Book Review: Siege & Storm by Leigh Bardugo

After finishing Shadow & Bone, I knew I needed to drive right into the sequel. But not for the reason you think.

I literally remembered nothing of the plot. *facepalm*

So, spoiler alert if you haven't read Siege & Storm (obviously... but really, if you've only watched the show, DO NOT PASS GO! DO NOT COLLECT $200! GO DIRECTLY TO JAIL), I was SO surprised that they went after the sea whip so early in the book! Like I said, I couldn't remember pretty much anything about the plot other than Alina securing the second amplifier. But they did it in the first part of the book. Literally, the inciting incident was her getting it! How exciting!

Now I really had no clue about the plot! Alina gets captured by the Darkling and then subsequently escapes. It really is a cat and mouse game for most of this series between the two of them.

Then enters one of my favorite characters in the series. Sturmhond. Only, he isn't really Sturmhond. He's actually Prince Nikolai, the second son of the current king who likes to live life a little dangerously. From here, he and Alina travel back to Os Alta, to the Big and Little Palaces, respectively.

Let me tell you. If the charming, smartass heir to a throne was interested in me, I wouldn't hesitate. Up until this point, I really was shipping Darklina, but Nikolai made me question things!

All in all, the plot of this one wasn't my favorite. It was a lot of political intrigue and scheming, when I really wanted more romance. Unfortunately, since it is YA, it was all brooding and slow building, but I knew where I wanted to go, so I finished this one and moved right into the finale of this trilogy!

Thanks,

Abbie

Book Review: Radiance by Grace Draven

A while back, I put out a call for suggestions of fantasy romance. Someone mentioned Radiance, and I immediately put a hold on it with the library. I didn't read the synopsis, or look at any reviews. In fact, I pushed off reading it for months because--gasp!--I wasn't the biggest fan of the cover. They say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but that's exactly what I did.

I was wrong.

Firstly, Radiance is not your typical romance. Not mine, anyway. I tend to pick more of an enemies to lovers or at least not-friends to lovers. This story was an arranged marriage between not only two kingdoms, but two species.

We meet Ildiko, the niece of a king of a race of humans, right before her wedding to a prince of a rival kingdom. Her union with the Kai kingdom is meant to bring peace and trade between the two species--even if her intended is hideous.

Ildiko meets Brishen before the wedding by accident. She escapes from her pre-wedding chamber into the garden, where she meets a Kai man. The two of them stare at one another and discuss how not attractive the other is, before parting ways. It's only at the wedding that the two discover the other is who they're going to marry.

What I love most about this story is that it was simply written and such a fast read. I devoured Radiance within two days, and found myself wanting to read even more about these characters and exploring more of the world.

Neither of the main characters had a choice in their arranged marriage, but I think what I loved most about it was that neither of them were bitter. They accepted their lot in life and actually made the best of it. Throughout the novel, Ildiko learns that the Kai are not brutish monsters, and Brishen learns that humans have more depth than he ever could have imagined.

By the end, I was rooting for them so hard my heart was fit to bursting. There is a sequel, and I will be reading it.

If you're looking for a sweet romance with some fantasy elements, check this one out immediately!

Thanks, Abbie

Book Review: A Dark and Hollow Star by Ashley Shuttleworth

This recommendation has been on my social media for a while, advertised as an LGBTQ+ YA fantasy, so I knew I'd have to pick it up.

I am always on the look out for diverse fantasy stories, especially when they include LGBTQ+ characters. As I'd heard such good things about this one, I had high hopes.

Unfortunately, I was let down pretty quickly. I'm not sure why I didn't connect with the main character, I just didn't. I got a third into the book and questioned why the hell I cared about them at all. I didn't know why I should care about any of the main characters, or why children were dying.

I will add that fairies/fae haven't always been my cup of tea. I loved A Court of Thorns and Roses because they didn't feel as fairy-like as most stories I've read.

Like the Shadow & Bone series, I was let down here because of how little romance there was. It could be because it was YA, but I just didn't connect with the story. There was flirtation, and some brooding, but the characters didn't quite get to the meat of the romance.

Even the villain was a little weird. Some random dude who was using magic to hurt people, and he had this weird vendetta against the main character because he was in love with his benefactor and thought his benefactor wanted the girl? None of it made much sense to me. The story felt anything but resolved in the end.

I don't think I'm going to read further in this series, if I'm being honest. It just didn't work for me. I need to be engaged from the start. Show me why I should care about this character. Make the attraction between characters sizzle. Give me something to root for! I just didn't feel it here. I also want intriguing villains. I want a villain that pops off of the page, a villain that makes me ponder if maybe, just maybe, they are the hero of their own story.

Thanks, Abbie