Tag: adult fantasy

Book Reviews, Products I love!!

Blog Tour: Gild by Raven Kennedy

Megan Nicole

Today I’m excited to participate in the Bookstagram & Creative Tour for Gild by Raven Kennedy hosted by MTMC Tours! By bestselling author Raven Kennedy, comes the first book in a stunning new fantasy series where the myth of King Midas is reimagined. With romance, intrigue, and danger, the gilded world of Orea will grip you from the very first page. Perfect for fans of Sarah J Maas and Jennifer L Armentrout!

Title: Gild
Series: The Plated Prisoner #1. Author: Raven Kennedy. Publication Date: December, 2020
Genres: Adult Fantasy

Purchase a copy: Amazon | Book Depository | Indiebound | Blackwell’s
Add on Goodreads!

Synopsis: The fae abandoned this world to us. And the ones with power rule.

Gold.

Gold floors, gold walls, gold furniture, gold clothes. In Highbell, in the castle built into the frozen mountains, everything is made of gold.

Even me.

King Midas rescued me. Dug me out of the slums and placed me on a pedestal. I’m called his precious. His favored. I’m the woman he Gold-Touched to show everyone that I belong to him. To show how powerful he is. He gave me protection, and I gave him my heart. And even though I don’t leave the confines of the palace, I’m safe.

Until war comes to the kingdom and a deal is struck.

Suddenly, my trust is broken. My love is challenged. And I realize that everything I thought I knew about Midas might be wrong.

Because these bars I’m kept in, no matter how gilded, are still just a cage. But the monsters on the other side might make me wish I’d never left.

The myth of King Midas reimagined. This compelling adult fantasy series is as addictive as it is unexpected. With romance, intrigue, and danger, the gilded world of Orea will grip you from the very first page.

Please Note: This book contains explicit content and darker elements, including mature language, violence, and non-consensual sex. It is not intended for anyone under 18 years of age. This is book one in a series.

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INTL Tour-wide Instagram Giveaway!

Enter the Rafflecopter below to win 1 of 10 digital copies of Gild.
Ends on May 22nd, 2021. Winners will be announced in the rafflecopter & contacted via email by MTMC Tours.


Rafflecopter link:http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/2aeeb25b83/?

INTL Tour-wide Instagram Giveaway!

Head over to my Instagram account where 10 additional digital copies are up for grabs. Ends on May 22nd, 2021. Winners will be announced on @mtmctours’ Instagram account.

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About Raven Kennedy:

Raven Kennedy writes in a range of genres, including fantasy, paranormal, contemporary, dark romance, and romcoms.

Whether she makes you laugh or cry, she loves creating worlds and making characters you can root for.

She is a California girl born and raised, drinker of tea, and lover of dark chocolate. When she’s not writing, she can be found binge watching The Office and The Great British Baking Show, or with her nose stuck in a book.

Website | Instagram | Goodreads

Book Boxes, Bookish Merch, Products I love!!

Bite Me Box- February Unboxing and Review

Megan Nicole

Bite Me Box- February Unboxing and Review

Bite Me Box Dystopian Romance Unboxing and Review

  • Theme: Dystopian Romance
  • Overall: ***
  • Cost: $55 USD shipping included
  • Quality of items: ***
  • Shipping: *** They struggled a bit with shipping for this months box. They ship with Fedex which is a down side for me as I always seem to have challenges with them. My box arrived damaged and they responded very quickly at first saying they would get replacements out. I reached out to follow up over a week later and the request had not yet been put in, but was successful this time and I received the replacement items in a bubble envelope a little over a week later.
  • Value for the money: **** While the box did come with three books that are exclusive prints most of the books chosen for the boxes I have found can be read for free through Kindle Unlimited. So while it is neat to have them in print and often with a signed book plate it is quite costly in comparison.

Whats in the box:…. once you get past that steaming lid…

  • 3 Books with book plates- all Bite me Box Prints
    • Taken by the Alpha by
    • Lawless by Crytstal Ash
    • Wolf Hollow by Nikki Jefford
  • Bio hazard themed lip balm
  • Recyclable Pen with plant seeds
  • Bullet themed metal reusable water bottle
  • Bag of provisions (Tootsie rolls)
  • Bite me box charm
  • Packet of extra content from the authors
  • Signed book mark from Crystal Ash

Bite Me Box Dystopian Romance Unboxing and Review

Bite Me Box has decided to take a hiatus like many other bookish companies due to concerns and shipping delays due to COVID-19. They advised they also plan to do some revamping and come back ever better than before. While this box was not a 5 star for me, I enjoyed others that I have seen and will for sure be giving them another try when they come back.

Have you tried Bite Me Box? Or are there other adult boxes you think I should try out?

Book Reviews, Products I love!!

House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City #1) by Sarah J. Maas Book Review

Megan Nicole

House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City #1) by Sarah J. Maas Book Review

House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City #1) by Sarah J. Maas Book Review

  • Overall: ****/5
  • Romance: ****
  • Reading Rate: ***
  • Pages: 803
  • Recommend if you liked: Other Maas works, Fever Series
  • Release Date: March 3, 2020
  • Publisher:Bloomsbury

This book was arguably the most anticipated Fantasy release of the year and I myself could not wait to get my hands on one. I was so happy I took advantage of the virtual signing Sarah did to get a signed and personalized book, even if it didn’t arrive until a week after publication date.

If you are a Maas fan this book will be right up your alley, if you are not… even with it making the change to the “adult” space I still don’t think you will be a fan. There was not much more “mature” about this book than anything Maas has written before, the language used was really the only difference I noticed. She also went for more of a slow burn style vs hopping into love like her other works (we will just have to wait and see if this means a guy might make it through the series).

While I ended up enjoying the story and will 100% be picking up the next book in the series as soon as it comes out, I could not give the book 5 stars.

What I liked:

  • True to SJM form we had lots of snarky, smart characters that you cant help but love.
  • A really interesting world (that almost gave me Daughter of Smoke and Bone vibes). The whole story really took place in one large city so I cannot wait to experience more if the world.
  • I really enjoy when an immediate storyline is wrapped up but still open for the future. I was happy with the ending and ready for more without it being a cliff hanger that left me dreading the wait between books.

What I struggled with:

  • While I enjoyed the characters there were a lot that gave me feels of characters she had already written, and basically took and put into a new setting. I think this is also just a casualty of reading an author with a specific style over and over.
  • There was a lot of slow build to this story so it did not have that “suck me in” factor her other works have done. I was able to read the book in small spurts without feeling the draw to know what is going to happen next. That is until the last 200 pages…. be prepared to sit down and finish the book out when you get there.
  • I think every character in every conversation throughout the entire book said “Hel” at least once… just a few chapters I was done hearing the word (and it usually takes A LOT for me to be annoyed with an element like that in writing).

Synopsis: I think its better to go into this book not reading it though*

Bound by blood.
Tempted by desire.
Unleashed by destiny.

Bryce Quinlan had the perfect life—working hard all day and partying all night—until a demon murdered her closest friends, leaving her bereft, wounded, and alone. When the accused is behind bars but the crimes start up again, Bryce finds herself at the heart of the investigation. She’ll do whatever it takes to avenge their deaths.

Hunt Athalar is a notorious Fallen angel, now enslaved to the Archangels he once attempted to overthrow. His brutal skills and incredible strength have been set to one purpose—to assassinate his boss’s enemies, no questions asked. But with a demon wreaking havoc in the city, he’s offered an irresistible deal: help Bryce find the murderer, and his freedom will be within reach.

As Bryce and Hunt dig deep into Crescent City’s underbelly, they discover a dark power that threatens everything and everyone they hold dear, and they find, in each other, a blazing passion—one that could set them both free, if they’d only let it.

Have you read House of Earth and Blood yet? What did you think if it?

Book Reviews, Products I love!!

The Sisters Grimm Book Review

Megan Nicole

The Sisters Grimm by Manna van Praag Book ReviewThe Sisters Grimm by Menna van Praag

  • Overall: ***
  • Romance:**
  • Reading Rate: *
  • Pages: 448
  • Publication date:March 31, 2020
  • Publisher: Harper Voyager
  • Purchase on Amazon HERE
  • Recommend if you liked: Serpent & Dove

I was sooo thrilled when I was approved for an advanced copy of this book and just knew it was going to be a 5 start read for me.

This is a dark and heartbreaking story mixing the struggles of mortal life with a fantasy twist that makes you question the lines of good and evil. The author did a great job of getting you intimately acquainted with all the main characters and the nature of Everwhere. I do wish there was more background on the world and reasoning behind the setup of the Sisters and Soldiers. The lack of information really made it challenging to root for a side as you really did not understand the consequences of their choices.

I struggled with the format of the book, it bounces between multiple timelines and points of view, some of the entries were only a paragraph long before hopping to the next POV so it was very distracting and hard to stay immersed. Normally if I am sucked into a book it only takes me days to read while this book took me several weeks and I really had to push through to finish.  I also struggled with the level of sadness in the book, it seemed that each girl only encountered more loss and there was not a lot of positive outlook, even in the end. The synopsis leads you to think this story is much “fluffier” than it truly is.

Synopsis

Once upon a time, a demon who desired earthly domination fathered an army of dark daughters to help him corrupt humanity . . .

As children, Goldie, Liyana, Scarlet, and Bea dreamed of a strange otherworld: a nightscape of mists and fog, perpetually falling leaves and hungry ivy, lit by an unwavering moon. Here, in this shadowland of Everwhere, the four girls, half-sisters connected by blood and magic, began to nurture their elemental powers together. But at thirteen, the sisters were ripped from Everwhere and separated. Now, five years later, they search for one another and yearn to rediscover their unique and supernatural strengths. Goldie (earth) manipulates plants and gives life. Liyana (water) controls rivers and rain. Scarlet (fire) has electricity at her fingertips. Bea (air) can fly.

To realize their full potential, the blood sisters must return to the land of their childhood dreams. But Everwhere can only be accessed through certain gates at 3:33 A.M. on the night of a new moon. As Goldie, Liyana, Scarlet, and Bea are beset with the challenges of their earthly lives, they must prepare for a battle that lies ahead. On their eighteenth birthday, they will be subjected to a gladiatorial fight with their father’s soldiers. If they survive, they will face their father who will let them live only if they turn dark. Which would be fair, if only the sisters knew what was coming.

So, they have thirty-three days to discover who they truly are and what they can truly do, before they must fight to save themselves and those they love.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for a copy of Sisters Grimm in exchange for my honest review.