sangu Mandanna
Ruthless Vows by Rebecca Ross
Heavely Tyrant by Xiran Jay Zhao
What’s on your list?
Title: Bonesmith
Series: House of the Dead #1
Author: Nicki Pau Preto
Ready your blade. Defeat the undead.
In the Dominions, the dead linger, violent and unpredictable, unless a bonesmith severs the ghost from its earthly remains. For bonesmith Wren, becoming a valkyr—a ghost-fighting warrior—is a chance to solidify her place in the noble House of Bone and impress her frequently absent father. But when sabotage causes Wren to fail her qualifying trial, she is banished to the Border Wall, the last line of defense against a wasteland called the Breach where the vicious dead roam unchecked.
Determined to reclaim her family’s respect, Wren gets her chance when a House of Gold prince is kidnapped and taken beyond the Wall. To prove she has what it takes to be a valkyr, Wren vows to cross the Breach and rescue the prince. But to do so, she’s forced into an uneasy alliance with one of the kidnappers—a fierce ironsmith called Julian from the exiled House of Iron, the very people who caused the Breach in the first place…and the House of Bone’s sworn enemy.
As they travel, Wren and Julian spend as much time fighting each other as they do the undead, but when they discover there’s more behind the kidnapping than either of them knew, they’ll need to work together to combat the real danger: a dark alliance that is brewing between the living and the undead.
All the stars!!!!!! I devoured this in a day!
Treachery means Wren is sent from her home as a Bonesmith to the Border Wall as her punishment.
One kidnapped Prince later and Wren and her people’s enemy, an Ironsmith called Julian, have a mission to get her back in the good graces of her family.
I don’t really know if I can do this book justice in my review but you can expect:
~ Lies secrets and betrayal
~ Trust no one
~ The different families lore, all those Smiths!
~ Lost races of people
~ Family drama
~ A very cute budding romance, maybe
~ The best world building
~ Dastardly villains
~ The undead
~ A Corpse Queen (amazing!)
~ Absolutely spot on pacing
I listened to the audiobook and totally appreciated the northern accent they gave Wren, gave me proper GoT vibes!
Wren, Julian and Prince Leo were all very loveable and very talented in their own way and I can’t wait to read more about them in book 2!
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.
Well here we are in 2024, I’m back to work (boo!) and I’ve been having a reread week!
I’ve decided to relisten to all the Shadowhunters books in 2024 and also, probably too ambitiously, catch up with the Solaria world (a reread of Ruthless Boys, catching up with Zodiac Academy and finishing Darkmore Penitentiary)!
I’m determined to be really good and not buy loads of books this year so I might even get rid of this segment or maybe it’s a better idea to keep it to shame myself!!!
Dark Fae by Caroline Peckham (reread)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Savage Fae by Caroline Peckham (reread)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🎧 City of Bones by Cassandra Clare (relisten)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Look out for my reviews soon!
Challenge – Audiobook Challenge
Review – Fragile Threads of Power by VE Schwab
Review – Defiant by Brandon Sanderson
What have you read lately?
Title: Defiant
Series: Skyward #4
Author: Brandon Sanderson
Spensa made it out of the Nowhere, but what she saw in the space between the stars has changed her forever. She came face to face with the Delvers, and finally got answers to the questions she’s had about her own strange Cytonic gifts.
The Superiority didn’t stop in it’s fight for galactic dominance while she was gone, though. Spensa’s team, Skyward Flight, was able to hold Winzik off, and even collect allies to help with the cause, but it’s only a matter of time until humanity–and the rest of the galaxy–falls.
Defeating them will require all the knowledge Spensa gathered while in the Nowhere. But being Cytonic is more complicated than she ever could have imagined. Now, Spensa must ask herself: how far is she willing to go for victory, if it means losing herself–and her friends–in the process.
The final book in the Skyward series will free humanity, or see it fall forever.
Back with Spensa aka Spin and everything has changed now she’s back from the Nowhere.
Lots of people are gone, Jorgen is in charge but Grangran, Doomslug and Mbot are still here (and so is the new addition, Chet!)
I’m not saying anything about the plot but 3 things really stood out for me in this book:
~ Found family – and it was exquisite!
~ The character growth was immense!
~ Jorgen and Spensa’s relationship is what all couples should strive towards!
So, the final battle, the conclusion…and it was fabulous, I’m actually sad to see it finish.
But….Skyward Legacy? Does this mean more? Or is this the Skyward Flight novellas? I know I want more so hope it’s more!!!!
CJRTB Books 