Royal Bastards by Andrew Shvarts is a book I have been looking forward to since I read the summary…really, you had me at the title on this one Mr. Shvarts. This book had everything I look forward to in the books I read, great characters, a bit of romance/swoons, and an intriguing story.

The main character is Tilla and she happens to be the bastard daughter of Lord Kent, the man who leads the Western Province. It was hard not to feel bad for Tilla and understand her desire to be seen as more than Lord Kent’s backup – if and when he needed her – and because of who she was, she didn’t have a true place in the castle. As his daughter, she was expected to attend functions and represent him well but she was never really treated as his daughter because he has never legitimized her. It is because of this that she is able to sneak around with her half-brother and get away with some of the things she does.

As the story opens, the visiting princess Lyrianna is being honored with a feast and that’s when the princess surprises everyone and chooses to sit at the bastard’s table. Of course Tilla is there but so are some other characters that will come to play very important roles in the rest of the story. Miles is the son of one of the most powerful women in the West. His mother’s house is wealthy and the originator of the sun stones that light up the castle. Zell is the son of the Zitochi chief. He isn’t a bastard in the true sense of the word – he earned his status within his clan.

The group makes plans to go to the beach that night (along with Tilla’s half-brother Jax) and they end up taking the tunnels under the castle to the beach and by chance, they find themselves witnessing a crime they never expected. This forces all of them to run and they are immediately set up as scapegoats to the murder of princess Lyrianna’s Archmagus uncle and the kicker here is that it is their parents that have started the rebellion and put all their lives on the line.

Outside of the actual story, the characters and the friendships really help to drive this story forward. I loved how everyone was immediately thrown into this uncontrollable situation and even though they don’t really trust each other yet, they are all working towards one goal, surviving. That means getting the princess to safety and turning in their parents to the king. Despite all their differences, they all eventually become close. I thought all of the friendships / relationships were well done and realistic. The relationship Tilla develops with Zell was a bit of a slow burn…until it wasn’t and the friendship she develops with Lyrianna was great too.

I especially loved the relationship Tilla had with Jax, her half-brother. While they have the same mother, they have very different lives because of who their fathers are. Despite that, they are still close and would do anything to protect one another. Tilla quickly understands that while she might be able to turn around and beg her father to give her another chance but that would never be the same for Jax, Lyrianna, and Zell and that is what persuades her to keep running.


The world that Shvarts created is one that revolves around the Kingdom of Lightspire and Lord Kent’s desire to have the West be separate from Lightspire. The rebellion creates the conflict that these characters are up against and even when I thought they made it, Shvarts had me on the edge of my seat because the entire group was still in danger. It is pretty obvious who the “bad guys” are but when you look at it from the perspective of Lord Kent and the other Westerners, it is easy to understand why they are doing what they are…the question though is whether there could have been another way. With that said, throwing their children under the bus was pretty shady.

I don’t want to say a lot about what happens as I don’t want to spoil any bit of this book. I found myself unable to put it down as I needed to know how things were going to turn out for all of these characters. There were one or two things that I saw coming and a few things I didn’t. If you are looking for something that has action, swoony parts, danger and magic, definitely check out Royal Bastards. I’m hopeful there is a follow up for this book, there is definitely an opening at the end of this book to have Tilla’s story continue and I would fully support that (if that influences anyone).

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy!

City of Bastards is book two of the Royal Bastards series by Andrew Shvarts. I was so excited to get a copy of this book that I broke my own rules around how far in advance I can read a book before it comes out. And it was totally worth it!!

This book picks up several months after the end of book one and Tilla is now living in the capital of Lightspire under the protection of Lyriana’s father, the Volaris King. It has taken some time to get used to all the new things but Tilla has adjusted. Despite the support, there are still a great number of people in Lightspire who see her as the daughter of the traitor who is waging war against them and they treat her like it when the King and Princess aren’t looking. Of course, she is still trying to come to terms with her brother’s death and

Zell is also trying really hard to adjust and find a place. When Lyriana boasted about his fighting skills and he beat three of his toughest men, the Captain of the City Watch offered him a place to stay and a place within the watch as long as he taught the men the Zitochi fighting style. It appears to be the best fit for him as he tries to figure out what to do next.

A lot happens in this book and Tilla and Zell getting used to Lightspire is really only a small piece of the puzzle. When Tilla’s roommate is found dead, everyone insists that it was suicide but Tilla doesn’t believe it. She knew Markiska and knew she would never have done such a thing. As Tilla digs into what happened, she learns more about the cult that is causing trouble in the capital and she also finds out more about how the West is beating the Lightspire mages.

I love the characters in this book. Of course, I talked about Tilla and Zell but just as important to the story are Princess Lyriana and Ellarion. Lyriana is, like Tilla, still trying to get over Jax’s death but she is doing it by being reckless. Tilla absolutely realizes this but doesn’t call her out on it. Instead, she stands by and supports Lyriana as best she can. I loved the friendship these two have built and while sometimes they hold things back, they are still very supportive and protective of each other. Ellarion is right with them every step of the way and uses his magic to help find answers and protect them. He is a perfect balance for this group with his knowledge of the kingdom and magic. Things get really interesting for him as he pushes the boundaries of his magic and I can’t wait to see how he is impacted in the next book.

There are a lot of reveals in this book both around what is happening with the West and the mage power. These characters tend to keep secrets from each other with the intention of protecting each other but in reality, it only makes things more difficult. I had some real concerns about some of these characters once things were revealed but I also have high hopes that they can all figure out how to make things work. Things just aren’t black and white in this book and it’s hard to disagree with any of the reasons why people are rebelling against the Volaris family.

Overall, I thought this was a great book two in this series and I can’t wait to see where Shvarts goes next with the story and these characters. There isn't much more I can say without potentially ruining the story but I will leave you with this. To quote Tilla, they may have lost the battle, but they will continue to fight the war. As the beginning of the resistance, they have a chance to create a new world and they are determined to do it together. If you are looking for a book that has magic, great characters, and an engaging story, definitely check this series out. I’ll be over here, impatiently waiting for the next book.

Thank you to the publisher for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

My Plain Jane, book two of The Lady Janies, by Cynthia Hand, Jodi Meadows, and Brodi Ashton was a book I was looking forward to as soon as I heard about it. I have to admit, I haven’t yet read My Lady Jane yet (I have no idea why not…it’s kind of sad), but I didn’t need to in order to dive right into this book.

This story focuses on the penniless orphan, Jane Eyre and I loved every second of this book. Jane just happens to have the ability to see and talk to ghosts and her skills are something that Alexander Blackwood, a supernatural investigator, needs in his organization. Despite his offer of employment, Jane decides she will instead take a position as a governess for Mr. Rochester and this is where things start to get moving.

As for characters, we have the previously mentioned Jane Eyre, Mr. Rochester, and Alexander Blackwood. It is also worth mentioning here that one of Jane’s best friends, Helen, happens to be a ghost. Jane’s other friend is none other than Charlotte Bronte. Charlotte is one of those characters that I couldn’t help but love and I thought how her story was told right along with Jane’s was fantastic. Plus, her relationship with Alexander Blackwood was fantastic.

As Jane moves to Thornfield Hall and begins to interact with Mr. Rochester, she eventually falls in love with him, despite his odd behavior. Mr. Rochester has some secrets and while he shows Jane some preference, it’s clear that something is off with him. I can’t say much about it, but I loved how the story slowly revealed what was going on.

There are several things I enjoyed about this book. From the dialogue and banter to the paranormal aspect…they all kept me turning the pages. There are a number of pop culture references that made it that much more enjoyable for me and of course you get the historical feel along with class and gender divisions that would have been present at the time.

Overall, I enjoyed this one. I will for sure be going back to read the first book and definitely look forward to what this group of authors writes as the next one. If you are looking for something different, consider checking this book out. It has danger, ghosts, and romance…what more could you want?

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy.

Game of Secrets by Kim Foster is a book I knew I wanted to read as soon as I read the summary. A historical fantasy with a spy school for people born with special powers…SIGN ME UP!!

Felicity Cole sells flowers on the streets of London to provide for herself and her younger brother when one day, things go terribly wrong. Not only is her brother’s secret of being a Tainted (someone born with special abilities) revealed, but the boy she loves is killed and Felicity is taken off to prison. Oh yeah…she also finds out that she is Tainted too.

Felicity was an interesting character for me. I liked her and sympathized with her. She wasn’t brought up in the same world as the other people at the school and after having gone through a pretty traumatic event, she is tossed in with a group of teens who have no idea. Throughout Felicity struggles with whether she should stick it out with this life or go find her brother and run away to what she has always known. There is a turning point in the story where she starts to embrace her ability, but she doesn’t fully commit to this new life.

There was a pretty big twist in the book that I never saw coming so kudos to Foster for that. I also thought putting this in the Victorian era was a great decision. It created some challenges for Felicity that she may not have had otherwise.

I hate to say it but the other characters in the story didn’t wow me. You have a mean girl who shows her colors the second that Felicity comes to the school and then the love interest. I loved how Felicity met him, but the rest of their interactions were just so hot and cold…it didn’t feel like their relationship was real.

I also thought the competition between the students was a bit underplayed. There just didn’t seem to be a lot of build around this piece of the story even though it was a key part of what was happening…outside of all the things going on with Felicity. There is quite a bit of action in this book though, which I enjoyed.

Overall, I thought this one was ok. It may just be me on this one because in all honesty, this book has all the pieces of a story that I would love. I’m going to chalk it up to my expectations more than anything. With all that said, this did end in such a way that a book two could be possible. If you are looking for a quick read with a historical feel, this one might be for you.

Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

Review to come

I have loved Jennifer Ellision’s books since the day I came across her Threats of Sky and Sea series. When I heard she was writing a book about lady pirates, I was immediately interested in getting my hands on a copy of the book. This was a fairly quick read and once I started I couldn’t put it down.

Right away, we are introduced to Grace Porter, the quartermaster of the Lady Luck, a pirate ship crewed only by women. The group lives by a number of rules but the most important one is no men are allowed on board. When the crew comes across a shipwreck and start to look for treasure, Grace makes the decision to break the rule and bring two male survivors on board and from that point on, things take a definite turn for Grace.

Leo and his brother John are the shipwrecked nobles. They happened to be on a ship that was carrying a map that has great value to anyone who possesses it…this is because the map is said to be able to guide the holder to all the treasure they want. Leo decides to use his knowledge of the map as a bargaining chip to keep him and his brother on the ship and (hopefully) headed to somewhere safe.

As the story moves forward, we find out more about Grace and what she really wants the map for. Yes, treasure is important but what Grace really wants is to be able to hunt down the Mordgris, the sea monsters who took her mother away from her. I was intrigued by this aspect of the story and while we get glimpses into these creatures, I wanted to know more about them. There is clearly a lot more to the story than we know although I have thoughts about it…and I am very interested in learning more.

I liked both Grace and Leo. They both did some growing up in this book and I appreciated how Ellision built their friendship out in the pages. Neither of them really trusts the other at first and there are times toward the end of the book where I wasn’t really sure which way things were going to go for them, but I love how this book was wrapped. There was a clear cutoff point here but there is definitely more story to tell and I can’t wait to see what happens next for these characters.

In addition to Grace and Leo, there are some other character that help move the story. I definitely want to know more about what happened with Grace’s parents and the captain of the Lady Luck, Ilene. Sam is another character who I look forward to seeing more of and it will be interesting to see how things end up with the crew based on what happens at the end of this book.

Overall, I enjoyed the first book of this series. If you’re looking for something quick that has a bit of mystery, some tough/dangerous women, and a story that will have you turning the pages to see what happens next, consider checking this one out. I will be picking up the second book when it is available, no question, and recommend you check out Ellision’s other books if you haven’t had the opportunity to do so yet.

Thank you to the author and Netgalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

It was sooooo good!!! Full review to come.