Tag: paranormal

BOOK REVIEW: A Fate of Wrath & Flame – K.A. Tucker

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I’m officially casting A Fate of Wrath & Flame as my biggest surprise of the year because, wow, I was not expecting this book at all! K.A. Tucker is an author whose been on my radar for her contemporary romance novels (which I haven’t quite gotten to yet despite their high praise) so curiosity (and all the amazing reviews) got the best of me when I saw this and decided to give it a shot. Let me just say that A Fate of Wrath & Flame has everything you could want in a new adult fantasy book!

The enemies-to-lovers, slow-burn angsty romance between the main character and the love interest and their warring countries reminded me of The Bridge Kingdom, meanwhile the magic and vampiric elements of the world were reminiscent of reading From Blood and Ash. It’s hard not to compare this to FBAA as there are a good amount of similarities. But while I love JLA, there’s no question that FBAA leaves a lot to be desired regarding the worldbuilding and protagonist. The worldbuilding here is incredible. Honestly, one of the best I’ve read in a long time. Everything came together so nicely and organically within the descriptions. I was able to fully understand the politics, the magic system, and the history of the world without getting pages of info dumps. 

There were times where I felt like I didn’t know what was going on plot-wise, but only because the protagonist, Romeria, also had no idea what the hell was happening (understandably, given her circumstances). The feelings of confusion resolved over the course of the book as both myself and Romeria became privy to important pieces of information. And speaking of Romeria, I absolutely loved her character! She was resourceful, courageous, and fierce. Her connection with Zander was palpable and the angsty romance that develops was so freaking amazing. I’m a sucker for a good slow-burn but add some hate-to-love into the mix and we have ourselves a winning combination!

There’s a lot to enjoy in A Fate of Wrath & Flame. The characters, the worldbuilding, the plot. Everything about the book felt extremely well-written, intriguing, and fresh. I’m aching to get my hands on the next book!

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ½

ARC REVIEW: The Devil Makes Three – Tori Bovalino ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ½

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Title: The Devil Makes Three
Author: Tori Bovalino
Rating: ★★★★½

Thank you to Page Street Kids for providing me with an ARC through NetGalley!

The Devil Makes Three promised dark academia and demons, and I am more than happy to report that it delivered on that promise! The eerie, atmospheric setting, descriptive writing, and compelling characters all come together to form a very impressive and thrilling read.

Tess is spending her summer working as the library assistant at her new boarding school. There she meets Eliot, a privileged posh student, and circumstances give her no other option than to allow him access to the off-limits grimoires hidden beneath the library. When the two of them accidentally release a demon, they must work together to save themselves and their loved ones.

The aesthetic of The Devil Makes Three is absolutely perfect. Tori Bovalino manages to seamlessly blend elements of contemporary, paranormal, and horror together to create a haunting story that can best be described as dark and creepy. The vivid storytelling makes it exceedingly easy to find yourself transported into the story.

The Devil Makes Three will give you chills, in all the right ways. This book is perfect for readers who enjoy dark academia, battling demonic powers, and eerie settings.

ARC REVIEW: The Deck of Omens – Christine Lynn Herman ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ½

Published on by Breanna3 Comments

52746973._SX318_SY475_Title: The Deck of Omens (The Devouring Gray #2)
Author: Christine Lynn Herman
Rating: ★★★½

Thank you to Disney-Hyperion for providing me with an ARC through NetGalley!

Last year, The Devouring Gray pulled me in with its atmospheric world and intriguing plot. I loved the Stranger Things + Riverdale vibes and the air of mystery within the pages made for a dark, eerie read. The Deck of Omens follows suit with the strong writing and interesting plot to create the perfect finish to this duology.

What is this book about? The Deck of Omens picks up not too long after the end of the events of The Devouring Gray. In the aftermath of subduing the Beast, Justin, May, Isaac, Violet, and Harper are left to sort out their messy relationships. Just when they thought the worst was over, the veil between Four Paths and the Gray begins to thin and corruption spreads across town.

What did I like? I’ll admit that usually reading sequels a year or more after I read the first book can be a struggle. However, it was so incredibly easy to fall back into this world and remember everything and everyone from the previous book within the first few chapters. My biggest complaint in The Devouring Gray was that I didn’t feel connected to the characters. That was not an issue in this book! I was much more invested in these characters and it made such a difference when reading.

I love how realistic the author writes these characters and their relationships with each other and their families. Christine Lynn Herman perfectly captures the complicated nature of human relationships: the hurt, the acceptance, the hardships, and the easiness.

What didn’t I like? I’m not sure if this was just me, but everything felt very rushed and chaotic in The Deck of Omens. The stakes were raised and the urgency was turned up a notch, but reading this felt like a whirlwind. That did make it harder to enjoy as I felt like I was being rushed along and couldn’t savour the plot and story as much.

Overall thoughts: The Deck of Omens will definitely please anyone who enjoyed The Devouring Gray. The superb character development, subtle romance, and atmospheric writing make this an excellent sequel and a wonderful paranormal series!

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The ABC Book Challenge | Q

Published on by Breanna2 Comments

Happy Friday! I’m here again with the next letter of the ABC Book Challenge! I realized while doing this list that all of books that start with “Q” begin with the word “Queen”. Are there any YA books out there that begin with a different “Q” word?!

MEMORABLE TITLES THAT START WITH THE LETTER “Q”

BOOKS STARTING WITH “Q” ON MY TBR