Whatcha Reading Wednesday - The Prisoner's Throne

The Prisoner's Throne - The Stolen Heir Duology #2 

by Holly Black

What they say: An imprisoned prince. A vengeful queen. And a battle that will determine the future of Elfhame.

 

Prince Oak is paying for his betrayal. Imprisoned in the icy north and bound to the will of a monstrous new queen, he must rely on charm and calculation to survive. With High King Cardan and High Queen Jude willing to use any means necessary to retrieve their stolen heir, Oak will have to decide whether to attempt regaining the trust of the girl he’s always loved or to remain loyal to Elfhame and hand over the means to end her reign—even if it means ending Wren, too.



 

With a new war looming on the horizon and treachery lurking in every corner, neither Oak’s guile nor his wit will be enough to keep everyone he loves alive. It’s just a question of whom he will doom.

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Whatcha Reading Wednesday - A Court of Mist and Fury

A Court of Mist and Fury - A Court of Thorns and Roses #2

by Sarah J. Maas

What they say: Feyre has undergone more trials than one human woman can carry in her heart. Though she’s now been granted the powers and lifespan of the High Fae, she is haunted by her time Under the Mountain and the terrible deeds she performed to save the lives of Tamlin and his people.

As her marriage to Tamlin approaches, Feyre’s hollowness and nightmares consume her. She finds herself split into two different people: one who upholds her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court, and one who lives out her life in the Spring Court with Tamlin. While Feyre navigates a dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms. She might just be the key to stopping it, but only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future—and the future of a world in turmoil.

Bestselling author Sarah J. Maas’s masterful storytelling brings this second book in her dazzling, sexy, action-packed series to new heights.

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Coming Soon - A Dance with the Fae Prince

A Dance with the Fae Prince

by Elise Kova

What they say: Cinderella meets The Cruel Prince in this stand-alone fantasy romance about a human girl and her marriage to the prince of the fae.

She knew her hand in marriage would be sold. She had no idea a fae prince was the buyer.

Katria swore she'd never fall in love. She's seen what "love" means through the cruelty of her family. So when she's married off to the mysterious Lord Fenwood for a handsome price, all Katria wants is a better life than the one she's leaving. Feelings are off the table.

But her new husband makes not falling in love difficult.

As their attraction begins to grow, so too do the oddities within her new life: strange rules, screams in the night, and attacks by fae that Katria never thought were real. When she witnesses a ritual not meant for human eyes, Katria finds herself spirited away to the land of Midscape.

Surviving the fae wilds as a human is hard enough. Katria must survive as a human who accidently pilfered the magic of ancient kings - magic a bloodthirsty king is ready to kill her for in order to keep his stolen throne - and her new husband is the rightful heir in hiding.

The power to save the fae is in her hands. But who will save her from a love she vowed never to feel?

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New Release - These Hollow Vows

These Hollow Vows

by Lexi Ryan

What they say: From New York Times best-selling author Lexi Ryan, Cruel Prince meets A Court of Thorns and Roses in this action-packed fantasy about a girl who is caught between two treacherous faerie courts and their dangerously seductive princes.

Brie hates the Fae and refuses to have anything to do with them, even if that means starving on the street. But when her sister is sold to the sadistic king of the Unseelie court to pay a debt, she'll do whatever it takes to get her back—including making a deal with the king himself to steal three magical relics from the Seelie court.

Gaining unfettered access to the Seelie court is easier said than done. Brie's only choice is to pose as a potential bride for Prince Ronan, and she soon finds herself falling for him. Unwilling to let her heart distract her, she accepts help from a band of Unseelie misfits with their own secret agenda. As Brie spends time with their mysterious leader, Finn, she struggles to resist his seductive charm.

Caught between two dangerous courts, Brie must decide who to trust with her loyalty. And with her heart.

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A Dark and Hollow Star - Book Spotlight

I love the sound of this. Plus how amazing is the cover?!

A Dark and Hollow Star

by Ashley Shuttleworth

What they say: Choose your player.

The “ironborn” half-fae outcast of her royal fae family.

A tempestuous Fury, exiled to earth from the Immortal Realm and hellbent on revenge.

A dutiful fae prince, determined to earn his place on the throne.

The prince’s brooding guardian, burdened with a terrible secret.

For centuries, the Eight Courts of Folk have lived among us, concealed by magic and bound by law to do no harm to humans. This arrangement has long kept peace in the Courts—until a series of gruesome and ritualistic murders rocks the city of Toronto and threatens to expose faeries to the human world.

Four queer teens, each who hold a key piece of the truth behind these murders, must form a tenuous alliance in their effort to track down the mysterious killer behind these crimes. If they fail, they risk the destruction of the faerie and human worlds alike. If that’s not bad enough, there’s a war brewing between the Mortal and Immortal Realms, and one of these teens is destined to tip the scales. The only question is: which way?

Wish them luck. They’re going to need it.

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Coming Soon - Master of One

Master of One

by Jaida Jones

What they say: Sinister sorcery. Gallows humor. A queer romance so glorious it could be right out of fae legend itself. Master of One is a fantasy unlike any other.

Rags is a thief—an excellent one. He’s stolen into noble’s coffers, picked soldier’s pockets, and even liberated a ring or two off the fingers of passersby. Until he’s caught by the Queensguard and forced to find an ancient fae relic for a sadistic royal sorcerer.

But Rags could never have guessed this “relic” would actually be a fae himself—a distractingly handsome, annoyingly perfect, ancient fae prince called Shining Talon. Good thing Rags can think on his toes, because things just get stranger from there...

With the heist and intrigue of Six of Crows and the dark fairy tale feel of The Cruel Prince, this young adult fantasy debut will have readers rooting for a pair of reluctant heroes as they take on a world-ending fae prophecy, a malicious royal plot, and, most dangerously of all, their feelings for each other.

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Review - The Darkest Part of the Forest

The Darkest Part of the Forest

by Holly Black

What they say: Near the little town of Fairfold, in the darkest part of the forest, lies a glass casket. Inside the casket lies a sleeping faerie prince that none can rouse. He's the most fascinating thing Hazel and her brother Ben have ever seen. They dream of waking him - but what happens when dreams come true? In the darkest part of the forest, you must be careful what you wish for...

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What I say: The concept is very clever. There are some Snow White sleeping in a coffin elements, with a twist. What I always enjoy about Holly Black's books is the world building and how the fae are not fluffy fairy tale creatures but far darker! 

For the most part, I liked Hazel as a character although would have liked more character development. I wasn't a big fan of all the random kissing. It was also nice the way things developed with Severin. I was glad we didn't get the usual girl ends up with the prince plot...

We are treated to changelings and fairy legends as well as the usual coming of age teen drama. The sections about Hazel's and Ben's forgetful and neglectful parents were hard to read but worked well in juxtaposition to the fairy world.

I'm a big fan of Holly Black's books and while I did enjoy The Darkest Part of the Forest, it wasn't my favourite of her stories! The writing has the usual HB description and detail but, and I'm surprised to be writing this, the plot isn't as compelling as I was expecting. I read another review, describing the plot as fragmented, which I sort of agree with. That being said I did like the story, I just wanted a little more. Perhaps I'm just greedy. 

3.5 Stars in my Sky!

Cover Reveal - The Cursed Crown

May Sage & Alexi Blake will be revealing art from The Cursed Crown every month leading up to the December 1^st release! 

Today’s art comes from Salome Totladze! 

Check it and an exciting new excerpt out now!

Title: The Cursed Crown

Author: May Sage & Alexi Blake

Genre: Epic Fantasy

Illustrator: Gabriela Dea Julia

Typography by Sylvia Frost from The Book Brander Boutique

Release Date: 1st of December

My lips hitch up an inch as the hulking, slender man bends down to whisper in my ear. “A divided kingdom without a leader is weak. You will fall. You will fail. You will all die without my kindness, little girl.”

He expects me to falter, shiver, and drop my gaze to the ground like the flock of gentry buzzing around him.

My eyes widen in feigned dismay. “Kindness? Why did no one think to tell me you had any?”

I have to allow him that one concession: Rydekar is fun to tease.

He doesn’t even smile. I don’t think anyone has taunted him. “I have none. You will beg nonetheless.”

I just may, in his dreams. And in my nightmares.

No one was ever born less suited to ruling than Rissa, the thorn of the seelie realm—a half-fae so wild she’s spent the better part of a hundred years in the woods.

For all her flaws, she’s the last of the high court bloodline, and the southern king seems to think that’s reason enough to slap a crown on her feathered head. He needs her to unify the seelie forces. She needs him to forget about that nonsense.

In an effort to aid her people without condemning herself to a lifetime of misery, she sets off on a journey to find the one person with a stronger claim to the throne than hers: the cursed prince.

Sealed in the mountains of the Wilderness, under many spells, the heir of the first seelie queen is the only royal strong enough to protect the fae lands from their immortal invaders.

Surviving the untamed tribes and awakening a thousand-year-old prince seem a lot easier than ruling an entire kingdom where everyone hates her very nature.

And her choices won’t come without consequences.

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Exclusive Excerpt:

Long have I heard tales of the cursed prince. I’ve seen dozens of paintings and statues of his effigy.

None prepared me for him.

Tharsen is said to be beautiful, when he is exquisite. They tell us of his luminous aura, when it’s brighter than that of a burning star. He is beyond gods and monsters, beyond fae and man.

I’ve never felt so strong a draw to anyone—anyone at all. It’s blinding and painful, claiming a piece of me. Capturing my mind.

We’re kin, he and I. I am the daughter of his brother’s great-great-great-great-grandchild, I think. Yet I feel like I am an insignificant sparrow and he, the fiercest of the beasts soaring the sky. Barely the same species. He’s everything I’m not. The dream to my nightmare.

One only needs to look at him to fall under his spell.

Yes, he’ll do. He’ll rule all of Denarhelm, and all will be only too pleased to bow at his feet. They’ll crawl to him and beg to be permitted to serve.

I can’t deny that the thought terrifies me. This creature could bring an end to the free will of the folk, with no more than a glance.

I dare to caress the icy wall encasing him.

Then I step back, startled. It feels…

Alive.

His pulse beating so hard I can sense it through the ice. That shouldn’t be possible, but I left the realm of possibility the moment I entered his eternal prison.

He’s a myth come alive. A painfully striking prince under a curse.

I suppose that makes me the hero of the story. The brave princess who rescues him, so that he may rule and I may return to the shadows, where I belong.

My story ends where his begins.

I will return to the solitary woods I’ve claimed as my own, and let the kings of the world play games of war.

Just as I wanted. Everything is within my grasp.

So why am I hesitating?

Stay up to date on teasers and teasers with The Curse Crown Facebook Group!

Author Spotlight:

May Sage is a USA Today Bestselling romance writer dabbling in different genres, although the readers who follow every series know they’re all related.

When she isn’t writing, she spends her time with her German Shepherd, her two Savannahs, and her black rescue cat, in England. She loves reading, ballet, running, and cake. Mostly, cake.

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Connect with May Sage:

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The Wicked King - Reread

Next book in the series re-read time!!

The Wicked King - The Folk of Air #2

by Holly Black

What they say: You must be strong enough to strike and strike and strike again without tiring.

The first lesson is to make yourself strong.

After the jaw-dropping revelation that Oak is the heir to Faerie, Jude must keep her younger brother safe. To do so, she has bound the wicked king, Cardan, to her, and made herself the power behind the throne. Navigating the constantly shifting political alliances of Faerie would be difficult enough if Cardan were easy to control. But he does everything in his power to humiliate and undermine her even as his fascination with her remains undiminished.

When it becomes all too clear that someone close to Jude means to betray her, threatening her own life and the lives of everyone she loves, Jude must uncover the traitor and fight her own complicated feelings for Cardan to maintain control as a mortal in a Faerie world.

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Whatcha Reading Wednesday - The Cruel Prince

Re-read time baby!!

The Cruel Prince - The Folk of Air #1

by Holly Black

What they say: Of course I want to be like them. They’re beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. They will live forever.

And Cardan is even more beautiful than the rest. I hate him more than all the others. I hate him so much that sometimes when I look at him, I can hardly breathe.

Jude was seven when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.

To win a place at the Court, she must defy him–and face the consequences.

As Jude becomes more deeply embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, she discovers her own capacity for trickery and bloodshed. But as betrayal threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself. 

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Tour & Review - The King

I love me some JLA goodness!!! All the yes for The King!! 

I'm thrilled to be sharing this release from Jennifer L. Armentrout with you today! THE KING is part of the Wicked series and it is releasing as part of 1001 Dark Nights. 

Click here to grab your copy now.

Purchase your copy of THE KING today!

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What they say: From #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout comes the next installment in her Wicked series.

As Caden and Brighton's attraction grows despite the odds stacked against a happily ever after, they must work together to stop an Ancient fae from releasing the Queen, who wants nothing more than to see Caden become the evil Prince once feared by fae and mortals alike.

**Every 1001 Dark Nights novella is a standalone story. For new readers, it’s an introduction to an author’s world. And for fans, it’s a bonus book in the author’s series. We hope you'll enjoy each one as much as we do.**

Add THE KING to your Goodreads TBR here!


I received a copy in exchange for an honest review!

What I say: We return to the action where The Prince left off. Bri is hella determined for vengeance and really blooming annoyed at Caden. TBH so was I!!!!

The hilarious back-and-forth between Bri and Caden is still very much present - I'm not sure what it says about me but I do love their squabbling.

I'm a big Brighton fan! I totally get her determination (although not the circumstances) and loved the moments when she stood up for herself and took all the doubters on. Remember when Neville stood up to Harry, Hermione and Ron in Harry Potter? I had similar feels whenever certain Order members would overlook her skills and worth (albeit unintentionally done).

Caden as the King is all kinds of swoon worthy and maddening. Let's be honest the dude has it going on! What I really enjoyed was seeing more of his caring and softer side.

JLA you are an absolute Goddess and also a meanie - that ending!!! Talk about a cliffy! My jaw had to be lifted up from the floor after finishing The King! The fab news is that there's more Bri and Caden!!

Loved it! 

5 Stars in my Sky!

Purchase your copy of THE KING today!

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Excerpt:

“I don’t think this is wise,” Tink said for what had to be the hundredth time since he realized I was getting ready for a night out. “Like I think this is very poorly thought-out, if you ask me, Lite Bright.”

“I didn’t ask you, Tink.”

My uninvited roommate of sorts hovered outside my bathroom. Tink wasn’t human, but right now, he looked like any normal twenty-something guy. Well, if normal, twenty-something guys had natural, shockingly white hair and were beautiful in a way that almost seemed fragile.

This was his full-grown Tink size, something I was still—even after all this time—getting used to. I was more accustomed to pint-sized Tink with the translucent wings. After all, he was a brownie.

After the attack that had taken my mother’s life and should’ve ended mine, he’d basically moved in with me. He’d been here for the last two years, something Ivy’s husband pretended to be grateful for, but in reality, I knew he secretly missed the dude.

“You should ask me,” he replied. When I glanced over at him, I got a little distracted by the dazzle…emanating from the sequin tank top he wore. It was so shimmery that I wondered if he was using some of his magic.

Tink may be a goofball, but he was also one of the most powerful creatures in our realm.

Thank God there was only one of him.

“I am a wealth of amazing advice,” he continued. Dixon, the cat he’d named after a Walking Dead character that Tink called “the hottest redneck eva” slinked around Tink’s ankles. The cat was all gray except for his tail, which looked like it had been dipped in white paint.

I snorted. “When have you ever given me good advice?”

“When I told you two weeks ago not to eat the whole carton of beignets because you’d get sick and you did,” he shot back.

I winced, picking up my mascara. I had gotten sick, but I deserved that carton of sugary, fried goodness. That day… 

I didn’t want to think about that day.

“And what about when you ordered that supreme pizza and ate almost all of it?” he said. “I told you that it would probably make you feel bad later.”

Nose wrinkling, I tried to remember what night he was talking about. There were a lot of Friday nights—pizza night in my household—that I ate an entire pie and felt terrible afterward.

“Or how about that time I told you that the seared ahi tuna looked a little gray for my liking? But, oh no, Brighton knows better.” He reached down, scratching Dixon between the ears. “You ate it all, and then I spent the night cleaning up your puke.”

Ew.

Book Trailer:

“Jennifer L. Armentrout’s intoxicating new fantasy is her best yet!” New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter on Storm and Fury

“Dark, mysterious, and yet often hilarious, this riveting page-turner sparkles with innuendo and delivers a breathtaking romance; a stunning conclusion to the trilogy.

“ Library Journal on Moonlight Scandals

“With this first title in her new Dark Elements series, powerhouse author Armentrout delivers another action-packed, believably narrated ride through a paranormal world as seen by a teen.”Booklist on White Hot Kiss

Author Spotlight:

# 1 New York Times, USA Today and international bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki. Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV. She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

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THE PRINCE – Review & Excerpt Tour

From #1 New York Times Bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout, comes THE PRINCE, a new novella in her Wicked Series, brought to you by 1,001 Dark Nights! 

Be sure to grab your copy today!

From #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout comes a new story in her Wicked series…

She’s everything he wants….

Cold. Heartless. Deadly. Whispers of his name alone bring fear to fae and mortals alike. The Prince. There is nothing in the mortal world more dangerous than him. Haunted by a past he couldn’t control, all Caden desires is revenge against those who’d wronged him, trapping him in never-ending nightmare. And there is one person he knows can help him.

She’s everything he can’t have…

Raised within the Order, Brighton Jussier knows just how dangerous the Prince is, reformed or not. She’d seen firsthand what atrocities he could be capable of. The last thing she wants to do is help him, but he leaves her little choice. Forced to work alongside him, she begins to see the man under the bitter ice. Yearning for him feels like the definition of insanity, but there’s no denying the heat in his touch and the wicked promise is his stare.

She’s everything he’ll take….

But there’s someone out there who wants to return the Prince to his former self. A walking, breathing nightmare that is hell bent on destroying the world and everyone close to him. The last thing either of them needs is a distraction, but with the attraction growing between them each now, the one thing he wants more than anything may be the one thing that will be his undoing.

She’s everything he’d die for…

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I received a copy in exchange for an honest review!

What I say: I'm going to start with the end and ask how can it end like that?! The Prince is dramatic, angst-filled and infuriating, but in the best way!!!

Right, now back to the beginning, or the start of this novella, which is set after the end of Ivy's story in Brave.

I've yet to find a JLA book that I didn't like and I'm not starting with The Prince. It's chockablock with amazeballs! JLA really does give good or really bad fae depending on which side of the war you take! 

I can honestly say I hadn't given Brighton much thought before now, but as she always manages to do, JLA had me invested in Bri's story from the first page. I wanted to see what happened next and was desperate to see her become her best badass self. Never let it be said that you cannot pack a lot of character development and growth into a novella, because we certainly see a lot of it with Bri in The Prince.

Oh the Prince. Former dark fae, now hotel good fae, Prince Caden, is a mystery. He's got the whole broody thing down. Leader of all reformed bad boys (ish) thy name is Caden! I'm desperately hoping we get a full series about the two of them because it cannot end like that!!! Also can Tink have his own story too please?

4.5 Stars in my Sky!

Author Spotlight:

# 1 New York Times, USA Today and international bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki. Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV. She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

Website * Facebook * Twitter

Release This Week - Tower of Dawn

Tower of Dawn - Throne of Glass #6 by Sarah J. Mass
Releases 5th Sept - that's tomorrow!!!

I honestly cannot believe we're up to book 6 - I really want Chaol to find a HEA or at least a peaceful and happy now!

What they say: In the next installment of the New York Times bestselling Throne of Glass series, follow Chaol on his sweeping journey to a distant empire.

Chaol Westfall has always defined himself by his unwavering loyalty, his strength, and his position as the Captain of the Guard. But all of that has changed since the glass castle shattered, since his men were slaughtered, since the King of Adarlan spared him from a killing blow, but left his body broken.

His only shot at recovery lies with the legendary healers of the Torre Cesme in Antica—the stronghold of the southern continent's mighty empire. And with war looming over Dorian and Aelin back home, their survival might lie with Chaol and Nesryn convincing its rulers to ally with them.

But what they discover in Antica will change them both—and be more vital to saving Erilea than they could have imagined. 
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