THE TETHERED MAGE by Melissa Caruso

The Tethered Mage (Swords and Fire #1)

by 

Melissa Caruso

In the Raverran Empire, magic is scarce and those born with power are strictly controlled -- taken as children and conscripted into the Falcon Army. 

Zaira has lived her life on the streets to avoid this fate, hiding her mage-mark and thieving to survive. But hers is a rare and dangerous magic, one that threatens the entire empire.

Lady Amalia Cornaro was never meant to be a Falconer. Heiress and scholar, she was born into a treacherous world of political machinations. But fate has bound the heir and the mage. 

War looms on the horizon. A single spark could turn their city into a pyre.

The Tethered Mage is the first novel in a spellbinding new fantasy series.

What I thought:

I started this book during the terrible reading slump of Winter, 2017. I couldn't get into it, but I figured it was the slump's fault, so I set it aside. Fast-forward to Spring, 2018 and I'm so glad I picked this back up because I really enjoyed it. 

I loved the beginning. Lots of action and the world-building was well done. There is a lot to this new world but it was deftly woven into the story. I adored Amalia's character. Zaira, I was less crazy about. In her defense, she was there against her will, so her angst was justifiable, but she came off sort of like Max from Two Broke Girls, except not funny. I would have liked a lot more levity there to break up the tension. I did, however, find her growing on me by the end of the book, so, shrugs, I guess I'll forgive her. 

There is romance, but it's not the main focus. Act II felt slow to me, which is why I initially put this down. I think it could've been maybe a hundred pages lighter and not suffered at all. I like big books, like a lot, but some of the scenes felt like they weren't pulling their weight to move the plot forward. Also, some of Amalia's actions had me shaking my head a little, and the ensuing action that followed those questionable decisions felt too contrived as a result. 

That said, the intrigue and espionage of this story was really good. I love that it kept me guessing. Sometimes the villains felt a little over-the-top. For all the talk of how ruthless the Empire is, one of the bad guys (no spoilers) sure got away with a lot, and I kept wondering how this person was still alive, but I enjoyed how the story played out and I'm excited for the next one. I want more romance and I think I'm going to enjoy Zaira (and her love life) even more in THE DEFIANT HEIR. ;)

Rating: **** (4 stars)

*I received an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review. 

Happy Reading,

Chelly

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RATING SCALE: 

 5* = OMFG loved it. Will read it again. Touch my book and I will cut you. 

 4* = Really good. Highly recommend. Miiiight reread. Maybe. Don't touch my book. 

 3* = Good. I liked it. Go ahead and touch it. 

 2* = Not for me, finished but struggled. Didn't connect. Here, have a book.

 1* = DNF. Couldn't do it.

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Click on the cover to link to Goodreads and leave your book recs in my comments. Comments make me smile. :) 



Oh, yeah, and find me on twitter: @ChellyPike

SONG OF BLOOD AND STONE by L. Penelope

Song of Blood & Stone (Earthsinger Chronicles #1)

by L. Penelope 

Orphaned and alone, Jasminda lives in a land where cold whispers of invasion and war linger on the wind. Jasminda herself is an outcast in her homeland of Elsira, where her gift of Earthsong is feared. When ruthless soldiers seek refuge in her isolated cabin, they bring with them a captive--an injured spy who threatens to steal her heart.

Jack's mission behind enemy lines to prove that the Mantle between Elsira and Lagamiri is about to fall nearly cost him his life, but he is saved by the healing Song of a mysterious young woman. Now he must do whatever it takes to save Elsira and it's people from the True Father and he needs Jasminda's Earthsong to do it. They escape their ruthless captors and together they embark on a perilous journey to save Elsira and to uncover the secrets of The Queen Who Sleeps.

Thrust into a hostile society, Jasminda and Jack must rely on one another even as secrets jeopardize their bond. As an ancient evil gains power, Jasminda races to unlock a mystery that promises salvation.

The fates of two nations hang in the balance as Jasminda and Jack must choose between love and duty to fulfill their destinies and end the war. 

What I thought:

The cover is gorgeous and I guess I'm shallow because that's why I jumped at the chance to review this book.  The blurb was compelling too. But, yeah, that cover. As far as the story goes, there were things I loved, and things I was less crazy about. 

I loved Jasminda's character. And I loved Jack's character, but I wasn't so excited about their POVs. Which probably doesn't make sense, but... but... but... Okay, so most of this story is told in close 3rd person from Jasminda and Jack's POVs, but I felt like I was still too far away from the narrative. There's another POV here (no spoilers) told in 1st person, and those were my favorite parts of this book. Personally, I think the entire story could have been told better in 1st person. But that's just one opinion. 

The pacing had some issues too. The beginning was action-packed and then the story slowed down. A lot. It seemed like the "action" in the middle of the book was just for the sake of something happening as it didn't really move the plot forward. And Jasminda is the "chosen one." She's the only person who can do all these important things, and, sure, that's a common trope and I'm usually on-board with it, but then it was never explained. 

The action picked up a lot toward the end, which I liked, but the scenes didn't feel very developed to me. Instead of being immersed in the story, I felt like I was being told what happened. 

My favorite parts of this book were the chapter openings, the parts told in 1st person, and the developing romance. I LOVED how the relationship was allowed to build slowly. No insta-love. Yay. I really liked the steamier scenes too.  Not sure if this is a stand-alone, but I'd read more to see where this story goes.

Rating: *** (3 stars)

*I received an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review

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RATING SCALE: 

 5* = OMFG loved it. Will read it again. Touch my book and I will cut you. 

 4* = Really good. Highly recommend. Miiiight reread. Maybe. Don't touch my book. 

 3* = Good. I liked it. Go ahead and touch it. 

 2* = Not for me, finished but struggled. Didn't connect. Here, have a book.

 1* = DNF. Couldn't do it.

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Click on the cover to link to Goodreads and leave your book recs in my comments. Comments make me smile. :) 



Oh, yeah, and find me on twitter: @ChellyPike

RISEN by Cole Gibsen

Risen (Blood Eternal #1)

by Cole Gibsen 

My aunt has been kidnapped by vampires, and it’s up to me to save her. Only…I had no idea vampires existed. None. Nada. I’m more of a reader than a fighter, and even though I’d been wishing to escape my boring existence in the middle of nowhere, I’d give anything to have it back now if it meant my aunt was safe. 

Then there’s the vampire Sebastian, who seems slightly nicer than most of the bloodsuckers I’ve run into so far. Yes, he’s the hottest being I’ve ever come across, but there’s no way I can trust him. He swears he’s helping me get answers, but there’s more to his story. Now I’m a key pawn in a raging vampire war, and I need to pick the right ally.

But my chances of surviving this war are slim at best, when the side I choose might be the one that wants me dead the most.

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What I thought: 

When I saw that this was a vampire story, I couldn't say yes fast enough. Add that it's a different take from the usually folklore and I was doubly intrigued. 

I loved the way it started out. Very atmospheric, with a nice creepy-make-the-hair-on-the-back-of-your-neck-stand-on-end scene. And the action was non-stop from there. 

The pace was super-fast, which is always a plus for me, and I kept turning pages. But something was missing for me. I liked Charlie well-enough. I liked Sebastian. But the story itself fell a little flat. The dialog was a little too on-the-nose. The characters connections felt sort of rushed. 

There were some really great moments that totally sucked me in, and I read this in a single day, so it definitely wasn't boring. I guess I wanted Charlie to have more agency in her own story. There were a few elements that made the story feel too predictable for me, but overall a good, fast read. 

If you love vampires and action and romance with a sprinkling of blood, then 
this one might be for you. It does end with a bit of a cliffhanger. But I'd definitely give the next book in the series a try.

Rating: ** (2 1/2 stars)

And there's a giveaway:  (Update: the giveaway is over)

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About Cole Gibsen: 

Growing up, Cole Gibsen couldn’t decide what she loved more—dogs or books. Rather than choose, she decided to devote her life to both! Dog trainer (wrangler) by day and author by night, she’s the author of more than ten books with more on the way. www.colegibsen.com