Review: The Night Prince (Wolf King #2) A Fantasy Romance by Lauren Palphreyman

Rating: 4⭐️

I was absolutely torn about rating this novel at a 4 when at times I wanted to go lower. It’s primarily due to the character of Callum and the fact that the author seems determined to ask the reader to accept that he’s anything beyond a whiny, substance lacking himbo but actually a main romantic character who should be in a relationship with the female protagonist.

No.

At 84 percent in, Callum is still a the wolf shifter equivalent of the entitled ex high school football player who never grew up still expecting everyone to like him and give him what he wants. Gets a crown? Due to his own efforts? Nope. Support skills? Lacking. He’s never where he should be. But the author’s storyline wants the reader to believe that this is the guy that Rory is swooning about? Realistically? That’s not a believable element.

This is me as a reader flipping pages every time Callum starts to make appearances.

Blake is the terrific character that kept me going. He’s complex, tormented, and dark natured. Duplicitous and unpredictable. And now bonded to Rory. That’s an interesting take on a twisted relationship and compelling plot. Blake’s damaged, horrific history and his own personal relationship to the dark world around him is what elevates the story and the unwilling bond between himself and Rory.

Its intensity also makes Rory a more interesting character herself through her connection to Blake and their dreams/nightmares and emotions. Without that aspect of her character,her personality is getting a bit one dimensional here. Without Blake in the picture, she’s then reduced to a reactionary role , just bouncing back and forth between different men instead of becoming a proactive person the author insists she is.

Yes, her circumstances are perilous, but some of these scenes and actions on her part are not as strong or well thought out as the role is asking us to believe her to be.

What the author has done well is to create an atmosphere of fear and suspense, where anyone can be possessed, where the darkness is rising. The mythology is wonderful and the landscape of the current plot and dramatic scenes is vividly illustrated.

The last quarter of the book is the best , most thrilling part of it. There is plenty of drama, some surprisingly good twists and one shocking moment at the end that ends on a bit of a cliffhanger that sets up the final novel in this trilogy.

I’ll be there to finish this trilogy. Fingers crossed that Callum is kicked out to the highest highlands, Blake is ,well , Blake, and Rory becomes a solo Queen. I can dream can’t I?

We will see.

Another gorgeous cover.

Cover Design by: Damonza

The Wolf King series:

The Wolf King #1

The Night Prince #2

Buy link:

The Night Prince: A Fantasy Romance (The Wolf King)

Blurb

Aurora is caught between powerful alphas as they fight for the Wolf Throne. But darker forces are rising. . .

Aurora may have survived the Wolf King, but his bite marks her skin. In accordance with wolf law, that makes her his property. Now, he wants her back.

To beat him and take his throne, Aurora and Callum must form a dangerous alliance with one of the most feared Wolves in the Kingdom, Blake. He is their enemy, but he has entangled his life with Aurora’s—meaning she cannot harm him without forfeiting her own life.

As she fights to break their connection, she suspects Blake is keeping secrets about a dark power that rises in the north, and the unsettling nature of the bond between them. It seems there is a bigger game at play than who sits on the Wolf Throne—one that threatens both the Kingdom of Wolves, and the Kingdom of Men.

With her wolf awakening, enemies closing in, relationships tested, and secrets revealed—Aurora may be the only one who can stop an ancient evil from rising.

If she can figure out who to trust.

If she can figure out where she, and her heart, belong.

If she can stay alive.

The highly anticipated sequel to The Wolf King. A romantasy for fans of enemies to lovers, shifters, forbidden romance, villains you love to hate (or maybe just love!), and werewolves. Contains strong language and sexual situations.

Publication date: March 31, 2025
Language: English
Print length: 499 pages

Review: The Prison Healer by Lynette Noni

Rating: 4.5⭐️

The Prison Healer by Lynette Noni is a gripping fantasy novel, the first book in a trilogy of the same name by Lynette Noni. She’s another new established author for me and I’m so excited to have found her and this series.

It’s equally great reading for adults like me who love fantasy with well developed characters and plots with unseen twists but could be read by young adults readers in the top range as well. The reason for this comes from the fact that the storyline is firmly rooted in a death prison, one that’s remarkably well defined and detailed.

The magical use comes slowly although the types of magic and how it’s been developed and divided throughout the kingdom historically is revealed early through internal storytelling by the characters.

So the story is concentrated on the character of Kiva Meridan, first traumatically as a 7 year old on the day her family was shattered and she, along with her father, was sent to the infamous death prison, Zalindov.

There are similarities that can be drawn between Zalindov and the German concentration camps of WWII, crematories, prisoners having numbers carved into them for identification purposes. Zalindov is a death sentence, it doesn’t matter why age you are, or why you are there. While I don’t believe that Noni is overly graphic about the horrors of the prison, there’s enough scenes that contain disturbing details or content of deaths and other violent acts that if this is problematic for you, be aware.

The Prison Healer jumps in time from that horrific day to present, and Kiva has survived, endured 10 years as a prisoner and a healer here. It’s been every bit a monumental struggle for her as you could expect. One might, as a reader, find it difficult to connect with Kiva at times, due to her locked down mentality and the reduced sense of self that the prison life has left of her at 17 years. She’s surviving, barely.

Then the arrival of several prisoners and a sweeping deadly illness change the status quo of the prison life.

Kiva is beautifully rendered, shutdown, hope sputtering out, you forget how young she is, as she quietly walks through the prison halls, hiding, looking out for the younger boy Tripp , trying to heal those who are in the infirmary. Being despised by all. It’s scary, heartbreaking, and filled with fear and suspense.

With the introduction of the dying Rebel Queen into the prison and the infirmary, the thrilling story begins to take shape on an ever larger scale.

There’s not a romance, she’s young, and she doesn’t want to let anyone close, or to lose anyone else.

There’s 3 incredible trial and an inventive use of space by the author to enhance her narrative. Also at the end , a fabulous twist that will send you running right into the next book to see where Kiva’s story goes!

Maps are fantastic. And I love the cover.

The Prison Healer series (completed):

The Prison Healer #1

The Gilded Gage #2

The Blood Traitor #3

Buy link

The Prison Healer (The Prison Healer, 1)$9.59Amazon.comFree returnsStore rating 4.5/5

Blurb

Seventeen-year-old Kiva Meridan has spent the last ten years fighting for survival in the notorious death prison, Zalindov, working as the prison healer.

When the Rebel Queen is captured, Kiva is charged with keeping the terminally ill woman alive long enough for her to undergo the Trial by Ordeal: a series of elemental challenges against the torments of air, fire, water, and earth, assigned to only the most dangerous of criminals.

Then a coded message from Kiva’s family arrives, containing a single order: “Don’t let her die. We are coming.” Aware that the Trials will kill the sickly queen, Kiva risks her own life to volunteer in her place. If she succeeds, both she and the queen will be granted their freedom.

But no one has ever survived.

With an incurable plague sweeping Zalindov, a mysterious new inmate fighting for Kiva’s heart, and a prison rebellion brewing, Kiva can’t escape the terrible feeling that her trials have only just begun.

From bestselling author Lynette Noni comes a dark, thrilling fantasy perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, and Sabaa Tahir.

Publisher. Penguin Random House Australia (March 13, 2023)

Language: English

Pages: 448

Review: The Tides of March: A Nelson & MacIlwraith Mystery (Moon Murder Mysteries) by K Sterling

Rating: 4.5🌈

The Tides of March picks up right after the events from Back in the Hunt, the first book to feature the secondary characters from the original Moon Mysteries Trilogy featuring Nelson and Nox. At the end of that story, Nox’s TA Tony was severely injured and was taken out to Poole’s Island, hoping that Ronan, a merrow who lives there, could heal him.

That’s where The Tides of March picks up. But the time frame is somewhat flexible with the narrative flowing back and forth in time to the two important parts of Tony and Ronan relationship, that when they met and the current situation of events.

K Sterling became a go to author for a number of reasons, excellence in writing being one, but Sterling’s work when it comes to mythology, religion, cultural history and the depths of this author’s research is phenomenal. Then to take that knowledge and give it a unique twist, spinning it into epic tale of fantasy , horror, and murder mysteries? Fantastic.

That concept and mythological storytelling is furthered by Tony’s wounding and his unceremonious dumping on Poole’s Island, hoping that Ronan will have no other choice but to help him as a male merrow.

Their relationship will be built around Maryland’s history, Celtic mythology, especially those that pertain to merrows, and Tony’s own revelations about his family background. It’s an astonishing blend of mythology, history, and legends that works for the story, the relationship and its characters. It will also help more over , at the end, move the series arc mystery forward into another story and nearby location.

The vivid imagery and Sterling’s vision for the characters comes together in emotional detail and moments that make them and their situation seem believable.

That battle that brought many of Nox’s inner circle together (and our favorites) was a truly action filled and exciting.

All of these stories are based on locations near to me , something that rarely occurs in books I read. Silver Spring, Maryland? Almost unheard of.

The ending was lovely way to bring the story to a close , give Tony a new beginning and to launch the next adventure, Dead Air.

I’m all in when everyone heads to the Shenandoah Mountains.

Another fantastic story to add to the growing mythology mystery surrounding Nox and company. Highly recommended.

Exquisite covers. No idea who to credit them to.

Moon Mysteries 1 – 3 (first series)

Nelson & MacIlwraith Mystery (Moon Murder Mysteries sequel series)

Back in the Hunt #1

The Tides of March #2

Dead Air #3 – Aug 19,2025

Buy link

Amazon.comhttps://www.amazon.comThe Tides of March: A Nelson & MacIlwraith Mystery (Moon …

Blurb

Welcome to Pooles Island.

Population: 1 very grumpy merrow.

That’s all that Anthony Costa knows about his destination. Weak and barely clinging to consciousness after being attacked by an undead changeling, Tony is left in the care of Ronan O’Sullivan. The young anthropology professor’s fate hangs by a thread and the hideous merrow is Tony’s last hope.

Scorned and abandoned, Ronan has no use for men until he finds a beautiful Roman castaway on his beach. Bound by an ancient oath, Ronan has no choice but to care for Tony. But being a merrow means that Ronan is also burdened by a strong desire to claim the human inhabiting his bed.

There’s more to Tony’s story than he ever imagined and Ronan finds out he’s more than an ugly face, but a mysterious foe has unleashed an ancient horror upon Pooles Island. Ronan sets Tony free in an attempt to fight it on his own and finds himself outmatched by a kraken. Will Tony and his friends make it back in time to save Ronan, or will their love story get swept away with the tide?

**Tides Of March is part of the Nelson & MacIlwraith universe and includes MANY spoilers for the original trilogy.**

Publisher: Bawdy Books (March 15, 2025)
Publication date: March 15, 2025
Language: English
Print length: 183 pages

Review: A Lair of Bones (Curse of the Cyren Queen Book 1) by Helen Scheuerer

Rating: 4.75⭐️

Sheer utter cruel fantasy and I’m here for it. With A Lair of Bones, Helen Scheuerer really cemented herself as one of my top authors of favorite fantasy novels.

With top tier world building, hauntingly vivid imagery, as well as the ability to create characters that start as raw flawed beings that shift and develop emotionally as this story and their journey begins , A Lair of Bones by Helen Scheuerer is a classic of epic fantasy.

This isn’t a romance, but truly a fantasy epic adventure told from the perspective of a young female cyren. We see her born to a prisoner, Cerys, a cyren who’s been imprisoned for centuries having committed the ultimate crime of using her death song against her own kind.

This parentage makes Rohesia, our main character a Isruhe , a deeply injurious slur, “vermin of the deep” and those beings are marked by a golden circlet about their heads. She and those of the lower depths of the Cyren island of Saddorial have the most disgusting and dangerous jobs. In her case, she and her friends are bone cleaners.

The author has created a cruel, proud race of creatures we’ve known from mythology, expanding and evolving them into a evolved, highly predatory water dwelling species that lives in architecturally beautiful structures made entirely of the bones of those they’ve killed, mostly humans. These aren’t a kind or forgiving race.

Their main mantra is no Cyren is to be trusted. Everyone wears a mask.

This is the world that our bone cleaners are born into and the one in which Rohesia, aka Roh will undertake the biggest challenge and transformation. To become the next Queen of the Cyrens.

This story will focus on Roh’s schemes to become a participant in the royal Queen’s Tournament and the surprise addition of a human being as a partner to keep alive and in good condition to compete the trials.

Scheuerer has added so many fantastic aspects to this Tournament as well as characters that are ones that will have impactful roles to Roh in the series.

Throughout the story, more of the history and magical systems, Cyren and mages, are incorporated into the narrative in dramatic moments and highly emotional scenes.

Roh is a very driven personality, scarred, ambitious and determined to rise above the scorned vermin she’s seen as. Her character is shown to evolve along with her perspective on her species and history as she undergoes the brutal challenges and has to interact with those around her.

A Lair of Bones is such a compelling story with Roh and her companion’s’ journey a gripping suspense-filled tale, that I read it in one evening. And went immediately onto the next.

I highly recommend reading A Lair of Bones (Curse of the Cyren Queen Book 1) by Helen Scheuerer. It’s top of my book list of favorite reads.

Cover design by Deranged Doctor Design

Curse of the Cyren Queen finished series:

A Lair of Bones #1

With Dagger and Song #2

The Fabric of Chaos #3

To Wield a Crown #4 – finale

Buy link

A Lair of Bones (Curse of the Cyren Queen Book 1)

Blurb

As the daughter of an infamous criminal, Roh only cares about three things: her friends, finding her deathsong, and the upcoming royal Queen’s Tournament.

A treacherous competition determines the ruler of magic every fifty years. This is Roh’s chance to change her life. Change her destiny.

But she’s not the only one who wants to win. Champions from every land will fight to the death for a chance to wield unimaginable power.

The challenging part of the Queen’s Tournament for Roh is keeping her human partner alive. She can’t win or survive without him. Together they’ll have to face the most cunning, and dangerous warriors magic can throw at them. Together they’ll face more than enemies. Together, they’ll learn the meaning of true friendship.

Get ready for flawed heroines, slow-burn enemies-to-lovers romance, epic worldbuilding, stunning magic and found family. Readers will love this fast-paced exhilarating fantasy.

Publisher: Alchemy; 1st edition (July 13, 2021)
Publication date: July 13, 2021
Language: English
Print length: 476 pages

Review: The Wren in the Holly Library (Oak & Holly Cycle Book 1) by K.A. Linde

Rating: 3⭐️🌈

🌈 for Bisexual main character

I really wanted to like this story but issues just kept creeping into the narrative that stopped me from being fully invested in the characters, their relationships and motivations as well as the mythology that Linde insists on using as a framework for her storyline.

It’s not the dark fantasy, because I’m a true fan of the genre, it’s in the manner that the author is constructing the characters and storylines.

Kierse, the damaged thief with the abusive background from her criminal mentor is the Belle substitute here. She’s the thief who’s caught in the Holly Library the “Monster” (it’s in the description) , also known as Grave .

Their relationship is part of the issue. Or maybe her treatment is. There isn’t much chemistry between them and the romance just seems to appear, albeit with Kierse making the obligatory resistance response.

She’s got a bisexual background with a missing ex girlfriend that is part of an underdeveloped storyline. As well as a well described traumatic history that gives her the realistic, raw foundation her character would require.

But how the dynamic plays into the physical abuse and the future degradation that is inflicted upon her as part of her “roles” with Grace starts a strange division and changes her past/current personality and the new narrative path of the author’s without the needed context.

Grave, the mage “Monster “ , is a person who has an otherworldly framework around him that’s easily recognizable ,as is the other main enemy MC. This aspect of his character and storyline is primarily due to the many hints and story Easter eggs the author has scattered throughout the book. Grave just isn’t someone who is an engaging personality. Again, Linde works against the story romance by having every single character (Kierse’s friends and frenemies) repeatedly telling Kierse exactly how untrustworthy Grave.

After a while we have to figure this is a major plot point.

Then for me it’s the mythology and underdeveloped magic which didn’t really make sense. Linde chose to use certain snippets or aspects of certain myths of Irish or Celtic culture but it’s not clear or successful. Especially with her usages of wrens. She’s partly using St. Stephen’s , a tale of unfortunate timing, as well as some Druids mythology that includes wrens, none of which translates well to a North American continent where our numerous species of wrens do just fine in winter and this aspect of the book would have not context. So without going beyond the surface or substance or making the material adjust accordingly ( as other authors have in great detail and depth), this just doesn’t work.

This came very close to a DNF but I wanted to see where Linde was going with the characters and story. Disappointing and not sure I’m going forward with the series. Too bad because it had such potential.

Cover art and design by Bree Archer Deluxe Limited endpaper illustration by Melanie Korte Deluxe Limited case design by Elizabeth Turner Stokes

The Oak & Holly Cycle series is best read in order.

Reading Order:

Book #1 The Wren in the Holly Library

Book #2 The Robin on the Oak Throne

Buy link

The Wren in the Holly Library (Oak & Holly Cycle Book 1)

Blurb

Can you love the dark when you know what it hides?

Some things aren’t supposed to exist outside of our imagination.

Thirteen years ago, monsters emerged from the shadows and plunged Kierse’s world into a cataclysmic war of near-total destruction. The New York City she knew so well collapsed practically overnight.

In the wake of that carnage, the Monster Treaty was created. A truce…of sorts.

But tonight, Kierse—a gifted and fearless thief—will break that treaty. She’ll enter the Holly Library…not knowing it’s the home of a monster.

He’s charming. Quietly alluring. Terrifying. But he knows talent when he sees it; it’s just a matter of finding her price.

Now she’s locked into a dangerous bargain with a creature unlike any other. She’ll sacrifice her freedom. She’ll offer her skills. Together, they’ll put their own futures at risk.

But he’s been playing a game across centuries—and once she joins in, there will be

no escape…

The Oak & Holly Cycle series is best read in order.

Reading Order:

Book #1 The Wren in the Holly Library

Book #2 The Robin on the Oak Throne – June 17,2025

Publisher: Entangled: Red Tower Books (June 4, 2024)
Publication date: June 4, 2024
Language: English
Print length: 495 pages

Review: Phantasma: A dark fantasy romance (Wicked Games Book 1) by Kaylie Smith

Rating: 4⭐️

Phantasma by Kaylie Smith is the first book in her dark fantasy romance duology, Wicked Games. It’s interesting in that each book is a contained story about a paranormal sister of the Grimm family of New Orleans. Definitely helps to read them together though as I will.

It’s a completed duology, which is fantastic, so a reader can explore both stories, one right after the other.

I really enjoyed reading Phantasma, from the characters to the setting of the Devil’s Mansion itself and the trials of the Phantasma. The storyline pulled me along with the characters, and Smith crafted an interesting complex personality with the oldest sister, Ophelia and one of surprising depth with the younger sister, Genevieve. The developing relationship and dialogue between Ophelia and ghost Blackwell is all hot chemistry and dry wit. And that, for its time, Ophelia and her sister have a “modern “ view on sexuality in a time of corsets, albeit one that accepts magic as a reality.

The other details and characters are ones that I would have liked to have seen more closely in the story because of their own relationship with Blackwell, and what appeared to be knowledge of the sisters. Jasper, for one. And most definitely “Sin” for another.

And this is where I feel the book falls short. The author has created the framework for the supernatural foundation of the characters, the tragic histories, even the fact that there’s a multitude, generations, of Grimm women who pass their magic through death and become Necromancers and we never see any real indication of that particular element outside of the mansion. Yes, she can see Blackwell and there’s other things of note. But this felt aspect felt less defined. As did much about her life and family.

Her sister, Genevieve, is the best thing here. But the family backstory is used as needed for the book, effectively as a really good plot twist, but leaves too many questions, especially at the end, to be effective as a whole.

Same goes for the main owner and mystery behind the mansion. It’s easily guessed at although the reason behind it needs the explanation the author provided. That’s muddled too.

So there were aspects of the narrative that I feel needed more clarification or exploration in order for the story and characters to have real depth and all the storylines feel grounded.

Did it keep me from engaging in the story and characters relationship? No. I really enjoyed it and will go onto Genevieve’s story. Her adventures complete the duology.

Great covers.

Cover design Alexandra Purtan/ Fenix Cover Designs”

Wicked Games:

Phantasma #1

Enchantra #2

Buy link

Phantasma: A dark fantasy romance (Wicked Games Book 1)

Blurb

Welcome to Phantasma.

There are only two rules to the game. Stay alive. And don’t fall in love.

When Ophelia’s sister disappears, there is only one way to save her. Ophelia must enter Phantasma, a deadly contest inside a haunted mansion, and claim its prize—a single wish.

Phantasma is a maze of twisting corridors and lavish ballrooms, of demons and temptations. Ophelia will face nine challenges, each more dangerous than the last. There can only be one winner, and the other contestants will stop at nothing to eliminate their rivals.

Every day the house creates new monsters. But just as Ophelia’s fears threaten to overwhelm her, a mysterious stranger offers her a bargain.

Charming, arrogant and infuriatingly attractive, Blackwell claims he can guide her through the lethal trials ahead. All he asks in return is ten years of her life.

Ophelia knows she shouldn’t trust him. Blackwell doesn’t seem dangerous, but appearances can be deceptive. Worse still, she feels a dark and irresistible attraction drawing them closer and closer.

Her life is on the line. But in Phantasma, the only thing deadlier than losing the game is losing your heart…

The instant top ten bestseller and TikTok sensation!

A Court of Thorns and Roses meets Caraval in this seductive fantasy adventure. With steamy romance, a sexy morally gray love interest, OCD rep and jaw-dropping twists, Phantasma is perfect for fans of Rebecca Yarros, Nisha J. Tuli and Carissa Broadbent.

Publisher: Second Sky (September 3, 2024)
Publication date: September 3, 2024
Language: English
Print length: 428 pages

Review: Shadow & Storms (The Legends of Thezmarr Book 4) by Helen Scheuerer

Rating: 4.75⭐️

The Legends of Thezmarr made Helen Scheurer a new author I put on my auto read list based on the three books that I read in this series. The strong female protagonist with a powerful sense of her destiny and the poignant nature of her storyline combined with a sensational complex magical elements and the kingdoms on the verge of war made this a perfect series to lose myself in.

Now comes the finale, Shadow & Storms, and the culmination of all the great adventures, powerful moments and character developments in one epic story. Does it deliver? Yes it does.

There’s so many things that make this book stand out for me. Absolutely standout glory scenes that, when they occur in the narrative, they make the already heavily invested reader stop and yell out!

Scheuerer remembers that it’s the heartrending intimate moments of war and loss as well as those of legend in the making, the heart stirring calls to battle that make a story lasting and memorable. And writes both into her narrative of epic conflict and dark fantasy.

Scenes in which the congress and deep friendships of women are made and build the vast network of relationships to keep their rebellion alive. That’s incredible work. It’s Thea, Wren, Anya, also Adrienne and Dru as well as Audra, pulling together the establishment of women empowering each other.

And as this will tie up the relationship of Thea and Warsword Wilder Hawthorne, it’s a great aspect of their growth as a couple to see their roles switch as Wilder becomes the one who needs to recover and reconnect with those around him. The maturity and development in them both makes the story and their characters even better as the author was able to show a greater evolution as the storylines progressed.

The ending, which, yes, left me, satisfied, sad, but also very much totally feeling that certain aspects went the way they were supposed to go. And happily, sister Wren is set up for her own magical epic adventure in a sequel series.

For now, Warsword Thea and Warsword Wilder are left together, off to make their own adventures.

A absolutely stunning story and one I’m definitely recommending. Love the series.

Covers. Love the simplicity.

The Legends of Thezmarr – 4 books completed:

Blood & Steel #1

Vows & Ruins #2

Fate & Furies #3

Shadow & Storms #4

Sequel series (Wren and Torj) :

The Ashes of Thezmarr (2 book series to date)

Iron & Embers #1

Thorns & Fire #2 – July 31,2025

Buy link

Shadow & Storms: An epic romantic fantasy (The Legends of Thezmarr Book 4)

Blurb

“She was ready to shed blood, ready to take back what was hers.”

The time has come to make one last stand against the forces of cursed men and monsters. But Thea’s enemies are only getting stronger. With allies divided and an outnumbered army, she must race against her own fate to secure the future of the midrealms – or die trying.

A prophecy is looming, and Thea’s life is in the balance. Does she have the power to cheat death itself?

Love and loyalty will be tested. Bonds will fracture forever. But all must fight for a better world.

In the final war for survival, will Thea and Wilder emerge victorious? Or will the shadows consume them at last?

Fans of Fourth Wing, The Witcher and The Bridge Kingdom, brace yourselves for sizzling romance, found family and heart-pounding battles in Shadow & Storms, the epic finale to The Legends of Thezmarr.

Publisher: Alchemy (June 20, 2024)
Publication date: June 20, 2024
Language: English
Print length: 427 pages

Review: Fate & Furies (The Legends of Thezmarr Book 3) by Helen Scheuerer

Rating: 4.75⭐️

I tried reading other books but knowing this series was complete I simply couldn’t resist and had to finish this amazing epic fantasy adventure featuring one of my new favorite characters. That would be Thea Voltaire.

Fate & Furies is the perfect, or near perfect penultimate book to build the up the drama and start to pull all the complex storylines of these incredible characters together before the final climactic battles, revelations and wholly satisfying ending.

Fate & Furies begins with a vengeful Thea on the hunt for ex-Warswords Wilder Hawthorne, traitor, whose betrayal has cut deep. With her is fellow warriors and friends Kipp and Cal, who are also aware of her real identity as well as her powers.

Helen Scheuerer’s story is heartbreakingly raw, filled with fury, pain, and, on Thea’s part, an almost mindless need to drive herself towards capturing the person who has betrayed her and the country. It’s so vividly written that the character’s state and actions are pouring off the page, as she’s burning herself out in grief.

Wilder too, is seeking redemption, from new characters who have been only quietly been mentioned in the other books. Here they come to the front of the action and the storytelling. Also all the issues I had with Wilder are brought up here by the characters and discussed in a well thought out conversation. He becomes, in a way, the character that, has grown considerably since the beginning.

The battle scenes are tremendous, the twists startling, and still looming over the relationships between the characters and their families and friends is that Thea’s time is running out.

That’s always a sorrowful note for whatever victory or moment of joy that occurs.

One more book. This is quickly become a series for my bookshelf.

Highly recommended. Love Thea Voltaire. And author Helen Scheuerer

Covers. Love the simplicity.

The Legends of Thezmarr – 4 books completed:

Blood & Steel #1

Vows & Ruins #2

Fate & Furies #3

Shadow & Storms #4

Sequel series (Wren and Torj) :

The Ashes of Thezmarr (2 book series to date)

Iron & Embers #1

Thorns & Fire #2 – July 31,2025

Buy link

Fate & Furies: An epic romantic fantasy (The Legends of Thezmarr Book 3)

Blurb

“I always knew you would be the end of me.”

With darkness cursing the world around her, Althea Zoltaire is desperate for vengeance. But as she hunts Wilder Hawthorne across the kingdoms, brutal secrets begin to unravel.

Not knowing what – or who – to trust, Thea and her companions find themselves entwined with a destiny far greater than one man. Together, they must navigate the haunting revelations that could shatter the very foundations of the midrealms.

Yet it’s not only the world at stake, but Thea’s heart too. As everything teeters on the verge of destruction, her fate collides once more with Wilder’s.

Will their reunion ignite the fiery passion between them amidst the ashes of betrayal? Or will it end in a heartbreaking, deadly showdown?

In a journey fraught with danger, where the lines between enemies and allies blur, Thea must decide where her loyalties lie, and who will stand at her side against the looming evil.

Get ready for an epic adventure brimming with steamy romance, and a sprawling world of magic and monsters. Fate & Furies is the penultimate book in the spellbinding epic romantic fantasy series, The Legends of Thezmarr and is perfect for fans of Fourth Wing, The Bridge Kingdom, and The Witcher.

Publisher: Alchemy (February 22, 2024)
Publication date: February 22, 2024
Language: English
Print length: 466 pages

Review: Vows & Ruins (The Legends of Thezmarr Book 2) by Helen B. Scheuerer

Rating: 4.75⭐️

What an incredible story. I’ve already said that Thea Zoltaire , a young woman with a short time in which to make her own legacy, is one of my favorite characters. Here she starts to become the warrior of her dreams, the one of legends.

As with everything in her world, her advances come with even greater challenges and personal costs.

Scheuerer’s writing style is vivid in imagery, powerful in her plotting. She carries us emotionally alongside the characters as each navigates through learning to deal with the lightning magic that the sisters have, the horrifying dangers that the enemy is bringing to the battlefield, and the hidden secrets within the world around them.

The biggest challenge is the relationship that still developing between Thea and Warsword Wilder Hawthorne. Torn between being solely responsible for her skills and survival as her mentor or those of her lover, Wilder is vacillating with his feelings and his orders, as well as his own tortured memories.

Here I was so throughly invested in Thea’s growth as a warrior and individual, her depth of character that had to accept some brutal truths about her own life and background and then resolve them into her current emotional state and situation. The author really did a fantastic job in creating the inner turmoil of Thea’s journey and the maturity that had to occur if she was to survive and move forward.

If I had any issues, it’s with Wilder’s character. Any main character, but especially if they are men, that decide that withholding information, highly major details, from the other person, is the only possible option is a lessening of that individual. I’m sure it’s an important part of this series arc but it destroys the integrity of the dynamic and any respect for the woman. It’s a typical “I love you too much to let you make your own decisions/choices “ relationship, and I hope that we get past this, eventually in the future for romance relationships.

This book ends on a fabulous cliffhanger of an ending and as the other books are out to go read, I’m heading right into the next one.

Highly recommended. Love Thea Voltaire.

The Legends of Thezmarr – 4 books completed:

Blood & Steel #1

Vows & Ruins #2

Fate & Furies #3

Shadow & Storms #4

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Vows & Ruins: An epic romantic fantasy (The Legends of Thezmarr Book 2)

Blurb

Against all odds, Althea Zoltaire emerged from her trials as a champion. Now, she must train even harder and prepare herself to become a true warrior of Thezmarr.

But Thea’s world is turned upside down as she struggles to navigate her newfound magic and uncover the secrets of her past. Slowly, she begins to untangle the truth about her family, her powers and the evil that threatens to engulf the kingdom.

When Wilder Hawthorne returns to be her official mentor, everything changes. Dark forces are gathering, and he will stop at nothing to prepare her for the challenges to come, even if it means breaking her.

As war looms and their quest for answers leads master and apprentice deeper into danger, the undeniable connection between them intensifies – defying all odds, but also threatening to tear them apart.

With secrets unravelling and evil closing in, Thea and Wilder fight to save the world, and each other. The fate of the realms rests in their hands – will they emerge victorious, or will the darkness consume them both?

Full of action, adventure and steamy romance, Vows & Ruins is the second book in the spellbinding epic romantic fantasy series, The Legends of Thezmarr and is perfect for fans of The Bridge Kingdom, From Blood and Ash and The Witcher.

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Publisher: Alchemy (September 21, 2023)
Publication date: September 21, 2023
Language: English
Print length: 536 pages

Review: Blood & Steel (The Legends of Thezmarr Book 1) by Helen B. Scheuerer

Rating: 4.75⭐️

YOU DO NOT BECOME A LEGEND OVERNIGHT

HE TOLD HER QUIETLY “A LEGEND IS FORGED WITH

BLOOD AND STEEL”

Another new author, another great series and strong heroic female character. Albeit one with a highly tragic twist to launch her story and goals.

Althea Zoltaire knows that she will die at the age of 27. It’s a fate she’s always known will happen. Now she’s got just 3 years to become the legend she needs to be. A Legendary Warsword. In a land that’s forbidden women to hold weaponry.

That’s the dynamic theme and the epic storytelling that takes Thea forward towards her goals along with her sisters is such a compelling emotional journey. Thea Zoltaire is rapidly becoming one of my favorite characters of the season. Tragic background that’s she’s used to push her towards a forbidden goal of becoming a female Warsword. And not just a powerful Warsword but a legendary warrior in the time left to her is a a woman of strength and character.

The trials, the challenges and battles she faces, from family to those of royal legality are ones that the reader is so emotionally invested in, right along with her.

Scheuerer brings in a cast of equally diverse and interesting characters to surround and support Thea here. The first being Wilder Hawthorne, a Warsword whose role varies from frenemies to reluctant mentor to more. There’s the other people trying to become Warswords and facing the same trials, and her Alchemist sisters.

The world building is great and will be expanded upon in the next books as Thea’s story continues.

Highly recommended as a favorite of mine this season. Plus it’s a complete trilogy. Another plus.

The Legends of Thezmarr – 4 books completed:

Blood & Steel #1

Vows & Ruins #2

Fate & Furies #3

Shadow & Storms #4

Buy link

Blood & Steel: An epic romantic fantasy (The Legends of Thezmarr Book 1)

Blurb

Perfect for fans of The Bridge Kingdom, From Blood and Ash and The Witcher, BLOOD & STEEL is an epic romantic fantasy with enemies-to-lovers, slow-burn spice, found family, and a sprawling world of magic and monsters.

With her death foretold, Althea Zoltaire only has three years to become what she’s always dreamed of being: a warrior legend.

Women are forbidden to wield blades, so she has trained in secret her entire life. Now racing against the clock, she fights to secure her place in the elite guild charged with the protection of the five kingdoms.

The sparring and hazing of the new trainees border on deadly, but even more dangerous is her growing attraction to Wilder Hawthorne, her unwilling warrior chaperone.

All around them, schemes are afoot and darkness looms.

Will Althea pass the perilous initiation test and take her place as a champion of Thezmarr – or will the invading evil snatch away her dream before it starts?

If you like fierce sword-wielding heroines and brooding, tortured heroes, you will devour this sexy, addictive fantasy adventure.

Blood & Steel is the gripping first book in the heart-pounding, epic romantic fantasy series, The Legends of Thezmarr.

Publisher: Alchemy (February 16, 2023)
Publication date: February 16, 2023
Language: English
Print length: 550 pages

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