The story of a man without psi powers on a world where they’re prized. An outcast, Ruis must overcome all society to survive, pursue his passion for restoring ancient Earth technology, and win his love — Judge Ailim D’SilverFir.
This blurb came from the author’s website here.

I absolutely adore Ms Owens writing. Her lyrical way with words always carries me off on a journey that when I finish, I look up and I’m amazed to see that time has passed and my muscles are stiff since I hadn’t moved except to turn the page (swipe the screen/tap the button). Given how much I enjoy reading her books, I have been sadly remiss in reviewing them *adds to my list of retro review authors* so I was pleased when our Fantasy Celebration gave me an excuse. I decided pretty easily that I wanted to review one of Ms Owens’ Celta books but I couldn’t decide which one so I put out a call for help via twitter. @c2s answered and recommended Heart Thief as her favorite so I decided that was a good reason for me to re-read and then write this review.

Heart Thief is the second of the Celta series following Heart Mate. The planet of Celta was settled by people who came from earth hundreds of generations ago. They managed to land on Celta and survive. As part of adapting to Celta, possessing psi or Flair has become an integral part of the Celtan culture. Everyone who isn’t a gang member living Downwind, is tested when their Flair settles down. The amount and type of Flair determines the field that person will enter along with their status in society. Those with great Flair become Nobles, receive a regular payment from the government, and also have certain obligations they are required to meet using their Flair.

Ruis Elder is a null — he does not have any Flair and as a matter of fact his presence actually negates any Flair around him. After being cast out of his family by his uncle, who is now the head of the household, Ruis scrambles to make a hidden living. He played a key role in Heart Mate and in fact as a result of his actions he was arrested and brought to trial for thievery. While waiting for his hearing he encountered Ailim D’DilverFir, a Judge who had recently become the head of her family. Ailim was there not as a judge but to ask for a loan so she wouldn’t have to sell her ancestral home and lands. Ailim is strongly emphatic so she has to always maintain her mental shields against everyone’s random thoughts and feelings. Not only does she find a blissful mental peace around Ruis since her Flair does not work, but she also treats him like he is a valuable member of society instead of someone to be despised.

After their initial meeting Ruis continues to stay hidden in Druida City and find opportunities to meet with Ailim. Gradually his time with her starts to heal the terrible mental and emotional wounds he suffered during his family rejection and his abuse by his uncle. Ailim values the very thing that made Ruis outcast, and luxuriates in the presence of a person who just wants and values her as herself. Their mutual appreciation of each other doesn’t mean that they are always in perfect agreement, but their disagreements never dropped to the level of insults.

Ruis faces danger from violating his sentence of banishment on the pain of death and his vengeful uncle who wanted the death sentence. Ailim also faces danger from her family’s resistance to her every attempt to financially rescue them and because someone wants her dead. As Ailim continues to officially probe in the circumstances surrounding Ruis’ life and very suspicious lack of records she attracts more attention from his uncle, which is NOT a good thing. Ailim and Ruis’ relationship grows slowly as they get to know each other and deal with the circumstances their families have created. The very gradual building of their relationship was complete with misgivings, second thoughts, and the requirement to trust each other with their lives. As they tentatively reached out towards each other and looked forward to their stolen moments together my heart melted.

I really enjoyed watching Ailim and Ruis work through their individual problems as well as those caused by their relationship. Each had to decide if they were going to risk what they currently had for what they could have. Along the way glimpses of the bigger Celta history and social organization are provided as Ruis and Ailim move through their everyday lives. Not to mention the importance of pets not just for emotional wellbeing but also for social status. Some of the funniest scenes involve the Fams as they are called.

While this isn’t my personal favorite of Ms Owen’s Celta books by maybe a quarter of a grade Heart Thief is still one that I enjoy reading and re-reading. Each time I am sucked completely back into the world of Celta. I give Heart Thief an A-

Links to purchase

Amazon Book | Kindle eBook

Review – Heart Thief by Robin D. Owens is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

She must choose between her people and her freedom…
Xylara is the Daughter of the Warrior King, Xyron. With her father dead and her incompetent half-brother on the throne, the kingdom is in danger of falling to the warring Firelanders.

Before she was old enough for a marriage-of-alliance, Xylara was trained as a healer. She can’t dethrone her brother or negotiate a peace–but she can heal the brave ones injured in battle.

But not only her countrymen are wounded, and Xylara’s conscience won’t let Firelander warriors die when she can do something to save them. She learns their language and their customs and tries to make them as comfortable as possible, despite their prisoner-of-war status.

She never expects that these deeds, done in good faith, would lead to the handsome and mysterious Firelander Warlord demanding HER in exchange for a cease-fire. Xylara knows must trade the life she has always known for the well-being of her people, and so she becomes the… WARPRIZE
*Blurb from Goodreads*

MinnChica: I’m probably the one book pusher who doesn’t read that much fantasy. I have a few authors I’ve enjoyed, but it’s not my go-to genre. I have no idea when, but at some point, I picked up Warprize and bought it. It sat on my shelves for who-knows-how-long and when the girls as if I wanted to join them in this joint review, I jumped on the chance to finally get around to reading it. And boy am I glad I did. I absolutely adored the world that Vaughan created with Lara and Kier. As the story unfolded I found myself more and more enchanted with each and every character, so much so that I went and purchased the 2nd book on my nook the moment I finished this!

Has: Oh I am so glad you finally got to read it! This is one of my all time favourite books and it has become a comfort reread for me because this book is the epitome of magic and romance — even though there is hardly any magical elements in the story. The romance, the setting, and the premise is nothing new but Elizabeth Vaughan adds such a unique twist with the details and the emotions in the romance and story that it does feel refreshing. I remember reading Warprize for the first time, and it was a book which I inhaled. Keir and Lara and their differences as well as being from two contrasting cultures was explored beautifully and with such rich and vivid details which really stood out for me from other similar books.

Lou: I can remember Has recommending me Warprize, and it was when we met online. I remember Has telling me you have GOT to read this series. So I bought the first book, and oh my goodness. Waprize had everything that I had been waiting for — which sounds weird, but I’ll explain. I’ve always been a fan of fantasy, but I’ve always wanted romance to be the central focus of the story but without losing any impact of the fantasy and world building. Warprize did this in spades and so much more. Lara’s and Keir’s relationship I believe will be remembered as one of those never forget reads. It had the epic scope of a fantasy with a sweeping romance, a world that was built strong with different factions and tribes. And even though it does lack magical tendencies, it doesn’t suffer.

MinnChica: I’ll admit that I felt a little letdown at first when I realized there would be no magic in this story, and then I got so swept up with Lara, her desire to heal, her kind heart and her never wavering sense self and worth. Add in Keir who was a strong leader, but a kind and caring man. Their love story was so sweet and epic. I loved that they were both so open to learning each other’s customs and ways, and how open they were to integrating their lives. I hoped that Lara would work up the courage to ask for further explanation on word translations though… although that was part of the fun of reading their story.

Has: I think this sums up what was so magical about their romance; it never falls into cliched pitfalls of an angsty misunderstanding which can feel forced. But there is a core conflict about their differing cultures and trying to compromise and to cement an understanding.  However their romance which is so integral to the story was fantastic, I love the idea behind the Warprize and the meaning it has – especially when Lara learns of what it truly means to be one and her realisation of what that entails for her being as a healer and a lover. I ADORED that scene so much!

Lou: I think the conflict between the two of them was very realistic with Lara and her healing nature, and Kier with his warring ways. Lara’s healing was a great contrast to Kier, and it becomes a factor in their relationship when Kier realises just how much Lara risks by doing so. Not only does Lara have to deal with her brother giving her away, she has to deal with a new culture of people and try to understand where she fits in amongst it all — along with her growing attraction and closeness to Kier. The romance is so strong and I loved that it stood up in a Fantasy book. Just makes me fall in love with the Fantasy genre again because there is no limits and restrictions.

MinnChica: All in all I am so glad I was pushed into reading this book. The world Vaughan created was absolutely magical in its charm and characters. There are so many secondary characters to love, and the romance between Lara and Keir was just so incredible well done I melted throughout the entire book. I’ve already got (and read) book two, so now it’s onto book three for me!
I give Warprize an A

Has: I have recced this book countless of times and I will continue to do so because I know most people will adore this book even if they aren’t fans of epic fantasy. The contrasting cultures, and characters from opposing sides is a great premise and Warprize definitely delivers that element. But for me, the love story is what is truly engrossing and magical. Keir and Lara’s romance is really an epic love story which really conveys wonderfully to the reader, I was enthralled when I first read the book and because of this – it has remained to be one of my all time favourite romances.
I give Warprize an A+

Lou: When we decided on doing a Fantasy feature, Warprize was one of thee first books to come to mind. A romantic sweeping tale of a hero and heroine from different cultures who have to deal with an attraction that just gets stronger and stronger as they spend more time together. For those who are not huge fans of Fantasy reads, I would recommend this book for the romance alone because it’s so memorable and it gets better with each book in the trilogy. It also doesn’t shy away from hard realities which makes it that much more realistic.
I give Warprize and A

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Joint Review – Warprize by Elizabeth Vaughan is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

A man too dangerous to live. . .
After seven years outrunning enemies, friends, and his own soul-crushing memories, Brendan Douglas is risking everything on a desperate mission. He has vowed to thwart the evil mage Máelodor’s plans to unlock the past and reshape the future . . . unfortunately the precious treasure that is the key to success lies with a woman he jilted seven years before.
A woman determined to find a life of her own. . .
When her golden-eyed childhood hero abandoned her at the altar—disappearing in a storm of magic and mayhem, destruction, betrayal, and disaster—Elisabeth Fitzgerald struggled to overcome her humiliation and loss. Finally, she has found a new fiancé and a comfortable future. Then, the one man she thought she would never see again appears—among her wedding guests. Brendan Douglas has returned.
An inescapable destiny. . .
It’s not just that Elisabeth is promised to another; Brendan knows he is drawing her into terrible danger. But he cannot resist the bewitching, brave, wholly unexpected woman his youthful nemesis has become. He promised to sacrifice everything, but is he willing to sacrifice Elisabeth?
This blurb came from the author’s website here.

Heir Of Danger is the conclusion of Alix Rickloff’s Heirs of Kilronan trilogy. Despite my OCD tendency that drives me to start every series with the first book, I went ahead and started with this one because I really liked the blurb and it reminded me of the epic fantasy romances I used to read. I highly recommend that you read the first two books before picking this one up. You can follow the action and infer some of what happened previously but there is a lot of back-story and world building that I think would add to the reader’s understanding and enjoyment. I say this because I was somewhat lost in the beginning specifically with some of the non-English pronouns used to describe different groups of people. I actually looked in the back hoping to find a glossary. I could also tell that some of the characters had some painful past history with each other that I would have enjoyed knowing.

Even though it took me a little bit to grasp enough of the backstory to really get into why Brendan was risking his life, I was immediately sucked in with my introduction of the villain Maelodor, and Elisabeth’s first encounter with Brendan. I think that was when Elisabeth captivated me as a character. Initially I wasn’t sure that she would be a strong enough character to help make her own destiny or if she was just going to be swept along by events. I was very pleased to see that Elisabeth refused to just accept what happened and continued fighting for information and to make her own decisions. Her strength of will was rather important as the book continued.

Brendan was a tortured hero in more ways then one if I have ever read one. It seemed like everything he tried to make up for in past events, it just made things worse. Yet I could also see how he made it worse on himself so he certainly wasn’t blameless. It was fascinating to watch Brendan as the story unfolded and see his struggle to complete what he saw as his redemption, sacrificing himself along the way, without dragging anyone else he cared about down with him.

This novel had revenge, betrayal, kidnappings, death one of which I think came too easily, love, magic, visions, and things that really weren’t quite as they seemed. Given the sheer amount of activity in this last book I had to wonder if the first two moved at a slower pace and built everything up to this or if Ms Rickloff kept things moving quickly throughout the entire series.

I give Heir of Danger a B+

Links to purchase:
Amazon Book | Kindle eBook | Barnes & Noble

Review – Heir of Danger by Alix Rickloff is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

Where did you get the book: E-ARC from the author

Publisher: Carina Press

Release Date: Out today

Review: The Last Slayer by Nadia Lee is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

A POWERFUL NIGHTSTALKER
Nightshade hungers to bring the strong and beautiful to their knees beneath the ecstasy of his bite, but he has never known sexual lust—not until he meets Ruby McDonald, the curvy redhead who wields attitude and strength like an ax, and who would be the perfect mother of his children. Caught in a clash between the Seelie and Unseelie courts, he vows not only her survival but also to win her heart.

A MORTAL WITH A SECRET
Plagued by magic inherited from a father she never knew, Ruby wants answers. Nightshade has them. And when he crashes into her bedroom late one night, the fairy’s silvery eyes, dark intensity, and striking black wings tempt her with a whole lot more: a mysterious world waiting to be explored, a dangerous love that binds her in body, mind, and spirit…and the children she thought she could never have. Ahead looms a choice between freedom and a power some would kill to possess. Should she deny her desires, or succumb to the seduction of… THE RUBY KISS
*Blurb from Goodreads*

I can be somewhat picky about my fantasy romance. When it’s done well it’s so amazing, but when I don’t feel it, things tend to unravel quickly. For me, Taylor’s book had great promise, but the execution just didn’t work for me.

Ruby has lived her whole life with a magical gift that has inconvenienced her at every turn. She wants nothing more than to get rid of her gift and just live a normal life. But that all changes when a dark winged creature breaks through her roof one night. After that, Ruby’s life takes a turn and she becomes immersed in the world she has been running from.

Nightshade is hunting for his father, looking to get him to swear an oath to stay away from Nightshade’s half brother. When he meets Ruby, he feels the stirrings of lust for the first time ever. When she requires a powerful protector by her side to ensure her safety, he will do anything to keep her that way. But when Ruby realizes her power is more than anyone could have imagined, Nightshade just might have to lay down his life for her.

I really wanted to like this book, and there were aspects of it that I really enjoyed, but for me it had too many places where it just fell apart. I enjoyed the characters themselves. Ruby is strong and despite the horrible history with magic, she takes her own ability in stride. Although she fights her new powers, she is also accepting of the good she can do, and of the advantages of her gift. I liked that about her. Nightshade is tortured and broody and yet sensitive and protective of Ruby, his half-brother and the ones he considers family. As individuals, I really enjoyed them both.

However, as a couple there were so many twists and turns that I had a difficult time believing in their romance. Ruby isn’t freaked out by his wings and power, yet the thought of being bit scares the crap outta her, and has her running into a fake relationship with someone else. Then, while she was forced to bond with another, she was almost selfish in that she didn’t want Nightshade to have a blood bond with anyone else. Their relationship felt very one-sided in love (through Nightshade), and just awkward at best.

Most of the secondary characters were enjoyable to read as well. Taylor set up quite a few characters that could be a great continuation to the series, and I do hope that we get to see more of the unique world. I have to say through, there was one character who really rubbed me the wrong way, Troy, and I could have done without many of the scenes involving him. He just seemed somewhat seedy and a little bit of a creeper. I also didn’t think the story lines regarding Twister were finished, instead we were left in limbo regarding the bond he forced on Ruby.

I did enjoy bits and pieces of the plot. Some things felt convoluted and unnecessary, but for the most part things kept moving along, were action packed and engaging. I really enjoyed the world, and was immersed in the drama between the Seelie and Unseelie courts.

All in all I wanted this to be an awesome fantasy read, but instead it was just an okay read. While it had great characters and a decent plot line, the story started sluggishly, had some slow parts in the middle and a few unsavory secondary characters that dragged down the overall tone and feel of the book.

I give The Ruby Kiss a C-

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Review – The Ruby Kiss by Helen Scott Taylor is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

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BN Nook | BN Book

Review: Queen of the Sylphs by L.J McDonald is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

BookPushers: Can you tell us how you came up with the idea for the Sylph World, and how many titles do you have planned in the series?

L.J McDonald:  The idea was a slow stewing of a bunch of ideas in my brain over a couple of months. I’d been wanting to write a shape-shifter for a while, but I wanted it to be something new, something that wasn’t limited to only a certain number of shapes. I’d been working on a book that had a shape-shifting monster in it infused with a human soul (now shelved) and wanted to keep the idea, but without the creature being evil. I also wanted to play with the contrary ideas of a very powerful being that is subordinate in nature. Sort of as a contrast to the alpha male idea. That’s where the germ of my first book in the series came from and it just snowballed from there.

I have five books currently written in the series. Three are under contract, two are not at this point. I have ideas floating in my brain for a sixth, but I have so much else on my plate that it hasn’t happened yet. I’ve written part of it, but I’m not happy with it, so I’m going to take some of the ideas that work and rewrite them, tossing out the stuff that I find doesn’t.  Eventually.

BookPushers: Solie and Heyou were quite young as protagonists for The Battle Sylph. Will you be returning to these characters when they are older?

L.J McDonald: Yes.  Solie and Heyou are quite important characters in QUEEN OF THE SYLPHS. Solie is in her mid-twenties and very much the leader of the Valley. She’s matured a great deal since the first book. Heyou is still the loveable goof he was in the first book, since I can’t imagine writing him any other way, but he does deal with far more adult issues than he did in the first book.

Book Pushers: Did you have any worries about readers being hesitant of Heyou for being quite young — not just in age, but in mind also?

L.J McDonald: I didn’t write the first three books with any thought that anyone would ever see them. I wrote the first one when I was away from home with my military unit for an domestic operation and had nothing else to do with my time in the evening but write. It was that or go to the bar.  I made Solie that young because while it was a fantasy world, I was thinking real world medieval reality enough that I couldn’t see her as being any older without having been married off already. Heyou became just as young to balance her and to keep him from being too powerful. I read some reviews that went on about how young the characters were and was really quite surprised at how some people thought it was a bad idea. At least most people didn’t have a problem with it. I can honestly say that I never thought about the repercussions of their ages at all.

BookPushers: Where did you get the inspiration to create the Sylph world?

L.J McDonald: The Sylph world itself? I had this image in my mind of a very, very dangerous world where battlers have grown to become so powerful because they need to be. It’s a place of harsh angles and steep mountains, with little oasis of safety in it where the sylphs have their hives.

BookPushers: Can you tell us what readers can expect from Queen of the Sylphs? Are you able to give us a sneak peak of what’s coming?

L.J McDonald: Well, I don’t want to give anything away, but you will met new people and reacquaint with some old ones, and while the best of things happen, so do the worst.  You’ll also get to see some of the sylph world itself, up close and personal.

BookPushers: Do you already know how you want to end the series, or will it expand into other worlds and characters?

L.J McDonald: The universe itself has no end, so to speak. I imagine people going on in it. As for how long I’ll keep writing in it, I don’t know. I like the sylphs. They’re fun. And I haven’t explored everything in it that I’d like to.

BookPushers: Do you have any plans to write in a different genre or a new series?

L.J McDonald: Absolutely.  I’m always writing. I’ve written books that are straight fantasy, science fiction, and young adult. I wrote something like six or seven novels before I started the first sylph book and I’m currently writing a four novel series in a completely different romantic fantasy universe (heavy on the fantasy, rather graphic on the sex) that my agent is farming. She’s also farming a seven book romantic fantasy series that I’ve written a synopsis and a few chapters for. I’m amusing myself writing novellas in yet another universe that will pretty much stack together into a full anthology by the time I’m done.  That doesn’t include the twist on a vampire novel I’ve started or the urban fantasy ideas I’ve done some shorts on.  I have a lot lying around. Now that the sylph books are out there and people are starting to realize I exist, I’m hoping to get more of them published.

BookPushers: What does Fantasy mean to you?

L.J McDonald:  Fantasy means anything can happen. There are no limits to imagination, no rules, no stopping and saying ‘well, you can’t do that’. The rules are what you make them and you can explore any concept that you want. I love the opportunity to create an entire universe.  It’s like devouring a tub of mental chocolate for me.

BookPushers: If there was an epic battle with the Sylphs, which group of superheroes or fictional or real heroes you would choose to engage them and who would win?

L.J McDonald:  Oy…battlers are rather powerful. That’s a hard one. I’d say the battlers would win in a straight out fight against most anyone, except someone such as Superman. They’re reactionary fighters, not intuitive, so they can be outsmarted in a fight. It really would depend on who’s fighting them. Doesn’t matter much to the battler who the opponent is. They’re born and bred for combat.

BookPushers: And finally, where is your ideal spot to write – it can be real, imaginary or somewhere from your books?

L.J McDonald: Ideal spot to write?  Mine is mid morning, after I’ve fed the animals (two cats, a bearded dragon, a kingsnake, and a bunch of fish). I have a coffee, and I’m sitting in my computer room with the word processor blown up to cover the screen and the font set to something cursive and lovely.  Or, sitting just about anywhere with some paper and a fountain pen. I type novels. I still handwrite shorter pieces.  I love the physical sensation of a pen in my hand and writing shorts lets me keep doing that without having to handwrite and then type an entire novel.

We also have a giveaway for an ebook of Queen of the Sylphs thanks to Dorchester! To enter comment here and answer what is your favourite fantasy style setting. Giveaway is open to everyone and will end next Wednesday the 5th of October. Good Luck!

Interview: L.J McDonald and Giveaway of Queen of the Sylphs is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

Publisher: Self Published
Publish Date: Out Now
How I got this book: From the Author

Claire Shannon is a Kinsman, a woman gifted with enhanced mental capabilities. Her skills and her life were taken over by the military to fight in war that has raged on her home planet for decades. But as the war ends, she is forced to hide her abilities in order to make a new life for herself as a civilian. It’s a new persona, a new planet and new job that has her crossing paths with the powerful and alluring Venturo Escana. Is she strong enough to hide her true nature from her perceptive new boss? And as they grow closer, will she even still want to try?

This blurb is from the authors’ website here.

Many a romance reader got their start from Harlequin or Mills and Boon categories. Some readers stick with those, some venture off to other romance subgenres and leave categories behind, while yet others continue to keep the categories as faithful auto-buys while they enjoy other subgenres as well. Ilona Andrews has taken some of the common category tropes and used them in the Kinsmen universe. It is a universe with a select percentage of inhabitants who have genetic mutations providing different mental and physical skills or powers. These mutations initially started with purposeful genetic modifications that were later outlawed as the enhanced discovered that these enhancements would have more value and thus power if they were limited in number. As a result further modifications were outlawed and those with enhancements formed family groups almost like the mafia where loyalty was paramount.

In SILVER SHARK which is the second of the Kinsmen series following 2009’s SILENT BLADE we travel to Rada in the company of a refuge and explore the wealthy multi-millionaire and his secretary (administrative assistant) trope. Here the Kinsmen families follow very strict rules governing their interaction with other families as well as with those who do not have any enhancements. The reasoning behind those rules was an attempt to minimize the collateral damage as a result of the constant maneuverings for more power that sometimes flared into violence between the families.

Unlike traditional categories, with an extreme power imbalance between the multi-millionaire and his (always his) secretary/administrative assistant, in this one the heroine possesses a significant amount of power herself but exposing that power could very well mean her quick and rather unpleasant death. The hero is also powerful and has sacrificed much for his family yet he doesn’t consider the unenhanced beneath his notice.

I enjoyed learning about Rada thru Claire’s mind as she struggled to transition from a regimented, colorless, flavorless life to that of a civilian on a world with freedom, choices and color. Her interactions with the Escana family and Venturo in specific were very entertaining as was her decision to explore and experience what we would consider normal life. Claire also had to deal with some fellow refugees and the fact that they knew who she was and what she could really do as she attempted to “blend.” The situations caused by those encounters really served to flesh Claire out as a character.

I really enjoyed reading SILVER SHARK and thought it ended way too soon. The story was complete, I just wanted more *grin*. I really appreciate the way Ilona Andrews sprinkles in information about the world instead of doing info-dumps. That technique always leads me deeper and deeper into the story as I watch the entire picture unfold in my mind’s eye. I hope that more Kinsmen stories are published and I am curious to see which trope(s) will be targeted next.

I give SILVER SHARK an A

Links to purchase

BN Nook | Kindle eBook

Review – Silver Shark by Ilona Andrews is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

Review: Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter

 

Publisher: Harlequin

Publishing date: 20th September

Where did you get it: E-arc from publisher

 

 

 
Once upon a time…the Blood Sorcerer vanquished the kingdom of Elden.

To save their children, the queen scattered them to safety and the king filled them with vengeance. Only a magical timepiece connects the four royal heirs…and time is running out….

Princess Breena had been dreaming of her warrior lover when she was ripped from her Elden castle and thrown into a strange, dangerous realm. Lost and alone, she prayed for survival and vengeance for her stolen kingdom. She found both in a woodland cottage…in a dark bear of a man.

The golden-haired beauty had eaten his food and slept in his bed when Osborn found her. Though he wanted to awaken his virgin princess to carnal pleasures, Breena wanted more—including his warrior skills. Skills the once-legendary mercenary had long buried. Now Osborn had a choice—risk his life or deny his princess her fairy-tale ending.

*Blurb taken from Goodreads*

I really love fantasy romance and when I heard that some of my favourite authors were partaking in a series that features a magical kingdom, and supernatural beings, it definitely perked my interest. Lord of Rage is the 2nd book of the Royal House of Shadows quadrology which kicked off with Lord of the Vampires by Gena Showalter with other installments written by Nalini Singh and Jessica Anderson. Each book follows a royal sibling who are separated and are thrust across the lands to safeguard their safety after a lethal attack happens in the kingdom of Eldon. With this entry, the events focus on the Princess Breena who finds herself thrust in a forest and meeting the dream lover she has dreamt of for the past few years in the flesh.

I have to admit that whilst I did enjoy Lord of Rage,  I wasn’t really blown away with the book, or the execution of the premise. My main gripe was the world-building around the magic that was used. I really felt this was vague and not much basis or explanation on how this worked. I also wished there was more description of the evil beings that attacked the Kingdom in the beginning of the book, and again this felt vague and rushed. I may have missed some of the nuance or the explanation of this because this was the 2nd book of the series and I haven’t read the previous book yet, but I did get frustrated because it felt like the magical rules were only used as a plot device rather than part of the world-building.

I was also wary when Breena loses some of her memory about why she is thrust miles and miles away from her homeland when she is cast out for her safety. Again it felt all vaguish and dreamy and although it complimented with the dream lover trope well and the fairy tale tone of the story,  it also added to the lack of clarity to the world-building and I had trouble getting into the story and I found the first half pretty plodding in pace.  Breena has some notion and memory that she needs help to go back and regain control of the kingdom, and this is expanded and explained later in the book, but I wished there more explanation on how her magic was used and what kind of limits she had because this was the main problem I had with the book.

Nonetheless there was definitely moments and elements that I did enjoy in the story. I really liked the take on Goldilocks and the Three Bears theme that Lord of Rage had when Breena encounters Osborn, the hero’s cottage, whom he shares with his two brothers. I chuckled when she ate their porridge, broke a chair and was found sleeping on Osborn’s bed.

I also loved the setting where Osborn’s homeland and the mythology that surrounded his people were berserkers that shares a spirit with a bear. The beginning of the book, with the descriptions of Osborn’s rite of passage when he becomes a berserker and later when his people are destroyed by an enemy force, is one of the best highlights of the story. The vikingesque type setting and society was sketched out. I quite liked Osborn and loved how he interacted with his brothers who didn’t go through the same rites as their older brother who feels guilt about this as well as mourning the loss of the way of life of their people. I really found this aspect of the book had real depth and I wished we had more of this.

Yet with the romance  I was left wanting and at times feeling underwhelmed because the basis of the love story was the dream lover trope. I am not a huge fan of this trope because I think it is pretty convenient and there is no real sense of build up of the sexual or romantic tension. I also couldn’t really warm up to the character of Breena who I felt was one dimensional at times, and I also felt the same with their romance. The chemistry just felt off at the beginning and the dream sequences — which was hot — didn’t connect or resonate emotionally and I think this affected the love story.  I wished there was more of a romantic punch although later there were a couple of scenes that did have that, but that was at the end when the plot developed their characterization and their guilt of surviving the massacres from their pasts.  This was more of a solid basis on the romance than the dream lover aspect which felt pretty whimsy for me.

Lord of Rage had a great premise, and whilst I liked the idea of a fairy tale type fantasy romance, the execution didn’t tick all of my boxes. I know the dreamy feel and tone — especially in the beginning — was there to help lay out the romance between Breena and Osborn, but I found that this really didn’t bring the plot forward. Despite the slow start, I did enjoy the overall tone of the book and I definitely think it improved at the end of the story, but I can’t not help feeling lukewarm about it.

I give Lord of Rage a C

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Review: Lord of Rage by Jill Monroe is a post from: The Book Pushers | Book Reviews | Book Chatter