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)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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 

SHADOWSONG by S. Jae-Jones

Shadowsong (Wintersong #2)

by S. Jae-Jones

Six months after the end of Wintersong, Liesl is working toward furthering both her brother’s and her own musical careers. Although she is determined to look forward and not behind, life in the world above is not as easy as Liesl had hoped. Her younger brother Josef is cold, distant, and withdrawn, while Liesl can’t forget the austere young man she left beneath the earth, and the music he inspired in her. 

When troubling signs arise that the barrier between worlds is crumbling, Liesl must return to the Underground to unravel the mystery of life, death, and the Goblin King—who he was, who he is, and who he will be. What will it take to break the old laws once and for all? What is the true meaning of sacrifice when the fate of the world—or the ones Liesl loves—is in her hands?

What I thought:

This is book 2, and the conclusion to the Wintersong duology. See my review for Wintersong HERE. 

I liked this book better than the first one. Obviously I liked Book 1 well enough, or I wouldn't have jumped right into this one, but Book 1 focused on the music a lot. In depth, very detailed accounts of Liesl composing and playing. And while the language was beautiful, it's not my area. 

Overall the pacing for both books was slow. As for the overall vibe of the series, it felt more adult literary than YA. I think I would have liked the first book more if had been for the adult market. I would have liked more of the physical relationship on the page, but, shrugs, maybe that's just me.  

Book 2 focuses more on Liesl's relationship with her brother, which I was okay with. Sure, I wanted more Liesl and the Goblin King, but we got a new location and a mystery, and pieces falling into place. I loved the way the ending came together. The last third of this book was perfection. Completely perfect. Breathtaking. 

I loved the darkness of this story and the rich settings and the gorgeous language. I can't wait to see what S. Jae-Jones writes next. (I hope it's smutty) I'm definitely a fan. 

Rating: ***** (4.5 stars)

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

WINTERSONG by S. Jae-Jones

Wintersong (Wintersong #1)

by S. Jae-Jones

All her life, nineteen-year-old Liesl has heard tales of the beautiful, mysterious Goblin King. He is the Lord of Mischief, the Ruler Underground, and the muse around which her music is composed. Yet, as Liesl helps shoulder the burden of running her family’s inn, her dreams of composition and childish fancies about the Goblin King must be set aside in favor of more practical concerns.

But when her sister Käthe is taken by the goblins, Liesl journeys to their realm to rescue her sister and return her to the world above. The Goblin King agrees to let Käthe go—for a price. The life of a maiden must be given to the land, in accordance with the old laws. A life for a life, he says. Without sacrifice, nothing good can grow. Without death, there can be no rebirth. In exchange for her sister’s freedom, Liesl offers her hand in marriage to the Goblin King. He accepts.

Down in the Underground, Liesl discovers that the Goblin King still inspires her—musically, physically, emotionally. Yet even as her talent blossoms, Liesl’s life is slowly fading away, the price she paid for becoming the Goblin King’s bride. As the two of them grow closer, they must learn just what it is they are each willing to sacrifice: her life, her music, or the end of the world..

What I thought:

Wow. This story was haunting and beautifully written. I loved the characters and the mystery. I did sometimes get bogged down in the descriptions and felt the pacing could have been quicker, especially toward the middle of the book, but, wow, I fell in love with the ideas and the music, swept along by Liesl's mania to create, create, create. 

I wanted more of the underground, more details to help me keep my footing when things were happening so fast. There was an important scene where I wasn't sure what had happened afterward. Like, did that just happen? Or didn't it? What? So, yeah, that was frustrating. The language seemed to get in the way of the action, where saying it prettily was more important than laying the scene out for the reader to enjoy. But overall I thoroughly enjoyed this and I can definitely recommend it.

I'm reading the 2nd book now. :D 

Rating: **** (4 stars)

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

HIGH VOLTAGE by Karen Marie Moning

High Voltage (Fever #10)

by Karen Marie Moning

There is no action without consequence…

Dani O’Malley was nine years old when the delusional, sadistic Rowena transformed her into a ruthless killer. Years later, she’s tough, hardened, yet achingly vulnerable and fiercely compassionate, living alone by her own exacting code. Despite the scars on her body, driven by deeper ones carved into her soul, no one is more committed to protecting Dublin. By day, she ensures the safety of those she rescues, by night she hunts evil, dispensing justice swiftly and without mercy, determined to give those she cares for the peace she has never known.

There is no power without price…

When the Faerie Queen used the dangerously powerful Song of Making to heal the world from the damage done by the Hoar Frost King, catastrophic magic seeped deep into the earth, giving rise to horrifying, unforeseen consequences–and now deadly enemies plot in the darkness, preparing to enslave the human race and unleash an ancient reign of hell on Earth.

There is no future without sacrifice…

With the lethal, immortal Ryodan at her side, armed with the epic Sword of Light, Dani once again battles to save the world but her past comes back to haunt her with a vengeance, demanding an unspeakable price for the power she needs to save the human race and no one—not even Ryodan who’d move the very stars for her—can save her this time… 

What I thought:

This is book 10 in the series. Book 10, y'all. It's Dani's HEA, and it has been a long time coming. So long that I'd built it up in my mind soooooo much that anything that showed up on the page would suffer by comparison. I wanted to love, love, love this book with my whole heart, and I did really love parts of it. 

The beginning has an amazing hook, and the ending is... *stares dreamily into the distance* ...so much swoon. That ending, y'all! Wow. 

Don't get me wrong, there's A LOT to love and, damn can KMM tell a story, but there was a little something missing for me. Maybe too much focus on the romance aspect. Or maybe too much effort (and words) devoted to new readers who hadn't read books 1 - 9? Maybe because we KNOW that this is Dani's HEA and are expecting it. 

I missed the tension of not knowing. I wanted to be shown less and dropped into the story world more, because there was a lot of real estate devoted to Dani's inner monologue. But, even so, the pages roared along at a nice speed, because, yeah, KMM can do amazing things with words. 

This was just a very different book than all the others in the series. I'd consider it a lot more Romance than Urban Fantasy. Not a lot of time is devoted to the big bad in the one, but things are neatly laid out for the next installment, and I can't wait to see what happens next. 

 

Rating: **** (4 stars, maybe 4.5 of those bright little fuckers.) 

I HIGHLY recommend this series, but don't start with HIGH VOLTAGE. Definitely start with DARKFEVER.

Darkfever (Fever #1)

by Karen Marie Moning

"My name is MacKayla, Mac for short. I'm a sidhe-seer, one who sees the Fae, a fact I accepted only recently and very reluctantly.

My philosophy is pretty simple - any day nobody's trying to kill me is a good day in my book. I haven't had many good days lately. Not since the walls between Man and Fae came down. But then, there's not a sidhe-seer alive who's had a good day since then."

When MacKayla's sister was murdered, she left a single clue to her death, a cryptic message on Mac's cell phone. Journeying to Ireland in search of answers, Mac is soon faced with an even greater challenge: staying alive long enough to master a power she had no idea she possessed - a gift that allows her to see beyond the world of man, into the dangerous realm of the Fae.

As Mac delves deeper into the mystery of her sister's death, her every move is shadowed by the dark, mysterious Jericho...while at the same time, the ruthless V'lane - an alpha Fae who makes sex an addiction for human women - closes in on her. As the boundary between worlds begins to crumble, Mac's true mission becomes clear: to find the elusive Sinsar Dubh before someone else claims the all-powerful Dark Book - because whoever gets to it first holds nothing less than complete control both worlds in their hands. 

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

THE HAZEL WOOD by Melissa Albert

The Hazel Wood (The Hazel Wood #1)

by Melissa Albert

Seventeen-year-old Alice and her mother have spent most of Alice’s life on the road, always a step ahead of the uncanny bad luck biting at their heels. But when Alice’s grandmother, the reclusive author of a cult-classic book of pitch-dark fairy tales, dies alone on her estate, the Hazel Wood, Alice learns how bad her luck can really get: her mother is stolen away―by a figure who claims to come from the Hinterland, the cruel supernatural world where her grandmother's stories are set. Alice's only lead is the message her mother left behind: “Stay away from the Hazel Wood.”

Alice has long steered clear of her grandmother’s cultish fans. But now she has no choice but to ally with classmate Ellery Finch, a Hinterland superfan who may have his own reasons for wanting to help her. To retrieve her mother, Alice must venture first to the Hazel Wood, then into the world where her grandmother's tales began―and where she might find out how her own story went so wrong. 

What I thought:

Loved this dark, twisty tale. So atmospheric and the language is stunning. Alice is, maybe, a little unlikable, but I liked her just fine. I loved the mother-daughter relationship here. Finch I was meh about, but I would follow Alice anywhere. 

The ending left me wanting more. A little more. I don't know. It's hard to put my finger on exactly how I'm feeling about it, or, more specifically, hard to put it into words without being all spoiler-y. And I don't spoil. But I'm so very much looking forward to The Tales of the Hinterland, and book 2. Highly recommend.

Rating: ***** (4.5 stars)

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