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Review: Ruin and Rising (The Grisha #3) by Leigh Bardugo
Ravka has fallen and now the Darkling rules and the people look to Alina, the Sun Summoner for liberation. Alina has taken refuge in the tunnels below the city where the Apparat and his zealots treat her like a saint. But deep below the ground Alina is weakened. She can’t summons her power and she continues to grow weaker. After months below ground, her loyal friends help free her and they continue on their quest to bring together the three amplifiers. Without all three amplifiers they don’t stand a chance against the Darkling. In order to gain an upper hand, Alina must learn as much about the Darklings past as she…
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Review: Siege and Storm (The Grisha #2) by Leigh Bardugo
Alina and Mal have been forced into hiding across the True Sea. Alina is haunted by her memories of what happened on the Fold while Mal is eager to put as much distance between the girl he loves and the Darkling, as possible. The Darkling is now more powerful than ever and has a plan that will test the boundaries of the world as they know it unless Mal and Alina can find a way to destroy him. While she can’t be sure….Alina senses that if she brings all three amplifiers together, she will hopefully be powerful enough to defeat him. But how does one find ancient, mythical items? The Darkling…
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Special Feature: LAMP BLACK, WOLF GREY by Paula Brackston
To help celebrate the release of Paula Brackston’s latest novel LAMP BLACK, WOLF GREY I am hosting a special feature about the book. As many of you know, I am a huge fan of Brackston’s ‘witch books’ and have read almost all of them. This book isn’t exactly a ‘witch book’ but it still has the great magical and fantasy elements that Brackston is known for. I will be reviewing this book in September to welcome in fall and my favorite time of year to read about witches, magic, and mystery! Artist Laura Matthews finds her new home in the Welsh mountains to be a place so charged with tales and legends…
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Review: Gathering Darkness (Falling Kingdoms #3) by Morgan Rhodes
The King of Blood continues to rule over the kingdom of Mytica with an iron fist. His son and heir, Magnus, is married to the former princess, Cleo, against both of their wills. Cleo and Magnus know that the King searches for the legendary Kindred in hopes of gaining absolutely power through their magic. The King plans on using Magnus’s sister, Lucia, a powerful sorceress, to find the Kindred but her magic threatens to consume her. The King looks for witches who can tutor her and teach her to temper her powers but so far, there have been none. From across the sea comes two visiting royals, Ashur and Amara who also seek…
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Review: Rebel Spring (Falling Kingdoms #2) by Morgan Rhodes
After a bloody siege, Auranos has been defeated and the young queen, Cleo, is a captive in what was once her home and kingdom. The three kingdoms—Auranos, Limeros, and Paelsia—are now unwillingly united as one country called Mytica with the King of Blood as their ruler. At the heart of this conflict though is the quest for magic. Four brave young people search for that magic and the power it promises. For Cleo, the magic would enable her to reclaim her royal seat. In Jonas’s hands, it frees his nation, and in Lucia’s, it fulfills the ancient prophecy of her destiny. And if the magic were Magnus’s, he would finally prove…
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Review: Falling Kingdoms (Falling Kingdoms #1) by Morgan Rhodes
In the kingdom of Mytica, magic had been forgotten until three three very different rulers look for what was once lost. In the north where Prince Magnus lives, the King of Blood rules and longs for power and unlimited magic. In the middle region, which is full of rebels lives Jonas…and there the people are ruled by a chief claiming to have magic but none have seen it, and in the south a prosperous region exists where Princess Cleo lives in a wonderfully naive world where magic is the stuff of myth and legend. When a man is murdered in cold blood by Princess Cleo’s friend, his death sparks a…
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Review: The Heart of Betrayal (The Remnant Chronicles #2) by Mary E. Pearson
Princess Lia and her handsome Prince Rafe, are being held captive in the barbarian kingdom of Venda. In an effort to save her from certain death, Kaden, Lia’s would be assassin, tells the Vendan Komisar that she has the sight and will be a great asset to the Vendan people. The Komisar agrees to spare her life…..for now. But her position is precarious. The same goes for Rafe, he lies to the Komisar and tells him that he is an emissary sent on behalf of the Dalbreck Prince to negotiate an alliance. But this lie has only bought Rafe at best a month before his sham is revealed. Lies. Lies. And more lies. Lies roll off of…
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Review: The Book of Life (All Souls Trilogy #3) by Deborah Harkness
Diana and her vampire husband, Matthew, have returned from the 16th century and their home coming wasn’t necessarily the most joyous experience. After dealing with the loss of a close companion and friend, Diana and Matthew must face what the future holds and acquire the elusive book, Ashmole 782, also known as The Book of Life before it falls into the wrong hands. What they don’t expect is that one of Matthew’s homicidal vampire children,Benjamin, stands between them and the book. If Matthew and Diana hope to defeat Benjamin they must rely on their comrades and some past enemies to do it. They must stop Benjamin at all costs and sometimes…
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Review: Shadow of Night (All Souls Trilogy #2) by Deborah Harkness
The last time we saw Diana Bishop and Matthew Clairmont, they were time traveling back to the 16th century in search of a witch who could help Diana control her powers. As a historian, Diana is actually pretty excited about being a time traveler, but less excited when she arrives and discovers that she isn’t quite crazy about 16th century vampire Matthew. Matthew has been a collector of secrets his whole life. Having lives secrets and lies so long, he is not accustomed to sharing things with his wife, though he loves her unconditionally. Both Matthew and Diana think that once they arrive in Elizabethan England, they will quickly find a…
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Review: Successio (Roma Nova #3) by Alison Morton
As many of you are aware, I have been very impressed with this new series. This is the first and really, the only, alternative history book that I’ve come across in all my literary adventures. Successio is the third book in the series and I still stand by the ‘read the series in order’ theory. I’ve seen some people say that these books read easily as stand alone novels but I completely disagree. The world of Roma Nova is complex and the back story is very detailed so I would say if this novel looks at all eye catching to you, then start with the first book and fully immerse yourself in the rich…