I have been on the waiting list for this one since I finished Not in Love in June. So excited.
What I’m Listening to Now: Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood
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Tag Archives: bethlylou reads
The Review: The Songbird and the Heart of Stone by Carissa Broadbent
Vampires. ✅ Enemies to lovers ✅ Journey through dangerous lands ✅ Yep, this checked off a lot of my boxes. This book takes place maybe a year after the last Crowns of Nyaxia book. It follows Mische, who left the Night Court because she wants to find herself but also she knows she killed the Prince of the Shadowborn and she doesn’t want the consequences coming for her friends. Of course, we find her that she has been caught by the Shadowborn and is about to be executed until the bastard son, Asar, of the King shows up and says I need her to complete my task from the Goddess Nyaxia. In Mische’s human life she was a priestess to the Sun God. Her God abandoned her when she was turned into a vampire but now shows up and gives her the task of sabotaging Asar’s mission. So of course, they go on a long journey between the world of living and the dead to collect what they need for their task and of course they fall in love as they go. In typical fashion, Asar’s reputation is he is ruthless, which you know right away that he isn’t going to be that. I like the banter between the two of them. They have good chemistry. The ending did leave a pretty nice cliffhanger. Not to spoil anything but things did not go as planned. Thank goodness, the next book in the series is already out so I will be reading it soon.
What I’m Reading Now: The Righteous by Renee Ahdieh
To say I like this series would be an understatement. On to book 3.
Quick Review: The Damned by Renee Ahdieh
I will admit. I am a sucker for a moody vampire. Bastien is the moodiest. Sure I can understand why he is. Afterall, he didn’t choose to be turned. He lost his life, his humanity and the girl he loved. As for Celine. She is recovering from the injuries from the end of the last book. She is struggling with her memory loss. To help her out is Michael, who she is dating, kind of and her friend Poppy. The narrative plays out in multiple POV’s beyond Celine and Bastien. The world has grown. It’s not just vampires but werewolves and the Fey. The story still revolves around Celine and Bastien but it also is no longer just their story. It’s a story of found family and secrets. It’s about overcoming trauma. Really more about dealing with trauma because there are definitely a few that never did deal with it and that is why we are where we are now. I am so glad that Kate recommend this series because I am very much enjoying it. I can’t wait for the next book to become available at my library so I can read what happens next. It sounds like it’s going to be a Poppy centered book and I’m stoked about that. She is the one character that didn’t get a POV chapter and the one I am most interested in.
What I’m Reading Now: The Songbird and the Heart of Stone by Carissa Broadbent
Might as well keep these vampire vibes going.
Review: The Blood Phoenix by Amber Chen
I am not sure how I feel about this book and this series. It’s not that I didn’t like it because I did. I wouldn’t have read the sequel if I had not but there is something about it that…I’m not sure how to explain. I thought maybe of Jade and Dragons it was the narrator of the audiobook that took me out of some moments but I still had trouble connecting with this one as well. So I guess it is the writing. I don’t know. The Book Phoenix takes place about two years after the end of Of Jade and Dragons. Ying is now living in a new village and engaged to a son of Chieftain and Ye-Yang is still the Head Commander. I am still unsettled about how things ended between the two at the end of the last book. With Ye-Yang promising he would come back for her because he doesn’t dream of things, he always gets what he wants. Can we say red flag? In the last book, there were mentions of pirates roaming the sees and the threat to the Nine Isles but now those threats are much more dangerous. They are attacking shipments and have decimated the Antarian fleet. The country has taken a lot of refugees from the Empire, putting more restrain on their resources. Something has to be done. Ying may have walked a way from the Engineer’s Guild but she still continues to create. She has developed the “Octopus” a submarine of sorts. She built it as a means to leave the country but it can be helpful against the pirates. Things change when the pirates, specifically the most feared ship the Blood Phoenix attacks her new home and kills her fiancée. Ye-Yang comes to her for help. He has been keeping tabs on her and knows that she has created something that could turn the tide. In the meantime, he is still engaged to Ying’s younger sister, Nian. The wedding keeps getting delayed but that can only last so long. She and Ye-Yang have yet to connect and she desperately wants to. She has also developed a friendship with Ye-Kan, Ye-Yang’s other brother. The story goes back and forth between the two sisters POV as we get both sides of the conflict. We also get to see how smart both of them are. Ying, has mind to create, while Nian has a mind for strategy. In a lot of ways, they are both are where they are supposed to be. As the story unfolds and we learn more about the complicated history of the clans and the politics on the Nine Isles, it is clear that not everything is black and white. I did appreciate the little bit of a cliffhanger of an ending. I don’t know if there is going to be a third book but if there isn’t. I like of leaving it open ended and up for interpretation. What’s the verdict. Not a bad a series. I liked the story but maybe the not so much the execution.
What I’m Reading Now: The Damned by Renee Ahdieh
This was immediately available to check out from my library so I have to find out what happens next to Celine and Bastien.
Review: The Beautiful by Renee Ahdieh
I do love a vampire book that takes place in New Orleans. I know Ann Rice is the gold standard but I would add this to the list of should read. Celine arrives in New Orleans after leaving Paris with a big secret. She is immediately drawn into the world the Cours De Lions and Bastien Sainte Germain. There is a bit of enemies to lovers as their first interaction is definitely antagonistic. However the attraction is there from the very beginning. Not that long after she arrives, a series of murders start to occur. First one near the port, a second at the Cours de Lions while Celine is there and a third in the Convent, Celine is staying in. All pointing to the intended victim is Celine herself but is she? The POV chapters of Celine and Bastien are interrupted by the murderer themselves as we get an insight as to why they are doing what they are doing but more a picture of the history. I must admit, I was a off on who the murder was. In retrospect, I should have been a little bit more suspicious at how often a certain off book character was mentioned but it was still a nice surprise. I do love Celine and Bastien’s relationship and the back and forth between them. I also like the friendship between Celine and Poppy and Odette. I do hope that we get more interactions in the next book. I am also pretty excited about the potential love triangle brewing between, Celine, Bastien and Michael. Michael, is the detective looking into the murders and of course has a history with Bastien. The ending definitely sets up a change in dynamics between all three of them. I look forward to reading how that will all turn out.
What I’m Reading Now: The Blood Phoenix by Amber Chen
The sequel to Of Jade and Dragon that I read last month. I didn’t realize that it had already come out and became available a lot sooner from my library then I was expecting. I decided to read the book instead of listening to the audiobook like I did the last one and see how that changes my feelings on the series.
Review: Oathbound by Tracy Deonn
I am so mad at this book. I thought this series was a trilogy, and now I have to wait for who knows how long for the next book after that ending. AAHHH! All of that aside. This series keeps getting better. It starts right after Bloodmarked ended. Bree, after being betrayed by the Legendborn Order, is ready to burn it all to the ground. She teams up with the Shadow King to train to fulfill her potential. She leaves behind Nick, Will, and Sel, and disappears, and they spend most of the story trying to find her. What I found most interesting is the book’s format. It starts with a prologue that is like 3 or 4 chapters long that goes into what Bree is willing to do to get the most of her power. Then it goes back to the beginning with the POV of William, Mariah, and Sel’s mother. It gives us a chance to learn more about the aftermath of what Bree did, and with her missing, how powerful she is, but also what a threat she is. Then it goes into a mixed POV of Bree, William, Mariah, and Sel as they all start to put the pieces together. Then, a section of Bree, Nick, and Mariah reunited at a Demon ball. That was a fun section, and finally, the finale of everyone reunited and a clear picture of who the Order is and what they are willing to do to keep their power. A big part of the story is an effort to take away obstacles from Bree’s training. The King casts a spell on Bree that makes her forget all of her friends and family. It’s sad, but I did set up one of my favorite troops of fake a relationship, but with a twist, because it’s Bree and Nick who are/were in a relationship, but Bree doesn’t remember. I enjoyed that part. I don’t want to give any more away, but I genuinely love this series and I look forward to the next book.
2 Women, So Many Books 