Books with war – Goodys.Blog

Publish Date: April 20th, 2021
Number of Pages: 600 Pages
Publisher: Blue Box Press
Genre(s): Fantasy, New Adult Romance

***Warning!! This review contains spoilers for this book plus others in the series, so continue reading at your own risk! You’ve officially been warned!***

To see my review of book #1 – From Blood And Ash – Click HERE

To see my review of book #2 – A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire – Click HERE

To see my Fancast/Dreamcast for the series so far – Click HERE

Total Star Rating: 4.75 Stars

‘You need to understand that I will do anything and everything for my wife.’ Casteel’s gaze latched on to his father‘s. ‘No risk is too great, nor is anything too sacred. Because she is my everything. There is nothing greater than her, and I do mean nothing.'”
– Jennifer L. Armentrout, “The Crown of Gilded Bones”

What It’s About:

The official blurb:

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout comes book three in her Blood and Ash series…

She’s been the victim and the survivor…

Poppy never dreamed she would find the love she’s found with Prince Casteel. She wants to revel in her happiness but first they must free his brother and find hers. It’s a dangerous mission and one with far-reaching consequences neither dreamed of. Because Poppy is the Chosen, the Blessed. The true ruler of Atlantia. She carries the blood of the King of Gods within her. By right the crown and the kingdom are hers.

The enemy and the warrior…

Poppy has only ever wanted to control her own life, not the lives of others, but now she must choose to either forsake her birthright or seize the gilded crown and become the Queen of Flesh and Fire. But as the kingdoms’ dark sins and blood-drenched secrets finally unravel, a long-forgotten power rises to pose a genuine threat. And they will stop at nothing to ensure that the crown never sits upon Poppy’s head.

A lover and heartmate…

But the greatest threat to them and to Atlantia is what awaits in the far west, where the Queen of Blood and Ash has her own plans, ones she has waited hundreds of years to carry out. Poppy and Casteel must consider the impossible—travel to the Lands of the Gods and wake the King himself. And as shocking secrets and the harshest betrayals come to light, and enemies emerge to threaten everything Poppy and Casteel have fought for, they will discover just how far they are willing to go for their people—and each other.

~~~

Wow wow wow wow wow was what I kept repeating to myself as I finished this book a couple days ago as I’m typing this review up. The third book in Jennifer L. Armentrout’s Blood and Ash was an absolute tornado that hit me right in the chest more than any other book in quite some time, and it took me a couple days to allow myself to soak it all in and collect my thoughts as I make sense of the pure craziness that happens in the last chunk of this book. I mean, the Admin of the Facebook group for these books said this one was going to absolutely wreck us as a fandom, and while I wasn’t on the floor weeping my eyes out or throwing my book across the room in a fit of heartbroken rage, I can say that yeah…that sequence really left an impression on me as a reader. I am filled with wonder, with shock, and most of all I get chills running down my arms because I have to say to the author: BRAVO!

The world and the story that this author has created somehow just continues to get bigger and bigger with every book, and JLA reached heights that I honestly didn’t even know it’d get to with all the information I now know surrounding Poppy, The Ascended, Queen Ileana, Queen Eloana, and even the gods that are now starting to wake back up on the brink of war! I remember thinking back when the first book came out and how maybe it was going to be a really good knight/princess centric romance, but OHHHHHHHH am I wrong and so happy to be so! It’s reached Sarah J. Maas level of amazingness with all the worldbuilding, the shocking twists, the bitter betrayals, the many different kinds of magical beings, and of course the steamy and heartwarming romance.

Whenever I get these books in my hands, and I do the more expensive hardcover versions from Barnes & Noble because I try to purchase anything off Amazon as a last resort after working there, I really take my time and slowly read so that I can savor all of it. Too many times in the past have I completely binge-read a book in two days and then I stare blankly at the wall as I realize I have to wait a whole other year until the next one releases. I guess it helps a little, but in reality I also already finished it and it still feels like it will be forever until I find out what happens next in this series. The next book will be a prequel, which is going to be released later in fall 2021.

There’s also so much growth that happens in this book in multiple ways: both Poppy and Cas as individuals and as husband and wife. Poppy continues to change even this far into the series, and she gains more and more confidence in her abilities, both normal and magical. As she discovers more and more about her past, she she also learns whose in her corner and who will betray her all the same. She becomes so much stronger and badass too; that ending gave me some series Daenerys Targaryen Khaleesi vibes that felt so powerful considering she started off as the pure and demure maiden at the very beginning. Casteel slowly learns to open up and let himself be vulnerable in front of her too, he admits/confesses things that he’s told no one else, and shows pure emotion when Poppy hears it all yet continues to stay by his side. His past is so dark and tragic, and you can tell it means more to him than he says when Poppy reassures him and reveals her true feelings to him as well. The softer moments when these two are alone and continue to just talk and get to know each other as a normal couple are some very low-key amazing moments that helps elevate their status as one of the best couples in Fantasy literature. While becoming more intimate in more ways than one (both smutty and intellectually), they also quickly learn to take on the hard task of learning to rule a kingdom while everything is going on with the Ascended and the possibility of war on the horizon. They have to become ruthless and make a lot of hard decisions in order to help keep their land and their people safe, and it was fun to see them as they held their own against players of the game of thrones who’ve been around for centuries when compared to themselves.

‘You will bow before your Queen.’ Casteel eyed the Atlantian coolly. ‘Or you will bleed before her. It is your choice.'”
– Jennifer L. Armentrout, “The Crown of Gilded Bones”

What I Liked:

Poppy Continues to Grow/Develop As A Character! Like I said, her growth is seriously so amazing to read in this whole series. She becomes more confident in herself and her love for Casteel, and even grows quite a backbone when dealing with royals, nobility, and even celestial beings from another realm!
SO MANY NEW CHARACTERS! But actually though…it’s crazy all the new faces we see in this third book, some are names we’ve been hearing about for quite some time now, while others are names you never thought you’d actually meet up with. First, there’s Casteel’s parents, King Valyn and Queen Eloana. Second, there’s Ian and Malec, both are brothers of our two main characters. There’s the infamous Miss Willa Colyns, who was such a total delight to finally meet! There’s a little reveal about her that I cheered with glee for that was absolutely hilarious! There’s Nyktos, the king of the Gods, who was also kind of an obvious addition considering the next book will be a prequel starring him. Then there’s Queen Ileana, the Blood Queen whose in charge of all the vamprys of the Ascended. She’s a real piece of work, that’s for sure!
The Revenants! This was a very interesting concept that was introduced in this book, and while I guess it includes new characters, I wanted this to have its own part on the list. Let’s just say for now that the Blood Queen has a lot tricks and twists up her sleeves.
Poppy’s Mysterious Backstory Finally Explained! This part was the big climax, and wow oh wow was it done in spectacular dramatics! There was so many twisting reveals, it’s no surprise that no one correctly guessed it on the FB group in the months leading up to this book’s arrival! I mean, with how complicated it all gets, who could’ve possibly gotten even close to how complex this whole family tree gets?!
Casteel Continues To Be Book Husband GOALS! Rhysand who? But seriously, Casteel Da’Neer continues to raise the bar for ALL men who love that special someone in their lives. Like I mentioned before, he grows a lot too in this book and allows himself to show vulnerability and raw emotions when it comes to Poppy, and even better how he doesn’t get his masculinity called into question when Poppy becomes so much more powerful than him. He actually gets turned on by it, which for him is totally normal.
Dragons! Yessssssssss Dragons…well Drakens to be more specific, but basically the same thing! Going to the lands of the gods, Poppy learns that Nyktos had his own group of warriors who could transform into Drakens at will and protect their land. You don’t see as much of them as you’d probably like if I’m being honest, but the set up with them for sure gets you excited for the later books down the road.
There’s Set Up For The Prequel Coming Out Later! For those not in this FB group (The Blood and Ash Spoiler Group), it’s obvious that the next book out will not be the next book in this series, but actually will be a prequel that starts a new side series, and stars the King of the Gods, Nyktos. A Shadow In the Ember will come out October 19th, 2021 according to Goodreads, and there is a ton of set up for it for when it comes out. This just all adds to how much bigger and grander this whole story has become thanks to Jennifer L. Armentrout’s brilliant creative writing skills, like it makes me want to get back into my writing even more!
The Smut! Oh yeah, those of us in the fandom are always looking for the steamy scenes that Poppy and Cas have in these books, and they didn’t disappoint in any way! Their passion continues to heat up the pages, and even get to try some new things out *wink*wink*

What I Didn’t Like:

A Slower Midpoint In This Book…The beginning started off on such a strong note, but once it got itself all sorted out and things slowed down for a bit of the middle of the book, I found myself a little bored in all honesty. Sure, we got to see moments where Cas and Poppy get closer than ever, but my boredom was also beginning to make me worry; Was I losing interest in this book? Was I losing interest in this series? What’s going on with the Ascended? Are we just going to be forgetting about them for awhile? Luckily, my faith was restored later on in the book when the tornado hit when we finally meet the Queen. I’ll try to remember to keep my faith in JLA as an author after that!
No Joining Scene…Yep, I’m on that side of the fandom. It’s been so funny to see how torn all of us fans are when it comes to all this, which is a threeway by the way. I’m all for supporting polyamorous relationships, and while maybe I can agree that maybe for this particular story it’s not as important of needing to happen, I wouldn’t mind if we got at least one scene where this goes down. So I was disappointed that it didn’t happen, BUT there was a scene with some interesting voyeurism going on that continues my hope that maybe it’ll happen! There are plenty of more books set to come out for this series, so that also means plenty of more opportunities to make it happen!
The Repetitive Worldbuilding Formula…There were some major info-dumps in this book, and the way it’s all told to us as an audience has just gotten a little old for me. Basically with how Poppy has so many questions—much to Keiran’s dismay—and then either Kieran or Jasper are the human encyclopedias who have all the information she needs. It’s a formula that’s been used several times now, and maybe it didn’t matter as much to other readers, but I personally am getting a little bored with it by this point because it’s happened so many times already. I don’t know, maybe there just needs to be new ways JLA can give us this information if there still is by this point in the series.
The Too Close To Matching Names of Big Characters…Malik and Malec, Eloana and Ileana…I know in a lot of Fantasy novels/series that sometimes people just have similar names, but it was getting a little annoying how close these names were, sometimes I got them mixed up. Is it Mal-Lick and Mal-leek? Il-ianna and El-oh-ana? that’s how I’ve been pronouncing them so far up to this point!

~~~

The dimple in his right cheek appeared, and he dipped his head, kissing just above my brow and then lower, over the scar. ‘Princess?‘
My lips curved up. What had started as a nickname had become a reality. ‘Yes?‘
His mouth moved over mine. ‘I love you.‘
The smile on my face grew as my heart did a little skip in my chest. ‘I love you.‘”
– Jennifer L. Armentrout, “The Crown of Gilded Bones”

Conclusion:

What a wild ride filled with just about everything you need to have an epic fantasy adventure: danger, drama, suspense, romance, humor, friendship, history, so many amazing characters, and shocking twists that take your breath away! This Blood and Ash series is literally EVERYTHING and was so enjoyable of a book for me. It would have been absolutely perfect if not for the slow midpoint for me, but with all that happens in the last chunk of it, it almost makes up for any boredom or concern I had at that point in my time reading this book.

I’ve never been a big fan of prequels, I always feel like they’re so limited in how far they can go as a story because they’re literally just set up for something you’ve already seen or read. In a way, you already know whats going to end up happening in the end, and the predictability factor of that isn’t all that interesting to me, so while I’m still looking forward to A Shadow in the Embers coming out this October that will shed some light on Nyktos and the Gods and all the rich history there, I’m not nearly as excited as I would be if book #4 of Blood and Ash was being released instead. Still, I trust JLA as an author by this point, so I’ll keep my inner reservation and reluctance and negativity to a minimum and I give this prequel a chance.

Blood and Ash book #4 is set to release March 2022 with the title and exact date to come at a later time than as I’m typing this review, but I’m sure those who’ve also finished this book can agree with me when I say that March feels like such a long ass time away!

Thanks for Reading!

— Nick Goodsell

Fantasy, New Adult Romance, Paranormal

My Review: Shadowfever (Fever #5): by Karen Marie Moning

March 28, 2020October 28, 2020 nicholasjgoodsell

Publish Date: January 18th, 2011
Number of Pages: 608 Pages
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Genre(s): Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance

***Warning!! This review contains spoilers from the previous books in the series, continue reading at your own risk. You’ve officially been warned!***

To see my review of book #1 – Darkfever — Click HERE

To see my review of book #2 – Bloodfever — Click HERE

To see my review of book #3 – Faefever — Click HERE

To see my review of book #4 – Dreamfever — Click HERE

To see my Fancast/Dreamcast of the series – Click HERE

Total Star Rating: 4.5 Stars

Finally…

At long last…

The time has come to get answers to the ever-growing list of questions that have come up since starting this blasted series, but I can say without a doubt that SO. MUCH. HAPPENS. IN. THIS. BOOK!

A few words to describe it: wicked, vicious, sexy, intoxicating, twisted, unpredictable, startling, unrelenting, infuriating, addicting, enchanting, and utterly mind-blowing! The most satisfying component about this book by far is how we finally get some answers that Karen Marie Moning had been deviously hiding from us since the very beginning. From the very first chapter, your heart and your soul is put to the ultimate test as you’re put right back into the thick of it with how the previous book ended, and from there on it just feels like a never ending emotional roller coaster!

Looking back on this series and where it’s taken me, I had no idea that it would truly suck me in like it has since the start of the new decade. I know I’ve probably said this before in my past reviews, but I seriously just remember scoffing at the description of Darkfever a little bit when my work friend, Erika, first told me about these books and how they’d completely sucked her in. Plus, with some of the cover designs, I figured it would just be another really stupid and trashy paranormal romance series… While I can say there have been over sexualized, strange moments in this series to prove my point, I can’t stress enough that they had quickly become so much more than that as I’d read on!

I was especially surprised at how deep the plot had ended up becoming as I’d devoured each book after the last; the Fae lore and all the big players that have only been mentioned in all the stories that we’ve been told, the Sinsar Dubh–that freaky as fuck possessed book that everyone is hunting and has been following Mac like some creepy stalker…not to mention all the incredible side characters we’ve gotten to know too! There’s Christian Mackeltar, Ryodan, V’Lane, Dani O’Malley, Inspector Jayne, the other Sidhe-Seers, Dreamy-Eyed Guy, the monsters, the Unseelie Princes, and even Darroc–aka The Lord Master–has become someone truly intriguing in this series. Also, I just love the unpredictability of it all…not the character tropes because I will admit a few of them are pretty cliché, but just how I truly didn’t know what was going to happen next and what direction everything was going to take…I had my guesses throughout, but almost every time was way off.

Before I can go further, all I can say to those who’ve made it this far; all the cliffhangers and frustration hasn’t driven you away, and I can say without a doubt this book will not disappoint. It finally answers a lot of questions while still leaving us with some loose ends in order to keep the series going further, BUT it’s not nearly as bd as it has been! It’s truly a satisfying ending.

What It’s About:

We left off with Mac losing her frickin’ mind over whoever the beast had turned out to be. She and Ryodan teamed up to kill the big, bad beastie while Ryodan had been tossed over a cliff to disappear, and were left wondering if he’s dead. Mac absolutely loses it and ends up on the ground in the fetal position over the body of….

…major spoiler ahead…

…

…Jericho Barrons. That’s right, he’s the beast that showed up shortly after she’d dialed the “IYD” number on her phone Jericho had given her way back. She’s sobbing, she can’t go on, she doesn’t know how to keep going, she realizes her true feelings for the mysterious and brooding alpha-hole we’d all come to appreciate. She’s devastated until there’s a shift within her, and suddenly she’s not anymore. She becomes like a shell of herself, and becomes cold. calculating. sinister. vengeful. She vows the last thing she’ll do is to finally capture that damned book and use it to create a new world. A better world with her dead sister, Alina, and Jericho both brought back to her. To do that, she has to gain help from the most unlikely source of them all…The Lord Master himself, Darroc!

Mac truly seems to have gone over to the dark side with her new alliance, and the Lord Master provides her with more information about the book itself, and believes he knows a way to be able to merge with it without letting it possess him and corrupt his soul. All the while, Mac waits like an Angel Shark beneath the sand and patiently waits for the perfect moment to strike.

The war between humans and the Fae continues to escalate, and become even more dangerous as new alliances are formed, shocking and bitter betrayals steal our breath away, and finally figuring out how exactly to stop the Sinsar Dubh, what exactly Barrons and his other men are, also figuring out who exactly Mac is. It’s been played with for a little bit now, but there’s definitely something off about the visions and memories she has that aren’t her own, other clues and newfound powers…what’s going on there? Also, the grand finale of it all will reveal a enemy that has been like a wolf hidden amongst the sheep: someone who’s started all of this, and someone who had the most to gain through everything that has happened…

What I Liked:

That Finale! What a surprise! There were two major reveals in the climax of the book: one that involved multiple people and the other that was shocking, but part of me just wants to say…I FUCKING CALLED IT! Ever since I’d met this character, I’ve had an off feeling about them, and I’m happy to say my gut reaction was right about them all along!
Dani O’Malley! Let me start off by saying that I haven’t always been the biggest fan of Dani, especially as she becomes a more central character and you hear from her perspective in a few chapters…Not a fan. I think she needs to go through some more growth before she takes center stage, HOWEVER…something happens in this book that makes her character a whole lot more interesting, and raises many eyebrows too. Suddenly, I want to hear more about what’s going through her head, and how certain things came to be.
How Nicely Everything Ties (Mostly) Together! I’ve loved how tightly woven the plot and all it’s mysteries have been planned out throughout this series since the very first book. So many little factors that have stacked on top of each other and have added to the anxiety produced at how slowly things are revealed. I have to say overall how everything tied together in the end really well with this book; it was obvious that Karen Marie Moning knew about how this outcome would come to be since the very beginning and gave us clues and tidbits of info at an achingly slow pace that built until this moment. As far as I’m aware, every question that’s popped up has been accounted for, and there aren’t any holes left untouched!
Mac and Jericho’s Relationship! In this book, it’s shown how their relationship has changed and honestly has become more satisfying than any of the other books in this regard. What I can truly appreciate about KMM’s work on Barrons is that he stays true to his character. He’s not some soft, vulnerable being who shows a sensitive side of himself whenever it’s just him and Mac, and he never becomes that guy either. He stays hard, cheeky, cold, snippy, but we love him for it anyways. The two of them still have those many, many arguments, but they also have those important conversations with them just looking at each other. The sexual tension continues to build and build between them, and while he doesn’t lose his edge to do it, Barrons finally reveals what his true feelings are and I am HERE for it!

What I Didn’t Like:

The Highlanders Cross-Over…For many fans of Karen Marie Moning, I’m sure you’re aware of her other series out there: The Highlander series. I personally have not read it, and honestly don’t plan on reading it either, but can tell you that the main characters of that series come over to Dublin. You’d met some of them in the previous book too, but as they’re the group of Druids that assisted the Seelie Fae Court since ancient times, they are needed in order to assist in the capture and containment of the Sinsar Dubh. For me, it was a jumble of other characters that were a struggle to be able to tell the difference between. I know some fans were probably jumping with glee about this crossover–I probs would be too–but with me not touching the other series, this addition was honestly kind of lost on me.
What Barrons Turns Out To Be…I’m not gonna lie…this reveal was disappointing to me. I just thought with so much emphasis around the mystery of what exactly Jericho Barrons was would’ve lead to a much bigger reveal in the end. I was someone who’d suspected he was the Unseelie King, and he was after the Sinsar Dubh because as the king, he’d created it, but realized he’d made it too powerful, and wanted to destroy it once and for all. I think what he turns out to be is cool enough, and would be interested in learning more background info/history of what he is later on in the series, so we’ll see I guess…

Conclusion:

An epic finale of what I guess is only the first phase of this intricate and twisted urban fantasy series that has become a serious addiction since the start of 2020. All our frustrations as readers has finally been rewarded, and KMM gives us so many answers to our questions that have been with us since the very first book, Darkfever. While she ties pretty much all of her loose ends together, she’s also able to reveal some shocking new information too that tells us things are very much far from over…

Part of me really wishes I could go back and reread all these first five books, and catch all the little details and easter eggs I’d missed and become even more impressed at the masterful storytelling this series has given me, but know I have so many other books I haven’t touched on my “to read” shelf that I seriously need to give a try already. It’s okay, because I love this series so much already that I have hardcover copies already giving my bookshelf a massive glow-up with their presence, so it’ll happen at some point, that much is guaranteed.

Thanks for Reading!

— Nick Goodsell

YA Fantasy, YA romance

My Review: Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass #4): by Sarah J. Maas

March 20, 2020October 28, 2020 nicholasjgoodsell

Publish Date: September 1st, 2015
Number of Pages: 648 Pages
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Genre(s): YA Fantasy

***Be warned!! This review contains spoilers from previous books in the series, so continue reading at your own risk. You’ve officially been warned!!***

To see my review of book #0.5 – The Assassin’s Blade – Click HERE

To see my review of book #1 – Throne of Glass – Click HERE

To see my review of book #2 – Crown of Midnight – Click HERE

To see my review of book #3 – Heir of Fire – Click HERE

To see my Fancast/Dreamcast for the whole series – Click HERE

Total Star Rating: 4.5 Stars

By now, we’re so far into the series and even further into the evolution that was Celaena Sardothien into Aelin Ashryver Galathynius, the long lost heir of Terrassen. We’ve gotten to know her as a character, see her bloody past and her mistakes, and to see her grow before our eyes as readers. We’ve also met plenty of memorable characters along the way too; some that will be major players for the battle ahead!

Queen Of Shadows is a particularly interesting part of the series because of a few reasons. It was obvious—even back during Heir of Fire—that the series had taken a massive shift. A major change to the tone and the overall feel of these books was evident, and whether or not that’s a good thing really depends on who you ask within the Throne of Glass fandom. I for one absolutely loved it—as you can tell by my star rating above—for many reasons. In my opinion, it’d felt like we’d gotten to see a lot that we’d been waiting a long time for: the reveal of the big villain behind everything, the meeting of many new characters, certain character interactions happening, and of course, the possibility of justice to the realm of Adarlan.

For a few though, they say things like how it feels more like fanfiction from it’s own author, how certain characters have been pushed aside, and the series has gone in a direction that may not have been the best choice…They say plenty of other things, but I politely & respectfully disagree as I personally say Queen of Shadows is actually one of the author’s better written books. I felt like the entire time I’d read it that it was filled with so much high-octane events and amazing characters; how could anyone not appreciate that!

You can definitely tell Sarah J. Maas’s skills as a writer has continued to grow in her ability to make the plot of the whole series more complex and twice as dangerous as more and more keeps getting revealed, like the wyrdkeys and their significance, the Valg and how they want to take over, seeing both sides of the battlefield and getting inside the minds of important characters, enticing side-stories, sexual tension between love interests, and continuing to deepen the development of the world she’d created.

For me, she has an amazing talent to be able to make you fall in love with characters, even when you’d barely thought twice about them at first. She makes them feel so personable, memorable, and strong in their own ways; you wish they were real and that you were a part of your squad IRL.

Going off of that, another high point is how newer characters keep getting introduced with each book on top of the already established cast with some that have been there since the beginning, but it never feels overwhelming or unnecessary! You met Rowan, Aedion, Queen Maeve, and Manon in Heir of Fire, but more keep getting introduced in this book along with a few others that you haven’t seen in sometime since the first two books.

What It’s About:

Aelin has returned to Erilea from across the sea, ready to fight it out as she’s now been trained on her Fae abilities–her fire–but she’s going to need some extra help. She seeks out the help of anyone in Rifthold–the capital of Adarlan–even one man whom she considers a great enemy: her former trainer & mentor, Arobynn Hamel. Still reputable as the “King of the Assassins,” he informs her about her cousin, Aedion, being imprisoned and set for execution.

She also meets up with Chaol and a new ally, Nesryn Faliq, and they all get caught up on whats happened since they’d last seen each other, mainly the fact that Aedion and Dorian got captured, the latter now succumbing to the control of the Valg, and they realize just how bad everything has gotten even without them always getting at each other’s throats about it. They both carry valuable information, but neither are willing to share it with one another because of the mutual distrust they now share with their tense history.

More players enter the game as (spoiler alert but not really)…Rowan makes his way over from across the sea too and reunites with Aelin as they try to get ahead of their enemies and learn so much more about the Valg and what exactly has been happening.

Meanwhile, Manon Blackbeak and the other Ironteeth Witch clans are still in Morath training with their Wyverns for when the King of Adarlan finally calls them forth to battle. Her and Duke Perrington butt heads as she tries to figure out what exactly is going on, and he’s having her choose a clan for an experiment with the witches and the implantation of Valg stones to see if they can successfully breed together. She also wonders what role another female prisoner must play, but becomes concerned when her deadly power shows that more is definitely going on than she’s actually aware of. Maybe this isn’t what she signed up for?…She also meets a servant/kitchen maid, Elide Lochan, who may or may not be another key player added to the mix and is more than meets the eye.

So, so, so, so, so many things happen in this book: there are many twists and turns, epic battles, bitter betrayals, new characters introduced, familiar characters that continue to grow, and even more plots become revealed in this next installment in one of my all-time favorite series!

What I Liked:

You Meet Lysandra (Sort Of)! Lysandra is a former courtesan (prostitute), and the mistress of Arobynn Hamel. If you’d read The Assassin’s Blade—which you totally should if you haven’t already—it was there where you actually first met her and instantly thought of her as the token hot & sexy mean girl who knows she’s hot and is an instant enemy to Aelin because she’s threatened…Obviously, as you get to know Lysandra more in this book, you’ll come to know that is the complete opposite of who she actually is. Her as a character and her dynamic with Aelin throughout Queen of Shadows was excellently done, and as more is revealed about her, you’ll quickly add her to your list of favorite characters.
You Meet Arobynn Hamel (Sort Of)! The man has quite the reputation, that much is certain…You’ve heard his name thrown out plenty of times, but if you skipped The Assassin’s Blade novellas—seriously, read them if you haven’t—you come face to face with the “King of the Assassins” himself for the first time in person. Aelin returns and reluctantly seeks him out for assistance in rescuing Aedion from the castle, but it may as well be making a deal with the devil, as she learns he continues his deadly mind games and has plans of his own in their uneasy alliance.
You Also Meet Lorcan Salvaterre and Elide Lochan! Even more new-ish characters! You’d kind of met Lorcan in the previous book, but he wasn’t there for too long, so it would’ve been easy to write him off and assume you’d maybe never see him again….WRONG! The legendary warrior is back with a vengeance under the orders of the Fae Queen Maeve after how things ended between her and Aelin’s confrontation across the sea. He hunts for the ring to return to his master, and is willing to do whatever it takes to get it back, including going head-to-head with Rowan. Next, we’ve got Elide Lochan, who meets and reluctantly befriends Manon. I liked her instantly because despite her limp and her misleadingly weak demeanor, it was revealed how crafty she is and how she’s a survivor. There’s definitely more than meets the eye with her, so watch out!
So Many Strong Female Characters! You already know Aelin and Manon, who are both total badass babes, but literally EVERY female character in this book is too! There’s Elide, who has mastered the art of deception in order to survive, Nesryn Faliq is a master archer who becomes a big help in the many rescue missions, Lysandra shows so many hidden depths to her character, you learn more about Asterin Blackbeak as her character is explored more, and even (spoiler alert!!)…………..Kaltain Rompier makes a surprise reappearance and is able to change the game in her own way!
The Big Bad Guy Revealed! I’m going to say this is a major spoiler for the book, so readers beware!…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….Okay, so we’ve known about the Valg, right? The shadowy demons from another dimension that have come into this world through ancient wyrdgates and plan to take over and turn it into a dark, icy, windy wasteland much like their homeland. There have been a few higher ups–the Valg Princes–but now it’s revealed there’s an even BIGGER villain that’s in charge of it all: it turns out there are actually three Valg Kings, and one of them has come over and goes by the name Erawan. He was locked in a tomb deep beneath the mountains many years ago, but was also revealed to have been let out, and has been let loose into their world this whole time! I know, this plot twist sounds eerily similar to the White Walkers, wights, and Night King story arc from Game of Thrones, but you have to admit that it certainly raises the stakes, and makes you rethink everything about a certain character that has always been there, but had remained in the background until now…creepy stuff!

What I Didn’t Like:

A Sudden Shift With The Romance…Now hear me out, I am a big supporter of romantic subplots and am a firm believer in OTPs. It’s even better when the romance is a subplot and it doesn’t interfere with the main storyline, which is a case in this series when it comes to budding romance between Aelin and Rowan. I think this is a big part of why some people don’t like this book because they were major shippers of Celaena and Chaol from the first two books in the series–I was too, but at the same time I also figured with how they’d developed that they weren’t actually right for each other. Once it was revealed that she was Fae, he just couldn’t see past that and couldn’t look at her the same. It made sense because that’s the kind of character Chaol is: very traditional, raised a certain way, and has a certain set of beliefs. I get it, but was disappointed with him nonetheless. Aelin wasn’t all that innocent either; both of them made mistakes, and they call each other out on it in this book. Anyways…Now it seems her and Rowan have a thing going on, and while I do see it, I felt like it was a bit of a jump that could’ve been smoother. In Heir of Fire, the two of them had a complex relationship that’d felt more platonic and friendship based, and then we get here and there’s suddenly romantic feelings beneath the surface that neither fully admit to, sexual tension that burns them from the inside out…and like I said, it just could’ve been a smoother transition. It feels like this subplot was added just so there could be at least ONE major romance going on in this title. All I can say is, I agree when it’s said that Chaol was good for Celaena but Rowan is good for Aelin, and there is a difference there.
Chaol Reduced to the Bitter Ex…While part of me knows this isn’t necessarily true in some regards, I consider my biggest disappointment with the series how it’d felt like Chaol and Dorian got done dirty and were pushed aside to make way for Rowan and Aedion. Nothing against those two, but I have a thing against social climbers who ditch their old friends for people newer and “better,” and it felt like that with Sarah’s treatment of continuing to break up the original trio who we’ve all come to know and love. In this book, Chaol and Aelin reunite, but it’s clear they’re both still harboring some ill will towards each other. Chaol seemed to have been reduced to the bitter ex role, and just becomes the antagonist who questions Aelin at every opportunity that arises. Not that it isn’t completely unjustified; Aelin has screwed up too, and it’s nice to see that Chaol still isn’t afraid to call her out on her faults, but it still felt at some points it was like he purposefully got in her way or poked at her sides in some petty act of revenge of a bruised ego. Maybe that’s not how others saw him in this title, but as a serious fan of him and his quieter, more stoic demeanor; I was continued to be disappointed to see where his character has gone by this point.
“Why Are You So Obsessed With Me?“…It’s gotten quite repetitive with how many times you hear how amazing Aelin/Celaena is by now. Everyone still seems to fuss over her, obsess about her, is in love with her, in awe of her, etc….like okay, fine, she turns out to be the long lost heir to the throne, her power is pretty cool if not the most original special ability to have even if the amount of her power has never been seen before…Believe me, we get it by now Sarah…She’s fire, she’s ash, she’s light, and she’s embers. She will bow to no one and take what is rightfully hers by blood-right. Why are we hearing the same pep talk over and over again?

Conclusion:

A thiccccc addition to this action-packed, high fantasy series! The book’s substantial size may seem intimidating, but let me assure you that it doesn’t slow down or bore you to tears. Lots of things happen–some you’ve been hoping to see since the beginning–and lots of new characters to get to know! Some you may have met if you’d read The Assassin’s Blade—One last time: READ IT—but still plenty more where they come from, and the plot thickens with the reveal of a major villain!

The series has shifted since the first two books, and honestly kind of has an even bigger Game of Thrones feel to it overall, but that doesn’t necessarily detract from it in any way! There’s still plenty to get excited about with all the intrigue, the danger, the monsters, the romance, the brutality, and the strong bonds formed between the characters. Also, total side note, but who else totally jammed out to Halsey’s “Castle” (The Huntsman version or the original) while reading this?

Thanks For Reading!

— Nick Goodsell

Erotica, LGBT, Romance

My Review: American Prince (New Camelot Trilogy #2): by Sierra Simone

August 20, 2019October 28, 2020 nicholasjgoodsell

Publish Date: March 17th 2017
Number of Pages: 316 Pages
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
Genre(s): Erotica, Romance

***Warning!! This review reveals spoilers from the previous book in the trilogy, so read at your own caution! You’ve officially been warned!***

To see my full review for book #1 – American Queen – Click HERE

Total Star Rating: 4.25 Stars

Wow…just wow, you guys!

My mind was officially blown as I closed this book in the wee hours near sunrise because I couldn’t put it down and couldn’t get any sleep even if I’d tried. This second book in a surprisingly well written romance/erotica trilogy absolutely wrecked me because just when I thought more couldn’t possibly be uncovered, more shocking secrets exposed for the good of the written story, the floor freakin’ exploded from underneath my feet and I’m plummeting down 100 stories and my mind is officially fucked…

So for those that have read the first book, we know by now about the interesting relationship that formed between the President of the United States, his newly wed wife, along with the Vice President. It’s a continuation of the unconventional relationship formed between Maxen “Ash” Colchester, Greer Galloway-Colchester, and Embry Moore, and with that cliffhanger ending the author gave us going in, I had to know immediately after finishing the previous title. Luckily, I thought ahead and got this title for that specific need, ready near my bedside table for the answers I knew I’d need.

This kind of book is rare, and it’s unfortunate that people will write it off because it’s in the romance/erotica genres. It’s so incredibly beautifully written, intense; a smart romance and not just various sex scenes filling up a barely there, poorly thought out plot. Yes, the sex scenes are very descriptive, and get pretty intense at certain points, but they aren’t what drive the story. The secrets, the deceit, the plans made behind closed doors, the motives of the characters and scandals that threaten to tear everything apart is what sets this book apart from all the other romance titles out there on the market.

I can’t reveal too much about what happens within this book; part of the experience is reading it yourself, and because if people thought that the first title shocked your system, it has nothing on this one, and it will absolutely steal your breath away!

What It’s About:

Ash, Greer, and Embry had consummated their relationship the night of Ash and Greer’s wedding, but then the unexpected happened, and Greer was taken by some mystery (but not really) force. With not that much of a mystery to solve, it was Melwas (the leader of an enemy country) that kidnapped her and took her away. Embry and Ash both have to come up with a plan quick in order to rescue her and bring her back safely without causing an international incident and possible war.

As they deal with political intrigue, scandal and tragedies, and global crisis, we learn more about Embry and who he is in all this. You’ll see his side of certain events of the past and what’s happening currently in the story, and learn all the unknown depths of him and get so many answers that will leave you shocked, uprooted and desperate for more!

What I Liked:

More of Embry Moore! Probably my favorite character in these books, this book takes a closer exploration of Embry Moore and his backstory of the events that take place within this story. He’s a complex character: he’s charming but aloof, he’s got his secrets like everyone, but has done some questionable things as well. It’s always been on the reader’s mind what his reasoning behind a lot of things was exactly, and this book reveals all of it, making it some truly shocking stuff! I also found his inner turmoil to be so interesting; he acted like this indifferent, cocky, privileged playboy, but inside was a man with many demons, so much self-loathing to where he doesn’t believe he deserves happiness for himself, despite the sacrifices he’s made for those he loves, even when they don’t know it. He’s fine with people writing him off but actually does so much behind the scenes, and it’s all so incredibly heartbreaking, so emotional, and it all makes him easily one of the best characters in the series, possibly in any book I’ve ever read.
Greer Still has a Voice in the Story! Upon starting this second book, part of me wondered if the story would change immensely because we’d be looking through someone else’s perspective, someone who wasn’t there for everything we’d experienced previously up to that point. Luckily, we kept that base of having Greer continue to tell it from her perspective as the heroine of this story. So much happens to her, so it only makes sense to continue seeing inside her head as things progress and/or escalate.
The LGBT Exploration! By going more in-depth with Embry Moore, it of course covers his complex relationship with Ash over the years; the secrecy, the fear, the tension and of course the unrequited love. It’s more of an LGBT Male/Male romance story, while still having their relationship with Greer also continue to take importance. Having a M/M romance/erotica read was refreshing, as there’s not too much of it in literature. It was a sweeping tale of ambition, bravery, sacrifice, lust, and loss. It goes into the many different sides of love: You can’t choose who you love, you can’t control the circumstances, and sometimes you could meet “the one,” but the timing is off. How you react to all of this, what you do about is a core theme of this book.
The Overall Character Development! For all the characters, it’s truly something to see how different they are by the end of every book. I’m serious, things change so dramatically; plans change, people change and sometimes it causes relationships to change. They are all flawed, but so real and so raw. The ending is great proof of this, and while it’s sad to see how things developed, It also causes me to commend the author on the wonderful job they did with their craft.

What I Didn’t Like:

It felt So Short!…I know, this isn’t much to go on, but seriously…I wanted more! I wanted to have about 100 more pages of this story; of what, I have no idea…

Conclusion:

Another jaw-dropping, heartbreaking, shocking addition to an incredibly smart, beautifully written romance/erotica series written by someone who sets the bar on how to write for the specific genre. It explores the mind of Embry Moore, Vice-President, and the darkness that all but fully consumes him, but makes him think he’s a bad guy, someone who doesn’t deserve happiness, someone to write off…but none of that is true. He’s a tortured, complex soul and while he’s confident, charming, noble and charismatic, he’s got a dark side that draws him back, makes him aloof, cold, secretive and reckless. This title will take your breath away, send a jolt down your spine, and make you question everything/everyone around you!

Thanks For Reading!

— Nick Goodsell

Erotica, LGBT, Romance

My Review: American Queen (New Camelot Trilogy #1): by Sierra Simone

August 1, 2019October 17, 2020 nicholasjgoodsell

Publish Date: October 5th, 2016
Number of pages: 392 pages
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
Genre(s): Romance, Erotica, Political Drama

Total Star Rating: 4.25 Stars

To keep my vocabulary clean and proper, I just want to point out that holy shit you guys… this book was an experience to say the least! This book was FIRE; It was intense, it was kind of dark and twisted, and was absolutely eyebrow raising amongst all the other Romance/Erotica titles that I’ve read or want to read.

There’s actually a lot I’d want to reveal about the story, but most of it will spoil the book, so I have to stay somewhat kind of vague. Part of the experience of the book is the shocking discovery of certain things, seeing how things develop and reveal themselves, so why would I ruin it for any new readers?

The very first scene is a wedding, and it starts out pretty light and innocent, but then the author starts to point certain things out that normally would go unnoticed, like a dirty little secret amongst only the select few who know, giving you a little tease of what’s to come…

It’s unorthodox, spellbinding, seductive, wicked, forbidden, and a completely different kind of fairytale than the ones you’ve ever read before…

What It’s About:

Recent college grad and literary professor, Greer Galloway, has always been around the political circuit for as long as she could remember. Her parents died when she was much younger, so her grandfather became her legal guardian, and he also just happened to be the Vice President of the United States at the time. Going with him to special events and galas, she became well versed in politics and how to read people based off facial expressions, body language, what is said and how people say it. Her grandfather noticed, and used her perceptiveness to his advantage.

Through most of her childhood, she’d run into one of her grandfather’s best friends, Merlin Rhys. Cold and aloof, he’d leave Greer with not much more than a few warnings and then disappear, leaving her to wonder if maybe he lives up to the magical being he’s named after?

The real story begins years later when Greer is 15 and meets Maxen Ashley Colchester, or “Ash” for short. They meet at a party in London, and sparks instantly arouse, but they know it’s forbidden because she’s so young, and he’s a 26 year old War Lieutenant. Despite it all, they share her first kiss, not knowing their lives will be forever changed. Their meeting brings a new life into her, and so after he’s off fighting in the war, she writes him letters. She reveals things that she’d never told anyone else, along with her intense, growing attraction to him. Unfortunately, she never heard back from him.

Six years later, at Merlin Rhys’s birthday celebration on a rooftop in Chicago, Greer coincidentally runs into Maxen yet again; this time he’s come back and is considered a huge war hero. She discovers that they are both still attracted to each other, but he’s engaged to another woman. Devastated, Greer leaves the party and meets Embry Moore, a charismatic and charming military comrade of Maxens. They hit it off, both trying to get over lost love, but discover that they may have feelings for each other too, so Greer decided to act on it, and thus loses her virginity to him. The next morning, she leaves Embry with the promise of more should he contact her again, but again she’s left out in the cold

Now in present time, Greer is visited once again by Embry, but now he’s Vice President under Maxen, who was elected as a Third party contender. Maxen sent him to come find her, and what happens after that is an epic love story between a woman and the two most powerful men in the country thats told from past and present times. Its an unconventional story of lust, jealousy, sex, forbidden love, political intrigue, scandal, deceit, and danger.

This book is told from the view of Greer, and the next two books will be told from the perspectives of Embry and Maxen.

What I Liked:

(Most of) The Characters! There’s Greer who’s smart, kind hearted, determined, submissive but strong. There’s Embry who’s charming, reckless, intense, conflicted, arrogant, and aloof. Maxen is commanding, heroic, powerful, manipulative, and honorable. Mixing them together drives the story forward as Greer internally battles herself on the fact that she’s in love with both men for different reasons, and who should she end up with in the end. Personally, there were times I wasn’t a big fan of Maxen, but I dive into that later. The author keeps you wondering, and makes you feel for the characters and worry about them, hoping they all get their happily ever after.
The Exploration of Sexual Attraction! One thing that I’m starting to notice about self/indie published romance books is that they are starting to really dig further in terms of exploring the spectrum of sexual attraction of human beings. It’s become so broad in today’s world, and yes, it’s no longer just about being gay or straight. While this book stays within the realm of those two orientations, it shows forbidden fantasies and if we were to allow ourselves to explore our curiosities, no matter how devious, perverted, or explicit they may be seen as. Sexual orientations are never straight out said within the story, and the author never tries to justify if a character is gay or bisexual; it was done in the “show, don’t tell” method, as it should.
The Romance! It will drive you nuts! The author creates aching sexual tension, and is slow and methodical in the buildup between the pages. The love scenes are so incredibly intense and well written that I actually had to stop, blink, and catch my breath a couple times.
The Sudden Cliffhanger Ending! The ending just happens so abruptly, and I went back and wondered, did someone rip out the last page?… Nope, it’s just a really big cliffhanger that excites as much as it frustrates. I get it; it’s the perfect ploy for any sort of drama to get people to want to read the next book ASAP, and (oh god) does it work, but at least I’m not waiting a whole year for the next title, I already have the next book on my shelf because I had a hunch I was going to need it *wink wink*
The Author’s Writing Style! Grab your vibrating toys ladies, gents, and non-binaries, because this author can freakin’ write! It was probably one of the most intense romance/erotic novels that I’d ever read in my life, and I’m not even talking entirely about the sex scenes. The author weaved a complex story as a great base for everything, and her prose were actually incredibly beautiful! Sierra Simone paints a pretty impressive picture, check this little snippet out:

I’m nothing, I’m everything, I’m the light and the dark and the air and the void. Strong force, weak force, gravity, electricity, magnetism are all pinning me underneath this violent, tragic soldier.
– Sierra Simone, “American Queen”

Pretty hot stuff, right?

(Side note: this isn’t even one of the best written lines in the whole book, but it certainly makes a strong case, am I right? *nudge nudge*)

What I Didn’t Like:

Maxen’s Dark Side…So big surprise (not really though), the lead Male has a tragic past, and is into some dark, kinky stuff… Yes, I do mean BDSM. Nothing most of us haven’t read before…but there’s a scene that gets more graphic about it in the story, and I just found that it’s probably the part I liked the least in the whole book. I’m not too familiar or all that informed with the BDSM lifestyle choice, but I still find it a bit off when someone loves someone deeply, but still wants to whip them too? For me personally, it’s not going to be my cup of tea, but I also noticed how controlling Maxen gets throughout the story. He’d go from 0 to 100 real quick, at least during the love scenes, and it felt almost dictator-ish how Embry and Greer would sometimes look down and stay silent and be like, “Don’t do or say anything to upset him,” and while there are plenty of hot moments in the book, this controlling side of him was something I’m not particularly fond of.
The Presidential Factor…While it would be absolutely amazing to have two incredibly gorgeous men in their thirties be the President and Vice President of our country. It’d certainly make me more interested in politics, but it felt a little far fetched in terms of realism and believability. Maxen becomes president by being a war hero, similar to Dwight Eisenhower back during WWII, but it felt like this aspect was added only because Greer had been around politics her whole life. Him and Embry could’ve just stayed Military men, and the story wouldn’t have had to change all that much…
The Cliché Romance Male Lead…I complain about clichés a lot on here…but no apologies, so get over it. Anyways, the whole “Dark haired, light eyed, masculine male who’s in a position of power, has lots of money and a tragic backstory, and now has a dark sexual appetite” is SOOOO played out, I feel like it’s every other male character you’d read in any of the Romance/Erotica novels/series out there nowadays. WE GET IT…If we hate the 50 Shades of Grey crap on paper so much, why do we still go back to it?

(Side note 2: this trilogy along with others like the Crossfire series, are like 50 Shades, but SO much better written.)

Conclusion:

I found myself enjoying this title a lot, and I can say that despite a few clichés that will probably not go away anytime soon, it is something enjoyable that really sticks out amongst other titles. I recommend to anyone who loves intense, erotic romance and is into sexual exploration. I certainly have become a fan of the author after this title, and will continue to read her other works should they interest me. Anyone who like the 50 Shades-esque stories with gorgeous men with a secret dark side and lots of money and power will love it, and that cliffhanger is a doozy, so watch out!