The Mist Thief by L.J .Andrews

Title: The Mist Thief

Author: L.J. Andrews

Genre: Fantasy

Series: The Ever Seas #3

Paperback, 454 pages 

Publication: June 30, 2024

Source: Personal Library
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She tried to kill him, so he made her his wife.

Skadi first met her husband-to-be with blades in hand on the opposite side of a battle. She lost, and he claimed his prize.

To her horror, the king of the shadow elven agrees to marry her off to Jonas, a prince in the fae realms, as a way to unite their kingdoms against a shared enemy—the light elves. Skadi knows the marriage is nothing but a political game. Feelings won’t come into play.

Except her new husband makes not falling in love . . . challenging.

When new threats arise, Skadi must decide to either love her enemy, or keep him alive by betraying him to another.

MY THOUGHTS

To be frank, I had no interest in reading The Mist Thief. The couple, Jonas and Skadi seemed like a poor choice and are polar opposite and yes, I am familiar with the term 'opposite attracts'. And of all the characters in the Ever Seas series, I couldn't care less about Skadi. The only reason I read The Mist Thief was because of the following book, book 4 features Tate and Mira...and I don't want to miss any detail, so of course I read the third installment in the Ever Seas series. And I must say the title was poorly chosen. Skadi isn't a thief in any capacity. And while I've read both The Ever King and The Ever Queen books...when I got to this book, I had no idea who was chosen based on that title alone. Odd choice. 

The Mist Thief follows the popular trope, marriage of convenience between the Elven Princess Skadi and Alver Prince Jonas. Jonas is one of Livie's best friends whom reader met in the first book, The Ever King and we met Skadi in the last book, The Ever Queen. There wasn't much going on in this installment. Skadi and Jonas spent half the book fighting their attraction to each other which involved a lot of miscommunications (a trope I hate). During this time, we also saw them spending their time in Jonas's kingdom and Skadi's kingdom. What irked me the most about the entire story was the marriage contract and Skadi's grandfather scheming and trying to make and break contracts throwing Skadi around like a pawn. The entire situation was preventable, but of course...there would be no story without it. I didn't care about Jonas or Skadi's relationship. Skadi's personality at the beginning and the end were essentially the same to me. Her character development could've been better written but, in my opinion, she didn't have any qualities that stood out. Jonas was a cookie-cutter hero that I've seen countless of time. Unoriginal and boring. The only characters that stood out and surprised me at how much I enjoyed reading about them were Jonas's parents' Kase and Mal (Yes, also aware they have their own story in the original series. I haven't read it.)

So far I've read three novels in The Ever Sea Series by Andrews...and while her writing is good, the plot points are ALL the same. It's following a template or formula that makes it predictable. The author follows certain beats to the story which seems to always concludes with a ''battle'' in the last 20% of the novel and ends up being poorly done and rushed. It literally happened in all three novels. I prefer books that surprises me. Because I saw everything in this book miles away.

I am glad I pushed myself to finish this book, so I can get to Tate and Mira's novel. But all in all, I won't be picking up any other books by Andrews in the future after The Stolen Crown releases. The quality isn't there and that's something I can clearly see now with how many novels are published within the world/spinoff books. Quality over quantity. 

Threaded by Tay Rose

Title: Threaded

Author: Tay Rose

Genre: Fantasy

Series: The Solstice Cycle # 1

Paperback, 600 pages 

Publication: May 1, 2024

Source: Personal Library
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In a world where magic means servitude, being giftless is a blessing.

Mariah’s twenty-first birthday was supposed to bring freedom: from expectation, from scrutiny, from the oppressive lord reigning over her hometown. When a summons from the Queen puts those dreams at risk, she has no choice but to follow through—even if it means a future she doesn’t want or deserve.

Thrust into a world of cutthroat politics, secret rituals, and ruthless power grabs, Mariah is forced to come to terms with her new position as terrifying hidden magic begins to awaken in her veins. Meanwhile, the brooding, disgraced royal heir selected to serve in her sworn guard inexplicably hates her, yet he can’t seem to stay away. As the kingdom’s delicate balance shifts and crumbles, Mariah’s freedom seems further away than ever.

Relationships blossom, schemes are unearthed, and gods are awakened… yet her heart may be the biggest threat of all.

Love is a weakness. But will fate weave a different thread?

MY THOUGHTS

Threaded was a pleasant surprise. I honestly haven't heard much about the novel, but a sub was featuring the book; so, I thought I would give it a go. Like most Romantasy-Fantasy novels these days with the Chosen One Trope, Threaded centers around a young woman on the brink of turning twenty-one. All her life she dreamt of escaping the everyday norm, to travel the world. But on her twenty-first birthday, The Queen requests all those of age to present themselves before her and one will be chosen as the newest Queen Apparent. Our Heroine Mariah is of course chosen and thus begins her journey to becoming Queen.

If anyone has read The Legacy series by Melissa E. Roehrich, then you'd enjoy this as well. Because the two series are very, very similar. Especially with the involvement of Gods and Goddess and how the Heroine is written. I thought the world-building and magic system was interesting. Mariah's first task as the Queen Apparent necessitate that she chooses seven men to form her guards and seven women to be her ladies in waiting. For the men, she has to bond to them magically and is only breakable in death. 

Overall, I thought Mariah was a good heroine, but I've been seeing a pattern in most Fantasy Novel: Feminine Rage. Half the time Mariah was either raging at the world about her situation or repeatedly telling the reader how much she never asked to be Queen and the other half; she actually steps up to the task and acts like a Queen worthy of her people. But it was constantly a whiplash, hot and cold when it came to Mariah's emotions. And speaking of hot and cold, Mariah's love interest is practically the same. One minute he acts very caring and the next he treats her badly. It goes on like this for majority of the book. It was tiring to read. And the love interest, isn't really likable nor has any redeeming qualities. 

Despite these slight criticisms, I do plan on picking up the sequel when it comes out, but I won't be rushing to read it. I am curious as to what will happen next. I hope Mariah leans more to becoming the powerful Queen that she could be and less an angry petulant child. I am also tired of all the feminine rage and rollercoaster emotions I've been seeing in books...unless someone can write it better. 

The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst

Title: The Spellshop

Author: Sarah Beth Durst

Genre: Fantasy

Series: Standalone

Hardcover, 374 pages 

Publication: July 9, 2024

Source: Personal Library
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Kiela has always had trouble dealing with people. Thankfully, as a librarian at the Great Library of Alyssium, she and her assistant, Caz—a magically sentient spider plant—have spent the last decade sequestered among the empire’s most precious spellbooks, preserving their magic for the city’s elite.

When a revolution begins and the library goes up in flames, she and Caz flee with all the spellbooks they can carry and head to a remote island Kiela never thought she’d see again: her childhood home. Taking refuge there, Kiela discovers, much to her dismay, a nosy—and very handsome—neighbor who can’t take a hint and keeps showing up day after day to make sure she’s fed and to help fix up her new home.

In need of income, Kiela identifies something that even the bakery in town doesn’t have: jam. With the help of an old recipe book her parents left her and a bit of illegal magic, her cottage garden is soon covered in ripe berries.

But magic can do more than make life a little sweeter, so Kiela risks the consequences of using unsanctioned spells and opens the island’s first-ever and much needed secret spellshop.

MY THOUGHTS

Cottagecore Cozy Fantasy seem to have taken over the book world recently and I've yet to read one until now. What initially drew my attention to The Spellshop was the beautiful painted cover; it screamed cozy, cute and whimsical. And it certainly delivered. The author said she wanted to write a novel that felt like drinking a warm hot chocolate, a novel that embodied kindness and that is exactly what The Spellshop was. 

I adored the world building and characters. Our heroine, Kiela, is a librarian. She spends all her times with and around books, so much so, she neglects the outside world and interaction with people and society. I mean, her only friend is a sentient spider plant name Caz. So, when chaos breaks out on her island and the library is raided, Kiela flees with Caz and a few ancient spell books back to her homeland. However, new obstacles appear as she doesn't know the first thing to do or how to interact with the islanders. And what transpires throughout the book is both a little endearing and vexing situation. Because Kiela has been sheltered most of her life, she is oblivious to social cues. There were scenes that were so awkward that it came across cringy...I mean even Caz, a plant understood more than Kiela! 

Since this was a Cozy Fantasy, you can imagine the stakes are low. The main premise involved stolen spell books, but the likelihood of discovery was truly little to none. The theme of the book was pretty much; community, family and being kind which I appreciated. We need more kindness in the world today and to be honest it was nice to read a book where for once the heroine didn't need to know everything, fight, or involved chaos or death. 

I enjoyed The Spellshop way more than I anticipated and has opened a new subgenre for me. I look forward to reading more Cozy Fantasy or something similar in the future. Overall, I do recommend checking The Spellshop out, it's a standalone where we get a nice conclusion with a HEA. 

Quicksilver by Callie Hart

Title: Quicksilver

Author: Callie Hart

Genre: Fantasy

Series: Fae & Alchemy # 1

Paperback, 622 pages 

Publication: June 4, 2024

Source: Personal Library
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In the land of the unforgiving desert, there isn’t much a girl wouldn’t do for a glass of water.

Twenty-four-year-old Saeris Fane is good at keeping secrets. No one knows about the strange powers she possesses, or the fact that she has been picking pockets and stealing from the Undying Queen’s reservoirs for as long as she can remember.

But a secret is like a knot.

Sooner or later, it is bound to come undone.

When Saeris comes face-to-face with Death himself, she inadvertently reopens a gateway between realms and is transported to a land of ice and snow. The Fae have always been the stuff of myth, of legend, of nightmares…but it turns out they’re real, and Saeris has landed herself right in the middle of a centuries-long conflict that might just get her killed.

The first of her kind to tread the frozen mountains of Yvelia in over a thousand years, Saeris mistakenly binds herself to Kingfisher, a handsome Fae warrior, who has secrets and nefarious agendas of his own. He will use her Alchemist’s magic to protect his people, no matter what it costs him… or her.

Death has a name.

It is Kingfisher of the Ajun Gate.

His past is murky.

His attitude stinks.

And he’s the only way Saeris is going to make it home.

Be careful of the deals you make, dear child.

The devil is in the details...

MY THOUGHTS

After seeing Quicksilver on my FYP for weeks, I finally took the plunge and read the book. I'm so glad I did! Like many Romance Fantasy/Fantasy series nowadays, Quicksilver features the usual fae, vampires, and gods, but it stands out with its unique and fresh take on these subjects.

I was effortlessly immersed in the world and writing within a couple of pages. The world-building is fascinating, vivid, and well-developed. While reading Quicksilver, I could easily imagine Saeris and Carrion running the third ward, and Kingfisher and Ren at the battlefronts. The magic system in Quicksilver is straightforward but complex enough without being convoluted or resorting to info-dumping. I absolutely loved all the characters. Saeris is probably one of my new favorite heroines. Imagine a petite, independent, kick-ass woman who can take down men three times her size, yet still has a big heart and a great sense of humor. Kingfisher was perfection—the kind of male lead/hero I enjoy reading about. I can't think of a single negative quality when it comes to Kingfisher. I loved their chemistry, interactions, and especially their banter. The banter was everything!

Quicksilver is very character-driven and centered. I love when an author writes fully developed, fleshed-out characters with flaws and attributes we can relate to and connect with. Whether it's a villain like Malcolm or a minor but adorable character like Archer, each character feels real.

Quicksilver is one of the best books I've read so far this year and easily in my top five reads. I loved it so much. If I could rate it more than five stars, I would. It was just that amazing. I highly, highly recommend Quicksilver if you haven't read it yet. You will not regret it! And you know what's crazy? The author mentioned that this was her first foray into the Romantasy/Fantasy genre and that she didn't have an audience for it. I was shocked to learn that because, as I mentioned earlier, the world-building is done really well. I can't wait for book 2, which comes out later this year in the fall!

Of Jade and Dragons by Amber Chen

Title: Of Jade and Dragons

Author: Amber Chen

Genre: Fantasy

Series: Fall of the Dragons # 1

Hardcover, 480 pages 

Publication: June 18, 2024 by Viking Books for Young Readers

Source: I received a review copy in exchange for a honest review.
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Eighteen-year-old Aihui Ying dreams of becoming a world-class engineer like her father, but after his sudden murder, her life falls apart. Left with only a journal of her father’s engineering secrets and a jade pendant snatched from the assassin, a heartbroken Ying follows the trail to the capital and the prestigious Engineers Guild—a place that harbors her father’s hidden past—determined to discover why anyone would threaten a man who ultimately chose a quiet life over fame and fortune.

Disguised as her brother, Ying manages to infiltrate the guild’s male-only apprenticeship trial with the help of an unlikely ally—Aogiya Ye-yang, the taciturn eighth prince of the High Command. With her father’s renown placing a target firmly on her back, Ying must stay one step ahead of her fellow competitors, the jealous guild masters, and the killer still hunting for her father’s journal. Complicating everything is her increasingly tangled relationship with the prince, who may have mysterious plans of his own.

The secrets concealed within the guild can be as deadly as the weapons they build—and with her life and the future of her homeland at stake, Ying doesn’t know who to trust. Can she avenge her father even if it means going against everything he stood for, or will she be next in the mastermind’s line of fire?

MY THOUGHTS

Of Jade and Dragons was promoted as a Mulan retelling with a dash of Dystopian Steampunk. However, the only similarity to Mulan was when our heroine, Ying disguises herself as her older brother to be admitted to the Engineering Guild Trials; one to fulfill her father's legacy and secondly to find his murderer.

The world building was a little hard to understand. Of course, there's a hierarchy within the Kingdoms as well as the Engineering Guild. But there were too many characters with similar names, that left me confused most of the time.

Readers were told that only heirs of the aristocratic were allowed admittance into the prestigious guild. But thanks to happenstance Ying crosses path with a young prince who was able to nominate anyone and bypass registrations, earning her a one-way ticket into the trials. Now Ying's job is to find out why the assassin wanted Ying father's journal, stay alive, and pass the trials. 

Sadly, I didn't find myself connecting with Ying or the love interest, Prince Yang. Ying was supposed to be a prodigy, daughter of the most famous engineer the guild has ever seen, and yet she caused problems wherever she went. Also, the Mulan similarity and the aspect I loved the most was the hidden identiy and disguise trope but unfortunately, that fell to the way side and must've been pretty terrible to be discovered early on in barely chapter 4. 

Ying's relationship with the prince felt very two-dimensional and unbelievable. The two barely knew each other and perhaps spent less than a handful of times together. It was such a short amount of time that it was impossible that they felt as they did. At least, in my opinion. There was no chemistry, no spark, nada. The only saving grace were Ying's friends. One of the most memorable scenes and the best, actually, was during the second trial of hearts. Ying abandoned logic and risked everything to save her friends' lives. 

I thought the overall writing was just okay but most importantly it was easy to read. Nothing fancy or complicated. The pacing of the book was quite slow, which made getting into the book hard. It wasn't until I was 60% into the book that I felt more invested in the story. But the action and payoff didn't truly come until we were near the end, the last three chapters of the book. To be honest, if this wasn't a review book that I asked to read, I probably would've DNF it earlier on. 

In the end, Of Jade and Dragons didn't live up to my expectations or synopsis. I feel like within the last couple of years, there's been a ton of Asian-inspired Fantasy and Of Jade and Dragons just doesn't stand out in all that. The market has become so saturated and I'm here still trying to find that one book that stands out from all the rest. The one that has the spark. With that said, would I recommend Of Jade and Dragons? Sadly, no. And I will not be continuing with this series.

The Ever King by LJ Andrews

Title: The Ever King

Author: LJ Andrews

Genre: Fantasy

Series: The Ever Seas # 1

Paperback, 408 pages 

Publication: July 19, 2023

Source: Personal Library
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They stole his crown, so he stole their daughter…

For years Erik, the scarred king of the Ever Kingdom, has thought of nothing but vengeance against the man who killed his father and trapped him beneath the waves, making him a prisoner in his own realm.

Until his enemy’s daughter unintentionally breaks the chains on the Ever, and Erik makes her the unwitting pawn in his vicious game of revenge.

She’s innocent. He’s vicious. But he will take back what he lost, no matter the price.

Unless she steals his heart first.

MY THOUGHTS

I don't think I've ever read a pirate novel. And to be honest, if The Ever King didn't have fantasy elements, I probably would have never picked it up. With that being said, it was a hard book to get into. I almost gave up a few times because every time I picked up the book, I put it down after a few paragraphs. It wasn't until I hit the 30% mark that the story started rolling and had my attention.  

I found the world building fascinating. The world is split between the earth and sea faes. Our heroine, Livia is an earth fae Princess and our hero is the sea fae King. The plot, not sure if it was intentional or not had Beauty and the Beast vibes. Livia was captured but stayed in exchange to spare her father's life, and in a twist of fate was also the key to help King Erik rid his kingdom of the darkening/ curse that was plaguing the lands. I do love Beauty and the Beast references. I liked Livia and Erik's chemistry and although readers were told time and time again that the two were connected as children and how neither of them forgot one or the other in the last 10 years...the jump from captor and captive to lovers was a fast one. It felt extremely rushed, especially with what Erik did in the end. There was little time for the characters to truly get to know one another and made their relationship unbelievable. Yes, I'm aware it's a pirate fantasy. 

For a pirate novel, there was little...pirating going on. Erik captured Livia, there was a brief battle, more like scuffle while they were at sea and then they ended up back in the palace. And the scuffle took all but a few pages. Pretty anticlimactic if you asked me. 

Despite that, I did enjoy the novel and its characters. Was this the best Fantasy Romance I've read? No, not at all. But it was fun and, in the end, engaging. The ending took a surprise turn that I can't to find out what happens next. The next book concludes Livia and Erik's story, but I was happy to discover the author was writing spin-off of stories of the characters in the same world! The side characters have started to already grow on me. So, this is exciting! 

When We Were Kings by A.H. Hadley

Title: When We Were Kings

Author: A.H. Hadley

Genre: Fantasy

Series: Wolf of Oberhame # 1

Paperback, 312 pages 

Publication: September 23, 2015

Source: Personal Library
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When tossed into the gladiator arena, the delicate girl in the fancy pink dress should be the first to die. She has other plans. Surviving is at the top of Leyli's list. Revenge is a close second.

Having grown up behind the sheltered walls of the Oberhame Palace, she knows what the crowd wants. Her country was built from the scraps of their neighbors. Gladiators are just one part. Evidently, political coups are another, and she's just become a pawn in the games of men. But why is she still alive? They've killed the heir to the throne. Have they gotten to her father? Is the king dead?

In the cell beside her, the man known as the Lion is impressed. The first day, they all cry. Men, women, it doesn't matter. But this one is different. Her tears don't slow her down. They make her stronger, and when he looks in her eyes, he sees it. Her desperation is feral. It means she won't hesitate to do what she has to. She might be cornered, but this bitch is the kind who'll bite.

When he offers advice, she takes it. When she manages to survive, he's pleasantly surprised. Little does he know, he's about to become her best weapon. Leyli isn't merely trying to live through the games. She also wants to protect her father's throne - but to do that, she needs to become someone else. She can no longer be the Princess.

The Lion has to forge the Wolf.

MY THOUGHTS

I was in the middle of a reading slump when I came across When We Were Kings by A.H. (Auryn) Hadley. The cover caught my attention but the synopsis piqued my curiosity further. A sheltered princess gets thrown into the Gladiator rings and teams up with the strongest, scariest player in the entire game...say less! 

I was enthralled within the first chapter and connected with the characters immediately. I loved the dynamic relationship between The Lion and, Leyli a.k.a. The Wolf of Oberhame. It was so satisfying seeing Leyli's growth from a novice to pro gladiator, bringing down men twice her size. The stakes were high as Leyli and The Wolf try to stay alive all while keeping her identity a secret. There were some quiet moments in the book where it's just the two of them training and talking to each other, and I don't know why but those were probably my most favorite scenes. The Wolf, Tristan was also a great MC and I know this may sound cliché, but he really wasn't like the other men in the ring. But I never once got that stereotypical snowflake; I'm special vibe from either Tristan or Leyli, which was a nice change for once.

I absolutely loved When We Were Kings from start to finish. The ending tied up everything nicely to lead into the next book and I can't wait to start it! This book has been out since 2015, the trilogy complete. I'm surprised that this book isn't more well-known or popular because it should be! It's better than most books right now in the market in terms of Romantasy (hate this new word the Pub made-up) or just Fantasy. I've read a couple of Gladiator related books in the past, but nothing was ever written this well or this engaging. If you haven't read this series yet, i highly recommend it! This series is definitely going on my "Forever Shelf".