Centuries ago, against the will of the mages, the humans hunted and killed the Primordials.
All except one.
Now the creature has blighted the lands. It cast a spreading net of darkness over dozens of villages where now only demons can dwell. All of Arcathain is in danger unless the spread can be contained.
It’s up to the Shadow Crusade to slay the last Primordial, destroy the Shadowthorn, and return their homeland to the light of day.
And who better to carry the title of savior than the recently orphaned, vengeful, and reckless, Halira Devonshire?
Shadow Crusade is the first in a NA, gothic, epic fantasy series with badass demon huntresses, immortal creatures, epic world-building, and a budding romance. If you enjoyed books by Cassandra Clare, Jay Kristoff, Shannon Mayer, and KF Breene, then Shadow Crusade will keep you reading long into the night!
I was introduced to Jessaca Willis last year with her Reapers of Veltuur series and I absolutely fell in love with her dark style. So, as you could guess, I jumped at the chance to read this one. And it did not disappoint. There was just so much to love and just so many characters you couldn’t help but to love to hate.
So, like I said there are a lot of characters that you might not love so much, but… you know… still love. And that’s because these characters are beautifully morally grey and imperfectly perfect. Which you know I absolutely live for in books. And characters aside the plot is crazy so buckle up for some mysteries and twists and just a whole bunch of…. yeah, well, I’m not gonna actually tell you. So read it to find out.
But yeah, this was one heck of a read and I definitely might have found myself losing some sleep to binge it. So don’t start this one late at night if you aspire to go to sleep at some point in the night. But make sure you don’t miss out on this one! And also check out her other works while you’re at it.
About the Author
JESSACA WILLIS is a fantasy writer, with an inclination toward the dark, the horrifying, and the paranormal.
She studied social work for both her undergrad and graduate degrees, and incorporates themes from her education (family dynamics, mental health, oppression) into her writing.
Jessaca is a self-proclaimed nerd who loves to cosplay at conventions, play video games or read comics in her downtime, and to binge-watch the latest fantasy and sci-fi television series. Along with a bunch of other self-proclaimed nerds, she lives in Portland, Oregon with her partner and their human- and fur-babies.
Her debut series, The Awakened is an apocalyptic fantasy series about four people from across the world, trying to learn to live with their powers after society has collapsed.
Centuries after the Forgotten Wars ravaged the world and turned it to ash, the Houses of Pilar, Darakai, Boreal, and Bastiion forged an accord with the royal line of Thoarne, founding a Quadren of advisory to the throne of Orynthia. Every generation, a single Haidren from each of the four Houses is appointed to this coveted chair.
Upon her Ascension to adulthood, Luscia Tiergan takes her seat at court as al’Haidren to the House of Boreal and is quickly drawn into a maze of political traps and dark secrets. As she adjusts to her new life, Luscia uncovers a pattern of forgotten children, slain in the streets of Bastiion.
Raised on superstitious rumors about Boreal’s penchant for sorcery, Zaethan Kasim, al’Haidren to the House of Darakai, inevitably clashes with Lusica when she arrives in Bastiion. But when his position is threatened by an old rival, Zaethan is forced to set aside his hatred and form an uneasy alliance with the Boreali al’Haidren to secure his claim.
Following a disturbing stream of innocent bloodshed across Orynthia, Luscia and Zaethan discover their ideals are far more aligned than they might have imagined. But in a land of war and deceit, the path to peace should never be trusted.
Ok, for a while I was avoiding all court/political intrigue YA novels. Why? Because I over-read the heck out of them. BUT, I’m back and ready to devour this… genre?… again! I read a few last year and I’m thinking that this year my reading resolution needs to be to get these types of books back into rotation. And let me tell you, House of Bastiion was the PERFECT start to my 2021 reading resolution!
Now, you know I have to talk about it, but the worldbuilding in this books was just absolute perfection. I grew up on Tolkien and that of course led to my obsession with NEEDING to know everything about the worlds I’m reading about. So I appreciate how much we were expertly given so much information woven in with the story. And with a story with so much political intrigue you kind of need that worldbuilding for everything to make sense and fit together.
So yeah, in case you can’t tell: this book is good. And well worth the read. Like seriously, go read it. Binge it. Devour it. And take your mind off of all of the crazy things that seem to keep popping up.
About the Author
K.L. Kolarich is a debut New-Adult Fantasy Fiction author, based out of Nashville, TN. An individual plagued by sarcasm, conviction, and an ever-present distraction of fable and lore, K.L. Kolarich dreams in the day and writes through the night. With too many cats and not enough wine, Kolarich resides in the woods away from the noise, happily married.
A world of enchanted injustice needs a disenchanting woman in the newest fantasy series by the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Paper Magician.
The orphaned Elsie Camden learned as a girl that there were two kinds of wizards in the world: those who pay for the power to cast spells and those, like her, born with the ability to break them. But as an unlicensed magic user, her gift is a crime. Commissioned by an underground group known as the Cowls, Elsie uses her spellbreaking to push back against the aristocrats and help the common man. She always did love the tale of Robin Hood.
Elite magic user Bacchus Kelsey is one elusive spell away from his mastership when he catches Elsie breaking an enchantment. To protect her secret, Elsie strikes a bargain. She’ll help Bacchus fix unruly spells around his estate if he doesn’t turn her in. Working together, Elsie’s trust in—and fondness for—the handsome stranger grows. So does her trepidation about the rise in the murders of wizards and the theft of the spellbooks their bodies leave behind.
For a rogue spellbreaker like Elsie, there’s so much to learn about her powers, her family, the intriguing Bacchus, and the untold dangers shadowing every step of a journey she’s destined to complete. But will she uncover the mystery before it’s too late to save everything she loves?
You can purchaseSpellbreaker at the following Retailers:
Praise for Spellbreaker
“…romantic and electrifying…the fast-paced plot and fully realized world will have readers eager for the next installment. Fans of Victorian-influenced fantasy won’t want to put this down.” —Publishers Weekly
“Those who enjoy gentle romance, cozy mysteries, or Victorian fantasy will love this first half of a duology. The cliffhanger ending will keep readers breathless waiting for the second half.” —Library Journal (starred review)
“Powerful magic, indulgent Victoriana, and a slow-burn romance make this genre-bending romp utterly delightful.” —Kirkus Reviews
Review
What a magical and ethereal read! Plus, I mean I’m a sucker for fantasies set in the Victorian era. It always seems to add that extra little something to make the stories feel more fantastical. And this one is just a wild and fun ride filled with danger, twists and turns, and a great set of characters!
This book is just a pure delight. It’s a fantasy story without getting too bogged down with the fantasy elements. But there is still enough world building for the magic system to make sense and work with the story. Plus I loved the characters were such a delight! I just loved the relationships between them all and how much they really made me love them.
Holmberg has such a distinct way of writing and I look forward to continuing to see what she puts out next. Plus Spellbreaker is the first in a new duology so I at least have the second book to look forward to! And you know how much I love duologies! There’s just something so loveable about a series wrapped up into two well developed books. But anyways, I look forward to hearing what you guys think about this one as well!
About the Author
Photo Content from Charlie N. Holmberg
Charlie N. Holmberg is the award-winning author of the Numina series, The Fifth Doll, and many others. Her Wall Street Journal bestselling Paper Magician series, which includes The Paper Magician, The Glass Magician, and The Master Magician, has been optioned by the Walt Disney Company. Charlie’s stand-alone novel, Followed by Frost, was nominated for a 2016 RITA Award for Best Young Adult Romance. Born in Salt Lake City, Charlie was raised a Trekkie alongside three sisters, who also have boy names. She is a proud BYU alumna, plays the ukulele, owns too many pairs of glasses, and finally adopted a dog. She currently lives with her family in Utah. Visit her atwww.charlienholmberg.com.
When fate tears Estelle Verndari from an ordinary world, dreams become a sinister new reality. In Kiliac, different is dangerous. Different means magic, and magic is punishable by death.
Lost and alone in a forest of nightmares, Estelle is saved by Rose, a man with fire in his eyes and blood on his hands. But she must learn to survive this brutal new world if she ever hopes to make it home. As the forest becomes a sanctuary, Rose captures her heart, and Estelle discovers a secret magic in her soul—the ability to heal in a world full of ruin.
But an ancient power is calling her name. A tyrant king is drowning the forest in death, and taking up arms to defend it means giving up on finding her path home. If Estelle’s secret is uncovered, everything she’s grown to love will be destroyed.
Apparently night time reviews are my *thing* now. I think the shorter days have just completely thrown off my sense of time and being and I just keep losing my days. BUT ANYWAYS, this book deserves all of the love and then some. It’s just one of those books that takes you by surprise and makes you really fall for it. It has so many elements done so so well that it just all weaves together into an amazing story.
The friendships in this book is something special and the bond between these characters is really refreshing. This is a story more about these bonds than it is about a girl losing herself in love with a boy. And the character development is sublime and I wish more books had such growth in the characters. Plus this book gets dark. And you know that’s an instant win for me. I love me some dark and gritty themes because I always feel as if it makes the book more realistic in a sense.
This book is just such a joy to read and it’s incredibly fast paced. So grab your blankie and some hot cocoa, cuddle up, and be ready to be surprised by this delight of a book. And psssttttt, there’s animals for all my animal companion story lovers. You know that makes you want to read this even more *nudge, nudge, wink wink*!
About the Author
Clare Kae has always been a dreamer, finding her place in worlds and characters that seemed more real than what should have been expected. Though, when she’s not daydreaming about faraway worlds, she’s teaching primary school children in Australia.
Born and raised by a wonderful family, and lots of spotty dogs, Clare had innumerable opportunities to see the world and enjoy life the way she wanted to growing up – especially via endless amounts of tea and books. For that, she will be forever grateful. She now lives with her incredible fiance and two dogs – one spotty and one not.
When daydreaming became something more, and words flowed out of her head like rivers, Daughter of Dreams and Dread was born. Now an indie author, Clare is a newbie to the journey, but an excited soul to say the least.
For fans of Labyrinth, Sarah J. Maas, and Laini Taylor.
There are three rules to surviving the Fae—and I’m about to break every single one.
Rule #1. Never cross into Faerie.
When I’m chased across the enchanted border and caught by its sinister ruler of the sky, the pretty trickster with a clever tongue offers me a deal.
Rule #2: Never bargain with a Fae.
But I don’t have a choice. For thirteen days, I have to survive in his mountainous maze of crooked bridges, deceptive stairways, and devious inhabitants. Refuse, and my sisters will suffer as punishment.
Rule #3: Never fall for the enemy.
I should have known my sexy captor wouldn’t play fair. The deeper I plunge into this dangerous world of Solitary Fae, the more I’m entangled in their ruler’s seductive web of desire—and the forbidden temptations he offers.
The price of losing this wicked game is everything I love. But winning might just cost me my heart.
Step into the Dark Fables World, where defiant mortals and deceitful faeries clash. Kiss the Fae is the first book in Natalia Jaster’s romantic fantasy series, Vicious Faeries. If you like slow burns, enemies-to-lovers, angst with heart, and magical plot twists, get ready for a book hangover.
NA/new adult: sexual content and language. For mature readers 18+.
Happy day late book birthday to this beauty! I was going to post my review yesterday but I was hoping Insta hashtags would get turned back on today (I’m not bitter at allll), but I guess who knows when that will ever happen! BUT ANYWAYS, wow, this book! I mean, I expected a lot from it because it’s compared to some of my all time favorites and is steamy, but dang it still blew me away!
Where do I even begin with this review though? The fact that the pacing of the story was absolutely perfect? The chemistry between the characters? My absolute love of the characters? The fantasy and fae elements? All of the above? Yes, let’s go with all of the above! This book just literally had it all done and instead of feeling like a steaming pile of old leftovers it was expertly executed and amazingly crafted. So yeah, if you can’t tell I’m fangirling a little over this book.
There’s just something about fae and their wickedly tricky and cruel ways that gets to me. And a new adult book with fae in it just adds a whole other level that I desperately need more of. Plus I got my beloved enemies to lovers trope so I am a happy camper! But the book is just so well written, and honestly that trumps everything for me. Plus, have you seen that cover? I mean, *muah,* perfection!
About the Author
Natalia Jaster is a fantasy romance author who routinely swoons for the villain.
She lives in an enchanted forest, where she writes steamy New Adult tales about rakish jesters, immortal deities, and vicious fae. Wicked heroes are her weakness, and rebellious heroines are her best friends. She’s also a total fool for first-kiss scenes and fanfiction.
Her series include Foolish Kingdoms, Selfish Myths, and Vicious Faeries (set in The Dark Fables extended universe).
When she’s not writing, you’ll probably find her perched atop a castle tower, guzzling caramel apple tea, and counting the stars.
It only takes one moment to change your life forever…
After her mother’s deportation last year, all Soledad “Sol” Gutierrez wants is for her life to go back to normal. Everything’s changed―new apartment, new school, new family dynamic―and Sol desperately wants to fit in. When she joins her community college’s history club, it comes with an odd initiation process: break into Westray’s oldest house and steal . . . a fork?
There’s just one problem: while the owners of the house aren’t home, their grandson Ethan is, and when he catches Sol with her hand in the kitchen drawer, she barely escapes with the fork intact. This one chance encounter irrevocably alters her life, and Sol soon learns that sometimes fitting in isn’t as important as being yourself―even if that’s the hardest thing she’s ever had to do.
A very happy book birthday to this cutie! This book is just so needed right now. It’s refreshing yet so applicable to what many are going through today. I also love that it focused on a college aged student. I feel like a lot of the books that talk about deportation ignore this age group. And I mean, imagine dealing with this on TOP of the stress of going through college.
This is one of those books that definitely fall into that “day in the life” category. There isn’t necessarily that much that happens in the book, but for a story like this I think that makes it that much more impactful. We get a snapshot into the daily life of Sol for a short period time. See how she deals with everything thrown at her. And how, despite it all, life goes on. Plus Sol is just a wonderful character to read about. She’s got spunk and heart and I really enjoyed learning more about her.
This is a book about family and dealing with losing a key member of that family. Sol’s Mexican heritage and culture is also wonderfully interwoven throughout the story and added a lot of depth and meaning to the themes. And while there are some things I would have enjoyed seeing developed a bit more, this is a nice and short read that you can quickly devour while also gaining something from it.
About the Author
Shay Bravo is a Mexican born author who has now lived half of her life in the USA. She began sharing her work online through Wattpad when she was fifteen years old and has connected with over 114,000 followers. Historically Inaccurate won the 2019 Watty Awards and is her first novel. Shay currently resides in Houston, Texas.
Once upon a time, there was a princess with no notion of right and wrong, and a queen a thousand times more twisted.
In the realm of Tenebris, home to the unseelie folk, curses are served for breakfast with a side of betrayal.
Vlari was born a threat to Queen Morgana. She survived her wrath because she never stepped out of line.
Until one night. One man. One war.
Now that she’s unchained, Vlari’s consumed by a desire to drain the lives of all those around her. And yet her decisions shape the fate of the entire realm of the fae.
Sometimes the world needs a hero. In a land of shadows, it might just need a monster.
Ruled by Blood is a tale of magic, secrets, and schemes, perfect for fantasy readers who enjoy a dash of romance.
This version combines both parts: Wicked Court and Shadow Cursed.
Eeeee! The fae are back! I LOVE a good fae book and this one was such a great addition to those reads. Set in a typical cruel and wild world of creatures and nature, Ruled by Blood brings us a delightful cast of dreadful characters. And on top of that there is A LOT that happens in this book! So be prepared for a whirlwind of emotions!
Click the image to see my booksta post!
This book does take a little bit of time to get into. There’s just so much to wrap your head around and that mixed with the ethereal writing just takes a hot minute to get used to. BUT, once you do adjust hold on tight because wow was this a thrilling story! There is just so much for you to devour within. But I think my favorite part of this book were all of the different types of fae that we got to meet along the way.
Click the image to see my booksta post!
This duology bound in one is such an amazing read though. It’s been a little bit since I’ve read a new fae book so I was super happy to get back into the mix of these delightfully terrible creatures. There’s something just so comforting being surrounded by a cast of characters that are perfectly imperfect.
About the Author
May Sage is a USA Today Bestselling romance writer dabbling in different genres.
When she isn’t writing, she spends her time with her German Shepherd and her two Savannahs. She loves reading, ballet, running, and cake. Mostly, cake.
May Sage also writes longer fantasy romance novels as Alexi Blake.
A realm of monsters. A world of lies. She belongs to both.
My name is Emberly, and everything I’ve ever been told is a lie.
Monsters don’t exist. Wrong. The nightmarish spectrum world is just my imagination. Wrong. In a few months, I’ll finally be free. Wrong.
It takes being dragged to a secret training academy in the mountains to unravel the truth. My captors–an elite race of angel-born warriors called Nephilim.
The deadliest of them all is an arrogant shape shifter, Steel. He’s gorgeous, lethal, hot-headed . . . and convinced I’ll be the death of them all.
Maybe he’s right. As soon as I show up, the monsters that have haunted me my entire life breach the academy walls. My only hope of saving my new friends is learning how to control my powers, but when a stunning betrayal hurts someone I care about, I have an impossible choice.
Stay and fight for a place to belong . . . or decide once and for all that I’m better off alone.
Enter the spectrum world, a realm in-between worlds where shadow beasts draw blood, reality is a maze of twisted lights and sounds, and life goals are whittled down to just one: survive.
Fans of Jennifer L. Armentrout and Cassandra Clare will love this Crescent City meets Crave mash up!
So I’m writing this review SUPER sleep deprived because I just HAD to finish this book last night! Well, this morning! To say I was excited for this book is a bit of an understatement. I mean it was compared to two of my favorite authors, Cassandra Clare and Jennifer L. Armentrout! And, as you can see I obviously loved it since I chose to lose sleep because I couldn’t put it down.
Click the image to see my booksta post!
So what I loved about this book was just how unique it was! We have some creatures that we’re used to seeing but it is a brand new world! The spectrum realm is just so unique and I loved learning more about it along with Emberly. I also cannot wait to see how else it expands in the second book as we continue to learn more and more. Then there are the characters in this book, or maybe I just want to talk about our resident love-hate relationship between Steel and Emberly. PHEW! There was a LOT of steam between the two and I just adored the feistiness as they bantered back and forth.
Click the image to see my booksta post!
So, the one bad thing about this book is that I have to wait for the second one. Things went WILD at the end and I was just reading faster and faster all the while dreading that I was running out of pages. So yeah, I’m not ready to be done with these characters and I’m especially excited because we’re just on the cusp of having so many questions answered! So here I’ll be, twiddling my thumbs while I wait for book two.
Out of Context Quotes
So, as I was reading I kept highlighting (it’s a bad obsession) quotes. And after a while I realized that a LOT of these would be quite comical out of context, so I’m going to share my favorite ones with you:
Let me go, you overgrown turkey!
Julie Hall
Seriously, close your mouth, you look like a trout.
Julie Hall
If you don’t let me go I’m going to hunt you down and make sure you’re the centerpiece of my Thanksgiving meal!
Julie Hall
You want me to put what in where?
Julie Hall
I’m pretty sure Steel was walking funny for a full week after our fight. I look back on that week with fondness.
Julie Hall
A gargled cough comes from my left and I turn in time to watch mild dribble out of Greyson’s nose.
Julie Hall
Personally, I think it’s that sparkly vampire dude’s fault. That relationship was messed up.
Julie Hall
Shhhhh. Bring it down a notch, Cow Boy.
Julie Hall
Stop trying to regale her with your Twilight epiphanies. Nobody wants to hear them.
Julie Hall
Not only is he holding a feather, but he has some sort of magic orb or light ball wrapped in his coat.
Julie Hall
R.I.P. pink angora sweater. You were cute, and kept my books hidden from the Forsaken and most of Seraph Academy. Thank you for your service.
Julie Hall
Dude, there was this sparkly glitter bomb that flew through the air, peeing out sparkles or something. It was trippy.
Julie Hall
Wait, if you don’t have any . . . bits . . . then how do you go to the bathroom?
Julie Hall
Can you let go of my hair and my . . . Tinkle please.
Julie Hall
About the Author
Julie Hall is a USA Today bestselling, 11x award-winning author.
She writes YA paranormal / fantasy novels, loves doodles, and drinks Red Bull, but not necessarily in that order. Julie’s daughter says that her super power is sleeping all day and writing all night… and well, she wouldn’t be wrong.
Julie currently lives in Colorado with her four favorite people – her husband, daughter, and two fur babies.
“A perfectly woven tale rife with secrets, lies and seduction. Plenty of action with a perfect dose of snark. High Fantasy done the JLA way!” -Lily Alexander, author
A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire, the enthralling and epic second book in A Blood and Ash Series by New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout, is available now.
Is Love Stronger Than Vengeance?
A Betrayal…
Everything Poppy has ever believed in is a lie, including the man she was falling in love with. Thrust among those who see her as a symbol of a monstrous kingdom, she barely knows who she is without the veil of the Maiden. But what she does know is that nothing is as dangerous to her as him. The Dark One. The Prince of Atlantia. He wants her to fight him, and that’s one order she’s more than happy to obey. He may have taken her, but he will never have her.
A Choice….
Casteel Da’Neer is known by many names and many faces. His lies are as seductive as his touch. His truths as sensual as his bite. Poppy knows better than to trust him. He needs her alive, healthy, and whole to achieve his goals. But he’s the only way for her to get what she wants—to find her brother Ian and see for herself if he has become a soulless Ascended. Working with Casteel instead of against him presents its own risks. He still tempts her with every breath, offering up all she’s ever wanted. Casteel has plans for her. Ones that could expose her to unimaginable pleasure and unfathomable pain. Plans that will force her to look beyond everything she thought she knew about herself—about him. Plans that could bind their lives together in unexpected ways that neither kingdom is prepared for. And she’s far too reckless, too hungry, to resist the temptation.
A Secret…
But unrest has grown in Atlantia as they await the return of their Prince. Whispers of war have become stronger, and Poppy is at the very heart of it all. The King wants to use her to send a message. The Descenters want her dead. The wolven are growing more unpredictable. And as her abilities to feel pain and emotion begin to grow and strengthen, the Atlantians start to fear her. Dark secrets are at play, ones steeped in the blood-drenched sins of two kingdoms that would do anything to keep the truth hidden. But when the earth begins to shake, and the skies start to bleed, it may already be too late.
Chosen from birth to usher in a new era, Poppy’s life has never been her own. The life of the Maiden is solitary. Never to be touched. Never to be looked upon. Never to be spoken to. Never to experience pleasure. Waiting for the day of her Ascension, she would rather be with the guards, fighting back the evil that took her family, than preparing to be found worthy by the gods. But the choice has never been hers.
A Duty…
The entire kingdom’s future rests on Poppy’s shoulders, something she’s not even quite sure she wants for herself. Because a Maiden has a heart. And a soul. And longing. And when Hawke, a golden-eyed guard honor bound to ensure her Ascension, enters her life, destiny and duty become tangled with desire and need. He incites her anger, makes her question everything she believes in, and tempts her with the forbidden.
A Kingdom…
Forsaken by the gods and feared by mortals, a fallen kingdom is rising once more, determined to take back what they believe is theirs through violence and vengeance. And as the shadow of those cursed draws closer, the line between what is forbidden and what is right becomes blurred. Poppy is not only on the verge of losing her heart and being found unworthy by the gods, but also her life when every blood-soaked thread that holds her world together begins to unravel.
Haven’t I already written a review of this book? Yep, yes I have. But I’m still finding myself thinking about it non-stop so HERE I AM with ANOTHER review because I’m insane. But I also just want to brag about having it in paperback now as well. I mean, look at my baby up there all sleek and sexy and thicc. I know I’ve gone a little too far into the obsession realm with this book, but honestly that should just work as a bigger motivator for you to read it!
But anyways, enough of my obsessing and back to the nitty gritty. You know how some series the second book just seems like a filler or it’s just not quite as exciting? Well, A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire blew that stereotype out of the water and into outer space. I mean, as soon as I finished From Blood and Ash (review below) I thought nothing would touch or top that. But then I started, read ahead (bad habit), read back, reread, read ahead some more in fear, and then continued on and finished A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire and I couldn’t believe it when I realized that it was so much better than the first.
I think what made me love this one even better is that the characters were finally able to come into their own. There were no more veiled faces or personas, they were their brutally honest selves. Plus a few new characters that I instantly fell in love with. And then there was still action and some *smexy* scenes (prepare a fan for yourself) that just made this book wholly perfect. Well, actually, I take that back! It’s not perfect because I am now DYING and considering selling my soul for the third book.
#1 New York Times and #1 International Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Shepherdstown, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. She spends her time reading, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, hanging out with her husband and her Border Jack Apollo. In early 2015, Jennifer was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, a group of rare genetic disorders that involve a breakdown and death of cells in the retina, eventually resulting in loss of vision, among other complications. Due to this diagnosis, educating people on the varying degrees of blindness has become of passion of hers, right alongside writing, which she plans to do as long as she can.
Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Tor, HarperCollins Avon and William Morrow, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her Wicked Series has been optioned by PassionFlix. Jennifer has won numerous awards, including the 2013 Reviewers Choice Award for Wait for You, the 2015 Editor’s Pick for Fall With Me, and the 2014/2015 Moerser-Jugendbuch- Jury award for Obsidian. Her young adult romantic suspense novel DON’T LOOK BACK was a 2014 nominated Best in Young Adult Fiction by YALSA. Her adult romantic suspense novel TILL DEATH was an Amazon Editor’s Pick and iBook Book of the Month. Her young adult contemporary THE PROBLEM WITH FOREVER is a 2017 RITA Award Winner in Young Adult Fiction. She also writes Adult and New Adult contemporary and paranormal romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.
She is the owner of ApollyCon and The Origin Event, the successful annual events that features over a hundred bestselling authors in Young Adult, New Adult, and Adult Fiction, panels, parties, and more.
Suddenly, I thought of all those girlish fantasies I’d had before I learned who I was and what was expected of me—daydreams given life because of the love my parents had for one another.
Never once did those little-girl dreams include a proposal that wasn’t remotely an actual proposal. Nor did they incorporate it being announced at a table full of strangers, half of which wanted me dead. And those dreams surely hadn’t involved what had to be the kingdom’s worst—and possibly most insane—non-proposal of marriage to a man currently holding me captive.
Perhaps I had some sort of ailment of the brain. Maybe I was experiencing hallucinations brought on by stress. After all, there had been so much painful death to process. His betrayal to deal with. And I’d just learned I was descended from Atlantia, a kingdom I’d been raised to believe was the source of all the evil and tragedy in the land. Stress-induced hallucinations seemed a far more believable reason than what was actually happening.
All I could do was stare at the larger hand holding my much smaller one. His skin was slightly darker than mine as if kissed by the sun. Years of wielding a sword with deadly, graceful precision had left his palms callused.
He lifted my hand to an indecently well-formed and full mouth. To lips that were somehow soft yet unrelentingly firm. Lips that had spun beautiful words into the air and whispered heated, wicked promises against my bare skin. Lips that had paid homage to the many scars that riddled my body and face.
Lips that had also spoken blood-soaked lies.
Now, that mouth was pressed against the top of my hand in a gesture that I would’ve cherished for an eternity and thought exquisitely tender just days or weeks ago. Simple things like hand-holding or chaste kisses had been forbidden to me. As were being wanted or feeling desire. I had long since accepted that I would never experience those things.
Until him.
I lifted my gaze from our joined hands, from that mouth that was already curving up on one side, hinting at a dimple in the right cheek, and from the slowly parting lips that revealed just a hint of fatally sharp fangs.
His hair brushed the nape of his neck and toppled over his forehead, and the thick strands were such a deep shade of black, it often shone blue in the sunlight. With high and angular cheekbones, a straight nose, and a proud, carved jaw, he often reminded me of the large, graceful cave cat I had seen once in Queen Ileana’s palace as a child. Beautiful, but in the way all wild, dangerous predators were. My heart stammered as my eyes locked onto his, orbs a shade of stunning, cool amber.
Nevernight meets Reign of the Fallen in this dark saga where assassins wield not blades, but death itself.
When a mortal wants someone dead, they contract a Reaper of Veltuur, an individual born from the underrealm with fatal magic coursing through their veins.
Sinisa is one of them.
For three years, she’s slain her targets dutifully with the aid of her crow familiar. She only needs one more kill to ascend as a Shade, a coveted status of power. And when the King of Oakfall requests a Reaper to execute his daughter for an unforgivable crime, Sinisa is first to volunteer for the job.
It should be easy.
But when the Prince of Oakfall discovers his sister is in danger, he flees the palace with her. Sinisa is left with only two options: journey through the mortal realm to find and slay her mark, or face the consequences of returning to the underrealm empty-handed. It’s no choice at all. She has come too far and is too close to earning her title to let it be taken away from her now.
Besides, no one can outrun a Reaper of Veltuur.
Or can they…
Soul of the Crow is a dark high fantasy adventure with reapers/assassins, bandits, prophets, and enough death magic to keep the entire mortal realm quaking with fear. If you loved Throne of Glass, Dark Maji, King of Scars, The Shadows Between Us, or books by Jenna Moreci, Jay Kristoff, Kel Carpenter, and Laura Thalassa, you will devour this epic, gothic saga.
Come. Walk through the forest of the underrealm and discover what’s lurking there in the shadows.
Ok, I had to admit that this story took me a little while to get into, but once I did oh mamma was it good! I mean, I am the queen of all things doom and gloom and dark and dead. So when yo give me a book with reapers and crows and just such twisted elements you know I’m going to salivate and contemplate numerous was to sell my soul to get my hands on it. But yeah, melodramatics aside this book was everything I could hope for and then some!
So yeah, did I mention that this book has reapers? Because it does. And the creation of these reapers is so interesting. The world is so unique and in this world killing any creature means a life sentence of a reaper, continuing to bring death with just a touch. And then there are crows. Gah I love crows. The crows in this one are the trusty (welllll, as trusty as a crow can be) sidekicks of the reapers, and they have some pretty cool powers of their own. But I think most shockingly my favorite character was the Prince. Can’t say that I’ve ever related to a prince so much but as soon as I met his awkward anxious self I immediately wanted to coddle him because I get it.
But that’s really as much as I want to get into the story plot wise because I don’t want to accidentally spoil anything. Like I said before, this book took me a little bit to get into (and I mean literally about a chapter) because I just had to adjust to the writing style and should honestly probably stop picking up books and starting them at midnight, but it is SO worth sticking with it and devouring this amazing story! And, just a gentle PSA, there is a prequel story to this world and you best believe I’m off to skip away and read this next!
About the Author
JESSACA WILLIS is a fantasy writer, with an inclination toward the dark, the horrifying, and the paranormal.
She studied social work for both her undergrad and graduate degrees, and incorporates themes from her education (family dynamics, mental health, oppression) into her writing.
Jessaca is a self-proclaimed nerd who loves to cosplay at conventions, play video games or read comics in her downtime, and to binge-watch the latest fantasy and sci-fi television series. Along with a bunch of other self-proclaimed nerds, she lives in Portland, Oregon with her partner and their human- and fur-babies.
Her debut series, The Awakened is an apocalyptic fantasy series about four people from across the world, trying to learn to live with their powers after society has collapsed.
