“She was the endless darkness between life and death. Bitter, and consuming. A poison I couldn’t stop drinking, and a cold lake I wanted to drown in. Their souls were one, but Isolde had taken everything Evlyn’s life had to give and sharpened it into power.”
Isolde:
Being pulled from the wreckage of an elven ship by bloodthirsty sirens, I was now surrounded by an entirely different set of creatures with claws and teeth. Achelous, the Father of Sirens and son to the blood mage Medea shines a light on Caspian’s hunt for the mythical blade, the God Killer. His finned daughters are nothing like how I had imagined them, they’re worse, and they are weary of my foul magic. Achelous is reluctant to join the war on the continent, but when the siren’s home is attacked by the Elf King, he’s Helbent on revenge.
Everyday the darkness grows louder and more corporal, and I swear that I can feel its frigid breath on my neck when it whispers its sweet promises of power and revenge. After traveling with Cadmael, the messenger god who followed me overboard and onto the Elven ship, and the siren Thelxi to the City of Souls, we find out that Silas’ depravity knows no bounds.
If we usurp the treacherous Queen Athalia, who will sit on the Arramorian throne? Who will be the voice of humans, in a war wielded by villainous gods and wicked creatures?
Death:
Watching Isolde die the first time was painful, and every other time was like ripping my heart in two. She now knew that I had taken her first life in a twisted deal with the darkness, but what she didn’t know was the depth of her attachment’s powers. This ancient, unfathomable being is manipulating her in front of my eyes and all I can do is plead with her to push it away. To not take the deal I did.
The greatest fear of a creature who’s claimed power is that someone more cunning and vicious will steal it from him, and Isolde just might be that creature, but she still doesn’t know the whole truth. Her world with Caspian is a lie, and the truth might not set her free.
Embark on a journey to the enigmatic realm of Dohva, where elemental magic reigns supreme and ancient secrets lie buried beneath the mountains.
In the isolated land of Dohva, where souls are trapped in an endless cycle of rebirth by an ancient elemental sphere, a malevolent force wields the forbidden dark magic of the demon prince Agthod.
Avala, a rebellious air sorceress haunted by the loss of her closest friend, is driven to unravel the mysteries that have long plagued her world. She finds unlikely allies with three anti-heroes, a colourful and diverse cast who each struggle with their own demons and desires for redemption.
But as the shadows deepen and the threat grows, Avala and her newfound companions must set aside their differences and forge an uneasy bond. But can they confront this powerful enemy force that threatens to consume their world and change their destiny forever?
Dohva: The Land Within by Sophie Haeder is available from all good bookstores
Giveaway – Head over to Instagram to enter a giveaway. Like my post and follow author Sophie Haeder to enter. You could win a paperback copy of the book. Two winners. Open to Instagram accounts (no giveaway accounts) in the UK, US and Canada. Winners will be selected by the publisher who will also send out the books. I am not responsible for the prizes. Ends 30th November.
My thoughts: Meet a disparate group of protagonists, who must come together to end the darkness and save their world.
For thousands of years ago a powerful wizard sacrificed his life to protect the land of Dohva by creating a great bubble around it, leaving the countries floating as islands in the sky. Every decade lives are given to maintain this protection, but should that come to an end? People live new lives beyond death, reincarnated, struggling with their memories.
When darkness descends and the monsters arise to take over, our heroes must do all they can. Handily they have a dragon.
Adventurous, intelligent, and gripping fantasy writing, packing an awful lot into one slim book. I loved the characters who often felt conflicted and, therefore, more real, the complex nature of the world they live in, and the two very different magic systems. I’d really like a sequel looking at the impact of their actions and the changes it brings when they rejoin the world beyond Dohva.
*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 release of In the Wake of the Wicked by V.B. Lacey. This gorgeous dark fantasy is the first book in a series of interconnected fantasy standalones, and perfect for fans of Wicked, The Serpent and the Wings of Night, and The Hunger Games
In the Wake of the Wicked (A Veridian Empire Novel)
Publication Date: November 14, 2024
Genre: Dark Fantasy/ No Spice Romance
Wicked meets the Hunger Games
Dark fantasy standalone
Deadly trials
Found family
Reluctant allies to lovers
No spice romance
Masquerade ball
Witty banter
Unique magic system
Political intrigue
Shifters
One horse trope
Morally grey FMC
Dark-haired, broody MMC
Curses
Wound tending
Cave scene
He has a tail
Wherever she goes, darkness follows.
An orphan with a tragic past and a penchant for wicked deeds, Rose Wolff has never been accepted by her people. She’s learned to live in the darkness, content with her Alchemy magic and her quiet apothecary.
When a terrible curse sweeping the land forces her to enter the Decemvirate, a magical tournament among the strongest of the empire, Rose is pulled from the shadows and thrown into a world of power games, deadly trials, and entanglements with a handsome, mysterious rebel.
With divisions in the empire worsening, there may be more at stake than becoming the champion. Secrets about her magic and encounters with the all-powerful emperor make Rose question everything, leading her down a path she may never come back from.
All magic has a price, and Rose must choose: truth, love, or power?
In the Wake of the Wicked is the first book in a series of interconnected fantasy standalones. This story follows a young woman who finds herself caught up in the glory of magic and unexpected love during a time of hardship and divisions among her empire. Perfect for lovers of Wicked, The Serpent and the Wings of Night, and The Hunger Games, this book is full of deadly trials, morally grey characters, mythical creatures and shifters, unique magic, witty banter, and no spice romance that will have you swooning.
Braving Storms is now available and that completes Angela van Liempt’s supernatural fantasy series, The Atlas Cliffs Series! All three books are available on Kindle Unlimited too, so it’s time to binge!
Braving Storms (The Atlas Cliffs Series, Book 3)
Publication Date: September 12, 2024
Genre: YA/NA Supernatural Fantasy
TROPES:
Found family, second chance love, friends to lovers, slow-burn romance, sidekick friendships both alive and dead with witty banter, ghosts with unfinished business, green-flag MMC, strong FMC, hidden witchy magic, self-discovery, murder mystery, paranormal romance
A hurricane, visions, and vengeance. When she receives an eerie message from beyond the grave, can this new witch survive the coming tempest?
Atlas Cliffs, Maine. Drew Harlow’s soul vibrates with creativity. Home from college and ready for surfing, bonfires, and romance with her love, the talented mystic’s magic flows through her paintbrush, unexpectedly bringing the Neptune Point lighthouse into vivid life. But after her struggles leave the art unfinished, she’s startled by the appearance of a ghost whose cryptic warning leaves her canvas dripping red.
Unsettled by her inability to decipher the unnerving symbol, Drew focuses her attention on helping the spirit of a feisty young woman who has no idea she’s dead. Though when she uses her gifts to show the ghost the truth, she’s horrified to discover the unfortunate deceased was a victim of an all-too-familiar killer behind bars.
As ominous clouds and a foreboding raven loom, can she unravel the puzzle before she’s the next to cross over?
Braving Storms is the intense third book in the Atlas Cliffs new adult supernatural mystery series. If you like relatable characters, slow-burn love interests, and dark intrigue, you’ll adore Angela van Liempt’s haunting page-turner.
The Atlas Cliffs series is a completed upper young adult to new adult, supernatural fantasy trilogy. These books are for readers who loved the soul mate vibes of shows like Vampire Diaries, but with witchy magic and ghosts, found family, and a strong FMC who must learn to trust after betrayal. If you adore the trope where the love interest calms her inner storm, you will discover a second chance, friends-to-lovers slow-burn romance woven within the pages, starting with Wandering Souls, gaining momentum in Seeking Haven, and ending with an emotional conclusion in Braving Storms.
Happy release day to author Emberly Ash, and congratulations on the release of the final installment in the Secrets of the Faerie Crown series, Queen of Blood and Vengeance! Visit our Instagram page for a chance to win the entire series!
Queen of Blood and Vengeance (Secrets of the Faerie Crown, Book 4)
Publication Date: November 14, 2024
Genre: Fantasy Romance
✨️ Chosen one heroine
✨️ Touch her and diê
✨️ Found family
✨️ Lots of spice
✨️ Plus size heroine
✨️ Wolf-shifter
✨️ Fated mates
✨️ Grail quest
✨️ Arthurian retelling
The heart-stopping final installment in the Secrets of the Faerie Crown series!
What do I want?
Once, I thought it an easy question. Blood. Vengeance.
But with every beat of my heart, the truth becomes more painfully clear.
I want to live.
The promises of prophecy press in on Veyka Pendragon from every direction. An ancient darkness. A lost queen. A heartbreaking sacrifice. To save her kingdom, she will fulfill them all. She will not falter.
But there are secrets still to be unraveled. Where is the Ethereal Queen? How will they join their power to finally banish the succubus? Those questions are easier than the ones Veyka must answer on her own. For saving her kingdom means leaving behind her mate.
Arran Earthborn has dedicated his life to protecting Annwyn. But the Brutal Prince who arrived in Baylaur is not the one now standing at the head of a vast fae army. When an enemy offers a final chance, three weapons forged in the depths of Avalon itself, Arran does not hesitate.
He will rule with Veyka at his side, or he will destroy this realm… and every other.
Every story must end.
But I will not go down without a fight.
The Secrets of the Faerie Crown series is a twisted mythology retelling of the Arthur legend. It is a high-steam fantasy romance with dark elements.
We’re touring the newly released book, A Diamond Bright and Broken by Holly Davis this week! This YA epic fantasy has all kinds of representation and a beautiful, unique plot! Not to mention, exciting!
A Diamond Bright and Broken (The Gifted Mage)
Publication Date: November 5, 2024
Genre: YA Epic Fantasy
Tangled Retelling w/ FMC as Flynn Ryder Character
Ride or Die Sisters
Wheelchair Rep
LGBTQ+ Rep
Family Secrets
Biracial FMCs
Mages w/ Unique Magic
Discover the founder of Diversity is Lit Bookclub’s debut where one girl’s magical power is both a gift and a curse.
Sixteen-year-old Cadence was born with the ability to cry tears of diamonds–a secret talent her parents have abused to climb the royal ranks thanks to the infinite source of wealth. At their command, she cries diamonds to pay for the pricey treatments for her sister’s neuromuscular disorder. Regardless of the pain, she’ll do anything for her sister, who weakens by the day.
When the prince heckles Cadence at the King’s Summer Solstice Ball about her sister’s disability while dancing in the ballroom, she’s left on the verge of tears, threatening to expose her power. She is saved by a mysteriously charming girl who sweeps in to take the next dance—and the single diamond Cadence cried. The stranger reveals the Magi Queen sent her to tell Cadence that she’s a mage, and that her power is a curse.
Yearning to discover the secrets behind her powers, Cadence sets off for the City of Magi. To claim the life she wants, Cadence must embrace her power—before she loses the bright spots in her otherwise sad existence. After all, even diamonds can shatter.
✨️Love That Transcends Time ✨️World Ending Prophecies ✨️Good v. Evil ✨️Angels & Demons ✨️Fated Mates ✨️Morally Grey Shadow Daddy ✨️Secrets & Lies ✨️Unique Magic System ✨️Hidden Identity/Hidden Powers ✨️Fictional Men with Wide Wingspans
What if the cost was your life?
Rebecca escaped her fate, only to find herself in her enemy’s grasp. When an unlikely ally comes to her aid, she must decide if she can trust the very creature she’s been trained to kill.
With her coven missing and Simon presumed dead, Rebecca is forced to put her faith in the hands of a demon. But while some bonds grow deeper, others may be torn apart as new truths are uncovered. The knowledge that she alone may be the key to saving humanity is her only motivation when all else seems lost.
The future looks bleak, but the demon bent on keeping her safe might just be what she needs to defy the odds. Will their unlikely bond be the key to saving them all or will it be humanity’s downfall?
When lies become truths and two kingdoms head to a bloody war, a man is exiled for his conscience
Refusing the queen’s order to gas a crowd of protesters, Minister Shea Ashcroft is banished to the border to oversee the construction of the biggest defensive tower in history. However, the use of advanced technology taken from refugees makes the tower volatile and dangerous, becoming a threat to local interests. Shea has no choice but to fight the local hierarchy to ensure the construction succeeds-and to reclaim his own life. Surviving an assassination attempt, Shea confronts his inner demons, encounters an ancient legend, and discovers a portal to a dead world–all while struggling to stay true to his own principles and maintain his sanity. Fighting memories and hallucinations, he starts to question everything…
Sleeping Worlds Have No Memory is a thought-provoking meditation on the fragility of the human condition, our beliefs, the manipulation of propaganda for political gains, and our ability to distinguish the real from the unreal and our willingness to accept convenient “truths.” The novel is a compelling exploration of memory, its fragile nature, and its profound impact on our perception of identity, relationships, and facts themselves.
“Eloquent, moody, poetic. . . masterful.”–Beth Cato (author of A Thousand Recipes for Revenge)
A note from the author: “A major theme of the book is how disinformation and propaganda can be used to justify violence, and how ignoring evil can lead people to accept atrocities. I was able to witness all this first-hand, having spent the first 21 years of my life in Russia and absorbing the recent events unfiltered and in my native tongue. Sleeping worlds are not only devoid of memories; they are also oblivious to the pain of others.”
A unique blend of science fiction, fantasy and noir, with zeitgeist and prophetic qualities (the original novella anticipated the Russo-Ukrainian War), this is a must for fans of China Miéeacute;ville’s Bas-Lag series, Ted Chiang’s Tower of Babylon, and Robert Silverberg’s Tower of Glass.
About the Author
Yaroslav Barsukov, an author with a unique background in physics and software engineering, has emerged as a distinctive voice in the realm of speculative fiction. Born in Cold War-era Moscow and educated at the Moscow Engineering Physics Institute and Austria’s Vienna University of Technology, Barsukov initially pursued a career in software engineering. His entry into the literary world was serendipitous, stemming from his involvement in game development where he translated a companion tale to a game’s mythology. This experience marked the beginning of his journey as a writer, and he started crafting short stories in English around 2014.
Barsukov’s work is celebrated for its innovative blend of fantasy and science fiction elements, diverging from the traditional hard-science SF model. His acclaimed novella “Tower of Mud and Straw” was shortlisted for the Nebula Award and received a Kirkus Star, demonstrating his prowess in weaving narratives that explore the human condition through a speculative lens. His stories, characterized by high-fantasy filigree and physics reminiscent of alchemy, have appeared in renowned publications such as Galaxy’s Edge, Nature: Futures, and StarShipSofa. Barsukov’s literary influences span from Russian maestros like Leo Tolstoy to American science fiction authors, shaping his unique storytelling style that transcends genre boundaries.
My thoughts: This was a really interesting book, with a complex plot and full of thought provoking ideas about propaganda, doubles and reality.
A minister in the government, Shea Ashdown refuses to gas protestors and as punishment is sent to the border where the local Duke is building a giant defensive tower. The tower is ridiculously tall and has been built using poorly understood technology from a minority group – who don’t even really understand it themselves. These strange devices have a bad habit of exploding, killing everyone around them. Shea has seen their terrible impact himself, in an incident that killed his sister.
His attempts to stop this alien technology from being used lead to his arrest as a traitor. But he also uncovers the truth about the devices, the strange Mimic Tower, and after crossing the border, the neighbouring country is also building a tower. Once he learns the truth, he must do everything to destroy the tower there too.
Both sides are convinced that these towers would will somehow bring about peace, after a period of war, but Shea knows that this is untrue. Meeting a mysterious woman called Cara, who tells him that her people, refugees in this world, have manipulated reality and nothing he believes is true.
Fascinating, a little puzzling, but compelling, this is an intriguing and intelligent book from a new-to-me author.
*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 release of this beautiful witchy book by L.A. Brown! Read on for more details!
Autumn Death (Bird Girl Witches Book 1)
Publication Date: November 13, 2024
Genre: YA Dark Fantasy/ Witches
Tropes:
The Supernatural, The Outsider, First Love, Love is the Answer, Coming of Age, Ancient Secrets, Backing into Darkness, Body Switching, Dark Family Secrets, Crime in the Family, Found Family, Fated Mates, Forbidden Love, Creepy Settings, A Foreboding Atmosphere, Mysterious Things are Happening, Magical Secrets, Fantastical Creatures, Magical Systems, Training Sequences, Powerful Artifacts, High Stakes, Happy Ending, Hereditary Witches, Hauntings
In book one of the Bird Girl Witches series, the mystical realm of The Korvids is being terrorized by a dark force, and a young, psychic girl may be the only one who can stop it.
Arabel Spade is just 17 years old, but holds the gift of extraordinary supernatural abilities. When a series of brutal murders rock her hometown, she is determined to use her powers to solve the crimes and protect her people.
But tracking the killer puts her on a collision course with the sinister Dorojenja – evil sorcerers intent on putting an end to her investigation, if not her life. As the bodies pile up, Arabel must navigate a web of secrets, betray her cold-hearted grandmother’s wishes, and forge alliances with mysterious magical factions like the Travelers.
Join Arabel’s epic journey of magic, danger, and self-discovery, as she battles for the ultimate fate of The Korvids.Join Arabel’s epic journey of magic, danger, and self-discovery, as she battles for the ultimate fate of The Korvids.
Three murders which happen off-page, but the bodies are found on the page. These murders are not described in detail, but it is mentioned that the bodies are naked and posed in a sacrificial manner. There is also a murder by drowning, body possession, and a murder by a vicious Death Ribbon spell. There are also ghostly attacks on our heroine and a kidnapping. There is a lot of romantic desire, but no sexual activity outside of kissing.
Purple must be the color for books coming out in 2025 and we are here for out! Masquerade of Bones comes out on February 25, 2025 and it’s not just a pretty face– Check out this blurb!
Masquerade of Bones
Expected Publication Date: February 25, 2025 (Print, ebook and audio)
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Tropes:
Enemies to lovers, villain gets the girl, shadow daddy, heists, royalty, found family, quest, only one bed/horse/tent, magic, outlaws, dragons.
Vibes:
Six of Crows (but make it spicy) x Beneath Black Sails (but wild west outlaws instead of pirates)
A Blood Oath ~ A Botched Heist ~ A Dangerous Deal with the Enemy
Everly Thorn knew she was doomed when she came down with witch fever. She’s spent the last ten years hiding her symptoms and will do anything to keep her cursed gift a secret for fear of being conscripted into the military and used as a weapon to hunt others like her.
Reeling from the death of her parents and a broken betrothal, she’s racked up a fortune in gambling debts. Her job at the Menagerie of Magical Beasts doesn’t pay enough to keep the collectors from threatening to take her home—the only thing she and her brother have left.
Silas Drake is an infamous outlaw in need of a witch with a unique set of skills and exactly the kind of man Everly has vowed to stay away from—tall, dark, and deadly. He’s determined to steal a powerful dragon relic being held in the Menagerie’s vault.
When he discovers Everly’s secret, the ruthless shadow summoner presents her with an impossible choice—swear a blood oath to him and help his crew steal the relic in exchange for paying off her debts, or be handed over to the crown.
Everly, however, is done with men who want to control her and refuses to accept her fate without a fight.
Content Warning: graphic violence, blood and gore, public executions by hanging, injury and death on page, named character death on page, alcohol and drug use, drugging of others, bondage, military conscription, hazing, explicit language, explicit sex, public sex, use of magic during sex, chronic illness and references to mental illness.
