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dawson001's reviews
444 reviews
The Defiant Heir by Melissa Caruso
5.0
Caruso’s debut novel, THE TETHERED MAGE, is a unique fantasy novel revolving around the heir of a powerful family, and one of the most dangerous mages in their world. Filled with magic, political intrigue, and romance, the second book of the SWORDS & FIRE trilogy does not disappoint.
The stakes increase in THE DEFIANT HEIR with war on the horizon and impossible choices for our main character, Lady Amalia Cornaro. Becoming the woman she’s destined to be means deciding life and death for innocents while courting high value alliances. Each decision brings her further from the woman she wants to be.
Caruso knows how to craft strong, passionate characters who struggle with decisions and their own self-confidence without appearing weak. Her complex and dangerous plots are deftly woven with enviable skill. The first book transitioned smoothly into this sequel and it sets up the third book beautifully.
I’m genuinely looking forward to reading the third and final book of this series, as well as her new book when it comes out in June of 2020.
The stakes increase in THE DEFIANT HEIR with war on the horizon and impossible choices for our main character, Lady Amalia Cornaro. Becoming the woman she’s destined to be means deciding life and death for innocents while courting high value alliances. Each decision brings her further from the woman she wants to be.
Caruso knows how to craft strong, passionate characters who struggle with decisions and their own self-confidence without appearing weak. Her complex and dangerous plots are deftly woven with enviable skill. The first book transitioned smoothly into this sequel and it sets up the third book beautifully.
I’m genuinely looking forward to reading the third and final book of this series, as well as her new book when it comes out in June of 2020.
The Tethered Mage by Melissa Caruso
5.0
Caruso’s debut novel THE TETHERED MAGE is everything a fantasy over should be: filled with dynamite characters, a firm magical premise, political intrigue, excellent world building, and a healthy dose of romance.
It revolving around the heir of a powerful family, and one of the most dangerous mages in their world and is filled with magic, political intrigue, and romance,. The main character, Lady Amalia Cornaro lands in an impossible situation that throws her future in jeopardy. She must navigate the tangle of her own wishes, her mother’s expectations, and her unfolding destiny.
Book One of the trilogy SWORDS & FIRE is filled with excitement, danger, and magic as Caruso introduces us to this beautifully complex world. It left me so enthralled that I started the sequel the same day.
It revolving around the heir of a powerful family, and one of the most dangerous mages in their world and is filled with magic, political intrigue, and romance,. The main character, Lady Amalia Cornaro lands in an impossible situation that throws her future in jeopardy. She must navigate the tangle of her own wishes, her mother’s expectations, and her unfolding destiny.
Book One of the trilogy SWORDS & FIRE is filled with excitement, danger, and magic as Caruso introduces us to this beautifully complex world. It left me so enthralled that I started the sequel the same day.
The Library of the Unwritten by A.J. Hackwith
4.0
THE LIBRARY OF THE UNWRITTEN is a contemporary fantasy novel centered around a librarian in Hell. It is the first book in Hackwith’s Hell’s Library trilogy, and introduces us to a world where demons and angels fight over books written by humans. It explores the concepts muses, unwritten books, and the afterlife in a new and fascinating way.
The premise is intriguing, the characters are rich and deep, and while the plot took a while to truly capture my interest, once hooked I couldn’t stop reading. It will be interesting to see where this series goes from here.
The premise is intriguing, the characters are rich and deep, and while the plot took a while to truly capture my interest, once hooked I couldn’t stop reading. It will be interesting to see where this series goes from here.
The Sound of Stars by Alechia Dow
5.0
This is the most transformational, important work of fiction I’ve ever read.
It might be easy to dismiss Alechia Dow’s debut novel, The Sound of Stars, as a YA, near-future or dystopian sci-fi story. You could also classify it as a YA romance. While technically accurate, neither one does The Sound of Stars justice. It’s all that and so much more.
Ms. Dow has crafted a work of fiction that combines books and music, aliens and romance, the future and the past. She does so deftly, and with an effortless ease. Her debut novel includes ace and envy representation, while addressing anxiety, self-image, racism, consent, hate, the current state of American society, and climate change.
She sprinkles these tidbits of today’s history throughout the book so perfectly that ideas and images are neither forced down the reader’s throat, nor glossed over as insignificant side notes. They are the foundations of future world filled with desperation. And while this might create a dark and dismal story, The Sound of Stars is also filled with hope.
Through the darkness, Ms. Dow shines a light to guide us to a better world. She throws the reader lifelines in the form of books and music. She starts each chapter with one of those lifelines, and give us a glimmer of what will come. She hooks us with every chapter. Ms. Dow chose simple quotes from well-known sources and each one ties in perfectly with the chapter beneath it. I have no idea how she managed such a daunting feat. I choose to believe she used magic.
The Sound of Stars made music and words flow through my veins, pump inside my heart, and create this powerful combination of joy and sorrow. My soul ached. THIS is the book I want on all the award nomination lists. THIS is the author I want to see everywhere. I need to hear The Sound of Stars reverberate around the world. It’s that good. It’s that necessary. It’s that powerful.
So, sure, it’s a YA romance novel with aliens. It’s also an emotion bigger than love. At one point I had tears streaming down my face. This book didn’t just make me cry; it showed me powerful depictions of love, sacrifice, loss, fear, and hope. I could not contain my feelings. My heart sat in my throat as I heard the words “unapologetically black and a queen.” I leapt for joy at the example of being your my hero and not waiting for someone else to save me. And I sighed with the idea that “Family doesn’t need to say thank you.” It is more than love, and my ardent words can never do it justice.
The Sound of Stars is music and magic.
It is the book we need.
It might be easy to dismiss Alechia Dow’s debut novel, The Sound of Stars, as a YA, near-future or dystopian sci-fi story. You could also classify it as a YA romance. While technically accurate, neither one does The Sound of Stars justice. It’s all that and so much more.
Ms. Dow has crafted a work of fiction that combines books and music, aliens and romance, the future and the past. She does so deftly, and with an effortless ease. Her debut novel includes ace and envy representation, while addressing anxiety, self-image, racism, consent, hate, the current state of American society, and climate change.
She sprinkles these tidbits of today’s history throughout the book so perfectly that ideas and images are neither forced down the reader’s throat, nor glossed over as insignificant side notes. They are the foundations of future world filled with desperation. And while this might create a dark and dismal story, The Sound of Stars is also filled with hope.
Through the darkness, Ms. Dow shines a light to guide us to a better world. She throws the reader lifelines in the form of books and music. She starts each chapter with one of those lifelines, and give us a glimmer of what will come. She hooks us with every chapter. Ms. Dow chose simple quotes from well-known sources and each one ties in perfectly with the chapter beneath it. I have no idea how she managed such a daunting feat. I choose to believe she used magic.
The Sound of Stars made music and words flow through my veins, pump inside my heart, and create this powerful combination of joy and sorrow. My soul ached. THIS is the book I want on all the award nomination lists. THIS is the author I want to see everywhere. I need to hear The Sound of Stars reverberate around the world. It’s that good. It’s that necessary. It’s that powerful.
So, sure, it’s a YA romance novel with aliens. It’s also an emotion bigger than love. At one point I had tears streaming down my face. This book didn’t just make me cry; it showed me powerful depictions of love, sacrifice, loss, fear, and hope. I could not contain my feelings. My heart sat in my throat as I heard the words “unapologetically black and a queen.” I leapt for joy at the example of being your my hero and not waiting for someone else to save me. And I sighed with the idea that “Family doesn’t need to say thank you.” It is more than love, and my ardent words can never do it justice.
The Sound of Stars is music and magic.
It is the book we need.