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all_plot_and_bothered's Reviews (89)
Crimson Skies picks right up where Gilded Wings left off, which left us with a bit of a love triangle.
Spoiler
*SPOILER ALERT* That is resolved pretty quickly in Crimson Skies, if only Drager could take the hint. If you were on the fence about Zahak, you will love him straight away in this book. He is the possessive, morally grey, touch her and
Catching Feelings is the second book in a series of inter-connected standalone college sports romances. If you like opposites attract, forced proximity, he falls first and hard, found family, and spice (4 / 5
Dirty Pucking Play is a super cute, lighthearted, and fast paced read. Juliette is carrying some baggage and is a sort of a black cat, but Mac is here for it all. I loved that he not only accepts that about her but likes that she is the way that she is. And the ways he works to chip away at her walls were top tier. I mean, the man even makes notes in her romance novel
Tee Harlowe excels at fairytale reimaginings; she goes far beyond just retelling the original stories, instead taking the elements of the originals, blending in parts of others, and putting her own magical spin to them. It is easy to identify which fairytale(s) the books are based on, but the final products are unique and stand on their own. Ship of Shadows is further proof of that fact. It is a Peter Pan reimagining with a little bit of The Little Mermaid mixed in.
This book is a fun, engaging, and fast paced read. It is a story of adventure, betrayal, and redemption with plenty of banter, action, and intrigue to go around, along with twists and turns that keep you turning the page. But there is so much more to it than that. It is an emotional rollercoaster. There is passion, steam, angst, humor, sorrow, tension, heartbreak, joy, hope, and love of all kinds and forms. It will make you feel all of the things.
The main characters in this book are beautifully done. I often find one MC more likable than the other, at least initially, but that was not the case at all here. Both Gabrielle and Bastian are complex, compelling, and likable, and I loved them both from the beginning. Gabrielle bears the weight of a crown she doesn't want and the guilt from wanting something else for her life. She is fierce, strong, resilient, and such a fighter for those she loves. And Bastian is the ultimate morally grey pirate lord that may not be exactly what he seems. He too struggles with guilt and the weight of those whom he feels responsible for. He is cocky, protective, ruthless, and swoony. They both constantly put others above themselves and are always prepared to sacrifice for the ones they love. Their relationship is fraught with challenges and mistakes, but the way they love one another is intense, sweet, and all-encompassing. It was impossible not to root for them and their success.
The side characters are also really well written; they don't just fade into the background, but are dynamic characters that add a lot to the story. If you read the first book in the Stolen Crowns series, Mirror of Malice, you are well acquainted with Driscoll and his antics. He features more prominently in Ship of Shadows, and absolutely stole the show in some of the scenes. His character reminds me so much of Hadriel from K.F. Breene's Deliciously Dark Fairytale series in that he is hilarious, a little bit extra, and a whole lot sassy, but also incredibly sweet and endearing. His character offered a lot of comic relief in this book, but he also had some poignant moments as well. I adore him, and am so glad that we will get to see more of him in future books. I can't wait for the next one!
I received an advanced reader copy of this book, and am voluntarily leaving my honest review.
This book is a fun, engaging, and fast paced read. It is a story of adventure, betrayal, and redemption with plenty of banter, action, and intrigue to go around, along with twists and turns that keep you turning the page. But there is so much more to it than that. It is an emotional rollercoaster. There is passion, steam, angst, humor, sorrow, tension, heartbreak, joy, hope, and love of all kinds and forms. It will make you feel all of the things.
The main characters in this book are beautifully done. I often find one MC more likable than the other, at least initially, but that was not the case at all here. Both Gabrielle and Bastian are complex, compelling, and likable, and I loved them both from the beginning. Gabrielle bears the weight of a crown she doesn't want and the guilt from wanting something else for her life. She is fierce, strong, resilient, and such a fighter for those she loves. And Bastian is the ultimate morally grey pirate lord that may not be exactly what he seems. He too struggles with guilt and the weight of those whom he feels responsible for. He is cocky, protective, ruthless, and swoony. They both constantly put others above themselves and are always prepared to sacrifice for the ones they love. Their relationship is fraught with challenges and mistakes, but the way they love one another is intense, sweet, and all-encompassing. It was impossible not to root for them and their success.
The side characters are also really well written; they don't just fade into the background, but are dynamic characters that add a lot to the story. If you read the first book in the Stolen Crowns series, Mirror of Malice, you are well acquainted with Driscoll and his antics. He features more prominently in Ship of Shadows, and absolutely stole the show in some of the scenes. His character reminds me so much of Hadriel from K.F. Breene's Deliciously Dark Fairytale series in that he is hilarious, a little bit extra, and a whole lot sassy, but also incredibly sweet and endearing. His character offered a lot of comic relief in this book, but he also had some poignant moments as well. I adore him, and am so glad that we will get to see more of him in future books. I can't wait for the next one!
I received an advanced reader copy of this book, and am voluntarily leaving my honest review.
Zodiac Academy: Restless Stars is the gripping and satisfying final installment of the Zodiac Academy series. It picks up right where Sorrow and Starlight left off with the Vega twins trapped in a cave, facing a new villain in Clydinius, and needing to figure out how to escape and win a war in which they are seriously outnumbered.
This book is long, clocking in at over 1100 pages, and has a lot of different POVs. That being said, I do not feel like there was unnecessary filler like I did with Sorrow and Starlight. There was a LOT we still needed to unpack and get through to wrap up everything, and each POV serves a purpose or advances the story in some way (no Justin Masters nummy pouch nonsense chapters here). IMO, the way the multi-POVs were set up actually made for shorter chapters and better pacing.
There is a long build up to the big, final fight in the war against Lame Lionel, Lavinia, and Clydinius, but we are rewarded with an actual, major battle. It is always anticlimactic when there is so much build up only for the issues to be resolved quickly and easily at the very end of the book, and thankfully, that was not the case here. It is vicious, intense, heartbreaking, and comprises about 20% of the book.
In true Twisted Sisters fashion, there are plenty of twists, turns, and surprises in Restless Stars, along with some unlikely friends and allies made along the way. And like in Ruthless Boys, we’re gifted with multiple epilogues, some of which take some of our beloved characters places I was not anticipating.
It is so bittersweet that the series has ended, and it has left me in a serious book slump. But I feel like Restless Stars was a compelling and fitting conclusion to the series and did justice to the characters and stories we love. All hail the true queens
This book is long, clocking in at over 1100 pages, and has a lot of different POVs. That being said, I do not feel like there was unnecessary filler like I did with Sorrow and Starlight. There was a LOT we still needed to unpack and get through to wrap up everything, and each POV serves a purpose or advances the story in some way (no Justin Masters nummy pouch nonsense chapters here). IMO, the way the multi-POVs were set up actually made for shorter chapters and better pacing.
There is a long build up to the big, final fight in the war against Lame Lionel, Lavinia, and Clydinius, but we are rewarded with an actual, major battle. It is always anticlimactic when there is so much build up only for the issues to be resolved quickly and easily at the very end of the book, and thankfully, that was not the case here. It is vicious, intense, heartbreaking, and comprises about 20% of the book.
In true Twisted Sisters fashion, there are plenty of twists, turns, and surprises in Restless Stars, along with some unlikely friends and allies made along the way. And like in Ruthless Boys, we’re gifted with multiple epilogues, some of which take some of our beloved characters places I was not anticipating.
It is so bittersweet that the series has ended, and it has left me in a serious book slump. But I feel like Restless Stars was a compelling and fitting conclusion to the series and did justice to the characters and stories we love. All hail the true queens
RIP me. I am dead because Holly Renee absolutely killed me with this book. The Veiled Kingdom is 100% my favorite read of the year so far. It has so many of my favorite tropes: enemies to lovers, forced proximity, forbidden romance, and a possessive/jealous MMC with a touch of "who did this;" add in a secret identity and some found family, and this book just checks all of the boxes. And while it can be easy sometimes to get bogged down in the world building of the first installment in new fantasy series, that did not happen here. The world building is light and well done - just enough to make it easy to understand without losing the characters or the plot to it.
Nyra's father is the king and a tyrant. He forces his kingdom to pay tithes with their magic and kills those who can't. He is brutal and cruel, and nothing shames him more than having an heir with no power. So he hides Nyra away, never allowing her to leave the castle. At the first opportunity, she escapes, and is living on the streets when, in a turn of events, she ends up in the hands of the rebellion. So she hides her true identity, sure that they will kill her if they find out she is the lost princess. In spite of her fear, Nyra finds friendship within the rebels and an undeniable connection with Dacre, the son of the rebellion commander. Dacre is sure she is hiding something and loathes her as a traitor for wanting to escape the king's rule without being a part of the rebellion; but underneath that suspicion and loathing is a fierce desire to protect and possess Nyra. He doesn't trust her, but he still can't let anyone else have her, touch her, or hurt her.
I loved the characters in this book; they are complex and well developed. Nyra is broken in many ways, but she is also strong and resilient. She has been sheltered, but at the same time, she knows all too well the cruelty of her father and the harshness of life. This, in many ways, is a journey of self discovery for her as she is forced to question her loyalties to try to determine where she stands as far as the rebellion and her future. Dacre is also a little bit broken, guilt ridden by the death of his mother and questioning whether loyalty to his father and loyalty to the rebellion are still the same thing. He is broody and mistrusting but protective and caring. His internal struggle between his belief that Nyra is a traitor and his inability to resist his pull to her is *chef's kiss.* The chemistry and tension between the two of them is explosive. They both love to push each other's buttons, and their banter is top notch. And the mouth on Dacre
Nyra's father is the king and a tyrant. He forces his kingdom to pay tithes with their magic and kills those who can't. He is brutal and cruel, and nothing shames him more than having an heir with no power. So he hides Nyra away, never allowing her to leave the castle. At the first opportunity, she escapes, and is living on the streets when, in a turn of events, she ends up in the hands of the rebellion. So she hides her true identity, sure that they will kill her if they find out she is the lost princess. In spite of her fear, Nyra finds friendship within the rebels and an undeniable connection with Dacre, the son of the rebellion commander. Dacre is sure she is hiding something and loathes her as a traitor for wanting to escape the king's rule without being a part of the rebellion; but underneath that suspicion and loathing is a fierce desire to protect and possess Nyra. He doesn't trust her, but he still can't let anyone else have her, touch her, or hurt her.
I loved the characters in this book; they are complex and well developed. Nyra is broken in many ways, but she is also strong and resilient. She has been sheltered, but at the same time, she knows all too well the cruelty of her father and the harshness of life. This, in many ways, is a journey of self discovery for her as she is forced to question her loyalties to try to determine where she stands as far as the rebellion and her future. Dacre is also a little bit broken, guilt ridden by the death of his mother and questioning whether loyalty to his father and loyalty to the rebellion are still the same thing. He is broody and mistrusting but protective and caring. His internal struggle between his belief that Nyra is a traitor and his inability to resist his pull to her is *chef's kiss.* The chemistry and tension between the two of them is explosive. They both love to push each other's buttons, and their banter is top notch. And the mouth on Dacre
I continue to fall love with the revamp of this series with each book, and Wrathful Mortals did not disappoint! Even knowing the major plot points from the first editions, I am still on the edge of my seat and devouring these books like it's the first time. While there is no shortage of action or plot advancement in Wrathful Mortals, we also get a lot of character development as some of the things our characters thought they were certain of are challenged. It delivers all of the angst we've come to expect and love from our Twisted Sisters.
Callie and Montana are reunited at last, but it is not all sunshine and roses. They have found a semblance of freedom but are not truly free, and they have both changed in their time apart. The experiences they faced have led them down different paths. Between the slayer vow and partnership mark, Callie feels like she's losing herself. Her hate has only grown, and she is more determined than ever to end the vampires with the slayers, while Montana doesn't see all of them as evil like she did before her time with the Belvederes. She feels like an outsider that doesn't really fit anywhere anymore, especially as she is finally forced to own up to her true feelings for Erik, not just to her sister but to herself.
The slow burn is still burning, but we finally get a little bit of relief with the promise of more on the horizon. Since the twins are with the slayers, we don't see Erik for much of the book except for his flashback chapters. That is until things between the vampires and the slayers come to a head again. This happens in the last 20% or so of the book, with everyone caught in the middle of Andvari and Idun's games. All of our MCs begin to understand that it is the gods that are their true enemies, especially when those wicked games force them to make a decision that none of them wanted and leave them more desperate than ever to figure out the prophecy and break the curse. This book was so good! Bring on Book 5!
Callie and Montana are reunited at last, but it is not all sunshine and roses. They have found a semblance of freedom but are not truly free, and they have both changed in their time apart. The experiences they faced have led them down different paths. Between the slayer vow and partnership mark, Callie feels like she's losing herself. Her hate has only grown, and she is more determined than ever to end the vampires with the slayers, while Montana doesn't see all of them as evil like she did before her time with the Belvederes. She feels like an outsider that doesn't really fit anywhere anymore, especially as she is finally forced to own up to her true feelings for Erik, not just to her sister but to herself.
The slow burn is still burning, but we finally get a little bit of relief with the promise of more on the horizon. Since the twins are with the slayers, we don't see Erik for much of the book except for his flashback chapters. That is until things between the vampires and the slayers come to a head again. This happens in the last 20% or so of the book, with everyone caught in the middle of Andvari and Idun's games. All of our MCs begin to understand that it is the gods that are their true enemies, especially when those wicked games force them to make a decision that none of them wanted and leave them more desperate than ever to figure out the prophecy and break the curse. This book was so good! Bring on Book 5!
