Tag: From Blood and Ash

Fantasy, New Adult, New Adult Romance, Paranormal, Romance

My Review: A Soul of Ash and Blood (Blood and Ash #5): by Jennifer L. Armentrout

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***Warning!! This review will contain spoilers from the previous books in the series, so continue reading this review with caution. 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 review of book #3 – A Crown of Gilded Bones – Click HERE

To see my review of book #4 – The War of Two Queens – Click HERE

To see my review of the Prequel book #1 – A Shadow In the Ember – Click HERE

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

Total Star Rating: 3 Stars

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What It’s About:

The official synopsis:

Only his memories can save her…

A great primal power has risen. The Queen of Flesh and Fire has become the Primal of Blood and Bone—the true Primal of Life and Death. And the battle Casteel, Poppy, and their allies have been fighting has only just begun. Gods are awakening across Iliseeum and the mortal realm, readying for the war to come.

But when Poppy falls into stasis, Cas faces the very real possibility that the dire, unexpected consequences of what she is becoming could take her away from him. Cas is given some advice, though—something he plans to cling to as he waits to see her beautiful eyes open once more: Talk to her.

And so, he does. He reminds Poppy how their journey began, revealing things about himself that only Kieran knows in the process. But it’s anybody’s guess what she’ll wake to or exactly how much of the realm and Cas will have changed when she does.

#1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout revisits Poppy and Casteel’s epic love story in the next installment of the Blood and Ash series. But this time, Hawke gets to tell the tale.

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Okay in all honesty….while I loved this book for having it go back to the iconic first book in the series and explore integral scenes from Casteel’s perspective, not a whole lot actually happens here…it was nice to read, but at the same time felt like it was also stalling or kinda fluffy filler….

….and yes, I am saying that even as a HUGE fan of this series.

It’s a toss up because it was absolutely wonderful to go back and revisit the first book where it all started and nostalgia and all that, BUT at the same time at this point in the series it’s not exactly wanted…like we are DEEP IN IT by now with all that’s going on in these books so this book being kind of like a giant pause like it is just….ehhhhhh?

Not to say I didn’t enjoy it of course because Casteel Da’Neer is absolute GOALS and can get it any way he wants, any day he wants, you get the picture!

My impatient ass just want to see what happens next in this series already!!!!!

Not to completely drive folks away from it though! We do have some extra juicy Casteel content at the end that may make it worth it all for you! And no, it’s actually not involving a spicy scene, shocking I know!

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What I Liked:

  1. We Get Casteel’s Perspective From Book 1! I did immensely enjoy going back to all the scenes in book 1 with a new perspective! Like the Red Pearl Scene, The wall scene, Discovering Willa Colyn’s diary, the Willow tree….such a great trip down memory lane!
  2. Casteel Gains….Something! Yes, he gains a new ability or power! That is all I’m going to say on it to not ruin the surprise!

What I Didn’t Like:

  1. Not A Whole Lot Happens In Current Time In This Book…Most of the book is the flashbacks/visions Cas sends to Poppy of their scenes in the first book while she’s in a coma to help her regain herself, and while we’re mainly immersed in those memories from his side of things, basically the whole book is Casteel sitting at Poppy’s bedside telling her these stories.

Conclusion:

Overall, it was a nice filler book to tide us over while JLA works her patooty off to keep making this series as amazing as it is, but like I said before: at this point in the series, it may not be the most wanted thing from the fans.

I myself as a big FBAA fan feel torn about this one because while it’s so cool to see book one from a whole new perspective, especially one like my Casserole’s, what I would’ve REALLY preferred was more content moving the series forward in current time of events if that makes sense.

It feels almost a bit like Tower of Dawn in the Throne of Glass series, it’s a good book but a pause on the series all the same and then we have to wait another year to REALLY see what happens next!

Still, I’m so hooked into this series, this just make me more antsy for the next book to come out and see what else can possibly happen to Poppy and Cas and Kieran and the rest of them…

Thanks for Reading!

— Nick Goodsell

Fantasy, New Adult, New Adult Romance

My Review: Blood & Steel (The Legends of Thezmarr #1): by Helen Sheuerer

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Publish Date: February 12th, 2023
Number of Pages: 548 Pages
Publisher: Alchemy
Genre(s): Fantasy, New Adult Romance

Total Star Rating: 3.5 Stars

A true man won’t cut you down as you fight your battles, nor will he fight them for you. A true man will help sharpen your sword, guard your back and fight at your side, in the face of whatever darkness comes.”

— Helen Scheuerer, “Blood & Steel”

What It’s About:

The official synopsis:

Perfect for fans of The Bridge Kingdom, From Blood and Ash and The Witcher, BLOOD & STEEL is an epic romantic fantasy with enemies-to-lovers, slow-burn spice, found family, and a sprawling world of magic and monsters.

With her death foretold, Althea Zoltaire only has three years to become what she’s always dreamed of being: a warrior legend.

Women are forbidden to wield blades, so she has trained in secret her entire life. Now racing against the clock, she fights to secure her place in the elite guild charged with the protection of the five kingdoms.

The sparring and hazing of the new trainees border on deadly, but even more dangerous is her growing attraction to Wilder Hawthorne, her unwilling warrior chaperone.

All around them, schemes are afoot and darkness looms.

Will Althea pass the perilous initiation test and take her place as a champion of Thezmarr – or will the invading evil snatch away her dream before it starts?

If you like fierce sword-wielding heroines and brooding, tortured heroes, you will devour this sexy, addictive fantasy adventure.

Blood & Steel is the gripping first book in the heart-pounding, epic romantic fantasy series, The Legends of Thezmarr.

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This was a book that several of my fellow romantasy fans have told me “You absolutely need to read this one!” And I gotta say for the most part they were absolutely right! It was actually a really decent start to what can be a pretty epic fantasy adventure story!

It felt like a good mix of The Witcher and Throne of Glass in my opinion, both of which are amazing fantasy stories in their own right.

This story revolves around Althea Zoltaire, a young woman who’s destined to perish on her 27th birthday, so she’s trying to make the most of it until that happens, but also she’s basically going to also be like “Bitch, I don’t wanna,” and say fuck it all to that nonsense. Women are forbidden to go to arms as an actual warrior because of some historic event that took place before the start of this book, but Althea is “Fuck the patriarchy,” and tries just about everything she can to become one anyways.

In comes Wilder Hawthorne *drool* who is a master swordsman and who reluctantly becomes her guide/mentor and while they be doing battles outside with swords and shields against other humans and monstrous shadow wraiths, they be fighting them internal romantic feelings for each other while they also can’t stand eachother!

Oooooooo we loves to see it

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It doesn’t matter who stands against you… What matters most is who stands with you.”

— Helen Sheuerer, “Blood & Steel”

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What I Liked:

  1. The Found Family Trope! You meet other characters like Cal, Kipp, Wren, and Torj who just make it feel like such a well rounded cast of characters, and I definitely say pay attention to the group relationships and dynamics, it’s just so wonderful!
  2. The Slow Burn Romance! The romance between Wilder and Althea was so wonderfully done in this book…it was a slow-burn for sure, but man are those so satisfying when they finally give into their feelings! Thinking back on it, I loved seeing their relationship grow throughout the book and change like it did!

What I Didn’t Like:

  1. It’s Very Slow Paced…It can be very slow paced throughout, or at least it was for me. It IS the first book in the series and its about setting the scene and introducing the world and building it from the ground up, and Ill admit my impatient ass would have me like GIVE ME SPICE ALREADY!!

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Conclusion:

Overall, this is an incredibly decent start to what could be considered another romantasy series to be considered a classic or a staple of the subgenre! I am hooked, and I think fellow fans of series like Throne of Glass, From Blood & Ash and even the Netflix show The Witcher–or maybe even the books too, I haven’t read those yet–will enjoy these!

I will of course be excited to keep reading these books to see how it progresses and to see what happens next!

Thanks for Reading!

— Nick Goodsell

Fantasy, New Adult Romance, Romance

My Review: A Kingdom of Stars and Shadows (Stars and Shadows #1): by Holly Renee

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Publish Date: July 11th, 2022
Number of Pages: 290 Pages
Publisher: Holly Renee Publishing
Genre(s): Fantasy, Romance

Total Star Rating: 3.25 Stars

It doesn’t matter that you are destined to be his. Every part of you is begging to be mine.”

— Holly Renee, “A Kingdom Of Stars and Shadows”

What It’s About:

The official synopsis:

Destiny or desire?

Where does your allegiance lie?

I am told my union to the crowned prince will determine the fate of the kingdom, but it isn’t my betrothed who haunts my dreams. It’s the half-breed prince who stands at his side.

He is darkness and sin, and when he whispers promises of wickedness in my ear, I crave a man who I can’t have.

Every thought I have is treasonous. The way my hands ache to touch him deceitful.

Even my dreams make me a traitor to the kingdom I am sworn to protect.

But when the kingdom is attacked, I am forced to make choices I’m not prepared for. Our lies and deception are entangled in the shadows and stars, and as they unravel so shall my fate. Betray a kingdom or betray my heart.

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This is a great option if you want something more on the fantasy side but you either are not a fan of intensely dense worldbuilding or you just want something quick and almost mindless to read with some good spice…but with fantasy! Basically, it’s a great romantasy guilty pleasure option that’s also a super short and quick read.

Compared to what I’ve read and enjoyed in the past, the vibe of this book felt very much like the spicy, underdeveloped child of A Court of Thorns and Roses and From Blood and Ash, where it definitely is able to stand on its own as a story, but the comparisons between even just these two is very apparent.

It wasn’t bad by any means, in fact the spicy scenes were pretty good I’ll admit, it just felt like the world wasn’t very unique or original…I mean, we don’t even get a map of the world, and that’s like an unofficial requirement for me with fantasy books!

The story revolves around Adara, who’s this thing called “Starblessed” where she has markings across her body and she’s prophesized to save the kingdom. She’s brought before the royal family and becomes betrothed to the Prince, Gavril, but also shares a secret and (very tempting) attraction to his half brother, Evren.

Evren is WHERE IT’S AT, by the way…add him to your list of shadow daddy’s is all I can say!

Most of this book revolves around Adara and Evren, who kind of sneak around and it’s pretty hot and forbidden, and luckily it’s not cheating because Adara has absolutely NO romantic feelings for Gavril whatsoever…but his mother, Queen Kaida, is not about to have whatever plan she clearly has underfoot to be ruined just because the STARBLESSED doesn’t love her betrothed…then all the while there’s a growing threat of Vampyres (yes that’s spelled correctly) on the edge of the kingdom that we may need to worry about later on…

Like I said, this wasn’t bad by any means, but I wouldn’t call it great either…It feels like those stories that mix in a ton of the popular tropes from other books, blends it together, and is presented as something else. The plot is fairly predictable, the characters are pretty generic, BUT the forbidden romance and the spicy scenes are what kept my attention grabbed, so I’ll say I was entertained nonetheless.

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Why not? Because you are betrothed to my brother or because your thighs just tightened around mine as you imagined it yourself.” I opened my mouth to argue, but he wasn’t finished. “It doesn’t matter that you are destined to be his. Every part of you is begging to be mine.”

— Holly Renee, “A Kingdom of Stars and Shadows”

~~~

What I Liked:

  1. The Romance/Spice! I mean, this is what drew me into the story to begin with. I was promised some good spicy time, and I will say that this book definitely delivers in that.
  2. How Quick It Is! This one is actually a toss-up, because I like how quick it was, but I also critique the lack of worldbuilding, so the lack of it obviously has to do with how short and sweet this book is…I guess it falls under the like category more because the shorter pace of this story was actually a nice change of pace from the other Romantasy stories that are heavy and dense in the worldbuilding and history and lore.
  3. Evren! Like I said before, add this man to your book boyfriend or shadow daddy list, because DAYUMMMMMM! I also love a dirty talking bastard, and he defs doesn’t hold back on that either.

What I Didn’t Like:

  1. Adara Is Whiny…Kind of like how I don’t like Frodo in a lot of parts of LOTR, Adara was very whiny and kind of bratty in some parts of the story that made me not like her as much as other Romantasy FMC’s. Like I get it, you’re taken against your will and then betrothed to a fae prince whom you have no feelings for…but being a whiny brat to everyone isn’t going to make your situation any better.
  2. Too Predictable…The plot does feel very predictable in this, and that has to do with the familiar tropes we see in Romantasy in general and the lack of uniqueness this story gives us compared to others.
  3. No Map…YES, my petty ass will continue to stay on this small tidbit as I have with plenty of other books on my website…it really bugs me when a fantasy book doesn’t have a map to reference of this fantasy world we explore.

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Conclusion:

Overall, a good option to have as a quick guilty pleasure read and that can scratch that Romantasy itch without having to make a big and heavy commitment. If the other books are as short as this one, I feel like I can say you could easily get this whole series under your belt while you’re waiting for that bigger, badder book to be published from that other series you’re reading!

*looks over at Rebecca Yarros and a certain Dragon Riding series she writes…

It was decent enough to keep my attention, and hey, I’ll admit that I definitely want to keep going with these books. I’ve found that the story usually becomes more it’s own thing as it develops in later books, and usually the first book is filled with the most cliché’s and familiar tropes so here’s hoping that the story manages to surprise me and keep me engaged as it goes on in the next book!

Thanks For Reading!

— Nick Goodsell

Editorial Articles, Writing/Articles

Digital Artists You Absolutely Need To Follow! – Part 3

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Hey Readers!

Welcome back, it’s been awhile since I’ve done one of these articles here on my blog, so I thought well it’s about time to showcase some more artists! Art continues to matter so so so so so much, and with recent stories coming out of AI apps stealing from actual artists, there’s been a sort of digital revolution brewing of showing more support for artists, especially in the online bookish community on platforms like Instagram and Tiktok! Personally, I do appreciate some AI art and what it can do, yet I do agree that it shouldn’t involve stealing from other artists who have copyrighted work.

Below I’ve gathered an extensive list of talented individuals to add onto the other articles I’ve posted in previous years (Scroll to the bottom to get links to Parts 1 and 2!!) and I’ve included their Instagram profile name and/or their actual names if known or mentioned, I DEFNINITELY recommend giving them a follow!

I also own NONE of the images used in this post, and while I gain no financial benefits from this post and just like to help get names of artists out there, should any artist mentioned on here wish for me to take down any of their work because they don’t want it reposted on this platform, please feel free to reach out to me in any way to let me know! I’d be more than happy to do so with as little drama as possible!

Enjoy the beautiful artwork! This list is in no particular order!

FYI: you can click on the artwork to get a closer look at it!

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Rosita Popova / @rosalynnarts

Here’s an artist I really enjoy who’s from Bulgaria, and my eyes BULGE out of my sockets at the incredible-ness of her art style! Yeah, there’s going to be puns in this, and I make no apologies whether they’re good or bad…Anyways, she does a wonderful job of making her character art look soft and cartoony, but still have an edge to them. As you can see from her work shown above, I first noticed her because of her work with book series like Vampire Academy, A Court of Thorns and Roses (or anything Sarah J Maas), and even Serpent and Dove!

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Olivia / @vvivia

Another cartoony style that I absolutely love! Olivia has done a wonderful art piece of Rowan and Aelin that I noticed and helped me discover them on Instagram, and from then on I’ve loved seeing her posts of other SJM characters, Bridgerton, Stranger Things, and even Danny Phantom for Nostalgia sake!

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Otoko Bara / @otokobara

Anyone who follows me on my bookstagram account (@goodyreads) knows I’m a BIG fan of muscular shirtless men, and this artist LOVES to push the boundaries of hot male objectification with his artwork! He takes beloved kid TV/Movie characters and sexualizes them up for the fans that grew up and can now see them in a new light…or that light is blocked because a certain phallic shaped object is in the way…that depends on what your perspective is!

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Beriz Art / @berizart

This artist really reminds me of others I’ve done in previous parts of these articles: I feel like there’s definitely some inspiration from Charlie Bowater and Sasha Lee Coleman with the similarities I see if their styles. I would say I especially love the artwork done for “The Shadows Between Us” I included above with Allesandra’s flowing red dress and Kallias’s hair….so much yes in that art piece.

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Michelle Ryckman / @whimsicalillustration

You can tell this artist is a big “Caraval” fan based of a good chunk of her artwork, and I cannot blame her in the slightest because of how much fun that whole world Stephanie Garber created is! I can also really appreciate this artist because she wrote her own trilogy and illustrated her own covers for it too! Whimsical is the perfect way to describe Michelle’s style.

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Juliet BxRomance / @bxromance

I would argue that Juliet is one of the most recognizable artists in the whole bookish community! When you see her work, it’s instantly recognizable and stands out amongst the rapidly growing names of artists in this community. I LOVE her work and have ordered MANY prints of her stuff wherever its available, it’s just too bad she hasn’t been active on social media because (allegedly) since she’s in Russia and there’s a big social media ban over there with everything that’s been going on?

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Beth Gilbert / @bethgilbert_art

Beth Gilbert has really made her name known by doing the obvious: doing ACOTAR artwork that looks AMAZING, but she’s also done some of the best “Zodiac Academy” artwork as well too, She drew one of the best Lance Orion artwork portraits that I’ve seen! Unfortuntale I just couldn’t get an image of him to share on here, BUT @atouchofmagicdesigns on Etsy has it for sale if you want to grab a copy for yourself!

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Aejujubes Sricharachai / @aenaluck_jujubes

This artist is an absolute favorite of mine for VERY obvious reasons…I love the ab-tastic, sexy fantasy men drawn here, there’s like a spicy MM Witcher vibe that I am all about and if anyone has any book recommendations based off that, I’m all ears! the smuttier the better, and speaking of smutty, if this art really draws your eye, go check out this artists Patreon where things get a LOT more NSFW!!

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Dominique Wesson / @dominiquewesson

Dominique became a household name in the bookish community for her amazing work with the ACOTAR characters, and from there she’s become one of the most popular artists…I mean, just LOOK at her men! I’m drooling more than if a freshly hot pizza was placed right in front of me.

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Jeleynai / @jeleynai

This artist had my full support as soon as I laid my eyes on her version of Casteel Da’Neer (top image). I loved it so much I bought a giant print of him to eventually hang on my wall to be able to appreciate his beauty every day alongside my bookshelves…I’m not obsessed!

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Jonas Pina / @joninhaart

I absolutely adore this artists work with popular pop culture figures and reimagining them into whatever way he’s feeling at the time! He does a lot mainly with Disney and Marvel characters, but he’s also done plenty of big Hollywood actors, and even the Scooby Doo gang! He has this comic idea of Henry Cavill and Chris Evans being secret agents, and I NEED this to become an actual thing, or I may just have to write a story of it myself, but my twist is to make them gay lovers as well! YES PLEASE!!

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Holly Fox / @thehollyfox

Holly Fox is an Australian artist I discovered because I REALLY like their artwork of Aelin and Rowan out of the third ToG book “Heir of Fire.” I also just really enjoy her style, it reminds me a lot of my own with the heavier outlines and the more graphic-novel-esque style!

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Mads Schofield / @madschofield

Mads is a name who’s become very well known amongst SJM fans as she became well known by doing ACOTAR page overlays for ReadingPortal Co. and I feel like there isn’t much more to say beyond that! I love her style, and as I’m typing this article, she’s coming out with more personal ACOTAR portraits of the cast that have just been absolutely spectacular to look at! I mean, the emotion behind them is just top tier.

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Rio Burton / @rioburton

Rio is one of the artists who was commissioned to do inner artwork for a special pair of Throne of Glass dustjackets that Jo Painter designed, and I fell in love with her work! I especially love her mystical, new agey wolf art, my wolfpack and I on bookstagram especially love it!

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@irenhorrors

Okay, I don’t normally do creepy vibes, but I’ll for sure make an exception with Irenhorrors. I LOVE this creepy, gothic, and even slightly darkly romantic vibe they’ve got going on! I would absolutely read a graphic novel with their work all over it, and even just looking at this stuff makes me want to dive into a gothic romance/horror story! I’m especially drawn to the art piece with the woman on horseback fleeing from a nasty bat creature.

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Yliade / @yliade.art

For any fans of ancient mythology: particularly Greek, Egyptian, and Norse, you ABSOLUTELY need to be aware of this artist! I love the colors especially, so bright and vivid, and the deity featured is always centered and this style is just so unique, I don’t need to explain any further, BIG FAN!

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Thibaud Zamora / @thibaudzamora

This one is a unique choice because they actually use AI technology to create these works of art. AI art is a very controversial topic lately with piracy and stealing copyrighted work from other artists, but I feel like this particular artist is going about it in a different way that may actually be a better way of utilizing the technology after the lawsuits that are currently taking place are settled. First of all, those colors…everything pops and is so vivid!

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Sandra Winther / @sandrawintheart

This artist is very recognizable for her close-up portraits, and the enchanting, hazy yet somehow crisp details mixed in too. VERY airbrushed look, she almost gives her character art an anime-like look with the detail in their eyes. Also, be sure to check out her store, she’s very giving with textures and stamps and brushes for other digital artists, which I myself am and very much appreciate!

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Tal Lewin / @caravaggia13

The hot male subjects and the easy simplicity of this artist just go so well together! I’ve started to notice this artist used for multiple MM romance alternative book covers, and I’ve very quickly become a fan because of it! Big mystery as to why…..

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Elizianna / @elizianna.the.one

Elizianna is an artist who got their name on this list for multiple reasons: One, I like her style, Two, she’s usually the first to post new artwork of characters who don’t get as much attention from other artists, and three: she does A LOT of NSFW art of book characters to help our fantasy’s become a reality!

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Tony Viento / @tonyviento

Another artist who does really good artwork of the bat boys from ACOTAR and has a Patreon with NSFW artwork too?!?! Hmmmm, I wonder why this person is on here….

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Wictoria Nordgard / @wictorian_art

I actually just recently became introduced to this artist thanks to my special dustjackets by Jo Painter for the Throne of Glass series! Her artwork of Manon Blackbeak with that fierce ponytail was featured as the inner dustjacket artwork and I really enjoyed it! They’ve got some serious skill, and I expect to see more of their work inside books in the future!

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Fernanda Fernandez / @mftfernandez

Fernanda is such a fantastic artist! I love the artwork of Aelin (with red hair too!) and Rowan from “Queen of Shadows!” I’m also just a fan of how she does her character’s hair too, the lighting and the texture work is so inspiring; I want to see more of their work inside special editions of books!

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Meri / @cebanart

For some reason, I feel like this artist is very collagey (not sure if thats a word, but hopefully you know what I mean), I feel like their style is kind of similar to AI where they find things online and kind of remix it and not exactly copy and paste it, but definitely edit it enough to where its not exactly full on copying. I could also totally be way off base with this, so don’t quote me or start attacking the artist for whatever reason!

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Abigail Larson / @abigail_larson

VERY similar in style and content to Irenhorrors as seen above, another artist to definitely take note of if you enjoy things on the spookier, gothic, and creepier side! I could definitely see this artist doing work for a Tarot deck if they haven’t already!

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Pandy Als / @pandyals_art

One of my wolfpack members on bookstagram LOVES this artist, and I gotta say I like their work too! I really appreciate their painterly style that has a little bit of a colorful and chaotic feel to it! And since they do so much ACOTAR artwork, I’d say this artist is who I’d most likely say Feyre’s art most resembles!

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Therese / @warickaart

Another gothic artist who makes me think of Leigh Bardugo books and The Folk of the Air series, there’s just a somber and edginess to all their work that really makes it stand out and feel instantly recognizable!

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@jessdraw.s

Another one of the wolfpack recommendations! I just get ultra-glam, beauty magazine vibes from this artist, or some of the straight on shots of the female characters look right out of this game I used to play: Covet Fashion.

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Fernanda Suarez / @fdsuarez

If you like FIERCE females with a bit of an edge, this is an artist to become aware of this artist ASAP! I especially am a fan of their Zodiac personification pieces, like this Phoebe Tonkin as a Capricorn siren/mermaid artwork.

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Gonzalo M. / @gonzalom.art

Okay, but Gonzalo’s Kieran and Casteel are the HOTTEST I’ve seen of those two! The detail in this artist’s work is so astronomical, so amazing…I wish I would come up with better words to describe! The small details throughout each piece are the true highlight of this artist’s work; if you can, zoom in and just scroll around to see what I mean!

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Linnea / @feefal

Feefal is an absolute delight! Her work is absolutely spectacular and I love the inspiration from nature that she gets with all her work! She is a master of character design from evolution within nature with the moon, the stars, plants, and gives them such a fun, fairytale-like aesthetic that folks of all ages can appreciate. Her work really reminds me of my friend Kayla Nyre, whom I listed in my part 1 article!

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@Myrmidia

I discovered this artist on Twitter and I especially love their amazing work with fantasy characters straight out of campaigns from things like Dungeons and Dragons! This artist hasn’t done a whole lot of work in the bookish community, which is actually why I wanted to include them! It’s nice to have some variety on here.

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Rachel Hanke / @rachelhanke27

This artist is one I feel needs more recognition! And if I saw her Rachel’s name listed as an artist for a special edition book that a box like Fairyloot or Illumicrate or whomever was doing, I would get excited!

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Ellie / @mageonduty

I first discovered this artist for her GORGEOUS male art commissions for the Aisling Sea trilogy by Vanessa Rasanen, and from there I’ve just really come to appreciate all of her artwork, but especially the males! Oooofda, especially these bottom two pieces with the pink clouds in the background.

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Don’t see a certain artist??

Be Sure to check out my part 1 and part 2 to see more! That artist may very well be on either of those!

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:: Click HERE to see Part 1 ::

:: Click HERE to see Part 2 ::

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Thanks for Reading!

— Nick Goodsell

Editorial Articles, Writing/Articles

Goodys.Blog’s Top 10 Books of 2022!

nicholasjgoodsell

Hey readers!

Once again another year draws to a close and that means it’s also time to come out with the annual list of the top books that have been read over here on this blog too!

2022 has been a strange year to say the least when it comes to books, and part of it feel like it’s because towards the end here I’m feeling kind of burnt out with Fantasy-genre titles…but the thing is I don’t WANT to be! It feels like a breakup that you’re trying everything in your power to not have happen, but part of you also just feels like maybe you need to take a break and recoup later on?…Just try and pretend that makes sense for my sanity.

Despite my seemingly falling out with whimsical tales of fae and magical realms, one thing that will always remain is my appreciation for those SPICY romance titles! I love some extra flavoring in my books, and I can confirm that most if not all my reading choices this year definitely included some of that, some more than others!

Without further ado, below is the list of my top reads of 2022, and they are in no particular order.

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1. The Extracurricular Activities Trilogy: by Neve Wilder

What a steamy trilogy this was! By far the best MM romance books I’ve read this year, and Neve Wilder definitely gained a fan in me with these! They’re a quick, hot and totally sexy college romance trilogy if you’re at all interested! And trust me, you should be.

To see my review of book #1 – Want Me – Click HERE

To see my review of book #2 – Try Me – Click HERE

To see my review of book #3 – Show Me – Click HERE

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

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2. The Ravenhood Trilogy: by Kate Stewart

Flock was pretty good, but oh man is Exodus a wake up call, like WOW does a whole lot happen in that book and it takes you on a whirlwind of a ride! I was warned, and while I wasn’t a weeping mess I definitely was in a major book hangover after all that after reading…which is ironic considering I read these to try and get over another book hangover!

To see my review of book #1 – Flock – Click HERE

To see my review of book #2 – Exodus – Click HERE

To see my review of book #3 – Finish Line – Coming Soon!

3. Tricky Magic Series (Not Complete): by L.L. Campbell

This is a fun and steamy paranormal romance series that’s come out recently, and it’s been really fun to get to know the author on #bookstagram too! The plot feels more of a character-driven story, but a major highlight are the steamier scenes, and the author does an incredible job of adding some paranormal flair to them as well. See for yourself why the MMC is referred to as “Shadow Daddy.”

To see my review of book #1 – Tricky Magic – Click HERE

To see my review of book #2 – Tricky Princess – Click HERE

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4. Hook, Line, and Sinker: by Tessa Bailey

This was a great sequel to “It Happened One Summer” that I read in a single day! It didn’t have as much of a “Schitts Creek” feel to it, but the romance so easily swept me away and I couldn’t put it down until I finished it! Tessa Bailey definitely gained a fan in me over these books! And I also really like how they appear sweet and innocent with these covers, but have some steam to them too!

To see my review of Hook, Line, & Sinker – Click HERE

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5. These Wicked Lies: by Miranda Joy

This was an impressive debut novel from an author I’ve gotten to know on #bookstagram as well, and while she herself is a total sweetheart, her book definitely shows a darker tone full of twists and turns and questioning of who to trust…It’s a lush, exotic island setting with soul stealing magic, and with how this book ends, PLENTY of sexy thrills!

To see my review of These Wicked Lies – Click HERE

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

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6. House of Sky and Breath: by Sarah J. Maas

Absolutely zero surprise that an SJM book is on my list…I mean, do I really need to explain why on this one?

To see my review of House of Sky and Breath – Click HERE

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

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7. The War of Two Queens: by Jennifer L. Armentrout

This book is the fourth installment in the popular “From Blood and Ash” series, but upon its release received some MAJOR controversy…I go more into the specifics in my review that you can click and see below, but I can say this was still a thrilling addition to this hot and addicting series!

To see my review of The War of Two Queens – Click HERE

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

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8. Sea Of Ruin by Pam Godwin

This book gave me total “Outlander-meets-Pirates of the Caribbean” vibes and it was a nicely paced adventure from start to finish! Definitely a dark romance that might not be for everyone, but I will admit that Pam Godwin has totally convinced me that she is a great writer with this book alone! I’ll definitely be checking out her other stuff thanks to how I enjoyed this!

To see my review Sea of Ruin – Coming soon!

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10. On These Black Sands (Aisling Sea #1): by Vanessa Rasanen

If you like pirates and mermaids and fae and found family and slow burn romance and the close proximity/there’s only one bed trope, you definitely have to check this book out! It starts off slow, but once things really take off, the adventure really begins! It also really makes you want to re-watch the Pirates of the Caribbean movies too!

To see my review of On These Black Sands – Coming soon!

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10. Gild (Plated Prisoner #1): by Raven Kennedy

I started 2022 with this title because there is so much hype surrounding this series, and so many of my bookstagram friends love them, so I thought I’d give it a try and see what all the fuss is about. It’s slower paced than I liked, and there’s absolutely no romance in book 1, but the scene is definitely set with this first installment in the ever-popular King Midas Retelling series.

To see my review of Gild – Click HERE

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

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Thanks for Reading!

— Nick Goodsell