Favourites of the year part 1

Highlights of the Year so Far

Fantast Romance / Romantasy

This year so far I have managed to read a total of 54 books. Which is good for me at this point in the year. It has been a good reading year for me, with a mix of genres, though most are romance and fantasy. I have decided to share some of the ones that have really stood out to me so far.

 House of Flame and Shadow - Sarah J Maas

This is the third instalment of SJM's Crescent City Series. For those who have not read the rest of the series, the first book is called House of Earth and Blood. It follows our main character Bryce Quinlan - a half human, half fae - who at the beginning of the book is a happy-go-lucky party girl. She doesn't take life too seriously and loves to party with her friends. However, tragedy strikes when Bryce comes home after a night of partying to discover her friends have been slaughtered. A few years later, similar murders start to occur and Bryce is charged to work along side Angel Hunt Athalar to try and uncover who is behind these killings. 

Crescent City is an adult urban fantasy series that has all manner of creatures that we know and love including Fae, Angels, Werewolves, Vampires witches and so many more. I really enjoyed this series as a whole. When I read House of Flame and Shadow I was really conflicted and unsure what my initial rating should be. After the ending of book two, I think I went into this with really high expectations and while I wouldn't say that it didn't meet those expectations, it was just different. I still rated it five stars as I did really enjoy it and I loved the series as a whole. However, I would want to read it again sometime in the future without the high expectations that I had to really see how I feel about it.

The Serpent and the Wings of Night - Carissa Broadbent

First instalment of The Crowns of Nyaxia series, which is a larger series as a whole, but this one is part of a duology following one set of characters. Oraya is a human living in a world of vampires as the Nightborn Vampire Kings adopted daughter. Growing up as prey surrounded by predators, Oraya takes the only chance open to her to shift the dynamic of her life. She enters the Kejari, a deadly tournament held by the goddess of death. To win she must ally with a mysterious rival. Raihn, a ruthless vampire and an enemy to her father's crown, yet despite this Oraya can't seem to help being drawn to him. With war brewing between the three vampire houses, a tournament to win and a growing attraction to contend with Oraya is about to question everything she thought she knew about her home. 

I really enjoyed reading this one. I found the plot entertaining and enjoyed the romance as well. The setting really stood out to me. The author done a great job of really capturing the feel of the world, the darkness and the danger that the main character was facing as a human. The characters were well fleshed out and I enjoyed watching the romance develop between the two main characters. There was the right balance with the tension and the romance deepened. Oraya is a really interesting main character to follow. She may be a human among vampires, but she is no damsel in distress and that is always a factor that I enjoy. Overall I rated this five stars and I look forward to continuing on with the series. 

Divine Rivals - Rebecca Ross

First book in a YA duology called the Letters of Enchantment series. Divine Rivals follows main character Iris Winnow who at the beginning of the book is struggling with her brother joining the war effort and deploying to the front lines. However, this is no ordinary war, it is a war between Gods who had been sleeping for centuries, now humans are caught up in and fighting on behalf of the Gods. As a journalist, Iris is competing against her rival Roman Kitt for a columnist position at the Oath Gazette. To assuage her worries about her brother, Iris uses her typewriter to write a letter to her brother and puts them beneath her wardrobe door where they vanish. It is not her brother who received the letters though, but rather Roman, who decides to anonymously write her back. This forges a connection between them that will follow Iris to the front lines of the war. 

This story was beautiful and I particularly enjoyed the wiring. It is not a fast paced story, but it completely absorbs you. The differences between the main characters in person compared to when writing to each other was really entertaining. The letters themselves were lovely, and really showcased that you don'e need to know someone physically to build a meaningful connection. The story really got going when Iris took a post as a war correspondent at the front lines, and the characters she meets along the way just add to the experience overall. As someone who doesn't read a lot of YA anymore, this was a lovely reminder that there are some fantastic stories across all age groups. 

 

Spark of the Everflame - Penn Cole

Book one in the Kindreds Curse series. This book follows Diem Bellator who is a human healer within her world. The world is made up of the Descended (who are half human half Gods) and humans. The humans live worse than the Descended and are considered expendable by many of them. Diem's mother is the royal healer and when she goes missing suddenly, Diem takes up the position herself to attempt to unlock the web of mysteries her mother left behind. With the heir of the kingdom keeping a close eye on her and a mortal rebellion wanting her to use her position to assist them inciting a war Diem will have to navigate power, politics and love in order to save her family and her people. 

I really enjoyed this book. I started reading it on kindle unlimited but a few chapters in I knew I needed to purchase the physical copies. So I bought all that is out so far. I found the story entertaining and the characters were really intruiging. The author done a great job with this one. There were times where I found Diem to be a little annoying, especially where Henri was concerned. Personally, I am not a fan of him, and I doubt he will improve as the series progresses, but we shall see. I could be wrong. I enjoyed the slow burn element to this romance in this. It built up tension with the characters well. The ending was so surprising that I am eager to dive into the next book to see where the story goes. The only thing that stops me from binging it all the that currently the fourth and final book of the series doesn't have a release date as it was pushed. Once we have this, and I know when it will come out, I plan to binge the rest of the series as I hope the books just improve as they go. I have heard really positive reviews about the rest so I am excited. I rated this one 4 stars. 

Lady of Darkness - Melissa K Roehrich

Owned by a ruthless assassin lord Scarlett Monrhoe and her sisters have been trained since they were children to torture and kill and are the most feared trio on the continent. After a tragic night Scarlett finds herself locked away in a nobleman's household until she falls into line. Until one day she is presented with an assignment. One that if she completes her reward will be revenge on the Fae prince who is responsible for her mother's brutal death ten years before. However, her plans are put on hold when children from her home start disappearing, Scarlet delves into the darkest corners of the world to saves those most innocent. 

I ate this book up when I read it. It is gripping, compelling and addictive. There is a large cast of characters to meet, snarky comments and witty banter plenty as well as a slowburn romance filled with tension. Scarlett was a fantastic character to follow, one who has done and been through a lot. She has many physical and emotional scars which are centred around some rather dark themes, which the author handles brilliantly in my opinion. This is a dark fantasy romance with themes that some may find triggering, so please search up trigger warnings before embarking on this one. I loved it and it is now also being traditionally published, so I am waiting to get my hands on the next instalments so I can continue my foray into this world. My rating was 4 stars.