A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer

Pages: 507

Series: Cursebreakers, Book 1

Genres: Young Adult; Fantasy; Romance; Retelling; Urban Fantasy; Fairy Tales

Publication date: January 20, 2019

Fall in love, break the curse.

Cursed by a powerful enchantress to repeat the autumn of his eighteenth year, Prince Rhen, the heir of Emberfall, thought he could be saved easily if a girl fell for him. But that was before he turned into a vicious beast hell-bent on destruction. Before he destroyed his castle, his family, and every last shred of hope.

Nothing has ever been easy for Harper. With her father long gone, her mother dying, and her brother constantly underestimating her because of her cerebral palsy, Harper learned to be tough enough to survive. When she tries to save a stranger on the streets of Washington, DC, she’s pulled into a magical world.

Break the curse, save the kingdom.

Harper doesn’t know where she is or what to believe. A prince? A curse? A monster? As she spends time with Rhen in this enchanted land, she begins to understand what’s at stake. And as Rhen realizes Harper is not just another girl to charm, his hope comes flooding back. But powerful forces are standing against Emberfall . . . and it will take more than a broken curse to save Harper, Rhen, and his people from utter ruin.

I sigh and begin leading the horse toward the stables, but then stop and turn. “Whose blood made the trail?”
Grey raises an arm and draws his sleeve back. A long knife wound still bleeds down into his hand, a slow trickle of crimson.
I’d order him to bind it, but the wound will be gone in an hour, when the sun is fully up.
So will the blood on my hands and the sweat on the horse’s flanks. The cobblestones will be warm with early fall sunlight, and my breath will no longer fog in the morning air.
The girl will be gone, and the season will begin again.
I’ll be newly eighteen.
For the three hundred twenty-seventh time.
Rhen, Chapter One

This book has been on my radar for a while. I honestly have no excuses for not picking it up before now, as it’s got so much that I look for in books. I’m glad I stumbled across this title at my library and that it was available. If this book has told me anything, it’s that I’m going to have to continue on with this story quickly.

One of the things that this book did so right is the romance in it. Without getting into too much detail, this book contains a romance trope that can either make or break a story for me. Thankfully, the trope was handled beautifully and has left me wanting more.

On a less vague note, I cannot get enough of the characters in this story. This story is teeming with strong personalities, something that draws me in. Harper and Rhen clash heads near constantly throughout this story, but in the best way possible. It’s great to see two people getting to know each other while still holding strong to their own personal beliefs. Of course there’s some give in their interactions, but neither one constantly gives in to the other. And that’s the important part.

Aside from Harper and Rhen, the secondary characters in this story also have strong personalities. First we have Grey, Rhen’s loyal guard and companion. And he is so much more than this. Honestly, Grey might be my favourite character in this whole story. We also have the dastardly enchantress that got Rhen into this whole mess in the first place. She is absolutely deliciously cruel and twisted. We’ve also got Freya, a gentle soul who only wants what’s best for everyone and will mother you whether you realize you need it or not.

It was the character interactions that got me hooked in this story, for sure, but it’s the plot itself that got me to stay. If you have an endless amount of chances to set things right, how hard are you truly going to try? If you’ve given in to the despair surrounding you like a cloud? If the your last chance wants nothing to do with you?

This story is about fighting the odds and coming into your own. It’s about understanding your strengths and weaknesses, about learning how to play them to make yourself as strong as possible.

Harper might have been born with cerebral palsy, but she’s not going to let that define her. She’s stronger than her family gave her credit, she’s worth more than Rhen and Grey realized when they first met her. Her enemies aren’t going to walk all over her like they expect. And I love her for it.

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Shuri by Nic Stone

Pages: 272

Series: Shuri: A Black Panther Novel, Book 1

Genres: Middle Grade; Fantasy; Science Fiction; Young Adult; Adventure

Publication date: December 7, 2021

An original, upper-middle-grade series starring the break-out character from the Black Panther comics and films: T’Challa’s younger sister, Shuri! Crafted by New York Times bestselling author Nic Stone.

Shuri is a skilled martial artist, a genius, and a master of science and technology. But, she’s also a teenager. And a princess. This story follows Shuri as she sets out on a quest to save her homeland of Wakanda. For centuries, the Chieftain of Wakanda (the Black Panther) has gained his powers through the juices of the Heart-Shaped Herb. Much like Vibranium, the Heart-Shaped Herb is essential to the survival and prosperity of Wakanda. But something is wrong. The plants are dying. No matter what the people of Wakanda do, they can’t save them. And their supply is running short. It’s up to Shuri to travel from Wakanda in order to discover what is killing the Herb, and how she can save it, in the first volume of this all-new, original adventure.

The queen mother sighs. “Fine,” she says, and everyone seems to pull forward in their cushy seats as if that single word is a magnet.
“I won’t say much because it is not my place to speak for the king. But T’Challa has seen and done much during his relatively brief tenure as the ruler and protector of Wakanda, and I believe that, after making our borders as secure as possible, he intends to make our nation’s existence a bit less… secret.”
Chapter Two

I enjoyed my time in this world. I was excited when I stumbled across this read because I really enjoyed the Black Panther movie. Shuri was right away a character that I wanted to learn more about, so stumbling across this book was a work of fate. Sure I might have grown up as more of a DC girl, but even I can admit the MCU did wonders for reaching a broader audience and introducing characters to the world.

Looking at this story in itself, I really like what Stone did in expanding the reader’s understanding of Wakanda. As someone who hasn’t read the comic books – or even interacted with Marvel much more than by watching the MCU movies – Stone did a magnificent job at making Wakanda come to life. Her descriptions made it possible to bring Shuri’s lab into my mind’s eye, to feel like I was with her as she ran her tests and worked her “magic”. (Not real magic here – science. I note the difference here because there is real magic in the world.) And then Stone did a great job at expending the world outside of Wakanda when Shuri needed to venture outside her cozy little world to help save her kingdom.

While T’Challa being the Black Panther is a gripping main character to follow, I really enjoyed getting to see the “behind the scenes”, so to speak, of his kingdom. It’s clear that he cares for his little sister, but it’s equally clear that he – along with the rest of the world – underestimates her abilities. They may not mean to, but there’s a whole heck of a lot this girl can do when she puts her mind to it.

If I have one complaint about this story, it would be that the third person narration style makes it harder for me to jump in and out of this story. And even that’s not a real complaint. I’m sure if you’re the kind of person who reads 1 story at a time, this is a perfectly reasonable flow for the story. If you’re like me and juggle an average of 5 books at a time, it can be a little hard to get pulled back into this world.

Overall, I’d certainly recommend this story to anyone looking for a story about a teenage girl coming into her own. If you’re interested in the unexplained and the spectacular, Shuri’s genius and her ability to make sense of the world around her is inspiring.

Don’t knock the story for being considered “Middle Grade” or “Young Adult” in genre. This simply ties into the age of the main character of the story. In no way does this negate the severity of the stakes or undermines the brilliance of the characters.

Payback’s a Witch by Lana Harper

Pages: 340

Series: The Witches of Thistle Grove, Book 1

Genres: Romance; Fantasy; LGBTQ+; Witches; Paranormal; Adult Fiction

Publication Date: October 5, 2021

Emmy Harlow is a witch but not a very powerful one—in part because she hasn’t been home to the magical town of Thistle Grove in years. Her self-imposed exile has a lot to do with a complicated family history and a desire to forge her own way in the world, and only the very tiniest bit to do with Gareth Blackmoore, heir to the most powerful magical family in town and casual breaker of hearts and destroyer of dreams.

But when a spellcasting tournament that her family serves as arbiters for approaches, it turns out the pull of tradition (or the truly impressive parental guilt trip that comes with it) is strong enough to bring Emmy back. She’s determined to do her familial duty; spend some quality time with her best friend, Linden Thorn; and get back to her real life in Chicago.

On her first night home, Emmy runs into Talia Avramov—an all-around badass adept in the darker magical arts—who is fresh off a bad breakup . . . with Gareth Blackmoore. Talia had let herself be charmed, only to discover that Gareth was also seeing Linden—unbeknownst to either of them. And now she and Linden want revenge. Only one question stands: Is Emmy in?

But most concerning of all: Why can’t she stop thinking about the terrifyingly competent, devastatingly gorgeous, wickedly charming Talia Avramov?

Delilah’s borderline obsession with our family history had always struck me as kind of hilarious, given the role the Harlows had actually played in the founding of the town. Legend had it that a little over three hundred years ago, four witches were drawn to Hallows Hill, lured by the siren song of magical power that emanated from this place. To consecrate the founding of the town below, Celia Blackmoore conjured a spectacular lightening storm, Margarita Avramov summoned spirits from beyond the veil to serve as witnesses, Alastair Thorn called down the birds form the sky as his congregation, and Elias Harlow drew forth his might quill and…
Took a bunch of notes.
Chapter One, Page Ten

Shortly after I picked up this story, I picked up another witchy read. While that could have been disastrous for my enjoyment of this story, it actually ended up being the opposite. In stark comparison to New Moon Rising by Brandy Nacole, Payback’s a Witch made me want to settle into the read. (Review of New Moon Rising coming soon.)

This story gave me everything I could have asked it for. It has a diverse cast, an intriguing premise, an unconventional romance, and a plotline with twists and turns. Sure those twists and turns might have been predictable, but it’s the execution that gets me.

One of the comparisons to this story I read and absolutely adored is how this book gives off the same kind of vibes as Halloweentown. I grew up on those movies and will still happily watch them every Halloween. Finding a read with the same kind of vibe was like drifting into a favourite world again. Just… slightly different.

It’s got the same magical safe haven vibes, the same wonder and mystery when it comes to the magic of the world. It’s a hidden magical town, but instead of being in an alternate dimension it’s hidden in plain sight.

I really liked the way the town of Thistle Grove is introduced to the reader throughout this story. While we first get a sense of this town as one that’s teeming with magic in the air if you know what to look for, there’s so much more to it than that. Each of the founding families bring something different to the town, a different aspect of magic and intrigue to the world.

If you’re looking for a cozy romance in a witchy small town, you might want to try picking this read up. If you’re not into revenge plots or magical tournaments (I’ve seen a comparison between this story and the Triwizard Tournament in Harry Potter be made), then you might not enjoy this story.

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Empire of Wild by Cherie Dimaline

Pages: 300

Goodreads: Empire of Wild

Genres: Horror; Fantasy; Canada Cultural; Mystery; Thriller; Paranormal

Publication date: September 17, 2019

Broken-hearted Joan has been searching for her husband, Victor, for almost a year–ever since he went missing on the night they had their first serious argument. One terrible, hungover morning in a Walmart parking lot in a little town near Georgian Bay, she is drawn to a revival tent where the local Métis have been flocking to hear a charismatic preacher named Eugene Wolff. By the time she staggers into the tent, the service is over. But as she is about to leave, she hears an unmistakable voice.

She turns, and there Victor is. The same face, the same eyes, the same hands. But his hair is short and he’s wearing a suit and he doesn’t recognize her at all. No, he insists, she’s the one suffering a delusion: he’s the Reverend Wolff and his only mission is to bring his people to Jesus. Except that, as Joan soon discovers, that’s not all the enigmatic Wolff is doing.

With only the help of Ajean, a foul-mouthed euchre shark with a knowledge of the old ways, and her odd, Johnny-Cash-loving, 12-year-old nephew Zeus, Joan has to find a way to remind the Reverend Wolff of who he really is. If he really is Victor. Her life, and the life of everyone she loves, depends upon it.

On these lands, in both the occupied places and those left to grow wild, alongside the community and the dwindling wildlife, there lives another creature. At night, he roamed the roads that connected Arcand to the larger town across the Bay where Native people were still unwelcome two centuries on. His name was spoken in the low tones saved for swear words and prayer. He was the threat from a hundred stories told by those old enough to remember the tales.
Broke Lent? The rogarou will come for you.
Slept with a married woman? Rogarou will find you.
Talked back to your mom in the heat of the moment? Don’t walk home. Rogarou will snatch you up.
Hit a woman under any circumstance? Rogarou will call you family, soon.
Shoot too many deer, so your freezer is overflowing but the heard thin? If I were you, I’d stay indoors at night. Rogarou knows by now.
Prologue

This story was everything I wanted from it and more. Like I said in my April TBR post (here), be warned: this isn’t the best story to start while walking alone as a female with your dog after dark. My heart was pounding during the introduction of this story. Would I still recommend this story? Yes, absolutely. Would I recommend starting it at night? Sure, as long as you’re inside where it’s safe.

I will, however, have to recommend this story with the cavate that there is some minor animal abuse in it. While the scene in question is powerful and helps explain character thoughts and motivation in the story, it is horrifying it its intensity. If you’re not comfortable reading a story that contains animal abuse, this probably isn’t going to be the story for you.

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30 Books in 30 Days

As I mentioned in my April TBR, I want to try a “mini” reading challenge. I’ve found out recently that I enjoy challenging myself when it comes to reading (it keeps things interesting). While some challenges seem more draining than others to me, I’ve always wanted to try a 30 in 30 type challenge.

In this case, that’s going to look like 30 books in 30 days. Are all of them going to be long stories? No, absolutely not. Am I going to count the stories I’ve started before this but finish during the next 30 days? Absolutely.

In order to make this challenge a little more palatable for myself, I’ve broken it down into a couple different categories. If you’re interested in seeing what I have planned for the next 30 days, please read on.

**For anyone who’s here for the first time, I’ve organized the books by Physical Books, eBooks, AudioBooks, Kindle Unlimited, and Library books.**

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April 2022 TBR

My reading plans this month are going to be a little different than usual. While this post is going to introduce the books I’ve already started and plan on finishing in April, tomorrow another post is going to go more in depth into my reading plans for the month.

The reason for that? I’m going to try a little mini reading challenge for myself. I enjoy reading challenges from time to time and I haven’t done one in a couple of months. So this post is going to be shorter than usual, but only because a follow up post will be coming out on April 2nd with a more detailed list of books and my goals for the month.

**For anyone who’s here for the first time, I’ve organized the books by Physical Books, eBooks, AudioBooks, Kindle Unlimited, and Library books.**

Total books: 4 (ongoing)

Books to Read:

Daughter of Thieves by Lichelle Slater (Sands of Wonder, Book 1) 414 pages
New Moon Rising by Brandy Nacole (The Keepers of Knowledge, Book 3) 152 Pages
Empire of Wild by Cherie Dimaline (Goodreads) 300 Pages
Spellbook of the Lost and Found by Moira Fowley-Doyle (Goodreads) 357 Pages

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Dark, Witch & Creamy by H.Y. Hanna

Pages: 464

Series: Bewitched by Chocolate, Book 1

Genres: Mystery; Paranormal; Fantasy; Witches; Romance; Magic; Urban Fantasy

Publication date: January 30, 2017

Caitlyn’s world changes when she learns that she was found as an abandoned baby and adopted by her American family. Now, her search for answers takes her to the tiny English village of Tillyhenge where a man has been murdered by witchcraft – and where a mysterious shop selling enchanted chocolates is home to the “local witch”…

Soon Caitlyn finds herself fending off a toothless old vampire, rescuing an adorable kitten and meeting handsome aristocrat Lord James Fitzroy… not to mention discovering that she herself might have magical blood in her veins!

When she’s dragged into the murder investigation and realizes that dark magic is involved, Caitlyn is forced to choose. Can she embrace her witchy powers in time to solve the mystery and save those she loves?

“Hello? Earth to Caitlyn?”
She blinked and refocused on her cousin. “Sorry, what were you saying?”
“I was saying that it’s not just me. There are rumours going around here too. The locals agree that Tillyhenge has a reputation for being weird.”
“Weird? What do you mean, weird?”
“Like… the weather is always different there. It could be sunny everywhere else but when you get there, it’s grey and misty – or it’s raining all over the Cotswolds but completely dry in Tillyhenge… And if you’re driving, the GPS can’t find it, no matter how you give the directions. In fact, it doesn’t even show up on satellite images – they told me it’s just a green blur, as if there’s nothing there but forest!” Pomona shuddered. “Don’t you think that’s creepy?”
Chapter One

I’ll admit, this series isn’t the most well written. But it is an incredibly enjoyable read. The plot of all of these books is quite predictable, but in a fun way. Sure I wasn’t really shocked by what I read here, but I had fun watching things unfold along the way.

This, the first book in the series, does a pretty good job at setting the scene for the series that is to come. Set mostly in a small village in the British countryside, the characters are all up in each others’ business. And while I’d hate that being my actual life, I certainly love that atmosphere in the worlds I read about.

If you look at the rating I gave this story – just a measly 2.5/5 stars – it’s clear that this wasn’t even close to being one of my favourite reads. However, it did give me what I wanted out of the story. It was a cute little romance that took me out of the real world for a while. It’s not a masterpiece and it’s not a story I think I’ll ever find myself rereading for the plot. But it was enjoyable. And sometimes that’s all you need out of a story.

This book must have done something right to get me to pick up the next 6 books in the series. And read them all in the span of just a couple of weeks.

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Evershade by Michelle Areaux

Pages: 209

Series: The Shifter Chronicles, Page 1

Genres: Fantasy; Paranormal; Young Adult; Romance; Werewolves

Publication date: March 23, 2018

It only took one moment to change my life forever.

After being shipped off to spend my entire summer with my great aunt, I am finally returning to my small, whimsical hometown of Shady Oaks. I’ve missed my best friend Maddox like crazy and have dreamed of having my normal life back. Only, my return wasn’t as welcome as I had expected–or normal.

Everyone is acting weird around me and I can’t help but feel like everything is changing. Of course, I am frustrated and ready to snap. Well, that is until I see him.

Asher. The beautiful, dark-haired boy with almost supernatural like qualities that are drawing me in against my own will. No matter how hard we try to fight it, there is this uncanny connection between us. I finally feel like I am getting my life back under control, and then disaster strikes. When a wolf threatens to attack us, I discover everything I have ever known to be true, has been nothing but lies and magical secrets.

Now, finding myself in the middle of an ages-old war between shifters and hunters, I quickly learn someone wants me dead, and the closer we get to saving our kind, the more destruction hits.

Who will emerge victorious in the battle?

All of my life I’d dreamed of escaping the dullness that was Shady Oaks. At sixteen-years-old, I aspired to travel the world, meet strangers, and seek out the glorious adventures depicted on postcards and in the movies. Instead, my parents had exiled me to my great aunt’s house to spend my long and hot summer vacation. There had been no warning or explanation as to why I’d been forced to spend my summer hanging out with a seventy-year-old widow instead of going to pool parties and getting into trouble with my friends.
Chapter One

This is going to be a shorter than usual post for one reason and one reason alone: this is the first time in a long time I’ve DNF’d a book.

Even if a book isn’t the best thing in the world, I can usually see it through to the end. However, this story (or at least the eBook version I attempted to read) was riddled with spelling, spacing, and grammatical errors. I’m not saying I’m perfect and I’ve never made these kinds of mistakes myself. But I am saying that this story was so riddled with them I could not find it in me to get through the story.

Which is a shame because I was really looking forward to the story when I started it. The premise is along the lines of stories I’ve loved before. And who doesn’t enjoy a coming of age/coming into your powers kind of story?

This story truly felt like a rough draft. This is the first book in a long time that I’ve found myself DNFing. Yet I did make an attempt to read the book so I felt it deserves to be mentioned. I got to about the 40% mark before giving up. Not every book can be a personal winner, and this just didn’t happen to be a good read for me.

I was really excited by the premise of this story (my inner teenager still has a thing for coming of age shapeshifter stories) but the writing was too hard for me to get through. I was interested to see how Areaux was going to tackle the shapeshifting mythos, to see what twists she would put into her story. But, again, the spelling mistakes and random gaps in the writing were just too much for me to power through.

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Stolen Shadow Bride by S.M. Gaither

Pages: 183

Series: Stolen Brides of the Fae, Book 4

Genres: Fantasy; Romance; Fae; New Adult; Young Adult; Fairy Tales

Publication date: May 28, 2021

A desperate sister. A cold Fae prince. A dangerous trick, and a spark of passion that might set a fragile peace ablaze…
Sephia has always known that her younger sister was destined to wed the prince of the Sun Court.

Long ago, the human kingdom of Middlemage struck a bargain with the neighboring Fae that resulted in peace between them. As part of that bargain, one of the two ruling Fae courts lay claim to a human bride from each new generation. As long as anyone can remember, this is how it has been: The Fae come to take their bride on her eighteenth birthday, the humans allow one to be stolen away, and the peace continues.

Until now.

Until the Sun Prince comes for her sister, and Sephia does the unthinkable: She disguises herself with magic and goes to the altar in her sister’s place.

And she doesn’t intend for her marriage to end happily ever after.

But Sephia soon finds that all is not as it seems within the cruel and sparkling Court of the Sun. The king is sick. Strange shadows paint the halls of his palace, leaving death in their wake. The prince is desperate to find answers, whatever the cost. And Sephia is the wrong bride, but she may be the right woman to help the prince save his world—

That is, if they can somehow find a way to work together… while ignoring the forbidden passion igniting between them.

“It doesn’t please me for you to call me my prince,” he said.
She stiffened. “We aren’t yet wed. I can’t call you ‘husband’.”
“You could call me by my name.”
“Is your false name so different from me calling you ‘my prince’? At least the latter is true enough.”
Chapter Four

As this quote proves, Sephia is a strong willed main character – just how I like them. Sephia knew she was destined to do whatever she needed to in order to save her sister. No. Matter. What.

Marry the fae prince that her sister is destined to? Why of course. Trick the entire human country that she was raised in? No contest. Fight the evil that she didn’t know was plaguing the fae lands? If she must. Fall in love with the very creature she’d sworn to destroy? If she must….

I loved watching her navigate the fae courts. Sure she might have been raised a human princess, but Sephia truly wasn’t raised to conquer the fae lands. Her sister was the one destined to be married into the role, after all. But Sephia’s love for her sister is strong enough to persevere. To do the unthinkable and trick the fae into accepting her. She’s not the sister they thought they were getting, but she’s certainly the sister they needed. Even if they didn’t know it.

This story certainly lines up with the kind of book I find myself seeking out when I make trips to the book store. The fae are a weakness of mine, in case that isn’t obvious by the amount of fae stories I read, and a strong willed female lead is the icing on the top of the cake. The idea of the Sun and the Shadow courts and an ancient bargain between humans and the fae is the exact thing that pulls me in.

I truly did enjoy my time in this story. I wouldn’t be surprised if I found myself reading something else by Gaither and enjoyed it. While I don’t currently have anything by her on my TBR, there’s always tomorrow.

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Stolen Mage Bride by Sylvia Mercedes

Pages: 170

Series: Stolen Brides of the Fae, Book 2

Genres: Fantasy; Romance; Fae; New Adult; Young Adult; Fairy Tales

Publication date: May 14, 2021

A brutal king. A gentle mage. A bond neither of them desires . . . nor has the strength to resist.

King Lodírhal has no choice—he must battle the human champion in single combat and save his people from slaughter.

Mage Dasyra also has no choice—she must serve her masters and channel the powerful magic in her soul for a chance to stop the deadly fae king.

But when they meet on the battlefield, these two adversaries discover they have bigger problems in store. For they are fated by the gods to be each other’s True Love . . . and the moment they lock eyes, the Fatebond awakens. Now all that matters is breaking the bond before it can be sealed for eternity.

Can these mortal enemies work together and survive the perilous journey to the Sundering Place? Or are the demands of fate—and the desires awakening in both their reluctant hearts—too powerful to be thwarted?

Stolen Brides of the Fae is a series of stand-alone short novels written by various romantic fantasy authors who share a passion for fantastical love stories.

“Take my advice then, Olorie. Don’t worry yourself about all your little green and growing things. Worry about that monster you’re bound to. Get yourself unbound and free before… before…” She bites her lip. One hand runs slowly along the swell of her belly, and her face momentarily softens into an expression I cannot name. “Before you find you don’t want to be free anymore.”
Chapter Eight

In a complete twist to the first story in this collection, these love interests can’t fight destiny. Love at first sight wasn’t something either party wanted, but making sure it doesn’t stick is something they can agree on. Stealing away in the middle of the night to sever their bond to each other didn’t end the way that either part expected, but it might just be what they needed.

This world gave me a taste of fighting against destiny, of trying to hate someone you’re meant to love. While journey stories aren’t always something I enjoy, I did enjoy this story.

I enjoyed the magic in this world, the way the fae barter and torment each other. I like the concept behind this story. I appreciated what Dasyra and Lodírhal brought to the story.

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