Adult

KIng of Battle and Blood

| piperreads

“All of the stars in the sky are not as bright as my love for you.”

While many brides find their wedding day to be their happiest day but not Isolde De Lara, she expected to wed the vampire king Adrian Alexksandr Vasiliev in order to end a decades long war. She is planning to kill him on their wedding night but things don’t go as planned as he catches her in the act and threatens to raise her as the undead, which is the thing that she hates the most. Isolde isn’t going to go down without a fight as she finds other ways to defy him and survive the brutal vampire court. But, the court isn’t what she fears most. It’s Adrian himself and despite their obvious electrifying chemistry, she wants to know why he would chose her as his consort.

Well, here have another predictable enemies to lovers vampire story that I found myself engrossed in even if the writing was choppy in some parts. From the reviews on this book, people either loved it or hated and I’m one of those people who is in the middle. I didn’t exactly love it as much as I wanted to love it but it was entertaining and I did like the smut. The second book isn’t coming out for awhile and I don’t even know if I’m gonna read it but let’s get started on the good with this book. As I mentioned, the smut was pretty good and I did enjoy that because sometimes either the smut is written poorly or there’s not enough. While I did find Isolde annoying, I did buy the chemistry between herself and Adrian so that’s one of the pluses. One reason why I didn’t completely like Isolde is because I got I’m not like most girls vibe and I hate that type of character because it’s over done so it made me enjoy the book even less.

But, overall I enjoyed it and maybe I’ll check out the second book when it comes out!

The Exiled Fleet

| piperreads

“What’s our motto, friends?”
“Get it done fast and don’t die, sir.”

The crew of sentinels, led by courageous Adequin Drake are making a desperate preparations to return to the galaxy that abandoned them all before they all starve. Having stabilized the situation at the Divide, the immediate threat, the crew is now low on supplies and their is a impending mutiny brewing. With tensions building, the team must find a way to get through this or they may not make it out alive.

A thrilling and entertaining follow up to The Last Watch and I am so happy that I didn’t have to wait a long time to read this follow up or else I would’ve been unhappy. I was engrossed from beginning to end and while I did find the novel very entertaining there were a few things that didn’t make me love it as much as the first one. One plus was the continued developed fo the characters as I felt like it was very real and and relatable especially with Rake and her own self-doubt about whether she’s fit to be a leader. Out of all the characters, she’s probably my favorite. It’s hard not to root for her and the other members. I felt like this novel was a bit overcrowded with new characters, plot details, and a bit too much information that made me confused at times. I think I would’ve enjoyed it more it there wasn’t so much going on as it was hard to keep track of who was who especially with new characters being introduced in this book. But even with all of that, Dewes crafted a entertaining and fun follow up to the first book and I am excited for the third to come out even though it won’t be for a long time!

The Last Watch

| piperreads

“One act doesn’t define someone, good or bad. I hate what you did. Not you.”

The Last Watch follows a band of criminal misfits who have been banished to the edge of space that have to their petty grievances aside to save the universe from certain destruction. Each character has their own agenda but if they want to save earth and find a way to redeem themselves, they must work together before it’s too late.

Wow! This book was truly enjoyable and I’m glad that I don’t have to wait for the second book. I’ve been reading a lot of Sci-Fi lately and I’m really glad that I have because I haven’t had a miss yet and will probably be my new favorite Sci-Fi series. The plot wasn’t something that I’d seen before with a band of misfits coming together to save the world but the way it was done here made it more unique and interesting and I believe the writing had a lot to do with that. It honestly felt like I was there and I could feel the tension between the characters in stressful situation. Another great aspect of the book were the characters as they each had their own flaws that made them very relatable and I felt invested not only with their personal journey but how they fit in with the rest of the group. Overall, this was a really good suspenseful Sci-Fi space opera filled with everything you would hope for a Sci-Fi series to have.

The Ex Hex

| piperreads

“I like how my job is the only one with any real threat of danger,” Gwyn said, but off Vivi’s look, she lifted her hands in defeat. “Okay, okay, Operation Soothe the Muggles, I’m on it.”

Nine years ago, Vivi Jones nursed her broken heart like any young witch would do. Bubble baths, crying, vodka, weepy music, and a curse on the terrible boyfriend and while Vivi knows she shouldn’t use her magic this way but with only an orchard hayride scented candle on hand, she isn’t too worried it will cause him anything more than a bad hair day. That is until Rhys Pennhallow, descendant of the town’s ancestors breaker of hearts, and just annoyingly gorgeous as he was always was returns to Groves Glen, Georgia. But when strange things begin happening whenever Rhys is around, Vivi realizes that her ex-hex may not have been so harmless at all.

This book was so much fun!!! I absolutely loved every minute of it. I had originally picked this for a readathon I’m in and wasn’t going to read until closer to the end of the month but changed my mind when another friend started reading it. It really reminds me of Bewitched and I think that’s part of the reason why I loved it so much. Bewitched was one of my favorite shows when I was little. But, Rhys and Vivi were my favorite part of the book. I really enjoyed the dynamics within their relationship and growth throughout the book. The aftermath of the break up was handled well with exploring the different emotions that both Rhys and Vivi were experiencing especially with being reunited with each other after nine years. Vivi and Rhys were very fun and interesting characters and I like how different yet similar they were.

Overall, this was a super fun and entertaining read with a strong plot and interesting characters so check it out!

The Bronzed Beasts

| piperreads

“If you think what we are doing is impossible, then let us rewrite what possibility means. Together.”

Still reeling over Severin’s betrayal, the crew is fractured and while they armed with only a handful of hints, they must find their way through the snarled and haunted waterways of Venice, Italy to locate Severin. Meanwhile, Severin is on his own journey and one that could see him facing dangerous consequences as he faces the deranged whims of the patriarch of the fallen house and discover the location of a temple between a plague island where the divine lyre can be played and all his desires will come to pass. With only ten days until Lalia expires, the crew will face plague pits and dangerous masquerades, unearthly songs, and the shining steps of a temple whose powers might offer divinity itself but at a price that they’re not willing to pay.

Well this was a bit of letdown as I was anticipating that this would be a four or five star review. I was delighted to see the characters especially Zofia and Hypnos as they’ve been my favorites from the first book. I felt like they were fleshed out even more with growth as well as the other characters. Chokshi’s writing has really improved over the course of the trilogy and it really shows in this last book. I admire how she’s able to bring you into the world of the characters and make you feel like you’re apart of it. Now that I’ve talked about what I loved, it’s time to get what didn’t work for me. First off, the pacing was a little off at times and also didn’t match up to the plot in some parts so I felt confused during some parts. I felt like I was missing something and had to go back and reread certain sections. Which is why the ending didn’t really make a lot of sense to me because it felt rushed and forced as there were quite a few things that weren’t explained. So I feel like this book could’ve been a little better if things were explained better and not so forced as it felt. But, I’m sure others will enjoy it and that’s all that matters.

The Witch’s Tale by Genevieve Gornichec

| piperreads

“There is a difference between understanding and forgiveness. It’s possible to have one without the other.”

What a beautifully written retelling of norse mythology and in particular the relationship Angrboda and Loki. The retelling makes you feel like you’re a part of a world with gods, monsters, and other magical creatures. In this retelling, Angrboda’s story starts out where many witches meet their end: a burning. The most powerful Norse god, Odin punishes Angrboda for refusing to provide him with knowledge of the future and the fire leaves her powerless and injured. She flees into the woods and soon meets a mysterious man by the name of Loki, and at first the two are at odds but soon fall in love. The union produces three children all with unique magical abilities, as they grow closer, the pair especially Angrboda wants to keep her family out of Odin’s watchful eye.

But, as time passes and Angrboda’s injuries begin to heal, she soon learns that everything she holds dear, including her precious family is is grave danger. Angrboda’s leans on Skadi, a skilled huntress with whom she shares a growing bond to help her. Angrboda will have to choose between remaking their future or accepting the fate that she has forseen for them.

What I truly loved about this book is the retelling and fleshing out of Angrboda with making her real and relatable and giving her a story where you really feel for her. The character development that she goes through during the trying and blissful events throughout the book stood out the most. I was intrigued by the development and you could see her growth and I loved how the book really focused on her. She demonstrated a lot of emotional intelligence, stability, resilience, and empathy and when you have a character with qualities that like, it’s hard not to be invested in them. This along with the plot and other characters made it a very enjoyable novel and I think many people will enjoy it just as much as I did.

Written In The Stars

| piperreads

Rating: 5/5

“Life would be a lot better if we all spent a little more time staring at the stars.”

Darcy is a nonsense, analytical, by the books and Elle is free-spirited, fun, and is one of the authors of a very popular astrology twitter page. But, when Darcy’s brother who also happens to be Elle’s new business partner spills his happiness about their first date being a success, Elle is sure he’s confused. Darcy begs Elle to go along with it and she agrees but on one condition: Darcy has to help Elle navigate the holidays with dealing with overbearing family. What happens a fake relationship starts to turn into something real?

Holy shit, this book was so good! Fake dating is one of my favorite tropes and it was done so well here. I loved everything about this book especially the relationship with Darcy and Elle. It really was believable and I loved seeing their feelings change for each other throughout the book and the smut was hot too. In addition to that, I really enjoy Darcy and Elle step out of their comfort zones and deal with issues that are relevant and it felt very real. They came over their own fears and insecurities and learn that not only do they need to love others but also themselves.

Overall, this was a really fun book so I definitely recommend it especially if you like sapphic novels. This was a real delight!