Audio Book Review: Fear the Flames by Olivia Rose Darling

Fear the Flames by Olivia Rose Darling
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book. I really liked the character Elowen. She's not your traditional princess. She's broken, crafty, and she sees things with a wider mind. When she's faced with how things happen and not shared, she sees how it fits and why. She still reacts but it's reasonable and not just overreacting.

Oh Elowen's first birthday she's gifted dragon eggs, and a seers vision of her with the dragons. She grows up with her dragons, and loves them as family. But, there comes a time when her father, the king, sees they are a problem. They are locked away and eventually her too.

The book starts years later, after she's been broken out of the prison and grown. Elowen is kind of a female Robin Hood to her small hidden town. She's a little bit of a spy, fighter, and thief. All rolled into one and I like this blend.

I love how she met Cayden the first time. Cayden would like her help, to side with the kingdom he's a commander for and fight against her father. He'll help her get her dragons back.

This book has many pieces I like. There's growing trust, betrayal, fighting, and more. I love how Elowen handles it all. She seems to have a mind about her to view it all with an open mind.

This book left me wanting the next book. I love the characters and want to see how things ended here and where they'll go in the next book. I'm waiting for the library audiobook loan to come through.

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Audio Book Review: The Fallen and the Kiss of Dusk by Carissa Broadbent

The Fallen & the Kiss of Dusk by Carissa Broadbent
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I like the way Carissa writes her books with levels to work through. She did that in each book in different ways. This book has levels to work through in it's own way. She works emotions and feelings into her words.

This book picks up exactly where the previous one ends. Mische is in the Underworld, as a soul after her passing with the end of the last book.

I'm surprised who appears to help Mische along the path she still has to travel. Her guide along the way is Vincent. Mische will need to climb back up, out of the underworld to help Asar. She's a soul that will have a form when she rises, but souls are to return to where they are from in time. So there's a lot to accomplish and maybe find a way to stay in the world of the living.

I wanted to be in Asar's head in the previous book. I get that HERE! We get to see through Asar's eyes in this book as well.

Asar can't forget the vision of what the other gods did at the end of the previous book. He feels the pain. He feels her.

There's something they need to do. Find pieces that could lead them through different places they've been and back to friends. Where they see how much the world is in trouble from what happened and what's happening to the Underworld.

This is a romance read. There's reconnecting and figuring new ways to be together.

The Epilogue leaves us ready for the next duo that we'll read about. And there's a huge change in the world.

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Audio Book Review: The Woman in the Cabin by Becca Day

The Woman in the Cabin by Becca Day
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is a suspense read set in the real world.

The story starts at a turning point in Mary's life. She's lived with Cal for 10 years and she's feeling the isolation and see's he's noticing she's starting to get wrinkles. We see how the routine day goes for them. And there are read flags.

As you can guess, things are not as they seem. Things start to unfold as the story goes and Mary finds journals of another woman.

I don't want to give the story away. Mary is one strong lady. She's creative as well. There's a lot that she will go through. Her strength will push through it all.

We do get a full closure in the end of the book to what happens in everyone's lives. There is abuse in this story, but also about overcoming it.

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Audio Book Review: The Tree of Azathoth by C.T. Phipps

The Tree of Azathoth by C.T. Phipps
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Back into the world with John Henry Booth. The world is coming to an end. But there's another he can go to.

To The Dreaming City. Life is different here. Kinda has the feel of gangster time with tech. It's an interesting blend here and how people live or pass here. They are all from different parallel universes. But how it's all run is the interesting thing. You have to see how it's crafted and held together.

We've seen John as the one of action, especially when he needs to be. But he can be the overthinker and thoughtful on events and life too. He has philosophical things to say and thoughts on things.

John is on the case. As John digs deeper I see that this story is definitely set in a fantasy world. Some of the items are out there in the thought process. The thought process is shared and I'm impressed with how we get there. That's what you get with blending Cthulhu and Dreams. Hold on while you take this adventure and keep an open mind.

As I love with C.T. Phipps's books, we touch on a few books and themes. It's interesting how it all ties together with the Dream world concept.

I listened to the audiobook and Cary Hite does a nice job here.

There's also a bonus short story at the end of this one. It's a case that John takes. A sorority needs his help.

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Book Review: Fate of the Fallen by Kel Kade

Fate of the Fallen by Kel Kade
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I'm all for books where there's an underdog and even where people fail. That could be so interesting!

However I was expecting more from this book than what I got.

When the prophesized hero dies I was all here for the story that was to come. This book had many elements I would enjoy.

But when the person who raised him told his closest friend, like a brother in life, to cut his head off to prove to the king the hero is deceased... I was shocked. And then he does it! There was no previous setting to have this fit the world. And the characters do things that just don't fit them or act like they know where they are when never left home.

I wanted to DNF this book with the events with the character that just does as told. The one decision I thought would be the hardest for him to do wasn't. But, Aaslo does seem to have his own obstacle since doing it. He talks to the spirit of Mathias but I don't think it's really the spirit as it's him mentally struggling with what he did.

The author's writing style isn't my style. I felt the world building could have been preempted a little bit in the beginning of events and what people were doing. Kind of setting us up for what was to come. I felt like the author had a few things they wanted to write and added them into the book, which didn't fit with the story or character.

I did push through and finish the book where I did enjoy the last two chapters. Maybe the last quarter of the book was good for me but it isn't enough for me to pick up the next book.

I do enjoy the magic struggles. I really liked that the gods are playing games of their own with the people. That's a big thing in fantasy and it's always something interesting to see on how they twist things too their benefit.

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Audio Book Review: The Modern Girl's Guide to Magic by Linsey Hall

The Modern Girl's Guide to Magic by Linsey Hall
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was an audio book listen I did with the book club.

This book was a quick, easy listen. The story was of Aria and Callan, both having times that are their point of view. They met when younger, Aria was just under age. Aria is asked to return to her home town to compete for the special garden, her family feels she'd be perfect for winning it when Lionel Sparrow retires. This could also save Aria's family magic shop.

Aria doesn't have magic like others. But can still compete. She just doesn't know if she'll win with Callan competing too.

Aria and Callan are a slow growing romance through the book. They learn to like and trust each other. Even help each other. And the secrets that each have.

The narrator felt slow so I had the audio book on double time. Early on I felt like the author was working too hard to create a moment. Too many words to describe where feelings would be enough.

If you enjoy a book that has neat challenges in a magical way with a cute romance growing, this might be a book for you to try.

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Audio Book Review: A Bargain So Bloody by Vasilisa Drake

A Bargain So Bloody by Vasilisa Drake
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this fantasy set story with a vampire twist. Samara lives in a prison, helping the guards, for what she did years ago. There's a new prisoner brought in, with copper manacles instead of the usual iron used on witches.

Samara has a choice to make... help him escape and go with or leave him here.

As we set out on the escape across land to a country that will keep Samara and Raphael, Samara gets to experience new things. We start to see experiences from when she was young and her bad experience with a vampire.

The story starts and mostly is narrow to two people, Samara and Raphael, in Samara's point of view. There's good reasons to stay together, for Samara. I think there's more to Raphael's reasons though and that has me curious.

Then Raphael offers a mission to keep Samara near. One that she could help him with. It's an interesting mission and they grow closer as they go. Samara is helpful in deciphering things. But she likes staying near him too.

There's more to Samara. Raphael is holding a few secrets back. These have me curious about what the details are. There is a slow burn romance between the characters.

There's magic in the world. I liked the magic cards those with money could afford them. They are neat.

The ending has me wanting more! There's a nice twist to things and I can't wait to read what happens in the following books.

I listened to this as an audiobook and really enjoyed the audio version.

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