#BookReview: Birth of a Dynasty (Dynasty , #1) by @chinazabado

Synopsis: Combining the political intrigue of She Who Became the Sun with the gorgeous world-building of Children of Blood and Bone, Birth of a Dynasty is the start of a thrilling epic fantasy trilogy centered around three families’ fight for power in Ahkebulin, a land where magic is feared, giants are real, and prophecy holds sway. 

We shall not forgive. We shall not forget. We will have our vengeance.

After witnessing the massacre of everyone he’s ever known and loved, M’Kuru Mukundi, the sole surviving member of the High Noble House Mukundi of Madada, vows revenge. M’kuru flees to a small village where he hides under the guise of farm boy Khalil Rausi… unaware that the real Khalil’s father is the bloodthirsty General of Zenzele army, and under the direction of the King’s scheming son, Prince Effiom, was responsible for the murder of M’kuru’s people. When an imposter claiming to be M’kuru shows up in the village, the real M’kuru—now Khalil—must bide his time amongst his enemies, pretending to be everything that he hates in order to get vengeance.

In another part of the country where giants roam free, young Zikora Nnamani, the only daughter of Lord Nnamani, knows nothing of political intrigue—she wants little more than to be a fierce Seh Llinga warrior. But a well-known prophecy places too much potential power on her small shoulders, and—as far as Prince Effiom and the King know—she is the only living threat to their dynasty ruling forever. However, when a messenger arrives to “invite” Zikora to stay at the palace, her family is not in a position to refuse. Before she is taken away, she begins The Rite of Blessing, a magical inheritance that she will need to learn how to use, but that may also bring the world one step closer to the completion of the prophecy that Prince Effiom so fears.

Between scheming ladies at court, backstabbing princes on the prowl, and paranoid kings, M’kuru and Zikora must do what they can, no matter how terrible, to save their people and claim vengeance for their families. But they are just two young people against an entire kingdom—and a prophecy destined to thwart their dreams—and the last thing they can do is trust anyone…even each other.

#BookReview: Arcana Academy (Arcana Academy, #1) by @elise.kova

Synopsis: Clara Graysword has survived the underworld of Eclipse City through thievery, luck, and a whole lot of illegal magic. After a job goes awry, Clara is sentenced to a lifetime in prison for inking tarot cards-a rare power reserved for practitioners at the elite Arcana Academy.

Just when it seems her luck has run dry, the academy's enigmatic headmaster, Prince Kaelis, offers her an escape-for a price. Kaelis believes that Clara is the perfect tool to help him steal a tarot card from the king and use it to re-create an all-powerful card long lost to time.

In order to conceal her identity and keep her close, Kaelis brings Clara to Arcana Academy, introducing her as the newest first-year student and his bride-to-be.

Thrust into a world of arcane magic and royal intrigue, where one misstep will send her back to prison or worse, Clara finds that the prince she swore to hate may not be what he seems.

But can she risk giving him power over the world-and her heart? Or will she take it for herself?

#BookReview: The Enchanted Greenhouse (Spellshop #2) by @sarahbethdurst

 

Synopsis: New York Times bestselling author Sarah Beth Durst invites you to her new standalone novel nestled on a far-away island brimming with singing flowers, honey cakes, and honeyed love. The hardcover edition features beautiful sprayed edges.

Terlu Perna broke the law because she was lonely. She cast a spell and created a magically sentient spider plant. As punishment, she was turned into a wooden statue and tucked away into an alcove in the North Reading Room of the Great Library of Alyssium.

This should have been the end of her story . . . Yet one day, Terlu wakes in the cold of winter on a nearly-deserted island full of hundreds of magical greenhouses. She’s starving and freezing, and the only other human on the island is a grumpy gardener. To her surprise, he offers Terlu a place to sleep, clean clothes, and freshly baked honey cakes—at least until she’s ready to sail home.

But Terlu can’t return home and doesn’t want to—the greenhouses are a dream come true, each more wondrous than the next. When she learns that the magic that sustains them is failing—causing the death of everything within them—Terlu knows she must help. Even if that means breaking the law again.

This time, though, she isn’t alone. Assisted by the gardener and a sentient rose, Terlu must unravel the secrets of a long-dead sorcerer if she wants to save the island—and have a fresh chance at happiness and love.

Funny, kind, and forgiving, The Enchanted Greenhouse is a story about giving second chances—to others and to yourself.

#BookReview: A Resistance of Witches by @authormorganryan

Synopsis: A historical fantasy debut set against the backdrop of World War II, where a witch journeys to find a book of unspeakable power before it lands in Nazi hands

Stubborn, plainspoken, and from an unimpressive family, Lydia Polk never expected to be accepted into the Royal Academy of Witches. Now, with Hitler’s army rampaging across Europe, the witches of Britain have joined the war effort, and Lydia is key to the cause: she must use her magic to track down magical relics before Hitler and his sycophants can. Then a Nazi witch infiltrates the Academy with heart-breaking consequences, leaving the coven shaken, exposed, and divided. The elder British witches have no interest in further loss of coven life in service of a government that has forced them into hiding for generations. But with the discovery of the Grimorium Bellum, an ancient book that leaves a trail of death and destruction wherever it goes, Lydia knows her mission has never been more urgent. 

Alone and woefully outnumbered, Lydia makes her way to the heart of occupied France, where she finds allies in Rebecca Gagne, a fierce French resistance fighter with a secret, and Henry Boudreaux, a handsome Haitian American art historian with a little magic of his own. Together, they traverse the country, stalked by the natural and supernatural alike, in search of the grimoire. But, as Lydia soon discovers, finding the book is only half the battle the Grimorium Bellum itself has a dark agenda. Lydia must subdue it before the witches of the Third Reich can use it—but she’ll have to survive the book herself first.

#BookReview: Throne of Dusk (The Lost Fae Queen, #1) by E.R. Jensen

Synopsis:  Orphan. Warrior. Prisoner. Princess. A half-Fae orphan joined a Fae warrior training camp at the mere age of eleven. Defying expectations and proving that a half-blood is capable of holding her own against all odds, Serafina earned the coveted Fae title of warrior.

When a shapeshifter’s best friend convinced him to become the lord commander of the Court of Dusk, little did he know that his life would no longer be his own to control.

Driven by fear that his shapeshifting secret will cost him his life, Tristan walks a fine line of faithful servant and traitor to the Court of Dusk.

Serafina, the newest prisoner at the Court of Dusk, becomes Tristan’s charge and he finds himself forced to make a Destroy the killer of his best friend? Or give in to his greatest desire?

#BookReview: Lore of the Tides (Lore of the Wilds #2) by Analeigh Sbrana

Synopsis: From the author of Lore of the Wilds comes the exciting and passionate conclusion, as Lore navigates Fae magic amid looming dangers that threaten to destroy her world.

Lore Alemeyu wakes up to discover she’s on a ship in the middle of the ocean. Held prisoner and with no way to escape, she’s faced with a dire set of circumstances…

A crew that’s distrustful of Lore’s magic capabilities…

Her betrayal by a Fae she thought she could trust…

A dangerous quest for the sun book, which, if placed in the wrong hands, will make the Alytherian Fae even more powerful.

Lore must navigate threats on the ship and beyond, into the ocean’s magical and mysterious depths, in order to find the sun book herself and help free the humans. All the while, Lore can’t help but feel the intense pull of one Fae male who has been helping her all along. But is she willing to risk her human heart for creatures that have burned her in the past, and jeopardize her people’s future?

#BookReview: Infernal Hearts by @authordannyhaliwell

Synopsis: “I want to offer you a deal…”

Jason Blackwell thought he had finally escaped his father’s world of magical medicine. All he wants is a normal life as a practicing veterinarian. No supernaturals. No unpredictable magic. Just a small town, regular animals, and walking away from his family secrets…and lies.

Until he’s woken in the night by Levi—an incubus attired in a fancy suit with a Southern drawl, too much charm, and an annoying tendency to always get his way. Jason is his only chance to find his missing brother.

And they have only two weeks to find him…or the demon dies. And finding Levi’s brother might just be the key to figuring out his own father’s disappearance.

Pulled back into the life he thought he had left behind forever, Jason now returns to the shadows and secrets of the supernatural world. Only this time, there’s no hiding from the truth about himself—and his family’s troubled legacy—or from the magnetic demon who pulls at his heart.

But when you make a bargain with an incubus, there is always a price to be paid. The only question is whether Jason and Levi will live long enough to regret it…

Infernal Hearts is a supernatural enemies-to-lovers romance about a magic practitioner and a misbehaving incubus who discover that every deal has a dark side.

#BookReview: East of Envy (The Great and Terrible Land, #2) by Nikki St. Crowe

Synopsis: DELUXE EDITION—featuring gorgeous stenciled edges, a map, endpapers, and a case stamp.

Booktok sensation and USA Today bestselling author Nikki St. Crowe continues the dark and spicy reimagining of the Oz saga!

Betrayed by the Wizard of Oz, Dorothy Gale is now forced to team up with the heartless mercenary, the Tin Woodman. Tin has a grudge of his own against the Wizard – not only is he the man who stole Tin’s heart, but now he’s taken Tin’s little brother, Gabriel, for his own ends.

But defeating the Wizard won’t be easy – he has all of Oz under his spell and more power than anyone. Or does he?

Because Dorothy is more than she seems, and Tin can't help but be drawn to her. And the longer Dorothy’s in Oz, the more she uncovers about her murky past, and her own potential magic.

And when all is said and done, Dorothy might have to reckon with an earth-shattering maybe Kansas isn’t home after all.

#BookReview: Tusk Love by @theagwrites

Synopsis: A merchant’s daughter who yearns for adventure gets more than she bargained for when she falls for a broodingly handsome stranger in this saucy romantasy from the New York Times bestselling author of The Hurricane Wars.

As the daughter of an ambitious merchant, Guinevere’s path has been predetermined: marry into a noble house of the Dwendalian Empire, raise her family’s station, and live quietly as a lordling’s obedient wife. But Guinevere longs for a life unbounded by expectations, for freedom and passion and adventure.

Those distant dreams become a sudden reality when her caravan is beset by bandits, leaving her guards slain and Guinevere stranded alone on the dangerous Amber Road. Her only chance of survival is to travel alongside Oskar, the aloof half-orc who saved her during the attack.

Unlike Guinevere, Oskar’s path is not so set in stone. With his mother dead and his apprenticeship abandoned, all that’s left is a long, lonely walk to a land he’s never seen to find family he’s never met. The last thing he needs is a spoiled waif like Guinevere slowing him down—even if the spark between them sizzles with promise.

Despite his cold exterior, Oskar is brave and thoughtful and unlike anyone Guinevere has ever met. And while Guinevere may be sheltered, she brings out a softness in him that he has never dared to feel before. As the flames of their passion grow, they realize that soon they’ll need to choose between their expected destinations or their blossoming romance.

Written by New York Times bestselling author Thea Guanzon at the behest of Critical Role’s Jester Lavorre, Tusk Love brings the most romantic story on Exandrian bookshelves to life.

#BookReview: The Curse that Binds (Bewitched, #0) by @laurathalassa

Synopsis: The stunning prequel to the USA Today bestselling Bewitched series. Two thousand years before there was Selene, there was Roxilana. Her love fated, her life doomed, and her story forgotten—until now.

When young Roxilana first hears a voice in her head, she thinks she has gone mad. The truth, however, is stranger still. Because Memnon, the boy who speaks to her, claims he is real. Not only that, he insists they both are god-touched soul mates with the ability to wield magic.

As wild as his claims are, they gradually come to pass. First, Roxilana’s power Awakens. Then his. But nothing is nearly as startling as the day Memnon, now the sorcerer king of the Sarmatians, arrives at Roxilana’s doorstep, proclaiming the witch his wife and shepherding her off to his homeland.

Her fate is everything ardent Roxi could have hoped for. But there are things Memnon hasn’t told her—about his magic, about life as a Sarmatian and what, as queen, she will be asked to endure. Roxilana’s trials are only beginning. And as she’ll soon discover, there is nothing so dangerous as love mixed with power. For while the combination can build empires and shape legacies, it also has the potential to destroy everything in its path. And, if they’re not careful, Roxilana and Memnon could be destroyed along with it.

#BookReview: Kingdom of Stolen Crowns (Sacred Arbor Realm, #1) by @author_stephaniestorm

Synopsis: Condemned by my peers, I’m cast into a nightmarish realm. Yet fate persists in her torment, throwing a beguiling thief in my path. The sorceress-turned-criminal is a dangerous temptation, but nothing will keep me from my vengeance.

Convicted vampire lord, Victor Custodis, is stripped of all he’s achieved and banished to a barbaric land. Alone in a kingdom where everything wants to devour him, his only hope of reclaiming what was stolen lies in finding a portal home. But revenge must wait when he’s taken prisoner by the enticing leader of a desperate gang of bandits.

Determined to settle a life-threatening debt, sorceress Runa Starborn is eager to collect her payoff—before her infuriating captive drives her to murder. But when the arrogant aristocrat betrays her to save himself, they both land in the false king’s prison. Sentenced to compete in the Fallen Trials, the manipulative noble and the wily renegade form a reluctant pact to survive.

As secrets surrounding Victor’s past unravel, Runa’s defenses crumble, and an undeniable passion ignites between them. Bound by an irresistible attraction, they must face the reality that Victor may be the kingdom’s only salvation, forcing them to choose where their hearts truly belong.

Can Runa and Victor free an enslaved kingdom while resisting fate’s grip on their souls, or will the ghosts of their mistakes destroy their future?

Kingdom of Stolen Crowns is the captivating first book in the Sacred Arbor Realm Series, where each installment introduces a new couple navigating a connected world of passion, chaos, and enchanting happily-ever-afters.

Dive into Stephanie Storm’s steamy paranormal fantasy realm—grab your copy today!

#BookReview: Once Upon a Blue Moon (@welcometomoonridge Book 1) by Avery Arujo

Synopsis: Hazel Thornton is a small-town witch with a knack for brewing potions, botching spells, and annoying her grumpy werewolf neighbor, Blake Carter. But when a magical mishap leaves them trapped in each other’s bodies, working together becomes the only way out, whether they like it or not.

To make matters worse, Moonridge is on edge. Wolves are acting strange. Magic is going haywire. And beneath Hazel’s apothecary, something old and dangerous is waking up. As Hazel and Blake stumble through spellwork, supernatural politics, and a suspiciously perfect wellness guru with a shady agenda, one thing becomes this body swap isn’t their biggest problem.

As Hazel and Blake race to reverse the spell, they uncover secrets that could tear the town apart. But the deeper they dive into the mystery, the more they realize their biggest problem might not be magic... it might be how much they’re falling for each other.

Magic, mystery, and enemies-to-something-much-sweeter collide in this paranormal romance full of heart, humor, and hexes

These books are best enjoyed in Book 1: Once Upon a Blue MoonBook 2: Date Night With DeathBook 3: Right Place Wrong Time

#BookReview: An Arcane Inheritance by @wordsiren

Synopsis: A modern-day dark academia fantasy with a twist, perfect for fans of Babel and A Deadly Education.

Warren University has stood amongst the ivy elite for centuries, built on the bones―and forbidden magic―of its most prized BIPOC students…hiding the rot of a secret society that will do anything to keep their own powers burning bright. No matter who they must sacrifice along the way.

Ellory Morgan is determined to prove that she belongs at Warren University, an ivy league school whose history is deeply linked to occult rumors and dark secrets. But as she settles into her Freshman year, something about the ornate buildings and shadowy paths feels strangely…familiar. And, with every passing day, that sense of déjà vu grows increasingly sinister.

Despite all logic, despite all reason, despite all the rules of reality, Ellory knows one thing to be true: she has been here before. And if she can't convince brooding legacy student Hudson Graves to help her remember a past that seems determined to slip through her fingers as if by some insidious magic…this time, she may lose herself for good.

#BookReview: Lost in the Summer of '69 by @elizaknightfiction

Synopsis: Daisy Jones and the Six meets Where’d You Go Bernadette in an epic story from USA Today bestselling author Eliza Knight, in which a soon-to-be empty-nester’s mother goes missing, leading her on a road trip with her daughter to track grandma down at a series of music festivals that popped up across the country in the summer of '69.

Summer, 1969. Eleanor Bell, a widow, has always given everything she had to her family, forgoing her own dreams of becoming a singer. When she receives a diagnosis of early Alzheimer’s on the eve of her sixty-ninth birthday, she decides to go on an epic musical bucket-list trip to fulfill her dreams: A summer tour of festivals. 

Except she forgets, maybe on purpose, to tell anyone where she’s going. Leanne Miller discovers her mother missing, and she enlists the help of her somewhat distant college-aged daughter, Nora, to help her find Eleanor. The last thing Nora wants to do before starting as one of Yale's first female undergrads is to hit the road. But then Nora hears something strange on the radio—her grandmother’s voice. Nora and Leanne embark on a road trip in her husband’s Lincoln Continental from Atlanta, to California, Denver, Seattle, back to New York, and then New Orleans, always one step behind Eleanor, who has been dubbed the Dame of Rock n’ Roll by none other than Johnny Carson. It's an epic celebration of savoring the encore no matter what the next act may bring.

#BookReview: The Fake Divination Offense (Magic and Romance #2) by @sara_raasch

Synopsis: Sports romance gets a Dungeons & Dragons makeover with the next book in the Magic and Romance series that follows half-giant Orok, forced into a PR relationship with a feisty, fan-favorite cheerleader. 

Orok star defensive tank on the Philadelphia Hellhounds rawball team. Half-giant. Patron Urzoth, god of strength . . . only Orok’s tired of being tied to a god known for aggression. So (don’t tell his mother) he’s planning on renouncing Urzoth.

Until the cult of Galaxrien, Urzoth’s sworn enemy, ends up causing a lot of damage through their ill-advised attempts to summon him, and the followers of both deities find themselves blamed for the long-standing feud and its ramifications. 

Alexo cheerleading intern with the Hellhounds. Smells like apples, which Orok only knows because he picked Alexo up. Accidentally—Orok publicly saves Alexo from a bar fight, and fans go feral for the muscly pro athlete being protective of the pint size dude-in-distress. 

That’s enough to have the Hellhounds and Urzoth’s church both coming to them with a Orok and Alexo will start a PR relationship to put a positive spin on Urzoth. Orok is all set to refuse—and finally separate from Urzoth—when the team offers Alexo a starting spot on the cheerleading squad to play up the star athlete and cheerleader optics. It’s such an obvious dream come true for Alexo that Orok finds himself agreeing to the arrangement like the sap he is.

He can keep living a lie for a bit longer. But Orok starts to wonder if they can drop the fake part of this fake-relationship…

#BookReview: Firebird (The Fire That Binds, #1) by @juliettecrossauthor

Synopsis: DELUXE EDITION—featuring beautiful original illustrated stenciled edges with a foil case stamp, and designed endpapers!

An instant New York Times bestseller!

House of the Dragon meets From Blood and Ash in this epic, scorching dark romantasy.

A conqueror captivated…
A witch prophesied to save them all…
An unforgiving world where dragons rule Rome.

Julian Dakkia, Roman general and nephew to the emperor, has played his role as conqueror well. Yet, the moment he laid eyes on Malina, he was enthralled by the Dacian dancer. Years later, the fierce beauty stands before him, a captive on a scarred battlefield, her life in danger. He instinctively shifts into his fierce dragon form to save her, an action that may mean his head on the imperial gate.

The rules of their world dictate that he is the conqueror and she is the captured. But he and his dragon know one thing: their bond has nothing to do with the laws of mighty Rome. She belongs to them. And they belong to her.

Fierce and powerful, twenty-one-year old Malina has survived the loss of her family and she is determined to fight until her dying breath. Still, she can’t believe that the centurion who had once bestowed a secret talisman on her is the Roman general of legendary brutality…and now holds her life in his hands. Nor can she deny how her soul has always seemed to answer his. Slowly she learns that Julian is caught in his mad uncle’s machinations for domination, and helps him plot the downfall of the empire itself.

As they navigate a world where flying deathriders conquer and burn, their love will ignite a firestorm that can only end in heartbreak or death. Or both.

Firebird is a fantasy with some dark themes, including elements of master/slave relationship, attempted sexual assault (not between MCs), and dubious consent (not between MCs). Readers who may be sensitive to these elements, please take note.

#BookReview: The Witch Roads (The Witch Roads, #1) by @kateelliottsff

Synopsis: Status is hereditary, class is bestowed, trust must be earned.

When an arrogant prince (and his equally arrogant entourage) gets stuck in Orledder Halt as part of brutal political intrigue, competent and sunny deputy courier Elen―once a child slave meant to shield noblemen from the poisonous Pall―is assigned to guide him through the hills to reach his destination.

When she warns him not to enter the haunted Spires, the prince doesn’t heed her advice, and the man who emerges from the towers isn’t the same man who entered.

The journey that follows is fraught with danger. Can a group taught to ignore and despise the lower classes survive with a mere deputy courier as their guide?

The Witch Roads is the latest epic novel by fan favorite, Kate Elliott.

#BookReview: What the Gods Left Behind by Zephyr Trillian

Synopsis: For those born with godblood, life begins with a collar and ends with obedience.

When Wisterly escapes her lord’s service, she can't stay visible for long. Her silver collar marks her as an Acolyte. If the guards see her, they'll drag her back—and she’d rather not discover what punishment awaits.

Desperate and hunted, she runs into Mordred, a Guild thief with his own troubles. He offers to help after one last job: stealing the Box of Pathways, a divine Artifact only the godblooded can handle without going mad. With few other choices, Wisterly accepts.

But some treasures are better left alone. When she touches the Box, something wakes inside and takes control. Even worse, the heist goes sideways, leaving them hunted by the Grand Council and the Guild alike.

Now Wisterly and Mordred are fugitives with a capricious power. To stay free, they must outwit their pursuers and discover if the Box will save them—or destroy them both.

#BookReview: A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash (Kingdom of Gods #1) by @jfjohnsbooks

Synopsis: A New Adult Fantasy Romance Perfect for Fans of Fourth Wing, The Bridge Kingdom, and Serpent & Dove!

The eight kingdoms have not spoken for 100 hundred years after destroying the land of the witches, turning the kingdom into a wasteland.
Until now.
Mal blackburn will end the feud between the kingdoms by marrying the fire prince, known across the lands for being cruel.
But Mal is not looking to conquer the cruel prince’s heart.
She wants to stab it.
For if Mal kills the fire prince, she will end the curse no one believes to be true. However, killing him might not be so simple...
The witches want revenge.
And everyone seems to keep secrets in the land of fire and dragons.
Including Mal Blackburn, the girl with witch eyes. The fourthborn child of the kingdom of darkness. The one that is hiding a secret that could doom them all.
Or save them.

Perfect for readers who love enemies-to-lovers, slow-burn romance, court intrigue, and dark magic.

#BookReview: The Oracle of Dusk by @happyhermitltd

Synopsis: An oracle should know better than to fall for a doomed king.

Aurora is a historian—not a prophesied hero. But the day she finds her first artefact, destiny pits her against the primordial monster that has repeatedly destroyed her world. Cornered by the beast, she escapes death when the artefact sends her to the ancient past and gifts her one chance to kill the monster before it’s unstoppable. Except it also lands her in the arms of King Theron, a handsome schemer infamous for his tragic fate.

Theron is a bad man but an excellent king. When a battlefield mishap sends him to an enemy queendom in chains, the last thing he expects to find is a beauty with the knowledge to save his kingdom and crush his foes. Tempted by Aurora’s uncanny foresight, Theron vows to possess her at any cost.

Aurora’s only hope to defeat the monster in the ancient past is Theron’s army. With her world’s future at stake, she knows better than to succumb to his seduction, yet finds herself hopelessly drawn to him. But as she awakens magic that torments her with visions of predestined tragedies, Aurora begins to fear her heart is as doomed as the man—and world—she’s trying to save.

Inspired by The Legend of Zelda, The Oracle of Dusk is the first epic fantasy romance novel in the Cycle of Calamity series. If you love height differences (understatement), time travel, and fated romance, escape into The Oracle of Dusk!