Lauren Roberts’ Reckless, the second book in the Powerless trilogy, has all the ingredients for a standout sequel: enemies-to-lovers tension, an escalating rebellion, and a fantasy world begging to be explored. Unfortunately, while it starts strong, it relies too heavily on recycled banter, a stalled plot, and underwhelming character development. Ultimately, Reckless feels like a…
Lauren Roberts’ Powerful revisits the world of Powerless, offering readers Adena’s perspective during the same timeline. While the novella attempts to expand on the fan-favorite character’s story, it ultimately struggles to leave a lasting impact, falling into many of the same pitfalls as the first book. Despite some emotional punches and intriguing developments, Powerful lacks…
Narrated by Joel Leslie Tobias Lykke is big, awkward, and accustomed to spending his holidays alone. This year, however, his godmother—who may or may not be an Italian countess—gives him an elf doll originally entrusted to her by her second husband, who might or might not have been a wizard. An evening of THC snickerdoodles…
A monsoon is moving in while Prince Alaric, the Night Emperor’s son, and Talasyn, his new bride, frantically try to merge their magic to protect their world from an advancing enemy. This fantasy romance, set in Southeast Asia, is the second book in The Hurricane Wars series. I liked A Monsoon Rising even better than…
Ruby Dixon’s Bull Moon Rising is a departure from her outer space-set Ice Planet Barbarians series and thrusts the reader into a medieval fantasy world complete with mythical creatures and magic. It’s got the scorching heat one expects from this author’s books, but combined with some new, endearing characters, and intriguing worldbuilding, it’s a highly…
Lauren Roberts’ Powerless is the kind of book that feels tailor-made for BookTok—a fast-paced, trope-heavy young adult fantasy brimming with tension, witty banter, and forbidden romance. While it doesn’t do anything groundbreaking, Powerless is undeniably addictive, mixing familiar elements with just enough intrigue to draw readers in and leave them begging for the next book….
Narrated by Matt Simpson Breeze Spells and Bridegrooms has a Regency-esque feel, set in a world where fae and humans live alongside each other, magic is a part of life, and homosexuality is accepted. While humans and fae interact, their magic is very different. Roger Barnes, a rather ordinary human, is paired with Wyndham Wrenwhistle,…
I liked large chunks of This Will Be Fun. Humor, worldbuilding, drama and deep emotions are mashed into a entertaining package, but the ending does some major damage to the narrative. Nevertheless, it should provide a thrill or two for any fans of Critical Role or other character-driven fantasy. Galwell True, aka Galwell the Great,…
Vilest Things is a mixed bag of a book. Chloe Gong is one of the most talented fantasy authors I’ve ever encountered, but wheel-spinning is the name of the game for the next chapter in the Flesh and False Gods universe. The complex heroine, Calla, is, as always, interesting to follow, but the worldbuilding, while…
Narrated by Zachary Johnson Nazri Noor’s fast-paced and imaginative fantasy/urban fantasy romances are a lot of fun and I’ve enjoyed a number of his books over the past couple of years. His latest release, Grave Misfortune, is in the unique position of (I think) being the only standalone he’s published, so if you want to…
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