{ about the book }
Three Mages and a Margarita by Annette Marie
Publishes September 14, 2018 by Dark Owl Fantasy Inc.
e-ARC provided by the author
e-ARC provided by the author
Broke, almost homeless, and recently fired. Those are my official reasons for answering a wanted ad for a skeevy-looking bartender gig.
It went downhill the moment they asked me to do a trial shift instead of an interview — to see if I'd mesh with their "special" clientele. I think that part went great. Their customers were complete dickheads, and I was an asshole right back. That's the definition of fitting in, right?
I expected to get thrown out on my ass. Instead, they… offered me the job?
It turns out this place isn't a bar. It's a guild. And the three cocky guys I drenched with a margarita during my trial? Yeah, they were mages. Either I'm exactly the kind of takes-no-shit bartender this guild needs, or there's a good reason no one else wants to work here.
So what's a broke girl to do? Take the job, of course — with a pay raise.
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{ my review }
♫ ♫ ♫ ♪
I think I've said this before, but whatever. I love Annette Marie's book and I'll read anything of hers at this point. Anything.
I was ecstatic when Marie announced two new series, one of them being this one! I was just waiting for more info to come in—cover reveals, character reveals, blurbs, all that good stuff. And each new teaser just got me hyped up all the more.
That being said, I was extremely satisfied with Three Mages and a Margarita! Despite the title being a mouthful—though I do appreciate the alliteration—the book was super fun. It has a voice-y character, funny quips, and lots of friendly camaraderie that I really loved reading.
Tori was a really fun character. In all her other books—all eleven! of them!—Marie wrote from a third person point of view and I thought the shift to first person would be weird, but it fit so well! It was easy to fall into Tori's voice and into her head, and this type of narration just really worked for the book. Connecting to bits of her personality was a lot easier for me. And I've always preferred first person PoV anyway, so this was perfect.
I also really loved the titular three mages! They're all reminiscent of Marie's other male characters—sarcastic, quiet, attractive—but the three were a tight knit group and you could really tell from the way they interacted, both in casual environments and more dangerous ones. I liked that they took in Tori and got along with her so easily.
And despite what you might think with there being three guys, Three Mages is not a reverse harem! Marie herself said so (there's even a note on the GR page).
As much as I liked this book, some things did bother me. First being that, of the three mages, only two had real page time. There's Ezra, Aaron, and Kai, but we mostly see significant interactions with Aaron and Ezra, and not much of Kai, which was disappointing.
Another thing that bothered me was the use of the word exotic to describe Kai. He's Japanese-American, if what I gathered from the book is correct (AKA if I'm remembering correctly lol), and Tori describes him—three times—as having "exotic features". Um. Don't do this. Don't describe anyone as exotic, especially people of color.
And finally, there was the use of the word "girly". Oh my god, I'm so fucking tired. There's nothing wrong with "girly" things and I'm tired of that type of thing being in books! I don't care if you consider shopping girly or crying girly. Every time you do that, you just bring back the negative connotation of feminine things being bad or undesirable. Look, shopping is fun. It's great. And having any type of emotional reaction after a bad experience? It's being human. I'm so tired of this.
Overall, 3.5 stars. Not my favourite Marie book, but it was definitely a solid start to a new series and I think it holds a lot of potential. There's a lot I'd love to see in the future books, so I can't wait to see where it goes!
I was ecstatic when Marie announced two new series, one of them being this one! I was just waiting for more info to come in—cover reveals, character reveals, blurbs, all that good stuff. And each new teaser just got me hyped up all the more.
That being said, I was extremely satisfied with Three Mages and a Margarita! Despite the title being a mouthful—though I do appreciate the alliteration—the book was super fun. It has a voice-y character, funny quips, and lots of friendly camaraderie that I really loved reading.
Tori was a really fun character. In all her other books—all eleven! of them!—Marie wrote from a third person point of view and I thought the shift to first person would be weird, but it fit so well! It was easy to fall into Tori's voice and into her head, and this type of narration just really worked for the book. Connecting to bits of her personality was a lot easier for me. And I've always preferred first person PoV anyway, so this was perfect.
I also really loved the titular three mages! They're all reminiscent of Marie's other male characters—sarcastic, quiet, attractive—but the three were a tight knit group and you could really tell from the way they interacted, both in casual environments and more dangerous ones. I liked that they took in Tori and got along with her so easily.
And despite what you might think with there being three guys, Three Mages is not a reverse harem! Marie herself said so (there's even a note on the GR page).
As much as I liked this book, some things did bother me. First being that, of the three mages, only two had real page time. There's Ezra, Aaron, and Kai, but we mostly see significant interactions with Aaron and Ezra, and not much of Kai, which was disappointing.
Another thing that bothered me was the use of the word exotic to describe Kai. He's Japanese-American, if what I gathered from the book is correct (AKA if I'm remembering correctly lol), and Tori describes him—three times—as having "exotic features". Um. Don't do this. Don't describe anyone as exotic, especially people of color.
And finally, there was the use of the word "girly". Oh my god, I'm so fucking tired. There's nothing wrong with "girly" things and I'm tired of that type of thing being in books! I don't care if you consider shopping girly or crying girly. Every time you do that, you just bring back the negative connotation of feminine things being bad or undesirable. Look, shopping is fun. It's great. And having any type of emotional reaction after a bad experience? It's being human. I'm so tired of this.
Overall, 3.5 stars. Not my favourite Marie book, but it was definitely a solid start to a new series and I think it holds a lot of potential. There's a lot I'd love to see in the future books, so I can't wait to see where it goes!
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{ about the book }
Publishes September 4, 2018 by Page Street Publishing
ARC provided by publisher
ARC provided by publisher
Seventeen-year-old Annabeth prefers the fantasy of her books and paintings to reality—because in reality, her mom is dead, and it was all her fault. When she accompanies her father to the funeral of some family friends who drowned, she’s surprised to find her grief reflected in the face of Griffin Bradford, the son of the couple who died. Griffin is nothing like the carefree boy she once knew. Now he’s irritable, removed, and he’s under police investigation for his parents’ deaths.
One night following the memorial service, Annabeth’s dad goes missing in the woods, and she suspects Griffin knows more about the disappearance than he’s letting on. He refuses to answer her questions, particularly those related to the mysterious “expedition” his parents took to Ireland, where they went missing for seven months.
Annabeth fears her father isn’t lost, but rather a victim of something sinister. She launches her own investigation, tracing clues that whisper of myth and legend and death, until she stumbles upon a secret. One that some would die to protect, others would kill to expose—and which twists Annabeth’s fantasy and reality together in deadly new ways.
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{ my review }
♫ ♫ ♫ ♪
I finished reading Uncharted last night and wow. It's been so long since I've read such a well written book with both mystery and adventure.
Hands down, my favourite part of this book was Annabeth. The girl was just amazing—I admired her so much. She's been through a lot but she's fierce and full of tenacity and never gives up when it comes to saving people she loves. I felt her grief and her worry throughout the book, and thought Cashman did such a good job incorporating both of those feelings for Annabeth throughout the book. It added more depth, more dimension to her, making it all the more enjoyable to read Uncharted from her point of view.
It was really frustrating, sometimes, because of all the secrets and lies. It annoyed me as much as it annoyed Annabeth and I loved that she expressed that often, and, more importantly, did something about it. Considering so much of it concerned her and her father—who is missing—I thought it was completely justified, the things Annabeth had to do.
The whole myth and legend behind Hy-Brasil was so interesting! Obviously, I've never heard of this place—well, until the very end, which surprised me—but Cashman did such a wonderful job building the intrigue around this island. I have no idea just how much is true, but the secret societies and such was an excellent touch for Uncharted.
I was a fan of the little hints of romance throughout the book! I will admit that I wasn't completely sold on Griffin, though. The hot and cold attitude he had throughout the book got old, and it got old fast. I was tired of his black moods coming out of nowhere and then apologising in the next breath. I could have done without his constant urge to protect Annabeth, but sigh. Their relationship did gradually grow well during the book, and I was satisfied with where they end up!
My other complaints have to do with some of the dialogue and action scenes. With the dialogue, some parts just felt... choppy. Either that, or it was just strange for a certain character ti say a certain thing, if that makes sense? As for the action scenes, I felt they were way too rushed. This especially happens in the second half of the book—it went by so fast that I had a little bit of a hard time believing what went down.
Overall, I wasn't disappointed by Uncharted! I'd been looking forward to it for the longest time and I'm so happy I got a chance to read it early!
Hands down, my favourite part of this book was Annabeth. The girl was just amazing—I admired her so much. She's been through a lot but she's fierce and full of tenacity and never gives up when it comes to saving people she loves. I felt her grief and her worry throughout the book, and thought Cashman did such a good job incorporating both of those feelings for Annabeth throughout the book. It added more depth, more dimension to her, making it all the more enjoyable to read Uncharted from her point of view.
It was really frustrating, sometimes, because of all the secrets and lies. It annoyed me as much as it annoyed Annabeth and I loved that she expressed that often, and, more importantly, did something about it. Considering so much of it concerned her and her father—who is missing—I thought it was completely justified, the things Annabeth had to do.
The whole myth and legend behind Hy-Brasil was so interesting! Obviously, I've never heard of this place—well, until the very end, which surprised me—but Cashman did such a wonderful job building the intrigue around this island. I have no idea just how much is true, but the secret societies and such was an excellent touch for Uncharted.
I was a fan of the little hints of romance throughout the book! I will admit that I wasn't completely sold on Griffin, though. The hot and cold attitude he had throughout the book got old, and it got old fast. I was tired of his black moods coming out of nowhere and then apologising in the next breath. I could have done without his constant urge to protect Annabeth, but sigh. Their relationship did gradually grow well during the book, and I was satisfied with where they end up!
My other complaints have to do with some of the dialogue and action scenes. With the dialogue, some parts just felt... choppy. Either that, or it was just strange for a certain character ti say a certain thing, if that makes sense? As for the action scenes, I felt they were way too rushed. This especially happens in the second half of the book—it went by so fast that I had a little bit of a hard time believing what went down.
Overall, I wasn't disappointed by Uncharted! I'd been looking forward to it for the longest time and I'm so happy I got a chance to read it early!
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{ buy the book }
{ about the book }
Published June 5, 2018 by Berkley
A heartwarming and refreshing debut novel that proves one thing: there's not enough data in the world to predict what will make your heart tick.
Stella Lane thinks math is the only thing that unites the universe. She comes up with algorithms to predict customer purchases—a job that has given her more money than she knows what to do with, and way less experience in the dating department than the average thirty-year-old.
It doesn't help that Stella has Asperger's and French kissing reminds her of a shark getting its teeth cleaned by pilot fish. Her conclusion: she needs lots of practice—with a professional. Which is why she hires escort Michael Phan. The Vietnamese and Swedish stunner can't afford to turn down Stella's offer, and agrees to help her check off all the boxes on her lesson plan—from foreplay to more-than-missionary position...
Before long, Stella not only learns to appreciate his kisses, but to crave all the other things he's making her feel. Soon, their no-nonsense partnership starts making a strange kind of sense. And the pattern that emerges will convince Stella that love is the best kind of logic...
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{ my review }
♫ ♫ ♫ ♪
Okay, look, I know how the rating may seem. But consider it, like, a super high 3.5? Like normally rounded up to 4? I guess?
Writing out my thoughts for this book is complicated. Because on the one hand—so cute! Oh my god, Michael and Stella are so cute! Squeal-inducing so! But on the other—I was so uncomfortable during the sex scenes!
Starting with the good: oh! So adorable. Stella and Michael held my heart with their interactions. I died and squealed no less than 15 times throughout. Once I started, they just made it so difficult to put down! With their fiery kisses and soft touches, it was just so swoony and adorable and, guys, I can’t. I just can’t.
And as much as I loved them together, the two of them as individuals were amazing too. I felt so much for Stella, especially her anxiety. Hoang wrote her so, so well, and at one point, I was pretty sure that Stella’s train of thought made me cry. I love Stella, so much! She deserves the world.
And Michael! If there’s ever a guy that gives you hope that, hey, maybe there are some boys out there that aren’t absolute garbage, it would be Michael.* He was just so patient and sweet with Stella and I swooned. Plus, his dedication to his family! Ugh, I die.
Okay, now for the unfortunate part.
I think it was my mistake for not expecting the sex scenes to be, uh, like that. I’m used to YA’s fade-to-black (which, wow, I didn’t think I’d appreciate up until this level of discomfort), and the occasional lacklustre scene in NA novels. If you want to know if these scenes were bad or anything, I can’t help you. I wouldn’t know what a good sex scene was in any regard.
I was just… so awkward, reading them. I kept checking how much time until the chapters were over, occasionally going as far as distancing myself from the screen and re-orienting myself before continuing. I don’t know! I’m not used to this, and I probably should have expected it, but still! I couldn’t take it.
Nevertheless, The Kiss Quotient was a wonderful read! A really adorable romance full of kisses and other assorted adorable scenes. I would definitely recommend it if you’re looking for a swoony read!
*and when you meet Phil(l?)ip James, you realise that, once again, all men are garbage and all hope is lost.
Writing out my thoughts for this book is complicated. Because on the one hand—so cute! Oh my god, Michael and Stella are so cute! Squeal-inducing so! But on the other—I was so uncomfortable during the sex scenes!
Starting with the good: oh! So adorable. Stella and Michael held my heart with their interactions. I died and squealed no less than 15 times throughout. Once I started, they just made it so difficult to put down! With their fiery kisses and soft touches, it was just so swoony and adorable and, guys, I can’t. I just can’t.
And as much as I loved them together, the two of them as individuals were amazing too. I felt so much for Stella, especially her anxiety. Hoang wrote her so, so well, and at one point, I was pretty sure that Stella’s train of thought made me cry. I love Stella, so much! She deserves the world.
And Michael! If there’s ever a guy that gives you hope that, hey, maybe there are some boys out there that aren’t absolute garbage, it would be Michael.* He was just so patient and sweet with Stella and I swooned. Plus, his dedication to his family! Ugh, I die.
Okay, now for the unfortunate part.
I think it was my mistake for not expecting the sex scenes to be, uh, like that. I’m used to YA’s fade-to-black (which, wow, I didn’t think I’d appreciate up until this level of discomfort), and the occasional lacklustre scene in NA novels. If you want to know if these scenes were bad or anything, I can’t help you. I wouldn’t know what a good sex scene was in any regard.
I was just… so awkward, reading them. I kept checking how much time until the chapters were over, occasionally going as far as distancing myself from the screen and re-orienting myself before continuing. I don’t know! I’m not used to this, and I probably should have expected it, but still! I couldn’t take it.
Nevertheless, The Kiss Quotient was a wonderful read! A really adorable romance full of kisses and other assorted adorable scenes. I would definitely recommend it if you’re looking for a swoony read!
*and when you meet Phil(l?)ip James, you realise that, once again, all men are garbage and all hope is lost.
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{ buy the book }
{ about the book }
Kingdom of Ash and Soot by C.S. JohnsonPublishes July 3, 2018 by Prodigy Gold Books
e-ARC provided by the author
e-ARC provided by the author
PRAGUE, 1870.
For the last ten years, nineteen-year-old Eleanora Svobodová has worked as a servant in her stepmother's household. Along with her older brother, she dreams of the day they will be free to live life on their own terms.
But everything changes when their estranged grandmother comes to Prague on behalf of Queen Victoria. Throughout Bohemia, a string of murders and secret whispers hint at a larger coup. As the leader of the Order of the Crystal Daggers, an ancient order of spies and soldiers that protect kingdoms and their rulers, Lady Penelope is determined to mete out the perpetrators. Now, Eleanora must make the choice between a life of intrigue and saving the lives of others.
Can Eleanora find a way do the right thing and still find freedom?
With a fun blend of historical fiction, true love, castle intrigue, and family dysfunction, The Order of the Crystal Daggers is the latest adventure series from C. S. Johnson.
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{ my review }
♫ ♫ ♫ ♪
I’d be lying if I said the cover wasn’t my main reason for wanting to pick up this book. But after reading the synopsis, I got some interesting Cinderella vibes, and, well.
I was sold.
Kingdom is not a retelling. It has some elements, definitely—an Ella working as a servant in her own home after her father passes, dancing amongst the elite, things like that. But it’s definitely not a retelling. Despite that, I was intrigued by the time period and the setting of the book. Prague! In 1870! With that and the addition of a secret organisation and deadly plots, Kingdom of Ash and Soot had a lot going for it.
Only. Only it didn’t quite live up to my expectations. Because in the end, I was bored. There wasn’t nearly as much action I wanted, I wasn’t sucked into Eleanora’s world, and I just… felt this odd detachment from everything. Johnson’s writing was really good, too! Despite that, I just wasn’t feeling this book. It definitely felt like an introduction to the world kind of book, which just kinda left my eyes glazed over.
… I also wasn’t a fan of the romance. I was hoping for the attraction to build up, kind of in a slow burn. Really, I just wanted more development before anything happened!
Overall, Kingdom of Ash and Soot was an okay start, if sort of unmemorable, start to a new series. While it had some interesting parts, it unfortunately fell flat for me. I am excited to see where book 2 takes Eleanora, though! So, 3.5 stars.
I was sold.
Kingdom is not a retelling. It has some elements, definitely—an Ella working as a servant in her own home after her father passes, dancing amongst the elite, things like that. But it’s definitely not a retelling. Despite that, I was intrigued by the time period and the setting of the book. Prague! In 1870! With that and the addition of a secret organisation and deadly plots, Kingdom of Ash and Soot had a lot going for it.
Only. Only it didn’t quite live up to my expectations. Because in the end, I was bored. There wasn’t nearly as much action I wanted, I wasn’t sucked into Eleanora’s world, and I just… felt this odd detachment from everything. Johnson’s writing was really good, too! Despite that, I just wasn’t feeling this book. It definitely felt like an introduction to the world kind of book, which just kinda left my eyes glazed over.
… I also wasn’t a fan of the romance. I was hoping for the attraction to build up, kind of in a slow burn. Really, I just wanted more development before anything happened!
Overall, Kingdom of Ash and Soot was an okay start, if sort of unmemorable, start to a new series. While it had some interesting parts, it unfortunately fell flat for me. I am excited to see where book 2 takes Eleanora, though! So, 3.5 stars.
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{ buy the book }
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{ about the book }
Sweet Black Waves by Kristina PérezPublished June 5, 2018 by Imprint
e-ARC provided by netgalley
e-ARC provided by netgalley
Not you without me, not me without you.
Two proud kingdoms stand on opposite shores, with only a bloody history between them.
As best friend and lady-in-waiting to the princess, Branwen is guided by two principles: devotion to her homeland and hatred for the raiders who killed her parents. When she unknowingly saves the life of her enemy, he awakens her ancient healing magic and opens her heart. Branwen begins to dream of peace, but the princess she serves is not so easily convinced. Fighting for what's right, even as her powers grow beyond her control, will set Branwen against both her best friend and the only man she's ever loved.
Inspired by the star-crossed tale of Tristan and Eseult, this is the story of the legend’s true heroine: Branwen. For fans of Graceling and The Mists of Avalon, this is the first book of a lush fantasy trilogy about warring countries, family secrets, and forbidden romance.
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{ my review }
♫ ♫ ♫ ♪
Sweet Black Waves took some time to get into, but I feel like once you push through that beginning, you could really like it.
I won’t lie, I was iffy about the book. The romance is introduced pretty early on in the book, and frankly, I never saw the chemistry, so that was a bust for me. I never did like the love interest either, so all his efforts—while not wasted on Branwen—were wasted on me.
Branwen, however, was a character I really liked. She kind of has that saviour complex, and throughout the book, it shows. She also keeps a lot of secrets from those close to her, very rarely asking for help. I mean, I got why, but at times it did get infuriating. But as a whole, Branwen was just… such a strong character. Both in a well written way, but also in that everything-might-be-falling-apart-but-I-won’t-be kind of way. She’s really hard to fully break down and I loved reading a character like that!
I had really mixed feelings about Essy. Most of the time, she infuriated me to no end. I thought her infatuation with that one duke was extremely childish, and the way she lashed out—so cruelly and thoroughly—to people she loved was shocking. I loved that Branwen never gave up on her and that most of the time, it was Essy who was her main priority—that kind of bond always makes me happy. But it didn’t always feel like that from Essy’s side, which only added to my wariness of her.
One of my main complaints about this book is that it is wordy. The book is about 450 pages long and god, does it feel like it. I had to force myself to keep on going at times, and it felt like it took 3 years just to finish it! And the fact that it did sometimes drag didn’t always help me.
I found the ending to be really dramatic, but… mostly just rushed. Since the romance was never really that important to me to begin with, it just didn’t hit me like I think it was supposed to, so I was just a bit detached from it. But it did leave something to be desired—I’m really looking forward to what happens in the next book as Branwen’s arc grows! Being on another land and all, I’m also excited to find out more about the world. (Admittedly, all that name dropping in the start was more than a bit confusing.)
Overall, Sweet Black Waves was an… interesting start to a new series. I don’t know much about the myth it’s based off of, but I’m excited to see if it continues to play a part throughout the rest of the series! Giving this a 3.5!
I won’t lie, I was iffy about the book. The romance is introduced pretty early on in the book, and frankly, I never saw the chemistry, so that was a bust for me. I never did like the love interest either, so all his efforts—while not wasted on Branwen—were wasted on me.
Branwen, however, was a character I really liked. She kind of has that saviour complex, and throughout the book, it shows. She also keeps a lot of secrets from those close to her, very rarely asking for help. I mean, I got why, but at times it did get infuriating. But as a whole, Branwen was just… such a strong character. Both in a well written way, but also in that everything-might-be-falling-apart-but-I-won’t-be kind of way. She’s really hard to fully break down and I loved reading a character like that!
I had really mixed feelings about Essy. Most of the time, she infuriated me to no end. I thought her infatuation with that one duke was extremely childish, and the way she lashed out—so cruelly and thoroughly—to people she loved was shocking. I loved that Branwen never gave up on her and that most of the time, it was Essy who was her main priority—that kind of bond always makes me happy. But it didn’t always feel like that from Essy’s side, which only added to my wariness of her.
One of my main complaints about this book is that it is wordy. The book is about 450 pages long and god, does it feel like it. I had to force myself to keep on going at times, and it felt like it took 3 years just to finish it! And the fact that it did sometimes drag didn’t always help me.
I found the ending to be really dramatic, but… mostly just rushed. Since the romance was never really that important to me to begin with, it just didn’t hit me like I think it was supposed to, so I was just a bit detached from it. But it did leave something to be desired—I’m really looking forward to what happens in the next book as Branwen’s arc grows! Being on another land and all, I’m also excited to find out more about the world. (Admittedly, all that name dropping in the start was more than a bit confusing.)
Overall, Sweet Black Waves was an… interesting start to a new series. I don’t know much about the myth it’s based off of, but I’m excited to see if it continues to play a part throughout the rest of the series! Giving this a 3.5!
