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retrogirlreads's reviews
1307 reviews
Lutapolii: White Dragon of the South by Deryn Pittar
4.0
Lutapolii has always been looked down upon for being a small, puny dragon, but all of that changes when he leaves the Northern Flight to learn some skills of his own. Armed with new knowledge and abilities, Lutapolii is able to convince four young dragonesses to head South with him and start their own Flight. But Erebia, Queen of the Northern Flight, is angry at the loss of her dragonesses, and envious of the Southern Flight’s abilities to catch seals. With Erebia constantly sending dragons to bother them, will the Southern Flight ever be able to grow and live in peace? Find out in “Lutapolii: White Dragon of the South” by Deryn Pittar!
Sineria: The Great Kingdom by Dave J. Williams
3.0
Hayden is 10 when his sister Fiona is murdered by a monster that lives in a lake by his shabby house. Consumed by grief, he finds hope when he meets a wizard who gives him a sword and sends him after promised riches that could change his family’s life for the better. But little does Hayden know that the wizard, Kraydon, is looking to take over the great kingdom of Sineria, and is willing to do anything at all in order to do so...
This is a charming little young adult fantasy story. The mythological creatures described were very interesting. I will be reading book 2.
*i received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
This is a charming little young adult fantasy story. The mythological creatures described were very interesting. I will be reading book 2.
*i received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
The Crimson Inkwell by Kenneth A. Baldwin
5.0
* I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review *
Miss Luella Winthrop seems to have a normal, if modest life. She takes care of her younger sister Anna and works (under a pen name) as writer for a newspaper owned by her fiancé. Although she lives a decent, respectable life, there is a part of her that longs for more. In fact, she secretly dreams of earning the Golden Inkwell, a prize awarded to the writer who puts out the most exciting stories. Against the advice of her fiancé, Luella starts traveling her small town looking for more stories. It is then when she meets a carnival worker named Bram, who promises her an unlimited supply of interesting stories... if she’s willing to believe in things out of the ordinary. As Luella gets more involved with Bram, she starts to believe in magic... but the magic might have some unintended consequences that aren’t exactly for the better.
Miss Luella Winthrop seems to have a normal, if modest life. She takes care of her younger sister Anna and works (under a pen name) as writer for a newspaper owned by her fiancé. Although she lives a decent, respectable life, there is a part of her that longs for more. In fact, she secretly dreams of earning the Golden Inkwell, a prize awarded to the writer who puts out the most exciting stories. Against the advice of her fiancé, Luella starts traveling her small town looking for more stories. It is then when she meets a carnival worker named Bram, who promises her an unlimited supply of interesting stories... if she’s willing to believe in things out of the ordinary. As Luella gets more involved with Bram, she starts to believe in magic... but the magic might have some unintended consequences that aren’t exactly for the better.
Big Cranky Fall into Darkness by James Pyne
5.0
Do you think you know everything about myths and legends? Well, think again. This version of events combines deities from Christianity such as Lucifer and Michael, from Greek mythology such as Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, and Athena, and mentions deities from Norse mythology such as Odin and Thor, just to name a few. This book is a mashup of everything, and Pyne puts his own dark twist on these characters by weaving them together into his own amazing storyline. I’m not gonna lie, this book can be extremely dark at times, but that’s why it’s called dark fantasy. I was totally absorbed in this book. As a huge mythology fan, the spins Pyne puts on those characters are darkly enchanting. This is an extremely unique story, and I can’t wait to see what happens next!
*i received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
*i received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
Emily Voss Episodes 1-3 by Nick Lavitz
5.0
Emily Voss is an exorcist. She banishes demons from places and from people. While she is good at her job, nobody knows she is running from her past... which is about to catch up to her.
Emily is an absolutely hilarious and relatable main character, and each story in this little set keeps you vastly entertained. I truly enjoyed this book, and hope to hear more about Emily and her adventures in the future.
*I received this book as an arc in exchange for an honest review*
Emily is an absolutely hilarious and relatable main character, and each story in this little set keeps you vastly entertained. I truly enjoyed this book, and hope to hear more about Emily and her adventures in the future.
*I received this book as an arc in exchange for an honest review*
Ice Queen by Maggie Kay
5.0
They call her the Ice Queen...
Eden Kastrati’s life irrevocably changed the moment she decided to betray her brother in order to save her cousin’s life. Considered a traitor to her own family, Eden is shunned and mistrusted by everyone in the Underworld except for her cousin, Sofia, and Sofia’s new husband, who just happens to be the brother of the man who killed her father and brother. With her uncle in control of her fortune, Eden is trapped, unable to go anywhere or do anything she dreams of. Cue Alessio Valsetti. Alessio is a Valsetti, part of the family who destroyed Eden’s. Although the Valsettis and the Kastratis are now at peace, Eden is still incredibly distrustful of them, and playboy Alessio always finds a way to get under her skin. Alessio, meanwhile, is facing problems of his own. His father has been trying to find a suitable bride for him, and Alessio doesn’t want to get married. But when his father threatens to pass down the family business to his brother-in-law Roberto instead, he realizes it’s time to act. So he forms a plan, and Eden is the main part of it. Now the challenge is getting her to agree.
“Ice Queen” is the second installment in Maggie Kay’s Echoes from the Underworld series. This is a heated mafia romance with both dark and light elements. I completely recommend this book and this series! As the author states at the beginning of the book, “this book contains violence, graphic language, sensitive subject manner and sexual content which is intended for mature audiences 18 and over.”
*i received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
Eden Kastrati’s life irrevocably changed the moment she decided to betray her brother in order to save her cousin’s life. Considered a traitor to her own family, Eden is shunned and mistrusted by everyone in the Underworld except for her cousin, Sofia, and Sofia’s new husband, who just happens to be the brother of the man who killed her father and brother. With her uncle in control of her fortune, Eden is trapped, unable to go anywhere or do anything she dreams of. Cue Alessio Valsetti. Alessio is a Valsetti, part of the family who destroyed Eden’s. Although the Valsettis and the Kastratis are now at peace, Eden is still incredibly distrustful of them, and playboy Alessio always finds a way to get under her skin. Alessio, meanwhile, is facing problems of his own. His father has been trying to find a suitable bride for him, and Alessio doesn’t want to get married. But when his father threatens to pass down the family business to his brother-in-law Roberto instead, he realizes it’s time to act. So he forms a plan, and Eden is the main part of it. Now the challenge is getting her to agree.
“Ice Queen” is the second installment in Maggie Kay’s Echoes from the Underworld series. This is a heated mafia romance with both dark and light elements. I completely recommend this book and this series! As the author states at the beginning of the book, “this book contains violence, graphic language, sensitive subject manner and sexual content which is intended for mature audiences 18 and over.”
*i received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
Fall into Darkness by James Pyne
5.0
Do you think you know everything about myths and legends? Well, think again. This version of events combines deities from Christianity such as Lucifer and Michael, from Greek mythology such as Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, and Athena, and mentions deities from Norse mythology such as Odin and Thor, just to name a few. This book is a mashup of everything, and Pyne puts his own dark twist on these characters by weaving them together into his own amazing storyline. I’m not gonna lie, this book can be extremely dark at times, but that’s why it’s called dark fantasy. I was totally absorbed in this book. As a huge mythology fan, the spins Pyne puts on those characters are darkly enchanting. This is an extremely unique story, and I can’t wait to see what happens next!
*i received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
*i received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
Black Heart by Maggie Kay
5.0
Nicolai Valsetti was made a King of the Underworld after the murder of his father by his family’s most bitter rival, the Kastrati family. Now, his younger brother Luca has been taken, and Nicolai will stop at nothing for revenge. Following a lead, Nicolai finds and rescues a beautiful young woman from death by smoke inhalation. Little does he know, however, that this captivating girl is Sofia Kastrati, the daughter of the head of the Kastrati family. Once he finds out, however, he decides to hold Sofia for ransom: her safe return in exchange for Luca’s. If not, he will kill her. But as negotiations continue between the two families, and Nicolai and Sofia get to know each other better, it is hard for them to resist the unmistakable chemistry that lies between them. But how could anything between them end well? He is a Valsetti, and she is a Kastrati: they were never meant to be....
“Black Heart” is my first book by Maggie Kay, and I am so incredibly impressed! I was super invested in this storyline, and I couldn’t stop reading because I was so desperate to find out what happened next. The dark, heated romance also had humorous banter and sweet moments. As the author said, this story has “violence, graphic language; sensitive subject manner, and sexual content which is intended for mature audiences only.”
*i received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
“Black Heart” is my first book by Maggie Kay, and I am so incredibly impressed! I was super invested in this storyline, and I couldn’t stop reading because I was so desperate to find out what happened next. The dark, heated romance also had humorous banter and sweet moments. As the author said, this story has “violence, graphic language; sensitive subject manner, and sexual content which is intended for mature audiences only.”
*i received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
Age of War by Dave J. Williams
3.0
8 years after the defeat of Kraydon, Hayden and his family are living in a castle. Now 18, Hayden’s thirst for adventure has not been quenched by his adventures with Kraydon, and he is always searching for more. When he finds out that another kingdom is trying to invade Sineria, he sets out to protect it. The story has different points of views throughout.
This is a middle grade/ya fantasy with good world building. As with book 1, description is very good, but some of the characters are a little one dimensional.
*i received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
This is a middle grade/ya fantasy with good world building. As with book 1, description is very good, but some of the characters are a little one dimensional.
*i received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
Stocking Stuffers: A Five Story Christmas Anthology by E.J. Darling, Sibylla Matilde, Maira James, Melissa Ivers, K.M. Rives
5.0
*This anthology was gifted to me by Sibylla Matilde, one of the authors, in exchange for an honest review*
Do you love steamy holiday romance stories? Well then this anthology is for you! Each story is set in small town Aspen, and focuses on a different couple. I really loved these stories, and it is the perfect book for this time of the year!
The first story is a story of second chance, focusing on Cami and West as they are stuck in a cabin for Christmas after not seeing each other for fifteen years.
In the second story, Valerie is heartbroken after finding out her fiancé is cheating on her. When her devastatingly charming boss Jaime invites her to his cabin in Aspen for Christmas in order to help her heal, she knows it’s probably a bad idea, yet she isn’t able to resist.
The third story is an enemies to lovers romance featuring Nashton and Julia. Julia has always hated Nashton, her older brother’s annoying best friend, who always knows exactly how to get under her skin. Nashton himself has never been able to get Jules out of his head, and when he comes to stay with the siblings one Christmas season, sparks fly.
In the fourth story, Ty and Virginia meet in a bar after not seeing each other since high school. After talking for a while, they end up in bed, where they both confess that they had a crush on each other in high school. After what was supposed to be a one night stand, both are left reeling. Can they allow themselves to be happy?
In the final story, Tucker hires Evin, who works as an escort to pay for her dying father’s medical bills, to spend Christmas weekend with him. Little does Evin know, however, that Tucker chose her for reasons of his own. Can these two find happiness?
Do you love steamy holiday romance stories? Well then this anthology is for you! Each story is set in small town Aspen, and focuses on a different couple. I really loved these stories, and it is the perfect book for this time of the year!
The first story is a story of second chance, focusing on Cami and West as they are stuck in a cabin for Christmas after not seeing each other for fifteen years.
In the second story, Valerie is heartbroken after finding out her fiancé is cheating on her. When her devastatingly charming boss Jaime invites her to his cabin in Aspen for Christmas in order to help her heal, she knows it’s probably a bad idea, yet she isn’t able to resist.
The third story is an enemies to lovers romance featuring Nashton and Julia. Julia has always hated Nashton, her older brother’s annoying best friend, who always knows exactly how to get under her skin. Nashton himself has never been able to get Jules out of his head, and when he comes to stay with the siblings one Christmas season, sparks fly.
In the fourth story, Ty and Virginia meet in a bar after not seeing each other since high school. After talking for a while, they end up in bed, where they both confess that they had a crush on each other in high school. After what was supposed to be a one night stand, both are left reeling. Can they allow themselves to be happy?
In the final story, Tucker hires Evin, who works as an escort to pay for her dying father’s medical bills, to spend Christmas weekend with him. Little does Evin know, however, that Tucker chose her for reasons of his own. Can these two find happiness?