#YA Fantasy Romance

[beanbowlbaggins]

Instagram Book Review:

I was home sick over the long weekend, and while I mostly played The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, I did finish one book. I read Graceling by Kristin Cashore since I received her Graceling book series for the holidays. I just sat in the couch with my favorite blanket and read between naps.

First impressions:

- There could have been more boats and Lienid pirates. I loved them.

- The romantic interest is interesting, but theres no commonplace tropes if that's what you're expecting (and I'm a sucker for happy marriage honestly)

- The horses have no names or personalities, which is too bad because they do an awful lot of demanding work with no complaint.

- and names of certain characters are wonderfully absurd

It's overall a great start to a series, and I took the second book, Fire, to work with me. I'm excited to see what develops in this world.

(a more in depth review is on my Goodreads)

[fruitcookiesgirl]

Finished Never a Hero and am honestly shocked not more people are talking about this series. I read the first book when it debuted last year and couldn’t wait for this second installment. If you’ve read it, I need someone to talk to about this book!!

[ash-and-books]

Rating: 3.5/5

Book Blurb: The stunning sequel to Daughter of the Moon Goddess delves deeper into beloved Chinese mythology, concluding the epic story of Xingyin—the daughter of Chang’e and the mortal archer, Houyi—as she battles a grave new threat to the realm, in this powerful tale of love, sacrifice, and hope. After winning her mother’s freedom from the Celestial Emperor, Xingyin thrives in the enchanting tranquility of her home. But her fragile peace is threatened by the discovery of a strange magic on the moon and the unsettling changes in the Celestial Kingdom as the emperor tightens his grip on power. While Xingyin is determined to keep clear of the rising danger, the discovery of a shocking truth spurs her into a perilous confrontation.Forced to flee her home once more, Xingyin and her companions venture to unexplored lands of the Immortal Realm, encountering legendary creatures and shrewd monarchs, beloved friends and bitter adversaries. With alliances shifting quicker than the tides, Xingyin has to overcome past grudges and enmities to forge a new path forward, seeking aid where she never imagined she would. As an unspeakable terror sweeps across the realm, Xingyin must uncover the truth of her heart and claw her way through devastation—to rise against this evil before it destroys everything she holds dear, and the worlds she has grown to love . . . even if doing so demands the greatest price of all.

Review:

The daughter of the Moon Goddess, finally reunited with her mother after freeing her mother from her imprisonment and healing from the betrayal from both her love interest must now face off against the Celestial Kingdom who threatens to destroy everything she holds dear... and she must choose between the two love interests that are once again in her life as she faces off against a new evil.  Xingyin is still reeling from the betrayal of Wenzhi, who still haunts her dreams and visits her while also dealing with her feelings for Liwei, the prince. Wenzhi is the prince of the demon realm who trapped her but she defeated him, yet now he comes back begging for her forgiveness, telling her he regrets everything and that the only thing that matters to him is her. He’ll do anything she wants yet she is firm in her refusal of him. She firmly believes that he broke her trust, thus forever closing the door to anything between them. Now there is Liwei, the prince who was betrothed to someone else and wanted her to remain his mistress but now he is no longer betrothed but his family is bent on killing her and her family. Despite everything Xingyin is in love with both of them, despite the entire book being her denying and refusing Wenzhi and trying to stay firm in her love for Liwei ( obviously I am all for Wenzhi, honestly, Liwei is as bland as they come and the guy had basically zero character growth, I just didn’t like him despite him being considered the sweeter love interest). Wenzhi on the other hand is willing to do anything for her to get her to see that he loves her. While this back and forth is going on in the love triangle, there is also the issue that the Celestial Kingdom has kicked out Xingyin and her family, they are being hunted, a evil rises that wants to destroy them, and she might have found her father whom she thought was dead. Xingyin must find a way to save those she holds dear and finally pick a path for herself and who she wants to be and who she wants to be with. Overall it was an okay ending to the series, in terms of the love interests, the one I wanted ended up doing nicely so yeah, in the end it all worked out. 

*Thanks Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager, Harper Voyager for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

[lilibetbombshell]

[bethtrissel]

Revisiting The Secret Warrior Series #YA #Fantasy #Romance

I pondered the concept behind the Secret Warrior Series for years as it took shape in my mind. My love of history, fantasy, and my fascination with the mountain people and Native Americans is at the heart of the series. Living in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia surrounded by mountains veiled in mist and mystery lent itself well to creating the characters and setting for YA fantasy romance, The…

[ericajanebattisson]

YA Contemporary Fantasy-Romance

Read Honest Dealing now! Veiled Tide coming soon! Find out more at erica-janebattisson.com

[maepolzine]

My Thoughts on the Belladonna Series by Adalyn Grace

Sharing my thoughts on the Belladonna series by Adalyn Grace

I debated reviewing each book individually, but decided I would review them all together. Since I read all three books in the Belladonna series by Adalyn Grace, I figured it would be better to review them together rather than pausing to write up a review after finishing each book. Adalyn Grace is also the author of All the Stars and Teeth, which I’ve been meaning to read as well. Belladonna,…

[paperbacktomes]

BLOGTOUR | Top 5 Reasons to read The Girl With No Reflection by Keshe Chow

Here's my top 5 Reasons to read A Girl with No Reflection #TBRBeyondTours

Happy Saturday!We meet again after a week with this blog tour. Our book of the day is one of my anticipated 2024 releases. It was riveting and had a refreshing magic system. Today, I’m listing my top 5 reasons to read this book, so let’s jump into the tour. Book DETAILS ► Title: The Girl with no Reflection ► By: Keshe Chow ► Publishing: Delacorte Press ► on: August 6, 2024 ► Genre: YOUNG…

[phoenix-fyre23]

[andreai04]

“Scars made good reminders.”

[obsob]

happy and proud!!

✷(print shop)✷

[beanbowlbaggins]

I read the first book in this duology, A Magic Steeped in Poison. I'm taking a break because duologies have been taking it out of me, but I plan to read the sequel, A Venom Dark and Sweet, soon. I was able to get this special edition at a closing sale for a local b&n. It's actually so beautiful. I'm so lucky to have been able to collect this edition.

[ekbelsher]

How many ways can I draw this couple kissing? I found a ton of these while putting together my 2023 artvsartist grid. Way more than what's here, but these are the ones that I like, that have no background, and won't get me banned on social media haha

[ash-and-books]

Rating: 1/4

Book Blurb: Francesca Flores's The Witch and the Vampire is a queer Rapunzel retelling where a witch and a vampire who trust no one but themselves must journey together through a cursed forest with danger at every turn. Ava and Kaye used to be best friends. Until one night two years ago, vampires broke through the magical barrier protecting their town, and in the ensuing attack, Kaye’s mother was killed, and Ava was turned into a vampire. Since then, Ava has been trapped in her house. Her mother Eugenia needs her: Ava still has her witch powers, and Eugenia must take them in order to hide that she's a vampire as well. Desperate to escape her confinement and stop her mother's plans to destroy the town, Ava must break out, flee to the forest, and seek help from the vampires who live there. When there is another attack, she sees her opportunity and escapes. Kaye, now at the end of her training as a Flame witch, is ready to fulfill her duty of killing any vampires that threaten the town, including Ava. On the night that Ava escapes, Kaye follows her and convinces her to travel together into the forest, while secretly planning to turn her in. Ava agrees, hoping to rekindle their old friendship, and the romantic feelings she'd started to have for Kaye before that terrible night. But with monstrous trees that devour humans whole, vampires who attack from above, and Ava’s stepfather tracking her, the woods are full of danger. As they travel deeper into the forest, Kaye questions everything she thought she knew. The two are each other's greatest threat—and also their only hope, if they want to make it through the forest unscathed.

Review:

A queer retelling of Rapunzel featuring a vampire who has been trapped in an attic by her mother and drained of her powers and experimented on by her stepfather and a witch who wants revenge against the person who murdered her mother... they have a complicated past and their reunion will be unlike any other. Ava is a root witch, she was turned (killed) by her mother who is a vampire and a root witch too, all so that Ava will be turned into a vampire... and an immortal power source for her mother to use to drain her of her powers. All the while her stepfather Zane experiments and abuses her while her mother turns a blind eye. Ava is chained and trapped in a tower and wants nothing more than to finally escape. She yearns to be reunited with her best friend and the one witch she loved, Kaye... yet Kaye is not as she remembers. Kaye is a flame witch, branded as an outcast and a traitor after her mother betrayed the town. Her mother was murdered leaving Kaye all alone in her grief and anger. Kaye wants nothing more than to finally kill who murdered her mother and she has been training to become a deadly vampire killer... and she particularly wants to kill Ava because on the day her mother was murdered Ava suddenly disappeared and the Kaye saw her mouth covered in blood letting her know that Ava has become a vampire.. and is probably the one who killed her mother. When Ava finally escapes she runs into Kaye and Kaye is determined to turn her in and finally be accepted by the town... yet things are not as easy as they seem as both girls find themselves involved in a much darker web from the killing of humans, a deadly vampire queen, betrayals, pain, and secrets all come out as they must figure out what is truly going on and how their mothers both were involved in this secret all the while working on their own complicated feelings for one another. Unfortunately this one did not work for me, I was so excited for this book and it just did not live up to my expectations. I mean queer Rapunzel with vampires and witches?? It sounds amazing, but I found myself bored with the storyline, not really invested in the characters or the romance, and the overall reveal was meh. I didn’t really like Kaye at all and the romance between Kaye and Ava barely felt believable or even there. I just didn’t see it working out between them and they had zero chemistry. The murder mystery and the overall town mystery wasn’t all that interesting and I honestly found myself just wanting this book to end. Sadly no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t get into the story or like the characters. While this one didn’t work for me, maybe it’ll be a better read for you. I would recommend this for fans of fairytale retellings with a twist. 

*Thanks Netgalley and St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

[lilibetbombshell]

[torteen]

This advertisement is for Infinity Alchemist, a dark academia fantasy about a quest that leads three young alchemists toward dangerous truth, legendary love, and extraordinary power from the bestselling and award-winning author of Felix Ever After, Kacen Callender.

The art featured in this image is by Chris Sack. 

WHAT’S IT ABOUT

Defy All Limits.

For Ash Woods, practicing alchemy is a crime. Only an elite few are legally permitted to study the science of magic—so when Ash is rejected by Lancaster College of Alchemic Science, he takes a job as the school’s groundskeeper instead, forced to learn alchemy in secret. When he’s discovered by the condescending and brilliant apprentice Ramsay Thorne, Ash is sure he's about to be arrested—but instead of calling the reds, Ramsay surprises Ash by making him an offer: Ramsay will keep Ash's secret if he helps her find the legendary Book of Source, a sacred text that gives its reader extraordinary power. As Ash and Ramsay work together and their feelings for each other grow, Ash discovers their mission is more dangerous than he imagined, pitting them against influential and powerful alchemists—Ash’s estranged father included. Ash’s journey takes him through the cities and wilds across New Anglia, forcing him to discover his own definition of true power and how far he and other alchemists will go to seize it.