Books 45-55
Dec. 4th, 2021 03:50 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lavendersparkI haven't had much time for posting and my computer is broken, so I haven't updated in a bit.
Here's what I've read in the last two months or so:
Aedon's captivity is over when darkness descends upon the realm. The elf's only choices become escape or death—a far cry from his past fame and notoriety as a legendary thief. Lost, alone, and desperate to escape the deadly beasts now stalking him, he does not count on meeting Lief, a ranger of the woodland elves...and Aedon's natural worst enemy.
Lief prides herself on being one of Lune's finest rangers—now, she is the only one left alive. She must alert the Queen at once that the realm's defences have been breached by unimaginably malevolent sorcery. The last thing she needs is to stumble upon an escaped prisoner.
Aedon and Lief become unlikely allies. Neither can survive without the other in a deadly race to outrun what hunts them. Lief must learn to trust another again, and Aedon must dust off his once legendary skills if they are to escape—but what else will bloom in the darkness that niether of them can deny?
An old enemy rises. Stronger than before. He will consume all in his path, until dominion over the world is his. Multiple fates are bound in an inexorable descent into darkness. This was a fantastic book. It took some getting used to as it bounced around between characters, but once I got used it,I really enjoyed the story.
Stolen magic. Rising evil. Tangled loyalties.
She stole a powerful artefact. He resurrected an ancient evil. They are mortal enemies and only one can survive… but both of them may be doomed in this heartrending saga of intrigue and betrayal.
Orphan Harper discovers a legendary Dragonheart...and instantly becomes the most wanted person in Pelenor, where magic, dragons, and elves rule. She must quickly learn how to survive - or die.
Searching for the elven King's missing Dragonheart is his ruthless Spymaster Dimitri, who has his own agenda to revolutionise Pelenor, and free it from the King's greed.
Harper is thrust into a web of intrigue beyond her knowledge, and her newfound companions - a roguish elven thief and his ragtag band - might not be the trustworthy friends she thinks.
When Harper and Dimitri's paths collide, the only thing more dangerous than lies might be the truth, but either might destroy them. Harper is forced to ally with the hated spymaster - and Dimitri is equally displeased his fate rests in her unworthy hands.
Harper and Dimitri must join forces to ensure both of them survive the King's wrath in a court where betrayal is as easy as breathing. The Dragonheart is key to both their successes - but only one can possess it, and the king will not suffer its loss.
Who will drown in deceit, and who will rise triumphant? This is part of the same universe as the first one, but takes place before it. Spoilers were pretty minimal as the stories are about 100 years apart. I enjoyed this one as well.
After reading those two, which were compared to Sarah J. Maas, I checked my library to see if things had calmed down enough for me to be able to check out the Thorns and Roses series, and I was!
When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin--one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.
As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow over the faerie lands is growing, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin--and his world--forever.
Feyre survived Amarantha's clutches to return to the Spring Court—but at a steep cost. Though she now has the powers of the High Fae, her heart remains human, and it can't forget the terrible deeds she performed to save Tamlin's people.
Nor has Feyre forgotten her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court. As Feyre navigates its dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms—and she might be key to stopping it. But only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future—and the future of a world cleaved in two.
FEYRE WILL BRING VENGEANCE.
She has left the Night Court - and her High Lord - and is playing a deadly game of deceit. In the Spring Court, Tamlin is making deals with the invading king threatening to bring Prythian to its knees, and Feyre is determined to uncover his plans. But to do so she must weave a web of lies, and one slip may spell doom not only for Feyre, but for her world as well.
As mighty armies grapple for power, Feyre must decide who to trust amongst the dazzling and lethal High Lords - and hunt for allies in unexpected places.
BUT WHILE WAR RAGES, IT IS HER HEART THAT WILL FACE THE GREATEST BATTLE.
Hope warms the coldest night.
Feyre, Rhys, and their close-knit circle of friends are still busy rebuilding the Night Court and the vastly-changed world beyond. But Winter Solstice is finally near, and with it, a hard-earned reprieve.
Yet even the festive atmosphere can't keep the shadows of the past from looming. As Feyre navigates her first Winter Solstice as High Lady, she finds that those dearest to her have more wounds than she anticipated--scars that will have far-reaching impact on the future of their Court.
Nesta Archeron has always been prickly-proud, swift to anger, and slow to forgive. And ever since being forced into the Cauldron and becoming High Fae against her will, she's struggled to find a place for herself within the strange, deadly world she inhabits. Worse, she can't seem to move past the horrors of the war with Hybern and all she lost in it.
The one person who ignites her temper more than any other is Cassian, the battle-scarred warrior whose position in Rhysand and Feyre's Night Court keeps him constantly in Nesta's orbit. But her temper isn't the only thing Cassian ignites. The fire between them is undeniable, and only burns hotter as they are forced into close quarters with each other.
Meanwhile, the treacherous human queens who returned to the Continent during the last war have forged a dangerous new alliance, threatening the fragile peace that has settled over the realms. And the key to halting them might very well rely on Cassian and Nesta facing their haunting pasts.
Against the sweeping backdrop of a world seared by war and plagued with uncertainty, Nesta and Cassian battle monsters from within and without as they search for acceptance—and healing—in each other's arms.
Overall, I enjoyed the series. I feel like I've read parts of it before, but couldn't find/remember where. Huge chunks of one of the books were very familiar.
Three years ago, London society changed forever, with a revolution placing the widowed Queen firmly on the throne her blue blood husband tried to take from her. Humans, verwulfen and mechs are no longer considered the lesser classes, but not everybody is happy with the new order...
Entire families have gone missing in the East End. When Caleb Byrnes receives an invitation to join the Company of Rogues as an undercover agent pledged to protect the crown, he jumps at the chance to find out who, or what, is behind the disappearances. Hunting criminals is what the darkly driven blue blood does best, and though he prefers to work alone, the opportunity is too good to resist.
The problem? He's partnered with Ingrid Miller, the fiery and passionate verwulfen woman who won a private bet against him a year ago. Byrnes has a score to settle, but one stolen kiss and suddenly the killer is not the only thing Byrnes is interested in hunting.
Soon they're chasing whispered rumours of a secret project gone wrong, and a monster that just might be more dangerous than either of them combined. The only way to find out more is to go undercover among the blue blood elite... But when their hunt uncovers a mysterious conspiracy, Byrnes and Ingrid must set aside their age-old rivalry if they have any chance at surviving a treacherous plot. This was a highly enjoyable read! The different levels of vampirism was interesting and the intrigue of the secret societies was engaging. I loved the characters and the story.
In the Nevada desert, an experiment has gone horribly wrong. A cloud of nanoparticles -- micro-robots -- has escaped from the laboratory. This cloud is self-sustaining and self-reproducing. It is intelligent and learns from experience. For all practical purposes, it is alive.
It has been programmed as a predator. It is evolving swiftly, becoming more deadly with each passing hour.
Every attempt to destroy it has failed.
And we are the prey. This wasn't terrible? It would have been much better if the author focused on telling a story and not trying to explain all the science. I ended up skipping around a lot to get back to the story.
A Cage of Gold and Lies by Selina Fenech I got this as an ARC from the author. It was previously released as part of an anthology, but I can't find it anywhere but good reads now. I don't know what happened to it. The stand alone that I read is due to be released next year after being pushed back. Its an excellent reimagined Rumplestilskin.
A curse. A hidden identity. A dangerous love.
Ten-year-old Persinette Basile was forced to flee the palace of Gaule for her life. Now at eighteen, she must find a way to return in order to obey a curse on her family line.
The prince won't know who she is. Not anymore. But she knows him and what he will do if he discovers her true name.
Made to fight for her life to earn her place, she vows to find a way to break the curse no matter the cost.
To. The. Death.
The words describing the tournament turn Prince Alexandre Durand's blood to ice.
The last warrior standing will win a spot at his side.
As he's thrust onto the throne, forbidden magic, dangerous betrayals, and a complicated love could tear his reign apart.
When the secrets begin to unravel, will Alex stay true to the laws and traditions of Gaule or will he give it all up for a woman who deceived him? This is listed as a reimagined Rapunzel, but I didn't see any similarities. It felt more like a sequel to sleeping beauty. I enjoyed it up until the end, but it was more I was upset with choices the characters made, not the author.
Here's what I've read in the last two months or so:
Aedon's captivity is over when darkness descends upon the realm. The elf's only choices become escape or death—a far cry from his past fame and notoriety as a legendary thief. Lost, alone, and desperate to escape the deadly beasts now stalking him, he does not count on meeting Lief, a ranger of the woodland elves...and Aedon's natural worst enemy.
Lief prides herself on being one of Lune's finest rangers—now, she is the only one left alive. She must alert the Queen at once that the realm's defences have been breached by unimaginably malevolent sorcery. The last thing she needs is to stumble upon an escaped prisoner.
Aedon and Lief become unlikely allies. Neither can survive without the other in a deadly race to outrun what hunts them. Lief must learn to trust another again, and Aedon must dust off his once legendary skills if they are to escape—but what else will bloom in the darkness that niether of them can deny?
An old enemy rises. Stronger than before. He will consume all in his path, until dominion over the world is his. Multiple fates are bound in an inexorable descent into darkness. This was a fantastic book. It took some getting used to as it bounced around between characters, but once I got used it,I really enjoyed the story.
Stolen magic. Rising evil. Tangled loyalties.
She stole a powerful artefact. He resurrected an ancient evil. They are mortal enemies and only one can survive… but both of them may be doomed in this heartrending saga of intrigue and betrayal.
Orphan Harper discovers a legendary Dragonheart...and instantly becomes the most wanted person in Pelenor, where magic, dragons, and elves rule. She must quickly learn how to survive - or die.
Searching for the elven King's missing Dragonheart is his ruthless Spymaster Dimitri, who has his own agenda to revolutionise Pelenor, and free it from the King's greed.
Harper is thrust into a web of intrigue beyond her knowledge, and her newfound companions - a roguish elven thief and his ragtag band - might not be the trustworthy friends she thinks.
When Harper and Dimitri's paths collide, the only thing more dangerous than lies might be the truth, but either might destroy them. Harper is forced to ally with the hated spymaster - and Dimitri is equally displeased his fate rests in her unworthy hands.
Harper and Dimitri must join forces to ensure both of them survive the King's wrath in a court where betrayal is as easy as breathing. The Dragonheart is key to both their successes - but only one can possess it, and the king will not suffer its loss.
Who will drown in deceit, and who will rise triumphant? This is part of the same universe as the first one, but takes place before it. Spoilers were pretty minimal as the stories are about 100 years apart. I enjoyed this one as well.
After reading those two, which were compared to Sarah J. Maas, I checked my library to see if things had calmed down enough for me to be able to check out the Thorns and Roses series, and I was!
When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin--one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.
As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow over the faerie lands is growing, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin--and his world--forever.
Feyre survived Amarantha's clutches to return to the Spring Court—but at a steep cost. Though she now has the powers of the High Fae, her heart remains human, and it can't forget the terrible deeds she performed to save Tamlin's people.
Nor has Feyre forgotten her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court. As Feyre navigates its dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms—and she might be key to stopping it. But only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future—and the future of a world cleaved in two.
FEYRE WILL BRING VENGEANCE.
She has left the Night Court - and her High Lord - and is playing a deadly game of deceit. In the Spring Court, Tamlin is making deals with the invading king threatening to bring Prythian to its knees, and Feyre is determined to uncover his plans. But to do so she must weave a web of lies, and one slip may spell doom not only for Feyre, but for her world as well.
As mighty armies grapple for power, Feyre must decide who to trust amongst the dazzling and lethal High Lords - and hunt for allies in unexpected places.
BUT WHILE WAR RAGES, IT IS HER HEART THAT WILL FACE THE GREATEST BATTLE.
Hope warms the coldest night.
Feyre, Rhys, and their close-knit circle of friends are still busy rebuilding the Night Court and the vastly-changed world beyond. But Winter Solstice is finally near, and with it, a hard-earned reprieve.
Yet even the festive atmosphere can't keep the shadows of the past from looming. As Feyre navigates her first Winter Solstice as High Lady, she finds that those dearest to her have more wounds than she anticipated--scars that will have far-reaching impact on the future of their Court.
Nesta Archeron has always been prickly-proud, swift to anger, and slow to forgive. And ever since being forced into the Cauldron and becoming High Fae against her will, she's struggled to find a place for herself within the strange, deadly world she inhabits. Worse, she can't seem to move past the horrors of the war with Hybern and all she lost in it.
The one person who ignites her temper more than any other is Cassian, the battle-scarred warrior whose position in Rhysand and Feyre's Night Court keeps him constantly in Nesta's orbit. But her temper isn't the only thing Cassian ignites. The fire between them is undeniable, and only burns hotter as they are forced into close quarters with each other.
Meanwhile, the treacherous human queens who returned to the Continent during the last war have forged a dangerous new alliance, threatening the fragile peace that has settled over the realms. And the key to halting them might very well rely on Cassian and Nesta facing their haunting pasts.
Against the sweeping backdrop of a world seared by war and plagued with uncertainty, Nesta and Cassian battle monsters from within and without as they search for acceptance—and healing—in each other's arms.
Overall, I enjoyed the series. I feel like I've read parts of it before, but couldn't find/remember where. Huge chunks of one of the books were very familiar.
Three years ago, London society changed forever, with a revolution placing the widowed Queen firmly on the throne her blue blood husband tried to take from her. Humans, verwulfen and mechs are no longer considered the lesser classes, but not everybody is happy with the new order...
Entire families have gone missing in the East End. When Caleb Byrnes receives an invitation to join the Company of Rogues as an undercover agent pledged to protect the crown, he jumps at the chance to find out who, or what, is behind the disappearances. Hunting criminals is what the darkly driven blue blood does best, and though he prefers to work alone, the opportunity is too good to resist.
The problem? He's partnered with Ingrid Miller, the fiery and passionate verwulfen woman who won a private bet against him a year ago. Byrnes has a score to settle, but one stolen kiss and suddenly the killer is not the only thing Byrnes is interested in hunting.
Soon they're chasing whispered rumours of a secret project gone wrong, and a monster that just might be more dangerous than either of them combined. The only way to find out more is to go undercover among the blue blood elite... But when their hunt uncovers a mysterious conspiracy, Byrnes and Ingrid must set aside their age-old rivalry if they have any chance at surviving a treacherous plot. This was a highly enjoyable read! The different levels of vampirism was interesting and the intrigue of the secret societies was engaging. I loved the characters and the story.
In the Nevada desert, an experiment has gone horribly wrong. A cloud of nanoparticles -- micro-robots -- has escaped from the laboratory. This cloud is self-sustaining and self-reproducing. It is intelligent and learns from experience. For all practical purposes, it is alive.
It has been programmed as a predator. It is evolving swiftly, becoming more deadly with each passing hour.
Every attempt to destroy it has failed.
And we are the prey. This wasn't terrible? It would have been much better if the author focused on telling a story and not trying to explain all the science. I ended up skipping around a lot to get back to the story.
A Cage of Gold and Lies by Selina Fenech I got this as an ARC from the author. It was previously released as part of an anthology, but I can't find it anywhere but good reads now. I don't know what happened to it. The stand alone that I read is due to be released next year after being pushed back. Its an excellent reimagined Rumplestilskin.
A curse. A hidden identity. A dangerous love.
Ten-year-old Persinette Basile was forced to flee the palace of Gaule for her life. Now at eighteen, she must find a way to return in order to obey a curse on her family line.
The prince won't know who she is. Not anymore. But she knows him and what he will do if he discovers her true name.
Made to fight for her life to earn her place, she vows to find a way to break the curse no matter the cost.
To. The. Death.
The words describing the tournament turn Prince Alexandre Durand's blood to ice.
The last warrior standing will win a spot at his side.
As he's thrust onto the throne, forbidden magic, dangerous betrayals, and a complicated love could tear his reign apart.
When the secrets begin to unravel, will Alex stay true to the laws and traditions of Gaule or will he give it all up for a woman who deceived him? This is listed as a reimagined Rapunzel, but I didn't see any similarities. It felt more like a sequel to sleeping beauty. I enjoyed it up until the end, but it was more I was upset with choices the characters made, not the author.
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