Audiobook Review: This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me by Ilona Andrews

This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me
Author: Ilona Andrews

Narrator: Kristen Sieh
Series: Maggie the Undying (Book 1)
Publication: Tor Books (March 31, 2026); Macmillan Audio (March 31, 2026)

Length: 21 hours and 33 minutes

Description: Outlander meets Game of Thrones in this blockbuster new epic fantasy series from the #1 New York Times bestselling author duo Ilona Andrews.

When Maggie wakes up cold, filthy, and naked in a gutter, it doesn't take her long to recognize Kair Toren, a city she knows intimately from the pages of the famously unfinished dark fantasy series she's been obsessively reading and re-reading while waiting years for the final novel.

Her only tools for navigating this gritty world of rival warlords, magic, and mayhem? Her encyclopedic knowledge of the plot, the setting, and the characters' ambitions and fates. But while she quickly discovers she cannot be killed (though many will try!), the same cannot be said for the living, breathing characters she's coming to love—a motley band that includes a former lady’s maid, a deadly assassin, various outrageous magical creatures, and a dangerously appealing soldier. Soon, instead of trying to get home, she finds herself enmeshed in the schemes—and attentions—of dueling princes, dukes, and villains, all while trying to save them and the kingdom of Rellas from the way she knows their stories will end: in a cataclysmic war.

For fans of Samantha Shannon, Danielle L. Jensen, Sarah J. Maas, and isekai and portal fantasy, This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me is the beginning of the most epic adventure yet from genre powerhouse author duo Ilona Andrews.

My Thoughts: Maggie wakes up cold, dirty and naked in a gutter. It doesn't take her long to recognize that she is in Kair Toren. There is a big problem. Kair Toren only exists in a dark fantasy trilogy that she has been reading and rereading for years. Book three hasn't been written yet and it has been years. 

Maggie needs to survive. Luckily, she has an encyclopedic memory of all of the story details. Unfortunately, she knows the fate of Kair Toren. At least as much as has been written in the first two books of the series. 

She is determined to change the fate of the Kair Toren that the author wrote. She makes friends and finds herself much more involved in the great events than she would like. She earns that she can be hurt and can die and can come back from the dead. But being killed hurts - a lot. 

Then things start happening that are not exactly as the book has written them. Selling secrets about the future puts her in a lot of danger but she's determined to save the city she has fallen in love with in the book. 

This was a complex fantasy made more complex by a large cast of characters many of whom are using pseudonyms. The interrelationships among the characters are twisted and convoluted. I felt like I could have used a cast of characters but realize that such a cast would contain spoilers. 

I was swept along with the events of the story even though I had to stop every once in a while, to ask myself "Who was that person again?' This is a story that merits rereading despite the 21 hour length. I liked the characters especially Maggie but even the characters that were new to Maggie because they were never mentioned in the books were interesting and well-developed people. The world building was excellent.

I bought this one March 31, 2026. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: Cast in Blood by Michelle Sagara

Cast in Blood
Author: Michelle Sagara
Series: Chronicles of Elantra (Book 19)
Publication: Hanover Square Press (April 28, 2026)

Description: DO NOT MEDDLE IN THE AFFAIRS OF BARRANI

Kaylin has been warned to steer clear of the lords of the Barrani High Court. She’d be more than happy to oblige, but it’s a bit difficult considering she lives with ten of them, all sent to the green to gain power or die. With Kaylin’s help, they finally escaped their imprisonment. But their attempts at freedom had devastating consequences—and a price that has yet to be paid.

The first warning sign is the Consort’s invitation to visit the High Halls—a Barrani invitation, which means an immediate visit.

The second sign is less subtle: Kaylin finds Nightshade’s unresponsive body. He hovers on the edge of death, beyond saving through Kaylin’s healing power. No one can explain his state, nor why she’s powerless to save him. And if she and her Barrani friends can’t figure out a way to bring him back, he’ll be lost forever.

Yet even as Kaylin struggles to keep Nightshade from death, there is deeper magic at play, a growing threat with the potential to affect the entire Barrani race. Factions are shifting, new lines are being drawn—and Nightshade’s near assassination is only the beginning. Can Kaylin uncover the nebulous forces that threaten the balance of Barrani—and their entire world—before it’s too late?

My Thoughts: The nineteenth book in the Chronicles of Elantra series is concerned with the Barrani. Kaylin would be more than happy never having to deal with the Barrani again. These immortals spend a lot of time jockeying for power and playing politics. 

However, Kaylin's mentor in the Hawks is a powerful Barrani lord and she lives with the cohort of Barrani she rescued from the Green. But most of all, she is marked by Nightshade who is a Barrani fief lord albeit an exiled one. 

Problems start with the discovery of Nightshade after an assassination attempt. With threats from a war band of Barrani, Nightshade is taken back to Kaylin's sentient house Helen. Kaylin is a healer, but she is unable to reach Nightshade. It's like he has some sort of shield around him. While working in that problem, Kaylin is summoned by the Consort who has a problem. She's the only one who is able to access the Lake of Dreams where the True Names are kept. Without the True Names, no Barrani babies will ever awaken. This information needs to be kept secret until Kaylin who also has access to the Lake of Dreams and who substitute for the Consort can find out why this is happening and fix the problem. To add complications, the Consort's problem needs to be kept secret or Barrani society will be destroyed. 

There is another Barrani that might be able to fill the Consort's role, but Yvonne is a young powerless woman under the care of a ruthless lord. Kaylin's partner Severn has some connection to her since he rescued her from the Green. Somehow, she's involved in the problem too. 

Kaylin is bombarded with all these problems and even the Arbiters at the Academia don't have answers. In fact, they add more questions. It is up to Kaylin to figure things out if the problems can be fixed. 

This is a complex, meaty fantasy filled with great worldbuilding.

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: Sparking Fire Out of Fate by Brigid Kemmerer

Sparking Fire Out of Fate
Author: Brigid Kemmerer
Narrator: Cecily Bednar Schmidt et al.
Series: Forging Silver into Stars (Book 3)
Publication: Bloomsbury YA (January 27, 2026)
Length: 13 hours and 50 minutes

Description: Broken loyalties. Uncertain fates. Two kingdoms hanging in the balance... The exhilarating finale in bestselling author Brigid Kemmerer’s Forging Silver series will leave fans breathless!

Callyn has grown closer to Queen Lia Mara in Syhl Shallow, bonded by the secret magic they share. But their magic can stay hidden only so long, especially when a dangerous plot on the Queen’s life forces Callyn to work with the man who betrayed her.

In Emberfall, Tycho and Jax are struggling to rebuild their connection after months apart, complicated when they learn of Truthbringers causing trouble at the borders. Sent to investigate together, Jax and Tycho soon discover that the rebellious faction has formed a devil’s bargain with the magical scravers to destroy human magic once and for all.

When their missions bring them together, Tycho, Jax, and Callyn find themselves facing threats from all sides. With one last chance to save their magic and their kingdoms, they must work together, or lose everything.

War has erupted. Love is tested. And without sacrifice, magic could destroy everyone...

My Thoughts: This was the concluding story in the Forging Silver into Stars trilogy. The characters who were separated in book 2 are reunited in this episode. While I did think that the teenage angst got a little thick, I did enjoy this story. 

The worldbuilding was done well in this series. I liked the magical system. As usual in epic fantasy, discoveries are made, betrayals happen, and right triumphs. 

I bought this one February 18, 2026. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: Carving Shadows into Gold by Brigid Kemmerer

Carving Shadows into Gold
Author: Brigid Kemmerer
Narrator: Cecily Bednar Schmidt et al.
Series: Forging Silver into Stars (Book 2)
Publication: Bloomsbury YA (January 28, 2025)
Length: 15 hours and 47 minutes

Description: Dangerous magic. Fateful choices. Broken promises. The spellbinding series by New York Times bestselling author Brigid Kemmerer continues.

The King’s Courier Tycho has made a treacherous bargain. Now beholden to the magical scraver who saved King Gray’s life, one false move could end everything.

Jax escaped his life in Briarlock and traveled with Tycho to Emberfall. But life outside his small village brings unexpected challenges--and unlikely adversaries.

After years of hating the royal family and their magic, Callyn never expected to be at the Queen’s side, with magic on her fingertips. But at the royal court, she can’t trust anyone--including the man she thought she loved.

Cast apart, Tycho, Jax, and Callyn must learn to wield the magic that is dividing their kingdom. As the magical scravers attack from the north and the king’s rivals gain strength, time is running out.

War is looming. Love is tested. And magic could be the only answer. . .

My Thoughts: This is the middle book in the Forging Silver into Stars trilogy. It sees the main characters from the first book separated and learning and growing and getting more involved in the main conflict. 

King's Courier Tycho is at odds with the king but still loyal to him. To save the king's life, he makes a bargain with a scraver. That bargain brings him into the fight between rival groups of scravers and might put him at odds with the king.

Jax was taken by Tycho to Emberfall for safety. When Tycho is sent back to the king, Jax is left alone in a country where he doesn't speak the language and has no friends. He needs to learn and build his place there all the while missing his lover Tycho.

Baker Callyn finds herself at the queen's side and taking care of the young princess. She discovers that she has magic which is anathema to most of the queen's kingdom. She discovers that the man she thought she was falling in love with is loyal to the queen but wants the king and all magic to leave the kingdom. 

This episode likely doesn't stand alone since there are really no beginnings or endings, but was a nice continuation of the story begun in Forging Silver into Stars. 

I bought this one February 18, 2026. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: Magelight by Kasey Ezell

Magelight
Author: Kasey Ezell

Narrator: Jennifer Jill Araya
Series: Magelight (Book 1)
Publication: Baen (May 6, 2025), Podium Audio (September 16, 2025)

Length: 16 hours and 6 minutes

Description: Fleeing her sheltered life, a noblewoman must trust a warrior, a forester, and a thief to unlock her true power and face her destiny.

Embrace Your Power and Forge Your Destiny

All her life, Aelys of Brionne had been weak. As the noble daughter of one of the empire’s most powerful magic-wielding families, it should have been easy for her to live her dream of bonding with a warrior protector and joining the Imperial Battlemage Corps. But when her weakness robs her of her dreams, her best friend, and the man she loves, Aelys makes the only choice she can see: she takes her fate into her own hands and she runs, leaving her safe, protected world behind.

Now she must find a way to work with three dangerous strangers—a warrior, a forester, and a thief—to escape the bandits stalking her, fight through the dangers of the untamed forest, and make her way back home, where her family and her destiny await.

Only . . . her violent protectors might be the key to the power and freedom she’s always craved. Can Aelys find the strength to choose her own destiny and become the sorceress she was born to be? Or lose herself on the path to power?

My Thoughts: MAGELIGHT is the first book in an epic fantasy series. Aelys of Brionne is the daughter of a powerful family. She has the dream of using her magical talent to become a Battlemage for the Empire. However, her weak magic makes that dream impossible. Even though she graduates from the academy, she isn't chosen by the man she wants who picks her best friend instead. The betrayal sends Aelys fleeing for home.

Meanwhile, three men who were best friends as boys, but whose lives have taken different paths after their village was destroyed meet again. Romik was first an arena fighter who bought his way out to be a mercenary soldier before growing disenchanted with the life. Daen had become a Forester even though his low birth should have made that career impossible. While he is an exceptional archer, he has never been accepted by his highborn "brothers." Vil has been sold into prostitution in the city but murdered his first customer and escaped. He has made his life as thief in that same city. 

The three men meet at a country inn and swear their brotherhood just before Aelys arrives pursued by bandits. They rescue her but find themselves in an inn that has been set on fire by the same bandits. They survive because Aelys is able to form bonds with all three of them which increases her magical power enough to save them. Needless to say, none of the three men are happy or comfortable with the concept of being bound to her. 

The story concerns their adventures while bringing Aelys back to her home and with dealing with their new bonds. For the first third of the book, I didn't like Aelys at all. She spent it crying, apologizing, and feeling guilty. However, the men recognized her deep inferiority complex and bolstered her each in their own different ways. They couldn't do much about the guilt though since she knew she should not have bound them to her. 

I enjoyed the worldbuilding in the story and the personalities of the main characters. I look forward to reading their further adventures. 

I bought this one February 2, 2026. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: Gutter Mage by J. S. Kelley

Gutter Mage
Author: J. S. Kelley
Publication: Gallery Books (September 21, 2021)

Description: J.S. Kelley weaves epic fantasy and hardboiled noir in this fast-paced, twisting tale of magic, mystery, and a whole lot of unruly behavior.

In a kingdom where magic fuels everything from street lamps to horseless carriages, the mage guilds of Penador wield power equal to the king himself. So when Lord Edmund’s infant son is kidnapped by the ruthless Alath Guild, he turns to the one person who’s feared by even the most magically adept: Rosalind Featherstone, a.k.a. the Gutter Mage.

But as Roz delves into the circumstances behind the child’s disappearance, she uncovers an old enemy from her traumatic past and a long-brewing plot that could lead to the death of countless innocents, as well as the complete collapse of Penadorian society itself!

My Thoughts: This epic fantasy stars Roz Featherstone. She is known as the Gutter Mage but nobody better call her that to her face. She works as a sort of private investigator in the country of Penador. 

Roz is called to the home of Lord Edmund to find his kidnapped infant son. Clues lead to the Alath Guild, one of the new mage guilds. But there are disturbing signs that an old enemy, one she thought she had killed some fifteen years earlier, wasn't quite as dead as Roz believed.

As Roz and her partner Lysander search they discover that things in Penador aren't what she always thought. Nor is she who she always thought she was. 

Teaming up with a mage from a more respectable guild, Roz and Lysander track down the infant to a mining town high in the mountains. But they learn that there never was an infant and the spirits who are harnessed to run the kingdom doing everything from lighting the streets to heating the homes aren't what she thought they were either.

This was an engaging fantasy with an intriguing main character with some anger management issues. I liked the worldbuilding. 

I bought this one September 18, 2025. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: The Nameless Land by Kate Elliott

The Nameless Land
Author: Kate Elliott
Series: The Witch Roads (Book 2)
Publication: Tor Books (November 4, 2025)

Description: Surprising betrayals, surprising alliances, and surprising discoveries of heritage abound in this energetic sequel to The Witch Roads.

When the royal party finds themselves in a land they never believed they could access, it will take all of Prince Gevulin's (admittedly impressive) diplomatic skills to forge a coalition with an unlikely group of would-be allies.

Meanwhile, as Elen mourns her lost love, an unwelcome visit to the land of her birth brings back the traumatic memories of the childhood she shared with her sister.

And a surprise visit from an unwelcome family member threatens to derail the plans of multiple opposing factions.

Loyalty cannot be demanded, only won

My Thoughts: This epic fantasy is the sequel to The Witch Roads. Deputy courier Elen has been dragged into the affairs of princes. She has been swept into the retinue of Prince Gevulin who has treason in mind.

Gevulin is heading for the nameless lands in search of allies in his conspiracy to overthrow the Emperor who is his sister. He has drafted Elen as his guide not knowing that the nameless lands were lands she and her heart sister were glad to flee as young girls. Going back threatens her life and the life and safety of her young nephew who is also an apprentice warden in the party.

Elen is also mourning the loss of the being who had taken over Gevulin and the first book and then left him to complete his own mission. Gevulin wasn't supposed to remember being taken over but that part of the deal didn't work. Remembering has told him things about Elen that put her and her nephew in danger. 

But her lost love isn't quite as lost as she had thought. He is given permission by one of the prince's potential allies to take over her body which reunites the lost lovers for a while. 

This was engaging epic fantasy seen through the eyes of someone with very little social standing but quite epic powers. Elen is a woman who has a past she doesn't remember and a skill that could lead a prince to control of the empire if she can stay alive.

I liked the worldbuilding with its varied creatures. I liked the characters even the prince grew on me a bit as I got to know him as something other than a man willing to do anything to get the throne. Elen was intriguing. She was a woman who had modest goals: enough to eat nine days out of ten and a pair of good boots. She was also willing to do anything to make sure her nephew had a safe and fulfilling life. 

While this story can stand alone, it gains richness and depth by reading The Wild Roads first. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: Heir of Light by Michelle Sagara

Heir of Light
Author: Michelle Sagara
Narrator: Khristine Hvam
Series: The Academia Chronicles (Book 2)
Publication: Harlequin Audio (May 27, 2025)
Length: 16 hours and 47 minutes

Description: There is always a price to be paid for power and justice.

With the Academia now awakened from its centuries-long slumber, Robin, a student who hails from a prestigious family, must own up to his destiny. As heir to the Gardianno seat, a highly coveted position within the human caste court, Robin stands to inherit great power when he assumes his birthright—but at what cost?

Under the guidance of a formidable Barrani lord named Teela, Robin wrestles with his newfound duties and the societal complexities that come with the privilege. Soon, however, it’s apparent that others feel entitled to the seat…and they’re willing to do the unthinkable in order to get it.

With Teela and his best friend, Raven, at his side, Robin is ready to battle for what is rightfully his. But when the Halls of Law consider reopening the investigation into the baffling murder of his parents, the truth could lead Robin right to the heart of danger.

My Thoughts: HEIR OF LIGHT is the second book in the Academia Chronicles. In it young Robin is under threat. He has learned that he is the heir to the Gardianno which is a repository of incomplete thoughts left over when the ancients created his world. Many see these thoughts as a source of incredible power with Robin the only thing standing in the way of using them. 

While he is safe at the Academia, he is in danger of assassination if he leaves the grounds. He would be mainly content to stay at the Academia, but the Gardianno is in need of his care. He needs a guardian because he is still a child, but the most usual guardian has already attempted to murder him. 

Robin would also like to reopen the investigation into the deaths of his parents and older siblings but according to Imperial law, human versus human crimes can only be investigated by the human caste court which has already "investigated." If there was any evidence of interference by another race, the crime could be investigated by the Hawks who are the Imperial investigative force. 

In order to pursue his goals, he needs help which leads to petitioning the dragon emperor who can assign him a more useful guardian. In this case, An'Teela of the Barani and who is very powerful herself has an interest in Robin's welfare.

This book has a mysterious guardian who has been with Robin since his mother sent him to the Warrens in an attempt to save his life and a sword of historic importance and which contains an ancient being of its own. Along with An'Teela and the chancellor of the Academia who is also a dragon, Robin will have help reclaiming his inheritance.

I enjoyed this epic fantasy. I liked the world building. 

I bought this one May 27, 2025. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: The Witch Roads by Kate Elliott

The Witch Roads
Author: Kate Elliott
Series: The Witch Roads (Book 1)
Publication: Tor Books (June 10, 2025)

Description: Status is hereditary, class is bestowed, trust must be earned.

When an arrogant prince (and his equally arrogant entourage) gets stuck in Orledder Halt as part of brutal political intrigue, competent and sunny deputy courier Elen―once a child slave meant to shield noblemen from the poisonous Pall―is assigned to guide him through the hills to reach his destination.

When she warns him not to enter the haunted Spires, the prince doesn’t heed her advice, and the man who emerges from the towers isn’t the same man who entered.

The journey that follows is fraught with danger. Can a group taught to ignore and despise the lower classes survive with a mere deputy courier as their guide?

My Thoughts: THE WITCH ROADS was and excellent fantasy with great worldbuilding. Elen is a Deputy Courier who walks her circuit delivering messages and watching for spores. She is lower class in a society where one's social class is defined and immutable. On the trip that begins this story, she is walking with her nephew Kem who is just seventeen and is coming up on the day when he has to declare his life career.

As a treat, Elen takes Kem a bit off the path to look at some ancient spires. Their origins are lost in the mists of history. Since they arrive on a full moon, they have a chance that they might see the haunts that legends say inhabit The Spires. And Elen does...

A being who has inhabited one of the guarding statues for a very long time appears and asks Elen to let him take over her body so that he can accomplish a vital mission. If not hers, he'd willingly take over Kem's body. Elen refuses for both of them and the pair move on toward home. 

But there is a prince of the Third Estate who comes traveling with his entourage who also has a mission. Earthquakes having covered the witch road just past Elen's home village, the prince is in need of a guide around the break and Elen is chosen. Kem is along too because he has declared to become a Warden which is a career path open to him only when he learns that he is the illegitimate son of a lord. This discovery causes friction between Elen and Kem because Elen was keeping his heritage a secret from him.

The story takes a turn when the haunt who met Elen at The Spires takes over the prince's body. Both the prince and the haunt have their own reasons for heading to the end of the world. There are adventures and villains along the way in this richly imagined fantasy. Safe paths along the witch roads keep travelers safe from the Pall that covers parts of the world like a man-eating fog and spores that turn living flesh into monsters are only a few of the perils. There is also political intrigue as princes jockey for position and allies to become the next emperor. And there are secret missions. 

Fans of fantasy with engaging characters and complex worldbuilding will enjoy this story. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett

A Drop of Corruption
Author: Robert Jackson Bennett
Series: Shadow of the Leviathan (Book 2)
Publication: Del Rey (April 1, 2025)

Description: The eccentric detective Ana Dolabra matches wits with a seemingly omniscient adversary in this brilliant fantasy-mystery from the author of The Tainted Cup.

In the canton of Yarrowdale, at the very edge of the Empire’s reach, a Treasury officer has disappeared into thin air—vanishing from a room within a heavily guarded tower, its door and windows locked from the inside.

To solve the case, the Empire calls on its most brilliant and mercurial detective, the great Ana Dolabra. At her side, as always, is her bemused assistant Dinios Kol.

Ana soon discovers that they are investigating not a disappearance but a murder—and one of surpassing cunning, carried out by an opponent who can pass through warded doors like a ghost.

Worse still, the killer may be targeting the high-security compound known as the Shroud, where the Empire harvests fallen titans for the volatile magic found in their blood. Should it fall, the Empire itself will grind to a halt, robbed of the magic that allows its wheels of power to turn.

Din has seen his superior solve impossible cases before. But as the death toll grows and their quarry predicts each of Ana’s moves with uncanny foresight, he fears that she has at last met an enemy she can’t defeat.

My Thoughts: This was an amazing epic fantasy mystery with complex worldbuilding. Dinios Kolhas been chosen as the investigator for the mysterious Ana Dolabra. He was somewhat disappointed to be assigned to the Justice Department when he would prefer to be part of the Legion battling the magical leviathans that descend on the empire each year. Justice doesn't seem to have the rewards or the glory that serving on the Wall has. 

This newest case has Ana and Din traveling to Yarrowdale. It is on the outskirts of the Empire and still not part of it though an agreement will have the kingdom join the empire in just a few short years. Yarrowdale is a crucial site for the empire though. It is the place where the bodies of slain leviathans are taken so that their magic can be extracted and used for many things that keep the empire going. 

At first the case seems simple if slightly baffling. A treasure official who has come to discuss details of the adopting of Yarrowdale into the empire has disappeared from his locked tower room. Then parts of his body are discovered leagues from where he disappeared deepening the mystery. 

The disappearance of the official is just the tip of a very big iceberg that could threaten the empire itself if Ana and Din can dig to the bottom of the case quickly. 

This was an excellent story filled with plot twists and complexity. I enjoyed learning more about Ana and watching Din come to his own conclusions about what his future role should be. 

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros

Onyx Storm
Author: Rebecca Yarros

Narrator: Jasmin Walker & Justis Bolding
Series: The Empyrean (Book 3)
Publication: Entangled: Red Tower Books (January 21, 2025)

Length: 23 hours and 52 minutes

Description: After nearly eighteen months at Basgiath War College, Violet Sorrengail knows there’s no more time for lessons. No more time for uncertainty.

Because the battle has truly begun, and with enemies closing in from outside their walls and within their ranks, it’s impossible to know who to trust.

Now Violet must journey beyond the failing Aretian wards to seek allies from unfamiliar lands to stand with Navarre. The trip will test every bit of her wit, luck, and strength, but she will do anything to save what she loves—her dragons, her family, her home, and him.

Even if it means keeping a secret so big, it could destroy everything.

They need an army. They need power. They need magic. And they need the one thing only Violet can find—the truth.

But a storm is coming...and not everyone can survive its wrath.

My Thoughts: The third book in the Empyrean series has Violet and her picked companions leaving the Basgiath War College to search for allies. a cure for Zaden, and for Andarna's lost kin. The enemy is getting ever closer, and all of her quests are urgent.

The story was packed with adventure and intense emotions. Now that Xaden has declared his love for Violet, she has no intention of allowing him to set her aside because he fears that he will become the enemy that they are all fighting. So, they travel outside of their continent to see if answers and allies can be found.

The story had excellent world building. The island kingdoms were fascinating. Secrets were revealed about Violet's past which her parents had kept from her. Andarna's kin are found but prove not to have the answers they need. 

Unfortunately, this volume also ends on a cliffhanger. And the next book isn't yet in sight!

I bought the Kindle version on its release date. I added the Audible copy February 13, 2025. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros

 Happy Friday!

Book Beginnings is hosted by Gillion at Rose City Reader. She asks that the first sentence is posted along with the author and title of the book and the reader's initial thoughts on the sentence, the book, or anything else it inspires. 

Carrie at Reading Is My Superpower.org also provides a linky for sharing first lines and connecting with others. This meme asks that the chosen books be PG or marked as Mature if they are not. 

Beginning:

Where in Malek's name is he going? I hurry through the tunnels beneath the quadrant, trying to follow, but night is the ultimate shadow and Xaden blends seamlessly into the darkness. If it wasn't for our dragons' bond leading me in his general direction and he sporadic disappearance of mage lights, I'd never think that he's masked somewhere ahead of me.

Friday 56:

"I forgot." He slowly lets go of the headboard and sits back on his heels, gripping his thighs, then letting his hands fall at his sides. "I woke up and saw you sitting there, and it was the most natural thing in the world to reach for you, but I'm not natural anymore. F**k, I'm so sorry, Violet."

This week I am spotlighting Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros. Here's the description from Amazon:

After nearly eighteen months at Basgiath War College, Violet Sorrengail knows there’s no more time for lessons. No more time for uncertainty.

Because the battle has truly begun, and with enemies closing in from outside their walls and within their ranks, it’s impossible to know who to trust.

Now Violet must journey beyond the failing Aretian wards to seek allies from unfamiliar lands to stand with Navarre. The trip will test every bit of her wit, luck, and strength, but she will do anything to save what she loves—her dragons, her family, her home, and him.

Even if it means keeping a secret so big, it could destroy everything.

They need an army. They need power. They need magic. And they need the one thing only Violet can find—the truth.

But a storm is coming...and not everyone can survive its wrath.

Audiobook Review: Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros

Iron Flame
Author: Rebecca Yarros
Narrator: Rebecca Soler & Teddy Hamilton
Series: Empyrean (Book 2)
Publication: Recorded Books (November 7, 2023)
Length: 28 hours and 16 minutes

Description: “The first year is when some of us lose our lives. The second year is when the rest of us lose our humanity." Xaden Riorson

Everyone expected Violet Sorrengail to die during her first year at Basgiath War College-Violet included. But Threshing was only the first impossible test meant to weed out the weak-willed, the unworthy, and the unlucky.

Now the real training begins, and Violet’s already wondering how she’ll get through. It’s not just that it’s grueling and maliciously brutal, or even that it’s designed to stretch the riders’ capacity for pain beyond endurance. It’s the new vice commandant, who’s made it his personal mission to teach Violet exactly how powerless she is–unless she betrays the man she loves.

Although Violet’s body might be weaker and frailer than everyone else’s, she still has her wits and a will of iron. And leadership is forgetting the most important lesson Basgiath has taught her: Dragon riders make their own rules.

But a determination to survive won’t be enough this year. Because Violet knows the real secret hidden for centuries at Basgiath War College and nothing, not even dragon fire, may be enough to save them in the end.

My Thoughts: Violet is entering her second year of training to become a rider. Xaden has graduated and been assigned to the front lines. They need to get together every week because their dragons are mated, but the powers the be are throwing every sort of roadblock in their way. They are also dealing with their relationship because Violet wants no secrets and Xaden has lots of secrets to keep both personally and in his role as leader of a revolution. Also, Violet isn't yet good at blocking mind readers from browsing in her brain.

The second year's highlight is teaching the students how to act if they are interrogated or tortured, and a new Vice Commandant has come to the school who's infamous for his techniques and the students who die under it. He is particularly eager to have Violet submit to his attentions. But, while Violet's body is fragile, her mind and will are not. 

Despite Xaden's disapproval, Violet has read her friends in on what is really going on in the kingdom which gives her more allies. She is especially grateful that her friend in the Scribes has agreed to help her find out more of the history of wardstones despite the knowledge being censored many years previously. 

When Xaden and Violet revolt and take half of the cadets to Xaden's home which is the center of the rebellion, they need to ally with griffin riders outside their kingdom if anyone is going to survive the incursions of the venin. But Xaden's one-time betrothed who is a griffin rider and the third in line to her kingdom isn't willing to let bygones be bygones and causes Violet some problems because of her mind gift. And Violet has her own problems with her gift. It's great to be able to throw lightning but it would be even better if she could aim. 

This was an action-packed episode filled with dragons, battles, friendship and love.

I bought a Kindle copy November 6, 2023. I bought the Audible version February 13, 2025. You can buy your copy here.

Audiobook Review: Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

Fourth Wing
Author: Rebecca Yarros
Narrator: Rebecca Soler & Teddy Hamilton
Series: Empyrean (Book 1)
Publication: Recorded Book (May 2, 2023)
Length: 21 hours and 22 minutes

Description: Enter the brutal and elite world of a war college for dragon riders from USA Today bestselling author Rebecca Yarros.

Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history. Now, the commanding general—also known as her tough-as-talons mother—has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders.

But when you’re smaller than everyone else and your body is brittle, death is only a heartbeat away … because dragons don’t bond to “fragile” humans. They incinerate them.

With fewer dragons willing to bond than cadets, most would kill Violet to better their own chances of success. The rest would kill her just for being her mother’s daughter—like Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant.

She’ll need every edge her wits can give her just to see the next sunrise.

Yet, with every day that passes, the war outside grows more deadly, the kingdom’s protective wards are failing, and the death toll continues to rise. Even worse, Violet begins to suspect leadership is hiding a terrible secret.

Friends, enemies, lovers. Everyone at Basgiath War College has an agenda—because once you enter, there are only two ways out: graduate or die.

My Thoughts: Violet Sorrengail's life is changed when her mother who is a general in the army demands that she enter the Riders Quadrant instead of the Scribe Quadrant. Fragile since birth, Violet has been educated to be a scribe. Now, out of depth and with very little of the right training, Violet has to survive the brutal training to become a dragon rider. 

Luckily, Violet is very smart and has the written advice of her older brother Brennan who, along with his dragon, perished in the Tyrrish rebellion some five years earlier. Her older sister Mira who is also a dragon rider passed the book along to her to help her survive. 

Survival will be an issue. Not only are there not enough dragons willing to partner with all the candidates who are willing to kill to better their odds of securing a dragon, but the quadrant is also the home of the children of losers of the last rebellion who will do anything to kill the daughter of the general they blame for their parents' deaths. 

She should have a friend in the place. Her childhood friend Dain Aetos is a year ahead of her. But he is so busy trying to protect her and encourage her to flee to the Scribes Quadrant that he is stifling her growth. Then there is the wingleader, third year Xaden Riorson whose father led the revolt and who would really like her dead. Or would he?

I enjoyed the worldbuilding in this one. I thought it was a great adventure filled with romance and political intrigue. I liked the way Violet found a way to survive in a brutal environment. I also liked the way the mostly unlikely of romances between Xaden and Violet grew. I loved the dragons including the unprecedented two who lay claim to Violet.

Rebecca Soler and Teddy Hamilton did a great job narrating this one. I liked the way they built the suspense and depicted the difficult relationship between Violet and Xaden. I liked the two additional chapters retold from Xaden's point of view that ended this audiobook.

I bought and read the Kindle July 8, 2023. I added the Audible copy February 13, 2025. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: The Clockwork Dagger by Beth Cato

The Clockwork Dagger
Author: Beth Cato
Series: Clockwork Dagger Novel (Book 1)
Publication: Harper Voyager (September 16, 2014)

Description: Full of magic, mystery, and romance, an enchanting steampunk fantasy debut in the bestselling vein of Trudi Canavan and Gail Carriger.

Orphaned as a child, Octavia Leander was doomed to grow up on the streets until Miss Percival saved her and taught her to become a medician. Gifted with incredible powers, the young healer is about to embark on her first mission, visiting suffering cities in the far reaches of the war-scarred realm. But the airship on which she is traveling is plagued by a series of strange and disturbing occurrences, including murder, and Octavia herself is threatened.

Suddenly, she is caught up in a flurry of intrigue: the dashingly attractive steward may be one of the infamous Clockwork Daggers—the Queen’s spies and assassins—and her cabin-mate harbors disturbing secrets. But the danger is only beginning, for Octavia discovers that the deadly conspiracy aboard the airship may reach the crown itself.

My Thoughts: This steampunk fantasy combines romance and mystery. Octavia Leander is a medician = combining medicine and magic. She's on her way to a new post aboard an airship where there are a couple of attempts on her life. 

Enter Alonzo Garrett, one of the Queen's Clockwork Daggers - spies and assassins, who is working as a steward and assigned to bring her back to Mercia or, maybe, to kill her. Octavia's roommate is also hiding things from her past which Octavia discovers when she heals her from an attack that was aimed at Octavia. 

I enjoyed all of the steampunk goodies including Garrett's prosthetic leg. I also thought the worldbuilding was excellent. Octavia attributes her healing powers, which are beyond those of any other healer, to her belief in the Lady and the Tree. I liked the political rivalry between the Wastes and Octavia's homeland of Caskentia. 

This was an entertaining beginning to a steampunk series. 

I bought this one May 2, 2024, as a Kindle Daily Deal. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: Into the Fire by Elizabeth Moon

Into the Fire
Author: Elizabeth Moon
Series: Vatta's Peace (Book 2)
Publication: Del Rey (February 6, 2018)

Description: In this new military sci-fi thriller from the Nebula Award–winning author of Cold Welcome, Admiral Kylara Vatta is back—with a vengeance.

Ky beats sabotage, betrayal, and the unforgiving elements to lead a ragtag group of crash survivors to safety on a remote arctic island. And she cheats death after uncovering secrets someone is hell-bent on protecting. But the worst is far from over when Ky discovers the headquarters of a vast conspiracy against her family and the heart of the planet’s government itself.

With their base of operations breached, the plotters have no choice but to gamble everything on an audacious throw of the dice. Even so, the odds are stacked against Ky. When her official report on the crash and its aftermath goes missing—along with the men and women she rescued—Ky realizes that her mysterious enemies are more powerful and dangerous than she imagined.

Now, targeted by faceless assassins, Ky and her family—along with her fiancé, Rafe—must battle to reclaim the upper hand and unmask the lethal cabal closing in on them with murderous intent.

My Thoughts: Rescued from Miksland, Ky Vatta's problems are far from over. With Cascadia seizing her assets until the death of her aide is resolved, and Stella not having the funds to buy Ky's shares also because of Cascadia's actions, she finds herself financially distressed. Then there is the threat against her citizenship because she's out of compliance with some new laws no one told her about. Rafe and Teague are also threatened with deportation because the renewals of their visas mysteriously disappeared. 

Last, she learns that all of the evidence she gathered about the "accident" that landed her on Miksland has disappeared as have her fellow survivors. She is determined to rescue her fellow survivors which will be difficult because she doesn't have a cadre of colleagues on Slotters Key. But she does have Stella and Vatta Transport and a few loyal Army officers along with Rafe and Teague. 

She can't get much help from Aunt Grace who is dealing with an attempted poisoning which almost kills her and the damning revelations of her mysterious past from the Unification War which threaten her, the government, and the Vatta family.

This was an exciting adventure story. I liked the way Stella grew throughout this story. I liked the way Ky built her team. 

I bought this one February 15, 2018. You can buy your copy here.

ARC Review: Cast in Atonement by Michelle Sagara

Cast in Atonement
Author: Michelle Sagara
Series: Chronicles of Elantra (Book 19)
Publication: MIRA; Original edition (August 6, 2024)

Description: In the City of Elantra, only one holds the key to peace—or eternal darkness.

At the end of three long wars, Bellusdeo is the last of her kind, the sole surviving female Dragon in the City of Elantra. When she appears one evening on the doorstep of her former roommate, Corporal Kaylin Neya, her demeanor is dreadful—more so than what’s expected of the Dragons’ notoriously tempestuous temperament. Kaylin’s new roommate, Mrs. Erickson, is quick to see the reason for Bellusdeo’s despair—the eight ghosts of the Dragon’s dead sisters, chained to her and unseen. Pleading for release, revenge and, above all, peace.

Now Kaylin and Mrs. Erickson must embark on a perilous journey, from the hallowed halls of the Academia to the depths of forbidden magic, to confront the very essence of mortality itself. Can Kaylin help release the untapped power within Mrs. Erickson to save Bellusdeo’s sisters…or will unlocking the past plunge the realm into an unfathomable darkness forever?

My Thoughts: The nineteenth book in the Chronicles of Elantra series has a lot to do with ghosts. Mrs. Erickson has moved into Helen at Kaylin's request. She's a shaman and likely a necromancer. She's also a kind, gentle and lonely old woman who has made friends in the Hawks. And she's a woman who can see ghosts and who as a child couldn't tell ghosts from the living apart.

For many years she lived with the ghosts of four children who became ghosts when Azoria an'Berranin, an evil Barrani, separated their souls from their bodies. Azoria had big plans for Mrs. Erickson too but couldn't manage to take over her body. Azoria is dead now, but the problems she created in her quest for power continue.

Bellusdeo has a problem or two too. The only female dragon has moved out of Helen to take control of one of the sentient towers that watch out for incursions of Shadow but she is being troubled by ghosts too. She once had eight sisters, but all died in the battles against Shadow. Only they aren't gone and aren't happy. Mrs. Erickson would really like to help her but first she has to deal the Ancient who is troubling the garden of elements Evanton where Evanton is the Keeper. 

This was an engaging episode in a long-running series. It is a complex fantasy world where questions of death and reality are often at stake. Kaylin is the Chosen of this generation even though she doesn't know what that means or what she can do with the powers she isn't at all sure she wants. She almost always finds herself in situations where she is obliged to use her instincts to save the world. This episode was no exception.

While I wouldn't recommend starting the series here, fans will be engaged with this latest episode.

Favorite Quote:

"No one who lives here is normal by the standards of their race. It's my belief," Helen added, once again gentling her voice, "that no one is normal when they are at home. You are at home here. No one here will judge you. No one here will judge your power."

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: Flamebringer by Elle Katharine White

Flamebringer
Author: Elle Katharine White
Series: Heartstone (Book 3)
Publication: Harper Voyager (November 12, 2019)

Description: Monsters, manners, and magic combine in this exciting final volume in the Heartstone Trilogy—an exhilarating blend of epic fantasy and Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice—in which a fearless healer and her dragon-riding husband must stop a reawakened evil from destroying their world.

“The summons comes for the House of Edan Daired. Debts must be paid.”

Tristan Wydrick, sworn enemy of House Daired, is back from the dead. Possessed by a ghast and sharing its shadowy unlife, he commands not only the soul-sucked ghastradi but also the monstrous Tekari forces bent on Arle’s destruction. As their enemies begin amassing, desperate Arleans look to their greatest defenders. But Aliza and Alastair Daired, along with their dragon Akarra, are far from home, trapped in the icy northern wastes by Wydrick’s treachery.

Fighting their way through blizzards, haunted forests, and their own growing fears, the Daireds find a new battle awaiting them in the capital, for the Tekari and ghastradi are not the only forces converging on the heart of the kingdom. Another moves toward Arle, riding the winds from the south: an ambassador from the Silent King of Els.

Unknown enemy? Or unexpected ally? Plunged into the dangerous world of royal intrigue and ancient grudges, Aliza and Alastair soon realize it will take more than steel and dragonfire to save their kingdom, for the silence of Els hides a secret that could shake House Daired to its foundations.

And silence, it seems, is about to be broken.

My Thoughts: The finale of the Heartstone trilogy was packed with action, adventure, secrets revealed, and emotional anguish. 

The Daireds have fought their way from the blizzard-battered North to the capitol in order to share what they have learned with the king. And they have learned a lot about the various forces who want to destroy the kingdom. However, they can't get in to see the king who is busy with the influx of trade delegations from other kingdoms and the impending visit of the Shadow King of Els. 

When the Daireds are captured at a banquet honoring the Shadow King, it is up to Aliza to find a way to free them and take back the kingdom. This was a classic "underestimated heroine gathering allies" plot line. 

The worldbuilding was complex and interesting and richly detailed. I especially enjoyed the role Tobble played in the rescue of the Daireds. The descriptions of their underground journey to enter the capture was enough to almost trigger my claustrophobia. 

This was an entertaining fantasy series. 

Favorite Quote:

The weight of his words filled me like lead, and I felt again as I had when I'd slipped out of Akarra's saddle: the warm solidity of certainty torn from underneath me, leaving only the terror of the fall. If war was coming and our friends were no longer out friends, what chance did we have?

I bought this one September 7, 2022. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: Flamebringer by Elle Katharine White

 Happy Friday!

Book Beginnings is hosted by Gillion at Rose City Reader. She asks that the first sentence is posted along with the author and title of the book and the reader's initial thoughts on the sentence, the book, or anything else it inspires. 

Carrie at Reading Is My Superpower.org also provides a linky for sharing first lines and connecting with others. This meme asks that the chosen books be PG or marked as Mature if they are not. 

The Friday 56 was hosted by Freda at Freda's Voice. This meme is currently on hiatus but many of us are still including a sentence from page 56 or from 56% of the ebook. Anne @ Head Full of Books is picking up the slack until Freda is ready to return. I think this link will get you to the correct place. 

Beginning:

We made a terrible mistake.

I felt it in every beat of Akarra's wings, in every white-clouded breath that rushed back to sting my face with ice crystals, every tear drawn out on the knife-blade of the wind.

Friday 56:

"My Lord Daired?" One of the smallest dragonets came forward. She was about the size of a draft horse, watery silver with beautiful golden eyes and a strong Eth accent. She dipped her head almost to the ground. "And lady. Come please. I will take you to the quarters of the Daireds."

This week I am finishing up a trilogy of epic fantasy stories that has been on my TBR Pile for a couple of years. Flamebringer by Elle Katharine White is the third book in the trilogy which began as a reimagining of Pride and Prejudice. 

Here is the description from Amazon:

Monsters, manners, and magic combine in this exciting final volume in the Heartstone Trilogy—an exhilarating blend of epic fantasy and Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice—in which a fearless healer and her dragon-riding husband must stop a reawakened evil from destroying their world.

“The summons comes for the House of Edan Daired. Debts must be paid.”

Tristan Wydrick, sworn enemy of House Daired, is back from the dead. Possessed by a ghast and sharing its shadowy unlife, he commands not only the soul-sucked ghastradi, but also the monstrous Tekari forces bent on Arle’s destruction. As their enemies begin amassing, desperate Arleans look to their greatest defenders. But Aliza and Alastair Daired, along with their dragon Akarra, are far from home, trapped in the icy northern wastes by Wydrick’s treachery.

Fighting their way through blizzards, haunted forests, and their own growing fears, the Daireds find a new battle awaiting them in the capital, for the Tekari and ghastradi are not the only forces converging on the heart of the kingdom. Another moves toward Arle, riding the winds from the south: an ambassador from the Silent King of Els.

Unknown enemy? Or unexpected ally? Plunged into the dangerous world of royal intrigue and ancient grudges, Aliza and Alastair soon realize it will take more than steel and dragonfire to save their kingdom, for the silence of Els hides a secret that could shake House Daired to its foundations.

And silence, it seems, is about to be broken.

Book Review: Dragonshadow by Elle Katharine White

Dragonshadow
Author: Elle Katharine White
Series: Heartstone (Book 2)
Publication: Harper Voyager (November 20, 2018)

Description: The author of Heartstone once again infuses elements of Jane Austen’s beloved novel with her own brand of magic in this addictive fantasy that brings back sparring lovers Aliza and Alastair: fierce warriors who match wits, charm, and swords as they fight an epic war to save their world.

The Battle of North Fields is over—or so Aliza Bentaine, now a Daired, fervently wants to believe. But rumors are spreading of an unseen monster ravaging the isolated Castle Selwyn on the northern border of the kingdom. When she and Alastair are summoned from their honeymoon by the mysterious Lord Selwyn, they must travel with their dragon Akarra through the Tekari-infested Old Wilds of Arle to answer his call.

And they are not alone on this treacherous journey. Shadowing the dragonriders is an ancient evil, a harbinger of a dark danger of which the Worm was only a foretaste. And soon Aliza realizes the terrible truth: the real war is only beginning.

My Thoughts: This middle book in the Heartstone trilogy sees Aliza and her husband Alastair traveling to the far north on a contract to find and kill monsters plaguing the area. 

They find a strange situation with Lord Selwyn who hired them reluctant to share the needed information with them and the castle housekeeper encouraging them to leave as soon as possible. The find that they are facing two enemies. One is an ancient evil intent on vengeance and the other is an old enemy long thought to be defeated. 

It takes both Alastair and Aliza's different skills to work their way through the secrets and lies. And they are facing a personal problem too when Aliza suffers a miscarriage.

This book was filled with lots of strange creatures, most of whom are enemies of humans, and lots of secrets. While some plot points are resolved, a number are left dangling for book three. 

Favorite Quote:

"Meddlesome old bastard."

"Conscientious civil servant," I said.

"You'd be surprised how often those lines cross, my lady."

I bought this one September 7, 2022. You can buy your copy here.