THE INVOCATIONS By Krystal Sutherland

January 26, 2024 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

THE INVOCATIONS By Krystal SutherlandThe Invocations by Krystal Sutherland
Published by Nancy Paulsen Books on 1/30/24
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Horror & Ghost Stories, Mystery & Detective, Paranormal, Young Adult
Pages: 400
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

Three girls, one supernatural killer on the loose . . .

Zara Jones believes in magic because the alternative is too painful to consider—that her murdered sister is gone forever and there is nothing she can do about it. Rather than grieving and moving on, Zara decides she will do whatever it takes to claw her sister back from the grave—even trading in the occult.

Jude Wolf may be the daughter of a billionaire, but she is also undeniably cursed. After a deal with a demon went horribly wrong, her soul has been slowly turning necrotic. It’s a miserable existence marred by pain, sickness, and monstrous things that taunt her in the night. Now that she’s glimpsed what’s beyond the veil, Jude’s desperate to find someone to undo the damage she’s done to herself.

Enter Emer Byrne, an orphaned witch with a dark past and a deadly power, a.k.a. the solution to both Zara’s and Jude’s problems. Though Emer lives a hardscrabble life, she gives away her most valuable asset—her invocations—to women in desperate situations who are willing to sacrifice a piece of their soul in exchange for a scrap of power. Zara and Jude are willing, but they first have to find Emer.

When Emer’s clients start turning up dead all over London, a vital clue leads Zara and Jude right to her. If a serial killer is targeting her clients, Emer wants to know why—and to stop them. She strikes a tenuous alliance with Zara and Jude to hunt a killer before they are next on his list, even if she can’t give them in return what Zara and Jude want most: a sister and a soul.

Short and Sweet Review

The Invocations, centers around three girls, Zara, Jude, and Emer. After the death of her sister Savannah, Zara feels as if she has no choice but to believe in magic because she plans on bringing her sister back from the dead. Jude is looking for a witch to undo the damage she did to herself when she unsuccessfully tried a spell to attach her soul to a demon. Emer is a witch and she’s helped plenty of women by giving them invocations, but the women she’s helped are ending up murdered. The three girls end up connecting over their need to believe in something bigger than them and also to stop a killer.

This book is jam packed with action and we have three strong female characters that are at the forefront. Jude is somehow friends with an officer that lets Jude come in and look at some of the crime scenes and consult. Zara ends up finding Jude and together they find Emer who seems to be connected to all of the women being murdered. The three try to piece everything together and end up finding that the person behind this isn’t going to stop and he has it out for witches. I liked how dark this book was tone wise. Jude is dealing with some nasty stuff and because of that she’s been isolated from her family, this is why Jude is seeking out Emer, she needs a curse writer to get ride of the chronic pain she’s in by being tethered to demons. Zara believes that everything will be better if she just has her sister back which is why she also needs Emer. Emer is a talented curse writer and because of that her clients have become targets. Each girl brings something special to the book and they have a different personality. We get to read from all three POVs. This feels like one of those books where the characters start off with rocky family situations but end up finding family with the people who are now surrounding them. It was interesting to see how magic and demons worked in this book, it was also cool that only women were able to do magic.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and the dark tone of it. The demons, magic, and characters really brought everything to life.

Filed Under: Reviews

THESE DEADLY PROPHECIES By Andrea Tang

January 24, 2024 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

THESE DEADLY PROPHECIES By Andrea TangThese Deadly Prophecies by Andrea Tang
Published by G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers on 1/30/24
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Mystery & Detective, Young Adult
Pages: 255
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

Being an apprentice to one of the world's most famous sorcerers has its challenges; Tabatha Zeng just didn’t think they would include solving crime. But when her boss, the infamous fortuneteller Sorcerer Solomon, predicts his own brutal death—and worse, it comes true—Tabatha finds herself caught in the crosshairs.

The police have their sights set on her and Callum Solomon, her murdered boss’s youngest son. With suspicion swirling around them, the two decide to team up to find the real killer and clear their own names once and for all.

But solving a murder isn’t as easy as it seems, especially when the suspect list is mostly the rich, connected, and magical members of Sorcerer Solomon’s family. And Tabatha can’t quite escape the nagging voice in her head asking: just how much can she really trust Callum Solomon?

Short and Sweet Review

Tabitha is a sorcerers apprentice for Sorcerer Solomon one of the most famous sorcerers. For a while Sorcerer Solomon has been telling Tabitha about the prophecy of his death and it’ll be by someone he loves. When Solomon actually dies Tabitha becomes one of the suspects and she teams up with Callum, Solomon’s son, to figure out who actually killed him because they’re both the biggest suspects.

These Deadly Prophecies, is a book that really pulls you in and I think the biggest reason is Tabitha’s voice, she narrates the book to the reader like we’re friends and she’s telling you a story. It’s almost like those shows where someone breaks the 4th wall, Tabitha is amusing and a bit sarcastic, but she really knows how to tell a story. Anyway Sorcerer Solomon told her if he did die to go seek out Callum, which is what she does. They haven’t really talked much before this but now they’re spending lots of time together trying to figure out who in the family could have killed him or if it was one of his apprentices and why. The pacing was a little slow at first but once we see Tabitha and Callum start investigating things do start to pick up. The magic system here is interesting, Solomon, Tabitha, and Callum were working more with prophecies but we other characters that are able to do kinetics and illusions. The book was interesting because most of the suspects were family members like Solomons two other kids and his wife and mistresses. There’s a lot going on in this book, which could be a good or bad thing depending on how much content you like and how you have to keep up to piece everything together. The added element of magic to a mystery storyline made it even more extraordinary. I will say I wasn’t sure who the culprit was but the ending was satisfying and the mystery was wrapped up nicely.

Overall, These Deadly Prophecies was a fun ride! I definitely recommend this book for people who love mysteries and this one has the added element of magic and also if you enjoyed the movie Knives Out!

Filed Under: Reviews

THE HUNTING MOON By Susan Dennard

January 19, 2024 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

THE HUNTING MOON By Susan DennardThe Hunting Moon by Susan Dennard
Series: The Luminaries #2
Published by Tor Teen on 11/7/23
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Paranormal, Young Adult
Pages: 292
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
Buy on Amazon

Winnie Wednesday has gotten everything she thought she wanted. She passed the deadly hunter trials, her family has been welcomed back into the Luminaries, and overnight, she has become a local celebrity.

The Girl Who Jumped. The Girl Who Got Bitten.

Unfortunately, it all feels wrong. For one, nobody will believe her about the new nightmare called the Whisperer that's killing hunters each night. Everyone blames the werewolf, even though Winnie is certain the wolf is innocent.

On top of that, following her dad's convoluted clues about the Dianas, their magic, and what happened in Hemlock Falls four years ago is leaving her with more questions than answers.

Then to complicate it all, there is still only one person who can help her: Jay Friday, the boy with plenty of problems all his own.

As bodies and secrets pile up around town, Winnie finds herself questioning what it means to be a true Wednesday and a true Luminary—and also where her fierce-hearted loyalties might ultimately have to lie.

Short and Sweet Review

After the events of the last book Winnie Wednesday is basically a local celebrity in Hemlock Falls. She’s known as the girl who jumped or the girl who got bitten. But Winnie doesn’t have time to think about that because the whisperer is still out there killing hunters, but everyone thinks it’s the werewolf and Winnie knows they’re wrong. She’s also dealing with the fact that her dad left her clues about what happened to him and things about the Dianas. Winnie is dealing with a lot but she doesn’t really have anyone she can trust except for Jay, even then she’s wondering if everything she did to become a luminary was worth it.

We’re back in Hemlock Falls and we follow Winnie try to adjust to everything happening around her. Winnie tries to put it past her that everyone seems to want to talk to her now because she has bigger issues to deal with. One of the lead hunters was recently killed and the people in Hemlock seem to think the werewolf did it but Winnie knows there’s something more dangerous out in the forest. Winnie also starts to find things her dad left behind and she needs someone she can trust so she confides in Jay. In this book we get a bit more history about Hemlock Falls and what it actually means to be a Luminary. I did like that we got to learn more about the Dianas but of course I wanted more I feel like we just got to the surface layer and there’s way more at stake than what we saw. The relationships in this book are great. We don’t see much of Winnie’s mom or Darian because they’re trying to make sure that they can keep from being outcasts again. Winnie’s friendships with Fatima, Bretta, and Emma really shine in this book, they’re there for Winnie and are like her support system. We also have Jay who is a romantic interest and he’s also a big support system. I love Jay, he’s making up for not being around the past four years but you can tell he’ll do anything to keep Winnie safe. The ending leaves you wanting more, because there’s more questions that have to be answered. We see Winnie discover that another character has ties to the Dianas and I’m ready to find out what they know.

The Hunting Moon, was a good sequel. This book had more investigating and I feel like because of Winnie’s new status she was able to do the investigating that she needed to do. I’m just looking forward to the next book to see what will happen next and to have more questions answered!

Filed Under: Reviews

INTO THE SUNKEN CITY By Dinesh Thiru

January 17, 2024 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

INTO THE SUNKEN CITY By Dinesh ThiruInto the Sunken City by Dinesh Thiru
Published by HarperTeen on 1/23/24
Genres: Action & Adventure, Fantasy & Magic, Young Adult
Pages: 363
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
Buy on Amazon

For Jin Haldar, this life is nothing new—ever since her father died in a diving accident, she’s barely made ends meet for her and her younger sister, Thara.

Enter Bhili: a drifter who offers Jin and Thara the score of a lifetime—a massive stash of gold hidden in the sunken ruins of Las Vegas.

Jin knows it’s too dangerous. She stopped diving after her father’s accident. But when her sister decides to go, Jin’s left with only one choice: to go with her.

A ragtag crew is assembled—including Jin’s annoyingly hot ex-boyfriend. From there, a high-stakes heist ensues that’s beyond even Jin’s wildest fears. Crumbling ruins, sea beasts, corsairs, and a mysterious figure named João Silva all lie in wait. To survive, Jin will have to do what she promised herself she’d never do again: dive.

Short and Sweet Review

Ever since Jin’s dad died in a diving accident, she’s been finding it hard to make ends meet to keep the family in and care for her younger sister Thara. Jin swore she wouldn’t dive again but she will if it means keeping her and Thara together. Bhili is a drifter and she gets a room at the inn and she stays for a long time eventually earning the trust of Thara much to Jins dismay. Bhili ends up bringing trouble to the inn, but her solution is to go to the sunken city of Vegas and have Jin dive to get the gold that’s down there. Jin wants nothing to do with this plan but in a rapid pace Bhili gets a team together one that includes Jin’s ex Taim. Jin knows this will be dangerous but she has to go where Thara goes and the gold would be able to help them out tremendously.

Into the Sunken City was an interesting book, I haven’t read a book where the main character was a diver before. Jin is very head strong and she’s not very trusting of other people which drives her sister crazy, this quality in Jin also drove me crazy because it often led to her getting into arguments with other characters. I would say a majority of the scenes with Jin involve her arguing. Thara on the other hand was just naive and too willing to trust everyone around her. When Jin agrees to go to Vegas it’s because Thara is basically done with Jin calling all the shots and Jin doesn’t want to lose her sister. We see Jin, Thara, and Taim be captured by another pirate group and they end up having to do the Vegas dive for this guy. We don’t really know who to trust in this book and it feels like pirates are great liars. The biggest thing we see in this book is Jin’s love for her sister. I also liked that this world is different in that the states we know are basically under water. I wouldn’t really say there was a romance between Jin and Taim, mainly because Jin is still mad at him for joining the coast guard, also there wasn’t anytime for them to rekindle whatever they had.

Overall, this book was good and different. I think the plot was great but I didn’t jive with the characters, I love how different the world was and it was fun living through it and following Jin on her diving journey.

Filed Under: Reviews

THE LUMINARIES By Susan Dennard

January 12, 2024 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

THE LUMINARIES By Susan DennardThe Luminaries by Susan Dennard
Series: The Luminaries #1
Published by Tor Teen on 11/1/22
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Horror & Ghost Stories, Paranormal, Young Adult
Pages: 291
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
Buy on Amazon

Hemlock Falls isn't like other towns. You won't find it on a map, your phone won't work here, and the forest outside town might just kill you.

Winnie Wednesday wants nothing more than to join the Luminaries, the ancient order that protects Winnie's town—and the rest of humanity—from the monsters and nightmares that rise in the forest of Hemlock Falls every night.

Ever since her father was exposed as a witch and a traitor, Winnie and her family have been shunned. But on her sixteenth birthday, she can take the deadly Luminary hunter trials and prove herself true and loyal—and restore her family's good name. Or die trying.

But in order to survive, Winnie enlists the help of the one person who can help her train: Jay Friday, resident bad boy and Winnie’s ex-best friend. While Jay might be the most promising new hunter in Hemlock Falls, he also seems to know more about the nightmares of the forest than he should. Together, he and Winnie will discover a danger lurking in the forest no one in Hemlock Falls is prepared for.

Not all monsters can be slain, and not all nightmares are confined to the dark.

Short and Sweet Review

Winnie Wednesday lives in Hemlock Falls, an interesting town you won’t find on the maps and where the forest surrounding the town is filled with nightmares. After Winnie’s dad was found doing spells and associating with witches, Winnie, her brother Darian, and her mom have been exiled by the town. Now that Winnie is 16 she’s allowed to partake in the hunter trials and she’s hoping that this will be the first step in restoring her family’s status. Unfortunately, Winnie learns pretty fast that the forest is filled with a new kind of nightmare that no one is prepared for.

Winnie Wednesday has been exiled for the past four years, and now she has the chance to make up for her father’s mistakes by entering the hunter trials which consists of three different tasks. Winnie goes to the first trial and she ends up seeing a new kind of nightmare in the forest that most of the other hunters don’t know about. They end up calling this nightmare the whisperer and it has the ability to kill other nightmares in its vicinity, on that first trial it ends up killing a banshee and Winnie gets the credit for it. Winnie knows she should come clean but she just rolls with it and she also knows that if the whisperer is what she’s going to be dealing with she needs some serious help. Winnie asks Jay Friday her ex to help tutor her in everything she needs to know about killing nightmares and staying alive in the forest.

This is a fun world. I like that we follow Winnie through each of her trials and she’s an unlikely hero. Winnie isn’t someone who should be traversing the forest but she is. She’s also one of the few people who knows about the whisperer and is trying to make the other hunters aware which is harder said than done. I like how close knit Winnie and her brother and mom are, we also get an insight on how hard it was for all of them to be exiled. I liked learning about the forest and that the nightmares only come out when the sun goes down and are gone are sunrise. The atmosphere is creepy and it’s just strange that they all live in this town surrounded by this forest and they seem fine with it. Anyway I wanted to learn more about Winnie’s dad and his affiliation with the Dianas which are the witches. I feel like more things will be answered in the next book.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and found myself wanting more. I loved the short chapters and the pacing of the book. Winnie is a heroine who knows her strengths and she also knows that she shouldn’t be hunting nightmares but she’ll do it to keep people safe. I’m excited to see what will happen in the sequel!

Filed Under: Reviews

PHOENIX FLAME By Sara Holland

January 5, 2024 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

PHOENIX FLAME By Sara HollandPhoenix Flame by Sara Holland
Series: Havenfall #2
Published by Bloomsbury YA on 3/2/21
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Young Adult
Pages: 270
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
Buy on Amazon

Maddie Morrow thought her problems were over. She saved the Inn at Havenfall--a sanctuary between magical worlds hidden deep in the mountains of Colorado--from the evil Silver Prince. Her uncle the Innkeeper is slowly recovering from a mysterious spell that has left him not quite human. And there are still a few weeks of summer left to spend with her handsome, more-than-just-a-friend Brekken, even though she can't stop thinking about Taya.

But Maddie soon realizes there's more work to be done to protect the place her family has run for centuries. She must embark on a dangerous mission to put an end to the black-market trading of magical objects and open the Inn's doors to Solaria, the once feared land of shapeshifters.

As she tries to accomplish both seemingly impossible tasks, Maddie uncovers family secrets that could change everything. What if saving everyone means destroying the only home she's known?

Short and Sweet Review

Phoenix Flame picks up where Havenfall left off. Maddie saved the inn and her uncle so everything should be smooth sailing but it’s not. Maddie has to stop the trading of black market items and open the door to shapeshifters before everything is on a track to being okay.

Honestly something was off about this book and I’m going to say it was the pacing. Everything was happening so fast and this book is short, so it felt like everything was shoved into 270 pages. I wanted to like this book but it just felt so disjointed. Maddie recently saved the inn and now she’s dealing with the fact that her brother is alive and not dead and some new antagonist has kidnapped her mom. When Maddie goes through one of the doors to another world I thought we would see more of the world and why each place was so special but that didn’t happen, it was like she was there for two very short chapters. I feel like I can’t say a lot about this book mainly because it was so short and there was too much going on. Maddie isn’t the best at decision making and she put herself in danger most of the time. A lot of questions weren’t answered and when things were resolved it was just a let down.

Overall, this sequel can be described as a let down. I was really excited to read this book but I feel like things were rushed through and it just wasn’t good.

Filed Under: Reviews

DIVINE RIVALS By Rebecca Ross

December 22, 2023 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

DIVINE RIVALS By Rebecca RossDivine Rivals by Rebecca Ross
Series: Letters of Enchantment #1
Published by Wednesday Books on 4/4/23
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 356
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
Buy on Amazon

After centuries of sleep, the gods are warring again. But eighteen-year-old Iris Winnow just wants to hold her family together. Her mother is suffering from addiction and her brother is missing from the front lines. Her best bet is to win the columnist promotion at the Oath Gazette.

To combat her worries, Iris writes letters to her brother and slips them beneath her wardrobe door, where they vanish—into the hands of Roman Kitt, her cold and handsome rival at the paper. When he anonymously writes Iris back, the two of them forge a connection that will follow Iris all the way to the front lines of battle: for her brother, the fate of mankind, and love.

Short and Sweet Review

The Gods are at war and Iris wants to be able to keep her family together but it’s hard when her brother is fighting on the front lines and her mom is struggling with an addiction. Iris wants to win the position of columnist at the Oath Gazette where she works but her rival Roman isn’t going down without a fight. To calm her nerves and worrying, Iris writes letters to her brother and puts them under her wardrobe but unexpectedly she ends up getting a reply. Unbeknownst to Iris, Roman is the one replying. The two continue to write each other and it goes on for months even after Iris ends up leaving Oath.

The writing in this book was incredible, it was so immersive and captivating. Iris and Roman have had a rivalry for a while, but I think that Iris losing her mom and the letters that Roman was getting from her changed a lot for him. Iris on the other hand likes him but she knows they have no chance of being together. Iris leaves Oath and becomes a reporter for the front line and eventually Roman follows her. I did like getting to read the correspondence between the two and the fact that they were the ones with the only two typewriters made by a certain person was great. I did the first part of the book was slow for me personally but part two is when Iris is in her new position and things really picked up from there. Iris is resilient and smart, she’s also very quick on her feet. Roman is one of those guys who plays it cool but there’s more than just one layer to him. I loved seeing the story unfold with these two from working in an office, then sending letters back in forth, to a love story. I do wish I knew more about these Gods and the war that was going on. The book left off on a cliffhanger and I’m ready to see what’s going to happen next.

Overall, this book brings a fantasy and magic element to the prospects of war and also the romance between our two main characters. I loved the writing and just seeing everything play out.

Filed Under: Reviews

BORN OF DECEPTION By Teri Brown

December 7, 2023 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

BORN OF DECEPTION By Teri BrownBorn of Deception by Teri Brown
Series: Born of Illusion #2
Published by Balzer + Bray on 6/10/14
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Historical, Mystery & Detective, Paranormal, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 341
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
Buy on Amazon

After scoring a spot on a European vaudeville tour, Anna Van Housen is moving to London to chase her dream and to join an underground society for people like her with psychic abilities. But when Anna arrives, she finds the group in turmoil—one of its members has been kidnapped, and members of the society are starting to turn on one another. Her life in danger and her relationship with her boyfriend, Cole, fizzling, can Anna track down the kidnapper before he makes her his next victim—or will she be forced to pay the ultimate price for her powers?

Short and Sweet Review

Anna is in London after she got a spot with European Vaudeville tour, and she found an underground society with people like her with psychic abilities. When Anna gets to London she learns that things aren’t so great within the society, one of the members was kidnapped and the others aren’t sure if they can trust each other, to make matters worse her relationship with Cole isn’t going the way she wants. Anna wants to find whoever the kidnapper is before anyone else especially her becomes the next victim.

Born of Deception had the same problem Born of Illusion did for me, there wasn’t a lot going on. Anna is in London she’s apart of this tour to do magic and show off her abilities, and she’s also in with the society with other people with psychic abilities. The book has a good premise about someone being kidnapped and Anna trying to find the kidnapper but she’s not a detective and there wasn’t a lot of investigating on her part. We also have her romantic interest Cole who actually is investigating the missing person. Anna and Cole are supposed to be a thing but I don’t think it’s official which was ridiculous because those two lost it when they saw the other talking to someone who could have been considered another romantic interest. There was a bit of a love triangle between Anna, Cole, and a guy named Billy. I think this aspect is to blame for the book being subpar because Anna was jealous and thinking about Cole just brought her mood down. Anyway we see Anna do some magic tricks, meet other people in the society, and attempt to solve a mystery. The pacing of this book is slow and I think if there was more investigating it really would have picked things up.

Overall, I didn’t have the highest expectations for this book, but I was hoping that it would be better than the first book. I don’t think this duology was for me, I genuinely feel like there wasn’t a lot going on plot wise and that just made the book seem slow and dull.

Filed Under: Reviews

GARDEN OF THE CURSED By Katy Rose Pool

November 27, 2023 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

GARDEN OF THE CURSED By Katy Rose PoolGarden of the Cursed by Katy Rose Pool
Series: Garden of the Cursed #1
Published by Henry Holt and Co. on 6/20/23
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Mystery & Detective, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 347
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
Buy on Amazon

Since fleeing the gilded halls of Evergarden for the muck-filled canals of the Marshes, Marlow Briggs has made a name for herself as the best cursebreaker in Caraza City. But no matter how many cases she solves, she is still haunted by the mystery of her mother’s disappearance.

When Adrius Falcrest, Marlow's old friend and scion of one of Caraza's most affluent spell-making families, asks her to help break a life-threatening curse, Marlow wants nothing to do with the boy who spurned her a year ago. But a new lead in her mother’s case makes Marlow realize that the only way to get the answers she desperately seeks is to help Adrius and return to Evergarden society—even if it means suffering through a fake love affair with him to avoid drawing suspicion from the conniving Five Families.

As the investigation draws Marlow into a web of deadly secrets and powerful enemies, a shocking truth emerges: Adrius’s curse and her mother’s disappearance may just be clues to an even larger mystery, one that could unravel the very foundations of Caraza and magic itself.

Sweet and Short Review

When Marlow left Evergarden for the Marshes, she ended up making a name for herself as one of the best curse breakers. Marlow is hoping that she can eventually get a lead about her mother’s disappearance but until then she continues to take jobs. After finishing one job she runs into a former friend, Adrius Falcrest, who is a part of one of the five top families in Evergarden. Adrius asks Marlow for help because someone has cursed him and he doesn’t know who, and as much as Marlow wants to say no she ends up accepting, because the world of high society may have the clues to help find her mother.

Marlow is a great character and her story really draws you in. Marlow is a curse breaker and she takes jobs that lead her to dangerous places but she feels like each job she takes can lead her a bit closer to finding her mom. When Marlow bumps into Adrius she wants nothing more then to forget that she even saw him but the possibility that she can get even more information about her mom makes her reconsider helping him. Adrius has a compulsion spell on him and the only way Marlow can break it is to find the person who put it on him and this requires her and Adrius to spend a lot of time together. Adrius and Marlow take up the idea to pretend like they’re dating and although things didn’t work out so well for their friendship. I love how we see their relationship fleshed out and find out how things behind them got so bad, and why this rekindling is also like walking on ice. I did like seeing the magic system in this world and how curses work. The plot was great and keeps you reading mainly because you just want to find out who could have cursed Adrius but also more about Marlow’s moms disappearance.

Overall, this was a good book, I just want more of the questions that I have answered but I think I’ll have to wait until the sequel is released. Marlow and Adrius are great characters and I enjoyed the plot! This is a great read with an interesting magic system and amazing world building, definitely pick it up!

Filed Under: Reviews

FOUL HEART HUNTSMAN By Chloe Gong

November 22, 2023 by Leave a Comment

I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

FOUL HEART HUNTSMAN By Chloe GongFoul Heart Huntsman by Chloe Gong
Series: Foul Lady Fortune #2
Published by Margaret K. McElderry Books on 9/26/23
Genres: Fantasy & Magic, Historical, Romance, Young Adult
Pages: 560
Format: Ebook
Source: Reviewer Purchase
Buy on Amazon

Winter is drawing thick in 1932 Shanghai, as is the ever-nearing threat of a Japanese invasion.

Rosalind Lang has suffered the worst possible fate for a national spy: she’s been exposed. With the media storm camped outside her apartment for the infamous Lady Fortune, she’s barely left her bedroom in weeks, plotting her next course of action after Orion was taken and his memories of Rosalind wiped. Though their marriage might have been a sham, his absence hurts her more than any physical wound. She won’t rest until she gets him back.

But with her identity in the open, the task is near impossible. The only way to leave the city and rescue Orion is under the guise of a national tour. It’s easy to convince her superiors that the countryside needs unity more than ever, and who better than an immortal girl to stir pride and strength into the people?

When the tour goes wrong, however, everything Rosalind once knew is thrown up in the air. Taking refuge outside Shanghai, old ghosts come into the open and adversaries turn to allies. To save Orion, they must find a cure to his mother’s traitorous invention and take this dangerous chemical weapon away from impending foreign invasion—but the clock is ticking, and if Rosalind fails, it’s not only Orion she loses, but her nation itself.

Short and Sweet Review

The worst thing has happened to Rosalind Lang as a national spy, her cover has been blown and now everyone knows she’s the infamous Lady Fortune. Orion is still under his mothers control and Rosalind thinks that the best thing to do is to go on a national tour and get him back. Of course the tour goes awry and now the only way to save Orion is with the help from a lot of unsuspecting characters.

The first book in this duology was amazing but I think this sequel takes the cake. Rosalinds world is crashing down, her identity is no longer a secret, and Orion is gone and has no memory of her. Rosalinds goal is to get Orion back and to do that she decides to go on a national tour which goes wrong and ends up meeting with the mysterious JM who sent her a message in the last book. Rosalind works with Celia, Oliver, Alisa, Phoebe, and Silas. My favorite thing was seeing characters from the These Violent Delights duology especially Juliette and Roma. The book takes a lot of twists and turns and the group may make plans but nothing is straight forward. We see a lot of character growth from Rosalind, she isn’t as cold as she was in the previous book and she’s also coming to terms with what she did in These Violent Delights and also realizing its okay to show her emotions. I did like the relationship between Rosalind and Orion, I loved how she was willing to fight to get him back and was even patient with him when he didn’t remember her. There’s still a lot of political things going on around the characters and it was interesting to see how it impacted things around them. I think Alisa was an amazing character and she may have been a side character but she has main character energy, she brings it and I wouldn’t mind a book that focused on her. Phoebe was also a good character, she had a secret identity but she was willing to save her brothers even if it meant crossing her mother.

Foul Heart Huntsman is a great ending to this series, I loved these characters and the plot of this book, my favorite thing was seeing current and past characters work together. Gong does an amazing job of writing characters you care for and can connect with. The Foul Lady Fortune duology has made its way into my favorite series list, I can’t wait to see what Gong releases next!

Filed Under: Reviews