Title: Born of Blood and Shadows by Jamye Smith (The Heirs of Elysium Book 1)
Author: Jamye Smith
Genre: Romantic Fantasy
Tropes:
Morally Grey FMC/Anti-hero
He Falls First
Fae Bargains
Bonds
Elemental Magic
Political Intrigue
Shadow Daddy
Magic is dangerous. Bound magic is deadly.
Left vulnerable to relentless witch hunters, Ameris will go any length to unbind her magic. Even bargain with Xander, the dangerously attractive fae heir. Caught in a whirlwind of ambition and lust, Ameris agrees to save him in exchange for learning fae magic.
Allies are scarce. Trust is a luxury.
With the witch hunters closing in, Ameris and Xander enact a blood bond, transporting them to the fae kingdom of Elysium. In a world torn by ancient vendettas and ruled by the shadow king, Oberon, Ameris discovers her unbound magic may be key to the throne.
Unbound & used for her power.
Xander will use any tool in his quest to rule – including the sexual tension between them, magnified by their blood bond. Oberon will do whatever it takes to keep the throne and make Ameris his. And he’s not afraid to play dirty to win.
The throne is the prize. Lust is the game.
Captured by Oberon, Ameris is seduced by the very darkness she’s warned about. Torn between the intoxicating allure of Oberon’s shadow magic and her intense bond with Xander, Ameris is left with no choice:
A once-famous dancer faces a heartbreaking choice in this thrilling novel set in the cutthroat world of Russian ballet
‘Outside the rounded window of the plane, the lights of St Petersburg glimmer through the clouds… The city is utterly familiar and unknown at the same time; it is the face of someone you used to love…’
Prima ballerina Natalia Leonova was once celebrated across the world, her signature bravura in demand on stages from St Petersburg to Paris and New York. But at the peak of her career, a devastating accident forces her to retire.
Injured and alone, the ghosts of Natalia’s former life begin to resurface: her loving, but difficult mother, her impoverished childhood, the friendships destroyed by her single-minded ambition. Above all, she remembers the two gifted dancers, Dmitri and Alexander, who were responsible for her soaring highs, her darkest hours and, ultimately, her downfall.
When Dmitri resurfaces with a tantalising offer for Natalia to make a comeback in her signature role of Giselle, she must decide whether she should risk everything for the chance to dance again.
Painting a captivating portrait of a world in which ruthless determination, romantic desire and sublime artistry collide, CITY OF NIGHT BIRDS unveils the making of a dancer with profound intimacy and breathtaking scope.
Juhea Kim was born in South Korea, raised in Portland, Oregon and now lives in London. She is the author of the novel Beasts of a Little Land, (Oneworld 2021) which has sold over 20,000 copies. It won the Yasnaya Polyana Literary Award, Russia’s largest annual prize in literature, and was a finalist for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize. She received a BA in Art and Archaeology from Princeton University, and her writing has been published in Granta, The Times Literary Supplement, the Independent, Zyzzyva, Guernica and elsewhere. Ballet has been a passion all Juhea’s life. She studied ballet from the age of nine and took it up again while writing City of Night Birds.
My thoughts: This was so, so good. I was completely drawn into Natalia’s world, the rigidly controlled, intense world of Russian Ballet, the passions and jealousies, the complex and often messy relationships between the dancers and their art.
Looking back over her impoverished childhood, the strict training at the Mariinsky company and the heights of her career as a soloist at the Bolshoi and Paris ballet companies, Natalia (Natasha to her friends, in the Russian tradition), charts the friendships, rivalries and romances that she has never fully understood or emotionally dealt with, either on stage or off.
I am familiar with both St Petersburg and Moscow, as well as Paris, the locations Natalia lives and loves in. Her mother’s Soviet era crumbling apartment building, the opulence of the theatres where she performs, brought vividly to life through the incredible writing of Juhea Kim, detailed and compelling.
I am a huge ballet fan, and love books written about the art form – both fiction and non-fiction, but I think even someone with little or only a passing interest in dance would enjoy this for the very human emotions – set in juxtaposition to the rigidly enforced rules of Russian ballet. The characters are beautifully rendered, their claustrophobic world, where the only people they really see are other dancers, the quasi incestuous nature of their tangled relationships are just *chef’s kiss*
We’re only in January and already I know this is going to be a reading highlight of 2025 for me.
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.
We have a great book recommendation for you today! Shadowborn Sorceress by Mandi Oyster is now available and if you love fated mates, clean romance, and a strong FMC, you’re going to love this!
Shadowborn Sorceress: A New Adult Urban Fantasy Novel (Shadows of the Loess Hills Book 1)
Publication Date: October 25, 2024
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Tropes:
Chosen One, Fated Mates, Snarky Cat Familiar, Clean Romance, Hidden Magic, Good vs. Evil, Strong FMC
The past always comes back to haunt you.
On her eighteenth birthday—half-demon, half-sorceress—Molly Ravenwood, flees her cabal, leaving magic and abuse behind. She embraces a mundane life in Glenwood, Iowa, trading the arcane for serving lattes at Harvest Moon Coffee Shop. The only reminders of her past are the shadows that torment her and Schmendrick, her snarky immortal cat.
When Caelan, her former friend and guardian from the cabal, shows up with news that her mom has been kidnapped, Molly is dragged back into a world of magic and monsters.
As dark forces and old wounds resurface, Molly must confront her demons, literally and figuratively, to save her mother—and learn to accept herself—before it’s too late.
Welcome to the tour for Kay Clancy’s witchy fantasy, Spells & Spices! Read on for more info!
Spells & Spices
Publication Date: October 1, 2024
Genre: Urban Fantasy/ Witchy
Spells and rituals
Witches
Lots of food
Magiked cupcakes
Caribbean culture
Romance
Hold on to your broomsticks and get ready for a magically delicious ride in “Spells & Spices,” a tale brewed in a Caribbean cauldron!
Join Aditi Crawley, a spirited young witch of Caribbean descent, as she teams up with her crafty grandmother, an eclectic coven of six, and her trusted corgi familiar to unravel ancient secrets and face off against a dark evil threatening Raven’s Peak, Georgia.
Amid whispered hexes and magicked cupcakes, Aditi’s path entwines with Alexander, a mysterious celestial witch with secrets as potent as the strongest potion. Together, they brew up a slow-burn romance sparked by a shared desire to do what is right and an exploration of each other’s cultures through food. But watch out – danger lurks in the shadows, ready to cast a spell on their newfound love.
Get ready for a spellbinding adventure brimming with intrigue, laughter, self-discovery, and family bonds, all seasoned with Caribbean flavors. It’s a witchy delight that’ll leave you craving more magic and mystery!
Morwenna Mutton should be living the quiet life of a librarian and grandmother in Cornwall’s beautiful Seal Bay – if only dead bodies would stop turning up…
After the excitement of her last investigation, amateur sleuth Morwenna is looking forward to things getting back to normal. When local DJ Irina asks to meet however, desperate to share information she has discovered regarding nefarious goings-on, Morwenna can’t resist. But Irina never arrives for their drink – instead her body is washed up on the beach, an apparent victim of an accidental drowning. At once keen wild bather Morwenna knows something is amiss as Irina was a strong swimmer who knew the local conditions well. What had Irina uncovered and who would want her dead?
When the local news dubs Irina’s murderer The Cream Tea Killer in honour of Cornwall’s famous delicacy, the clock starts ticking. Now the murderer knows Morwenna is on their trail, no one in her family is safe. She must get to the truth before the killer gets to her…
If you love The Thursday Murder Club, Agatha Christie and Richard Coles then you’ll love The Morwenna Mutton mysteries.
Judy Leigh is the USA Today bestselling author of The Old Girls’ Network and Five French Hens and the doyenne of the ‘it’s never too late’ genre of women’s fiction. She has lived all over the UK from Liverpool to Cornwall, but currently resides in Somerset.
My thoughts: This is a really fun series set in a fictional village in one of my favourite parts of the country – Cornwall (don’t tell my Devonian relatives but I take my scones the Cornish way – jam first!)
Morwenna is up to her eyeballs in this case as a friend, local radio DJ Irina is found killed, hours after telling Morwenna she was onto something and needed her help. Morwenna’s reputation as an amateur sleuth and someone with her ear to the ground means that newly arrived DCI Blessed asks for her help to catch the killer. But what Morwenna uncovers goes much further than a single death.
Despite the heavy subject matter, the tone of this series is always light and there’s plenty of humour and Cornish-ness too. Morwenna’s granddaughter is still after a puppy and promises the practice the way of peace, rather than punching annoying bullies, in order to twist her family’s arms into getting one. Always very funny.
A gripping and entertaining read from first to last page, more please!
*I was kindly gifted a copy of this book in exchange for taking part in this blog tour, but all opinions remain my own.
We’re celebrating the ‘sinfully’ spicy release of Summer’s Seduction by C.L. Briar. You’re going to want to bump something on your TBR for this!
Summer’s Seduction: A Sinful Seasons Novel
Publication Date: December 31, 2024
Genre: Dark Romance/ Dark Fantasy Romance
Witches
Greek Gods
Vampires
Blud Play
Dark & Spicy
Mental Health
Morpheus couldn’t be trusted. He was the son of Hypnos, the god responsible for aiding Demeter, killing witches, and stealing my little sister. Morpheus had the rest of them fooled with his smug grin, sharp cheekbones, and golden eyes glinting with sex and privilege, but I saw through his cocky smirk.
Hades thought Morpheus would keep me in line, prevent me from making thing worse for The Underworld in this war, but neither of them realized just how far I was wiling to go to save my sister.
The first hint of her fear scented the air. A piece of me crumpled at the knowledge that I was the cause of it. I wished to the depths of my soul that this could’ve been different. In another life, another rebirth, perhaps we might’ve stood a chance.
Welcome to the tour for The Bloodgrove Apprentice by Nathan C. Ashford! From now through January 12th, e-Books are on sale for only $0.99 and paperbacks are $9.99!
The Bloodgrove Apprentice
Publication Date: August 27, 2024
Genre: YA Fantasy
Found Family
Friendships
Furry Friend (Cat)
Cozy Village Life
Violence & Revenge
Elemental and Mind-based Magic
Mentorship
YA Fantasy Coming-of-Age
In a shattered world where magic is forbidden, a war is brewing and only one thing is certain:
Blood. Will. Rain.
Brynna has lived her whole life in relative peace and isolation— until the Revenants, a malevolent cult wielding forbidden magic, annihilate everything she holds dear. Her life now burned to ash and her parents slain, Brynna narrowly evades the slaughter, fleeing into Bloodgrove Forest.
Friendly faces emerge within the village of Bloodgrove, including the local blacksmith, who gives Brynna an opportunity to make a new life as his apprentice.
But she can’t escape her fate so easily. Haunted by nightmares and tormented by the local ruffian, Brynna is growing increasingly restless and finding it difficult to cope with her need for revenge.
Brynna can’t run from evil forever. Will she and her newfound friends survive, or become victims of the Revenant’s bloody reign of terror?
Who want’s to see the gorgeous cover for the next book in the Even Ever After series by E.V. Sauvage? Pre-order Even Vampires Bleed today!
Even Vampires Bleed (The Even Ever After Series Book 2)
Expected Publication Date: March 28, 2025
Genre: Paranormal Fantasy
🦇She is a bat-shifter/he is a cockatoo
🦇Forced proximity
🦇One bed
🦇Who did this to you?
🦇Grumpy/sunshine
🦇Amnesia
🦇Female rage
They have deceived the humans, led them to believe they’re archangels, ruling over the world for far too long.
But the bird shifters have nothing angelic or good.
They maim, they torture, they kill.
When they don’t toy with people’s brains…
That’s what happened to my father. That’s what happened to my other half, Léandre.
I found the first, his skull open on an operation table, after he was taken prisoner, and the second still has a chip in his brain, ready to blow up his mind.
My world is one thread away from unraveling.
But I won’t let them win.
My name is Cassiopé. I’m a bat-shifter, a vampire, as humans like to call us, and those birds are going to pay for what they’ve done to the men I love.
We’re thrilled to present the cover for upcoming release, In the Name of Honor by Courtney Collins & Clark Collins!
In the Name of Honor (Vows & Valor Book 1)
Expected Publication Date: January 27, 2025
Genre: Adult Fantasy w/ Romance
What would you risk to save someone you loved from a fate worse than death?
A half-elven princess, grieving the loss of one father and fearing for the other.
A loyal guardsman, torn between his oath to the king and her safety.
And a creature so bent on revenge, he’ll make the world kneel to hurt them all.
Of all the messages Dimitar’s carried, he now delivers the worst of all: vile Corrupted creatures have returned and murdered the king’s best friend. The king leaves to seek retribution, and gives Dimitar an order he doesn’t expect: guard the princess, Kaleela. When Corruptors then kidnap her father, she insists on rescuing him. Dimitar must break his vow to keep her safe in the kingdom, and together infiltrate the enemy’s lair… unless the Corrupted capture Kaleela first.
Fans of epic fantasy with romance will fall into this character-driven world and thrilling new adventure, where a rescue mission turns into a chase, and only the princess or the king can be saved.
We’re celebrating the upcoming release of Angel of Earth & Bone by Tory Guyon. A definite must read for 2025!
Angel of Earth & Bone (The Book of the Watchers Vol II)
Expected Publication Date: January 16, 2025
Genre: YA/NA Urban Fantasy Romance
Enemies-to-Lovers
Forbidden Love
Second Chance Romance
Warring realms
Dagger to the Throat
Morally Gray MMC
Found Family
Mental Health Rep
Magical Creatures
“We shouldn’t be doing this”
Dungeon Runs
Backpacking Culture
Six weeks isn’t long enough to heal a broken heart. Not for River Harlow, who lost her best friend, Javi; her mentor, Olivia; her lover, Ryder—her entire life—in what feels like the blink of an eye. Yet, as the new Angel of Water and with a bounty on her head placed by the conniving enemy realm, the only thing left to do is try to move on.
To take back her life, River stands against Chet, the horrific guy-turned-wolf who assaulted her at a bonfire. But when she tries to testify against him at the werewolf tribunal, she—and her remaining friends—realizes he has not only slithered into the welcome arms of the enemy, but the enemy is very much among them. It won’t be too long before their army of demons infiltrates Mortal Earth and destroys everything she loves.
Finding the three other elemental archangels, the Watchers, might be her only hope of saving the realm. On a dangerous search abroad to find the Angel of Earth, her strength, hope, and heart are tested in the deceitfully glittering realm of the Huldufólk. The Queen of the Elves strikes a bargain with River to take her to the Angel of Earth, but elves always demand payment for their magic, and River owes her dues—in bones and blood.
Angel of Earth & Bone is the second volume in The Book of the Watchers, an upper YA/NA urban fantasy romance series about the secret heiress to a powerful archangel and the half-angel demon hunter sent to destroy her.
ramblingmads 