ARC REVIEW The Blacksmith Queen by G.A. Aiken

The Scarred Earth Saga #1,  I'm no stranger to Shelly Laurenston but this is my first time reading her under the name Aiken. I'm picky about the fantasy genre I read and I was hesitant to pick this one up fearing it would be overly dramatic, long winded, and full of political backstabbing bs but then I remembered who the author was and read it........And loved it. The beginning of the book with The Old King dying and the sons all killing each other off kind of reminded me of Stardust except less humorous and way more violent. I didn't dislike all the violence, because this book is full of it, I was surprised by how gorey it was described, again not a bad thing for me I just wasn't expecting it. True to form Aiken writes her female characters full of snark. With Keeley you see many sides of the strong fighter standing up for those who can't and when she's around her family you see a funnier side but overall she is protective. But when it comes to her sister, Gemma, you see a more childish side like picking fights doing things she knows bug her. Gemma and Keeley are both head strong and very similar which causes them to butt heads and argue at the drop of a hat but you see throughout the book they are starting to trust each other more and more and that there is love between them. Keeley has plenty of depth. Aiken wasn't gratuitous with the sex either, for which I am grateful. I loved how the story played out and how the narrative switches to other characters so you get the full picture, one reason I prefer third person I must know everything. I liked the characters everyone has quirks that make them unique and memorable. Caid, I really like, he's a good strong warrior and you can see the gradual change in him the more he's around Keely.

It all started as a simple journey protecting her sister, the girl who would be Queen, but turns into an all out war with Keeley in the lead. Keeley must now find allies to fight with her against The Old King's remaining sons. Overall, it was a fun read. There is no cliffhanger there is a definite end to the book but it's far from over.   

ARC REVIEW So I Married a Sorcerer by Kerrelyn Sparks

So I Married a Sorcerer is book two in Kerrelyn Sparks' Embraced series. While the first book played out more like an epic fairy tale this one seemed more like a mash-up of Pirate and Medieval Pulp romance, and it was GREAT! It starts off with the pirates and then smoothly transitions into a Medieval type tournament complete with dragons. I think this book can be read as a standalone as all the pertinent information is given. So much happened in the book, I mean it is almost 500 pages, but it keeps you entertained, enthralled, and just completely sucks you into the story. If you've read Kerrelyn Sparks before you know her writing style, and if you enjoy fantasy she has done a wonderful job creating this world, the active setting is wonderfully descriptive it is a seductive and enchanting story.

Brigitta knew something was going to happen and she knew it was going to happen soon, the telling stones told her so. Her adoptive sister the new Queen of Ebton was about to give birth and sent for her sisters but the journey there was interupted by Tourinian Naval ships and then by pirates, at almost the time. Brigitta just learned she is a princess and only one of two children remaining alive after the death of King Garold the other being her bastard, in the figurative and literal sense, brother Gunther. King Gunther sent his best naval officer and a fleet of his naval ships to bring Brigitta back home. The plan is thwarted by the Dread Pirate Roberts, oops I mean The Infamous Pirate Rupert the Wind Sorcerer.

Rupert is the sole heir to the rightful King of Tourin after the massacre that killed all the members of his family he hid and he became old enough he took to the sea and became a pirate. Rubert is one of the Embraced and has the power to control the wind, which give his a huge advantage out on the sea. Rupert isn't just any pirate he only targets Tourinian vessels which contain gold. His plan to to steal as much gold as possible and force an uprising against Gunther. But his plans change when Brigitta comes into his life.

Brigitta and Rupert have been betrothed since Rupert was seven and Brigitta was still an infant but Brigitta has no idea. Rupert has hidden his true identity to protect himself, but Brigitta is smart enough to figure it out for herself. Together they must try and find a way to dethrone Gunther without leading their people into a civil war all the while playing along with Gunther's crazy tournament to win the hand of the Princess scheme and once again trying to find out who the shapeshifter is pretending to be.

Overall, this was a very exciting and romantic adventure.
       

ARC REVIEW How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days by Kerrelyn Sparks

First book in the new series The Embraced by Kerrelyn Sparks, How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days is a wonderfully woven new Fantasy Romance world. The prologue paints a world where four Kingdoms all worship the sun and two small islands who worship the double moons. When a child is born under the eclipse, when two moons becomes one, they are said to be blessed by the Moon Goddesses and are special. The men in charge of the sun's church believe these children are dangerous and must be killed upon birth. But the Isle of the Moons often takes children into their sanctuary. The Embraced is about six young girls who were all born under the eclipse; this book centers around the eldest of the six, Luciana.

I can already tell this series going to be awesome. The active setting is spectacular, the fantastical medieval setting is so easy to picture in my head. The characters are so easy to fall in love with. The plot of a the book is a serious one but leave it to Kerrelyn Sparks to have a comic relief that will have you bust out laughing at inappropriate times.

Luciana was raised on the Isle of the Moons as an orphan along with her (adoptive) sisters. Luciana and her sisters would kill the time by telling fortunes using colored stones, it was all in fun until one day Luciana's prediction came true. Luciana's father came to the isle to get Luciana. The King has demanded that Lucius' daughter was to marry his nephew Lord Leofric of Benwick or else face death. The King has become greedy in his power and will do anything to obtain the wealthy lands that Lucius owns; that includes murdering them before the wedding. Leo is one of the embraced, but he contains the power of lightning and no one can touch him, so the can't kill him. Leo has risen in the ranks of the army and is now the Lord Protector of their Kingdom. All this was a way for the King to try and kill him but so far his attempts were unsuccessful. Now Leo has to go and get married to a young woman and protect her from the King's murderous intentions.

It was love at first sight. From across a crowded courtyard their eyes met and Luciana knew nothing would be the same again. Leo vows to protect his betrothed and despite the rumors about her, he knows she's different from any other woman he's met and he knows she's hiding something from him. He tries not to get to close afraid his touch will kill her but in no time their love is stronger than even the King. But will the Kings machinations kill them before it's too late?

Overall, outstanding. I really can't wait for the next books. It's a continual rollercoaster ride of adventure, action, magic, and mayhem; and the romance is pretty dang good too.          

VIRTUAL TOUR Witches Be Burned by Stacy Kennedy

Witches Be Burned
Magic & Mayhem # 2

By: Stacey Kennedy  

Releasing May 19^th, 2015

Loveswept

Blurb

In Stacey Kennedy’s steamy paranormal romance novel, a rookie guardian sworn to combat the undead risks life and love in a world of violence, witchcraft, and seduction.

Nexi Jones has lost her family, she’s been stripped of her guardian duties, and she’s still learning the ins and outs of white magic. At least she has Kyden, the smoldering hot elite guardian who’s been there for her every step of the way. But just as Nexi completes her training, tragedy strikes the Otherworld when a fellow guardian is murdered by a group of rogue vampires. Ready or not, she and Kyden trek into the Earthworld to hunt down a killer—and Nexi alone will be put to the ultimate test.

Although Kyden knows that Nexi must fight her own battles, his guardian instincts are raging as he struggles to keep her close. The ruthlessness of these vampires is like nothing he’s ever seen. And at their helm is the Black Witch Astoria, a demon with one burning desire: to shed Nexi’s blood in the name of vengeance. What troubles Kyden even more, though, is the warlock who covets Nexi’s heart. Let the devil do his worst . . . all Kyden can do is love and protect Nexi until his last breath.

 Link to Follow Tour:  http://www.tastybooktours.com/2015/02/witches-be-burned-magic-mayhem-2-by.html

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17927298-witches-be-burned?from_search=true

Goodreads Series Link: https://www.goodreads.com/series/77793-magic-mayhem

“Thank all that is holy,” Haven exclaimed the second she opened her front door. “You’re back.”
 Standing outside of the modern-designed apartment, Nexi raised her brows at Haven’s unruly hair and her bloodshot eyes. Red-hot irritation rushed through their bond, sending Nexi spiraling into a dizzy spell. Not once had Nexi ever seen Haven so flustered—she’d always been a ball of sunshine.

 Haven had been the first supernatural Nexi met in the Otherworld. She knew why the Council had set that up—their soul-bond had instantly brought comfort to Nexi, while Haven explained where Nexi was, that her adoptive mortal parents were dead, and that Nexi was actually a supernatural living in a mortal’s world. Now she couldn’t quite imagine her life without Haven. Their relationship wasn’t sisterly, it was similar to that of what twins experienced—but possibly even closer than that. A connection of hearts and souls. The second supernatural to visit Nexi on her first night in the Otherworld had been Drake, the guardian who gave her life, and who had been a complete stranger to her. Nexi wished she had spent more time getting to know him than the few months she had with him before he died during the fight with Lazarus. Yet life was what it was, and there was no sense hoping for a different outcome. Besides, she believed Drake felt that he finally helped avenge his wife, the mother that Nexi had never met. She ignored the pang in her heart, refusing to return to that dark place of sadness that was still so fresh, turning her attention back to her friend. “What in the world happened to you?” “Your damn cat hasn’t shut up,” a low, angry voice bit off. Haven opened the door farther, showing off her boyfriend and fellow guardian, Finn, sitting on the couch. The deep frown on his slender face was so unlike him that Nexi’s brows rose higher. In all the time she’d known him, he had never lost his cool—Finn was always the calm, collected one. Now his crystal-blue eyes reflected grave annoyance, and his jaw muscles were twitching. Nexi slid her glance to the kitten sitting on the armrest of the couch, staring and swatting at Finn. While she appreciated that apparently the kitty had been bothering him, and perhaps was driving him mad, she was also silent. “When did the meowing stop?” “The moment you knocked on the door.” He looked to the kitten with a viscous glare. “She’s here. Get out.” The kitten glanced to the doorway and Nexi swore the kitty smiled before jumping off the couch and trotting over. “Come on, how can you hate her?” Nexi said, grinning at the kitty. “She’s so stinkin’ cute.” “Easily,” Haven snipped, reaching for the kitten. “You weren’t here for the past hour, listening to her cry and whine for you.” Those trickles of annoyance increased through their bond as she shoved the kitten in Nexi’s arms. “Have fun with that one.” Haven began to shut the door, and Nexi called, “Wait. You need to tell me about her—”
 The door slammed shut.

 Sighing, Nexi looked down at the kitten and frowned. “You sure know how to makefriends. Guess you’re stuck with me, even if I have no idea what you are.” The kitten purred, rubbing her face into Nexi’s neck. She laughed, turning away fromHaven and Finn’s apartment and strode along the hallway in the Witches’ House, located in the west side of the Otherworld’s castle. Each species had its special place in the medieval castle, or at least that’s what it resembled. From what she’d learned, the castle had been built sometime in the 1700s after the two worlds merged and made the treaty. The need for the Council meant they needed a headquarters, and no one had renovated it since. Nexi didn’t mind so much; she thought the castle had charm, and it reminded her of old Scotland—which she learned was where the leaders of Earthborn supernaturals were located back in the 1700s. While Nexi could stay in either the Witches’ House or Guardians’ House, because she was technically both, she had gravitated to the Guardians’ House, since she had trained as a guardian first. But she appreciated her witch magic just as much. As a Spirit Witch, she was blessed with all four elements: Earth, Water, Air, and Fire. All other witches other than Sprit Witches gained one element, like Haven, who exceled in the Earth element. Through the training over the few months, Nexi had mastered Air and Fire, and she had the feeling the other two elements were pretty much of no use to her. Or they hadn’t been so far. The witches in the Otherworld coven had told her through training that some Spirit Witches gained all the elements in the beginning, and when the stronger elements developed, the others eventually faded away. Lucky for her, the elements she did possess—conjuring Air and Fire without touch—were seriously kick-ass. Holding the kitten in her arms and continuing on down the hallway, she passed a couple witches who strode along the hallway. One smiled. The other looked at Nexi with something close to disdain, but Nexi let it roll off her back. She supposed she understood—she was different from the other witches, being of two races, and she’d discovered that while most accepted her, some of the older generation didn’t. She wasn’t normal, but she couldn’t please everyone—and she didn’t try to.

Buy Links:  

Amazon | B & N | iTunes | Kobo | Publisher

Author Info

Stacey Kennedy is the USA Today bestselling author of the Club Sin series. Growing up, Stacey’s mind wandered the path less traveled, and that path most often led to love. She has always broken rules and she continues to feed off emotion—always staying true to her heart. Those traits are now the bones of her stories. She lives in southwestern Ontario with her husband, who puts any of the heroes in her books to shame, and their two young children. If she’s not on Mom duty or plugging away at a new story, you’ll find Stacey camping in the summer, hibernating in the winter, and obsessing over Penny Dreadful, Game of Thrones, and Sons of Anarchy.

Author Links: 

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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ARC REVIEW Assassin Queen by Chandra Ryan

Assassin Queen is book one in Chandra Ryan 's Forsaken Kingdom. It was a quick read I wish there was more to it; I wish it got a little more in depth about the world they are in  and it's history and a little more action. I like it, it a great idea I love the characters and the storyline and look forward to more.

Lilavati loves her kingdom and her mother but her stepfather is evil and jealous of her as the rightful heir. When he mother gets pregnant, her step father threatens Lilavati death or exile. At the age of sixteen Lilavati runs for her life with her betrothed promise that upon her return he will be there with the other soldiers to fight with her. For ten years Lilavati has worked as a mercenary, an assassin with her own band of men to fight with her among them them a powerful sorcerer, Kirin. Kirin has always loved Lilavati but has kept at a distance since her heart is already sworn to another.

Ten years after her exile and Lilavati's mother has died and her kingdom has fallen into ruin. Her stepfather has sent assassins after her to finally get rid of her. Lilavati has decided to go back and fight for her kingdom. Kirin goes with her to make sure she doesn't lose herself in her new title. But things are not always as they seem.