Tag Archives: fantasy romance

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Book Review: Night in His Eyes, by Emma Alisyn

Night in His Eyes (by Alisyn Fae/Emma Alisyn) was featured over on Sadie’s Spotlight some time back. So, when I saw a chance to nab an audio code for a copy, I took it.

audio night in his eyes cover

A war of Fae Houses. A Prince waking from darkness. A woman drenched in his blood.

Prince Renaud, my mother’s killer, is waking. The Court has not felt the full weight of an Old One in centuries, and it’s my fault.

I am Aerinne Capulette, Lady of House Faronne, and I will have my vengeance against House Montague and Renaud. But despite the ground war I’ve led since I was a child, we remain locked in bloody stalemate.

If the Prince takes the field against us, he will rip from my mind the secret that will shred any hope for peace, or victory.

He will kill me if he discovers the truth. . .

. . .sweet, foolish child. Your death is not what I desire. I have not waited, watched, and planned for centuries to let something as petty as a halfling girl’s vengeance keep me from claiming what is mine.

To protect you, and to ensure my reign, I will bend you to my will. I will slake this obsession with your blood and tears, and I will yield you to no one.

Let your House protest. Let my Court look aghast. They are nothing.

And you—you are my anchor.

We may be enemies, but your hatred only seduces my darkness.

my review

I’m torn about how I feel after listening to this book. On the one hand, it sets up an interesting world with interesting characters. I especially appreciate the mixture of Europeanesque fae lore with Kenyan culture and characteristics. Plus, the writing (and the narration) are perfectly functional.

On the other hand, the events of this book don’t seem to be anchored into any identifiable, over-arcing plot. I’ve finished it now, and other than the lust between the two characters, I DO NOT KNOW WHAT THE PLOT WAS OR WILL BE GOING FORWARD. And that’s a pretty big deterrent when thinking about continuing into the next book and beyond.

night in his eyes photoI also don’t particularly consider it a romance. The power imbalance prohibits it. I sense this might be addressed at some point. But as of the end of this book, one is powerless because the other holds all the power in all situations.

I am undecided if I will continue the series. Maybe if I come across a free copy of book two, I’ll read it, but I can’t see putting any effort or money into acquiring it.


Other Reviews:

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Book Review: Sacrifice, by Vicky Walklate

I was given a free e-copy of Vicky Walklate‘s Sacrifice.

sacrifice cover

 

Dragon gods rule the realm, demons lurk in the shadows and a sorcerer hides a dangerous secret. A war is brewing in Jothesia, and the gods have no idea.

Being selected as human sacrifice to the immortal dragon shifters is supposedly an honor, but rebellious Libby doesn’t see it that way. When the sacrificial ritual goes badly wrong, she finds herself in a reluctant alliance with eldest god Rhetahn. He’s grumpy, cynical and utterly exasperating …and she can’t get him out of her head.

Rhetahn knows there’s something wrong with this sacrifice, and it’s not just her infuriating stubbornness or the way she makes his jaded heart skip a beat. When misfortune befalls his brothers and renders him powerless, his only choice is to unite with Libby to seek answers.

Setting out on a dangerous quest across the realm, the compelling attraction between them is undeniable, yet doomed. To recover his magic, regain his strength and prevent the demons from seizing power, Rhetahn needs her blood. He must kill her at the end of their journey, even if it breaks his heart to do so.

But a terrible power lies hidden in Jothesia, one that could destroy everything the gods have built. Libby and Rhetahn’s forbidden relationship may be the realm’s only hope against utter ruin.

my review

Don’t judge a book by its cover, they said. It’ll be fine, they said. I said when I started this book that I didn’t care for the cover. But it has dragons in it, so I was going to give it a try. Having finished it, I can say that I didn’t like the book any more than the cover. But I will say that the cover accurately describes the heroine’s utter Mary Sue-ness to perfection.

This book was a great big fat MEH for me. It actually has an interesting world and lore. Unfortunately, what it ultimately is is a romance, and the romance FLOPPED. I mean splat, giant belly flop from the 15th floor flopped for me. Not only did I not enjoy the romantic aspect, but it also enraged me.

I understand that the author was trying to make her characters conflicted. They had a difficult thing to do. But the reality is that we had a 20-year-old virgin sacrifice being lusted over by a 3,000-year-old man who intended to kill her. And it is lust. He wants her body and the comfort a woman can offer him (and she’s the only one there). And I’m supposed to make a romance out of that skeeviness? No, it 100% did not make that leap for me.

And then, once the plot had decided they were a couple (suspension of disbelief be damned), she because such a limp-wristed Mary Sue that I just couldn’t even like her. All that backbone she sacrifice photostarted with? Gone, evaporated by his male-ness, I suppose. The plot just became more and more predictable as time went on. Then, as I was warned it would, it ended on a cliffhanger.

All in all, I’m just glad to be done with it. The writing is well-edited and mechanically fine. Those who enjoy a clean romance and a Mary Sue (which some do) will likely enjoy this. I’m just not that reader.


Other Reviews:

Sacrifice by Vicky Walklate (The Gods of Trivium, #1) #BookReview #Fantasy #Romance @vwalklate

 

Book Review: The Unseelie Prince, by Kathryn Ann Kingsley

I received a copy of Kathryn Ann Kingsley‘s The Unseelie Prince in last month’s Supernatural Book Crate.the unseelie prince coverThe throne is Valroy’s for the taking…but first, he needs a queen.

As the son of the Morrigan and heir to the vacant Unseelie throne, Valroy itches to shed the mantle of prince and take his place as King. To his great regret one ancient tradition stands in his way, demanding he first take a bride. With all the members of the Unseelie court proving to be insufferable, what is a prince to do?

Steal a human, of course.

Abigail often wonders if the townsfolk aren’t right in calling her cursed. Abandoned by her husband and with no family to call her own, everything in her life hangs by a thread. Never did she except her downfall would come by taking pity on an old hermit. Abducted into the dangerous world of Tir n’Aill, Abigail is thrust into a terrifying maze that defies all logic. There, she finds herself at the mercy of an Unseelie prince with a strange offer—survive his maze and he’ll give her the solution to all her problems…

If she can live that long.my reviewI am 100% torn about how I feel about this book. On one hand, I love old-school fae who don’t conform to mortal norms and morals. They’re basically my favorite kind. And that’s Valroy in a nutshell. However, on the other hand, this is supposed to be a romance. And the romance aspect of this fell really flat for me.

Sure, I get anti-heroes. I understand dark romance. And I saw that Valroy’s attitudes were changing over the course of the book. But the fact remains that he legitimately didn’t care if she lived or died for the majority of the book. And that does not equal any sort of romance in my mind. So, for me, it was a fail on that front.

But there is the undeniable third hand in which I am curious to see where the story goes from here. So, I’m going to call this a middle-of-the-road read and hope that the romance strikes my fancy a little more in book two. the unseelie prince photo


Other Reviews:

The Unseelie Prince Book Review

https://hklovesbooks.co.uk/2022/03/02/february-2022-wrap-up/