Tag Archives: fantasy romance

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Book Review: Smoke and Scar, by Gretchen Powell Fox

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I was recently lucky enough to win a giveaway on Instagram that included a copy of Gretchen Powell Fox‘s Smoke and Scar. (Does it not have the most gorgeous cover?)

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Birthed in shadow. Forged in fire.

A Splintered Kingdom

An ancient grudge has kept humans and the magical races of Arcanis at odds for centuries. The Arcane Crucible, a legendary series of trials that occurs every 25 years, offers a chance for peace.

A Haunted Warrior

Elyria Lightbreaker, once a celebrated fae war hero, is a shadow of her former self. Drowning in grief after losing the man she loved to the previous Crucible, now she must rise to stop his sister from falling to the same fate.

A Vengeful Knight

Hardened by loss and fueled by hate, Cedric Thorne’s lifelong goal to conquer the Crucible on humanity’s behalf is finally within reach. The only problem? Getting through the trials alive means working with Elyria—the very fae he blames for his parents’ deaths.

An Unwinnable Challenge

With alliances fragile as spun glass and betrayal lurking at every turn, Elyria and Cedric must navigate deadly trials that test their strength, spirit, and magic… as well as their increasingly complex feelings for each other.

This is the Arcane Crucible.

my review

I thoroughly enjoyed this. Admittedly, it took me a little while to really get into it. I was flat out uncertain about the beginning. But once all the characters came together, I was locked in. The story is of a fairly mundane quest sort. Think high fantasy with magical challenges and physical hardships, etc. But I enjoyed the banter between Elyria and Cedric. I liked that she’s the more powerful one and he the Damsel in Distress, so to speak (though I do wonder if the author will step back from that in future books, the setup is there). I liked the side characters, the world seems interesting, and the book is just easy to read. This despite heavy themes of forgiveness, accepting oneself, learning to let go of prejudice, and seeing value in diversity, changing your mind when presented with new information, corruption, and the cost of trauma (even on otherwise good people), etc. There is a lot going on under the surface of this story.

I did find some aspects of it a little predictable, and though Elyria does control shadows, I wouldn’t say she carries the dark “shadow daddy” vibes some of the book’s PR led me to expect. There also isn’t any sex. I mentioned it in case that’s something that matters to you. I did not miss it.

All in all, I’ll be looking forward to the next one.

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Vellichor Vibes: Smoke and Scar, by Gretchen Powell Fox

 

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Book Review: The Wren in the Holly Library, by K.A. Linde

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I purchased a copy of K.A.Linde‘s The Wren in the Holly Library. the wren in the holly library

Some things aren’t supposed to exist outside of our imagination.

Thirteen years ago, monsters emerged from the shadows and plunged Kierse’s world into a cataclysmic war of near-total destruction. The New York City she knew so well collapsed practically overnight.

In the wake of that carnage, the Monster Treaty was created. A truce…of sorts.

But tonight, Kierse―a gifted and fearless thief―will break that treaty. She’ll enter the Holly Library…not knowing it’s the home of a monster.

He’s charming. Quietly alluring. Terrifying. But he knows talent when he sees it; it’s just a matter of finding her price.

Now she’s locked into a dangerous bargain with a creature unlike any other. She’ll sacrifice her freedom. She’ll offer her skills. Together, they’ll put their own futures at risk.

But he’s been playing a game across centuries―and once she joins in, there will be no escape…

my review

I have really mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, I felt that it was so formulaic that nothing stood out and grabbed my attention, particularly the romance aspect. So, I was honestly bored for a lot of it. However, I acknowledge that Linde did break from the mold by writing a comfortably diverse cast and avoiding some of the common PNR pitfalls that I hate, such as women who have to give up their power to be worth of love or give up something they’ve worked hard for to stay with a man who doesn’t sacrifice even a sliver as much. I’d be willing to read the sequel on the strength of this alone. But I’m in no hurry about it since the story itself didn’t captivate me.the wren in the holly library photo

Serena’s Review: “The Wren in the Holly Library”

 

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Book Review: The Haven, the Hallow, & the Highborn, by Jessa Grey

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I was recently lucky enough to win a giveaway on Instagram that included a copy of The Haven, the Hallow, & the Highborn, by Jessa Grey.

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In facing her finest opponent, she will uncover her greatest strength.

Eedy Blackthorn wields a rare and mystical witch magic—she can become a conduit to harness the raw forces of lightning itself. But her abilities do not make up for her painful past. After a tragic accident claims her beloved father, Eedy inherits his seat on the mage-led council. Consumed by guilt over her father’s death and determined to honor his legacy, she refuses to be silenced, no matter how often the male-dominated council disregards her suggestions.

When a mysterious disruption in magic threatens the kingdom’s balance, Prince Caelum is sent to join the council. Discovering Eedy’s identity reawakens a grudge tied to her late father, who ridiculed his family for years. With old wounds resurfacing, every council debate between them crackles with tension. As they clash over how to restore the magical order, their arguments become charged with something neither of them is willing to name.

With duty and destiny colliding, Eedy and Caelum must navigate their forbidden feelings for each other while racing to restore the kingdom’s magic before the winter solstice. As the solution to the magical crisis becomes clear, the couple is faced with an impossible decision, one that will test the limits of Eedy’s power and the depths of Caelum’s heart.

my review

I was really pleasantly surprised by this. I didn’t initially realize that it was a prequel to something else, and (sadly) prequels often feel ad hoc and incomplete, like the add-on they are. But not The Haven, the Hallow, & the Highborn. While it does end on something of a cliffhanger or, maybe better described as a happyish for now, HEA in the making, it feels like a complete arc. I adored Eedy from the first page. She’s practical, and I do so love a practical heroine. It took me a bit longer to warm up to Caelum. Smug always rubs me the wrong way. But as Eedy (and, by extension, I) got to know him, I came to like him quite a lot by the end. The world is fascinating, and the story circles back to its beginning in a satisfying way by the end. I’ll look forward to Grey‘s Roots of Magic series when it comes out later in the year.

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