ARC Review: Ghost Seer by Robin D. Owens ★★★★

Ghost Seer by Robin D. Owens
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Ghost Seer #1
Publication Date: April 1st 2014
ISBN: 9780425268902
Page Count: 320
Rating: ★★★★
Review Copy: ARC
Reviewed by: Lynsey
Buy Link: AMAZON

Synopsis: There’s just something about Clare. Apart from the ghosts…...

When her eccentric aunt passes away, no-nonsense accountant Clare Cermac inherits more than just a small fortune. She receives the gift of communicating with ghosts. While Clare may not believe in spirits, it’s hard to overlook the shadowy talking dog appearing on her bed or spectral cowboys tipping their hats to her in the streets of Denver. And when she locks eyes with sexy—and living—Zach Slade, there’s certainly no ignoring him either.

A former deputy sheriff, Zach is leaving a painful past behind in Montana for a new life in Denver as a private investigator, a job that has him crossing paths with beautiful Clare. Not that she minds. After the restless ghost of a Wild West gunman demands her assistance, Clare finds herself needing Zach more and more—and not just for help.

An Urban Fantasy with heart and humour, Ghost Seer is one to add to your To Buy Lists!

Urban Fantasies can vary wildly in tone, while still remaining part of the same genre. You've got your action-packed ones featuring badass, leather-clad, Katana-swinging heroes and heroines, and then there is another selection focused on slightly older characters and more mystery based. They're quite different, but I enjoy both depending on my mood. I often think of the latter type as a more grown up version of its bratty counterpart, but each has its place on my shelves. Ghost Seer belongs to this latter, slightly more refined category, and of that, it's among the most enjoyable I've read.

Told in alternating POVs between reluctant ghost-seeing heroine Clare, and recently ex-police officer Zach, it follows Clare's acceptance of her new paranormal "gift" passed down from her aunt, and Zach's acceptance of his new life as a disabled person, after being shot through the shin in the line of duty. Both journeys are similar, in a way, in that they examine the various stages a person might go through when their whole worlds are turned on their heads; shock, denial, anger, stubborn refusal to accept what is. And because both are going through such turmoil, it's probably the worst time ever to begin a new romantic relationship, but the heart, and the libido, wants what it wants. And, personally, I love a nice bit of complication in my romances!

Aside from this excellent and compelling characterisation, the story also focuses on Clare's first "case" as a ghost seer. That being to assist ghostly cowboy Jackson Slade to right his worst wrong before he can be at peace. To help Clare along the way, she has a talking ghost dog, Enzo - who is more than he seems, I'm sure! - to steer her in something close to the right direction. I loved Enzo! Every good UF needs a quirky sidekick character, and he was a pretty fantastic one!

Overall, Ghost Seer was a winner for me, and story I look forward to continuing. -4 Stars! ★★★★

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Reviewed by:

ARC Review: Grimm Consequences by Kate SeRine ★★★★★

Grimm Consequences by Kate SeRine
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Transplanted Tales #1.5)
Publication Date: April 17th 2014
ISBN: 9781601832498
Page Count: 100
Rating: ★★★★★
Review Copy: ARC
Reviewed by: Lynsey
Buy Link: AMAZON

Synopsis: You reap what you sow...

Saying Nate Grimm has a dark past is an understatement. Fortunately, no one's bothered to look too closely at the Fairytale Management Authority's lead detective and part-time Reaper. And that's the way Nate wants to keep it. For after centuries of torment and loneliness, he's finally found happiness with the hot and hard-charging love of his life, Tess "Red" Little.

Of course, his love for Tess is the reason there's a posse of Reaper judges after him, led by a sadistic bastard acquainted with Nate from once upon a time. Now, Tess will pay the price for Nate's transgressions unless Nate severs his ties to the transplanted Tales--and Tess--forever. His enemy has the advantage in speed, malice and brutality. But the Reapers have underestimated the depth of Nate's love and devotion. And the fury of his wrath. . .

Grimm's Fairy Tale Ending.

Still my favourite couple from this series, Grimm Consequences is dedicated to the fans who cried for more of Nate and Tess's story. And not only do we get another sweet slice of Tale/Reaper life in this good-sized novella, but we get it from Nate's perspective!

And what a perspective! If you were ever in any doubt whatsoever just how much Nate Grimm worships the very ground Tess Little (Red) walks on, then this book will set aside those doubts forever. It was achingly adorable. Not only can he not believe his luck that she's now his lady, and has been for two months, but he's also torturing himself about the secrets he's still keeping from her about himself and his past. He knows it's past time he told her everything, but after the way the last revelatory conversation went? Well, you can't blame him for being nervous. Unfortunately, before such a conversation can take place, an old adversary shows up with heart-stopping consequences for our fairytale couple.

Fave line: "Regenerate from that, mother fucker!"

A terrific follow-up story not to be missed! - 5 Stars ★★★★★

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Reviewed by:

Interview with author Sarah Harian!

Today we have a special treat for you...an interview with author Sarah Harian!

Sarah's debut speculative fiction novel, THE WICKED WE HAVE DONE, released this month (congratulations, Sarah!) and we're here to dish the dirt about the novel, what it's like being a new author, and more!

Before we dive into the interview, here's a little info about Sarah's book:

The Wicked We Have Done by Sarah Harian

Release Date: March 18th 2014
Publisher: Penguin/InterMix Books
Book Links: GOODREADS / AMAZON / B&N

Synopsis: Evalyn Ibarra never expected to be an accused killer and experimental prison test subject. A year ago, she was a normal college student. Now she’s been sentenced to a month in the compass room—an advanced prison obstacle course designed by the government to execute justice.

If she survives, the world will know she’s innocent.

Locked up with nine notorious and potentially psychotic criminals, Evalyn must fight the prison and dismantle her past to stay alive. But the system prized for accuracy appears to be killing at random.

She doesn’t plan on making friends.

She doesn’t plan on falling in love, either.

 

Sarah Harian grew up in the foothills of Yosemite and received her B.A. and M.F.A. from Fresno State University. When not writing, she is usually hiking some mountain or another in the Sierras, playing video games with her husband, or rough-housing with her dog.

 

What inspired you to write The Wicked We Have Done? Was there a specific thought or event that sparked the idea in your mind? 

 

I was re-watching my favorite show, LOST, when then idea came to me. I wanted to write a book where a bunch of unsavory people were stuck out in the wild somewhere and facing their demons. I didn’t really know who these people were when I started developing the story. Hell, I didn’t even know that they were criminals. The story really started unfolding from the middle. If there is a scenario where my protagonist somehow faces the darkness of her past in the middle of the woods, how did this come about? Why was my protagonist in the woods? What aspect of her past was she so afraid of?

Who was your favorite character to write, and why? 

I drafted this book so many times that I had a new favorite character with each draft. I think Valerie was the easiest character for me to write. Her voice was so natural and fun. She’s the protagonist in a Chaos Theory novella releasing later this year.

There are some pretty intense moments in the story. Is it hard to write those kind of scenes? Have you ever freaked yourself out while writing one? (We won't judge, we promise, lol ;)) 

Great question! I’m not really freaked out when it comes to stories. Like, I can pretty much watch any scary movie without blinking an eye, or read a scary book and go to bed right after. So I think that I channeled that part of me when writing Wicked. Often while writing, I thought, Wow Sarah, that’s pretty effed up, but I never freaked myself out. In real life situations, however, I am the BIGGEST chicken. I panic so easily. I guess I’m just able to perceive media as something completely fictional. 

Most New Adult books focus almost exclusively on romance. In your book, the romance is more of a subplot. Was that intentional, or did it just sort of happen?

I never really envisioned this book as a romance novel, so I guess it just sort of happened. This sounds a little pretentious, but I didn’t write this book in order to fit in with the current state of the NA category. I wrote it because I wanted to. It happened to be a book with romance existing as a subplot and I was lucky enough to acquire a team (my agent and the wonderful people at NAL) to take it on.

What authors have influenced you and your writing? 

I talk about Lev Grossman all of the time. He really influenced me in terms of writing the characters that I want to write and not worrying if they’re likeable or not. I’m influenced by Margaret Atwood and Angela Carter too, although they write stuff much more literary than mine.

As a debut author, it must be so exciting to see your book in the hands of readers. What's been the craziest part of being published, and what advice would you give other aspiring authors out there?

I think the craziest part has been writing a book that people aren’t expecting. Entering the romance-driven category of NA with a gruesome speculative novel… it really shocked people to the point where the reactions to the book were very polarized. Some readers were stoked, others were disgusted, and some didn’t know what to make of it.

My advice would be to stop paying attention to trends. Writers are creating this vortex of uninspired fiction because they’re trying to write for money, and it’s really a bummer.

What's next in the series? How many books are planned? Will each book focus on a different set of characters, or will Evalyn and Casey's story continue? 

Right now I’m slated for a novella in Valerie’s point of view that’s releasing in August, and the sequel, A Vault of Sins, out in September. A Vault of Sins is in Evalyn’s point of view.

{Tour Stop} Review & Giveaway: The Preservation Series by Rachael Wade

The Preservation series by Rachael Wade

(Preservation, Reservation, Declaration)

Genre: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

Series Rating: ★★★★

Buy Links: AMAZON / BARNES & NOBLE

Synopsis for Book 1, Preservation: Fear is sabotage’s sweetest weapon.

Kate has no time for meaningless romantic charades, and definitely no time for hot college professors who are full of themselves and smitten with her. Constantly battling eviction notices, tuition she can’t afford, and a sick, dependent mother, the last thing she needs is to be distracted with someone else’s complicated baggage.

When she stumbles into Ryan Campbell’s creative writing class, he is only “Mr. Campbell” to her, until Ryan finds himself captivated by her writing and she is forced to face their mutual attraction. His cocky know-it-all syndrome is enough to send her running in the other direction, and his posse of female admirers and playboy reputation are enough to squander any odds in her favor.

But underneath Ryan’s abrasive facade is something to behold, and she can’t stay away for long. Ryan and Kate must decide who they’re willing to become and fight against their former selves if they want to make things work. That’s if academia, vicious vixens, old skeletons, and their own mastery at self-destruction don’t pummel their efforts first.

Synopsis for Book 2, Reservation: A sequel to the Amazon bestselling romance, Preservation, told from Ryan’s point of view.

Old Habits Die Hard.

Ryan Campbell is not only leaving his title of Professor behind to move on to bigger and better things at Simon and Warden Publishing, he’s also become Seattle’s rising literary star. Sitting on the overwhelming cusp of newfound fame, he learns soon enough that being popular has its downside.

Attracted to the buzz surrounding his new career, former lovers begin to creep back into his life, and potential ones emerge with enticing advances. While he works to juggle reserved, yet stressful, wedding plans with Kate and his new public image, he has enough to manage without worrying about Carter and Dean—Kate’s loveable albeit eccentric friends—and their latest shenanigans.

Surrounded by a lifestyle that includes temptation at every turn, Ryan finds himself immersed in a world full of scandal and lies, where his oldest weaknesses thrive and his ghosts return to haunt him. Questioning whether his life with Kate is his best path, he must discover if he’s still capable of being the man he aspired to be when she first became his, or if happily ever after is only an illusion.

Synopsis for Book 3, Declaration: Featuring characters from Love and Relativity.

Carter Montgomery spent most of his life blending in, and he liked it that way. It was always better to be seen, not heard. And while a theatric streak and friendly demeanor might have fooled most people, he knew the truth—he was the shy one. The quiet kid most people forgot about. Some might have considered that a bad thing, but those people all wanted to be in the spotlight.

The only place Carter didn’t mind attention was on stage, with The Hellions. Once content in his comfort zone in Seattle, Washington, he only knew three things: confrontation was to be avoided, keeping the peace was priority, and the moment he lost Kate Parker to Professor Ryan Campbell, he had no clue what to do with his life. Playing gigs, working at Pike Place Market, and watching BBC after the love of his life sailed off into the sunset just wasn’t going to cut it anymore.

Desperate to escape his rut, he takes a cue from Kate and chooses a random place to relocate—a small island across the country, where no one knows his name and memories of unrequited love aren’t found at every turn. Just when he thinks he’s found the perfect place to unwind and sink back into the shadows, in bursts Whitney Sinclair, a saucy firecracker who loves life and refuses to settle for second best. Full of contagious energy, she dares him to be brave, convincing him that it might finally be time to tell the world what he wants.

It might be time to make a declaration.

Darn Good Contemporary

It's impossible to do an entire series justice in a single review. Sure, I could try, but there's so much ground to cover, we'd be here all day, and much as I know you all looooooove my long-winded reviews (ha!) I just can't do that to you. Instead, I'm going to put my fangirl hat on and wax (hopefully) eloquent about all the things I loved about the Preservation books.

Before I get started, though, here's a super-short summary of the series:

Kate meets Ryan. Ryan and Kate fall hard and fast for each other. They've barely minted their new relationship status when BAM! Life turns nasty and starts throwing them curve balls. Mistakes are made, hearts are nearly broken, and after much trial and tribulation, they finally get their true Happily Ever After. Meanwhile, Kate's friend Carter - who was hopelessly head over heels for her - has been left out in the cold. Deciding enough is enough, he says goodbye to Seattle and travels across the country to the land of sunshine, where love, new friends, and a fresh set of possibilities await.

I really liked Kate. She was a refreshingly honest, no-frills sort of heroine with just the right amount of attitude. While I didn't agree with every decision she made, I always understood exactly where she was coming from and that helped me stay connected to her character. As cool as Kate was, though, for me it was all about the boys. I am a complete sucker for the male POV, so it was hardly a surprise that I loved  Ryan and Carter's books the most. Ryan with his checkered past that kept coming back to haunt him, and good-boy musician Carter with his love of all things British and all-around adoreableness....*sigh*. They were fantastic and I devoured both their stories in a single sitting.

The romance in all three books was great as well. Each couple - Kate and Ryan, and Carter and Whitney - had their own unique dynamic and chemistry that just didn't quit. There were a ton of swoony moments, as well as plenty of tense and sexually-charged scenes that will send you running for the nearest ice bath. More than that, though, each couple worked on a fundamental level. They fit together like pieces of a puzzle, leaving no doubt in the reader's mind that they were indeed matches made in heaven.

A note about Carter's book. If you haven't read Love and Relativity, I strongly encourage you to do so. It's not required, by any means, but I found it really heightened my Declaration reading experience. Plus, the book is just awesome.

The Preservation series is darn good contemporary romance with strong and snappy dialogue, steamy romance, and characters I didn't want to say goodbye to. But then, I would expect no less from a series penned by Rachael Wade. She has a knack for sucking me straight into her stories. The more of her books I read, the more addicted to her writing I become.

If you are a fan of contemporary romances, or just romance in general, you really ought to give the Preservation books a try. In fact, just do what I did. Put Rachael Wade on your author auto-buy list and add ALL of her books to your list. Like, pronto.

4 Stars ★★★★
A copy of the series was provided by the publisher in exchange for honest reviews.

Reviewed by:

**Check out the rest of the DECLARATION blog tour by clicking HERE**

Rachael Wade writes edgy New Adult and Adult romance and science fiction. She is the author of the Amazon bestselling PRESERVATION SERIES, THE REPLACEMENT, and LOVE AND RELATIVITY, as well as the paranormal romance series THE RESISTANCE TRILOGY. When she's not writing, she's busy going to concerts, watching too many movies, and learning how to protect animals and the environment. She's an avid Brandi Carlile fan and loves all things Tim Burton. Visit her at RachaelWade.com and LightsOnLove.com, and come chat with her on Twitter @RachaelWade.

Open to US and Canada: 

a Declaration guitar pick necklace

e-book copy of Declaration  

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

ARC Review: All You Need Is Love by Marie Force ★★★★

All You Need is Love by Marie Force 
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Series: Green Mountain #1
Publication Date: February 4th 2014
ISBN: 9780425266762
Page Count: 368
Rating: ★★★★
Review Copy: ARC
Reviewed by: Lynsey
Buy Link: AMAZON



Synopsis: Hoping to take the magic of the island and move it to the mountains with the Abbot family, purveyors of the odd and hard to find relics of a time long gone by in small-town Vermont. Hope you'll come with me to the Green Mountains! Watch for the first book in the series in early 2014!

The family-run Green Mountain Country Store is cherished by locals as a reminder of simpler times. The Abbott children are determined to keep it that way—but their father has different plans…

When Cameron Murphy heads to Vermont to build a website for a new client, she imagines a more relaxing trip than she gets. After wrecking her car by colliding with the town moose, she meets the most handsome hero she’s ever seen. Unfortunately, her savior, Will Abbott, is also the son of her client—and he wants nothing to do with the new website or the city girl creating it.

For all Will cares, Cameron can march her fancy boots right out of town and out of his family’s business. But he can’t seem to get her out of his head. As his family’s dispute heats up, so does the chemistry between the two, leaving them wondering if simple is better after all—especially when it comes to matters of the heart.

Welcome to Green Mountain.

All You Need Is Love was a truly delightful contemporary romance filled with a plethora of warm and engaging characters. I guarantee you're going to fall in love with each and every one of them!

Meet the Abbott family, including the ten (yes, ten!) Abbott siblings, mother and father Abbott, and old gramps. Each one is more adorable than the last, if that's even possible. This time, the focus is on Will Abbott, one of the older members. He and the rest of the Abbott family all live and work harmoniously together (most of the time) in the small Vermont town of Butler. Many of them actually work in one place - the Green Mountain Country Store, which is thing that draws our heroine, Cameron, into their midst when she's hired on by Will's father to create a new website for the business, much to his dismay.

Will comes across as surly, to put it mildly, at the beginning of the story, but that's actually a complete misrepresentation of his character. He was the sweetest, most thoughtful guy! *sigh* If only he were real! He's definitely an easy to fall in love with character, both for our heroine, and for us as readers!

Then there's Cameron. You might expect, just as Will did, for her to be somewhat  useless at the whole small town living thing, being such a city slicker - a New Yorker no less! - but Cameron is a girl who knows how to adapt. I loved that about her. Although she enjoys her city life and the IT business she's built there, she can absolutely see the charm of Vermont life and the close friendships everyone in the town enjoys.

As plot lines go, this one was pretty straightforward - city gal comes to quiet town and finds love in the most unexpected of places - but its characters are so vivid, and the romance so strong (and sizzling!), that it really didn't need anything more complicated than that. It was pretty perfect, actually.

With so many characters there are naturally several subplots going on in All You Need Is Love. I suspect many of the other Abbots will get their own HEAs in future books, and we may have seen the beginnings of one already in this book!

A great read with warm and engaging characters galore - 4 Stars! ★★★★

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Reviewed by:

{Tour Stop} ARC Review: Darkside Sun by Jocelyn Adams ★★★★★

Darkside Sun by Jocelyn Adams 
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Mortal Machine, #1
Publication Date: March 10th 2014
ISBN: 9781622663392
Page Count: 380
Rating: ★★★★★
Review Copy: ARC
Reviewed by: Lynsey
Buy Link: AMAZON

Synopsis: The dead have been waiting for her...Addison Beckett tries hard to pretend she’s normal, but she’s far from it. Since she was six years old, she’s seen the world around her unraveling, as if someone is pulling a thread from a sweater and it’s all slowly coming undone. When she ignores it, it goes away, so that’s what she does.Enter her arrogant-but-hot professor Asher Green. He knows all about her special brand of crazy. In fact, he might be just as nuts as she is. Asher insists that the dead from a parallel dimension are trying to possess the living in this one. And since Addison seems to be the only one who can see these "wraiths," she just might be the key to saving the world.Addison wants nothing to do with Asher or his secret society, The Mortal Machine. But as their animosity grows, she finds it harder and harder to ignore the chemistry between them. And when she discovers that Machine laws forbid her from touching him, she realizes that’s all she wants to do.Stop the wraiths. Break the rules. Save the world. All in a day’s work.Normal was overrated, anyway.

Come over to the dark side.

This was soooo much fun! It's got to be one of the most entertaining YA/NAs I've read in a long time. It had a heroine I loved who managed to find her inner badass, even surrounded by people who were determined to bring her down. It had a new supernatural twist with wraiths being enemy number one, and a league of enforcers called The Mortal Machine tasked with keeping them under control. It had a forbidden and complicated romance that was just gah! *dies* Seriously, if you're looking to escape into a book for a few hours, one that will put a grin on your face and entertain the heck out of you, this might just be it!

I really loved the worldbuilding used in Darkside Sun. It's always nice to see new ideas being used instead of the same old same old, and wraiths coming from an alternate dimension attempting to posses human hosts is definitely a new spin for me! One I really enjoyed. Another really great aspect was the interplay between all the members of The Machine. There were some twisty, untrustworthy ones in there, some blatantly bitchy ones, but also a few who were kind of adorable. But the best part of all has to be main characters (and love interests) Addison and Asher!

Addison's personality jumps right off the page. She's just so endearing and likeable. Asher is a little more complicated and closed off, but I absolutely loved the snippets of his back story that we got which showed some of the reasons why he is the way he is. Of course, Asher is also a bit of a butthead for much of the book, and continually makes bad decisions, ignoring all advice to the contrary. Never more so than at the end! I guarantee, the ending of this book will have you SCREAMING for more! I need need need need need need to know what's going to happen next!

A highly recommended, highly entertaining read. - 5 Stars ★★★★★

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Reviewed by:

About Jocelyn:

Jocelyn Adams lives in the Muskoka region of Ontario with her high school sweetheart and young daughter.  She writes dark, romantic fantasy, is a wife, mother, blogger, carbaholic, and a former IT geek.

Find her Young Adult-friendly persona here.

Website/Blog/Twitter/Facebook/Goodreads

Giveaway Details:

1 $25.00 gift card from Amazon or B & N (winner’s choice), Sun charm necklace, and a Signed bookmark

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This book is on tour! check out some of the other stops!

Tour Schedule:

Week 1:

3/17/2014- Shortie Says                - Review

3/17/2014- Fantasy Book Addict- Excerpt

3/18/2014- Reese's Reviews- Review

3/18/2014- BiblioJunkies- Guest Post

3/19/2014- Sabrina's Paranormal Palace- Review

3/19/2014- Fade Into Fantasy- Interview

3/20/2014- Anna Lives and Breathes Books- Review

3/20/2014- Two Chicks on Books- Excerpt

3/21/2014- The Demon Librarian- Review

3/21/2014- The Cover Contessa- Guest Post

Week 2:

3/24/2014 Book Club Sisters- Review

3/24/2014- Library of the Seen- Interview

3/25/2014- Shayna Varadeaux Books & Reviews- Review

3/25/2014- Parajunkee's View- Interview

3/26/2014- As the page turns- Review

3/26/2014- Curling Up With A Good Book- Excerpt

3/27/2014- Living in a Bookworld- Review

3/27/2014- Wonderful Monster- Interview

3/28/2014- Julie Antonovich Reece- Review

3/28/2014- Talking Books Blog- Guest Post

ARC Review: Stolen Songbird by Danielle L. Jensen ★★★★★

Stolen Songbird by Danielle L. Jensen
Genre: High Fantasy
Series: The Malediction Trilogy #1
Publication Date: April 1st 2014
ISBN: 9781908844965
Page Count: 436
Rating: ★★★★★
Review Copy: ARC
Reviewed by: Lynsey
Buy Link: AMAZON



Synopsis: For those who have loved Seraphina and Graceling comes another truly fabulous fantasy...

For five centuries, a witch’s curse has bound the trolls to their city beneath the ruins of Forsaken Mountain. Time enough for their dark and nefarious magic to fade from human memory and into myth. But a prophesy has been spoken of a union with the power to set the trolls free, and when Cécile de Troyes is kidnapped and taken beneath the mountain, she learns there is far more to the myth of the trolls than she could have imagined.

Cécile has only one thing on her mind after she is brought to Trollus: escape. Only the trolls are clever, fast, and inhumanly strong. She will have to bide her time, wait for the perfect opportunity.

But something unexpected happens while she’s waiting - she begins to fall for the enigmatic troll prince to whom she has been bonded and married. She begins to make friends. And she begins to see that she may be the only hope for the half-bloods - part troll, part human creatures who are slaves to the full-blooded trolls. There is a rebellion brewing. And her prince, Tristan, the future king, is its secret leader.

As Cécile becomes involved in the intricate political games of Trollus, she becomes more than a farmer’s daughter. She becomes a princess, the hope of a people, and a witch with magic powerful enough to change Trollus forever.

Absolutely captivating.

This was a very entertaining and absorbing read, and the beginning of a story I have no doubt I will be continuing.

Human heroine Cecile is kidnapped and brought to the city of Trollus because she's thought to be part of a prophecy and the answer to a centuries-long curse that has kept the trolls entombed beneath the earth. She's thrown headlong into a marriage with the prince of trolls, a character whose layers are infinite and hard to determine. Political intrigue and treasonous plots abound, and motivations are often unclear. Cecile must use her wits to determine her place among such machinations, all the while trying to keep hold of her heart and not surrender it to her new husband.

The worlbuilding here was excellent. It's been a while since I've been so entranced by a setting. Characters were compelling yet subtly underplayed. The magical hierarchy was interesting and awful and the same time, and it was often impossible not to feel outraged on behalf of the half-humans who were mistreated so badly. It was also impossible not to feel for Cecile. She's put in many difficult situations and I thought she handled herself really well. Her transition throughout the book is quite remarkable, and as the final scenes came to a close, I was absolutely positive I would be pickling up the next instalment to see what she'll do next.


5 Stars ★★★★★
A copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Reviewed by: