A Fate of Wrath and Flame by K.A. Tucker

Title: A Fate of Wrath and Flame

Author: K.A. Tucker

Genre: Fantasy

Series: Fate and Flame # 1

Paperback 496 Pages 

Publication: May 20, 2021

Source: Audible

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Gifted thief Romeria steals jewels under a notorious New York City crime boss. But when an enigmatic woman secures her services at swordpoint, Romeria is wrenched from this world and transported into a realm of opposing thrones, warring elven societies, and elemental magic.

Waking up in the body of a treacherous elven princess, Romeria quickly realizes she's entangled in a deadly plot and must hide her identity at all costs - not least from the princess's betrothed, King Zander, who detests her. Romeria is forced to play the smitten princess as the unwilling pair work together to uncover the danger that surrounds them.

But with their enemies closing in - and as she fights her growing feelings for the king - it's time for Romeria to find out who she truly is.

MY THOUGHTS

I’ve had A Fate of Wrath and Flame on my radar for a long time. I actually started the audiobook multiple times, but the narrator always put me off, and I never got past the prologue. Determined to finish it, I finally made it to the end. However, to my surprise, what started as a strong story ended up fizzling out. In a single word: underwhelming.

A Fate of Wrath and Flame is a portal fantasy that follows Romeria, a thief from New York who is transported to another world and inhabits the body of her doppelgänger, an elven princess. Tasked with finding a critical artifact, Romeria faces additional challenges: the body she now occupies just murdered her betrothed’s parents. Not only does she need to complete her mission, but she must also keep her true identity hidden.

I haven’t read many fantasy novels where characters transition from the real world into a fantasy setting. I like the concept, but everything else felt too familiar, and I wasn’t impressed. In this new world, vampire faes, mortals, and elemental magic users coexist. Mortals, predictably, are at the bottom of the hierarchy, often serving as slaves or workers for the immortal, aristocratic fae.

Romeria is street-smart, practical, and has a caring heart; all qualities I appreciate in a female protagonist. However, there were moments where she felt immature. As for Zander, I didn’t care for him much. He seems like a competent king overall, but his relationship with Romeria felt too erratic; hot and cold far too quickly. Even knowing that the "Romeria" before and after are two different people, I couldn’t buy into Zander’s acceptance of her. Personally, I wouldn’t be able to overlook the fact that my partner had murdered my parents, regardless of the circumstances. Like Zander and others repeatedly noted throughout the book: when Romeria is around him, all common sense seems to fly out the window.

Overall, A Fate of Wrath and Flame was just okay. Nothing about it stood out, and I never felt connected to the characters. With that said, I won’t be continuing with the series.

The Bone Witch by Ivy Asher

Title: The Bone Witch

Author: Ivy Asher

Genre: UF Fantasy

Series: The Osseous Chronicles # 1

Paperback, 292 Pages

November 21, 2020

Source: Personal Library
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I never thought in a million years that the bones would choose me.

The power, the magic, was supposed to go to someone else in the family. I was counting on it.

But now my Grammy Ruby is gone, and here the bones sit on my kitchen table.

I thought bitter relatives would be my biggest problem. But I’ve barely had time to find a familiar before trouble comes a-knocking. The kind that possesses smoldering green eyes and a smile that can turn any woman dumb.

His name is Rogan Kendrick, and he’s certain that someone is hunting down and taking my kind.

According to him, I’m next.

This is a world that I never wanted to be a part of, but magic gives no fucks and takes no prisoners... At least we have that much in common.

I don’t know what my ancestors were thinking when they chose me, but I’m going to give them a run for their money. My name is Lennox Osseous, but you can call me the Bone Witch.

MY THOUGHTS

Urban Fantasy is one of my absolute favorite genres, and many of my top series in this genre were published in the early 2000s. Since then, I've been searching for books that recapture the magic of those early Urban Fantasy novels. There was just something special about the stories and writing back then that feels so different from what’s published today. Then I picked up The Bone Witch by Ivy Asher, and I’m so glad I did. This book had everything I’ve been searching for all these years!

The magic system in The Bone Witch is straightforward and easy to understand. As the title suggests, the story centers around witches—though there are some shifters too—all of whom fall under the jurisdiction of The Order, an organization that enforces rules and regulations for practitioners. That is, unless someone commits an offense so serious it gets them exiled or renounced from the community.

Our main heroine, Lennox, inherits the role of Osteomancer (Bone Witch) after her grandmother passes away. However, Lennox never expected to inherit either the bones or the powers that come with the job. The reader follows Lennox as she learns the ropes of being an Osteomancer and navigates the witch community. On top of all that, Lennox finds herself tethered to a Blood Witch named Rogan, who believes she is his only hope of finding his missing brother.

One refreshing aspect of this book is that Lennox is about 30 years old, which is a nice change of pace from the typical young characters (usually 24 and under) I often come across in novels. Lennox is an interesting mix of wisdom and immaturity. At times, she channels her inner sage, but other times, she acts like a child. Normally, I would find this behavior annoying, but Lennox’s sense of humor made it more tolerable. Yes, she makes plenty of pop culture references and childish remarks, but it seems like a coping mechanism for how drastically her life has changed. I’m hopeful that her character will grow in future books. Because Lennox never took life seriously, no one—including herself—expected her to become the next Osteomancer. Yet over the course of the book, she really steps up and grows into the role.

Then there’s the love interest, Rogan, the Blood Witch. Their initial meeting is pretty messed up, and both Lennox and Rogan are aware of that. I’m not sure what to make of him. As I read, I found myself starting to like him whenever I forgot his early behavior, but just as I began to warm up to him, he’d pull another a-hole move—especially at the end. I guess I’ll have to read the next book to get a better sense of his character.

Despite the few cons I mentioned, I thoroughly enjoyed The Bone Witch. It’s a relatively short book, making it a quick and fun read. If you’re a fan of Urban Fantasy, I highly recommend checking it out.

A Trial of Sorcerers by Elise Kova

Title: A Trial of Sorcerers

Author: Elise Kova

Genre: Fantasy

Series: A Trial of Sorcerers#1

Hardcover, 364 pages 

Publication: March 4, 2021 by Silver Wing Press

Source: Personal Library
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Ice is in her blood.

Eighteen-year-old Waterrunner Eira Landan lives her life in the shadows — the shadow of her older brother, of her magic’s whispers, and of the person she accidentally killed. She’s the most unwanted apprentice in the Tower of Sorcerers until the day she decides to step out and compete for a spot in the Tournament of Five Kingdoms.

Pitted against the best sorcerers in the Empire, Eira fights to be one of four champions. Excelling in the trials has its rewards. She's invited to the royal court with the “Prince of the Tower,” discovers her rare talent for forbidden magic, and at midnight, Eira meets with a handsome elfin ambassador.

But, Eira soon learns, no reward is without risk. As she comes into the spotlight, so too do the skeletons of a past she hadn't even realized was haunting her.

Eira went into the trials ready for a fight. Ready to win. She wasn't ready for what it would cost her. No one expected the candidates might not make it out with their lives.

 

MY THOUGHTS

I’ve been wanting to read A Trial of Sorcerers since it first came out, but because it's part of the Air Awakens World I held off. I read the first Air Awakens book recently which was great and I thought I had enough knowledge of the world to attempt A Trial of Sorcerers. With that said, while it's not necessary to read the Air Awaken or Vortex chronicles (a spin-off of Air Awakens) first, I would recommend reading them in order. There were a lot of spoilers and I kind of wished I did.

 

A Trial of Sorcerers was a mash-up of The Last Air Bender and Harry Potter. The story is centered around a Waterrunner sorcerer, which in its name is a person with an affinity for the water element. Eira reminded me a lot of Elsa from Frozen, even the cover illustration was eerily similar in its depiction. Eira was very similar to Val, the FMC of Air Awakens. A young unassuming girl who turns out to be all-power, the best elemental user in her group. Like Val, Eira was always seen as the book smart underdog that no one notices…well except the most handsome, most popular boy in the school/kingdom. It was a very special snowflake vibe which I’m kind of getting tired of.

 

And as I mentioned before, Eira was depicted to be super intelligent but yet she made a foolish mistake one after another. She had incredibly poor judgment or lack thereof which resulted in harming not only herself but those around her. It wasn’t only reckless or selfish but just plain stupid. Like the title, the book mainly revolves around trials that’d help determine which four sorcerers will represent the Solaris Kingdom in the Tournament of Crowns. It’s not a surprise that Eira is a contender but of the four trials, only one she truly utilized her skills (history/book smarts). The rest was either due to dumb luck or cheating. 

 

I had high expectations going into A Trial of Sorcerers but was disappointed at the lack of substance and variety in the characters, plot, and backstory. I honestly feel as if the author recycled the characters and storylines and resorted to the same formula and tropes of her first novel/series. I mean, she does have four series all part of the same world. Despite all of this, I’m a tiny bit curious about what will happen when they reach Meru. Still debating if I should continue with the series or not. All in all, would I recommend this book? Perhaps if you’re new to the author and haven’t read any of the other Air Awakens World novels, then sure, why not. 

 

 

 

 

Roar by Cora Carmack

Title: Roar
Author: Cora Carmack
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Series: Stormheart # 1

Hardcover, 380 Pages
Publication: June 13, 2017 by Tor Teen

Source: I received a review copy from the publisher in exchange for a honest review.

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In a land ruled and shaped by violent magical storms, power lies with those who control them.

Aurora Pavan comes from one of the oldest Stormling families in existence. Long ago, the ungifted pledged fealty and service to her family in exchange for safe haven, and a kingdom was carved out from the wildlands and sustained by magic capable of repelling the world’s deadliest foes. As the sole heir of Pavan, Aurora’s been groomed to be the perfect queen. She’s intelligent and brave and honorable. But she’s yet to show any trace of the magic she’ll need to protect her people.

To keep her secret and save her crown, Aurora’s mother arranges for her to marry a dark and brooding Stormling prince from another kingdom. At first, the prince seems like the perfect solution to all her problems. He’ll guarantee her spot as the next queen and be the champion her people need to remain safe. But the more secrets Aurora uncovers about him, the more a future with him frightens her. When she dons a disguise and sneaks out of the palace one night to spy on him, she stumbles upon a black market dealing in the very thing she lacks—storm magic. And the people selling it? They’re not Stormlings. They’re storm hunters.

Legend says that her ancestors first gained their magic by facing a storm and stealing part of its essence. And when a handsome young storm hunter reveals he was born without magic, but possesses it now, Aurora realizes there’s a third option for her future besides ruin or marriage.

She might not have magic now, but she can steal it if she’s brave enough.

Challenge a tempest. Survive it. And you become its master.

Roar was one of my highly anticipated reads of 2017 and I’m happy to say it didn’t disappoint. I’ve never read anything by Carmack but I’ve heard great things about her new adult series and was excited to finally check out her novel and what better way then to check out her debut novel, Roar.

2017 seemed to be the year of high fantasy and science fiction but most of the Young Adult novels released started to blend and bleed together. They were too similar to one another that it was difficult to set itself truly apart. Roar didn’t have this problem, as there are very few elemental novels on the market. The concept of the Roar was unique and refreshing. My favorite aspect of the novel was the world building. The Lands of Caelira consisted of different kingdoms, each family of nobility descended from a Stormling (those with the power to weld storms or any element such as rain, fire etc). The book was center around Aurora Pavan, a princess and heir to the Pavan Kingdom. Unlike the other kingdoms’ heirs, Aurora had no stormling abilities and the only way to protect her kingdom was to marry into another stormling family. Upon meeting her betrothed and learning more about him and his plans; Aurora fleed the kingdom and joined a group of storm hunters. She hoped by capturing her own stormhearts, she would have the power to protect her people and be the queen she was destined to be.

I loved how independent Aurora was, like the whole princess that can save herself and didn't need a prince or man. Which isn’t to say there isn’t a prince or man vying for Aurora’s hand. Aurora may not have had any powers but what she lacked, she made up for in brains and skills. Not only was Aurora extremely book smart, can speak five languages, but she can also fight as well and is skilled with swords and bow and arrows. Locke, one of the love interest was your typical alpha male. And at first I thought it was all swoon worthy but as the book progressed Locke just became more dubious. He was very protective and possessive of Aurora to the point where it was creepy and bothersome. Since I’m pretty sure this novel played out over the course of a few days, I thought that was just falling too fast. And although, his behavior got uncomfortable, it didn’t take away from me enjoying the story.

Roar is an excellent start to a new series and I really enjoyed it. I can’t wait to see what happens next for Aurora ‘Roar’ and the storm hunters…Especially when she can no longer hide her identity! All in all, great world building, characters and writing. I highly recommend it!

One Smoking Hot Fairy Tail by Kevin James Breaux

Title: One Smoking Hot Fairy Tail
Author: Kevin James Breaux 
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: One Smoking Hot Fairy Tail #1

Trade Paperback, 307 pages
Publication: April 6, 2016 by CreateSpace

Source: I received a review copy from the author in exchange for a honest review.

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America's population is slowly dying due to an epidemic, and Alexander, an ancient, immortal shaman, has medicine that can heal people. It has one small side effect-Alexander's able to control the minds of anyone taking the drug, nicknamed "dust." Alexander plans to take over the country once dust is released to the general public, crushing anyone who stands in the way. He needs just a little bit more of a certain magical ingredient to make the medication work properly: fairy wings. 

An intelligent, stunning fairy, Sabrina was also America's sweetheart-until a video of a crime she was involved in surfaces, nearly destroying her. A year later, she's finally ready to step back into the spotlight. Together with her bodyguard, Mira, a water spirit in human form, Sabrina's prepared to start over. Things are starting to look up until she meets Alexander in a club and goes from social outcast to tortured captive in the blink of an eye. Will she be able to escape the evil shaman and his mind-controlled slaves in time to save herself and everyone she cares about?

 Kevin J. Breaux is best known for his fantasy series the Soul Born Saga which I am a fan. One Smoking Hot Fairy Tail is his latest foray into the Urban Fantasy genre and he did it well. There were many paranormal creatures; from vampires, wendigos, elementals, shamans, mummies, to zombies and faeries! I’ll be honest, at first I thought with so many paranormals, the story would surely be weighed down. But it never was! Breaux incorporated the paranormals into the story flawlessly and every detail made sense from their purpose to their background/history.

The background and world building was pretty solid as I said. I liked learning about each of the characters and their past and how it shaped their lives and personalities. However, the characters themselves weren’t as strong or developed as I hoped. Sabrina London, our heroine is a celebrity and a fairy but I never connected to Sabrina or the others. She is celebrity and all but not the kind that had good press. Next we have Moselle, Sabrina’s best friend who is a mummy. Moselle’s story was the most interesting as I’ve never read about a modern day mummy. I love all things Egyptian. She can only live in natural light, she takes humans’ life force and wraps her body in silk to maintain youthful(even though she’s almost 4,000 years old), and snakes take a liking to her which she says is a curse. Then there’s Cade, Sabrina’s vampire boyfriend who is from the civil war era and Jackson, the human of the group. The two get sucked into Sabrina’s life when a villain starts hunting Sabrina for her wings. While the men had equal page times as the ladies, I still found them to be small supporting characters.

Overall I enjoyed One Smoking Hot Fairy Tail. It took some time to get the story rolling but once it started it was non-stop action till the end. And just when I thought everything was good and dandy, readers are left with a cliff hanger that I had soooo many questions about! I would definitely recommend this brand new series to a mature audience, since there are graphic scenes and profanities.