Hearts That Cut by Kika Hatzopoulou (Threads That Bind book 2)

 

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first book in the series, Threads That Bind, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

“It’s been five weeks since Io left Alante to follow the golden thread, and she’s no closer to finding the god on the other end. She spends her days in constant, grueling travel and her nights worrying over the fate-thread she shares with Edei—which seems to be fraying. Making matters worse, she and Bianca soon realize that their only lead has shaken them off, snapped the golden thread, and disappeared.

But not before Io gathers some crucial clues. Her investigation leads her to a new mystery, a rash of sibling disappearances across the Wastelands that seems to be connected to the murders in Alante. And all signs point to Nanzy, the golden city, as the center of the whole conspiracy.

As Io and Bianca make their way to Nanzy, they make powerful enemies, find allies new and old, and uncover a horrifying plot that traces back centuries. The more Io learns, the more she begins to suspect that the future of the world may truly rest on her shoulders. But she will have to determine how much of the future is her choice—and how much is simply her fate.” - taken from Goodreads.

This second volume picks up after the events of the first one. I did find that it had a bit of a slow start with just Io and Bianca chasing down their only clue to the events that transpired in Alante. The story really picks up once more of the characters from the first book come into play. Still at the heart of the story, Io must learn who she can and can’t trust when the final showdown occurs. This was a good conclusion to this duology.

Visit Kika Hatzopoulou’s website.

Ruthless Vows by Rebecca Ross (Letters of Enchantment book 2)

 

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first book in the series, Divine Rivals, Stop! I don’t want to ruin one of my favorite stories for you.

Please visit the Recaptains blog if you need a refresher of the first book.

Check out Book Series Recaps for a refresher of the first book.

“Two weeks have passed since Iris Winnow returned home bruised and heartbroken from the front, but the war is far from over. Roman is missing, and the city of Oath continues to dwell in a state of disbelief and ignorance. When Iris and Attie are given another chance to report on Dacre’s movements, they both take the opportunity and head westward once more despite the danger, knowing it’s only a matter of time before the conflict reaches a city that’s unprepared and fracturing beneath the chancellor’s reign.

Since waking below in Dacre’s realm, Roman cannot remember his past. But given the reassurance that his memories will return in time, Roman begins to write articles for Dacre, uncertain of his place in the greater scheme of the war. When a strange letter arrives by wardrobe door, Roman is first suspicious, then intrigued. As he strikes up a correspondence with his mysterious pen pal, Roman will soon have to make a decision: to stand with Dacre or betray the god who healed him. And as the days grow darker, inevitably drawing Roman and Iris closer together…the two of them will risk their very hearts and futures to change the tides of the war.” - taken from Goodreads.

This was a satisfying conclusion to this duology. Separated by Dacre, Iris and Roman work to get back to one another and stop the war from coming to their home. In a race against time, can Roman and Iris halt Dacre’s takeover of Oath before it’s too late? Readers will devour the last pages to see how the story ends.

 

Visit Rebecca Ross’ website.

The Lightstruck by Sunya Mara (The Darkening book 2)

 

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first book in the series, The Darkening, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

“Vesper Vale sacrificed everything to save her city from the cursed storm. After becoming a vessel of The Great Queen, Vesper awakes from a slumber three years after her life altering choice.

What she finds isn’t a home freed from the terror of the storm, but one where its citizens are besieged by the even more sinister force of The Great King and his growing army of the lightstruck—once regular citizens who are now controlled by the ominous light encroaching on the city. And the people are all looking to Vesper, now revered as a goddess after her sacrifice, as their city’s only hope.

To save the rings from the Great King, Vesper must contend with the obligations of being a deity to her people and the growing chasm between her and Dalca, the prince she swore never to love. Haunted by the guilt of their past choices and faced with the pressures of a city near ruin, Vesper and Dalca find themselves torn between the growing factions within the city and the royal court.

But in order to save her city from the light, Vesper must face the power most outside of her control—the goddess within.’ - taken from Goodreads.

Three years have passed and when Vesper Vale finally wakes up, things aren’t necessarily for the better. With the Great Queen now residing in her body, the Great King has been freed and is causing destruction now. Unsure of her role in this new world, Vesper tries to find a way to stop the Great King and his Lightstruck from taking over. This story does drag in parts, especially near the end. The ending doesn't tie everything up in a neat bow but is full of promise. 

Visit Sunya Mara’s website.

Wings of Ebony by J. Elle (Wings of Ebony book 1)

 

“Make a way out of no way” is just the way of life for Rue. But when her mother is shot dead on her doorstep, life for her and her younger sister changes forever. Rue's taken from her neighborhood by the father she never knew, forced to leave her little sister behind, and whisked away to Ghizon—a hidden island of magic wielders.

Rue is the only half-god, half-human there, where leaders protect their magical powers at all costs and thrive on human suffering. Miserable and desperate to see her sister on the anniversary of their mother’s death, Rue breaks Ghizon’s sacred Do Not Leave Law and returns to Houston, only to discover that Black kids are being forced into crime and violence. And her sister, Tasha, is in danger of falling sway to the very forces that claimed their mother’s life.

Worse still, evidence mounts that the evil plaguing East Row is the same one that lurks in Ghizon—an evil that will stop at nothing until it has stolen everything from her and everyone she loves. Rue must embrace her true identity and wield the full magnitude of her ancestors’ power to save her neighborhood before the gods burn it to the ground.” - taken from Goodreads.com

Rue has spent her whole life in the east row neighborhood of Houston with her mother and little sister. All that changes when her mother is shot dead on their front stoop and the father she has never known whiskers her away to the magical unknown island of Ghizon. One year later, Rue takes a forbidden trip to see her sister, She quickly becomes aware of how her two separate worlds are on a collision course towards destruction. 

A haunting fantasy that deals with magic, genocide, racism, and vengeance.  Perfect for the fans of the Orisha trilogy by Tomi Adeyemi or The Hate U Give.

Book two, Ashes of Gold, is due out on January 11, 2022.

Visit J. Elle’s website.

The Silvered Serpents by Roshani Chokshi (The Gilded Wolves book 2)

 

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first book in the series, The Gilded Wolves, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

“They are each other’s fiercest love, greatest danger, and only hope.

Séverin and his team members might have successfully thwarted the Fallen House, but victory came at a terrible cost — one that still haunts all of them. Desperate to make amends, Séverin pursues a dangerous lead to find a long lost artifact rumored to grant its possessor the power of God.

Their hunt lures them far from Paris, and into the icy heart of Russia where crystalline ice animals stalk forgotten mansions, broken goddesses carry deadly secrets, and a string of unsolved murders makes the crew question whether an ancient myth is a myth after all.

As hidden secrets come to the light and the ghosts of the past catch up to them, the crew will discover new dimensions of themselves. But what they find out may lead them down paths they never imagined.

A tale of love and betrayal as the crew risks their lives for one last job.” - taken from Goodreads.com

Continuing after the devastating events at the end of book one, our characters find themselves in Russia. Once again, I found the story slow to start with but it did pick up as new characters and places were introduced. All of the reveals and plot twists that transpire by the time the story ends will have fans clamoring for the final book in the trilogy. 

The trilogy will conclude with book three, The Bronzed Beasts, due out on September 21, 2021.

Visit Roshani Chokshi’s website.

Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan (Something Dark and Holy book 1)

“Let Them Fear Her”

“A girl who can speak to gods must save her people without destroying herself.

A prince in danger must decide who to trust.

A boy with a monstrous secret waits in the wings. 

Together, they must assassinate the king and stop the war.

In a centuries-long war where beauty and brutality meet, their three paths entwine in a shadowy world of spilled blood and mysterious saints, where a forbidden romance threatens to tip the scales between dark and light.” - taken from Goodreads.com

Fantasy books are my favorite genre and I was excited to get my hands on this book. The only real problem that I have with starting a new fantasy series is emerging myself in a new world. Loosely based on a Gothic Russia/Poland with a polytheistic religion, it took me a bit to truly get invested in the story. Once I did, there was no going back. I thought I knew where the author was going with the story but it was just a tease before she pulled the literal rug out from underneath my feet with that shocking ending.

I am now eagerly awaiting the second book in the Something Dark and Holy trilogy, Ruthless Gods, due out on April 7, 2020.

Visit Emily A. Duncan’s website.

Nightblood by Elly Blake (Frostblood Saga book 3)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first two books in the series, Frostblood, and Fireblood, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

“Ruby's world has changed more than she ever could have imagined. She's in love with a powerful Frost King. She's the heir to the Fire Throne. And she may be a Nightblood--the spawn of a vengeful deity hellbent on releasing his wraithlike Minax from their prison. Once freed, these beasts will roam the earth, devouring every last person until he or she is nothing but an empty husk. But Ruby is able to control the Minax to a degree, and now she, her beloved Arcus, and her friend Kai must find a way to bring Frostbloods and Firebloods--sworn enemies--together to make a stand against a foe more deadly than any they've faced.

In this heart-pounding finale of Elly Blake's gorgeously written and action-packed Frostblood Saga, the fate of Frostbloods, Firebloods, and all of humanity is at stake.” - taken from Goodreads.com

I was pleasantly surprised by how this series ended. Arcus and Kai play major roles in helping Ruby to free the Minax from her body and defeat Eurus. With several twists and turns, jaw-dropping revelations and a satisfying ending, fans will not be let down. A great fantasy series for those fans of Sarah J. Maas and Victoria Aveyard.

Visit Elly Blake’s website.

The Eternity Key by Bree Despain (Into the Dark book 2)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first book in the series, The Shadow Prince, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the series for you.

Haden Lord, Prince of the Underrealm, is a Prince no more. Since he was chosen by the Oracle of Elysium to become a Champion, he obliterated any chance he might have had to become his father's heir. He chose Daphne Raines and love instead. It turns out that she was the Cypher, the only one who can find and retrieve the Key of Hades. It is Haden's responsibility to use the Key to keep the Court of the Underrealm from getting the Keres. Literally, all hell would break loose on Earth if the Keres were set free. Haden, Daphne and their friends have left the safe haven of Ellis Fields to return to Olympus Hills to search for the Key. Two weeks have passed and they haven't found the Key yet nor have the Skylords come after them. Haden will do whatever is necessary to keep Daphne safe because he has realized that he loves her.

Daphne still isn't willing to forgive her father Joe for seeking her soul to the Underrealm in order to become a rock star. Sarah, the Oracle, told Haden and Daphne that their destinies were irrevocably intertwined. She had kept the Compass meant for Daphne for centuries. It was stolen from her only minutes later and now she feels that without it, they will never find the Key. She is still willing to bet that the Key is hidden in the grove. Tobin agrees with her. Haden relents and goes along but Daphne wants to just find the key so that her life can go back to normal. But Haden wonders if her life will ever be normal again.

Tobin's mother is the mayor of Olympus Hills. His sister Abbie went into hiding in Ellis Fields as CeCe Caelum and was Daphne best friend before Joe came into Daphne's life. The mayor has been aiding in the kidnapping of Olympus Hills daughters and Abbie disappeared a second time after Joe's assistant Marta came to help Daphne move. The mayor traded her daughter so that she could start her wind energy company. He is helping Haden and Daphne uncover the secrets of Olympus Hills. Grounded by his mother for two weeks when they went to Ellis Fields, he had been secretly searching his mother's rules for any clues. Tobin finds an early map of the area that he thinks might provide some answers. Daphne ends up giving Tobin Abbie’s dairy that was sent to her with some of CeCe’s things from Ellis Fields. They hope that it will provided them with some clues.

Haden spends every night outside of Daphne's house in an attempt to protect her from anything that may harm her. One night, Dax finds him and tried to persuade him to get some rest. He isn't going to be able to help anyone if he is sleep deprived. A flash of lightning streaks the sky and Haden thinks he sees a person standing on the shore of the lake. Dax doesn't see anyone. Haden runs through the rain to look. He sees footprints in the sand but the waves wash them away before Dax can see them. Haden is determined to keep Daphne safe at all costs.

On the first day back to class after break, Haden and Daphne are to see that their regular Humanities teacher has been replaced. Haden immediately knows that Ethan Bowman and his “niece” Terresa and “nephew” Calix are Skylords. Daphne is warned of the danger by a text message from Dax immediately followed by several from Haden telling her to act as if she doesn’t know him. After class, Daphne leaves the room with Lexie and heads towards Dax’s office. Calix follows the girls. Haden is asked by Ethan to stay after class and he dismisses Terresa, who clearly isn’t happy to be included. Alone with Ethan, Haden tells him that he knows who he is and that he no longer has an allegiance to the Underrealm. Haden refuses to give up the Cypher but Ethan tells him that he already knows who she is. Ethan wants to make a deal, a favor for the future. Haden says that he didn’t give the Cypher or the Key to his father, so don’t expect that. Ethan sounds imposed upon but wants Haden to agree to a favor later on or he can die now and lose the Cypher. Haden reluctantly agrees to Ethan’s request. The right time will depend on Haden and his friends. Until then, Haden is to tell no one of their dea; and to stay as far away as possible from Calix and Terresa. Terresa can be quite ambitious.

Will Daphne realize her true feelings for Haden before it is too late? What secrets is Tobin’s mother keeping about Olympus Hills? How will Daphne get the Compass back? Where will the Key be found? Who did Haden see on the shores of the lake that night? Why have they come to Olympus Hills? Can anything important be found in Abbie’s dairy? Why did she disappear? Will Haden and Daphne to able to keep an all out war from breaking out?

Book three will be published in the fall of 2016.

Visit Bree Despain’s website.