Tag Archives: fantasy

song of shadow

Book Review: Song of Shadow, by Natalya Capello

I picked up a copy of Natalya Capello‘s Song of Shadow as an Amazon freebie, earlier this year.
song of shadow natalya capello

They said she was out of her mind. The dark truth will shake the foundations of the fae realm…

Lorelei refuses to believe her wild visions mean she’s insane. But despite her royal sidhe heritage, she’s banished to a remote priory to prevent her causing trouble. So when a priestess of the Elemental Order urges her to join a risky pilgrimage, she flees her prison and sails headlong into danger.

Traveling to an ancient land imbued with volatile magic, she chokes back her disbelief after unearthing evil sorcery that shouldn’t exist. And now that Lorelei holds the forbidden secrets, she fears it’s only a matter of time before the powerful Elphyne Empire silences her permanently. If the fae church’s ruthless assassins don’t hunt her down first…

Can Lorelei expose the sinister conspiracy before darkness falls forever?

my review

I gotta be honest. This has a great cover, but I was bored stiff by it. It’s just so very linear. This happens, and then this happens, and then this happens, and then this happens. There is no build up of tension or feeling of being immersed in a broader story. And so very many of the things that happened were the group running into battle, getting injured, freeing someone, getting healed to run off and to the exact same thing again. It got redundant.

Then there is one of my biggest pet peeves. This book is labeled as book one. But there is apparently a novella that comes before it that really needs to have been read for some things to make sense. I am of the firm belief that if the prequel needs to be read (not just a bonus, but is an integral part of the story and plot), IT IS BOOK ONE OF THE SERIES.

I did like some of the characters, Wes in particular. And the mechanical writing is plenty readable. But I just couldn’t really ever get into it.

song of shadow

Tristan Tour Banner

Book Review: Tristan (The Hawks, #1), by Jennie Lynn Roberts

Jennie Lynn RobertsTristan was promoed on Sadie’s Spotlight (a couple times actually). I didn’t agree to review it for the tour (so, I hope no one minds me borrowing the banner), but everyone who participated in the tour was given a complimentary copy. And since I think the cover is pretty darned awesome, I gave it a read.

His redemption might be her downfall…

Tristan has nothing left to lose. His best friend’s betrayal cost him everything. Now, he’s going to take it back. All he has to do to get the Hawks reinstated to their rightful position at the palace is track down the traitor’s younger sister and turn her over for execution. But Nim’s not the girl Tristan left behind years ago; she’s a stubborn, loyal, beautiful woman, and he can’t stop himself from wanting her.

Nim fled with nothing when the king’s favorite came for her. All she has left is the conviction that her brother is innocent—and her determination to free him. She’ll do anything…even if it means convincing Tristan to help her. But the man he’s become is a far cry from the boy she fell in love with so long ago. He’s formidably stern and deeply untrusting. She’ll just have to hope he still has a heart under that battle-scarred exterior.

When love and duty collide, will Tristan follow his orders or follow his heart?

my review

I generally enjoyed this. The writing is eminently readable, editing pretty clean, it has a gorgeous cover, and I liked the characters and the dynamic of the Hawks in general. I only really have one big complaint and a couple small ones.

My biggest complaint is the cliched use of rape to signal evil. I swear to the Goddess, I sometimes think authors have been told there is no other way to make someone truly evil, like this is required to be included or something. What’s more, it’s too often used as a proxy. Want the reader to know this character is evil, but don’t want to develop him? Just make him try and rape someone. No need for more; the reader will follow  the signal. But, as a reader, I don’t want a proxy or a signal. I don’t want something to stand in for character development and tell me a character is evil. I want to understand that character and their evil.

Roberts is guilty of that here. She wanted the king, his chancellor, and the guards to be evil. So, she made them all open, sadistic rapists. (Though there is no on-page rape, thank goodness.) Sure, I understand that the king is supposed to have created an atmosphere that allowed others to do as he himself does, maybe even surrounded himself with like-minded men. But it was just ridiculous and angering as a female reader. I want better from authors, especially female authors. There are so many other, more subtle ways to make a character evil. Why keep bashing us with this blunt instrument?

My first smaller complaint is that the love is insta (at least for the reader). Which I find especially amusing because the author says, “This book is intended only for readers who love slow burn romance, fast-paced adventure, soul mates and found family…” I wholly disagree that this is a slow burn. I literally laughed out loud when I read that sentence. The soul mates part makes more sense. The romance is a lot more like shifters finding their mates. The beast knows, and all that. I’d call it a lot closer to insta-love than a slow burn. A LOT closer.

Lastly, the main characters kept trying to sacrifice themselves for each-other, for example, “She had to get out. Get to Grendal. Hand herself in. Save Tristan…” when it was very clear that the villains would kill both, not one or the other. They were clearly dealing with individuals who were not going to let one go if they had the other. So, the fact that both characters repeatedly overlooked this obvious fact and kept trying to trade themselves irritated me. As did the contrived misunderstanding about Keely, at the end.

But really, other than the rape thing (which is huge for me and probably, sadly, one of my most common criticisms in reviews, which tells you something about why it needs to be pointed out if it’s that problematically frequent in general), I have very little to criticize. I enjoyed Tristan and will happily read another Roberts book.

tristan

 

 

Aofies Quest banner

Book Review: Aofie’s Quest + Giveaway

This is my stop during the bookstagram blitz for Aofie’s Quest by Angela J. Ford. Aofie’s Quest is a New Adult Fantasy Adventure book with Celtic mythology, strong heroines, magical weapons, mythical beasts, gods & goddesses and a slow burn romance.

This bookstagram blitz is organized by Lola’s Blog Tours. This bookstagram blitz runs from 15 till 19 March. See the tour schedule here.

Don’t miss the tour wide giveaway! One lucky winner will win digital copies of Angela J. Ford’s Night of the Dark Fae series. You can enter the giveaway at the bottom of this post.

Aofie's Quest coverAofie’s Quest
Gods & Goddesses of Labraid #1
By Angela J. Ford
Genre: Fantasy Adventure
Age category: New Adult
Release Date: March 26, 2021

A warrior princess with a dire future embarks on a perilous quest to regain her fallen kingdom.

Eighteen-year-old Aofie’s Mor is an outcast princess, hiding in the sacred forest of the centaurs. She’s spent her life training for one purpose: to take back her kingdom from the angel of death.

When she comes of age, the centaurs prepare her to reunite with the humans. However, on the morning of her departure, she learns a horrific truth that leaves her questioning her true identity.

Frustrated, but taught not to question the will of the gods, Aofie travels deep into perilous lands in search of her birth mother. Along the way she accidentally frees a dangerous goddess, befriends a mysterious iceman, and meets a magic-wielding nymph.

But threads of betrayal and corruption run deeper than Aofie imagined. As she faces trials and tribulations, she begins to question everything she’s assumed to be true. Caught in the ultimate war between good and evil, Aofie must make a choice about her future.

Will she have the strength and courage to take back her kingdom? Or will she turn her back on fate and choose her own destiny?

Welcome to the land of Labraid, a war-torn world where demons rise and the gods and goddesses toy with the desires of humans.

Aofie’s Quest is a dark and exciting fantasy adventure. If you like fierce heroines, treacherous royals, mischievous immortals, wild plot twists and Celtic Mythology, buy Aofie’s Quest today.

Links:
Goodreads
Bookbub
Amazon

Aeofie's Quest

Review:
What first attracted me to Aofie’s Quest was the cover, or more specifically the illustration of Aofie on it. She looks like the warrior she’s supposed to bebroad shoulders, muscular arms, leather armor (but not useless sexy leather armor), even one forearm that maybe looks bigger than the other, as I’d expect for an archer (though that may just be the angle of the picture). I thought, “Here is a author/illustrator who made an effort to genuinely depict a physically strong woman” and I very much appreciated that.

I’m uncertain if that carried through into the actual book though. Aofie does not come off as physically strong for a lot of the book. I don’t think she shoots a single arrow (losing her bow very early on) and she barely fights, which is only an issue since her being a warrior princess is emphasized several times. But she does survive quite a lot and undergoes a lot of emotional growth. One strongly senses that this was just the beginning of a longer journey for her. I feel this is the book in which she grew into the warrior princess title, rather that the one in which she actually is a warrior princess. I’m a bit disappointed by that, as I’m a little burned out on such Young Adult books. But I can’t penalize the book for being what it isa YA book.

The writing is quite readable, though there are a few anachronistic phrases tossed around on occasion and I thought the editing a little rough in patches. Though I’ll state for the record that I got my physical copy directly from the author and it might be an ARC, which wouldn’t have had it’s final edit yet. It’s not labeled as such (which is why I’m mentioning the editing), but I happen to know that e-copies that went out at roughly the same time were labeled as ARCs. So, there’s a chance this was meant to be. And if that’s the case, this whole editing comment can be disregard.

Romance is a strong subplot here, not the main brunt of the story. But I felt cheated by it. I appreciate that the man filling the possible love interest role for most of the book is a bit more gray than we’re used to. But the sudden departure from the established path that the romance took at the VERY END made me feel like every previous romantic hint should have just been left out entirely. I got a bit of whiplash from it; though I admit to liking the individual at the end better. (I hope I managed to write that sentence in a suitably vague and non-spoilerish way, but also convey my meaning. It’s often a challenge.)

All in all, I didn’t dislike Aofie’s Quest by any means. But I feel I’d probably like future books more than I did this one. It’s strong in the YA and that’s not my bread an jam. But for those for whom it is, I think Aofie will steal hearts.

Aongela J. FordAbout the Author:
Angela J. Ford is a bestselling author who writes epic fantasy and steamy fantasy romance with vivid worlds, gray characters and endings you just can’t guess. She has published 14 novels, 6 short stories, and sold over 32,000 copies.

Angela is also a Co-Founder of Booksniffer. A new app for book lovers, plus an effective way for authors to market their books to new readers.

She enjoys traveling, hiking, and playing World of Warcraft with her husband. First and foremost, Angela is a reader and can often be found with her nose in a book.

Aside from writing, she enjoys the challenge of working with marketing technology and builds websites for authors.

Angela is passionate about helping indie authors succeed and co-hosts a podcast called Indie Author Lifestyle.

If you happen to be in Nashville, you’ll most likely find her enjoying a white chocolate mocha and daydreaming about her next book.

Author links:
Website
Indie Author Lifestyle podcast
Marketing for Authors website
Booksniffer
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads
Amazon
Instagram
Newsletter

Giveaway
There is a tour wide giveaway for the bookstagram blitz for Aofie’s Quest. One winner will win digital copies of the Night of the Dark Fae series by Angela J. Ford. You can enter the giveaway here. Or use the rafflecopter below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

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