Review: Grace and Glory by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Grace and Glory by Jennifer L. Armentrout
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received an ARC via Edelweiss+, all opinions expressed are my own.

It is always bittersweet coming to the end of a beloved series. I honestly had no idea how this was going to play out. When Rage and Ruin ended I had no idea how Jen was going to get us back on track after that cliffhanger. I honestly loved this series. The Dark Elements is still my favorites series of Jen's and this was an amazing way to expand that world and give some of my favorite characters more page time. I'm so glad that she decided to expand the series and give Zayne the story he deserved!

This particular book, walks the line of new adult and young adult when it comes to the intimate scenes between Trinity and Zayne. It isn't overly graphic, but there are quite a few bedrooms scenes and they are fairly steamy even for YA. I think this would be OK for mature YA readers, but it is something to be aware of. If you are looking for something a little more steamy the romance department, I think you will find this one a bit lacking. This does however deliver in the humor and banter department, which is one of my favorite things about Jen's books.

This book was the conclusion the series needed and deserved. I loved Zayne in The Dark Elements, but I didn't love him with Layla. I am 100% Team Roth there! I loved Zayne in The Harbinger series as he got to be the hero and I loved him with Trinity. I really love them together and their development together. I really felt that the storyline wrapped up nicely, with the ability for Jen to revisit other character arcs if she ever wanted to, but if she doesn't that is OK. This was full of action and despite this book pushing just over 500 pages you will not want to put it down. It is hard to review the plot without spoiling anything, but know that everything will be OK, just keep reading. Jen never let's us down in the end, she just likes to leave us with nasty cliffhangers in the middle, but she always comes through with a good ending. She even throws in some surprises that you didn't see coming. I very much enjoyed this last installment and the series. If you are a fan of Jen's YA works I highly recommend this one!
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Review: Rage and Ruin by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Rage and Ruin by Jennifer L. Armentrout
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.  This comes out on June 9, 2020.

It is no secret that Armentrout Jennifer L. (J. Lynn) is one of my favorite authors. This spin off to The Dark Elements trilogy is awesome and this sequel to Storm and Fury is packed with action, excitement, and emotion. We also have guest appearances by characters from The Dark Elements series, so if you need a Layla, Roth, and Bambi you will get that too. The main focus is on Trinity and Zayne as they navigate the bond bestowed upon them at the end of book 1 and the attraction they were developing before the bond. I always loved Zayne and I'm really happy that he and Trinity have found each other.

The plot is pretty straight forward, Zayne is now Trinity's protector and they have to work together to find the Harbinger and stop him from bringing on the apocalypse. They like each other but Warden Proctors are forbidden from romantic entanglements with their bonded Trueborn. So not only do they have to fight demons as they patrol Washington DC, they have to fight their feelings for each other. This naturally creates a lot of tension, especially when they are thwarted at every turn by the Harbinger. On top of all of that Trinity is struggling with her role in all of this. She is still grappling with events from the first book, and deals with her guilt and feelings by ignoring what happened with Misha. If you don't know what I'm talking about you need to read Storm & Fury. She pushes everyone away and makes a lot of impulsive decisions. This makes her appear really immature at times, as she lashes out and makes some rash decisions. You have to remember she's only 18, and given that she's got the weight of the world on her shoulders and feels like she's got to soldier on to save the world and the people she loves, I cut her some slack for the things she does and says when stressed. I love her banter with Zayne, both good natured and bad. Trinity learns alot about herself in this book and the rules that have governed her life to this point. She has to decide if she is going to let those rules and emotions hold her back or help her defeat her enemy.

Overall, I really enjoyed the plot and the characters. If you are a fan of Jen's writing and this series, I think you will really like where the story is headed. All I will leave you with is this...that ending! Jen really knows how to put her readers on the edge of their seats. I won't spoil anything, but just know that there were some unexpected events towards the end that will cause long time fans to have an emotional crisis. I usually hate cliffhangers, but this was a good one and I can't wait for the next installment! The book also closes in a good place so while the last few lines leave you with that "What just happened?" feeling, the book does close nicely leaving you with some decent closure.





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Review: Storm and Fury by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Storm and Fury by Jennifer L. Armentrout
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is one of my most anticipated new series. As many of you know this series is a spin off to The Dark Elements, which is one of my all time favorites. While Roth and Layla do appearances as supporting characters, this focuses on characters and takes place 6-7 months after that series ends. If you've read that series, several characters from that series are present, Bambi does make a cameo which made me very happy. If you haven't read the original series, I recommend it because it is my favorite, but I don't think it is 100% necessary. Jen does a great job setting up the story for this new series without you needing to have read the previous books. She tells you what you need to know to set up the plot and gives you the backstory on anything mentioned that happened in the past.

This story follows Trinity, a half human half something else who has been raised and trained with the Wardens for most of her life. Wardens gargoyles shape shifters who look human in one state and are badass demon fighting warriors in their other form. Trinity has some very special abilities that make her enticing to demons and anything else supernatural, so she has been hiding amongst the Wardens. When strange things start happening in Washington DC a contingent from that clan come to visit and she immediately develops a connection with Zayne. Zayne has a ton of emotional baggage, but he is drawn to Trinity and her stubborn, snarky, impulsive ways. When Trinity is attacked at her own compound and her best friend is kidnapped, Zayne learns her true identity. In an effort to find out what is killing Wardens and demons and find her friend, Zayne and Trinity decide to work together. What Trinity learns during her time in Washington changes everything she was raised with.

I really loved this! I loved that Jen wrote her eye disease retinitis pigmentosa into one of her characters. I've been a fan of Jen's for a very long time and she talks openly about it on her social media, so I knew Trinity was going to have this disease. I love that she didn't let her failing eyesight stop her from being fearless. The part where she talks to Zayne about seeing the stars is beautiful. I'm really happy to see Zayne in this vulnerable stage, where he's trying to deal with his baggage. I also was so happy to get back to Roth and Zayne snarking at each other. One of my favorite things about Jen's books is the snark she writes between her characters, and no one does snark better than Roth. I like where the characters ended development-wise. They still have more development to do, but I like where they started and ended in this book. Knowing that the development will happen over the course of the series, I know they will get where they need to go y the end of it. I have lots of questions about this Harbinger, but I'm sure they will be answered with time. This follows alot of common themes in paranormal romance and books with a chosen one. It is similar in tone and cadence to Jen's other books, which I like.

At the end of the day fans of JLA and the previous series are sure to love this. It is similar to the first series, but different enough to pull you in and keep you interested. Paranormal romance fans will enjoy this as it has all the right elements of action, emotion, and interesting creatures.

I can't wait for book 2!



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