Caroline Peckham & Susanne Valenti: Zodiac Academy - Ruthless Fae

This is the second book in the series and you need to read the first book in this series, Zodiac Academy: Awakening, before you read this book or even continue down to the review below.

Caroline Packham and Susanne Valenti, have the second instalment of the Zodiac Academy series, and the twins are going on the offensive:

Darcy and Tory have barely survived their time at Zodiac Academy and the celestial heirs think that they have the upper hand and that they have done enough to scare Darcy and Tory off. When the twins decide to stay, they decide to get revenge on the heirs, make their lives just a bit of living hell that they have made theirs.

The first book in this series had me hooked from the very beginning and I really wanted to like this one as much as the first, especially how the first book ended. However, for the most part the book felt like a filler book where not much of substance or really plot till towards the end. The ending is pretty compelling and there is some character development in the book and a few interesting developments but for the most part, nothing really happens in this book.

I don't think that the main guys are so stupid as to not think of Tory and Darcy messing with them. I mean i think that should be the first place where their minds go. It was silly prank after silly prank and other than maybe get some of their frustrations out on the guys, did this book really need to be written this way.

I did enjoy that there was a bit of character development for each of heirs and Orion, and you see the pressure that each of them are under and maybe what they show to the twins is not really who they are. I enjoyed getting to know them a bit more.

I love multiple POVs but like the first book there felt like there was a few too many in this book and not all of them are needed. This was my main complaint of the first book as well and I do not think that this is going to change in the future books.

Although this book did not live up to the first, I still feel invested in the characters and want to see what Packham and Valenti take this series, especially with the ending of this book. I just hope that in next book it does not just rely on the ending to keep the reader going.

Cheers!!!

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Sookh Kaur: Breaking Away

Sookh Kaur show the best way to get back at an ex, go after their NHL rival:

Kavi's Fiancé, Tyler, was just knocked to the ice by his rival Dmitri Lokhov and all Kavi wants to do is make sure that Tyler was okay. When Kavi finds out that Dmitri went after Tyler for comments that he made about her, she knows that she cannot stay with Tyler and breaks off their engagement. Kavie feels not only hurt by betrayed as well, and what better way to get back at him by fake dating his rival, Dmitri.

I really enjoyed this book it was super cute, and Kaur had me invested in her characters right away. Was there anything new about this story, did Kaur add anything to the genre? Other than Kavi being Punjabi (I have not read a hockey romance that had a female lead of color in general, but I have not read a lot of them, so that fact may just be me), No, but Kaur gets the story right in having a broody MMC and a FMC who is trying to better herself and not put up with her ex BS. There is some steaminess in the book as well, but I found it went well with the story Kaur was telling and fit what was occurring at the time and didn’t just come out of nowhere.

This one has quite a few tropes that I am sure those who love the sports romance genre will enjoy, as stated we have the broody MMC, touch her and die, ex-finance's rival, roommates and fake dating / miscommunication.

I'll be the first to admit that i love a broody MMC and Dmitri is all kinds of broody, but when Kavi makes him smile that is when you see the true him. For me personally I was all about Kavi in this story. Her struggles not only with her ex but her family as well, and them not being able to see her potential. I love that Kavi is looking to better her life after being told it is okay to just be on the sidelines. No one should ever be in the sidelines of their own story.

The miscommunication trope not my favourite, I just want people to be able to talk and I find in most books that employ this trope the miscommunication goes on for way way way too long that I end up not enjoying the book. However, it did not annoy me as much in this book as it has in others. I think this was due to their circumstances of their relationship and Dmitri wanting to respect Kavi and the major life choice that she made, choosing to put herself first.

I really enjoyed this book and my time with Kavi and Dmitri. I hope that Kaur decides to make this book a series and feature more players from the Vancouver team, I know i would read them.

Enjoy!!!

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Emilia Hart: Weyward

Emilia Hart, show the power of women who are considered Weyward:

Across the centuries there have always been Weyward women. Being Weyward was once accepted but when people do not understand something that not understanding turns to fear which turns to hatred. In 2019, Kate flees in the night from an abusive boyfriend, in 1619 Altha is in a dungeon awaiting trial for witchcraft and in 1942, Violet is trapped in a home, hidden away from the world as those around her wonder if she will go insane like her mother. Three different women, three different centuries with a story that is intertwined.

Wayward is a book that was talked about quite a bit in 2023 and I don’t know if I would have picked it up if a friend had not lent me a copy. I wasn’t sure if it was for me but man was I wrong. This book is Beautifully written and I found myself drawn to each woman in each century and although their stories are centuries apart, they are similar.  

Very much takes the stand that men are bad and the root of many problems women have faced throughout the centuries. Do I disagree with this fact? No but I wish there more to the story than that. The only redeeming male in the book at all is Graham, Violet’s brother and he is only featured briefly throughout the book, though I would argue he plays a major part and would have liked to have his POV at least once in the book. Within the other centuries there are no redeeming men at all.

I loved how the women interacted with nature, the bird the bugs, and in beautiful ways, not how witches are normally depicted with such understanding of nature. They are not the dark but the lights and should be loved and respected as much as other animals. 

Im a big fan of different timelines within a book and I felt that you get to know each century’s Weyward equally. This also helps show how men have really not evolved as much as one would like and how each man in the timeline blames the women for their actions against them.

I really enjoyed this book and so happy that I picked it up. Hart has crafted a beautiful story over multiple timelines and think that this book is worth the hype.

Enjoy!!!!

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Kelley Armstrong: Cold As Hell

In the third book of Kelley Armstrong’s Haven’s Rock series, all is not what it seems:

Blizzards are a natural occurrence when one lives in an isolated town in the middle of the Yukon. What is not common is Haven’s Rock is for a woman to be drugged during that blizzard and someone attempts to kidnap her. Even though the plan is thwarted Casey still needs to investigate where the drugs came from and who would was trying to drag her into the forest. The hunt is on for a dangerous person who uses the blizzards Mother Nature provides to their advantage.

The original series, Rockton, and this new spin off is one of the my favourites out there. I love that Armstrong is still inventive in her storylines and I each book does not repeat what has occurred before. Is there a bit of a formula sure, but Armstrong is always adding new factors to it.

Just when you think you know what is going on, it totally flips on you and i loved that about this book. I should know by now that Armstrong is more than likely going to surprise me and does she ever in this book. The hunt is on point and the sadistic nature of the perpetrator in this book is dark. This one is my favourite so far in the Haven Rock series so far.

The addition of Casey being pregnant in this book added a new dynamic not just to her relationship with Dalton but also her ability to investigate. One can only do so much with an 8-9month pregnancy especially in the wilderness in the winter.

I would be okay if Armstrong decided this was the last book in the Haven Rock series, but I dont hink that it will be. There are still some loose end and avenues for stories to come but I really enjoyed not only this book but Dalton and Casey’s story arc.

As long as Armstrong writes with series I will read it. I really enjoyed this addition to the series.

Enjoy!!!

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Callie Hart: Quicksilver

In the first in a new series, Callie Hart shows what happens when the Fae and an Alchemist meet:

Saeris Fane is used to fighting to survive, she has had to fight her entire life, even for the basics like a glass of water. Saeris wants to be the change for her land, she has secrets that need to be kept. In a moment, a choice Saeris’ life is going to change forever and those of her realm and other are going to change as well. Saeris’ didn’t know she was a key but when death comes to her door she does all she can to survive once again even at the hands of the Fae.

This is the first book that I have read by Hart and I really loved this book. I was really happy that this was more of a high fantasy book with some romance and a few actions scenes (but I would have loved more of these). I really enjoyed labyrinth and would have gladly had those scenes go on longer.

This is not a slow burn book, there is lust right from their first meeting and things progress rather quickly from there even though this book is over 600 pages. When the romance first started I questioned whether it was needed in the book or not but the farther I read in the book the more I liked having it there and how Hart developed their relationship.

Kingdisher’s powers are amazing and Saeris’ power over metal and a forge are comparable in their own way. I loved how Hart melded (pun intended) the somewhat mystical powers of the Fae with the more scientific idea of alchemy in this book. I thought that the idea of the  Quicksilver being sentient was an interesting approach and not something I have read before (albeit I have not read a lot of high fantasy)

High fantasy may be intimidating to some, as the world building may seem complex but it is quite simple the farther ones gets in this book. In the world that Saeris finds herself in is one of Fae vs vampires but there other realms out there that ai wonder if they will be explored later. There is also political aspects playing out in the background that I am really interested in, especially with that ending.

Do I really know Saeris and Kingfisher by the end of this book? Yes and No. This book was much more plot driven at times as Saeris and Kingfisher are forced from threat to threat but one thing they both share is a sense of loyalty to those around them. 

It is going to be very interesting to see where Hart takes this story and I will be happy to go along with the ride. Highly recommend if you are looking for a higher fantasy or Romantasy read.

Enjoy!!!!

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Jasmine Walt: Burned by Magic

In the first in a series, Jasmine Walt takes readers to a world ruled by Mages who only care about power:

Mages rules the city Solantha and shifters are considered second class citizen. Sunaya (Naya) is a panther shifter but also a mage, something that is considered illegal in Solantha. Naya works as an enforcer, but when her mentor is murdered, she wants nothing more than find who killed them. Unfortunately, her boss doesn’t see it that way and when Naya inadvertently uses magic and finds herself at the mercy of the Mage's council.

I'm always down for another Urban Fantasy series and one that features a shifter as a main character. This is the second book that I have read by Walt (but the first one was a duo author) and I really like the concept, world and plot ideas that Walt presented here, but I wish that the book would have been a bit longer to accommodate everything that Walt set out to do in this book. 

The book starts out really strong and I was invested in Sunaya (Naya) as a character and what she goes through, but then, what one would assume would be the major plot aspect of the book, goes by the wayside until the very end. Naya is given next to know time to investigate her mentor and friends death and when she is able to achieve time to investigate it, it all wrapped up and done so quickly that it is didn’t seem to really matter in the grand scheme of the book. The majority of the book was spent in a more political avenue of Iannis trying to figure out what to do with Naya.

I want to know more about the magic system and why it was put in place. Why do the mages control everything and everyone. I feel like Naya is right to question the system, and I want to know what led to the city being like this as it is hinted at that it is not like this everywhere.

Naya is an interesting character who has bounds of loyalty and I hope that her skills and abilities are explored more in future books. I never really felt like i got to know Naya, but the fact that she is a panther shifter is amazing.

This was a good start to a series and I will continue on reading it, I just hope that there is a little more substance to the mystery aspects in the plot and more about Naya.

Enjoy!!!

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