Unnatural Magic by Stacia Stark

Title: Unnatural Magic

Author: Stacia Stark

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Series: Bargins with Beast # 1 

Paperback 386 pages 

Publication: September 23, 2022
Source: Personal library 
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If there’s one thing I loathe, it’s being told what to do.

I was kept ignorant and sheltered my whole life. Now that I’m free, I’ll never be coddled again. Even if the smoking hot werewolf king thinks coddling is perfectly acceptable. Because something’s hunting humans in my city. Something that kills like a werewolf, but displays those kills publicly–as if taunting the authorities. Thanks to my spiffy new agreement with the police, it’s my job to figure out just what that something is. But whoever is hunting the good citizens of Durham is also taunting me.

When my investigation takes me to the local werewolf pack–and the overprotective male in charge–I know I’m in trouble. Can I solve these murders without losing my freedom... or my life? Or will the creature make me regret ever thinking I was strong enough to be out in the world alone?

MY THOUGHTS

After finishing Stacia Stark’s Deals with Demon series some time ago, I found myself thinking often of the Deals with Demons universe. I was thrilled to discover that the author had launched a spin-off series, Bargains with Beasts, focusing on Danica’s sister, Evie. In Unnatural Magic, we journey alongside Evie as she grapples with her newfound power, hunts down villains, and contends with the HFE group. While the original series revolved around demons, Evie’s story delves deeper into the territory of werewolves.

Evie shares many traits with Danica—stubbornness, independence—but she carries additional burdens stemming from her discovery of being part of a genetic experiment and her coven's betrayal. Yet, it was annoying how often Evie compared herself to Danica or strives to differentiate herself from her sister. One can't have it both ways. Furthermore, I found the chemistry between Evie and Nathaniel forced; despite being told they're fated mates, it never felt authentic. While neither Evie nor Nathaniel particularly resonate with me, I found the side characters and the wolves' perspective intriguing.

In contrast to the Deals with Demon series, I found Unnatural Magic to be an okay read. It was a struggle to get through, although my interest finally peaked towards the end. Despite my reservations, I intend to continue with the next and final Evie installment, especially to delve into Kayla’s story. For the full experience, I highly recommend starting with the Deals with Demon series to fully appreciate the world-building, then circling back to explore the Bargains with Beast series.

 

Crave by Tracy Wolff

Title: Crave

Author: Tracy Wolff

Genre: Young Adult, Urban Fantasy

Series: Crave # 1

Hardcover, 571 pages 

Publication: April 7, 2020 by Entangle Teen
Source: Personal library 
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My whole world changed when I stepped inside the academy. Nothing is right about this place or the other students in it. Here I am, a mere mortal among gods…or monsters. I still can’t decide which of these warring factions I belong to, if I belong at all. I only know the one thing that unites them is their hatred of me.

Then there’s Jaxon Vega. A vampire with deadly secrets who hasn’t felt anything for a hundred years. But there’s something about him that calls to me, something broken in him that somehow fits with what’s broken in me.

Which could spell death for us all.

Because Jaxon walled himself off for a reason. And now someone wants to wake a sleeping monster, and I’m wondering if I was brought here intentionally—as the bait.

MY THOUGHTS

Crave has been on my to-be-read list for years, and I finally got around to picking it up. Lately, I've been on a vampire kick. This Young Adult series has often been compared to Twilight. Even though it's been years since I read Twilight, the parallels are evident – a human girl falling for a notorious vampire, but not just any vampire, a prince!

However, the book turned out to be very juvenile and silly. In my opinion, it's even worse than Twilight. The writing style made it clear that an adult was attempting to emulate a teen's voice, and the forced attempts at using trendy lingo came off as more cringe than cool. I'm surprised I managed to finish the book because the main heroine was throwing around phrases like “This is crazy AF” and “He’s sexy AF” – do teens even talk like that? LOL, or am I just really old?

While the character development and writing were decent, the world-building and concept offered nothing new. I never found myself invested in the characters, Grace and Jaxon, unlike the connection readers had with Bella and Edward. The first two-thirds of the book felt like candy – visually appealing but lacking substance. It wasn’t until the last few chapters that things became interesting. I'm a bit curious about what happens next, but unless the sequel introduces a substantial plot, I doubt I'll explore other books in this lengthy series. Essentially, Crave was a plot-less book; not much happened, and there wasn’t a real mystery, at least not until it was too late.

All in all, Crave was a somewhat disappointing read. If you're in the mood for more YA vampire series, I'd recommend exploring older series released between 2005 and 2018. Those were the stories worth delving into!

 

 

Wings so Wicked by Emily Blackwood

Title: Wings so Wicked

Author: Emily Blackwood

Genre: N/A, Fantasy

Series: Golden City # 1

Paperback, 380 pages 

Publication: January 12, 2024 by
Source: Personal library 
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Huntyr has fought for survival her entire life. Raised under Lord, the master of assassins in Midgrave, she has spent over twenty years learning to kill the blood-hungry, depraved vampyres that lurk in the darkness. Huntyr is the most lethal fae in the kingdom, which is why Lord chooses her to complete the next mission.

Huntyr must survive Moira Seminary and make it into The Golden City—the mysterious elite society of the few remaining angels and the magic fae who live in luxury with no crime, no poverty, and certainly no vampyres.

Only when she arrives at the academy, she’s forced to room with Wolf—the terrifying fallen angel who happens to know her assassin identity.

Determined to keep her head down in Moira, Huntyr tries her best to ignore Wolf. Over time, though, he not only becomes the only person she can lean on, but the one who might keep her alive through the life-threatening tests to get into The Golden City.

MY THOUGHTS

I was so excited for Wings so Wicked – it seemed right up my alley. I mean, who doesn't love a good story of opposites attracting? In this novel, we follow a Vampire Assassin and a Vampire who must set aside their differences and collaborate to gain entry into the elusive Golden City. Only a chosen few get the chance to prove their skills at Moira Seminary, a school for the gifted, and the stakes are high – it's either the Golden City or death.

Wings so Wicked started off promising. I appreciated that the action kicked in early, thrusting our main protagonist, Huntyr, into Moira where she faced grueling training and obstacles. Unfortunately, the initial excitement didn't last, and the book went downhill. The scenes became incredibly choppy and jarring, lacking smooth transitions between scenes and dialogues. Another significant issue was with the characters – the interactions and dialogues fell flat. I didn’t connect with Huntyr or Wolf, and even their interactions felt forced. It was insta-love, but not the good kind. Despite being familiar with the alpha male and stubborn female trope, this was an absolute no for me. Wolf came off as more controlling than protective, and Huntyr's tough exterior seemed inconsistent with her projection of insecurities onto others. When everything inevitably crashed and burned, she turned more self-deprecating. It was annoying.

 As I reached the end of the novel, my interest dwindled, and I found myself not caring about the fate of the characters. I contemplated giving up, but I was already too deep into the book, and reaching the end felt like a relief. Personally, I cannot recommend this book and consider it a time-waster. If you're seeking a vampire-themed story with challenges, I suggest exploring The Serpent and the Wings of Night. I'm genuinely perplexed by the positive reviews and high ratings. Well, to each their own.

 

 

 

Spark of the Everflame by Penn Cole

Title: Spark of the Everflame

Author: Penn Cole

Genre: New Adult, Fantasy

Series: Kindred's Curse #1

Paperback 436pages 

Publication: May 10, 2023
Source: Personal library 
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In a mortal world colonized by the gods and ruled over by the Descended, their cruel offspring, Diem Bellator yearns to escape the insular life of her poor village.

Her mother’s sudden disappearance—and the discovery of a dangerous secret about her past—offer Diem an unexpected opportunity to enter the dark world of Descended royalty and unlock the web of mysteries her mother left behind.

With the dying King’s handsome, mysterious heir watching her every move, and a ruthless mortal alliance recruiting her to join the growing civil war, Diem will have to navigate the unwritten rules of love, power, and politics in order to save her family—and all of mortalkind.

MY THOUGHTS

Spark of the Everflame by Penn Cole has been everywhere on my FYP. Romantasy these days have been a real hit or miss but after reading the synopsis I decided to give it a go. In a world ruled by the descendant of the gods, there are only two sides, the Descendant and everyone else. Diem Bellator is a human healer who gets mixed up into the world of the Descendants when her mother goes missing. Diem’s mother is a renowned healer that cares for both humans and Descendants alike, so much so, that one of her own client is the King himself. With Diem’s mother gone, Diem decides to pick up where she left off. But she soon discovers that the Descendants and humans are not that much different, and she has a lot more in common with them than she thought.

The book dropped readers right into the action from the very first page as we see Diem wrestle and outsmart a group of men who tried to give her grief. I must say the story was fast paced and kept me engaged the entire time but the overall plot, at least for the first book isn’t anything new. Diem is beautiful and stands out among the human with her white hair and gray eyes. While most of the human population has dark or brown eyes. Right off the bat we have the snowflake trope. So of course, it's no surprise that she manages to catch the eyes of the prince but not just any prince, the only heir to the descendant kingdom.

The interaction between Luther and Diem didn’t feel natural, therefore I didn’t feel a connection to them. It seems like many authors lately are trying to stuff as many tropes as they can into a book to advertise to the readers. But like I said the main couple’s interaction felt disjointed, I got the enemies to lovers' vibe (likely since we weren’t completely there yet) but in my opinion it was done poorly. Everything felt forced, rushed or like the author was just going through the motion and steps of what should occur next. And there was a scene that I’ve already seen in at least three romantasy novels where the male protagonist freaks out and asks the female heroine; “Who did this to you?”, at this point it's almost laughable. I tried to keep myself from rolling my eyes but failed.  More showing and less telling, please.

I was expecting more with all the raves reviews. The book was good don’t get me wrong, but it wasn’t THAT good. The book ended on a major cliffhanger, and I’m still intrigued enough to pick up the sequel, but I know better now to tamp down my expectations. Did this book bring anything new and refreshing to the genre? No, but it’s a quick and slightly entertaining read. While I plan to continue the series, I probably won’t rush to read it right away. 

Blue Bloods by Melissa De La Cruz

Title: Blue Bloods

Author: Melissa De La Cruz

Genre: Young Adult

Series: Blue Bloods #1

Hardcover, 302 pages 

Publication: March 27, 2006 by Hyperion
Source: Personal library 
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When the Mayflower set sail in 1620, it carried on board the men and women who would shape America: Miles Standish; John Alden; Constance Hopkins. But some among the Pilgrims were not pure of heart; they were not escaping religious persecution. Indeed, they were not even human. They were vampires.

The vampires assimilated quickly into the New World. Rising to levels of enormous power, wealth, and influence, they were the celebrated blue bloods of American society.

The Blue Bloods vowed that their immortal status would remain a closely guarded secret. And they kept that secret for centuries. But now, in New York City, the secret is seeping out. Schuyler Van Alen is a sophomore at a prestigious private school. She prefers baggy, vintage clothes instead of the Prada and pearls worn by her classmates, and she lives with her reclusive grandmother in a dilapated mansion. Schuyler is a loner...and happy that way. Suddenly, when she turns fifteen, there is a visible mosaic of blue veins on her arm. She starts to crave raw food and she is having flashbacks to ancient times. Then a popular girl from her school is found dead... drained of all her blood. Schuyler doesn't know what to think, but she wants to find out the secrets the Blue Bloods are keeping. But is she herself in danger?

MY THOUGHTS

I read Blue Bloods back in middle school and it’s been over fifteen years since the book has been published. My taste in books has certainly evolved…a bit but one thing has always remained the same which is my love of vampires. They never go out of style, no matter the medium. Blue Bloods is a young adult novel, on the younger side following a group of influential preppy teens of upper east-side New York. Their world is all fashion and parties, until it gets turned upside-down when a fellow student is found dead with all her blood drained. The parents, council and police ruled the death as an accident, but the teens suspect something more sinister.

Blue Bloods is not only an old term to denote people born of wealth but it’s also an indicator of those with vampirism due to the high pigment in the veins while humans were called ‘Red Bloods’. Readers follow along as Schuyler, Bliss, Jack and their friends learn about their history and integration into vampire society. I loved how the author incorporated history into the story of the famous Mayflower voyage to the first settlement of Plymouth Rock and the mysterious disappearance of the lost colony of Roanoke. The overall atmosphere of the book may seem very young and superficial with all the designer name drops, which to be honest was overkill but if one can look past that; there is an engaging story to be discovered. So much so, that after all these years I still found myself enjoying the book and do plan on continuing with the series.

I think one of the reasons why this series was so popular back then was because the adaptation of Gossip Girl came right on the heel of Blue Bloods’ release and this entire series is basically a mash-up of Gossip Girl with vampires. All the adolescent drama plus the supernatural. And during the 2000s vampires were all the rage. As I said it was an enjoyable read and I can’t wait to read the next book. It's been a very long time but jumping back into the world felt like it was just yesterday.  I would definitely recommend this to a younger audience or anyone looking for something light and fun. 

A Fragile Enchantment by Allison Saft

Title: A Fragile Enchantment

Author: Allison Saft

Genre: Fiction, Fantasy

Series: N/A

Hardcover, 384 pages 

Publication: January 2, 2024 by Wednesday Books
Source: Personal library 
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Niamh Ó Conchobhair has never let herself long for more. The magic in her blood that lets her stitch emotions and memories into fabric is the same magic that will eventually kill her. Determined to spend the little time she has left guaranteeing a better life for her family, Niamh jumps at the chance to design the wardrobe for a royal wedding in the neighboring kingdom of Avaland.

But Avaland is far from the fairytale that she imagined. While young nobles attend candlelit balls and elegant garden parties, unrest brews amid the working class. The groom himself, Kit Carmine, is prickly, abrasive, and begrudgingly being dragged to the altar as a political pawn. But when Niamh and Kit grow closer, an unlikely friendship blossoms into something more—until an anonymous columnist starts buzzing about their chemistry, promising to leave them alone only if Niamh helps to uncover the royal family’s secrets. The rot at the heart of Avaland runs deep, but exposing it could risk a future she never let herself dream of, and a love she never thought possible.

Transporting readers to a Regency England-inspired fantasy world, A Fragile Enchantment is a sweeping romance threaded with intrigue, unforgettable characters, and a love story for the ages.

MY THOUGHTS

A Fragile Enchantment was one of my most anticipated reads of 2024. I’ve been wanting to read it since it was first announced with its beautiful cover of soft pastel colors and intriguing synopsis. A Fragile Enchantment was the perfect blend of Pride and Prejudice and Bridgerton with a dash of magic. The story is narratored by Niamh, a Divine Blood Dressmaker. Niamh is able to stitch her feelings into the garment she creates; allowing the wearer to feel all types of emotions. With the household and financial responsibilities on her shoulder, Niamh accepts a deal of a lifetime; to dress the Duke and future Duchess of Avaland. Except things become complicated when she meets the young Duke himself, the groom, Kit Carmine.

 I’ve been reading a lot of heavy or intense fantasy fiction lately and A Fragile Enchantment came right on time to lighten the mood. The book incorporated my two loves which are period pieces and magic. The whole book was very sweet and wholesome. I absolutely adored Niamh. She was just incredibly kind and pure-hearted, even when the nobles were being cold and snarky. However, there were times  when her innocent nature created unnecessary drama. And oh how perfect was Kit, the complete opposite of Niamh. The epitome of the popular trope grumpy and sunshine. I love their interaction and banter. The plot was very straightforward, the world building interesting enough to engage the reader without being overly complex. I would say this book leaned more on the younger side of Young Adult as everything was very PG-13. But that didn’t take away my enjoyment of the story.

The only con for me was The Tattler in the newspaper. It was pretty much a straight copy of Julia Quinn’s gossip column, Lady whistledown. I couldn’t read it without my mind drifting to Quinn’s books or the TV show, Bridgerton therefore it pulled me away from the story  more than I liked. 

Overall, I am happy to have read A Fragile Enchantment, it lived up to my expectations. And it was exactly what I needed at the moment; something quick and easy to read with wonderful characters. Bonus it’s a standalone, so everything wrapped up nicely.  This was my first Saft book and it surely won’t be my last. Looking forward to checking out more of her work. 

 

 

 

The Queen of Days by Greta Kelly

Title: The Queen of Days

Author: Greta Kelly

Genre: Fiction, Fantasy/Steampunk

Series: N/A

Hardcover, 384 pages 

Publication: October 24, 2023 by Harper Voyager 
Source: Personal library 
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For Balthazar and his family of thieves, stealing a statue during the annual celebration of the god Karanis was just a good bit of fun…or a way to stick it to the governor who murdered his parents. And yeah, the small fortune in reward doesn’t hurt—even if his boss also hired the mysterious Queen of Days to join the crew as “the weapon of last resort...”

Whatever that means.

But Bal doesn’t know the ceremony isn’t simply empty words and dusty tradition; it’s true magic. The kind of magic that rips open a portal for the god himself. Only the idol that Karanis planned on using for a body now lies broken at the Queen of Days’ feet. And half of it is missing.

With the aid of a lovable brawler, a society lady turned bomb maker, a disgraced soldier, and a time-eating demon, Bal must hunt down the missing half of the statue if he has any hope of earning his money, keeping his crew alive…and perhaps even saving all of humanity. But as his journey sends him racing through the city—and across realities—he discovers that doing all this might just doom the city.

The city be damned. It’s time to kill a god.

MY THOUGHTS

I'm always looking for a good hiest novel and The Queen of Days delivered. Bal and his crew is hired to steal an artifact from the Governor's temple with one stipulation. They must aquire assistance from the infamous thief, The Queen of Days, Tass.

Bal and his crew thought The Queen of Days was nothing more than myths and legends since they've never personally seen her and they're born and bred of Cothis. Except she's real and not entirely human. In exchange for helping them retrieve the artifact, they must each give up a month's time of their life. From the get-go the assignment goes sideways when an ancient God inhabits the Governor's body and it seems like everyone in Cothis is after Bal, his crew and Tass.

I enjoyed The Queen of Days much more than I expected to. The main storyline of vengeful Gods trying to takeover the human realm has been done many times but what stood out from this novel were the characters. As I got to know more of Bal and his crew, his family and of Tass and her background I grew more invested in their lives and was rooting for them to take out the bad guy. However, the downside is this is a standalone so all that character development felt a bit surface level and rushed. The book was open ended but I could see more possible stories involving these characters. The stories are there and I hope the author gives these characters more stage time.

The Magic system was fascinating. Tass is a demigod, part god-part human and her life-force hinges on taking time from human or energy from the netherworld (I think). It was funny to see the Crew's realization that the Gods they worship are truly living beings and some of them resides alongside humanity in every day life and no one is the wiser. We met Tass's brother, Uncle and Grandfather...and I want to meet more of the family. Finger crossed for more books in this world!

Overall The Queen of Days was a great read. There's plenty of action and heart and characters you can't help but root for. If you love a fun and thrilling heist novel; I highly recommend Tbe Queen of Days!