Tag: Fantasy

The Keeper of Night by Kylie Lee Baker Review

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“Everyone has terrible parts inside them, even if they pretend otherwise. You’re just honest about it,” Baker, The Keeper of Night.

The Keeper of Night by Kylie Lee Baker follows Ren Scarborough, who is expected to obey the harsh rules of the reapers society. The reapers do not like her because of her mysterious Shinigami powers and her elusive mother. Ren doesn’t easily reveal her emotions and avoids those who do not like her. Eventually, she can’t control her Shinigami powers and she has to escape London.

She goes to Japan, accompanied by her younger brother and enters the Japanese underworld. She is looking for acceptance in a world that does not accept her. She thinks she’ll find it in the underworld, but even there she has to prove herself. She gets help from her younger brother and a new ally. She doesn’t know whether or not this new ally is trustworthy, and romantic feelings may get in the way.

I really loved this book! The writing was very captivating. Baker used the five senses extremely well which helped put me into each scene. I also thought the character development was exceptional. I could see the growth in Ren as she tried to find acceptance in a world where she wasn’t accepted. She struggled, but she came into herself, with the assistance of a new ally and her brother.

Her only consistent companion her whole life has been her younger brother and as they went on this journey to the underworld together, their relationship evolved, which helped each of them turn into stronger versions of themselves. I think there is a lot in this book for readers to relate to, such as Ren trying to find acceptance and a place for herself in her world.

Annotating is something I just started doing while reading and I highlighted and tabbed so many beautiful passages, which really speaks to the masterful writing. As a writer myself, I know revisiting these tabbed passages will help improve my writing and worldbuilding because the worldbuilding was also excellent!

I can’t wait for the sequel currently set to release on October 4th, 2022. This is a duology I highly recommend, especially for the fall time as it gives off those creepy vibes! Happy reading!

These Hollow Vows by Lexi Ryan Review

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“May you always have a star to wish on, Abriella, and a reason to believe,” Lexi Ryan These Hollow Vows

These Hollow Vows by Lexi Ryan follows Arbiella, Brie, who wants to avoid making deals with the fae. However, when her sister is captured by the cruel king of the Unseelie Court, she will do anything to free her. To free her sister, she will even betray her old childhood friend and crush, Sebastian, who has secrets of his own that will threaten their relationship.

Brie is a strong character who stands up for what she believes in and will go to great lengths to protect those she loves. However, she struggles with the possibility of betraying Sebastian to free her sister, which she doesn’t want to do, but she sees no other way. These Hollow Vows is a story of family, love, and magic. The world-building is spectacular and kept me on the edge of my seat as I wanted to find out more and more about this new fantasy world. The magic system was intriguing as well!

As I read, I wanted to learn more about how the magic worked in the fae world and how it affected the characters and their choices. The characters rely on magic a lot, almost to their detriment, and it was fascinating to see how they decided to work through their problems, whether by using magic or not.

The pacing of the story was excellent as well. There was hardly a dull moment and while it took me two weeks to read this book, that had nothing to do with the book itself. Whenever I had the chance to sit down and read, I always had a hard time pulling myself away from the book. This book also reminded me of A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Mass, which is one of my favorite series of all time. I’m very excited to find another series that is similar, and yet very different. If you enjoyed A Court of Thorns and Roses, I believe you might really love These Hollow Vows!

I can’t wait for the sequel, These Twisted Bonds. It releases very soon, July 19th!

Lakesedge by Lyndall Clipstone Review

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“I open my eyes and press my hands deep into the mud. Light blooms at my palms. I am the sun. I am wildfire,” Clipstone, Lakesedge.

Lakesedge follows the main character Violeta, also known as Leta, on a journey to keep her brother, Arien, safe at all costs. He has forbidden magic that is coveted by the Monster of Lakesedge, Rowan. Rowan makes Leta and her brother, Arien an offer: a place to stay at Lakesedge estate, but he gets Arien’s powers, which would hurt Arien and Leta very much.

Little does Leta know, they are not by themselves at Lakesedge Estate. There’s the Lord Under, who is very threatening to Leta and everyone at Lakesedge, but Leta specifically. He is a very intriguing villain and I found myself quite invested in Leta’s relationship with him. I was also enjoying Leta and Rowan’s relationship. Lakesedge does a great job developing friendships between characters and making the reader care what about happens to them.

Leta is a strong character who will do anything to save those she loves, even if it hurts her deeply, which her bargain she makes with the Lord Under will hurt her more than she maybe realizes. Lakesedge tells an atmospheric journey with moments of sadness, but also tells a story of how far family will go to protect each other. The writing is fast-paced and extremely descriptive. I loved the images of the Lakesedge Estate I conjured up in my mind while reading. It felt like I was watching a movie in my head, which is one of the reasons I love reading so much. It’s great when a book is told so well that it feels effortless to read it.

I had a lot of emotions going through me during my reading experience of this book. At times I really felt for Leta and what she was willing to do to save her brother. She was willing to give up so much for him, that I was even more worried about Leta and questioning whether she was really going to make that bargain with the Lord Under. I hope the sequel, Forestfall, which is set to release September 27th, 2022 will answer all of these questions the ending left me with. In fact, when I finished reading the book, I sat on my couch in shock, wondering what in the world just happened. It had a great cliffhanger ending that will leave you wanting more and eager to pick up book 2!

This is already a new favorite book of mine for 2022 and definitely the kind of YA fantasy that I love to read.

Written in Starlight Review by Isabel Ibanez

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Companion to Woven in Moonlight (I suggest reading Woven in Moonlight first)

Written in Starlight follows Catalina Quiroga, a condesa who doesn’t have a country. She is trying to get her throne back after being banished to the dangerous jungle. She has to learn how to survive on her own, however, she runs into an old acquaintance, Manuel. He helps her navigate through the treacherous jungle. In the jungle, the dangers they face aren’t just poisonous plants and predators, but also the Illari, who are trying to figure out why the forest is dying. Catalina has a gift that can help them solve their problems, she just has to learn how to use it.

Catalina and Manuel knew each other when they were children. It’s been years since they’ve seen each other. I really enjoyed getting to know more about their friendship in the past and seeing how their relationship develops in the present. As a main character, Catalina grows throughout the story as she learns more about herself and the world around her. It was nice getting to see Catalina change as she navigates the politics of her world and trying to figure out where she belongs.

The descriptions of the jungle were very vivid and kept me intrigued while I was reading. Some of the explanations of certain creatures were even fairly graphic and had me cringing. It made for a very immersive read! The pacing was also very well done, with the tone of the book shifting about halfway through that made me even more curious about how the plot was going to end!

The banter between Catalina and Manuel was very fun to read. I could’ve used even more of that, but I enjoyed what was there. I was very invested in their story. I was certainly rooting for them as Catalina had to choose between duty and her own heart. Overall, this was a great adventurous read with magic, romance and friendships!

If you’re looking for a fun, fast-paced story, I would recommend this one! Though I would say that reading Woven in Moonlight first would be a good choice. Happy reading!