"Rise of the Dawnbringer"

 This was easily the best book I have read in the past two months!

 I loved almost everything about it and I HATE that I have to wait for the next book. This was everything I didn't know I needed in my next read. Adventure, slow-burn romance, magic, lies and deception, prophecies... I LOVED IT!

Princess Mara is approaching her 21st birthday and despite her reservations, she will most likely be  facing a marriage arranged by her uncle, the king. But the last thing Mara wants is the boredom of marriage. She longs for adventure and independence and to prove her worth to her Uncle and her kingdom. But no matter what she does, Mara cannot find a way to convince her uncle that she is strong enough to lead her kingdom on her own and protect them from the "darkness" outside their walls.

But Mara gets a bit more of an adventure than she was ready for when she is stolen from her room in the middle of the night by a group of Dreads... magic-wielders whose people are to blame for the darkness spreading across and corrupting their land. As Mara is whisked away through cursed forests and dangerous mountains passes far from her home, she begins to realize that her uncle has kept much from her about the world outside their kingdom gates. Revelations begin to come to light that shake the foundation of Mara's entire world. 

I easily read this book in less than a 24 hour time span. I just couldn't put it down. So often in fantasy books, I find myself comparing it to other plot lines from popular books, and I just couldn't do that with "Rise of the Dawbringer". The characters, the plot, the world building... it all had a freshness about it that made me fall in love with book.

I will 100% be reading the rest of this series and looking for more books by this author!!!

I only have two complaints about this book, and they are MINOR.

1. The journey from Mara's kingdom to the home of her kidnappers got a little repetitive by the time the third monster attacked their group. Monster attacked, Mara was protected by her kidnappers, they carried on. Monster attacked, Mara is saved by her kidnappers, they carried on. Definitely a minor criticism, but something that pulled me out of the story a bit. 

2. I NEEDED ONE MORE CHAPTER!!! The ending killed me! I need just ONE more chapter to show me what happened next! How am I supposed to wait until the next book?

BONUS: On the other hand, the bonus chapter at the end of the book from Cyfrin's perspective totally made up for my frustration with how the book ended. It was just what I needed.

Please read this book! You won't regret it!

"A Curse of Shadows and Ice"

 So there are a few things that are always a sure thing for me. 

Oreos, movies from the 80's and 90's, and "Beauty and the Beast" retellings. 

I have lost count of how many "Beauty and the Beast" retellings I have read in my life, but I never fail to enjoy them.

I actually didn't realize that "A Curse of Shadows and Ice" was a "Beauty and the Beast" retelling until I was a couple of chapters in. I had purchased the book some time ago on my Kindle and just got around to reading it this week. 

Arabella is the oldest princess of a kingdom that has outlawed magic. Unfortunately for Arabella, magic runs through her veins courtesy of her sorceress mother who was executed when her magic was discovered by the king. Arabella's life is only spared because the King's blood runs through her veins as well. Her whole life the nobility, the staff, and even peasants have whispered about her "curse" and shunned her, while favoring her younger, magic-less half-sister. After a lifetime of the whispers and her father's treatment, Arabella truly begins to believe she is cursed. 

Her fear is confirmed when the Shadow Emperor turns up in her father's kingdom and demands Arabella's hand in marriage in exchange for the Shadow Emperor's army leaving their kingdom in peace. After a hasty marriage ceremony, Arabella is whisked away to cursed land of ice and snow, and nothing is as Arabella thought it would be. Arabella's "cursed" magic may be the only thing that can save the Shadow Emperor's frozen kingdom, and the Shadow Emperor himself may just be the man Arabella needs. 

Overall, I enjoyed the story and the romance between Arabella and Felix. One of my favorite things about this retelling is that Arabella wasn't some weak damsel who simply had to wait around to fall in love with the beast in order to break the curse. She was powerful on her own, and within the beast's kingdom, she was respected for that power. Arabella's character growth over the course of the story was great to see as well. One of my favorite parts was when she returned to her home kingdom and had the chance to right some wrongs from her past. Loved it!

However, some parts of this book made me cringe. Some of the forced intimacy in the early chapters really put me off the story, but it smoothed out and got much better as the story went along.

Also, some parts of the story were just too rushed. I definitely think the climax of the story needed some more attention and detail. ESPECIALLY the part about Felix's mom and her role in the story. There was unexplored potential there that just seemed like a missed opportunity. 

Overall, I did enjoy the story, and I think this author will continue to grow with each book. I look forward to the next one. 

"Tethered" - The Binding Chronicles, Book 1

 So... I literally just finished reading "Tethered" by Elayna Gallea and I am so MAD that I have to wait a year to find out what happens in book 2!!!!

"Tethered" is an arranged marriage human/vampire romance story with strong "Twilight" and "A Court of Thorns and Roses" vibes. And while the similarities to these two popular series are almost too much at times, this was a highly enjoyable story that I was able to read easily in two days. There are also some unique qualities to this story that set it apart from these other series. The Biding Ceremony was an interesting concept as well as the two main characters being "tethered" It added a new dynamic to a story line that is very popular. 

The story follows Luna, a mortal girl of 21 one from a human kingdom, and Sebastian, a morally gray vampire prince. The romance between these two was definitely a slow burn and this was ultimately a clean romance, but I could see things heating up between these two characters in the next book. As the two main characters begin to reluctantly fall for each other, their entire world is threatened by something known as "The Darkness". Gallea doesn't go into much detail about this yet, but I think it will be playing a major role in the next book. 

There were times when Luna's actions or words made me roll my eyes, and Sebastian didn't really seem morally gray enough for his fearsome reputation, but that didn't stop me from rooting for these characters and enjoying the development of their relationship. 

Overall, this was a highly enjoyable book if you like romances, arranged marriages, monsters, and suspense. Parts of the story could have been fleshed out a bit more. For example, Luna's brother, the witch who cared for him, and the world building in general could have used a bit more attention, but that didn't detract from the overall feel of the story. 

Book one ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, so I have already pre-ordered book two. 

Now, I just have to wait...