Review: Mark of the Warrior by Fonda Lee and Shannon Lee

Mark of the Warrior by Shannon Lee
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC and ALC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

This is the second book the the Breathmarked duology and picks up where book 1 left off. I do not recommend reading this as a standalone as there is quite a bit of setup and explanation in the first book.

This was such a wonderful conclusion to the duology. If you love martial arts this is a great novel. This delves into different fighting styles, I'm not sure if they are real or fictional, and how they are used to combat other styles. We finally learn how the twins Jun and Sai are connected and why they are so talented. I had my suspicions reading book 1, and the authors give us the answers about the brothers and the scrolls of Heaven and Earth that readers are looking for. This has plenty of action balanced with politics and drama to balance it out.

This has a nice found family vibe on Jun's side. The friends and allies he made in the first book are still travelling with him as he tries to find the stolen Scroll of Heaven. He also wants to reunite with his estranged brother and stop the war that is brewing if opposing forces get the Scroll of Earth that Sai aka High Keeper Mirror has been entrusted to guard. The brothers who used to be so close have to come to terms with the fact that fate has different plans for them. Unless they can figure out how to work together war will devastate the lands that they both want to unite and protect.

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Review: This Shattered Tempest: A Novel by Thea Guanzon

This Shattered Tempest: A Novel by Thea Guanzon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

This is the third and final book in the Hurricane wars series. This book cannot be read as a standalone, as the prior books provide so much information that lead up to this one. There is so much set up in the characters and the plot that would leave the reader lost if they started here.

This picks up where the last book left off. Talasyn and Alaric are both struggling with their feelings for each other after their political marriage has lead to something more than enemies with benefits. They are also struggling with their duties to their respective countries and the promises they've made to keep their people safe. It is clear that one if not both of them are going to have to betray the other and the fragile cease fire that their marriage enacted is quickly going to end. While we get to see Talasyn and Alaric's relationship develop, we also get Talasyn's inner monologue about how she truly feels about him and about what she is supposed to do and how that is going to impact their relationship. They have wonderful tender moments and passionate angry ones as well. There are well described action scenes with magic and warships. And as we have seen across the series political maneuvering by each and every player on the chess board, the question is can Talasyn and Alaric physically survive, and can their love transcend all of the pain and hurt that everyone, themselves included will cause before it is all over?

This was full of yearning, betrayal, action, emotion, magic, and dragons! I wasn't sure how Guanzon was going to end this without complete tragedy a la Romeo and Juliet or with everyone dying in complete apocalypse which they just stopped, but I was pleasantly surprised with the way she took it. It didn't feel rushed or like anything was left out. The author took her time appropriately addressing the betrayals from trusted insiders, explaining things she could have left alone for the reader to ponder, and giving us a really satisfying ending. I really loved this series!

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Review: Mortal Things by Marie Lu

Mortal Things by Marie Lu
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC and ALC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

This is the first book in a new YA series by Marie Lu. I assume it is a series, there are still alot of things left open. It is a unique take on gods and the powers they wield over humans and how they interact with the human world. Rose has been chosen by the god of death, and she hates her job and her patron. She wanted to be a doctor before she gave up her life to be a Harbinger of Death. She wanted to save lives, not take them. She constantly challenges her patron, but in the end she does what she is told. The harbingers of the gods only have each other as friends and family after they are chosen, so when one of their own is murdered in front of Rose and Étienne regent of the god of lies they are naturally driven to find out what happened. Death's own regent was recently killed and Rose is set to be promoted, but the gods call for her to tested first. Rose knows there is more to her test and the murders than anyone is willing to say, and Étienne who is always challenging her seems to be at the center of it. It doesn't help that he is administering her test and as much as he annoys her she is completely attracted to him.

This was great! There were parts that were a bit repetitive. I did get annoyed with Rose with her almost obsession with her former best friend Laine. I think that was a choice to show Rose's trauma of being given up as a baby and never feeling like she belonged, so when she finally had someone she latched on for dear life. I would like to see Étienne and Rose's relationship develop more. They don't actually spend alot of time on the page together doing couple things to build up the yearning and chemistry in my opinions. The scenes during the test were cool and getting to see his powers in action was very well done. We see his feeling for her on display, but not so much her feelings for him develop or them develop together. The display of all of the different god and harbinger powers was really cool, and Lu's writing shines in this department. We get lots of good world building.

I forgot to mention that this is told in alternating timelines from the current timeline when Rose is being positioned and tested to be the Regent of Death and the past when she was human before she knew anything about the gods and she had just met her best friend Laine who she sacrificed her life to save. I actually thought she an Laine were in a romantic relationship for most of the book the way those chapters were written and the way Rose obsesses about her. We come to learn that there is more to Laine, more to Étienne, and more to Rose and that her suspicion was correct that there was more to the story than anyone was letting on.



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Review: The Blood Queen by Sara Raasch and Beth Revis

The Blood Queen by Sara Raasch
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

This is the sequel to The Crimson Throne and you cannot read this as a standalone. This picks up where book 1 left off and there is too much information and setup in the first book that would leave the reader completely lost if they started with this one.

Alyth and Samson, knowing who the High Blade is now are trying to gain the help of the fae to save Scotland from her plans and her Red Cap army. They must evade the High Blade and prevent her from entering the fae court before all is lost. The fae princes, Alyth's father included, will only help so far as their own interests are threatened. The lovebirds can only trust each other as both sides seek to use them for their own gain.

I really enjoyed the lore that the team of Revis and Raasch wove into this story. If you have read my reviews before you know I love anything related to any kind of mythology or folklore. This leans into Celtic lore and their version of the fates, which I had never seen depicted this way. You always hear about the Roman/Greek fates, and the similarity of the weaving aspect of the Celtic trio was even mentioned in the book. I thought that was really interesting. I thought the authors did a great job mixing the historical court politics in with the fantasy elements of the fae and magic with the lore and romance. This was action packed and kept me engaged the whole time. I really loved this duology and hope to see more from this author duo in the future.

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Review: The Apothecary Diaries: Volume 1 by Natsu Hyuuga

The Apothecary Diaries: Volume 1 by Natsu Hyuuga
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided a digital review copy of this book via RB Media's Listening Circle Program, all opinions are my own.

This is the audio recording of Volume 1 of the Light Novel. If you have watched the anime it basically covers season 1 from beginning to end. If you haven't jumped into the show or the manga this is a great place to start. It explains the politics of the inner palace where our apothecary Maomao lives and works and how she came to be there. We also get a bit more of her backstory in the light novel than we do in the manga or the show. The narrator captured the humor and awkwardness of Maomao the lady-in-waiting and apothecary to one of the emperor's valued consorts and all of the things she gets up to helping around the palace. Her skills with plants and their medicinal uses prove handy in all sorts of mysterious situations and she becomes a valued asset to Jinshi. It also captures Jinshi's frustrations with her as she seems oblivious to his flirtations and never does what he expects.

I love Maomao's character. She is smart bringing her apothecary knowledge learned from her father as well as her street smarts learned from growing up in a brothel to the palace. She isn't a polished and poised lady like the other ladies in waiting who have trained to serve the consorts, but that allows her have different priorities and to see things with a different lens. Jinshi is some sort of secretary to the emperor, taking care of accounts and making sure the business at palace runs smoothly. I can't quite figure him out, as he clearly has some sort of feelings for Maomao but she either ignores them or doesn't see it. Their dynamics are hilarious and I can't wait to see how things play out as the solve more mysteries and divert more catastrophes. I love the show, the graphic novel version, the manga, and now the audio version of the light novel and can't wait for the rest of them to be released.

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Review: Witches by Brenda Lozano

Witches by Brenda Lozano
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via Edelweiss, all opinions are my own. It has been quite a while since I received the ARC and the book was published, so I opted to listen to the audiobook.

This was actually an interesting read. It follows Feliciana, who's character was inspired by a real woman, who practiced the healing arts and traditions of her people in rural Mexico. Then we have Zoe, a budding journalist, who lives a more American inspired life and eventually interviews Feliciana about her practices and ceremonies. The novel alternates between Zoe's and Feliciana's perspectives as we learn about their lives from childhood to adulthood, their families, their loves, their losses, and eventually to their meeting.

This was not what I expected at all. I really enjoyed getting to know these women and learning about their culture and their lives. Feliciana's life is impacted by the people around her, mainly her family and the healing practices that were mostly taught to men. Feliciana showed at an early age that she had a gift for practicing what she referred to as "the language" which some refer to as intuition, while others refer to as magic. Zoe's mother always had strong intuition, always knowing things well before she should, so naturally connecting with Feliciana was important to her. Both women were well written and this story covers alot of different topics from gender fluidity, domestic violence, teen pregnancy, grief, to love and motherhood.

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Review: The House of Gardenias by Isabel Cañas

The House of Gardenias by Isabel Cañas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

I love a good gothic horror and this delivered. This follows Minerva, a teenager from a poor, abusive family who decides to leave her home one day and find a job. She finds work as a lady's made for a widow who has ties to the loyalist political group. This is set in what resembles a colonial Mexico, but the country is never named outright. Minerva's patron is surly, but she has her convictions and she has saved her from a terrible life and given her a home. When a political change takes place putting the Viceroy back in power who happens to be cousin of Minerva's Lady Encarnación del Valle, they retreat to the family home. The home is ancient and has been inhabited by the del Valle's for many years but Minerva finds that they were not the original owners of the estate. When Lady Encarnación dies unexpectedly in front of Minerva, she learns that there may be something else living in the house other than the del Valles lurking in the shadows.

I really enjoyed following Minerva around Casa de la Gardenias. The author did a wonderful job making the estate atmospheric and creepy. The gothic elements really came through in both the descriptions of the estate, the people, and time period. She also did a great job explaining the political atmosphere and while the del Valles had their opinions and loyalties on politics and played their parts to keep their lavish lifestyle, you could feel the tension that politics played in the country and the impact it had on everyone in the book. You could also feel the caste system that was in place not only within the aristocracy but in those who worked for them between the various levels of servants. I appreciated that all of the people in the book were realistic, Minerva isn't some superhero main character, she is surviving the best she can given her circumstances and her actions aren't out of the realm of possibility. You can feel her fear coming off the page. I loved the paranormal aspect, I won't go too much into it as it would be a spoiler, but I felt it was well done. It develops slowly but all is eventually explained.

This is my first book by the author, but I will certainly be checking out more from her. I really enjoyed this and highly recommend it!

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