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erinarkin20
Rule is a new fantasy by debut author Ellen Goodlett and when I read the summary of this book I knew I was going to have to read it. It has danger, deception, and an intriguing story that will have you flipping the pages to see what happens next.
The story focuses on three girls whose only connection is that their father happens to be the King and because his only other heir is dead, he has decided to bring them all to Kolonya so they can learn what it takes to rule. It just so happens that none of these girls knows that he is their father and because they all have a dangerous secret that could lead to their execution, they are all thinking they are in danger when his men come to bring them to the city. As the story unfolds, we learn that there is someone who knows exactly what each girl is hiding, and they begin to threaten them all just to keep them from the throne.
I thought Goodlett did a great job setting up the story for each of the girls. There is just enough backstory on each one to give the reader an idea of what drove them to do what they did and put themselves as risk. I am not going to say anything about their secrets only because the way you are introduced to them in the story helps to lay the groundwork for what happens when they meet the King and have to live at court.
These characters are all very different and have different motives for wanting to succeed. I loved having such different characters with varied motivations as the primary focus of this book as it provided such different perspectives.
Zofi is a part of a Traveler clan and while they are viewed by people in towns across the Reaches as lower class, Zofi loves her family and will do anything for them. As a practitioner of the Arts, she knows how to use her blood to work magic and give her strength and she relies on this to push herself to become valuable so that she can help her people.
Ren has grown up in the court as a ladies’ maid, so she is fully aware of the politics and backstabbing that can occur. When she finds out she has been serving the people of the court that she should actually be ruling, she is pretty upset with her mother. As she comes to understand her mother’s reasoning, she also decides she is going to win the throne.
Akeylah grew up in a family that hated and abused her in the Eastern Reach and when she is summoned, she jumps at the chance to get away even though living at court could put her at bigger risk of her secret getting out. When she gets to Kolonya, she recognizes just how out of place she is but eventually finds a friendship she never hoped for…with someone she never expected.
At first, these three don’t trust each other and as they are each faced with a threat and warning to leave, they all think it is one of the other girls. This definitely created some tension amongst them but they all eventually confront each other and form a bit of a partnership. As they learn more about each other and court, they learn who they can trust…and not.
The secondary characters were well developed too, and I thought they helped to move each of the girls’ stories forward. Some of them were shady and some of them were genuine but all had a role to play and I thought they added to each of the storylines.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and am glad I picked it up. I’ve tried to keep this review spoiler free so don’t hate me for being vague, but you will appreciate it when you pick this one up. If you like a story that has great characters and a page turning story with some twists and turns, consider checking this one out. If anything, the ending will have you on the edge of your seat. I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book to see what happens next.
Thank you to the publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
The story focuses on three girls whose only connection is that their father happens to be the King and because his only other heir is dead, he has decided to bring them all to Kolonya so they can learn what it takes to rule. It just so happens that none of these girls knows that he is their father and because they all have a dangerous secret that could lead to their execution, they are all thinking they are in danger when his men come to bring them to the city. As the story unfolds, we learn that there is someone who knows exactly what each girl is hiding, and they begin to threaten them all just to keep them from the throne.
I thought Goodlett did a great job setting up the story for each of the girls. There is just enough backstory on each one to give the reader an idea of what drove them to do what they did and put themselves as risk. I am not going to say anything about their secrets only because the way you are introduced to them in the story helps to lay the groundwork for what happens when they meet the King and have to live at court.
These characters are all very different and have different motives for wanting to succeed. I loved having such different characters with varied motivations as the primary focus of this book as it provided such different perspectives.
Zofi is a part of a Traveler clan and while they are viewed by people in towns across the Reaches as lower class, Zofi loves her family and will do anything for them. As a practitioner of the Arts, she knows how to use her blood to work magic and give her strength and she relies on this to push herself to become valuable so that she can help her people.
Ren has grown up in the court as a ladies’ maid, so she is fully aware of the politics and backstabbing that can occur. When she finds out she has been serving the people of the court that she should actually be ruling, she is pretty upset with her mother. As she comes to understand her mother’s reasoning, she also decides she is going to win the throne.
Akeylah grew up in a family that hated and abused her in the Eastern Reach and when she is summoned, she jumps at the chance to get away even though living at court could put her at bigger risk of her secret getting out. When she gets to Kolonya, she recognizes just how out of place she is but eventually finds a friendship she never hoped for…with someone she never expected.
At first, these three don’t trust each other and as they are each faced with a threat and warning to leave, they all think it is one of the other girls. This definitely created some tension amongst them but they all eventually confront each other and form a bit of a partnership. As they learn more about each other and court, they learn who they can trust…and not.
The secondary characters were well developed too, and I thought they helped to move each of the girls’ stories forward. Some of them were shady and some of them were genuine but all had a role to play and I thought they added to each of the storylines.
Overall, I enjoyed this book and am glad I picked it up. I’ve tried to keep this review spoiler free so don’t hate me for being vague, but you will appreciate it when you pick this one up. If you like a story that has great characters and a page turning story with some twists and turns, consider checking this one out. If anything, the ending will have you on the edge of your seat. I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book to see what happens next.
Thank you to the publisher for a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Nightblood is the final book in the Frostblood series by Elly Blake and I have been waiting to get this book in my hands since I turned the last page of the second book. If you haven’t started this series, now is a great time for you to pick it up since it is finished, and you won’t have to have an agonizing wait between books. No spoilers here for this book but I can’t promise anything for the first two.
Nightblood picks up shortly after Fireblood finishes and Ruby, Arcus, and Kai are headed back to Tempesia to see Brother Thistle as well as meet with Arcus’ court. He needs the court’s agreement to partner with Sudesia and the Queen’s forces to go after Eurus and stop him from opening the Gate of Light.
Ruby has grown quite a bit since book one and now that she is carrying the Minax around inside of her, she is also fighting against the darkness and feelings that the Minax loves and thrives on, so her level of self-control gets tested throughout this book. I thought Blake did a fantastic job of reflecting the struggle that Ruby has trying to maintain who she is and not give over control. Ruby does her best to hide just how much the Minax is affecting her, but she isn’t always successful, and her friendships / relationship suffers because of this.
Arcus is still swoony…in case you were wondering. All he wants to do is protect his people and keep Ruby safe. Unfortunately, he has little control over what happens with Ruby and more often than not, he is trying to figure out what is going on with her because she isn’t telling him everything. Ruby’s situation forces him to face the fact that he can’t always control everything, and he has to trust her. Add to this, the fact that Kai still has feelings for Ruby and isn’t necessarily hiding it, he is continually trying to balance his jealousy with the fact that he knows Ruby loves him.
If you know me at all, you know I like my fantasy with a bit of romance and this series definitely comes through. The relationship between Arcus and Ruby was lovely and swoony and I loved that they weren’t afraid to talk to each other about everything.
Outside of the relationship stuff, Ruby and Arcus are working to bring the frost court and fire court together in the fight against Eurus. The only way to stop him is to get to the Gate of Light and keep him from releasing the darkness inside. Along the way they find out key things that put their lives at risk and because of who Ruby is, she is the only one who can prevent the disaster from happening if Eurus were successful.
This installment brings back some characters from previous books as well as introduces ones we haven’t officially met before. I thought Blake did a good job of bringing all the secondary characters into the main story and giving them a purpose. There were some twists throughout the story which is always a plus.
A LOT happens in this book with regard to the fight with Eurus but I can’t tell you anything for fear of ruining any bit of the story. Just know that I had lots of feelings about everything and I wasn’t sure how Blake was going to wrap this up. I was worried…okay?
Overall, I really enjoyed this series and thought Blake did a fantastic job of creating the world, developing the characters, and writing a story that kept me turning the pages. If you are looking for a fantasy series to start, I highly recommend this one. There is magic, danger, and plenty of swoony bits to land this one in my favorites list. I look forward to checking out whatever Blake writes next.
Nightblood picks up shortly after Fireblood finishes and Ruby, Arcus, and Kai are headed back to Tempesia to see Brother Thistle as well as meet with Arcus’ court. He needs the court’s agreement to partner with Sudesia and the Queen’s forces to go after Eurus and stop him from opening the Gate of Light.
Ruby has grown quite a bit since book one and now that she is carrying the Minax around inside of her, she is also fighting against the darkness and feelings that the Minax loves and thrives on, so her level of self-control gets tested throughout this book. I thought Blake did a fantastic job of reflecting the struggle that Ruby has trying to maintain who she is and not give over control. Ruby does her best to hide just how much the Minax is affecting her, but she isn’t always successful, and her friendships / relationship suffers because of this.
Arcus is still swoony…in case you were wondering. All he wants to do is protect his people and keep Ruby safe. Unfortunately, he has little control over what happens with Ruby and more often than not, he is trying to figure out what is going on with her because she isn’t telling him everything. Ruby’s situation forces him to face the fact that he can’t always control everything, and he has to trust her. Add to this, the fact that Kai still has feelings for Ruby and isn’t necessarily hiding it, he is continually trying to balance his jealousy with the fact that he knows Ruby loves him.
If you know me at all, you know I like my fantasy with a bit of romance and this series definitely comes through. The relationship between Arcus and Ruby was lovely and swoony and I loved that they weren’t afraid to talk to each other about everything.
Outside of the relationship stuff, Ruby and Arcus are working to bring the frost court and fire court together in the fight against Eurus. The only way to stop him is to get to the Gate of Light and keep him from releasing the darkness inside. Along the way they find out key things that put their lives at risk and because of who Ruby is, she is the only one who can prevent the disaster from happening if Eurus were successful.
This installment brings back some characters from previous books as well as introduces ones we haven’t officially met before. I thought Blake did a good job of bringing all the secondary characters into the main story and giving them a purpose. There were some twists throughout the story which is always a plus.
A LOT happens in this book with regard to the fight with Eurus but I can’t tell you anything for fear of ruining any bit of the story. Just know that I had lots of feelings about everything and I wasn’t sure how Blake was going to wrap this up. I was worried…okay?
Overall, I really enjoyed this series and thought Blake did a fantastic job of creating the world, developing the characters, and writing a story that kept me turning the pages. If you are looking for a fantasy series to start, I highly recommend this one. There is magic, danger, and plenty of swoony bits to land this one in my favorites list. I look forward to checking out whatever Blake writes next.
I enjoyed this story and the characters. I thought Duga's twist on this fantasy story added something that I don't normally see. I loved that the Ivy was such a strong character. She knew what she wanted and she went after it. Because of the strength of her magic, she needs a strong partner. Unfortunately she is partnered with Zach, a prince who believes her magic is dangerous.
I loved how Duga projected Ivy's frustration and struggle with Zach and as they eventually begin to work together, she realizes emotions aren't a bad thing.
The world building and writing were really well done and I loved the idea that there is power and magic in a kiss...of course in this story it is for battling the forces of darkness.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the copy in exchange for an honest review.
I loved how Duga projected Ivy's frustration and struggle with Zach and as they eventually begin to work together, she realizes emotions aren't a bad thing.
The world building and writing were really well done and I loved the idea that there is power and magic in a kiss...of course in this story it is for battling the forces of darkness.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the copy in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed Traitor Born. As the second book in this series, I always worry whether the story is going to go anywhere and boy did Bartol come through with this one. There's no question that the politics of this world drive a lot of the things that happen in this book and I enjoy that aspect but the characters in this story also help to move it forward. Bartol has written a story that kept me turning the pages wondering what the heck was going to happen next. Also...that ending has me excited for the next book!
Definitely pick this one up when you can! It has plenty of action, danger, and romance to keep anyone interested and if that ending doesn't have you wanting more, I'm not sure what else would.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.
Definitely pick this one up when you can! It has plenty of action, danger, and romance to keep anyone interested and if that ending doesn't have you wanting more, I'm not sure what else would.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.
The Shattered Court by M.J. Scott is the first book in The Novel of the Four Arts series and I came across this one by accident. When I read the summary I was immediately interested - There’s magic, danger, portals, and royal intrigue…I was excited to start this one.
Lady Sophia is thirty second in line to the throne and a lady in waiting to Princess Eloise. Sophia’s twenty first birthday (her Ais-Seann) is near which means she is close to finding out if she will have any magic. If she does, she will be married off to someone influential who can help the king and if she doesn’t have power, she will still be married off – just not as quickly and probably to someone less influential. Either way, she isn’t entirely sure what will make her happier.
On the day that the princess asks her royal guard, Cameron Mackenzie to take Sophie to Portholme to pick up some supplies and it also happens to be the day that the castle is attacked and a number of the members of court, including the royal family, are killed. Once the attack happens, Cameron makes the decision that they can’t go back right away and leads Sophie to a portal to get her to a safe place. The timing couldn’t really be worse for this, as they get closer to Sophie’s birthday, they run the risk of not following tradition of having her magic bound immediately and they aren’t really sure what will happen.
As Sophie’s birthday appears, they both realize that she definitely has some magic and something happens that puts them both in a bad position. When they feel it is safe to go back to the castle and things don’t necessarily go as planned with Sophie’s binding, assumptions are made by the Princess and Domina Skey as to what happened and their solution is to keep things quiet and force Sophie and Cameron to marry.
I should mention here, there are a number of reasons why this is a tough situation. First, Cameron had a “thing” with Eloise and she is definitely not happy about the fact that they are now to be married. Second, Domina (Eloise’s advisor and in charge of the temple) is worried about the impact of not binding Sophie’s magic and she doesn’t really have Sophie’s best interests at heart.
The relationship between Cameron and Sophie moved quickly and even though they weren’t initially drawn to each other, as the magic drew them together and escalated their first encounter, it also helped them realize there was more to the other than they originally thought. As that was happening, we learned more about who Eloise would really be…both as a friend to Sophie and as a Queen. All I have to say is that she was not my favorite person.
As the story progresses, it is clear that the competition for power and the danger that Sophie posed for the throne because of the strength of her magic, was something that couldn’t be tolerated and this led to a time when both Cameron and Sophie have to make a decision that would impact their future - as members of the royal family, a married couple, a witch, and a Lieutenant in the Red Guard.
I thought Scott did a wonderful job of building out this world and the characters. Admittedly I am glossing over a lot of the details because I don’t want to ruin any of the mystery behind what is really going on here. I loved how Scott intertwined magic with the religion and then created a larger story out of it. If you are looking for a great story that has plenty of action, some swoony parts, magic, and intrigue, definitely check this story out when you can. I am definitely looking forward to the next book in this series to see what happens next!
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the review copy.
Lady Sophia is thirty second in line to the throne and a lady in waiting to Princess Eloise. Sophia’s twenty first birthday (her Ais-Seann) is near which means she is close to finding out if she will have any magic. If she does, she will be married off to someone influential who can help the king and if she doesn’t have power, she will still be married off – just not as quickly and probably to someone less influential. Either way, she isn’t entirely sure what will make her happier.
On the day that the princess asks her royal guard, Cameron Mackenzie to take Sophie to Portholme to pick up some supplies and it also happens to be the day that the castle is attacked and a number of the members of court, including the royal family, are killed. Once the attack happens, Cameron makes the decision that they can’t go back right away and leads Sophie to a portal to get her to a safe place. The timing couldn’t really be worse for this, as they get closer to Sophie’s birthday, they run the risk of not following tradition of having her magic bound immediately and they aren’t really sure what will happen.
As Sophie’s birthday appears, they both realize that she definitely has some magic and something happens that puts them both in a bad position. When they feel it is safe to go back to the castle and things don’t necessarily go as planned with Sophie’s binding, assumptions are made by the Princess and Domina Skey as to what happened and their solution is to keep things quiet and force Sophie and Cameron to marry.
I should mention here, there are a number of reasons why this is a tough situation. First, Cameron had a “thing” with Eloise and she is definitely not happy about the fact that they are now to be married. Second, Domina (Eloise’s advisor and in charge of the temple) is worried about the impact of not binding Sophie’s magic and she doesn’t really have Sophie’s best interests at heart.
The relationship between Cameron and Sophie moved quickly and even though they weren’t initially drawn to each other, as the magic drew them together and escalated their first encounter, it also helped them realize there was more to the other than they originally thought. As that was happening, we learned more about who Eloise would really be…both as a friend to Sophie and as a Queen. All I have to say is that she was not my favorite person.
As the story progresses, it is clear that the competition for power and the danger that Sophie posed for the throne because of the strength of her magic, was something that couldn’t be tolerated and this led to a time when both Cameron and Sophie have to make a decision that would impact their future - as members of the royal family, a married couple, a witch, and a Lieutenant in the Red Guard.
I thought Scott did a wonderful job of building out this world and the characters. Admittedly I am glossing over a lot of the details because I don’t want to ruin any of the mystery behind what is really going on here. I loved how Scott intertwined magic with the religion and then created a larger story out of it. If you are looking for a great story that has plenty of action, some swoony parts, magic, and intrigue, definitely check this story out when you can. I am definitely looking forward to the next book in this series to see what happens next!
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the review copy.
