Book Review: "What Fury Brings" by Tricia Levenseller

Tricia Levenseller makes her adult romantasy debut with “What Fury Brings” -  and wow, this story was amazing! This story is raw, dark, and unapologetically furious - and with everything going on in the world today, this is exactly the story I needed to hear.

The book is set in Amarra, a matriarchal society where women rule and men are literally captured to ensure noble lineages. The main character, Olerra, is a fierce and ambitious warrior fighting for her place as heir to the throne. She accidentally kidnaps the wrong prince - Sanos, the crowned prince of a rival kingdom - and that mistake sets off a chain of political intrigue, dangerous games, and a romance that is anything but simple.

What I loved:

• The bold worldbuilding - a matriarchy that flips gender power dynamics on their head. Levenseller doesn’t shy away from making this world brutal, messy, and thought-provoking.

• Olerra herself. She’s strong, ruthless at times, and refuses to apologize for her ambition. She’s also naively authentic at times which makes the budding romance between her and Sanos that more endearing. 

• The tone. Levenseller balances dark, heavy themes with moments of humor and snappy pacing, which kept me turning the pages - I literally devoured this book in one day!

• And of course, the romance. It’s spicy, it’s complicated (true enemies to lovers!), and for readers who like their romance with high stakes, this definitely delivers.
  
  

That said, this isn’t a book for everyone. The romance may feel more physical than emotional at times, and the themes are also heavy - there’s kidnapping, bondage, abuse, and other triggers, so definitely check content warnings first.

For me, this book worked because it’s not trying to be soft or gentle. It’s meant to be intense, sexy, and cathartic. It’s Levenseller writing with rage and passion, and you can feel it on every page.

If you loved her YA work, just know this isn’t that - this is her turned all the way up to adult. I’d recommend it for readers who enjoy dark, boundary-pushing romantasies with a fearless heroine and aren’t afraid of a little chaos in their romance.

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Book Review: "Fated in Blood" by L.A. McGinnis

I will preface this by saying that L.A. McGinnis writes a really great why-choose series. When I initially read “Savage is My Kingdom” (the first book in the Wicked Realms series) I was hooked - and immediately went on to read the entire series. Not one to shy away from plot or spice, that series had a perfect blend of both.

So, it’s no surprise that her latest series, “Fated in Blood,” would be any different. I absolutely devoured “Fated in Blood.” Always one for a good, paranormal vampire romance, this book had it all. Evangeline (Evie) is the badass, feisty female lead who’s on a revenge mission to find her younger sister who was kidnapped. Simultaneously, our two male main characters - best friends Blake and Riordan - are trying to stave off an uprising under Riordan’s new rule as king of the local vampire clan. Evie’s search leads her to staking some pretty horrible bad guys and she finds herself in the grasp of an evil vampire overlord - in the process, crossing paths with Blake and Riordan. In a move reminiscent of a Buffy episode, Evie attempts to take her own life so that she doesn’t become some sadistic vampire’s plaything - only to become a baby vamp at Riordan’s hand. 

This book has fated mates, political intrigue, true enemies to lovers, forced proximity, protective/jealous MMCs, and a shadow daddy that’ll have you wishing you were his shadow queen. L.A. McGinnis masterfully crafts a tale ripe with plot and vampire spice that would put Bella and Edward to shame. After reading “Fated in Blood,” I immediately dove into book two, “Fated in Secrets.” (And girl, did I mention Malachi!? Oh yeah…Evie’s building her harem!) This is definitely a series that you can sink your teeth into! 😉

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Book Review: "Uncharted" by Ellie Pond

It was embarrassing how quickly I read Ellie Pond’s “Adrift” (book one in the Wrecked series). I mean, a why-choose romance reminiscent of Gilligan’s Island, complete with a five-man crew, a deserted island, and a treehouse that had the makings of a modern, steamy Swiss Family Robinson tale. So yeah…completely devoured that book in the course of a day. It’s no surprise that I jumped at the opportunity to review its sequel, “Uncharted.” 

“Uncharted” picks up where book one left off. Haley and her small band of men are still stranded on the island, with a rescue looking bleaker by the day as weeks have now passed without so much as a possible rescue patrol in sight. The crew has tried to make the most of things and have started to fashion a more permanent dwelling further inland. Haley continues to worry about Captain Sam’s whereabouts.  The group continues to battle the elements, along with the natural dangers of the island, with the threat of pirates heavy in the air. Sam eventually makes his appearance and the crew eagerly reunites. Haley’s reluctance to pick up things with Sam are smothered with one steamy night with the entire crew aboard the Rock Candy. The rest of the book has Haley’s men making declarations of love up until the cliffhanger ending that finds Haley missing a couple of her men.

Although it was an easy, quick, and enjoyable read, I did feel that the “major” events were very anticlimactic. For example, the crew’s suspicions of sabotage are further validated in this book but there’s no real progress made at identifying the saboteur. Likewise, the threat of pirates is present throughout (as is the guys’ concern over what would happen to Haley should they be forced to face pirates)...but nothing really happens until the end of the book…and even then, that cliffhanger was more like a mild jump. 

I would really like to see things come to a head in the next installment!

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars

Book Review: "The Rivaled Crown" by Holly Renee

“The Rivaled Crown” is the final installment in The Veiled Kingdom series by Holly Renee - and quite honestly was THE BEST book in the series. I have loved this series since the first book, but this final book just solidified that Dacre and Verena are one of my favorite bookish couples.

Despite some of the issues I had with the second book, “The Hunted Heir”, this book took the various conflicts and wrapped everything up in a bow. The level of detail to really suss out some of the storyline and back history was just perfection (I was literally crying when she started talking about her mother’s motives). This book was an emotional rollercoaster - but of the best variety (I literally cried like four times throughout the book). 

Even with the pull on emotions, this book had everything you’d expect from a romantasy novel - court politics and political intrigue, found family, scheming fathers, familia trauma, and a love story that persists through it all. Daddy Dacre is one of my favorite book boyfriends - hands down! His devotion to seeing Verena succeed and take her rightful place in her kingdom is just everything you want in a dark, rebellion leader. He’s literally her number one advocate - vowing to make the world burn for her!

I have always loved the relationship Verena has with Wren and the family she finds among the rebellion. I loved seeing Wren and Kai’s relationship finally come to a tipping point in this book (is there a spin-off for them in the future!?) Their support for Verena and Dacre was everything. 

But Verena really takes the cake! She has been through the ringer with her abusive father, betrayals from those closest to her, and the death of not only her mother but her own kingdom’s subjects at the hands of her power-hungry father…but her resilience and inner fight never break. She is strong, opinionated, and isn’t deterred by men who think they know best. I absolutely love her!

This book was just amazing and such a great way to end the series! I hope that Ms. Renee continues to write books where bad ass females continue to lead and bring kingdoms (and the Daddy Dacres of the world) to their knees. 

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Book Review: "House of Raven" by Ingrid Seymour

Ingrid Seymour’s “House of the Raven" is a captivating blend of fantasy, intrigue, and romance. Seymour’s latest introduces a richly imagined world filled with complex characters and a plot that keeps readers engaged from start to finish.

Valeria, the king’s daughter, is a total dreamer with a big heart. After her mother was killed by a Fae sorcerer, Valeria’s own life force was drained by Fae magic, which has pretty much disappeared from the human world since the fall of the Veil. But here’s the kicker: Valeria and her older sister, Amira, are secretly half-Fae, thanks to their mother’s side of the family - a fact that’s been kept hidden for a long time.

Then there's Rífíor, aka River, the leader of a Fae rebel group. He’s definitely a complex, morally gray character, and I think the author did a great job with him. He’s got his own agenda, full of goals and motivations that he doesn’t readily share - even with his closest allies. Determined to enact his long-standing plan for revenge, Rífíor is dependent on Valeria for his plan to work. Their fates are intertwined from the start and when their paths cross, it sets off a series of events that had me gripping my seat. 

 “House of the Raven" is labeled as a romance, so I thought that would be the main focus, but I was pleasantly surprised. There’s also the whole enemies-to-lovers thing going on, but it’s done really well—nothing superficial or rushed here. The way the romance develops is full of subtlety and slow-burn tension, which worked out beautifully in the end. Yes, there’s romance, including one steamy scene, but the story remains the primary focus (which I appreciated!)

Seymour does an exquisite job with this novel’s world-building. I loved how the setting drew inspiration from Spanish culture and how Seymour’s storytelling is such an immersive experience. The concept of “espiritu” (literally, the Spanish word for spirit or life-force) and the magic system built around it was particularly intriguing. The author reveals the story’s secrets little by little, so you get to piece things together and discover the truth alongside Valeria. Valeria’s character arc and growth throughout the story was on point; despite being relatively naive in the beginning, she remains feisty, stubborn, and surprisingly empathetic as certain truths are revealed throughout the novel. 

Overall, “House of the Raven” is a well-crafted fantasy novel that offers readers compelling characters, intriguing world-building, and the beginnings of a satisfying romance. This book surprised me in the best way, and I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book!

Rating: 4/5 Stars