‘April is the kindest month. April gets you out of your head and out working in the garden.’ ~ Marty Rubin
‘April hath put a spirit of youth in everything.’ ~ William Shakespeare (Sonnet XCVIII)
HAPPY APRIL!
Hope everyone has a great month!
Title: What Lurks Between the Fates
Series: Of Flesh and Bone #3
Author: Harper L Woods
Once, I’d chosen my mate instead of freedom.
For weeks, we retraced our steps back to Mistfell and the lingering shadow of the Veil at the boundary between realms. Traveling through the kingdom, I denied the evidence in front of me, unable to fathom that I wasn’t the lost princess of Faerie. Instead, it is Fallon who must fear the consequences of her heritage. Which leaves me with a single, unanswered question.
Then, I awoke, caged high above the throne of the Queen of Air & Darkness.
Mab is the Queen who keeps all of Alfheimr held squirming within her clawed grasp. She uses the children of Faerie to sustain the magic granted to her by the cursed gem atop her crown, which has carved her from the girl she once was into a dark vessel, obsessed with power. She thrives on cruelty, and wields our love as an instrument for pain.
Now, I’ll play the games of the Fae.
I’m a curiosity, my presence an enigma that was never foreseen. I may not be Mab’s daughter, yet she still keeps me close, as she forges me into a weapon against humans and Fae alike. Mab may not own me yet, but she controls the life of the man I love. There is nothing I wouldn’t do to see him freed.
Even if I have to become the villain to do it.
‘If you suffer, I suffer too. If you bleed, I bleed as well. If you die, then I will follow.’
Back with Estrella and Caldis and we are introduced to Mab and the delights of Alfheimer.
Winter Solstice approaches and with it 13 days of fun that Mab has planned (note – it’s not fun for the people there!)
I don’t want to say anything about the plot but I will say Mab is a relentless villain while Estrella is light in the darkness.
This was dark, spicy and there is a lot of gruesome stuff in here so if you’re squeamish, beware!
I still have so many questions! Will we ever know what Estrella is? When will my fave, Holt be back?! Where is Fenrir? I need them!
Can’t wait for the next book!
‘Until chaos reigns.’
Last year I did a monthly post about new-to-me authors I’d read and by the end of the year I had read 50! I thought that was pretty good going!
My posts were off the back of an idea from Lucy at Bookworm Blogger!
This year, even though I want to track this, I thought I’d do my posts quarterly instead of monthly (but I’ll see how that goes!)
Anyway……here is my first post and I’ve read a huge 22 new to me authors so far!!!!!
I think this is mostly in part to me reading books off my actual tbr and also book box subscriptions, library borrows and Netgalley.
Here are a few of the 22!!!!
Alexandra Rowland
Catherine Curzon
Clara Kumagai
Nita Prose
Ashley Postin
JJA Harwood
Sarah Hawley
Maya Ibrahim
Rachel Gillig
Hannah Kaner
Have you read any new to you authors yet?
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 for People Who Liked Author X
This was really hard for me because I don’t really tend to compare authors and stories. I know what I like and that’s it. So I’ve put a little spin on this and that’s authors who write the same genre that I really enjoyed!!! (Is that lame?!!)
Romance
Kristen Ashley -> Anne Malcom
Tessa Bailey -> Ali Hazlewood
Cora Reilly -> Cara Clare
Fantasy
Rachel Gillig -> JJA Harwood
Holly Black -> Cassandra Clare
TJ Klune -> Casey McQuiston
Adult romantasy
Amelia Hutchins -> Katee Robert
Sangu Mandanna -> Sarah Hawley
Raven Kennedy -> Jennifer L Armentrout
What would you have picked?
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.
Hi everyone, hope you’ve had a good week?
The clocks have gone forward and I know tomorrow I will mainly be tired!!!
It’s been a good week, nothing much done apart from work and school for my son – sometimes those are the best weeks!
The books I read are below but note that 2 of these books I started the week before but didn’t manage to finish in time for last update, I finished both the day after!
Icebreaker by Hannah Grace
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Winners Curse by Marie Rutkoski
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
What Lurks Between the Fates by Harper L Woods
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🎧 The Liars Crown by Abigail Owen
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🎧 Reputation by Lex Croucher
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Gothikana by Runyx
Review – The Coven by Harper L Woods
Unboxing – Fairyloot YA: February 23
Review – Little Thieves by Margaret Owen
Unboxing – Illumicrate: February 23
Challenge – Beat the Backlist: 1st update
What have you read lately?
BEAT THE BACKLIST CHALLENGE
Do you have books on your to-read list that already released? Do you struggle to get to those backlist books with all the new releases each year?
Join in with Novelknight’s 2023 challenge!
I set my goal at 20 this year with a caveat that these must be on my actual tbr with a date before 31 December 2022 and not bought/borrowed before this date!
TIME FOR MY 1ST UPDATE!
To hit my goal I really needed to have read 5 backlist books from my list by now and am happy to report I’ve read 12 so far! I think, if I carry on reading my backlist at this rate, that I’ll need to up my goal!
Here are my reads!
1) Bloodmarked by Tracy Deonn
2) The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden
3) The Luminaries by Susan Denard
4) The Dead Romantics by Ashley Postin
5) Demon in the Wood by Leigh Bardugo
6) Little Thieves by Margaret Owen
7) Heartstopper volume 1 by Alice Osman
8) A Dowry of Blood by ST Gibson
9) What Hunts Inside The Shadows by Harper L Woods
10) The Roommate by Rosie Danan
11) Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood
12) Violet Made of Thorns by Gina Chen
Are you doing BTB? How are you getting on?
February theme – INTO THE FIRE!
Items are inspired by The Poppy War, Legendborn, Daughter of the Moon Goddess, and there’s a fandom neutral item as well!
💛 Lighten the Darkness Water Bottle designed by @rosdottir
💛 Celestial Kingdom Book Light designed by @chattynora inspired by DotMG
💛 Phoenix Book Jacket designed by @pauhami inspired by The Poppy War
💛 Pendragon Zipper Charm designed by @aylesasworld inspired by Bree’s pendant in Legendborn
Song of Silver, Flame Like Night by Amelie Wen Zhao
Exclusive cover
Digitally printed edges
Full colour hardcover printing
Endpaper artwork
Bonus content
Signed
Title: Little Thieves
Series: Little Thieves #1
Author: Margaret Owen
Once upon a time, there was a horrible girl…
Vanja Schmidt knows that no gift is freely given, not even a mother’s love–and she’s on the hook for one hell of a debt. Vanja, the adopted goddaughter of Death and Fortune, was Princess Gisele’s dutiful servant up until a year ago. That was when Vanja’s otherworldly mothers demanded a terrible price for their care, and Vanja decided to steal her future back… by stealing Gisele’s life for herself.
The real Gisele is left a penniless nobody while Vanja uses an enchanted string of pearls to take her place. Now, Vanja leads a lonely but lucrative double life as princess and jewel thief, charming nobility while emptying their coffers to fund her great escape. Then, one heist away from freedom, Vanja crosses the wrong god and is cursed to an untimely end: turning into jewels, stone by stone, for her greed.
Vanja has just two weeks to figure out how to break her curse and make her getaway. And with a feral guardian half-god, Gisele’s sinister fiancé, and an overeager junior detective on Vanja’s tail, she’ll have to pull the biggest grift yet to save her own life.
‘Little thieves go to the gallows.’
Vanja, the adopted daughter of Death and Fortune has taken over Princess Gisele’s life, thieving, so she can make a break for it but she has attracted the attention of junior prefect Emeric Conrad!!!!
On top of that she also has an evil fiance, Aldalbrecht, and also a curse to deal with!
With a small crew, they try to find a way to beat it all!
I must admit I found the first 15% hard going but after that, I got into it and loved it!
I loved Vanja, she is so naughty but so likeable. Emeric is so lovely! I want a prefect!!!!!
Now I can’t wait for Painted Devils as I need more Vanja and Emeric!
February theme – MORALLY GREY!
How far would you go to achieve your goals? Would you abandon your moral compass? Tread the line between good and evil? This box is dedicated to the characters whose motives are questionable, but their goals are clear… and they will stop at nothing to reach them!
Items inspired by From Blood and Ash, Once Upon A Broken Heart, These Violent Delights and The Black Witch.
🖤 From Blood and Ash Foiled Mug designed by @avendellart
🖤 These Violent Delights Pencil Case designed by @chattynora
🖤 Foiled Art Print by @rosiethorns88 – Jacks and Evangeline
🖤 Snow Oak Pendant from The Black Witch Chronicles designed by @jezhawk
🖤 Tarot Cards – Taha and Qyad from Spice Road
BOOK OF THE MONTH
City of Nightmares by Rebecca Schaeffer
Exclusive cover
Digitally sprayed edges
Endpaper art by @avendellart
Hardcover artwork by @avendellart
Signed
CJRTB Books 